United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh has said when the people of Bangladesh were setting glorious examples of religious harmony, unfortunately they observed how a "flurry of exaggerated, unfounded and fake" reports and deliberate spread of "misinformation and disinformation" by vested quarters regarding minority persecution. "Sadly, we saw it at this forum too. Many such propaganda have been debunked by global media," said Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN and other International Organisations in Geneva Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful Islam. He made the remarks at the 17th session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues at Palais des Nations on November 28. Delivering Bangladesh statement, Ambassador Tareq said the government remains open to welcome foreign journalists to visit Bangladesh to see the ground situations. With utter dismay, he said, the arrest of Chinmoy Das has been misconstrued by some speakers. "He was actually arrested on specific charges. The matter is being dealt with by the court of law." Despite the recent brutal killing of a Muslim lawyer, the envoy said the government’s immediate intervention and support from leaders of all faiths helped maintain calm and avert untoward incidents. Foreign Secretary discusses student visa backlog with German Ambassador "Our government remains vigilant and will continue to act promptly to maintain religious harmony at any cost and thwart any attempt to undermine rights of minorities," said Ambassador Tareq. The government reaffirmed that every Bangladeshi, regardless of religious identity, has the right to practice respective religion or express views freely. Ensuring safety and security of every citizen, including from the minority community, remains the cornerstone of the interim government of Bangladesh, said the Bangladesh envoy. "This has been repeatedly reassured to minority religious leaders by our top leadership and proved time and again in the first 100 days of the government," he said, adding that two advisers have been appointed from the minority communities. The post-August 5 violence in Bangladesh was rooted in political and personal factors, not sectarian, Ambassador Tareq said. The violence affected people mostly with partisan political affiliations, almost all of them being Muslims and only a few from other religious minority groups, he claimed. "There was no systematic attack on minorities," the envoy said. Rather, following the mass uprising in July, the world has witnessed how the entire society of Bangladesh came forward to protect its minorities following our long tradition of communal harmony, said Ambassador Tareq. "Our government led by Prof Muhammad Yunus enjoys overwhelming and unprecedented mandate from our people across all faiths," he mentioned.

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has said the High Commission of India in Dhaka continues to monitor the situation related to the minorities in Bangladesh closely. The primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, rests with the government of Bangladesh, he said while responding to five specific questions at the Indian Lok Sabha on Friday. The Lok Sabha is composed of public representatives chosen by direct election on the basis of Universal Adult Suffrage. Jaishankar said the government of India has seen several reports of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, their homes and business establishments and of attacks on temples/ religious places, including in the month of August 2024, across Bangladesh. He said the Indian government has taken a "serious note" of these incidents and shared its concerns with the Bangladesh government. Reports of attacks on temples and puja mandaps also came to light during the recent Durga Puja festival in Bangladesh, Jaishankar said. Jaishankar: ‘In last 5-6 years we’ve seen far more regional integration in Subcontinent than since partition of India’ He said the government of India had expressed its "serious concerns" regarding the attack on a Puja mandap in Tantibazar, Dhaka and theft at the Jashoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira during Durga Puja 2024. Following these attacks, the government of Bangladesh had issued instructions for providing special security including deployment of Army and BGB to ensure peaceful celebrations of Durga Puja, Jaishankar said.

Seventy-five Bangladeshi expatriates jailed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were released on Wednesday, with plans to return to Bangladesh within a week. Their release is part of a broader effort following the intervention of the interim government led by Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus. The arrests were made during protests against the then Sheikh Hasina regime. As student movement erupted in Bangladesh, protesting government repression, Bangladeshis living in the UAE expressed solidarity by organizing demonstrations. The UAE authorities detained several protesters, and the Abu Dhabi Federal Court sentenced them to prison terms ranging from 10 years to life. After the Sheikh Hasina government fell on August 5, 2024, the Prof Yunus-led administration prioritized the release of these detainees. Prof Yunus personally contacted the UAE President, resulting in the release of 188 detainees, including 113 who have already returned to Bangladesh. The remaining 75 will return home soon.

