foreign-affairs
Modi congratulates President-elect Md Shahabuddin
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his heartfelt congratulations to 22nd president-elect of Bangladesh Md Shahabuddin.
In a congratulatory message to Mohammad Shahabuddin recently, the Indian Prime Minister said, “On behalf of the Government and the people of India, I wish to extend warmest congratulations to you on your election as the President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.”
“Your contribution as a freedom fighter and experience as a jurist brings great value to this high office,” said Narendra Modi in the message.
The Prime Minister said that the two countries have a unique bilateral relationship which is firmly rooted in countries’ shared sacrifices and is nurtured by vibrant cultural and people-to-people ties.
Read more: Putin congratulates President-elect of Bangladesh Md Shahabuddin
“As a close friend of Bangladesh, we remain steadfast in our commitment to further deepen this multifaceted partnership for the benefit of the people of both our countries. I am confident that under your visionary leadership our engagement will continue to grow from strength to strength,” the Indian premier added.
He wished the president-elect good health and success.
Collaborative efforts can prevent diarrhoea outbreaks in Rohingya population: icddr,b
Icddr,b and UNICEF on Sunday jointly organised a dissemination seminar to highlight the activities of the project titled “Emergency Healthcare (Acute Watery Diarrhoea-AWD preparedness and response) and Sentinel Cholera Surveillance in Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) camps and host communities in Cox's Bazar.”
The seminar was held at Long Beach Hotel, Cox’s Bazar and was attended by a diverse group of stakeholders, including government officials, development partners and NGOs.
Dr Baharul Alam, co-principal investigator and Head of Hospitals at icddr,b, presented the project's overview and informed about a rapid joint field assessment conducted by icddr,b and UNICEF after the Rohingya population fled persecution in Myanmar and sought refuge in Bangladesh in August 2017.
The project aims to prevent diarrheal outbreaks through disease surveillance, treatment, capacity building and vaccination. icddr,b established five diarrheal treatment centres (DTC) in Teknaf with UNICEF's support, which helped manage an AWD outbreak in September 2019.
Since 2018, icddr,b has trained 2,000 healthcare providers with the collaboration of UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Leda DTC continues to operate, treating around 3,500 patients yearly and participating in the joint assessment team led by WHO.
Dr ASG Faruque, emeritus scientist at icddr,b presented the findings of the DTC-based diarrhoeal diseases surveillance and informed that FDMN children had shown significant improvements in stunting, underweight, and wasting.
Over the last five years, chlorinated tap water, use of toilets, ORS and vaccination coverage have also increased significantly in the Rohingya communities. Dr Ashraful Islam Khan, Scientist at icddr,b presented on the cholera sentinel surveillance, which has been underway in partnership with the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and supported by UNICEF.
He informed that the surveillance has been instrumental in finding appropriate strategies and providing necessary directives for controlling cholera outbreaks in the camps.
Dr Firdausi Qadri, Acting Senior Director, Infectious Disease Division at icddr,b, presented the success of oral cholera vaccination campaigns in a complex humanitarian crisis setting in Cox's Bazar. She informed that seven rounds of cholera vaccination campaigns in the Rohingya camps have resulted in high levels of coverage, reaching 100% in some settings.
About 900,000 Rohingya people received 3,765,499 vaccine doses, and 528,297 individuals living in close proximity to the FDMNs in the host communities received 895,688 doses of OCVs.
The vaccine was well accepted, demonstrating the feasibility of delivering oral cholera vaccine (OCV) in complex refugee settings.
She said, “These oral cholera vaccination campaigns among Rohingya and the host population have been successful in preventing cholera outbreaks and epidemics in the area, as evidenced by the absence of major outbreaks. This has been achieved by the dynamic leadership and support from RRRC, CDC-DGHS, IEDCR, WHO, UNICEF, and other partners.”
The presentations were followed by remarks from Dr Mainul Hasan, Health Specialist at UNICEF and Dr Jorge Martínez, WHO, Cox’s Bazar, as well as speeches from special guests, Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman, Civil Surgeon, Cox's Bazar and Mohammed Miznur Rahman, Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, Government of Bangladesh, and the Chair Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, Executive Director at icddr,b.
