United News of Bangladesh

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday stressed documenting all "atrocities" committed during the regime of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The atrocities, including the crackdown on protesters at Shapla Chattar, police brutalities against protesters after the verdict against Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, and extrajudicial killings over the years. “There is a need for proper documentation of all atrocities committed against the people of this country. Unless this documentation is done, it is difficult to know the truth and ensure justice,” said the Chief Adviser. The Chief Adviser made the comment when United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis and Senior Human Rights Adviser at the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Bangladesh Huma Khan, called on him at the State Guest House Jamuna. UN Secretary-General Guterres will visit Bangladesh from March 13 to 16, according to the Chief Adviser’s press wing. Bangladesh seeks Philippines' support for Asean partnership, Rohingya crisis solution Resident Coordinator Lewis said that the UN was ready to provide technical support and help the people of Bangladesh build their capacity in this regard. “This is the process of healing and establishing truth,” Lewis said. The Chief Adviser thanked the UN for its fact-finding report on human rights violations and abuses related to the protests of July and August 2024 in Bangladesh. “We are very happy to see the UN has published the report. It came on time. It was not an easy task,” said the Chief Adviser. Resident Coordinator Lewis informed the Chief Adviser that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, will brief the member states about its findings on March 5 during the 55th session of the Human Rights Council. Experts tell Dr Yunus: Bangladesh can attract big investments in renewable energy, carbon market The resident coordinator hoped that the upcoming visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Bangladesh will bring the Rohingya crisis back to global attention amid dwindling aid supply. “We are very worried about the monetary situation,” she said, adding that every month, 15 million US dollars are needed just to ensure food supply for Rohingyas, and they are added with other basic needs.

President Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar marking ‘Amar Ekushey’—the International Mother Language Day and Shaheed Dibosh. President Shahabuddin arrived at the Shaheed Minar exactly at 11:59pm and placed a wreath as the clock struck 00:01. DU VC and other university officials met and greeted the President. Mother Language Day: CA releases commemorative postage stamp Chief Adviser Yunus placed a floral wreath at the Central Shaheed Minar shortly after zero hours. Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan welcomed the Chief Adviser upon his arrival at the Central Shaheed Minar, said Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder. Earlier in a message, the Chief Adviser said, “On the occasion of Martyrs’ Day and International Mother Language Day, I pay tribute to people of all languages in the world, including Bangla. Since 2000, Bangladesh and UNESCO have been jointly observing this day in a befitting manner. ‘Make Languages Count for Sustainable Development’ as this year’s UNESCO topic is justified.” Dr Yunus said the interim government established through the July Uprising is working consistently to defend the dignity of the nation and its languages, which are essential to growth and prosperity. “It is also working to ensure that the Bangla language is used in information technology. Textbooks in the mother languages of various ethnic groups, including Braille books, are being distributed free of charge,” he added. DMP issues route guidelines to Central Shaheed Minar on Feb 21 The nation is observing 'Amar Ekushey', the Language Martyr's Day and the International Mother Language Day on Friday, marking the supreme sacrifice of the language heroes for upholding the dignity of mother tongue Bangla. The day is also being observed around the world as UNESCO recognised Ekushey February as the International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999. Walking barefoot to Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar with wreaths and flowers singing 'Amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February', people from all walks of life will pay their respect to the heroes of the Language Movement who sacrificed their lives for achieving the recognition of Bangla as the state language of erstwhile Pakistan. On February 21, 1952, students and common people in Dhaka took to the streets in protest against the then Pakistani government's denial of Bangla as the national language and imposition of Urdu as the only official language of Pakistan. DMP Chief calls for traffic police involvement in road accident investigations Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar and a few other brave sons of the soil were killed in police firing on this day in 1952 when students came out in a procession from the Dhaka University campus breaching section 144 to press home their demand for the recognition of Bangla as a state language of then Pakistan. The day is a public holiday.

