Foreign-Affairs
Canadian Int'l Development Minister to meet Dr Yunus, Foreign Adviser Monday
Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Sunday night to engage with the interim government on issues of mutual interests as Canada eyes to build a brighter future for everyone in this interconnected world.
He is likely to meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on February 10, a diplomatic source told UNB.
Minister Hussen, who immigrated to Canada in 1993 and settled in Toronto, plans to visit the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar to see the situation on the ground on February 11.
World Bank VP for S Asia to meet Dr Yunus, other key advisers
He will also hold meetings with the representatives of the UNDP and UNHCR while the Foreign Adviser will host a dinner for him.
Minister Hussen was first elected in 2015 to represent the riding of York South—Weston.
He has previously served as Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, as Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, and as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
He is scheduled to leave Dhaka on February 12.
Marking the 35th anniversary of International Development Week under the theme Building a Better World Together, the Canadian Minister recently said, “In our increasingly complex and interconnected world, Canada has a responsibility do our part to build a brighter future for everyone. From tackling climate change to strengthening health systems, international assistance is an investment that will create stronger communities for generations to come."
Chinese ennvoy looks for grand celebrations for 50 years of Dhaka- Beijng ties
Over the last five years, Canada has funded over 5,300 volunteer placements in 42 countries, where volunteers work with local communities to advance women and girls’ rights, fight climate change, encourage innovation, and advance diversity and inclusion.
“During International Development Week, I encourage everyone to connect with local Canadian organisations that are working towards the Sustainable Development Goals by helping to save countless lives and creating opportunities for people in lower-income countries," said Canadian Minister.
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World Bank VP for S Asia to meet Dr Yunus, other key advisers
World Bank’s Vice President for the South Asia Region Martin Raiser arrived in Dhaka on Saturday.
During his four-day visit, Raiser will meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, said the World Bank.
Raiser will also meet the Finance Adviser, Energy Adviser, Bangladesh Bank Governor, senior government officials and civil society and private sector representatives.
Raiser is joined by Pablo Saavedra, the World Bank’s Vice President for Prosperity, leading the World Bank’s work on economic policy, poverty, finance, institutions, competition and investment.
The World Bank was among the first development partners to support Bangladesh after its independence. Since then, it has committed about $44 billion to Bangladesh, mostly in grants or concessional credits.
Bangladesh currently has the largest ongoing programme supported by the World Bank Group’s International Development Association (IDA).
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Bangladesh issues may feature in Modi-Trump talks, hints India
India has hinted that Bangladesh issues may come up for discussions during the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the context of regional situation.
"There will be discussions on the regional and international situation. I would imagine this might be one of the issues that will come up," said Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri while responding to a question during a media briefing in New Delhi on Friday.
Describing recent incidents in Bangladesh, including vandalism of historic Dhanmondi-32 residence, the journalist wanted to know whether Prime Minister Modi is likely to discuss Bangladesh when he meets President Trump.
In reply, the Indian Foreign Secretary said, "As to whether the issue will come up in discussions in Washington, D.C., I can't prejudge right now."
Indian media involved in AL’s “orchestrated campaign” against Dr Yunus: Press Secretary
Prime Minister Modi will visit the United States at the invitation of the President of the United States of America.
He will pay an official working visit to the United States on 12th and 13th of February, said the Indian Foreign Secretary.
This will be the first visit of Prime Minister Modi to the United States since the inauguration of the second presidential term of President Donald Trump.
The Indian Foreign Secretary referred to the statement that they have made recently with regard to the incidents relating to the residence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
No role in Hasina’s attributed remarks, clarifies India
"We would also like to point out that the safety of diplomatic premises is the responsibility of the host government and I have no doubt that the Bangladesh authorities are fully aware of their responsibilities in this regard," said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Bangladesh wants to establish a relationship with India that would ensure mutual benefits and secure both nations' interest and efforts are underway to that end, said the interim government.
Next govt to inherit both domestic policy challenges, growing external worries: Kugelman
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Indian media involved in AL’s “orchestrated campaign” against Dr Yunus: Press Secretary
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Saturday accused the “fallen” Bangladesh Awami League (AL) of carrying out an “orchestrated campaign” against Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus portraying him as a “militant leader” surrounded by militants.
“Look at their messages – their message is 3000 police died, their message is Yunus is a militant leader; their message is Yunus is surrounded by militant leaders. It is a very well-orchestrated campaign,” Alam said, adding that the India media is also involved in this campaign.
