Dhaka, Sept 2 (UNB) – A two-day photo exhibition on Rohingya crisis will begin in the city on Tuesday.

The exhibition titled ‘Rohingya Crisis: 1 Year on’ will be presented by the government of Bangladesh, the Inter Sector Coordination Group and the United Nations.

It will remain open at Bay’s Edgewater Gallery in Gulshan from 10 am to 8 pm.

A collection of photographs will be displayed shared by the government and over 40 humanitarian agencies that are responding to the Rohingya crisis in Cox’s Bazar. 

The photographs bring to life last year’s initial influx, the resilience of the Rohingya, the host community, emergency mitigation and international support to the Rohingya people.

Contributions by IOM, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and WHO have made it possible to curate and present this exhibition of emotive photographs that tell a compelling story, said the organizers.
 

Dhaka, Sept 2 (UNB) – Dhaka University Cultural Society (DUCS) and Jahangirnagar University Sangskritik Jote (JUSC) have jointly become champions in an inter-university cultural competition organised by Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST). 

The daylong competition, Ankur 2018, was held at the MIST main auditorium on Saturday, said a press release. 

MIST became first runners-up while Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) second runners-up of the competition. 

Among the judges, there were filmmaker and television director Giasuddin Selim, writer Sadat Hossain, and dance artists Dolly Iqbal and Farhana Chowdhury Baby. 

The winning performance of Dhaka University team included dance, puppet dance, recitation, acting, music and so on. 

The performance of another winning team of JU also included the combination of modern dance, folk dance, recitation, music and mime. The team portrayed the Rohingya crisis through mime. 

Students from different public and private universities actively participated in various segments of the daylong programme. 
 

Kampala, Aug 29 (AP/UNB) — Bobi Wine, the Ugandan pop star who opposes the longtime president and has been charged with treason, has a "kidney problem" that needs urgent medical attention abroad, his lawyer said Wednesday, two days after the singer was freed from detention on crutches.

A medical report confirmed the suspicion of a kidney problem afflicting the singer and parliament member whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, Medard Sseggona told The Associated Press.

Ssentamu, who is being treated at a private facility in the capital, Kampala, also reported that in detention "they squeezed his manhood," he said. "He was suffering pain in the hips."

All efforts were underway to get the papers necessary for Ssentamu to travel abroad for specialized care, the lawyer said.

Ssentamu, through lawyers and colleagues, has alleged severe torture at the hands of security personnel. He has not made any public statement since he was arrested on Aug. 14 in the northwestern town of Arua for his alleged role in an incident in which the presidential motorcade was pelted with stones.

Ssentamu was freed on bail Monday after being charged with treason alongside 32 other suspects. Ssentamu's driver was shot and killed in the aftermath of the incident, allegedly by the security forces. The government says the killing is being investigated.

Ssentamu and others on Thursday will appear before a magistrate who will consider the evidence and decide if the case should go to the High Court for trial.

Since winning a seat in parliament last year Ssentamu has drawn big crowds while campaigning for several opposition candidates who have won election. He is widely seen as a challenge to the long rule of 74-year-old President Yoweri Museveni with his appeal among Uganda's large youth population frustrated by the lack of jobs. His supporters urge him to run for president in 2021.

Like Museveni, Ssentamu was in Arua to campaign in a local election to choose a legislator. The eventual winner, Kassiano Wadri, has also been charged with treason. Wadri was inaugurated on Wednesday.

Two other lawmakers have been similarly charged but are free on bail.

Another lawmaker arrested alongside Ssentamu, Francis Zaake, is hospitalized with injuries his colleagues describe as serious.

The speaker of Uganda's parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has written to Museveni urging the arrest of alleged perpetrators within the security forces.

In the letter she said that Zaake "remains gravely ill" and Ssentamu "has visible signs of torture and beatings." Unless the accused officers are arrested and presented in court, she warned, "it will be very difficult to conduct government business" in parliament.

Ssentamu's arrest sparked protests in Kampala and elsewhere demanding his release, with scores of people detained, and a social media campaign to #FreeBobiWine was launched. Dozens of top international musicians, including Angelique Kidjo and Chris Martin, signed a letter demanding Ssentamu's release.

Museveni, a U.S. regional security ally who took power by force in 1986, has been elected five times. Although he has campaigned on a record of establishing stability, some worry those gains are being eroded the longer he stays in power.

Museveni is now able to seek re-election in 2021 because parliament passed legislation last year removing a clause in the constitution that had prevented anyone over 75 from holding the presidency. Ssentamu publicly opposed that decision.

Museveni recently accused "unprincipled politicians" of luring youth into rioting.

Berlin, Aug 28 (AP/UNB) — The German capital is getting its infamous Berlin Wall back — at least for four weeks.

A group of artists said Tuesday they're planning to build a facsimile of the wall around a downtown Berlin block in mid-October.

Visitors of the art installation need to buy "visas" online for 15 euros ($17.50.) When entering the walled area, they'll have to exchange their cell phones for a smart phone which will provide instructions for a tour including documentaries, exhibits and concerts.

The wall will be torn down on Nov. 9 — 29 years after the original Berlin Wall, which divided the city from 1961 to 1989, came down.

The artists are still waiting for the final OK from the city's authorities for their project.

Dhaka, Jun 21 (UNB) -  Prominent photographer Shahidul Alam has been selected as the 2018 recipient of Humanitarian Award to be presented at the Lucie Awards.

The Lucie Awards is an annual event honouring achievements in photography, founded in New York by Iranian exhibition curator and philanthropist Hossein Farmani. 

The award is organized and presented by the Lucie Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable organization whose mission is to honour the masters of photography, discover and cultivate emerging talent, and promote an appreciation of photography worldwide.

This year's Lucie Awards ceremony will take place on October 28 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Shahidul Alam is an activist and founder of Drik and Pathshala, a South Asian Media Institute. He will be awarded for his extraordinary contributions to the world of photography and society.

It will be a welcome addition to an illustrious list that has included the Josephine Herrick Project, Lisa Kristine, Nancy McGirr, Sara Terry, Zana Briski, Sebastião Salgado, and Phil Borges.

Since 2003, the prestigious Lucie Awards celebrate the remarkable achievements of the masters in photography.