INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(8436, 8436, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Ukraine on Monday said it was \"satisfied\" with a summit held in Saudi Arabia over the weekend on a peace settlement to end fighting, to which Moscow was not invited.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Representatives from around 40 countries including China, India, the United States and Ukraine took part in the peace summit, which was held in Jeddah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are very satisfied with the results of the summit,\" the head of Ukraine\'s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The meeting in Saudi Arabia is a rehearsal for a world in which there is no place for savage aggression (by Russia).\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said there was an agreement on the next meeting, \"but there are no exact dates\" and said that \"even more countries will participate\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said a Chinese representative was \"present at all events.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There is no reason to doubt that the principle \'Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine\' is being disrupted,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia earlier said that a peace settlement was only possible if Kyiv put down its arms.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia, which was not invited to the summit, said that a resolution was possible if Ukraine \"stopped the hostilities and terrorist attacks\" and if Western countries stopped arms supplies to Kyiv.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It also called on Ukraine to cede its occupied territories to Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The original foundations of Ukraine\'s sovereignty -- its neutral, non-aligned and non-nuclear status -- must be confirmed,\" foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Over a year into Moscow\'s campaign in Ukraine, Kyiv\'s forces were pressing ahead with their long-awaited offensive to retake occupied territory. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 14:58:44', '2023-08-08 14:58:44'),
(8437, 8437, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Joe Biden flew to Arizona on Monday, looking to tout his climate agenda on a multi-state trip through a region still recovering from a brutal, record-setting heat wave.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first stop on his tour will be to the Grand Canyon where, according to several US media outlets, he is likely to name a new national monument.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The declaration would effectively prevent uranium mining in the area, a ban sought for decades by local Native American tribes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden, who is running for re-election, plans to use the trip to \"highlight how his administration has made historic investments in climate, conservation, and clean energy,\" according to the White House.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He will also spend Tuesday in Arizona, before traveling the next day to neighboring New Mexico.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Both states and the surrounding region have experienced severe heat waves this summer, with Arizona\'s capital Phoenix in July recording the hottest month ever for a US city.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scientists warn that global warming is making heat waves hotter, longer and more frequent.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The trip comes just ahead of the one-year anniversary of Biden\'s signing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a mammoth package of climate investments and other programs that has become the centerpiece of his first term in office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden regularly describes climate change as an \"existential threat,\" and criticizes his Republican opponents for failure to act on the issue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Billions in investment -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The IRA funnels some $370 billion into subsidies for America\'s energy transition, including tax breaks for US-made electric vehicles and batteries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Since the climate law was signed, some $75 billion in new manufacturing investments have been announced, according to policy analyst Jack Conness of think-tank Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beyond the IRA, the overall amount unveiled by private companies across critical areas ranging from semiconductors to EVs is even larger.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The White House touts some $503 billion in commitments to key industries under the Biden administration, which has also seen the passage of other legislation including the American Rescue Plan and the Chips and Science Act.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it remains unclear if the investment gains are translating into clear optimism on the ground, with a Gallup poll in June finding that 66 percent of Americans say the economy is getting worse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And nearly 60 percent of Americans disapprove of Biden\'s handling of climate change, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll conducted last month. The survey also found that few adults said they knew a good amount or great deal about the IRA.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With Biden\'s re-election campaign underway, the Democrat is touting his \"Bidenomics\" economic agenda, which involves bringing manufacturing back to the United States after decades of offshoring.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides addressing the summer heat crisis, Biden\'s visit to Arizona comes with electoral incentives.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 80-year-old Democrat narrowly won Arizona in 2020, and it is among the handful of states expected to be decisive in determining next year\'s presidential election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Thursday, Biden is expected to travel to Utah where the focus will be on veterans\' programs. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 15:05:58', '2023-08-08 15:05:58'),
(8438, 8438, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Stefanos Tsitsipas held out hope on Monday that massive changes in his coaching staff will pay results at this week\'s ATP Toronto Masters.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fourth-ranked Greek star has gently laid down the law to his father and longtime coach Apostolos, handing over that duty to Greek-Australian Mark Philippoussis, a former US Open finalist.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tsitsipas relegated his parents to concerned members of his travelling party at the bigger events.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This week\'s fourth seed at the first of two Masters events prior to the August 28 start of the US Open spelled out his new team order after arrival following his title run at Los Cabos, Mexico.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tsitsipas made a breakthrough in Canada in 2018, finishing runner-up to Rafael Nadal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 24-year-old Greek made it clear that all coaching will now be handled by Philippoussis in the hopes his at-times chaotic player box dynamic will calm down..</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"(I gave) my father some time off,\" Tsitsipas said. \"He hasn\'t had time off since I was 12 years old.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"For him, it\'s very healthy to take some time away from the court and feel refreshed again.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Of course I love him and I want him to be part of that journey that we have built together -- he\'s not going anywhere. He\'s still with us, and he\'s still there following our path and journey.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tsitsipas said that with his parent now longer acting as coach he\'s hoping for \"much more tranquility and calmness in the air when I\'m competing.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Greek star was well-known for loudly engaging with his father on court during matches while his mother often had to leave the player box, unable to watch in tense moments.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Parents can get emotional sometimes and I completely understand that,\" he said. \"I can imagine how difficult it can be at times seeing your child give it their all and to be going through so much during a match.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tsitsipas said Philippoussis, 46, has \"been through a lot of moments in his career that he can identify and capture better.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He\'s an incredible human being. He has helped me a lot and has been there for me. Even when people didn\'t see him around, he has been there behind closed doors.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Berrettini advances -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On a day whose start was delayed by rain, 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini lined up a second-round encounter with fellow Italian and seventh seed Yannik Sinner.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Berrettini, who has suffered for more than a year with various injuries, defeated Gregoire Barrere 6-4, 6-3, striking 24 winners while breaking four times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Italian compatriot Lorenzo Musetti advanced past Japan\'s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4, 6-1 while Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis beat Zhang Zhizhen 7-5, 6-4.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia\'s Daniil Medvedev is back in his tennis heaven with the summer hardcourt season.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The world number three is seeded second behind Carlos Alcaraz due to the absence of Novak Djokovic, with the Serb leaving it late to prepare for the US Open.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I feel great on the hardcourt, my game suits it,\" Medvedev said. \"But it\'s easy to lose also -- there are so many guys who want to win.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Medvedev, with 20 career titles, has earned half of them on his preferred outdoor hardcourts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The winner of the Canadian trophy two years ago has already had a weekend practice hit with top rival Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon and US Open champion who heads the field. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 15:08:50', '2023-08-08 15:08:50'),
(8439, 8439, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality continued to be in the ‘moderate’ zone this morning, amidst intermittent rain since yesterday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 84 at 9 am, Dhaka ranked 12th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Indonesia’s Jakarta, the United Arab Emirates\' Dubai and Chile\'s Santiago occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 163, 154 and 129, respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 51 and 100 is considered \'moderate\', between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy\', and between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 15:13:58', '2023-08-08 15:13:58'),
(8440, 8440, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">New Zealand\'s government said Tuesday it will partner with U.S. investment giant BlackRock in its aim to become one of the first nations in the world to have its electricity grid run entirely from renewable energy.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government said it was helping BlackRock launch a $1.2 billion fund to ramp up investments in wind and solar generation, as well as battery storage and green hydrogen. Some of the investment is expected to come from government-owned companies.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">New Zealand\'s electricity grid already runs off about 82% renewable energy after it damned rivers decades ago to produce hydroelectric power. The government said it aims to reach 100% renewable generation by the end of this decade.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The announcement comes two months out from an election, with the government hoping to burnish its green credentials. Critics point out the nation’s overall greenhouse gas emissions have barely budged since the government symbolically declared a climate emergency in 2020.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“This is a gamechanger for the clean-tech sector, and an example of the pragmatic and practical steps the government\'s taking to accelerate climate action while actually growing our economy and creating jobs,” Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters in Auckland.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hipkins said the fund would allow New Zealand companies to produce intellectual property that could be commercialized across the world.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Partnering with, and supporting, industry to solve the climate crisis is a no-brainer,” Hipkins said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BlackRock released few details about the planned 2 billion New Zealand dollar ($1.22 billion) fund, but did say it would initially target institutional investors. It was the first time BlackRock had launched an initiative of its kind, said Andrew Landman, the head of BlackRock in Australia and New Zealand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The level of innovation is far greater in this country than we see elsewhere in clean tech,” Hipkins told reporters. “We are seeing enormous visionary capabilities out of those investee companies.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BlackRock said making the grid completely green would require a total investment of about US$26 billion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BlackRock Chief Executive Larry Fink said on social media that “the world is looking for models of cooperation between the private and public sectors to ensure an orderly, just and fair energy transition.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">David Seymour, the leader of New Zealand\'s libertarian ACT Party, said the plan would push up power prices for little environmental gain.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Read: ADB to fund urban transport, climate resilience, renewables projects worth $628 million</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“New Zealanders don’t want to be subject to a ‘world first’ climate change experiment that will mean the government micromanages their lives,\" Seymour said in a statement. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 15:18:53', '2023-08-08 15:18:53'),
(8441, 8441, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The 93rd birth anniversary of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is being observed today in a befitting manner across the country.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangamata, also known by her nick name Renu, was born on August 8 in 1930 at Tungipara village in Gopalganj. She was a paternal cousin of her husband Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Renu was only 8 years old when she was married to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who himself was just 18, in 1938.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangabandhu wrote in his autobiography “The Unfinished Memoirs” that Renu\'s mother died when she was five. Only her grandfather remained. He, too died when Renu was just seven years old. Then, she grew up with Bangabandhu\'s siblings.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When Bangabandhu was just 13, he was betrothed to her. After Renu\'s father died, her grandfather called Bangabandhu\'s father and said, \"I have to marry off one of my granddaughters to your eldest son because I will leave all my property to them.\" Renu\'s grandfather was Bangabandhu\'s paternal uncle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangabandhu wrote, when their marriage was fixed, he was a teenager. \"I heard I got married. I did not understand anything then. \"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their wedding took place in 1938. Their family life started after Bangabandhu passed the entrance exam in 1942. That year he got admitted to Islamia College, Kolkata. His political career began there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangamata was killed brutally along with Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members at the fateful night of August 15 in 1975.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fazilatunnesa Mujib was under house arrest during Bangladesh Liberation War until December 17, 1971.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She was born to the Bengali Muslim Sheikh family in the village of Tungipara, Gopalganj.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her father’s name was Sheikh Zahurul Haque and her mother’s name was Sheikh Husne Ara Begum.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She was of Iraqi Arab ancestry on both sides of family, her paternal grandfather Kashem Sheikh, was grandson of Sheikh Ekramullah, who was in turn descended from Sheikh Awwal Darwish of Baghdad, a dervish who had come to preach Islam in Bengal during the time of the later Mughal era of Bengal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Her father, Sheikh Zahurul Haque, and mother, Husne Ara Begum, died when she was three years old.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Marking the birth anniversary of Sheikh Fazilatunnesa, Awami League (AL) and its associate bodies have taken programmes to pay respect to her memory. Wreaths is being placed at her grave in city’s Banani area today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last year in an award giving ceremony, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sketched Bangmata\'s key-shadow role in protracted independence struggle particularly in major turning points like the six-point demand, Bangabandhu\'s release issue and his March 7 speech.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh\'s emergence would have been impossible if Bangamata hadn\'t taken a bold step against proposed inclusion of two more points to the Six-Point Demand while Bangabandhu was in Pakistani military captivity during the Agartala conspiracy case.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said several Awami League leaders was willing to accept Bangabandhu\'s release on parole while the trial of the case was underway, an idea that was strongly opposed by Bangamata who wanted his unconditional release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina said if Bangabandhu had come out accepting parole conditions, no fierce mass movement would have been sparked forcing the then Pakistani junta to abandon the case, freeing the accused.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangamata feared in that situation all the accused would have been hanged on high treason charges, if not killed in captivity like their co-accused Sergeant Zahirul Haque during the trial.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">If Bangabandhu got released on parole, Bangladesh would have never witnessed its independence, the premier said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While talking to BSS earlier noted academician and former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique said Bangamata had played a very crucial role in heartening Bangabandhu to pen the drafts of three invaluable autobiographic books which would always remain as precious asset in the history of Bangladesh.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We talked about Bangabandhu at different times. His speeches and statements have been preserved in different ways. But expressing his own memories in his own words is a rare one and it had been possible because of Bangamata,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prof Arefin, also a noted communication expert, said Bangabandhu in his own reminiscence in the ‘Unfinished Memoirs’ also mentioned how Bangamata inspired him to write the books.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said after the independence, Bangamata had taken the initiative for the first time to rehabilitate the Biranganas (war heroines), the women who were brutally tortured and repressed by Pakistani occupational forces and their local collaborators during the Liberation War.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the leadership of Begum Mujib, the works of rehabilitating the repressed women began at Bangabandhu’s Dhanmondi 32 residence for the first time, he mentioned.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She gathered some distinguished women of society and held meetings at Dhanmondi 32 residence to decide how to cooperate with the government and extend support to Bangabandhu in rehabilitating the group of women, he said. 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, '2023-08-08 15:25:58', '2023-08-08 15:25:58'),
(8442, 8442, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today distributed Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesha Mujib Padak-2023 to four prominent women and the national women\'s football team.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier handed over the award at a ceremony as the chief guest in city\'s Osmani Memorial auditorium organised by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The award distribution function coincided with the occasion of 93rd birth anniversary of Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesha Mujib, the better half of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apart from the national women football team for sports, the four other women award recipients are- Advocate Sahara Khatun (Posthumous) in politics as well as Nasima Jaman Bobi and Anima Mukti Gomes in education, culture and sports while Dr Senjuti Saha in research.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira in the chair, its Secretary Nazma Mobarek delivered the welcome address.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr Tania Huq, Professor at the department of Women and Gender Studies of University of Dhaka made keynote presentation based on the life and activities of Bangamata, while Jatiyo Mohila Sangstha Chairman Begum Chemon Ara Tayab took part in it as discussant.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On behalf of the award recipients, national women football team captain Sabina Khatun spoke on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the outset, an audio-visual documentary on the life and works of Bangamata was screened.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In order to commemorate Bangamata\'s contribution, maximum five women are awarded every year in recognition of their contribution to eight fields.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs nominated the national women\'s football team and four prominent women for this year\'s award, recognising their contributions to the country\'s politics, education, culture, sports, and research.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the function, the premier also inaugurated the financial donation and sewing machine distribution program. A total of 4,500 sewing machines are being distributed in 64 districts while Taka 2,000 is being given among 3,000 destitute women. 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, '2023-08-08 16:55:28', '2023-08-08 16:55:28'),
(8443, 8443, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The United States has welcomed the Bangladesh government\'s decision to reform the Digital Security Act.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We welcome the Bangladesh government’s long-stated commitment to reform the law, to protect freedom of expression,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at a regular briefing in Washington on August 7.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the US encourages the government of Bangladesh to give all stakeholders an opportunity to review and provide input on the new draft Cyber Security Act, to ensure that it meets international standards.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“As we’ve previously stated, the Digital Security Act has been used to arrest, detain, and silence critics,” the US State Department spokesperson said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 16:59:00', '2023-08-08 16:59:00'),
(8444, 8444, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rescue workers combed through the rubble of damaged buildings in the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, the day after Russian strikes killed at least seven people.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pokrovsk sits just 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the eastern frontline, where Moscow says it is gaining ground and repelling Ukrainian attacks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two missiles -- launched 40 minutes apart -- damaged residential buildings, a hotel, catering establishments, shops and administrative buildings on Monday, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk region\'s military administration said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AFP correspondents on the ground saw rescuers evacuating survivors from the rubble of a five-storey building, and carrying the wounded into ambulances.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Seven people died and 67 were wounded, including two children, according to Igor Klymenko, Ukraine\'s minister of internal affairs.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those killed included a high-ranking emergency official of Donetsk region, Klymenko said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are resuming the demolition of rubble,\" he said early Tuesday after the rescuers \"were forced to suspend work for the night due to the high threat of repeated shelling.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Moscow had struck a residential building, and shared a video on social media of civilians helping wounded people and rescuers clearing rubble from a building that had lost its top floor.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The footage also showed a second building that appeared heavily damaged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The city had a pre-war population of around 60,000 people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Russia advances -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also on Monday, Russia said it had recently advanced three kilometres towards Kupiansk in northeastern Ukraine around 150 kilometres north of Pokrovsk and a few dozen kilometres from the Russian border.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kupiansk and its surroundings in the Kharkiv region were retaken by Ukrainian forces in September, but Moscow has renewed its assault on the area.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Over the past three days, the advance of Russian troops... amounted to 11 kilometres along the front and more than three kilometres deep into the enemy\'s defence,\" Moscow\'s defence ministry said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It said that it had \"improved\" its standing along the frontline and continued to repel Ukrainian counterattacks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Saturday, Russia struck a blood transfusion centre in Kruglyakivka -- near Kupiansk -- with a \"guided air bomb\", killing at least two people and wounding four, Kyiv said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two more people in Kruglyakivka died Monday when Russia attacked with \"four guided aerial bombs\", according to Oleg Synegubov, governor of the Kharkiv region.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In mid-July, Ukraine said that it was in a \"defensive position\" in the Kupiansk area as the Russian army launched an offensive there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ukraine began its long-awaited counteroffensive in June but has made modest advances in the face of stiff resistance from Russian forces.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Saudi talks -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the diplomatic front, Ukraine said Monday it was \"satisfied\" after a peace summit held in Saudi Arabia, to which Moscow was not invited.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Representatives from around 40 countries including China, India, the United States and Ukraine took part in the weekend summit in Jeddah.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The initiative was greeted with scorn by Moscow on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We have become eyewitnesses of yet another unsuccessful attempt by the US administration to pass off their wishes for reality. There was no diplomatic success in Jeddah,\" said Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, as quoted by state news agency RIA Novosti.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The diplomat said it was pointless to discuss the crisis in Ukraine without Russia\'s participation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Does anyone still not understand that in such a situation it is impossible to achieve a specific result?\" he said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 17:02:06', '2023-08-08 17:02:06'),
(8445, 8445, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said that the “evil force” called BNP must be resisted to keep the values of Liberation War and democracy safe in Bangladesh.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quader made the remark after paying tribute to Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib on her 94th birth anniversary at Dhaka’s Banani graveyard this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The road, transport and bridges minister said, “Politics of murder and conspiracy started in the country since the brutal assassinations of Bangabandhu on August 15 and four national leaders on November 3 in 1975. The grenade attack on August 21, 2004, primarily targeting Bangabandhu\'s daughter Sheikh Hasina, was a continuation of that.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Twenty-three lives were lost, including Ivy Rahman, in that grenade attack. BNP was behind this history of bloodbath. This party initiated the politics of murder and conspiracy in Bangladesh,” Quader added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Obaidul Quader also said Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib is one of the most remarkable women in Bangladesh’s history. “From Sheikh Mujib to Bangabandhu, from Bangabandhu to the Father of the Nation – Begum Mujib was not only Bangabandhu’s wife, she was also a dedicated partner in all the struggles,” he said.&nbsp; UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 18:31:26', '2023-08-08 18:31:26'),
(8446, 8446, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh may see less rain over the next 72 hours (starting from 9 am today), according to the Meteorological Department’s (BMD) weather forecast.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind are likely to occur at most places in the country with moderately heavy to very heavy falls in places,” the Met Office said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The highest, 268 mm, rainfall was recorded in Bandarban in 24 hours till 6 am today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged across the country, the weather forecast added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, monsoon is active over Bangladesh and moderate to strong over the north Bay. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 18:41:26', '2023-08-08 18:41:26'),
(8447, 8447, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen has said that young Bangladeshi students are the “bridge of hope” to carry forward the tradition of friendship between the two countries.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While speaking at a reception, he encouraged students to cherish the present and study hard.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“They should not only learn the professional courses, but also Chinese history and culture. They should not only attend lectures, but also explore the streets and make more Chinese friends,” said the ambassador.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The farewell reception for 2023 Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS) recipients was held at the Embassy of China in Dhaka on Monday evening.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Toufique Hasan, Director-General of the East Asia and Pacific Wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, and Munshi Faiz Ahmed, former Ambassador of Bangladesh to China and chief of Association of Bangladesh-China Alumni (ABCA), granted CGS admission letters to Bangladeshi scholarship recipients.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Read: Indian HC hails signing of MoU on establishment of BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Representatives from ABCA and parents of the students also attended the ceremony.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ambassador said both China and Bangladesh have long histories and splendid cultures, and have been good neighbours and friends since ancient times.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the eve of International Children’s Day this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote to Bangladeshi child Alifa Chin, encouraging her to study, pursue her dreams, contribute to the society, and serve the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The ambassador said President Xi Jinping’s earnest wish is a message to all Bangladeshi youths and to the bright future of China-Bangladesh relations. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 19:20:31', '2023-08-08 19:20:31'),
(8448, 8448, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BTS member Suga hosted idol and actor Hwang Min-hyun on episode 16 of his variety show Suchwita. Taking to its YouTube channel, BangtanTV posted the episode in which Suga shared a funny anecdote from his training days with BigHit Music. He also spoke about K-pop idols wearing makeup, on importance of taking breaks, BTS ARMY, the cleanest person in the group and BTS\' second chapter.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As Hwang Min-hyun shared an incident when he was cast on the street, Suga said, \"I have actually been cast on the street once in Seoul. I was already in BigHit but a BigHit manager gave me his business card and asked me to audition. I was just a trainee. So the managers didn\'t know me. I was on my way to school and a black minivan just pulled up. They were like, \'Excuse me\', so I said, \'Yes?\' They said, \'Are you interested in joining an entertainment agency?\' So I said, \'Sorry I\'m a BigHit trainee\'. They were like, \'Oh really?!\'</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Suga on being part of a music video before debut</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Suga recalled that he was part of a music video before he made his debut with BTS. He said that there is a \'legendary thing called SeeU\'. He added that the 3D character danced on Inkigayo and he was at the back. Suga said that even J-Hope, Jimin and Jungkook were dancing in the back.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Suga on wearing makeup</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaking with Min-hyun, Suga said that he doesn\'t wear heavy makeup. \"The idol makeup makes a person sort of like 2D. We look like cartoon characters with the idol makeup with dark rims of the eyes, coloured contacts.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Suga spoke about fans of the group, BTS ARMY</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He told Min-hyun, \"Everything is possible thanks to those fans who listen to your music. Our fans are called ARMY. It sounds really pretty. In French \'ami\' means friend. In English it\'s ARMY. So people think of it as…it sounds like they are gonna protect us from everything.\" He also said that he feels BTS will age together with their fans.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Neat person in BTS</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">When Min-hyun asked Suga about the neat person in the group, he said, \"This is funny. When we all lived together RM never cleaned up. So I was like, \'Please clean up your room. Don\'t put your clothes everywhere\'. But his house is so neat, now that we don\'t live together. I sort of felt betrayed after seeing his new house. He wasn\'t this neat when we were living together. Everything was so neat, even the blanket. I realised that it becomes like that when you have your own place.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Suga on BTS\' next chapter</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BTS rapper said, \"We wrapped up our Chapter 1 as BTS nicely. We are doing solo promotions. We are waiting for our next chapter to come back as a team.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Suga on working non-stop</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Suga told Min-hyun, “I have been working nonstop and also did a tour recently. But I didn\'t know what rest was. I always had to work hard and I always had to produce good outcomes. I had this obsession with the things I did. I need to prepare more while the others are taking a break. Why? Because I am gonna do this next. But while I was preparing my album last year I realised that taking a break is important. I thought I should take a break because without it I am gonna be sick.” Suga wrapped up the episode by telling Min-hyun that they should meet more often as they are similar. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd24/kh</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 19:24:40', '2023-08-08 19:24:40');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(8449, 8449, '<div><b><br></b></div><div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Terming the Digital Security Act (DSA) the worst black law for democracy and people’s freedom, BNP on Tuesday demanded complete repeal of the law instead of its transformation.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson\'s Gulshan office, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also said the government’s move to replace the DSA with the Cyber Security Act is tantamount to cheating people.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our position is very clear as we’re in favour of complete annulment of the Digital Security Act. This act should not remain in place in any way as it’s the worst black law for democracy and people’s freedom,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader said revoking the DSA is one of their demands for which they are carrying out the anti-government movement.</div><div><br></div><div>“Our main point is that we want the complete repeal of the act since it’s a law against democracy, people\'s rights, and freedom of the press. So, there’s no justification to keep this law (in any form),” Fakhrul said.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the government has taken the move to transform the Digital Security Act into Cyber Security Act in a bid to deceive people.</div><div><br></div><div>As the government is under tremendous pressure from the international community, the BNP leader said the government is also trying to pacify them with this move.</div><div><br></div><div>“The ostrich has a tendency to hide its head in the sand when confronted with a storm. The government’s move is like that.  They think they are doing a very smart thing by fooling people like this,”he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul said they will come up with their party’s formal reaction to the government’s move later after gathering detailed information about the government’s move to transform the act.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Monday, the Cabinet agreed in principle to replace the controversial Digital Security Act with the Cyber Security Act, amending some sections of the DSA.</div><div><br></div><div>After the Cabinet meeting, Law Minister Anisul Huq said they brought many changes to the sections of the DSA and changed its name to the Cyber Security Act.</div><div><br></div><div>He, however, said the DSA was not scrapped but transformed.</div><div><br></div><div>The Digital Security Act was passed by the National Parliament on September 19, 2018.</div><div><br></div><div>The press conference was arranged to disclose the outcome of the BNP standing committee meeting held on Monday. According to UNB reports </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 22:28:49', '2023-08-08 22:30:16'),
(8450, 8450, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq today said the government will consider lenient punishment for people booked under redrafted Digital Security Act (DSA).</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“As the extent of punishment in proposed Cyber Security Act (CSA) has been reduced to a great extent and this is the aim of the government and the parliament, so we will definitely look into matter to ensure this (reducing punishment) is implemented,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The law minister said this while talking to newsmen after coming out of his meeting with UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis at his secretariat office.</div><div><br></div><div>Advocate Anisul Huq, an eminent lawyer himself, said the court can sentence, a person booked under older law, punishment narrated in the old law. But the government will look into the matter of cases filed under the old law (DSA), he added.</div><div><br></div><div>“DSA was not amended or we even cannot say that it is abolished completely. The changes that we have brought in the act, are so many that if we would have stick with the previous name Digital Security Act, we had to name it as Digital Security Amended Act, which would have been confusing. So we opted for Cyber Security Act, we brought cyber to increase its extent,” Anisul said while replying to a question on the necessity of transforming and renaming DSA as CSA.</div><div><br></div><div>UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis said she is happy that changes have been made in the act, adding, “As I am not a technical person and yet to see the new act in full, I cannot say anymore at this time.”</div><div><br></div><div>The cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of the new act, annulling some stringent provisions like jail terms on defamation charges.</div><div><br></div><div>Convicts under the proposed Cyber Security Act would require paying fines only instead of serving jail terms on defamation charges while Law Minister called the provision a “significant change”.</div><div><br></div><div>Anisul said the proposed CSA suggested a two-year prison term instead five years prescribed in DSA’s section 28 which was related to publication, broadcast of information in website or in any electronic format hurting one’s religious values or sentiment.</div><div><br></div><div>He said persons to be accused under this particular section could avail bail from the court as well while the DSA made the charges non-bailable. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 22:37:49', '2023-08-08 22:37:49'),
(8451, 8451, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Lawyers for former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan filed an appeal Tuesday against his conviction for graft, as he languished in a small cell in a century-old prison at the start of a three-year jail term.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The former international cricket star was arrested at the weekend and whisked to jail after being found guilty in one of the more than 200 cases he has faced since being ousted from office by a vote of no confidence in April 2022.</div><div><br></div><div>Unless overturned, the conviction will rule him out of contesting upcoming elections.</div><div><br></div><div>Khan is being held at a colonial-era prison on the outskirts of historical Attock city, around 60 kilometres (40 miles) west of the capital Islamabad.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We\'ve submitted an appeal... our plea requests a temporary suspension of the trial court\'s ruling and seeks bail,\" Khan\'s lawyer Gohar Khan told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The court will take up the case tomorrow and because the sentence is short we hope that Imran Khan will be granted bail in (several) weeks\' time.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Another of his lawyers warned authorities would try to delay the process.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Currently there is no rule of law in Pakistan, we are rushing from one court to another,\" said Mishal Yousafzai.</div><div><br></div><div>On Monday Khan\'s spokesman Raoof Hasan told AFP he was being held \"in deplorable conditions not fit for any human\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"But he is in good spirits ... he said to \'tell the people that I will not compromise on my principles\'.\"</div><div><br></div><div>- Tough conditions -</div><div><br></div><div>The 70-year-old is in a so-called \"C-class cell\", sleeping on a mattress on the floor and with only enough room for a prayer mat.</div><div><br></div><div>There is little access to daylight, and a fan but no air conditioner in the summer heat, Hasan said.</div><div><br></div><div>Power of attorney allowed Khan\'s legal team to file a bail application on his behalf Tuesday, and also appeal for him to be moved to a more comfortable \"A-class cell,\" usually reserved for VIP inmates.</div><div><br></div><div>At a court hearing that Khan did not attend on Saturday, a judge found him guilty of failing to properly declare gifts he received while in office and sentenced him to three years in jail.</div><div><br></div><div>While the sentence disqualifies Khan from taking part in upcoming elections, many politicians -- including current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his brother, former premier Nawaz Sharif -- have recovered from convictions or had them overturned to make a comeback.</div><div><br></div><div>- Parliament to be dissolved -</div><div><br></div><div>Parliament will be dissolved on Wednesday -- days ahead of the end of its natural term -- meaning an election must be held by mid-November.</div><div><br></div><div>But the release of the latest census data at the weekend also means the election commission must redraw constituency boundaries, which the law minister said late Monday would likely mean a delay.</div><div><br></div><div>\"God willing the matter will not go beyond 50 to 60 days,\" Azam Nazeer Tarar said on TV.</div><div><br></div><div>Khan\'s arrest and detention for three days in connection with the same case in May sparked deadly violence, with his supporters taking to the streets in the tens of thousands and clashing with police.</div><div><br></div><div>It also prompted the crackdown that saw almost all of the top leadership of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party arrested or forced into hiding, leaving the party scrambling to set up a replacement decision-making body.</div><div><br></div><div>The reaction to Khan\'s jailing so far has been vastly different to the outpouring of rage that followed his first arrest -- even on social media, with half as many Facebook posts mentioning Khan\'s name.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The muted response to his arrest is because of the full-throttle crackdown on PTI workers after the first arrest,\" columnist Usama Khilji told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The arrests of PTI workers post the May arrest of Imran Khan coupled with draconian laws passed in haste by (the coalition government) have had a chilling effect on Pakistani citizens.\" According to AFP reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 22:58:29', '2023-08-08 22:58:29'),
