Foreign-Affairs
US won't take sides in election: Amb. Haas
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas has said the US will not take any side in the upcoming elections in Bangladesh and reiterated US commitment across the world to help countries strengthen democracy.
“Let me be clear: the United States will not pick a side in the upcoming elections. We simply hope for a democratic process that allows the Bangladeshi people to freely decide who will run their country,” he said while addressing a seminar on Sunday.
Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organized the seminar on “Bangladesh and the United States Relations: Moving towards Enhanced Cooperation and Partnership” at the BIISS auditorium.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen spoke as the chief guest at the event in which the US envoy highlighted three areas ripe for growth in the bilateral relationship - security, human rights and democracy, and economic ties.
Ambassador Haas said the two countries can work together to promote democracy and protect human rights and acknowledged that the United States is not perfect. “As the relationship grows, the conversation broadens.”
"We have embarked on our own democratic renewal. This journey includes tackling our own issues with police accountability and ensuring all Americans can cast their ballots on election day,” he said, adding that they are inviting countries around the world to make similar commitments to strengthen their democracies.
Ambassador Haas said he is pleased Foreign Minister Momen stated that Bangladesh will welcome international observers during the next election.
Also read:World Immunization Week: UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador calls for greater investment
He also welcomed the Law Minister’s commitment to reform the Digital Security Act to prevent further abuses.
“Holding an election consistent with international standards is not just about the day votes are actually cast,” Ambassador Haas mentioned.
In effect, he said, the elections have already started. “Truly democratic elections require the space for civic discourse to take place, an environment where journalists can investigate without fear, and the ability for civil society organizations to advocate broadly.”
World Immunization Week: UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador calls for greater investment
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Liam Neeson is leading UNICEF’s global immunization initiative with a global message thanking the scientists, parents, health workers and others who have been so critical in helping to immunize children over the last two decades.
In a video released ahead of World Immunization Week, Neeson talks about how the efforts of scientists such as Jonas Salk, who developed the first vaccine against polio, and dedicated workers who fill vials at factories or deliver vaccine injections, have made it possible to save two to three million child lives each year.
“Vaccines are a remarkable human success story. Over the last 75 years, billions of children have been vaccinated, thanks to scientists, to health workers, to volunteers. If you’ve ever been vaccinated, or vaccinated your children, then you are part of the arm-to-arm chain that keeps all humanity safe,” said Liam Neeson, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
“We live our lives free of worry about catching smallpox. Once a terrifying diagnosis, polio is no longer a threat in most of the world. The conversation about vaccines in recent years has lost sight of how much good they have done for each of us. We need to celebrate this. It is perhaps one of the biggest collective achievements in human history.”
Every like, share, or comment on posts mentioning a UNICEF social media account and using the hashtag #longlifeforall from now until May 10 will unlock US $1 to UNICEF, from the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – up to a total of US$10 million – to help ensure all children get the life-saving vaccines they need.
Despite the successes, an alarming 23 million children missed out on vaccinations in 2020. This number can only be reduced through greater commitment to and investment in immunization services.
UNICEF is the world’s leading provider of vaccines to children in over 100 countries, according to a message received here from New York.
With Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and partners UNICEF supplies vaccines to reach 45 per cent of the world’s children under five. UNICEF also works with Governments in over 130 countries to strengthen national health and immunization programmes.
“The last two years have taught us that a health care system that leaves some children exposed, is a health care system that leaves all children exposed,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“The best way for the world to recover from this pandemic – and to prepare for future health emergencies – is to invest in stronger health systems, and immunization and essential health services for every child.”
World Immunization Week – celebrated every year in the last week of April – is spearheaded by the World Health Organization and brings together global partners to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.
The theme for this year is #LongLifeForAll, with ‘long life’ reflecting the importance of lifespan vaccinations.
“We are in a race against time to restore the immunization services disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerate progress against all vaccine-preventable diseases,” said Gargee Ghosh, President of Global Policy and Advocacy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“That is why we are thrilled to work with UNICEF and other partners around the world to ensure children – especially those in the world’s poorest countries – have access to the vaccines they need to live a long, healthy life.”
“UNICEF ensures that nearly half of the world’s children under five are ‘protected by love’ with lifesaving vaccines,” said Martha Rebour, Executive Director of Shot@Life, United Nations Foundation.