Dr Hasan appreciated icddr,b and said, “UNICEF is proud to be a part of this successful journey of controlling acute watery diarrhoeal disease in the Rohingya setting. The works need to be continued, and we believe we will be able to keep the diseases checked together.”
Dr Martinez, in his address, highlighted the importance of disease surveillance, vaccination and other measures and requested icddr,b to explore ways to help strengthen local capacities in Cox’s Bazar for rapid diagnosis of diseases.
Dr Tahmeed Ahmed commended the collaborative efforts of the government and development partners, stating, "The collaborative effort not only prevented any diarrhoeal outbreaks from occurring and saving lives, but it also generated a great deal of evidence that will be useful in other parts of the world for managing humanitarian crises."
Despite the success so far, it is clear that sustained efforts are needed to prevent future outbreaks in the camp settings. Along with vaccination, strong and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene intervention, a comprehensive surveillance system, and proper case management are necessary to prevent diarrhoeal outbreaks in humanitarian crisis settings.
The successful vaccination campaigns demonstrate the importance of a multi-sectoral approach in addressing the complex health challenges faced in refugee camps.
The partnerships and collaboration between humanitarian organisations, local authorities, and the community have been essential in achieving these results.
France keen on meeting Bangladesh’s needs for green investments: AFD Executive Director
Dhaka, Mar 5 (UNB) - France, having expertise and experience in tackling climate change issues, is keen on meeting Bangladesh’s financing needs by providing AFD concessional loans for green investments and through supporting the government in addressing climate related issues, says Agence Française de Dévelopment (AFD) Executive Director Philippe Orliange.
With the upgrade from least development country (LDC) status and the “rapid” economic development of Bangladesh, the government is looking for massive capital investments while facing unprecedented environmental and climate change issues, he told UNB in an exclusive interview.
During his two-day visit recently, the highest-level AFD mission to date, Orliange acknowledged the growing collaboration between AFD and Bangladesh over the past decade.
Read more: Tony Blair pays homage to Bangabandhu
The AFD, a financial institution of the French government, is currently operating in 110 countries with an annual commitment of around 12 billion euros – half of it in Africa and the rest in Asia, South America and the Middle East.
The French Embassy in Dhaka and AFD’s Dhaka office organised the Bangladesh visit of the executive director considering the population size of the country that is significant for a development partner.
Orliange, who had a meeting with the finance and ERD secretaries of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and the Bangladesh Bank governor on the same day, said the portfolio of Bangladesh is around 1.4 billion euros
He also attended a roundtable, titled “The role of France in tackling climate change, both globally as well as in Bangladesh”.
The roundtable was facilitated by International Center for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).
“First of all, let me say that I am quite happy to finally come to Bangladesh, it is a very interesting country from a development point of view. It is really important for AFD to understand a country and its dynamics in order to adapt our services,” said the AFD executive director.
Read more: PM meets Guterres in Doha, discusses Ukraine, Rohingyas
Responding to a question, he said his visit has had three main purposes: acknowledging and celebrating achievements of the AFD-GoB collaboration over the past decade, reassuring the full support of AFD in the future, and exploring new areas of cooperation with the Government of Bangladesh around climate change and green finance.
AFD’s financing in Bangladesh almost tripled over the last three years (a total of 1.4 billion euro has been committed since 2012).
“We signed with the government loans and grants for 543M€ in the last 2 years (2021 and 2022). It was agreed with the government that AFD would commit to around 300M€ annually in the coming years,” Orliange said.
Despite the implementation duration of these kind of development projects, he said, they are starting to witness concrete impacts on the people (access to basic services like electricity, water and sanitation, urban mobility, financial inclusion, social protection).
“We also like to believe the projects funded by AFD have a significant impact on the global adaptation to climate change,” he said.
Read more: Int'l community must renew commitment for real structural transformation in LDCs: PM in Doha conference
The ED said project implementation is a heavy process that could be accelerated sometimes.
“AFD, the Government of Bangladesh and our implementing partners should work together to improve that specific point,” he said.
