President
Lebanese president urges IMF to conclude aid deal with Lebanon
Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to conclude the aid agreement with the crisis-ridden country, saying Lebanon has been adopting the needed structural reforms.
The Lebanese president made the remarks during his meeting in Beirut with Pierre Duquesne, French presidential envoy for coordinating international support to Lebanon, said a presidential statement.
Aoun said he hoped that Lebanon can form a new government dutiful in unifying the exchange rate, following up on the "forensic audits" into the financial sector, and dealing with banks' losses fairly.
"This would restore confidence in Lebanon and motivate international institutions to support the country," he said.
Read: Lebanon announces plan to repatriate Syrian refugees
Duquesne, for his part, said France will encourage donor countries and international institutions to support Lebanon's infrastructure to foster job opportunities and curb immigration.
Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis in the past years and needs quick legislation in the parliament to facilitate the government's recovery plan. ■
Spanish ambassador meets President Hamid
Spanish Ambassador to Bangladesh Francisco de Asis Benitez Salas met President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban Thursday.
The Spanish envoy handed over a letter of greeting from the king of Spain on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and Spain, President's Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told the media.
Read: 84 die in first 3 days of Spain's heat wave
Calling Spain one of Bangladesh's development partners, President Hamid hoped that the bilateral cooperation between the counties in trade and tourism would be further expanded.
The president also hoped that Spain would continue to pressure Myanmar to create conditions for the repatriation of Rohingyas.
Hamid thanked the Spanish government for its support in publishing Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's autobiography "The Unfinished Memories" in Spanish.
He expressed regret over the damage caused by the heatwaves in European countries, including Spain, and stressed working together to combat climate change.
President receives report on Bangabandhu birth centenary celebration
Convener of the National Implementation Committee of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Birth Centenary Celebration Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury handed over report on the celebration to President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on Thursday evening.
The celebration happened during 2019-22.
Receiving the report, the president said that the birth centenary celebration of Bangabandhu was another milestone in the history of Bangladesh.
He said that a golden opportunity had been created to know the life and works of Bangabandhu in the country and abroad and the contribution of Bangabandhu in the history of independence of Bangladesh to the present and future generations through this.
Thanking everyone involved in this celebration, he said the juxtaposition of Bangabandhu's birth centenary celebrations and golden jubilee celebrations of independence is a unique historical event.
Read: Electricity consumption to be cut by 25 % at govt offices
He expressed the hope that through this celebration, the new generation will be inspired by the ideals and patriotism of Bangabandhu and dedicate themselves to building the country.
New central bank governor calls on president, seeks cooperation, guidance
The newly appointed Governor of Bangladesh Bank Abdur Rauf Talukder on Tuesday met President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban in the evening.
The new governor sought the President's full cooperation and guidance in discharging his duties.
President Hamid said that proper financial management is very important to protect economic stability in the context of the Corona epidemic and Russia-Ukraine war.
He suggested strengthening the activities of Bangladesh Bank in this regard.
The President said it is important to take effective steps to ensure transparency and accountability in the activities of various financial institutions and to expand and develop the domestic financial market.
Read: Rauf sets 3 priorities as new governor of Bangladesh Bank
The President expected that the new Governor will perform professionally to establish Bangladesh Bank as a true regulator of the financial sector.
President's Office Secretary Wahad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salahuddin Islam and Joint Secretary Md. Wahidul Islam Khan were present.
Sri Lanka's Parliament readies to accept names for president
Sri Lanka's Parliament was preparing Tuesday to accept nominations to elect a successor to its ousted president, amid political turmoil that threatens to worsen instability as the country endures its most severe economic crisis in recent memory.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country last week after protesters outraged by the crisis stormed his official residence and occupied other key public buildings. He later submitted his resignation via an email to the speaker of the parliament.
Three lawmakers— the leader of the main opposition Sajith Premadasa, former government minister Dallas Alahapperuma and Marxist party leader Anura Dissanayake have said they will contest Wednesday's parliamentary vote.
