United News of Bangladesh

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Sunday said the interim government has new priorities and those might not match with the priorities of previous Awami League government. He made the statement while briefing reporters after French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy called on him at his Finance Ministry office at the Secretariat. Responding to a question over about $1.1 billion possible support to Bangladesh announced by French President last year in climate change adaptation while the Awami League government was in power, the Adviser said there was no discussion in this regard. He said France has technical experts in various sectors including in IT while Bangladesh has some ongoing projects with French financing worth more than 400 million Euro. “They will also provide us support in different sectors,” he added. In line with the French investments to Bangladesh, Dr Salehuddin hoped that many other countries would come to Bangladesh.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday sought Danish support for labour reforms and mangrove research, saying the two are some of the top priorities of Bangladesh's Interim government. The Chief Adviser said labour reforms are needed to attract investment from foreign investors, while mangroves in Bangladesh's southern region have proved to be essential to combat climate change. He made the comments when Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Christian Brix Moller paid a courtesy call on the Chief Adviser at the latter's Tejgaon office in Dhaka, said a press release issued by the CA’s press wing.  Labour reforms including implementing the ILO conventions are key areas of reforms of his government, Professor Yunus said, adding it was essential both for the workers and the manufacturers. The Chief Adviser suggested joint Danish- Bangladesh research on mangroves. "People should invest in mangroves. It protects the country from storms," he said. He also sought Danish support for the treatment of some of the critically injured people who were hit by bullets during the July-August student-led revolution. The Danish Ambassador congratulated the Chief Adviser on taking the leadership of the Interim Government. He also handed over the original congratulatory letter from the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen to the Chief Adviser. He offered Danish support for the survivors of the revolution and several key areas of the Interim Government's reform agenda. The ambassador mentioned Denmark's continued interest in high quality projects such as 400 million dollars investment by Danish shipping and ports giants Maersk/APM Terminals, 1.3 billion billion dollars investment in offshore wind energy project and 300 million dollars financing for the Saidabad Water Treatment Plant in Dhaka. He also backed the interim government's labour reform moves, saying there is potential for closer dialogue between Denmark and Bangladesh on this vital issue. Lamiya Morshed, Senior Secretary and Principal Coordinator of the SDG affairs, Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary, economic relations division, Kazi Russel Pervez, Director General of the foreign ministry and Anders Karlsen, deputy ambassador of Denmark were also present in the meeting.    

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma on Sunday told BNP leaders that his country wants to further strengthen its relations with Bangladesh. He also said India is also working to strengthen the relations of Indian political parties with BNP. The Indian envoy met BNP leaders, led by its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan Office here in the afternoon. For the first time, the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka met the BNP leaders after the mass upsurge that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s regime on August 05.    “They (India) want to make their relations firmer with Bangladesh,” said Mirza Fakhrul while briefing reporters after the hour-long meeting. He said India has already contacted the Interim Government and had talks with the government following the political changeover in Bangladesh. “They (India) agreed to work on how to bring positivity further into these relations,” said the BNP leader. He said India is designing a proposal to strengthen the relations of Indian political parties with BNP as a political party (in Bangladesh). Noting that the security issues of both the countries were particularly discussed in the meeting, the BNP Secretary General said India said they are very vigilant in this regard and they are trying on how to solve these problems promptly. BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, its vice chairman Nitai Roy Chowdhury and its international affairs committee member Shama Obaid were present in the meeting. Besides, BNP raised the boarder killing issue and the water-sharing problems of the common rivers in the meeting. "We’ve told (Indian High Commissioner) that our water problems need to be solved quickly... it needs to stop the border killings,” said Mirza Fakhrul.

Iranian Ambassador to Bangladesh Mansour Chavushi on Sunday expressed desire to take forward the bilateral engagements with Bangladesh especially in economic areas including trade and commerce, culture, energy, education and health. The envoy expressed the interest when he paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the latter's office at Tejgaon in Dhaka. During the meeting both sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interests, said a press release issued by the CA’s press wing. The Iranian envoy conveyed support and cooperation of the Iranian Government to the Interim Government. The Chief Adviser welcomed the Iranian gestures and thanked Iran for supporting Bangladesh on the Rohingya issues in the global forum.

UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis, on Sunday said the United Nations will support Bangladesh in wide ranging areas, including police and election reforms as the Interim Government rolls out major restructuring of the country's institutions. She paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his Tejgaon office where they discussed reforms, corruption, floods, Rohingya crisis and the UN-led investigation on the July-August carnage, according to the CA’s press wing. Lewis expressed her support for the reform initiatives undertaken by the Interim Government and thanked Professor Yunus "for taking up extraordinary role" as the head of the post-revolution administration. The chief adviser said this was the "most unifying moment" for the whole nation and the main job of his government was to "set an example" for everyone.  "This is a great opportunity for the country to reform the economy and fix almost every institution," he said. The UN official enquired about the reforms in the security forces including police administration. The chief adviser said the government has made police reform a top of its priorities. The chief adviser said the government was also committed to setting up an integrated national IT system, which will ease hassles and cut corruption in the country.  He said the government has also formed a commission to make major reform in the electoral system so that votes can be held free and fair.   Lewis said the UN-led investigation team has already started working on the murders and mayhem committed during July and August.  Lewis said UN agencies, WHO and ILO, were looking at ways to help the injured victims and people who were traumatised by the events. She said the UN has provided 4 million dollars for the post-flood rehabilitation in the country's eastern and southern region.  She said some 18 million people in Bangladesh have been hit by floods since the beginning of the monsoon and the UN was coordinating aid from the agencies and charities for the flood victims. Professor Yunus sought UN help for instituting an early warning system for floods in South Asia. They also discussed environmental, climate change and the Chittagong Hill Tracts issues, with Lewis outlining the aid work the UN agencies have done in the three hill districts. Professor Yunus sought UN help for the building a better future for the Rohingya children in the camps, saying "a whole generation of angry young people is growing up there".   

Ambassador of Thailand to Bangladesh, as Chair of the ASEAN Dhaka Committee (ADC), together with Ambassadors and officials from the embassies of ASEAN member countries in Dhaka— Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam— presented relief items to flood victims in Bangladesh through the Help Foundation. The contribution included rice, lentils, cooking oil and red onions, with a total value of Tk 240,000. This activity reflects the unity and solidarity of ASEAN member countries in providing humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh who is a friend in times of hardship and difficulty. ADC is a mechanism among diplomatic missions of ASEAN Member States in a third country to promote closer cooperation between ASEAN and the host country as well as enhance awareness about ASEAN among the public. The Chair of ASEAN rotates every six months. Major activities this year are the celebration of ASEAN Day and the exchange of views with the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh.

A Chinese national emergency medical team is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Sunday to provide advanced treatment to those who suffered severe injuries during the recent student-led mass upsurge. China is sending the team at the request of the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, said the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka. The team will be arriving from Kunming by a flight which will land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 13:35pm. Yao Wen, the ambassador of China to Bangladesh, will be present at the airport to welcome the team.

There will be no meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, as the two leaders' schedules do not align. Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and New Delhi confirmed to UNB that Modi is expected to leave the United States before Prof. Yunus arrives in New York. It seems there is no possibility as Modi is going there a bit early while Chief Adviser Yunus is going there a bit late, Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said when asked about the likelihood of a meeting between the two leaders. Modi embarked on a three-day visit to the United States on Saturday, where he will participate in the Quad Summit hosted by US President Joe Biden in Wilmington and address the Summit of the Future at the UNGA in New York. In a departure statement, Modi said, “I look forward to joining my colleagues President Biden, Prime Minister Albanese, and Prime Minister Kishida for the Quad Summit.” Prof Yunus, set to arrive in New York later, has a series of high-profile meetings lined up. According to Foreign Adviser Hossain, the Chief Adviser will meet with leaders including the prime ministers of the Netherlands, Pakistan, and Nepal, as well as the President of the European Union, the US Secretary of State, the UN Secretary-General, the UN Human Rights chief, the World Bank President, and the USAID Administrator. The foreign adviser said many meeting decisions are made at the last minute during this time. “New meetings may be added to that consideration; again, due to lack of time, any meeting may be omitted.” Discussions are underway for the Chief Adviser’s bilateral meetings with the President of the United States, the President of Italy, and the Crown Prince of Kuwait.  Also, there is discussion that China’s Foreign Minister may meet the Chief Adviser.  The Foreign Adviser, however, said he will have a bilateral meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will reach New York on September 23 and will leave New York for Dhaka on September 27, delivering his speech the same day.

