United News of Bangladesh

Hungary said Thursday it will begin the procedure of withdrawing from the world’s only permanent global tribunal for war crimes and genocide. “Hungary will withdraw from the International Criminal Court,” Gergely Gulyás, who is Prime Minister Viktor Orbán chief of staff wrote in a brief statement. “The government will initiate the withdrawal procedure on Thursday, in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework.” The announcement came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, despite an international arrest warrant against him over his conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s parliament approves key part of Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul Hungary’s government, led by right-wing populist Orbán, extended the invitation to Netanyahu in November after the ICC, based in the Hague, Netherlands, issued the warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity. Orbán, a close Netanyahu ally, has called the arrest warrant “outrageously impudent” and “cynical.” Member countries of the ICC, such as Hungary, are required to detain suspects facing a warrant if they set foot on their soil, but the court has no way to enforce that and relies on states to comply with its rulings.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday said he wants the European Union to intervene in a gas dispute his country has with Ukraine, a potential sign of friction in the bloc's upcoming discussions over renewing sanctions against Russia. Speaking on state radio, Orbán said that Ukraine's decision to cease transiting Russian gas into Central Europe through the Brotherhood pipeline had forced Hungary to turn to alternative routes, which raised energy prices. Meanwhile, he claimed EU sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine had cost Hungary 19 billion euros ($20 billion) since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. He did not cite how that sum was calculated. “It’s no good that we pay for the economic consequences of sanctions to help Ukraine while they turn around and mess with us,” he said of Kyiv's decision to allow a prewar transit deal with Russia to expire at the end of 2024. Belarus election likely extends Lukashenko's 30-year authoritarian rule Natural gas prices did spike at the beginning of the year following the expiration of Ukraine's transit contract with Russia, though an increase in liquefied natural gas shipments to Europe has kept prices fluctuating. As the EU prepares to renew sanctions on Moscow in the coming week — which requires unanimity among all the 27-member bloc’s leaders — Hungary has signaled it may use a veto to block the penalties. Orbán, considered to have the closest relationship with the Kremlin of any other EU leader, has long been a vocal opponent of EU sanctions against Moscow, though he has ultimately always voted for them. But following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump last week, Orbán has publicly demanded an end to sanctions, raising the possibility that he would veto the newest round which must be decided by Jan. 31. “The question of extending the sanctions is now on the agenda, and I pulled the handbrake and asked European leaders to understand that this cannot be continued," he said Friday. “It is not possible that Hungary will pay the price of the sanctions in this proportion.” Micheál Martin to return as Ireland's PM again “I told my (EU) colleagues to please understand that we are asking for help," he continued. "We ask that they be able to get the Ukrainians to restore the gas pipeline.” He also said he wanted guarantees that Ukraine would not stop transiting Russian oil into Hungary, which he said would pose a “serious risk” to the country.

Hungary's foreign minister said a meeting of his counterparts from NATO member countries in Brussels on Wednesday had produced “no consensus” on the prospect of inviting Ukraine to join the transatlantic military alliance, a step Kyiv sees as an essential condition for bringing an end to Russia's war. Péter Szijjártó, a fervent critic of Ukraine with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin's government, criticized some Western countries that have increased military support to Kyiv following Donald Trump's election to the White House, claiming such moves risked escalating the conflict. He warned that bringing Ukraine into NATO’s ranks “would be tantamount to initiating World War III.” Jewish settlers clash with Israeli troops after attack on Palestinian towns “We believe that Ukraine would not be able to add to European security in its present situation, but rather, as a country at war, inviting Ukraine into NATO we would risk ... the threat of war, namely, the threat of a NATO-Russian war," Szijjártó told a news conference. The meeting of NATO foreign ministers came as Russia makes advances on the battlefield in Ukraine while Kyiv's Western supporters seek to improve its position before Trump takes office in January. Trump has criticized the billions the Biden administration has spent in supporting Ukraine and has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. Leaders of the 32 NATO member countries have declared that Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to membership. But NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Tuesday sidestepped questions about Ukraine’s possible membership in the alliance, saying that the priority now must be to strengthen the country’s hand in any future peace talks with Russia by sending it more weapons. Consensus among all NATO countries is required for admitting new members. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently suggested that extending alliance membership to territory now under Kyiv’s control could end “the hot stage” of the almost three-year war. Hamas and Fatah are near an agreement on who will oversee postwar Gaza But Szijjártó on Wednesday voiced skepticism over increased Western support being able to influence the conflict in Ukraine's favor. “In spite of the arms shipments pouring there, Ukraine’s situation on the battlefield gets worse every day,” he said. “If someone talks about the improvement of the situation of the Ukrainians as an easily achievable goal on the battlefield, they do nothing but deceive themselves and the Ukrainians as well.”

