United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad is scheduled to join the state funeral of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Speaker Hafiz Uddin is likely to be in Tehran on July 3 at the invitation of Iranian Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a diplomatic source told UNB. The funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will begin in Tehran on ⁠July 4, and he will be buried in his home town of Mashhad on July 9, according to Iranian state media.

French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet on Monday underscored the strategic importance of Chattogram port and the need to enhance industrial safety standards. "As Bangladesh's largest port, Chattogram is a focal point for major industrial safety challenges," he said reaffirming the continued commitment of France and the European Union to supporting Bangladesh in building safer and more resilient ports. The Ambassador inaugurated the two-week "Industrial Safety" training course in collaboration with the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) in the port city, reaffirming France and the European Union's commitment to enhancing port safety and resilience in Bangladesh. "This training programme directly supports Bangladesh's ambition to develop and secure its port infrastructure while promoting a shared culture of risk prevention that benefits both the safety of the population and the efficiency of port operations," the Ambassador said. The training programme focuses on managing industrial risks in port areas, covering key topics such as hazard identification, risk assessment, accident scenario modelling, and determining safety distances to strengthen emergency response planning. The initiative is being conducted under the Global Ports Safety (GPS) Project, a Team Europe initiative led by France and the European Union and implemented by Expertise France. The project forms part of France's Indo-Pacific Strategy and the European Union's Global Gateway initiative. The GPS Project aims to strengthen the safety, resilience, and sustainability of twelve strategic ports across eight countries in South and Southeast Asia, located along key Indo-Pacific shipping routes. The Ambassador also wished the participants every success in the training programme and expressed his appreciation to all project partners, including the CPA, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, the National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks, and Expertise France, for their collaboration. The training session brings together participants from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, highlighting the regional dimension of the GPS Project and promoting cooperation and knowledge sharing among partner ports across the Indo-Pacific region.

Grameen Communications and Japan's Wick Co., Ltd. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop SPARK, a digital social business platform designed to empower Bangladeshis at home and abroad through technology, skills development, employment opportunities, and financial inclusion. The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the second day of Social Business Day 2026. The MoU was signed by Yoshikane Nakamichi, Representative Director of Wick Co., Ltd., Japan, and Feroz Mahmud, Managing Director of Grameen Communications. The joint initiative focuses on building a collaborative digital platform that connects people, creates opportunities, and strengthens communities through the principles of social business. SPARK aims to connect Bangladeshis worldwide through a unified digital ecosystem, enable skills-based earning and freelance opportunities, support employment and career advancement through digital profiles and intelligent job matching, and promote financial inclusion, micro-investment, and asset building to foster long-term economic resilience. The platform will combine Wick Co.'s advanced technology expertise with Grameen Communications' extensive grassroots network and decades of experience in leveraging technology for social impact, creating an inclusive ecosystem where individuals can learn, earn, grow, and contribute to their communities. The signing ceremony was held in the presence of Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chairman of Yunus Centre. This partnership marks an important step toward harnessing technology and social business to unlock opportunities, strengthen livelihoods, and build a more inclusive digital future for Bangladeshis around the world.

Bridge to Bangladesh, a first-of-its-kind digital platform comprising a website and mobile app, has been launched to connect the global Bangladeshi diaspora with the country's development priorities. Oxfam launched the digital platform, bridgetobd.org, at an event in Dhaka on Sunday. The event was attended by senior government officials, representatives of civil society and international organizations, diaspora leaders, and journalists. An initiative of Oxfam in Bangladesh, the platform enables more than 2.4 million Bangladeshis living abroad to contribute knowledge, mentorship, skills, advocacy, innovation, philanthropy, investment linkages, and professional expertise through verified Bangladeshi organizations and individuals. Speaking at the launch, Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Md Nazrul Islam said Bangladeshi diaspora members are eager to contribute to the country's development and that building trust and sustainable engagement is essential. He also said the government's long-awaited diaspora policy is in its final stage and is expected to be approved soon. Highlighting the importance of stronger diaspora engagement, Dr Nazrul said many investors are coming to Bangladesh, but they could not invest because of a trust deficit. "And also, they could not really connect and did not receive adequate facilities or services from different government entities. Therefore, deregulation and the reform of government services are essential for increasing transparency," he said. Dr Nazrul stressed the need for regulatory reforms, greater transparency, and better facilitation through Bangladesh's overseas missions.

BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey visited Myanmar and discussed progress in regional security cooperation under BIMSTEC to address the transnational security challenges facing the member states. The two sides reviewed progress in regional security cooperation since the 4th BIMSTEC National Security Advisers' Meeting, hosted by Myanmar in Nay Pyi Taw in July 2024, and preparations for the 5th meeting, which will be hosted by India. The meeting is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on July 16. They also welcomed the opportunity provided by the forthcoming inaugural BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting to review and expand regional security cooperation under BIMSTEC. During the visit, the BIMSTEC Secretary General called on Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing, who reiterated Myanmar's abiding commitment to expanding regional cooperation under BIMSTEC, underscored the organisation's non-political character, and expressed Myanmar's desire to enhance its contribution to BIMSTEC's success. He met Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe and their discussions focused on strengthening regional cooperation under BIMSTEC and Myanmar's vital role in advancing cooperation in the agriculture and food security, fisheries, and livestock sectors, which the country leads, as well as other sectors on BIMSTEC's agenda, according to the BIMSTEC Secretariat. The Myanmar Foreign Minister reiterated the high importance Myanmar attaches to BIMSTEC. In a separate meeting with Home Minister Lt Gen Nyunt Win Swe, the two sides discussed progress in regional security cooperation. The Secretary General also called on National Security Adviser and Union Minister in the President's Office Tin Aung San. They underscored Myanmar's vital role in ensuring regional security in the Bay of Bengal, including combating organised crime and terrorism, as well as strengthening maritime security, food security, climate security, and energy security. The Secretary General also met Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Min Naung. Their discussions focused on advancing regional cooperation in the agriculture and food security, fisheries, and livestock sectors, including the implementation of decisions taken at the 3rd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministerial Meeting, held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in April 2025, and ways to further strengthen regional cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors under BIMSTEC. The Secretary General also attended a dinner hosted in his honour by the Permanent Secretary of Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The dinner was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation. The Secretary General also met Thant Kyaw, Chairman of the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS), and the two sides exchanged views on further strengthening regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC framework. Myanmar is one of the seven BIMSTEC member states and leads regional cooperation in the agriculture and food security, fisheries, and livestock sectors. It joined BIMSTEC in December 1997. BIMSTEC comprises seven countries in the Bay of Bengal region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Twelve Chinese companies have proposed to invest US$9.21 billion in Bangladesh, as the CEOs and heads of these 12 different companies, representing various subsectors, met with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on June 25 in Beijing. Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun was present during the meeting with the Prime Minister and the leaders of the Chinese companies. Shanghai SUS Environment Co., Ltd., one of the world's leading WTE investors and operators, has proposed to invest US$890 million in the development of Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants, according to document seen by UNB. China Future Energy Group Holding Limited, specialised in petroleum engineering and gas field investment, proposed to invest US$250 million in the exploration and development of gas fields. China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), a Chinese state-owned contractor, investor and operator, has proposed to invest US$650 million in the development and operation of the Mongla Port Economic Zone to attract Chinese manufacturing industries, build a bonded warehouse for import purposes, and develop Mongla into a new logistics hub, generating 50,000 jobs. Shenzhen Kaifa Technology Co. Ltd. proposed to invest US$250 million in the manufacture of electric smart meters in Bangladesh. SF Express, China's largest logistics company, has proposed to invest US$180 million in cold-chain logistics and bonded warehouse facilities in Mongla to support e-commerce and export industries. Huaxin Textile Industry Co. Ltd. has proposed to invest US$190 million in the expansion of recycled cotton/yarn production, the manufacture of cylindrical lithium batteries, and the construction of a 200 MW solar power plant for its own use in the Payra Port Industrial Zone. Zhongxin Environmental Protection Group has proposed to invest US$1.65 billion in the establishment of an e-waste recycling and disposal industrial project in the Payra Port Industrial Zone. CRRC Ziyan Co. Ltd. has proposed to invest US$190 million in the establishment of a rolling stock assembly plant through a joint venture with BMTF. Sichuan Road & Bridge Group Co. Ltd. has proposed to invest US$4.5 billion in the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway PPP Project to enhance national connectivity and economic growth. China Kepai Education Group has proposed to invest US$270 million to build a modern application-oriented university and vocational education industrial park designed to accommodate 30,000 students in the long run. China Shandong Zhongxin Pharmaceutical Co. Limited has proposed to invest US$190 million to establish a large-scale Chinese medicinal herb cultivation industry in Bangladesh. Ashik Chowdhury on Saturday said tability has been restored following the formal assumption of office by the newly elected government in Bangladesh, adding that this renewed climate of confidence had been effectively communicated to investors. He highlighted that Bangladesh presented a five-year tax outlook for the first time, and they emphasised these aspects of stability to the investors.