Describing Tangail-7 lawmaker Akabbar Hossain as an honest and sincere politician, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told Parliament that his demise is a huge loss for the party as well as for the country. “Akabbar was one of those who had political wisdom, farsightedness, honesty, sincerity and ideology to lead the country particularly Awami League after our generation,” she said speaking on a condolence motion over the death of the sitting Awami League lawmaker. Read: President Hamid, PM Hasina mourn writer Hasan Azizul Huq's death The PM said it is really very tough to accept the loss of an honest and sincere politician like him. “But it is unfortunate for us we lost such an activist……..as it is essential to have sincerity and patriotism (among the political leaders) to make development of the country,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said Akabbar had a very deep-rooted relation with the people and his constituency saw significant development during his tenures. “When he spoke, he did so politely. He was very calm and polite,” she said. Recalling his contribution to every movement and struggle of the party, the AL president said his contribution to the party can never be forgotten. She prayed for the salvation of the departed soul and expressed deep sympathy to the bereaved family. The prime minister said it is very unfortunate that some 20 MPs from the current parliament passed away since 2019. He remembered the lawmakers by name. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Deputy Opposition Leader Ghulam Muhammed Quader, Opposition chief whip Mashiur Rahman Ranga, Awami League MPs Matia Chowdhury (Sherpur-2), Abdus Sobhan Miah (Madaripur-3), Benjir Ahmed (Dhaka-20), Choto Monir (Tangail-2) and Anwarul Abedin Khan (Mymensingh-9) also joined the the discussion. Read:Hasina slams Tarique for conspiring against Bangladesh Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury moved the condolence motion in the House in the beginning of the day’s business. A one-minute silence was observed and a munajat was offered seeking eternal peace for the departed soul. Parliament unanimously adopted the condolence motion expressing profound shock at the death of the four-time lawmaker. The day’s business of Parliament was adjourned after the adoption of the condolence motion. Akabbar Hossain, 65, died at a city hospital on Tuesday.  He was the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry. Akabbar was born on July 12, 1956 at Postkamuri village in Mirzapur under Tangail district. He completed BSS and MSS degrees from Social Sciences in Dhaka University.

Speculation is rife that veteran politician Sharad Pawar could be the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) choice for the post of India's President. The presidential elections are due in India next year. What has bolstered the rumours is Pawar's 50-minute meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's residence in the national capital on Saturday morning. "Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sharad Pawar met PM Narendra Modi," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted, tagging a photo of the meeting. READ: BJP Office set on fire in India’s West Bengal, party blames Trinamool However, earlier this week, the 80-year-old chief of the regional Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) denied that he's a candidate for the post of President amid reported strains in the alliance ruling the western state of Maharashtra. Pawar's NCP is in the alliance. "It is wrong to say that I am a candidate for the Presidential election," Pawar told the media on Wednesday. Political pundits, however, claimed that Modi's BJP could well be keen on making Pawar a candidate for the post of President as he was the one who had taken the initiative to cobble together an opposition wall ahead of the last general elections. "The country will go to polls in 2024. Pawar could be a threat to the ruling party. So, to pacify him, the BJP could project him as the country's next President," said Prof Anita Sinha, a political analyst. READ: Mithun Chakraborty joins India's ruling BJP   Pawar is a prominent politician in India. During his long political career, Pawar has served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra thrice and also held the posts of Defence and Agriculture Minister in the federal government. The astute politician is the president of NCP which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Congress party, now in opposition. READ: BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly to join BJP next week?

Phoenix,  OCT 10 (AP/UNB) — An Arizona elected official ran a human smuggling scheme that promised pregnant women thousands of dollars to lure them from a Pacific Island nation to the U.S., where they were crammed into houses to wait to give birth, sometimes with little to no prenatal care, prosecutors allege.