INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12283, 12283, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Bangladesh holds a zero-tolerance policy against illegal migration.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We don’t want anyone to migrate illegally as well. We show zero tolerance on this matter,” she said when visiting UK Minister of State ((Indo-pacific) in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Anne-Marie Trevelyan paid a courtesy call on her at PM’s official residence Ganabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Briefing the media after the meeting PM’s speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam said Anne-Marie raised the issue of illegal migration saying that the UK welcomes legal migration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Noting that illegal migration is a problem for the United Kingdom, she said the Bangladeshi nationals who are in irregular situations in the UK should return home.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK minister of state welcomes the move to sign a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) between Bangladesh and the UK soon for the identification and return of persons without any authorisation to stay.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister sought the UK\'s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh and offered it lands in special economic zones here.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said Bangladesh will purchase 10 aircraft in phases from the European manufacturer Airbus.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anne-Marie raised the issues of housing, education and healthcare facilities and training on employment for Rohingyas now sheltered in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this context, the premier said there is no scope to ensure the facilities in overcrowded Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. That’s why her government built houses in Bhashanchar for them, ensuring all sorts of facilities like education, health and self-employment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She sought the good offices of the UK for quick repatriation of the Rohingyas as they are increasing in number day by day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh is now hosting over one million Rohingyas who fled their homes in Myanmar to flee killings, rape and atrocities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh and climate change issues came up for discussion in the meeting, said Nazrul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding the climate change, Hasina said only Britain contributes to the loss and damage fund under the Paris Agreement but there is no notable response from other countries.&nbsp; Bangladesh and the UK have already signed a climate accord, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about the socioeconomic uplift of Bangladesh, the prime minister said her government opened all sectors, including media to the private sector during her first term from 1996 to 2001 and now the people are enjoying the benefits.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said coming to power in 2009, her government took and implemented the Vision 2021, transformed the country into a Digital Bangladesh and elevated it to a middle-income country, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM said the government is now working to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, make Bangladesh an upper middle income country by 2031, and transform it into a developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh by 2041.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UK minister of state wished her success in running the government. PMO Secretary Mohammad Salahuddin was present.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-08 13:25:54', '2024-05-08 13:25:54'),
(12284, 12284, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti 2024 Date and History: Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti, also known as Rabindra Jayanti or Poncheeshe Boishakh in Kolkata, is a significant cultural observance commemorating the birth anniversary of the eminent Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, who has been revered with titles such as ‘Gurudev’, ‘Kabiguru’, and ‘Biswakabi’.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Revered across the world for his remarkable contributions to literature, music, and art, the legendary Bengali poet, writer, painter, social reformer, and philosopher from West Bengal, Tagore has significantly influenced the cultural and political history of India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As we commemorate Rabindranath Tagore’s 163rd Jayanti, here’s all you need to know about Rabindranath Tagore and the significance behind the day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti 2024: Date</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Gregorian calendar, Rabindranath Tagore was born in Kolkata on May 7, 1861, to parents Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Deviwas. He was a distinct personality from Bengal who had a significant impact on Bengali literature, music, and Indian art via modernism.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In West Bengal, Rabindra Jayanti is usually celebrated on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh, following the traditional Bengali calendar. In 2024, we will commemorate the 163rd birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore on Wednesday, May 8th.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti 2024: Life Story and Significance</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rabindranath Tagore, a prominent figure in the Bengali Renaissance, was also a visionary educator who revolutionised traditional classroom teaching and founded Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, West Bengal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His literary works, spanning poetry, novels, short stories, and essays, inspire writers and artists globally. ‘Gitanjali’, Tagore’s renowned collection of poems, was recognised with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Notably, as per historical records, he holds the unique distinction of having penned the national anthems of two nations: Jana Gana Mana for India and Amar Sonar Bangla for Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rabindra Jayanti festivities honour Tagore, the man who transformed India’s art and culture, by performing Rabindra Sangeet, a collection of over 2,230 songs created by him, as well as dances, acting, writing, poetry recitation, and other activities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tagore passed away on August 7, 1941, and his legacy is commemorated in the national anthem of India and Shantiniketan (West Bengal). Decades after his death, his work continues to inspire new artists throughout the world. - The Indian Express</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-08 14:07:37', '2024-05-08 14:07:37'),
(12285, 12285, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope has said that making the Rohingyas more self-reliant with a much more comprehensive approach does not mean that they will stay in Bangladesh forever.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I don\'t think this means that people will stay forever because what we have heard, especially from the Rohingya people, that they would love to go home. What we hear from the Rohingya is that if they could go home, they will go home. They are not looking to stay forever here in Bangladesh,” she told reporters at a press conference, noting that the needs in the camps are overwhelming.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pope, who became Director General of the IOM on 1 October 2023, described the complex situation and said at this moment going home means risking their (Rohingyas) lives.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said their goal has to be to come up with a much more comprehensive approach including investment and solutions for people within the camp with increased donor support so that they have more dignity and more self-reliance instead of their reliance on humanitarian aid only.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Right now the communities are wholly reliant on humanitarian support. So our goal is to bring awareness to the situation to drive engagement with a wide range of donors not relying on the same ones, and to encourage them,” Pope, the first woman to hold the post in IOM’s 73-year history, said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said they call upon all of the states who are involved in the peace negotiation process to continue to push for peace.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The IOM DG observed that humanitarian support is being stretched across multiple complex and multiple protracted conflicts and one of the best solutions is to increase their self-reliance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“So our goal is to work with the host community to work with the host government to build self-reliance, particularly when we\'re in a state of a protracted conflict,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Responding to a question, Pope said it was very clear to her sitting down and listening to the refugees directly about what they had experienced that one of the most significant and growing issues is the security in the camps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said they heard from women and girls who are fearful at night that they might be sexually assaulted. “We\'ve heard of families who are concerned about the safety of their children, whether they will be recruited by armed gangs or by other criminal actors. We heard from people who were concerned about abductions and very little resources in order to protect them. So this is a very fundamental fear.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pope said they know from their work around the world that having a safe and secure shelter is absolutely fundamental to enabling people to have more resilience in the face of enormous stress and enormous pressure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“So between the security and the protection concerns, particularly for children, women and girls, that was overwhelmingly one of the most significant challenges that I took away after my visit,” she mentioned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pope said she did have a chance to meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and to speak directly to her about the situation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“And what I found to be so interesting is that she has lived a story that is not so dissimilar from the refugees that we spoke to. She spoke to me about her own personal experience, where her own family members had been killed and her unique understanding of the challenges and the importance of providing hospitality to the rainbow people,” the DG said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also said their job with their other partners within the UN community with an international community is to make sure the world stays focused on the issue and recognizes its regional importance.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-08 14:26:29', '2024-05-08 14:26:29'),
(12286, 12286, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid today said seven reputed international oil companies purchased bid documents to participate in the bidding round for offshore hydrocarbon exploration in Bangladesh.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said this while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the promotional seminar, \"Bangladesh Offshore Bidding Round 2024\", at a city hotel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The state minister said that the impressive presence of international oil companies at the event proves that they have full confidence in the Bangladesh government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fifteen other international companies are participating in the seminar with keen interest to invest in the offshore areas, said Nasrul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nasrul Hamid said that&nbsp; Bangladesh is confident about the success of the offshore bidding round as global oil majors are participating in it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that Bangladesh’s energy market is big and it\'s growing fast. That’s why the biggest companies are encouraged to participate in the bidding round, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the PSC has been updated in a modern way, protecting both the interests of the country and the investors.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nasrul noted that the bidding round will be concluded by September and the government has a target to award contracts shortly so that the investors can start their work by next year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said as per the plan, from exploration to production, the whole process will take 7-8 years in the offshore areas.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nasrul Hamid said the government has been updating the Model PSC for onshore areas as well.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury urged&nbsp; international oil companies (IOCs) to invest in the country’s offshore areas for hydrocarbon exploration, terming the Bay of Bengal as “the most peaceful area in the region.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Though there is instability prevailing at different places across the globe, South Asia, particularly the Bay of Bengal remains the most peaceful area. There is no flash-point in this area. If investors think of a long term investment, it will be less risky for them,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As there is a big market here, the investors will have no risk in their business, he told reporters.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also turned down any possible impact of the Myanmar situation in this case regarding their investment.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Petrobangla’s general manager (exploration) Farhana Shaon made a presentation on the “Bangladesh Offshore Bidding Round 2024”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said the model production sharing contract (PSC) was updated and redesigned with new features that will give more benefit and profit to the IOCs such as R-factor through which both the government and the IOCs will be sharing the profits in a rational manner, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He noted that a multi-client survey was conducted in the offshore areas which will provide data to the investors about prospects and potentials of the gas blocks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This basin is much richer compared to others in the world. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership has created a confidence, for which we’re hopeful that this bidding round will be successful, So far we received a huge response,” he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’ve been pursuing a middle way in attracting the investment so that both the investors and the owners can have a win-win situation,” he added.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-08 14:52:40', '2024-05-08 14:52:40'),
(12287, 12287, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Russia warned France on Wednesday that if President Emmanuel Macron sent troops to Ukraine then they would be seen as legitimate targets by the Russian military.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Macron caused controversy in February by saying he could not rule out the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine in the future. The French leader warned that if Russia wins in Ukraine then Europe’s credibility will be reduced to zero.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is characteristic that Macron himself explains this rhetoric with the desire to create some kind of ‘strategic uncertainty’ for Russia,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have to disappoint him — for us the situation looks more than certain,” Zakharova said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If the French appear in the conflict zone, they will inevitably become targets for the Russian armed forces. It seems to me that Paris already has proof of this.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zakharova said Russia was already seeing growing numbers of French nationals among those killed in Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia said on Monday it would practice the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise after what the Moscow said were threats from France, Britain and the United States. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-08 14:56:31', '2024-05-08 14:56:31'),
(12288, 12288, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that prices of essentials have increased, but rural people who produce their own foods are not facing much hardship.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Yes, prices have increased and this affects. Especially those with limited income are suffering. However, there is not much hardship for those in the village who can produce for themselves. There is no outcry from them. Still, our best efforts are on to keep commodity prices under control,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said this during her question answer hour in Parliament&nbsp; while responding to a question from Dr Samil Uddin Ahmed Shimul elected from Chapainawabganj-1 on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the state-run TCB is providing services to the people with their existing manpower.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“And we are taking measures keeping in mind that common people do not suffer,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that the government has taken appropriate steps to produce the required products in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are also importing. No matter how much money it needs, we are spending and is also putting pressure on our reserves,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina also said that people\'s welfare is the most important thing for her government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-08 15:23:17', '2024-05-08 15:23:17'),
(12289, 12289, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Accountability and transparency are vital for democracy. It necessitates public access to information. However, media laws in Bangladesh have faced criticism for limiting media freedom and intimidating journalists. Outdated colonial-era laws like the Special Powers Act and provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure still influence media operations. There are also provisions that allow direct arrest of journalists despite calls for repeal.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act of 2006 allowed journalists to be sued for defamation and hurting religious sentiment, with up to 10 years in prison. Amendments in 2013 increased the maximum term to 14 years and removed the provision for bail. In 2017, around two dozen journalists were sued under Section 57. It doubled the number of cases from the previous year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2018, the government announced plans to repeal the ICT Act and replace it with the Digital Security Act (DSA) in response to calls for reform. However, the draft law included provisions similar to Section 57. It raised concerns about further restrictions on media freedom and investigative reporting. Since the DSA\'s implementation, at least 50 lawsuits have been filed against media professionals, resulting in the arrest of 37 journalists.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The National Broadcast Policy of 2014 received widespread criticism for its potential misuse and undermining constitutional rights to free media, access to information, and freedom of expression. While promoting accountability, the policy allows for subjective interpretations, potentially hindering public discourse. It restricts broadcasting views deemed harmful to political sentiments, bans reporting on acts of sedition and \"destructive events,\" and limits critical content related to armed forces and law enforcement agencies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Broadcast Act of 2016 drew criticism for its negative impact on press freedom, including provisions for jail terms and fines for rule violations. International organizations like Reporters Without Borders and Freedom House raised concerns about the act\'s promotion of censorship and self-censorship, limiting freedom of expression and reporting on sensitive issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2017, a draft of the National Online Mass Media Policy containing provisions similar to the proposed Broadcast Act was approved. It prompted Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) to express concerns about its potential threat to press freedom. The policy required separate registration of online versions of newspapers and TV channels, which TIB argued was a blueprint for government control over the media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Printing Press and Publication Act of 1973 granted district magistrates the power to authorize newspaper publication and outlined various responsibilities for newspapers. However, the act has been criticized for its licensing system that restricts the publication of newspapers based on political considerations, limiting press freedom.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The development of media law in this region has been influenced by the growth of newspapers and the need for accountability and regulation during British colonial rule. Laws enacted over time have imposed registration obligations and granted the government authority to regulate seditious writings and classified information disclosure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foundation of media freedom in Bangladesh is derived from Article 39 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, speech, and the press, subject to reasonable restrictions. The Right to Information Act of 2009 recognizes the public\'s right to access government information, promoting transparency and accountability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite these legal provisions, journalists in Bangladesh face significant challenges due to laws used to suppress their voices. The Digital Security Act, in particular, has created a climate of fear among journalists. There is a lack of specific legislation aimed at protecting journalists, and many media outlets lack organizational policies and mechanisms to understand readers\' preferences. Journalists also face challenges such as inadequate training, poor working conditions, and the absence of appointment letters and low salaries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) report for January-December 2023, journalists in Bangladesh faced suppression and were victims of torture. The report documented 194 incidents, including assaults on 86 journalists, two deaths, and 26 threats. Moreover, 11 journalists were arrested, and 26 cases were filed against 55 journalists. The Cyber Security Act-2023 and the Digital Security Act-2018 significantly impacted freedom of expression, with 58 cases filed and 60 individuals arrested.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These figures highlight the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to protect journalists\' rights and address human rights issues in Bangladesh. Ensuring journalists\' freedom to work without hindrance and avoiding self-censorship are vital for sustaining the future of journalism and upholding democratic principles in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Niemur Rahman Emon', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-08 18:32:45', '2024-05-08 18:32:45'),
(12290, 12290, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A training fighter jet of Bangladesh Air Force crashed into the Karnaphuli river in  Chattogram on Thursday (May 09, 2024) morning.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“A YAK 130 training fighter of the Bangladesh Air Force crashed at Patenga in Chattogram due to mechanical failure. Two pilots of the plane were rescued,” reads a statement released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).</div><div><br></div><div>The aircraft crashed into Karnaphuli river due to mechanical failure while landing near Boat Club in Patenga, said Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Port Zone Deputy Commissioner Shakila Sultana, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>The injured pilots were taken to the Combined Military Hospital, she said. </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-09 07:38:32', '2024-05-09 08:59:31'),
(12291, 12291, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Turkey formally converted The Church of St. Saviour in Chora, known as Kariye in Turkish, into a mosque in 2020, soon after it similarly turned Istanbul’s landmark Haghia Sophia into a Muslim house of prayer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both conversions drew praise from Muslim faithful but criticism from Greece and other countries who had urged Turkey to protect the important Byzantine-era monuments. Both are listed as U.N. World Heritage Sites.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like Haghia Sophia, which was a church for centuries and then a mosque for centuries more, the Chora had operated as a museum for decades before it was ordered turned into a mosque. The Chora’s formal launch as a mosque, however, was delayed as the structure then underwent restoration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erdogan on Monday remotely presided over a ceremony marking the opening of the Chora - as well as other recently-restored structures - from a conference hall at his palace complex in Ankara.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“May it bring good fortune,” Erdogan said during the televised event.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Musa Tombul was among the first worshippers to pray inside.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I have been waiting for its opening for four years,” he told the state-run Anadolu Agency. “I was honored to pray in such a place.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We thank God for showing us these days,” Anadolu quoted another worshiper, Haydar Senbahar, as saying. “Hopefully, we will come here from time to time and perform our prayers.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The church, situated near Istanbul’s ancient city walls, is famed for its elaborate mosaics and frescoes. It dates to the fourth century, although the edifice took on its current form in the 11th-12th centuries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The structure served as a mosque during Ottoman rule before being transformed into a museum in 1945.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Greece had criticized the Turkish government’s decision to turn it back into a mosque, accusing Ankara of “insulting the character” of another World Heritage Site.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The decisions to transform Haghia Sophia and the Chora back into mosques were seen as moves geared to consolidate the conservative and religious support base of Erdogan’s ruling party amid an economic downturn.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2020, Erdogan joined hundreds of worshipers for the first Muslim prayers in Hagia Sophia in 86 years, brushing aside international criticism and calls for the monument to be kept as a museum. As many as 350,000 took part in the prayers outside the structure. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-09 08:00:10', '2024-05-09 08:00:10'),
(12292, 12292, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>India has expressed interest to finance Bangladesh\'s Teesta project, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said today.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"You know we have taken a big project on Teesta. India wants to finance this project. It will have to be implemented in line with our needs. We want to see our needs fulfilled,\" Hasan told reporters after his meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Thursday. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He made the remarks when asked whether they discussed the Teesta issue. \"We have discussed the Teesta issue,\" the Foreign Minister said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s visit to New Delhi, Hasan said the PM will definitely visit India. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"Elections are underway in India. New government will be formed and then the date will be finalised for the visit,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Asked whether the PM will go to India or China first, the Foreign Minister smiled and said Delhi is close to Bangladesh in terms of geographical distance. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Diplomatic sources indicate that PM Hasina\'s visit to India is planned for early July if not possible at the end of June, after the conclusion of the neighbouring country’s election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pre-election surveys suggest a strong showing for the coalition led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is widely anticipated to secure re-election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In January, Modi extended warm congratulations to PM Hasina on her electoral victory, expressing hopes for the continued strengthening of the historically close ties between India and Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The last bilateral engagement between the two prime ministers occurred during the G-20 Leaders Summit in September 2023, where Bangladesh was a guest country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Modi is expected to extend invitations to South Asian and BIMSTEC country leaders for his swearing-in ceremony, fostering regional cooperation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding border killings, the Foreign Minister said there is no lack of willingness at the government and political levels to end border killings. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have discussed the issue in detail. We have laid emphasis on the use of non-lethal weapons,\" Hasan said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said border forces have been instructed and they are using non-lethal weapons following the instructions. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, the Foreign Minister said that non-lethal weapons work like lethal weapons when used in close proximity. \"They have no lack of sincerity,\" he said. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasan said they also discussed people to people connectivity, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said they have discussed cooperation from India to import hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan through India. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They also discussed ways to further easing the visa process so that people can move freely, strengthening people to people relations. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-09 08:13:02', '2024-05-09 14:13:54'),
(12293, 12293, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Dhaka tribunal on Thursday sentenced thee people to life imprisonment in a case filed over killing famous Bangladeshi film actor of the ‘90s Sohel Chowhdhury.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The convicts are, businessman Aziz Mohammad Bhai , Afakul Islam alias Bunty Islam, owner of Trumps Club and Adnana Siddique.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Judge of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2 Arunav Chakroborty handed down the judgment. All the convicts are on the run.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The court also acquitted six others as allegations brought against them could not be proved.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On December 19, 1998, actor Sohel was shot dead by some terrorists in front of Trumps Club in Abedin Tower at city’s Banani Road-17.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A murder case was filed in this regard at Gulshan police station by Sohels’ brother Towhidul Islam Chowdhury.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On July 30,1999, Abul Kashem Bepari, Additional police Commissioner of Detective Police, submitted a charge sheet&nbsp; against nine people in this case.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On October 30, 2001, Dhaka’s third additional metropolitan session judge court framed charges against the nine accused.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After two years of framing charges the case was transferred to Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-2, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The trial in the case remained suspended for 20 years as the High Court stayed the trial proceeding following a petition filed by one of the accused in 2003.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-09 08:29:41', '2024-05-09 08:29:41'),
(12294, 12294, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>At least 74 people including 35 farmers were killed by lightning strikes over the last 38 days across the country, said the voluntary organisation Save the Society and Thunderstorm Awareness Forum (SSTF).</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to an SSTF report, 31 people were killed by lightning strikes in the month of April. Of them, 20 were male and 11 female. This month, 43 people were killed by lightning till May 8. Of them, 34 were male and nine were female.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the current month, 11 people died and nine people were injured by lightning strikes in one day alone, said the report of SSTF research cell published on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, the members of the organisation also highlighted how farmers can keep themselves safe in case of lightning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Members of the organisation recently visited Manikganj’s Singair, Munshiganj’s Sirajdikhan, Dhaka’s Nawabganj and Keraniganj upazila and conducted lightning awareness activities among farmers working in the field after making groups of 500 farmers each.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rashim Molla, general secretary of SSTF, requested the government to build shelters in the fields to save farmers from lightning strikes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It also urged the government to conduct a lightning awareness programme for four months from March to June.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The organisation also provided some advice to the farmers. These are:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">• To take shelter in a safe place as soon as possible after seeing dark clouds in the sky while working.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">• To refrain from taking shelter under trees during rain.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">• To wear shoes while working under the open sky.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">• Lie down while working in the field during lightning strikes</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr Kabirul Bashar, president of the forum, said they have identified two reasons behind the increase in lightning strikes: increasing impact of global warming and cutting down trees in rural areas of Bangladesh, especially tall trees in the fields.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Without trees, lightning strikes people in the field or in open spaces. Most people believe that it is better to take shelter under trees during storms, but it is wrong, he said, adding, people have to take shelter in houses or establishments, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The government can take initiatives to set up lightning arresters in the haor region and open areas, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><i>bnbd/fas</i></b></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-09 08:54:52', '2024-05-09 08:54:52'),
(12295, 12295, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A pilot died and another was injured after a training fighter jet of Bangladesh Air Force crashed into the Karnaphuli river in&nbsp; Chattogram on Thursday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The pilot, Asim Jawad, passed away around 12:30 pm while undergoing treatment at BNS Issa Khan Hospital in Patenga, said Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Port Zone Deputy Commissioner Shakila Sultana.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The injured pilot is Wing Commander Sohan.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two pilots managed to eject from the aircraft&nbsp; through parachutes. They were rescued and taken to hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BAF aircraft of Zahurul Haq Base crashed near the Boat Club, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A YAK 130 training fighter of the Bangladesh Air Force crashed at Patenga in Chattogram due to mechanical failure. Two pilots of the plane were rescued,” reads a statement released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Divers and fire fighters are working to retrieve the aircraft.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-09 08:58:31', '2024-05-09 08:58:31'),
(12296, 12296, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Biman Bangladesh Airlines commenced its dedicated Hajj flights this morning, marking the beginning of its annual service to transport pilgrims to and from Saudi Arabia for the holy Hajj.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The inaugural flight, BG3301, departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 7 am, carrying 415 pilgrims directly to Jeddah. The event began with a ceremony at 5:30 am, attended by key figures including Md Faridul Haque Khan, Minister of Religious Affairs; Sajjadul Hassan, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Civil Aviation and Tourism; Air Vice Marshal Md Mafidur Rahman, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB); Shafiul Azim, Managing Director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines; and Md Shahadat Hossain Taslim, President of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, a record number of 85,257 Bangladeshi pilgrims will journey to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj, with Biman Bangladesh Airlines handling approximately 50% of these travelers, totaling 42,629 pilgrims. To accommodate this massive undertaking, Biman has scheduled 116 pre-Hajj flights and 125 post-Hajj flights. Furthermore, the airline has expanded its service to include flights from Sylhet and Chattogram, enhancing access and convenience for pilgrims across Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biman Bangladesh Airlines continues to operate these flights exclusively with its own fleet, underscoring its capability and readiness to manage the logistical demands of Hajj travel. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-09 09:36:27', '2024-05-09 09:36:27');

INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12316, 12316, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least eight people were killed and four others injured in road accidents in Gazipur, Dinajpur, Narsingdi, Chattogram and Sylhet districts on Friday night and Saturday morning.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among the deceased, two each died in Gazipur, Narshingdi and Dinajpur districtd while one each in Chattogram and Sylhet districts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Dinajpur, A tank lorry ploughed into a roadside shop at Kauga intersection in Sadar upazila of Dinajpur district early Saturday, leaving two people dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased were identified as Azhar Ali, 60, a security guard of Biswanathpur village and Rana, 25, of Kauga village in the upazila, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Farid Hossain, in-charge of Kotwali Police Station said that the accident occurred around 5:15 am when the tank lorry ploughed into a tea shop, leaving one dead on the spot and another injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 09:21:14', '2024-05-11 09:21:14'),
(12317, 12317, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Flash floods that have ripped through northern Afghanistan left more than 200 people dead in a single province, the United Nations said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than 200 people were killed and thousands of houses were destroyed or damaged in Baghlan province when heavy rains yesterday sparked massive flooding, the UN’s International Organization for Migration told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Baghlani Jadid district alone, up to 1,500 homes were damaged or destroyed and “more than 100 people died”, an IOM emergency response lead said, citing figures from the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Taliban government officials said 62 people had died as of last night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said “hundreds of our fellow citizens have succumbed to these calamitous floods” in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, without differentiating the numbers of dead and injured, though he told AFP dozens had been killed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Multiple provinces across Afghanistan saw flash flooding, with officials in northern Takhar province reporting 20 dead today, reports AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rains yesterday also caused heavy damage in northeastern Badakhshan province, central Ghor province and western Herat, officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 09:51:59', '2024-05-11 09:51:59'),
(12318, 12318, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her desire for inclusive housing development in Bangladesh, emphasizing that not only the wealthy should live in flats but also rickshaw pullers, daily labourers, and ordinary working people.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She shared these views today while speaking at the 61st convention of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) held at its premises in Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister highlighted ongoing government initiatives aimed at providing flats for slum dwellers and low-income groups, including those traditionally marginalized such as sweepers, Harijans, and Dalits.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that construction projects had already commenced to enable these communities to live healthy, dignified lives affordably.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Highlighting construction of houses for the landless and homeless under the Ashrayan project, the Prime Minister said that 334 upazilas of 21 districts have been declared free of landless and homeless families.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Not even a single family in Bangladesh will be landless or homeless, that is our goal,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister also spoke about leveraging the intellectual power of the people to build the nation and underscored the importance of embracing modern technologies, such as satellites and nuclear power, to avoid being left behind, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It doesn\'t matter what this or that group says. My concern is whether people of my country are doing well, whether they are improving, whether their fate is changing,” the PM said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 10:13:04', '2024-05-11 10:13:04'),
