Shibbir Ahmed, United Nations Headquarters, New York: The United States has proposed expanding the arms embargo to cover the entire territory of Sudan as part of efforts to increase pressure on the parties involved in the country’s ongoing civil war. In a draft resolution presented to the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Washington called for extending the existing arms restrictions beyond Darfur to the whole of Sudan, including measures aimed at stopping the transfer of drones and other weapons and military equipment.

The U.S. initiative is intended to prevent foreign military assistance from reaching the parties involved in the Sudan conflict and to pressure them to return to the negotiating table. U.S. officials have argued that military, financial and political support from outside countries has contributed to prolonging the war.

The proposal, however, has exposed divisions within the Security Council. China and Russia, both permanent members of the council, have raised objections to the U.S. initiative. As permanent members, both countries have veto power. Britain and France, meanwhile, have supported the U.S. proposal. Denmark, which holds the Security Council presidency this August, has also backed the initiative.

Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. According to the United Nations, the fighting has displaced millions of people and created a severe humanitarian crisis across large parts of the country. The protection of civilians and the need to end the conflict were also key issues raised during Monday’s Security Council meeting.

UN political and peacebuilding chief Rosemary DiCarlo warned the Security Council that the conflict in Sudan is worsening and that the warring parties continue to rely on military solutions. She called for stronger international action to help bring an end to the fighting.

If adopted, the U.S. proposal would pave the way for an international arms embargo covering the entire territory of Sudan, including restrictions on the supply of weapons, ammunition and military equipment. Preventing the transfer of modern military technologies, including drones, is also a key objective of the initiative.

However, opposition from China and Russia has created uncertainty over whether the proposal can secure enough support in the Security Council. The U.S. initiative has therefore emerged as a major point of diplomatic tension at the United Nations as international efforts continue to end Sudan’s devastating war.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York: U.S. President Donald Trump has posted a map on social media labeling the strategically important Strait of Hormuz as “New U.S. Territory,” escalating an already tense confrontation with Iran over the vital shipping route.

Trump shared the map on his Truth Social account on Tuesday, August 18, without providing additional explanation. The post came days after he said he intended to declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory.

The move immediately drew a sharp response from Tehran. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi dismissed Trump’s claim as a “delusion” and warned that it would either be corrected or challenged by Iran.

The dispute comes as the United States and Iran remain locked in a confrontation over the future of the waterway, which is one of the world’s most important energy and shipping corridors.

Trump Doubles Down on Hormuz Claim

Trump had first suggested last week that the United States could take control of the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, he told reporters at the White House that making the waterway part of the United States was, in his words, a “great idea.”

His latest social media post went a step further by displaying a map with the strait marked as “New U.S. Territory.”

The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is a critical passage for global energy shipments.

Trump’s move has raised questions about the legal and diplomatic implications of any attempt by Washington to claim sovereignty over the waterway.

International law recognizes territorial waters in the Strait as belonging to the coastal states, principally Iran and Oman. A U.S. declaration alone would not establish American sovereignty over the waterway.

Iran Rejects Trump’s Claim

Iran has strongly rejected Trump’s statements about the strait. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded directly to Trump’s map, calling the U.S. president’s claim a “delusion.”

He said the claim would either be corrected or that Iran would take steps to correct what he described as Trump’s mistaken view. Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted that the Strait of Hormuz remains under the control and sovereignty of the countries bordering it.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tuesday that the strait would remain closed until the United States accepts Tehran’s demands. Those demands include lifting the U.S. blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, ending the oil embargo and stopping military operations against Iran.

Trump Says No Talks Are Underway

Trump’s territorial claim came at the same time as he said there were no negotiations currently taking place with Iran. In a Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump said there were “no talks or conversations” underway or scheduled with Tehran and declared that the U.S. naval blockade remained in force.

The statement appeared to contradict reports from the previous day suggesting that back-channel contacts between U.S. and Iranian officials had taken place. The breakdown in diplomacy comes after a 60-day negotiating period failed to produce a comprehensive agreement between Washington and Tehran.

A Strategic Global Waterway

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Approximately one-fifth of global oil shipments pass through the strait, making any prolonged disruption a major threat to international energy markets and global economic stability.

