INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11842, 11842, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Four people were killed and more than 50,000 affected after a thunderstom wreaked havoc in Assam. Trees and electric poles were uprooted and numerous houses damaged as the downpour lashed several parts of the state on Sunday evening.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“A boat carrying 15 passengers capsized when it was coming from Sishumari Ghat to Nepurer Alga. A 4-year-old child died in this incident and two others including a child and a 60-year-old man are still missing. The SDRF team is engaged in a search and rescue operation. The NDRF team is also coming. The boat was capsized due to a heavy storm. Search and rescue operations will be continued...\" said Circle Officer, Pranjal Sarmah Baruah.</div><div><br></div><div>Another woman was killed in Cachar after being caught in the midst of the storm while two people died due to lightning strikes.</div><div><br></div><div>45 villages spread across across 10 districts have been affected by the inclement weather. 24 houses have been damaged extensively while another 243 suffered partial damage. According to an update shared by the Chief Minister\'s office, six people have been admitted to the SMCH in Silchar after suffering injuries due to lightning strikes.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Inclement weather also caused extensive damage in parts of Manipur and West Bengal over the weekend. Strong winds, heavy rains, and lightning struck southeastern Manipur and Assam\'s Jorhat on Sunday, causing damage to several houses, crops, and livestock shelters. Thoubal\'s Sapam Leikai and Khongjom villages in Manipur were among the most affected areas with severe damage to houses, buildings and crops.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile several people were killed and over 100 injured as a cyclonic storm passed through Jalpaiguri district of Bengal. Both Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor CV Ananda Bose visited the affected areas on Monday.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“Sad to know that sudden heavy rainfall and stormy winds brought disasters today afternoon in some Jalpaiguri-Maynaguri areas, with loss of human lives, injuries, house damages, uprooting of trees and electricity poles etc. District administration will provide compensation to next of kin in the case of the deaths, and the injured as per rules and following the MCC (model code of conduct),\" Banerjee had tweeted soon after the storm. - mint</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-02 14:11:08', '2024-04-02 14:11:08'),
(11843, 11843, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Land Minister Narayan Chandra Chanda today said that the capacity of the Land Reforms Board will be increased.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Land Minister made this statement while addressing the chief guest at a meeting held to inform the activities of the Land Reforms Board at the Board\'s conference room in Bhumi Bhaban, Tejgaon, in the capital today evening. Chairman of the Land Reforms Board, Md Abdus Sabur Mondal, was also present at the event.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Land Minister told that the Ministry of Land is directly overseeing various field-level activities during this transitional period of implementing smart land services. He emphasized that after the implementation of the smart land service program, the agencies under the ministry will be fully responsible for supervising day-to-day activities, with the Ministry of Land playing a regulatory role.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additionally, the Land Minister highlighted the importance of identifying khas and government land currently under illegal occupation, as well as identifying water bodies that have been filled or encroached upon. He stressed the need for necessary measures to be taken for their restoration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Chairman of the Land Reforms Board pledged to the Land Minister that the board would fulfill its responsibilities under the Ministry of Land\'s 180-day program.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also present at the meeting were Land Reforms Board member Shashanka Shekhar Bhowmik and officials from the Ministry of Land and the Land Reforms Board.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/R/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-02 14:31:44', '2024-04-02 14:31:44'),
(11844, 11844, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday requested Russia\'s state-run atomic agency Rosatom to consider&nbsp; building&nbsp; a second nuclear power plant in Rooppur.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She made the request when Rosatom DG Alexey Likhachev called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the call on.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina told Rosatam that her government seeks to build another nuclear power plant at Rooppur on completion of the on going project.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She pointed out that technical survey needs to be conducted at the initial stage for setting up two new units.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister directed&nbsp; completion of all formalities of taking back Spent Nuclear Fuel of first and second units of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to Russia.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The DG of Rosatom gave assurance on behalf of the Russian government on taking back the Spent Nuclear Fuel produced by the first and second units to the Russian Federation and promised to complete all the necessary&nbsp; formalities on time as per the instructions of the prime minister.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka and Moscow have already signed an inter-state agreement regarding the return of the Spent Nuclear Fuel of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to Russia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM Hasina thanked Russia for helping Bangladesh in energy security, especially the construction of the Rooppur&nbsp; nuclear power plant.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that it was the dream of Bangabandhu to set up a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, and it is being implemented.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">She recalled the assistance of Russia during the Liberation War of&nbsp; Bangladesh in 1971 and subsequent help in rebuilding the war-ravaged country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister also conveyed her greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his reelection.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Rosatom DG apprised the prime minister of the progress in building the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the RNPP will go to production by 2025 and start to supplement electricity supply&nbsp; to the national grid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said that 85 percent works of the RNPP has been completed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He proposed to the government to build two new nuclear power units (Unit-3 and Unit-4) in Rooppur nuclear power project area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The DG noted that the construction of the new Unit-3 and Unit-4 should be started as soon as the construction of the first two units is completed.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this context, he also said that the expansion of existing nuclear power projects is more profitable and reasonable from the financial point of view and in the light of technical and nuclear safety which is considered internationally.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that some 2500 staffs including Bangladeshi and Russians have been working in the project who gained their expertise.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM Hasina asked the Rosatom DG to utilise Bangladeshi expertise in other nuclear power plant construction projects.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Rosatom DG said that due to the pandemic and sanctions there were obstacles, but the work continued&nbsp; with its usual&nbsp; pace.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister said that the obstacles were avoided technically.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman was present among others, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At present, the construction work of two units (1200 x 2 = 2400 MW) each having a capacity of 1200 MW in Rooppur project area is in final stage.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The physical start-up of the first unit will begin in December this year. Commercial power generation will start in 2025 and 2026 from Unit-1 and Unit-2.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-02 15:06:32', '2024-04-02 15:06:32'),
(11845, 11845, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Noting the disproportionately high number of road accidents involving motorcycles in the country, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman requested all to refrain from using this mode of transport for inter-district journeys, like going home to their village for Eid-ul-Fitr.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“Huge pressure of vehicles was seen during Eid. Accidents may occur during this period so people have been requested to refrain from going to their village homes by motorbikes,” he said while talking to reporters in front of a shopping mall in city’s Panthapath area.</div><div><br></div><div>We also asked policemen not to use motorbikes considering their safety, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>This year, no local buses, plying inside Dhaka, will be allowed to go outside Dhaka and police are working in it, said the DMP Commissioner.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, initiatives were taken to prevent mugging and stealing in empty Dhaka streets and police are on high alert, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question about any specific threat centering Eid, Habibur said there is no information of specific threat till now, reports unb</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, necessary steps have been taken to prevent unfit vehicles from plying the roads and action will be taken against those involved in violating traffic laws.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question about worsening traffic in the remaining days of Ramadan as Eid shopping picks up, the DMP commissioner said although the capital\'s shopping malls don\'t provide adequate parking facilities for their own patrons, that did not mean they will be allowed to park their vehicles haphazardly.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite failing to provide an adequate parking space for their patrons, market authorities have been asked to take steps for adequate parking.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-02 15:25:27', '2024-04-02 15:25:27'),
(11846, 11846, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Sikder Group, a prominent business conglomerate in Bangladesh, has issued a statement in response to various media reports regarding a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against its directors, Rick Haque Sikder and Ron Haque Sikder. The group alleges that certain vested interest groups are conspiring to tarnish its reputation by disseminating misleading information.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The statement highlights that the accusations, particularly concerning alleged money laundering involving National Bank\'s credit card, are unfounded. It clarifies that the Sikder Group directors lawfully utilized $9.83 million abroad through credit cards, subsequently settling the total amount, including $2.04 million in interest and charges, from their foreign earnings in accordance with Bangladesh Bank regulations. This matter was resolved two years prior, and the recent resurgence of these allegations is deemed to be maliciously motivated, the statement says.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additionally, Sikder Group explains that the credit cards in question were linked to Foreign Currency (DC) accounts, which are exempt from the standard $12,000 travel quota limit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The conglomerate emphasizes its longstanding commitment to ethical business practices both domestically and internationally. Sikder Group, founded by Freedom Fighter Zainul Haque Sikder, has made significant contributions to Bangladesh\'s development sectors, including healthcare, education, and infrastructure, the statement says.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The group suggests that the malicious targeting has intensified following the death of its founder, Zainul Haque Sikder. It asserts that under the leadership of Rick Haque Sikder and Ron Haque Sikder, it has continued to achieve remarkable progress, despite ongoing attempts by detractors to hinder its growth. The statement condemns these actions, especially at a time when Sikder Group is endeavoring to secure foreign investment for key national projects, and calls on the public to disregard the baseless accusations circulated by these conspirators. According to UNB reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 07:16:13', '2024-04-03 07:16:13'),
(11847, 11847, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Thousands of homes and businesses were without power Tuesday as severe weather roared through several states, causing at least one death and spawning possible tornadoes.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In West Virginia, about 140,000 customers were without electricity Tuesday afternoon, or about 14% of all customers tracked in the state by poweroutage.us.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Northeastern Oklahoma was hit with a strong weather system containing heavy rains that produced three suspected tornadoes. The storms were blamed for the death of a 46-year-old homeless woman in Tulsa who died inside a drainage pipe, police said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tulsa Fire Department spokesperson Andy Little said the woman’s boyfriend told authorities the two had gone to sleep at the entrance of the drainage pipe and were awakened by the floodwaters. Up to 1.5 inches (3.81 centimeters) of rain fell in Tulsa in about one hour, National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Darby said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It wasn’t a whole lot. But when it came down, it was pretty rapid,” Darby said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Ohio, firefighters rescued two people who were trapped under a bridge Tuesday when a river began rising. The two people were sleeping around 8:45 a.m. when the Scioto River started to rise, preventing them from returning to shore, the Columbus Fire Department reported. A fire department boat was sent to rescue them. No injuries were reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In southern Ohio, Mindy Broughton rushed into her mobile home Tuesday morning as hail began and winds picked up at the RV Park where she lives near Hanging Rock.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Broughton and her fiance hunkered down as the mobile home quickly began rocking. Broughton said her fiance used his body to shield her as the winds raged outside.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I said I think we may die today,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a matter of seconds, the winds died down. When Broughton opened her mobile home door, she saw the RV Park littered with debris and overturned RVs. Luckily, Broughton said there was no one inside the overturned mobile homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Residents in Wisconsin were experiencing a spring snowstorm Tuesday afternoon that forecasters warned could dump more than a foot (30 cenitmeters) of snow in eastern parts of the state, including the Green Bay area. The state’s top election official, Meagan Wolfe, urged residents planning to vote in Tuesday’s presidential primaries to consider voting earlier in the day to avoid travel woes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The National Weather Service said snowfall totals could range from 4 to 8 inches over central Wisconsin and 8 to 14 inches (20 to 35 centimeters) over eastern Wisconsin, while wind gusts of 30 mph to 50 mph (48 kph to 80 kph) will create very limited visibility and make travel difficult.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The storm will bring “a very heavy, wet snow,” meteorologist Scott Cultice with the weather service’s Green Bay office said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Just three weeks ago, we were in the 70s. So that kind of got people thinking spring is right around the corner — and here we’re in April and we’re getting a major snowstorm,\" Cultice said. “As people say, ‘That’s springtime in Wisconsin.’\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 67,000 homes and businesses in Wisconsin had lost power as of Tuesday evening, according to poweroutage.us.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Severe storms also swept through far southwestern Indiana on Tuesday morning, toppling trees and causing power outages, leading several local school districts to cancel the day’s classes. More than 18,000 homes and businesses were without power shortly before noon Tuesday, including in Vanderburgh County, home to Evansville, Indiana’s third-largest city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In West Virginia, a storm blew off part of a vacant building’s roof in Charleston, littering the street with bricks and closing the roadway to traffic Tuesday afternoon. Trees were dislodged from the earth by the roots and lay in roads, lawns and in some cases, on top of cars.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for several counties because of the storms, which he said had also caused flooding and power outages. Justice urged people to “exercise extreme caution.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency after severe storms swept through the state Tuesday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have reports of substantial damage to a number of structures – and thankfully, as of right now we are not aware of any fatalities,” Beshear said in a statement. “We need all Kentuckians to stay weather aware.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another round of storms Tuesday afternoon led to multiple tornado warnings in Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Louisville on Tuesday night, Mayor Craig Greenberg reported “serious” storm damage in the nearby city of Prospect and throughout the county, but said no injuries or deaths had been reported. He said fire crews were checking on people street by street in the most impacted areas and that he had declared a county-wide state of emergency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beshear said Tuesday night on Facebook that he was headed back to Kentucky from an out of state trip and that he\'d provide an update on storm response efforts on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">All Kentucky executive branch state office buildings had closed Tuesday afternoon and some universities canceled in-person classes because of the storms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Northeast of Cincinnati, part of Interstate 75 northeast of Cincinnati was blocked Tuesday afternoon when about a half-dozen power poles toppled in high winds near Wetherington, WLWT-TV reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Areas of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia were under tornado watches into Tuesday night. Flash flood warnings were issued in Pittsburgh and southern Ohio.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in northeast Tennessee on Tuesday. A funeral home and a house were damaged in the town of Sunbright, a town of about 500 people, Matthew Brown, Morgan County’s 911 director, told The Associated Press. Power lines and trees were down, and some roads were closed, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The utility company in Memphis, Tennessee, reported that about 40,000 homes and businesses lost power temporarily Tuesday morning after an electric substation was struck by lightning, which then affected two other substations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The storm was expected to move into New England on Wednesday night into Thursday, with forecasts of 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 centimeters) of snow in parts of New Hampshire and Maine and lesser amounts in other areas, the National Weather Service said. Wind gusts could reach 50 mph (80 kph) in some places, bringing the possibility of power outag - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 07:44:41', '2024-04-03 07:44:41'),
(11848, 11848, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Dhaka\'s air quality was categorised as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ this morning.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 144 at 8:55 am, Dhaka ranked 8th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thailand’s Chiang Mai, India’s Delhi, Nepal’s Kathmandu and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 219, 177 and 169 respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 07:58:37', '2024-04-03 07:58:37'),
(11849, 11849, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan on Wednesday, the strongest tremor to hit the island in at least 25 years, shaking buildings from their foundations and sparking a tsunami warning for the islands of southern Japan and the Philippines.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Taiwan television stations showed footage of buildings at precarious angles in the sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien, near the quake’s epicenter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local media said some people were trapped, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The quake, which knocked out power in several parts of the capital Taipei, hit at 07:58 a.m. (2358 GMT) at a depth of 15.5km (9.6 miles) just off the eastern coast of Taiwan, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Japan’s weather agency said several small tsunami waves reached parts of the southern prefecture of Okinawa, and later downgraded the earlier tsunami warning to an advisory. It revised the magnitude to 7.7.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Philippines Seismology Agency also issued a warning for residents in coastal areas of several provinces, urging them to evacuate to higher ground.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The quake was felt in Shanghai, a Reuters witness said. Chinese state media said it was also felt in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou and Ningde in China’s Fujian province.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aftershocks could still be felt in Taipei, according to a Reuters witness, with at least 25 aftershocks registered so far, according to Taiwan’s central weather administration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China Earthquake Networks Center recorded five aftershocks of around 5 magnitude in Taiwan within an hour after the initial quake.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Taipei city government has not received any reports of damage and the city’s MRT was up and running soon after, while electricity operator Taipower said more than 87,000 households in Taiwan were still without power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Taiwan’s high speed rail operator said no damage or injuries were reported on its trains, but noted trains will be delayed while it carries out inspections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Southern Taiwan Science Park, where semiconductor giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has a plant, said companies were operating without impact.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TSMC said its safety systems are operating normally.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“To ensure the safety of personnel, some fabs were evacuated according to company procedure. We are currently confirming the details of the impact,” according to the company.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shares of TSMC were down 1.4 percent in early trade, while Apple supplier Foxconn’s stock fell more than 2 percent and shares of flat panel maker Au Optronics dropped 1.7 percent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Taiwan’s official central news agency said the quake was the biggest to hit the island since 1999 when a 7.6 magnitude tremor killed around 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings in one of Taiwan’s worst-recorded quakes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said the earthquake registered the second-highest intensity of an “Upper 6” in Hualien county, on the 1-7 intensity scale.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an Upper 6 earthquake, most unreinforced concrete-block walls collapse and people find it impossible to remain standing or move without crawling, the Japan Meteorological Agency says. According to Reuters reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 08:07:14', '2024-04-03 08:07:14'),
(11850, 11850, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Last year, President Joe Biden hadn’t even spoken a word at the White House celebration of Ramadan before someone shouted out “we love you.” Hundreds of Muslims were there to mark the end of the holy month that requires fasting from sunrise to sunset.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are no such joyous scenes during this Ramadan. With many Muslim Americans outraged over Biden’s support for Israel’s siege of Gaza, the White House chose to hold a smaller iftar dinner on Tuesday evening. The only attendees will be people who work for his administration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’re just in a different world,” said Wa’el Alzayat, who leads Emgage, a Muslim advocacy organization. “It’s completely surreal. And it’s sad.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alzayat attended last year’s event, but he declined an invitation to break his fast with Biden this year, saying, “It’s inappropriate to do such a celebration while there’s a famine going on in Gaza.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After rejections from Alzayat and others, he said the White House adjusted its plans on Monday, telling community leaders that it wanted to host a meeting focusing on administration policy. Alzayat still said no, believing that one day was not enough time to prepare for an opportunity to sway Biden’s mind on the conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I don’t think the format will lend itself to a serious policy discussion,” he said Tuesday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The refusal to break bread — or even share a room — with the president is fresh evidence of how fractured the relationship between Biden and the Muslim community has become six months after Israel and Hamas began their current war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When the Democratic president took office three years ago, many Muslim leaders were eager to turn the page on Donald Trump’s bigotry, including his campaign pledge to implement a ” total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But now Democrats fear that Biden’s loss of support among Muslims could help clear a path for his Republican predecessor to return to the White House. This year’s election will likely hinge on a handful of battleground states, including Michigan with its significant Muslim population.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There are real differences between the two,” Alzayat said. “But emotionally, there may be no differences for some folks. And that’s the danger.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added, “It’s not good enough to tell people Donald Trump is going to be worse.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several Muslim leaders were expected to attend Tuesday’s meeting with Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Muslim government officials and national security leaders. The White House did not name them. Some people who had attended events in previous years, such as Mayor Abdullah Hammoud of Dearborn, Michigan, were not invited.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “community leaders expressed the preference” of having a “working group meeting,” which she described as an opportunity to “get feedback from them.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As far as the private iftar, Jean-Pierre said that “the president is going to continue his tradition of honoring the Muslim community during Ramadan.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No journalists will be allowed to capture either the iftar or private meeting, a change from previous years. Neither was listed on the president’s public schedule.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outside the White House, activists prepared their own iftar on Tuesday evening in Lafayette Park. Organizers planned to distribute dates, a traditional food for Ramadan, so people can break their fasts at sundown.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The boycotting of Biden’s invitation is reminiscent of a trip that White House officials took to Detroit earlier this year. They faced an icy reception from Muslim American community leaders in the swing state, where more than 100,000 Democratic primary voters cast protest votes for “uncommitted” as part of an organized showing of disapproval for Biden’s approach to the war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fighting began on Oct. 7 when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis in a surprise attack. In response, Israel has killed roughly 33,000 Palestinians. The number comes from Gaza’s Health Ministry. It’s unclear how many are combatants, which Israel accuses of operating in civilian areas, but the ministry said two-thirds of the deaths are women and children.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Biden administration has continued to approve weapon sales to Israel even as the president urges Israeli leaders to be more careful about civilian deaths and encourages them to allow more humanitarian assistance into Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American–Islamic Relations, said he encouraged other Muslim leaders to decline invitations to the White House if they received them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The message, he said, should be “unless he calls for a ceasefire, there will be no meeting with him or his representatives.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I believe that the president is the only person in the world who can stop this,” Awad said. “He can pick up the phone and literally tell Benjamin Netanyahu, no more weapons, just stop it, and Benjamin Netanyahu will have no choice but to do so.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Awad has previously clashed with the White House over his comments on the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Gaza has spent years under an effective blockade by Israel — with help from Egypt — and Awad said he was “happy to see people breaking the siege” so they could ”walk free into their land that they were not allowed to walk in.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the comments were circulated by a Middle East research organization founded by Israeli analysts, the White House issued a statement saying “we condemn these shocking, antisemitic statements in the strongest terms.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Awad called it a “fabricated controversy” and said he had criticized the targeting of Israeli citizens in his same speech. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 08:25:24', '2024-04-03 08:25:24'),
(11851, 11851, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Trade activities between India and Bangladesh through the Benapole land port will remain suspended for five days during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Emdadul Haque Lata, general secretary of Benapole C&amp;F Agents Association, said that export and import activities through Benapole port will remain suspended from April 9 afternoon till April 14.</div><div><br></div><div>Loading and unloading of goods at the port will also remain suspended to stop the movement of trucks, vans and lorries on highways three days before and three days after Eid-ul-Fitr to ensure hassle-free travel for holidaymakers, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The port activities will resume on April 15.</div><div><br></div><div>Quamruzzaman Biswas, officer-in-charge of Benapole Checkpost Immigration Police, said the activities of immigration department at the land port will remain as usual during the holiday.</div><div><br></div><div>Rezaul Islam, director of Benapole port (traffic), said measures have been strengthened to ensure security at the land port and security guards and Ansar members will patrol at night during the holiday. - unb</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 08:30:49', '2024-04-03 08:30:49'),
(11852, 11852, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Members of the militant group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) looted approximately Tk 1.5 crore from Sonali Bank\'s branch in Ruma, Bandarban, in a brazen robbery that will surely ramp up tensions in the hills.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The incident occurred during Taraweeh prayers. The robbers looted 14 weapons from the Ansar members guarding the bank and abducted the bank manager, Nizam Uddin, from the mosque on the bank premises.</div><div><br></div><div>An eyewitness said that at 8pm on Tuesday, a group of KNF men on motorcycles arrived in the Hathimatha Para area of the upazila. One group went to the bank, while another group split off and went to the mosque and the upazila officer\'s quarters. They broke into the bank vault and looted the cash. Bank officials believe that 1.5 to 2 crore taka was looted.</div><div><br></div><div>The eyewitness, who requested anonymity, said that the terrorists looted 14 weapons from the Ansar members guarding the bank and abducted Nizam Uddin, the manager of Ruma Upazila Sonali Bank, from the mosque during Taraweeh prayers. They also entered the officers\' quarters in front of the bank and took hostage the upazila engineer, Md. Saiful Islam, and took away the money kept for various works.</div><div><br></div><div>Ruma Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Muhammad Shahjahan said that the \'hilltop-based armed terrorists\' looted the bank\'s money and weapons and abducted the bank manager. He said that he was at the scene of the incident and that members of the law enforcement forces and the army were present in the area.</div><div><br></div><div>Confirming the incident, Sonali Bank Bandarban District Branch Manager Rajan Kanti Das said that he was informed of the incident but had not yet been able to contact the bank manager.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that on Tuesday, the salaries and bonuses of the employees for Eid were taken to the bank. At night, the armed terrorist group attacked Sonali Bank. They looted the cash from the bank, along with 14 weapons and the bank manager, Md. Nizam Uddin. However, it is not yet known how much money was taken from the bank. It is believed that the terrorists looted Tk 1.5 to 2 crore.</div><div><br></div><div>Bandarban District Police Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Hossain Md. Raihan Kazemi said that the incident of bank robbery, arms looting and abduction had taken place. He said that an emergency meeting was underway with the district police and the army. He said that further details would be provided later. - unb</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 09:07:24', '2024-04-03 09:07:24'),
(11853, 11853, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">He also called for the “uninterrupted delivery of adequate aid” during a phone conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday, state news agency PETRA reported on Wednesday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abbas commended Jordan’s role in supporting Palestinians and their human rights, highlighting Jordan’s unwavering support to stop the war on Gaza, while also rejecting the displacement of Palestinians, and safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under the Hashemite Custodianship, repots Arab News&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There have been almost 33,000 deaths in Gaza since Israel began its retaliatary attacks against Hamas after the Islamist group carried out its deadly Oct. 7 raid on Israel.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 09:50:03', '2024-04-03 09:50:03');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11854, 11854, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today sought Chinese cooperation for Bangladesh\'s southern region\'s development as its Ambassador here Yao WEN called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Direct road communication was already established with country\'s southern region through Padma Bridge. I want China to help Bangladesh for its southern region\'s further development,\" PM\'s Speech Writer Md Nazrul Islam quoting her as saying in a media briefing after the meeting.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to Islam, Sheikh Hasina told the Chinese envoy that the southern region of the country was neglected for so long as except Awami League (AL), no government took effective steps for the development of this area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turning to cooperation, the Chinese ambassador requested the prime minister to offer specific proposal for the development of Bangladesh\'s southern region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yao WEN also conveyed an invitation to Sheikh Hasina to visit China in the coming July as the premier received the invitation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that China is the great development partner of Bangladesh, the Prime Minister hoped that the cooperation which is going on between the two countries will strengthen in the days to come.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that there will be a deep seaport in Paira and China can take advantage of that.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina mentioned that southern part of Bangladesh is the most vulnerable area of the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this connection, she said that there are some big rivers in this area and the effect of the climate change is much wider in this area. \"We\'re now giving priority to the development of this area,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about the last election, she said that it was a challenging one from various aspects. \"We\'ve overcome that and held a peaceful election, we have formed a sustainable government and a stable situation is prevailing in the country,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said that the government wanted to advance the development spree of the country, and hoped that as a trusted friend and development partner, China will help Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The envoy said that China will support Bangladesh to complete the unfinished works of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"China will remain beside Bangladesh to implement Sheikh Hasina\'s Vision to make Smart Bangladesh by 2041,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about the Prime Minister\'s upcoming visit in July, Yao WEN said that it is expected that the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and China, especially trade, investment, people to people contact, will be in a new height.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The development partnership between Bangladesh and China will be strengthened further,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The envoy also requested the Prime Minister to use the maiden flight of Bangladesh Biman\'s Dhaka-Beijing route for her upcoming visit to inaugurate the route.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said that China wants to help Bangladesh and to invest in agriculture, green energy, ICT and manufacturing sectors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Chinese envoy expressed his country\'s interest in making partnership for metro rail in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that China is interested to import more mango, jute and jute products and leather products.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The envoy showed more interest in providing training to youths, young leaders, women leaders and government officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the cooperation between Awami League and Communist Party of China will be strengthened.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Praising Sheikh Hasina\'s leadership, the Chinese envoy said, \"Sheikh Hasina is not only the leader of Bangladesh, she is also the world leader.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding Rohingya issue, he said that China is working so that they could be repatriated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah was present. - BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 11:10:56', '2024-04-03 11:10:56'),
(11855, 11855, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A court in Pakistan suspended the 14 prison sentences of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, related to the sale of state gifts.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This comes after an anti-corruption court in Pakistan, on August 5, 2023, convicted both Imran Khan and his wife of selling state gifts, sentencing them to fourteen years in jail.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Imran Khan\'s lawyer, Ali Zafar: \"The sentence of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the Toshkhana (unlawfully selling state gifts) case has been suspended.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Imran Khan and his wife have been accused of selling gifts received from the leaders of foreign governments, including the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, during Khan\'s tenure as Prime Minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The appellate court will hold a hearing on this case after Eid al-Fitr.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife will not be released from jail as they face other charges by Pakistani courts, including an accusation of violating marriage laws for which they have been sentenced to seven years in jail.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The court added that Bushra Bibi married Imran Khan before completing her waiting period (\'iddah).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, both Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, have been sentenced to ten years in jail in connection with the case of leaking confidential government documents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Tomorrow, we will be trying to get a suspension in the Cypher (disclosing state secrets) case also. If that is suspended, as I said earlier, after that there will be no hurdle to Imran Khan\'s release from prison,\" Ali Zafar added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These verdicts by Pakistani courts against Imran Khan were issued one week before the general elections on the 8th of February in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Imran Khan has denied the charges against him, describing them as a clear attempt by Pakistani officials to prevent him from coming to power. - Tolo news&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, '2024-04-03 11:26:09', '2024-04-03 11:26:09'),
