Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin had a "productive meeting" with US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma at the State Department, affirming renewal of commitment to deepen and expand bilateral ties, strengthen collaboration on areas of mutual interest.  Their discussions focused on the US technical and financial support to reform initiatives of the interim government and addressing challenges, Rohingya issue, labour law reforms, etc.  The Foreign Secretary had a separate meeting with acting US Under Secretary for Political Affairs John Bass and discussed ways to deepen bilateral collaboration building on the momentum in the Bangladesh-US relationship and to advance impactful cooperation in priority areas.  He also had discussions on diverse issues at a meeting with US Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South Asia Lindsey W Ford at the White House.  They covered interim government's reform agenda, democratic transition, economic and security issues, regional stability, Rohingya crisis, labour law etc. Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin met Brendan Lynch, Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia and discussed mutual cooperation to diversify export, DFQF access of RMGs produced from cotton imported from US, simplification of registration and reduction of registration fees for pharmaceutical products, labour law reforms, and access to US International Development Finance Cooperation (DFC). A lunch meeting between the Foreign Secretary and key officials focused on a wide range of issues of mutual interests.  US officials include Assistant Secretary Ambassador Donald Lu, Acting Assistant Secretary Marta C. Youth, Deputy Assistant Secretary Nicole Chulick, Deputy Assistant Secretary Monica Ager Jacobsen, as well as Director Alla P. Kamins.  The Foreign Secretary visited New York before his tour to Washington and is scheduled is leave Washington on October 14.      

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka on Wednesday (April 24, 2024) for Bangkok on a six-day official visit to Thailand at the invitation of her Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries. A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the premier and her entourage, departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:13am on Wednesday, said PM’s Speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam. The PM is scheduled to land at Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok at 1:30pm local time. "It's both a bilateral and multilateral visit," said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said at a media briefing on Monday. The bilateral visit of the prime minister will be the first-ever visit at the level of head of government from Bangladesh to Thailand since establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972. PM Hasina begins her six-day official visit to Thailand on Wednesday  During her visit from April 24 to 29, the Bangladesh premier will hold bilateral talks with PM Thavisin and also attend the 80th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Bangladesh and Thailand will sign a number of cooperation documents including a letter of intent on negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two countries, said the Foreign Minister. Bangladesh and Thailand are likely to sign an agreement on visa exemption for official passport holders, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on energy cooperation while two more MoUs on tourism sector cooperation and duty related mutual cooperation to expand the relations, he said. Bangladesh will seek support from Thailand regarding Rohingya repatriation as well as increased investment from Thailand, said Hasan Mahmud adding that the issue of shipping connectivity will also be discussed. On April 26, PM Hasina will be formally received by her Thai host Srettha Thavisin while a ceremonial guard of honor will be accorded to her. On the same day, the Bangladesh premier will hold bilateral talks with PM Thavisin at the Government House (Prime Minister’s Office) following a tete-a-tete between the two leaders, witness the signing of the documents, participate in a joint press conference and then attend a state lunch to be hosted by her Thai counterpart in her honour there. PM Hasina likely to travel to India and China in first bilateral visits since forming new govt During the visit, the prime minister will have a Royal audience of Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshan, King and Queen of the Kingdom of Thailand at the Palace. In her multilateral engagement, PM Hasina is scheduled to attend the 80th Session of ESCAP and deliver a speech there on April 25. On the same day, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjabana will call on the prime minister. Guided by the theme “Leveraging digital innovation for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific”, the eightieth session will be an opportunity to strengthen region-wide cooperative action on leveraging digital innovation for the accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The session will bring together government leaders and ministers from across Asia and the Pacific and other key stakeholders to discuss how digital innovation can more inclusively contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across multiple disciplines. Read more: Bangladesh, Qatar sign 10 cooperation documents to take ties to new height

