United News of Bangladesh

Pakistan's elections commission on Friday disqualified former Prime Minister Imran Khan from his seat in the National Assembly, citing charges of concealing assets in a move likely to deepen lingering political turmoil in the impoverished country. Khan's spokesman, Fawad Chaudhry, told reporters that the Election Commission of Pakistan announced the much-awaited verdict in the capital, Islamabad. Chaudhry condemned the move. According to legal experts, Khan will lose his seat in the National Assembly under the verdict of the Election Commission. The latest decision comes months after the parliament ousted Khan through a no-confidence vote.

The decapitated body of a high school teacher was left on grotesque display at a school in central Myanmar after he was detained and killed by the military, witnesses said Thursday, marking the latest of many abuses alleged as the army tries to crush opposition to military rule. According to witnesses’ descriptions and photos taken in Taung Myint village in the rural Magway region, the headless body of 46-year-old Saw Tun Moe was left on the ground in front of the school’s spiked gate and his head was impaled on top of it. The school, which has been closed since last year, was also burned. Neither the military government nor the state-controlled media have released information about the teacher's death. Myanmar's military has arrested tens of thousands of people and been blamed for the deaths of more than 2,300 civilians since seizing power last year from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. “We are appalled by reports that Burma’s military regime arrested, publicly mutilated, and beheaded a schoolteacher in Magway Region,” U.S State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Twitter. “The regime’s brutal violence, including against educators, demands a strong response from the international community.” The United States officially refers to Myanmar by its old name, Burma, which was changed by a previous military government. In September, at least seven young students were killed in a helicopter attack on a school in a Buddhist monastery in the Sagaing region in north-central Myanmar. The military government denied responsibility for the attacks. The U.N. has documented 260 attacks on schools and education personnel since the army takeover, the U.N. Child Rights Committee said in June. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military’s February 2021 seizure of power was met by nationwide peaceful protests and civil disobedience that security forces suppressed with deadly force. The repression led to widespread armed resistance, which has since turned into what U.N. experts have characterized as a civil war. The army has conducted major offensives in the countryside, including burning down villages and driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, allowing them little or no access to humanitarian assistance. Myanmar’s military has long been accused of serious human rights violations, most notably in the western state of Rakhine. International courts are considering whether it committed genocide there in a brutal 2017 counterinsurgency campaign that caused more than 700,000 members of the Muslim Rohingya minority to flee to neighboring Bangladesh for safety. The slain teacher, Saw Tun Moe, was a longtime educator who had participated in anti-military protests before taking charge of a high school founded by the country’s pro-democracy movement in his native Thit Nyi Naung village. The National Unity Government, an underground organization opposed to military rule that styles itself as the country’s legitimate administrative body, opened a network of schools this year as an interim education system in parts of the country where it believed armed militias loyal to it were strong enough to defend themselves. Saw Tun Moe also taught mathematics at his village school and another nearby alternative school and was involved in the administration of Thit Nyi Naung, where he lived with his family. He previously taught at a private school in Magway, also known as Magwe, for 20 years. The NUG's education arm mourned his death in a statement late Thursday that praised him and other fallen teachers as “revolutionary heroes" and expressed solidarity with the teachers and students who continue their resistance to the military. His death occurred as a column of about 90 government soldiers carried out sweeps of at least a dozen area villages this month. A villager told The Associated Press by phone that she was among about two dozen villagers including Saw Tun Moe who were hiding behind a hut in a peanut field at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday when a group of more than 80 soldiers accompanied by armed civilians arrived, shooting their guns into the air. The military arms and employs civilian auxiliaries who serve as guides and take part in raids. The villager, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she feared being punished by the authorities, said they were caught by the troops, who seized their phones and other belongings and at an officer’s command separated three men from the group, but took away only Saw Tun Moe. “Our heads were bowed at that time and we didn’t dare to look at them. Later, one of the soldiers called to him, “Come. Come fatty, follow us,” and took him away. The soldiers treated him leniently, so we didn’t think this would happen,” the villager said. She said Saw Tun Moe was taken to Taung Myint village, more than a kilometer (almost a mile) north of Thit Nyi Naung, and killed him there the following day. “I learned on Monday morning that he had been killed. It is very sad to lose a good teacher who we depended on for our children’s education,” the villager added. She said her two children studied at his school A villager from Taung Myint village said he saw Saw Tun Moe’s body at about 11 a.m. Monday after the soldiers had left. “First, I called my friends, then I looked at the body more closely. I immediately knew that it was Teacher Moe. He used to visit our village as a schoolteacher in the past few months, so I recognized his face,” said the villager from Taung Myint, who also asked not to be named for his own safety. Photos taken by his friend showed the teacher’s body and head. An old campaign poster with Suu Kyi’s photos covered the corpse’s thigh. Fingers severed from his right hand had been placed between his thighs, according to the villagers. A three-finger salute is a gesture adopted by the country’s civil disobedience movement, inspired by “The Hunger Games” series. On an outside wall of the school, which was partially burned Sunday by the soldiers, is scrawled graffiti with an ominous warning: "I will be back, you (expletive) who ran away.”

