Bangladeshi
Bangladeshi artists participate at 9th World Art Dubai 2023
The 9th Edition of World Art Dubai 2023 was held at the Dubai World Trade Center from March 9 to 12, and for the second time, four Bangladeshi self-taught artists participated in the event.
Artist Mahfuzur Rahman, Moonstasir Haque Moon, Kadizatul Qubra and Masuka Nourin Heya participated in this event under Mahfuz Canvas, which collaborated with Dubai-based Funun Arts under the patronage of Mahfuz Canvas’s founder Mahfuzur Rahman and Funun Arts’s founder Shiba Khan and Farah Khan.
The goal of the event was to give established and new artists a place to show off their work and give collectors and art admirers easy access to affordable art. The event, comprised of an art fair, also featured workshops, live performances, and talks on a variety of art topics.
Mahfuzur Rahman was the first Bangladeshi artist to be chosen to represent the country at World Art Dubai in 2022.
“Artists from Bangladesh are gaining international recognition and showcasing their unique styles and works alongside artists from around the world, through such events. This is a significant accomplishment and evidence of Bangladeshi artists’ growing presence on the international art scene,” Rahman told UNB.
Man identified as Bangladeshi, walking along train tracks on Causeway, held by Singapore authorities
Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers have held a man “identified as Bangladeshi”, over suspected immigration violations, after he was seen walking along the train tracks on the Causeway.
The country’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority posted a photo of the man in a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 14, 2023).
“On 9 Mar, a Bangladeshi male was spotted walking along the train tracks on the Causeway towards Singapore. The man was promptly intercepted by ICA officers from Woodlands Checkpoint, before he could pose a safety hazard to on-going train operations,” reads the post cited by a report published by The Straits Times.
Also Read: Obaidul Quader off to Singapore for routine checkup
The authorities said the man had no original identity documents or travel documents in his possession.
“ICA takes a serious view on attempts to enter or depart Singapore illegally. Under the Immigration Act 1959, the penalties for illegal entry are fine of up to $1,000, or a jail term of up to six months, or both,” added the post.
In 2022, 414 immigration offenders were arrested in Singapore, up from 355 in 2021, The Straits Times report said.
Also Read: Govt to import 100,000 MT of rice from India and Singapore
Bangladeshi injured in South Africa road accident dies at hospital
One of the two Bangladeshi citizens, who suffered severe injuries in a road accident in South Africa on February 24, died in a South African hospital on Monday night.
The deceased was identified as Anisul Haque Milan, 28, son of Bahar Mia, a resident of Ramanandapur village under Daganbhuiyan upazila of Feni district.
The death toll from the accident now stands at six, all from the Feni district.
Daganbhuiyan Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nahida Akter confirmed the information.
The victim’s younger brother Rimon Miazi said that Milan had been living in South Africa for the last 13 years with his cousin Bablu Mia who confirmed the death news. Milan was being treated at South Africa's George Hospital after the accident.
Milan recently got married and was supposed to come to Bangladesh, Rimon added.
Read more: Five from Feni killed in South Africa road crash
The deceased’s father Bahar Mia was shellshocked upon hearing the death news. His family sought the government's cooperation to bring the body home.
The other five Bangladeshis who died in the accident were Abul Hossain, 45, and his son Nadim Hossain, 10, of Dakshin Char Majlishpur union of Feni's Sonagazi upazila; Raju Ahmed, 34, son of Md Milon, of Momarijpur village of Daganbhuiyan upazila; Mostafa Kamal, 40, son of Siraj Ullah of Dakshin Neyajpur village of the same upazila; and Ismail Hossain, 38, son of Shariat Ullah, from Biroli village of Panchgachia union of Feni Sadar upazila.
Body of Bangladeshi businessman murdered in South Africa buried at home
The body of a Bangladeshi businessman, who was shot to death by unidentified miscreants in South Africa on 22 February, has been buried at his family graveyard in Jagatpur village of Daganbhuiyan Upazila on Monday morning.
Earlier, the body reached Dhaka around two o'clock on Sunday night.
The deceased was Omar Faruq (Manik Azam Sazal), 43, son of late Nurul Amin and a resident of Feni's Daganbhuiyan upazila.
Md. Hasan Imam, Officer-in-Charge of Daganbhuiyan Police Station, said that the deceased Omar Faruq was a businessman in South Africa for the last 18 years and he was also former general secretary of the Bangladeshi community of the state.
