INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11402, 11402, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Iris Apfel, a textile expert, interior designer and fashion celebrity known for her eccentric style, has died. She was 102.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Her death was confirmed by her commercial agent, Lori Sale, who called Apfel “extraordinary.” No cause of death was given. It was also announced on her verified Instagram page on Friday, which a day earlier had celebrated that Leap Day represented her 102nd-and-a-half birthday.</div><div><br></div><div>Born Aug. 29, 1921, Apfel was famous for her irreverent, eye-catching outfits, mixing haute couture and oversized costume jewelry. A classic Apfel look would, for instance, pair a feather boa with strands of chunky beads, bangles and a jacket decorated with Native American beadwork.</div><div><br></div><div>With her big, round, black-rimmed glasses, bright red lipstick and short white hair, she stood out at every fashion show she attended.</div><div><br></div><div>Her style was the subject of museum exhibits and a documentary film, \"Iris,\" directed by Albert Maysles.</div><div><br></div><div>“I\'m not pretty, and I\'ll never be pretty, but it doesn\'t matter,” she once said. “I have something much better. I have style.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Apfel enjoyed late-in-life fame on social media, amassing nearly 3 million followers on Instagram, where her profile declares: “More is more &amp; Less is a Bore.” On TikTok, she drew 215,000 followers as she waxed wise on things fashion and style and promoted recent collaborations.</div><div><br></div><div>“Being stylish and being fashionable are two entirely different things,\" she said in one TikTok video. “You can easily buy your way into being fashionable. Style, I think is in your DNA. It implies originality and courage.”</div><div><br></div><div>She never retired, telling “Today”: \"I think retiring at any age is a fate worse than death. Just because a number comes up doesn’t mean you have to stop.”</div><div><br></div><div>“Working alongside her was the honor of a lifetime. I will miss her daily calls, always greeted with the familiar question: “What have you got for me today?,” Sale said in a statement. “Testament to her insatiable desire to work. She was a visionary in every sense of the word. She saw the world through a unique lens – one adorned with giant, distinctive spectacles that sat atop her nose.”</div><div><br></div><div>Apfel was an expert on textiles and antique fabrics. She and her husband Carl owned a textile manufacturing company, Old World Weavers, and specialized in restoration work, including projects at the White House under six different U.S. presidents. Apfel’s celebrity clients included Estee Lauder and Greta Garbo.</div><div><br></div><div>Apfel’s own fame blew up in 2005 when the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City hosted a show about her called “Rara Avis,” Latin for “rare bird.” The museum described her style as “both witty and exuberantly idiosyncratic.</div><div><br></div><div>Her originality is typically revealed in her mixing of high and low fashions — Dior haute couture with flea market finds, 19th-century ecclesiastical vestments with Dolce &amp; Gabbana lizard trousers.” The museum said her “layered combinations” defied “aesthetic conventions” and “even at their most extreme and baroque” represented a “boldly graphic modernity.”</div><div><br></div><div>The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, was one of several museums around the country that hosted a traveling version of the show. Apfel later decided to donate hundreds of pieces to the Peabody — including couture gowns — to help them build what she termed “a fabulous fashion collection.” The Museum of Fashion &amp; Lifestyle near Apfel’s winter home in Palm Beach, Florida, also plans a gallery dedicated to displaying items from Apfel’s collection.</div><div><br></div><div>Apfel was born in New York City to Samuel and Sadye Barrel. Her mother owned a boutique.</div><div><br></div><div>Apfel’s fame in her later years included appearances in ads for brands like M.A.C. cosmetics and Kate Spade. She also designed a line of accessories and jewelry for Home Shopping Network, collaborated with H&amp;M on a sold-out-in-minutes collection of brightly-colored apparel, jewelry and shoes, put out a makeup line with Ciaté London, an eyeglass collection with Zenni and partnered with Ruggable on floor coverings.</div><div><br></div><div>In a 2017 interview with AP at age 95, she said her favorite contemporary designers included Ralph Rucci, Isabel Toledo and Naeem Khan, but added: \"I have so much, I don\'t go looking.\" Asked for her fashion advice, she said: \"Everybody should find her own way. I\'m a great one for individuality. I don\'t like trends. If you get to learn who you are and what you look like and what you can handle, you\'ll know what to do.\"</div><div><br></div><div>She called herself the “accidental icon,” which became the title of a book she published in 2018 filled with her mementos and style musings. Odes to Apfel are abundant, from a Barbie in her likeness to T-shirts, glasses, artwork and dolls.</div><div><br></div><div>Apfel’s husband died in 2015. They had no children. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 10:02:49', '2024-03-02 10:02:49'),
(11403, 11403, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Confusion over the identity of Journalist Bristi Khatun (Abhishruti Shastri) who was killed in the fire at a commercial building at Bailey Road in the capital, has delayed the process of handing over her body to her family.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Abhishruti worked as a reporter for the online news portal The Report.</div><div><br></div><div>Abhishruti\'s father Shahburul Alam Sabuj said that her daughter\'s name is Bristi Khatun and she is a Muslim but her friends and colleagues claimed that she was known as Abhishruti and that she claimed to be a Hindu.</div><div><br></div><div>The different claims led to confusion when Sabuj came to get her daughter\'s body from the Sheikh Hasina Burn Institute at around 3:00pm Friday (1 March).</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, the hospital authorities checked her voter identity card and used her fingerprint to confirm the data in the government database, where they found her identity is registered as Bristi Khatun.</div><div><br></div><div>Convinced of her identity, hospital authorities later began the body handover process.</div><div><br></div><div>Sabuj said, \"I wanted to raise my girl to be a prominent figure in the future. My daughter always told me \'Baba, don\'t worry. I will be a good human being\'.</div><div><br></div><div>\"My daughter never wanted to take money from me. She used to say, \'I can take care of myself. You don\'t need to worry, Baba\'. I had so many hopes and dreams, all of those ended.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I used to say that village girls can\'t do anything better. But I will go to the village and say that my daughter does a lot of things. What will I take to the village now?\"</div><div><br></div><div>Sabuj also said he would head for his village in Kushtia\'s Khoksa upazila tonight with her daughter\'s body.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 10:26:05', '2024-03-02 10:26:05'),
(11404, 11404, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC), a leadership institute, organized a 7.5 km run in Hatirjheel in association with the Ministry of Youth and Sport to raise awareness on reducing air pollution by creating the city green.</b></div><div><br></div><div>Supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the BYLC Running with Purpose 2024 event saw the participation of around 1000 runners of diverse backgrounds, said a press release.</div><div><br></div><div>By bringing hundreds of youth, children, and adults to run through part of the city, the run drew attention to the importance of clean air and a greener city, focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 3 (good health and wellbeing) &amp; 11 (Green City) which underscores the urgency to take action to combat air pollution and its impacts through making the surroundings greener.</div><div><br></div><div>M A Akher, Director (Planning), Department of Youth Development, expressed his gratitude to BYLC for igniting change through this remarkable run and guiding the nation\'s youth toward a purpose-driven path. \"Your dedication is inspiring and indispensable in propelling our future leaders towards a brighter tomorrow,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>At the award ceremony of BYLC Running with Purpose 2024 today, Ejaj Ahmad, the founder and executive chairperson of BYLC, emphasized the importance of access to fresh air as a basic necessity and a fundamental human right. He noted the rapid deterioration of</div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka\'s air quality over recent years, consistently placing it among the world\'s worst. He urged the ordinary citizens to actively contribute to creating a greener city while emphasizing the need to hold elected officials accountable for improving air quality in Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>Md. Khorshed Alam, Technical Judge, Bangladesh Athletics Federation, was also present at the event and appreciated BYLC\'s initiative in making Bangladesh a better place to live.</div><div><br></div><div>Tahsinah Ahmed, Executive Director, BYLC concluded the program by sharing her vote of thanks at the closing ceremony.</div><div><br></div><div>Praava Health, a leading healthcare provider in Bangladesh, was the health partner for the event, while the popular food chain, Unimart was the food partner. Other partners included Elite Force as our security partner, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Hatirjheel Thana and others.</div><div><br></div><div>BYLC exists to build connections among youth from diverse backgrounds, equip them with leadership skills, and enable them to have high impact in public, private, and civil sectors.</div><div><br></div><div>Over the past fifteen years, they have trained more than 7000 young people in leadership and 3700(five years) in professional skill development. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 10:31:26', '2024-03-02 10:31:26'),
(11405, 11405, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In the wake of the devastating fire on Bailey Road that claimed 46 lives, Health Minister Dr. Samanta Lal Sen has called for stringent action from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and the Public Works Ministry to avert future catastrophes.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Speaking on Saturday, the Minister expressed profound concern over the tragedy and the necessity for rigorous safety measures.</div><div><br></div><div>“Rajuk and the Public Works Ministry must adopt a proactive stance to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated,” Dr. Sen remarked after his participation in the 23rd International Scientific Seminar held in Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>He emphasized the critical need for these authorities to conduct thorough inspections to identify buildings at risk of fire. By doing so, Dr. Sen believes, the frequency of fire incidents can be significantly reduced in the future.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to fire safety, Dr. Sen addressed the state of healthcare facilities in Bangladesh, advocating for the coexistence of private and government hospitals to meet the public\'s healthcare needs. However, he insisted that all healthcare institutions must adhere to established regulations and standards, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>“The regulation of hospitals is non-negotiable. Our drive against irregularities and non-compliance in healthcare facilities will persist to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens,” he affirmed.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 10:33:53', '2024-03-02 10:33:53'),
(11406, 11406, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep shock over the loss of lives due to the fire at Dhaka’s Bailey Road that has claimed 46 lives so far.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Modi expressed his heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in the fire at the Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall in Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>He also wished speedy recovery to those injured.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In the letter dated March 1, the Indian Prime Minister further affirmed that his country stands with Bangladesh in this hour of grief, and his thoughts and prayers remain with her and the friendly people of Bangladesh. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 11:36:15', '2024-03-02 11:36:15'),
(11407, 11407, '<p><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka wants to contribute to Bangladesh’s goal of a prosperous nation providing students with education of the highest standard in order to prepare them for the future and make a positive contribution in a changing world, the head of the Academy has said.</span><br></p><p>“We want to work together for a common goal, for the betterment of our people; and for a peaceful, rich and prosperous Bangladesh,” Suvina Shunglu, the new head of the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka, told UNB at her office recently.</p><p>The Academy, which is now in its second academic year, has a dream, said Suvina, who promotes a culture of quality education, diversity, and inclusion.</p><p>“This dream has come to us from its founder – Aga Khan. We are here and the school is here to realize that dream,” she said, adding that the dream is to groom people who will respect each other and who will be pluralistic and accept differences and will work together for the common goal.</p><p>Suvina, who has worked in the field of education and school administration over the last 30 years, said they do not have academies in the United States or in Europe but they have such academies in developing countries.</p><p>The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is the fourth in a network of Aga Khan Academies being established in countries across Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Middle East.&nbsp;</p><p>The first Academy opened in Mombasa, Kenya in 2003, the second in Hyderabad, India in 2011 and the third in Maputo, Mozambique in 2013.</p><p>Highlighting the importance of teachers’ training, Suvina said teaching is one of the most meaningful professions. “I am not saying teaching is the most lucrative profession.”</p><p>“We want enough teachers for all the schools,” she said, adding that the International Baccalaureate (IB) is the most progressive curriculum.&nbsp;</p><p>During his visit last week to Aga Khan Academy, State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak shared his vision to revolutionize education for talented Bangladeshis, particularly those residing in rural and remote areas.</p><p>His vision aims to establish a world-class learning environment through a robust national talent identification program, with the Aga Khan Academy proposed as a knowledge partner of the Ministry.</p><p>This collaborative effort seeks to empower underprivileged children in rural areas, nurturing their development into modern global citizens.</p><p>Palak underscored Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s vision for a Smart Bangladesh by 2041, emphasizing innovative education to cultivate smart citizens.</p><p>In alignment with this vision, the Ministry is planning the establishment of the Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology which will offer training programs including on AI and robotics.</p><p>Palak reiterated the government\'s commitment to transitioning from Digital Bangladesh to Smart Bangladesh, leveraging education, technology, and knowledge as drivers of progress.</p><p>Recognizing the Aga Khan Academy as a beacon of educational excellence, Palak proposed collaboration to modernize government educational institutions and promote ICT integration in education</p><p>This partnership aims to establish AI awareness programs, innovation challenge funds, and a robust education and knowledge ecosystem.</p><p>As the nation embarks on this transformative journey, Palak\'s vision promises to bridge the gap between urban and rural education, paving the way for a brighter future for all citizens of Bangladesh.</p><p>During his visit to the Academy, Palak graciously toured the campus and engaged with the students.</p><p>On behalf of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the Aga Khan Academy, Resident Diplomatic Representative of AKDN, Munir M Merali, extended heartfelt gratitude to State Minister Palak for gracing the campus with his presence and for sharing his vision for a Smart Bangladesh, according to unb reports</p><p>bnbd24/fas&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 11:39:34', '2024-03-02 11:39:34'),
(11408, 11408, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has highlighted the importance of caring for protecting the environment and the adverse effects of global warming that amongst others negatively contributing towards the rise of climate migrants and refusees.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh urgently urged the world community to change the definition of climate migrants and refugees to bring it in line with the UN definition of migrants and refugees.</div><div><br></div><div>He mentioned the pristine nature of life in the universe and where life thrives only on the planet amongst two trillion galaxies.</div><div><br></div><div>At the first panel discussion of the Antaliya Diplomacy Forum held in Antalya, Türkiye on Saturday, the Foreign Minister spoke on global climate change and climate migrants and climate refugees issue.</div><div><br></div><div>Foreign Ministers of Malaysia and Bangladesh, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Vietnam discussed various aspects of the Them “Building Asia-Pacific Regional Architecture: The Challenge of Unmatching Interests”.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasan mentioned that like many small and island nations, Bangladesh has become one of the worst sufferers of the Hlobal Climate Change and Global Warming.</div><div><br></div><div>Along it the sea level rise what is happening now for the last three decades mostly because of the increasing rise of greenhouse gases, the entire coastal area of Bangladesh is at the risk of inundation, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"And this phenomenon is constantly causing climate migrations. The issue is now so real that Bangladesh urgently needs to the world community to change the definition of climate migrants and refugees,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Foreign Minister mentioned that while his country and many environmental scientists have been focusing on the issue for many long years, many world leaders have not believed in it until lately it has become evident to all.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Yet the rich countries, the major contributors to the global warming, are doing very little to address the issue and protect our environment,\" Hasan said.</div><div><br></div><div>There are local issues that make the impact global.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh as one of the worst sufferers of this harsh reality urgently to all activists and leaders to accept the importance of changing the definition of climate migrants and refugees and devise an acceptable definition of it and protect the victims and the future generations, said the Foreign Minister.</div><div><br></div><div>The panel discussion was moderated by Lawrence Anderson, an academic and fellow of Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 12:18:53', '2024-03-02 12:18:53'),
(11409, 11409, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Three men were arrested today after the gang rape of a Spanish tourist on a motorbike trip through India’s remote east with her husband, local media reports said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The attack took place last night in the Dumka district of the eastern state of Jharkhand, where the couple had stopped to camp the night in a tent.</div><div><br></div><div>The woman was able to reach a police patrol van at around 11pm and was taken to hospital for treatment, police officer Pitamber Singh Kherwar told The Times of India newspaper.</div><div><br></div><div>Kherwar said police had detained three people in connection with the attack and were on the hunt for more suspects.</div><div><br></div><div>The Spanish woman is being treated at a local hospital in Dumka and an investigation is underway, reports said.</div><div><br></div><div>An average of nearly 90 rapes were reported in India every day in 2022, according to data by the national crime records bureau.</div><div><br></div><div>However, large numbers go unreported due to prevailing stigmas around victims and a lack of faith in police investigations.</div><div><br></div><div>Convictions remain rare, with cases getting stuck for years in India’s clogged-up criminal justice system.</div><div><br></div><div>The notorious gang rape and murder of an Indian student made global headlines in 2012.</div><div><br></div><div>Jyoti Singh, a 23-year-old physiotherapy student, was raped and assaulted and left for dead by five men and a teenager on a bus in New Delhi in December that year. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The horrific crime shone an international spotlight on India’s high levels of sexual violence and sparked weeks of protests, and eventually a change inthe law to introduce the death penalty for rape.</span></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><br></span></div><div>bnbd24/fas<br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 12:39:19', '2024-03-02 12:39:19'),
(11410, 11410, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky today urged the west to deliver more air defence systems after five people were killed in the latest Russian strikes.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Overnight aerial attacks claimed three lives in the southern port city of Odesa, while shelling killed one person in the Kharkiv region near the Russian border and another in the frontline Kherson region, Ukrainian officials said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Russia continues to hit civilians,” Zelensky said in a post on social media.</div><div><br></div><div>“We need more air defences from our partners. We need to strengthen the Ukrainian air shield to add more protection for our people from Russian terror. More air defence systems and more missiles for air defence systems saves lives,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine is currently on the back foot in the two-year war as a crucial US$60 billion aid package is held up in the US Congress.</div><div><br></div><div>In Odesa, “a nine-storey building was destroyed as a result of an attack by Russian terrorists”, interior minister Igor Klymenko said today in a post on Telegram.</div><div><br></div><div>The attack killed at least three people, including a child, with others still unaccounted for, Ukraine’s emergency services said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Rescuers pulled out the body of a child, believed to be a three-to-five-year old, from the rubble of a house,” the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor-general said.</div><div><br></div><div>Footage shared from the scene showed several floors of a residential building collapsed and its facade ripped off.</div><div><br></div><div>In Kharkiv, a 76-year-old man was killed in a shelling attack shortly after midnight, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said.</div><div><br></div><div>And shelling in the frontline Kherson region this morning killed one more person, the provincial head said.</div><div><br></div><div>‘Difficult situation’</div><div><br></div><div>Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched 17 Iranian “Shahed” drones overnight and fired three missiles.</div><div><br></div><div>It said it downed 14 of the drones, but falling debris caused damage to residential buildings in Odesa and Kharkiv.</div><div><br></div><div>Kyiv also appeared to have had launched its own overnight drone attack that damaged a residential building in Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second city.</div><div><br></div><div>The Russian head of the city reported an “incident” had occurred – language previously used to describe Ukrainian attacks – but said there were no casualties.</div><div><br></div><div>Videos on Russian social media showed what appeared to be a drone falling from the sky into the building, triggering an explosion, and locals said the blown out windows and small fires were caused by a drone hit.</div><div><br></div><div>Ukrainian media reported Russian air defences had shot down a drone that was targeting an oil depot less than a kilometre away from the building struck in St Petersburg.</div><div><br></div><div>Kyiv has hit several Russian oil refineries in recent months in what it has called fair retribution for Moscow’s attacks on Ukraine’s power grid.</div><div><br></div><div>The attacks come with Russia seeking to press its advantage on the battlefield.</div><div><br></div><div>Kyiv has admitted it is heavily outgunned and outnumbered, facing ammunition shortages amid aid delays.</div><div><br></div><div>Half of all promised western ammunition arrives in the country late, the defence minister has said – in what he called critical delays that cost lives and territory.</div><div><br></div><div>Russian forces have pressed westwards following last month’s capture of Avdiivka, and have seized several small villages in recent days.</div><div><br></div><div>Visiting frontline military posts today, Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said “the situation at the front remains difficult, but controlled”. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 12:42:06', '2024-03-02 12:42:06'),
(11411, 11411, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Yemen’s Houthi group insisted Saturday on bringing relief aid into the Gaza Strip in exchange for allowing the sunken British ship Rubymar in the Gulf of Aden to be salvaged.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“We confirm again that the offer is valid to tow the ship (Rubymar) in exchange for bringing relief trucks into Gaza,” Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the group\'s Supreme Political Council, said in a statement on X.</div><div><br></div><div>“We hold Britain responsible for all consequences,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>There was no comment from Britain regarding the statement.</div><div><br></div><div>The British ship Rubymar, which was targeted by the Houthis on Feb. 18, was carrying large quantities of ammonia and oils, according to the official Saba Agency.</div><div><br></div><div>Last Saturday, the Yemeni government said that the ship was heading toward the Yemeni Hanish Islands in the Red Sea, which threatens a “major environmental disaster.”</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said last Saturday that “the unprovoked and reckless attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists caused significant damage to the ship, which caused an 18-mile oil slick.”</div><div><br></div><div>“The M/V Rubymar was transporting over 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked, which could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster,” it added.</div><div><br></div><div>The Yemeni Houthi group has been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7.</div><div><br></div><div>With tensions escalating due to joint strikes by the US and UK against Houthi targets in Yemen, the group declared that it considered all American and British ships legitimate military targets. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 13:03:56', '2024-03-02 13:03:56'),
(11412, 11412, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidential Council’s Bosniak Member Denis Becirovic, Croatian Member Zeljko Komsic and Serbian Member Zeljka Cvijanovic on Saturday discussed Türkiye-Bosnia Herzegovina relations as well as regional and global issues.</b></div><div><br></div><div>President Erdogan and the council’s members met on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.</div><div><br></div><div>“President Erdogan expressed in the meeting that it is crucial for Türkiye to maintain the unity, peace, and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and deepen the relations between the two countries,” Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said on X.</div><div><br></div><div>Erdogan also underlined Ankara’s determination to make sincere and constructive contributions in these matters, emphasizing that these contributions will continue to increase, the directorate said.</div><div><br></div><div>“President Erdogan stated that the steps taken for the increase of the bilateral trade volume and collaborations in all fields will continue,” it added. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 13:18:40', '2024-03-02 13:18:40'),
(11413, 11413, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Russia said on Saturday that Israel\'s plans regarding Palestinians in Rafah may turn into an \"ethnic cleansing.\"</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “A real tragedy is taking place in Gaza, which has no end in sight.”</div><div><br></div><div>There are a lot of initiatives on a cease-fire and humanitarian pause, however, the statements of the Israeli leadership show that they do not change their goal of \"clean up Gaza completely, eliminate Hamas,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Even the Western representatives wonder how can this be done, to eliminate Hamas by 100%. Moreover, Israeli generals and ministers say that everyone in Gaza is Hamas. It is then necessary to destroy all the inhabitants of Gaza,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Lavrov said Moscow is also concerned about Israeli plans to carry out a military operation in Rafah, where two-thirds of the Gazans are seeking shelter from violence.</div><div><br></div><div>\"If the operation of Rafah begins, a huge number of refugees will leave for Egypt, and the Egyptians have repeatedly stated that this is unacceptable. This will be ethnic cleansing in fact,\" he stressed.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.</div><div><br></div><div>At least 30,320 Palestinians have since been killed and 71,533 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. - Anadolu Agency</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 13:30:53', '2024-03-02 13:30:53'),
(11414, 11414, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Palestinian Authority hopes a ceasefire can be agreed in the Gaza war in time for Ramadan, its foreign minister, Riyad Al-Maliki, said on Saturday.</span></div><div><br></div><div>Israel and Hamas have been negotiating through mediators over a possible ceasefire in Gaza, with the aim of halting fighting in time for Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, due to begin this year on March 10.</div><div><br></div><div>“We hope that we will be able to achieve a ceasefire before Ramadan, we hope to be able to achieve one today, yesterday, but we have failed,” he said at a news conference at a diplomatic forum in Antalya, Turkiye.</div><div><br></div><div>Egyptian security sources said on Saturday that ceasefire negotiations were due to resume in Cairo on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>Hamas, which precipitated the war in Gaza by attacking Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies, has said it will not free all its captives without a comprehensive deal to end the war.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel, which has assaulted the Gaza Strip, killing more than 30,000 people according to Palestinian health authorities, has said it will agree only to temporary pauses in fighting to release hostages, and will not end the war until Hamas is eradicated.</div><div><br></div><div>Maliki called on the international community to make more efforts for a ceasefire.</div><div><br></div><div>When asked about the PA’s role for the governance of Gaza after the war, Al-Maliki said: “The only legitimate authority that will operate and continue to operate Gaza is the Palestinian Administration. This is how we see the situation in post-war Gaza.”</div><div><br></div><div>The PA, which exercises limited self rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, lost control of Gaza to the Hamas militant group in 2007.</div><div><br></div><div>Maliki also said the PA President Mahmoud Abbas will pay a visit to Ankara on Tuesday and meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.</div><div><br></div><div>The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Saturday the wartime death toll in the Palestinian territory had reached 30,320 after 92 new fatalities were recorded in the previous 24 hours.</div><div><br></div><div>The ministry also said 71,533 people have been wounded in Gaza since the war broke out on October 7. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-02 13:39:04', '2024-03-02 13:39:04'),
(11415, 11415, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the field-level administration to take stern action against illegal hoarders of commodities and ensure smooth supply of essential items to the consumers during the upcoming month of Ramadan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“During the Ramadan, some businesses are there who always want to make extra profit by hoarding the essentials and raising their prices. But we have to pay a special attention to it. It is now one of our immediate duties,” said Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier made the directives while opening the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) Conference-2024 at her office in the city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Divisional Commissioners and deputy commissioners of districts joined the four-day conference, which will conclude on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In the supply chain, problems are created or attempts are made to create artificial crisis of commodities. Some hoarders are there who let goods to be rotten but don’t supply the goods to the market. It needs to take tough legal action in this regard,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM asked the field administration to pay a special attention so that the essential goods could reach to the common people smoothly during the upcoming Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said though the inflation rate is still within 10 percent in Bangladesh, it is nonetheless a problem.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She directed the officials to intensify monitoring on the market situation and ensure the consumers won’t be subjected to harassment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The subsequent programmes of the conference will be held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium, featuring a total of 30 sessions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain delivered the welcome speech.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain, PM’s Principal Secretary Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Dhaka divisional commissioner Sabirul Islam, Chattogram DC Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakhruzzaman and Gaibandha DC Kazi Nahid Rasul spoke at the opening session.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, some 350 proposals have been put forth by the DCs and divisional commissioners for the DC Conference, a platform for top field-level administration officials. 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, '2024-03-03 07:29:55', '2024-03-03 07:29:55'),
(11416, 11416, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, the history of fire incidents stretches back decades, with each tragedy laying bare the systemic failures of monitoring and enforcement by the authorities.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The recurrence of these incidents, resulting in loss of lives and property, highlights a persistent cycle of negligence and a lack of proper supervision by the concerned agencies, including the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and the Fire Service and Civil Defence.</div><div><br></div><div>This pattern was tragically underscored by the recent blaze at a building housing several restaurants on Bailey Road, which claimed 46 lives, marking yet another dark chapter in Dhaka’s ongoing saga of preventable disasters.</div><div><br></div><div>The Bailey Road catastrophe is not an isolated incident but a continuation of Dhaka’s grim legacy of fire tragedies. Experts point to a systemic lack of accountability and supervision, with buildings across the capital flouting fire safety norms and regulations.</div><div><br></div><div>The construction of these structures often violates directives from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, lacking essential fire prevention measures such as alarms, adequate water supplies, and fire extinguishing systems.</div><div><br></div><div>The result is a cityscape riddled with potential fire traps, posing a constant threat to its inhabitants.</div><div><br></div><div>Professor Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), asserted that the frequent fires could be significantly reduced if the authorities took decisive action against those responsible for the lax approval and supervision of building constructions, and against building owners who neglect fire safety standards.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr. Khan emphasised that accountability must extend to RAJUK, the building owners, and even the tenants who, fully aware of the risks, continue to occupy these unsafe spaces.</div><div><br></div><div>The recurrence of fire incidents is further compounded by the failure to follow up on investigations after each tragedy. Dhaka has borne witness to several catastrophic fires, including those at Nimtoli, Churihatta, FR Tower, Armanitola, New Market, Moghbazar, and the latest disaster at Bailey Road. These incidents share common threads: mismanagement, the utilisation of risky multi-storied buildings, and a glaring lack of proper supervision, with many buildings operating without the requisite approvals from RAJUK and other regulatory bodies.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite repeated pledges from various quarters to transform Dhaka into a risk-free city, these promises have largely gone unfulfilled. Each tragic fire fades from public memory, only to be replaced by the next, in a seemingly endless cycle of devastation. This cycle is exacerbated by the mixed use of residential and commercial buildings, which Dr. Khan identified as a critical risk factor propelling the capital towards further disaster.</div><div><br></div><div>An example of this perilous overlap is the Green Cozy Cottage Building on Bailey Road. Despite approvals specifying that only the ground through fourth floors could be used commercially, with the fifth and sixth floors designated for residential purposes, the building predominantly housed restaurants, a clear breach of urban planning and building laws.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr. Khan advocated for treating such egregious violations, like the Bailey Road fire, as criminal acts, attributing them to the negligence of RAJUK and other service agencies.</div><div><br></div><div>The aftermath of the Bailey Road tragedy has seen calls for comprehensive measures, including the online registration of buildings with detailed usage information, and the public display of notices issued by the government against non-compliant building owners.</div><div><br></div><div>Ashraful Islam, the project director of the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) of RAJUK, clarified that the Bailey Road building was authorized only for office use, not for restaurants and showrooms, underscoring the illegal operations that contributed to the tragedy.</div><div><br></div><div>What Police Say</div><div><br></div><div>The police identified numerous restaurants operating within the building in violation of its approved use. Gas cylinders were stockpiled by the restaurants, highlighting a dangerous collusion between building owners and managers.</div><div><br></div><div>What Fire Service And Civil Defence Says</div><div><br></div><div>Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brig Gen Md Moin Uddin noted the absence of fire extinguishing systems in the building, despite multiple notices issued to the owners, who disregarded these warnings.</div><div><br></div><div>What RAJUK Says</div><div><br></div><div>Anisur Rahman Mia, chairman of RAJUK, stated that legal actions are underway against those implicated in the incident, with ongoing trials for previous fire-related cases. The establishment of a seven-member probe committee to investigate the Bailey Road fire, tasked with reporting their findings within seven working days, represents a step towards addressing these recurring tragedies. However, the broader challenge remains: ensuring compliance with RAJUK’s directives, a task complicated by the widespread disregard for regulatory standards, as evidenced by the failure of Mouchak Market authorities to respond to notices. The RAJUK chairman also claimed that nearly 70% of people did not follow their directives after getting approval for buildings.</div><div><br></div><div>A Look At Previous Fire Tragedies In Dhaka</div><div><br></div><div>Nimtoli</div><div><br></div><div>As many as 124 people were killed and 50 were injured as a transformer exploded at Nimtoli of Chankharpool on June 3, 2010. The fire department speculated that the fire was fanned by chemicals and other flammable products stored in shops. The overcrowded area also made it difficult for firefighters to bring the blaze under control</div><div><br></div><div>Churihatta</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 71 people died while several hundred people were injured when a gas cylinder exploded at Wahed Mansion in Churihatta of Chawkbazar area on February 20, 2019. The fire was reported to have originated in the explosion of a car’s gas cylinder, which triggered further fires in buildings and nearby gas cylinders.</div><div><br></div><div>FR Tower in Banani</div><div><br></div><div>At least 27 people died and scores were injured as a fire broke out at the multi-purpose FR Tower on March 28, 2019.</div><div><br></div><div>Moghbazar</div><div><br></div><div>At least twelve people were killed and 200 people were injured in an explosion at a building in Moghbazar Wireless area on June 27, 2021.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangabazar, New Super Market</div><div><br></div><div>A number of shops were gutted in a fire that broke out at Bangabazar Complex on April 4, 2023. Close to 6,000 stores were gutted, resulting in a loss of at least BDT 10 billion. Just 11 days after the Bangabazar shopping complex fire, another devastated Dhaka’s New Super Market. Close to 200 shops were gutted and according to primary estimates, each store had merchandise worth about Taka 20 lakh to one crore, according to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 09:38:22', '2024-03-03 09:38:22'),
(11417, 11417, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday said the country’s power sector had plunged into a deep crisis.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Talking to reporters at BNP’s Nayapalton office Rizvi said Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader’s recent remarks on the power situation contradict what Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader said Quader claimed that hundred percent people of the country are getting electricity supply while his PM a few days ago stated that load-shedding in small scale should remain in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>He said people of the country are suffering from load-shedding morning to evening whereas the temperature still remains at tolerable level.</div><div><br></div><div>Rizvi denounced Quader’s another statement that BNP is pleading with its foreign master by ignoring the people of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>He alleged that the AL general secretary is perhaps suffering from amnesia as he had forgotten the 2014 election when India’s then-foreign minister Sujata Singh visited Bangladesh to show their support to AL and manage HM Ershad to join the polls.</div><div><br></div><div>It is a clear sign of intervention in a sovereign country, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>This time also (January 7 election) the people of the country have seen that they (India) stand beside AL not Bangladeshi people, he continued, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Rizvi said they can do anything here as AL recognizes them as their master by showing a ‘knee-jerk’ attitude.</div><div><br></div><div>BNP Vice Chairman Ahmed Azam Khan, Adviser to Chairperson Zainul Abdeen Farooq, Zainal Abedin (VP Zainal), Organizational Secretary Advocate Abdus Salam Azad, Assistant Office Secretary Munir Hossain, Assistant Economic Secretary Mahmudur Rahman Sumon, were present in the press briefing.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 13:16:17', '2024-03-03 13:16:17');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11418, 11418, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A Dhaka court on Sunday granted bail to Nobel Laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus and seven others in a case filed for allegedly misappropriating over Tk 25 crore from Workers-Employees Welfare Fund of Grameen Telecom.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge As-Shams Jaglul Hossain passed the order after hearing a petition submitted by the defendants upon surrender before the court, said Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Prosecutor Mir Ahmmad Ali Salam.</div><div><br></div><div>Though the prosecution opposed the bail order, the court finally granted it after hearing, said the defendants’ counsel Abdullah Al Mamun.</div><div><br></div><div>The court also set April 2 for accepting charges against the eight accused in their presence, said the ACC prosecutor.</div><div><br></div><div>The rest defendants were absent from the hearing in the court while it passed no order regarding them.</div><div><br></div><div>The accused included Grameen Telecom’s Managing Director Md. Nazmul Islam, Director &amp; Former Managing Director Ashraful Hasan, Directors Parveen Mahmud, Naznin Sultana, Md. Shahjahan, Nurjahan Begum, SM Hujjatul Islam Latifi, lawyers Md. Yusuf Ali and Zafrul Hasan Sharif, President of Grameen Telecom Workers-Employees Union Md.&nbsp;</div><div>Kamruzzaman, General Secretary Firoz Mahmud Hasan; Union Representative Mainul Islam and Office Secretary Kamrul Hasan.</div><div><br></div><div>On May 30 last year, ACC’s Dhaka district combined office-1 Deputy Director Gulshan Anowar Prodhan filed the case against 14 people bringing the allegation of siphoning off more than Tk 25.22 crore from the welfare fund.</div><div><br></div><div>Grameen Telecom owns a 34.2% share of telecom operator Grameenphone, Norway’s Telenor occupies 55.8% while the remaining 10% is publicly held.</div><div><br></div><div>As of December 2023, its subscribers span over 82.20 million. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 13:52:11', '2024-03-03 13:52:11'),
(11419, 11419, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In an update from the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been adjusted upwards by Tk 0.66, setting the new rate at Tk 123.52 per kg, up from the previous Tk 122.86. This price change is effective from 6 pm on Sunday (March 03, 2024), indicating a slight increase in household and commercial expenses.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>BERC, at a press briefing today, detailed the adjustment, noting that the price for a standard 12 kg LPG cylinder will now be Tk 1482, inclusive of VAT, marking an increase from the previous Tk 1474. This adjustment follows a rational scale across various LPG cylinder sizes, ranging from 5.5 kg to 45 kg, addressing the need for a proportional price revision across different consumer segments.</div><div><br></div><div>Furthermore, the price for “auto gas,” the LPG variant used in motor vehicles, has also seen a revision, now priced at Tk 68.05 per litre, including VAT, a slight increase from Tk 67.68. This adjustment reflects the broader impact of LPG price changes on transportation and related costs.</div><div><br></div><div>Notably, LPG prices marketed by the state-owned LP Gas Company will remain unchanged. This exception is attributed to its local production and the company’s minimal market share, which is less than 5 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>The decision to adjust LPG prices comes in the wake of rising costs in the international market, specifically tied to the increase in the Saudi CP (contract price), which serves as a benchmark for local operators importing LPG primarily from the Middle East. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 14:05:33', '2024-03-03 14:05:33'),
(11420, 11420, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Seeking cooperation of International Solar Alliance (ISA), State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said that the organisation can further contribute to promote widespread expansion of rooftop solar power.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He made the call when ISA Director General Dr. Ajay Mathur called on the state minister on Saturday. Various issues related to their mutual interests were discussed in the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>Welcoming ISA director general, Nasrul Hamid said Bangladesh has a bright potential for renewable energy sources.</div><div><br></div><div>”But it is essential to reduce the cost of solar power by using modern technology to cover the land scarcity problem. Potential locations for floating solar must be selected judiciously”, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that solar power would be further expanded to the isolated islands across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>He offered to ISA to work together with Bangladesh to install solar power in Bhasanchar, a large island, where large solar projects could be implemented.</div><div><br></div><div>The ISA Director General of ISA informed the state minister about the issues and decisions of the first steering committee meeting of his organisation on March 2, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>He said 9 projects will be implemented by December 2024. Of which 6 projects will cost $541,000. He, however, said the estimated cost of the floating solar project has not been determined.</div><div><br></div><div>Among others, Nirod Chandra Mandal, Joint Secretary of Power Division and Ramesh Kumar Kuruppath, Head of Program and Project Implementation Unit of ISA were present during the meeting.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 14:21:45', '2024-03-03 14:21:45'),
(11421, 11421, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking its directives to close all restaurants in residential buildings in Dhaka including on Bailey Road.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond filed the writ petition with the High Court bench concerned on Sunday (March 03, 2024).</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the petition also sought directives to provide compensation to the family members of the deceased and injured in the Bailey Road fire and arrest of those responsible in the fire incident.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, a Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Israt Zahan Santona filed another writ petition with the High Court bench concerned seeking judicial investigation into the deadly fire at Green Cozy Cottage Building on Bailey Road that claimed the lives of 46 people.</div><div><br></div><div>The petitions will move to the HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque.</div><div><br></div><div>Secretaries to the Public Works Ministry, Cabinet Division, Home Ministry, Inspector General of Police, Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), nayors of Dhaka North and South city corporations were made responsible in the writ petitions.</div><div><br></div><div>On Thursday night, a massive fire broke out at a building on Dhaka\'s Bailey Road leaving at least 46 people dead and injuring dozens of people. Later, a case was filed with Ramna police station. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 14:31:35', '2024-03-03 14:31:35'),
