Dhaka
EU missions urge non-violent political process
The European Union (EU) and its member state missions in Dhaka have "strongly" encouraged all those engaged in political activities to conduct them in a "peaceful and lawful" manner.
The EU and EU member state missions expressed "deep" concerns about the recent reports of "politically motivated" violence.
The EU Embassy in Dhaka tweeted this brief message Sunday.
Read more: AL out to create chaos with counter programmes: BNP
Dhaka, Delhi to hold foreign secretary-level talks in Dhaka Wednesday
Bangladesh and India are scheduled to hold Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) on Wednesday, which will review the ongoing cooperation between the two countries apart from the issues of mutual interests.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra will arrive in Dhaka after the completion of his two-day official visit to Nepal from February 13 to 14.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and his Indian counterpart will discuss all the bilateral issues at the FOC.
Kwatra assumed charge as foreign secretary on May 1 last year, and this will be his first Bangladesh visit after that.
Preparatory works regarding the FOC are now underway, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Seheli Sabrin told the reporters at a weekly briefing Thursday.
She said the last FOC was held on January 29, 2021, in New Delhi, India.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to attend the 18th Group of Twenty (G20) Summit which will take place in New Delhi on September 9-10 this year.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited her Bangladesh counterpart Hasina to attend the Summit.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi on March 1-2.
The issues related to the upcoming visits by the prime minister and foreign minister are likely to be discussed during the Indian foreign secretary’s visits, said a diplomatic source.
Kwatra is likely to meet the prime minister and foreign minister during his visit.
India, which holds the presidency of the G20 from December 1 2022 to November 30, 2023, invited Bangladesh as a "guest country" in its all meetings, Seheli said.
Bangladesh sees its series of engagements with the G20 under India's presidency this year as a "big honour" for it.
"We will raise our issues there. It is a big honour for us. We should be prudent," Momen told the reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently, noting that Bangladesh is the only South Asian country invited by the host.
The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation, which plays an "important role" in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues.
India invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as guest countries to its meetings and summit, according to the Ministry of External Affairs, India.
Apart from the G20 leaders, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Oman Head of State Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan were invited to the G20 Summit.
Hasina paid a state visit to India from September 5 to 8 last year at the invitation of Modi.
The G20 comprises 19 countries – Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the UK, the US and the European Union.
The G20 members represent around 85 percent of the global GDP, over 75 percent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
Read more: Being invited to G20 Summit is a big honour for Bangladesh, says Momen
Dhaka's air 4th most polluted in the world this morning
The air quality in Dhaka showed no signs of improvement as it continued to be in the 'unhealthy' zone this morning (February 12, 2023).
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 175 at 10:28 am, the capital of Bangladesh ranked fourth in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
Pakistan’s Lahore, China’s Shenyang and India’s Mumbai occupied the first three spots, with AQI scores of 183, 182 and 180 respectively.
Dhaka air ‘hazardous’, most polluted in the world this morning
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.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues.
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.
Read More: Special drives to curb air pollution from Wednesday: Minister
Dhaka air ‘hazardous’, most polluted in the world this morning
Dhaka once again topped the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality this morning (Saturday, February 11, 2023).
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 370 at 8:55 am today, Dhaka ranked first among cities with the most polluted air.
An AQI between 151 and 200 is said to be ‘unhealthy’ while 201 and 300 is considered ‘very unhealthy’, and 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
Read More: Special drives to curb air pollution from Wednesday: Minister
India’s Delhi and Mumbai occupied the second and third spots in the list, with AQI scores of 251 and 220, respectively.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Also read: Policy in the offing to reduce air pollution around Dhaka
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
BPL 2023: Dhaka end with another defeat
The Dhaka Dominators concluded their Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2023 journey with a defeat in the final match against Chattogram Challengers in Mirpur on Tuesday.
Chattogram, who were also out of contention for the top four, put up a total of 118/8 in 20 overs with Ziaur Rahman top-scoring at 34 runs and Usman Khan at 30 runs.
For Dhaka, Arafat Sunny bagged four wickets.
In reply, Dhaka could only manage 103/9 in their 20 overs. Soumya Sarkar and Nasir Hossain made promising start but couldn't convert those into substantial contributions.
For Chattogram, Curtis Campher took three wickets and Ziaur took two, securing a 15-run victory.
The defeat marked Dhaka's ninth loss in 12 games.
Nasir Hossain, the captain of Dhaka, had a productive run in the BPL, amassing over 350 runs at an average of 45, including two half-centuries. He also stood out as the leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets to his name.
However, despite his impressive performance, Nasir was unable to elevate the performance of his team.
Dhaka air world’s most polluted this morning
Dhaka ranked worst in the AQI index with a score of 239 at 08:55 am today.
The air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’.
An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’ while 201–300 is ‘‘very unhealthy’, and 301–400 is 'hazardous', posing severe health risks to residents.
India’s Mumbai and China’s Chengdu occupied the second and third spots in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air, with scores of 199 and 197, respectively.
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.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
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.
Dhaka air 9th most polluted in the world this morning
Dhaka's air quality remained in the "unhealthy" zone Friday morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 177 at 10:30am, the capital ranked ninth in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered "unhealthy," 201 and 300 "very unhealthy," and 301 to 400 is considered "hazardous," posing serious health risks to residents.
