United News of Bangladesh

The long list of celebrities promoting cryptocurrencies just got shorter. Kim Kardashian is being barred from doing so for three years — and will pay a $1 million fine -- to settle federal charges that she recommended a crypto security to her 330 million Instagram followers without making clear that she was paid to do so. The reality TV star also must give up the $250,000 she was paid for the Instagram post about Ethereum Max tokens, plus interest, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission settlement announced Monday. Kardashian is the latest celebrity to get ensnared in regulations that require full disclosure by people getting paid to promote financial products. In 2020, actor Steven Seagal agreed to pay more than $300,000 as part of a similar settlement with the SEC, which also banned him from promoting investments for three years. In 2018, the SEC settled charges against professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and music producer DJ Khaled for failing to disclose payments they received for promoting investments in a digital currency. Many celebrities and athletes regularly promote crypto through advertisements on TV and online in ways that do not violate any law. Matt Damon, Tom Brady, Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow are among those who have used their fame to spread enthusiasm for cryptocurrencies. SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement that the Kardashian settlement “serves as a reminder to celebrities and others that the law requires them to disclose to the public when and how much they are paid to promote investing in securities.” Gensler also used Monday's attention-grabbing settlement with a celebrity as an opportunity to educate the public, releasing a humorous YouTube video that warns about the potential pitfalls of investment advice doled out by the rich and famous. “Bravo to SEC Chairman Gensler, whose action shows that no celebrity, regardless of how big or famous, that profited from pushing these risky cryptocurrency investments should be able to simply walk away," said Adam Moskowitz, a class-action attorney currently suing Mark Cuban for promoting the company Voyager Digital before it failed. The SEC said Kardashian agreed to cooperate with an ongoing investigation, though it didn't provide any details on that investigation. A lawyer for Kardashian, Patrick Gibbs, said she “fully cooperated with the SEC from the very beginning and she remains willing to do whatever she can to assist the SEC in this matter." While Kardashian is well known for her role on the TV series “The Kardashians,” she is also a successful businesswoman with clothing and skincare brands. The value of many cryptocurrencies soared during the pandemic amid a surge in highly speculative investing. More recently, amid a decline in overall markets, the value of many cryptocurrencies has plunged. Bitcoin has lost more than half its value in 2022, tumbling to around $19,000 Monday. The Ethereum Max token that Kardashian promoted has declined in value by more than 90% since its peak last May.   After wild swings in crypto valuations and dozens of scams being exposed, the crypto industry is under growing scrutiny from the SEC and Congress. A bipartisan proposal last month would hand regulatory authority over bitcoin and ether, two popular cryptocurrencies, to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Unfolding the stories behind the cemeteries of tea planters in Bangladesh, a travel documentary titled “Tombs: Tea-Planters Cemeteries in Sylhet” was premiered on Monday at Bangladesh Tourism Board Conference Hall, Agargaon in the capital. Conceptualized and produced by heritage traveller Eliza Binte Elahi and directed by ARM Nasir, the 30-minute documentary premiere, hosted by the Bangladesh Bureau Chief of the Associated Press and United News of Bangladesh-UNB’s Chief of Correspondents Julhas Alam, was joined by Rahnuma Salam Khan, Deputy Director of Bangladesh Tourism Corporation as the chief guest. The premiere was also joined by several other prominent personalities including former additional secretary and Bangladesh Birds Club President Jalal Ahmed, Joint Secretary at Ministry of Finance Sheikh Momena Moni, Bangladesh Police DIG Ruhul Amin, Deepto TV CEO Fuad Chowdhury, botanist and tea planter Ashraf Ahmed, former additional secretary Akhtaruzzaman Khan Kabir, and travel magazine Bhromongoddya editor Mahmud Hafiz, among others. Read UNESCO Mondiacult 2022: Bangladesh lauded for creating Bangabandhu International Award Foreigners and many ethnic groups have settled for long periods of rule in Bangladesh and established trade connections, and needless to say that many of them are buried in the country. Different burial grounds are built in almost all the 64 districts of Bangladesh, and there are also tombs of tea planters in different tea gardens of the entire Sylhet division.

After creating a huge controversy by announcing she has a two-year old son with actor Shakib Khan, actress Bubly on Monday revealed her wedding date with the actor. She posted three photos with Shakib Khan at New York’s Times Square on her verified Facebook page Monday and said “So far in my life 20/07/2018 and 21/03/2020 are two of the most memorable dates.” "These are the dates of our marriage and our son’s birthday. The photos were taken in front of Times Square in the USA. Please keep us in your prayers,” she said Earlier on September 27, Bubly revealed a photo of her on social media with a baby bump. Three days later she and Shakib Khan finally made a public announcement about their two-year-old son, Shehzad Khan Bir, ending all speculations. They also published photos of their son.

