United News of Bangladesh

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Thursday called upon ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) participants to collectively support efforts to create conducive conditions in Myanmar to facilitate repatriation of more than 1.3 million Rohingyas to their homeland in Rakhine State. "The Rohingyas are not stateless people by circumstance - they are stateless by design. It is a political failure demanding a political solution,” he said while addressing the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial meeting in Manila, Philippines. Referring to his upcoming Presidency of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Foreign Minister stressed that global challenges must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. Adviser to the Prime Minister Humaiun Kobir was also present at the meeting Bangladesh is hosting the Rohingyas for nearly a decade that placed significant social, economic, environmental and security burdens on Bangladesh, a senior official told UNB. The official said Bangladesh keeps urging the international community and key regional actors to intensify diplomatic efforts and engagement to facilitate the early repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar. Dr Khalilur called on all states to exercise maximum restraint in addressing maritime disputes. Addressing climate change challenges, the Foreign Minister noted that Bangladesh remains committed to promoting enhanced regional cooperation in disaster preparedness and early warning systems. Highlighting the opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, he proposed exploring a regional technology governance framework that reflects the region's unique geopolitical and developmental realities. The Foreign Minister held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Singapore, Sri Lanka and Australia and the Vice President of European Commission. In the meetings, wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues including trade and investment, tourism, humanitarian assistance, reciprocal support in multilateral fora were discussed. The ministers congratulated Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur on his election as President of 81st UN General Assembly and assured him of their cooperation during his tenure. Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Thursday met Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur and exchanged pleasantries on the margin of ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting. "Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. Khalilur Rahman and Minister of External Affairs of India Dr. S. Jaishankar greeted each other in Manila on the margin of ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting," said an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his meeting with Dr Khalilur, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Singapore and Bangladesh share a longstanding friendship anchored in mutual respect, shared interests, and strong people-to-people ties. “We discussed how we can deepen bilateral cooperation and work together in ASEAN to create new opportunities for growth and development in Bangladesh and across the wider Indian Ocean region,” he said after the meeting. Dr Khalilur met with Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath. The two Ministers discussed strengthening Bangladesh-Sri Lanka bilateral relations, expanding trade and investment, enhancing regional cooperation, and reaffirming their shared commitment to multilateralism, as well as peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. Dr Khalilur on Wednesday held a series of high-level bilateral engagements with his counterparts from the US, Russia, China and Pakistan on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Manila, highlighting Bangladesh’s continued efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations with key international partners. During the meetings, the Foreign Minister exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including economic cooperation, trade and investment opportunities, and matters of shared concern on the global stage, a diplomatic source told UNB. Dr Khalilur is leading the Bangladesh delegation to the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ meeting and the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation of Southeast Asia.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday held a series of high-level bilateral engagements with his counterparts from the US, Russia, China and Pakistan on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Manila, highlighting Bangladesh’s continued efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations with key international partners. During the meetings, the Foreign Minister exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including economic cooperation, trade and investment opportunities, and matters of shared concern on the global stage, a diplomatic source told UNB. Dr Khalilur is leading the Bangladesh delegation to the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ meeting and the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation of Southeast Asia. Adviser to the Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir accompanied the Foreign Minister in the meetings. These meetings covered a broad spectrum of bilateral relations, including trade, investment, energy and connectivity, as well as regional and international issues, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During these meetings, the Bangladesh side underlined that the ‘Bangladesh First’ policy will guide Bangladesh’s external relations.  

Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, now in Kuala Lumpur, on Friday expressed concerns over the arrests of Bangladeshi nationals on charges of terrorism. He said the government of Bangladesh will work with Malaysia to investigate allegations of militancy against Bangladeshi nationals who were arrested recently by the Malaysian Police. The issues were discussed during a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Foreign Minister Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan held in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of 32nd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) ministerial meeting.  Adviser Hossain reiterated the firm stand of the government against terrorism and sought Malaysia's cooperation in its own investigation into the allegations through exchange of information and findings.  The Malaysian Foreign Minister assured Dhaka of facilitating access and cooperation to Bangladesh authorities. Photographs taken by two Mt. Everest summiteers on display in Dhaka Earlier, the Foreign Advisor met UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy where the two held discussions on diverse bilateral, regional and multilateral issues.  Both sides discussed, among others, the ongoing reforms in Bangladesh, Rohingya crisis, post-LDC graduation support, according to the Bangladesh Mission in Kuala Lumpur.  The Foreign Adviser also called on Winston Peters, the Foreign Minister of New Zealand, Hon Vijitha Herath, the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, and Park Yoonjoo, the Vice Minister and Head of Delegation of the Republic of Korea where a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues came for discussions.  Bangladesh became a member of ARF in 2006, a forum established in early nineties to promote confidence and trust among its 27 members that include countries in the broader Asia-Pacific.  At present, Bangladesh is co-chairing two of the ARF priority areas, “Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime” and “Disaster Relief.”  The next session of the ARF ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place in Manila in 2026. In the afternoon, the Foreign Adviser delivered the national statement at the Ministerial Meeting of ASEAN Regional Forum where he called for greater attention to the Rohingya crisis, in consideration of its national and regional security implications.  China, Canada foresee ‘renewed collaboration’ in trade, investment with Bangladesh The Foriegn Adviser also urged the ASEAN members to positively consider Bangladesh’s bid to become Sectoral Dialogue Partner.  The Foreign Adviser was accompanied by Md Shameem Ahsan, the High Commissioner of Bangaldesh to Malaysia, Md Forhadul Islam, Director General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other senior officials of the Bangladesh government.