Foreign-Affairs
KBAA, KOICA, DNCC plant trees to mark 50 years of Dhaka-Seoul ties
To mark the 50 years of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and South Korea, the KOICA Bangladesh Alumni Association (KBAA), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) held a tree plantation event at Shahid Dr Fazle Rabbi Park in Dhaka's Gulshan 1.
As a part of a voluntary program to increase the consciousness of environmental protection, about 85 trees were planted in the rain garden zone of the park.
DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam, South Korean Ambassador Lee Jang-keun, Nasima Begum, Member of the Planning Commission and also president of KBAA, KOICA Country Director Kim Tae-young, Economic Relations Division Joint Secretary Masuma Akter, Korean Community President Yu Yong oh, and Korean Export Processing Zone President Jahangir Saadat were present at the event.
Read: Japanese Ambassador joins KWE’s Bangladesh operations launching prog
KBAA is a platform that bridges the gap between the two countries and deepens friendly ties.
The total number of KOICA alumni, and government officials of Bangladesh who participated in KOICA-funded training programs, has reached more than 2,600 this year, reflecting the "multi-sectoral links" that have been established between Korea and Bangladesh over decades.
Bangladesh Monitor holds seminar to promote smart aviation
Travel and tourism publication Bangladesh Monitor on Thursday organised a seminar at a hotel in the capital to promote smart aviation in the country.
The seminar "Capacity building of international airports and opening of stalled domestic airports in Bangladesh" was supported by Eastern Bank.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali was present at the event as the chief guest. Daily Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury was also present.
Read: Dialogue held to chart roadmap for responsible business conduct
The discussion panel included Mofizur Rahman, managing director of Novoair, and Air Commodore Md Mahbub Zaman Khan, director of corporate training and planning of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), was also present.
Bangladesh Monitor Editor Kazi Wahidul Alam moderated the discussion.
'China gives big loans to countries to make them dependent on it'
China, one of the world's largest single creditor nations, gives big loans to developing and least developed countries to make them dependent on it, US geopolitical expert Richard Benkin said Thursday.
Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Djibouti, the Maldives, and Montenegro are "victims" of China's debt trap diplomacy, he added.
The US expert was speaking at the seminar "Debt Trap Diplomacy: A Robust Threat and Corruption Institutionalized" organised by The Asian Age in the capital Thursday.
The Asian Age Chairman Shoeb Chowdhury presided over the programme. The Asian Age Editor-in-Charge Selim Omrao Khan and Advisory Editor AKM Shameem Chowdhuri were also present.
"Pakistan has turned into a failed state as a result of taking Chinese loans," Benkin said.
He referred to Sri Lanka as another country that has plunged into insurmountable woes because of getting cobwebbed with Chinese financial deals.
Read: Dhaka urges G20 countries to take corrective actions to reverse trend of global warming
Other speakers talked about the "syndicated corruption" that has been taking place in various countries through Chinese financial schemes.
"Financial vices like" money laundering have taken a monstrous shape in many countries for their involvement with Chinese debts and Chinese projects, they said.
Also, the discussants called upon the Bangladesh government not to fall into Chinese financial traps.
Former secretaries Mostafizur Rahman and Kamal Uddin Talukder, UN Disability Rights Champion Abdus Sattar Dulal, former ISPR director Shaheenul Islam, Professor Mohammed Nuruzzaman of North South University, Professor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah of Dhaka University, Bangladesh Christian Association President Nirmol Rozario, Daily Ittefaq Associate Editor Mohshin Habib, Advocate Saikat Paul and The Asian Age Senior Business Reporter Nasir Uddin Shah were also present at the programme.
'Cuts in food rations for Rohingyas to have serious health impact'
Cuts in food rations received by around one million Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar will increase their risk of malnutrition and have a serious impact on their health, said international medical organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Thursday.
Citing lack of funding, yesterday, the World Food Programme (WFP) cut rations by 17 percent, bringing the number of calories per person below the accepted minimum standard of 2,100 calories per day.
Rohingyas in the world's largest grouping of refugee camps in Cox's Bazar are almost completely dependent on food assistance, as they are confined to the camps and prohibited from finding formal employment, preventing them from supplementing meagre food rations which are already below the recommended daily calorie intake.
A reduced calorie intake puts people at risk of malnutrition and anaemia and weakens their immune systems, increasing the risk of future outbreaks of infectious diseases such as measles and cholera.