The musicophiles in Dhaka were grooved on Saturday night with a special musical presentation by the Korean fusion music band “E-Sang” at the Hatirjheel Amphitheatre in the capital. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea hosted this live Korean music concert, in collaboration with RTV. This was the first outdoor cultural event organized by the Korean Embassy since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Md Atiqul Islam, Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation, joined the event as the chief guest, alongside Lee Jang-keun, Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh. “Bangladesh and Korea have a very strong relationship. In Korea, we have a significant force of skilled manpower. Additionally, they always support our economic projects and we have a great fanbase of Korean music and culture in our country,” Mayor Atiqul said in his remarks. He also joined the collaborative performances with the Korean artists at the event. Welcoming the audience to this special exhibition of Korean music, Korean Ambassador Lee Jang-keun said, “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we couldn't arrange any event outside for two years. We are returning to organise our outdoor events in Dhaka with this one. The E-Sang Band will perform today, I hope you like it.” Read: Shironamhin to feature in ‘Concert against violence’ at DU

Bangladesh's initiative to encourage a culture of innovation by instituting the UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Award  earned plaudits recently,  at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, or Mondiacult 2022, held in Mexico, The final declaration got adopted by the world leaders who agreed to establish an innovation economy, among other things. Organized with the global goal of establishing the role of culture in sustainable development, this international conference was attended by 136 cultural affairs ministers and state minister level leaders, diplomats, cultural activists, organizers and civil society individuals from 150 countries of the world. A delegation of 3 members led by Bangladesh's State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, Ambassador of Bangladesh to France and UNESCO Khandaker M Talha and First Secretary Md. Walid bin Kashem participated in the conference. At the conference, Khalid was invited to share his speech at the 'Future of Innovation Economy' Minister-level round table meeting, he thanked UNESCO for formulating the 'UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Award' in the innovation economy sector in 2020. “The innovation economy will play a role as a renewable regulator in the implementation of sustainable development goals and will play an effective role in protecting neglected cultural heritage in different parts of the world,” KM Khalid said at the meeting. Read: Bangladesh elected to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage committee for 4 years He also called for cooperation among international leaders to develop a culture that is safe, accountable, and controlled. A proposal has been made for the teaching of culture in educational institutions as a response to the conference's identification of education and culture as complementary to one another. Additionally, in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, all nations are urged to develop cultural policies and update them as needed. In Bangladesh, the National Culture Policy was formulated in 2006 and is currently undergoing modernization.   Mondiacult 2022 was organized by UNESCO as a continuation of the detailed action plan conducted globally to implement the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. The last international cultural conference of this scale was held in Mexico in 1982.

Dhallywood superstar Shakib Khan and actress Bubly have finally made public announcement about their two-year-old son ending speculations. Shakib and Bubli revealed this in separate posts on their respective verified Facebook page on Friday. Read: Shakib Khan back home after nine months Although planned to announce the news at an auspicious date, they have shared this news with their fans earlier considering it a 'blessing from the Almighty', Shakib wrote on his post. "Shehzad Khan Bir, Bubly and my son, our little prince. My child is my pride, my strength,” he wrote. "I am seeking prayers from everyone, for our child." Bubly also announced the same in her post. Read: Film Rajkumar: Everything about Shakib Khan’s Upcoming Movie with US Actress There had been a lot of talk about them ever since Bubly uploaded a photo of her with a baby bump on Facebook recently. Later, Shakib admitted it indirectly to the media and informed that he would announce the details soon.

The country’s leading online marketplace Daraz Bangladesh has organized the "Bangladesh Media Innovation Awards 2022" (BMIA 2022) event ceremony at the Ruposhi Bangla Grand Ballroom, InterContinental Dhaka on Tuesday.  Daraz Bangladesh organized the first-of-its-kind media awards recognizing innovative practices toward digital transformation, content marketing, and news distribution, with the aim to seek out the leading lights in the local digital media for their innovative ideas and practices.  Planning Minister MA Mannan joined the event as chief guest, while Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury was present as the special guest.  Daraz Bangladesh’s Managing Director Syed Mostahidal Hoq, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer A H M Hasinul Quddus and other officials and media personnel from various industries and media outlets were also present at the ceremony. “Bangladesh is going through several changes and transitions. The opportunities for Daraz in the global marketplace and our media outlets in the global media landscape are truly limitless, and we want to thank Daraz Bangladesh for recognizing the innovators in our local media industry,” MA Mannan said at the event.  Deputy Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury said, “Due to the lack of quality entertainment and meaningful programs in our media industry, people in our urban and rural communities are being misguided by religious extremists. We need to recognize the deserving media personnel who are trying to ensure quality content in tv, print and web, and this award is virtuously performing that responsibility.”  Read: Daraz Bangladesh celebrates its 8th anniversary A total of twenty best performers from various wings of the country's media industry were presented with the prestigious BMIA 2022 awards. The winners were - The Business Standard, under the Innovative Print Layout category; Dhaka Tribune, under the category of Innovative Special Supplement, ICE Business Times, under the Best Business Magazine category; ICE today under the Best Lifestyle Magazine; The Business Standard, under the category of the Best use of infographics; The Daily Samakal, under the Best Social Media Campaign; Deepto TV, under the Best Use of Social Media category; Chorki, under the Best Digital Diversification Project category; The Daily Jugantor, under the Best Co-branded online project; Somoy TV, under the Most innovative digital report; DBC News, under the Best TV Programme for Women category; Duronto TV, under the Best TV Programme (Kids) category; Jamuna TV under the Best TV Programme (Entertainment) category; ATN Bangla under the Best TV Programme (Lifestyle) category; Ekattor Media Ltd., under the Best TV Programme (Sports); Independent TV under the Best Country Branding Programme category. Bangladesh Television (BTV), Channel I, Ittefaq and The Daily Star received the BMIA 2022 under the special recognition category.  After the ceremony, popular singers Khayam Sanu Sandhi, Karishma Sanu Sovvota and Musharrat Aanchal performed at the event.   Bangladesh Brand Practitioner was the event's outreach partner, SBK Foundation was the strategic partner, Reboot was the event partner and Dimadim was the ideation partner of the event.

