United News of Bangladesh

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Monday said the main focus of the interim government is the law and order situation, stressing that the security situation has improved in the country. Prof Yunus also said the interim government has rolled out important reforms in the first month after he took over as the chief adviser. He made the remarks when the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See (Ambassador of Vatican) to Bangladesh, Kevin S. Randell paid a courtesy call on him at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka. Prof Yunus sought support from the Holy See for reforms and the Rohingya people sheltered in Bangladesh, said the press wing of the chief adviser.

Amid visa seekers' peaceful demonstration demanding quick delivery of passports with visa, the Italian Embassy in Dhaka on Monday said applicants were warned against submitting forged or false documents. The Italian Embassy said they are committed to work with the Bangladesh authorities and in partnership with the European Union (EU) for actively preventing irregular flows and promoting legal pathways. A bilateral agreement has been proposed to further improve collaboration in migration and mobility issues, which they hope will soon be finalised. The Embassy assured of its commitment to increase the output of processed applications and presented some initiatives undertaken to that end with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, including the creation of a dedicated taskforce. Applicants were reassured that their "nulla osta" will not expire once they have lodged the application or requested an appointment to do so. The nulla osta is the document issued by Italian immigration authorities which authorizes a non-EU national to apply for a work visa at the Italian embassy/consulate in their country of residence A few hundreds of working visa applicants gathered on Monday morning in Shahabuddin Park in Gulshan 2 asking for a rapid reply to their applications. The demonstration was peaceful, said the Embassy, adding that a few representatives of the applicants were received in the Embassy by the Deputy Head of Mission to whom they presented some requests. During the meeting the Embassy provided legal, technical and logistic explanations for the existing delays in the processing of working visas to Italy. Applicants were warned not to pay or trust any mediator or intermediary who are the main cause for the current delays, said the Embassy. The visa seekers also wanted to meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to place their demands for addressing the issue. “Your voice will play a strong role in resolving our problems. We want to get our passports and visas back soon,” said a message displayed by one of the visa seekers who joined the programme. Corruption and the production of false or forged documents or statements are serious crimes under both the Italian and Bangladeshi laws, which the Italian Embassy is committed to contrast together with the concerned Bangladeshi authorities, said the Embassy. Over these regrettable practices, thorough investigations are in due course also in Italy. During the meeting, the Embassy also clarified the role of VFS Global: it is the only Embassy's official authorized agency, contracted by the Italian Government with the only purpose to collect visa and legalization applications for Italy and to return passports to the respective applicants. The Embassy receives tens of thousands of applications per year and would not be able to manage them without the help of such an organization, as it happens for several other foreign missions in Dhaka and in other parts of the world. VFS Global acts on behalf and under strict instructions of the Italian Embassy, without taking part in any decision concerning the approval or rejection of a visa or its timing, nor on the appointment schedule to file the visa applications. The appointments are given by the Embassy after appropriate checks and controls on the data filed by the applicants, with no involvement of VFS Global or its staff. During the meeting, the Embassy recalled that, by Italian regulations, applicants can withdraw their passports at any moment provided that they renounce the application. For visa applications filed after May 2024, thanks to a special waiver released by the Headquarters, applicants do not need to leave their passports anymore along with their visa applications. The passport can be presented at a later stage if needed. The Embassy wished to highlight that the issuance of visas falls under the exclusive competence of the issuing State. “Therefore, all decisions concerning the release or denials of Italian working visas to Bangladeshi citizens, as well as their timing, procedure, controls and deadlines, are exclusively regulated by Italian Law,” said the Embassy. Grievances and appeals against the Embassy's decisions can be presented to the proper authorities in Italy, pursuant to the applicable Italian laws and regulations. The Embassy recalled that it processed almost 40,000 visa applications in 2023, the highest number ever. A similar number is expected in 2024. Many legalizations and consular services are also provided by the Embassy to Bangladeshi citizens living in Italy. This visa and consular activities contribute importantly to the success of the Bangladeshi community residing in Italy, which sends the remarkable amount of 1.2 billion Euros per year to Bangladesh. At the same time, several thousands of irregular Bangladeshi migrants attempt to reach Italy every month: Bangladeshis are the first nationality trying to cross the Mediterranean illegally towards the Italian shores, putting their own lives at serious risk, said the Embassy. Italy and the EU are committed to stopping exploitation and illegal trafficking of human beings. “We invite all Bangladeshi citizens not to rely on human traffickers to reach Italy. The crime of illegal immigration is a serious crime and involves the repatriation of the migrant and a ban on re-entry throughout the territory of the European Union from 3 to 5 years,” said the Embassy. “Illegal migrants are not allowed to work in Italy in any case. The new procedures in Italy also provide for the possibility of detaining at the border those who arrive illegally and proceeding with immediate repatriation,” it said.

