Foreign-Affairs
Bangladesh made impressive progress: Canadian Minister
Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould has said she is impressed by the resilience and the remarkable progress taking place in Bangladesh.
"Canada has been a friend and development partner to Bangladesh for nearly 50 years," she said, adding that they are committed to continuing to tackle the challenges together, including to support the needs of refugees and people living in extreme poverty.
Read:Dhaka seeks preferential trade facilities from Canada till 2030
The minister said it was important for her, as Minister of International Development, to undertake this virtual visit at this particularly difficult moment marked by challenges ranging from public health, to the economy, climate change, and the continued Rohingya crisis.
On Thursday, Karina Gould ended a "successful" three-day virtual visit to Bangladesh.
All events and meetings were hosted on digital platforms in order to minimize health risks.
“This was my first visit to Bangladesh and, although it was virtual, it allowed me to hear first-hand people’s stories and the challenges they face," said the Canadian Minister.
Minister Gould announced contributions to two important projects in Bangladesh.
The first will see Canada join Brac’s Strategic Partnership Arrangement for the next five years (2021-2026), with a contribution of $45 million.
Read:Canada joins hands with Brac to support vulnerable people
The second provides $2 million in additional Canadian funding to Unicef for the ‘Strengthening Quality Education in Cox’s Bazar’ initiative, to support preparations for the reopening of schools and learning centres.
Dhaka to receive 10 lakh Sinopharm vaccine doses shortly
Bangladesh will receive 10 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine on Friday evening from the Chinese government as a gift.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight is on the way to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Tianjin International Airport in China.
Read: 1.77 mln doses of Sinopharm vaccine on way to Dhaka
Earlier, Bangladesh received 11 lakh doses of Sinopharm as a gift from China.
These 10 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine are coming as a gift from China for Bangladeshi brothers and sisters, said Hualong Yan, Deputy Chief of Mission at Chinese Embassy in Dhaka on Friday.
Read:1.7mn Sinopharm vaccine doses to arrive soon
Bangladesh also received over 34 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine under the COVAX facility.
Bangladesh is also receiving Sinopharm vaccine doses under a commercial purchase agreement.
BGMEA optimistic about increase in orders
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has requested global apparel buyers to nominate more shipping liners and off-docks to facilitate timely shipment of export containers.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan made the call during at a meeting with the representatives of renowned global brand C&A Sourcing International Ltd and leading shipping company Hapag-Lloyd held at BGMEA office in Dhaka on Thursday.
The discussion was a part of BGMEA’s continuous efforts to keep the flow of export-import shipment smooth.
Read: BGMEA urges buyers not to penalise suppliers for lockdown-caused delays
He said export containers loaded with RMG products had to face additional delay at Chattogram port due to nomination of selective shipping lines and off-docks by buyers.
The BGMEA President said buyers should make optimum use of the capacity of available shipping lines as a best possible way to handle shipment of RMG exports which, he expected, would increase in the coming months.
Read: BGMEA requests India to expedite trade through Bangaon-Benapole land port
BGMEA Vice President Miran Ali, Directors Tanvir Ahmed and Abdullah Hil Rakib, former Director Ashikur Rahman Tuhin, Unit Leader and General Manager of C&A Sourcing International Ltd Shantanu Singh, Global Logistics Manager (Headquarters) of C&A Sourcing International Ltd Md. Naimul Huda, Director and Shareholder at Hapag-Lloyd Ahmed Yusuf Walid, Vice President at Hapag-Lloyd Shamsuddin A Chowdhury, and General Manager (Sales and Marketing) at Hapag-Lloyd Saiful Arif Siddiqui attended the meeting.
Earlier, BGMEA in a letter requested global apparel buyers through Buyers' Forum, a group of the representatives of major apparel buyers, to nominate as many forwarders as possible to deliver the shipment on time.
