United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh and The Gambia are willing to trade and investment cooperation apart from exploring opportunities to export of manpower from Bangladesh to Gambia's agriculture sector. Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Gambia’s Foreign Minister Dr Mamadou Tangara had a bilateral meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the OIC's 15th Summit pre-peparatory Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Banjul and discussed the areas of cooperation. Minister Hasan proposed the formation of a Joint Business Taskforce, coordinated by the apex business organisations of the two countries, to expand trade cooperation between Bangladesh and Gambia. The Gambian Foreign Minister expressed his deep appreciation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her solidarity with the Muslim Ummah by sheltering Rohingya refugees displaced from Myanmar. He also thanked the Bangladesh government for its financial assistance in the Rohingya genocide case, according to a media release on Saturday. Minister Hasan congratulated the Gambia Foreign Minister for chairing the OIC's 15th Summit Pre-Preparatory Foreign Ministers' Meeting and expressed his hope to work together to enhance cooperation in various fields of the OIC during Gambia's presidency. During the meeting, Hasan expressed satisfaction at the existing friendly relations between the two countries. The Gambian Foreign Minister praised Bangladesh's remarkable success in the agricultural sector and expressed his intention to expand trade cooperation between the two countries. In the meeting, the Foreign Ministers of both countries emphasised the OIC's strong role in resolving the Palestinian issue. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Bangladesh's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the OIC, Dr Javed Patwary, were present at the meeting, among others.

A bilateral meeting was held between Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and Gambia’s Foreign Minister Dr Mamadou Tangara on Friday on the sidelines of the OIC's 15th Summit Pre-Preparatory Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Banjul, Gambia. The Gambia Foreign Minister expressed his deep appreciation to Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her solidarity with the Muslim Ummah by sheltering Rohingya refugees displaced from Myanmar in Bangladesh. He also thanked the Bangladesh government for its financial assistance in the Rohingya genocide case, according to a media release on Saturday. Hasan congratulated the Gambia Foreign Minister for chairing the OIC's 15th Summit Pre-Preparatory Foreign Ministers' Meeting and expressed his hope to work together to enhance cooperation in various fields of the OIC during Gambia's presidency. During the courtesy call, Hasan expressed satisfaction at the existing friendly relations between the two countries and discussed with the Gambian minister the export of manpower from Bangladesh to the agricultural sector and the increase of bilateral cooperation in trade and investment. Hasan proposed the formation of a Joint Business Task Force, coordinated by the apex business organisations of the two countries, to expand trade cooperation between Bangladesh and Gambia. The Gambian Foreign Minister praised Bangladesh's remarkable success in the agricultural sector and expressed his intention to expand trade cooperation between the two countries. In the meeting, the Foreign Ministers of both countries emphasised the OIC's strong role in resolving the Palestinian issue. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Bangladesh's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the OIC, Dr Javed Patwary, were present at the meeting, among others. End/UNB/MK/MB  

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, while on the sidelines of the preparatory meeting of the 15th OIC Summit, held bilateral discussions on Friday with the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour. During the meeting, Mansour briefed on the current situation in Palestine and requested Bangladesh's unwavering support for Palestine in international forums, according to a media release on Saturday. Hasan also informed about the deep support of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh for the Palestinian people. He emphasised the need for OIC member states to take a united and tougher stance against Israel to permanently end Israeli aggression against the Palestinian population, said the release. The foreign minister is leading the Bangladeshi delegation at the preparatory meeting of the 15th OIC Summit of Foreign Ministers.    