(8452, 8452, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Researchers from China\'s Peking University have found a new potential drug target for improving the effectiveness of diabetes treatment.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Bacteroides spp. microbial dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) from the gut microbiota is believed to be an important therapeutic target for the management of type 2 diabetes, according to the researchers.</div><div><br></div><div>DPP4 can degrade the host\'s glucagon and contribute to compromising glucose homeostasis, as indicated in the joint study by Peking University Health Science Center, Peking University Third Hospital, and the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Peking University.</div><div><br></div><div>The researchers also found that the enrichment of the peptidase in the host\'s body will significantly reduce the clinical efficacy of Sitagliptin, a commonly used diabetes treatment medication, as Sitagliptin cannot inhibit the activity of DPP4 effectively.</div><div><br></div><div>Efforts are underway to seek methods to inhibit the enzyme activity of DPP4, which holds the potential to enhance the efficacy of existing medications and even discover new treatment approaches.</div><div><br></div><div>The discovery is expected to have significant implications for further understanding the pathogenesis of diabetes and for enhancing the efficacy of related drug treatments, according to the study.</div><div><br></div><div>The research was published in Science on Aug. 4.&nbsp; - Xinhua</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 23:05:18', '2023-08-08 23:05:18'),
(8453, 8453, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>As traders are not fully prepared yet to market 100 percent of packaged soybean oil, the government will allow sale of loose soybean oil for six more months.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>However, the sale of loose soybean oil in the market will be completely prohibited after the next six months, said Director General of the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate (NCRPD) AHM Shafiquzzaman.</div><div><br></div><div>The NCRPD organized an awareness meeting on prohibiting the marketing of loose soybean oil. The meeting was held at the head office of the directorate in the capital on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>The businessmen said in the meeting that they agreed on banning the marketing of loose soybean oil but traders are not ready to market 100 percent packaged soybean now with the capacity they have. That is why they want more time to implement this initiative of the government.</div><div><br></div><div>Director General of NCRPD Shafiquzzaman said, “We want to stop the sale of loose soybean oil in the market by creating awareness in coordination with the stakeholders.”</div><div><br></div><div>He asked businesses to give a work plan of the companies within 7 days along with a detailed plan of achieving the capacity to marketing 100 percent packaged soybean oil. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-08 23:35:41', '2023-08-08 23:35:41'),
(8454, 8454, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Tuesday said that the punishment outlined in the proposed Cyber Security Act have been scaled down and efforts will be made to resolve cases filed under the former Digital Security Act according to provisions of the new law.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The minister said this while talking to reporters after a discussion with the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Gwen Lewis, at the Secretariat.</div><div><br></div><div>When asked about the attorney general’s assertion that proceedings under the Digital Security Act would continue, the law minister said, “We are considering our options carefully. Violations committed prior to the introduction of the new law will be subject to the previous legal framework. However, we are contemplating the appropriate course of action. The amendments to this law have led to a substantial reduction in punitive measures. We are committed to ensuring successful implementation of these revised measures,” he said. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 00:24:07', '2023-08-09 00:24:07'),
(8455, 8455, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh may see less rain over the next 72 hours (starting from 9 am today), according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department’s (BMD) weather forecast.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind are likely to occur at most places in the country with moderately heavy to very heavy falls in places,” the Met Office said.</div><div><br></div><div>The highest, 268 mm, rainfall was recorded in Bandarban in 24 hours till 6 am today.</div><div><br></div><div>Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged across the country, the weather forecast added.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, monsoon is active over Bangladesh and moderate to strong over the north Bay. According to UNB reports </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 00:27:52', '2023-08-09 00:28:04'),
(8456, 8456, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have arrested six BNP men from different places of the country, in a case lodged over setting three passenger buses and a police car on fire during the party\'s sit-in programme in the city\'s Matuail area on July 29.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The arrestees are- Dhaka Zila Jubo Dal joint secretary Md Sahidul Islam, assistant organizing secretary Md Suruzzaman, member of Dhaka Zila BNP Md Muminul Islam, member of Dhamrai Municipality Chhatra Dal Apurba Chandra Das, member of Savar Thana Juba Dal M Sujan and member of Dhamrai Thana Jubo Dal Md Rajib Hossain.</div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka Zila Police Super Asaduzzaman confirmed the matter at a press conference held at his office today.</div><div><br></div><div>\"On July 29, three public vehicles and a police car on the Dhaka-Aricha highway were set on fire, and cocktails were exploded by some miscreants. Bus driver Anwar Hossain, who was injured in the incident, filed a case under the relevant provisions of the Penal Code, 1908 and the Explosive Substances Act,1908 in this regard,\" the official said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Under the supervision and leadership of Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime, Ops and Traffic- North) Md Abdullahil Kafi and DB Additional Superintendent of Police (Dhaka District) Mobashshira Habib Khan, a team of Ashulia Police Station and District Intelligence Branch Dhaka (North) conducted raids in Manikganj, Gazipur, Savar, Ashulia and Dhamrai Thana areas of Dhaka district and arrested them,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>At least 20 police personnel were injured as BNP activists clashed with police during the party\'s sit-in programme in the city entrance points on July 29.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>They exploded cocktails in different parts of the capital. Cars were vandalized and set on fire in many places.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 00:41:39', '2023-08-09 00:41:39'),
(8457, 8457, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>UN investigators said Tuesday they had gathered strong evidence of surging war crimes in Myanmar, including mass executions and sexual violence, and were building case files to help bring perpetrators to justice.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Southeast Asian country has been ravaged by deadly violence since a coup deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi\'s government in February 2021, unleashing a bloody crackdown on dissent that has sparked fighting across swathes of the nation.</div><div><br></div><div>The United Nations\' Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) said it had evidence that Myanmar\'s military and affiliated militias were \"committing increasingly frequent and brazen war crimes\".</div><div><br></div><div>It pointed among other things to indiscriminate aerial bombardments, the burning of villages and mass killings of civilians and detained combatants, as well as torture and horrific sexual violence.</div><div><br></div><div>The investigation team warned in its annual report that \"the number of incidents bearing the hallmarks of serious international crimes\" had surged since the coup.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Every loss of life in Myanmar is tragic, but the devastation caused to whole communities through aerial bombardments and village burnings is particularly shocking,\" Mechanism chief Nicholas Koumjian said in the statement.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Our evidence points to a dramatic increase in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the country, with widespread and systematic attacks against civilians, and we are building case files that can be used by courts to hold individual perpetrators responsible.\"</div><div><br></div><div>- \'Highest level of cruelty\' -</div><div>The IIMM was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 to collect evidence of the most serious international crimes and prepare files for criminal prosecution.</div><div><br></div><div>While the team has never been permitted to visit Myanmar, it said it had engaged with over 700 sources and had collected \"over 23 million information items\", including witness statements, documents, photographs, videos, forensic evidence and satellite imagery.</div><div><br></div><div>The team -- already cooperating with the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court -- said it \"plans to accelerate its collection of evidence of the most serious international crimes\".</div><div><br></div><div>The investigators said they were particularly looking for \"linkage evidence\" demonstrating responsibility of specific individuals, especially high-level officials.</div><div><br></div><div>The IIMM report explained that military commanders have a duty under international law to prevent and punish war crimes committed by those under their command.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Repeatedly ignoring such crimes may indicate that the higher authorities intended the commission of these crimes,\" the report said.</div><div><br></div><div>It highlighted evidence of the use of child soldiers by \"various armed actors\", and said it was seeing \"more and more evidence concerning torture, sexual violence and other forms of severe mistreatment at numerous detention facilities\".</div><div><br></div><div>The evidence indicated that such crimes were \"being committed with the highest levels of cruelty and harm to the victims, including rape with objects, other forms of humiliation, mutilation, gang or serial rape and sexual enslavement,\" the report said.</div><div><br></div><div>The IIMM said it was also investigating rampant sexual violence committed during the bloody crackdown on Myanmar\'s Muslim Rohingya minority that in 2017 resulted in the displacement of nearly a million people.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Sexual and gender-based crimes are amongst the most heinous crimes that we are investigating,\" said Koumjian, saying these were \"pervasive during the Rohingya clearance operations.\" - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 01:34:51', '2023-08-09 01:34:51'),
(8458, 8458, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday alleged that the ruling Awami League (AL) is pretending to be modest under pressure from the international community while at the same time conspiring to retain power by holding a controlled election.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Speaking at a press conference at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said they will soon announce the next course of action of their one-point movement to force the government to quit power and hold the next election under a non-party administration.</div><div><br></div><div>“As the election is ahead, they (AL) are changing their colour and pretending to be gentlemen... But their only goal is to bring the election in their favour again by any means, even by using power. They’re making a blueprint to this end,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul also alleged the government is making all kinds of arrangements so that BNP cannot participate in elections.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the government is working so that a level playing field cannot be ensured during the election by arresting BNP\'s top leaders and depriving the opposition of exercising rights as a party. “The biggest thing is that they are using the state machinery to pave the way for Awami League to come to power again through the next election.”</div><div><br></div><div>About the arrest of BNP leaders, he said the High Court judges are also helpless now as police are arresting the opposition leaders defying the court order.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul said BNP Organising Secretary Abdus Salam was rearrested at the jail gate and implicated in a new case after he had been freed on bail by the High Court.</div><div><br></div><div>“It happens to everyone. Our Rajshahi leader Milon got bail but he was re-arrested at the jail gate in a new case. What kind of state is it? What kind of administration and governance system is here where cases are being filed against people only for their involvement in the politics of opposition and they are being arrested and kept in jail… They\'re not getting released even after bail from the High Court,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP leader regretted that some intellectuals and journalists from different media have been defending such activities of the government. “How can they defend these activities? It’s clear and true as day that Awami League is a fascist party. They have completely taken away the rights of the common people.\" According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 01:53:04', '2023-08-09 01:53:04'),
(8459, 8459, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib was an inspiration for Bangabandhu and because of her unqualified support Bangabandhu could devote his entire life for the causes of mass people.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Without Bangamata, Bangabandhu is incomplete. Sheikh Mujib could become Bangabandhu having Bangamata beside him,” senior politician and Awami League advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu told BSS.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangamata finally sacrificed her life along with Bangabandhu on August 15, 1975 setting an example in country’s history, he said marking the 93rd birth anniversary of the great lady.</div><div><br></div><div>‘Whenever Bangabandhu had been put on jail, he never became anxious about anything as Bangamata always steered the Awami League and his family every time,” said Amu.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Remembering the role of Bangamata on the historic day of March 7, 1971, Amu said, many leaders gave many advices to Mujib to announce in the rally. But only Begum Mujib suggested him to address the audience from his heart.</div><div><br></div><div>He said, Bangabandhu gave utmost value to the words of Bangamata and from his heart he delivered his historic extempore speech urging the nation to fight against the Pakistani occupation force to free the motherland from subjugation without giving any immediate proclamation of independence.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Amu recalled that Bangamata also had taken a very bold step when Bangabandhu along with other accused was in Pakistani military captivity in the Agartala conspiracy case.</div><div><br></div><div>He said, several Awami League leaders wanted to release Bangabandhu from jail on parole when trial of the case was underway. But Bangamata strongly opposed the idea demanding unconditional release of Bangabandhu and other accused of the case, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, the Pakistani rulers were forced to release Bangabandhu and other accused of the case on February 22, 1969 amid mass upsurge.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to BSS, AL Advisory Council member Mozaffar Hossain Paltu said Bangamata inspired Bangabandhu in different ways to make true the long cherished dream of Bangabandhu for nation’s independence.</div><div><br></div><div>“Bangamata played the role of messenger for leaders and workers of Awami League when Bangabandhu was in jail,” he said adding that Bangamata guided the leaders and workers to forge unity and organize the party in absence of Bangabandhu.</div><div><br></div><div>AL Presidium Member Abdur Rahman said Bangamata had played a very crucial role in all movements particularly at the time of six-point demand, Agartala conspiracy case and on the day of historic March 7, 1971.</div><div><br></div><div>“Bangamata even sold her ornaments for running the party and provide financial support to the party workers at the time of their needs,” he noted.</div><div><br></div><div>AL Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim said Bangabandhu always received the advices of Bangamata with high importance and her suggestions helped Bangabandhu take right decisions during crisis, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>Bangamata never thought about her family’s luxury, rather she always extended helping hand to party leaders and workers in their crisis from her personal savings, Nasim said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Bangamata shared the sorrows of Bangabandhu but never tried to take any benefit of the good days.” he said. - By Maloy Kumar Dutta and Badal Nur&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 02:22:51', '2023-08-09 02:22:51'),
(8460, 8460, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>An overwhelming majority of 70 percent respondents think that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is doing “a good job,” according to a latest survey.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The approval saw a 4 percent rise from 2018, as per the Washington-based International Republican Institute (IRI), which conducted the survey. IRI is an American nonprofit organization funded and supported by the United States federal government. Most of its board is drawn from the Republican Party.</div><div><br></div><div>The 4 percent rise in a span of five years stands as an indication that analysts believe validates Sheikh Hasina’s successful Covid-19 management, a raft of infrastructure projects, and rolling out of a number of safety net schemes.</div><div><br></div><div>Findings from the national survey of Bangladesh, conducted between March and April 2023, are posted on the IRI website.</div><div><br></div><div>On the government’s performance in different sectors, the endorsement for Awami League also stood “high”, as per the survey.</div><div><br></div><div>A staggering 87 percent—strongly and somewhat—approve the government’s role in developments or roads, highways and bridges while 86 percent—“strongly and somewhat”—approve the work of the government in ensuring availability of drinking water.</div><div><br></div><div>On ensuring availability of electricity, 84 percent endorsed the role of the government. On ensuring quality healthcare, 77 percent approved the efforts put in place by the government.</div><div><br></div><div>Around 81 percent of those surveyed endorsed the performance of the government in improving education, while 54 percent contended the government’s fight against violent extremism, and 60 percent approved the government initiatives on ensuring peace.</div><div><br></div><div>The role of the government in strengthening democracy in the country was approved by 54 percent of the respondents. On preventing enforced disappearances, 52 percent approved the role of the government.</div><div><br></div><div>On the other hand, 55 percent respondents believe the opposition parties should participate in the upcoming polls, even without a caretaker government.</div><div><br></div><div>Over the work of civil society organizations, defined as local national or international group of people who organize to support a particular interest or issue, as many as 62 percent of respondents observed “for the most part, they represent the interest of the elites”, in contrast to 35 percent who believed “they represent the interest of the ordinary people.”</div><div><br></div><div>While on the corruption issue, 58 percent respondents observed that in the past 12 months their lives have been “not at all” impacted by corruption, but 9% said corruption impacted them on a monthly basis.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh’s next parliamentary elections are due by January 2024.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The two main political parties, the Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), are in an intense and often violent political standoff.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The BNP has said it will boycott the parliamentary election until the caretaker government system is restored. The ruling AL contends that Bangladesh’s election commission can ensure free and fair elections. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 03:53:41', '2023-08-09 03:53:41'),
(8461, 8461, '<p style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Canadian rapper Tory Lanez has been sentenced to 10 years for the shooting of fellow musician Megan Thee Stallion.</span><br></p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Lanez shot Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during an argument between the pair after a party in 2020.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">He was found guilty on three gun-related charges in December and has been held in jail since.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The shooting left Megan Thee Stallion needing surgery to remove bullet fragments from her foot.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The LA District Attorney said after the verdict that the fact that she is famous helped bring attention to the issue of violence against women.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"The fact that she is a successful entertainer has brought an important spotlight on the issue of violence against women,\" said prosecutor George Gascón.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">The shooting occurred during the journey home from a pool party hosted by reality star Kylie Jenner.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Prosecutors had asked the judge to impose a 13-year prison sentence. They said Lanez deserved a lengthy sentence for shooting a \"vulnerable victim\" on a quiet residential street, and for waging \"a campaign to humiliate and re-traumatise her\" after the attack.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Director of Victim Services at the Los Angeles District Attorney\'s Office, Tanishia Wright, told reporters after the sentencing hearing: \"Violence against black women and girls is a long standing national epidemic that has long been overlooked and under-reported.\"</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">\"Women of colour more times than not do not come forward to report victimisation due to the fear they will not be believed,\" she continued.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify; \">Lanez, real name Daystar Peterson, has had seven US top 10 albums in the past seven years.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was convicted of three felonies last December: assault with a semi-automatic firearm; having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. The 31-year-old has been in custody since being found guilty.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">His lawyers argued he should get probation and time in a drug treatment programme. It is unclear if Lanez is now facing deportation to Canada.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">His lawyer, Jose Baez, said his client plans to appeal the sentence due to \"significant issues\" with the trial.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Outside court on Tuesday, he cited a lack of DNA evidence against Lanez in relation to the shooting, adding that the rapper\'s DNA was not found on the gun used.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Baez added that he believes Lanez did not receive a fair trial.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a victim impact statement read in court on Monday, Megan, a triple Grammy winner, said she will \"never be the same\" after the attack.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Since I was viciously shot by the defendant, I have not experienced a single day of peace,\" the statement said, according to US media.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Slowly but surely, I\'m healing and coming back, but I will never be the same.\"</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other witnesses who spoke on Monday included Lanez\'s father, who talked emotionally about the effect on his son of the death of his mother when he was 11, and a prison chaplain who said Lanez had been leading daily prayer groups.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The judge said he had received more than 70 letters in support of Lanez from his family and friends, including rapper Iggy Azalea, who called for a sentence that would be \"transformative, not life-destroying\".</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The shooting happened when the pair left Jenner\'s home with his bodyguard and her friend and assistant Kelsey Harris in an SUV in the early hours of 12 July 2020.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Megan, real name Megan Pete, told the court she got into an argument with Lanez over their previous sexual relationship. The row escalated and led to the pair insulting each other\'s careers.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said she demanded to be let out of the vehicle, at which point Lanez started shooting at the ground and shouted at her to \"dance\".</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lanez has maintained his innocence, with his lawyers suggesting Ms Harris may have shot her friend after discovering the relationship because she had a \"crush\" on him and was jealous.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ms Harris denied that. However, on the witness stand she backtracked on previous statements that Lanez was the shooter, instead telling the trial she did not see who shot Megan. BBC</p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">bnbd24/kh</p>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 12:49:08', '2023-08-09 12:49:08'),
(8462, 8462, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The UK is set for five years of \"lost economic growth\", with the poorest hit hardest, a think tank has warned.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The National Institute for Economic and Social Research (Niesr) said a triple blow of Brexit, Covid and the Ukraine war had badly affected the UK economy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It added that the spending power of workers in many parts of the UK will remain below pre-pandemic levels until the end of 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BBC has contacted the Treasury for comment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The amount of money made by the UK economy, its gross domestic product - or all the goods and services produced - is not forecast to return to 2019 levels until the second half of next year, Niesr forecast.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This weak \"stuttering growth\" over a five year period has widened the gap between the wealthier and poorer parts of the country, the think tank said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In London, real wages are expected to be 7% higher by the end of next year than they were in 2019 - whereas in regions such as the West Midlands they are forecast to be 5% lower, its analysts said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite pay increases, high inflation has forced up prices and the rising cost of living has left households throughout the UK feeling squeezed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Niesr forecasts that inflation, the rate at which prices rise, will remain continually above the Bank of England\'s 2% target until early 2025, meaning the cost of living will also continue to rise. Inflation is currently 7.9%.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It means that people\'s wages, when taking inflation into account, would be below the level they were before the pandemic until the end of next year in \"many UK regions\", the think tank said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prof Adrian Pabst, deputy director for public policy at Niesr, said low-income households would be hit hardest, with real disposable incomes in this group falling by about 17% over the five years to 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"For some of the poorest in society, coping with low or no real wage growth and persistent inflation has involved new debt to pay for permanently higher housing, energy and food costs,\" Prof Pabst said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Last week, the Bank of England put up interest rates for the 14th time in a row as it continued with its efforts to make borrowing more expensive, dampen demand and therefore slow inflation.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But not all economists agree the Bank should be raising rates when many households and business are struggling financially. Raising rates too aggressively could also push the economy into recession, which is defined typically as when it shrinks for two three-month periods - or quarters - in a row.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Niesr said it expected the UK to avoid going into a recession this year, but said there was a \"60% risk\" of one by the end of 2024.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A growing economy generally means there are more jobs, companies are more profitable, and pay packets grow. Higher wages and larger profits also generate more money for the government in taxes that can be spent on public services.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prof Stephen Millard, deputy director for macroeconomic modelling and forecasting at Niesr, said the \"supply shocks\" of Brexit, Covid, the Ukraine war and rising interest rates had \"badly affected the UK economy\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The need to address the UK\'s poor growth performance remains the key challenge facing policy makers as we approach the next election,\" he added. BBC</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 12:52:22', '2023-08-09 12:52:22'),
(8463, 8463, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Russian forces downed two combat drones headed for Moscow, the city\'s mayor said on Wednesday, the latest in a surge of drone attacks targeting the capital.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Two combat drones\' attempt to fly into the city was recorded. Both were shot down by air defense,\" Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram, without naming an attacker.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said one drone was downed in the Domodedovo area on the southern outkirts of the city, while the second was shot down in the Minsk highway area, west of the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"At the moment, there is no information about victims of the fall of the wreckage,\" he said, adding that emergency services were on the ground.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The strikes are at least the third attack on Moscow within a week, with Ukrainian drones downed on Sunday and Monday, according to Russian officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Moscow was rarely targeted throughout the conflict in Ukraine until several attacks this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Russia\'s defence ministry said Thursday it had downed seven drones over the Kaluga region, less than 200 kilometres (124 miles) southwest of Moscow.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On July 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that \"war\" was coming to Russia, with the country\'s \"symbolic centres and military bases\" becoming targets.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the start of this month, an office block in the capital\'s main business district was struck twice within days by debris from a downed drone strike. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 14:28:24', '2023-08-09 14:28:24');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(8464, 8464, '<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Joe Biden used the backdrop of the Grand Canyon Tuesday to champion the climate fight -- and distinguish himself from the Republican right -- by designating large swathes of surrounding sacred land with protective status.</b><br></p><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US president, kicking off a three-day tour of the American southwest, pumped his fist after signing into existence the country\'s newest national monument, with Native Americans dressed in traditional outfits and headdresses standing at his side.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Folks, preserving these lands is good not only for Arizona (and) for the planet. It\'s good for the economy, it\'s good for the soul of the nation,\" said Biden, shielded from the sun by his cap and dark sunglasses as he spoke before a landscape of grasses, shrubs and juniper-dotted hillsides.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The national monument -- which designates that the area\'s natural wealth, historical significance and economic interest have earned it special protection status -- is a place of unique biodiversity that has long been cherished by local Native American tribes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The groups hold it in high spiritual significance and have sought curbs on mining activity around the sweeping, spectacular river valley for decades.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Our ancestral footprints\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The territory created Tuesday will be known as Baaj Nwaavjo I\'tah Kukveni -- Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon. The name is derived from phrases in the languages of the Havasupai Indians and the Hopi, which translate to \"where Indigenous peoples roam\" and \"our ancestral footprints.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It will conserve nearly one million acres (about 405,000 hectares) made up of three distinct areas surrounding the Grand Canyon, an immense gorge up to 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) deep carved over millennia by the Colorado River into endless strata of colorful rock.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the White House, the area\'s protected status will now prohibit new uranium mining projects on the site, without affecting existing mining rights.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Grassroots environmental group the Sierra Club hailed Biden\'s move as a \"historic step\" that safeguards traditional use and \"ensures these lands will be protected for generations to come.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden was due to enjoy his own moment of contemplation Tuesday at the rim of the nearby Grand Canyon, an iconic landscape of the American West that he hailed as a \"national treasure.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The world-famous tourist attraction was formalized as a national park in 1919.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There\'s more work ahead to combat the existential threat of climate change,\" the Democrat said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The visit comes as southwestern states, Arizona in particular, bake under a brutal, record-setting heat wave and drought crisis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden, who at age 80 is seeking a second term in the 2024 presidential election, is also using the trip to set himself apart from the Republican opposition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Referring in part to Indigenous tribes driven from their lands, Biden castigated unnamed officials in some conservative-run states who \"seek to ban books and bury history.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also criticized the most radical forces in the Republican Party for \"trying to undo\" a centerpiece of his first term in office, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) -- a landmark law for boosting green investment -- that he signed into law last August.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Failure to act? -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The White House is keen to mark the anniversary of this mammoth package of climate investments and other programs, which Biden described Tuesday as largest climate bill \"in the history of the world.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden regularly describes climate change as an existential threat, and criticizes his Republican opponents for failure to act on the issue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among Biden\'s climate pledges is to halve the country\'s CO2 emissions by 2030.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We\'re well on our way,\" he proclaimed Tuesday, even as many experts, while applauding the Democrat\'s initiatives, say that aspirational deadline won\'t be met.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The IRA funnels some $370 billion into subsidies for America\'s energy transition, including tax breaks for US-made electric vehicles and batteries -- domestic incentives that have irked US trading partners.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden will be emphasizing new factories and his \"Bidenomics\" economic agenda on Wednesday when he visits New Mexico, followed by a Thursday trip to Utah, where he will highlight programs that help military veterans.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Utah is represented in the US Senate by Mitt Romney, who strongly condemned Biden\'s national monument for limiting new uranium mining.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"By eliminating this important source of uranium, President Biden has increased both our dependence on Russia and China and our ultimate carbon footprint, while decreasing our energy efficiency,\" Republican Romney said in a statement. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 15:10:37', '2023-08-09 15:10:37'),
(8465, 8465, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">NASA\'s Artemis 3 mission, set to return humans to the Moon in 2025, might not involve a crewed landing after all, an official said Tuesday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jim Free, the space agency\'s associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, told reporters in a briefing that certain key elements would have to be in place -- notably the landing system that is being developed by SpaceX.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Should that not be ready on time, \"We may end up flying a different mission,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning a series of missions of escalating complexity to return to the Moon and build a sustained presence in order to develop and test technologies for an eventual journey to Mars.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The first, Artemis 1, flew an uncrewed spacecraft around the Moon in 2022. Artemis 2, planned for November 2024, will do the same with crew on board.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But it is during the Artemis 3 mission planned for December 2025 that NASA has planned its grand return to the Moon with humans for the first time since 1972, this time on the lunar south pole, where the ice can be harvested and turned into rocket fuel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Elon Musk\'s SpaceX has won the contract for a landing system based on a version of its prototype Starship rocket, which remains far from ready. An orbital test flight of Starship ended in a dramatic explosion in April.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Free said NASA officials had visited SpaceX\'s Starbase facility in Texas a few weeks ago to \"learn where they are with the hardware, trying to understand their schedule some more.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Though he found the visit insightful, he said he remained concerned \"because they haven\'t launched,\" and will need to do so multiple times before the rocket will be ready.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">What\'s more, delays to Starship have knock-on effects because the spacesuit contractor needs to know how the suits will interface with the spacecraft, and simulators need to be built for astronauts to learn its systems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that NASA will update the public in the near future once it has had time to \"digest\" the information gathered during the Starbase visit. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 15:14:00', '2023-08-09 15:14:00'),
(8466, 8466, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Sports broadcaster ESPN announced Tuesday it has signed a licensing deal with Penn Entertainment to create a branded sportsbook for US audiences that will launch later this year.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Penn will rebrand its current sportsbook in the 16 states where it is licensed to ESPN Bet, with the change impacting its website, mobile app and retail locations.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Audiences will be able to place wagers through ESPN digital products.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Our primary focus is always to serve sports fans and we know they want both betting content and the ability to place bets with less friction from within our products,\" ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The strategy here is simple: to give fans what they\'ve been requesting and expecting from ESPN.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the deal, Penn has agreed to pay the ESPN $1.5 billion over 10 years and grant the Disney-owned broadcaster $500 million of warrants to buy about 31.8 million shares of Penn stock with options for more depending on ESPN Bet\'s performance, according to a press release.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">ESPN Bet will serve as the network\'s exclusive sportbook and become part of programming and content integration later this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deal marks ESPN\'s latest move in sports gaming, with the network already offering daily bet-focused shows on multiple platforms and odds displayed on programs and websites.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Penn has online sportsbook licenses in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The American Gaming Association estimates that $93.2 billion was bet at sportsbooks last year, a 63% increase from 2021, with legal sportsbook revenue at $7.5 billion in 2022. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 15:16:18', '2023-08-09 15:16:18'),
(8467, 8467, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality was marked as \'unhealthy for sensitive groups\' this morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 110 at 8:26 am, Dhaka ranked 7th on the list of cities worldwide with worst air quality, according to IQAir.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jakarta of Indonesia, Santiago of Chile and Johannesburg of South Africa occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 155, 154 and 150 respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with acceptable air quality. However, there may be a health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy\', and between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long grappled with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in the winter and improves during the monsoon. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 15:21:19', '2023-08-09 15:21:19'),
(8468, 8468, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Road, Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader left for Singapore this morning for a routine health check-up.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the minister\'s office, Quader left Dhaka on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight around 8.45 am.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was greeted at the airport by officilas of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Barrister Biplab Barua, Nizam Uddin Hazari and Secretary of Road Transport and brdiges A B M Amin Ullah Nuri were present as well.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“He is expected to return to Dhaka on August 11 after a health check-up at Mount Elizabeth Hospital,” said Shaikh Walid Faiej, information and public relations officer at the Bridges Division. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 15:32:23', '2023-08-09 15:32:23'),
