United News of Bangladesh

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Wednesday said the general election in Bangladesh is an internal affair of Bangladesh and China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs. "It’s believed that Bangladesh will be able to hold the general election smoothly," he said during his meeting with BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, stressing that China stands ready to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the BNP and promote Bangladesh-China friendship to new heights. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on different issues including China-Bangladesh relations, party-to-party cooperation and etc. Ambassador Yao once again expressed deep condolences on the passing of Begum Khaleda Zia, Chairperson of BNP and former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, stated that China and Bangladesh are Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partners. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the Ambassador said the two countries have always respected each other, treated each other as equals, and pursued win-win cooperation, setting a model for relations between countries. Chinese envoy meets Tarique, pledges cooperation with next govt The Communist Party of China and the BNP have long maintained close and friendly relations, he said. Tarique Rahman reaffirmed his commitment to the one-China principle and expressed the gratitude for the long-term support offered by China for the development of Bangladesh, stating that China is a trustworthy friend and a good partner of Bangladesh, said the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka. BNP is committed to enhancing friendship between the two parties and countries, so as to bring more benefits to the people of both nations, he said.

Overseas migration of Bangladeshi workers rose by 12 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, reflecting a continued outbound labour trend amid domestic economic pressures, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU). The report, titled ‘Trends and Dynamics of Labour Migration from Bangladesh 2025’, was unveiled at an event at the Jatiya Press Club in the afternoon. It said a total of 1,130,757 Bangladeshi men and women migrated overseas for employment in 2025, up from 1,011,969 in 2024. Of the total migrants last year, 62,317 were women, accounting for 5.5 percent of overall overseas employment. The number of female migrants rose by 1.9 percent year-on-year, the report noted. According to RMMRU data, annual female migration remained above 100,000 between 2016 and 2019, but fell below that mark during the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. The figure rebounded in 2022 to 105,466 before declining again from 2023 onward. Compared to 2022, female migration from Bangladesh dropped by 40.9 percent in 2025. RMMRU observed that poor working conditions for women abroad, job insecurity and workplace violence are discouraging women from seeking overseas employment. Data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) showed that Bangladeshi workers migrated to 141 countries in 2025, with 90 percent going to just five destinations. Saudi Arabia topped the list, receiving 754,369 Bangladeshi workers. Qatar accounted for 10 percent of total migrants, followed by Singapore with 6 percent, while Kuwait and the Maldives each received 4 percent. Saudi Arabia also hosted the highest number of female Bangladeshi workers, with 44,832 women migrating there in 2025. Jordan was the second-largest destination for female migrants with 10,525 workers. Other destinations included Qatar, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Kuwait, Hong Kong and Japan, though the number of women migrating to Hong Kong and Japan remained the lowest. District-wise, Cumilla sent the highest number of migrants abroad in 2025, followed by Brahmanbaria, Dhaka, Tangail, Kishoreganj, Chandpur, Chattogram, Noakhali, Narsingdi and Mymensingh. At the divisional level, Dhaka division recorded the highest number of migrants, while Rangpur division sent the lowest. While outbound migration data is available, RMMRU said it could not determine how many migrants returned home, making it difficult to estimate the total number of Bangladeshi workers currently living abroad. RMMRU Executive Director Tasneem Siddiqui said although the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry had earlier announced an agreement with the Ministry of Home Affairs to collect returnee migration data, no visible outcome has emerged so far. “As the number of returnee migrants cannot be determined, there is no accurate estimate of how many Bangladeshi workers are currently overseas,” she said.  

Bangladesh and Uruguay held their first-ever bilateral political consultations on Wednesday and decided to encourage more private sector cooperation including regular interactions between their apex chambers of commerce and industries. The consultations were held at the State Guest House Padma, following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bilateral political consultations between Bangladesh and Uruguay. The MoU was signed to establish an institutional framework for regular, structured, and comprehensive dialogue between the two countries, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bangladesh and Uruguay established their diplomatic relations in 1972. Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and the non-resident Ambassador of Uruguay to Bangladesh Alberto Antonio Guani Amarilla, signed the MoU and led their respective delegations in the consultations. During the discussions, both sides took stock of the existing cooperation across a broad range of areas. Bangladesh proposed strengthening collaboration in the areas of trade and investment, science and technology, defence training, disaster management, people-to-people exchanges, health, education, energy, agriculture, sports and capacity building.

