The United States has said the safety and security of their diplomatic personnel and facilities are of utmost importance. “So, I’m not going to get into the specifics about security details concerning the U.S. embassy or its personnel,” Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State, said during a press briefing on May 15 (US time) at the State Department while responding to a question.    He, however, noted that as per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, any host country “must uphold its obligations to ensure the protection of all diplomatic mission premises and personnel and take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on personnel.” Read: US doesn’t endorse one political party over another in Bangladesh: State Department Patel made the remarks after Bangladesh decided not to provide additional security escorts for a number of foreign diplomats, including the US and UK envoys, in Dhaka. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen yesterday (May 15, 2023) said, “If they want it, they can get it in exchange for payment. We won’t provide this extra (security) escort service with taxpayers’ money.” “In developed countries, no government provides such extra facilities,” Momen said. Read more: US calls upcoming national election an 'internal' affair of Bangladesh The minister said there has been no deterioration of the law and order situation that such service is required.

Iran and Saudi Arabia on Friday agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after years of tensions between the two countries, including a devastating attack on the heart of the kingdom's oil production attributed to Tehran. The deal, struck in Beijing this week amid its ceremonial National People’s Congress, represents a major diplomatic victory for the Chinese as Gulf states perceive the United States slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East. It also comes as diplomats have been trying to end a yearslong war in Yemen, a conflict in which both Iran and Saudi Arabia are deeply entrenched. The two countries released a joint communique with China on the deal, which apparently brokered the agreement. Chinese state media did not immediately report on the deal. Iranian state media posted images and video it described as being taken in China with the meeting. It showed Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, with a Saudi official and a Chinese official that state TV named as Wang Yi. “After implementing of the decision, the foreign ministers of the both nations will meet to prepare for exchange of ambassadors,” Iranian state television said. It added that the talks had been held over four days. Saudi Arabian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Shortly after the Iranian announcement, Saudi state media began publishing the same statement. Read more: Risky Gulf Arab strategy tested by killing of Iran general Tensions have been high between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The kingdom broke off ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters invaded Saudi diplomatic posts there. Saudi Arabia days earlier had executed a prominent Shiite cleric, triggering the demonstrations. In the years since, tensions have risen dramatically across the Middle East since the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. Iran has been blamed for a series of attacks in the time since, including one that targeted the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry in 2019, temporarily halving the kingdom's crude production. Though Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels initially claimed the attack, Western nations and experts have blamed the attack on Tehran. Iran long has denied launching the attack. It has also denied carrying out other assaults later attributed to the Islamic Republic. The Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014 and forced the internationally recognized government into exile in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition armed with U.S. weaponry and intelligence entered the war on the side of Yemen’s exiled government in March 2015. Years of inconclusive fighting has created a humanitarian disaster and pushed the Arab world’s poorest nation to the brink of famine. A six-month cease-fire in Yemen’s war, the longest of the conflict, expired in October despite diplomatic efforts to renew it. That led to fears the war could again escalate. More than 150,000 people have been killed in Yemen during the fighting, including over 14,500 civilians. In recent months, negotiations have been ongoing, including in Oman, a longtime interlocutor between Iran and the U.S. Some have hoped for an agreement ahead of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which will begin later in March. The U.S. Navy and its allies have seized a number of weapons shipments recently they describe as coming from Iran heading to Yemen. Iran denies arming the Houthis, despite weapons seized mirroring others seen on the battlefield in the rebels' hands. A United Nations arms embargo bars nations from sending weapons to the Houthis. Read more: Iran says oil tanker struck by missiles off Saudi Arabia

On the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bangladesh, the Japan Foundation in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh will organize a traveling exhibition titled “Photographic Images and Matter: Japanese Prints of the 1970s’’ at the Liberation War Museum. The event will be inaugurated on Friday (September 16), and will remain open to visitors till September 29, except Sundays. State Minister for Cultural Affairs K.M Khalid will inaugurate the exhibition as the chief guest and eminent artist Professor Syed Abul Barq Alvi will be present as special guest, along with Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki, according to the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday afternoon held a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level between China and Britain, Xi said that the bilateral relationship in the past half century has witnessed continuous growth on the whole despite some ups and downs. The trade volume between the two countries has increased from 300 million U.S. dollars to 100 billion dollars, and the two-way investment stock has risen from almost zero to 50 billion dollars, Xi said. Read:China, Afghanistan pledge orderly, mutually beneficial cooperation Last year, bilateral trade reached a new high, and China's investment in Britain more than tripled, Xi said, adding that British-funded enterprises have actively participated in China's reform and opening up, and London has become the world's largest offshore RMB trading hub. The two countries have coordinated and cooperated in such fields as global development and climate change, and have made positive contributions to tackling humanity's common challenges, Xi said. Noting that China and Britain have different domestic conditions and development paths, Xi said the two sides should bear in mind a strategic and long-term perspective, respect each other, promote dialogue and communication based on openness and inclusiveness, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation. Xi said that China is willing to conduct dialogue and cooperation with Britain in a frank, open and inclusive manner, and hopes that the British side can view China and China-Britain relations objectively, and work with China in promoting a continuous development of bilateral ties. For his part, Johnson said that Britain-China relations are of great importance. Trade between Britain and China has been growing rapidly, and Chinese students in Britain outnumber those in any other European countries, of which, he said, Britain is very proud. Read:One 'black box' found in China Eastern plane crash Britain and China, two permanent members of the UN Security Council, share common interests on many issues and can work with each other on many things, he said. He also said that Britain is willing to have candid dialogues with China, strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, expand bilateral economic and trade cooperation and deepen communication and coordination on such global issues and regional hotspots as climate change and bio-diversity.