(8469, 8469, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today announced 12 more districts and 123 upazilas homeless and landless free as she distributed 22,101 more houses with lands under her dream Ashrayan project, designed and being implemented by her to alleviate poverty.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I am declaring 12 more districts and 123 upazilas homeless and landless free in the country,\" she said while joining virtually a house distribution ceremony among the beneficiaries from her official Ganabhaban residence here this morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister was also extending good wishes to those who got the houses with lands, saying, \"The houses will help increase your dignity\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The soul of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will be happy seeing the efforts to change the fate of the people for which he sacrificed his entire life, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also called upon the beneficiaries of the houses to ensure cleanliness in and around of the houses and be economical in using electricity and water.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier distributed the houses constructed at government expenses as part of her generous move to make sure that none in Bangladesh will remain homeless and landless.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the new announcement, 21 districts and 334 upazilas have become homeless and landless free under the Ashrayan-2 project\'s second round in the fourth phase.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Total number of beneficiary families now stands at 2,38,851 under the Ashrayan-2 Project.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 12 new landless and homeless free districts are: Manikganj, Rajbari, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Naogaon, Natore, Pabna, Kushtia, Pirojpur and Jhalakathi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">While 123 landless and homeless free upazilas are: Gosairhat in Shariatpur district; Kuliarchar, Nikli, Hossainpur, Bajitpur, Mithamoin and Karimganj in Kishoreganj; Ghatail, Nagarpur, Mirzapur, Kalihati and Basail in Tangail; Shibaloy, Harirampur and Sadar in Manikganj; Sreenagar and Tongibari in Munshiganj; Goalanda in Rajbari; Sonargaon, Rupganj, Araihazar and Sadar in Narayanganj; Boalmari, Charbhadrasan, Bhanga and Sadar in Faridpur; Iswarganj, Haluaghat, Dhobaura, Gafargaon, Muktagacha and Sadar in Mymensingh; Sreebardi and Sadar in Sherpur; Islampur and Sarishabari in Jamalpur; Pekua, Ukhia and Teknaf in Cox\'s Bazar; Hathazari and Anwara in Chattogram; Matlab Dakkhin and Kachua in Chandpur; Begumganj, Sonaimuri, Chatkhil, Senbug and Sadar in Noakhali; Nangalkot, Barura, Homna, Titas, Meghna and Burichang in Cumilla; Daganbhuiyan in Feni, Palashbari in Gaibandha; Badarganj in Rangpur; Bochaganj, Birganj, Chirirbandar, Parbatipur, Fulbari, Birampur, Hakimpur, Ghoraghat and Sadar in Dinajpur.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The other upazilas are - Pirganj, Ranisankail and Sadar in Thakurgaon; Domar and Jaldhaka in Nilphamari; Atrai, Badalgachi, Manda, Niamatpur, Porsha, Sapahar and Sadar in Naogaon; Tarash, Shahjadpur and Kamarkhanda in Sirajganj; Gabtoli, Adamdighi and Sadar in Bogura; Singra, Naldanga and Sadar in Natore; Chatmohar, Bera, Faridpur, Bhangura and Sujanagar in Pabna; Jhenaidah Sadar in Jhenaidah; Kaliganj and Satkhira Sadar in Satkhira; Jashore Sadar in Jashore; Khoksha in Kushtia; Dighalia in Khulna; Kalia in Narail; Pirojpur Sadar in Pirojpur; Jhalakathi Sadar in Jhalakathi; Kalapara and Galachipa in Patuakhali; Patharghata, Betagi, Taltali in Barguna; Beanibazar, Companiganj, Golapganj, Gowainghat and Zakiganj in Sylhet, Sreemangal, Moulvibazar Sadar, Kulaura, Barlekha and Juri in Moulvibazar, Shayestaganj, Bahubal, Lakhai, Habiganj Sadar and Madhabpur in Habiganj and Shalla and Dharmapasha in Sunamganj.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Barasat Sonar Bangla Palli Ashrayan project under Terokhada upazila in Khulna district, Chakla Ashrayan-2 project under Bera upazila in Pabna and Amanullahpur Ashrayan project under Begumganj in Noakhali got connected to the programme.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the programme, the prime minister exchanged views with a cross-section of the people including house beneficiaries, local public representatives, eminent citizens and government officials.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister\'s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah moderated the function.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A video documentary on the Ashrayan project was screened on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, the prime minister declared nine other districts - Madaripur, Gazipur, Narsingdi, Panchagarh, Joypurhat, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Chuadanga and Magura - as landless and homeless free.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Ashrayan project of the Prime Minister\'s Office (PMO) has so far rehabilitated 5,55,617 families with semi-pucca houses on two-decimal of lands with their ownerships alongside free connection of electricity, water supply and other required amenities.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the Ashrayan project and other programmes, a total of 82,9607 families have been rehabilitated so far since 1,997.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experts came up with the opinion that the number of extreme poor and floating people has come down remarkably due to the prime minister\'s dream project to rehabilitate marginalized people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced the rehabilitation programme for homeless people in 1972.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Following Bangabandhu\'s footprints, her daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the initiative to provide ownership of houses and lands to homeless and landless people through the Ashrayan Project in 1997.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"> </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime aim of the Ashrayan project is to eradicate poverty and improve the livelihood of marginal people apart from ensuring their economic and social security. 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, '2023-08-09 16:47:11', '2023-08-09 18:32:07'),
(8470, 8470, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Thirty-three people have been confirmed dead and 18 are still missing after Beijing\'s heaviest rains on record, officials said Wednesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China\'s capital has been hit by record downpours in recent weeks, damaging infrastructure and deluging swathes of the city\'s suburbs and surrounding areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Officials said Wednesday that 33 had died in the recent bad weather in Beijing, mainly by flooding and buildings collapsing, almost three times the figure given by officials last Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I would like to express my deep condolences to those who died in the line of duty and the unfortunate victims,\" Xia Linmao, Beijing\'s vice-mayor, told a press conference, according to state broadcaster CCTV.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Scores have died in the floods across northern China, with Beijing on Friday saying 147 deaths or disappearances last month were caused by natural disasters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of those, 142 were caused by flooding or geological disasters, China\'s Ministry of Emergency Management said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Hebei province, which neighbours Beijing, 15 were reported to have died and 22 were missing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And in northeastern Jilin, 14 died and one person was reported missing on Sunday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Further north in Heilongjiang, state media reported dozens of rivers saw water levels rise above \"warning markers\" in recent days.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I still feel scared when I recall the recent flooding,\" Zheng Xiaokang, a police officer from the province\'s Jiangxi village, told the state-run Xinhua News Agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"In the face of the persistent downpour and rising river water, the consequences would have been devastating had we not managed to timely evacuate the villagers,\" Zheng said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Millions of people have been hit by extreme weather events and prolonged heatwaves around the globe in recent weeks, events that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 16:51:23', '2023-08-09 16:51:23'),
(8471, 8471, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said BNP-Jamaat terrorists are still trying to harass the people in different ways by holding them hostage.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Terrorists of BNP and Jamaat understand nothing except bomb attack, grenade attack and shooting. They killed people burning them and unleashing arson violence…. They still are trying to harass people in different ways by holding them hostage,” she said referring to the violence before and during the 2014 general election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier said this while declaring another 12 districts and 123 upazilas free of homeless and landless people and opening the distribution of 22,101 houses among the poor under Ashrayan-2 project through a videoconference from her official residence Ganabhaban.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Hasina said her government has relentlessly been working for the people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“We know we’ve an opposition party here. They do misdeeds such as killing people, resorting to arson violence, setting fire to buses and trains, attacking police and killing the general people,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The premier was connected virtually with the beneficiaries and local people of three places while distributing the houses to the landless and homeless families on the sixth occasion since Mujib Year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The three places are Barasat Sonar Bangla Palli Ashrayan Project site in Terokhada Upazila under Khulna, Chakla Ashrayan-2 project site in Bera Upazila under Pabna, and Amanullahpur Ashrayan project site in Begumganj Upazila under Noakhali district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The keys of 22,101 houses and the ownership documents of a two-decimal of house lands were handed over to the families in different districts of the country. Some 115,000 people are being rehabilitated in the houses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the 12 districts and 123 upazilas, a total of 21 districts and 334 upazilas throughout the country have so far become homeless and landless family-free ones.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 12 districts that earned the distinction of becoming free of landless and homeless families are Manikganj, Rajbari, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Naogaon, Natore, Pabna, Kushtia, Pirojpur and Jhalakathi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah conducted the function. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 18:30:15', '2023-08-09 18:30:15'),
(8472, 8472, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP will take out mass processions in the capital on Friday afternoon as part of their one-point simultaneous movement to force the government to quit and hold the next election under a non-party caretaker government.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the fresh programme at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said BNP’s Dhaka south and north city units will bring out separate processions after Juma prayers to press home their one-point demand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, the BNP leader said other opposition parties who have been carrying out the simultaneous movement will also observe a similar programme from their respective positions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BNP leader hoped that the government will not obstruct their programme which will be held peacefully.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He warned that the government will be held responsible for any untoward incident if it obstructs the processions. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 18:34:35', '2023-08-09 18:34:35'),
(8473, 8473, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Tamim Iqbal, the former captain of Bangladesh, has started his rehabilitation program with the goal of making a comeback to competitive cricket ahead of the upcoming World Cup, scheduled to take place in India later this year.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Wednesday morning, Tamim visited the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium and commenced his rehabilitation in accordance with the advice of the experts overseeing his recovery from injuries.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Having battled a back injury for an extended period, the star batsman\'s chances of participating in the Asia Cup later this month have been effectively dashed. He is also sidelined for the home series against New Zealand, which will take place just prior to the World Cup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beyond these setbacks, the injury and the subsequent turmoil prompted Tamim to abruptly retire from international cricket last month. However, following intervention by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Tamim reversed his retirement decision and committed to continuing his representation for the Tigers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Unfortunately, the injury has resurfaced as it did earlier too, compelling him to step down from Bangladesh’s ODI captaincy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Upon announcing his resignation from captaincy, Nazmul Hasan, President of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), expressed hopes for Tamim\'s return ahead of the World Cup.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tamim himself echoed this aspiration, expressing his desire to make a comeback before the marquee cricket event.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I could have participated in the Asia Cup if I chose to,\" Tamim affirmed while explaining his decision to relinquish the captaincy. \"However, that would have been self-centered at the expense of the team. Considering the team\'s future, I have opted to step down from the captaincy,\" he said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 19:01:58', '2023-08-09 19:01:58'),
(8474, 8474, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau\'s Barbenheimer is complete. On Tuesday, he took his daughter Ella to a screening of Christopher Nolan\'s Oppenheimer after watching Greta Gerwig\'s Barbie with his son Xavier this weekend. His picture with Xavier at the Barbie screening had gone viral.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Oppenheimer with Ella</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On Wednesday, Trudeau shared a picture with Ella from the screening. He was seen in a casual look, wearing a black shirt with blue jeans and a cap. Ella channelled perfect GenZ fashion in her brown tank top, camo brown pants and a white hoodie. Sharing the photo, Trudeau wrote, “Balancing things out: Oppenheimer with Ella.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Canadian PM got a lot of replies to his post. A person wrote, “LOL nice. You seem like a good dad.” Another joked, “Little mermaid with Macron next?” A person liked Trudeau\'s movie choice, “Forget Barbie, this is the film every politician needs to see! We must learn from our past to better our future!”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Barbie with Xavier</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Trudeau and his son Xavier turned up in pink outfits for Barbie screening. “We’re team Barbie,” he wrote with his post that got 140,000 likes on Twitter.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eras Tour gets Canada dates</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Singer Taylor Swift announced last week several Toronto dates for her much-hyped Eras world tour after a plea from Justin Trudeau not to skip Canada.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Concert sponsor Rogers Communications said in a statement that Swift will perform six shows as part of her Eras Tour in Canada\'s largest city, and that tickets would soon go on sale for the November 2024 dates.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Swift herself also posted on Instagram: “Turns out it\'s NOT the end of an era.” \"Miami, New Orleans, Indy and Toronto: The Eras Tour is coming to you in 2024,\" she said, with a photo listing the Canada stops as November 14-16 and 21-23.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM separates from wife</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recently, Trudeau announced that him and his wife Sophie, are separating after 18 years of marriage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two said in statements posted on Instagram that they made the decision after “many meaningful and difficult conversations.” A statement from the prime minister\'s office said they both have signed a legal separation agreement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Oppenheimer vs Barbie</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Oppenheimer, based on the life of ‘father of atomic bomb’ Robert J Oppenheimer, and Barbie, based on the popular doll from Mattel toys, released together on July 21. While Oppenheimer has collected over $500 million at the worldwide box office, Barbie collected $1 billion. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 19:15:42', '2023-08-09 19:15:42'),
(8475, 8475, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Swechchhasebak League leader who was seriously injured in an attack in Bheramara upazila of Kushtia on August 2 died on Wednesday while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased was identified as Pramanik Sanjay Kumar Pramanik, 35, president of Bheramara municipality Swechchhasebak League.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bheramara police station Officer-in-Charge Md Jahurul Islam said Swechchhasebak League leader Sanjay\'s younger brother Sampad confirmed the death news over phone in the morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier, on August 2, Sanjay was returning home with some people after attending in a party meeting when a group of people, led by Jubo Jote (the youth wing of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal) district sports affairs secretary Mustafizur Rahman Shovon, opened indiscriminate fire on them, leaving Sanjay and two others critically injured.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, locals rescued the injured and took them to Bheramara Upazila Health Complex, where doctors referred them to Kushtia General Hospital. However, from there Sanjay was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On August 3, Sanjay’s wife Bithi Rani Dey filed a case with Bheramara Police Station accusing 14 people including Jubo Jote leader Mustafizur Rahman Shovon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">OC Md Jahurul Islam said five people, including Shovon, are currently in jail in the case. The other accused are on bail. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 19:58:24', '2023-08-09 19:58:24'),
(8476, 8476, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will be taken to Evercare Hospital on Wednesday afternoon as she fell sick again.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Madam (Khaleda) will be taken to Evercare Hospital around 5pm as fell sick,” BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said she may undergo some tests at the hospital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The BNP chief\'s family sources said she is suffering from fever, and she will be taken to the hospital as per the decision of her medical board.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on June 13, the BNP chairperson was admitted to the same hospital as she suddenly fell sick with a fever and stomachache.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, she underwent various medical examinations under the close supervision of her medical board at the hospital and received treatment there for five days.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khaleda, a 78-year-old former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart and eye problems.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Since her conditional release in 2020, the BNP chief has been receiving treatment at the hospital under a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khaleda was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail as a lower court sentenced her to five years\' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018. Later, she was found guilty in another corruption case the same year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order suspending her sentence on March 25, 2020, with conditions that she will stay in her Gulshan house and will not leave the country. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 20:05:56', '2023-08-09 20:05:56'),
(8477, 8477, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least four people were killed and 36 others injured in a landslide in Bandarban amid heavy rains, according to media reports.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The incident took place on Wednesday. The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 21:20:58', '2023-08-09 21:20:58'),
(8478, 8478, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Forty-one migrants have died in a shipwreck off the Italian island of Lampedusa, survivors told local media.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>A group of four people who survived the disaster told rescuers that they were on a boat that had set off from Sfax in Tunisia and sank on its way to Italy.</div><div><br></div><div>The four survivors, originally from the Ivory Coast and Guinea, reached Lampedusa on Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>More than 1,800 people have lost their lives so far this year in the crossing from North Africa to Europe.</div><div><br></div><div>The survivors - three men and a woman - told rescuers that they were on a boat carrying 45 people, including three children.</div><div><br></div><div>They said the boat, which was about 7m (20ft) long, left Sfax on Thursday last week, but sank within hours after being hit by a big wave. Only 15 people are understood to have been wearing life vests.</div><div><br></div><div>They added that they were rescued by a cargo ship and then transferred to an Italian coast guard vessel.</div><div><br></div><div>The Italian coast guard reported two shipwrecks in the area on Sunday, but it is not clear whether this vessel is one of those.</div><div><br></div><div>Tunisian authorities say Sfax, a port city about 80 miles (130km) from Lampedusa, is a popular gateway for migrants seeking safety and a better life in Europe.</div><div><br></div><div>In recent days, Italian patrol boats and charity groups have rescued another 2,000 people who have arrived on Lampedusa.</div><div><br></div><div>Tunisia has seen a wave of racism against black Africans in recent months and attempts to leave the country by boat have increased.</div><div><br></div><div>The United Nations has registered more than 17,000 deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean since 2014, making it the most dangerous migrant crossing in the world.</div><div><br></div><div>Italy\'s far-right government has adopted a policy that forces rescue ships to dock at ports further away, rather than letting them disembark rescued migrants in Lampedusa or Sicily.</div><div><br></div><div>It says the aim is to spread arrivals across the country, but NGOs say the policy reduces the amount of time they can patrol areas where shipwrecks are more common. According to BBC reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 21:33:07', '2023-08-09 21:33:07'),
(8479, 8479, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh government\'s Energy Secretary Dr. Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder has said that the government has planned to invite international bidding for offshore hydrocarbon exploration within a month.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Last week the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the New Model Production Sharing Contract (PSC). Now we’re making our highest efforts to go for international bidding within a month,” he told a webinar on Wednesday (August 09, 2023).</div><div><br></div><div>The Energy and Mineral Resources Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources organized the webinar to observe “the National Energy Security Day”.</div><div><br></div><div>The energy secretary said the government is assuming that this time a huge response will be received from international oil companies (IOCs) as the Model PSC has been modified making it more attractive.</div><div><br></div><div>“We’re already getting some positive indications in this regard,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the government has been working for ensuring energy security and part of it LNG is being imported to supply the gas to the industries on priority basis.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr Tawfiq Elahi said that the issue of gas exploration has to be on a realistic basis.</div><div><br></div><div>“It’s unrealistic to determine a gas reserve in any place until we find gas through drilling, “he said adding, the possibility of having new 10 trillion cubic feet (TCF) at different locations could be a class-room lecture.</div><div><br></div><div>“But until we drill and find it, we should not have prospects of 10 TCF gas,” he said criticizing Prof Anwar Hossain’s statistics about prospects of new gas in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>Anwar Hossain in his speech said if the government drills 18 new wells, it can find 9-10 TCF gas easily as the country’s success ratio in drilling is 1:3.</div><div><br></div><div>Mollah Amnzad said that drilling of wells is a very costly matter. So, the foreign companies can be engaged in this regard.</div><div><br></div><div>He mentioned that the government is experiencing a dollar crisis and now it’s failing to pay the IOCs, private power producers and also the LNG suppliers.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the government has made many good policies. But its problem with implementation has now created the current energy crisis.</div><div><br></div><div>Power secretary Habibur Rahman said that the government has taken a move to generate 2000-3000 MW of electricity from renewable sources in the next 2-3 years. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bmbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-09 22:59:51', '2023-08-09 22:59:51');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(8480, 8480, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Popular Malayalam film director Siddique passed away at a private hospital here on Tuesday night, film industry sources said. He was 68. The multifaceted film personality, who had been a shining star in the movie industry, was admitted to the hospital for a few weeks due to lifestyle diseases. His condition worsened on Monday after he suffered a cardiac arrest.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Siddique began as a mimicry artiste and then turned to script and story writing and made his debut with the film ‘Pappan Priyapette Pappan’ in 1986. In 1989, he teamed up with Lal and made his directorial debut with the blockbuster film ‘Ramjirao Speaking’. The duo followed it up with a series of hit films including \'In Harihara Nagar\', \'Godfather\', \'Vietnam Colony\' and \'Kabooliwala\'.</div><div><br></div><div>In 1996, he became an independent director with ‘Hitler’ starring superstar Mammooty. From then on till 2020, he directed around 15 films, most of which turned out to be hits.</div><div><br></div><div>In 2011 he came out with the successful Bollywood remake of his own Malayalam film ‘Bodyguard’ by the same name, which starred Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor.</div><div><br></div><div>His last film was \'Big Brother\' starring Mohanlal which was released in 2020. Siddique was known for his soft character, someone who always maintained a low profile which made him the darling of the film industry.</div><div><br></div><div>His last rites will be performed on Wednesday before which his body will be kept for the public to pay their homage at an indoor stadium here from Wednesday morning till noon.</div><div><br></div><div>Condoling the death of the master director, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recalled Siddique as one who turned the common man’s issues into hugely popular films.</div><div><br></div><div>“The craft of Siddique, which was visible in his films, will be etched in the minds of all those who have seen his films. His demise is an irreparable loss to Kerala,” said Vijayan. Source: Zee News</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 00:21:45', '2023-08-10 00:21:45'),
(8481, 8481, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Noted Norwegian academic-analyst Dr.Atle Pearson said Asharyan Project of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a unique one in the world as there is no such precedent of building permanent houses in government land and giving ownership to people having no address.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Today, Asharyan is not only a unique project in Bangladesh but also in the world. There are various initiatives to help the backward people in different countries of the world, but there is no precedent of building permanent houses in government land and giving ownership to people with no address, and building houses with electricity and sanitation facilities through the government\'s expenses,” Dr. Alte Pearson wrote in an article.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Nepal’s online news portal Ratopati carried the article on August 8, 2023 with headline “Bangladesh\'s Ashrayan Project as a paradigm of inclusive development for the developing world”. Write Dr. Alte Pearson has experience in South Asian affairs research, diplomacy and geopolitics.&nbsp;</div><div>Following is the full text of the article:&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh\'s Ashrayan Project (Shelter Project for homeless) is empowering the marginalised people through inclusive development by playing a vital role in alleviating poverty. The housing project is aiming to help the country attain at least eight targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).</div><div><br></div><div>The Ashrayan Project, labelled as \'Sheikh Hasina Model for Inclusive Development\', is ushering in a new era of growth towards building a Bangladesh free from poverty and hunger. Through the project, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is introducing a new dimension of growth and socio-economic development for the homeless populace based on the philosophy - ‘No one will be left behind.’</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is providing new houses to 22 thousand and 101 more families as a gift to landless and homeless people. These houses are being provided in the second phase of the fourth phase of the Prime Minister\'s Office Asharyan-II project. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hand over these semi-furnished houses along with two hundred acres of land to the families for free on Wednesday. At the same time, the Prime Minister will declare the 123 upazilas of the country as completely free of landlessness and homelessness.</div><div><br></div><div>In May 2020, the Prime Minister\'s Office undertook the Asharyan-2 project to implement Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s declaration, \'Not a single person of Bangladesh will be homeless or landless in the Mujib year.\' In January 2021, the Prime Minister handed over 63 thousand and 999 single houses in the first phase of this project. At the same time, 3 thousand and 715 families were rehabilitated in 743 barracks. In June of the same year, the Prime Minister handed over 53 thousand and 330 houses in the second phase. 65 thousand and 674 houses were constructed in the third phase. In the fourth phase, 39 thousand and 365 houses were handed over in March this year. 238,851 families have been given houses with land within four stages of this project. A total of 1,194,035 displaced people have been resettled with an average of five members in each family. It is the largest government rehabilitation program in the world in terms of the number of beneficiaries and rehabilitation methods.</div><div><br></div><div>In this project, homeless and landless families are provided ownership of two-room semi-paved single-family houses with electricity facility in the joint name of husband and wife with 2 percent Khas (government owned land) land settlement. This project is not only an opportunity for a man and his family to live with dignity, but also a unique example of women\'s empowerment by ensuring the ownership of the lands to the husbands as well as the wives.</div><div><br></div><div>Studies have confirmed that 555,617 families have been given shelter after the shelter project started in 1997, as a total of 2,778,085 people had been displaced in Bangladesh. Realising the suffering of the homeless marginal and ultra-poor people, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina started the \'Sheikh Hasina Model for Inclusive Development\' after coming to power. So far, around 1 million families have received houses across the country, giving shelter to more than 3.5 million people. There are also other projects similar to the Shelter Project including Veer Nibas, Minority Resettlement, Cluster Villages, Disaster Resilient Houses and Housing Fund Houses. Through these projects, 414,800 people have become house and land owners. More than 28,000 acres of land have been allotted for the homestead alone.</div><div><br></div><div>In the houses constructed in the Asharyan project, there are two-room semi-furnished houses with a toilet, a kitchen and a balcony for each family. There are houses specifically designed for riverside areas, for small ethnic groups in hilly areas and for small ethnic groups in other areas.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>There are also tong houses, multi-storied buildings for climate refugees, paved barracks for coastal people, semi-paved barracks for plain areas, barracks for charanchelors (Islands areas) and single houses for beggars. The variety of designs have been carefully implemented so that the beneficiary community gets the maximum practical benefit in their respective areas.</div><div><br></div><div>The shelter project has also ushered in massive changes in the socio-economics of the country. Shelters and similar initiatives have empowered the backward communities as well as improved the social status of destitute women by helping them return back to the society. By eradicating hunger and poverty, providing permanent housing, education, health and sanitation, ensuring social equity and rehabilitating climate refugees, this initiative has brought massive and visible change to the rural economy.</div><div><br></div><div>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina\'s original philosophy is not limited to just theory or words. The practical aspect of this philosophy is also strong. The Shelter Project and similar projects are visibly a form of the \'Sheikh Hasina Model of Inclusive Development\'.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The features of this model are- increasing the earning prowess of the poorest, establishing them a respectable livelihood and social status, empowering women in land and house ownership, building the self-confidence, self-esteem and skills of backward people, giving them environmental protection and ensuring village-to-city facilities.</div><div><br></div><div>The statistics and indicators have shown that the beneficiaries of the shelter project have increased their sense of security by 98.87 percent, their social status by 98.5 percent and their standard of living by 95.2 percent.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Their ability to buy new furniture has increased by 70.22 percent, their positive behavior has improved by 60.78 percent, their social harmony by 60.21 percent and their ability to buy electronic devices by 56.78 percent. Similarly, the savings rate have increased by 44 percent and the cultural activities by 35.5 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>The Ashrayan project, like several other initiatives by the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has caught the attention of the world\'s policy makers as the largest rehabilitation project in the world.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The project is being discussed in the United Nations Human Settlements Program known as the UN Habitat. In the 77th session of the United Nations, held on September 21, 2022, policy makers from various countries including the United Nations participated in the discussion titled \'Refuge: Sheikh Hasina Model for Inclusive Development\'.</div><div><br></div><div>Today, the poor, disrespected and neglected women of Bangladesh have become land owners and built their very own \'houses\' with their husbands and families. This project has given them respect, dignity, strength and confidence. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 00:31:19', '2023-08-10 00:31:19'),
(8482, 8482, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">As the dengue onslaught continues, demand for liquid saline in hospitals has increased exponentially, reaching 10-12 times (over 1000%) the usual requirement, leading authorities to fear an imminent shortage in supply.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Several medical institutions in Dhaka, including Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Mugda Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College, and Institute of Child and Mother Health have already reported shortages.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Patients are now apprehensive about the possibility of government-sponsored intravenous (IV) fluids running out due to the high demand for saline.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL), responsible for supplying medicines and saline to government hospitals, upazila health complexes, and sadar hospitals nationwide, is facing challenges as it does not manufacture saline itself. Instead, EDCL procures saline from various private pharmaceutical companies to meet the demand.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr. Ehsanul Kabir, Managing Director of EDCL, said, “We do not produce saline, and it has to be obtained from private pharma companies. Given the current circumstances, companies cannot meet this increased demand overnight, and buying saline at retail price is not an option.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said, the current demand surge is 10-12 times higher than normal, which has raised concerns about potential saline shortages.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The price of saline is also an important consideration in this situation. A 1000 ml saline bag containing 5% dextrose and 9% sodium chloride is priced at Tk 87, while baby saline costs Tk 63. To ensure affordability, all types of saline, including 500 ml bags, are being supplied to government hospitals at reduced prices, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Niatuzzaman, acting director of Mugda Medical College and Hospital said, \"The hospital has 500 beds, and currently, we have around three times more dengue patients admitted already. In July, the number of dengue patients increased, resulting in a saline shortage. We require about 1000 to 1200 IV fluids per day, and our current stock will run out within a week.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Director of Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, said, \"Eighty percent of dengue patients require saline. EDCL used to supply saline monthly, but now they must supply it every week. Although more than 15,000 saline bags are still available, they might only last for a week. If the number of patients keeps increasing, a saline shortage may arise in the next 10 to 12 days.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, EDCL is purchasing and supplying saline from six companies: Beximco, Acme, Popular, Opsonin, Orion, and Libra. Additionally, hospitals experiencing high saline demand for managing the dengue situation are being issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to procure saline from outside sources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Director General of the Department of Health, Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam said \"The increase in the demand for fluid saline due to the rise in dengue patients is indeed a legitimate concern. We will discuss the matter with EDCL to explore ways to increase the supply and ensure that there is no scarcity of saline. However, I want to mention that there is no need to panic over the fear of a saline crisis.\" UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"6\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 16:25:35', '2023-08-10 16:25:35'),
(8483, 8483, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 152 at 8:53 am today, Dhaka ranked 3rd on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Baghdad of Iraq, Jakarta of Indonesia and Dubai of United Arab Emirates occupied the first, second, and fourth spots, with AQI scores of 161, 160, and 151 respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with acceptable air quality. However, there may be a health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy\', and between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 16:28:32', '2023-08-10 16:28:32'),
(8484, 8484, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least six people have been killed in a wildfire that has razed a Hawaiian town, officials said Wednesday, with desperate residents jumping into the ocean in a bid to escape the fast-moving flames.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">US Coast Guard officers plucked at least a dozen people from the water as emergency services were overwhelmed by a disaster that appeared to have erupted almost without warning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I\'m sad to report that just before coming on this, it was confirmed we\'ve had six fatalities,\" Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen told a press conference.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are still in a search and rescue mode and so I don\'t know what will happen to that number.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke issued an emergency proclamation and told CNN the hospital system on the island of Maui \"was overburdened with burn patients, people suffering from inhalation.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"911 is down. Cell service is down. Phone service is down,\" she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lahaina, a tourist town of 12,000 on the northwestern tip of Maui, lay in ruins, said Governor Josh Green.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Much of Lahaina on Maui has been destroyed and hundreds of local families have been displaced,\" said Green.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Video posted on social media showed blazes tearing through the heart of the beachfront town and sending up huge plumes of black smoke.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"People are jumping into the water to avoid the fire,\" US Army Major General Kenneth Hara, the state adjutant general, told Hawaii News Now.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Coast Guard said it had \"successfully rescued 12 individuals from the waters off Lahaina\" and it was sending other vessels to Maui.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hara said the strong winds had prevented helicopters from being used to carry out rescues or fight the fires.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lahaina resident Claire Kent said she had seen her neighborhood burned less than an hour after she fled.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The flames had moved all the way down to the end of the neighborhood,\" she told CNN.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We were pulling out... onto the highway, you look back and there\'s cars with flames on both sides of the road, people stuck in traffic trying to get out,\" Kent said, describing the dangerous scene as \"something out of a horror movie.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I know for a fact people didn\'t get out,\" she said, adding that homeless people and people without access to vehicles seemed to have been trapped in the town.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Water on fire -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kent described how power and cell phone coverage had been knocked out Tuesday, and she had been unaware of any approaching danger until a sudden shift of wind sparked panic.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It was all just word of mouth, like people running down the street saying \'you need to get out.\'</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There were guys riding around on bicycles, just screaming at people to leave.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">For those who managed to flee, there was worry over missing family.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I still don\'t know where my little brother is,\" Tiare Lawrence told Hawaii News Now. \"I don\'t know where my stepdad is.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Everyone I know in Lahaina, their homes have burned down,\" Lawrence said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chrissy Lovitt told the outlet every boat in Lahaina Harbor had burned.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It looks like something out of a movie, a war movie,\" Lovitt said. \"The water was on fire from the fuel in the water.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Surf school manager Elizabeth Smith said she was safe in upcountry Kula, but was concerned for staff and their families in Lahaina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We do know that one couple was able to evacuate, but we don\'t know about the others,\" she told AFP by telephone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"There\'s still very limited communication with people from Lahaina.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Winds up to 80 mph -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Luke, the lieutenant governor, said the fires were caused by dry conditions and the powerful winds from Hurricane Dora, which is hundreds of miles south of the islands and is not expected to make landfall.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the fires have burned hundreds of acres and were being fanned by winds up to 80 miles (130 kilometers) per hour.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Almost 13,000 people were without power on Maui, according to tracking website poweroutage.us.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">President Joe Biden said he was mobilizing all resources to help.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I have ordered all available Federal assets on the Islands to help with response,\" Biden said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The Hawaiian National Guard has mobilized Chinook Helicopters to help with fire suppression and search and rescue on the Island of Maui.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The US Coast Guard and Navy Third Fleets are supporting response and rescue efforts.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 16:50:59', '2023-08-10 16:50:59'),