(11856, 11856, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The State of Palestine sent a letter Tuesday to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres requesting renewed consideration of its membership application.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"In reference to the application of the state of Palestine for membership in the United Nations in contained document S/2011/592 dated 23 September 2011 and upon the instructions of Palestinian membership, I have the honor to request that renewed consideration be given to this application by the Security Council during April 2024,\" Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour said in the letter.</div><div><br></div><div>Mansour said he would be \"grateful\" if Guterres would transmit the request to the Security Council \"as soon as possible.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The State of Palestine was accepted as an observer state of the UN General Assembly in 2012, allowing its envoy to participate in debates and UN organizations but without a vote.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the UN Charter, states are admitted to membership in the UN by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 11:28:38', '2024-04-03 11:28:38'),
(11857, 11857, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Thousands of supporters thronged India’s most prominent opposition leader Rahul Gandhi during a campaign procession today ahead of his formal nomination for national elections starting this month.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Gandhi is the son, grandson, and great-grandson of former prime ministers, but has already suffered two landslide defeats against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</div><div><br></div><div>He is the leading figure in an opposition alliance fighting an uphill battle in this year’s polls against Modi, who remains broadly popular after a decade in power and is widely expected to comfortably retain office.</div><div><br></div><div>But Gandhi was given a rousing reception in Wayanad, a picturesque town in the southern state of Kerala, with a huge crowd gathering to cheer his arrival.</div><div><br></div><div>“I don’t think of you as my electorate but as my family,” he told the large gathering from atop a truck, flanked by his younger sister Priyanka and cadres from his Congress party.</div><div><br></div><div>The 53-year-old formally filed his nomination to recontest Wayanad with the local election office after the rally.</div><div><br></div><div>Gandhi was first elected to the constituency in 2019 but was briefly disqualified from parliament last year after his conviction for criminal libel in a case filed by a member of Modi’s party.</div><div><br></div><div>He was reinstated pending a Supreme Court appeal but his decision to recontest the seat has caused some friction within the opposition alliance.</div><div><br></div><div>His main challenger is firebrand leftist Annie Raja of the Communist Party of India, a fellow member of the bloc.</div><div><br></div><div>Her allies have criticised Gandhi for not choosing to fight in another seat against an established candidate from Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).</div><div><br></div><div>“The entire country should discuss the inappropriateness of this,” Kerala’s chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a member of Raja’s party, told reporters yesterday.</div><div><br></div><div>Nearly a billion Indians will vote to elect a new government in six-week-long parliamentary elections starting on April 19. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 11:42:30', '2024-04-03 11:42:30'),
(11858, 11858, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko hosted an iftar event on Tuesday for around 31 Japan-based ambassadors and heads of Islamic missions.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The event, described as a “networking night,” was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and guests were offered a meal and explanation of Tokyo’s plans for urban related projects.</div><div><br></div><div>Diplomats attending the event included the ambassadors and heads of missions of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, Syria and Yemen.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Koike, who is fluent in Arabic having studied in Cairo, opened her remarks by pointing out that the cherry blossoms currently blooming in Tokyo symbolize hope and new beginnings, before outlining some of Tokyo’s plans for the future.</div><div><br></div><div>One surprise, and in keeping with the religious significance of Ramadan, was the publication of a sightseeing guidebook especially for Muslim tourists to help enable them to enjoy their stay in Tokyo. Each of the guests was handed a copy to take home with them.</div><div><br></div><div>Koike also mentioned SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024, a series of events that aims to generate innovation to resolve challenges shared by cities.</div><div><br></div><div>“Three programs that will pave the way to a brighter future will be held,” Koike said. “The Global Startup Program, scheduled to be one of Asia’s largest; the City Leaders Program, which will gather leaders from around the world; and the Showcase Program, which will allow participants to experience life in the future. I look forward to your feedback and a very productive discussion, with the aim to further strengthen our ties with you.”</div><div><br></div><div>After iftar, there was a light show projected onto the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. The show is planned to be a year-round event using the iconic Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 as a canvas to create a new tourist attraction.</div><div><br></div><div>The building is currently applying for Guinness World Records recognition as the world’s “largest permanent architectural projection mapping exhibition.” The project also promotes environmentally friendly initiatives such as green electricity. - Arab News&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 11:59:13', '2024-04-03 11:59:13'),
(11859, 11859, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Finance Ministry has highlighted the crucial need for a balanced approach to budgetary allocations between recurrent and capital expenditure, recognizing their collective impact on the country\'s growth prospects and social welfare. This perspective is outlined in the ministry\'s document, the \'Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26)\', which underscores the different priorities of developed and developing nations in terms of government spending.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Developed countries often prioritize transfers and subsidies, whereas developing economies are more inclined towards investing in social and community services. Despite the positive outcomes from income transfers in enhancing citizens\' lives, there is a pressing need to ramp up capital expenditure to cater to the increasing public investment demands and foster the creation of productive assets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Budgetary classifications broadly categorize government spending into recurrent and capital expenditures. Recurrent expenditure encompasses wages, goods and services purchases, subsidies, transfer payments, and interest on loans. In contrast, capital expenditure is directed towards building and enhancing productive assets, including developments under the Annual Development Program (ADP) and non-ADP initiatives.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The trend in capital expenditure, representing a portion of the total expenditure, has seen an upward trajectory, albeit with fluctuations, while recurrent expenditure has shown a gradual decrease. The revised budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 allocated 59.1 percent to recurrent expenditures, with projections indicating a slight reduction over the next three years. Meanwhile, capital expenditure is set to rise from 40.9 percent in the 2022-23 fiscal year to 41.3 percent by 2026, reflecting an ongoing commitment to bolstering public investment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The increase in recurrent expenditure from 56.7 percent in FY 2017-18 to 59.4 percent in FY 2021-22 was influenced by various stimulus packages introduced to support vulnerable groups during the combined challenges of the COVID pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Conversely, capital expenditure through the ADP, a critical component of the budget, has experienced modest growth from 4.5 percent of GDP in FY18 to an estimated 5.1 percent of GDP in FY 2022-23.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This strategic focus on balancing recurrent and capital expenditures aligns with the government\'s objectives to drive sustainable economic growth while ensuring the welfare of its citizens through prudent fiscal management. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 13:40:04', '2024-04-03 13:40:04'),
(11860, 11860, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that operations will be conducted soon against the resort and other establishments illegally established by occupying forest land in Gazipur.&nbsp; Map of illegal forest land encroachment</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>will be prepared. Irrespective of government institutions, private individuals and organizations encroaching on forest land, action will be immediate. There will be no compromise on this.&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said, 26 thousand acres of forest land has been restored.&nbsp; Urgent measures will be taken in the districts around Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Environment Minister said these things in the president\'s speech at the meeting held in the conference room of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on Wednesday (April 3) regarding the protection of forest land and control of environmental pollution in Gazipur district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Environment Minister said that due to excessive pollution, even vegetables cannot grow in some areas of Gazipur, fish cannot survive.&nbsp; The challenges here are clear, not all problems will be solved at once.&nbsp; If accountability is ensured then no one can encroach on forest land or harm the environment in the future. Dumping stations will be designated for development of waste management.&nbsp; Gazipur will be developed as a model city through the overall development of the environment.&nbsp; The minister said to the officials that working with transparency and coordination will improve the environment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additional Secretary (Administration) Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary (Environment) Dr. Fahmida Khanom, Director General of Department of Environment Dr. Abdul Hamid, Divisional Commissioner of Dhaka Division Sabirul Islam, Chief Conservator of Forest Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Gazipur City Corporation Advisor and former mayor Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Deputy Commissioner of Gazipur Abul Fateh Mohammad Safiqul Islam, Secretary of Gazipur Development Authority, representatives of Metropolitan Police and District Police of Gazipur along with officials of Environment and Forest Department also spoke in the meeting among others, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 13:58:29', '2024-04-03 13:58:29'),
(11861, 11861, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government has reduced the child and maternal mortality rate along with poverty rate in the country through various pragmatic steps.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have established community clinics across the country to mitigate the primary medicare facilities of the people. As a result the child and maternal mortality rate has been reduced,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said this while the management team of Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital &amp; Nursing College called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President &amp; Managing Director of KPJ Healthcare Berhad Chin Keat Chyuan led the team.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the call on.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said that the Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital&nbsp; was established at the industrial belt so that the workers and people of the area could get the medicare facilities easily.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that the hospital is run under the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"My sister Sheikh Rehana and I donated all our properties to the Trust for the sake of people’s interest. We have no one and we have donated our properties for the welfare of the people,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She recalled that once upon a time people of Bangladesh were poor and deprived from the healthcare facilities and could not afford two meals a day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have been able to reduce the poverty rate,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Memorial KPJ Specialised Hospital &amp; Nursing College was established by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 250-bed hospital is operated by KPJ Healthcare Berhad, a renowned Malaysian Private Healthcare organization. KPJ Healthcare Berhad currently has a chain of 29 hospitals in Malaysia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Named after Bangabandhu’s wife Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, the 250-bed world class hospital has been serving people since its inception in 2013.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Established at Kashimpur union under Kaliakair upazila in Gazipur by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust,&nbsp; the state-of-the-art facility is being operated by Kumpulan Perubetan&nbsp; Johor (KPJ) Healthcare Berhad, a renowned Malaysian private healthcare&nbsp; organisation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The facility has become the first integrated management system (IMS) certified Hospital &amp; Nursing College in Bangladesh, providing patients with more confidence in healthcare. Bureau Veritas, an international certification agency, awarded it for its contributions to Bangladesh’s health sector in&nbsp; 2017. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-03 14:31:51', '2024-04-03 14:31:51'),
(11862, 11862, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the public representatives of the local government bodies to work with utmost sincerity for the welfare of the people.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Don\'t lose public trust and confidence in any way. So, work for the people accordingly standing by them,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier was addressing the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected mayors of two city corporations – Cumilla and Mymensingh— and chairmen of five Zila Parishads, and councillors of Mymensingh City Corporation here in Shapla Hall of her office in the morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said her government made development of every area in the country and the grassroots people are in the focus of the development works.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Every village would be transformed into a township. A radical change has already been there, which you can see,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister asked the public representatives to work for the continuation of the current development trend by keeping the promises they made to the people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She cited that Bangladesh would finally be graduated as a developing country in 2026.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In this context, I\'m urging you to stand beside the people with sincerity, serve them and work for them in a bid to continue the current trend of socio-economic development,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, she administered oaths to the first female mayor-elect of Cumilla city corporation Tahsin Bahar Suchona and mayor-elect of Mymensingh City Corporation Ekramul Haque Titu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM also administered oaths to the newly elected chairmen of five Zila Parishads -- Kurigram, Thakurgaon, Sirajganj, Brahmanbaria and Habiganj – in the same function.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The five chairman of Zila Parishads are ANM Obaidur Rahman of Kurigram, Abdul Majid of Thakurgaon, Shamim Talukder of Sirajganj, Billal Miah of Brahmanbaria and Aleya Akhter of Habiganj.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, some 44 newly elected councillors of general wards and female councillors of the reserved seats of Mymensingh City Corporation also took oath at the same venue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam administered the oath of the councillors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local Government Division Secretary Muhammad Ibrahim conducted the oath-taking ceremony.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cumilla City Corporation has got the first female mayor as Tahsin Bahar Suchona, daughter of Cumilla-6 MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar, won the by-election to the city corporation on March 9 last.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ekramul Haque Titu was elected the mayor in the Mymensingh city corporation election held on the same day. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 07:32:37', '2024-04-04 07:32:37'),
(11863, 11863, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In anticipation of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, Bangladesh Police on Thursday (April 04, 2024) issued a series of safety guidelines for citizens planning to travel back to their hometowns.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This initiative aims to ensure a safe and smooth journey for thousands of holidaymakers during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The police have strongly discouraged travelers from risking their lives by riding on the roofs of buses, trucks, pickups, and other goods vehicles.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additionally, pedestrians have been advised to utilise foot overbridges and zebra crossings wherever available and to be cautious of vehicle speeds in areas lacking these facilities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Private car users were specifically warned against joyriding and reckless driving. The police have also cautioned all travelers against accepting food from strangers, a precautionary measure to avoid potential health risks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bus owners have been urged to employ only skilled and professional drivers and to avoid overloading buses beyond their capacity. Similarly, vehicle fitness is emphasised, with a strict recommendation against operating any vehicle deemed unfit for travel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding waterway travel, the police advised against journeying by launch in inclement weather conditions and implored vessel owners to refrain from exceeding passenger limits on launches, steamers, and speedboats. Vessel operators were reminded to navigate the vessels themselves or ensure that they are piloted by certified drivers. Owners are also encouraged to monitor weather conditions via mobile phones and radio and to verify the functionality of fire pumps and fire extinguishing equipment onboard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">For those traveling by train, police reiterated the dangers of roof, buffer, and engine travel and cautioned against the act of throwing stones at trains, which poses a significant safety hazard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the event of an emergency, people were asked to call 999 or police headquarters control room (01320001299), highway police headquarters (01320182598), railway police headquarters (01320177598), river police headquarters (01320169598), Rapid Action Battalion (01777720199), district superintendent of police and officer-in-charge of police, if needed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By adhering to these guidelines, the Bangladesh Police hope to minimise accidents and ensure that Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated in a joyous and safe manner across the country. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 07:52:08', '2024-04-04 07:52:08'),
(11864, 11864, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to embark on bilateral visits to New Delhi and Beijing within the next three months, marking her first such engagements after the January 7 national election. These visits are aimed at deepening Bangladesh\'s connections with India and China, Asia\'s two leading economic powers.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the formation of the new government, Prime Minister Hasina attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany in February, highlighting her active engagement on the global stage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Diplomatic sources indicate that PM Hasina\'s visit to India is planned after the conclusion of the neighbouring country’s national election, which is the world\'s largest democratic exercise, spanning seven phases from April 19 to June 1, with the vote count set for June 4.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pre-election surveys suggest a strong showing for the coalition led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is widely anticipated to secure re-election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Prime Minister\'s (Sheikh Hasina) India visit will definitely take place. However, it will take place after the election in India,\" Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said it is not yet discussed at the official level when the visit will exactly take place.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In January, Prime Minister Modi extended warm congratulations to PM Hasina on her electoral victory, expressing hopes for the continued strengthening of the historically close ties between India and Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The last bilateral engagement between PM Modi and PM Hasina occurred during the G-20 Leaders Summit in September 2023, where Bangladesh was the guest country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM Modi is expected to extend invitations to South Asian and BIMSTEC country leaders for his swearing-in ceremony, fostering regional cooperation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additionally, PM Hasina\'s forthcoming visit to China in July was underscored during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen, who reiterated China\'s commitment to boosting investment in Bangladesh and enhancing bilateral relations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ambassador Yao emphasised the significance of the visit in promoting trade, investment, and cultural exchange, aligning with Bangladesh\'s aspirations for \"Vision 2041\" and the realisation of a \"Smart Bangladesh.\" - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 08:06:17', '2024-04-04 08:06:17'),
(11865, 11865, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Five security personnel, including two Ansar members, at the Rampal Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant sustained injuries following a “robbery attempt” by a group of assailants on Wednesday night.&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The attack occurred in the No 5 yard near No 3 tower within the plant\'s premises.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Deputy General Manager Anwarul Azim reported that approximately 50-60 armed individuals attempted to infiltrate residential areas of the power plant around 11:30 pm. The guards faced aggression when they endeavored to thwart the attackers\' entry, resulting in injuries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of the injured, two were urgently transported to Khulna Medical College and Hospital for medical attention, while the remaining three received treatment at the Rampal Upazila Health Complex.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This violent incident transpired merely 48 hours after a series of bank robberies in Ruma and Thanchi upazilas of Bandarban district, raising concerns over a possible pattern of organised criminal activities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Somen Das, the officer-in-charge of Rampal Police Station, confirmed that law enforcement is actively pursuing leads to identify and apprehend the culprits. As a precautionary measure, additional police forces have been deployed to secure the power plant and its surrounding areas, aiming to prevent further incidents and ensure the safety of the plant\'s personnel and infrastructure, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UNB’s Bagerhat correspondent reported that police are conducting drives in different parts of the district, said the OC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The attackers tried to enter the power plant in an attempt to commit robbery, he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police have already arrested a number of people in this connection and they are now under interrogation, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Legal steps will be taken after getting a written complaint, said OC Somen.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 08:26:40', '2024-04-04 08:26:40'),
(11866, 11866, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Dhaka University’s Institute of Business Administration’s (IBA) board of governance has suspended an appointment of a teacher over an allegation of a student’s sexual harassment.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prof Sitesh Chandra Bachar, pro vice chancellor (education) of the university, said, “The matter of appointment was raised at the Board of Governance. The appointment was suspended. The selection board was notified of the issue for review.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, Saju Saha, an associate professor of marketing at Jahangirnagar University (JU), and three other candidates\' names were selected for appointment.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Due to the allegation of sexual harassment, his appointment was suspended on Monday afternoon in a meeting at the vice chancellor\'s lounge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday (1 April), a female student from JU\'s marketing department filed a formal complaint against Saju for sexual harassment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on March 23, the student, in a Facebook post, made the allegation of sexual harassment against teacher Saju Saha.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the Facebook post, the accused teacher repeatedly tried to convince the victim, saying that his political career would be ruined once the matter gets disclosed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On March 24, Saju Saha also lodged a general diary at Mirpur Model Police Station, seeking legal action against the student for uploading the Facebook post \"defaming\" him on social media. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"38\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 08:50:23', '2024-04-04 08:50:23'),
(11867, 11867, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In a daring daylight heist, two employees of Nagad became the victims of an armed robbery in Hasnabad, Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district, resulting in the looting of Tk 60 lakh.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victims, identified as Delwar Hossain, a supervisor at Nagad, and Shahin Mia, a field worker, faced this harrowing ordeal while en route on a motorcycle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to Shafayet Hossain Palash, the officer-in-charge of Raipura police station, the assailants - two armed individuals on motorbikes,&nbsp; intercepted the Nagad employees near Hasnabad Bazar Bridge.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Without hesitation, the criminals opened fire on the unsuspecting victims before forcibly taking the bag filled with money.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the attack, concerned locals promptly provided assistance, rushing the injured employees to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital. Due to the severity of their injuries, they were subsequently transferred to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital for advanced medical treatment. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 08:59:05', '2024-04-04 08:59:05'),
(11868, 11868, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Thursday said that the Awami League government has only two success stories: the oppression of the opposition parties and laundering the poor people’s money abroad.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It has failed in every other sector,” he said while visiting the family of Habib Un Nabi Khan Sohel, jailed BNP\'s joint secretary general, at his Circuit House Road residence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr Moyeen said since October 28, about eighteen leaders and activists of BNP have been killed and many more were made to disappear.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The senior BNP leader wondered how could the government file more than 400 cases against Habib Un Nabi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Those who challenge the government’s illegal activities and criticise them are often accused in false cases and subjected to imprisonment and inhuman torture”, alleged Moyeen.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He repeated the allegation that the government arrested 26 thousand BNP leaders and activists after the authorities foiled the grand rally the opposition party held in Dhaka on October 28 last year to demand a neutral caretaker government to oversee the national polls.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He denounced the parliament formed after the January 7 national election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The current parliament has been formed through an one-sided dummy election. It doesn’t represent the country’s people,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AL government has destroyed&nbsp; all institutions of the state like judiciary, civil administration, police administration and even the Election Commission, Moyeen claimed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Without reconstructing these institutions, the rule of law and an environment to hold a free, fair and participatory election won’t be possible. In this environment of hooliganism BNP won’t participate in any election,” he declared.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Not only has the government destroyed political stability and democratic process, it also has ruined the country’s financial system, said Moyeen.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He alleged that the banking sector is suffering from liquidity crisis as billions of dollars have been laundered abroad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They have established begum para in Canada, Gulshan 3 in Dubai, second home in Malayasia by looting poor people money,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bank managers are now saying sorry to customers after failing to pay them, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He further said the government has started playing a new game in the name of merging weak banks with so-called stonger ones, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr Moyeen said the government has failed to resolve Rohingya issue as they could not succeed to send a single Rohingya back in Myanmar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, Rohimgyas could be sent home by the governments of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia and late president Ziaur Rahman, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 09:49:09', '2024-04-04 09:49:09');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11869, 11869, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum(SCRF) on Thursday urged the government to ban movement of sand-carrying vessels (Bulkheads) from April 8-15 to prevent accidents on waterways during the Eid-ul-Fitr journey.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The organization also demanded mobile court drives against all types of illegal vessels.</div><div><br></div><div>In a statement, the SCRF president Ashis Kumar Dey and its general secretary Lion Mohd Jahangir Alam called for immediate action to conduct mobile court drives across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>They urged the Ministry of Shipping, Department of Shipping (DoS), Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), River Police and Coast Guard to pay heed to their demand.</div><div><br></div><div>The leaders of the organisation called for the involvement of district administration and the district police for preventing waterway accidents.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to punishing masters and drivers (sailors) without documents, the statement also demanded that vessel owners be held accountable for employing sailors without proper documents</div><div><br></div><div>The statement expressed deep concern over frequent waterway accidents and the sinking of cargo boats in different parts of the country after being hit by bulkheads.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Despite the restriction on the movement of bulkheads from sunset to sunrise, the statement highlighted that hundreds of bulkheads are operating at night in absence of monitoring by the administration.</div><div><br></div><div>Citing the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Shipping, the leaders of the SCRF states that while the number of registered vessels is 15,000, there are at least 85,000 types of vessels across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Among these, approximately 70,000 vessels are operating illegally, with bulkheads making up at least 6,000 of them, they said.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the statement, out of 15,000 registered boats, regular annual survey (fitness test) is done only for 8,000.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the knowledge of the concerned officials of the DoS and BIWTA, the remaining 7,000 unfit boats are plying freely. But the authorities concerned don’t take action against those for unknown reasons, the statement said.</div><div><br></div><div>The SCRF demanded strongly ban on bulkhead movement for 7 days for safe travel of thousands of Eid holidaymakers. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 10:05:16', '2024-04-04 10:05:16'),
(11870, 11870, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) on Thursday demanded Tk 15 from his family as ransom for the release of Sonali Bank’s Bandarban Ruma upazila branch manager Nizam Uddin who was abducted during a daring robbery on Tuedsday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nizam Uddin’s&nbsp; wife Nazmul Nahar, a teacher of Bandarban Cantonment Public School and College, revealed the matter to the media shorty after she received a phone call from the KNF.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a press conference at the conference room of Bandarban Zilla Parishad on Thursday morning, its chairman Kyaw Shwe Hla denied to hold any discussion with KNF until it releases the abducted bank manager, returns looted 14 arms, money and stop all kinds of criminal activities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyaw Shwe, also president of the district peace committee, said a view-exchange meeting with the participation of representatives from several groups to facilitate KNF members’ return to normal life was held on May 29 last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On June 30, 18-member peace committee was formed with the coordination of local leaders. Later several virtual meetings between the peace committee and the KNF were held to return peace in the district, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On November 5 last year and March 5 this year, a couple of in-person dialogues&nbsp; with the group&nbsp; were held and two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed when KNF assured that it will suspended all armed activities , he informed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, banking activities of Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Sonali Bank in the district’s Thanchi upazila branch have remained suspended since Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Ruma and Rowangchhari upazilas, activities of Krishi Bank remained normal while that of Sonali Bank remained suspended.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of the criminal activities, the separatist group kidnapped the Sonali Bank manager on April 2 and looted Tk 1.5 crore from the Ruma branch.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The incident occurred during Taraweeh prayers. The robbers looted 14 weapons from the Ansar members guarding the bank and abducted the bank manager from the mosque on the bank premises.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They carried out robberies at Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi upazila, Bandarban on Wednesday, in a similar incident at a Sonali Bank branch in Ruma upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"40\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 10:19:01', '2024-04-04 10:19:01'),
(11871, 11871, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Power supply situation has aggravated with the decrease in generation, triggering load shedding mainly outside the capital amid the sweltering heat.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The situation is worse in rural areas than urban territories as the authorities concerned have been concentrating more on keeping supply stable in the large cities including the capital to avoid public wrath.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The high temperature that soars up to 38.5 Celsius degree over the last few days is aggravating the plight of common people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has issued a heat alert for four divisions, including Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The prevailing heatwave over Rajshahi, Khulna, Dhaka, and Barishal divisions may continue and spread for the next 72 hours starting from Wednesday,\" it said in a bulletin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Official statistics of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh shows the power supply situation turned bad mainly with the beginning of the summer in the country in the last week of March.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After a long winter, the country first experienced a substantial amount of load shedding on March 25 when the authorities concerned had to resort to about 200 MW of load shedding at midnight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The statistics show that the amount of load shedding first crossed the benchmark of 850 MW on April 1 at 2 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"From the very first day of April which is deemed to be the start of the summer, the country\'s power supply situation keeps worsening\", a senior official at the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Now, every day, the country has been experiencing 1200-1650 MW of load shedding\", he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PGCB data also shows that in recent days, the highest load shedding of 1678 MW was recorded on April 2 at 5 pm when the country supplied 11,976 MW against the demand of 13,700 MW.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last year, the highest generation was recorded to be 15,104.00 MW demand on July 30 against the demand of more than 17,000 MW.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result, the country was witnessing a shortfall of 3000-4000 MW in power supply although the power generation\'s installed capacity crossed 25,000 MW.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But due to constraint in adequate gas supply, the country always had to keep generation units of 2500-3000 MW capacity idle, said another official.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Power Division officials forecast that this summer the country\'s demand may cross 18,000 MW and the load shedding situation may prevail the same as last year if the gas supply is not increased.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Official statistics show the country experienced 717 MM of load shedding at 10 am on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BPDB officials apprehend the extent of load shedding may go up in the peak evening hours.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the Petrobangla officials informed that the supply of imported LNG could not be raised as the Summit Group\'s LNG terminal failed to resume its production.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We think it may take 3-4 days more to get the gas supply from Summit\'s LNG terminal\", said Engr. Md. Kamruzzaman Khan, director (Operation and Mining) of Petrobangla.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also informed that if Summit\'s LNG terminal resumes operation, it will add 500 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) gas to the national grid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Petrobangla statistics show the country\'s gas supply was 2,640 MMCFD on Thursday against the demand for more than 4,000 MMCFD. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 13:53:46', '2024-04-04 13:53:46'),
(11872, 11872, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Metro rail passengers will have to bear additional cost as the National Board of Revenue (NBR) is going to impose 15 percent VAT on its tickets from July 1.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There is currently a VAT waiver on Metrorail tickets, which will expire on June 30. DMTCL requested NBR to extend the period but the revenue board expressed unwillingness to extend the exemption period.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The second secretary of NBR\'s VAT Division Barrister Md. Badruzzaman Munshi sent a letter to the managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) in this regard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the letter, VAT exemption on metro rail tickets will expire on June 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the letter, the revenue board said that various development activities are going on in the country with the goal of attaining the status of developed country by 2041.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government has to constantly provide money to carry out those development activities, which is mainly collected through direct and indirect taxes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tax exemptions are given to various sectors on different occasion with the aim of promoting domestic industries, reduce import dependence and developing small and cottage industries, etc, said the letter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That is why tax exemption benefits are being gradually withdrawn from various sectors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, freedom fighters and children&nbsp; of three feet height can travel free of charge, and people with special needs can travel on metro rail at a 10 to 15 percent discount. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 14:12:58', '2024-04-04 14:12:58'),