Rohingya children must be educated in their own language: FM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has reiterated Bangladesh's position to provide education to Rohingya children sheltered in the country only in Rohingya language under Myanmar curricula.
The Rohingya children can be reintegrated in Myanmar smoothly after their repatriation if they are educated in Rohingya language under Myanmar curricula, he said.
"This (education) must be done in Rohingya language under Myanmar curricula so that once they return, they can be reintegrated in Myanmar," Dr Momen conveyed to Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould during his recent virtual meeting.
Also read: Vaccination: UNHCR lauds Bangladesh for inclusion of Rohingyas
More importantly, he said, Canada should first introduce her education programme in Rakhaine State where nearly 6 lakh Rohingyas are in IDP camps.
Govt's crucial support helped RMG industry make a turnaround: BGMEA chief
President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Faruque Hassan has thanked the government for providing crucial support to the RMG industry during the difficult time of Covid pandemic that helped the sector "survive and make a turnaround".
He also thanked the government for bringing garment workers under the Covid-19 vaccination programme on a priority basis.
Read:Netflix Movie: BGMEA protests derogatory remarks on Bangladesh RMG sector
Faruque Hassan had a meeting with State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian at the Secretariat on Wednesday and discussed the overall situation of the ready-made garment industry, the BGMEA said on Thursday.
Hassan apprised the state minister of the current state of the industry which is putting in all-out efforts to recover from the pandemic impacts and move ahead.
Read: No alternative to mass vaccination of apparel workers: BGMEA
“We requested the government to vaccinate garment workers on a priority basis as there is no alternative to mass vaccination of the workers to keep factories running," said the BGMEA president, adding that all the garment workers are being brought under the vaccine coverage.
BGMEA Senior Vice President SM Mannan (Kochi) was also present at the meeting.
Canada joins hands with Brac to support vulnerable people
Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould on Thursday announced CAD 45 million, over the next five years, to support increasing services to Bangladesh’s most vulnerable populations, including the hard-to-reach ones.
Canada is committed to investing in partnerships to support the most marginalized, including women and girls in Bangladesh.
Read: Dhaka seeks preferential trade facilities from Canada till 2030
“Our local, experienced partners know all too well the disproportionate impact the Covid-19 crisis has had on the world’s most vulnerable. Together, we must continue to push forward and seek out those hardest to reach, including marginalized women and children," said the Canadian Minister.
Canada remains committed to supporting Bangladesh in addressing the impacts of the pandemic and helping vulnerable populations respond and recover as fast as possible, she said.
Canada’s support will fund Brac-led multi-sector initiatives, including programming in skills and vocational training and public health outreach tailored to reach children and families that are unable to access the services they need.
It will also strengthen Brac’s interventions related to human rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition and ending gender-based violence against women and children, said a joint media release.
Programming will also focus on, and support, Bangladesh’s Covid-19 response and inclusive economic recovery.
With this contribution, Canada joins the Strategic Partnership Agreement, a long-term tripartite partnership with Brac and the government of Australia.
Read: Bangladesh seeks Covid jabs from Canada
Canada’s contributions to the partnership will expand Brac’s integrated healthcare, education, legal services, skills development and livelihood service delivery to hard-to-reach areas and the most marginalised populations.
This partnership is closely aligned with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and is built on Brac’s longstanding women-centred development approach which prioritises the empowerment of women and girls.
The announcement was made during Minister Gould’s virtual visit to Bangladesh.
Gould visited Bhashantek slum in Dhaka to see firsthand the impacts of Brac’s urban development programming, which will receive continued support through the partnership.
She also met young women engaged in skills training, health care workers supporting soon-to-be-mothers, and witnessed the Brac-led Covid-19 prevention and response activities in action.
Brac Executive Director Asif Saleh accompanied the minister on the visit, with both acknowledging the courageous frontline workers who continue to deliver key services in the face of ongoing challenges during the pandemic.