(12319, 12319, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Oscar-winning crew that created the almost $6 billion blockbusters \"Lord of the Rings\" and \"The Hobbit\" trilogies is regrouping to make two new features.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first new project from Sir Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens is provisionally named \"Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,\" Warner Bros. Discovery revealed on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Walsh and Boyens have been chosen to write the script, together with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, reports CNN.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Yesssss, Precious,” Serkis, who voices the \"LOTR\" character Gollum, said in a statement. “The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker - Gollum!” Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens issued a joint statement. “As life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The movies will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema, ‍according to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 10:37:16', '2024-05-11 10:37:16'),
(12320, 12320, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Israeli strikes hit Gaza today after renewed US criticism over its conduct of the war and a UN warning of “epic” disaster if an outright invasion of crowded Rafah city occurs.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>AFP journalists reported the strikes in various sectors of the coastal territory, where the UN says aid is blocked after Israeli troops defied international opposition and entered eastern Rafah this week, effectively shutting two crossings.</div><div><br></div><div>A long-awaited US state department report yesterday said Israel likely violated norms on international law in its use of weapons from the US – its main military supplier – but it did not find enough evidence to block shipments.</div><div><br></div><div>The state department submitted its report two days after President Joe Biden publicly threatened to withhold certain bombs and artillery shells if Israel goes ahead with an all-out assault on Rafah, where the United Nations said 1.4 million had been sheltering.</div><div><br></div><div>After rising criticism from Washington over the civilian impact of Israel’s war against Hamas, the threat was the first time Biden raised the ultimate US leverage over Israel – its military aid which totals US$3 billion annually.</div><div><br></div><div>UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said yesterday that Gaza risked an “epic humanitarian disaster” if Israel launched a full-scale ground operation in Rafah.</div><div><br></div><div>Israeli troops on Tuesday seized and closed the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza – through which all fuel passes into the territory – after ordering residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 11:27:43', '2024-05-11 11:27:43'),
(12321, 12321, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has inaugurated a weeklong “Waste Exhibition” at its Nagar Bhaban in Gulshan-2. The event, which started today, aims to educate residents about the importance of proper waste disposal and its impact on the city\'s drainage system.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam opened the exhibition, emphasizing the critical nature of disposing of waste responsibly to prevent blockages in the city\'s drainage channels, which can cause severe waterlogging following rain.</div><div><br></div><div>The exhibition is part of a broader initiative to illustrate the types of waste that contribute to environmental pollution when dumped in drains and canals.</div><div><br></div><div>The DNCC mayor highlighted the unfavourable comparisons between Dhaka and cities in developed countries, where such practices are less common. He noted that improper waste disposal not only leads to pollution and waterlogging but also contributes to the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes, increasing the risk of dengue fever outbreaks.</div><div><br></div><div>\"It is our moral responsibility to protect our canals and reservoirs,\" Mayor Atiqul stated, describing the act of polluting the environment through improper waste disposal as a “crime”.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to questions about the city\'s readiness for the monsoon season, Mayor Atiqul revealed that DNCC has formed ten quick-response teams across different areas to address waterlogging issues promptly. He encouraged residents to report any instances of water accumulation by calling the dedicated helpline at 1606, assuring that the teams would respond swiftly to complaints, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>The exhibition opening was attended by DNCC Chief Executive Officer Mir Khairul Alam, Secretary Mohammed Masud Alam Siddique, Chief Engineer Brig Gen Md Moin Uddin, Chief Health Officer Brig Gen Imrul Quais, Chief Waste Management Officer Captain Mohammad Fida Hasan, various ward councillors, and other city corporation officials and employees.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 11:31:31', '2024-05-11 11:31:31'),
(12322, 12322, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Russia on Saturday said it had captured six villages in Ukraine’s east after launching a surprise ground offensive that prompted mass evacuations.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The defense ministry said its troops had “liberated” five villages in the Kharkiv region near the border with Russia Borisivka, Ogirtseve, Pletenivka, Pylna and Strilecha&nbsp; “as a result of offensive actions.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The village of Keramik in the Donetsk region was also now under Russian control, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian officials said Russian forces made small advances in the area it was pushed back from nearly two years ago, the latest in a series of gains as Ukrainian forces find themselves outgunned and outmanned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A total of 1,775 people have been evacuated,” Kharkiv governor Oleg Synegubov wrote on social media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He reported Russian artillery and mortar attacks on 30 settlements over the past 24 hours.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Groups of people could be seen coming in vans and cars with as many bags as they could carry at an evacuation arrival point outside the city of Kharkiv.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Evacuees&nbsp; many of them elderly&nbsp; registered and received food and medical assistance in makeshift tents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We must disrupt Russian offensive operations and return the initiative to Ukraine,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainska Pravda quoted military sources saying the Russian assault had resumed on Saturday near the village of Glyboke in Kharkiv, reports AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 12:00:02', '2024-05-11 12:00:02'),
(12323, 12323, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ireland’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, claims to have cried&nbsp; after Israel qualified for the final to be held on Saturday.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is a complete overshadow of everything, goes against everything that Eurovision is meant to be,” Bambie Thug told journalists ahead of the event at Malmo Arena in Sweden. “I cried with my team.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 31-year-old singer and songwriter wore a keffiyeh and carried Irish flags while urging the European Broadcasting Union to show “conscience” and “humanity.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The artist will perform “Doomsday Blue” in the final.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel’s performer, Eden Golan, will present her song “Hurricane” at the competition. The track underwent revisions after the initial version, “October Rain,” was deemed too political by the EBU.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although the contest’s motto is “united by music,” this year’s event has attracted protests from Palestinians and their supporters, who say Israel should be excluded because of its conduct of the war in Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of people are expected to march for a second time this week through Sweden’s third-largest city, which has a large Muslim population, to demand a boycott of Israel and a ceasefire in the seven-month conflict.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Finland, a group of about 40 protesters stormed the headquarters of public broadcaster YLE on Saturday, demanding it withdraw from the song contest because of Israel’s participation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Venues across England are canceling their gigs after Palestine protest groups instructed their followers to pressure pubs showing the contest - leading some venues to close due to staff safety concerns.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Duke of York cinema in Brighton called off its Eurovision event this week, telling ticket holders it was doing so “due to safety concerns for our staff and customers,” the Guardian reported. The Brighton Palestinian Solidarity Campaign called the decision a “massive win.” - Arab News&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 12:20:58', '2024-05-11 12:20:58'),
(12324, 12324, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A rare and powerful geomagnetic storm hitting Earth this weekend could spark power outages across the world, according to scientists.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) upgraded its original G4 geomagnetic storm watch to a G5 -- the most powerful storm of its kind on a scale from G1 to G5. The unusual atmospheric event began late Friday and is expected to last throughout the weekend.</div><div><br></div><div>NOAA officials said the agency has not issued an alert of this magnitude in more than two decades, with the last G5 storm hitting Earth in October 2003.</div><div><br></div><div>Scientists said the powerful geomagnetic storm could knock out power and electronics across the globe. They noted that the storm that hit Earth in 2003 caused power outages in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth\'s surface, potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations,\" NOAA said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>The anomalous event could, however, give residents living in the US the rare opportunity to see the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights.</div><div><br></div><div>Those as far south as Alabama and Northern California might get a chance to see the spectacular light show.</div><div><br></div><div>Scientists explained that the northern lights are caused by disturbances in the magnetosphere that shoot solar flares and clouds of magnetic particles generated by the sun into space. The massive and powerful electromagnetic storms light up the sky with a magnificent burst of color.</div><div><br></div><div>In preparation for the G5 electromagnetic storm, NOAA has alerted power plant operators and spacecraft agencies around the world to take precautions.</div><div><br></div><div>They said the event could cause widespread voltage control problems, disrupt spacecraft operations and degrade satellite and radio navigation to systems worldwide. - Anadolu Agency&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 12:35:32', '2024-05-11 12:35:32'),
(12325, 12325, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Students from the University of Oxford continued an encampment Friday for a fifth day in solidarity with the Gaza Strip to demand full divestment from Israel and a boycott of Israel-linked companies.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Students have attended the encampment with dozens of tents outside the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford where people from different backgrounds are welcomed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They continued protesting in an atmosphere of solidarity at the area where congressional Friday prayers were performed with the attendance of many.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Along with a prayer room, the encampment also includes a medical tent, snack area and meeting points, with many Palestinian flags and signs. One read: “Generation after generation, until total liberation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There is also a media room named after female Palestinian journalists killed by Israeli attacks and a memorial library, named after Refaat Alareer, a prominent Palestinian professor, poet and writer, who was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in December.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s recent statement that urged university administrators to protect Jewish students from “harassment” and “anti-semitic abuse” at campuses, Jewish students are among attendees at the Oxford protest. According to media reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 13:19:36', '2024-05-11 13:19:36'),
(12326, 12326, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>India’s opposition said the nation’s election commission was allowing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to continue “unchecked and brazen” violations by not taking action on opposition complaints of religious hate speech and misrepresentation.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">More than halfway through India’s six-week national elections, the world’s biggest, the Congress party-led opposition complained in a letter to the Election Commission of India on Friday that “no meaningful action has been taken to penalize those who are guilty in the ruling regime”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This was a “complete abdication” of the commission’s duty, it said. “As a result there has been an unchecked and brazen continuation of these violations, which are now committed with impunity and utter disregard.” The watchdog is responsible for ensuring political parties do not violate election rules against promoting division along religious, caste or linguistic lines in the multiethnic South Asian nation. Source: Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 13:30:35', '2024-05-11 13:30:35'),
(12327, 12327, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations-2024 will be published across the country tomorrow.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The statistics of the results will be handed over to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban around 10am.</div><div><br></div><div>The results will be published at the respective educational institutions and online simultaneously around 11am.</div><div><br></div><div>Students can avail their results through SMS after the official announcement.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>They can also get their results by visiting the website www.educationboardresults.gov.bd.</div><div><br></div><div>Around 20, 24,192 students of 29,735 educational institutions appeared at the SSC and equivalent examinations at 3,700 centers.</div><div><br></div><div>Starting on February 15 last, the exams concluded on March 12.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"34\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 14:07:04', '2024-05-11 14:07:04'),
(12328, 12328, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>No fresh death due to dengue was reported in Bangladesh in the past 24 hours till Saturday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>However, 17 patients were hospitalised with viral fever during this period, according to the DGHS.</div><div><br></div><div>Of them, nine were admitted at the hospitals in Dhaka city, while the rest were outside the capital.</div><div><br></div><div>Currently, a total of 127 patients are receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>So far, 2,414 dengue cases have been reported since January 1, 2024, said DGHS.</div><div><br></div><div>Last year, a total of 1,705 people lost their lives due to dengue, making it the deadliest year on record.</div><div><br></div><div>The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 3, 18,749 recoveries last year.</div><div><br></div><div>Last year’s September was the deadliest month for the dengue outbreak, with 396 fatalities and 79,598 cases, according to DGHS data.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Health Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 14:09:42', '2024-05-11 14:09:42'),
(12329, 12329, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A visiting Iranian scholar has highly appreciated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s bold position against the genocide in Gaza and for standing beside the people of Palestine, noting that Muslim countries should have a united voice against Israeli atrocities.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“She (PM Hasina) condemned Israel for the genocide… Alhamdulillah, we also see in Bangladesh many universities and many scholars participate in the protests. So, it shows a very bright future for us,” Iranian scholar Prof Dr Sayed Mahdi Mousavi told UNB before a discussion in a city hotel on Saturday evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prof Mousavi, Chairman of the University of Religions and Denominations of Iran, said he believes that all Muslims and all the nations will be united against the genocide and crimes committed by Israel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Highlighting the importance of the Muslim Ummah, he said it is very strange that some Muslim countries are not doing anything against this genocide in Palestine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UN General Assembly voted by a wide margin on Friday to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and called on the Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The world body approved the Arab and Palestine-sponsored resolution by a vote of 143-9 with 25 abstentions. The United States voted against it, along with Israel, Argentina, Czechia, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Papua New Guinea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The vote reflected the wide global support for full membership of Palestine in the United Nations, with many countries expressing outrage at the escalating death toll in Gaza and fears of a major Israeli offensive in Rafah, a southern city where about 1.3 million Palestinians have sought refuge. It also demonstrated growing support for the Palestinians, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Talking about Bangladesh economy, the Iranian scholar said they saw a rapid development in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 15:16:48', '2024-05-11 15:16:48'),
(12330, 12330, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rescuers and onlookers cheered and applauded today as a survivor was rescued after 116 hours from underneath the rubble of a collapsed building in South Africa, with the tragedy having killed at least 13.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is a miracle that we have all been hoping for”, provincial premier Alan Winde said on X.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An apartment block under construction in the southern city of George crumbled Monday afternoon while a crew of 81 were on site.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“When we went down to the side of the slab we had uncovered, we heard somebody inside and we stopped all the heavy operations,” Colin Deiner, head of rescue operations, told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescuers then called out to the survivor and he spoke back, Deiner said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He indicated to us that he’s got weight on his legs, and we’re very concerned about that after such a long period of time.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After several hours, the survivor was extricated and rushed to a hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rescue teams have been working against time ever since the structure came crashing down.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Twenty-nine people have been rescued alive while thirty-nine remained unaccounted for.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Winde said a “difficult” identification process was underway and that police were using fingerprints, DNA testing and photographs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Construction plans for a 42-unit apartment block had been approved by the city in July. The reasons for the collapse are still unknown. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 15:20:56', '2024-05-11 15:20:56'),
(12331, 12331, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the country is being governed by an invisible force instead of the Awami League.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul said this while speaking a rally held in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He said, “It seems that it is not Awami League but an invisible evil force is governing the country.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, the youth front of BNP, organised the rally pressing home their demand for an unconditional release of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her advanced treatment abroad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Fakhrul said the government is pushing Khaleda Zia to the verge of death depriving her of advanced treatment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 15:39:11', '2024-05-11 15:39:11'),
(12332, 12332, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Mothers are often described as the pillars of our families, providing unwavering love and support throughout our lives. As Mother\'s Day 2024 approaches on May 12, it presents a wonderful opportunity to show our appreciation for their dedication and sacrifice. </b></span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><br></span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">While traditional gifts like flowers and chocolates are always welcome, why not make this year\'s celebration extraordinary with thoughtful gestures and creative experiences? Here are some innovative ideas to make Mother’s Day truly memorable.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Embrace the Power of Personalization</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The true essence of a meaningful gift lies in its personal touch. Whether it’s a custom-made piece of jewelry, a service that eases her daily routine, or spending quality time together, these gifts are profoundly impactful. They serve as reminders of appreciation, showing that the best presents are those that cannot be valued in simple monetary terms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ways to Surprise Your Mother on This Mother’s Day</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Breakfast in Bed</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">You can show your love this Mother\'s Day by preparing her favourite paratha, beef, or vegetables, and serving it to her in bed. You can pair it with a cup of her preferred drinks, along with a fresh flower, for a simple yet heartfelt gesture that she will truly appreciate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spa Day at Home</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Try to pamper your mother with a relaxing spa day at home. You can also create a relaxing atmosphere by lighting scented candles and playing calming music.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cook Her Favourite Meal</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It would be sweet to treat your mother to a delightful home-cooked meal this Mother\'s Day. Prepare her favourite dish or explore a new recipe together for a fun culinary adventure. You can elevate the experience by setting the table with beautiful flowers and candles, adding a special touch to the occasion that she will cherish.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Take Her Out for Dinner</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Celebrate Mother\'s Day with a memorable dinner at her favourite restaurant. You should indulge in delectable cuisine while relishing quality time together, and creating cherished memories. Let her savour the flavours she loves in a charming ambience, making this dining experience a delightful expression of appreciation for all she does.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Give Her a Chore Free Day</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This Mother\'s Day, it would be nice to gift your mother a chore-free day, allowing her to unwind and relax without the burden of household tasks. Let her enjoy a well-deserved break, pampering her with love and attention. It is a simple yet meaningful way to show appreciation for all the love she gives us every day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Give Your Mother Fresh Flowers</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you are pondering what to get your mother this Mother\'s Day, surprising her with her beloved blooms can be a perfect beginning. Consider her favourite flowers and colours for a personalised touch. You may also opt for classic choices like roses, sunflowers, or tuberoses if unsure. It is a thoughtful gesture she will adore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Make Her a Photo Album</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One can create a timeless treasure by crafting a custom photo album brimming with captured moments that hold special significance. Enhance it with handwritten notes, captions, and keepsakes for an added personal touch she will cherish eternally. You can also utilise user-friendly platforms such as Canva to design exquisite albums tailored to her liking.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Write Her a Letter</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It would be thoughtful to devote a moment to write your mother a heartfelt letter, expressing profound love and gratitude. Pour your heart out, detailing all the reasons she has cherished and the depth of her significance in your life. Share cherished memories and affirmations. It is a gesture she will treasure, reaffirming your bond most touchingly.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Go Exploring</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It would be great to surprise your mother with a day exploring a locale she has longed to visit. Treat her to a day out at the nearby museum, park, or historic sites she has been eyeing. It is the perfect opportunity to create cherished memories while fulfilling her wanderlust dreams. Embrace the joy of discovery together on this special occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outdoor Adventure Day</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Embark on an outdoor adventure this Mother\'s Day, venturing to Cox\'s Bazar, Bandarban, or Sylhet for a rejuvenating escape in nature\'s embrace. Plan a family-friendly tour to infuse excitement and camaraderie into the journey. Explore the beauty of Bangladesh together and create cherished memories along the way.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Plant a Tree Together</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bonding with your mother by planting a tree would be wonderful. It will foster exercise, outdoor enjoyment, and beauty. Whether flowers, vegetables, or herbs, it is a fulfilling endeavour that cultivates both nature and your relationship. Embrace the therapeutic joy of nurturing life together, creating a vibrant oasis of colour and flavour to cherish.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Give Her the Gift of Time</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The most precious gift for mother is your undivided attention. Devote the day to her desires, whether it is a stroll or a cosy chat over coffee. It is these moments of shared joy and connection that truly make Mother\'s Day memorable and meaningful.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tell Her You are Thankful</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">We hardly express gratitude to mothers. Expressing your heartfelt sentiments ahead of Mother’s Day can be as impactful as any gift or gesture. While actions speak volumes, verbalising what she means to you brings profound joy. Take a moment to share your appreciation—it is a simple yet powerful way to make her feel cherished and loved.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Closing Lines</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This Mother\'s Day, go beyond the ordinary and surprise her with gifts that reflect her unique personality and passions and speak to her heart. From personalised photo books to heartfelt letters, these ideas are sure to make her feel loved and cherished on her special day. It is necessary to remember that it is the thought and effort behind the gift that truly matters, so put your heart into creating a memorable experience that celebrates the extraordinary woman she is. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', '<p><b><font color=\"#3984c6\">Mother\'s Day </font></b><br></p>', 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-11 15:49:15', '2024-05-11 16:04:43'),
(12333, 12333, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the authorities concerned to find out the reasons as to why boys are declining in number and lagging behind girls in their academic results.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“We’ve to find out the reasons as to why the boys are fewer in numbers,” she said while publishing the results of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations- 2024 on Sunday morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier unveiled the results online through pressing a button at a ceremony at her official residence Ganabhaban. Earlier, Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury handed over the results summary and statistics to the premier.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">She said the total number of candidates is 20,38,150 under 11 education boards this year. Among them, the number of boys is 9,99,364, while that of girls is 10,38,786.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM said it needs to take initiative now for unearthing the causes that boys are declining in number.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In case of the pass percentage, the girls are ahead of boys. It is fine. Even then I would like to say that we’ve to pay attention to it,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said her government distributes free textbooks in time, provides stipends and scholarships till the higher education and transformed the country into Digital Bangladesh, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister also asked Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and education boards to look into the matter and find the reason as to why the number of students is reducing. “The number of boys is not supposed to go down. It should be equal (to that of girls),” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM Hasina asked all to find the reasons why children are getting engaged in teenage gang and bring them back to a healthy environment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In the recent times, we hear about teen gangs. It\'s not acceptable. Why boys and girls would go this way?,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The children in their teens should pursue study and join other positive activities, said the prime minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But we’ve to find out why they go this way. We’ll have to prevent them from it and bring them back to a healthy atmosphere,” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 07:31:04', '2024-05-12 07:31:04'),
(12334, 12334, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>As the deadline to apply for Hajj visas concluded last night, uncertainty looms for over 11,000 pilgrims from Bangladesh who have yet to secure their visas. This situation makes their participation uncertain in this year’s Hajj, scheduled for June 16, contingent on moon sighting.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As of today, the latest figures revealed that 72,138 individuals had successfully obtained their Saudi visas, with an additional 259 currently in the visa printing process. However, this leaves precisely 11,167 applicants in limbo, with their chances of attending the Hajj in jeopardy unless the Saudi government grants another extension.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In response to the crisis, Faridul Haq Khan, Minister of Religious Affairs, has formally requested a third extension from the Saudi authorities to accommodate the backlog. Echoing this sentiment, Md A Hamid Zamadder, Secretary to the ministry, expressed optimism last night, telling UNB, “We remain in constant communication with our counterparts in the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. We are hopeful for an extension in the visa application period.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zamadder also noted that other countries, including India and Indonesia, are facing similar issues, which might influence Saudi Arabia to extend the visa deadline.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the government’s efforts, issues with local Hajj agencies have compounded the problem. These agencies have reportedly failed to secure accommodations in Saudi Arabia, a prerequisite for visa approval, leading to last-minute scrambles and heightened uncertainty. The agencies are now racing against time, trying to secure housing at lower rates, which has delayed visa processing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As of now, 11,017 Bangladeshi pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia, with a total of 85,257 expected to perform Hajj under both government and private management.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first batch of pilgrims departed on May 9, with flights scheduled to continue until June 10. Upon completion of Hajj, return flights are slated from June 20 through July 22.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 07:46:30', '2024-05-12 07:46:30'),
(12335, 12335, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The results of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations-2024 under 11 education boards were published today with 83.04 percent pass rate, a 2.65 percent rise than the last year.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A total of 20, 13,597 examinees appeared in the SSC and equivalent examinations this year. Of them, 16, 72,153 students passed the examinations,\" Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury announced the results at a press briefing at the secretariat here.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 1,82,129 students got the highest Grade Point Average (GPA-5) in the examinations, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"34\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 07:48:57', '2024-05-12 07:48:57');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12336, 12336, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at many places over seven divisions and at a few places over Chattogram division.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Chattogram division with hails at isolated places\", according to a met office forecast for the next 24 hours begins from 9am today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Trough of westerly low lies over West Bengal to North-West Bay.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Country\'s maximum temperature was recorded 34.7 degree Celsius at Rajshahi and minimum temperature today was recorded 21.2 degree Celsius at Srimangal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Maximum rainfall for the last twenty-four hours till 6am today was recorded</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">87 millimeters(mm) at Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sun sets today at 06:33 pm and rises tomorrow at 05:17 am in the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 08:08:23', '2024-05-12 08:08:23'),
(12337, 12337, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A bus slammed into cars and motorbikes after its brakes apparently malfunctioned in Indonesia’s West Java province, killing at least 11 people, mostly students, and injuring dozens of others, officials said Sunday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The bus carrying 61 students and teachers was returning to a high school in Depok outside Jakarta, the capital, late Saturday from the hilly resort area of Bandung after a graduation celebration, said West Java police spokesperson Jules Abraham Abast.</div><div><br></div><div>It sped out of control on a downhill road and crossed lanes, hitting several cars and motorbikes before it crashed into an electricity pole, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Nine people died at the scene and two others died later in the hospital, including a teacher and a local motorist, Abast said. Fifty-three other people were hospitalized with injuries, including some in critical condition, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“We are still investigating the cause of the accident, but a preliminary investigation showed the bus\'s brakes malfunctioned,” Abast said.</div><div><br></div><div>Local television footage showed the mangled bus in the darkness on its side, surrounded by rescuers, police and passersby as ambulances evacuated the injured.</div><div><br></div><div>Road accidents are common in Indonesia due to poor safety standards and infrastructure.</div><div><br></div><div>Last year, a tourist bus with an apparently drowsy driver slammed into a billboard on a highway in East Java, killing at least 14 people and injuring 19 others. In 2021, a tourist bus plunged into a ravine in the West Java hilly resort of Puncak after its brakes apparently malfunctioned, killing at least 27 people and injuring 39 others. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 08:12:28', '2024-05-12 08:12:28'),
(12338, 12338, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government is bringing changes to the curriculum and the method of education mainly to cut dependency on learning through memorisation to flourish talents and creativity of the students.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We want our children not only to learn by heart rather they get scope to flourish talents and creativity as they can move ahead with their merits. So, changes are being made in the curriculum and education method,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier made the remarks while unveiling the results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations-2024, digitally by clicking a button at her official Ganabhaban residence here.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said her government has introduced pre-primary education to teach the children through play.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There is a way to educate the children through toys and we are creating that scope,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One child can easily learn the name of seven continents through jumping one to another continent on a world map, she opined.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have to do such many things as the children can learn through playing. If we do so, they don\'t have need book-learning,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In doing so, the premier said her government is giving necessary training to the teachers and increasing their salaries and other benefits.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said her government has attached topmost priority on education as they can know that no nation can develop without education.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our target is to eradicate poverty. Poverty alleviation is not possible without an educated nation. So, we consider expenses in education as investment,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said her government wants to prepare an appropriate education system to cope with the competitive world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said her government is prioritising science, technology, information and vocational education alongside the regular education.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our children will not only do BA and MA, but also will be educated in science, technology, information technology and vocational literacy to make them prepared completely,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina released the results after receiving the combined result statistics of the SSC and equivalent examinations from Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The chairmen of 10 education boards - nine general, one madrasa-- and director general of technical education board also handed over the result statistics of their respective boards to the premier.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The results were published at the respective educational institutions and online simultaneously around 11am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Students can avail their results through SMS after the official announcement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They can also get their results by visiting the website www.educationboardresults.gov.bd.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Around 20, 24,192 students of 29,735 educational institutions appeared in the SSC and equivalent examinations at 3,700 centres.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Starting on February 15 last, the exams concluded on March 12.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring to increased number of female students both in pass and participation rate in the SSC exams, Sheikh Hasina asked all concerned to find out the reason that why the number of male students decreases.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have to explore the reason that why male students are less and why the number of students is decreasing,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even in the passing rate, the female students outnumbered the male which appears to be good, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have to look into the matter,\" she said, asking the boards\' chairmen to look for the cause after returning to their respective work places.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said they have taken several measures including setting up 12 science and technology universities to increase the rate of technical education.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result, the technical education rate has risen to 22 percent which was only 7 percent in 1996 when the Awami League government assumed power for the first time, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have a target to increase technical education rate to 30 percent by 2030 and 41 percent by 2041,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She continued that her government is establishing a technical training school in every upazila to spread the technical education.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister expressed her hope that the children will work for the welfare of the country and its people and will be smart citizens of Bangladesh after being educated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She congratulated the students who passed the SSC and equivalent exams and asked those who could not pass this time to read attentively to become succeeded next time, reports BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Don\'t be disheartened. Take preparation properly for the next time,\" she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier also asked the guardians not to rebuke them (who didn\'t pass the examination) as they can take any step after being frustrated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rather, encourage them to pay more attention to education for the next exams, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, PM\'s Education Adviser Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and State Minister for Education Begum Shamsun Naher spoke on the occasion.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 09:00:27', '2024-05-12 09:00:27'),
