foreign-affairs
Brazilian foreign minister visits Beximco's sustainable industrial park
A Brazilian delegation comprising Minister of Foreign Affairs Brazil Mauro Vieira accompanied by Sadia Faizunnesa, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Brazil visited Beximco’s Vertical Leeds Green Certified Industrial Park on Monday.
He took great interest in Beximco initiatives on sustainability, value addition and innovation using advanced technology, and original R&D as key drivers.
Brazilian Foreign Minister was very much impressed to see the production facilities and world latest machineries & technologies used by Beximco’s fully vertical state of the art Textiles, Garment Manufacturing, and World Largest Sustainable Washing Plant, reads a press release.
The Brazilian Foreign Minister took keen interest in Beximco`s disruptive technology initiatives in Genome/DNA Sequencing, Zero Carbon Bio Fuels, Track and Trace technology and traceability using Block Chain Technology and Artificial Intelligence.
Discussions were held on best ways to increase consumption of Brazilian Cotton in Bangladesh and export of RMG to Brazil.
Many areas were defined for lucrative collaboration between Bangladesh and Brazil.
Brazil thankful for Bangladesh’s substantive contribution to G20 discussions: Visiting Foreign Minister
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on Monday said global challenges are interconnected and can only be addressed through reinvigorated multilateralism, reforms and international cooperation.
“In that spirit, Brazil’s G20 Presidency believes that the group should work towards a United Nations that is more effective in its purposes, while tackling main inequalities in its decision-making processes,” he said while delivering a lecture at Foreign Service Academy on priorities for the Brazilian presidency.
“We are thankful for the substantive contribution that Bangladesh has been providing to G20 discussions,”he said.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, among others, spoke at the programme.
The visiting Foreign Minister said the international community has already proven its ability to adapt and evolve the structures of global governance in various areas.
“The G20 itself, for instance, which was consolidated in the immediate aftermath of a global financial crisis, has proven to be a valuable framework for addressing new challenges in many areas. The time has come for the G20 to make its own contribution by creating appropriate conditions for a serious discussion on the current global governance structures,” he said.
As one of the global fora best placed to foster the solutions the world needs, Vieira said, the G20 can be an invaluable tool to garner further support for the necessary and overdue reform of multilateral governance.
In 52 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, this is the first time that a Brazilian Foreign Minister is visiting Bangladesh.
“My presence in Dhaka is a testimony to the importance we attach to our relations with Bangladesh, which have grown considerably in many areas, in tandem with the extraordinary economic leapfrog that Bangladesh has been enduring in recent years,” said the Brazilian Minister.
Brazil took over from India the presidency of the G20 on December 1, 2023. Under the leadership of President Lula, Brazil is proud to be the third in a sequence of four developing countries presiding over the group since 2022 (Indonesia, India, Brazil and, next year, South Africa).
In terms of priorities, Brazil has placed the topic of inequality, in all its dimensions, at the center of the G20’s agenda.
Under the motto “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet”, President Lula defined the following three general priorities for Brazil’s G20 Presidency: (1) social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty; (2) energy transitions and the promotion of sustainable development in its economic, social, and environmental dimensions; and (3) reform of global governance institutions.
Vieira said geopolitical tensions have recently amplified long-standing challenges. “Persistent hunger, poverty and inequality; armed conflicts with catastrophic humanitarian consequences; widespread setbacks in living standards; global inflation and debt vulnerabilities; high volatility in food and energy prices; and the climate crisis are among them.”
“While these crises affect us all, they do not affect us equally. Developing countries are the ones that bear the brunt of them. Even within countries, it is the poorest that always suffer the most,” he added.
Brazil believes that the G20 is one the forum that is particularly well placed to foster collective solutions for global challenges.
“Due to its combined share of the world’s population and GDP, as well as its diverse membership, the group has a unique and influential role to play in shaping a global agenda for a more equitable and sustainable future,” he said.
To fulfil that expectation, Brazil believes that the G20 must set ambitious goals and unlock the full potential of multilateral cooperation, he added.