The Ministry of Commerce has approved export of Hilsa to India ahead of Durga Puja festival. In an official order signed by Sultana Akhter, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry, it was announced that the export of 3,000 metric tonnes of hilsa fish has been approved, according to a press release on Saturday. This decision came following requests from several exporters, with the ministry setting specific conditions for the export. Exporters have been asked to submit their applications to the Ministry of Commerce by 12 pm on September 24. Applications should be addressed to the Deputy Secretary, Export-2 Branch, Room 127, Building-3, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka. No applications will be accepted after the deadline, though those who have already applied are not required to submit new applications. Earlier, Bangladesh banned Hilsa export to India  to ensure adequate hilsa supply in the local market so that the prized fish remains more accessible to people.     

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is set to reach New York on September 23 to attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which is seen as a big opportunity for him to share his government’s priorities following the student-led mass uprising, and economic plans including which areas specifically the international community can be helpful in strengthening and stabilizing Bangladesh’s economy. The first day of the high-level General Debate will be held on Tuesday, September 24. “The Chief Adviser will stay three days in New York and he will leave New York on September 27,” Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters on Saturday at a media briefing at Foreign Service Academy. He said the Chief Adviser will go to New York on a commercial flight. He said the Chief Adviser will go to New York on a commercial flight. The Chief Adviser will deliver his speech on September 27, said the Foreign Adviser. Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and Director General (East Asia & Pacific Wing) Toufique Hasan were also present at the briefing. Hossain said a major political changeover has taken place in Bangladesh and they want to let people know so that no confusion remains regarding what happened in Bangladesh. He said Prof Yunus is highly respected globally and all countries will take his remarks seriously. The Adviser said he will go to New York by a separate commercial flight two days prior to the Chief Adviser's arrival in New York. Asked about any possibility to have a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Foreign Adviser said it seems there is no possibility as Modi is going there a bit early while Chief Adviser Yunus is going there a bit late. The Chief Adviser will have meetings—bilateral and call on—with prime ministers of the Netherlands, Pakistan, Nepal and the President of the European Union, US Secretary of State, UN Secretary-General, UN Human Rights chief, the World Bank President, and USAID Administrator, said the Foreign Adviser. In fact, he said, many meeting decisions are made at the last minute during this time. “New meetings may be added to that consideration; again, due to lack of time, any meeting may be omitted.” Discussions are underway for the Chief Adviser’s bilateral meetings with the President of the United States, the President of Italy, and the Crown Prince of Kuwait. Also, there is a discussion that China's Foreign Minister may meet the Chief Adviser. The Foreign Adviser, however, said he will have a bilateral meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the sidelines. Hossain said reforms and human rights will be highlighted and the government will continue to make commitments to take steps on human rights issues. "I can't justify why there were large delegations in the past. But the current government wants to avoid unnecessary expenses," he said. The Foreign Adviser said, this time the delegation will have 57 members, and a big number of them are security personnel. On previous occasions, the Bangladesh delegation varied between 300 and 100 plus members. Unlike recent years, a delegation of over a hundred members from Bangladesh will not visit New York on a chartered flight, he said, adding that rather, a delegation has been formed as limited as possible according to their respective affiliations or responsibilities. Hossain said only those with direct responsibilities at the UNGA will accompany the Chief Adviser. “I will fly to New York two days earlier on a different flight to attend high-level meetings consistent with my responsibilities,” he said. The theme of the General Debate is "Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations."