United News of Bangladesh

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a phone call to Interim Government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday and said he would soon send a high-powered delegation to Bangladesh in their efforts to help rebuild the country. He invited the Chief Adviser to visit Turkey. Professor Yunus accepted the offer, saying he would visit the country at a convenient time, according to the Chief Adviser's press wing. The Turkish President congratulated Prof Yunus on his assumption as the head of the Interim Government. During the call, President Erdoğan condoled the loss of valuable lives in the flood-affected areas of Bangladesh. He said Turkey would provide humanitarian aid to the flood-stricken people. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus thanked the Turkish president, who is a long-time friend of the 2006 Nobel Peace laureate. He said he and the Turkish First Lady Emine Erdoğan are members of a high-profile UN zero-waste forum. He called for increased trade with Turkey and said Bangladesh would need Turkish investment in key sectors, including manufacturing, in which Turkey is a formidable global power. The Chief Adviser also invited President Erdoğan to visit Bangladesh. He also accepted the offer.

Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yousef Essa Al Duhailan on Tuesday laid emphasis on increased economic relationship with Bangladesh and said that Saudi businesspeople are interested in investing more in Bangladesh. He particularly mentioned investment in the logistics, services sector, and renewable energy by RSGT international and ACWA Power. During a courtesy meeting with interim government Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at state guesthouse Jamuna, the Ambassador praised the leadership of Prof Yunus saying that he is capable of leading the country to prosperity. The Chief Adviser called Saudi Arabia a “very important friend of Bangladesh” and recalled his visit to the country last year for the World Football Summit where he addressed the Saudi Arabian women’s football team and spoke about sport’s incredible power to transform the world. The Ambassador noted that some 3.2 million Bangladeshi are currently working in Saudi Arabia making a vital contribution to their country. Bangladeshi migrant workers send annually $5 billion in remittance through official channels and another $5 billion through unofficial channels. If the money can be sent through an official channel they could help significantly in the economic growth of Bangladesh, said the Ambassador. “They are hardworking people and very religious,” the chief adviser’s press wing quoted the ambassador as saying. The Ambassador raised the issue for renewal of the passports of 69,000 undocumented people who had been living in Saudi Arabia since the 1970s. He said that the country had introduced the Makkah Route Initiative to ease immigration procedures for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. Last year, some half a million Bangladeshi performed Umrah, he informed the Chief Adviser. The Chief Advisor appreciated the Saudi leadership in strengthening the bilateral engagements with Bangladesh, adding that his government is looking forward to continued cooperation from Saudi Arabia.

Interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday called for the revival of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) for enhanced regional cooperation in an effort to boost the economies. He said SAARC could be a model of regional relationships like the European Union. “We must work together for mutual benefits,” Chief Adviser’s press wing quoted Prof Yunus as saying when High Commissioner of Pakistan to Bangladesh, Syed Ahmed Maroof, had a courtesy meeting with the Chief Adviser. Adviser Ali Imam Majumder and principal coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) affairs Lamiya Morshed, among others, were present at the meeting held at state guesthouse Jamuna. During the meeting held at the state guesthouse Jamuna, the Pakistan envoy underscored the necessity for reinvigorating the trade and economic relations and people to people contacts between the two countries. He expressed willingness and emphasised the importance for strengthening bilateral relations as well as cooperation at multilateral platforms. During the meeting, the High Commissioner conveyed that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the people of the country were deeply perturbed by the devastation caused by the ongoing floods in Bangladesh. He said Pakistan stands ready to assist Bangladesh. The Pakistan High Commissioner requested easing visa procedures for Pakistani citizens and direct flights between the two countries. He highlighted the necessity for increased engagement on the existing bilateral mechanism between the two countries. The envoy also congratulated Bangladesh on its national cricket team’s maiden Test victory against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

