Foreign-Affairs
Bangladesh envoy to UK shocked at British-Bangladeshi entrepreneur Enam Ali’s death
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem has expressed deep sorrow over the death of the legendary British-Bangladeshi entrepreneur and British curry industry leader Enam Ali, MBE.
In a condolence message, the High Commissioner said, “I am deeply shocked and profoundly saddened at the sudden passing away this morning of Enam Ali MBE, a legendary British-Bangladeshi entrepreneur and British curry industry leader."
She said Enam Ali was not only the ingenious pioneer of the prestigious British Curry Awards, but also a standard-bearer in popular branding and profiling of the Bangladeshi curry industry in Britain’s mainstream culinary, social and media circles.
"Enam Ali will always be remembered for his exemplary leadership, inspirational enterprise, dedicated philanthropy and community services not only by the British-Bangladeshi community but also by the mainstream British hospitality sector," said the High Commissioner.
She hoped that late Enam Ali’s life and works will motivate young British-Bangladeshis in taking leadership to promote the British curry industry and serve the community.
The High Commissioner conveyed her deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family members of late Enam Ali and prayed to Almighty Allah for the salvation of his departed soul. "May Allah grant Mr. Enam Ali Jannatul Ferdous, Ameen."
Enam Ali, also the founder of Spice Business Magazine, died in a UK hospital on Sunday morning.
Read: FM mourns death of British Curry Awards founder Enam Ali
At the age of 62, he breathed his last at a hospital in Surrey of British Columbia after being admitted there for the past few weeks.
Born in Sylhet district in 1960, Ali went to the United Kingdom in 1974 to study Law. But later he decided to pursue a degree in hospitality and management.
In 1989 Enam Ali founded Le Raj Restaurant in Epsom, Surrey. He launched the restaurant magazine Spice Business in 1998. In 2005, he introduced the "British Curry Awards", and there had never been such a great recognition event in the Curry industry before.
Enam Ali received Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2009 for his contributions to the curry industry and was awarded "Freedom of the City of London" in 2011.
His two namaz-e-janazas will be held on Tuesday. The first Janazah will be held at East London Mosque after Zuhr salah and the second one at Epsom Cemetery in London, said his family.
He will be buried at Epsom Cemetery, Downs Road, in London later.
He is survived by his wife and three children, family members, friends, and a community in which he was deeply involved and influenced.
Turan for investment in apparel, textile joint ventures in Bangladesh, Turkey
Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan has called for investment in joint ventures in the apparel and textile industries in Bangladesh and his country.
The envoy paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan in Dhaka Sunday.
They discussed various issues, including potential areas for enhancing trade and investment between Bangladesh and Turkey.
Faruque said there are many opportunities for Bangladesh and Turkey to complement each other on issues related to mutual interests, particularly in boosting the apparel and textile businesses.
Read: Envoy urges BGMEA to consider setting up joint ventures in Egypt
Turan and Faruque also expressed interest in facilitating sharing of knowledge and expertise in the apparel and textile industries through collaboration between the BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology and leading Turkish fashion institutes.
Interactions between designers and technical experts through the exchange of faculties and students will help develop knowledge and skills and benefit both countries, they said.
BGMEA First Vice-President Syed Nazrul Islam, Vice-President Miran Ali; directors Asif Ashraf, Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on Foreign Mission Cell Shams Mahmud and Chair of BGMEA Standing Committee on ILO issue ANM Saifuddin were also present at the meeting.
Indian army chief begins 3-day visit to Bangladesh Monday
Continuing with the "excellent" bilateral defence ties between Bangladesh and India, General Manoj Pande, the chief of army staff, has proceeded on a visit to Bangladesh from July 18 to 20.
This is the first foreign visit by General Manoj Pande since his assumption.
The army chief will commence his visit by paying tribute to the brave hearts who made supreme sacrifices during the Liberation War of 1971 by laying a wreath at Shikha Anirban Monday.
During the day, Manoj Pande will have multiple meetings with senior officials of the security establishment and exchange views on defence-related issues, the Press Information Bureau of India (PIB) said Sunday.
He will also pay tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi.
Read: 25-member Bangladesh team starts 4-day visit to Assam
On the second day of his visit, the army chief will address the students and faculty of Defence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur.