(8485, 8485, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Nine people were killed and 30 hurt Wednesday when a coach overturned in Cameroon, the governor of the northern region of Adamaoua said.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The vehicle left the capital Yaounde on Tuesday for Ngaoundere some 450 kilometres (270 miles) to the north when it overturned around noon (1100 GMT) at Mbe, governor Kildadi Taguieke Boukar told AFP.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Boukar, who said speeding but also the state of the highway could have caused the crash, added the injured were taken to hospital at Ngaoundere.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fourteen people were killed and dozens injured in another crash in Cameroon, in the country\'s east, three months ago.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some 7,000 people die in road accidents every year in Cameroon, with the World Health Organization estimating a road fatality rate of 30 per 100,000 inhabitants, well above its west African neighbours, in latest data from 2018.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those figures are around seven times higher than official data with the transport ministry last year reporting 963 fatalities for 2021. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 16:59:04', '2023-08-10 16:59:04'),
(8486, 8486, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Utah man who made threats against Joe Biden was shot and killed by FBI agents on Wednesday, just hours before a visit by the US president to the western state.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that a suspect was killed when special agents tried to serve arrest and search warrants at a residence in Provo, a city south of Salt Lake City.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The bureau declined to identify the slain man, saying an investigation was ongoing, but he was named in a complaint filed by federal prosecutors in Utah as Craig Robertson.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the complaint, Robertson, who was in his early 70s and described himself as a \"MAGA Trumper,\" repeatedly threatened Biden and others in posts on social media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I hear Biden is coming to Utah,\" Robertson said in a post this week. \"Cleaning the dust off the M24 sniper rifle.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Welcom (sic), buffoon-in-chief!\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In addition to Biden, the complaint said Robertson had also made threats against Vice President Kamala Harris and US Attorney General Merrick Garland.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The time is right for a presidential assassination or two,\" one post said. \"First Joe then Kamala!!!\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He had also threatened to shoot Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, who has filed charges against former president Donald Trump for allegedly paying election-eve hush money to a porn star.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The complaint also included pictures from social media postings by Robertson of his extensive collection of guns, including a semi-automatic rifle he called a \"Democrat eradicator.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Biden is currently visiting the western United States and is scheduled to fly later Wednesday from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Salt Lake City.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The US Secret Service, which protects the president, said it is \"aware of the FBI investigation involving an individual in Utah who has exhibited threats to a Secret Service protectee\" but provided no further details. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 17:34:32', '2023-08-10 17:34:32'),
(8487, 8487, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Temperatures soared across Spain and Portugal on Wednesday as the two countries boil under their third heatwave of the summer.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As huge forest fires raged across southern Portugal for the fifth successive day, Spain\'s weather service warned that the average temperature across the country could hit a seven-decade record.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"This will probably be the hottest five August days in 73 years,\" said AEMET, the state meteorological agency, with almost the whole country under red weather alerts.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The highest temperatures occurred in Andalusia, according to data from AEMET shortly before 7 pm (1700 GMT), in Roda de Andalucia where the mercury hit 44.6 degrees Celsius (112.3 Fahrenheit), and at the Granada airport where the temperature reached 44.1 Celsius.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The average temperature\" in Spain this Wednesday \"will probably be a record since 1950\", Aemet added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Winds and extreme heat are also driving fires that have devastated 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) of trees in neighbouring Portugal over the past few days.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The biggest blazes are in the southern Odemira region, where more than 1,500 people have been evacuated with the fires reaching the Algarve, a hugely popular tourist destination.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But firefighters tackling the wildfires said they were bringing them under control Wednesday, with a fall in temperatures and greater humidity at the coast helping stem the spread as hot air moves east.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Experts say the recurring heatwaves, which have been getting longer and more intense, are a consequence of climate change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iberian Peninsula is bearing the brunt of climate change in Europe, with droughts and wildfires becoming more and more common.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Spanish firefighters used up to a dozen water bombers to slow the spread of the flames around Valencia de Alcantara in Extremadura close to the border with Portugal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We evacuated our clients to a hotel in Alcantara,\" said Joaquin Dieguez, the owner of a holiday cottage. \"But we are really worried because we have an enormous forest here with century-old oak trees. It\'s awful.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The most dangerous fire burning Friday, in Valencia de Alcantara in the southwest, was \"stabilised\", the regional government reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">First estimations suggest that 350 hectares of trees have gone up in smoke. The blaze comes after 573 hectares were destroyed in wildfires in Portbou in Catalonia in the northeast, with 450 acres of trees lost by another fire near Bonares in Andalusia in the south. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 17:42:09', '2023-08-10 17:42:09'),
(8488, 8488, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Beijing on Thursday lifted a Covid-era ban on outbound group tours to dozens of countries including the United States and Japan, a move that could see crowds of Chinese tourists return to destinations around the world.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China cut itself off from the world in 2020 as part of a strict zero-Covid strategy, using visa suspensions and lengthy quarantines to curb the import of virus cases into the country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thursday\'s announcement is the latest move towards reopening, after the Chinese government dropped its containment measures abruptly in December.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"From now on, travel agencies across the country and online travel companies will resume operating outbound group tours\" to more than 70 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea, the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chinese tour groups had already received permission to visit a small number of countries earlier this year under a trial programme, including tourist magnets Thailand, Italy and France.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The tourism ministry on Thursday said outbound tourism had been developing in a stable manner since the start of the trial period, \"playing a positive role in promoting tourism exchanges and cooperation\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China had the largest outbound tourism market in the world in 2019, with mainland Chinese residents taking 155 million trips abroad that year, according to consulting firm McKinsey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That outflow narrowed to a trickle in the past three years as Chinese authorities restricted passport renewals and cut international flights in a bid to deter travel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In early December, Chinese authorities effectively ended the country\'s regime of mass testing, lockdowns and long quarantines -- but the abrupt reversal led to a spike in Covid cases.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Beijing announced in late December that inbound travellers to the country would no longer need to quarantine from January 8, but kept in place visa restrictions on foreigners.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">China resumed issuing a range of visas to foreigners in March, but inbound tourism remains at a fraction of pre-pandemic levels. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 18:41:14', '2023-08-10 18:41:14'),
(8489, 8489, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Light to moderate rain or thundershowers are likely to occur in Dhaka and other parts of the country over 24 hours (starting from 9 am today) as monsoon is fairly active, Bangladesh Meteorological Department said today.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind are likely to occur at many places in Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at a few places in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka and Khulna divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places across the country,” said the Met office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The axis of monsoon trough runs through India’s Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal to Assam across the central part of Bangladesh. One of its associated troughs extends up to North Bay.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over North Bay. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 18:44:13', '2023-08-10 18:44:13'),
(8490, 8490, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Saudi Arabia has emerged as a force in the football transfer market this year, offering eye-watering salaries that have lured a host of big names to the oil-rich Gulf kingdom.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Here, AFP Sport takes a look at some of the biggest names to make the move:</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The stars&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Cristiano Ronaldo\'s arrival in January to play for Riyadh-based Al-Nassr is what first drew global attention to ongoing efforts to boost the Saudi Pro League.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He was followed by his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema, the 2022 Ballon d\'Or winner who signed a three-year contract with Al-Ittihad in June.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just a few days later, fellow Frenchman N\'Golo Kante joined the same Jeddah-based club, also on a three-year deal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The veteran and member of France\'s victorious 2018 World Cup squad will form a partnership with Brazilian Fabinho, arriving from Liverpool, in midfield.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Still buzzing from his historic FA Cup semi-final hat-trick for Manchester City in April, Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez has signed for four years with Jeddah-based Al-Ahli, a transfer estimated at 35 million euros.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The latest coup for the Saudis is Sadio Mane, the Sengalese star who signed with Ronaldo\'s Al-Nassr for a reported annual salary of 40 million euros plus 10 million euros in results-based bonuses.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Past their prime -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Along with top-tier stars, several other big names in the sport are starting new chapters in Saudi Arabia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Marcelo Brozovic, who captained Inter Milan in last season\'s Champions League final, has signed a three-year deal with Al-Nassr, who reportedly paid a transfer fee of 18 million euros.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has joined Al-Ettifaq until 2026, drawing heavy criticism given his past support for the LGBTQ community and the fact that Saudi Arabia outlaws homosexuality.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another former Liverpool star, Brazilian international Roberto Firmino, left the team after eight seasons for Al-Ahli, who have also landed Edouard Mendy of Senegal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Kalidou Koulibaly, for his part, bade farewell to Stamford Bridge for Al-Hilal for a reported transfer fee of 23 million euros.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Rising talent -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is not just fading stars who are making the trip to the Gulf.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 28-year-old Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana has also joined Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, leaving French outfit Lens as they prepare to return to the Champions League.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After eight years with Lazio, Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, also 28, has inked a three-year deal with Al-Hilal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He will be joined by 26-year-old Ruben Neves, the Portuguese star who was previously tipped for a move to Barcelona.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another 26-year-old, Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin, has joined Al-Ahli from Newcastle, which is 80-percent owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- The coaches -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Saudi Pro League has also drawn renowned coaches.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dismissed by Aston Villa in October, iconic former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard signed with Al-Ettifaq until 2025, and a clip of him introducing himself in halting Arabic has gone viral on social media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Former Croatia and West Ham boss Slaven Bilic will join the Al-Fateh bench.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After leaving Fenerbahce in June, former Benfica coach Jorge Jesus has returned to Al-Hilal, where he worked in 2018-2019.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">And in late July, Al-Ahli named 35-year-old German Matthias Jaissle, regarded as one of the most promising managers of his generation, as their new coach. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 18:47:03', '2023-08-10 18:47:03'),
(8491, 8491, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Executive Director of the World Bank Parameswaran Iyer on Thursday said other developing countries can follow the development model of Bangladesh.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Bangladesh has witnessed a phenomenal transformation,” he said while paying a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter’s official residence Ganabhaban here in the morning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Iyer praised the prime minister saying that the developments of Bangladesh have been achieved because of her leadership and planning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He conveyed the greetings of the WB president to the premier.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the World Bank will assist Bangladesh to improve infrastructures in the next phase of its development journey.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The WB official said Bangladesh’s private sector is thriving.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The country\'s sanitary system is also remarkable, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the World Bank will also assist Bangladesh to implement the Delta Plan-2100.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Talking about the Rohingya issue, the WB official mentioned that the global lender has already provided US$ 700 million assistance for the Rohingya people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In this context, the prime minister put emphasis on the repatriation of the Rohingya people to their motherland, Myanmar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She apprised Iyer of different aspects of Bangladesh\'s development programmes. “Our main target is poverty eradication. We want to ensure a better life of the people,” she was quoted as saying.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said her government and party design and implement plans taking all aspects in consideration.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">About the climate issue, the premier said though Bangladesh is not a carbon emitter, it has to suffer the adverse impacts of climate change.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the World Bank is administering a technical assistance on the ecological restoration and ensuring navigability of rivers surrounding Dhaka city with a view to making the city more liveable under an umbrella investment programme.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Hasina said her government opened everything for the private sector and is extending support to the private sector.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">WB Alternative Executive Director Ahmad Kaikaus, ERD Secretary Sharifa Khan and PMO Secretary Mohammad Salahuddin were present. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 19:39:40', '2023-08-10 19:39:40'),
(8492, 8492, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The military leaders in Niger who seized power in a coup last month have formed a new government, according to a decree read out on national television on Thursday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine will lead the 21-member government, with generals from the new military governing council heading the defence and interior ministries. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 19:51:40', '2023-08-10 19:51:40');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(8493, 8493, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The bodies of three children, including two siblings, who went missing after falling into a canal in Cox\'s Bazar\'s Pekua, have been recovered.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Their bodies were recovered around 8 am on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The deceased were identified as Tahida Begum, 10, and Amir Hossain, 7, children of Nurul Alam; and Humaira Begum, 8, daughter of their close relative Saber Ahmed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on Wednesday evening, they went missing in a canal of Ujantia union’s Ferasinga para as the water was high due to the flood situation in the district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quoting the deceased’s family, Tofazzal Karim, chairman of Ujantia union, said the three children went fishing in the nearby Sahebkhali canal on Wednesday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On their way home in the evening, they fell into the Sahebkhali canal and went missing. Their bodies surfaced in the same canal around 7 am on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Pekua Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Omar Haider confirmed the matter and said the bodies have been handed over to the family. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 20:54:09', '2023-08-10 20:54:09'),
(8494, 8494, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh Awami Jubo League, an associate body of the ruling party, has submitted a four-point memorandum to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and the Election Commission demanding a ban on BNP-Jamaat politics.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and General Secretary Md Mainul Hossain Khan handed over the memorandum to the home minister at the Secretariat on Thursday afternoon.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Regarding the matter, home minister told reporters that action would be taken as per law.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Apart from demanding a ban BNP-Jamaat politics, the points include posthumous trial of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, extradition of the convicted Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman to the country, and implementation of the punishment for self-confessed fugitive killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by bringing them back.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Jubo League chairman said: \"It is clear to the public that Ziaur Rahman was the mastermind of the 1975 assassinations as they were the beneficiaries. They are the ones who formed the party by raising the gun.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The atrocities committed by this organization on the people of Bangladesh after 1975, the way they have committed terrorism, torture, murder and violence following the pattern of 1971, we morally think that BNP-Jamaat have no right to do politics in this country,” he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash further said, \"Secondly, we want a posthumous trial for Ziaur Rahman. This is the hope of today\'s youth and all those who are struggling to ensure a progressive, secular, developed Bangladesh. Without this, Bangladesh will not be free of stigma. Therefore, we believe that the posthumous trial of Ziaur Rahman is the need of the hour and a just demand. We are here today to present this demand.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also urged the concerned ministry to bring back Tarique Rahman and implement the court’s verdict for his role in the August 21 grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"He is involved in nefarious activities from abroad, he is involved in terrorism. Yesterday, one of our Jubo League leaders was killed. They came to power in 2001 and killed thousands of our leaders and workers. About 25,000 activists were killed. We demand that the registrations of BNP-Jamaat be canceled,” the Jubo League chairman said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After receiving the memorandum, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said, \"We have received their memorandum. We will take whatever measures are required by the home ministry as per the law. We are aware of all the facts. Tarique Rahman and his wife have already been convicted by the court. We will do everything to bring them back.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another Jubo League delegation led by its General Secretary Mainul Hossain submitted the memorandum to EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam around 2:30 pm on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, a copy of the memorandum – signed by Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and General Secretary Mainul Hossain – was sent to the foreign ministry. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 23:42:04', '2023-08-10 23:42:04'),
(8495, 8495, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladeshi UN official Lt Col (retd) AKM Sufiul Anam, who had been abducted by Yemen’s branch of terrorist group Al-Qaeda, met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday and expressed his gratitude to her.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sufiul Anam along with his family members met the Prime Minister at her official residence Ganabhaban, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Waqar-Uz-Zaman, Director General of National Security Intelligence (NSI) Major General TM Jobayer and Military Secretary to the Prime Minister Major General Kabir Ahammad were present.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After 18 months of captivity by Al-Qaeda,&nbsp; Sufiul Anam was rescued by the NSI on the orders of the Prime Minister.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sufiul Anam returned to the country on Wednesday afternoon (August 9, 2023). UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 23:44:04', '2023-08-10 23:44:04'),
(8496, 8496, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) President Major General (Retd) ANM Muniruzzaman has said Information space has to be filled up by correct information.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"If there is no right information in the information space, the space will be filled up by disinformation,\" he said while speaking at a policy café titled \'Role of Media in Democracy\' on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">BIPSS, in collaboration with USAID, IFES, and CEPPS, organised the policy café.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ayesha Kabir, Head of English Web at Prothom Alo, and Shahriar Feroze, Editorial Chief of The Daily Observer, shared invaluable insights on the vital role of media in shaping democratic discourse.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Muniruzzaman moderated discussions, fostering an engaging exchange.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The event emphasised the integral role of media in the democratic process, particularly as Bangladesh approaches a pivotal election.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The collaborative effort underscores a commitment to promoting informed democratic engagement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Muniruzzaman stated the importance of media in a democratic society, especially in the case of Bangladesh where the national election is not far away, the media will play a major role.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In such circumstances, overcoming the challenges of the freedom of media in the democratic society is a significant issue.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ayesha asserted that in a country where the opposition is not very strong, the media plays a very important role to get the voice of the people heard.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the context of Bangladesh, she said, an active role of media is necessary but often it faces obstacles by political entities, corporate, or even by the foreign entities which must be avoided to ensure a vibrant democratic society.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to Shahriar, the media is supposed to ensure the meaningful participation of the people in democracy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the challenges and restrictions that the media faces from the government and the other entities have an adverse effect which threatens a democratic society, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In response to the question about how media influences people’s decision-making, Ayesha highlighted the information and the analysis that are provided by the media and the mass people get the idea of what is going on around them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But social media, in this case, plays both a positive and negative role, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a lot of fake news, misinformation and disinformation are spread by social media, it affects the people negatively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But on the bright side, people mostly rely on the mainstream media to check the facts they find in the social media and thus, social media does a favour to the mainstream media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shahriar, while discussing the slipping down of the ranking of the freedom of press in Bangladesh, asserted that despite having a rich media industry, ranking is going down.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He analysed some statistics and showed that despite the increase of the TV channels and media presence in Bangladesh, they are not focusing on ensuring the rights of the people, rather the channel owners and the government have a symbiotic relationship.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ayesha thinks that the media should be bold despite all the pressures from various entities and strike a balance between everything.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Genuine investigation and fact checking must be ensured, she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shahriar thinks that the fake news and misinformation are spread mainly through the social media and so, the focus should be on how to reduce the dependency from social media and relying more on mainstream media.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also, while talking about ethics, he questioned the ownership of the media channels and the linkage between them and the government is a cause of the failure to ensure professional journalism and overcoming the other existing challenges.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The discussion at the Policy Cafe was followed by an interactive session where the audience shared some observations that it becomes difficult to find authentic information as different types of information come from several sources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The session also included topics like the possible impact of social media (like TikTok) in upholding democracy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Besides, the topic like robust media has come in front while discussing the media’s role in shaping public perception.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The event was attended by ambassadors and diplomats based in Dhaka, academicians, journalists, students from different universities, and scholars. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-10 23:46:59', '2023-08-10 23:46:59'),
(8497, 8497, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A search of the wildfire devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday revealed a wasteland of obliterated neighborhoods and landmarks charred beyond recognition, as the death toll rose to at least 53 and survivors told harrowing tales of narrow escapes with only the clothes on their backs.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A flyover of historic Lahaina showed entire neighborhoods that had been a vibrant vision of color and island life reduced to gray ash. Block after block was nothing but rubble and blackened foundations, including along famous Front Street, where tourists shopped and dined just days ago. Boats in the harbor were scorched, and smoke hovered over the town, which dates to the 1700s and is the biggest community on the island\'s west side.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions, has been burned down,\" Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told The Associated Press. More than 1,000 structures were destroyed by fires that were still burning, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Already the state\'s deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami killed 61 people on the Big Island, the death toll will likely rise further as search and rescue operations continue, Green added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are heartsick,\" Green said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tiffany Kidder Winn\'s gift store Whaler\'s Locker, which is one of the town\'s oldest shops, was among the many businesses destroyed. As she assessed the damage Thursday, she came upon a line of burned-out vehicles, some with charred bodies inside.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It looked like they were trying to get out, but were stuck in traffic and couldn\'t get off Front Street,\" she said. She later spotted a body leaning against a seawall.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Winn said the destruction was so widespread, \"I couldn\'t even tell where I was because all the landmarks were gone.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, the fire started Tuesday and took Maui by surprise, racing through parched growth covering the island and then feasting on homes and anything else that lay in its path.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The official death toll of 53 as of Thursday makes this the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise. The Hawaii toll could rise, though, as rescuers reach parts of the island that had been inaccessible due to the three ongoing fires, including the one in Lahaina that was 80% contained on Thursday, according to a Maui County news release. Dozens of people have been injured, some critically.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We are still in life preservation mode. Search and rescue is still a primary concern,\" said Adam Weintraub, a spokesperson for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Search and rescue teams still won\'t be able to reach certain areas until the fire lines are secure and access is safe, Weintraub added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The flames left some people with mere minutes to act and led some to flee into the ocean. A Lahaina man, Bosco Bae, posted video on Facebook from Tuesday night that showed fire burning nearly every building on a street as sirens blared and windblown sparks raced by. Bae, who said he was one of the last people to leave the town, was evacuated to the island\'s main airport and was waiting to be allowed to return home.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Marlon Vasquez, a 31-year-old cook from Guatemala who came to the U.S. in January 2022, said that when he heard the fire alarms, it was already too late to flee in his car.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I opened the door, and the fire was almost on top of us,\" he said from an evacuation center at a gymnasium. \"We ran and ran. We ran almost the whole night and into the next day, because the fire didn\'t stop.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vasquez and his brother Eduardo escaped via roads that were clogged with vehicles full of people. The smoke was so toxic that he vomited. He said he\'s not sure his roommates and neighbors made it to safety.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso described their harrowing escape under smoke-filled skies. The couple and their 6-year-old son got back to their apartment after a quick dash to the supermarket for water, and only had time to grab a change of clothes and run as the bushes around them caught fire.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We barely made it out,\" Kawaakoa, 34, said at an evacuation shelter, still unsure if anything was left of their apartment.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As the family fled, they called 911 when they saw the Hale Mahaolu senior living facility across the road erupt in flames.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chelsey Vierra\'s grandmother, Louise Abihai, was living at Hale Mahaolu, and the family doesn\'t know if she got out. \"She doesn\'t have a phone. She\'s 97 years old,\" Vierra said Thursday. \"She can walk. She is strong.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Relatives are monitoring shelter lists and calling the hospital. \"We got to find our loved one, but there\'s no communication here,\" said Vierra, who fled the flames. \"We don\'t know who to ask about where she went.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Communications have been spotty on the island, with 911, landline and cellular service failing at times. Power was also out in parts of Maui.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tourists were advised to stay away, and about 11,000 flew out of Maui on Wednesday with at least 1,500 more expected to leave Thursday, according to Ed Sniffen, state transportation director. Officials prepared the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu to receive thousands.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In coastal Kihei, southeast of Lahaina, wide swaths of ground glowed red with embers Wednesday night as flames continued to chew through trees and buildings. Gusty winds blew sparks over a black and orange patchwork of charred earth and still-crackling hot spots.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fires were fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora passing far to the south. It\'s the latest in a series of disasters caused by extreme weather around the globe this summer. Experts say climate change is increasing the likelihood of such events.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wildfires aren\'t unusual in Hawaii, but the weather of the past few weeks created the fuel for a devastating blaze and, once ignited, the high winds created the disaster, said Thomas Smith an associate professor in Environmental Geography at the London School of Economics and Political Science.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hawaii\'s Big Island is also currently seeing blazes, Mayor Mitch Roth said, although there were no reports of injuries or destroyed homes there.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With communications hampered, it was difficult for many to check in with friends and family members. Some people were posting messages on social media. A Family Assistance Center opened at the Kahului Community Center for people looking for the missing.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, of the Hawaii State Department of Defense, said Wednesday night that officials were working to get communications restored, distribute water and possibly add law enforcement personnel. He said National Guard helicopters had dropped 150,000 gallons (568,000 liters) of water on the fires.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Coast Guard said it rescued 14 people who jumped into the water to escape the flames and smoke.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said Wednesday that officials hadn\'t yet begun investigating the immediate cause of the fires.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">President Joe Biden declared a major disaster on Maui. Traveling in Utah on Thursday, he pledged that the federal response will ensure that \"anyone who\'s lost a loved one, or whose home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately.\" Biden promised to streamline requests for assistance and said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was \"surging emergency personnel\" on the island. AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 16:19:10', '2023-08-11 16:19:10'),
(8498, 8498, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Dhaka\'s air quality was marked as \'unhealthy for sensitive groups\' this morning.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With an air quality index (AQI) score of 123 at 10:21 am, Dhaka ranked 6th on the list of cities worldwide with worst air quality, according to IQAir.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">UAE’s Dubai, Indonesia’s Jakarta and Qatar’s Doha occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 527, 164 and 158 respectively.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with acceptable air quality. However, there may be a health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy\', and between 201 and 300 is said to be \'very unhealthy\', while a reading of 301+ is considered \'hazardous\', posing serious health risks to residents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dhaka has long grappled with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in the winter and improves during the monsoon. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 16:22:38', '2023-08-11 16:22:38'),
(8499, 8499, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Politburo Chief of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Ismail Haniyeh on Thursday discussed ending the internal split and proceeding with internal reconciliation.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a phone conversation, they discussed the follow-up to the outcomes of a meeting held in Egypt at the end of July, when leaders of Palestinian factions agreed to form a committee to promote dialogue, work to end division, and achieve national unity, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a statement, Hamas said that Abbas and Haniyeh agreed on the need to expedite the formation of the committee.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The agreed-upon committee will discuss all files so that it can present the outcomes of its discussions before the next meeting of the secretaries-general (of Palestinian factions),\" the statement said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The two leaders stressed the need to move forward to bring the Palestinian people closer and achieve internal unity \"to strengthen the common national stance to confront the current challenges,\" it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">The internal Palestinian division started in 2007 after Hamas forcibly took control of the Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million people. XINHUA</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 16:25:53', '2023-08-11 16:25:53'),
(8500, 8500, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">China on Friday said it had recently uncovered a US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) \"case of espionage\" involving a Chinese national named Zeng who provided \"core secret information\" for money.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"After meticulous investigation, the state security authority obtained evidence of Zeng\'s espionage activities and, in accordance with the law, took coercive measures against him to eliminate the harm in a timely manner,\" Beijing\'s Ministry of State Security said in a statement published online.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The statement said that 52-year-old Zeng had been sent to Italy for studies, where he befriended a CIA agent stationed at the US embassy in Rome.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">This individual convinced Zeng to provide \"sensitive information on the (Chinese) military\" in exchange for \"a huge amount of compensation\" and assistance for Zeng and his family to move to the United States, the statement said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 16:33:05', '2023-08-11 16:33:05'),
(8501, 8501, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 16 people had been killed and three remained missing across Chattogram due to floods triggered by incessant rains and landslides over the past one week.  </b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The District Relief and Rehabilitation Office said houses, crops and businesses have suffered a total loss of Tk 135.15 crore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Chandanaish, Satkania and Lohagara upazilas of south district have been the worst affected by the floods.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">These areas were virtually under water for three days from Monday night. The power was cut off for three days. Traffic was stopped on the Chattogram-Cox\'s Bazar highway as the roads went underwater following days of rainfall.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although traffic resumed on the highway on Thursday morning, power has not yet been restored in many areas, officials said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md Saifullah Mazumder said the damages amounted to Tk 135.15 crore till Thursday.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the bodies of many people who went missing surfaced as the water started receding on Wednesday.  </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A total of 16 people  died in five upazilas of Chattogram till Thursday night, said the official.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Saifullah said: “Three are still missing.  Of the deceased, seven died in Satkania, four in Lohagara, two in Chandanaish, one each in Banshkhali, one in Rauzan and one in Chattogram city.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge of Chandanaish Police Station Anwar Hossain said that one person is missing in Chandanaish upazila.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Among the flood-affected areas, Satkania, Lohagara and Chandanaish upazilas have been without power for three days. The residents there faced many problems, including the shortage of clean water. </div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, since Wednesday night, the water in these areas has started receding and power has started returning in some places.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dilip Chandra Chowdhury, senior manager of Chattogram Palli Bidyut Samity-1, said, \"So far, electricity connection has been restored in all the upazilas of the south except Satkania. Work is also going on in Satkania and we hope to restore electricity there soon.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to district administration sources, 6,35,000 people have been marooned in the district and 6,753 people have been taken to shelter homes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the Patenga Meteorological Office, Chottogram received 664 mm of rainfall in the last seven days. Of these, 42.8 mm rainfall was recorded on August 4, 64.2 mm on August 5, 231.5 mm on August 6 and 216.4 mm on August 7. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 16:47:31', '2023-08-11 18:52:27'),
(8502, 8502, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 23 Syrian regime soldiers were killed in an attack on a military bus in the conflict-torn country\'s east blamed on Islamic State group jihadists, a war monitor said Friday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said IS \"members targeted a military bus\" in Deir Ezzor province on Thursday, killing \"23 soldiers and wounding more than 10 others\".&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 17:28:45', '2023-08-11 17:28:45'),