Omar Faruq’s mother Kohinur Begum said that Faruq had a conflict with a local shopkeeper over some money transaction. Although it was agreed that Sajal would pay Tk5 lakh to the shopkeeper, he fell short by Tk10,000.
Sajal was killed by the shopkeeper for money, she alleged, demanding justice for the murder of her son.
Paytakht Chess: Bangladeshi FM Parag beat Azerbaijani GM Azer
Bangladeshi FM Mehdi Hasan Parag beat Azerbaijani GM Azer Mirzoev in the sixth round match of the Paytakht Cup International Chess Festival, a category A tournament, held in the Iranian capital Tehran Tuesday.
Parag played with white pieces to beat Azer.
After the sixth-round matches, Bangladeshi IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman remained in the third spot with five other players, securing four and a half points. He settled for a draw with Indian IM Himal Gusain in the sixth-round match.
Parag bagged four points from six encounters.
Read more: Chess Olympiad: Bangladesh beat stronger Czech Republic in 3rd round
Bangladeshi student in Turkey missing after earthquake
A Bangladeshi student named Md Golam Syed Rinku has been reported missing in the wake of the powerful earthquake that rocked Türkiye and Syria along their borders early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 2,800 people.
Rinku is from Bogura, Mohammed Nore-Alam, consul general of Bangladesh in Istanbul, told UNB.
"Nur, one of the two missing students, has been found. However, Rinku is still missing," he added.
Rinku's friends identified him as an undergraduate student but could not provide any more details.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka is in touch with the Embassy of Bangladesh in Ankara.
"We are in touch with our mission," MoFA spokesperson Seheli Sabrin told UNB.
Authorities feared the death toll would keep climbing as rescuers searched through tangles of metal and concrete for survivors in a region beset by more than a decade of Syria's civil war and a refugee crisis, AP reported.
Read more: Powerful quake rocks Turkey and Syria, kills more than 2,800
ACC to investigate Bangladeshi buying spree in Dubai's real estate sector
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) commissioner Zahirul Haque has disclosed that the commission will start an investigation about the properties of 459 Bangladeshi nationals in Dubai.
The commissioner said this in a discussion with journalists in his office in the head office of ACC.
The High Court on January 15 ordered four agencies, including the Anti-Corruption Commission, to investigate. The other agencies are Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and National Board of Revenue (NBR).
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a writ petition in this regard. It asked the four agencies to submit the progress report within a month.
Also read: 459 Bangladeshis’ properties in Dubai: Writ petition seeks probe
The court also issued a rule questioning why the inaction of the authorities concerned should not be declared illegal.
On January 12, Advocate Subir Nandi filed the writ petition attaching a report in this regard published in a national daily.
According to the report, a huge amount of money has been transferred to Dubai from different parts of the globe including Bangladesh.
Based on a report of US-based Centre for Advanced Defense Studies, the EU Tax Observatory said 459 Bangladeshis have purchased 972 properties in Dubai till 2020, concealing the information in their own country.
Also read: 459 Bangladeshis’ properties in Dubai: HC orders investigation by ACC, 3 agencies
According to the report, Bangladeshis have purchased the properties worth approximately one billion dollars during this period, making them one of the top buyers in the real estate sector of Dubai.
Experts believe that huge amounts of money are being transferred due to the lack of effective and strong measures to stop money laundering, it said.
Another Bangladeshi youth loses a leg in Myanmarese landmine explosion
A second Bangladeshi man in less than 3 weeks has lost a leg in a landmine explosion near the border with Myanmar along Naikhongchhari of Bandarban.
The injured was identified as Abdul Kader, 27, a resident of Chherakum area in Dochhari union under the upazila. Several organs of his body including eyes were also damaged in the explosion, Md Imran, chairman of the Union Parishad, told UNB.
He was first rushed to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital in critical condition, the chairman said.
Kader stepped on the mine when he drifted across the border to bring back his cows around 8pm on Tuesday, said Mohammad Hossain, who brought him to the hospital.
Read: Mine explosion inside Myanmar kills Rohingya teen, wounds another
Dr Tarekul Islam, medical officer of the hospital, said Kader's leg was severed from the knee down and eyes were also damaged badly.
He was shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for better treatment as his condition was stated to be critical, he added.
Mentionable, Rohingya teen identified as Omar Farooq was killed and another critically injured in a landmine explosion inside Myanmar along the country's border with Bangladesh early Sunday.
On September 16, another Bangladeshi youth was seriously injured in a landmine explosion along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban.
Also read: Rohingya man killed in Myanmar landmine blast near Bandarban Border
Twelve mortar shells have been fired by Myanmar army on Bangladesh territory so far. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh warned Myanmar over it.