(11873, 11873, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Get ready for a comedic jaunt through the skies with \"Crew,\" the latest sensation to hit cinemas on March 29, 2024. This comedy-drama chronicles the adventures of three glamorous flight attendants navigating the collapse of the airline they work for and plotting a daring scheme for revenge. Will their plan soar to comedic heights or crash into the realm of absurdity? Fasten your seatbelts for an entertaining journey in \"Crew.\"</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Director, Production Team, and Cast</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Helmed by Rajesh A Krishnan, \"Crew\" showcases the talents of Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Kriti Sanon as spirited air hostesses. With support from Diljit Dosanjh and Kapil Sharma, the film is a production marvel under Balaji Motion Pictures and Anil Kapoor Films &amp; Communication Network, with producers Ekta Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, and Digvijay Purohit steering the project to success.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Plot and Theme</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the heart of \"Crew\" are Geeta Sethi, Jasmine Kohli, and Divya Rana, whose lives as flight attendants take a nosedive when Kohinoor Airlines faces bankruptcy. United by their plight, the trio embarks on a gold smuggling operation, leading to a cascade of comedic and dire events following the airline\'s collapse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Box Office Journey</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As of April 3, 2024, \"Crew\" has collected a commendable 77.63 crore Indian rupees worldwide, marking it as a notable success story for a film led by female protagonists.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Diving into the Review</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Drawing parallels with the real-life saga of Vijay Mallya, \"Crew\" takes a lighthearted stab at the corporate malfeasance of bad debt. Garnering an IMDb rating of 8.3/10 and positive critical reception, the film blends comedy with moments of genuine emotion. Kareena and Tabu, in particular, deliver standout performances, enriching the film\'s comedic and dramatic layers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Critique</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While \"Crew\" thrills with its engaging premise and stellar cast, it occasionally falters in its adherence to logic and its fast-paced execution, leading to a somewhat rushed and predictable conclusion. Moreover, its appeal might be more pronounced among urban viewers than the wider masses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Final Verdict</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Crew\" is akin to a flight with moderate turbulence: entertaining for those seeking light-hearted amusement but potentially underwhelming for audiences craving a deeper narrative experience. It\'s a journey worth embarking on for its moments of brilliance, though some may prefer a smoother ride.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So, is \"Crew\" worth watching? For a cinematic trip filled with humor and a touch of empowerment, it\'s worth boarding. Just be prepared for a few bumps along the way. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd24/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 14:17:10', '2024-04-04 14:17:10'),
(11874, 11874, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The abducted manager of Sonali Bank\'s Ruma branch in Bandarban was rescued through the mediation of the Rapid Action Battalion on Thursday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The bank manager, Nizam Uddin, was rescued on Thursday, confirmed ASP Imran Khan of RAB headquarters media wing.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier in the day, Nizam Uddin’s wife, Nazmul Nahar, said the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) demanded Tk 15 lakh from his family as ransom.</div><div><br></div><div>Nahar, a teacher of Bandarban Cantonment Public School and College, revealed the matter to the media shortly after she received a phone call from the KNF.</div><div><br></div><div>As part of the criminal activities, the separatist group kidnapped the Sonali Bank manager on April 2 and looted Tk 1.5 crore from the Ruma branch.</div><div><br></div><div>The incident occurred during Taraweeh prayers. The robbers looted 14 weapons from the Ansar members guarding the bank and abducted bank manager Nizam from the mosque on the bank premises.</div><div><br></div><div>They carried out robberies at Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi upazila, Bandarban, on Wednesday, in a similar incident at a Sonali Bank branch in Ruma upazila. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 14:20:34', '2024-04-04 14:20:34'),
(11875, 11875, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The abducted manager of Sonali Bank\'s Ruma branch in Bandarban was rescued through the mediation of the Rapid Action Battalion on Thursday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The bank manager, Nizam Uddin, was rescued on Thursday, confirmed ASP Imran Khan of RAB headquarters media wing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier in the day, Nizam Uddin’s wife, Nazmul Nahar, said the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) demanded Tk 15 lakh from his family as ransom.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nahar, a teacher of Bandarban Cantonment Public School and College, revealed the matter to the media shortly after she received a phone call from the KNF.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of the criminal activities, the separatist group kidnapped the Sonali Bank manager on April 2 and looted Tk 1.5 crore from the Ruma branch.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The incident occurred during Taraweeh prayers. The robbers looted 14 weapons from the Ansar members guarding the bank and abducted bank manager Nizam from the mosque on the bank premises.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They carried out robberies at Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi upazila, Bandarban, on Wednesday, in a similar incident at a Sonali Bank branch in Ruma upazila. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 14:39:36', '2024-04-04 14:39:36'),
(11876, 11876, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State-run Bangladesh Development Bank is set to merge with Sonali Bank, while Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank will be taken over by Bangladesh Krishi Bank as part of disciplining the banking sector.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The move follows the merger of private sector Padma Bank with Exim Bank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The primary decision of latest merger of banks was taken at a meeting between Bangladesh Bank (BB) governor Abdur Rouf Talukder and the managing directors of the respective banks at the BB headquarters on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A deal will be signed on Monday (April 8) between Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank at BB in this regard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Md Shawkat Ali Khan, managing director of BKB told UNB that the central bank called a meeting with the chairmen of both banks and discussed the overall situation of the banks, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the merger of&nbsp; state-owned banks, on behalf of the government the BB will take a final decision regarding the merger issue, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the BB official confirmed that a deal signing between BKB and RKUB is scheduled to be held on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government took the decision in principle to merge BDBL with Sonali Bank. But it will take some time to reach a deal between Sonali Bank and BDBL, said an official of BB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 14:49:36', '2024-04-04 14:49:36'),
(11877, 11877, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq has emphasized the significance of legislation to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence in realizing the vision of a Smart Bangladesh, including Smart Generation by 2041, as outlined by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Acknowledging the benefits and drawbacks of AI, the minister said there is nothing to be afraid of as efforts are underway to establish AI laws to mitigate any negative consequences.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He was addressing at a stakeholder meeting held on Thursday at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) building in Agargaon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meeting, organized by the Department of Information and Communication Technology, saw participation from representatives of various ministries, government departments, offices, and organizations, alongside other stakeholders.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Highlighting the government\'s commitment to inclusive lawmaking, Huq emphasized the importance of consulting stakeholders in the legislative process. He noted that initial drafts of the AI legislation had already been discussed with stakeholders and that the current meeting aimed to incorporate their feedback into the drafting process.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The finalized draft of the AI law is slated for completion by September this year, following further consultations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Haque stressed the inevitability of AI legislation in light of the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. However, he advocated for a balanced approach, suggesting that the initial legislation should offer flexibility while maintaining robust regulatory measures, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, he emphasized the need for alignment between AI laws and policies, asserting that laws must reflect existing policy frameworks to be effective.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his address, State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak echoed the importance of AI in addressing risks and harnessing its potential.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Palak cited recent incidents of AI misuse, such as the circulation of fake images on social media, underscoring the necessity of effective regulation in the digital realm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-04 15:06:56', '2024-04-04 15:06:56'),
(11878, 11878, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Muhammad A. Muhith has called upon Myanmar to demonstrate genuine political will and cooperate with Bangladesh for implementation of the bilateral arrangements of Rohingya return signed in 2017 and 2018.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He highlighted that the recent escalation in Rakhine has affected the pace of the repatriation process, which is the ultimate solution to the Rohingya crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“While the 2017 crisis still remains unresolved, Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine are faced with renewed risks,as the armed conflict between Myanmar military and Arakan Army resumes,\" the ambassador said before the Security Council in New York on April 4.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was speaking at the open briefing on Myanmar convened by Maltese Presidency to discuss the recent escalation in the Rakhine State and its implications on the civilians, especially the Rohingya minorities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Council heard from Khalid Khiari, the Assistant Secretary-General at the Department and Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Lisa Doughten, Director at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apart from the members of the Security Council, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh spoke before the Council.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ambassador Muhith expressed hope that the process could commence again as soon as the conditions improve, according to a message received here on Friday from New York.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We also solicit meaningful and effective engagements of the international community, especially the regional organizations, and regional and neighbouring countries, in restoring peace and stability in Rakhine and supporting reintegration of the future returnees;” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to the UN Security Council Resolution 2669, Muhith underscored the need for creating conducive environment in Rakhine and addressing the underlying root causes of vulnerability among Rohingya minorities, which are entrenched mostly in Myanmar’s discriminatory legal and political framework.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Unless those underlying causes are addressed, the bilateral and regional efforts are unlikely to succeed’, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Muhith outlined several expectations for addressing the crisis, including the need for the UN to strengthen its presence in Myanmar, regular reporting on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2669, ensuring accountability for crimes committed against Rohingya Muslims and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law, and the timely implementation of the key agreements and recommendations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additionally, he emphasised the importance of international partners\' support in creating a sustainable environment for Rohingya reintegration in Myanmar society.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to the negative social, economic, environmental and security problems faced by Bangladesh due to protracted presence of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh, Ambassador Muhith called for the Council’s attention to the situation in Rakhine and meaningful action, with a view to attaining, among others, a comprehensive and sustainable solution of the Rohingya crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The other speakers also expressed deep concern at the escalation of conflict and violence in Myanmar, called upon the authorities to take all measures to address root causes of conflict in Rakhine and create conditions for voluntary, safe, sustainable and dignified return of all displaced Rohingyas and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They also called for greater international unity and support to the efforts of the UN and the ASEAN in pursuing peace and stability in Myanmar in line with Security Council Resolution 2669.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The speakers applauded Bangladesh for its continued humanitarian leadership in sheltering over a million Rohingya and urged others to support to the humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar until the displaced Rohingyas are able to return. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd24/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 08:11:06', '2024-04-05 08:11:06'),
(11879, 11879, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Election Commission (EC) has introduced an online nomination submission system which has been made compulsory for the sixth upazila parishad election.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Candidates who want to participate in the election can submit complete nomination papers online and complete the activities related to collecting necessary documents from anywhere, according to a press release of the EC on Friday.</div><div><br></div><div>Candidates will also be able to provide security deposit in the preferred conventional effective way online for the submission of nomination papers.</div><div><br></div><div>Filing nomination papers in a technology-based manner will save the candidate\'s time. Online nomination submission system can be accessed directly by visiting the link www.ecs.gov.bd notice board (\'Online Submission of Nomination Papers\' or onss.ecs.gov.bd), it said.</div><div><br></div><div>To submit a nomination online, candidates need to complete the registration. In this case, NID verification and face identification are checked. After successful completion of registration, the user ID and password will be sent to the mobile number with which the registration has been done, which has to be stored carefully.</div><div><br></div><div>After nomination papers are submitted, the returning officer will perform all the necessary tasks by acknowledging the receipt of the nomination papers submitted online, confirmation, verification / scrutiny, appeal, withdrawal of candidacy, symbol allocation. By logging in using the provided user ID and password, the candidate can know the update of their submitted nomination papers at any time; As well as receive messages on mobile.</div><div><br></div><div>Upazila Election Offices can be contacted for any need related to submission of nomination papers online. EC asked the candidates concerned to ensure the submission of nomination papers online with enough time in hand without waiting for the last time.</div><div><br></div><div>For the convenience of the candidates, a video tutorial can be found on the website as well as the designated Facebook page of the Election Commission, Bangladesh Election Commission Secretariat and the following link “https://youtu.be/hcImF47SkO8?si=eloeoZ1rI_liBs_G।“. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 09:11:58', '2024-04-05 09:11:58'),
(11880, 11880, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) handed over bank manager Nizam Uddin on Friday after being rescued from his abductors.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Imran Khan, assistant superintendent of police (ASP) of the RAB headquarters media wing, confirmed the matter on Friday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, RAB (Legal and Media Wing) Director Commander Khandaker Al Moin briefed reporters at the Bandarban District Council Auditorium at 11:00 am on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that there was no financial transaction to rescue the bank manager, the RAB official said, “So far, the operation has been stopped due to negotiations with the Peace Committee. We believed in the doctrine that all the demands of the KNF would be resolved through the Peace Committee.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But on the night of April 2, bank robbery in Ruma upazila, abduction of manager, 14 weapons from Ansar and police, and snatching of mobile phones from worshippers entering the mosque, all avenues of peace dialogue were closed,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that armed groups are carrying out such acts to prove their existence and capability. In the same way, attacks have been carried out in Thanchi. He said the operation of law enforcement agencies, including RAB, is going on.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The KNF had previously carried out various activities for the training of militants, collecting weapons, and financial prosperity here. Law enforcement stopped it, Commander Moin also said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the exchange of gunfire between police, BGB, and KNF in Thanchi upazila last night stopped at 11:00 pm. No casualties were reported in the incident. Thanchi Upazila Chairman Thoaihla Maung said the situation in the upazila is normal at the moment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on Thursday night, the RAB members rescued the bank manager from the Bathel Para area of Bandarban through mediation, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Thursday afternoon, Nizam Uddin’s wife, Nazmul Nahar, said the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) demanded Tk 15 lakh from his family as ransom, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The separatist group kidnapped the Sonali Bank’s Ruma upazila branch manager on Tuesday, April 2, and tried to loot Tk 1.5 crore from the vault of the Ruma branch. Unable to take the money, they kidnapped the bank manager.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They also carried out robberies at Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi upazila of Bandarban on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 09:16:15', '2024-04-05 09:16:15'),
(11881, 11881, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The government is taking a strict stance on armed violence in Chattogram Hill Tracts, said Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A joint operation is underway there. The situation will soon calm down,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader was speaking at the Eid gift distribution programme of the Matshjeeby League at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital on Friday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A small group has started some armed activities in Chattogram Hill Tracts. This small group is not present in Rangamati or Khagrachhari. It is only in Bandarban. Some young people from this small group are providing arms and training,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Law enforcement agencies are conducting joint operations in this regard. Hopefully, the situation will calm down soon. And there is no reason to think that the entire hill region will become unstable due to this armed vigilance,” added the AL leader, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Matshjeeby League President Saidur Rahman presided over the programme.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Awami League Publicity and Publication Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap, Matshjeeby League Executive President Saiful Alam Manik and General Secretary Sheikh Asgar Naskar were present on the occasion, among others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 09:45:46', '2024-04-05 09:45:46'),
(11882, 11882, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Amid speculations regarding the imposition of a 15 VAT on metro rail’s ticket with effect from July 1, Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said on Friday that they know nothing about the matter.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Who suddenly announced such a thing? We don\'t know anything about it,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader, also general secretary of the ruling Awami League, said this while addressing an Iftar and Eid gifts distribution programme organised by the party’s front Matshjeeby League at Rajdhani High School ground on Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka on Friday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Calling the metro rail a service-oriented transportation, he said they would discuss with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the issue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“People are benefiting from it. And we haven\'t made any decision on that,” he said about the VAT issue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader said they don\'t know who announced it in a hurry before any high-level decision of the government. Journalists should have asked about it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There is currently a VAT waiver on Metrorail tickets, which will expire on June 30. DMTCL requested NBR to extend the period but the revenue board expressed unwillingness to extend the exemption.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The second secretary of NBR\'s VAT Division Barrister Md. Badruzzaman Munshi sent a letter to the managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) in this regard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the letter, VAT exemption on metro rail tickets will expire on June 30.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the letter, the revenue board said that various development activities are going on in the country with the goal of attaining the status of a developed country by 2041.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government has to constantly provide money to carry out those development activities, which is mainly collected through direct and indirect taxes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tax exemptions are given to various sectors on different occasion with the aim of promoting domestic industries, reduce import dependence and developing small and cottage industries, etc, said the letter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That is why tax exemption benefits are being gradually withdrawn from various sectors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, freedom fighters and children of three feet height can travel free of charge, and people with special needs can travel on metro rail at a 10 to 15 percent discount. - unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 09:50:42', '2024-04-05 09:50:42'),
(11883, 11883, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A case has been filed over the robbery at the Rampal Thermal Power Plant in Bagerhat.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Habildar Shahidul Islam, of Ansar Battalion-3, filed the case at Rampal Police Station on Thursday night, naming 20 individuals and 30 to 40 unidentified men.</div><div><br></div><div>Police have already arrested 12 suspects involved in the case, with efforts underway to apprehend the others, according to police sources.</div><div><br></div><div>Rampal Police Station Officer-in-Charge Somen Das, quoting the case details, said that on Wednesday night, a group of robbers entered the D-block of the Rampal Thermal Power Plant. At that time, Ansar members and private security personnel of the power plant attempted to stop them. The robbers attacked them, injuring five Ansar members. During their escape, the robbers stole various sizes of iron rods worth Tk 90,000.</div><div><br></div><div>Those injured in the attack --Akram, Saidul Islam, Mintu Bairagi, Brajen Mondal, and Habib Kamal--are undergoing treatment at the hospital, said the OC.</div><div><br></div><div>Around 11:00 pm on Wednesday, a group of 50 to 60 men attacked the power plant. During the attack, two Ansar members, three private security personnel of the power plant, and one member of the robber gang were injured.</div><div><br></div><div>Incidentally, incidents of theft are becoming more frequent at the Rampal Thermal Power Plant, where nearly 1,320 megawatts of electricity are generated. The thieves often steal copper wires and various machine parts. - unb</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 10:22:16', '2024-04-05 10:22:16'),
(11884, 11884, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Friday said that BNP is talking nonsense due to its fear of political existence.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He said this in response to questions from journalists about the BNP\'s stance on India at Kasba Upazila Parishad in Brahmanbaria.</div><div><br></div><div>He stated that when any political party fears about its existence, they tend to say things that make no sense. Whatever the BNP is saying is not to be taken seriously.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, he joined as the chief guest at a laptop distribution event among 80 female entrepreneurs at the Upazila Auditorium.</div><div><br></div><div>The District Administration and the Brahmanbaria Information and Communication Technology Department organised the event, chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Habibur Rahman. Special guests included Police Superintendent Mohammad Shakawat Hossain, Kasba Upazila Chairman Rashedul Kaisar Bhuiyan Jibon, and Upazila Executive Officer Shahriar Mukhtar. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 10:32:19', '2024-04-05 10:32:19'),
(11885, 11885, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Two people died as a running train crashed into a sand-laden truck from behind in Purbo Fazilpur Muhuriganj Bridge area under Feni’s Sadar upazila on Friday morning.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the deceased was identified as Md Mizan, 32, son of Abul Hawladar of Kawyarraha village under Barishal’s Wazirpur upazila. The victims were the driver and helper of the truck.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police and witnesses said the accident happened around 8:30 am when the Chattogram-bound mail train hit the truck while crossing the trail track as the gateman failed to place the bar despite the arrival of the train in the Muhuriganj Bridge area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The impact of the accident left the two dead on the spot, they said, adding that the bodies were sent to Feni Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Feni’s Superintendent of Police Md Jakir Hasan, who visited the spot shortly after the accident, said legal actions would be taken against the accused upon investigation in this regard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gateman Md Saiful went missing soon after the accident, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 10:40:12', '2024-04-05 10:40:12');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11886, 11886, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ukraine said today that it had destroyed at least six Russian military planes at an airbase in the southern Rostov region in a barrage of overnight drone attacks.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv launched one of its largest overnight attacks in weeks, firing more than 50 drones at Russian territory, according to Russia’s defence ministry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A security source in Kyiv told AFP that an attack on the Morozovsk airbase in Russia’s southern Rostov region had destroyed at least six Russian planes and “another eight were heavily damaged”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is an important special operation that will significantly reduce the combat potential of the Russians,” the source said, adding that the attack was carried out by the SBU security service and the military.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There was no immediate response from Russia and AFP was unable to verify the claims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia said 44 of the 53 drones Kyiv fired overnight targeted the southern Rostov region, which sits just across the border from Ukraine and is home to a number of major military sites, including its command headquarters for the offensive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“During the night and on the morning of April 5, the Kyiv regime tried to commit several terrorist attacks with aerial drones which were foiled,” the defence ministry said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rostov’s governor Vasily Golubev said a drone attack on the Morozovsk district, where the airbase is located, had caused “insignificant damage” to a power station that had cut electricity supplies to around 600 residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also reported windows were blown out in an apartment building but made no mention of the air base.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia rarely comments on Ukrainian claims of successful strikes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv has stepped up its aerial attacks on Russian territory in recent months, targeting both military sites and energy facilities in a bid to disrupt Russia’s supply of fuel and equipment for its invasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Tuesday, Ukrainian drones hit the central Tatarstan region – around 1,100km from the countries’ shared border – in one of the deepest Ukrainian attacks of the two-year war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv said the strike hit a major oil refinery and a factory assembling explosive drones.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other Ukrainian drone attacks in the early hours today targeted the Belgorod and Kursk border regions, as well as Saratov and Krasnodar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Saratov, the governor said a drone had targeted Engels, a city around 500km from the border that is home to a major Russian airbase that has previously been hit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine’s air force meanwhile said Russia launched five missiles and 13 drones at its territory overnight.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv said it downed the 13 drones, but did not say anything about the missiles, which targeted the northeastern Kharkiv region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian-installed authorities in areas of Ukraine occupied by Moscow’s forces also reported Ukrainian strikes on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Five people were injured, two seriously, in a drone attack on the Russian-controlled part of the southern Kherson region, while seven were injured in a strike on Gorlivka in the eastern Donetsk region, Moscow-appointed officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the battlefield, Russian forces are seeking to press their advantage with Ukraine facing shortages of both manpower and ammunition amid delays to the delivery of Western aid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian-installed officials have claimed Moscow’s forces are advancing on Chasiv Yar, a town in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers with links to the armed forces said today that Russian troops had reached the outskirts of the town. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 10:42:48', '2024-04-05 10:42:48'),
(11887, 11887, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>&nbsp;A 15-year-old teenager has been badly beaten in a town south of Paris and rushed to hospital following a cardiac arrest, in the latest incident of school violence in France.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Yesterday’s attack came at a time of heightened tensions around French schools.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier this week a teenage girl was left temporarily comatose after being beaten outside her school in the south of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>In the new incident, which occurred in the town of Viry-Chatillon, located around 20km south of Paris, a teenager was attacked by several people as he left school yesterday afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>The public prosecutor’s office said it had opened a probe into attempted murder and gang assault.</div><div><br></div><div>The schoolboy suffered cardiorespiratory arrest, a police source said.</div><div><br></div><div>He was rushed to Necker Hospital, a top paediatric hospital in Paris, said Jean-Marie Vilain, the mayor of Viry-Châtillon.</div><div><br></div><div>The assailants “tried to massacre him”, said Vilain, speaking of “the worst kind of thugs”.</div><div><br></div><div>“This extreme violence is becoming commonplace,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the mayor, psychological help would be provided to the pupils and teachers of the school, which the teenager attended.</div><div><br></div><div>According to a police source, the teenager was beaten by several people who then fled.</div><div><br></div><div>The pupil was found in a street “not far from his school”, according to prosecutors.</div><div><br></div><div>The school is located in a working-class district of Viry-Chatillon, which is home to around 30,000 people.</div><div><br></div><div>No arrests had been made by yesterday evening.</div><div><br></div><div>On Tuesday, a teenage girl was attacked outside her school in the southern city of Montpellier. Prosecutors said the girl was “seriously injured”.</div><div><br></div><div>Three alleged attackers have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a minor. One of the accused is a girl from the same school.</div><div><br></div><div>Dozens of messages threatening attacks have been sent to schools around France in recent days. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 10:44:53', '2024-04-05 10:44:53'),
(11888, 11888, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ahead of Eid, the prices of beef, chicken, and fish saw an upward trend while prices of rice, edible oil, sugar, wheat, and flour were stable at the kitchen market of Dhaka.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prices of vegetables, onions, and fruits including local seasonal fruits like watermelon, pineapple, and imported fruits prices fell slightly due to decreased demand as holidaymakers are leaving the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During visits to different kitchen markets including Karwan Bazar, Mohakhali, Malibagh, and Hatirpool, the correspondent observed that prices of beef, chicken, and fish increased slightly on Friday (April 5).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wholesalers and retailers of these items said that the prices of meat items and chicken increased ahead of Eid due to rise of demand for a certain time, while fish prices were up as the supply of fish reduced in the market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abu Bakar, a butcher of Karwan Bazar told UNB that the price of meat – beef is selling at Tk750 per kg and mutton/ goat meat at Tk1000 and Tk1100 per kg respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the government officials from the City Corporation and the Ministry of Commerce visited the Karwan Bazar kitchen market, so there is no scope to increase prices suddenly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the profit margin of meat traders has decreased as the supply of cattle has reduced slightly than last Eid, he pointed out.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, outside Karwan Bazar, beef was selling between Tk 750 to 800 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;\">The price of broiler chicken has also increased, it was selling at Tk 240 to 260 per kg, which was selling between Tk 220 in last week. Apart from this, the price of Sonali chicken has also increased and is now being sold at Tk 350 to 380 per kg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similarly, cock chicken is being sold at Tk 370 to 390 per kg, layer chicken at Tk 300 to Tk380 per kg, and indigenous (desi) chicken at Tk 650 to Tk 700 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;\">The prices of almost all vegetables decreased on Friday as demand fell but prices of new vegetables like okra, drumsticks, string beans, and bitter gourd were stable between Tk 60 to 140 per kg on Friday. The prices of tomatoes have increased as the season is ending. Good quality tomatoes were selling between Tk 60 to 70 per kg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vegetables like brinjal and others were selling between Tk 30 to 50 per kg, bottle gourd, ash gourd, and cauliflower at Tk 40 to 60 per piece.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Onion is selling between Tk30 to 60 per kg, garlic at Tk180 to 250, and ginger at Tk200 to 280 per kg based on quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Egg prices were decreased slightly and selling per dozen brown egg at Tk130, egg duck at Tk70 per hali (four pieces), and eggs of home-rearing hens sold at Tk80 per hali (four pieces).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prices of watermelon fell drastically and premium quality watermelon was selling at Tk40 per kg, while pineapple was selling at Tk 20 35 per piece based on size and quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Guava was selling at Tk 50 to 70 per kg, Papaya (ripe) at Tk 100 to 140 per kg, which was sold at Tk 200 and above in the first week of this Ramadan</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apple, Malta, orange, and Nashi pear were sold between Tk 260 to 340 per kg, which was sold at Tk 360 to 370 per kg in the first two weeks of this Ramadan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prices of other kitchen items remained unchanged this week. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 10:49:48', '2024-04-05 10:49:48'),
(11889, 11889, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rescuers freed nine people trapped in a winding cave in Taiwan’s mountainous east today while locating two others who were feared dead, as they searched for those still missing after the island’s biggest earthquake in 25 years.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The official death toll from Wednesday’s magnitude-7.4 quake still stood at 10, but the government in the hardest-hit area of Hualien county said two more people on a hiking trail were found with “no signs of life”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Crushed by a landslide, the two people were buried deep beneath massive boulders, making it difficult for workers to get to them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Their bodies have been found, but they have not been excavated yet. We will add them to the death toll after they are excavated and identified,” said interior minister Lin Yu-chang.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hundreds more were still stranded around the mountains that flank the county today, with roads blocked off by landslides and rockfalls. However, most were known to be safe as rescuers deployed helicopters, drones, and smaller teams with dogs to reach them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescuers had found nine people alive in a cave popular with tourists called the Tunnel of Nine Turns today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lin said that progress was “ahead of schedule”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There are still aftershocks and rocks falling but in a very short period of about five hours today, we have managed to repair 10 kilometres of roads,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the main city of Hualien, authorities allowed residents to enter a building with a crumbling facade at 15-minute intervals so that they could retrieve their belongings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some opted to throw mattresses and bags of clothing out the window, while a young mother slowly carried a cot out for her 10-month-old baby.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are told the building has become dangerous and there probably won’t be another chance to move our things afterwards,” said the 24-year-old woman surnamed Chen.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“During the big quake…I was only thinking about protecting my baby at the time,” she said. “I didn’t expect it to be so serious and the structure below has become like that.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ten minutes away, workers started demolishing a building named Uranus – tilting at a 45° angle after half its first floor pancaked – by first using a pink crane to smash its glass windows.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The plan was to slowly take it apart – a process that could take two weeks – but an aftershock around 1pm local time alarmed the construction team as the building appeared to lean more perilously forward.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As rain drizzled across the city, workers accelerated the process, inserting giant metal bars to stabilise the structure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Next to Uranus, a digital sign on another building blared, “Don’t give up! Hualien add oil!” – using a Chinese expression of support.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The national disaster agency said 10 people had been killed and 1,123 injured – though the severity of the wounded was not specified.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 630 were stranded but accounted for, while authorities had lost contact with 13. - 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, '2024-04-05 11:00:50', '2024-04-05 11:01:52'),