The Rohingya community in Malaysia has sent a clear message to ASEAN to include a regional refugee protection policy and mechanism as part of the ASEAN Vision 2045 at the Regional Consultation to Strengthen the Advocacy for Rohingya: Strategies and Regional Collaboration that was organized in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recently. This Consultation was jointly organized by Beyond Borders Malaysia, Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR), Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APPRN) and ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) and attended by more than 50 participants from civil society organisations working on refugee rights and Rohingya community in Malaysia. “We also want Malaysia as the Chair of ASEAN in 2025 to engage directly with the Rohingya youth and victims, vulnerable, and marginalized groups in developing Chair’s policies and priorities”, said Kusheda Begom Hasan Sharif, Rohingya community leader in Malaysia. Hafsar Tameesuddin, Co-Secretary-General of APPRN said, “It is important for the ASEAN Chair’s Special Envoy on Myanmar to coordinate closely with the UN Special Envoy on Myanmar, and the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) to ensure coherence in measures, approaches and analysis of the situation”. Contributing to the changing of the narrative of refugees; bringing the concerns of the Rohingya refugees; and hosting a regular public hearing on Rohingya are some of the recommendations from the Consultation that were addressed to the parliamentarians from Southeast Asia. Receiving the recommendations from the Rohingya community, Mercy Chriesty Barends, the APHR Chairperson and member of the Indonesian House of Representatives said, “I am very proud and humbled to receive the recommendations from the Rohingya community. APHR has been putting Myanmar at the heart of its advocacy for more than 20 years and remains in solidarity with Rohingya refugees. I support the suggestion from the Rohingya community to include refugees in the ASEAN vocabulary and its deliberations”.  “We are very concerned that years after the expulsion of the majority of the Rohingya population from Myanmar, Rohingya are still not being adequately informed or engaged on issues of vital importance to their lives and futures. Their voices have been virtually absent from all platforms where decisions about them were made, including on the repatriation plan from Bangladesh or relocation within the country”, said Indria Fernida, a Regional Program Manager of AJAR. “This Consultation, therefore, becomes crucial to honor the aspirations and concerns of the Rohingya, at least those who are in Malaysia right now. We want Rohingya to know that their voices and concerns matter”, explained Mahi Ramakrishnan, President of Beyond Borders Malaysia.

Outgoing Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dr Lilly Nicholls called on Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain at his office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday. They discussed issues of bilateral interest, including development partnership in agriculture, nursing and skills development, trade diversification, foreign  investment, and people to people contact. The Foreign Adviser thanked the High  Commissioner for her sincere efforts to advance the bilateral relations and assured of full cooperation of the government for her successor for furthering the warm and friendly relations.

Representatives from UNICEF, UNESCO and UNFPA on Sunday said that they consider the current government's initiatives in the education sector realistic and that they are ready to provide any kind of assistance in the education sector. They also emphasised on reforms in the education sector and especially opined that education policy 2010 needs to be updated. The delegations from the three UN organisations said these while calling on Education and Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud at his office in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city. The Education Adviser said that the present government is emphasising on quality education. “We welcome all possible cooperation from the United Nations and its specialised agencies in this regard,” he said. UNFPA Country Representative Kristine Blokhus, UNESCO Representative in Bangladesh Susan Vize and UNICEF Deputy Representative in Bangladesh Emma Brigham were present.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Sunday expressed their interest to continue their support to the current interim government. They expressed their willingness when a JICA delegation called on Planning and Education adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud at his office at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. The delegation also briefed their their development activities in Bangladesh. JICA Chief Representative in Bangladesh Ichiguchi Tomohide led the delegation where senior representatives Komori Takashi and Yamada Eiji were present. The Planning Adviser thanked the JICA delegates and expressed hope that Japan will continue to be Bangladesh's biggest development partner in the coming days as in the past.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday underscored the need for expedited third country resettlement of the Rohingya people who have been living in Bangladesh. The Chief Adviser made the call after he met officials of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) at his office in Dhaka. The IOM chief of mission in Bangladesh Abdusattor Esoev gave an overview of the resettlement of the Rohingya to developed countries including in the United States. Washington DC has reaffirmed its commitment to resettle thousands of Rohingyas in the United States, but the process hasn't been accelerated. The Chief Adviser asked the officials to fast-track the process.  He told senior Bangladesh officials that the resettlement process should be easy, regular and smooth. "It should be the easiest of the process," he told the officials of IOM and the Bangladesh government. The IOM Bangladesh chief said the resettlement of the Rohingya resumed in 2022 after a gap of 12 years, but only this year the process gathered some pace. Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin, Home Secretary Abdul Momen, Secretary on SDG affairs Lamiya Morshed, Secretary of the Ministry of the Disaster Management and Relief, Kamrul Hasan and IOM deputy chief of mission Fatima Nusrath Ghazzali were also present during the meeting.