MSF said many pregnant women receiving antenatal care at its health facilities are already malnourished. "Last year, 12 percent of pregnant women at Kutupalong hospital and Balukhali clinic were diagnosed with acute malnutrition and 30 percent with anaemia."
Mothers who are malnourished and anaemic are at a higher risk of experiencing complications during childbirth, while their newborn babies are more likely to have poor health outcomes.
Even at the current level of food rations, 28 percent of babies born in Kutupalong hospital and Balukhali clinic have a low birth weight, heightening their chance of becoming sick and malnourished, MSF said.
Many refugees in the camps also suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension and type II diabetes.
MSF said it currently provides care for a cohort of more than 4,500 patients.
For non-communicable disease patients, a healthy diet is a critical part of managing their health conditions. Reduced access to adequate food would increase their reliance on medical care, potentially increasing demand for already overburdened health services in the camps.
Health services in the camps are already under enormous pressure as they struggle to deal with the medical impacts of people's dire living conditions, including frequent outbreaks of scabies, dengue fever and cholera – the result of poor sanitation, stagnant water and overflowing latrines, MSF said.
A reduction in food rations would also heighten the sense of desperation already prevalent throughout the camps and could drive more Rohingya to undertake highly dangerous sea and land journeys in search of a better life and a more hopeful future, the international medical organisation added.
"Funding has gone down and the number of aid organisations working in Cox’s Bazar has declined by almost 80 percent. Donors must reprioritise the Rohingya and reaffirm their funding commitments," Claudio Miglietta, MSF country representative, said.
100 Dhaka, Sylhet students graduate from US Embassy's English Access Microscholarship Program
One hundred students from Dhaka and Sylhet have completed the English Access Microscholarship Program, administered by the Global Educators Initiative for Sustainable Transformation (GEIST) International Foundation.
The students strengthened their English language, critical thinking, and leadership skills by completing the rigorous US government-funded program.
US Ambassador Peter Haas Wednesday participated in a graduation ceremony of the program. He praised the 50 young women and as many young men for their leadership skills, including their support last year to victims of the Sylhet floods.
"You are the leaders of tomorrow that Bangladesh needs today; your English, leadership, and critical thinking skills are crucial to your community and country," Ambassador Haas said.
The English Access Microscholarship Program, funded by the US Department of State, is a two-year interactive program building a foundation in the English language, American culture, critical thinking, and leadership skills for students, aged 13 to 17, who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The program helps them become more competitive for higher education and employment opportunities. Since it began in 2004, 1,300 Bangladeshi students have completed the program.
Yesterday's graduating class joined almost 100,000 other Access program alumni in more than 85 countries.
The program is one of the US Embassy's many endeavours to strengthen and expand people-to-people ties and educational linkages between the US and Bangladesh, enhance the quality of education locally, and empower Bangladeshi youth through innovative learning opportunities.
GEIST is a Bangladesh-based non-profit organisation, founded by alumni of US government exchange programs, and is focused on teacher training and English instruction. Its membership includes 1,000 students, 400 teachers, and 580 professionals from the education and development sectors.
Currently, GEIST works with alumni of US-funded teacher training programs in 143 partner educational institutions in India, Nepal, Vietnam, Columbia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Iraq, Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, Columbia, Lithuania, Nigeria, Germany, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and France.
Dhaka urges G20 countries to take corrective actions to reverse trend of global warming
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has urged the G20 countries to take corrective actions to reverse the trend of global warming and advocate for fulfilling the global commitments of financing and technology transfer to fight climate change.
He called on the G20 leadership to allocate sufficient funds and means of implementation to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
Momen was speaking at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting (G20FMM) in New Delhi on Thursday.
Bangladesh better poised to receive sustained trade, investment from rising regional giants, says DBS CEO
Bangladesh's proximity to India and China puts it in a good position to receive sustained trade and investment inflows from these rising regional giants, says DBS Chief Executive Officer Piyush Gupta.
In particular, sectors such as telecommunications, gas and petroleum, power, as well as textiles and apparels, present attractive business opportunities for corporates looking to do more with the market, he said.
“In recent years, DBS has already been providing trade finance and advisory services in Bangladesh. The establishment of DBS Dhaka will provide further impetus to the bank’s activities and greater market connectivity for DBS customers globally,” Gupta was quoted as saying.
DBS, a leading financial services group in Asia, has officially inaugurated its Dhaka representative office, marking its expansion into its 19th market globally.
