United News of Bangladesh

US Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), an old friend of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, is likely to visit Bangladesh soon. He will meet Professor Yunus, civil society members, and media representatives during his forthcoming visit, a diplomatic source told UNB on Friday. Durbin was primarily schedule to arrive in Dhaka on August 26. However, a diplomatic source told UNB that the proposed trip has been "delayed" apparently due to flood situation in Bangladesh. This will be the first visit of any US politician to Bangladesh since the formation of the interim government following the fall of Sheikh Hasina-led government. Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Springfield, is the 47th U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois, the state’s senior senator, and the convener of Illinois’ bipartisan congressional delegation. Durbin serves as the Senate Majority Whip, the second highest ranking position among the Senate Democrats. Senator Durbin has been elected to this leadership post by his Democratic colleagues every two years since 2005. Durbin serves as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and sits on the Appropriations and Agriculture Committees. Elected to the U.S. Senate on November 5, 1996, and re-elected in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020, Durbin fills the seat left vacant by the retirement of his long-time friend and mentor, U.S. Senator Paul Simon.

Interim Government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has shared the idea of developing a high-level mechanism between Bangladesh and India to jointly tackle emergency situations like floods. This suggestion was shared during a courtesy meeting with Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma at the state guesthouse Jamuna on Thursday. He also referred to flag meetings that Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Border Security Forces (BSF) hold on emergency basis when Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma had a courtesy meeting with the Chief Adviser at state guesthouse Jamuna on Thursday. Briefing the media at Foreign Service Academy after the introductory meeting, Chief Adviser's press secretary Shafiqul Alam said Prof Yunus laid emphasis on high-level collaboration on water issues and activating this in emergency situations. Alam said the issue of rainfall and floods in Tripura came up in the discussion. On the flood issue, the press secretary, quoting the envoy, said water was “released automatically” due to the water level rising. "The water was very high." The High Commissioner described the flood in Tripura as something “very unprecedented,” causing displacement of 50,000 people. He said it has created havoc on both sides of Bangladesh and India. Prof Yunus said water-sharing of the joint rivers can be resolved through working together and referred to the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan. He also said Bangladesh is a “big family”. Minority issues were also discussed at the meeting. Prof Yunus had earlier said that the reports of attacks on the minorities have been “exaggerated” and invited Indian journalists to visit Bangladesh and report from the ground on the issue. The chief adviser told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his government is committed to safeguarding every citizen of the country including the minorities when Modi raised the issue during a telephone conversation. At the meeting today, the chief adviser also talked about BIMSTEC and SAARC, and laid emphasis on bringing young people together in South Asia. Prof Yunus also talked about his good relations with India where he has many friends. Yunus Center is operational in 18 Indian universities.He also talked about a world of three zeros – the new economics of zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions'. High Commissioner Verma reiterated India’s commitment to working with Bangladesh to fulfill shared aspirations of the people of Bangladesh and India for peace, security and development. They exchanged views on issues of shared interest and discussed avenues to further strengthen people to people ties.

The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday signed an agreement, extending the ongoing collaboration for a peaceful and inclusive Bangladesh. Norway's Ambassador to Bangladesh Espen Rikter-Svendsen and UNDP Bangladesh's Resident Representative Stefan Liller signed the agreement at the embassy, which will remain effective until 2025, on behalf of their respective organizations. Since 2021, with support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, UNDP has been implementing the "Partnerships for a More Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh" (PTIB) project. This initiative focuses on preventing hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation to build a more inclusive society in Bangladesh. During the signing, Espen Rikter-Svendsen said the partnerships for a “tolerant and inclusive” Bangladesh (PTIB) project seeks to better understand the sources of violence, involve citizens in spreading positive messages of tolerance and inclusivity, and develop a coherent, context-specific strategy to promote tolerance, diversity and inclusivity. Stefan Liller said through their partnership with Norway, they have mobilised youth and civil society to foster greater tolerance, inclusivity, and diversity. “With Norway's further support, we will continue to promote digital literacy nationwide as well as other issues that can contribute to Bangladesh achieving SDG Goal 16.” He thanked the Norwegian government for their continued support in promoting peace and tolerance in Bangladesh. Among others, Marianne Rabe Knævelsrud, Deputy Head of Mission, Morshed Ahmed, Senior Adviser, Royal Norwegian Embassy, and Sheela Tasneem Haq, Senior Governance Specialist, were also present at the signing ceremony.  

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, has 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. Following the meeting, Chief Adviser’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, briefed the media at the Foreign Service Academy, confirming that security measures have already been intensified in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone to address these concerns. In addition to security issues, the High Commissioner discussed the goal of shared prosperity between the two nations, reaffirming India’s strong belief in a prosperous and stable Bangladesh. “We believe in a strong and prosperous Bangladesh. We are really looking forward to working together,” Press Secretary Alam quoted the High Commissioner as saying. During his introductory meeting with Prof Yunus, the envoy reiterated India’s commitment to working with Bangladesh to fulfill shared aspirations of the people of Bangladesh and India for “peace, security and development.” They exchanged views on issues of shared interest and discussed avenues to further strengthen people to people ties. “It was a very cordial meeting. They (India) want more positive engagements (with Bangladesh),” Alam said, quoting the High Commissioner. India has the largest visa operations in Bangladesh and 16 lakh people visited India last year. Of them, 60 percent visited for tourism purposes, 30 percent for medical purposes, and 10 percent for other purposes. On the flood issue, Alam, quoting the envoy, said water was “released automatically” due to the water level rising. The High Commissioner described the flood in Tripura as something “very unprecedented,” causing displacement of 50,000 people. He said it has created havoc on both sides of Bangladesh and India. Prof Yunus said Bangladesh is a “big family”. He laid emphasis on high-level collaboration on water issues and on activating this in emergency situations. He said water-sharing of the joint rivers can be resolved through working together and referred to the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan. Minority issues were also discussed at the meeting. Prof Yunus had earlier said that the reports of attacks on the minorities have been “exaggerated” and invited Indian journalists to visit Bangladesh and report from the ground on the issue. The chief adviser told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his government is committed to safeguarding every citizen of the country including the minorities when Modi raised the issue during a telephone conversation. At the meeting today, the chief adviser also talked about BIMSTEC and SAARC, and laid emphasis on bringing young people together in South Asia. Prof Yunus also talked about his personal good relations with India where he has many friends. Yunus Center is operational in 18 Indian universities. He also talked about a world of three zeros – the new economics of zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions'.  

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma met interim government’s Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday and discussed issues of mutual interest. The meeting was held at state guesthouse Jamuna. Earlier, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said Bangladesh will want to know the reasons behind the flood during the meeting. Rizwana said there is discussion in official channel to find ways for avoiding such flood in the future.

Referring to the worsening flood situation, Information and Broadcasting Affairs Adviser Md Nahid Islam on Thursday accused India of "non-cooperation" with Bangladesh, and urged the neighboring country to come out of what he called "anti-people policy" to protect people in both countries. “The dam was opened without any prior warning and without giving us any scope for preparation,” he told reporters on Thursday after the advisory council’s meeting at state guesthouse Jamuna, chaired by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. Environment, Forests and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan also spoke and responded to various questions from journalists. She said Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma is holding a meeting with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus where Bangladesh will want to know the reasons behind the flood. Rizwana said there is discussion in official channel to find ways for avoiding such flood in the future. Nahid said that India demonstrated an "inhuman behavior" and non-cooperation with Bangladesh. On the other hand, India has noted concerns expressed in Bangladesh regarding the flood situation and explained the reasons behind the flood, claiming that what is being said in Bangladesh is not factually correct. "We have seen concerns being expressed in Bangladesh that the current situation of flood in districts on the eastern borders of Bangladesh has been caused by opening of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti River in Tripura. This is factually not correct," said the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday. Floods in the rivers between India and Bangladesh are a shared problem inflicting sufferings to people on both sides, and requires close mutual cooperation towards resolving them, said the Indian side. At least 1,796,248 people have been affected by floods across six districts in Bangladesh and one death was reported from Fulgazi upazila of Feni district, according to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, which detailed the situation as of Thursday morning (August 22). Nahid said that people of Bangladesh are angry due to India’s policy and demanded fair share of water. Nahid said the government is also in discussion with the chiefs of three forces – army, navy and air force – for effectively dealing with the flood situation.  He urged people from all strata to come forward and help the affected people. “We need to work together.” India, meanwhile, pointed out that the catchment areas of Gumti river that flows through India and Bangladesh have witnessed heaviest rains this year over the last few days. "The flood in Bangladesh is primarily due to waters from these large catchments downstream of the dam," India's MEA said in a statement on the situation. As two countries share 54 common cross-border rivers, river water cooperation is an important part of bilateral engagement, India said. "We remain committed to resolving issues and mutual concerns in water resources and river water management through bilateral consultations and technical discussions," according to MEA. The Dumbur dam is located quite far from the border - over 120 Km upstream of Bangladesh. It is a low height (about 30m) dam that generates power, feeding into a grid from which Bangladesh also draws 40MW power from Tripura. Along the about 120 km river course, there are three water level observation sites at Amarpur, Sonamura and Sonamura 2. Heavy rainfall has been continuing since August 21 in India's Tripura and adjoining districts of Bangladesh. "In the event of heavy inflow, automatic releases have been observed," India's MEA said. "Amarpur station is part of a bilateral protocol under which we are transmitting real time flood data to Bangladesh," it added. Data showing rising trend has been supplied to Bangladesh upto 1500 hrs on August 21, 2024. At 1800 hrs, due to flooding, there was a power outage leading to problems of communication. "Still, we have tried to maintain communication through other means created for urgent transmission of data," said the MEA. Adviser Nahid also urged businesspeople to come forward on humanitarian grounds to help the affected people. The interim government has taken "adequate preparation" to face the flood situation in the country as a number of districts are already affected. "We have adequate preparation," Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters on Wednesday. He said Chattogram, Noakhali and Feni are very affected and some people have already moved to safe shelters. The Press Secretary said adequate medicine and dry food are being supplied. Quoting the weather officials, Alam said the rainfall may continue until August 26 with heavy rainfall and there is no sign for a quick improvement of the rain-driven floods. Eight districts of the country have been flooded due to heavy rains and onrush of water from the upstream, said the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief on Wednesday. The eight districts are Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Feni, Chattogram, Noakhali, Comilla and Khagrachhari.

 The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power has spoken with Bangladesh interim government Chief Advisor Prof Muhammad Yunus and recognized Prof Yunus for his leadership at a critical juncture for Bangladesh. They discussed ways in which USAID might best support the interim government and the Bangladeshi people’s aspirations for a more democratic society, and work together to enhance good governance and human rights, as well as strengthen the country’s economy, said acting USAID Spokesperson Shejal Pulivarti. Administrator Power also emphasized the need to protect vulnerable refugees and enable the work of humanitarian partners providing critical support. During the telephone conversation with Prof Yunus on August 21, ahe underscored USAID’s long standing partnership with the Bangladeshi people.  