Read: BRAC partners with govt’s Covid-19 vaccination drive
"We’re delighted to welcome Global Affairs Canada as one of our strategic partners. This partnership couldn't come at a more critical time, as the Covid-19 pandemic has further aggregated inequalities in Bangladesh," said Asif Saleh.
He said Bangladesh needs resources to combat the impact of this pandemic and sustain the momentum of socio-economic growth. "This partnership will help us keep the country on the growth trajectory and continue our efforts in the pandemic response and the recovery process.”
Dhaka seeks preferential trade facilities from Canada till 2030
Bangladesh has demanded preferential trade facilities from Canada till 2030 to help the country tide over the post-pandemic challenges.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen held a virtual meeting with Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould on Wednesday and made the request.
They expressed optimism regarding the co-chairmanship of Bangladesh and Canada in the preparatory process of the upcoming 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC-5) to be held in Doha in January next year.
On climate change, Foreign Minister Momen sought Canada’s support in COP26 in terms of realising the demand that each country must implement their respective nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
Bangladesh has taken various adaptation and mitigation measures, including the “Mujib Prosperity Plan” envisaging using renewable energy to meet 40% of its energy needs.
Momen also urged Canada to consider providing financial assistance to the regional Global Adaptation Centre (GAC) established in Bangladesh in order to effectively address climate change through adaptation measures in the region.
The Canadian Minister appreciated Bangladesh’s decision not to build any more coal-based power plants, citing climate change risks as an existential threat for the globe.
She concluded by underscoring that Canada remains committed to work with Bangladesh, including on Rohingya, climate change and LDC issues. She also expressed optimism that she would be able to visit Bangladesh in person in near future on a request from Momen.
The Foreign Minister also reiterated Bangladesh’s strong expectation that Nur Chowdhury, the convicted killer of the Father of the Nation, would be sent back to Bangladesh, underscoring that this would ensure justice and the rule of law.
Canadian Minister Karina Gould congratulated Bangladesh on the occasion of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Independence.
She stated that the co-chairmanship of both countries in the preparatory process of the LDC-5 Conference is a good opportunity to work together.
Expressing Bangladesh’s appreciation to the important message of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the occasion of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence, Foreign Minister Momen said the bilateral ties between the two countries "continue to remain very strong".
Bangladesh seeks Covid jabs from Canada
Dhaka has urged Canada to consider providing Covid-19 jabs to Bangladesh directly as well as through the COVAX initiative to help the country inoculate the Rohingya refugees and host communities.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen held a virtual meeting with Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould on Wednesday and made the request.
Canada has so far contributed 545 million dollars and 30 million surplus Covid vaccine doses to COVAX. The Canadian Minister is a co-chair in the COVAX Humanitarian Buffer.
Read:Canadian Minister to begin virtual visit to Bangladesh this evening
Gould assured Momen that Canada would give due consideration to Bangladesh’s request to provide jabs, including for the displaced Rohingya Muslims and the host communities.
She also recalled that Canada has already provided medicine and oxygen concentrator support to Bangladesh through UNICEF and some NGOs, and said that such assistance, including vaccine support, may come again.
Informing that the government has already commenced vaccinating the refugees over 55 years numbering around 48,000, the Foreign Minister highlighted the fact that not a single Rohingya person in Bangladesh has so far died due to Covid.
Underscorimg the natural hazards that Kutupalong camps have been facing, Momen said the UN and the international community need to come forward to support the humanitarian operations in Bhashan Char as soon as possible.
The Bangladeshi Foreign Minister also thanked Canada for its consistent political and humanitarian support for the displaced and persecuted Rohingyas, including for the ongoing genocide case in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Miller congratulates 76 graduates of English Access Microscholarship prog
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller has congratulated 76 latest graduates of the U.S. State Department-funded English Access Microscholarship Programme.
He praised their hard work in completing the programme during the pandemic.
A total of 38 young women and 38 young men from local madrasas and public schools in Rajshahi and Chattogram joined the programme.
