Foreign-Affairs
Avoid unnecessary travel, Dhaka urges expats in Africa
The government on Wednesday urged Bangladeshi expatriates in Africa to avoid unnecessary travel to their home country, amid a global scare over the new Omicron variant of coronavirus.
"In case of any emergency, they can come to Bangladesh. But we suggest them to defer their travel by a few days If there’s no emergency," Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said.
Read: Govt decides to administer Covid booster dose to above-60 citizens
Dr Momen, however, made it clear that all returnees will have to undergo a 14-day mandatory institutional quarantine as part of the government measures to deal with the new African variant.
He was responding to a question at a media briefing on the World Peace Conference to be held in Dhaka from December 4-5.
Dr Momen said that a message has also been sent to the country's missions in South Africa and its neighbouring countries to discourage Bangladeshi expats from travelling abroad.
Read: Global Covid cases near 263 million
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen were also present at the event.
President Abdul Hamid will inaugurate the World Peace Conference virtually, while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the closing ceremony as the chief guest.
Dubai-based DP World to invest $1 bln in Bangladesh
DP World, a Dubai-based multinational logistics company, will invest $1 billion in Bangladesh’s supply chain infrastructure, including ports, rail network and inland container terminals.
This is within the scope of the government-to-government agreement entered into in 2019 for public-private participation on infrastructure projects, said a press release of the company on Tuesday.
The assurance came when a high-level delegation of the Bangladesh government led by State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, visited Jebel Ali Free Zone and the Jebel Ali Port in Dubai on November 21-23.
The delegation included Sultana Afroz, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer for Public-Private Partnership Authority, Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, Secretary, Ministry of Shipping; and Rear Admiral M. Shahjahan, Chairman of Chittagong Port Authority and other senior government officials.
During the tour, they also visited the DP World Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai.
The visit represents a key step in reinforcing DP World’s commitment to partner with the government of Bangladesh in enhancing its supply chain infrastructure and processes, it said.
Bangladesh receives ambulances, oxygen generator from S Korea
The government of the Republic of Korea has donated eight ambulances and 100 units of oxygen generator to the government of Bangladesh to support its efforts for overcoming the corona pandemic and enhancing the country’s capacity in the health sector.
The handover ceremony was held on Tuesday at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in presence of South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun, DGHS Director General Prof Abdul Bashar Khurshid Alam and Country Director, KOICA Bangladesh Office Doh Young-Ah and other officials from the DGHS.
Read: Bangladesh-S Korea to have more cultural exchanges in future: KM Khalid
France donates 2.06 mln AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Bangladesh
The government of France has donated 2.06 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh under the COVAX arrangement as a gesture of solidarity to the friendly country’s fight against Covid-19 pandemic.
The French gesture covers a consignment containing 2,006,400 doses of vaccine as well as their transport to Dhaka through their own arrangement.
French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marin Schuh handed over the token vaccine doses to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque at a function held at State guesthouse Padma on Tuesday.
Read: Bangladesh receives 1.5 mn doses of AstraZeneca from KSA as gift
Through vaccine sharing, the relations between the two countries will further be strengthened, both sides noted.
The announcement over donating vaccine came during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent visit to Paris recently.
“We thank the French government and the people of France. I would like to say that I had never seen in the past the way they showed respect to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina this time during her visit. From the day one, they have really showed great respect to our Prime Minister,” Dr Momen said.
The Foreign Minister said Sweden will also donate 5.30 lakh doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh.
He appreciated the role of Bangladesh Health Minister saying he has done an excellent job under the leadership of Prime Minister in terms of dealing with the Covid-19 situation in the country.
“He (Health Minister) stood like a solid rock under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina despite various criticism,” Dr Momen said.
Read:Bangladesh receives 2 million more Covid-19 vaccine doses from China as gift
The French Ambassador hoped that both the countries would soon be able to overcome the pandemic through shared efforts.
He noted that Bangladesh government would allocate a part of these vaccine doses to the Rohingya population in the camps.
The Health Minister thanked the French government for extending support to Bangladesh in such a time when the government of Bangladesh was taking due efforts to inoculate its total population. “It’ll help boost our vaccination efforts.”
