United News of Bangladesh

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said Bangladesh wants to see an economic partnership with India that is "equally beneficial and brings tangible changes" to the lives of people. "I am confident that the business communities of our two countries have both the vision and the capacity to make this happen. We can collectively identify practical solutions to the challenges," she said, noting that greater predictability and ease of doing business will benefit businesses in both countries. The State Minister made the remarks while speaking at a reception on Tuesday night.  

Five Bangladeshi nationals were among nine people killed in a fire that broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, India, early Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, citing local authorities. “According to local authorities, nine people have so far died in the fire. Police have confirmed the identities of five of them as Bangladeshi nationals,” the ministry said in a media release. Four of the Bangladeshi victims were members of the same family, it said, adding that local authorities have yet to confirm the identities of the remaining victims. Meanwhile, six Bangladeshi nationals injured in the fire have been released from hospital after receiving primary treatment. Officials of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close contact with hospitals and local police to provide necessary assistance to the Bangladeshi nationals affected by the incident. The mission has also opened a round-the-clock helpline to assist Bangladeshi nationals and their families. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka and the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata are maintaining close coordination with the relevant Indian authorities and monitoring the situation, particularly developments concerning the Bangladeshi victims. A Bangladeshi journalist and three members of his family were killed in the fire, UNB’s Kushtia correspondent reports. The deceased were identified as Debashis Dutta, 40, Kushtia correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel Nine; his wife, Afsana Simmin, 25; their three-year-old daughter, Swarna Shish Dutta; and his father-in-law, Akram Ali, 64. According to family sources, Dutta travelled to Kolkata with his ailing wife for medical treatment. He is survived by another daughter, aged eight, as well as his parents. Dutta’s family home is in the Arouapara Rajarhat area of Kushtia town, while his father-in-law, Akram Ali, was from the Thanapara area. Gazi Mahbub Rahman, former president of the Kushtia Press Club and editor of the local newspaper Ajker Alo, said Dutta was serving as the newspaper’s executive editor. He was also working as Kushtia correspondent for Ajker Patrika and Channel Nine. According to India’s media outlet ANI, the Bangladeshi nationals had travelled to Kolkata for medical treatment, citing the fire service department. The fire broke out at around 2:00 am at a hotel on Free School Street near New Market, one of Kolkata’s busiest and densely populated areas. Four fire tenders were rushed to the scene after the blaze was reported, while a disaster management team also joined the rescue operation. Firefighters worked to evacuate guests trapped inside the building before bringing the blaze under control. A cooling operation was underway after the flames were doused. “The dense smoke made it difficult for firefighters to climb the staircase and reach the upper floors. While nine people have died, more deaths are feared,” a police officer told PTI. “Our priority is to rescue those trapped and determine the cause of the fire. The flames have been doused, and the cooling process is underway,” the officer said. Initial reports suggested that the fire may have been triggered by an air-conditioner explosion, although the exact cause had not yet been confirmed.

Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said India desires "positive, constructive and forward-looking" relations with Bangladesh based on mutuality of interests and reciprocity. Responding to a number of questions at a biweekly briefing in New Delhi, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said their position on the press conference by former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Delhi needs no repetition. On the issue of extraditions, he said their consistent position has been that these requests are being examined as part of their established processes.  