Describing his country as a key economic partner of Bangladesh, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Vikentyevich Mantytskiy on Tuesday said Russia will continue to support Bangladesh in the international fora. The Russian envoy made the remark during a courtesy meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. Adviser Ali Imam Majumder and Principal Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Affairs Lamiya Morshed, among others, were present at the meeting held at state guesthouse Jamuna. The ambassador said the state-run Russian energy company, Gazprom, has expressed interest to explore five more gas wells in the island of Bhola and more inland wells. He said the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is at the final stage, and is expected to go into operation next year. During the meeting with the Chief Adviser, the Russian Ambassador discussed the nuclear power plant, which Bangladesh is building with technical and financial support from Russia, and increased cooperation on food security, energy exploration, and science and technology. Chief Adviser Prof Yunus recalled Russia’s role during Bangladesh’s Liberation War and its vital mine cleaning operations at the Chattogram Port. Prof Yunus urged the Russian envoy to increase imports from Bangladesh, including products other than readymade garments, which constitute some 90 percent of Bangladesh’s exports to Russia. “We need to diversify our exports,” Chief Adviser’s press wing quoted Prof Yunus as saying. Ambassador Mantytskiy said Russia is a key economic partner of Bangladesh as it exports vital food grains and fertiliser to the country. Last year, Russia exported more than 2.3 million tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh and this year, the shipment crossed two million tonnes. He said Russia is also interested in exporting LNG to Bangladesh. The Chief Adviser also stressed widening economic and education cooperation and people to people ties between the two nations. Earlier, Russia congratulated interim government Chief Adviser Prof Yunus and reiterated its commitment to constructive joint work at the governmental level to strengthen trade and economic, scientific and technical, cultural and humanitarian interaction. “This fully meets the interests of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh,” said Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in a congratulatory message to Prof Yunus. He said the Bangladesh-Russia relations have been developing in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect, according to the Russian Embassy in Dhaka.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said the interim government in Bangladesh should seek a resolution at the upcoming session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish an independent mechanism to investigate and pursue accountability for recent grave abuses in Bangladesh. The global rights body said this in a letter to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and other interim government officials. Bangladesh’s human rights situation should be monitored by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and reported to the council, it said. The 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council will begin on September 9, 2024. The interim government should also work with OHCHR and relevant UN experts to set up an independent domestic inquiry into enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings during former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year administration, Human Rights Watch said. This domestic mechanism should operate with UN support and monitoring to ensure its independence and adherence to international human rights standards. “Following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation amid mass protests, Bangladesh’s interim government has the heavy responsibility of accounting for the past to steer the country toward a rights-respecting future,” said Lucy McKernan, deputy UN Geneva director at Human Rights Watch. “The government should support a Human Rights Council-backed investigation into recent abuses while also seeking UN backing for an independent domestic inquiry into the former government’s 15 years of rights violations.” The interim government should urgently implement measures to bring civilian oversight over security forces, disband the notorious Rapid Action Battalion, reform institutions in line with international human rights standards, and revise abusive laws. The crackdown on protests leading to Sheikh Hasina’s departure was the deadliest in Bangladesh’s recent history. At least 440 people were killed and thousands were injured between July 15 and August 5, with most deaths and injuries attributed to excessive force by law enforcement and violence by student and youth groups affiliated with the Awami League, Sheikh Hasina’s political party.   An estimated additional 250 people died after August 5, mostly in violent reprisals against Sheikh Hasina’s supporters, HRW said. Since taking office, the interim government has replaced officials who had allegedly engaged in political partisanship. The Supreme Court chief justice stepped down after protests demanding his resignation. Law enforcement had collapsed after the Hasina government’s fall, leaving Hindus and other minority communities at risk of violence, but the interim government has said that most police stations are now functioning, it said. However, activists fear that the authorities are replicating the abuses of the previous government by arbitrarily arresting Awami League officials and supporters, including journalists, and denying due process and proper access to legal counsel, the HRW letter observed. The Yunus administration has publicly urged calm, acted to quell the violence, and committed to investigate and prosecute those responsible for unnecessary and excessive use of force to crush the protests. The interim government also swiftly released political prisoners detained during the protests, dropped charges against activists, committed to signing the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and pledged to investigate the over 700 cases of enforced disappearances committed under Sheikh Hasina’s rule. To effectively follow through on its commitments to justice and accountability amid a highly divisive political environment, the interim government should ask the Human Rights Council to establish an independent mechanism with a comprehensive mandate to investigate, collect, store, and analyze evidence and cooperate with credible and independent national and international judicial bodies toward accountability for the July and August violence and its root causes, HRW said. A Human Rights Council-mandated investigation would have the greatest independence and credibility for Bangladeshis, who distrust domestic institutions and could avoid the political interference that could undermine purely domestic measures. The council resolution should also mandate OHCHR to monitor the human rights situation in Bangladesh through the transition period until there are free and fair elections, and report back regularly, it added. The recent protests reflect the frustration that Bangladesh’s economic progress has been unevenly shared. Social protection should be reformed to guarantee an adequate level of protection for all, and to ensure that no one is excluded from public benefits because of their inability to pay bribes or because they lack social or political connections. The interim government needs to reform institutions, the security sector, and its justice and legal system, all of which have been deeply eroded under the previous government and earlier administrations, to bring about lasting, human rights changes, Human Right Watch said. In addition to disbanding the Rapid Action Battalion, the interim government should implement robust human rights training protocols across all security forces and remove laws that enable impunity for security force abuse, it said. “Without deep institutional reform and UN support to ensure independence and transparency, the hard-won advancements in Bangladesh could be easily lost,” McKernan said. “The UN and member states should demonstrate their support for all Bangladeshis by backing fact-finding and accountability measures and by investing in rights-based institutional and security sector reform.”

