INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12370, 12370, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The recent expulsion of as many as 142 grassroots leaders and activists by BNP’s central leadership reportedly at the behest of Tarique Rahman for their participation in local government elections testifies to a glaring refusal to the fugitive chief’s earlier call for hitting streets and shunning polls, according to political analysts.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The political observers found BNP\'s election boycott a suicidal and undemocratic move that is pushing the party to further isolation from the voters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, experts say the move to thwart polls and later spreading disinformation to discredit the polls by top BNP leaders have further exposed the once born in barrack party’s reluctance to achieve any public mandate for grabbing power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Months before the polls, Tarique came up with a call “not ballot, the course of country to be decided on streets”, followed by month-long blockade and arson campaign reportedly by BNP Jamaat combine leadership including Ruhul Kabir Rizvi what rights activists deemed a slap on the face of democracy and protecting rights.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Days back, a local BNP leader who publicly renounced Tarique for his policy to assume power by boycotting polls with milk bathing became viral, a symbolic but powerful show of rejection to the party chief who has been evading justice by fleeing to UK despite found guilty of money laundering and colluding with militants in an assassination plot of Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The culture of boycotting national polls unfolded from BNP’s playbook in 2014, a similar strategy in 2024 has been replicated citing non-conducive polls condition but in between this decade an outright failure has been exhibited to garner public support by BNP but no sign of course correction, they added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, reported allegations of misappropriation of money meant for party’s grassroots leadership and activists by Tarique’s loyalists as pressed by local leaders are another marker of an extremely volatile condition and that BNP leader Khaleda Zia’s son’s handpicked leaders\' acceptance within local level are on the wane.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Instead of accepting the political blunder by asking party cadres to stop the polls and taking up efforts to recover the already sullied image of party, public mandate secured by as many as 16 now former BNP leaders in different ranks in the first phase of polls yet a renewed insistence by Tarique and his loyalists in pursuant to demand for snap polls and the call for thwarting even local government polls is another manifestation of undemocratic exercise let alone pushing the party, in further isolation” said Mesbah Kamal, an academic of Dhaka University.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over Tarique’s departure from the country for over 15 years, Mesbah added “It seems Tarique’s absence from the country for a decade has cut him off from on ground reality, abstention from local government polls further pushed the country into mass level isolation and expulsion spree weakened the outfit further at grassroots”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ajoy Das Gupta, another political observer, likened the politics of boycotting polls with an inglorious episode of BNP’s founder and Tarique’s father Gen Zia who focused on consolidating power not with public mandate but with force.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">From the times of the party’s founder General Ziaur Rahman—country’s first military dictator— a farcical referendum had not only been rigged and weaponised to legitimise the iron clad rule till the trait of grabbing power by force without securing mandate of people..... exhibits the the party’s withdrawal from democracy, added Ajoy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another alarming trend has been renewed push to spread lies to discredit the polls turnout by BNP to hide failure in garnering public support, according to Gazi Nasiruddin Khokon, a senior journalist.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Boycotting elections has consequences. In the first place, it leads to disillusionment among party workers, who feel left out of the political process and therefore irrelevant, said Syed Badrul Ahsan, a senior researcher and political observer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the second, it carries the risk of citizens not taking seriously a party which endlessly boycotts elections, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Finally, it is a threat to democracy since constant boycotts of elections lead to suspicions that the party staying away from the polling stations may have other political strategies, not necessarily conducive to elections and the public interest, it believes will install it in power”, said Syed Badrul, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like 2014, months prior to last national polls, BNP and Jamaat combine enforced over a month-long blockade that saw arson attacks on vehicles and trains, alongside, further solidification of ties with Jamaat despite the outfit publicly threatened to introduce Saariah law and abolish all man made laws.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, several top BNP leaders had given deadline to capture power without polls like the declaration the country to be run at the directives of Khaleda Zia and Tarique.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 10:35:48', '2024-05-14 10:35:48'),
(12371, 12371, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Mild heat wave is sweeping over the central, northern, northeastern and southeastern parts of Bangladesh and it may continue, a met release said today.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Mild heat wave is sweeping over the districts of Tangail, Rajshahi, Pabna, Jashore, Nilphamari, Rangamati and Feni and it may continue\", said the weather forecast valid for next 24 hours from 9am today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day and night temperature may rise slightly over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Country\'s maximum temperature on Monday was recorded 37.0 degrees Celsius at Ishurdi and minimum temperature today was 23.8 degrees Celsius at Tetulia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Country\'s maximum rainfall for the last 24 hours till 6am today was recorded 20 millimeters (mm) at Patuakhali.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sun sets at 6.33 pm today and rises at 5.16am tomorrow in the capital. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 11:13:21', '2024-05-14 11:13:21'),
(12372, 12372, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bumper Boro production on the saline land in Khulna’s Koyra upazila has brought smiles to farmers.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The people of Koyra, which was devastated by cyclones including Sidr several times, have now started to turn around again with a new hope.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once only Bagda shrimp was cultivated in the saline land of Koyra. Due to frequent natural disasters, shrimps were affected by diseases, causing losses to farmers. As a result, farmers started Boro cultivation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During a recent visit, the UNB correspondent found fields covered with ripe Boro paddy in Koyra Sadar, Bagali, Maharajpur, Maheshwaripur and Amadi unions of Koyra upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some of the farmers were preparing to harvest paddy and some started harvesting paddy and many others started threshing paddy in their own backyards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rafiq Dhali of Koyra Sadar, Raghunath Das of Maharajpur, Rahima of Amadi, Sobhan Sheikh of Bagali said bumper yield will be achieved this time if rain doesn’t fall for 8/10 days, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Faruk Hossain, deputy assistant agriculture officer of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said the total cropland in Koyra upazila is 17,274 hectares.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, Boro was cultivated on 5725 hectares exceeding the target.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdullah Al Mamun said people in Koyra used live on cultivating shrimp in saline water areas and the Sundarbars, but they have been benefiting by cultivating watermelon and Boro paddy for the two years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 11:44:57', '2024-05-14 11:44:57'),
(12373, 12373, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Haripur 360 MW combined cycle power plant (CCPP), which generates electricity at lowest cost, is unlikely to get extension after completion of its 22-year initial contract period.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to official sources, the power plant, established by leading US company AES Corporation in 2001, completed its successful operational period in November 2023. Since then, the government has not taken electricity from the plant.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The AES Corporation developed two large base-load power plants—Haripur 360 MW CCPP in 2001 and Meghbaghat 450 MW CCPP in 2002—with the highest efficiency, but lowest cost.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the power purchase agreement (PPA), state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) had been purchasing electricity from the two first generation independent power producer (IPP) plants, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BPDB officials said that initially, Haripur\'s power tariff was Tk.1.56 per unit, which is the lowest not only in Bangladesh, but also in the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">According to a World Bank document publicly disclosed on June 24, 2014 which compared the power generation cost of different IPPS, shows that when the Khulna Power Company Limited was selling electricity to the BPDB at Tk 16.03 per unit in 1998, NEPC at Tk 20.20 per unit in 1999, Haripur was selling it at Tk 1.56 per unit and Meghbaghat was selling power at Tk 2.33 per unit.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 12:41:53', '2024-05-14 12:41:53'),
(12374, 12374, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury has said that Japan has shown keen interest in financing specific projects, particularly emphasizing disaster resilience and green financing through JICA.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Ambassador Kiminori expressed his country’s keenness while he was engaged in a productive discussion with Saber Hossain at the Secretariat on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both parties expressed anticipation for future projects and programs, with Ambassador Kiminori reaffirming Japan\'s unwavering support for Bangladesh\'s endeavors to combat climate change and bolster resilience to its impacts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh\'s annual funding requirement is of $9 billion for climate change initiatives, with the government presently allocating $3 billion, resulting in a substantial shortfall of $6 billion, said Saber.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Stressing the pivotal role of assistance from institutions like the ADB and World Bank, he highlighted the necessity for both multilateral and bilateral cooperation, noting Bangladesh\'s efficient utilization of available funds to address national needs, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The dialogue between Ambassador Kiminori and Minister Chowdhury encompassed bilateral cooperation in environmental conservation, sustainable forestry practices, and climate change mitigation strategies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering the enduring friendship between Japan and Bangladesh through collaborative efforts in tackling pressing environmental challenges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Discussions delved into the preservation of biodiversity, water bodies, natural resources, disaster management, climate change adaptation, as well as initiatives like the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan and the Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership and Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the realm of economic collaboration, the meeting also touched upon Japanese companies\' initiatives in promoting power plants and other projects in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 13:26:40', '2024-05-14 13:26:40'),
(12375, 12375, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Georgia’s parliament on Tuesday passed the third and final reading of a “foreign agents” bill, clearing a major hurdle on its way to becoming law.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The draft now goes to President Salome Zourabichvili, who has said she will veto it, but her decision can be overridden by another vote in parliament, controlled by the ruling party and its allies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Georgian television broadcast scuffles between the ruling party and opposition lawmakers, who pushed each other and gesticulated angrily during the debate on the bill, which government critics and Western countries have criticised as authoritarian and Russian-inspired.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Opponents of the bill, seen as a test of whether the South Caucasus country stays on a path towards integration with Europe or pivots back towards Russia, have called for further protests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The bill passed with 84 members of parliament out of 150 voting in favour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence, imposing onerous disclosure requirements and punitive fines for violations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Opponents have dubbed the bill “the Russian law”, comparing it to Russian legislation used to target critics of President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Georgia’s government says the bill is needed to promote transparency, combat “pseudo-liberal values” promoted by foreigners, and preserve the country’s sovereignty. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 14:21:23', '2024-05-14 14:21:23'),
(12376, 12376, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Three French prison officers were killed and two others wounded today in an attack on a prison van transporting an inmate who escaped, a police source told AFP.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ramming attack took place late morning at a road toll in Incarville in the Eure region of northern France, another source close to the case added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The inmate was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A police source said that the attack was carried out by a team of several individuals who arrived in two vehicles and themselves later fled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of them was also wounded, a police source said, but it was not immediately clear how many attackers there were in total, reports AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti confirmed the attack on the prison convoy and said on X he was immediately heading to a crisis cell at his ministry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 14:24:51', '2024-05-14 14:24:51'),
(12377, 12377, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rescuers have pulled four people out of the rubble of a building which collapsed in the Mathare neighbourhood of Kenya’s capital on Tuesday but more were suspected to be trapped in the debris, the Kenya Red Cross said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Mathare, in the east of Nairobi, is home to several hundred thousand people and one of the city’s largest informal settlements, where planning regulations are poorly enforced.</div><div><br></div><div>“Three out of the four rescued have been taken to a nearby health facility, while one with minor injuries was treated at the scene,” the Red Cross wrote on social media platform X.</div><div><br></div><div>The building was undergoing demolition when it collapsed, the Red Cross said.</div><div><br></div><div>Mathare was inundated with floodwater this month when the Mathare River, which runs through it, burst its banks after heavy rains, killing dozens and forcing thousands of people to leave their homes. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 14:28:05', '2024-05-14 14:28:05'),
(12378, 12378, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The size of the next national budget of Bangladesh, for the fiscal year 2024-25, will be Tk8 lakh crore.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the Tk 8 lakh crore budget when it was placed before her.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The budget is scheduled to be presented in the parliament on June 6, sources of the Finance Ministry confirmed UNB on Tuesday (May 14).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She gave an opinion in favor of discouraging the import of luxury goods in the next budget as well. Like the current fiscal year, the prime minister said that inflation control will be the top priority of the next budget.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister wanted to see whether the election manifesto is reflected in the first budget of the current term. She expressed satisfaction that the allocation of the budget set up by the Ministry of Finance reflects that.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The budget summary of FY2024-25 was presented in a meeting held at Ganobhaban on Monday chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the meeting sources, the Prime Minister has emphasized on control of inflation, increase in foreign direct investment (FDI), proper control of imports, careful undertaking of development projects, increase in revenue collection and taking necessary steps for this, increase in the income of expatriates through legitimate channels, increase in the number of beneficiaries under social security programs, etc.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Planning Minister Major General (Retd) Abdus Salam, state minister of finance Waseqa Ayesh Khan, state minister of planning Md. Shahiduzzaman, Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rauf Talukdar, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Muneem, Finance Secretary Dr. Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder along with the senior officials of the finance division, ministries of finance and planning were present in the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali was connected to the meeting through an online facility.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 14:56:20', '2024-05-14 14:56:20'),
(12379, 12379, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">According to Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is prioritizing international organizations over climate-vulnerable countries in granting funds, contradicting its core principles.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This has resulted in developing nations like Bangladesh being deprived of necessary support.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TIB’s findings highlight GCF’s failures in fulfilling its mandate over the last 12 years, including inadequate fund collection from developed countries and the imposition of loans instead of grants on climate-vulnerable nations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TIB released the research “Accessing Green Climate Fund (GCF) for Vulnerable Countries like Bangladesh: Governance Challenges and Way Forward” during a press conference in Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This study, conducted from January 2023 to May 2024, used both qualitative and quantitative methods.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman criticized GCF’s stringent conditions, which have nearly barred developing countries from accessing funds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He emphasized that GCF’s failure to adhere to its principles has led to significant delays in fund transfers and insufficient grant amounts for the intended recipients. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman pointed out the GCF\'s preferential treatment of international organizations like the UNDP, IDB, ADB, and EBRD, calling it unacceptable and contradictory to the GCF’s mission.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also highlighted the problematic shift towards loans over grants, burdening countries like Bangladesh with additional financial strain. Furthermore, despite corruption allegations, the UNDP’s accreditation was renewed, undermining GCF’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"4\",\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 15:00:48', '2024-05-14 15:01:47'),
(12380, 12380, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>There is no alternative to integrated social movements against child marriage, dowry, and violence against women, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We must recognise our girls not just as victims, but as the driving force behind change,” she said while inaugurating inaugurated a two-day event titled “ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development” that would create a platform to discuss the challenges and explore the opportunities of the world’s shifting demographics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Japan along with UNFPA are hosting the conference at Hotel Intercontinental on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said that Bangladesh has adopted the National Adolescent Health Strategy (2017-2030) and its implementation plan.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“To ensure health services for adolescents, we have established adolescent-friendly health service corners in 1,253 union-level service,” she said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that an initiative has been taken to distribute free sanitary napkins to nearly 5 million adolescent girls studying in grades six to twelve.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, the government has launched the \"School Meal\" programme nationwide to meet the nutritional needs of school-going students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said that since 2010, the government has implemented the world\'s largest free textbook distribution programme at the secondary level, distributing approximately 464 million books until 2024.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In addition, we have introduced a stipend program to promote girls\' education from primary to higher secondary level.Girls\' education has been made charge-free up to twelfth grade.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that the government has allocated 30 percent of national budget for the social and economic empowerment of women, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In line with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, we are implementing a national policy and plan of action for women\'s development,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, she mentioned that 42.6 percent of the total workforce comprises women.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“And we aim to increase it to 50 percent by 2030. We have also set targets to ensure 25 percent female participation in the ICT sector by 2026 and 50 percent by 2041,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2023 by the World Economic Forum, she said Bangladesh ranks seventh among 146 countries in terms of political empowerment, and first in the region.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 08:26:49', '2024-05-15 08:26:49'),
(12381, 12381, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Having spent much of his time in exploring the taste of Fuchka in Dhaka, visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu has got engaged with social media influencers, apparently going for people instead of politics.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His long informal conversation with PM\'s adviser Salman F Rahman over dinner, inclusion of a young climate activist in civil society small group discussion and his plans to meet cricketers ahead of the T20 World Cup demonstrate the scope and thrust of his visit differ greatly from previous ones - before the elections in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We were thrilled to join the engaging discussions with the influential social media personalities and dedicated volunteers from Bangladesh. Whether you\'re into diplomacy, social impact, or just looking for some inspiration, these episodes of \'Cha with Peter + Don\' are a must-watch,\" the US Embassy in Dhaka shared on its social media platforms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen recently said the pre-election scenario and the current scenario are totally different.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A new government has been formed. A stable government is carrying forward its activities engaging with various countries. All countries think of engaging with Bangladesh,\"&nbsp; Momen said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking to reporters at his residence on Tuesday night, Salman said the United States expressed willingness to expand the existing relations with Bangladesh on key fronts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We want to rebuild the trust,\" Salman quoted Lu as saying during their discussion over dinner at his residence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"That\'s the most important thing. We also reciprocated saying that we also want that,\" the adviser added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two sides did not raise the \"kind of misunderstanding\" that apparently happened before the national election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 08:42:22', '2024-05-15 08:42:22'),
(12382, 12382, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Preventing Muslim migrants from gaining citizenship. Revoking the semi-autonomy of the country’s only Muslim-majority region. Building a Hindu temple where a violent mob razed a mosque.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These were political triumphs for Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past decade, burnishing his reputation as a leader who prioritizes the interests India\'s Hindu majority. For India\'s 200 million Muslims, they highlight their waning political power in the world\'s largest democracy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tensions between Hindus and Muslims in India are not new, but they have gotten worse under Modi, whose ruling Bharatiya Janata Party touts a Hindu-nationalist ideology. And with Modi seemingly on the cusp of a third five-year term, the outlook for Muslim politicians — and citizens — is bleak. This year\'s vote will be decided in June.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It\'s not just that Modi has ramped up anti-Muslim rhetoric in campaign speeches. Ever since the BJP began its rise as a political force in the mid-1980s, the proportion of Muslim lawmakers in parliament and state legislatures has shrunk.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Muslim representation has fallen in the ruling BJP, and in opposition parties, too.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When Modi assumed power in 2014, the outgoing parliament had 30 Muslim lawmakers — and just one was a member of the BJP. Muslims now hold 25 out of 543 seats, and none belong to the BJP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India has gone from being a country where Muslims were largely marginalized to one where they are “actively excluded,” said Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a political scientist and historian at New Delhi’s Ashoka University.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Without representation, you are unable to ask the state for resources and articulate the kind of needs the community has in order to progress, whether its education, jobs, health or basic infrastructure,” Mahmudabad said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the mid-1980s, Muslims accounted for 11% of India\'s population, and had 9% of seats in parliament; today they are 14% of the population and have less than 5% of seats in parliament.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nine out of 10 members in parliament are Hindus, who make up 80 percent of India’s population of 1.4 billion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The political representation of Muslims at the state level is only slightly better. India has more than 4,000 lawmakers in state legislatures across 28 states and Muslim lawmakers hold roughly 6% of these seats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A government report in 2006 found Muslims lagged Hindus, Christians and people from India\'s lower castes in literacy, income and access to education. They have made some gains since then but are still at a significant disadvantage, according to multiple independent studies. Source: AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 09:14:19', '2024-05-15 09:14:19'),
(12383, 12383, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>OnePlus, a renowned global leader in smartphone technology, has officially launched its operations in Bangladesh with a grand event at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka on May 14.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The launch highlighted the introduction of the OnePlus Nord N30 SE 5G, the brand’s first smartphone produced in Bangladesh, signaling a significant expansion in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the event attended by tech influencers, media professionals, and various corporate representatives, OnePlus not only unveiled its new smartphone but also detailed its production and comprehensive after-sales services in Bangladesh.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The company has quickly built a robust consumer base in the region, bolstered by its promise of exceptional and dedicated support for all users.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OnePlus Bangladesh is taking customer service a step further by offering free repair services for the \"green line\" display issue on global versions of its smartphones, regardless of warranty status.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the outset, 35 after-sales service locations, including 22 service centers and 13 service points, will provide these services nationwide. Furthermore, OnePlus Bangladesh will provide a 7-day replacement warranty and a 12-month service warranty for the global version of its products.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 09:29:35', '2024-05-15 09:29:35'),
(12384, 12384, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">According to Met office bulletin, A mild heat wave is sweeping different parts of the country including Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur and Sylhet divisions.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A mild heat wave is sweeping Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna and Sylhet divisions and Tangail, Faridpur, Madaripur, Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Rangamati, Cumilla, Noakhali, Feni, Cox`s Bazar, Bhola and Patuakhali  districts and it may continue and spread,” said Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at one or two places over Sylhet division. Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 09:43:30', '2024-05-15 09:43:45'),
(12385, 12385, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A factory producing counterfeit saline was shut down during a raid in Kanaipur, Faridpur Sadar upazila, on Tuesday night.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following a tip-off, a mobile court led by Executive Magistrate ASM Shahadat Hossain raided Rupa Food Products, a company implicated in the manufacture of fake health products.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The court discovered over two lakh pieces of counterfeit saline packets, which closely resembled those produced by SMC, a reputable manufacturer. The packets, labeled as \"Oral Saline-N,\" had discrepancies in expiration dating and other labeling details.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the operation, officials also found various baby food products that were being illegally produced and packaged at the facility. In response to these violations, the mobile court sealed the factory and its associated godown, imposing a fine of Tk 2 lakh for the production of these fraudulent items, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The raid was assisted by District Sanitary Inspector Bazlur Rashid along with other law enforcement agencies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 10:34:55', '2024-05-15 10:34:55'),
(12386, 12386, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Khulna court sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in 2011.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Wednesday, Khulna Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-3 Judge Abdus Salam Khan passed the order and fined condemned convict Md Nurunnabi Tk 50,000.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Public Prosecutor Farid Ahmed said Nurunnabi strangled his wife Zohra Khatun to death at their residence in Khulna city on August 25, 2011 over dowry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victim\'s brother Saddam Hossain filed a murder case with Khulna Police Station on August 27, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The court pronounced the judgment after examining 14 witnesses in the case, said the Public Prosecutor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 10:39:10', '2024-05-15 10:39:10'),
(12387, 12387, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ukraine has pulled back troops near several villages in the northeastern Kharkiv region, where Russian forces have been advancing and pounding settlements in a new offensive along the border, Kyiv said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The military gave details of the pullback as US secretary of state Antony Blinken was on an unannounced visit to Kyiv where President Volodymyr Zelensky urged him to speed up US supplies of weapons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow launched a surprise major ground assault on the Kharkiv region last week as it seeks to advance across the battlefield with Kyiv struggling for arms and manpower.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In some areas, around Lukyantsi and Vovchansk, in response to enemy fire and assaults from ground troops, and to save the lives of our servicemen and avoid losses, our units manoeuvered and moved to more advantageous positions,” the Ukrainian military said late Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Throughout the two-year war, both sides have typically used the language of moving to more “advantageous positions” to signify retreats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two villages – around 30km apart – are close to the border with Russia and have been targeted in the fresh offensive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine’s General Staff said the situation “remains difficult” but insisted that its forces were “not allowing the Russian occupiers to gain a foothold”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv has rushed reinforcements to the area to prevent Russia from punching through.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some military analysts say Moscow may be trying to force Ukraine to divert troops from other areas of the frontline, such as around the strategic town of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, where Russia has also been advancing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Donetsk and Kharkiv regions are where it is most difficult now,” Zelensky said in an address on Tuesday evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv on Wednesday cancelled some emergency power blackouts that it had introduced to deal with a drop in temperatures that strained its battered energy system.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State power operator Ukrenergo had announced a series of overnight and early morning power cuts to deal with “the cold weather amid the consequences of Russian shelling” that has destroyed swathes of Ukraine’s generating facilities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Emergency shutdowns in Kyiv, the Kyiv region, the Odesa region, the Donetsk region, and the Dnipropetrovsk region were lifted,” DTEK, the country’s largest private energy operator said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Blinken’s visit came just weeks after the US Congress finally approved a US$61 billion financial aid package for Ukraine following months of political wrangling, unlocking much-needed arms for the country’s outgunned troops.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His visit began as Russia’s defence ministry announced that its troops had captured two more villages in the Kharkiv region. During a meeting with Blinken, Zelensky asked for two more Patriot air defence systems to defend the border territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian officials have said that more than 30,000 Russian forces have been deployed to the northeastern region but that the regional hub, the country’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, was not threatened by the offensive. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 10:55:33', '2024-05-15 10:55:33'),
(12388, 12388, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A helicopter used by the Afghan air force crashed as it attempted an emergency landing in central Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring 12, the defence ministry said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Mi17 aircraft encountered “technical issues” as it attempted to recover the bodies of people who had fallen into a river in the central Ghor province, Afghanistan’s Taliban-run ministry of national defence said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The helicopter crashed as it attempted an emergency landing, the ministry added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Taliban, an Islamist movement, took over Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces in 2021 and inherited a number of aircraft from the forces of the Republican regime it toppled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is not clear how many aircraft and what types the Taliban have managed to repair, but Russian Mi17 utility helicopters have often been used in rescue operations - including the recent floods that killed hundreds in the northwestern part of the country, according to Reuters reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 11:18:53', '2024-05-15 11:18:53');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12389, 12389, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader ordered the authorities concerned to take steps so that the battery-run three wheelers cannot ply roads in Dhaka city.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said on Wednesday while speaking at the advisory council meeting at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) headquarters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“No battery-run three wheelers will be allowed on city roads and already plying of three wheelers has been prohibited on 22 highways,” he said</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, the mayors of the two city corporations also agreed on stopping movement of battery-run three wheelers on Dhaka city roads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 11:35:31', '2024-05-15 11:35:31'),
(12390, 12390, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>An award-winning journalist in Indian-administered Kashmir who spent more than five years in jail returned home on Wednesday after a court in the disputed region granted him bail in an ongoing terrorism case.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aasif Sultan, a reporter with a magazine that is now shuttered, was first arrested in August 2018 accused of “harbouring known militants”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Further charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) were levelled against him after he was accused of participating in a jail riot.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sultan was briefly bailed in February but re-arrested two days later on fresh charges under the act. A relative and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Sultan had been released again this week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He returned home today, but the bail conditions are very harsh. He is virtually banned from talking to anyone outside the family,” the relative told AFP, declining to be named for fear of reprisal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kunal Majumder of CPJ said on social media platform X that Sultan had been bailed on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A court document seen by AFP and dated Friday said that Sultan’s detention did “not serve any purpose” and granted his bail on strict conditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sultan was forbidden from travelling outside Kashmir, using encrypted communication apps such as WhatsApp, and allowing anyone else to use his phone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since both countries were granted independence from British rule in 1947, and both claim the Himalayan former kingdom in full.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than half a million Indian soldiers are deployed in the territory, battling a running insurgency from rebel groups demanding independence or Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India accuses Pakistan of backing the insurgents, a charge that Islamabad denies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kashmiri journalists say independent media has suffered since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government cancelled the region’s limited autonomy and imposed a drastic security clampdown in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Media workers have been arrested under anti-terrorism laws or repeatedly summoned by police for interrogation over their work, and authorities shut the independent Kashmir Press Club.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last November, a court granted bail to a prominent local Kashmiri correspondent for the US-based Christian Science Monitor newspaper, two years after he was charged with “glorifying terrorism” in the disputed territory and accused of “spreading fake news”. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 12:17:09', '2024-05-15 12:17:09'),
(12391, 12391, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The government has decided to update Population Policy 2012 aiming to transform the population into human resources through skill development and advancement, and emphasising vocational education, said the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Very recently we have decided to update the Population Policy 2012. In the new policy, the Demographic Dividend which will continue from 2041 to 2061 is being emphasised to transform the population into human resource through skill development and advancement, and emphasising vocational education,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said his while inaugurating a two-day event titled “ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development” that creates a platform to discuss the challenges and explore the opportunities of the world’s shifting demographics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The programme at InterContinental Hotel has been organised by Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Japan, together with UNFPA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said that as a result of various initiatives taken by the government, the average life expectancy of the people in the country has increased to 72.3 years in 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 12:20:01', '2024-05-15 12:20:01'),