Shipping through the waterway has already fallen sharply because of the conflict and security concerns. Major shipping companies have avoided the route, while insurers and energy traders face growing uncertainty over whether commercial vessels can safely transit the area.

A vessel was also reportedly struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to an alert from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. The incident caused damage to the vessel’s engine room and resulted in a crew casualty.

Iran Strikes Back With California Map

Iran responded to Trump’s provocative map with a provocative image of its own. An official Iranian social media account associated with Iran’s consulate in Hyderabad posted a map of the United States highlighting California and labeling it “NEW TERRITORY OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN.”

The post appeared to be a direct satirical response to Trump’s depiction of the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory. California is also home to a large Iranian-American community. The exchange of maps underscores the increasingly confrontational rhetoric between Washington and Tehran.

What Would a U.S. Territorial Claim Mean?

Trump’s post does not itself change the legal status of the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway passes through territorial waters associated with Iran and Oman, and its international navigation regime is governed by international maritime law.

Any attempt by the United States to formally claim sovereignty over the strait would therefore have major legal and diplomatic consequences and could trigger opposition from Iran, Oman and other regional states. The dispute also risks complicating efforts to keep one of the world’s most important shipping routes open to international commerce.

Regional Tensions Continue to Rise

The confrontation is also placing pressure on U.S. relations with other Gulf countries. The United Arab Emirates announced Wednesday that it had suspended financial and economic transactions with Iran following what it said were Iranian missile launches toward maritime areas. Iran denied the allegation.

Iranian military officials have separately warned Gulf states against assisting U.S. military operations. The developments indicate that the dispute over Hormuz is increasingly affecting countries beyond the United States and Iran.

Global Energy Security at Risk

The latest escalation has significant implications for the global economy. If shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely restricted, oil and gas supplies from the Persian Gulf could be disrupted, putting upward pressure on energy prices.

Higher energy prices could increase inflation, raise transportation and manufacturing costs and put additional pressure on economies across Asia, Europe and other energy-importing regions. For China, India, Japan, South Korea and European economies that rely heavily on Gulf energy supplies, prolonged disruption could have particularly serious consequences.

A New Flashpoint in the U.S.-Iran Conflict

Trump’s “New U.S. Territory” map represents another escalation in the increasingly bitter confrontation between Washington and Tehran. While the post does not establish any change in sovereignty, it has added a new territorial dimension to an already dangerous dispute over the future of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has rejected the claim, while commercial shipping remains severely disrupted and diplomatic efforts remain stalled. The coming days could determine whether the dispute remains primarily a war of rhetoric or develops into a broader confrontation over control of one of the world’s most important strategic waterways.

For the international community, the stakes are enormous. The Strait of Hormuz is not only a regional waterway—it is a critical artery for global energy supplies, international trade and economic stability.

Shibbir Ahmed: A high-level U.S. business delegation representing 25 American companies has arrived in Dhaka to explore new investment opportunities in Bangladesh, highlighting growing interest among leading U.S. businesses in the country’s energy, technology, agriculture, and financial sectors.

The executive delegation of the U.S.-Bangladesh Business Council (USBBC) arrived in Dhaka on August 11 and participated in meetings and business programs through August 13. Representatives of major American companies, including Chevron, Excelerate Energy, Visa, and Mastercard, were among those taking part in the visit.

The delegation’s visit is being viewed as an important initiative to deepen the longstanding economic relationship between Bangladesh and the United States, which spans more than five decades.

U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen welcomed the delegation to Dhaka, saying that leading American companies from the energy, technology, agriculture, and finance sectors had come to explore opportunities and build on more than 50 years of U.S.-Bangladesh economic ties.

Focus on Trade and Investment

The delegation’s primary objective is to explore new investment opportunities and potential business partnerships in Bangladesh. Energy, infrastructure, technology, digital services, healthcare, agriculture, and financial services are among the sectors attracting particular attention from U.S. businesses.

During meetings with Bangladeshi officials, representatives of the U.S. business community discussed ways to expand bilateral trade and investment and strengthen private-sector cooperation.

The delegation also met with Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, with discussions focusing on expanding economic relations and creating greater opportunities for U.S. investment in areas including industry, infrastructure, energy, technology, the digital economy, and healthcare.

