Foreign-Affairs
Govt to do everything possible to implement verdict against Tarique: FM
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said the government would do everything possible at an appropriate time to implement the court verdict against convicted BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman now living in the UK.
“Our government wants to make sure that every convicted person’s verdict is implemented. The government will do everything possible at an appropriate time regarding Tarique Rahman’s issue,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read: If US congressmen wrote any such letter, they’re telling govt to interfere with court: Hasan Mahmud
The foreign minister made the remarks when a reporter wanted to know about the efforts to bring back Tarique, acting chairman of BNP, for implementation of the court verdict.
He spoke with the reporters after a meeting with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke at his office where they discussed ways of strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
The government has been trying to bring back the BNP's convicted acting chairman Tarique to implement the court verdict, but it all depends on the UK government.
“He is there (UK). Whoever a criminal is, they should be brought back and their sentence should be carried out. We are making our efforts in this regard. But now it totally depends on the British government. Will they keep him there or allow the punishment to be executed? It totally depends on them,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Voice of America Bangla service in an interview in Washington last year.
Read: PM Hasina seeks more Saudi investment in Bangladesh
There are a number of cases including money laundering, arms smuggling, corruption and also the 21 August grenade attack against him.
Responding to a question, the foreign minister said he laid emphasis on making the process easier as many face problems in terms of family reunion.
He acknowledged that there are people who are living in the UK illegally.
BD, UK vow to deepen ties at FM Hasan’s meet with HC Cooke
Bangladesh and the United Kingdom on Wednesday discussed ways to deepen the ties between the two countries by working together on shared challenges.
“We have discussed ways on how we can further deepen the relations. We discussed in detail about multifaceted cooperation,” Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters after his meeting with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke at his office at the ministry.
He said the UK is a big development partner of Bangladesh and they have a significant investment here.
Read: We’re dealing with Myanmar government on Rohingya repatriation: FM
The foreign minister said they specially discussed cooperation in the areas of ICT, cyber security, cooperation between the two central banks, climate change and Rohingya repatriation.
“On climate change front, we are working with the UK both locally and in the international forums,” he said.
The foreign minister said his British counterpart David Cameron sent a message congratulating him on his appointment as foreign minister of Bangladesh and expressed willingness to work together to strengthen the relations.
British High Sarah Cooke handed over the letter to foreign minister Hasan Mahmud during their meeting.
She also laid emphasis on working together to strengthen the ties between Bangladesh and the UK.
During her meeting with Mahmud at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she also discussed how they can work together on challenges like climate change, migration and welfare of the Rohingyas.
The British envoy said they also discussed trade and investment issues and ways to strengthen the security partnership between the two countries.
She said they will continue to engage constructively with the government of Bangladesh and political parties on democracy and human rights issues.
Read: PM Hasina seeks more Saudi investment in Bangladesh
“Good meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud. We discussed strengthening our partnership on Bangladesh-UK trade and investment, security, migration, climate change and welfare of the Rohingya,” she said.
The UK encourages dialogue and reconciliation in political life in Bangladesh, she said in a brief message shared on X, formerly known as twitter.
Regarding the Rohingya crisis, the foreign minister said their repatriation is the only solution.
Responding to a question on the human rights issue, Hasan said certainly human rights is an issue globally and every country is working for improvement in this area.
The United Kingdom and Bangladesh share a deep and historic friendship.
Creating the conditions for a sustainable political settlement and vibrant civil society will enable long-term growth, said the British government in a statement on January 8 after the recent national election in Bangladesh.
The UK encouraged all political parties to address their differences and find a common way forward in the interests of the people of Bangladesh. “We will continue to support this process.”
We’re dealing with Myanmar government on Rohingya repatriation: FM
Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said the government is dealing with the Myanmar government on the Rohingya repatriation issue.