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi on Tuesday night called on Bangladesh and India to move beyond their differences and work together to build a relationship based on “mutual and unconditional trust,” saying the aspirations of the two countries’ young generations should guide the future of bilateral ties. “We need to get ourselves together. Move on. I’m not telling you to forget the past, but keep the past and sort out the differences of the past. But move on. Don’t get stagnant,” he said. The High Commissioner made the remarks while addressing a reception hosted in honour of leading Bangladeshi business leaders and a visiting delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at The Westin Dhaka. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Director General Chandrajit Banerjee and Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe also spoke at the reception. High Commissioner Trivedi said both Bangladesh and India are aspirational countries, with their young people looking for opportunities, prosperity and a better future. “It’s aspirant Bangladesh and it’s aspirant India,” he said, stressing the need for the two countries to work together to create opportunities for the younger generation. Referring to his arrival in Bangladesh, the High Commissioner said, “The day I came in, I just walked in. This is one of the symbols, I think, that we are together.” High Commissioner Trivedi said the foundation of any long-lasting relationship is “mutual and unconditional trust”. “Friends really understand each other’s issues, and we are not friends if we don’t understand,” he said. Acknowledging that there are issues between the two neighbours, he said such differences can be resolved through engagement and dialogue. “I can tell you I fully understand there are issues, but these issues can definitely be sorted out once the Prime Minister of Bangladesh (Tarique Rahman) and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet,” he said. The Indian envoy also conveyed what he described as an assurance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding a future visit by the Bangladesh Prime Minister to India. “After meeting the Prime Minister here, I went straight to Delhi and had a great meeting with our Prime Minister. He (PM Modi) just mentioned one thing: we need to meet,” he said. “You can tell them on my behalf that you have the Prime Minister of India’s assurance that when the Prime Minister of Bangladesh visits India, he will have such an honourable reception as he deserves,” he added, quoting the Indian Prime Minister. The visit, Trivedi said, would be “a memorable visit” whose benefits would ultimately reach people and businesses on both sides. Highlighting the importance of economic and people-to-people ties, the High Commissioner said the private sector has a crucial role in bridging differences between the two countries. “No government in the world can provide everything. It always needs the private sector,” he said, expressing gratitude to business communities on both sides. He identified people-to-people relations, employment, education and health as key areas where Bangladesh and India can deepen cooperation. “People all over the world have a big role to play in bridging this gap,” he said, referring to the business community’s role in strengthening bilateral ties. The High Commissioner said India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy reflects the importance New Delhi attaches to its relationship with Bangladesh. “Why did he send me? For one simple reason: we have a lot of respect, we have a lot of affection and we have a lot of need with a neighbour. And our policy is Neighbourhood First,” he said. Trivedi acknowledged that the two countries have gone through “hiccups” in their relationship, but said such difficulties should not undermine their longstanding bonds. “We have all gone through hiccups here and then. I think that’s quite natural; that also happens in a family. But that doesn’t mean that we move away,” he said. “We have shared history, we have shared culture, and this is where we need to foster,” Trivedi added. The High Commissioner also praised Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, describing him as “a people’s person” and noting that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first to congratulate him after his landslide electoral victory and the first to invite him to India. He said the recent high-level engagements, including visits by India’s external affairs minister and speaker as well as his own posting in Dhaka, reflected India’s eagerness to strengthen ties. “We are eagerly waiting and I’m so hopeful. There are issues, there is no doubt about it,” he said. At the same time, Trivedi said differences are natural in a vibrant democracy. “If issues are not there, then it’s not democracy; it’s something other than democracy,” he said. He said Indian officials have been working closely with Bangladesh’s ministers in recent weeks to address differences and understand the concerns of the Bangladeshi people. “We deeply understand the concerns of brothers and sisters of Bangladesh,” he said, while stressing that the relationship should be viewed as “a partnership of equals”. “These concerns can only be mitigated once you meet,” Trivedi said. Turning to Bangladesh’s youth, the High Commissioner said the country’s new generation had gone through significant struggle and sacrifice and deserved an opportunity to achieve peace and prosperity. “This is a new Bangladesh, and this new Bangladesh has the youth. And youth has also gone through a lot of struggle and a lot of sacrifice,” Trivedi said. “Our objective obviously is to have peace and prosperity, and the youth must get that opportunity,” he added. Trivedi said such opportunities could be created through closer cooperation between Bangladesh and India. “Bangladesh First and we have the goals are same. There is just no difference,” he said. Urging the business communities of both countries to join the journey of closer cooperation, the High Commissioner said, “Let’s have this journey together.” Trivedi expressed hope that the relationship between Bangladesh and India would enter a new phase. “This would be a golden chapter in the history of the relationship between India and Bangladesh, because we have a lot to share with you,” he said. Trivedi referred to the shared cultural heritage of the two countries and called for a renewed “melody of relationship”. “Let’s have this melody of relationship,” he said, expressing confidence that the relationship could become “golden” and long-lasting. The high-level Indian business delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Wednesday morning, an official told UNB. Discussions during the visit focused on addressing issues of mutual interest and mutual benefit, identifying emerging areas of cooperation, and facilitating greater engagement between businesses of the two countries. Both sides explored opportunities for greater economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries. The delegation, led by Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, comprises 14 business leaders representing prominent Indian companies and institutions, including Bharat Biotech, Infravision Foundation, Godrej Industries, Arvind Limited, LMW Global, Mahindra Group, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Forbes Marshall, Numaligarh Refinery Limited, Apollo Hospitals and Indian Oil Corporation, along with officials from the CII Secretariat. During the visit, the delegation met senior members of the government of Bangladesh.

Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman held separate meetings with Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, Energy Minister of Qatar, and Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Finance Minister of Qatar, in Doha on Tuesday. In the meetings, Adviser to Prime Minister for Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and high officials were present. During the meetings, the two sides discussed issues of mutual interest, with particular focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the energy and financial sectors. They agreed to establish Joint Working Groups to follow up on the issues discussed and advance mutually beneficial cooperation in these areas. The Foreign Minister invited both Qatari Ministers to visit Bangladesh at their mutual convenience. The Foreign Minister is currently visiting Doha on a two-day official visit, leading a high-level Bangladesh delegation.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Tuesday criticised the bilateral agreement with Myanmar on Rohingya repatriation, stressing that the government of Sheikh Hasina ruined everything right at the start by making a bilateral agreement. "When the BNP government previously handled the Rohingya repatriation during the tenure of the late President Ziaur Rahman, a tripartite agreement was forged. The United Nations was a very active party to that agreement. Because of that, every OIC nation and multilateral body was involved. It proved effective - something the previous government failed to achieve," she told reporters at the ministry. Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a bilateral Rohingya repatriation deal on November 23, 2017, followed by the signing of a physical arrangement on January 16, 2018, aimed at the safe return of displaced refugees. However, the agreement has faced severe implementation delays and stalled due to ongoing conflict, security issues, and the lack of a safe environment in Rakhine State. Shama Obaed said they want them (Rohingyas) to return to their country safely and under normal, secure conditions. Describing the situation as undeniably a critical problem for Bangladesh, the State Minister said the Myanmar government should address it with utmost seriousness. “Merely playing with words or using diplomatic phrasing won’t suffice; it needs to be translated into action,” she said, adding that Bangladesh is doing everything possible on its end. The State Minister said an important session on the Rohingya situation will take place during the upcoming UNGA session in September. “It must be understood that geopolitics and regional politics are involved here, and we are steering our diplomatic efforts while taking all these factors into account,” the State Minister said. Bangladesh is hosting over 1.3 million Rohingya in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char.

Bangladesh and Bhutan on Tuesday underscored the importance of enhancing bilateral trade and strengthening private sector cooperation, expanding the product coverage under the Bangladesh-Bhutan Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). The two countries also explored the possibility of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA),according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The issues were discussed at the Fourth Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and the Government of Bhutan (RGoB) held in Dhaka. The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and the Foreign Secretary Pema Lektup Dorji. The meeting was held in a warm, cordial and constructive atmosphere and provided an opportunity to review the full range of bilateral relations. The two sides also exchange views on cooperation at regional and multilateral level on matters of mutual interest. Both sides reaffirmed their longstanding bonds of friendship, trust and mutual respect and expressed satisfaction at the steady progress of bilateral cooperation over the years across a wide range of areas, including political, trade and investment, connectivity, education, health, culture, tourism, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides agreed to further strengthen high-level political engagements and regular consultations between the two governments. They emphasised the importance of translating the existing goodwill and political understanding into tangible outcomes for the peoples of both countries.  

Bangladesh and Canada have highlighted opportunities to strengthen institutional engagement and explore new avenues for defence cooperation in support of regional peace, security and stability. Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Ajit Singh and Trade Commissioner Kamal Uddin met with Bangladesh’s Defence Adviser to the Prime Minister Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. AKM Shamsul Islam at the Armed Forces Division (AFD) on August 17 and discussed the issues of mutual interest. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss Bangladesh-Canada defence relations, ongoing cooperation with the Bangladesh Armed Forces, and opportunities to further strengthen practical government-to-government engagement in training, capacity building, aerospace, defence technology, and industrial development, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Discussions also touched on Canada’s new Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS), Canada’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, and Bangladesh’s important contributions to UN peacekeeping missions. The High Commissioner also thanked the Bangladesh Armed Forces for the critical role they played in ensuring stability and facilitating a peaceful transition to democracy in Bangladesh over the last two years. Canada remains committed to deepening its longstanding partnership with Bangladesh and working with Bangladesh’s Armed Forces and security agencies to advance practical and mutually beneficial cooperation, he said.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman reached Qatar on Tuesday as part of a two-day official visit to discuss bilateral issues including cooperation in the energy sector. He left Dhaka early Tuesday morning with a high-level government delegation. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir and Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir are among the delegation members, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the visit, the high-level Bangladesh delegation is expected to hold official engagements in Qatar and discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the energy sector. The Foreign Minister is scheduled to return to Dhaka on the night of August 19.

