United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Hindu Community in London arranged the annual Gita Yajna on Sunday under the theme of "World Peace and Harmony," focusing humanity and the growing number of global natural disasters, including cyclones, floods, and wildfires, which continue to devastate millions of lives worldwide. The event was organised by the Bhagavat Gita Research Foundation (BGRF), UK, in collaboration with Sri Sri Geetasangha Bangladesh. The Yajna, a sacred fire ritual, was performed with prayers to reduce the impact of these catastrophes, symbolically representing the hope that the blazing fire of Yajna would extinguish the suffering caused by such calamities. Over 300 devotees attended the event, united in their shared desire for peace and healing worldwide. The Gita Yajna was performed by the prominent priest, Nityananda Chakravorty, President Sri Sri Gitasangha Bangladesh.

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on Wednesday paid tribute to the courageous first responders who risked and sacrificed their lives to rescue others on September 11, 2001. “In the years since September 11, the United States has remained resolute in defending the homeland, protecting our people, and supporting our allies in this crucial mission,” Blinken said in a statement marking the 23rd anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. On September 11, 2001, terrorists claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others in the most devastating attack on American soil in our nation’s history.  “Today, on Patriot Day 2024, we honor their memories and stand in solidarity with the families and friends of those who perished in New York City, Arlington, Virginia and Shanksville, Pennsylvania,” said the US Secretary of State. On this Patriot Day observance, he said they are reminded of the enduring strength of the American people.  “This resilience drives our ongoing fight against terrorism.” Blinken said they also remember their colleagues who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, on this day in 2012.  “Their bravery and dedication continues to inspire us and serves as a reminder of the resilience and sacrifice that define our mission,” he said.

Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen has said their thoughts are with all Bangladeshis at this difficult time and he particularly made reference to the violence and the plight of ethnic and religious minorities in Bangladesh. “All violence is to be abhorred,” he said while speaking at the Australian Parliament on September 10, noting that the members and the whole House would have watched with great concern the episodes in Bangladesh over recent months, with the fall of the government and the violence. “As I said at the outset, all violence to all Bangladeshis is to be deplored”, he said, adding that he wants to take this opportunity to raise the particular matter of attacks on religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh—Hindus, Christians and others, according to the Parliament of Australia. “I, together with other Western Sydney colleagues, have written to Minister Wong raising this issue. We'll continue to raise these concerns,” said the Australian Minister. He said their representatives in Bangladesh have been actively ensuring that Australia's views about the need for a return to stability and lack of violence are represented. “There has been violence against these minorities in the past, particularly in 2021 during the Durga Puja, but I wanted to take this opportunity to raise this very important matter for the information of the House and to assure Bangladeshis who are ethnic minorities that the House is watching and listening,” Bowen said. Recently, the Australian Minister said, there was a briefing of members of parliament, which he participated in online. “I was joined by Dr Charlton, Dr Freelander, Anne Stanley, Thistlethwaite and representatives from Minister Husic's office and Minister Rollin's office. The briefing was organised by Councillor Suman Saha of Cumberland City Council and 46 leaders of the Bangladeshi community who raised issues,” he said. The minister said they were also joined by three members of the families of victims of violence in Bangladesh over recent months. “There are very complex matters at play and not every report will be accurate, but, nevertheless, I'm satisfied that there are genuine issues that need to be addressed. Genuine issues were raised in this meeting: 725 homes and businesses damaged, 724 homes and businesses looted, 58 homes and businesses set on fire, 17 places of worship damaged, 21 places of worship looted,” he mentioned. Included in these statistics are human stories, said the Minister, adding that it has been reported that Rahul Ananda's home was looted and set on fire. “I'm told that Rahul's home was host to cultural vibrance and community. Rahul is a very famous musician in the Bangladeshi community,” Bowen said. His house has previously been visited by President Macron of France. “But, since the attack, Rahul has been forced to flee Bangladesh. This is one of many stories during this tragedy. All violence is to be abhorred. Minister Wong made it clear that we want restoration of stability in Bangladesh. I do recognise the efforts of the new government, led by Muhammad Yunus,” Bowen added.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangladesh, in collaboration with ‘The Bangladesh Medical Students’ Society (BMSS)’ has launched the 'Scholarship for Medical Students' initiative—Bangladesh’s first-ever program offering medical students’ free access to certified courses from world-renowned universities. This initiative, under the Futurenation platform of UNDP and Grameenphone, will provide 300 medical students from 60 medical colleges across the country the opportunity to pursue specialized courses from prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, Imperial College London, and others. The programme aims to bridge local and global medical education, ensuring students enhance their skills in areas such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, public health, and more, UNDP said on Wednesday. Md. Abdul Quayyum, Head of Communications at UNDP Bangladesh, highlighted the significance of this scholarship and said, "This partnership makes global medical education accessible and helps build skilled healthcare professionals. We plan to expand this program further to reach more students across the country." Debashis Roy, Private Sector Partnership Specialist and National Project Manager of Futurenation said, “This collaboration marks a milestone for Bangladesh’s medical community. By providing free, certified courses from global institutions, we’re empowering the next generation of doctors with essential skills that will shape the future of our healthcare system.” Iftekhar Ahmed Sakib, Vice President of External Affairs at BMSS, said this scholarship is a transformative step for medical education in Bangladesh. “It addresses the diverse academic interests of students and aligns with their professional goals." Among others, Shirazum Munira, Secretary General of BMSS, , Nishita Sanaul, Training Program Coordination Assistant UNDP, Maisha Rubaiyat, IT Assistant UNDP, Azlafa Nawshaba, Private Sector Employment Assistant UNDP, Iqbal Hasan, Officer Content Creation UNDP were also present. Futurenation is a platform dedicated to empowering youth through education and skill development. By offering tailored training programs, it equips young individuals with the expertise needed to excel in today’s competitive job market.

 Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Wednesday met Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan and discussed water conservation and environmental protection issues. The two sides had in-depth exchanges of views on China-Bangladesh relations and promoting bilateral cooperation on water conservation and environmental protection, said the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka. Rizwana Hasan is the Adviser for Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Water Resources.

Russia has said those who produce and spread "fake news" about the alleged embezzlement at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) deliberately attempted to “discredit” this ambitious project and “undermine” steady and mutually beneficial relations between Moscow and Dhaka. “It has come to our attention that certain misleading and false information regarding alleged embezzlement in the Rooppur NPP project keep circulating in Bangladesh media despite two press releases issued earlier by Rosatom State Corporation to refute these ungrounded statements,” said the Russian Embassy in Dhaka on Wednesday. In order to put an end to further absurd speculations on the subject, it seems necessary to clarify the mechanism of utilisation of Russian export credits and the amount of money already spent on the construction of the Rooppur NPP, it said in a press statement. As of September 3, 2024, approximately 7.8 billion USD out of 11.9 billion USD provided by Russia to Bangladesh under state export credits for the implementation of Rooppur NPP project has been utilised. This amount includes transactions under two separate agreements: 491.3 million USD under the first agreement dated January 15, 2013 (this credit amounted up to 500 million USD, and its utilization period expired in 2017), and 7.3 billion USD under the second agreement dated July 26, 2016. The full amount of the second export credit is 11.38 billion USD out of which 64% has been used, and its utilisation period expires on December 31, 2024. The lack of opportunity for any corruption in the Rooppur NPP project can be proven by the fact that according to the laws of the Russian Federation, the provision of any state export credit does not imply direct transfer of funds to the sovereign borrower, said the Embassy. The financing of any goods, works or services provided to a foreign customer under the export agreement is conducted by the Russian Ministry of Finance in Russian currency (rubles) directly to the concerned Russian exporting companies. “These transactions are made based on the documents provided to the Russian Ministry of Finance that have been previously approved by the authorized agent specializing on international agreements – VEB.RF (Vnesheconombank),” said the Russian Mission in Dhaka. The utilised amounts of state export credits are considered as debt of the foreign state borrower before the Russian Federation, it said.

Transparency International US and Transparency International Bangladesh have said the U.S. can demonstrate its genuine partnership by playing a proactive role in helping the country recover the assets that rightly belong to the people and that are so desperately needed to rebuild its future. They have written to the US Secretary of State and US Secretary of the Treasury seeking urgent action to support a transparent, accountable, inclusive, and democratic future for Bangladesh. In their letter to Secretary Anthony Blinken and Secretary Janet Yellen, Transparency International U.S Executive Director Gary Kalman and TIB Executive Director Iftekhar Zaman said as a long-standing partner of Bangladesh, the U.S. can offer timely support at this crucial time in Bangladesh’s history. They called upon the U.S. government to provide critical support to the interim Bangladeshi government to address corruption and money laundering in the following ways: 1 The U.S. government can investigate whether any assets looted by any Bangladeshi individual or company are recoverable property in the U.S. and act swiftly to impose property and account freezing orders as the first step to facilitate their forfeiture and repatriation to Bangladesh and hold the perpetrators to account. 2 The U.S. government could offer expertise, including from forensic accountants, lawyersand law enforcement to support reforms and capacity building of Bangladesh’s relevant institutions like the Anti-Corruption Commission, Financial Intelligence Unit, Criminal Investigation Department, National Board of Revenue and Attorney General’s Office, so that they can identify stolen assets, build a robust evidence base for freezing these assets, and facilitate swift law enforcement action to recover them. 3 The U.S. government could work with the governments of the UK, Canada, Australia,EU, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and UAE (particularly Dubai), and with the interim government, and in-country experts, including civil society within Bangladesh, to identify key targets for imposing financial sanctions and visa bans. To further geopolitical and economic objectives, the U.S. has built close ties with Bangladesh, reads the letter dated September 10. The U.S. is its largest foreign investor and largest export country destination. The U.S. relies on Bangladesh to assist with regional security efforts and efforts to counter terrorism, they said. As such, in recent years, the U.S. has strongly supported efforts to move Bangladesh toward a more open and democratic society, engaging a variety of tools from trade incentives to sanctions of corrupt public officials. Today, they said Bangladesh is experiencing a pivotal moment in its history. "Peaceful student protests against certain discriminatory policies have grown into people’s uprising against increasing levels of inequality and corruption attributed to the previous government of Bangladesh," the letter says. The ensuing brutal crackdown by the law enforcement agencies has left over 1000 dead. Now, serious evidence regarding the misappropriation of state assets by former Bangladeshi officials and their allies is being unearthed. "These assets ultimately belong to the people of Bangladesh, which is why we write to urge the U.S. government to identify and move to seize any such assets in the U.S.," the letter reads. The process to recover those assets should begin quickly so that the funds can help Bangladesh build a more transparent, accountable, democratic and inclusive future. "Corruption allegations involving former ministers, bankers, senior public officials, the armed forces, and police are overwhelming," said the Executive Directors of the two organisations.

