Foreign-Affairs
Bangladesh reaffirms commitment to global peace
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has reaffirmed Bangladesh’s enduring commitment to global peace. “Our unwavering commitment to global peace is our greatest pledge at the Peacekeeping Ministerial,” he said while addressing the 2021 Seoul Peacekeeping Ministerial (UNPKM) hosted by South Korea.
Read: Dhaka Declaration: Democracy, good governance, rule of law critical for peace, stability Speaking at a session titled “Sustaining Peace” as a keynote speaker, the Foreign Minister reflected on the contributions made by Bangladesh peacekeepers in maintaining global peace and security. “Our female peacekeepers have emerged as a symbol of hope and security for women and girls who suffer disproportionately during wars and conflicts,” the Foreign Minister added. He also highlighted Bangladesh’s leadership role in advancing a culture of peace and also in mainstreaming women in peace and security agenda through the adoption of the landmark resolution 1325. The Foreign Minister underscored the need for ensuring a nationally owned and inclusive peace-building process for realizing peace-building and sustaining peace agenda in conflict-affected countries. He emphasized programmatic funding for sustaining peace in peacekeeping missions.
Read:Let’s dream of a better world, FM Momen tells peace conference Welcoming Seoul initiative in technology and medical capacity building in peacekeeping, Dr. Momen highlighted that Covid-19 challenges reinforced the importance of medical capacity building in peacekeeping missions for the enhancement of the safety and security of the peacekeepers. At the meeting, Bangladesh pledged, among others, to provide 02Aero medical evacuation team, air transportation unit, aviation security unit, 01 Francophone Formed Police Unit. The two-day conference focused on solidifying global partnership for peace with concrete commitments by member states.
Japan Desk in CCCI to help solve investment issues; promote Ctg: Japan
The Japan Desk, recently opened in Chattogram, is expected to contribute to "solving investment issues" that Japanese companies face and also attracting new Japanese investments by promoting the potential of entire Chattogram region, including Matarbari and Mirsharai special economic zones (SEZs).
The “Japan Desk” at Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) will play an important role in further promoting Japanese companies’ activities in Bangladesh, especially in Chattogram, says the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.
Read:Japan expects Hasina to visit Tokyo next year
On Tuesday, the opening ceremony of the CCCI Japan Desk was held at Bangabandhu Conference Hall, World Trade Center.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki, Chief Representative, JICA Bangladesh Hayakawa Yuho, CCCI President Mahbubul Alam, President of JBCCI Asif A. Chowdhury, President, Japan Chamber and Industry Association in Dhaka Kawai Hikari and Country Representative, JETRO Ando Yuji attended the ceremony
It is meaningful to have a Japanese-specific window in CCCI in a sense that it will not only be of help for existing Japanese companies, but will also contribute greatly to promoting the expansion of new companies, said the Embassy.
Read: Dhaka-Tokyo ties growing beyond bilateral front: Japanese Vice Minister
During the past 10 years before COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of export, FDI and the number of Japanese companies has increased by about 2 times, more than 3 times and 4 times for each.
The export amount has recovered from COVID-19 pandemic by about 10% in FY20/21 from FY19/20.
In addition to development cooperation, the economic relationship between Japan and Bangladesh will become much stronger, said the Embassy.
Awardees have potential to transform society: JBYA jury
The star-studded jury panel of the Joy Bangla Youth Award, the initiative to recognise nationwide young social change makers, sees the urge and potential among the awardees to transform the country as well as the planet.
Echoing the relevance of the Joy Bangla Youth Award-2021 furthered by the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence, Bangladesh Liberation War Museum Trustee Mofidul Hoque said, “The award has made us optimistic. Let youths carry forward the legacy of independence, the ideals of Bangabandhu, and the development of Bangladesh. That is what I expect of them in this 50th year of the country’s independence.”
Read: Joy Bangla Concert: Rock stars share best memories
This is the first time Hoque has joined the Joy Bangla Youth Award (JBYA) Jury Board.
"The best thing I have felt about this award is that the youths have their deepest urge to ensure the freedom of humanity and the freedom of society. Some are working on technology and taking the benefit of that technology to people. On the other hand, some initiatives are working in remote areas. They may be small in scale but big in essence. In a nutshell, it made us optimistic,” he added.
The Joy Bangla Award takes inspiration from the war cry of the 1971 Liberation War.
Like previous years, the fifth installment of the award received entries from the entire country, said the organizer Young Bangla, the secretariat of the Centre for Research & Information (CRI).
Around 700 organizations applied for the award from across the country.
Entrepreneur Sharmishta Roy said, “It's a great experience to be part of the jury. We have got so many young talents that it’s hard to predict what milestones these youths will help the country reach. Through this award, the organizers are imbuing young hearts with the confidence and inspiration that will contribute not just to the country but to the world as well."
The award, conferred every two years, is now being given out after a year to coincide with the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh's Independence.
