foreign-affairs
Geographies have destined us to take benefit of nature, including rivers: Momen
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said one country should not be deprived of its due share, as geographies have destined them to take benefit of nature, including rivers.
"We should be mindful that issues of domestic politics should not hurt the sentiment of the majority of people of other countries," he said while sharing a number of proposals for long-lasting friendship between South Asian countries and sustaining peace in the region.
Momen said South Asia has one of the lowest levels of intra-regional trade anywhere in the world due to prevailing trade barriers.
"A country should not abruptly impose tariff and non-tariff barriers to offset the prospects of trade," he said, adding that trade is the engine of growth and goes hand-in-hand with investment.
Momen said all countries should remove restrictions on investment from one country to another country to promote economic and trade prosperity.
He was delivering a public lecture on "Promoting Culture of Peace for shared prosperity: A vision for South Asia" at the Vivekananda International Foundation in India's New Delhi Wednesday evening.
Emphasising track 2 engagements to promote regionalism, the foreign minister said since the region is "very volatile" and at times, "full of emotions," the intelligentsia, including scientists, economists, litterateurs and journalists can make a positive and valuable contribution in "negating any propaganda" and in formulating sound and constructive programmes for the good and well-being of the region.
Read more: Bonhomie of Bangladesh-India continues to expand: FM Momen
"We need regional peace and stability to prosper and sustain. Therefore, we should promote dialogues among various strata of people, especially academicians, opinion builders and think tanks," he said.
Momen said there is an undisputed recognition that the destinies of the neighbouring countries are intertwined, that the stability and prosperity of the region are inextricably linked with each other and that the future of the region can best be served by strengthening mutually beneficial relations with each other.
He said the roots of regional cooperation lie in the realisation of social and economic benefits of the peoples of the region irrespective of existing divergences in the political, social and economic performances of any country.
"It is more important to promote cooperation rather than division," Momen said.
Vivekananda International Foundation Director Arvind Gupta and current and former diplomats, including Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman were present.
Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement accepting applications for 2023-24
The Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (Fulbright TEA) is accepting applications for the academic year 2023-24.
The US Department of State exchange programme provides scholarships for Bangladeshi secondary-level teachers of English, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), mathematics, science, and social studies, including special education teachers in those subjects.
Participants will receive scholarships to participate in a six-week non-degree professional development programme in the US.
This programme will take place in January 2023 or September 2023. Participants will get the opportunity to take part in academic seminars for professional development and to observe and share their expertise with teachers and students at host universities and at local secondary schools.
The Fulbright TEA will consist of general academic seminars focusing on new teaching methodologies, student-centred learning, content-based instruction, lesson planning, and instructional technology training for teachers. Intensive English language instruction will be offered to teachers who need additional practice.
Also, the programme will include a practicum of at least 40 hours with a US partner teacher in a secondary school near the host university to actively engage participants in the US classroom environment.
Read more: Fresh primary scholarship results published after technical glitch
Cultural enrichment, mentoring, and support will be provided to participants throughout the programme, which will provide participants with practical resources they can use in their teaching, as well as skills to train trainers.
The eligible participants need to have a minimum of five years of experience in full-time teaching by the start of the programme.
They are also required to have excellent oral and written English language skills, to engage in postgraduate level coursework, familiarity with using Microsoft Office suite platforms such as Microsoft Word and Excel, and to be Bangladeshi citizens currently residing in Bangladesh.
The application window will remain open till 11:59pm EST Washington DC time April 10, 2023.
Bonhomie of Bangladesh-India continues to expand: FM Momen
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said the bonhomie of Bangladesh-India is ever-growing and continues to expand.
“Bangladesh-India relationship is multifaceted and multidimensional,” he said, noting that 2022 was a landmark year in the bilateral relations of Bangladesh and India.
The Foreign Minister made the remarks while delivering a public lecture on “Promoting Culture of Peace for shared prosperity: A vision for South Asia '' at Vivekanand International Foundation in New Delhi.
Read more: We’ll double trade in next 2-4 years with Bangladesh, hopes Argentine FM
Vivekanand International Foundation Director Dr Arvind Gupta, current and former diplomats including Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman were present.
Foreign Minister Momen is currently visiting New Delhi to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the invitation of the government of India.
