Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has called on the United States to take in more Rohingyas from Bangladesh for rehabilitation. He made the request during a meeting with the US Embassy's Charge d’Affaires in Bangladesh, Tracey Ann Jacobson, at the Secretariat on Tuesday. Praising the US for its humanitarian aid and rehabilitation efforts for the Rohingyas, the adviser said, “The US has already rehabilitated some Rohingyas. I urge them to take in more for rehabilitation.” Responding to the request, Jacobson highlighted the US’s significant contribution to Rohingya development and rehabilitation. UN’s IIMM to investigate allegations of abuse against Rohingyas She noted that USAID, a US-based development organisation, has been collaborating with local Bangladeshi NGOs to improve the living standards of the Rohingyas. “The US has already rehabilitated about 17,000 Rohingyas and this process is going on.” The bilateral meeting covered several topics, including security, counterterrorism, the Rohingya crisis, law enforcement cooperation, police reforms, border issues, minority rights and agriculture. Terming the US a key development partner, the adviser acknowledged its continued support in addressing terrorism and security challenges. He also urged the US to provide training for the police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Coast Guard on human rights and human trafficking. Responding to a query, Jahangir Alam said that the country’s borders are stable, with a director-general-level meeting between the BGB and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) scheduled to take place in New Delhi next month. On the question of minority persecution, the adviser dismissed such claims as propaganda from Indian media. “There is no persecution of minorities in Bangladesh. We consider everyone as Bangladeshi citizens with equal rights.” Govt demands clarification from UN on Rohingya exodus report He attributed isolated incidents involving minorities after August 5 to political reasons rather than religious ones. Jacobson reaffirmed the US’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s development. She announced that the US is now allowing 30% more Bangladeshi students to pursue higher education compared to previous years. “We will also provide additional training to law enforcement agencies and ensure that participants apply their knowledge effectively upon returning to their duties.” Highlighting the importance of information sharing and database exchange to tackle terrorism and security concerns, Jacobson noted that the countries enjoy robust cooperation in these areas. Senior officials from the US Embassy in Dhaka were present at the meeting.

Members of Bangladesh Navy have arrested 19 people including a human trafficker for their alleged attempt to go to Malaysia illegally from Kacchapia in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district. Tipped off, a Navy team conducted a drive in the area early Tuesday and arrested them, said a press release of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Bangladeshi, Indian civilians face off along Chapainawabganj border The arrestees were handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station. In line with the current government's directives, under the framework of 'In Aid to Civil Power, the Bangladesh Navy will conduct regular patrol operations to recover illegal arms, eliminate drugs and terrorism and maintain law and order.

Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have detained 58 Rohingyas, including women, children, and elderly individuals, during an illegal entry attempt through the Buchitong border in Alikadam Upazila’s Nayapara Union, Bandarban. The operation was conducted by the Alikadam Battalion in the early hours of Saturday. According to police and local sources, the detentions were made following a tip-off about Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar with assistance from several Bangladeshi nationals. Acting on the information, BGB personnel launched a raid in the border area and held the group at around 4am. They were intercepted while being transported on a truck, a private car, and several motorcycles. Besides, five people accused of facilitating the illegal crossing were also detained during the operation. Saving lives must be first priority, says UNHCR as more Rohingya flee by sea Legal proceedings against them are underway, and cases are being prepared at Alikadam Police Station. The Rohingyas, meanwhile, are expected to be pushed back to Myanmar as part of the authorities' ongoing efforts to prevent illegal crossings. Alikadam Police Station’s officer-in-charge, Mirza Zahid Uddin, confirmed receiving information about the detainees but said that no case had yet been filed. “Appropriate measures will be taken once the case is lodged,” he added. The attempted crossings come amidst a protracted conflict in Myanmar, where disputes between the government and rebel groups have intensified, forcing many Rohingyas to flee the region in search of safety. Bangladeshi authorities have been vigilant in monitoring the border and check the influx of refugees and maintain security.