Brazil believes that the G20 should explore the role of economy-wide platforms and a renewed engagement of the financial sector to achieve common goals under the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has confirmed that the world faces a climate emergency.
Vieira said humanity has only until the end of this decade to prevent the global temperature from rising beyond 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels, an outcome that would bear unacceptable risks to future generations, the ecosystems and infrastructure.
Without deep and extensive transformations in the way economies are structured and financial resources are mobilized and managed, humanity will struggle to adequately respond to the dangerous threats of climate change, he said.
By bringing together the world’s largest economies, which account for 3/4 of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the G20 can be a catalyst for partnerships, high-level coordination and new policy consensus, the Brazilian Foreign Minister said.
Earlier today, he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban.
"I was delighted to hear from her the high esteem she has for Brazil and for President Lula, which is reciprocal," said the Brazilian Foreign Minister.
Considering the similarities between President Lula and Prime Minister Hasina’s world views, policies and priorities, in particular their quest for development and social justice, conditions are set for the bilateral relations to upscale, he added.
Bangladesh Film Archive, Getty Images sign MoU to preserve footages on Liberation War, Bangabandhu
Bangladesh Film Archive under the Information Ministry and Getty Images, a visual media company of the United States, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collect and preserve footages on the Liberation War and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The MoU was signed on Friday at the Getty Images office in New York, said a media release of the ministry on Monday.
Dr Md Mofakkharul Iqbal, director of the project on “Collection and preservation of audio visual documents of the Liberation War from local and foreign sources and capacity building of Bangladesh Film Archive” and Arran Birchenough, Asia Pacific director (Tv and sales) of Getty Images, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides.
Senior Secretary to the Ministry of Information Humayun Kabir Khandaker, officials from Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC and Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN in New York were present.
Brazilian FM Mauro Vieira pays tribute to Bangabandhu
After the declaration of independence by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the first hour of March 26, 1971, the news was circulated in different media of the world.
During the long nine months of the Liberation War, various international media published various pictures and news on the war.
Through this MoU, Getty Images will assist Bangladesh Film Archive in collecting and preserving these priceless documents, said the release.
Brazilian FM Mauro Vieira pays tribute to Bangabandhu
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil Mauro Vieira on Sunday paid homage to the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi 32.
He honored Bangabandhu's memory by laying a floral wreath at his portrait and observed a minute of silence in remembrance of all those who lost their lives on the tragic night of August 15, 1975.
Minister Vieira toured the museum and signed the Visitor's Book there.
Bangladesh always stands by people of Palestine: Environment Minister
The Brazilian Foreign Minister is leading a 29-member high officials and a robust trade delegation. This is his maiden visit to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh always stands by people of Palestine: Environment Minister
Bangladesh is and will always remain beside the freedom-seeking people of Palestine, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said on Sunday.
"The highest violation of human rights is in Palestine. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina condemned Israel's aggression in Palestine. Bangladesh will stand by Palestine until the liberation of Palestine," he said.
He was speaking at a food distribution ceremony supported by organization of Islamic Cooperation, Embassies of OIC countries, Kuwait Society for Relief-Bangladesh Office and Society for Social and Technological Support as the chief guest here.
In this ceremony, the people of ward number 71 and 72 under Mugda police station of Dhaka-9 Constituency received Eid gifts as courtesy of Kuwait.
Saber also said that Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has contributed a lot to Islam in Bangladesh.
Decline of investigative journalism in China is a part of global phenomena : Academics
Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication at Renmin University of China (RUC) Di Zhang on Sunday said the decline of investigative journalism in China is a part of global phenomena.
He said this at a lecture on “From PGC to AIGC: Technology-driven Content Production Evolution in Chinese Media Sector and Its Social Influences” for journalists from all around the world organised by China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC) in Beijing.
Journalists coming from different countries also shared their challenges and obstacles to the investigation journalism. Thirty percent journalists who participated in a short survey conducted by Namibian Journalist Uaueza Kanguatjivi shared that investigative journalism in their countries is also declining. 38 journalists were in attendance among those were journalists from Nepal, India, Seychelles, South Sudan, Bulgaria, Gambia, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Seirra Leone, Malawi, Botswana but to mention a few.