(11422, 11422, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Zurich police said today they were hiking security in front of Jewish institutions after a potentially antisemitic knife attack left an Orthodox Jewish man in serious condition.</b></div><div><br></div><div>Police in Switzerland’s largest city said the 50-year-old was “critically injured” in the attack late yesterday and a 15-year-old Swiss boy suspected of being the perpetrator had been arrested on site.</div><div><br></div><div>The statement said the motives for the attack were unclear, but that Zurich cantonal police and the youth prosecutor’s office in charge of the investigation were explicitly looking into the possibility that it was an “antisemitic crime”.</div><div><br></div><div>The police also said they had consulted with various Jewish institutions in the city following the incident and decided to increase security around the institutions as a “precautionary measure”.</div><div><br></div><div>The GRA Foundation working against racism and antisemitism condemned the attack, maintaining that witnesses had heard the alleged perpetrator shout “antisemitic slogans that suggest a hate crime”.</div><div><br></div><div>“It was not just an isolated case,” it said in a statement, adding that it was clearly part of a pattern linked to the tensions over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>“Since the escalation in the Middle East, antisemitic incidents in Switzerland have skyrocketed,” it said.</div><div><br></div><div>Antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes have been on the rise in many countries since the current conflict began on Oct 7, when Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack inside Israel.</div><div><br></div><div>That attack resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures, and also saw the fighters abduct 250 hostages, of whom 130 remain in captivity, including 31 presumed dead, according to Israel.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel’s retaliatory offensive on the besieged Palestinian territory has killed more than 30,400 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>“If the antisemitic motive is proven, the attack will represent a turning point and should not be viewed as just an isolated case,” GRA Foundation said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Such attacks threaten us all and our peaceful coexistence.” - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 14:51:18', '2024-03-03 14:51:18'),
(11423, 11423, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Thailand has in the last week helped facilitate the transfer of some 900 Chinese nationals who had been trapped in scam centres in a Myanmar border town back to China, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said today.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, has become a hub for telecom and other online fraud, according to the United Nations, with hundreds of thousands of people trafficked by criminal gangs and forced to work in scam centres and other illegal operations.</div><div><br></div><div>The operation, which Thai police say started last Thursday and was completed yesterday, involved transporting the Chinese nationals from Myanmar’s bonder town of Myawaddy to an airport in the Thai border district of Mae Sot, where they were transferred to Chinese planes.</div><div><br></div><div>“This was a joint voluntary operation between three countries, China, Myanmar and Thailand,” Prime Minister Srettha said.</div><div><br></div><div>“The process was done voluntarily, based on humanitarian principles, it was not forced,” Srettha said, adding that Thailand had facilitated the transfer to the flights at Mae Sot.</div><div><br></div><div>Thai deputy police chief Surachae Hakparn said the operation involved 15 flights over three days to return Chinese scam victims to China.</div><div><br></div><div>The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.</div><div><br></div><div>Myanmar’s military spokesman also did not respond to a call seeking comment.</div><div><br></div><div>Last November Myanmar authorities handed over 31,000 telecom fraud suspects to China in a joint crackdown against online scams in Myanmar.</div><div><br></div><div>China and Myanmar also helped facilitate the transfer back to Thailand of more than two hundred Thais, both victims and those involved with telecom fraud gangs, who were trapped in fighting between Myanmar military and armed ethnic-minority groups in Laukkaing in Myanmar’s northern Shan state. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 14:55:35', '2024-03-03 14:55:35'),
(11424, 11424, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>More than 30 people have died in rain-related incidents in Pakistan during days of heavy downpours, with thousands of schools closed, officials said today.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Widespread heavy rain since Thursday has caused severe disruption in some areas of the country, including the closure of all schools in Balochistan province until Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>Eighteen children were among 26 killed in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as a result of collapsed buildings.</div><div><br></div><div>“As a result of continuous rainfall over the past four days in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a total of 27 individuals have lost their lives,” said Taimur Ali Khan, the spokesman for the provincial disaster management authority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.</div><div><br></div><div>Another person was killed in a landslide and more than 150 houses were also damaged.</div><div><br></div><div>In southern Balochistan province, five people were killed when buildings collapsed on Thursday and Friday, said Jahanzain Khan, head of the disaster management agency.</div><div><br></div><div>Damaged roads, floods and landslides have cut villages off from main towns in Balochistan, while major roads were blocked in Gilgit-Baltistan, local media reported.</div><div><br></div><div>Pakistan’s meteorological department anticipates further rainfall and snowfall across the region today. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 14:58:07', '2024-03-03 14:58:07'),
(11425, 11425, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh received inward remittances of USD $2.16 billion in February, which is the highest in 8 months (July-February) in the current fiscal year 2023-24.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to the provisional data of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) revealed on Sunday, the expatriates sent $2.16 billion remittance to the country through the legal channel. In the previous month January, the expatriates had sent $2.10 billion in remittances.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh has received so far $13.26 billion in inward remittances in the first eight months of the year through the legal channel.</div><div><br></div><div>Md Mezbaul Haque, BB spokesperson, told UNB that inward remittances flow increased in the legal channel as the government and banks are providing incentives.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the central bank instructed banks to provide additional incentives from their financial sources, which keeps a role in increasing the flow of inward remittances in the legal channel.</div><div><br></div><div>With the government\'s 2.5 percent incentive on expatriate income, banks can buy dollars at an additional 2.5 percent higher price. A total of 5 percent is getting incentives. As a result, remittances are coming to the country through legal channels.</div><div><br></div><div>The executive director of the private research institute South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) Prof Dr. Selim Raihan said that a total of 5 percent incentive on remittances will help to boost remittances temporarily. But there will be no long-term solution, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Dr. Raihan said,”To increase remittances, hundi should be stopped. If you want to stop hundi, you have to stop money laundering. Now a lot of money is being smuggled abroad. It has to be controlled by any means.”</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 16:11:16', '2024-03-03 16:11:16'),
(11426, 11426, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Belgian police today arrested four youths over messages they exchanged allegedly plotting a jihadist attack deemed “imminent enough to intervene”, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office told AFP.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The four – three minors in their “late teens” and an adult man aged 18 – were arrested when police raided home addresses in the cities of Brussels, Ninove, Charleroi and Liege, the spokesman, Eric Van Der Sypt, said.</div><div><br></div><div>No weapons or explosives were found.</div><div><br></div><div>Police took away mobile phones and laptops for analysis, he said, confirming reports from Belgian media RTBF and HLN.</div><div><br></div><div>The messages the four exchanged on the internet about the alleged planned attack were “worrying enough to intervene, to do house searches”, Van Der Sypt said.</div><div><br></div><div>“It’s not that they were planning something tomorrow, but still imminent enough to intervene,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The relative youth of the suspects heightened authorities’ wariness.</div><div><br></div><div>“They’re very flexible. If somebody gives them a weapon, for example, things can go very, very fast. So we don’t want to take any risk,” the spokesman said.</div><div><br></div><div>“From the moment that we think that we have to intervene, even if we have not too much (evidence) afterwards, we prefer intervening in time.”</div><div><br></div><div>Police were questioning the four suspects and an investigating judge was to determine today or tomorrow what would ensue, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Belgian authorities remain highly vigilant since the 2016 jihadist attacks by suicide bombers that killed 32 people in blasts at Brussels airport and the city’s metro system.</div><div><br></div><div>And in October last year, a Tunisian man shot dead two Swedish football fans in Brussels before being fatally shot by police.</div><div><br></div><div>The arrests today stemmed from a police operation looking into people deemed potentially violent and with links to Islamic extremism. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 16:13:44', '2024-03-03 16:13:44'),
(11427, 11427, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has indicated that the price of petroleum fuel may witness a decline with the application of the government-announced guideline for introducing their automated prices.</b></div><div><br></div><div>\"We’re waiting for the approval of the Prime Minister for the guideline... If we can apply the guideline within the first week of March, we’ll hopefully see a decline in the price,” he told reporters.</div><div><br></div><div>The government on Friday issued a “Fuel Pricing Guidelines” through a gazette notification to set an automated price for the petroleum fuels across the country. It said the system will be effective from March.</div><div><br></div><div>Under the guidelines, prices of all the petroleum fuels including petrol, diesel, octane, kerosene, furnace oil, jet fuel, marine fuels will be set automatically on the basis of the international market price.</div><div><br></div><div>Nasrul Hamid said the government’s main priority is the adjustment in the price of the diesel as the most consumption comes from this petroleum product.</div><div><br></div><div>He noted that from now on every month there will be adjustment in fuel prices. “If we seek, the price declines in the global market, local consumers will benefit from it. Now the prices of fuel are at an economic level.”</div><div><br></div><div>He also said the local prices will go up and down in line with the international price and every month such prices will be announced by the government for one-month tenure.</div><div><br></div><div>Immediately after issuing the guideline on Friday, Energy Secretary Md Nurul Alam had said that it won\'t be effective from today (from March). “Since we have not yet received the Prime Minister’s approval to make the guideline effective, we’ve to wait for some more days,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“We hope we\'ll get the PM’s approval soon and will bring it into effect within 10-12 days,” he told UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>The Fuel Pricing Guidelines, however, giving an example for its effectiveness said that if it is planned to make effective from April 1, the prices of fuels of one month in the international market from February 21 to March 20 has to be taken into consideration to set an average price and then set the price for month of April.</div><div><br></div><div>About such contradictory instructions in the guideline, the energy secretary said that such an automated pricing system is a new thing in Bangladesh. So, the ministry itself is in some confusion.</div><div><br></div><div>“We’ll sit with the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to remove all confusions and make the guideline clear to all,” he said. The BPC is the state agency for importing and marketing of petroleum products across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>In case of setting a price for any of the petroleum fuels, all the expenses including the international market price, import tax, advance income tax and valued added tax (VAT), operational expense, finance, administrative and maintenance cost, margins of BPC, VAT, and sale and distribution costs will be taken into account and then set a price.</div><div><br></div><div>A source in the Energy Division said that the price of octane will go below the price of diesel as soon as the automated pricing formula is effective, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>“This is also a big concern for the government”, he said, adding that the government wants to keep the octane price higher than diesel,” he added.</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-03 16:15:31', '2024-03-03 16:15:31'),
(11428, 11428, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In the heart of Dhaka’s upscale neighbourhoods – Dhanmondi, Gulshan, and Banani – a burgeoning restaurant scene thrives within the confines of multi-storey buildings. This rapid expansion, however, brings to light grave concerns over fire safety practices, or the lack thereof. Many of these dining establishments lack comprehensive fire safety measures, relying solely on elevators and a solitary staircase for emergency exits. This inadequate infrastructure places patrons and employees in a precarious position, with their safety hanging in the balance.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Conversations with residents of these areas shed light on these alarming realities, further underscored by the recent tragedy on Bailey Road, which has sown seeds of fear and apprehension among diners. The indiscriminate sprouting of restaurants, many of which have been operating without fire safety licenses for years, exacerbates the risk. These establishments, often housed in structures originally intended for residential use, now serve commercial purposes, thereby complicating the fire safety landscape.</div><div><br></div><div>This issue is not confined to a few isolated cases; nearly every alley in these areas is lined with cafes and restaurants, with some buildings entirely dedicated to these businesses. The architectural design, characterised by an extensive use of glass, restricts the inflow of air, and in the event of a fire, leaves breaking the glass as the only means to combat the flames.</div><div><br></div><div>The structural layout presents further challenges for emergency evacuation. Narrow staircases, cluttered or locked, significantly hinder the ability of patrons to evacuate safely in case of an emergency, turning what should be a straightforward escape route into a potential trap.</div><div><br></div><div>The fear of fire is not an abstract concern for the residents of Gulshan and Banani. Moniruzzaman, a businessman from Gulshan, and Didarul Haq Sunny, another businessman from Banani, voiced their apprehensions about dining out in the post-Bailey Road fire era.</div><div><br></div><div>“There’s a prevailing fear of taking families to restaurants in the Gulshan-Banani area, as it’s unclear which establishments have fire safety measures,” Moniruzzaman said. Didarul mentioned ceasing restaurant visits after the Bailey Road tragedy, citing fire safety as a major concern.</div><div><br></div><div>Their concerns highlight a critical demand for Dhaka’s development authority, RAJUK, to enforce and oversee rigorous fire safety standards across all restaurants.</div><div><br></div><div>Professor Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), echoed these sentiments. He pointed to the widespread practice of converting entire buildings into dining spaces, enveloped in glass, which fundamentally compromises fire safety protocols. The aftermath of the Bailey Road tragedy has left a palpable sense of urgency among citizens and experts alike, calling for immediate action from RAJUK and other relevant authorities to mitigate the risk of future incidents.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr. Adil advocated for detailed inspections of fire safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers and alarms, and insisted on comprehensive safety audits for all multi-storey and specially purposed buildings.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite existing regulations mandating two staircases in buildings, the reality on the ground reveals a stark misuse of these provisions, with designated fire exits often repurposed as storage areas. This blatant disregard for safety norms necessitates a stringent enforcement of building codes and fire safety regulations.</div><div><br></div><div>RAJUK’s Chairman, Anisur Rahman Mia, acknowledged the challenges at hand, committing to a series of actions aimed at identifying and rectifying establishments lacking in fire safety measures. He drew attention to the widespread issue of illegal commercial activities within residential buildings, underscoring RAJUK’s dedication to enforcing legal and safety standards, according to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>With over 517,000 buildings under its jurisdiction in Dhaka, of which only 200,000 are approved, RAJUK faces a daunting task. An astonishing 90% of the approved buildings deviated from their original designs, complicating the enforcement of fire safety and building codes, the public agency says.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 09:03:22', '2024-03-04 09:03:22'),
(11429, 11429, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir&nbsp; left the country for Singapore on Monday morning for regular health checkup.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul accompanied by his wife Rahat Ara Begum left Dhaka\'s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport via a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight around 8:30 am, his personal assistant M Yunus Ali told UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>He said Fakhrul is scheduled to have treatment at a Singapore clinic for various health issues, including a blockage in his neck .</div><div><br></div><div>He said the BNP leader is scheduled to return home on March 18 .</div><div><br></div><div>After being released from jail on February 15, Fakhrul went to Bangladesh Specialized Hospital with various health problems and received treatments at home under supervision of Prof Shamsul Arfein of the hospital, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>BNP Vice Chairman Prof AZM Jahid Hossain said their leader Fakhrul lost six kilograms of weight in over three months in jail since October 29.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on August 24, 2023, the 77-year-old BNP secretary general went to Singapore for a medical checkup.</div><div><br></div><div>His internal carotid artery problem was detected in 2015 when he had been in prison in a political case.</div><div><br></div><div>After being released from the jail, he went to Singapore and since then he goes to the country every year for follow-up treatment.</div><div><br></div><div>Members of Detective Branch arrested the BNP leader from his Gulshan residence a day after police foiled the party’s scheduled 28 October grand rally in the capital.</div><div><br></div><div>After securing bail from the High Court, he walked out of the Dhaka Central Jail on February 15. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 09:13:32', '2024-03-04 09:13:32'),
(11430, 11430, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Hundreds of inmates fled Haiti\'s main prison after armed gangs stormed the facility in an overnight explosion of violence that engulfed much of the capital. At least five people were dead Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The jailbreak marked a new low in Haiti\'s downward spiral of violence. It comes as gangs step up coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince and while embattled Prime Minister Ariel Henry is abroad trying to salvage support for a United Nations-backed security force to stabilize the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Three bodies with gunshot wounds lay at the prison entrance, which was wide open, with no guards in sight. Plastic sandals, clothing and electric fans were strewn across normally overcrowded concrete patios that were eerily empty on Sunday. In another neighborhood, the bloodied corpses of two men with their hands tied behind the backs laid face down as residents walked past roadblocks set up with burning tires.</div><div><br></div><div>Haiti’s government urged calm as it sought to find the killers, kidnappers and perpetrators of other violent crimes that it said escaped during the outbreak of violence.</div><div><br></div><div>“The National Police is taking all measures to find the escaped prisoners and arrest those responsible for these criminal acts as well as all their accomplices, so that public order can be restored,\" the Communications Ministry said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.</div><div><br></div><div>Arnel Remy, a human rights attorney whose nonprofit works inside the prison, said on X that fewer than 100 of the nearly 4,000 inmates remained behind bars. Those choosing to stay included 18 former Colombian soldiers accused of working as mercenaries in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. On Saturday night, several of the Colombians shared a video pleading for their lives.</div><div><br></div><div>“Please, please help us,” one of the men, Francisco Uribe, said in the message widely shared on social media. \"They are massacring people indiscriminately inside the cells.”</div><div><br></div><div>On Sunday, Uribe told journalists who walked breezily into the normally highly guarded facility, “I didn\'t flee because I\'m innocent.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Colombia\'s foreign ministry called on Haiti to provide “special protection” for the men.</div><div><br></div><div>In the absence of official information, inmates\' family members rushed to the prison to check on loved ones.</div><div><br></div><div>“I don’t know whether my son is alive or not,” said Alexandre Jean as she roamed around the cells looking for any sign of him. “I don’t know what to do.”</div><div><br></div><div>The violence Saturday night appeared to be widespread, with several neighborhoods reporting gunfire.</div><div><br></div><div>There were reports of a jailbreak at a second Port-au-Prince prison containing around 1,400 inmates. Armed gangs also occupied and vandalized the nation\'s top soccer stadium, taking one employee hostage for hours, the nation\'s soccer federation said in a statement. Internet service for many residents was down as Haiti’s top mobile network said a fiber optic cable connection was slashed during the rampage.</div><div><br></div><div>In the space of less than two weeks, several state institutions have been attacked by the gangs, who are increasingly coordinating their actions and choosing once unthinkable targets like the Central Bank. As part of coordinated attacks by gangs, four police officers were killed Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>After gangs opened fire at Haiti\'s international airport last week, the U.S. Embassy said it was halting all official travel to the country and on Sunday night urged all American citizens to depart as soon as possible. The embassy said it would also cancel until Thursday all consular appointments.</div><div><br></div><div>The Biden administration, which has steadfastly refused to commit troops to any multinational force while offering instead money and logistical support, said it was monitoring the rapidly deteriorating security situation with grave concern.</div><div><br></div><div>A National Security Council official said violence serves only to delay a democratic transition while destroying the lives of thousands. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reiterated U.S. support for elections, inclusive governance and the restoration of democracy.</div><div><br></div><div>The epicenter of the latest violence Saturday night was Haiti\'s National Penitentiary, which is holding several gang leaders. Amid the exchange of gunfire, police appealed for assistance.</div><div><br></div><div>“They need help,” a union representing police said in a message on social media bearing an “SOS” emoji repeated eight times. “Let’s mobilize the army and the police to prevent the bandits from breaking into the prison.”</div><div><br></div><div>The clashes follow violent protests that turned deadlier in recent days as the prime minister went to Kenya to try and salvage a proposed U.N.-backed security mission in Haiti to be led by the East African country. Henry took over as prime minister following Moise\'s assassination and has repeatedly postponed plans to hold parliamentary and presidential elections, which haven’t happened in almost a decade.</div><div><br></div><div>Haiti’s National Police has roughly 9,000 officers to provide security for more than 11 million people, according to the U.N. They are routinely overwhelmed and outgunned by gangs, which are estimated to control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince.</div><div><br></div><div>Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who now runs a gang federation, has claimed responsibility for the surge in attacks. He said the goal was to capture Haiti’s police chief and government ministers and prevent Henry’s return.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister, a neurosurgeon, has shrugged off calls for his resignation and didn’t comment when asked if he felt it was safe to come home. According to AP reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 09:22:28', '2024-03-04 09:22:28'),
(11431, 11431, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) during their annual day parade on Monday (March 04, 2024), emphasizing the paramount importance of adhering to the chain of command for maintaining discipline within the ranks.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Keep in mind that the chain of command is the most important driving power for a disciplined force. Never break the discipline; continue following the chain of command,” Sheikh Hasina urged the BGB members.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier was addressing the parade of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Day-2024 at its headquarters in Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister reflected on her government’s initiatives to bolster the BGB, citing the enactment of the Border Guard Bangladesh Act 2010 as a pivotal step towards enhancing the force\'s capabilities. “Now BGB has been built as an efficient, strong, modern three-dimensional force,” she said, adding that BGB is now capable of performing its duty on land, water, and air.</div><div><br></div><div>She said the Awami League government adopted the ‘Border Guard Bangladesh Vision-2041’ in a bid to develop the BGB as a world-class border guard force.</div><div><br></div><div>“We want Border Guard Bangladesh to be developed as a world-class border force, and march forward as border sentinels, becoming a symbol of trust for the people of Bangladesh,” she said adding that BGB will also be a smart force in Smart Bangladesh by 2041.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister appreciated the role of protecting the country’s borders and combating different border crimes, and standing beside the people during any crisis in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>“Alongside protecting the border, the BGB resisted different border crimes including smuggling, drug and women, children trafficking in a responsible manner,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Apart from playing the role as sentinels on the border, the BGB stands beside the people during any problem like arson violence in the country and always plays a role in protecting the lives and property, and thus they gained the trust and confidence of the nation, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Recalling the 2009 BDR mutiny, Prime Minister Hasina shared her deep emotional connection to the tragedy, in which 74 individuals, including 57 distinguished officers, were tragically killed. The events unfolded on February 25 and 26, 2009, marking one of the darkest chapters in Bangladesh’s history.</div><div><br></div><div>PM said that she feels a profound sorrow, remembering the lives lost during the mutiny. She offered prayers for the souls of the deceased and extended her heartfelt condolences to their families. “No one can truly comprehend the depth of sorrow that comes with losing loved ones, as I do,” Hasina stated, emphasising her personal empathy for the bereaved families.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister reassured that those responsible for the mutiny have been held accountable, expressing her hope that such a tragedy will never be repeated.</div><div><br></div><div>Turning to the advancements made under her leadership, the PM outlined significant steps taken to modernise the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), noting the recruitment of 35,517 soldiers over the past 15 years. A notable milestone in inclusivity, her government initiated the integration of women into the force, with 936 female soldiers joining since 2015.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to emerging threats, her administration has implemented the ‘Smart Digital Surveillance and Tactical Border Response System’ across vulnerable sections of the border, enhancing surveillance capabilities and bolstering defences against trans-border terrorism.</div><div><br></div><div>Further emphasizing her commitment to border security and regional development, Hasina highlighted the construction of 1,036 km of border roads. This infrastructure project aims not only to secure the hilly border areas but also to improve the socio-economic conditions of remote communities.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister inspected a spectacular parade arranged at Bir Uttam Anwar Hossain Parade Ground in Pilkhana, riding on an open decorated vehicle, and then received salute of the march-past.</div><div><br></div><div>She handed over the BGB Medal, President BGB Medal, BGB Medal-Service and President BGB Medal-Service to 72 selected BGB personnel in recognition of their heroic and outstanding contribution to different activities of the force.</div><div><br></div><div>The PM unveiled a sculpture of Bangabandhu titled “Prerona” at the BGB headquarters.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, on her arrival, Sheikh Hasina was received by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqu, according to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 09:25:56', '2024-03-04 09:25:56'),
(11432, 11432, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh has expressed a keen interest in expanding China’s involvement in the power and energy sector. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid, conveyed this strategic vision during a meeting with Yao Wen, the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, emphasising the need for a substantial $30 billion investment over the next five years.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The meeting, held at the state minister’s office on Monday, covered a wide array of mutual interests, laying the groundwork for deeper cooperation between the two nations. “We are looking forward to China playing a more substantial role. Bangladesh’s power and energy sector needs $30 billion in investment over the next five years,” stated Hamid.</div><div><br></div><div>He welcomed Ambassador Yao, highlighting China’s long-standing friendship. “Chinese companies are making significant contributions to the expansion of the power and energy sector,” the state minister said.</div><div><br></div><div>He also offered to form a special team to explore the potential fields of investment. “A specialised team can be formed to increase investment in the sector,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to the warm reception and the call for increased investment, Ambassador Yao reiterated China’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties. China’s cooperation with Bangladesh is growing, Yao remarked.</div><div><br></div><div>It’s essential for both nations to come together to strengthen the area of cooperation, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>The Chinese envoy hoped that Bangladesh will be more prosperous, stronger and a developed nation in the next five years.</div><div><br></div><div>They also discussed various issues including Chinese funded projects, setting up lithium battery factory, semi-conductor factory, electric vehicles, battery storage system, smart meter, solar and wind power project, electricity from waste, and gas extraction. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 10:41:14', '2024-03-04 10:41:14'),
(11433, 11433, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>BNP Chairperson\'s Advisory Council Member Zainul Abedin Farroque on Monday blamed Awami League-backed syndicates for unusual hike in prices of essentials.</b></div><div><br></div><div>“The traders who are responsible for price hike are part of Awami League syndicate. AL leaders fill up their pockets by depriving mass people. Awami League has snatched people’s all rights including right to food,” Farroque said.</div><div><br></div><div>He made the comments at a human chain programme organised by Trenomool Nagorik Andolan in front of&nbsp; the Jatiya Press Club protesting hike in prices of essentials.</div><div><br></div><div>The prices of essential commodities keep soaring and have gone beyond the purchasing capacity of&nbsp; people as the ‘illegal’ govt has snatched their rights, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Farroque, also a former opposition chief whip in parliament, said this government is not the government of people. “They don’t think about people. Their one and only intention is laundering money abroad.”</div><div><br></div><div>He said a former minister had laundered thousand crores taka to London but the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is ‘sleeping’ instead of investigation.</div><div><br></div><div>Farroque said people will suffer a lot during the holy month of&nbsp; Ramadan if the skyrocketing&nbsp; prices can’t brought within the purchasing capacity of mass people .</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader blamed the ruling party for destroying democracy and said that the AL grabbed the power with the help of India and without people’s mandate. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 14:13:30', '2024-03-04 14:13:30'),
(11434, 11434, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>There is no scope for raising the price of any product on the occasion of the month of Ramadan as there is plenty of supply, said State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Directives were given to the deputy commissioners so that the transport system remains disciplined during Ramadan and to ensure obstacle free transportation,” he said while talking to reporters after attending the deputy commissioners’ conference.</div><div><br></div><div>The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection authorities are visiting the oil refinery factories to check whether they are writing the price of the oil properly, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The deputy commissioners have been asked to monitor the market and to ensure the supply of the products and transporting system in a disciplined way, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, directives were given to distribute the products to the families under food-friendly programme in a fair way, he said, adding: “The DCs have been asked to update the list of families given food under the food-friendly programme within two months after addition and change.”</div><div><br></div><div>Mentioning that there are 7,700 dealers of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) across the country, the state minister said the government is working to provide TCB products from a permanent shop after consultation with the public representatives within two months, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question about the import of sugar and onion from India, Titu said “Our High Commission is working and will know the details soon.”</div><div><br></div><div>He also assured of importing onion and sugar before the month of Ramadan.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 14:57:06', '2024-03-04 14:57:06'),
(11435, 11435, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock will sell beef, chicken, and eggs in trucks in different spots of Dhaka city from March 10 on the occasion of the arrival of Holy Ramadan.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The mobile trucks will sell beef at Tk 600 per kg, goat/mutton at Tk 900 per kg, dressed broiler chicken at Tk 280 per kg, and eggs at Tk 10.50 per piece.</div><div><br></div><div>The Minister of Fisheries and Livestock Md. Abdur Rahman MP informed this to reporters in a press briefing on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister spoke in a press briefing after the session with deputy commissioners on food, livestock, and fisheries held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>Abdur Rahman said, “We will strictly control the market in the month of Ramadan. This mobile vending program will help regulate the market during Ramadan.”</div><div><br></div><div>He said, initially, the products will be sold at 30 spots in Dhaka city. This is an interim initiative of the government. It will be inaugurated on March 10, and the program will continue until the day before Eid.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to a query, the minister said this activity on the truck-sale program will be held in 30 places in Dhaka. The program will try to expand to more places according to the ability. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 15:17:36', '2024-03-04 15:17:36'),
(11436, 11436, '<div><br></div><div>Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Monday said that inflation cannot be the main concern of the people of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>He said this in response to reporters\' questions after participating in the Deputy Commissioners conference.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question on what was discussed at the Deputy Commissioners conference to control inflation, the finance minister downplayed the concern over inflation.</div><div><br></div><div>When reporters insisted it was the main concern, not the only one, the finance minister again said that the main concern is how one crore people have been given essential items through family cards. \"They are getting various products at lower cost,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Finance Minister Mahmood Ali also said, “After independence, we are now at the highest level. Economic indicators are improving, there is nothing to be disappointed regarding the economy.”</div><div><br></div><div>He urged reporters to express the real and actual scenery of the financial sector through their reporting.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh is moving forward as per the Delta Plan-2100, and development in different sectors is visible like metro rail and Padma Bridge, he pointed out.</div><div><br></div><div>State Minister for Finance Waseqa Ayesha Khan was also joined in the deputy commissioners’ conference. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 15:40:25', '2024-03-04 15:40:25');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11437, 11437, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The National Board of Revenue\'s(NBR) collections grew by 15.09 percent year-on-year in 7 months (July-January) and achieved 51 percent of fiscal\'s revised target.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The revenue board collected around Tk1.98 lakh crore in the first 7 months of the current fiscal year 2023-24. The NBR collected the revenue in contrast to the target Tk 2.15 lakh crore.</div><div><br></div><div>As a result, despite revenue growth of 15.09 percent, the revenue deficit compared to the target is Tk17,751 crore according to the revised target.</div><div><br></div><div>If the target set in the budget is calculated, the deficit will be more, said those concerned.</div><div><br></div><div>In the budget of the current fiscal year, NBR has been given a target of Tk 4.30 lakh crore. However, recently this target was revised to Tk4.10 lakh crore. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 15:42:09', '2024-03-04 15:42:09'),
(11438, 11438, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>A student of Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College in Sirajganj was shot with a gun by a teacher inside the classroom on Monday.</b></div><div><br></div><div>The student,&nbsp; Arafat Ashik Tomal, 23, was admitted to hospital. He is a resident of Dhansiri Nataipara Mahalla of Bogra district.</div><div><br></div><div>The teacher Dr Raihan Sadiq was detained by police after the incident, said Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sirajganj Sadar police station.</div><div><br></div><div>Quoting the students, he said, a class of third-year students of the medical college hospital was going on at around 3:30 pm on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>In this class, the teacher reportedly threatened students with failing them in exams. Following that, a dispute started&nbsp; between the students and the teacher.</div><div><br></div><div>At one stage, the third-year student was shot in the leg.</div><div><br></div><div>Students protested in the Medical College Hospital and neighborhood area over the incident.</div><div><br></div><div>The college’s Principal Prof Dr Amirul Hossain Chowdhury couldn’t be reached over phone.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, additional riot police have been deployed and patrolling has been intensified in the neighborhood. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 15:44:50', '2024-03-04 15:44:50'),
(11439, 11439, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>The government is planning to provide 1.5 lakh tonnes of rice to 50 lakh families under Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme in the upcoming Ramadan, said Food Minister Sadhan Chandar Majumder on Monday.</b></div><div><br></div><div>The dealers were asked to collect rice from March 1 which will be distributed within March 10, he said while talking to reporters after attending the deputy commissioners’ conference at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question about whether the decision of the government will keep the rice market stable, the minister said “I think so as 50 lakh families will get rice at Tk 15 per kg under the food-friendly programme.”</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to another question about the implementation of the government order to write the name of rice varieties on sacks with price, Sadhan said “We had that we would issue an order within February 20 and the order will come into effect from April 14. It will be effective when Boro rice will be harvested in the new year,” reports unb</div><div><br></div><div>He also urged the deputy commissioners to provide all-out support to ensure implementation of the government decision to write the names and varieties of rice on sacks.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 15:55:13', '2024-03-04 15:55:13'),
(11440, 11440, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Thirteen firefighting units are working to bring the blaze under control as flames are seen from inside the mill four hours after the fire broke out at the S Alam Refining Sugar Industries Limited at Isanagar in Karnaphuli upazila of Chattogram on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Shoaib Hossain Munshi, warehouse inspector of Karnaphuli Fire Service, said the fire broke out at the sugar mill, owned by S Alam group, around 4 pm and spread soon.</div><div><br></div><div>On information, eight firefighting units rushed to the spot and are trying to tame the blaze.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, five more firefighting units joined with the efforts to put the fire under control.</div><div><br></div><div>A team of Bangladesh Navy also joined their hands with fire service men.</div><div><br></div><div>However, the cause of the fire could not be known immediately.</div><div><br></div><div>The firefighting units are working relentlessly to douse the fire after having finally managed to bring the blaze outside the storage area under control around 8 pm.</div><div><br></div><div>Still fire was seen inside the mill, with the entire stock of unrefined sugar slowly melting.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Members of Coast Guards and Air Forces joined their efforts with the firefighters to extinguish the blaze.</div><div><br></div><div>Subrata Kumar Bhowmik, executive director of Salam Group, said the fire engulfed the mill very fast as the operation of the mill was continuing.</div><div><br></div><div>About one lakh tonnes of raw materials of sugar, imported from Brazil worth Tk 1400 crore, might be gutted down in the inferno, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Whether there is any worker stuck inside the mill could not be known immediately.</div><div><br></div><div>A Fire Service man was injured while extinguishing the blaze, said Shoaib Hossain. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 15:57:45', '2024-03-04 15:57:45'),
(11441, 11441, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the task of repatriating the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals has become very difficult now because of internal conflict in the neighbouring country.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“The repatriation of Rohingyas is very important, but it has become very difficult now because of internal conflict in Myanmar,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said this while Professor Payam Akhavan called on her at her Sangsad Bhaban office.</div><div><br></div><div>Akhavan is the appointed lawyer of Bangladesh in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).</div><div><br></div><div>PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the call on.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said that Rohingyas have now become a huge burden for Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>“Local people of Cox’s Bazar have now turned the minority due to the influx of Myanmar nationals. They are damaging our environment,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She also said it must be ensured that the forcibly displaced Rohingyas return to their own land in a dignified way.</div><div><br></div><div>She also reiterated Bangladesh’s stance not to allow anybody to use its territory for any kind of insurgency.</div><div><br></div><div>“Bangladesh believes in this policy and will not allow anyone to do so in future,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina said in order to keep Rohingya youth away from criminal activities, the government has arranged better accommodation for one lakh Rohingyas in Bhashanchar island and so far transferred 35,000 Rohingyas there.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that some Rohingya groups have already are involved in criminal activities like arms, women and drugs trafficking, which is a great concern for Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr Payam Akhavan told the premier that Bangladesh has now become a global leader in the area of climate justice.</div><div><br></div><div>PM Hasina said that Bangladesh formed climate trust fund after the COP-15, not depending on anyone, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>In addition, she said, Bangladesh has also taken various programmes for adaptation and mitigation, especially developing green-belt for the protection of coastal zones.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina thanked Professor Payam Akhavan for taking up the assignment to help prepare Bangladesh\'s legal submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its Advisory Opinion on the obligations of States \'to ensure the protection of the climate system\'.</div><div><br></div><div>Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister M Tofazzel Hossain Miah was present during the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 16:04:47', '2024-03-04 16:04:47'),
(11442, 11442, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The National People\'s Congress (NPC), China\'s national legislature, will hold its annual meeting from March 5 to March 11 , a spokesperson said on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Spokesperson for the second session of the 14th NPC Lou Qinjian briefed the press and took questions from reporters.</div><div><br></div><div>Also on Monday the preparatory meeting adopted the agenda of the session, said the spokesperson.</div><div><br></div><div>The agendas are to deliberate the report on the work of the government, review the report on the implementation of the 2023 plan for national economic and social development and on the 2024 draft plan, and the draft plan for national economic and social development in 2024, review the report on the execution of the central and local budgets for 2023 and on the draft central and local budgets for 2024, and the draft central and local budgets for 2024, deliberate the bill put forward by the NPC Standing Committee on reviewing the draft revision to the Organic Law of the State Council,&nbsp; the work report of the NPC Standing Committee, work report of the Supreme People\'s Court, work report of the Supreme People\'s Procuratorate.</div><div><br></div><div>The people\'s congress system is the fundamental political system in China while on the pinnacle of the system sits the NPC, which is the supreme organ of state power.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the Constitution, all administrative, supervisory, adjudicatory and procuratorial organs of the state shall be created by the people\'s congresses and shall be responsible to them and subject to their oversight.</div><div><br></div><div>An important principle of the people\'s congress system and a basic requirement of its institutional design is that the power of all state organs and their staff are subject to oversight and checks.</div><div><br></div><div>Over 2.7 million deputies at the five levels of people\'s congresses, including nearly 3,000 deputies have their representation in NPC as it is designed to include people from various backgrounds and cover a diverse cross-section of society.</div><div><br></div><div>Deputies at various levels are key channels for people\'s voices and entitled and obliged to stand for the people\'s interests and express their requests.</div><div><br></div><div>Every ethnic group has its NPC deputy or deputies. NPC deputies submit motions and are the voice of the people they represent.</div><div><br></div><div>At the annual full session, they review and vote on important legal documents and personnel changes, such as the election of the president and vice president of China every five years, in addition to submitting proposals while the NPC Standing Committee will exercise its power, holding sessions to deliberate and adopt laws, among other matters.</div><div><br></div><div>When not in session, they interact with the people, take up training programs, and participate in inspections of law enforcement and research on important or urgent issues. Some of them are invited to observe bi-monthly legislative sessions of the NPC Standing Committee, a permanent body of the NPC.</div><div><br></div><div>NPC is the highest organ of State power and China\'s top legislative body while its permanent body is the Standing Committee. Each congress is elected for a 5-year term.</div><div><br></div><div>This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the NPC. Since Sept. 15, 1954, when about 1,200 deputies elected by universal suffrage gathered in Beijing to attend the first session of the first NPC.</div><div><br></div><div>It deliberates and passes major laws, decides on major issues, and supervises the work of the State Council, the Supreme People\'s Court and the Supreme People\'s Procuratorate. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 16:23:23', '2024-03-04 16:23:23'),