“Welcome Singapore’s DBS Bank to Bangladesh! World best bank and best digital bank! Strong signal of Singapore’s confidence in Bangladesh’s growth trajectory and business environment. DBS’ presence will pave the way to strengthen trade and investment ties between Bangladesh and Singapore,” Singapore Consulate in Bangladesh tweeted after its inauguration in Dhaka.
The inauguration was officiated in a city hotel in Dhaka, attended by Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Executive Chairman (Senior Secretary) Lokman Hossain Miah and Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Ahmed Jamal, who attended as special guests.
DBS Chief Executive Officer Piyush Gupta, DBS Group Head of Institutional Banking Tan Su Shan and DBS Dhaka Chief Representative Tahsina Banu were also present at the occasion together with more than 100 of DBS’ top clients, business partners and employees, as well as local government officials.
Before the pandemic, Bangladesh’s economy enjoyed GDP growth of nearly 7% a year for more than a decade (2008 – 2019). Between 2000 and 2021, the size of its economy grew nearly seven times, DBS said in a media release issued from Singapore.
Bangladesh’s economy is supported by a young population, increasing labour force participation and a growing middle class that is expected to account for a third of households in a decade, it said.
Lokman said, “As we work towards Bangladesh becoming a trillion-dollar economy by 2035 under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we intend to expand external trade and accelerate inflows of foreign investment and remittance.”
He said he is pleased that DBS, Southeast Asia’s largest bank, has chosen to establish a presence in Bangladesh.
“I am confident that we will benefit from its partnership in Bangladesh’s journey towards becoming an international business hub and global incubator for innovation, sustainability and entrepreneurship,” he said.
Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Ahmed Jamal said, “The establishment of DBS Bank’s representative office in Dhaka is a milestone for Bangladesh as we expand our international banking relationships. I am hopeful that this will be a mutually beneficial partnership for the development of new financial products and investment opportunities.”
DBS has been accorded the “Safest Bank in Asia” award by Global Finance for 14 consecutive years from 2009 to 2022.
In addition, DBS was named “World’s Best Bank” by US-based financial publication Global Finance last August, making it the third time that the bank had clinched the magazine’s top accolade since 2018.
This is also the bank’s seventh global best bank win in the last five years, reinforcing the bank’s position as an industry leader and a forward-looking institution shaping the future of banking.
Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world.
Romanian consular mission due March 5
A consular team of Romania is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on March 5 as the country is likely to issue visas to more than 15,000 Bangladesh citizens from March to September this year.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson Seheli Sabrin confirmed this during a weekly briefing on Thursday.
Required steps have already been taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help conduct the Romanian consular mission in Dhaka, she said.
Read more: India can be a mediator in resolving the Ukraine war: Momen tells Indian media
Last year a consular team from Romania stayed in Dhaka for three months and issued around 5,400 visas.
As the mission was run successfully, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen sent a letter to his Romanian counterpart requesting him to operate another consular mission.
After that, Romania showed interest in running a consular mission in Dhaka for six months from March to September to facilitate the issuance of visas to Bangladeshis.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is making all the arrangements for the operation of the consular mission of Romania in Dhaka.
UN-Myanmar expert calls on member states to reverse the cuts to food rations for Rohingyas
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews on Thursday made an urgent appeal to member mtates to reverse “the shameful, catastrophic cuts” to food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh that began to be implemented on Wednesday.
“These rations cuts are a stain on the conscience of the international community,” said Andrews.
“I have spoken with desperate families in the camps who have already had to cut back on essential food items due to a spike in prices. Reversing these cuts in food aid is literally a matter of life and death for Rohingya families,” the Special Rapporteur said.
He said many UN member states have offered rhetorical support for the Rohinyga but Rohingya families cannot eat political rhetoric.
"It is past time for UN member states to replace empty declarations of support with life saving action,” Andrews said.
“Unless they are quickly reversed, the impact of these cuts will be catastrophic and long-lasting,” he said.
According to the expert, malnutrition and adverse health outcomes could spike in the community and the development of Rohingya children could be severely impaired.
Read more: India can be a mediator in resolving the Ukraine war: Momen tells Indian media
The consequences of these cuts are likely to be carried by the Rohingya people for generations.
The UN expert issued the plea in a letter to UN member states to what could be a series of cuts in food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangaldesh by the World Food Programme (WFP).
The cuts could exceed 30 percent of current allocations to Rohingya refugees.
“These cuts will be devastating for a traumatised population that is already suffering from widespread malnutrition,” Andrews said.