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud and Gambia's Minister of Justice and Attorney General H.E. Dawda A. Jallow expressed hope for the speedy resolution of the case filed against Myanmar for Rohingya genocide at the Foreign Ministerial meeting held at the 15th summit of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Banjul, Gambia on Friday (May 3). Gambia's Minister of Justice and Attorney General expressed sincere thanks to the Government of Bangladesh for providing humanitarian shelter to the Rohingya people displaced from Myanmar. At the same time, he expressed his gratitude to the Honorable Foreign Minister of Bangladesh for providing financial assistance for handling the Rohingya Genocide case. Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs during the courtesy call. Hasan Mahmood, MP highlighted the steps taken by Bangladesh to maintain the Rohingya population in Bangladesh and also highlighted the future obstacles. In this context, Gambia's Minister of Justice and Attorney General expressed interest in seeing the current situation of the Rohingya population in Bangladesh.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa on Friday said it is incumbent on them to "intensify efforts" to address the climate crisis, eradicate poverty, and foster inclusive socioeconomic development. The Asian Development Bank, alongside other multilateral development banks, plays a pivotal role in these efforts, he said.  "We meet amidst multiple challenges that impact human and economic development, where progress has stalled for many," Asakawa said speaking at the 57th ADB annual meeting press conference. "Our efforts will pave the way for a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable region, ensuring that the Asian Development Fund remains a powerful tool for change," he added. He mentioned that they concluded the pledging session for the Asian Development Fund 14, or ADF 14. "I am very grateful for the generous pledges from donors, which helped to deliver a replenishment of $5 billion," said the ADB President.  This remarkable replenishment marks the largest ever commitment to ADF’s grant operations, he said. "It demonstrates ADF donors’ continued partnership with ADB to address the pressing development challenges of those most in need. It makes ADF’s 50th anniversary a golden anniversary indeed," he added. Established in 1974, ADF is dedicated to eradicating poverty and enhancing the quality of life in Asia and the Pacific’s poorest and most vulnerable countries. ADF combines contributions from ADB members with net income transfers from ADB’s ordinary capital resources.  "Our ADF grants are more important than ever as our poorest and most vulnerable members seek to reverse recent development setbacks and to spur urgent action to combat the climate crisis," he said.  My visits to ADF projects have reinforced the transformative impact of this support. Key Features to ADF 14 First is continued support for the vulnerable. ADF 14 prioritizes small island developing states, which are among the most vulnerable, especially to climate change.  Second is ADF’s transformational agenda. ADF 14 focuses on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, promoting gender equality, and driving forward regional cooperation and integration, including regional public goods. Third is responsive assistance. ADF 14 remains ready to respond to disasters, health emergencies, and large cross-border displacements in a flexible manner.  And fourth is crisis support. ADF provides essential support to the people of Afghanistan and Myanmar to focus on their basic needs.    "Our discussions with donors over recent months have shaped a robust vision of ADF’s next four years, reflecting our collective commitment to a sustainable future," said the ADB President. "The generous backing from our donors not only fuels these initiatives but fosters a spirit of international cooperation that is crucial in times of global crises," he added. This collaboration enhances their collective capacity to face challenges that no single country can overcome alone. The theme of this year’s annual meeting is “Bridge to the Future,” recognizing Georgia’s location as a crossroads between East and West. It reflects the linkages between Asia and Europe, highlighting the physical, financial, and economic connections now and for the future. 

Donors and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have agreed to a replenishment of $5 billion for ADB’s Asian Development Fund (ADF) 14 and Technical Assistance Special Fund (TASF) 8.  The commitment was made during ADB’s 57th Annual Meeting.  The following developing member countries are the primary recipients of grants from ADF 14: Federated States of Micronesia; Kiribati; Kyrgyz Republic; Maldives; Marshall Islands; Nauru; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tajikistan; Tonga; Tuvalu; and Vanuatu.  Grants will also be available to support the people of Afghanistan and Myanmar, and for transformative projects in Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; Cook Islands; Fiji; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Mongolia; Nepal; Niue; Pakistan; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Sri Lanka; Timor-Leste; and Uzbekistan. The ADF is ADB’s largest source of grants for operations in its poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries and is replenished every 4 years.  Keen to work together with Bangladesh on useful, impactful projects: ADB Vice President Bhargav Dasgupta ADF 14—marking the 13th replenishment since the fund’s establishment—will support grant operations during 2025­­­–2028.  The ADF 14 replenishment is about 22% higher than the $4.1 billion available in ADF 13, and will provide eligible ADB members with the largest-ever volume of ADF grants.  TASF 8 will provide grants that help prepare projects, build capacity, and provide technical or policy advice. “Grants are more important than ever as our poorest and most vulnerable members seek to reverse recent development setbacks and take urgent action to combat the climate crisis,” said ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa on Friday.  “This remarkable replenishment demonstrates ADF donors’ continued partnership with ADB to address the pressing development challenges of those most in need.” IFAD’s new office in Bangladesh marks strategic milestone, says its Vice-President ADF 14 prioritizes dedicated assistance to small island developing states that are particularly vulnerable—especially to climate change—and to countries in fragile and conflict-affected situations.   ADF 14 will continue to play a critical role in supporting climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. It will enable expanded assistance for regional cooperation and regional public goods, and for transformative gender action.  It will also provide agile assistance in the event of emergencies through its crisis response window. More than $2.5 billion, or 51%, of the replenishment will be funded by contributions from donors including two new countries: Armenia and Georgia. ADB will significantly increase its net income transfers to ADF, from just under $1.2 billion in ADF 13 to almost $1.6 billion in ADF 14, an increase of 35%.  Finance Minister Mahmood Ali seeks increased concessional finance, policy based lending supports from ADB  The remaining $0.9 billion will comprise transfers from earlier ADF cycles and income from liquidity investments. In parallel, ADB intends to provide $16.7 billion in concessional loans, which have very low interest rates over long repayment periods, during the ADF 14 period.  Overall, ADB will be able to provide more than $8 in grants and concessional loans for every $1 in donor contributions. The following donors announced contributions to ADF 14: Armenia; Australia; Austria; Canada; Denmark; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; People’s Republic of China; Philippines; Portugal; Republic of Korea; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Taipei, China; Türkiye; United Kingdom; and United States.

