Bangladesh
Irish Minister Simon Coveney to meet PM Hasina Monday
Irish Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney arrived in Dhaka on Sunday on a two-day official visit aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment.
Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral-East and West) Dr Md. Nazrul Islam warmly welcomed the Irish Minister at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam (Titu), MP hosted an iftar-dinner in honor of the visiting Irish Minister Sunday evening at the State guesthouse Padma.
The Irish Minister is expected to pay homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi-32.
He will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence on Monday morning.
The Irish Minister will also meet with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and Private Industry and Investment Adviser to Prime Minister Salman F Rahman on Monday.
He will inaugurate the new Honorary Consulate of Ireland in Dhaka and join St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
Earlier, he visited India as part of his government’s St Patrick’s Day programme.
He will conduct a series of political, trade and Ireland-Bangladesh community meetings, according to the Irish government.
Ambassador of Ireland to India, Kevin Kelly says, "I am also glad that Minister Coveney will officially open Ireland’s first Honorary Consulate in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which is an important milestone in our relations with Bangladesh,".
In its desire to further expand the bilateral relations with Dhaka, Ireland has recently appointed Cosmos Group Deputy Managing Director Masud Jamil Khan its Honourary Consul in Bangladesh.
About the minister's visit Khan said, "Building on the existing excellent relations, Bangladesh and Ireland have scope to work together to strengthen the bilateral ties tapping the potential of cooperation and collaboration in broad areas."
“Bangladesh is a very fast growing country and Ireland is a very developed and educated country. Both sides can work very well together,” he told UNB.
Bangladesh and Ireland established diplomatic relations in early 1972.
Both countries are keen on expanding bilateral economic cooperation with Ireland showing interest in taking skilled IT manpower from Bangladesh.
During the past 27 years Bangladesh's exports to Ireland have increased at 16.8% annually from $7.1 million in 1995 to $466 million in 2022, according to official figures.
104th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu and National Children's Day celebrated in New Delhi
The 104th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day was celebrated with due solemnity and fervour at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.
Md. Mustafizur Rahman, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, inaugurated the daylong programme by hoisting the national flag at the High Commission premises and placing floral wreath at the portrait of the Father of the Nation.
In the morning, a discussion programme was organized at the High Commission as part of the celebration.
At the beginning of the programme, the messages issued by the President, Prime Minister, and Foreign Minster were read out by the Mission officials.
In his speech, High Commissioner Rahman said Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are synonymous.
Bangabandhu’s 104th Birth Anniversary observed in Myanmar
"By breaking the shackles of exploitation, oppression, deprivation, and subjugation of a hundred years, he showed the path of liberation to the Bangalee nation," he said.
He underscored the need for inculcating Bangabandhu’s humane qualities in children to makethe future leaders of the country.
The High Commissioner also called upon everyone to continue their efforts in building ‘Smart Bangladesh’ under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, holding Bangabandhu’s ideals intheir hearts.
Among others, Brigadier General Md. Hafizur Rahman, Defence Adviser of the High Commission, took part in the discussion and highlighted the significance and importance of the day.
In the evening, a cultural programme was organized at the Bangabandhu Hall of the High Commission with the participation of children.
Indonesian Embassy to organise dialogue in Dhaka on “Democracy in Inclusive Society” Monday
The event began with the cutting of a special cake in the presence of children. In this event, the Father of the Nation was remembered through his historic 7th March speech as well as poems, stories, and songs written on Bangabandhu. Finally, a documentary on Bangabandhu’s life and work was screened before the children.
On the occasion of the day, the High Commission also organized essay, poetry recitation, painting, quiz, and sports competitions for the children. In the evening, the High Commissioner distributed prizes among the winners of these competitions.
In the end, a special prayer was offered for the salvation of the souls of the Father of the Nation, his family members and all the martyrs who played a historical role in all stages of movements for freedom and Liberation War as well as for the peace, progress and prosperity of Bangladesh.
Officials and employees from the Bangladesh High Commission, expatriate Bangladeshis, and many children attended the programmes.
NDI-IRI report acknowledges less violence in Jan 7 election: Foreign Minister
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said the NDI-IRI in their report acknowledged that the January 7 National Election witnessed less violence.
