CAIRO, 24 August 2022, (TON): The presidents of Egypt and the UAE, the kings of Jordan and Bahrain, and Iraq’s prime minister visited the city of New El-Alamein, northwest of Cairo on the Mediterranean coast.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressed Egypt’s appreciation for its close historical ties with these countries.

His spokesman Bassam Radi said “the fraternal meeting in New El-Alamein, which was inaugurated by El-Sisi on March 1, 2018, witnessed discussions on enhancing various aspects of bilateral relations.

DUBAI, 24 August 2022, (TON): EU chief diplomat Joseph Borrell has echoed Washington in its opposition to a blanket ban on visas for Russians ahead of talks between the bloc’s officials next week.

Demands were made by several countries, including Finland, Estonia and the Czech Republic, to Brussels to impose an EU-wide ban on new tourist visas for Russians to enter the Schengen free travel area as punishment for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Borrell made the comments in response to calls by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had first urged the visa ban in an interview earlier this month with the Washington Post, saying Russians should live in their own world until they change their philosophy.

WASHINGTON, 24 August 2022, (TON): A US official said “United States is expected to announce as early as Wednesday a new security assistance package for Ukraine of about $3 billion.”

The $3 billion weapons assistance package would be the largest that Washington has generated for Ukraine in the six months since Russian troops poured over its borders.

The new package is being prepared to coincide with Ukraine’s independence day.

The package uses funds from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative appropriated by Congress to allow the Biden administration to procure weapons from industry rather than taking weapons from existing US weapons stocks.

TEHRAN, 24 August 2022, (TON): Iranian state media reported “a general of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been killed while on a mission in Syria.”

The state broadcaster said “General Abolfazl Alijani, a member of the IRGC’s ground forces who was on a mission in Syria as a military adviser, was martyred.”

It described Alijani as a defender of the sanctuary, a term used for those who work on behalf of Iran in Syria or Iraq, without providing more details of the attack in which he was killed.

Iran says “it has deployed its forces in Syria at the invitation of Damascus and only as advisers.”

Iranian media reported “in early August, funeral processions were held in Tehran and other Iranian cities for five IRGC members killed in Syria several years ago, after their bodies were recovered and identified through DNA testing.”

By Afshain Afzal

As the end of August is approaching, India is all set to make 5^th, 6^th and 7^th September 2022, the beginning of a new history. As per the sources in Indian Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, as a pre Bangladeshi Prime Minister three-day official visit to India a meeting is scheduled between India and Bangladesh on 25^th August, which will discuss water-sharing treaties of the Teesta River as well as number of other rivers will be touched upon to refresh the memories of earlier meetings but New Delhi has no plans to go for an all out Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or commitments. He claimed that Bangladesh has lost its rights as International Law for transboundary waters gives right to Indian West Bengal. He added that India has not signed United Nations Watercourses Convention and Bangladesh has no legal claim on Indian rivers waters. 

The Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid is suspicion over the Indian moves especially unwarranted silence over expected water sharing agreements but cannot pronounce this Indian stubborn act as “Water disputes between India and Bangladesh”. The Bangladeshi authorities are quite clear that 25^th August minister-level meeting is an eyewash so that the 6^th September-show of meeting between Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narandra Modi does not get de-tracked. If Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fails to achieve any understanding over water sharing, she may face difficulty in forthcoming elections but Indian Prime Minister has given its intelligence estimates that Sheikh Hasina Wajid would have clear win due to Indian agencies backing. One wonders it can be other way around and in such a case who would repay the long list of India defence and security armament and equipment, India is trying to sell Bangladesh.

If we recall, the 7th Meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) was held in New Delhi on 19 June 2022, in which Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen participated. The main agenda was to cement agreements for expanding connectivity in the road, rail, inland waterways, ports, joint border management, defence and security and culture as well as people-to-people links. So far all is good but why New Delhi is dragging the Water Resources Accord and denying the Bangladeshi rights on water courses.