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Saturday said Bangladesh and China have agreed to expedite a joint feasibility study on the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP). “We have agreed to conduct a joint feasibility study with experts from both sides. If the feasibility study justifies the project, China will extend adequate support for its implementation,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, Additional Foreign Secretary (Public Diplomacy and Other Priority Matters) AKM Shahidul Karim and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present at the media briefing. Seeking deeper cooperation with Bangladesh in integrated water resources management, China decided to provide support ‘within its capacity’ to the TRCMRP. The Chinese side will also support experts from both countries in expediting the feasibility study of the project and relevant work, according to a joint statement shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in such areas as integrated water resources management, water resources planning, hydrological forecasting, flood prevention and disaster reduction, and river dredging, and related technology sharing. Reiterating its support for the TRCMRP, China on Friday said cooperation between Bangladesh and China should be free from third party influence. "I would like to stress that China-Bangladesh cooperation does not target any third party and should be free from third party influence," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing while responding to a question. The spokesperson stated China's position after a reporter flagged India's concerns over the Teesta cooperation between Bangladesh and China. "The comprehensive treatment and restoration of the Teesta River is a livelihood project to which the Bangladeshi side attaches high importance. China is ready to do what it can to support this project," said Guo Jiakun.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Saturday said Bangladesh has reached a different level and no longer goes anywhere carrying a "begging bag," urging the media to refrain from asking "embarrassing" questions about the immediate gains from high-level foreign visits. “You talked about cash gains. Brother, don't ask this kind of question. We feel very embarrassed. He (Prime Minister Tarique Rahman) did not go (to China) carrying a begging bag. He went (there) to establish the direction of the relationship between the two countries,” Dr Khalilur said, highlighting the content, scope, depth and significance of the visit. FM Khalilur to hold talks with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov in Moscow June 8 He made the remarks, visibly expressing displeasure, when a journalist asked about the immediate gains from the Prime Minister's China visit during a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Minister said no head of government sits with another head of government with a piece of paper and a pencil, nor does anyone travel with a "begging bag." “Have a little self-respect. We have reached a different level. Believe in it. These are very embarrassing questions,” he added. Highlighting the major outcomes of the Prime Minister's just-concluded visit to China, the Foreign Minister said Bangladesh's relations with China have been elevated from a "Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership" to a "Bangladesh-China Community with a Shared Future," the highest level of bilateral cooperation with China. “This is the highest step in terms of China's bilateral engagement,” he told reporters while outlining the achievements of the Prime Minister's twin visits to Malaysia and China. He said the photographs and videos from the Prime Minister's visits to Malaysia and China reflected Bangladesh's growing importance and underscored the strengthening of Dhaka's relations with Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, Additional Foreign Secretary (Public Diplomacy and Other Priority Matters) AKM Shahidul Karim, and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present at the media briefing.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Saturday expressed optimism that a solution to the Rohingya crisis would emerge in the coming days, noting that BNP governments had successfully forced Myanmar to take back previous waves of Rohingya refugees twice in the past. “I believe that in the coming days we will see a way to solve this problem. You will remember that the BNP government had solved the Rohingya crisis twice before. Everyone knows this, and everyone knows that we will solve it,” he told reporters in response to a question during a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Briefing reporters on the Prime Minister's visits to Malaysia and China, the Foreign Minister said the Chinese side had assured Bangladesh that it would support both Bangladesh and Myanmar in resolving the crisis as quickly as possible. Noting that there