Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday invited Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus to a debate with her on issues concerning him. “There is nothing to be jealous of. He may come and have a debate with me as is done in the USA,” she said. The premier said while replying to a question at the press conference arranged in Ganabhaban over the outcomes of her India visit. She said Yunus availed most financial and other benefits from her. “It is right; we promoted him very much,” she added. “Sheikh Hasina feels no jealousy with anyone. Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. None can come up at least to this position. I feel proud of it,” she said, adding that the prime ministership is a temporary thing. The PM said she always protects the interest of the country. “I never sell the country or the interests of the country (to anyone),” she said. Hasina said she has been working always for the protection of the country’s independence and sovereignty, and for the people of the country so that they can move, raising their heads high. Pointing at the countries which are vocal on the issue of Yunus, the PM questioned what action they would have taken if anyone evades taxes years after years and if anyone embezzles the money of the Labour welfare fund and doesn’t pay the dues of the workers. “He hasn't paid a single penny to the Labour welfare fund since 2006,” she said. She said the workers filed a case with the Labour court and he was convicted in that case. “What is my fault here?” asked Hasina. She said Grameen Bank was established during the regime of HM Ershad and Dr Yunus was made its Managing Director. “But he didn't (establish) this bank himself,” she added. She said he used to do a job as the managing director and drew the salary at the bank which is a statutory organisation. The salary and other things were provided from the government, she went on.  But a campaign was done in such a way as if he (Dr Yunus) had established this bank, said Hasina.  She noted that Yunus' microcredit scheme was not acceptable as  the borrowers  had to pay upto 40-45 percent interest for loans. She questioned why the poverty was not alleviated with his microcredit scheme in the country when it was so effective. “It is I who alleviated poverty in Bangladesh. I brought down the poverty rate to 18.7 percent from 41.6 in only 15 years,” said the premier. I’ve no desire for Nobel prize:  Sheikh Hasina said she has no conflict with anyone and never has a desire to get a Nobel Prize.  Citing her role for the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in1997, Sheikh Hasina said it was a unique peace accord as some 1800 armed persons surrendered and submitted their arms. She said many noted personalitie at home and abroad wrote for giving her the Nobel Prize after the peace accord, but she never wented to tell them such, she said. “When the MD of a bank obtains a Nobel prize, why would I go to contest with him,” she asked. The PM went to New Delhi on June 21 on a two-day state visit to India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. This was the first bilateral visit by any head of government to India after the BJP-led alliance formed its government for the third consecutive term following the Lok Sabha elections. During the visit, Dhaka and New Delhi signed 7 Memorandums of Understanding and renewed three others to further consolidate the ever-growing relationship between the two neighbouring countries. Awami League general secretary and also road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, Deputy Leader of the House Matia Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, PM’s Private Industry and Invest Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, AL presidium members Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim MP and Kazi Zafarullah were on the dais.  PM’s Press Secretary Md Nayeemul Islam Khan conducted the press conference.

Bangladesh's Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel today (January 23, 2024) addressed the media regarding the ongoing controversy over a story featured in a textbook. “We plan to consult with experts about the story of Sharifa discussed in the textbook. If there's any confusion or misrepresentation, changes will be made,” Chowdhury told reporters at the Secretariat. The story of Sharifa previously sparked debate, and currently, some are protesting over its content. The Education Minister emphasized the need for a thorough discussion with National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) to understand why the story is eliciting such reactions. Read more: UGC team investigates IU VC’s corruptions in teacher recruitment He expressed concern about certain groups’ tendency to exploit religious sentiments and instigate instability and anarchy in the country, and said, “A few days ago, some recommendations were given to me from an organization. Some Qawmi madrasa teachers claimed that the word ‘transgender’ has been used in the textbook. However, upon examination, it was clarified that the term used was ‘third gender’.” “In our society, third gender individuals, commonly known as ‘Hijra,’ are legally recognized citizens with rights," Minister Chowdhury clarified. He further added, “If the presentation of the story leads to misunderstandings and controversies, we will discuss with experts whether we can modify its presentation while respecting the dignity of the third gender individuals. This is a specialized issue, and we don’t want to comment at a policy level.” Responding to a question about the BRAC University controversy, the Education Minister said, “We will discuss this matter with BRAC University and understand the issue through the University Grants Commission, following which a detailed discussion will be held.” Read more: Govt changes class schedule for primary schools due to cold wave