(12339, 12339, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>After two narrow victories, Bangladesh faltered in the final match of the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, suffering an eight-wicket defeat in Mirpur today.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hosts’ narrow wins in the previous two matches of the series hinted at underlying vulnerabilities in their performance. An inevitable defeat finally materialised in the final match, which was also their last home game before the upcoming ICC Men\'s T20 World Cup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Instead of boosting the confidence of Bangladesh, this big win by 4-1 left many things to ponder for Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Batting first after losing the toss, Bangladesh struggled to establish a solid foundation in this first-ever morning T20I match on home soil. The decision to play in the morning was inspired by the upcoming World Cup, where Bangladesh will have to play several day matches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Losing three wickets for just 15 runs, Bangladesh was on the brink of collapse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mahmudullah Riyad then paired up for a crucial 69-run partnership, rescuing the innings and guiding the total to a respectable 157.&nbsp; Mahmudullah top-scored with a 44-ball 54, while Shanto contributed 36 runs off 28 balls. Shakib Al Hasan and Jaker Ali added useful contributions of 21 and 24 runs respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Blessing Muzarabani and Brian Bennett were the pick of the Zimbabwean bowlers, each claiming two wickets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 09:14:13', '2024-05-12 09:14:13'),
(12340, 12340, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Greece\'s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be received Monday in Ankara by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the latest sign of warming relations between the NATO neighbours.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">After decades of tensions, occasionally broken by brief periods of reconciliation, the day-long visit follows a trip by Erdogan to Greece in December and marks a new phase in their relations, diplomats said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In December, the regional rivals -- who are divided over the island of Cyprus and issue of migration through their respective waters -- signed a declaration calling for \"friendly and good neighbourly relations, recognising the importance of a mutual respect and peaceful coexistence\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But this appeasement, helped also by solidarity after an earthquake killed more than 50,000 in southeastern Turkey in February 2023, has been undermined by Turkey converting another former Byzantine church into a mosque.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After four years of restoration, the former Kariye Orthodox church in Istanbul re-opened as a mosque on May 6.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 2020 decision to convert the church came after Muslim services resumed at the 6th century former Byzantine cathedral of Hagia Sophia. The landmark building had been a museum since 1935.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The changes were seen as part of Erdogan\'s efforts to galvanise his more conservative and nationalist supporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There\'s no shortage of mosques in the city. That is no way to treat cultural patrimony,\" Mitsotakis said a week ago, although he has also said that \"channels of conversation must remain open.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mitsotakis told Greek television station Alpha TV on Saturday that he will use Monday\'s talks to push Erdogan to \"reverse\" Kariye\'s conversion. Source: AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 09:47:17', '2024-05-12 09:47:17'),
(12341, 12341, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged Italian businesses to make investment in Bangladesh\'s special economic zones for the mutual benefits of the two countries.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Businesses and investors can invest in Bangladesh in the special economic zones,” she said while Italian Ambassador Antonio Alessandro called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the call on.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He quoted the PM as saying&nbsp; that Bangladesh has a huge domestic market apart from South Asian and South East Asian markets.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Bangladesh can be the big central market encircling South Asian and South East Asian markets,” she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said that after 2026 Bangladesh will graduate to a developing country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this connection, she urged Italy to help in continuing the GSP plus facilities to&nbsp; Bangladeshi exports in the European countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also emphasised on increasing trade between the two countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There is ample scopes to increase trade and commerce between the two countries,” she said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She requested to explore and utilise those opportunities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding the illegal migrants in the European countries including Italy, the prime minister said that the government is taking all out initiatives so that no one illegally enters to any country abroad.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It is very much regretful that many people including Bangladeshis died in the Mediterranean sea while trying to go to the European countries,” she observed.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“For that we are taking legal steps as well as creating awareness among the people,” she said briefly elaborating various measurers of the government.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She requested Italy to take more Bangladeshi manpower through legal process.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The PM extended an invitation to Italian prime minister to visit Bangladesh at his convenience .</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Italian ambassador said that his country wants to assist Bangladesh in technology transfer and defence purchase, and modernisation in various sectors.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also expressed his country’s keen interest to provide the second satellite to Bangladesh.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He put emphasis on trade diversification to tape the trade and commerce opportunities between the two countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about the Rohingya issue both agreed on the dignified repatriation of the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals to their homeland.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, more than one million Myanmar nationals, Rohingyas, are taking shelter in Bangladesh after being driven out by the Myanmar military junta. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"34\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 11:17:36', '2024-05-12 11:17:36'),
(12342, 12342, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said the future of the current Awami League government appears dim as the country\'s crisis has deepened further after the 12th parliamentary election.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking at a press conference, he also accused the government of using the judiciary as a tool to implement its depoliticization agenda by arbitrarily convicting and imprisoning opposition leaders and activists in a bid to consolidate power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I would like to say that they (govt) have a false belief that it has overcome the crisis. But I say the crisis has only deepened further in the aftermath of the last (national) election. If you still don’t realise this reality and make efforts to address the crisis, then your future is rather bleak.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The press conference was held at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office to inform journalists about the decisions made during a virtual meeting of the party\'s Standing Committee on May 8.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Fakhrul said their standing committee meeting strongly denounced the process of unilaterally trying and sentencing leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He claimed that over 2,000 opposition leaders and activists have been jailed in completely false, fabricated, and fictitious cases as part of the government’s efforts to eliminate the opposition political parties and send the country\'s politics into exile, reports UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The court is the last resort of people, but they are not finding remedies there.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BNP leader alleged that a vested group has been empowered in the country by the government, providing them with opportunities to amass wealth through various forms of corruption and irregularities. “They have orchestrated a scheme of plunder to keep this regime in power using it.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said the looters belonging to the ruling party are siphoning off huge money abroad, destroying the economy of Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 12:07:44', '2024-05-12 12:07:44'),
(12343, 12343, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Saudi Ministry of Interior is implementing the Makkah Route Initiative as part of the “Pilgrim Experience Programme,” one of the programmes of the Saudi Vision 2030, for the sixth year.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This initiative involves dedicated lounges at 11 airports in seven countries – Bangladesh, Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkiye, and Côte d\'Ivoire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Makkah Route Initiative aims to provide high-quality transportation services for pilgrims from beneficiary countries to the Kingdom, said the Saudi press agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first group of Bangladeshi pilgrims benefiting from the Makkah Route Initiative arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on May 9.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dr Mohammad Javed Patwary and several other officials welcomed the pilgrims to the Kingdom.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Makkah Route Initiative, launched by the Ministry of Interior, is part of the wider Pilgrim Experience Program within Saudi Vision 2030 aimed at enhancing the Hajj journey for pilgrims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The initiative streamlines the Hajj process for participants by allowing them to complete key procedures from their home country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This includes electronic visa issuance, biometric data collection, and airport departure checks after verifying health requirements.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Luggage is coded and sorted based on pre-arranged transportation and accommodation in Saudi Arabia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upon arrival, pilgrims are whisked away on dedicated buses to their residences in Makkah and Madinah, with their luggage delivered by service agencies. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 12:18:12', '2024-05-12 12:18:12'),
(12344, 12344, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto led the Tigers to a 4-1 series win against Zimbabwe, but amidst the celebrations, he couldn\'t ignore the looming concerns ahead of his first World Cup as a full-time captain.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shanto admitted that Bangladesh\'s biggest worry is the fragility of their top-order batting. In today\'s final match in Mirpur, three of Bangladesh\'s top four batters scored a combined total of just 10 runs, with only one managing to reach double figures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If we can do better at the top of the order, it would be great for the team,” Shanto acknowledged during the post-series media interaction when asked about Bangladesh\'s primary concerns heading into the World Cup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Momentum will be important for us. Rather than dwelling on the results of this series, we need to focus on moving forward,” he stressed the importance of a solid start. “If we can ensure a good start at the top, we will be one step ahead as a team.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh World Cup squad is expected to be announced on Monday, and the likely inclusion of Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, and Soumya Sarkar places significant pressure on them to deliver consistent performances.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Any two of them are likely to open the innings, with either Shanto or Towhid Hridoy at number three. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 12:26:05', '2024-05-12 12:26:05'),
(12345, 12345, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Survivors of the deadly flash floods that ripped through northern Afghanistan were still struggling without basic aid on Sunday, as the official death toll rose to over 300.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Heavy rains on Friday triggered flash floods across at least seven provinces, including Baghlan, Ghor, Badakhshan and Takhar, injuring more than 1,600 people and destroyed about 2,600 houses, according to the latest data from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many people remain missing and livestock were wiped out as survivors picked through muddy, debris-littered streets and damaged buildings over the weekend, while authorities and humanitarian agencies deployed aid and rescue workers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“All available resources are being mobilized, and relevant ministries and agencies are actively engaged in delivering urgent aid,” Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Afghanistan’s deputy minister for economic affairs, told survivors in Baghlan province on Sunday, as he reassured “unwavering support” from the Taliban-led government “until their lives are restored to normalcy.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But some people in the province, which bore the brunt of the deluges, said that aid has yet to reach them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We haven’t received any support from the government or aid organizations yet. Everyone comes and asks us questions, then they go back,” Ghulam Nabi, who is from the province’s Burka district, told Arab News in a phone interview.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We lost our houses and our lives. Everything we had is under mud now. The agriculture land and livestock, our only source of livelihood, are also completely destroyed. We don’t have the basic means to cook food for ourselves.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since mid-April, flash flooding and other floods had left scores of people dead and destroyed farmlands across Afghanistan, a country where 80 percent of its more than 41 million people depend on agriculture to survive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The South Asian nation is prone to natural disasters and is considered by the UN to be one of countries most vulnerable to climate change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aid group Save the Children said about 600,000 people, half of them children, live in the five districts in Baghlan that have been severely impacted by the recent floods.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Lives and livelihoods have been washed away. The flash floods tore through villages, sweeping away homes and killing livestock. Children have lost everything,” Arshad Malik, the group’s country director in Afghanistan, said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most of the affected areas are still cut off on Sunday, inaccessible by trucks as roads and bridges were damaged by the floods, which also impacted other public infrastructure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People were struggling to access essential health services, the World Health Organization said in a statement, as “several health facilities remain non-operational.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abdul Fatah Jawad, director of Ehsas Welfare and Social Services Organization, said that many of the flood survivors were still in shock, reports Arab News</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“People are so scared and traumatized. Most houses that survived the flooding are emptied as people fear more floods. Families took refuge in school yards and deserted areas far from residential houses,” Jawad told Arab News.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said families are in urgent need of basic goods, such as food, drinking water, medicine, tents, blankets and shelter. Since Saturday, his organization has managed to deliver cooked food for hundreds of families.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“People, particularly children, need to eat something … They also need cash to rebuild their houses and their businesses,” he said. “Some families lost everything — house, land, livestock, business. They are completely helpless.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 13:16:59', '2024-05-12 13:16:59'),
(12346, 12346, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A Cumilla court on Sunday sentenced nine people to death and nine others to life imprisonment for killing former president of Alkora union unit Jubo League Jamal Uddin in 2016.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cumilla Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Jahangir Hossain handed down the punishment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The court also acquitted five others as allegations brought against them could not be proved.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the prosecution, former chairman of Alkora union parishad Ismail Hossain Bacchu and Jubo League leader Jamal had been at loggerheads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On January 8, 2016, Jamal was abducted by the convicts following rivalry with the chairman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, they took him to an under-construction building where they killed the Jubo League leader.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Zohra Begum, elder sister of Jamal, filed a case against 21 identified and some unidentified people. Police submitted a chargesheet against 23 people. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 13:53:59', '2024-05-12 13:53:59'),
(12347, 12347, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Thousands more civilians have fled Russia\'s renewed ground offensive in Ukraine\'s northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire, officials said Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The intense battles have forced at least one Ukrainian unit to withdraw in the Kharkiv region, capitulating more land to Russian forces across less defended settlements in the so-called contested \"gray zone\" along the Russian border.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, a 10-story apartment block collapsed in the Russian city of Belgorod, near the border, with several deaths and injuries reported. Russian authorities said the building collapsed following Ukrainian shelling. Ukraine has not commented on the incident.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At least 4,000 civilians have fled the Kharkiv region since Friday, when Moscow\'s forces launched the operation, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said in a social media statement. Heavy fighting raged Sunday along the northeast front line, where Russian forces attacked 27 settlements in the past 24 hours, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analysts say the Russian push is designed to exploit ammunition shortages before promised Western supplies can reach the front line. Ukrainian soldiers said the Kremlin is using the usual Russian tactic by launching a disproportionate amount of fire and infantry assaults to exhaust their troops and firepower.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It comes after Russia stepped up attacks in March targeting energy infrastructure and settlements, which analysts predicted were a concerted effort by Moscow to shape conditions for an offensive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that disrupting Russia\'s offensive in the area was a priority, and that Kyiv\'s troops were continuing counteroffensive operations in seven villages around the Kharkiv region. According to AP reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 14:00:13', '2024-05-12 14:00:13'),
(12348, 12348, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Stopping British arms sales to Israel if it launches a ground assault on Rafah in the Gaza Strip would strengthen Hamas, Britain’s foreign secretary David Cameron said today.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel ordered Palestinians to evacuate more of the southern city yesterday in an indication it was pressing ahead with its plans for a ground attack, despite US president Joe Biden’s threat to withhold the supply of some weapons if it did so.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cameron said he did not support an operation in Rafah in the absence of a plan to protect hundreds of thousands of civilians sheltering in the southern border city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, Britain was in a “completely different position” to the US in terms of providing arms to Israel, he said, noting that the less than 1% of Israel’s weapons that came from Britain were already controlled by a strict licensing system.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We could, if we chose to, make a sort of political message and say we are going to take that political step,” he told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The last time I was urged to do that (…), just a few days later there was a brutal attack by Iran on Israel, including 140 cruise missiles,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cameron said the “better answer” would be for Hamas, which controls Gaza, to accept a hostage deal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Just to simply announce today we’re going to change our whole approach to arms exports rather than go through our careful process, it would strengthen Hamas, it would make a hostage deal less likely, I don’t think it would be the right approach,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 people hostage, according to Israeli tallies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel’s military response in Gaza has killed close to 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Source: Reuters </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 14:03:48', '2024-05-12 14:04:02'),
(12349, 12349, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said Bangladesh welcomes Artificial Intelligence, but it has to take some protective measurers.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“We welcome Artificial Intelligence, but we have to take some protection measurers through enacting laws preventing its misuses,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said this while Archbishop Kevin S. Randall, Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to Bangladesh called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the call on, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said that the prime minister mentioned that Bangladesh is a country of religious harmony where Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists are living peacefully.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We celebrate our festivals all together,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The archbishop appreciated Bangladesh’s stance and steps taken on climate change and Rohingya issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-12 14:10:24', '2024-05-12 14:10:24'),
(12350, 12350, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Despite launching several new development projects aimed at enhancing its services, Bangladesh Railway continues to struggle with the maintenance of old rail lines and bridges, leading to an increase in accidents, including derailments.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sources from Bangladesh Railway report that approximately 63% of rail accidents are due to deteriorating lines and weak bridges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Out of the country\'s 3,400 kilometers of railway lines, only key sections such as the Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Joydebpur, and Jashore-Abdullahpur lines are double-tracked, while the majority remain single-tracked and in poor condition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Transport experts have identified numerous systemic issues including frequent station closures, aging rolling stock, deteriorating infrastructure, overcrowding, delays, ticketing problems, and general mismanagementâ€”all contributing to the railway\'s challenges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rail accidents are increasing due to signaling errors, expired coach connections, insufficient supervision of rail lines, risky rail crossings, and lack of passenger facilities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to unofficial information, there are more than 3,400 kilometers of railway lines across the country, of which only 1,000 kilometers are in good condition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr. Hadiuzzaman, a transportation analyst and professor at BUET, criticized the ongoing neglect of essential maintenance in favor of expanding the railway\'s assets. \"There\'s a tendency to focus on acquiring new locomotives and coaches because it initially costs less than maintaining infrastructure. However, this neglects the crucial upkeep needed for existing rail lines and bridges,\" he explained.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The neglect is evident in the fact that nearly 2,500 kilometers of rail tracks are considered risky, yet trains continue to operate on them, leading to reduced speeds and efficiency. This was highlighted by recent incidents, including a head-on collision between two trains in Gazipur’s Joydebpur due to signaling errors and multiple signaling mistakes on the Dohazari-Cox\'s Bazar line in Chattogram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The traditional signaling method, reliant on manual point adjustments by pointsmen, has been identified as a key risk factor. Station masters\' errors in signal provision can lead trains onto the same track, risking collisions. The manual system also increases the likelihood of derailments due to improper point configurations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Progress on modernizing the signaling system has been hampered by financial constraints and delays in payments to contractors, particularly in major projects like the construction of additional lines from Dhaka to Tongi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sardar Shahadat Ali, Director General of Bangladesh Railway, acknowledged the challenges posed by the ongoing projects and the transition to a computer-based interlocking system. He cited staffing shortages and a lack of skilled workers as exacerbating risks but mentioned ongoing efforts to recruit skilled signal staff and strengthen monitoring systems to enhance safety.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite these efforts, the newly recruited personnel are still not proficient in the old manual signaling methods, and outsourced pointsmen lack specialized railway training. Regular personnel turnover further complicates the training and adaptation process.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the 2022-23 annual report of the Ministry of Railways, 315 passenger trains operate across the country. Among them, 143 trains started their journey in the past 15 years. During this time, 843 kilometers of new railway tracks have been constructed, and 1,391 kilometers of railway lines have been repaired.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, buildings have been constructed for 146 new railway stations. Reconstruction of 273 station buildings, construction of 1,037 new bridges, reconstruction of 794 railway bridges, acquisition of 109 locomotives, collection of 658 passenger carriages, relocation of 530 passenger carriages, collection of 516 freight wagons, relocation of 277 freight wagons, and so on, have been done.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, there are 1,788 coaches, 47% of which have gone beyond their service life. The number of operational engines is only 295.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Against a required workforce of 47,600 in the railway, only 24,000 are currently employed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the past five years, more than 2,000 accidents have occurred, leaving more than 150 passengers dead, and around 500 injured. In the last four months alone, there have been 160 railway accidents and incidents of sabotage across the country. In these incidents, 18 passengers have died, and 200 have been injured. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 13:34:28', '2024-05-13 13:34:28');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12351, 12351, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>France will provide assistance in setting up lightning protection devices, constructing infrastructure and providing training in addition to exchanging technical knowledge on it in Bangladesh.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief&nbsp; Md Mohibbur Rahman said this while talking to reporters on Monday after a meeting with France Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy&nbsp; at the secretariat.</div><div><br></div><div>Voicing concern over the rising fatalities from lightning strikes recently, the state minister said the government is working to reduce the number of fatalities and losses caused by lightning strikes.</div><div><br></div><div>Apart from raising awareness among people over lightning, effective measures will be taken to install lightning prevention devices, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 13:44:12', '2024-05-13 13:44:12'),
(12352, 12352, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladeshi vessel MV Abdullah which was released on April 14 with all 23 crew members after 31 days of captivity by Somali pirates, anchored at Kutubdia point in the Bay of Bengal in Cox’s Bazar district on Monday evening, ending long wait of families.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mizanul Islam, media adviser of the vessel owner KSRM Group , said the vessel reached the Kutubdia coast around 6:30 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The family members and relatives of the crew members will receive them at Chattogram’s Sadarghat jetty on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 23 crew members&nbsp; will reunite with their families 64 days after being taken hostage by pirates.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A festive mood has been prevailing among the family members of the crew members for their safe return.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The vessel will leave for Chattogram port after unloading goods at Kutubdia, said Mizanul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“All the crew members are safe and sound as far as I know and the further development will be known later,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The vessel, which was hijacked for 33 days, departed Al-Hamriya Port in the United Arab Emirates for Bangladesh on April 28 after unloading 55,000 metric tonnes of coal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MV Abdullah initially anchored at the UAE port on the evening of April 22, following its release from pirates’ captivity.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ship first arrived at the outer anchorage of the port on April 21, following its ordeal which began on March 12 when it was seized by Somali pirates about 600 nautical miles off the Somali coast en route from Mozambique to Dubai.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The pirates took control of the vessel and its crew, holding them until a ransom of Tk 55 crore facilitated their release on the night of April 13. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'National', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 13:55:34', '2024-05-13 13:55:34'),
(12353, 12353, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Saudi Ambassador Essa Yousef Essa Alduhailan has said that he is taking initiative to provide visas for the hajj pilgrims who are yet to get their visas. The assurance came today during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence, Ganabhaban.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The visa initiative was a response to Prime Minister Hasina’s request to extend the visa approval timeframe, enabling the pilgrims to participate in the upcoming Hajj. More than 10,000 hajj pilgrims are yet to get visa from Saudi Arabia due to various complexities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s speechwriter M Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the discussion, the ambassador presented a list of projects Saudi investors aim to implement in Bangladesh. The PM said that Bangladesh will review these proposals carefully, emphasizing the need for thorough evaluation before moving forward. She assured that the concerned ministries and divisions will look into the matter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The talks also touched on broader geopolitical issues, including support for Palestine. Prime Minister Hasina reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to aiding the Palestinian people, mentioning recent consignments of assistance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The whole world is with Palestine except the US and few of its allies,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, with nearly 32 lakh Bangladeshis residing in Saudi Arabia, contributing significantly to both nations’ economies, Hasina urged the Saudi government to encourage the use of legal channels for remittances. This effort aims to secure economic benefits for Bangladesh while maintaining strong bilateral ties.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The meeting was attended by several high-ranking officials, including PM’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, Ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin, and PMO Secretary Mohammad Salauddin, according to UNB reports </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 14:13:20', '2024-05-13 14:13:39'),
(12354, 12354, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Thousands of Filipino pilgrims are set to travel to Makkah for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos said on Monday, with the first batch set to leave for Saudi Arabia next week.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>In the predominantly Catholic Philippines, Muslims constitute about 10 percent of the nearly 120 million population. Most live on the island of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago in the country’s south, as well as in the central-western province of Palawan, reports Arab News.</div><div><br></div><div>The commission said that nearly 5,000 Muslims had confirmed they would travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage this year.</div><div><br></div><div>“We have already processed 96 percent of the pilgrims,” Zainoden Usudan, chief of Hajj operations at the NCMF’s Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment, said.</div><div><br></div><div>“They can expect VIP-like treatment, allowing them to fully concentrate on their pilgrimage.”</div><div><br></div><div>Officials from the commission have been working hard to ensure that the difficulties faced by pilgrims last year will not be a problem this time around.</div><div><br></div><div>“This time, we are making sure that food will not be a problem,” Usudan said, referring to problems with delayed meal deliveries in 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the commission was working with a service provider in the Kingdom that had contingency plans for all aspects of the trip, including transportation.</div><div><br></div><div>The first Hajj flight from the Philippines is set to take off from Manila International Airport on May 23.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 14:26:22', '2024-05-13 14:26:22'),
(12355, 12355, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Australian researchers have made a breakthrough in engineering crops that are capable of more efficiently sucking carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a new study, a team from the Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Newcastle discovered how an enzyme called carboxysomal carbonic anhydrase (CsoSCA) maximizes the ability of cyanobacteria to extract CO2 from the atmosphere.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also known as blue-green algae, cyanobacteria are a group of microorganisms commonly known for causing toxic blooms in lakes and rivers and also responsible for capturing approximately 12 percent of the Earth\'s atmospheric CO2 every year through the photosynthesis process.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Unlike plants, cyanobacteria have a system called a carbon dioxide concentrating mechanism (CCM), which allows them to fix carbon from the atmosphere and turn it into sugars at a significantly faster rate than standard plants and crop species,\" Sacha Pulsford, first author of the study from ANU, said in a media release on Saturday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Understanding how the CCM works not only enriches our knowledge of natural processes fundamental to Earth\'s biogeochemistry but may also guide us in creating sustainable solutions to some of the biggest environmental challenges the world is facing.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The team found that another molecule called RuBP activates and deactivates CsoSCA like a switch. When a cell runs out of RuBP, the CsoSCA enzyme is switched off, making cyanobacteria highly efficient at turning carbon dioxide into sugar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Researchers believe that the discovery of how CsoSCA is controlled could help engineer climate-resilient crops that are more efficient at capturing and utilizing CO2, helping improve crop yield while reducing demand for nitrogen fertilizer and irrigation systems. - XINHUA</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 14:32:23', '2024-05-13 14:32:23'),
(12356, 12356, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Three men have been charged with allegedly assisting Hong Kong intelligence services and with foreign interference, London’s Metropolitan Police said Monday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The men will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged under the National Security Act.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, have each been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“While these offenses are concerning, I want to reassure the public that we do not believe there to be any wider threat to them,” said Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This investigation remains ongoing, but now that charges have been brought, I urge people not to speculate or comment further in relation to this case.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hong Kong’s security bureau, Hong Kong police and the office of China’s foreign ministry in Hong Kong did immediately respond to requests for comment. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 14:43:26', '2024-05-13 14:43:26'),
(12357, 12357, '<div><br></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Let us take leave...</span></div><div>To roam freely on the dew-kissed green grass,</div><div>To breathe the air of the night-blooming jasmine flowers,</div><div>And to imagine their beauty in the eternal hours.</div><div><br></div><div>Let us take leave…</div><div>To spread warmth,</div><div>As a fire pit does during the winter, </div><div>And to find a new rhythm in the fairy star,</div><div><br></div><div>Let us take leave...</div><div>To get carried away with the stream of a river,<span style=\"white-space:pre\">	</span></div><div>And to live happily in a mud house</div><div>With the sweetness of our true hearts forever,</div><div>And forever and forever.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Protiva Rani Karmaker', '[\"35\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 14:46:57', '2024-05-13 14:55:45'),
(12358, 12358, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has said that issues related to visa policy and Dhaka’s call for withdrawal of sanctions may come up for discussion during Donald Lu’s visit.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“These issues may naturally come up,” he said when a reporter wanted to know whether Bangladesh will raise these issues as US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu is coming to Dhaka on May 14.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lu will be here as part of his tri-nation tour of the region (May 10-15). He visited India and is now visiting Sri Lanka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Assistant Secretary Lu will conclude his trip in Dhaka, where he will meet with government officials, civil society leaders, and other Bangladeshis to discuss Bangladesh-US cooperation, including addressing the climate crisis and deepening economic ties, according to the US Department of State, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign minister said Bangladesh maintains excellent relations with the United States and they will work together to take the relations further.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Whoever visits Bangladesh from the US administration, we will work together to advance our relationship. There are economic relations and we have cooperation in various fields,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', '<p><b>Donald Lu’s visit:&nbsp;</b><br></p>', 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 14:55:10', '2024-05-13 14:55:10'),