Also read: Sri Lanka's political turmoil sows worries for recovery
Acting President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has not said he will run, but statements from Rajapaksa's party, which still holds a majority in Parliament, expressed backing for him. This has angered many who see his possible election as an extension of the Rajapaksa rule and a potential comeback for the beleaguered political family.
Separately on Tuesday the Supreme Court was set to decide whether Wickremesinghe's appointment as acting president last week by the speaker of the parliament was legal. If it is pronounced illegal, Wickremesinghe may become ineligible to run for president.
Students and political activists said they planned protests Tuesday. Some intimidating posts circulating on social media warned lawmakers against returning to their constituencies if they vote for Wickremesinghe.
Parliament was heavily guarded by hundreds of soldiers, its entry points barricaded. Staff at parliament and reporters were thoroughly searched before they were allowed to enter.
Sri Lanka's economy has collapsed, its foreign exchange reserves depleted, and it has suspended repayment of foreign loans. Its population is struggling with shortages of essentials like medicine, fuel and food.
Also read: Is the pro-Chinese Left behind the Sri Lanka agitation?
The government is in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout package and is preparing a loan restructuring plan as a prelude to that.
Rajapaksa's exit last week marked at least a temporary dismantling of the Rajapaksa dynasty that had ruled Sri Lanka for most part of the past two decades.
Before the recent upheavals, six family members held high positions including president, prime minister and finance minister. All have lost their positions after public protests started in late March.
Sri Lankan president emails resignation, official says
Sri Lankan protesters retreated from government buildings they seized and military troops reinforced security at the Parliament on Thursday, establishing a tenuous calm in a country in both economic meltdown and political limbo.
Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled a day earlier under pressure from demonstrators furious over the island nation’s economic collapse. But he failed to resign as promised — and further angered the crowds by making his prime minister acting leader.
Protesters want both men out and a unity government in to address an economic calamity that has triggered widespread shortages of food, fuel and other necessities. But with a fractured opposition and confusion over who was in charge, a solution seemed no closer following Rajapaksa’s departure. Potentially adding to the turmoil, the president was on the move again Thursday, flying from the Maldives to Singapore.
The protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful political family of siphoning money from government coffers for years and his administration of hastening the country’s collapse by mismanaging the economy. The family has denied the corruption allegations, but Rajapaksa acknowledged some of his policies contributed to the meltdown.
Read: Sri Lankan armed forces empowered to use force following clashes
Months of protests reached a frenzied peak over the weekend when demonstrators stormed the president’s home and office and the official residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. On Wednesday, they seized Wickremesinghe's office.
Images of protesters inside the buildings — lounging on elegant sofas and beds, posing at officials' desks and touring the opulent settings — have captured the world's attention.
They initially vowed to hold these places until a new government was in place, but the movement shifted tactics Thursday, apparently concerned that any escalation in violence could undermine their message following clashes the previous night outside the Parliament that left dozens injured.
“The fear was that there could be a crack in the trust they held for the struggle,” said Nuzly, a protest leader who goes by only one name. “We’ve shown what power of the people can do, but it doesn’t mean we have to occupy these places.”
Read: Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa arrives in Singapore
Devinda Kodagode, another protest leader, told The Associated Press they planned to vacate official buildings after the Parliament speaker said he was exploring legal options for the country given that Rajapaksa left without submitting his resignation letter as promised.
Protesters withdrew from the prime minister's residence and the president's, where some moved a red carpet they had rolled up back into place. Others held a news conference to announce they were also pulling out of the prime minister's office.
Visaka Jayaweer, a performing artist, described the bittersweet moment of closing the gate to the presidential palace after the crowds cleared out.
“Taking over his residence was a great moment, it showed just how much we wanted him to step down. But it is also a great relief" to leave, she said. "We were worried if people would act out – many were angry to see the luxury he had been living in when they were outside, struggling to buy milk for their children.”