(11443, 11443, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In a historic decision on February 29, the New York State Supreme Court, First Appellate Department, ruled in favour of Bangladesh Bank in its pursuit of justice against Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) and key individuals involved in the infamous theft of approximately $81 million.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The First Appellate Department confirmed that New York would be the venue for litigation arising from RCBC\'s theft of Bangladesh Bank\'s funds, highlighting the significance of the ruling, according to a press release of Bangladesh Bank.</div><div><br></div><div>Notably, the court affirmed the trial court\'s decision that RCBC, along with its senior executives Lorenzo Tan and Raul Victor B. Tan, and Kam Sin (Kim) Wong, could be held liable in New York courts for their involvement in the elaborate heist, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>The court ruling holds RCBC and its senior management accountable for their role in the fraud perpetrated against Bangladesh Bank. It allows Bangladesh Bank to pursue the defendants for the funds they controlled, which were knowingly laundered through foreign exchanges and the RCBC Treasury. The court emphasized the defendants\' failure to respond to Bangladesh Bank\'s stop payment request and return the stolen funds.</div><div><br></div><div>Additionally, the court addressed the transfer of approximately $58.2 million of stolen funds to accounts under fictitious names after RCBC received stop payment requests. The judgment highlighted RCBC\'s creation of fictitious accounts, the use of New York correspondent accounts for the theft, and profitable foreign exchange trades on the stolen funds, said the release.</div><div><br></div><div>The court also ruled against Wong, stating that the bank had sufficiently alleged his involvement in the conspiracy, including theft and money laundering. For Lorenzo Tan, the court underscored allegations of his close association with Wong and failure to take action after the stolen funds were transferred to fictitious RCBC accounts.</div><div><br></div><div>While the First Department dismissed some individual RCBC employees and conversion claims, it allowed Bangladesh Bank to move forward with claims in fraud, unjust enrichment, trespass, and money had and received against the defendants. The decision strengthens Bangladesh Bank\'s resolve to pursue justice in New York, where the money was stolen, showcasing a significant step forward in recovering the stolen funds, added the release.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Bank expressed satisfaction with the decision, emphasizing its commitment to holding the alleged co-conspirators accountable. The ruling sets the stage for further legal proceedings, with Bangladesh Bank considering its response, including potential appeals and responses to any appeal by the remaining RCBC defendants and Kim Wong.</div><div><br></div><div>This landmark decision is a crucial victory for Bangladesh Bank, bringing the institution one step closer to recovering the stolen funds and holding those responsible for the heist accountable. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-04 16:28:10', '2024-03-04 16:28:10'),
(11444, 11444, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in as Pakistan’s new prime minister on Monday after being elected a day earlier in a raucous parliamentary session.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He held the same position from April 2022 to August 2023, replacing archrival Imran Khan who was kicked out of the job after a no-confidence vote. Shehbaz is the younger brother of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif.</div><div><br></div><div>His appointment is controversial because of parliamentary elections last month that his opponents claimed were rigged in his favor.</div><div><br></div><div>Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, the PTI, insists it did better in the poll but that electoral theft and other irregularities deprived it of a parliamentary majority.</div><div><br></div><div>Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League party, the PML-N, didn’t win enough seats to form a government but went into coalition with others to get a majority, clearing his path to a second premiership.</div><div><br></div><div>He secured 201 votes in parliament to become prime minister, defeating the PTI-backed candidate Omar Ayub, who got 92 votes.</div><div><br></div><div>Monday’s swearing-in ceremony was held in the capital, Islamabad. President Arif administered the oath of office.</div><div><br></div><div>Sharif pledged to perform his duties and functions with honesty and loyalty and always for the country\'s independence, “integrity, stability, and for the sake of unity.”</div><div><br></div><div>But stability and unity are in short supply in Pakistani politics, and Sharif has a tough task of bringing lawmakers together to steer the country through challenging times.</div><div><br></div><div>The first two sessions of parliament have been chaotic and noisy, with the opposition shouting and jeering at the new government because of their election grievances.</div><div><br></div><div>Sharif is the 24th prime minister in Pakistan’s 77-year history. - AP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 08:22:03', '2024-03-05 08:22:03'),
(11445, 11445, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus was hosted by US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, at a dinner on March 4 to meet with Greg Nelson, Chief Technology Officer of Opportunity International.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The organisation promotes and implements microfinance programmes around the world.</div><div><br></div><div>They discussed the health programmes of Grameen and Opportunity International and about possible collaboration between the two organisations, said the Yunus Centre on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>Amy Haas, Laurie Nelson and Nurjahan Begum, Executive Vice Chairman of Grameen Shikhha, were present on the occasion, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>US Ambassador Haas on his LinkedIn posted: “It was an incredible privilege to speak with the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus and Nurjahan Begum about their remarkable work towards improving the lives of people worldwide. Their contributions have made a significant impact and continue to inspire us all. Thank you for the work you do.”</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 10:26:16', '2024-03-05 10:26:16'),
(11446, 11446, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Issuing a warning against hoarders, Law Minister Anisul Huq on Tuesday said action will be taken against those involved in hoarding of essential commodities under the Special Powers Act.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;“If anyone tries to destabilises the market by hoarding commodities, action will be taken against them under the Special Powers Act,” said the minister while talking to reporters after attending the 3rd day of the Deputy Commissioners’ conference.</div><div><br></div><div>He also asked the DCs to dispose of the cases filed with mobile courts speedily and sought their help to clear the backlog of cases, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question about the PM\'s directives to take steps against illegal hoarders, Anisul said, “The Prime Minister herself ordered to take immediate steps in this regard. The&nbsp; Special Power Act was enacted in 1974 now I am saying through you (media) that if they do it, action will be taken under the Special Powers Act.”</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 11:39:13', '2024-03-05 11:39:13'),
(11447, 11447, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud is attending an extraordinary meeting of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah today to discuss the continued Israeli aggression against Palestinian people.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is holding the meeting at the headquarters of its General Secretariat in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.</div><div><br></div><div>From Türkiye, Foreign Minister Hasan traveled to Jeddah to attend the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>The preparatory Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) for the extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-CFM) was held at the headquarters of the OIC’s General Secretariat on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>Ambassador Samir Bakr, the Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs delivered the General Secretariat\'s speech, referring to the horrific massacre committed by the Israeli occupation forces, which claimed the lives of hundreds while they were waiting to receive food aid at the end of February.</div><div><br></div><div>Bakr said that this massacre constituted an example and witness to the war crimes practiced by the Israeli occupation army, which necessitates redoubling legal efforts, especially at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, as they are a legitimate and effective tool for holding the Israeli occupation accountable.</div><div><br></div><div>Bakr also said that Israel, the occupying power, continuing to carry out bloody crimes and massacres against the Palestinian people calls for a more effective movement with a more profound impact on the international arena, with the aim of confronting this brutal Israeli aggression by all legitimate and possible means, including political, legal, and media efforts, in implementation of the resolutions adopted by the Joint Arab and Islamic Summit held on November 11, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.</div><div><br></div><div>The SOM will submit its draft resolution to the extraordinary OIC-CFM for adoption at the OIC’s headquarters today (Tuesday).</div><div><br></div><div>OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha is expected to address the opening session of the OIC meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>In November last year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted the extraordinary joint Arab and Islamic Summit, in Riyadh, jointly organized by the OIC and the League of Arab States.</div><div><br></div><div>The Conference adopted a number of decisions, in particular assigning a committee of the Foreign Ministers of Member States, to tour world capitals and international organizations in order to stop Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.</div><div><br></div><div>As part of its continued efforts to stop the brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people since October 7, the OIC also held an open-ended executive committee extraordinary meeting at the foreign minister level, at its headquarters on October 18 last year.</div><div><br></div><div>During his participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye on March 1-3, the Foreign Minister described the event as a significant platform for international dialogue.</div><div><br></div><div>At the Forum, Hasan emphasized the urgent need for a collective effort to end the ongoing genocide in Gaza, holding Israel accountable for committing crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.</div><div><br></div><div>In an interview with TRT World, Hasan highlighted the lack of sufficient global action to halt the violence and atrocities in Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>\"What\'s happening in Gaza is simply crimes against humanity. Not only crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing is going on,\" he stated, pointing out the devastating toll on civilians, with over 30,000 people, predominantly women and children, killed in the conflict.</div><div><br></div><div>The Foreign Minister said they have not seen enough effort to stop this “war and genocide” and Israel is violating all the norms of any war.</div><div><br></div><div>Representing Bangladesh at the Forum in Türkiye, Hasan underscored the potential of the global community gathered there to play a pivotal role in addressing these atrocities, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>\"I think we can raise our united voices to stop these atrocities, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in Gaza and stop Israel,\" he was heard saying in the video interview.</div><div><br></div><div>The Forum, initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye and under the patronage of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, ended on March 3.</div><div><br></div><div>This year\'s edition convenes heads of state, government officials, diplomats, business leaders, academics, and representatives from various sectors to discuss “Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil”, the theme for this year.</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 12:28:13', '2024-03-05 12:28:13'),
(11448, 11448, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday suggested that the Muslim countries introduce a common currency like the euro of the European Union to facilitate trade and commerce among them.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“It would be very good if we can introduce a common currency following the European Union to facilitate trade and commerce among us,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said this while a delegation of D-8 trade ministers led by Turkish Deputy Minister of Trade Mustafa Tizcu called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.</div><div><br></div><div>PM’s Speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the call on.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina said that the D-8 was formed with the eight Muslim-majority countries of the world aiming to enhance the trade and commerce among them along with improving friendship to develop the socioeconomic status of the people of these countries.</div><div><br></div><div>The grouping comprises Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkiye.</div><div><br></div><div>“My aim is to improve the fate and socioeconomic development of the common people. It is possible only when we will be able to enhance trade and commerce among us,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that the member countries of the D-8 have ample scope to do achieve this.</div><div><br></div><div>“If we can improve trade among us then we do not have to be dependent on others,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking about the Rohingya issue she said that their one or two generations are going to be lost and many of them are involving with criminal activities.</div><div><br></div><div>She expressed her grave concern regarding their dignified repatriation to their homeland.</div><div><br></div><div>“It is becoming difficult day by day, especially because of the present internal conflict in Myanmar the move to repatriate them is becoming tough,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that the D-8 should work together like a family in trade and commerce and technical assistance to each other for developing their own fate</div><div><br></div><div>The main agenda of the meeting was to implement preferential trade agreement (PTA) among the D-8 member countries and expand its areas of effectiveness.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In this regards, a Dhaka Declaration was made and adopted at the meeting of Council of Ministers as they agreed to boost bilateral and multilateral trades among the D-8 countries.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The delegation extended their gratitude to the prime minister as one of the initiators of launching the D-8 grouping 27 years ago, and s today she remains the only founding head of government.</div><div><br></div><div>The delegation said that at the meeting they decided to increase the trade volume among the D-8 member countries to US$ 500 billion by 2030, which is now US$ 146 billion.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>They also appreciated the prime minister for hosting and feeding the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, Rohingya, saying that the D-8 and Muslim countries will continue to provide assistance and cooperation for them, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Talking about the Israeli attacks on Gaza, the delegation members lauded Sheikh Hasina’s stance in support of the Palestinian territory.</div><div><br></div><div>State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu, Ambassador-at-large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister M Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh were present during the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 14:49:31', '2024-03-05 14:49:31'),
(11449, 11449, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas has said that ruling Awami League (AL) retains power by killing people.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>AL is using state apparatus to kill the taxpayers, alleged the BNP leader.</div><div><br></div><div>He made the comments in a financial grant giving programme organised by BNP for the families of two deceased Jubo Dal leaders- Shamim Mollah from Mugdha Thana Unit and Abdur Rashid from Adabar Thana Unit.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Shamim Mollah was killed during October 28 grand rally while Abdur Rashid on October 29 during Hartal.</div><div><br></div><div>The grant-giving programme on behalf of BNP Acting Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman was held at party Nayapaltan Central office on</div><div>Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>Mirza Abbas said about 15,000 leaders and activists of BNP had been killed by AL, making a lot of children orphans and families helpless.</div><div><br></div><div>He said AL destroyed BNP’s October 28 grand rally as part of their plan which included local and international conspiracy groups so that BNP could not participate in the parliament polls.</div><div><br></div><div>AL started arresting BNP leaders and activists 18 months before October 28 mass rally, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"They were even continuously threatening our senior leaders showing fear about jail before the 28 October programme,\" he alleged.</div><div><br></div><div>Mirza Abbas said the people of the country had responded to Tareque Rahman\'s urges by boycotting the January 7 staged dummy election, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Before January 7 election Tarique Rahman requested people to refrain from casting their vote for AL.</div><div><br></div><div>BNP Standing Committee member said it is not new for AL to kill people. During 1974-1975 period, AL government had killed about 24-25 thousand people, he said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 14:55:43', '2024-03-05 14:55:43'),
(11450, 11450, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The private bus transport sector is under the control of powerful bus owner-worker associations and syndicates, often with ties to the ruling political party that extends to the extent that even governmental authorities appear powerless against their influence, according to a new research Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The anti-corruption organisation stated this while releasing its research study ‘Integrity in Private Bus Transport Business’ at a press conference on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>To overcome the challenges in the sector, TIB presented a 15-point charter of recommendations.</div><div><br></div><div>The TIB research report shows that control of the transport business by the ruling party members and its patronised quarter is at the centre of rampant corruption and irregularities in the bus transport sector, reads a press release.</div><div><br></div><div>Most of the leaders of the owners’ associations in the sector are associated with the ruling party. The 22 companies (13.1 percent of the total number of companies), included in TIB’s study, own 81.4 percent of the bus transport business. Almost 92 per cent members of the board of directors of these large bus companies are directly affiliated with the ruling party (80 percent) and other political parties (12 percent). They have monopolised authority in the owners’ and workers’ associations alongside creating impediments in law formulation and implementation by capturing policy mechanisms, thus taking the sector hostage.</div><div><br></div><div>Mentioning political patronage and role of syndicates as the root causes of irregularities and corruption in the bus transport sector, TIB Executive Director (ED) Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “The private bus transport business is entirely plagued by irregularities and corruption. Its root cause is the collusion between bus owners’ and workers’ associations, empowered by political patronage.”</div><div><br></div><div>“According to our research, almost 92 percent of the bus owners are associated with political parties, of whom 80 per cent are from the ruling political party and 12 percent are from other parties. As a result, despite expectations centering the transport sector that it would become a public-friendly one, in reality, it has been held hostage by the owners’ and workers’ associations, and their syndicate is taking undue advantage of this hostage situation. The hostage situation is so severe that the owners and workers, due to their collision, seem more powerful than the government. The government is failing in implementing its own laws and regulations to control corruption and irregularities in the private bus transport sector. Also, the expected services cannot be ensured, and at the same time, general workers in the sector are being deprived of their basic rights including a fair wage,” he added, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Criticizing the role of the stakeholders associated with the transport sector, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman added, “Extortion and illegal transactions of various dimensions take place in bus transport. The city corporations, highway police, and owners’ and workers’ associations work in collusion in this regard. The BRTA has definitely failed to discharge its specified duties, and to mask the failures the agency is giving the excuse of manpower shortage. The corruption and irregularities alongside illicit transactions in the BRTA are taking place in collusion. The situation is becoming more critical, as all the concerned are sharing the economic benefit, made through corruption. We call for exemplary punitive measures against everyone involved in corruption and irregularities in this sector. Because, corruption thrives further when it is uncontrolled.”&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 15:44:54', '2024-03-05 15:44:54'),
(11451, 11451, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Facebook has seemingly logged all of its user out with no explanation.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In what looks like a repeat of the Twitter apocalypse of 2022, when users were similarly logged out suddenly, social media users are completely lost as to why the website and app has gone down.</div><div><br></div><div>It\'s not just Facebook though, as Instagram, which as bought by the social media giants in 2012, is also down.</div><div><br></div><div>The result of this has been a pretty public meltdown from several of the site\'s users on the last major social media site standing: Twitter, or X if you want to get technical.</div><div><br></div><div>One mirrored some of our thoughts: \"Anyone else freak out and think they was being hacked?\"</div><div><br></div><div>Another made a great point: \"Love that I can always count on twitter to confirm that Meta is down and we’ve all been logged out of facebook and Instagram isn’t working\".</div><div><br></div><div>A different user also said: \"Me opening twitter to see if my phone is not broken, and facebook and messenger is just down,\" accompanied with a hilarious video of Kris Jenner nonchalantly closing her laptop.</div><div><br></div><div>Your X timeline is sure to be littered with reaction videos to represent users\' feelings, so if you\'re sharp, now might be the time to get that viral tweet.</div><div><br></div><div>It seems like everyone has made a return to X, as another user said: \"Everybody checking twitter to see if facebook is down for everyone else,\" with a video of The Weeknd in a maze at his iconic Super Bowl halftime show. - lad bible</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 15:57:06', '2024-03-05 15:57:06'),
(11452, 11452, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Coming down heavily on BNP for unleashing arson violence, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said BNP has become Azrael for Bangladesh.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Those who are involved in such kinds of incidents can’t be pardoned. They must face punishment,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Leader of the House said this while taking part in the thanksgiving motion on the President’s speech and thus delivering her valedictory speech simultaneously in the maiden session of the 12th parliament.</div><div><br></div><div>During her speech, an audio-visual presentation was screened depicting the terrible scenario of the violence and fire incidents unleashed by BNP-Jamaat jote in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>She said BNP has continued terrorist activities day after day. Many are still leading a miserable life sustaining burn injuries in the arson violence unleashed by BNP-Jamaat jote, she added.</div><div><br></div><div>About the allegation that a huge number of BNP men are politically arrested, she questioned what is called political prisoners (Rajbondi) and how those who killed people by burning them through fire can be political prisoners. They are rather terrorists, militants and criminals.</div><div><br></div><div>“None are arrested due to political reasons. Those who remain arrested are either order-givers, directly engaged in the incidents or financers. So, none of the financers, order-givers or those who are directly engaged won’t be spared,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The PM asked the members of parliament to pay heed to quick deposition of witnesses and documents of the cases filed in connection with arson violence in their respective areas for the sake of quick disposal of the cases and ensuring punishment for the perpetrators.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the Israel attack on Gaza hospitals, Hasina said Israel kills children and women. “The character of the BNP is the same as it does here what Israel is doing in Palestine. BNP has become Azrael for Bangladesh,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The first session of the current parliament, which was formed through the January 7 general election, began on January 30. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 16:04:55', '2024-03-05 16:04:55'),
(11453, 11453, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>The Offshore Banking Act, 2024 was passed in Parliament on Tuesday as part of a stated objective to enhance the country\'s reserves of foreign currency and attract foreign investment although it is feared that money laundering from the country will be increased through offshore banking.</b></div><div><br></div><div>Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali placed the bill in the House which was passed by voice vote.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, while participating in the discussion on the bill, four Jatiya Party MPs including Opposition Chief Whip Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Ruhul Amin Hawlader demanded to send the bill to a committee for eliciting public opinions.</div><div><br></div><div>But their proposal was rejected by voice vote.</div><div><br></div><div>This is the first time the government is writing legislation on offshore banking in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Chunnu said that big thieves, big fishes, state leaders, smugglers use offshore banking to make their money legal through banking in island countries like the Bahamas and thus launder the money abroad.</div><div><br></div><div>He also said names of some people from Bangladesh who have appeared in the newspaper</div><div><br></div><div>“They also laundered money through offshore banking, built houses and hotels abroad. It would be good if those thieves who have smuggled Bangladeshi money abroad bring back the money without giving any tax. But it seems money launderers won’t bring back the money.”</div><div><br></div><div>Instead Chunnu fears increased money laundering from the country through offshore banking.</div><div><br></div><div>Hafiz Uddin portrayed a sorry state of the country’s banking sector.</div><div><br></div><div>He alleged that S Alam Group laundered Islami Bank\'s money to Singapore.</div><div><br></div><div>Hafiz Uddin also said, “I do not know whether Bangladesh Bank will supervise the local banks. Bangladesh Bank\'s own money is being smuggled abroad and they are not aware of it. How can they supervise banks?\"</div><div><br></div><div>Masud Uddin said what we hear about offshore banking is that money is smuggled from Bangladesh to Bermuda and kept in other places.</div><div><br></div><div>“This has given us a negative impression about offshore banking. Through this law, a lot of foreign currency can come to the country tax free. But how to address its negative impact?”</div><div><br></div><div>As per the proposed law, non-resident individuals or foreign firms, who will invest here, can open offshore bank accounts.</div><div><br></div><div>A license from Bangladesh Bank is required to do offshore banking. Those who have obtained this license do not need to have a new license.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the proposed law, no individual will be allowed to do offshore banking business apart from any scheduled bank working in Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>The offshore banking operations can be done with the five currencies –US Dollar, Pound, Euro, Japanese Yen and Chinese Yen.</div><div><br></div><div>Any relative of a Bangladeshi living abroad can open an account and manage the account as a supporter.</div><div><br></div><div>Now foreigners who deposit money under the internal banking system of Bangladesh, need permission to remit the money from the country. But in the case of offshore banking, they can do it freely.</div><div><br></div><div>The move for offshore banking is not only to increase reserves but also to gain financial benefit.</div><div><br></div><div>If someone keeps money in that offshore account, no one will ask about the source of the money.</div><div><br></div><div>The individuals or firms who are living abroad or the foreign ones will be allowed to open bank accounts under the proposed law.</div><div><br></div><div>It said that there should be policies approved by the bank board for the Related schedule Bank in the light of instructions given by Bangladesh Bank for conducting offshore banking activities.</div><div><br></div><div>Separate books of account shall be maintained for offshore operations of Scheduled Banks which shall be used for verification of financial and other operations.</div><div><br></div><div>Asset Liability Management guidelines of respective banks shall be applicable for offshore banking activities.</div><div><br></div><div>Funds can be transferred from domestic banking units to offshore banking units with the special approval of Bangladesh Bank, as per the proposed Law.</div><div><br></div><div>All the funded and non-funded limits prescribed by Bangladesh Bank shall be applicable to offshore banking business of Scheduled Banks.</div><div><br></div><div>Submission of all types of reports as directed by Bangladesh Bank shall be applicable for offshore banking business of scheduled banks.</div><div><br></div><div>Business interest or profits payable by the depositors or foreign lenders shall be exempt from direct and indirect taxes.</div><div><br></div><div>Accounts of depositors or foreign lenders shall be exempted from any duty and levy. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 16:10:23', '2024-03-05 16:10:23'),
(11454, 11454, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ceasefire talks between Hamas and mediators broke up on Tuesday in Cairo with no breakthrough, with just days left to halt fighting in time for the start of Ramadan.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told Reuters the militant group had presented its proposal for a ceasefire agreement to the mediators during two days of talks, and was now waiting for a response from the Israelis, who stayed away from this round.</div><div><br></div><div>“(Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu doesn’t want to reach an agreement and the ball now is in the Americans’ court” to press him for a deal, Naim said.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel has declined to comment publicly on the talks in Cairo.</div><div>A source told Reuters earlier that Israel was staying away because Hamas had rejected its demand to furnish a list of all hostages who are still alive. Naim said this was impossible without a ceasefire first as hostages were scattered across the war zone and held by separate groups.</div><div><br></div><div>The Cairo talks had been billed as a final hurdle to reach the war’s first extended ceasefire — a 40-day truce during which dozens of hostages would be freed and aid would be pumped into Gaza to stave off a manmade famine, ahead of Ramadan, which is due to begin at the start of next week.</div><div><br></div><div>Egyptian security sources said on Monday they were still in touch with the Israelis to allow the negotiations to continue without an Israeli delegation present.</div><div><br></div><div>Washington, which is both Israel’s closest ally and a sponsor of the ceasefire talks, has said an Israeli-approved deal is already on the table and it is up to Hamas to accept it. Hamas disputes this account as an attempt to deflect blame from Israel if the talks collapse with no deal.</div><div><br></div><div>The United States has also called on Israel to do more to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where more than 30,000 people have been killed by Israel’s assault, launched after Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 people in October. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 17:30:30', '2024-03-05 17:30:30');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11455, 11455, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Women farmers and female-headed households in low- and middle-income countries suffer larger losses due to climatic shocks, such as heat and flooding, than those by male-headed households, according to a new study Tuesday by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).&nbsp;</b></div><div><br></div><div>The Unjust Climate noted that female-headed rural households on average have lost 8% more of their income during heat waves and 3% more during floods, compared to male-headed households.</div><div><br></div><div>The gender gap translates into a per capita reduction of $83 due to heat stress and $35 due to floods -- reaching an annual total of $37 billion and $16 billion, respectively, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>The report used data from 24 low- and middle-income countries across five regions and spans 70 years of daily climate data, matched with the incomes of more than 100,000 households.</div><div><br></div><div>Climate change is also increasing the number of hours women are required to work and since women already have a higher burden of care in almost all countries, it exacerbates the situation.</div><div><br></div><div>On top of all of this, there are also persistent discriminatory social norms that women and girls face in agri-food systems, which may constrain how much they can work outside the home or how far they can travel for work.</div><div><br></div><div>The FAO estimated that closing labor and productivity gaps between women and men could significantly affect GDP, increasing it by 1% globally and reducing food insecurity for 45 million people.</div><div><br></div><div>The report found that projects and policies focusing on empowerment can significantly improve resilience to climatic and other shocks. It was estimated that empowering projects could lead to an additional 235 million families having higher resilience to climate shocks.</div><div><br></div><div>Addressing the gaps and promoting empowerment are crucial to helping families and women become more resilient to climate change.</div><div><br></div><div>The UN agency then urged specific strategies to address the particular vulnerabilities of rural households headed by women. - Anadolu Agency</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-05 17:33:56', '2024-03-05 17:33:56'),
(11456, 11456, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) force to be more vigilant against the dishonest businesses to help stablise the prices of the essentials during the upcoming month of Ramadan.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Holy Ramadan is coming. During this month it is very unfortunate that some dishonest businessmen become more greedy instead of restraining the greed,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She was addressing the 20th founding anniversary of RAB at the elite force\'s headquarters in the capital\'s Kurmitola.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that these business people start hoarding essential items for this Ramadan, hike the prices and play various types of tricks.</div><div><br></div><div>“Proper steps must be taken against these dishonest businessmen and smugglers,” she asked the RAB officials.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina also directed the RAB personnel to intensify their drive against the counterfeit notes ahead of Eid-ul-fitr.</div><div><br></div><div>“The drive against these elements are going on and I am asking you to continue the drive,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Director General (DG) of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) M Khurshid Hossain also spoke at the programme.</div><div><br></div><div>A documentary on recent activities of RAB was screened at the programme. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 08:39:56', '2024-03-06 08:39:56'),
(11457, 11457, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Female farmers, poor people, and older populations are the most affected by climate change, and their needs require targeted measures, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlighted in a report published on Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The study, titled \"Unjust Climate,\" reveals that certain social groups are disproportionately affected by climate-related income disparities due to unequal capacities to adapt to extreme weather. Conducted over two years by a team of eight experts and various consultants, the report collected socio-economic data from 109,000 rural households in 24 low and middle-income countries, representing over 950 million people.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the study, if average temperatures were to increase by just 1 degree Celsius, rural women would face a 34 percent greater loss in their total incomes compared to men.</div><div><br></div><div>As for poor households, rising temperature renders them more dependent on climate-sensitive agriculture, and with floods, they would lose 4.4 percent of their total compared to non-poor households on average.</div><div><br></div><div>The findings, categorized by gender, wealth and age, aim to guide countries in developing tailored responses to address the diverse needs of affected groups, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>\"Our hope is that we will start taking into more consideration the differences in the vulnerability of people, because vulnerabilities are not the same for all, and they need different types of support,\" FAO senior economist and report\'s lead author Nicholas Sitko told Xinhua.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 09:50:19', '2024-03-06 09:50:19'),
(11458, 11458, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed returned home on Wednesday after attending the \'Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2024) in Qatar.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The DIMDEX was held on March 4 and March 5, said a press release of ISPR.</div><div><br></div><div>The conference discussed several issues including creating an atmosphere of mutual trust by improving relations among respective land forces, developing professional relations, strengthening regional security system, dealing with conflict problems, joint training and long-term plans for modernisation of forces.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the army chief also held bilateral meetings with the Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces and senior military officials including the chiefs of army from different countries.</div><div><br></div><div>SM Shafiuddin left for Qatar on March 3. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 10:17:19', '2024-03-06 10:17:19'),
(11459, 11459, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Dr Raihan Sharif, a lecturer of the Community Medicine department at Shaheed M Mansur Ali Medical College and Hospital in Sirajganj has been suspended over shooting a student inside a classroom.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The medical college authorities took the decision on Wednesday following the directives of the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME), Prof Dr Amirul Hossain, principal of the college, told UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, on Tuesday a Sirajganj court ordered the imprisonment of Dr Raihan.</div><div><br></div><div>The decision was handed down on Tuesday by Billal Hossain, judge of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court-1 in Sirajganj, shortly after Dr. Raihan’s court appearance.</div><div><br></div><div>The incident, which has sparked widespread condemnation, led to the formation of a three-member investigation committee by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The committee visited the medical college on Tuesday to examine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to the grave incident, students of Shaheed M Mansur Ali Medical College and Hospital organised a protest on the Sirajganj-Bogura-4 lane highway, demanding the immediate dismissal and severe punishment of Dr. Raihan. Their demands extend to the Prime Minister’s intervention for the revocation of the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) registration and the permanent removal of the accused from his teaching position. The students eventually suspended their protest after receiving assurances from the DGHS investigative team.</div><div><br></div><div>Arafat Amin Tomal, 23, a third-year student and victim of the shooting, is currently receiving medical care. The incident took place on Monday afternoon during a class, resulting in Tomal’s hospitalisation. Dr. Raihan was arrested at the scene, and his firearm was confiscated by the police.</div><div><br></div><div>Md Sirajul Islam, the officer-in-charge of the local police station, revealed that Dr. Raihan Sharif was known for carrying weapons and knives, which he would openly display during lectures. Sharif reportedly threatened students with these weapons whenever they objected to their presence in the classroom.</div><div><br></div><div>The situation escalated during an exam on Monday when, after verbally abusing Tomal, Dr. Raihan shot him, leaving the student wounded. A preliminary investigation has confirmed that the firearm used was illegal, leading to an additional charge against Dr. Raihan under the Arms Act.</div><div><br></div><div>The victim’s father, Abdullah Al Amin, has filed a case against Dr. Raihan with the Sadar Police Station, further intensifying the legal actions against the embattled lecturer. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 10:22:16', '2024-03-06 10:22:16'),
(11460, 11460, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Rajib Moni Das has got Television Reporters Unity of Bangladesh (TRUB) Award-2024 in the best dramatist category.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The award ceremony was held at the Ballroom of hotel InterContinental Dhaka in the capital’s Shahbagh area on Wednesday. Minister for Land Narayan Chandra Chanda graced the occasion as the chief guest while former shipping minister Shajahan Khan inaugurated the ceremony. Rajib Moni Das is an author, playwright, lyricist and director.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He started his media career as a stage artiste. Since 2009, he has been writing script for television drams. His written first single-episode play is ‘Rahmat Master’. Rajib has written over 150 single-episode dramas so far.&nbsp; His popular drama serials are ‘Traffic Signal’, ‘Rong Berong er Manushera’, ‘Pagoler Mela’, ‘Saat Ronga Bhalobasha’. Apart from playwrights, Rajib also wrote songs, stories and novels. Rajib is also known for as ad maker and director. He has made a good many television commercials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/Roman</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 10:54:55', '2024-03-06 10:54:55'),
(11461, 11461, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The fire at the S Alam Group-owned sugar refinery factory in Chattogram has triggered a cascade of environmental repercussions, including water and soil contamination, air pollution, ecological disruption, potential health risks, and lasting environmental effects.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Karnaphuli River is facing severe pollution as burnt waste from the mill, particularly melted sugar from warehouse number 1, is directly flowing into the river through two drains, turning its water copper-colored and leading to a distressing sight of dead aquatic animals along its banks.</div><div><br></div><div>The polluted water is causing harm to various aquatic species, including fish and crabs. Locals said dead fish have been floating in the river since Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>Burning sugar can create harmful byproducts like ash and trace amounts of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. Sugar processing generates large volumes of wastewater containing organic matter, nutrients, and sometimes harmful chemicals like pesticides used in sugarcane cultivation. This can deplete oxygen in the river, harming aquatic life.</div><div><br></div><div>As a result, low oxygen levels and potential toxins from the burnt sugar are leading to fish kills and disrupting the aquatic ecosystem in the area.</div><div><br></div><div>The burned waste is not confined to the river alone, spreading several kilometers around the factory, said residents of the nearby area.</div><div><br></div><div>This is causing inconvenience and health concerns for the residents of Ichanagar.</div><div><br></div><div>As the combustion of sugar and other materials in the godown released various pollutants into the air, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and potentially toxic gases, this caused poor air quality in the surrounding area, affecting both human health and the environment.</div><div><br></div><div>Burning sugar also releases specific air pollutants like acrolein, a known irritant to the eyes and respiratory system.</div><div><br></div><div>Nazrul Islam, a local, said “Some locals are facing respiratory issues and we are afraid of getting sick.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He expressed worry about the continuous dumping of factory waste in the river.</div><div><br></div><div>“The waste of these factories is regularly dumped into the river. Now they are dumping it on the roads and fields,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>River researcher Idris Ali pointed out that the factory needed to allocate sufficient space for waste disposal before establishment.</div><div><br></div><div>The failure to do so has led to the burnt waste from the factory polluting the Karnaphuli River, posing a threat to fisheries and biodiversity, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He also mentioned that prolonged fire can have a direct impact on the local ecosystem, harming plants, animals, and microorganisms.</div><div><br></div><div>“The release of pollutants into the air and water can disrupt the balance of the ecosystem and pose a threat to biodiversity,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Depending on the scale of the fire and the effectiveness of containment measures, the long-term environmental effects could persist even after the fire is extinguished. This may include ongoing pollution of air, water, and soil in the area.</div><div><br></div><div>“The environmental damage incurred may become irreversible,” said the expert.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He underscored law enforcement agencies\' need for heightened vigilance in enforcing regulations.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, Kamrul Hasan, the Deputy Director of the Department of Environment visited the site to collect water samples from both the factory drain and the river for analysis, reports unb</div><div><br></div><div>\"Upon testing the water samples, we will be able to determine the extent of damage to various water components,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Mostain Billah Adil, Chief Land Resources Officer of S Alam Group, said, “Approximately 30 dump trucks are currently depositing molten raw sugar at our designated site. We are making our best efforts to manage the situation. At this point, we can only be sorry now.”&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 16:09:44', '2024-03-06 16:09:44'),
(11462, 11462, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Ahead of the month of Ramadan, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start selling five goods at subsidised prices from Thursday among 10 million family cardholders across the country.</b></div><div><br></div><div>A consumer with a family card can buy a maximum of 2 litres of soybean oil, 2 kg lentils, 1 kg of sugar, 5 kg rice and 1 kg dates.</div><div><br></div><div>In this case, the price of soybean oil will be kept at Tk 100 per litre, sugar at Tk 100, per kg lentils at Tk 60 per kg, dates at Tk 150, and rice at Tk 30 per kg.</div><div><br></div><div>The TCB increased the price of sugar by Tk30 to Tk100 per kg this time, which was Tk60 per kg last year.</div><div><br></div><div>In this regard, TCB spokesperson Humayun Kabir told UNB that the price of sugar has been increased to adjust the price in the market.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, TCB sold sugar at a relatively low price. The last time sugar was supplied to the dealers three months ago, the price was falling. Now the price of sugar in the market has increased a lot, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the TCB, the distributors will conduct this activity according to the scheduled date and time in cooperation with the city corporations, district and upazila administrations.</div><div><br></div><div>During the campaign, family cardholders can buy products from the distributors\' shops or designated places in their respective areas.</div><div><br></div><div>State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu will inaugurate the Ramadan sales programme on Thursday at Ward No. 24 of the Dhaka North City Corporation. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 16:13:20', '2024-03-06 16:13:20'),
