United News of Bangladesh

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Alhmoudi on Monday met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, with discussions focusing on expanding trade and investment. The meeting was held at Secretariat in the noon, said Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Mostafa Zulfiquar Hasan (Hasan Shiplu). Hasan Shiplu said the meeting discussed expanding trade and investment, increasing employment opportunities for skilled Bangladeshi workers, and strengthening cooperation in various sectors, including energy, infrastructure, aviation, information technology, railways and logistics. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and Investment Bangladesh Authority Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun were present at the meeting. Senior officials of the UAE Embassy accompanied the ambassador.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman returned home on Sunday morning after wrapping up his five-day visit to the United States to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). “An Emirates flight carrying the Prime Minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and members of his entourage reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport via Dubai around 8:20am,” PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu told UNB. Upon his arrival, Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brigadier General (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam, Whip Miah Nuruddin Ahmad Apu, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar and local MP SM Jahangir Hossain received the Prime Minister at the airport. After a six-hour transit stop in Dubai, the Emirates flight departed Dubai International Airport for Dhaka at 2:15am local time, Shiplu said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday said more than 30 tourism clusters are being developed across the country, highlighting Bangladesh's history, culture and heritage. He made the remark in a message issued on Saturday on the occasion of the World Tourism Day 2026, which will be observed with the theme of ‘Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism’ on Sunday. The Prime Minister said the election manifesto of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has pledged to develop tourism as a modern and land-efficient service sector. To achieve this objective, the government is currently implementing various commitments, with particular emphasis on formulating a National Tourism Master Plan, modernising the necessary laws and policies, and undertaking structural reforms in tourism management, he added. “As part of these initiatives, more than 30 tourism clusters are being developed across the country, highlighting Bangladesh's history, culture and heritage. At the same time, community, eco, rural, culinary, river and coastal tourism are being promoted to integrate local communities into the tourism economy,” said Tarique Rahman. He said tourism is not merely an opportunity or a means for recreation; it is an important means of generating employment, earning foreign exchange, developing the local economy, and showcasing our history, heritage, culture and natural beauty to the world. “Therefore, developing Bangladesh's tourism industry into a modern, technology-driven, environmentally friendly and world-class industry is one of the key priorities of our development planning,” he said. With this objective in view, on the occasion of World Tourism Day 2026, the PM extended his sincere greetings and felicitations to all individuals and institutions associated with the tourism industry, tourism professionals and entrepreneurs, investors, domestic and international tourists, and tourism enthusiasts across the country. He said programmes are underway to develop modern hotels, recreational facilities and tourist attractions through public-private partnerships. Policy support and access to financing on easier terms have also been enhanced for small and medium-scale tourism enterprises and new tourism start-ups. “For the expansion of international tourism, there is a target to develop an extensive national air connectivity network by 2034, with the aim of transforming Bangladesh into an important aviation hub in South and Southeast Asia,” he said. Tarique Rahman said improved connectivity will make travel to and from Bangladesh easier for international tourists. Optimum utilisation of limited land resources is being ensured through the expansion of high-value-added hotels, restaurants, entertainment centres and other less land-intensive service sectors, he said. “We hope that, once these initiatives are successfully implemented, the tourism industry will make a significant contribution to achieving the national goal of building a USD 1 trillion economy by 2034. At the same time, digital connectivity will open up new opportunities for women, young people and small entrepreneurs,” he said. The PM said the development of tourism must be aligned with the conservation of the environment and heritage. Particular emphasis is being placed on biodiversity conservation, waste management and the reduction of carbon emissions in coastal and nature-based tourism. “Through the collective efforts of the government, the private sector, local communities and the younger generation, we aspire to transform Bangladesh into a safe, sustainable, technology-driven and world-class tourism destination,” he said. About the theme of this year's World Tourism Day, he said it provides clear direction for transforming the future of tourism. “Artificial intelligence, big data and smart technologies can make tourism services more extensive, accessible, safe and people-centred, while also creating new opportunities for employment,” he said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and International Peace Institute (IPI) President and Chief Executive Officer Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Friday exchanged views on making the UN-centred multilateral system more effective and inclusive. They held a luncheon meeting at Hyatt Grand Central New York and also discussed the importance of strengthening peace, dialogue and cooperation between Bangladesh and the international community, as well as ways to address contemporary global challenges through multilateral cooperation. The meeting was part of the Prime Minister’s programme during his visit to New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, said a release issued by the PM’s Press Wing. The two sides focused on international peace and security and the need for greater cooperation in making the UN-centred multilateral system more effective and inclusive.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on Friday agreed to further strengthen the long-standing Bangladesh-Kuwait relationship, with emphasis on expanding labour migration, trade, investment and broader economic cooperation. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting at the Kuwait Permanent Mission in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. During the meeting, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman recalled the long-standing friendship between Bangladesh and Kuwait and highlighted the historic contributions of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to developing bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between the two countries. He said the foundation of mutual respect, goodwill and cooperation built during their time in office had continued to expand over the years.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday said his government is transforming Bangladesh’s health system with a focus on prevention, placing primary healthcare at the foundation of its reform agenda and giving priority to women and children. “My government is transforming our health system, guided by a simple principle: ‘Prevention is better than cure.’ We want to build a healthy Bangladesh, where healthcare begins in the home and community,” he said. The Prime Minister made the remarks while opening a high-level side event titled “From Commitment to Action: Integrating Midwifery into Primary Health Care to End Preventable Maternal and Newborn Deaths” at the UN Headquarters in New York. Bangladesh co-hosted the event with Sweden in partnership with UNFPA on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Tarique Rahman said political commitment becomes meaningful when translated into investment, institutions, skilled people and better lives. He said his government intends to recruit 100,000 additional health workers, 80 percent of whom will be women. “They will connect families with the health system, identify risks early, and support timely care,” he said. Highlighting the role of midwives, the Prime Minister said a professional midwife is much more than a skilled birth attendant and could become a woman’s trusted health professional from preconception through the postnatal period. “My government has taken the decision to recruit 25,000 professional midwives across Bangladesh, and that process has begun,” he said. “We want them to become an integral part of multidisciplinary Primary Health Care teams,” Tarique Rahman added. The midwives will provide essential reproductive care, support antenatal care, promote safe and respectful childbirth, identify complications early, facilitate referrals and care for mothers and newborns, including breastfeeding, immunisation and healthy childhood development, he said. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has built an important foundation for professional midwifery, including professional midwifery education, stronger regulation, and the deployment of midwives across district, sub-district, and union-level facilities. “We now have more than 11,000 licensed midwives, with the objective of reaching 25,000 by 2030,” he said. Tarique Rahman said Bangladesh’s partnership with Sweden and UNFPA had made an important contribution to the sector. With UNFPA’s cooperation, Bangladesh has expanded midwifery-led care across 22 districts, where skilled midwives supported more than 154,000 births and managed critical maternal cases, he said. “These are not merely statistics. They represent mothers returning home safely, and newborns beginning life with hope,” the Prime Minister said. He also outlined the government’s plan to build an integrated digital health ecosystem. “Our vision is that every citizen will have a Health Card linked with a digital health record and electronic referral system,” Tarique Rahman said. He said the system will allow a woman in rural Bangladesh to have her care registered close to home, her visits tracked and her risk factors recorded. “If referred to a higher-level hospital, the necessary information should travel with her,” the Prime Minister said. He said the government’s vision for women’s health extended beyond pregnancy and childbirth. “We must address women’s health across the life course, including adolescent health, reproductive health and family planning, and prevention and early detection of cervical and breast cancers,” Tarique Rahman said. He said midwifery must be part of a broader platform for women’s health within primary healthcare, while the next phase should be driven by national ownership and sustainable domestic investment. “As we open today’s discussion, I leave you with one ambition: Every woman should have access to a skilled professional midwife as part of her Primary Health Care team, close to where she lives,” the Prime Minister said. “For Bangladesh, this means deploying midwives nationwide, strengthening community health services and referral pathways, and connecting citizens through a modern digital health system,” he said. “Together, these steps will help us build a healthy, thriving Bangladesh. And this is how we move from commitment to action,” Tarique Rahman added. Prime Minister wife Dr Zubaida Rahman also spoke at the programme.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday called for faster and deeper cuts in global emissions and greater international support for climate-vulnerable countries, warning that a 25-centimetre rise in sea level could submerge around 4 percent of Bangladesh’s land and affect about 10 million people by 2050. While addressing an event titled “High-level Meeting to Address the Existential Threats Posed by Sea-Level Rise” at the UN Headquarters, he also proposed four urgent actions to address the impacts of sea-level rise. “Vulnerable countries like Bangladesh cannot face the grave consequences of sea-level rise alone. Global support and assistance are needed to redouble our efforts. We, therefore, call for four urgent actions,” Tarique Rahman said. First, he called for faster, deeper and fairer cuts in global emissions to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius target within reach.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković have discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Croatia, with a focus on expanding economic cooperation, trade and investment, skilled manpower, education and technology. The two leaders had a meeting on Wednesday at the UN Headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, said Prime Minister’s Assistant Press Secretary Md Nazmul Haque Khan. They also discussed ways to further strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries and enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The two sides stressed the need to expand cooperation in economic relations, trade and investment, skilled manpower, education, technology and other potential areas.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a meeting with Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman at Hyatt Grand Central New York here on Wednesday. The meeting discussed ways to improve public health in Bangladesh, particularly child health, vaccination, affordable vaccines, preventive healthcare and modernising the country’s health system, said Prime Minister’s Assistant Press Secretary Md Nazmul Haque Khan. “Discussions also focused on expanding healthcare services at district and upazila levels, recruiting and training 100,000 health workers, creating international employment opportunities for trained health workers, and developing an AI-integrated digital public healthcare system,” he said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday joined a high-level side event at the UN Headquarters in New York on the protracted Rohingya crisis, with representatives from around eight countries taking part. The event, titled “The Rohingya Crisis: A Renewed Call for a Durable Solution from Protracted Displacement, with Justice and Accountability,” began around 11:20am (New York time). Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin confirmed that Tarique Rahman is attending the meeting and will deliver an important speech on the Rohingya crisis. The meeting aims to keep international attention focused on the Rohingya crisis, identify the root causes of human rights violations and other problems, and build international pressure on Myanmar to facilitate the return of the Rohingyas to their homeland. Türkiye and Kuwait are representing the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), respectively, at the event. The Prime Minister is expected to highlight Bangladesh’s continued humanitarian responsibility in hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingyas and call for a safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of the displaced people to Myanmar. He is also expected to stress the need for stronger international support to create conditions conducive to their repatriation and ensure justice and accountability.