The country remains a powder keg, and the military warned Thursday it had powers to respond in case of chaos — a message some found concerning.
Troops in green military uniforms and camouflage vests arrived in armored personnel carriers to reinforce barricades around the Parliament, while protesters vowed they would continue to rally outside the president’s office until a new government was in place.
The government announced another curfew in the capital Colombo and its suburbs in the afternoon until 5 a.m. Friday. It's unclear what effect a curfew would have: Some ignored a previous one, but many others rarely leave their homes anyway because of fuel shortages.
Rajapaksa and his wife fled Sri Lanka early Wednesday for the Maldives, slipping away in the night aboard an air force plane. On Thursday, he went to Singapore, according to the city-state’s Foreign Ministry. It said he had not requested asylum.
Also read: Sri Lanka: Will the army be forced to act?
Since Sri Lankan presidents are protected from arrest while in power it’s likely Rajapaksa wanted to plan his departure while he still had constitutional immunity and access to a military plane.
The political impasse threatens to worsen the bankrupt nation’s economic collapse since the absence of an alternative government could delay a hoped-for bailout from the International Monetary Fund. In the meantime, the country is relying on aid from India and China.
The shortages of basic necessities have sown despair among Sri Lanka’s 22 million people. The country’s rapid decline was all the more shocking because, before the recent crisis, the economy had been expanding, with a growing, comfortable middle class.
It was not immediately clear if Singapore would be Rajapaksa's final destination, but he has previously sought medical care there, including undergoing heart surgery.
Assuming that Rajapaksa resigns as promised, Sri Lankan lawmakers have agreed to elect a new president from their ranks on July 20 who will serve the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in 2024. That person could potentially appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by Parliament.
Sri Lanka in crisis: President flees and ire turns to PM
Sri Lanka’s president fled the country without stepping down Wednesday, plunging a country already reeling from economic chaos into more political turmoil. Protesters demanding a change in leadership then trained their ire on the prime minister and stormed his office.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his wife left aboard an air force plane bound for the Maldives — and he made his prime minister the acting president in his absence. That appeared to only further roil passions in the island nation, which has been gripped for months by an economic meltdown that has triggered severe shortages of food and fuel.
Thousands of protesters — who had anticipated that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would be appointed acting president and wanted him gone— rallied outside his office compound and some scaled the walls. The crowd roared its support and tossed water bottles to those charging in.
Dozens could later be seen inside the office or standing on a rooftop terrace waving Sri Lanka’s flag — the latest in a series of takeovers of government buildings by demonstrators seeking a new government.
“We need both ... to go home,” said Supun Eranga, a 28-year-old civil servant in the crowd. “Ranil couldn’t deliver what he promised during his two months, so he should quit. All Ranil did was try to protect the Rajapaksas.”
But Wickremesinghe, who declared a state of emergency, appeared on television to reiterate that he would not leave until a new government was in place — and it was not clear when that would happen. Although he fled, Rajapaksa has yet to resign, but the speaker of the parliament said the president assured him he would later in the day.
READ: Sri Lanka's acting president says military appointed to maintain law, order
Police initially used tear gas to try to disperse the protesters outside the prime minister’s office but failed, and more and more marched down the lane toward the compound. As helicopters flew overhead, some demonstrators held up their middle fingers.
Eventually security forces appeared to give up, with some retreating from the area and others simply standing around the overrun compound. Inside the building, the mood was celebratory, as people sprawled on elegant sofas, watched TV, and held mock meetings in wood-paneled conference rooms. Some wandered around as if touring a museum.
“We will cook here, eat here and live here. We will stay until (Wickremesinghe) hands over his resignation,” said Lahiru Ishara, 32, a supervisor at a supermarket in Colombo who has been a part of the protests since they kicked off in April. “There’s no other alternative.”
Over the weekend, protesters seized the president’s home and office and the official residence of the prime minister following months of demonstrations that have all but dismantled the Rajapaksa family’s political dynasty, which ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades.
