foreign-affairs
PM Hasina to reach New York on September 17 to attend 78th UNGA
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will reach New York on September 17 to attend the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA78).
She will lead the Bangladesh delegation at the UNGA, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, who will accompany the PM, told reporters on Thursday.
Also read: Democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights bedrocks of peaceful societies: Guterres
World leaders will gather in New York for the opening of the 78th session of the General Assembly (UNGA 78) under the theme, “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and the sustainability for all.”
The first day of the high-level General Debate will be held on September 19, Momen said in a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Like previous years, this time also the prime minister will deliver a speech on behalf of Bangladesh in the General Debate on September 22.
Also read: UNGA was a success for Bangladesh: PM
In her speech, she will shed light on Bangladesh's incredible development progress, inclusive economic development, and success in the health sector.
In addition, issues related to world peace, security, safe migration, forcibly displaced Myanmar citizens’ crisis, establishment of climate justice will come up in her speech.
Also, like every year, this year also there is a possibility of holding several high-level meetings (High-level Meeting/High-level Debate) during the general debate phase in which the Prime Minister may participate.
Also read: PM: Returning from UNGA with friendship for Bangladesh
Active participation of the delegation of Bangladesh led by the Prime Minister in the 78th session of the United Nations is expected to strengthen Bangladesh's position in multilateral forums and broaden the field of international cooperation in matters related to Bangladesh's interests, Momen said.
The Prime Minister will attend a number of events including “Climate Ambition Summit”—a high-level breakfast summit on climate mobility at the invitation of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
To convey this message again to the world, Momen said, a side event titled “high-level side event on the Rohingya crisis” will be organised where the Prime Minister will deliver a speech.
The co-hosts of the event are Canada, Gambia, Turkey, UK, USA, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and European Union.
Responding to a question, Momen said the US has invited the Prime Minister to attend a reception to be hosted by US President Joe Biden.
"We finalise such engagement at the final moment. Usually, she attends such events," he said.
The UN Secretary General, UNHCR chief and others will have meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
She is expected to attend events like “Sheikh Hasina Initiative of Community Clinics: Innovative Approach to Achieving Universal Health Coverage Inclusive of Mental Health and Disabilities”, “Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response” and high-level meeting on "Universal Health Coverage.”
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam also spoke. MoFA Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin and DGs of relevant wings were present.
Democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights bedrocks of peaceful societies: Guterres
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has said democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights are bedrocks of resilient, inclusive, and peaceful societies.
They underwrite freedom, advance sustainable development, and protect the dignity and rights of every person, he said.
Read: PM Hasina expresses condolences to victims of Mediterranean storm ‘Daniel'
"On this important day, let us join hands across generations and work as one to build a more just world for all," said the UN chief in a message marking the International Day of Democracy that falls on September 15.
On the International Day of Democracy, Guterres said, they elebrate its promise to societies – and recognize the many threats it faces at this time of tension and turmoil.
"The walls are closing in on civic spaces," he said.
The Un chief said mis-and disinformation is poisoning public discourse, polarizing communities, and eroding trust in institutions.
Read: Bangladesh has a bright future if it chooses right development path: Dan Negrea
This year’s theme – “Empowering the Next Generation” – focuses on the essential role of children and young people in safeguarding democracy today and in the future.
"It is not enough to listen to children and young people. We must support them with massive investments in education, skills-building, and lifelong learning," Guterres said.
He said they must protect human rights and advance gender equality.
Read:Dhaka, London plan to sign MoUs on economic cooperation, cyber security
"And we must expand the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making processes at every level," said the UN chief.
With strong political commitment, Bangladesh’s graduation would be a joyous occasion: OECD
Acknowledging Bangladesh’s “impressive” economic growth and social progress, Director of the OECD Development Centre Ragnheiour Elin Arnadottir has said she sees strong political commitment in Bangladesh to address the challenges that come with graduation.
“Graduation like any other graduation in life should be a joyous occasion. So, continuing on that path with the right policies, I have full confidence that Bangladesh’s graduation will indeed be joyous,” she told UNB in an exclusive interview during her recent visit to Bangladesh.
Also read: Bangladesh urged to use LDC graduation as an opportunity to rethink its reliance on RMG
Arnadottir, who served as Minister of Industry and Commerce in Iceland from 2013-2017, said Bangladesh is moving from one place up to another and advancing; and highlighted the importance of getting international partners’ support.
