United News of Bangladesh

 Extending full support to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus' position regarding Bangladesh, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday said he believes Dr Yunus' efforts can ensure a new Bangladesh with vibrant democracy and rights of its every citizen. "I know you personally. I know your passion about the lives of men and women, human rights and human dignity. I fully support your position," he said during a joint press appearance after a bilateral meeting with Prof Yunus. Recalling that they know each other for four decades, the Malaysian Prime Minister appreciated Prof Yunus' strength to accomplish things for greater good. Looking at what is happening in Gaza and Lebanon, the Malaysian leader shared what is lacking there. "It is a deficit of humanity, injustice and lack of compassion," he mentioned. The Malaysian Prime Minister also paid a courtesy call on President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban after his one-to-one and bilateral talks with Prof Yunus. Bangladesh and the Malaysian sides pursued several important issues, especially the aspects of enhancing trade and investment cooperation like telecommunications, free trade agreement (FTA), labour, Rohingya refugees, higher education, besides the ongoing crisis in Gaza and Lebanon. The Malaysian delegation joined a high tea hosted by Prof Yunus. The Malaysian Prime Minister left Dhaka on Friday evening for Malaysia after his 'fruitful' visit to Bangladesh. Chief Adviser Prof Yunus saw him off at the airport. They discussed issues of mutual interests to further strengthen the ties between the two brotherly countries. The President congratulated Malaysia for the upcoming Asean Chairmanship in 2025. Malaysia is going to be the next chair of Asean from January 2025. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the Asean Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of Asean: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined Asean on January 7, 1984, followed by Vietnam on July 28, 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on July 23, 1997, and Cambodia on April 30, 1999, making up what is today the 10-member states of Asean. Tags: Dr Yunus, Anwar Ibrahim, Bangladesh-Malaysia

 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the Cabinet Decision to confer "Classical Language" status to Bengali, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit and Assamese languages. “I am very happy that the great Bengali language has been conferred the status of a Classical Language, especially during the auspicious time of Durga Puja," Modi said in a message through his X handle. He said Bengali literature has inspired countless people for years. "I congratulate all the Bengali speakers all over the world on this," Modi said. “I am immensely delighted that Assamese will now get the status of a Classical Language after this was approved by the Union Cabinet. Assamese culture has thrived for centuries, and it has given us a rich literary tradition. May this language continue to become even more popular in the times to come. My congratulations," he added. Modi said Marathi is India’s pride. "Congratulations on this phenomenal language being accorded the status of a Classical Language. This honour acknowledges the rich cultural contribution of Marathi in our nation’s history. Marathi has always been a cornerstone of Indian heritage." Modi said he is sure with the status of a Classical Language, many more people will be motivated to learn it. “Pali and Prakrit are at the root of India's culture. These are languages of spirituality, wisdom and philosophy. They are also known for their literary traditions. Their recognition as Classical Languages honours their timeless influence on Indian thought, culture and history." "I am confident that after the Cabinet decision on recognising them as Classical Languages, more people will be motivated to learn about them. This is indeed a joyous moment!," Modi said.  

President Mohammed Shahabuddin has called upon Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to facilitate the entry of more skilled and semi-skilled workers from Bangladesh into Malaysia. The President made the request during a meeting with the Malsysian PM at Bangabhaban on Friday. Welcoming Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim with flowers, President Shahabuddin expressed optimism that the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia will be further strengthened through this visit. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including bilateral trade and investment, economic and technical cooperation, the labour market, and the Rohingya crisis. President seeks global support to solve Rohingya issue President Shahabuddin requested Malaysia’s support in implementing the economic reform programme of Bangladesh’s interim government and congratulated Prime Minister Anwar for assuming the chairmanship of Asean in 2025. He conveyed Bangladesh’s interest in becoming a sectoral dialogue partner of the regional bloc and sought Malaysia’s assistance in achieving this status. Highlighting Malaysia as Bangladesh’s second-largest destination for manpower export, the President reiterated his request for increased cooperation to enable more skilled manpower to work in Malaysia. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged the significant contribution of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia’s socio-economic development and emphasised the need for a transparent process in the recruitment of manpower. He assured Bangladesh of his support for the implementation of the interim government's reform agenda. During the meeting, the President’s foreign adviser, Tauhid Hossain, legal adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul, and other high-ranking officials were present. The Malaysian Prime Minister concluded his visit to Bangabhaban by signing the visitors’ book.

Highlighting the importance of a quick and international solution to the Rohingya crisis through joint efforts, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Friday said the solution to the problem is in the hands of the international community, not Bangladesh alone. “We will keep on raising the issue. Malaysia will be supporting us in raising that. We can’t wait indefinitely. This is something we have to resolve as soon as possible,” he said while responding to a question from UNB during a joint press appearance with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at a hotel in Dhaka. The Nobel Peace Laureate said they have discussed the issue as this is also an issue for Malaysia with a smaller number of Rohingyas there. “We need to find a solution to that problem. And we work together through Asean, through the Malaysian government and through the broader international community,” he said. Malaysia is going to be the next chair of ASEAN from January 2025. Very happy to welcome my old friend: Prof Yunus on receiving Malaysian PM Prof Yunus highlighted two aspects of the Rohingya crisis – new children born on an average 32,000 every year over the last 7 years adding with the 1.2 million Rohingyas. He said it is not the birthrate that concerns Bangladesh but it is about what happens in their life. “A whole new generation of young people is growing up. This is a generation of angry young people. They have no future.” Prof Yunus said the worry for the whole world is that this is a ticking time-bomb that can explode in any way. He said new entries are also happening every day with a constant flow. “This is a concern I shared with the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He is fully supportive and understands our position.” Prof Yunus said Malaysia will be supporting Bangladesh through Asean and international forums to find an international solution to this problem. Seven years ago, on  August 25, 2017, some 700,000 Rohingya men, women and children were forced to flee Myanmar and seek protection in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. In 2024, humanitarian agencies appealed for $852 million to assist 1.35 million people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis in surrounding communities. This appeal remains inadequately funded, according to UNHCR. Chief Adviser Prof Yunus and the Malaysian Prime Minister had a brief one-on-one meeting at the Hazrat Shahjalal Airport before their bilateral talks at Hotel InterContinental.