On Wednesday morning, Sri Lankans continued to stream into the presidential palace. For days, people have flocked to the palace — swimming in the pool, marveling at the paintings and lounging on the beds piled high with pillows.
At dawn, the protesters took a break from chanting as the Sri Lankan national anthem blared from speakers. A few waved the flag.
Protesters accuse the president and his relatives of siphoning money from government coffers for years and Rajapaksa’s administration of hastening the country’s collapse by mismanaging the economy.
READ: Thousands protest against Sri Lanka's new acting president
The family has denied the corruption allegations, but Rajapaksa acknowledged some of his policies contributed to the meltdown, which has left the island nation laden with debt and unable to pay for imports of basic necessities.
The shortages have sown despair among Sri Lanka’s 22 million people and were all the more shocking because, before the recent crisis, the economy had been expanding and a comfortable middle class was growing.
“Not only Gotabaya and Ranil, all 225 members of Parliament should go home. Because for the last few decades, family politics have ruined our country,” said Madusanka Perera, a laborer who came to Colombo from the outskirts the day protesters occupied the first government buildings. He lost his job, and his father, a driver, can’t do his because of fuel shortages.
“I’m 29 years old — I should be having the best time of life but instead I don’t have a job, no money and no life,” he said.
The political impasse has only added fuel to the economic disaster since the absence of an alternative unity government threatened to delay a hoped-for bailout from the International Monetary Fund. In the meantime, the country is relying on aid from neighboring India and from China.
As the protests escalated Wednesday outside the prime minister’s compound, his office imposed a state of emergency that gives broader powers to the military and police and declared an immediate curfew in the western province that includes Colombo. It was unclear what effect the curfew would have: Some ignored it, while many others rarely leave their homes anyway because of fuel shortages.
In his TV appearance, Wickremesinghe said he created a committee of police and military chiefs to restore order.
The air force earlier said in a statement that it provided an aircraft, with the defense ministry approval, for the president and his wife to travel to the Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean known for exclusive tourist resorts. It said all immigration and customs laws were followed.
The whereabouts of other family members who had served in the government, including several who resigned their posts in recent months, were uncertain.
Sri Lankan presidents are protected from arrest while in power, and it is likely Rajapaksa planned his escape while he still had constitutional immunity. A corruption lawsuit against him in his former role as a defense official was withdrawn when he was elected president in 2019.
Assuming Rajapaksa resigns as planned, Sri Lankan lawmakers agreed to elect a new president on July 20 who will serve the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in 2024. That person could potentially appoint a new prime minister, who would then have to be approved by Parliament.
“Gotabaya resigning is one problem solved — but there are so many more,” said Bhasura Wickremesinghe, a 24-year-old student of maritime electrical engineering, who is not related to the prime minister.
He complained that Sri Lankan politics have been dominated for years by “old politicians” who all need to go. “Politics needs to be treated like a job — you need to have qualifications that get you hired, not because of what your last name is,” he said, referring to the Rajapaksa family.
Sri Lanka lawmakers to pick new president but no deal on PM
Sri Lanka’s leaders agreed that lawmakers will elect a new president next week but struggled Tuesday to decide on the makeup of a new government to lift the bankrupt country out of economic and political collapse.
Desperate in the face of severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine, protesters on Saturday stormed embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s home, his seaside office and the official residence of his prime minister in the most dramatic day of a three-month crisis.
Both officials said they would concede to demands that they resign: Rajapaksa promised to step down Wednesday, while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would leave once a new government was in place. In a possible indication of the president's next move, immigration officials said Rajapaksa's brother, who was once his finance minster, tried to leave the country on Monday night. Local media reported he was not able to.
But negotiating a new government has stymied opposition leaders — and the protesters have said they will stay put in the official buildings until their top leaders are gone. For days, people have flocked to the presidential palace turning it into almost a tourist attraction — swimming in the pool, marveling at the paintings and lounging on the beds piled high with pillows. At one point, they also burned the prime minister's private home.