Responding to a question, she said political commitment is definitely there and they see it from the highest level.
UNOPS signs host country agreement with Govt of Bangladesh
In a significant milestone for development cooperation in Bangladesh, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has signed a Host Country Agreement (HCA) with the government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
UNOPS Bangladesh Country Manager Sudhir Muralidharan, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Director Mohammad Jobayed Hosen, Chief of Protocol Nayem Uddin Ahmed, Deputy Chief of Protocol Bidosh Chandra Barman, and Director General (UN) Md. Emdadul Islam Chowdhury — attended the signing ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on September 11.
Read: PM Hasina expresses condolences to victims of Mediterranean storm ‘Daniel'
The signatories to the HCA were the Executive Director of UNOPS, Jorge Moreira da Silva, and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.
The Host Country Agreement marks a pivotal moment in UNOPS' ongoing commitment to supporting Bangladesh in achieving its national development agenda, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNOPS has been a key partner to the Government of Bangladesh, national NGOs, donors, partners and civil society in addressing critical challenges, particularly in the areas of climate resilience, environmental sustainability, sustainable procurement, infrastructure development, and technical capacity building.
UNOPS has a long-standing presence in Bangladesh, with a track record dating back to 2003. Over the years, the organization has played a vital role in capacity development, infrastructure building, and strengthening national systems.
Read: Bangladesh has a bright future if it chooses right development path: Dan Negrea
This includes support in procurement, human resources management, finance, and project management.
The aim has been to empower communities and enhance their resilience against the impacts of climate change, among other pressing issues.
UNOPS’s unique blend of private sector agility with public sector accountability brings forth a strong value proposition.
One notable achievement in UNOPS' partnership with Bangladesh was its role as a fiduciary management agent for the 'Strengthening Humanitarian Preparedness and Response Programme in Bangladesh.'
Funded by the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, this program has significantly impacted disaster-affected communities in Bangladesh.
It improved access to essential services such as education, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, and gender-based violence prevention, and addressed basic food needs.
Read: Chinese companies launch ‘localisation’ initiative to boost employment opportunities
UNOPS has also collaborated closely with the Government of Bangladesh and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to enhance workplace safety in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector. The organization has procured and installed specialized laboratory equipment and supported the strengthening of the vaccine testing laboratory of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA).
Additionally, UNOPS has contributed to expanding oxygen therapy capacity in Bangladesh by procuring and installing pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) plants at 29 government hospitals nationwide.
The Host Country Agreement further solidifies UNOPS' commitment to supporting Bangladesh's development journey.
It is expected to facilitate and enhance cooperation between UNOPS and the Government of Bangladesh, fostering continued collaboration on critical development projects that promote sustainable development, resilience, and inclusive growth.
Bangladesh is the Vice President of UNOPS’s Executive Board.
Russian House in Dhaka organises seminar on study opportunities in Russia
The Russian House in Dhaka (RHD) on Wednesday organised an educational seminar regarding opportunities for higher studies in Russia in the academic year 2024-2025, with the possibility of receiving scholarships provided by the Government of the Russian Federation.
Its Director Pavel Dvoychenkov delivered updated data of the Russian education system and detailed the application process and submission of documents to candidates on the online platform https://education-in-russia.com.
He said that Bangladeshi students can study at any university designated for scholarship in Russia and talked about the world-class higher education and professional prospects of Russian alumni, who hold various senior positions in various public services, private companies and higher education institutions in Bangladesh.
He reminded that last year 110 scholarships were allocated, and the number of scholarships is increasing due to the huge interest of Bengali citizens in higher education in Russia.
In his speech, he gave details about the ongoing New Generation Programme organised by the Russian Government as well as the World Youth Festival-2024 (https://fest2024.com/) to be held in March 2024.
He also spoke about taking the Russian language course at the RHD to facilitate higher education studies in Russia. The new language course will begin in October.
The meeting was also attended by Dr. Taibul Hasan Khan, Soviet Alumni, Former Professor of History Department of Jahangirnagar University (Doctor of History, People's Friendship University of Russia), Yasmin Sultana, Teacher, Russian Language Course, Russian House in Dhaka.