Reassuring decent working conditions, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday said his government will give immediate attention to the fresh entry of 18,000 Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia in the first phase subject to all conditions are met. “We have discussed the whole system. And we have gone through very transparent procedures. We need workers but they can’t be treated as modern slaves no matter if they are from Bangladesh or other countries. I said this publicly in the past like now,” he said while responding to a question from UNB during a joint press appearance with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.   During the official talks, the Chief Adviser drew special attention to the Malaysian dignitary on the 18000 Bangladesh workers who could not fly within the deadline. The Malaysian Prime Minister assured that his government will give major consideration to the applications of these Bangladeshi workers. Prof Yunus urged the Malaysian Government to issue multiple visas for the Bangladeshi workers and increase the professional and workers in-take to Malaysia. The Malaysian Prime Minister, however, reminded Bangladesh to remain careful and distinguish things urging not to defend criminal actions by anyone – either Malaysians or foreigners in Malaysia. Chief Adviser Prof Yunus expressed his gratitude to the Malaysian Prime Minister on behalf of all the people in the country for making this announcement on the worker issue. An estimated 800,000 Bangladeshis now live and work in Malaysia. Of them, about 450,000 migrated between August 2022 and May this year. Chief Adviser Prof Yunus and the Malaysian Prime Minister had a brief one-on-one meeting at the Hazrat Shahjalal Airport before their bilateral talks at Hotel InterContinental. Prof Yunus said he was ‘very happy’ to welcome his old friend in Dhaka as they have known each other for over four decades. Yunus spoke briefly on the student-led revolution, the sacrifice the students and people made and the carnage committed by the previous government. The chief adviser also spoke about his long association with Malaysian universities and its leaders. They boarded the same car to travel to the bilateral venue—in an expression of their close friendship. Very happy to welcome my old friend: Prof Yunus on receiving Malaysian PM During the bilateral meeting, they discussed three core areas – political, trade and investment. The issues of mutual interest, including economic, political, trade and investment, education, technology and human resource development, manpower export, higher education cooperation, communications, infrastructure development, and defense cooperation were also highlighted. Malaysia is going to be the next chair of Asean from January 2025, and the Rohingya issue was also discussed. In addition, the issue of Bangladesh to become a ‘Sectoral Dialogue Partner’ in Asean in terms of regional cooperation was specially raised. "This visit is very important in terms of bilateral relations and this visit is expected to be considered as an expression of deepening bilateral relations and enduring friendship between Bangladesh and Malaysia,” said Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain. The Malaysian Prime Minister laid emphasis on ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ and addressing the issues of Malaysian companies in Bangladesh and Bangladeshi companies in Malaysia in a faster manner. He said they do not compromise with corruption, governance and economic fundamentals. The Malaysian PM also said the joint commission meeting can be held as soon as possible. He was accorded a red carpet reception on his arrival here on a very short official trip to take the relations between the two countries to a new height. The Malaysian prime minister, who is leading a 58-member delegation, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 2pm. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus received him amid a gun salute and guard of honour. After almost a decade, a Malaysian prime minister is visiting Bangladesh, and this official visit is the first by any head of government to Bangladesh since the formation of the interim government on August 8. He was directly taken to Hotel InterContinental from the airport where he spent a couple of hours. Prof Yunus also hosted high tea in honour of the Malaysian prime minister. The Malaysian PM also met President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB. He signed the visitor's book there. Malaysia is the 8th largest investor in Bangladesh. Malaysian companies, including several owned by its sovereign funds, have invested more than $5 billion in Bangladesh and are now willing to invest more, including in education. The Malaysian prime minister left Dhaka on Friday evening wrapping up his brief visit. 

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus held a brief one-on-one meeting with visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Hazrat Shahjalal Airport on Friday. Prof Yunus said he was "very happy" to welcome his old friend in Dhaka. Yunus spoke briefly on the student-led revolution, the sacrifice the students and people made, and the carnage committed by the previous government. Bangladesh rolls out red carpet for Malaysian PM; talks with Prof Yunus shortly The chief adviser also spoke about his long association with Malaysian universities and its leaders. They boarded the same car to travel to the bilateral venue—in an expression of their close friendship. The Malaysian PM arrived in Dhaka around 2:00pm on Friday on a short visit.  

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was on Friday accorded a red carpet reception on his arrival here on a very short official trip to take the relations between the two countries to a new height. The Malaysian prime minister, who is leading a 58-member delegation, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 2pm. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus received him amid gun salute and guard of honour. High Commissioners of Malaysia to Bangladesh, among others, was present. After almost a decade, a Malaysian Prime Minister is visiting Bangladesh, and this official visit is the first by any head of government to Bangladesh since the formation of the interim government on August 8. He was directly taken to Hotel InterContinental from the airport where he will be staying during the hours-long visit. The bilateral meeting between PM Ibrahim and CA Prof Yunus will be held at the same hotel, which will be followed by a joint press statement. Read: Prof Yunus set for crucial talks with Malaysian PM Friday During the meeting, issues of mutual interest including economic, political, trade and investment, education, technology and human resource development, manpower export, higher education cooperation, communications, infrastructure development, and defense cooperation are expected to be highlighted, said Foreign Affairs Adviser Hossain. An estimated 800,000 Bangladeshis now live and work in Malaysia. Of them, about 450,000 migrated between August 2022 and May this year. The two leaders will also have a one-to-one meeting before the bilateral talks. Prof Yunus will also host high tea in honour of the Malaysian prime minister. The Malaysian PM will also meet President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB. He will sign visitor's book there. Malaysia is going to be the next chair of ASEAN from January 2025, and the Rohingya issue will also be discussed. Read more: Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim due in Dhaka Oct 4 to take relations with Bangladesh to a new height   