UN support to Bangladesh over Rohingya issue to continue: Mia Seppo
UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo on Tuesday said the United Nations will continue its support to Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue.
Mia Seppo said this when she made a farewell call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban.
PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
Read: Mia Seppo lauds Bangladesh’s Covid control
Hasina told Mia Seppo that Bangladesh has given shelter to the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals on humanitarian grounds. “They should return to their country,” she said.
The Prime Minister mentioned that if these Rohingyas -- more than one million – continue to live here it will create various social problems in Bangladesh and said the NGOs which are working in Bangladesh can also work for the Rohingyas in their homeland.
They also discussed the issues relating to Covid-19, climate change and women empowerment.
The Prime Minister said the government has ensured women participation in every sphere of government jobs and even in sociopolitical areas.
Read: World needs journalists more than ever: Mia Seppo
Mia Seppo expressed satisfaction over her stay in Bangladesh saying that she had a very good collaboration with the government.
Ambassador at Large Md Ziauddin and Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus were present at the meeting.
Referring to a recent resolution taken by Asean on Rohingya issue, the Prime Minister said Asean has sent a good message to Myanmar with the resolution.
Bangladesh removed from India’s "red list": FM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said Bangladesh has been removed from the "red list" of India following a request from Dhaka.
He said the India High Commission in Dhaka has informed about the removal of Bangladesh from the “red list” following their request.
Read: ‘We've a very transparent democracy’: FM Momen
Countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in India, including post-arrival testing (Countries at-risk), are countries in the Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel, said the High Commission.
Bangladesh is out of the list for additional measures at airports on arrival, said the High Commissioner.
Iran lauds Bangladesh's quest for development
Outgoing Iranian Ambassador to Bangladesh Mohammad Reza Nafar has appreciated Bangladesh government’s quest for development and peace in its strides for economic emancipation.
He also appreciated the "capable and courageous" leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Ambassador conveyed his Iranian government’s eagerness to work more closely with Bangladesh in areas of mutual interests.
Also read: Iranian President lauds Bangladesh's robust development
The outgoing Ambassador made the remarks when he met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam at his office on Monday.
The State Minister congratulated the Ambassador on the successful completion of his tour of duty in Bangladesh.
During the meeting, the State Minister commended the Ambassador for his efforts to boost the bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Iran during his tenure.
He enquired about the overall situations in Iran, including Covid-19 management, and extended thanks to the Iranian government for measures taken to contain and control the pandemic.
The State Minister said both Bangladesh and Iran have many areas to explore for mutual benefits including cooperation in the field of education, trade and commerce, stressing that both countries should find scopes for further engagements in the areas above.
Also read: Partial results show pro-Iran groups losing Iraq election
The Iranian Ambassador expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen for their kind support and cooperation in discharging responsibilities as Ambassador in Bangladesh.
Dhaka-Tokyo ties growing beyond bilateral front: Japanese Vice Minister
Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Honda Taro on Sunday said the importance of Bangladesh-Japan relationship is now growing not only bilaterally, but also in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region as a whole.
“Japan will continue to cooperate with Bangladesh as a partner in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said in a message.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki read out the message at the International Investment Summit Bangladesh 2021 organized by Bangladesh Investment Development Authority to promote foreign direct investment. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the two-day Summit.
Through opportunities like the Summit, the Japanese Vice Minister said they hope to further deepen the relationship between the two countries.
For further development of Bangladesh in the future, he said, Japan will always stand by Bangladesh and continue their cooperation.
Read: Ambassador Ito sees 5 challenges ahead to elevate Dhaka-Tokyo ties
Taro regretted that he could not participate in person this time and said the spread of Covid-19 has affected Bangladesh as well as his country in many ways during the past two years. “However, I’m glad to learn that under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the outbreak is now under control,” he said.
Even in the midst of the Corona pandemic, the Japanese Vice Minister said, Bangladesh has achieved a remarkable economic recovery among countries in South Asia.
He said Japan has been able to support the Bangladeshi government's fight against Covid-19 through the provision of 75 billion-yen loans for emergency assistance to tackle Covid-19 and more than 3 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines. “We’ll continue to provide vaccines and other cooperation.”
