Foreign-Affairs
Bangladesh seeks EU’s role for early repatriation of Rohingyas
Bangladesh has sought the European Union’s role to put pressure on Myanmar for early repatriation of the Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine State.
Bangladesh mentioned that the countries like the UK, USA, Spain, Japan, Korea and France are investing and doing even more trading with Myanmar.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen met High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP) Josep Borrell Fontelles on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Thursday.
During the meeting, he raised the Rohingya repatriation issue which has never seen any light for the past five years.
Momen strongly sought the EU’s support in putting pressure on Myanmar to take back their nationals, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read: Rohingya Repatriation: Dhaka seeks proactive role from Indonesia, ASEAN
ASEAN's Sectoral Dialogue Partner: Bangladesh seeks Vietnam’s support
Bangladesh has sought Vietnam’s support in favour of Bangladesh’s candidacy as a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN.
Bangladesh also invited Vietnam to invest in the economic zones in priority areas including agriculture and ICT sectors.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen met Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son on Thursday afternoon on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and discussed the issues.
Also read: Bangladesh seeks enhanced trade, investment cooperation with Timor-Leste
He requested Vietnam to exert its friendly influence on Myanmar to take its citizens back to Myanmar, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Momen also suggested the regular exchange of more technical expertise to boost trade, commerce and investment further.
Also read: Chinese FM’s visit: Dhaka, Beijing likely to sign multiple cooperation documents
Bangladesh seeks enhanced trade, investment cooperation with Timor-Leste
Bangladesh and Timor-Leste, a Southeast Asian nation, have discussed ways to expand the relations with an enhanced cooperation in the areas of trade and investment.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has met Timor-Leste’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Adaljiza Albertina Reis Magno on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and discussed issues of mutual interest.
Momen is now on a three-day visit to Cambodia to attend the 29th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
Both the Ministers expressed deep satisfaction at the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries and pledged to further strengthen the relations in depth and dimensions, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
Also read: Chinese FM’s visit: Dhaka, Beijing likely to sign multiple cooperation documents
During the meeting, the two Ministers shared their views for mutual benefits and they discussed the issues of Rohingya repatriation, Bangladesh peacekeeping force, poverty alleviation, mass education, women empowerment, agricultural research, fisheries, livestock & poultry industries, digitization, youth development and student exchange programme.
Momen underscored the need for regular exchange of visits at the high political and official levels as it is a very important tool for strengthening existing relations.
The meeting concluded to collaborate and share experience toward a more efficient partnership in the days ahead.
Also read: Bangladesh reiterates its firm adherence to ‘One China’ policy
Bangladesh Ambassador to Cambodia and Director General for Regional Organizations wing of the Ministry accompanied the Foreign Minister during the meeting.
Chinese FM’s visit: Dhaka, Beijing likely to sign multiple cooperation documents
Bangladesh and China are likely to sign multiple MoUs and agreements during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's two-day visit that begins Saturday morning.
Talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam said the list is not finalised yet and it can be five-seven – new and renewal including cooperation on the disaster management and cultural exchange fronts.
He assured that the planned MoUs and agreements will be aligned with Bangladesh’s cultural, social and economic policy though the list is not finalised yet.
The State Minister said the relationship between Bangladesh and China is “deep and wide” and the two countries will discuss areas of future cooperation.
Shahriar said the Chinese Foreign Minister is scheduled to arrive here at 11am on Saturday while he will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday morning.
Minister Wang will also have a bilateral meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen the same day to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues.
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader will host a dinner in honour of the Chinese Foreign Minister Saturday evening, Shahriar said.
Foreign Minister Momen is expected to return home Saturday night after attending the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting on August 5-6 in Cambodia.
It is not yet decided who will receive the Chinese Foreign Minister.
Also read: No discussion on new loan during Chinese FM's visit: FS
Responding to a question, the State Minister said Bangladesh will seek a stronger role from the Chinese government for early repatriation of the Rohingyas.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas and there is a tripartite mechanism – Bangladesh, Myanmar and China – to discuss and resolve the crisis.
Earlier, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said taking a new loan from China will not be a part of their agenda during the Chinese Foreign Minister's upcoming Bangladesh visit.
"This time, the issue of taking loan afresh isn't there at least," he said on Wednesday when a reporter wanted to know whether Bangladesh is going to take a loan from China again.
Asked what message this visit carries amid the crisis in various parts of the world, the foreign secretary said it will be known once the Chinese foreign minister comes. "We are working on the visit. Things are yet to be finalised."