He is expected to speak at the G20 meeting on Thursday. Among other global issues, he will highlight Bangladesh’s expectations from the G20 platform under India’s Presidency.
Momen will have a number of bilateral meetings including with his Indian counterpart on the sidelines of the meeting.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited India in September 2022 after the visit of the Indian President and the Prime Minister to Bangladesh in the same year in 2021.
Will act based on home, law ministries' decisions: Shahriar on Salahuddin issue
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Wednesday said they will seek opinions from the home and law ministries and will act based on their decisions regarding BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed.
"Any person needs to have valid documents to travel from one country to another. I don't know whether he (Salahuddin) has valid documents. If he doesn't have valid documents, he'll have to apply through the Bangladesh mission," he said while talking to a small group of reporters.
Read more: Indian Shillong Judge Court upholds acquittal of BNP leader Salahuddin
The judge's court in India's Shillong has reportedly upheld a magistrate court's verdict that acquitted BNP leader Salahuddin in a case filed over trespassing into the country in 2015.
In the short order, the judge's court also asked the Indian government to take necessary steps to send Salahuddin back to Bangladesh.
"I don't know details of the matter yet," said the state minister, adding that they follow the home and law ministries' decisions if any Bangladeshi convict gets imprisoned abroad.
We’ll double trade in next 2-4 years with Bangladesh, hopes Argentine FM
Argentina’s Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero has expressed optimism that his country will double trade in the next two to four years with Bangladesh.
“I believe our trade is currently below our mutual capacities. Even though there is certain volatility, I believe that based on the mechanisms and agreements we were able to establish … we will double trade in the next two to four years with Bangladesh,” Cafiero said.
Trade volume between Bangladesh and Argentina is currently below $1 billion. Argentina is looking to expand trade with Bangladesh, the 35th largest and among the top five fastest-growing economies in the world.
He said Bangladesh could benefit from “great opportunities” in South America through the regional economic bloc Mercosur, which covers 270 million people.
It can also learn from Argentina’s expertise in nuclear technology for medicine, said the Argentine Foreign Minister.
“And we can also create joint ventures to benefit our countries and for other countries as well. I believe that technology intensive companies is an area in which both Bangladesh and Argentina have a lot to explore and a lot to grow,” he told AP in an interview in Dhaka on Tuesday.
He was in Dhaka to reopen Argentina’s Embassy as a gesture toward Bangladesh and its people who fervently support Argentina in the World Cup. Soccer legends Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi are household names in Bangladesh, where thousands of Argentine flags are hoisted during the games.
Argentina was one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh as a new nation after a nine-month war with Pakistan in 1971. Argentina opened its embassy in 1974, but it was closed by the military junta in Buenos Aires in 1977.
Cafiero also met with the Bangladesh Football Federation and signed a memorandum of understanding on sports development “to build bridges with young people who want to practice sports and continue to build this relationship based on the history of our nations.”
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam said on Monday that the reopening of Argentina’s Embassy will deepen relations between the countries.
“Bangladesh is keen to expand its relations with Argentina, the leading economy in South America, in all possible areas of collaboration in depth and dimension,” he said, adding that the countries share a special bond that goes beyond politics and diplomacy.
The Argentine Foreign Minister said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine must stop and has not only destabilized peace but also impacted prices in his country.
“Latin America is a zone of peace, the most densely populated zone of peace,” he said. “And we have no military developments and no military infrastructure to participate in a war that we demand should be finished and should not continue.”
Cafiero said that the war, coming on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in the increase in food, fertilizer and energy prices that had also impacted Argentina. “Even though we are producers, the impact on prices, of course, generated high inflation,” he said.
FM Momen for collaboration among neighbors in S Asia through “strategic partnership”
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said collaboration among neighbors in South Asia through “strategic partnership” for development and security aspirations would help establish the region as a role model for the rest of the world.
“The region is thriving with possibilities and potentials. When we think of shared prosperity, we need to take our neigbours on board; when we think of turning our respective country into an economic hub, it is better to think of the region as a whole, not an individual country of South Asia,” he said.
The Foreign Minister made the remarks while delivering a public lecture on “Promoting Culture of Peace for shared prosperity: A vision for South Asia '' at Vivekanand International Foundation in New Delhi.
Momen said the government of Bangladesh is going to host the 6th Indian Ocean Conference on May 12-13 with the significant theme “Peace, progress and partnership for a resilient future” as they aspire for “Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace.”