Vice-President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Gerardine Mukeshimana has said IFAD’s new office in Bangladesh marks a strategic milestone in their mission to be closer to their partners, foster stronger collaboration, and drive impactful change in rural Bangladesh. Mukeshimana inaugurated a new country office in Bangladesh on Thursday on her first official visit to the country, marking another step forward in IFAD’s enduring commitment to supporting Bangladesh's rural development efforts. Speaking at the inauguration, Mukeshimana said, “Over the past week, I have seen how IFAD and the Government of Bangladesh have worked together to empower small-scale farmers – especially women and youth - to adapt to climate change, increase their incomes, and produce more nutritious food for their communities." The IFAD delegation, led by the vice-president, had earlier visited IFAD-financed projects in northern Bangladesh, where they met officials from implementing partners – the Local Government Engineering Department and Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation – in Nilphamari, and Thakurgaon districts, IFAD said on Friday. They also engaged directly with project participants, including small-scale farmers and agribusinesses. Through IFAD’s support, these communities have gained access to vital resources such as finance, inputs, training, and market linkage information. “Today, as we open the new IFAD country office in Bangladesh, we applaud their commitment to advancing rural development. This milestone highlights our shared dedication to empowering communities and promoting sustainability. Wishing IFAD all the best on this new journey,” said Md. Hafizur Rahman, Additional Secretary and Wing Chief (Coordination and NORDIC), Economic Relations Division, government of Bangladesh. “The inauguration of this office is an opportunity to celebrate all that IFAD and Bangladesh have achieved together on the path to building better lives and livelihoods for rural people. It also signifies a renewed energy and enthusiasm within the country team to enhance collaborative efforts to tackle persistent development challenges,” said Reehana Rifat Raza, IFAD Regional Director, Asia-Pacific. As IFAD strengthens its presence and expands its financial resources in Bangladesh, it recognizes the immense potential for even greater impact through enhanced partnerships with the government, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies, and the private sector. IFAD-assisted interventions have invested in everything from ensuring easy and affordable access to rural finance and enhancing infrastructure development to promoting climate-smart agricultural practices. “This new space signals the depth of IFAD’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh in reducing poverty and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” said Arnoud Hameleers, IFAD Country Director, Bangladesh. The ceremony was attended by guests, including Stephanie Micallef, Senior Adviser to the Vice-President, IFAD, Jiaoqun Shi, Country Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Bangladesh, and Domenico Scalpelli, Representatives, World Food Programme Bangladesh, were also present. Since 1978, IFAD has supported the Government of Bangladesh in its ambitious rural development goals. Over the past 45 years, IFAD has supported 37 projects in the country, mobilizing US$3.9 billion in financing, to improve the lives and livelihoods of more than 11 million families.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is keen to work together with Bangladesh and other partners on climate front, extending finance to important projects which are useful and impactful. "We want to finance very impactful, very useful and very important projects with other private sector investors," ADB Vice-President (Market Solutions) Bhargav Dasgupta told UNB while responding to a question during an interaction on Friday. Dasgupta, who assumed the position on December 4 last year, said in Bangladesh what they understand is that there is a lot of interest in diversifying the energy sources. "We are happy to see how we can partner with the government of Bangladesh and how we can work together," he said. ADB’s private sector operations are designed to empower businesses, unlock investments, and support the advancement of key development priorities in Asia and the Pacific. ADB collaborates with a diverse range of stakeholders to address critical development challenges such as climate change, food security, and gender equality by providing innovative solutions to our clients. Dasgupta, who is responsible for management of the operations of ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department and Office of Markets Development and Public–Private Partnerships, said ADB has been one of the most "respected and trusted" partners for the governments in Asia's developing countries. "We are trying to continue the good work we do always," he said. The ADB vice president said they have been playing a fair role in the private sector, but they need to increase and scale up that role. In 2021, ADB announced its ambition to increase its cumulative climate financing to $100 billion between 2019 and 2030, and to allocate $34 billion of this amount for cumulative adaptation and resilience investments, and $66 billion for cumulative mitigation financing. ADB also aspires to reach $12 billion in cumulative climate finance for private sector operations by 2030, and to crowd in an additional $18–$30 billion to support the development of more commercially viable and climate-friendly businesses. In 2022, ADB committed climate financing from own resources reached $6.7 billion, of which $2.7 billion is on adaptation and resilience and $4.0 billion is on mitigation. The ADB official said one of the numbers that they have studied that Asia needs $1.7 trillion to achieve net zero objective. Talking about engagement in Bangladesh with the private sector, he referred that the ADB last month signed a $121.55 million financing package with Dynamic Sun Energy Private Limited to build and operate a 100-megawatt (MW) grid-connected solar photovoltaic power plant in Pabna, Bangladesh. The plant