United News of Bangladesh

Eastern Bank PLC. (EBL), a private commercial bank in Bangladesh, and the US Department of State on Wednesday entered into an agreement to collaborate on the EBL Climate Change Adaptation Award. The prize will be announced annually with the aim of recognizing and celebrating the best practices by corporations, manufacturing companies, NGOs operating in Bangladesh, and climate activists who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in implementing climate change adaptation projects and initiatives. The agreement was signed by visiting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and acting Managing Director of EBL Ahmed Shaheen at the EMK Center in Gulshan. Assistant Secretary Donald Lu said the United States and Eastern Bank share a common goal of promoting work to combat climate change among Bangladeshi businesses, civil society, and elsewhere. He said they look forward to supporting EBL’s establishment of this important new climate change adaptation award. Chandpur 150 MW power plant resumes partial production after a month US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas said, “US Embassy Dhaka is excited about this new partnership with Eastern Bank. By helping EBL recognize businesses and organizations doing exceptional work in climate change in Bangladesh, we hope to help inspire more action in this critically important area.” The award categories cover a wide range of sectors and themes, such as renewable energy, water conservation, sustainable agriculture, urban resilience, biodiversity protection, and disaster preparedness. The award winners will be selected by a panel of judges, comprised of experts from academia, civil society, media, and international agencies. EBL’s acting Managing Director Ahmed Shaheen said extreme weather events worldwide are urging them to act quickly on climate adaptation, mitigation, and finance.  "We are delighted to enter into this partnership with the US Department of State on EBL Climate Change Adaptation Award, and to have the privilege of Assistant Secretary Donald Lu with the Ambassador signing this public-private partnership. This is a unique initiative that aligns with our vision of being a socially responsible and environmentally friendly bank. We believe that this award will inspire and motivate more actors to join the fight against climate change, which is one of the most pressing challenges of our time.” Measures on long-term visas to be taken after Indian elections: Nanak The nomination process for the EBL Climate Change Adaptation Award 2024 will be announced soon through newspaper, electronic media and EBL website and social media platforms. The Daily Star is the official media partner for the award.