(11463, 11463, '<div><br></div><div>&nbsp;A German man who deliberately got vaccinated for Covid-19 a whopping 217 times did not report any side effects from his many jabs, according to researchers studying possibly the “most vaccinated person in history”.</div><div><br></div><div>The immune system of the 62-year-old man from the central German city of Magdeburg – who has not been named – is still firing on all cylinders, the researchers said in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.</div><div><br></div><div>They said the man voluntarily received so many shots against all medical advice and warned against jumping to far-reaching conclusions from this single case.</div><div><br></div><div>The man first came to the attention of the German-led researchers due to news reports in 2022, when he had only received 90 jabs.</div><div><br></div><div>Media reports at the time said the man was suspected of getting so many doses to collect the completed vaccination cards, which could then be forged and sold to people who did not want to be vaccinated.</div><div><br></div><div>A public prosecutor in Magdeburg opened an investigation into allegations of fraud over the case but no criminal charges were filed, according to the scientific paper published earlier this week.</div><div><br></div><div>The prosecutor collected evidence of 130 vaccinations over nine months, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>But the man claims to have received 217 vaccine doses of eight different Covid-19 vaccines – including all mRNA versions – over 29 months.</div><div><br></div><div>Kilian Schober, a virologist at Germany’s University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and study co-author, said in a statement that when they contacted the man, he was “very interested” in undergoing a range of tests to examine the effect of so many vaccinations.</div><div><br></div><div>The case allowed the researchers an extremely rare chance to study what is known as “hypervaccination”.</div><div><br></div><div>Some scientists have theorised that after being hit by so many vaccinations, a body’s immune cells would become less effective as they became accustomed to the antigens.</div><div><br></div><div>But that was not the case for the German man, the researchers found.</div><div><br></div><div>In fact, he had “considerably higher concentrations” of immune cells and antibodies for Covid-19 than a control group of three people who received the recommended three vaccinations, the study said.</div><div><br></div><div>His body also showed no sign of fatigue from all those vaccinations – his 217th jab still boosted his number of antibodies against Covid-19, the researchers found.</div><div><br></div><div>The man reported that he never had any vaccine-related side effects from any of the 217 jabs. He also never tested positive for Covid-19 and showed no signs of past infection, the researchers said.</div><div><br></div><div>But they warned against taking away any wider lessons from the man’s experience.</div><div><br></div><div>“It should go without saying that we do not endorse hypervaccination,” Schober wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.</div><div><br></div><div>Caitjan Gainty, an expert in the history of vaccines at King’s College London not involved in the study, told AFP she had “never come across a historical discussion of someone who received more vaccinations than this”.</div><div><br></div><div>It is “relatively unlikely” that anyone has ever had more vaccinations than the man, she added.</div><div><br></div><div>Spyros Lytras, a virologist at the University of Tokyo, said it was a “comically large number of vaccinations”.</div><div><br></div><div>“Whether this is the most vaccinated person in history, I cannot know, but they are certainly the most vaccinated person reported to date” by some margin, he told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>“And I doubt that we’re going to see another such report any time soon.” - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 16:16:14', '2024-03-06 16:43:48'),
(11464, 11464, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Banks have disbursed agriculture credit of Tk2,473 crore more in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2023-24 compared with the disbursement in FY2022-23.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to the latest report of the Bangladesh Bank (BB), the achievement of the agriculture credit disbursement target was 60.44 percent or Tk21,154 crore in the first seven months of FY 2023-24. During the same period of the previous fiscal year the amount of loan disbursement was Tk18,684 crore or 60.64 percent of the target.</div><div><br></div><div>While the total amount increased the percentage rate has decreased slightly as the total volume of agriculture credit was raised in FY 2023-24.</div><div><br></div><div>The BB-set agriculture credit disbursement target in FY2023-24 is Tk35,000 crore, which was Tk30,811 crore in FY2022-23.</div><div><br></div><div>At the same time, five banks have disbursed 100 percent of targeted agriculture credit. Foreign lender Habib Bank has made a record of the highest agricultural and rural loan disbursement. The bank achieved 222.8 percent disbursement during the current fiscal year under the review period.</div><div><br></div><div>At the same time the AB Bank disbursed 173.3 percent, Dhaka Bank 145.3 percent, State Bank of India 121.8 percent, and Bank Al Falah disbursed 105.3 percent of loans.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the data, in the first seven months of the current financial year, eight state-owned banks disbursed agricultural loans of Tk 7,551 crore, which is 62.77 percent of the total target. Private and foreign banks disbursed loans of Tk 13,603 crore during the same period, which is 59.22 percent of the total target.</div><div><br></div><div>Among the private sector banks, the Padma Bank has disbursed agriculture loans 0.38 percent, Madhumati Bank 4.93 percent, Social Islami Bank 12.77 percent, Global Islami Bank 14.55 percent, Simanto Bank 17.72 percent and South East Bank 18.10 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>Local Citizen Bank and foreign Woori Bank could not disburse a single penny in the first seven months of the current fiscal year.</div><div><br></div><div>The BB reduced the dependency of private banks on Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) to reach farmers at low-interest rates. The central bank has made it mandatory to disburse at least 50 percent of agricultural loans through the bank\'s own network. It was 30 percent earlier. According to unb reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 16:18:21', '2024-03-06 16:18:21'),
(11465, 11465, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In response to the recent tragic fire on the Bailey Road in the capital, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has been conducting drives targeting establishments with potential fire safety hazards.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The drive that started on March 3 resulted in the detention of 872 owners and employees from 1,347 hotels, restaurants, gas cylinder shops, and chemical warehouses till March 5.</div><div><br></div><div>The primary objective of the DMP drive is to assess and address fire safety shortcomings in various non-compliant buildings across the capital. Police inspected 1,132 hotels and restaurants, 207 gas cylinder shops, and eight chemical warehouses during the operation.</div><div><br></div><div>During the drive, 20 regular cases were filed at local police stations, resulting in the issuance of 887 additional prosecutions against individuals and businesses violating fire safety regulations, said KN Roy Nioty, ADC (Media and Public Relations) of the DMP.</div><div><br></div><div>This recent surge in enforcement comes after a devastating fire ripped through a seven-storey commercial building on Bailey Road in Dhaka on February 29, killing 46 individuals, including 26 women and three children, and critically injuring 22 others. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 16:21:58', '2024-03-06 16:21:58'),
(11466, 11466, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Chinese President Xi Jinping has asked his party members and officials to focus on innovations in a rapidly transforming global scenario.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Facing the latest round of scientific and technological revolutions and industrial transformations, we must seize opportunities and step up efforts for innovations,\" said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.</div><div><br></div><div>XI made the statement as he took part in the deliberation of the government work report with his fellow deputies from the delegation of Jiangsu Province to the second session of the 14th National People’s Congress on March 5 in Beijing.</div><div><br></div><div>He emphasised on the need to firmly focus on the primary task of high-quality development and develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions.</div><div><br></div><div>He also asked to strengthen emerging industries, arrange the development of industries for the future in advance, and modernise industrial system.</div><div><br></div><div>He said to develop new quality productive forces doesn’t mean ignoring or abandoning traditional industries. The endeavours in this regard should never be in a mad scramble, and bubbles should be prevented.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We should also avoid the domination of a single model,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The President of China, the world’s second largest economy, also said localities should adhere to the principle of proceeding from reality, building the new before discarding the old, taking measures in line with local conditions, and giving differentiated guidance.</div><div><br></div><div>\"They must selectively cultivate new industries, business models and growth drivers in the light of their resource endowment, industrial foundation and scientific research conditions, among other factors,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He also emphasised on transforming and upgrading traditional industries with new technologies and taking rigorous actions to make industries higher-end, smarter, and more environmentally friendly.</div><div><br></div><div>The deliberation was carried out in a warm and lively atmosphere within the delegation. Cui Tiejun, Gao Jifan, Song Yan, Wu Huifang, Wu Xinming and Sun Jingnan, six deputies of the delegation, presented on how to achieve great self-reliance and strength in science and technology, promote the high-quality development of the country’s photovoltaic industry, strengthen the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, build happy villages featuring common prosperity, support the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and promote craftsmanship.</div><div><br></div><div>Xi joined their talks from time to time, exchanging opinions with his fellow deputies.After listening to the deputies’ presentations, Xi delivered a speech.</div><div><br></div><div>He expressed his approval of the government work report, fully acknowledging the new progress and achievements made in Jiangsu’s economic and social development.</div><div><br></div><div>He expressed the hope that Jiangsu will have greater confidence, exert its utmost, and shoulder greater responsibilities to make even more contributions to the nation.</div><div><br></div><div>Xi stressed that Jiangsu possesses favorable conditions and capabilities for developing new quality productive forces.</div><div><br></div><div>He highlighted the importance of building a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the mainstay.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It is essential for technological innovation to play a leading role in coordinating the upgrading of traditional industries, the expansion of emerging industries, and the nurturing of industries for the future and imperative to intensify the integration between technological innovation and industrial innovation, and reinforce the leading edge of traditional industries,\" he mentioned.</div><div><br></div><div>It is important to accelerate the building of internationally competitive clusters of strategic emerging industries, and make Jiangsu a major locality for the development of new quality productive forces, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Xi pointed out the necessity of planning major measures to further deepen reform on all fronts, so as to continuously inject strong impetus into the endeavor to promote high-quality development and advance Chinese modernization. To build a high-level socialist market economy, it is imperative to accelerate the improvement of basic systems underpinning the market economy such as those for property rights protection, market access, fair competition, and social credit.</div><div><br></div><div>It is essential to improve and implement the institutions and mechanisms to unswervingly consolidate and develop the public sector and unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of the non-public sector, facilitate the growth of the private sector and private enterprises, and stimulate the endogenous power and innovation vitality of various business entities. Reform of systems involving science and technology, education and professional personnel should be deepened, and barriers obstructing the development of new quality productive forces should be removed. Efforts should be continued to create a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized to foster new strengths for a higher-level open economy.</div><div><br></div><div>Xi stressed that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, a series of coordinated regional development strategies, major regional strategies and functional zoning strategies have been implemented, playing an important supporting role in fostering a new development paradigm and promoting high-quality development. It is imperative for Jiangsu to fully integrate into and contribute to the development of the Yangtze Economic Belt and the strategy for integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, and strengthen its alignment with the development strategies of other regions and major regional strategies to build interconnected innovation, industrial, and supply chains in a broader range of areas, so that Jiangsu can better leverage its strength as a major economically developed province to drive the development of the whole region and the whole country.</div><div><br></div><div>Xi pointed out that efforts must be made to sustain and reinforce the positive momentum of economic recovery, and boost confidence in development across society. Party officials should be among the first to have greater confidence and take concrete, effective actions.</div><div><br></div><div>\"To consolidate and expand what has been achieved in theoretical study programmes, efforts must be made to establish a long-term mechanism, resolutely rectify pointless formalities and bureaucratism, effectively reduce the burden on the grassroots, spark the creativity of the entire Party and society, and boost Party officials’ enterprising spirit in their work,\" he also said.</div><div><br></div><div>He also highlighted that the people-centered development philosophy should be upheld, and the people’s well-being should be steadily improved in the course of pursuing development, so as to guide and encourage the broad masses to create a happy life with their own hands.</div><div><br></div><div>Lastly, Xi stressed that it is important to ensure workplace safety by further improving the work to detect safety hazards, strengthening early warning and monitoring, and implementing emergency measures to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.</div><div><br></div><div>Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, participated in the deliberation.</div><div><br></div><div>Mu Hong and Jiang Xinzhi, among others, were present. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 16:29:21', '2024-03-06 16:29:21'),
(11467, 11467, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Two people were killed and four were injured as a pick-up van rammed into three motorbikes on Sylhet-Tamabil highway in Jaintiapur upazila of Sylhet district on Tuesday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased were identified as Shihab, 22, son of Alauddin, and Foysal Reza, 19, son of Liakat Ali of the upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>The accident occurred around 9:45 pm in front of Jaflong Valley Boarding School when the Mokampunji-bound pick-up van hit three motorbikes, leaving five people injured, said Tajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Jaintapur Model Police Station, reports unb</div><div><br></div><div>The injured were taken to Jaintiapur Upazila Health Complex where the doctors declared two of them dead.</div><div><br></div><div>Vehicular movement on Sylhet-Tamabil road remained suspended for an hour as local people put up barricades protesting the accident.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 16:41:40', '2024-03-06 16:41:40'),
(11468, 11468, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Former South Africa pacer Shabnim Ismail created history on Tuesday when she bowled the fastest delivery ever recorded in women\'s cricket.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Ismail broke the record with a delivery that clocked the speed of 132.1km/h (82.08mph) when bowling for the Mumbai Indians in their Women\'s Premier League (WPL) clash against the Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium.</div><div><br></div><div>It was the first time that a delivery in women\'s cricket has been clocked at a speed greater than 130km/h, with Ismail\'s thunderbolt smashing into the pad of former Australia captain Meg Lanning on the second ball of the third over of the match.</div><div><br></div><div>Ismail, who appeared for South Africa in all eight previous ICC Women\'s T20 World Cups and only retired from international cricket following last year\'s tournament on home soil, had previously been clocked as bowling at 128km/h (79.54mph) against the West Indies in 2016 and at 127km/h twice during the most recent edition of the ICC Women\'s Cricket World Cup in 2022.</div><div><br></div><div>When quizzed about breaking the record during a post-match interview, Ismail played down the effort and indicated she \"doesn\'t actually look at the big screen when I’m bowling.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Ismail\'s efforts were in vain as she delivered four expensive overs to finish with figures of 1/46 as the Indians went down to the Capitals by 29 runs in Delhi. - ICC</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 16:48:41', '2024-03-06 16:48:41'),
(11469, 11469, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Iranian authorities are subjecting women to widespread surveillance to enforce the obligatory headscarf, even inside cars, and then imposing punishments including the confiscation of vehicles, Amnesty International said today.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The Islamic Republic’s leadership was in 2022 shaken by mass protests that saw women denounce the dress code but have made clear it has no plan to abandon the obligatory hijab imposed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.</div><div><br></div><div>Amnesty said in a report, based on testimony from over 40 women inside Iran published ahead of the March 8 International Women’s Day, that women were being targeted with “widespread surveillance” in public spaces and “mass police checks” targeting women drivers.</div><div><br></div><div>It said pictures captured by surveillance cameras or reports from plain clothes agents using the police app Nazer identify licence plates of vehicles with female drivers or passengers deemed to have violated the rule.</div><div><br></div><div>The women then receive text messages ordering them to report to the police and hand over the vehicles as punishment. It said hundreds of thousands of such orders to impound vehicles have been issued.</div><div><br></div><div>The cars can then be released in some cases after 15-30 days once “arbitrary” fees are transferred and written pledges are obtained to observe compulsory veiling.</div><div><br></div><div>“In a sinister attempt to wear down resistance to compulsory veiling…Iran’s authorities are terrorising women and girls by subjecting them to constant surveillance and policing,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, denouncing “draconian tactics”.</div><div><br></div><div>It said authorities have also conducted mass random checks, with police pulling over the women drivers to check if their cars are to be confiscated.</div><div><br></div><div>Access to transport, airports, and banking services is regularly denied and made conditional upon women wearing a headscarf, Amnesty said.</div><div><br></div><div>Those defying the rule face prosecution and in January 2024, a flogging sentence of 74 lashes was implemented against a young woman, Roya Heshmati, for appearing unveiled in public.</div><div><br></div><div>Protests erupted in September 2022 following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the hijab rule.</div><div><br></div><div>The demonstrations subsided in the face of a crackdown that saw hundreds killed and thousands arrested.</div><div><br></div><div>Iran’s parliament in September 2023 passed the “Bill to Support the Culture of Chastity and Hijab” which increases punishments for those deemed to have violated the rule. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-06 17:06:10', '2024-03-06 17:06:10'),
(11470, 11470, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the international recognition of Bangabandhu\'s historic March 7 speech proves that history cannot be obliterated, although the anti-liberation forces tried it.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“History cannot be erased, truth cannot be covered by false, and now that has been proved. The historical speech of March 7 has attained it’s the recognition in the world,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister was addressing a programme marking the historic March 7 speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman before his proclanation of independence on March 26 in 1971.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that the historic speech is significant not only for the people of Bangladesh, rather this has been one of the greatest speeches of the world leaders who had encouraged their peoples for independence.</div><div><br></div><div>“They (anti-Liberation forces) erased the name of the Father of the Nation, his picture could not be shown, the historical speech of March 7 was banned, Joy Bangla slogan was banned,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Recalling the barbaric killing of the father of the nation, Hasina, also the elder dauhhter of Bangabandhu, said that the anti-liberation forces did not like the efforts of Bangabandhu after the independence of the country to turn Bangladesh as the least developed country within three years and seven months from a war-ravaged one.</div><div><br></div><div>“And when the country was advancing towards economic emancipation, the anti-liberation forces did not like that,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She also said that the most regrettable matter is that Pakistanis could not kill the father of the nation, but he was killed by some of his own countrymen.</div><div><br></div><div>“It was not just a killing for power, they did not killonly the President,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that her mother, three younger brothers, only paternal uncle, student leader Fazlul Haque Moni and his pregnant wife, her uncle Abdur Rab Serniabat and his ten years old son, 13 years old daughter, four years old grandson were also killed.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that Bangabandhu’s military secretary who rushed to save him was also killed while police officer Siddiqur Rahman was slain.</div><div><br></div><div>“Bangladesh could not advance a single step after the massacre. Bangladesh was totally stuck, there was no socio-economic advancement while there was no change in the fate of the people,” she claimed.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said that the March 7 speech not only inspired the people and prepared them for a guerrilla war, but also brought independence for them.</div><div><br></div><div>“A speech by a leader (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) not only inspired the people, prepared for a guerilla war, but also had brought victory in the war. That was the most important thing,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that the Pakistanis spent their time to find out the meaning and explanation of this speech.</div><div><br></div><div>“They (Pakistanis) tried to search the answer (of the speech) as what he (Bangabandhu) said, and what happened. The people of Bangladesh rose with arms and fought ... that was their (Pakistanis) statement.”</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina mentioned that they (Pakistanis) picked up many journalists and others to the then West Pakistan to get the answer of the speech.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that Bangabandhu wanted that the Bangalees should be given political, economic, social and cultural emancipation.</div><div><br></div><div>“He took every step in a very well planned manner, and part of that was the 7 March speech.”</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that many Pakistani military officers later mentioned in their books that they were stunned and could not take any action due to what he (Bangabandhu) said in the speech.</div><div><br></div><div>“In the speech, Bangabandhu showed his wisdom in preparing the nation for independence as well as not being identified as a separatist, and so the people not being immediately targeted by the Pakistani forces,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Cultural Affairs Ministry organised the programme at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium with its State Minister Naheed Ezaher Khan in the chair, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Education Minister Mohibul Hassan</div><div><br></div><div>Chowdhoury, PM’s Advisor Kamal Abdul Naser and Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain also spoke.</div><div><br></div><div>Cultural Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed delivered the welcome speech.</div><div><br></div><div>At the outset, the iconic speech of Bangabandhu was played.</div><div><br></div><div>Later the PM witnessed a cultural show.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 08:57:59', '2024-03-07 08:57:59'),
(11471, 11471, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>March 7, a remarkable day in the history of the nation’s long arduous freedom struggle, is being observed on Thursday across the country with elaborate programmes.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>In 2017, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recognised the historic March 7 speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a world documentary heritage.</div><div><br></div><div>On this day in 1971, Bangabandhu, the undisputed leader of Bangalees, delivered an epoch-making speech before a mammoth rally at the then Racecourse Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) in Dhaka city.</div><div><br></div><div>In his 19-minute extempore speech before a million freedom-loving people, Bangabandhu made a clarion call for a non-cooperation movement -- asking the nation to prepare for liberating the country from the oppressive Pakistan regime.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The struggle this time is for freedom, the struggle this time is for independence, Joy Bangla,\" Bangabandhu declared from the massive rally.</div><div><br></div><div>During his speech, Bangabandhu said: \"Since we have learnt to give blood, we\'ll give more blood. Insha Allah, the people of this country will be liberated...turn every house into a fortress. Face (the enemy) with whatever you have.\"</div><div><br></div><div>His speech worked like a magic spell, inspiring the entire nation to join the struggle for independence from the autocratic and repressive rule of the then-Pakistani junta.</div><div><br></div><div>The Cabinet on October 7, 2020 declared March 7 as a \'Historic Day\' instead of \'National Historic Day\' -- to observe the day nationally and internationally, commemorating the immortal speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>Awami League and different socio-political and cultural organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes on the occasion.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television as well as private television channels and radio stations are airing special programmes while national dailies published special supplements marking the day.</div><div><br></div><div>National and Awami League party flags have been hoisted marking the day at Bangabandhu Bhaban and the party office this morning.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 09:15:32', '2024-03-07 09:15:32');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11472, 11472, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The government is likely to float international bidding on March 10 for inviting foreign companies to explore oil and gas in the country’s in the Bay of Bengal.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“We’re hopeful a good number of companies will participate in the bidding round,” chairman of Petrobangla Zanendra Nath Sarker told media recently.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Petrobangla officials, the state hydrocarbon corporation, the bid invitation document will be sent to local newspaper in a day or two to publish it.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition, it will be published on the websites of Implementation Monitoring and. Evaluation Division (IMED) and Bangladesh’s foreign mission abroad, they said.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the Petrobangla has a plan to hold a press conference on March 11 to brief the media about the plan and other nitty-gritty of the initiatives.</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury told UNB  that the government will try to wrap up the bidding in next 6 months.</div><div><br></div><div>Many foreign companies have contacted the government and expressed their interest to join the bidding round,he said adding “Unless we conclude the bidding, it’s difficult to say how many companies are coming to participate in the bidding round.”</div><div><br></div><div>He also noted that the government will arrange different programmes as part of campaign for the offshore bidding.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, on July 26 last year, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the draft ‘Bangladesh Offshore Model Production Sharing Contract (PSC) 2023’ in order to invite international bidding for hydrocarbon exploration in offshore areas of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The final approval for the draft Model PSC 2023 was given under a plan to invite the bidding round. It was speculated a September bid might be in the offing, but that eventually fell through as the election was too close and at that stage there was still too much uncertainty to be cleared up.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister’s Office has recently given a go-ahead to the Energy Division’s plan for inviting the bidding round in March.</div><div><br></div><div>Farhana Sharon, general manager of the Petrobangla, informed that the organisation is taking necessary steps to invite the bidding round as per approval of the PMO.</div><div><br></div><div>According to official sources, the new Model PSC was prepared as part of a plan to invite international bidding for offshore deep and shallow water gas blocks, to make Bangladesh more attractive to international oil companies.</div><div><br></div><div>Under the initiative, the gas price was tagged with the price of Brent Crude in the international market to ensure flexibility.</div><div><br></div><div>“Under the plan, we’re going to offer the price of gas at 10 percent of Brent Crude,” the Petrobangla official told UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>The official said if Brent Crude is traded at USD $75 per barrel, the gas price would be USD 7.5 per thousand cubic feet (MCF). The gas price will always remain linked to the international oil price, he said, referring to the new provision of the Model PSC 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>British oil & gas consultancy Wood Mackenzie has been advising the Bangladesh government and Petrobangla on the latest PSC revisions.</div><div><br></div><div>Official sources said the country has a total of 48 blocks, of which 26 are located offshore. Of the 26 offshore blocks, 11 are located in shallow sea (SS) water while 15 are located in deep sea (DS) water areas.</div><div><br></div><div>Of the offshore blocks, 24 remain open for IOCs while two blocks — SS-04 and SS-09 – are under contract with a joint venture of ONGC Videsh Ltd and Oil India Ltd where drilling work has recently started.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh\'s offshore area remains unexplored despite the settlement of its dispute with neighbouring Myanmar and India over maritime boundary almost nine years ago.</div><div><br></div><div>Currently, about 2300 mmcfd gas is being produced from 22 gas fields in the country, while about 600 mmcfd gas is being imported from abroad to meet the demand of about 4000 mmcfd, leaving a deficit of about 1200 mmcfd daily. - unb</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 09:24:55', '2024-03-07 09:27:17'),
(11473, 11473, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A fire broke out in an under-construction building in Dhaka’s Banani on Thursday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The fire started in the building located on Road 4 in Chairman Bari areaaround 2:40 pm on Thursday, said Rozina Parvin, duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Three firefighting units are working to bring the blaze under control, she added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 09:37:31', '2024-03-07 09:37:31'),
(11474, 11474, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>An Israeli tank crew killed a Reuters reporter in Lebanon in October by firing two shells at a clearly identified group of journalists and then “likely” opened fire on them with a heavy machine gun in an attack that lasted a minute and 45 seconds, according to a report into the incident published yesterday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The report by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) – which was contracted by Reuters to analyse evidence from the Oct 13 attack that killed visuals journalist Issam Abdallah – found that a tank 1.34km away in Israel fired two 120mm rounds at the reporters.</div><div><br></div><div>The first shell killed Abdallah, 37, and severely wounded Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Christina Assi, 28.</div><div><br></div><div>A Reuters investigation in December covered TNO’s preliminary finding that a tank in Israel had fired at the journalists.</div><div><br></div><div>In its final report yesterday, the institute revealed that audio picked up by an Al Jazeera video camera at the scene showed the reporters also came under fire from 0.50 calibre rounds of the type used by the Browning machine guns that can be mounted on Israel’s Merkava tanks.</div><div><br></div><div>“It is considered a likely scenario that a Merkava tank, after firing two tank rounds, also used its machine gun against the location of the journalists,” TNO’s report said.</div><div><br></div><div>“The latter cannot be concluded with certainty as the direction and exact distance of (the machine gun) fire could not be established.”</div><div><br></div><div>Reuters could not independently determine if the Israeli tank crew knew it was firing on journalists, nor whether it also shot at them with a machine gun and, if so, why.</div><div><br></div><div>Neither of the two surviving Reuters reporters or another AFP journalist at the scene remembered the machine gun fire.</div><div><br></div><div>All said they were in shock at the time.</div><div><br></div><div>The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not respond to requests for comment about any aspect of the attack on journalists.</div><div><br></div><div>Asked to comment on TNO’s preliminary findings in December, the IDF said: “We don’t target journalists.”</div><div><br></div><div>A day after the Reuters investigation was published, it said the incident took place in an active combat zone.</div><div><br></div><div>International humanitarian law bars attacks on journalists as those in the news media have the full scope of protection granted to civilians and cannot be considered military targets.</div><div><br></div><div>“We condemn, in the strongest terms, the attack on a clearly identifiable group of journalists, working in the open. The attack killed our colleague Issam Abdallah and injured several others. We reiterate our calls on Israel to explain how this could have happened and to hold those responsible to account,” Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni said.</div><div><br></div><div>AFP Global News director Phil Chetwynd reiterated his call for a thorough and transparent investigation by the Israeli military.</div><div><br></div><div>“If reports of sustained machine gun fire are confirmed, this would add more weight to the theory this was a targeted and deliberate attack,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Ihtisham Hibatullah, Al Jazeera’s manager of international communications, urged the Israeli government to disclose the findings of its own investigation.</div><div><br></div><div>“This incident strongly indicates intentional targeting, as confirmed by investigations, including by TNO,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Lebanon’s minister of information did not respond to a request for comment.</div><div><br></div><div>TNO noted that the seven journalists were wearing blue flak jackets and helmets, most with “PRESS” written on them in white letters.</div><div><br></div><div>They had been filming cross-border shelling from a distance in an open area on a hill near the Lebanese village of Alma al-Chaab for nearly an hour before the attack.</div><div><br></div><div>Video footage of the aftermath of the attack also showed a black car belonging to Reuters marked “TV” in large yellow letters made out of tape on both the hood and the roof.</div><div><br></div><div>TNO said there was a clear line of sight from where the tank rounds were fired to the scene of the attack.</div><div><br></div><div>In the live TV feeds ahead of the attack, one or more drones can be heard and an Israeli helicopter was also visible overhead in some footage.</div><div><br></div><div>The institute was able to determine exactly where the two tank rounds came from because it had video of the second round’s muzzle blast and flight, in addition to audio files recorded at the scene of the incident.</div><div><br></div><div>TNO’s analysis of the machine gun fire showed that the “only reasonable match” was for a 0.50 calibre weapon fired from 1.34km away – the same distance as the tank rounds – but the audio recordings were not sufficient to determine the firing point.</div><div><br></div><div>However, the fact the bursts of bullets came so quickly after the tank rounds, coupled with the analysis, led TNO to conclude it was “likely” they came from the same place. The independent institute did not offer any other scenario for the origin of the machine gun fire.</div><div><br></div><div>About 30 seconds after the second tank round, there was a burst of some 25 shots from a machine gun, followed by bursts of nine and 12 shots.</div><div><br></div><div>Just over 30 seconds later, there were three shots, then a single shot and a metallic ping, which may have been the bullet hitting a low wall near the camera, TNO said.</div><div><br></div><div>Reuters photographer Thaier Al-Sudani, 47 cameraman Maher Nazeh, 53, as well as two journalists from Al Jazeera and another from AFP were also wounded in the attack. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 10:39:54', '2024-03-07 10:39:54'),
(11475, 11475, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Around 900 luxury watches worth almost US$13 million are missing in Japan after a site renting them out folded and its owner fled to Dubai, local media reported.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The owners of the Rolexes and other pricey timepieces earned monthly deposit fees by loaning them to Osaka-based Toke Match, which would then rent them to customers.</div><div><br></div><div>Neo Reverse, the company that operated Toke Match, announced on Jan 31 the termination of its service and promised it would return all watches.</div><div><br></div><div>But the owners of around 900 watches worth ¥1.9 billion have not been reunited with their property, the Asahi Shimbun daily and other media outlets reported, citing a group of about 190 owners.</div><div><br></div><div>Some of the watches have even been spotted on an online auction site, prompting owners to file dozens of complaints to police around Japan.</div><div><br></div><div>The auction site’s operator Valuence Japan told AFP that at least 20 watches it handled had serial numbers matching those loaned to Toke Match.</div><div><br></div><div>“We immediately stopped circulation of these watches to prevent further damages from happening” through reselling, a spokesman said last week.</div><div><br></div><div>Half of the watches were already on the auction site before the Toke Match service was terminated, she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Sharing Economy Association, Japan said in a statement that it had received reports that some of the watches were circulated in second-hand stores too.</div><div><br></div><div>The size of Japan’s “sharing economy” market is rapidly growing, reaching ¥2.6 trillion in the last fiscal year, the association says.</div><div><br></div><div>Neo Reverse was one of around 400 members of the organisation but was delisted on Feb 1 following complaints by the owners that their watches had not been returned.</div><div><br></div><div>Tokyo police have obtained an arrest warrant for Toke Match’s owner Takazumi Kominato, 42, on suspicion of embezzlement of a Rolex watch, Jiji Press reported yesterday, citing investigative sources, reports AFP</div><div><br></div><div>He is suspected of selling the Rolex he loaned from an owner to a second-hand dealer for ¥650,000 in January, the report said.</div><div><br></div><div>However, Kominato flew out of Japan in late February for Dubai, and police plan to put him on the international wanted list, Jiji said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 10:52:16', '2024-03-07 10:52:16'),
(11476, 11476, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina commenced the day by paying tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with a wreath-laying ceremony at his portrait in Dhanmondi-32, commemorating the pivotal March 7.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The homage took place in front of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 7 am, where the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence, honouring the memory and legacy of Bangladesh\'s independence architect.</div><div><br></div><div>Accompanied by key figures from the Bangladesh Awami League, Sheikh Hasina offered another wreath on behalf of the party, demonstrating collective reverence for Bangabandhu.</div><div><br></div><div>Following the Prime Minister\'s lead, representatives from Awami League\'s associate organisations, including Awami Jubo League, Chhatra League, Mohila Awami League, Sramik League, Krishak League, Jubo Mohila League, and Swechchhasebok League, also paid their respects, marking the occasion with wreath-laying.</div><div><br></div><div>On this historic day in 1971, Bangabandhu galvanised the nation with his revolutionary call to arms against Pakistani oppression, setting the stage for Bangladesh\'s quest for independence.</div><div><br></div><div>In 2017, the speech delivered by Bangabandhu on this day was recognised by UNESCO as a documentary heritage of the world, underlining its significance in the global context, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Bangabandhu\'s speech, delivered at the then Racecourse Maidan (now Suhrawardy Udyan) to a gathering of over a million patriots, lasted 19 minutes and unequivocally urged Bangalees to engage in a non-cooperation movement against the oppressive Pakistani regime, culminating in the memorable proclamation, \"The struggle this time is for freedom, the struggle this time is for independence, Joy Bangla.\"&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 11:50:32', '2024-03-07 11:50:32'),
(11477, 11477, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Cool-Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA) Media Cup Football</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Tournament\' 2024 advanced to the quarterfinal stage on the 3rd day of the meet at the BFF Astroturf in Motijheel on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>On the 3rd day (Thursday), Boishakhi TV outplayed Ekhon TV by 3-0 goals, Ekattor TV beat Dainik Samakal by 2-0 goals, Dhaka Tribune beat Deepta TV by 2-1 goals, The Business Standard defeated Daily Star also by 2-1 goals, Channel i outplayed ATN News by 3-0 goals, Dainik Kalbela beat Bangla News 24 by 1-0 goal, Dainik Jugantor defeated RTV by 1-0 goal, and Jamuna TV beat BTV by 1-0 goal to qualify for the quarterfinals.</div><div><br></div><div>All four quarterfinals will be held on Friday.</div><div><br></div><div>Friday\'s quarterfinal matches are: Jugantor vs Kalbela (10: am); Business Standard vs Channel i (10:00 am); Jamuna TV vs Ekattor TV (11:00 am) and Boishakhi TV vs Dhaka Tribune (11:00 am).</div><div><br></div><div>Former national footballer and coach Hasanuzzaman Bablu attended the day\'s matches as invitee guest, and later he distributed the man of the match awards, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Tournament committee chairman Raihan Al Mugni and the tournament\'s chief coordinator, Ariful Rahman Babu, were also present on the occasion.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 13:47:16', '2024-03-07 13:47:16'),
(11478, 11478, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP leader Zainul Abedin Farroque on Thursday said ruling Awami&nbsp;</span><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">League (AL) government is not a pro-people one, rather it is friendly to business community.</span></b></div><div><br></div><div>“They don’t bother about the people’s right to food as the prices of daily essentials reached all-time high in the country,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader came up with the remarks while speaking as the&nbsp; chief guest at a rally organised by JatiyaGonotantrik Party (Jagpa) protesting soaring of prices of commodities, increased power tariffs and demanding immediate release of Khaleda Zia and other political prisoners.</div><div><br></div><div>Farroque, BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council Member, said Awami Leaguedoesn’t want the country’s people to have a full meal. “People are struggling to buy an egg, one kg rice and one litre of oil spending lion share of their earned money as there are no products in market within their purchasing capacity.”</div><div><br></div><div>As holy Ramadan is going to begin from March 12 AL-backed syndicates have increased prices of almost all commodities, putting the poor people in hardship, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said an AL minister is making joke with people advising them to break their fast with plum instead of date, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>“We are talking about people’s rights because we (BNP) are pro-people political party. BNP believes in people’s power and never wants to grab power by any means,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>AL did nothing for people’s welfare, rather did everything for cementing their power. “They don’t want that the people of the country live with honour and dignity,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>He also alleged that Awami League arranged a dummy election on January 7 and most of the members of the parliaments (MP) are from business community who made AL satisfied spending huge cash.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 14:15:50', '2024-03-07 14:15:50'),
(11479, 11479, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Playwright Rajib Moni Das has been announced as the chief judge for the reality show “Jiboner Golpo Bolun, Bari Jitun.” Initiated by Mia Abdullah Wazed’, the show will be aired on ATN Bangla soon.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The show focus on industrial workers from various sectors across the country, particularly those who are landless, homeless, either currently employed in an industry or retired, and who have diverse experiences and intellect.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">About the show, Rajib Moni Das said, “Earlier, I have performed as judges at several reality shows. But, this show is totally different from previous events. I express my respect to Mia Abdullah Wazed Sir for undertaking such a unique initiative alongside entertainment. I hope the audience will enjoy this show.\" It may be mentioned that,&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rajib Moni Das has served as a chief judge on a number of reality shows, including Asian TV\'s popular reality show \"Mr. and Miss Glamour Looks 2023\" and the BABHASI International Film Festival 2022-2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;According to sources, the reality show “Jiboner Golpo Bolun, Bari Jitun” will be broadcasted on popular private television channel ATN Bangla soon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 14:19:06', '2024-03-07 14:19:06'),
