United News of Bangladesh

Ambassador of Algeria to Bangladesh Dr Abdelouahab Saidani has said it is crucial for Bangladesh and Algeria to deepen their collaboration by leveraging their complementary strengths in today’s complex international landscape. "This will enable them to meet the expectations of their respective peoples and address current challenges effectively," he said while speaking at a reception on Friday night commemorating the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the glorious revolution of National Liberation of Algeria.  Shipping, Textile and Jute Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain, Adviser to the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Sharmeen S. Murshid and Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter joined as guests of honour.  "Since taking office as Ambassador to Bangladesh two months ago, I have taken several measures and initiatives to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation in many sectors," the Algerian envoy said.  US Secret Service to train Bangladeshi officials in combating money laundering and terror financing This has very recently resulted in the definitive validation of four important draft agreements by the Algerian side, in the areas of agriculture and water resources, out of 20 draft agreements in the pipeline, he said.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has said that the governments must do more to prevent attacks, to protect journalists, and to prosecute those responsible, adding that states also need laws to protect freedom of expression and information. Speaking on the occasion of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (November 2), Türk said, “We live in troubled times—and effective journalism is more important than ever. A free press feeds a free society and fuels democratic decision-making.” “It also makes sure that we understand the human impact of violence and conflict so that this horrible tendency of dehumanization is stopped,” he added. “On this International Day, I urge all those with influence to step up action to end impunity for crimes against journalists, to protect media workers, and to contribute to building open, just societies where the truth can flourish,” said the UN right chief.  

A discussion meeting was held in the capital Dhaka this Friday to protest against Israel's continued barbaric attacks on Palestine and Lebanon. Al-Quds Committee, Bangladesh organized the discussion meeting titled 'Martyrdom of top leaders including great expert Ismail Haniyeh, Hassan Nastullah and Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar and the achievements of Gaza-Palestine centered unrest' in the auditorium of Bangladesh Scientists Association. President of the Committee and chairman of philosophy department Shah Kawthar Mustafa Abululayee presided over the session and senior assistant editor of daily newspaper Inquilab Jamal Bari presented the keynote speech. Al Mustafa International Bangladesh country director Hujatul Islam Wal Muslim Shahabuddin Mashayekhi said that after the war between Israel and Egypt, Egypt and Jordan and the whole world have turned towards Israel. But after the attack of Hamas on Israel on October 7 last year, a complete disaster occurred. He also said that some countries verbally support Palestine but build all kinds of relations with Israel. "Israel and its proxies use my land to create opportunities for Palestinian and northern movements to struggle for independence. The practice can be successful if unitary hypocrisy is combated by genuine abstinence," he said. Khilafat Majlis Secretary General Professor Dr. Ahmad Kader said all countries can move to resolve. It is not possible to liberate Palestine if the Muslim countries are not united. Shah Kawsar Mustafa Abululai said that they do not have unity to deal with the opposition that alternative politics is currently facing in the world. It is only through the united stand of the political parties that it is possible to resist the monstrous ideologue aggression. The meeting began with a documentary on Palestine, while a protest was held against the power of Israel from the Press club and ended at the National Mosque Baytul Mukarram.