Band shows and live concerts are back in the city in full swing, and the band music lovers were mesmerized by two fantabulous shows at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital on Friday.  At ICCB’s Hall 4 (Novoratri), seven popular bands grooved the audiences while showcasing a befitting tribute to the riverine beauty of Bangladesh at the ‘Nodi Rocks Season 1’ concert. Focusing on the issue of climate change, the concert was initiated by Salt Creatives while hosted by Brandmyth Experiential, supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, and facilitated by the Manusher Jonno Foundation.   Seven of the popular Bangladeshi bands - Arbovirus, Cryptic Fate, Chirkutt, Ashes, Smooches, Bangla Five and F Minor, who have previously performed in seven music videos on seven Bangladeshi rivers - Padma, Chitra, Kushiyara, Dahuk, Pashur, Buriganga and Sangu, performed at the concert.

Video streaming platform Bongo has released the Bangla dubbed version of animation film "Bilal" dubbed in Bangla. The film is based on the true story of how Bilal proved himself as a fearless warrior of the Islamic empire and became the first muezzin in the history of Islam. The main characters of the animated film are voiced by Adewale Ekinnuye-Agbaje, Ian McShane, China Anne McLain and others. Many of the crew members of this movie worked in famous Hollywood animation films like "Shrek" and "Monsters Inc." Read: Bongo brings 'The Groomsmen' as 'Bhai Brothers' The story's central characters Bilal and his sister Gufaira are the children of Princess Hamama of Abyssinia. A group of robbers ambush and kill Hamama and kidnap teenage Bilal and teenage Gufaira. They take them thousands of miles away in the desert, and later sell them as slaves to an idol merchant. Directed by Khurram H Alavi and Aiman Jamal, Bilal was nominated in the best animated feature film category at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Asia's most prestigious film award. The film was awarded in the best inspiring movie category at the Animation Day of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. It also won the best innovative movie award at the Broadcast Pro Middle East Awards.

UNICEF Bangladesh National Ambassador Bidya Sinha Mim, who visited Sylhet this week, has said the stories she heard from children and their parents in Sylhet are heart-rending.  She visited Sylhet to meet children whose lives were upended by floods that wreaked havoc in north-eastern Bangladesh in May and June this year. Read:Girls lag behind boys in mathematics for negative gender norms , stereotypes: UNICEF “They have shown incredible resilience even as their lives have been turned upside down by the floods, and we must continue to stand by them and support their recovery,” said Mim after speaking to children at Gowainghat upazila. The extensive flooding led to a food, water and sanitation crisis and disrupted the lives of 7.2 million people, including 3.5 million children. Families had no option but to leave their belonging and take emergency shelter while medical facilities and hundreds of schools were damaged. Ten-year-old Najimul, one of the children Mim met, told her: “I did not understand what was happening when the waters started coming into our home. My clothes, books and everything in our home was washed away. I would have been washed away too if we had not left for a school-turned-shelter. I did not eat anything for three or four days, until we were given dry food at the shelter.” Read: Step up efforts, invest in breastfeeding support policies, progs: UNICEF, WHO Months after the waters receded, millions of families are still reeling from the devastation. UNICEF supported the government’s flood emergency response by providing urgent safe water, sanitation, safety, health and nutrition supplies and services, and by prioritizing the protection of children from drowning, separation, violence, diseases and abuse. To date, more than one million people – 40 percent of whom are children – have benefitted from UNICEF’s continuing assistance. During her two-day tour, Mim saw first-hand how UNICEF contributes to the restoration of flood-damaged latrines, water points, schools and health facilities. Mim also met with social workers who spoke about their support to children and their families after the floods. “Mim’s visit reminds us of that even after the waters recede, children remain at risk from flooding and other emergencies related to climate change in Bangladesh,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh. “Today, Mim gives voice to the plight of children who – months after the emergency – are still facing difficulties and need support,” Yett added. Mim, who was appointed as UNICEF’s National Ambassador in Bangladesh in May 2022, also visited children and adolescents in Sylhet, including in a tea garden and a UNICEF-supported adolescent club.