The lecture reviewed the development of professional generated content, user generated content and artificial intelligence content in the context of technological developments and social context in China. It also explored the socio-political consequences of new media in China.
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He started his presentation with a brief overview of the Chinese media landscape in his lecture and said state-controlled media outlets in China are more powerful than traditional Media.
"Historically, Chinese media has been predominantly state-controlled, with outlets like CCTV, People's Daily, and Xinhua News Agency are playing significant roles in disseminating information. Now, still important," he informed.
He also mentioned that print media such as newspapers and magazines have seen a decline in readership with the advent of digital media but continue to hold cultural and political significance.
He said developments in technology, such as artificial intelligence, big data, and 5G, have shaped the way content is produced, distributed, and consumed in China.
"The growing influence of Chinese media, both through content exports and platform expansions, has made China an important player in the global media industry, but not globalized as K-pops," he added.
Highlighting the Artificial Intelligence advancements in China, he said China's progress in Al research and development has been significant, with both the government and private sector investing heavily in the technology,
He showed some examples of AIGC in the Chinese media sector. In 2018, Xinhua introduced the world's first Al news anchor, capable of delivering news reports with synthesized speech and lifelike facial expressions while platforms like Toutiao (a news aggregation app) and Tmall (an e-commerce platform) utilize Al algorithms to generate personalized content recommendations and product descriptions.
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He also said Chinese researchers have developed Al algorithms capable of generating poetry and literature, some of which have been published in literary magazines and anthologies.
About the Al-generated advertising, the professor said companies have begun using Al- generated content for advertising campaigns, creating personalized ads that resonate with target audiences while leading Chinese marketing agency group BlueFocus announced in April that it will "fully and indefinitely" end the outsourcing of creative design, copywriting, planning and programming, and interim employment.
He also commented that the use of Al in content creation raises questions about authenticity, authorship, and the potential for misinformation or manipulation.
The professor earned his doctoral degree in mass communication from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
Brazilian Foreign Minister welcomes Bangladesh’s interest in Preferential Trade Agreement
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on Sunday welcomed Bangladesh's interest in reaching a MERCOSUR-Bangladesh Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
At the bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, the two sides concurred that this endeavour would enhance business opportunities and foster private sector engagements between Bangladesh, Brazil and other MERCOSUR state parties, significantly contributing to the promotion of South-South cooperation.
The two foreign ministers expressed their resolve to work toward the commencement of the process for negotiating a MERCOSUR-Bangladesh PTA at the earliest opportunity.
MERCOSUR, or the Southern Common Market, is an economic and political bloc originally comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Bolivia, previously an associate member, gained full membership in 2023.
The meeting between Mauro Vieira and Hasan Mahmud was held at state guesthouse Jamuna and the two ninisters welcomed the signing of the basic Agreement on Technical Cooperation between Bangladesh and Brazil.
This is the first-ever foreign minister-level visit from Brazil.
Brazilian Foreign Minister in Dhaka: Bilateral talks with Hasan Mahmud today
The ninisters held "productive discussions" on Bangladesh-Brazil bilateral relations, international and regional initiatives, and multilateral cooperation.
They agreed on the importance of increasing cooperation and exchanges in the fields of agriculture, livestock, science, technology and innovation, education, climate change and energy transition, and technical cooperation, among others, according to a joint statement.
The ministers warmly welcomed the conclusion of negotiations of the MoU on Sports Cooperation to be signed at an appropriate moment by the sports ministries of the two countries.
The proposed MoU represents a significant milestone that mirrors the enduring bond between the peoples which has been cherished for generations.
Foreign Minister Hasan recalled the growing interest of countries from the Global South to join BRICS, including Bangladesh.
The Brazilian Foreign Minister affirmed that Bangladesh, as an emerging voice of Global South, could offer substantial contributions to BRICS on a number of issues.