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said they are working on ensuring quality, inclusive and transformative education for the children, and also dedicated health services, guidelines and counseling for adolescents.                                          "With our Prime Minister in the lead, we have taken a whole-of-society approach to eliminate child marriage, child labour and malnutrition that continue to feature as outstanding challenges," he said while speaking at the inaugural session of an international conference in Dhaka.  In parallel, Hasan said, they are enhancing the support schemes for the senior citizens, while promoting international norm-setting for protecting their rights.  "We underscore the importance of advancing inter-generational equity, be it for climate action, environmental conservation or digital transformation," he said.  The Prime Minister also spoke at the event as the chief guest.  The governments of Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Japan, together with UNFPA, are hosting the two-day event titled “ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development”. UNFPA Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem; State Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh Dr Rokeya Sultana; Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan, Yasushi Hosaka; and representative from the Government of Bulgaria joined the opening ceremony. Donald Lu highlights importance of adaptation; protection of coastal people Bangladesh has a sound legacy of partnership with UNFPA built over the years, with focus on the cardinal principles of the ICPD Programme of Action.  "We look forward to updating our National Population Policy with UNFPA’s technical support so that we can address the entire breadth of our demographic diversity and inherent inequities," Hasan said.  He appreciated UNFPA’s expertise in building capacity of service providers for maternal, adolescent and child health at the grassroots, including in the Rohingya-impacted areas in Cox’s Bazar.  "We would be interested in developing a National Strategy on Youth, Peace and Security, with critical inputs from UNFPA and other concerned UN entities," Hasan said.  He said they stand ready to share and exchange their good practices with other developing countries, including those from Small Islands like the Maldives and Kiribati. He said they would be happy to take forward the salient points from this Global Dialogue in Dhaka to the ongoing negotiations on the Pact for the Future to be adopted by world leaders in September 2024.  Now in her fifth tenure in office, Hasan said, PM Hasina has dedicated her services for the future generations – children and youth – as exemplified by her Vision-2041 for a “Smart Bangladesh” and “Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100” for developing a resilient and prosperous nation.   "Our present government has singled out youth empowerment to be a top priority to make the optimum use of our current demographic advantage," said the Foreign Minister.  "We have our policies geared at equipping our young people with the right education, skills sets and access to technologies that would help them actualize their full potentials as true global citizens," he added.  2024 is the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Bangladesh denounces Israeli settlers’ attack on Jordanian aid convoy in Palestine The global dialogue will unpack global and regional population dynamics and diversity, covering topics such as intergenerational wellbeing and healthy aging, the future of population data, and the changing demography of rural communities, according to UNFPA. Around 200 representatives from local and national governments, academia, think tanks, technical experts, civil society organizations, and the private sector will share practical insights into the investments in health, education, housing or infrastructure, population change that are needed to adapt to changing demographic trends. This dialogue will honour that legacy by focusing on practical responses to demographic change that reinforce a human rights-based approach to population policies that put gender equality and reproductive rights at the core.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has firmly denied that the actions taken by Israel in Gaza constitute genocide.  “We do not believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. We have been firmly on record rejecting that proposition,” Sullivan remarked during a press briefing at the White House on Monday. Donald Lu highlights importance of adaptation; protection of coastal people This declaration comes amid heightened scrutiny over the US government’s support for Israel, especially following repeated inquiries from the press regarding the terminology of “genocide” used to describe the situation in Gaza.  Despite persistent questioning, Sullivan reiterated the administration’s position. Critics argue that the Biden administration’s policies contradict its professed commitment to upholding human rights worldwide, accusing it of applying double standards by ignoring atrocities while continuing to support Israel. “Bangladeshi fuchka is the best,” says Donald Lu Meanwhile the use of force by police to stymie the tide of ongoing pro Palestine student protests has seen criticism around the world. The US stance on Israeli aggression has triggered global protests from students, also asking the authorities to back off from providing assistance to Israel.  

PM's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman has said the White House and the US Department of State are in favour of lifting sanctions on the Rab but it depends on the Department of Justice.  "The issue is with the US Department of Justice which is independent and separate from the White House and the State Department. They work independently," he told reporters on Tuesday night.  Rabindranath Tagore’s 163rd birth anniversary on Wednesday Quoting visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, Salman said they are from the US Department of State saying sanctions on Rab should be withdrawn as there is improvement.  The White House is also saying the same, he said, adding that they have a process to follow.  "The issue is moving through a process," Salman said after his discussion over dinner with Lu.   The US is sheltering Rashed Chowdhury, a convicted killer of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The issue of his handing over to Bangladesh also remains pending with the US Department of Justice, Salman said. In January last year, Lu appreciated the “tremendous progress” made by Rab in “respecting human rights” while performing its duties. “We had quite a good discussion about the Rab. If you have seen the statement this week by the Human Rights Watch, they recognised and we recognised tremendous progress in the area of reducing extra judicial killings by the Rab,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during his visit in January 2023. “This is amazing work. It shows the Rab is able to carry out its important counterterrorism and law enforcement function while respecting human rights,” Lu added. Talking to reporters at his residence on Tuesday night, Salman said the United States expressed willingness to expand the existing relations with Bangladesh on key fronts. "We want to rebuild the trust," Salman quoted Donald Lu as saying during their discussion over dinner at his residence.  "That's the most important thing. We also reciprocated saying that we also want that," the adviser added. The two sides did not raise the "kind of misunderstanding" that apparently happened before the national election. He said the US side wanted to know about Bangladesh's plans to improve the foreign currency reserve situation and make payments to the US companies who are doing business with Bangladesh smoothly.  In reply, Salman told the US delegation that he is hopeful of increased remittance flow and export earnings with the measures taken recently. "So, our reserve position will get better." "Not that we have stopped making payment but it's getting delayed in some cases. We are continuously making payments," Salman said. He was briefing the reporters on Tuesday night after an informal discussion over dinner with the US delegation.  He hosted the dinner in honour of Lu and his delegation. State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat said there was no discussion on BNP, opposition, democracy, human rights, politics and elections. Determined Rabbi overcomes disability to ace SSC exams with feet "It was an informal and casual discussion," he told reporters.  Responding to a question, Salman said there was no discussion on China as Bangladesh maintains friendship to all. He said the US briefly talked about free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, in line with what they always say.  Responding to a question, he said the US is funding a hydropower project in Nepal.  Law Minister Anisul Huq, State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam, former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Distinguished Fellow & Board Member of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute Farooq Sobhan and prominent economist Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad joined the dinner from Bangladesh side. Chief of Staff, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Nate Haft, Sarah Aldrich, SBM Political Unit Chief and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D. Haas, Arturo Hine (Political Counsellor) and Matthew Beh (Political Officer) at the US Embassy, Dhaka also attended.  Lu arrived here on Tuesday morning to "strengthen bilateral cooperation" and to demonstrate US support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. He is here to talk about deepening Bangladesh-US cooperation, including deepening the economic ties in ways that the two countries can collaborate further to address climate issues, said Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State Vedant Patel.  Lu is here as part of his tri-nation tour of the region. He earlier visited India and Sri Lanka. This is also his first visit to Bangladesh after Awami League won the January 7 elections to form the government for the third straight term. Lu will have a bilateral meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and a courtesy meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday. Air Arabia’s flight makes emergency landing following hydraulic glitch at Ctg airport  Also on Wednesday he will also meet Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury. He was received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by Khandker Masudul Alam, director general (North America) at Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  US Ambassador in Dhaka Peter Haas was also present.  