(12359, 12359, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Monday’s polling in the fourth round of multi-phase national elections across nine states and one union territory will be pivotal for Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, as it includes some of its strongholds in states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country\'s gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra&nbsp; Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Crucial seats in Maharashtra and Bihar states, where the BJP governs in alliances with regional parties, are also up for grabs in this phase.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bihar’s Samastipur city, hundreds of voters lined up at a polling station that opened at 7 a.m. amid tight security arrangements. Voters said they were concerned about rising food prices, lack of employment and economic development in the state.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most polls predict a win for Modi and his BJP, which is up against a broad opposition alliance led by the Indian National Congress and powerful regional parties.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The staggered election will run until June 1 and nearly 970 million voters, more than 10% of the world’s population, will elect 543 members to the lower house of Parliament for five years. The votes are scheduled to be counted on June 4.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Monday will also see the end of polling in the country’s five southern states, a region that has mostly rejected Modi’s BJP since it first came to power in 2014 but where winning more seats is crucial for the party\'s campaign goal of securing a two-thirds majority in Parliament.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kashmir’s largest city, Srinagar, will also vote Monday in the first polls since Modi’s government stripped the disputed region of its semi-autonomy and took direct control of it in 2019. Despite hailing the move as a success that would bring economic development to the region, the BJP is not contesting in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, where anti-India sentiment runs deep. According to AP reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 14:59:00', '2024-05-13 14:59:00'),
(12360, 12360, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that Bangladesh is ruled by a government elected by the people, dismissing opposition claims of unseen forces at play.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Bangladesh is governed by a government that the people have elected,\" Quader stated. \"It is characteristic of BNP to attribute governance to invisible forces, with Hawa Bhaban previously serving as their alternative power center. Their current predicaments and mental strain are direct consequences of their past actions,\" he elaborated.</div><div><br></div><div>Quader also criticized the opposition’s recent statements. \"BNP\'s press conferences are exercises in turning falsehoods into perceived truths. Mirza Fakhrul and other BNP leaders engage in deceptive and propagandistic tactics.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding international relations, Quader discussed the upcoming visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, noting that the visit aims to enhance the bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and the United States.</div><div><br></div><div>Quader praised the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, highlighting significant socioeconomic and infrastructural developments over the past 15 years. \"Under Sheikh Hasina\'s leadership, Bangladesh has transformed from a country grappling with a food crisis to one that is self-sufficient in food production. Additionally, her initiatives in healthcare, such as community clinics, have received global recognition,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', '<p><b>Referring to Hawa Bhaban,</b><br></p>', 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 15:04:52', '2024-05-13 15:04:52'),
(12361, 12361, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Flash floods and mud slides in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province killed at least 43 people over the weekend while a search for 15 missing people continued, authorities said on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Torrential rain on Saturday evening triggered flash floods, landslides, and cold lava flow — a mud-like mixture of volcanic ash, rock debris and water — in three districts in West Sumatra province, Abdul Malik, chief of the provincial rescue team, said.</div><div><br></div><div>The cold lava flow, known in Indonesia as a lahar, came from Mount Marapi, one of Sumatra’s most active volcanoes.</div><div><br></div><div>In December, more than 20 people were killed after Marapi erupted. A series of eruptions has followed since.</div><div><br></div><div>“The heavy rain swept materials such as ash and large rocks from the Marapi volcano,” said Abdul Malik, who later added in a statement that 43 people had died and 15 remained missing.</div><div><br></div><div>“Cold lava flow and flash floods have always been threats to us recently. But the problem is, it always happens late at night until dawn,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Abdul said around 400 personnel, including rescuers, police, and military, were deployed to search for the missing people on Monday, helped by at least eight excavators and drones.</div><div><br></div><div>The national disaster and management agency BNPB said in a statement almost 200 houses were damaged and 72 hectares (178 acres) of lands, including rice fields, were affected. At least 159 people from Agam district were evacuated to nearby schools. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 15:07:33', '2024-05-13 15:07:33'),
(12362, 12362, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>India and Iran on Monday signed a 10-year contract to develop and equip the strategic Chabahar port in Iran as India seeks to grow trade in west and central Asia.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The agreement will give India 10-year access to use the port, located close to Iran’s southeastern border with Pakistan, according to Iran’s ministry of roads and urban development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The contract will, in turn, see India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) invest US$370 million into “providing strategic equipment” and “developing the transport infrastructure of the port”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iran’s urban development minister Mehrdad Bazrpash and India’s ports and shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal signed the contract in the town of Chabahar, in a ceremony broadcast live on state media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India in 2016 agreed to finance the development of the Iranian port as a trading hub for central Asia as Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to revive economic ties with Tehran after the lifting of sanctions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Modi and former Iranian president Hassan Rouhani oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the provision of a line of credit from India’s EXIM Bank to develop the port.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The development of the port however stalled, despite waivers to sanctions that the US began reimposing in 2018 after withdrawing from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Chabahar…can act as a focal point in the transit developement of the region,” Bazrpash said at the signing ceremony.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are pleased with this agreement, and we have full trust in India,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Iran and India are seeking to develop Chabahar port as much as possible, taking into account the interests of the two countries for joint access to regional markets,” the Indian minister said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This “long-term contract symbolises the enduring trust and effective partnership between India and Iran,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2019, before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, both countries agreed to speed up the project after a visit by India’s external affairs minster Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to Tehran.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chabahar port is on the Indian Ocean about 100km west of the Pakistan border. Source: AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-13 15:13:05', '2024-05-13 15:13:05'),
(12363, 12363, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu arrived here on Tuesday (May 14, 2024) to \"strengthen bilateral cooperation\" and to demonstrate US support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, he will meet with government officials, civil society leaders, and other Bangladeshis to talk about deepening Bangladesh-US cooperation, including deepening the economic ties in ways that the two countries can collaborate further to address climate issues, said Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State Vedant Patel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lu is here as part of his tri-nation tour of the region. He earlier visited India and Sri Lanka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is also his first visit to Bangladesh after Awami League won the January 7 elections to form government for the third straight term.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He is there to strengthen bilateral cooperation with each country and to demonstrate U.S. support for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,\" Patel said from Washington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM\'s adviser Salman F Rahman will host a dinner in honour of Donald Lu and his delegation at his residence today,&nbsp; said a senior official.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lu will have a bilateral meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and a courtesy meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud during his three-day stay.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Wednesday, Lu will meet Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury at 12pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His meeting with the Foreign Secretary will be held at 1pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The courtesy meeting with the Foreign Minister will be held at 3pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Early morning on Thursday, Lu will leave Dhaka for Washington.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was received at Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport by Khandker Masudul Alam, director general (North America)&nbsp; at Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US Ambassador in Dhaka Peter Haas was also present.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a regular briefing at the US Department of State, a journalist wanted to know whether there is any specific reason why, on this third visit to Bangladesh within 17 months, assistant secretary is not holding meeting with any political party leaders, unlike his previous two visits where he engaged with various political parties, including BNP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The journalist asked, \"Has the United States shifted this position on internal political matter in Bangladesh?\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In reply, Patel said a lot of factors go into who their government officials meet with or not – the schedule, time of day, lots of other things, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Assistant Secretary Lu is on a swing through a number of South Asian countries – specifically India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Monday, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said that issues related to visa policy and Dhaka’s call for withdrawal of sanctions may come up for discussion during Lu’s visit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 07:26:24', '2024-05-14 07:26:24'),
(12364, 12364, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>According to a recent Finance Ministry document, the administration is also committed to continued issuance of Islamic securities Sukuks but has currently shelved plans for Eurobond issuances on the global market. In an effort to promote a robust domestic debt market, the Bangladesh government is strategizing to increase its share of marketable securities in the coming years.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As fiscal deficits loom, with projections showing a deficit of Tk 2792.3 billion for FY 2024-25 and Tk 3170.7 billion for FY 2025-26 - equating to 5% of GDP each year - the government underscores the need for strategic domestic borrowing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The focus remains on minimizing borrowing costs through traditional external creditors, which are preferred, the document detailed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The strategy for addressing deficits includes an ambitious target of collecting Tk 1200.3 billion from external sources in FY 2024-25 and Tk 1306.4 billion in FY 2025-26, each constituting 2.1% of GDP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Domestic sourcing is expected to contribute significantly more, with plans to collect Tk 1677.7 billion and Tk 1864.4 billion over the same periods, representing 2.9% of GDP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Significantly, the banking sector is anticipated to contribute Tk 1384.9 billion in FY 2024-25 and Tk 1547.3 billion in FY 2025-26. In comparison, non-banking sectors will contribute Tk 292.8 billion and Tk 317.1 billion respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Savings certificates will add Tk 191.4 billion and Tk 190.3 billion, while other sources are projected to contribute over Tk 100 billion annually.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government maintains a prudent deficit financing policy to stave off debt distress, keeping the deficit steady at around 5% of GDP and maintaining a stable debt level at around 33% of GDP in recent years, the finance ministry document explained. This balanced approach aims to mitigate the risks associated with deficit financing while prioritizing sustainable economic development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In terms of the medium-term outlook, the government expects domestic borrowing to remain stable at 2.9% of GDP. However, the approach to marketable securities will see a significant nominal increase, with a planned reduction in the reliance on higher-cost National Savings Certificate instruments, which will see a gradual decrease in their contribution to the financing mix.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">External financing is also projected to increase nominally between FY 2023-24 and FY 2025-26, driven by greater disbursement for large projects and increased budget support, though dependent on the pace of project implementation, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh has received considerable budget support from external sources in recent years, a trend expected to continue in the medium term, the document stated, highlighting the ongoing commitment to leveraging both domestic and international financial strategies to meet fiscal challenges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 07:41:47', '2024-05-14 07:41:47'),
(12365, 12365, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) today announced the squad for the upcoming ICC Men\'s T20 World Cup, taking place next month in the USA and West Indies.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Taskin Ahmed was uncertain due to a muscle injury, but he was eventually added to the squad as the vice-captain.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mohammad Saifuddin, who played in the last home series against Zimbabwe, but he is overlooked for the World Cup. Instead of Saifuddin, Bangladesh selected Tanzim Hasan Sakib.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh\'s campaign begins on June 7, against Sri Lanka in Dallas, followed by a match against South Africa in New York on June 10. The team will then travel to the West Indies for their remaining two first-round matches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prior to the tournament, Bangladesh will play a practice-match against India in New York on June 1 and a three-match T20I-Series against the hosts, USA, in Houston. This series will also feature the World Cup Squad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Gazi Ashraf Hossain, Abdur Razzak, and and Hannan Sarkar were present at the squad announcement. Gazi Ashraf, the chief selector, announced the squad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Squad for ICC Men\'s T20 World Cup 2024</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Taskin Ahmed (vice-captain), Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali, Tanvir Islam, Sheikh Mahedi, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Reserves: Hasan Mahmud and Afif Hossain. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 08:06:22', '2024-05-14 08:06:22'),
(12366, 12366, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A large billboard collapsed onto people during heavy rain and thunderstorms in India\'s western city of Mumbai, killing at least 14 and injuring 74 others, reports said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A rescue operation was ongoing Tuesday morning, and it was unclear how many people may still be trapped.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The rains, accompanied by high winds, caused the 30-meters-tall (100-foot-tall) billboard to fall over a gas station in the suburb of Ghatkopar on Monday evening. At least 47 people were rescued late into the night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police are investigating the incident and say the billboard was illegally installed, officials told the Press Trust of India news agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The officials said 31 of the injured had been discharged from the hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India has heavy rain and severe floods during the monsoon season between June and September that brings most of its annual rainfall. The rain is crucial for agriculture but often causes extensive damage. - AP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 08:52:12', '2024-05-14 08:52:12'),
(12367, 12367, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The government is indifferent to US sanctions and visa policies. His comments came during a discussion today with journalists at the Secretariat addressing contemporary issues, said Obaidul Quader, Road Transport and Bridges Minister and General Secretary of the Awami League.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I do not want to discuss this matter. They come and go as part of their routine,” Quader mentioned. US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu has come to Bangladesh with his own agenda, emphasizing that the government did not extend an invitation to him.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Quader commented, “He is not even a Foreign Minister! Why all this fuss about him! He has come here out of necessity, they have their agenda. When relationships exist, discussions on various issues related to those relationships will happen.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader also referenced previous discussions related to visa policies and sanctions before the elections, highlighting that the stance remains unchanged. “We do not care about any kind of sanctions or visa policies,” Quader declared when asked about the political implications of Lu’s visit.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 09:14:03', '2024-05-14 09:14:03'),
(12368, 12368, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Acclaimed Bollywood actress Tabu has been cast in a significant recurring role in the upcoming Max prequel series “Dune: Prophecy,” Variety reports. Although the series is still pending a premiere date, anticipation builds as it delves into the origins of the “Dune” universe.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Originally commissioned in 2019 as “Dune: The Sisterhood,” the series is inspired by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s novel “Sisterhood of Dune.” It unfolds 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides and focuses on two Harkonnen sisters who navigate political upheavals to establish the Bene Gesserit, a key faction in the Dune saga.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tabu is set to portray Sister Francesca, a character described as “strong, intelligent, and alluring.” Sister Francesca’s intriguing backstory includes a former romantic entanglement with the Emperor, which, upon her return to the palace, disrupts the established power dynamics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of India’s most respected actresses, Tabu has earned considerable acclaim for her versatile performances, winning the National Film Award for Best Actress twice and securing several Filmfare Awards. Her international projects include notable films like “Life of Pi,” “The Namesake,” and the BBC drama “A Suitable Boy.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The series boasts a diverse ensemble cast including Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Johdi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, and several others. Despite a series of creative shifts and showrunner changes that led to a reset in 2023, “Dune: Prophecy” is poised to add a rich prequel to the “Dune” franchise, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the recent success of two new “Dune” films, which collectively grossed over $1.1 billion, and a third installment in development, the “Dune” universe continues to expand its cinematic and television footprint, captivating audiences worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 09:38:41', '2024-05-14 09:38:41'),
(12369, 12369, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>It is faster than previous models and has been trained to respond to commands in a conversational, often alluring, tone.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OpenAI has introduced the newest version of the technology that powers its AI chatbot ChatGPT.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It\'s called GPT-4o, and it will be made available to all ChatGPT users, including non-subscribers, reports BBC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The updated version can read and analyse photographs, translate languages, and detect emotions through visual expressions. There is also enhanced memory, which allows it to recall prior commands, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">GOT-4o may be interrupted and has a more natural conversational tempo; there is no gap between asking a question and receiving a response.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mira Murati, OpenAI\'s chief technical officer, characterised GPT-4o as \"magical\" but stated that the company will \"remove that mysticism\" with the product\'s release, said the report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While this technology is fast getting more sophisticated and believable as a companion, it is not sentient or magical; rather, it is clever programming and machine learning, it also said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There have been rumours about a collaboration between OpenAI and Apple, and while this has not been verified, it was clear during the presentation that Apple devices were used throughout.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 09:43:48', '2024-05-14 09:43:48');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12370, 12370, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The recent expulsion of as many as 142 grassroots leaders and activists by BNP’s central leadership reportedly at the behest of Tarique Rahman for their participation in local government elections testifies to a glaring refusal to the fugitive chief’s earlier call for hitting streets and shunning polls, according to political analysts.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The political observers found BNP\'s election boycott a suicidal and undemocratic move that is pushing the party to further isolation from the voters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, experts say the move to thwart polls and later spreading disinformation to discredit the polls by top BNP leaders have further exposed the once born in barrack party’s reluctance to achieve any public mandate for grabbing power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Months before the polls, Tarique came up with a call “not ballot, the course of country to be decided on streets”, followed by month-long blockade and arson campaign reportedly by BNP Jamaat combine leadership including Ruhul Kabir Rizvi what rights activists deemed a slap on the face of democracy and protecting rights.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Days back, a local BNP leader who publicly renounced Tarique for his policy to assume power by boycotting polls with milk bathing became viral, a symbolic but powerful show of rejection to the party chief who has been evading justice by fleeing to UK despite found guilty of money laundering and colluding with militants in an assassination plot of Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The culture of boycotting national polls unfolded from BNP’s playbook in 2014, a similar strategy in 2024 has been replicated citing non-conducive polls condition but in between this decade an outright failure has been exhibited to garner public support by BNP but no sign of course correction, they added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, reported allegations of misappropriation of money meant for party’s grassroots leadership and activists by Tarique’s loyalists as pressed by local leaders are another marker of an extremely volatile condition and that BNP leader Khaleda Zia’s son’s handpicked leaders\' acceptance within local level are on the wane.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Instead of accepting the political blunder by asking party cadres to stop the polls and taking up efforts to recover the already sullied image of party, public mandate secured by as many as 16 now former BNP leaders in different ranks in the first phase of polls yet a renewed insistence by Tarique and his loyalists in pursuant to demand for snap polls and the call for thwarting even local government polls is another manifestation of undemocratic exercise let alone pushing the party, in further isolation” said Mesbah Kamal, an academic of Dhaka University.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over Tarique’s departure from the country for over 15 years, Mesbah added “It seems Tarique’s absence from the country for a decade has cut him off from on ground reality, abstention from local government polls further pushed the country into mass level isolation and expulsion spree weakened the outfit further at grassroots”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ajoy Das Gupta, another political observer, likened the politics of boycotting polls with an inglorious episode of BNP’s founder and Tarique’s father Gen Zia who focused on consolidating power not with public mandate but with force.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">From the times of the party’s founder General Ziaur Rahman—country’s first military dictator— a farcical referendum had not only been rigged and weaponised to legitimise the iron clad rule till the trait of grabbing power by force without securing mandate of people..... exhibits the the party’s withdrawal from democracy, added Ajoy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another alarming trend has been renewed push to spread lies to discredit the polls turnout by BNP to hide failure in garnering public support, according to Gazi Nasiruddin Khokon, a senior journalist.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Boycotting elections has consequences. In the first place, it leads to disillusionment among party workers, who feel left out of the political process and therefore irrelevant, said Syed Badrul Ahsan, a senior researcher and political observer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the second, it carries the risk of citizens not taking seriously a party which endlessly boycotts elections, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Finally, it is a threat to democracy since constant boycotts of elections lead to suspicions that the party staying away from the polling stations may have other political strategies, not necessarily conducive to elections and the public interest, it believes will install it in power”, said Syed Badrul, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like 2014, months prior to last national polls, BNP and Jamaat combine enforced over a month-long blockade that saw arson attacks on vehicles and trains, alongside, further solidification of ties with Jamaat despite the outfit publicly threatened to introduce Saariah law and abolish all man made laws.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, several top BNP leaders had given deadline to capture power without polls like the declaration the country to be run at the directives of Khaleda Zia and Tarique.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 10:35:48', '2024-05-14 10:35:48'),
(12371, 12371, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Mild heat wave is sweeping over the central, northern, northeastern and southeastern parts of Bangladesh and it may continue, a met release said today.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Mild heat wave is sweeping over the districts of Tangail, Rajshahi, Pabna, Jashore, Nilphamari, Rangamati and Feni and it may continue\", said the weather forecast valid for next 24 hours from 9am today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day and night temperature may rise slightly over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Country\'s maximum temperature on Monday was recorded 37.0 degrees Celsius at Ishurdi and minimum temperature today was 23.8 degrees Celsius at Tetulia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Country\'s maximum rainfall for the last 24 hours till 6am today was recorded 20 millimeters (mm) at Patuakhali.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sun sets at 6.33 pm today and rises at 5.16am tomorrow in the capital. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 11:13:21', '2024-05-14 11:13:21'),
(12372, 12372, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bumper Boro production on the saline land in Khulna’s Koyra upazila has brought smiles to farmers.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The people of Koyra, which was devastated by cyclones including Sidr several times, have now started to turn around again with a new hope.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once only Bagda shrimp was cultivated in the saline land of Koyra. Due to frequent natural disasters, shrimps were affected by diseases, causing losses to farmers. As a result, farmers started Boro cultivation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During a recent visit, the UNB correspondent found fields covered with ripe Boro paddy in Koyra Sadar, Bagali, Maharajpur, Maheshwaripur and Amadi unions of Koyra upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some of the farmers were preparing to harvest paddy and some started harvesting paddy and many others started threshing paddy in their own backyards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rafiq Dhali of Koyra Sadar, Raghunath Das of Maharajpur, Rahima of Amadi, Sobhan Sheikh of Bagali said bumper yield will be achieved this time if rain doesn’t fall for 8/10 days, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Faruk Hossain, deputy assistant agriculture officer of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said the total cropland in Koyra upazila is 17,274 hectares.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This year, Boro was cultivated on 5725 hectares exceeding the target.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdullah Al Mamun said people in Koyra used live on cultivating shrimp in saline water areas and the Sundarbars, but they have been benefiting by cultivating watermelon and Boro paddy for the two years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 11:44:57', '2024-05-14 11:44:57'),
(12373, 12373, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Haripur 360 MW combined cycle power plant (CCPP), which generates electricity at lowest cost, is unlikely to get extension after completion of its 22-year initial contract period.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to official sources, the power plant, established by leading US company AES Corporation in 2001, completed its successful operational period in November 2023. Since then, the government has not taken electricity from the plant.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The AES Corporation developed two large base-load power plants—Haripur 360 MW CCPP in 2001 and Meghbaghat 450 MW CCPP in 2002—with the highest efficiency, but lowest cost.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the power purchase agreement (PPA), state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) had been purchasing electricity from the two first generation independent power producer (IPP) plants, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BPDB officials said that initially, Haripur\'s power tariff was Tk.1.56 per unit, which is the lowest not only in Bangladesh, but also in the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">According to a World Bank document publicly disclosed on June 24, 2014 which compared the power generation cost of different IPPS, shows that when the Khulna Power Company Limited was selling electricity to the BPDB at Tk 16.03 per unit in 1998, NEPC at Tk 20.20 per unit in 1999, Haripur was selling it at Tk 1.56 per unit and Meghbaghat was selling power at Tk 2.33 per unit.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 12:41:53', '2024-05-14 12:41:53'),
(12374, 12374, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury has said that Japan has shown keen interest in financing specific projects, particularly emphasizing disaster resilience and green financing through JICA.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Ambassador Kiminori expressed his country’s keenness while he was engaged in a productive discussion with Saber Hossain at the Secretariat on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both parties expressed anticipation for future projects and programs, with Ambassador Kiminori reaffirming Japan\'s unwavering support for Bangladesh\'s endeavors to combat climate change and bolster resilience to its impacts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh\'s annual funding requirement is of $9 billion for climate change initiatives, with the government presently allocating $3 billion, resulting in a substantial shortfall of $6 billion, said Saber.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Stressing the pivotal role of assistance from institutions like the ADB and World Bank, he highlighted the necessity for both multilateral and bilateral cooperation, noting Bangladesh\'s efficient utilization of available funds to address national needs, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The dialogue between Ambassador Kiminori and Minister Chowdhury encompassed bilateral cooperation in environmental conservation, sustainable forestry practices, and climate change mitigation strategies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering the enduring friendship between Japan and Bangladesh through collaborative efforts in tackling pressing environmental challenges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Discussions delved into the preservation of biodiversity, water bodies, natural resources, disaster management, climate change adaptation, as well as initiatives like the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan and the Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership and Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the realm of economic collaboration, the meeting also touched upon Japanese companies\' initiatives in promoting power plants and other projects in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 13:26:40', '2024-05-14 13:26:40'),
(12375, 12375, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Georgia’s parliament on Tuesday passed the third and final reading of a “foreign agents” bill, clearing a major hurdle on its way to becoming law.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The draft now goes to President Salome Zourabichvili, who has said she will veto it, but her decision can be overridden by another vote in parliament, controlled by the ruling party and its allies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Georgian television broadcast scuffles between the ruling party and opposition lawmakers, who pushed each other and gesticulated angrily during the debate on the bill, which government critics and Western countries have criticised as authoritarian and Russian-inspired.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Opponents of the bill, seen as a test of whether the South Caucasus country stays on a path towards integration with Europe or pivots back towards Russia, have called for further protests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The bill passed with 84 members of parliament out of 150 voting in favour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence, imposing onerous disclosure requirements and punitive fines for violations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Opponents have dubbed the bill “the Russian law”, comparing it to Russian legislation used to target critics of President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Georgia’s government says the bill is needed to promote transparency, combat “pseudo-liberal values” promoted by foreigners, and preserve the country’s sovereignty. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 14:21:23', '2024-05-14 14:21:23'),
(12376, 12376, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Three French prison officers were killed and two others wounded today in an attack on a prison van transporting an inmate who escaped, a police source told AFP.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ramming attack took place late morning at a road toll in Incarville in the Eure region of northern France, another source close to the case added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The inmate was being transported between the towns of Rouen and Evreux in Normandy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A police source said that the attack was carried out by a team of several individuals who arrived in two vehicles and themselves later fled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of them was also wounded, a police source said, but it was not immediately clear how many attackers there were in total, reports AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti confirmed the attack on the prison convoy and said on X he was immediately heading to a crisis cell at his ministry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 14:24:51', '2024-05-14 14:24:51'),
(12377, 12377, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rescuers have pulled four people out of the rubble of a building which collapsed in the Mathare neighbourhood of Kenya’s capital on Tuesday but more were suspected to be trapped in the debris, the Kenya Red Cross said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Mathare, in the east of Nairobi, is home to several hundred thousand people and one of the city’s largest informal settlements, where planning regulations are poorly enforced.</div><div><br></div><div>“Three out of the four rescued have been taken to a nearby health facility, while one with minor injuries was treated at the scene,” the Red Cross wrote on social media platform X.</div><div><br></div><div>The building was undergoing demolition when it collapsed, the Red Cross said.</div><div><br></div><div>Mathare was inundated with floodwater this month when the Mathare River, which runs through it, burst its banks after heavy rains, killing dozens and forcing thousands of people to leave their homes. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 14:28:05', '2024-05-14 14:28:05'),
(12378, 12378, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The size of the next national budget of Bangladesh, for the fiscal year 2024-25, will be Tk8 lakh crore.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the Tk 8 lakh crore budget when it was placed before her.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The budget is scheduled to be presented in the parliament on June 6, sources of the Finance Ministry confirmed UNB on Tuesday (May 14).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She gave an opinion in favor of discouraging the import of luxury goods in the next budget as well. Like the current fiscal year, the prime minister said that inflation control will be the top priority of the next budget.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister wanted to see whether the election manifesto is reflected in the first budget of the current term. She expressed satisfaction that the allocation of the budget set up by the Ministry of Finance reflects that.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The budget summary of FY2024-25 was presented in a meeting held at Ganobhaban on Monday chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the meeting sources, the Prime Minister has emphasized on control of inflation, increase in foreign direct investment (FDI), proper control of imports, careful undertaking of development projects, increase in revenue collection and taking necessary steps for this, increase in the income of expatriates through legitimate channels, increase in the number of beneficiaries under social security programs, etc.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Planning Minister Major General (Retd) Abdus Salam, state minister of finance Waseqa Ayesh Khan, state minister of planning Md. Shahiduzzaman, Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rauf Talukdar, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Muneem, Finance Secretary Dr. Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder along with the senior officials of the finance division, ministries of finance and planning were present in the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali was connected to the meeting through an online facility.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas&nbsp;</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 14:56:20', '2024-05-14 14:56:20'),
(12379, 12379, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">According to Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is prioritizing international organizations over climate-vulnerable countries in granting funds, contradicting its core principles.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This has resulted in developing nations like Bangladesh being deprived of necessary support.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TIB’s findings highlight GCF’s failures in fulfilling its mandate over the last 12 years, including inadequate fund collection from developed countries and the imposition of loans instead of grants on climate-vulnerable nations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TIB released the research “Accessing Green Climate Fund (GCF) for Vulnerable Countries like Bangladesh: Governance Challenges and Way Forward” during a press conference in Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This study, conducted from January 2023 to May 2024, used both qualitative and quantitative methods.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman criticized GCF’s stringent conditions, which have nearly barred developing countries from accessing funds.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He emphasized that GCF’s failure to adhere to its principles has led to significant delays in fund transfers and insufficient grant amounts for the intended recipients. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman pointed out the GCF\'s preferential treatment of international organizations like the UNDP, IDB, ADB, and EBRD, calling it unacceptable and contradictory to the GCF’s mission.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also highlighted the problematic shift towards loans over grants, burdening countries like Bangladesh with additional financial strain. Furthermore, despite corruption allegations, the UNDP’s accreditation was renewed, undermining GCF’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"4\",\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-14 15:00:48', '2024-05-14 15:01:47'),
