United News of Bangladesh

FAO Director-General Dr. Qu Dongyu has assured continued support to Bangladesh in developing its deep-sea fishing industry and enhancing agricultural exports, particularly in fruits. The commitment came during a bilateral meeting between Dr Qu and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the World Food Forum and the FAO’s 80th Anniversary celebrations held at the FAO headquarters in Rome. Dr Qu warmly welcomed Professor Yunus, who visited the FAO headquarters to deliver a keynote address at the Forum’s flagship events. During their meeting, the Director-General praised Professor Yunus’ lifelong contributions to agricultural and rural development in Bangladesh. Describing Bangladesh as a 'high-performing country', Dr Qu reaffirmed the FAO’s continued support through technical assistance, innovation, and South–South and Triangular Cooperation, said Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam. "We will continue to support you," the FAO DG said. Brazilian President Lula plans to visit Bangladesh Prof Yunus expressed gratitude for the FAO’s long-standing support and sought assistance in three emerging areas: developing deep-sea fisheries and fish processing expertise; scaling up fruit exports through improved preservation and processing; and strengthening post-harvest management, including affordable and portable cold storage facilities. “We have a whole ocean, but we only fish in shallow waters. We’ve never fully utilised our maritime resources. Foreign trawlers catch fish in our waters while we remain under-equipped,” Prof Yunus said. In response, Dr Qu suggested Bangladesh consider inviting Chinese experts to help assess its deep-sea fish stocks and develop a sustainable strategy.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will leave for Rome, Italy directly from Doha, Qatar on Friday to attend Pope Francis' funeral and pay his last tribute to the Pope, a beacon of peace, humanity and unity. Chief Adviser Prof Yunus is paying a visit to Qatar to attend the Earthna Summit and held a series of meetings including with the Qatar leadership. "A very small team will accompany the Chief Adviser (in the funeral ceremony) while the rest of his entourage will return to Dhaka from Doha," Press Secretary Alam told UNB, adding that he is going there to pay tribute to a friend. Prof Yunus seeks Qatari investment to boost regional economy There will be no other engagements during the brief visit and the Chief Adviser is likely to return home on Sunday. Pope Francis’ funeral will be held on Saturday, with public viewing starting Wednesday. Pope Francis will be laid to rest Saturday after lying in state for three days in St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met on Tuesday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. The Argentine pope died Monday at age 88 after a stroke put him in a coma and led his heart to fail. He had been recovering in his apartment after being hospitalized for five weeks with pneumonia. He made his last public appearance Sunday, delivering an Easter blessing and greeting followers from his popemobile, looping around St. Peter’s Square. Prof Yunus on Monday expressed profound condolences on behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh at the passing of Pope Francis, describing him as a beacon of peace, humanity and unity. "With his passing away, we have seen the end of an epoch of dignified papacy, honed by suave leadership qualities, carried out for uplifting human dignity, interfaith harmony and justice for the marginalised," he said in a message, expressing condolences with a heavy heart. Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88. In his message to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, Vatican City Prof Yunus said his leadership transcended religious boundaries and inspired millions to step up efforts to build a more inclusive, tolerant and compassionate world. "I have been honoured to meet many times with Pope Francis and to work closely with him to foster peace, human dignity and environmental stewardship," he said. "The people of Bangladesh, who were deeply honoured by His Holiness’ historic visit to our country in 2017, join the global community in mourning this great loss," said the Chief Adviser. "During this time of sorrow, we stand in solidarity with the Catholic Church and people of faith around the globe, remembering the profound impact of his teachings and the kindness he extended to all," he said. "May the departed soul rest in eternal peace. May we continue to honour his vision of a world united in compassion and understanding," Prof Yunus added.  

Biman Bangladesh Airlines will start operating Dhaka-Rome flights from March next year, Biman MD and CEO Shafiul Azim said today (December 21, 2023). He was speaking at the ATJFB dialogue, organised by the Aviation and Tourism Journalist Forum of Bangladesh, at the Biman Training Centre in Dhaka. All Biman employees to get 5% allowance as ‘special incentive’ Mohammad Salahuddin, director (marketing) of Biman, said, "We discontinued the Dhaka-Rome flight after 2009. Now it will be resumed, for which GSA has been appointed, and ground-handling has been finalised.” “We can operate direct flights to Rome, Italy or via another country. We are studying it. It will take 9-10 hours for the direct flight to reach Rome,” he said. Biman commences flights on Dhaka-Chennai route For possible transition points, he mentioned Kuwait or Dubai. However, nothing is finalised, he said. ATJFB President and Special Correspondent of BSS, Md Tanzim Anwar, moderated the dialogue. ATJFB General Secretary and Bangla Vision Special Correspondent Ziaul Haque Sabuj delivered the welcome speech. London-bound Biman makes emergency landing in Sofia to save ailing passenger Senior officials of Biman and ATJFB members were present in the dialogue.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is working to expand its international routes to enhance air connectivity for Bangladeshi passengers, Managing Director and CEO of the national flag carrier, Shafiul Azim, has said. “We have taken initiatives to operate flights on some important routes across the globe including to New York, Chennai, Bengaluru, Los Angeles, Rome, Male, and Guangzhou.” The Biman CEO shared the information during an exclusive interview with UNB “Gradually we will be able to start flights on these routes. We are evaluating and working on how to start flights on each of these routes within the shortest possible time,” he added. Biman currently operates regular flights to 19 destinations around the world. “We have a fleet of 21 aircraft including Dreamliners. Ten new aircraft are being purchased from Airbus,” he added. New aircraft from Airbus will facilitate the expansion of routes and will open up new directions in coordination with other countries, the Biman CEO hoped. Read: Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Gulf Air forge strategic partnership for enhanced travel connectivity With the addition of the new aircraft, the number of flights on popular routes can also be increased, which would in turn create a more competitive market and help in reducing ticket prices. The Biman CEO said, “We are working on expanding our network not only in Asia but also in western countries, especially in Europe.” Besides, Biman has already done everything to launch direct flights from Dhaka to New York, he said. He further said some formal work is going on with Civil Aviation, Federal Aviation Authority and their Department of Transport. If everything goes well, all activities regarding flight operations on the new routes, including New York, are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. He said that Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Gulf Air have recently started a partnership – set to revolutionise travel between Bangladesh and the Gulf region. As a result, passengers can travel from Dhaka to Bahrain and Bahrain to Dhaka with onward connection to Chattogram and Sylhet via both airlines (Biman and Gulf Air). Read: Biman Bangladesh Airlines launches online travel date change service In addition, it will benefit both airlines through enhanced operational efficiency and shared expertise in the aviation industry, he added. “We are starting flights to Narita (Tokyo), Japan from September 1. Chennai is also being considered as a destination. Apart from this, we are going to resume flights to Guangzhou in China by the middle of September. Besides, we are trying to establish communication and code sharing with other countries through Narita in Japan,” the Biman CEO said. Regarding the launch of flights to Japan, he said that Bangladesh has very good bilateral relations with Japan, and they have investments here. “We are launching a direct Dhaka-Narita (Tokyo) flight from September 1, 2023 and it is a major achievement for us,” the Biman Bangladesh Airlines CEO said, adding, “Bangladeshi students are going to study in Japan and Japanese businessmen are coming here. Besides, many people travel to Japan from neighbouring countries. We have a good air network with the West compared to the East. Through Dhaka-Narita (Tokyo) direct flights, a new horizon will open,” CEO Azim added. Besides, Biman will take initiative for improvement of the Bangladesh-Japan tourism sector. Read more: 2 flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Friday cancelled At the same time, “we are moving forward with marketing strategies so that passengers from neighbouring countries can travel to and from Japan via Dhaka,” the Biman Bangladesh Airlines CEO said.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has offered to Nepal the use of its newly constructed Payra port during a meeting with her Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The two visiting ministers met at newly opened Bangladesh-Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Room in the FAO Headquarters on the sideline of the UN Food Systems Summit. Both leaders are in Rome to attend the summit. In the meeting, PM Hasina offered Nepal the use of theu Payra port, said Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen while briefing reporters. Read: Italy keen to take more manpower from Bangladesh in agri & hospitality sectors “Bangladesh has already opened the Chalna and Chittagong ports for Nepal. Nepal can use the newly constructed Payra port as well,” Momen  quoted her as telling Dahal. PM Hasina said Bangladesh is developing its Sayedpur airport as a regional hub to extend the connectivity in the region. The Nepalese premier  commended the development of Bangladesh under the successful leadership of PM Hasina, said Momen. Read: Time has come for a climate-smart agri-food revolution: PM Hasina tells UN food summit “You are a leader of our region,” Momen quoted him as saying. He said there is a huge scope of hydroelectricity generation in Nepal. In this context, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh will take steps to import renewable energy particularly hydroelectricity after the first trilateral power trade from Nepal to Bangladesh through India for 40MW of power starts. Read: Bangladesh-Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Room opened at FAO Headquarters  Dahal mentioned that a good number of Nepalese students are pursuing their studies in Bangladesh.    

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to visit Rome, Italy later this month to discuss bilateral issues and attend the UN Food Systems Summit. The 2023 UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment will be held in Rome, Italy on July 24-26 at the premises of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It will be hosted by Italy in collaboration with the Rome-based UN Agencies (FAO, IFAD, WFP), the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, and the wider UN system. The Prime Minister is scheduled to be in Rome from July 23, said a diplomatic source. Also read: PM Hasina to visit Japan on April 25-28 She is likely to have a bilateral meeting with her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni during the visit. PM Hasina will speak at the Food System Summit in Rome while her Italy visit is likely to see the signing of half a dozen bilateral documents in the areas of energy, migration, ICT and cyber security. Bangladesh and Italy have been discussing a possible memorandum of understanding (MoU ) on mobility and migration — to encourage regular migration and prevent irregular ones. “We want to go further in our cooperation on migration issues. In particular, creating and enlarging the existing legal channels or legal pathways for migration while stemming the irregular one,” Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Enrico Nunziata told UNB in an interview recently. Also read: PM leaves Geneva for home ending 3-day visit The envoy said the two countries have to deepen cooperation for preventing irregular migration, trafficking and so on. Ambassador Nunziata recalled one of the deliverables during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Italy in 2020 — reinsertion of Bangladesh in the list of countries whose nationals can benefit from a quota for work. Talking about collaboration in the defence sector, he said there is possibility of collaboration and transfer of know-how as well on a win-win basis. “So this is another important sector.” The ambassador said a memorandum of understanding in the cultural sphere for programmes of cultural exchanges is also in the pipeline. Also read: PM to brief media on the outcome of her Switzerland visit on Wednesday The Italian ambassador also said they want to collaborate in the shipbuilding industry for the Navy or Coast Guard by sharing know-how and technologies with Bangladesh. “I mean that level of know-how that Bangladesh has not reached in shipbuilding yet. Together we can do more on that in shipbuilding as well as in other sectors.” The 2023 UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment will build on the momentum of the 2021 Food Systems Summit and will create a conducive space for countries to review commitments to action that were made during the Summit, share stories of success and early signs of transformation, maintain the momentum for bold acceleration and bold action to further the resilience of food systems, advocate for their adaptation to climate change, ensure they contribute to communities’ resilience to further shocks and crises, and boost the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read more: PM Hasina leaves for Geneva to attend World of Work Summit  

Bangladesh and Italy have agreed to contain illegal migration to the European country. Italy has agreed to take skilled workers from Bangladesh under bilateral migration and mobility arrangement, particularly in the construction, shipbuilding and hospitality sectors. The decisions were shared at the Political Consultations held on June 7 in Rome. The Italian side expressed satisfaction that at present over 46% of workers under Flussi Decree are coming to Italy from Bangladesh for seasonal and non-seasonal work. Also read: ‘Bangladeshi migrant workers’ being prepared for post-pandemic labour market’ Bangladesh and Italy held the first-ever Political Consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Secretary General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Riccardo Guariglia led the respective sides at the consultations, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before the Political Consultations, Foreign Secretary Momen and Secretary General Guariglia signed am memorandum of understanding on Political Consultations between the foreign ministries of Bangladesh and Italy. During the meeting, both countries expressed keen desire to deepen the relations and further engage in multiple areas including trade and investment, technological intervention in Bangladesh’s textile sector, cooperation in defence and security, ICT, agriculture, migration and mobility. Also read: Italy declares state of emergency as migrant numbers surge

The Bangladesh mission in Rome recently made a presentation at the Liceo Galileo Galilei School at Macomer in Italy's Sardinia as a part of the First Step (Meet the School) of Embassy Adoption Programme. Thanking the Bangladesh embassy for introducing the country to the Italian students, Giancarlo Dionisi, prefect of Macomer, and Antonio Onorato Succu, mayor of Macomer, said the initiative would help create greater understanding and bondage between the two friendly countries. The embassy has been participating in the Diplomacy Education Programme coordinated by Global Action, Italy, since 2021. But this is the first time the mission joined it in person at the adopted school outside Rome. At the programme, Bangladesh Ambassador to Italy Shameem Ahsan briefed the young learners about the country, its history, Liberation War, culture, economy and achievements. The programme is a part of the Bangladesh embassy's ongoing public diplomacy drive to project and brand the country positively to the wider audience in Italy. Read more: Dhaka, Rome eye stronger economic partnership

A man opened fire Sunday during a condominium board meeting in a coffee shop in northern Rome, killing three people and injuring others, authorities and witnesses said. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri called an emergency security meeting for Monday after what he called “the grave episode of violence that has struck our city.” In a tweet, he confirmed three people were killed in the shooting in the working class neighborhood of Fidene. “The shooting occured in an enclosed outdoor seating area of the bar, called “Il Posto Giusto,” or “The Right Place.” Read: 9 killed in Walmart shooting in Virginia La Repubblica daily quoted witness Luciana Ciorba, vice president of the condo board, as saying the man entered the bar shouting “I’ll kill you all,” and then opened fire. Participants managed to disarm him until Carabinieri police arrived. Speaking in a video interview, Ciorba said the man was known to board members and had been previously reported to authorities for making threats against local residents.

Leaders of the world's biggest economies were set to tackle climate change Sunday, the final day of a weekend summit in Rome that is widely expected to set the tone for a major conference on the same issue taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, over the next two weeks. The Group of 20 countries, which represent more than three-quarters of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, are looking for common ground on how to reduce emissions while helping poor countries deal with the impact of rising temperatures. If the G-20 summit ends with only weak commitments, momentum could be lost for the larger annual talks in Glasgow, where countries from around the globe will be represented including poor ones most vulnerable to rising seas, desertification and other effects. The future of coal, a key source of greenhouse gas emissions, has been one of the hardest things for the G-20 to agree on. However, the U.S. and other countries are hoping to get a commitment to end overseas financing of coal-fired power generation, said a senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview President Joe Biden's plans. Read: Earth gets hotter, deadlier during decades of climate talks Western countries have moved away from financing coal projects in developing countries, and major Asian economies are now doing the same: Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the U.N. General Assembly last month that Beijing would stop funding such projects, and Japan and South Korea made similar commitments earlier in the year. China has not set an end date for building domestic coal plants at home, however. Coal is still China’s main source of power generation, and both China and India have resisted attempts for a G-20 declaration on phasing out domestic coal consumption. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said before the Rome summit that he tried but could not get a commitment on a coal phase-out from Xi, who did not travel to the gathering. In Glasgow, Johnson said, “we want these leaders … to focus on the commitments they can make, moving away from the use of fossil fuels, moving away from coal-fired power stations domestically." Climate campaigners were hoping that rich G-20 countries would take steps to meet a long-standing but yet-to-be-fulfilled commitment to raise $100 billion annually to help developing countries move toward greener economies and adapt to the changing climate. Prince Charles, a long-time environmentalist, was set to address the G-20 on Sunday. Read: ‘Everything is at stake’ as world gathers for climate talks G-20 leaders also discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and the uneven distribution of vaccines in the world. On Saturday they endorsed a global minimum tax on corporations, a linchpin of new international tax rules aimed at blunting fiscal paradises amid skyrocketing profits of some multinationals. And after a meeting on the sidelines about Iran's nuclear program, Biden, Johnson, Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron made a joint statement expressing their “determination to ensure that Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.” They also voiced concern that Tehran “has accelerated the pace of provocative nuclear steps” after halting negotiations on a return to the nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.