Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is likely to visit China, Thailand and Japan – respectively in March, April and May as part of his global outreach and strengthening ties and building stronger relationships across countries through cooperation and partnerships, officials said.
Dr Yunus is likely to leave Dhaka on March 26 for China after attending the Independence Day programme as both the countries are looking forward to a bilateral meeting on March 28 in Beijing between the two leaders – Dr Yunus and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
On August 25 last year, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen conveyed the Chinese leadership invitation to Dr Yunus to visit China at his convenience.
Bangladesh Railway will begin selling of advance train tickets from March 14 on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr.
The tickets of return train journey will begin on April 3.
“We have decided to add five additional pairs of special trains. There will be no weekly holiday for inter city trains,” said Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser of the railway ministry.
After an inter-ministerial meeting at Bidyut Bhaban here today, the adviser said the decision was taken to accommodate increased number of homebound passengers for the upcoming Eid.
Advance intercity train tickets for March 24 will be available on March 14. Similarly tickets for journey on March 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 will be sold ten days ahead, a press release of the railway ministry said.
Bangladesh and Pakistan have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest as the foreign ministers of the two South Asian countries met on the sidelines of the OIC meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Both the dignitaries expressed satisfaction over the "upward trajectory" of bilateral relations.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Mohammad Ishaq Dar held the meeting with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Oragnization of Islamic Cooperation.
The meeting took place in a cordial environment, reflecting the fraternal sentiments from both sides, said the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka did not issue any media release after the meeting.
During the meeting, both sides highlighted the historical, religious and cultural linkages between the two countries and further agreed to enhance cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade, people to people contacts and cultural exchanges.
The extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened on the evening of Friday (March 7) in Jeddah and discussed the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and the plans for annexation and forced displacement from their land.
In a press release issued by the OIC, the meeting started with a speech by Minister of External Relations of the Republic of Cameroon Lejeune Mbella Mbella, whose country currently holds the presidency of the Council of Foreign Ministers.
Mbella stated that the meeting is being held amid new developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including calls for the displacement of Palestinians.
He emphasised that this situation requires a moment of assessment and forward-looking vision, while maintaining the unified stance of our organisation on this critical issue, in accordance with its charter and relevant United Nations resolutions.
Ambassador Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Additional Secretary (Asia Pacific), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan called on the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Md Jashim Uddin recently at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.
Siddiqui carried a letter from the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan addressed to Adviser Hossain and handed it over to the Foreign Secretary.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is set to launch a hotline for reporting rape and abuse complaints.
“It will be announced within the next 24 hours and will be toll-free,” Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said during a press conference on current issues at the Secretariat on Sunday.
Besides, a cell will be established under the Ministry of Law to monitor rape cases, he added.
Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury was also present.