India has expressed concern over what it called a "surge of extremist rhetoric" in Bangladesh and said the interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting the minorities. "We are concerned at the surge of extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation," Spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in a regular media briefing in New Delhi on Friday. He said these developments "cannot be dismissed" only as "media exaggerations." "We once again call upon Bangladesh to take steps for the protection of minorities," said the MEA spokesperson. Expressing its concern over the situation of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, Jaiswal said that the Indian government has raised the issue with Bangladesh.  “We made opposition very clear as far as the situation of Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh is concerned. We have raised this matter with Bangladesh that they must take responsibility for protecting the minorities and safeguarding their interests, and providing for their safety and security," he added. On the arrest and imprisonment of Chinmoy Krishna Das, Jaiswal said they have issued a statement on that. Bangladesh condemns desecration of national flag, effigy burning of Prof Yunus in Kolkata “We see ISKCON as a globally well-regarded organisation with a strong record of social service," said the MEA spokesperson. He said cases against individuals and legal processes are underway. The Indian MEA spokesperson said they hope and expect that these processes will be dealt with in a fair, just and transparent manner ensuring full respect for these individuals and all those who are concerned.  

The government of Bangladesh on Friday strongly condemned the deplorable acts of desecrating the national flag of Bangladesh and the burning of the effigy of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in Kolkata, India. Expressing "deep concern" over the violent protest outside the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata, the government of Bangladesh on Friday called upon the government of India to take necessary measures in order to prevent occurrences of such incidents in the future. The government of Bangladesh condemned any form of violent activity and urged the government of India to ensure safety and security of the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata and other diplomatic missions of Bangladesh in India as well as its diplomats and non-diplomatic members of staff. Fight Indian media's misformation campaign with truth: CA's Press Secretary The government of Bangladesh noted with deep concern the violent protest organized outside the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata yesterday afternoon by a Hindu organization of Kolkata named ‘Bongio Hindu Jagran’.  The rally and demonstration organized by a large group of protesters turned violent, with the protesters breaking through police barricades and reaching the boundary of Bangladesh Deputy High Commission, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.  They set fire to the national flag of Bangladesh and burned the effigy of the Chief Adviser of the government of Bangladesh, MoFA said.  Foreign Secretary discusses student visa backlog with German Ambassador Although the situation seems to be under control at the moment, there is a prevailing sense of insecurity among all the members of the Deputy High Commission.

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has encouraged more journalists including woman reporters and editors to talk to the Indian media to confront misinformation campaign coming from some of the Indian media outlets and their social media platforms. "We must tell our stories our way. Else, they will set our narrative according to their liking," he said, highlighting the importance of getting empowered by the truth to fight against misinformation campaign. Media reform commission members have solid backgrounds, says CA's press secretary Alam, in Facebook post from his verified account, said Indians should know that smarter people also live in its Eastern border and a few months back these people have ousted a "brutal dictatorship" in one of the finest revolutions in human history. The press secretary said he is happy to see some of the journalist friends are speaking to the Indian media, especially their cacophonous TV stations. "Many of us were afraid that we would struggle against the verbal onslaught of their TV hosts," Alam observed. Govt won't tolerate any violence, warns CA's press secretary terming AL a fascist party He said some have defied fears and they are "boldly telling our side of the story." Alam said they have realised that it is time to confront an "industrial scale misinformation campaign" coming from some of the Indian media outlets and their social media platforms. The press secretary said he knows they will make mistakes and they will also be intimidated. "Some may get the impression that the Indians are smarter people. But believe me if you are empowered by truth, no misinformation campaign can stop you," Alam said.

Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin has broached the issue of problems being faced by the students in obtaining German visa for a long time with "due seriousness" with the German Ambassador to Bangladesh Achim Tröster. In response, the German Ambassador assured of all possible efforts, including increasing manpower at the embassy, to clear the backlog of student visa applications. “The bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and Germany is excellent and long-standing,” said Ambassador Tröster while paying a maiden call on the Foreign Secretary recently. He also conveyed full support of the German government to the interim government of Bangladesh, and its reform initiatives which the Foreign Secretary welcomed profoundly. Emphasising the need for enhanced climate and development partnership, the Ambassador briefed on the German development cooperation, particularly in the areas of climate action, green transition, vocational training, and improving work environment in the garments industry of Bangladesh. The Foreign Secretary termed the relations between the two countries as ‘substantive’ and expressed happiness over the existing bilateral trade relationship that was over 7 billion USD in 2022-23. He highlighted the measures taken by the Bangladesh government to bring improvement in the labour sector, including amendments to the Bangladesh labour Act and EPZ Labour Act. He underlined that 11 reform commissions have been formed by the Interim Government with a view to ensuring accountability and transparency in the entire governance, and holding a free, fair election towards the path of democracy. Referring to the recent unprecedented flood in the southern part of Bangladesh, the Foreign Secretary lauded German assistance in tackling climate change effects. He praised German support for the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals and hoped to hold an all stakeholder international conference on Rohingyas soon, as called by the Chief Adviser during the last UNGA in New York. Both sides further discussed ways for regular holding of bilateral consultations, exchange of visits, and educational collaboration.

Bangladesh has urged the European Union member states to expedite their formal recognition of the State of Palestine, affirming this as a crucial step toward legitimizing and empowering Palestinian sovereignty and self-determination. Bangladesh also urged the global community to put pressure on Israel to halt illegal settlement activities and fulfil its Oslo Accord obligations. A delegation from Bangladesh, led by Md Shafiqur Rahman, Director General (West Asia) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in the Brussels follow-up meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. The meeting was convened to galvanize international efforts for a just and enduring resolution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, protracted for decades. During his intervention, the Director General (West Asia) underscored the imperative of realizing the establishment of two sovereign states based on the pre-1967 and commended the initiative of the Global Alliance to find practical measures in terms of political, security and accountability. Advocating a multilateral approach, he called upon the global actors to deploy all available diplomatic instruments to advance this critical agenda. The delegation further exhorted European Union member states to leverage their influence to discourage any vetoes by Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council that could obstruct adopting a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza war and resultant peace initiatives. Bangladesh’s participation in the meeting reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the principles of justice, equity, and upholding international law in resolving the protracted conflict, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday night. It also reaffirmed Bangladesh's enduring solidarity with the Palestinian people and its steadfast support for a two-state solution as the cornerstone of the Middle Eastern peace process.

India has called upon Bangladesh government to ensure the safety and security of Hindus, all minorities and their places of worship. In reply to a question in parliament on the attack on minorities in Bangladesh, Indian Minister of State of External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on Thursday said several incidents of desecration and damages to Hindu temples and deities in Bangladesh have been reported in the past few months. The government of India has expressed its concerns about such incidents, including the attack on a Puja mandap in Tantibazar, Dhaka and the theft at the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple at Satkhira during Durga Puja 2024, he said. Read: India attempting to further provoke Chinmoy incident: Nahid The primary responsibility for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, rests with the Government of Bangladesh, said Kirti Vardhan.

The Bangladesh-Korea EPA negotiation launching ceremony was held in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, on Thursday to start the discussions for the Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries. In the event, Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin and South Korean Minister for Trade Inkyo Cheong officially announced the inception of the negotiations for signing an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Read: Bangladesh, South Korea eye stronger ties through bilateral trade and investment Besides, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the development of trade and investment Framework was signed between the two countries in the function as an initial step for signing the EPA. Commerce Secretary Selim Uddin and South Korean Deputy Minister for Trade Jongwon Park signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides, said a PID handout.