United News of Bangladesh

Reiterating its support for the delivery of an ambitious reform agenda in Bangladesh, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union Michael Miller on Monday said the election timing is an issue for Bangladesh to decide and they are not pressuring on anyone to hold the election on a particular date. “I think that I have to say that timing is a matter for Bangladesh to take a decision upon. We see this political transition as leading up to democratic elections. So, that's the important milestone I mentioned. But as the European Union, we don't have an opinion about time, and we are not pressuring anyone to hold elections on a particular date,” he said while responding to a question at the “DCAB Talk” held at Jatiya Press Club. Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) hosted the event where DCAB President AKM Moinuddin and General Secretary Md Arifuzzaman Mamun also spoke. Ambassador Miller said they are waiting for political parties and the interim government to agree on “very clearly prioritised and specific list of reforms” and noted that they do have experience which is helpful and financing which can support. And we have the political will to stand with you.” Election timing an issue for Bangladesh to decide: Ambassador Miller Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has recently said the people of Bangladesh think that the interim government is still the “good answer” for them but stressed that they will not go beyond June 2026 to hold the best election ever in the country. Prof Yunus, who is also Chairman of the National Consensus Commission, stressed the urgency of accelerating reform efforts to ensure that the national election is held between December this year and June 2026.  EU envoy visits BRAC University to discuss academic collaboration Ambassador Miller said they think that there needs to be sufficient time to implement the reforms under this interim government. Referring to their work with the Election Commission, he said they have been engaging to try to identify where the European Union can be most helpful in supporting the conduct of the elections in line with international standards. “We absolutely want the elections, when they are held, to be ones that we can look at and say, this is free and fair and the result is entirely credible,” said Ambassador Miller, adding that they we want to be part of that success story, because it will be a very significant milestone in Bangladesh’s political transition. He said they are also working to make sure that disinformation is not something that they see undermining the free and fair conduct of the elections when they happen. Based on deaths reported by various credible sources, the UN report estimated that as many as 1,400 people may have been killed between 1 July and 15 August, and thousands were injured, the vast majority of whom were shot by Bangladesh’s security forces. Responding to a question, the EU Ambassador said they support the work of the UN fact-finding mission and laid emphasis on accountability for those “terrible crimes” perpetrated against the people during the July Uprising. Highlighting the importance of Bangladesh’s judicial authorities’ evidence-based work, Ambassador Miller hoped that Bangladesh will deal with the terrible crimes perpetrated against its people. “There must be accountability. There must be transparent and fair process and the rights of every single person should be respected through due process,” he added.  Ambassador Miller said the interim government had inherited “very great number of challenges”, including on security, economy, financial fronts and rebuilding confidence takes time. Talking about women’s rights, the EU envoy said equality between men and women is the core value in Europe and it is a core universal value.  He said the work of the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission should be examined extremely carefully and they support all efforts that ensure equality between men and women. “The report and the recommendations of the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission are extremely important. We consider equality between men and women as core value of the EU,” said Ambassador Miller. He said the recommendations of the Commission should be looked at “extremely carefully and closely” by political parties because they would like to see those recommendations translated into actions. “We will contribute towards greater equality.” In response to a question on the Rohingya issue, Ambassador Miller said unfortunately this is a crisis that goes on despite the best efforts of Bangladesh and partners like the European Union. “There are enormous efforts being made by Bangladesh,” he said, adding that there is violence on the other side of the border. “We are indeed trying very hard to support a political solution which is the only solution to this crisis,” said Ambassador Miller. “I have to say, we have many conversations with the Bangladesh authorities, those conversations always concluded with a common understanding that return can only be in a safe, dignified, and voluntary manner,” he added. As a humanitarian partner for Bangladesh, Ambassador Miller said they are quite happy to be pragmatic on how they can meet the needs of the refugees. The European Union has maintained a consistent level of support over the past seven years. In 2025, the European Union has already allocated over EUR 32 million to support the Rohingya refugees and their Bangladeshi host communities. These funds are provided via the Joint Response Plan, which we are launching today. The European Union also supports Rohingya refugees who have fled to other countries in the region, as well as the Rohingya who remain in Myanmar. Our total support for the Rohingya since 2017 equals nearly 1 billion EUR provided together by the EU and its Member States.

Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh Michael Miller has said the EU-Bangladesh Talent Partnership has been designed to be transformative and win-win. "It will ensure safe and dignified migration, including the respect of human rights," he said. In parallel to the creation of legal pathways for migration, the Ambassador said they must ensure smooth returns and reintegration, step up work to end irregular migration and tackle the scourge of trafficking and exploitation. The EU funded EUR 3 million Talent Partnership project was launched recently in Dhaka. It will address skills gaps, reduce migration costs, increase opportunities for Bangladeshis and provide skilled workers for the EU labour market. Bangladeshi youth have always led charge for justice, equity, progress: Speakers At the launching, stakeholders endorsed the core objectives and strategies of the project, underlining the need for sustained collaboration of both the public and private sector in Bangladesh and EU Member States to overcome current challenges and for the Talent Partnership collaboration to succeed. The International Labour Organization (ILO,) Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE) and the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) will implement this three-year project. Focusing on safe and dignified legal pathways for migration to Europe from Bangladesh and reducing irregular migration, the project will support skills matching between EU Member states’ labour markets and Bangladesh to ensure workers have the right skills, meeting EU standards. Over 7.4 million Bangladeshis are migrant workers, remitting EUR 2 billion each month, according to the ILO. The training programmes aim to prepare 3000 workers to meet the requirements needed for employment in the EU. Chief Adviser Yunus to attend 11th D-8 Summit in Cairo In addition, the project will strengthen the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE) online job-matching platform, improving access to employment opportunities for skilled job seekers. Acknowledging the importance of addressing challenges encountered by potential overseas workers, Dr Asif Nazrul, Adviser for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, said this project will ensure safety of workers while boosting remittance for Bangladesh. Tuomo Poutiainen, the Country Director of the ILO underscored the impact of the project on skill development, stating that it would facilitate ‘technical upskilling’ and ‘fair recruitment’.

Eyes of the world's investors are on Chattogram as there are immense possibilities and fields for investment in the port city, Earl R. Miller, the U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh said on Wednesday. “The United States is also interested in investing in Chittagong. The next steps will be taken after investing and feasibility study, especially in education, health, ICT and tourism,”the ambassador said following a meeting with Chattogram City Mayor Rezaul Karim in the commercial capital of the country. "We believe that Chattogram will soon be integrated as an effective link of regional and global connectivity in the way big projects have been implemented and are being implemented." “If participation of the world's major economic powers is ensured in all the economic zones that have developed here, its positive impact will be reflected not only in Bangladesh, but globally.” Read:UK played a part in development of Chattogram: Dickson He also discussed the Rohingya and Covid-19 situation of Chattogram with the city mayor. City Mayor Rezaul Karim said that the Karnaphuli tunnel will be a game changer for the tourism and economic situation of Chattogram. There are already signs of massive industrialisation at Mirsharai, Anwara and other parts of South Chattogram because of the tunnel, he noted. “Now our biggest responsibility is to create a favorable environment for domestic and foreign investment. This requires the support and participation of global economic powers, “the mayor added.