Referring to Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent remarks, Foreign Adviser Md Tauhid Hussain on Sunday said he does not in any way think that there is any apprehension of war between Bangladesh and India. "We do not want to show any reaction. We have to understand whether he (Rajnath) has said this for the consumption of his own country or not,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The adviser said he was more surprised than concerned by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh's recent remarks. He said the way he (Rajnath) says it, it is like beating around the bush. “I do not see any reason for India's war preparations for the war in Ukraine. I don't understand what the problem of Hamas has to do with it, and how it compares with Ukraine and Hamas with Bangladesh. We will look into it why he said this.” When asked whether the Indian defense minister's statement was a threat to Bangladesh or not, the foreign adviser said, "I still think that he (Rajnath) said it for internal consumption. So I don't want to speculate on that. We will definitely see what is happening and why it’s happening. Asked about former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political asylum, Hossain said normally any country can give political asylum to anyone. “We will see (if that happens).”

Bangladesh has reiterated that it is not in a position to shelter any new Rohingya, rather wants to see those who recommend Bangladesh to take more Rohingyas to share the burden by taking them. “We also made it clear to the UNHCR. It is not possible for us (to take more Rohingyas). UNHCR wants us to provide shelter to them (new arrival),” Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday. He said Bangladesh has done more than what it was supposed to do by sheltering 1.2 million Rohingas on humanitarian grounds. “Those who come to us with advice or those who want to advise us - let them take the Rohingyas,” said the Adviser. He said the government is stopping the entry of new Rohingyas where it is possible. Hossain said they will discuss the Rohingya issue more deeply to find a solution. On September 3, the Foreign Affairs Adviser said the government would prevent any fresh entry of the Rohingyas, noting that around 8,000 Rohingyas recently entered Bangladesh, fleeing armed conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. The Adviser said he will discuss the issue with the Home Adviser and it can even be discussed at the Council of Advisers. Bangladesh, in principle, has decided not to welcome any fresh entry though he said it is painful to say in such a way. “We need to try and prevent it,” he said, adding that it is difficult to seal off any border. Hossain said the border with Myanmar has been sealed off, but acknowledged the difficulty of completely securing the frontier. Earlier, Interim Government Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus sought United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi’s support for the “dignified and voluntary” return of more than one million Rohingya people, who live in camps in Bangladesh, to their homeland in Myanmar. High Commissioner Grandi had a conversation with Chief Adviser Prof Yunus over the phone on Monday to congratulate him on his assumption of the leadership of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. The UNHCR chief requested the Chief Adviser to attend a meeting on the Rohingya crisis on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in New York. Grandi informed the Chief Adviser that he plans to visit Bangladesh in October this year. Seven years ago, on 25 August 2017, some 700,000 Rohingya men, women and children were forced to flee Myanmar and seek protection in Bangladesh.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday said there is a regular procedure in terms of holding any meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York which will be followed. “We will proceed as per the procedure that exists,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when a reporter wanted to know about the possibility of a meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said it is not like they would seek such a meeting a month ago, rather there is a system to follow. The Adviser said they are not 100 percent sure that Modi will be there at the UNGA. “In fact, if they do not want to meet us, there is nothing to do compulsorily.” Earlier, Indian media outlet Hindustan Times claimed that Bangladesh made a formal request in this regard earlier this week. Regarding the Chief Adviser’s delegation, the Foreign Affairs Adviser said it will be very limited and the members would not be more than 10-12. He said there is another list beyond the list published by some media outlets. “I am going with the Chief Adviser,” he said. The Chief Adviser is likely to reach New York on September 22 while he will return home on September 29. The 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) will open on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. The first day of the high-level General Debate will be on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. The Summit of the Future takes place on September 22 and 23, 2024.  The first of its kind, the Summit will bring together leaders, advocates, and activists of all ages to determine how the international system can better meet the needs of current and future generations.