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Friday said what Republican Donald Trump, who is running again for the White House, thinks about the events in Bangladesh “does obviously matter”, but stressed that their task in the government is to tell the truth. “He (Trump) may soon become the leader of the free world. But our task is to tell our truth in the most transparent and compelling way possible,” he said. Trump condemns “attacks on minorities” in Bangladesh From the onset, Alam said, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus's strategy was to invite all foreign journalists, researchers and experts to come and visit Bangladesh. “Let them discover Bangladesh in their own way, for we are confident of our society, our people, our country,” said the Press Secretary. He referred to Netra News as a most respected investigative news outlet on Bangladesh, which did an “excellent piece” of journalism. “It shattered some of the lies propagated by the umbrella minority group, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council,” Alam said through his verified Facebook account. Trump, on Thursday, strongly condemned the “barbaric violence” against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are “getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos.” Alam said they know the group’s claims played a big part in building the most false narrative on the revolution, especially on the violence targeting minority communities. “We don’t deny that some religiously motivated violence didn't take place. But they were isolated incidents and even then hugely exaggerated. Lies don't trigger a revolution — you have to give credit to the collective intelligence of the people,” said the Press Secretary. “You have to respect them as individuals and people. Momentarily, those motivated groups might win. But soon they will realise that their narrative does not have any legs. No amount of social media boosting or banners on New York public transport system and vans can then help their cause,” he said. Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, who was recently appointed as an Ambassador of Bangladesh, thanked Donald Trump for acknowledging the importance of protecting minorities wherever they are, regardless of their religion.  "However, fact-checking is essential to understand the real situation on the ground," he said in a reply to Trump through his X handle.  Ansarey also shared a "fact-checking" report of Sweden-based news organization Netra News that sheds light on what is being circulated by certain vested groups regarding Bangladesh.

Republican Donald Trump, who is running again for the White House, has strongly condemned the "barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh.” “It would have never happened on my watch. Kamala and Joe have ignored Hindus across the world and in America. They have been a disaster from Israel to Ukraine to our own Southern Border, but we will Make America Strong Again and bring back Peace through Strength!” wrote the 78-year-old former US President. In a message through his X handle, Trump said, “We will also protect Hindu Americans against the anti-religion agenda of the radical left. We will fight for your freedom. Under my administration, we will also strengthen our great partnership with India and my good friend, Prime Minister Modi.”"Kamala Harris will destroy your small businesses with more regulations and higher taxes. By contrast, I cut taxes, cut regulations, unleashed American energy, and built the greatest economy in history.""We will do it again, bigger and better than ever before—and we will Make America Great Again," Trump said."Also, Happy Diwali to All. I hope the Festival of Lights leads to the Victory of Good over Evil!" Trump wrote.

The United States Secret Service will train the officials of six Bangladeshi agencies to enhance their ability to tackle money laundering and terror financing. Around 60 officials of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), four units of Bangladesh Police including the Criminal Investigation Department, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Department of Narcotics Control, and Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) will get the trainings in two phases. Among them, 20 officials of BFIU will take part in the training. A delegation of the American Secret Service will come to Bangladesh soon to conduct the training. In the first phase, a five-day training programme will begin at the Police Staff College in the capital from November 10, followed by another five-day training session from November 17. Another two sets of follow-up training for the second phase will begin respectively on February 2 and February 9 next year. After the political changeover, all agencies responsible for tackling money laundering have become active.

Australia's Home Minister Tony Burke has conveyed to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus about his country’s plan to bring its visa centre back to Dhaka and hold negotiations to prevent irregular migration between Bangladesh and Australia. He called on the Chief Adviser at the state guest house Jamuna on Thursday. The visiting minister is the most high profile Australian official to have visited Bangladesh since the interim government took over. Chief Adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam briefed the reporters at Foreign Service Academy. Deputy Press Secretaries Aburba Jahangir and Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumder also spoke at the briefing. Repatriating stolen money is hard, but doable: US Charge dáffaires Prof Yunus thanked the minister for visiting Bangladesh at a crucial time for the country and for supporting the interim government in its efforts to carry out much needed reforms. Burke, whose constituency is home to a large number of Bangladeshi diaspora, said he followed events in the country with much interest and witnessed their big celebrations after the fall of the dictatorial regime. "There is a lot of optimism and hope," he said about the post revolution expectations. Prof Yunus admitted that the task of rebuilding the country is big since the dictatorship destroyed all institutions and the economy was in shambles. Bangladesh, Australia seek effective initiatives to promote regular migration "The challenges are big. Dealing with expectations is the most difficult part. But people are patient. We've got to build the structures again," the Chief Adviser said. Burke raised the issue of irregular migration from Bangladesh, saying his government would like to start negotiations over the matter. Bangladesh's rich history, including the historic Language Movement also came up during the discussion. "The seed of our independence came from this movement," Prof Yunus said. The Chief Adviser discussed the work of the commissions including the five-member Disappearance Investigation Panel, which is probing hundreds of cases of enforced disappearances that occurred during the dictatorship. Hopeful of finalising report by 1st week of Dec: UN rights chief tells CA Prof Yunus handed a copy of the Art of Triumph, a book on the graffiti and murals drawn on the walls of the cities and towns in the country during the mass uprising. The Australian home minister appreciated the gift, saying he would visit some parts of the city to look at the arts himself.