A devastating earthquake that toppled buildings across parts of Turkey and neighboring Syria has revived a longstanding debate locally and in neighboring Cyprus about a large nuclear power station being built on Turkey’s southern Mediterranean coastline. The plant’s site in Akkuyu, located some 210 miles (338 kilometers) to the west of the epicenter of the Feb. 6 quake, is being designed to endure powerful tremors and did not sustain any damage or experience powerful ground shaking from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks. But the size of the quake — the deadliest in Turkey’s modern history — sharpened existing concerns about the facility being built on the edge of a major fault line. Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned company in charge of the project, says the power station is designed to “withstand extreme external influences” from a magnitude 9 earthquake. In nuclear power plant construction, plants are designed to survive shaking that is more extreme than what’s been previously recorded in the area they’re sited. The possibility of a magnitude 9 earthquake occurring in the vicinity of the Akkuyu reactor “is approximately once every 10,000 years,” Rosatom told The Associated Press via email last week. “That is exactly how the margin of safety concept is being implemented.” An official with Turkey’s Energy Ministry, when contacted by the AP, said there were no immediate plans to reassess the project. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol. Some activists, however, still say the project — the first nuclear power plant in Turkey — poses a threat. Nuclear facilities are constructed of heavily reinforced concrete, sized for significant earthquake shaking and far more robust than commercial buildings, said Andrew Whittaker, a professor of civil engineering at the University at Buffalo who is an expert in earthquake engineering and nuclear structures. The fact that it’s sited off the western end of the East Anatolian Fault, which was linked to last week’s powerful tremor, suggests that the design would have been checked for significant shaking, Whittaker added. Still, Whittaker said, it would be prudent to reassess seismic hazard calculations in the region for all infrastructure, including the plant. “There’s no reason to be concerned, but there’s always a reason to be cautious,” he said. That’s little comfort to activists in Turkey and on both sides of ethnically divided Cyprus. They’ve renewed their calls for the project to be scrapped, saying that the devastating earthquake is clear proof of the great risk posed by a nuclear power plant near seismic fault lines. In a statement to the AP, the Cyprus Anti-Nuclear platform, a coalition of over 50 Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot environmentalist groups, trade unions and political parties, said it “calls on all political parties, scientific and environmental organizations and the civil society to join efforts and put pressure on the Turkish government to terminate its plans for the Akkuyu nuclear power plant.” Cypriot European Parliament member Demetris Papadakis asked the European Commission what immediate actions it intends to take to halt the plant because of the dangers posed by building a nuclear power station in a seismic zone so close to Cyprus. Nuclear power plants worldwide are designed to withstand earthquakes and shut down safely in the event of major earth movement — about 20% of nuclear reactors are operating in areas of significant seismic activity, according to the World Nuclear Association. For example, Japanese nuclear plants, including the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant, are in regions where earthquakes of up to magnitude 8.5 may be expected, the association said. Stricter safety standards were adopted after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, when a tsunami crashed into the Daichi plant, melting three reactors and releasing dangerous levels of radiation. And the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in California was designed to safely withstand earthquakes, tsunamis and flooding that could potentially occur in the region too, according to its operator. Turkish nuclear regulators provided the license for the plant’s construction in Akkuyu in 1976 following eight years of seismic studies to determine the most suitable location, but the project was slowed down after the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. Construction of the first reactor started in 2018. Large nuclear power plants have traditionally taken a while to build because of the size, scale and complexity of the infrastructure, and delays associated with first-of-a-kind plants. According to Rosatom, a study by Turkey’s Office for the Prevention and Elimination of Consequences of Emergency Situations indicates that the site in Akkuyu – some 60 miles (95 kilometers) from Cyprus’ northern coastline – is located in the fifth degree earthquake zone, which is considered the safest region in terms of earthquakes. The plant design includes an external reinforced concrete wall and internal protective shell made of “prestressed concrete,” with metal cables stretched inside the concrete shell to give additional solidity to the structure, the company said. And the modern reactor design, Russia’s VVER-1200, includes an additional safety feature — a 144 ton steel cone called the “core catcher” that in an emergency, traps and cools any molten radioactive materials, Rosatom added. The company emphasized that power units with VVER-1200 reactors comply with the post-Fukushima requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency. There’s a political dimension to qualms about the plant: Cyprus has accused Turkey of augmenting the Turkish Cypriots’ dependence on it in order to entrench the island’s ethnic division. Turkey has said it would supply the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north of the island with electricity through an undersea cable. A pipeline suspended a couple of hundred meters under the Mediterranean’s surface is already supplying the north with water. The plant, whose first of four reactors is scheduled to go online later this year, will have a total capacity of 4,800 megawatts of electricity, providing about 10% of Turkey’s electricity needs. According to government figures, if the power plant started operating today, it could singlehandedly provide enough electricity for a city of about 15 million people, such as Istanbul, Rosatom added. It’s estimated to cost $20 billion. Rosatom has a 99.2% stake in the project, and is contracted to build, maintain, operate and decommission the plant. ___ McDermott reported from Providence, Rhode Island. Suzan Fraser, in Ankara, Turkey, contributed.

