Buddhists across the country, including in Dhaka, Chattogram, the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Cox's Bazar, and Ramus, are peacefully celebrating their second-largest religious festival, Prabarana Purnima, with the appropriate solemnity. In honour of this occasion, a week-long series of programmes has been organised in Buddhist villages and townships, as stated in a press release from ISPR. During the festival, the Bangladesh Army is on duty in both the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the plains to ensure an atmosphere of peace, order, and harmony. Earlier, on 10 October, a delegation from the Bangladesh Buddhist Federation held a courtesy meeting with Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman at army headquarters. During this meeting, the army chief pledged to provide financial and security assistance for the celebrations in the three hill districts for both Prabarana Purnima and the Kothin Chibor Dan events. He also assured that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure security during the festivities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Subsequently, the Army Chief presented a cheque for Tk 1 crore on behalf of the Bangladesh Army to the Bangladesh Buddhist Federation, according to the release. Additionally, the army has coordinated with other forces to ensure the security of the upcoming month-long Kothin Chibor Dan event.

The Chief of Army Staff General Waker-uz-Zaman said on Tuesday that the Army has provided shelter to individuals whose lives were in danger, regardless of their religion or ethnicity. He emphasized that the current government is seeking to implement some reforms and hold a free and fair election, and the Army is fully committed to supporting them in achieving these goals. He made these remarks during a briefing at Rajshahi Cantonment on Tuesday afternoon. In response to a question about whether the detained Awami League leaders from airports or border posts would be formally arrested, the army chief said that while the army has provided shelter to those whose lives were threatened, anyone against whom there are legal allegations will face justice. He stressed that the army is committed to preventing any extrajudicial actions against these individuals. Read more: Money launderers won’t be allowed to sleep in peace: New Bangladesh Bank Governor The army chief also highlighted the importance of recovering weapons looted from the police. Several have already been recovered, and the search is ongoing and expressed his hope that the remaining weapons would also be recovered soon. General Waker reassured that the situation has stabilized and is now under control, thanks to the combined efforts of all parties involved and also acknowledged the support received from the media and expressed gratitude for their cooperation. He noted that the police are currently under some stress but are gradually resuming their duties effectively. The army continues to provide protection to the police, and once the situation normalizes further, the army will return to its cantonment. Until then, the army will remain engaged. Regarding concerns about possible harsh measures similar to "Operation Clean Heart" or the "One-Eleven" political interventions, he assured that the army will not adopt such strict approaches. Instead, the army is committed to fully supporting the government’s efforts to implement reforms and ensure a free and fair election. Addressing questions about foreign pressure, the army chief confirmed that there is no external pressure, although there has been some discussion concerning minority issues. He mentioned that around 30 incidents related to minority unrest have occurred in 20 districts, but none in the eight districts of the Rajshahi division, which is a positive sign. The army aims to maintain the peaceful environment and continue working towards the country’s progress. On the matter of army vehicles being burned in Gopalganj, the army chief described it as a misunderstanding. The situation is now normal, and dialogue has been established with the local leaders. He assured that those responsible for the incident would be investigated and brought to justice. Earlier, the army chief held a meeting with administrative officials in the Rajshahi region to discuss the situation. Present at the meeting were Dr. Dewan Mohammad Humayun Kabir, Divisional Commissioner of Rajshahi; Anisur Rahman, DIG of Rajshahi Range; Bipul Vijay Talukdar, Metropolitan Police Commissioner; and Shami Ahmed, District Commissioner of Rajshahi, along with officials from RAB-5 and BGB. Read more: Sheikh Hasina, 24 others sued over student killed in Dhaka’s Mirpur during protest

Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed returned home on Sunday after a 3-day official visit to Qatar. During the 3-day official visit, the Army Chief enjoyed the semi-final and final games of the '18th AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™' held in Qatar and observed various events of the 'World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024'. Shab-e-Barat on February 25 Besides, the army chief also participated in bilateral meetings with representatives from different countries and discussed various issues of mutual cooperation, says an Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) Directorate media release. Anita Ghazi Rahman joins Brac Bank as independent director The Chief of Army Staff went to Qatar on February 7 at the invitation of Qatar Olympic Committee and President of Local Organizing Committee Joan Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed on Thursday visited the activities of Bangladesh Army deployed in Dhaka, Jashore and Savar region as the country gears up for the 12th parliamentary elections. 1 more dengue patient dies; 153 hospitalised in 24hrs The Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) said in a press release on Thursday that  the army chief visited the activities of the Bangladesh Army deployed in Jashore region to assist the civil administration on January 7, according to the ISPR. During the visit, he exchanged views with the soldiers on duty and gave necessary directions. Dense fog disrupts flight operations at Dhaka airport; 13 flights diverted General Officer Commanding (GOC), 55 Infantry Division and Area Commander Jashore Area, senior military officials of the Army Headquarters, local civil administration and law enforcement agencies were present on the occasion. After visiting the Jashore region, the army chief inspected the activities of the army personnel deployed in Savar and Dhaka and gave necessary directives. Dhaka's air quality 3rd worst in the world this morning

A senior army warrant officer was killed and two other soldiers suffered injuries when members of the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) opened fire on a patrol team in Rowangchhari upazila of Bandarban district on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Master Warrant Officer Nazim Uddin, son of late Shamser Ali of Ghaghatpara village of Rangpur Sadar upazila. The injured army soldiers are being treated at a hospital, according to the ISPR. Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed expressed deep grief over his death. On the occasion of National Children's Day-2023 and Independence Day, the patrol team went to remote hilly areas to ensure the security of a team that went to provide free health care to mothers and children on Sunday noon. Around 1pm, the armed KNA members suddenly opened fire on the patrol team from an ambush vantage point, leaving the warrant officer dead on the spot and two others injured, ISPR said. According to the ISPR, the separatist Kuki-Chin National Army, an armed terrorist group, has previously provided arms training to a militant group "Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya" in Bandarban's hilly areas for money. Besides, the terrorist group tried to stop the road construction work going on in Thanchi under the supervision of the Bangladesh Army. On failing, they kidnapped 12 workers on March 11, 2023. Of them, a worker suffered bullet injuries and four workers are still being held hostage by the KNA. Although the remaining seven workers were released for ransom, they threatened them not to work on the road construction project. Earlier on February 8, 2023, KNA sent a notice to the Transport Owners Association threatening to stop vehicle movement in three upazilas of Bandarban. On Sunday, March 12, 2023, the district administration issued an indefinite travel ban in the area due to security concerns caused by various terrorist activities of KNA members.      

The fire that broke out at a cotton godown in Sitakunda upazila of Chattogram district yesterday (March 11, 2023) morning was brought under control this morning, around 22 hours after the incident.   Sultan Mahmud, senior station officer of Kumira Fire Service and Civil Defence, confirmed the development, saying that the fire was brought under control with the help of Bangladesh Army and Navy around 8 am this (March 12, 2023) morning. Members of the army, navy and fire service are tirelessly working to douse the blaze completely, he said. The army will brief about the incident when the fire is extinguished, the fire service officer added. Read more: Sitakunda cotton godown fire: Army, Navy join efforts to control the blaze On Saturday night, members of the army and navy joined the fire service in fighting the fire.   Meanwhile, a 10-member probe committee, headed by Chattogram district administration’s deputy director Badiul Alam, was formed to investigate the fire. The committee was asked to submit a report within 5 working days, Md Towhidul Islam, executive magistrate of the district administration, said. He said there were 2700 tonnes of cotton inside the warehouse which made it difficult to bring the fire under control. Read More: Sitakunda cotton godown fire: Army, Navy join efforts to control the blaze The fire started at the cotton warehouse of Unitex Group in Chhoto Kumira area around 10:30 am yesterday. On information, five firefighting units from two stations responded to the fire and almost brought the blaze under control around 12 pm. But as the fire flared up again, firefighters struggled to douse the fire due to a lack of a constant supply of water in the area. Six more firefighting units joined in around 8 pm last night. Read More EU releases €1 million in emergency aid for people affected by fire in Rohingya camp in Bangladesh The origin of the fire and the extent of damage could not be ascertained immediately. Earlier on March 4, six people were burned to death and around 33 sustained injuries in a fire after a massive blast at Seema Oxygen Plant in the upazila.

