Ambassador Kelly Keiderling, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia and Public Diplomacy, has said the Americans want to be a part of the success story of Bangladesh that is becoming an economic power house.

Ambassador Kelly Keiderling highly appreciated the remarkable socioeconomic development Bangladesh has achieved in the span of a generation. 

Millions of Bangladeshis came out of the poverty and the country now has entered into the middle income category, she added.

The Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, D.C. celebrated the Bangla Naboborsho (Bengali New Year) -1429 and Eid reunion on Friday with much enthusiasm and fanfare, said the Embassy in a message on Sunday. 

Kelly joined the event as the guest of honour.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA M. Shahidul Islam delivered the welcome remarks.

Diplomats from South Asian countries, officials of the US Government and State Department and a large number of guests from Bangladesh Diaspora also attended the joyful event.

Bangladesh Ambassador Shahidul Islam narrated illustrious history of Bangla New Year celebration and said Pahela Baishakh is an integral part of Bengali culture and tradition, and the most universal festival of the nation.

On the other hand, he said, Eid-ul-Fitr is the largest religious festival for the Muslim majority population, reminding them of the virtues of self-purification, compassion and charity.

He noted that these two festivals are to celebrate the foundational values of the War of Independence, where people from all religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds would live in peace and harmony, as envisioned by our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Ambassador Islam said Bangabandhu's daughter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has remained steadfast to uphold the secular and progressive ethos of the Bengali society, and her party Awami League has been a constant bulwark against the religious extremism in the society.

The key attraction of the program was a spectacular cultural show which highlighted some distinct aspects of celebration of Bangla New Year and Eid-ul-Fitr.

Four US State Department Officers recited poems and rhymes in Bangla in the cultural function which ended with performing of songs by noted Bangladeshi singer Anila Chowdhury.

As part of the celebration, a "Mangal Shobhajatra" was brought out from the chancery premises. The traditional procession ended at the same place after parading the nearby street of the Embassy. 

Traditional Bangladeshi food items were served at the end of the programme which was highly appreciated by the foreign guests.

Bashundhara Group stands by 10,000 cold-hit people in Faridpur

Bashundhara Group, the country’s largest business conglomerate, distributed blankets among 10,000 cold-hit people of Sadar, Nagarkanda, Saltha and Sadarpur upazilas of Faridpur.

The blankets were distributed with the all out support from Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir.

Bashundhara Group's executive director and Faridpur district Awami League’s industries and commerce affairs secretary Advocate Jamal Hossain Miah distributed the blankets at Talma Union Parishad chairman’s residence on Friday morning.

Speaking on the occasion, Jamal Hossain Miah said, “Bashundhara Group always stands by the people of the country. With the help of Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir, blankets are being distributed among the cold-hit people across the country, including Faridpur. Bashundhara Group will continue effort to serve people in the future.”

After getting blankets, the poor people expressed their gratitude to Bashundhara Group for giving them worm cloth during this bone-chilling cold.

Bashundhara Group general manager Md Yunus Khan, Chief Operating Officer (Banking Sector) Md Razib Samad, Faridpur Press Club general secretary and Bangladesh Pratidin correspondent Kamruzzaman Sohel and Talma Union Parishad Chairman Kamal Hossain Mia were present among others in the event.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader pays a courtesy visit to Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, Chairman of country’s leading industrial conglomerate Bashundhara Group.

Obaidul Quader was greeted with flowers by the Bashundhara family during the meeting at the Bashundhara Group chairman's residence in the capital on Monday.

Bashundhara Group Managing Director, Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra Limited Chairman and Bangladesh Jeweller’s Association President Sayem Sobhan Anvir, Rongdhanu Group Chairman Alhaz M Rafiqul Islam, Awami League Office Secretary Biplab Barua, Bangladesh Pratidin Editor Naem Nizam and Badda thana Awami League General Secretary AM Jahangir Alam were also present during the meeting.

Leaders of Narayanganj district and Rupganj upazila units of Awami League held a view-exchange meeting with Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan on the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Rupganj.

MP from Narayanganj-4 constituency AKM Shamim Osman, Rongdhanu Group Chairman Alhaz Rafiqul Islam, Rupganj upazila AL General Secretary Alhaz Shahjahan Bhuiyan, Vice-President Barrister Khan Mohammad Shamim Aziz, Bashundhara Group Director Liakat Hossain, Kanchan municipality Mayor Alhaz Rafiqul Islam Rafiq, former upazila AL Vice-President Khandaker Abul Bashar Tuku, Daudpur Union Parishad Chairman Alhaz Nurul Islam Jahangir, Rupganj Union Parishad Chairman Alhaz Saladuddin Bhuiyan, upazila AL Information and Research Secretary Kamal Hossain Kamal, Health and Population Secretary Dr Faisal Ahmed and Kanchan municipality AL leader Tariqul Islam Mughal were present at the meeting held at the Bashundhara Group Chairman’s residence in Bashundhara Residential Area in the capital on Monday.

The Awami League retains a “significant level of support” and there is still a lot for the government in Bangladesh to point to as a success story amid current challenges, says Michael Kugelman, director of the newly created South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.

“We have to keep in mind that the ruling party Awami League has been in power since 2009 and it retains a significant level of support,” he said, noting that the party has been able to bring success stories on the economic front and in countering terrorism.

Kugelman said that even if someone talks about all the bad things happening in Bangladesh, the bottom line is that there is still a lot for the government in Bangladesh which helps it sustain a significant level of success and there are people who see reasons to support it.

Mark Goldberg recently sat down with Kugelman to discuss the recent protests in Bangladesh. The Foreign Policy magazine published the podcast recently.

Responding to a question, Kugelman said Bangladesh has been a regional success story for its economic growth. “It's a global success story.”

He described what had happened over the last few months, including consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war, high level of inflation, rising fuel cost and responses from the government like rationing electricity amid power shortages.

Kugelman said disruption in electricity supply was a major strain on the economy and sudden fall in economic productivity was an opportunity for the opposition to take to the street.

Corruption, one of the realities in Bangladesh, scandals in the financial sector could be another trigger for the opposition, he said, adding that economic problems and corruption gave the opposition opportunity to draw more attention.

Kugelman, however, said the protests launched by the opposition parties “was not a mass protest” but a partisan protest.

The foreign affairs expert said the government had the opportunity to explain the “temporary consequences” of external factors.

Kugelman said Bangladesh has demonstrated success in the area of counterterrorism and noted that there was a period when it was a significant problem in the country which had experienced series of deadly attacks.

He said the Awami League government took initiatives to crackdown really hard on the militants, and terrorism has not been a problem in Bangladesh over the last few years. “That’s another success story.”

Bangladesh has become a much bigger player on the global stage, including its role in peacekeeping operations and with its non-aligned and balanced foreign policy, he observed.

Responding to a question on “democratic backsliding” he said it is important to look back at the broader history of Bangladesh.

In the past, he said, BNP (when it was in power) was resorting to similar types of tactics and there were crackdowns as well as reports of enforced disappearances.

Kugelman said many things that are happening today were also happening when BNP was in power.

He said “undemocratic tactics” happen in many countries, including Bangladesh and elsewhere in South Asia, and described them as “hybrid democracy”.

Responding to another question, he said he does not think that there will be a Sri Lanka-like situation in Bangladesh as there are safety measures in the latter.

Kugelman said Bangladesh's economy is much more resilient than Sri Lanka’s has been. 

He also responded to questions on Bangladesh’s next national election which he hoped will be held as per the constitution. 

-      UNB