 US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu has laid emphasis on climate adaptation and encouraged youth to come forward to help the people who are at risk in Bangladesh's coastal areas. During a discussion with the civil society members, Lu cited of examples of Bangladesh and Maldives which might get affected due to sea-levl rise. "He highlighted the importance of climate adaptation and protection of people in the coastal areas. He urged the youth to come forward for the protection of people living in the coastal regions," Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator, YouthNet for Climate Justice, told UNB after the meeting. The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, rights activist Md Nur Khan Liton, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Centre for Women Workers Solidarity Kalpona Akter, Rani Yan Yan and Mahmuda Akhter were also present. The civil society members raised Palestine issue and genocide committed by Israeli forces, said a source. Politics in the post-election period, human rights, labour rights and workers fair wages also came up for discussion. US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas also attended the discussion held at his residence. Luarrived here on Tuesday (May 14, 2024) to "strengthen bilateral cooperation" and to demonstrate US support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. He will meet Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Wednesday. Lu is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Washington early Thursday. He is visiting Bangladesh to talk about deepening Bangladesh-US cooperation, including deepening the economic ties in ways that the two countries can collaborate further to address climate issues, said Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State Vedant Patel.  

As part of sports diplomacy, visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will get engaged with Bangladeshi cricket stars on Wednesday afternoon. Donald Lu, accompanied by US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D Haas, will meet Bangladesh Cricket Board and players at Bashundhara Sports Complex, an informed official told UNB. Donald Lu and Peter Haas will meet the cricketers and board officials to extend their best wishes ahead of the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup to be held in the United States and West Indies. Shakib Al Hasan, MP, among others, will be there. The special event marks the Bangladesh cricket team's participation in the inaugural T20 World Cup in the US. The 2024 Men's T20 World Cup starts on 2 June at 01:30 BST with hosts United States facing Canada in Texas. Bangladesh's campaign begins on June 7, against Sri Lanka in Dallas, followed by a match against South Africa in New York on June 10. The team will then travel to the West Indies for their remaining two first-round matches. Prior to the tournament, Bangladesh will play a practice match against India in New York on June 1 and a three-match T20I-Series against the hosts, USA, in Houston. This series will also feature the World Cup Squad. Lu arrived here on Tuesday morning to "strengthen bilateral cooperation" and to demonstrate US support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. He is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Washington early Thursday after his meetings with the ministers, government officials, civil society leaders, and other Bangladeshis. He came here to talk about deepening Bangladesh-US cooperation, including "deepening the economic ties in ways that the two countries can collaborate further to address climate issues."  