A Pulitzer Prize-winning Kashmiri photojournalist said Wednesday that Indian immigration authorities prevented her from flying to the United States to receive the award even though she had a valid visa and ticket. Sanna Irshad Mattoo was scheduled to fly to New York on Monday to receive the Pulitzer Prize but was blocked by officials at New Delhi’s airport, she said. Mattoo said she was stopped without reason and her ticket was canceled. Mattoo was working on assignment for Reuters, which won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for coverage of the COVID-19 crisis in India. She said she was traveling with two colleagues who were cleared to travel while she was stopped. Mattoo said the immigration official handed her boarding pass back but did not respond when she asked repeatedly what the problem was. She was then taken to the airline counter to collect her luggage. Mattoo said she has no idea why she was prevented from traveling. “Is it about my work? Is it something else? I should be told. The problem is I don’t know what the problem is,” she said. There was no immediate comment from Indian authorities. It was the second such experience for Mattoo, who was stopped from traveling to Paris in July for a book launch and photography exhibition as one of 10 winners of the Serendipity Arles Grant 2020. Again, Mattoo said that immigrations officials gave her no reason but told her she would not be able to travel internationally. She has been working since 2018 as a freelance photojournalist depicting life in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where insurgents have been fighting for the region’s independence or merger with neighboring Pakistan. Journalists have long braved threats in the restive region as the Indian government seeks to tighten control over the media. Their situation has grown worse since India revoked the region’s semi-autonomy in 2019, with dozens arrested, interrogated and investigated under harsh anti-terror laws.

India's main opposition Congress party on Wednesday elected 80-year-old Mallikarjun Kharge as its first non-Gandhi president in over 24 years. Kharge, considered close to the Gandhi family, defeated a relatively young Shashi Tharoor, a former UN diplomat, by a huge margin. "Of the over 9,000 votes cast in the party's internal election held on Monday, Kharge bagged nearly 8,000," a spokesperson for the party told the media in Delhi. Kharge will take over the reins of the grand old party from interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi soon. After the results were announced at 2pm (local time), former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi congratulated Kharge. "Congress president is the supreme authority," he said. Earlier in the day, Tharoor alleged "extremely serious irregularities" in the party's internal election process. The Congress held the election on Monday, where 96% of the 9,915 eligible Congress delegates, representing all Indian states and Union territories, cast their votes. While Kharge is a staunch Gandhi family loyalist with 50 years of political experience, 66-year-old Tharoor is an articulate leader who joined the party in 2009 after nearly a 30-year stint in the UN. A PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tharoor served as India's junior Foreign Minister when the Congress was in power from 2004-2014. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist BJP swept to power in 2014, the Congress has witnessed a vertiginous decline. The Congress is now in power only in a handful of Indian states. Often blamed for the party's poor performance, Sonia's son Rahul has refused to take over the reins of the party in the run-up to the general elections slated for 2024.  