Dhaka calls for collective actions to ensure rights, well-being of children with autism
The Brazilian Foreign Minister arrived in Dhaka on Sunday morning to discuss bilateral issues and strengthen trade and investment ties with Bangladesh.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen received Mauro Vieira at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka upon his arrival.
The Foreign Minister of South America's most influential country will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.
He visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 on Sunday afternoon and paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before his meeting with Hasan Mahmud.
State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu also met the Brazilian Foreign Minister at his place of residence.
Hasan Mahmud hosted an iftar and dinner in honour of his Brazilian counterpart on Sunday evening.
After his meeting with PM Hasina tomorrow, Mauro Vieira will visit Square Pharmaceuticals facilities and Beximco Industrial Park in Gazipur.
On Monday afternoon, the Brazilian Foreign Minister is scheduled to deliver a lecture on Brazil's priority areas at G20 as the current chair. The event will be held at Foreign Service Academy at 3 pm.
The Brazilian Foreign Minister together with a business delegation will meet business leaders in Dhaka.
Country’s apex trade body, FBCCI, will host an iftar and dinner in honour of the Brazilian Foreign Minister and business delegation members on Monday evening.
Foreign Minister Hasan described the visit of the Foreign Minister of Brazil as very significant.
The government of Brazil earlier congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her recent election victory.
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Brazil expressed its willingness to continue deepening relations with Bangladesh, in favour of the development of both countries, the promotion of South-South cooperation, and the fight against poverty, hunger, and climate crisis.
Brazil-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, established in 1972, have strengthened in recent years.
In 2023, President Lula and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa.
Last year, bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Brazil reached the US$2.3 billion mark.
The Brazilian Foreign Minister is scheduled to leave Dhaka at 11:55 pm on Monday.
Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral) Dr Nazrul Islam will be there at the Dhaka airport to see him off.
Brazilian Foreign Minister in Dhaka: Bilateral talks with Hasan Mahmud today
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira arrived in Dhaka on Sunday morning to discuss bilateral issues and strengthen trade and investment ties with Bangladesh.
The Foreign Minister of South America's most influential country will have a bilateral meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Hasan Mahmud this afternoon apart from his engagement with business leaders during his two-day official visit.
He will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen received Mauro Vieira at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka upon his arrival.
The Brazilian minister will visit Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 on Sunday afternoon to pay tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before his meeting with Hasan Mahmud.
The meeting between the two foreign ministers will be held at state guesthouse Jamuna — scheduled to begin at 4:20 pm on Sunday.
The two countries are likely to sign an agreement on technical cooperation after the meeting.
The two foreign ministers will jointly brief the media on the outcome of the bilateral meeting.
State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu will also meet the Brazilian Foreign Minister at his place of residence.
Hasan Mahmud will host an iftar and dinner in honour of his Brazilian counterpart on Sunday evening.
On Monday, the Brazilian Foreign Minister will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban. The meeting will begin at 10 am.
After his meeting with PM Hasina, Mauro Vieira will visit Square Pharmaceuticals facilities and Beximco Industrial Park in Gazipur.
Dhaka calls for collective actions to ensure rights, well-being of children with autism
Bangladesh has highlighted the importance of accelerating awareness and actions towards addressing the challenges faced by the children with autism and their families, at a time when the world faces increased prevalence of autism.
Bangladesh has pioneered autism awareness in South Asia: Ambassador says at Autism Day event in Yangon
“It is alarming that in 2022, 1 in 100 persons have been detected to have autism spectrum disorder. We must step up efforts to ensure their overall wellbeing and societal inclusion,” said Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Muhammad A. Muhith.
"Let us work together to increase awareness and advocacy to ensure the rights, dignity, and well-being of children with developmental disabilities including autism," said Ambassador Muhith at the observance of World Autism Awareness Day in the UN on April 5.
Co-hosted by the delegations of Bangladesh, Ghana, Malaysia, Philippines, Qatar and Zambia in partnership with key civil society organizations working in the field of autism and developmental disabilities the event featured an open forum and an art and fashion exhibition that displayed the artistic work of children with autism.