The US Embassy in Dhaka has shared a brief video appreciating the taste of Bangladeshi fuchka. Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu together with US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas were seen in the video. "Bangladeshi fuchka is the best," they were heard saying while tasting fuchka together. "East or West, Fuchka is the best! Guess what's cooking! We teamed up with celebrity chef Rahima Sultana to create a fusion of flavors with Fuchka and Jhalmuri! Are you ready for this epic culinary adventure? Enjoy the sneak peak and stay tuned for the full video!," read a message tagged with the tiny video. Lu arrived here on Tuesday morning to "strengthen bilateral cooperation" and to demonstrate US support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

PM's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman on Tuesday said the United States expressed willingness to expand the existing relations with Bangladesh on key fronts. "We want to rebuild the trust," Salman quoted US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu as saying during their discussion over dinner at his residence. "That's the most important thing. We also reciprocated saying that we also want that," the adviser added. The two sides did not raise the "kind of misunderstanding" that apparently happened before the national election. He said the US side wanted to know about Bangladesh's plans to improve the foreign currency reserve situation and make payments to the US companies who are doing business with Bangladesh smoothly. In reply, Salman told the US delegation that he is hopeful of increased remittance flow and export earnings with the measures taken recently. "So, our reserve position will get better." "Not that we have stopped making payment but it's getting delayed in some cases. We are continuously making payments," Salman said. He was briefing the reporters on Tuesday night after an informal discussion over dinner with the US delegation. He hosted the dinner in honour of visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and his delegation. State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat said there was no discussion on BNP, opposition, democracy, human rights, politics and elections. "It was an informal and casual discussion," he told reporters. Responding to a question, Salman said there was no discussion on China as Bangladesh maintains friendship to all. He said the US briefly talked about free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, in line with what they always say. Responding to a question, he said the US is funding a hydropower project in Nepal. Law Minister Anisul Huq, State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam, former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Distinguished Fellow & Board Member of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute Farooq Sobhan and prominent economist Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad joined the dinner from Bangladesh side. Chief of Staff, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Nate Haft, Sarah Aldrich, SBM Political Unit Chief and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D. Haas, Arturo Hine (Political Counsellor) and Matthew Beh (Political Officer) at the US Embassy, Dhaka also attended. Lu arrived here on Tuesday morning to "strengthen bilateral cooperation" and to demonstrate US support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. He is here to talk about deepening Bangladesh-US cooperation, including deepening the economic ties in ways that the two countries can collaborate further to address climate issues, said Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State Vedant Patel. Lu is here as part of his tri-nation tour of the region. He earlier visited India and Sri Lanka. This is also his first visit to Bangladesh after Awami League won the January 7 elections to form the government for the third straight term. Lu will have a bilateral meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and a courtesy meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday. He will also meet Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury on Wednesday. He was received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by Khandker Masudul Alam, director general (North America) at Ministry of Foreign Affairs. US Ambassador in Dhaka Peter Haas was also present.