Located in central Europe, Hungary is a landlocked country famous for its art, culture, history, and architecture. From the Danube River to the Buda Castle to St. Stephen’s Basilica, Hungary brings a mix of nature and culture like its neighbors.  Beyond its geographical opulence, Hungary offers some of the best higher education opportunities in Europe. World-class universities coupled with manageable tuition fees and post-degree work opportunities attract hundreds of students each year. Here’s a detailed guide if you’re planning to get started with your bachelor’s in Hungary.  Why Study in Hungary?  In 2023, around 30,000 international students were studying in Hungary for bachelor's, master's, and PhD. The large number of students is a testament to the ease and acceptability of higher education in the country.  Besides, Hungary has a robust history as a seat of higher education dating back to 1581 with the establishment of the University of Szeged. Today, 5 Hungarian universities are ranked in the top 1000 list of QS Ranking 2025.  Unlike major Western European study-abroad destinations, Hungary offers a much more affordable tuition and living cost. The living cost index puts Hungary among the most affordable European countries in every expenditure head.  Hungary also has a generous 12 to 14 weeks of summer break in each academic year. The long breaks allow students to engage in self-development activities, work full-time, visit home, or even travel around. Additionally, the up-and-coming startup scene and widespread internship opportunities help the graduates smoothly kickstart their careers.  Read more: Distance Learning: Top Universities Offering Online Courses for International Students How Can Non-EU Students Apply for Bachelor's Degree in Hungary? Unlike West European countries, Hungary doesn’t have a centralized admission system. As a result, every university has its own admission schedule, process, and requirements. Application into the bachelor’s program can be divided into the following steps:  Step 1: Find a Program Study Portal’s bachelor's list for Hungary (https://www.bachelorsportal.com/search/bachelor/hungary) can be an effective starting point to get an idea about the disciplines, university location, program duration, tuition fees, and other aspects. Based on the overview, you can do more specialized research utilizing the specific university portals and their admission resources.  Step 2: Get the Paperwork  The next step is to organize the paperwork to apply for the bachelors. As there’s no centralized system, the document requirement varies from one university to the other. However, some of the universal documents include: - High school diploma (SSC and HSC certificate in the case of Bangladesh) - Transcript of the diplomas - Scanned copy of passport and birth certificate (NID is also applicable) - A Europass format CV - IELTS/TOEFL score - Proof of solvency - Letter of recommendation - Writing samples  Hungary follows the Bologna Process meaning you will need a high school diploma to be eligible for a bachelors. The English proficiency requirements aren’t all that stringent in Hungary. You can apply with “Medium of Instruction” or MOI if you studied your high school in English version. And in other cases, the minimum IELTS requirement is set at 5.5 overall for most universities.  Another thing to note is that all the physical documents to be submitted to the universities need to be attested by the education and the foreign ministry.  Read more: Cheapest countries for Bangladeshi students for higher studies Step 3: Wait for the Admission Decision  Hungarian universities notify results either by e-mail or post. Most universities offer decisions based on document screening only. Some universities may require interviews. Also, specialized programs like M.B.B.S. may require additional tests upon conditional offer. Many Hungarian universities require non-EU citizens to pay the first-semester tuition fee upfront. If there’s no such provision, then the university will issue your admission letter and admission confirmation documents for visa purposes.  Legalization process for non-EU students The first step to getting legalized in Hungary is to get the Permanent Residence status or PR. According to Hungarian law, a person becomes eligible for PR after staying in Hungary for 3 years on a residence permit. Note that, the residence permit for PR is different from the residence permit for students. So effectively, a student will need to legally live and work in Hungary for three years after graduation to be eligible for PR. There are also PR opportunities via investment and donations. The minimum amount starts at around 250,000 euros.  To obtain citizenship status in Hungary, a person will have to stay 8 more years after receiving their PR. In total, it takes about 11 years from graduation to becoming a Hungarian citizen.  Read more: Top 10 Best Affordable Universities in Canada for International Students