The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has called on States to prioritise life-saving actions as hundreds of Rohingya stateless refugees from Myanmar have sought safety in the region in the first five days of the new year. A total of 460 men, women and children have so far arrived by boat in countries in the region, including Malaysia (196 people on 3 January) and Indonesia (264 people on 5 January) after weeks at sea. Ten people have reportedly died during the journeys. Just three weeks before, another 115 Rohingya landed in Sri Lanka after losing six people at sea. “Saving lives must be the first priority,” said Hai Kyung Jun, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific on Wednesday. “We appreciate the steps taken by governments in the region to receive these vulnerable people who fled fighting and persecution back home and survived long days at sea with little food and water. We stand ready to provide support to governments and local efforts to assist them.” The new arrivals come at the peak of the “sailing season” – when seas are calmer between the annual monsoon seasons – following an intensification of fighting in Myanmar. In 2024, more than 7,800 Rohingya attempted to flee the country by boat – an 80 per cent increase compared to 2023. Over 650 people died or were reported missing enroute, making this one of the world’s most perilous journeys. Read: 260 Rohingya refugees arrive in Indonesia's coast More children embarked on the voyage, accounting for 44 per cent of total passengers, up from 37 per cent in 2023. The proportion of women also increased to almost a third. Among last year’s new trends, thousands of people were so desperate to flee that they risked their lives trying to cross the Naf River to Bangladesh in severe weather during the rainy season, UNHCR said. In addition, it said, an increasing proportion of Rohingya have set sail directly from Myanmar whereas in the past, many left from Bangladesh’s camps. There are reports of boats being pushed back to sea. “While States have the legitimate right to control their borders and manage irregular movements, especially in the context of people smuggling and trafficking, such measures must guarantee the rights of people to reach safety,” said Jun. “We call on all States to continue search and rescue efforts and make sure that survivors receive the assistance and protection they need.” As the situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate, more people are expected to flee in the coming months, UNHCR aaid. Read more: Bangladesh had to accept huge Rohingyas under certain circumstances: Touhid Hossain An important part of the solution lies in building on the solid cooperation and planning that has already been undertaken by ASEAN and the Bali Process to address irregular maritime movements. UNHCR encouraged States to focus on protection at sea, meeting humanitarian needs and addressing false narratives and hate speech against refugees and asylum-seekers arriving on their shores. Greater international and regional action is also required to end the fighting in Myanmar and address the root causes of displacement so that refugees can return home voluntarily, safely and with dignity.

Expressing concern over the situation in Myanmar, the United States has said helping resolve Rohingya refugee crisis remains a priority for them.  "So we are following this development closely. We’re remained concerned by the conflict and its potential to undermine regional stability and security," Spokesperson at US Department of State Matthew Miller said during a regular media briefing in Washington on December 17. He made the remarks when a reporter wanted to know how the US is assessing the situation and the fate of the Rohingya refugees, noting that the Arakan Army has taken control of the Rakhine state. UN reappoints Dr Debapriya to Committee for Development Policy The people and government of Bangladesh have shown generosity in hosting Rohingya refugees who have fled persecution in Myanmar, Miller said.  "We will continue to work with Bangladesh to support Rohingya and members of other vulnerable communities from Burma (Myanmar) who have taken refuge there," he said. Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. Dr Yunus, Ramos-Horta express optimism for stronger partnership

Police detained a Rohingya man while he was attempting to register as a voter in Sadullapur upazila of Gaibandha on Sunday. The detainee was identified as Nurul Amin, said an Election Commission press release on Monday. Nurul visited the Sadullapur Upazila Election Office on Sunday to register as a voter. Two Bangladeshi individuals, Tayeb Sarkar and Jibon Kresh Dipan Ujjal, recommended him for registration, it said. Rohingyas trying to be voters illegally: EC When election office staff questioned him about his identity and address, Nurul could not respond satisfactorily. His inconsistent answers raised suspicions, prompting the staff to infom the police. Police arrived at the election office, investigated the matter, and confirmed that Nuru was not a Bangladeshi citizen but a member of the Rohingya community, the release also said. Sadullapur Upazila Election officer filed a case at the local police station and handed Nurul over to the authorities.

