Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta on Sunday expressed optimism over greater cooperation between Bangladesh and his country in the coming days to expand economic and trade relations. "We can import more from Bangladesh," he said in a joint press conference at the Chief Adviser's Office after the bilateral meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. The Timor-Leste President also invited Bangladeshi companies to his country and explore opportunities there. The President of Timor-Leste urged Bangladesh business firms to come up with their investment in his country. Ramos-Horta said, "We invite Bangladeshi companies to come in Timor-Leste as by next year, we will join ASEAN and will be part of a region of 700 million people.”      He said Timor-Leste will join a GDP of over US$ 4 trillion next year. CA Yunus, Timor-Leste President hold fruitful meeting, eye closer ties The Timor-Leste president hoped that Bangladesh would be a partner of developing his country. Ramos-Horta said Nobel Peace Laureate Prof Yunus is one of the most respected leaders in the world, who is active in office, comparing the Bangladesh chief adviser to the world leaders like Nelson Mandela, John F Kenned, Mahatma Gandhi, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. “So, Bangladesh is very fortunate, very lucky, to have such an unassuming and humble person leading…he is working with you – the young people – to transform the country,” he said. Mentioning that both Bangladesh and Timor-Leste have a similar history of suffering, the Timor-Leste president said the people of Bangladesh are resilient, hardworking, creative and successful.      He described Prof Yunus as his brother, friend, and mentor and thanked the Bangladesh government for hosting him. Ramos-Horta was elected president in May 2022. He had previously been president from 2007-2012 - during which he was shot during an attempted assassination. He was co-awarded the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, for working for peace in East Timor. CA Yunus to hold talks with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta today to strengthen ties Praising Prof Yunus' leadership, the President said this country has a tremendous future. "Thank you for hosting me. I am very, very honoured," he said. Earlier, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Timor-Leste President held "fruitful discussions" and shared their ideas to take the relations between the two countries to a new height. They witnessed the signing of two instruments -- MoU on bilateral consultations mechanism and agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders -- to further strengthen the relations. The two leaders had a tete-a-tete which was followed by a delegation-level meeting. Earlier in the morning, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain met President of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta and discussed issues of mutual interest. The meeting, held at a city hotel, discussed ways to deepen the relations between the two countries. While welcoming the President of Timor-Leste on his first official visit to Bangladesh, Foreign Adviser Hossain discussed issues of mutual interest with the visiting President, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. During his stay in Dhaka, the president will engage in a series of meetings and events aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations. He was on Saturday night accorded a red carpet reception on his arrival here on a four-day official visit. Bangladesh rolls out red carpet welcoming President José Ramos-Horta The Chief Adviser received President Ramos-Horta at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his arrival around 10:40pm. He was given a state salute and guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent of Bangladesh Armed Forces. He inspected the guard of honour, while the national anthems of the countries were played. President Ramos-Horta is accompanied by a 19-member delegation, including Timor-Leste’s Foreign Minister. In the afternoon (Sunday), Ramos-Horta is scheduled to meet honorary consul of Timor-Leste in Bangladesh, Kutubuddin Ahmed, and Bangladesh Football Federation President and BNP leader, Tabith Awal. On December 16, Ramos-Horta will call on the President of Bangladesh at Bangabhaban. He will also visit the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar to pay homage to the heroes of Bangladesh’s Liberation War. The President will attend the 54th Victory Day celebrations, marking Bangladesh’s historic victory in 1971. On his final day, December 17, the Timor-Leste President will deliver a lecture at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) auditorium on “The Challenges of Peace in the Contemporary World”. He is expected to interact with Bangladeshi students and young leaders, sharing his experiences of leading his country’s independence movement, the role of the people, and the post-independence aspirations of Timor-Leste. President Ramos-Horta will leave Dhaka later in the day, concluding his visit aimed at fostering diplomatic and cultural relations between Bangladesh and Timor-Leste.

Sarjis Alam, general secretary of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation,  has said no one will be spared if they betray the spirit of the mass uprising. “Even Chief Adviser Dr. Yunus would not be exempted if he betrays the faith of the movement,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at a programme organised by the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation at Rajshahi district Shilpakala Academy on Saturday. Sarjis, also one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, said they are not brokers or power-hungry people. Intellectuals' killings were anti-liberation forces’ most heinous revenge: Dr Yunus Regarding India, he said Bangladesh's relationship with India will be determined by India's actions. If India seeks to maintain good relations, it must return fugitive Hasina and stop sheltering her, he said adding that the people of Bangladesh will bring her to book. He claimed that instead of punishing the police officers who had opened fire during the recent movement, lobbying  is on for their new postings. He further alleged that leaders of various political parties and senior officials from the administration are becoming involved in ‘arrest-trade’. He raised question about the exhumation of the bodies of the July-August martyrs, saying why they should be exhumed when the bodies of those involved in Sheikh Mujib's killing were not. BDR families demand renaming of BGB, justice for mutiny victims