US Charge dáffaires Helen LaFave on Thursday said repatriating stolen money is hard, but it is doable. US was already supporting Bangladesh with advice and other assistance to help recover the money and bring it back to Bangladesh, she said. She paid a farewell call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his office in Tejgaon, Dhaka where the issue was discussed. "We will definitely make it happen," the Chief Adviser said. Apart from efforts to repatriate tens of billions of dollars stolen from Bangladesh during the dictatorship, their talks covered judicial reforms, South Asian electricity connectivity, counterterrorism,reforms in civil bureaucracy, and labour issues. The US diplomat said a number of senior US officials would visit Bangladesh in the next few months in an effort to cement ties between the two friendly nations. Prof Yunus praised LaFave for her service as a top diplomat and appreciated her sincere efforts to advance Bangladesh-US relations at a crucial time. "I am very proud to witness history," Helen LaFave said as she recounted her memories during the student-led mass uprising in July-August. US Charge d'Affaires handed over a letter from Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Professor Yunus, said the Chief Adviser’s press wing. During the meeting, the acting US envoy told Professor Yunus that the US was expediting resettlement of the Rohingyas from the Bangladesh camp to the North American nation. Professor Yunus said his government was also committed to carrying out sweeping labour reforms.  

Bangladesh and Australia have stressed effective initiatives from both sides for facilitating regular and safe  migration. Australia has underscored the need for containing "irregular migration" while promoting safe and regular migration and Bangladesh agreed with Australia's position. The issue was discussed at a bilateral meeting held between Australian Minister for Home Affairs, Arts, Cyber Security, Immigration and Multicultural Affairs & Leader of the House of Australia Tony Burke and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday. Adviser Hossain thanked Tony Burke for extending his support and cooperation to the Bangladeshi diaspora in Australia. No decision taken yet over opening of UN Human Rights body office: Touhid Bangladesh is keen to work with Australia for promoting growing bilateral trade, enhanced student enrollment in Australian institutions, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both sides highlighted the burgeoning presence of Bangladeshi IT experts in the Australian outsourcing sector. Tony Burke mentioned that the Bangladeshi community in Australia and in particular in his electorate had strong support for the student-led movement in Bangladesh. He exuded his government’s confidence about Bangladesh’s efforts to mend the past and build a brighter future through effective reforms. Hossain talked about the background and spirit of the students-led mass upsurge that installed this interim government and apprised him of the reform initiatives undertaken by the current government to materialize the aspirations of the people, especially the young generation. He acknowledged Australia’s continued moral and material contributions to the Rohingya population sheltered in Bangladesh and called for enhanced pressure from international community on Myanmar for a sustainable solution of the crisis. DP World, Abu Dhabi Ports keen to invest in Bangladesh: UAE Envoy "Only solution to the problem is the return of Rohingyas to their homeland in a safe environment. If not addressed, it could trigger problem with implication for the wider region and by extension for the world," said the Adviser. Amongst others, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia M Allama Siddiki and Director General (East Asia & Pacific) Mohammed Nore-Alam were present in the meeting.