President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis has highlighted their "stronger than ever partnership" with Bangladesh as the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.  President Cassis underlined key areas of future collaboration, including COVID-19 recovery, peace and prosperity, climate change and sustainable development.  On this day five decades ago, Switzerland officially recognized Bangladesh as an independent State.  Read:Certain Bangladesh media coverage of Ukraine war biased against Moscow: Russian Ambassador To commemorate this very significant milestone, the Swiss President extended his greetings to President Md. Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.    In his congratulatory messages, the president of Switzerland, emphasized the longstanding collaboration between the two countries in many domains as well as the continuous broadening and deepening of bilateral ties. Being a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, Switzerland aims at further "broadening its engagement" with Bangladesh also in multilateral fora to tackle global peace and security challenges. Over the last five decades, Switzerland has been a reliable development and economic partner of the people and government of Bangladesh, says its embassy on Sunday.  Switzerland has invested over CHF 1.2 billion (US$ 1.3 billion) in development assistance in the country, with significant additional contributions channelled through international financial institutions.  Switzerland’s development cooperation focuses on innovative projects benefitting the most vulnerable.  Read:China won’t build military base in Bangladesh: Ambassador Bilateral trade has increased rapidly and today, traded goods amount to over CHF 1 billion (US$ 1.1 billion) per year, said the embassy. Most Swiss multinational companies are present in the country and provide critical products, technologies and services in various key socio-economic sectors. 

Bangladesh and Australia have celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations reiterating with the two governments committing to promote meaningful partnership to face regional and global challenges like climate change, forced displacement and regional security. The Australian High Commission in Dhaka hosted a programme at a city hotel on Monday evening, marking the day. Attending the function, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer highlighted the respective government’s commitment to foster bilateral engagement on Covid-19 recovery, trade and investment, education, technology and innovation.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said they look forward to strengthening their defence and economic cooperation with Bangladesh. "Australia and Bangladesh stand fast in our resolve to build a more secure, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific," said the Australian Prime Minister in a message marking the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries that falls on January 31. He said the two countries also look forward to working towards their shared recovery from the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read:Bangladesh a country with international outlook: Australian envoy On behalf of all Australians, the Australian Prime Minister sent warm greetings to the government and the people of Bangladesh as they celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations. "Australia is a long-standing friend of Bangladesh. Our enduring partnership extends back to our early recognition of Bangladesh's independence and the opening of our mission in Dhaka on 31 January 1972," he said. Half a century on, Morrison said, people of the two countries continue to enjoy warm and friendly ties - built on mutual respect, community links and our shared democratic values. "Of course, our people also have a love of sport; a passion that brings our competitive spirit to the fore most notably on the cricket field. I am confident we are going to see this sporting rivalry develop further in the years ahead, as Bangladesh continue to make their mark in world cricket," he said, adding that they look forward to welcoming Bangladesh to Australia for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup later this year. The Australia-Bangladesh Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement will be important as they chart a new course, he said. Read:Bangladesh achieves extraordinary, sustained economic growth This agreement will energise and expand business relationship, strengthening jobs and creating business opportunities in both countries, said the Australian Prime Minister. "On behalf of the Australian Government, I join with the people of Bangladesh in celebrating our special history and relationship. With such enormous goodwill between us, I hold much hope for the years ahead," he said.