(12392, 12392, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu on Wednesday described his Bangladesh visit as an effort to \"rebuild the trust\" between the people of the two countries.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"Last year, there were a lot of tension between US and Bangladesh,\" he told reporters in a brief statement, noting that they want to look forward.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lu had a courtesy meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud at his office and discussed ways to deepen the relations between two countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States said they stand with Bangladesh in building a \"prosperous, secure, and democratic\" future.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our discussion with the Foreign Minister today reaffirmed our shared commitment to cultivating economic growth, bolstering the workforce, improving security cooperation, addressing the climate crisis and reinforcing our values of respecting democracy and human rights,\" said the US side.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lu said they want to find ways to strengthen the relationship.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"So I spoke about working the hard issues. We have lots of hard issues -- RAB sanction, labour reforms, we have human rights, business climate reforms,\" Lu said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In order to work on hard issues, Donald Lu said, they want to build up the cooperation on positive issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are talking about new investments, more Bangladeshi students who want to study in the US and how to work on clean energy,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US also wants to support Bangladesh in fighting corruption, hold the officials accountable, ensure transparency and help widen tax net.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 12:51:29', '2024-05-15 12:51:29'),
(12393, 12393, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus met with the Pope and discussed global challenges at the Vatican City on May 11, 2024. Professor Yunus was the co-chair of the Peace Round Table of the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity, according to a media release from the Yunus Center.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Part of the official transcript of the declaration reads as follows:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We reject war: Let diplomacy prevail over arms. We want Peace!</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">We, the individuals and non-governmental organizations participants of the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity, solemnly declare the following:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the fires of war devastate Ukraine, the Gaza strip and the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Sudan, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Congo and many other places globally, we, participants of the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity, renew our call for an end to the ongoing conflicts everywhere. In Ukraine, let the aggression cease, and let resolution towards a just and lasting peace be found.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip must be declared to stop the killing and ensure safe and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid. We call on the international community to pursue with determination the two-state solution on Israel and one Palestinian, as well as an internationally guaranteed special status for the city of Jerusalem so that Israelis and Palestinians may finally live in peace and security.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The children of Gaza, nearly 14,000 killed by weapons of war and dying from hunger and disease, who cannot shelter in hospitals that are being bombed, can no longer wait. Humanitarian aid must be permitted in Gaza. Hostages and political prisoners must be immediately released. Let every attempt be made to avoid more destabilization in the Middle East region. We also should prevent escalation of internal conflicts in places such as Sudan, Yemen, Ethiopia, DRC and all conflicts around the world must come to an end.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">We issue a solemn appeal to affirm Peace as the fundamental cornerstone of human coexistence. Peace is not merely the absence of war; it is Fraternity, social justice, ending poverty, gender equality, accountability to international law, cooperation among nations and within communities, it is the harmony of the body, the sanctity and protection of creation. Peace is a fundamental right of every human being, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Peace begins with each of us and is seen in the choices each of us makes every single day. It begins with you.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 13:44:38', '2024-05-15 13:44:38'),
(12394, 12394, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A landslide that followed heavy rain in central Kenya has swept away at least five people, residents said on Wednesday, and the Red Cross said its workers would assist in rescue efforts.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The landslide occurred in Kimende in Kiambu County, north of the capital Nairobi, the Kenya Red Cross said in a post on social media platform X late on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The area has been cordoned off and declared a danger zone,” it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Joseph Gitau, a resident of Kimende, said his cousin was among four people engulfed by the landslide, which happened while they were walking along a road.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There were four people altogether and three of them were slightly ahead of the other one who was behind. Unfortunately, the soil covered them all,” he told Reuters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A second witness, George Kariuki, said a motorcycle rider was also hit by the landslide, while his colleague managed to escape.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The second motorbike wasn’t so lucky because the rider got caught by the landslide as he tried to turn back. I saw that and started screaming for help,” Kariuki said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Heavy rains and floods in the East African country since late March have killed at least 289 people and displaced 285,600, the latest government statistics show.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the single deadliest incident, at least 61 people were killed in late April in a mudslide and flash floods in the town of Mai Mahiu in central Kenya.&nbsp; Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 14:03:04', '2024-05-15 14:03:04'),
(12395, 12395, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rainy days bring a sense of tranquility and comfort, as the pitter-patter of raindrops creates a soothing melody. Amidst the serenity, there is nothing like indulging in hearty, flavourful dishes that warm the soul. In Bangladeshi kitchens, rainy days call for special recipes that elevate the culinary experience. From spicy curries to tangy delights, here are three special recipes perfect for a rainy day retreat at home.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">3 Special Recipes to Try at Home on Rainy Days</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Achari Letka Khichuri</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Ingredients</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Â½ cup of rice, 1/4th cup of masoor dal/red lentils, 1/4th cup of moong dal/yellow lentils, 1 onion (thinly sliced), 2 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped), 4 green chillies, 1 teaspoon panchforon, 1 dry red chilli, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and Â½ teaspoon cumin powder, 3 tablespoons of mustard oil, 2 tablespoons of mango pickle, some green peas, salt and sugar, and warm water.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Instructions</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">First, combine rice and two types of lentils in a bowl. Then, wash them thoroughly. Add chopped onion, minced garlic, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and cumin powder.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then pour in mustard oil and a pinch of salt, mixing everything well. Leave it to marinate for 15 minutes. Now, heat 1 tablespoon of mustard oil in a pan, then add panchforon and dry red chilli. Next, sautÃ© the ingredients briefly. After that, add the rice-lentil mixture, and cook for 3 minutes.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Next, add 2 cups of warm water, salt, green chillies, green peas, and a pinch of sugar. Let it boil, then lower the heat and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes until the ingredients are tender. Stir in sour mango pickle and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Let it rest for 2 minutes before serving.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Beef Bhuna</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Ingredients</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">1 kg of mixed beef (boneless and bone-in), 1/2 cup of cooking oil, 2 large onions (roughly chopped), 1Â½ tablespoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 pieces of cardamom, 2 cloves, 5-6 whole black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2-3 teaspoons of chilli powder (adjust to preference), 2 teaspoons of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala, 1 tomato (chopped), 1/2 cup of hot water, and handful of fresh cilantro (finely chopped).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Instructions</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">First, combine all ingredients except water, tomatoes, and cilantro in a pressure cooker, mixing thoroughly. Place on high flame for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add hot water, and lock the lid as per your pressure cooker guide.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once at optimal pressure, reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. After that, release pressure, turn the flame to high, stir in tomatoes, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. At this point, oil should float on the surface. Now, add cilantro, stir, and remove from heat. Serve hot with rice, naan, or roti.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Ilish (Hilsa) Curry</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Ingredients</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">500 gm washed, dried and sliced ilish (Hilsa) fish, 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds, 2 pinches salt, 1/2 cup mustard oil, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 4 green chilli, and 2 cups boiled water.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Instructions</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To prepare this delectable curry, first wash and slice the fish. Then, marinate the fish slices with salt and turmeric. Afterwards, shallow fry until golden. In a separate pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds and slit green chillies, stirring continuously.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then incorporate fried fish, boiled water, salt, and turmeric to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer. Serve this classic Bengali fish curry piping hot with steamed rice.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Life Style Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 14:52:04', '2024-05-15 15:07:24'),
(12396, 12396, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, \"For the vast populations around the globe, it is necessary to transform their demographic dividend by ensuring essential education, healthcare, and other fundamental rights.\"</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She stressed the need for effective population management considered to be a key determinant for sustainable development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the two-day event titled \"ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development\" at Intercontinental Hotel here.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Japan, together with UNFPA, are hosting the event that creates a platform to discuss the challenges and explore the opportunities of the world\'s shifting demographics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said transforming demographic dividend will enable to create a prosperous global system.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"To achieve this goal, development partners and international financial institutions need to be more sincere and internally committed to ensuring the quantity and accessibility of international arrangements for general healthcare, particularly in the field of maternal and child healthcare services,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The premier said that the global dialogue held in Dhaka will provide the necessary recommendations for the Summit of the Future to be held in September, 2024 in the United Nations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The international community at the Summit of the Future will reaffirm their strong political commitment to addressing population and development issues,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said her government has decided to update Population Policy-2012 aiming to transform the population into human resources through skill development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Very recently we have decided to update the Population Policy-2012. In the new policy, the Demographic Dividend which will continue from 2041 to 2061 is being emphasised to transform the population into human resource through skill development and advancement, and emphasising vocational education,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result of various initiatives taken by the government, the average life expectancy of the people in the country has increased to 72.3 years in 2023, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Currently, 62 percent of our total population is productive,” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The premier also mentioned that at present 9.29 percent of the total population in the country is above 60 years old.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have implemented various programs to ensure the health services and social security of the elderly. In 2023, we have arranged elderly allowances for over 5.8 million senior citizens,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also spoke about the forcibly displaced Rohingya people from Myanmar who have taken shelter in Bangladesh and the Palestinians suffering from Israeli aggression and occupation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"A large number of women and children in Palestine are currently deprived of necessary medical and health services. They are fighting for survival every day,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 15:06:09', '2024-05-15 15:21:36'),
(12397, 12397, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday claimed that Israel would “set its sights” on Turkiye if it succeeded in defeating Hamas in the Gaza Strip.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel’s war in the Palestinian territory following Hamas’s attack on October 7, has often expressed support for the Palestinian group as defenders of their homeland.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hamas is classed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union, among others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Do not think that Israel will stop in Gaza,” Erdogan told his party lawmakers in the parliament in the capital Ankara.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Unless it’s stopped... this rogue and terrorist state will set its sights on Anatolia sooner or later,” he said, referring to the large Turkish peninsula also called Asia Minor that comprises more than half of Turkiye’s territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We will continue to stand by Hamas, which fights for the independence of its own land and which defends Anatolia,” added Erdogan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Turkish leader on Monday said more than 1,000 members of Hamas were being treated in Turkish hospitals amid the ongoing war in Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Militants also seized some 250 hostages, 128 of whom Israel estimates remain in Gaza, including 36 the military says are dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel’s bombardment and offensive in Gaza have killed more than 35,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. - AFP </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 15:14:49', '2024-05-15 15:21:06'),
(12398, 12398, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh’s total interest payment on loans for the next two fiscal years is set to reach Tk 2,537 billion, as stated in the government’s ‘Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement for 2023-24 to 2025-26’. The breakdown reveals Tk 1,154 billion slated for the 2024-25 fiscal year and Tk 1,383 billion for 2025-26.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Domestically, the interest payments are projected to be Tk 1,008 billion in 2024-25 and increase to Tk 1,205 billion in 2025-26. Conversely, payments on external loans are significantly lower, with Tk 146 billion due in 2024-25 and Tk 178 billion in 2025-26.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The government aims to reduce its total expenditure on interest payments by the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year. Historically, in FY 2020-21, 15.4 percent of total expenditures were devoted to interest payments. This figure is forecasted to decrease to 13.5 percent by the end of FY 2025-26.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In more detail, domestic interest payments are expected to drop from 14.4 percent of total government expenditures in FY 2020-21 to 11.6 percent in FY 2024-25, returning to 11.8 percent in FY 2025-26. In contrast, external interest payments, which comprised 0.9 percent of total expenditures in FY 2020-21, are anticipated to rise, reaching 1.7 percent by FY 2025-26.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This increase is attributed partly to the depreciation of the taka against the US dollar and heightened external financing needs. The prevalence of National Savings Certificates in the debt portfolio, a traditionally high-interest option, has also been a factor in elevated interest costs. However, a projected decrease in the share of these instruments is expected to bring down the implicit interest rate of domestic financing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The implicit domestic interest rate is anticipated to improve from 10 percent in FY 2020-21 to 9 percent in FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26. Meanwhile, external borrowings, influenced by global interest rate hikes and local currency depreciation, are likely to increase the external implicit interest rate from one percent in FY 2020-21 to two percent in FY 2025-26. According to UNB reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 08:38:22', '2024-05-16 08:38:22'),
(12399, 12399, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Bangladesh cricket team departed Dhaka for the USA early today to participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The team, accompanied by the coaching staff, is set to compete in a three-match T20I series against the hosts, USA, ahead of the main tournament. These matches are expected to aid the Tigers in adapting to the conditions of the USA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the series, Bangladesh will play two practice matches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Tigers\' first World Cup match is scheduled for June 8th in Dallas against Sri Lanka. Their second group stage encounter will be against South Africa in New York. The team will then travel to the West Indies to play their remaining group stage matches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the anticipation surrounding the event, both captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and coach Chandika Hathurusingha have tempered expectations. Bangladesh have yet to achieve significant success in T20 World Cups.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The traveling squad includes two reserve players: Afif Hossain and Hasan Mahmud. They will be incorporated into the main squad only if necessary, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstances.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Squad for ICC Men\'s T20 World Cup 2024:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Taskin Ahmed (vice-captain), Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali, Tanvir Islam, Sheikh Mahedi, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Traveling reserves: Hasan Mahmud and Afif Hossain. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 08:56:10', '2024-05-16 08:56:10'),
(12400, 12400, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">China’s leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Thursday as he began a two-day state visit while Moscow presses forward with a new offensive in Ukraine.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They shook hands at a welcome ceremony after Putin’s arrival in Beijing at dawn. Putin, Xi and other top officials are expected to hold meetings later that will emphasize their commitment to the “no limits” relationship they signed in 2022, just before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since then, Russia has become increasingly economically dependent on China as Western sanctions cut its access to much of the international trading system.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the eve of the visit, Putin said in an interview with Chinese media that the Kremlin is prepared to negotiate over the conflict in Ukraine. “We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours,” Putin was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Russian leader’s two-day trip comes as his country’s forces have pressed an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region that began last week in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began, forcing almost 8,000 people to flee their homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Along with Moscow’s efforts to build on its gains in the nearby Donetsk region, the 2-year-old war has entered a critical stage for Ukraine’s depleted military that is awaiting new supplies of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells from the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have never refused to negotiate,” Putin was quoted as saying by Xinhua. “We are seeking a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of this conflict through peaceful means. We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said any negotiations must include a restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression, and security guarantees for Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but has backed Moscow’s contentions that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West, despite Putin’s public avowals of his desire to restore Russia’s century-old borders as the reason for his assault.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin has blamed the West for the failure of negotiations in the opening weeks of the war and praised China’s peace plan for Ukraine that would allow Moscow to cement its territorial gains.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Beijing proposes practicable and constructive steps to achieve peace by refraining from pursuing vested interests and constant escalation of tensions, minimizing the negative impact of the conflict on the global economy,” he had said. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 09:35:04', '2024-05-16 09:35:04'),
(12401, 12401, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The heatwave in Bangladesh and other South Asian countries became 45 times more likely due to climate change, says a new report.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to a recent finding by the World Weather Attribution (WWA), if the global temperature rises from the current 1.2 degrees Celsius to 2 degrees Celsius, the recurrence of extreme heat incidents is more probable.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These findings are part of the WWA\'s report on heatwaves in Asia, which quantifies the effect of human-caused warming on extreme temperatures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh has been facing increasing heatwaves during summer for the last couple of years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">2024 is the hottest year yet, recording average temperatures of 40 to 42 degrees Celsius in all the districts. The population and biodiversity of the country are at stake due to such an unprecedented catastrophe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Extreme temperatures above 40°C that impacted billions of people across Asia in April were made hotter and more likely by human-caused climate change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The study highlights how heatwaves intensified by climate change are making life much tougher for people living in poverty across Asia and the 1.7 million displaced Palestinians in Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The scientists also analyzed historical weather data for a South Asian region including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this area, 30-day heatwaves typically occurred once every 30 years. However, due to climate change, they have become 45 times more likely and 0.85°C hotter. This aligns with previous WWA studies, indicating April heatwaves became 1°C hotter and 10-30 times more likely. Additionally, analysis shows similar heatwaves are twice as likely during El Niño conditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In South and Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam broke records for their hottest April day, and the Philippines experienced its hottest night ever.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In India, temperatures reached as high as 46ºC. The heat was also extreme in West Asia, with Palestine and Israel experiencing temperatures above 40°C.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The month was the hottest April on record globally and the eleventh consecutive month in a row a hottest month record was broken.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Heat-related deaths were widely reported, with at least 28 in Bangladesh, five in India, and three in Gaza during April. Surges in heat deaths have also been reported in Thailand and the Philippines this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These are only preliminary figures, and because heat-related deaths are notoriously underreported, it is likely there were hundreds or possibly thousands of other heat-related deaths in Asia during April.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The heat also led to crop failure, loss of livestock, water shortages, mass die-off of fish, widespread school closures, and low voter turnout in Kerala, India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“From Gaza to Delhi to Manila, people suffered and died when April temperatures soared in Asia. Heatwaves have always happened. But the additional heat, driven by emissions from oil, gas, and coal, is resulting in death for many people. If humans continue to burn fossil fuels, the climate will continue to warm, and vulnerable people will continue to die,” said Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Climate change, resulting from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, intensifies global heatwaves, making them more frequent, prolonged, and severe. To assess human-induced warming\'s impact on extreme temperatures in Asia, scientists analyzed weather data and climate models, comparing today\'s climate (approximately 1.2°C warming) to pre-industrial levels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Focused on dangerous heat periods in West Asia and the Philippines, researchers examined maximum daily temperatures over three and 15-day averages, respectively. They also evaluated the El Niño-Southern Oscillation\'s potential influence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The study was conducted by 13 researchers as part of the World Weather Attribution group, including scientists from universities and meteorological agencies in Malaysia, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The study highlights how climate change is making life much tougher for people in Asia living in poverty and dealing with the effects of war. In Gaza, many of the 1.7 million displaced people are living in improvised tents that trap heat, have limited access to healthcare and clean drinking water, and lack options to stay cool.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Across South and Southeast Asia, the hundreds of millions of people who live in informal housing and work outdoors, like farmers, construction workers, and street vendors, are disproportionately affected by extreme heat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The threat of extreme heat is rapidly increasing across Asia. More than four billion people live on the continent, with heat impacting the most vulnerable groups disproportionately. Heat-related impacts on health are not well-monitored or documented. This really hampers our ability to understand the true impacts and full spectrum of risks associated with extreme heat,” said Carolina Pereira Marghidan, Climate Risk Consultant at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, and PhD researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mariam Zachariah, Researcher at the Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said: “Climate change is bringing more days with potentially deadly temperatures to Asia every year. “This result is unsurprising, but important for highlighting the dangers of extreme heat in Asia. “Unless the world takes massive, unprecedented steps to reduce emissions and keep warming to 1.5°C, extreme heat will lead to even greater suffering in Asia.” Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 09:54:58', '2024-05-16 09:54:58'),
(12402, 12402, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A microbus caught fire on Dhaka Elevated Expressway in front of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Thursday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rozina Akhtar, duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters control room, said the microbus caught fire due to overheating of its engine around 12:10 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Being informed, two firefighting units from nearby Airport station came and doused the fire around 12:40 pm, she said. No casualty was reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 10:25:44', '2024-05-16 10:25:44'),
(12403, 12403, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The U.S. military finished installing a floating pier for the Gaza Strip on Thursday for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid into the enclave besieged over seven months of intense fighting in the Israel-Hamas war.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel has been pressing its military operations in Rafah, a city along Gaza\'s southern border with Egypt, and in northern Gaza, where Hamas has regrouped. Around 600,000 Palestinians have been driven out of Rafah since the beginning of last week, the U.N. said. In northern Gaza, Israeli evacuation orders have displaced at least 100,000 people so far.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some 80% of Gaza\'s population of 2.3 million Palestinians have fled their homes since the start of the war, with many relocating multiple times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No food has entered the two main border crossings in southern Gaza for more than a week. Some 1.1 million Palestinians are on the brink of starvation, according to the U.N, while a “full-blown famine” is taking place in the north of the territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel has portrayed Rafah as the last Hamas stronghold, brushing off warnings from the United States and other allies that any major operation there would be catastrophic for civilians. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 10:39:11', '2024-05-16 10:39:11');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12404, 12404, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">“Let this relationship be a role model of uniqueness and prosperity,” Professor Khan stated during the event. He highlighted the potential for Bangladesh-China trade and investment ties, adhering to global norms and standards, to bolster Bangladesh’s impressive growth and positively influence the broader region.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Professor Shahab Enam Khan, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs, emphasized the need for a “better, transparent, and more accountable” trading regime between Bangladesh and China.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking on May 15 at a symposium hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka, he argued that such a relationship could serve as a regional model for good governance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan, who also serves as a professor in the Department of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University, called for a comprehensive view of Bangladesh’s foreign policy towards China, involving global powers and their varied interests, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He referenced Bangladesh’s commitment to the One China policy, underscoring its alignment with values upheld during the 1971 Liberation War under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The discussion also covered the Rohingya crisis and the broader stability of the Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing the importance of regional stability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The symposium, themed “Reflecting on the Original Aspiration of Establishing Diplomatic Relations, Moving Forward Together,” featured Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen as the chief guest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 11:00:43', '2024-05-16 11:00:43'),
(12405, 12405, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Amidst a backdrop of fluctuating foreign exchange reserves, Bangladesh Bank has been employing varied methodologies to calculate the nation\'s reserves, unveiling differing figures.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Traders and consumers alike have responded to these variations with increased apprehension, leading to price surges across various commodities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alam, a 50-year-old electrician originally from Bhola, now working in Dhaka’s Mogbazar area, shared that he had to increase his service charges substantially due to the escalated costs of living. \"We wouldn\'t provide service if anyone offered below Tk 500, as prices of food, utility bills have shot up,\" Alam stated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similarly, Ekabbar Ali, a rickshaw puller originally from Jamalpur, has raised his fares to cope with rising maintenance costs. \"The prices of food, medicine, and bills have increased. If rickshaw fare is not increased, we cannot survive,\" Ali explained.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Retail dynamics have also shifted, as noted by Habibur Rahman, a grocery trader in Mogbazar, who mentioned that suppliers have increased prices several times a week, citing the rising dollar value. Consequently, traders are compelled to elevate retail prices.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the central bank’s latest figures, the total reserves stood at $23.77 billion as of May 14, after adjusting for liabilities to the Asian Clearing Union for March and April. The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) method, BPM6, however, records the reserves at a lower $18.32 billion, with actual usable reserves slightly less than $13 billion. These figures reflect the net reserves, deducting various liabilities, including those held as Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) by the IMF.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While the central bank does not officially publish net reserve data, Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, a former senior economist at the IMF, reassures that the gross reserves are still over $18 billion, indicating that the reserve levels are not immediately at risk. However, he acknowledges ongoing concerns regarding confidence in the money market and the macroeconomic landscape.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr. Mansur highlighted the threat of uncontrolled money laundering as a significant destabilizing factor, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr. Zahid Hussain, former chief economist of the World Bank in Dhaka, also emphasized the risks posed by insufficient reserves in dealing with potential economic downturns or disasters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This dollar shortfall and the resulting economic uncertainty underscore the critical balance required in managing foreign exchange and macroeconomic stability in Bangladesh, a nation heavily reliant on export earnings and remittances from its expatriate community.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 11:50:14', '2024-05-16 11:50:14'),
(12406, 12406, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A mild to moderate heatwave is currently impacting all eight divisions, including Dhaka. According to the BMD, this weather pattern, affecting Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions, is expected to continue, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The forecast indicates predominantly dry weather conditions with temporary periods of partly cloudy skies across the country. Both day and night temperatures are anticipated to rise slightly, which may increase discomfort due to higher moisture levels in the air.</div><div><br></div><div>Dinajpur experienced the country’s highest temperature at 39 degrees Celsius. Conversely, the lowest temperature recorded was 23.1 degrees Celsius in Tetulia, Panchagarh on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 12:07:45', '2024-05-16 12:07:45'),
(12407, 12407, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b style=\"\">Forbes, one of the world’s prestigious business magazines, has published the list of its ninth annual 30 Under 30 Asia, Class of 2024 on Wednesday, including nine Bangladeshi rising stars.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The list, in which many Bangladeshi young professionals have made their respective places before, addresses 300 changemakers in 10 categories who are transforming their industries while making positive impacts in society.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These categories are: Entertainment &amp; Sports, Finance &amp; Venture Capital, Enterprise Technology, Media, Marketing &amp; Advertising, Consumer Technology, Industry, Manufacturing &amp; Energy, The Arts (Art &amp; Style, Food &amp; Drink), Social Impact, Retail &amp; Ecommerce And Healthcare &amp; Science.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among these, Bangladeshi multidisciplinary artist Anusha Alamgir is listed in The Arts (Art &amp; Style, Food &amp; Drink) category; award-winning freelance journalist Redwan Ahmed has been listed in the Media, Marketing and Advertising category; Mehedi Shoron has been recognized in the Consumer Technology category; and the Finance and Venture Capital category included six youngstars including Fahad Ahmed, Sultan Moni, Mumtahina Anika, Md Shahidul Islam, Abdul Gaffar Sadi, and Md Tushar. According to media reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 12:10:30', '2024-05-16 12:10:30'),
(12408, 12408, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan appeared in the Supreme Court on Thursday by video from prison, in connection with a case he has filed against amendments to Pakistan’s anti-graft laws.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His video appearance was expected to be streamed live on the court’s website and YouTube, making it the first publicly seen visuals of the jailed leader since his arrest in August last year. But the visuals could not be seen on the website as proceedings began.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was not immediately known why the visuals were not available on the website or YouTube.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of supporters of Khan were waiting on the YouTube channel of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party where the court visuals were expected to be aired.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan, a 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, has been appearing in other courts since being jailed, but cameras are not permitted to cover the proceedings which are usually conducted inside the jail premises.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While Khan has been fighting dozens of cases registered against him, Thursday’s appearance was in connection with a case he has filed against amendments to Pakistan’s anti-graft laws.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Supreme Court this week ordered the government to ensure that Khan be produced via video link, granting his request to be allowed to represent himself instead of through a lawyer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan, who was removed from power in 2022, was granted bail in a land corruption case on Wednesday, but will remain in prison having been convicted in four cases, of which sentences in two have been suspended.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The former prime minister, who remains widely popular in Pakistan, alleges that the cases are part of an effort by his political rivals and the country’s powerful military to sideline him and keep him from returning to power. Both deny this.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan-backed candidates won the most seats in national elections earlier this year despite him being in jail, but they did not have the numbers to form a government. An alliance of his rivals led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif eventually formed the government. ‍Source: Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 12:48:38', '2024-05-16 12:48:38'),