Dr. Taibul Hasan Khan confirmed from his practical experience that Bangladeshi students have employment opportunities in any country in the world, including Bangladesh, after completing their studies at any university in Russia.
At one stage of the seminar, students of the People's Friendship University of Russia (PFUR) joined the video conference. Two representatives of the Bangla Press Club of Russia and Bangladesh Students Union (PFUR) participated in the video conference.
They congratulated those interested in pursuing higher education at Russian universities. They shared their practical experience of studying in Russia and said to start the application process for Russian government scholarships to Russian universities as soon as possible without missing out on world-class study opportunities. The next seminar will be held on October 9, 2023, at the same time at Russian House in Dhaka.
PM Hasina expresses condolences to victims of Mediterranean storm ‘Daniel'
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed deepest condolences to victims and missing people in the Mediterranean Storm ‘Daniel,’ which recently hit the eastern Libya.
“On behalf of the People and Government of Bangladesh and on my own behalf, I express my deepest condolences for the loss of a large number of lives and the massive destruction of property and means of subsistence caused by the devastating Mediterranean Storm Daniel that struck eastern Libya, specifically Benghazi, Al-Bayda, Derna, Sahat, Al-Mari, and Jabel Al-Akhdar region,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said this in a letter to Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohamed Al-Dabaiba, said a release from the Prime Minister’s Press Wing in Dhaka.
The Bangladesh PM prayed to the Almighty for the eternal peace of the departed souls.
“My heart goes out to extend the most profound sympathies to the victims’ families and those, whose nearest and dearest went missing. We have taken steps to send a humble contribution from the People of Bangladesh to the Libyan People affected by the disaster,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina lauded the well-coordinated relief and rehabilitation efforts of the Government of Libya and its concerted approach to coping with the dire situation.
MFS transaction decreased by Tk34 thousand crore in July: BB
Transaction through mobile financial service (MFS) has decreased by around Tk34 thousand crore.
This information has been revealed in the latest statistics on the MFS by the Bangladesh Bank (BB).
The report said Tk98 thousand 306 crore 80 lakhs were transacted in July this year in mobile banking services like bkash, rocket, nagad—an amount which was Tk33 thousand 868 crore less than the previous month of June.
MFS transactions record breached again in April; number of accounts now 26.5 crore
In June, Tk1 lakh 32 thousand 175 crores were transacted during the time of Eid-ul-Adha and Qurbani. This figure is the highest ever recorded transaction.
Earlier, the highest transaction in a single month was in April of this year, when around Tk 1.24 lakh crore was transacted.
BB lifts MFSP’s transaction limit; Bangla QR code by June
Bangladesh has a bright future if it chooses right development path: Dan Negrea
Senior Director of the Freedom and Prosperity Center at the Atlantic Council Dan Negrea has said Bangladesh has a bright future if it chooses the right development path that mobilizes the tremendous talent of the Bangladeshi people and empowers them to grow in the future.
“Very clearly Bangladesh has accomplished a lot in its economic development since its independence in 1971. It has a fast growth rate which is undeniable,” he said.
At the same time, he said their work shows that countries develop best when they have freedom in their choices of the development path.
Also read: Russian foreign minister’s recent comment in Dhaka is ‘not the most self-aware’: US State Dept Spokesperson
Negrea who was the State Department’s Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs between 2019 and 2021 talked about three kinds of freedom - economic freedom, legal freedom and political freedom.
Property rights, trade freedom, investment freedom and women’s economic freedom are part of the economic freedom while elections, civil liberties and political rights are part of the political freedom, he said.
Negrea said legal freedom has five components – informality, bureaucracy and corruption, security, judicial independence and effectiveness; and clarity of the law.
Freedom is the surest path to durable prosperity and free countries in general have a much higher prosperity score, he mentioned in his presentation made at the American Centre in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Also read: Dhaka, London plan to sign MoUs on economic cooperation, cyber security
Bangladesh outperforms the region on prosperity but remains behind the global average, Negrea said.
Since 2005, the freedom score of Bangladesh has been below that of the South and Central Asia region.
He mentioned that four prosperity indicators – health, minority rights, inequality, environment - are higher than the overall prosperity score.
Two prosperity indicators – income and education - lie below the overall prosperity score.