Another senior officer from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on the condition of anonymity. “India and Bangladesh signed numerous understandings on water courses.  Mainly to create access of Indians from West Bengal and Bangladeshi  refugees Hindus inside Bangladesh. He said the water disputes between India and Bangladesh have been resolved otherwise Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) could not be signed in May 2020, New Delhi intend to establish people to people contacts between Bangladesh and India, especially Hindus of bordering states including Agartalla for bilateral and regional trade.

There is no doubt that 25^th August meeting would bring a hope for the Bangladeshi government and people of Bangladesh. With this hope, Dhaka would refrain from discussing the issue before the Indian leadership and the Indian press during three-day visit to India in September 2022, meetings between the two Prime Ministers is taking place. However, many analysts are of the opinion that India is playing smart to put Bangladesh under the heap of external debts, leading to temporary  gains but serious repercussions in the long term. There are are reports that soon India would place its Navy in Bay of Bengal, using Bangladeshi ports in the name of maritime security and border management.

DHAKA, 24 August 2022, (TON): State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak expressed the hope that the World Bank (WB) would expand its cooperation in Bangladesh's ICT sector.

A press release said “Palak expressed the hope when outgoing WB Country Director to Bangladesh Mercy Tembon paid the farewell call on him at his office at ICT Tower in the city's Agargaon area.”

He praised the World Bank's cooperation in various areas, including speedy resolution of strategic issues during Tembon's tenure.

Currently two separate projects 'Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Eco-System Development' and 'Enhancing Digital Government and Economy' are going on under the ICT Division with WB loan support, Palak said “hoping that the existing relation with the WB will continue in the future and its partnership with Bangladesh in other sectors including the ICT will increase.”

DHAKA, 24 August 2022, (TON): Bangladesh Ambassador to Cambodia Abdul Hai has said “Bangladesh is interested in contract farming in Cambodia.”

He had a specific discussion with Cambodia's Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon about the possibility of contract farming in their country, reports Bangla Tribune.

According to a notification “the meeting discussed the possibility and actions of contract farming in Cambodia raised during the recent visit of the foreign minister of Bangladesh to Cambodia.”

Considering the perspective of Bangladesh, the ambassador stressed the discussion at the technical level of the two countries.

NEW DELHI, 24 August 2022, (TON): The Indian Coast Guard Ship Varad formally handed over all 32 rescued Bangladeshi fishermen safely to Bangladesh Coast Guard Ship 'Tajuddin (PL-72)' at Indo- Bangla International Maritime Boundary Line.

The Bangladeshi fishermen were rescued from sea after their boats had capsized during a cyclone last month.

The fishermen were found clinging on to nets/ floats, in the turbulent sea and struggling to survive for almost 24 hours after their boats had capsized, when they were sighted by Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft on 20 August. 

Their lives were saved because of the intervention of the Indian Coastguard.

Out of 32 Bangladeshi fishermen who were pulled out of the water, 27 were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard in deep waters and the remaining five were rescued by Indian fishermen in shallow areas.

DHAKA, 24 August 2022, (TON): UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer visited the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar.

She arrived at the Ukhiya Kutupalong camp with a 4-member delegation and visited the refugee registration center.

Additional Commissioner of Cox's Bazar Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission office, Shamsud Douza Nayan, told media “during the visit to the Rohingya refugee camp, Noeleen Heyzer observed the ongoing activities of UNHCR, WFP, IOM and exchanged views with Rohingya women, youth representatives, and religious representatives.”

She will participate in a meeting with the high-level officials of the government engaged in refugee management, including Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Shah Rezwan Hayat.

Earlier, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet during her visit to Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar said “the UN will be prioritizing the human rights of the Rohingyas and repatriation will be voluntary.”

DHAKA, 24 August 2022, (TON): Dubai Ports World Authority of the United Arab Emirates has expressed interest in Chittagong Sea Port and its bay-terminal operations and integrated logistics support.

A delegation led by Rizwan Sumer, the chief executive officer of DP World's Subcontinent, met the State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and expressed their interest.

They have also expressed interest in investing in the Inland Container Depot and maritime sectors, reports Bangla Tribune.

The meeting discussed the strengthening of bilateral and commercial relations between Bangladesh and the UAE.