The second World Meeting on Human Fraternity was held in Vatican City on May 10-11 to discuss ways of promoting human fraternity in environment, education, business, agriculture, media and health. Two key sessions were co-chaired by Nobel Peace Laureates Prof Muhammad Yunus from Bangladesh and Dr. Rigoberta Menchù Tum from Guatemala, said a press release. Thirty Nobel Peace Prize winners, scientists, economists, mayors, doctors, managers, workers, sports champions and ordinary citizens gathered there. Opening the round table discussion, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said “when people disrespect peace and wage war, they set themselves in a direction diametrically opposed to creation and, by killing their fellow human beings, they not only assault the dignity of others but their own as well.” The official declaration from the Peace Round Table urged for "an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, to stop the killing and ensure safe and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid." It further mentions, "We call on the international community to pursue with determination the two-state solution of one Israel and one Palestine, as well as an internationally guaranteed special status for the city of Jerusalem so that Israelis and Palestinians may finally live in peace and security. The children of Gaza, nearly 14,000 killed by weapons of war or dying from hunger and disease, cannot shelter in hospitals that are being bombed and can no longer wait. Humanitarian aid must be permitted in Gaza. Hostages and political prisoners must be immediately released." Muhammad Yunus said more than the weapons, the way that humanity thinks about themselves while they design their economic and social framework that is the biggest threat to humanity. “We have to rediscover ourselves as human beings with human values of sharing and caring and build the foundation of our economic and social framework which entails committing ourselves to creating a new civilization of three zeros: zero global warming, zero wealth concentration and zero unemployment through firmly installing the concept and practice of social business in our economic framework, Yunus noted in particular the problem of today’s “profit-maximizing” civilization, which is built on producing masses of “job seekers” and a handful of profit-maximizers with their wealth ballooning as a continuous process. Bill Nelson, administrator of NASA and a former Democratic senator from Florida, highlighted how his career as an astronaut provoked a passion for human fraternity by repeatedly orbiting the earth and seeing the planet in its entirety. “I did not see racial division from space, I did not see religious division, and I did not see political division. What I saw was we’re all in this together as citizens of planet Earth,” The participants met Pope Francis on May 11 in a private audience. Addressing some 350 participants in the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity, Pope Francis encouraged them to persevere in their efforts to promote human fraternity in a broken world.

Foreign Minister and Joint General Secretary of Awami League Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday said BNP, after the failure of their plot in the last election, is conspiring against the country by joining the international Israeli lobby. “BNP-Jamaat is doing bad politics on religious "sentiments" without making any protest to stop the killing of Palestinians. Instead of standing beside the Palestinians, they have become friends of Israel. They have become friends of Netanyahu. Joining hands with the agents of Israel, they started a conspiracy against Bangladesh. We have the evidence. They have to be unmasked,” he said. The AL leader made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a human chain-cum rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club. The event was organised by the Bangladesh Swadhinata Parishad demanding an end to genocide in Palestine and against BNP's anti-state conspiracy. The foreign minister said the whole world has spoken out against Israel's brutality in Gaza. “But we can see that BNP and Jamaat, who try to politicise religion, have not uttered a single word against this crime against humanity because someone might be unhappy. Hasan also criticised the Islamic parties who remained silent against the Israeli genocide in Palestine. “There are some Islamic parties in our country which stand in front of Baitul Mukarram for no reason. Now why are you not found? Where are you now? Before the election, you came to Baitul Mukarram to topple the government and demonstrate. On behalf of the Palestinian brothers, we did not see you arrange a big march against Israel,” he said. He said they are not really lovers of Islam, rather they are masked religious traders. “They need to be unmasked.” Foreign Minister Hasan said, "Many of the leaders of political parties who criticise the government are bigger than their party and their cheeks are bigger than their bodies. I see many people giving long speeches against the government on social media. But I did not hear them speak against Netanyahu. Where are they? Where are they hiding?' The Foreign Minister expressed steadfast support to the Palestinians and said the government and people of Bangladesh are always in favor of the Palestinians. “Our policy is in favor of the freedom-seeking Palestinian people.” Bangladesh Swadhinata Parishad General Secretary Shahadat Hossain presided over the meeting. Former General Secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan South Awami League Shahe Alam Murad, Awami League central committee member Balaram Podder, Awami League leader MA Karim, Central Jubo League leader Manik Lal Ghosh, Fariduzzaman, Muhammad Rokan Uddin Pathan, among others spoke.