(8503, 8503, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen has said ensuring accountability for the atrocities committed against Rohingyas, as well as repatriation of the Rohingyas to their ancestral homeland, Myanmar or third country resettlement- are sustainable solutions to the Rohingya crisis.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said this during a meeting with the visiting OIC-UNHCR joint delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the meeting, the foreign secretary urged the OIC-UNHCR joint delegation to mobilize robust international support for ensuring sustainable solution to this tragic crisis and continue humanitarian assistance till repatriation is materialized.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The OIC delegation, headed by the Assistant-Secretary General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs, Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, the UNHRC delegation, headed by Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner and UNHCR’s Representative for the GCC Countries and other development partners are visiting Bangladesh from August 6 to 11 to take stock of the situation of Rohingyas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The foreign secretary stated that under the prudent leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government of Bangladesh has provided shelter and protection to the forcibly displaced Rohingyas from their ancestral homeland, Myanmar.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He reiterated Bangladesh’s intention towards meaningful engagement of the UN, regional bodies and other friendly nations in materialising the return of the Rohingyas to their homeland and ensuring their rights to return. He also appreciated the humanitarian assistance received from the international community.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Masud appreciated the visit of the OIC-UNHCR delegation to the Rohingya Camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar and hoped that the delegation had firsthand idea of the crisis as well as witnessed the efforts taken by the government of Bangladesh with the support of the international community to alleviate the sufferings of the Rohingyas through different programmes.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He also apprised the delegation of the Bhasan Char project which is implemented by the Bangladesh government spending US$ 350 million of its own resources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recalling the OIC Secretary-General’s recent visit to Bangladesh, the foreign secretary commended the OIC Secretary-General for his firm support for the ICJ case filed by The Gambia, and sincere efforts to maintain the focus of the Rohingya issue in different forums of the OIC.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Raising concern over the insufficient funding for the ICJ case filed by The Gambia, as well as declining assistance for the humanitarian operation for the FDMNs,&nbsp; Masud urged the OIC as well as the Gulf countries to increase their assistance for Rohingyas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the call on, the OIC Assistant Secretary-General praised the Government and people of Bangladesh for providing shelter, protection and necessary assistance to the Rohingyas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He renewed OIC’s commitment to remain constructively engaged on the issue of Rohingya. “Repatriation is the final solution to this crisis”, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner and UNHCR’s Representative for the GCC Countries suggested to diversify funding sources.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prior to the call, the OIC-UNHCR delegation met with the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on 10 August 2023 at the Prime Minister’s Office.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During the meeting, the principal secretary highlighted to the visiting delegation the relocation of the Rohingyas from Cox’s Bazar to Bhashan Char and sought more contribution to the Joint Response Plan (JRP).</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He requested the visiting delegation to jointly organise dedicated programmes for the Rohingyas and called for enhanced diplomatic efforts to keep the issue alive on the global agenda.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The OIC-UNHCR delegation also includes OIC Special Envoy to Myanmar Ambassador Ibrahim Ahdy Khairat, representatives from the Islamic Solidarity Fund (ISF), Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), Kuwait’s Zakat House and Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED). UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 18:45:52', '2023-08-11 18:45:52'),
(8504, 8504, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The flood situation in Bandarban has improved further as all the major rivers in the district including Sangu and Matamuhuri are flowing below the danger level, officials said on Friday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People have started leaving shelters to return to their homes. Power supply was parially restored in the city on Thursday afternoon and is expected to be normal in other areas by Friday, the power division said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, road connectivity has been restored in Bandarban district with the rest of the country as the flood situation has improved. However, road connectivity between Roanchhari, Ruma and Thanchi upazilas of the district has not yet been established as roads have been damaged due to heavy rains.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Deputy Commissioner Shah Mujahid Uddin said 168 metric tonnes of food grains have already been allocated for the flood victims. So far, 50,000 litres of bottled water has been distributed.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So far, eight people have died and two were missing due to floods and landslides, he said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 18:50:56', '2023-08-11 18:50:56'),
(8505, 8505, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The flood situation in Bandarban has improved further as all the major rivers in the district including Sangu and Matamuhuri are flowing below the danger level, officials said on Friday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">People have started leaving shelters to return to their homes. Power supply was parially restored in the city on Thursday afternoon and is expected to be normal in other areas by Friday, the power division said.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, road connectivity has been restored in Bandarban district with the rest of the country as the flood situation has improved. However, road connectivity between Roanchhari, Ruma and Thanchi upazilas of the district has not yet been established as roads have been damaged due to heavy rains.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Deputy Commissioner Shah Mujahid Uddin said 168 metric tonnes of food grains have already been allocated for the flood victims. So far, 50,000 litres of bottled water has been distributed.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">So far, eight people have died and two were missing due to floods and landslides, he said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 18:50:59', '2023-08-11 18:50:59'),
(8506, 8506, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The dollar exchange rate grew by 13.25 kopecks from Thursday\'s close, selling at 97.59 rubles on the Moscow Exchange as the trade opened on Friday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The euro lost 33.25 kopecks, reaching 107.22 rubles.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In turn, the yuan rate grew by 2 kopecks, to 13.485 rubles. TASS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 18:56:01', '2023-08-11 18:56:01'),
(8507, 8507, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Data released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) confirm that the sanctions regime imposed by Western countries on Russia has failed to produce the desired results, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said in an interview with TASS.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"It is obvious already that the Western sanctions against our country have not brought the intended results as we have not fallen down into the abyss, neither economically nor socially, but rather the country is convincingly demonstrating its robust, sustainable growth potential. This is confirmed both by the World Bank and the IMF, by the way,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, the wish \"to stifle Russia &lt;...&gt; on the part of the ruling circles in the US and the EU,\" even at the expense of their own citizens\' prosperity, has proven to be \"stronger than common sense,\" Galuzin added. \"We see the maniacal stubbornness with which Western countries keep churning out illegitimate packages of sanctions and try to compel the international community, including our closest allies, to comply with them,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It should be understood that the West\'s restrictions \"are aimed not only at undermining Russia\'s economy, but also at causing the highest possible damage to integrative processes in which [Russia] is participating,\" including within the formats of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Eurasian Economic Union, the senior Russian diplomat stressed. \"The statements made by Western countries that they have no plans to hinder the trade and economic ties between our partners and Russia, are baseless. They even make no secret of their interest in subordinating the commodity and food resources of the Central Asian region to their international economic goals,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The West has long been putting intense political and information pressure on Russia\'s Central Asian partner countries, insisting that they comply with anti-Russia sanctions, \"impudently requesting reports on trade dynamics and structure,\" the Russia deputy foreign minister noted. \"Amid this background, our partners are forced to exercise caution to avoid arbitrary treatment of them under the pretext of so-called secondary sanctions,\" he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nevertheless, the existing trade and economic commitments between Russia and its partners in the region \"are still being fulfilled as they meet the interests of [both] sides,\" Galuzin pointed out. \"Trade turnover with Central Asian countries increased in 2022. The scale of Russia\'s accumulated investment is impressive. Investments by Central Asian countries in Russia have soared four-fold since 2015. More than 10,000 Russian and joint-venture enterprises are working in the region, with over 900,000 jobs having been created by them,\" he concluded. TASS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 19:04:59', '2023-08-11 19:04:59');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(8508, 8508, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman rehabilitated 1,47,323 landless families through allocating 1,67,830 acres of khas land for them during his three and a half years tenure.</span><br></b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">It was the Bangabandhu government who first took the initiatives for constructing \"Guchhcho Gram\" (cluster villages) in the country to&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">rehabilitate the landless, distressed and river erosion-affected people.</span></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;As part of the initiatives, four cluster villages were built at Char Clark under Subarna Char upazila in Noakhali, one at Diara Balua under Companyganj upazila in Noakhali, one cluster village at Char Poragachha under Ramgati upazila in Laksmipur and one at Char Darbesh under Sonagazi upazila in Feni district.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As many as 1,470 families were rehabilitated in the cluster villages.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the beginning of rebuilding the war-ravaged country, Bangabandhu embarked on rehabilitation and arrangement for food for two crore displaced people. In this regard, he took a six-month-long rehabilitation programme till June 1972.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The aim of the programme was to bring back the refugees from India, arrange temporary housing for homeless people and reestablish farmers,</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">workers, blacksmiths, potters and weavers in their economic life.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nearly one crore refugees returned home from India by January 1972. With the cooperation of the United Nations (UN) and other friendly countries, the Bangabandhu government placed a \"Rehabilitation Budget\" having the Annual Development Programme of Taka 550 core without imposing any fresh tax.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government constituted the Planning Commission and later adopted the first five-year plan with Taka 4,455 core.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under the post-war rehabilitation programmes, arrangements were made to distribute 1.41 lakh maunds of food grains, reconstruct nine lakh houses and disburse 9,000 plots among the landless, distressed and affected people.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;The government houses worth about Taka 10 crore were damaged in the Liberation War, while the devastation in the private sector houses was Taka 825 crore.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;To solve the housing problem, necessary money was allocated by dividing the rebuilding work into 10 sectors. These are the Building Directorate,</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Khulna Development Authority, Dhaka Improvement Trust, Chittagong Development Authority, the Department of Works, the Department of Fire Service, the Department of Police, Parjatan Corporation and Bangladesh Rifles Survey Department.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the initiatives of Bangabandhu, arrangement for money was made in the \"Cyclone Preparedness Programme\". As a result, training was given to 20,430 volunteers, while over 100 multi-storied shelter centres and 137 \"Matir Kellas\" with 15-metre high each were constructed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There were arrangements for shelter of livestock alongside the people in these soil-made forts which are locally known as \"Mujib Kella\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangabandhu inaugurated a Mujib Kella at Poragachha under Ramgati upazila in Laksmipur on February 20 in 1972 and asked the then Noakhali district</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">administration to rehabilitate the river erosion-affected, distressed and homeless people on the government khash lands. 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, '2023-08-11 19:24:53', '2023-08-11 19:24:53'),
(8509, 8509, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>In Cox\'s Bazar, 20 people have died due to floods caused by heavy rains for 7 consecutive days.&nbsp; 1 person is still missing.&nbsp; During this time, 4 lakh 79 thousand 503 people were trapped in water.</b></span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp; The amount of damage is 14 crore 5 lakh rupees.&nbsp; 60 unions of 9 upazilas of the district have been affected by flood.&nbsp; Chakaria upazila is the most affected.&nbsp; 11 people lost their lives in this upazila.&nbsp; Next is the position of Pekua.&nbsp; Where 6 people died.&nbsp; Besides, 2 people died in Ukhia and 1 in Ramu.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Meanwhile, 59 km road of road department and 80.75 km of LGED.&nbsp; Mr.&nbsp; Rural roads and 47 bridges/culverts have been damaged to varying degrees.&nbsp; The road is submerged in water.&nbsp; When the water goes down, the financial value will be known.&nbsp; Besides, some places of Dohazari-Cox\'s Bazar railway line have been damaged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;The district has 15 thousand 638 hectares of crop land, 1 thousand 752 ponds / ponds / farms, 1 thousand 832 fish enclosures, 262 million tons of fin fish, 700 million&nbsp; Tons of shrimp, May 9.95.&nbsp; Tons of pona, 179 nets were damaged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;The administration has provided humanitarian assistance of 25 thousand rupees to the families of 20 deceased persons.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Besides, 103 metric tons of rice, 6 thousand packets of dry food and 1 crore 7 lakh 75 thousand cash have been distributed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;Additional Deputy Commissioner of Cox\'s Bazar District Administration Vibhishan Kanti Das said that 4 lakh 79 thousand 503 people have been affected by the waterlogging of 60 unions in Cox\'s Bazar due to heavy rains and landslides.&nbsp; The amount of damage is 14 crore 5 lakh rupees.&nbsp; 60 unions of 9 upazilas of the district have been affected by flood.&nbsp; Chakaria upazila is the most affected.&nbsp; 11 people lost their lives in this upazila.&nbsp; Next is the position of Pekua.&nbsp; Where 6 people died.&nbsp; Besides, 2 people died in Ukhia and 1 in Ramu.&nbsp; The administration has provided humanitarian aid worth 25 thousand taka to the families of 20 dead people. In addition, 103 metric tons of rice, 6 thousand packets of dry food and 1 crore 7 lakh 75 thousand cash have been distributed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'Coxsbazar Correspondent', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 21:50:44', '2023-08-11 21:50:44'),
(8510, 8510, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">After a period of drama and chaos, the star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has officially been named the captain of the Bangladesh ODI side.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With this appointment, Shakib now holds the captaincy position for Bangladesh across all formats of international cricket, as he has already been leading the Tigers in T20Is and Tests.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">However, whether he will continue in this role for all formats will be decided later after a discussion between the board and Shakib.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The board will soon announce the Bangladesh ODI squad for the Asia Cup as well. The deadline for announcing the Asia Cup squad is August 12th.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nazmul Hasan, the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), confirmed this development today at his residence in Dhaka\'s Gulshan. Nazmul has stated that if Shakib wants to continue leading Bangladesh in all formats, the board will happily accept it.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The board was expected to appoint a captain last week, but they could not do so as the board needed to discuss the matter with Shakib.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Asia Cup will be played in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, while the World Cup is scheduled to take place in India later this year.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Shakib has been appointed as the captain of the ODI team of Bangladesh,” Nazmul informed the media. “He will lead the Bangladesh team in both the Asia Cup and the World Cup.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tamim Iqbal recently stepped down as the captain of the Bangladesh ODI team due to concerns regarding his injuries, which also sidelined him from the Asia Cup. Tamim is now expected to make a comeback ahead of the World Cup.&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Shakib last led the Bangladesh ODI side as a full-time captain in 2011.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Alongside Shakib, top-order batter Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz were also considered in discussions for the next ODI captain. However, the board eventually decided to appoint Shakib.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Litton has experience leading the Tigers in several limited-over matches, while Mehidy is yet to lead the national team. However, he was a regular captain of the Bangladesh U-19 team and also led his team in the Bangladesh Premier League.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Nazmul has previously stated that they are fully confident about Litton but expressed concern about his captaincy in the World Cup, as he lacks as much experience as Shakib in captaincy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Leading the team in a series and leading the team in the World Cup is not the same,” Nazmul said earlier.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">During a recent media interaction, Nazmul also emphasized that selecting Shakib as the captain was the most straightforward decision for the board, and now, the board has ultimately solidified that choice. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 21:53:20', '2023-08-11 21:53:20'),
(8511, 8511, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Police have so far detained nine suspects in connection with the attack on a train and snatching valuables from its passengers at Tongi Railway Station of Gazipur on Thursday night.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Ferdous Ahmed Biswas, officer-in-charge of Kamalapur Railway Police Station, confirmed the development on Friday morning, saying that police could round up nine people for attacking the train and taking away valuables from passengers after conducting drivers in and around the Tongi area over Thursday night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The arrestees--Mehedi Hasan Joy, 26, Md Rony, 35, Rabiul Hasan, 40, Md Swadin, 30, Md Saiful Islam Jakir, 25, Md Masud, 27, Md Nasir, 20, Md Nayon Hasan, 28, and Md Ashiq, 22, are residents of different areas under Tongi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Earlier on Thursday night, the Dhaka-bound train ‘Karnaphuli Express’ from Chattogram came under attacks when it had been waiting to enter the Outer Signal of Tongi Railway Station around 10:30 pm.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Towhidul Islam, station master of Tongi Railway Junction, said snatching occurred in some bogies after the train stopped at the Outer Signal.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The miscreants hurled stones targeting passengers through windows of the train, creating panic in the train. A few passengers and a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) sustained injuries in the incident, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The miscreants ran away soon after police had rushed to the spot, the station master said, adding that drives were conducted to nab the miscreants. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-11 21:56:27', '2023-08-11 21:56:27'),
(8512, 8512, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud has said that the BNP’s aversion to elections coupled with its inclination towards \'forced decisions\', has transformed the party into a mere tool for individual interests.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He made the remarks during a gathering commemorating the 93rd birth anniversary of Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The senior AL leader also asserted the BNP was teetering on the brink of collapse, and warned that should they choose to boycott the upcoming election, it would be met with a dire fate.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Highlighting the BNP\'s current situation, Mahmud said, “The BNP finds itself in a position where it cannot even participate in parliamentary elections, upazila elections, nor elect members for the Union Parishad or city councilors. I challenge their leaders and workers – what prevents them from being reduced to mere pawns under Tariq Rahman\'s influence? How can a party that avoids all forms of elections be effective?\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hasan, also the AL Joint General Secretary further said, \"As long as Tariq Rahman remains unable to secure electoral victories, the entire BNP is bound by this policy. However, if the BNP chooses to boycott the forthcoming election, they will realize the consequences of their leaders\' and workers\' actions.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He directed a message to the senior leaders of the BNP, questioning the sustainability of their current approach.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"By adhering to imposed decisions, the BNP is precariously perched on the edge. If they continue with their boycott strategy, they are destined to fall into an abyss,\" he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Addressing the BNP\'s foreign interactions, he said that the party\'s recent protests and acts of arson failed to yield any foreign support.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"For years, the BNP sought aid from foreign sources, yet they eventually realized that their pleas for backing their caretaker government were in vain. Foreign representatives, including US Undersecretary Uzra Zaya and European Union delegates, did not voice any support for the BNP\'s demands during their visits.\" UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-12 04:15:39', '2023-08-12 04:15:39'),
(8513, 8513, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>An attack by Islamic State group jihadists on Syrian government forces in the war-torn country\'s east has killed 33 soldiers, a monitor said Saturday, revising an earlier toll of 26 deaths.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The shooting Thursday evening on an army bus was the extremist group\'s deadliest attack on government forces this year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.</div><div><br></div><div>Despite losing their last piece of territory in Syria in 2019, IS has maintained hideouts in the vast Syrian desert from which it has carried out ambushes and hit-and-run attacks.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The death toll from the army bus attack rose to 33 soldiers,\" said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the British-based monitoring group which relies on a wide network of sources inside Syria.</div><div><br></div><div>The jihadists surrounded the bus in the desert near Mayadeen, in Deir Ezzor province, and opened fire, the Observatory reported on Friday.</div><div><br></div><div>IS claimed the attack later Friday, saying its fighters had carried out an ambush \"on two military buses\", targeting them \"with heavy weapons and rocket-propelled grenades\" and setting one on fire, according to a statement from the jihadists\' Amaq news agency.</div><div><br></div><div>Syrian state news agency SANA said the \"terrorist attack\" had caused a number of military casualties, citing an army source. AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-12 20:11:19', '2023-08-12 20:11:19'),
(8514, 8514, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A significant number of people who sought refuge in shelters due to the devastating floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in Bandarban have now returned to their homes, Deputy Commissioner Shah Mujahid Uddin has said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>During a press briefing held on Friday afternoon, he outlined the overall situation in the district, elaborating on the extent of the destruction caused by the recent torrential rains and floods.</div><div><br></div><div>The calamity has left a trail of destruction, displacing families and causing substantial damage to infrastructure.</div><div><br></div><div>Currently, around 340 individuals remain in various shelters across the district as they grapple with the aftermath of the disaster. The impact has been dire, with 15,800 families stranded by flooding, and a staggering 15,600 houses being severely damaged, he said. Quoting the Agriculture Department, the District Commissioner said that the agricultural sector has been hit hard, with 8,253 hectares of cropland succumbing to the deluge.</div><div><br></div><div>He also reported 10 deaths resulting from the flood and landslides.</div><div><br></div><div>Furthermore, road connections to Thanchi and Ruma upazilas remain severed due to the relentless downpour.</div><div><br></div><div>The Department of Public Health Engineering has taken steps for rehabilitation by setting up two mobile water purification units, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Already, 2 lakh litres of water have been distributed through this initiative. The Bangladesh Army has also joined the relief efforts, distributing an additional 53,800 litres of drinking water,&nbsp; he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Additionally, 850 families have received essential dry food provisions, while 962 individuals have been given vital medical care and medications.</div><div><br></div><div>The government allocated 168 metric tons of food grains and Tk 6 lakh for those impacted by the disaster.</div><div><br></div><div>Bandarban Hill District Council has earmarked Tk 24 lakh for each of the 7 upazilas, providing essential funds to aid the recovery process.</div><div><br></div><div>After four days of power outage in Bandarban town, electricity supply has been fully restored since Friday.</div><div><br></div><div>However, water supply remains disrupted, as efforts to clear debris and sediment from the water treatment plant are still ongoing.</div><div><br></div><div>Internet and mobile connectivity in Bandarban have been reinstated. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-12 20:44:21', '2023-08-12 20:44:21'),
(8515, 8515, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday expressed concern over the worsening physical condition of their party chairperson Khaleda Zia as doctors again advised her to be sent abroad immediately for treatment at an advanced centre.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“I was there in the hospital (Evercare) yesterday (Friday). The doctors of the medical board are very worried. They’re not sure whether her treatment will eventually be possible if she’s not immediately sent abroad for advanced treatment,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to reporters after offering fateha at the grave of the BNP chief’s late son Arafat Rahman Koko, Fakhrul said the doctors told him that it is urgent to send Khaleda abroad for her proper treatment.</div><div><br></div><div>“I would like to clearly tell the authorities concerned to immediately release our leader Begum Khaleda Zia and take steps for her proper treatment overseas,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Otherwise, the BNP leader warned that people will create a mass upsurge intensifying the ongoing one-point movement for ensuring the unconditional release of Khaleda.</div><div><br></div><div>BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital on Wednesday night on the advice of a medical board formed for her treatment as she fell sick again.</div><div><br></div><div>She has now been receiving treatment at the hospital under a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder.</div><div><br></div><div>Her personal doctor A ZM Zahid Hossain said Khaleda’s liver problems worsened and she was suffering from fever. Fakhrul visited the BNP chief on Friday evening and talked to the doctors about her physical condition.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on June 13, the BNP chairperson was admitted to the same hospital and received treatment for a few days after she suddenly fell sick with a fever and stomachache.</div><div><br></div><div>Khaleda, a 78-year-old former prime minister, has been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, and eye problems.</div><div><br></div><div>Fakhrul along with BNP leaders and activists went to Koko’s grave at Banani in the morning and offered fateha there, marking the 54th birthday of the late younger son of Khaleda and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>On January 24, 2015, Koko died of cardiac arrest at the age of 45 at a rented house in Malaysia.</div><div><br></div><div>After visiting the grave premises, Fakhrul alleged that Koko lost his life prematurely due to direct and indirect torture and torture by the interim regime of Fakhruddin-Moyeenuddin after the 1/11 political changeover in 2007.</div><div><br></div><div>“It’s very unfortunate that the Moyeenuddin-Fakhruddin regime shamelessly and brutally tortured our extraordinary sports organiser. He fell ill due to physical torture and died while undergoing treatment in Malaysia,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>On Koko’s birthday, Fakhrul said they offered his grave and prayed for the salvation of his departed soul. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-12 20:56:22', '2023-08-12 20:56:22'),
(8517, 8517, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rani Mukerji opened up about her miscarriage during the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023, reported Business Today. The actress revealed that she was pregnant for the second time in 2020 and that she lost her baby five months into her pregnancy.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"Maybe this is the first time I am making this revelation because in today\'s world every aspect of your life is discussed publicly, and becomes an agenda for talking about your film to get more eyeballs. Obviously, I didn\'t speak about this when I was promoting the film because it would have come across as me trying to speak about a personal experience that would propel the film,\" Business Today quoted Rani Mukerji as saying.</div><div><br></div><div>The actress added, \"So, it was around the year when Covid-19 struck. It was 2020. I got pregnant with my second baby at the end of 2020 and I unfortunately lost my baby five months into my pregnancy.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Rani Mukerji recalled, \"After I lost my baby, Nikhil (Nikhil Advani) would have called me probably like 10 days later. He told me about the story (Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway) and I kind of immediately... not that I had to have the loss of a child to feel the emotion but sometimes there is a film in the right time of what you are going through personally to be able for you to connect with it instantly. When I heard the story, I was in disbelief. I never thought in a country like Norway an Indian family would have had to go through.\"</div><div>Rani Mukerji has a daughter with her filmmaker-producer husband Aditya Chopra. They got married in 2014 and they welcomed their daughter a year later.</div><div><br></div><div>In terms of work, Rani Mukerji was last seen in Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway. Rani Mukerji\'s filmography includes hits as well as critically acclaimed movies like Black, Hum Tum, Bunty Aur Babli, the Mardaan series, Saathiya, Talaash, Hichki among many others. Source: NDTV</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-12 21:20:13', '2023-08-12 21:20:13'),
(8518, 8518, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The US government said Friday it will spend up to $1.2 billion for two pioneering facilities to vacuum carbon out of the air, a historic gamble on a still developing technology to combat global warming that is criticized by some experts.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The two projects -- in Texas and Louisiana -- each aim to eliminate one million tons of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent in total to the annual emissions of 445,000 gas-powered cars.</div><div><br></div><div>It is \"the world\'s largest investment in engineered carbon removal in history,\" the Energy Department said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>Direct Air Capture (DAC) techniques -- also known as Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) -- focus on that CO2 emitted into the air, which is helping to fuel climate change and extreme weather.</div><div><br></div><div>Each of the projects will remove 250 times more CO2 from the air than the largest carbon capture site currently in operation, the Energy Department said.</div><div><br></div><div>The UN\'s International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) considers capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere one of the methods necessary to combat global warming.</div><div><br></div><div>But the sector is still marginal -- there are just 27 existing carbon capture sites commissioned worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency, though at least 130 projects are under development.</div><div><br></div><div>And some experts worry that use of the technology will be a pretext for continuing to emit greenhouse gases, rather than switching more quickly to clean energies.</div><div><br></div><div>Direct capture \"requires a lot of electricity for extracting CO2 from the air and compressing it for pipes,\" Stanford University professor Mark Jacobson told AFP.</div><div><br></div><div>US non-profit Battelle is the prime contractor on the Louisiana project, which will inject captured CO2 for storage deep underground.</div><div><br></div><div>It will partner with another American company, Heirloom, and the Swiss firm Climeworks, already a sector leader that operates a plant in Iceland with an annual capacity to capture 4,000 tons of CO2 from the air. According AFP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-12 22:20:45', '2023-08-12 22:20:45'),
(8519, 8519, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A madrasa student was killed in a lightning strike in Ahmad Mia Bazar Noorani Hefezia Madrasa area under Hatiya upazila of the district on Saturday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased was identified as Md. Nihaj Uddin,14, son of Md. Didar Uddin, resident of Totargo House of Ward No. 7 under Hatia municipality of the upazila. He was a student of Hifz department of Ahmad Mia Bazar Noorani Hefazia Madrasa.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Nihaj was killed in lightning strike on the spot when he was returning home from Madrasa around 9am, while it was drizzling, officer-in-charge (OC) of Hatia Police Station Amir Hossain said. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-12 22:50:39', '2023-08-12 22:50:39'),
(8520, 8520, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh called up young opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim on Saturday to their 17-member squad for the Asia Cup one-day international tournament beginning later this month.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Left-handed Tamim was a member of the Bangladesh team that won the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa and has since been groomed as a new prospect by the Bangladesh Cricket Board.</div><div><br></div><div>The 22-year-old scored 179 runs in four matches of July\'s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, with three half-centuries and a strike rate of 117.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Our national selection panel is very confident about Tanzid,\" chief selector Minhajul Abedin told reporters.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Hopefully, he is waiting to give the country something very good.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Tamim takes the place of former captain Tamim Iqbal, who pulled out of the Asia Cup due to injury.</div><div><br></div><div>The Bangladeshi selectors also picked up lower-order batsman Shamim Hossain, who played 17 Twenty20 internationals for Bangladesh but has yet to make his ODI debut.</div><div><br></div><div>Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam has been dropped from the squad with Minhajul saying the \"more defensive\" Nasum Ahmed was preferred for the flat wickets expected in the Asia Cup.</div><div><br></div><div>Minhajul said Bangladesh\'s squad for the World Cup in India in October would not necessarily match the Asia Cup squad.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We will have until September 5 to think of our World Cup squad. Until then, our concern is only the Asia Cup,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh will play alongside Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in Group B of the Asia Cup, which starts on August 30.</div><div><br></div><div>All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will return as ODI captain.</div><div><br></div><div>Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Liton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Shamim Hossain, Afif Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Mohammad Naim. According to AFP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-12 23:16:21', '2023-08-12 23:16:21'),
(8521, 8521, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen said that the next general election will be held according to the country\'s constitution.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He made this comment while talking to the journalists after awarding certificates to the students of RTM Al Kabir Technical University at Shahi Eidgah in Sylhet city this afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>He said, \"The government has done everything necessary for fair elections in the country. A strong Election Commission has been constituted for this purpose,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Bangladesh will not make any new agreement with any country in haste before the elections...Bangladesh is an independent state. We adhere to a balanced foreign policy,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>About the upcoming BRICS conference, Momen said the organizers have invited Bangladesh. \"It seems that the prime minister will go there,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>The foreign minister said even if BRICS does not include new countries this year, there will be meetings with the heads of state of many countries, and there will be an opportunity to discuss various issues there. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 00:27:23', '2023-08-13 00:27:23'),
(8522, 8522, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>French superstar Kylian Mbappe has been left out of Paris Saint-Germain\'s league opener with uncertainty hanging over the France captain\'s future.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Mbappe refused to sign a contract extension with the Ligue 1 champions.</div><div><br></div><div>Also missing against Lorient is Brazilian Neymar who is sidelined with a \"viral syndrome\". - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 00:33:12', '2023-08-13 00:33:12'),
(8523, 8523, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Fourteen more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Saturday morning, raising the fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 387 this year.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>During the period, 2, 432 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div><br></div><div>Of the new patients, 940 were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it, according to DGHS.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 9, 830 dengue patients, including 4, 423 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>So far, the DGHS has recorded 82, 506 dengue cases, 72, 289 recoveries.</div><div><br></div><div>The country logged 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019. Also, it recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 01:47:28', '2023-08-13 01:47:28'),
(8524, 8524, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>All commercial banks are on a state of high alert after Bangladesh Bank (BB) issued 11 instructions to all banks and financial institutions to fight cyberattacks.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The central bank on Thursday wrote to the institutions telling them what they should do to prevent cyberattacks.</div><div><br></div><div>Chief Executive Officer of Mutual Trust Bank Syed Mahbubur Rahman told UNB that officials of the bank are working round the clock to keep all the activities of the bank secure.</div><div><br></div><div>He said after getting the central bank\'s instructions, MTB has taken enough measures to check the threat.</div><div><br></div><div>“All the deposits and other transactions are safe and secured,” said Syed Mahbub.</div><div><br></div><div>Selim RF Hussain, CEO of BRAC Bank, also gave a similar opinion regarding measures to prevent cyber-attacks.</div><div><br></div><div>An expert team is working with coordination of the government entities to avert any disaster, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The BB letter stated that a group of hackers have threatened a cyber-attack in Bangladesh, with August 15 as the date of a possible attack.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to the threat, the government\'s \'Computer Incident Response Team\' (CIRT) issued a cyber-security alert.</div><div><br></div><div>A CIRT press release on August 7 said that cyber-attacks could disrupt operations of State Critical Information Infrastructure (CII), banks, financial institutions, healthcare, and government and private institutions. All concerned organizations are asked to take pre-preparedness to prevent small or medium cyber-attacks.</div><div><br></div><div>The BB has issued 11 instructions to banks and financial institutions to prevent cyber-attacks. Notable among these are 24-hour, especially outside office hours, network infrastructure should be monitored to ensure that no one is removing data. Access to various websites should be controlled to minimize cyber-attacks.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition, the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) latest guidelines should be followed to strengthen the security system in addition to taking various measures to detect insecure activities on the network.</div><div><br></div><div>CIRT offers some suggestions to ensure the infrastructure security of the concerned organizations to avoid cyber-attacks.</div><div><br></div><div>They are deploying firewalls to analyze incoming HTTP/HTTPS traffic and filter malicious requests and traffic patterns. Securing critical services such as DNS, NTP, and network middleboxes; validating user input.</div><div><br></div><div>It also asked for keeping backups of the Website; Implementing HTTPS on websites with SSL and TLS encryption. CERT is asked to report anything suspicious, including using updated technology. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 03:16:32', '2023-08-13 03:16:32'),
(8525, 8525, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said there is no global power behind the BNP-Jamaat nexus as no foreign countries take side with looters.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>\"They claimed they have (global power). Which power is with them? We want to know. There is no (such global) power with them. No one sides with looters,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina made the statement while making her introductory speech in a meeting of the AL’s Central Working Committee (ALCWC) at her official residence--Ganabhaban.</div><div><br></div><div>She warned the people regarding the BNP-Jamaat clique, saying that they will just destroy the country and democracy if they return to office again.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Remain cautious about BNP and Jamaat. They do&nbsp; not believe in democracy, they will not keep democracy in the country, they will push the country towards destruction,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She requested the people to stay alert against the killers, terrorists, militants, grenade attackers, 10 trucks of firearms smugglers--BNP.</div><div><br></div><div>The PM also asked the people to remain alert against the war criminals, killers of intellectuals, rapists and looters--Jamaat.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina described the BNP\'s 1991-96 and 2001-06 regimes as the era of darkness.</div><div><br></div><div>She warned that the country will go back to the era of darkness if BNP comes to power.</div><div><br></div><div>She heavily criticised the BNP for their efforts to remove the Awami League government and bring in a caretaker government system ahead of the next election, saying that the BNP was prevented from returning to power by the people as they had come to power through vote rigging.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister said the BNP resigned from the government on May 30 in 1996 after coming to power through a farcical election on February 15 in 1996.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina said her party protected the country\'s democracy and they do not need to manipulate to return to power.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The Awami League works for the welfare of the country and its people and thus wins the hearts of them. It doesn\'t require vote-rigging for going to power,\" she said.</div><div><br></div><div>The Prime Minister reiterated her call to vote for the Awami League to confirm the country\'s status as a developing nation by 2026.</div><div><br></div><div>Brushing aside the demand of the BNP to restore a neutral caretaker government system in Bangladesh, she questioned: \"Why had Khaleda Zia rejected the system in 1996, saying that only insane people and children are neutral?\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"Has&nbsp; the BNP found out the insane people and children to form the caretaker government?”</div><div><br></div><div>AL General General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and Deputy Leader of the House Begum Matia Chowdhury,&nbsp; Presidium Members Mosharraf Hossain, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Kazi Zafarullah were on the dais during the meeting. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 03:20:48', '2023-08-13 03:20:48'),