(11890, 11890, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A group of students from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology has placed an appeal before the prime minister for the safety of their lives as a barrage of veiled life threats against them kept flooding social media particularly from handles and accounts known as mouthpiece affiliated with extremist and radical outfits.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even Basherkella, that held record of spreading hate speech and communal attacks, associated with a dreaded outfit Jamaat-e-Islami, launched a targeted attack with photos names of the students circulated on different platforms including Telegram channels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Linking the pattern similar to previous attacks on two BUET students who were vocal against these outfits in the past, they added “we have every reason to take these threats seriously”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The students made the demand at a press conference held at the Shaheed Minar on BUET campus on Friday as they earlier submitted a complaint with the vice chancellor compiling screenshot of threats and bullying against them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Days back, they submitted a written complaint with the vice chancellor where they mentioned names of 21 students who faced similar threats against them. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even for taking part in human chain against the fundamentalist forces triggered verbal attack on us in the past what is clearly a breach in freedom of expression, they added. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In two separate attacks in 2013, two BUET students who were leaders of Bangladesh Student League BUET unit were stabbed brutally with one killed and another survived reportedly in machete attacks by Shibir activists as both of them were involved in creating awareness against these fundamentalist group, they recalled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before attacks on Tonmoy Ahmed and Arif Raihan Dip, same pages Basherkella and Amar Desh ran a hate campaign branding them “enemies of Islam” followed by gruesome machete attacks, they told.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While Dip died of wounds after hacked inside the dormitory by a fellow student who ascribed to radical ideology, an assassination attempt on Tonmoy was made as he had been stabbed brutally reportedly by Shibir activists back in 2013.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recalling theses attacks, they told “a certain pattern emerges through attacks on our senior fellows. Both were vocal against militancy and fundamentalism and targeted by these groups. Same Basherkella has targeted us as posts with our details already been circulated through different communication channels like telegram channel by these groups”, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Citing reports of a secretive meeting of 34 activists of Shibir including current students of BUET at a remote place, they added “it clearly shows that despite apparent ban on student politics, they attended for the students attended a meeting where charges of anti state activities were slapped upon them.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Even in some facebook groups, we have found posts vilifying us and some of our minority students were targeted. Posts in these groups show students are using this space to spread the message of militants, further indication of involvement of these activists”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"38\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 12:57:04', '2024-04-05 12:57:39'),
(11891, 11891, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury on Friday said that there is no exemption for terrorists, oppressors of people, looters and land grabbers. Administration and police have been instructed to maintain peace and order in the country. This government is the government of the common people, the government of every man.&nbsp; All citizens are treated equally.&nbsp; We will stand by the people in the future as well.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The Environment Minister said these things on Friday in the speech of the chief guest at the distribution of sarees and lungis as Eid gifts among about 1200 families of Ward No. 74 of Dhaka South City Corporation at Golarbari Bridge Nandipara.</div><div><br></div><div>The Environment Minister said that the government has stood by the backward, deprived people.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>They are being distributed daily necessities including rice, dal, potato, oil, semai, saree, lungi. Leaders and workers of Awami League are engaged in good work competition.&nbsp; Being with the people is important to them. We are trying to take people from darkness to light.</div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka South City Corporation Ward No. 5 Councilor Chitta Ranjan Das, First Elected Councilor Ward No. 74 Abul Kalam Azad, Dhaka South City Corporation Reserved Women Councilor Nasrin Ahmed and local Awami League and its organizational leaders were present at the time.</div><div><br></div><div>The Environment Minister then distributed clothes as Eid gifts among 1000 families of Ward No. 73 of Dhaka South City Corporation at Manikdia Idrisia Dakhil Madrasa.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 13:06:49', '2024-04-05 13:06:49'),
(11892, 11892, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today greeted the countrymen and the Muslim Ummah across the world on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Qadr or Lailatul Qadr to be observed at night tomorrow (Saturday).&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In separate messages, they prayed for continuous peace, progress and prosperity of the country, the whole world and the Muslim Ummah.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Muslims across the country are set to observe the holy Shab-e-Qadr or Lailatul Qadr tomorrow night when the first verses of the holy Quran were revealed to Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Nightlong special prayers will be held at homes and mosques across the country throughout the holy night.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>President Mohammed Shahabuddin, in his message, said Lailatul Qadr is a holy night for the entire mankind, which is better than thousands of nights.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"The importance and significance of Lailatul Qadr is huge as Almighty Allah revealed the holy Quran on this night. This night brings us the opportunity to gain the \'Neki\' of more than thousands of months of worship in our temporary life,\" he said.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The President said thousands of people across the world have been passing days amid miseries due to corona pandemic, conflicts and wars and urged all to pray to Almighty Allah for the forgiveness, blessings, prosperity and welfare to all on this glorious night.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on this night of the month of fasting, The Almighty Allah sent down the holy Qur\'an to the world as a guide for mankind, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>She said Almighty Allah has given a unique status to the night, while infinite mercy and blessings of Allah pour in mankind on the night.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>\"Through worship on this holy night, we can gain nearness to Almighty Allah. We can achieve his infinite mercy, salvation, blessing and forgiveness,\" the premier added.</div><div><br></div><div>\"On the occasion of the holy Lailatul Qadr, we pray to Almighty Allah to give us the grace to devote ourselves to the work of human welfare and nation-building by avoiding all kinds of injustice, conflict, violence and superstition,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"On this holy day, I pray to Almighty Allah Rabbul Alamin for the future progress, peace, prosperity and welfare of the beloved motherland Bangladesh and the entire Muslim Ummah. May Allah help us. Ameen,\" Sheikh Hasina added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-05 13:11:52', '2024-04-05 13:11:52'),
(11893, 11893, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The government is set to increase its recurrent expenditure from 8.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the current fiscal year 2023-24 to 9% in 2024-25, with a further rise to 9.5% in 2025-26.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This projection marks a notable increase, according to the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance. Over the past five years, the recurrent expenditure averaged 7.4% of GDP, highlighting a significant upward trend in government spending.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recurrent expenditure encompasses salaries for government employees, goods and services purchases, subsidies, transfer payments, and interest on both domestic and foreign loans. The government is keen on optimising these expenditures, particularly the pay and allowances for public service, to ensure effective delivery of services.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The adoption of Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for all governmental payments, including pensions, has bolstered the efficiency of the payment system, minimising leakages and leading to a decrease in salary and allowance expenditure as a percentage of the total budget from 14.9% in FY 2017-18 to 12.1% by FY 2021-22. This trend is expected to continue, with projected expenditures of 10.6% in 2023-24, and adjustments to 11% and 13% in the subsequent fiscal years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The \'Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26)\' outlines several initiatives aimed at improving the procurement and management of goods and services. These include the e-GP system for public procurement, digitalisation of inventory management, and various e-payment systems, leading to a more efficient management process.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Consequently, the average expenditure on goods and services has seen a decrease, with a projected slight increase to 7.6% by 2025-26, reflecting the government\'s commitment to fiscal efficiency while addressing growth needs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government is also adjusting its focus towards pro-poor growth strategies and rationalisation of subsidies, particularly in energy, by implementing regular price adjustments to reduce subsidy dependence. This strategy aligns with broader economic objectives outlined in the 8th Five-Year Plan, emphasising support for agriculture, export diversification, remittance enhancement, and green technologies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, the document highlights efforts to incentivise remittance through banking channels by offering a 2.5% cash incentive and favourable exchange rates for expatriates, underscoring the government\'s commitment to encouraging financial inflows through formal channels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Interest payments, a significant portion of recurrent expenditure, are carefully managed through a balanced mix of domestic borrowing and concessional external loans to mitigate interest payment obligations. Despite the challenges posed by fluctuating interest rates, the government\'s policy shift towards reducing borrowing from NSD instruments is a strategic move to manage this expenditure more effectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This comprehensive fiscal strategy, outlined by the government, emphasises efficiency, digital innovation, and targeted support to foster sustainable economic growth and development. According to UNB reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 07:19:34', '2024-04-07 07:19:34'),
(11894, 11894, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The demolition of a building that is leaning precariously after an earthquake in Taiwan was halted on Saturday because of aftershocks that made it lean even more, media reports said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The red building, about 10 stories tall and inclined over a street in the city of Hualien, has become an iconic image from the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that also buried people under boulders at nearby Taroko National Park, a popular hiking destination about 25 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of Hualien.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The death toll rose to 13 after a third victim was found on the park\'s Shakadang Trail. Six other people are still missing, including three on the same trail. More than 400 people remained stranded three days after the quake in locations cut off by damage. Most are at a hotel in Taroko park.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hundreds of aftershocks have struck the area since the Wednesday morning quake off Taiwan\'s east coast, including a magnitude-5.2 earthquake shortly before noon on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Survivors have told harrowing tales of rocks tumbling onto roadways, trapping them in tunnels until rescuers arrived to free them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The relatively low number of deaths from the powerful quake has been attributed to strict construction standards and widespread public education campaigns on the earthquake-prone island. The quake was the strongest to hit Taiwan since a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in 1999 that killed 2,400 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescuers were planning to bring in heavy equipment to try to recover two bodies pinned under boulders on the Shakadang Trail. The three dead and three missing on the trail include a family of five. Search and recovery work had been called off Friday afternoon because of aftershocks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Hualien, a city official said that experts would discuss how to proceed with the demolition of the leaning building. Offerings were made at a ceremony before the demolition began the previous day. - AP</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, '2024-04-07 07:29:06', '2024-04-07 07:29:06'),
(11895, 11895, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday said due to ruling Awami League (AL) government’s ‘knee-jerk foreign policy’ Bangladesh is being turned into a ‘battle corridor’ of neighboring countries.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Keeping the borders unprotected, the government has deployed hundreds of thousands member of law enforce agencies in the capital to suppress oppositions movement,” he said at a press conference held at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Why our borders remain unprotected, the dummy government doesn’t explain people anything about it,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The law enforce agencies were kept engaged to secure one person’s throne, claimed Rizvi. “The home minister and his intelligence agencies were unaware about the secessionist terrorists who attacked our sovereignty whereas they are keen to make plot how to trap opposition activists,” he alleged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bank robbery, abduction, attack on law enforcement agency and looting of their arms by so-called Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in Bandarban is a clear sign of the failure of Sheikh Hasina’s dummy government, the BNP leader said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the home minister’s remarks on KNF is fascinating as well as worrisome as he claimed they (KNF) members were forced to leave the Bangladesh land and maintained communication with him. But why they carried out attack on law enforcement agency is not clear, Rizvi said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is clear that Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) is getting his favour for some unknown reason, he alleged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Not only Bangladesh- Myanmar border is unprotected, but also Bangladesh-India border is witnessing blood shed with the killing of country’s innocent people on regular basis, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Sheikh Hasina and her subservient government have kept their mouth shut over the border killings. BSF is killing Bangladeshi people along the border frequently without any valid reason. About 15 people were killed in last three months. Even, on&nbsp; March 26, the day of Independence, two people named- Al Amin and Liton- were killed in Naogoan and Lalmonirhut border”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BNP Senior Joint Secretary General said the incumbent ‘evil power’ had celebrated Independence day but did not utter a single word about the killings of Al Amin and Liton. According to UNB reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 07:51:55', '2024-04-07 07:51:55'),
(11896, 11896, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In response to a surge of criminal activities, including high-profile bank robbery and abduction, General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff, announced on Sunday a comprehensive joint operation in Bandarban.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This initiative marks a significant escalation in efforts to maintain public safety, involving coordination among the Bangladesh Army, Police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During a press briefing at the Bandarban Cantonment, General Ahmed disclosed, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed to take all necessary measures to ensure the security of our citizens. We are implementing both overt and covert strategies to achieve tangible results from this operation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The recent criminal spree has alarmed the local populace, prompting high-ranking military officials, including General Ahmed, to visit Bandarban. Their presence aims to reassure the community in the aftermath of unsettling events.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A breakthrough came on Friday night when the operation led to the arrest of several armed suspects. The crackdown, according to General Ahmed, signals the military\'s unwavering resolve against groups undermining regional stability. He particularly mentioned the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), a group previously engaged in peace negotiations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Despite our hopes for peace, the KNF reverted to criminal conduct,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“After being cornered last June, they appeared willing to negotiate. Unfortunately, their commitment to peace was superficial, as evidenced by their continued involvement in criminal acts,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In an earlier address to the troops, General Ahmed called for bravery and vigilance in combating crime, underscoring the importance of this mission to national security and public well-being. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 09:26:18', '2024-04-07 09:26:18');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11897, 11897, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rockets streaked through the morning sky in Gaza on Oct. 7 as Amal Al-Taweel hurried to the hospital in the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp, already in labor. After a difficult birth, she and her husband, Mustafa, finally got to hold Ali, the child they spent three years trying to have.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rola Saqer’s water broke that day as she sheltered from Israeli airstrikes in Beit Lahia, a Gaza town near where Hamas militants streamed across the border hours earlier in the attack that kicked off the war. She and her husband, Mohammed Zaqout, had been trying to have a child for five years, and not even the terrifying explosions all around would stop them from going to the hospital to have their baby that night. Saqer gave birth to Masa, a name that means diamond in Arabic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The families emerged from the hospitals to a changed world. On the babies\' second day of life, Israel declared war on Hamas and its fighter jets swooped over the neighborhoods where Ali and Masa were supposed to grow up. In the six months since the children were born, the couples have experienced the trials of early parenthood against the backdrop of a brutal conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The families\' homes were leveled by airstrikes, and they\'ve had no reliable shelter and scant access to medical treatment and baby supplies. The infants are hungry, and despite all of the plans the couples made before the war, they fear the lives they had hoped to give their children is gone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I was preparing him for another life, a beautiful one, but war changed all of these features,” Amal Al-Taweel told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “We barely live day by day, and we don\'t know what will happen. There is no planning.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saqer recalled the hope she had before the war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is my only daughter,\" she said, rocking Masa gently in a cradle. \"I prepared many things and clothes for her. I bought her a closet a week before the war. I was also planning her birthdays and everything. The war came and destroyed everything.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">FROM NUSEIRAT TO RAFAH</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Al-Taweel family spent the first days of Ali\'s life going between their home and relatives\' houses in search of safety. Nearby buildings kept being struck — first one next to Amal\'s sister\'s home, and then one next to her parents\' place.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the family sheltered at home on Oct. 20, Israeli authorities issued an evacuation order warning that a strike was imminent and residents had 10 minutes to leave.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I had to evacuate. I couldn’t take anything; no IDs, no university certificates, no clothes for my child — nothing,” Amal Al-Taweel said. “Even milk, diapers, and toys that I bought for my child.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The family found temporary refuge at Amal\'s parents\' house in central Gaza, where 15 family members took shelter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Not far away, Saqer, her husband and daughter crammed into a relative’s two-bedroom house where more than 80 members of her extended family were staying. It became so crowded, she said, that her male relatives built a tent outside so that the women and children could sleep more comfortably indoors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As Israeli ground troops advanced on central Gaza in December, both young families headed Gaza’s southernmost city, Rafah, which is now home to hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TENT CAMPS, NO FOOD</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like many who have sought refuge in overcrowded Rafah, the Al-Taweel family lived in a tent, where they stayed for over a month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It was the worst experience of my life; the worst conditions I have ever lived in,” Amal Al-Taweel said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel has severely restricted aid deliveries of food, water, medicine and other supplies into Gaza during the war, which began with Hamas\' Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel in which militants killed about 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostages.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel has exacted a terrible toll: More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, around two-thirds of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials whose death count doesn’t distinguish between civilians and fighters. Israel\'s offensive has pushed Gaza into a humanitarian crisis, displacing over 80% of the population and leaving more than 1 million people on the brink of starvation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ali, who was diagnosed with gastroenteritis before the family fled to Rafah, had chronic vomiting and diarrhea — signs of malnutrition that the U.N.\'s main health agency says are now common in one of every six young Gazan children. He is underweight, at just 5 kilograms (11 pounds).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I can’t even feed myself to properly feed my child,” said Amal Al-Taweel. “The boy is losing more weight than he gains.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His parents fretted about the rashes on his face, trying to shield him from near-constant sun exposure in the tent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mustafa Al-Taweel spent months waiting tables at a Gaza City cafe to save up for baby food, toys and clothes. Now, he can\'t buy his son even the simplest foods in Rafah. The war has brought shortages of the most basic necessities, with diapers and formula hard to find or unaffordable. They\'ve had to rely on canned food provided by the U.N.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“His father was working every day to provide him with milk, diapers, and many other things he needed,” said Amal Al-Taweel. “Even the toys are gone. There’s nothing we can afford to provide him.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Needing help, the Al-Taweels decided to return to Amal’s parents\' home in central Gaza in February.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Not far from where the Al-Taweels lived in Rafah, Masa and her parents found a spot in the Shaboura refugee camp. They lived in a small tent the couple made by stitching together flour bags, Saqer said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Muddy water pooled around the tent when it rained, and the area always smelled of sewage. Doing anything involved waiting in line, meaning a trip to the bathroom could take hours.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Masa grew sick. Her skin turned yellowish and she seemed to have a perpetual fever, with sweat beading on her small forehead. Saqer tried to breastfeed but couldn\'t produce milk because she, too, was malnourished. Sores broke out across her breasts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Even when I endure the pain and try to breastfeed my daughter, what she drinks is blood, not milk,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Desperate, Saqer sold aid packets the family received from the U.N. to buy formula for Masa. Eventually, she decided to go back to central Gaza to seek medical treatment for her daughter, leaving her husband behind to mind their tent and setting off in a donkey-pulled cart.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BACK TO CENTRAL GAZA</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both mothers tried their luck at the Al-Aqsa hospital once they arrived in central Gaza. Saqer was lucky — doctors there told her that Masa had a virus and gave the baby medicine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But they told Amal that Ali needed surgery for a hernia that they couldn\'t perform. Like most other Gaza hospitals, Al-Aqsa is only conducting life-saving surgeries. After nearly six months of war, Gaza’s health sector has been decimated. Only 10 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are still partially functioning. The rest have either shut down or are barely functioning because they ran out of fuel and medicine, were raided by Israeli troops or were damaged by fighting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the families ponder the future, they can\'t imagine that their babies\' lives will be close to what they had envisioned. Saqer said that even if her family were able to return to their home in northern Gaza, they would find only rubble where their house once stood.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The same I suffered in Rafah; I will suffer in the north,\" she said. \"All of our lives will be spent in a tent. It will certainly be a hard life.” - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 11:29:16', '2024-04-07 11:29:16'),
(11898, 11898, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>There\'s a pungent odor on Ratna Raju\'s farm that he says is protecting his crops from the unpredictable and extreme weather that\'s become more frequent with human-caused climate change.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The smell comes from a concoction of cow urine, an unrefined sugar known as jaggery, and other organic materials that act as fertilizers, pesticides and bad weather barriers for his corn, rice, leafy greens and other vegetables on his farm in Guntur in India\'s southern Andhra Pradesh state. The region is frequently hit by cyclones and extreme heat, and farmers say that so-called natural farming protects their crops because the soil can hold more water, and their more robust roots help the plants withstand strong winds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Andhra Pradesh has become a positive example of the benefits of natural farming, and advocates say active government support is the primary driver for the state’s success. Experts say these methods should be expanded across India\'s vast agricultural lands as climate change and decreasing profits have led to multiple farmers\' protests this year. But fledgling government support across the country for these methods means most farmers still use chemical pesticides and fertilizers, making them more vulnerable when extreme weather hits. Many farmers are calling for greater federal and state investment to help farms switch to more climate change-proof practices.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For many, the benefits of greater investment in natural farming are already obvious: In December, Cyclone Michaung, a storm moving up to 110 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) brought heavy rainfall across India\'s southeastern coast, flooding towns and fields. A preliminary assessment conducted a few weeks later found that 600,000 acres of crops were destroyed in Andhra Pradesh state.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Raju\'s natural farm, however, where he was growing paddy at the time, “the rainwater on our farms seeped into the ground in one day,” he said. The soil can absorb more water because it\'s more porous than pesticide-laden soil which is crusty and dry. Planting different kinds of crops throughout the year — as opposed to the more standard single crop farms — also helps keep the soil healthy, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But neighboring farmer Srikanth Kanapala\'s fields, that rely on chemical pesticides and fertilizers, were flooded for four days after the cyclone. He said seeing Raju\'s crops hold firm while his failed has made him curious about alternative farming methods.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I incurred huge losses,” said Kanapala, who estimates he lost up to $600 because of the cyclone, a substantial sum for a small farmer in India. “For the next planting season, I plan to use natural farming methods too.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local and federal government initiatives have resulted in an estimated 700,000 farmers shifting to natural farming in the state according to Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, a government-backed not-for-profit launched in 2016 to promote natural farming. The state of Andhra Pradesh hopes to inspire all of its six million farmers to take up natural farming by the end of the decade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Indian federal government’s agriculture ministry has spent upwards of $8 million to promote natural farming and says farmers tilling nearly a million acres across the country have shifted to the practice. In March last year, India’s junior minister for agriculture said he hoped at least 25% of farms across India would use organic and natural farming techniques.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But farmers like Meerabi Chunduru, one of the first in the region to switch to natural farming, said more government and political support is needed. Chunduru said she switched to the practice after her husband’s health deteriorated, which she believes is because of prolonged exposure to some harmful pesticides.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While the health effects of various pesticides have not yet been studied in detail, farm workers around the world have long claimed extended exposure has caused health problems. In February, a Philadelphia jury awarded $2.25 billion in damages in a case where a weed killer with Glyphosate — restricted in India since just 2022 — was linked to a resident\'s blood cancer. In India, 63 farmers died in the western state of Maharashtra in 2017, believed to be linked to a pesticide containing the chemical Diafenthiuron, which is currently banned in the European Union, but not in India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Right now, not many politicians are talking about natural farming. There is some support but we need more,” said Chunduru. She called for more subsidies for seeds such as groundnuts, black gram, sorghum, vegetable crops and maize that can help farmers make the switch.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Farmers\' rights activists said skepticism about natural farming among political leaders, government bureaucrats and scientists is still pervasive because they still trust the existing farming models that use fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides to achieve maximum productivity. In the short-term, chemical alternatives can be cheaper and more effective, but in the long term they take a toll on the soil\'s health, meaning larger quantities of chemicals are needed to maintain crops, causing a cycle of greater costs and poorer soil, natural farming advocates say.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Agroecological initiatives are not getting adequate attention or budgetary outlays,” said Kavitha Kuruganti, an activist who has advocated for sustainable farming practices for nearly three decades. The Indian government spends less than three percent of its total budget on agriculture. It has earmarked nearly $20 billion in fertilizer subsidies this year, but only $55 million has been allocated by the federal government to encourage natural farming. Kuruganti said there are a handful of politicians who support the practice but scaling it up remains a challenge in India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A lack of national standards and guidelines or a viable supply chain that farmers can sell their produce through is also keeping natural farming relatively niche, said NS Suresh, a research scientist at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy, a Bengaluru-based think-tank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But because the practice helps keep the plants and the soil healthy across various soil types and all kinds of unpredictable weather conditions, it\'s beneficial for farmers all around India, from its mountains to its coasts, experts say. And the practice of planting different crops year-round means farmers have produce to harvest at any given time, giving an extra boost to their soil and their wallets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chunduru, who\'s been practicing natural farming for four years now, hopes that prioritizing natural farming in the country can have benefits for producers and consumers of crops alike, and other farmers avoid the kind of harms her husband has faced, reports AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We can provide nutrient-rich food, soil and physical health” to future generations, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 11:36:06', '2024-04-07 11:36:06'),
(11899, 11899, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members arrested five suspected members of Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF)and recovered two firearms from a hilly area in Sadar upazila on Saturday night.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, it is not yet known whether the recovered firearms are those looted on April 2 from the police and Ansar members engaged in the security of Sonali Bank in Ruma upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">RAB will provide more details later, they said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on Saturday, RAB started a crackdown on terrorist activities in Bandarban. More than 100 RAB members took part in the operation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khandaker Al Moin, director of RAB\'s legal and media wing, informed media about the operation at a press conference on Friday morning. The drive began in Ruma and Thanchi upazilas of Bandarban on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, abducted manager of Sonali Bank\'s Ruma branch Nizam Uddin was rescued from the Bathel Para area of Bandarban through the mediation of the Rapid Action Battalion on Thursday, after 48 hours of his abduction by KNF members.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The separatist group kidnapped the Sonali Bank manager on April 2, and tried to loot Tk 1.5 crore from the vault of the Ruma branch. Unable to take the money, they kidnapped the bank manager.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They also carried out robberies at Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi upazila of Bandarban on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A tense situation has been prevailing in the upazila after the incidents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Senior officials of the home ministry, security forces and administration have already visited the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">So far, eight cases have been filed with Ruma and Thanchi police stations. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 11:42:22', '2024-04-07 11:42:22'),
(11900, 11900, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A fisherman was killed after being struck by lightning at Komolpur village in Dumuria upazila in Khulna on Sunday morning.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased was identified as Obaidullah Gazi, son of Delwar Hossain Gazi of the village, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>According to locals, a thunderbolt struck Obaidullah when he went to Komolpur village for fishing around 8am, leaving him dead.</div><div><br></div><div>Sukanta Kumar Saha, officer-in-charge (OC) of Dumuria Police Station, confirmed the matter.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 11:44:49', '2024-04-07 11:44:49'),
(11901, 11901, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A top military commander Saturday renewed Iran\'s promise to retaliate after an airstrike earlier this week widely blamed on Israel destroyed Iran’s consulate in Syria, killing 12 people, including two elite Iranian generals.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s joint chief of staff, told mourners gathered for the funeral of Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahdi that Iran will decide when and how to stage an “operation” to take revenge. Zahdi was the highest ranking commander slain in Monday’s attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The time, type, plan of the operation will be decided by us, in a way that makes Israel regret what it did,\" he said. \"This will definitely be done.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The attack on an Iranian diplomatic compound was a significant escalation in a long-running shadow war between the two archenemies, and Israel has been bracing for an Iranian response.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In all, 12 people were killed in the strike: Seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard members, four Syrians and a Hezbollah militia member.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, the commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, warned that “our brave men will punish the Zionist regime,” escalating threats against Israel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tensions have flared against the backdrop of the six-month-old Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and raised renewed fears of a broader regional conflict. The Islamic militant group Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for 17 years, is one of Iran’s proxies, along with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both Hezbollah and the Houthis have carried out attacks along the fringes of the Gaza war, with Hezbollah engaging in daily cross-border exchanges with Israel and the Houthis frequently targeting Red Sea shipping.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bagheri made the comments in Isfahan, Zahedi’s hometown, about 440 kilometers (270 miles) south of the capital Tehran. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 11:48:34', '2024-04-07 11:48:34'),
(11902, 11902, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Sudanese paramilitary forces have killed at least 20 people in an attack on a village south of the capital Khartoum, a local activists’ committee said today.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) “attacked the village of Um Adam” 150km south of the city yesterday, said a statement from the local resistance committee, one of many pro-democracy groups that coordinate aid.</div><div><br></div><div>Sudan’s war between the military, under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, began last April 15.</div><div><br></div><div>Many thousands of people have been killed, including up to 15,000 in a single town in the war-ravaged Darfur region, according to United Nations experts.</div><div><br></div><div>The war has also displaced more than 8.5 million people, practically destroyed Sudan’s already-fragile infrastructure and pushed the country to the brink of famine.</div><div><br></div><div>Yesterday’s attack resulted in “over 200 wounded with both serious and minor injuries, and more than 20 martyrs, not all of whom we could tally”, the statement said.</div><div><br></div><div>A medical source at the Manaqil hospital, 80km away, confirmed to AFP that they had “received 200 wounded, some of whom arrived too late”.</div><div><br></div><div>“We’re facing a shortage of blood and we don’t have enough medical personnel,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 70% of Sudan’s health facilities are out of service, according to the UN, while those remaining receive many times their capacity and have meagre resources.</div><div><br></div><div>Both sides in the conflict have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians, indiscriminate shelling of residential areas and looting and obstructing aid.</div><div><br></div><div>Since taking over Al-Jazira state just south of Khartoum in December, the RSF has laid siege to and attacked entire villages such as Um Adam.</div><div><br></div><div>By March, at least 108 villages and settlements across the country had been set on fire and “partially or completely destroyed”, the UK-based Centre for Information Resilience has found. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 12:09:16', '2024-04-07 12:09:16'),