Responding to a question on his participation at the Raisina Dialogue held in New Delhi, Orliange said Raisina is the place where brainstorming results in important decisions, promoting disruptive and important questions on our modern stakes.
The development agenda, especially finance supporting SDGs, is structural in every region, especially in the Indo-Pacific, he said.
Public development banks and development financial institutions play a key role in namely delivering sustainable and high-quality projects, taking into account the needs of partner countries and ensuring lasting benefits for local communities, in the specific context of Indo-Pacific.
There is indeed a pressing need to recognise that among the challenges that the Indo-Pacific is facing, sustainability is no less urgent and strategic than the security agenda, Orliange said.
Responding to a question, Philippe said of course, AFD has started due diligences on a Blue Economy project to improve research capacity of the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI) by acquiring an advanced oceanographic research vessel.
The objective is to help BORI with physical and chemical oceanographic campaigns, underwater mapping, geological sampling, marine biology or fisheries resource assessment, he said.
In terms of green energy, AFD, together with the European Union, is currently supporting the Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) to strengthen its distribution grid by expanding and renovating it, and commissioning smart-grid technology on a pilot basis.
“AFD also recently showed interest in financing solar photovoltaic power plants and hopes to make it concrete soon,” Orliange said.
AFD is also taking part in the European Union’s initiative called “Green Energy Transition in Bangladesh”, to engage in a policy dialogue with the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and especially with Bangladesh’s Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA).
AFD’s role in Bangladesh to help achieve SDGs
AFD’s role could be summarized very succinctly: helping countries achieve Sustainable Development Goals, as they were defined in the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, said the executive director.
In Bangladesh, he said, AFD is working with the GoB on the following SDGs:
· SDG 1 (no poverty)
Through AFD’s cash transfer project, as well as all projects improving living conditions (access to water, energy, transportation).
· SDG 3 (good health and well-being)
Through AFD’s Health and Social Protection projects signed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
· SDG 5 (gender equality)
AFD tries to include a gender component in all of the projects: favouring women’s capacity-building, women empowerment, women entrepreneurship.
· SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation)
Through AFD’s 2 projects with the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) and the upcoming one with the Chittagong WASA.
· SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy)
AFD is working with DPDC on strengthening the power distribution grid of Dhaka. Discussions are progressing with NESCO to strengthen the gird in the north of the country and with BPDB for renewable energy power plants.
· SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth)
Through AFD’s project with the Bangladesh Bank, focus is on improving the working conditions and the safety of workers in the RMG sector.
· SDG 10 (reduced inequality)
Grant-based sub-projects.
· SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities)
A number of projects with financing institutions are in the appraisal phase. These are aimed to finance projects with municipalities, to support the housing sector and urban development overall.
· SDG 13 (climate action)
As mentioned before, all of AFD’s financing need to be “climate-compatible” and the objective of the AFD ED’s visit is to put climate even more at the core of its project origination process.
· SDG 14 (life below water)
AFD is currently appraising a project with the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute that promises to be very interesting.
Responding to a question, Orliange said the AFD Group includes a subsidiary named Proparco, which deals exclusively with the private sector.
Proparco is active in Bangladesh with a growing portfolio in the textile and energy sector (135 million USD committed over 7 projects since 2013). Proparco’s activities are monitored from the regional office based in Delhi, with regular visits and missions undertaken to see the evolution on the ground.
AFD finances the private sector and the industries through public financial institutions.
At the moment, AFD finances three credit lines with Bangladesh Bank, IDCOL and BIFFL which aim to finance private firms investments which qualify.
These investments must prove to save energy (energy efficiency) or to produce green energy from renewables, or to improve the safety and hygiene of the workers.
Other credit lines are under preparation. The promotion of the private sector is crucial to the economic development of the country and AFD is dedicated to play a role in this, said the executive director.
Int'l community must renew commitment for real structural transformation in LDCs: PM in Doha conference
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked the international community to fulfil and renew their commitment for structural transformation in LDCs as the nations do not ask for "charity".
“The Doha Programme of Action is yet another assurance of hope for the world’s most vulnerable countries. The international community must renew its commitment for real structural transformation in LDCs,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while addressing the Opening Plenary Meeting of the 5th UN LDC Conference.
