Foreign-Affairs
Dhaka seeks smooth transfer of technological innovations to combat human trafficking
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said developed countries and the international partners need to ensure smooth transfer of the latest technological innovations to the developing countries to effectively combat the human trafficking in persons.
He said human traffickers equipped with technology can do greater harm but the government agencies and relevant stakeholders can undo the efforts of the trafficker effectively with the help of technology.
"We need to keep in mind that human trafficking is trans-boundary crime and the traffickers may possess better technology than it is available in a particular country," he said.
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Momen was speaking at National Consultation on "Combating Human Trafficking in the Context of Use of Technology and its Abuse" at a city hotel on Saturday.
To end human trafficking, Momen said they need a comprehensive view of it. "We must ask, why young men and women, in the first place, become victims of the dangerous route of trafficking. We know why."
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said trafficking in persons is a serious human rights violation and the government has a zero-tolerance policy on this.
"We are actively taking steps to fight this horrific crime," he said.
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The fight against trafficking requires multi-stakeholder engagement.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to increase awareness around human trafficking utilizing the digital space,” he added.
The scourge of human trafficking has expanded into cyber space as a result of the expansion of technology use around the world, which in turn has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition of our daily lives to online platforms.
It is imperative that efforts to combat human trafficking are coordinated both online and offline.
The theme of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2022 is “Use and Abuse of Technology,” and focuses on the role of technology as a tool that can both enable and combat human trafficking.
To mark the day, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and the Counter Trafficking in Persons Technical Working Group (CTIP-TWG) of the Bangladesh UN Network on Migration (BDUNNM) organized the event.
The consultation explored recent human trafficking trends in the context of COVID-19 and its aftermath and the trafficking in persons in cyberspace.
Participants at the consultation called on the government of Bangladesh (GoB), international partners, the private sector, and civil society actors to focus their efforts on advancing a robust, rights-based approach aimed at preventing the exploitation of individuals by trafficking networks and shrinking the space in which they operate.
Bangladesh is a source, transit, and destination country for women, men and child victims of human trafficking.
Bangladesh, though still ranking at “Tier 2”, the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2022 highlights significant progress in responding to TIP in Bangladesh through joint efforts of Government and non-government partners.
Due to the global economic contraction, job losses and difficulties earning livelihoods have amplified the risk of trafficking.
In addition to root causes of human trafficking reportedly intensifying, Bangladesh has experienced an increase in the form of digital abuse and exploitation, with traffickers rapidly adjusting to the changing landscape.
According to Md. Akhter Hossain, Senior Secretary, Public Security Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, “Victims of trafficking experience physical & mental violence levels, harassment, forced labour, forced & illegitimate marriages, death, and they are often used in drugs and goods trafficking rings. The government has taken strong steps to combat human trafficking at all levels.”
Dr. Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, said the government of Bangladesh has sufficient law and policies to combat human trafficking.
“In addition, the Global Compact on Migration commits to eradicating trafficking in persons. We now need to ensure comprehensive efforts at national, regional, and global levels to implement these laws effectively and end this heinous crime.”
Gwyn Lewis, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh said technology also presents a lot of potential as a tool to combat trafficking.
"The ability of law enforcement and the criminal justice system to use technology in their responses to trafficking will be crucial to the future success of efforts to eradicate human trafficking.”
Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission of IOM & Coordinator of the Bangladesh UN Network on Migration, said prevention and awareness-raising activities on the safe use of the internet and social media can help mitigate the online risk of trafficking.
"Cooperation with the private sector is important to harness their innovation and expertise in developing sustainable technology-based solutions to support prevention and combatting of human trafficking.”
Of the almost one million Bangladeshis migrating abroad every year, many vulnerable migrants are targeted by traffickers, and some are subject to debt bondage, forced labour, sexual exploitation, forced marriages and other forms of modern slavery.
Robert Chatterton Dickson, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh; Nathalie Chuard, Ambassador of Switzerland to Bangladesh; Jeremy Opritesco, Charge d’Affaires of the Delegation of the European Union; and Scott Brandon, acting Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy in Bangladesh were also present.
US assistant secretary Sison to visit Bangladesh soon
US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison will travel to India, Bangladesh, and Kuwait on August 2-10.
Sison will have consultations on a range of U.S. multilateral priorities, including combating food insecurity, advancing global health, addressing human rights and humanitarian needs, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and support for Rohingya refugees.
Her meetings with senior government officials will focus on opportunities to deepen our cooperation at the United Nations, and U.S. support for the candidacy of Doreen Bogdan-Martin to become the next Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, according to the US Department of State.
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In meetings with civil society leaders, the Assistant Secretary will exchange ideas on how the United States and other countries can collaborate on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Sison was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs on December 21, 2021.
She served as U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives (2012-2014), U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon (2008-2010), and U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (2004-2008).
Uzbekistan to set up embassy in Bangladesh, restart Dhaka-Tashkent direct flights
Uzbekistan has agreed to set up its embassy in Bangladesh and restart the Dhaka-Tashkent direct flights, and ease the visa procedure for Bangladeshis.
Foreign Dr AK Abdul Momen had a meeting with visiting Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev at a city hotel Friday.