(12380, 12380, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>There is no alternative to integrated social movements against child marriage, dowry, and violence against women, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We must recognise our girls not just as victims, but as the driving force behind change,” she said while inaugurating inaugurated a two-day event titled “ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development” that would create a platform to discuss the challenges and explore the opportunities of the world’s shifting demographics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Japan along with UNFPA are hosting the conference at Hotel Intercontinental on Wednesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said that Bangladesh has adopted the National Adolescent Health Strategy (2017-2030) and its implementation plan.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“To ensure health services for adolescents, we have established adolescent-friendly health service corners in 1,253 union-level service,” she said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that an initiative has been taken to distribute free sanitary napkins to nearly 5 million adolescent girls studying in grades six to twelve.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Furthermore, the government has launched the \"School Meal\" programme nationwide to meet the nutritional needs of school-going students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said that since 2010, the government has implemented the world\'s largest free textbook distribution programme at the secondary level, distributing approximately 464 million books until 2024.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In addition, we have introduced a stipend program to promote girls\' education from primary to higher secondary level.Girls\' education has been made charge-free up to twelfth grade.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She mentioned that the government has allocated 30 percent of national budget for the social and economic empowerment of women, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In line with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, we are implementing a national policy and plan of action for women\'s development,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, she mentioned that 42.6 percent of the total workforce comprises women.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“And we aim to increase it to 50 percent by 2030. We have also set targets to ensure 25 percent female participation in the ICT sector by 2026 and 50 percent by 2041,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2023 by the World Economic Forum, she said Bangladesh ranks seventh among 146 countries in terms of political empowerment, and first in the region.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 08:26:49', '2024-05-15 08:26:49'),
(12381, 12381, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Having spent much of his time in exploring the taste of Fuchka in Dhaka, visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu has got engaged with social media influencers, apparently going for people instead of politics.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His long informal conversation with PM\'s adviser Salman F Rahman over dinner, inclusion of a young climate activist in civil society small group discussion and his plans to meet cricketers ahead of the T20 World Cup demonstrate the scope and thrust of his visit differ greatly from previous ones - before the elections in Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We were thrilled to join the engaging discussions with the influential social media personalities and dedicated volunteers from Bangladesh. Whether you\'re into diplomacy, social impact, or just looking for some inspiration, these episodes of \'Cha with Peter + Don\' are a must-watch,\" the US Embassy in Dhaka shared on its social media platforms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen recently said the pre-election scenario and the current scenario are totally different.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A new government has been formed. A stable government is carrying forward its activities engaging with various countries. All countries think of engaging with Bangladesh,\"&nbsp; Momen said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking to reporters at his residence on Tuesday night, Salman said the United States expressed willingness to expand the existing relations with Bangladesh on key fronts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We want to rebuild the trust,\" Salman quoted Lu as saying during their discussion over dinner at his residence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"That\'s the most important thing. We also reciprocated saying that we also want that,\" the adviser added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two sides did not raise the \"kind of misunderstanding\" that apparently happened before the national election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 08:42:22', '2024-05-15 08:42:22'),
(12382, 12382, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Preventing Muslim migrants from gaining citizenship. Revoking the semi-autonomy of the country’s only Muslim-majority region. Building a Hindu temple where a violent mob razed a mosque.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These were political triumphs for Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the past decade, burnishing his reputation as a leader who prioritizes the interests India\'s Hindu majority. For India\'s 200 million Muslims, they highlight their waning political power in the world\'s largest democracy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tensions between Hindus and Muslims in India are not new, but they have gotten worse under Modi, whose ruling Bharatiya Janata Party touts a Hindu-nationalist ideology. And with Modi seemingly on the cusp of a third five-year term, the outlook for Muslim politicians — and citizens — is bleak. This year\'s vote will be decided in June.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It\'s not just that Modi has ramped up anti-Muslim rhetoric in campaign speeches. Ever since the BJP began its rise as a political force in the mid-1980s, the proportion of Muslim lawmakers in parliament and state legislatures has shrunk.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Muslim representation has fallen in the ruling BJP, and in opposition parties, too.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When Modi assumed power in 2014, the outgoing parliament had 30 Muslim lawmakers — and just one was a member of the BJP. Muslims now hold 25 out of 543 seats, and none belong to the BJP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India has gone from being a country where Muslims were largely marginalized to one where they are “actively excluded,” said Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a political scientist and historian at New Delhi’s Ashoka University.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Without representation, you are unable to ask the state for resources and articulate the kind of needs the community has in order to progress, whether its education, jobs, health or basic infrastructure,” Mahmudabad said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the mid-1980s, Muslims accounted for 11% of India\'s population, and had 9% of seats in parliament; today they are 14% of the population and have less than 5% of seats in parliament.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nine out of 10 members in parliament are Hindus, who make up 80 percent of India’s population of 1.4 billion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The political representation of Muslims at the state level is only slightly better. India has more than 4,000 lawmakers in state legislatures across 28 states and Muslim lawmakers hold roughly 6% of these seats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A government report in 2006 found Muslims lagged Hindus, Christians and people from India\'s lower castes in literacy, income and access to education. They have made some gains since then but are still at a significant disadvantage, according to multiple independent studies. Source: AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 09:14:19', '2024-05-15 09:14:19'),
(12383, 12383, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>OnePlus, a renowned global leader in smartphone technology, has officially launched its operations in Bangladesh with a grand event at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka on May 14.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The launch highlighted the introduction of the OnePlus Nord N30 SE 5G, the brand’s first smartphone produced in Bangladesh, signaling a significant expansion in the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the event attended by tech influencers, media professionals, and various corporate representatives, OnePlus not only unveiled its new smartphone but also detailed its production and comprehensive after-sales services in Bangladesh.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The company has quickly built a robust consumer base in the region, bolstered by its promise of exceptional and dedicated support for all users.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OnePlus Bangladesh is taking customer service a step further by offering free repair services for the \"green line\" display issue on global versions of its smartphones, regardless of warranty status.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the outset, 35 after-sales service locations, including 22 service centers and 13 service points, will provide these services nationwide. Furthermore, OnePlus Bangladesh will provide a 7-day replacement warranty and a 12-month service warranty for the global version of its products.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 09:29:35', '2024-05-15 09:29:35'),
(12384, 12384, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">According to Met office bulletin, A mild heat wave is sweeping different parts of the country including Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur and Sylhet divisions.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“A mild heat wave is sweeping Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna and Sylhet divisions and Tangail, Faridpur, Madaripur, Kishoreganj, Netrokona, Rangamati, Cumilla, Noakhali, Feni, Cox`s Bazar, Bhola and Patuakhali  districts and it may continue and spread,” said Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at one or two places over Sylhet division. Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 09:43:30', '2024-05-15 09:43:45'),
(12385, 12385, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A factory producing counterfeit saline was shut down during a raid in Kanaipur, Faridpur Sadar upazila, on Tuesday night.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following a tip-off, a mobile court led by Executive Magistrate ASM Shahadat Hossain raided Rupa Food Products, a company implicated in the manufacture of fake health products.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The court discovered over two lakh pieces of counterfeit saline packets, which closely resembled those produced by SMC, a reputable manufacturer. The packets, labeled as \"Oral Saline-N,\" had discrepancies in expiration dating and other labeling details.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the operation, officials also found various baby food products that were being illegally produced and packaged at the facility. In response to these violations, the mobile court sealed the factory and its associated godown, imposing a fine of Tk 2 lakh for the production of these fraudulent items, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The raid was assisted by District Sanitary Inspector Bazlur Rashid along with other law enforcement agencies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 10:34:55', '2024-05-15 10:34:55'),
(12386, 12386, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Khulna court sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in 2011.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Wednesday, Khulna Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-3 Judge Abdus Salam Khan passed the order and fined condemned convict Md Nurunnabi Tk 50,000.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Public Prosecutor Farid Ahmed said Nurunnabi strangled his wife Zohra Khatun to death at their residence in Khulna city on August 25, 2011 over dowry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victim\'s brother Saddam Hossain filed a murder case with Khulna Police Station on August 27, reports unb</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The court pronounced the judgment after examining 14 witnesses in the case, said the Public Prosecutor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 10:39:10', '2024-05-15 10:39:10'),
(12387, 12387, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ukraine has pulled back troops near several villages in the northeastern Kharkiv region, where Russian forces have been advancing and pounding settlements in a new offensive along the border, Kyiv said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The military gave details of the pullback as US secretary of state Antony Blinken was on an unannounced visit to Kyiv where President Volodymyr Zelensky urged him to speed up US supplies of weapons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow launched a surprise major ground assault on the Kharkiv region last week as it seeks to advance across the battlefield with Kyiv struggling for arms and manpower.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“In some areas, around Lukyantsi and Vovchansk, in response to enemy fire and assaults from ground troops, and to save the lives of our servicemen and avoid losses, our units manoeuvered and moved to more advantageous positions,” the Ukrainian military said late Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Throughout the two-year war, both sides have typically used the language of moving to more “advantageous positions” to signify retreats.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two villages – around 30km apart – are close to the border with Russia and have been targeted in the fresh offensive.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine’s General Staff said the situation “remains difficult” but insisted that its forces were “not allowing the Russian occupiers to gain a foothold”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv has rushed reinforcements to the area to prevent Russia from punching through.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some military analysts say Moscow may be trying to force Ukraine to divert troops from other areas of the frontline, such as around the strategic town of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, where Russia has also been advancing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Donetsk and Kharkiv regions are where it is most difficult now,” Zelensky said in an address on Tuesday evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kyiv on Wednesday cancelled some emergency power blackouts that it had introduced to deal with a drop in temperatures that strained its battered energy system.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State power operator Ukrenergo had announced a series of overnight and early morning power cuts to deal with “the cold weather amid the consequences of Russian shelling” that has destroyed swathes of Ukraine’s generating facilities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Emergency shutdowns in Kyiv, the Kyiv region, the Odesa region, the Donetsk region, and the Dnipropetrovsk region were lifted,” DTEK, the country’s largest private energy operator said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Blinken’s visit came just weeks after the US Congress finally approved a US$61 billion financial aid package for Ukraine following months of political wrangling, unlocking much-needed arms for the country’s outgunned troops.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His visit began as Russia’s defence ministry announced that its troops had captured two more villages in the Kharkiv region. During a meeting with Blinken, Zelensky asked for two more Patriot air defence systems to defend the border territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian officials have said that more than 30,000 Russian forces have been deployed to the northeastern region but that the regional hub, the country’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, was not threatened by the offensive. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 10:55:33', '2024-05-15 10:55:33'),
(12388, 12388, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A helicopter used by the Afghan air force crashed as it attempted an emergency landing in central Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring 12, the defence ministry said.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Mi17 aircraft encountered “technical issues” as it attempted to recover the bodies of people who had fallen into a river in the central Ghor province, Afghanistan’s Taliban-run ministry of national defence said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The helicopter crashed as it attempted an emergency landing, the ministry added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Taliban, an Islamist movement, took over Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces in 2021 and inherited a number of aircraft from the forces of the Republican regime it toppled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is not clear how many aircraft and what types the Taliban have managed to repair, but Russian Mi17 utility helicopters have often been used in rescue operations - including the recent floods that killed hundreds in the northwestern part of the country, according to Reuters reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 11:18:53', '2024-05-15 11:18:53');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12389, 12389, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader ordered the authorities concerned to take steps so that the battery-run three wheelers cannot ply roads in Dhaka city.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said on Wednesday while speaking at the advisory council meeting at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) headquarters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">“No battery-run three wheelers will be allowed on city roads and already plying of three wheelers has been prohibited on 22 highways,” he said</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, the mayors of the two city corporations also agreed on stopping movement of battery-run three wheelers on Dhaka city roads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 11:35:31', '2024-05-15 11:35:31'),
(12390, 12390, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>An award-winning journalist in Indian-administered Kashmir who spent more than five years in jail returned home on Wednesday after a court in the disputed region granted him bail in an ongoing terrorism case.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aasif Sultan, a reporter with a magazine that is now shuttered, was first arrested in August 2018 accused of “harbouring known militants”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Further charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) were levelled against him after he was accused of participating in a jail riot.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sultan was briefly bailed in February but re-arrested two days later on fresh charges under the act. A relative and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Sultan had been released again this week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He returned home today, but the bail conditions are very harsh. He is virtually banned from talking to anyone outside the family,” the relative told AFP, declining to be named for fear of reprisal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kunal Majumder of CPJ said on social media platform X that Sultan had been bailed on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A court document seen by AFP and dated Friday said that Sultan’s detention did “not serve any purpose” and granted his bail on strict conditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sultan was forbidden from travelling outside Kashmir, using encrypted communication apps such as WhatsApp, and allowing anyone else to use his phone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since both countries were granted independence from British rule in 1947, and both claim the Himalayan former kingdom in full.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">More than half a million Indian soldiers are deployed in the territory, battling a running insurgency from rebel groups demanding independence or Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">India accuses Pakistan of backing the insurgents, a charge that Islamabad denies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kashmiri journalists say independent media has suffered since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government cancelled the region’s limited autonomy and imposed a drastic security clampdown in 2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Media workers have been arrested under anti-terrorism laws or repeatedly summoned by police for interrogation over their work, and authorities shut the independent Kashmir Press Club.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last November, a court granted bail to a prominent local Kashmiri correspondent for the US-based Christian Science Monitor newspaper, two years after he was charged with “glorifying terrorism” in the disputed territory and accused of “spreading fake news”. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 12:17:09', '2024-05-15 12:17:09'),
(12391, 12391, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The government has decided to update Population Policy 2012 aiming to transform the population into human resources through skill development and advancement, and emphasising vocational education, said the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Very recently we have decided to update the Population Policy 2012. In the new policy, the Demographic Dividend which will continue from 2041 to 2061 is being emphasised to transform the population into human resource through skill development and advancement, and emphasising vocational education,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said his while inaugurating a two-day event titled “ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development” that creates a platform to discuss the challenges and explore the opportunities of the world’s shifting demographics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The programme at InterContinental Hotel has been organised by Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Japan, together with UNFPA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said that as a result of various initiatives taken by the government, the average life expectancy of the people in the country has increased to 72.3 years in 2023.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 12:20:01', '2024-05-15 12:20:01'),
(12392, 12392, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu on Wednesday described his Bangladesh visit as an effort to \"rebuild the trust\" between the people of the two countries.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"Last year, there were a lot of tension between US and Bangladesh,\" he told reporters in a brief statement, noting that they want to look forward.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lu had a courtesy meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud at his office and discussed ways to deepen the relations between two countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The United States said they stand with Bangladesh in building a \"prosperous, secure, and democratic\" future.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our discussion with the Foreign Minister today reaffirmed our shared commitment to cultivating economic growth, bolstering the workforce, improving security cooperation, addressing the climate crisis and reinforcing our values of respecting democracy and human rights,\" said the US side.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lu said they want to find ways to strengthen the relationship.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"So I spoke about working the hard issues. We have lots of hard issues -- RAB sanction, labour reforms, we have human rights, business climate reforms,\" Lu said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In order to work on hard issues, Donald Lu said, they want to build up the cooperation on positive issues.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are talking about new investments, more Bangladeshi students who want to study in the US and how to work on clean energy,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US also wants to support Bangladesh in fighting corruption, hold the officials accountable, ensure transparency and help widen tax net.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 12:51:29', '2024-05-15 12:51:29'),
(12393, 12393, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus met with the Pope and discussed global challenges at the Vatican City on May 11, 2024. Professor Yunus was the co-chair of the Peace Round Table of the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity, according to a media release from the Yunus Center.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Part of the official transcript of the declaration reads as follows:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We reject war: Let diplomacy prevail over arms. We want Peace!</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">We, the individuals and non-governmental organizations participants of the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity, solemnly declare the following:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the fires of war devastate Ukraine, the Gaza strip and the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Sudan, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Congo and many other places globally, we, participants of the second World Meeting on Human Fraternity, renew our call for an end to the ongoing conflicts everywhere. In Ukraine, let the aggression cease, and let resolution towards a just and lasting peace be found.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip must be declared to stop the killing and ensure safe and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid. We call on the international community to pursue with determination the two-state solution on Israel and one Palestinian, as well as an internationally guaranteed special status for the city of Jerusalem so that Israelis and Palestinians may finally live in peace and security.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The children of Gaza, nearly 14,000 killed by weapons of war and dying from hunger and disease, who cannot shelter in hospitals that are being bombed, can no longer wait. Humanitarian aid must be permitted in Gaza. Hostages and political prisoners must be immediately released. Let every attempt be made to avoid more destabilization in the Middle East region. We also should prevent escalation of internal conflicts in places such as Sudan, Yemen, Ethiopia, DRC and all conflicts around the world must come to an end.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">We issue a solemn appeal to affirm Peace as the fundamental cornerstone of human coexistence. Peace is not merely the absence of war; it is Fraternity, social justice, ending poverty, gender equality, accountability to international law, cooperation among nations and within communities, it is the harmony of the body, the sanctity and protection of creation. Peace is a fundamental right of every human being, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Peace begins with each of us and is seen in the choices each of us makes every single day. It begins with you.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 13:44:38', '2024-05-15 13:44:38'),
(12394, 12394, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A landslide that followed heavy rain in central Kenya has swept away at least five people, residents said on Wednesday, and the Red Cross said its workers would assist in rescue efforts.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The landslide occurred in Kimende in Kiambu County, north of the capital Nairobi, the Kenya Red Cross said in a post on social media platform X late on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The area has been cordoned off and declared a danger zone,” it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Joseph Gitau, a resident of Kimende, said his cousin was among four people engulfed by the landslide, which happened while they were walking along a road.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“There were four people altogether and three of them were slightly ahead of the other one who was behind. Unfortunately, the soil covered them all,” he told Reuters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A second witness, George Kariuki, said a motorcycle rider was also hit by the landslide, while his colleague managed to escape.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The second motorbike wasn’t so lucky because the rider got caught by the landslide as he tried to turn back. I saw that and started screaming for help,” Kariuki said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Heavy rains and floods in the East African country since late March have killed at least 289 people and displaced 285,600, the latest government statistics show.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the single deadliest incident, at least 61 people were killed in late April in a mudslide and flash floods in the town of Mai Mahiu in central Kenya.&nbsp; Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 14:03:04', '2024-05-15 14:03:04'),
(12395, 12395, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rainy days bring a sense of tranquility and comfort, as the pitter-patter of raindrops creates a soothing melody. Amidst the serenity, there is nothing like indulging in hearty, flavourful dishes that warm the soul. In Bangladeshi kitchens, rainy days call for special recipes that elevate the culinary experience. From spicy curries to tangy delights, here are three special recipes perfect for a rainy day retreat at home.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">3 Special Recipes to Try at Home on Rainy Days</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Achari Letka Khichuri</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Ingredients</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Â½ cup of rice, 1/4th cup of masoor dal/red lentils, 1/4th cup of moong dal/yellow lentils, 1 onion (thinly sliced), 2 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped), 4 green chillies, 1 teaspoon panchforon, 1 dry red chilli, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and Â½ teaspoon cumin powder, 3 tablespoons of mustard oil, 2 tablespoons of mango pickle, some green peas, salt and sugar, and warm water.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Instructions</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">First, combine rice and two types of lentils in a bowl. Then, wash them thoroughly. Add chopped onion, minced garlic, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and cumin powder.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then pour in mustard oil and a pinch of salt, mixing everything well. Leave it to marinate for 15 minutes. Now, heat 1 tablespoon of mustard oil in a pan, then add panchforon and dry red chilli. Next, sautÃ© the ingredients briefly. After that, add the rice-lentil mixture, and cook for 3 minutes.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Next, add 2 cups of warm water, salt, green chillies, green peas, and a pinch of sugar. Let it boil, then lower the heat and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes until the ingredients are tender. Stir in sour mango pickle and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Let it rest for 2 minutes before serving.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Beef Bhuna</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Ingredients</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">1 kg of mixed beef (boneless and bone-in), 1/2 cup of cooking oil, 2 large onions (roughly chopped), 1Â½ tablespoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 pieces of cardamom, 2 cloves, 5-6 whole black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2-3 teaspoons of chilli powder (adjust to preference), 2 teaspoons of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala, 1 tomato (chopped), 1/2 cup of hot water, and handful of fresh cilantro (finely chopped).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Instructions</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">First, combine all ingredients except water, tomatoes, and cilantro in a pressure cooker, mixing thoroughly. Place on high flame for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add hot water, and lock the lid as per your pressure cooker guide.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once at optimal pressure, reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes. After that, release pressure, turn the flame to high, stir in tomatoes, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. At this point, oil should float on the surface. Now, add cilantro, stir, and remove from heat. Serve hot with rice, naan, or roti.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Ilish (Hilsa) Curry</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Ingredients</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">500 gm washed, dried and sliced ilish (Hilsa) fish, 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds, 2 pinches salt, 1/2 cup mustard oil, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 4 green chilli, and 2 cups boiled water.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Instructions</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To prepare this delectable curry, first wash and slice the fish. Then, marinate the fish slices with salt and turmeric. Afterwards, shallow fry until golden. In a separate pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds and slit green chillies, stirring continuously.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Then incorporate fried fish, boiled water, salt, and turmeric to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer. Serve this classic Bengali fish curry piping hot with steamed rice.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Life Style Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 14:52:04', '2024-05-15 15:07:24'),
(12396, 12396, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, \"For the vast populations around the globe, it is necessary to transform their demographic dividend by ensuring essential education, healthcare, and other fundamental rights.\"</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She stressed the need for effective population management considered to be a key determinant for sustainable development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the two-day event titled \"ICPD30 Global Dialogue on Demographic Diversity and Sustainable Development\" at Intercontinental Hotel here.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh, Bulgaria and Japan, together with UNFPA, are hosting the event that creates a platform to discuss the challenges and explore the opportunities of the world\'s shifting demographics.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said transforming demographic dividend will enable to create a prosperous global system.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"To achieve this goal, development partners and international financial institutions need to be more sincere and internally committed to ensuring the quantity and accessibility of international arrangements for general healthcare, particularly in the field of maternal and child healthcare services,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The premier said that the global dialogue held in Dhaka will provide the necessary recommendations for the Summit of the Future to be held in September, 2024 in the United Nations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The international community at the Summit of the Future will reaffirm their strong political commitment to addressing population and development issues,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said her government has decided to update Population Policy-2012 aiming to transform the population into human resources through skill development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Very recently we have decided to update the Population Policy-2012. In the new policy, the Demographic Dividend which will continue from 2041 to 2061 is being emphasised to transform the population into human resource through skill development and advancement, and emphasising vocational education,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result of various initiatives taken by the government, the average life expectancy of the people in the country has increased to 72.3 years in 2023, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Currently, 62 percent of our total population is productive,” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The premier also mentioned that at present 9.29 percent of the total population in the country is above 60 years old.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have implemented various programs to ensure the health services and social security of the elderly. In 2023, we have arranged elderly allowances for over 5.8 million senior citizens,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also spoke about the forcibly displaced Rohingya people from Myanmar who have taken shelter in Bangladesh and the Palestinians suffering from Israeli aggression and occupation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"A large number of women and children in Palestine are currently deprived of necessary medical and health services. They are fighting for survival every day,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 15:06:09', '2024-05-15 15:21:36'),
(12397, 12397, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday claimed that Israel would “set its sights” on Turkiye if it succeeded in defeating Hamas in the Gaza Strip.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel’s war in the Palestinian territory following Hamas’s attack on October 7, has often expressed support for the Palestinian group as defenders of their homeland.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hamas is classed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union, among others.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Do not think that Israel will stop in Gaza,” Erdogan told his party lawmakers in the parliament in the capital Ankara.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Unless it’s stopped... this rogue and terrorist state will set its sights on Anatolia sooner or later,” he said, referring to the large Turkish peninsula also called Asia Minor that comprises more than half of Turkiye’s territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We will continue to stand by Hamas, which fights for the independence of its own land and which defends Anatolia,” added Erdogan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Turkish leader on Monday said more than 1,000 members of Hamas were being treated in Turkish hospitals amid the ongoing war in Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Militants also seized some 250 hostages, 128 of whom Israel estimates remain in Gaza, including 36 the military says are dead.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel’s bombardment and offensive in Gaza have killed more than 35,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. - AFP </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-15 15:14:49', '2024-05-15 15:21:06'),
(12398, 12398, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh’s total interest payment on loans for the next two fiscal years is set to reach Tk 2,537 billion, as stated in the government’s ‘Medium Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement for 2023-24 to 2025-26’. The breakdown reveals Tk 1,154 billion slated for the 2024-25 fiscal year and Tk 1,383 billion for 2025-26.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Domestically, the interest payments are projected to be Tk 1,008 billion in 2024-25 and increase to Tk 1,205 billion in 2025-26. Conversely, payments on external loans are significantly lower, with Tk 146 billion due in 2024-25 and Tk 178 billion in 2025-26.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The government aims to reduce its total expenditure on interest payments by the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year. Historically, in FY 2020-21, 15.4 percent of total expenditures were devoted to interest payments. This figure is forecasted to decrease to 13.5 percent by the end of FY 2025-26.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In more detail, domestic interest payments are expected to drop from 14.4 percent of total government expenditures in FY 2020-21 to 11.6 percent in FY 2024-25, returning to 11.8 percent in FY 2025-26. In contrast, external interest payments, which comprised 0.9 percent of total expenditures in FY 2020-21, are anticipated to rise, reaching 1.7 percent by FY 2025-26.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This increase is attributed partly to the depreciation of the taka against the US dollar and heightened external financing needs. The prevalence of National Savings Certificates in the debt portfolio, a traditionally high-interest option, has also been a factor in elevated interest costs. However, a projected decrease in the share of these instruments is expected to bring down the implicit interest rate of domestic financing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The implicit domestic interest rate is anticipated to improve from 10 percent in FY 2020-21 to 9 percent in FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26. Meanwhile, external borrowings, influenced by global interest rate hikes and local currency depreciation, are likely to increase the external implicit interest rate from one percent in FY 2020-21 to two percent in FY 2025-26. According to UNB reports</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 08:38:22', '2024-05-16 08:38:22'),