“We are honored to support and promote their work during World Immunization Week and hope that others will join us in our advocacy for these critical global vaccine programs.”
Danish Crown Princess Mary to meet PM, visit Rohingya camps
Mary Elizabeth, the crown princess of Denmark, is scheduled to arrive here Monday on a three-day visit to hold a series of meetings in Dhaka and meet the Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar refugee camps.
The crown princess is the wife of Frederik, crown prince of Denmark. She will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Gonobhaban in the morning soon after she arrives in Dhaka, said an official.
Mary will hold a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at a city hotel in the afternoon.
The crown princess, 50, will attend a lunch hosted by the Danish ambassador in Dhaka at her residence.
She is scheduled to reach Cox's Bazar at around 5pm Monday and will join a briefing by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Tuesday morning.
The princess will travel to Rohingya camps by car from Cox's Bazar town and observe soil erosion control and environmental restoration activities of DRC through tree plantation at Camp 5.
She will interact with 8-10 Rohingya beneficiaries in an open shed. The Danish crown princess will plant trees there.
Mary will also interact with the host community.
From Cox's Bazar, she will travel to Satkhira Wednesday morning and visit village Kultoli to meet climate-vulnerable people.
The crown princess will visit the multipurpose cyclone shelter in the nearby community, meet its management committee and learn about their functionality during a cyclone.
She will avail of a boat ride to the Sundarbans and interact with the forest officials during a 15-minute walk through the natural resource, discussing biodiversity and saltwater intrusion in the mangrove area.
The crown princess is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Istanbul Wednesday night.
FM, SM,diplomats attend DCAB iftar
Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) hosted an iftar at the Jatiya Press Club (JPC) on Friday attended by Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam.
Also read: DCAB celebrates International Women’s Day amid calls for gender equality
Canadian envoy impressed by “inclusive learning” facilities at Aga Khan Academy
Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dr Lilly Nichols has appreciated the facilities required for “inclusive learning” at the new campus of the Aga Khan Academy.
“When I met the new batch of Aga Khan Academy teachers, I was immediately impressed by their palpable enthusiasm to inspire a new generation of students committed to lifelong learning and global citizenship,” she said while meeting the teachers at the Academy recently.
With the continued support and facilitation of relevant Ministries and agencies of the government, the Academy is planning to admit the first cohort of students to select classes in August 2022, with the phased opening of the campus to occur over the next three years, said the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) on Saturday.
Also read: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka need to be seen as strategic partners: Envoy
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka need to be seen as strategic partners: Envoy
Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Professor Sudharshan Seneviratne has said that his counyry wants to see Bangladesh as a strategic partner, noting that the two countries need to take care of each other in a newly evolving globalized world.
“This partnership becomes imperative as our alignment revolves around the protection of the seascape embracing the two lands,” he said, emphasizing that the two countries are also stakeholders of the larger family represented by the SAARC, BIMSTEC and IORA.
In his recent speech marking the 50 years of Bangladesh-Sri Lanka friendship shared with media on Saturday, High Commissioner Seneviratne, who was also the first Sri Lankan to receive both Masters and Doctoral Degrees from India’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, said Dhaka and Colombo need to prosper together.
The envoy, also Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Bhutan, said one of the focal points and dynamics of the global power blocks is their engagement and aspirations in the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal.
Also read: US envoy meets Hasan Mahmud
“We are now witnessing a sharply evolving competitive spirit that is setting the tone for the future of South Asia,” he said, adding that the global neoliberal political and economic order is beginning to aggressively impact the region.
It may effectively alter the balance of power and cordiality within the South Asian neighbourhood, said the envoy. “Its impact is mainly felt over the seascape of the Bay of Bengal.”
He said their two lands hold an equally important role at the two strategic ends of the Bay of Bengal representing the “gateway” entry and exit points to the larger World systems.
“The Bay of Bengal essentially is an Oceanic highway. As such, the futuristic staying power and sustenance of our two countries revolve around the protection of the seascape of the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal,” said the high commissioner.
It is now recognized that the Bay of Bengal is one of the richest resource areas in the world, hence the high competitive premium placed on its natural and human wealth, he said.
Seneviratne wished another 50 years of friendship and solidarity between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as a gift to the people of the two countries and to the world.
Also read: No proposal made to US to bring BNP to polls: Momen
He said aviation and shipping are making headway with official discussions at the ministerial level on coastal shipping, mutual birthing rights and warehouse facilities which are under discussion.
