Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) has called on students protesting the quota system in government jobs to await the court’s decision and return to their classrooms and exams. BCL expressed its stance on the ongoing anti-quota movement at a press conference held at Madhur Canteen, Dhaka University, today (July 11, 2024) at 12 pm. Saddam Hussain, President of BCL central committee, emphasized the necessity of considering the court’s observations. “Seeking orders from the executive department alone is not wise. Good decisions take time. Mob justice cannot be commendable,” Hussain said. Quota protesters to observe half-day ‘Bangla Blockade’ tomorrow Highlighting the importance of the quota system, the BCL president said, “The quota system is an inclusive framework that ensures participation and gender balance. The government and the High Court are actively working to resolve this issue. Students need to be patient.” He further clarified, “This is not an anti-discrimination student movement. Statistics show that quotas are essential for ensuring gender balance and an inclusive administration.” Addressing the impact of the ongoing protests, the BCL president criticized the disruption caused by road and rail blockades. “Students are creating a crisis, leading to public suffering. These issues must be resolved through policy discussions and strategic actions. We urge students to return to their classes,” he said. Bangla Blockade: Students block Barishal-Dhaka highway

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today (June 02, 2024) said that authorities will proceed with corruption charges against former police chief Benazir Ahmed. Should he be found guilty, he will be compelled to return to Bangladesh, he said. Speaking at a press conference at the Awami League president’s office in Dhanmondi this afternoon, Quader emphasized the government’s firm stance against corruption, saying, “No leniency will be shown.” Quader, who is also the General Secretary of Awami League, detailed that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is actively investigating Benazir’s case. “The investigation, legal proceedings, and potential arrests are all part of a legal process,” he said. The government will not bypass the ACC to take any premature actions. If there are any failures within the anti-corruption agencies, they too will face scrutiny, said the AL leader. Fakhrul questions how Benazir “sneaked off to Singapore” Highlighting the current administration’s commitment to combating corruption, Quader remarked, “Since 1975, no other government has shown the courage to act against corrupt individuals. Sheikh Hasina’s government has demonstrated this bravery. While individuals may commit corruption, it is the government’s stance against such actions that matters.” Quader also criticized Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for its inaction against corruption during its tenure. “BNP didn’t take any measures against corruption while in power,” he said. Addressing allegations from BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir that Benazir fled abroad with government assistance, Quader retorted, “Who from the government escorted him to the plane? Which authority facilitated his departure? Do not throw around baseless accusations.” Govt bears responsibility for misdeeds of Aziz, Benazir: Fakhrul Quader also accused BNP of initiating a culture of financial misconduct. “The culture of money laundering and economic misappropriation began during the BNP’s era. When in power, BNP leaders indulged in rampant illegal earnings. This is an established fact both domestically and internationally. After coming to power in 2001, corruption became institutionalized under the BNP, leading to Bangladesh being named the most corrupt country five times consecutively. Convicted and fugitive BNP leader Tarique Rahman is currently leading a lavish lifestyle abroad with the illicit money.” Quader read from a written statement at the beginning of the press conference, asserting the integrity of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “No one can claim that our Prime Minister has engaged in or tolerated corruption. Sheikh Hasina is recognized globally as a thoroughly honest politician, whose popularity stems from her hard work and honest living.” He further criticized the BNP, saying, “BNP’s main leader Tarique Rahman is a convicted fugitive and a known criminal. A party led by such an individual cannot work for people’s welfare or gain their trust.” In response to a journalist’s question, Quader remarked, “BNP is ruled by the king of thieves.” Read more: Why Aziz, Benazir yet to be arrested, asks Manna