(11903, 11903, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Israeli military has withdrawn all ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip except for one brigade, a military spokesman said today.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The military did not immediately provide further details.</div><div><br></div><div>It was unclear whether the withdrawal would delay a long-threatened incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which Israeli leaders have said is needed to eliminate Hamas.</div><div><br></div><div>The withdrawal comes as Egypt prepares to host a new round of talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire and hostage release deal.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel’s offensive in Gaza, launched after the attack by Hamas on Israel six months ago on Oct 7, has focused in the past months on the south of the Palestinian enclave.</div><div><br></div><div>Rafah has become the last refuge for more than a million Palestinians sheltering in the territory near the border with Egypt.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 250 hostages were seized and some 1,200 people killed during the Oct 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 33,100 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to the health ministry in Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>An Israeli brigade is typically made up of a few thousand troops. - Reuters</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 13:04:04', '2024-04-07 13:04:04'),
(11904, 11904, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The allure of river journey is facing a downturn as the Padma Bridge has significantly bolstered road transport options, leading to a noticeable dip in waterway passenger numbers. This shift is particularly evident at Dhaka’s Sadarghat launch terminal, where, ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, launch owners are in limbo over the need for special services due to reduced demand.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Navigational challenges have further exacerbated the situation, lengthening travel times and inflating operational costs for launch owners. Consequently, travelers are increasingly shunning waterways in favor of road options.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The enhanced efficiency in road transport, exemplified by the Padma Bridge, has directly impacted passenger flow to waterway services, with our figures halving recently,” stated Badiuzzaman Badal, Senior Vice-President of the Bangladesh Inland Waterways Passenger Carrier Association (BIWPCA).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, severe traffic congestion in critical areas leading to the Sadarghat terminal has deterred potential passengers, contributing to the decline. Presently, only 50-55 launches depart daily for southwestern destinations, carrying fewer than half of their usual passenger loads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Badal emphasised that unless there\'s an uptick in travelers, the number of operational launches will remain unchanged. However, he hinted at a possible increase in service should the Eid holiday rush materialise.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the past, Eid seasons saw launches operating beyond their capacity. This year, however, the scenario has drastically changed, with passenger numbers dwindling to almost half. Despite the downturn, launch owners are refraining from raising fares, underlining their commitment to affordability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mohammad Shaheed Mia, President of the National Committee for the Protection of Shipping, Road, and Railways, highlighted the longstanding reliance on waterways by people of the southwestern region, noting a significant drop in passengers from Barishal and Chandpur.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ashish Kumar Dey, President of the Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF), pointed out that while launch travel remains a preferred, cost-effective mode for many, its patronage has fallen by 35 to 45 percent over the last eighteen months due to various factors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the challenges, an estimated 2.5 million individuals are expected to depart Dhaka via launches this Eid, according to Dey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alamgir Kabir, Joint Director of the Bangladesh Inland Waterways Transport Authority (BIWTA), reported a subdued start to the Eid exodus at Sadarghat, with many launches operating at half capacity. However, optimism remains that passenger numbers may rebound as the Eid holiday draws closer. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 13:25:09', '2024-04-07 13:25:09'),
(11905, 11905, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>With a decades-old tradition of solidarity iftars bringing Filipinos of different faiths together during Ramadan, this year the occasion has also become a platform for Muslim and Christian communities to raise awareness about Palestine.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the Christian-majority country where more than 110 million identify as Roman Catholics, Muslims make up about 10 percent of the population. Most live on the southern islands of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the holy fasting month, many of them take part in Duyog Ramadan — a tradition established in the 1970s — where Christians and Muslims in Mindanao organize solidarity iftars to engage the local community and foster collaboration between faith traditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the organizers of the meetings has been the Moro-Christian People’s Alliance, whose iftars this year focused on Palestine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Ramadan is a time of reflection and spiritual growth for Muslims. As a result, by raising awareness and engaging in conversations about Palestine throughout Ramadan, we may foster empathy and motivate collective action,” Amirah Ali Lidasan, secretary-general of MCPA, told Arab News.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Themed “Strengthen Bangsamoro solidarity with the Palestinian people’s aspiration for justice, peace and right to self-determination,” the iftar meetings included screenings and talks about Palestinian history and present.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On March 30, the MCPA held a discussion at the Salam Mosque Compound in Quezon City in commemoration of the Great March of Return — the peaceful demonstrations that were held in Gaza on the border with Israel each Friday from March 30, 2018, to Dec. 27, 2019. They demanded the end of the Israeli blockade of the enclave and the right to return to the homes of their ancestors, who were expelled from them in 1948 when Zionist militias removed 750,000 Palestinians from their villages to clear the way for the creation of Israel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israeli snipers opened fire at protesters during the Great March of Return demonstrations, killing at least 223 people and injuring almost 30,000 others, with many sustaining bone-shattering wounds that left them disabled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We chose Palestine because of the intensifying attacks since Oct. 7 last year that led to more than 30,000 killed and 13,000 of them were children,” Lidasan said. “We believe it is important to persuade people to continue supporting the calls for a ceasefire and to understand the Palestinian people’s collective struggle.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The group also invited Christian church leaders, some of whom have visited Palestine, to speak about the plight of Palestinians and what she described as “Zionist Israel’s genocidal campaign,” and organized iftars for Christians with Filipino-Palestinian evacuees from Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to Lidasan, it is essential for the Moro communities to understand the struggle of Palestinians and align it with their own.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The biggest concentration of Moro people is on the Mindanao island, at the heart of a four-decade separatist struggle until 2014 peace deals were reached with the Philippine government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was also the arena of US-sponsored counterterrorism operations. In 2002, shortly after the 9/11 attacks, the US launched Operation Enduring Freedom — Philippines, which targeted militant groups in Mindanao, and left a record of hundreds of extrajudicial killings and cases of torture.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The MCPA will continue to raise awareness on Palestine after Ramadan, including through a forum in April to discuss proceedings in the International Court of Justice, in which South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza against the Palestinian people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It also plans to hold protest actions with the Philippines-Palestine Friendship Association and grassroots alliance BAYAN on May 15 — the day of commemoration for the Nakba, also known as the “catastrophe,” the destruction of Palestinian society and homeland in 1948, and the permanent displacement of a majority of the Palestinians. It is commemorated on May 15, the date of Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is critical that we encourage (people) to recognize the struggles of Palestinians living under occupation, facing displacement and enduring injustice, and to take action,” Lidasan said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The solidarity iftar events provide an opportunity to foster empathy and understanding.” - Arab News&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 13:30:54', '2024-04-07 13:30:54'),
(11906, 11906, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to visit Brazil in July next as the visiting Brazilian foreign minister brought an invitation from the Brazilian President in this regards.&nbsp; &nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>&nbsp;</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There is an invitation by (Brazilian) President Lula to our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and there might be a visit by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Brazil in next July,” he told reporters after holding a bilateral meeting with the visiting Brazilian foreign minister Mauro Vieira at the state guest house Jamuna this afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign minister said during the meeting, they discussed about possible visit of Bangladesh premier to most influential South American country Brazil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2023, President Lula and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Brazilian foreign minister said that his country’s President hoped that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would visit Brazil soon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to the meeting between Brazilian President Lula and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa last year, he said both the leaders had a wonderful meeting and they built very good personal relations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Praising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her effort in improving quality of life of Bangladesh people, the Brazilian foreign minister said they have similar position in many aspects such as fight against hunger.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We (Brazil and Bangladesh) have similar agendas and it allows us to develop even more our bilateral relations,” he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazil is keen to continue deepening relations with Bangladesh, in favour of the development of both countries, the promotion of South-South cooperation, and the fight against poverty, hunger, and climate crisis. - BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 14:02:54', '2024-04-07 14:02:54'),
(11907, 11907, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to visit Brazil in July at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have discussed the possible visit of our Prime Minister to Brazil. There is an invitation by President Lula. There might be a visit by the Prime Minister to Brazil next July,\" Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters at State guesthouse Jamuna at a joint briefing after his bilateral meeting with his Brazilian counterpart.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said his government is thankful for the positive contributions that Bangladesh has been providing to G20 discussions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He brought a personal letter of the Brazilian President which he will hand over to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his meeting scheduled for Monday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Luda had a meeting on August 24 at Johannesburg on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the meeting, the two leaders renewed commitment to a shared vision and a common goal to forge a fairer world, free from hunger and poverty, where dignity, sustainable development, prosperity, and peace prevail in the societies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While responding to a question, the Brazilian FM said over the past decade, Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shown significant social and economic achievements.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Today, he said, Bangladesh and Brazil are key players from the Global South.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our governments\' common goal is to reduce inequality, fight against hunger and poverty and to promote sustainable development of our societies,\" said the Brazilian Foreign Minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the bilateral trade is equally promising, reaching almost USD 2.5 billon in 2023 and laid emphasis on diversification of trade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the business meeting, to be held on Monday, will be useful for their entrepreneurs to explore new investments and opportunities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday afternoon, the Brazilian Foreign Minister is scheduled to deliver a lecture on Brazil\'s priority areas at G20 as the current chair.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The event will be held at Foreign Service Academy at 3 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Country’s apex trade body, FBCCI, will host an iftar and dinner in honour of the Brazilian Foreign Minister and business delegation members on Monday evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Minister Hasan described the visit of the Foreign Minister of Brazil as very significant.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government of Brazil earlier congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her recent election victory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazil expressed its willingness to continue deepening relations with Bangladesh, in favour of the development of both countries, the promotion of South-South cooperation, and the fight against poverty, hunger, and climate crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazil-Bangladesh diplomatic relations, established in 1972, have strengthened in recent years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Brazilian Foreign Minister is scheduled to leave Dhaka at 11:55 pm on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral) Dr Nazrul Islam will be there at the Dhaka airport to see him off. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-07 15:51:24', '2024-04-07 15:51:24');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11908, 11908, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Israel\'s military announced Sunday it had withdrawn its forces from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, wrapping up a key phase in its ground offensive against the Hamas militant group and bringing its troop presence in the territory to one of the lowest levels since the six-month war began.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But defense officials said troops were merely regrouping as the army prepares to move into Hamas’ last stronghold, Rafah. “The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping,” said the military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Local broadcaster Channel 13 TV reported that Israel was preparing to begin evacuating Rafah within one week and the process could take several months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Still, the withdrawal was a milestone as Israel and Hamas marked six months of fighting. Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity under army policy, said a “significant force” remained in Gaza to continue targeted operations including in Khan Younis, hometown of the Hamas leader, Yehya Sinwar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AP video in Khan Younis showed some people returning to a landscape marked by shattered multistory buildings and climbing over debris. Cars were overturned and charred. Southern Gaza\'s main hospital, Nasser, was in shambles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It’s all just rubble,” a dejected Ahmad Abu al-Rish said. “Animals can’t live here, so how is a human supposed to?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel for weeks has vowed a ground offensive in nearby Rafah. But the city shelters some 1.4 million people — more than half of Gaza\'s population. The prospect of an offensive has raised global alarm, including from Israel\'s top ally, the U.S., which has demanded to see a credible plan to protect civilians. Allowing people to return to nearby Khan Younis could relieve some pressure on Rafah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">White House national security spokesman John Kirby repeated on Sunday the U.S. opposition to a Rafah offensive and told ABC the U.S. believes that the partial Israeli withdrawal “is really just about rest and refit for these troops that have been on the ground for four months and not necessarily, that we can tell, indicative of some coming new operation for these troops.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel\'s military quietly drew down troops in devastated northern Gaza earlier in the war. But it has continued to carry out airstrikes and raids in areas where it says Hamas has resurfaced, including Gaza\'s largest hospital, Shifa, leaving what the head of the World Health Organization called “an empty shell.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The six-month mark has been met with growing frustration in Israel, where anti-government protests have swelled and anger is mounting over what some see as government inaction to help free about 130 remaining hostages, about a quarter of whom Israel says are dead. Hamas-led militants took about 250 captives when they crossed from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7 and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several thousand protesters called for a “hostage deal now” at a rally outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, organized by hostages\' families. In southern Israel, weeping relatives gathered at the site of a music festival where more than 300 people were killed on Oct. 7.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It’s an impossible reality for us, it’s an impossible reality for the Gazans and the people of this country. We just want to live,” said one protester, Talia Ezrahi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I would agree to anything to return the hostages and stop the mass killings in Gaza,” said another protester, Michal Fruchtman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Negotiations in pursuit of a cease-fire in exchange for the hostages’ release were expected to resume in Cairo on Sunday. An Israeli delegation led by the head of the Mossad intelligence agency was going to Cairo, according to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pressure rose for action now.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This doesn’t seem a war against terror. This doesn’t seem anymore a war about defending Israel. This really, at this point, seems it’s a war against humanity itself,\" chef José Andrés told ABC, days after an Israeli airstrike killed seven of his World Central Kitchen colleagues in Gaza. Aid deliveries on a crucial new sea route to the territory were suspended.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Humanity has been all but abandoned” in Gaza, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.N. and partners now warn of “imminent famine” for more than 1 million people in Gaza as humanitarian workers urge Israel to loosen restrictions on the delivery of aid overland, the only way to meet soaring needs as some Palestinians forage for weeds to eat. Thousands of aid trucks have been waiting to enter Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“It’s a slow-motion massacre of people to subject them to the kind of deprivation of food and water that they have been subjected to for the last six months,” Doctors Without Borders USA executive director Avril Benoit told CBS.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mothers who have given birth in Gaza since the war began are especially vulnerable.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Health Ministry in Gaza said the bodies of 38 people killed in Israel’s bombardment had been brought to the territory’s remaining functional hospitals in the past 24 hours. It said 33,175 have been killed since the war began. It doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says two-thirds of the dead are children and women.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel’s military continued to suffer losses, including in Khan Younis, where the military said four soldiers were killed. Over 600 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Oct. 7, according to Israel’s government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Concerns about a wider regional conflict continued as a top Iranian military adviser warned Israel that none of its embassies were safe following last week’s strike in Damascus — blamed on Israel — that killed two elite Iranian generals and flattened an Iranian consular building. Israel has not directly acknowledged its involvement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“None of the embassies of the (Israeli) regime are safe anymore,” Gen. Rahim Safavi, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim agency. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 05:08:05', '2024-04-08 05:08:05'),
(11909, 11909, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Islam presents a unified paradigm that transcends time and space, offering a comprehensive framework for understanding reality and guiding human behavior. At the heart of this paradigm lies the belief in the oneness of Allah (Tawhid) and the submission to His will (Islam), principles that have been upheld by all prophets throughout history.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">From the first human, Prophet Adam (As.) who received divine guidance to establish monotheism and moral conduct, to the subsequent prophets like Nuh (As.), Musa (As.), Daud (As.), Isa (As.), and finally, Muhammad (Sm.), each brought a message consistent with the overarching Islamic paradigm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While the paradigm remains constant, the Shariah which i understand as a methodology, revealed to each prophet varied according to the needs and circumstances of their communities. Prophet Nuh (As.), for instance, was tasked with guiding his people through a great flood, emphasizing repentance and obedience to Allah\'s command. Prophet Musa (As.) received a comprehensive legal code suited to the Children of Israel, addressing their social, moral, and ceremonial practices.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prophet Daud (As.) was given guidance on kingship and justice, while Prophet Isa (As.) preached love, compassion, and spiritual renewal. With the final revelation to Prophet Muhammad (Sm.), Islam reached its culmination, providing a dynamic methodology that adapts to changing times and contexts.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Quran, revealed to the Prophet (Sm.), serves as a timeless guide, addressing the complexities of human life and offering principles of faith, morality, and social justice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Additionally, the Sunnah (traditions) of the messenger, recorded in the Hadith, provide practical examples and guidance for Muslims to follow in their daily lives.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, the methodology of Islam continues to evolve through the process of Ijtihad, allowing scholars to interpret and apply Islamic principles in light of contemporary challenges.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This dynamic approach ensures that Islam remains relevant and applicable to all aspects of life, while remaining firmly rooted in its unified paradigm of monotheism, submission to the Almighty, and ethical conduct.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Islam, the vast majority of Shariah rulings are derived through interpretation and reasoning based on the principles and guidance found in the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These principles provide a framework for understanding the objectives (Maqasid) of Islamic law, which include the preservation of faith, life, intellect, lineage, and property.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For example, the Quran and the Sunnah provide general principles such as justice, equity, compassion, and mercy, which serve as guiding principles for Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh). Scholars employ various methodologies, including textual analysis, precedent (Qiyas), analogy (Istihsan), public interest (Maslahah), and consensus (Ijma), to derive specific rulings on matters not explicitly addressed in the primary sources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Each ruling is justified based on its alignment with the overarching goals and principles of Islam, as well as its relevance to the specific context and circumstances of the time.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This dynamic approach allows Islamic law to remain relevant and adaptable to changing realities while remaining faithful to its foundational principles and values.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this way, the vast array of Shariah rulings in Islam can be seen as applications of the unified paradigm and dynamic methodology, reflecting the ongoing process of interpretation, reasoning, and adaptation in light of the core principles of the faith.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In essence, Islam stands as a unified paradigm and dynamic methodology, offering timeless principles and practical guidance for believers of all times and places, from the dawn of humanity to the present day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i><b>(Dr. Muhammad Tazammol Hoque, Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Jagannath University)</b></i></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Dr. Muhammad Tazammol Hoque', '[\"21\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 05:22:08', '2024-04-08 05:22:08'),
(11910, 11910, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Md Ahsan Habib Sagar, a 31-year-old businessman specialising in Thai aluminum, has been missing since April 3. Sagar, who ventured out from his home in Chattogram\'s Boalkhali upazila for business commitments, has not been seen or heard from for the past five days.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rumi Aktar, Sagar\'s wife, has taken decisive action in response to her husband\'s unexplained disappearance. Last night, she filed a case against unidentified individuals at the Chandgaon Police Station, citing fears of abduction and extortion.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This legal move came after her initial complaint to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-7) on April 5, signaling her growing concern for her husband\'s safety.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The case documents reveal that Sagar was headed to the Kaptai Rastar Matha area for work-related reasons when he vanished. Efforts to contact him have been in vain, as his mobile phone remains switched off, complicating search efforts. Despite exhaustive searches at likely locations, there has been no trace of Sagar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officer-in-Charge Jahidul Kabir of the Chandgaon Police Station acknowledged the complexity of the situation, citing the switched-off mobile phone as a significant hurdle in locating Sagar. Despite the challenges, an abduction and extortion case has been officially registered, underscoring the severity of the situation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kabir expressed optimism about resolving the case, emphasising ongoing efforts to locate the missing businessman. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 05:28:46', '2024-04-08 05:28:46'),
(11911, 11911, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>For many religious muslims, praying is not necessarily a big deal. Engaging in consistent salah is pursued for the sole purposes of making Allah happy as well as bringing peace and contentment into an individual’s life. However, did you know that praying also benefits your mental and physical health as well?</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Yes, you heard me right! In a study conducted by Dr. Lisa Miller, a renowned psychologist from Columbia University, it was found that people who prayed regularly had thicker cortices. For clarification, the cortices are the outer layer structure of the brain, and cortical thickness is found to be correlated with a high IQ. The cortices, when thinned out can lead to mental illness, especially depression.</div><div><br></div><div>Praying, as has been scientifically proven and as personally experienced by myself, is a very spiritual experience that can help you in a number of ways. Individuals can learn a number of things that include self gratitude, understanding of your existence, and most of all, it helps put your life into perspective.</div><div><br></div><div>While praying in itself is a very spiritual experience, it would be an object of interest to illustrate the added health benefits of prayer in the Islamic tradition. In this article, I have listed down 10 ways praying will benefit your physical and mental health!</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer Makes You a Better Person</div><div>Praying is an act of religious activity where the aim is to please God Almighty. When a person prays, he or she automatically tries their best through their actions to become a better person. By that, I mean not lie, hurt anyone, be kinder, etc. And collectively, all of these actions are conducted in an effort to please God, therefore humbling an individual with their sense of purpose.</div><div><br></div><div>It is important to realize that every religion teaches us these basic core values, but within Islam especially, the concept of prayer goes beyond these basic laws. Islamic prayer motivates a person to not be greedy and give out to the poor, which helps a person not become materialistic or too engrossed in the material affairs of the world.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer Improves Your Physical Health</div><div>A Muslim has to pray five times a day. There is a specific way they have to pray that involves some physical activity. Be it the bending of the knees in ruku, or the prostration of the body in sujud, prayer in the Islamic tradition is an active process.&nbsp; Each action of the prayer is great for blood circulation and your body parts. So when you hear a prayer call, signifying prayer timings for Muslims, go quickly as it will not only improve your spiritual being but your physical health too!</div><div><br></div><div>Imagine getting up five times a day, specifically for the morning prayer call when the sun is coming up. This gives you a better sense of routine and helps you become active for the better part of the day as well. For a point of comparison, the Islamic prayer is similar to that of yoga, which is also a form of meditation and prayer, sharing similar yet less comprehensive benefits.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer Increases Your Lifespan</div><div>This might come as a shock to some, but it is true. Praying can possibly increase one’s lifespan! Allah has truly given humanity the ultimate medicine to prolonging life! How cool is that?</div><div><br></div><div>Given the above stated material, many are wondering how praying increases one’s lifespan. However, it can be claimed that prayer does so by reducing one’s cortisol or stress levels, and improving your body’s health by keeping you active through physical exercise five times a day. All in all, prayer will help one live a happy, active, and healthy lifestyle, which will only prolong your lifespan.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer is Beneficial for Blood Circulation&nbsp;</div><div>The actual form of praying is well known for improving blood circulation, which helps regulate your heart better and eventually reduces one’s stress levels as well. When you go into the \'sajdah form or the prostration form, it is the best form of exercise for you due to the abundant circulation of blood in your head.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayers Can Make You a Happier Person</div><div>According to a study conducted by Dr. Andrew Newberg, praying regularly makes a person happier. Why? Well, one can theorize that it makes a person motivated with a sense of peace knowing that he or she has pleased God. As humans, we love that we can make someone happy, and making someone happy often makes us happy. And when coupled with the fact that in Islam the ultimate goal is to worship Allah, an individual is much better able to understand their purpose.</div><div><br></div><div>In fact, in the abovementioned study, Dr. Andrew Newberg states that praying increases the levels of dopamine in your brain, which makes an individual a happier and more peaceful human being.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer Helps you with Post-Surgical Recovery</div><div>Many studies have found that prayers can help in quick surgical recovery. It is often recognized that prayer helps with the healing of surgical scars quicker as compared to when you are not praying. Why is that? This may be due to the fact that when one is praying, it relieves stress, thereby helping an individual with a quicker healing process.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer Saves You from Depression and Anxiety</div><div>A number of individuals are sometimes met with the answer that they should pray in response to mental health issues that they are dealing with [such as depression, anxiety]. To which some individuals get annoyed, however, it is true that if you are a true believer and pray, it will help you with your depression and anxiety.</div><div><br></div><div>According to a UK-based study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, \"praying can reduce your risk of developing depression and anxiety.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Prayers Keep You Away from Chronic Diseases</div><div>Prayers are also a great way of helping individuals with chronic diseases such as ulcers, headaches, migraines, hypertension, and even diabetes. Given the fact that many of these diseases can often be tied to internal stress as well as overall lack of mental health well being, praying can help to alleviate these diseases. This is simply due to the positive feeling praying gives to the worshipper.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer Gives us a Positive Outlook on Life</div><div>If you believe in religion, a common motif that is present is the concept of hope. It can definitely help to have a positive outlook on life, because when an individual believes in pleasing God almighty, it leads one to believe in his ultimate plan and to deal with all the worldly affairs not so seriously.</div><div><br></div><div>A number of issues occurring within this world can put us in a hopeless position. But the belief in God and his plans can give us hope in dealing with all the things that go wrong and the courage to do the right actions within this temporary world.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer Reduces our Stress levels</div><div>Last but not least it is important to realize that everything within our entire lives is planned by God, and that you can only accept and believe in Him and His doing. This knowledge will help us reduce stress and deal with our personal and professional life situations that can often stress us out.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', '<p><b>benefits your health</b><br></p>', 'Islamic Desk', '[\"36\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 05:43:49', '2024-04-08 05:43:49'),
(11912, 11912, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The all-time kings of Europe take on the current holders in the standout tie of the Champions League quarterfinals.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>For the third year running Madrid and City meet in a match-up in which the winner has gone on to lift the trophy in the past two seasons. And it would be difficult to look beyond either team going on to continue that streak this time around.</div><div><br></div><div>City is still in contention for back-to-back trebles after winning the Premier League title, Champions League and FA Cup last year.</div><div><br></div><div>Madrid, reinvigorated by the signing of Jude Bellingham last summer, is eight points clear at the top of the Spanish league and aiming for a record-extending 15th European Cup title.</div><div><br></div><div>The Spanish giant also has a point to prove after being routed 4-0 by City in the second leg of last year\'s semifinals.</div><div><br></div><div>Then it was City who had a score to settle, having suffered a late collapse at the Bernabeu to crash out in the semifinals in 2022.</div><div><br></div><div>Manager Pep Guardiola will likely know how motivated Madrid will be to exact revenge — just as his players were last year — and that adds a subplot to a tie that is already heavy on intrigue.</div><div><br></div><div>Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain versus Barcelona is another clash of heavyweights, with Kylian Mbappe aiming to finally lead the French champions to European club soccer\'s elite trophy before walking away at the end of the season.</div><div><br></div><div>Premier League title-chasing Arsenal takes on a Bayern Munich team that is limping towards the end of a miserable campaign in the German league, while Atletico Madrid faces Borussia Dortmund.</div><div><br></div><div>REAL DEAL?</div><div><br></div><div>Madrid has all its attacking players clicking.</div><div><br></div><div>Bellingham has struck 20 goals in 32 games this season, including four in the Champions League. Vinícius Júnior is peaking just in time to face City with five goals in his last three appearances. Brahim Díaz provides a spark off the bench. And Rodyrgo ended a six-week scoring drought in Madrid’s last game, a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, to keep it on course for winning the domestic league title.</div><div><br></div><div>Madrid is on a 27-game unbeaten run at its Santiago Bernabeu Stadium across all competitions dating back to last April.</div><div><br></div><div>City has found its scoring form over the past week after hitting four goals in each of its games against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace to stay on the heels of title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.</div><div><br></div><div>ENRIQUE REUNION</div><div><br></div><div>After a difficult start to his coaching career at PSG, when he had to put up with Mbappe’s bitter contract saga, Luis Enrique has steadily won over fans and the French media - even if it meant dropping Mbappe or taking him off in games.</div><div><br></div><div>Enrique won the treble as Barcelona coach in 2015 with Lionel Messi in his team and is still in contention to do the same at PSG with Mbappe.</div><div><br></div><div>Losing has become a distant memory for PSG, which is undefeated in 27 matches since a loss away to AC Milan in November during the Champions League group stage. But playing a rested Barcelona side could be the toughest test of the season.</div><div><br></div><div>Xavi Hernández attempted to shock his team into getting its act together by saying he would quit at the end of the season, something that has coincided with a certain improvement.</div><div><br></div><div>Barcelona has gone unbeaten in 11 straight games since Xavi said in late January that he was renouncing the final year of his contract.</div><div><br></div><div>Robert Lewandowski, teenager Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are all playing well of late, but the midfield is a big question mark due to injury concerns.</div><div><br></div><div>TUCHEL TROUBLE</div><div><br></div><div>Bayern Coach Thomas Tuchel wants to end a “frustrating” season, and his tenure, on a high with a trip to Wembley for the Champions League final. But its preparation for Arsenal could hardly have been worse after its latest defeat, this time to Heidenheim on Saturday after leading 2-0.</div><div><br></div><div>“There’s still the goal of going to Wembley,” Tuchel said Friday. “Everything is being put toward this target. It can’t happen that we ease off even 1% in our conviction or in our ambition.”</div><div><br></div><div>The mood at Arsenal is very different with Mikel Arteta\'s team looking better equipped to last the course in the race for the title this year after a late collapse last season.</div><div><br></div><div>The Champions League run feels like an unexpected bonus, but victory against Bayern will strengthen belief that a trophy double could be on.</div><div><br></div><div>ATLETICO SLUMP</div><div><br></div><div>Atletico has slumped in recent weeks, with six losses and only four wins in its last 12 games overall, as it missed the goals and creativity of Antoine Griezmann. The France forward is now back playing and will be looking for his first goal since Jan. 18.</div><div><br></div><div>Diego Simeone’s side was enjoying a 25-game unbeaten run at its Metropolitano Stadium until Barcelona delivered a 3-0 rout at Atletico on March 27.</div><div><br></div><div>Dortmund has generally saved its best for the Champions League this season. It isn’t a Bundesliga contender this year, but wins over Newcastle, AC Milan and most recently PSV Eindhoven have shown it means business in Europe. - AP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 06:57:38', '2024-04-08 06:57:38'),
(11913, 11913, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon Brazil to import directly Readymade Garment (RMG) products from Bangladesh.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"RMG goods from Bangladesh have been being exported to Brazil on a limited scale through the third party. It will be more affordable for Brazil if the country directly imports RMG items from Bangladesh,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier came up with the remarks while a delegation of Brazil led by its Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira paid a courtesy call on her at her office here this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s Speech Writer M Nazrul Islam briefed the newsmen after the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Stressing the need for ensuring trade balance between Bangladesh and Brazil, Sheikh Hasina said the trade balance between the two countries has highly tilted to Brazil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazil can import more products including jute and jute goods and leather items from Bangladesh to make sure the trade balance between the two countries, she continued, reports BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said Bangladesh mainly imports sugar, soyabin oil and cotton from Brazil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There are huge scopes to increase bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Brazil,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina has also stressed the need for enhancing the existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Brazil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 07:01:07', '2024-04-08 07:01:07'),