The quality of the election was much better than the previous ones in Bangladesh or elections held in the subcontinent, he said.
"A fair and good election was held," said the Foreign Minister while responding to a question at Foreign Service Academy today.
Mahmud said the NDI and IRI have presented their statement. "We are looking at that. But a beautiful, fair, free and impartial election was held in the country."
2024 election had less physical, online violence compared to previous election cycles: NDI-IRI technical assessment mission
"BNP and their allies have not only boycotted the election but also tried to resist it… they should also address this issue," Hasan said.
He said that BNP incited violence and people were burnt and killed. "These issues have to be there in the report."
Responding to a question on whether the government is rejecting the report, the Foreign Minister said it is not a matter of rejection or acceptance.
"They have given the report, we are looking at it, and we are examining all the observations made by our friendly countries and anyone else," Hasan said.
Thd 2024 election had less physical, online violence compared to previous election cycles, said the NDI-IRI technical assessment mission.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Swedish Minister Johan Forssell to visit Bangladesh March 18-21
The joint National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI) Technical Assessment Mission — deployed to Bangladesh to monitor potential violence before, during, and after the country’s January 7, 2024 parliamentary election — has released its final report.
“This report provides a valuable roadmap for more peaceful elections in Bangladesh’s future,” said Manpreet Singh Anand, NDI’s Regional Director for the Asia-Pacific.
“Leaders across the socio-political spectrum – including political parties, the government, and civil society – have a responsibility to reform the rules, practices, and norms of electoral politics toward nonviolence,” he said.
The document provides a thematic analysis of different types of election-related violence and includes recommendations to the Bangladesh Election Commission, the executive and legislative branches of the government, political parties, civil society, and other stakeholders based on IRI’s and NDI’s comparative experience, to mitigate the risks of violence in future elections, in the furtherance of international cooperation and with respect for the sovereignty of Bangladesh.
9 more dengue patients hospitalised in 24hrs
No fresh death due to dengue was reported in Bangladesh in the 24 hours till Sunday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
However, nine more patients were hospitalised with viral fever during this period, according to the DGHS.
Of them, one was admitted to a hospital in Dhaka, while the rest were outside the capital.
Bangladesh reports 26 Covid-19 cases in 24hrs
So far, 1,546 dengue cases have been reported since January 1, 2024.
Last year, a total of 1,705 people lost their lives due to dengue, making it the deadliest year on record.
Advanced medical care to be ensured for Gazipur burn victims: Health Minister
The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 3, 18,749 recoveries last year.
Last year’s September was the deadliest month for the dengue outbreak, with 396 fatalities and 79,598 cases, according to DGHS data.
5-member probe body formed over derailment of train in Cumilla
A five-member probe body was formed on Sunday to look into the derailment of nine bogies of a train at Tejer Bazar in Nangalkot upazila of Cumilla district on Sunday.Anisur Rahman, Chattogram Railway East division transport officer, was made the chief of the committee.Earlier in the afternoon, train communication between Dhaka and Chattogram was suspended as the Jamalpur-bound ‘Bijoy Express’ train from Chattogram veered off the tracks in the area after crossing Gunoboti rail station as the rail tracks bent due to hot weather.
Nine bogies of train derail in Cumilla; Dhaka-Ctg rail link suspendedAlready a relief train from Laksham reached the spot and the salvage operation will begin after the arrival of another relief train from Chattogram.A number of trains got stranded at different rail stations, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.
Man on tracks crushed under wheels of train in FeniAt least 20 people were slightly injured during the derailment, said witnesses.They were taken to different hospitals including the Nangalkot Upazila Health Complex.
Bangabandhu’s 104th Birth Anniversary observed in Myanmar
Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar observed the 104th Birth Anniversary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Children's Day on Sunday with great enthusiasm.
On this occasion, Bangladesh Ambassador to Myanmar Dr Md Monwar Hossain made a declaration to sponsor an after school programme for the underprivileged students of a local school in Myanmar which is the first ever such initiative by the Embassy.
Monwar Hossain at the outset of his remarks paid deep tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his martyred family members.
He also expressed his heartfelt greetings to all the children on this auspicious occasion.
Dr Monwar discussed the political principles of Bangabandhu which is peace and friendship within and among the countries of the world.