(8526, 8526, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Road, Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Saturday said that Washington cannot interfere in any country of the world - only in Bangladesh, it has a visa policy.&nbsp;</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Quader was addressing a discussion meeting organized by \'Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad\' at the city\'s&nbsp; Bangabandhu Avenue area marking the 48th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh is undergoing development because there is democracy, Quader opined. \"Only BNP fails to praise the development of the country,\" he alleged.</div><div><br></div><div>Quader also said that the Awami League takes BNP as an opponent but BNP takes AL as an enemy, which started on August 21 (2004). \"Zia family members are the masterminds of all the murders and conspiracies, including August 15 or August 21.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"BNP knows what will happen to them in the election. If there is an election at the moment, 70% of the votes of this country will be given to Sheikh Hasina,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Obaidul Quader also urged the people of the country to have faith in Sheikh Hasina in any crisis or problem, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>\"The then army chief Ziaur Rahman made a cut or amendment to the constitution.... The election will be held according to the constitution. If you want, come to the election or do whatever you want,\" Quader added.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 03:38:32', '2023-08-13 03:38:32'),
(8527, 8527, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday urged all particularly the Alem-ulamas (Islamic scholars) to help the government stamp out militancy and terrorism from the country.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"We want Islamic scholars\' cooperation to prevent superstition, militancy and terrorism. I urge all to be vigilant that our children can\'t take wrong direction,\" she said while distributing awards among five national level winners of the Jatiya Hifzul Quran Competition-2023.</div><div><br></div><div>The Religious Affairs Ministry organised the function at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in the capital.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister asked the Islamic scholars to spread the true sense of Islam as none can divert anyone to the militancy and terrorism and defame Islam, which is the best religion across the globe and always speaks for peace.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>She also asked all particularly the guardians to remain cautious about their children\'s movement.</div><div><br></div><div>Guardians should oversee where their children are going and with whom their children are mingling, she said adding that they (guardians) also have to cross-check whether their children are going to the educational institutions regularly.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The premier referred to receiving hundreds of death threatening letters from different religious extremists across the world after punishing a criminal, saying, \"Since then, I have realised that the terrorists have no religion and no boundary.\"</div><div><br></div><div>She said she always protested against try of labeling Islam with the word of terrorism in many international programmes attended by her as Bangladesh prime minister, saying, \"Terrorism is the only religion of the terrorists\".&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister called upon the Islamic scholars to remain cautious about defaming Islam by anyone through terrorism.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, State Minister for Religious Affairs Md. Faridul Haque Khan, its Secretary MD A Hamid Zamadder, Director General (DG) of the Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasah Education Board (BEFAQ) Mowlana Mufti Ubaydur Rahman Khan Nodvi, eminent Alems of the country, Alhajj Sufi Md Mizanur Rahman and Hazrat Maulana Salauddin Nanopuri, spoke on the occasion.</div><div><br></div><div>PM\'s former principal secretary and chief patron of Bangladesh Dweeni Seba Foundation Abul Kalam Azad presided over the function.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Visually impaired Hafez Md Abu Zafor Shakil, who secured third position in the competition, recited from the holy Quran at the programme.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Quran recitation competition was organised by the Bangladesh Dweeni Seba Foundation under the direct supervision of the Religious Affairs Ministry. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 20:39:59', '2023-08-13 20:39:59'),
(8528, 8528, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Due to active monsoon, six divisions including Dhaka, may experience light to moderate rain or thundershowers over 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind are likely to occur at most places in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at many places in Rajshahi and Khulna divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country,” said a regular bulletin of the Met Office.</div><div><br></div><div>Day temperature may fall slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The highest temperature was recorded at 35 degree Celsius in Pabna’s Ishwardi while the lowest temperature was recorded at 24 degree Celsius in Cox’s Bazar’s Kutubdia in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The weather office recorded the highest 126mm rainfall in Kurigram’s Rajarhat upazila.</div><div><br></div><div>The axis of monsoon trough runs through India’s Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across the northern part of Bangladesh. One of its associated troughs extends up to North Bay. Monsoon is active over Bangladesh and moderate over North Bay. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 21:00:45', '2023-08-13 21:00:45'),
(8529, 8529, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>French superstar Kylian Mbappe was reinstated in Paris Saint-Germain\'s first team on Sunday after being sidelined for several weeks amid an ongoing contract dispute.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>PSG opened their title defence with a goalless draw at home against Lorient on Saturday as Mbappe watched from the stands.</div><div><br></div><div>\"After very constructive and positive discussions between Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappe before the PSG-Lorient match, the player was reinstated in the first training team this morning,\" PSG said in a statement. - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 21:55:37', '2023-08-13 21:55:37');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(8530, 8530, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 rocked Batanes province in the northern Philippines on Sunday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The institute said the quake, which occurred at 9:43 am local time (0143 GMT), hit at a depth of 10 km, about 38 km southwest of Sabtang town.</div><div><br></div><div>The institute said the tectonic quake will trigger aftershocks but not cause damage. It added the quake was felt in Ilocos Norte province.</div><div><br></div><div>The Philippines has frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific \"Ring of Fire.\" - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 21:59:36', '2023-08-13 21:59:36'),
(8531, 8531, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Kiev troops made another unsuccessful attempt to attack Russia with a drone, but Russian missile defenses shot it down above the southwestern Russian Belgorod Region, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"The Kiev regime\'s unsuccessful attempt to attack facilities on the Russian territory with a plane-type unmanned aerial vehicle was thwarted at around 4 a.m. today,\" the ministry said. \"Russian missile defenses detected the drone and destroyed it above the territory of the Belgorod Region.\"</div><div><br></div><div>No damage or casualties were reported.</div><div><br></div><div>The Russian defense ministry made a similar announcement on Saturday. An unmanned aerial vehicle trying to attack the Russian territory was intercepted above the Belgorod Region at 5:30 p.m. Moscow time. - TASS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 22:43:40', '2023-08-13 22:43:40'),
(8532, 8532, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A case was filed against 55 named and over 200 unnamed people in connection with the attack on Sylhet Judge Court assistant public prosecutor Prabal Chowdhury Pujan on Thursday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The victim ,Prabal Chowdhury, filed the case naming 55 people including Sylhet District Chhatra League President Nazmul Islam, General Secretary Rahel Siraj and Metropolitan Chhatra League General Secretary Nayemm Ahmed, CCIC Ward Councilor Ruhel Ahmad and Sylhet Engineering College Chhatra League President Misbaul Karim Rafiq.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, a Sylhet court on Sunday ordered registering the case under the Speedy Trial Act.</div><div><br></div><div>Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Court 1 Judge Saifur Rahman Bhuiyan passed the order this noon.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Thursday, a group of BCL leaders and activists on motorcycles went to the ex-BCL leader Prabal’s residence at Dariapara in the city around 8.00pm and attacked him, leaving him injured.</div><div><br></div><div>Prabal said that the accused in the case are involved in sugar smuggling business in Sylhet. \"I posted a status on my Facebook timeline about the committees of Sylhet district and city units of BCL about their involvement in sugar smuggling in recent days.\"</div><div><br></div><div>“The BCL leaders and activists were threatening me after posting the status on social media. They, led by the top leaders of the district and city units of BCL, attacked me for that reason,”Prabal alleged.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the Central Chhatra League formed a probe committee on Friday to look into the attack on Prabal Chowdhury.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We formed a four-member committee to investigate the matter,\" said Sunny Mohammad Akash, central deputy office secretary of Chhatra League, reports UNB</div><div><br></div><div>Action will be taken if anybody found guilty as per the party rules, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-13 23:57:33', '2023-08-13 23:57:33'),
(8533, 8533, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday conveyed to visiting US congressmen Ed Case and Richard McCormick that there is no scope for reaching any consensus as BNP wants the government to step down.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He conveyed the message when the congressmen wanted to know whether there is any way to reach consensus with the opposition.</div><div><br></div><div>Momen also asked them whether the US government would step down prior to the election there. “Certainly not,” Momen said, adding that, “Will you sit in discussion if there is such a demand? Certainly not.”</div><div><br></div><div>Momen asks visiting congressmen whether US govt would step down prior to election there&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The US Congressional delegation of Congressman Rich McCormick of Georgia and Congressman Ed Case of Hawaii met Foreign Minister Momen at the State Guest House Padma.US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas was also present in the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>From the Bangladesh side, among others, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister for Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury; Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Kazi Nabil Ahmed; and Mohammad A. Arafat were present at the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>They held “fruitful discussions” on Bangladesh-US partnership on various areas, including trade and economy, Rohingya response, global health, climate change and upcoming general elections of Bangladesh. Ties with China also came up for discussion.</div><div><br></div><div>Momen said there is a need for sincere efforts from all political parties to hold a free and fair election.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to reporters, the foreign minister said the election will be held as per the existing rules.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the Bangladesh government wants fair and transparent elections, free of violence where all political parties have a role.</div><div><br></div><div>The foreign minister said the opposition is only talking about the resignation of the government instead of thinking about the next election. \"Resignation of the government cannot be a topic,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Momen said Bangladesh Awami League has always been a pro-election political party.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the government is committed to hold a free and fair election and people will decide their leaders.</div><div><br></div><div>He said they discussed the growing trade relations between the two countries and he invited the US to invest more in Bangladesh in diverse areas, including in the pharmaceutical sector.</div><div><br></div><div>The foreign minister said they also discussed the Rohingya crisis and Indo-Pacific region and Bangladesh briefly talked about its Indo-Pacific Outlook that seeks a free, fair, inclusive and secure region.</div><div><br></div><div>Momen said the government welcomes frequent visits from the US which will help build stronger communication between the two sides and let them know facts instead of depending on propaganda and fake news.</div><div><br></div><div>In the morning, the congressmen visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka. Both Congressmen were accompanied by their spouses at that time.</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the visit as moving, Congressmen said that it was indeed a great tragedy for Bangladesh to lose such a personality and that too so early.</div><div><br></div><div>Foreign Minister Momen described Bangladesh-US relations as warm, dynamic, multifaceted and forward-looking and stressed that the bilateral relations should only “deepen and broaden” as Bangladesh economy continues to grow rapidly under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div><br></div><div>He expressed hope that the US investment in Bangladesh will expand and diversify as Bangladesh offers potential in many areas, including ICT, pharmaceuticals, and steel. He also sought US congressional support for duty-free access of Bangladesh’s textile and garments products made of US cotton.</div><div><br></div><div>The US delegation expressed their keenness to look into the partnership in pharmaceuticals, among others.</div><div><br></div><div>The delegation praised Bangladesh for generous hosting of over 1 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas.</div><div><br></div><div>The meeting discussed the way forward in the context of gradual decline in the aid for Rohingya.</div><div><br></div><div>The Foreign Minister appreciated the US Government for its humanitarian support for the Rohingyas and stressed on the importance of working together towards achieving the ultimate goal of repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas to their homeland.</div><div><br></div><div>Director General (North America) Khandker Masudul Alam and other Foreign Ministry officials were also present.</div><div><br></div><div>Spouses of the Congressmen, Dr. Debra Miller and Audrey Case, the U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas and other US officials accompanied the congressional delegation.</div><div><br></div><div>Case and McCormick will visit Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar on Monday and hold meetings with various stakeholders.</div><div><br></div><div>The US embassy said they are pleased to welcome the first congressional delegation since 2017.</div><div><br></div><div>While in Dhaka, representatives McCormick (R-GA) and Case (D-HI) are meeting with government officials, and civil society members to discuss the importance of free and fair elections and issues of mutual interest to strengthen bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the United States. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 00:41:37', '2023-08-14 00:41:37'),
(8534, 8534, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Eleven more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Sunday morning, raising the fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 398 this year.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>During the period, 2,905 more patients were hospitalized with the viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).</div><div><br></div><div>Of the new patients, 1,042 were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it, according to DGHS.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 9,733 dengue patients, including 4,335 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>So far, the DGHS has recorded 85,411 dengue cases and 75,280 recoveries this year. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 01:33:33', '2023-08-14 01:33:33'),
(8535, 8535, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Pointing to BNP, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said none can come to power by hurling petrol bombs, burning people, setting fire to properties and even burning the Holy Qur\'an.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"It is not possible for them (BNP) to come to power by burning people\'s wealth and even the Holy \'Qur\'an\'. Because of these reasons, there is no possibility of BNP to come to power,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasan, also ruling Awami League (AL) joint general secretary, was talking to the reporters after inaugurating a photo exhibition as the chief guest marking the 48th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman organized by Press Information Department (PID) at the secretariat here.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir\'s statement - \'If BNP does not come to power in the next elections, the country will go back 50 years and it will be destroyed\', the minister said BNP will go back 50 years if it does not join the next elections and it will be difficult for them to survive as a party.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasan Mahmud also said the whole world is appreciating the way the country has progressed in the last 14 and a half years.</div><div><br></div><div>The Secretary General of the United Nations, the Prime Minister of India, the President of the United States, the Chief Economist and President of the World Bank, different statesmen and the top newspapers of the world also praised Bangladesh for its development spree, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>It is sad but true that BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul or his other leaders do not see that, he said, adding that it is the wretchedness of their consciousness, the unhappiness of politics and the pretense of not seeing it, he continued.</div><div><br></div><div>About BNP\'s demand for caretaker government, the information minister said Fakhrul has love for Pakistan as he (Fakhrul) stated a few days ago that Pakistan was better.</div><div><br></div><div>They (BNP men) follow Pakistan, he said, adding that there is no caretaker government system anywhere in the world except Pakistan.</div><div><br></div><div>\"My question is why they follow Pakistan. Those who love Pakistan so much can go to Pakistan if necessary,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr Hasan added that various conspiracies are being hatched ahead of the upcoming elections.</div><div><br></div><div>\"There were conspiracies in 2014 and 2018. There will be no benefit in hatching any conspiracy. The country will continue to move forward under the leadership of pro-people leader Sheikh Hasina, Insha Allah,\" he asserted.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, while inaugurating the week-long exhibition on Bangabandhu, the information minister praised the initiative of PID.</div><div><br></div><div>Speaking on the occasion, he said that the attempt to erase Bangabandhu from the pages of history was not successful rather those, who wanted to erase him, have disappeared from the pages of history.</div><div><br></div><div>The place of Bangabandhu is in the hearts of people as he is the source of inspiration for the freedom-seeking people of the world, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasan said if Bangabandhu had lived, Bangladesh would have transformed into a developed and prosperous country within a decade and a half of independence (of the country).</div><div><br></div><div>Referring to the statistics of various organizations, he said when Bangabandhu was killed, the country produced 10 thousand metric tons of extra food that year and the GDP growth rate was 9.54 percent.</div><div><br></div><div>The information minister said today the success of Bangabandhu\'s state-building and Bangabandhu\'s daughter\'s state management lies in the fact that Bangladesh left Pakistan behind in all indicators 7- 8 years ago.</div><div><br></div><div>Noting that Pakistan becomes jealous when it sees the success of Bangladesh, he said the country has risen to a middle-income as well as a self-sufficient one in food.</div><div><br></div><div>He mentioned that Bangladesh holds 31st position in purchasing power parity (PPP) for its economy while 35th in GDP (gross domestic product).</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh is a development-role model to the world, Hasan added. - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 01:43:30', '2023-08-14 01:43:30'),
(8536, 8536, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b style=\"\">The government will allow the import of eggs after consultation with the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry if the price of eggs does not come down, said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“If the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock fixes the price for eggs it can be controlled through drives conducted by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection,” he said while talking to reporters after attending a programme at Mohammadpur Town Hall in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>As price of eggs soars abnormally the members of Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection are conducting drives in different wholesale markets in the city and realising fines, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Importing eggs is not under the jurisdiction of the Commerce Ministry and the permission from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock is needed for import. A decision regarding import of eggs will be known soon after getting green signal from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking about the price of sugar, Tipu said, “Alongside importing sugar from the international markets, we are also procuring sugar from the local markets to meet the demand due to delay in arrival of sugar-laden ships or unloading complexities.”</div><div><br></div><div>Replying to a question about importing essential goods from India through quota, the minister said a decision will be taken in this regard as he is going to India this month and will meet the commerce minister of India. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 03:15:56', '2023-08-14 03:15:56'),
(8537, 8537, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>It was not dawn yet. Azan, the call for prayers from a faraway mosque was flowing through. All on a sudden sound of gunshots filled the air. Shots were being fired around a house on road 32 of Dhanmondi area in Dhaka. The house where the President of Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman resides. It was a simple small-sized two-storey building on one bigha land. </b></span></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><br></span></div><div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">The Head of the State lives there just like any other middle-class citizen. He was like this all along; living an ordinary life. The house is also the silent witness of all sorts of movement and struggle for our independence. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib declared the independence of Bangladesh on 26 March 1971 from the same house. Target of this early morning attack was this house. The serene sound of Azan was already lost under the crackling of heavy gunfire.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Generally, the security of the residence of the President lies with the Infantry Division of the Armed Forces. But just 10-12 days ago the responsibility was shifted to the officers and soldiers from the ‘Bengal Lancer’, which was not a usual case. My mother, Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib noticed that soldiers donning black uniform were engaged in maintaining the security of the residence. She raised the question but didn’t receive any satisfactory response.</div><div><br></div><div>My father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had endless love for his countrymen. He used to have blind faith on almost everyone. He could never imagine that any Bengali would raise a gun to shoot or kill him. No Bengali would ever try to kill or harm him in any way – he used to live with this conviction. Though unfortunate but what value did he get for his such strong faith in people?</div><div><br></div><div>Gunshots were being fired from all around. Continuously firing from a machinegun, a military vehicle stopped in front of the house at Road 32. By that time, all present at the house woke up due to such earsplitting noise of gunshots. My brother Sheikh Kamal hurried down to the reception area in an attempt to know what was happening and who attacked our house. Personal Assistant to my father, Mr. Mohitul Islam was then trying to make calls to different places but in vain. He did not get any response from anyone.</div><div><br></div><div>After staying there for few minutes, Kamal came out to the veranda. He saw Major Nur and Captain Huda approaching through the entrance gate. Kamal started talking to them – ‘Oh! You have arrived. Please look into the matter. Who attacked our house...?’ But before he could finish his words, the weapons at their murderous hands started spitting bullets at him. Kamal fell dead on the spot. Sad is the fact that both Major Nur and Kamal served together as ADCs to Colonel Osmani during our war of liberation. They knew each other very closely. But what a misfortune! How could those dearly known people appeared as unknown killers! And killed co-fighter Kamal by his own hand! Kamal was a freedom fighter himself. He completed his military training at Deradun, India and joined the liberation war to defend his country. Later Bangladesh government appointed him as one of the ADCs to the wartime Chief of Bangladesh Armed Forces Colonel Osmani.</div><div><br></div><div>Major Syed Faruk was firing from a Military Tank aiming at our house. My father made the first call to Army Chief Shafiullah and informed him that the president’s residence was under attack. The latter responded: ‘Let me see. In the meantime, if you can please try to move somewhere outside’.</div><div><br></div><div>The telephone at our house started ringing then. On the other end it was the Minister for Agriculture Abdur Rob Serniabat, who was my uncle, husband of one of the sisters of my father. He informed my father that some unknown people had attacked his house. Father informed him that our house was also under attack. My father then called two prominent Awami League Leaders - Abdur Razzak and Tofael Ahmed. Mr. Razzak, who was in charge of a volunteer-based force namely ‘Shwessashebok Bahini (Volunteer Forces)’ told him: ‘Leader, let me see what can be done’. Mr. Tofael Ahmed, who was the head of another paramilitary force named ‘RakkhiBahini’ also repeated similar words. Interestingly, while putting down the receiver he said what could he do? Father then came out of the room to go down. Mother helped him donning his Punjabi, a traditional attire of Bengali people which he always used to wear. Going towards the stairs he was asking about his son Kamal’s whereabouts. While still talking he reached the stairs.</div><div><br></div><div>At that time, the goons who were standing in the middle platform of the staircase started to climb towards the upper floor. My father could recognize Huda among them. Father addressed him by the name of his father: ‘Aren’t you the son of Riaz? What do you want?.....’ Before he could complete his sentence, they opened fire on him. By that time, Risaldar Moslehuddin also joined the killers.</div><div><br></div><div>Father fell down on the stairs lifeless by the bullets of the heinous killers. My mother was also approaching the stairwell. The killers had reached the upper floor by then. They blocked my mother’s way and told her to go with them. She said ‘I won’t move a single step, won’t go anywhere. Why did you kill him? You should kill me too!’ They didn’t spare a single moment and killed her instantly. My mother’s lifeless body fell to the floor.</div><div><br></div><div>My two brothers Kamal and Jamal were just newly married. Kamal’s wife Sultana Kamal and Jamal’s wife Rozy Jamal were at my parent’s bedroom. Killers shot and killed both of them there. Roma, our helping hand was standing at a corner holding Russel at her lap. My 10 years old youngest brother Russel could not understand anything what was going on. One soldier among the killers took Russel and Roma ( a domestic help) downstairs. They also gathered all others who were at the house at that time.</div><div><br></div><div>Our other domestic-help Abdul was shot. They took him too. There was a mango tree in front of our house. They lined up all of them under that tree and started verifying their identity one by one. My uncle, the only brother of my father, was an injured freedom fighter and was disabled. He repeatedly requested them to spare his life. His wife was pregnant and he had immature children. What would happen to them? But the killers paid no hid to his requests. Getting to know his identity, they took him to the bathroom of the office on the ground floor and shot him dead.</div><div><br></div><div>Russel was holding Roma’s hand. He was crying and repeatedly saying ‘I want to go to my mother!’ Roma was trying to calm him down and was trying to silence him by saying: ‘Please don’t cry brother otherwise they would kill you.’ But the innocent child kept crying for her mother. One of the goons at that moment wanted to know his identity. Getting to know his identity, he told Russel, ‘Let me take you to your mother’. They dragged the little child over the bodies of his bother and father to upstairs and shot him dead beside the body of his mother. Killers didn’t spare the life even of a ten-year child.</div><div><br></div><div>The house from which Bangabandhu once declared the independence of Bangladesh, was flooded with his blood and of his family members. The pool of blood in which the house was drowned that day flowed down the stairs and got mixed with the land – the land whose people he loved the most.</div><div><br></div><div>Shafayet Jamil was in charge of the 46th Brigade. The Chief of Army Staff could not reach him over phone. CGS Khaled Mosharraf also did not fulfil his responsibilities. The Deputy Chief Ziaur Rahman did not even try to take any action rather he was intrinsically linked with the conspiracy. In an interview given to the BBC, killer Rashid and Faruk talkedabout Ziaur Rahman being an accomplice to this heinous crime. Later Killer Mushtaque made Zia the Chief of Army Staff. The then Police Super of Dhaka SP Mahbub was also not reachable over phone.</div><div><br></div><div>My Second Aunt’s (second sister of my father) House</div><div><br></div><div>Killers attacked the house of my father’s second sister at Dhanmondi under the command of Risaldar Moslehuddin. A group started climbing the stairs while hurling filthy words loudly. Freedom fighter, youth leader and the editor of ‘the daily Banglar Bani’ Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni came out of his room hearing the noise and stamping of boots. Killers started to curse him in vulgar language aiming their weapons at him. His pregnant wife came running to shield his husband from the bullets. But the killers opened fire on both of them and tore off their bodies with bullets. Their lifeless bodies fell down to the floor. 3 years old Taposh and 5 years old Porosh, their two children , ran towards their parents’ deadbodies. They cried and kept repeating: ‘Please wake up mother, wake up father. Did the parents hear the crying of their beloved children? They did not. Cause by that time they went to the land of no returns. The tears of the innocent children got mixed with the blood of their parents spilled by those inhuman killers.</div><div><br></div><div>My Third Aunt’s House</div><div><br></div><div>While shooting aimlessly, Major Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan and Major M A Rashed Chowdhury climbed upstairs of the Ministerial residence of my uncle, husband of the third sister of my father at Minto Road. They dragged all the members of the family out of their bedrooms and forced them down to the living room on the ground floor. Without any qualm, they opened fire on all of them. My aunt Amina Serniabat, my uncle, Minister for Agriculture Abdur Rob Serniabat, their daughters Beauty, Baby and Rina, their son Khokon and Arif, Shahana, wife of their elder son Abul Hasanat Abdullah, grandson Shukanto, son of my uncle’s brother freedom fighter Shahid and nephew Rentu were mercilessly killed. Their granddaughter 8 years old Kanta escaped death being trapped under a dead body. Grandson Sadek who was only one and a half years old was crying lying on his mother’s dead body. Kanta got herself released somehow from under the dead body of her aunt Baby. She was stunned with the scene of lying bodies of her near and dear ones all around. Some lifeless bodies were lying still and some were injured and were groaning in excruciating pain. There was an aquarium at one corner of the room. Bullets broke its glasses and fishes were scattered all over in the blood mixed water. Just a few moments back who were someone’s dear mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, uncle or aunt, turned into blood-soaked dead bodies a few minutes later. Freeing herself from under a dead body, 8 years old child Kanta was standing at the corner of the room and blankly staring in horror to the carnage.</div><div><br></div><div>Major Faruk was shooting from a military tank towards the Bangabandhu Bhaban at Road 32 from across the lake. His firing also killed eleven innocent humans and injured several others in a house and in the vicinity in Mohammadpur area. Major Dalim was in charge of capturing the radio station. From there he announced: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed. Killers did not stop at killing only. They looted out house as well. They broke the cabinet and lockers in my father’s bedroom and dressing room and looted everything of value like ornaments, watches and money etc. Even our residence car was taken by force by Major Huda and Nur.</div><div><br></div><div>Blood-soaked clothing was scattered all over the bed. Such looting after the heinous crime of killing the Father of the Nation brings forth the darkest side of their characters. Whoever was connected to this conspiracy, did they realize how big a disaster they had brought on the fate of the people of a newly independent country?</div><div><br></div><div>The heart which was filled with great love for the Bengali nation, numerous holes were punched in the same heart with bullets shot by some misled criminals, who were members of his beloved Armed Forces. My father never believed that any Bengali could try to kill or harm him in anyway. Few world leaders had warned him of such a risk. However, he kept saying: ‘they are like my own blood. why would they kill me? Breaching a trust as solid as this, the killers stained the fate of the Bengali people.</div><div><br></div><div>How strange was it! At his call, one day people of this country took to arms and earned their freedom as well as victory through 9-month long war of liberation and got the status of a heroic nation in the whole world. On this day in 1975, the same nation came to be known as a treacherous one because of the barbarian act of killing the Father of the Nation and his family members. The majority of the population of this country hates the killers and conspirators as well as considers them as traitors.</div><div><br></div><div>Sobhanbag</div><div><br></div><div>Hearing something was terribly wrong, the Military Secretary to the President Colonel Jamil started towards the Bangabandhu residence at Dhanmondi 32 by his private vehicle. The attackers stopped his vehicle near the mosque at Sobhanbag. When he tried to move ahead, they shot him point blank and killed him. Sub-Inspector Siddiqur Rahman of Special Branch of Police, who was on duty at our residence that day was also shot and killed.</div><div><br></div><div>Belgium</div><div><br></div><div>Kring, Kring, Kring…the phone at the residence of the Bangladesh Ambassador to Belgium kept ringing. I woke up immediately and thought why the ring of the telephone was that harsh! I came out of the room and stood near the top of the stairs. Saw Ambassador Sanaul Haque was standing with the telephone receiver in his hand. Looking at me he told me that he would like to talk to Mr. Wazed, my husband. I woke him up. Mr. Humayun Rashid Chowdhury, the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Germany, was on the other end of the line. He informed that there was a Coup d’état in Bangladesh. ‘That means none of my family members are alive’ - the words automatically came out of my lips. My younger sister Rehana was standing beside me. I hugged her tight. But was not sure at that time what did happen actually.</div><div><br></div><div>Just 15 days before we came to Germany. From there we came to visit Belgium. We went to the Netherlands too. Father told me, if possible, to visit the facilities through which the Dutch people reclaimed land from the sea.</div><div><br></div><div>I spoke to my parents just a day before. For unknown reasons while speaking to us, mother was crying a lot. She told me that she had a lot to share with me and would tell me all once I return to Bangladesh. We felt very bad at that time and felt like rushing back to Bangladesh immediately. Father told us that he had a plan to visit Romania and Bulgaria. On his way back to Bangladesh, he would take us along.</div><div><br></div><div>But we could not return to Bangladesh anymore. All was lost in a matter of one day. Sanaul Haque who was a politically appointed Ambassador of Bangladesh to Belgium changed his face overnight and turned his back towards us. He told Ambassador Humayun Rashid Chowdhury in Germany: ‘The troubles that you put on my shoulders; you take them back immediately’.</div><div><br></div><div>Just the night before, the person who arranged for a ‘candle light dinner’ for us, took very good care of us looking after all our needs, suddenly started considering us as ‘troubles’.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He didn’t even spare his car for dropping us off at the Belgium-Germany borders. Fortunately, my school friend Nomi’s husband Mr. Jahangir Sadat was working at the Bangladesh mission in Brussels at that time and he drove us there in his own car. We crossed the No-Man’s Land on foot and entered into German territory. Our Ambassador to Germany Mr. Humayun Rashid Chowdhury sent his car to pick us up. His wife also sent some dry foods for my children. We took shelter at their residence for couple of days. Their support and care for us in the time of distress was invaluable. We would never be able to forget the contribution of Ambassador and Mrs. Chowdhury. All other officials of our mission in Germany also took good care of us. We went to Karls Rou by the Embassy car.</div><div><br></div><div>We were offered political asylum by many including the then Government of Germany, President Marshall Tito of Yugoslavia and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Indian Ambassador to Germany came and met Dr. Wazed and Ambassador Chowdhury and arranged everything for our travel to India. Finally, we reached India from Germany.</div><div><br></div><div>My journey began with the shocks of blood-stained pain of August 15, 1975. I was able to return to the country on May 17, 1981 after 6 years of losing my parents and brothers. I have come with a promise, that my father made Bangladesh independent, it cannot fail. I will not let the blood of millions of martyrs and the blood of my parents and brothers go to waste.</div><div><br></div><div>My journey was easy; I have been targeted time and again. I have been subjected to false propaganda, bullets, bombs and grenade attacks. Khaleda Zia, the wife of murderer Ziaur Rahman, said several times, \"Awami League will not be able to come to power even in a hundred years.\" \"Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister will never be the leader of the opposition.\" After that, the terrible grenade attack on August 21, 2004 happened. Awami League leaders and activists protected me that day by creating a human shield. With Allah above, Awami League leaders and activists and the people of Bangladesh are my strength. They are the ones who are helping me on my thorny way. So, today\'s Bangladesh has turned around.</div><div><br></div><div>Today\'s Bangladesh has got the status of a developing country due to the people\'s elected democratic government is in power from 2009 to 2023. We have been able to free the people of Bangladesh from hunger. They have now started dreaming of a better life. Confidence regained.</div><div><br></div><div>Father! Wherever you are, your blessing hand is over my head - I can feel it. I will build a golden Bangladesh that you dreamt of by ensuing food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education to the people of the country. The people of your country have received your deep love and the strength of this love is the motivation to move forward.</div><div><br></div><div><i>(Author is the Prime Minister of the Government of Bangladesh and the elder daughter of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman)</i></div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 03:30:42', '2023-08-14 03:30:42'),
(8538, 8538, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">In the first international call for justice against the assassins of Bangabandhu and four national leaders, Bangabandhu\'s daughter Sheikh Rehana raised the demand at an international conference in 1979 in Sweden\'s Stockholm.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>On May 10, 1979, she turned the global attention to the darkest chapter in the country\'s history through a speech at an All-European Bakshal conference, participated by European country heads, the UN chief, and international NGO high-ups in Stockholm.</div><div><br></div><div>That incident goes down in the annals of history as the voice for global pressure on the then-Bangladesh government was raised through that emotion-choked rendition.</div><div><br></div><div>Talking to BSS, noted academician and Dhaka University former Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said Bangabandhu daughters Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehena had played a key role to raise the voice for justice against killers of the great leader.</div><div><br></div><div>At that period Sheikh Hasina was in Delhi and she had sent her younger sister who was in Europe to raise voice for global pressure on the then military backed Bangladesh government after Bangabandhu’s assassination.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Revisiting the historic episode, UK Awami League President Sultan Sharif Mahmud, in a virtual meeting last year said without Sheikh Hasina\'s inspiration, it wouldn\'t be possible to organize the conference. “At the same time, if Sheikh Rehana didn\'t take the initiative with us, we wouldn\'t see this bright day today.\"</div><div><br></div><div>As recorded in history, Sheikh Rehana planned to meet acclaimed legal practitioner Sir Thomas Williams, QC, who had defended Bangabandhu in the Agartala Conspiracy Case. Bouncing the idea off Sheikh Hasina, she, along with Dr. Shafique, met him at the House of Commons, requesting him to accept the post of president of all-Europe Bangabandhu Parishad, to which he obliged.</div><div><br></div><div>On August 16, 1980, commemorating the fifth year of Bangabandhu\'s assassination, a huge gathering, the largest till then following the independence of Bangladesh, was organized, with Sheikh Hasina gracing the event as the chief guest and Sir Thomas Williams, QC as the main speaker.</div><div><br></div><div>Doctor Conrad Wood of the British Conservative Party and two lawmakers from the British Labor Party spoke at the programme, where Sir Thomas Williams promised to bring the assassins to the book, said sources at Awami League.</div><div><br></div><div>On September 19, 1980, the veteran legal expert formally announced, at a restaurant near the House of Commons in London, the formation of a probe committee on Bangabandhu\'s assassination, with him being the head and Nobel Peace Prize winner and Irish lawyer Sean MacBride being one of the members.</div><div><br></div><div>As Jeffrey Thomas MP and Solicitor Abre Rose applied to Bangladesh High Commission in London for visas in the January, 1981, their application was turned down, and the visa rejection issue made its way to the House of Lords in February, 1981. The then-British Prime Minister Lord Carrington and many others took part in the discussion. The international probe committee submitted a preliminary report on the murder of Bangabandhu and his family and four national leaders on March 20, 1982.</div><div><br></div><div>Ruling Awami League\'s research wing Centre for Research &amp; Information (CRI) organized a virtual meeting in 2022 which conducted by All-European Awami League President M Nazrul Islam, who reminisced about the initiatives undertaken in the UK, Sweden, and other parts of Europe, demanding justice for Bangabandhu\'s assassination.</div><div><br></div><div>Addressing the event, senior politician and Awami League advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu said if the two daughters of Bangabandhu were not abroad at that time, “how long would we be subjected to repression? How long would we be victims of the conspiracy of assassins?\"</div><div><br></div><div>“They reinvigorated the party through different activities in London, raising voices for the justice for Bangabandhu\'s assassination. They formed a probe committee under Sean MacBride and tried to help them come to the country and investigate the incident. But, their visa application was turned down by the then-Ziaur Rahman government,\" he said, reports BSS</div><div><br></div><div>\"Through Bangabandhu\'s murder, the spirit of the Liberation War and achievements were destroyed. Under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, we became able to restore all those achievements. Bangabandhu\'s killers were brought to book. We got back to the original four pillars of our constitution and war criminals were tried. The nation was saved from the zombies of Pakistan and their agents,\" he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 03:46:54', '2023-08-14 03:46:54'),
