United News of Bangladesh

Secretary General (SG) of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Indra Mani Pandey, has visited Myanmar recently and discussed regional cooperation under BIMSTEC, especially in enhancing security cooperation, regional connectivity including digital and people-to-people connectivity. BIMSTEC: 5th meeting of Eminent Persons’ Group to be held in Dhaka on July 16-19 Myanmar is one of the seven member States of the BIMSTEC and leads regional cooperation in the Agriculture and Food Security Sector and Fisheries and Livestock Sub-sector. Myanmar joined as a member of the BIMSTEC in December 1997. The Secretary General paid his first visit to Myanmar during July 22-27 and participated in the 4th meeting of the BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs. He called on the Heads of Delegation of the BIMSTEC member States participating in the meeting, according to the BIMSTEC. Pandey joined the Heads of Delegation of the member States participating at the 4th BIMSTEC National Security Chiefs in the Courtesy Call on Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the State Administration Council and Prime Minister of Myanmar. During his visit, Pandey called on Admiral Moe Aung, National Security Adviser and Union Minister for Ministry (1) at the office of Chairman of the State Administration Council of Myanmar, and discussed with him regional security cooperation under the BIMSTEC. Next BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand on September 4: Foreign Minister He called on Min Naung, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, and discussed with him regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC, especially in the Agriculture and Food Security Sector, which is led by Myanmar. During the visit, SG called on Lwin Oo, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, and reviewed with him the matters related to BIMSTEC cooperation mechanisms, the work of BIMSTEC Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG) on the future directions of BIMSTEC and the need for holding of the core and sectoral BIMSTEC meetings regularly. The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs reiterated Myanmar’s commitment and reassured SG of Myanmar’s full support to BIMSTEC. Pandey met with Aung Kyaw Tun, Deputy Minister for Transport and Communications, and discussed regional cooperation under BIMSTEC, especially in enhancing regional connectivity including digital and people-to-people connectivity. The sixth summit of the BIMSTEC will take place in Thailand in September 2024. BIMSTEC: Modi discusses further strengthening regional cooperation in diverse areas BIMSTEC comprises seven countries of the Bay of Bengal region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It pursues regional cooperation in seven broad sectors: Agriculture and Food Security; Connectivity; Environment and Climate Change; People to People Contact; Science, Technology and Innovation; Security; and Trade, Investment and Development. The cooperation also covers 8 sub-sectors: Blue Economy, Mountain Economy, Energy, Disaster Management, Fisheries and Livestock, Poverty alleviation, Health and Human Resource Development.

In memory of those who lost their lives due to violence, sabotage, arson, looting, and terrorist activities under the guise of the quota-reform movement, Bangladesh High Commission in Ottawa organized a condolence meeting and special prayers on July 30 at the High Commission auditorium. The event, presided over by acting High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Canada Dewan Hosne Ayub, was attended by all officers and officials of the High Commission, as well as prominent members of the Bangladeshi-Canadian community. Earlier, the government said it remains committed to “hold accountable” through proper investigation all those responsible for each incident of death among students and the ensuing terrorist acts involving killings, arson, vandalism, subversion and sabotage. The government ensured that the due process of law would be followed in ensuring accountability and justice for the reported terrorist acts.

Australia has underscored the importance of ensuring the rule of law and holding alleged perpetrators of human rights violations accountable through independent and transparent investigations. “We reiterate Australia’s support for universal human rights, including the right to freedom of assembly and peaceful protest. Australia remains deeply concerned by the recent violence,” said the Australian High Commission in Dhaka in a message through its verified Facebook page. On the declared nationwide mourning day, July 30, the High Commission honoured the memories of all those who were killed in the recent violence in Bangladesh. 

The United Nations has said its agency UNICEF is on the ground in Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan supporting the governments and partners in all these countries to support affected children and families. “In South Asia, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it is alarmed about reports of children and young people impacted by torrential rain, flash floods in Afghanistan, in Bangladesh, in India and Pakistan,” Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric told reporters in a regular briefing on July 29. Some of the support provided has been in the form of bed nets, tarpaulins for temporary shelter, buckets, mugs and other essential items, he said. Dujarric said UNICEF is also calling for $9.3 million from the international community to support emergency preparedness and strengthen climate-resilience programmes for children in the region.

The European Union (EU) has released €1 million or around Tk 127 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the floods that have affected the north of Bangladesh in the past weeks. The funding will help address the most pressing needs of vulnerable people in the hardest-hit areas in the northeast and northwest of the country, said the EU on Tuesday. EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, said the monsoon season floods have gravely impacted people in the north of Bangladesh. “As we did after tropical cyclone Remal, the EU is once more stepping up its assistance to the most affected populations. This funding will help provide much needed relief.” This allocation will be used to provide assistance to the most affected communities, including the provision of cash assistance, for people in need of shelter, food, clean water and hygiene and sanitation supplies. This new funding comes in addition to the more than 30 million already allocated in humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh earlier this year. This assistance mainly funded support to the Rohingya population living in Cox’s Bazar, but also the response to other emergencies in the country, such as recent heatwaves and tropical cyclone Remal, as well as anticipatory action. In the past two months, severe rainfall has caused flooding in the northern regions of Bangladesh. Up to 3.7 million people have been affected only in the northeastern part of Bangladesh, while damage assessment continues in the northwest. Over 600 000 people are estimated in need of shelter. The risk of additional flooding remains high as the cyclone season continues, which could further increase existing needs. Combined with the effects of cyclone Remal, which struck in May, the floods have so far impacted 30 percent of the country, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka.    

