United News of Bangladesh

State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Chowdhury on Tuesday said Italy will present a letter of requiring skilled manpower following which skilled workers will be sent to Italy. A discussion was held between the two countries so that the overseas workers would not be harassed, he said while talking to reporters after a meeting with the Italian Ambassador Antonio Alessandro at the Secretariat. UAE businesses eye skilled manpower, investment in Bangladesh Regarding creating skilled manpower, the state minister said, "If the Italian government wants, it can arrange training for our IMT and Technical Training Centers (TTC) as per their needs." Replying to a question, the Italian Ambassador Antonio said “Today, we have discussed how to expand the legal immigrants and his government expressed its keenness to provide visas to those who are skilled. The embassy is preparing the process of issuing visas quickly. Due to scrutiny, it takes a long time.” Saudi Arabia opens doors to Bangladeshi doctors and nurses: A milestone in skilled manpower recruitment “I believe those who are giving false assurances to the workers who want to go to Italy are actually harming the real applicants. He said that due to the scrutiny, the visa process of the genuine applicants is being delayed,” said Antonio. Italian Ambassador in Dhaka Antonio said Italy sincerely believes that Bangladesh is their friendly country as the both countries have historical relations.  That is why his country is interested in creating job opportunities for skilled manpower. Meanwhile, Shofiqur Rahman said the cordial relations between the two friendly countries will be further strengthened. Under the direction of the Prime Minister, Bangladesh is working to transform its manpower into skilled human resources through proper training as per the demand. Mongolia keen to recruit skilled manpower from Bangladesh:  State Minister for Commerce

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday pledged to have “deeper cooperation” with Bangladesh on key fronts and address the shared challenges of climate change, regional maritime security and people smuggling.  “One of the things we want to do is to have deeper cooperation between our coastguards…..we understand it is a shared challenge,” she said while responding to a question from UNB at a joint briefing at state guesthouse Padma. Earlier, she had separate meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud at Gonobhaban and state guesthouse Padma respectively. The Australian FM said her country is working with Bangladesh to deepen their cooperation, including on trade and investment, and to find practical solutions to shared challenges such as climate change, regional maritime security and people smuggling. Australian FM to meet PM Hasina, FM Hasan Mahmud today

Agriculture Minister Md Abdus Shahid on Tuesday said there is no scarcity of rice in the country as the demand is met by domestic production. “Rice production in Bangladesh has increased more than four times in the last 50 years. As a result, there is no scarcity of rice in the country. The demand is being met through domestic production,” he said. The minister made the remarks while addressing a ministerial session at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali of Indonesia, said a PID handout here in Dhaka. He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is taking and implementing pioneering steps for the welfare of the country's farmers and agriculture. She took various measures including raising subsidy to the agriculture sector, increasing budgetary allocation for research and enhancing scopes for research, he added. “These multifaceted initiatives have made Bangladesh a role model for agricultural production in the world,” said Abdus Shahid adding that the initiatives have greatly helped Bangladesh become self-sufficient in rice and maintain the self-sufficiency here. Noting that it needs to sustain food security through the collective initiatives of all, the agriculture minister urged all countries and international organizations to take concerted actions in this sector. Chinese Water Resource Minister Li Guoying, Indonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman and UAE Climate Change and Environment Minister Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, among others, spoke at the session jointly arranged by the World Bank and the International Rice Research Institute. Later, Agriculture Minister Abdus Shahid addressed another session titled “Water for the Shared Prosperity” in the World Water Forum 2024.