(11914, 11914, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Distinguished fellow of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Professor Mustafizur Rahman said Bangladesh’s example of how fast a strong economy can become a weak one will be placed in the textbooks.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He said Bangladesh’s economy was in a good position even 18 months ago, but now the situation is very uncertain.</div><div><br></div><div>Prof Mustafiz said this while spraking as the key speaker in a seminar titled ‘Macro Economy Stability and Next Budget’ organised by Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) in its auditorium on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>Waseqa Ayesha Khan MP, State Minister for Finance was present in the seminar as the chief guest. ERF President Mohammad Refayet Ullah Mirdha in the chair, Former BGMEA President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury (Parvez), business leader Shams Mahmud also spoke in the event.</div><div><br></div><div>The State Minister Waseqa Ayesh said that initiatives have been taken to reduce tax deductions in the next budget.</div><div><br></div><div>“The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is scrutinizing sectors in this issue. Now there is no need for tax breaks in so many sectors. Priority projects will be given importance in the next budget as well,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Apart from this, discussions are going on to increase private sector investment, said Waseqa.</div><div><br></div><div>She further said that universal pension system will be taken to all people in the next budget.</div><div><br></div><div>CPD’s Fellow Mustafiz also said, “If there is a problem in the economy, it will be the first to suffer. Then it’s bleeding. Later gangrene occurs. In the end, surgery is required. So it is better to solve the problem of the economy in the beginning.”</div><div><br></div><div>He said, “A businessman travels abroad in business class 10 times a year. Drives a Mercedes Benz all year round. But looking at the income on his tax records, it looks like he needs a charity. Sometimes he is a bank loan defaulter.”</div><div><br></div><div>The challenges of the 21st century cannot be met with 20th century institutions. So the institutions and regulators should be reformed and allowed to work independently, said prof Mustafiz. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 07:53:05', '2024-04-08 07:53:05'),
(11915, 11915, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The reposts and expressions of shock from public figures followed quickly after a user on the social platform X who uses a pseudonym claimed that a government website had revealed “skyrocketing” rates of voters registering without a photo ID in three states this year — two of them crucial to the presidential contest.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Extremely concerning,” X owner Elon Musk replied twice to the post this past week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Are migrants registering to vote using SSN?” Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an ally of former President Donald Trump, asked on Instagram, using the acronym for Social Security number.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Trump himself posted to his own social platform within hours to ask, “Who are all those voters registering without a Photo ID in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Arizona??? What is going on???\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State election officials soon found themselves forced to respond. They said the user, who pledges to fight, expose and mock “wokeness,” was wrong and had distorted Social Security Administration data. Actual voter registrations during the time period cited were much lower than the numbers being shared online.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Stephen Richer, the recorder in Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix, refuted the claim in multipleX posts while Janet Nelson, the secretary of state in Texas, issued a statement calling it “totally inaccurate.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yet by the time they tried to correct the record, the false claim had spread widely. In three days, the pseudonymous user’s claim amassed more than 63 million views on X, according to the platform’s metrics. A thorough explanation from Richer attracted a fraction of that, reaching 2.4 million users.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The incident sheds light on how social media accounts that shield the identities of the people or groups behind them through clever slogans and cartoon avatars have come to dominate right-wing political discussion online even as they spread false information.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The accounts enjoy a massive reach that is boosted by engagement algorithms, by social media companies greatly reducing or eliminating efforts to remove phony or harmful material, and by endorsements from high-profile figures such as Musk. They also can generate substantial financial rewards from X and other platforms by ginning up outrage against Democrats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many such internet personalities identify as patriotic citizen journalists uncovering real corruption. Yet their demonstrated ability to spread misinformation unchecked while disguising their true motives worries experts with the United States in a presidential election year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They are exploiting a long history of trust in American whistleblowers and anonymous sources, said Samuel Woolley, director of the Propaganda Research Lab at the University of Texas at Austin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“With these types of accounts, there’s an allure of covertness, there’s this idea that they somehow might know something that other people don’t,” he said. “They’re co-opting the language of genuine whistleblowing or democratically inclined leaking. In fact what they’re doing is antithetical to democracy.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The claim that spread online this past week misused Social Security Administration data tracking routine requests made by states to verify the identity of individuals who registered to vote using the last four digits of their Social Security number. These requests are often made multiple times for the same individual, meaning they do not necessarily correspond one-to-one with people registering to vote.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The larger implication is that the cited data represents people who entered the U.S. illegally and are supposedly registering to vote with Social Security numbers they received for work authorization documents. But only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in federal elections and illegal voting by those who are not is exceedingly rare because states have processes to prevent it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Accounts that do not disclose the identities of those behind them have thrived online for years, gaining followers for their content on politics, humor, human rights and more. People have used anonymity on social media to avoid persecution by repressive authorities or to speak freely about sensitive experiences. Many left-wing protesters adopted anonymous online identities during the Occupy Wall Street movement of the early 2010s.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meteoric rise of a group of right-wing pseudonymous influencers who act as alternative information sources has been more recent. It\'s coincided with a decline in public trust in government and media through the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These influencers frequently spread misinformation and otherwise misleading content, often in service of the same recurring narratives such as alleged voter fraud, the “woke agenda” or Democrats supposedly encouraging a surge of people through illegal immigration to steal elections or replace whites. They often use similar content and reshare each other\'s posts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The account that posted the recent misinformation also has spread bogus information about the Israel-Hamas war, sharing a post last fall that falsely claimed to show a Palestinian “crisis actor\" pretending to be seriously injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since his takeover of Twitter in 2022, Musk has nurtured the rise of these accounts, frequently commenting on their posts and sharing their content. He also has protected their anonymity. In March, X updated its privacy policy to ban people from exposing the identity of an anonymous user.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Musk also rewards high engagement with financial payouts. The X user who spread the false information about new voter registrants has racked up more than 2.4 million followers since joining the platform in 2022. The user, in a post last July, reported earning more than $10,000 from X\'s new creator ad revenue program. X did not respond to a request for comment, which was met with an automated reply.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tech watchdogs said that while it’s critical to maintain spaces for anonymous voices online, they shouldn’t be allowed to spread lies without accountability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Companies must vigorously enforce terms of service and content policies that promote election integrity and information integrity generally,” said Kate Ruane, director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The success of these accounts shows how financially savvy users have deployed the online trolling playbook to their advantage, said Dale Beran, a lecturer at Morgan State University and the author of “It Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The art of trolling is to get the other person enraged,\" he said. \"And we now know getting someone enraged really fuels engagement and gives you followers and so will get you paid. So now it’s sort of a business.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some pseudonymous accounts on X have used their brands to build loyal audiences on other platforms, from Instagram to the video-sharing platform Rumble and the encrypted messaging platform Telegram. The accounts themselves — and many of their followers — publicly promote their pride in America and its founding documents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It\'s concerning that many Americans place their trust in these shadowy online sources without thinking critically about who is behind them or how they may want to harm the country, said Kara Alaimo, a communications professor at Farleigh Dickinson University who has written about toxicity on social media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We know that foreign governments including China and Russia are actively creating social media accounts designed to sow domestic discord because they think weakening our social fabric gives their countries a competitive advantage,\" she said. \"And they’re right.” - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 08:02:20', '2024-04-08 08:02:20'),
(11916, 11916, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In the wake of the Eid-Ul-Fitr celebrations, with a significant exodus of residents leaving the capital for festive reunions, Dhaka\'s air quality remains alarmingly poor. Dhaka ranked fourth on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality as of April 8, 2024, with an AQI score of 163 at 9 am.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the usual dip in vehicular traffic during the holiday season, the air in Dhaka was classified as \'unhealthy\' today, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI). This ranking places it behind only India’s Delhi, Thailand’s Chiang Mai, and Nepal’s Kathmandu, which scored higher on the AQI with readings of 233, 187, and 172, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI serves as a barometer for the health implications of the air we breathe, categorising air quality levels from \'moderate\' to \'hazardous.\'</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Dhaka, the predominant pollutants include particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. The city\'s struggle with air pollution is not seasonal but a year-round concern, with air quality typically worsening in winter and showing slight improvement during the monsoon months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This persistent air pollution crisis is not unique to Dhaka; it reflects a global health emergency as highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO). Air pollution is a silent killer, responsible for an estimated seven million deaths annually worldwide, attributed mainly to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The high AQI reading, despite fewer vehicles on the road, underscores the complex and enduring nature of Dhaka’s air pollution problem. - unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 08:21:28', '2024-04-08 08:21:28'),
(11917, 11917, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Coca-Cola has unveiled the much-anticipated return of Coke Studio Bangla with season 3 set to premiere on April 13.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Building upon the resounding success of its predecessors, the third instalment boasts a staggering lineup of over 180 musicians and artistes from Bangladesh and around the globe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The upcoming season of Coke Studio Bangla will feature a repertoire of 11 new songs, showcasing an eclectic mix of artistes from diverse backgrounds and presenting a myriad of Bangla music genres. Continuing the tradition set by the previous seasons, Shayan Chowdhury Arnob assumes the role of music curator for season 3, alongside fellow music producers such as Pritom Hasan, Emon Chowdhury, Shuvendu Das Shuvo, and others.Expressing his excitement for the upcoming season, Arnob, music curator of Coke Studio Bangla, remarked, \"We are thrilled to embark on yet another journey of musical brilliance and cultural celebration. This season promises to be a testament to our commitment to innovation and creativity, as we push the boundaries of music and storytelling even further.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The global success of the first two seasons has attracted the interest of foreign artistes, leading to exciting collaborations in season 3. Returning fans can anticipate fresh offerings from familiar faces like Arnob, Pritom, Emon Chowdhury, and Meghdol, while also welcoming debut performances from iconic artistes like Habib Wahid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ju-un Nahar, managing director of Coca-Cola Bangladesh, expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from fans, stating, \"The passion and enthusiasm of our fans have been truly amazing. It is their support that inspires us to push beyond conventions and create something extraordinary. Season 3 holds many surprises for our audiences, and we believe everyone will love the new offerings.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Krishnendu Chattopadhyay of Dope Productions and Adnan Al Rajeev of Runout Films have spearheaded the visual output of season 3.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/RR/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 08:35:08', '2024-04-08 08:35:08');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11918, 11918, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A makeshift ferry sank off Mozambique’s northern coast on Sunday, killing more than 90 people including children, local media reported.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The overcrowded boat was carrying 130 people and many of those who drowned were children, according to TV Diário Nampula, a local online outlet. The boat was operating between Lunga and the Island of Mozambique in Nampula province in the north of the country when it capsized, the report said.</div><div><br></div><div>Rescue efforts continued on Monday, as people were still reportedly missing.</div><div><br></div><div>Some people had been traveling to attend a fair while others were trying to “flee from Lunga to the Island of Mozambique for fear of being contaminated by cholera, which has affected that region in recent days,” TV Diário Nampula reported.</div><div><br></div><div>Other news reports quoted Jaime Neto, the secretary of state in Nampula province, as saying that misinformation about an alleged cholera outbreak caused people to panic and board the boat, which ordinarily serves as a fishing vessel, in an attempt to flee.</div><div><br></div><div>Mozambique and neighboring southern African countries Zimbabwe and Malawi have in recent months been affected by a deadly cholera outbreak that authorities are battling to contain.</div><div><br></div><div>Many areas of Mozambique are only accessible by boats, which are often overcrowded. The country has a poor road network and some areas are unreachable by land or air. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 09:24:56', '2024-04-08 09:24:56'),
(11919, 11919, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Weeks before India heads into a two-month-long election with nearly a billion voters, political party merchandise and flag makers are expanding operations and working overtime to meet a surge in demand.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ahead of the first voting day of the seven-phase election on April 19, garment makers are temporarily converting factories where they usually make saris into production hubs for election flags and banners.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One such factory owner, Mukesh Agarwal, said there are as many as 40 similar factories in Mathura, a temple town in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state and a key political battleground.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The cheapest and best items used for political campaigns are banners and flags,” Agarwal said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Election merchandise is a low-margin, high-volume business, where the price of a party badge can start from 1 rupee ($0.01).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Agarwal said some factories can produce a million flags a day if demand continues to increase.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During an election, India is plastered with posters from hundreds of political parties and thousands of candidates.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As many people have little education, party workers use flags to promote their symbols and hang them outside houses and make them the medium of their campaigns,” Agarwal said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A textile hub in Surat, in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, is the center of election merchandise along with several smaller hot spots like Mathura in the north and Hyderabad in the south.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Elections give the economy a boost as political parties spend on goods and services as varied as small merchandise and helicopter rental.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gulshan Khurana, general secretary of a traders association in Delhi’s Sadar Bazar market, said political parties spend 30 billion to 50 billion rupees on election merchandise, creating as many as 10 million jobs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khurana, who has been a market trader for nearly 50 years, said there has been a nearly 30 percent increase in business compared with the last election in 2019, when Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party spent a record sum to retain power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An opinion poll last week predicted an easy win for a Modi-backed coalition. Opposition politician Rahul Gandhi of the Indian National Congress said at the Friday release of his party’s manifesto that the election is “much closer than being propagated.” - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 09:54:05', '2024-04-08 09:54:05'),
(11920, 11920, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh Film Archive under the Information Ministry and Getty Images, a visual media company of the United States, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collect and preserve footages on the Liberation War and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The MoU was signed on Friday at the Getty Images office in New York, said a media release of the ministry on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr Md Mofakkharul Iqbal, director of the project on “Collection and preservation of audio visual documents of the Liberation War from local and foreign sources and capacity building of Bangladesh Film Archive” and Arran Birchenough, Asia Pacific director (Tv and sales) of Getty Images, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Senior Secretary to the Ministry of Information Humayun Kabir Khandaker, officials from Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC and Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN in New York were present.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the declaration of independence by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the first hour of March 26, 1971, the news was circulated in different media of the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the long nine months of the Liberation War, various international media published various pictures and news on the war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Through this MoU, Getty Images will assist Bangladesh Film Archive in collecting and preserving these priceless documents, said the release. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 10:04:52', '2024-04-08 10:04:52'),
(11921, 11921, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>To support severely impacted businesses—especially those relying on imports for raw materials—amid a shortage of US dollars in Bangladesh, IFC is investing $30 million in Pran Dairy Limited (PDL) and Habiganj Agro Limited (HAL), both part of the PRAN Group.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>It aims to improve the resilience of the food processing market while creating jobs, fostering gender diversity, and strengthening the economy.</div><div><br></div><div>This is the first of IFC’s USD term loans to be used for working capital purposes in Bangladesh, which will enable PDL and HAL to sustain operations, increasing exports and preserving over 30,000 jobs, said a media release on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>The IFC will further support PRAN Group to improve participation of women as well as inclusion in their workplace through relevant policies and practices.</div><div><br></div><div>The F&amp;B accounts for approximately 13 percent of the manufacturing production value and employs 19 percent of the industrial manufacturing workforce with a projected compound annual growth rate of 12 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>However, the current paucity of foreign exchange, higher energy prices, and power shortages in the country has disrupted the import of raw materials while constraining local commercial banks’ lending ability. Against this backdrop, IFC’s longer-term US dollar financing will help improve access to foreign exchange, supporting Bangladeshi companies to navigate the crisis, it reads.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Uzma Chowdhury, Director (Finance) of PRAN-RFL Group said, “As a net importer, regular access to US dollars is critical. But given the prevailing shortage, it has been difficult for us to access USD funds for working capital in a timely manner. By providing scarcely available US dollar working capital, IFC will help ensure the long-term stability of the company’s operations and allow us to contribute to the country’s economic stability.”</div><div><br></div><div>Martin Holtmann, IFC Country Manager for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal said, “Reiterating our commitment to supporting clients during a crisis, IFC’s financing aims to ease the current lack of access to foreign exchange while enabling private sector growth in Bangladesh. We are optimistic it will help improve food security while prioritizing support for strategically important industries through innovative solutions. By backing PRAN Group, IFC will also contribute to diversifying Bangladesh\'s export base, key to creating jobs, expanding market opportunities, and enhancing economic resilience.”</div><div><br></div><div>Since 2010, the IFC has invested over $3.8 billion to help the private sector grow in Bangladesh. - unb</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 10:15:19', '2024-04-08 10:15:19'),
(11922, 11922, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) forecast rains or thunder showers in Dhaka, 7 other divisions in 24 hours commencing 6pm on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at a few places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram &amp; Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Mymensingh &amp; Rangpur divisions with hails at isolated places,” said Met office bulletin on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day and night temperature may fall by (1-2)°C over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mild heat wave is sweeping Rajshahi and Dinajpur and it may abate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Country’s highest temperature was recorded in Rajshahi at 36.7 degree Celsius. - unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 10:19:06', '2024-04-08 10:19:06'),
(11923, 11923, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In a crackdown ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), in coordination with Bangladesh Railway authorities, has arrested individuals engaged in the black marketing of train tickets.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>This action was part of enhanced security measures implemented following directives from the Prime Minister, aimed at ensuring passengers can safely travel to their homes to celebrate Eid with their families.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Commander Khandaker Al Moin, Director of the Legal and Media Wing at RAB headquarters, announced the arrests during a press briefing at Dhaka’s Kamalapur Railway Station on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>Commander Moin elaborated on the initiatives taken to curb the black marketing of train tickets, noting the effectiveness of selling 100 percent of tickets through apps in reducing such illegal activities. Despite these efforts, a determined group exploited the system, but swift action by RAB-3 ensured they were apprehended and brought to justice.</div><div><br></div><div>The RAB Commander also emphasised the comprehensive security measures in place, with RAB and other forces deployed to safeguard passengers during their Eid journeys, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>He reassured the public that there are no specific threats related to the Eid celebrations but urged passengers to travel safely and avoid unnecessary risks.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 10:31:29', '2024-04-08 10:31:29'),
(11924, 11924, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Three more solar power plants in private sector are under process to get the approval from the government.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">According to official sources, the solar power plants are 100 MW power plant at Banshkhali in Chattogram, 300 MW at Islampur in Jamalpur and 100 MW at Sadar Upazila in Rajbari district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Consortium of Huiheng Wind Power Limited of Hong Kong and Jupiter Energy Ltd., of Bangladesh will develop the 100 MW Banshkhali plant while SAL-GTECH Consortium will set up the 300 MW Islampur plant and Consortium of Sungrow Renewable Energy Investment Pte. Ltd. and Theia Power (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., will set up the 100 MW Rajbari power plant.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Official sources said the Power Division has already moved three separate proposals to the Cabinet Division to place the offer of the three consortiums to the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) for final approval of the government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If the CCGP approves the proposals, the Power Division will ask the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to sign power purchase agreement with them,” a top official of the Power Division told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He, however, did not disclose the detail tariff rate of the solar power from these plants, but said the BPDB will buy electricity from the plants under long term contract with a tariff rate of about 10 US cents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In recent months, the government has been emphasising increasing the share of renewable energy, specially, solar power for power generation as part of its plan to raise its share to 40 percent by 2041 from the existing below 3 percent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has recently said that despite several odds Bangladesh will generate 40 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2041.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He reiterated the country\'s target at Ministerial-level Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable on “Implementation of COP28 Decisions in the Energy Sector – Opportunities, Constraints, and Next Steps: The Way Head” in the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2024 on March 20.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, as per statistics of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), so far about 989.61 MW of solar power plants were set up across the country of which 371.48 MW is off-grid and remaining 618.13 is on-grid while the country’s on-grid total power generation capacity is more than 25,000 MW and off-grid power generation capacity is another 5000 MW.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Power Division’s official documents show that in the last 3 years the government approved proposals for setting up of about 13 solar and wind power plants having total capacity of 609 MW by 2025, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Letter of intent (LOI) and notification of award (LOI) were issued to the private sponsors of these renewable energy projects,”said a top official referring to the documents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said of these projects, two are wind power projects having (30+70) 100 MW and remaining 11 are solar power projects.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 10:46:57', '2024-04-08 10:46:57'),
(11925, 11925, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Police arrested four members including a woman of the armed group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) over bank robberies of the district last night.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Additional Superintendent of Police Hossain Mohammad Raihan Kazemi said that police arrested three KNF members and a car driver suspected of involvement in bank robbery from Thanchi upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>The arrested were identified as Bhanunan Nuam Bom of Raunin Para of Rowangchhari upazila, Geminiu Bom of Simtlang Para of Thanchi Union, Ame Lancheo Bom and driver Mohammad Kofil Uddin resident of T&amp;T Para of Thanchi upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that the three KNF members were arrested in connection with the bank robbery by raiding Reicha check post area of Bandarban Sadar on Sunday and the car driver was arrested from Thanchi upazila around 11 pm last night and the Volvo car used in the robbery was seized.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, a joint operation is underway to nab the KNF terrorists in connection with the bank robbery and police station attack in Bandarban.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;The operation has been going on in the remote hills including Ruma, Thanchi and Rowangchhari upazilas of the district for a few days.</div><div><br></div><div>Law enforcement forces are making extensive preparations to conduct joint operations more vigorously. Necessary steps are being taken for the overall security of the upazila. As part of this, four Special Armored Vehicles (APCs) have been brought to Bandarban to deal with the ongoing situation. And this Special Armored Vehicle (APC) is being sent to Rowangchari, Ruma and Thanchi upazilas, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shah Mojahid Uddin said that law and order activities have been increased in every area of the district.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The members of the armed group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) recently attacked the Ruma Upazila Parishad office, tried to rob Sonali Bank\'s Ruma Branch in Bandarban, and abducted its manager Nezam Uddin.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, the KNF members looted two branches of Krishi and Sonali banks located in Thanchi Bazar area in Thanchi upazila on Wednesday. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 10:58:31', '2024-04-08 10:58:31'),
(11926, 11926, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">On the occasion of Eid, the government is distributing enough clothes and food items to the underprivileged.</span><br></div><div>&nbsp;- Environment Minister Saber Chowdhury.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Dhaka, April 8, Monday:</div><div>Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that the government is distributing enough clothes and food items so that the underprivileged people of the country can wear new clothes and eat special food to celebrate Eid.&nbsp; Arrangements are being made so that people can celebrate Eid happily with their loved ones.&nbsp; Eid gifts are being given to all women, men and children.</div><div><br></div><div>The Environment Minister said these things while addressing the chief guest at the Eid gift distribution ceremony at Manda Hyder Ali School and College in the capital on Monday (April 8).</div><div><br></div><div>The Environment Minister also said that there has been a lot of development in the country under the leadership of Hon\'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.&nbsp; It will take some time to reap the benefits of all the ongoing developments.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The government is working relentlessly to increase all kinds of opportunities for the people.&nbsp; He said, under the direction of the honorable Prime Minister, Awami League and its organizations are helping the people with the Iftar party money.&nbsp; Let us all stand by the common people and make their Eid happy.</div><div><br></div><div>Mugda Thana Awami League President Mosharraf Hossain Bahar, Sabujbagh Thana Awami League General Secretary and Councilor Chittaranjan Das, Councilor Shafiqul Alam Shamim and Councilor Khairuzzaman Khairul along with local Awami League and its organizational leaders were present.</div><div><br></div><div>Environment Minister today distributed 12 hundred sarees, lungis at Manda Haider Ali School and College, 22 hundred to Manda Panchayat tola, 16 hundred to Chata Mosque in Danober Gali and 5 hundred to Hawai Gali in Goran as Eid gifts.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;bnbd/R/fas</div>', NULL, 'staff correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-08 12:47:08', '2024-04-08 12:47:08'),
(11927, 11927, '<div align=\"left\"><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways witnessed huge pressure of vehicles as the holidaymakers started leaving Dhaka and adjacent areas to celebrate Eid on the last working day on Tuesday.</span><br></p></div>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Passengers from 22 districts of the northern region are rushing to their village homes to share Eid joy with their families through Chandra of Gazipur on the Dhaka-Tangail highway.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">A long queue of vehicles was seen on the highway centering the Chandra three-intersection early Tuesday but now the situation is under control.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">During a visit on the highway, the UNB Correspondent saw that a number of buses, trucks and pick-up vans are standing in rows for carrying northern region-bound passengers at Chandra point of the highway.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Traffic congestion was seen in many points in the morning while the passengers alleged about charging extra fare.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The situation on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway is also the same as the vehicles were seen passing slowly due to the huge pressure of vehicles at Chandona intersection.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Mahbub Alam, Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said highway police, district police and traffic police, in coordination with others, are constantly trying to keep the traffic situation normal after deploying additional members and monitoring through CCTV cameras.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">He hoped that the situation would be normal by noon. - UNB</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">bnbd24/fas</p>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-09 08:47:42', '2024-04-09 08:47:42'),
(11928, 11928, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday greeted the people of the country on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Let us share the joy and happiness of Eid-ul-Fitr with everyone, including relatives and neighbours,” she said in a video message.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina said after a month of fasting, the holy Eid-ul-Fitr has come again. “Eid means joy.”</div><div><br></div><div>She prayed that May Eid-ul-Fitr bring endless joy, happiness and peace in everyone’s lives.</div><div>“stay well, stay healthy and safe. Eid Mubarak,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Thursday as the Shawwal moon was not sighted here on Tuesday evening.</div><div><br></div><div>The decision was announced after a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee that reviewied the information of Shawwal moon sighting at the Baitul Mukarram office of Islamic Foundation. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-10 14:00:27', '2024-04-10 14:00:27'),
(11929, 11929, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Amid the Eid festivity, Sunday morning marked the annual Pahela Baishakh cultural celebration held at Ramna Park in the capital by Chhayanaut, the country’s distinguished cultural institution, widely revered for celebrating the beginning of the Bengali New Year with its flagship festivity on April 14.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Began at 6:15 am beneath the banyan tree at Ramna (Ramna Batamul) with a mesmerising flute performance of the \"Raag Aheer Bhairav\" tune by Mortuza Kabir Murad, the cultural festivity was followed by the performances of the country’s distinguished artists, captivating audiences with songs, recitations, and other performances.</div><div><br></div><div>The cultural event featured 31 performances, including 11 chorus-songs and 15 solos, with readings and recitals by renowned artists including Satyam Kumar Debnath, Khairul Anam Shakil, Chandana Majumder, Tania Mannan, Ramendu Majumder, Jayanta Chattopadhyay and others, shedding spotlights on the themes of nature, love for humanity, self-purification and patriotism.</div><div><br></div><div>Audiences from every part of the capital gathered for the celebration, singing and dancing to welcome the new Bengali calendar year 1431 with good tidings.</div><div><br></div><div>In the last part of the program, Chhayanaut’s Executive President Dr Sarwar Ali read out the New Year speech. The event came to its closure with a group rendition of the national anthem.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar live telecasted the 2:17 hours event, and Chhayanaut also streamed the festivity live on its YouTube channel and was also streaming the event at https://www.youtube.com/@ChhayanautDigitalPlatform.</div><div><br></div><div>Strict security measures were put in place at the venue by the security enforcement unit of the government and the volunteers of the 13th Hussars Open Rover Scout Group, alongside Chhayanaut volunteers.</div><div><br></div><div>Founded in 1961, Chhayanaut has earned global fame for organising the traditional, extravagant cultural festivity of Pahela Baishakh at Ramna Park every year since the year of 1967. The only exception was in 1971, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, and then in 2020-2021, due to the global outbreak of COVID-19.</div><div><br></div><div>The traditional cultural presentation of Chhayanaut marking the Pahela Baishakh is widely regarded as one of the most coveted and long-awaited festivities in Bangladesh, and it has earned fame as one of the grandest regular cultural celebrations in the world. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 09:51:28', '2024-04-14 09:51:28'),
(11930, 11930, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In celebration of Pahela Baishakh, the Bangla New Year, a vibrant Mangal Shobhajatra procession started from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University on Sunday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The procession, a symbol of unity, cultural pride, and resilience, commenced its journey at 9:18 am on Sunday, captivating onlookers with its mesmerising display of traditional artistry and spirit.</div><div><br></div><div>Led by enthusiastic participants, the Mangal Shobhajatra traversed through the bustling streets of Dhaka, weaving its way past iconic landmarks such as Shahbagh, Dhaka Club, and Shishu Park. Adorned in colourful costumes and wielding symbolic artifacts, the procession echoed the rich cultural heritage of Bangladesh while ushering in the new year with joyous fervor.</div><div><br></div><div>The Faculty of Fine Arts, known for nurturing creativity and artistic expression, served as the perfect starting point for this spectacle of cultural significance. With its students and faculty at the forefront, the event exemplified the institution\'s commitment to promoting and preserving Bangladesh\'s diverse cultural tapestry.</div><div><br></div><div>As the procession made its way to its culmination point at TSC, the air resonated with cheers, music, and the collective jubilation of participants and spectators alike. The Mangal Shobhajatra not only celebrated the arrival of the Bangla New Year but also served as a testament to the resilience and spirit of the Bangladeshi people in the face of adversity.</div><div><br></div><div>Amidst the challenges of the modern world, events like these reaffirm the importance of cultural traditions in fostering unity, resilience, and a sense of belonging. The Mongol Shobhajatra stands as a beacon of hope, reminding the power of culture to inspire, unite, and uplift communities as they embark on a new journey into the year ahead. - unb</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 09:54:51', '2024-04-14 09:54:51'),