(12409, 12409, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the government jailed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia by implicating her in false cases and filed cases against 60 lakh leaders and activists of the party to hang onto power. “Oppression and arrests are still ongoing...our leaders and activists are being convicted and sent to jail.”</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BNP leader said the Awami League has retained power by manipulating elections through various tactics as it knows it will face a massive debacle in a free, fair and credible election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul Islam alleged that neighbouring India has been continuously making efforts to keep Bangladesh under its control instead of resolving the pressing issue of water-sharing of common trans-border rivers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said this while speaking at a discussion meeting on Farakka Long March Day on Thursday.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also criticised the Awami League government for its failure to take action in resolving the water problem with India, stating that the current regime has been in power solely to secure the interests of its foreign master.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We see that our neighbour (India) has always been carrying out all their activities to keep Bangladesh under control, since its birth. Not only the Farakka dam, not the Ganga water, but they have always been negligent in the water distribution of 154 common rivers. They’re not resolving the problem,” Fakhrul said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He mentioned that the current Awami League government has long been buying time, promising the country’s people to ink the Teesta water-sharing deal without success.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The root cause of this failure lies in the fact that this is completely a subservient regime. It has consistently failed to take a stand in favour of the people\'s interests as they are extremely feeble in dealing with India.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On May 16, 1976, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani led a massive long march from Rajshahi towards India\'s Farakka barrage, demanding the demolition of the barrage constructed by the Indian government to divert the flow of Ganges water inside its territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul said the current government’s only job is to protect their own interests and those of their masters by repressing the country’s people since it usurped power through a unilateral election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\'How will they (AL govt) resolve the problems of the Teesta and Farakka? How will they resolve the water-sharing problem of other common rivers? Because they captured power with special assignments (by others),” he observed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, the BNP leader said the people of Bangladesh must stand on their own feet to restore their lost democratic rights.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the BNP and many other opposition parties have been carrying out struggles for the restoration of the democratic rights of people. “For this, many of us have sacrificed our lives and many of us have to endure oppression and persecution.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul also said there is now no alternative path to waging a united movement by all opposition parties rising above division and misunderstanding among them for ousting the current monstrous regime.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We must move forward in unison in our own interests to reach our desired goal. No one will do it for us; we have to do it ourselves,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 13:15:45', '2024-05-16 13:15:45'),
(12410, 12410, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman said tha there are no specific security threats surrounding Buddha Purnima, the major religious festival for Buddhists.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Speaking at a coordination meeting at the DMP headquarters, the DMP commissioner emphasised the need for vigilance despite the absence of identified risks. \"Even if there are no specific security risks, we have to be all vigilant,\" he stated.</div><div><br></div><div>The meeting focused on the overall security, law and order, and traffic management for the upcoming Buddha Purnima celebrations, which will take place on May 22.&nbsp; Habibur assured that the DMP has completed extensive security preparations for the event, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>He directed DMP officers and forces to remain alert to prevent any potential sabotage. He also urged event organisers to maintain a high level of caution.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Each venue will have a focal point from the organisers and the police, working in coordination,\" the DMP chief explained, highlighting the collaborative approach to ensuring security across multiple celebration sites in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 14:31:59', '2024-05-16 14:31:59'),
(12411, 12411, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Slovak interior minister said Thursday that a “lone wolf” has been charged in the shooting that seriously wounded Prime Minister Robert Fico and prompted soul-searching among leaders in the deeply divided society.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fico was in serious but stable condition Thursday, a hospital official said, after the populist leader was hit multiple times in an attempt on his life that shook the small country and reverberated across the continent weeks before European elections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The attempted assassination has shocked the small central European nation, with many blaming the attack in part on extreme political polarization that has divided the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said Wednesday that an initial investigation found “a clear political motivation” behind the attack on Fico while he was attending a government meeting in a former coal mining town. However, he said Thursday that the suspect charged was a lone wolf who “did not belong to any political groups.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister did not specify what the motivation was. Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond, and his return to power last year on a pro-Russian, anti-American message led to even greater worries among fellow European Union members that he would abandon his country\'s pro-Western course. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 14:34:08', '2024-05-16 14:34:08'),
(12412, 12412, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her reelection as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I congratulate you on behalf of the Government and people of Australia on your leadership of the 12th Jatiya Sangsad as Prime Minister of Bangladesh. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our bilateral relationship and together contribute to regional peace, prosperity and security,” he said in a letter written to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also wrote: “I am writing to highlight the importance of our partnership in promoting peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean, and to affirm my support for growing bilateral and regional cooperation between Australia and Bangladesh.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As Indian Ocean nations, we share an interest in a region that is grounded in sovereignty, promotes the prosperity and security of our citizens, and addresses the threat of climate change.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have many common interests in increasing our trade and investment, promoting human rights, cooperating on people smuggling and addressing the Rohingya issue,” Albanese wrote.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 14:56:28', '2024-05-16 14:56:28'),
(12413, 12413, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>\"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s alternative is Sheikh Hasina. There is no alternative to Sheikh Hasina to take the country forward,\" said Awami League joint general secretary and foreign minister Hashan Mahmud.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said referring to May 17, 1981, when she as the people\'s leader ignored all the obstacles and returned to the country on Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reorganised the Awami League, as well as taking the country forward with extraordinary development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasan was speaking as the chief guest at a programme marking Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina\'s homecoming day that falls on May 17.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said there were 19 times efforts to kill her but she remained firm in her position even after repeatedly returning from the valley of death.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She faced death threats repeatedly but never deviated from her struggle for people\'s rights, Hasan said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Hasan, who was injured in the grenade attack on August 21, said an attempt was made to kill Sheikh Hasina on January 24, 1988 by hunting people like birds in Chattogram.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">I was at the front of that procession that day. An attempt was made to assassinate her by burying an 81 kg bomb in Kotalipara and hurling grenades like rain on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on 21 August 2004. But after coming back from the door of death, the leader and daughter of Bangabandhu never compromised with her position, he said</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasan also said after the visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, the leaders of BNP have gone mad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 15:30:52', '2024-05-16 15:30:52'),
(12414, 12414, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>As it watched the country’s foreign exchange reserves keep draining away, from the peak of $48.1 billion in August 2021 to a net figure that may be less than $13 billion today, Bangladesh Bank became engaged in studying the minutiae of different types of calculations and definitions of a country’s reserve holdings, and all their different interpretations, like an A Levels Macroeconomics student.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The convoluted discussion it created around the country’s reserves - this formula, that formula, IMF manuals, and payouts from the reserve in the form of loans that were not initially disclosed, have all contributed to a cloud over the entire situation for a while now. Consumers are forced to grapple with all kinds of different information becoming and some unethical traders are cashing in on this by increasing prices arbitrarily.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result, common people are suffering as businesses and different trading syndicates have taken to using the pretext of ‘the dollar crisis’ to hike prices. Talking with common people, economists and businesses, the correspondent got this opinion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mohammed Alam, 50, from Charfashion in Bhola, has been working in the Moghbazar area of Dhaka as an electrician for the last 17 years. He is self-employed and works on call if anybody needs an electric line installed, a fan to be setup, etc.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For the last one month, since Eid ul Fitr, Alam has been charging a minimum bill of Tk500 for any call leading to a home visit. Till Eid this year, and for the longest time in fact, this service was charged Tk300, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We would not be able to provide service if anyone offered below Tk500, as prices of food, medicine, utility bills, our own expenses have shot up since the dollar crisis started. Why can’t our service bill increase,” said Alam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 16:00:51', '2024-05-16 16:00:51'),
(12415, 12415, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"\"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At Hampden Park, Glasgow—the stadium where former Argentine football superstar Diego Maradona scored his first-ever international goal for Argentina in 1979—the legendary footballer\'s legacy was remembered.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two contrasting figures from his footballing journey shared their thoughts: Argentinian World Cup-winning legend Ossie Ardiles, a teammate and friend of Maradona’s, and his most famous opponent, legendary England captain Terry Butcher.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The occasion was the upcoming auction of Maradona\'s Adidas Golden Ball trophy, awarded to him as the best player of the 1986 World Cup, to be held at the Aguttes Auction House in Paris on June 6. This unique item encapsulates all of the memories of that dramatic tournament, including the \"Goal of the Century\" and the infamous \"Hand of God\" goal against England.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Butcher, who famously marked Maradona during the infamous World Cup quarter-final, expressed his admiration for the Argentine legend with a humorous twist.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 16:05:04', '2024-05-16 16:05:04'),
(12416, 12416, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the authorities concerned of all ministries and divisions to complete the foreign aided and grant projects speedily with additional efforts if required to expedite the country\'s development spree further.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The premier gave the directives while chairing the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the NEC Conference Room in the city\'s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area. The NEC approved a Taka 2.65 lakh crore ADP for the next fiscal year (FY25).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Division Senior Secretary Satyajit Karmakar said that the Prime Minister also directed the authorities concerned to reappoint the project directors and other officials in their specialized areas after completion of their training in concerned fields.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Planning Minister Major General (retd) Abdus Salam, State Minister for Planning Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned attended the briefing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Instead of not taking smaller projects, Satyajit said the premier advocated for taking district-based projects and thus entrusting the district-level officials for overseeing those projects.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Renewing her call for creating a pool of project directors, Sheikh Hasina emphasized again on imparting necessary training to those projects directors and officials who lack training.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In order to enhance the implementation rate of the foreign aided projects, the Prime Minister asked the concerned ministries and divisions to apprise the ECNEC in every three months about the implementation progress of their respective aided projects to infuse dynamism in the implementation pace, reports BSS.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier also directed the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) to take necessary steps to bring those firms who conduct feasibility study under a registration process so that quality feasibility study could be conducted in different fields.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 16:13:01', '2024-05-16 16:13:01'),
(12417, 12417, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The sanctions imposed against Bangladesh\'s elite force RAB are not being withdrawn, said the United States.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"Those claims are false. The U.S. is not withdrawing sanctions against the RAB,\" said Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State Vedant Patel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In a regular briefing at the US Department of State, he said sanctions are intended to change \"behaviour and promote accountability\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nobody from the government of Bangladesh claimed that the US is withdrawing the sanctions, prompting a question who made these false claims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The issue is with the US Department of Justice which is independent and separate from the White House and the State Department. They work independently,\" PM\'s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman told reporters earlier on Tuesday night in Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Salman said the White House and the US Department of State are in favour of lifting sanctions on the RAB but it depends on the Department of Justice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The issue is moving through a process,\" Salman said after his discussion over dinner with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu who on a three-day visit here last week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 08:26:01', '2024-05-17 08:26:01'),
(12418, 12418, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>killing five people and injuring 15 others, a bus fell into a roadside ditch on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Chauddagram end of Cumilla on Friday morning, according to police.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The double decker bus of ‘Relax Paribahan’ carrying several passengers was heading towards Cox’s Bazar from capital Dhaka, said Md Gias Uddin, In-Charge of Chauddagram highway police outpost.</div><div><br></div><div>It lost control on the highway before it plunged into the roadside ditch, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Five people died on the spot and 15 others sustained severe injuries, the police officer said, adding that the injured were taken to Chauddagram Upazila Health Complex after members of highway police and Fire Service and Civil Defence rescued them.</div><div><br></div><div>“After the first aid, twelve of the injured were shifted to Cumilla Medical College Hospital for better treatment,” said the officer.</div><div><br></div><div>The identities of the victims couldn’t be known immediately, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 08:36:09', '2024-05-17 08:36:09'),
(12419, 12419, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted scattered rain or thunderstorms with temporary gusty winds in one or two places over Sylhet division on Friday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>There is also a chance of hail at isolated places within the division, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, weather is expected to remain mainly dry with temporary, partly cloudy skies elsewhere in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>A mild to moderate heatwave is currently sweeping over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, and it may continue.</div><div><br></div><div>Day and night temperatures are expected to remain nearly unchanged across the country. However, due to increased moisture levels, discomfort may persist, said the BMD\'s weather bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>The highest temperature in the country was recorded at 39.5 degrees Celsius at Ishurdi of Pabna over the past 24 hours, till 6 am Friday, while the lowest temperature was recorded at 24 degrees Celsius at Tetulia of Panchagarh.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 09:19:22', '2024-05-17 09:19:22'),
(12420, 12420, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said her party – Bangladesh Awami League (AL) is the strongest, largest and the most credible political party in the country now.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Today Awami League is the strongest and biggest organisation in Bangladesh. It\'s a reality. The most acceptable party among the people is the Awami League,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AL president, Sheikh Hasina, made the remarks when her party leaders and activists came to Ganabhaban to greet her on her historic Homecoming Day, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recalling her election as the President of Bangladesh Awami League in her absence before her return to home on May 17, 1981, the PM said she had no experience to lead a big party like AL at that time. It was definitely a big responsibility for her to lead AL, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the party has overcome conspiracies on many occasions. \"Conspiracies are hatched every time and we overcome them. We have to keep it up,” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recollecting the day she had returned home ending six years of forced exile, the AL president said she had been welcomed by hundreds of thousands of people defying the storm and rain on that day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 09:24:13', '2024-05-17 09:24:13'),
(12421, 12421, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>After being knocked back at some 50 interviews for consulting jobs in France despite his ample qualifications, Muslim business school graduate Adam packed his bags and moved to a new life in Dubai.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I feel much better here than in France,” the 32-year-old of North African descent told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’re all equal. You can have a boss who’s Indian, Arab or a French person,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“My religion is more accepted.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Highly-qualified French citizens from Muslim backgrounds, often the children of immigrants, are leaving France in a quiet brain drain, seeking a new start abroad in cities like London, New York, Montreal or Dubai, according to a new study.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The authors of “France, you love it but you leave it”, published last month, said it was difficult to estimate exactly how many.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But they found that 71 percent of more than 1,000 people who responded to their survey circulated online had left in part because of racism and discrimination.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Adam, who asked that his surname not be used, told AFP his new job in the United Arab Emirates has given him fresh perspective.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In France “you need to work twice as hard when you come from certain minorities”, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said he was “extremely grateful” for his French education and missed his friends, family and the rich cultural life of the country where he grew up.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But he said he was glad to have quit its “Islamophobia” and “systemic racism” that meant he was stopped by police for no reason.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">France has long been a country of immigration, including from its former colonies in North and West Africa.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But today the descendants of Muslim immigrants who came to France seeking a better future say they have been living in an increasingly hostile environment, especially after the attacks in Paris in 2015 that killed 130 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They say France’s particular form of secularism, which bans all religious symbols in public schools including headscarves and long robes, seems to disproportionately focus on the attire of Muslim women.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another French Muslim, a 33-year-old tech employee of Moroccan descent, told AFP he and his pregnant wife were planning to emigrate to “a more peaceful society” in southeast Asia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said he would miss France’s “sublime” cuisine and the queues outside the bakeries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But “we’re suffocating in France”, said the business school graduate with a five-figure monthly salary.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He described wanting to leave “this ambient gloom”, in which television news channels seem to target all Muslims as scapegoats, reports AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The tech employee, who moved to Paris after growing up in its lower-income suburbs, said he has been living in the same block of flats for two years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But still they ask me what I’m doing inside my building,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 09:50:28', '2024-05-17 09:50:28'),
(12422, 12422, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Firebrand Indian politician Arvind Kejriwal has hit the ground running since his surprise release from detention in the midst of a contentious general election, energising the opposition as it challenges Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Supreme Court gave 55-year-old Kejriwal, who is also the chief minister of the national capital territory of Delhi, bail in a graft case on May 10 and he wasted no time in getting on the campaign trail.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I have only one request from you, we all have to come together to save the country from dictatorship. I am fighting this dictatorship with all my might,” he told a jubilant crowd soon after walking out of Delhi’s Tihar jail, clearly referring to Modi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kejriwal is part of the INDIA alliance led by the Congress party and one of its biggest crowd-pullers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analysts say while his campaigning will give fresh impetus to the opposition, they are unsure if that will translate into any significant victories against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is tipped to return to power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is in power in the Delhi region and in the northern state of Punjab, which together account for just 20 seats in parliament, out of the 543 being contested.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He may be able to generate some sympathy vote, but would that be enough to change the outcome of the election?” said Rahul Verma, a fellow at the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research think tank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The BJP led in Delhi by 20 percentage points on an average in each seat, so it needs a substantial amount of swing for BJP to start losing seats in Delhi,” Verma added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Still, Kejriwal has the ability to embarrass the BJP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A day after his release, he said Modi, central to the ruling party’s campaign, would not be prime minister beyond 2025 when he turns 75, and would hand over the reins to home (interior) minister Amit Shah, reports Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Modi made the rule in BJP that whoever turns 75 will be retired. So I ask BJP, who will be your prime minister?” Kejriwal said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Modi is not seeking for votes for himself, but for Amit Shah … who will fulfil Modi’s guarantees then?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BJP scrambled to deny the suggestion that flag-bearer Modi would retire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 10:44:36', '2024-05-17 10:44:36'),
(12423, 12423, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Israel defended the military necessity of its Gaza offensive today at the International Court of Justice and asked judges to throw out a request by South Africa to order it to halt operations in Rafah and withdraw from the Palestinian territory.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Israeli justice ministry official Gilad Noam called South Africa’s case, which accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention, “completely divorced from facts and circumstances”.</div><div><br></div><div>“(The case) makes a mockery of the heinous charge of genocide,” Noam said.</div><div><br></div><div>He called it “an obscene exploitation of the most sacred convention”, referring to the international treaty banning genocide, agreed after the Holocaust of European Jews in World War II.</div><div><br></div><div>The convention requires all countries to act to prevent genocide, and the ICJ, also known as the World Court, which hears disputes between states, has concluded that this gives South Africa a right to make the case.</div><div><br></div><div>A woman who yelled “Liars!” during Israel’s presentation was removed by security guards, a rare protest in the “Great Hall of Justice” courtroom in The Hague.</div><div><br></div><div>“There is a tragic war going on, but there is no genocide” in Gaza, Noam said.</div><div><br></div><div>In past rulings, the court has rejected Israel’s demands to dismiss the case and ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians, while stopping short of ordering it to halt the assault.</div><div><br></div><div>Ahead of Israel’s presentation, several dozen pro-Israeli protesters gathered outside, displaying photographs of hostages taken by Hamas fighters on Oct 7 and demanding their release. - Reuters</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 10:50:12', '2024-05-17 10:50:12');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12424, 12424, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Thirteen western countries, including many traditionally supportive of Israel, appealed to it today not to launch a large-scale offensive on Rafah.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We reiterate our opposition to a full-scale military operation in Rafah that would have catastrophic consequences on the civilian population,” read the appeal, sent by the countries’ foreign ministers to their Israeli counterpart Israel Katz and made public.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The signatories were Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and EU member states Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers welcomed recent measures adopted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet to improve the flow of international aid into Gaza, but called for “further steps”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We urge the government of Israel to let the humanitarian aid enter into the Gaza strip through all relevant crossing points, including the one in Rafah,” they said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They called on Israel to take “concrete action for the protection of civilians, international and local humanitarian aid workers and journalists”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The appeal also called for “a sustainable ceasefire”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers urged Israel to “open all possible overland supply routes into Gaza” for aid, to “resume electricity, water and telecommunication services”, and boost significantly “the supply of critically needed goods … particularly medical supplies”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finally, they called on Israel to “facilitate further evacuations by issuing exit permits for all our citizens, eligible persons, and Palestinians admitted to relocate for humanitarian or medical reasons abroad”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eight months after the start of the war, Israel is vowing to intensify its ground offensive in Rafah despite international concerns for the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the southern city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli siege of Gaza has brought dire shortages of food as well as safe water, medicines and fuel for its 2.4 million people. - AFP </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 11:40:07', '2024-05-17 11:40:27'),
(12425, 12425, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The consumers in Dhaka are feeling the heat of inflation as price hike continues amid higher interest rates.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prices of almost all consumer items including fish, eggs, vegetables, and other daily essentials saw their prices highest in a decade. Vegetables, meat, chicken, and fish prices have remained stable, but at higher rates, said several consumers of different professions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking with UNB they said that higher prices of almost all vegetables, fish, chickens, meat, and other essential commodities are unlikely to decrease for now.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abul Hossain, a mid-level official of an autonomous organisation ltold UNB that the taka has slid from 84 to 117 against the US dollar, which severely affected the consumer market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Not only devalued taka, but also prices of utilities , and fuel have increased, interest rate soared. All of this rate hike impacted the consumer market, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many others echoed Abul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Egg price is on higher trend over last 10 days and selling this popular protein item at Tk160 per dozen on Friday in the capital. It saw an increase of price by Tk25 in last two week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Visiting different kitchen markets including Karwan Bazar, Mohammadpur, Mohakhali, and Malibagh this correspondent observed that eggs were selling at Tk 160 per dozen.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Egg of domestic rearing hen was selling at Tk 75 to 80 per hali (4 pieces) and duck egg was selling at Tk 70 to 75 per hali.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The price of broiler chicken and Pakistani origin sonali chicken have increased by Tk10 to 20 per kg compared to the last two weeks. The boiler chicken was selling at Tk 220 to 2235 per kg based on size and quality. Apart from this, the price of Sonali chicken has also increased and being sold at Tk 345 to 3070 per kg based on size and quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similarly, cock chicken was being sold at Tk 370 to 390 per kg, layer chicken at Tk 300 to Tk350 per kg, and indigenous (desi) chicken at Tk 670 to Tk 765 per kg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The traders of the concerned sectors said that prices of chicken increased due to price hikes of chicken food and broiler chicks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beef was selling between Tk 750 to 780 per kg on Friday based on quality, and saw a raise of price by Tk 30 per kg than other days of the week. Mutton and goat meat was selling at Tk1000 to 1180 per kg based on quality, which saw an increase of Tk 50 per kg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hilsha weighing about 450 gram was selling at Tk650 per kg while Hilsha weighing 1.0 kg plus were selling at Tk 1800 to 2000 per kg at Karwan Bazar fish market on Friday. Hilsha weighing 700 to 800 grams were selling at Tk 900 to 1000 per piece.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fish like Ruhit and carp were selling between Tk 300 to 450 per kg based size and quality. Others fish including riverine small fish were selling at Tk400 to 700 per kg on Friday. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 11:45:22', '2024-05-17 11:45:22'),
(12426, 12426, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The BNP, in alliance with war criminals and Razakars, Al-Badrs, acted as Pakistan\'s broker during their rule, said Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministerl Anisul Huq.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They exploited and tortured the people of Bangladesh, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The development that has taken place during the present time is intolerable to BNP leaders like Mirza Fakhrul. That\'s why they have lost their minds,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The law minister was speaking with reporters after inspecting the construction work of the bridge over the Teesta River at Krishnanagar village in Dharakhar Union of Akhaura upazila in Brahmanbaria on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, he said, the number of loan defaulters was the highest during the BNP regime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 12:11:09', '2024-05-17 12:11:09'),
(12427, 12427, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh and the United Kingdom have held their first ever Joint Working Group meeting on Home Affairs in London at the British Home Office and signed the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Returns.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">British Minister for Countering Illegal Migration James Tomlinson-Mynors KC, and Bangladesh High Commissioner in the UK Saida Muna Tasneem opened the JWG meeting on Thursday and witnessed the signing of the SOPs between the two countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh-UK SOPs on Returns is a successor to the earlier signed Bangladesh-EU SOPs of 2017, the procedure that used to be followed before UK’s exit from the EU for returning Bangladeshi overstayers from the UK., said a press release here on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">High commissioner Muna Tasneem recalled the genesis of the value-driven diplomatic relations between the two Commonwealth countries based on the historic friendship between Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and UK’s Conservative Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reaffirming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s zero tolerance stance against irregular migration, she said Bangladesh High Commission London in collaboration with UK Home Office has been returning certain numbers of undocumented Bangladeshis for more than a decade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That is why the number of undocumented Bangladeshis in the UK is minimal at this moment, and the Bangladesh Home Office would work closely with the British Home Office with support from the High Commission, said the envoy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The good news is that Bangladesh is not even within the top ten countries in terms of numbers of undocumented nationals, and yet we needed to formalize this MoU with the post-Brexit UK, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apart from signing of the SOPs, the Joint Working Group on Home Affairs discussed opportunities of orderly migration including skilled and high talent migration from Bangladesh to the UK, opened avenues for discussion on mutual legal assistance, extradition, transnational crimes and countering terrorism and extremism, as well as capacity building of Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Joint Working Group meeting was led by Khairul Kabir Menon, Additional Secretary, Security Services Division, Ministry of Home Affairs from Bangladesh side, and Bas Javid, Director General of Immigration Enforcement, Home office from the UK side.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Senior representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Bangladesh, Bangladesh Police and the Special Branch, as well as representatives from Bangladesh High Commission London participated at the meeting. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 12:28:55', '2024-05-17 12:28:55'),
(12428, 12428, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 4.025 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine (ice) and detained a man during separate drives in Teknaf and Ramu upazilas of Cox’s Bazar on Thursday night.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The detainee is Md Nur Mohammad, 39 of Paschim Paglir Beel area of Ukhiya upazila of the district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lt Col Md Mohiuddin, commander of the BGB-2 in Teknaf, said they conducted a drive in Lambori Ghat area adjacent to Teknaf-Cox\'s Bazar Marine Drive Road, after being tipped-off that a haul of drugs would be smuggled from neighbouring country Myanmar via waterway.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a man was spotted coming to the Marine Drive Road from the Ghat with a bag, the frontier forces signaled him to halt, while the suspect fled towards a forest, leaving the bag, said the BGB official.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Though the man could not be detained, the bag left by him was recovered, he said, adding that a total of 2.045 kg of drugs was recovered from it. Efforts were on to find the drug dealer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, BGB’s Ramu zone commander Lt Col Syed Wahiduzzaman said they conducted a drive in the Goaliya Link Road around 11pm on Thursday, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upon suspicion, they challenged Cox\'s Bazar-bound bus passenger Nur Mohammad and recovered 1.980kg of crystal meth from a shopping bag belonging to him, the commander said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The detainee was handed over to the Ukhiya Police Station after filing a case, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 12:47:00', '2024-05-17 12:47:00'),
(12429, 12429, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The UN humanitarian office on Friday urged the opening of all crossings into Gaza as humanitarian needs in the besieged strip \"cannot depend\" on a floating dock.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"Any and all aid into Gaza is welcomed,\" said Jens Laerke, the spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, at a UN briefing in Geneva on the establishment of the floating dock. \"It is an addition. And it doesn\'t take away from the fact that land proceeds will be more important.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Laerke said the UN was \"grateful\" for the efforts of the Greek Cypriot administration and other member states to sustain the maritime corridor as an additional route for aid to Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>\"However, getting aid to people in need into and across Gaza cannot and should not depend on a floating dock far from where needs are most acute,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>He underscored that land routes are the \"most viable, effective and efficient\" aid delivery method and said this is \"why we need all crossing points to be opened.\"</div><div><br></div><div>According to the spokesperson, the UN is finalizing its operational plans to make sure that it is ready to handle aid once the floating dock is properly functioning while ensuring the safety of its staff and operation.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel said Thursday a floating dock off the Gazan coast, built in cooperation with the US Central Command for humanitarian aid, will begin receiving aid sent to the coastal enclave.</div><div><br></div><div>Last week, the Israeli army invaded the eastern section of Rafah and captured the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, a vital route for humanitarian aid into Gaza, and closed it. According to UN officials, the Kerem Shalom crossing is \"technically open\" but lacks access to aid entries to Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.</div><div><br></div><div>More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. - Anadolu Agency</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 13:07:04', '2024-05-17 13:07:04'),
(12430, 12430, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP on Friday alleged that journalists from two media outlets falsely cited the party while questioning US Assistant Secretary Donal Lu about his country’s stance on Bangladesh’s last national election.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a statement signed by BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, it said, “The question asked by Prothom Alo and Independent TV Channel during interviews with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, citing BNP, is entirely untrue, misleading, and baseless.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party also stated that such an ‘absurd’ question was posed with the intention to humiliate BNP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;“The question states—\'An opposition party in Bangladesh, BNP, has alleged that the United States has softened its stance on the 12th National Parliamentary election influenced by India\'s mediation\'. No leader of BNP at any level has ever made such a comment or speech anywhere,” the statement clarified.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party said publishing such a ‘fabricated’ statement creates a great deal of misunderstanding. “Such an unrealistic question from journalists working in popular news media such as Prothom Alo and Independent TV tarnish the reputation of the respective institutions.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the people of the country are currently crushed by the terrible misrule, it said the BNP leaders and activists are fighting for the restoration of the rights of the people of the country by risking their lives and enduring jail, tyranny, and oppression, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party said it is committed to protecting the independence and sovereignty of the country and establishing people\'s rights, freedom of expression, and justice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The misleading question that has been asked citing BNP is not appropriate. It creates confusion in the public mind. BNP protests against this false and fabricated statement (by two media outlets).”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 13:39:19', '2024-05-17 13:39:19'),