Private sector shipping companies from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka most recently commenced working on joint ventures and the government-owned shipping corporations are working together, he said.
As for reverse investments, it is heartening to learn that Bangladesh has lifted the restriction of movement of capital as FDI’s, said the high commissioner.
Though limited, there was an outflow of FDI to Sri Lanka between 2005 and 2019 amounting to around 4 million US$.
“Sri Lanka is looking towards initial investments from Bangladesh and we have on track tourism, shipping and pharma,” he said.
Seneviratne said, “We also need to strike a balance between the two brother nations so that trade balance needs to be rectified. As of now, the trade balance is in favour of Sri Lanka at US$105 million.”
The near completion of the preferential trade agreement (PTA) will provide greater opportunities for closing the uneven flow, he said.
FOSA hosts Eid Charity Fair in city
The Foreign Office Spouses Association (FOSA), a not-for-profit organisation, organized an Eid Charity Mela (Fair) in the capital on Saturday.
Selina Momen, chief patron of FOSA and wife of Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, inaugurated the Eid Charity Mela at the Foreign Service Academy (FSA) auditorium at Bailey Road.
Also Read: FOSA to hold Eid Charity Mela at FSA Saturday
The day-long fair showcased and sold traditional and boutique products of Bangladesh.
US envoy meets Hasan Mahmud
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas has met with Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud, MP, and discussed the importance of a free and independent media as the bedrock of democracy.
The two also discussed international concerns about provisions of the Digital Security Act and the proposed regulations for digital, social media, and streaming platforms, said the US Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday.
In the next 50 years and beyond, the United States looks forward to working with Bangladesh to advance common interests in freedom, prosperity, peace, and dignity, according to a message shared on the verified Facebook page of the Embassy.
No proposal made to US to bring BNP to polls: Momen
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said no formal proposal was made to the US to bring the BNP into the election process, although the party's election boycott came up during his recent meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"We want all parties. More or less all parties join the polls. But there is a political party which publicly says they won't take part in the election," he said, adding that if anyone intentionally avoids polls, that indicates they fear the people.
As the issue of the BNP's election boycott came up in his discussion with Blinken, the foreign minister told the US secretary of state that he(Blinken) can look into whether they can make the party join the elections.
"Bring them (BNP) if you can. It was just like that. It was not that we placed any such proposal. We want all parties," Momen told the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said the BNP must go to people's doors and join elections following the existing laws.
Bangladesh has a "very solid and independent" election commission, and its democracy is very transparent, Momen added. "Every person in Bangladesh believes in democracy; it is (election) a festival here. We want all parties in elections."
"They gave much respect to my whole delegation," Momen said, referring to his meeting with Blinken.
The foreign minister had also visited Japan, Palau and Singapore after wrapping up his US visit. "My whole trip was very positive."
FM questions quality of US HR report on Bangladesh
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has questioned the quality of the US human rights report on Bangladesh, noting that Bangladeshi officials at the US Embassy in Dhaka prepare the initial draft collecting information from media reports and some NGOs.
He said NGOs always see negative things everywhere and there is another group of people who only seek asylum abroad and give a negative picture of the country to avail of advantage.
The Foreign Minister made the remarks while responding to questions from reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
Read: BNP denies misquoting German envoy
The government of Bangladesh is of the view that the tendency to impose values of other countries, like LGBT rights, same sex marriage etc., in the name of human rights violations are “regrettable and uncalled for.”
“Some opinions came….they want to hit on our religion in the name of human rights and we rejected it,” said the Foreign Minister referring to the State Department’s recent “2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices”.
He said opinions are not human rights and Bangladesh’s human rights priorities are right to food, right to education, right to shelter, right accommodation and healthcare. “These are human rights.”
The Foreign Minister said they had a very good discussion in Washington and both sides want improved relations in the coming years.
He said the US side appreciated Bangladesh’s progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Read: BB issues revised agent banking guidelines
The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh has a “very solid and independent” election commission and its democracy is very transparent. “Every person in Bangladesh believes in democracy. It’s (election) a festival in Bangladesh. We want all parties in elections.”
“They have given much respect to my whole delegation,” Momen said, referring to his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The Foreign Minister had also visited Japan, Palau and Singapore after wrapping up his US visit. “My whole trip was very positive.”