are three key parties to the Rohingya issue, the Foreign Minister said Myanmar is one, the Arakan Army, which currently controls the area, is another, and Bangladesh is the third. He added that the Rohingya refugees sheltering in Bangladesh are also stakeholders in the issue. “When the Prime Minister appointed me as the Foreign Minister, both the Foreign Minister of Myanmar and the Chief of the Arakan Army sent me congratulatory messages. I cannot say much in detail. So we have contact with them,” said Dr Khalilur. Bangladesh commended China’s constructive role in promoting the resolution of the issue concerning the forcibly displaced people from the Rakhine State of Myanmar who have taken shelter in Bangladesh. The Chinese side commended Bangladesh for providing humanitarian assistance to those people, and supported Bangladesh and Myanmar in finding a mutually acceptable solution through friendly consultations. China reiterated that they will continue to facilitate this process to the best of its capabilities. Bangladesh has consistently renewed its call for the early repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, reiterating that the crisis originated in Myanmar and that its durable solution must also be found there. Hosting more than 1.3 million Rohingyas for nearly a decade has placed significant social, economic, environmental and security burdens on Bangladesh. Bangladesh continues to urge the international community and key regional actors to intensify diplomatic efforts and engagement to facilitate the early, safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, Additional Foreign Secretary (Public Diplomacy and Other Priority Matters) AKM Shahidul Karim and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present at the media briefing.

Highlighting the major success of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s just-concluded visit to China, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Saturday said Bangladesh's relations with China have been elevated from a "Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership" to a "Bangladesh-China Community with a Shared Future"- the highest level of bilateral cooperation. “This is the highest step in terms of China's bilateral engagement,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while outlining the achievements of the Prime Minister’s twin visits to Malaysia and China. He said the photos and videos from the Prime Minister’s visits to Malaysia and China reflected Bangladesh’s growing importance and underscored the strengthening of Dhaka’s relations with Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, BIDA Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present at the media briefing. Adviser Humaiun Kobir said the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the party-to-party level to establish a formal partnership aimed at strengthening political cooperation. Among the key achievements of the Prime Minister's visit to China are the launch of a strategic dialogue at the foreign minister level and the exploration of a "2+2" dialogue mechanism covering diplomacy and defence. "We have not taken any decision yet (regarding "2+2" dialogue mechanism). It's still at the exploration stage...we will explore it," said Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur while responding to a question. The "2+2" dialogue mechanism, typically a high-level format involving the foreign and defence ministers of both countries, was once a signature diplomatic tool of Western nations but is now actively utilised by China to strengthen strategic partnerships. Beijing uses this framework to deepen regional security cooperation, safeguard political systems, and coordinate diplomatic responses to external pressures. Bangladesh and China signed 17 bilateral instruments, including MoUs, agreements, a joint action plan, and an agricultural trade protocol, to further strengthen bilateral relations. The two sides signed an MoU on promoting the implementation of the Global Development Initiative (GDI). Another MoU on exchanges and cooperation between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Communist Party of China was also signed. The GDI focuses on humanity’s shared development needs, aligns closely with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and addresses key global development challenges. The other signed documents include: an agreement on development cooperation between Bangladesh and China; an agreement on the expansion and modernisation of the Mongla Port Facilities Project; an MoU on the joint implementation of the 2026 Human Resources Development Cooperation Programme; an agricultural trade protocol on phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh jackfruit from Bangladesh to China; a memorandum on deepening cooperation between China Media Group (CMG) and Bangladesh Television (BTV); an MoU between CMG and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh; an MoU between Xinhua News Agency and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS); an MoU between Xinhua News Agency and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; an agreement on cooperation in Chinese language education; an MoU on strengthening cooperation in vocational education; an MoU on promoting investment cooperation in green development; an export promotion joint action plan to enhance Bangladesh’s export capacity; an industrial development and land lease agreement for the Chattogram Economic Industrial Zone (CEIZ); an MoU on cooperation for the development of the China-Bangladesh Mongla Port Economic Zone; and an investment cooperation agreement with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).