United News of Bangladesh

China has criticised the United States’ blockade of Iranian ports, describing it as “dangerous and irresponsible,” while the United Nations has urged all parties to respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the United States had “increased military operations and taken a targeted blockade action,” which would “only exacerbate tensions and undermine the already fragile ceasefire agreement.” Speaking at a news briefing, he further warned that the US move “further jeopardises safety of passage through the Strait,” calling it “dangerous and irresponsible behaviour.” US begins blockade of Iranian ports after talks fail Meanwhile, the UN has called on all sides to ensure safe maritime movement through the strategic waterway as the US military blockade of Iranian maritime traffic continues. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said UN Secretary-General António Guterres is urging “all parties” to uphold freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The appeal comes after failed US-Iran talks held in Islamabad, further heightening concerns over regional stability and global energy route security. Source: Al Jazeera

Iran has reiterated its rejection of a temporary ceasefire, insisting on a permanent end to the conflict with guarantees to prevent future war, as tensions rise ahead of a deadline set by US President Donald Trump. Iran’s representative to the United Nations said Tehran would not accept a short-term truce and instead seeks a lasting peace with verifiable assurances. The position reflects Iran’s consistent stance amid the ongoing crisis, reports Al Jazeera. Responding to Trump’s warning that a “whole civilisation will die,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the strength of a “civilised nation” would ultimately prevail over the logic of brute force. Diplomatic sources say the gap between the two sides remains wide, making any agreement difficult and protracted. Meanwhile, the White House has denied reports that it is considering the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, even as Trump maintained strong rhetoric, warning Tehran to strike a deal or face a massive assault. The US president had earlier set a deadline of 8pm Eastern Time (local time 6:00 AM in Bangladesh), demanding Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz—a vital route for global energy supplies—or risk attacks on key infrastructure. Trump warns ‘whole civilization’ could die, says Iran still has time to act Vice President JD Vance said the US could use tools “not yet decided,” sparking speculation, though the White House dismissed claims that nuclear options were implied. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said only the president knows the final course of action. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) warned it would retaliate strongly if civilian infrastructure is targeted, raising fears of wider regional consequences. At the UN Security Council, Iran’s Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani criticised a draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz as “biased and indefensible,” saying it misrepresents Iran as the aggressor while ignoring the root causes. He maintained that Iran’s actions were in self-defence. Adding to concerns, a nuclear expert warned that any strike on Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant could trigger a disaster comparable to Chernobyl or Hiroshima, with long-term environmental and humanitarian consequences across the Gulf region.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman left Dhaka on Saturday morning for the US to attend a series of engagements in support of Bangladesh's campaign for the Presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). On his way to New York, the Foreign Minister will make a brief stopover in Türkiye, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB. He is scheduled to hold several meetings and engagements as part of Bangladesh's diplomatic outreach for the UNGA Presidency bid. The Foreign Minister will hold a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara. During the visit, Dr Rahman is expected to meet diplomats and other stakeholders to strengthen support for Bangladesh's candidature. Palestine has recently withdrawn its candidature for the Presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the 2026–2027 term. Following the withdrawal of the Palestinian candidature, Bangladesh will now compete with Cyprus. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has nominated Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman for the position. The election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly for the eighty first session will be held on June 2 in the General Assembly Hall, UNHQs, in line with Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure.  

Bangladesh has called for renewed global solidarity and people-centred policies to advance social development and social justice. Speaking at the sixty-fourth session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD64) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on February 3, the Bangladesh Permanent Representative emphasised the need for building compassionate societies with equal opportunities for all. Bangladesh Permanent Representative also highlighted the governments holistic development approach with a strong focus on rural development, women’s empowerment, youth development, social protection, climate resilience and inclusive finance. Bangladesh also called for strengthened international support for debt relief, disaster response, and protection of persons subjected to displacement due to persecution. The sixty-fourth session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD64) is being held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from February 2-10. Bangladesh is a member of the Commission for 2023-2027.

The United Nations is facing the danger of an “imminent financial collapse” as several member states fail to pay their mandatory contributions, UN Secretary General António Guterres has warned. In a letter sent to all 193 member states, Guterres said the organisation’s financial crisis was worsening and now “deepening, threatening programme delivery”, with funds potentially running out by July. He urged countries either to pay their assessed contributions in full or to reform the UN’s financial rules to avert collapse. The warning comes as the United States, the UN’s largest contributor, has declined to pay into the organisation’s regular and peacekeeping budgets and has withdrawn from multiple UN agencies, describing them as a “waste of taxpayer dollars”. Several other countries are also in arrears or have refused to pay their dues. Although the UN General Assembly approved limited changes to the financial system in late 2025, the organisation remains under severe cash strain. The situation is compounded by a rule requiring the UN to refund unspent funds even when the money was never received in the first place. At the UN’s Geneva headquarters, notices highlighting the financial crisis have been widely displayed. Cost-cutting measures are visible, with escalators frequently shut down and heating reduced in an effort to conserve funds. Guterres wrote that while the UN had experienced financial difficulties before, the current crisis was “categorically different”. He noted that “decisions not to honour assessed contributions that finance a significant share of the approved regular budget have now been formally announced,” without naming specific countries. Read More: 12th DU National Model United Nations set to begin on May 29 He stressed that the “integrity of the entire system” relies on members fulfilling their obligations under the UN Charter to pay their “assessed contributions”. According to the secretary general, only 77 percent of total dues were paid in 2025, leaving an unprecedented amount outstanding. Guterres also criticised a financial rule that forces the UN to return unused programme funds, describing it as a “double blow” in which the organisation is “expected to give back cash that does not exist”. “I cannot overstate the urgency of the situation we now face. We cannot execute budgets with uncollected funds, nor return funds we never received,” he wrote. As a result, the UN is now refunding millions of dollars it never had. The letter stated: “Just this month, as part of the 2026 assessment, we were compelled to return $227m [£165m] – funds we have not collected.” “The bottom line is clear,” Guterres added. “Either all member states honour their obligations to pay in full and on time – or member states must fundamentally overhaul our financial rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse.” UN agencies often struggle to secure full funding for humanitarian responses, but the past year has been especially challenging. The US did not pay its contribution to the UN’s regular budget in 2025 and provided only 30 percent of its expected funding for peacekeeping missions, reports BBC. Read More: Kofi Annan was the United Nations In January, President Donald Trump withdrew the US from dozens of international bodies, including 31 UN agencies, aiming to “end American taxpayer funding and involvement in entities that advance globalist agendas over US priorities”. Although Washington pledged $2 billion (£1.5 billion) for UN humanitarian work in late December, it warned the organisation must “adapt or die”, a sharp drop from the $17 billion it provided in 2022. Other major donors, including the UK and Germany, have also announced significant cuts to foreign aid, further affecting UN operations. Guterres had earlier cautioned that the organisation was in its most fragile financial position in years, blaming unpaid contributions and warning in October of a “race to bankruptcy”. Meanwhile, Trump has faced criticism over proposals to replace some UN functions with his proposed Board of Peace to oversee reconstruction in Gaza. Although he said the initiative would work “in conjunction with the United Nations”, he previously suggested otherwise, saying: “Well, it might.”

Bangladesh has been elected as the Vice-Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) for the year 2026.  The election of the five-member bureau of the PBC was held at the UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday. The members of the Commission during its first meeting of the 20th session elected Morrocco as Chair while Germany, Brazil and Croatia and Bangladesh were elected as Vice-Chairs. The Peacebuilding Commission is an intergovernmental advisory body that supports peace efforts in conflict-affected countries. Bangladesh needs to target visa fraud as brokers exploit social media The Commission is composed of 31 member states, elected from the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the leading troops and financial contributing countries to the United Nations system.  Bangladesh has been a member of the Commission since its inception in 2005 and had earlier served the Commission as chair in 2012 and 2022 as vice-chair in 2013 and 2023. Bangladesh assumed charge today as Vice-Chair during the first PBC meeting of its 20th session after a brief ceremony. On this occasion, the President of the UN General Assembly and Chef de Cabinet, on behalf of the Secretary-General were present and delivered statements emphasizing the rule of the PBC.  UNDP to support Bangladesh’s capital market with thematic bond development In a statement, Bangladesh delegation thanked members of the Commission for reposing their trust and confidence in Bangladesh for this important responsibility and reiterated its commitment to the UN’s peacebuilding efforts and activities as well as its future plan of action.

Heavy snowfall and rainfall over the last three days have left at least 61 people dead and more than 110 injured across Afghanistan, disaster management officials said on Saturday, as rescue efforts were hampered by blocked roads and isolated villages. According to National Disaster Management Authority spokesman Yousaf Hammad, the extreme weather has fully or partially damaged 458 houses and killed hundreds of livestock in 15 of the country’s 34 provinces. He added that the casualty figures could rise as more information becomes available from affected areas. Afghanistan remains highly exposed to extreme weather, with heavy rain and snow frequently triggering flash floods that claim dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of lives. In 2024 alone, spring floods killed more than 300 people nationwide. The impact of such disasters has been intensified by decades of war, fragile infrastructure, economic hardship, widespread deforestation and the growing effects of climate change. Remote regions are particularly at risk, as many homes are made of mud and provide little protection against severe weather. Read More: Winter storms dump snow and ice across New England Eastern Afghanistan is also still recovering from powerful earthquakes that struck in late August and again in November last year, destroying entire villages and killing more than 2,200 people. People displaced by the earthquakes are especially vulnerable to harsh winter conditions. In December, UNICEF warned that about 270,000 children in quake-affected areas faced a serious risk of life-threatening cold-related illnesses. Earlier this month, the United Nations said Afghanistan is expected to remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026. The UN and its partners have launched a $1.7 billion appeal to provide emergency assistance to nearly 18 million people in need.