Ambassador Muhith Ambassador Manuel L. Lagdameo of Philippines jointly cut the ribbon for the exhibition.
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Referring to the 2011 Dhaka Declaration on Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities, Bangladesh highlighted the progress made in raising awareness on autism, especially in South East Asia, which accounts for almost 15% of global prevalence of developmental disabilities.
In this regard, the role of dedicated advocates, including self-advocates and caregivers’ associations, and policy-makers was recognized.
Dhaka Declaration and subsequent developments in the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia helped accelerate efforts in the region to improve inclusion, participation and community-based care of the children with ASD.
“Yet significant gap remains in ensuring universal access to health care, support and inclusive environments for the children with developmental disabilities, which is more prominent in developing countries," said the Ambassador.
In this regard, Bangladesh called for increased cooperation and investments towards ensuring education, social inclusion, and quality healthcare services to the children with autism.
An advocates’ call to action was launched at the meeting.
The inauguration of the Art and Fashion exhibition was participated by a large number of audiences including diplomats, self-advocates and parent advocates, civil society organizations and artists with development disabilities.
Demonstrate genuine political will to take back Rohingyas: Bangladesh tells Myanmar at UN
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Muhammad A. Muhith has called upon Myanmar to demonstrate genuine political will and cooperate with Bangladesh for implementation of the bilateral arrangements of Rohingya return signed in 2017 and 2018.
He highlighted that the recent escalation in Rakhine has affected the pace of the repatriation process, which is the ultimate solution to the Rohingya crisis.
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“While the 2017 crisis still remains unresolved, Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine are faced with renewed risks,as the armed conflict between Myanmar military and Arakan Army resumes," the ambassador said before the Security Council in New York on April 4.
He was speaking at the open briefing on Myanmar convened by Maltese Presidency to discuss the recent escalation in the Rakhine State and its implications on the civilians, especially the Rohingya minorities.
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The Council heard from Khalid Khiari, the Assistant Secretary-General at the Department and Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Lisa Doughten, Director at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Apart from the members of the Security Council, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh spoke before the Council.
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Ambassador Muhith expressed hope that the process could commence again as soon as the conditions improve, according to a message received here on Friday from New York.
“We also solicit meaningful and effective engagements of the international community, especially the regional organizations, and regional and neighbouring countries, in restoring peace and stability in Rakhine and supporting reintegration of the future returnees;” he added.
Referring to the UN Security Council Resolution 2669, Muhith underscored the need for creating conducive environment in Rakhine and addressing the underlying root causes of vulnerability among Rohingya minorities, which are entrenched mostly in Myanmar’s discriminatory legal and political framework.
“Unless those underlying causes are addressed, the bilateral and regional efforts are unlikely to succeed’, he said.
Muhith outlined several expectations for addressing the crisis, including the need for the UN to strengthen its presence in Myanmar, regular reporting on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2669, ensuring accountability for crimes committed against Rohingya Muslims and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law, and the timely implementation of the key agreements and recommendations.
Additionally, he emphasised the importance of international partners' support in creating a sustainable environment for Rohingya reintegration in Myanmar society.
Referring to the negative social, economic, environmental and security problems faced by Bangladesh due to protracted presence of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh, Ambassador Muhith called for the Council’s attention to the situation in Rakhine and meaningful action, with a view to attaining, among others, a comprehensive and sustainable solution of the Rohingya crisis.
The other speakers also expressed deep concern at the escalation of conflict and violence in Myanmar, called upon the authorities to take all measures to address root causes of conflict in Rakhine and create conditions for voluntary, safe, sustainable and dignified return of all displaced Rohingyas and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
They also called for greater international unity and support to the efforts of the UN and the ASEAN in pursuing peace and stability in Myanmar in line with Security Council Resolution 2669.
The speakers applauded Bangladesh for its continued humanitarian leadership in sheltering over a million Rohingya and urged others to support to the humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar until the displaced Rohingyas are able to return.