Foreign-Affairs
EU wants full implementation of labor roadmap for trade facility
The European Parliament's delegation on international trade on Tuesday said that the block wants full implementation of Bangladesh government’s commitment to implement a Labor Roadmap.
“We want the full and successful implementation of the Roadmap as a clear precondition for our further trade relations,” said Heidi Hautala, MEP, head of the delegation.
She was speaking in a ‘DCAB Talk’ with the European Parliament's Committee on international trade held at Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday.
Maximilian KRAH, Charles Whiteley, ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh also spoke in the function.
Rezaul Karim Lotus, president, Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) moderated the programme.
The EU delegation also included Members of the European Parliament (MEP) Jose Manuel GARCIA-MARGALLO, Sven SIMON, Agnes JONGERIUS and Jordi CANAS PEREZ.
“We note with concern reported delays in putting the labor law and the EPZ Labor Law in full compliance with international standards. Compliance with standards should be ensured for all special economic and processing zones,” said Heidi Hautala.
The EU has been fully supportive of this process. But as these are two fundamental requirements in order to successfully transition to GSP-plus, it would be urgent to anticipate deadlines for entry into force and to ensure full effective implementation. No delay should be acceptable, she said.
Dhaka urges Jakarta to do more for repatriation of Rohingya refugees
Bangladesh has sought a proactive support of Indonesia and of the ASEAN for an early repatriation of the stranded Myanmar nationals from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
Bangladesh and Indonesia held bilateral meeting in Jakarta on Monday and discussed the issue.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Retno Marsudi led the respective delegation in the discussions.
The meeting reviewed the whole gamut of the existing excellent bilateral relations and both sides renewed their commitment for further strengthening it.
The two foreign ministers exchanged felicitations on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The two countries agreed to accelerate cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, agriculture, food, energy, health and pharmaceuticals, connectivity, ICT, tourism, halal trade, human resources development, defence, youth and cultural exchanges, etc.
They expressed optimism that the MoUs in the pipeline would be concluded soon.
Read: Rohingya Repatriation: Dhaka seeks proactive role from Indonesia, ASEAN
Bangladesh for inclusion of apparel in PTA with Indonesia
Bangladesh has urged Indonesia to consider including apparel items in the preferential trade agreement (PTA) that they have agreed to sign to reduce the yawning bilateral trade gap.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen met Indonesian Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan in Jakarta Monday.
The ministers reviewed the trade relations between the two countries and agreed to expedite the conclusion of the bilateral PTA on the occasion of the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the countries.
Read: Indian Army Chief meets his Bangladesh counterpart
They agreed to further accelerate the exchange and interaction between the business communities of the countries.
Momen invited Zulkifli to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time this year.
Indian Army Chief meets his Bangladesh counterpart
Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande paid a courtesy call on his Bangladesh counterpart General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed at the Army Headquarters in Dhaka Monday and discussed ways to enhance and strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.
General Pande commenced his three-day visit, his first foreign trip since assumption as Indian Army Chief, by laying a wreath at the Shikha Anirban in Dhaka Cantonment and paying tributes to the brave hearts who laid down their lives for the Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.
"It clearly shows his respect for Bangladesh and the existing historical and professional relationship between the two armies," Inter Service Public Relation (ISPR) said Monday.
After the meeting, a special briefing was held at the Helmet Conference Room of the Army Headquarters for the Indian delegation.
After that, the Indian army chief praised the current leadership of the Bangladesh Army and its overall high standards.
Read: Indian army chief arrives in Dhaka
Earlier, General Manoj received an impressive guard of honour at Senakunja. He also planted a sapling to commemorate the friendship between the two armies.
Later he had courtesy meetings with Prime Minister's Security Affairs Advisor Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique (retired) and the chiefs of the Bangladesh Air Force and Bangladesh Navy.
In the afternoon, the Indian delegation paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi.
The delegation led by General Pande arrived in Dhaka Sunday at the invitation of the Bangladesh Army Chief.
Experts call for inclusive insurance, risk finance for all
Speakers at a workshop on Monday called upon the government, development partners and private sector for enabling an environment for inclusive insurance and risk financing for the country’s sustainable development, leaving no one behind.
The event titled ‘Inception workshop on Country Diagnostic on Inclusive Insurance and Risk Finance for Bangladesh‘ “was organized at a hotel in Dhaka, by the Financial Institutions Division (FID), Ministry of Finance, Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Sheikh Mohammad Salim Ullah, Secretary, FID, Ministry of Finance, attended the workshop as the chief guest, while Mohammad Joynul Bari, Chairman, IDRA and Van Nguyen, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh were the special guests.