For countries to transition away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energies like solar power, supply chains for components need to be more geographically diverse, officials said during a conference on solar energy in New Delhi said on Tuesday. Currently, 75% of components needed for solar power are manufactured in China, according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency. Representatives at the fifth assembly of the International Solar Alliance, made up of 110 member countries, want that to change. “By 2030, we expect that solar will be the cheapest source of electricity in most geographies,” said Ajay Mathur, director general of the ISA. Adding that freight prices have spiked, Mathur urged for “multiple regions from which solar photovoltaic products can go from the producer to the supplier” to ensure that more nations benefit from the cheap prices of solar energy. Launched by India and France at the 2015 Paris climate conference, the ISA aims to promote the use of solar energy as countries look to reduce their fossil fuel use to curb global warming. And although China has invested over $50 billion in new solar supply capacity – ten times more than Europe − and created more than 300,000 manufacturing jobs, it is not part of the alliance. “China’s policies have contributed to a cost decline of more than 80%, helping solar photovoltaics become the most affordable electricity generation technology in many parts of the world,” said senior International Energy Agency analyst Heymi Bahar. “However, they have also led to supply-demand imbalances.” Read: Tariff & land main obstacle to the solar power: Nasrul Hamid Bahar added that the global market is almost entirely reliant on China for solar products, with 15% of global supply coming from one Chinese plant alone, leading to concerns that the world is too reliant on a few, concentrated supply chains. “This concentration has already resulted in prices increasing during the Covid-19 pandemic and extreme weather events” in China when exports were disrupted, Bahar said. ”Diversification will result in a more secure supply chain.” Industry experts say that a diversified supply chain can also increase employment, grow economies, encourage innovations, provide energy security as well as help countries achieve their climate goals. “Right now, the jobs that are being created in countries like India are largely in the construction and installation side of things and not on the manufacturing side,” said Ulka Kelkar, who directs India’s climate policy analysis for the World Resource Institute. “To really benefit from the full potential of the job creation possibilities of solar manufacturing, it is important to diversify.” India’s federal minister for power, RK Singh, told the conference on Tuesday that countries have “the responsibility of enabling development in the parts of the world that lack access to energy and energy security.” Read: Why solar power investors are in no man's land The Indian federal government recently approved funding to the tune of $2.6 billion for a production-linked incentive scheme that would encourage domestic solar module manufacturing. The U.S.’s Inflation Reduction Act also encourages domestic manufacturing of solar power components. The solar energy market needs to grow tenfold by the end of the decade if global climate goals are to be met, according to both the ISA and the International Energy Agency. The ISA’s assembly, which runs until Wednesday, also announced programs that will encourage investments in solar energy in Africa as well as help start-ups in the solar energy space.

India's main opposition Congress party will announce its first non-Gandhi chief in over 24 years, later on Wednesday. The party held the election on Monday, where 96% of the 9,915 eligible Congress delegates, representing all Indian states and Union territories, cast their votes. Of the two contenders for the top job in the party, Mallikarjun Kharge, considered close to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is likely to win against Shashi Tharoor. While 80-year-old Kharge has 50 years of political experience, 66-year-old Tharoor joined the grand old party in 2009 after nearly a 30-year stint in the UN.

Seven people were killed in a chopper crash in the Indian hilly state of Uttarakhand on Tuesday. The tragedy occurred around 11.40am (local time) in Rudraprayag district, some 180km from the northern state's capital Dehradun, officials said. "The helicopter carrying six pilgrims and a pilot crashed and burst into flames near the holy shrine of Kedarnath, minutes after take off," a senior official told the local media. "All the seven on board the chopper died in the crash. The bodies have been recovered from the crash site," he added. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to offer his condolences to the families of the victims. "Anguished by the helicopter crash in Uttarakhand. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families," the PM's office tweeted. State chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a probe into the crash. "Initial probe has, however, revealed that inclement weather was responsible for the fatal crash," the officer said.

The Taliban captured, bound and shot to death 27 men in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley last month during an offensive against resistance fighters in the area, according to a report published Tuesday, refuting the group’s earlier claims that the men were killed in battle. One video of the killings verified by the report shows five men, blindfolded with their hands tied behind their backs. Then, Taliban fighters spray them with gunfire for 20 seconds and cry out in celebration. The investigation by Afghan Witness, an open-source project run by the U.K.-based non-profit Center for Information Resilience, is a rare verification of allegations that the Taliban have used brutal methods against opposition forces and their supporters, its researchers said. Since taking power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed a tighter and harsher rule, even as they press for international recognition of their government. Read: Afghan mosque blast kills 18, including pro-Taliban cleric David Osborn, the team leader of Afghan Witness, said the report gives the ”most clear-cut example” of the Taliban carrying out an “orchestrated purge” of resistance fighters. Afghan Witness said it analyzed dozens of visual sources from social media — mostly videos and photographs — to conclusively link one group of Taliban fighters to the killings of 10 men in the Dara District of Panjshir, including the five seen being mowed down in the video. It said it also confirmed 17 other extrajudicial killings from further images on social media, all showing dead men with their hands tied behind their backs. Videos and photos of Taliban fighters with the bodies aided geolocation and chrono-location, also providing close-ups of the fighters at the scene. These were cross-referenced with other videos suspected to feature the group. “Using open-source techniques we have established the facts around the summary and systematic execution of a group of men in the Panjshir Valley in mid-September,” Osborn said. “At the time of their execution, the detained were bound, posing no threat to their Taliban captors.” Enayatullah Khawarazmi, the Taliban-appointed spokesman for the defense minister, said a delegation is investigating the videos released on social media. He said he was unable to give further details as the investigation is ongoing. Read: Amnesty: Taliban crackdown on rights is 'suffocating' women Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban-run government, was not immediately available for comment. Last month, Mujahid was reported as saying the Taliban had killed 40 resistance fighters and captured more than 100 in Panjshir. He gave no details on how the 40 men died. The force fighting in the mountainous Panjshir Valley north of Kabul — a remote region that has defied conquerors before — rose out of the last remnants of Afghanistan’s shattered security forces. It has vowed to resist the Taliban after they overran the country and seized power in August 2021. Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations at the National Resistance Front for Afghanistan, said: “The Taliban committed war crimes by killing POWs that surrendered to them point blank and the videos are evidence of this.” Afghan Witness said it has credible evidence of a further 30 deaths due to last month’s Taliban offensive against alleged resistance fighters in Panjshir.

