In a somber announcement on Tuesday (February 20, 2024), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) revealed the identities of eight Bangladeshis who met a tragic fate while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. The individuals, embarking on an unauthorized voyage from Libya to Europe, drowned in a devastating incident that underscores the perilous journey faced by many seeking a better life abroad. The victims, identified as Sajal, Nayan Biswas, Mamun Seikh, Kazi Sajeeb, Kaisar, Rifat, Russell, and Imrul Kayes Apon, hailed from the Madaripur and Gopalganj districts of Bangladesh. Specifically, the first five victims originated from various villages within the Rajoir upazila of Madaripur, while the remaining were from Muksudpur upazila in Gopalganj. Read more: Out of options, Rohingya fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat despite soaring death toll The details were shared in a press release distributed by MoFA, which aimed to shed light on the tragic event and its impact on the victims’ communities. The ill-fated journey began on February 13, when a boat carrying individuals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, and Syria set sail from a Libyan coastal area with hopes of reaching Europe. The group comprised 27 Bangladeshis, 8 Pakistanis, 3 Egyptians, 5 Syrians, and an Egyptian individual who navigated the boat. However, their aspirations were cut short when the vessel capsized off the Tunisian coast in the early hours of February 14. Rescue operations later recovered the bodies of the eight Bangladeshis and one Pakistani, which were subsequently transferred to local hospitals. The foreign ministry's report further highlighted that among the Bangladeshi victims, seven were traveling without passports, indicating the desperate measures taken by individuals in pursuit of better opportunities. Read more: Bangladesh wants to boost cooperation with Libya to curb illegal migration

ABBA is releasing its first new music in four decades, along with a concert performance that will see the “Dancing Queen” quartet going entirely digital. The forthcoming album “Voyage,” to be released Nov. 5, is a follow-up to 1981′s “The Visitors,” which until now had been the swan song of the Swedish supergroup. And a virtual version of the band will begin a series of concerts in London on May 27. “We took a break in the spring of 1982 and now we’ve decided it’s time to end it,” ABBA said in a statement Thursday. “They say it’s foolhardy to wait more than 40 years between albums, so we’ve recorded a follow-up to ‘The Visitors." Also read: Grammy-winning folk singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith dies The group has been creating the live show with George Lucas’ special-effects company, Industrial Light & Magic. They say the virtual versions of themselves are “weird and wonderful,” and go beyond holograms. “It was suggested to us that we could go on tour as a hologram. And this is now four, five years ago,” Björn Ulvaeus, ABBA’s 76-year-old guitarist, backup singer and co-songwriter said at a news conference Thursday. “And we found out very soon that that wasn’t even possible because holograms is an old technology, but I mean, the vision was there of having our digital selves, that even was a possibility.” “And also,” said Benny Andersson, 74, who plays keyboards, sings and writes songs with Ulvaeus, “we want to do it before we were dead.” Ulvaeus added, ”it’s good if you do that before you dead. Because it gets more accurate then.” They sang and played together for hours every day for weeks, using motion capture and other techniques to create the 22-song, approximately 90-minute show. “We dressed up in a leotards with dots or little things on them,” Ulvaeus said. “And we had dots in our faces and helmets with cameras. And there we were, the four of us on stage together doing these songs.” Also read: 'Aastha': Journalist Mizan Malik's new song tributes the youth They say it was hard work but a great pleasure, but for one thing. “I’d say the only big problem was that we had to shave our beards,” Andersson said. “I’ve had my beard for 50 years.” The planned show spurred the making of the album, which features the new songs “I Still Have Faith In You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down.” It began with sessions in 2018 and was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. “It was so joyful to be together in the studio again, the four of us,” Andersson said.” The show will come 50 years after the founding of the group that consisted of two married couples for most of its existence, and whose name is an acronym of the first names of its members, Agnetha Fältskog, 71, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 75, Ulvaeus and Andersson. Their music has remained ubiquitous in the decades since their breakup, in part because of the stage musical “Mamma Mia!” and the two films that followed it. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. Last week the group launched a website with the title “ ABBA Voyage,” teasing the new announcement. Tickets go on sale Tuesday.