Sajid Asbat Khandaker and Sourodip Paul of BRAC A have won the open final of the Belgrade World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) 2022, the "world cup of debating." BRAC A was the first team from Bangladesh to make it to the finals and become champions of the world's biggest debating tournament, held annually in English with teams representing universities from across the globe. The WUDC is governed by the World Universities Debating Council, which sets the parameters of the tournament with the rules of debate, eligibility to participate, and the selection of the annual host. Serbian capital Belgrade hosted the tournament this year. The event was held online due to Covid-19. Sajid and Sourodip ranked fifth in the open category during the preliminary rounds of the tournament, breaking previous records of any Bangladeshi team. In the final, streamed live on the Belgrade WUDC Live Streams Facebook page, the Brac University students faced Princeton University, the National University of Singapore, and Ateneo de Manila University. The WUDC uses the British Parliamentary debate format where 15 minutes prior to each round, a "motion" is announced. Motions are drawn from a wide range of topic areas, including domestic and foreign policy, philosophy, political theory, and so on. Debaters have no idea what the motion will be until it is announced. Four teams compete in each round, two on each side. Each team in the round has to rebut any arguments made by the two teams on the other side of the motion and do a better job of defending the motion than the other team on its own side. Each of the four teams comprises two members, each of whom gives one speech with an upper time limit of seven minutes. After all eight speakers have made their case, the adjudicators collectively rank the teams from 1 (best) to 4 (worst). Also read: Bangladesh wins Unilever Future Leaders' League 2022

Are you confused about letting your child learn debating? Debating is an art that trains an individual to express his or her thoughts through a rational, understandable, and convincing tone. It sharpens the skill of critical thinking, interaction, communication and negotiation. When a person starts learning debating from an early age, she or he advances towards high career prospects. This article highlights the benefits of debating for teenagers and children. Why should children, teens learn debating? Though debating is considered as extra-curricular activities, this skill has many more things to offer. Check out here some proven advantages of debates for children. Improved critical thinking skills Debates help improve critical thinking skills in children and teenagers. In regular academic studies, students hardly get the scope of learning critical thinking as learning is no longer interest-based. But, debating can sharpen a student’s critical thinking skills and let them examine the given topic. Then, they accumulate their thoughts and discard concepts or theories that don’t make sense. Thus, they can adopt the rational ideas that really work. Read Benefits of hobbies: Ways to help your child find a hobby Enhanced public speaking skills While debating children and teens can talk confidently as they already have a better idea about the topic and they know it. So, they have the perfect pose. If a boy or girl debates for a while, he or she can deliver his speech confidently and in a persuasive manner. The public speaking skills of young students will be greatly improved as they already attained better poise and speech delivery skills. Bettered student retention  Debating can increase a student’s information retention of the topics studied. This happens because debating is an active, and interest-based learning that engages the mind of the children thoroughly. Things that make students learn actively incline to grow information retention. Thus, debating helps children remember what they have learned for a longer time than rote learning.  Read: How to Teach Your Child Respect, Discipline? Refined listening and note-taking skills Debating helps children improve their note-taking skills while listening to others. At the beginning of debating it is difficult to listen to others and take notes. However, if they have been debating for a while, they will increase your listening skill.  They can catch the main points and are going to defend those points more generally. This also teaches children to filter information at the same time as they listen to their opponent.  Increased self-confidence You can talk confidently on your early prepared topic. As debates help the teenagers and children to know the topic earlier and take preparation on that, of course, they know what they are talking about and thus their self-confidence will naturally increase. This is truly helpful for adolescents who might struggle with self-esteem in their high school years. Read Mild Autism: How to identify a child who is slightly autistic? Grow teamwork skills and collaboration Debaters naturally collaborate with each other to make a debate go well. Collaboration becomes interesting to the children who are debaters.  