Also read: Dhaka, London plan to sign MoUs on economic cooperation, cyber security
Talking about the elections, he said free and fair elections are an international standard and it is important that the opposition is allowed to compete fairly and the press needs to remain free.
Negrea also highlighted the importance of inviting international observers to confirm that the election is free and fair.
He said education is crucially important to explain to the young people that they have rights and obligations to participate in democratic process.
Negrea said Bangladesh is a very beautiful country with very welcoming, hospitable and very smart people. “I enjoyed my visits to two universities and two think tanks where I talked about our works.”
Chinese companies launch ‘localisation’ initiative to boost employment opportunities
President of the Chinese Enterprises Association of Bangladesh (CEAB) Ke Changliang has said most of the Chinese companies are going through reforms in Bangladesh in the direction of setting up regional HQ and deepening localisation of their workforce.
The recently held ‘BRI in Bangladesh Exhibition’ organised a job fair for Bangladeshi returnee students from China.
“I hope through this job fair, both Bangladeshi returnee students can get good offers and Chinese companies can source the right people,” he told the media on Wednesday.
Also read: Future of Bangladesh should be determined by Bangladeshis: Ambassador Yao reiterates China’s non-intervention policy
Changliang said they will set up a long-term platform for such talent matching activities to boost employment for local people on a massive scale.
He said the Chinese firms here unveiled a robust ‘localisation strategy’ in a bid to tap into global expertise.
Changliang said in the recently held Belt and Road seminar, the Chinese business community expressed their commitment to give priority to Bangladeshis in building the workforce of their companies.
Also read: Bangladeshi officials call for increased Belt and Road cooperation
This will be a tremendous opportunity for overseas Bangladeshi students specially who completed their education in different institutions in China, he said.
According to CEAB officials, leaders of the Chinese business community and Bangladesh-China Alumni also urged overseas Bangladeshi students to return home and contribute to their homeland’s development.
Munshi Faiz Ahmad, Chairman of Association of Bangladesh-China Alumni (ABCA) and former Ambassador of Bangladesh to China welcomed Chinese business community’s localization trend and underscored the valuable skills and experiences that Bangladeshi returnee students could bring to their homeland as assets that align seamlessly with Bangladesh’s vision for growth and innovation.
Also read: Those who claim situation in Myanmar 'not conducive' for repatriation never visited Rakhine : Chinese Ambassador Yao
The job fair was part of the Belt and Road Initiative in Bangladesh Exhibition 2023, hosted by Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh in association with Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh (CEAB) and Bangladesh China Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCCI).
It brought together a total of 400 government officials, diplomats and business professionals to network and explored strategies for facilitating cooperation between Bangladeshi and Chinese business communities, CEAB officials said.
Russian foreign minister’s recent comment in Dhaka is ‘not the most self-aware’: US State Dept Spokesperson
The United States and Bangladesh share a vision to ensure that the Indo-Pacific region is free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient, a US spokesperson has said.
"That’s the intent of our Indo-Pacific strategy and that is our position," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters during a media briefing in Washington on September 12.
Read: Lavrov meets Bangladeshi graduates of Russian universities
He said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent comment in Dhaka is “not the most self-aware.”
“We will work with our partners in the region to prevent any attempts to establish a dictate of countries that want to solely pursue their own interests and prescribe to others what they can and cannot do,” Lavrov told reporters while responding to a question during his recent visit to Bangladesh.
"I would say with respect to Russia, a country that has invaded two of its neighbors, is prosecuting an aggressive war where it bombs schools and hospitals and apartment buildings on a daily basis, should not be talking about any other country imposing dictates," Miller said.
Responding to a question, the spokesperson said journalists play an essential role in any democracy.
Read: End the Ukraine war thru negotiations: PM Hasina tells Russian foreign minister
"Their work uncovers corruption, safeguards the public’s right to know information that affects their lives. They need to be able to make the public aware of the issues that they face in their daily lives. They need to ensure accountability for elected officials the way that you all show up and ensure accountability for what I say here every day," he said.
Miller said journalists must be able to do their jobs without fear of harassment, violence, or intimidation.
Read: Bangladesh, Russia holding bilateral meeting in Dhaka
"And we are concerned with the government of Bangladesh’s systematic and pervasive oppression of journalists and media personalities who attempt to hold the government accountable," he said.