The committee formed to look into the appeals of the retired government officials who were reportedly deprived of promotion and service benefits during the immediate past regime led by Awami League has submitted its report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. Committee Chief Zakir Ahmed Khan submitted the report with necessary recommendations at the Chief Adviser’s official residence at state guest house Jamuna. New Bangladesh would contribute to stability in the region, as well as globally: Yunus to EU The government formed the five-member committee on September 16, 2024. The committee was tasked with reviewing applications from government officials who had faced various forms of career-related deprivation during their service and woent of retirement between 2009 and August 4, 2024. The committee chaired by former Finance Secretary and former Alternate Executive Director at the World Bank for Bangladesh, Zakir Ahmed Khan was directed to provide appropriate recommendations based on its review. Dr Yunus urges India to clear recent "clouds" over bilateral relations The Chief Adviser thanked the committee members for submitting the report before the stipulated 90-day deadline. Chief Secretary to the Chief Adviser M. Siraj Uddin Mia was also present during the report submission.

Political parties across the spectrum reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding Bangladesh's independence and sovereignty during a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Yunus on Wednesday. “We may have political differences over elections, reform and other issues, but we all are united on the question of national independence and sovereignty,” Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna told reporters after the meeting. Entire world needs to know Bangladesh united: Dr Yunus The meeting was held at the Foreign Service Academy with the participation of representatives from various political parties including BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus delivered the opening remarks at the event that began at 4:00pm. Manna said they told the meeting that Bangladesh wants to stay independent with dignity, maintaining friendly relations with other countries, not bowing down to anyone. He said they also asked the interim government to review all the agreements signed with India and cancel the agreements that go against the national interest of Bangladesh. Junaid Saki, the chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon, said they, the political parties in the meeting, reached a consensus to develop a national unity on the question of the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh. Tarique urges leaders, activists to avoid controversial activities “We told (govt) that all the people of Bangladesh – political parties, students and people from all classes and professions—will fight united to protect the existence, independence and sovereignty of this country,” he said. Noting that a fight of misinformation continues against Bangladesh from India and other places, Saki said, “We’ve told the government that we’ll have to fight misinformation with true information.” Saiful Islam, Ganatantra Mancha coordinator Saiful Huq, said India has remained seriously active against the interim government, the people of this country and the mass uprising since the fall of the fascists. They (India) are trying to create a communal tension between the Hindu and Muslim, he said. “We today said in this meeting that we, all political parties in Bangladesh, are beside the interim government and expressed unity over the question of our independence, sovereignty and national interest,” he said.   National Unity: CA’s talks with political parties underway Saiful Huq said they assured that the people of Bangladesh have today built a fresh unity over non-communal politics and cultures against communalism.  “The people of Bangladesh won’t step in any type of provocation,” he said. He said they asked the government to give a clear message that if India wants to destabilise Bangladesh and play with the security of Bangladesh, the security of India will also fall in risk. “We want to keep the friendly relationship with India and we want to resolve all disputes with India fairly based on just, equity and equal partnership,” he said.   “We, the people of Bangladesh won’t step in any provocation and will protect the national unity at any cost. Today the people of Bangladesh are united on the question of the national interest. And this unity can no way be weakened,” said Saiful Huq. Advisers Adilur Rahman Khan and Mahfuj Alam; BNP leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Syed Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, and AZM Zahid Hossain; Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman; and Gono Odhikar Parishad leader Nurul Haque Nur and Rashed Khan, among others, present in the meeting. Global problem-solving must rely on cooperation, not conflict: Prof Yunus The CA’s meeting with religious leaders will be held on Thursday, but the time has not been decided yet. CA's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said Prof Yunus held a meeting with student leaders on Tuesday evening. “Prof Yunus called the students to help rebuild the nation,” Alam told UNB after the meeting.

The interim government on Sunday reiterated its commitment to establish “justice and accountability” for the wrongdoings done over the last 15 years, stressing that a horrific picture emerged through a postmortem carried out by the committee on “White Paper” highlighting the state of the economy during Sheikh Hasina’s rule. “It remains a top priority to establish justice and accountability for what happened over the last 15 years. They (committee) carried out a postmortem of the development narrative presenting a horrific picture,” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters at Foreign Service Academy in the evening. He said the 400-page report will hopefully generate huge discussions and debates, leading to more information regarding “industrial-scale” stealing and misuse of taxpayers’ money. “I hope it will be a very comprehensive report highlighting all aspects,” said the Press Secretary, adding that they will continue to maintain transparency fully. Alam said no body will be spared who were involved in looting public money as the law will take its own course. Fight Indian media's misformation campaign with truth: CA's Press Secretary An average of 16 billion dollars were illicitly siphoned off from Bangladesh every year during Sheikh Hasina's “corrupt autocracy”, leaving the country in a “state of plunder” when she fled after a popular mass uprising, the White Paper on the state of the economy during her rule said on Sunday. The committee submitted its report to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at his Tejgaon office, saying they were horrified by the level of corruption, plunder and statistical manipulation conducted by Hasina's regime. Eminent economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, the chair of the committee, led the delegation while submitting the report at a ceremony held at the CA’s office. Press Secretary Alam said the report is based on available data and there is opportunity to update some areas by incorporating the central bank’s additional data. “Don’t worry. You will get a full picture,” he assured a questioner, referring to a forthcoming press conference by the committee head. On the market situation, the Press Secretary said their efforts are there to bring down the prices of essential commodities under people’s purchasing capacity. He said the government is holding a series of meetings and is talking to all stakeholders to address the issues. Deputy Press Secretaries Apurba Jahangir and Abul Kalam Azad Majumder were also present.

The interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, is set to appoint new Deputy Commissioners (DCs) across all districts in Bangladesh. A new fit list has been prepared, prioritizing those who were previously overlooked for promotion during the Awami League government's tenure. The fit list, developed by the Ministry of Public Administration, includes over 600 officials from the BCS 24th, 25th, and 27th batches, who have been deprived of promotions in the past 15-16 years. The interim government aims to address these long-standing grievances by considering these officials for the DC roles. A high-ranking official confirmed that the previous fit list created under the Awami League government is not being considered. Instead, the new list focuses on officials with extensive field administration experience who were previously sidelined due to political reasons. Many of these officials were labeled as supporters of opposition parties, leading to negative intelligence reports that blocked their promotions. In light of this, the government has relaxed the criteria for DC appointments to give these officials a fair chance. The committee, led by the Cabinet Secretary, has made special provisions to ensure that these deserving officers are appointed as DCs. Read more: Interim Govt taking steps to declare Metro Rail a key point installation for enhanced security: Adviser Fouzul The new policy allows officials who have been in the BCS (Administration) cadre for at least one year as Deputy Secretary and have a minimum of two years of experience in specific roles, such as Deputy Director or Additional Deputy Commissioner, to be eligible for the DC positions. They must also have a satisfactory disciplinary record over the past five years and demonstrate proficiency in project management, ICT, and both Bangla and English. Despite their qualifications, many of these officers were denied DC positions under the previous government. The decision to relax the policy and create a new fit list reflects the interim government's commitment to addressing these past injustices. The process of appointing new DCs began on Saturday, with interviews of 60 officials from the BCS 24th batch conducted under the supervision of Cabinet Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain. Interviews will continue over the next three days, involving more officials from the 24th batch and beyond. Several Deputy Secretaries from various ministries and departments have been shortlisted for the DC positions. The interviews include officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Power, the Ministry of Finance, and the Anti-Corruption Commission, among others. Read more: Interim Government to publish White Paper on current economic situation In a related development, approximately 200 Joint Secretaries from the 9th to 13th BCS batches, who were also deprived of promotions, are set to be promoted to Additional Secretary. The recommendation for these promotions was sent to the Chief Adviser’s office on Saturday, with an official notification expected by Sunday or Monday. However, it has been reported that certain officials who previously served in key roles within the Prime Minister's Office will not be considered for the DC appointments, as per directives from higher authorities.

The United States has said it is closely monitoring the developments in the case against Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. “We will continue to encourage the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process for Dr. Yunus as the appeals process continues,” said Mathew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, during a regular briefing on June 4. Miller expressed concerns that these cases might represent a “misuse” of Bangladesh’s labor laws to “harass and intimidate” Dr. Yunus. Court sets June 12 for decision on whether Yunus to go on trial in embezzlement case “We also worry that the perceived misuse of labor and anti-corruption laws could raise questions about the rule of law and dissuade foreign direct investment,” he added. The government of Bangladesh has maintained that it is not a party to the case involving Dr. Muhammad Yunus and emphasized the independence and transparency of its judicial process. “With due respect to Dr. Yunus, I would like to say that the judicial process of Bangladesh is transparent. That's why many members of the ruling party face trials and even jail sentences,” Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told journalists recently. Dr Yunus suffering for deceiving 1.05 cr Grameen Bank members, says the bank’s Chief Legal Advisor

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday (January 30, 2024) said what appeared on Washington Post regarding Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus was an advertisement, not a statement.  “Washington Post published it as an advertisement. That is an advertisement, not news. Clearly, it was done by a lobbyist firm,” he told reporters while responding to a question.  The Foreign Minister said the lobbyist firm also did the same in the past.  Read: Festivals like DIFF enhance country’s image globally: Dr Hasan Mahmud  He said Bangladesh’s judiciary is transparent and the government is not a party to Yunus’ case. Dr Hasan said the aggrieved people of Yunus’ organization filed the case and the trial is underway in a very transparent way. Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus on Sunday claimed that it was the government, not the workers of his company, who filed the labor law violation case against him. When his attention was drawn to the claim, the Foreign Minister on Monday said, “With due respect to him, I would like to say that what he said is not correct.” The minister said that the aggrieved workers of Yunus’ company filed the case as they were deprived of what they deserve. Read: Sheikh Hasina’s leadership is needed for a developed Bangladesh: Dr Hasan Mahmud More than 241 global leaders, including more than 125 Nobel laureates, expressed their concern over the “continuous judicial harassment and potential jailing” of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus in a third open letter to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On January 1, 2024, Professor Yunus and three Grameen Telecom colleagues were convicted of labor law violations, sentenced to six months in jail, and given bail while appeals are considered.