Pointing finger at the AL people, the Press Secretary said Hasina’s (Sheikh Hasina’s) oligarchs are spending millions of dollars to create a new narrative challenging the July mass uprising in their efforts to make the global community understand that it was not an uprising but a big conspiracy.
The Press Secretary was speaking at a launching ceremony of a book titled “Droher Graffiti - Graffiti of Treachery: The Mass Uprising of 24' by BSS journalist GM Rajib Hossain at Jatiya Press Club as a special guest.
No role in Hasina’s attributed remarks, clarifies India
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was the chief guest at the event. JPC President and Editor of the Daily Kaler Kantho poet Hasan Hafiz presided over the event. Senior Journalists Quader Gani Chowdhury, Syed Abdal Ahmed and others spoke at the event.
Press Secretary Alam said that the Awami League and the “fallen autocracy, the mother of thieves and the mother of disappearances” want to challenge the narrative of Bangladesh.
Referring to Dr Yunus’ decades of public life and his global repute, he said they need to document all the incidents.
Alam said they, through research, will let all know the facts and hold seminars in all the campuses so that “fallen autocrat and her followers” cannot make a return.
The Press Secretary referred to the period after the 1971 Liberation struggle to 1972 and observed that they were weak in documentation.
Vandalism at Dhanmondi-32 residence should strongly be condemned: India
Stating that Dr Yunus has called on everyone to remain calm, Alam said their job is to highlight the horrors of 15 years through research. “We will hold seminars in every campus. We will write the injustices she had done on every wall, so that the dictatorship that fell in Bangladesh and its associates cannot return. We have to do this.”
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Chinese ennvoy looks for grand celebrations for 50 years of Dhaka- Beijng ties
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen has expressed optimism that the people from all walks of life in Bangladesh would actively participate in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-China diplomatic relations and the year of China-Bangladesh people-to-people exchanges.
He hoped that Bangladeshis would join joint efforts contributing to further strengthening and elevating the friendship between Bangladesh and China.
Ambassador Yao, together by Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, visited the “China Book House” on Friday organised by the Chinese Embassy at the “Ekushey Book Fair”.
They attended a special exhibition showcasing traditional Chinese craftsmanship hosted by the Confucius Institutes and engaged warmly with local readers, adding another cultural highlight to the 2025 Dhaka “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations.
The ambassador said the “China Book House” was established as a gateway for the Bangladeshi people to learn more about China.
He welcomed Bangladeshi readers to explore and gain new knowledge through the platform.
The “China Book House” exhibits over 400 types of Chinese publications, totalling over 1,000 copies, covering topics such as culture, history, folklore, tourism, cuisine, economy, politics, and Chinese language learning.
Bangladeshi delegation joins 2nd preparatory conference for UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025
In front of the “China Book House”, teachers from the Confucius Institutes set up interactive booths so that visitors could have the opportunity to experience traditional Chinese crafts such as sugar painting, woodblock printing, lacquer fan making, and the Luban lock.
A dragon and lion dance team also performed up close for the audience, adding to the lively and festive atmosphere.
Farooki said the “China Book House” enriched the cultural diversity of the “Ekushey Book Fair” and created a unique space for Bangladeshi readers to gain firsthand insights into Chinese culture.
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No role in Hasina’s attributed remarks, clarifies India
India on Friday said the comments attributed to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have been made in her individual capacity in which India has no role to play.
Bangladesh acting High Commissioner to India Md Nural Islam was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs to the South Block to convey India's position.
MEA official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was conveyed that India desires a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh, which has been reiterated several times in recent high-level meetings.
"It is, however, regrettable that regular statements made by Bangladesh authorities continue to portray India negatively, holding us responsible for internal governance issues," he said.
Vandalism at Dhanmondi-32 residence should strongly be condemned: India
These statements by Bangladesh are in fact responsible for the persistent negativity, said the MEA Spokesperson in response to media queries on summoning the Bangladesh acting High Commissioner.
Conflating this with the government of India’s position is not going to help add positivity to bilateral relations, he said.
Ex-PM Hasina’s remarks instigating instability in Bangladesh: Dhaka to Delhi
“While the government of India will make efforts for a mutually beneficial relationship we expect that Bangladesh will reciprocate similarly without vitiating the atmosphere,” the MEA Spokesperson added.