(11480, 11480, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Most of the petrol pumps in Dhaka city have been built in an unplanned way although there is a specific government policy to maintain minimum distance between two stations.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Transport and petroleum sector insiders said this creates a problem for consumers to get fuel for their vehicles easily on their way to destinations.</div><div><br></div><div>According to them, the situation is getting worse as the number of motor vehicles is on the rise but the number of fuel stations is decreasing in the city.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Officials of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), the principal body in the petroleum sector, said the government issued a gazette notification with some amendments on January 16, 2014 in regard to setting up new petrol pumps in city corporation areas, district towns and elsewhere.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the government policy, that there should be a distance of 1 km between two petrol pumps on the opposite side and 2 km on the same side. The distance is double for petrol pumps outside the city corporations and district towns which are mainly on highways.</div><div><br></div><div>But in most cases, such distance was not properly maintained when the pumps were set up in Dhaka city.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>A top BPC official admitted that the pumps in Dhaka city were set up in an unplanned way and the distance was not maintained properly.</div><div><br></div><div>But all these were done before the new policy was framed, he said, adding, currently no new pumps are being set up.</div><div><br></div><div>“Actually, people lack interest in setting up new petrol pump on a private land in Dhaka metropolitan area due to excessive value of land,” he told UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>Echoing the same, president of Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association Nazmul Haque said it’s really tough to run petrol pump business on private land as using land for other purposes is more profitable.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Many pump owners are now closing their refueling businesses and trying to build residential or commercial complexes on the same land to get better return, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the Petrol Pump Owners Association, there are a total of about 4000 petrol pumps across the country while there are 300 in Dhaka district and 80 in Dhaka city.</div><div><br></div><div>There are about 50 pumps located within Dhaka North City Corporation area while 30 are located under Dhaka South City Corporation.</div><div><br></div><div>A good number of the filling stations were set up in a cluster manner in some locations close to the inter-district bus terminals, he said adding that Mohakhali, Gabtoli and Saydabad to Jatrabari are among such locations.</div><div><br></div><div>Nazmul Haque informed that in the last 20 years 11 petrol pumps were closed by their owners and the lands were utilised for building high-rise markets, apartment or commercial purposes.</div><div><br></div><div>He also noted that there has been an embargo from the district administration since general Ershad’s period on setting up filling station from Mohakhali to Shahjalal International Airport on security grounds.</div><div><br></div><div>“There is only a pump in the Nikunja area, set up by state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC)”, he added.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He said primarily, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhaka provides permission to set up any petrol pump in any location within Dhaka district and the final permission comes from BPC.</div><div><br></div><div>He noted that there are 14 separate authorities including Department of Explosives, Fire Service and Department of Environment to get prior permission before the final approval from the BPC.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 14:20:55', '2024-03-07 14:20:55'),
(11481, 11481, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today he was working to “win hearts” in Indian-administered Kashmir, on his first visit to the disputed region’s main city since its semi-autonomy was cancelled in 2019.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Modi’s government stripped the Muslim-majority territory of its special constitutional status nearly five years ago, splitting the former state into two territories directly ruled from New Delhi.</div><div><br></div><div>The move, widely welcomed across India, angered many in the densely militarised territory.</div><div><br></div><div>“I am working hard to win your hearts, and my attempt to keep winning your hearts will continue,” the Hindu nationalist leader said at a public rally in Srinagar.</div><div><br></div><div>Rebels in the Himalayan region have waged an insurgency since 1989, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan – which controls a smaller part of the Kashmir region and, like India, claims it in full.</div><div><br></div><div>“Jammu and Kashmir is not just a region, it is the crown of the country,” Modi said at the rally in a stadium attended by thousands.</div><div><br></div><div>Modi took pride in having cancelled the region’s constitutional special status and inherited protections of land and jobs for its permanent residents, reports AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He said the former rules and “dynastic politics” had limited the region’s potential.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 14:33:06', '2024-03-07 14:33:06'),
(11482, 11482, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Thai customs officials rescued a red panda, snakes, monkeys and chameleons from checked-in luggage at the country’s main airport this week after arresting six Indian nationals for attempted smuggling.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>A total of 87 reptiles and mammals were found in the baggage, including chameleons, snakes, a large-beaked parrot, red-eyed squirrels, bats and monkeys.</div><div><br></div><div>Some animals were wrapped in paper, others in plastic containers, photos from customs at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport showed.</div><div><br></div><div>The six, bound for Mumbai, were arrested on Monday, authorities said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>Thailand, which borders four countries, has seen its fair share of illegal wildlife trafficking and customs officials at Suvarnabhumi often seize reptiles and small animals in luggage.</div><div><br></div><div>There is high demand for animal products in countries including China, Myanmar and Thailand, where they are used in traditional medicine or consumed directly. According to Reuters reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 14:40:15', '2024-03-07 14:40:15'),
(11483, 11483, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked everyone to teach the young generation about the historical dates of the country and its journey towards independence.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Our youth folks must know about these dates”she said while addressing a discussion marking the historic March 7 speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1971.</div><div><br></div><div>Awami League organised the programme at its Dhaka District unit office in Tejgaon.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Hasina said that February 21 is the Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language day, March 17 is the birth day of the Father of the Nation, March 26 is the Independence Day and December 16 is our victory day.</div><div><br></div><div>“We have to take lessons from the history, otherwise it would not be possible to advance forward,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Hasina, also the ruling Awami League chief, reminded all that being in power is not just enjoying the facilities.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The history of the struggle and sacrifices made to reach this place have to be known. Through this process everyone will acquire actual knowledge about the history of the country,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She requested everyone to ensure that people must not forget the history of the country because history teaches how to move forward and be successful.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said thr March 7 speech encouraged each and every freedom fighter and the people of the country during the nine months of&nbsp; Liberation War.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave a total outline of the liberation war by the March 7 speech. That speech helped us attain our independence,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She put emphasis on materialising the dream of Bangabandhu that he outlined through his iconic speech.</div><div><br></div><div>“He (the father of the nation) was not allowed to fulfil his work as he was brutally killed on August 15, 1975 and foul play was done with the fate of the people of this country,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She also mentioned that no one could play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people of this country any more.</div><div><br></div><div>“Those who do not believe in Joy Bangla, do not accept March 7 speech that means they did not want the independent Bangladesh,” she said without mentioning any names.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina said that this section of people do not want the development of Bangladesh, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>“They do not want the socioeconomic advancement of Bangladesh. Why people will cast their votes for them?,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that in 2008 election BNP and its allies got 30 seats only and after that they started to play games by boycotting the election or efforts to foil it.</div><div><br></div><div>Senior Awami League leaders also spoke at the programme.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 14:59:18', '2024-03-07 14:59:18'),
(11485, 11485, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu said on Thursday that there is no possibility of short supply of sugar or price hike in the market due to fire in S Alam’s sugar mill or any other reason.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“I tell the businessmen, they should not try to exploit the crisis,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>His remark came during the opening ceremony of the second phase of a sales campaign by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) on Thursday (March 7). The programme was held at ward no 24 of Dhaka North City Corporation.</div><div><br></div><div>The TCB is selling five products including dates at subsidised rate for 1 crore family card holders across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>“I see in the news that there is an attempt to increase the price of sugar in one or two places, none of the traders should do so, because the price of sugar will not increase even in mill gate.”</div><div><br></div><div>The concerned sugar mill owners of the country have promised this to the Ministry of Commerce, he said, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>He also pointed out that the government never wants to destroy the orderly environment of the supply chain and market with police and law enforcers.</div><div><br></div><div>“If the market has normal momentum, and it runs smoothly, I believe products will be available at a fair price. We are trying that. But if not, we will take all kinds of strict measures,” he warned.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 15:18:08', '2024-03-07 15:18:08'),
(11486, 11486, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russia’s FSB security service said today it had killed Islamic State fighters who were planning a “terrorist attack” on a Moscow synagogue, Russian state news agencies reported.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The FSB said an IS cell based in Kaluga, southwest of Moscow, had been planning to shoot Jewish worshippers at a synagogue in the capital.</div><div><br></div><div>“While being arrested, the terrorists put up armed resistance to the Russian FSB officers, and as a result were neutralised by return fire,” the TASS news agency quoted the security service as saying in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>“Firearms, ammunition, as well as components for the manufacture of an improvised explosive device were found and seized,” it added.</div><div><br></div><div>The Zvezda news outlet, close to Russia’s army and security apparatus, published an FSB video appearing to show two dead bodies inside a house, alongside guns, ammunition and knives found during a search.</div><div><br></div><div>The FSB did not say how many people were killed in the operation.</div><div><br></div><div>It said the fighters were members of the Afghan branch of Islamic State, but did not state their citizenship.</div><div><br></div><div>Russian authorities frequently announce the thwarting of planned attacks by suspected Islamist groups.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier this month the FSB said it killed six suspected IS fighters in the Muslim-majority southern region of Ingushetia.</div><div><br></div><div>Tensions between Russia’s Muslim and Jewish communities have flared at times during the Israel-Hamas war.</div><div><br></div><div>Last October, protesters stormed an airport in Dagestan, another Muslim-majority region in the Caucasus, after a plane arrived from Tel Aviv. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 15:22:33', '2024-03-07 15:22:33'),
(11487, 11487, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>More than 100 people are missing after militants in northeast Nigeria carried out a mass kidnapping that targeted women and children from displacement camps, officials said on Thursday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Anti-militant militia leaders have blamed Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) for last week’s attack in Borno state, the heart of a militant insurgency which has left more than 40,000 people dead and two million displaced since 2009.</div><div><br></div><div>Several details about the attack in rural Ngala are still unclear and officials have given conflicting accounts. The number of people reported missing does not necessarily reflect the number held in captivity.</div><div><br></div><div>The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the attack took place on Thursday last week and estimated over 200 people from camps for displaced people had been abducted.</div><div><br></div><div>It said armed attackers took the women while they were out collecting firewood.</div><div><br></div><div>“The United Nations strongly condemns the reported abduction of internally displaced persons (IDPs), many of them women, boys and girls,” it said.</div><div><br></div><div>“The exact number of people abducted remains unknown but is estimated at over 200 people.”</div><div><br></div><div>OCHA said the figure came from initial estimates from community leaders, and said headcounts were being carried out in four displacement camps to verify the number.</div><div><br></div><div>It said the camps house almost 104,000 people, mostly women and children.</div><div><br></div><div>Ali Bukar, an officer at the Ngala Local Government Information Unit, said families had confirmed 113 people missing.</div><div><br></div><div>Anti-militant militia leader Shehu Mada had said that women from displacement camps were “rounded up by ISWAP insurgents” on Friday.</div><div><br></div><div>“Some of the women were able to escape and returned,” said Mada, who helped conduct a headcount which found “47 women from the wood-collecting mission could not be accounted for.”</div><div><br></div><div>Usman Hamza, another anti-militant militia leader, confirmed the account.</div><div><br></div><div>Borno State police spokesman Nahum Daso Kenneth has said an attack took place at around four p.m. (1500 GMT) on Friday, but the police could not give a precise figure for the number kidnapped.</div><div><br></div><div>Kidnapping is a major problem across Nigeria, which is also grappling with criminal militias in the northwest and a flareup of intercommunal violence in central states.</div><div><br></div><div>Last month kidnappers seized at least 35 women returning from a wedding in northwestern Katsina state.</div><div><br></div><div>President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to power last year promising to address insecurity in Nigeria, but critics say the violence is out of control. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-07 16:21:01', '2024-03-07 16:21:01'),
(11488, 11488, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The women employment in the banking sector increased by 1407 in July-December period of 2023, and the overall perrcentage of women employees at banks stood at 16.37 percent in Bangladesh.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile just 13.51% of board members in the banks are women.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Bank’s (BB’s) latest report on gender equality revealed this information. There are 33346 women employees in 61 banks in the country, which is 16.37 percent of the total employees of banks, according to the report.</div><div><br></div><div>The BB report shows that among the scheduled banks in 2023, 43 private commercial banks have the highest number of women employees 22,248, which is 16.32 percent of the total employees.</div><div><br></div><div>Foreign commercial banks have the highest proportion of female officers, 24.18 percent as compared to other banks.</div><div><br></div><div>In the period July-December 2023, the participation of women as board members was only 13.51 percent. Among them, foreign commercial banks have the highest female board member participation rate at 17.54 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, there is no participation of women board members of specialized commercial banks in the discussed period.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the reports submitted by banks during the period July-December 2023 shows that the participation rate of women employees is higher at the entry-level 17.04 percent and mid-level 15.79 percent than at the higher levels 9.36 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>Analysis of the obtained data shows that the participation of women in the banking sector is high at the initial stage.</div><div><br></div><div>At the same time, the participation rate of female employees under thirty years of age 20.99 percent is more than double that of female officers above 9.58 percent in scheduled banks.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh’s place has improved by 12 steps in the gender gap report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2023, as women\'s employment increased in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The BB report shows that Bangladesh is holding the 59th position in 2023 improving from 71st in 2022 in the gender gap of WEF, among 146 countries in the world.</div><div><br></div><div>Executive Director of CDP Dr. Fahmida Khatun said that women\'s employment is usually increasing with the developing socio-economic scenario of the country and decreasing the ratio of women\'s employment does not match that calculation.</div><div><br></div><div>She focused on the need to study why the ratio of women employment has been decreasing in the banking sector.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh Bank’s spokesperson Mezbaul Haque told UNB that women\'s employment has increased in the banking sector following the central bank’s policy to reduce the gender gap in banks and financial institutions, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>The central bank prefers women both in employment and entrepreneurship development. Loan disbursement and interest incentives have been given to women encouraging them involved in financial inclusion.</div><div><br></div><div>The BB is still working to ensure a sound environment in the workplace of banks. Facilities including maternity leave and daycare opportunities for women’s employees have increased, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 08:47:29', '2024-03-09 08:47:29'),
(11489, 11489, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Two people were shot and injured near a polling station in Cumilla city during the ongoing mayoral by-election on Saturday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The injured were identified as Zahirul Ahmed and Tuhin — supporters of mayoral candidate Nizam Uddin.</div><div><br></div><div>Injured Zahirul said the incident occurred near Munshi M Ali High School polling station, under ward 19 of the city, around 10 am when “Sumon, a Chhatra League leader, opened fire on me and Tuhin in front of police”.</div><div><br></div><div>They were taken to Cumilla Medical College and Hospital.</div><div><br></div><div>Contacted, candidate Nizam Uddin claimed that voters were obstructed by supporters of mayoral candidate Tahsin Bahar Suchona.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasan Ahmed Quamrul, presiding officer, said the incident took place outside the polling station and the executive magistrate was informed about it.</div><div><br></div><div>Farhad Hossain, returning officer, said necessary steps will be taken after more details emerge.</div><div><br></div><div>Voting for Cumilla city’s mayoral by-polls is underway on Saturday. The voting started at 8 am and will continue till 4 pm. According to unb reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 09:19:49', '2024-03-09 09:19:49'),
(11490, 11490, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United States and Europe are seeking to open a sea route that would bring humanitarian aid into Gaza, as alarm grows over the spread of hunger among the besieged territory\'s 2.3 million people.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>However, aid officials say deliveries by ships or recent airdrops are far more costly and inefficient than sending trucks by land. And on Friday, five people in Gaza were killed and several others injured when airdrops malfunctioned and hit people and landed on homes, Palestinian officials said.</div><div><br></div><div>After more than five months of Israel\'s blistering military campaign, much of Gaza is in ruins. The U.N. says a quarter of the population faces starvation. Many of the estimated 300,000 people still living in northern Gaza have been reduced to eating animal fodder to survive.</div><div><br></div><div>Efforts to reach a cease-fire before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan appear stalled. Israeli strikes killed 78 people and wounded 104 across the territory in the past 24 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Friday.</div><div><br></div><div>That brings the number of Palestinians killed to more than 30,800, according to the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures but says women and children make up around two-thirds of all casualties.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel launched its offensive after Hamas-led militants stormed across the border on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Over 100 hostages were released during a temporary cease-fire in November in exchange for 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 09:25:02', '2024-03-09 09:25:02'),
(11491, 11491, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh won the toss for the third consecutive time in the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka and opted to bowl first in the series decider in Sylhet on Saturday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The hosts fielded an unchanged playing XI from their eight-wicket victory in the second match, which levelled the series at 1-1.</div><div><br></div><div>In the second match, Najmul Hossain Shanto scored a 50, which came as a relief as he was struggling for a long time.</div><div><br></div><div>In the first match, Mahmudullah Riyad and Jaker Ali scored 50 each, but their efforts went in vain as Bangladesh lost the first match.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh are aiming to win their first-ever T20I series against Sri Lanka.</div><div><br></div><div>After this series, both teams will travel to Chattogram for a three-match ODI series, followed by a two-match Test series.</div><div><br></div><div>The first Test will be played in Sylhet, while the second will take place in Chattogram, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh XI: Litton Das (w), Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>Sri Lanka XI: Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis (w), Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Maheesh Theekshana, Binura Fernando, and Nuwan Thushara.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 09:40:04', '2024-03-09 09:40:04'),
(11492, 11492, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that there are no political prisoners in country’s jail and those who are imprisoned are BNP activists.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“BNP claims that thousands of political prisoners (rajbondi) are in jail, I would say that there is no political prisoner here in the country. Those who are jailed are BNP activists,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said this while replying to a question from reporters after a programme organised on the occasion of Police Memorial Day-2024 at the Convention Hall of Police Staff College on Saturday, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>“We don\'t have any political prisoners here. Those who vandalised the Chief Justice\'s residence, those who beat the police, Ansar to death, those who beat the girls, we have identified them after checking footage and took action according to the law. That\'s what the police did,” said the minister.</div><div><br></div><div>He said BNP also tried to foil the election in 2014 by creating anarchic situation and arson terrorism. But gradually they have become isolated from people.</div><div><br></div><div>Pointing at Tarique Rahman, the home minister said he is trying to control his party\'s politics in the country staying in England. He neither cares about the people of this country nor his party activists, he added.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The people of this country believe that Bangladesh will not lose its way as long as the Prime Minister is alive, Azaduzzaman added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 10:42:18', '2024-03-09 10:42:18');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11493, 11493, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>At least 82 Palestinians were killed and 122 others injured in the last 24 hours as Israel continues its onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip, the territory\'s Health Ministry said on Saturday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“The Israeli occupation committed 10 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 82 martyrs and 122 injured during the past 24 hours,” the ministry said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>“Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” the statement said.</div><div><br></div><div>“72% of victims of the Israeli aggression on Gaza are children and women,” it added.</div><div><br></div><div>Flouting the provisional ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where at least 30,960 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 72,524 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.</div><div><br></div><div>The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory\'s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave\'s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel is accused of genocide at the ICJ. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe. - Anadolu Agency</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 10:58:25', '2024-03-09 10:58:25'),
(11494, 11494, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Türkiye has dispatched some 40,000 tons of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip through 19 aircraft and seven civilian aid vessels so far, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Another vessel belonging to the Turkish Red Crescent, carrying 3,000 tons of aid and dispatched a day earlier, is expected to reach Egypt\'s Al-Arish port on Sunday, Erdogan told the general assembly meeting of the Istanbul-based Knowledge Dissemination Foundation.</div><div><br></div><div>“We will increase the amount of aid throughout the (Muslim holy) month of Ramadan,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>At the very beginning of his speech, Erdogan said that the developments in Gaza since Oct. 7 have gone beyond what can be tolerated, stressing Türkiye\'s dedication to ensuring that those “mass murderers,” already judged by humanity\'s conscience, are held responsible under international law.</div><div><br></div><div>He also expressed regret over the failure of the Islamic world, with a population of approximately 2 billion, to fulfill its duty of true “brotherhood to the Palestinian people.”</div><div><br></div><div>Erdogan also likened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his administration to the “Nazis of our time, alongside Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin,” due to the “humanitarian crimes they committed in Gaza.”</div><div><br></div><div>Flouting the provisional ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where at least 30,960 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 72,524 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.</div><div><br></div><div>The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory\'s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave\'s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel is accused of genocide at the ICJ. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 11:05:53', '2024-03-09 11:05:53'),
(11495, 11495, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The US denied involvement on Saturday in the killing of five Palestinians who were waiting for much-needed humanitarian aid when several parachutes dropped from a plane failed to open northwest of Gaza City on Friday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“We are aware of reports of civilians killed as a result of humanitarian airdrops,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>“Contrary to some reports, this was not the result of U.S. airdrops,” it added.</div><div><br></div><div>CENTCOM extended “sympathies to the families of those who were killed.”</div><div><br></div><div><img src=\"https://i.postimg.cc/ZKVCvq1S/iinnn.jpg\" style=\"width: 50%;\"><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Palestinian Civil Defense Service announced on Friday that five people were killed and several others were injured by airdropped aid boxes in Gaza City after several parachutes failed to open properly.</div><div><br></div><div>For more than a week, Arab countries, including Egypt, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Qatar, Sultanate of Oman, and Bahrain, have been conducting joint operations to drop food aid on the Gaza Strip, in addition to similar operations carried out by the US.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel has launched a retaliatory offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. The offensive has killed more than 30,800 victims and injured nearly 73,000 others amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.</div><div><br></div><div>About 85% of Gazans have been displaced by the Israeli onslaught amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave\'s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 11:10:29', '2024-03-09 11:10:29'),
(11496, 11496, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Russia on Saturday requested a UN Security Council meeting to discuss French President Emmanuel Macron\'s idea to send NATO troops to Ukraine.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting in New York, Russia\'s deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Security Council Dmitry Polyansky said Moscow would like to know more about such \"ideas fraught with the beginning of the Third World War.\"</div><div><br></div><div>On Feb. 27, Macron confirmed his offer to NATO partners to send troops to Ukraine. However, he added that an official consensus to send ground troops \"has not yet been reached, but nothing can be ruled out.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Later, he said France would send soldiers if Russia moved to Kyiv or Odesa.</div><div><br></div><div>Polyansky added that it is equally important to discuss leaked conversations between German Air Force officers about supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine, as well as the media reports that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has deployed a network of spy bases in Ukraine, near the Russian border.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It would be interesting to hear a comment in connection with a conversation leaked to the media by high-ranking German military officials who talked about how to help Ukrainians destroy the Kerch Bridge in Crimea and strike deep into Russian territory,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Last week, the German government faced criticism after conversations between Air Force officers about supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine were leaked. Potential strategies were discussed, such as providing satellite intelligence through third parties rather than direct German involvement.</div><div><br></div><div>The New York Times said on Feb.27 that over the past eight years, the CIA has trained and equipped Kyiv’s intelligence officers in underground bunkers, some of which are buried deep in Ukraine’s forests.</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding the incident with a strike in Odesa on Wednesday, Polyansky said its target was a workshop for assembling naval drones from parts delivered from the UK.</div><div><br></div><div>\"If some of you hope in your heart to get rid of the leader (President Zelenskyy) of the Kyiv regime in this way, then I can disappoint you, this is not part of our plans,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Greek media said on Wednesday that an explosion was heard in the Black Sea port of Odesa, shortly before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitsotakis were scheduled to meet.</div><div><br></div><div>The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that a strike was carried out around that time on Odesa, with the target being a water drone warehouse. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 13:19:23', '2024-03-09 13:19:23'),
(11497, 11497, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested five lawyers in a case filed at Shahbagh Police Station over the clash during votes counting of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election early Friday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The arrestees are SC lawyers Kazi Bashir Ahmed, Tushar, Tariqul, Suman and Barrister Osman Chowdhury. They were arrested from different parts of the capital on Friday night.</div><div><br></div><div>DMP Additional Commissioner and DB Chief Mohammad Harun Or Rashid revealed the information at the DB office at Minto Road in the capital on Saturday.</div><div><br></div><div>\"No one is above the law, no matter how powerful they are. After the case was filed at Shahbagh Police Station, DB police arrested the five lawyers from different places in the capital, including Banani, after conducting a shadow investigation,” said Harun.</div><div><br></div><div>They are being interrogated in connection with violence at the country\'s highest court, said the DB chief.</div><div><br></div><div>“It doesn\'t matter which group of people were involved in the clash. All those who were involved in the crime, against whom the cases were filed, will be brought under the law,” added Harun.</div><div><br></div><div>Investigation is underway to identify those involved in the incident, he also said.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Friday night, Assistant Attorney General SR Siddique Saif filed the case at Shahbagh Police station accusing mentioning names of 20 people and 20-30 others unnamed over the violence.</div><div><br></div><div>Independent candidate for the SCBA secretary post Adv Nahid Sultana Juthi, wife of Jubo League leader Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, and BNP-backed blue panel secretary candidate Barrister Ruhul Kuddus were among accused in the case.</div><div><br></div><div>At least seven people were injured in the clash. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 13:38:07', '2024-03-09 13:38:07'),
(11498, 11498, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Gas supply will remain suspended for 8 hours from 10 pm on Saturday to 6 am on Sunday in Sylhet city and adjoining areas ((excluding South Surma and Cantonment).</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, the time of the gas supply suspension may increase or decrease depending on the technical reason.</div><div><br></div><div>The Jalalabad Gas company regrets the temporary inconvenience of the consumers.&nbsp; - unb</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 13:47:35', '2024-03-09 13:47:35'),
(11499, 11499, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The 54th director general (DG) level border conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) ended at BGB headquarters here on Saturday where both sides agreed to bring down the killing of unarmed Bangladeshi nationals in the border areas to zero by taking&nbsp; effective steps, including enhancing joint patrolling.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The border conference, which started on March 5, ended with the signing of the Joint Record of Discussion (JRD) document. Later, a joint press statement was read out in the press conference,</div><div><br></div><div>According to the joint press statement, DG BGB Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui urged DG BSF Shri Nitin Agrawal to adopt necessary measures to reduce the border killing to zero considering the sound bilateral relation existing between Bangladesh and India.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Beside this cardinal concern, DG BGB also expressed his optimism to curb various types of trans-border crimes like smuggling, human trafficking, inadvertent border crossing and any kind of terrorist activities, as well as time bound concurrence in regards to development works including river bank protection works, increase of border haats and completion of stalled ICP/LCP related projects etc.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>DG BSF expressed his sincere condolences for the sorrowful demise of Sepoy Md Roisuddin in the unfortunate incident on 22nd January, 2024.</div><div><br></div><div>Expressing satisfaction over the coordinated efforts of BSF and BGB in maintaining peace and tranquility along the border, both stressed the need for effective implementation of Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The two sides agreed to bring down the killing/injuring unarmed Bangladeshi nationals to zero by enhancing joint patrolling, vigilance, intensifying public awareness program, undertaking appropriate socio-economic development programs, educating border population about the sanctity of the international border (IB) and preventing criminals/inhabitants from crossing the IB and sharing of real time information.</div><div><br></div><div>Both sides agreed to take effective steps to continue to sensitize the border populace to refrain from Violation of IB/Illegal crossing/Intrusion, smuggling, human trafficking, uprooting Border Pillars and other trans-border crimes. As a whole, both sides assured to maintain the desired sanctity of the border.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Both the delegation leaders reiterate their existing ‘zero tolerance’ stance on trans-border insurgent groups and agreed to take all necessary steps to prevent trans-border movements by real time information.</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding the death of BGB member Sepoy Md Roisuddin, who died in BSF firing in Jashore frontier on 22 January this year, the DG BSF expressed his sincere condolences for his death.</div><div><br></div><div>When asked about the death of Sepoy Roisuddin, the DG BSF Nitin Agrawal did not give any direct answer.</div><div><br></div><div>When his attention was drawn about Sepoy Roisuddin\'s death, DG BGB Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said that this was not a targeted&nbsp; killing first of all. .This happened amid darkness, fog and confusion from both sides and in future, there will be all efforts from both sides to avoid any kind of&nbsp; killing on uniform BGB and BSF personnel or any civilian both Bangladesh and India.</div><div><br></div><div>DG BSF Shri Nitin Agrawal&nbsp; BSF&nbsp; led the Indian delegation consisting of nine members in the DG Level Border Conference, while&nbsp; DG BGB Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqu led a 16-member Bangladesh delegation. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 13:51:02', '2024-03-09 13:51:02'),
(11500, 11500, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Torrential rains have triggered flash floods and a landslide on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, killing at least 10 people and leaving 10 others missing, officials said Saturday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Tons of mud, rocks and uprooted trees rolled down a mountain late Friday, reaching a river that burst its banks and tore through mountainside villages in Pesisir Selatan district of West Sumatra province, said Doni Yusrizal, who heads the local disaster management agency.</div><div><br></div><div>Rescuers pulled out seven bodies in the worst-hit village of Koto XI Tarusan, and recovered three others in two neighboring villages, said National Disaster Management Agency’s spokesperson Yusrizal. Ten are still missing.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that 46,000 people had fled to a temporary government shelter after the flood and landslide buried 14 houses while 20,000 houses were flooded up to the roof.</div><div><br></div><div>“Relief efforts for the dead and missing were hampered by power outages, blocked roads covered in thick mud and debris,” Yusrizal said.</div><div><br></div><div>Heavy rains cause frequent landslides and flash floods in Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near floodplains. According to AP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 13:54:02', '2024-03-09 13:54:02'),
(11501, 11501, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Poland’s foreign minister says the presence of NATO forces “is not unthinkable” and that he appreciates the French president for not ruling out that idea.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Radek Sikorski made the observation during a discussion marking the 25th anniversary of Poland’s accession to NATO in the Polish parliament Friday, and the Foreign Ministry tweeted the comments later in English.</div><div><br></div><div>They reflect a larger European debate over how to help Ukraine as Russia has gained some momentum on the battlefield and Kyiv is running low on ammunition. The US Congress is withholding aid that Ukraine says it critically needs to hold off the Russians, putting more pressure on Europe to respond to the war that has shattered peace on the continent.</div><div><br></div><div>Last month French President Emmanuel Macron said the possibility of Western troops being sent to Ukraine could not be ruled out, a comment that broke a taboo among allies and prompted an outcry from other leaders. French officials later sought to clarify Macron’s remarks and tamp down the backlash, while insisting on the need to send a clear signal to Russia that it cannot win its war in Ukraine.</div><div><br></div><div>The Kremlin has warned that if NATO sends combat troops, a direct conflict between the alliance and Russia would be inevitable. Russian President Vladimir Putin said such a move would risk a global nuclear conflict.</div><div><br></div><div>Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk was among those European leaders who initially ruled out sending troops to Ukraine after Macron’s remarks, saying: “Poland does not plan to send its troops to the territory of Ukraine.”</div><div><br></div><div>But less than two weeks later Sikorski struck a different tone.</div><div><br></div><div>“The presence of #NATO forces in Ukraine is not unthinkable,” he said, according to the Foreign Ministry’s tweet. He said he appreciated Macron’s initiative “because it is about Putin being afraid, not us being afraid of Putin.”</div><div><br></div><div>Sikorski’s remark is part of a broader shift to align with Macron’s position, wrote Phillips O’Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.</div><div><br></div><div>“The issue of sending European forces to help Ukraine was never one to be dismissed — it was always a possibility,” O’Brien wrote in an email analysis sent to subscribers Saturday. “In fact it has become more of one as the USA has stepped back and withdrawn aid. Europe is now faced with a terrible dilemma — watching Ukraine potentially run out of ammunition, or stepping in and helping Ukraine more directly.”</div><div><br></div><div>Polish President Andrzej Duda and Tusk will travel to Washington for a meeting at the White House on Tuesday, a visit the Poles hope they can use to spur the United States to do more to help Ukraine.</div><div><br></div><div>Poland is a member of NATO along the alliance’s eastern flank, with Ukraine across its eastern border. The country has been under Russian control in the past, and fears run high that if Russia wins in Ukraine, it could next target other countries in a region that Moscow views as its sphere of interest. - AP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 14:00:17', '2024-03-09 14:00:17'),
(11502, 11502, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">US and allied forces shot down 15 one-way attack drones fired by Iran-backed Yemeni rebels into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the US military said on Saturday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>It was one of the Houthis’ largest attacks since they began in November a campaign of drone and missile strikes against ships in the Red Sea area, vital for world trade, in professed solidarity with Palestinians during Israel’s war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.</div><div><br></div><div>The US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said the “large-scale” Houthi attack occurred before dawn into the Red Sea and adjacent Gulf of Aden.</div><div><br></div><div>CENTCOM and coalition forces determined that the drones “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels, US Navy and coalition ships in the region.”</div><div><br></div><div>It added, in a post on social media platform X, that “US Navy vessels and aircraft along with multiple coalition navy ships and aircraft shot down 15” of the drones.</div><div><br></div><div>“These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure.”</div><div><br></div><div>On January 9, US and British forces shot down 18 drones and three missiles fired by the rebels toward ships in the Red Sea, the US military said at the time.</div><div><br></div><div>Britain said it was the largest attack to that point by the Houthis.</div><div>The United States in December announced a maritime security initiative to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks, which have forced commercial vessels to divert from the route that normally carries 12 percent of global trade.</div><div><br></div><div>Since January the United States and Britain have also launched repeated strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the ship attacks, but the rebels have continued to attack merchant vessels and have also targeted American and British ships. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 14:34:11', '2024-03-09 14:34:11'),
(11503, 11503, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Environment Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said on Saturday that, as climate change is a global challenge, all parties must come forward to combat it.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He also highlighted the pivotal role of artists in raising public awareness. Minister Chowdhury underscored the importance of inspiring individuals to consider the impacts of climate change and take decisive action.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister was talking to journalists after visiting at the closing ceremony of \"Chaloman\", a solo exhibition on climate change and women held at Alok\'s Neighborhood Art Space Shala Gallery in the capital on Saturday.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to media inquiries, the Minister reaffirmed the government\'s commitment to combating climate change in collaboration with the international community. Efforts include extensive afforestation, scaling up renewable energy production, and implementing adaptation measures for communities vulnerable to climate impacts. Minister Chowdhury urged all segments of society to be proactive in addressing the adverse effects of climate change.</div><div><br></div><div>The event was attended by Ruxmini Chowdhury, founder and director of Alokir: The Neighborhood Art Space, renowned Bangla Academy award winner Noorjahan Bose, as well as artists, art critics, and cultural figures.</div><div><br></div><div>At the exhibition, US expatriate artist Monica Jahan Bose showcased the effects of climate change through a multi-dimensional presentation, including a three-channel video, saree installation art, and a performance involving women from the climate-vulnerable Katakhali village in Patuakhali.</div><div><br></div><div>Participants shared firsthand accounts of climate impacts on coastal regions, including crop damage caused by emissions from the thermal power plant in Payra, according to reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/r/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 14:43:42', '2024-03-09 14:43:42'),
(11504, 11504, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The International Farakka Committee on Saturday urged Dhaka and Delhi to renew the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and sign a treaty on the Teesta with guarantee and arbitration clauses.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Announcing a joint statement on Saturday at the National Press Club, Dhaka, Prof Jasim Uddin Ahmed,&nbsp; President of the International Farakka Committee, Bangladesh said that the 54 common rivers shared among the countries could be sustainably developed only on the basis of a basinwide agreement.</div><div><br></div><div>The press briefing was also addressed by Mostafa Kamal Majumder, convener, IFC, Sirajuddin Sathi, writer and researcher, Tamijuddin Ahmed, Dr. Nazma Ahmad, vice president of IFC Bangladesh, and journalist Rafiqul Islam Azad.</div><div><br></div><div>The statement mentioned that the water treaties signed by India with other countries of the subcontinent – Nepal and Pakistan – contain guarantee and arbitration clauses.</div><div><br></div><div>As a result, the Indus and Mahakali water treaties have been able to protect mutual interests. On the other hand, the Ganga Water Treaty signed with Bangladesh has not fulfilled the terms.</div><div><br></div><div>Because of this error, the relationship between the two friendly countries did not develop as expected.</div><div><br></div><div>The Farakka Barrage on the Ganges was commissioned in consultation with Bangladesh, on a trial basis for a total of 41 days from 21 April to 31 May 1975. But since then, unilateral water withdrawals continued and environmental disasters occurred in Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>Later in 1977, a five-year water treaty was signed with a guarantee clause of 80 percent water availability. But after the expiry of this treaty, instead of&nbsp; renewing it,&nbsp; a 5-year memorandum of understanding was signed in 1982, minus the guarantee clause.</div><div><br></div><div>A 30-year treaty was signed in 1996 for the sharing of Ganges water. The treaty will expire in 2026. Thus, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, during his recent visit to Delhi, urged for the renewal of this treaty and the signing of the Teesta Water Treaty.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh did not get water according to the terms of this Ganges Treaty.&nbsp; Nor could it take any effective action on it, because the treaty did not have guarantee and arbitration clauses. This weakness of the treaty must be overcome at the time of renewal.</div><div><br></div><div>The agreement on Teesta was supposed to be signed in 2011 during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh to Bangladesh. But due to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee it has been kept undone till date.</div><div><br></div><div>During the dry season, no water from Teesta river is released to Bangladesh. A small amount of water somes to Bangladesh as seepage from Ghazal Doba Barrage in West Bengal.</div><div><br></div><div>During the wet season on the other hand due to the full release of floodwaters, thousands of houses are destroyed and massive crop losses occur in the Teesta basin of Bangladesh every year due to severe deluge and bank erosion, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>The statement says, Bangladesh owes its origin to the river. Therefore, the question of life and death of the people of Bangladesh is associated with the flow of the river. So far, unilateral water withdrawal has increased by constructing dams in Teesta and other common rivers.</div><div><br></div><div>These natural water sources are being killed by altering their courses for short term benefit by short sighted damming, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-09 16:07:15', '2024-03-09 16:07:15'),