Since its inception in 2014, Young Bangla has been conferring the award to the young people and youth organizations successfully involved in changing the social paradigm and bringing about change in their respective areas.
In previous years, the award paved the path for international acclamations for youths including Sadat Rahman, a 2018-JBYA winner, who later won the International Children's Peace Prize in 2020 for making an anti-cyberbullying mobile app named Cyber Teens.
Reflecting on the method of selecting entries, former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman said, “Following a particular methodology and a fair selection process, the team presented information about the applicants. Young change makers from all walks of life from across the country took part in it. Youths are our power. This award corroborates that idea. Bangladesh will ride on the initiatives of these youths.”
“We have got applications from diverse groups from across the country. We spent the entire day selecting the best ones to be awarded by the CRI-organized event,” Tashnuva Shishir, said the country’s first TV Anchor from the transgender background.
Read: Joy Bangla Youth Award winners eye wider contributions to communities
“It was difficult to select the top 10 projects as we received applications from all corners of the country and all of them had been doing great jobs braving all limitations and challenges. Heartiest congratulations to the Joy Bangla 2021 awardees,” said Conservationist Shahriar Caesar Rahman.
“Congratulations to the young champions! But other applicants shouldn’t lose hope either as they too have a long way to go,” said Entrepreneur Zara Mahbub.
“We have got so many different projects and our youths are so much active in serving their communities that they made our job difficult to select the best ones. Wishing all the best for those who couldn’t make it this time. But there is an expectation burden on those who are going to be awarded. They will keep serving more,” said Tech Entrepreneur Achia Nila.
Bangladesh, India to largely drive future prosperity of S Asia region: US
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kelly Keiderling has said Bangladesh and India will largely drive the future growth and prosperity of the South Asia region.
Keiderling said her country greatly values its partnerships with the two South Asian countries.
She made the remarks as a US government representative at a reception, organized by the Embassy of Bangladesh jointly with the Embassy of India in Washington, DC, to celebrate the ‘Maitri Diwas (Friendship Day)’.
Keiderling also said the United States observes the abiding friendship between Bangladesh and India and that has remained as a source of strength and stability in the region in the changing the geopolitical scenario.
The reception was organized as part of the joint commemoration of the historic ‘Maitri Diwas’ in 18 foreign capitals, as agreed by the governments of Bangladesh and India.
The programme was attended, among others, by a number of high-ranking US officials, including the Senior Director of the White House National Security Council Sumona Guha, Director General (nominee) of US Foreign Service Ambassador Marcia Bernicat and President of the US-Bangladesh Business Council as well as US-India Business Council Nisha Biswal.
Swedish embassy stresses gender equality in labour market
Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, has stressed the importance of connecting gender equality to sustainable development and economic growth.
“We cannot disregard half of the world’s population. We say that the Swedish Government is the world’s first feminist government, and as Foreign Minister I lead a feminist foreign policy," she said while addressing a discussion.
The Swedish Embassy in Dhaka, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Global Deal, in the context of the Team Europe Initiative ‘Decent Work’, jointly organized the panel discussion on Monday titled “Social Dialogue as an Enabling Mechanism for Gender Equality on the Labour Market – Experiences from the RMG-sector in Bangladesh”. The Swedish Minister said a natural part of this policy is to work for gender equality, including in the labour market. In today’s globalized economy, globalization must work for all.
"Strengthening gender equality on the labour market is not only the right thing to do, it is also the economically smart thing to do in any society." The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden also stated that both Sweden and Bangladesh had been partners from the start of the launching of the Global Deal Initiative, adding that she looked forward to continuing to work together on these important questions.
Md. Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, also spoke.
The panel discussion was moderated by Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director, ILO Country Office for Bangladesh.
READ: Teen takes over Swedish Embassy in Bangladesh for a day
The panel gathered a broad range of relevant stakeholders sharing their experiences and consisted of Veronica Nilsson, Global Deal, Head of Unit in the Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (ELS), OECD; Begum Shamsunanhar Bhuiyan MP, National Trade Union Representative, Member of the Parliament and Member to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Labour and Employment; China Rahman, General Secretary at Federation of Garment Workers’, Women’s Affair Secretary at IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC); Dr. Rubana Huq, former President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA); Ziaur Rahman, Regional Country Manager at H&M and Shirin Akhter MP, President of the National Workers Alliance, Member of Parliament and Founder President of Karmojibi Nari (KN). During the seminar, the EU delegation gave a presentation of some of the early findings of their study “Mapping Trade Unions in Bangladesh: Current Dynamics and Challenges”.
The seminar, which was arranged as part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, aimed at discussing how women’s active participation in the labour market can be strengthened including through exploring how Social Dialogue can contribute as a mechanism to this end.
Vladimir Putin invites PM Modi to visit Russia in 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Russia in 2022, according to a joint statement issued after they met on Monday.