He reiterated that the visit is part of the Chinese side's routine visit to the region and also it is an opportunity to review the existing engagements between the two countries.
"It can't be said (there's) urgency (from the Chinese side). Since he will be visiting this region, he expressed the desire to come here if we can give him time. We are looking into the timings," he said earlier when a reporter wanted to know why there was so much urgency from the Chinese side.
In January 2017, Wang Yi had an hour-long stopover in Dhaka. "This time, he will be coming for a longer period," said the foreign secretary.
Wang is a member of the 19th CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and a member of the Leading CPC Members Group of the State Council.
Also read: Dhaka closely following developments in Taiwan Strait: MoFA
Bangladesh reiterates its firm adherence to ‘One China’ policy
Bangladesh has reiterated her firm adherence to ‘One China’ policy and urged the parties concerned to resolve their differences in accordance with the UN Charter and through dialogue.
“We hope it will not further aggravate…the world can’t afford to have another crisis,” said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam on Thursday, adding that the world is going through enough crises.
Bangladesh has urged all parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from any actions that may aggravate tensions and undermine peace and stability in the region and beyond.
Bangladesh is closely following the developments in the Taiwan Strait, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read: Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, China’s blockade and what next?
Beijing welcomes Dhaka's one-China principle
China highly appreciates Bangladesh’s longstanding commitment to the one-China principle and resolute opposition to “Taiwan Independence”, the country's envoy in Dhaka said on Thursday
"We believe that the government and people of Bangladesh will continue to abide by the one-China principle, understand and support China’s legitimate and justified position on Taiwan question," Chinese Ambassador Li Jiming said.
In a statement regarding US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, he said China and Bangladesh are good neighbours, trustworthy friends and reliable partners.
The two countries have always understood and supported each other on issues of core interests concerning respective sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, said the envoy.
Read:No discussion on new loan during Chinese FM's visit: FS
On August 2, Ambassador Li said, in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region.
"This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués," he said.
It infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, sends a wrong signal to the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence”, and has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations.
"China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this," said the ambassador.
There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, said Li.
"Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan Region not only gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, but also creates tension and conflicts in the region, bringing more uncertainties to the already troubled world," said the Chinese envoy.
'Pakistan leadership can learn many lessons from Bangladesh'
Bangladesh has experienced significant economic transformation over the years, which can be attributed to its leadership, reads an article published in The Express Tribune.
Pakistan’s leadership can learn many lessons from Bangladesh’s experience, but the main takeaway should be that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina prioritised economic growth, which is crucial for both defence and democracy, reads the article.
Sahibzada Riaz Noor in his article mentioned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Padma Bridge recently and declared it a ‘symbol of pride and capacity’.
As early as 1992, Sheikh Hasina was involved in the economic issues and plans for Bangladesh, according to the article titled "Takeaways from Bangladesh’s leadership." She undertook the task of balancing economic policies with political implications.
Sheikh Hasina learnt from other Asian countries whose economic success was based upon four pillars: political stability, social development, trade liberalisation with export-led growth and fiscal restraint, reads the article.
During a conference, when an economist began informing her about the benefits of trade liberalisation, Sheikh Hasina quipped, “you don’t have to convince me about trade liberalisation. When I was living with my physicist husband in the Italian city of Trieste on the Yugoslavian border, I watched the border being opened three times a week and people travelling across from both sides, purchasing goods and return.”
Read: Dhaka, Washington to follow up issues discussed over past few months
This demonstrates that Sheikh Hasina was assiduously focused on economics rather than other considerations that politicians are attracted to, Riaz Noor mentioned in his article.
Even though between 1971 to 2009, Bangladesh had hiccups in accountability campaigns and military rule, since 2009, the army has taken the back seat, he said. Bangladesh has seen less frequent derailment of civilian governments and experienced little legitimisation and delegitimization of governments.
Despite having little experience in governance, the Prime Minister possessed visionary acuity and conviction that economic progress was the only way to alleviate poverty in the country, reads the article.
Bangladesh has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and back in 1970, the country was 75% poorer compared to Pakistan but now it is 45% richer, the article reads.
In 1970, it had 10 million more mouths to feed but now its population is 170 million compared to Pakistan’s 230 million, according to the article.
In 2021, Bangladesh’s exports were $47 billion while Pakistan’s exports were $28 billion. The income per capita in Bangladesh is $2,227 compared to Pakistan’s $1,543.
In 2022, its gross domestic product (GDP) is $411 billion compared to the $347 billion in Pakistan.