Members of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested the media coordinator of the banned militant outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir from Bashundhara residential area early Friday. The arrestee has been identified as Imtiaz Selim, 42, confirmed by Muhammad Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of the DMP. A process was underway to produce him before a Dhaka court, he said. Read: 2 ‘Hizb-ut-Tahrir members’ held in Gazipur The arrestee is accused in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act with Shahbagh police station. Moreover, there are two cases against him with Pallabi and Khilgaon police stations respectively. He is under trial in three other cases, the DMP official said. Read more: Hizb-ut-Tahrir man held in Keraniganj

Brazilian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Paulo Fernando Dias Feres, has said that Bangladesh has yet to fully explore the potential of accessing Brazilian animal protein, particularly beef. He suggested that Bangladesh could consider Brazilian meat as a low-cost nutrition option for its people. Ambassador Feres made this remark during his first courtesy call on Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin on Thursday, where the topic was discussed. During the meeting, the Foreign Secretary recalled that Brazil was the first South American country to recognise Bangladesh after its liberation and expressed gratitude for Brazil's continued support in Bangladesh's democratic journey. He further mentioned that Bangladesh is keen to work with Brazil to strengthen their political and economic ties for the mutual benefit of both nations, aiming to elevate the existing bilateral relationship to new heights. The Foreign Secretary praised the Brazilian Ambassador for his contributions to the growing engagement between Bangladesh and Brazil across various sectors in a relatively short period. Ambassador Feres thanked the Foreign Secretary for the meeting and outlined the mission’s recent achievements. He noted that Bangladesh’s economic growth and its engagement with Brazil, including three Brazilian trade missions to Dhaka and the official visit of the Brazilian Foreign Minister in 2024, have sparked considerable interest in Brazil. While acknowledging that Bangladeshi entrepreneurs who have engaged with Brazil are performing well despite Brazilian tariffs, the Ambassador encouraged more Bangladeshi businesspeople to visit Brazil and explore business opportunities there. Recognising Brazil as an economic powerhouse in South America and globally, both sides agreed on the need to reduce the trade gap between the two countries. They expressed strong interest in further cooperation in areas such as agriculture, agro-processing, trade facilitation for Bangladeshi RMG, apparel, and pharmaceutical products, public health systems, regulatory and policy frameworks, capacity building, skill development, and project financing, among others. Both parties agreed to increase the exchange of business delegations and trade missions as part of enhancing people-to-people contact. The Foreign Secretary emphasised the arrangement of the third bilateral political consultation (FOC), which Bangladesh is set to host. He assured the Ambassador of the Ministry's full support in facilitating engagements with relevant stakeholders. The Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' ongoing cooperation. Relevant officials from the Ministry were also present at the meeting.

The Council of Advisers, chaired by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, on Thursday approved the draft on an agreement between the governments of the Maldives and Bangladesh on ‘transfer of prisoners’. The Council of Advisers also in principle approved a proposal for ratification of the agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons between Bangladesh and Qatar. “Once these are done, we will be able to bring back our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters who have been sentenced in the Maldives or Qatar,” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters while briefing the media at Foreign Service Academy on Thursday evening. Deputy Press Secretaries Apurba Jahangir and Abul Kalam Azad Majumder were also present at the media briefing. Bangladesh currently has agreements on ‘transfer of sentenced persons’ with India, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Bangladesh received a draft agreement on ‘transfer of prisoners’ from the Maldives in 2015 through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Once the proposed agreement is signed, Bangladesh will be able to bring back its citizens from the Maldives who are sentenced and imprisoned. The agreement will be in force for 10 years and it can be renewed for another 10 years if the two countries agree. The Council of Advisers also in principle approved a proposal for ratification of the agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons between Bangladesh and Qatar. The agreement with Qatar was signed between the two governments on April 23 this year during Qatar Emir’s visit to Bangladesh. The agreement will remain in force for one year and if neither part expresses willingness to end it, it will remain in force for another year.