(12399, 12399, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Bangladesh cricket team departed Dhaka for the USA early today to participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The team, accompanied by the coaching staff, is set to compete in a three-match T20I series against the hosts, USA, ahead of the main tournament. These matches are expected to aid the Tigers in adapting to the conditions of the USA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following the series, Bangladesh will play two practice matches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Tigers\' first World Cup match is scheduled for June 8th in Dallas against Sri Lanka. Their second group stage encounter will be against South Africa in New York. The team will then travel to the West Indies to play their remaining group stage matches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the anticipation surrounding the event, both captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and coach Chandika Hathurusingha have tempered expectations. Bangladesh have yet to achieve significant success in T20 World Cups.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The traveling squad includes two reserve players: Afif Hossain and Hasan Mahmud. They will be incorporated into the main squad only if necessary, due to injury or other unforeseen circumstances.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Squad for ICC Men\'s T20 World Cup 2024:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Taskin Ahmed (vice-captain), Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali, Tanvir Islam, Sheikh Mahedi, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Traveling reserves: Hasan Mahmud and Afif Hossain. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 08:56:10', '2024-05-16 08:56:10'),
(12400, 12400, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">China’s leader Xi Jinping welcomed Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Thursday as he began a two-day state visit while Moscow presses forward with a new offensive in Ukraine.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They shook hands at a welcome ceremony after Putin’s arrival in Beijing at dawn. Putin, Xi and other top officials are expected to hold meetings later that will emphasize their commitment to the “no limits” relationship they signed in 2022, just before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since then, Russia has become increasingly economically dependent on China as Western sanctions cut its access to much of the international trading system.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the eve of the visit, Putin said in an interview with Chinese media that the Kremlin is prepared to negotiate over the conflict in Ukraine. “We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours,” Putin was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Russian leader’s two-day trip comes as his country’s forces have pressed an offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region that began last week in the most significant border incursion since the full-scale invasion began, forcing almost 8,000 people to flee their homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Along with Moscow’s efforts to build on its gains in the nearby Donetsk region, the 2-year-old war has entered a critical stage for Ukraine’s depleted military that is awaiting new supplies of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells from the United States.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have never refused to negotiate,” Putin was quoted as saying by Xinhua. “We are seeking a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of this conflict through peaceful means. We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including ours.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said any negotiations must include a restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression, and security guarantees for Ukraine.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China claims to take a neutral position in the conflict, but has backed Moscow’s contentions that Russia was provoked into attacking Ukraine by the West, despite Putin’s public avowals of his desire to restore Russia’s century-old borders as the reason for his assault.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Putin has blamed the West for the failure of negotiations in the opening weeks of the war and praised China’s peace plan for Ukraine that would allow Moscow to cement its territorial gains.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Beijing proposes practicable and constructive steps to achieve peace by refraining from pursuing vested interests and constant escalation of tensions, minimizing the negative impact of the conflict on the global economy,” he had said. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 09:35:04', '2024-05-16 09:35:04'),
(12401, 12401, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The heatwave in Bangladesh and other South Asian countries became 45 times more likely due to climate change, says a new report.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to a recent finding by the World Weather Attribution (WWA), if the global temperature rises from the current 1.2 degrees Celsius to 2 degrees Celsius, the recurrence of extreme heat incidents is more probable.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These findings are part of the WWA\'s report on heatwaves in Asia, which quantifies the effect of human-caused warming on extreme temperatures.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh has been facing increasing heatwaves during summer for the last couple of years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">2024 is the hottest year yet, recording average temperatures of 40 to 42 degrees Celsius in all the districts. The population and biodiversity of the country are at stake due to such an unprecedented catastrophe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Extreme temperatures above 40°C that impacted billions of people across Asia in April were made hotter and more likely by human-caused climate change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The study highlights how heatwaves intensified by climate change are making life much tougher for people living in poverty across Asia and the 1.7 million displaced Palestinians in Gaza.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The scientists also analyzed historical weather data for a South Asian region including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this area, 30-day heatwaves typically occurred once every 30 years. However, due to climate change, they have become 45 times more likely and 0.85°C hotter. This aligns with previous WWA studies, indicating April heatwaves became 1°C hotter and 10-30 times more likely. Additionally, analysis shows similar heatwaves are twice as likely during El Niño conditions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In South and Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam broke records for their hottest April day, and the Philippines experienced its hottest night ever.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In India, temperatures reached as high as 46ºC. The heat was also extreme in West Asia, with Palestine and Israel experiencing temperatures above 40°C.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The month was the hottest April on record globally and the eleventh consecutive month in a row a hottest month record was broken.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Heat-related deaths were widely reported, with at least 28 in Bangladesh, five in India, and three in Gaza during April. Surges in heat deaths have also been reported in Thailand and the Philippines this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These are only preliminary figures, and because heat-related deaths are notoriously underreported, it is likely there were hundreds or possibly thousands of other heat-related deaths in Asia during April.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The heat also led to crop failure, loss of livestock, water shortages, mass die-off of fish, widespread school closures, and low voter turnout in Kerala, India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“From Gaza to Delhi to Manila, people suffered and died when April temperatures soared in Asia. Heatwaves have always happened. But the additional heat, driven by emissions from oil, gas, and coal, is resulting in death for many people. If humans continue to burn fossil fuels, the climate will continue to warm, and vulnerable people will continue to die,” said Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Climate change, resulting from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, intensifies global heatwaves, making them more frequent, prolonged, and severe. To assess human-induced warming\'s impact on extreme temperatures in Asia, scientists analyzed weather data and climate models, comparing today\'s climate (approximately 1.2°C warming) to pre-industrial levels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Focused on dangerous heat periods in West Asia and the Philippines, researchers examined maximum daily temperatures over three and 15-day averages, respectively. They also evaluated the El Niño-Southern Oscillation\'s potential influence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The study was conducted by 13 researchers as part of the World Weather Attribution group, including scientists from universities and meteorological agencies in Malaysia, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The study highlights how climate change is making life much tougher for people in Asia living in poverty and dealing with the effects of war. In Gaza, many of the 1.7 million displaced people are living in improvised tents that trap heat, have limited access to healthcare and clean drinking water, and lack options to stay cool.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Across South and Southeast Asia, the hundreds of millions of people who live in informal housing and work outdoors, like farmers, construction workers, and street vendors, are disproportionately affected by extreme heat.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The threat of extreme heat is rapidly increasing across Asia. More than four billion people live on the continent, with heat impacting the most vulnerable groups disproportionately. Heat-related impacts on health are not well-monitored or documented. This really hampers our ability to understand the true impacts and full spectrum of risks associated with extreme heat,” said Carolina Pereira Marghidan, Climate Risk Consultant at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, and PhD researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mariam Zachariah, Researcher at the Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, said: “Climate change is bringing more days with potentially deadly temperatures to Asia every year. “This result is unsurprising, but important for highlighting the dangers of extreme heat in Asia. “Unless the world takes massive, unprecedented steps to reduce emissions and keep warming to 1.5°C, extreme heat will lead to even greater suffering in Asia.” Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 09:54:58', '2024-05-16 09:54:58'),
(12402, 12402, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A microbus caught fire on Dhaka Elevated Expressway in front of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Thursday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rozina Akhtar, duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters control room, said the microbus caught fire due to overheating of its engine around 12:10 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Being informed, two firefighting units from nearby Airport station came and doused the fire around 12:40 pm, she said. No casualty was reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 10:25:44', '2024-05-16 10:25:44'),
(12403, 12403, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The U.S. military finished installing a floating pier for the Gaza Strip on Thursday for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid into the enclave besieged over seven months of intense fighting in the Israel-Hamas war.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel has been pressing its military operations in Rafah, a city along Gaza\'s southern border with Egypt, and in northern Gaza, where Hamas has regrouped. Around 600,000 Palestinians have been driven out of Rafah since the beginning of last week, the U.N. said. In northern Gaza, Israeli evacuation orders have displaced at least 100,000 people so far.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some 80% of Gaza\'s population of 2.3 million Palestinians have fled their homes since the start of the war, with many relocating multiple times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">No food has entered the two main border crossings in southern Gaza for more than a week. Some 1.1 million Palestinians are on the brink of starvation, according to the U.N, while a “full-blown famine” is taking place in the north of the territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel has portrayed Rafah as the last Hamas stronghold, brushing off warnings from the United States and other allies that any major operation there would be catastrophic for civilians. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 10:39:11', '2024-05-16 10:39:11');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12404, 12404, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">“Let this relationship be a role model of uniqueness and prosperity,” Professor Khan stated during the event. He highlighted the potential for Bangladesh-China trade and investment ties, adhering to global norms and standards, to bolster Bangladesh’s impressive growth and positively influence the broader region.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Professor Shahab Enam Khan, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs, emphasized the need for a “better, transparent, and more accountable” trading regime between Bangladesh and China.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking on May 15 at a symposium hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka, he argued that such a relationship could serve as a regional model for good governance.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan, who also serves as a professor in the Department of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University, called for a comprehensive view of Bangladesh’s foreign policy towards China, involving global powers and their varied interests, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He referenced Bangladesh’s commitment to the One China policy, underscoring its alignment with values upheld during the 1971 Liberation War under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The discussion also covered the Rohingya crisis and the broader stability of the Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing the importance of regional stability.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The symposium, themed “Reflecting on the Original Aspiration of Establishing Diplomatic Relations, Moving Forward Together,” featured Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen as the chief guest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 11:00:43', '2024-05-16 11:00:43'),
(12405, 12405, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Amidst a backdrop of fluctuating foreign exchange reserves, Bangladesh Bank has been employing varied methodologies to calculate the nation\'s reserves, unveiling differing figures.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Traders and consumers alike have responded to these variations with increased apprehension, leading to price surges across various commodities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alam, a 50-year-old electrician originally from Bhola, now working in Dhaka’s Mogbazar area, shared that he had to increase his service charges substantially due to the escalated costs of living. \"We wouldn\'t provide service if anyone offered below Tk 500, as prices of food, utility bills have shot up,\" Alam stated.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similarly, Ekabbar Ali, a rickshaw puller originally from Jamalpur, has raised his fares to cope with rising maintenance costs. \"The prices of food, medicine, and bills have increased. If rickshaw fare is not increased, we cannot survive,\" Ali explained.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Retail dynamics have also shifted, as noted by Habibur Rahman, a grocery trader in Mogbazar, who mentioned that suppliers have increased prices several times a week, citing the rising dollar value. Consequently, traders are compelled to elevate retail prices.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the central bank’s latest figures, the total reserves stood at $23.77 billion as of May 14, after adjusting for liabilities to the Asian Clearing Union for March and April. The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) method, BPM6, however, records the reserves at a lower $18.32 billion, with actual usable reserves slightly less than $13 billion. These figures reflect the net reserves, deducting various liabilities, including those held as Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) by the IMF.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While the central bank does not officially publish net reserve data, Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, a former senior economist at the IMF, reassures that the gross reserves are still over $18 billion, indicating that the reserve levels are not immediately at risk. However, he acknowledges ongoing concerns regarding confidence in the money market and the macroeconomic landscape.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr. Mansur highlighted the threat of uncontrolled money laundering as a significant destabilizing factor, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr. Zahid Hussain, former chief economist of the World Bank in Dhaka, also emphasized the risks posed by insufficient reserves in dealing with potential economic downturns or disasters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This dollar shortfall and the resulting economic uncertainty underscore the critical balance required in managing foreign exchange and macroeconomic stability in Bangladesh, a nation heavily reliant on export earnings and remittances from its expatriate community.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 11:50:14', '2024-05-16 11:50:14'),
(12406, 12406, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A mild to moderate heatwave is currently impacting all eight divisions, including Dhaka. According to the BMD, this weather pattern, affecting Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions, is expected to continue, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The forecast indicates predominantly dry weather conditions with temporary periods of partly cloudy skies across the country. Both day and night temperatures are anticipated to rise slightly, which may increase discomfort due to higher moisture levels in the air.</div><div><br></div><div>Dinajpur experienced the country’s highest temperature at 39 degrees Celsius. Conversely, the lowest temperature recorded was 23.1 degrees Celsius in Tetulia, Panchagarh on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 12:07:45', '2024-05-16 12:07:45'),
(12407, 12407, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b style=\"\">Forbes, one of the world’s prestigious business magazines, has published the list of its ninth annual 30 Under 30 Asia, Class of 2024 on Wednesday, including nine Bangladeshi rising stars.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The list, in which many Bangladeshi young professionals have made their respective places before, addresses 300 changemakers in 10 categories who are transforming their industries while making positive impacts in society.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These categories are: Entertainment &amp; Sports, Finance &amp; Venture Capital, Enterprise Technology, Media, Marketing &amp; Advertising, Consumer Technology, Industry, Manufacturing &amp; Energy, The Arts (Art &amp; Style, Food &amp; Drink), Social Impact, Retail &amp; Ecommerce And Healthcare &amp; Science.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among these, Bangladeshi multidisciplinary artist Anusha Alamgir is listed in The Arts (Art &amp; Style, Food &amp; Drink) category; award-winning freelance journalist Redwan Ahmed has been listed in the Media, Marketing and Advertising category; Mehedi Shoron has been recognized in the Consumer Technology category; and the Finance and Venture Capital category included six youngstars including Fahad Ahmed, Sultan Moni, Mumtahina Anika, Md Shahidul Islam, Abdul Gaffar Sadi, and Md Tushar. According to media reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 12:10:30', '2024-05-16 12:10:30'),
(12408, 12408, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan appeared in the Supreme Court on Thursday by video from prison, in connection with a case he has filed against amendments to Pakistan’s anti-graft laws.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His video appearance was expected to be streamed live on the court’s website and YouTube, making it the first publicly seen visuals of the jailed leader since his arrest in August last year. But the visuals could not be seen on the website as proceedings began.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was not immediately known why the visuals were not available on the website or YouTube.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thousands of supporters of Khan were waiting on the YouTube channel of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party where the court visuals were expected to be aired.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan, a 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, has been appearing in other courts since being jailed, but cameras are not permitted to cover the proceedings which are usually conducted inside the jail premises.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While Khan has been fighting dozens of cases registered against him, Thursday’s appearance was in connection with a case he has filed against amendments to Pakistan’s anti-graft laws.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Supreme Court this week ordered the government to ensure that Khan be produced via video link, granting his request to be allowed to represent himself instead of through a lawyer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan, who was removed from power in 2022, was granted bail in a land corruption case on Wednesday, but will remain in prison having been convicted in four cases, of which sentences in two have been suspended.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The former prime minister, who remains widely popular in Pakistan, alleges that the cases are part of an effort by his political rivals and the country’s powerful military to sideline him and keep him from returning to power. Both deny this.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khan-backed candidates won the most seats in national elections earlier this year despite him being in jail, but they did not have the numbers to form a government. An alliance of his rivals led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif eventually formed the government. ‍Source: Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 12:48:38', '2024-05-16 12:48:38'),
(12409, 12409, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the government jailed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia by implicating her in false cases and filed cases against 60 lakh leaders and activists of the party to hang onto power. “Oppression and arrests are still ongoing...our leaders and activists are being convicted and sent to jail.”</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BNP leader said the Awami League has retained power by manipulating elections through various tactics as it knows it will face a massive debacle in a free, fair and credible election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul Islam alleged that neighbouring India has been continuously making efforts to keep Bangladesh under its control instead of resolving the pressing issue of water-sharing of common trans-border rivers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said this while speaking at a discussion meeting on Farakka Long March Day on Thursday.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also criticised the Awami League government for its failure to take action in resolving the water problem with India, stating that the current regime has been in power solely to secure the interests of its foreign master.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We see that our neighbour (India) has always been carrying out all their activities to keep Bangladesh under control, since its birth. Not only the Farakka dam, not the Ganga water, but they have always been negligent in the water distribution of 154 common rivers. They’re not resolving the problem,” Fakhrul said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">He mentioned that the current Awami League government has long been buying time, promising the country’s people to ink the Teesta water-sharing deal without success.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The root cause of this failure lies in the fact that this is completely a subservient regime. It has consistently failed to take a stand in favour of the people\'s interests as they are extremely feeble in dealing with India.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On May 16, 1976, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani led a massive long march from Rajshahi towards India\'s Farakka barrage, demanding the demolition of the barrage constructed by the Indian government to divert the flow of Ganges water inside its territory.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul said the current government’s only job is to protect their own interests and those of their masters by repressing the country’s people since it usurped power through a unilateral election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\'How will they (AL govt) resolve the problems of the Teesta and Farakka? How will they resolve the water-sharing problem of other common rivers? Because they captured power with special assignments (by others),” he observed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, the BNP leader said the people of Bangladesh must stand on their own feet to restore their lost democratic rights.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the BNP and many other opposition parties have been carrying out struggles for the restoration of the democratic rights of people. “For this, many of us have sacrificed our lives and many of us have to endure oppression and persecution.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fakhrul also said there is now no alternative path to waging a united movement by all opposition parties rising above division and misunderstanding among them for ousting the current monstrous regime.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We must move forward in unison in our own interests to reach our desired goal. No one will do it for us; we have to do it ourselves,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 13:15:45', '2024-05-16 13:15:45'),
(12410, 12410, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman said tha there are no specific security threats surrounding Buddha Purnima, the major religious festival for Buddhists.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Speaking at a coordination meeting at the DMP headquarters, the DMP commissioner emphasised the need for vigilance despite the absence of identified risks. \"Even if there are no specific security risks, we have to be all vigilant,\" he stated.</div><div><br></div><div>The meeting focused on the overall security, law and order, and traffic management for the upcoming Buddha Purnima celebrations, which will take place on May 22.&nbsp; Habibur assured that the DMP has completed extensive security preparations for the event, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>He directed DMP officers and forces to remain alert to prevent any potential sabotage. He also urged event organisers to maintain a high level of caution.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Each venue will have a focal point from the organisers and the police, working in coordination,\" the DMP chief explained, highlighting the collaborative approach to ensuring security across multiple celebration sites in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 14:31:59', '2024-05-16 14:31:59'),
(12411, 12411, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Slovak interior minister said Thursday that a “lone wolf” has been charged in the shooting that seriously wounded Prime Minister Robert Fico and prompted soul-searching among leaders in the deeply divided society.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fico was in serious but stable condition Thursday, a hospital official said, after the populist leader was hit multiple times in an attempt on his life that shook the small country and reverberated across the continent weeks before European elections.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The attempted assassination has shocked the small central European nation, with many blaming the attack in part on extreme political polarization that has divided the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said Wednesday that an initial investigation found “a clear political motivation” behind the attack on Fico while he was attending a government meeting in a former coal mining town. However, he said Thursday that the suspect charged was a lone wolf who “did not belong to any political groups.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister did not specify what the motivation was. Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond, and his return to power last year on a pro-Russian, anti-American message led to even greater worries among fellow European Union members that he would abandon his country\'s pro-Western course. - AP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 14:34:08', '2024-05-16 14:34:08'),
(12412, 12412, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her reelection as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I congratulate you on behalf of the Government and people of Australia on your leadership of the 12th Jatiya Sangsad as Prime Minister of Bangladesh. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our bilateral relationship and together contribute to regional peace, prosperity and security,” he said in a letter written to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also wrote: “I am writing to highlight the importance of our partnership in promoting peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean, and to affirm my support for growing bilateral and regional cooperation between Australia and Bangladesh.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As Indian Ocean nations, we share an interest in a region that is grounded in sovereignty, promotes the prosperity and security of our citizens, and addresses the threat of climate change.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We have many common interests in increasing our trade and investment, promoting human rights, cooperating on people smuggling and addressing the Rohingya issue,” Albanese wrote.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 14:56:28', '2024-05-16 14:56:28'),
(12413, 12413, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>\"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s alternative is Sheikh Hasina. There is no alternative to Sheikh Hasina to take the country forward,\" said Awami League joint general secretary and foreign minister Hashan Mahmud.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said referring to May 17, 1981, when she as the people\'s leader ignored all the obstacles and returned to the country on Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reorganised the Awami League, as well as taking the country forward with extraordinary development.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasan was speaking as the chief guest at a programme marking Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina\'s homecoming day that falls on May 17.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said there were 19 times efforts to kill her but she remained firm in her position even after repeatedly returning from the valley of death.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She faced death threats repeatedly but never deviated from her struggle for people\'s rights, Hasan said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Hasan, who was injured in the grenade attack on August 21, said an attempt was made to kill Sheikh Hasina on January 24, 1988 by hunting people like birds in Chattogram.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">I was at the front of that procession that day. An attempt was made to assassinate her by burying an 81 kg bomb in Kotalipara and hurling grenades like rain on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on 21 August 2004. But after coming back from the door of death, the leader and daughter of Bangabandhu never compromised with her position, he said</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasan also said after the visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, the leaders of BNP have gone mad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 15:30:52', '2024-05-16 15:30:52'),
(12414, 12414, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>As it watched the country’s foreign exchange reserves keep draining away, from the peak of $48.1 billion in August 2021 to a net figure that may be less than $13 billion today, Bangladesh Bank became engaged in studying the minutiae of different types of calculations and definitions of a country’s reserve holdings, and all their different interpretations, like an A Levels Macroeconomics student.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The convoluted discussion it created around the country’s reserves - this formula, that formula, IMF manuals, and payouts from the reserve in the form of loans that were not initially disclosed, have all contributed to a cloud over the entire situation for a while now. Consumers are forced to grapple with all kinds of different information becoming and some unethical traders are cashing in on this by increasing prices arbitrarily.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a result, common people are suffering as businesses and different trading syndicates have taken to using the pretext of ‘the dollar crisis’ to hike prices. Talking with common people, economists and businesses, the correspondent got this opinion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mohammed Alam, 50, from Charfashion in Bhola, has been working in the Moghbazar area of Dhaka as an electrician for the last 17 years. He is self-employed and works on call if anybody needs an electric line installed, a fan to be setup, etc.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For the last one month, since Eid ul Fitr, Alam has been charging a minimum bill of Tk500 for any call leading to a home visit. Till Eid this year, and for the longest time in fact, this service was charged Tk300, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We would not be able to provide service if anyone offered below Tk500, as prices of food, medicine, utility bills, our own expenses have shot up since the dollar crisis started. Why can’t our service bill increase,” said Alam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 16:00:51', '2024-05-16 16:00:51'),
(12415, 12415, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"\"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At Hampden Park, Glasgow—the stadium where former Argentine football superstar Diego Maradona scored his first-ever international goal for Argentina in 1979—the legendary footballer\'s legacy was remembered.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two contrasting figures from his footballing journey shared their thoughts: Argentinian World Cup-winning legend Ossie Ardiles, a teammate and friend of Maradona’s, and his most famous opponent, legendary England captain Terry Butcher.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The occasion was the upcoming auction of Maradona\'s Adidas Golden Ball trophy, awarded to him as the best player of the 1986 World Cup, to be held at the Aguttes Auction House in Paris on June 6. This unique item encapsulates all of the memories of that dramatic tournament, including the \"Goal of the Century\" and the infamous \"Hand of God\" goal against England.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Butcher, who famously marked Maradona during the infamous World Cup quarter-final, expressed his admiration for the Argentine legend with a humorous twist.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 16:05:04', '2024-05-16 16:05:04'),
(12416, 12416, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the authorities concerned of all ministries and divisions to complete the foreign aided and grant projects speedily with additional efforts if required to expedite the country\'s development spree further.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The premier gave the directives while chairing the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the NEC Conference Room in the city\'s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area. The NEC approved a Taka 2.65 lakh crore ADP for the next fiscal year (FY25).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Division Senior Secretary Satyajit Karmakar said that the Prime Minister also directed the authorities concerned to reappoint the project directors and other officials in their specialized areas after completion of their training in concerned fields.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Planning Minister Major General (retd) Abdus Salam, State Minister for Planning Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned attended the briefing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Instead of not taking smaller projects, Satyajit said the premier advocated for taking district-based projects and thus entrusting the district-level officials for overseeing those projects.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Renewing her call for creating a pool of project directors, Sheikh Hasina emphasized again on imparting necessary training to those projects directors and officials who lack training.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In order to enhance the implementation rate of the foreign aided projects, the Prime Minister asked the concerned ministries and divisions to apprise the ECNEC in every three months about the implementation progress of their respective aided projects to infuse dynamism in the implementation pace, reports BSS.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier also directed the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) to take necessary steps to bring those firms who conduct feasibility study under a registration process so that quality feasibility study could be conducted in different fields.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-16 16:13:01', '2024-05-16 16:13:01'),
(12417, 12417, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The sanctions imposed against Bangladesh\'s elite force RAB are not being withdrawn, said the United States.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"Those claims are false. The U.S. is not withdrawing sanctions against the RAB,\" said Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State Vedant Patel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">In a regular briefing at the US Department of State, he said sanctions are intended to change \"behaviour and promote accountability\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nobody from the government of Bangladesh claimed that the US is withdrawing the sanctions, prompting a question who made these false claims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The issue is with the US Department of Justice which is independent and separate from the White House and the State Department. They work independently,\" PM\'s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman told reporters earlier on Tuesday night in Dhaka.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Salman said the White House and the US Department of State are in favour of lifting sanctions on the RAB but it depends on the Department of Justice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The issue is moving through a process,\" Salman said after his discussion over dinner with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu who on a three-day visit here last week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 08:26:01', '2024-05-17 08:26:01'),
(12418, 12418, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>killing five people and injuring 15 others, a bus fell into a roadside ditch on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Chauddagram end of Cumilla on Friday morning, according to police.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The double decker bus of ‘Relax Paribahan’ carrying several passengers was heading towards Cox’s Bazar from capital Dhaka, said Md Gias Uddin, In-Charge of Chauddagram highway police outpost.</div><div><br></div><div>It lost control on the highway before it plunged into the roadside ditch, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Five people died on the spot and 15 others sustained severe injuries, the police officer said, adding that the injured were taken to Chauddagram Upazila Health Complex after members of highway police and Fire Service and Civil Defence rescued them.</div><div><br></div><div>“After the first aid, twelve of the injured were shifted to Cumilla Medical College Hospital for better treatment,” said the officer.</div><div><br></div><div>The identities of the victims couldn’t be known immediately, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 08:36:09', '2024-05-17 08:36:09'),
(12419, 12419, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted scattered rain or thunderstorms with temporary gusty winds in one or two places over Sylhet division on Friday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>There is also a chance of hail at isolated places within the division, it said.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, weather is expected to remain mainly dry with temporary, partly cloudy skies elsewhere in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>A mild to moderate heatwave is currently sweeping over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, and it may continue.</div><div><br></div><div>Day and night temperatures are expected to remain nearly unchanged across the country. However, due to increased moisture levels, discomfort may persist, said the BMD\'s weather bulletin.</div><div><br></div><div>The highest temperature in the country was recorded at 39.5 degrees Celsius at Ishurdi of Pabna over the past 24 hours, till 6 am Friday, while the lowest temperature was recorded at 24 degrees Celsius at Tetulia of Panchagarh.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 09:19:22', '2024-05-17 09:19:22'),