“We may work together for a stable region through exchange of our hardship and success stories,” he said.
Vivekanand International Foundation Director Dr Arvind Gupta, current and former diplomats including Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman were present.
Foreign Minister Momen is now visiting New Delhi to attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting and will have a number of bilateral meetings including with his Indian counterpart on the sidelines of the meeting.
While delivering the public lecture, he made a number of proposals for long lasting friendship between South Asian countries and sustaining peace in the region. The proposals are:
Peaceful Coexistence: There is an undisputed recognition that the destinies of our neighboring countries are intertwined, that the stability and prosperity of our region is inextricably linked with each other and that the future of the region can best be served by strengthening mutually beneficial relations with each other.
Regional Cooperation: The roots of regional cooperation lie in the realization of social and economic benefits of the peoples of the region irrespective of existing divergences in political, social and economic performances of any country. It is more important to promote cooperation rather than division.
Economic Emancipation: South Asia has one of the lowest levels of intra-regional trade anywhere in the world, due to prevailing trade barriers. A country should not abruptly impose tariff and non-tariff barriers to offset the prospects of Trade. Trade is the engine of growth and goes hand-in-hand with investment. All countries should remove restrictions on investment from one country to another country to promote economic and trade prosperity.
Ensuring Rightful Share: Geographies have destined us to take benefit of nature including rivers. One country should not be deprived of its due share. We should be mindful that issues of domestic politics should not hurt the sentiment of the majority of people of other countries.
Emphasis on Track-2 engagements to promote regionalism: Since our region is very volatile and at times, full of emotions, the intelligentia community including scientists, economists, litterateurs and journalists can make a positive and valuable contribution in negating any propaganda and in formulating sound and constructive programmes for the good and well-being of the region. We need regional peace and stability to prosper and sustain. Therefore, we should promote dialogues among various strata of people especially academicians, opinion builders and think tanks.
Foreign Minister Momen said they live in a globalized world, highly interconnected and interdependent. “Our region has gone through similar experiences and history. Bangladesh believes and promotes religious harmony.”
He said they have been promoting “Culture of Peace” across nations and the basic element of “Culture of Peace” is to inculcate a mindset of tolerance, a mindset of respect towards others, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, colour, background or race.
“If we can develop such mindset by stopping venom of hatred towards others, we can hope to have sustainable peace and stability across nations, leading to end of violence, wars, and terrorism in nations and regions,” Momen said, adding that there will not be millions of refugees or persecuted Rohingyas.
He said Bangladesh takes special pride in it as even before Renaissance was started in Europe in the 17th century, even before America was discovered in 1492, in Bengal a campaign was started by Chandi Das as early as 1408 that says- “humanity is above all” and they still try to promote it.
Travel, Tourism: Japan national tourism org to join BTTF-2023 in Dhaka
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), for the first time, is going to participate in the Bangladesh Travel and Tourism Fair (BTTF-2023), says the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.
Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) will host the fair on March 2-4 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Mahbub Ali will be chief guest at the inaugural ceremony while Komine Ken, first secretary at the Embassy of Japan and senior director of JNTO, Singapore office Suzumori Kanako will join the inaugural session.
The BTTF 2023 is supported by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Bangladesh Tourism Board, FBCCI and Bangladesh Tourist Police.
Tourism organizations from Malaysia, Nepal, India, UAE, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Vietnam, Thailand and Turkey will also participate in the fair.
In the JNTO booth at the fair travel lovers can get information about Japan tourism.
Pamphlets of tourism in different prefectures of Japan will be available, said the Embassy, adding that another attraction in the JNTO booth will be trying out Yukata, Japanese traditional summer kimono to take a photo.
Japanese Ambassador joins KWE’s Bangladesh operations launching prog
Amid growing logistics and supply-chain business, global logistic giant Kintetsu World Express Inc (KWE) has formally started its operations in Bangladesh.
A function marking the KWE's direct operations in Bangladesh was held at a hotel in Dhaka on Tuesday night.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori, KWE Regional Managing Director (South-East Asia and Oceania Region) Yasuyuki Tani and KWE Managing Director (Bangladesh operations) Vibhu Prakash, among others, joined the function as the chief guest.