(8539, 8539, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Bangladesh\'s Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday (August 14, 2023) said the government would reward those who can provide information on the killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“If you can give us information, you will be rewarded,” he said while speaking at a discussion at Jatiya Press Club.</div><div><br></div><div>Momen also called for unmasking those who kept mum for 21 years about the killers and the persons behind the killers. “All those people should be unmasked.”</div><div><br></div><div>Describing Canada and the USA as countries with very strong rule of law, the foreign minister said they should not shelter murderers.</div><div><br></div><div>The five killers who remain fugitives are Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, Nur Chowdhury, Rashed Chowdhury and Moslehuddin Khan.</div><div><br></div><div>Nur Chowdhury and Rashed Chowdhury have been traced in Canada and the US and Bangladesh wants them back to implement the conviction.</div><div><br></div><div>Momen said the government will be very happy if all the killers are brought back to face justice. “But we are yet to do it. If we can, we will feel that it is a great achievement.”</div><div><br></div><div>Momen said the government has written many letters to the US and Canadian governments seeking steps for returning the killers; even the PM wrote to the US president.</div><div><br></div><div>He encouraged the Bangladeshis living in Canada and the US to stage demonstrations routinely in front of the two killers’ residences.</div><div><br></div><div>The foreign minister laid emphasis on writing more research-oriented books with solid facts so that they can provide more documentary evidence.</div><div><br></div><div>The National Mourning Day will be observed on August 15. On this day in 1975, the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members was brutally assassinated. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 21:22:11', '2023-08-14 21:22:11'),
(8540, 8540, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>The United Kingdom (UK) on Monday showed interest to enhance bilateral trade and investment with Bangladesh as its High Commissioner Sarah Cooke paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"The UK will continue its cooperation in Bangladesh\'s efforts for its overall development particularly in women education,\" PM\'s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted Cooke as saying in a media briefing after the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>According to Karim, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina put stress on Rohingya repatriation at the meeting, saying, it would be better for Bangladesh as early as the Rohingya repatriation will take place.</div><div><br></div><div>\"International community\'s due attention to the Rohingya issue will expedite the repatriation of the Myanmar nationals,\" she hoped.</div><div><br></div><div>The premier expressed caution that the prolonged stay of the Rohingyas could increase social problems in Coxsbazar region further.</div><div><br></div><div>The UK envoy said the Rohingya repatriation will be expedited if the issue remains on the international spotlight.</div><div><br></div><div>She focused on providing education to the Rohingyas and imparting them with skilled development trainings so they can be re-employed after returning to their homeland, Myanmar.</div><div><br></div><div>The meeting also featured various issues such as bilateral relations, security, climate change and regional matter.</div><div><br></div><div>The meeting expressed satisfaction over the existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the UK and hoped to consolidate the relationship further. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 22:04:33', '2023-08-14 22:04:33'),
(8541, 8541, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>At least 24 people have been killed, nine of them in a temple collapse, and dozens more are feared missing after intense rains caused floods and landslides in India, officials said Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Days of torrential downpours have washed away vehicles, demolished buildings and destroyed bridges in the northern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.</div><div><br></div><div>Flooding and landslides are common and cause widespread devastation during India\'s treacherous monsoon season, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.</div><div><br></div><div>Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, chief minister of the worst-affected state Himachal Pradesh, said at least 16 people had lost their lives in the past 24 hours, including nine in a Hindu temple collapse in state capital Shimla.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The local administration is diligently working to clear the debris in order to rescue individuals who may still be trapped,\" the chief minister said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>Sukhu appealed to residents to stay indoors and avoid going near rivers. Schools in the state had been shut, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>In neighbouring Uttarakhand state, rescue teams raced to remove debris after people were feared buried when heavy rainfall triggered landslides.</div><div><br></div><div>At least eight people have been killed since Friday in the state, officials said.</div><div><br></div><div>The monsoon brings South Asia around 80 percent of its annual rainfall and is vital both for agriculture and the livelihoods of millions. But it also brings destruction every year in the form of landslides and floods. According to AFP reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 22:39:45', '2023-08-14 22:39:45'),
(8542, 8542, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel (or Karnaphuli Tunnel) on October 28.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said this today during a press briefing at Setu Bhaban in Dhaka.</div><div><br></div><div>The tunnel is being built at a cost of Tk 10,374 crore. It’s the first tunnel in South Asia which is being built under a river.</div><div><br></div><div>Through the Karnaphuli Tunnel, the government is aiming to make Chattogram “One City, Two Towns” like China’s Shanghai. China is providing all the technical and financial assistance to the project.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Currently, firefighting, lighting and control management systems are being installed inside the tunnel. Besides, 52 irrigation pumps are also being installed so that rising water level during monsoon and natural disasters does not block the tunnel, said project officials.</div><div><br></div><div>The project is being implemented by Bangladesh Bridges Authority (BBA).</div><div><br></div><div>Two tubes adjoining the tunnel have been built under the Karnaphuli river. Lights, pumps and drainage systems are being installed in the tunnel simultaneously while A 772m flyover has also been built. - AP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 23:10:44', '2023-08-14 23:10:44');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(8543, 8543, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">A Dhaka court sentenced former BNP state minister for Liberation War Affairs Redwan Ahmed to three years\' imprisonment in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over embezzlement of Taka 50 lakhs from the fund of Muktijudda Sangsad.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-2 of Dhaka handed down the verdict, said the Anti-Corruption Commission’s Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The court also fined him (convict) Taka 50 lakh and issued an arrest warrant against him as he went into hiding. The judge also acquitted Shah Alam Chowdhury, the then secretary general of Muktijudda Sangsad as the charge brought against him was not proved.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>According to the case statement, freedom fighter Nurul Islam filed the case against Redwan Ahmed and Shah Alam Chowdhury for embezzling Taka 50 lakh from the fund of Muktijudda Sangsad with Ramna police station on February 15, 2007. According to BSS reports</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-14 23:48:43', '2023-08-14 23:48:43'),
(8544, 8544, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Leaders of different countries, including heads of the government, recalled the undisputed and humanitarian leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dubbing him a great humanist and visionary statesman at the global stage.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>During their visit to Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 32 Dhanmondi in the capital in different occasions, they said Sheikh Mujib was a leader of the masses who made his supreme sacrifice for them.</div><div><br></div><div>They put their comments in the \"Visitors\' Comment Book\" kept at the historic house of Bangabandhu, now a museum, that bears the testimony to the life and work of Mujib and where the great leader along with most of his family members were assassinated under an orchestrated conspiracy.</div><div><br></div><div>Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee dubbed Bangabandhu as a trailblaser who fought for establishing people\'s rights and dignity in one of the most profound struggles for liberation in the twentieth century.</div><div><br></div><div>Bestowing Bangabandhu title on Sheikh Mujib reflects the patriotic leader\'s profound love for the people of his country, the Indian president wrote in the visitor\'s book on March 4 in 2013.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;He added: \"I salute this great visionary and international statesman, who worked for friendship between the people of our countries. He was a leader of the masses and made the ultimate sacrifice in their service.\"</div><div><br></div><div>During his visit to Dhaka on June 6 in 2015, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the courageous leadership of Bangabandhu, saying as a great humanitarian leader, Bangabandhu was an ardent advocate for equity and dignity for human beings.</div><div><br></div><div>\"On behalf of the people of India, I pay tributes to a great leader, whose vision, struggle and sacrifices inspired a nation to achieve freedom and translate the dream of a Sonar Bangla into reality,\"</div><div><br></div><div>The war of liberation led by Bangabandhu is rare in human history, he wrote in the visitor\'s book.</div><div><br></div><div>On December 19 in 2017, former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said more than 40 years after his passing, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is still remembered and respected as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century.</div><div><br></div><div>The appreciation and endearment for Turkey, for the Turkish Nation and for Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founding father of the Republic of Tureky, which he had personally witnessed during his visit to Bangladesh touched him deeply, said Yildirim.</div><div><br></div><div>He said: \"I particularly would like to point out that we also harbor the same warm sentiments for the Founder of Bangladesh, the late Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and keep his memory in high esteem\".</div><div><br></div><div>Former Indian President Sri Ram Nath Kovind wrote he was honourd to visit this hallowed ground, which bears testimony to the life and work of the beloved Father of Bangladesh and the inspirational leader of Bangladesh\'s struggle for independence - Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I am deeply inspired by the life of Bangabandhu and the great sacrifices family and he made to serve their countryman. I also pay humble homage to Bangamata and other family members on their untimely demise,\" he commented in the visitor\'s book of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi on December 15 in 2021.</div><div><br></div><div>Kovind said the ideals and values that defined Bangabandhu\'s legacy would guide the younger generations in Bangladesh and around the world as well.</div><div><br></div><div>Visiting the Bangabandhu museum on January 13 in 2013, Nobel laureate Indian social reformer Kailash Satyarthi wished that the violence, cruelty and barbarism that took place there would end and must end forever and everywhere.</div><div><br></div><div>The world can be humane and civilized only when not a single bullet is produced and used.</div><div><br></div><div>\"This place is truly a pilgrimage, a holy place of worship for all those who believe in human dignity, liberty, justice and well being of humankind,\" he wrote.</div><div><br></div><div>Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said it was a great honour to visit this Museum paying tribute to the life and accomplishment of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose lifelong struggle paved the way for Bangladesh to reach her destiny as an independent nation Bangabandhu would always be fondly remembered as an icon of democracy and self-determination.</div><div><br></div><div>During his visit to the museum on March 17 in 2021 on the occasion of birth centenary celebration of Bangabandhu, Mohamed Solih said Bangabandhu\'s legacy would endure for many generations to come.</div><div><br></div><div>On March 20 in 2021, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said he was deeply touched by the tragedy of Bangladesh that took place at this place on August 15 in 1975.</div><div><br></div><div>\"In many ways symbolise the courage and strength it infused into the people of Bangladesh to protect and cherish the freedom for which Bangabandhu sacrificed his valued life,\" he said, \"May this be an eternal tribute to all those, who respect life and freedom.\"</div><div><br></div><div>On March 23 in 2021, Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering offered his tributes and prayers to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for giving above the manacles of foreign exploitation and blessing the nation onto a path of unprecedented peace, prosperity and stability.</div><div><br></div><div>Calling Bangabandhu as a great statesman, former German President Christian Wulff said, \"This memorial reminds us of a great statesman who fought for the rights and dignity of his people and was steadfastly committed to independence and national unit\".</div><div><br></div><div>Former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who visited the museum on September 7 in 2011, paid homage to Bangabandhu calling him a great visionary statesman who laid a firm foundation for an independent, strong and proud Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led his people in their struggle for liberation through his inspired and courageous leadership,\" Dr Singh added.</div><div><br></div><div>Former president of Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on July 25, 2011 as the chairperson of the National Advisory Council of India.</div><div><br></div><div>She put her comment on the visitors\' book saying, Bangabandhu demonstrated \'resolute courage\' in the face of adversity, enduring hardships and indisposition in the quest for freedom.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangabandhu sought to empower his people in many ways and his sacrifice and struggle for the country\'s independence and people\'s cherished destination would always be honoured forever, said Sonia.</div><div><br></div><div>Thailand first female Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra paid tributes to Bangabandhu and visited the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on December 22, 2012.</div><div><br></div><div>West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recalled Bangabandhu\'s contributions to achieve a dignified status of Bengali language at the world stage.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangabandhu is an inspiration for all freedom-loving people in the sub-continent, she wrote. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 00:42:07', '2023-08-15 00:42:07'),
(8545, 8545, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Convicted war criminal Delwar Hossain Sayeedi passed away on Monday night while undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). He was 83.&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Dhaka Central Jail Jailer Mahbubul Islam confirmed the matter to UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The time of the death is yet to be confirmed, as I have just arrived at BSMMU,\" he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Sayeedi was taken to Shahabuddin Medical College in Dhaka yesterday afternoon after he complained of chest pain.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Later, the hospital authorities referred him to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for better treatment. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 03:31:23', '2023-08-15 03:31:23'),
(8546, 8546, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A 5.5 magnitude earthquake jolted Dhaka and rest of the country on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The earthquake felt at 8:49pm Bangladesh time and the epicenter of the earthquake was 47 km ENE of Sylhet at a depth of 35 km, Bangladesh, according to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.</div><div><br></div><div>The distance of the epicenter was 228 km North East of BMD Seismic Centre, Agargaon in Dhaka, according to BMD. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 03:36:29', '2023-08-15 03:36:29'),
(8547, 8547, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>It was early hours of August 15, 1975, the blackest chapter of the nation\'s history.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>\"I\'m President Sheikh Mujib. What do you want? Where do you want to take me?\"- These were Bangabandhu\'s last words while assailants sprayed the burst of bullets in response, according to eyewitness Abdur Rahman Sheikh Rama, a domestic aide at 32 Dhanmondi.</div><div><br></div><div>Rama was in his early teenage years during the country\'s worst carnage that killed Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members.</div><div><br></div><div>He virtually hid himself for years thereafter and during the delayed Bangabandhu Murder Trial, decades later, Rama appeared as a key-prosecution witness in the court to describe what he saw on the early morning of August 15.</div><div><br></div><div>He is now a grown up man in his late 50s but emotion and a sense of horror still chases him as he revisited the event of the day while talking to this BSS correspondent in 2023.</div><div><br></div><div>The assailants began their killing spree first gunning down Bangabandhu\'s eldest son and Liberation War veteran Captain Sheikh Kamal on the downstairs of the house.</div><div><br></div><div>The bloodthirsty killers\' wrath was not pacified until they killed the other members of the family including 10-year-old Sheikh Russell.</div><div><br></div><div>Rama said he started staying at the residence since 1969 and continued to stay with Bangabandhu\'s family until the August 15 carnage when he was sleeping with another domestic staff Md Selim aka Abdul at the veranda outside Bangabandhu\'s room.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I still cannot stay steady whenever the horrific scene reappears in my mind . . . the darkest memory of my life,\" he said adding that the execution of some of the August 15 killers, however, partly soothed him.</div><div><br></div><div>Rama recalled as the assailants were approaching the house creating loud noises, Begum Mujib asked him to go downstairs to see what happened and \"I went down, came out of main gate and saw some army personnel approaching Bangabandhu\'s house\".</div><div><br></div><div>\"Then I came back to the house and found Bangabandhu coming down in his lungi and sando-genji (nightwear),\" Rama said adding that at that point the killers announced their emergence with volley of gunshots and firing artillery shells.</div><div><br></div><div>He recalled that as soon as the guards of Bangabandhu\'s house started hoisting the national flag at 5:30 am, the assassins started their attack directly from the south.</div><div><br></div><div>\"When I ran upstairs, I saw Begum Mujib was scared and rushing around. Then I went to the second floor and woke up Sheikh Kamal vai and his wife Sultana Kamal,\" Rama said.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Kamal then quickly went to ground floor wearing a shirt and trousers and Sultana Kamal went down to first floor and woke up Sheikh Jamal and his wife Rosy Jamal.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Then they quickly went to Begum Mujib\'s room,\" Rama went on saying.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, Begum Mujib sent Bangabandhu his punjabi and spectacles through domestic aide Abdul and after a while, when the firing stopped, Bangabandhu took the punjabi and glasses from him.</div><div><br></div><div>Rama said he now believes Bangabandhu quickly grasped the situation and kept calling to different places.</div><div><br></div><div>He recalled traumatized Sheikh Russell was initially kept in the queue in front of the house along with the staff when he hugged Rama and then Bangabandhu\'s personal aide Mohitul Islam and said, \"Brother, will they also kill me?\"</div><div><br></div><div>In reply, Mohitul said \"no brother, they will not kill you\" and then Russell wanted to go to his mother.</div><div><br></div><div>One of the killers sacked lieutenant colonel Aziz Pasha asked a soldier to take him to the first floor where he too was shot dead.</div><div><br></div><div>According to records and evidence brought before the trial court two killers sacked major Bazlul Huda and sacked lieutenant colonel Noor Chowdhury gunned Bangabandhu down on the stairs of the house.</div><div><br></div><div>Huda was exposed to gallows after trial in absentia following his extradition from Thailand while Noor Chowdhury took refuge in Canada as diplomatic and legal efforts are underway to bring him back home to face the justice. According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 03:41:10', '2023-08-15 03:41:10'),
(8548, 8548, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">People across the country will observe the National Mourning Day, the darkest chapter in the history of independent Bangladesh on Tuesday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On this day in 1975, the nation’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were assassinated by a cabal of military men.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eighteen members of Bangabandhu’s family, including Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, three sons – Captain Sheikh Kamal, Lieutenant Sheikh Jamal and 10-year-old Sheikh Russel, two daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal, brother Sheikh Naser, peasant leader Abdur Rab Serniabat, youth leader Sheikh Fazlul Haq Moni and his wife Arzu Moni, Baby Serniabat, Sukanta Babu, Arif and Abdul Nayeem Khan Rintu were, among others, killed on that fateful night.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangabandhu\'s Military Secretary Brigadier General Jamil was also killed. Several members of a family in the capital\'s Mohammadpur area were killed by artillery shells fired by the killers on the same day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His two daughters – Sheikh Hasina, now the Prime Minister, and Sheikh Rehana – luckily survived the massacre as they were abroad at that time.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government, various socio-cultural, political and professional organisations, including ruling Awami League and its associate bodies, chalked out programmes to observe the day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The national flag will be hoisted half-mast in all government, semi-government, autonomous institutions, educational institutions and private buildings including Bangladesh missions abroad.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Special doa and munajat will be held in mosques across the country after Zohr prayers marking the occasion. Special prayers will also be organized in temples, churches, pagodas and other religious institutions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Special supplements will be published in national dailies on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Marking this day, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In his message, President Shahabuddin , said, “Bangabandhu has struggled throughout his life with the aim of achieving political freedom as well as economic emancipation of the people. His dream was to establish a ‘Golden Bangla’ free from hunger and poverty. With this aim, a people-oriented constitution was formulated within one year of Independence. Bangabandhu did not just give us a country, he also formulated a contemporary outline of what the economic, social, political and cultural structure of a newly independent state would look like.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Now our responsibility is to enrich us with proper education and knowledge to make Bangladesh a happy and prosperous country by completing Bangabandhu\'s incomplete task sincerely. Only then proper respect will be shown to this great leader,” said the President.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On the National Mourning Day, let us transform grieve into strength and devote ourselves in building the ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by the Father of the Nation,” he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a message Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, “Under the visionary and strong leadership and 23 years of political struggles of the Father of the Nation, the Bangalee Nation broke the shackles of subjugation and snatched away our great Independence. The anti-liberation clique killed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and most of his family members at a time when he was engaged in the struggle of building a Golden Bangladesh by reconstructing the war-ravaged country. Through the killing of the Father of the Nation, the defeated forces of the Liberation War made abortive attempts to ruin the tradition, culture and advancement of the Bangalee Nation.”</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The aim of the killers was to break the state structure of secular democratic Bangladesh and foil our hard-earned Independence. The anti-liberation forces involved in the carnage initiated the politics of killing, coup and conspiracy in the country right after the 15 August of 1975. They also impeded the trial of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib murder by promulgating Indemnity Ordinance,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The nation got rid of the stigma through the execution of the verdict of the Bangabandhu murder case. Hopefully, names of those who were behind the conspiracy to assassinate the Father of the Nation will also come out one day,” she added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“The killers were able to murder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib but they could not kill his dreams and ideals. But the anti-liberation radical groups and the anti-democracy and development cliques have still been hatching various conspiracies at home and abroad. I urge the countrymen to be always ready to protect the continuity of development and democracy of the country by unitedly resisting any evil attempt and conspiracy,” she said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Let’s turn the grief of losing the Father of the Nation into our strength and unitedly resist all kinds of plots and conspiracies, and build a non-communal, hunger-poverty free developed-prosperous Golden Bangladesh as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - let this be our solemn pledge on this National Mourning Day,” said the Prime Minister. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 14:54:04', '2023-08-15 14:54:04'),
(8549, 8549, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Donald Trump and 18 allies were indicted in Georgia on Monday, accused of scheming to illegally overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. It’s the fourth criminal case to be brought against the former president and the second this month to allege that he tried to subvert the results of the vote.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The indictment details dozens of acts by Trump and his allies to undo his defeat in the battleground state, including hectoring Georgia’s Republican secretary of state to find enough votes to keep him power, pestering officials with bogus claims of voter fraud and attempting to persuade Georgia lawmakers to ignore the will of voters and appoint a new slate of electoral college electors favorable to Trump.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">“Trump and the other Defendants charged in this Indictment refused to accept that Trump lost, and they knowingly and willfully joined conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump,” says the indictment issued Monday night by the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other defendants included former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and a Trump administration Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, who advanced his efforts to undo his election loss in Georgia.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The indictment bookends a remarkable crush of criminal cases — four in five months, each in a different city — that would be daunting for anyone, never mind a defendant simultaneously running for president.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It comes just two weeks after the Justice Department special counsel charged him in a vast conspiracy to overturn the election, underscoring how prosecutors after lengthy investigations that followed the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol have now, two-and-a-half years later, taken steps to hold Trump to account for an assault on the underpinnings of American democracy.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Though the indictment is centered on Trump’s efforts to subvert election results in just one state, its sprawling web of defendants stands apart from the more tightly-targeted case brought by special counsel Jack Smith, which so far only names Trump as a defendant. The Georgia case also stands out because, unlike the two federal prosecutions he faces, Trump would not have the opportunity to try to pardon himself if elected president.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As indictments mount, Trump — the leading Republican candidate for president in 2024 — often invokes his distinction as the only former president to face criminal charges. He is campaigning and fundraising around these themes, portraying himself as the victim of Democratic prosecutors out to get him.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The indictment charges Trump with making false statements and writings for a series of claims he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other state election officials on Jan. 2, 2021, including that up to 300,000 ballots “were dropped mysteriously into the rolls” in the 2020 election, that more than 4,500 people voted who weren’t on registration lists and that a Fulton County election worker, Ruby Freeman, was a “professional vote scammer.” AP/UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 14:56:55', '2023-08-15 14:56:55'),
(8550, 8550, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, marking his 48th martyrdom anniversary and the National Mourning Day.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of the state programme, the prime minister paid homage to the architect of the country\'s independence by placing wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road No 32 in the capital.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After placing the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for some time to show profound respect to the great leader.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A smartly turned out contingent of Bangladesh Armed Forces gave a state salute at that time, while the bugle played a tune of grief and somber to the last post.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A munajat was also offered seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs of the August 15 carnage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, flanked by senior Awami League (AL) leaders and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, Sheikh Hasina, also AL President, placed a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu on behalf of the party.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Speaker of the House, Chief Justice, cabinet members and chiefs of army, navy and air forces, among others, were present on the occasion.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">From Dhanmondi, the premier later went to the Banani Graveyard where her mother Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, brothers Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, and Sheikh Russel and other martyrs of August 15, 1975 were laid to eternal rest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She placed wreaths and spread flower petals on their graves.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Hasina also offered Fateha and prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs of August 15.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The day is being observed across the country as National Mourning Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangabandhu, his spouse Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, his three sons- Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel- and most of the family members of Bangabandhu and his three close relatives were assassinated in cold blood on the fateful night of August 15, 1975 by a group of disgruntled army men.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two daughters of Bangabandhu -- incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana -- could escape the carnage as they stayed abroad at that time. 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, '2023-08-15 15:00:03', '2023-08-15 15:00:03'),
(8551, 8551, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Inter Miami coach Gerardo \"Tata\" Martino played down injury concerns over Lionel Messi on Monday as the resurgent MLS club prepared for a Leagues Cup semi-final clash with Philadelphia.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Argentina superstar Messi appeared to tweak his right ankle during a practice session in Fort Lauderdale early on Monday, according to multiple US reports.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Martino however later said there was no cause for concern over Messi\'s fitness.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"I didn\'t see exactly what happened but I imagine that if it had been something serious, the players would all be shocked and since they were all fine, I think nothing happened,\" Martino said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Less than a month into his career with Miami, Messi can help the club into their first final with a victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Messi has scored eight goals in five appearances for Miami since making his debut for the club on July 21.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Miami are unbeaten since Messi\'s debut, and have marched into the semi-finals of the Leagues Cup, a new cross-border tournament for teams from MLS and Mexico\'s Liga-MX.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Miami will be facing a Philadelphia Union team who are one of the strongest sides in Major League Soccer.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Union are third in the Eastern Conference standings -- Miami are bottom -- and finished runners up to Los Angeles in last year\'s MLS championship game.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"They have their way, their ideas, and they were finalists in the league last year,\" Martino said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We understand that the local team will make them stronger, but we also have our aspirations to reach the final.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Philadelphia manager Jim Curtin meanwhile has urged local fans to resist the urge to sell their tickets for the game on resale markets, where prices have ranged between $300 and $1,000.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Please don\'t sell your tickets, no matter how much money they\'re offering for them - please,\" Curtin said at a press conference.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"We\'re talking about the best player of all time coming here in the semifinal with a trophy on the line, a spot in the Champions League on the line. So it\'s a big game. I know our fans are gonna show up.\" AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 15:02:55', '2023-08-15 15:02:55'),
(8552, 8552, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">President Mohammed Shahabuddin today expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of former Chief of Air Staff Bir Uttam Air Vice Marshal (retd.) Sultan Mahmud.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">&nbsp;</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a condolence message, the Head of the State prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul of this brave freedom fighter and conveyed his deepest sympathy to the bereaved family. 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, '2023-08-15 15:08:40', '2023-08-15 15:08:40'),
(8553, 8553, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Afghanistan\'s Taliban government was set Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of their takeover of the country with a military parade in the movement\'s birthplace, as well as other celebrations of their surge back to power.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Flags of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan -- the name given to the country by its new rulers -- fluttered at security checkpoints across the capital, which fell on August 15, 2021, when the US-backed government collapsed and its leaders fled into exile.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the two years since, Taliban authorities have imposed their strict interpretation of Islam on the country, with women bearing the brunt of laws the United Nations has termed \"gender apartheid\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The parade, including scores of military vehicles and weapons left behind by international forces after a weeks-long chaotic withdrawal, was to be held in Kandahar, the cradle of the Taliban movement and from where reclusive Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada rules by decree.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Elsewhere, convoys of Taliban members are due to drive through the streets of Herat in the west, while in Kabul, the education ministry will host a celebration at a school in a part of the city once stacked with diplomats who are now thin on the ground -- the Taliban government still unrecognised formally by any other country.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The international community continues to grapple with how, and if, to engage with the Taliban authorities, with restrictions on women\'s rights -- squeezed from public spaces and avenues to work and education -- a key obstacle in negotiations over aid and recognition.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A group of UN experts on Monday hit out at pledges by Taliban authorities of a softer rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 until 2001.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Despite reassurances by the Taliban de facto authorities that any restrictions, particularly in terms of access to education would be temporary, the facts on the ground have demonstrated an accelerated, systematic, and all engulfing system of segregation, marginalization and persecution,\" the experts said in a statement.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- \'Want their freedom back\' -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Afghan women ahead of the anniversary have expressed fear and despair over the loss of rights -- a handful holding small demonstrations, many of their faces covered with masks.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But Afghans also pointed to worry over an economic and humanitarian crisis in motion since the Taliban takeover, as aid dried up and sanctions were imposed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Farmer Rahatullah Azizi told AFP he used to earn a living off his crops but now has \"just enough to eat\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He expressed relief, however, that the security situation was better, noting he could now travel freely at night without fear of being mugged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But while security has drastically improved in the past two years, the Islamic State group remains a threat, and tensions have risen with Pakistan over an increase of attacks in the countries\' shared border areas.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Taliban authorities have pledged that Afghan territory won\'t be used by foreign militants to stage attacks abroad, but it remains a sticking point.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">But while some Afghans celebrate the end of fighting and Taliban rule, others see it as a grim anniversary.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"All the girls and women of Afghanistan want their freedom back,\" said former student Hamasah Bawar. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 15:15:52', '2023-08-15 15:15:52'),
(8554, 8554, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday paid tributes to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to mark the 48th anniversary of his martyrdom and the National Mourning Day.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister placed wreaths at Bangabandhu’s portrait at 6:30am in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road No 32.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">After placing wreaths, she stood in solemn silence there for some time showing respect to the great leader and the great architect of Bangladesh’s independence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A smartly turned out contingent of Bangladesh Armed Forces presented state salute, while bugle played the Last Post.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A munajat was also offered seeking the eternal peace of the departed souls of the August 15 carnage.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Later, flanked by the party\'s central leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, laid another wreath at the portrait as the party chief.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">From Dhanmondi, the prime minister went to Banani graveyard where her mother Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, brothers Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell, and other martyrs of August 15 were laid to eternal rest.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The prime minister placed wreaths and spread petals on their graves.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She also offered fateha and doa seeking the eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs of August 15.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">PM’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana accompanied her during both the occasions.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his spouse Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, his three sons — Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell — and most of the family members of three close relatives of Mujib were assassinated on August 15, 1975 by a group of army personnel.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Two daughters of Bangabandhu, prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana could escape the carnage as they were staying abroad at that time. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 15:59:53', '2023-08-15 15:59:53'),