When rioters stormed Brazil’s top government buildings in January to dispute the outcome of the presidential election, many soldiers stood by as far-right protesters broke windows, defecated in offices and destroyed valuable art. The images from Brasilia that day still haunt the left-leaning government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He has strived ever since to ensure that military leaders defend South America’s largest democracy and stay out of politics. The threat isn't just hypothetical. Brazil has lived through four military coups – the most recent one in 1964, followed by two decades of brutal dictatorship. Also Read: Bolsonaro says he may return to Brazil in the coming weeks Lula’s task is fraught. The military is filled with supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, and its role in the new government is being diminished by the day. Lula has already tapped more than 100 civilians to replace military officers Bolsonaro appointed to key positions, and he has moved oversight of the country's intelligence agency to his chief of staff's office, among other changes. “Lula needed to manage his relationship with the military to be able to govern, and will continue to do so,” said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo. Melo said Brazil's military has long believed that it has "some kind of guardianship of the country’s political process," and Bolsonaro only fueled that belief. Also Read: Brazil deluge toll hits 44 as search continues for missing Bolsonaro, a former army captain, appointed more than 6,000 military officers to jobs across his government and revived an annual commemoration of the 1964 coup to stoke nostalgia for the days of military rule. Although that era was marked by human rights abuses and the loss of civil liberties, Bolsonaro and many of his supporters remember it fondly as a time of strong nationalism, economic growth and conservative values. They view Lula's efforts to tame the military as heavy-handed and misguided. “Stop looking through the rearview mirror and govern for all Brazilians,” Bolsonaro's former vice president, Gen. Hamilton Mourão, who is now a senator, said in an interview. The most significant move Lula has made so far has been to elevate Gen. Tomás Paiva to be the army’s top commander. Paiva, 62, has pledged to keep soldiers out of politics and to respect the results of October’s election, in which Lula beat Bolsonaro by a razor-thin margin. Yet Paiva has also acknowledged that most the military’s leaders voted for Bolsonaro, and he lamented Lula’s victory to subordinates just three days before the new president called to offer him the promotion — comments he later said were misinterpreted. Lula has taken various other steps aimed inoculating Brazil from the risk of another violent uprising with at least tacit support from some in the military: — He blocked the appointment of a Bolsonaro loyalist to command the Goiania battalion, based an uncomfortably close 124 miles from the capital. — He placed the country’s intelligence agency — formerly overseen by members of the military — under the office of his chief of staff, which is led by civilians. — He took a symbolically important trip to the U.S., which before the election had warned Brazilian military leaders to steer clear of politics if they wanted access to arms purchases and cooperation from American armed forces. For now, there is no evidence of another uprising being planned or of military leaders questioning Lula's orders, according to a high-ranking official in the army and a person who works closely with the defense minister, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly. Lula enlisted the military’s cooperation twice in February: as part of a massive operation to expel some 20,000 illegal miners from the Yanomami Indigenous area in Brazil’s Amazon, and to help rescue people after mudslides near Sao Paulo. These represented early tests of the relationship between Lula and the military, and the results were very positive, said political consultant Thomas Traumann. Still, there's no guarantee of long-term stability, he said. It remains to be seen whether military retirees and active duty service members who either took part in the Jan. 8 riots or turned a blind eye to them will receive punishment. Some analysts believe that would be important to deter future action. One video from Jan. 8 showed policemen at the presidential palace in the rare position of barking orders at soldiers: “Lead your troops!” one officer shouted at members of the presidential guard, which is part of the army. Another video showed dozens of rioters surrounded by police in the palace, as a general attempts to free them. “Are you nuts?” a policeman asks. “They’re in custody!” Hundreds of civilians who participated in the riots have been jailed and dozens indicted. But service members have so far been spared. The military prosecutors’ office and the top military court have opened 17 investigations, although neither has been transparent about the process. The incoming Chief Justice of Brazil’s Superior Military Court, Joseli Camelo, said he was encouraged recently when the army canceled a plan to commemorate the upcoming anniversary of the 1964 military coup, a dictatorship-era tradition that Bolsonaro revived. “This is just another demonstration that the commander is aligned with all the powers towards our common challenge, which is to pacify Brazil and definitively reinforce democracy in our country,” Camelo said. Mourão, Bolsonaro's former vice president, says the military should not spare any of its members who are proven guilty of taking part in the riots. “The armed forces are shaped to be rigorous in the investigation of disciplinary errors and military crimes,” he said. Even before taking office in January, Lula — who served as president from 2003-2010 — knew it was essential for him to bolster ties with the country’s right-leaning military. Some highly regarded military leaders had openly derided him before the election, and some even campaigned to reelect Bolsonaro. For months, the army permitted anti-Lula protesters who were openly supportive of a military coup against him to camp outside their barracks. In Lula’s first two presidential terms, his relationship with the military was marked by conciliation rather than confrontation, said Fabio Victor, a journalist who just published a best-selling book on Brazil’s armed forces and politics. But Jan. 8 appears to have altered his calculus. In contrast with Bolsonaro's administration, few members of the armed forces work at the presidential palace, Victor said. With an eye toward the future, Lula's allies in Congress are pushing for constitutional changes that would more clearly define the military's powers and limits, and his ministers are looking at overhauling military education. “Lula today is very suspicious of the military,” Victor said.