(12431, 12431, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A UN special rapporteur Friday demanded an end to sanctions on China, pointing out the “multifaceted negative” impact of such restrictions, including on jobs and Chinese students as well as education and academic cooperation with US and European institutions.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“China represents a particular case with regards to the impact of unilateral sanctions and means of their enforcement, given its strong and diverse economy and its growing global economic outreach,” said Alena Douhan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Douhan is the UN special rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights and she concluded her 12-day official visit to the world’s second-largest economy on Friday. She will present China\'s report to the Human Rights Council later this year in September.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Decline in business activities and the significant loss of global markets either due to unilateral sanctions per se or due to over-compliance with such measures by foreign businesses and entities have led to job losses, with consequent disruptions in social protection schemes, by disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable, particularly in labor-intensive sectors, including women, older persons, and all those in informal employment,” said Douhan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During her trip to China, Douhan met representatives from national and local government institutions, non-governmental organizations, associations, humanitarian actors, businesses, UN entities, academia, businesses, as well as the diplomatic community, said a statement by the UN Human Rights Office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides the capital Beijing, she visited Urumqi, Shihezi, Changji, Hotan, and Shenzhen cities.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 14:10:07', '2024-05-17 14:10:07'),
(12432, 12432, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>One more death was reported from dengue in 24 hours till Friday morning, raising the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 33 this year.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the period, 12 more patients were hospitalised with viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of them, four patients were hospitalised in Dhaka city, while the rest were outside the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victim is from an area under the Dhaka South City Corporation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, 135 patients are receiving treatment at several hospitals across the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 2,581 dengue cases have been reported since January 1, 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 14:25:56', '2024-05-17 14:25:56'),
(12433, 12433, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh, with its vibrant landscapes and lush greenery, especially during the rainy season, beckons nature enthusiasts to explore its natural wonders. One of the crown jewels among these is Ratargul Swamp Forest.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Often heralded as the \"Amazon of Bangladesh,\" this mystical swamp forest located in the Sylhet region offers a surreal adventure, captivating those who seek tranquility and the thrill of nature at its most serene and wild.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Location and Conservation Efforts</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Situated along the Gowain River at Fatehpur union in Gowainghat, Ratargul Swamp Forest lies approximately 26 kilometers from Sylhet. This unique ecosystem thrives within the waters of the river, interconnected with the Chengir Khal channel.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the stewardship of the Forest Department, Ratargul is preserved as a vital ecological haven, ensuring its flora and fauna continue to flourish.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Significance of Ratargul Swamp Forest</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dubbed the \"Sundarbans of Sylhet,\" Ratargul ranks among the most important freshwater swamp forests in Bangladesh. Its name, derived from the indigenous term for the \"Rata\" or \"Pati\" tree, connects it deeply with the local culture.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the rainy season, the forest transforms dramatically, submerging under 20 to 30 feet of water. This annual inundation creates a mesmerizing scene of towering trees standing stark against the flooded landscape, hosting a biodiverse array of life forms.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The forest is home to over 70 species of plants, including the Dalbergia Reniformis or Koroch tree. The rich biodiversity is complemented by a variety of animals and birds, making Ratargul a critical habitat for conservation and study.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">How to Visit Ratargul Swamp Forest from Dhaka</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Visitors from Dhaka can reach Ratargul through several travel options:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Bus: Regular bus services operate from Dhaka\'s main terminals like Gabtali and Sayedabad. Air-conditioned buses offer a more comfortable journey for about BDT 1500, while non-AC buses are available at around BDT 700.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Train: Trains from Kamalapur or Airport Railway Station include options such as the Parabat Express and Upaban Express. Tickets range from BDT 375 to BDT 863, catering to different comfort levels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Air: For those looking for speed and convenience, flights from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Sylhet are provided by several local airlines, with prices starting from BDT 4000.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upon arrival in Sylhet, visitors have two main routes to access Ratargul:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scenic Route through Khadim Tea Gardens: This route passes through Khadimnagar National Park, offering picturesque views before reaching Shringi Bridge, where boats are available to enter the swamp forest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Direct Route via Amberkhana: A straightforward trip by local CNG from Amberkhana in Sylhet to Shringi Bridge also leads to boat access into the forest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experiencing Ratargul Swamp Forest</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the Meghalaya River merges with the Gowain during the rainy season, Ratargul becomes a vast submerged forest. The water level rise creates a dynamic ecosystem where the forest thrives in its flooded state. Small boats weave through the waterways beneath towering trees, providing an immersive natural experience that resonates with tranquility and the raw beauty of an untouched environment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Activities to Enjoy in Ratargul</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ratargul offers a range of activities tailored for different interests:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Boating: Exploring the forest by boat is an essential experience, allowing visitors to navigate through the water-engulfed forest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Birdwatching: With over 200 bird species, Ratargul is a paradise for bird enthusiasts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kayaking: For the more adventurous, kayaking through the forest’s narrow channels offers a thrilling perspective of its natural beauty.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Photography: The lush scenery and diverse wildlife provide ample opportunities for photography, capturing the vibrant ecosystem and its inhabitants.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', '<p><b>Amazon of Bangladesh</b><br></p>', 'Life Style Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 15:09:00', '2024-05-17 15:09:00'),
(12434, 12434, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Sheikh Hasina said that after independence, some foreign journalists asked Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, you don\'t have any wealth, how will you run the country? she said, the Father of the Nation said, \"One thing, I have soil, there are people. I will build the country with this golden soil and people.\"</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that Bangabandhu did it in just three years and seven months. \"If he was alive, maybe it wouldn\'t have taken ten years. Bangladesh was recognised as a developed country in the world.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that her only aim is to implement the unfinished work of Father of the Nation, Sheikh Hasina told the economists that \"I want your help for it.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina has called upon the country\'s economists to formulate their plans, policies and programmes considering the local people and reality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"My expectations from the economists are that you will think about the people of the country and plan your policies,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier made this call while inaugurating the 22nd Biennial conference-2024 of Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in the city\'s Ramna area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that the advice from foreigners won\'t be fruitful in the country, she said, \"Someone will come to the country (from abroad) for a day or two and give us advice, but that advice will not be fruitful to us.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She added, \"It will be useful which you see with your own eyes, and work for people. This will be useful. So that\'s how you set your policy...\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">She went on saying, \"Yes, we will learn from outside, but while doing it, we will do it by looking at our own country, by looking at our people, and by looking at what resources we have.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister also urged the country\'s economists to contribute to export basket diversification and strengthening the rural economy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"I want from the economists that what kinds of products we have and how could we make those export-oriented,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To this end, the premier mentioned that she directed all the envoys stationed in foreign missions to put concentration on export market diversification.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About the rural economy, Sheikh Hasina told the economists that you should think about the rural economy as number of factories and industries is being increased while market is being expanded alongside strengthening the rural economy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, she said \"I will tell the Bangladesh Economic Association that you are doing research, we also need more research.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 15:18:35', '2024-05-17 15:18:35'),
(12435, 12435, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>President Mohammed Shahabuddin today urged the government as well as the civil society to play an effective role to ensure that none, irrespective of religion and caste, falls prey to any sort of discrimination.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Any kind of discrimination against citizens is against the rule of law. . . None should fall prey to discrimination in society,” he said, inaugurating the 8th National Conference of the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, a pressure group founded to demand the trial of 1971 war criminals, at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium here this afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Head of State called for all-out resistance against the defeated forces of \'71 to continue development and progress while keeping the country’s independence and sovereignty intact and spreading the spirit of freedom struggle and Liberation War at all levels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Shahabuddin also spoke about building a social movement so that the present and future generations can grow up well being imbued with the spirit of freedom struggle and Liberation War.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shahabuddin, also a valiant freedom fighter, said, \"In this regard, there is no alternative to forging a strong unity of all the pro-Liberation War forces.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ignoring individual and group interests, everyone should work for the betterment of the country and its people, he added.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The President also suggested everyone to spread the history of the War of Liberation, the philosophy of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the spirit of secularism and non-communalism through social media.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shahabuddin, also a former adviser of the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee founded by late Shaheed Janani Jahanara Imam, advised the youth to use the digital medium positively, read the history of the Liberation War and learn about Bangabandhu’s biography and ideals.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Raise the glorious history of Bengalis to the world by cherishing the ideals of the Liberation War in your mind, spirit and lifestyle,” he added.&nbsp; BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-18 10:08:09', '2024-05-18 10:08:09'),
(12436, 12436, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged local businesses to make investments in the country\'s 100 economic zones in addition to foreign investment.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are setting up 100 economic zones across the country. We are inviting investments there. But we do not want only foreign investments, but also want domestic investments&nbsp; there,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said this while inaugurating the weeklong 11th National SME Product Fair to showcase locally made products from small and medium enterprises at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), jointly organised by the Industries Ministry and SME Foundation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that of the total 100 economic zones the government has so far allocated lands for up to 80 economic zones.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I think that from the SME Foundation or those who are entrepreneurs can avail lands in these economic zones alone or with partnership basis to set up their industries there,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said that along with mechanisation of agriculture the government is putting emphasis on food production, agricultural products production which will contribute to the economy, and industrialisation based on that.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If there is no industrialisation no employment will be created and we won\'t be able to advance further. So We have to focus on industrialisation,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that huge small mechanical parts will be needed for the mechanisation of the agriculture for which the government is providing various types of facilities, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that if proper training are provided it will be possible to produce those mechanical parts which can also be exported to many countries.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It will create market in our own country with the increase of our purchasing capacity,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun presided over the programme where Senior Secretary of Industries Ministry Zakia Sultana, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Mahbubul Alam and Chairperson of the SME Foundation Professor&nbsp; Md Masudur Rahman also spoke.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 08:32:37', '2024-05-19 08:32:37'),
(12437, 12437, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Though the situation in the Kyrgyzstan capital is “under control,” as per the local authorities, panicked Bangladeshi students want to return home for a few weeks.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">They want to attend regular classes online for the time being.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The situation is under control. We are trying to return to Bangladesh, but we do not have a flight schedule. All Bangladeshi students are trying to return home for the time being,” Bangladeshi medical student Samia Kabir told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the university authorities told them that their classes would be conducted online.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding their exams, Samia said that the university authorities will issue a notice soon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also said students from other countries are also leaving Kyrgyzstan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Even though the situation is under control, we still don’t feel safe here. It would be better if chartered flights can be arranged soon,” Samia said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking on the subject, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters today, “We have conveyed our concerns to Kyrgyzstan. Our students also came under attack, but no one was severely injured.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Embassy of Bangladesh in Uzbekistan, concurrently accredited to the Kyrgyz Republic, has said the situation in Kyrgyzstan is under control, as per information released by the relevant state authorities, reports UNB&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 08:51:54', '2024-05-19 08:51:54'),
(12438, 12438, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Drivers of battery-run three wheelers have been staging demonstration blocking roads in Dhaka’s Mirpur, Pallabi and some other areas since Sunday morning, demanding withdrawal of ban on the movement of the vehicle in the capital.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vehicular movement remained suspended&nbsp; as of filing this report at 1:40pm, on Mirpur-10 to 11, 2, 13 and Shewrapara roads, causing immense suffering to commuters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abu Saleh Md Raihan, joint commissioner (traffic-north) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said three-wheeler drivers started demonstration around 9am obstructing&nbsp; plying of other vehicles, resulting in suffering of common people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sub-Inspector Mostaq Ahmed, duty officer of Pallabi police station, said though police teams were sent to the Mirpur area remove them from the roads, the protesters are yet to leave the roads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Witnesses said several hundred three-wheeler drivers gathered in the Mirpur-10 intersection to press home their demand in the morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police requested them to leave the busy road but they didn’t listen to them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, the three-wheeler drivers have been staging demonstration&nbsp; in Mirpur, Pallabi, Agargaon, Taltola, Kalshi and Mirpur-13 areas, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, on Wednesday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader instructed the authorities concerned to take steps to stop the movement of battery-run three wheelers on the roads in Dhaka city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 08:59:39', '2024-05-19 08:59:39'),
(12439, 12439, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) forecast rain or thundershowers in Dhaka, and five other divisions of the country in 24 hours commencing 9am on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to met office bulletin,“Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Rajshahi and Chattogram divisions with hails at isolated places.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day temperature may fall by (1-2)°C over the eastern part and it may remain nearly unchanged elsewhere over the country. Night temperature may fall slightly over the country, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">On the other hand, mild heat wave is sweeping Gopalgonj, Rajshahi, Noakhali, Cox’s Bazar, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jashore, Satkhira, Patuakhali &amp; Bhola districts and it may abate, according to the BMD bulletin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 09:22:43', '2024-05-19 09:22:43'),
(12440, 12440, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said that we have conveyed our concerns to Kyrgyzstan. Our students also came under attack but no one was severely injured.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The Government of Bangladesh has expressed deep concerns over the mob violence on the night of May 17, 2024 in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said they are closely monitoring the situation through the Embassy in Uzbekistan, concurrently accredited to the Kyrgyz Republic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Embassy is in constant communication with Bangladeshi students who are currently studying in Kyrgyzstan, as well as with Kyrgyz government officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are no reports of any serious injury or casualty among Bangladeshi students so far.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Embassy has already shared an emergency contact number on its official Facebook page.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Through the Embassy in Uzbekistan, the government is coordinating with the relevant authorities of Kyrgyzstan, including the ministries of foreign affairs and internal affairs, to ensure the safety and security of Bangladeshi students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said that we are closely and constantly monitoring the developments. We have asked our Ambassador stationed in Tashkent to visit Bishkek soon to inquire about the wellbeing of Bangladeshi students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 09:53:02', '2024-05-19 09:53:02');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12441, 12441, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Cannes veteran and Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is making waves in the French Riviera once again. This time, she crossed paths with US actress and fellow L\'Oreal ambassador Eva Longoria.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, the duo attended the screening of \"Kinds Of Kindness\" at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, and their reunion was nothing short of spectacular, reports NDTV.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The actresses posed happily for photographers, capturing picture-perfect moments that lit up the red carpet. Aishwarya graced the red carpet twice this year, first at the screening of Francis Ford Coppola\'s \"Megalopolis\" earlier in the week, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This isn\'t the first time the two have shared the spotlight at Cannes. They were also seen together on the red carpet and at a L\'Oreal event in 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been a regular at Cannes for over two decades, often promoting her films such as \"Devdas,\" \"Sarbjit,\" and \"Bride and Prejudice.\" She continues to represent L\'Oreal at the prestigious event, said the report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In terms of her recent film work, Aishwarya was last seen in Mani Ratnam\'s “Ponniyin Selvan 2”. Released last year, the film was a box office hit.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment  Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 10:28:24', '2024-05-19 10:28:24'),
(12442, 12442, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A team of researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to more quickly and accurately classify brain tumors.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a study published on Friday, the team demonstrated that their deep learning model - DEPLOY - can accurately classify brain tumors into 10 major subtypes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AI tool analyzes microscopic pictures of a patient\'s brain tissue to make its classification.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Danh-Tai Hoang, the co-lead of the project from the Biological Data Science Institute at ANU, said that the current gold standard for diagnosing and categorizing brain tumors - a process called DNA methylation-based profiling - can take several weeks and is not widely available.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By comparison, the AI tool can deliver results within hours.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Remarkably, DEPLOY achieved an unprecedented accuracy of 95 percent,\" Hoang said in a media release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Furthermore, when given a subset of 309 particularly difficult to classify samples, DEPLOY was able to provide a diagnosis that was more clinically relevant than what was initially provided by pathologists.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">DEPLOY was trained and validated on a dataset of approximately 4,000 patients from the United States and Europe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hoang said it could be used in the future to add to a pathologist\'s initial diagnosis or even prompt a re-evaluation when it finds disparities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The researchers believe it could eventually be used to help classify other types of cancer. - XINHUA</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 10:55:25', '2024-05-19 10:55:25'),
(12443, 12443, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Albert Einstein has said, “Failure is success in progress”. Failure is an inevitable aspect of life; accepting and overcoming failure is a vital skill for success. Nurturing resilience in students is just as important as imparting academic knowledge. Parents and schools need to prepare students to navigate setbacks effectively. This guide explores effective strategies for instilling resilience in students and helping them embrace failure as a stepping stone to success.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Should Parents and Schools Teach Students How to Accept Failure?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Teaching students how to accept failure in exams is crucial for their emotional resilience, academic success, and overall development. By embracing failure, students learn resilience, bouncing back from setbacks stronger and more determined.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Failure is a natural part of learning, providing valuable lessons and experiences that contribute to personal growth. Accepting failure reduces fear, empowering students to take risks and pursue their goals without inhibition. It also prepares them for real-life challenges, where setbacks are inevitable.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Embracing failure promotes a growth mindset, where students view challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than insurmountable obstacles. Parents and schools play vital roles in teaching students to accept failure and providing support, guidance, and structured environments for learning and growth.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Together, parents and teachers can equip students with the coping skills necessary to navigate setbacks and challenges throughout their lives. Ultimately, teaching students how to accept failure instills invaluable life skills essential for success in academic and personal endeavours.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">How to Teach Students to Accept and Overcome Failure</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avoid Criticism&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Students should be taught that failure in exams is not the end of life. Criticism can destroy the self-confidence of students and make them vulnerable to self-harm.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Instead of criticising their poor grades, parents and teachers can focus on ways of improvement. By holding a positive attitude towards challenges, academic failures can be turned into success.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Move Forward&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Students should be encouraged to accept their poor academic performances and move forward. Thus, they can foster long-term perseverance and adaptability against unwanted incidents like failure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Introducing setbacks to students as stepping stones for future success is important. Parents and educators can turn failure into a springboard for students to become more resilient and resourceful learners.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', '<p><b><font color=\"#3984c6\">&nbsp;Academic Failures</font></b><br></p>', 'Life Style Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 11:07:20', '2024-05-19 11:07:20'),
(12444, 12444, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Pakistani government has repatriated 140 students from Kyrgyzstan after mobs attacked foreign citizens in the capital, Bishkek, over the weekend.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A special flight bringing the first batch of Pakistani students home landed at an airport in Lahore on Saturday night, with Islamabad planning to use more such flights to bring back citizens who want to leave Bishkek after violent incidents in the Kyrgyz capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, hundreds of Kyrgyz men in Bishkek attacked buildings where foreign students live, including Pakistan citizens who are among thousands studying and working in the Central Asian country.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The angry mob reportedly targeted these residences after videos of a brawl earlier this month between Krygyz and Egyptian students went viral online, prompting anti-foreigner sentiment over the past week. The Kyrgyz government deployed forces on Friday to mitigate the violence.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our first concern is the safe return of Pakistani students,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“God willing, more students would be brought back via additional flights (on Sunday).”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Students who spoke to Arab News said that the Pakistan Embassy in Kyrgyzstan advised them to stay indoors after the mob attack. But when they ran out of food and water and some became fearful of potential riots, they asked authorities to evacuate them.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the return to Pakistan of citizens who wished to do so would be “facilitated at the government’s expense.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharif is sending a two-member delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, to Bishkek on Sunday to meet with Kyrgyz officials and provide assistance for Pakistani students.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The decision to send this delegation was made to ensure necessary support and facilities for Pakistani students,” a statement issued by Sharif’s office reads.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Saturday it had summoned and handed a note of protest to Kyrgyzstan’s top diplomat in the country in response to the violence in Bishkek.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Five Pakistani medical students were injured in the mob attack, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Hassan Zaigham said, with one student admitted to a local hospital with a jaw injury, reports Arab News&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“No Pakistani was killed or raped in the violence,” he told Arab News over the phone, dispelling rumors circulating on social media.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The situation is under control now as Bishkek authorities have dispersed all the miscreants.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 11:27:45', '2024-05-19 11:27:45'),
(12445, 12445, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The BPDB\'s annual spending was roughly calculated as Tk 104,000 crore for purchasing electricity from the independent power producers (IPPs) for the fiscal year 2023-24. The total expense will now go up to about Tk 1,11,300 crore, according to officials familiar with the estimate this week, according to official sources.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is going to bear the brunt after recent enhancement of US Dollar rate as it will have to spend an additional amount of over Tk 7,300 crore to purchase electricity from the private sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But after the increase in the rate of USD by the central bank through the introduction of a crawling peg system, the BPDB has been a great victim of such a decision.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh Bank on May 8 unveiled the crawling peg exchange rate system and allowed banks to buy and sell US dollars freely near Tk117, as well as letting go of its regulatory power of the Smart rate, and hiking the repo rate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under this system, a crawling peg mid rate (CPMR) has been set at Tk117 per US dollar with immediate effect.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scheduled banks may purchase and sell US dollars freely around the CPMR with their customers and in interbank deals, the notice also said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A crawling peg system is a method of exchange rate adjustments that allows a currency with a fixed exchange rate to fluctuate within a band of rates. It is a hybrid of fixed and floating exchange rate systems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The payment mode of the power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the IPPS is in USD. So, we have to incur a huge financial loss when the USD rate goes up\", a top official of the BPDB told.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the issue is very sensitive, preferring anonymity, he said the BPDB\'s loss will be enormous this year as the dollar rate went up in one go by Tk 7 to Tk 117 from the Tk 110.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the extra burden of paying Tk 7,300 crore will complicate the situation when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been insisting on reducing government\'s loss in buying electricity from the private sector. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 11:47:25', '2024-05-19 11:47:25'),
(12446, 12446, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In a country where cricket and football dominate the sports scene, boxing often goes unnoticed. Yet, Muhammad Utshob Ahmed, a young boxer from Rajshahi, is breaking barriers and putting Bangladesh on the global boxing map.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For the first time, a Bangladeshi professional boxer has qualified to compete under the prestigious World Boxing Council (WBC). Utshob, a 19-year-old fighter, will contend for the WBC Asia Silver Super Flyweight title against India\'s top contender, 32-year-old Mazhar Hussain. This historic match is scheduled for May 25 at the InterContinental Dhaka during the \"Beximco Xcel Boxing Championship (XBC) 3.0,\" according to a media release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The WBC is one of the four major international boxing organizations, and its belts are among the most prestigious in the sport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While Bangladesh has already seen its first professional boxing star in Suro Krishna Chakma, who competes in the Lightweight category, Utshob is making waves in the Flyweight division. He is one of the youngest boxers from Bangladesh to step onto the global stage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the world of boxing, championship belts are hotly contested and must be defended or relinquished regularly. Currently, the Silver Super Flyweight belt is vacant, providing an opportunity for Utshob and Mazhar to claim it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Through XBC Xcel Sports Management &amp; Promotions, Utshob earned his shot at the title. Ranked 99th out of 784 in the world in the flyweight division, Utshob\'s impressive record includes eight bouts, totaling 28 rounds, with 37.5% of his fights ending in knockouts. He has zero losses and eight straight victories, making him a formidable contender.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 12:12:22', '2024-05-19 12:12:22'),
(12447, 12447, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A volcano on the remote Indonesian island of Halmahera has spectacularly erupted, spewing a grey ash cloud into the sky, and people from seven nearby villages have been evacuated, authorities said on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mt. Ibu erupted on Saturday evening, sending ash 4 km (2.5 miles) high, as streaks of purple lightning flashed around its crater, according to information and images shared by Indonesia’s volcanology agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A joint team comprised of police, military and search and rescue officials was dispatched to the area to evacuate residents from surrounding villages, Abdul Muhari, from the disaster mitigation agency, said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Photos shared by the disaster agency showed authorities assisting the elderly, while other residents were moved in pick-up trucks and accommodated in emergency tents for the night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The agency did not provide any information about how many people had been moved, but authorities have recommended that a seven-km (4.35-mile) radius be cleared.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Indonesia’s volcanology agency raised the alert level of the volcano to the highest level on Thursday, after Ibu erupted multiple times earlier this month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ibu’s activities follow a series of eruptions of different volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has 127 active volcanoes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Flash floods and cold lava flow from Mount Marapi, one of the most active in West Sumatra province, covered several nearby districts following torrential rain on May 11, killing more than 60 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In recent weeks, North Sulawesi’s Ruang volcano has also erupted, spewing incandescent lava. The eruption prompted authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people on a nearby island. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 12:19:15', '2024-05-19 12:19:15'),
(12448, 12448, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russian shelling on the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv today killed at least four civilians, said the governor of the region facing a new Russian offensive.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow launched an assault in the border region on May 10 after a surge in aerial strikes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We know about four civilians killed. At least eight people are wounded,” governor Oleg Synegubov said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian forces had “attacked the area where local residents were resting”, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shelling hit the district of Malodanylivka in the northwest of Kharkiv city, the governor said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia’s assault has brought its biggest territorial gains in a year-and-a-half.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian troops advanced between 5km and 10km along the northeastern border before being stopped by Ukrainian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with AFP on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shortly before the shelling was reported, Ukraine’s armed forces gave an update saying it had not detected “active operations in the Kharkiv sector”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian defence forces “are making every effort to strengthen their positions, replenish reserves, conduct reconnaissance and keep the enemy’s actions under fire control.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 12:30:10', '2024-05-19 12:30:10'),
(12449, 12449, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>An Iranian court has sentenced the famous pop singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, known as Tataloo, to prison for disseminating “obscene content”, state media reported today.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The popular underground musician, 36, had been living in Istanbul since 2018 before Turkish police handed him over to Iran in December of last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He has been in detention in Iran since then.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His lawyer Elham Rahimifar said Tataloo was given multiple “short and long” jail terms, without elaborating.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sentences can be appealed, Rahimifar told state-run newspaper Jam-e Jam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under Iranian law, jail sentences run concurrently.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The artiste, known for combining rap, pop and R&amp;B, has experienced a dramatic swing in his fortunes in recent years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The heavily tattooed singer was previously courted by conservative politicians as a way to reach out to young, liberal-minded Iranians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He even held an awkward televised meeting with ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi when the latter was making his first bid for office in 2017.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2015, he published a song in support of Iran’s nuclear programme as a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers was unravelling. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment  Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 12:43:04', '2024-05-19 12:43:04'),
