United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman returned home on Sunday morning after wrapping up his five-day visit to the United States to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). “An Emirates flight carrying the Prime Minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and members of his entourage reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport via Dubai around 8:20am,” PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu told UNB. Upon his arrival, Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brigadier General (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam, Whip Miah Nuruddin Ahmad Apu, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar and local MP SM Jahangir Hossain received the Prime Minister at the airport. After a six-hour transit stop in Dubai, the Emirates flight departed Dubai International Airport for Dhaka at 2:15am local time, Shiplu said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday said his government is transforming Bangladesh’s health system with a focus on prevention, placing primary healthcare at the foundation of its reform agenda and giving priority to women and children. “My government is transforming our health system, guided by a simple principle: ‘Prevention is better than cure.’ We want to build a healthy Bangladesh, where healthcare begins in the home and community,” he said. The Prime Minister made the remarks while opening a high-level side event titled “From Commitment to Action: Integrating Midwifery into Primary Health Care to End Preventable Maternal and Newborn Deaths” at the UN Headquarters in New York. Bangladesh co-hosted the event with Sweden in partnership with UNFPA on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Tarique Rahman said political commitment becomes meaningful when translated into investment, institutions, skilled people and better lives. He said his government intends to recruit 100,000 additional health workers, 80 percent of whom will be women. “They will connect families with the health system, identify risks early, and support timely care,” he said. Highlighting the role of midwives, the Prime Minister said a professional midwife is much more than a skilled birth attendant and could become a woman’s trusted health professional from preconception through the postnatal period. “My government has taken the decision to recruit 25,000 professional midwives across Bangladesh, and that process has begun,” he said. “We want them to become an integral part of multidisciplinary Primary Health Care teams,” Tarique Rahman added. The midwives will provide essential reproductive care, support antenatal care, promote safe and respectful childbirth, identify complications early, facilitate referrals and care for mothers and newborns, including breastfeeding, immunisation and healthy childhood development, he said. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has built an important foundation for professional midwifery, including professional midwifery education, stronger regulation, and the deployment of midwives across district, sub-district, and union-level facilities. “We now have more than 11,000 licensed midwives, with the objective of reaching 25,000 by 2030,” he said. Tarique Rahman said Bangladesh’s partnership with Sweden and UNFPA had made an important contribution to the sector. With UNFPA’s cooperation, Bangladesh has expanded midwifery-led care across 22 districts, where skilled midwives supported more than 154,000 births and managed critical maternal cases, he said. “These are not merely statistics. They represent mothers returning home safely, and newborns beginning life with hope,” the Prime Minister said. He also outlined the government’s plan to build an integrated digital health ecosystem. “Our vision is that every citizen will have a Health Card linked with a digital health record and electronic referral system,” Tarique Rahman said. He said the system will allow a woman in rural Bangladesh to have her care registered close to home, her visits tracked and her risk factors recorded. “If referred to a higher-level hospital, the necessary information should travel with her,” the Prime Minister said. He said the government’s vision for women’s health extended beyond pregnancy and childbirth. “We must address women’s health across the life course, including adolescent health, reproductive health and family planning, and prevention and early detection of cervical and breast cancers,” Tarique Rahman said. He said midwifery must be part of a broader platform for women’s health within primary healthcare, while the next phase should be driven by national ownership and sustainable domestic investment. “As we open today’s discussion, I leave you with one ambition: Every woman should have access to a skilled professional midwife as part of her Primary Health Care team, close to where she lives,” the Prime Minister said. “For Bangladesh, this means deploying midwives nationwide, strengthening community health services and referral pathways, and connecting citizens through a modern digital health system,” he said. “Together, these steps will help us build a healthy, thriving Bangladesh. And this is how we move from commitment to action,” Tarique Rahman added. Prime Minister wife Dr Zubaida Rahman also spoke at the programme.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed ways to expand cooperation between Bangladesh and Türkiye in the areas of economy, trade and investment during a meeting in New York on Tuesday. The high-level meeting was held at the Turkish House at 821 United Nations Plaza. The two leaders exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest and discussed the scope for further expanding existing cooperation in the economic, trade and investment sectors.