The United States has said it is actively considering the request made by the Bangladesh government over the supply of Covid-19 vaccine doses to meet Bangladesh’s immediate needs. Bangladesh will get a reply of the letter, sent to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken by Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, within the next couple of days. “Two things he (Ambassador Miller) said. It’s (the request for vaccine doses) under active consideration and the Ambassador expects Bangladesh will get a reply as early as possible -- within a day or two,” said State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam after his meeting with US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller. While talking to a small group of journalists, including the UNB correspondent, at his office, the State Minister said they will be waiting to know the content of the reply. Also Read:Ambassador Miller praises power of young minds in Bangladesh  Meanwhile, he said, US companies are in touch with the Health Ministry as they have a long-term plan of producing vaccines in Bangladesh. The Ambassador informed that the US government is exploring the possibilities to produce US vaccines in Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies. The State Minister and the US Ambassador also discussed the ongoing cooperation between two countries in combating Covid-19 pandemic apart from the issue of providing vaccines for meeting Bangladesh’s immediate needs. The US Ambassador informed that his government is working on this, and he has recommended having a regional approach in South Asia in distributing vaccines from the US. Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said the government has sought immediate delivery of 4 million vaccine doses from the United States. The US will share up to 60 million doses of its Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine with other countries as they become available. “We’ve sought immediate release of four million doses of vaccine (in a letter sent to the US),” he told reporters, adding that he, however, sought a total of 10 to 20 million doses of vaccine from the US. Also Read: Miller discusses JRP, bilateral issues with Shahriar Dr Momen said the government wants to continue the vaccination programme collecting vaccines from alternative sources.  The Foreign Minister had a meeting with US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller at his office on Thursday. Dr Momen asked the US Ambassador whether they provided any vaccine to India. In reply, Ambassador Miller said they have provided no vaccine to India yet. The Foreign Minister said the US government needs permission from the Food and Drug Administration to export vaccines which is a time-consuming process. “But we need it immediately.”  Dr Momen said they have also written to Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar requesting for 3 million doses of vaccine to address Bangladesh's immediate needs. Bangladesh has received 7 million of Oxford-AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine doses produced by Serum Institute of India (SII) through its contract. Bangladesh also received 3.3 million doses of vaccine as a bilateral partnership gift. This is the largest amount sent from India to any country.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller has congratulated Sylhet’s 20 newest graduates of the US State Department-funded English Access Microscholarship Programme.He praised the 10 young women and 10 young men from local madrasas and public schools for their hard work in completing the course during the pandemic and encouraged them to continue their studies to prepare for the future. Also read:US committed to work with Bangladesh to end trafficking-in ...“Bangladesh just marked its Golden Jubilee – the day when it declared its intention and ability to chart its own path. There’s no better time to recognise the power of young minds – like yours – to design the next 50 years.  You can take your new skills and use them as leaders who will shape the future of Bangladesh,” he said during a virtual ceremony on Monday.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller on Wednesday praised the epidemiologists and public health experts who continue to serve as Bangladesh’s frontline of defense to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. “The pandemic has taught us many things. One of those things is policy and actions are only as effective as the science and data they are built upon,” he said. Miller said they can promote mask wearing and social distancing because they know the science and data tells them it works. “We can promote vaccination because the data from the vaccine trials and post vaccination surveillance tells us the vaccines are safe and effective. None of this is possible without epidemiologists and public health experts,” he said. The US Ambassador inaugurated the first “Bangladesh Congress on Epidemiology and Public Health” and the two-day conference (Wednesday-Thursday) includes in-person and online sessions sharing experiences and scientific lessons from Bangladesh about COVID-19; establishing a global network of public health experts to apply COVID-19 lessons to prepare for future pandemics and outbreaks; and building support for expanding the number of epidemiologists and public health experts in Bangladesh. Also read: Will work together with Bangladesh, global partners against Covid-19 pandemic: Miller The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is partnering with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), and the Epidemiology Association of Bangladesh to sponsor this first-ever national conference focused on the vital roles field epidemiology and public health play in saving lives and keeping people healthy from serious diseases in Bangladesh and across the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller has emphasised the continued commitment of the US government to working in partnership with Bangladesh to eliminate Trafficking-in-Persons. 

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller has said the Bangladesh-US relations will only get stronger with no major changes under the new Biden Administration.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller has thanked the Bangladeshis for their support, friendship and partnership during this difficult time and shared commitment to democracy.