United News of Bangladesh

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday called on Chinese investors to increase their presence in Bangladesh, highlighting the role of security and stability in attracting foreign capital. The request came during a meeting with China’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Minister Salahuddin described China as a major development partner and urged expansion of existing investments, citing Bangladesh’s strategic location and long-standing bilateral ties. Chinese envoy meets PM Tarique, reaffirms China’s support Ambassador Yao said Bangladesh’s politically stable government creates a favourable environment for investment. He said roughly 10,000 Chinese nationals are currently working across sectors in the country and emphasised that development and security are interlinked, urging enhanced law enforcement and public safety measures. Joining the ‘International Alliance Combating Telecom and Cyber Fraud’, an initiative by China’s Ministry of Public Security, by Bangladesh also came up at the meeting for discussions. India, China invite Bangladesh FM to pay official visits Minister Salahuddin instructed officials to review the expired 2023 memorandum on law enforcement training cooperation and indicated plans to visit China later this year. Discussions spanned security, cybercrime prevention, police training, and business expansion, reflecting both countries’ aim to deepen economic and strategic ties.

Japan has invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to pay an official visit at a mutually convenient time as Tokyo reaffirmed its commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations with Dhaka. Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Shinichi Saida, who met Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, conveyed the invitation for the Prime Minister to visit Japan, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Shama Obaed Islam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs; Humayun Kabir, Adviser to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Disaster Management and Relief, and Civil Aviation and Tourism; Mahdi Amin, Adviser to the Ministries of Education, Primary and Mass Education, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and Labour and Employment; Dr Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment; and Asad Alam Siam, Foreign Secretary were, among others, present. During the meeting, Ambassador Saida congratulated Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on his assumption of office. The Ambassador said Japan will work with Bangladesh under the Strategic Partnership to further steadily deepen bilateral relations and collaborate to realise a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). They also exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including Japan’s development assistance, trade and investment, defence cooperation and other bilateral items. The two sides discussed cooperation under the Employment Skill Development Programme (ESDP), with particular focus on skills enhancement and Japanese language training for Bangladeshi workers aspiring to work in Japan. The Foreign Minister underscored the importance of improved access to information and proposed the development of a digital matchmaking platform to facilitate recruitment of skilled Bangladeshi workers by Japanese employers. Discussions were also held on defence procurement, metro rail cooperation and mutual support in international forums. Earlier in the day, the Japanese Ambassador paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam. Recalling Japan’s early recognition of Bangladesh, the State Minister reaffirmed her commitment to advancing Bangladesh-Japan relations and appreciated Japan’s continued support, including on the Rohingya issue.

Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday discussed ways to accelerate negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and strengthen cooperation in trade, energy, infrastructure and Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects. The issues were discussed when UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdulla Ali AlHmoudi paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting reaffirmed the longstanding friendship and ‘growing strategic partnership’ between Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates. UAE-Bangladesh joint venture to invest $10m at BEPZA Economic Zone The Foreign Minister conveyed appreciation for the greetings from the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. He emphasised Bangladesh’s commitment, under the ‘Bangladesh First’ policy, to elevating bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic and economic partnership. The Foreign Minister appreciated the UAE for hosting around 1.2 million Bangladeshi expatriates and requested reopening of labour visas and facilitating greater mobility, including business and transit visas. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation across sectors and enhancing people-to-people ties for mutual benefit. UAE rulers grant royal pardons to 440 Bangladeshi prisoners Earlier, the UAE Ambassador met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam. The State Minister stressed exchange of high-level visits and on holding regular meetings of existing bilateral platforms to identify opportunities and advance cooperation for mutual benefit.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman has reaffirmed Bangladesh's unwavering support and commitment to revitalise SAARC process. The Minister expressed Bangladesh's readiness to take proactive initiatives to strengthen and revitalise SAARC. He made the remarks when Secretary General of SAARC Md. Golam Sarwar met him on Tuesday. Foreign Minister reiterated Bangladesh's conviction in abiding commitment to the principles enshrined in the SAARC Charter including sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in internal affairs, and mutual benefit of the peoples of member states. The Foreign Minister recalled that the idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was first proposed by Bangladesh in the early 1980s by late President Ziaur Rahman to promote people's welfare, improve quality of life, and strengthen collective self- reliance in the region. Being one of the founder members and the host of the very first Summit of SAARC in December 1985 and twice in 1993 and 2005, Bangladesh acknowledges the valuable role of SAARC to foster common regional values and promote cooperation in key areas such as trade, investment, connectivity, climate change, food security, culture, people-to-people contacts and so forth, he said.