He also mentioned the firm standpoint of Bangabandhu for the oppressed people of the world.
While highlighting various qualities of Bangabandhu’s character, Bangladesh Ambassador to Myanmar said that the Father of the Nation demonstrated courage, leadership, honesty, respect for parents, charity, sacrifice and inclusiveness in his character at an early age.
He suggested that these unique characters of Bangabandhu should be instilled into our new generation.
Dr Monwar highlighted different initiatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the wellbeing of children.
‘Fearless Call 3’: Bangabandhu’s historic speech at the UN echoes through engaging artwork
He mentioned that today’s children will be the smart citizens of Bangladesh by 2041 who will lead the country.
He urged all to work together for building personality, help flourishing creativity and impart human qualities in children.
Later, the Ambassador handed over the prizes and certificates among the winners and participants of the Art Competition arranged on this occasion.
At the end of the programme Ambassador Monwar along with the children knifed a cake to celebrate the Birth Anniversary of Bangabandhu and National Children’s Day.
Program of the day also included hoisting of the national flag, placing of floral wreath at the portrait of the Father of the Nation, screening of a documentary and discussion meeting.
Bangabandhu to remain as source of inspiration always: Quader
Members of the Bangladesh community in Myanmar, representatives of UN agencies, Bangladeshi business entrepreneurs and officials of the Embassy attended the programme.
Indonesian Embassy to organise dialogue in Dhaka on “Democracy in Inclusive Society” Monday
The Embassy of Indonesia in Dhaka will organise a dialogue on “Democracy in Inclusive Society” at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) on Monday.
Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Bangladesh Heru H Subolo will deliver the opening remarks at the dialogue while Director, Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA) and former Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh Professor Mizanur Rahman will speak at the opening session.
Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Siti Nugraha Mauludiah will deliver the keynote address.
Ambassador Heru H. Subolo hosted a social gathering followed by Iftar on Sunday as a preliminary program of the dialogue on “Democracy in Inclusive Society.”
BIISS Chairman Ambassador AFM Gousal Azam Sarker, former diplomats, Professor Mizanur Rahman, Dr Lailufar Yasmin, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka Ferdousi Shahriar and DG (Public Diplomacy wing) Seheli Sabrin, among others, were present.
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Indonesia has been championing inclusive democracy through its flagship program, Bali Democracy Forum since its inception in 2008.
Over the years, the forum has evolved and branched out to invite more parties including students, academicians, media, think tanks and civil society to join in on active discussions about safeguarding democracy.
Indonesia stands out for the principle of home-grown democracy, no finger pointing and no-one-size fits all approach to democratization, according to the concept note of the dialogue.
Indonesia has always been looking for new avenues to spread the importance of home-grown democracy, it reads.
Over the years, Bangladesh and Nepal have shown promises as new frontiers for blossoming democracy.
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Both are regular participants in Bali Democracy Forum and Nepal also had participated in the 2023 Bali Civil Society and Media Forum.
This shows a common vision to Indonesia’s: to proclaim the importance of the embodiment of a robust and inclusive society in the global level, as well as commitment to ensure that every party, regardless of age, gender, sex, orientation, race or religion will be granted equal participation, respect towards humanity and a guaranteed freedom of expression, said the concept note.
Both Nepal and Bangladesh are also rich with potential for partnerships between governments, universities, think tanks and civil society organizations.
They also are well equipped with rich diversities and thriving media and civil society. All three countries will benefit from the collaboration.
The forum will focus on three elements, namely: role of the government, role of civil society, think tank and academicians; and role of media.
The dialogue will be conducted in a panel discussion format. The discussion will be divided into two sessions, each with two speakers and two discussants from each respective country.
The first panel will focus on the theme of “Revitalizing Pluralistic Democracy: Collaborations between Government and Non-State Actors in Democracy” and the second panel will take on the theme: “Democracy in the Digital Age.”
The dialogue will involve Bangladesh and Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, think tank, as well as universities, media and civil society organizations.
The outcome of the dialogue will be in the form of recommendations and plan of actions.
