President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Kari Lake, a vocal supporter and former Arizona gubernatorial and Senate candidate, as the new director of Voice of America (VOA). The congressionally funded broadcaster is tasked with delivering impartial news to global audiences. Lake, a former Phoenix TV news anchor who left her role in 2021 after controversies surrounding her social media posts and COVID-19 misinformation, emerged as a prominent political figure. Known for her sharp criticisms of mainstream media and alignment with Trump’s rhetoric, she gained national attention despite unsuccessful bids for public office. Biden approves National Security Memo to assist Trump on key global issues Trump announced that Lake would collaborate closely with the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA, to promote “American values of Freedom and Liberty” worldwide. He emphasized Lake’s role in ensuring fair and accurate broadcasting, contrasting it with what he has previously labeled as “fake news.” VOA, established during World War II, has faced criticism from Trump in the past, including accusations of bias and unfavorable reporting on the U.S. Trump’s remarks particularly targeted VOA's coverage of the early COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China, which the White House criticized during his first term. US keen to support Syrian leaders on conditions Lake has been unwavering in her support for Trump, including promoting unfounded claims of election fraud. Despite losing her Arizona gubernatorial bid and more recently her Senate race, Lake’s loyalty has kept her in Trump’s favor. She has written about her political journey and legal challenges in her book, Unafraid: Just Getting Started. In related announcements, Trump named Leandro Rizzuto as ambassador to the Organization of American States, Dan Newlin as ambassador to Colombia, and Peter Lamelas as ambassador to Argentina. All appointees are notable Trump supporters or significant Republican donors.

A significant portion of Bangladesh’s population believes the caretaker government is providing better security for religious and ethnic minorities compared to the previous Awami League government, reveals a recent survey by Voice of America (VOA). The survey, conducted in late October, found that 64.1% of respondents think the caretaker government is offering greater protection to minorities than the previous administration. In contrast, 15.3% believe the situation has worsened, while 17.9% feel it remains unchanged. It, however, says that the perceptions of security vary between Muslims and non-Muslims. The poll included 1,000 respondents selected to reflect Bangladesh’s demographics. The sample was evenly split between men and women, with 92.7% identifying as Muslim. Slightly over half of the respondents were under the age of 34, and about a quarter resided in urban areas. Initial Turmoil After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, religious minorities, particularly Hindus, faced a wave of violence, including attacks on homes, businesses, and places of worship. "Attacks were motivated both by political affiliations and simply for being a minority," said Nur Khan Liton, a human rights activist. He noted incidents such as arson attacks on Ahmadiyya communities in Panchagarh. Highlighting the longstanding vulnerability of minorities in Bangladesh, Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, criticised successive governments for failing to protect minority rights. “The indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts are deliberately marginalised, and authorities have deprived them of their rights. Hindus and Ahmadiyyas remain targets of extremist groups,” Ganguly said in an interview with VOA. However, under the caretaker government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus, significant efforts have been made to stabilise the situation. Civil society, religious institutions, and security forces came together to protect places of worship. "Within a month, we observed notable improvements due to collaborative efforts from the public, political parties, and religious groups," said Nur Khan, now a member of the newly established Commission on Enforced Disappearances. Differences in Perception The survey revealed a divide in perceptions of safety between Muslims and minorities. Among Muslim respondents, only 13.9% felt the situation had worsened under the caretaker government. However, 33.9% of minority respondents believed their security had declined. Jayati Sarker, a Dhaka resident and NGO worker, expressed mixed feelings. While she previously felt safe returning home late at night, she now fears venturing out even earlier in the evening. "In the past, I didn’t hesitate to return home with my daughter at 11 p.m. Now, even at 8 p.m., I feel unsafe," she said. Despite these concerns, some respondents acknowledged a sense of relief due to the absence of certain political elements. "For 15 years, Awami League activists acquired Hindu-owned land at low prices or forced sales. Now, they are gone, creating a sense of relief," Sarker added. Read: 60.4 % think freedom of expression improved under interim govt: VOA survey  Hiren Pandit, a programme coordinator in Dhaka, noted improved security in rural areas due to increased military deployment but remained cautious about the future. "Our village homes were burned down, and we still live with insecurity," Pandit said. International Concern The post-transition violence against minorities in Bangladesh has drawn international attention. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has consistently voiced its concerns, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed minority rights with Dr Yunus during their September 26 meeting in New York. Donald Trump, the newly elected US President, condemned the violence in an October 31 post on social media platforms X and Truth Social. “I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities in Bangladesh,” Trump wrote. Future Prospects In an address marking the caretaker government’s 100 days, Dr Yunus attributed the violence to political motivations rather than religious tensions. “Some incidents were given a religious guise to destabilise the country further,” he said. Read more: VOA Survey on Bangladesh: 61.1% want elections soon, 65.9% prefer reforms first Human rights activist Nur Khan sees encouraging signs but emphasised the need for consistent actions over the coming months to rebuild trust within minority communities. "The sense of unease is reducing, but whether minorities can feel fully secure depends on the government’s initiatives in the next six to nine months," Khan said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her government is looking into and examining similar digital security laws in the United States of America, United Kingdom, European countries and beyond to learn how they are applied in those countries – noting that Bangladesh’s law is much simpler than others. The PM made the remarks during an interview with Voice of America’s Bangla service. She said that if someone is creating social unrest or jeopardizing national security or imparting training on militancy and making bombs online than strict action must be taken accordingly. “If someone, known as a journalist, tries to steal a file from a ministry, should that person be rewarded? If you do it in any civilized country, what action is taken against that person?” – the PM said. Read More: Arson terrorists, killers must not grab power again: PM Hasina “Despite being caught red-handed, the journalist was labelled a hero and awarded,” she observed. “While the whole world was in total disarray due to Covid-19, and we were discussing buying vaccines, an official caught the file thief…. That person then became a hero and was rewarded. If this happened in any other country, developed or civilized, what would they have done?” – the Prime Minister posed the question. The PM said law on digital security does not only exist in Bangladesh; the US and UK also have such laws. “People in Bangladesh are using the internet and mobile phones more than ever. Out of 17 crore people, 12-13 crore have SIM cards,” she said. Read More: PM Hasina seeks long-term US partnership to build Smart Bangladesh “There are so many issues… so many… teaching online how to make bombs, how to kill people… these need to be stopped. I think this should be given special attention internationally. Action needs to be taken against those who are involving children and teenagers online in such crimes,” said the Prime Minister.  However, she said, the Bangladesh government is quite vigilant regarding the Digital Security Act. “In our country, there was a law earlier, when military dictators were in power, under which any journalist could be arrested without summons. After I (Awami League government) took over, I stopped this.” “So, this is not a case of journalists being harassed. If anyone is involved in anti-social activities or militancy, generally action is taken against them,” the Prime Minister told Voice of America. Read More: Extradition of convicted Tarique Rahman depends on UK govt: PM Hasina

