Bangladesh urges US to invest in health sector

Dhaka Tribune
Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan
June 30th, 2020

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

In a telephone conversation with US secretary of state, foreign minister also requested Washington to provide duty free quota free privilege for readymade garments for next two years

On the heels of the country's fight against Covid-19 with a fragile healthcare system, Bangladesh has requested the United States to invest in the health sector.

In a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen also requested Washington to provide duty free quota free privilege for the next two years.

US for putting pressure on Myanmar over Rohingya repatriation

Dhaka Tribune

Tribune Desk  

March 16th, 2020 

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Robert Miller meets with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban on Monday, March 16, 2020 Focus Bangla

The premier said the government has rescheduled the birth centenary programs due to the coronavirus outbreak

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Robert Miller has laid emphasis on creating pressure on Myanmar to take back Rohingyas from Bangladesh.

"Pressure should be created on Myanmar to take back [Rohingyas]," he said when he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban on Monday, reports UNB.

After the ICJ Ruling, What Will the US Do for the Rohingya?

THE I DIPLOMAT

By Adam Kiedrowski

January 29, 2020

The recent ruling against Myanmar should spark a stronger response from the United States. 

Credit: U.S. State Department photo

The eyes of the international community are on the United States following the Order of 23 January 2020 made by the International Court of Justice regarding the case of The Gambia v. Myanmar in which the Republic of the Union of Myanmar is ordered to protect their ethnic Rohingya minority against genocide. Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded declaring that the case, which saw a panel of 17 judges vote unanimously in making the ruling, was a “distorted picture of the situation.”

US Lifts Sudan From List of Nations That Violate Religious Freedoms

albawaba
Published December 23rd, 2019

Sudanese Christian woman prays during a Sunday service (AFP)

Highlights

During Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's first visit to the White House earlier this month, the US announced that the countries would upgrade their diplomatic relations by exchanging ambassadors for the first time in over two decades.

The United States dropped Sudan from its list of nations that severely violate religious freedoms, signalling increased support for Sudan's transitional government. 


The US State Department said it had upgraded Sudan to a special watch list for religious freedom, citing "significant steps taken by the civilian-led transitional government".

Sudan's joint military-civilian body was established in August after a popular uprising ousted former authoritarian president Omar al-Bashir. The State Department praised the new government for its efforts "to address the previous regime's systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom".

Rohingya Relocation: US wants to see UN study findings on Bhasan Char

THE BUSINESS STANDARD
UNB
08 November, 2019

A technical team of the UN agencies will visit Bhasan Char soon to assess the facilities and other relevant issues on relocation of Rohingyas there 

Photo :UNB

The United States has said it looks forward to the UN technical study of Bhasan Char, which will evaluate its "technical, security, and financial" feasibility to serve as an additional locale for Rohingyas.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick and acting assistant secretary of State Alice G Wells who wrapped up their three-day on Thursday evening, discussed the Rohingya issue and ways to find a sustainable solution during their stay here.

US continues to pressure Myanmar for Rohingya repatriation

Dhaka Tribune
Abdul Aziz, Cox's Bazar

November 7th, 2019 

Bonnie Glick speaks to reporters in Cox’s Bazar on Thursday, November 7, 2019 Dhaka Tribune

She was an official visit to check on the condition of the locals affected by the Rohingya refugees

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick has stressed the importance of pressuring Myanmar for a safe and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya refugees, who fled their homes due to the military crackdown carried out in the Rakhine state.

US wants to make big investment in Bangladesh

The Daily Star 

November 06, 2019 
Diplomatic Correspondent

The US wants to make big investments in Bangladesh -- in infrastructure, energy, as well as in strengthening Bangladesh’s institutions to improve governance -- under the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS).

“We discussed how we can improve foreign direct investments and expand American business in Bangladesh and help the country develop its ambitious goals. That was a significant part of the conversation,” said US Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells.

Letter To Editor From Bangladesh’s Ambassador To US

eurasiareview

November 4, 2019 

By Mohammad Ziauddin

In the op-ed, “Bangladesh Papering Over The Cracks At Home And Abroad,” (Nov. 1) writer Chloe Durham makes factual errors regarding Bangladesh’s 2018 election and mischaracterizes elements of Bangladesh’s civil society and media freedoms.

Contrary to Ms. Durham’s claim, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League did not win “96% of the vote.” Rather, the Awami League received 76% of the vote cast. A simple Google search would have saved Ms. Durham from this mistake. 

US gives the biggest aid package to support Rohingyas

Dhaka Tribune
Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
October 25th, 2019

File photo of Rohingya women and children in a camp in Cox Bazar Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Dhaka Tribune

This year, the USA gave $274 million

While a request for $920 million was made to carry on the humanitarian aid for the Rohingyas, so far 60% has come thru, with the most from the United States of America.

This year alone, the US gave around $274 million.

The Rohinghya exodus began on Aug 25, 2017 when a large number of people came to Bangladesh to avert a crackdown by the Myanmar army. 

US wants postponement of Rohingya relocation to Bhashan Char

The Daily Star  

Thursday, October 24, 2019 

UNB, Dhaka

In this January 22, 2018, file photo, Rohingya children and refugees raise their hands and shout that they won't go back to Myanmar during a demonstration at Kutupalong near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo: AP

Appreciating the country for opening its borders to huge Rohingya refugees, the United States has urged Bangladesh to "postpone" its Rohingya relocation plan to Bhashan char until independent experts can determine it a suitable location, though Bangladesh is looking for a voluntary nature of relocation.