Environment Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda emphasized their joint commitment to addressing environmental and climate issues in the region. They discussed potential collaborations on environmental initiatives, such as sustainable forest management, renewable energy, and climate resilience. Saber Hossain Chowdhury met the Nepalese PM at his office 'Singha Durbar' in Kathmandu on Tuesday. The meeting focused on strengthening the longstanding ties between Bangladesh and Nepal, exploring areas of cooperation on climate change, and discussing opportunities for increased trade, particularly in electricity. During the meeting, Prime Minister Dahal and Minister Saber also highlighted the educational exchange between the two countries. Prime Minister Dahal thanked the Bangladesh government for its support and reiterated Nepal's dedication to environmental preservation and sustainable development. Bangladesh Ambassador to Nepal Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, First Secretary Md. Humayun Kabir of the Bangladesh Embassy, and senior officials from the Nepalese government were also present.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Tuesday said they cannot compromise with the ‘zero tolerance’ approach to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations with a view to building a peaceful, just and inclusive society. "We must stay sensitized to the potential sources of risks and challenges, including from the prolonged Rohingya humanitarian situation pending a durable solution to be found in neighbouring Myanmar – where the crisis had its origin," he said. The Foreign Ministry was speaking at seminar on ‘Prevention of Violent Extremism in Bangladesh: Graduation and Sustainability’ at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Masud Momen said they must not feel complacent that violent extremism has been eliminated altogether; but they can draw comfort from the fact that GCERF has equipped some of their communities with the tools and modalities to resist and withstand the spread of violent extremism. Executive Director of Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) Dr Khalid Koser and Ambassador of Italy, among others, spoke at the inaugural session. Koser highly appreciated Bangladesh’s progress made so far and assured of continuing support. The Foreign Secretary assured the GCERF of continued engagement with its work, including through its Governing Board. "We hope that the exit plan implemented in Bangladesh would help advance GCERF’s work in other comparable settings. It is certainly a testimony to GCERF’s success that starting with three pilot countries, it has now been able to expand its work into 23 countries around the world," he said. With the growing rise of intolerance, xenophobia and polarization leading to divisive politics in some parts of the world, in may be required of GCERF to use its experiences even in settings that have traditionally been considered to be the key sources of funding only, he said. "What we can share from Bangladesh’s experience is that an openness to acknowledge and tackle the challenge is always the best bet for societal ownership and engagement towards necessary course correction," said the Foreign Secretary. He thanked GCERF for its diligent work in Bangladesh that he believes it can further build on and showcase. Masud Momen said they remain assured that GCERF would continue to assess the sustainability of progress over a period, and would remain available to redeploy in case Bangladesh required it do so. "In line with our Prime Minister’s directives, we have been able to devise proven and effective means to engage our youth, women, religious and opinion leaders to create guardrails against violent extremism sinking its roots within our communities," said the Foreign Secretary. He said they need to continue supporting such community initiatives through investing in constructive narratives to counter the harmful messages propagated by violent extremists, increasingly through online platforms.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas on Tuesday said it will take contributions from the government, private sector, and civil society to achieve a just energy transition in Bangladesh. It will require good policies in place to incentivize smart investments and cross-border electricity trade, privatization of underperforming state-owned assets, adoption of new technologies, and a phasing out of the most damaging fossil fuel power generation facilities, he said. Security relationship between Dhaka-Washington, and in region important: Peter Haas Haas added, "This will not happen overnight. It will take years to accomplish. But we can accomplish it faster if we work together and share our collective knowledge." Empowering Bangladesh with clean energy today means a brighter, sustainable future for generations to come, noted the US Ambassador at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) held in EMK Center in Dhaka. Sweet Diplomacy: Ambassador Haas celebrates Cinnabon's arrival in Bangladesh with Bun-Buying Bonanza! The forum is the premier public-private US government event to promote trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the United States and its partners throughout the Indo-Pacific region. This year’s event will convene 500 leaders from across the region, including through a live stream for virtual participation and satellite events in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Opportunities and Challenges: Ambassador Haas reflects on two years in Bangladesh The one-day event in Manila, Philippines, is co-hosted by the US Trade and Development Agency and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, in partnership with the US Department of State. IPBF connects CEOs, project developers, government officials, and sources of financing for priority infrastructure in emerging Indo-Pacific economies. Through speeches, breakout panels, and business matchmaking, participants will learn and share their insights on the latest trends, opportunities, and solutions to support infrastructure across all sectors. IPBF is also a chance to learn more about government tools and programs to support US participation in the region’s priority projects. The key themes and topics for 2024 are:  Clean Energy  Digital Transformation  Supply Chain Resiliency  Transportation Infrastructure  Emerging TechnologiesAmbassador Haas said that Russia has shown the world that it will hold energy infrastructure hostage to achieve its imperious objectives.   "All nations, therefore, must develop a plan to solidify their energy security based on a diversified portfolio of resources," he said. Haas said Bangladesh is fortunate with its domestic supply of natural gas. "I am proud to say that US businesses have been instrumental in allowing Bangladesh to utilize those resources to drive its remarkable economic development over the last two decades," he mentioned. While Bangladesh may soon find more gas in new locations, eventually those too will run out, Haas said. "Renewable and clean energy resources are the key to this energy transition for Bangladesh, for South Asia, and for the world," he said. Finding ways to harness solar, wind, hydro, hydrogen, and other energy sources is the path to energy security and needed to support continued economic growth and sustainable development. "To help Bangladesh reach this goal, my government has been working with the Bangladeshi government, the private sector, international financial institutions, and like-minded governments to build the foundation for this country’s clean energy transition," Haas said. He said there are many dedicated professionals at the event today representing the technical, financial, legal, and policy expertise needed to drive this transition. Haas said the challenges they face are finding effective means to decarbonize existing economic infrastructure; seamlessly integrating intermittent energy resources into national grids which are already struggling to keep up with demand; developing abundant supplies of cleaner fuel sources, such as green hydrogen; ensuring that countries have access to finance for clean and renewable energy technologies; and negotiating regional energy trading agreements where politics may trump economic advancement.