“The impact of the already inadequate level of food support for Rohingya refugees is unconscionable: 40 percent of Rohingya children are currently suffering from stunted growth; 51 percent of Rohingya children and 41 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding Rohingya women are anemic; 45 percent of all Rohingya families in the camps are living with insufficient diets.”
Andrews said the food ration cuts will impact nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar who fled genocidal attacks by the Myanmar military.
“Tragically, the WFP has announced that cuts to the already insufficient food rations will be only the first round of ration reductions if additional funding is not forthcoming. The value of the monthly food ration allocation for each Rohingya refugee in the Bangladesh camps has been reduced by 17 percent,” the Special Rapporteur said. “Without additional support, these cuts will be even deeper over the next two months, with food rations reduced by a third. That would mean that, on average, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh camps would need to try and survive on $0.27 USD per day,” the Special Rapporteur said.
“The consequences of these additional cuts will be catastrophic for a population that has already been forced to endure immense suffering,” he said.
The World Food Programme reportedly needs $125 million USD immediately to halt the ration cuts.
Andrews noted that the food crisis was merely “the tip of the iceberg,” as the overall Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis Joint Response Plan (JRP) has been sorely underfunded for a number of years, and remains at risk of significant underfunding in 2023. The 2023 JRP will likely be published next week.
Andrews told member states that he will be closely monitoring all contributions by governments to food and nutrition for the Rohingya refugees and how these amounts compare to previous years’ contributions.
He announced that he will provide regular updates to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.
PM to leave Dhaka for Doha on Mar 4 to attend LDC5 Conference
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Doha on March 4 to participate in the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), to be held on March 5-9.
Prime Minister’s participation at the conference is very important to share Bangladesh’s amazing graduation experience with all the stakeholders including the UN and ensure a smooth and sustainable graduation, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin in a weekly briefing on Thursday, sharing the PM’s schedule during her stay in Doha, Qatar.
Bangladesh will call for global support for smooth transition in Bangladesh's LDC graduation.
This will be the last LDC summit where Bangladesh will be attending as the country will be graduating from least developed country (LDC) status by 2026.
The premier will be visiting Qatar at the invitation of the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi and Education Minister Dipu Moni, among others, will be accompanying her during the visit.
The prime minister will lead a high-level delegation and will hold bilateral meeting with her Qatari counterpart apart from her participation at the LDC5 conference. She will also have meeting with the Emir of Qatar.
Bilateral issues including cooperation in the areas of energy sector will come up for discussion.
On March 5, the PM will deliver a speech at the opening plenary meeting as a special guest.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, UN General Assembly President and current chair of LDC Group will also speak at the plenary meeting.
The Prime Minister will also deliver a speech at an event on the sidelines, titled “Sustainable and Smooth Transition for the Graduating Cohort of 2021”.
Read more: Govt to focus on labour-intensive industries along with technology: PM Hasina
On March 6, she will speak as the chief guest at a business summit, titled “The Rise of Bengal Tiger: Potential of Trade and Investment in Bangladesh.”
On March 7, the Prime Minister will attend a high-level dialogue on “Enhancing the participation of LDCs in International Trade and Regional Integration”.
She will also attend an event, titled “Global Partnership for Smooth and Sustainable Graduation: Marching towards Smart Bangladesh” as the special guest.
The LDC5 is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to accelerate sustainable development in the places where international assistance is needed the most — and to tap the full potential of the Least Developed Countries, helping them make progress on the road to prosperity.
Over five days of the LDC5 Conference in Doha, world leaders will gather with the private sector, civil society, parliamentarians, and young people to advance new ideas, raise new pledges of support, and spur delivery on agreed commitments, through the Doha Programme of Action.
At the conference, it is expected that specific initiatives and concrete deliverables will be announced that will address LDC-specific challenges.
The conference will feature plenary sessions, parallel high-level thematic roundtables, and a series of parallel and side events on various thematic priorities of the DPoA.
A Summit level meeting of the LDC Group, chaired by the President of Malawi, will be held on the day before the conference.
A commemoration event on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Group of LDCs will be held after the opening session on March 5, 2023.
There will also be dedicated events for the private sector, CSOs, youths, parliamentarians and South-South tracks on the margins of the conference.
The world’s Least Developed Countries are in a race against time to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The remaining years need to usher in a new global partnership to ensure these 46 countries benefit from social, economic and environmental development, according to the UN.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave Doha for Dhaka on March 8.