“Since its inception, the Access program continues to provide students around the world with a life changing opportunity to achieve their dreams. I believe this is only the beginning of the many accomplishments you will continue to achieve throughout your lives," said the Ambassador in a virtual programme held on Tuesday evening.
Read: Miller congratulates 8 Bangladeshi CCI programme participants
More importantly, Miller said he believes in young people and so their teachers, classmates, and loved ones who have supported the participants throughout this remarkable journey.
"You are the talented and bright leaders who will shape the course of Bangladesh’s future. You are the next generation of changemakers who will help us continue to make progress in solving our world’s most pressing challenges. You are extraordinary beyond measure.” he said.
The English Access Microscholarship Programme is a rigorous, two-year interactive program building a foundation in English language, American culture, critical thinking, and leadership skills for 13-17-year-olds from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds, and helps them become more competitive for higher education and employment opportunities.
Currently, 200 students are virtually participating in Access programs in Dhaka, Sylhet, and Chattogram.
Read: Ambassador Miller praises power of young minds in Bangladesh
Since it began in 2004, 1,336 Bangladeshi students have successfully completed the program.
Tuesday's graduating class joined 95,000 other Access programme alumni in more than 85 countries around the world.
The Access programme is one of U.S. Embassy Dhaka’s many initiatives to strengthen and expand people-to-people ties and educational linkages between the United States and Bangladesh, enhance the quality of education locally, and empower Bangladeshi youth through innovative learning opportunities.
Vaccination: UNHCR lauds Bangladesh for inclusion of Rohingyas
UNHCR has welcomed the commencement of the vaccination of Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar in line with national authorities’ broader public health efforts.
"We are grateful to the Government of Bangladesh for having included Rohingya refugees in the vaccination campaign," said Johannes Van Der Klaauw, UNHCR’s Representative in Bangladesh, on Wednesday.
The UN refugee agency said equitable inclusion of Rohingyas in allocation of vaccines is critical to curbing the spread of the ongoing pandemic.
"The Rohingya refugee and host community volunteers have an essential frontline role in containing the spread of COVID-19 in the camps. The first step in fully protecting communities; however, is through the rollout of vaccination," UNHCR’s Representative in Bangladesh emphasized.
On Tuesday, over 4,000 Rohingyas received their first COVID-19 vaccine, as part of a national vaccination drive to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
Read: Covid kills 237 more in Bangladesh as Delta strain takes hold
Rohingyas eligible for vaccination in the first cohort include some 48,000 individuals over 55 years of age. The drive will continue until August 17.
The vaccination drive for Rohingyas is being led by the Bangladesh authorities with technical support from the UN Refugee Agency, the World Health Organization and other humanitarian partners.
The fight against the pandemic has been led by thousands of refugee and host community volunteers, who have worked since 2020 on informing refugees about health and hygiene, monitoring any signs of illness, and connecting the refugee community with critical health services.
While the threat of COVID-19 remains critical, their efforts have helped to prevent and curb outbreaks and have saved lives, said the UN agency.
The vaccinations follow the devastating monsoon rains that hit Cox’s Bazar District over the past weeks, causing flash floods and landslides which killed eight Rohingya refugees and 15 Bangladeshis in the host communities.
Read: Vaccination drive in Bangladesh: Procurement of 60 mln Sinopharm doses gets nod
Almost 25,000 refugees were displaced due to landslides, flooding, wind and storms.
Thousands of facilities have been damaged including primary health clinics, distribution points and latrines.
Access was hindered due to damage to roads, pathways and bridges.
UNHCR’s Emergency Response Teams, and partners, refugee and host community volunteers were deployed to assess the damage, to provide support to families forced to relocate, to begin immediate repairs of shelters and other site improvements and to ensure access to essential services for all.
While the weather has improved over the last few days, the monsoon season will continue for another couple of months followed by the cyclone season.