The coastal regions of India and Pakistan were on high alert Wednesday with tens of thousands being evacuated a day before Cyclone Biparjoy was expected to make landfall. The India Meteorological Department said the cyclone was now packing maximum sustained winds of up to 145 kilometers per hour (90 mph). It is projected to make landfall near Jakhau port in the Kutch district of India's Gujarat state on Thursday. Residents living within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the coast in Gujarat were evacuated, and those living within 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) may also have to move out, officials have said. Also Read: India, Pakistan deploy rescuers and plan evacuations ahead of severe cyclone Four people have been killed so far in incidents related to the cyclone, including three boys who drowned off Mumbai's coast and a woman who was killed due to an accident caused by strong winds in Gujarat. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing to find one more person who drowned in the seas off Mumbai. Experts say climate change is leading to an increase in cyclones in the Arabian Sea region, making preparations for natural disasters all the more urgent. At a relief camp for displaced people in the Pakistani village of Gharo in Sindh province, wage laborer Allah Noor, 59, said soldiers came and evacuated them amid a strong windstorm. Also Read: India, Pakistan brace for severe cyclone, deploy rescuers to coastal regions In Kutch, where the cyclone was expected to hit land, 57-year-old boat owner and businessman Adam Karim Dhobi said this was the worst storm he'd seen since 1998. "We have parked our boats in safe places," Dhobi said. "We are praying to God that this cyclone doesn't cause too much damage here." The Press Trust of India news agency said nearly 40,000 people have been evacuated to relief camps in Gujarat. Nikhil Mudholkar from the National Disaster Response Force who was overseeing relief operations in Devbhoomi Dwarka district along Gujarat's coast, said they were fully prepared and were now in waiting mode. Also Read: Heavy rains in northwest Pakistan leave 25 dead, 145 injured "We have deployed 23 teams and have moved everyone living near the coast to safer grounds," Mudholkar added. "Windspeeds have picked up now and rains have started too." In Pakistan, despite strong winds and rain, authorities said all people from vulnerable areas have been moved to safer places in the southern districts, including Thatta, Keti Bandar, Sajawal and Badin — regions that only last summer were affected by the devastating floods that displaced thousands. For many there, it ws a second displacement in less than a year. People packed up as many of their belongings they could into their cars and left — either on their own or under troop escort — heading to relief camps set up inside government buildings and schools. At the Gharo relief camp, 80-year-old Bayan Bibi said there was no medicine for the sick available at the camp. On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif ordered the evacuations from risk areas and asked local authorities to arrange food, shelter and medical facilities for the displaced. Pakistan's Climate Minister Sherry Rehman urged people not to panic but work with the authorities, promising they would be taken to safer places. The cyclone has "extensive damaging potential" and is likely to impact Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts the most, India's IMD has said. Fishing activities have been suspended in both countries until June 16. All ports in the region including the major ports of Kandla and Mundra have been shut. Dozens of trains and flights that were scheduled to ply in this region have been diverted or canceled. Also Tuesday, India's home minister Amit Shah held an emergency meeting with senior officials to review preparedness and announced a budget of $972 million for disaster management. A recent study shows that the Arabian Sea has warmed up by almost 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) since March this year, making conditions favorable for severe cyclones, he said. "The oceans have become warmer already on account of climate change," Raghu Murtugudde, an Earth system scientist at the University of Maryland said. Another study, in 2021, found that the frequency, duration and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea had increased significantly between 1982 and 2019, he said. Cyclone Tauktae in 2021 was the last severe cyclone that made landfall in the same region. It claimed 174 lives, a relatively low figure thanks to extensive preparations ahead of the cyclone. In 1998, a cyclone that hit Gujarat state claimed more than 1,000 lives and caused excessive damage. A cyclone that hit Sindh province and the city of Karachi in 1965 killed more than 10,000 people.