(11505, 11505, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Petrobangla, the oil, gas and mineral corporation, has floated the offshore bidding, inviting international oil and gas companies to explore in the Bangladesh maritime area in the Bay of Bengal</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The tender, named “Oil and Natural Gas Exploration Under Bangladesh Offshore Bidding Round 2024”, was published in local newspapers and websites of concerned government entities including Bangladeshi missions abroad on Sunday giving six months time until September 9, 2024 for submission of the bids.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the floated tender, a total of 24 offshore blocks — of which nine are shallow blocks — and 15 deep sea blocks are available for the bidding round.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The nine shallow sea blocks are SS-01, 02, 03, 05, 06, 07, 08, 10 and 11) and 15 deep sea blocks are DS-08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22.</div><div><br></div><div>The bidder, singly or in association with other companies, can bid for one or more blocks.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Contracts will be signed with the successful bidders in line with the Bangladesh Offshore Model Production Sharing Contract 2023, said the tender.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The features of the proposed contract include full repatriation of profit, no signature bonus or royalty, uncapped attractive gas price linked with international marker, oil price to be determined on the basis of the fair market value prevailing in South and Southeast Asia.</div><div><br></div><div>It entails no duty for equipment and machinery imported for petroleum operations while contractor\'s corporate income tax liability will be borne by Petrobangla, and bank guarantee for performance of the minimum exploration program.</div><div><br></div><div>There will be provision for assignment of interest and share-transfer and 100 percent cost recovery with a yearly cap of 75 percent.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The contractor must have a mandatory work program consisting of 2D seismic</div><div><br></div><div>survey and mandatory purchase of available</div><div><br></div><div>2D multi-client seismic data against bidded blocks to get relief from mandatory work obligations proportionately.</div><div><br></div><div>They will have minimum work obligation in each of the exploration periods while biddable work program commitment over and above the mandatory program.</div><div><br></div><div>There will be petroleum profit sharing on the basis of R-factor with biddable upper and lower limits and option to sell contractor\'s share of natural gas in the domestic market to a third party, at a negotiated price, subject to Petrobangla\'s right of first refusal.</div><div><br></div><div>The bidder must ensure carried stake of 10 percent for state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) for both shallow and deep sea blocks.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The bidders’ qualification criteria include — individual or in case of joint venture at least one member — offshore daily production of at least 15,000 barrel of oil or 150 mmsc of gas. Bidders must have at least one global experience (other than home country) in the oil and gas exploration and production.</div><div><br></div><div>The Information Package will be available at a cost of US$ 300 or equivalent Bangladeshi taka to the interested bidders/companies.</div><div><br></div><div>To enable companies to assess the geological prospects of the blocks on offer, Promotional and Data Packages are available on payment basis. Promotional Packages contain Bidding Document, sample seismic sections, gravity, magnetic, geological maps. Companies are required to purchase the Promotional Package in order to qualify for bidding, said the tender.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The purchase price of the Promotional Package is US$ 10,000 or equivalent Bangladeshi taka. Purchase of Data Sales Package is optional. Several Data Sales Packages are available at different prices.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Companies interested in bidding and purchase of Promotional and Data Sales Packages may contact the Director, Production Sharing Contract, Bangladesh Oil, Gas &amp; Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla) Petrocentre, 3 Karan Bazar, Dhaka-1215, said the bidding tender. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 08:55:40', '2024-03-10 08:55:40'),
(11506, 11506, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the government will transform the Bangladesh Coast Guard into a three-dimensional force by inducting new technology and modern equipment.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“We have already given in-principle approval for the formation of an Aviation Wing with the purchase of 2 helicopters which will make the Coast Guard a three-dimensional force,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said this while addressing the 29th founding anniversary of the Bangladesh Coast Guard at the BCG headquarters at Agargaon in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that the government has recently approved a new project to build 9 replacement ships for Bangladesh Coast Guard.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, she said, approval has been given for the procurement of 4 more OPVs, 2 maritime version helicopters for deep sea patrolling by the Coast Guard for the safety of the public engaged in sea-based professions and waterways.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>“In order to modernize and strengthen the Bangladesh Coast Guard, advanced technology ships, maritime surveillance systems, hovercrafts and high-speed boats are going to be added to this force very soon,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister expressed her optimism that through the addition of all these ships with modern technology and the development of communication systems, this force will acquire more capabilities to face the challenges of the 21st century and will play a significant role in building a smart Bangladesh.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In addition, she said, plans have been adopted to increase the current strength to 15,000 manpower gradually as per the Vision 2030 and Vision 2041 to modernise the force to provide blue economy and security at sea.</div><div><br></div><div>“To build the smart Bangladesh I believe that this force will play special role,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina said a dockyard is also being built at Gazaria in Munshiganj for the construction, repair and maintenance of the force’s vessels and ships.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that some 16 vessels including four OPVs (Offshore Patrol Vessels) and 138 boats have been inducted in the BCG fleet.</div><div><br></div><div>Stating that the Awami League&nbsp; government has always been directly involved in the formation and development of Bangladesh Coast Guard, she said it had emerged as a force in context of a bill brought by AL in the Jatiya Sangsad in 1994 as the then opposition party.</div><div><br></div><div>Assuming power in 1996, she said, the AL government took a massive initiative in expanding the Coast Guard’s activities in the country’s coastal areas by providing land for its various zones, different types of vessels and building infrastructure.</div><div><br></div><div>Following this, she added, since 2009, various infrastructures including coastal crisis management centre, accommodation of officers and sailors of bases, officers’ mess, sailors’ quarters and administrative buildings have been constructed at Coast Guard stations and outposts in coastal and remote areas of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Recalling the initiative of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina said Bangabandhu framed “The Territorial Waters and Maritime Zone Act” in 1974 to establish the legal rights of countrymen over the sea and marine resources.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that even the United Nations (UN) formulated such a law in 1982.</div><div><br></div><div>She said until adoption of the law by the UN, the cases, not only in the region but also in Europe and other places across the globe, would have been settled&nbsp; following the law enacted by Bangabandhu.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said her government has established country’s rights on a vast maritime area after winning legal battles with neighbouring India and Myanmar maintaining friendly relations.</div><div><br></div><div>She also reiterated her vow to transform Bangladesh into a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina also inaugurated Bangladesh Coast Guard Vsatnet Communication System and newly constructed six physical infrastructures at the BCG stations at Kutubdia, Maheshkhali, Mirsarai, Sandwip, Nidraskina and Shahpari Outpost.</div><div><br></div><div>The PM also conferred 10 Bangladesh Coast Guard Medals, 10 Bangladesh Coast Guard (Service) Medals, 10 President Coast Guard Medals and 10 President Coast Guard (Service) Medals to at least 40 BCG officers, sailors and civilians for their bravery.</div><div><br></div><div>The theme of this year\'s founding anniversary has been set as Smart Bangladesh, Smart Coast Guard.</div><div><br></div><div>Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Public Security Division Secretary of the Home Ministry Md Mustafizur Rahman and BCG Director General Rear Admiral&nbsp; Mir Ershad Ali were present at the function.</div><div><br></div><div>At the outset of the programme, a smartly turned out contingent of the Bangladesh Coast Guard also gave a state-salute to the prime minister.</div><div><br></div><div>A short video documentary on Coast Guard Vsatnet System was screened.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, the prime minister enjoyed a cultural programme there. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 09:06:54', '2024-03-10 09:06:54'),
(11507, 11507, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock will set up 30 sell points in the capital to sell milk, eggs, meat, and fish at affordable prices throughout the month of Ramadan.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Under the programme, liquid milk will be sold at Tk 80 per litre, beef at Tk 600 per kg, mutton at Tk 900 per kg, dressed broiler at Tk 250 per kg, and eggs at Tk 9.17 per piece.</div><div><br></div><div>Fisheries and Livestock Minister Md. Abdur Rahman said these at the conference room of the Department of Livestock Services on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister said the programme will be conducted from 25 places in the capital from the first to the 28th Ramadan. Besides, the products will be sold at five more points at several permanent markets in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>The 25 sale centers are: Natun Bazar (Badda), Korail slum (Banani), Khamarbari (Farmgate), Azimpur Matrisadan (Azimpur), Gabtoli, Diabari (Uttara), Japan Garden City (Mohammadpur), Shatfoot Road (Mirpur), Khilgaon (south of the rail crossing), beside the Secretariat (Abdul Gani Road),&nbsp; Segun Bagicha (kitchen market),&nbsp; Arambagh (Motijheel), Rampura, Kalshi (Mirpur), Jatrabari (at the mouth of Maniknagar Goli),&nbsp; Bosila (Mohammadpur),&nbsp; Hazaribagh (Shikshan), Lukas (Nakhalpara), Arambagh (Motijheel), Kamrangirchar, Mirpur 10, Kalyanpur (Jhilpara), Tejgaon, Old Dhaka (Bangabazar), and Kakrail.</div><div><br></div><div>The five selling points at permanent markets are Mirpur Shah Ali Bazar, Mohammadpur Krishi Market, Natun Bazar (100 feet), Kamala Bazar, and Kazi Alauddin Road (Anandbazar).</div><div><br></div><div>Well-equipped pickup cool vans will be used to sell the products. The cooling vans will reach each sale center by 9 am with the products and selling will start from 10 am, the minister said.</div><div><br></div><div>Additionally, the Department of Fisheries has taken initiatives to sell fish at four designated spots in Dhaka North City Corporation and four designated spots in Dhaka South City Corporation.</div><div><br></div><div>The spots are Bangabandhu Square at Farmgate’s Khamarbari, Mirpur-1 (Eidgah Ground); Segun Bagicha Bazar; and Merul Badda Bazar under Dhaka North City Corporation; and Mughdapara (Madinabagh Bazar); Jatrabari (Dayal Bharosa Market); Motijheel (Southeast Corner of Bangladesh Bank) and Palashi intersection under Dhaka South City Corporation, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>The fish sale will continue from 10 am to 3 pm every day, starting from March 11, and will continue for 15 days, the minister said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 09:48:46', '2024-03-10 09:48:46'),
(11508, 11508, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Following the devastating fire incident at the Green Cozy Cottage building on Bailey Road that killed 46 people and injured several others, authorities in Dhaka have launched a crackdown on restaurants lacking proper fire safety measures. Restaurant owners, however, are critical of the approach.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The Restaurant Owners Association has labelled these operations as “harassment” and “for show”, lacking in coordination.</div><div><br></div><div>The operations, according to the association, seem to target the restaurant industry unfairly, calling for a more integrated approach to address safety violations.</div><div><br></div><div>Professor Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, criticized the sporadic nature of these operations, arguing for regular and coordinated efforts. He highlighted the injustice in arresting restaurant workers for building faults, suggesting that the responsibility lies with RAJUK (the development authority) officials and building owners before considering the tenants such as restaurant operators.</div><div><br></div><div>Imran Hasan, General Secretary of the Restaurant Owners Association, expressed the sector\'s frustrations over the lack of support from any ministry despite repeated pleas. He called for a meeting with the Prime Minister, signaling their readiness to shut down operations if found culpable.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>However, he questioned the logic behind blanket closures, arguing for a constructive resolution. Around 200 restaurants in Dhaka have been closed, he said, raising concerns about the crackdown.</div><div><br></div><div>Currently, Bangladesh houses approximately 481,000 restaurants, providing employment for 30 lakh people, the general secretary of Restaurant Owners Association said.</div><div><br></div><div>He also underlined the struggles with bureaucratic red tape and the desperation for constructive dialogue and solutions. Hasan called for the Prime Minister\'s intervention, reflecting the dire situation of entrepreneurs and workers within the industry, whose livelihoods are at stake.</div><div><br></div><div>The opposition\'s Chief Whip, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, has also alleged lack of coordination in the drives against risky and unauthorized buildings operating amid fire risk.</div><div><br></div><div>“A magistrate went and destroyed a shop. Another goes and says stop. The authorities need to take a concerted, slow and steady approach in conducting fire safety drives,” he said while participating in an unscheduled discussion in the Parliament last Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>RAJUK\'s Chairman, Anisur Rahman Mia, meanwhile has announced plans to list at-risk buildings, intending to mark them clearly and disconnect utilities in coordination with service providers, emphasizing the need for collaboration among various agencies for effective regulation.</div><div><br></div><div>This situation sheds light on the complexities of urban safety, regulatory enforcement, and the livelihoods dependent on sectors like dining, calling for balanced, fair, and coordinated efforts to ensure public safety without unjustly jeopardizing businesses and jobs. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 09:57:44', '2024-03-10 09:57:44'),
(11509, 11509, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The High Court on Sunday (March 10, 2024) stayed for two months the government’s decision to keep the primary and secondary schools open in the first 10 and 15 days of Ramadan respectively.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order following a petition seeking closure of school activities during Ramadan.</div><div><br></div><div>Advocate Mahmuda Khanam stood for the writ petitioner while deputy attorney general Sheikh Md Saifuzzaman represented the state.</div><div><br></div><div>Following the order, the academic activities of primary and secondary schools will remain closed during the month of Ramadan.</div><div><br></div><div>On February 8, the government amended the holiday list for educational institutions keeping the regular activities of secondary schools open for 15 days during the month of Ramadan. The Education Ministry issued a notice in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>In another notice, the Primary and Mass Education Ministry issued a notice to keep the activities of primary schools during the month of Ramadan for ten days.</div><div><br></div><div>Advocate Md Ilias Ali Mandal, a guardian, filed a writ petition on February 25, challenging the two orders of the government.</div><div><br></div><div>Secretaries to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry, Education Ministry, deputy secretary of Primary and Mass Education Ministry and deputy secretary of Education Ministry, Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education Department, Director of Child Welfare Trust were made respondents.</div><div><br></div><div>Ramadan is likely begin from March 11 or March 12 depending on the sighting of the moon. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 11:35:49', '2024-03-10 11:35:49');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11510, 11510, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The deputy chief of United Nations (UN) Women on Friday called for investing in women and girls to drive societal advancement while reiterating the agency\'s dedication to fostering gender equality and enhancing women\'s participation in decision-making roles.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Our first message is: Let\'s invest in women and girls, let\'s create opportunities for them to be socially empowered, to be economically empowered, to be in positions of decision-making,\" Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, deputy executive director of UN Women, the world body\'s entity dedicated to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women globally, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in the UN Women\'s office in New York.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The importance of investing in women is that when women at the household level are educated and have income, they are able to also send their children to school,\" Gumbonzvanda said.</div><div><br></div><div>Without investment in women, the world is short-changing itself in economic terms, she added.</div><div><br></div><div>\"By investing in little girls to elderly women, we witness dividends across families, societies, and nations,\" Gumbonzvanda said, underscoring the broad spectrum of benefits stemming from supporting women and girls.</div><div><br></div><div>\"On International Women\'s Day and beyond, we implore our member states to intensify their efforts\" in \"creating economic opportunities for women and fostering violence-free environments in our families and communities,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, investing in women encompasses not just economic aspects but also \"empowering their voice and perspective to shape policies,\" Gumbonzvanda said, as \"having women at the decision-making table enables them to address societal inequalities and elevate issues that are often overlooked.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"Political participation and women in decision-making have been priorities since the 1995 Beijing conference,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Gumbonzvanda, from Zimbabwe, assumed her duties as UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director for Normative Support, UN System Coordination, and Programme Results on Feb. 6.</div><div><br></div><div>Noting that currently elections are taking place in over 60 countries, Gumbonzvanda said: \"With 1.3 billion women voting, this becomes a critical moment for them to influence governments to prioritize gender equality.\"</div><div><br></div><div>She urged both men and women in these countries to \"support female candidates to achieve the 50-50 parity agreed upon by member states.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Gumbonzvanda also emphasized the critical contributions of women and girls to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by saying, \"We cannot fulfill the SDGs without addressing the challenges faced by women and girls, including exclusion and violence, and without expanding their opportunities in society.\"</div><div><br></div><div>She also highlighted the need for \"broader fiscal space and the implementation of gender-responsive budgeting\" as critical elements in this effort.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking about the upcoming 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), she noted, \"The meeting is timely in its focus on poverty, institutional strengthening, and financing for gender equality, alongside social protection concerns, given the current global context.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Addressing the alarming prediction that over 300 million people could still be living in poverty by 2030, she stressed the need for governmental commitment to prioritize resources for poverty alleviation programs and called for \"reform of the global financial architecture to address inequalities and enhance support for gender equality programs, including education and healthcare for women.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Gumbonzvanda expressed pride in UN Women\'s current initiatives with China, particularly the projects in Wuhan, which focus on \"bringing our technical expertise to support efforts in the country\" and \"creating policies and employment capacities\" targeting women, reports XINHUA</div><div><br></div><div>She also revisited the pivotal moment of the 1995 Beijing conference, highlighting its significance in setting the agenda for women\'s political participation and decision-making globally.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 11:41:01', '2024-03-10 11:41:01'),
(11511, 11511, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A group of more than 50 survivors of Islamist terror attacks in the UK have signed an open letter warning politicians against tarring British Muslims as extremists.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The letter against anti-Muslim hate was coordinated by Survivors Against Terror, a network of people in the UK and British people overseas who have been affected by terrorism.</div><div><br></div><div>Signatories include Rebecca Rigby, the widow of Lee Rigby, a soldier who was stabbed to death in London in 2013, as well as Paul Price, whose partner Elaine McIver was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.</div><div><br></div><div>The letter reads: “To defeat this (extremist) threat the single most important thing we can do is to isolate the extremists and the terrorists from the vast majority of British Muslims who deplore such violence.</div><div><br></div><div>“In recent weeks there have been too many cases where politicians and others have failed to do this; in some cases equating being Muslim with being an extremist, facilitating anti-Muslim hate or failing to challenge it.”</div><div><br></div><div>The signatories say defeating Islamism and extremism should be a “national priority” and they are “only too aware” of the threat posed by terrorism.</div><div><br></div><div>But they are saddened by a series of controversies in which major political figures in the UK have conflated Islam with extremism.</div><div><br></div><div>Last month, the former deputy chair of the governing Conservative Party, Lee Anderson, was suspended after claiming that Islamists had “got control” of Sadiq Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor.</div><div><br></div><div>Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, also faced controversy after warning that “the Islamists, the extremists and the antisemites are in charge now,” referring to pro-Palestine protests that have taken place in London amid the Gaza conflict.</div><div><br></div><div>Their comments are “playing into the hands of terrorists,” signatories to the letter believe.</div><div><br></div><div>Darryn Frost, who fended off a terrorist who had killed two people near London Bridge in 2019, said: “I think it’s dangerous when any of our leaders marginalise communities and paint a very broad brush.</div><div><br></div><div>“People need to consider the power of their words because they have the power to incite further hatred.”</div><div><br></div><div>The letter is being published ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Christchurch mosque killings on March 15.</div><div><br></div><div>The attack, carried out by a far-right terrorist, led to the murder of more than 50 Muslims in the New Zealand city.</div><div><br></div><div>Brendan Cox, co-founder of Survivors Against Terrorism, said: “Anyone using the issue (of extremism) to seek tactical party advantage risks undermining that consensus and making our efforts less successful.</div><div><br></div><div>“The message from survivors of attacks is clear: you can play politics all you like, but not with the safety of our country.”</div><div><br></div><div>Among the 57 signatories is Magen Inon, whose parents were killed during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.</div><div><br></div><div>The letter coincides with UK government plans to update the official definition of extremism, which will allow authorities to suspend ties or funding to groups found to have exceeded the new definition.</div><div><br></div><div>Currently, extremism is defined by the government as “vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.”</div><div><br></div><div>Communities Secretary Michael Gove, who is leading the change, has claimed that pro-Palestine marches in London have included groups who are “trying to subvert democracy,” and that some pro-Palestine events have been organized by “extremist” organizations. According to Arab News</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 12:43:31', '2024-03-10 12:43:31'),
(11512, 11512, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The operating hours of metro rail will be extended by one hour in both directions during the last 15 days of the month of Ramadan, said MN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL).</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>According to the new schedule, the last train from Motijheel will leave the station around 9:40 pm while it will from Uttara station at 9:20 pm, he said while speaking at a press conference at Iskatan.</div><div><br></div><div>However, the schedule of the metro rail will remain unchanged in the first 15 days of the month of Ramadan.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, commuters can carry 250ml of water bottles before and after Iftar on metro rail but in that case, the water bottle should be dumped into designated bins, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Iftar timing will be screened at the LED screen inside and outside the train.</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question about any decision to increase coaches for women, the managing director of DMTCL, said currently, six coaches are running every day and it is difficult to add another coach for women. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 13:00:16', '2024-03-10 13:00:16'),
(11513, 11513, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As the European parliamentary elections in June move ever closer, experts warn that pro-Russian players are flooding social media with false claims about the war in Ukraine to boost support for far-right and nationalist parties.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Pro-Russian accounts have been pumping out posts on Facebook, X and TikTok that depict Ukrainian refugees as violent criminals or claim that Kyiv’s government officials siphon off financial aid sent by the West to buy luxury yachts and villas for themselves.</div><div><br></div><div>Another theme with particular potency in countries closest to the conflict is that refugees receive higher state benefits than locals.</div><div><br></div><div>The aim of such propaganda is to weaken the EU’s resolve and benefit anti-immigration parties like Germany’s AfD, France’s National Rally or the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands, said Jakub Kalensky, an analyst at the European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) in Helsinki, Finland.</div><div><br></div><div>Such disinformation will “definitely play a role” in the June 6-9 vote, when more than 400 million Europeans choose a new five-year parliament, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“When you exaggerate the risk of Ukrainian immigrants, you boost anti-immigration parties,” Kalensky said.</div><div><br></div><div>“I’m convinced that if it weren’t for the Russian propaganda, movements led by leaders like Marine Le Pen (in France), Geert Wilders (in the Netherlands) or Robert Fico (in Slovakia) would have significantly lower election results.”</div><div><br></div><div>Dietmar Pichler, disinformation analyst at the Center for Digital Media Literacy in Vienna, Austria, believes that anti-Ukraine disinformation is likely to intensify ahead of the June vote as Russia tries to promote Kremlin-friendly European parties.</div><div><br></div><div>He has identified two main topics that have already surfaced in EU campaigns — the sanctions against Russia and financial aid to Ukraine.</div><div><br></div><div>“Actors aiming to halt this support for Ukraine are employing disinformation and Russian propaganda narratives to ‘justify’ this anti-Ukrainian position,” Pichler told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>But pro-Russian narratives also affect the policies of mainstream parties, sometimes silencing those who might otherwise throw their support behind Ukraine, according to the analyst.</div><div><br></div><div>“Some politicians are now afraid to address topics like Ukraine or Russia altogether because they fear attacks by Russian trolls, bots, and pro-Russian actors on the domestic level,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign may find particularly fertile ground in countries such as Hungary and Slovakia, whose governments actively stoke anti-immigration sentiment and urge Brussels to make peace with Russia, according to Kalensky.</div><div><br></div><div>On the second anniversary of the Russian invasion on February 24, Slovak premier Fico — who has repeatedly compared Ukrainians to Nazis, echoing Moscow’s justification for the assault — accused the EU of “hating the Russian Federation” and urged it to “come up with a peace plan for both countries.”</div><div><br></div><div>Hungarian state media often suggest that the Ukraine conflict could lead to World War III or make unsubstantiated claims about the forcible recruitment of Ukrainian men for the battlefield.</div><div><br></div><div>Even Kyiv’s staunchest allies, such as Poland, are not immune to the propaganda flooding the Internet since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.</div><div><br></div><div>Angry Polish farmers have protested about cheaper Ukrainian grain imports and claims are rife on Polish social media that refugees flood the labor markets, undercut wages, or receive welfare payouts that locals can only dream about.</div><div><br></div><div>“The message is ‘this is the Ukrainian gratitude for your help’, ‘they are using us’ and ‘they don’t respect us’,” said Andrzej Kozlowski, cybersecurity and disinformation expert at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation in Warsaw, Poland.</div><div><br></div><div>Farmers’ protests across Europe in early 2024 have been weaponized by Russian propagandists and far-right parties in many European countries.</div><div><br></div><div>These protests “have become a top priority for the Russian disinformation machine” ahead of upcoming elections in Poland in April and the EU vote in June, Kozlowski told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>According to an Ipsos poll from February 2024, the far-right Confederation — the only party in the Polish parliament not to unequivocally condemn the Russian invasion — is gaining support the fastest and could get 12 percent at local elections on April 7.</div><div><br></div><div>“At the beginning, we were laughing at Russian disinformation, but statistics show that support for Ukrainian refugees and immigrants in Poland is getting lower, and so is support for sending ammunition and weapons to Ukraine,” Kozlowski said.</div><div><br></div><div>Hybrid CoE’s Kalensky believes the biggest challenge for Europe will be to remain united and resist the flood of disinformation.</div><div><br></div><div>“The Russians are experts at playing the long game,” Kalensky said. “They know that if they repeat a lie 100 times it will eventually become the truth.” - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 13:19:41', '2024-03-10 13:19:41'),
(11514, 11514, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Authorities in the Indian capital New Delhi suspended a police officer on Friday after he kicked men during congregational Muslim prayers - an incident captured in a video that went viral on social media, sparking outrage and condemnation.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The incident happened at the capital\'s Inderlok area, when people were performing Friday prayers on the road.</div><div><br></div><div>The video showed a police officer kicking several people as they were praying.</div><div><br></div><div>Locals in the area also blocked the road and demanded action against the policeman.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding the incident, the Police Post Incharge “who was seen in the video (kicking men) has been suspended with immediate effect,” Delhi Police said in a statement, adding that “necessary disciplinary action is also been taken.”</div><div><br></div><div>The incident drew condemnation by India\'s main opposition party.</div><div><br></div><div>Congress “strongly condemns such inhuman acts during worship, namaz or prayer of any religion,” the Delhi unit of Indian National Congress wrote on X.</div><div><br></div><div>“The government should take immediate action against the guilty police personnel.”</div><div><br></div><div>Senior Delhi police officer Mukesh Kumar Meena told media this evening that the “situation in the area has been normalized and traffic has resumed in the area,” reports, Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 13:37:32', '2024-03-10 13:37:32'),
(11515, 11515, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rashidat Hamza is in despair. All but one of her six children are among the nearly 300 students abducted from their school in Nigeria’s northwest, riddled with Islamic extremists and armed gangs.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>It has been more than two days after her children — ages 7 to 18 — went to school in the remote town of Kuriga in Kaduna state only to be kidnapped by gunmen. She was still in shock Saturday.</div><div><br></div><div>Authorities said at least 100 children aged 12 or younger were among the abductees in the state known for violent killings lawlessness and dangerous roads where people get regularly snatched.</div><div><br></div><div>“We don’t know what to do, but we believe in God,” Hamza told The Associated Press during a visit to the town.</div><div><br></div><div>The mass kidnapping in Kuriga was the third in northern Nigeria since last week; a group of gunmen abducted 15 children from a school in another northwestern state, Sokoto, before dawn Saturday, and a few days earlier 200 people, mostly women and children displaced by conflict, were kidnapped in northeastern Borno State.</div><div><br></div><div>The kidnappings are a stark reminder of the security crisis plaguing Africa’s most populous country.</div><div><br></div><div>No group claimed responsibility for any of the recent abductions. But Islamic extremists waging an insurgency in the northeast are suspected of carrying out the kidnapping in Borno. Locals blame the school abductions on herders who are in conflict with the settled communities.</div><div><br></div><div>It\'s not the first time for a student kidnapping in Nigeria to shock the world. In 2014, Islamic extremists abducted more than 200 schoolgirls from Borno’s Chibok, sparking the global #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign. A decade later, at least 1,400 Nigerian students have so far been abducted from their schools in similar circumstances. Some are still held captive, including nearly 100 of the Chibok girls.</div><div><br></div><div>Recalling Thursday’s kidnapping, Nura Ahmad, a teacher, told the AP that students were just settling into their classrooms at the government primary and secondary school when gunmen “came in dozens, riding on bikes and shooting sporadically.”</div><div><br></div><div>The LEA Primary and Secondary School, one of the few educational facilities in this area, sits by the road just at the entrance of the town, tucked in the middle of forests and savannah. Even with its decaying roof and wrecked walls, it gave parents hope for a better future for their children.</div><div><br></div><div>“They surrounded the school and blocked all passages … and roads” to prevent help from coming before kidnapping the children in less than five minutes, Ahmad said.</div><div><br></div><div>Fourteen-year-old Abdullahi Usman braved gunshots to escape the captors.</div><div><br></div><div>“Those who refused to move fast were either forced on the motorcycles or threatened by gunshots fired into the air,” Abdullahi said. “The bandits were shouting: Go! Go! Go!” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Nigerian police and soldiers headed into the forests Friday to search for the missing children, but combing the wooded expanses of northwestern Nigeria could take weeks, observers said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Since this happened, my brain has been muddled,” said Shehu Lawal, the father of a 13-year-old boy who is among those abducted.</div><div><br></div><div>“My child didn’t even eat breakfast before leaving. His mother fainted (upon hearing the news),\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Some villagers like Lawan Yaro, whose five grandchildren are among the abducted, say their hopes are already fading.</div><div><br></div><div>People are used to the region\'s insecurity, \"but it has never been in this manner,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“We are crying, looking for help from the government and God, but it is the gunmen that will decide to bring the children back,” Yaro said. “God will help us.\"</div><div><br></div><div>But schools are not the only targets.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 3,500 people have been abducted across Nigeria in the last year, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Some were even kidnapped from their homes in the capital of Abuja. Last year, President Bola Tinubu took office after he successfully campaigned on the promise to tighten security and stop the kidnappings.</div><div><br></div><div>Experts say it is easy to smuggle in arms, used in kidnappings, over Nigeria’s poorly policed borders. More than half of its 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) border with Niger, for instance, stretches across the northwest. Though mostly covered in woodland savannah, the region also has vast ungoverned and unoccupied forests where organized gangs hide and keep their kidnap victims.</div><div><br></div><div>In 2022, lawmakers passed a bill to penalize ransom payments, but Nigerian kidnappers are known for their brutality, forcing many families to succumb to their demands.</div><div><br></div><div>Nigeria\'s military continues to conduct air raids and special military operations in the region as well as respond to pockets of crisis across the country but is fatigued by the 14-year Islamist insurgency in the northeast. Armed gangs also keep on multiplying in the region where many are poor and often work with extremists, seeking to expand their operations.</div><div><br></div><div>The military previously said that sometimes kidnap victims were used as “human shields” to prevent aerial bombardments of the forests where their captors hide.</div><div><br></div><div>The gangs are “adapting their strategies and further entrenching themselves in the northwest through extortion,” said James Barnett, a researcher specializing in West Africa at the U.S.-based Hudson Institute.</div><div><br></div><div>“Their mentality is that they should be allowed free rein to do what they please in the northwest and that if the state challenges them, directly or indirectly, they will have to respond and show their strength,” Barnett said.</div><div><br></div><div>More than a dozen checkpoints and military trucks now dot the dangerous 55-mile (89 kilometers) road running from Kuriga town to the city of Kaduna. But the soldiers are likely to be redeployed elsewhere soon, depending on security needs.</div><div><br></div><div>People in Kuriga can only hope their children are returned unharmed and the safety they now feel with the presence of military personnel endures, reports AP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Hamza, the mother whose five children were kidnapped, hopes the government will arrest the kidnappers and return the students. “The gunmen don’t allow us to have peace.\"&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 14:49:51', '2024-03-10 14:49:51'),
(11516, 11516, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">FRENCH FRIGATE NORMANDIE: Large NATO drills in the frigid fjords of northern Norway may be just war games meant to hone the fighting skills of the newly expanded 32-nation military alliance. But for troops taking part, they are very real.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>And that’s the whole point.</div><div><br></div><div>With drills underway now, NATO is baring its fangs in its biggest exercises since the Cold War, sending an unmistakable message to Russia that alliance members are ready to defend each other if needed.</div><div><br></div><div>Having watched Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year, the NATO training aims to cover all eventualities. That can include trying to catch troops off guard.</div><div><br></div><div>This week, crew members aboard the French frigate Normandie, one of France’s most modern warships, were roused from sleep and scrambled to hunt down and destroy a submarine that snuck into cold Norwegian waters.</div><div><br></div><div>The submarine belongs to Germany, also a NATO member. But for the purpose of the war games dubbed Nordic Response 2024, it was acting as an enemy vessel.</div><div><br></div><div>The Normandie crew spotted its periscope poking through the waves and sprang into action. The submarine had already “attacked” a nearby Italian ship, the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi, scoring an imaginary torpedo hit.</div><div><br></div><div>The crew were determined not to let Normandie — a top-of-the-line vessel, in service only since 2020 — suffer the indignity of also being struck.</div><div><br></div><div>An urgent 7 a.m. call got Normandie’s commander, Capt. Thomas Vuong, up from his bunk. He ordered the frigate’s submarine-hunting helicopter to be readied for flight, waking its pilot.</div><div><br></div><div>“We spotted its attack periscope,” Vuong told The Associated Press on board Normandie in an exclusive interview.</div><div><br></div><div>“Then it dived again,” he said. “We were asked to hunt for it. We succeeded.”</div><div><br></div><div>Once airborne, the Normandie’s NH90 helicopter hovered over the waves and lowered its submarine-detecting sonar into the sea. The frigate also used its sonar, and together, they zeroed in on the sub’s position and “attacked” it in turn.</div><div><br></div><div>“Intelligence confirmed to us that there were no friendly submarines in the sector, so we were certain that it was an enemy submarine,” the helicopter pilot, Lt. Olivier, recounted. The French navy withheld his last name for security reasons.</div><div><br></div><div>“So the frigate was able to fire a torpedo and destroy the submarine,” he added — but not for real, of course.</div><div><br></div><div>The frigate and its helicopter pinpointed the submarine with sufficient accuracy to be sure that it wouldn’t have survived had actual torpedoes been fired.</div><div><br></div><div>An urgent 7 a.m. call got Normandie’s commander, Capt. Thomas Vuong, up from his bunk. He ordered the frigate’s submarine-hunting helicopter to be readied for flight, waking its pilot.</div><div><br></div><div>“We spotted its attack periscope,” Vuong told The Associated Press on board Normandie in an exclusive interview.</div><div><br></div><div>“Then it dived again,” he said. “We were asked to hunt for it. We succeeded.”</div><div><br></div><div>Once airborne, the Normandie’s NH90 helicopter hovered over the waves and lowered its submarine-detecting sonar into the sea. The frigate also used its sonar, and together, they zeroed in on the sub’s position and “attacked” it in turn.</div><div><br></div><div>“Intelligence confirmed to us that there were no friendly submarines in the sector, so we were certain that it was an enemy submarine,” the helicopter pilot, Lt. Olivier, recounted. The French navy withheld his last name for security reasons.</div><div><br></div><div>“So the frigate was able to fire a torpedo and destroy the submarine,” he added — but not for real, of course.</div><div><br></div><div>The frigate and its helicopter pinpointed the submarine with sufficient accuracy to be sure that it wouldn’t have survived had actual torpedoes been fired. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 15:06:19', '2024-03-10 15:06:19'),
(11517, 11517, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday said the Awami League government is using the Cyber Security Act as a tool to suppress the opposition’s leaders and activists, reports UNB</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He made the comments in a discussion programme to mark the ninth founding anniversary of Zia Cyber Force as a chief guest at BNP Nayapalton central office.</div><div><br></div><div>\"As a politician we are used to prison one or twice in a year. During my jail life I have met a lot of young inmates who were jailed for writing against the misrule of AL,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Even women are not safe from the AL rage as a Jagannath University (JnU) female student\'s case shows, Rizvi said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I strongly believe that those who are active in social media are more genius than others.,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 15:13:59', '2024-03-10 15:13:59'),
(11518, 11518, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun on Sunday announced that Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) would carry out a special drive to control the prices and standard of goods during Ramadan.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The BSTI will take punitive actions against the unscrupulous persons who are engaged in adulteration, counterfeiting of goods, tampering in measurement, and selling products at prices higher than the government fixed prices, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“None will be spared no matter how big or small they are. Zero tolerance will be shown against all counterfeiters,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Industries Minister came up with this announcement at a press briefing at the BSTI head office in the city’s Tejgaon area to raise the special measures taken to control the quality of the daily essentials in the holy month of Ramadan.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the operation of mobile courts is being strengthened during Ramadan to control the standard of products and to prevent tampering in weight and measurement of goods, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Three special mobile courts will be conducted every day in Dhaka city. Besides, BSTI will conduct the mobile courts in cooperation with the local administration at the district and upazila levels in the month, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Nurul Majid said during the operation, special attention will be paid to the food and drinks that are usually consumed by the fasting people.</div><div><br></div><div>The quality and price of fruits, drinks, fruit syrup, puffed rice, dates, soft drink powder, carbonated beverages, edible oil, mustard oil, ghee, pasteurized milk, noodles, semai, water, dextrose monohydrate and iftar items will be controlled, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Senior Secretary of the Industries Ministry Zakia Sultana and BSTI Director General SM Ferdous Alam, among others, were present, added a BSTI press release.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-10 16:17:32', '2024-03-10 16:17:32'),