Both countries agreed to enhance connectivity and strengthen cooperation in the textile, pharmaceutical, agriculture, and tourism sectors.
Momen and Jamshid discussed code-sharing (flight sharing agreement) between the national air carriers of the two countries.
Jamshid said setting up direct links between Bangladesh's Chattogram and Iran's Chabahar ports will cut the cost of transportation of goods, helping boost Bangladesh-Uzbekistan trade.
Momen showed interest in importing cotton and fertiliser from Uzbekistan.
Jamshid said Bangladesh can export the cotton imported from Uzbekistan to other countries through value addition.
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"As many Bangladeshis are interested in visiting and doing business in Uzbekistan," Momen requested the Uzbek deputy prime minister to make the visa procedure easier for them.
Jamshid said they will introduce the e-visa system for Bangladeshis, which will simplify their entry into Uzbekistan.
The Uzbek deputy prime minister is now in Dhaka for the "3rd meeting of the Bangladesh-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation."
Chinese foreign minister to visit Bangladesh August 6-7: Officials
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is likely to visit Bangladesh first week of next month to discuss ways to further strengthening Dhaka-Beijing bilateral relations, official sources said on Friday.
The visit is scheduled for August 6-7, said the officials familiar with the development.
The Chinese foreign minister is likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apart from his bilateral meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart AK Abdul Momen to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues.
The visit is taking place amid geopolitical tensions and conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming met Momen on Sunday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and discussed various issues of mutual interest including the proposed visit of the Chinese foreign minister.
Momen told reporters on Friday said he will be happy to receive Wang noting that the visit has been finalised.
Bangladesh, UAE discuss roadmap for future cooperation
Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have discussed a roadmap for future cooperation agenda, including high-level visits to mark the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh-UAE diplomatic relations in 2024.During the latest bilateral meeting held in Cox’s Bazar on Thursday, the two delegations took stock and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation.The issues that came up for discussion covered enhanced commerce and trade, increased investment from the UAE side in the exclusive economic zones, human resource development, people to people contact, visa facilitation, waiver for diplomats and officials between the countries, collaboration on food security, energy and power, civil aviation, blue economy and climate change.
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Both sides expressed their resolve to further consolidating the existing bond of friendship and to take them to new heights.The 2nd Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and the UAE was held in hotel Royal Tulip in Inani, Cox’s Bazar.Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen led the Bangladesh delegation while the UAE delegation was led by Dr Abdul Nasser Jamal Al Shaali, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs of UAE.The two delegations also took notes of and exchanged views on developments in the regional and global arena.Foreign secretary apprised the UAE Assistant Minister of Bangladesh’s remarkable progress in socio-economic sectors, robust economic growth as well as agricultural advancement in achieving food security.
Also read: Pranay Verma appointed next Indian envoy to BangladeshThe UAE assistant minister highly appreciated Bangladesh’s significant economic growth and congratulated the country’s leadership on the completion of the Padma Bridge at domestic finance.The UAE delegation leader expressed solidarity with Bangladesh side for a durable and rapid solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis.The first Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) Meeting between the countries was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in February 2019.The meeting coincided the 12th Bi-Annual meeting of the Committee of the Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) of which Bangladesh and the UAE are members
Pranay Verma appointed next Indian envoy to Bangladesh
Pranay Kumar Verma, presently Ambassador of India to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.
The Ministry of External Affairs made the announcement on Friday.
Verma is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Verma joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1994 and has held diplomatic assignments in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Beijing, Kathmandu and Washington DC.
Before arriving in Hanoi, Verma served as the Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi since June 2017.
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Earlier, he also served as the Joint Secretary for external relations at the Department of Atomic Energy looking after India’s nuclear diplomacy.
Verma has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Before joining the Indian Foreign Service, he started his professional career at India’s steel manufacturing company, Tata Steel.
He also holds a Master’s degree in the Chinese language from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, California, U.S.
He assumed the office of Ambassador of India to Vietnam on 25 July 2019.
IUB launches research publication on Rohingya camp narratives
The Department of Global Studies and Governance (GSG) of the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) Thursday launched the book titled "Rohingya Camp Narratives: Tales From the 'Lesser Roads' Traveled."
It is the fourth international volume that the department published in the last five years.
Edited by Dr Imtiaz A Hussain, professor at the department of GSG and director of IUB's Centre for Pedagogy, and published by renowned international publishing house Palgrave Macmillan, the book contains 13 chapters.
The book was reviewed by Professor Dr Meghna Guhathakurta, executive director of Research Initiative Bangladesh, and Dr Tasneem Siddiqui, professor and chairperson at the Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka, and founding chair of RMMRU.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen joined the programme online as the chief guest.
Shabbir Ahmed Chowdhury, secretary (west) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Johannes van der Klaauw, UNHCR's representative in Bangladesh, attended the programme as special guests.
Abdul Hai Sarkar, chairman of the IUB Board of Trustees, Tanweer Hasan, vice-chancellor of IUB, and former ambassador Tariq A Karim, director of IUB's Center for Bay of Bengal Studies, also spoke.
Professor Taiabur Rahman, dean of IUB's School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, moderated the programme.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.