Adviser to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Md. Nahid Islam has emphasized the need for foreign investment to develop a new Bangladesh, which has emerged through the mass uprising of students and the general public. He assured that any investment protecting national interests would be welcomed. He made these remarks during a meeting with the Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Helen LaFave, at the Secretariat's Post and Telecommunications Division office today. When Commercial Counselor John Fay inquired about investments by U.S. companies like Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle in Bangladesh, the Advisor reiterated that any investment safeguarding national interests is welcome. He also requested that these companies consider setting up their data centers in Bangladesh instead of India. During the meeting, Nahid Islam expressed gratitude to the United States for the friendly relations between the two countries and their mutual partnership and cooperation in various developmental sectors in Bangladesh. He also briefed the Charge d'Affaires on the government's firm and uncompromising stance against corruption, injustice, and discrimination. The meeting was attended by Secretary of the Post and Telecommunications Division Dr. Md. Mushfiqur Rahman, Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Division Md. Shamsul Arefin, U.S. Embassy Political-Economic Counselor Eric Zillan, Economic Officer James Gardiner, Commercial Counselor John Fay, and Public Affairs Officer Stephen Ebeli.

Khandaker Masudul Alam, currently serving as Director General (North America Wing), has been made new Chief of Protocol, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. Alam will also lead the North America wing in addition to his role as the Chief of Protocol. Current CP Nayem Uddin Ahmed has been made DG of South East Asia wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On the other hand, Rahat Bin Zaman has been made DG (UN wing). He was serving as DG of South East Asia Wing. Tareq Ahmed, currently serving as DG (Research wing), will now lead the International Organisations wing. Wahida Ahmed has moved to the Multilateral Economic Affairs wing from International Organisations wing. Shanchita Haque will move to the Research wing from the Multilateral Economic Affairs wing. On the other hand, Mohammad Barikul Islam will move to Foreign Affairs Adviser's office as a director from the Myanmar wing. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already issued an office order regarding the changes.

Bangladesh and the United States will discuss how the United States can support Bangladesh’s economic growth, financial stability and development needs as Dhaka will welcome a delegation from the US within a few days. “US and Bangladeshi officials will discuss how the United States can support Bangladesh’s economic growth, financial stability and development needs,” a Spokesperson at the US Department of State said on Tuesday. US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu will travel to India and Bangladesh from September 10 to 16, said the Spokesperson. Throughout his trip, Assistant Secretary Lu will reaffirm the United States’ commitment to supporting our partners’ economic growth and promoting stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region. In Dhaka, Assistant Secretary Lu will join an interagency delegation for meetings with the Bangladeshi interim government. The delegation will include representatives from the US Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Office of the US Trade Representative. The senior-level US delegation will discuss ways with the interim government to take forward the relations between the two countries in a changed political scenario. Any visit by the US delegation is always important, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is going to be the first such visit from the US since the formation of the interim government led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on August 8. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia Lindsey W. Ford and US Deputy Under Secretary/Assistant Secretary for International Finance Brent Neiman will join the US delegation. In this role, Ford serves as the principal adviser to senior leadership within the Department of Defence for all policy matters pertaining to the development and implementation of defence strategies and plans for the region. Her area of responsibility includes bilateral security relations with India and all other South Asian countries, excepting Afghanistan; and with the nations of Southeast Asia. Neiman serves as the Deputy Under Secretary for International Finance at the U.S Department of the Treasury. The Foreign Affairs Adviser said they will discuss issues which are achievable and stressed that US visa policy will not affect the relations between the two countries. The delegation will call on Chief Adviser Professor Yunus, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, and Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed apart from their other engagements. Assistant Secretary Lu will travel to New Delhi before his arrival in Dhaka where he will highlight U.S.-India cooperation to promote development, security, and women’s economic security at the India Ideas Summit, hosted by the U.S.-India Business Council. He will also co-chair the eighth U.S.-India 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue, alongside U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Jedidiah P. Royal and counterparts from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Ministry of Defense. The Dialogue will identify opportunities to enhance the U.S.-India bilateral partnership, including defense cooperation, and expand U.S.-India collaboration in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.