Moreover, children learn teamwork skills through debate. Debates can lead to great team bonding and fun collaboration work. More confidence to stand up for truth The importance of debate for young students comes on its own when they step into the real world. The teenagers and children get the opportunity to learn a lot of controversial topics in detail while preparing for debates. In real life, they can confidently stand up for the truth when pushed.  Read How to Teach Growth Mindsets to Your Child? Learn to graciously state one’s point  Through debating, children can judge whether it is the right time to state certain information or wait until the recipient is more open to hearing the information. Debaters also read the emotions on the other person’s face. Debate helps children and teens to assess the countenance of their opponent and argues gently accordingly. Help students put balanced arguments Debating without doubt helps a student identify bad arguments and refine good arguments. They learn how to keep the balance of their arguments. Here the great benefit of debating is that students experience how to learn through trial and error. Read Pregnancy Anxiety? How to reduce the stress of pregnant mothers? Help students better structure their thoughts Debate helps students structure their thoughts. In many cases, children can structure their thoughts aptly by finding one or more reasons for their beliefs. New debaters learn to develop a well-rounded viewpoint. But, experienced debaters learn to start their arguments as they already anticipate their opponent’s objections. Debating is Fun The best thing about debating is that no doubt it is plenty of fun! It was a great way to connect with other children and bond with them if they were on your own team. Children also get a great thrill when they have done their best on a debate and you’ve made points in a compact way. Read: Teen Depression: How to help your depressed teenager? How to encourage a child to participate in debate Participating in debates can polish a child’s communication skills. Besides, it helps to boost their confidence as well. The following tips help you to encourage your kid to participate in debates. Start when they are young Help your child become confident and expressive by discussing simple topics and seeking their point of view when they are young.   Pick their interest Select the topic that your child feels interested in. It will inspire the child to participate. Besides, they will remain engaged in the activity. Moreover, practicing at home will give them first-hand experience of what a debate is. Read Benefits of Pets for Kids: Why Raising Children around Livestock? Allow freedom to express their ideas Do not stop them when your child expresses his or her views. Allow them to openly express what comes to their mind. It will help in developing their thinking skills and thought processes. Help them understand ‘For Or Against’ In order to make your child’s side strong, help them in knowing both aspects of the topic.  Strengthen their facts It is essential to know the facts correctly. Help your child to do detailed research of the topic and make their facts clear.  Read Kleptomania or the habit of stealing in children: How to deal with it? Fix their body posture Guide your child on the right body posture-standing tall and being alert, learning how to move their hands, making eye contact with the audience and the opposition team, etc. Your guidelines help to give a positive and long-lasting impression on your child. Teach them how to proceed in an argument Teach them the value of being polite during a debate. Guide them when to speak and also when to listen. This will help your child to be a good speaker as well as a good listener. Recap The art of debate is an essential skill that every student should develop. Children and teenagers can know how to analyze, rationalize, put forward comprehensive arguments, and disagree politely from the debate. Besides, it improves children’s academic performance and scores because they learn to research, prioritize and write evidence-based arguments. Debate instills a sense of perspective and helps to build self-esteem as well. Therefore, children, teenagers and students must be encouraged to participate in debates. Read How to Bathe Babies during Winter?

With President Joe Biden on the verge of his first big legislative victory, a key moderate Democrat said Sunday he's open to changing Senate rules that could allow for more party-line votes to push through other parts of the White House’s agenda such as voting rights.

Dhaka, Sep 8 (UNB)- Robi- Drishty Debate Championship 2019, organised by Drishti Debate Club concluded in Theatre Institute Chattogram on Saturday.