Global findings from the 8th annual indicator report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change reveal alarming new records in health risks associated with climate change, emphasizing the urgent need to redirect financial resources from fossil fuel investments towards health protection. This year's report highlights that Bangladesh is significantly affected by these threats, underscoring the critical need for action. In Bangladesh, the prevalence of health-threatening extreme heat is on the rise. Air pollution is inflicting a heavy toll on public health, leading to a high burden of disease and unnecessary deaths. The transition to zero-emission, clean energy sources is imperative. From 2014 to 2023, infants experienced an average of 8.6 heatwave days annually, while adults over 65 faced 8.1 heatwave days. In 2023, these figures reached record highs of 20.9 and 20 heatwave days per year, respectively. The number of heatwave days for children under one was 2.3 times greater than that for the same demographic from 1986-2005, and adults over 65 experienced 5.2 times more heat wave days over the same period. Individuals faced moderate or higher heat stress risks for approximately 2,800 hours each year, which is equivalent to one-third of the year during light outdoor activities. Upstream, downstream countries must work together to tackle climate change: Rizwana The impact of heat exposure has severe economic consequences, with an estimated income loss of US$21 billion due to reduced labor capacity in 2023. Agricultural workers were particularly affected, experiencing 63.5% of the potential hours lost and 54% of the associated income losses. Moreover, the toll of air pollution is stark, with 212,000 deaths attributed to anthropogenic air pollution (PM₂.₅) in 2021. Fossil fuels, particularly coal and liquid gas, contributed to 40.4% of these deaths, with the monetized value of premature mortality from air pollution reaching US$52.6 billion. Health risks are compounded by the indoor burning of solid fuels, leading to approximately 74 deaths per 100,000 individuals in Bangladesh in 2020. The suitability for transmission of various infectious diseases, including dengue and malaria, is increasingly influenced by climate change. From 2014 to 2023, climatic conditions in Bangladesh's lowlands favored the spread of malaria for more than half of the year. Additionally, the population living within 100 kilometers of coastal waters suitable for Vibrio transmission increased by 32% since 1990-1999, now affecting 44.5 million people. The World Health Organization also highlights a significant rise in dengue cases in Bangladesh, exacerbated by climate change factors such as increased temperatures and heavy rainfall. The distribution of dengue vectors, particularly Aedes aegypti, has intensified in previously unexposed areas. By November 2023, Bangladesh reported 308,167 dengue cases, a drastic increase from 62,382 in 2022, alongside a rising death toll from 281 (CFR 0.45%) to 1,598 (CFR 0.52%). UN chief urges investing in clean air to save lives, combat climate change Bangladesh is also grappling with severe environmental challenges. Nearly 172 million individuals were exposed to sand and dust levels that exceeded WHO thresholds at least once over the past five years. From 2019 to 2023, an average of 82% of the country experienced at least one month of extreme drought, with 41% facing at least three months and nearly 25% enduring six months or more of extreme drought. Despite these alarming findings, Bangladesh continues to invest heavily in fossil fuel subsidies, totaling a record US$26.8 billion in 2022, surpassing carbon revenues. Coal made up close to 5.5% of electricity generation, while low-carbon sources, including renewables, contributed less than 2%. The decline in biomass for household energy use from 81% in 2000 to 53% in 2021 highlights the pressing need for investment in technology transfers and financing for sustainable energy solutions. Dr. Marina Romanello, Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown, emphasized the urgent need for action, stating that the ongoing expansion of fossil fuels exacerbates health impacts linked to climate change, threatening to undo the limited progress achieved thus far. The report advocates for a transformative approach to global financial systems that prioritizes health and reallocates resources from a fossil fuel-dependent economy to a zero-emissions future. This transition will promote public health and wellbeing through cleaner air, better diets, and sustainable job opportunities. UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed the call for urgent action, emphasizing the necessity of addressing climate inaction by reducing emissions, protecting vulnerable populations from climate extremes, and ending dependence on fossil fuels.