Among others, Dr. Baqui Khalily, Chairman Risk Management Committee, Bank Asia and Abdullah Harun Pasha, Additional Secretary, FID, Ministry of Finance were also present.
Also read: Default loans cross over 126 crore: Finance Minister
Sheikh Mohammad Salim Ullah said, “There is an increasing need for decision makers to be involved in developing the insurance products. They also need to understand how climate change risks could affect their investments and how to mitigate those risks through proper planning, incentive structures and financial instruments. In this context, to achieve the mission of developing an efficient, inclusive and robust financial market and services system, FID is continuously working on many projects. Being a part of this project is another milestone for our institution to enter the groundwork in inert-related areas of insurance and risk finance. ”
A.K.M. Mamunur Rashid, Climate Change Specialist, UNDP Bangladesh set the tone of the event.
He provided a brief overview of why inclusive insurance and risk financing are essential for Bangladesh to cover the risks of the most vulnerable communities. Jan Kellett, Team Leader, Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), UNDP delivered a presentation on “Initiatives of the Insurance and Risk Finance Facility, UNDP and several best practices in the space of inclusive insurance and risk financing”.
Van Nguyen from UNDP said, “ I hope that under the leadership of FID, MoF and IDRA as the regulatory authorities, strong representation of the insurance industry and relevant key stakeholders – the country diagnostic will provide us with a clear direction for creating enabling environment for mainstreaming inclusive insurance and risk financing in the country. We are committed to continuing our support in the future to strengthen the legislative frameworks, institutional capacity and insurance industry for enhancing the resilience of the most vulnerable communities and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh.”
Dr. M. Baqui Khalily, Chairman, Risk Management Committee, Bank Asia, Nasir Uddin Ahmed, First Vice President, Bangladesh Insurance Association, Netai Dey Sarker, Director, Department of Disaster Management, Government of Bangladesh also spoke at the event.
Also read:Commit 2% of GDP to climate finance each year: civil society organisations
Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries due to its low-lying delta ecosystem that exposes the country to several disasters such as flash floods, monsoon floods, cyclones, storm surges, salinity intrusion, draught and unpredictable rainfall, said UNDP.
The government of Bangladesh (GoB) is keen to explore the insurance industry to consider it as a risk transfer mechanism. UNDP is conducting a country diagnostic that will document and assess the risks and vulnerability in Bangladesh considering the existing enabling environment and financial instruments.
The diagnostic study will highlight challenges, opportunities, and areas where UNDP can, together with partners, provide the necessary support for the government and private stakeholders to improve the enabling environment for inclusive insurance and risk financing.
MOFA wins Bangabandhu Public Administration Award 2022
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been chosen for "Bangabandhu Public Administration Award 2022" under general administration and management category recognising MoFA's significant contribution.The award will be given on July 23 while marking the National Public Services Day.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will virtually join the event to be held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium on Saturday morning.
Also read: MoFa holds training on e-governance on easy and quick services"Great news. Hearty congratulations to all officials and staff of the Ministry for a job well done," Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told UNB on Monday.He said their setting up of Bangabandu Corners in all Missions abroad and headquarters, Gonohottha Center, Public Diplomacy initiatives, observation of Mujib Chironthon to celebrate Bangabandhu's 100th anniversary and Golden Jubilee, setting up of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Gallery and Research Center, introduction of Bangabandhu Lecture Series, introduction of Bangabandhu Diplomatic Award of Excellence, setting up of Bangabandhu Centers and Professorships in few prestigious universities, introduction of Bangabandhu-UNESCO Award for Creative Economy, publication of few books on Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina, etc helped promoting the values, principles, the sacrifices of Bangabandhu and Bangladesh and his life stories, the economic and social achievements of Bangladesh under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina all across the nations.
Also read: PM to inaugurate new MoFA building ThursdayAlso successful organization of World Peace Conference in Dhaka last December to commemorate Bangabandhu's 100th anniversary added to it, Momen said.
Dhaka, New Delhi discuss boosting cooperation in railways
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on Monday discussed with Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan boosting cooperation in rail communication between their two countries.
The two discussed the current and future projects taken up by the Bangladesh government under Indian finance. The Indian HC proposed to launch a fourth interstate rail service at the meeting at railway minister’s office.
The Indian envoy said that at present, three trains named Maitree, Bandhan and Mitali Express are running between the two countries. Due to demands from the passengers, another train can be added to the fleet.
The Railways Minister’s recent India tour also came up during the discussion. Sujan said that during his tour, he had visited a factory where modern railway coaches were being built.
Sujan expressed his eagerness to buy high quality tourist coaches from India for the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route. He also expressed his interest to buy railway engines and luggage vans under Indian line of credit (LoC).