(12420, 12420, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said her party – Bangladesh Awami League (AL) is the strongest, largest and the most credible political party in the country now.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Today Awami League is the strongest and biggest organisation in Bangladesh. It\'s a reality. The most acceptable party among the people is the Awami League,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AL president, Sheikh Hasina, made the remarks when her party leaders and activists came to Ganabhaban to greet her on her historic Homecoming Day, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recalling her election as the President of Bangladesh Awami League in her absence before her return to home on May 17, 1981, the PM said she had no experience to lead a big party like AL at that time. It was definitely a big responsibility for her to lead AL, she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the party has overcome conspiracies on many occasions. \"Conspiracies are hatched every time and we overcome them. We have to keep it up,” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recollecting the day she had returned home ending six years of forced exile, the AL president said she had been welcomed by hundreds of thousands of people defying the storm and rain on that day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 09:24:13', '2024-05-17 09:24:13'),
(12421, 12421, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>After being knocked back at some 50 interviews for consulting jobs in France despite his ample qualifications, Muslim business school graduate Adam packed his bags and moved to a new life in Dubai.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I feel much better here than in France,” the 32-year-old of North African descent told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We’re all equal. You can have a boss who’s Indian, Arab or a French person,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“My religion is more accepted.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Highly-qualified French citizens from Muslim backgrounds, often the children of immigrants, are leaving France in a quiet brain drain, seeking a new start abroad in cities like London, New York, Montreal or Dubai, according to a new study.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The authors of “France, you love it but you leave it”, published last month, said it was difficult to estimate exactly how many.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But they found that 71 percent of more than 1,000 people who responded to their survey circulated online had left in part because of racism and discrimination.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Adam, who asked that his surname not be used, told AFP his new job in the United Arab Emirates has given him fresh perspective.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In France “you need to work twice as hard when you come from certain minorities”, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said he was “extremely grateful” for his French education and missed his friends, family and the rich cultural life of the country where he grew up.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But he said he was glad to have quit its “Islamophobia” and “systemic racism” that meant he was stopped by police for no reason.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">France has long been a country of immigration, including from its former colonies in North and West Africa.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But today the descendants of Muslim immigrants who came to France seeking a better future say they have been living in an increasingly hostile environment, especially after the attacks in Paris in 2015 that killed 130 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They say France’s particular form of secularism, which bans all religious symbols in public schools including headscarves and long robes, seems to disproportionately focus on the attire of Muslim women.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another French Muslim, a 33-year-old tech employee of Moroccan descent, told AFP he and his pregnant wife were planning to emigrate to “a more peaceful society” in southeast Asia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said he would miss France’s “sublime” cuisine and the queues outside the bakeries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But “we’re suffocating in France”, said the business school graduate with a five-figure monthly salary.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He described wanting to leave “this ambient gloom”, in which television news channels seem to target all Muslims as scapegoats, reports AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The tech employee, who moved to Paris after growing up in its lower-income suburbs, said he has been living in the same block of flats for two years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“But still they ask me what I’m doing inside my building,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 09:50:28', '2024-05-17 09:50:28'),
(12422, 12422, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Firebrand Indian politician Arvind Kejriwal has hit the ground running since his surprise release from detention in the midst of a contentious general election, energising the opposition as it challenges Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Supreme Court gave 55-year-old Kejriwal, who is also the chief minister of the national capital territory of Delhi, bail in a graft case on May 10 and he wasted no time in getting on the campaign trail.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I have only one request from you, we all have to come together to save the country from dictatorship. I am fighting this dictatorship with all my might,” he told a jubilant crowd soon after walking out of Delhi’s Tihar jail, clearly referring to Modi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kejriwal is part of the INDIA alliance led by the Congress party and one of its biggest crowd-pullers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Analysts say while his campaigning will give fresh impetus to the opposition, they are unsure if that will translate into any significant victories against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is tipped to return to power.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is in power in the Delhi region and in the northern state of Punjab, which together account for just 20 seats in parliament, out of the 543 being contested.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He may be able to generate some sympathy vote, but would that be enough to change the outcome of the election?” said Rahul Verma, a fellow at the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research think tank.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The BJP led in Delhi by 20 percentage points on an average in each seat, so it needs a substantial amount of swing for BJP to start losing seats in Delhi,” Verma added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Still, Kejriwal has the ability to embarrass the BJP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A day after his release, he said Modi, central to the ruling party’s campaign, would not be prime minister beyond 2025 when he turns 75, and would hand over the reins to home (interior) minister Amit Shah, reports Reuters</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Modi made the rule in BJP that whoever turns 75 will be retired. So I ask BJP, who will be your prime minister?” Kejriwal said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Modi is not seeking for votes for himself, but for Amit Shah … who will fulfil Modi’s guarantees then?”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BJP scrambled to deny the suggestion that flag-bearer Modi would retire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 10:44:36', '2024-05-17 10:44:36'),
(12423, 12423, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Israel defended the military necessity of its Gaza offensive today at the International Court of Justice and asked judges to throw out a request by South Africa to order it to halt operations in Rafah and withdraw from the Palestinian territory.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Israeli justice ministry official Gilad Noam called South Africa’s case, which accuses Israel of violating the Genocide Convention, “completely divorced from facts and circumstances”.</div><div><br></div><div>“(The case) makes a mockery of the heinous charge of genocide,” Noam said.</div><div><br></div><div>He called it “an obscene exploitation of the most sacred convention”, referring to the international treaty banning genocide, agreed after the Holocaust of European Jews in World War II.</div><div><br></div><div>The convention requires all countries to act to prevent genocide, and the ICJ, also known as the World Court, which hears disputes between states, has concluded that this gives South Africa a right to make the case.</div><div><br></div><div>A woman who yelled “Liars!” during Israel’s presentation was removed by security guards, a rare protest in the “Great Hall of Justice” courtroom in The Hague.</div><div><br></div><div>“There is a tragic war going on, but there is no genocide” in Gaza, Noam said.</div><div><br></div><div>In past rulings, the court has rejected Israel’s demands to dismiss the case and ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians, while stopping short of ordering it to halt the assault.</div><div><br></div><div>Ahead of Israel’s presentation, several dozen pro-Israeli protesters gathered outside, displaying photographs of hostages taken by Hamas fighters on Oct 7 and demanding their release. - Reuters</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 10:50:12', '2024-05-17 10:50:12');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12424, 12424, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Thirteen western countries, including many traditionally supportive of Israel, appealed to it today not to launch a large-scale offensive on Rafah.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We reiterate our opposition to a full-scale military operation in Rafah that would have catastrophic consequences on the civilian population,” read the appeal, sent by the countries’ foreign ministers to their Israeli counterpart Israel Katz and made public.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The signatories were Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and EU member states Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers welcomed recent measures adopted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet to improve the flow of international aid into Gaza, but called for “further steps”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We urge the government of Israel to let the humanitarian aid enter into the Gaza strip through all relevant crossing points, including the one in Rafah,” they said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They called on Israel to take “concrete action for the protection of civilians, international and local humanitarian aid workers and journalists”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The appeal also called for “a sustainable ceasefire”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ministers urged Israel to “open all possible overland supply routes into Gaza” for aid, to “resume electricity, water and telecommunication services”, and boost significantly “the supply of critically needed goods … particularly medical supplies”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finally, they called on Israel to “facilitate further evacuations by issuing exit permits for all our citizens, eligible persons, and Palestinians admitted to relocate for humanitarian or medical reasons abroad”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eight months after the start of the war, Israel is vowing to intensify its ground offensive in Rafah despite international concerns for the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the southern city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli siege of Gaza has brought dire shortages of food as well as safe water, medicines and fuel for its 2.4 million people. - AFP </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 11:40:07', '2024-05-17 11:40:27'),
(12425, 12425, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The consumers in Dhaka are feeling the heat of inflation as price hike continues amid higher interest rates.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prices of almost all consumer items including fish, eggs, vegetables, and other daily essentials saw their prices highest in a decade. Vegetables, meat, chicken, and fish prices have remained stable, but at higher rates, said several consumers of different professions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking with UNB they said that higher prices of almost all vegetables, fish, chickens, meat, and other essential commodities are unlikely to decrease for now.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abul Hossain, a mid-level official of an autonomous organisation ltold UNB that the taka has slid from 84 to 117 against the US dollar, which severely affected the consumer market.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Not only devalued taka, but also prices of utilities , and fuel have increased, interest rate soared. All of this rate hike impacted the consumer market, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Many others echoed Abul.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Egg price is on higher trend over last 10 days and selling this popular protein item at Tk160 per dozen on Friday in the capital. It saw an increase of price by Tk25 in last two week.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Visiting different kitchen markets including Karwan Bazar, Mohammadpur, Mohakhali, and Malibagh this correspondent observed that eggs were selling at Tk 160 per dozen.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Egg of domestic rearing hen was selling at Tk 75 to 80 per hali (4 pieces) and duck egg was selling at Tk 70 to 75 per hali.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The price of broiler chicken and Pakistani origin sonali chicken have increased by Tk10 to 20 per kg compared to the last two weeks. The boiler chicken was selling at Tk 220 to 2235 per kg based on size and quality. Apart from this, the price of Sonali chicken has also increased and being sold at Tk 345 to 3070 per kg based on size and quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Similarly, cock chicken was being sold at Tk 370 to 390 per kg, layer chicken at Tk 300 to Tk350 per kg, and indigenous (desi) chicken at Tk 670 to Tk 765 per kg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The traders of the concerned sectors said that prices of chicken increased due to price hikes of chicken food and broiler chicks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beef was selling between Tk 750 to 780 per kg on Friday based on quality, and saw a raise of price by Tk 30 per kg than other days of the week. Mutton and goat meat was selling at Tk1000 to 1180 per kg based on quality, which saw an increase of Tk 50 per kg.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hilsha weighing about 450 gram was selling at Tk650 per kg while Hilsha weighing 1.0 kg plus were selling at Tk 1800 to 2000 per kg at Karwan Bazar fish market on Friday. Hilsha weighing 700 to 800 grams were selling at Tk 900 to 1000 per piece.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fish like Ruhit and carp were selling between Tk 300 to 450 per kg based size and quality. Others fish including riverine small fish were selling at Tk400 to 700 per kg on Friday. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 11:45:22', '2024-05-17 11:45:22'),
(12426, 12426, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The BNP, in alliance with war criminals and Razakars, Al-Badrs, acted as Pakistan\'s broker during their rule, said Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministerl Anisul Huq.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They exploited and tortured the people of Bangladesh, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The development that has taken place during the present time is intolerable to BNP leaders like Mirza Fakhrul. That\'s why they have lost their minds,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The law minister was speaking with reporters after inspecting the construction work of the bridge over the Teesta River at Krishnanagar village in Dharakhar Union of Akhaura upazila in Brahmanbaria on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, he said, the number of loan defaulters was the highest during the BNP regime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 12:11:09', '2024-05-17 12:11:09'),
(12427, 12427, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh and the United Kingdom have held their first ever Joint Working Group meeting on Home Affairs in London at the British Home Office and signed the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Returns.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">British Minister for Countering Illegal Migration James Tomlinson-Mynors KC, and Bangladesh High Commissioner in the UK Saida Muna Tasneem opened the JWG meeting on Thursday and witnessed the signing of the SOPs between the two countries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh-UK SOPs on Returns is a successor to the earlier signed Bangladesh-EU SOPs of 2017, the procedure that used to be followed before UK’s exit from the EU for returning Bangladeshi overstayers from the UK., said a press release here on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">High commissioner Muna Tasneem recalled the genesis of the value-driven diplomatic relations between the two Commonwealth countries based on the historic friendship between Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and UK’s Conservative Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reaffirming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s zero tolerance stance against irregular migration, she said Bangladesh High Commission London in collaboration with UK Home Office has been returning certain numbers of undocumented Bangladeshis for more than a decade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That is why the number of undocumented Bangladeshis in the UK is minimal at this moment, and the Bangladesh Home Office would work closely with the British Home Office with support from the High Commission, said the envoy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The good news is that Bangladesh is not even within the top ten countries in terms of numbers of undocumented nationals, and yet we needed to formalize this MoU with the post-Brexit UK, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apart from signing of the SOPs, the Joint Working Group on Home Affairs discussed opportunities of orderly migration including skilled and high talent migration from Bangladesh to the UK, opened avenues for discussion on mutual legal assistance, extradition, transnational crimes and countering terrorism and extremism, as well as capacity building of Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Joint Working Group meeting was led by Khairul Kabir Menon, Additional Secretary, Security Services Division, Ministry of Home Affairs from Bangladesh side, and Bas Javid, Director General of Immigration Enforcement, Home office from the UK side.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Senior representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Bangladesh, Bangladesh Police and the Special Branch, as well as representatives from Bangladesh High Commission London participated at the meeting. - UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd/fas</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 12:28:55', '2024-05-17 12:28:55'),
(12428, 12428, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 4.025 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine (ice) and detained a man during separate drives in Teknaf and Ramu upazilas of Cox’s Bazar on Thursday night.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The detainee is Md Nur Mohammad, 39 of Paschim Paglir Beel area of Ukhiya upazila of the district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lt Col Md Mohiuddin, commander of the BGB-2 in Teknaf, said they conducted a drive in Lambori Ghat area adjacent to Teknaf-Cox\'s Bazar Marine Drive Road, after being tipped-off that a haul of drugs would be smuggled from neighbouring country Myanmar via waterway.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a man was spotted coming to the Marine Drive Road from the Ghat with a bag, the frontier forces signaled him to halt, while the suspect fled towards a forest, leaving the bag, said the BGB official.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Though the man could not be detained, the bag left by him was recovered, he said, adding that a total of 2.045 kg of drugs was recovered from it. Efforts were on to find the drug dealer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, BGB’s Ramu zone commander Lt Col Syed Wahiduzzaman said they conducted a drive in the Goaliya Link Road around 11pm on Thursday, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upon suspicion, they challenged Cox\'s Bazar-bound bus passenger Nur Mohammad and recovered 1.980kg of crystal meth from a shopping bag belonging to him, the commander said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The detainee was handed over to the Ukhiya Police Station after filing a case, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"42\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 12:47:00', '2024-05-17 12:47:00'),
(12429, 12429, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The UN humanitarian office on Friday urged the opening of all crossings into Gaza as humanitarian needs in the besieged strip \"cannot depend\" on a floating dock.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"Any and all aid into Gaza is welcomed,\" said Jens Laerke, the spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, at a UN briefing in Geneva on the establishment of the floating dock. \"It is an addition. And it doesn\'t take away from the fact that land proceeds will be more important.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Laerke said the UN was \"grateful\" for the efforts of the Greek Cypriot administration and other member states to sustain the maritime corridor as an additional route for aid to Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>\"However, getting aid to people in need into and across Gaza cannot and should not depend on a floating dock far from where needs are most acute,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>He underscored that land routes are the \"most viable, effective and efficient\" aid delivery method and said this is \"why we need all crossing points to be opened.\"</div><div><br></div><div>According to the spokesperson, the UN is finalizing its operational plans to make sure that it is ready to handle aid once the floating dock is properly functioning while ensuring the safety of its staff and operation.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel said Thursday a floating dock off the Gazan coast, built in cooperation with the US Central Command for humanitarian aid, will begin receiving aid sent to the coastal enclave.</div><div><br></div><div>Last week, the Israeli army invaded the eastern section of Rafah and captured the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, a vital route for humanitarian aid into Gaza, and closed it. According to UN officials, the Kerem Shalom crossing is \"technically open\" but lacks access to aid entries to Gaza.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.</div><div><br></div><div>More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.</div><div><br></div><div>Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. - Anadolu Agency</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 13:07:04', '2024-05-17 13:07:04'),
(12430, 12430, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP on Friday alleged that journalists from two media outlets falsely cited the party while questioning US Assistant Secretary Donal Lu about his country’s stance on Bangladesh’s last national election.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a statement signed by BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, it said, “The question asked by Prothom Alo and Independent TV Channel during interviews with US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, citing BNP, is entirely untrue, misleading, and baseless.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party also stated that such an ‘absurd’ question was posed with the intention to humiliate BNP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;“The question states—\'An opposition party in Bangladesh, BNP, has alleged that the United States has softened its stance on the 12th National Parliamentary election influenced by India\'s mediation\'. No leader of BNP at any level has ever made such a comment or speech anywhere,” the statement clarified.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party said publishing such a ‘fabricated’ statement creates a great deal of misunderstanding. “Such an unrealistic question from journalists working in popular news media such as Prothom Alo and Independent TV tarnish the reputation of the respective institutions.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the people of the country are currently crushed by the terrible misrule, it said the BNP leaders and activists are fighting for the restoration of the rights of the people of the country by risking their lives and enduring jail, tyranny, and oppression, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The party said it is committed to protecting the independence and sovereignty of the country and establishing people\'s rights, freedom of expression, and justice.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The misleading question that has been asked citing BNP is not appropriate. It creates confusion in the public mind. BNP protests against this false and fabricated statement (by two media outlets).”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 13:39:19', '2024-05-17 13:39:19'),
(12431, 12431, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A UN special rapporteur Friday demanded an end to sanctions on China, pointing out the “multifaceted negative” impact of such restrictions, including on jobs and Chinese students as well as education and academic cooperation with US and European institutions.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“China represents a particular case with regards to the impact of unilateral sanctions and means of their enforcement, given its strong and diverse economy and its growing global economic outreach,” said Alena Douhan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Douhan is the UN special rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights and she concluded her 12-day official visit to the world’s second-largest economy on Friday. She will present China\'s report to the Human Rights Council later this year in September.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Decline in business activities and the significant loss of global markets either due to unilateral sanctions per se or due to over-compliance with such measures by foreign businesses and entities have led to job losses, with consequent disruptions in social protection schemes, by disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable, particularly in labor-intensive sectors, including women, older persons, and all those in informal employment,” said Douhan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During her trip to China, Douhan met representatives from national and local government institutions, non-governmental organizations, associations, humanitarian actors, businesses, UN entities, academia, businesses, as well as the diplomatic community, said a statement by the UN Human Rights Office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides the capital Beijing, she visited Urumqi, Shihezi, Changji, Hotan, and Shenzhen cities.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 14:10:07', '2024-05-17 14:10:07'),
(12432, 12432, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>One more death was reported from dengue in 24 hours till Friday morning, raising the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 33 this year.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the period, 12 more patients were hospitalised with viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of them, four patients were hospitalised in Dhaka city, while the rest were outside the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victim is from an area under the Dhaka South City Corporation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, 135 patients are receiving treatment at several hospitals across the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 2,581 dengue cases have been reported since January 1, 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 14:25:56', '2024-05-17 14:25:56'),
(12433, 12433, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh, with its vibrant landscapes and lush greenery, especially during the rainy season, beckons nature enthusiasts to explore its natural wonders. One of the crown jewels among these is Ratargul Swamp Forest.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Often heralded as the \"Amazon of Bangladesh,\" this mystical swamp forest located in the Sylhet region offers a surreal adventure, captivating those who seek tranquility and the thrill of nature at its most serene and wild.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Location and Conservation Efforts</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Situated along the Gowain River at Fatehpur union in Gowainghat, Ratargul Swamp Forest lies approximately 26 kilometers from Sylhet. This unique ecosystem thrives within the waters of the river, interconnected with the Chengir Khal channel.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the stewardship of the Forest Department, Ratargul is preserved as a vital ecological haven, ensuring its flora and fauna continue to flourish.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Significance of Ratargul Swamp Forest</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dubbed the \"Sundarbans of Sylhet,\" Ratargul ranks among the most important freshwater swamp forests in Bangladesh. Its name, derived from the indigenous term for the \"Rata\" or \"Pati\" tree, connects it deeply with the local culture.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the rainy season, the forest transforms dramatically, submerging under 20 to 30 feet of water. This annual inundation creates a mesmerizing scene of towering trees standing stark against the flooded landscape, hosting a biodiverse array of life forms.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The forest is home to over 70 species of plants, including the Dalbergia Reniformis or Koroch tree. The rich biodiversity is complemented by a variety of animals and birds, making Ratargul a critical habitat for conservation and study.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">How to Visit Ratargul Swamp Forest from Dhaka</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Visitors from Dhaka can reach Ratargul through several travel options:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Bus: Regular bus services operate from Dhaka\'s main terminals like Gabtali and Sayedabad. Air-conditioned buses offer a more comfortable journey for about BDT 1500, while non-AC buses are available at around BDT 700.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Train: Trains from Kamalapur or Airport Railway Station include options such as the Parabat Express and Upaban Express. Tickets range from BDT 375 to BDT 863, catering to different comfort levels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Air: For those looking for speed and convenience, flights from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Sylhet are provided by several local airlines, with prices starting from BDT 4000.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upon arrival in Sylhet, visitors have two main routes to access Ratargul:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scenic Route through Khadim Tea Gardens: This route passes through Khadimnagar National Park, offering picturesque views before reaching Shringi Bridge, where boats are available to enter the swamp forest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Direct Route via Amberkhana: A straightforward trip by local CNG from Amberkhana in Sylhet to Shringi Bridge also leads to boat access into the forest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experiencing Ratargul Swamp Forest</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the Meghalaya River merges with the Gowain during the rainy season, Ratargul becomes a vast submerged forest. The water level rise creates a dynamic ecosystem where the forest thrives in its flooded state. Small boats weave through the waterways beneath towering trees, providing an immersive natural experience that resonates with tranquility and the raw beauty of an untouched environment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Activities to Enjoy in Ratargul</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ratargul offers a range of activities tailored for different interests:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Boating: Exploring the forest by boat is an essential experience, allowing visitors to navigate through the water-engulfed forest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Birdwatching: With over 200 bird species, Ratargul is a paradise for bird enthusiasts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kayaking: For the more adventurous, kayaking through the forest’s narrow channels offers a thrilling perspective of its natural beauty.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Photography: The lush scenery and diverse wildlife provide ample opportunities for photography, capturing the vibrant ecosystem and its inhabitants.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', '<p><b>Amazon of Bangladesh</b><br></p>', 'Life Style Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 15:09:00', '2024-05-17 15:09:00'),
(12434, 12434, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Sheikh Hasina said that after independence, some foreign journalists asked Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, you don\'t have any wealth, how will you run the country? she said, the Father of the Nation said, \"One thing, I have soil, there are people. I will build the country with this golden soil and people.\"</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that Bangabandhu did it in just three years and seven months. \"If he was alive, maybe it wouldn\'t have taken ten years. Bangladesh was recognised as a developed country in the world.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that her only aim is to implement the unfinished work of Father of the Nation, Sheikh Hasina told the economists that \"I want your help for it.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina has called upon the country\'s economists to formulate their plans, policies and programmes considering the local people and reality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"My expectations from the economists are that you will think about the people of the country and plan your policies,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier made this call while inaugurating the 22nd Biennial conference-2024 of Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in the city\'s Ramna area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mentioning that the advice from foreigners won\'t be fruitful in the country, she said, \"Someone will come to the country (from abroad) for a day or two and give us advice, but that advice will not be fruitful to us.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She added, \"It will be useful which you see with your own eyes, and work for people. This will be useful. So that\'s how you set your policy...\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">She went on saying, \"Yes, we will learn from outside, but while doing it, we will do it by looking at our own country, by looking at our people, and by looking at what resources we have.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister also urged the country\'s economists to contribute to export basket diversification and strengthening the rural economy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"I want from the economists that what kinds of products we have and how could we make those export-oriented,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">To this end, the premier mentioned that she directed all the envoys stationed in foreign missions to put concentration on export market diversification.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About the rural economy, Sheikh Hasina told the economists that you should think about the rural economy as number of factories and industries is being increased while market is being expanded alongside strengthening the rural economy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, she said \"I will tell the Bangladesh Economic Association that you are doing research, we also need more research.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-17 15:18:35', '2024-05-17 15:18:35'),
(12435, 12435, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>President Mohammed Shahabuddin today urged the government as well as the civil society to play an effective role to ensure that none, irrespective of religion and caste, falls prey to any sort of discrimination.</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Any kind of discrimination against citizens is against the rule of law. . . None should fall prey to discrimination in society,” he said, inaugurating the 8th National Conference of the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, a pressure group founded to demand the trial of 1971 war criminals, at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium here this afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Head of State called for all-out resistance against the defeated forces of \'71 to continue development and progress while keeping the country’s independence and sovereignty intact and spreading the spirit of freedom struggle and Liberation War at all levels.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Shahabuddin also spoke about building a social movement so that the present and future generations can grow up well being imbued with the spirit of freedom struggle and Liberation War.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shahabuddin, also a valiant freedom fighter, said, \"In this regard, there is no alternative to forging a strong unity of all the pro-Liberation War forces.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ignoring individual and group interests, everyone should work for the betterment of the country and its people, he added.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The President also suggested everyone to spread the history of the War of Liberation, the philosophy of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and the spirit of secularism and non-communalism through social media.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shahabuddin, also a former adviser of the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee founded by late Shaheed Janani Jahanara Imam, advised the youth to use the digital medium positively, read the history of the Liberation War and learn about Bangabandhu’s biography and ideals.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Raise the glorious history of Bengalis to the world by cherishing the ideals of the Liberation War in your mind, spirit and lifestyle,” he added.&nbsp; BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-18 10:08:09', '2024-05-18 10:08:09'),
(12436, 12436, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged local businesses to make investments in the country\'s 100 economic zones in addition to foreign investment.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We are setting up 100 economic zones across the country. We are inviting investments there. But we do not want only foreign investments, but also want domestic investments&nbsp; there,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister said this while inaugurating the weeklong 11th National SME Product Fair to showcase locally made products from small and medium enterprises at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), jointly organised by the Industries Ministry and SME Foundation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that of the total 100 economic zones the government has so far allocated lands for up to 80 economic zones.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“I think that from the SME Foundation or those who are entrepreneurs can avail lands in these economic zones alone or with partnership basis to set up their industries there,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasina said that along with mechanisation of agriculture the government is putting emphasis on food production, agricultural products production which will contribute to the economy, and industrialisation based on that.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“If there is no industrialisation no employment will be created and we won\'t be able to advance further. So We have to focus on industrialisation,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that huge small mechanical parts will be needed for the mechanisation of the agriculture for which the government is providing various types of facilities, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said that if proper training are provided it will be possible to produce those mechanical parts which can also be exported to many countries.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“It will create market in our own country with the increase of our purchasing capacity,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun presided over the programme where Senior Secretary of Industries Ministry Zakia Sultana, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Mahbubul Alam and Chairperson of the SME Foundation Professor&nbsp; Md Masudur Rahman also spoke.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 08:32:37', '2024-05-19 08:32:37'),
(12437, 12437, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Though the situation in the Kyrgyzstan capital is “under control,” as per the local authorities, panicked Bangladeshi students want to return home for a few weeks.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">They want to attend regular classes online for the time being.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The situation is under control. We are trying to return to Bangladesh, but we do not have a flight schedule. All Bangladeshi students are trying to return home for the time being,” Bangladeshi medical student Samia Kabir told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the university authorities told them that their classes would be conducted online.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding their exams, Samia said that the university authorities will issue a notice soon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also said students from other countries are also leaving Kyrgyzstan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Even though the situation is under control, we still don’t feel safe here. It would be better if chartered flights can be arranged soon,” Samia said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking on the subject, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters today, “We have conveyed our concerns to Kyrgyzstan. Our students also came under attack, but no one was severely injured.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Embassy of Bangladesh in Uzbekistan, concurrently accredited to the Kyrgyz Republic, has said the situation in Kyrgyzstan is under control, as per information released by the relevant state authorities, reports UNB&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 08:51:54', '2024-05-19 08:51:54'),
