Porimol Palma

In an exclusive email interview with The Daily Star, Kugelman discussed the significance of Yunus's trip and its potential impact on Bangladesh's diplomacy, economy, and humanitarian challenges

As Bangladesh embarks on a new journey toward freedom and democracy after the July uprising, the international support received by Prof Muhammad Yunus at the UN General Assembly is poised to significantly advance the country’s reform and growth initiatives, say foreign policy experts.

The bilateral meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and  US President Joe Biden due today provides a rare opportunity for Dhaka  to push for improving trade and boost the economy, say analysts.

Bangladesh is set to receive $200 million in technical assistance to support its institutional and economic reform initiatives as a high-profile US delegation, including Assistant Secretary Donald Lu, lands in Dhaka.

The UN fact-finding mission will be arriving in Bangladesh on Saturday to probe the human rights violations that took place between July 1 and August 15.

A fresh wave of violence forcing displacement of Rohingya people in Rakhine is a cause for concern for Bangladesh as the country failed to repatriate the Rohingyas who came here in 2017 and before.

A team of UN experts is set to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow to set a framework for the fact-finding mission that is expected to probe the “atrocities” committed during the unrest that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

New Delhi needs to avoid stereotypes about Bangladesh and rebuild relationships with other political parties and people, instead of focusing on one person and party, said international relations analyst M Humayun Kabir.

Hundreds of passengers were stranded at the Dhaka airport yesterday after flights were grounded due to a glitch in a cyber security software widely used by airlines.

The issue of Rohingya repatriation is getting more complicated for Bangladesh with the rebel armed group Arakan Army (AA) controlling most of the bordering Rakhine state.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s China visit has laid the foundation for a forward-looking and expansive relationship and Dhaka now needs to play its due role to make the most of it, according to international relations analysts.

Beijing will push for initiatives with strategic interests in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal, while Dhaka will focus on trade and economy as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina meets Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang today.

Bangladesh will seek fresh loans amounting to $20 billion during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to China, which Beijing hopes would be a “game changer” in the bilateral relationship.

Child marriage in Bangladesh is deeply troubling, and effective and immediate action is required to put an end to it, said UN Under-Secretary-General Dr Natalia Kanem.

The statements from the two leaders of Bangladesh and India appear to be quite ambitious. However, they don’t address the challenges that the people of Bangladesh face.

Bangladesh and India should find a “creative solution” to the Teesta management as Dhaka has long been demanding its share of water from the transboundary river, said Prof Sreeradha Datta of OP Jindal Global University.

It is an injustice when countries like Bangladesh that are not responsible for the climate crisis have to take loans for adaptation programmes, said Prof Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of Global Center on Adaptation (GCA).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to New Delhi on June 21-22 will focus on some key issues in bilateral relations that have regional geopolitical significance.

The capital city of Dhaka is going through an extraordinary transformation. The most recent modern addition to that is the MRT-6, the first of a series of metro rail lines being developed or planned

Dhaka wanted to allow all 1,520 licenced recruiting agencies to send manpower to Malaysia, but Kuala Lumpur selected only 101 agents, which industry insiders say are involved in manipulation and exploitation of migrants.