United News of Bangladesh

Welcoming newly appointed representatives of PPD, WFP and IOM, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Thursday underscored Bangladesh’s interest in deepening cooperation with their organizations across shared development and humanitarian priorities, and wished them success in their assignments. Three newly appointed heads - Professor Joseph Akinkugbe Adelegan, Executive Director of the Partners in Population and Development (PPD) Secretariat; Coco H. Ushiyama, Country Representative of the World Food Programme (WFP) Bangladesh; and Dr. Laura Nicole Tomm-Bonde, Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Bangladesh, presented their credentials to the Foreign Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All three newly appointed representatives congratulated Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur on his election as president of the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly.  They expressed their appreciation for Bangladesh’s long-standing partnership with their respective organizations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation with the Government of Bangladesh in advancing shared priorities. During the meeting with Prof Adelegan, the Foreign Minister appreciated the important role of PPD in promoting reproductive health, family planning, maternal and child health, and expressed confidence that PPD would further strengthen its contribution to sustainable development and population-related initiatives. In his meeting with Ushiyama, the Foreign Minister commended WFP’s long-standing partnership with Bangladesh in the areas of food security, nutrition, school feeding, and humanitarian assistance.  He appreciated WFP’s continued support for the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals and the affected host communities in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char and underscored the importance of sustained international support for the Rohingya response. With Dr. Tomm-Bonde, the discussion focused on how Bangladesh and IOM could work more closely to strengthen public education and market-relevant skills for prospective migrants, improve data systems throughout the migration cycle, expand safe and regular pathways, and prevent irregular migration through awareness campaigns.  The Foreign Minister appreciated IOM’s contribution to implementation of the Global Compact for Migration, the humanitarian response for the Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar, and assistance to Bangladeshi nationals stranded in crisis-affected countries.  Dr. Tomm-Bonde thanked the Foreign Minister for the warm reception, praised Bangladesh’s leadership in advancing safe, orderly and regular migration.

Bangladesh and Azerbaijan on Thursday discussed opening of resident diplomatic missions in respective countries as the two friendly countries eye strengthening bilateral relations. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman had a telephonic discussion with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov in the afternoon and discussed issues of mutual interest. The Azerbaijan Foreign Minister warmly congratulated the Bangladesh Foreign Minister for being elected as the President of the 81st Session of the UNGA, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting they resolved to further strengthen different aspects of bilateral relations between the two friendly countries. Bangladesh Foreign Minister invited the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner and Charge d' Affaires to Bangladesh Pawan Badhe and conveyed Dhaka’s displeasure to New Delhi regarding the incident involving PM’s Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman at Delhi airport. A diplomatic source confirmed the development to UNB in the afternoon without elaborating further. High Commissioner-designate Dinesh Trivedi, who arrived here recently, is yet to submit his credentials. Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman described the incident as “unexpected and unfortunate” and said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking appropriate steps regarding the matter. "It is an unexpected incident, unfortunate too," he said while briefly talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not Welcoming While responding to a question, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said the incident is certainly not 'welcoming', and they do not expect this kind of incident to happen. “Our ministry is looking into this and communicating with India, and will certainly take action, if required, once the full details of the incident are known,” she said. The State Minister said that, firstly, the respective Director General (Ishrat Jahan - South Asia Wing) needs to know what happened. “Let our DG first find out what happened at India's immigration by gathering all the information, and then the ministry will take whatever steps are required.” Prime Minister’s Adviser on Policy and Strategy Affairs Dr Zahed returned home on Monday via Colombo after he was stopped at Delhi airport by Indian immigration authorities on Sunday evening as his name was reportedly flagged during a security check. Sources close to Dr Zahed told UNB that he was subjected to "undue harassment" at Delhi airport, but there has been no comment so far from Dhaka or New Delhi regarding the matter. The Adviser was not carrying a diplomatic passport. He was travelling on a regular Bangladeshi (green) passport with a SAARC visa. The Adviser was scheduled to attend the 28th meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). India is hosting the meeting (June 15-16) in New Delhi. The meeting brought together senior government officials from IORA Member States to review progress, discuss regional priorities, and advance cooperation across the Indian Ocean region under the theme of ‘Innovation, Openness, Resilience and Adaptability.’ The Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) is the second-highest decision-making body of IORA and serves as the organisation’s principal coordinating mechanism. Comprising senior government representatives from Member States, the CSO is responsible for reviewing and discussing key agenda items, making recommendations, and submitting policy matters to the Council of Ministers (COM) for final approval.

Foreign Minister of Bangladesh and President-elect of the UN General Assembly’s 81st session Dr Khalilur Rahman has said he is taking on the role “with humility and respect” at a moment when confidence in the international system is under strain. His Presidency will coincide with one of the most consequential processes on the UN calendar - the selection of Secretary-General António Guterres’s successor, whose term ends on December 31, 2026. The 81st session will open on September 8, with world leaders gathering two weeks later for the annual high-level debate at UN Headquarters, in New York. “The UN will commence its ninth decade at a time when trust in our organization is being tested on multiple fronts,” the Foreign Minister told the UN Member States. Taken together, Dr Khalilur said, these challenges tend to undermine the public trust and confidence in the ability of our organization to deliver its promises.” The President-elect said he intends to act as a bridge-builder, promising to engage all Member States and seek common ground despite growing divisions. “As your president, I will dedicate myself to rebuilding trust, nurturing consensus, and opening space for good faith negotiations that will lead to outcomes for all that are owned by all,” he said. Dr Khalilur also pledged to uphold the UN Charter, maintain geographical and gender balance within his office and support the needs of smaller delegations. He was elected UNGA President on Tuesday after defeating Andreas Kakouris of Cyprus in a closely contested vote, positioning himself to steer the world body through a pivotal year marked by intensifying global crises, UN reform efforts and major leadership transitions. The international community is pouring in congratulatory messages for Dr Khalilur, following his election as the President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). This milestone is being widely celebrated as a reflection of Bangladesh's growing global stature and Dr Rahman’s distinguished diplomatic career, an official told UNB. In a secret-ballot election, Dr Khalilur secured 99 votes to Kakouris’s 91. A total of 190 ballots were cast, with no invalid votes or abstentions. The Presidency rotates among the UN’s five regional groups, and the 81st session falls to the Asia-Pacific group. Dr Rahman will serve a one-year term starting on September 8. Dr Khalilur brings more than four decades of diplomatic and multilateral experience to the role. Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister since February, he previously served as National Security Adviser and High Representative on the Rohingya Issue during the interim government led by Prof Muhammad Yunus.

Bangladesh and China eye an enhanced cooperation as Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman is set begin his first official visit to China- May 5-7 at the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi. Through this visit, China hopes to work with the new government of Bangladesh to enhance political mutual trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and strengthen China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. During the visit, the Foreign Minister will hold bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB.The two Foreign Minister are expected to engage in comprehensive bilateral discussions on issues of mutual interest alongside exchange of views on contemporary regional and global developments, including the situation in the Middle East. The two Ministers are also expected to discuss about possible alignment of their development policies and strategic priorities.During the visit Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur is scheduled to meet the Chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning. Minister for International Department of the Communist Party of China Liu Haixing will host a lunch in honor of Bangladesh Foreign Minister, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Humaiun Kobir, Adviser for Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister, Ashiq Chowdhury, Chairman of BIDA, and senior Government officials will accompany the Foreign Minister. Bangladesh and China have long been each other's friends and close neighbors and are comprehensive strategic cooperative partners. Over the past five decades and more since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have been developing friendly ties on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and with mutual respect and equality, and the bilateral ties have enjoyed sustained and steady progress and delivered tangibly for the two peoples, said the Chinese side. China said it attaches high importance to its relations with Bangladesh.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Monday met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Belgium Maxime Prevot in Brussels, reaffirming Bangladesh’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relationship. They discussed key areas of mutual interest including trade and investment, multilateral cooperation (including at the United Nations), migration, visa and consular issues, and the Rohingya crisis, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir and Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Md Nazrul Islam, among others, were present at the meeting. The Foreign Minister is currently visiting Brussels. On his way back home, the Foreign Minister is expected to make a stopover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and will return to Bangladesh on April 24, said a senior official.

Bangladesh on Tuesday expressed optimism that Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman’s  “goodwill visit” to India will lay an important foundation for elevating cooperation between the two countries to a more fruitful and sustainable level in the future. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs, however, described Dr Khalilur’s trip as an “official” visit and outlined his engagements in New Delhi in detail. “It is hoped that this visit will lay an important foundation for elevating cooperation between Bangladesh and India to a more fruitful and sustainable level in the future,” Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs SM Mahbubul Alam told reporters at the ministry. FM’s India Visit: Dhaka to push key bilateral concerns in talks with Delhi Describing it as a “goodwill visit” to India, he said the Foreign Minister left for New Delhi in the afternoon en route to Mauritius to participate in the Indian Ocean Conference, scheduled to be held from April 10 to 12. The Foreign Minister arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday  is scheduled to hold meetings with Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and Petroleum, Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal during the “stopover” in New Delhi. In these meetings, the MoFA spokesperson said Bangladesh will emphasise stability and the continued development of bilateral relations based on dignity, mutual trust and respect, and shared interests. India warmly welcomed Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur on his arrival in New Delhi. "India and Bangladesh share warm and historic ties anchored in strong people to people relations. The visit will further bolster India Bangladesh partnership," said Indian External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. From New Delhi, Foreign Minister Khalilur is likely to fly to Mauritius on the same flight on Thursday morning as his Indian counterpart, Jaishankar, to attend the 9th Indian Ocean Conference.

European Union (EU) Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Bangladesh Secretariat, where Miller led an EU delegation, said a PMO release. During the meeting, the Prime Minister and the EU Ambassador discussed issues of mutual interest, including strengthening bilateral relations. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman and Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir were present at the meeting.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman left Dhaka on Saturday morning for the US to attend a series of engagements in support of Bangladesh's campaign for the Presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). On his way to New York, the Foreign Minister will make a brief stopover in Türkiye, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB. He is scheduled to hold several meetings and engagements as part of Bangladesh's diplomatic outreach for the UNGA Presidency bid. The Foreign Minister will hold a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara. During the visit, Dr Rahman is expected to meet diplomats and other stakeholders to strengthen support for Bangladesh's candidature. Palestine has recently withdrawn its candidature for the Presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the 2026–2027 term. Following the withdrawal of the Palestinian candidature, Bangladesh will now compete with Cyprus. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has nominated Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman for the position. The election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly for the eighty first session will be held on June 2 in the General Assembly Hall, UNHQs, in line with Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure.  

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman is scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia early Wednesday, the first foreign trip since his appointment as the Foreign Minister. Humayun Kabir, Adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, will also be part of the visit. The Foreign Minister will attend a Foreign Ministers-level meeting in Jeddah to discuss the illegal Israeli occupation decisions aimed at promoting settlement, annexation and attempting to impose alleged Israeli sovereignty on the occupied West Bank. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold the emergency meeting of the Open-ended Executive Committee at the level of Foreign Ministers on Thursday at the OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah, a senior official told UNB. The Foreign Minister and Adviser to the PM are likely to have bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the OIC meeting with their counterparts. The OIC meeting aims to coordinate positions and discuss ways of action to confront these invalid decisions and measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities, the latest of which was the decision to start procedures to settle lands in the occupied West Bank under the name of ‘state property’, as part of its illegal schemes aimed at changing the legal, political and demographic status of the occupied Palestinian territory and undermining the two-state solution. Bangladesh described Saudi Arabia as a trusted and longstanding partner of Bangladesh and recalled that diplomatic relations between the two countries began during the presidency of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman with the establishment of Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia in 1976. President Zia also paid a historic visit to the Kingdom in 1977. Both sides acknowledged his historic contribution to promoting Muslim unity. Commonwealth Meeting The Foreign Minister will visit the United Kingdom to attend the 26th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM) which will take place at Lancaster House in London on March 8, a senior official told UNB. Representing the Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, the Minister of Finance of the Independent State of Samoa, Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molio’o, will welcome Foreign Affairs Ministers to the retreat and offer remarks. Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey will also speak at the event. This CFAMM is ‘significant’ as it will signal the start of Commonwealth Day activities, marked every year on the second Monday in March.  This 26th meeting will bring together Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers to address the role of the Commonwealth in a fast-changing international landscape; and explore impactful and transformative solutions to unlock opportunities together for shared prosperity across the Commonwealth, in the face of a fractured global climate. It is the first time that Foreign Ministers will come together within the platform of an executive retreat, which will provide a plan of action for a bold, practical Commonwealth. This will be Secretary-General Botchwey’s second meeting with Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers at CFAMM. Ministers will shape policy priorities leading up to the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), to be held in Antigua and Barbuda from 1-4 November 2026.