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has welcomed the generous contribution of USD 3 million from the Republic of Korea through the Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis. This timely contribution will strengthen UNHCR’s efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and protection for the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char, said the UN agency on Thursday. “As the humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is approaching the seven-year mark, the sustained support of the Republic of Korea to UNHCR’s activities in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char remains invaluable,” said Soo-Jin Rhee, UNHCR Deputy Representative in Bangladesh. “This contribution notably supports the distribution of liquefied petroleum gas, a cleaner cooking energy to Rohingya refugees, and will also advance disability inclusion and strengthen community-based protection efforts protecting the most vulnerable refugees as well as bolstering the resilience of the refugee communities,” she added. “The contribution of USD 3 million from the Republic of Korea, the largest funding to UNHCR since 2017, will enhance the implementation of UNHCR’s humanitarian response under the Joint Response Plan 2024,” said Park Young-sik, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea. “This year’s humanitarian assistance from the Republic of Korea for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh has greatly increased. The total funding of USD 10 million and the first donation of 15,000 metric tons of rice, the biggest amount throughout the period of humanitarian assistance, demonstrates our firm and continued commitment to providing humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh,” he added. Since spearheading liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distribution in 2018 as an alternative to cooking with firewood collected from forests, UNHCR has, with the support of donors and partners, helped reverse environmental degradation in and around the camps, while contributing to refugees’ food security, nutrition, and health. LPG usage also decreases protection threats on refugee women and girls, and frees up time for children to attend school. Korea’s contribution will also support the assistance for refugees with disability, including with rehabilitation and assistive devices, and mental health and psychosocial support. On Bhasan Char, it will ensure the continued provision of community-based protection through running of community centers, provision of lifesaving information, facilitation of community-led projects, and supporting refugee communities. Seven years into the Rohingya refugee crisis, Bangladesh is home to nearly one million Rohingya refugees, living in the densely populated camps of Cox’s Bazar, and some 35,000 individuals residing on the island of Bhasan Char.

The United Nations has laid emphasis on the safety and well-being of journalists in Bangladesh, allowing them to do their work. "The safety and well-being of journalists anywhere in the world is of critical importance for any country especially for countries going through a transition,",Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric told reporters in a media briefing on August 21. He made the remarks when a journalist drew his attention about recent attacks on East West Media Group and vandalism there. The spokesperson said it is important that journalists be allowed to do their work and that those who commit violence against journalists be held to account. Some unidentified miscreants attacked East West Media Group office in Dhaka’s Bashundhara Residential Area on Monday afternoon. Miscreants broke into Radio Capital office and ransacked it. They also vandalised tables, computers, and ACs in the building. Kaler Kantho, Bangladesh Pratidin, Daily Sun, BanglaNews 24, News 24, T Sports and Capital Radio officers are located in three adjacent buildings of East West Media Group. The group also vandalised 20-25 cars parked in the office premises.

A preliminary team of Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is in Dhaka to discuss the process for investigating human rights violations in light of the recent violence and unrest. “A team from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will be visiting Dhaka from 22 to 29 August 2024 for preliminary discussions with the Interim Government and other stakeholders,” said an official at the UN on Thursday. The purpose of this visit is to understand their priorities for assistance in promoting human rights. It is important to note that this visit is not an investigation, but rather it will focus on discussing the process for investigating human rights violations in light of the recent violence and unrest, said the official. This is in response to a request from the interim government. Once the details are finalized, a separate fact-finding team will be dispatched in the coming weeks to conduct the investigation. The High Commissioner has conveyed admiration, solidarity, and support to the people of Bangladesh, particularly the youth, as they work towards advancing human rights for all. The High Commissioner is fully committed to supporting the interim government and the people of Bangladesh in a successful transition that enhances the protection of human rights. The team is expected to meet with several government advisers and civil society members during their visit to gather information. The move was announced by UN human rights Chief Volker Turk during a recent call with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. The government has expressed its readiness to cooperate with the UN team to ensure a fair and impartial investigation. Earlier, UN Resident Coordinator in Dhaka, Gwyn Lewis, met with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain to discuss the mission. She mentioned that the team will include technical experts who will begin the initial fact-finding process. "The mandate, details, and how the team will collaborate with the government are still to be agreed upon," Lewis told reporters after the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.