“We are dealing with the government of Myanmar. In a meeting with Myanmar's Foreign Minister who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, I urged him to take back the Rohingyas and to begin the repatriation process,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Minister, who had the meeting with his Myanmar counterpart on the sidelines of the NAM Summit in Uganda, said his Myanmar counterpart personally responded positively in this regard.
He said the government wants to repatriate the Rohingyas through discussion with the government of Myanmar.
The Foreign Minister also said the government remains aware of the situation in Myanmar through media reports.
At a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hasan Mahmud said they gave priority to a number of issues including Rohingya repatriation, economic diplomacy and trade expansion during his meetings on the sidelines of the two Summits held in Ugandan capital Kampala.
He said he also discussed the Rohingya issue with the UN Secretary General and sought UN support for the repatriation.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has called for solidarity and increased funding for the Rohingyas and their host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
“The refugees need our solidarity, and the host communities need our solidarity. We need increased funding for all of that,” Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at a regular media briefing in New York on January 22.
He said no refugee should be repatriated against their will.
It needs to be done voluntarily and in a manner that preserves their dignity and their safety, said the spokesperson.
“It is clear for us that the situation in Myanmar currently does not meet the necessary requirements. What we do need is increased global solidarity for those communities that are hosting generously Rohingya refugees, like the community in Cox’s Bazar, which the Secretary-General has visited,” Dujarric said.
The spokesperson said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as he does to heads of governments or states when they’re re-elected. “What we have said in the past from this podium, what the Human Rights High Commissioner has said remains unchanged,” he added.
WB willing to broaden its engagement with Bangladesh: FM
Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said the World Bank is willing to broaden its engagement with Bangladesh by strengthening and widening the existing relations.
He said the WB has expressed interest to provide US$ 700 million for the Rohingyas and the host communities as grant and soft loan respectively.
Of the US$ 700 million, the global lending agency will provide US$ 315 million for the Rohingyas as grant while US$ 385 for the greater host communities as soft loan, the foreign minister told reporters after his meeting with World Bank’s Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan Abdoulaye Seck.
Hasan Mahmud said the WB has invested US$ 15 billion in 56 projects in Bangladesh at this moment.
During the courtesy meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdoulaye Seck congratulated the Foreign Minister for being appointed as Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.
He mentioned that the World Bank has been intensively engaged in Bangladesh and would like to further strengthen the partnership in the coming days.
The Foreign Minister thanked the World Bank for its support since the independence of Bangladesh.
He mentioned Bangladesh's tremendous socio-economic progress attained under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Foreign Minister requested the World Bank to support in improving the quality of people’s life, especially in the environment and health sectors of Bangladesh.
They discussed how support could be scaled up for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh.
The Foreign Minister requested the World Bank to engage with the government of Myanmar for safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.
If US congressmen wrote any such letter, they’re telling govt to interfere with court: Hasan Mahmud
Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus has been sentenced in a case filed by the aggrieved people, and the government is not a party to it.
“The government cannot dictate the court. I would like to say, paying due respect to Dr Yunus, that the government is not a party to the case. Aggrieved private people filed the case,” he told reporters while responding to a question at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Global leaders congratulating new govt is driving BNP insane: Hasan Mahmud
He, however, preferred to consider his remarks as a citizen of the country and Awami league joint general secretary, not as the foreign minister.
Earlier, a TV journalist drew the Foreign Minister's attention to a letter from US congressmen to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regarding Dr Yunus.
Yunus should seek pardon from his workers: PM Hasina at a post-polls event
"If the US congressmen wrote any such letter, they are telling the government to interfere with the court. Can the government do that? Is it logical?” — said the foreign minister.
UNB could not verify the authenticity of the letter.
US wants a ‘fair and transparent’ legal process regarding case against Prof Yunus
Earlier, a Dhaka court sentenced Dr Yunus and three top officials of Grameen Telecom to six months’ jail, with fine of Tk 25000 each, in a case over violation of labor law.
The others accused in the case are: Ashraful Hasan, CEO of Grameen Telecom Trust; trustee Nurjahan Begum; and managing director M Shahjahan.
