Foreign-Affairs
NE can be crucial in strengthening Indo-ASEAN, Indo-BBN ties: Assam chief minister
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said India's northeast (NE) can play a pivotal role in strengthening Indo-ASEAN and Indo-BBN ties.
The region can not only be a gateway to the southeast Asian nations but serve as a springboard in facilitating bilateral trades and commerce with these countries, he added.
Himanta was speaking as the chief guest at the 2nd North East India Buyer-Seller Meet organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in association with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in Dispur, capital of the Indian state of Assam and a suburb at Guwahati, Thursday.
The chief minister said that since India's northeast is located in the middle of the fastest emerging nations of southeast Asia, the region has the potential to act as the springboard for the emergence of trade and commerce with these nations.
He also said the long international borders that the region shares with southeast Asian nations, BBN countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal) BBN countries, and China, give it a unique geographical advantage by being a catalyst for the development of trade and commerce.
Presenting Assam before the international delegates at the event, Himanta said Assam is the largest economy in the northeastern region.
The state has the reputation of being an industrial one because of its prolific tea, oil, coal, and tourism industries.
Assam is one of the biodiversity hot spots of the country with its 312 notified reserve forests, five national parks and 20 wildlife sanctuaries.
Taking into consideration its well-established petrochemical industry, the state can take the lead in producing green plastics which are in huge demand in developed markets, Himanta said.
Assam is also home to some of the rarest wildlife species in the world along with rich flora and fauna which offer immense scope for wildlife tourism and investment, he added.
Read: Assam CM praises Sheikh Hasina's leadership
The chief minister also said the organic products of the state such as ginger, lemon, bhut jolokia, red rice, black rice, joha, pineapple, orange, jackfruit, and banana have huge export potential.
He added: "Improved connectivity between India and southeast Asian nations has benefitted the northeastern region greatly. He said the bilateral and multilateral connectivity initiatives like the Trilateral Highway that goes from India to Thailand via Myanmar have given rise to a new hope."
"The survey and planning work on the Imphal-Moreh Railway line is underway. The setting up of the North East Economic corridor connecting markets in Bangladesh and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is also being actively contemplated to give a fillip to trade and commerce."
Pointing to the illegal movement of goods from across the border, Himanta advocated for reworking the customs tariff system for the mutual development of all.
The event which was organised with a focus on countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand and Laos would also help in creating an enabling environment for the stakeholders to showcase their inherent strengths before the buyers, the chief minister said.
The meeting will also be a way forward towards reviving the age-old ties between the northeast and its neighbours, he added.
EU contributes to strengthening social security in Bangladesh with EUR 2 million
The European Union (EU) has transferred EUR 2 million (around Tk 20 crore) to the government of Bangladesh to strengthen key areas of its social security system.
It has a specific focus on strengthening institutional set-up, the overall Monitoring and Evaluation Framework of the social security services, introduction of a nutrition sensitive child benefit programme and having an improved social security framework for workers.
EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley said “We encourage the government to ensure an appropriate social protection system and measures that protect those who are in need.”
Beyond the immediate Covid-19 response initiated by Team Europe, he said, this programme represents a concrete first step towards the longer-term objective to establish an adequate and sustainable social security system.
“The EU and its Member States are committed to support efforts to establish adequate and sustainable social security for workers, with the shared objectives to protect lives and livelihoods,” said the EU member.
Read: EU wants full implementation of labor roadmap for trade facility
The disbursement of this payment comes after a “positive decision” of the Budget Support Steering Committee (SSC) of the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development in July 2022, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday.
The European Consensus for Development enshrines the commitment from both the EU and its Member States to promote “adequate and sustainable social protection”.
With the proactive political commitment of the government of Bangladesh (GoB) to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in order to ‘leave no-one behind’, the EU has been a committed development and humanitarian partner to Bangladesh since 1973.
The EU supports the Government of Bangladesh to implement its national social security reform agenda with the ultimate aim to streamline social protection services and to reach out to vulnerable communities, with a special emphasis on the Child Benefit Programme and workers at risk in the export-oriented sector and as such to contribute to Bangladesh’s overall development goals.
A EUR 247 million budget support programme is in place since 2019 to support the reform activities of the NSSS. Budget support is a means of delivering effective aid and durable results for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Budget support is directly linked to reforms and developmental results. This ensures development of effective systems to collect information on results, to monitor progress, and evaluate impact, based on which the sectoral reform process in funded.
It also aims to strengthen the capacity of the partner country in the implementation of the policy and public finance systems, also in improving the accountability of the government towards its citizens.
Proparco supports Ananta Group with $13.8mn loan to strengthen its int’l competitiveness
Proparco, the private sector financing arm of Agence Française de Développement Group (AFD Group), has supported Ananta Group, a leading apparel producer in Bangladesh, with a $13.8 million loan to strengthen its international competitiveness.