French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet on Monday underlined that French companies want to develop their presence in Bangladesh and need a business-friendly environment in this context. He, together with the Heads of EU diplomatic missions, paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman and discussed issues of mutual interest. The Ambassador felicitated the Minister for his new assignment and expressed the commitment of France to deepening the long-standing partnership with Bangladesh and developing new common initiatives. France, Bangladesh share common vision for peace, multilateralism: French Ambassador The Minister thanked the EU for the concrete support it extended to Bangladesh through the electoral observation mission, which played an important role in the general elections. He emphasised the importance of EU-Bangladesh relations and the new government's desire to facilitate exchanges in all fields.

Seeking stronger cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Sunday held a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rehman, felicitating him on his recent appointment. Both leaders expressed a desire to further strengthen bilateral ties, with a shared vision of peace, stability, and prosperity, said the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka. They also agreed to expand cooperation across diverse sectors and in multilateral fora, building a forward-looking partnership for the peoples of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Pakistan PM congratulates Tarique Rahman on election win, pledges closer ties

US President Donald J. Trump has congratulated Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on his assumption of office and expressed hope for stronger defence cooperation between the two countries. In his message to Tarique Rahman, President Trump said he expects the new Prime Minister to take decisive steps to complete the routine defence agreements that would enable Bangladesh’s military to access high-end American-made equipment, which he described as the best in the world. “I look forward to working with you to make the relationship between the United States and Bangladesh stronger than ever before,” he said in a letter to PM Tarique, shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. President Trump said the partnership between the two countries is based on mutual respect and a shared interest in fostering a free and open Indo-Pacific where strong, sovereign nations can prosper. “As you begin your term, I hope you will help me maintain the tremendous momentum in our trade relationship through the implementation of our Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, which benefits farmers and workers in both of our countries,” he said. President Trump said his Ambassador to Bangladesh, Brent Christensen, has my full confidence. “Together, we have an opportunity to make both of our nations more prosperous and secure.” “Good luck to you in the days ahead,” he said, congratulating PM Tarique on his historic election and wishing him a successful term as Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

Visiting Nepalese Minister for Foreign Affairs Bala Nanda Sharma on Wednesday met Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman and both Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to work closely across bilateral, regional, and multilateral platforms, advancing the shared interests of the two countries and peoples. The Nepalese Foreign Minister congratulated his Bangladesh counterpart on his appointment as the Foreign Minister of the government of Bangladesh. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Shama Obaed Islam, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and Director General Israt Jahan were also present in the meeting. Foreign Minister Sharma was accompanied by Ambassador Ghanshyam Bhandari, Joint Secretary Gahendra Rajbhandari, Deputy Chief of Mission Lalita Silwal, and Under Secretary Madhusudan Bhattarai. Special prayer for Khaleda Zia held at Kathmandu mission

President of the Maldives Dr Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday met newly elected Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to work closely with Bangladesh to further strengthen the longstanding friendly relations between the two countries. The meeting was held at The Jatiya Sangsad following the oath-taking ceremony of the Prime Minister and the new government of Bangladesh. During the meeting, the President congratulated the Prime Minister and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on their victory in the 13th parliamentary election held on February 12. Dhaka, Delhi can work for each other's security, prosperity: Modi tells Tarique The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation to the President for attending the oath-taking ceremony. The two leaders discussed a broad range of areas to enhance cooperation, including trade and investment, health cooperation, environmental collaboration, higher education and improved air connectivity. This visit marks President Dr Muizzu’s first official visit to Bangladesh, said the President’s office. Diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and the Maldives were established on September 22, 1978.

Prime Minister of Japan Takaichi Sanae on Tuesday congratulated Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and said she looks forward to working with her Bangladesh counterpart to strengthen the “strategic partnership” between the two countries. In her letter to Prime Minister Tarique, Prime Minister Takaichi extended her congratulations on Prime Minister Rahman’s assumption in office as Prime Minister. She also welcomed the further promotion of democratic effort in Bangladesh and expressed that she looks forward to working with Prime Minister Rahman to further develop the bilateral relations based on the “strategic partnership” between the two countries. Tarique Rahman sworn in as Prime Minister BNP Chairman was sworn in as the 11th Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Tuesday. President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad.