United News of Bangladesh

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Sunday said Bangladesh wants to “reset” its bilateral relationship with India after what he described as an uncomfortable relationship over 15 years under an “authoritarian, corrupt and exploitative” regime. “We want to move towards a new relationship, which should be done through bilateral discussions, not through a multilateral forum,” Kobir said while responding to a question at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Responding to a question, he said, “Breakfast in India, lunch in India, dinner in India - then when will you eat your own food?” “We have to get out of the India fascination. India is just another country, and Bangladesh wants good bilateral relations with it,” Kobir said. He said his earlier remarks specifically referred to India and the need to rebuild bilateral relations through direct bilateral engagement. “What I said was mainly applicable to India. We want to build a good working bilateral relationship with India,” he said. Kobir said Bangladesh’s first engagement with a country with which it wants to develop better relations should ideally be through a bilateral visit rather than a meeting on the sidelines of a multilateral forum. “That was said only in the case of India. I never said that whenever we attend a multilateral event, we will not meet anyone,” he said. He clarified, however, that this does not mean Bangladesh will avoid meeting countries on the sidelines of international forums. Asked about recent incidents along the Bangladesh-India border, Kobir said the government would address such issues through diplomatic channels. “We will resolve these issues through diplomatic discussions,” he said. He said Bangladesh would raise its concerns with India at every appropriate level while adhering to international law, border protocols and agreements between the two countries. Asked about the reported review of 101 MoUs, Kobir said the agreements were being scrutinised and reviewed through the parliamentary process. The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will once again bring together world leaders to revitalise global cooperation, give a critical push to the Sustainable Development Goals and drive collective action for peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet. The State Minister said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to leave for New York on September 21 to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and will stay there until September 26. The Prime Minister is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly, where he will present Bangladesh’s new vision and highlight the country’s democratic transition and aspirations for the future. “He will share his thoughts and vision for the future of Bangladesh with world leaders,” Kobir told reporters. “He will have a very busy schedule in New York,” Kobir said, adding that the Prime Minister would hold meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Asked whether the UN Refugee Convention would be discussed during the visit, Kobir said Bangladesh would organise a sideline event focusing on the Rohingya crisis. “There will be a high-level discussion or meeting on the Rohingya crisis as part of the visit. It is a major priority for us,” he said. Asked about the possibility of a sideline meeting between the Prime Minister and US President Donald Trump, the state minister said such meetings are often decided at the last moment during major international conferences. “The primary focus of the Prime Minister’s visit is to address the UN General Assembly,” he said, adding that details of the sideline meetings would be known in due course.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is scheduled to pay an official visit to Bangladesh on May 21-22 to strengthen their bilateral relationship with Bangladesh and find ways to boost cooperation for regional peace, prosperity and security. Issues related to promotion of trade and investment, sustainable and renewable energy production, Rohingya crisis, maritime security, technology transfer and free and open Indo-Pacific region are likely to be discussed during her visit, officials said here on Sunday. Penny Wong is likely to have a courtesy meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apart from holding a bilateral meeting with her Bangladesh counterpart Hasan Mahmud, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB. A small delegation including Deputy Secretary, South and Southeast Asia Group and Head of the Office of Southeast Asia, in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Michelle Chan will accompany the Australian foreign minister, he said. The Australian minister is likely to visit the Rohingya camp during her visit to see the situation there. Bangladesh seeks Australia’s support in keeping the Rohingya issue alive globally with a view to the ultimate repatriation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals sheltered in Bangladesh. Australia has a commitment to continue the humanitarian assistance for the Rohingyas and support Bangladesh in their repatriation effort. Wong was born in the Malaysian state of Sabah. Her family moved to Australia in 1976, when she was eight years old, and settled in Adelaide. The forthcoming visit by the Australian foreign minister demonstrates the country's growing interest in Bangladesh, an Australian diplomat told UNB. Earlier this month, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he looks forward to working with PM Hasina to strengthen the bilateral relationship and together contribute to regional peace, prosperity and security. US wants to rebuild trust between Dhaka and Washington leaving behind tension: Lu “As Indian Ocean nations, we share an interest in a region that is grounded in sovereignty, promotes the prosperity and security of our citizens, and addresses the threat of climate change," he said in a letter written to PM Hasina congratulating on her reelection in January. The Australian PM highlighted the importance of their partnership in promoting "peace, prosperity and security" in the Indian Ocean. He affirmed his support for growing bilateral and regional cooperation between Australia and Bangladesh. “We have many common interests in increasing our trade and investment, promoting human rights, cooperating on people smuggling and addressing the Rohingya issue,” Albanese wrote. Bangladesh and Australia have already signed a framework agreement to open newer trade and investment opportunities between the two countries. The Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA), the first of this kind between Australia and Bangladesh in the last five decades, is expected to provide a platform for institutionalised economic interactions and open newer opportunities for trade and investment. In May last year, Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts visited Bangladesh. During the visit he said Bangladesh and Australia work closely together to promote their shared interests in regional peace and security, and have a growing trade and investment relationship. Lu in Bangladesh: Sets politics aside, tries to reach out to people Welcoming Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook, he said Australia seeks a region where “no country dominates, and no countries are dominated,” and the country thinks building a region like that requires efforts by all countries in the region. “We welcome the Bangladesh government’s Indo-Pacific Outlook in that context. I particularly welcome the point in the Indo-Pacific Outlook that argues for an inclusive region,” Watts said while responding to a question from UNB in a group session at that time. Australia recently sent a defence advisor to its High Commission in Dhaka, and, reciprocally, they welcome a defence advisor from Bangladesh in Australia. From Australia's perspective, the defence adviser is a symbol of their "intention and willingness" to cooperate on defence matters. The two countries are scheduled to hold the 5th Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) in Australia next month, said an official. The 4th FOC was held in Dhaka in March last year. The two-way trade now stands at around $4bn, reflecting Bangladesh’s significant economic growth and its highly complementary commercial strengths Donald Lu highlights importance of adaptation; protection of coastal people

Newly appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas on Tuesday said Bangladesh is an important US partner and the bilateral relationship is "broad and dynamic".  "Our cooperation on economic issues, development, security, and climate change demonstrates the range of our strong partnership and future potential," he said after presenting his credentials to President Abdul Hamid. Beyond the work of government, the United States and Bangladesh are closely linked through our people-to-people ties, he said.  "Together, we have delivered greater prosperity to both our peoples while working to make the Indo-Pacific region more open, more secure, and more prosperous," said the US envoy. Ambassador Haas said this year marks 50 years of friendship between our two countries. Read: New US Ambassador Peter Haas arrives in Dhaka

French Senator and President of the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group for South East Asia Jacqueline Deromedi has lauded Bangladesh’s progress saying that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ‘today would be proud of the country he had built’.

Canada's Minister of International Development Karina Gould has recalled the excellent bilateral development cooperation between Bangladesh and Canada over the years and appreciated Bangladesh‘s contribution to this relationship.