The White House has avoided Bangladesh issues in its readout, though the Indian side, through their Prime Minister’s Office, has said Biden and Modi discussed the situation in Bangladesh as well as other issues. The White House said, US President Joe Biden spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the latter’s recent trip to Poland and Ukraine, as well as the United Nations General Assembly meetings in September.  The US President commended the Indian Prime Minister for his historic visits to Poland and Ukraine, the first by an Indian PM in decades, and for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine, including its energy sector, it said.  The leaders affirmed their continued support for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in accordance with international law, on the basis of the UN Charter. They also emphasized their continued commitment to work together, including through regional groups like the Quad, to contribute to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.  

US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday discussed the situation in Bangladesh.The two leaders stressed the need for early restoration of normalcy and ensuring the safety and security of minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.Modi and Biden also discussed Ukraine and Quad issues during the phone call."I reiterated India’s full support for early return of peace and stability," Modi said.The two leaders expressed their shared concern over the situation in Bangladesh. Modi received the telephone call today from Biden, according to the Indian Prime Minister's Office.The Indian PM conveyed his appreciation for President Biden’s deep commitment to the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, which is based on shared values of democracy, rule of law and strong people-to-people ties.They reviewed the significant progress in bilateral relations and highlighted that India-US partnership is aimed at benefiting the people of both countries as well as the entire humanity. The two leaders had a detailed exchange of views on a number of regional and global issues.While discussing the situation in Ukraine, Modi briefed Biden on his recent visit to the country. He reiterated India’s consistent position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy and expressed full support for early return of peace and stability.The two leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthening cooperation in multilateral fora, including the Quad.

Regarding Farraka barrage, India has said they have seen fake videos, rumours and fear mongering to create misunderstanding which should be firmly countered with facts. “We have seen media reports of the opening of Farraka barrage gates that will allow the flow of over 11 lakh cusecs of water downstream of the river in its natural course into the Ganga/Padma river,” official Spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said on Monday in response to media queries. He said this is a normal seasonal development that takes place due to increased inflow from heavy rainfall in the Ganga river basin catchment areas upstream. “It is to be understood that Farraka is only a barrage and not a dam. Whenever, water level reaches the pond level, whatever inflow comes that passes,” said the MEA spokesperson. It is merely a structure to divert 40,000 cusecs of water into the Farraka canal that is carefully done using a system of gates on the main Ganga/Padma river, while the balanced water flows into the main river to Bangladesh, he said. Data, as per protocol, is shared with the concerned Joint River Commission officials in Bangladesh on a regular and timely basis. It has been done this time as well, said the spokesperson.