Six people including five presiding officers were arrested on charge of holding a “secret meeting to work for a chairman candidate” in Sirajganj upazila parishad election to be held tomorrow. Canceling the appointment of 10 presiding officers including the arrested ones, the local administration appointed 10 new presiding officers. Sirajganj deputy commissioner and also returning officer Mir Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman shared the information at a press conference last night. He said they conducted a joint drive with police, election office and district administration after being tipped off that a secret meeting was taking place at Garden Palace Resort in Kadai area of Sadar upazila, involving several presiding officers supporting a chairman candidate. Though no one could be arrested from the spot during the drive, later CCTV footage and some resort staff were taken to the local police station for questioning, he said. Read more: Upazila election with or without party symbol doesn’t conflict with law: LGRD Minister The arrested presiding officers are Serajul Islam, 52, assistant prof of Jamuna Degree College; Ashraful Islam, 53, principal of S.B. Railway Colony School and College; Abu Sama, 44, lecture of Sirajganj Police Lines School and College; Babu Kumar Ghosh, 42, lecture of Ratankandi School and College; Yasin Arafat, 53, senior principal officer at Janata Bank Sirajganj Zonal Office; and Aminul Islam, coordinator of the meeting, assistant teacher of Shiyalkol Government Primary School and President of Sirajganj District Primary Teachers' Association. Police Superintendent Arifur Rahman Mandal said they conducted drives in the district and arrested them including the meeting’s mastermind Aminul Islam. The ongoing operation to arrest others continues, he said, adding that a case was filed accusing 20 individuals, including eight unidentified ones with the Sadar police station. The upazila has a total of 171 polling centres. Read more: Upazila Election: 418 BGB platoons deployed ahead of 1st phase

Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury has said that the international bidding for offshore oil and gas exploration will draw a huge response. “This round, we have introduced some new aspects like linking gas price with Brent and per year cost recovery at highest 75 percent to make the bidding more attractive,” he told reporters at a press conference at Petrobangla headquarters in Dhaka on Monday. The Energy and Mineral Resources Division organised the press conference to brief about the “Oil and Natural Gas Exploration Under Bangladesh Offshore Bidding Round 2024”, for which Petrobangla invited international oil and gas companies (IOCs). Intensify efforts to scale up renewable energy technology: Energy Advisor State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, Energy Secretary Md Nurul Alam and Petrobangla chairman Zanendra Nath Sarker also addressed the event. The tender notice was published in local newspapers and websites of concerned government entities including Bangladeshi missions abroad on Sunday giving six months’ time until September 9, 2024 for submission of the bids. As per the floated tender, a total of 24 offshore blocks — of which nine are shallow blocks — and 15 deep sea blocks are available for the bidding round. The nine shallow sea blocks are SS-01, 02, 03, 05, 06, 07, 08, 10 and 11) and 15 deep sea blocks are DS-08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22. Gov wants AIIB to invest more in energy, power sectors: Nasrul The bidder, singly or in association with other companies, can bid for one or more blocks. Contracts will be signed with the successful bidders in line with the Bangladesh Offshore Model Production Sharing Contract 2023, said the tender. Tawfiq Elahi Chowdhury informed that so far, the bidding invitation was sent to 55 IOCs who have contacted the government as potential bidders. He, however, averted a question on the geopolitics that might appear to be a factor in the participation of the IOCs in the bidding round. Nasrul Hamid said it’s an open bidding and any company eligible can bid for any block. He said a pre-bid meeting will be arranged after Ramadan for the interested bidders. Read more: Petrobangla invites offshore bidding for oil, gas exploration

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Thursday (February 01, 2024) said the government is not harassing Noble Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus by filing false cases. “The government is not doing anything to harass Dr Muhammad Yunus. No false case is being filed against him. First a case was filed by workers and then the directorate responsible for protecting the rights of the workers filed a case.” He said this at a press conference on contemporary issues at the secretariat today. Read: 3 awarded life terms for 2015 murder in Cumilla  “Despite undisputable evidence, it is being spread abroad that the allegations against him (Yunus) are false, and it is being said that we are doing this to harass him,” said the minister. The minister said that the efforts being made at home and abroad to defame various institutions in Bangladesh centring on Yunus's case will be defeated. "As you know, according to the provisions of the Bangladesh Labour Act, an inspector can inspect any company if it is found that they are violating the law. In this case, on February 2, 2020, the inspector of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) first inspected Grameen Telecom as per the provisions of the Labour Act,” said Anisul. "He found out that some laws were being violated. Later, on March 1, he wrote a letter to Grameen Telecom seeking their explanation about these violations and asking them to correct those,” he said. Read: Take measures in preventing price hike of daily essentials: IGP  “Grameen Telecom's response was not satisfactory, and they (DIFE) inspected Grameen Telecom again on August 17, 2021. After seeing violations of the same law there, a letter was sent on August 19 stating that the law was being violated. In such a situation, a case was filed against Dr Yunus and Grameen Telecom on September 9,” added Anisul.