Bangladesh on Wednesday received the first shipment of US corn since 2018 consists of 57,855 metric tonnes of yellow corn. The US Embassy in Dhaka welcomed the arrival of the first shipment of US corn to Bangladesh since 2018 at Chittagong Port. The shipment consists of 57,855 metric tonnes of yellow corn harvested in North and South Dakota and Minnesota during the 2025-26 crop year and shipped from Vancouver, Washington. This shipment marks the first opportunity in eight years for Bangladeshi feed millers to use high-quality US corn as a source of animal nutrition, said the Embassy. US Embassy Dhaka Agricultural Attaché Erin Covert visited the port to greet the ship along with a consortium of buyers from three major feed milling companies – Nahar Agro Group, Paragon Group and Nourish Poultry and Hatchery Limited.  An official from the United Grain Corporation (UGC), a major US grain exporter, said they are honored to be a part of the first shipment of United States corn to Bangladesh in eight years. “We appreciate the work of all those involved in making this possible and look forward to supplying Bangladesh with U.S. grains for years to come,” said the official.  

The United States has expanded a visa bond policy to include Bangladesh and 24 other countries, requiring citizens of these nations to post refundable bonds of up to $15,000 as part of their application for a U.S. visitor visa, according to the U.S. State Department website. Under the updated programme, passport holders from the newly added countries could be asked to pay a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 at the time of their visa interview if they are otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 tourism or business visa. Read more: Offline Indian visa services remain suspended in Khulna Payment must be made through the U.S. Treasury’s online platform, Pay.gov. The list of affected countries now totals 38, mainly from South Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition to Bangladesh, the expanded roster includes nations such as Algeria, Cuba, Nepal, Nigeria and Venezuela. The new requirements are set to take effect January 21, 2026. U.S. officials say the bond requirement is intended to discourage visitors from overstaying their visas. However, the policy has drawn criticism for potentially making travel to the U.S. unaffordable for many applicants from developing countries. Although paying a bond does not guarantee a visa, applicants who are denied or who comply with visa terms can receive refunds. Read more: Bangladesh suspends all visa, consular services from its Missions in Delhi, Agartala The bond expansion is part of broader tightening of U.S. immigration policies under President Donald Trump, including increased deportations, visa and green card revocations, and extended scrutiny of applicants’ social media histories, all defended by the administration as measures to enhance national security.

The United Nations has said it will not send observers to Bangladesh unless mandated by the UN General Assembly or the Security Council. "No.  We do not… the UN itself doesn’t send observers unless there is a mandate from the General Assembly or the Security Council. So that’s no longer something that we do," said Spokesman for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric at the regular media briefing at the UN Headquarters on January 5. He made the remarks when a journalist wanted to know whether the United Nations will send any observer to the election, scheduled to be held on February 12. "I can check for you whether the UN country office is offering any technical support, which is something that we often do in terms of the elections," said the UN Spokesman. As a journalist asked how the UN views BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s return after 17 years in the context of Bangladesh’s democratic transition, the Spokesman said, “I’m not an assessor of news. Journalists assess news. So, we I mean, we will support in any way we can elections and the free expression by the Bangladeshi people of their political vision for their country.” Asked about former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the Spokesman said they will obviously send condolences to her family and to the people of Bangladesh on her passing. 

The government on Tuesday approved a proposal for procuring some 40,000 metric tons of bulk granular fertiliser from Saudi Arabia for the current fiscal year (FY26) to meet the growing demand. The approval came from this year’s 1st meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at the Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. The fertiliser will be imported from SABIC Agri-nutrients Company, Saudi Arabia, under the 15th lot. Placed by the Ministry of Industries, the proposal involves a total cost of Tk 191.41 crore, with the price fixed at US$390 per ton.

Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday signed the condolence book at the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad, mourning the death of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Acting High Commissioner Ishrat Jahan, Press Counsellor Md Tayyab Ali, and Counsellor (Consular) Sardar Md Nomanuzzaman received PM Shehbaz Sharif. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi were also present. After signing the condolence book, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered a special prayer for Begum Khaleda Zia’s eternal peace and conveyed his deep condolences to her family and the people of Bangladesh. He recalled Begum Zia’s contributions to strengthening bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan and mentioned his recent meeting with Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, sending him his sincere greetings. The Prime Minister also expressed optimism about further enhancing ties between the two countries in the future. Acting High Commissioner Ishrat Jahan thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh for visiting the High Commission and expressing condolences.

A new report has identified a stark disparity in climate vulnerability and financial capacity; and countries highly exposed to climate effects, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan are the least equipped to manage these risks. The report, ’Climate Finance Synthesis Report: Needs, Flow and Gaps in the Hindu Kush Himalaya Countries’, was launched at the ‘Enhancing Climate Actions in the Hindu Kush Himalaya’ conference held in Paro, Bhutan on Monday. Afghanistan and Bangladesh face significant challenges, with the lowest readiness scores (0.214 and 0.207) and higher vulnerability (0.586 and 0.554). India, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan show moderate levels of readiness and vulnerability, reflecting a mix of capacities and risks across the region. This data underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance resilience in the most vulnerable countries, the report reads. The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), a vital water source for billions in the region, faces a staggering climate financing shortfall, according to the new regional analysis. The report finds current financial commitments are insufficient to address the region’s adaptation and mitigation needs, projecting a required total of USD 12.05 trillion by 2050. “Mobilising the ambitious target of USD 12 trillion is like climbing the Everest of funding,” said Ghulam Ali, Innovative Investment Specialist and lead author of the report. “The strategy to mobilise these resources has to be creative, comprehensive, and collective to achieve such significant goals.” The analysis, conducted by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), concludes that the annual climate finance requirement for the eight HKH countries is approximately USD 768.68 billion. China and India account for 92.4% of the total projected need. “Evidence and analysis are an important part of advocating and influencing policy development for climate financing in the region,” said Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD. He said the grounded data this report offers enhances understanding of the actions required to address the financial needs of our region to build economic resilience. The HKH region faces an adaptation burden far exceeding global averages, forcing nations like Afghanistan, Nepal, and Pakistan to spend significantly more than income-group averages on disasters and adaptation, trapping them in a cycle of repair with limited funds for other needs. The crisis is framed as an economic equality issue. The annual per capita climate finance needs ranges from as low as USD 24 in some countries to over USD 2,126 in others, representing 6% of GDP to a crippling 57%, respectively. This places immense pressure on policymakers who are facing trade-offs between development and survival for vulnerable populations. To bridge the funding gap, the report recommends a three-track approach: improve access to existing multilateral funds, pioneer innovative mechanisms like debt-for-climate swaps and increase public spending for mountains and environmentally sensitive areas.  The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region stretches 3,500km across Asia, spanning eight countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. Total Climate Finance needed for Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region stands at $12 trillion with $768.68 billion/year including both adaptation (2020-2050) and mitigation (2020-2030). China and India dominate total needs ($8.46T and $2.69T, respectively). China and India, together constitute 92.41% of the total needs. The remaining HKH countries, excluding China and India, still require a total of 62.16 billion per year and 0.17 billion per day. Bangladesh and Pakistan require significant adaptation funding ($86B and $280B).  

Bangladesh on Monday joined the leaders around the world and ‘noted with concern’ the recent developments in Venezuela and reaffirmed its commitment to the principles of the UN Charter and international law. “Bangladesh notes with concern the recent developments in Venezuela,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release. Bangladesh said it believes that ‘diplomacy and dialogue’ should prevail to solve all disputes between countries. Bangladesh also reaffirmed steadfast commitment to the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law. The world leaders have responded with a mix of condemnation and support to the US capture of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro. Following a large-scale strike on Venezuela on Saturday, Maduro and his wife were captured by US forces and removed from the country. The pair has been indicted on drug charges in New York.