Taro said Bangladesh's economic and social development over the past 10 years has been called a "miracle," and in February this year, it was decided that Bangladesh would graduate from the LDC in 2026.
“I’m convinced that the government's policy of always listening to the voices of people, with the pledge to become a developed country by 2041, will surely contribute to the country's prosperity,” he said.
Taro said Bangladesh's rapid economic growth and the potential attractiveness of its market have spurred Japanese companies to enter and invest in the country and the volume of investment from Japan has more than tripled in the past 10 years.
Read: Dhaka-Tokyo people-to-people ties to grow: Ambassador Naoki
The Japanese Vice Minister expected that more and more Japanese companies will come to Bangladesh in the future.
At the same time, he said, as Japanese companies advance into Bangladesh, some investment issues have become apparent.
These include delays in customs clearance, various taxations, restrictions on telegraphic transfer of import payments, discrimination of export incentives between domestic and foreign companies, and needs to improve the environment in EPZs and SEZs.
“I hope through the opportunity of this Investment Summit and the framework of the Public Private Economic Dialogue, Japan and Bangladesh, in cooperation with the public and private sectors will resolve these investment issues,” said the Japanese Vice Minister.
Bangladesh and Japan will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in February next year.
Since the recognition of independence, Taro said, Japan has supported the economic and social prosperity of Bangladesh as the largest bilateral development partner.
Currently, he said, with Japan's support, large-scale infrastructure projects that symbolize Bangladesh's rapid economic growth, such as the Dhaka Metro, the new Dhaka Airport Terminal, and the Matabari deep sea port, are steadily underway.
Kuwaiti court jails ex-Bangladeshi MP Papul for human trafficking
Kuwait’s top appeals court has sentenced an ex-Bangladeshi lawmaker Mohammed Shahid Islam Papul to seven years in prison in a high-profile human trafficking case, reports Gulf News.
The court fined the convict of KD2.7 million.
The Court of Cassation also ordered the defendant be deported after serving the sentence.
Read: HC rejects writ challenging gazette on Papul’s MP post
The court also handed down similar jail terms to Kuwaiti Undersecretary of the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry Maj. Gen. Mazen Al Jarrah and Hassan Al Khedr, a manpower director; and ordered their sacking from their government posts on charges of bribery in the same case.
Last February this year, a Kuwaiti criminal court sentenced Papul to four years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of KD1.9 million.
He was charged with receiving money from dozens of workers in return for bringing them in from Bangladesh to Kuwait through a company he managed with illegal assistance from Kuwaiti officials charged in the case.
Read: MP Papul’s parliamentary seat declared vacant
He has reportedly amassed KD5 million worth of assets in the Gulf country.
The Kuwaiti public prosecution contested the rulings handed down to the prime defendant and convicted accomplices and demanded tougher penalties.
Dhaka seeks enhanced trade with Malé through PTA, investment protection deal
Bangladesh has laid emphasis on enhancing trade with the Maldives through conclusion of bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and bilateral Investment Protection Agreement.
Bangladesh and the Maldives also discussed the possible ways for expansion of the scope for employment of Bangladeshi nationals in Maldives through skill development training and regularization of those who are already staying in Maldives.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Sunday met Vice President of the Maldives Faisal Naseem at the latter’s office in Malé.
Read:Hasina for strengthening connectivity with Maldives
He also met Minister of Economic Development of the Maldives Ismail Faiyyaz.
During the two meetings, they discussed the issues of mutual interest.
During the call on with the Vice President; the Foreign Secretary was accompanied by Ambassador Mashfee Binte Shams, Secretary (East) and other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vice President of the Maldives recalled his recent visit to Bangladesh and thanked Bangladesh Government for arranging a successful visit which has brought out tangible outcomes.
Foreign Secretary Masud briefed the Vice President about the Foreign Office Consultations successfully completed between him and his Maldivian counterpart.
Both sides underscored the necessity to collaborate with each other on the area of skill development, human resources development, trade, commerce, connectivity and cooperation in tourism.