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has urged the Bangladesh students studying in various Hungarian Universities under the Hungaricum Stipendium Programme for engaging themselves in the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. While addressing the Bangladeshi students at the Mathius Corvinus Collegium in Budapest on Monday, the Foreign Minister suggested the students to be inquisitive, innovative and passionate for the greater welfare of the humankind. Also read: FM Momen rues long delay in Teesta deal with India Deputy State Secretary for International Training Programs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Miklos Lengyel and Bangladesh Ambassador to Hungary Muhammad Abdul Muhith also addressed the students. Momen highlighted the commitments of the current government under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for building knowledge-based developed and prosperous nation imbued with modern and technological knowledge. He underscored the importance of skilling up  youths with appropriate knowledge and skills and suggested the students to avail the numerous opportunities in the field of science, technology and innovation to face the domestic and local challenges. Also read:FM urges UNHCR to expedite efforts at Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar While stating the transformation of high-tech industries in Bangladesh, the Foreign Minister suggested the students to equip them with ideas and innovations and advised them to work hard to fulfill the dream of Bangabandhu to make Bangladesh as Sonar Bangla. The Foreign Minister appreciated the government of Hungary for providing 140 full scholarships to Bangladeshi students annually for pursuing graduation, post-graduation and PhDs in renowned Hungarian universities under the Hungaricum Stipendium Programme since 2019.

Over 400 Bangladeshis have so far safely crossed the Ukrainian border and reached its neighbouring countries, including Poland, according to the government. The government of Bangladesh is arranging their repatriation and is in touch with relevant organizations for their return home. Meanwhile, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam chaired a meeting on Sunday held among the relevant Ministries and Bangladesh envoys in Austria, Poland and Romania to discuss the ways for safe return of Bangladeshis from Ukraine and subsequent return to Bangladesh. Till today, around 400 Bangladeshis have safely crossed the Ukrainian border and reached Poland, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday night. Also read: Around 200 Bangladesh citizens reach Poland, Romania from Ukraine: Shahriar Among them, 46 Bangladeshis are in temporary shelter arranged by the Bangladesh Embassy in Warsaw.

Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto has expressed his optimism to further strengthen its cooperation with Bangladesh in the years to come.  "I am confident that we will be able to further strengthen our mutually beneficial cooperation in the years to come," he said in a recent letter to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen.  The 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries is an important milestone, said Hungarian Minister. READ: Walton exports microwave oven to Romania, Hungary "We can proudly declare that despite the geographical distance between our countries, during the past decades we built a strong friendship and cooperation based on mutual respect," Peter said. The Hungarian Minister said they are proud to see that Hungary was one of the first countries to recognize the independent state of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, following which they soon established diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level on 26 March 1972, opening their Embassy in Dhaka in the following year.  "It is my utmost pleasure to note that we have recently re-established our diplomatic representation in Bangladesh," he said. Minister Peter noted the advanced level of their political, economic and cultural relations during his official visit to Dhaka in September 2020. READ: Bangladesh, Hungary plan to boost trade ties  He thanked his Bangladesh counterpart Dr Momen for his message and best wishes on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and the People's Republic of Bangladesh.  Minister Peter wished Dr Momen good health and continued success in discharging his duties.  

