United News of Bangladesh

The “BIG-B for Shared Prosperity” is a positive initiative that offers an outstanding opportunity for both Bangladesh and the region, said Professor Shahab Enam Khan, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs, while noting that Dhaka should also be “cautious” about taking on too many “geostrategic commitments” at once. “The new framework moves the old Matarbari-centred idea into a wider frame of connectivity, energy resilience, rules-based investment and maritime safety. That is a logical and sensible direction for a country that wants to become a logistics and industrial hub,” he told UNB on Saturday in response to a question. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed to upgrading the concept of “Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B)” into a new strategic cooperation initiative, “BIG-B for Shared Prosperity”, under the four pillars - strengthening connectivity; preparedness for natural disasters and geopolitical risks; public-private partnership for co-creation of economic growth opportunities and rule-making; and cooperation for peace and stability. They also agreed to working together to make the Bay of Bengal region, with Bangladesh as its hub, a “region of shared prosperity.” “Japan is a crucial actor in Bangladesh’s economy, as a development partner, a source of infrastructure finance and technology, and an investor with a long record of delivery. The strategic logic matters just as much,” said Shahab, who also serves as a professor at the Department of International Relations of Jahangirnagar University. In recent years, he thinks, the politicisation of trade routes, and at times of trade itself, in Bangladesh’s neighbourhood has left us with sobering lessons about regional connectivity. Japan’s role in building our eastward connectivity towards Myanmar and Southeast Asia through BIG-B, is therefore crucial, said the foreign affairs analyst. “It also opens a path towards Southeast Asia, and towards a free and open Bay of Bengal all the way to the Strait of Malacca,” said Prof Shahab, noting that Bangladesh and Japan share a common interest in that stretch of water, stabilising Myanmar through trade and connectivity, and the two sides should coordinate closely on it. A more rewarding partner He said Japan will find Bangladesh a more rewarding partner if it engages the country on its own merits, with its own geography, priorities and agency, and not through the lens of any other neighbour or partner. At the same time, the initiative links economic and security cooperation through patrol boats, maritime awareness and cybersecurity. “Both Dhaka and Tokyo have an interest in presenting this clearly as a partnership for resilience and shared prosperity, which is how it is best understood by Bangladesh’s strategic, trading and other development partners,” Prof Shahab said. He said delivery would decide everything. ‘Stability at home and long-standing concerns about our investment climate remain the real tests, which is why public-private partnerships and an empowered private sector are essential for growth.” Prof Shahab said the Prime Minister himself acknowledged in Tokyo that Japanese firms have flagged energy supply, infrastructure, and customs and tax predictability, and those are the same obstacles other investors meet. He said Japan’s new loan to improve the investment environment is welcome, but the real fix starts at home, with better investment-related institutions and a wider overhaul of others, some of which are too outdated for today’s trading patterns and regimes. “That is painstaking work and needs political will, proper staffing and institutional restructuring. Dhaka should also be cautious about taking on too many geostrategic commitments at once,” said Prof Shahab. Prime Minister Takaichi stated that upcoming private investment by Japanese businesses in Bangladesh is projected to mount up to one trillion yen (about US$6.34 billion) over the next five years, with an expected 200,000 jobs to be created, and expressed her intention to send a business mission to Bangladesh in the near future. In May 2014, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced to provide approximately US$6 billion, mainly in ODA loans, in 4 to 5 years. What is "BIG-B"? Bangladesh is located with embracing the Bay of Bengal from the sea point of view, and in-between South Asia and South-East Asia from the land point. Under the current global economic power shift toward the Indo-Pacific Ocean region, this geographical advantage will provide a unique opportunity for the country to play a node and hub role in regional as well as inter-regional matters. This also suggests the Bangladesh's renewed focus on "Look East" policy to exploit the vibrant economic growth from Pacific to Indian Ocean, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The BIG-B initiative is to accelerate industrial agglomeration along the Dhaka-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar belt area and beyond, encompassing developing economic infrastructure, improving investment environment and fostering connectivity. BIG-B foresees Bangladesh transcending its national borders to become a heart of the regional economy and providing a gateway for both South Asia and South-East Asia to step into a closer interregional relation, so that she may reshape herself as a sparkling trading nation deeply incorporated into inter-regional and global value chains. In light of the rapidly changing global situation, a more prevalent supply chain risk, rapid technological innovation and mounting social issues, the two countries agreed to upgrade BIG-B into “BIG-B for Shared Prosperity” as an initiative of strategic cooperation in the exclusive partnership between Japan and Bangladesh, aimed at enhancing the resilience and preserving each country’s freedom of decision. The BIG-B for Shared Prosperity positions Bangladesh as a hub to promote common prosperity and to contribute to mutual growth, said the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dhaka’s perspective on BIG-B State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Friday said Bangladesh and Japan discussed the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B) concept exclusively in the context of their bilateral economic partnership, ruling out any discussion involving a third country. “There is no reference to any third country in the joint statement. There is no reference to the Bay of Bengal here. We will not discuss any third country in our discussions with Japan. That’s clear. And we did not do that,” he said, referring to the joint statement issued following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s four-day official visit to Japan. Kobir said Bangladesh had made it clear to Japan that the discussions would focus on bilateral relations, particularly economic ties. “We made it very clear in our discussions with the government of Japan that we came here to discuss bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Japan, economic relations in particular,” he said while responding to a question about whether BIG-B could be expanded into a regional industrial supply chain