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be on an official visit to Japan from April 25 to 28, at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. A number of memorandums of cooperation are expected to be signed during the PM's official visit. Both the governments of Bangladesh and Japan hope that this visit will further strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries. Japan wants to elevate the bilateral ties with Bangladesh to a "strategic" level, adding more elements like defence and security areas to the growing relations. Read: 5th Japan-Bangladesh Public-Pvt Joint Economic Dialogue held online with calls for more investment The two countries now have a comprehensive partnership and Japan intends to elevate it. This will be the sixth visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Japan. Earlier, she visited Japan in 1997, 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2019. During her stay in Japan, the Prime Minister will be received by the Emperor of Japan. Prime Minister Fumio will hold a summit meeting with the Bangladesh Prime Minister and then host a working dinner in her honour. Read: Bangladesh to play vital role in Japan's vision for Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Ambassador During the visit, the PM is scheduled to attend an investment summit and a community reception along with a few bilateral meetings. She will also hand over the “Friends of Liberation War Honour” to a few Japanese nationals, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister is likely to visit the US and UK after wrapping up her Japan visit but there is no official announcement yet regarding the US and UK visits. The Prime Minister has been invited to attend the coronation of UK's King Charles III, to be hosted by the Buckingham Palace on May 6. Read More: Pranay Verma highlights “deep bonds of friendship, cooperation” with Bangladesh She is likely to travel to Washington DC to attend a programme on May 1 to celebrate 50 years of partnership between Bangladesh and the World Bank.

British Minister for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan has said the UK looks forward to continuing to strengthen their bilateral ties with Bangladesh through trade, investment, and people-to-people links. The British Minister said this during a bilateral meeting with Private Industry and Investment Adviser to Prime Minister Salman F Rahman in London on Monday. Praising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s generous hosting of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh and sustained efforts to give a better life to the Rohingyas including providing them with education and livelihood, the British Minister reiterated UK’s continued commitment to resolve the Rohingya crisis. The Minister also discussed creating future partnerships with Bangladesh in the climate and digital economy. Read more: IFC giving $32.5 million to ensure food security in Bangladesh Adviser Salman F Rahman briefed the British Indo-Pacific Minister on the leapfrogging of Bangladesh’s growth between 2009 and 2022 under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s pro-business trade and investment initiatives, including with the UK. In response to a query from the British Minister regarding the strategy behind Bangladesh’s extraordinary growth over the past decade, Rahman said, “It was our Prime Minister’s drive to maximise power production for industry, empowering the women with education and employment, and attaining food security for our 165 million people.” On an invitation from Adviser Rahman to visit Bangladesh, Minister Trevelyan expressed her interest to visit Bangladesh in February, 2023. Read more: Envoy urges Bangladeshi businessmen to visit Romania to boost bilateral business ties  Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem was present during the meeting that took place on Monday at the office of the British Minister at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London.