Walton has started to export its "Made in Bangladesh" microwave ovens to Romania and Hungary. Two renowned electronics and home appliance marketing enterprises of Romania and Hungary will supply the microwave ovens. Walton Hi-Tech Industries Director Tahmina Afrose Tanna officially inaugurated the microwave oven exports to the European countries Monday at the programme "Inaugural Ceremony: Exporting Microwave Oven to Romania and Hungary" in the capital. READ: Electronics products: 'Walton export rose to $14 million amid pandemic' She said: "Export of Walton microwave ovens will be a milestone in the company's 'Vision Go Global 2030' and also facilitate its market expansion in Central and Eastern Europe." "Twenty models of microwave ovens equipped with the latest technology are being manufactured at Walton factory. Along with meeting the local demand, we are exporting microwave ovens to different countries, including Nepal and Yemen," Walton International Business Unit Vice-President Syed Al Imran said. "From now on, our microwave ovens will be exported to the markets of developed countries of Europe. We are working on increasing the market share of Walton microwave ovens in Europe by 2022." READ: 'Walton ahead of others in protecting ozone layer'

Bangladesh and Hungary have discussed ways to increase trade between the two countries apart from exploring cooperation in the health sector.  Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen had a bilateral meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto in Geneva recently and discussed the issues of mutual cooperation between the two countries.  Both of them were in Geneva to participate in the Asia-Pacific Regional Review Meeting in preparation for the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC 5) to be held in Qatar in January 2022.  Also read: Bangladesh, Hungary sign MoU over scholarships At the meeting, the issues of bilateral interest as well as multilateral ones were discussed, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.  Foreign Minister Momen thanked the Hungarian Foreign Minister for offering scholarships to Bangladeshi students, and requested him to increase the number of scholarships allocated to Bangladesh.  Szijjarto assured Dr Momen that the Hungarian government would increase the number of scholarships to Bangladeshi students next year.  The issue of operationalisation of the Consulate of Hungary also came up at the meeting for discussions. Also read: Bangladesh, Hungary to discuss trade, investment issues Thursday Dr Momen also co-chaired a session of the ongoing Asia-Pacific Regional Review Meeting of the LDCs together with the Undersecretary of Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar at the UN Headquarters in Geneva.  The session titled “Structural transformation and resilient infrastructure for sustained economic growth, poverty alleviation and decent work for all” highlighted structural impediments faced by the LDCs of the Asia-Pacific region and how to build resilience against internal and external shocks and crises.  The session was attended by a number of high-level speakers including the Economic Affairs Minister of Bhutan.   

Bangladesh and Hungary have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 130 annual scholarships for Bangladeshi students. The MoU secured Hungarian governments’ full scholarships under the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme for a yearly intake of 130 Bangladeshi students at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels for the next three years. Bangladesh Ambassador to Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovenia Muhammad Abdul Muhith signed the MoU on behalf of the government of Bangladesh recently. Also read: Hungary, Bolivia want COVID-19 vaccine from Bangladesh: Shahriar Alam For the Hungarian side, the MoU was signed by State Secretary Dr Orsolya Pacsay-Tomassich, State Secretary for the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy and Scholarship Hungaricum Programme, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Bangladesh Ambassador was accompanied by Rahat Bin Zaman, Minister & Deputy Chief of Mission as well as the Bangladesh Honorary Consul in Budapest Dr. Greg. Pataki. There are 30 dedicated scholarships for the students and professionals of nuclear energetics in the new MoU, which is a new initiative compared to the previous 100-scholarship per year programme for Bangladeshi students ran for three years. The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary in Budapest. Also read: Bangladesh, Hungary to discuss trade, investment issues Thursday During the meeting before the Ceremony, the two sides had a fruitful discussion on the future roadmap for the growing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Hungary. Important elements, such as an agreement on economic cooperation, establishment of a joint economic commission, a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the health sector, operation follow-up on the existing bilateral instruments, including water management and agriculture, the Foreign Minister-level Joint Communiqué of September 2020, joint celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Budapest this year, cooperation and reciprocal support mechanism at the multilateral level, and a possible memorandum of understanding to train Bangladeshi young diplomats at the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy came up for discussion.