Bangladesh's Ministry of Commerce has set an export target of $72 billion with 11.52 percent growth for the fiscal year 2023-24. Export target for goods has been set at $62 billion while for the service sector, the target was set at $10 billion. Export target achieved in FY 2022-23 was $64.55 billion, which saw a growth of 5.88 percent. RMG exports to EU grew 9.93% in FY 2022-23: Export Promotion Bureau Goods worth $55.55 billion and services worth $9 billion were exported in FY 2022-23, and the growth were 6.67 percent and 1.25 percent respectively. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi today (July 12, 2023) made the announcement of the export target and achievements in the previous fiscal in a press conference at the ministry. Prior to the announcement, the minister met with leaders of different business organizations and ministry officials. RMG exports in FY23 almost $47bn, 85% of total exports Business leaders at the meeting urged the government to ensure uninterrupted gas and electricity supply to industries at affordable rates. Otherwise, exports would be negatively impacted, they told the minister. While announcing the new export target, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said the global economic slowdown has been considered when setting the new target. Gas and power crises have also been considered while setting the target, the minister said. Exports raked in $55.56bn in FY23, highest in history While replying to a query, the minister said Bangladesh has some advantages including trained labour force, and affordable cost of products. Besides, global entrepreneurs are relocating industries from China due to geo-political reasons, and Vietnam has a labour crisis, the minister said. If Bangladesh can utilize these opportunities, exports can go beyond the target, the commerce minister said. Dollar exchange rate for repatriated export income increased to Tk107.5

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has started addressing a press conference on the outcome of her recent three-nation visit to Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom from April 25 to May 09, 2023. The press conference began at 4:05pm on Monday at her official residence Ganabhaban here. On April 25, Hasina left Dhaka for Tokyo on a four-day official visit to Japan on the first leg of her three-nation visit at the invitation of her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. Also Read: PM Hasina: Climate-induced disasters may disrupt Bangladesh’s smooth LDC graduation During her stay in Tokyo, the Bangladesh PM met Emperor of Japan Naruhito, held summit meeting with her Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio. She and her Japanese counterpart witnessed the exchange of eight instruments, mostly memorandums of cooperation signed between Dhaka and Tokyo to boost cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, metro-rail, industrial up-gradation, ship-recycling, customs matters, intellectual property, defense, ICT and cyber security. She also attended an investment summit and a community reception as well as handed over the “Friends of Liberation War Honour” to two Japanese nationals for their special contribution to the Liberation War of Bangladesh. Also Read: Bangladesh's next general election will be fair, PM Hasina tells UK Besides, Hasina held meetings separately with Foreign Minister of Japan Yoshimasa Hayashi, President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Dr Tanaka Akihiko, Chairman of Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial & Economic Cooperation (JBCCEC) Fumiya Kokubu, Chairman and CEO of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Ishiguro Norihiko and President of Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League (JBPFL) Taro Aso. On April 28, the PM left Tokyo for Washington DC on a six-day official visit to the USA on the second leg of her three-nation tour in a bid to attend the celebration of the 50 years of partnership between the World Bank and Bangladesh. Also Read: PM Hasina off to Tokyo on first leg of a two-week official visit to Japan, USA and UK She attended a seminar titled "Reflection on 50 years of Bangladesh-World Bank Partnership" organized at the headquarters of the World Bank in Washington DC, USA on May 1. In Washington DC, Sheikh Hasina also had meetings separately with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and President and CEO of US Chamber of Commerce Suzanne P. Clark. Besides, she attended a high-level executive roundtable with the US business delegation and a community reception. On May 04, the premier left Washington DC for London on a five-day official visit to the UK to attend the coronation of UK's King Charles III, hosted by Buckingham Palace on May 06. Read More: PM attends coronation of King Charles III In London, Hasina had interaction with King Charles III, and held a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Also Read: PM Hasina reaches Tokyo to begin four-day official visit to Japan She also attended the Commonwealth Leaders Event, the King's reception for heads of states, governments and overseas representatives at Buckingham Palace in advance of the coronation of the King and the Queen Consort, and a community reception. She had a meeting with and Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema there. Also Read: PM returns home after 15-day foreign visit Besides, PM Hasina had interactions with Presidents of Egypt and Rwanda, Prime Ministers of Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Gambia, Namibia and Uganda in the coronation programme of King Charles III. Sheikh Hasina returned home on May 09.      