"Safety of diplomatic mission is responsibility of host govt and I have no doubt Bangladesh authorities are aware of responsibilities," said Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on safety of Indian Diplomatic mission in Dhaka during a separate briefing in New Delhi.
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Next govt to inherit both domestic policy challenges, growing external worries: Kugelman
South Asia affairs expert Michael Kugelman has said that Bangladesh’s next government will face not only domestic policy challenges but also increasing external concerns.
He mentioned tense ties with India, uncertain relations with the new Trump administration in the United States and a border with Myanmar now controlled by the rebel Arakan Army as external worries.
"Things won’t get any easier for Dhaka after elections, whenever they are held," said Kugelman who writes Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.
He spent last week in Dhaka, where the legacy of Sheikh Hasina’s father, former President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, once had loomed larger than life.
Govt working with security forces to keep law and order: Prof Yunus
"The independence leader was depicted in statues and murals, and his name was routinely invoked in public speeches. Today, he is nowhere to be found, but the city is filled with commemorations of the Gen Z revolution," Kugelman wrote.
Sharing his main takeaway from his trip, Kugelman said the Bangladeshi public is growing impatient with an interim government that has made ambitious promises—to restore democracy, rebuild institutions and reform governance—yet has underperformed so far.
Public safety has improved, with little of the deadly retributive violence that was unleashed against Hasina supporters in the days following her ouster, he observed.
But many police officers are still refusing to report to duty and activists buoyed by last year’s movement are regularly mobilising in the streets for various causes, Kugelman said.
Many Bangladeshis, including business leaders, still worry about law and order, he said.
US to view Bangladesh through commercial, geopolitical lenses: Kugelman
Meanwhile, Kugelman said, Bangladesh’s economy is floundering, continuing a decline that began in the last years of Hasina’s rule.
Today, inflation is falling, but it is close to double digits. Bangladesh’s GDP growth between July and December 2024 was less than 2 percent, and foreign direct investment fell by 71 percent in the three months after Hasina’s ouster, said the Foreign Affairs expert.
Besides, he said, the public has limited information about the interim government’s reforms process. "Though commissions were formed to focus on subjects including banking and the country’s constitution, it’s unclear what goals they have set."
Kugelman went on to say, "The government insists that it will all take time; as one senior official put it to me, Hasina eviscerated the country’s governance fabric, and there is no easy way out."
Still, Kugelman said, the lack of a formal public mandate will undermine the interim government.
Most Bangladeshis welcomed the new administration last August, but it is not an elected government, he said, adding that the longer it stays in power, the more pressure it will face to call elections.
Prof Yunus can charm Western govts to consider hosting Rohingya refugees: Kugelman
"According to multiple people I spoke with in Dhaka, two key constituencies already want to see elections soon: the business community and the military," Kugelman mentioned.
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said elections could take place by the end of the year or by June next year, but the government has not announced a formal timeframe.
Protest leaders within the government want to see reforms through—and they also likely want more time to build up the new political party that they plan to form.
"However, if the interim government holds off elections to ensure the implementation of reforms, the next elected government could just reverse them," Kugelman said.
This uncertainty has intensified public concerns about Bangladesh’s future, he said, adding that by no means are people growing nostalgic for Hasina; there is an overwhelming view that today’s situation is preferable to the repression of the past.
"Still, if tangible improvements—especially economic ones—remain elusive, the public’s patience will wane," Kugelman said.
The interim government was formed on August 8, last year.
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Bangladeshi delegation joins 2nd preparatory conference for UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025
A four member Bangladesh delegation, led by Lieutenant General S M Kamrul Hassan, Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division (AFD), participated in the 2nd Preparatory Conference for the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial-2025, held in Indonesia.
The conference was held on February 4 and 5, according to ISPR .
The UN Peacekeeping Ministerial is a key international platform for addressing the future strategies and challenges of global peacekeeping operations.
During the opening ceremony, the PSO of the AFD reaffirmed Bangladesh’s strong commitment to global peacekeeping as one of the largest contributors to the cause.
He also delivered insightful remarks on the future direction of UN peacekeeping operations, ISPR said on Friday.
Through this prestigious global forum, Bangladesh's active participation and meaningful exchange of ideas with prominent international figures, including UN Under Secretary General Katherine Pollard, have significantly enhanced the country's image in its steadfast commitment to global peace.