(12450, 12450, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Drivers of battery-run three wheelers set a police box on fire at Kalshi intersection in the city\'s Mirpur area on Sunday during demonstration against banning the vehicle on Dhaka streets.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Duty office of Fire Service and Civil Defense headquarters, Shahjahan, said the drivers set the police box on fire around 4:15 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On information, a firefighting unit rushed to the spot around 4:32 pm and brought the situation under control.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mukhlesur Rahman, inspector (investigation) of Pallabi Police Station, said necessary steps were taken.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The drivers of battery-run three wheelers staged demonstration blocking roads in Dhaka’s Mirpur, Pallabi and some other areas on Sunday morning, obstructing traffic movement in the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The protesters also vandalised some buses passing in the Mirpur area after 2:30 pm. A chase and counter-chase between police and protesters also took place.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Munshi Sabbir Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, said the traffic movement in the area remained halted for four hours following the demonstration, causing immense sufferings to the commuters, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, on Wednesday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader instructed the authorities concerned to take steps to stop the movement of battery-run three wheelers on the roads in Dhaka city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 14:00:10', '2024-05-19 14:00:10'),
(12451, 12451, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has suffered a “hard landing”, state television reported, as officials said search operations are under way.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian state media said the incident occurred on Sunday near Jolfa in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A day earlier, Raisi was in neighbouring Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam alongside President Ilham Aliyev.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State-linked media said three helicopters were in the Iranian president’s convoy, and the two others made it back safely.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the representative of the Iranian supreme leader to the province, were in the same helicopter as Raisi, state media reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Housing and Transportation Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash were in the other helicopters that made it back safely.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People who were with the president inside the helicopter managed to make an emergency call, according to the semiofficial Tasnim News Agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tasnim reported that the call increased hopes that the incident can be concluded “without fatalities”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It remains unclear exactly what caused the “hard landing”, or whether any of the passengers in the helicopter have been hurt. - Al Jazeera&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 14:30:15', '2024-05-19 14:30:15'),
(12452, 12452, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Anwarul Azim Anar, the lawmaker from Jhenaidah-4 constituency, has been missing since at least May 14, having gone on a medical trip to India on May 11.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“His whereabouts are still unknown. Family members and party activists could not reach him after May 14 (Tuesday),” the MP Anar\'s personal assistant, Abdur Rauf said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said “Anar went to India for medical treatment on May 11. He maintained contact with his family members till May 14. Since then, all communication with him has been lost. His WhatsApp number is also unreachable.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MP Anar\'s wife and daughters went to the DB office in Dhaka on Sunday (May 19) at noon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister has also been informed about the matter, Abdur Rauf told the media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Anar’s nephew Simon and three others went to India to try and find him. But they could not give any good news till Sunday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to party insiders, moments before his last known activity, Hemant asked his manager for Rs 4.2. At that time he was in a private car with some Indian friends after attending a wedding ceremony. There is no trace of MP Anar since taking this money, they claimed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kaliganj Municipal Mayor Ashraful Alam said on Sunday afternoon that he spoke with the MP the day after he left for India. He did not know anything since then. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 15:08:21', '2024-05-19 15:08:21'),
(12453, 12453, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A teacher has been arrested for allegedly sodomising at least 30 minor boys in Rajshahi\'s Motihar Thana, police said on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The accused has been identified as Md. Abdul Wakel, 33, a teacher at Ashraf Memorial Model School, Katakhali, Rajshahi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wakel violated the boys and recorded scenes. Later, he saved them on his mobile phone, pen drive, computer and external hard drive. The search engine delivers this information to a US-based organization called National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children (NCMEC). Being a partner of many international organizations including IOM, UNODC, NCMEC, the content related to Child Abuse was sent to CID.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Based on this, a special team of CID conducted an operation in Shyampur Danshmari area under Motihar Thana of Rajshahi Metro and arrested Md. Abdul Wakel on Saturday, said Azad Rahman, Superintendent of Police of CID\'s media wing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the drive, the law enforcers seized a mobile phone, two hard disks and two pen drives, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Preliminary investigation revealed that Wakel lured the children with chocolates and played the popular PUBG game with his mobile phone and “sodomised” them at different times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A case was filed at Paltan Model Thana under the Pornography Control Act following a complaint lodged by the headmaster of Katakhali’s Ashraf Memorial Model School.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 15:15:04', '2024-05-19 15:15:04'),
(12454, 12454, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh\'s economy has now become “sick and fragile” due to widespread plundering, corruption, and illicit transfer of money abroad by ruling party leaders, said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said this while speaking at a programme at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on Sunday.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rizvi said the reserve will diminish further as the government will need to use $4 billion to clear overdue bills in the power sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Nearly 50 billion taka has been embezzled, depleting the reserves. The government currently holds $13 billion in foreign reserves, actually, there is only $7 to $8 billion in the reserves,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Sheikh Hasina\'s development seems like applying lipstick to the lips of a malnourished and dark woman. Bangladesh\'s economy will appear the same if you glorify a distressed and afflicted woman with cosmetics. Bangladesh\'s economy is sick,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Expressing worry about the faltering economy, the BNP leader likened the nation\'s situation to inhabiting an empty abyss, where solid ground seemed to be slipping away.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Only from the banks, Tk 12,000 crore has been plundered. This isn\'t my statement; it\'s the statement of the CPD. About 12 percent of our GDP has been lost this way...can it be imagined?” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Rizvi said Tk 92,000 crores have disappeared from the bank account alone. “Who are the looters? Who are these oligarchs? All these are people close to power. They either belong to Awami League or Awami League\'s money providers. They amassed huge wealth and money.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the number of loan defaulters is growing alarmingly as the outstanding loans in the banking sector stood at Tk 156,039 crore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rizvi said journalists are not allowed to enter the Bangladesh Bank so that the country’s people or the international community do not know about how the ruling party leaders have been plundering public money.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People think that joining the elections under this dummy government means going against democracy, truth, and justice. We strongly believe that the people will respond to our call as they did in the first phase by boycotting the polls, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 15:28:29', '2024-05-19 15:28:29'),
(12455, 12455, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has died after a helicopter carrying him and other officials crashed in a mountainous and forested area of the country in poor weather.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 63-year-old, a figure representing conservative and hardline factions in Iranian politics, was president for nearly three years, and appeared on track to run for re-election next year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A former chief justice, Raisi was touted as a potential successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 85-year-old supreme leader of Iran.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi was born in Mashhad in northeastern Iran, a religious hub for Shia Muslims. He underwent religious education and was trained at the seminary in Qom, studying under prominent scholars, including Khamenei.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also like the supreme leader, he wore a black turban, which signified that he was a sayyid – a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, a status with particular significance among Twelver Shia Muslims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi racked up experience as a prosecutor in multiple jurisdictions before coming to Tehran in 1985. It was in the capital city that, according to human rights organisations, he was part of a committee of judges who oversaw executions of political prisoners.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The late president was a longtime member of the Assembly of Experts, the body that is tasked with choosing a replacement for the supreme leader in the event of his death.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He became attorney general in 2014 for two years, when he was appointed by Khamenei to lead the Astan Quds Razavi. The colossal bonyad, or charitable trust, has billions of dollars in assets and is the custodian of the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia imam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi initially ran for president in 2017, unsuccessfully challenging the re-election of former President Hassan Rouhani, who represented the centrist and moderate camps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After a short hiatus, Raisi was making headlines as the new head of the Iranian judiciary system, having been appointed by Khamenei in 2019. He presented himself as a defender of justice and a fighter against corruption, and made many provincial travels to garner popular support.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi became president in 2021 amid low voter turnout and wide disqualification of reformist and moderate candidates, and appeared to have secured a firm footing for re-election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like other top Iranian officials, his harshest rhetoric was reserved for Israel and the United States, followed by their Western allies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi made many speeches since the start of the war on Gaza in October to condemn “genocide” and “massacres” committed by Israel against Palestinians, and called on the international community to intervene.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He promised revenge against Israel after it levelled Tehran’s consulate building in Syria and killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including two generals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And he welcomed Iran’s response, which was to launch hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, most of which were shot down by a coalition of Israeli allies – but left Iran claiming an overall success.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi was hawkish on Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has been in limbo after former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was a champion of the strategic policy of “resistance” and “resilience” that Khamenei has adopted in the face of the harshest-ever sanctions that Iran has faced – imposed after the nuclear deal fell through.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A close ally of the IRGC, the late president was also a staunch backer of the “axis of resistance” of political and armed groups that Iran supports across the region, including in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And he was a strong backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who Iran has supported in his government’s war against the Syrian opposition, which has left hundreds of thousands dead. - Al Jazeera</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 06:37:44', '2024-05-20 06:37:44'),
(12456, 12456, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The helicopter crash in which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and other officials were killed is likely to reverberate across the Middle East, where Iran’s influence runs wide and deep.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That\'s because Iran has spent decades supporting armed groups and militants in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and the Palestinian territories, allowing it to project power and potentially deter attacks from the United States or Israel, the sworn enemies of its 1979 Islamic Revolution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tensions have never been higher than they were last month, when Iran under Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel in response to an airstrike on an Iranian Consulate in Syria that killed two Iranian generals and five officers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel, with the help of the United States, Britain, Jordan and others, intercepted nearly all the projectiles. In response, Israel apparently launched its own strike against an air defense radar system in the Iranian city of Isfahan, causing no casualties but sending an unmistakable message.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sides have waged a shadow war of covert operations and cyberattacks for years, but the exchange of fire in April was their first direct military confrontation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has drawn in other Iranian allies, with each attack and counterattack threatening to set off a wider war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It\'s a combustible mix that could be ignited by unexpected events, such as Sunday\'s deadly crash. According to AP reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 09:23:38', '2024-05-20 09:23:38'),
(12457, 12457, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Drivers of battery-run three wheelers staged demonstration blocking roads in Dhaka’s Rampura and Demra Staff Quarter areas for the second consecutive day on Sunday, demanding withdrawal of a ban on the movement of the vehicle in the capital.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vehicular movement remained suspended for around one hour in the areas, causing immense suffering to commuters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ariful Islam, assistant commissioner (traffic-north) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said three-wheeler drivers took to the Rampur road and started chanting slogans against the government decision around 10:30am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Paltan and Sayedabad-bound buses from Rampur remained could not move due to the demonstrations, he said, adding that later the protesters headed towards Malibagh’s Abul Hotel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vehicular movement returned to normal around 11:30pm, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He informed that hundreds of vehicles got stuck on Khilgaon and Malibagh flyovers due to the demonstration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, three-wheeler drivers took to Hajjinagar Road in the Demra Staff Quarter area and blocked it by putting barricades around 10am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The drivers also tried to vandalise vehicles but failed, said Mostain Billah Ferdous, assistant commissioner of Demra Traffic under the DMP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Sunday, several hundred three-wheeler drivers gathered in the Mirpur-10 intersection to press home their demand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They staged demonstration in Mirpur, Pallabi, Agargaon, Taltola, Kalshi and Mirpur-13 areas, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, on Wednesday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader instructed the authorities concerned to take steps to stop the movement of battery-run three wheelers on the roads in Dhaka city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 09:41:55', '2024-05-20 09:41:55');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12458, 12458, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership in Bangladesh’s \"extraordinary education sector success\" was praised at the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers held in London last week.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh was commended for its recent achievements and transformations in the education sector, in particular for a stronger emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) over the past decade, leading to higher employment of young people in the private industry, greater access to IT education and lifelong learning on digital platforms as well as ensuring gender parity in primary, secondary and tertiary education.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, who led the Bangladesh delegation at the 22nd CCEM, has recommended that it is time for the global south to make greater financial investments in both hard and soft infrastructure in the education sector.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also emphasized the need to build robust innovative partnerships with the private sector, international financial institutions, and global funds, said the Bangladesh High Commission in London on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his country statement, the Education Minister also briefed the Conference on the significant progress of Bangladesh in improving access to education, with efforts focused on enhancing quality and inclusivity across all levels of education.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said, “SDG 4 on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for our 60 million girls and boys and skill-based higher education for another 30 million has been at the heart of our Head of the Government Sheikh Hasina’s aspirations for an educated, healthy, inclusive and resilient Smart Bangladesh by 2041.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi addressed the event as the keynote speaker while the Education Minister provided an update of the SDG 4 progress on behalf of the Asian Commonwealth. He also co-chaired the ministerial roundtable on “Rethinking Education for Skills, Youth Employability, and Decent Work” with Gambia’s Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Minister Professor Pierre Gomez.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"34\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 09:54:35', '2024-05-20 09:54:35'),
(12459, 12459, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Leader declared five days of national mourning over the high-level loss of lives.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He stated that President Raisi spent his life in non-stop service to his country and Islam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his message, Ayatollah Khamenei remarked that President Raisi prioritized the well-being and satisfaction of the people, which equates to the satisfaction of God, above all other considerations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ayatollah Khamenei also stated, \"With immense grief and sorrow, I received the bitter news of the passing of the diligent scholar, the competent and hardworking popular president, the servant of Imam Reza, Sayyid Ebrahim Raeisi, and his esteemed companions.\"&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"The entire tenure of Ebrahim Raisi, whether during his short presidency or before that, was spent in tireless service to the people, the country, and Islam,\" the leader noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ayatollah Khamenei also stated that the Iranian nation lost a sincere, devoted, and valuable servant; the ingratitude and criticism of some ill-wishers did not hinder his continuous efforts for progress and reform.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the end, the Leader declared five days of national mourning and extended his condolences to the dear people of Iran. - Tehran Times&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 10:29:44', '2024-05-20 10:29:44'),
(12460, 12460, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In accordance with Articles 130 and 131 of the first edition of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran (adopted in 1979), the first vice president – who is now Mohammad Mokhber – steps in and assume the duties of the president if the president is unable to fulfill his legal duties due to dismissal, resignation, absence, illness, or death.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Constitution stipulates that these responsibilities are transferred to the First Vice President with the approval of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, and in 50 days the country needs to go to an election to elect a new president.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Iranian political hierarchy, the head of the state is the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, and the president is considered the head of the government, the second-in-command.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In case of sudden death, the first vice president is expected to guide the country through this transitional period until new presidential elections are held.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian constitution was amended in 1989, when important changes were instituted. - Tehran Times</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 10:49:09', '2024-05-20 10:49:09'),
(12461, 12461, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Oil prices spiked on Monday after Tehran confirmed the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials in a helicopter crash in the country\'s northwestern province.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">International benchmark Brent crude traded at $84.24 per barrel at 10.44 a.m. local time (0744 GMT), a rise of 0.31% from the closing price of $83.98 per barrel in the previous trading session.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at $79.81 per barrel at the same time, a 0.29% increase from the previous session that closed at $79.58 per barrel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The helicopter carrying the Iranian president, the country\'s foreign minister, and their entourage crashed in the East Azerbaijan region of northwest Iran on Sunday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After a night-long search operation hampered by bad weather, Iranian Deputy President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri said in a statement on X that all onboard, including the president, foreign minister, accompanying delegation, and helicopter crew, had died.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Supply fears in favor of higher oil prices were stoked by worries about the political fallout in the oil-producing country and how it might affect decisions to be made at the June 1 meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the latest OPEC report, over 3 million barrels of oil are produced daily in Iran.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, hope of the US Federal Reserve\'s (Fed) starting interest rate cuts this year continues to influence oil prices.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With a current 65% probability rating for a Fed interest rate decrease in September, financial markets are beginning to reflect this forecast in pricing, while bolstering trade and prices as a weak US dollar rate makes oil trade cheaper for other currency holders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, robust economic data from China, signaling high oil demand, is supporting price increases. The world\'s second-largest oil consumer and largest importer announced plans to start issuing subsidized bonds worth 1 trillion yuan last week. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 11:29:29', '2024-05-20 11:29:29'),
(12462, 12462, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Sunday that Türkiye is closely monitoring the helicopter crash involving the Iranian president, coordinating with Iranian authorities, and is ready to provide assistance as needed.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The President of Iran, my dear brother Mr. Ibrahim Raisi, and his delegation being involved in a helicopter accident deeply saddens us,\" said Erdogan on X.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"As the Republic of Türkiye, we want to express that we are closely monitoring the situation and are in full contact and coordination with Iranian authorities. We are ready to provide any necessary assistance,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"I extend my heartfelt condolences to the people and government of our neighbor, friend, and brother Iran on behalf of our nation. I hope to hear positive news about Mr. Raisi and his delegation as soon as possible,\" Erdogan stressed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The helicopter carrying Raisi reportedly made a hard landing due to weather conditions while returning from a dam inauguration ceremony on the Azerbaijan border.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian Red Crescent previously announced that the \"crash\" occurred between Kaleybar and Varzaqan. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi emphasized that rescue teams had not yet reached the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">East Azerbaijan Deputy Governor Jabbarali Zakiri stated that two of the three helicopters in Raisi\'s convoy had landed, while one had crashed. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 11:53:37', '2024-05-20 11:53:37'),
(12463, 12463, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Iranian President Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Dr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian and the entourage in an Iranian helicopter accident.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear about the sad demise of President Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and members of the entourage in the tragic accident of the helicopter carrying them,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina conveyed her condolence in a letter wrote to First Vice President of Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Mokhber.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said, \"In this hour of grief, on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh and on my own behalf, I convey our deepest condolences to the Government and the brotherly people of Iran”. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier mentioned that President Seyyed Raisi was a wise and selfless leader who served his country with deep commitment and worked for the well-being of the People of Iran. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He was a great leader of international stature and his exemplary leadership and accomplishments will remain as a lasting legacy for us,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister offered her prayers for seeking divine blessing for the departed souls and for bestowing courage and fortitude on the bereaved family members and brotherly people of Iran to overcome the irreparable loss. - BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 11:56:08', '2024-05-20 12:01:08'),
(12464, 12464, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Amid drivers’ protest against ban on battery-run three-wheelers, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday said these vehicles will be allowed to ply Dhaka roads only.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Considering the suffering of the low-income people, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has permitted the movement of battery-run three-wheelers only on the Dhaka city roads, Quader said at a programme at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the battery-run rickshaws will not ply the 22 highways as per the earlier decision, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on May 15, the minister instructed the authorities concerned to take steps to stop the movement of battery-run three-wheelers on the roads in Dhaka city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The ban on the three-wheelers sparked violent protests by drivers in different areas of the capital including Mirpur, Pallabi, Rampura and Demra on Sunday and Monday.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Demanding the withdrawal of the ban, the drivers staged demonstrations blocking roads in different areas, vandalised some vehicles and set fire to a police box at Kalshi in Mirpur. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 12:44:05', '2024-05-20 12:44:05'),
(12465, 12465, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Israel had nothing to do with the accident involving the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, Israel’s Channel 13 reported yesterday, citing Israeli officials.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli channel quoted officials saying: “The message Israel is sending to the countries of the world is that Tel Aviv has nothing to do with the incident.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian television said that a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his accompanying delegation was forced to make a “hard landing” in the East Azerbaijan Province, Iranian reports revealed yesterday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president had been on his way back from Azerbaijan where&nbsp; he had inaugurated a joint border dam and met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev yesterday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian media reported that the helicopter carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, Imam of Tabriz Mosque, Imam Ayatollah Al Hashemi, and other officials, crashed and the passengers have been pronounced dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president’s helicopter was forced to land due to bad weather conditions, state media said, noting that the bad weather conditions also hindered relief teams. Source: MEM</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 13:21:45', '2024-05-20 13:21:45'),
(12466, 12466, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Karim Khan said that he believes Netanyahu, his defense minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders — Yehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prosecutor must request the warrants from a pre-trial panel of three judges, who take on average two months to consider the evidence and determine if the proceedings can move forward.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel is not a member of the court, and even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate risk of prosecution. But Khan\'s announcement deepens Israel\'s isolation as it presses ahead with its war, and the threat of arrest could make it difficult for the Israeli leaders to travel abroad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both Sinwar and Deif are believed to be hiding in Gaza as Israel tries to hunt them down. But Haniyeh, the supreme leader of the Islamic militant group, is based in Qatar and frequently travels across the region. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 14:07:10', '2024-05-20 14:07:10'),
(12467, 12467, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A 56-year-old woman was killed by a wild elephant in Lohagara upazila of Chattogram last night.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The incident occurred at 9 pm in Hanif\'s Para, near the western side of the Putibila Poharchanda Ashrayan Project in Lohagara Upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>The deceased, Hamida Akter, was the wife of late Nazir Hossain from the area.</div><div><br></div><div>Local Union Parishad member Abdul Mannan said that the woman was walking to a shop after Esha prayers when she encountered the wild elephant on the road.</div><div><br></div><div>The elephant struck her with its trunk, causing severe injuries. Local residents attempted to rescue her, but she died on the way to the hospital, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Lohagara Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Rashedul Alam, confirmed the incident saying that a police team was sent to the scene upon receiving the news of the attack.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"41\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 14:08:43', '2024-05-20 14:08:43'),
(12468, 12468, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday expressed deep shock and sorrow over the tragic deaths of Iranian President Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Dr Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and their entourage in a helicopter crash.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a condolence message, he said the deaths of the Iranian President, Foreign Minister and other officials have deeply saddened the people of Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The death of Ebrahim Raisi is an irreparable loss for the Muslim world. He was an extraordinary statesman,” the BNP leader said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He prayed for the salvation of the departed souls of the Iranian President and other officials and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved families and well-wishers of the deceased.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“May the Almighty Allah grant the families of the deceased, including President Raisi’s, and the people of Iran the ability to overcome the irreparable losses,” Fakhrul said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In another condolence message, BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman also expressed profound shock over the demise of the Iranian President and other officials in the tragic helicopter crash.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s foreign minister were found dead on Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in dense fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two crucial leaders during a time of extraordinary tension gripping the Middle East.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran has yet to provide an explanation for the crash or indicate any suspicion of sabotage causing the helicopter to go down. The aircraft descended into mountainous terrain amidst intense fog.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 15:10:47', '2024-05-20 15:10:47'),
(12469, 12469, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday directed the State Minister for Commerce to start monitoring the market strictly.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>She made this directive during an unscheduled discussion at the cabinet meeting chaired by her at PM\'s office here in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain briefed reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat after the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>“Some products have witnessed a trend of price hike even though there is no supply problem in the market. So, the prime minister directed the State Minister for Commerce to start monitoring the market strictly,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 15:20:13', '2024-05-20 15:20:13'),
(12470, 12470, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal against extradition to the United States on espionage charges, a London court ruled Monday — a decision likely to further drag out an already long legal saga.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>High Court judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson ruled for Assange after his lawyers argued that the U.S. government provided “blatantly inadequate” assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain.</div><div><br></div><div>Assange, 52, has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website’s publication of a trove of classified U.S. documents almost 15 years ago.</div><div><br></div><div>Hundreds of supporters cheered and applauded outside court as news of the ruling reached them from inside the Royal Courts of Justice.</div><div><br></div><div>Assange’s wife, Stella, said the U.S. had tried to put “lipstick on a pig — but the judges did not buy it.” She said the U.S. should “read the situation” and drop the case.</div><div><br></div><div>“As a family we are relieved but how long can this go on?\" she said. “This case is shameful and it is taking an enormous toll on Julian.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The Australian computer expert has spent the last five years in a British high-security prison after taking refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for seven years. Assange was not in court to hear the ruling because of health reasons, his lawyer said.</div><div><br></div><div>American prosecutors allege that Assange encouraged and helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published.</div><div><br></div><div>Assange’s lawyers have argued he was a journalist who exposed U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sending him to the U.S., they said, would expose him to a politically motivated prosecution and risk a “flagrant denial of justice.”</div><div><br></div><div>The U.S. government says Assange’s actions went way beyond those of a journalist gathering information, amounting to an attempt to solicit, steal and indiscriminately publish classified government documents. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 15:30:12', '2024-05-20 15:30:12'),
(12471, 12471, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>On top of the $1 lakh cash, awardees would get an 18-carat gold medal weighing 50 grams, the cabinet decided at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the capital.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country is all set to launch next year an award with a price tag of $1 lakh (Tk1 crore 17 lakh) for people living anywhere in the world for their contributions to international peace, as per a cabinet approval.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Any organisation or individual from anywhere in the world is eligible for the award named \"Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Peace Medal\" that would be handed over on or around 23 May every two years, Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain told reporters in a post-meeting briefing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Last year, the country celebrated 50 years of achievement of Joliot-Curie Medal of Peace by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 23 May 1973. During last year’s celebrations, PM Hasina had announced the introduction of an international peace award named after Bangabandhu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 15:45:45', '2024-05-20 15:45:45'),
(12472, 12472, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Voting in the second phase of Upazila Parishad election began today at 8 am and it will continue until 4 pm.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Khulna district, among 138 polling centres in Terokhada, Dighalia and Fultala upazilas, police have identified 95 as important and 43 as general. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of the total polling stations, 69 percent are considered important. Security has been beefed up at important centers. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Returning Officer\'s office, there are 43 polling centers in Terokhada upazila, 52 in Dighalia and 43 in Fultala. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khulna Superintendent of Police Mohammad Saidur Rahman said that there will be enhanced security and surveillance at important centres, but there will be no shortage of security at the general centres either. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Barishal, voting began at 121 centres in 13 unions of Hijla and Muladi upazilas.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, voter turnout is seemingly low. Agents at these centres say that although the voter turnout is low in the morning, it will change as the day progresses. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Barishal district Superintendent of Police Wahidul Islam said security has been ensured for the upazila election. Out of 121 centres, 73 have been identified as important.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also, 4 platoons of BGB have been deployed, he added. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gangni Upazila Parishad election in Meherpur is being held smoothly. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Assistant Returning Officer, voting is being held in 107 polling centres. Of the polling stations, 30 have been identified as very important. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The district administration, police and the Election Commission have completed all preparations to make the election festive, neutral and free.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Voting is also being held in Katiadi, Nikli and Austagram upazilas of Kishoreganj and Biral, Bochaganj, Birganj and Kaharole upazilas of Dinajpur district. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ansar and police have been deployed at Kishoreganj polling centres to ensure a free and fair election, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Dinajpur, police, Ansar, RAB, BGB and executive magistrates have been deployed to the polling centers for the security of voters. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 07:24:16', '2024-05-21 07:48:49'),
(12473, 12473, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The U.S. Department of State has announced the public designation of former General Aziz Ahmed, previously Chief of the Bangladesh Army Staff, due to what it says his involvement in \"significant corruption\".</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This action renders Aziz and his immediate family members generally ineligible for entry into the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His actions have contributed to the undermining of Bangladesh’s democratic institutions and the public’s faith in public institutions and processes, it said</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Aziz Ahmed engaged in significant corruption by interfering in public processes while helping his brother evade accountability for criminal activity in Bangladesh,\" said the US Department of State.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aziz also worked closely with his brother to ensure the improper awarding of military contracts and accepted bribes in exchange for government appointments for his personal benefit, the Srate Department claimed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This designation reaffirms the U.S. commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and rule of law in Bangladesh,\" said the US government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States supports anticorruption efforts in Bangladesh through assistance to make government services more transparent and affordable, improve the business and regulatory environment, and build capacity in investigating and prosecuting money laundering and other financial crimes, reports UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These public designations are made under Section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 07:29:04', '2024-05-21 07:29:04'),