Potato growers urged to increase cultivation of high yielding variety: Agriculture Minister
Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdus Shahid urged the farmers to increase cultivation of high yielding variety potato to boost the production.“The current varieties cultivated in our country have become very old and the yield is low. Besides, potato cultivation is decreasing due to increase in the cultivation of mustard, maize and boro paddy, resulting in shortage of potato,” he said.“In such situation, if we can replace the low-yielding varieties with new high-yielding varieties, we will be able to produce potatoes in less land and export to other countries,” said the minister while talking to reporters after attending a view exchange meeting with the farmers at Parertong village in Sreemangal upazila.
200 metric tonnes of potatoes imported from India through Benapole portHe also visited some potato fields there.A total of 4.56 lakh hectares of land have been brought under potato cultivation every year with production of 1.4 crore tonnes of potatoes, the minister said. On average, 23 tonnes of potatoes are produced per hectare of land.Abir Hossain, project director of the production and preservation of quality seed potatoes and strengthening distribution at farmer level, said under this project, 14 varieties of potatoes were registered in the name of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) from the Ministry of Agriculture in the last three years to find out the potato lifespan, yield, amount of dry matter, nutritional value and suitability for cultivation in domestic weather.
Potatoes already selling at Tk25 per kg in Dinajpur as import starts through HiliIn the past four years, the government distributed 4,200 metric tonnes of sunshine varieties of potato seeds among the farmers following its huge demand and this year the government is distributing 8,000 metric tonnes of potato seeds, he said.
Man killed by friend only for Tk 1000
After recovering the body of a 22-year-old mason on March 13 from Pabna's Soyghoria village, police said on Sunday that he was murdered by his close friend over money-related issues.
After killing Azad Hossain, 22, his friend Abdus Samad alias Somrat, 28, wanted to cover up the murder by dumping the body in a lychee orchard and covering it with dry leaves of the trees, said police.
Masud Alam, additional superintendent of police, said that Azad left the house with his motorcycle at 7:30 pm on March 11 and did not return. His father Abdul Hakim filed a general diary (GD) at Pabna Sadar Police Station on March 12 afternoon.
Man hacked to death in Dhaka's Mirpur; 1 hurt
On March 13, locals found the body in the lychee orchard next to the farm of Mosharraf Chairman of Soyghoria village of Dapunia Union and informed police.
On information, police recovered the body and sent it to Pabna General Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Later, a case was filed following the complaint of the victim’s father Abdul Hakim.
A joint team of Sadar Police Station and DB conducted a raid and arrested the accused Abdus Samad alias Somrat from his locality on Saturday afternoon.
During interrogation, Somrat confessed to the killing of his friend Azad.
Police said Somrat and Azad were close friends and worked as masons together. A month ago, Somrat took Azad’s motorcycle and got into an accident. Following the accident, Azad had to spend Tk 2000 to repair the motorcycle.
Family beats auto driver to death over missing cellphone
Somrat gave Tk 1000 out of it. Later, animosity was created between the two friends over the remaining Tk 1,000. Since then, the accused Somrat had been looking for an opportunity to kill his friend Azad.
Around 8 pm on March 11, Somrat called his friend Azad and went to the litchi garden next to the Musharraf chairman's farm. At one stage of the conversation, Somrat stabbed Azad’s neck and eyes with a sharp knife.
After confirming his death, he dragged the body and covered it under the dry leaves of trees.
On Saturday afternoon, Somrat gave a confessional statement before the court.
Later, he was sent to jail.
Padma, Exim Bank to sign MoU for merger Monday
Padma Bank and Exim Bank will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) tomorrow (Monday) on merging Padma with Exim Bank Plc.
Ahead of merging with Padma Bank, Exim Bank has published price-sensitive information as per the approval of Bangladesh Bank (BB).
Company Secretary of Exim Bank Monirul Islam issued the notice containing price-sensitive information adding that the merger process will be completed after completing all formalities set by the regulator or the BB.
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Earlier on March 4, the BB Governor Abdur Rauf Talukder said in a meeting with a delegation of the Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB), an organization of bank entrepreneurs, that 7 to 10 weak banks would be merged with strong or good banks within this year.
“If the weak banks do not merge voluntarily during this period, they (BB) will be forced to merge from next year,” he said.
After that, Padma Bank and Exim Bank are the first to merge voluntarily.