"We urge Bangladesh to postpone any refugee relocations to Bhashan Char until independent experts can determine it is a suitable location," said Alice G Wells, US acting assistant secretary at the Bureau of South and Central Asia.

US issues strong new warning to Myanmar on Rohingya amid growing concerns

KSRO
September 27, 2019
National News

(WASHINGTON) — The United States’ top official for foreign aid issued a firm and emotional warning Thursday to Myanmar about the lack of progress over how it treats the Rohingya and other ethnic minority groups.

Two years after violent attacks by Myanmar security forces and local militias against the Muslim ethnic minority killed thousands and sent more than 750,000 across the border as refugees, little has changed on the ground in Myanmar’s northwest Rakhine state. Critics say it’s because the U.S., the United Nations and others have not done enough to pressure the government.

US Offers New Aid Package for Rohingya; Bangladeshi, Malaysian PMs Push for Repatriation

Radio Free Asia
2019-09-25

Rohingya refugees stretch their hands to receive aid distributed by local organizations at Balukhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Sept.14, 2017. Reuters 

The United States has announced more than $127 million in new humanitarian aid for Rohingya refugees, while the leaders of Bangladesh and Malaysia called on Myanmar to create conditions for repatriating the stateless people.

More than 740,000 Rohingya fled from Myanmar’s Rakhine state to neighboring Bangladesh amid a brutal counter-offensive launched by the military in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents on border police and army posts in August 2017.

US, China envoys visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar

Dhaka Tribune
Abdul Aziz, Cox's Bazar
September 15th, 2019

File photo of a Rohingya Camp Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune  

Both the delegations inspected the overall condition of the camps

Delegations from the United States and China have visited the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.

The American envoys arrived around 9:30am while the Chinese delegation reached around 11:30am on Sunday.

US warns of continued ethnic cleansing of Rohingya

 a
NEWS
WORLD Anadolu Agency

Published August 24,2019

The U.S. warned on Saturday that military abuses against Rohingya Muslims continued in Myanmar as the country's actions constituted ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State.

Marking the second anniversary of the beginning of the Myanmar security forces' "atrocities" against the Rohingya, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that more than 740,000 Rohingya were forced to flee to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh, US hold dialogue on security, ‘key component’ of ties

bdnews24.com
Senior Correspondent,  bdnews24.com 
Published: 02 May 2019

The seventh episode of the ‘security dialogue’ between the Bangladesh and the United States has noted that security cooperation is a “key component” in bilateral cooperation, the foreign ministry says.

Director General, Americas Wing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ferdousi Shahriar and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of the Political Military Affairs, US State Department Michael F Miller led the respective side in the dialogue held in Dhaka on Thursday.

Congress steps in, once more, to fill Trump's silence on human rights in Myanmar

abc NEWS
By Conor Finnegan Apr 19, 2019

Both chambers have introduced bills to address human rights in the country.

WATCH | Trump: 'I'm having a good day!'

Amid ongoing concern about human rights in Myanmar, including the violence against the Rohingya ethnic minority, Congress is again trying to step in to fill a gap left by the Trump administration.

A bipartisan pair of lawmakers are set to introduce legislation in the House calling out Myanmar's government for its ongoing detention of political prisoners, including two Reuters journalists, and to provide new funding to the State Department to support organizations working for the prisoners' release, according to an advanced copy of the bill shared first with ABC News.

US assures assistance in resolving Rohingya crisis

Newsnext
April 9th, 2019

Dhaka – The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has said more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims sheltered in Bangladesh must be returned to Myanmar without any form of fear and prosecution.

US Pressure on Human Rights Pushes Myanmar Into China’s Arms

THE CITIZEN

P.K.BALACHANDRAN | 28 MARCH, 2019

US Treasury had imposed sanctions on four Myanmarese army officers

Mounting pressure on Myanmar from the US and other Western nations to urgently and satisfactorily address human rights issues vis-à-vis the Rohingya Muslims, the Buddhist Arakanese and other ethnic groups, has pushed the Aung San Suu Kyi regime in Yangon further into the arms of China.

Senators ask US to sanction Myanmar army chief

ALARABIA

AFP, Washington 

Thursday, 21 March 2019

Senators called Wednesday for the United States to slap sanctions on Myanmar’s army chief, saying more needed to be done to bring accountability over the campaign against the Rohingya.

In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the four senators said Myanmar has shown “no credible signs of progress” despite widespread international condemnation of the killings and sexual violence against members of the mostly Muslim minority.

Senators ask US to sanction Myanmar army chief.

MailOnline 
By AFP |20 March 2019

Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, seen here inspecting a bridge in August 2018, is facing calls from US senators to face punishment over the campaign against the Rohingya minority

Senators called Wednesday for the United States to slap sanctions on Myanmar's army chief, saying more needed to be done to bring accountability over the campaign against the Rohingya.

In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the four senators said Myanmar has shown "no credible signs of progress" despite widespread international condemnation of the killings and sexual violence against members of the mostly Muslim minority.