State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam left Dhaka this morning on an official visit to the United States before joining the 2nd Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping in Morocco later this month. A foreign ministry’s official source said the state minister departed for the United States as part of her official engagements abroad. Following her programmes in the US, she is scheduled to attend the 2nd Ministerial Conference on Peacekeeping, to be held in Morocco from May 19 to 21. The source said the conference is expected to focus on strengthening global peacekeeping cooperation, enhancing operational capabilities and addressing…
Author: diplomaticjourna_diplomaticjourna
Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) has taken an initiative to rename the Rajshahi Botanical Garden as “Rajshahi Bird Park” as part of a broader plan to modernize and reorganize the recreational facility. The proposal is now awaiting approval from the Ministry of Livestock and relevant authorities. The park, formerly known as Rajshahi Central Park and Zoo, was renamed Rajshahi Botanical Garden in 2023. RCC officials said the latest initiative aims to transform the facility into a bird-focused sanctuary with improved environmental and recreational features. Currently, only a limited number of animals remain in the park, including two gharials, spotted deer and…
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today called on the country’s universities to move beyond conventional teaching and place greater emphasis on research and innovation. “There has been growing discussion about whether our universities are maintaining global standards in education and research. Unfortunately, the reality is that in the 21st century, our universities have yet to reach the expected level in globally recognized university rankings in terms of education, research, and academic excellence,” he said. Noting that in global rankings, research publications, citations, and innovation are given significant importance, the premier said our educationists must think more deeply about where we stand…
As measles resurges among children across Bangladesh, public health experts opined placing community-based healthcare services at the center of the national response. Health professionals broadly agree that a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach—integrating vaccination, nutrition, primary healthcare and community-based epidemiological surveillance—is crucial to curb the outbreak. “The frontline is the first line,” said eminent epidemiologist and public health expert Prof. Dr. Pravat Chandra Barua underscoring that investing in community healthcare systems will not only curb the current measles resurgence but also strengthen Bangladesh’s overall capacity to respond to future public health threats. Dr. Barua, former Line Director of TB and Leprosy at…
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today opened a daylong national workshop on higher education at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban in Dhaka University (DU) here. The premier inaugurated the workshop titled “Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh: Roadmap to Sustainable Excellence” at 11:00 am. The University Grants Commission (UGC) organised the workshop with the aim of making the country’s higher education system more modern, inclusive and sustainable. Earlier, the Prime Minister arrived at the venue at 9:55 am while the programme began with the recitation from the religious scripts. On the occasion, UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed presented a crest…
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today chaired a meeting on improving the living standards of the country’s salt farmers. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Division office in the Bangladesh Secretariat here this afternoon, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony. He said the meeting put importance on ensuring fair prices for salt farmers. The meeting also discussed the necessary measures to improve their livelihoods, he added. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Prime Minister Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Finance Division Secretary Dr Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder, Industries Secretary Md…
The ‘NGO-Microfinance Institution (MFI) Resourced Pooled Fund’ was launched in Bangladesh to strengthen locally led humanitarian financing and make disaster response activities more effective, integrated and sustainable. Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir attended the national launching ceremony as the chief guest at a city hotel yesterday, according to a handout issued today. Speaking at the event, the minister said there is no alternative to public-private partnership in ensuring rapid and effective humanitarian assistance at the local level in disaster-prone Bangladesh. He expressed hope that the new fund would play an important role in enhancing…
US President Donald Trump will press China’s Xi Jinping on Iran when they meet in Beijing in coming days, but their “highly symbolic” superpower summit will focus on easing trade tensions, officials said Sunday. Trump’s first trip to China in his second term will feature pomp and ceremony including a tour of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing and a lavish state banquet, the White House said. Topics including tariffs, Taiwan, and the race for AI technology and critical minerals are also set to come up in the meeting between the leaders of the world’s biggest economies. “This will be…
State Minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam today appreciated the Baghdad for ensuring the welfare and safety of Bangladeshi nationals residing in Iraq amid the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region. She made the remarks when Charg‚ d’Affaires of the Embassy of Iraq in Dhaka Dr. Wisam Hussein Ali Al Ithawi paid a courtesy call on her at the foreign ministry here, said a ministry’s press release. During the meeting, the state minister expressed concern over the continuing conflict in the Middle East and hoped for an early restoration of peace, stability and normalcy in the region. The two sides discussed bilateral cooperation,…
A Turkish Airlines plane carrying 277 passengers and 11 crew members caught fire while landing at Kathmandu airport Monday, but no one was hurt in the accident. The flight, which took off from Istanbul, caught fire after there was a spark in the right landing gear, according to Gyanendra Bhul, a spokesman at Nepal’s civil aviation authority. “All aboard are safe, the rescue part is over. We are now investigating the accident,” Bhul told AFP. Bhul said the incident caused the closure of the airport’s only runway for almost two hours in the morning but it has since been reopened.…