A partial solution came late Monday, with lawmakers agreeing to elect a new president from their ranks in the coming days. Nominations for the post will be submitted on July 19, and a secret vote will follow in Parliament on July 20. The new president will serve the remainder of Rajapaksa’s term, which ends in 2024.
But they have not yet decided who will take over as prime minister and fill the Cabinet. Between Rajapaksa’s expected resignation Wednesday and the vote, the prime minster will serve as president — an arrangement that is sure to further anger protesters who want Wickremesinghe out immediately.
Read: Sri Lanka's new president to be elected on July 20: speaker
The political impasse is further fueling the economic crisis since the absence of an alternative unity government threatened to delay an agreement for aid from the International Monetary Fund. In the meantime, the country is relying on aid from neighboring India and from China.
Corruption and mismanagement have left the island nation laden with debt, unable to pay for imports of food, fuel, medicine and other necessities, causing widespread shortages and despair among its 22 million people. Sri Lanka announced in April it was suspending repayment of foreign loans due to a foreign currency shortage.
Asked whether China was talking with Sri Lanka about possible loans, a Chinese Foreign Ministry official gave no indication whether such talks were happening.
“China will continue to offer assistance as our capability allows for Sri Lanka’s social development and economic recovery,” said the spokesman, Wang Wenbin. “As to its debt to China, we support relevant financial institutions in finding a proper solution through consultation with Sri Lanka.”
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka’s religious leaders urged protesters to leave the government buildings they're occupying if Rajapaksa steps down as promised Wednesday. The protesters have vowed to wait until both Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe are out of office.
It's not clear what will happen to those men once they do step down.
Months of demonstrations have all but dismantled the Rajapaksa political dynasty, which has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades, and there is speculation the president may try to flee Sri Lanka — as apparently his brother tried to.
S. Kanugala of Sri Lanka’s Immigration and Emigration Officers’ Association said Basil Rajapaksa’s name was spotted on a list of departures from Colombo airport Monday and his officers feared for their safety if they cleared him to leave.
Kanugala said the officers withdrew from their posts and he did not know what happened to the brother. But local media reported he was prevented from leaving the country.
Sri Lanka's new president to be elected on July 20: speaker
Sri Lanka's speaker of parliament on Monday said political party leaders have decided to elect a new president on July 20 through a vote in parliament.
In a statement, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that following a meeting with all political party leaders, it was decided to convene parliament sessions on July 15 and inform the parliament that there was a vacancy for the presidency.
Read: Sri Lanka in political vacuum as talks go on amid crisis
Nominations for the presidency will be called for on July 19 and a vote will be taken on July 20 to elect a new president, the speaker said.
Party leaders also decided to form an all-party government under the new president and take steps to continue the supply of essential services.
Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Saturday said he will step down from the presidency on July 13 amid economic and political instability.
President Hamid calls for stepping up flood relief distribution
President Abdul Hamid on Sunday urged all to continue their efforts at reaching relief materials to the country’s flood-affected people.
In his Eid greetings at Bangabhaban the president said the government is carrying out relief works in the flood-hit north and northeastern parts of the country.
He urged the country’s affluent people to join hands with the government in boosting the relief work.
He made the call after saying his Eid-ul-Azha prayers in the Hallway of Bangabhaban.
President Hamid said the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have put the global economy under pressure amid increasing inflation.
Read: Increase quantity, quality of scouts: President Abdul Hamid
"To deal with this situation, the government is implementing various programmes including providing package incentives to keep the wheel of the economy moving," he said.
He once again urged the people to be imbibed with the spirit of sacrifice and sharing as they celebrate the Eid-ul-Azha, the Muslim festival of sacrifices.
Hamid termed the inauguration of the Padma Bridge before Eid as a blessing for the three crore people of 21 south and southwestern districts of the country.