Read: Dhaka, Delhi will soon be connected through 6 rail links: Shringla
During the discussion, Sujan stressed the need for strengthening Bangladesh’s connectivity with Nepal and Bhutan. With this in mind, the minister put emphasis on strengthening the Chilahati-Haldibari rail route.
A new rail line is being built between Panchagarh and Banglabandha. The Indian government is yet to fix the place where the rail line will end.
The minister urged the Indian envoy to ramp up the process of selecting the site.
Read: Bangladesh-India train connectivity resumes after 2 years
Sujan and Doraiswami also discussed various projects undertaken by the Bangladesh government under Indian LoC, including Bogura-Sirajganj rail lines, Khulna-Mongla rail lines, and the third and fourth rail lines from Dhaka to Tongi.
Md Humayun Kabir, secretary of the Railways Ministry and Dhirendra Nath Majumder, Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Railway were present at the meeting.
Bangladesh, Indonesia for concluding bilateral PTA for strengthening economic cooperation
Bangladesh and Indonesia have stressed on concluding the bilateral preferential trade agreement (PTA) for further strengthening the economic cooperation between the two countries.
Bangladesh and Indonesia held a bilateral meeting in Jakarta on Monday and discussed the issue.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi led the respective delegation in the discussions.
The meeting reviewed the whole gamut of the existing excellent bilateral relations and both sides renewed their commitment for further strengthening it.
The two Foreign Ministers exchanged felicitations on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Indian army chief arrives in Dhaka
General Manoj Pande, India’s chief of army staff, arrived in Dhaka on Sunday on a four-day visit at the invitation of General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army.
This is the first foreign visit by General Manoj Pande since his assumption, said a press release of Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Monday.
The Indian Army Chief is accompanied by his spouse Archana Pande and a three-member delegation.
He is scheduled to pay courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Security Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister, service Chiefs of Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, PSO Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh and meet other senior officers of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, it said.
Read: Indian army chief begins 3-day visit to Bangladesh Monday
Southeast Asian MPs urge ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar to meet National Unity Govt
Parliamentarians from Southeast Asia are urging the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair to Myanmar, the Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn, to meet representatives of the National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar, after his recent trip to the country.
During the trip he met Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and other members of the military junta that continues to try to rule the country after its illegal coup d’état of February last year.
Formed by MPs elected before the military takeover and widely respected leaders from civil society and the ethnic minorities, the NUG was established in April 2022 to oppose the self-styled State Administration Council (SAC) led by Min Aung Hlaing.
The NUG is supported by the vast majority of the Myanmar people.
“Most Myanmar citizens see the NUG as their legitimate government, and that is how the international community at large, and ASEAN in particular, should regard it. If Mr. Sokhonn is serious about implementing ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, he should publicly engage the NUG, rather than limit himself to meet the leaders of an illegal junta that is committing all kinds of international crimes and throwing the country into chaos while attempting to cement its power,” said Tom Villarin, former MP from the Philippines and Board Member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) on Monday.
Read: Crisis in Myanmar taking an enormous toll on children: UN committee warns
The Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar was signed on 24 April 2021 by all ASEAN leaders and Min Aung Hlaing.
The Consensus prescribes the delivery of humanitarian aid, and calls for an immediate cessation of violence, as well as the commencement of a dialogue process between all the parties involved in the conflict, to be facilitated by the ASEAN Special Envoy appointed by the group’s rotatory Chair.
Since Cambodia assumed the chairmanship of ASEAN this year, its leaders have met Min Aung Hlaing and other representatives of the SAC on several occasions, including a visit by the Prime Minister, Hun Sen, to Myanmar in January; but has never met with any member of the NUG, most of whom are in hiding or exiled.
As Chair of ASEAN this year, Cambodia should hold conversations with the democratic leaders of Myanmar, by inviting them to meet outside Myanmar or online if necessary, given the challenges involved in meeting them in their own country, APHR said.
The SAC has utterly failed to implement any of the five points included in the consensus and the situation has steadily deteriorated in Myanmar.
With at least 2,088 people killed by the junta; over 11,000 political prisoners, a record number in Myanmar’s history; and over one million internally displaced people in the country, Min Aung Hlaing and his men are responsible for “systematic and widespread human rights violations and abuses” that may amount to “war crimes and crimes against humanity,” according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“We at APHR have repeatedly called on ASEAN to hold Min Aung Hlaing and his criminal junta accountable for their crimes and for not abiding to the Consensus they signed to. The military is the main source of Myanmar’s woes and instability, and ASEAN member states should not accept its illegal rule as a fait accompli. Instead, they should engage and support the NUG and Myanmar’s civil society if they truly want to put the country back on the path towards democracy and prevent it from becoming a failed state at their doorstep,” said Villarin.