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday held separate meetings with Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Maldives Vice President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The talks took place at the UN Headquarters in New York as the Prime Minister attended the high-level General Debate of the 81st UNGA, according to a release issued by the Prime Minister’s Press Wing.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and World Bank Group President Ajay Banga on Tuesday discussed Bangladesh’s development priorities, economic progress and ways to further strengthen World Bank support for the country’s development efforts. During their meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, they also exchanged views on ways to explore opportunities to expand areas of partnership between Bangladesh and the World Bank in the future, according to a release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the youngest brother of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. In a condolence message posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday, the Prime Minister conveyed heartfelt condolences on behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh. “May Almighty Allah bless the departed soul with His infinite mercy and grant him Jannatul Firdaus, and give the bereaved family strength and patience,” he said. ]Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who served as Deputy Chairman of Dubai Police and Public Security, has died at the age of 76, the Dubai Media Office announced on Monday.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the first time on September 24, outlining Bangladesh’s vision and priorities as he attends the 81st session of the global forum in New York this week. In his address, the Prime Minister is expected to highlight Bangladesh’s renewed democratic journey, the rule of law and accountability, global peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, economic cooperation, youth and women’s empowerment, education and health, the Rohingya crisis, equitable and inclusive access to modern technology, and reform of the multilateral system. Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam briefed the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, saying Bangladesh’s participation in this year’s UNGA carries special significance in several respects. Additional Foreign Secretary (public diplomacy and other priority matters) AKM Shahidul Karim and senior officials of the ministry were present. Tarique Rahman will leave for New York on September 21 and remain there until September 25 for a packed programme of high-level meetings and diplomatic engagements on the sidelines of the UNGA. He will deliver his address in Bangla. The Prime Minister, who will be accompanied by a relatively small delegation, is expected to use the visit to outline Bangladesh’s vision for the future and articulate its priorities before world leaders. “I believe this visit will create a significant opportunity to showcase the new journey of Bangladesh’s new government on the global stage, while also expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation,” Foreign Secretary Siam said. Through the visit, he said, Bangladesh aims to convey to the world a message of a democratic, self-confident, responsible, peace-loving and promising nation. Highlighting the significance of Bangladesh’s participation in the UNGA, Siam said this would be the current government’s first participation in the United Nations’ premier global forum. “It offers an opportunity to present the new government’s political commitments and the vision for a future Bangladesh to the global community,” the Foreign Secretary said. Secondly, he said, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would represent Bangladesh at the UN General Assembly for the first time. “Furthermore, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister will serve as the President of this very session. Thus, this is not only a rare and historic moment for us but also a matter of distinct prestige and pride,” Siam said. Thirdly, he said, the Prime Minister would hold important meetings on the sidelines with heads of state and government from various countries, as well as senior officials of international organisations. “These meetings will create new opportunities to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation,” he said. The address will be particularly significant as it will mark Tarique Rahman’s first appearance at the UN General Assembly as Prime Minister and the current government’s first opportunity to present its political commitments and vision before the world’s premier multilateral forum, he said. Alongside his General Assembly address, the Prime Minister will seek to draw renewed international attention to the protracted Rohingya crisis and mobilise stronger global cooperation towards its resolution. He is scheduled to attend a Bangladesh-hosted side event on the Rohingya issue on September 23 where he will seek effective international cooperation for the earliest possible repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar. Responding to a question, the Foreign Secretary described the Rohingya issue as an “ongoing problem” and said Bangladesh would once again use the gathering of world leaders to highlight its magnitude and the challenges it poses. “We will once again present to the global community the magnitude of the Rohingya issue, the challenges it poses and the international cooperation, assistance and support Bangladesh