They were accused of not making 101 workers and employees of Grameen Telecom permanent, not encashing public leave, and not depositing certain dividends to the Workers Welfare Foundation.
In the 84-page verdict, the judge said the charges of violating labor laws were proved against them.
The court, however, granted them conditional bail.
Dr Yunus claimed that he had been punished for a crime he did not commit.
“I have been punished for a crime that I haven’t committed,” Yunus told reporters after he was convicted in a case over violation of labor law. “If you want to call it justice, you can.”
PM Hasina seeks more Saudi investment in Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday sought more investment from Saudi Arabia to help accelerate Bangladesh’s socio-economic development..
The prime minister said this while Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yousef Essa Alduhailan called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.
PM’s speechwriter M Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the call on.
Hasina told the envoy that Saudi Arabia and it's people are very close to the heart of Bangladesh.
"Saudi Arabia always stands beside Bangladesh,” she said.
The Saudi envoy pledged to continue his country’s cooperation with Bangladesh in its development journey.
The prime minister said they wished welfare of the Saudi Arabia and its people as they are the Custodian of the Two Holy mosques in Mecca and Madinah.
Saudi Ambassador handed over a congratulatory message of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to Prime Minister on her reelection as head of the government.
In the message, the crown prince wished Bangladesh's further progress and prosperity.
The Saudi envoy expressed his country's desire to establish eight mosques and Islamic language institutions in eight divisions of Bangladesh.
The PM asked the authorities concerned to take measures to find out a suitable place for setting up an institute in Dhaka.
The Saudi envoy said they are taking measures to simplify the process of Hajj and Umrah Hajj in the days to come.
He said Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh can enhance cooperation in sports and culture.
The envoy expressed his country's eagerness to take medical staff from Bangladesh alongside other professionals.
PM's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, Ambassador-at-large M Ziauddin and PM’s Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present during the meeting.
PM Hasina urges France to cooperate in Bangladesh’s dev programmes
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday sought cooperation from the development partners including France for ensuring the sustainability of the development programmes her government has implemented since 2009.
“To make the development of Bangladesh sustainable we have to go a long way. In this we need cooperation from the development partners including France,” she told French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy who called her at her official residence Ganabhaban.
PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the call on.
He said that the prime minister told the envoy that during the tenure of the Awami League government transformation of rural areas has taken place in Bangladesh, which was known as poverty, flood and drought.
“Today’s Bangladesh is totally different,” she said.
In this connection, she mentioned that every village of the country has now electricity and communication network has been established.
“The rural areas have changed a lot while poverty has been reduced significantly,” she said.
Hasina said that the government has planned to build flats in rural areas for the poor people. Such flats are being built in the urban areas.
On Rohingya issue, she said that forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals must be repatriated to their homeland.
“They are getting involved in various types of crimes like drug trafficking and arms smuggling. They are not engaged in education or work,” she said.
She mentioned that without repatriation the crimes cannot be stopped totally.
She urged the Western countries including France to mount their pressure further for the quick repatriation of the Rohingyas.
Talking about the stranded Pakistanis, the premier said that their fourth generation is living here.
“It seems Pakistan will not take them back. So we are planning to build flats for them to ensure their permanent rehabilitation here,” she said.
She requested the French gas companies to invest in Bangladesh gas sector, including exploration.
During the meeting the PM and the envoy discussed some bilateral issues, including Airbus purchase and launching of Bangabandhu Satellite-II.
Ambassador Masdupuy handed over a message of French President Emmanuel Macron congratulating Hasina on her victory in the January 7 parliamentary election and being re-elected as the prime minister.
She mentioned the existence of excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, which strengthened especially following the visits of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to France in 2021 and Macron’s 2023 visit to Dhaka.
On the climate issue, the ambassador said that her country wanted to see Bangladesh as the pioneer in using the Loss and Damage Utilisation Fund.
She mentioned that Bangladesh has set an example in facing the challenges of climate change.