The overarching theme emerging from China’s ongoing Communist Party congress is one of continuity, not change. The weeklong meeting, which opened Sunday, is expected to reappoint Xi Jinping as leader, reaffirm a commitment to his policies for the next five years and possibly elevate his status even further as one of the most powerful leaders in China’s modern history. A look at what’s happened so far, and what’s to come: MORE OF THE SAME This is not an inflection point for the party. That happened 10 years ago when it named Xi as leader, though it wasn’t evident at the time. Since then, Xi has reoriented China both domestically and internationally. The military has staked claims to disputed territory while diplomats have become more assertive, saying China won’t be bullied by the U.S. and others. Xi has brought back stronger state control over the economy and society, expanding censorship and arrest to stifle dissent. An unprecedented crackdown on corruption has brought down hundreds of senior officials, including some potential political rivals. All of that is here to stay was the message from a one-hour and 45-minute party report that Xi delivered to the opening session on Sunday, extolling the party’s efforts toward what he calls the “rejuvenation” of the nation. ELEVATING XI Xi has already swept away competitors and consolidated power. The question is whether he will gain even more power — and how. Practically, he has placed himself in charge of the military, foreign policy, the economy and most other matters through a series of party working groups that he heads. Symbolically, his ideology, known as Xi Jinping Thought, was enshrined in the party congress at the previous congress in 2017. Another amendment to the constitution is on the agenda for this week’s congress. No details have been divulged, but analysts say it could further raise his status in the party. THE NEW LEADERS It is customary for the party to unveil its top leadership for the next five years the day after the congress closes, with the small group named to the Politburo Standing Committee identified for the first time when they parade out on stage. Xi is widely expected to be at the top, getting a third five-year term. That would dispense with an unwritten agreement for party leaders to step down after two terms. The others named to the Standing Committee, which currently has seven members, could offer clues to Xi’s future and the direction of policy. He is expected to stack the committee with loyalists. Analysts wonder whether China’s economic slump will force him to temper his enthusiasm for a state-run economy and include supporters of a more market-oriented approach. No obvious successor was picked for the current Standing Committee in 2017, signaling that Xi was eyeing a third term. Doing so again would suggest he plans an even longer stay. WAIT FOR THE WEEKEND With most of this week’s sessions behind closed doors, none of this is likely to be known until the weekend. Any amendment to the constitution would typically be announced at the closing session on Saturday, and the new leadership paraded out on Sunday. ZERO-COVID BLUES For many Chinese, weary of pandemic restrictions that have disrupted lives and the economy, the more immediate question is whether there be any easing after the party congress. The answer is probably not immediately, and changes when they do come will most likely be gradual. The Communist Party is always eager to portray the country in a positive light around the congress and avoid any societal disruptions — and a major COVID-19 outbreak would be one. But even after the congress, it will remain uncertain how widely COVID-19 will spread if travel and other restrictions are eased, so party officials remain cautious about opening up. Plus there’s always another major event to worry about. As a follow-up to the party congress, China’s legislature will meet next year, probably in March. Many Chinese are preparing to hunker down at least until after that.

For the first time in over 24 years, India's main opposition Congress party will, on Monday, vote to elect a non-Gandhi president. In the electoral fray are 80-year-old Mallikarjun Kharge, considered close to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and a relatively young Shashi Tharoor, a former UN diplomat. A total of 9,000 Congress delegates, representing all Indian states and Union territories, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the poll. "Arrangements have been made for smooth polling," Madhusudan Mistry, head of the Congress' election authority, told the local media on Sunday. While Kharge is a staunch Gandhi family loyalist with 50 years of political experience, 66-year-old Tharoor is an articulate leader who joined the grand old party in 2009 after nearly a 30-year stint in the UN. A PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tharoor served as India's junior Foreign Minister when the Congress was in power from 2004-2014. The results of the Congress presidential poll will be out on October 19. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist BJP swept to power in 2014, the Congress has witnessed a vertiginous decline. The Congress is now in power only in a handful of Indian states. Often blamed for the party's poor performance, Sonia's son Rahul Gandhi has refused to take over the reins of the party in the run-up to the general elections slated for 2024.