(11519, 11519, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The government of Bangladesh has set ambitious revenue collection targets for the fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26, aiming to gather Tk 5872 billion and Tk 7097 billion, respectively. The strategy hinges on enhancing digitalization and simplifying tax procedures for both businesses and individuals.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The focus will be on direct taxes and VAT to raise more revenue. In addition to expanding the tax net and increasing the capacity of tax officials, exercises will be carried out to rationalise the current culture of widespread tax exemptions and to bring in heightened transparency in the budgetary discourse.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement (2023-24 to 2025-26) of the Finance Division of Finance Ministry, some Tk 5343 billion will come from the tax revenue sector in 2024-25 fiscal and Tk 6463 billion in 2025-26.</div><div><br></div><div>In the next two fiscal years, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) will provide Tk 5095 billion and Tk 6171 billion.</div><div><br></div><div>From the Income Tax wing, the projected collection will be Tk 1753 billion for the next fiscal, and Tk 2123 billion for 2025-26 fiscal. Collection from the import duties will be Tk 1511 billion and Tk 1830 billion respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>From VAT and Supplementary Duties, the revenue collection will be Tk 1831 billion and Tk 2218 billion respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>The non-NBR tax for 2024-25 and 2025-26 will be Tk 248 billion and Tk 292 billion respectively. Non-tax revenue collection will be Tk 529 billion and Tk 634 billion respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>The target for the running 2023-24 fiscal is Tk 5000 billion with Tk 4500 billion from tax revenue. Of the total amount, Tk 4300 billion will come from NBR through Tk 1480 billion from income tax, Tk 1275 billion from import duties, Tk 1545 billion from VAT and Supplementary duties. Some Tk 200 billion will be collected from the non-NBR sector while Tk 500 billion from non-tax revenue sector.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement, revenue outturns estimated for 2023-24 and projection for the next two years show high elasticity and buoyancy, implying robustness in revenue mobilisation in the medium term.</div><div><br></div><div>It mentions that among the tax and non-tax parts of the revenue, the tax revenue is forecasted to be more buoyant and elastic than the non-tax part.</div><div><br></div><div>The elasticity data shows that the overall revenue is projected to grow 1.65 times higher than the nominal GDP in FY 2025-26.</div><div><br></div><div>As per the statement, the revenue elasticity of GDP for the 2023-24 fiscal is 1.28 times higher than the last fiscal while it is projected to be 1.40 times higher in the next 2024-25 fiscal year.</div><div><br></div><div>The tax revenue elasticity of GDP will be 1.33 times higher in the current fiscal while it will be 1.50 times higher in the next fiscal and 1.66 times higher in 2025-26 fiscal year.</div><div><br></div><div>The non-tax revenue elasticity of GDP for the running fiscal will be 0.92 times higher in the current fiscal, 0.47 times higher in the next fiscal year, and 1.57 times higher in 2025-26 fiscal year.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, the buoyancy indicates that, in FY 2025-26 the tax revenue in real terms may grow 98 percent higher than the growth of real GDP.</div><div><br></div><div>The Policy Statement mentions that the revenue mobilisation acts as a catalyst to achieve the development outcomes of a country. Bangladesh has envisioned its long-term development trajectory to be a higher middle-income country in 2031 and to be a developed country in 2041.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to these aspirations, the ‘Perspective Plan of Bangladesh 2021-2041’ has targeted to raise the revenue- GDP ratio to 19.55 percent by 2031 and to reach 24 percent by 2041.</div><div><br></div><div>The statement says that the spectacular growth Bangladesh registered in the last decades, however, has not been underpinned by concomitant revenue growth. A large share of the revenue comes from the direct (income tax) and indirect taxes (VAT and customs) collected by the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Non-NBR taxes and Non-Tax Revenue (NTR) consists of smaller parts.</div><div><br></div><div>It said that there is a need to identify the reasons for low revenue collection to move onto the essential next step to correct the course. It is important to understand various issues such as the economic structure (large informality and exemptions), structural weaknesses (complicated processes and information asymmetry), and cultural factors (apathy towards paying taxes) that contribute to significant underperformance in revenue collection, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>The government, the policy statement said, with the support of private sector operators, is keen to make paying taxes easy, tax rules easy to understand and rationalise tax exemptions.</div><div><br></div><div>Success in revenue collection will be strengthened by making the tax administration easy to approach, increasing digitalization to bring in transparency and predictability and bringing in progressivity in taxation where rich people pay a higher part of the taxes, it added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 08:36:52', '2024-03-11 08:36:52'),
(11520, 11520, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Jahangirnagar University authorities have expelled five students including the main accused, Chhatra League leader Mostafizur Rahman, in connection with gang raping a woman after holding her husband captive on the campus last month.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The decision was taken on Sunday night in a syndicate meeting held with Vice-Chancellor of the University Dr. Md.Nurul Alam in the chair.</div><div><br></div><div>University registrar Abu Hasan said according to the decision of the syndicate meeting, Mostafizur Rahman, the main accused and a student of the 45th batch of International Relations Department and his cohort Murad Hussain\'s academic certificates were canceled.</div><div><br></div><div>The expelled students are 46 batch student of International Relations Department Mustafa Manowar Siddiqui Sagar, 44 batch student Shah Paran, 45 batch student Md. Hasanuzzaman and Sabbir Hasan Sagar, a student of 47th batch of Botany department. However, the name of another student among those expelled could not be known.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, in a syndicate meeting on February 4, a four-member investigation committee was formed to identify the culprits and recommend punishment.</div><div><br></div><div>The inquiry committee was asked to submit its report with recommendations within 15 working days, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on February 2, a resident of Ashulia was gang raped on the campus after keeping her husband confined to room No 317 of Mir Mosharraf Hall of the university.</div><div><br></div><div>A case was filed against six people with Ashulia Police Station.</div><div><br></div><div>On February 4, four people including BCL leader Mustafizur were arrested over the incident.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 09:10:58', '2024-03-11 09:10:58'),
(11521, 11521, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday asked the doctors in the country to devote more time to research in medical science burying the mentality of doing private practice to just earn money.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“We are lagging in one sector and that is the research in the medical science. Doctors are engaged in practising and earning money, and they don\'t bother to go for research works,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier distributed cheques of the \"Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship,\" \"National Science and Technology (NST) Fellowship\" and special research donations among teachers, scientists, researchers and students of different universities.</div><div><br></div><div>The Science and Technology Ministry arranged the programme at the Prime Minister\'s Office.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasina asked the doctors in the audience about the facts of the private practice of the physicians.</div><div><br></div><div>“It is correct. There are doctors over there, and I am asking them directly,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister requested them to emphasise research works from now on.</div><div><br></div><div>“Importance has to be given to the research works. Because the people of the country have to be healthy, strong and meritorious. They need to get a chance to flourish on their merits. For that research is essential,” she added.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that the government will give a special stimulus package to those who will be involved in health-related research.</div><div><br></div><div>“I will again request the doctors who are in public service to reduce their private practice and give more time to research works,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She said that the government will do everything needed to encourage research work.</div><div><br></div><div>PM Hasina mentioned the outcome of research works in the agricultural sector where the country became self-sufficient in food production.</div><div><br></div><div>“Research opens the door of development. We have to put the highest importance on science and health-related research,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister said that the government is very sincere in removing all sorts of obstacles in any kind of research.</div><div><br></div><div>She also mentioned that the money invested in the research is coming from the pockets of the people of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>“This public money must have to be used for the welfare of the people. You have to keep this in mind always,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking about the second nuclear power plant, the prime minister said that the government has built Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant and it had tried to build another one in the southern region of the country.</div><div><br></div><div>“But the soil in the southern region is so soft. We have tested soil on every island, but it is not possible to build such plants there,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She mentioned that after completing the present power plant, the government will build the second one also in Rooppur, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>“I have asked the Science and Technology Minister to start the second one just after finishing the first one and we have to take preparation for that from now on,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on Science and Technology Ministry Zahid Maleque and Science and Technology Secretary Md. Ali Hossain also spoke.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 10:28:29', '2024-03-11 10:28:29'),
(11522, 11522, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">&nbsp;Lebanon’s pro-Iranian Hezbollah group said today it launched a multi-drone attack on an Israeli air defence outpost across the border in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>It said the rare attack, in which it deployed four drones, hit its target with “accuracy” in what it said was another operation in support of Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967.</div><div><br></div><div>Hezbollah and the Israeli military have been exchanging fire along Lebanon’s southern border since October, when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, which is at war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.</div><div><br></div><div>Israeli strikes had been mostly limited to the southern border region of Lebanon, although they have edged further north in recent weeks.</div><div><br></div><div>Hezbollah last month said it fired rockets against the same target in the Golan Heights.</div><div><br></div><div>The armed group has used surface-to-air missiles on several occasions since Oct 7 to target Israeli aircraft.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>It has also launched its own surveillance drones into northern Israel. According to Reuters reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 11:53:07', '2024-03-11 11:53:07'),
(11523, 11523, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Finland is planning to hire young talents from Bangladesh in some sectors, particularly IT and healthcare as the number of the ageing population is on rise in the Nordic country.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Dr Tito Gronow, minister and deputy head of mission at Finland Embassy in New Delhi said this in an interview with UNB during his recent visit to Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>He was in Dhaka from Wednesday to Friday last.</div><div><br></div><div>“Finland is eager to develop a programme for trying to find young talents with its Talent Boost programme particularly in IT, healthcare but also some other sectors to attract the people to come to Finland,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Under the programme, Finland will recruit manpower from Bangladesh for its healthcare sector as the ageing population is on rise in the Nordic country, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;“We need more people for our healthcare sector and you (Bangladesh) have a very young population. So, this actually is a good match,” said Dr Gronow.</div><div><br></div><div>Noting that there are already a good number of Bangladeshi students in Finland, he said “I can imagine that there will be more students who come to Finland (from Bangladesh) in future.</div><div><br></div><div>About the bilateral relations, the Finnish diplomat said the current relationship is very good. “Our aim is to increase trade between the countries. We’ve an ambition to have more Finnish companies in the Bangladesh market,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr Gronow also said they’ve discussed with several Bangladeshi companies particularly textile companies for expanding European activities to Finland.</div><div><br></div><div>In the next autumn, there will be a political consultations between Finland and Bangladesh here in Dhaka. The delegation will be a combination of political and business delegations, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our main objective here in Bangladesh is to improve our trade relations. We see a huge potential in Bangladesh in many sectors. Our priority is very much in digitalization, IT, 5G and 6G and different kinds of digital solutions,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said Finland can help Bangladesh make traditional manufacturing industries to digital modern industries in the era of 4th industrial revolution.</div><div><br></div><div>“In textile industry, you’ve already invested in environmental technology and we’ve environmental solutions to offer to Bangladeshi industries, \" he said, adding that Finland is also interested in developing a partnership with Bangladesh in the educational sector.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Finnish diplomat, who had made his first visit to Bangladesh, said Finland is interested in strengthening cooperation with Bangladesh in textiles, recycling of materials and water. “Probably emerging cooperation is in the shipyard,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>About export of Bangladesh products to Finland, he said Bangladeshi companies should be more active in negotiating with Finnish companies to have a partnership in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>Describing Finland as a good technology harbour, he said Bangladesh can import from Finland 5G/6G technology, clean energy solutions, machinery, lifts and cranes, which could be a good solution to the needs of Bangladesh, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>“We’ve great variety of different kinds of environment-friendly technological solutions that are needed for industries in Bangladesh,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Turning to the Rohingya issue, Dr Gronow said the situation is alarming. It is already the seventh year of the refugee crisis. Finland is willing to help solve this issue of course diplomatically in a peaceful way. But it seems to take still more time, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 12:23:28', '2024-03-11 12:23:28');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11524, 11524, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Amid a conflict between the Myanmar military and the armed rebel group in Myanmar’s Rakhine, 29 members of&nbsp; Border Guard Police (BGP) took shelter again in Bangladesh on Monday, said BGB.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>A total of 29 BGP members have taken refuge in Bangladesh from Angthapaya Camp of the BGP force through the border area of Bandarban\'s Jamchari union under Naikhongchhari BGB\'s Battalion 11, said Shariful Islam, public relations officer (PRO) of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier in February, 330 members of Myanmar security forces including BGP, army personnel and immigration officials had taken shelter in Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>On February, 15, they were handed over to Border Guard Police of Myanmar amid tight security.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 12:55:40', '2024-03-11 12:55:40'),
(11525, 11525, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>If BNP continues their movement during the holy month of Ramadan instead of restraining themselves, they will become more isolated from the people, Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The minister was speaking at a meeting of the party\'s secretariat board at the Awami League\'s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue this afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>At that time, he highlighted the strong position of the government regarding the perpetrators of violence in the Supreme Court bar elections.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that if any crimes and misdeeds are committed under the guard of the government, and if the government does not exempt anyone, then it should be understood that the government has maintained zero tolerance here, he mentioned.</div><div><br></div><div>\"No one will be spared whether he is Awami League, Jubo League or Chhatra League. No matter how influential the criminal is. Criminals will be treated as criminals.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister is very strict in this regard, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding commodity prices, Obaidul Quader said that the government is very careful and making all-out efforts to keep the prices under control, within the purchasing power of the common people, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>\'Even in the context of the global crisis, the price of fuel oil has already been reduced. That did not happen during the BNP rule. They can only increase the price.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Quader said, like last time, there will be no iftar party on behalf of Awami League in Ramdan. Instead, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed to distribute Iftar and relief items among the poor and common people on behalf of Awami League, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 12:57:46', '2024-03-11 12:57:46'),
(11526, 11526, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After confusion over the identity of a female journalist who was burnt to death in the devastating fire on Bailey Road on February 29, police finally confirmed her real name was Brishty Khatun,&nbsp; and she used a pen name Ovisruti Shastri.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The result came as the samples of her DNA matched those collected from her parents on Sunday, Additional DIG of Dhaka Metro CID Md Jahangir Hossain Matubbar confirmed.</div><div><br></div><div>Later on Monday afternoon, 11 days after the incident, the body was handed over to her father Sabuj Sheikh from the Dhaka Medical College morgue.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to a question from the journalists,&nbsp; Additional DIG said, the victim worked in various places using the name of&nbsp; Ovisruti Shastri. That\'s why confusion was created over her identity and her colleagues claimed she was Hindu. Later they understood and wrote to the police station, to hand over the dead body to her parents.</div><div><br></div><div>Sabuj Sheikh said the truth has been established: “I am her father, I thank Allah thousands and millions.”</div><div><br></div><div>“Finally I received the body today, I will take it to my village home. There, she will be buried in the family cemetery with a Janaza according to Islamic Shari\'a,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Brishty Khatun was the eldest among his three daughters.</div><div><br></div><div>Habibur Rahman, sub-inspector (SI) of Ramna Police Station, was present at that time.</div><div><br></div><div>After due procedures, at 2.55 pm, Sabuj Sheikh left Dhaka with Birshty’s body. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 13:09:21', '2024-03-11 13:09:21'),
(11527, 11527, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali has said the next national budget for the FY25 would put higher emphasis on employment generation while efforts to carry out reforms in different fields are needed to be continued.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"We\'ll have to increase employment generation to a larger extent as efforts are underway to overcome the foreign currency reserve issue,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister was talking to reporters after holding a long pre-budget meeting for the FY25 with the country\'s renowned economists at the State Guest House Padma last night.</div><div><br></div><div>Ali said the eminent economists present at the meeting had put forwarded a set of good suggestions while all of them had opined that the government was in the right direction to overcome the current economic situation.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I\'ve never said that there is no problem. But, we\'ve got praises that we\'ve been handling the situation well and so far everything is good,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Everyone knows what the underlying problems are...so they (economists) have remarked that everything is well so far, but we\'ve to remain cautious about the problems,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>When asked about their specific suggestions, the finance minister said that the ongoing reforms initiatives should have to be continued in various fields.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to another question on publishing the list of loan defaulters following the suggestions of the economists, he said, \"Let\'s see what we can do,\"</div><div><br></div><div>Ali also said the Vice President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in a recent meeting with him had assured that they are ready to provide more financial support to Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>\"They (AIIB) informed us that fund is ready and take it....,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Emerging from the meeting, eminent economist and former central bank governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed said the main thing of the budget should be macroeconomic stability.</div><div><br></div><div>He suggested for raising allocations in the education and health sectors side by side minimizing the number of such projects that takes much time to get results.</div><div><br></div><div>The noted economist also advised to ensure strict monitoring for implementation of the budget, increase dependency on direct tax instead of the indirect tax like VAT, ensure allocations in different sectors on priority basis, and minimize wastage.</div><div><br></div><div>\"There should be a fine synergy between the monetary policy and the fiscal policy ... Boosting supply chain is needed as inflation is mostly supply-driven. The real sector should also be promoted,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>The former central bank governor opined that it is not possible to control the inflation trend with the interest rate as the small businesses are often affected for this.</div><div><br></div><div>In this regard, Dr Salehuddin suggested for making the interest rate market based.</div><div><br></div><div>Distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Mustafizur Rahman said the meeting discussed various aspects of the budget for the next fiscal year as well as how to ensure further macroeconomic stability.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We\'ve said that it will be more convenient to implement the budget if the exchange rate and inflation can be controlled considering the current position of the economy,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Executive Director of the CPD Dr Fahmida Khatun said the main focus of the next budget should be ensuring macroeconomic stability instead of putting much focus on growth.</div><div><br></div><div>\"In this regard, there is a need for generating more employments, increasing investments in the private sector and also the FDI,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She also said there is a need for having similarity between the policies and operations of the government.</div><div><br></div><div>The famed economist also suggested for framing contractionary budget through reducing the allocations for expenditure and operational costs under the current circumstances, pursing austerity and minimizing wastage, raising dependency on direct tax, ensuring diversification in economy, making more investments in Human Resources to generate more employments, making more allocations in the health and education sectors, boosting the revenue collection through putting more emphasis on automation, and thus giving a real a picture on the materialization of the suggestions on budget made by various quarters.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr Fahmida Khatun also demanded for making public the lists of the loan defaulters.</div><div><br></div><div>The pre-budget meeting was attended by a good number of economists like Prof Dr Rehman Sobhan, Dr Ahsan H Mansur, Mustafa K Mujeri, Director General of BIDS Dr Binayak Sen, former ICAB president Parveen Mahmud.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder, Finance Division Secretary Dr Khairuzzaman Mozumder, Financial Institutions Division Secretary Sheikh Mohammad Salim Ullah and other high officials attended the meeting. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 13:23:49', '2024-03-11 13:23:49'),
(11528, 11528, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A large grain silo was completely destroyed in a Russian missile attack on the eastern Ukrainian Dnipro region this weekend and injured one person, the facility’s owner Ukrlandfarming said late yesterday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Ukrlandfarming is one of Ukraine’s largest agrarian holdings, which as a result of the Russian invasion in 2022 suffered losses at around US$1 billion as of the end of 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>“On the evening of March 9, 2024, the enemy launched a missile attack on the Dnipro region. A 58-year-old man, our employee, was injured. The production facilities of our company were completely destroyed,” the company said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>It provided no further details.</div><div><br></div><div>Analysts from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) said last month the Ukrainian agricultural sector has suffered almost US$80 billion in direct and indirect losses linked to Russia’s invasion.</div><div><br></div><div>The figure included losses of US$5.8 billion from the destruction of equipment, US$1.8 billion from damage to silos and almost US$2 billion from ruined agricultural products.</div><div><br></div><div>At the beginning of January 2023, analysts estimated such losses at US$38 billion. According to Reuters reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 13:28:41', '2024-03-11 13:28:41'),
(11529, 11529, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, has emphasized the prompt resolution of grievances by departments and organizations under the purview of the Ministry lodged by the common people.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He stressed the need for expeditious action to enhance the system and address complaints received via the national hotline number 333-4.</div><div><br></div><div>The Minister called for regular monitoring of grievance redressal progress, ensuring swift resolution and subsequent evaluation of complainant satisfaction.</div><div><br></div><div>These directives were articulated during the minister\'s address at a meeting convened to assess the advancement of the smart ministry construction program.</div><div><br></div><div>The meeting, held at the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Conference&nbsp; room in the secretariat, highlighted the government\'s commitment to efficient administration in environmental matters.</div><div><br></div><div>He urged citizens to utilize the National Call Center 333 to report environmental and forest-related grievances. He advocated for the customization and utilization of the Grievance Redressal System (GRS) software provided by the Cabinet Division to streamline ministry activities. Furthermore, he set a target for the full implementation of the 333-4 environment-related complaint settlement process within the month of March.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, he emphasized the redesign of the ministry\'s website to enhance accessibility for the public.</div><div><br></div><div>The meeting was attended by key officials including Additional Secretary (Administration) Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Director General of the Department of Environment Dr. Abdul Hamid, Joint Secretary (Climate Change) Lubna Yasmine, Joint Secretary (Environment) Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury, and Joint Secretary (Forest) Shahanara Begum, as well as Conservator of Forest (Administration) Abdul Awal Sarkar.</div><div><br></div><div>They underscored the collaborative effort towards efficient governance and environmental stewardship. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 13:33:02', '2024-03-11 13:33:02'),
(11530, 11530, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>The holy month of Ramadan of 1445 Hijri will begin in the country tomorrow as the new moon was sighted in the sky of Bangladesh today.</b></div><div><br></div><div>The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee at the conference room of Islamic Foundation (IF) at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque here this evening, said a press release.</div><div><br></div><div>Religious Affairs Minister and National Moon Sighting Committee President Faridul Haque Khan presided over the meeting, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>As per the decision, the holy Shab-e-Qadr or Lailatul Qadr, the night when the first verses of the holy Quran were revealed to Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), will be observed in the night of April 6 (Saturday night).</div><div><br></div><div>Muslims are meant to fast from dawn to dusk during the Ramadan, a time of restraint and austerity.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 13:36:32', '2024-03-11 13:36:32'),
(11531, 11531, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>State Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, has stated that the government is committed to bringing high-speed broadband internet to every home.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He said, “The Digital Bangladesh initiative has already connected high-speed broadband internet to almost every union in the country, covering over three lakh square kilometers with optical broadband internet connections. In 2006, the country had only 50,000 kilometers of optical fiber connections. The cost of internet service for the general public has been set at Tk 60 per Mbps to make it affordable and easily accessible.\"</div><div><br></div><div>He mentioned that the cost was previously Tk 78 per Mbps in 2006.</div><div><br></div><div>Palak made these remarks as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the private office of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) in the capital on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>Before any unforeseen incidents occur, Palak urged ISPs to inform the relevant authorities immediately and emphasised the need to take precautions to prevent any disruptions to internet services.</div><div><br></div><div>He mentioned that the architect of Digital Bangladesh, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, has played a crucial role in the country\'s remarkable success in the last 15 years. He highlighted the significant achievements of Bangladesh in the information sector since the inception of the V-Sat in 1996 under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Under her dynamic leadership, 98 percent of the country\'s area is now covered by 4G networks, reports unb</div><div><br></div><div>The backbone of a Smart Bangladesh will be the internet, said Palak.</div><div><br></div><div>Presided over by ISPAB President Imdadul Haque, the function was addressed, among others, by BTRC Chairman Engineer Md Mohiuddin Ahmed and ISPAB General Secretary Nazmul Karim Bhuiyan.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 13:40:03', '2024-03-11 13:40:03'),
(11532, 11532, '<div><br></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Australian police detained and charged today a well-known cult leader known as “Little Pebble” for allegedly grooming a child while in jail.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>William Costellia Kamm, 73, and his partner Sandra Costellia, 58, were arrested after a six-month investigation, and were refused bail to appear in court tomorrow.</div><div><br></div><div>Costellia Kamm founded the “Order of Saint Charbel” in the rural town of Nowra in the 1980s and preached a doomsday Christian message.</div><div><br></div><div>He previously spent nine years in jail for having sex with two teenage girls before being paroled in November 2014.</div><div><br></div><div>Police said a 19-year-old woman alleged the couple groomed her from the age of six.</div><div><br></div><div>The girl “was advised by the religious leader and his partner that she had been selected to procreate with that religious leader to build a new sect”, said Jayne Doherty, commander of the New South Wales police sex crimes squad.</div><div><br></div><div>“The male accused was an inmate at a correctional centre and utilised various methods, such as phone calls and letters, and used the female accused as a co-accused in that matter to groom that child, and gave her gifts and certain directions in relation to that grooming.”</div><div><br></div><div>Doherty said the allegations were “horrendous”, particularly because they had occurred during the girl’s formative years.</div><div><br></div><div>Costellia Kamm faced several charges related to the alleged grooming, as well as a charge for failing to comply with a supervision order.</div><div><br></div><div>His partner was charged with two counts related to grooming a child.</div><div><br></div><div>The couple was being held at a Sydney police station. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 13:52:38', '2024-03-11 13:52:38'),
(11533, 11533, '<div><br></div><div>&nbsp;India’s top court today ordered the state-run bank to publish details of previously anonymous political donations made in the form of controversial electoral bonds – with the disclosures to be made before upcoming national polls.</div><div><br></div><div>Last month, the Supreme Court had outlawed the scheme, under which individuals and companies could anonymously buy electoral bonds, saying it “infringes upon the right of information of the voter”.</div><div><br></div><div>Electoral bonds have been a key method of political funding, allowing donors to give anonymously through certificates purchased from the State Bank of India (SBI).</div><div><br></div><div>Critics condemned the campaign financing method as an opaque way to funnel “black money” to parties, but supporters say it provides better regulation than cash donations, which are still legal.</div><div><br></div><div>The SBI had requested an extension on publishing the bond details until June 30 – by which time the general election would have been completed.</div><div><br></div><div>Nearly a billion people are eligible to cast ballots in the elections, likely to be held in April and May, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi widely expected to win a third term in power.</div><div><br></div><div>But chief justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud gave the SBI until March 12 to comply, warning if the bank failed to do so it risked being charged with “wilful disobedience”.</div><div><br></div><div>The SBI had argued it needed more time to prepare the “complex” payment details, but the court said the information was “already available” within the bank.</div><div><br></div><div>The initial court order on Feb 15 argued that information about political party funding was “essential for the effective exercise of the choice of voting”.</div><div><br></div><div>It ruled that the SBI must submit details of each bond – including who purchased it – since April 2019 to the electoral commission, which must publish those details on its website by March 13.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to concerns the scheme allowed huge anonymous donations to parties, critics also feared it gave the government the power to access donor details through the state-owned SBI.</div><div><br></div><div>Modi’s party has previously defended electoral bonds, arguing the process is more transparent than direct cash donations because it is channelled through the banking system.</div><div><br></div><div>Cash donations are still allowed, but carry no tax exemption. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-11 13:55:02', '2024-03-11 13:55:02'),
(11534, 11534, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Appellate Division on Tuesday stayed the High Court order on keeping the primary and secondary schools closed during the month of Ramadan.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>A 5-member Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan&nbsp; passed the order hearing an appeal filed against the High Court order.</div><div><br></div><div>Attorney General AM Amin Uddin stood for the state while Advocate AKM Faiz stood for the writ petitioner.</div><div><br></div><div>Attorney General AM Amin Uddin told reporters that following the Appellate Division order there will be no bar on running schools during Ramadan.</div><div><br></div><div>On March 10, the HC stayed for two months the government’s decision to keep the primary and secondary schools open in the first 10 and 15 days of Ramadan respectively.</div><div><br></div><div>The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order following a petition seeking closure of school activities during Ramadan.</div><div><br></div><div>Advocate Mahmuda Khanam stood for the writ petitioner while deputy attorney general Sheikh Md Saifuzzaman represented the state.</div><div><br></div><div>On February 8, the government amended the holiday list for educational institutions keeping the regular activities of secondary schools open for 15 days during the month of Ramadan. The Education Ministry issued a notice in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>In another notice, the Primary and Mass Education Ministry issued a notice to keep the activities of primary schools during the month of Ramadan for ten days.</div><div><br></div><div>Advocate Md Ilias Ali Mandal, a guardian, filed a writ petition on February 25, challenging the two orders of the government.</div><div><br></div><div>Secretaries to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry, Education Ministry, deputy secretary of Primary and Mass Education Ministry and deputy secretary of Education Ministry, Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education Department, Director of Child Welfare Trust were made respondents. According to UNB reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 07:19:37', '2024-03-12 07:19:37'),
(11535, 11535, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for ceasefires in Gaza and Sudan during the holy month of Ramadan.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>As Monday marks the start of the holy month of Ramadan, it is a period when Muslims around the world celebrate and spread the values of peace, reconciliation and solidarity. Yet the killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in Gaza, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"My strongest appeal today is to honor the spirit of Ramadan by silencing the guns -- and removing all obstacles to ensure the delivery of life-saving aid at the speed and massive scale required,\" he told reporters.</div><div><br></div><div>The civilian killing and destruction have been at a level that is unprecedented in his years as UN secretary-general. Meanwhile, life-saving relief for Palestinians in Gaza is coming in trickles -- if it comes at all, said Guterres.</div><div><br></div><div>International humanitarian law lies in tatters. And a threatened Israeli assault on Rafah could plummet the people of Gaza into an even deeper circle of hell, he warned.</div><div><br></div><div>Guterres also called for a Ramadan cessation of hostilities in Sudan.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The fighting there must end for the sake of the Sudanese people who face hunger, horrors and untold hardships,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"In Gaza, in Sudan, and beyond, it is time for peace. I call on political, religious and community leaders everywhere to do everything in their power to make this holy period a time for empathy, action and peace,\" said Guterres.</div><div><br></div><div>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press outside the Security Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York on March 11, 2024.</div><div><br></div><div>Guterres on Monday called for ceasefires in Gaza and Sudan during the holy month of Ramadan. According to XINHUA reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 07:21:57', '2024-03-12 07:21:57'),
(11536, 11536, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Narendra Modi\'s government on Monday (March 11, 2024) announced rules to implement a 2019 citizenship law that excludes Muslims, weeks before the Hindu nationalist leader seeks a third term in office.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The Citizenship Amendment Act provides a fast track to naturalization for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who fled to Hindu-majority India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before Dec. 31, 2014. The law excludes Muslims, who are a majority in all three nations.</div><div><br></div><div>The law was approved by Indian Parliament in 2019, but Modi’s government had held off with its implementation after deadly protests broke out in capital New Delhi and elsewhere. Scores were killed during days of clashes.</div><div><br></div><div>The nationwide protests in 2019 drew people of all faiths who said the law undermines India’s foundation as a secular nation. Muslims were particularly worried that the government could use the law, combined with a proposed national register of citizens, to marginalize them.</div><div><br></div><div>The National Register of Citizens is part of Modi government’s effort to identify and weed out people it claims came to India illegally. The register has only been implemented in the northeastern state of Assam, and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has promised to roll out a similar citizenship verification program nationwide.</div><div><br></div><div>Modi’s government has defended the 2019 citizenship law as a humanitarian gesture. It argues that the law is meant only to extend citizenship to religious minorities fleeing persecution and would not be used against Indian citizens.</div><div><br></div><div>“These rules will now enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire citizenship in our nation,” Home Minister Amit Shah wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</div><div><br></div><div>India’s main opposition Congress party questioned the announcement, saying “the timing right before the elections is evidently designed to polarise the elections.”</div><div><br></div><div>Human rights watchdog Amnesty India in a statement called the law “discriminatory” and said it “goes against the constitutional values of equality and international human rights law.” It said the law “legitimises discrimination based on religion” and is “exclusionary in its structure and intent.”</div><div><br></div><div>India is home to 200 million Muslims who make up a large minority group in the country of more than 1.4 billion people. They are scattered across almost every part of India and have been targeted in a series of attacks that have taken place Modi first assumed power in 2014.</div><div><br></div><div>Critics say Modi’s conspicuous silence over anti-Muslim violence has emboldened some of his most extreme supporters and enabled more hate speech against Muslims.</div><div><br></div><div>Modi has increasingly mixed religion with politics in a formula that has resonated deeply with India’s majority Hindu population. In January, he opened a Hindu temple at the site of a demolished mosque in northern Ayodhya city, fulfilling his party’s long-held Hindu nationalist pledge.</div><div><br></div><div>Most poll surveys suggest Modi will win a majority in a general election that is scheduled to be held by May. According to AP reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 07:49:33', '2024-03-12 07:49:33'),
(11537, 11537, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>At least 50 people were injured Monday by what officials described as a “strong movement” on a Chilean plane traveling from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>LATAM Airlines said in a statement that there was \"a technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement.” It did not elaborate on what happened.</div><div><br></div><div>Passengers were met by paramedics and more than 10 emergency vehicles when the flight touched down in Auckland.</div><div><br></div><div>About 50 people were treated at the scene for mostly mild injuries, with 13 taken to a hospital, an ambulance spokesperson said.</div><div><br></div><div>One patient was believed to be in serious condition.</div><div><br></div><div>Passengers said a number of people were not wearing seatbelts when flight LA800 suddenly dropped.</div><div><br></div><div>The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled and was due to continue on to Santiago, Chile, reports AP</div><div><br></div><div>“LATAM regrets the inconvenience and injury this situation may have caused its passengers, and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards,” the airline said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 07:58:16', '2024-03-12 07:58:16'),
(11538, 11538, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>China stepped up its greening efforts last year with 3.998 million hectares of forest planted, official data showed Tuesday</b>.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The figure was higher than the 3.83 million hectares of afforestation seen in 2022, according to a report of the National Greening Commission. In 2023, the country also restored 4.379 million hectares of degraded grassland and treated 1.905 million hectares of sandy and stony land.</div><div><br></div><div>China on Tuesday celebrates its 46th National Tree Planting Day. - XINHUA</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 08:07:28', '2024-03-12 08:07:28'),
(11539, 11539, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>India has implemented a controversial citizenship law that has been widely criticized for excluding Muslims, a minority community whose concerns have heightened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi\'s Hindu nationalist government.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The rules for the law were announced Monday. It establishes a religious test for migrants from every major South Asian faith other than Islam. Critics argue that the law is further evidence that Modi\'s government is trying to reshape the country into a Hindu state and marginalize its 200 million Muslims.</div><div><br></div><div>WHAT IS THE NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW?</div><div><br></div><div>The Citizenship Amendment Act provides a fast track to naturalization for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who fled to Hindu-majority India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before Dec. 31, 2014. The law excludes Muslims, who are a majority in all three nations.</div><div><br></div><div>It also amends the old law, which prevents illegal migrants from becoming Indian citizens, and marks the first time that India — an officially secular state with a religiously diverse population — has set religious criteria for citizenship.</div><div><br></div><div>The Indian government has said those eligible can apply for Indian citizenship through an online portal.</div><div><br></div><div>The implementation of the law has been one of the key poll promises of Modi\'s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the run-up to the general election, which is scheduled to be held by May.</div><div><br></div><div>Modi\'s government has dismissed the notion that the law is discriminatory and defended it as a humanitarian gesture. It argues the law is meant only to extend citizenship to religious minorities fleeing persecution and would not be used against Indian citizens.</div><div><br></div><div>WHAT MAKES THE LAW SO CONTROVERSIAL?</div><div><br></div><div>The law was approved by India\'s Parliament in 2019, but Modi\'s government held off its implementation after deadly protests broke out in New Delhi and elsewhere. Scores were killed during days of clashes.</div><div><br></div><div>The nationwide protests in 2019 drew people of all faiths who said the law undermines India\'s foundation as a secular nation. Muslims were particularly worried that the government could use the law, combined with a proposed national register of citizens, to marginalize them.</div><div><br></div><div>The National Register of Citizens is part of the Modi government\'s effort to identify and weed out people it claims came to India illegally. The register has only been implemented in the northeastern state of Assam, but Modi\'s party has promised to roll out a similar citizenship verification program nationwide.</div><div><br></div><div>Critics and Muslim groups say the new citizenship law will help protect non-Muslims who are excluded from the register, while Muslims could face the threat of deportation or internment.</div><div><br></div><div>WHY ARE INDIA\'S MUSLIMS WORRIED?</div><div><br></div><div>Opponents of the law&nbsp; including Muslims, opposition parties and rights groups&nbsp; say it is exclusionary and violates the secular principles enshrined in the constitution. They say faith cannot be made a condition of citizenship.</div><div><br></div><div>On Monday, Human rights watchdog Amnesty India said the law \"legitimizes discrimination based on religion.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Some also argue that if the law is aimed at protecting persecuted minorities, then it should have included Muslim religious minorities who have faced persecution in their own countries, including Ahmadis in Pakistan and Rohingyas in Myanmar.</div><div><br></div><div>To critics, Modi is pushing a Hindu nationalist agenda that threatens to erode the country\'s secular foundation, shrink space for religious minorities, particularly Muslims, and move the country closer to a Hindu nation.</div><div><br></div><div>India is home to 200 million Muslims who make up a large minority group in the country of more than 1.4 billion people. They are scattered across almost every part of India and have been targeted in a series of attacks that have taken place since Modi first assumed power in 2014.</div><div><br></div><div>Scores of Muslims have been lynched by Hindu mobs over allegations of eating beef or smuggling cows, an animal considered holy to Hindus. Muslim businesses have been boycotted, their localities have been bulldozed and places of worship set on fire. Some open calls have been made for their genocide.</div><div><br></div><div>Critics say Modi\'s conspicuous silence over anti-Muslim violence has emboldened some of his most extreme supporters and enabled more hate speech against Muslims.</div><div><br></div><div>Modi has also increasingly mixed religion with politics in a formula that has resonated deeply with India\'s majority Hindu population. In January, he opened a Hindu temple at the site of a demolished mosque in northern Ayodhya city, fulfilling his party\'s long-held Hindu nationalist pledge. According to AP reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 09:08:31', '2024-03-12 09:08:31'),
(11540, 11540, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Speaker of the Parliament, Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, has said that Bangladesh is working to ensure economic, social and political justice for all.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Bangladesh is committed to maintain human rights and rule of law,” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She was speaking at a meeting held with Speakers of the Commonwealth countries along with the Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, Lindsey Hoyle, on Monday afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>The speaker of Jatiya Sangsad said that Bangladesh is determined to work to end all forms of discrimination and oppression across the world including in Commonwealth countries.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, the Speaker participated in the ‘Commonwealth 75 Flag Raising Ceremony’ organised on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth at the Portcullis House of the House of Commons in London, United Kingdom.</div><div><br></div><div>She also recited Maya Angelou’s poem “The Rock Cries Out to Us Today”, according to a press release from the Parliament Secretariat.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the Speaker participated in the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey in London, in the presence of the British royal family and guests.</div><div><br></div><div>The programme was attended by representatives from Commonwealth countries. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 09:51:07', '2024-03-12 09:51:07'),