The United States has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), removing itself as one of the UN agency’s largest donors and a key participant in global health initiatives. The decision stems from an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump a year ago, after he repeatedly criticised the WHO for being overly “China-centric” during the Covid-19 pandemic. The US Department of Health and Human Services said the withdrawal was due to the WHO’s alleged mishandling of the pandemic, its inability to implement meaningful reforms, and political influence from certain member states. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus rejected the US claims, saying the withdrawal is a “loss for both the United States and the world.” The organisation highlighted its global contributions, including efforts to eradicate polio, combat HIV and AIDS, reduce maternal mortality, and enforce its international treaty on tobacco control. Following the pandemic, WHO member states worked on an international pandemic treaty to ensure fair sharing of vaccines and treatments and strengthen preparedness for future outbreaks. The treaty, finalised in April 2025, was agreed upon by all member states except the US. Traditionally, the United States has been one of the largest financial contributors to the WHO, but Washington did not pay its membership fees for 2024 and 2025, causing significant job losses within the organisation. While WHO lawyers maintain that the US is obliged to pay the arrears—estimated at $260 million—Washington has refused, stating there is no reason to do so. As part of the withdrawal, all US government funding to the WHO has been terminated, US personnel and contractors recalled from Geneva headquarters and offices worldwide, and hundreds of engagements with the agency have been suspended or discontinued. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a joint statement that the WHO “tarnished and trashed everything that America has done for it” and “abandoned its core mission,” acting against US interests. They added that future US engagement with the WHO will be limited strictly to safeguard the health and safety of Americans. Officials noted that the US will continue disease surveillance and pathogen-sharing programs through bilateral relationships with other countries, but they did not specify which countries or partnerships have been established so far. In response to questions about US participation in global health initiatives like polio and HIV programmes, officials said partnerships would continue through NGOs and faith-based groups, though no specific arrangements have been disclosed. US engagement in global flu vaccine development and information-sharing remains uncertain. After Trump signed the withdrawal order at the start of his second term, the WHO expressed hope that the US would reconsider, stating that “the WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats.” The agency said reconsideration would serve the “health and well-being of millions worldwide.” The WHO confirmed on Friday that the US withdrawal would be discussed during its upcoming board meeting scheduled from February 2-7. Its secretariat said it will act according to the guidance provided by its governing bodies. The US exit could remove nearly one-fifth of the WHO’s budget. The defunding and withdrawal come amid criticism of pandemic responses worldwide, including in highly developed countries like the US and the UK, where delays in imposing lockdowns and mask mandates contributed to rapid virus spread. Drew Altman, former US public health official, said the federal government’s inconsistent Covid-19 guidance, politicisation of policy, and failure to implement nationwide preventive measures contributed to one of the highest death rates in the world. A 2020 study in the British Medical Journal accused the Trump administration of failing to provide national guidance and allowing state-level responses to diverge along political lines. Another research paper published in the UN National Library of Medicine labelled the US federal response as “slow and mismanaged.” The US withdrawal marks a significant moment for global health governance, highlighting tensions between national interests and multilateral cooperation in pandemic preparedness and response.   With inputs from BBC

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday said he is aware of the growing misinformation and offered the support of the UN human rights office to address what he described as a growing misinformation challenge. “There is a lot of misinformation. We will do whatever is needed,” Türk said, adding that the UN rights agency would work closely with Bangladesh to tackle the issue. The UN rights chief made the remarks as Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus sought support from the United Nations human rights office to counter a surge of misinformation targeting the February 12 elections. “There has been a flood of misinformation surrounding the elections. It is coming from both foreign media and local sources,” Prof Yunus said during a telephone conversation with Volker Türk. “They have flooded social media with fake news, rumours and speculation. We are concerned about the impact this may have on the elections,” he added. During the conversation, the two leaders also discussed the upcoming referendum, the importance of institutional reforms, the work of the Enforced Disappearance Commission, the formation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the global geopolitical situation. High Commissioner Türk stressed the importance of establishing “a truly independent” National Human Rights Commission to carry forward the work related to enforced disappearances, according to Chief Adviser's press wing. In response, Prof Yunus said the NHRC ordinance has already been promulgated and that a new commission would be reconstituted ahead of the February 12 elections. “We will do it before we leave,” he said. The Chief Adviser said he had shared the final report of the Enforced Disappearance Commission with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, describing it as a crucial document that would go a long way toward ensuring accountability and justice for the victims of enforced disappearances during the autocratic regime from 2009 to 2024. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk praised the Chief Adviser’s efforts over the past year and a half. Conflicts in the Mideast and Ukraine will loom over Biden's farewell address at the United Nations He said his office had supported the work of the Enforced Disappearance Commission and would continue to do so. SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed was present during the conversation.  

China on Sunday called on the United States to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, expressing serious concern over their seizure by U.S. forces. A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said Beijing was responding to reports that U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife on Saturday and took them out of Venezuela, drawing objections from several countries. Starlink offers Free internet to Venezuela Until Feb 3 China said the move constituted a clear violation of international law, fundamental norms governing international relations, and the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. The spokesperson urged the United States to ensure the personal safety of Maduro and his wife, stop efforts to overthrow the Venezuelan government, and resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation rather than force.