(11931, 11931, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A 22-year-old youth died after being hit by a train at Ghatina Bridge in Ullapara upazila of Sirajganj on the Dhaka-Ishurdi railway line on SUnday</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased was identified as Yadul Islam (22) of Adarsh Gram village of the upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Md Mahbubur Rahman Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Sirajganj Bazar Railway Police Station, confrmed the matter, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The incident happened when Yadul was crossing the railway line at Ghatina Bridge around 9:30 am on Sunday, killing him on the spot, said the OC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On receiving the news, the railway police recovered the body of the deceased from the spot and sent it to the Sirajganj Shaheed M Mansur Ali Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. A case has been filed in the concerned police station in connection with the incident, added the police official.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 10:01:18', '2024-04-14 10:01:18'),
(11932, 11932, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gunshots were fired outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan\'s Mumbai home early this morning, according to police.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At 5 am today, two unidentified men on a motorbike shot five bullets into the air outside Khan\'s Bandra residence before fleeing the area, reports NDTV.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A bullet also hit the first floor of Khan\'s residence, according to police, who added that the shooting was carried out using a foreign weapon. Mumbai Police has initiated an investigation into the incident and is attempting to locate the persons who fired the shots, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last year, India\'s National Investigation Agency (NIA) stated that Khan was among the top 10 targets that imprisoned gansgter Lawrence Bishnoi intended to assassinate, citing the actor\'s infamous 1998 black buck hunting incident, which the gangster claimed angered the Bishnoi community.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bishnoi said that his henchman, Sampat Nehra, had surveilled Khan\'s Bandra apartment, laying the groundwork for a possible hit. However, Haryana Police\'s Special Task Force arrested Nehra, said the report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following another threat call on April 11, last year, Mumbai Police elevated Khan\'s security status to Y+. An Indian student in the United Kingdom was given a lookout circular (LOC) after allegedly sending a threatening email to Khan, added the report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 10:05:42', '2024-04-14 10:05:42'),
(11933, 11933, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Two people died and another person was injured after their motorcycle hit a tree in at Alamdanga upazila of Chuadanga early Sunday</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The accident happened around 2:30 am last at Parlakhshippur village of the upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased were identified as Khalid Hossain (18), son of Sentu Mia of Borai village in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila, and Tamim Hossain (18), son of Ariful Islam of the same village. The injured person was identified as Sajib Ali (19), son of Shariful Islam of Sindhuria village in Chuadanga Sadar upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alamdanga Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sheikh Gani Mia confirmed the matter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police and locals said that the three youths had gone to a concert in Kushtia at night. While they were returning home their motorcycle lost control and hit a tree in Parlakhshippur village. Khalid and Tamim died on the spot. Sajib was seriously injured. He has been admitted to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The bodies of the deceased are being to the Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsies, said the OC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 10:10:48', '2024-04-14 10:10:48'),
(11934, 11934, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>After 6 days of Eid and Pahela Baisakh vacation, offices, courts, banks-stock markets are set to open on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The holidaymakers are arriving in the capital after celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr on Thursday, the biggest religious festival of the Muslim community.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the occasion of Eid, April 10, 11, and 12 (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) were public holidays. After Eid, there was a weekly holiday on Saturday, April 13, and a Bengali New Year holiday on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh on Sunday, April 14. As a result, employees are enjoying holidays from 10th to 14th April.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After six consecutive days of holidays, all will join work on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, many of the government and private sector workers who have gone outside Dhaka for Eid have taken optional leave. As a result, it will take a few more days to start the proceedings in full swing in the offices, courts, banks, and stock market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, schools and colleges will also open next week. Then the capital will return to normal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In previous years, it has been seen that on the first working day after the Eid holiday turnout remains poor. - unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd24/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 10:28:31', '2024-04-14 10:28:31'),
(11935, 11935, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday said the Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Abdullah and its 23 sailors were released from the clutches of Somali pirates through international pressure and negotiations.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that he had no information about the pirates being paid ransom.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khalid said this while talking to reporters at his Minto Road residence in the capital on Sunday (April 14). The Bangladeshi sailors were released after 31 days.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladeshi ship and sailors were captured by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean on March 12.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have no involvement in money or ransom. We have no information that the ship was released by paying money. Many are showing different types of pictures, none of these pictures are true. We do not know where these pictures are coming from, how they are coming,” said the state minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"As far as it has been done, our Department of Shipping, various international organisations, the European Navy, the Indian Navy, the Somali Police… I want to thank the Puntland Police of Somalia; they have been cooperating with us all the time. The wings of the International Maritime Organisation have been very helpful to us.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have been negotiating with the pirates for a long time. There is no question of ransom here. We had discussions and various types of pressures were given. Those pressures have also worked here.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They (the pirates) also had their own security concerns. The pressure was on them all the time,” added Khalid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said, \"It had gone to an extreme, that\'s why they got off the ship (there). And the pressure was so much, that when they took control of the ship, there were 20 pirates. Yesterday, when they left the ship, there were already around 65 pirates on board. You have to understand, how much pressure they underwent in the mainland. Everyone left there (the ship) together yesterday. They were surrounded within two nautical miles. The other fleets (various forces) were in position when they left,” reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our Department of Shipping was talking to them at that time and helped them to leave, by moving the fleets a little further away,” said the state minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Describing it as a huge operation, Khalid said, \"If we put all the emails we have sent together, those will fill a big basket. We had to keep corresponding every moment. Everyone has realised that we were so prompt and so serious.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Department of Shipping will take steps to prevent such unwanted incidents from happening in the future, added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 10:35:09', '2024-04-14 10:35:09'),
(11936, 11936, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>KSRM Group, the owner of MV Abdullah, has claimed that the ship and its 23 crew members were safely released through negotiations with the pirates, using the experience of the 2011 hostage situation involving their ship “Jahan Moni”.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our other ship \'Jahan Moni\' was hijacked in 2011. It took us a long time to rescue the ship because we lacked experience. However, using that experience, we were able to quickly rescue MV Abdullah this time,” said Meherul Karim, CEO of KSRM Group, at a press conference held at the company\'s office at 12:00 pm in Chattogram’s city’s Agrabad Goasail Danga on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that all the sailors and crew of the ship are safe and sound. No one was harmed. However, when asked about the ransom, Meherul Karim declined to comment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on Saturday night around 12 am, the Somali pirates freed the ship along with its 23 sailors. The ship owner confirmed the release of the ship to the Bangladeshi media at 3:45 am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Describing the process of rescuing the ship, Meherul said, \"We were constantly tracking the ship\'s position since it was hijacked. We were monitoring where it was being taken from time to time. A few days after the hostage-taking, one of the pirates who could speak English started contacting us. We also started communicating from our side, following all international protocols. This is how MV Abdullah was released after a successful month-long communication.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that, \"Two days ago, we took videos of each crew member of our ship to confirm their safety. All the rules were followed. There were 65 pirates on the ship. On Saturday around 3 am, the ship\'s captain informed me that the pirates had disembarked from the ship in a speedboat.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When journalists asked the KSRM CEO about the ransom, he said, \"I apologise. I can\'t tell you anything about any ransom. We have an agreement with everyone on this issue. I can\'t go out of the agreement.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shahariar Jahan Rahat, Deputy Managing Director of KSRM Group, said at the press conference, \"We have to keep some things confidential. We cannot promote piracy.\" He added that if the amount of ransom money is disclosed, it will be legitimized.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shahariar said MV Abdullah will reach Dubai on April 19 or 20. The sailors and crew will then return to Bangladesh by flight or ship. He said that the decision on how they will return to the country will be taken after talking to the sailors and crew.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Earlier on Sunday, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said at a press conference that the news and pictures being circulated about ransom are not true. The sailors were released through extensive international pressure and negotiations. It may take 15 to 20 days for them to return. According to unb reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 11:31:13', '2024-04-14 11:31:13'),
(11937, 11937, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The governor of Russia’s Kurgan region today urged people to evacuate flooded areas immediately, saying rain was exacerbating the already tough situation there and the coming night would be difficult.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The water level in the Tobol River has risen by 25cm over the past two hours to 5.32m, governor Vadim Shumkov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“You need to leave while the sun is up,” he appealed to local people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Gather your families, documents, and valuables and leave beforehand. The situation can worsen sharply at night and you might have not enough time to react.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Interfax news agency also cited the government of the Tyumen region to the northeast of Kurgan as saying that two villages there were being evacuated as the authorities feared the area could be threatened by the Ishim River.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The TASS news agency cited Russia’s emergencies ministry as saying more than 14,000 houses across Russia have been flooded.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Kazakhstan, also hit by floods, more than 1,000 houses in the city of Petropavlovsk have been flooded, the authorities said today, with more than 4,500 people evacuated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Overall, more than 107,000 people have been evacuated in the country since the beginning of the floods. - Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 11:34:30', '2024-04-14 11:34:30'),
(11938, 11938, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A source within Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group said Israel struck today one of its buildings in Lebanon’s east, close to the Syrian border, as tensions soared after Iran directly attacked Israel.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The Israeli strike targeted an area … near Baalbek and targeted a two-storey building belonging to Hezbollah,” a source within the group told AFP, adding there were no casualties.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency also reported that “an enemy air strike targeted a building” in the village of Nabi Sheet and “destroyed it”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier today, Hezbollah said it had twice launched barrages of rockets towards the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, after it joined in the major Iranian drone and missile attack against Israel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian attack was in response to an April 1 air strike widely blamed on Israel that destroyed an Iranian consulate building in Damascus, killing seven Revolutionary Guards, including two generals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hamas ally Hezbollah has exchanged near-daily cross-border fire with Israel since the Palestinian group attacked southern Israel on Oct 7 triggering the war in the Gaza Strip.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The violence has so far killed at least 363 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also including at least 70 civilians, according to an AFP tally.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Israel, the military says 10 soldiers and eight civilians have been killed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes on both sides of the border. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 11:37:42', '2024-04-14 11:37:42');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11939, 11939, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">People in Bilbao in northwestern Spain normally spend April dodging the showers but yesterday many hit the beach as temperatures were up to 10°C above normal.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Portuguese were also hitting the beach near Lisbon as temperatures rose to as high as 29°C.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many people swapped umbrellas for ice creams as temperatures reached 21°C in Bilbao and were expected to hit 27°C elsewhere today, Aemet, the state weather forecasting agency said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Temperatures, both on today and tomorrow, will be between 5°C and 10°C higher than normal in much of the country, and between 10°C and 15°C (higher) in the northern third of the peninsula and the Canary Islands,” Aemet said in a post on the social media site X.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Temperatures more often experienced in summer months were being recorded in April, Aemet said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Portugal, temperatures were also higher than usual for this time of the year, according to weather agency Ipma yesterday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the central region of Santarem, temperatures are expected to reach 31°C, reports Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, by next week temperatures in much of Spain will dip again, particularly in northern Spain, Aemet said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 11:42:59', '2024-04-14 11:42:59'),
(11940, 11940, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Iran on Sunday urged Israel not to retaliate militarily to an unprecedented attack overnight, which Tehran presented as a justified response to a deadly strike on its consulate building in Damascus.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The matter can be deemed concluded,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a post on social media platform X just a few hours after the start of the operation late Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe,” the Iranian mission warned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi warned Sunday Israel and its allies against any “reckless” actions after Tehran’s drone and missile attack, which marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israeli territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If the Zionist regime (Israel) or its supporters demonstrate reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response,” Raisi said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After numerous countries condemned the attack, Tehran’s foreign ministry summoned the French, British, and German ambassadors “following the irresponsible positions of certain officials of these countries regarding Iran’s response,” a statement said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran informed the US that its attacks against Israel will be “limited” and for self-defense, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Late Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps announced that they had launched “dozens of drones and missiles” toward military sites on Israeli territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus” earlier this month, the Iranian mission to the UN said, dubbing it “legitimate defense.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel’s army said it had shot 99 percent of the drones and missiles with the help of the United States and other allies, declaring Iran’s attack “foiled.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian army chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri said the attack has “achieved all its objectives.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bagheri said Iran’s retaliation targeted an “intelligence center” and the air base from which Tehran says the Israeli F-35 jets took off to strike the Damascus consulate on April 1.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Both these centers were significantly destroyed and put out of order,” he said, though Israel maintains that the attack only resulted in minor damage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There is no intention to continue this operation,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experts have suggested that Saturday’s slow-moving drone attack was calibrated to represent a show of power but also allow some wiggle room.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It appears that Iran telegraphed its attack on Israel to demonstrate it can strike using different capabilities, to complicate the (Israeli army’s) ability to neutralize the assault but also to provide an off-ramp to pause escalation,” said Nishank Motwani, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Washington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Tehran can escalate if it chooses to across a range of vectors,” said Motwani, including via Lebanon’s Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, sea attacks, “or hitting soft Israeli targets globally.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over the last two weeks, the Iranian authorities had repeatedly vowed to “punish” Israel after the death of seven Guards including two generals of the Quds Force in the attack that levelled the Iranian consulate in Damascus.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran has blamed Israel for the attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the days after the strike, Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel will be “slapped for that action.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since a revolution in 1979 in Iran which toppled the US-backed Shah, Israel has been the sworn enemy of the Islamic republic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran has often called for the destruction of Israel, with support of the Palestinian cause one of the pillars of the Islamic revolution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, until Saturday Tehran had also refrained from a direct attack on Israel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Instead, it has backed members of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” against Israel, including Hezbollah and Yemen’s Tehran-aligned Houthi rebels, since the outbreak of war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hours before the strikes on Saturday, Iran seized an Israeli-linked container ship in the Gulf which Washington called “an act of piracy.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the night, Tehran also warned the United States, urging it to “stay away” from its conflict with Israel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If necessary,” Tehran “will not hesitate to take defensive measures to protect its interests against any aggressive military action,” Iran’s foreign ministry said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The next slap will be fiercer,” warned a new mural unveiled overnight in Tehran’s Palestine Square, where several thousands gathered, shouting “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Before Tehran launched its attack, Israel warned Iran that it would suffer “the consequences for choosing to escalate the situation any further.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel has not revealed what a potential response would look like.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An Israeli attack on Iran’s territory, possibly targeting military or nuclear sites, could not be ruled out, according to experts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a precaution, Iran’s Imam Khomeini international airport and the Mehrabad airport, which is mainly dedicated to domestic flights, will remain closed until Monday at 06:00 am (0230 GMT), according to ISNA news agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several international airlines have suspended flights over Iranian airspace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Countries including Russia and France have asked their citizens to avoid traveling to Iran and Israel. According to AFP reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 11:48:35', '2024-04-14 11:48:35'),
(11941, 11941, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Pope Francis on Sunday made a “pressing appeal” against a “spiral of violence” after Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, warning of a potential regional conflagration.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I make a pressing appeal for an end to any action which could fuel a spiral of violence that risks dragging the Middle East into an even greater conflict,” the Argentinian pontiff declared following his traditional Sunday prayer in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I am praying and following with concern, but also pain, the news that has come in recent hours about the worsening situation in Israel due to Iran’s intervention,” the pope told worshippers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“No one should threaten the existence of others. All countries must, however, side with peace and help Israelis and Palestinians to live in two states, side by side and in security,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“That is their right,” Francis insisted as he once again repeated earlier calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and “negotiation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The pontiff futhermore demanded the world “help the population facing a humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and urged the “immediate release of the hostages kidnapped months ago” by Hamas, setting in train the latest chapter of violence in the region. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-14 11:50:54', '2024-04-14 11:50:54'),
(11942, 11942, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh wants to see an effective role from those countries that are supposed to play an effective role in de-escalating the Iran-Israel tension.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh also wants to see killings in Gaza are stopped.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Bangladesh is in favour of peace, not for war,\" said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday evening at the state guest house Padma.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The people of the Middle East are facing a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict, António Guterres said on Sunday, urging “maximum restraint” across a region “on the brink”, hours after Iran launched attack drones and missiles against Israel overnight Saturday.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East...Now is the time for maximum restraint,” the UN Secretary-General told delegates at the opening of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">FM Hasan said because Israel attacked the Iranian embassy in Syria, Iran got the opportunity to attack. \"Otherwise it would not have happened. Iran has \'retaliated\' - that is what Iran says.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We hope that all the countries that are supposed to play a role will immediately take effective measures to resolve the Iran-Israel tension and stop the indiscriminate killing of people in Gaza. We are never for war, we are for peace,\" he said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign minister wished the journalists present there on Bengali New Year.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to a question on Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah, the foreign minister said that the hostage sailors and the ship were safely rescued due to the all-out efforts of the government and those concerned.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, he had a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of Antigua and Barbuda E. P. Chet Greene who is now on a five-day official visit to Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They discussed issues of mutual interest and ways to strengthen ties in the coming days.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 09:14:53', '2024-04-15 09:14:53'),
(11943, 11943, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The unprecedented attack by Iran on Israel early Sunday ratcheted up regional tensions, confirming long-held fears about the Israel-Hamas war spiraling into a broader conflagration. But Iran, Israel, the United States and Hamas also walked away with some gains.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Here’s a look at the fallout.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">ISRAEL’S RESPONSE COULD RESTORE FAITH IN ITS MILITARY</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the more than 300 drones and missiles headed toward Israel in the early hours of Sunday, the country was able to successfully put to the test its aerial defense array, which, along with help from allies, blocked 99% of the projectiles and prevented any major damage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By contrast, Israel’s military had suffered a bruising defeat at the hands of a far less equipped enemy when Hamas stormed from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7. That was a major blow to Israel’s image as a regional military powerhouse and shattered any sense of invincibility. The response to Iran’s attack could be what restores faith in the country’s military, even as its forces are bogged down in Gaza, more than six months after Israel declared war on Hamas there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel has also boasted about the coalition of forces that helped it repel the Iranian assault. It’s a much-needed show of support at a time when Israel is at its most isolated because of concerns surrounding its conduct during the war against Hamas, including a worsening humanitarian crisis and a staggering death toll in Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">IRAN SHOWS OFF ITS MIGHT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran vowed repeatedly that it would respond to an apparent Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus on April 1 that killed two generals. Sunday’s assault allowed Iran to show to its citizens that it won’t stand by when its assets are attacked and that it was serious when it threatened revenge.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With its strike, Iran was able to exhibit its fierce firepower, instill fear in some Israelis and disrupt the lives of many through school cancellations. But with little damage actually caused in Israel, Iran might hope that any response will be measured. Several hours after it launched the drones and missiles, Iran said the operation was over.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">THE UNITED STATES STOOD BY ISRAEL</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The U.S. was a key player in repelling the assault, demonstrating to its allies around the world the power and reliability of American support.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Now, as Israel mulls how and whether to respond, that alliance will be put to the test, with the Biden administration seeking to exert its leverage on Israel and prevent it from carrying out a response that might worsen the conflict.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">HAMAS MAY BENEFIT FROM IRAN’S DIRECT INVOLVEMENT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hamas, which is backed by Iran, welcomed the strike on Israel. Since launching its Oct. 7 attack, Hamas had hoped that regional partners might come to its assistance and drag Israel into a broader war. While some have done — including the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthis — Iran had not directly entered the fray until Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hamas could hope that the attack is the first salvo in deeper Iranian engagement in the war in Gaza. It also could hope that violence in the West Bank, where an Israeli teen was killed and settlers rampaged in Palestinian towns, continues to heat up. At the very least, Iran’s attack may have emboldened Hamas to dig in its heels in current negotiations over a cease-fire, hoping the increased military pressure on Israel might lead it to accept the militant group’s harder-line terms for a deal. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 09:30:17', '2024-04-15 09:30:17'),
(11944, 11944, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Syria on Sunday said ally Iran acted in self-defence with a massive overnight attack on Israel that Tehran said was in retaliation for a deadly Israeli strike on Iran\'s consulate in Damascus.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Iran\'s response... is a legitimate right to self-defence\" against Israel, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian by phone, according to a report carried by state news agency SANA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mekdad also described the Iranian response as \"appropriate\", SANA added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran had vowed to avenge the strike on the consular section of its embassy in the Syrian capital on April 1 that killed seven Revolutionary Guards including two generals from the Quds Force, the Guards\' foreign operations arm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A separate statement Sunday from Syria\'s foreign ministry expressed Damascus\'s \"solidarity with the Islamic republic of Iran\" and emphasised its \"condemnation of the Zionist aggression against the Iranian diplomatic premises\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tehran has also said its overnight attack on Israel was carried out in \"self-defence\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amir-Abdollahian inaugurated a new consulate in Damascus this week and accused the United States of approving the deadly strike. - 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, '2024-04-15 09:51:55', '2024-04-15 09:51:55'),
(11945, 11945, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Have you ever wondered why human beings tend to sleep at night and work during the day? With exceptions aside, that’s how almost everyone functions. Lack of sleep makes us cranky throughout the day. Why does that happen? It\'s all related to our biological master clock or circadian rhythm.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">What is Circadian Rhythm? </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The circadian cycle refers to the metabolic changes that occur within a living organism over 24 hours. The term ‘Circadian’ comes from two Latin words Circa meaning around and Diem meaning day. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Circadian rhythm is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. This rhythm is influenced by external cues such as light and temperature along with internal factors including genetics and hormones.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">How Does Circadian Rhythm Work? </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just like a master clock regulates the time zone across the world, there’s also a master clock in the human body that regulates sleep patterns and sense of time. It\'s situated in the hypothalamus of the brain, specifically in an area called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The SCN receives input from the eyes, particularly light-sensitive cells in the retina, which helps synchronize the internal clock with the external day-night cycle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The circadian rhythm regulates the sleep-wake cycle by controlling the time alertness of the human body through melatonin production. Additionally, it also plays a significant role in body temperature regulation. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Circadian rhythm disorder is generally caused due to genetic factors, erratic light exposure, medical conditions, age-related changes, psychological stress, etc.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Symptoms of Circadian Rhythm Disorder </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are several symptoms of circadian rhythm disorder. The common ones include: </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Insomnia</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The most common symptom of circadian rhythm disorder is difficulty with sleep or insomnia. A patient gradually develops difficulty in either falling asleep or staying asleep. Waking up multiple times at night is also attributed to this disorder. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Increased Daytime Sleep</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A decrease in sleep quality results in increased daytime sleepiness. This symptom is directly related to sleep difficulty as waking up multiple times during the night results in drowsiness throughout the day. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Early Wakeup </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At a more advanced stage, a person might find it difficult to fall asleep after waking up during the night. Sleep deprivation triggers fatigue which inherently harms other body processes. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Concentration Difficulty </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People with circadian rhythm disorder may find it difficult to concentrate or face memory-related problems. The lack of balanced sleep affects certain cognitive functions of the brain and affects decision-making capabilities. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mood Swings </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Circadian rhythm disorder may trigger severe mood swings. It increases the risk of depression and anxiety leading to BPD at later stages. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, physical symptoms like headaches and gastrointestinal issues may be caused by the disorder. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Types of Circadian Rhythm Disorder </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The difference in sleep-wake cycle characteristics resulted in several types of circadian rhythm disorders. The prominent ones are: </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder of DSPD is the most common type of this disorder. A person with DSPD has a convoluted biological clock which makes it difficult for them to sleep at conventional bedtimes.  As the name suggests, DSPD delays the conventional sleeping time by several hours. The subsequent result is sleepiness continued well into the day. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">ASPD is the opposite of DSPD. In this case, an individual might experience a sleep cycle well in advance compared to the conventional sleeping times. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder is usually triggered by insomnia or fragmented sleeping patterns. Waking up multiple times during a sleep cycle may induce an irregular disorder. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shift Work Sleep Disorder</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shift work sleep disorder is seen among people with unconventional work hours. For example, a person working night shifts may find it difficult to sleep during the day. The result is sleepiness and drowsiness in the subsequent work shifts at night. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Non-24-hour sleep-wake Disorder is usually noticed among individuals with complete blindness. The lack of light perception makes the brain lose perception of the light-dark cycle in 24 hours. As a result, affected individuals experience a gradual shift in their sleep-wake schedule, leading to periods of insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jet Lag Disorder</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jet lag disorder is seen among individuals who travel between several time zones. Unlike the other types, jet lag disorder usually improves once the body gets adjusted to the new timezone. However initial symptoms may include sleeplessness, digestive issues, and reduced cognitive functions. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">How to Reset the Circadian Rhythm</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Circadian rhythm can be restored through certain lifestyle changes. In addition, behavioral strategies, and sometimes medical interventions may be needed to improve the condition. Here are some strategies to get started. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Practicing a Consistent Sleep Schedule </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the best ways to reset the circadian rhythm is to maintain a strong routine. It is recommended to go to bed and wake up at a fixed time every day, even on weekends. This would allow your body to get used to a consistent cycle and adjust accordingly. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Light Exposure </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Circadian rhythm is greatly regulated by light and dark. Try and increase your light exposure when you wake up in the morning. Go for a short walk or spend some time on the balcony. The more you’re exposed to natural light in the morning, the more the body adjusts to the wake period. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Limit Night Time Exposure </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just as the opposite of morning, limit the light exposure at night. It is advised to avoid the use of blue light emitting sources like TV and mobile late at night. This will help in the production of melatonin which will naturally induce sleep. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Create a Relaxing Environment </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avoid stressful work during the night if possible. Create a relaxing environment by listening to slow music, reading a book, taking a shower, or practicing meditation to ease brain functions. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avoid Day Naps </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It can be helpful to avoid naps during the day. If you can’t entirely avoid them, try and limit naps to no more than 30 minutes. Long naps during the day will interfere with nighttime sleep. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avoid Stimulating Substances </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is recommended to avoid stimulating substances like coffee, tea, or nicotine before sleep. It might trigger hyperactivity in the brain which will deter the usual sleeping time. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Consult a Healthcare Professional</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If the disorder persists, consult a healthcare professional. A trained medical practitioner can provide personalized treatment for the disorder.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Final Words </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The circadian rhythm or biological clock ensures a healthy sleep-wake cycle in the human body. When this rhythm goes off balance it may result in several complications in physical and emotional health. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fortunately, it is possible to reset the circadian rhythm without medical intervention unless in extreme cases. Make sure to lead a routined and disciplined lifestyle including a timely sleep schedule to maintain a healthy rhythm. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"36\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 10:40:57', '2024-04-15 10:41:43'),
(11946, 11946, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A 23-year-old young man was found dead at Hatirjheel lake in the capital on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased was identified as Foyez Quader Chowdhury, son of Fazlul Quader Chowdhury of Shahjahanpur area.</div><div><br></div><div>Local people spotted the floating body of Foyez and informed police in the morning.</div><div><br></div><div>Police recovered the body and sent it to the local hospital morgue for autopsy, said Awlad Hossain, officer-in-charge of Hatirjheel Police Station.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Foyez’s family, he left home around 11 pm and did not return home.</div><div><br></div><div>However, police suspected that Foyez might have committed suicide after jumping into the lake. - unb</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 11:08:14', '2024-04-15 11:08:14'),