(8555, 8555, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">At least 27 people were killed and over 100 injured in an explosion and fire at a petrol station in Russia\'s Caucasus republic of Dagestan, the emergency situations ministry said Tuesday.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A total of 102 people were injured as a result of the incident, of whom, unfortunately, 27 died,\" the ministry said on Telegram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The explosion in the city of Makhachkala took place at a fuel station after a fire had broken out, the Russian Federation\'s Investigative Committee for Dagestan said on Telegram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"A fire occurred during car maintenance work, followed by a bang, as a result of which people were injured and died,\" the committee said, adding that nearby buildings and cars were damaged.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A criminal case has been opened to establish the circumstances leading up to the fire, it said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The state-run TASS and Ria Novosti news agencies reported that the fire had been extinguished, citing the ministry.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Makhachkala, a city of over 600,000 residents on the Caspian Sea, is the capital of Dagestan, a Russian republic bordering Chechnya, which shares a border with Georgia and Azerbaijan.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Huge explosion -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The blast was heard shortly before 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Monday, Sergei Melikov, head of the Dagestan administration, said on Telegram.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A witness quoted on Telegram by the Russian daily Izvestia said the fire started in an area where cars were parked and spread to the petrol station.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"After the explosion, everything fell on our heads, we couldn\'t see anything anymore,\" said the witness, who was unnamed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A video released by Russia\'s emergency situations ministry showed a group of firefighters trying to extinguish high flames near burnt-out vehicles, as rescue workers examined the rubble of a building with flashlights.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The fire had spread over an area of around 600 square metres (6,450 square feet), the ministry said, adding that 260 firefighters were deployed.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A government Il-76 aircraft carrying medical equipment was dispatched to Makhachkala to evacuate the seriously injured to Moscow, it added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"The evacuation of people to the medical facilities has been completed,\" Melikov said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Dagestan government declared August 15 a day of mourning.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"State flags will be flown at half mast throughout the country, and cultural institutions and TV channels will be asked to cancel entertainment events and programmes,\" Melikov said. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 16:46:18', '2023-08-15 16:46:18');
INSERT INTO `news_details` (`id`, `news_id`, `details`, `ticker`, `representative`, `keyword`, `video_link`, `google_drive_link`, `audio_link`, `shoulder`, `created_at`, `updated_at`) VALUES
(8556, 8556, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Donald Trump was indicted Tuesday on charges of racketeering and a string of election crimes after a sprawling, two-year probe into his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden in the US state of Georgia.</b><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The case -- relying on laws typically used to bring down mobsters -- is the fourth targeting the 77-year-old Republican this year and could lead to a watershed moment, the first televised trial of a former president in US history.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prosecutors in Atlanta charged the Republican leader with 13 felony counts -- compounding the legal threats he is facing in multiple jurisdictions as a firestorm of investigations imperils his bid for a second White House term.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Eighteen co-defendants were indicted in the probe, including Trump\'s former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who pressured local legislators over the result after the election, and Trump\'s White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">With Trump already due to go on trial in New York, south Florida and Washington, the latest charges herald the unprecedented scenario of the 2024 presidential election being litigated as much from the courtroom as the ballot box.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\"Rather than abide by Georgia\'s legal process for election challenges, the defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn George\'s presidential election result,\" Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis told reporters.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Willis said Trump and his co-defendants had until noon on August 25 to \"voluntarily surrender\" to authorities, adding that she would like to go to trial within six months.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Trump campaign released a statement as the charges were being processed calling Willis, who is a Democrat, a \"rabid partisan\" who was \"persecuting\" the former president with \"bogus indictments.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In response, she said: \"I make decisions in this office based on the facts and the law. The law is completely nonpartisan.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The twice-impeached Trump was charged with violating Georgia\'s Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as six conspiracy counts over alleged efforts to commit forgery, impersonate a public official and submit false statements and documents.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He is also accused of lying in statements and filing fake documents, as well as solicitating public officials to break their oaths.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Most serious threat -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Georgia, which Biden won by fewer than 12,000 votes, presents perhaps the most serious threat to Trump\'s liberty as he leads the field comfortably for his party\'s nomination to bid for reelection.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even if he is returned to the Oval Office, he would have none of the powers that presidents arguably enjoy in the federal system to pardon themselves or have prosecutors drop cases.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The harsh penalties associated with RICO cases can be an incentive for co-defendants to seek cooperation deals, and the statutes are usually used to target organized crime.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Under federal law, anyone who can be connected to a criminal \"enterprise\" through which offenses were committed can be convicted under RICO. The broader Georgia law doesn\'t even require the existence of the enterprise.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Atlanta-area authorities launched the probe after Trump called Georgia officials weeks before he was due to leave the White House, pressuring them to \"find\" the 11,780 votes that would reverse Biden\'s victory in the Peach State.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meadows, who is accused of trying to get a public official to violate his oath, was on the call.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">- Secret report -</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Willis empaneled a special grand jury that heard from around 75 witnesses before recommending a raft of felony counts in a secret report in February.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">She alleges that Trump\'s team worked with local Republicans on a scheme to replace legitimate slates of \"electors\" -- the officials who certify a state\'s results and send them to the US Congress -- with fake pro-Trump stand-ins.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Giuliani faces 13 felony counts, including over accusations of harassment of two Fulton County poll workers.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Other Trump allies were charged over the accessing of sensitive data from an election office in a rural county south of Atlanta, one day after the 2021 Capitol riot.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Trump is already facing dozens of felony charges after being federally indicted over the alleged plot to subvert the election, and further prosecutions over his alleged mishandling of classified documents and keeping allegedly fraudulent business records.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Authorities in Atlanta installed security barricades outside the downtown courthouse in anticipation of a potential influx of Trump supporters and counter-protesters in the latest case.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lawmakers investigating Trump\'s efforts to cling to power heard evidence in a series of congressional hearings last summer that would challenge his potential defense that he genuinely believed he had been cheated of the election. BSS</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 16:52:41', '2023-08-15 16:52:41'),
(8557, 8557, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Three people were dead and one was injured in a fire that broke out at a warehouse storing chemicals in Godarbag area of Keraniganj early Tuesday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The blaze started around 4 am at a warehouse with chemicals in the area, said Md Shahjahan Shikdar, deputy assistant director (media cell) of Fire Service and Civil Defence.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">On information, six firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control around 6:15 am, he said.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The cause of fire can be identified after an investigation, the fire service official said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"19\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 17:29:46', '2023-08-15 17:29:46'),
(8558, 8558, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the Palestinian health ministry said, in the first deadly raid in the Jericho area for months.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The health ministry said 16-year-old Qusay Omar Suleiman al-Walaji and Mohammed Ribhi Njoom, 25, were shot in the chest by Israeli forces \"during an attack on Jericho at dawn today\".</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Israeli military did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on the raid.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was the first deadly raid since May 1 on Jericho, an ancient city in the Jordan Valley which lies near the Dead Sea.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">There has been a surge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent months, marked by raids by the Israeli military as well as deadly attacks by Palestinians and Israelis.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is home to around three million Palestinians and around 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements considered illegal under international law.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Jericho raid brings to 216 the number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so far this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Some 28 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have also been killed, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on both sides.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">They include, on the Palestinian side, combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, three members of the Arab minority. AFP</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"1\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 18:02:35', '2023-08-15 18:02:35'),
(8559, 8559, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatrashibir set at least two motorcycles on fire on the road in front of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital (BSMMU) in Dhaka’s Shahbagh in the early hours of Tuesday.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The incident took place around 5:30 am, when Jamaat-Shibir activists staged a protest around the ambulance carrying the body of convicted war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">At the time, they demanded that Sayeedi’s janaza be held in Dhaka. Later, police rushed to the spot and fired tear gas shells to disperse them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Delwar Hossain Sayeedi passed away on Monday night while undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). 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, '2023-08-15 18:41:37', '2023-08-15 18:41:37'),
(8560, 8560, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Rajinikanth\'s latest outing, Jailer, is now the top-earning Tamil film for this year, toppling Ponniyin Selvan II from the position. Mani Ratnam\'s PS II&nbsp; &nbsp;roughly earned ₹345 crore. Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, Jailer also stars Mohanlal, Jackie Shroff, Tamaannaah Bhatia, Ramya Krishnan, Vinayakan, Shivrajkumar, and Nagendra Babu, among others.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Highest Tamil grosser</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Trade analyst Ramesh Bala tweeted the figures and stated that the new film has crossed the record set previously by Mani Ratnam\'s Ponniyin Selvan II. Ramesh tweeted Tuesday morning, \"#Jailer has crossed #PS2 to become 2023 \'s No.1 Kollywood Grosser at the WW Box office.\"</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Third highest Indian grosser</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Jailer also became the third highest-grossing film of 2023, having crossed the collections by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-Vikram-Trisha-starrer Ponniyin Selvan II. Shah Rukh Khan\'s Pathaan and Prabhas\' Adipurush remain the top two on the list for this year.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Tamil version of Jailer crosses ₹100 crore</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">Jailer has earned ₹174.15 crore in India, across all languages. The Tamil version alone has earned ₹139.05 crore in five days of the release in India, a Sacnilk report said. The Telugu version has earned ₹32.55 crore while the Hindi version has collected a total of ₹1.25 crore as per the report.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">In India, the film made an opening collection of ₹48.35 crore (all languages) when it released on Thursday, August 10. The film saw a major dip on the second day when it earned ₹25.75 crore. The collections rose over the weekend. Even Monday numbers showed significant growth for Jailer and it earned ₹23.55 crore on the fifth day in India.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><b>Indian box office inches close to ₹400 crore</b></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">A day after Jailer hit theatres, Gadar 2 and OMG 2 released in Hindi and set ticket windows across on fire. The Multiplex Association of India (MAI) and Producers Guild of India (PGI) issued a joint statement thanking the audience for their overwhelming response that gave a combined collection of more than ₹390 crore over the weekend. OMG 2, Gadar 2, Jailer and Bholaa Shankar, together contributed to the figure. HT</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd24/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 18:48:57', '2023-08-15 18:48:57'),
(8561, 8561, '<div style=\"text-align: justify; \"><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Anti-liberation forces under the leadership of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are still plotting against the country, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said today.</span><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He urged the countrymen to stand firm against the conspirators and resist them.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The minister said this after paying tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, marking the 48th anniversary of his martyrdom and the National Mourning Day.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Awami League general secretary placed wreaths at Bangabandhu’s portrait at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 around 7am today.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bangladesh would have become a developed and prosperous country by now had Bangabandhu not been assassinated, he added.</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Anti-liberation, anti-democratic forces are common foes of the pro-liberation forces and the country, Obaidul Quader said. UNB</div><div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><br></div><div style=\"text-align: justify; \">bnbd254/kh</div>', NULL, 'news desk', '[\"4\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 19:10:49', '2023-08-15 19:10:49'),
(8562, 8562, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday placed wreaths at the mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in paying homage to the great leader to mark his 48th martyrdom anniversary and the National Mourning Day.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Hasina, elder daughter of Bangabandhu, placed wreaths twice, first as the head of the government and then as the president of ruling Bangladesh Awami League.</div><div><br></div><div>After laying the wreaths she stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of the architect of Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangabandhu was assassinated by some wayward army men on the dreadful night of August 15, 1975 along with most of his family members.</div><div><br></div><div>A smartly turned out contingent drawn from the armed forces presented a gun salute on the occasion, while the bugle played the Last Post in remembrance of Bangabandhu, the greatest Bengali of all time.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister along with Bangabandhu’s younger daughter Sheikh Rehana also offered fateha and joined munajat seeking eternal peace of departed souls of Bangabandhu, his wife Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, their three sons and other martyrs of Aug 15 massacre.</div><div><br></div><div>The Speaker, cabinet members, chiefs of the three services, IGP and the PM\'s family members were present.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayers were also offered seeking continued peace, progress and prosperity of the nation.</div><div><br></div><div>Then Sheikh Hasina, flanked by senior Awami League leaders, placed another wreath at the grave of Bangabandhu on behalf of her party.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister along with Cabinet members, party leaders and workers also joined a milad and doa mahfil on the mausoleum premises marking the National Mourning Day.</div><div><br></div><div>Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to return to Dhaka at 3:15pm from Tungipara by a helicopter.</div><div><br></div><div>In the afternoon, the PM will join a milad mahfil at Bangabandhu Bhaban in the capital.</div><div><br></div><div>Hide quoted text</div><div>Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku paid tribute to the Father of the Nation by placing wreaths separately at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu.</div><div><br></div><div>Leaders of different associate bodies of Bangladesh Awami League also placed wreaths at the grave.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Sheikh Hasina arrived in Tungipara, the ancestral home of Bangabandhu, by a helicopter at 11:35am after placing wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka as part of the national programme on the day.</div><div><br></div><div>The prime minister also went to the Banani graveyard and sprinkled flower petals on the graves of the martyrs of the Aug 15 carnage and offered fateha and joined a munajat there. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 21:24:02', '2023-08-15 21:24:02'),
(8563, 8563, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Popular television actress and model Tasnia Farin revealed on Monday that she got married to the love of her life after a long and successful relationship.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Tasina tied the knot with Shaikh Rezwan on August 11, the actress shared on her verified Facebook profile. She also revealed that they have been in a relationship for almost a decade now.</div><div><br></div><div>\"After eight and a half years of love, friendship, and togetherness; we finally made it official on August 11, 2023. Even though it’s been a long time, you still make my heart race, just like day one,\" Farin wrote in the post.</div><div><br></div><div>Further elaborating on her journey with Rezwan, Farin wrote, \"I find my peace in you. We have built our own sanctuary devoid of outside noise. We fell in love when I was in college, before I first appeared in front of the camera. My life rapidly changed before you.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"You were there for me like a shadow; always inspiring me and being my support system despite not being related to my field of work at all. We have always prioritised each other and only focused on making our visions and dreams come true.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Despite several rumours about her relationship, the actress successfully kept her private life strictly personal, and she thanked Rezwan for helping her in that process.</div><div><br></div><div>\"As much as both of our lives have changed over the course of time, the dynamic has remained the same. That’s the reason why our relationship was mostly private. It was too good to be true. But our teenage love finally got the ending it deserved,\" she also wrote.</div><div><br></div><div>She expressed her immense joy over the marriage, writing: \"It still feels unreal to say that I’ve got a husband now. I feel like I am the luckiest girl alive. Shaikh Rezwan - thank you for marrying me. I love you, and I will cherish you for the rest of my life.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Farin clarified that the couple did their Akht in a simple ceremony surrounded by family. Everything was done hastily because her groom, Shaikh Rezwan, is currently working overseas.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We wish to have another celebration with our close friends and colleagues once he is able to come back again. I wanted to share this happy chapter of my life with all of you. Please everyone keep us in your prayers,\" she concluded.</div><div><br></div><div>In recent times, Tasnia Farin has achieved prominence in the media through her versatile works, including her critically acclaimed performance in Mostofa Sarwar Farooki\'s maiden web series \"Ladies and Gentlemen\". According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-15 22:35:20', '2023-08-15 22:35:20'),
(8564, 8564, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Scores were injured including police officials after clashes broke out between Jamaat-Shibir activists and police in Chattogram over the gayebana janaza (funeral prayers in absentia) of convicted war criminal and Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Police detained 30 activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami from the scene during the melee.</div><div><br></div><div>The violence broke out in front of Kazir Dewri and Almas cinema hall on Tuesday afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, it spread to different parts of the city including Kazir Dewri Mor, Wasar Mor, GEC Mor and Lalkhan Bazar.</div><div><br></div><div>According to witnesses, the leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami were preparing to offer gayebana janaza for Sayeedi at Jamiyatul Falah Mosque ground in Wasa Mor area of the city.</div><div><br></div><div>When the law enforcers blocked the main gate of Jamiyatul Falah in an attempt to foil the janaza, an argument broke out subsequently turning into a chase-counter chase between the police and Jamaat-Shibir activists.</div><div><br></div><div>Witnesses said police had to lob teargas canisters to disperse the crowd.</div><div><br></div><div>Jahidul Kabir, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kotwali Police Station, said jamaat-shibir leaders and activists started gathering around Jamiyatul Falah Mosque since afternoon without permission for the funeral prayers.</div><div><br></div><div>“From there they attacked the police. However, we brought the situation under control immediately as we were prepared. Several police officers were injured. Things are normal now.”</div><div><br></div><div>Kotwali police arrested more than 30 leaders and activists of Jamaat-Shibir from the spot, said OC Jahidul.</div><div><br></div><div>The convicted war criminal Delwar Hossain Sayeedi died on Monday night while undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-16 01:26:59', '2023-08-16 01:26:59'),
(8565, 8565, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Khaled Mahmud Sujon, a director of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) believes that the senior players should have a clear plan about their retirement in order to make way for the young players.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>According to him, unfortunately this culture is yet to be grown in this country as the number of cricketers in Bangladesh who retire from the field is a handful.</div><div><br></div><div>Mahmud is one of the few who could retire from the ground. Citing the example of his own career, the former captain said the senior cricketers have to understand when the time is over.</div><div><br></div><div>His comment came in the wake of the incident of senior cricketer Mahmudullah Riyad who was recently dropped from the Asia Cup team. The 37-year old cricket had hardly any chance to return to the national team as the team management has enough options at their disposal to replace Mahmudullah.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>It is understood, Mahmudullah was offered twice to retire from the ground but the seasoned campaigner refused it, saying he would take the challenge of making a comeback to the national team.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Mahmudullah\'s place was questionable for a long time as his reflexes and performance saw a massive decline due to his age-related issue. It\'s not that the players didn\'t play at this age but every player who is playing at this age maintained their fitness and performance.</div><div><br></div><div>\"I had (the courage to retire) and I had retired. I understood, now my time is over. If I don\'t leave, how will new players come? It has to be decided by the cricketers that when is the right time to say goodbye,\" Mahmud said here today.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>\"It\'s very difficult (to retire from the cricket). I too had passed that moment. But I had to leave. We were not used to get as much money as the current crops of cricketers getting. We played for very little money. But then it was our love. We were able to leave that. I don\'t know why the cricketers of this generation don\'t want to leave? Why don\'t they have the courage to leave,\" he questioned.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Mahmud believes everyone should accept the reality and stop at some point.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;\"At some point you have to quit. Akram (Khan) bhai left, Nannu bhai (Minhajul Abedin Nannu) was the best batsman of Bangladesh, he also left. Habibul Bashar, once called Mr. Fifty, who captained Bangladesh and scored many runs and he also left.\'</div><div><br></div><div>English fast bowler Stuart Broad announced his retirement during the Ashes a few days ago when he was in his form of life.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Citing his example, Mahmud said: \"If he wanted, he could have played more, but he called it a time.\"</div><div><br></div><div>\"Couldn\'t Stuart Broad still have played? So why did he leave? That\'s my point. You have to know when to stop. I am saying with respect to the cricketers. I think it is their personal matter. We cannot force anyone. None of us can tell that you\'re old. None of us have the right to say this.\"</div><div><br></div><div>If someone wants to continue playing without retiring at the right time, Mahmud also urged them to face the bitter experience of being dropped.</div><div>\"If they think, I should play more, I can play for two or three years more, ok No problem. But then you can\'t point fingers to others if you get axed.\"</div><div><br></div><div>Mahmud, also the chairman of Game Development, thinks even if all the senior cricketers leave the game, Bangladesh cricket will move forward properly.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Mushfiqur has left the T20 format. Tamim has also left and everyone would have to leave in this way. But that doesn\'t mean, the cricket in this country will stop when they will retire one by one. We can\'t stop dreaming. We have to bring new cricketers. We\'ve a game development department, whose responsibility is to create a pipeline of cricketers. It must not be forgotten that Tamim, Mushfiqur, Mahmudullah also came from that pipeline.\" According to BSS reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Sports Desk', '[\"20\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-16 01:30:06', '2023-08-16 01:30:06'),
(8566, 8566, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Ten more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, raising the fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 426 this year.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>During the period, 1,984 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever, DGHS said.</div><div><br></div><div>Of the new patients, 731 were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside the capital--indicating a worsening situation across the country, according to DGHS.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 9,117 dengue patients, including 4,010 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.</div><div><br></div><div>So far, the DGHS has recorded 89,875 dengue cases and 80,332 recoveries this year.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) urged swift action as dengue cases surge in Bangladesh, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>“The higher incidence of dengue is taking place in the context of an unusual episodic amount of rainfall, combined with high temperatures and high humidity, which have resulted in an increased mosquito population throughout Bangladesh,” WHO said.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-16 02:02:08', '2023-08-16 02:02:08'),
(8567, 8567, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>A 60-year-old man was shot to death and 12 others were injured in a clash between police and the leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami centering the gayebana janaza of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi in Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar district on Tuesday. Five of the injured suffered bullet wounds.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The deceased was identified as Forkanul Islam, a resident of Chakaria municipality area and son of Abul Fazal.</div><div><br></div><div>Jabed Mahmud, officer-in-charge of Chakaria Police Station, said the leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami brought out a procession after the gayebana janaza of Delwar Hossain Sayeedi in the municipality area after 4 pm.</div><div><br></div><div>When the procession reached Baitus Sharaf Road they started vandalising vehicles passing through the area.</div><div><br></div><div>At one stage, a chase and counter-chase took place among police and the leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami, triggering a clash that left one person killed and 12 others injured.</div><div><br></div><div>Of the injured five people including the officer-in-charge of Chakaria Police also sustained bullet injuries during the clash.</div><div><br></div><div>Mahfuzul Islam, superintendent of Cox’s Bazar police, said the firing incident did not come from police.</div><div><br></div><div>Chakaria Upazila Nirbahi Upazila Officer (UNO), JP Dewan, said the Jamaat men offered the gayebana janaza despite no permission to hold it and they carried out the attack on police from the procession. “Legal action will be taken against those involved in the attack,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>The vehicle belongs to OC and some vehicles of government officials were vandalised during the attack.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Delwar Hossain Sayeedi passed away while undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Monday. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-16 03:30:57', '2023-08-16 03:30:57'),
(8568, 8568, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Joint Secretary of the Awami League and Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni said that foreigners are vocal about Bangladesh’s contemporary issues, but there was a glaring silence on their part when the war criminals of 1971 came to power.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>She said this during an event organised by the district administration of Chandpur on Tuesday (August 15).</div><div><br></div><div>“When those responsible for the atrocities of 1971 assumed power and evaded trial, wasn’t it a violation of human rights? Where was foreigner’s concern about democracy then?” she said.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Even when the ruthless assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his son (Sheikh) Russell occurred in 1975, the cries for justice and human rights were muffled. Similarly, in 1981, when Bangabandhu\'s daughter sought to pay her respects to her deceased family members, she was barred from entering her own house, wasn’t it a violation of human rights?” she continued.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Among the 95,000 soldiers surrendered by Pakistani occupation forces, certain Pakistani army officers bore Bengali names, including one Rakibul Huda,” she said, reports UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>\"During the BNP-Jamaat bleak period in 2001, the nation was plunged into a state of mourning, marked by heinous acts of rape and gang-rape committed against innocent individuals such as Mahima, Fahima, Purnima, and Latifa. Where was their concern about human rights then?,” she asked.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-16 04:26:43', '2023-08-16 04:26:43'),
(8569, 8569, '<div><b><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Bangladesh Meteorological Department has predicted light to moderate rain in Dhaka and seven other divisions of the country.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>“Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind are likely to occur at many places in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at a few places in Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal and Dhaka divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls in places across the country”, said a regular bulletin of Met office.</div><div><br></div><div>Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country.</div><div><br></div><div>The axis of monsoon trough runs through India’s Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,West Bengal to Assam across the central part of Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>One of its associated troughs extends up to northeast Bay. Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate elsewhere over north Bay. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-16 21:51:44', '2023-08-16 21:51:44'),
(8570, 8570, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Rescuers have recovered 25 bodies while 14 people remain missing after a landslide at an unregulated jade mine in a remote region of Myanmar, emergency workers said Tuesday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Myanmar has been hit with torrential rain and floods in recent days and the landslide occurred Sunday outside northern Kachin\'s Hpakant township.</div><div><br></div><div>Jade mining in Myanmar is a lucrative business but the unregulated industry is plagued with frequent worker deaths including more than 170 fatalities in the same area following a 2020 landslide.</div><div><br></div><div>\"We found 25 dead bodies in total today,\" a rescue worker told AFP on Tuesday, adding that 14 people were still missing and the recovery effort would continue Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>Rescuers had to dig through mud to find bodies, while others were floating in water.</div><div><br></div><div>A massive pile of earth about 150-180 metres (500-600 feet) high left behind by mining excavations was loosened by the intense rainfall and collapsed, according to rescuers.</div><div><br></div><div>The mine\'s operations had been suspended during the rainy season, but those caught in the landslide were believed to be locals hoping to find something valuable in the mud.</div><div><br></div><div>The jade industry relies on low-paid migrant workers to scrape out a gem highly coveted in neighbouring China.</div><div><br></div><div>Jade and other abundant natural resources in Myanmar\'s north -- including timber, gold and amber -- have helped finance both sides of a decades-long civil war between ethnic Kachin insurgents and the military.</div><div><br></div><div>While environmentalist and rights groups have long called for reforms, a 2021 military coup effectively ended hopes for better standards in the industry, according to international watchdogs.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'International Desk', '[\"29\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-16 21:55:34', '2023-08-16 21:55:34'),
(8571, 8571, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>National Identity Card (NID) server of the Election Commission (EC) has been down since this morning.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Muhammad Ashraf Hossain, system manager of EC\'s NID division, confirmed the development to UNB.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>He said that NID service has been temporarily suspended for maintenance purposes.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Progress has been made in rectifying the issue, and it will be resolved shortly, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Interruption in the NID service has raised concerns due to the absence of a disaster recovery site (DRS) or a proper backup system for this crucial database, which contains the personal information of approximately 12 crore citizens.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Officials have expressed apprehension about the potential risks posed by the lack of a DRS, and stressed the vulnerability of this national database.</div><div><br></div><div>This pressing matter was recently highlighted during a meeting of the EC\'s Information Technology Implementation Committee. The issue has garnered attention, especially in light of the upcoming National election.</div><div><br></div><div>The EC initially embarked on the task of compiling a comprehensive voter list with photographs in 2007. Subsequently, voter information was updated through door-to-door visits in the years 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2019. The entirety of this vital voter data is stored on the Election Commission\'s servers. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-16 22:25:42', '2023-08-16 22:25:42'),
(8572, 8572, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Madonna has announced rescheduled tour dates for her world tour, as she marks her recovery from a bacterial infection that left her in intensive care.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Celebration tour will now kick off in London on 14 October, three months after it was originally due to begin in Vancouver, Canada.</div><div><br></div><div>Most of the US dates have been pushed back to 2024, with some cancellations.</div><div><br></div><div>The tour was originally planned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Madonna\'s breakout single, Holiday.</div><div><br></div><div>Dubbed the Celebration Tour, it marks her return to arenas and stadiums after the experimental, theatre-based Madame X shows in 2019 and 2020.</div><div><br></div><div>Some of those performances were also postponed or cancelled due to the star\'s knee and hip injuries, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic.</div><div><br></div><div>Madonna announced the Celebration tour in January and entered rehearsals in April.</div><div><br></div><div>However, just weeks before the opening night, her manager broke the news that she was being treated in hospital for a \"serious\" bacterial infection.</div><div><br></div><div>In a message to fans last month, the star said she was \"lucky to be alive\" and thanked her family for their support.</div><div><br></div><div>\"When the chips were down my children really showed up for me. It made all the difference,\" she wrote.</div><div><br></div><div>\"Love from family and friends is the best medicine. One month out of the hospital and I can reflect.\"</div><div><br></div><div>With the star now on the mend, the tour can now begin, with the European leg going ahead as planned.</div><div><br></div><div>After four sold out dates at the O2 Arena, the show will travel to France, Italy, Denmark, Portugal and Germany before circling back to London for two more dates in December.</div><div><br></div><div>The tour then hops the Atlantic for a handful of shows in New York and Washington before a Christmas break, after which the rescheduled dates begin in the US, Canada and Mexico.</div><div><br></div><div>The logistics of rescheduling the tour have been complicated - with some cities requiring a new venue. A handful of dates in Tulsa, San Francisco, Phoenix and Las Vegas have been cancelled.</div><div><br></div><div>Also scrapped is a Nashville concert on 22 December, which was intended to raise funds for trans rights organisations.</div><div><br></div><div>Refunds for the cancelled concerts will be issued at the original point of purchase.</div><div><br></div><div>Select shows in New York and Los Angeles will also take place in different venues. Ticketholders for the original dates will be refunded and given priority access to the rescheduled concerts.</div><div><br></div><div>The setlist for the show is currently under wraps, but Madonna previously asked fans for their input, posing the question \"What song would you like to dance to at my show?\" on social media. According to BBC reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'Entertainment', '[\"13\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-16 23:01:26', '2023-08-16 23:01:26'),
(8573, 8573, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>People will get free dengue test facility at three hospitals run by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) from Thursday.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The hospitals are Dhaka Mahanagar General Hospital, Dhaka Mahanagar Shishu Hospital and Nazirabazar Matrisadan, said a DSCC press release on Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>The hospitals will provide patients with this service from 8am to 2pm every day except Friday. However, the free test will be available from 10 am to 2 pm tomorrow (Thursday).</div><div><br></div><div>Over 400 people have so far died from dengue this year and around 90, 000 people have been infected with the viral fever. According to UNB reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-16 23:48:19', '2023-08-16 23:48:19'),
(8574, 8574, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today said threatening to kill the physician of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) is a reflection of Jamaat\'s terrorist attitude.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“BSMMU doctor SM Mustafa Zaman came to me last night (August 15) and explained everything. He provided treatment to Sayeedi who was sentenced to life imprisonment,” he said while addressing a discussion on the occasion the National Mourning Day in the city.</div><div><br></div><div>North South University (NSU) organized the Mourning Day discussion, marking the 48th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at its auditorium here.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The minister said Jamaat always thinks negative, adding, “The fact that they always think of terrorism and against the state. The threatening to kill the doctor is a reflection of that.”</div><div><br></div><div>The victim physician SM Mustafa Zaman filed a general diary with Dhanmondi Model Police Station on Tuesday night over the threat. He is a professor of cardiology department at BSMMU.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding the series of bomb attacks across the country on August 17, 2005, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, “You had seen rise of militants in the country and they wanted to make Bangladesh as a militant state.”</div><div><br></div><div>“People saw many militants like Bangla Bhai and Shayekh Abdur Rahman and the then government (BNP-Jamaat) mentioned that those were creation of the media. But later you (media) saw rise of real militants and their activities. In this way, on August 17, 2005, militants bombed simultaneously in 63 districts of the country. Through this attack, they had informed that there were terrorists in the country,” he added.</div><div><br></div><div>The minister said that the government has not been able to completely eradicate militancy, but militancy is under control, adding, “Some sleeper cell of the militant group is still remaining. They are trying to expose themselves. Our security forces and intelligence agencies are highly efficient. They are deactivating militancy and bringing them to book.” - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-17 00:35:10', '2023-08-17 00:35:10'),
(8575, 8575, '<div><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"><b>Water levels at 63 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked rise while 44 stations recorded fall.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Among the 109 monitored river stations, two have been registered steady and water level at one river station is flowing below the danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said on Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>\"The Brahmaputra and the Ganges rivers are in steady state, while the Jamuna and the Padma rivers are in rising trend. Both the rivers may remain steady in next 24 hours,\" the FFWC bulletin said.</div><div><br></div><div>All the major rivers in the North-eastern region of the country are in falling trend which may continue in the next 24 hours, the bulletin said, adding: \"The Jamuna river at Porabari point may flow close to its danger&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">level in the next 24 hours.\"</span></div><div><br></div><div>The Teesta, Dharla and Dudkumar rivers in the Northern region of the country are in falling trend. The rivers may flow at their normal state in the next 48 hours, according to the daily statement of FFWC said.</div><div><br></div><div>Significant rainfall was recorded at some stations in different districts of Bangladesh during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 109 mm rainfalls were recorded at Sreemangal (Moulvibazar) upazila, 63 mm at Moulvibazar, 57 mm at Habiganj and 50 mm at Sylhet districts.</div><div><br></div><div>Significant rainfalls (mm) recorded during the last 24 hours in Sikkim, Arunachal, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura regions of North-East India, the bulletin added.</div><div><br></div><div>A total of 99 mm rainfalls were recorded at Guwahati (Sikkim) and 61 mm at Agartala (Tripura). - BSS</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>', NULL, 'News Desk', '[\"30\"]', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, '2023-08-17 01:00:23', '2023-08-17 01:00:23');