requires,” Siam said. Bangladesh has repeatedly maintained that the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar is the only viable and lasting solution to the crisis. Climate change will also feature prominently in the Prime Minister’s UN engagements, as Bangladesh continues to call for stronger international action on the issue. On September 23, he will attend a high-level meeting titled “Climate Action and the Just Transition”, convened at the initiative of the UN Secretary-General. The following day, he will deliver the opening remarks at a high-level meeting on the existential threats posed by sea-level rise. At the climate-related meetings, the Prime Minister is expected to articulate the concerns of climate-vulnerable countries, with a particular focus on climate finance, adaptation, technology transfer, loss and damage, and climate justice. His UNGA address will also highlight Bangladesh’s priorities on global peace and security, sustainable development and economic cooperation, while advocating greater empowerment of youth and women and equitable access to modern technology. The Prime Minister will also participate in a high-level meeting on tackling the global inequality crisis and a Bangladesh-hosted side event on maternal and newborn health and midwifery. Siam said the United Nations programme would remain the priority during the Prime Minister’s visit, while his schedule of bilateral and other engagements remained “an evolving process”. The 81st session of the General Assembly is being presided over by UNGA President Dr Khalilur Rahman. The session opened on September 8 under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.” The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold more than a dozen bilateral and high-level meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA during his brief visit to New York. He is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the Crown Prince of Kuwait and the prime ministers of Croatia, Bhutan, Thailand, Pakistan and Haiti. He is also scheduled to meet the UN Secretary-General, the President of the European Council, the President of the World Bank Group, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar, and the UN high commissioners for refugees and human rights. He is also expected to meet the President of the International Peace Institute. As part of the government’s economic diplomacy, the Prime Minister will hold meetings with senior representatives of Meta, Wall Street and several other business organisations. His father, late President Ziaur Rahman, was the first member of the family to address the forum, while his mother, late Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, addressed the General Assembly on five occasions between 1993 and 2005.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday directed the authorities concerned to intensify cleanliness drives and public awareness campaigns across the country with people's participation to prevent the spread of dengue. He gave the directives at a meeting on the dengue situation and measures to combat the disease held at the Bangladesh Secretariat, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu. The Prime Minister stressed greater public participation in dengue prevention instead of relying solely on government agencies. He called for raising awareness about keeping homes and surroundings clean, removing stagnant water and waste, and eliminating mosquito breeding grounds. Tarique Rahman also directed the authorities to involve disaster management volunteers, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC), Rover Scouts and Red Crescent volunteers in cleanliness and awareness activities. He emphasised conducting cleanliness drives at the local level by engaging people through these volunteers. The meeting also discussed strengthening treatment facilities and patient-management capacity for dengue patients at upazila-level hospitals. The supply of mosquito nets for admitted dengue patients was also discussed to reduce the risk of the disease spreading through mosquitoes that bite infected patients. Stressing the need to ensure implementation of the decisions taken at the meeting, the Prime Minister said, “The decisions must be reflected in the field.” Emphasising prevention as the key to combating dengue, he directed the authorities concerned to work in a coordinated manner and undertake extensive awareness campaigns to ensure people's participation in cleanliness activities. Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare MA Muhit, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Health Dr SM Ziauddin Hyder, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Shakirul Islam Khan and secretaries and senior officials of the ministries and divisions concerned were present.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday urged everyone to play a responsible role from their respective positions to ensure pollution-free rivers and a clean, liveable environment for future generations. “We must try to ensure pollution-free rivers and a liveable environment not only for ourselves but also for future generations,” he said. The Prime Minister made the call at a review meeting on pollution control, waste removal, conservation and management of rivers around Dhaka, ensuring navigability and improving the circular waterways, said a release issued by the PM’s Press Wing. The meeting was held at the Bangladesh Secretariat in the morning. Tarique Rahman stressed that people should not simply wait for government directives but should also act out of a sense of personal responsibility to protect the environment, rivers and waterways. The meeting reviewed the overall activities concerning pollution control and waste removal from the Buriganga, Turag, Dhaleshwari, Balu and Shitalakhya rivers and adjacent canals and drains. Those who attended the meeting also discussed measures to ensure navigability and the natural flow of water in the rivers and improve the existing circular waterways around Dhaka. The Prime Minister directed the authorities to take effective steps to quickly implement the plans already undertaken. He also stressed ensuring proper coordination among the ministries, divisions and agencies concerned to expedite the activities. Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, Industries and Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister for LGRD and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, State Minister for Shipping Md Razib Ahsan, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Dr Saimum Parvez, among others, attended the meeting. Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, Commander Dhaka Naval Area Rear Admiral Abdullah-Al-Maksus, secretaries of the relevant ministries and divisions, administrators of Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur city corporations and other senior officials were also present.  

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Saturday said Bangladesh wants engagement and a good working relationship with India despite existing challenges, stressing that the door for dialogue will always remain open. "There might be thousands of problems and challenges with India, but the door of dialogue and discussion will always remain open. And that should be kept," he told reporters, noting that India is a neighbour of Bangladesh. The State Minister made the remarks during an exchange of views with leaders of the Electronic Media Journalists Association (EMJA) in Sylhet. Kobir said foreign, economic and security cooperation and policies are intertwined and interrelated for most countries around the world, not just for Bangladesh. "It cannot be isolated from each other. Particularly, for the foreign policy that we have undertaken, it has to be integrated and it must be complementary to each other. From that point of view, foreign policy is not about only foreign relations. There needs to be a strong area of engagement for economic cooperation," he said. Talking about the challenges with India, the State Minister said there are, of course, challenges, as "terrorists" who fled the country after killing people in Bangladesh are staying in India. "If space is given to them (by India), it will go against the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh. It would be pressure to address that. Our foreign policy engagement is based on national interests and driven by people's interests," Kobir said. The State Minister, who has met Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi twice so far, said India must understand the situation. "I met him (envoy)  twice. He is trying, but he gets stuck somewhere." Kobir laid emphasis on stopping former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, stressing that it is irrelevant whether she is using private or public platforms in India. "Providing Hasina space creates a bad precedent," he said. Regarding Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s possible visit to India, Kobir said the possibility of such a visit before the upcoming UN General Assembly session is very slim. "When the time is right, the Prime Minister will be visiting India, but the possibility is very slim before the UNGA as the Prime Minister will be attending the UNGA," he said. The 81st session of the General Assembly will formally open on September 8, with world leaders expected to gather at UN Headquarters in New York later in the month for the annual high-level general debate. India will soon host the BRICS Summit, and an Indian journalist wanted to know whether Bangladesh had communicated whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would participate and, if not, who would represent Bangladesh at the summit. "On the participation from Bangladesh side, I have no update to share with you," Spokesperson at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal told reporters during a regular briefing in New Delhi on Friday. Although the date of the Prime Minister’s proposed India visit has not yet been finalised, bilateral discussions on the matter are underway, State Minister Kobir said. The meeting was arranged after journalists covering the State Minister’s programme on Friday were allegedly harassed. Television journalists in Sylhet on Friday decided to boycott news coverage of the State Minister and the local BNP after several media workers were allegedly harassed by political activists at the Hazrat Shahjalal Shrine. Kobir, visiting Sylhet for the first time since taking office as State Minister, offered prayers at the shrine after Jummah prayers. Responding to various questions, Kobir said the extent of corruption in the energy sector in the past could be understood by looking at the sector’s overall condition. He said the current government is giving the energy sector the highest priority. The State Minister also said discussions are underway on the Mecca Pact and that Bangladesh’s joining the agreement would not be unusual. “Many countries in the world are part of multiple security alliances. Bangladesh will join wherever necessary based on its national interests,” he said. On the purchase of Boeing aircraft, Kobir said no one was pressuring Bangladesh to buy Boeing planes. “Bangladesh is buying Boeing aircraft from the United States because there is a demand for them. More aircraft may be purchased if necessary,” he said.