By co-hosting and actively engaging in the 2nd preparatory meeting alongside other nations, Bangladesh has once again reinforced its unwavering dedication to promoting world peace.
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Vandalism at Dhanmondi-32 residence should strongly be condemned: India
India has said the act of vandalism at the historic residence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman should be "strongly condemned.”
"It is regrettable that the historic residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, a symbol of the heroic resistance of the people of Bangladesh against the forces of occupation and oppression, was destroyed on February 5," said Spokesperson at the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday.
Hasina’s “provocative remarks" fueled Dhanmondi-32 vandalism: Govt
All those who value the freedom struggle that nurtured Bangla identity and pride are aware of the importance of this residence for the national consciousness of Bangladesh, he said.
Terming the vandalism at Dhanmondi-32 residence as unfortunate and unexpected, the interim government said it was manifestation of people’s anger incited by the "provocative remarks" made by fugitive Sheikh Hasina from India against the July uprising.
The interim government, in a statement on Thursday, urged India to ensure that its territory is not used to promote instability in Bangladesh and prevent Sheikh Hasina from issuing further remarks.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh lodged a strong protest with the government of India over the "false and fabricated comments and statements" continuously being made in different platforms, including social media by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, conveying the neighbouring country that these activities are "instigating instability" in Bangladesh.
Dhanmondi 32 residence being demolished with bulldozer
Bangladesh handed over a protest note to Indian acting High Commissioner Pawan Badhe, calling him to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told the media on Thursday.
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Pakistani Deputy PM's visit expected, but not before April: Foreign Affairs Adviser
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has hinted that Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to visit Bangladesh soon, but not before April this year.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Hossain emphasised that there was no reason to maintain strained relations with Pakistan.
Foreign fund cuts will worsen Rohingya crisis, warns Adviser Touhid Hossain
“We assume that Pakistan’s Foreign Minister will visit, though the exact date has not been finalised yet. However, I don’t think the visit will take place before April,” he said.
Officials in both Dhaka and Islamabad are currently working on the planned visit.
“There is still time, and we will make some decisions in the meantime,” the Adviser added.
When asked whether Bangladesh would raise the issue of Pakistan’s apology for its role in the 1971 Liberation War and possible compensation, Hossain acknowledged that unresolved issues persist even after 53 years.
He assured that these matters would be addressed during discussions.
He, however, cautioned against being fixated.
“If we remain stuck on these issues, neither side will benefit. We will, of course, protect and pursue our interests, but at the same time, we want to engage with Pakistan as we would with any other country. We do not want to perceive our relationship with them negatively,” he said.
Hossain stressed that Bangladesh sees Pakistan as a fellow South Asian nation with shared interests.
The Adviser highlighted that maritime connectivity between Bangladesh and Pakistan has already resumed, bringing economic benefits. “We will try to maximise our gains from this opportunity,” he added.
Responding to another question, he noted that the previous Awami League-led government had deliberately strained Bangladesh-Pakistan relations, which, in his view, did not serve the interests of either nation.
Ishaq Dar’s upcoming trip to Dhaka will mark the first visit by a Pakistani Foreign Minister since 2012.
Under the previous government, Bangladesh had repeatedly urged Pakistan to issue a formal public apology for the atrocities committed against unarmed Bangladeshis in 1971.
In February 2023, Dhaka conveyed the same message to former Pakistani State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar during a meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Maintaining balanced relations extremely important for Bangladesh: Touhid Hossain
More recently, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed the issue on the sidelines of the D8 Summit in December 2024.
Prof Yunus urged Sharif to address the unresolved matters from 1971 to facilitate improved relations between Dhaka and Islamabad.
“These issues keep coming up repeatedly. Let’s resolve them once and for all so that we can move forward,” Yunus told Sharif.
Sharif acknowledged the 1974 tripartite agreement between Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, which had aimed to settle such matters, but expressed willingness to revisit any outstanding concerns.
“It would be beneficial to resolve these issues permanently for future generations,” Prof Yunus said.
During their meeting, Yunus and Sharif also discussed expanding cooperation in new sectors, including the sugar industry and dengue management.
They explored ways to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), a key priority in Bangladesh’s foreign policy under the interim government.
Prof Yunus, a Nobel Peace Laureate, also reiterated his administration’s commitment to carrying out essential reforms and holding the next general elections before mid-2026.
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