Eleven Bangladeshi and six Turkish companies have come together and established the new Bangladesh-Türkiye Business Forum (BTBF) to strengthen bilateral ties, expedite connections and optimise potential. The newly established Bangladesh-Türkiye Business Forum aspires to be the leading business platform to bring Bangladesh and Türkiye closer through innovative branding and building partnerships. The BTBF was formed at a meeting hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Dhaka recently. BTBF will solidify support for bilateral trade, investments, and cultural encounters and act as an advocacy platform promoting bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Türkiye, said the embassy on Friday. Also read: Rohingya repatriation: Bangladesh wants more coordinated, proactive support from ASEAN Rubana Huq, Managing Director of Mohammadi Group and Vice Chancellor of the Asian University for Women (AUW) has been elected Chairperson of the BTBF while Salahuddin Kasem Khan, Chairman, EC of Board, AK Khan & Co Ltd elected co-Chairperson. Kazi Zahedul Hasan, founder & MD, Kazi Farms Group has been made BTBF Deputy Chairperson while Ercument Polat, CEO, United Aygaz LPG Ltd will act as BTBF Secretary General. Other BTBF founding members are Alihussain Akberali, Chairman, BSRM, Anjan Chowdhury, key stakeholder, Square Group, Abul Khair Litu, Chairman, Bengal Group Ltd. & founder, Bengal Foundation, Enayetullah Khan, founder & MD, Cosmos Group, Mohamed Haniffa Mohamed Fairoz. CEO & MD, Singer Bangladesh Ltd, Moinuddin Hasan Rashid, Chairman & MD, United Group, Mirza Salman Ispahani, Chairman & MD, MM Ispahani Ltd, Sk. Nasir Uddin, Chairman, Akij Group, Emrah Karaca, Country Manager, Turkish Airlines in Bangladesh, Hakan Altınışık, Director of Technology & Innovation, Arçelik, Mehmet Yıldız, Administrative & Financial Specialist, NKY Architects & Engineers, Muhammed Çağrı Ünal, Construction Coordinator, EPİK Holding and Özgür Türk, Country Director, LCWaikiki. Dr. Rubana Huq, following her election as the BTBF Chairperson said, “May this forum strengthen bilateral ties, expedite connections and optimise potential. The business to business and people to people connect will surely offer more opportunities to explore at both our ends.” BTBF will soon be legally constituted to perform its activities through its working groups on trade, investment and cultural activities. A Research and Data Cell will also be created within its Secretariat to develop collaboration with experts and relevant institutions. Gender balance will be encouraged in the membership and leadership structure of BTBF. Salahuddin Kasem Khan, as the BTBF Co-chairperson and Honorary Consul General of Türkiye in Chattogram, said the Forum is significant as some of the oldest and largest corporates of Bangladesh and Türkiye are represented. "Since both are members of D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, Bangladesh can evolve as a hub for Turkish companies in the Bay of Bengal region and Türkiye for Bangladeshi companies in the EU & the Central Asian regions," he said. Also read: Trade, Connectivity, Tourism: Bangladesh, Nepal seek greater collaboration The Turkish Ambassador in Dhaka will be patrons of BTBF while Honorary Consul Generals of Türkiye in Bangladesh will be honorary members of the Executive Board. Mustafa Osman Turan, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Bangladesh, has expressed his pleasure about the decision of the seventeen Bangladeshi and Turkish companies to unite their forces for the mutual benefit of both of their countries. “From now on, there is a new powerful business platform who will rebrand Türkiye in Bangladesh and Bangladesh in Türkiye so that our people can get to know each other better and tap into their full potential through partnerships and joint projects," Ambassador Turan told the Founding Members at their meeting. A BTBF delegation is planning to visit Türkiye in September 2022 to meet with the Turkish government and business representatives and to explore opportunities for collaboration.

UK’s Minister for South Asia, the United Nations and the Commonwealth Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon on Thursday reinforced the UK’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations with Bangladesh as he left for London concluding his 3-day visit to Bangladesh. In a busy programme of meetings and visits to places, the Minister reinforced the UK’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Bangladesh across a wide range of issues including trade, security, climate change and the Rohingya crisis. Lord Ahmad, who is also the UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, held meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, as well as with representatives of civil society organisations and the humanitarian sector. Also read: UK MoS calls on PM, finds common ground on issues In his meetings, Lord Ahmad discussed the path to Bangladesh’s landmark graduation from Least Developed Country Status, which is due in 2026.

India and New Zealand on Tuesday pledged to bolster bilateral ties, particularly in areas of defence, trade, space, counter-terrorism, cyber security and climate change, and also reiterated the need for a free and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. In a statement, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said that the two sides comprehensively reviewed the ongoing bilateral cooperation and discussed ways to strengthen coordination in multilateral and regional fora at a virtual meeting. The Indian side was led by Riva Ganguly Das, Secretary (East), and former High Commissioner to Bangladesh. "Both sides discussed the steps to be taken to enhance the depth and momentum of engagement in different areas, including defence and security, trade and investment, space, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, disarmament and climate change, and for strengthening people-to-people ties," the Ministry said. It may be mentioned here that bilateral defence cooperation has been more limited, though both countries have carried out joint naval exercises and their militaries have served together in the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and the African country of Sudan.   Read: Sputnik V production starts in India; 100 million doses to be produced annually "Both sides exchanged views on various regional issues and reiterated the importance of closer cooperation for a rules-based international order and a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region," it said, adding that issues concerning equitable access to Covid vaccines globally also came up during discussions. Bilateral ties between India and New Zealand were established in 1952, some five years after this country gained independence from colonial Britain. Pranab Mukherjee became the first Indian President to visit New Zealand in August 2016.

The expanded sanctions list published by the U.S. authorities in relation to Russian companies allegedly classified as "military end users" is a destructive move for bilateral ties, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Indian High Commission in Dhaka will jointly organise a seminar titled “Bangladesh and India: A Promising Future” here on Monday.

Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall will start an official visit to Jordan on March 23 over bilateral ties, said a statement by Jordanian Royal Court on Tuesday.