A newlywed couple in Rajshahi held a press conference today to declare that the bride had not been abducted. “I was not abducted. I came to know my family was preparing to file a case against my husband, so I wanted everyone to know, yesterday I left my home willingly and married the love of my life,” the bride said in the press conference, dispelling allegations from her family's side. Twenty-one-year-old Fatima Tabassum’s family forced her into marrying a Saudi expatriate in 2019. She came back to Bangladesh 18 months later, in 2021. Also Read: Love in Dhaka. Marriage in India... Fatima and her husband, Fazle Rabbi, 26, are residents of the Bou Bazar area of Ramchandrapur. The groom, a businessman by profession, said in the press conference that Fatima’s parents had disapproved of their marriage and filed a false lawsuit against him. “They still couldn’t break our bond and forced Fatima into marrying another man in 2019. She was being tortured at home since she came back from Saudi Arabia,” he said. Also Read: ‘Louder than Words’ launched as part of youth activism to eliminate early, forced marriage Mentioning that he is concerned that Fatima's family will file another fraudulent lawsuit against him, he said, “I’m prepared for it. Fatima will tell the truth in court,” he added. Mazharul Islam, officer-in-charge of Boalia police station, said Fatima’s family informed the police about the incident, but no complaint has yet been filed.  

Following yesterday's police action at Nayapaltan, BNP will hold a press conference on the incident this afternoon. The press conference will be held at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office at 3pm, said Sayrul Kabir Khan, a BNP media cell member. Yesterday, the party announced to hold a press conference at 3:30pm but it was postponed. Read more: Drive inside BNP head office was against attempts for subversive activities, says DMP Commissioner One person was killed and over 100 were injured, and nearly 300 BNP leaders and activists were arrested yesterday after a clash between police and opposition activists in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office. Read more: Fakhrul barred from going into BNP’s Nayapaltan office

When the flight from Kathmandu landed in Dhaka, Bangladesh football team captain Sabina Khatun, who was on board, had no idea what was waiting for her and her team outside the airport.  Sabina knew her team had the capabilities to lift the title and win the crown of football excellence in South Asia. Still, she had no idea what the capital city had planned for her. When they completed immigration process and came out to the media corner, Sabina came to know there were hundreds of media personnel waiting with cameras to snap their photos, and there were thousands of fans waiting with flowers to greet them for their victorious journey that ended with the ultimate prize. Read: “Our SAFF achievement is understandable if you look at our journey” Along with fans, band parties were also waiting for them with the cadence of patriotic songs. They were ready with flutes, drums and other musical instruments on the trucks decorated with photos of Sabina and her team.  A press conference was scheduled at the airport. But that failed to materialise due to the overcrowded presence of media personnel. The airport authority failed to manage the crowd. There were hundreds of police personnel to handle the situation, but they failed. There were hundreds of Ansar members too. They too failed to contain the passionate fans. Being unable to host the press conference there, the authority was forced to call it off. It took them around an hour to disperse the crowd and restore order. Read: SAFF Champion Tigresses return home