The annual inflation rate is 6% compared to Pakistan’s previous 12-15%, which has now risen to 21% and is expected to further increase.
Also, the Bangladeshi taka is much stronger compared to the Pakistani rupee, reads the article.
Importantly, Bangladesh has a strong literacy rate with high female participation in the economy, it reads.
In Pakistan, political parties have remained interested in personal gains, according to the article.
The repeated manipulation of the democratic process has stymied the growth of strong, democratic, and non-dynastic parties, it reads.
It is worth recognising that economic growth is closely tied with political stability, rule of law, strong civilian institutions, and participatory democracy, the article reads.
No discussion on new loan during Chinese FM's visit: FS
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen has said taking a new loan from China will not be a part of their agenda during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's upcoming Bangladesh visit.
"This time, the issue of taking loan afresh isn't there at least," he said on Wednesday when a reporter wanted to know whether Bangladesh is going to take a loan from China again.
Asked what message this visit carries amid the crisis in various parts of the world, the foreign secretary said it will be known once the Chinese foreign minister comes. "We are working on the visit. Things are yet to be finalised."
He reiterated that the visit is part of the Chinese side's routine visit to the region and also it is an opportunity to review the existing engagements between the two countries.
"It can't be said (there's) urgency (from the Chinese side). Since he will be visiting this region, he expressed the desire to come here if we can give him time. We are looking into the timings," he said earlier when a reporter wanted to know why there was so much urgency from the Chinese side.
Read: 12th bi-annual CSO meeting: Foreign secretary highlights implementation of IORDA-DDI
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said time, arrival and departure have not been confirmed yet.
The state minister said he does not want to shed any doubt but there is nothing to say in detail about the visit yet. "You will get to know," said, adding that things will be cleared within the next 48 hours.
Shahriar also suggested not bringing any third country into a bilateral context and discussion.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen is expected to return home on August 6 evening after attending the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting during August 5-6 in Cambodia.
In January 2017, Wang Yi had an hour-long stopover in Dhaka. "This time, he will be coming for a longer period," said the foreign secretary.
The Chinese foreign minister is likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday morning apart from a bilateral meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Momen to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming met Momen recently at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and discussed various issues of mutual interest, including the proposed visit of the Chinese foreign minister.
Dhaka, Washington to follow up issues discussed over past few months
Bangladesh and the United States will “further follow up” the discussions that the two countries had over the last few months as US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison will visit Dhaka soon.
Dhaka’s demand for withdrawal of sanctions on elite force Rab and the Rohingya issue are also expected to be discussed during the visit.
“We have multi-faceted relationship with the United States,” said foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen on Wednesday, adding that many issues can be discussed.
He said they are known to each other and will be able to have “free and frank” discussion on many issues.
The US assistant secretary is currently visiting India as part of her tri-nation visit (India, Bangladesh and Kuwait) from August 2-10.
MoU signed for movement of Indian POL, LPG carrying vehicles through Bangladesh
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for movement of Indian Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) or LPG carrying vehicles through territory of Bangladesh.
The heavy monsoons this year damaged road infrastructure in North East India, causing disruption in supplies of Petroleum products through Assam.
This necessitated an urgent alternate route to continue supply of petroleum goods to the Indian North Eastern States Tripura, South Assam and Mizoram.
The MoU facilitates movement of petroleum goods, including motor spirit, high-speed diesel, superior kerosene oil, and liquefied petroleum gas, using an alternate route via the territory of Bangladesh.
This movement of petroleum or LPG road tankers through Bangladesh is temporary, only for a short period of a few months, to help address the immediate need for an alternative supply route.
The validity of the MoU is till November 2022, according to Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
The MoU stipulates certain administrative fees, charges, local tolls, and other expenses including a cost of Tk 1.85 per ton per km for road usage which will be borne by IOCL.
The route used will be Dawki (Meghalaya) – Tamabil (Bangladesh) – Sylhet – Fenchuganj (using Sylhet bypass) – Rajnagar – Moulvibazar/Brahmanbazar- Shameshernagar – Chatlapur (Bangladesh) – Kailasshar (Tripura).
The petroleum or LPG road tankers will enter and exit in a sealed condition from Dawki – Tamabil and Chatlapur – Kailasshar respectively.
The tankers will traverse approximately 140 km in Bangladesh.
A similar MoU was signed in 2016 which allowed for supply of petroleum products from Assam to Tripura via Bangladesh, for similar reasons, for a short period of time.
Read:India for implementing MoU with Bangladesh in disaster management