Bangladesh on Tuesday conveyed its concerns to Myanmar and pointed out that Rohingyas are not ‘Bengalis’ as they have their own ethnic identities accepted by the Myanmar authority until recently. Director General (Myanmar wing) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Md. Toufiq-ur-Rahman conveyed Dhaka's concerns to Ambassador Kyaw Soe Moe of Myanmar at the Ministry. Referring to the latest press statement issued by the Myanmar Foreign Ministry on the Rohingya matter (dated 15 August), the DG mentioned that many elements of the statement are based on erroneous statistics including the number of the displaced Rohingya population. Their data registered under the UN system reflects their accurate numbers. The DG also requested the Ambassador on expediting the verification process of the displaced Rohingyas based on agreed bilateral instruments including taking into account of the children born in the camps, and the new arrivals, forced to leave Rakhine after 2017. Bangladesh is in the process of registering them and the information of Rohingyas after the caseload of 828,824 would be shared with the Myanmar authorities in due course. The DG requested to duly reflect these added information in the verification exercise. Ambassador Soe Moe assured to convey Bangladesh’s concerns and observations to his capital and expressed his government’s commitment to expedite the verification process to begin the repatriation of the verified Rohingyas. The DG reiterated that the only sustainable solution of the crisis lies in safe, dignified, and voluntary repatriation of the Rohingyas to Rakhine. The United Council of Rohingya (UCR) has already categorically rejected and condemned the “misleading” press statement issued by the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 15. This statement is a calculated attempt to rewrite history, whitewash state-sponsored crimes, and evade the international community's calls for accountability, said the UCR in a statement. Myanmar said Bangladesh sent 828,824 names of internally displaced persons to Myanmar, and as of 31st July, 2026, 426,545 names have been verified. The verification found 308,797 people with evidence of having lived in Rakhine State, 4,241 who had committed acts of terrorism, and 113,507 people with no evidence of having lived in Rakhine State, Myanmar claimed. “Therefore, based on these figures, we are concerned about the accusations that all those living in Bangladeshi camps are from Myanmar. Similarly, we strongly object to the accusations that boat refugees and those arriving in other countries under ethnic names that do not exist in Myanmar are from Myanmar," Myanmar said. The UCR categorically rejected and condemned the misleading press statement. “We address the Government of Myanmar's fallacies point by point: On Our Identity: We are Rohingya, not "Bengalis". Myanmar's continued refusal to acknowledge our ethnic identity is the root cause of our persecution. The term "Bengali" is a weapon of erasure. We are the indigenous Rohingya people of Rakhine State, with a documented history and culture spanning centuries and Myanmar government recognized the Rohingya as an indigenous ethnic minority of Myanmar.. We demand the world to restore our identity as Rohingya, and we reject any nomenclature designed to deny our existence and our rights to citizenship,” said the UCR. The Myanmar government cynically blames the ARSA group for their plight. This is a complete inversion of reality, UCR said. The Tatmadaw's "clearance operations" in 2016 and 2017 were a systematic campaign of Genocide, ethnic cleansing, meticulously documented by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission. "These operations involved the mass rape of women, the torching of over 300 villages, and the summary execution of entire families. The isolated ARSA attacks were a desperate reaction to decades of apartheid, not the cause of our forced exodus. Myanmar's claim that their military acted in "defensive response" is an insult to the memory of the thousands massacred." The UCR rejected the figures cited by Myanmar. The statement claims 540,000 Bengalis fled to Bangladesh. In reality, over 700,000 Rohingya fled across the border in a matter of weeks during the 2017 genocide, joining over 200,000 who had fled earlier waves of persecution in 1991-1992. The claim that over 200,000 people still reside in Rakhine state is deeply misleading; these individuals are effectively interned in camps, denied freedom of movement, and stripped of all basic rights, said the UCR. The international community and the UN have unequivocally stated that over one million Rohingya are now displaced, and the Myanmar government cannot dispute verified UN statistics. They said Myanmar's verification process is a sham. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, does not recognise the Rohingya as one of the country’s 135 lawful ethnic minorities, instead referring to them as Bengalis to imply they are natives from Bangladesh and are illegally settled in Myanmar. Myanmar said it will continue working with Bangladesh to receive verified former residents when the security situation in Rakhine becomes more stable. The Myanmar ministry also rejected claims that more than 1 million people were displaced from Rakhine, saying that more than 540,000 people crossed into Bangladesh after the violence in 2017 while more than 200,000 remained in northern Rakhine. Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed to a two-year repatriation process in 2018. However, security in Myanmar worsened following an army takeover in 2021 that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering widespread armed resistance. Plans to repatriate the refugees have not succeeded. The renewed chaos brought about by fighting between the Rakhine-based ethnic Arakan Army group and the military over control of the region in 2023 forced more refugees to flee toward Bangladesh and elsewhere in a desperate move to save their lives. The Arakan Army controls much of Rakhine after capturing territory from the military in recent years.