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud today (May 21, 2024) said there is someone “paid by BNP,” deployed in the US Department of State regular briefing, to ask questions purposefully for generating negative response.  "There’s someone there who used to work for Khaleda Zia's press wing. He is paid by BNP. He asks questions purposefully to try and get negative answers about Bangladesh. He asks questions intentionally," the minister told reporters at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).  The Foreign Minister was referring to Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, former assistant press secretary to the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Hasan made the remarks when his attention was drawn to him being misquoted at the latest US State Department briefing.  US decision against former army chief Gen Aziz not under visa policy: Foreign Minister "Is the U.S. considering reinstating the GSP facilities for Bangladeshi product, as Bangladeshi foreign minister told the – on Saturday, Assistant Secretary Donald Lu assured Washington would consider reinstating the GSP facilities for Bangladesh?" Ansarey's question reads.  On the GSP issue, the foreign minister actually said the US wants to help Bangladesh get it back when the program is reintroduced. "I talked to the press based on facts and what is true," Hasan said, adding that Bangladesh and the US are working on the labour front to further improve the overall conditions in line with the US desire, and they want to give it back if the US reintroduces the GSP facility. "After the meeting with the visiting Assistant Secretary Donald Lu, Bangladesh’s ruling prime minister advisor told the reporters that White House and the State Departments are very much willing to remove the sanctions as U.S. imposed sanction on RAB, Rapid Action Battalion, for the extreme violation of human rights and extrajudicial killing. So he said that the State Department and White House working to remove the sanctions," Ansarey said in another media briefing.  DRU President Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo and General Secretary Mohiuddin also spoke at the event.  Read more: Ex Army chief Aziz, his immediate family members ineligible for entry into US

The validity of applicants’ Nulla Osta on the day of receiving their appointment booking email will be frozen and will not expire if the email was sent during its validity, according to an update for Italy work visa applicants in Bangladesh. Applicants who submitted incomplete or incorrect Nulla Osta will not receive an appointment, but an email suggesting they contact their employers for clarification," said VFS Global on May 20. Measures on long-term visas to be taken after Indian elections: Nanak No other means of booking appointments is in place. "The process is absolutely free of cost, and applicants receiving any contrary information are requested to report it to VFS Global and the Embassy of Italy," said the VFS Global.

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has said that the government of Bangladesh has taken a zero tolerance policy on combating corruption and will continue to work with the United States on this issue. “For combating corruption, we are working with the US. We want to work together and will continue to do that," he told reporters. Hasan was speaking at a “meet the reporters” programme today (May 21, 2024) organised by Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU). DRU President Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo and General Secretary Mohiuddin also spoke at the event. Responding to a question, the Foreign Minister said the US decision against former army chief General Aziz Ahmed was not under the visa policy. Ex Army chief Aziz, his immediate family members ineligible for entry into US It was made under Section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh remains engaged with the US and the two countries are working together on combating terrorism, human trafficking and other issues. He said the decision regarding the ex army chief was first conveyed to the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington. The US Department of State on Monday announced the public designation of General Aziz Ahmed, previously Chief of the Bangladesh Army Staff, due to what it says was his involvement in "significant corruption". This action renders Aziz and his immediate family members generally ineligible for entering the United States. His actions have contributed to the undermining of Bangladesh’s democratic institutions and the public’s faith in public institutions and processes, the US State Department said. "Aziz Ahmed engaged in significant corruption by interfering in public processes while helping his brother evade accountability for criminal activity in Bangladesh," said the US Department of State. Aziz also worked closely with his brother to ensure the improper awarding of military contracts and accepted bribes in exchange for government appointments for his personal benefit, it claimed. "This designation reaffirms the US commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and rule of law in Bangladesh," said the US government. Read more: Someone “paid by BNP” is deployed at US State Dept briefings: Hasan Mahmud

The European Union is providing EUR 175,000 (over Tk 2 crore 22 lakh) in humanitarian funding to support the most vulnerable people exposed to the extreme temperatures as Bangladesh is facing record high temperatures, reaching over 42°C in some parts of the country in the past weeks. This EU funding supports the Bangladesh Red Crescent’s ongoing efforts to deliver relief assistance to 500,000 people affected by the heatwave. Teams of volunteers disseminate awareness messages on heat-related illnesses and how to prevent them; run cooling stations; provide ambulance and first aid services, and distribute drinking water, umbrellas, and caps. Heatwave affects Dhaka, other divisions; temperatures expected to rise The support will continue in 20 districts where the temperature has exceeded 38°C in the divisions of Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Barishal and Dhaka. The funding is part of the EU's overall contribution of €8 million to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to respond to disasters around the world. Bangladesh, one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and has seen more frequent, severe and longer heatwaves during the summer months in recent years. High temperatures can pose grave risks to newborns and infants, as they are less able to regulate their body temperatures than adults, people with chronic diseases, and older persons, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday. BMD issues fresh 48-hr heatwave alert for 5 divisions People who work outside such as rickshaw pullers, construction workers or agriculture labourers also face increased risks when they are exposed to the extreme heat for long periods of time, as are the inhabitants of overpopulated and congested slum areas where houses are built with iron sheets. The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donors of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises. Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs. 48-hr heat alert issued for Dhaka’s western part, 3 divisions