Minister of Health of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Abdu Rahman  bin Mohamed Al Owais on Thursday hoped Bangladesh-UAE relationships would deepen during the tenure of the interim government and both nations would expand trade, business, and health ties in the coming years. He called on Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai. The minister thanked the Chief Adviser for joining the prestigious annual summit of top government leaders, saying his presence has uplifted the gathering. "We learn from people like you," the UAE health minister said, as they discussed various aspects of the WGS. CA Dr Yunus in Dubai to attend World Governments Summit "The WGS is learning from the experiences of people who have come from all over the world," he said. The minister also greeted the Chief Adviser for leading Bangladesh at a crucial moment in the country's history. Chief Adviser Dr Yunus said he was impressed with the progress made by the UAE in health scenes and prevention of major diseases. He also thanked the UAE for hosting more than a million Bangladeshis. Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain was also present in the meeting. Lutfey Siddiqi, the Special Envoy of the Chief Adviser, and Lamiya Morshed, a senior secretary and SDGs Affairs coordinator of the Bangladesh government, also joined the meeting.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Tuesday discussed a wide range of issues including reforms—electoral and banking sector, national unity, and consensus building efforts with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. “It was a one to one discussion in a friendly environment,” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told the reporters at a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy this evening. Textbooks distribution to be completed by this month: CA’s DPS Azad  He said the interim government expects five out of six reform commissions to submit their reports by January 15 in line with the extended timeframe. The six commissions are the Electoral System Reform Commission headed by Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, the Police Administration Reform Commission headed by Sarfaraz Hossain, the Judiciary Reform Commission headed by Justice Shah Abu Naeem Mominur Rahman, Anti-Corruption Reform Commission headed by TIB’s Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Public Administration Reform Commission headed by Abdul Mueed Chowdhury, and Constitution Reform Commission headed by Distinguished Prof at Illinois State University Dr Ali Riaz. Regarding the national election, Press Secretary Alam referred to what Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said earlier. The chief adviser on Saturday assured British parliamentarian Rupa Huq that the next general election in Bangladesh would be completely free and fair. Hasina among 75 whose passports stripped over July killings He told her that there are two possible timelines for the next general election: December 2025 or mid-2026. “The election date depends on how much reform people want,” Dr Yunus said.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will attend the 11th D-8 Summit which will be held in Cairo, Egypt on December 19.  The Chief Adviser is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Cairo, Egypt early Wednesday (December 18), his Deputy Press Secretary Apurba Jahangir told UNB without elaborating further.  Dr Yunus is likely to have a number of meetings on the sidelines of the Summit and preparations are underway, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  This week marks a "pivotal moment" for the D-8 with the 48th Session of the D-8 Commission meeting held in Cairo.  Over the next few days, key discussions will unfold, culminating in the 21st Session of the D-8 Council of Foreign Ministers on December 18 and the highly anticipated 11th D-8 Summit on December 19. These meetings will bring together leaders to strengthen economic cooperation and outline a shared vision for sustainable development among member states. The D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, is an organisation for development cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.  Read: Chief Adviser invited to attend D-8 Summit in Cairo this December Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, among others, are scheduled to join Prof Yunus at the Summit.  Shehbaz Sharif will visit Cairo from December 18-20 to participate in the Developing Eight (D8) Summit. The establishment of the D-8  Organisation for Economic Cooperation was announced officially through the Istanbul Declaration of Summit of Heads of State/Government on 15 June, 1997. Earlier, Egypt invited Chief Adviser Prof Yunus to attend the D-8 Summit. At the Summit, Indonesia will accept the D-8 chairmanship from the current chair, Egypt, for the 2026-2027 period. Indonesia's chairmanship of the D-8 organization will begin on January 1, 2026. Read more: Egypt invites CA Prof Yunus to attend D-8 Summit this year The role of D-8 is increasingly important in the joint efforts to strengthen global awareness of the situation in Palestine, especially in the Gaza Strip, which is still under Israeli aggression. The D-8 Summit in Cairo, which will be held under the theme "Investing in Youth and Supporting Small Medium Enterprises, Shaping Tomorrow's Economy," reflects the organization's focus on youth and MSMEs issues for the future economy.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Monday urged the SAARC Secretariat to work more intensely to make the regional body functional for the shared benefit of the South Asian countries. “SAARC is a forgotten word. If you can revitalise it, this will give dividends to the people of the whole region,” said the Chief Adviser. Professor Yunus made the comment when Secretary General of SAARC Golam Sarwar called on him at his office in Tejgaon, Dhaka. Focus on opportunities, challenges in Bangladesh-India ties: Roundtable Secretary General Sarwar thanked Professor Yunus for being an ardent supporter of the SAARC and said that they were encouraged by his recent call to South Asian leaders for the revival of the multilateral body. He briefed the Bangladesh Chief Adviser about the ongoing activities of SAARC at the working level, including the Programming Committee, Governing Bodies of Regional Centres and Specialised Bodies, events on climate change, SDGs, regional integration, customs cooperation, among others. He said that in the absence of high-level meetings, the functional initiatives were not getting adequate strength and clarity. Professor Yunus and the SAARC Secretary General discussed the need for meetings of foreign secretaries, foreign ministers, and other sectoral ministers, and even summit of the leaders for better functioning of the body. Changed scenario: Dhaka optimistic to establish good ties with Delhi “We have partnerships with a lot of organizations. We are trying to explore those,” said Secretary General Sarwar. Professor Yunus asked Secretary General Sarwar to work on multilateral issues such as the export of hydroelectric power of Nepal to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, India, and Bhutan. Professor Yunus invited young people from SAARC countries to join the youth festival in Bangladesh in January 2025. UNAOC: Dhaka highlights its unwavering commitment to peace, humanity “This will be good because this focuses on youth. The whole SAARC idea is to bring people together. This could be one way of opening the door,” he said. This year, SAARC celebrates the historic 40th Charter Day.  The SAARC Secretary General requested continued support and guidance from the Government of Bangladesh for reinvigorating the SAARC process in realising the charter objectives of the association.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday had brief interactions separately with a number of leaders as COP29, UN's biggest climate conference, is underway. Prof Yunus met with Prime Minister Daniel Risch of Liechtenstein and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan. He also met with President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives and President Denis Becriovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Read: COP29: “Won’t revert back to the energy system of the 1950s,” says US top climate negotiator