(12474, 12474, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you’re doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The software giant on Monday revealed a new class of AI-imbued personal computers as it confronts heightened competition from Big Tech rivals in pitching generative AI technology that can compose documents, make images and serve as a lifelike personal assistant at work or home.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The announcements ahead of Microsoft’s annual Build developer conference centered on fusing its AI assistant, called Copilot, into the Windows operating system for PCs, where Microsoft already has the eyes of millions of consumers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The new features will include Windows Recall, giving the AI assistant what Microsoft describes as “photographic memory” of a person’s virtual activity. Microsoft promises to protect users’ privacy by giving them the option to filter out what they don’t want tracked, and keeping the tracking on the device.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’re entering this new era where computers not only understand us, but can actually anticipate what we want and our intent,” Nadella said at an event at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The conference that starts Tuesday in Seattle follows big AI announcements last week from rival Google, as well as Microsoft’s close business partner OpenAI, which built the AI large language models on which Microsoft’s Copilot is based.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Google rolled out a retooled search engine that periodically puts AI-generated summaries over website links at the top of the results page; while also showing off a still-in-development AI assistant Astra that will be able to “see” and converse about things shown through a smartphone’s camera lens.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">ChatGPT-maker OpenAI unveiled a new version of its chatbot last week, demonstrating an AI voice assistant with human characteristics that can banter about what someone’s wearing and even attempt to assess a person’s emotions. The voice sounded so much like Scarlett Johansson playing an AI character in the sci-fi movie “Her” that OpenAI dropped the voice from its collection Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OpenAI also rolled out a new desktop version of ChatGPT designed for Apple’s Mac computers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Next up is Apple’s own annual developers conference in June. Apple CEO Tim Cook signaled at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in February that it has been making big investments in generative AI.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some of Microsoft’s announcements Monday appeared designed to blunt whatever Apple has in store. The newly AI-enhanced Windows PCs will start rolling out on June 18 on computers made by Microsoft partners Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung, as well as on Microsoft’s Surface line of devices. But they’ll be reserved for premium models starting at $999. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 07:42:28', '2024-05-21 07:42:28'),
(12475, 12475, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday on a two-day official visit to strengthen their bilateral relationship with Bangladesh and find ways to boost cooperation for regional peace and prosperity.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Minister Penny Wong was received at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by the Secretary, Maritime Affairs Unit, Rear Admiral (Retd.) Md Khurshed Alam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia M. Allama Siddiki was also present.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australia is working with Bangladesh to deepen their cooperation, including on trade and investment, and find practical solutions to shared challenges such as climate change, regional maritime security and human trafficking, said the Australian Foreign Minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In Dhaka, I look forward to discussing these issues with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and other members of the Bangladesh government,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She will meet Prime Minister Hasina at her official residence Gonobhaban at 4pm and will hold meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan at 5pm today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 07:47:23', '2024-05-21 07:47:23'),
(12476, 12476, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The government of Bangladesh has taken a zero tolerance policy on combating corruption and will continue to work with the United States on this issue, said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“For combating corruption, we are working with the US. We want to work together and will continue to do that,\" he told.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasan was speaking at a “meet the reporters” programme today organised by Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">DRU President Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo and General Secretary Mohiuddin also spoke at the event.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to a question, the Foreign Minister said the US decision against former army chief General Aziz Ahmed was not under the visa policy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was made under Section 7031(c) of the annual Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh remains engaged with the US and the two countries are working together on combating terrorism, human trafficking and other issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the decision regarding the ex army chief was first conveyed to the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US Department of State on Monday announced the public designation of General Aziz Ahmed, previously Chief of the Bangladesh Army Staff, due to what it says was his involvement in \"significant corruption\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This action renders Aziz and his immediate family members generally ineligible for entering the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His actions have contributed to the undermining of Bangladesh’s democratic institutions and the public’s faith in public institutions and processes, the US State Department said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Aziz Ahmed engaged in significant corruption by interfering in public processes while helping his brother evade accountability for criminal activity in Bangladesh,\" said the US Department of State.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aziz also worked closely with his brother to ensure the improper awarding of military contracts and accepted bribes in exchange for government appointments for his personal benefit, it claimed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This designation reaffirms the US commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and rule of law in Bangladesh,\" said the US government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 08:03:48', '2024-05-21 08:03:48'),
(12477, 12477, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The UN Security Council on Monday rejected a Russian draft resolution to counter military activity in space, as countries questioned Moscow\'s sincerity after it vetoed an American text in April against nuclear proliferation in the final frontier.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Russian text called on all states to \"take urgent measures to prevent for all time the placement of weapons in outer space and the threat or use of force in outer space.\"</div><div><br></div><div>It received seven votes for -- including from China -- and seven against, including from the United States, United Kingdom and France, with Switzerland abstaining.</div><div><br></div><div>US envoy Robert Wood said the move was \"the culmination of Russia\'s campaign of diplomatic gaslighting.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"Russia does not want the Security Council to focus on its dangerous actions in space,\" he said, citing US accusations that Moscow was attempting to put a nuclear weapon into orbit.</div><div><br></div><div>Russia\'s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya meanwhile said those on his side \"on the whole are pleased with the results of the vote.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"The vote has demonstrated a watershed -- a watershed between those who are striving towards peaceful use of outer space and those who are moving towards militarization of outer space,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Western countries have today essentially turned out to be isolated at the Security Council.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The text closely followed a draft resolution proposed by the United States and Japan in late April, which received 13 votes for but was vetoed by Russia, with China abstaining.</div><div><br></div><div>UN Security Council proposals need nine votes in favor to be adopted, and no opposition from the five veto-wielding members.</div><div><br></div><div>The American text called on \"all states, in particular those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and of the prevention of an arms race in outer space.\"</div><div><br></div><div>It affirmed \"the obligation of all States Parties to fully comply with the Outer Space Treaty, including not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Nebenzya claimed after the vote in April that the text hid a \"devious plan by our Western colleagues that has nothing to do with this noble objective.\"</div><div><br></div><div>He charged that Washington and Tokyo had a \"lack of interest\" in banning all weapons from space, instead trying to put the focus solely on nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 08:46:57', '2024-05-21 08:46:57'),
(12478, 12478, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Mohammed Shahabuddin will accord a reception to Buddhist community leaders at the Credential Hall of Bangabhaban here tomorrow on Buddha Purnima that marks the birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, known later as Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>&nbsp;</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The reception for Buddhist leaders will commence at 4 pm . . . President Shahabuddin will deliver a speech to the Buddhist community across the country through media,\" President\'s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told BSS today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president and his wife Dr. Rebecca Sultana will greet Buddhist leaders on the occasion of the largest religious festival celebrated by the Buddhist community in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buddhists in Dhaka and throughout the country will celebrate the day with reverence and excitement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buddhist religious leaders will also offer the president a bouquet at Bangabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than a thousand individuals, including over 800 invited guests, are anticipated to attend the reception.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among the attendees, there will be Religious Affairs Minister Md. Faridul Haque Khan, State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Kujendra Lal Tripura, Buddhist community leaders, and Bangabhaban secretaries. - BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 08:49:49', '2024-05-21 08:49:49');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12479, 12479, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Police recovered the body of a farmer from his house at Borokhari village in Magura\'s Sadar upazila on Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased was identified as Hafizur Lashkar (63) of the village.</div><div><br></div><div>Magura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mehedi Hasan confirmed the matter.</div><div><br></div><div>Hafizur\'s body was found near his house around 4:00 am on Tuesday, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The deceased\'s son Tamim Lashkar, said that they all went to sleep after 10:00 pm and woke up to find their father\'s body in a corner of the room after Fazr.</div><div><br></div><div>Hearing their screams, the villagers came and informed the police.</div><div><br></div><div>Police recovered Hafizur\'s sandals from inside the canal and saw bloodstains near neighbour Harun\'s house on the other side of the canal, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, Harun (40) and Faruk (38) were on suspicion of their involvement in the incident. A case has been filed at Magura Police Station in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>The body has been sent to Magura morgue for autopsy, the OC added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 09:07:34', '2024-05-21 09:07:34'),
(12480, 12480, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The European Union is providing EUR 175,000 (over Tk 2 crore 22 lakh) in humanitarian funding to support the most vulnerable people exposed to the extreme temperatures as Bangladesh is facing record high temperatures, reaching over 42Â°C in some parts of the country in the past weeks.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This EU funding supports the Bangladesh Red Crescent’s ongoing efforts to deliver relief assistance to 500,000 people affected by the heatwave.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Teams of volunteers disseminate awareness messages on heat-related illnesses and how to prevent them; run cooling stations; provide ambulance and first aid services, and distribute drinking water, umbrellas, and caps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The support will continue in 20 districts where the temperature has exceeded 38Â°C in the divisions of Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Barishal and Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The funding is part of the EU\'s overall contribution of â‚¬8 million to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to respond to disasters around the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh, one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and has seen more frequent, severe and longer heatwaves during the summer months in recent years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">High temperatures can pose grave risks to newborns and infants, as they are less able to regulate their body temperatures than adults, people with chronic diseases, and older persons, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 09:29:13', '2024-05-21 09:29:13'),
(12481, 12481, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir asked his party colleagues not to be happy with the news of US sanctions on former Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed as he thinks they have to defeat the current government with their own strength instead of depending on others.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"If I can\'t manage my own house, no one else will do it for me. Many may be happy over the sanctions on Aziz. I think it’s misleading and we’re always getting confused,” he said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking at a discussion, the BNP leader recalled that the US also imposed sanctions earlier on RAB and the officers of the elite force and the police but it could not stop the terrible journey of the current regime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have to stand on our own feet, stand with our own strength and defeat them with our own strength,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A faction of Jatiya Gonotantrik Party (Jagpa) arranged the programme at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) marking the seventh death anniversary of the party founder Shafiul Alam Prodhan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US Department of State on Monday&nbsp; imposed sanctions on Aziz Ahmed and his immediate family members due to “his involvement in significant corruption\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 10:10:23', '2024-05-21 10:10:23'),
(12482, 12482, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh will observe one-day state mourning on Thursday showing respect to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a tragic helicopter crash on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Cabinet Division issued a notification in this regard on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>As a mark of respect, the national flag will be kept at half-mast at all government, semi-government and autonomous institutions, and missions abroad, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>Special prayers will be offered for the eternal peace of the departed soul.</div><div><br></div><div>Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and others were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 10:32:59', '2024-05-21 10:32:59'),
(12483, 12483, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Monday evening criticized President Andrzej Duda after the latter offered condolences to Iran after the death of its President Ebrahim Raisi and other senior officials in a helicopter crash the previous day, and compared the event to a similar tragedy in Poland 14 years ago.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking with commercial television news TVN, Tusk said \"the president had unnecessarily crossed a certain line,\" referring to Duda\'s condolences, in which he referred to the Smolensk disaster, a plane crash in April 2010 that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski and 96 other leading Polish public figures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Poles, who experienced the crash of the Polish plane in Smolensk, know the feeling of shock and emptiness that remains in people\'s hearts and in the country after the sudden loss of the political and social elite, after the sudden loss of loved ones and friends,\" the president wrote on X. \"Therefore, with special understanding, we join the relatives of the victims and the Iranian nation in prayer and grief.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Since the victim of this disaster is the president of another country, it is known that the president of Poland has certain diplomatic obligations, including expressing condolences,” Tusk said. “However, it seems to me that the president has unnecessarily crossed a certain line. I am particularly concerned about comparing Lech Kaczynski with the president of Iran.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lech Kaczynski was the twin brother of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the Law and Justice (PiS) party which ruled Poland from 2015 to 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anna Maria Zukowska, chairwoman of the Left parliamentary club, a governing coalition partner of Tusk and candidate for the European Parliament, also reacted critically to President Duda\'s words. \"Iran is the same source of evil as Russia, but in the Arab world. Stoning women and gays, murdering opponents, supporting Russia in its attack on Ukraine, financing terrorist networks. Raisi was called the Butcher of Tehran, accused of crimes against humanity,\" she wrote on X.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Is Andrzej Duda aware that with his today\'s post he spat in the faces of thousands of families of the victims of the butcher from Tehran?\" wrote attorney Roman Giertych, an MP of the Civic Platform, Tusk’s party.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran\'s Raisi, his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and others were on board the helicopter that went down on Sunday afternoon in northern Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vice President Mohammed Mokhber has assumed the powers of the presidency until new elections are held on June 28. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 11:00:23', '2024-05-21 11:00:23'),
(12484, 12484, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Police foiled the attempt of the leaders and activists of Ganosamhati Andolon to besiege Bangladesh Bank in Dhaka’s Motijheel area on Tuesday.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of their scheduled programme, the leaders and activists of the party led by its Chief coordinator Junaid Saki marched towards Bangladesh Bank around 11 am to lay siege to it demanding the government to publish the list of loan defaulter and money launderers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When they reached the Shapla Chattar area, a team of police obstructed them, said Assistant Commissioner of Motijheel Zone of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Golam Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Being obstructed, they later held a brief rally in front of Shapla Chattar foot over bridge and then left the place.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 11:14:30', '2024-05-21 11:14:30'),
(12485, 12485, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to Afghanistan after a three-year hiatus.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An aircraft of the flag-carrier landed in the Kabul International Airport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was welcomed with a ceremony by officials from the Turkish embassy in Kabul, representations of Turkish institutions in the country, and officials from the interim government, as well as members of local and international press.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Istanbul-Kabul flights will be operated four times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkish Airlines had ceased flights to Afghanistan after the change of the country’s administration in August 2021. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 11:29:35', '2024-05-21 11:29:35'),
(12486, 12486, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The trial of nine accused smugglers opens on Tuesday, nearly a year after a derelict migrant trawler with hundreds on board sank off the coast of Greece in one of Europe’s deadliest shipwrecks.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nine Egyptian men – who were among the 104 survivors – will appear before a court in Kalamata, southwestern Greece, to answer charges including negligent homicide, participation in a criminal organisation and facilitating illegal entry into the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The men, aged 21 to 37 years old, have denied responsibility.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their lawyers say they are being scapegoated to obscure the responsibilities of the Greek coastguard, which failed to mount an effective rescue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The suspects, who have spent the past 11 months in pre-trial detention, face life imprisonment if convicted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the sinking occurred in international waters, 87km off the coast of Pylos, lawyers for the defendants say a Greek court is not competent to hear the case. - AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 11:39:35', '2024-05-21 11:39:35'),
(12487, 12487, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>“Even before this, a foreign mass media has staged a drama about me. There is a nexus between the drama and the sanction,” said the former chief of Bangladesh Army Staff in an impromptu reaction on Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Former Chief of Army Staff Aziz Ahmed expressed deep shock over the US sanctions imposed on him and his family members, saying that he has been a victim of injustice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Aziz for his indulgence in corruption, effectively restricting his entry into the world\'s most influential country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sanctions also apply to his immediate family members, according to a statement of the US State Department.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aziz also rejected all allegations brought against him and sought evidences from the US States Department of his indulgence in corruption.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is a blatant lie that I sent my younger brother abroad using my power. My younger brother had been staying abroad since before I became the Chief of Army Staff. So, the allegation is baseless,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aziz said he is ready to accept any consequences if anyone can prove that he gave any kind of contract to any of his brothers during his three years as Army Chief.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, In February 2021, Al-Jazeera published a report titled ‘All the Prime Minister’s Men’ levied various allegations, including corruption, against Aziz.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 11:49:00', '2024-05-21 11:49:00'),
(12488, 12488, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Employees who work under great leaders tend to be happier, more productive and more connected to their organization. And this has a ripple effect that reaches your business’s bottom line. Anyone can sit in a corner office and delegate tasks, but there is more to effective leadership than that. Not everyone is a natural-born leader.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, there are strategies you can use to improve your leadership. Similarly, there are a handful of mistakes to avoid if you want to be a good leader.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Assessing whether you’re a good or bad leader</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Business News Daily spoke with CEOs, directors and leadership experts to learn what good leadership strategies are and how you can incorporate them in your own organization.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you look around and see your team members have become disengaged or stagnant in their work, it may be time to reassess and reform your strategies. According to Brownlee, the following behaviors are signs you may have a poor leadership strategy:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No one on your team has criticized one of your ideas in the past month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">You spend more time planning your own career progression than that of your team members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ You haven’t had at least three completely non-work-related conversations with a team member weekly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Different team members would provide different answers if asked your top three priorities for the year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">☼ Team members are afraid to fail.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">How to be a good leader</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Every leader has their own style, but there are certain characteristics all great leaders share. The below practices are often the hallmarks of a successful leader.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">1. Engage in honest, open communication.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the most important elements of effective leadership is creating an open line of communication with your team members. Sanjay Patoliya, founder of Teclogiq and software developer at NextBits Group, said your own honesty and transparency should serve as an example for your team members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“When you are responsible for a team of people, it is important to be straightforward,” he said. “Your company and its employees are a reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior … a key value, your team will follow.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brownlee added that people with effective leadership language are able to customize their interactions and communication styles to suit each situation and team member. “This means they take the time to figure out which communication mode is preferred by each team member; e.g., are they a text person, email, phone or face-to-face? They’re also great listeners and are authentically interested in other people.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Listening to your employees and displaying transparency can build trust among your team and boost overall morale. Ruslan Fazlyev, former CEO and founder of e-commerce solutions provider Ecwid and current board member at Seller Labs, said that in all your communications, it’s crucial to be genuine above all else.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There are many leadership styles; there’s no right and wrong,” he said. “But there’s genuine, and there’s fake. There’s no following to fake leadership.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">2. Connect with your team members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Leading a group of people requires a mutual sense of trust and understanding between the leader and their team members. To achieve this, leaders should learn to connect.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie, a leadership writer and consultant, said that being a “more human” leader requires positivity, purpose, empathy, compassion, humility and love. These key traits will put you on the road to genuine connections with the members of your team.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Building a real, personal connection with your teammates is vital to developing the shared trust necessary to build a strong culture of accountability and exceptional performance,” St. Marie said. “With that culture in place, the team can achieve a successful business, a happy team and a fulfilled leader.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To build a connection with each of your team members, focus on getting to know their personalities, interests, strengths, weaknesses, hobbies and preferences. This can give you insight into their goals and motivations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Patoliya said successful leaders allow their teams to develop autonomy and add value according to their own personal strengths. “Being able to recognize the strengths of individuals within their team, and allowing them to be responsible and accountable, not only increases employees’ confidence in themselves and their leader, but also increases their performance.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">3. Encourage personal and professional growth.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Acting as your team’s cheerleader is an important part of being an effective leader. You should be invested in their success and growth.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Keri Ohlrich, the CEO of HR consulting company Abbracci Group, said that leaders should set aside a budget, if only a small one, to dedicate to the growth of their employees.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“With options as varied as on-demand, virtual [and] in-person options, there’s ample opportunity to continue learning new skills or further developing existing ones,” she said. “Empower your employees to take the time to learn and infuse that in the work they do.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition to investing in your employees’ growth financially, you should invest emotionally. John Rampton, founder and CEO of the app company Calendar, said that great leaders empower their employees to grow by giving them challenging opportunities and guiding them as needed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“To motivate and inspire employees, leadership strategy is about empowering others to do their best and take on new challenges,” he said. “Employees like challenges and feeling the satisfaction of overcoming them. Whether it’s a tough client, a difficult sale, a hard situation or whatever the case, it’s always good to let them take on these challenges.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When leaders believe in their employees and give them the opportunity to learn and grow, they might be surprised at how much they can accomplish. Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks and encourage freedom and creativity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', '<p><b>&nbsp;\'Leader\'</b><br></p>', 'Life Style Desk', '[\"36\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 12:26:48', '2024-05-21 12:26:48'),
(12489, 12489, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Manchester United set up another FA Cup final against fierce rival Manchester City in a way no one could ever have imagined.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a semifinal match on Sunday that will live long in the memory, United blew a three-goal lead against second-tier Coventry, was saved by the narrowest of offside calls by the VAR in stoppage time of extra time to keep the score at 3-3, then came from behind in a penalty shootout to advance to the May 25 title match back at Wembley Stadium.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United\'s celebrations after Rasmus Hojlund converted the clinching spot kick for a 4-2 win in the shootout were as much of relief as joy. Indeed, United\'s players looked sheepish — almost embarrassed — as they left the field at England\'s national stadium compared to their Coventry counterparts, who received the adulation of their proud, flag-waving, blue-clad fans.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Advancing to the final in this manner will do nothing to quell the growing uncertainty around the position of United manager Erik ten Hag, whose job might not be saved even by beating City. United, the grandest club in England, is languishing in seventh place in the Premier League and the team\'s late collapse against Coventry followed a trend of similar performances in recent weeks that will alarm its new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, who was in the crowd at Wembley after having run the London Marathon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The standard of the club is much higher than what we have been doing,” said United captain Bruno Fernandes, who could barely raise a smile despite his team getting to an FA Cup final.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">City, which defeated Chelsea 1-0 in the first of the semifinals on Saturday, was a 2-1 winner over United in last year\'s final on its way to claiming a Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That was the first ever cup final between the fierce local rivals — and another has arrived 12 months later. Few will expect a different outcome in next month\'s match, by which time City will hope to have been crowned Premier League champion again.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It’s mixed feelings,\" Ten Hag said of beating Coventry. “The way we did it isn’t OK.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United has picked up a nasty habit of blowing leads and it happened again against an inspired Coventry team that is eighth in the Championship and managed by Mark Robins — a former Man United striker who might have saved Alex Ferguson from getting fired three years into his storied tenure as United manager.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes — with a shot that took a deflection before ricocheting into the net — scored to put United 3-0 up by the 58th minute.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coventry, which was bidding to become the first non-Premier League club since Cardiff in 2008 to reach the final, fought back in remarkable fashion with goals from Ellis Sims in the 71st, Callum O\'Hare in the 79th and then Haji Wright with an equalizing penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coventry was arguably the stronger of the teams in extra time, with Sims hitting the crossbar and Victor Torp having a goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time ruled out because of a close offside call against Wright in the buildup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Had he cut his toe nail, it wouldn’t have gone to penalties,” Robins said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">United midfielder Casemiro, who played out of position at center back in the match, missed the first penalty of the shootout but United recovered, with Coventry failing twice from the spot. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 13:24:54', '2024-05-21 13:24:54'),
(12490, 12490, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today said Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong emphasized on enhancing sharing of intelligence with Bangladesh for the development of both the countries.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“We have discussed about intelligence sharing and enhancing bilateral relations among the two friendly countries positively,” he said this after a meeting with an Australian delegation led by its Foreign Minister Penny Wong at the ministry conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kamal said Australia wants to advance bilateral relations and enhance activities for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indian Ocean region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australia and Bangladesh have significant people-to-people links, with over 50,000 people in Australia born in Bangladesh, reports BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, she arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit today to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, and to find out practical solutions to shared challenges such as climate change, regional maritime security and smuggling.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A small delegation including a Deputy Secretary, South and Southeast Asia Group and Head of the Office of Southeast Asia, in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Michelle Chan were accompanied by the Australian foreign minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 13:31:50', '2024-05-21 13:31:50'),
(12491, 12491, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said that the voter turnout in the second phase of upazila elections on Tuesday was estimated to be above 30 percent.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He revealed the figure while talking to reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon in the afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>The CEC said the election was held in a fair and peaceful manner. Where there has been an attempt to rig the vote, the EC has taken action immediately. A total of 25 people have been arrested and 10 were sentenced to various terms instantly.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Awal said the exact figure of vote cast would be known Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>He said there no major violence was reported except a few separate incidents where several people were injured.</div><div><br></div><div>When asked about low voter turnout, CEC said that he never considered 30 per cent voter turnout as significant.</div><div><br></div><div>According to CEC’s observation the main factor behind low voter turnout is the boycott of the polls by a large opposition political party which distributed leaflets to discourage people from going to the polling centres. It can happen in a democratic political system, he said adding there are may be pros and cons.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Awal said there is no crisis in “our voting system but it exists in our politics.”&nbsp; “I think if our politics returns to right track then the crisis regarding voter presence will be solved.”</div><div><br></div><div>Starting at 8:00 am the voting continued till 4:00 pm without any break. Balloting was held in 156 upazilas of the country.&nbsp; In the second phase of the elections the voting centres saw poor turnout of voters. Besides, some stray incidents violence happened in different places across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam told the media that voter turnout was approximately 17 per cent within the first four hours of the second phase of upazila elections.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 3.52 crore voters&nbsp; 1,79,05,464 males, 1,72,99,047 females and 237 transgender persons - are registered under 13,016 polling stations in the 156 upazilas, according to the factsheet provided by the Election Commission on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-21 13:35:30', '2024-05-21 13:35:30'),
(12492, 12492, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Anwarul Azim Anar, the lawmaker from Jhenaidah-4 constituency, who went to India for treatment, was brutally killed at a flat in New Town, near Kolkata, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said today.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The information we have so far is that the people of our country are involved in the killing,” he said while speaking at a press briefing held at his Dhanmondi residence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Based on information, Indian police arrested three people while they are also trying to arrest others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Asked whether the murder of MP Anar would impact relations with India, the minister said, “We have friendly relations with India. They helped us in every way. There was nothing that would deteriorate the relationship with them. No one from India is involved.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to a question about recovery of the body, Asaduzzaman refused to reveal any information for the sake of the investigation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“All information including the motive of the murder, where the murder occurred, and who were involved in it, we will let you (journalists) know,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Indian police confirmed that he was killed at a flat in Kolkata, said the minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The home minister said Jhenaidah is a violence-prone area and Anar was also elected MP in the recent election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The murder took place after he went to India for treatment, he said, adding, “Our police are investigating the matter. We will be able to unearth the motive of the murder soon. Indian police are also working to find out who is involved in the murder. We are taking measures that need to be adopted internationally.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anar went to India for medical treatment on May 11. He maintained contact with his family members till May 14. Since then his phone remained switched off.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MP Anar\'s wife and daughters went to the DB office in Dhaka on Sunday (May 19). According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 10:16:01', '2024-05-22 10:16:01'),
(12493, 12493, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Anwarul Azim Anar, the lawmaker from Jhenaidah-4 constituency, was found dead on Wednesday in a hotel in Kolkata of West Bengal, eight days after he had gone missing from there.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of MP Anwarul Azim, also president of Jhenaidah Kaliganj upazila unit Awami League.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anar went to India for medical treatment on May 11. He maintained contact with his family members till May 14. Since then his phone remained switched off.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">MP Anar\'s wife and daughters went to the DB office in Dhaka on Sunday (May 19).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 10:20:36', '2024-05-22 10:20:36'),