(11541, 11541, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will host an iftar party fororphan students and alem-ulema (Islamic scholars) on Tuesday, the first day of the fasting month of Holy Ramadan.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The programme will be held at the capital’s Ladies Club.</div><div><br></div><div>BNP chairperson’s media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan has confirmed the matter to the media.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 10:39:17', '2024-03-12 10:39:17'),
(11542, 11542, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>US President Joe Biden could consider conditioning aid to Israel if it extends ground operation in the Gaza Strip to the southernmost city of Rafah on the border with Egypt, where around 1.4 million people are currently sheltering, Politico reported, citing unnamed US and Israeli officials.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Last week, Biden said he would continue to send necessary supplies for Israel\'s Iron Dome missile defense system, but added that mass Palestinian casualties were a \"red line\" for him. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, said he would still enter Rafah despite the warnings, and that a ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan was only possible if the remaining hostages held by Palestinian movement Hamas were released.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It’s something he’s definitely thought about,\" one of the officials was quoted as saying.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, the operation in Rafah is not imminent: even if the order was given today, it would not start, an anonymous Israeli military official said. Palestinian refugees would have to be evacuated from the city before it could begin, and troops would have to be trained, the official added.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel is also yet to present a sound and feasible plan to protect the civilian population of Rafah, as the United States wants to see it before any action is taken, another US official said.</div><div><br></div><div>On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. At least 31,100 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.</div><div><br></div><div>On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza. - Sputnik</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 10:43:06', '2024-03-12 10:43:06'),
(11543, 11543, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The residents in Chattogram port city are facing acute water crisis on the first day of Ramadan on Tuesday due to fall in water production by the Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Cwasa ).</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Talking to UNB, some residents of Chawkbazar, Kathalgonj, Bakoli, Halishahar, Patenga, Kattoli, Agrabad, Dewan Bazar and Muradpur area, said they have been facing water crisis for the last few days and situation turned worse as they did not get a drop of water during Sehri last night.</div><div><br></div><div>They failed to buy bottled water from shops as those remained closed.</div><div><br></div><div>Marjina Akter, a resident of Bahaddarhat, uploaded a post on her Facebook writing “There has been no water in the house since last night. I bought bottled water for Sehri, but I don\'t know how to take a bath. Every year we hear that Wasa has new projects, but when the dry season comes, nothing is seen. The issue water crisis during Ramadan should have been taken into consideration in advance. But WASA is taking water bills every month.”</div><div><br></div><div>According to Wasa, the quantity of water treatment has come down due to the rise of saline water in the water sources. This has led to the water crisis across the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Since the month of February, Wasa has been getting salt ranging from 40 to 2100 mm per liter of water. The crisis has been created mainly due to the receding of water in Kaptai Lake and the construction of a number of dams on the canals of Halda, Wasa.</div><div><br></div><div>Maksud Alam, Chief Engineer of Chattogram Wasa, said, “We have taken a decision to supply water through rationing. Initiatives are being taken to reopen 45 deep tubewells to increase water production.”</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, water production and supply are being disrupted due to load shedding, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the maximum water level in Kaptai Lake is 109 feet under normal condition but now the water level has come down to 83 feet.</div><div><br></div><div>Only one of the five units of Kaptai Hydroelectric Power Plant has been kept operational due to the fall in the water level in the lake, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>CWasa collects water from the Halda River for Sheikh Russel and Mohra Water Treatment Plant at Madunaghat and from the Karnaphuli River for Karnaphuli Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant 1 and 2 located at Rangunia.</div><div><br></div><div>But now the water level in the two rivers has decreased, he said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Prof Dr Jahangir Alam, Chairman of Wasa Governing&nbsp; Board,&nbsp; said salinity level will increase further in future.</div><div><br></div><div>A \'reverse osmosis system\' can be installed in the river where water is collected for the treatment plant to remove salinity. Then there will be no salt in the water supplied to customers, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Chattogram Wasa is currently producing 45 crore liters of water daily---14 crore litres of water from Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant-1 while 9 crore liters from Sheikh Hasina Water Treatment Plant-2, 9 crore liters from Mohra Water Treatment Plant, 9 crore liters from Sheikh Russel Water Treatment Plant and 4 crore liters from deep tube-well.</div><div><br></div><div>At present, CWasa has 78,542 residential connections and 7,767 commercial connections. Source: UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 11:19:03', '2024-03-12 11:19:03'),
(11544, 11544, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Ministry of Commerce has fixed prices of dates, an Iftar item.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>According to a notice issued on Monday, the ministry has fixed the price range for low-grade dates at Tk 150 to Tk 165 per kilogram. Besides, price of&nbsp; Zahidi dates, which come in sacks, has been between between Tk 170 and Tk 180 per kilogram.</div><div><br></div><div>This notice was sent to both the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and the Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 11:49:42', '2024-03-12 11:49:42');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(11545, 11545, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">To commemorate International Women’s Day 2024, UN Women hosted a screening of the docuseries \"Unsilenced: Stories of Survival, Hope, and Activism\" at the EMK Center on Monday to raise awareness about efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls around the world.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The 23-minute episode includes stories from Bangladesh, Ecuador, Serbia, the Solomon Islands, and Uganda.</div><div><br></div><div>Supported by the government of Canada, the Bangladesh segment highlighted policy advocacy efforts led by civil society organizations, with technical support from UN Women.</div><div><br></div><div>A significant milestone was the passage of the Evidence (Amendment) Bill 2022 in 2022 by the National Parliament of Bangladesh, whereby the discriminatory clauses in Section 155(4)) of the Evidence Act 1872 were repealed.</div><div><br></div><div>The amended Bill prohibits questioning of a rape survivor’s character during cross-examination in a trial and incorporates the admissibility of digital evidence.</div><div><br></div><div>This is critical for empowering gender-based violence survivors as it seeks to eliminate the practice of re-traumatizing rape survivors, often referred to as ‘the second rape’.</div><div><br></div><div>The docuseries is part of UN Women’s worldwide campaign to raise awareness about ending violence against women - illustrating its various forms and how it is manifested and addressed in different contexts, by getting people to care and act.</div><div><br></div><div>It consists of three episodes with 16 stories from around the world that shed light on common threads, root causes, and the human impact of violence, and how comprehensive action on ending violence against women can transform the lives of women and girls globally.</div><div><br></div><div>Stressing on the need to end violence against women, UN Women Representative Gitanjali Singh said, “Globally and in Bangladesh, we have seen advancements on women’s empowerment and gender equality. However, eliminating violence against women and girls remains a distant reality and we are progressing too slowly.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"As we commemorate International Women’s Day, I hope the docuseries serves as a powerful reminder that we are all accountable, no one can remain a bystander. Let us collectively push forward to end violence against women and girls once and for all.”</div><div><br></div><div>Following the screening, a photo exhibition titled \"Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress\" paid tribute to the resilience, survival, and strength of Bangladeshi women.</div><div><br></div><div>Curated by artist and feminist activist Monon Muntaka, the exhibition will be open for public viewing until March 23, 2024.</div><div><br></div><div>“The film shows the situation that women and girls are living in different countries. It showcases striking and often shocking figures, even if we know huge power imbalance exists in the world. But the film also depicts strength, just like these amazing photos being showcased at this exhibition - the strength of women to change their situation and the role of men and boys to rectify the situation,” said Maria Stridsman, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden.</div><div><br></div><div>Around 50 participants including development partners, civil society representatives, feminists and human rights activists attended the event, ‍according to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div><div><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 13:12:39', '2024-03-12 13:12:39'),
(11546, 11546, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The National Economic Council (NEC) on Tuesday approved a Tk 245,000-crore Revised Annual Development Programme (RADP) for the current fiscal year of 2023-2024 (FY24), slashing the original ADP by Tk 18,000 crore.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The approval came from a NEC meeting presided over by its chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the NEC Conference Room in the city\'s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.</div><div><br></div><div>The RADP, which prioritized road transport, communication, energy and power and some other sectors, is 6.84 percent lower than the original ADP size of Tk 263,000 crore for the current fiscal.</div><div><br></div><div>Out of the total revised RADP of Tk 2,45,000 crore, Tk 1,61,500 crore will come from the local sources, while Tk 83,500 crore from the foreign sources, said Planning Division Senior Secretary Satyajit Karmakar at a press briefing.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the total number of projects in the RADP for the current fiscal year has been fixed at 1588. The projects include 1345 investment projects, 36 feasibility studies, 115 technical assistance projects, and 92 self-financed projects.</div><div><br></div><div>Planning Minister Major General (retd) Abdus Salam said the Prime Minister asked the authorities concerned to arrange necessary allocations for the ongoing projects whose implementation will take small funds and quick time, but invite a good return.</div><div><br></div><div>He said a number of specific proposals were placed in the meeting in line with the directives the Prime Minister earlier issued regarding project formulation, approval and implementation.</div><div><br></div><div>The PM emphasized on conducting feasibility study to avert the usual tendency of delay in project formulation and implementation stages, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Planning Minister said emphasis was also given in the meeting on prioritizing allocations and investments in the sectors like agriculture, health, education, power and energy, science and technology, social protection, climate change in line with the 8th Five Year Plan.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Stability is a prerequisite for development and it is now prevailing,\" he said, adding that the implementation of projects is now going on smoothly.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question about downsize of ADP, Salam said that revision of the ADP is a continuous process and it would continue.</div><div><br></div><div>State Minister for Planning Shahiduzzaman Sarker said this year the RADP has been finalized considering the current and practical situation with some minor changes.</div><div><br></div><div>The Planning Secretary informed that the PM asked the ministries and divisions concerned to complete some 330 projects, which are nearing completion, to complete those within the current fiscal year.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the RADP for FY24, the transport and communication sector got the highest allocation of Tk 63,263.31 (25.82%) followed by power and energy sector Tk 37,896.73 crore (15.47%), housing and community facilities Tk 28,002.15 crore (11.43%), Local Government and Rural Development Tk 19,969.71 crore (8.15%), education Tk 17,229.91 crore (7.03%), environment, climate change and water resources Tk 14,391 crore (5.87%), health Tk 12,066.76 crore (4.93%), agriculture Tk 10,317.76 crore (4.21%), industry and Economic services Tk 4,630.43 crore (1.89%) and science and ICT Tk 3,637.12 crore (1.48%).</div><div><br></div><div>Out of the highest allocation recipient ministries and divisions, Local Government Division topped the list with Tk 42,700.76 crore (17.43%) followed by Road Transport and Highways Division Tk 27,803.45 crore (11.35%), Power Division Tk 27,127.45 crore (11.07%), Ministry of Railways Tk 13,117.62 crore (5.35%), Ministry of Water Resources Tk 12,192.75 crore (4.98%), Ministry of Science and Technology Tk 11,415.51 crore (4.66%) and Health Services Division Tk 9,345.49 crore (3.81%). - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 13:16:09', '2024-03-12 13:16:09'),
(11547, 11547, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Police recovered two bodies, including a female from a house in the city\'s Uttara area on Monday night.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased were identified as Ibrahim Sheikh Apurba (28) and Moushumi Akhter (35). It has been known that Ibrahim was the adopted brother of Moushumi.</div><div><br></div><div>Being informed, a team of Turag police station rushed to the spot and recovered the two bodies after breaking the door of a room inside the house in Uttara Sector No. 10 around 10:30 PM on Monday night.</div><div><br></div><div>Ibrahim Sheikh Apurba\' was hailed from Faridpur district and Moushumi Akter from Chandpur district.</div><div><br></div><div>Quoting neighbours, police said Ibrahim has been residing in a rented room of the house. Moushumi often used to visit the house. She had been residing at a rented house in Uttara Sector -10 with her husband.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;She went to the house of her brother Ibrahim sometime between 12:00pm and 4:00 pm on Monday. Finding no response from inside the room for a long time, neighbours informed Turag Police Station at around 8:30 pm. Later, police rushed to the house and broke the door with the house owner and found the two dead bodies inside.</div><div><br></div><div>Police found the body of the woman lying on the bed with her throat cut and a bloody knife was also seen beside her. On the other hand, the body of the young man was lying on the floor. He had a plastic wire wrapped around his neck, police said.</div><div><br></div><div>Contacted, the officer in charge (OC) of Turag police station Mohammad Mostafa Anwar said that the door of that room was fixed from inside. Later the police went inside breaking the door and found the two bodies lying there. The female corpse has a cut throat and the male corpse has scars on its throat.</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question, the OC said that the woman\'s throat had been cut. She is believed to have been killed by slitting her throat. Ibrahim has a black spot on its neck. It seems that he might be committed suicide by hanging himself, then the rope snapped.</div><div><br></div><div>The bodies were sent to Shaheed Sohrwardi medical college hospital for post mortem. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 13:36:20', '2024-03-12 13:36:20'),
(11548, 11548, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Former champions Dhaka Abahani Limited maintained an all-win run in the 11-team Green Delta Premier Division Hockey League crushing Azad SC by 10-1 goals at the Moulana Bhasani National Stadium here on Tuesday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>This was the 3rd consecutive victory for the sky- blue Dhanmondi outfit Abahani in the league after crushing Dilkusha SC by 10-1 goals in the first match and beat old Dhaka giant Usha KC by 2-1 goals in the 2nd match.</div><div><br></div><div>In the day\'s match, Pushkar Kisha Mimo, Rakibul Hasan Rocky and Roman Sarkar scored two goals each while Naimuddin, Mohammad Abdullah, Ashraful Islam and Farhad Ahmed Shitul scored one goal each for Abahani while Mohabbat scored the consolation goal for Azad SC.</div><div><br></div><div>Defender Farhad Ahmed Shitul opened the floodgate for Abahani in the 2nd minute from a penalty corner (1-0), Rakibul Hasan doubled the margin in the 8th minute by a field goal (2-0), Pushkar Kisha Mimo scored the 3rd goal for Abahani in the 14th minute (3-0).</div><div><br></div><div>Naimuddin contributed a field goal in the 19th (4-0), Pushkar Kisha Mimo scored his 2nd and 5th goal for Abahani in the following minute (20th minute, defender Ashraful Islam scored the 6th goal in the 21st minute from a penalty corner (6-0).</div><div><br></div><div>In the 33rd minute, Rakibul Hasan scored his 2nd and the 7th goal for Abahani, Roman Sarkar further sounded the Abahani margin scoring the 8th goal in the 38th minute (8-0) and Mohammad Abdullah made it 9-0 in the 42nd minute (9-0).</div><div><br></div><div>Mohabbat pulled Azad SC margin one back by a field goal in the 51st minute (9-1) while Roman Sarkar sealed the fate of the match scoring his 2nd and the 10th goal for Abahani in the 58th minute (10-1). - unb</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 13:47:47', '2024-03-12 13:47:47'),
(11549, 11549, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A group of Somalian pirates seized control of the Bangladesh-flagged cargo vessel, MV Abdullah, in the Indian Ocean earlier today, officials reported.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The ship, carrying coal from Mozambique\'s Maputo port to Al Hamriyah Port in the UAE, was attacked around noon.</div><div><br></div><div>The MV Abdullah, owned by SR Shipping Lines, a sister company of Chattogram-based Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill (KSRM) Group, has 23 crew members on board.</div><div><br></div><div>All crew members are being held hostage by the pirates, said KSRM\'s media adviser Mizanul Islam, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;“We have received information that the vessel is under attack by pirates in the Indian Ocean. The crew are secured within the ship\'s cabins,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We are working to establish communication with them,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 14:16:09', '2024-03-12 14:16:09'),
(11550, 11550, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said that the government is working to send back Myanmar\'s border guards who have taken refuge in Bangladesh in the same way that they did before.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Till Tuesday noon, 177 new members of Myanmar Border Guard Police have entered Bangladesh, he said, adding that some civilians who tried to come were sent back.</div><div><br></div><div>The Foreign Minister was responding to questions from the journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</div><div><br></div><div>Asked whether the ambassador of Myanmar will be summoned, Minister Hasan said that his Ministry is in constant contact with them.</div><div><br></div><div>The Ambassador will be summoned if necessary, but not yet called, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Foreign Minister said that members of their border guard and army and some members of their families had taken shelter from Myanmar earlier.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We sent them back through discussion with the Myanmar government. The same thing is being done this time,&nbsp; too. Such situation is repeatedly created due to the volatile situation inside Myanmar, especially in the border areas,\" Hasan said.</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding the courtesy meeting with the High Commissioner of Malaysia Haznah Md. Hashim, Foreign Minister Hasan said that the welfare and employment growth of Bangladeshis working in Malaysia, more investment from Malaysia, which is the 8th highest country investing in Bangladesh, and Bangladesh\'s application for dialogue partnership with ASEAN countries, were discussed.</div><div><br></div><div>Total Market Management Plan</div><div><br></div><div>The minister said public anger has been created against dishonest traders and this needs to be utilised as a strength. \"Besides, the government is planning a comprehensive market management, so that traders cannot do whatever they want,\" reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the mindset of the businessmen, Hasan said, \"Hopefully good sense will prevail among the businessmen in the holy month of Ramadan and they will refrain from the tendency to make excessive profits.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Responding to a question, Awami League joint general secretary Hasan said BNP leaders have been criticizing the government day and night.</div><div><br></div><div>He said, \"They say there is no freedom of speech! In fact, they say all these things in extreme frustration after the election, they just want to sustain, nothing else.\"&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-12 14:45:47', '2024-03-12 14:45:47'),
(11551, 11551, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Eleven out of the 23 crew members of a Bangladeshi cargo vessel, MV Abdullah, that was hijacked by a group of Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, are residents of Chattogram.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Tuesday, the ship, carrying coal from Mozambique’s Maputo port to Al Hamriyah Port in the UAE, was attacked around noon.</div><div><br></div><div>MV Abdullah is owned by SR Shipping Lines – a sister company of Chattogram-based Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill (KSRM) Group. All crew members are being held hostage by the pirates, said KSRM’s media adviser Mizanul Islam.</div><div><br></div><div>The crew members are: Captain Mohammad Abdur Rashid, Chief Officer Mohammad Atikullah Khan, Second Officer Mazharul Islam Chowdhury, Third Officer Tarequl Islam, Deck Cadet Sabbir Hossain, Chief Engineer ASM Saiduzzaman, Second Officer Toufiqul Islam, Third Engineer Rokon Uddin, Fourth Engineer Tanvir Ahmed, Engine Cadet Ayub Khan, electrician Ibrahim Khalil, seaman Md Anwarul Haque, seaman Md Asifur Rahman, seaman Sazzad Hossain, seaman Joy Mahmud, seaman Nazmul Haque, seaman Ainul Haque, oiler Mohamamd Shamsuddin, Ali Hossain, fireman Mosharraf Hossain Shakil, chief cook Shafiqul Islam, general steward Nur Uddin, and fitter Saleh Ahmed.</div><div><br></div><div>KSRM owns 23 ships – all operating on international routes.</div><div><br></div><div>In 2010, one of the ships, ‘MV Zahan Moni’, was hijacked and was later released by Somali pirates after providing ransom. According to UNB Reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 09:26:20', '2024-03-13 09:26:20'),
(11552, 11552, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if there is a threat to Russian statehood, sovereignty, or independence.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Speaking in an interview with Russian state television released early Wednesday, Putin said he hoped that the U.S. would avoid any escalation that could trigger a nuclear war, but emphasized that Russia’s nuclear forces are ready for it.</div><div><br></div><div>Asked if he has ever considered using battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin responded that there has been no need for that.</div><div><br></div><div>He also voiced confidence that Moscow will achieve its goals in Ukraine and held the door open for talks, emphasizing that any deal would require firm guarantees from the West. - AP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 09:31:29', '2024-03-13 09:31:29'),
(11553, 11553, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump clinched their parties’ presidential nominations Tuesday with decisive victories in a slate of low-profile primaries, setting up a general election rematch that many voters do not want.</b></div><div><br></div><div>The outcome of contests across Georgia, Mississippi and Washington state was never in doubt. Neither Biden, a Democrat, nor Trump, a Republican, faced major opposition. But the magnitude of their wins gave each man the delegate majority he needed to claim his party’s nomination at the summertime national conventions.</div><div><br></div><div>Not even halfway through the presidential primary calendar, Tuesday marked a crystalizing moment for a nation uneasy with its choices in 2024.</div><div><br></div><div>There is no longer any doubt that the fall election will feature a rematch between two flawed and unpopular presidents. At 81, Biden is already the oldest president in U.S. history, while the 77-year-old Trump is facing decades in prison as a defendant in four criminal cases. Their rematch — the first featuring two U.S. presidents since 1912 — will almost certainly deepen the nation’s searing political and cultural divides over the eight-month grind that lies ahead.</div><div><br></div><div>In a statement, Biden celebrated the nomination while casting Trump as a serious threat to democracy.</div><div><br></div><div>Trump, Biden said, “is running a campaign of resentment, revenge, and retribution that threatens the very idea of America.”</div><div><br></div><div>He continued, “I am honored that the broad coalition of voters representing the rich diversity of the Democratic Party across the country have put their faith in me once again to lead our party — and our country — in a moment when the threat Trump poses is greater than ever.”</div><div><br></div><div>Trump, in a video posted on social media, celebrated what he called “a great day of victory.”</div><div><br></div><div>“But now we have to get back to work because we have the worst president in the history of our country,” Trump said of Biden. “So, we’re not going to take time to celebrate. We’ll celebrate in eight months when the election is over.”</div><div><br></div><div>Both candidates dominated Tuesday’s primaries in swing-state Georgia, deep-red Mississippi and Democratic-leaning Washington. Voting was taking place later in Hawaii’s Republican caucus.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite their tough talk, the road ahead will not be easy for either presumptive nominee.</div><div><br></div><div>Trump is facing 91 felony counts in four criminal cases involving his handling of classified documents and his attempt to overturn the 2020 election, among other alleged crimes. He’s also facing increasingly pointed questions about his policy plans and relationships with some of the world’s most dangerous dictators. Trump met privately on Friday with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has rolled back democracy in his country.</div><div><br></div><div>Biden, who would be 86 years old at the end of his next term, is working to assure a skeptical electorate that he’s still physically and mentally able to thrive in the world’s most important job. Voters in both parties are unhappy with his handling of immigration and inflation.</div><div><br></div><div>And he’s dealing with additional dissension within his party’s progressive base, furious that he hasn’t done more to stop Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Activists and religious leaders in Washington encouraged Democrats to vote “uncommitted” to signal their outrage.</div><div><br></div><div>In Seattle, 26-year-old voter Bella Rivera said they hoped their “uncommitted” vote would would serve as a wakeup call for the Democratic party.</div><div><br></div><div>“If you really want our votes, if you want to win this election, you’re going to have to show a little bit more either support of Palestinian liberation — that’s something that’s very important to us — and ceasing funds to Israel,” said Rivera, a preschool teacher who uses they/them pronouns.</div><div><br></div><div>Almost 3,000 miles away in Georgia, retiree Donna Graham said she would have preferred another Republican nominee over Trump, but she said there’s no way she’d ever vote for Biden in the general election, reports AP</div><div><br></div><div>“He wasn’t my first choice, but he’s the next best thing,” Graham said of Trump. “It’s sad that it’s the same old matchup as four years ago.”&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 10:03:10', '2024-03-13 10:03:10'),
(11554, 11554, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Sri Lanka elected to bat first after winning the toss in the opening ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh in Chattogram on Wednesday.</b></div><div><br></div><div>Chattogram\'s wickets traditionally favour batsmen, hinting at potentially high-scoring encounters in this series.</div><div><br></div><div>In the head-to-head statistics, Bangladesh has won just 10 out of the 54 ODIs played against Sri Lanka.</div><div><br></div><div>Both teams have expressed their desire to win this match and, eventually, the series. Bangladesh lag behind Sri Lanka in T20Is, but they are a strong opponent for the Lankans in ODIs.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh XI: Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Tanzid Hasan</div><div><br></div><div>Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk and captain), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Pramod Madushan, Dilshan Madushanka, Lahiru Kumara According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 10:07:48', '2024-03-13 10:07:48'),
(11555, 11555, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Oil prices spiked on Wednesday following data released late Tuesday by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the American Petroleum Institute indicating a positive demand outlook.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>International benchmark Brent crude traded at $82.22 per barrel at 10.44 a.m. local time (0744 GMT) for a 0.36% increase from the closing price of $81.92 a barrel in the previous trading session.</div><div><br></div><div>The American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at $77.83 per barrel at the same time, a 0.35% rise from the previous session that closed at $77.56 per barrel.</div><div><br></div><div>Oil prices increased after OPEC\'s monthly oil market report revealed that the global oil demand growth forecast for 2024 remains unchanged from last month\'s assessment of 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) year on year.</div><div><br></div><div>According to OPEC, total global oil demand is projected to reach 104.5 million bpd this year, \"supported by strong air travel demand and increased road mobility, including on-road diesel and trucking, as well as healthy industrial, construction, and agricultural activities, particularly in non-OECD countries.”</div><div><br></div><div>Markets interpreted this forecast positively and supported upward price movements.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the American Petroleum Institute (API) late Tuesday announced a decrease of 5.5 million barrels in US crude oil inventories, against the market expectation of a draw of 400,000 barrels.</div><div><br></div><div>The US, the world\'s top oil consumer, saw a decline in its commercial crude oil reserves, which reinforced the perception that domestic demand remains strong enough to drive up oil prices.</div><div><br></div><div>The US Energy Information Administration\'s (EIA) data on oil stocks will be announced later on Wednesday, and if the stock decline is confirmed to be lower than estimates, prices could rise further.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite data released Tuesday indicating US inflation exceeded expectations, market anticipation that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will begin rate cuts in June supported oil price rises.</div><div><br></div><div>However, economic uncertainties, especially concerns over weak economic data from China, the world\'s second-largest oil consumer, which is negatively affecting oil demand, have limited upward price movements. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 10:19:13', '2024-03-13 10:19:13'),
(11556, 11556, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Israeli army admitted that the Palestinian man it killed for allegedly \'carrying a rocket launcher\' was actually carrying a bicycle.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>On Sunday, the Israeli army published drone footage of a drone targeting two men walking among the rubble in the Zeitoun neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip, claiming that one of them was carrying a rocket launcher.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to a question from an Anadolu reporter, the Israeli army spokesperson\'s unit admitted that the Palestinian they killed for allegedly carrying a rocket launcher was actually carrying a bicycle.</div><div><br></div><div>The spokesperson\'s unit said that the area is a war zone, and army units have fought many clashes with armed Hamas-affiliated elements there.</div><div><br></div><div>It claimed that armed elements in the area previously used the route targeted by the Israeli drone to smuggle weapons and carry out attacks.</div><div><br></div><div>Apologizing for the incident, the office stated that it was an \"erroneous conclusion.\"</div><div><br></div><div>The unit claimed the Israeli army identified the cyclist as someone carrying a rocket launcher and sought to justify the attack as an immediate response to the situation. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 10:41:49', '2024-03-13 10:41:49'),
(11557, 11557, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Israeli police say a Palestinian stabbed and wounded two people at a checkpoint near Jerusalem before being shot Wednesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said the two people who were stabbed were in “mild to moderate condition.” Israeli police said the two people who were stabbed were members of the security forces, without elaborating. An Associated Press reporter saw the body of the attacker.</div><div><br></div><div>Violence has surged in the occupied West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack triggered the war in Gaza. At least 427 Palestinians have been killed there, mostly during confrontations with Israeli forces, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israeli-Palestinian tensions often soar during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began Sunday, over access to a major holy site in Jerusalem.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza, as well as east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for their future state.</div><div><br></div><div>Overnight clashes with Israeli forces leave at least 3 Palestinians dead</div><div>Israeli forces killed at least three Palestinians in two separate clashes overnight, including 13-year-old Rami Hamdan Al-Halhuli, who had hurled fireworks at the paramilitary Border Police during a violent protest. The Palestinian Authority said he was shot dead late Tuesday in the Shuafat refugee camp, a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem.</div><div><br></div><div>Israeli police say a member of the paramilitary Border Police fired “a single shot” toward a suspect who aimed fireworks in their direction during confrontations in Shuafat. It says the suspect was “apprehended, arrested and transferred for medical treatment.”</div><div><br></div><div>The Border Police also said they opened fire at five Palestinians who were hurling firebombs at vehicles on a highway near Jerusalem late Tuesday. It says they were arrested and transferred for medical treatment.</div><div><br></div><div>The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli forces killed two Palestinians, ages 16 and 23, and wounded three in the village of Al-Jib, near Jerusalem. It says they were brought to a hospital in the nearby city of Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered.</div><div><br></div><div>The two sides appeared to be describing the same incident. Police could not immediately be reached for comment.</div><div><br></div><div>At least 427 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the war, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, mainly during confrontations with Israeli forces.</div><div><br></div><div>6 trucks carry aid into Gaza from the north for the first time since war erupted</div><div><br></div><div>The Israeli military said an aid convoy has for the first time entered the Gaza Strip through a crossing in the war-ravaged northern half of the territory.</div><div><br></div><div>Six trucks entered Gaza late Tuesday through a gate in the border fence, carrying goods from the World Food Program, the military said. It described the delivery as a test run and said the Israeli government would review the results.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel alleges that Hamas is commandeering aid. At the same time, Israel is under growing international pressure to ease restrictions on aid entering Gaza, particularly the northern half of the territory. Up to now, aid convoys entered Gaza from its southern end and had to make their way through areas of fighting and large, desperate crowds of Palestinians.</div><div><br></div><div>On Tuesday, the European Union’s foreign policy chief said Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war and accused it of blocking overland routes that are the best way to get food to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians facing famine.</div><div><br></div><div>The United States and other countries have resorted to workarounds, such as air drops and setting up a sea route, but aid officials say land deliveries remain the most efficient. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 10:44:59', '2024-03-13 10:44:59'),
(11558, 11558, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The High Court (HC) on Wednesday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the arrests of workers during raids on hotels and restaurants in the capital following the Bailey Road fire, should not be declared illegal.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The HC asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to provide within the next 30 days a list of the total number of workers arrested during raids.</div><div><br></div><div>The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah passed the order following a writ petition.</div><div><br></div><div>Secretaries to home, labour, employment and law ministries, and inspector general of police have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.</div><div><br></div><div>Barrister Masud R Sobhan stood for the writ petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier Monday, Barrister Masud R Sobhan and his wife Barrister Fatema S Chowdhury filed the writ petition.</div><div><br></div><div>Barrister Fatema S Chowdhury said according to media reports, law enforcers have arrested at least 800 workers.</div><div><br></div><div>“However, these workers do not own any building or restaurant. They are just employees. They used to get a salary of&nbsp; TK 10,000 to TK15,000 per month. They are innocent. They were illegally detained and kept with the inmates in the jail. That\'s why I filed a writ challenging the legality of their arrest,” she said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>On February 29, 46 people were killed in a devastating fire at Green Cozy Cottage building on Bailey Road in the capital. Since then, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has been conducting drives in various restaurants.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 872 people have been arrested and 20 cases filed so far during these drives. Disciplinary action was taken in 887 cases.</div><div><br></div><div>The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) is also conducting drives and closed some restaurants. Police are also allegedly detaining many people from small roadside food shops.</div><div><br></div><div>The Restaurant Owners\' Association has criticised the raids conducted by government agencies on various restaurants in Dhaka, claiming it \'harassing\'.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Tuesday, the same bench of the High Court issued a rule in response to a writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association. The High Court issued a rule asking why harassing hotels and restaurants in the name of raids in the capital is not illegal. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 10:48:28', '2024-03-13 10:48:28'),
(11559, 11559, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday called for&nbsp; standing beside the common people as much as possible during Ramadan.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>She made this appeal, while chairing the Cabinet meeting held at her office in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain briefed reporters after the meeting at the Bangladesh Secretariat.</div><div><br></div><div>“Today the Prime Minister has made an appeal. She earlier gave a decision not to arrange iftar parties. (Today) She said those who are eager or have resouces should stand by the people as per their capacity. If needed, they should stand by the common people with the money they are eager to spend for the Iftar parties,” said Mahbub.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, the premier issued two specific directives for the authorities concerned - one is to develop agriculture-based cooperatives and the second one is to construct modern preservation storages in the country\'s eight divisions to preserve agro-goods, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>She directed the Agriculture Ministry and the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division to develop agriculture-based cooperatives in line with the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>The construction of modern preservation storages will help control unusual price-hikes of some goods and maintain the normal supply of the products in the market during the off-season, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>The PM also said that the modern preservation storages should have separate chambers for different agricultural goods, according to the cabinet secretary.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 13:11:43', '2024-03-13 13:11:43'),
(11560, 11560, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said efforts are being made to rescue hijacked Bangladeshi flag carrier MV Abdullah and its 23 crew through the \'second party\'.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He said that those who hijacked the ship have not yet been formally contacted.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We are trying to communicate with the pirates via a second party,\" he told reporters after attending a programme at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, “We have informed those who need to be contacted in this regard,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Tuesday, the ship, carrying coal from Mozambique’s Maputo port to Al Hamriyah Port in the UAE, was attacked around noon.</div><div><br></div><div>MV Abdullah is owned by SR Shipping Lines – a sister company of Chattogram-based Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill (KSRM) Group.</div><div><br></div><div>All crew members are being held hostage by the pirates, said KSRM’s media adviser Mizanul Islam. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 14:16:57', '2024-03-13 14:16:57'),
(11561, 11561, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>India has implemented a controversial citizenship law that has been widely criticized for excluding Muslims, a minority community whose concerns have heightened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The rules for the law were announced Monday. It establishes a religious test for migrants from every major South Asian faith other than Islam. Critics argue that the law is further evidence that Modi’s government is trying to reshape the country into a Hindu state and marginalize its 200 million Muslims.</div><div><br></div><div>WHAT IS THE NEW CITIZENSHIP LAW?</div><div><br></div><div>The Citizenship Amendment Act provides a fast track to naturalization for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who fled to Hindu-majority India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before Dec. 31, 2014. The law excludes Muslims, who are a majority in all three nations.</div><div><br></div><div>It also amends the old law, which prevents illegal migrants from becoming Indian citizens, and marks the first time that India — an officially secular state with a religiously diverse population — has set religious criteria for citizenship.</div><div><br></div><div>The Indian government has said those eligible can apply for Indian citizenship through an online portal.</div><div><br></div><div>The implementation of the law has been one of the key poll promises of Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the run-up to the general election, which is scheduled to be held by May.</div><div><br></div><div>Modi’s government has dismissed the notion that the law is discriminatory and defended it as a humanitarian gesture. It argues the law is meant only to extend citizenship to religious minorities fleeing persecution and would not be used against Indian citizens. - AP</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 14:22:03', '2024-03-13 14:22:03'),
(11562, 11562, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh Bank has specified the qualification of independent directors for non-banking financial institutions (NBFI) in order to ensure good governance in the financial institutes.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The central bank in a directive said that a maximum of 15 directors including two independent directors can be appointed for an NBFI in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The independent directors should have a bachelor\'s degree with a minimum of 10 years of professional experience, a minimum age of 45 years and a maximum age of 75 years.</div><div><br></div><div>“Monthly salary will be a maximum Tk50,000 depending on ability. No person who has an interest or apparent interest in any financial institution can be eligible for an independent director,” said the directives.</div><div><br></div><div>The Financial Institutions and Markets Department of the central bank issued guidelines on the experience and suitability of independent directors. The new directives will come into effect immediately.</div><div><br></div><div>The central bank said the independent directors must be from faculty of business education of public/ autonomous/ private universities, or experienced teachers in business administration, management, law, and information technology, persons engaged in the legal profession.</div><div><br></div><div>Besides, individuals with professional degrees in accounting engaged in the accounting profession, experienced bankers, Ministry of Commerce, Experienced officers of the Financial Institutions Division, Finance Division, Ministry of Industry, and Ministry of Law can be considered on a priority basis. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 14:38:59', '2024-03-13 14:38:59'),
(11563, 11563, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">\"Our ship has been attacked. The ship is being hijacked and taken to the coast of Somalia. We are all being held in a room. We have not been beaten. By the grace of Allah, we are doing well, so far, please pray!\"</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>These were the words of ASM Saiduzzaman, chief engineer of the hijacked MV Abdullah ship in the Indian Ocean, to his wife Mehreen Safrin Zaman by phone on Tuesday night.</div><div><br></div><div>On Wednesday morning, a recorded voice message came to Mehreen\'s phone again. In that message, a voice is heard saying, \"Sir is fine. Sir is sleeping after eating Sehri. If you have any messages, send an SMS to this number.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Mehreen, worried about her husband, said, \"The work of the ship is very risky. Sometimes when he goes deep into the sea, there is no contact with him for 15-20 days. I used to worry then. I would only get in touch with him when he came back within the network. But this time the matter is very worrying. They have fallen into the hands of pirates. I see in the news that if they don\'t get the ransom, they will kill them one by one.”</div><div><br></div><div>“I am spending my time in extreme anxiety in this situation. I can\'t go anywhere for help with my one-year-old daughter and ailing in-laws. Our appeal to the government and the shipping company authorities is to somehow rescue my husband from the pirates.\"</div><div><br></div><div>On Wednesday afternoon, the correspondent went to the house of Engineer Saiduzzaman in the RG Naogaon area of Naogaon city and spoke to his wife, father Abdul Qaiyum and mother Kahinur Begum.</div><div><br></div><div>Qaiyum, former principal of Sapahar Government College in Nawabganj and former president of Nawabganj District Press Club, said that he received a call from his son\'s number yesterday (Tuesday) at 3:30 pm.</div><div><br></div><div>“He called and said that their ship had been attacked by pirates. The ship is being taken to the coast of Somalia. After that, he sent a voice SMS from another number last night and this morning. He said in the voice SMS that he is doing well. The pirates did not beat him. They are all being held in a room. They are not being given much water to drink as there is a shortage of food and water on the ship.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Qaiyum expressed his anger and said, \"The ship was attacked by pirates due to the negligence of the shipping company. They carry crores of taka worth of goods, but they do not employ any armed guards on that ship. If there were (armed) coast guards, the pirates would not have been able to attack so easily. This is not the first time that a ship of this company has been attacked by pirates.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Saiduzzaman has been working as a marine engineer for 20 years on ships of various domestic and foreign companies.</div><div><br></div><div>On Tuesday at 1:30 pm Bangladesh time, Somali pirates boarded and took control of the ship en route from Maputo port in Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates. The ship is carrying 58,000 tonnes of coal. All 23 sailors on board are Bangladeshis. The ship is owned by SR Shipping Limited, an associate company of Chattogram’s Kabir Group, popularly known as KSRM, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-03-13 14:59:46', '2024-03-13 14:59:46');