On 31 January 2022, Australia and Bangladesh celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations.  It was on this day 50 years ago that Australia’s Foreign Minister, Nigel Bowen, announced that Australia had recognised the government led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the government of the new state of Bangladesh. Whilst the announcement was made on 31 January, the Australian cabinet made the decision to recognise Bangladesh some days earlier on 25 January itself. Australia is proud to count itself as a close friend of Bangladesh. Those of us who have had the privilege to work for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are reminded of our close history with Bangladesh and Bengal each time we enter our diplomatic headquarters in Canberra, the RG Casey Building. Read:Dhaka smells more ‘assaults’, wants to counter propaganda abroad with facts As many readers would know, Richard Casey was Governor of Bengal from 1944 to 1946. He also served as Australia’s Foreign Minister and Governor General. When he was Governor of Bengal, his secretary was James Lawrence Allen, who was an Australian born in British India and spoke Bangla and Urdu. On this day 50 years ago, JL Allen became the head of our inaugural diplomatic mission in an independent Bangladesh. Australia was not a passive bystander to the liberation struggle and is proud to be one of the first countries to have recognised Bangladesh’s independence. During the liberation struggle Australia’s Prime Minister, William McMahon, wrote to General Yahya Khan four times urging a political settlement based upon negotiation with the Awami League and its leaders, particularly Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The fourth letter was written after Mr McMahon’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Washington DC on 4 November 1971. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations we commemorate the long and arduous struggle for Bangladesh’s independence. Our thoughts are with all the soldiers, men, women, and children who suffered during the liberation. I would like to remember the contribution of Dutch-Australian William A S Ouderland, who fought in the Liberation War and was the only foreigner to have been awarded fourth-highest gallantry award, the Bir Pratik, by the Bangladesh government. Ouderland organised and trained the guerrilla fighters of the Mukti Bahini and provided them with food and shelter and medicine. I also acknowledge Australian Dr Geoffrey Davis who in 1972, at the request of WHO and International Planned Parenthood Federation, travelled to Bangladesh to support the hundreds of thousands of Birangonas. This is a stark reminder of the scale of the suffering and the civilian cost of the war. While we remember the struggle and the fallen, we also take stock of how much has been achieved in these past 50 years and look towards the future. When Australia recognised Bangladesh and its government led by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Foreign Minister Bowen noted that ‘…as a country of 75 million people bordering the Indian Ocean, Bangladesh was likely to play an increasingly important part in the affairs of South and South East Asia.’ Perhaps it would be fair to say that, like so many people at that time, Mr Bowen might have also underestimated Bangladesh. Over the past 50 years Bangladesh has demonstrated that its role in international affairs extends well beyond our shared Indo-Pacific region. Bangladesh is a country with an international outlook. It is a major contributor to international peacekeeping efforts and a key voice for countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Bangladesh has also achieved extraordinary, sustained economic growth. Trade between Australia and Bangladesh has grown by 550 per cent over the last decade.  By 2019-20, our two-way trade in goods and services reached nearly AUD2.6 billion.  We want to see mutually beneficial trade continue to grow as our economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2021, we signed a new Australia-Bangladesh Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA). Read:Dhaka wants international organisations to consider facts, not letters Under the TIFA we look forward to exploring how our governments can work together to boost the recovery of the private sector and lead economic growth. We also look forward to welcoming Bangladeshi officials to Australia in February 2022 for the inaugural TIFA joint working group talks, COVID-19 permitting. As we celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations, I would particularly like to acknowledge the people-to-people links that have made our relationship so strong, warm and enduring. As Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison noted in his message today, ‘With such enormous goodwill between us, I hold much hope for the years ahead.’

Winners of the 'Contents Contest on Korea-Bangladesh Relations' were conferred with awards by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea at a ceremony held in Dhaka recently. The awards ceremony at the Embassy in Dhaka was held marking the anniversary of Korea-Bangladesh diplomatic relations. The awards were to encourage Bangladeshi content creators who have contributed to promoting understanding between the two countries. Read: South Korea suspends visas for Bangladeshis to curb Covid-19 Among a number of participants in the contest, Tanjina Haque bagged the first prize for presenting a comprehensive survey of the Korea-Bangladesh ties for almost 50 years with many pieces of relevant photos and records. Other winners of the contest are Istinarah Surrat Nubah, Naimul Hasan, Reyad Hossain, MD Nuralam Mollah, Abdullah Al Mamun and Norul Isam. Some of the works presented by them have been uploaded on the Embassy's website, it's Facebook page and YouTube channel. The history of the ties between the Republic of Korea and Bangladesh dates back to the early 1970s, particularly the 12th of May, 1972, when Korea officially recognised the independent government of Bangladesh, said the Embassy.  Thereafter, it said, the two countries established official diplomatic relations on December 18, 1973, and Korea opened its Embassy in Dhaka on March 1, 1975.  Read:S Korea provides US$ 1 mn to IOM to support Rohingyas affected in recent fire This year marks the 48th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun shared an interesting story about the role of the former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the initial period of the two countries’ relations at the 4th Bangabandhu Lecture Series held at the Bangladesh Foreign Service Academy on March 15, 2021.  

Bangladesh has reiterated her support for Japan’s bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council as the two countries agreed to foster greater cooperation in the international fora including at the UN.