In April 2010, KWE opened a representative office in Dhaka to continue their activities in South Asia.
Transportation demand in the region is growing remarkably and KWE has been providing international transportation services through partner agents, mainly for its Japanese customers.
A number of Western and Japanese apparel manufacturers have already established operations in the country, and further growth in transport demand is expected in the future due to the growth of consumer markets, changes in supply chains and diversification of industrial structures within Asia, KWE said.
With the establishment of this new subsidiary, KWE will intensify its sales and marketing activities and enhance its transport services to meet the business needs of all their customers in the region.
The KWE Group is committed to providing flexible services and expanding its network throughout Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, to meet the needs of our customers.
KWE Regional Managing Director Yasuyuki Tani told the media that they understand Bangladesh is becoming one of the top emerging markets and as an important player in the global freight forwarding and supply chain business.
“We think that we have to include this country in our business network,” he said.
Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, the KWE has presence in more than 45 countries, 304 cities and 685 locations worldwide with approximately 18,000-plus employees.
Myanmar’s economy resilient despite sanctions on military rule: BIPSS Seminar
Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) President Maj. Gen. (Retd) Muniruzzaman has said the military takeover in Myanmar in February 2021 was a “key strategic issue” in the region with ramifications that were no longer confined to Myanmar.
Moderating a roundtable he, however, said a country like Myanmar, with sufficient economy and energy resources, can tackle sanctions easily and can be in isolation for a long time because of its strong economic basis.
The think-tank BIPSS organised the roundtable titled “Two Years of Military Rule in Myanmar: Ramifications for the Future” in Dhaka on Tuesday.
East West University’s Assistant Professor Parvez Karim Abbasi said despite multiple challenges, including the coup, COVID-19, armed insurgency, conflict, and sanctions the Myanmari economy is still afloat.
Abbasi attributed it to remittances from Thailand, resource extraction industries, and investments from Singapore, China, and Hong Kong.
He further addressed the impact of the emerging nuclear issue, where Myanmar is pursuing nuclear power, and its impact on Bangladesh, as well as the Burma Act.
Brig Gen M Sakhawat Hossain, a senior fellow at the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance, NSU, stated that the National Unity Government (NUG) mentioned the Rohingya as their people and pointed out that the issue of 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh has become a severe problem for the economy and security of the country.
His speech was concerned with the issue of the Burma Act and whether it will bring any ray of hope or not.
Brig Gen Shahedul Anam (retd), a former associate editor of The Daily Star, mentioned Myanmar is getting support from India and China because of the significant interdependence, according to a media release of BIPSS.
He said the global sanctions are not affecting Myanmar because of their worthy ability.
He also said in this stage, where two years of this military coup have passed, Bangladesh should not take any such action, which will ultimately give a justification for the Rohingya crisis.
The roundtable was attended by diplomats stationed in Dhaka, defence personnel and students.
India's flagship conf on geopolitics, geo-strategy - Raisina Dialogue - to begin March 2
The 8th edition of the Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-strategy, will be held from March 2-4 in New Delhi, India.
The theme of the 2023 edition is "Provocation, Uncertainty, Turbulence: Lighthouse in the Tempest?”
It is organized by Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Dialogue on March 2.
President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic, Giorgia Meloni, will join the inaugural session as the chief guest, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The Raisina Dialogue 2023 will witness participation of representatives from over 100 countries including ministers, former Heads of State and Heads of government, military commanders, captains of the industry, technology leaders, academia, journalists, scholars on strategic affairs, experts from leading think tanks, and youth.
This year’s edition assumes special significance coming against the backdrop of India’s G20 Presidency.
Over the course of three days, more than 250 decision makers and thought leaders of the World would engage each other across 100 conversations of various formats, and deliberate over five thematic pillars: (i) Neo Insurgence: Geographies, Domains, Ambitions (ii) Amoral Mosaic: Contest, Cooperate or Cancel (iii) Chaotic Codes: Sovereignty, Security, Society (iv) Pernicious Passports: Climate, Commons, Citizens (v) Grey Rhinos: Democracies, Dependencies and Debt Traps.
Over 2500 participants would be joining the Dialogue in-person and the proceedings would reach millions across various digital platforms.
During the past eight years, the Raisina Dialogue has consistently grown in stature and profile to establish itself as one of the leading global conferences on international affairs.