Bangladeshi children to be raised as global citizens: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government is going to introduce a fresh national curriculum from the next year to raise Bangladeshi children as global citizens.
“We look forward to raising our children as truly global citizens. We are introducing a new national curriculum from next year. It will prepare our students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” she said.
The premier said this in a pre-recorded video containing Bangladesh's national statement, played at the UN Secretary General's Transforming Education Summit on Monday here in New York.
She said the new curriculum will make them aware of becoming climate resilient. It will turn them into the real agents of our Vision- 2041 to become a developed, knowledge-based economy.
In higher education, Sheikh Hasina said, "We are giving priority to research and development. For technical education, we aim to have better industry linkages."
She said Bangladeshi children should have skills that they can use anywhere in the world.
Read: PM Hasina in New York to attend UNGA
"We need international cooperation for mutual recognition of qualifications .We commit to improve access to foundational and lifelong learning,” she said.
To promote multilingual education, the Prime Minister said they have developed text books in the mother tongue of some of our ethnic groups.
"We are offering education in Myanmar curriculum to millions of children forcibly displaced from Rakhine State and sheltered in our land," she said.
For quality and inclusive education, she said her government must invest in regular training and incentives for our teachers.
They are responsible for making classrooms a safe space for our children. We commit to increasing budget allocation for education in proportion to our GDP, she said.
The Prime Minister said the development partners of Bangladesh need to live up to their fiscal commitments for SDG-4.
She thanked the UN Secretary General for organising the Transforming Education Summit saying that this Summit marks a new way of thinking about education with future changes in the world of work.
"The COVID - 19 pandemic caused learning losses all over. In Bangladesh, we have enrolled six hundred thousand out - of - school students into non - formal education since December 2021," she said.
The premier said they have started vaccinating children above 5 years of age. "Nearly 23 million students from primary level to high education get stipends and scholarships," she added.
She said Bangladesh shall continue to provide cash incentives through mobile gateways to hard - pressed families. "Our successful programmes involving stipends, midday meals and free text book distribution will be carried on," she said.
The pandemic also opened up scope for innovations in distance learning, she said, adding that a Blended Education Master Plan has been developed in Bangladesh.
"We shall set up nearly 59,780 multimedia classrooms by next year. We shall put focus on reducing the digital divide among our students," she added.
She said Bangladesh has made significant gains in achieving gender parity in primary and secondary schools.
“We shall continue to work on reducing gender gaps in higher and technical education. Educating our girls has always been one of my key priorities,” said Sheikh Hasina.
Islamic Solidarity Games: Bangladeshi lifter Sohayaba Rahman sets a new national record
Bangladeshi female weightlifter Sohayaba Rahman set a new national record in the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games now being held in the Turkish city of Konya on Tuesday, lifting total 148 kgs in the women's 80+ Kg weight category.Sohayba lifted 64 KGs in the snatch to break the previous national record of lifting 62 Kgs. In Clean and Jerk, she lifted 84 Kgs to improve the previous national marks of 77 Kgs. In total, she lifted 148 Kgs - bettering the previous best 139 Kgs. But, her performance was not enough to earn a medal in the event as she finished eighth out of eight participants in the 80+ KG weight category.Archery is considered Bangladesh's most prospective event in the ongoing Islamic games. but country's two famed archers Ruman Shana and Diya Siddique did not fulfill their expectation and were eliminated from the quarterfinals of their favorite recurve singles events in the Islamic Solidarity Games.
Read: Islamic Games: Imranur finishes 6th in 100-meter sprintIn the women's recurve singles, Diya lost to Yasemin Ecem of Turkey by 7-3 set points in the quarterfinals. Ecem won the first set by 28-25, the second set ended in a draw (29-29), third set Ecem won by 27-25. Diya won the fourth set by 28-26 and kept the game alive but in the next set, she lost by 28-24 points. In the men's recurve singles, Ruman Shana lost to Ungalov Ozodbek of Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals, he lost by 6-0 (29/27, 27/26, 29/25). Two other male recurve archers, Hakim Ahmed Rubel and Shagor Islam failed to reach the quarterfinals, they were eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals. In women's recurve, Nasrin Akter was eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals and Beauty Roy was eliminated in the second round. In the games swimming, Asif Reza of Bangladesh participated in the 100 meter freestyle in the third Heat and Asif finished sixth with a timing of 54.27 seconds.In fencing, Bangladeshi fencer lost to Lebanon by 45-41 points in the second round of Men's individual foil.