Members of the law enforcement agencies including Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been patrolling the Sadar upazila of the district on Saturday  to ward off further trouble,  a day after the violence over an Ahmadiyya religious event that left 2 people and dozens injured. Though the law enforcers are on high alert, a tense situation has been prevailing in the area. Md AbdulLatif Miah, officer-in-charge of Sadar police station, said the law enforcers have been deployed at several points to avoid further disturbance. The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families without autopsies following the request by their relatives around 1pm, he said. Also Read: Panchagarh clash leaves 2 killed and at least 50 hurt The Ahmidyya community will hold a press conference over the issue at Salana Jalsa village at 3pm, the OC said, adding that security were beefed up.   He also said that neither any case has so far been lodged in this connection nor anyone has been arrested. The Ahmadiyya devotees, who gathered at the Salana village to attend their scheduled event,were seen going back to their respective destinations on Saturday morning after the event was suspended for an indefinite period on Friday night.   Two men were killed and at least 50 people sustained injuries in the clash of a section of Muslim devotees and police demanding the closure of a Qadiani Salana Jalsa in Panchagarh town on Friday After the Jummah prayers, devotees gathered from some mosques in Panchagarh municipality area and started a protest march. Then they went to Panchagarh town staging an agitation there. At one point they marched towards the Qadianis Jalsa in the Ahmed Nagar area. As police stopped the procession at Panchagarh Chowrangi intersection, the protesters became angry and started throwing brickbats at the police in the city's cinema hall road area. Police had to move back at one point due to the protest procession. At least 30 people were injured. Shops in Panchagarh town closed as the violence spread panic among the people. The angry mob also looted around 20 houses of the Qadianis located in Ahmednagar.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked the security forces to be on alert saying that a quarter is targeting to thwart the much-awaited inauguration of Padma Bridge on June 25. “We’ve completed the work (Padma Bridge construction) throwing a big challenge. Those who opposed it have a target. We’ve got some information as well (in this regard). They will make such an incident to happen so that we can’t hold the inaugural ceremony on June 25,” she said. The premier was addressing a programme marking the 36th founding anniversary of the Special Security Force (SSF) at her office here. She said when the World Bank stopped the funding to the Padma Bridge due to instigation from Dr Muhammad Yunus and his friend Hillary Clinton, her government announced that it would construct the bridge with own funding. “At that time, many people thought that we could not do it. But we’ve done it,” said Hasina. She asked the security forces particularly the law enforcement agencies to be careful and ensure security to import structures (KPI ones) of the country ahead of the opening of the country’s largest multipurpose road-rail bridge. Read: Plant at least three trees each during monsoon, PM urges citizens She said the fire incidents have already been seen on train, launch and ferry in recent times. Suspecting foul play in the recent fire at BM Container Depot  she wondered how the blaze could occur in several sites and not at a single place. Noting that she saw a video footage of the train fire on Saturday, she said the fire started from the wheel. “How could it be possible?  So, all these things are mysterious,” she said. “So, I would like to ask all to remain alert, pay attention to our important establishments and ensure security to these,” said the PM. Sheikh Hasina asked the SSF members to always maintain the firmness of character, discipline, honesty and other qualities alongside acquiring professional skills. She also urged them to pay attention so that she would not be isolated from the people. “We do politics for the people…. You’ve to ensure that we are not isolated from the people,” she added. Hasina said her government has developed the country as ‘Digital Bangladesh’ and sent a satellite (Bangabandhu satellite) into space and introduced different digital systems. The technology has opened the new door for socio-economic development, but it also has created scope for those who are engaged in terrorist activities to carry out their activities using the latest technology. Read: Population Census gives right picture of country: Dipu  “The technology creates scopes for our socio-economic development, but the pattern of destructive activities changes due to the technology,” she said adding that keeping it in mind, her government has strengthened the SSF with the use of the latest technology so it could keep pace with the world.   Pointing to the chiefs of the three armed forces, police and other forces who were present at the function, Hasina asked them to continue to remain alert always against terrorism and militancy as some quarters are out to sabotages when the country get progress. “We’ll have to remain conscious always. Keep it in mind whenever we go forward, some quarters try to make different types of incidents to happen. It is unfortunate for us,” she said. In an oblique reference to the Gulshan Holey Artisan attack in 2016, the PM said every force -- from intelligences to army, navy, air forces, police, Rab, Ansar and VDB, and BGB-- has played an important role since the incident and thus the government has been able to curb the militancy and terrorism. “We’ll have to contain terrorism and militancy. Our every force is still alert and conscious in this regard,” she added. SSF Director General Major General Md. Majibur Rahman, on behalf of all members of his force, presented a memento to the prime minister on the occasion of the 36th founding anniversary of the elite force.

South Korea's president said Sunday that he was putting his country on its highest alert for infectious diseases, ordering officials to take "unprecedented, powerful" steps to fight a soaring viral outbreak, while a continent away in Italy, authorities battled to contain Europe's first major outbreak of the virus.

Benapole, Sept 28 (UNB)- Immigration police at the check post of Benapole land port have been kept on high alert to prevent the criminals involved in casino business from leaving the country.