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen Friday expressed profound sorrow at the death of actor, vocal artist and former Voice of America (VOA) Bangla newscaster Kaffey Khan. Kaffey Khan breathed his last at Virginia Center Hospital in Virginia of the US Thursday (US time). Dr Momen said Kaffey Khan was a living legend. The foreign minister also prayed for the salvation of his soul and extended sincerest condolences to his bereaved family. Also read: Ex-VOA news presenter Kaffey Khan dies The 92-year-old broadcast journalist was suffering from prostate cancer and old-age complications. He left behind two sons, two daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death. Kaffey Khan left Bangladesh for the US to join VOA Bangla in 1966 and went on retirement in 1994. He acted in several films in Dhaka in the 60s apart from performing in stage dramas.

Kaffey Khan, a former news presenter of Voice of America’s Bangla section, died in the USA on Thursday. He was 92. Kaffey , also the press secretary of BNP founder and late President Ziaur Rahman, breathed his last at Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington on Thursday afternoon while undergoing treatment for prostate cancer and old-age complications, said BNP organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince. Khan, also an actor, left behind two sons, two daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death. Also read: ICT Senior Prosecutor Zead-AI-Malum no more Kaffey  joined the Voice of America in 1966 and he was appointed press secretary of President Ziaur Rahman in 1977. After the assassination of Zia, Kaffey rejoined VOA and went on retirement in 1994. He acted in a number of films in Dhaka in the 60s apart from performing in stage dramas. Also read: Health minister's mother Fouzia Maleque no more BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed deep shock at his death. In a condolence message, he recalled Kaffey ’s role as a press secretary of Ziaur Rahman. Fakhrul prayed for the salvation of the departed soul and conveyed his deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.

Dhaka, Oct 11 (UNB) - Bangla service chief of Voice of America (VOA) Roquia Haider on Friday said VOA won the people’s trust with authentic news.