Acknowledging restoration of telecommunications across Bangladesh, the United States has called for a full and undisrupted public access to internet and social media services. “We’re aware of some restoration of telecommunications across Bangladesh, but we are calling for a full and undisrupted public access to internet and social media services,” Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Vedant Patel told reporters at a regular briefing on July 29. This will enable people in Bangladesh – including US citizens in the country – to be able to access critical information, he said. Read more: Mobile internet restored after 10 days Patel said that they, both in public and private, continue to call for a “lasting and peaceful” resolution to the current situation. “And we reiterate our unwavering support for the freedom of peaceful assembly,” he said.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reiterated his call for all acts of violence to be investigated promptly, transparently, and impartially, and for those responsible to be held to account. He said they have taken note of the statements by the Bangladesh authorities that UN-marked vehicles are no longer being deployed within the country “We remind and reiterate that UN troop- and police-contributing countries are to use UN insignia and equipment marked with the UN insignia only when they are performing mandated tasks as UN peacekeepers in the context of their deployment within a UN peacekeeping operation,” said Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General on July 29. The spokesman said they continue to raise their concerns about the situation in the country with relevant authorities, both in Dhaka, and in New York, and they count on Bangladesh to respect and uphold human rights, including as a top troop contributing country to United Nations peacekeeping missions. Giving an update on Bangladesh, he said the Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh. He noted reports of the resumption of student protests and reiterated his call for calm and restraint. The Secretary-General is concerned about reported mass arrests of thousands of young people and political opposition in connection with the current student movement. “He underscores the importance of due process and the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly,” said the Spokesman. The UN chief is also alarmed by emerging reports about the excessive use of force by security forces and credible evidence of human rights violations.

The European Union (EU) has conveyed its grave concern to Bangladesh at the announcement of a “shoot on sight” policy and “unlawful killings” perpetrated in recent days by the authorities in Bangladesh. At the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting in Laos on July 27, the High Representative of the EU, Josep Borrell Fontelles, conveyed it to the representative of Bangladesh and former Foreign Minister, Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen, MP. “I am also deeply concerned by the killings of law enforcement officers, violence, torture, mass arrests and damage to property that have taken place,” said the EU High Representative in a statement on July 30. These acts must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible brought to justice, Fontelles, who is also Vice-President of the European Commission, said. “There must be full accountability for the numerous instances of use of excessive and lethal force by the law enforcement authorities against protesters and others, including journalists and young children,” said the EU High Representative. “The thousands arrested must receive due process. We will closely follow the actions of the authorities in the context of this crisis and, with the fundamentals of EU-Bangladesh relations in mind, expect all human rights to be fully respected,” he said.

Bangladesh has formally become a party to the "Convention on Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents" or Apostille Convention - 1961. As a result, the documents attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country will not need to be re-attested in other countries and Bangladeshis going abroad will save approximately Tk 500-600 crore every year. Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmood formally handed over the 'Instrument of Accession' on behalf of Bangladesh at a ceremony in the Netherlands on Monday.  At the beginning of the program, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands welcomed Minister Hasan.  The Foreign Minister explained the necessity and immediate benefits of this agreement for millions of citizens of Bangladesh.  Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Netherlands Riaz Hamidullah, among others, was present.  Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud is now visiting the Netherlands to attend a number of meetings including a ceremony for handing over documents regarding the Apostille Convention. The Foreign Minister left Dhaka early Sunday as part of his official visit from July 28-30. Minister Hasan is likely to visit Brussels on his way to Dhaka, said the official. On May 20, the Cabinet approved the signing of the Apostille Convention. This international convention will eliminate the need for further authentication of various certificates, documents, and affidavits of Bangladeshis going abroad if they have been duly authenticated in Bangladesh. 14 foreign missions in Dhaka write to FM seeking sustainable solution to current  issue Now all documents that need to be authenticated for Bangladeshis going abroad, including students, workers, and those travelling to meet family members, will only need to be authenticated in this country. Not all countries have embassies in Bangladesh. There are embassies of 90 countries in Delhi. To get authentication from there, one needs to obtain an Indian visa. The Netherlands is a member of the Apostille Convention. The member countries legalise foreign documents by adding a stamp or sticker called an ‘apostille’. It shows that the signature on the document is genuine. The Apostille Convention applies to: • documents from judicial authorities (for example the Public Prosecution Service (OM), a clerk of the court or a bailiff) • administrative documents, like certificates, diplomas or civil status records • notarial deeds • official certificates placed on private documents, like declarations about the existence or official registration of a document on a certain date.

A delegation led by reputed entrepreneur, former president of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) and managing director of Unique Group Mohd Noor Ali has met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and discussed issues of mutual interest.  Noor Ali and his delegation members attended a special luncheon held in honour of the delegation in Kuala Lumpur, said a media release.  Incumbent BAIRA Vice President Noman Chowdhury, former secretary general Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, Joint Secretary General Mohammed Fakhrul Islam, and members Jamil Hossain and Mahbubul Karim Siddiqui Zafar were also present.