After that, he will visit and interact with the members of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support and Operation Training, a premier institute in Bangladesh which trains peacekeepers for employment in various UN peace operations.
This will be followed by a visit to the Bangabandhu Military Museum, Mirpur.
The visit of Manoj Pande will further deepen the bilateral relationships between the two armies and act as a catalyst for closer coordination and cooperation between the two countries on a host of strategic issues, the PIB said.
25-member Bangladesh team starts 4-day visit to Assam
A 25-member delegation from Bangladesh has begun a four day visit to the state of Assam.
This visit has been arranged by the government of India as part of Golden Jubilee of the Liberation War of Bangladesh, 50 years of India-Bangladesh ties, and as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav in India.
The delegation comprises 15 valiant freedom fighters who were involved in the Liberation War in areas adjoining Assam.
Besides the freedom fighters, six journalists and four youth representatives are also form part of the visiting team.
During the visit, the Bangladesh delegation is to interact with senior constitutional functionaries of the Govt of Assam including the Chief Minister, and senior officials.
The delegation will visit places of historical importance as well as cultural significance in Assam and in adjoining Meghalaya.
Read: Bangladesh delegation visiting Assam to relive '71 memories
This visit will provide an opportunity for the Bangladesh delegation and the Indian hosts to relive the foundational moments of the friendship when the people of Assam rendered spontaneous and heartfelt support and assistance to the freedom fighters during their struggle for liberation and freedom.
This visit will also help deepen the strong people-to-people connect and to carry forward the legacy of the Liberation War.
This visit forms part of a bouquet of activities undertaken by India to commemorate and honour the gallant citizens of India and Bangladesh, who played a pivotal role in the Liberation War.
This visit of Bangladesh delegation comes at the most opportune time as India honours its fallen brave-hearts as part of Swarnim Vijay Varsh as well as to celebrate 75 years of India’s independence and 50 years of Bangladesh’s Liberation.
Bangladesh and US have fantastic relationship: Shahriar Alam
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam has said Bangladesh and the USA have a fantastic relationship and hoped that the ties will be strengthened in the days to come.
He said the post-Liberation support that Bangladesh received from the USA is highly commendable.
The State Minister for Foreign Affairs greeted all on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.
A reception was hosted at "Bangladesh House" in Maryland on Friday on the occasion of holy Eid-ul-Adha, one of the major religious festivals of the Muslims.
Bangladesh delegation visiting Assam to relive '71 memories
A 25-member Bangladesh delegation composed of freedom fighters, journalists and youth members commenced a four-day visit to Assam at the invitation of the government of India.
The Bangladesh delegation is set to interact with senior government, military and paramilitary representatives from India.
The visit is aimed at reliving moments of fighting the Liberation War together by both Bangladesh and India.
The visit is being undertaken as part of Golden Jubilee of Liberation War of 1971.
Read: Bangladesh media delegation on tour of Indian capital
Envoy urges BGMEA to consider setting up joint ventures in Egypt
Egyptian Ambassador to Bangladesh Haytham Ghobashy has urged the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) to look into the possibility of setting up joint ventures in the apparel and textiles industries in Egypt.
The ambassador paid a courtesy call on BGMEA President Faruque Hassan in the city recently.
They discussed how both countries can collaborate in a meaningful way to boost bilateral trade.
They talked about how Bangladesh can import more raw cotton from Egypt to meet the growing demand of its apparel and textile industries.
Read: Bangladesh-EU ties to grow significantly in next 10 years: Whiteley
Faruque highlighted the key features and strengths of Bangladesh as a preferred destination for investment, especially its mega projects for the development of infrastructure.
The BGMEA president urged the envoy to encourage Egyptian businessmen to invest in the potential sectors, including high value-added and non-cotton textiles in Bangladesh.
BGMEA directors Asif Ashraf, Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan; former director Imrul Anwar Liton and Priti Ali of the Egyptian Embassy were also present at the meeting, said a media statement Saturday.
Bangladesh-EU ties to grow significantly in next 10 years: Whiteley
European Union (EU) Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Bangladesh Charles Whitely has hoped that Bangladesh-EU ties would grow significantly in the next 10 years.
The ambassador attended the programme "Meet the ambassador," hosted by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) in collaboration with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh Saturday.