She said that France wants to assist Bangladesh in green energy transition.
The ambassador also said that her country wants to cooperate with Bangladesh in blue economy and cyber security.
PM’s Adviser Salman F Rahman, Ambassador-at-large M Ziauddin and Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present.
Chinese Communist Party's Vice Minister of Int’l Dept Sun Haiyan arrives Dhaka tonight
Chinese Communist Party's Vice Minister of the International Department Sun Haiyan is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka tonight to have meetings with Bangladesh leadership.
The Chinese Vice Minister, now visiting the Maldives, will have a number of meetings during her stay in Dhaka.
"It's true that the Vice Minister is coming," Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud told reporters when he was asked about the visit.
He, however, said he does not know in detail as of now as he has just returned home from abroad.
The Foreign Minister said it is normal to see such visit as Bangladesh maintains friendship with all. "We have excellent relations with all."
The Chinese Vice Minister is likely to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and others, said a diplomatic source.
This is going to be the first visit by any senior Chinese politician after the formation of the new Cabinet led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
On January 11, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Sheikh Hasina on her reelection as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
President Xi hoped that Bangladesh and China would make joint efforts to further implement the important consensus he reached with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Johannesburg, South Africa, last August, enhance political mutual trust, promote traditional friendship, further synergize development strategies, and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, so as to uplift the China-Bangladesh Strategic Partnership of Cooperation to a new height.
On the same day, Chinese Premier of State Council Li Qiang sent a congratulatory message to Sheikh Hasina on her reelection as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, saying China and Bangladesh are close neighbours with long-established friendship and development partners of close cooperation.
In recent years, Bangladesh and China have deepened political mutual trust and achieved fruitful results in Belt and Road cooperation, he said.
UN says no refugee should be repatriated against will; calls for more funding for Rohingyas, host communities
The United Nations has called for solidarity and increased funding for the Rohingyas and their host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
“The refugees need our solidarity, and the host communities need our solidarity. We need increased funding for all of that,” Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at a regular media briefing in New York on January 22.
He said no refugee should be repatriated against their will.
It needs to be done voluntarily and in a manner that preserves their dignity and their safety, said the spokesperson.
“It is clear for us that the situation in Myanmar currently does not meet the necessary requirements. What we do need is increased global solidarity for those communities that are hosting generously Rohingya refugees, like the community in Cox’s Bazar, which the Secretary-General has visited,” Dujarric said.
The spokesperson said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as he does to heads of governments or states when they’re re-elected. “What we have said in the past from this podium, what the Human Rights High Commissioner has said remains unchanged,” he added.
BGB personnel shot in BSF firing dies in India
A member of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) who sustained injuries after being shot by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the Dhannokhola border under Benapole upazila of Jashore early Monday (January 22, 2024), succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in India, BGB said today (January 23, 2024).
The deceased, Raisuddin, 35, was posted at the BGB-49 Battalion in Jashore, said a media release signed by Lt Col Md Jamil, commander of the 49 Battalion.
According to the release, a patrol team of the paramilitary force challenged a gang of cattle smugglers when they were intruding into Bangladesh from India, adjacent to Jhelepara post area under the Benapole upazila, around 5:30 am on Monday.
Read more: BGB distributes warm clothes among destitute people in St Martin's Island
At one stage of the chase, the smugglers went back inside Indian territory, it reads, adding that BGB personnel Raisuddin got separated from the patrol team amid dense fog.
Though initially he was not found, later it was known through several sources that he was injured in BSF firing and was undergoing treatment in an Indian hospital.
Shortly after the incident, a bilateral flag meeting on commander-level was held between the BGB and the BSF, according to the release. He died while undergoing treatment in the hospital, it was confirmed.
The BGB demanded proper investigation into the incident and sent a protest note to their Indian counterparts, the press release reads.
Process is underway to bring the BGB personnel’s body back home soon, it added.
Read more: BGB's seized contraband in Dec 2023 worth over Tk 266 crore