(12494, 12494, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has proposed a standard VAT rate of 15 percent for many goods and services in the upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2024-25 budget. While there is a proposal to apply this VAT rate uniformly across all products and services, the Prime Minister has advised a phased implementation. This would result in a 15 percent VAT rate from production to the consumer level, which could increase consumer prices.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, the NBR collects VAT at rates of 2, 3, 5, 7.5, 10, and 15 percent on various products and services. Plans are in place to phase out VAT exemptions in some sectors, moving towards a uniform VAT rate, according to Ministry of Finance sources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Changes in Mobile Phone Call Costs</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister has given a positive nod to a proposal to increase the supplementary duty on mobile phone calls to boost revenue collection. Currently, consumers can talk for minutes worth Tk 73 when they recharge their mobile by Tk 100, with the rest deducted as VAT and supplementary duties. If the supplementary duty is increased by 5 percent, consumers will be able to talk for minutes worthTk 69.35 out of Tk 100.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Duty on Car Imports by MPs</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, MPs can import cars duty-free. However, the Prime Minister has agreed to cancel this benefit to reduce inequality. The proposed budget for FY 2024-25 includes a 25 percent supplementary duty and 15 percent VAT on car imports by MPs. Additionally, duties will be imposed on imported cars for hi-tech parks, which previously enjoyed duty-free benefits.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Baggage Rules Remain Unchanged</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under current rules, a passenger can bring 117 grams of gold by paying a duty of Tk 4,000. The NBR proposed that this be limited to once a year, but the Prime Minister vetoed this. The tax will be collected each time gold is brought in, even if it exceeds once a year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Corporate Tax Rates</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The NBR has decided to reduce corporate tax rates conditionally. The Prime Minister agreed to reduce taxes in non-listed industries in the productive sector from 27.5 percent to 25 percent. However, taxes in all other sectors will remain unchanged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tariff Benefits on Agricultural Imports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister advised against increasing duties on the import of agricultural inputs and fertilizers, meaning the cost of importing these items will not increase.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Return Assessment</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To reduce taxpayer harassment and increase revenue collection, all taxpayers, both individuals and companies, will be required to submit returns through the self-assessment method in the next budget. This method avoids return assessments, which are currently required for individual taxpayers and optionally for companies. Major changes to the income tax law are expected in the next budget.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No Increase in Tax-Free Income Limit</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite rising inflation, the tax-free income limit for individuals will not increase in the upcoming budget. Last year, this limit was raised from Tk 3 lakh to Tk 3.5 lakh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Increased Taxes for the Wealthy</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To increase revenue collection, the NBR plans to impose additional taxes on the wealthy. The top tax rate for individual taxpayers is set to rise from 25 percent to 30 percent for annual incomes exceeding Tk 16 lakh. There are also plans to reduce tax exemptions in various sectors and eliminate tax exemptions on capital income from stock market investments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Revenue Collection Targets</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The proposed budget for FY 2024-25 sets a revenue collection target of Tk 4.80 lakh crore. The current budget set this target at Tk 4.30 lakh crore, later revised to Tk 4.10 lakh crore. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 10:39:01', '2024-05-22 10:39:01'),
(12495, 12495, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP on Wednesday announced a 15-day programme to observe the 43rd death anniversary of its founder and former president Ziaur Rahman on May 30.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programmes at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the observance of Zia’s death anniversary programme will begin on May 28 and will end on June 28 through various programmes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ziaur Rahman, who founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1978, was assassinated by a group of army officers at Chittagong Circuit House on May 30, 1981.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of the programmes, black flags will be hoisted while the party flag will be kept at half-mast atop its offices, including its Nayapaltan headquarters, at 6 am on May 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, party leaders and workers will place wreaths at Zia\'s grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar at 10 am the same day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They will also offer fateha at Zia’s grave and join a doa and milad mahfil there, praying for the salvation of the departed soul of the BNP founder.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party will arrange a discussion meeting on May 29 at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, in memory of Zia on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, a mass prayer programme will be organised in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on May 31 seeking eternal peace for Zia’s departed soul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BNP and its associate bodies will arrange different programmes, including seminars and discussions, on Zia’s activities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party’s city, district, upazila, and municipality units will also observe the day with due respect by arranging different programmes, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The leaders of the party’s Dhaka North and South city units will also distribute food items and clothes among the destitute in different parts of the city on May 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 11:08:22', '2024-05-22 11:08:22');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12496, 12496, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>As many as 708 people died and 2,426 were injured in 683 road accidents across the country in the month of April, said a report of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, 47 people were killed and 36 were injured in 44 railway accidents while eight people were killed, 10 injured, and one is still missing in six waterway accidents, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The report was published on Wednesday analysing accident reports published in the country\'s national and regional dailies and online media during the period and a press release in this regard signed by its secretary general was also issued.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 763 people were killed and 2, 472 were injured in 733 accidents on roads, waterways and railways across the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, 274 people died and 328 others were injured in some 305 motorbike accidents across the country last month which is 44.65 percent of the total accidents and 38.70 percent of the total fatalities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka division witnessed highest 155 road accidents with 179 fatalities and 305 injuries while Barishal witnessed the lowest 35 road accidents with as many deaths.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among those killed in road accidents in April, 10 were members of law enforcement agencies,169 were drivers, 63 pedestrians, 58 transport workers, 46 students, six teachers, 119 women, 67 children, three journalists, two physicians, one lawyer, three engineers and eight activists of different political parties.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among the vehicles involved in the accidents were 34.71 percent motorbikes, 15.48 percent buses, 17.61 percent pick-up vans, covered vans and lorries, 6.27 percent private cars, SUVs and microbuses, 5.97 percent CNG-run auto-rickshaws, 13.15 percent battery-run human haulers and 6.78 percent three-wheeler vehicles, said the report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of the accidents, 35.28 percent occurred on national highways, 14.78 on regional roads and 42.45 percent on roads. Besides, 6.58 percent accidents occurred in Dhaka city, 0.43 percent in Chattogram city and 0.43 percent on rail tracks, it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The association blamed reckless driving, motorbikes and three-wheelers on highways, lack of street lights, road marking or road sign, development of cracks and holes on highways during rainy season, movement of unfit vehicles, violation of traffic rules, unskilled drivers and helpers, collecting tolls and poor traffic management for the accidents and deaths.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 11:38:13', '2024-05-22 11:38:13'),
(12497, 12497, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As founding members of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, Bangladesh and Australia have expressed concerns about the loss of life and exploitation of vulnerable people such as the Rohingyas, including women and children, at the hands of transnational criminal networks.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australian Minister Penny Wong noted that the Commander of Australia’s Maritime Border Command will visit Bangladesh to further discuss these issues.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Australian Minister and her Bangladesh counterpart Hasan Mahmud agreed on the importance of safe migration pathways in the region to curb irregular and unsafe migration patterns.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noting the growth in the Bangladesh diaspora in Australia and the contributions made by the two peoples to deepening the bilateral relationship, the ministers affirmed the importance of preservation and promotion of arts and culture, and committed to signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Arts and Culture.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong held their first ministerial dialogue on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers noted the warm bilateral relationship founded on more than fifty years of diplomatic relations and deepening friendship.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They recognised that high-level visits at the political level can help take the relationship to further new heights, according to a joint statement issued on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers recalled the constructive, positive bilateral discussions held at the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth in February 2024, following those during the Indian Ocean Conference in Dhaka in 2023.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They noted ongoing collaboration and cooperation in regional and multilateral fora, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association and at the United Nations.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They appreciated the growing strategic depth and dimensions of the bilateral relations.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They noted the commonalities between Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook, the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s Indo-Pacific Outlook and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They reaffirmed their shared vision and desire to work towards a region that is peaceful, stable, prosperous, inclusive and free from intimidation, interference and coercion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers acknowledged the importance of building regional health security, promoting demographic resilience, enhancing multi-modal connectivity, and strengthening clean energy supply chains.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They agreed on the importance of promoting open channels of communication and confidence-building measures to reduce the risk of conflict in the region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers reaffirmed their support for sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Indo Pacific, democratic values, human rights, freedom of navigation and overflight, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 13:00:26', '2024-05-22 13:00:26'),
(12498, 12498, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Two children drowned in Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram on Wednesday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased were identified Romaisa Jannat, one and a half year old daughter of Abdullah Al Mamun Faisal of Chhnua union and Abir, 2, son of Abu Hamid of the ward No-4 under Banshkhali municipality.</div><div><br></div><div>Locals said Romaisa fell into a pond in the absence of her family members in Madhukhali area around 8:30am.</div><div><br></div><div>After recusing the girl, the family members took her to upazila health complex where physicians declared her dead, they said.</div><div><br></div><div>Moreover, Abir drowned in a water body in Neyazar para around 1pm, said his paternal uncle.</div><div><br></div><div>Hearing a sound from the pond, he was rescued and taken to the upazila health complex where physicians declared him dead upon arrival, the uncle said.</div><div><br></div><div>The health complex’s physician Dr Jannatul Ferdous confirmed the deaths of the children saying that they were brought dead.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"41\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 13:02:04', '2024-05-22 13:02:04'),
(12499, 12499, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Russia claimed on Wednesday that its troops have taken control of the village of Klishchiivka in Ukraine\'s eastern Donetsk region.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, its troops also caused damage and losses to Ukrainian forces near the settlements of Heorhiivka and Hostre, as well as the city of Kostiantynivka, located about 31 kilometers (19 miles) west of Klishchiivka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The village, situated about 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) south of Bakhmut city, was captured by Russian forces in January 2023 but later retaken by Ukrainian forces in September 2023 during a large-scale counteroffensive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The statement claimed that Russian forces on the Kharkiv front have advanced deeper into Ukraine\'s defenses, repelling three counterattacks near the settlements of Vovchansk and Lyptsi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement that Russian military activities can be observed, particularly in the directions of Kupiansk and Pokrovsk, indicating that Russian troops are still trying to advance towards Lyptsi in the direction of Kharkiv.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said Russia launched attacks near Krasnohorivka, Novomykhailivka, Paraskoviivka, and Kostiantynivka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv authorities have yet to comment on the claims concerning Klishchiivka village, and independent verification of Russia\'s claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On May 10, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Russian forces attempted to breach the country’s defenses in the Kharkiv region, opening a new front in the over two-year-long conflict that is concentrated in the country’s east and south.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Clashes in the region have intensified since then, particularly near Vovchansk, located about 74 kilometers (45 miles) from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia claims to have seized control of multiple border settlements since the start of its offensive on the Kharkiv front, as well as other fronts including Donetsk. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 13:17:29', '2024-05-22 13:17:29'),
(12500, 12500, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Twenty people were in intensive care in Bangkok hospitals on Wednesday after a terrifying high-altitude plunge on a flight from London during which an elderly passenger died and more than 100 were injured.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 hit “sudden extreme turbulence” over Myanmar 10 hours into its journey to Singapore on Tuesday, abruptly rising and plunging several times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One passenger said people were thrown around the cabin so violently they put dents in the ceiling during the drama at 11,300m, leaving dozens with head injuries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Photos from inside the plane show the cabin in chaos, strewn with food, drinks bottles, and luggage, and with oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The plane, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew, made an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, where medical staff used gurneys to ferry the injured to ambulances waiting on the tarmac.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I was flung up to the roof and then as the plane dropped forward so did I,” one passenger told Australian media on Wednesday after arriving in Sydney.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I then hit the floor quite hard and all the breakfast items and glass flew forward as well.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The poor crew was preparing breakfast for everyone, so they got the worst injuries.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A 73-year-old British man died and 104 people were injured on the flight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A hospital in Bangkok said Wednesday its staff were treating, or had treated 85 of those injured, including 20 people who were currently in intensive care units.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 20 were from Australia, the UK, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Philippines, Samitivej hospital said, without specifying how many were passengers or crew.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A relief flight carrying 131 passengers and 12 crew landed at Singapore’s Changi Airport on Wednesday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Relieved relatives greeted the arrivals with hugs, but all were too shaken to talk to waiting reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Andrew Davies, a British passenger aboard the Boeing 777-300ER, told BBC radio that the plane “suddenly dropped” and there was “very little warning”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“During the few seconds of the plane dropping, there was an awful screaming and what sounded like a thud,” he said, adding that he helped a woman who was “screaming in agony” with a “gash on her head”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Separately, he told a BBC podcast he feared the plane was going to crash.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Remembering the plane now – the huge dents in the roof that people had obviously hit with their head. There was a water bottle stuck in a gap in the ceiling,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong said on Wednesday that the carrier is “very sorry for the traumatic experience” endured by those on board, and expressed condolences to the family of the deceased. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 13:26:51', '2024-05-22 13:26:51'),
(12501, 12501, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The killers of Jhenaidah-4 MP Anwarul Azim Anar were Bangladeshis, according to the Chief of the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mohammad Harun or Rashid.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“An investigation is underway to ascertain the reason behind the murder. A few persons were arrested and others who were involved in the murder will be brought to justice. But the names can’t be disclosed now for the sake of the investigation,” the DB chief said while talking to reporters at his office on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are contacting the Indian police closely and receiving important information regarding the murder but can’t disclose anything now,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Replying to a question on why he was murdered, the DB chief said “Investigation is going on to know the reason behind the murder. Whether it is a family or financial or local issue or for raising voice against criminals, we’ll bring out everything through investigation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The daughter of MP Anwarul will file a case and officials are providing all-out support to her, he said, adding “We have asked her to file the case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station as he was a resident of Sangshad Bhaban area.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MP Anar, who went missing from Kolkata on May 14, was found dead in Kolkata on Wednesday. He went there on May 11 for medical treatment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan today said the lawmaker of Jhenaidah-4 was brutally killed at a flat in New Town, a suburb of Kolkata.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The information we have so far is that the people of our country are involved in the killing,” he said while speaking at a press briefing held at his Dhanmondi residence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 13:43:25', '2024-05-22 13:43:25'),
(12502, 12502, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir  said, “This regime is responsible for the sanctions. This has happened as they tried to use the army unfairly. They used the army for various purposes.” </b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He said that the government is responsible for the sanctions imposed by the United States on former army chief General Aziz Ahmed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking at a press conference at the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said sanctions imposed on a former army chief is a matter of great shame for the nation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said there is no option but to remove the current regime from power to establish a pro-people government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US Department of State on Monday imposed sanctions on Aziz Ahmed and his immediate family members due to “his involvement in significant corruption\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul said different media outlets, especially the international ones, carried out reports on irregularities by General Aziz. “But the government did not take any action, no one has the right to defame the nation and diminish its dignity and honour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Stating that the military is the most trusted institution of the nation, he said the country’s people cannot accept that the army’s reputation was tarnished only because of the government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to the US sanctions on the officials of the elite force RAB, the BNP leader said the government did not learn any lessons from it. “Instead, they promoted some of them to the post of IGP…I don\'t know how much impact this (sanctions) has.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also accused the government of using the other force of the country only to hang onto power by force. “This is not only unfortunate for Bangladesh, but also a matter of shame and embarrassment.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul also said the government is trying to turn Bangladesh into a failed state in a planned way by annihilating democracy and resorting to corruption.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Replying to a question about the upazila elections, the BNP leader said he did not see any enthusiasm among the people about the polls as they have no interest in voting. \"There is no discussion among the people about the polls anywhere since people have lost their confidence in the electoral system.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul also alleged that the government is destroying the soul of the nation, turning Bangladesh into a dependent and subservient country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 14:23:45', '2024-05-22 15:32:14'),
(12503, 12503, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">&nbsp;Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday that a national election would be held in the second half of the year when asked about rumours in parliament that the British leader might call a vote to take place in the summer.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Sunak has repeatedly said an election will be held in the second half of 2024, and he stated that again when he was asked about the rumours in the House of Commons on Wednesday. October or November had been seen as the most likely timing by most pundits.</div><div><br></div><div>“Spoiler alert: there is going to be a general election in the second half of this year,” Sunak told parliament.</div><div><br></div><div>But rumours swirled around parliament on Wednesday, among lawmakers and journalists, that he could move earlier and call a national election in early July. - Reuters</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:06:30', '2024-05-22 15:06:30'),
(12504, 12504, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>At least five people sustained injuries after post-polls attacks allegedly by the supporters of a rival group in Satkhira’s Ashashuni upazila on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the attacks, the assailants also vandalised at least twenty houses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of the injured, Anisur Rahman of Cheutia village of Khazra Union and Imran Hossain of Towardanga village were admitted to Satkhira Medical College Hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police detained 13 people in connection with the violence, Satkhira Superintendent of Police Matiur Rahman Siddiqui said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some of them have been identified as Abdur Rahman, Abul Kalam Azad, and Jahangir Hossain of Pirojpur village, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Defeated chairman candidate Shah Newaz Dalim said that the supporters of the winning chairman ABM Mostakim led by Milan Parvez of Pirojpur village of Khazra Union attacked and vandalized Ripon Hossain\'s house in Pirojpur village on Tuesday night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:08:27', '2024-05-22 15:08:27'),
(12505, 12505, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Students demonstrating at universities throughout the US, UK, and Europe have been urging their academic institutions to reveal financial holdings and to divest from Israeli-affiliated entities amid the ongoing Israeli onslaught in the Gaza Strip.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Universities responded by suspending and expelling student protesters, sometimes resorting to measures such as eviction from campus housing and limitations on on-campus resources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also, some universities employed campus and local law enforcement to forcibly disband encampments, with police actions drawing criticism for their severity, particularly in the US.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With over 2,900 protesters arrested, including faculty members, on more than 60 campuses in the US, some universities have negotiated agreements with protesters to dismantle encampments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several universities have canceled graduation ceremonies due to ongoing protests, while additional demonstrations have unfolded at various graduation events throughout May 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, in the US, Union Theological Seminary became the first affiliated college at Columbia University to announce plans to divest from companies profiting from the conflict in Gaza. While specifics on the companies are not provided, the seminary aims to identify those benefiting from the Palestine situation, a report said on the Forbes website, citing Todd Ely, a professor at the University of Colorado-Denver.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other universities, like Northwestern in Illinois, have promised investment disclosure, while Harvard and Brown in Rhode Island have agreed to discuss proposals with protesters to halt protests, the report added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, at California State University\'s Sonoma State campus, President Mike Lee was placed on leave after expressing intent to pursue divestment from Israel without obtaining the necessary approvals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Australia, students also continued pro-Palestine encampment protests at universities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At Curtin University in Western Australia, students on Wednesday gathered at the engineering building and urged the administration to cut ties with Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Australia has witnessed many pro-Palestine student demonstrations in recent months.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:12:45', '2024-05-22 15:12:45'),
(12506, 12506, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Mohammed Shahabuddin has urged the representatives of the Buddhist community to work for the welfare of the country and its people, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Show people the way to light. Work for the welfare of the country and people. Don\'t just worry about being good for yourself or your family, think about being good for everyone,\" the President said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The president was speaking at a reception ceremony at the credentials Hall of the Bangabhaban commemorating \"Holy Buddha Purnima 2024\" on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that thousands of years of Buddhist tradition are intertwined with the soil and people of Bangladesh, the President extended friendly greetings and congratulations to all the Buddhists of the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He asked Buddhist leaders to spread the noble teachings and ideals of Buddha to everyone to build a happy, prosperous and peaceful Bangladesh as dreamed by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said human rights are being violated in many parts of the world now and vices like greed, jealousy, and revenge are increasing the exploitation and deprivation of society. Country-by-country wars have thrown the world economy out of balance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is also having a negative impact on the socio-economic sector of various countries of the world including Bangladesh,\" said Shahabuddin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this difficult time, the president also urged everyone to stand by each other.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both the president and his wife Rebeka Sultana celebrated the Buddha Purnima, the largest religious festival of the Buddhist community at Bangabhaban and exchanged greetings with Buddhist leaders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buddhist religious leaders also presented flower bouquets to the president at Bangabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Buddhists all over the country including Dhaka celebrate this day with due religious solemnity as it marks the birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than eight hundred guests attended the reception at Bangabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Minister of Religion Faridul Haque Khan, state minister&nbsp; for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Kujendra Lal Tripura, leaders of the Buddhist community and concerned secretaries of Bangabhaban were also present present on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:16:56', '2024-05-22 15:16:56'),
(12507, 12507, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Wednesday got admitted to a hospital in India’s Ahmedabad city after suffering a heat stroke due to the area\'s 45-degree Celsius temperature.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The actor was in Ahmedabad to watch the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between his team Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday, NDTV and the Hindustan Times reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The actor was suffering from dehydration amid a high temperature of 45-degree Celcius in Ahmedabad. He is under medical observation, although his health is stable. Security has been tightened around the hospital,\" news agency IANS reported, quoting sources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the actor\'s close friends and Indian actress Juhi Chawla visited the actor at the hospital with her husband.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), celebrated the team\'s triumph on Tuesday night with a lap of honour at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Accompanied by his children, Suhana Khan and AbRam Khan, Shah Rukh Khan greeted the audience following KKR\'s impressive win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), which secured their place in the IPL 2024 finals. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The official Instagram pages of KKR and the Indian Premier League (IPL) shared pictures and videos of the family\'s celebratory walk. SRK chants filled the stadium, and Shah Rukh delighted fans with his iconic open-arms pose. KKR\'s official Instagram page shared snapshots of Shah Rukh Khan thanking fans, captioning them with, \"Our lucky charm, our King Khan!\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment  Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:27:11', '2024-05-22 15:28:44'),
(12508, 12508, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said said there is still confusion over the disappearance of the Jhenaidah-4 constituency MP, who was brutally killed in Kolkata, India. In this situation, he said the BNP secretary general\'s statement blaming a friendly country is not justified.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He said this at a meeting at the Awami League central office at Bangabandhu Avenue. Awami League\'s Cultural Affairs Sub-Committee organized the meeting titled \'Progress of Smart Bangladesh, Rich in Cultural Diversity\'.</div><div><br></div><div>“India is our friend, it is okay. When an MP goes for treatment, he does not inform the Indian government. And the security issue is seen only if the appropriate authorities are informed,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“But if they are an enemy state, how can Salahuddin, your MP be safe for so long? No one killed him, no life was lost. Why are you slandering a friendly country? It is not appropriate to make such a statement,” the AL leader also said.</div><div><br></div><div>“The Awami League government does not bother about the sanctions imposed by those who deny Israel\'s genocide in Gaza. Those who are killing 35,500 people indiscriminately by bombing and shooting them indiscriminately. What Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is doing now is worse than Hitler. Isn\'t it genocide to target and kill children? The President of the United States says that Israel did not commit genocide,” the minister said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Those who deny genocide and give us sanctions or visa policies, we don’t care about them,. The army follows its rules. Bangabandhu\'s daughter Sheikh Hasina is not the person to spare anyone who commits a crime,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-22 15:31:38', '2024-05-22 15:31:38'),
(12509, 12509, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh Railways has initiated a comprehensive modernisation of its signal system, with the aim to transition entirely to broad gauge tracks by 2050. This initiative is expected to eliminate collisions and enhance overall safety.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In an exclusive interview with UNB, Sardar Shahadat Ali, Director General of Bangladesh Railway, elaborated on the ongoing and future projects.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have taken steps to modernise the signal system progressively across all areas. Though the traditional lamp signals are old, they are time-tested; implementing a digital system is a costly affair,” Ali stated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh Railway DG acknowledged the recent increase in train collisions, attributing them to faulty signal systems. “Until 2030, we will procure locomotives for meter gauge, but after that, we will cease their acquisition. By 2050, the complete transition to broad gauge will prevent such collisions,” he assured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Discussing the current locomotive scenario, Ali mentioned that the existing broad gauge locomotives sufficiently meet demand. “We plan to bring in 46 more locomotives for broad gauge and 50 for meter gauge. Additionally, the Chattogram-Dohazari project includes the acquisition of 30 more locomotives. However, we are facing a slight shortage of meter gauge locomotives.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Highlighting the advancements, Ali pointed out, “A tender for the digital signal system from Abdullahpur to Parbatipur has been issued and is under evaluation. The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project will see a digital system operational by June. Areas like Tongi, Joydebpur, Dinajpur, and the eastern and western sides of the Bangabandhu Bridge, will transition to an interlocking system once the ongoing non-interlocking projects are completed.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ali also touched upon the challenges of maintaining meter gauge locomotives, which involve transporting them over the Jamuna Bridge to the central locomotive workshop that is facing workforce shortages. “We expect to resolve these issues by 2030 with the arrival of new locomotives,” he noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Addressing locomotive defects, the railway DG said, “We have identified some issues with the 3000 series locomotives. Our service engineers are addressing these, and during the warranty period, we aim to rectify all identified problems.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 07:13:05', '2024-05-23 07:13:05'),
(12510, 12510, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The U.N. World Food Program said Wednesday that it has handed out in Gaza in recent days a “limited number” of high-energy biscuits that arrived from a U.S.-built pier, the first aid from the new humanitarian sea route to get into the hands of Palestinians in grave need.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The small number of biscuits came in the first shipments unloaded from the pier Friday, WFP spokesman Steve Taravella said. The U.S. Agency for International Development told The Associated Press that a total of 41 trucks loaded with aid from the more than $320 million pier have reached humanitarian organizations in Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Aid is flowing” from the pier, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Wednesday in response to questions about the troubled launch of aid deliveries from the maritime project. “It is not flowing at a rate that any of us are happy with.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters Tuesday that he did not believe any of the aid from the pier had yet reached people in Gaza. Sullivan said a day later that some aid had been delivered “specifically to the Palestinians who need it.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">American officials hope the pier at maximum capacity can bring the equivalent of 150 truckloads of aid to Gaza each day. That’s a fraction of the 600 truckloads of food, emergency nutritional treatments and other supplies that USAID says are needed each day to bring people in Gaza back from the start of famine and address the humanitarian crisis brought on by the seven-month-old Israel-Hamas war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israeli restrictions on land crossings and a surge in fighting have cut deliveries of food and fuel in Gaza to the lowest levels since the first months of the war, international officials say. Israel’s takeover this month of the Rafah border crossing, a key transit point for fuel and supplies for Gaza, has contributed to bringing aid operations near collapse, the U.N. and relief groups say.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All 2.3 million people of Gaza are struggling to get food, according to aid groups, with the heads of the WFP and USAID having said famine has begun in north Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The U.S. pier project to bring aid to Gaza via the Mediterranean Sea has had a troubled launch, with groups of people overrunning a convoy Saturday and taking most of the supplies and a man in the crowd who was shot dead in still-unexplained circumstances. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 07:16:37', '2024-05-23 07:16:37'),
(12511, 12511, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan made the sensational disclosure Wednesday (May 22, 2024) that Anwarul Azim Anar, MP for Jhenidah-4, had been murdered in West Bengal, while on a medical trip to India. He said the slain MP’s remains had been found in a flat in New Town, Kolkata.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Awami League MP Anwarul Azim Anar, who went missing in India, was murdered at a Calcutta flat,” Khan told journalists. “So far, we have come to know that all the killers involved are Bangladeshis. It was a planned murder.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police in Kolkata however have said no body has been found, and they are continuing their search in this regard. All that has been found are blood stains in a flat in suburban New Town where Azim was seen entering with three others on May 13.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">What is known so far is that Azim went to Kolkata. He entered India through the Darshana border (connecting Bangladesh’s Khulna with Nadia) on May 12 for a medical consultation, and started staying with a friend, Gopal Biswas, a gold trader, in the Baranagar area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Around 1.40pm on May 13, he left Biswas’s house to meet a neurologist at a Kolkata hospital in a cab. According to The Telegraph, an influential Kolkata daily, the taxi driver who drove Azim around has told the police they had picked up another Bangladeshi national from the New Market area and from there proceeded to the flat in New Town.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The medical appointment, had there been one in the first place, was not kept.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">CCTV footage has revealed that apart from Azim, two men and a woman had entered the flat at Sanjeeva Gardens, an upmarket development in Rajarhat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over the next four days, CCTV footage shows the other three leaving the building at different times, but there is no further sighting of the MP.&nbsp; Source:&nbsp; UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 07:21:02', '2024-05-23 07:21:02'),