She said that for graduating LDCs, there should be some incentives for performance, and they should enjoy international support measures for an extended period of time.
Also Read: PM meets Guterres in Doha, discusses Ukraine, Rohingyas
“They need enhanced investments and know-how to build their productive capacities. There can be some innovative and transitional financing mechanisms meant for them,” she said.
She also assured the developed nations that LDCs will also keep their side of the bargain.
“Our nations do not ask for charity; what we seek are our dues under international commitments,” she said.
The Prime Minister said that LDCs need sustained support to double their share of global trade while ODA targets for LDCs from developed countries deserve to be fulfilled.
“International financial institutions have the means to support debt sustainability in LDCs. Climate financing for LDCs should be made flexible and predictable. Technology transfer to LDCs needs to be tangible and meaningful,” she demands.
She said that migrant workers need protection for their rights and well-being. “We cannot fail the 226 million youths in LDCs.”
Tony Blair pays homage to Bangabandhu
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing a floral wreath his portrait at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka.
The Executive Chairman of Tony Blair Institute for Global Change Blair was received at the museum by Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, MP.
Also Read: PM Hasina holds meeting with former British PM Sir Tony Blair
Blair had also a tour of the museum and signed the visitors’ book on Saturday.
YU Young-oh wins first prize at 39th Korean Cup Golf Tournament
Korean Community in Bangladesh President YU Young-oh has won the first prize at the 39th Korean Cup Golf Tournament.
Major Golam Moudud scooped up the runner-up prize at the tournament organised by the Korean Community in Bangladesh.
A record 769 golfers participated in the tournament in five different categories from March 1 and 3 at the Kurmitola Golf Club in Dhaka
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The Korean Cup Golf Tournament which was first held in 1979 had not been held for the past four years. This year the Korean Community in Bangladesh decided to resume this traditional golf tournament after almost five years to celebrate 50 years of Bangladesh-South Korea ties.
The award-giving ceremony of the 39th Korean Cup Golf Tournament was held Friday night.
Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, also the President of the Kurmitola Golf Club, was present as the chief guest. South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun was also present.
Ruhul Alam Al Mahbub, chairman of Fair Group and members of the Kurmitola Golf Club and Korean community were also present.
'India a great potential market for Bangladesh's RMG exports'
Bangladesh and India see a huge prospect in enhancing bilateral trade, especially in the ready-made garments (RMG) and textile sectors through collaboration between the governments and business interactions between the traders of both countries, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said Saturday.
"With a growing middle-class population, India is a great potential market for Bangladesh's RMG exports and we have witnessed significant growth in recent times. Bangladesh is also a promising market for Indian cotton, man-made fibres, dyes, chemicals and other raw materials," BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said.
He had a meeting with a delegation of India's Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) in Dhaka.
The delegation led by TEXPROCIL Chairman Sunil Patwari paid the visit to Faruque Hassan to discuss challenges and opportunities to pave the way to more trade between the two neighbouring countries.
Chairs of BGMEA Standing Committee on Trade Fair Kamal Uddin, Standing Committee on Cash Incentive Humayun Kabir Salim; TEXPROCIL Executive Director Siddhartha Rajagopal and Joint Director Murali Balkrishna were also present at the meeting.
At the meeting, Faruque stressed the need for facilitating more business interactions between the apparel and textile exporters of Bangladesh and India to explore opportunities.
He also called on the governments to remove trade barriers and build adequate infrastructure and transport facilities at land ports to accommodate increased transportation demand.
Faruque thanked the Bangladesh government for allowing apparel exporters to import yarns from India in partial shipment through Benapole, Bhomra, Sonamasjid and Banglabandha land ports.
Earlier, RMG exporters could import yarn through the Benapole land port under the bonded warehouse facility, not in partial shipment.
Quad voices deep concern at "deteriorating situation" in Myanmar
Quad countries have strongly emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity and expressed their deep concern at the deteriorating situation in Myanmar.
"In this regard, we emphasize the need for complete cessation of violence, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, resolution of issues through dialogue, unhindered humanitarian access, and transition to an inclusive, federal democratic system in Myanmar," account to a joint statement released by the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of the governments of Australia, India, and Japan on the occasion of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting held in New Delhi.