Pakistan's Karachi and Lahore and Iraq's Baghdad occupied the first, second and third spots in the list, with AQI scores of 267, 239 and 229, respectively.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants – particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Read more: Dhaka air still ‘unhealthy’ this morning
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person's chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
Dhaka, KL will have talks on transparent, swift manpower recruitment system
Bangladesh expects to have an “elaborate discussion” with Malaysia this week on manpower recruitment in an effort to make the overall recruitment process more transparent and expeditious.
Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is expected to pay a “working visit” to Bangladesh on February 4-5, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Seheli Sabrin told reports at a weekly briefing on Thursday.
This is going to be the first minister-level visit from the Southeast Asian country since the formation of a new government there.
The Malaysian Home Minister is likely to have meetings with his Bangladesh counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad during his two-day visit.
“The upcoming visit will hopefully bring momentum in Bangladesh-Malaysia bilateral relations,” said the MoFA spokesperson.
Bangladesh wants to ease the manpower recruitment process in Malaysia with a reduced cost through discussion.
Read more: Manpower export to Malaysia resumes after four-year gap
“The Malaysian home minister is coming with a big team. It will help make things (related to manpower recruitment) more rationalized. We want to send our workers at a reduced cost,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently.
He said Bangladesh wants the manpower “cartel” to be dismantled, the recruitment cost reduced, and the rules of recruitment eased.
Earlier, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Md Golam Sarwar met with the Malaysian home affairs minister and discussed various issues of mutual interest.
The high commissioner welcomed the Malaysian minister’s crucial visit to Bangladesh and discussed various aspects of the visit, according to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
As it is his first foreign visit after taking charge as home minister, it is significant for both countries.
They also discussed recruiting more manpower from Bangladesh in a short time at a low cost.
High Commissioner Golam Sarwar requested the home minister of Malaysia to legalise the undocumented Bangladeshis in the Southeast Asian country on easy terms under the recalibration programme.
The Malaysian home minister assured the high commissioner that they would look into the matter, according to the High Commission.
Brahmanbaria-2 by-polls: Missing independent candidate Asif traced in Dhaka
Missing independent candidate in the by-polls to Brahmanbaria-2 Abu Asif Ahmed was traced in the city’s Bashundhara area five days after he went missing from his electoral area, police said on Thursday.
Mohammad Shakawat Hossian, superintendent of police (SP) in the district, said they came to know about his whereabouts when they contacted victim’s wife Meherunnesa for their investigation over his disappearance on Thursday.
“He (Asif) will be brought back from the capital and interrogated about his disappearance,” he said.
Asif, who was expelled from the BNP for contesting in the election, went missing on January 27 after he had come out of his house for campaign.
Read more: B’baria-2 by-polls: Wife submits application to find missing candidate Asif
Later, his wife lodged a GD at the local police station in this connection while an application was also sent to the Chief Election Commissioner to find her missing husband on January 31.
Asif is the former president of Ashuganj Upazila unit BNP and the former chairman of Upazila Parishad. In the Brahmanbaria-2 by-poll, he was the main opponent of the expelled leader of BNP and five-time Member of Parliament, Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan.
Dhaka eyes deeper relations with Latin American countries; Argentine FM due Feb 27
Bangladesh sees scopes to work closely with the Latin American countries on multiple fronts including trade and investment; and Argentine Foreign Minister Santiago Andrés Cafiero’s impending visit is part of Dhaka’s efforts to diversify and deepen the relations.
“You are aware that a new dimension has recently been added in terms of Bangladesh’s diplomatic relations with the Latin American countries,” spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Seheli Sabrin told reports at a weekly briefing on Thursday, hoping that the Argentine Foreign Minister will visit Bangladesh on February 27.
The Argentine Foreign Minister will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and the leaders of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries during his stay in Bangladesh.
The two countries are likely to sign one or more MoUs during the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC).
A formal announcement regarding the opening of Argentina’s Mission in Dhaka is likely to come during the Argentine Foreign Minister’s visit, Sabrin said.
Also Read: World champions Argentina likely to visit Dhaka in next June
She said it is a lengthy process to open a mission in any country and recalled that a fact-finding mission worked back in 2009 to explore opportunities in Latin American countries.
On January 30, Foreign Minister Momen said his Argentine counterpart Santiago Andrés Cafiero will be in Dhaka on a two-day official visit in February – as the two sides want to strengthen ties in the coming days.
“I have invited him. He (Argentine foreign minister) will come. I told him to bring Lionel Messi with him,” Momen told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding that it will be a plus for Bangladesh if Argentina opens a mission in Bangladesh.
Asked whether Messi is coming, the MoFA spokesperson said there is no such confirmation yet. “We will let you know if we get any confirmation through the relevant ministry.”
Argentina “in principle agreed” to open its mission or consulate in Dhaka and the government of Bangladesh also has a plan to open a mission in Argentina. Bangladesh has already opened a mission in Brazil.
“We hope we will open a Bangladesh mission in Argentina in future,” Foreign Minister Momen said, adding that Bangladesh considers three things – size of Bangladeshi community there, importance of the host country, and flow of remittance into Bangladesh – before opening any mission abroad.
Momen said Argentina is a good friend of Bangladesh and always remains supportive. “We have a very good relationship with Argentina.”