With this loan, Proparco supports Ananta Huaxiang Limited (AHL), a subsidiary of Ananta Group in Bangladesh, to increase its sweater manufacturing capacity through the expansion of its production facility located in Narayanganj, Bangladesh.
This operation will allow AHL to emerge as a large volume sweater manufacturer and strengthen its competitiveness in the international market, said Proparco on Thursday.
“It gives us immense pleasure to support AHL, a responsible actor in Bangladesh’s garment industry committed to gender diversity,” said Diane Jegam, Regional Director – South Asia, Proparco.
By supporting the growth of a job-creating company committed to the well-being of its employees, women empowerment as well as the sustainable use of resources, Proparco is supporting the largest exporting sector of Bangladesh, said Jegam.
“This partnership with Proparco will greatly support our vision of sustainable factories scoring high on environmental and social compliance standards,” says the Managing Director of the Group, Sharif Zahir.
Read:US commerce department partners with DNCC for municipal organisation, planning workshop
Moreover, he said, the new capacity expansion financed by Proparco has been completed in record time and the factory is already in operation employing a gender balanced workforce and contributing to the export earnings of the country.
“Further, we are delighted to work with Proparco and look forward to grow this partnership in the coming year.”
Bangladesh is the second largest ready-made garment exporter in the world after China representing 81% of Bangladesh’s total exports and employing 4.4 million workers.
AHL ranks among the top 10 sweater producers in Bangladesh exporting mostly to Europe for various international brands.
With this project and the increase in high-end sweater manufacturing capabilities, AHL will be better able to serve its customers by producing over 10 million pieces of sweaters by 2023 at a higher quality level and price points than before.
Due to the quality of AHL’s working conditions and its various commitments towards women empowerment, the project qualifies for the 2X Challenge, a global gender finance initiative that Proparco has been contributing to since its launch in 2018.
The project also addresses 3 SDGs: SDG#9 by developing operations at best standards, SDG#8 due to above average salary package, and to SDG#5 due to the women-dedicated program that will be implemented.
US commerce department partners with DNCC for municipal organisation, planning workshop
The US Department of Commerce's Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) conducted a workshop on municipal organisation, planning, and green initiatives in collaboration with Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and the US Embassy in Dhaka during July 24-26.
CLDP municipal experts covered topics such as green procurement, identification of capital projects, and key legal issues that will help DNCC strategically design, review, and implement important infrastructure projects to mitigate air and water pollution.
DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam, DNCC CEO Md Selim Reza and CLDP Deputy Chief Counsel Joe Yang provided opening remarks.
As part of the long-term partnership, DNCC, CLDP, and the US Embassy in Dhaka are planning more workshops, consultations, and municipal exchanges that will take place in Bangladesh, the US, and the Indo-Pacific.
Created in 1992, CLDP provides technical assistance in the commercial law arena to the governments and private sectors of developing countries in support of their economic development goals.
The assistance consists of long-term training and consultative partnerships with government officials, lawmakers, regulators, judges, lawyers, educators, and other stakeholders.
Also read: DNCC demolishes two police boxes from in front of SSMCH
Roundtable: Bangladesh must act fast to offset fallout of Ukraine conflict
Speakers at a roundtable have said Bangladesh remains in a good position with workable human resources, food production and geographical location but laid emphasis on enhancing energy exploration along with a diversified policy for conventional and renewable.
But despite these advantages, the country has fallen backward in the last one and half a decade in its own energy exploration due to lack of a sustainable policy, they said.
The experts raised the issues at the roundtable titled “A World in Turmoil: The Fallout from the Ukraine Conflict” jointly organized by Cosmos Foundation and Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) at a city hotel on Wednesday.
Chairman of Cosmos Foundation Enayetullah Khan and President of BIPSS Major General (Retd) ANM Muniruzzaman moderated the discussion.
Former foreign secretary Md Touhid Hossain, assistant professor, department of international relations, Bangladesh University of Professional (BUP) Umme Salma Tarin and assistant professor, department of economics, East West University Parvez Karim Abbasi spoke as panelists.
Climate Change: IOM DDG calls for redoubling efforts ahead of COP 27
International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Deputy Director General (DDG) for Operations Ugochi Daniels has advocated for greater efforts to jointly address climate change and human mobility at national, regional and global levels.
“Ahead of COP 27, we need to redouble our efforts to ensure the climate change discourse reflects the climate migration nexus, and that this is recognized by the international community,” she said.
DDG Daniels discussed the issues during her discussions with government officials and international humanitarian and development actors.
The World Bank estimates that by 2050 one in every seven people in Bangladesh will have been displaced by climate change.