Amid sudden demonstration inside the key Indian visa centre on Monday, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka has sought enhanced security, noting that such a situation should not arise. “We have taken this up with the MoFA. We have sent the note verbale. We need enhanced security. Such a situation should not arise for us,” an Indian official at the High Commission told UNB on Monday night. The official said today’s development does not give them confidence, noting that they were basically returning passports as requested by people. Visa seekers, who went there to collect their passports, suddenly staged a demonstration at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Dhaka’s Jamuna Future Park, demanding Indian visas. The Indian High Commission official said they were returning all the passports keeping the applications active so that once full capacity is restored, the applicants can submit their passports again. “Since many are asking to return their passports, we were doing that without rejecting their applications,” he said, adding that they need cooperation from the people. The Indian High Commission has already cleared pending medical visas. The staff of the Indian Visa Application Center were also “harassed” and felt “threatened”, which prevented them from effectively discharging their duties in view of the threat to their safety. Police quickly rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control within a very short time, said an official. Vatara Police Station OC Mazharul Islam said around 300-400 visa seekers went to the the centre since 11 am and there was no vandalism. They brought the situation under control at 3 pm. A number of videos went viral on social media immediately where people were seen chanting various slogans. “Indian collaborators, beware ... .One point, one demand—we want visa,” they were heard shouting. The Indian official said with unruly behavior of the crowd, they will not be in a position to have smooth operation, even on a limited scale. Regarding media reports on some students who need to go to India for student visas from some European countries, the High Commission said it is trying to reach out to those students. “We are trying to get the numbers and trying to reach out to them, so that such emergency situations are also handled. We can try and grant them visas and make sure that their money and future are not affected,” said the official, seeking cooperation from all.Despite the situation, they kept the IVAC operational to help medical and emergency cases. Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) Bangladesh earlier said due to limited operations, the visa process may take longer. “Hence, we are returning passports now and it will be re-processed once operations resume. The applicant will be notified via SMS to re-submit his/her passport,” it said. India has the largest visa operations in Bangladesh and 16 lakh people visited the country last year. Of them, 60 percent visited for tourism purposes, 30 percent for medical purposes, and 10 percent for other purposes. On August 22, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, expressed concerns regarding the safety and security of Indian establishments in Bangladesh including its High Commission in Dhaka. During a courtesy meeting with the interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna on Thursday, High Commissioner Verma raised these concerns.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke on Monday met BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Different bilateral issues including trade, business and investment, the next general election of Bangladesh and the money siphoned off the country to the UK came up for discussion in the hour-long meeting held at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office in the city. BNP standing committee members Abdul Moyeen Khan and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP leader Shama Obaid and Tabith Awal were present in the meeting. Briefing reporters about the outcomes of the meeting, Amir Khosru said how soon Bangladesh is going to elections was also discussed.  “They (UK) wanted to know the matter of how quickly it is possible for an elected and accountable government to come to power through a fair election in Bangladesh,” he said. Noting that different bilateral issues were discussed, the BNP leader said the meeting discussed how the bilateral ties alongside various trade, business and investment between Bangladesh and the UK could be taken forward further. Mentioning that a huge amount of the laundered money was siphoned off to the UK, Amir Khosru said the UK’s role and cooperation for bringing back the smuggled money were discussed.  The UK assured of overall cooperation in this regard, he said. The BNP leaders informed the British envoy about the casualties in the student-led movement as well as the torture and harassment carried out against BNP leaders and activists in the last 15-16 years, and false cases filed in the time.  At the time, the matter of trial also came up for discussion. They (UK) wanted to know about the matter of justice in the country, said Amir Khosru. The UK High Commission in a social media message said that British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke met with senior BNP leaders on Monday. “They discussed national reconciliation and charting a peaceful pathway to an inclusive, prosperous and democratic future for the Bangladeshi people,” it said.