Atul Keshap, President of the U.S.-Bangladesh Business Council and a former U.S. ambassador, also emphasized the potential for expanding business cooperation between the two countries.

$5 Billion Investment Goal

The U.S. business delegation’s visit comes as the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) has set an ambitious target for mobilizing additional U.S. investment in Bangladesh.

AmCham has said it aims to help mobilize up to $5 billion in additional U.S. investment over the next five years, involving existing member companies as well as potential new American investors.

The investment target was discussed during an August 11 meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and an AmCham executive delegation.

The discussions also covered measures to improve Bangladesh’s investment climate, including reforms related to taxation, value-added tax, customs procedures, and other issues affecting businesses.

AmCham has said that its member companies have already invested more than $5 billion in Bangladesh. If the new investment target is achieved, the U.S. corporate presence in Bangladesh could expand significantly.

Energy and Technology Attract Strong Interest

The participation of companies such as Chevron and Excelerate Energy underscores the importance of Bangladesh’s energy sector to American investors.

Bangladesh has growing demand for reliable energy and infrastructure, creating potential opportunities for U.S. companies with expertise in energy production, liquefied natural gas, infrastructure, and related technologies.

The participation of global financial technology companies such as Visa and Mastercard also points to growing interest in Bangladesh’s rapidly developing digital economy and financial-services sector.

With a large population, expanding consumer market, growing digital economy, and increasing demand for infrastructure and energy, Bangladesh offers a range of potential opportunities for international investors.

New Opportunities Following the Trade Agreement

The U.S. business delegation’s visit comes several months after Bangladesh and the United States signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade earlier this year.

The agreement created a new framework for expanding bilateral trade and improving market access between the two countries.

Against this backdrop, the business delegation’s visit can be viewed as more than a routine commercial engagement. It represents an effort to translate recent progress in government-to-government economic relations into concrete investment, business partnerships, and private-sector cooperation.

For Bangladesh, increased U.S. investment could bring more than capital. New investments could also contribute to technology transfer, skills development, employment generation, and greater integration into global supply chains.

For American companies, Bangladesh represents a large and evolving South Asian market with opportunities in manufacturing, energy, digital services, financial technology, infrastructure, and consumer-oriented businesses.

A New Chapter in Economic Relations?

For more than five decades, Bangladesh-U.S. economic relations have been strongly associated with trade, particularly Bangladesh’s ready-made garment exports to the American market. Recent developments, however, suggest that the economic relationship could be entering a broader phase.

The visit by U.S. Special Envoy Sergio Gor to Bangladesh earlier this month, followed by the arrival of the high-level U.S. business delegation and AmCham’s $5 billion investment target, indicates growing engagement not only between the two governments but also between the private sectors of both countries.

The challenge now will be turning growing investor interest into actual projects. To attract and retain more U.S. investment, Bangladesh will need to maintain policy stability, improve transparency, streamline regulatory procedures, strengthen infrastructure, and ensure a more predictable business environment.

The latest U.S. business delegation’s visit therefore represents both an opportunity and a test for Bangladesh. Whether the growing interest of American companies can be converted into long-term investment, new jobs, technology partnerships, and expanded trade will be an important measure of the next phase of Bangladesh-U.S. economic relations.

JHENAIDAH – Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hussain has said that, under the Prime Minister’s directives, all upazila health complexes across the country will be transformed into modern nine-storey health complexes within the next three years.

“A long-term plan has been taken to upgrade all 50-bed upazila health complexes in the country into 151-bed hospitals within the next three years,” he said while responding to queries from reporters after making surprise visits to the Maheshpur and Kotchandpur upazila health complexes in the district today.

He said the country’s healthcare sector had been seriously neglected during the 17-year rule of the “fascist Awami League government”. “Looting took place in all sectors, and extensive looting also occurred in the healthcare sector. There was a lack of accountability, which disrupted health services,” he said.

Corruption had also taken place in the purchase of medicines for hospitals during the fascist government, Sakhawat said, adding the government wants to bring the country’s health sector and medical system under a new discipline.

“We have undertaken long-term plans to address the shortage of doctors and medicines and to make services easier for patients. We will not compromise in implementing the plans to restore public confidence in government healthcare services,” he continued.