Towards this, they reaffirm their consistent support to the ASEAN-led efforts, including the work of the ASEAN Chair and Office of the Special Envoy, and called for the full implementation of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.
"We also encourage the international community to work together in a pragmatic and constructive way towards resolving the crisis in Myanmar," the joint statement issued by the US Department of State on Friday night after the Quad Ministerial Meeting.
The Foreign Ministers of Australia, India and Japan and the Secretary of State of the United States of America met in New Delhi, India on March 3 for the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
They will work closely to align and complement the Quad’s agenda with Japan’s Presidency of the G7, India’s Presidency of the G20, and the United States’ APEC host year in 2023, according to the joint statement.
"We will continue to meet regularly to deliver concrete benefits and serve as a force for good, deepening practical and positive cooperation for the benefit of the Indo-Pacific region," it reads.
The meeting reaffirmed the Quad’s "steadfast commitment" to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient.
Read more: Quad FMs, wary of China’s might, push Indo-Pacific option
"We strongly support the principles of freedom, rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force and freedom of navigation and overflight, and oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, all of which are essential to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," they said.
They underscored the importance of achieving SDGs in a "comprehensive manner" without prioritizing a narrow set of such goals, and reaffirmed that the UN has a central role in supporting countries in its implementation.
They recognized that peace and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific, and reiterated the importance of respect for sovereignty, consistent with international law.
The Quad members are determined to "deepen engagement" with regional partners, including through information-sharing, capacity-building and technical assistance, to strengthen maritime domain awareness; to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; to enhance their capability to protect and develop offshore resources, consistent with UNCLOS; to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight; and to promote the safety and security of sea lines of communication.
They wwelcome the announcement of the first class of Quad Fellows, who will begin their academic pursuits in the United States in August 2023.
The next Quad Leaders’ Summit being hosted by Australia will be held this year.
Academic seminar on the occasion of Mother Language Day held in Bangkok
An academic seminar was jointly organized by Kasetsart University and Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok on Friday at Kasetsart University campus on the occasion of International Mother Language Day 2023.
In the opening ceremony, The Ambassador of Bangladesh to Bangkok Mohammed Abdul Hye was present as a special guest where Dr. Ladawan Puangchit, Vice President (Academic Affairs) of Kasetsart University and Director of Kasetsart University International College and Dr. Buncha Chinnasri, Deputy Director of Kasetsart University International College were also present.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Mohammed Abdul Hye mentioned in his remarks that the main source of the vocabulary of both Bangla and Thai languages is Sanskrit. The same source of written form-the Brahmi script is used in both the languages.
Therefore, there is ample scope for further comparative research on Bangla and Thai languages, he added.
The Ambassador emphasized on organizing such academic seminars on a regular basis and assured that the Bangladesh Embassy would come forward for such an endeavor with Kasetsart University in the future.
At the outset, the Deputy Director of Kasetsart University International College Dr. Buncha explained the background of this joint venture of Kasetsart University and Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok.
Moreover, Dr. Puangchit, in her welcome speech, mentioned the ongoing activities between Kasetsart University and the Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok including specially earmarked scholarships for Bangladeshi graduates in Masters and Post-doctoral programmes.
During the seminar, Dr. Kowit Pimpuang, Associate Professor of Thai Language Department of Kasetsart University, Dr. Sombat Mangmeesukhsiri, Managing Director of the Sanskrit Studies Centre of Silapakorn University and International Mother Language Institute Director General and Dhaka University Communication Disorders department professor Dr. Hakim Arif participated as panelists.
At the end, Maleka Parveen, Minister (Political) and Deputy Head of Mission of the Bangladesh Embassy, expressed her sincere thanks to all the panelists for their enlightening discussions.
Former British PM Tony Blair in Dhaka
Sir Tony Blair, Executive Chairman of Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and former Prime Minister of the UK (1997-2007) arrived in Dhaka Friday evening.
He is on a two-day visit, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury, Secretary (West) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received him at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport upon his arrival.