"President Putin thanked Prime Minister Modi for the kind hospitality shown to him and his delegation in New Delhi. He invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Russia next year to participate in the XXII Annual Russian-Indian Summit," Sputnik reported citing the statement.
Putin and Prime Minister Modi held the first in-person meeting on Monday after they met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in 2019 in Brasilia. There have been six telephonic conversations between Modi and Putin since then apart from the virtual meetings that they've attended for multilateral summits.
READ: Biden, Putin set video call Tuesday as Ukraine tensions grow
The visit is in continuation of the tradition of annual summits held alternately in India and Russia.
PM Modi, who held the annual summit meeting with Russian President at Hyderabad House said that India and Russia have been in regular touch on Afghanistan and regional issues.
Russian President during his meeting with Prime Minister Modi said that Moscow is concerned over everything related to terrorism and drug trafficking, including in the context of the situation in Afghanistan.
"We are certainly worried about everything related to terrorism and the fight against it. Terrorism is also fight against drug trafficking and organized crime. In this regard, we cannot but worry about the situation and how it is developing in Afghanistan," Putin said at the 21st India- Russia Annual Summit.
The two nations today also signed an agreement for the procurement of 6,01,427 assault rifles AK-203 through Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd, under the military-technical cooperation arrangement for 2021-31.
READ: President Putin to visit New Delhi on Dec 6
Earlier in the day, the two countries held their first 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
Malaysia donates over 5.59 lakh AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Bangladesh
The Malaysian government has provided over 5.59 lakh AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Bangladesh as a gesture of solidarity and support in the latter’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Haznah Md. Hashim, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Bangladesh, handed over some token vaccine doses to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at a formal ceremony held at the State Guest House Padma on Tuesday.
Secretary (East) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and officials of the High Commission of Malaysia in Dhaka were present.
Read: France donates 2.06 mln AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Bangladesh
High Commissioner Hashim described the donation of 559,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines and medical equipment to the Government of Bangladesh as a testament to the close, warm and cordial relations existing between the two brotherly countries.
The High Commissioner also mentioned that Government of Malaysia prioritized Bangladesh for donating vaccines even with its limited inventory.
India promotes culture of peace as part of commitment to global order, says MEA
India promotes a culture of peace as a part of its commitment to global order, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Culture of Peace is the cornerstone of the global order to build inclusive and tolerant societies. Under the auspices of the United Nations, the promotion of a culture of peace has expanded into a global discourse, according to the statement issued by MEA.
READ: Bangladesh, India to have much to do in next 50 years: Doraiswami
The observation came in the light of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly's Agenda item 16 on Culture of Peace.
India will continue to spread the message of humanity, pluralism and democracy. We reiterate our call to fight negative forces of intolerance, violence and discrimination together, said Ashish Sharma, First Secretary in the statement.
Continuing this rich heritage, India has promoted this culture, inter alia, through tolerance, understanding, respect for all religions and cultures - all this under the overarching umbrella of pluralistic ethos and democratic principles. This is enshrined in our Constitution, the MEA's statement said.
READ: Indian Foreign Secretary Shringla in city
For millennia, India has regularly provided shelter to those persecuted in foreign lands and allowed them to thrive in India and it's is not just about a culture, but a civilization in itself. the statement further added.
Border killings remain an irritant, FM Momen tells Shringla
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has underscored that the killing of Bangladesh nationals by the Indian border security forces continued to remain an irritant despite the goodwill and excellent relations between the two countries.
Dr Momen urged Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to take up the matter with all the relevant agencies in India when Shringla met him at his office on Tuesday afternoon.
He reiterated his hope over the early signing of the Teesta water-sharing deal and equitable comprehensive water-sharing agreement for other common rivers which, he thinks, may be seen as testimony of ‘Good Neighborhood’.
He recalled that the two countries had resolved many of the outstanding issues in a spirit of understanding.
Read:Dhaka, Delhi eye unique relationship resolving pending issues
The Foreign Minister stressed promoting robust trade and commerce between the two countries for mutual benefit.
He also urged the Indian side to take necessary measures in completing the “Swadhinota Sharak” connecting Mujibnagar to Kolkata as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
Foreign Minister Momen said India is Bangladesh’s best friend and both sides expressed their satisfaction on the ongoing cooperation and the high-level engagements even in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Dhaka, Delhi eye unique relationship resolving pending issues
Bangladesh and India on Tuesday emphasized expediting efforts to resolve pending issues as the two countries look forward to a “very high-level relationship” finding new areas of cooperation.
Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla met Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after holding a detailed discussion with his Bangladesh counterpart Masud Bin Momen at Foreign Service Academy.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Dr Momen said the two countries agreed to work for the welfare of the people in the two countries.
Read: Dhaka, Delhi created model relations, says FM terming Dec 6 a historic day
He said the Indian side talked about the border issue and assured Bangladesh of keeping more careful watch to avert any problem along the Bangladesh-India border.
The Foreign Minister recalled the respect shown by the Indian side to Bangladesh throughout this historic year.