(12512, 12512, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested three individuals for making hand bombs at a house in Tekpara area of Badda, Dhaka.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The arrestees have been identified as Fahim Rahman Abdullah, 22; Md Limon, 20; and Md Akul Mia, 21. Acting on a tip-off, a team from RAB-3 conducted a raid around 9 pm on Wednesday, seizing 65 hand bombs and a large quantity of bomb-making materials, according to a media release issued by RAB on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During initial interrogation, RAB learned that Masum and Sajib – members of a group that makes hand bombs – from Narayanganj’s Signboard area, had ordered the bombs for robbery purposes 8-10 days prior. The arrested individuals were hired to manufacture the bombs, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The suspects rented a house in Tekpara, where they received Tk 26,000 to produce the bombs. Their target was to make 100 bombs, RAB stated. In total, five people, including the arrestees, were involved in the bomb-making operation, they said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 08:38:34', '2024-05-23 08:38:34'),
(12513, 12513, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted rain or thundershower in Chattogram and Sylhet divisions within 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“Rain or thundershower accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country,” said a Met office bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, a mild heatwave is sweeping over the districts of Madaripur, Gopalganj, Sylhet, Chattogram, Rangamati, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Bandarban, Khulna, Satkhira, Chuadanga, and Bhola and it may continue.</div><div><br></div><div>Day and night temperatures may rise slightly over the country. Due to the increase in moisture incursion, the discomfort may increase.</div><div><br></div><div>The low pressure over south-west Bay and adjoining area now lies over west-central Bay. It is likely to intensify further.</div><div><br></div><div>Country’s highest temperature was recorded at 37.8 degrees Celsius in Rangamati on Wednesday while the lowest temperature was recorded at 23.4 degrees Celsius in Bogura on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 08:42:12', '2024-05-23 08:42:12');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12514, 12514, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Due to the use of untreated water, 80 percent of workers on vessels plying the inland waterways across the country are suffering from various types of complex intestinal diseases and skin infection.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>This information was highlighted in a report of Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF). The organization on Thursday revealed the summary of the report in a media release.</div><div><br></div><div>In the report, SCRF recommended making it mandatory to install water treatment facilities on all public and private vessels carrying passengers and goods to protect the health of workers.</div><div><br></div><div>The media release said that the report had been prepared by conducting a year-long survey and research. During the survey, more than 100 workers of 10 types of vessels were spoken to along with specialist physicians.</div><div><br></div><div>These vessels included passenger-carrying launches, cargo vessels, excavators, dredgers, barges and houseboats.</div><div><br></div><div>According to SCRF, one fifth of the country is coastal area. The water of the rivers in the coastal areas are highly saline throughout the year. Besides, almost all the rivers of the country are suffering from severe pollution. The workers stay on the vessels day after day. But there is no water treatment facility on public and private vessels.</div><div><br></div><div>The low-paid workers are forced to use river water. As a result, they are suffering from serious diseases.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the SCRF report citing doctors, long-term use of saline and polluted river water can lead to many skin diseases including skin cancer. A variety of complex intestinal disorders can occur, including liver cirrhosis, bacillary dysentery, dysentery, stomach ulcers and regular diarrhoea.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Health Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 08:45:25', '2024-05-23 08:45:25'),
(12515, 12515, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Spain, Ireland and Norway said Wednesday that they would recognize a Palestinian state on May 28, a step toward a long-held Palestinian aspiration that came amid international outrage over the civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip following Israel’s offensive.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The almost simultaneous decisions by two European Union countries, and Norway, may generate momentum for the recognition of a Palestinian state by other EU countries and could spur further steps at the United Nations, deepening Israel’s isolation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, seven member of the 27-nation European Union officially recognize a Palestinian state. Five of them are former east bloc countries who announced recognition in 1988, as did Cyprus, before joining the bloc. Sweden announced recognition in 2014.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Czech Republic, an EU member, says that the 1988 recognition by the former Czechoslovakia, of which it then formed a part, does not apply to the modern state. Slovakia’s Foreign Ministry says that the two sides confirmed their recognition as Slovakia was becoming independent in 1992-93, and that the Palestinian state has a fully-functioning embassy in Bratislava since 2006.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some 140 of the about 190 countries represented in the U.N. have already recognized a Palestinian state. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 08:57:10', '2024-05-23 08:57:10'),
(12516, 12516, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Israeli forces killed 35 Palestinians in aerial and ground bombardments across the Gaza Strip today and battled in close combat with Hamas-led fighters in areas of the southern city of Rafah, health officials and Hamas media said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israeli tanks advanced in Rafah’s southeast, edged towards the city’s western district of Yibna and continued to operate in three eastern suburbs, residents said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The occupation (Israeli forces) is trying to move further to the west, they are on the edge of Yibna, which is densely populated. They didn’t invade it yet,” one resident said, asking not to be named.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We hear explosions and we see black smoke coming up from the areas where the army has invaded. It was another very difficult night,” he told Reuters via a chat app.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Simultaneous Israeli assaults on the northern and southern edges of Gaza this month have caused a new exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing their homes, and have cut off the main access routes for aid, raising the risk of famine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel says it has no choice but to attack Rafah to root out the last battalions of Hamas fighters it believes are sheltering there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Its troops have been slowly moving into the eastern outskirts of Rafah since the start of the month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The troops are currently operating based on information regarding terror targets in the areas of ‘Brazil’ and ‘Shaboura’ while making every effort to prevent harm to civilians and after the civilian population in the area was evacuated,” the Israeli military said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Palestinian residents said there had been no incursion in Shaboura in the centre of Rafah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“IDF troops located a rocket launcher ready to fire at IDF troops. Moreover, the troops located and dismantled a number of terror tunnel shafts and launchers in the area, and eliminated several terrorists during close-quarters encounters,” the Israeli military statement added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UNRWA, the main United Nations agency in Gaza, estimated as of Monday that more than 800,000 people had fled Rafah since Israel began targeting the city in early May, despite international pleas for restraint. - Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 09:58:36', '2024-05-23 09:58:36'),
(12517, 12517, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said that investigation will determine whether the deceased MP of Jhenaidah-4 constituency, Anwarul Azim Anar, was involved in any illicit activities in India.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I cannot say anything before the investigation is complete. There is no place for criminals in the Awami League,” Quader asserted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He made these remarks during an introductory meeting with the newly formed Youth and Sports Sub-committee members at the Dhaka district Awami League office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Anwarul Azim Anar, who was nominated for the third time due to his popularity, is under scrutiny following his death, with Indian media alleging his involvement in smuggling activities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Sheikh Hasina does not spare any wrongdoer, even if they are from the party. Her policy regarding crime is zero tolerance,” Quader emphasized.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader also questioned the timing and scope of these allegations, saying, “Why did this issue not come up in any investigative report by journalists in our country before his death?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 10:31:19', '2024-05-23 10:31:19'),
(12518, 12518, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The UN’s top court said it will rule Friday on a request by South Africa to order Israel to implement a ceasefire in Gaza.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>South Africa has petitioned the International Court of Justice for emergency measures to order Israel to “cease its military operations in the Gaza Strip” including in Rafah city, where it is pressing an offensive.</div><div><br></div><div>The rulings of the ICJ, which rules on disputes between states, are binding but it has no power to enforce them — it has ordered Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine to no avail, for example.</div><div><br></div><div>But a ruling against Israel would increase the international legal pressure after the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor said Monday he was seeking arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders.</div><div><br></div><div>In hearings last week, South Africa charged that what it described as Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza had hit a “new and horrific stage” with its assault on Rafah, the last part of Gaza to face a ground invasion.</div><div><br></div><div>The Rafah campaign is “the last step in the destruction of Gaza and its Palestinian people,” argued Vaughan Lowe, a lawyer for South Africa.</div><div><br></div><div>“It was Rafah that brought South Africa to the court. But it is all Palestinians as a national, ethnical and racial group who need the protection from genocide that the court can order,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Lawyers for Israel hit out at South Africa’s case as being “totally divorced” from reality that made a “mockery” of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention it is accused of breaching.</div><div><br></div><div>“Calling something a genocide again and again does not make it genocide. Repeating a lie does not make it true,” top lawyer for Israel Gilad Noam said.</div><div>“There is a tragic war going on but there is no genocide,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Israeli troops began their ground assault on parts of Rafah early this month, defying international opposition including from top ally the United States, which voiced fears for the more than one million civilians trapped in the city.</div><div>Israel has ordered mass evacuations from the city, where it has vowed to eliminate Hamas’s tunnel network and its remaining fighters.</div><div>The UN says more than 800,000 people have fled. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 10:59:43', '2024-05-23 10:59:43'),
(12519, 12519, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A mind-boggling number of shining galaxies, a purple and orange star nursery and a spiral galaxy similar to our Milky Way: new images were revealed from Europe’s Euclid space telescope today.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is the second set of images released by the European Space Agency since Euclid launched last year on the first ever mission to investigate the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scientific data from Euclid was also published for the first time in the six-year mission, which aims to use its wide view to chart two billion galaxies across a third of the sky.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Euclid project scientist Rene Laureijs told AFP that he was “personally most excited” about the image of a massive cluster of galaxies called Abell 2390.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The image of the cluster, which is 2.7 billion light years away from Earth, encompasses more than 50,000 galaxies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just one galaxy – such as our own – can be home to hundreds of billions or even trillions of stars, each of which could be bigger than the Sun.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Abell 2390, Euclid was able to detect the faint light of “orphan stars” drifting between galaxy clusters, said Jean-Charles Cuillandre, a French scientist working on Euclid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These stars are ejected from the galaxies, “creating a kind of cloud which surrounds the entire cluster”, Cuillandre told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to astronomers, this strange phenomenon points towards the presence of dark matter between the galaxies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dark matter and dark energy are thought to make up 95% of the universe – but we know almost nothing about them. According to AFP reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 11:11:17', '2024-05-23 11:11:17'),
(12520, 12520, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Thomas Andrews on Thursday appealed to the government of Bangladesh to “reverse its closed border policy” and demonstrate their humanitarian support for the Rohingya once again though Bangladesh is already overburdened with 1.3 million Rohingyas.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Once again, Bangladesh’s generosity may be their only hope as large groups of Rohingya are forcibly displaced and move towards the border,” said US-origin UN expert.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Special Rapporteur warned however that Bangladesh does not have the capacity to meet the demands of this crisis without the emergency intervention and support of the international community.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rations cuts, inadequate infrastructure, spiraling violence, and reported forced recruitment by Rohingya militant groups have threatened the lives and wellbeing of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the expert observed in a statement issued from Geneva.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He urged all States to provide an emergency infusion of funds to help rescue and support desperate families fleeing conflict and address the current conditions in the camps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The choice of these States to either step up or step away from this horror could literally be a matter of life and death for countless Rohingya,” Andrews said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of innocent lives will be lost if the international community fails to respond to ominous signs of another Rohingya bloodbath in Rakhine State, the UN expert said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Once again, the world seems to be failing desperate people in their hour of peril while a hate-driven unnatural disaster unfolds in real time in Myanmar’s Rakhine State,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 11:14:03', '2024-05-23 11:14:03'),
(12521, 12521, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>As Beijing’s ships and warplanes encircled Taiwan today, television anchors on the self-ruled island focused instead on a store razed by fire, a proposed ban on ambulance sirens, and a restaurant scandal involving an influencer.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Coverage of these hyper-local news stories eclipsed that of China’s military drills, launched in response to what Beijing’s military called “separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The exercises come as a “punishment” three days after the island swore in President Lai Ching-te, who China regards as a “dangerous separatist”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Popular news channel TVBS reported on the drills, but flicked quickly back to breaking news of truck drivers for an online retail service complaining about “sweat-shop” conditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Democratic Taiwan is accustomed to frequent threats from China, which claims the island as part of its territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beijing has said it will never renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and has in recent years upped the rhetoric of “unification” being “inevitable”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Taiwan has its own government, military and currency, as well as a population of 23 million that increasingly considers its identity distinct from that of the Chinese.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Basically they want reunification, which means they (China) want to devour us (Taiwan). This is simple,” said Hung, a 65-year-old taxi driver in Taipei, who scoffed at the drills.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They are just raising a fuss. They won’t really stage a war,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If they really want to stage a war, it would be missiles that are flying over,” he said, adding that the drills were expected given that Lai is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has championed Taiwan’s sovereignty. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 12:13:41', '2024-05-23 12:13:41'),
(12522, 12522, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In the ever-growing Twenty20 cricket landscape, India boasts the richest and most-watched league in the world. Yet all that investment and attention hasn\'t translated into international success for India\'s national team.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rohit Sharma\'s India squad travels to the T20 World Cup in the United States and Caribbean in search of a second title to end a long drought.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Undoubtedly, the Indian Premier League is flush with cash and talent, attracting the best cricketers from across the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since the advent of IPL, though, India hasn\'t lifted the World Cup trophy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007, India has only reached one more final — losing to Sri Lanka in 2014.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The title drought crosses formats, too. India last won an International Cricket Council title in 2013 – the Champions Trophy in England. It last lifted the Cricket World Cup in the 50-over format in 2011.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last year was an exceptional one in that sense – India lost the World Test Championship final to Australia in England and, a few months later, also lost the 50-over World Cup final to Australia, this time on home soil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That caused major anguish in a cricket-mad country of 1.4 billion, considering India was on a 10-0 winning streak and a hot favorite going into the final.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Seven months later, Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli are leading the campaign in what in all probability will be their last T20 tournament in India\'s blue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharma has been a part of every Indian squad at the T20 World Cup. Kohli made his debut in the 2012 edition, making this his sixth attempt at the title.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kohli has scored 1,141 runs at an average of 81.50 and strike-rate 131.30 in his 27 games at the tournament. Sharma has scored 963 runs in 39 games at a strike rate of 127.88.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both players missed all of India\'s T20 internationals between the 2022 semifinal loss in Australia and January of this year, leading to some speculation they\'d miss out on the 2024 World Cup starting June 1.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That was dispelled by both BCCI secretary Jay Shah and chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Now, there will be big focus on their contributions – in terms of runs and strike-rate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharma only managed 417 runs for Mumbai Indians in the club\'s unsuccessful 2024 IPL campaign. Kohli, meanwhile, topped the run charts for Royal Challengers Bengaluru with with 741 runs runs in 15 matches, avering 61.75. But his strike-rate earlier in the season was criticized by some TV broadcast analysts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a news conference to confirm the India squad, Agarkar brushed off any concerns regarding Kohli\'s strike-rate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There\'s a difference between IPL and international cricket,\" Agarkar said. \"You need experience as the pressure of a World Cup game is different. You (only) try to take positives from what is happening in the IPL.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kohli opens the batting for his IPL franchise but goes in at No. 3 for India in T20s. It has led to a significant debate over his batting position for the World Cup because it holds the key to India\'s XI.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Should Kohli continue to bat at No. 3, Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the innings with Sharma. India will then have to play with only four specialist batters including Suryakumar Yadav, the world\'s top-ranked T20 batter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Allrounder Hardik Pandya and first-choice wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant would slot in next, with bowling allrounders to follow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If Kohli opens with Sharma, it allows for an extra batter in the middle order and likely makes room for Shivam Dube, who has impressed selectors with his power hitting in the IPL and strike rate of 162.29.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dube can also bowl useful medium pace if needed, and could provide backup to Pandya.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will lead a bowling attack that will contain four spinners, including left-arm all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzendra Chahal complete the line-up.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I asked for four spinners,\" Sharma explained. \"Most of our matches will start at 10-11 a.m. (and) we expect all-rounders to do a job for us. It gives us a variety of combinations to explore depending on the opposition.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India begins its World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5, then faces fierce rival Pakistan in New York on June 9 in what could be the highlight of the group stage. India will play the U.S. on June 12 and Canada on June 15.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While it is a seemingly straight-forward road for India in the first round, the tension to end a prolonged title drought will grow once it reaches the West Indies for the Super Eight stage. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk s', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 12:28:48', '2024-05-23 12:28:48'),
(12523, 12523, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The body of Jhenaidah-4 MP Anwarul Azim Anar, who was murdered in Kolkata, India, has not yet been recovered, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“We have not been able to recover the body yet. Until we can recover everything, we cannot provide you with any information.I reiterate that the intelligence agencies of both countries are working on this,” said the minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the intelligence agencies of both countries have almost identified everything of the murder&nbsp; including&nbsp; the perpetrators, he said while talking to at the secretariat on Thursday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister said, “We are very close to identifying those who committed the murder. Only the announcement remains. We will make the announcement once the intelligence agencies of both countries agree.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Home Minister also mentioned that they have not received anything new so far.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our police, intelligence, Indian police, and Indian intelligence are all working. We are certain that he was murdered. We have heard from those who killed him, but we have not yet recovered the body,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In response to a question about whether any Indian was involved, he said, “We have not ruled out the possibility of Indian involvement. We have said that the investigation is ongoing. We have not yet said who are involved. We have said that we have a general idea. We are working based on that idea. So far, we are working with the information we have received.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 13:01:04', '2024-05-23 13:01:04'),
(12524, 12524, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Humanity must change its lifestyle to cope with the environmental crisis brought about by climate change, a UN official warned.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an interview with Anadolu, Tatjana Hema, the coordinator of the UNEP-MAP (United Nations Environment Program-Mediterranean Action Plan) Barcelona Convention, who visited Istanbul for Mediterranean Green Week, shared her evaluations of climate change and its impact on the Mediterranean.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hema said that the measures under the Barcelona Convention and in collaboration among all contracting parties -- 21 Mediterranean countries and the EU -- address biodiversity conservation, the protection of the ecosystem, the establishment of marine protected areas, the protection of species in danger, the prevention of pollution from land-based sources or from shipping from the sea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Emphasizing the important decisions taken in their last two meetings, Hema said, “There is a very strong commitment, but in order for the decision to be implemented, there is a need for support. And this is why we, as UNEP-MAP, do our best in order to provide the necessary technical and financial assistance to the countries in order to implement.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 13:24:21', '2024-05-23 13:24:21'),
(12525, 12525, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Financial sector in Bangladesh suffers from lack of good governance and accountability, said Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of Center for Policy Dialogue, a private think tank.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The central bank has closed its doors for journalists to facilitate the financial oligarchy, she said while speaking on a keynote at a dialogue on ‘What Lies Ahead for the Banking Sector in Bangladesh?’</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The country\'s financial sector depends on banks. The role of this sector is the most important in the development of the country. But fragility has appeared in that banking sector. There has been a loss of good governance and accountability,” she pointed out.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr Fahmida said loan approval, rescheduling, write-off, and foreclosure are all being done in the banks whimsically. The central bank is not acting independently under external pressure not on their will. This situation should be changed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that when wrong information is published, the policy measures will be wrong depending on it. Real-time information has to be provided on the websites of the central banks for the development of the financial sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Instead, the central bank has decided to restrict media’s access to it making information and data gathering difficult for journalists, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr Fahmida said it is difficult to restore the good governance of the banking sector when the regulatory body (BB) itself can’t work independently.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“They (central bank) themselves are being subordinated to a department of the Ministry of Finance, and they are not independent. In this situation, there is no alternative to form an independent banking commission to restore the health of the banking sector,” she suggested.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The commission should have the power to work independently and highlight the overall health of the banks,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a paper presented at the dialogue, CPD illustrated that the total volume of non-performing loans (NPL) in the country has more than tripled in the last ten years, from Tk 42,725 crore in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011-12 to Tk 1,45,633 crore in Q2 of FY24. Both public and private banks are in the same position.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, foreign sector banks are performing well in regard to bank management.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The liquidity crisis is gradually emerging in Islami Bank. Liquidity in Sharia sector banks was 39 percent from January 2011 to December 2016. However, from March 2017 to February 2024, the bank\'s liquidity fell to 25 percent after changing the operational leadership in January 2017.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Professor Mostafizur Rahman, distinguished fellow of CPD said, that if the banking sector has to be pulled out of this situation, political decisions must be taken from the highest level, and transparency and accountability must be ensured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, “We have seen in the past that the privatization of profits and the nationalization of losses of the banking sector,” he pointed out.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MA Mannan, former minister of planning, Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, deputy leader of opposition in the parliament, Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, former governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr Ahsan H. Mansur, executive director of PRI, Mohammad Nurul Amin, former chairman, Association of Bankers, Bangladesh, among others, spoke at the event.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 14:16:43', '2024-05-23 14:16:43'),
(12526, 12526, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The pro-Palestine student protests in the US are an indicator of a pivotal shift in American public consciousness, particularly among the younger generation, and will have long-lasting impacts on the future, according to American Muslim scholar Yasir Qadhi.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“One of the most optimistic signs of change in America is that in over 100 campuses, we are seeing protests take place against the Israeli occupation and the bombing of Gaza,” Qadhi said in an interview with Anadolu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A key point, he emphasized, is that “the majority are non-Muslims who are protesting.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is a change in the mindset and mentality. What is happening, the next generation is now seeing the reality of what is happening in Palestine,” said Qadhi, who is the dean of The Islamic Seminary of America.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The older generation is the same, but the new generation, they are understanding.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the major demands of the protesters, he said the students want an end to links with Israel at all levels, from monetary ties of billions of dollars to technology and research.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharing his firsthand experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he said the students came out because “MIT has a relationship with the IDF.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The students said they don’t want to do research for a genocidal regime or do research for an enabler of murder, pillaging and killing,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Student protests changed history</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qadhi pointed to the defining impact that student-led movements have had at various points in global and American history.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He stressed that the current protests mirror the student movements that brought about significant social and political change, such as those against the Vietnam war and South African apartheid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“America was involved completely in Vietnam and who changed it? The student protests. Civil rights movement in US, who changed it? The students. In the 1980s, South Africa was an ally of America and Nelson Mandela was called a terrorist. Who changed it? Student protests,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“These student protests were in the same Columbia, Yale and Princeton, all of these places, so they never learned from history.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the violent crackdown on student protests in the US, where thousands have been arrested over the past few weeks, Qadhi said it was an indicator of the thinking still prevalent among “the elders and the politicians.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In my city Dallas, we have a governor who is very anti-Muslim, anti-Palestine, and very, very pro-Zionist. He sent in the troops, the army against the students,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Even if the students are wrong, you do not send in the army against the students, right? … Over 40 students were arrested for doing what? For protesting, for holding a peace sign.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the current bleak outlook, Qadhi is optimistic about impending change in the US.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In one generation, if not faster, the tide of America will change,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“What’s going to happen in 10 years is that these students are going to be CEOs, politicians, congressmen or senators.”&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">‘The future is bright’</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his speeches at various universities, Qadhi has repeatedly emphasized the need for Muslims to take a leading role in social justice movements across the US, as well as the importance of education and advocacy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The future is bright. We as Muslims have to be involved. We have to be at the forefront. We have to encourage and teach and educate, we have to motivate,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Qadhi said his main message to the protesters is for them to remember that they are on the “right side of history” and their efforts will eventually lead to significant changes in American policy and public opinion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“My message to my fellow Americans, is why should our tax dollars go anywhere else?” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Let’s take our tax dollars and spend them on education. Spend them on housing. Let’s stop funding wars overseas. Let’s stop bombing and pillaging.” - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"34\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-23 14:20:00', '2024-05-23 14:20:00'),
(12527, 12527, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said that the government is dedicated to transforming Dhaka into a city that ensures a high quality of life for its residents.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The people of this area (Old Dhaka) will benefit and can live a beautiful life. We are working toward this goal,\" she stated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister made the remarks during a program inaugurating several development projects in Old Dhaka, including the construction of a new 10-storey Bangabazar Nagar Wholesale Market. The original market was destroyed by a devastating fire on April 4 last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The other projects include Valiant Freedom Fighter Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Sarani (an 8-lane road), Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy Shishu Udyan, and Nazrul Sarobor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina also highlighted the government\'s initiatives to improve connectivity between Dhaka and other districts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We want to build a ring road in Dhaka to facilitate easier inter-district communication,\" she said, acknowledging the previous lack of significant road infrastructure in the eastern and western parts of Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The government has already built a metro rail, expressway, and many other roads, with several more metro rail projects under construction to ease road communication,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She noted that the division of Dhaka into North and South aims to provide better services to the people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"For the betterment of the city dwellers, the government has relocated the Dhaka Central Jail to Keraniganj,\" she said. In its place, a museum, a school, and a children\'s park have been built. There are also plans to construct an amusement park there, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister mentioned the government\'s allocation of land to build a modern campus for Jagannath University. \"We have already prepared the design for Jagannath University, and the work in this regard will be completed quickly,\" she assured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina called upon Dhaka city residents to do their part in maintaining a beautiful and healthy environment. She urged everyone to keep their homes and surrounding areas clean to prevent waterlogging and the breeding of mosquitoes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 08:58:56', '2024-05-25 08:58:56'),
(12528, 12528, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Today marks the 125th birth anniversary of Kazi Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh\'s national poet, renowned as the \"rebel poet\" for his powerful literary contributions across various Bengali genres.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Born in Churulia village, West Bengal, on this day in 1899, Nazrul\'s works inspired resistance against injustice and oppression. His fiery poetry and creative genius have left an indelible mark on Bengali literature.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Government and non-government organizations, along with cultural platforms, are commemorating the day with various programs, including cultural performances and discussions about Nazrul\'s life and legacy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has organized numerous events to honor Nazrul nationally. Institutions such as Dhaka University are also hosting events. The poet\'s 125th birth anniversary will be observed in Mymensingh and Daulatpur, Cumilla, locations of special significance to him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">National broadcasting mediums, including Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar, alongside private TV channels, will air the inaugural ceremony and special programs. Print media will publish special supplements to mark the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At Dhaka University, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. ASM Maksud Kamal led a gathering of teachers, students, and staff at Aparajeo Bangla at 6:15 am to lay floral wreaths at Nazrul\'s tomb. A discussion about Nazrul\'s life and works followed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State Minister for Cultural Affairs Naheed Ezaher Khan and ministry officials also placed wreaths at the poet\'s grave at 6:30 am, followed by the ruling party Awami League at 7:30 am. Bangla Academy paid tribute by placing wreaths at Nazrul\'s grave and portrait at Nazrul Mancha at 8:00 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has planned a three-day program from May 25 to 27 at the National Museum in Shahbagh, to be inaugurated by Deputy Leader of the Jatiya Sangsad Begum Matia Chowdhury at 4:00 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chhayanaut, a leading cultural institution, is hosting a three-day ‘Nazrul Uthsob 1431’ starting from May 25 at Chhayanaut Sangskriti Bhaban, Dhanmondi. The festival, featuring performances of songs, dances, readings, and poetry recitations, will conclude with the unveiling of \"Nazrul Sangeet: Tothyo, Bhab O Shurashandhan,\" a publication on 50 Nazrul songs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nazrul, who wrote 2,600 songs, 600 poems, three novels, and 43 articles, began his career while serving in the British Army in 1917. His famous poem ‘Bidrohi’ (The Rebel) was published in 1921. He later launched the magazine ‘Dhumketu’ (The Comet) in 1922. His active participation in the Indian Independence Movement led to multiple imprisonments by British authorities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nazrul\'s works, rich in themes of freedom, humanity, love, and revolution, opposed religious, caste, and gender discrimination. His contributions to Bengali music include creating the genre ‘Nazrul Geeti,’ encompassing 4,000 songs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 1942, Nazrul began losing his voice and memory due to Pick\'s disease, a rare neurodegenerative ailment. In 1972, his family moved to Bangladesh at the government\'s invitation. Dhaka University awarded him an honorary post-doctoral degree in 1974, and he received the Ekushey Padak in 1976.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kazi Nazrul Islam passed away in Dhaka on August 29, 1976, but his legacy endures, celebrated today and always. According to unb reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'literature Desk', '[\"35\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-25 09:12:26', '2024-05-25 09:12:26');