The death toll from a boating accident in a lake in northwest Pakistan over the weekend reached 51, the military said Tuesday. The vessel was carrying children and teachers from a seminary on a picnic. Police on Sunday said at least 10 students drowned after their boat capsized in Tanda Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. They said then that the vessel was carrying 25 people. Later, however, officials said the boat was overcrowded and in fact was carrying 57 people, mostly children, and at least 51 had died. Read more: 19 women drowned as boat capsizes in Pakistan's Indus River: media The military said in a statement that divers from the army and local emergency service rescued five survivors. It said the search for the remaining person was continuing. Such accidents are common in Pakistan, where rickety wooden boats are often used to transport goods and people on rivers and lakes. Most operate without life jackets.  

A member of the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) was shot to death in a reported gunfight with members of the Army in Ruma upazila of Bandarban district on Saturday. The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately. Tipped off, a team of Bangladesh Army conducted a drive at the middle point of Arthapara and Baslang Para in the evening, said Alamgir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Ruma Police Station. Sensing danger, the KNF members opened fire at the Army, forcing them to fire back, according to the soldiers' account. One separatist was shot dead. Later, police recovered the body of the KNF member from the spot in the morning. Also read; Indigenous man shot dead in Bandarban One gun, ten bullets and different goods used by the criminal gang were seized from the spot. Being panicked, the local people took shelter at Marma Welfare Centre in Ruma upazila Headquarters. Local administration with the help of the Army provided food and medical assistance to them. A group of young men formed the banned armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in 2020, according to authorities.  

Indian chief of Defence Staff had a courtesy conversation with the Bangladesh Army chief over the phone on Thursday night. This is the first time that General Anil Chauhan had a courtesy conversation with Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed after taking charge as India's chief of Defence Staff, the Inter Services Public Relation Directorate said. During the conversation, they hoped for more training cooperation between the armies of the two friendly countries.   Also, the Bangladesh Army chief invited India's chief of Defence Staff to visit Bangladesh. The conversation is expected to boost relations between the armies of the countries, the Inter Services Public Relation Directorate said. Read more: Bangladesh, India sign first contract under US$500 million defence LoC