(12438, 12438, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Drivers of battery-run three wheelers have been staging demonstration blocking roads in Dhaka’s Mirpur, Pallabi and some other areas since Sunday morning, demanding withdrawal of ban on the movement of the vehicle in the capital.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vehicular movement remained suspended&nbsp; as of filing this report at 1:40pm, on Mirpur-10 to 11, 2, 13 and Shewrapara roads, causing immense suffering to commuters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abu Saleh Md Raihan, joint commissioner (traffic-north) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said three-wheeler drivers started demonstration around 9am obstructing&nbsp; plying of other vehicles, resulting in suffering of common people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sub-Inspector Mostaq Ahmed, duty officer of Pallabi police station, said though police teams were sent to the Mirpur area remove them from the roads, the protesters are yet to leave the roads.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Witnesses said several hundred three-wheeler drivers gathered in the Mirpur-10 intersection to press home their demand in the morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Police requested them to leave the busy road but they didn’t listen to them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, the three-wheeler drivers have been staging demonstration&nbsp; in Mirpur, Pallabi, Agargaon, Taltola, Kalshi and Mirpur-13 areas, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, on Wednesday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader instructed the authorities concerned to take steps to stop the movement of battery-run three wheelers on the roads in Dhaka city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 08:59:39', '2024-05-19 08:59:39'),
(12439, 12439, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) forecast rain or thundershowers in Dhaka, and five other divisions of the country in 24 hours commencing 9am on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to met office bulletin,“Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Rajshahi and Chattogram divisions with hails at isolated places.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day temperature may fall by (1-2)°C over the eastern part and it may remain nearly unchanged elsewhere over the country. Night temperature may fall slightly over the country, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">On the other hand, mild heat wave is sweeping Gopalgonj, Rajshahi, Noakhali, Cox’s Bazar, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jashore, Satkhira, Patuakhali &amp; Bhola districts and it may abate, according to the BMD bulletin.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 09:22:43', '2024-05-19 09:22:43'),
(12440, 12440, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said that we have conveyed our concerns to Kyrgyzstan. Our students also came under attack but no one was severely injured.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The Government of Bangladesh has expressed deep concerns over the mob violence on the night of May 17, 2024 in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said they are closely monitoring the situation through the Embassy in Uzbekistan, concurrently accredited to the Kyrgyz Republic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Embassy is in constant communication with Bangladeshi students who are currently studying in Kyrgyzstan, as well as with Kyrgyz government officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are no reports of any serious injury or casualty among Bangladeshi students so far.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Embassy has already shared an emergency contact number on its official Facebook page.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Through the Embassy in Uzbekistan, the government is coordinating with the relevant authorities of Kyrgyzstan, including the ministries of foreign affairs and internal affairs, to ensure the safety and security of Bangladeshi students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said that we are closely and constantly monitoring the developments. We have asked our Ambassador stationed in Tashkent to visit Bishkek soon to inquire about the wellbeing of Bangladeshi students.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 09:53:02', '2024-05-19 09:53:02');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(12441, 12441, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Cannes veteran and Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is making waves in the French Riviera once again. This time, she crossed paths with US actress and fellow L\'Oreal ambassador Eva Longoria.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, the duo attended the screening of \"Kinds Of Kindness\" at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, and their reunion was nothing short of spectacular, reports NDTV.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The actresses posed happily for photographers, capturing picture-perfect moments that lit up the red carpet. Aishwarya graced the red carpet twice this year, first at the screening of Francis Ford Coppola\'s \"Megalopolis\" earlier in the week, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This isn\'t the first time the two have shared the spotlight at Cannes. They were also seen together on the red carpet and at a L\'Oreal event in 2022.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been a regular at Cannes for over two decades, often promoting her films such as \"Devdas,\" \"Sarbjit,\" and \"Bride and Prejudice.\" She continues to represent L\'Oreal at the prestigious event, said the report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In terms of her recent film work, Aishwarya was last seen in Mani Ratnam\'s “Ponniyin Selvan 2”. Released last year, the film was a box office hit.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment  Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 10:28:24', '2024-05-19 10:28:24'),
(12442, 12442, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A team of researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to more quickly and accurately classify brain tumors.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a study published on Friday, the team demonstrated that their deep learning model - DEPLOY - can accurately classify brain tumors into 10 major subtypes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AI tool analyzes microscopic pictures of a patient\'s brain tissue to make its classification.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Danh-Tai Hoang, the co-lead of the project from the Biological Data Science Institute at ANU, said that the current gold standard for diagnosing and categorizing brain tumors - a process called DNA methylation-based profiling - can take several weeks and is not widely available.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By comparison, the AI tool can deliver results within hours.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Remarkably, DEPLOY achieved an unprecedented accuracy of 95 percent,\" Hoang said in a media release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Furthermore, when given a subset of 309 particularly difficult to classify samples, DEPLOY was able to provide a diagnosis that was more clinically relevant than what was initially provided by pathologists.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">DEPLOY was trained and validated on a dataset of approximately 4,000 patients from the United States and Europe.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hoang said it could be used in the future to add to a pathologist\'s initial diagnosis or even prompt a re-evaluation when it finds disparities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The researchers believe it could eventually be used to help classify other types of cancer. - XINHUA</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"18\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 10:55:25', '2024-05-19 10:55:25'),
(12443, 12443, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Albert Einstein has said, “Failure is success in progress”. Failure is an inevitable aspect of life; accepting and overcoming failure is a vital skill for success. Nurturing resilience in students is just as important as imparting academic knowledge. Parents and schools need to prepare students to navigate setbacks effectively. This guide explores effective strategies for instilling resilience in students and helping them embrace failure as a stepping stone to success.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Should Parents and Schools Teach Students How to Accept Failure?</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Teaching students how to accept failure in exams is crucial for their emotional resilience, academic success, and overall development. By embracing failure, students learn resilience, bouncing back from setbacks stronger and more determined.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Failure is a natural part of learning, providing valuable lessons and experiences that contribute to personal growth. Accepting failure reduces fear, empowering students to take risks and pursue their goals without inhibition. It also prepares them for real-life challenges, where setbacks are inevitable.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Embracing failure promotes a growth mindset, where students view challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than insurmountable obstacles. Parents and schools play vital roles in teaching students to accept failure and providing support, guidance, and structured environments for learning and growth.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Together, parents and teachers can equip students with the coping skills necessary to navigate setbacks and challenges throughout their lives. Ultimately, teaching students how to accept failure instills invaluable life skills essential for success in academic and personal endeavours.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">How to Teach Students to Accept and Overcome Failure</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Avoid Criticism&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Students should be taught that failure in exams is not the end of life. Criticism can destroy the self-confidence of students and make them vulnerable to self-harm.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Instead of criticising their poor grades, parents and teachers can focus on ways of improvement. By holding a positive attitude towards challenges, academic failures can be turned into success.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Move Forward&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Students should be encouraged to accept their poor academic performances and move forward. Thus, they can foster long-term perseverance and adaptability against unwanted incidents like failure.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Introducing setbacks to students as stepping stones for future success is important. Parents and educators can turn failure into a springboard for students to become more resilient and resourceful learners.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', '<p><b><font color=\"#3984c6\">&nbsp;Academic Failures</font></b><br></p>', 'Life Style Desk', '[\"24\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 11:07:20', '2024-05-19 11:07:20'),
(12444, 12444, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The Pakistani government has repatriated 140 students from Kyrgyzstan after mobs attacked foreign citizens in the capital, Bishkek, over the weekend.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A special flight bringing the first batch of Pakistani students home landed at an airport in Lahore on Saturday night, with Islamabad planning to use more such flights to bring back citizens who want to leave Bishkek after violent incidents in the Kyrgyz capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Friday, hundreds of Kyrgyz men in Bishkek attacked buildings where foreign students live, including Pakistan citizens who are among thousands studying and working in the Central Asian country.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The angry mob reportedly targeted these residences after videos of a brawl earlier this month between Krygyz and Egyptian students went viral online, prompting anti-foreigner sentiment over the past week. The Kyrgyz government deployed forces on Friday to mitigate the violence.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Our first concern is the safe return of Pakistani students,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“God willing, more students would be brought back via additional flights (on Sunday).”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Students who spoke to Arab News said that the Pakistan Embassy in Kyrgyzstan advised them to stay indoors after the mob attack. But when they ran out of food and water and some became fearful of potential riots, they asked authorities to evacuate them.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the return to Pakistan of citizens who wished to do so would be “facilitated at the government’s expense.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sharif is sending a two-member delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, to Bishkek on Sunday to meet with Kyrgyz officials and provide assistance for Pakistani students.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The decision to send this delegation was made to ensure necessary support and facilities for Pakistani students,” a statement issued by Sharif’s office reads.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Saturday it had summoned and handed a note of protest to Kyrgyzstan’s top diplomat in the country in response to the violence in Bishkek.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Five Pakistani medical students were injured in the mob attack, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Hassan Zaigham said, with one student admitted to a local hospital with a jaw injury, reports Arab News&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“No Pakistani was killed or raped in the violence,” he told Arab News over the phone, dispelling rumors circulating on social media.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The situation is under control now as Bishkek authorities have dispersed all the miscreants.”&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 11:27:45', '2024-05-19 11:27:45'),
(12445, 12445, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The BPDB\'s annual spending was roughly calculated as Tk 104,000 crore for purchasing electricity from the independent power producers (IPPs) for the fiscal year 2023-24. The total expense will now go up to about Tk 1,11,300 crore, according to officials familiar with the estimate this week, according to official sources.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is going to bear the brunt after recent enhancement of US Dollar rate as it will have to spend an additional amount of over Tk 7,300 crore to purchase electricity from the private sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But after the increase in the rate of USD by the central bank through the introduction of a crawling peg system, the BPDB has been a great victim of such a decision.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Bangladesh Bank on May 8 unveiled the crawling peg exchange rate system and allowed banks to buy and sell US dollars freely near Tk117, as well as letting go of its regulatory power of the Smart rate, and hiking the repo rate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under this system, a crawling peg mid rate (CPMR) has been set at Tk117 per US dollar with immediate effect.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scheduled banks may purchase and sell US dollars freely around the CPMR with their customers and in interbank deals, the notice also said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A crawling peg system is a method of exchange rate adjustments that allows a currency with a fixed exchange rate to fluctuate within a band of rates. It is a hybrid of fixed and floating exchange rate systems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The payment mode of the power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the IPPS is in USD. So, we have to incur a huge financial loss when the USD rate goes up\", a top official of the BPDB told.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the issue is very sensitive, preferring anonymity, he said the BPDB\'s loss will be enormous this year as the dollar rate went up in one go by Tk 7 to Tk 117 from the Tk 110.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the extra burden of paying Tk 7,300 crore will complicate the situation when the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been insisting on reducing government\'s loss in buying electricity from the private sector. Source: UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"33\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 11:47:25', '2024-05-19 11:47:25'),
(12446, 12446, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In a country where cricket and football dominate the sports scene, boxing often goes unnoticed. Yet, Muhammad Utshob Ahmed, a young boxer from Rajshahi, is breaking barriers and putting Bangladesh on the global boxing map.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For the first time, a Bangladeshi professional boxer has qualified to compete under the prestigious World Boxing Council (WBC). Utshob, a 19-year-old fighter, will contend for the WBC Asia Silver Super Flyweight title against India\'s top contender, 32-year-old Mazhar Hussain. This historic match is scheduled for May 25 at the InterContinental Dhaka during the \"Beximco Xcel Boxing Championship (XBC) 3.0,\" according to a media release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The WBC is one of the four major international boxing organizations, and its belts are among the most prestigious in the sport.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While Bangladesh has already seen its first professional boxing star in Suro Krishna Chakma, who competes in the Lightweight category, Utshob is making waves in the Flyweight division. He is one of the youngest boxers from Bangladesh to step onto the global stage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the world of boxing, championship belts are hotly contested and must be defended or relinquished regularly. Currently, the Silver Super Flyweight belt is vacant, providing an opportunity for Utshob and Mazhar to claim it.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Through XBC Xcel Sports Management &amp; Promotions, Utshob earned his shot at the title. Ranked 99th out of 784 in the world in the flyweight division, Utshob\'s impressive record includes eight bouts, totaling 28 rounds, with 37.5% of his fights ending in knockouts. He has zero losses and eight straight victories, making him a formidable contender.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 12:12:22', '2024-05-19 12:12:22'),
(12447, 12447, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A volcano on the remote Indonesian island of Halmahera has spectacularly erupted, spewing a grey ash cloud into the sky, and people from seven nearby villages have been evacuated, authorities said on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mt. Ibu erupted on Saturday evening, sending ash 4 km (2.5 miles) high, as streaks of purple lightning flashed around its crater, according to information and images shared by Indonesia’s volcanology agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A joint team comprised of police, military and search and rescue officials was dispatched to the area to evacuate residents from surrounding villages, Abdul Muhari, from the disaster mitigation agency, said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Photos shared by the disaster agency showed authorities assisting the elderly, while other residents were moved in pick-up trucks and accommodated in emergency tents for the night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The agency did not provide any information about how many people had been moved, but authorities have recommended that a seven-km (4.35-mile) radius be cleared.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Indonesia’s volcanology agency raised the alert level of the volcano to the highest level on Thursday, after Ibu erupted multiple times earlier this month.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ibu’s activities follow a series of eruptions of different volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has 127 active volcanoes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Flash floods and cold lava flow from Mount Marapi, one of the most active in West Sumatra province, covered several nearby districts following torrential rain on May 11, killing more than 60 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In recent weeks, North Sulawesi’s Ruang volcano has also erupted, spewing incandescent lava. The eruption prompted authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people on a nearby island. - Reuters&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 12:19:15', '2024-05-19 12:19:15'),
(12448, 12448, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russian shelling on the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv today killed at least four civilians, said the governor of the region facing a new Russian offensive.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow launched an assault in the border region on May 10 after a surge in aerial strikes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We know about four civilians killed. At least eight people are wounded,” governor Oleg Synegubov said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian forces had “attacked the area where local residents were resting”, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shelling hit the district of Malodanylivka in the northwest of Kharkiv city, the governor said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia’s assault has brought its biggest territorial gains in a year-and-a-half.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russian troops advanced between 5km and 10km along the northeastern border before being stopped by Ukrainian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with AFP on Friday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shortly before the shelling was reported, Ukraine’s armed forces gave an update saying it had not detected “active operations in the Kharkiv sector”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukrainian defence forces “are making every effort to strengthen their positions, replenish reserves, conduct reconnaissance and keep the enemy’s actions under fire control.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 12:30:10', '2024-05-19 12:30:10'),
(12449, 12449, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>An Iranian court has sentenced the famous pop singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, known as Tataloo, to prison for disseminating “obscene content”, state media reported today.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The popular underground musician, 36, had been living in Istanbul since 2018 before Turkish police handed him over to Iran in December of last year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He has been in detention in Iran since then.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His lawyer Elham Rahimifar said Tataloo was given multiple “short and long” jail terms, without elaborating.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sentences can be appealed, Rahimifar told state-run newspaper Jam-e Jam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under Iranian law, jail sentences run concurrently.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The artiste, known for combining rap, pop and R&amp;B, has experienced a dramatic swing in his fortunes in recent years.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The heavily tattooed singer was previously courted by conservative politicians as a way to reach out to young, liberal-minded Iranians.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He even held an awkward televised meeting with ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi when the latter was making his first bid for office in 2017.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In 2015, he published a song in support of Iran’s nuclear programme as a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers was unravelling. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment  Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 12:43:04', '2024-05-19 12:43:04'),
(12450, 12450, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Drivers of battery-run three wheelers set a police box on fire at Kalshi intersection in the city\'s Mirpur area on Sunday during demonstration against banning the vehicle on Dhaka streets.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Duty office of Fire Service and Civil Defense headquarters, Shahjahan, said the drivers set the police box on fire around 4:15 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On information, a firefighting unit rushed to the spot around 4:32 pm and brought the situation under control.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mukhlesur Rahman, inspector (investigation) of Pallabi Police Station, said necessary steps were taken.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The drivers of battery-run three wheelers staged demonstration blocking roads in Dhaka’s Mirpur, Pallabi and some other areas on Sunday morning, obstructing traffic movement in the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The protesters also vandalised some buses passing in the Mirpur area after 2:30 pm. A chase and counter-chase between police and protesters also took place.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Munshi Sabbir Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station, said the traffic movement in the area remained halted for four hours following the demonstration, causing immense sufferings to the commuters, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, on Wednesday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader instructed the authorities concerned to take steps to stop the movement of battery-run three wheelers on the roads in Dhaka city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 14:00:10', '2024-05-19 14:00:10'),
(12451, 12451, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has suffered a “hard landing”, state television reported, as officials said search operations are under way.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iranian state media said the incident occurred on Sunday near Jolfa in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A day earlier, Raisi was in neighbouring Azerbaijan to inaugurate a dam alongside President Ilham Aliyev.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">State-linked media said three helicopters were in the Iranian president’s convoy, and the two others made it back safely.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the representative of the Iranian supreme leader to the province, were in the same helicopter as Raisi, state media reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Housing and Transportation Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash were in the other helicopters that made it back safely.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People who were with the president inside the helicopter managed to make an emergency call, according to the semiofficial Tasnim News Agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tasnim reported that the call increased hopes that the incident can be concluded “without fatalities”.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It remains unclear exactly what caused the “hard landing”, or whether any of the passengers in the helicopter have been hurt. - Al Jazeera&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 14:30:15', '2024-05-19 14:30:15'),
(12452, 12452, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Anwarul Azim Anar, the lawmaker from Jhenaidah-4 constituency, has been missing since at least May 14, having gone on a medical trip to India on May 11.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“His whereabouts are still unknown. Family members and party activists could not reach him after May 14 (Tuesday),” the MP Anar\'s personal assistant, Abdur Rauf said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also said “Anar went to India for medical treatment on May 11. He maintained contact with his family members till May 14. Since then, all communication with him has been lost. His WhatsApp number is also unreachable.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">MP Anar\'s wife and daughters went to the DB office in Dhaka on Sunday (May 19) at noon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Prime Minister has also been informed about the matter, Abdur Rauf told the media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Anar’s nephew Simon and three others went to India to try and find him. But they could not give any good news till Sunday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to party insiders, moments before his last known activity, Hemant asked his manager for Rs 4.2. At that time he was in a private car with some Indian friends after attending a wedding ceremony. There is no trace of MP Anar since taking this money, they claimed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kaliganj Municipal Mayor Ashraful Alam said on Sunday afternoon that he spoke with the MP the day after he left for India. He did not know anything since then. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 15:08:21', '2024-05-19 15:08:21'),
(12453, 12453, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A teacher has been arrested for allegedly sodomising at least 30 minor boys in Rajshahi\'s Motihar Thana, police said on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The accused has been identified as Md. Abdul Wakel, 33, a teacher at Ashraf Memorial Model School, Katakhali, Rajshahi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wakel violated the boys and recorded scenes. Later, he saved them on his mobile phone, pen drive, computer and external hard drive. The search engine delivers this information to a US-based organization called National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children (NCMEC). Being a partner of many international organizations including IOM, UNODC, NCMEC, the content related to Child Abuse was sent to CID.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Based on this, a special team of CID conducted an operation in Shyampur Danshmari area under Motihar Thana of Rajshahi Metro and arrested Md. Abdul Wakel on Saturday, said Azad Rahman, Superintendent of Police of CID\'s media wing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the drive, the law enforcers seized a mobile phone, two hard disks and two pen drives, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Preliminary investigation revealed that Wakel lured the children with chocolates and played the popular PUBG game with his mobile phone and “sodomised” them at different times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A case was filed at Paltan Model Thana under the Pornography Control Act following a complaint lodged by the headmaster of Katakhali’s Ashraf Memorial Model School.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 15:15:04', '2024-05-19 15:15:04'),
(12454, 12454, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh\'s economy has now become “sick and fragile” due to widespread plundering, corruption, and illicit transfer of money abroad by ruling party leaders, said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said this while speaking at a programme at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on Sunday.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rizvi said the reserve will diminish further as the government will need to use $4 billion to clear overdue bills in the power sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Nearly 50 billion taka has been embezzled, depleting the reserves. The government currently holds $13 billion in foreign reserves, actually, there is only $7 to $8 billion in the reserves,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Sheikh Hasina\'s development seems like applying lipstick to the lips of a malnourished and dark woman. Bangladesh\'s economy will appear the same if you glorify a distressed and afflicted woman with cosmetics. Bangladesh\'s economy is sick,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Expressing worry about the faltering economy, the BNP leader likened the nation\'s situation to inhabiting an empty abyss, where solid ground seemed to be slipping away.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Only from the banks, Tk 12,000 crore has been plundered. This isn\'t my statement; it\'s the statement of the CPD. About 12 percent of our GDP has been lost this way...can it be imagined?” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, Rizvi said Tk 92,000 crores have disappeared from the bank account alone. “Who are the looters? Who are these oligarchs? All these are people close to power. They either belong to Awami League or Awami League\'s money providers. They amassed huge wealth and money.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the number of loan defaulters is growing alarmingly as the outstanding loans in the banking sector stood at Tk 156,039 crore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rizvi said journalists are not allowed to enter the Bangladesh Bank so that the country’s people or the international community do not know about how the ruling party leaders have been plundering public money.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People think that joining the elections under this dummy government means going against democracy, truth, and justice. We strongly believe that the people will respond to our call as they did in the first phase by boycotting the polls, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'Staff Correspondent', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-19 15:28:29', '2024-05-19 15:28:29'),
(12455, 12455, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has died after a helicopter carrying him and other officials crashed in a mountainous and forested area of the country in poor weather.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 63-year-old, a figure representing conservative and hardline factions in Iranian politics, was president for nearly three years, and appeared on track to run for re-election next year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A former chief justice, Raisi was touted as a potential successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 85-year-old supreme leader of Iran.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi was born in Mashhad in northeastern Iran, a religious hub for Shia Muslims. He underwent religious education and was trained at the seminary in Qom, studying under prominent scholars, including Khamenei.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also like the supreme leader, he wore a black turban, which signified that he was a sayyid – a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, a status with particular significance among Twelver Shia Muslims.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi racked up experience as a prosecutor in multiple jurisdictions before coming to Tehran in 1985. It was in the capital city that, according to human rights organisations, he was part of a committee of judges who oversaw executions of political prisoners.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The late president was a longtime member of the Assembly of Experts, the body that is tasked with choosing a replacement for the supreme leader in the event of his death.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He became attorney general in 2014 for two years, when he was appointed by Khamenei to lead the Astan Quds Razavi. The colossal bonyad, or charitable trust, has billions of dollars in assets and is the custodian of the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia imam.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi initially ran for president in 2017, unsuccessfully challenging the re-election of former President Hassan Rouhani, who represented the centrist and moderate camps.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After a short hiatus, Raisi was making headlines as the new head of the Iranian judiciary system, having been appointed by Khamenei in 2019. He presented himself as a defender of justice and a fighter against corruption, and made many provincial travels to garner popular support.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi became president in 2021 amid low voter turnout and wide disqualification of reformist and moderate candidates, and appeared to have secured a firm footing for re-election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Like other top Iranian officials, his harshest rhetoric was reserved for Israel and the United States, followed by their Western allies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi made many speeches since the start of the war on Gaza in October to condemn “genocide” and “massacres” committed by Israel against Palestinians, and called on the international community to intervene.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He promised revenge against Israel after it levelled Tehran’s consulate building in Syria and killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including two generals.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And he welcomed Iran’s response, which was to launch hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, most of which were shot down by a coalition of Israeli allies – but left Iran claiming an overall success.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raisi was hawkish on Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has been in limbo after former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was a champion of the strategic policy of “resistance” and “resilience” that Khamenei has adopted in the face of the harshest-ever sanctions that Iran has faced – imposed after the nuclear deal fell through.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A close ally of the IRGC, the late president was also a staunch backer of the “axis of resistance” of political and armed groups that Iran supports across the region, including in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And he was a strong backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who Iran has supported in his government’s war against the Syrian opposition, which has left hundreds of thousands dead. - Al Jazeera</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 06:37:44', '2024-05-20 06:37:44'),
(12456, 12456, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The helicopter crash in which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and other officials were killed is likely to reverberate across the Middle East, where Iran’s influence runs wide and deep.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That\'s because Iran has spent decades supporting armed groups and militants in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and the Palestinian territories, allowing it to project power and potentially deter attacks from the United States or Israel, the sworn enemies of its 1979 Islamic Revolution.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tensions have never been higher than they were last month, when Iran under Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel in response to an airstrike on an Iranian Consulate in Syria that killed two Iranian generals and five officers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel, with the help of the United States, Britain, Jordan and others, intercepted nearly all the projectiles. In response, Israel apparently launched its own strike against an air defense radar system in the Iranian city of Isfahan, causing no casualties but sending an unmistakable message.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The sides have waged a shadow war of covert operations and cyberattacks for years, but the exchange of fire in April was their first direct military confrontation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has drawn in other Iranian allies, with each attack and counterattack threatening to set off a wider war.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It\'s a combustible mix that could be ignited by unexpected events, such as Sunday\'s deadly crash. According to AP reports&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 09:23:38', '2024-05-20 09:23:38'),
(12457, 12457, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Drivers of battery-run three wheelers staged demonstration blocking roads in Dhaka’s Rampura and Demra Staff Quarter areas for the second consecutive day on Sunday, demanding withdrawal of a ban on the movement of the vehicle in the capital.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vehicular movement remained suspended for around one hour in the areas, causing immense suffering to commuters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ariful Islam, assistant commissioner (traffic-north) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said three-wheeler drivers took to the Rampur road and started chanting slogans against the government decision around 10:30am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Paltan and Sayedabad-bound buses from Rampur remained could not move due to the demonstrations, he said, adding that later the protesters headed towards Malibagh’s Abul Hotel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vehicular movement returned to normal around 11:30pm, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He informed that hundreds of vehicles got stuck on Khilgaon and Malibagh flyovers due to the demonstration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moreover, three-wheeler drivers took to Hajjinagar Road in the Demra Staff Quarter area and blocked it by putting barricades around 10am.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The drivers also tried to vandalise vehicles but failed, said Mostain Billah Ferdous, assistant commissioner of Demra Traffic under the DMP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Sunday, several hundred three-wheeler drivers gathered in the Mirpur-10 intersection to press home their demand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They staged demonstration in Mirpur, Pallabi, Agargaon, Taltola, Kalshi and Mirpur-13 areas, reports UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the other hand, on Wednesday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader instructed the authorities concerned to take steps to stop the movement of battery-run three wheelers on the roads in Dhaka city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"39\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2024-05-20 09:41:55', '2024-05-20 09:41:55');