About 140 weak and hungry Rohingya Muslims, mostly women and children, were on a wooden boat anchored about 1 mile (0.60 kilometers) off the coast of Indonesia’s northernmost province of Aceh on Tuesday, officials said, and local residents refused to allow them onto land. The blue-painted boat has been floating off the coast since Friday. Three Rohingya died during the nearly two-week-long trip from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh to the waters off Labuhan Haji in South Aceh district, local police said. Five shot in clash at Ukhiya Rohingya Camp Authorities have transferred 11 Rohingya to a government hospital since Sunday after their health worsened. “Our community, the fishing community, refuses to let them land because of what happened in other places. They have caused unrest to local residents,” said Muhammad Jabal, the chief of the fishing community in South Aceh. A large banner hanging at the seaport read: “The people of South Aceh Regency reject the arrival of Rohingya refugees in the South Aceh Regency area." The group left Cox’s Bazar on Oct. 9, according to an Aceh police report, and intended to reach Malaysia. Some passengers on the boat had reportedly paid to be transported to other countries. Local residents have given the group food, Jabal said, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has also provided them food. There were 216 people on board when the boat departed Bangladesh and 50 of them reportedly disembarked in Indonesia’s Riau province, according to police. Aceh police have arrested three suspects for alleged people smuggling. About 1 million of the predominately Muslim Rohingya live in Bangladesh as refugees from Myanmar. They include about 740,000 who fled a brutal counterinsurgency campaign in 2017 by Myanmar’s security forces, who were accused of committing mass rapes and killings. The Rohingya minority in Myanmar faces widespread discrimination. Most are denied citizenship. Indonesia, like Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention and is not obligated to accept them. However, the country generally provides temporary shelter to refugees in distress. In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from atop the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Aceh. Another 67 passengers, including at least 28 children, had been killed when the boat capsized, according to the UNHCR. AP reported that the captain and crew had tortured women and girls before the the boat capsized.

Foreign assistance for the Rohingya community taking shelter in Cox’s Bazar has dwindled and Bangladesh is struggling to sustain its programmes for them as the Rohingya crisis has dragged on and the attention of the international community shifted elsewhere. Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) disclosed the information at a roundtable discussion held at a hotel in the capital on Sunday. Speaking as the chief guest at a discussion titled "Integrated Approach to Eye Care Services in Humanitarian Settings: Lessons and Best Practices," organised by Orbis International and The Financial Express, he said looking after the Rohingya community is not the responsibility of Bangladesh alone. “We’ve shouldered the responsibility of the international community, including the United Nations. We’re working on behalf of them. Now they are forgetting us,” Orbis International quoted him as saying. Mizanur said health facilities in Rohingya camps has decreased from 160 to 120 now and components in the facilities also cut significantly due to fund shortage. Dhaka voices “deep concern” over recent influx of 40,000 Rohingyas He said the international agencies now working for the Rohingya community are also experiencing fund constraints. Professor Dr AHM Enayet Hussain, President of the Ophthalmological Society of Bangladesh (OSB) and Country Chair of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) Bangladesh Chapter, while chairing the event said eye care is no more a health issue, it is now a development issue. He said with better eye care, one can perform better for society. Prof Enayet highlighted the lack of coordination among different agencies for prioritizing eye care in the government health facilities. Prof Khair Ahmed Choudhury, Director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIO&H), disclosed at the discussion that Bangladesh is bringing cornea from Nepal for the victims of the July movement. He said the corneas for two patients were supposed to reach Dhaka by Sunday (October 20) afternoon on a Biman Bangladesh flight. Khair Ahmed said many people suffered eye issues due to gunshots and other injuries during the movement. Dhaka seeks Beijing's more active role to resolve Rohingya crisis Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Md Shamsud Douza urged actions for health literacy, including eye care, so that people understand their health problems and seek treatment. He stressed the need of cornea donation to restore eyesight of many and said awareness can encourage people to donate corneas. Representatives from Orbis’s partners in Rohingya response program, local and international non-government organizations working for the Rohingya community and relevant government bodies participated in the event. The participants discussed the challenges and opportunities in eye health and the ways to overcome the challenges and tap the opportunities, made different suggestions that may help make Rohingya-related programs integrated and comprehensive. The Fred Hollows Foundation Country Manager Musabbir Alam, Cox’s Bazar Baitush Sharaf Hospital (CBBSH) Manager Shahid Uddin Mahmood, Alliance for Cooperation and Legal Aid Bangladesh (ACLAB) official Moniruzzman, journalists Nurul Islam Hasib and Sarwar Azam Manik , among others, also spoke at the roundtable.

Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia will hold the second political consultations in Riyadh on July 1 which is likely to highlight issues related to trade, investment, Bangladeshi migrants, Rohingya crisis and other issues of mutual interests, officials said on Sunday (June 30, 2024). Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud will lead the Bangladesh and Saudi delegations respectively at the high-level meeting that will be held at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Issues related to education, health, environment and climate change, ICT and tourism are also likely to be discussed in the meeting. FM Hasan is scheduled to reach Riyadh early Monday on a two-day official visit, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB. The foreign minister is scheduled to return home on July 3. Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister Sheikh Salman F Rahman will be part of the delegation as investment issues may come up in a big way. Additional Foreign Secretary (bilateral East and West)  Md Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mohammad Javed Patwary, Director General of West Asia Wing Shafiqur Rahman and Director Nafisa Monsur will accompany the foreign minister as part of Bangladesh delegation members. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who is also the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is likely to pay an official visit to Bangladesh later this year. This would be a landmark event in the history of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia leading to the consolidation of ties, especially in trade and commerce, investment and economic cooperation, according to official on both sides. The Saudi crown prince has accepted the invitation extended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to visit the country this year, and both sides may discuss the issue further for finalization of details, a Bangladesh official told UNB speaking on condition of anonymity. PM’s upcoming China visit a reflection of maintaining balanced diplomacy: Foreign Minister It would be the first ever visit of any Saudi crown prince to Bangladesh after 1985 when the then Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz visited Dhaka. A good number of bilateral instruments -- MoUs and agreements – are likely to be signed during the visit of the Saudi leader, which would strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries significantly, both sides hope. The first ever political consultations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia were held on March 16, 2022 in Dhaka. At the meeting, both the leaders reaffirmed the bond of enduring ties and friendship existing between the two brotherly countries and expressed satisfaction over the state of bilateral cooperation. They noted the understanding and goodwill existing at the political level between the two countries and emphasised the need for devising means and ways to translate this into concrete outcomes. Both sides further stressed the need to coordinate and work together at functional levels to carry forward the policy decision for mutual benefit of the peoples of the two countries.  Several Saudi companies have already invested in some sectors in Bangladesh and some other companies are considering greater engagement in various areas. Bangladeshi immigration emerges as UK election issue after Labour leader’s comments spark outrage The envoy said about 2.8 million Bangladeshis working in Saudi Arabia are also making significant contributions to Saudi and Bangladesh economies. In May this year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) wanted to know the progress of efforts in renewing the passports of the Rohingyas who went to the KSA back in 1973-74 with Bangladeshi passports. Saudi Deputy Interior Minister Dr Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al-Daoud discussed the issue with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan during a bilateral meeting at that time. Read more: Saudi Crown Prince exchanges greetings with Hasan Mahmud

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has written back to US President Joe Biden. Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud handed over a copy of the letter to Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South Asia, US National Security Council (NSC), Eileen Laubacher on Sunday. It is a response to the letter sent by the US President to the Bangladesh Prime Minister. Bangladesh Ambassador to USA, Muhammad Imran, will hand over the original copy of the letter to White House. The Foreign Minister has said that they want a new chapter of relations with Bangladesh. “We want to begin a new chapter of relations with them,” he said, adding that the nations will benefit through strengthening the relations. Eileen Laubacher led an inter-agency US delegation during her meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday. Read:  PM's daughter Putul thanks Joe Biden for 'warm hospitality'   The USAID’s Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia Michael Schiffer, the US Department of States Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) Afreen Akhter, and CDA of the US Embassy in Dhaka Helen LaFave were present at the meeting. Besides, Bangladesh Ambassador to the US Muhammad Imran and Director General of Foreign Ministry’s North America Wing Khandker Masudul Alam and other officials from the ministry were present. The discussions centred around exploring new avenues to deepening the existing relationship. Economic cooperation, trade and investment, Rohingya humanitarian response, climate change, and energy were in focus during the meeting. The Foreign Minister reiterated Bangladesh’s steadfast position in favour of peace and against any form of war. He asked for US to use its leverage to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Read: PM Hasina greets new US President Joe Biden Hasan also hoped for the Russia-Ukraine war to end. The extradition of Bangabandhu’s self-confessed killer Rashed Chowdhury from the US was also discussed. He also asked for the withdrawal of the US sanction on RAB. Earlier, US President Joe Biden wrote to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressing his willingness to work together to achieve Bangladesh’s economic goals. He also expressed willingness to partnering with Bangladesh on the shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. As the two countries embark on the next chapter of the US-Bangladesh partnership, Biden said he wants to convey the sincere desire of his administration to continue their work together on regional and global security, economic development, climate change and energy, global health, humanitarian support, especially for Rohingya refugees, and more. Read more: Fakhrul showers praises on Joe Biden, Kamala Harris “We have a long and successful history of working together to solve problems, and our strong people-to-people ties are the foundation of this relationship,” the US President wrote to PM Sheikh Hasina.