Whitely noted that as Bangladesh is about to graduate from the least developed country (LDC) category, there will be changes in the country's current Everything but Arms (EBA) preferential trade agreement with the EU.
Bangladesh will gradually shift to the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade programme, which gives developing countries a special incentive to pursue sustainable development and good governance.
Eligible countries have to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, the environment, and good governance.
According to the ambassador, the EU delegation is now trying to develop political engagement with Bangladesh.
The EU is also interested in partnering with Bangladesh in the areas of security, maritime, energy, and climate change.
Read: Padma Bridge a symbol of pride for developing world: Hun Sen
Regarding the trade and economy of Bangladesh, Whitely said he is working to raise European investment in Bangladesh, which Whitely said is still low compared to European investment in other Asian nations such as Vietnam.
He also stated that the success of Bangladesh's apparel sector must continue, and the green factories of the country are the real selling point of it in the European markets.
Whitely also said, for Bangladesh, there is potential for upside in startups, the IT sector, and niche markets such as bicycle manufacturing.
Regarding Rohingya repatriation, the envoy said it needs to happen as soon as possible. "Myanmar has not been held accountable for its genocidal actions."
The EU placed sanctions on Myanmar and suspended development assistance.
Regarding geopolitics, the ambassador said the EU is hoping for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine, and the current sanctions the EU has placed on Russia are in no way hurting the international food trade.
Read: Dhaka calls for strengthening global solidarity, adopting well-coordinated response to global challenges
Also, Whitely said the EU is interested in expanding its footprint in Asia through its Indo-Pacific strategy, in which Bangladesh is a key partner.
About the EU's current plan for providing independent observers during the next national elections, the ambassador said: "I can only say that I don't know. There is nothing decided at this moment, and it's still 18 months away."
The discussion started with an opening speech from Manjur A Chowdhury, chairman of CGS and chairman of the National River Protection Commission.
In his keynote speech, Whitely gave a brief overview of the EU and its functions.
The conversation was moderated by CGS Executive Director Zillur Rahman.
Bangladesh media delegation on tour of Indian capital
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has welcomed a Bangladesh media delegation to New Delhi.
Arindam Bagchi, joint secretary and spokesperson at the ministry, hosted a dinner in honour of the visiting delegation at Taj Mahal Hotel in the city Friday.
Bagchi hoped that the familiarisation visit would help the delegation members know more about the variety and diversity of India.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran, Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner to New Delhi Md Nural Islam, officials of the MEA, BSS New Delhi Bureau Chief Aminul Islam Mirja, and senior journalists from India were present.
Padma Bridge a symbol of pride for developing world: Hun Sen
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh for successfully implementing the challenging Padma Bridge project with their own resources.He termed the bridge as a symbol of pride for the developing countries like Cambodia.Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen paid a courtesy call on the Cambodian Prime Minister in Phnom Penh on Friday.They expressed satisfaction at the existing bilateral relations and resolved to further strengthen it in the days ahead.Dr Momen extended an invitation to the Cambodian Prime Minister for a visit to Bangladesh next year on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries.Momen sought the Cambodian leader’s support as the current Chair of ASEAN for expediting the repatriation of the stranded Rohingyas from Bangladesh to their homeland in Myanmar.He also requested Cambodian support in favour of Bangladesh candidacy for Sectoral Dialogue Partnership.The Cambodian leader conveyed his best regards and greetings to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina whom he described as a respected elder sister.Momen and Hun Sen exchanged views on the challenges emanating from the pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Both the leaders voiced concerns at the escalating food and energy insecurity affecting people, particularly in the developing world.
They stressed the importance of dialogue and peaceful settlement of issues for maintenance of peace and stability in the world.
Bangladesh-Cambodia bilateral talks were held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Phnom Penh.
Foreign Minister Momen and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn led the respective delegations.
The two Foreign Ministers reviewed the important aspects of the bilateral relations between the two countries.
The two Foreign Ministers reiterated their keenness for further strengthening the existing bilateral relations by adding further substances to it.The two sides discussed, inter alia, the areas of cooperation in trade, commerce, investment, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, food security, manpower, ICT, tourism, cultural exchange etc.Both the sides agreed to make efforts for enhancing the bilateral trade, which is currently much below the potentials, they observed.
They also emphasized on concluding the diverse MoUs under process at the earliest.