Read:D-8 PTA likely to be operational this year to boost intra-trade
D-8 PTA likely to be operational this year to boost intra-trade
The Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) among the D-8 member states is likely to be operational in October this year with the ratification by Egypt which will help boost intra-trade.
“Seven member states other than Egypt have ratified the D-8 PTA. You will be happy to know that Egypt has announced at this meeting that they will soon ratify the D-8 PTA,” said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen while briefing the media on the outcome of the D-8 Ministerial meeting at a city hotel on Wednesday.
The volume of intra-trade among the D-8 member states at the time of establishment was $14 billion, which has now reached $129 billion.
“My hope is that within the next 10 years our intra trade will increase by 10 times. That’s my hope. There is no reason that we can’t achieve it,” Momen said.
While talking to UNB, D-8 Secretary General Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam said the D-8 PTA is already there and they just need to make it operational. “We hope it will become operational by October this year.”
The D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), signed on 13th May, 2006 in Bali, Indonesia is regarded as one of the most tangible outcomes of D-8 cooperation in trade.
Foreign Minister Momen said the process of finalization of the draft “Trade Facilitation Strategy” is underway with a view to speedy implementation of the D-8 PTA.
The issue was reviewed in the ministerial meeting and it is expected that this draft Trade Facilitation Strategy will be accepted in the 3rd Trade Ministers meeting to be held in Bangladesh soon, he said.
Bangladesh to host D-8 ministerial conf in hybrid format Wednesday
Taking into account the recent surge in COVID-19 cases worldwide, Bangladesh has decided to host the 20th session of the D-8 Council of Ministers on Wednesday in a hybrid format.
The level of participation of the meeting has been augmented with the presence of the Foreign Ministers of Iran, Pakistan and Turkey who are expected to join the meeting virtually, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Deputy Ministers of the other D-8 Member States are expected to join the meeting in-person.
Food and energy security, trade, tourism and climate change are some of the areas that will get focus at the 20th session of the Council of Ministers of D-8, also known as Developing-8.
While briefing the media on Sunday, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said energy and food security is a global issue that will be discussed at the meeting as there is much scope for cooperation in these areas.
“We are giving much importance on food security. Food security issue will be discussed largely. We would like to share our expertise with other friends. There is a much scope for cooperation,” he said.
Read: D8 has huge potential to develop as a strong economic block, says PM
On energy security, Momen said it is being discussed everywhere and it remains a hot topic globally. “We must ensure energy security. It will be discussed.”
He said though some of the D-8 countries showed maturity in the tourism sector, Bangladesh has scope to do more and gain through cooperation.
Momen said though the intra-trade is growing the D-8 countries can do more on this front.
“We will discuss on how the trade can further be expanded,” he said, adding that the intra-trade is likely to be boosted through proper implementation of the D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
The D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), signed on 13th May, 2006 in Bali, Indonesia is regarded as one of the most tangible outcomes of D-8 cooperation in trade.
The foreign minister said the D-8 meeting to be held on July 27 will take decision about Azerbaijan’s membership.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the meeting joining it virtually, Momen said.
Bangladesh also hosted the 45th session of the D-8 Commission from July 25 to 26.
The D-8, also known as Developing-8, is an organization for development cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
The establishment of D-8 was announced officially through the Istanbul Declaration of Summit of Heads of State/Government on June 15, 1997.
The objectives of D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation are to improve member states’ position in the global economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations, enhance participation in decision-making at international level, and improve standards of living.
Honda Taro inspects Matarbari development project
Matarbari deep sea port plans to construct a container terminal and a multi-purpose terminal to handle LNG and other cargoes in the future, says the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday.
In Matarbari area, a deep-water port is being developed by Japanese ODA, and an ultra-supercritical pressure coal-fired power plant is also being constructed.
This port is the country's only deep-water port with a water depth of -16m, which is designed for accommodating the use of large container carriers with a draft of -14.5m.
US envoy Haas visits Rajshahi to promote education, economic engagement
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D. Haas and USAID Mission Director Kathryn Stevens on Tuesday concluded a multi-day trip to Rajshahi from July 24-26 to promote US higher education and US government funded-exchange programmes, economic engagement, and law enforcement cooperation in the region.
They met with local government leaders, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, US Department of State exchange programme alumni, students, and teachers.
The delegation paid a courtesy visit to Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation AHM Khairuzzaman Liton to discuss the US government’s collaborative efforts in partnering with the government of Bangladesh through the Department of State, Department of Justice, and USAID programmes over the past five decades.
Ambassador Haas and Mission Director Stevens attended a USAID-funded “Fight Slavery and Trafficking in Persons” project event to celebrate the formation of a counter trafficking task force including special tribunal judges.
Applauding the work of the judges and the prosecutors, Ambassador Haas said, “The establishment of these tribunals and task force reflects the Government of Bangladesh’s sincerity in punishing the perpetrators of human trafficking.”