is the country’s first private sector utility-scale solar facility to secure support from global financiers. ADB arranged, structured, and syndicated the debt package as the sole mandated lead arranger and bookrunner. The financing package comprises a $46.75 million loan from ADB, a syndicated B-loan of $28.05 million from ILX Fund I, an Amsterdam-based emerging market private credit fund focused on supporting the Sustainable Development Goals with ADB as lender of record, and a syndicated parallel loan of $46.75 million from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. “As Asia’s climate bank, ADB welcomes the opportunity to support renewable energy in Bangladesh, where obtaining long-term financing for such projects is a challenge,” said ADB Private Sector Operations Department Director General Suzanne Gaboury. “This partnership exemplifies our lead role in mobilising financing for clean energy facilities and stimulating further investment in sectors where it’s needed the most.” The solar power plant will generate 193.5 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and avoid 93,654 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted Bangladesh’s flagship annual resolution on the ‘Culture of Peace’ with an overwhelming number of co-sponsorships. Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN in New York Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith introduced the resolution at the General Assembly Hall. It marks the 25th anniversary of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. In 1999, during the first tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the delegation of Bangladesh led the intergovernmental negotiations for adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action which identified eight areas of action to promote culture of peace and non-violence. While introducing the resolution, Ambassador Muhith highlighted the continued relevance of culture of peace, as the world faces spiralling conflicts and dereliction of human dignity. “To reverse the trend, we must rekindle the brighter and harmonious faculties of the human minds, foster respect for equality and equal value of all human beings; and most importantly we must make peace more profitable than war,” he said. To observe and celebrate the 25th anniversary in a befitting manner, the president of the General Assembly has been requested to convene a day-long high-level forum. Through this resolution, the General Assembly also invited the Member States, United Nations entities, international and regional organisations and other relevant stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, academia and the media to observe the 25th anniversary, in an appropriate manner, including through educational and public awareness-raising activities. Referring to Bangladesh’s own experience of war and devastation, Muhith said that the initiative of Bangladesh to introduce the notion of culture of peace in the UN was inspired by the country’s own experience. “Having born out of a devastating war that was rooted in discrimination, racial intolerance and subjugation, we made promotion of peace a fundamental principle of our foreign policy,” he added. The consideration of the resolution was preceded by a general debate on the culture of peace. A large number of member states and groups of countries delivered statements in which they expressed their commitment to advancing the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a culture of peace. The delegations particularly acknowledged the historic leadership of Bangladesh on this agenda. This year's resolution has been cosponsored by 112 countries, showcasing a broad-based endorsement from a diverse representation of UN Member States.  

Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Muhammad Imran has stressed the need for undertaking coordinated and concerted efforts by all countries to effectively address the global challenge of terrorism. Terrorism is a global challenge and no country can handle it alone, he said while speaking at a function recently, according to a message received here on Friday. While talking about the protracted Rohingya crisis, the ambassador reiterated Bangladesh’s stance on durable and dignified repatriation of all displaced Rohingya people to their homeland in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. If the problem persists further, it may affect the security and stability of the entire region and jeopardize development initiatives, he said. A delegation of the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies, a preeminent institution of the US Department of Defense (DoD), visited Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC recently and joined an interactive session with officials of the mission. Dr. Hassan Abbas, the Distinguished Professor of the NESA Centre for Strategic Studies, led the 46-member team. The delegation comprised of participants of 28 countries in a seminar organised by the NESA Centre in Washington DC. Ambassador Imran highlighted the history of Bangladesh and the country’s recent socioeconomic development. He also focused on the Rohingya crisis issue, Bangladesh’s success in countering terrorism and extremism and the progress on Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF). While addressing the interactive session at the Bangabandhu Auditorium in Embassy, Dr. Abbas, highly commended Bangladesh’s success in combatting terrorism, violent extremism as well as climate change challenges. Referring to Bangladesh’s rich history, culture and heritage, he said he was highly inspired by the historical figures of Bangladesh in his personal and professional life. Dr Abbas said his institution— NESA Center for Strategic Studies — is looking forward to closer relationship between Bangladesh and the United States and wished more prosperous and developed Bangladesh. First Secretary of the Mission Wahiduzzaman Noor highlighted the various initiatives and successes of Bangladesh in combating terrorism and extremism before the delegation. First Secretary of the Mission Ataur Rahman moderated the event, while Counsellor and Head of Chancery Shamima Yasmin Smriti was in the overall coordination of the session.