He said that after the 151-bed upazila health complexes are launched, the hospitals will have a special 25-bed ward for pregnant women and a separate 20-bed ward for children. “We have also taken plans to introduce services such as kidney dialysis at these hospitals. Once these are implemented, the country’s health sector and the system of medical services will be transformed,” he said.

Earlier in the morning, the Health Minister visited different wards of the Maheshpur and Kotchandpur upazila health complexes. During the visits, he enquired about the overall condition of patients receiving treatment at the hospitals. He also spoke with patients and their attendants about the quality of healthcare services and food at the hospitals. Later, he visited the Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex.

DHAKA- The Election Commission (EC) has declared valid the nomination papers of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the nominee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Dr Oli Ahmed, Bir Bikram, candidate from the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance, in the presidential polls. At Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital today, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin declared their nomination papers valid after verification.

He informed a BNP delegation, led by its standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, that the nomination papers of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir have been accepted as valid. Earlier, the CEC accepted the nomination papers of 11-party alliance Oli Ahmed Bir Bikram as valid. The presidential election will be held on August 20. The scrutiny of nomination papers began at 11:00 am today (Sunday).

The two candidates submitted their nomination papers on the last day of the presidential election on August 13. On Thursday last, BNP submitted the nomination papers of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to the CEC at Nirbachan Bhaban. On the other hand, the 11-party alliance submitted its nomination papers in favour of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed.

EC Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the last date for withdrawal of candidacy is 4:00 pm on August 18 (Tuesday). Voting will be held in the session hall of Jatiya Sangsad from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on August 20 (Thursday), he said.

NEW YORK: At the first moment of August (12:01 a.m.), the US Awami League and its affiliated organizations held a candlelight vigil and remembrance meeting in honor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the family members who were killed on August 15, 1975.

The program took place at Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens, where leaders and members of the US Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League, and Swechchhasebak League gathered to pay tribute.

US Awami League President Siddiqur Rahman attended the event as the chief guest. Special guests included General Secretary Abdus Samad Azad and Member of Parliament Nazrul Islam Babu.

Participants lit candles and observed a moment of remembrance in tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, widely recognized as the architect of Bangladesh’s independence, as well as all those who lost their lives in the August 15, 1975, assassination.

In brief remarks, speakers condemned the killings of August 15, 1975, and called on Bangladeshis living abroad to remain united against what they described as conspiracies targeting the nation’s history and ideals. They also emphasized preserving the spirit of the Liberation War and the legacy of Bangabandhu.

The observance created a solemn atmosphere at Diversity Plaza, where members of the Bangladeshi community gathered to mark the beginning of the month of mourning with candlelight and prayers.

Dhaka: Admiral Steve Koehler, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, will arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday for a three-day official visit from August 4 to 6, US Embassy Dhaka acting spokesperson Mara Bird said on Monday. During his visit, Admiral Koehler is scheduled to meet senior Bangladeshi officials to discuss the longstanding US-Bangladesh defence partnership and opportunities to expand cooperation in maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster response and professional military education, she said.

Shibbir Ahmed, UN, New York: Bangladesh has reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism, UN peacekeeping and international cooperation during a visit by a delegation from the United States Army War College to the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations today.

Welcoming the delegation Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury underscored the country’s longstanding engagement with the UN, rooted in its constitutional commitment to international peace and security. He noted that Bangladesh remains one of the largest contributors to UN Peacekeeping Operations, with Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving with distinction in some of the world’s most challenging conflict zones.

The Ambassador briefed the delegation on the activities of Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission including its engagement to build on its legacies in peacekeeping, sustainable development, women empowerment and climate justice. Reaffirming Bangladesh’s strong support for the United Nations, Ambassador Chowdhury stressed that dialogue, compromise and consensus-building remain essential to addressing contemporary global challenges and strengthening international cooperation.

DHAKA – A delegation of Chevron Corporation today paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The delegation met the Prime Minister at his Cabinet Division office in the Bangladesh Secretariat here this afternoon, said Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman.

Chevron Corporation’s Base Assets and Emerging Countries (BAEC) Division President Javier La Rosa and Chevron Bangladesh President Eric M Walker were among the delegation members.

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku, Prime Minister’s Adviser for Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir and State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit were present at the meeting.