(11947, 11947, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Monday said that the number of wealthy people who are like former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed has increased in the country.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rizvi said it in a press conference held at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office in the capital citing recent media reports on&nbsp; Benazir Ahmed’s alleged corruption and lavish lifestyle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rizvi said these rich people were blessed by Sheikh Hasina for killing and forcefully disappearing BNP’s thousands of leaders and activists.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Besides, corruption in the name of mega projects, looting banks is not a fairy tale now, it’s real.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said it is true that there is a close relation between corruption and those who exist at the apex of power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the Awami&nbsp; League regime, they have become affluent who control tender, syndicate with blessings of ruling quarter, he claimed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">On one side, the Awami League and their oligarch are celebrating Eid&nbsp; lavishly, there was no joy of Eid among the&nbsp; country’s poor and limited-income&nbsp; people on the other side, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“How people will buy Eid clothes for their family members where they are struggling to ensure their daily meal,” Rizvi said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The poor people celebrated this year’s Eid with ‍starvation and unprecedented sorrows, he said, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Awami League’s 15 years’ misrule and embezzlement of people’s money have caused a silent famine,” Rizvi claimed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They also deceived people of the country by holding a staged, one-sided and dummy election,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rizvi also said Bangladesh which was born after a nine- month war against Pakistani rulers is being crushed under the feet of a tyrant, said the BNP leader.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 11:38:28', '2024-04-15 11:38:28'),
(11948, 11948, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka city is still to get its usual look though the city dwellers have started returning to the capital after holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr and Pahela Baishakh.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The bustling capital looked empty with most of the roadside shops, shopping malls closed and few public and private vehicles plying the streets in the morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government, semi-government, and private offices including banks and financial institutions opened today but there was a low presence of employees.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials and staff were seen exchanging Eid greetings with colleagues by embracing each other.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A small number of buses and private vehicles were seen plying the streets in Malibagh, Shantinagar, Gulshan, Firmgate , Dhamondi, Mirpur&nbsp; and Shahbagh areas in the morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Md Yousuf, an employee of a private bank, said, “Still a festive environment is prevailing in the city. There is no traffic jam or chaos on streets. It took me only 6 minutes to reach Gulshan from Rajarbagh area by car that usually takes 30 to 40 minutes on the other regular days due to traffic congestion. It’s a temporary relief for Dhaka dwellers.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the occasion of Eid, April 10, 11, and 12 (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) were public holidays. After Eid, there was a weekly holiday on Saturday, April 13, and a Bengali New Year holiday on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh on Sunday, April 14.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, many of the government and private sector workers who went outside Dhaka to celebrate Eid took optional leave.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result, it will take a few more days to start the proceedings in full swing in the offices, courts, banks, and stock market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, schools and colleges will also open next week. Then the capital will return to normal. - unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 11:42:07', '2024-04-15 11:42:07'),
(11949, 11949, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A fire which broke out at a slum in Firingi Bazar area of Chattogram port city on Monday afternoon has been brought under control.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Dinmoni Sharma, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defense said the fire broke out at the slum around 1:30 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On information, nine firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control around 3 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, no casualty was reported and the extent of the damages caused by fire could not be ascertained yet. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 12:05:37', '2024-04-15 12:05:37'),
(11950, 11950, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Bangladesh government has earmarked Tk 385 billion for agricultural development over the next three years, targeting an average annual growth of 10% in the sector by the 2025-26 fiscal year.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This investment underscores agriculture\'s pivotal role in achieving food security and driving equitable economic growth, according to the \'Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26)\'.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite a diminishing share in GDP, agriculture remains critical for the livelihood of the majority, particularly in rural areas. To boost food production and resilience against adversities, the government\'s strategy includes developing high-yield and adversity-tolerant crop varieties, expanding mechanization and irrigation, and improving access to affordable inputs like seeds and fertilizers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The policy document highlights several initiatives aimed at modernizing agriculture through technology. These include increasing the use of surface water for irrigation over groundwater to conserve resources, incorporating renewable energy solutions, and employing remote sensing for crop monitoring.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government also continues to support the sector with subsidies, financial incentives, and technological innovations to foster a sustainable and self-reliant agricultural framework.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Significant contributions also come from the fisheries and livestock sub-sectors, which not only bolster GDPâ€”2.53% and 1.91%, respectivelyâ€”but also provide essential protein sources and livelihoods for over 12% of the population. Achievements in these areas include self-sufficiency in fish, meat, and egg production, with milk expected to follow. Moreover, these sectors are vital for foreign exchange earnings through exports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Looking ahead, the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries is set to launch development projects to enhance production capacities, adopt advanced management technologies, and improve conservation efforts, particularly for young hilsa fish (\'jatka\').</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Water resource management is another focal area, given its importance to sustainable agriculture. Initiatives are underway to improve surface water availability through the excavation of water bodies and the enhancement of coastal afforestation, aiming to secure equitable water shares from transboundary rivers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amid threats of substantial economic losses due to climate changeâ€”projected at a 6.8% reduction in GDP by 2030â€”the government has prioritized comprehensive strategies to mitigate these impacts. The Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan is designed to equip vulnerable sectors and communities with the tools to enhance resilience and stability against climate-related disruptions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Through these multifaceted efforts, Bangladesh is taking decisive steps to not only safeguard but also advance its agricultural heritage in the face of evolving global challenges. According to UNB reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 12:31:06', '2024-04-15 12:31:06');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11951, 11951, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government are increasingly wielding strong-arm tactics to subdue political opponents and critics of the ruling Hindu-nationalist party.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A decade into power, and on the cusp of securing five more years, the Modi government is reversing India’s decadeslong commitment to multiparty democracy and secularism.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has brought corruption charges against many officials from its main rival, the Congress Party, but few convictions. Dozens of politicians from other opposition parties are under investigation or in jail. And just last month, Modi’s government froze the Congress party’s bank accounts for what it said was non-payment of taxes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Modi administration says the country’s investigating agencies are independent and that its democratic institutions are robust, pointing to high voter turnout in recent elections that have delivered Modi’s party a clear mandate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yet civil liberties are under attack. Peaceful protests have been crushed with force. A once free and diverse press is threatened. Violence is on the rise against the Muslim minority. And the country’s judiciary increasingly aligns with the executive branch.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To better understand how Modi is reshaping India and what is at stake in an election that begins April 19 and runs through June 1, the AP spoke with a lawyer, a journalist, and an opposition politician.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Here are their stories:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">DEFENDING MODI’S CRITICS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mihir Desai has fought for the civil liberties and human rights of India’s most disadvantaged communities, such as the poor and Muslims, for nearly four decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 65-year-old lawyer from India’s financial capital Mumbai is now working on one of his – and the country’s – most high-profile cases: defending a dozen political activists, journalists and lawyers jailed in 2018 on accusations of plotting to overthrow the Modi government. The accusations, he says, are baseless – just one of the government’s all-too-frequent and audacious efforts to silence critics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the defendants in the case, a Jesuit priest and longtime civil rights activist, died at age 84 after about nine months in custody. The other defendants remain in jail, charged under anti-terror laws that rarely result in convictions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“First authorities came up with a theory that they planned to kill Modi. Now they are being accused of being terrorist sympathizers,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The point of it all, Desai believes, is to send a message to any would-be critics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to digital forensics experts at U.S.-based Arsenal Consulting, the Indian government hacked into the computers of some of the accused and planted files that were later used as evidence against them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To Desai, this is proof that the Modi government has “weaponized” the country’s once-independent investigative agencies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He sees threats to Indian democracy all around him. Last year, the government removed the country’s chief justice as one of three people who appoint commissioners overseeing elections; Modi and the opposition leader in parliament are the others. Now, one of Modi’s cabinet ministers has a vote in the process, giving the ruling party a 2-1 majority.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It’s a death knell to free and fair elections,” Desai said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A POLITICIAN’S PLIGHT IN KASHMIR</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Waheed-Ur-Rehman Para, 35, was long seen as an ally in the Indian government’s interests in Kashmir. He worked with young people in the majority-Muslim, semi-autonomous region and preached to them about the benefits of embracing India and its democratic institutions – versus seeking independence, or a merger with Pakistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beginning in 2018, though, Para was viewed with suspicion by the Modi government for alleged connections to anti-India separatists. Since then, he has been jailed twice: in 2019 on suspicion that he and other political opponents could stoke unrest; and in 2020 on charges of supporting militant groups -- charges he denies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The accusations stunned Para, whose People’s Democratic Party once ruled Kashmir in an alliance with Modi’s party.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But he believes the motivation was clear: “I was arrested to forcibly endorse the government’s 2019 decision,” he said, referring to a clampdown on the resistance in Kashmir after the elimination of the region’s semi-autonomous status.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Modi’s administration argues the move was necessary to fully integrate the disputed region with India and foster economic development there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After his 2020 arrest, Para remained in jail for nearly two years, often in solitary confinement, and was subjected to “abusive interrogations,’’ according to U.N. experts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“My crime was that I wanted the integration of Kashmir, not through the barrel of the gun,” said Para, who is seeking to represent Kashmir’s main city in the upcoming election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Para sees his own plight within the larger context of the Modi government’s effort to silence perceived opponents, especially those with ties to Muslims, who make up 14% of India’s population.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is a huge ethical question … that the largest democracy in the world is not able to assimilate, or offer dignity to, the smallest pocket of its people,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The campaign to turn once-secular India into a Hindu republic may help Modi win elections in the short term, Para said, but something much bigger will be lost.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It risks the whole idea of this country’s diversity,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A JOURNALIST FIGHTS CHARGES</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In October 2020, independent journalist Sidheeq Kappan was arrested while trying to report on a government clampdown in the northern Uttar Pradesh state ruled by Modi’s party.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For days, authorities had been struggling to contain protests and outcry over a gruesome rape case. Those accused of the crime were four upper caste Hindu men, while the victim belonged to the Dalit community, the lowest rung of India’s caste hierarchy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kappan, a 44-year-old Muslim, was detained and jailed before he even reached the crime site, accused of intending to incite violence. After two years in jail, his case reached India’s top court in 2022. While he was quickly granted bail, the case against him is ongoing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kappan’s case is not unique, and he says it highlights how India is becoming increasingly unsafe for journalists. Under intense pressure from the state, many Indian news organizations have become more pliant and supportive of government policies,</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Those who have tried to be independent have come under relentless attack by the government,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign journalists are banned from reporting in Kashmir, for example. Same goes for India’s northeast Manipur state, which has been embroiled in ethnic violence for almost a year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Television news is increasingly dominated by stations touting the government’s Hindu nationalist agenda, such as a new citizenship law that excludes Muslim migrants. Independent TV stations have been temporarily shut down, and newspapers that run articles critical of Modi’s agenda find that any advertising from the government – an important source of revenue – quickly dries up.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last year, the India offices of the BBC were raided on tax irregularities just days after it aired a documentary critical of Modi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The advocacy group Reporters Without Borders ranks India 161st on a worldwide list of countries’ press freedoms, reports AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kappan said he has barely been able to report news since his arrest. The trial keeps him busy, requiring him to travel to a court hundreds of miles away every other week. The time and money required for his trial have made it difficult for him to support his wife and three children, Kappan said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is affecting their education, their mental health,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 13:38:16', '2024-04-15 13:38:16'),
(11952, 11952, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Despite resumption of the Summit Group’s Floating Storage and Regasification Unit, one of the country\'s two LNG terminals, overall gas supply failed to improve. Rather, it witnessed a further fall due to the start of the Bibiyana Gas field’s maintenance programme.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, officials said the Bibiyana Gas field, one of the country’s largest gas supply sources, went into routine maintenance on April 13 and will come back to full production within three days on April 16.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials from both state-owned Petrobangla and Chevron, the operator of the Bibiyana Gas field, noted that they are hopeful of getting full-scale supply from Tuesday.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Petrobangla\'s official data shows that the production from BIbiyana gas field came down to 453 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) on Monday from its regular production of 1200 MMCFD.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Official sources said, the Summit Group finally became successful in commissioning its LNG terminal and resumed re-gasification of imported LNG on April 12.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The official data of state-owned Petrobangla shows that the supply of imported gas has increased by 162 million cubic feet (MMCFD) to 792 MMCFD from 630 MMCFD following the commissioning of the Summit Group’s LNG terminal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The gas supply has further increased to 936.30 MMCFD on April 14,” a senior official of the Petrobangla told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country has two LNG terminals, set up by the private sector, in Maheshkhali having total regasification capacity of 1100 MMCFD. One is owned and operated by US-based Excelerate Energy having 600 MMCFD capacity while another one is owned and operated by Summit Group having 500 MMCFD.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The gas supply situation witnessed a fall when the Summit Group’s LNG Terminal went into a routine maintenance programme in the first week of March. It was scheduled to return to service and resume production on March 3.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But initially it failed to come back to production as per schedule and finally it resumed production a few days later,” the Petrobangla official said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Official data shows that the country’s gas supply was 2,345 MMCFD on Sunday and Monday against low demand of 3,632 MMCFD at the tail end of the Eid vacation.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the official data shows that despite a low demand in the power supply, the country had to experience load shedding of over 300 MW on Monday during the day\'s peak period.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PGCB Data shows the country’s load shedding was recorded to 305 MW at 10 am when the demand was 11,400 MW.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The evening peak demand was forecast to be 14,000 MW on Monday and the officials apprehend more loadshedding tonight. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 14:16:18', '2024-04-15 14:16:18'),
(11953, 11953, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has granted a one-day extension to Mustafizur Rahman\'s No Objection Certificate (NOC), allowing him to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), according to a BCB source.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mustafizur was previously scheduled to leave the IPL on April 30th but can now play for his team, the Chennai Super Kings, on May 1st. He will return to Bangladesh on May 2nd.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh will face Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series starting May 3rd in Chattogram. Mustafizur is expected to join the national team but may miss the first match. The last two matches of this series will take place in Dhaka.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The left-arm pacer has excelled in the IPL, taking 10 wickets in five matches. He has been one of the main bowlers of Chennai in this edition of IPL.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the Zimbabwe series, Bangladesh will travel to the USA for a three-match T20I series in preparation for the T20 World Cup, scheduled in the USA and the West Indies - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 14:23:22', '2024-04-15 14:23:22'),
(11954, 11954, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A large portion of expatriates\' income remittances in Bangladesh comes through the bank branches located in Dhaka, according to Bangladesh Bank (BB) analyst on the District-wise scenario of inward remittances.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This figure means that most of the families of expatriates stay in Dhaka or they have most of their accounts in the bank branches of Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chittagong ranks second while Sylhet and Comilla are in third and fourth position in terms of expatriate income or remittances.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After that, the position of coastal district Noakhali, Brahmanbaria, Feni, Moulvibazar, Chandpur, and Narsingdi. This position is calculated from July 2023 last year to February 2024, which is revealed in the central bank\'s district-wise expatriate income report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the report, in eight months from July-February, expatriates sent remittances amount US $15.07 billion. Out of this, the expatriates sent $2.16 billion last February. In the previous month of January, the expatriate income in the country was $2.10 billion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among this, Dhaka district received $5.23 billion in July-February, and Chittagong district received $1.42 billion in expatriate income. During this period, Sylhet district received $870 million, Comilla $810 million, and Noakhali $460 million. Apart from this, $380 million came in Brahmanbaria, $370 million in Feni, $360 million in Moulvibazar, $350 million in Chandpur, and $250 million in Narsingdi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bank officials say more expatriate income is expected to come from expatriate-dominated districts. But that is not as many expatriates have settled abroad, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rather, they (Expatriates) are selling the wealth in the country and taking it abroad. As a result, money laundering is increasing, they said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 14:34:49', '2024-04-15 14:34:49'),
(11955, 11955, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Claiming BNP\'s falsehood over the number of its imprisoned party men, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today sought the list of imprisoned BNP leaders, otherwise BNP would have to seek apology to the nation.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The number of BNP\'s captive leaders was 20,000 and how it becomes 60 lakh...so, reveal the list of 60lakh jailed activists, otherwise Mirza Fakhrul Islam must have to seek apology to the nation for his falsehood\", he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister made this comment while briefing the journalists at Awami League President\'s political office at Dhanmondi here this afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about the Mujibnagar Day on April 17, the ruling party leader said \"it [April 17] is the oath day of the first government of the Independent Bangladesh ...but BNP does not accept it.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even they refuse June 7, a red-letter day in the history of freedom movements of the people of Bangladesh and the nation has since been observing June 7 as the historic Six-Point Day, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\'So, I never believe that BNP will do positive politics with the spirit of Bengali culture\", Quader added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharply criticizing that the BNP was born to destroy the Spirit of Liberation of Bangladesh, the road transport and bridges minister said they want to strike on the root of the land [Bangladesh]. \"Suddenly one became an announcer of our independence through blowing a whistle and it was the role of BNP in 1971\", he noted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Replying to a query on Israel and Palestine, the minister said \"We don\'t want war... We want peace\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Asked about the continuation of government\'s step on checking commodity price like the holy Ramadan, Quader said the programme would be continued till fulfill the peoples\' requirement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Awami League Joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organizing secretaries BM Mozammel Huq and Mirza Azam, Relief and Social Welfare Affairs secretary Aminul Islam Amin, Cultural affairs secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil and deputy office secretary Sayem Khan, among others, attended the function. - BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 14:49:35', '2024-04-15 14:49:35'),
(11956, 11956, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat today described Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi\'s programme defying the directives issued by the government for the sake of public safety and its negative statement as unexpected and unfortunate.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;\"Udichi Shilpigoshthi\'s programme defying the directives, issued by the government\'s security affairs agency for ensuring security of Pahela Baishakh, was inconsiderate and unfortunate incident,\" he told journalists at his Secretariat office here.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arafat said, \"The government gets hurt and very much shocked at this behavior of Udichi\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many people were killed and many others became paralyzed after being injured in bombings at Ramna Batamul in the capital and Udichi\'s programme in Jashore on Pahela Baishakh, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The state minister said several members of police sacrificed their lives to prevent terrorist attack at Holey Artisan, Eid Jammat at Sholakia Maidan and in Sylhet and saved lives of people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the government remains always vigilant to ensure the safety of people\'s lives and property in every event, no terrorist attack or terrorist incident has occurred in Bangladesh in the recent past, he mentioned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the government seeks everyone\'s cooperation in this regard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arafat said in 1993, the then Begum Khaleda Zia\'s government obstructed the celebration programme of Bengali year of 1400.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The purpose of their obstruction was not security rather for discouraging this universal and non-communal festival of Bangalee nation, the state minister said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Under the leadership of Bangabandhu\'s daughter, all organizations having faith in the spirit of Liberation War including Bangladesh Awami League or we all had celebrated Pahela Baishakh in Suhrawardy Udyan,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noting that ensuring security is the duty of the government, the state minister sought cooperation from all as any joyous festival doesn\'t turn into sorrowful incident.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He questioned who would take the responsibility if any accident occurred there where Udichi held programme defying government\'s prohibition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We think that those who will hold programme without following rules or directives should take that responsibility,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning said Pahela Baishakh is celebrated in a proper manner under the initiative of the Awami League government, Arafat said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s government introduced allowance for Bengali New Year for celebration of the Pahela Baishakh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the tenure of Sheikh Hasina, in response to the Cultural Affairs Ministry\'s appeal, Bangladesh\'s \"Mangal Shobhajatra\" was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2016, categorised on the representative list as a heritage of humanity. - BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 15:21:00', '2024-04-15 15:21:00'),
(11957, 11957, '<div><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury said on Monday that though the level of challenges in environmental pollution control activities is very high, people\'s expectations have to be met.</b><br></div><div><br></div><div>People\'s hopes can’t be destroyed if they make any complaint, it should be settled at the earliest, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister said this while addressing the officials of the ministry at a special meeting held at the conference room of the ministry at Secretariat on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>It should be ensured that government programmes are environmentally friendly. To fulfil their respective responsibilities to ensure the protection of public health, he asserted.</div><div><br></div><div>Underscoring the use of single-use plastic and the need to make banner festoons with environmentally-friendly materials, Saber said eco-friendly municipality, zero waste villages should be implemented.</div><div><br></div><div>Environmental awareness should be increased through the education system. Necessary initiatives should be taken to include environment, forests, climate change and biodiversity in the textbooks next year 2025, the minister thinks, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Secretary of the ministry Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary (Administration) Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary (Development) Md. Mosharraf Hossain, Additional Secretary Tapan Kumar Biswas, Additional Secretary (Development) Dr. Fahmida Khanam, Director General of Department of Environment Dr. Abdul Hamid and senior officials of the ministry were present in the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-15 15:49:54', '2024-04-15 15:49:54'),
(11958, 11958, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>At least 14 people were dead and several were injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a pickup van on Dhaka-Khulna highway.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The incident took place at Sadar upazila in Faridpur district this morning. Identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MD. Hasanuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Faridpur Sadar Kotwali Police Station, said that a Magura-bound bus of Unique Paribahan from Dhaka collided with a Dhaka-bound pickup van. Eleven people died on the spot and two died after being taken to hospital. At least four people were injured in the incident. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The injured have been admitted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital, reports unb.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On information, a Fire Service team rushed to the spot and conducted rescue operations, said the OC.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-16 06:33:33', '2024-04-16 08:16:51'),
(11959, 11959, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A mild to moderate heatwave is sweeping over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet and it may continue, according to BMD’s weather bulletin on Tuesday.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Meanwhile, rain and thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally winds may occur in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rangpur, and Sylhet divisions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, for the rest of the country, the weather is expected to remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy skies, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day and night temperatures are expected to remain nearly unchanged across the country, added the bulletin. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-16 06:43:23', '2024-04-16 06:43:23'),
(11960, 11960, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Showcasing a festive tribute to the nation\'s woven treasure Jamdani, which UNESCO has designated as an intangible cultural heritage, as well as the legacy of handloom (Taat) and the exquisite craftsmanship behind the textile artistry, popular music platform Coke Studio Bangla’s third season returned on April 13 with the song \"Tati.\"</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Performed by Bangladeshi singer and weaver Md Gonjer Ali, Nigerian rapper Louis Anthony who is better known by his stage name Oli Boy and featuring renowned Bangladeshi actress Jaya Ahsan, the song has been trending during the festive occasion of Eid and Pahela Baishakh, garnering over a million views on YouTube within two days.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The maiden track of the third season is an amalgamation of three songs - “Gayer Bodhu” written by Md Gonjer Ali, “Hana di Reshomer Bone” written by Shatarupa Thakurta Roy, and “Time to Giger” written by Oli Boy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chandra Shekhar Shaha, a researcher and one of the pathfinders in modern crafting and textile design in Bangladesh, collected Jamdani Weaving verses used in the song, while Faizan R Ahmad (Buno) worked on the track as its Chief Sound Engineer, mixed and mastered by Saadul Islam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The song not only showcased a harmonious tapestry of the country’s traditional handloom through its melodic presentation; but the Steadicam-operated music video itself, produced by Runout Films under the direction of Adnan Al Rajeev, also portrayed a majestic set with a tantalizing display of Jamdani everywhere, and through the classy attires of the performers as well.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Describing the song, Coke Studio Bangla Curator and Producer Shayan Chowdhury Arnob said: “Jamdani is our heritage, identity and pride - however, the rhythmic verses and tunes of our handlooms were unknown to me.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“After discovering those hidden gems and our weaver brother Gonjer Ali, creator of many of these types of songs, we blended the track with my old song “Tati,” (Hana di Reshomer Bone), written by Shatarupa didi. To set the song on Afrobeat (African tunes), we found Oli Boy, who has been working in our garments industry for the past three years - and speaks and sings in Bengali.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Popular actress Jaya Ahsan\'s appearance in this song was a surprising addition, and Arnob commented, \"Jaya Ahsan is a friend of mine, and I enjoy her wearing Jamdani saree on all occasions at home and abroad. Not everyone knows that she is also an excellent singer.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jaya also shared her association with the track, saying: “All of Bangladesh\'s traditional sarees, such as the Jamdani and Muslin styles, are my favourites - and because of my passion for sarees and Arnob\'s earnest request, I became associated with this song and gained valuable experience working with an amazing team. I have represented the Jamdani sarees of Bangladesh on a global scale several times, and I\'m confident this song will appeal to music lovers who appreciate sarees and the tradition of our magnificent handlooms.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Syeda Sadia Afrina, the owner of Thread Bangladesh which provided the Jamdani wardrobe for the performers, stated: “For the first time, someone took a major initiative in the music industry which will help this generation and the next to know more about our weaving heritage and the history behind it - and this is perfectly aligned with our core values in Team Thread. Thanks to the entire Coke management Abeer Rajbeen, Adnan Al Rajeev, Jaya Ahsan and the whole team of “Tati,” and a sincere thanks to Shayan Chowdhury Arnob bhai for making this beautiful composition about our weavers.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lineup for the background vocal of the song featured Md Ariful Haque (also with dotara as well), Jannatul Ferdous Akbar, Sheikh Mumtahina Mehzabin, Baby Akter, Karishma Sanu Shovvota, Shanta Islam, Nishat Ara Khaled, and Md Makhon Miah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">DotBirth Limited is associated with season 3 as its creative agency, and the new season will feature 11 new songs with more than 180 musicians and artists from across Bangladesh and the world, including Arnob, Pritom, Emon Chowdhury and Meghdol. In addition to that, new artists will be making their Coke Studio Bangla debut this season, including the iconic Habib Wahid. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-16 08:12:09', '2024-04-16 08:12:09'),
(11961, 11961, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Traders have proposed increasing the prices of edible oil by Tk 10 per litre as the tax exemption deadline on it expired on April 15.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Vegetables Oil Refiners\' and Vanaspati Manufacturer\'s Association (BVORVMFA) sent a letter to the senior secretary of the commerce ministry in this regard on Monday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The letter was issued by executive officer of BVORVMFA Nurul Islam Mollah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The letter stated that as tax exemption on the import of raw materials and production of edible expired on April 15 so it will be supplied at the prices fixed before the exemption of VAT.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per new rate, a litre bottle of soybean oil will be sold at Tk 173, while 5 litre bottle at Tk 845 and a litre palm oil at Tk 132.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In February the National Board of Revenue reduced  the Value Added Tax on refined and crude (non-refined) soybean and palm oil to 10 percent from 15 percent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, state minister for commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu at a meet the press at Dhaka Reporters ‘Unity on Tuesday said there is no scope to hike prices of edible oil, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the edible oil price can be adjusted with the international market rate but it will take time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The state minister also said the price hike would be considered on the import of new shipment of the edible oil.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-16 08:34:49', '2024-04-16 08:35:26'),
(11962, 11962, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Israel’s military chief said Monday that the country will respond after Iran launched an attack involving hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. World leaders are urging Israel not to retaliate.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says “all sides must show restraint” to avoid a rising spiral of violence in the Middle East. French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris will try to “convince Israel that we must not respond by escalating.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian attack on Saturday marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. The attack happened less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An Israeli military spokesman said that 99% of the drones and missiles launched by Iran were intercepted.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel’s six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,700 people, according to local health officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel’s military chief says the country will respond to Iran’s missile strike over the weekend.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Monday that Israel is still considering its steps. But he said the Iranian strike of missiles and attack drones “will be met with a response.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Halevi spoke during a visit to the Nevatim air base, which Israel says suffered light damage in the Iranian attack.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been huddling with top officials to discuss a possible response</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked a freeway leading to three Chicago O’Hare International Airport terminals Monday morning, temporarily stopping vehicle traffic into one of the nation’s busiest airports and causing headaches for travelers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Protesters linked arms and blocked lanes of Interstate 190 around 7 a.m., a demonstration they said was part of a global “economic blockade to free Palestine,” according to Rifqa Falaneh, one of the organizers. Similar demonstrations blocking a freeway in California’s Bay Area also took place Monday, reports AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">O’Hare warned travelers on the social platform X to take alternative forms of transportation with car travel “substantially delayed this morning due to protest activity.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-04-16 08:54:31', '2024-04-16 08:54:31');