centred around the Matarbari deep seaport, involving Nepal, Bhutan and India's Seven Sisters. Kobir said Bangladesh understands its responsibility when it comes to engaging other countries in regional initiatives. “If we have to discuss anything else, then the respective representatives of those countries must be at the table, and we must be sitting across the table with them as well,” he said. India seeks to strengthen Northeast-Japan linkages Following the visit, an Indian journalist during a regular media briefing in New Delhi asked whether Bangladesh, India and Japan could collaborate. In response, Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has a very strong partnership with Japan and is pursuing several initiatives involving Japan and its northeastern region. “On the question of Northeast and Japan and India, yes, we have very strong partnership with Japan. We also have several initiatives that are going on involving Northeast and Japan, and we would like to further strengthen these linkages,” he said. Jaiswal said work was underway to further strengthen the India-Japan economic and technological partnership, with the northeastern region also receiving attention as part of the broader engagement.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has reported a massive cyberattack in which hackers allegedly stole approximately $6.3 billion worth of digital assets. The incident is being described as potentially the biggest cryptocurrency theft in history, with blockchain intelligence companies pointing to a suspected North Korean hacking group. The company said it had allocated more than $6.34 billion from its own funds to cover the losses and had begun efforts to recover the stolen assets. Working with blockchain partners, Binance has also managed to freeze approximately $3 billion worth of the affected funds. The exchange has assured customers that it will cover all losses and has been providing regular updates about its investigation. Binance co-CEO Richard Teng said in a video message posted on X on Friday that the company was working around the clock to resolve the situation. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that American authorities were investigating the incident. When asked whether North Korea was involved, he said officials were looking into the possibility. 1. North Korean Hacking Group Suspected of Carrying Out the AttackBinance said its initial investigation indicated that a compromised laptop might have played a role in the security breach. However, further examination revealed additional possible entry points used by the attackers. Blockchain intelligence company TRM attributed the incident to TraderTraitor, a sophisticated hacking group believed to be associated with North Korea. The firm said it had a high level of confidence in its assessment. According to TRM, approximately $6.36 billion was transferred from Binance wallets across 10 different blockchain networks, with most of the funds moved within roughly 20 minutes. Another blockchain analysis firm, Chainalysis, also suggested that TraderTraitor was likely responsible for the attack. Binance has not officially confirmed the hackers' identities. A company spokesperson said the exchange was cooperating with law enforcement agencies to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. Experts say North Korea has increasingly relied on cryptocurrency theft and other illegal cyber activities to generate foreign currency. These activities are believed to help support its economy and finance government programmes despite international sanctions. South Korea's intelligence agency previously estimated that North Korean hackers had stolen approximately 1.5 trillion won, equivalent to around $1.1 billion, in cryptocurrency and other digital assets over five years, with more than half of the amount stolen in 2022. 2. Attack Could Become the Biggest Cryptocurrency Theft on RecordSeveral blockchain companies and cybersecurity experts have described the Binance incident as the largest cryptocurrency theft recorded so far. Although approximately half of the stolen assets have reportedly been frozen, analysts believe hackers may already be transferring and converting some of the remaining funds. Cryptocurrency analyst Garrick Hileman explained that criminals often use crypto-mixing services to combine stolen digital currencies with other transactions, making it more difficult for investigators to trace their movements. However, it remains uncertain how long the attackers would need to convert the stolen cryptocurrency into usable funds. The incident follows another major cryptocurrency theft involving exchange Bybit, which lost approximately $1.5 billion in a cyberattack last year. The FBI attributed that incident to North Korean hackers linked to TraderTraitor. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao noted that although the latest incident may represent the largest theft in dollar value, earlier cryptocurrency attacks, including the Mt. Gox incident, had a greater impact when measured by the amount of Bitcoin involved. Cybersecurity specialists have also warned that increasingly sophisticated attacks, combined with developments in artificial intelligence, could make large-scale cryptocurrency thefts more frequent. 3. Security Weaknesses Raise Questions About Binance's Protection SystemsThe attack has raised concerns about whether Binance had sufficient security measures and approval requirements to protect its digital wallets. Cybersecurity expert Kok Tin Gan suggested that a security weakness may have allowed attackers to obtain a powerful access credential capable of providing extensive control over a Binance hot wallet. Hot wallets are cryptocurrency wallets connected to the internet, allowing exchanges to process transactions and withdrawals more quickly. However, their internet connectivity can also expose them to cyber threats. Binance co-CEO Richard Teng confirmed that the company's hot wallet had been affected by the attack. He explained that most customer funds are stored in cold wallets, which remain offline for greater security. Assets are transferred into hot wallets when customers request withdrawals. Teng also said Binance's technology and security teams were continuing their investigation. According to him, the attackers used sophisticated techniques and included a self-destruct mechanism that complicated efforts to investigate the breach. The company is cooperating with law enforcement agencies, blockchain intelligence firms, cryptocurrency issuers and other exchanges to trace and recover the stolen assets. 4. Binance Promises to Cover Customer LossesBinance has assured customers that it will take responsibility for the financial losses resulting from the incident. The exchange said it had reserved more than $6.34 billion in company funds to cover the affected assets and was working to recover the stolen cryptocurrency. The company also confirmed that customer deposits were not affected by the attack. However, withdrawals were temporarily suspended as Binance worked to secure its systems. The exchange expected withdrawal services to resume within the following one or two days.  

Ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, bottled soybean oil traders have proposed increasing prices by Tk 14 per liter, citing rising edible oil prices and escalating freight costs in the international market. Simultaneously, date importers have demanded a reduction in existing import duties and taxes to keep the essential item affordable during the fasting month. The proposals were placed during a high-level meeting on Monday chaired by Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir to review Ramadan-centric commodity imports, supply chain issues, and market trends. However, the Ministry of Commerce has not yet taken any decision regarding the increase in soybean oil prices. Regarding the duty waiver on dates, the ministry said the proposal will be evaluated in consultation with the National Revenue Board (NBR). Earlier on September 2, bottled soybean oil prices were raised by Tk 5 to Tk 204 per liter following recommendations by the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission. Traders are now pushing for a further Tk 14 per liter increase ahead of the peak demand period. During the meeting, date importers pointed out that the current total tax incident on date imports stands at around 55 percent. They said high customs valuation, rising freight charges due to alternative shipping routes, and ongoing complexities in opening Letters of Credit (LCs) are collectively pushing up import costs. Without intervention, date prices could go beyond the reach of ordinary consumers during Ramadan. Importers urged the government to implement a transparent and rational duty structure based on actual product quality and market value, rather than applying a uniform assessment value across all varieties of dates. Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir stressed the importance of a rational tax framework, noting that Bangladesh imports various grades of dates from nearly a dozen countries—including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Algeria—making a flat customs assessment impractical.

The body of one of the two Bangladeshi doctoral students missing from the University of South Florida was found on a bridge over Tampa Bay, and his roommate has been taken into custody, law enforcement authorities said Friday. Zamil Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Nahida Bristy is still missing, Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said. Limon’s roommate in an off-campus apartment, Hisham Saleh Abugharbeih, 26, was taken into custody at his family’s home nearby on preliminary charges that include unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery. “We are still actively searching for Nahida,” Maurer said, appealing to the public to share any useful information. Officers encountered Abugharbeih as they responded to a report of domestic violence at his family’s home, just north of the campus, and were able to remove his relatives to safety. But then he barricaded himself inside and refused to come out. A SWAT team responded, along with a drone, a robot and crisis negotiators, before Abugarbeih came out with his hands up, apparently wearing nothing but a blue towel. “This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “While the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains is heartbreaking, I want the public to know that our detectives worked and are working tirelessly and relentlessly to uncover the truth.” Limon and Bristy, both 27, were a couple, considering marriage, a relative said. They disappeared from campus on April 16. Limon, who was studying geography, environmental science and policy, was last seen at his home in an apartment complex where he lived with Abugharbeih. Bristy, who was studying chemical engineering and lived on campus, was last seen an hour later at a campus science building. A family friend contacted authorities last Friday after being unable to contact either one, USF police said. Investigators interviewed Abugharbeih, who is a native-born U.S. citizen, on Thursday, Maurer said, but Abugharbeih ended the interview after a bit. He said Abugharbeih was speaking with detectives again after his arrest Friday morning. There are no other suspects in the investigation at this time, Maurer said. An autopsy is being done on the remains to determine the manner and cause of Limon’s death, and those results are expected Saturday morning, he said. Abugharbeih had been a USF student but was not currently enrolled. University records showed he had attended the school from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, and had pursued a BS in Management, a university spokeswoman said. Abugharbeih also had several previous arrests, the sheriff’s office said. He was charged with battery and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling in September 2023, and with battery that May — both classified in court records as misdemeanors. Court records show Abugharbeih may have entered into a diversion program. A phone call to his lawyer in that case was not immediately returned. Hillsborough County Court records also showed two domestic violence petitions filed by a family member in 2023. A judge granted an injunction in one case and denied the other petition. He also was accused of traffic violations. “While the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains is heartbreaking, I want the public to know that our detectives worked and are working tirelessly and relentlessly to uncover the truth,” Chronister said in the sheriff’s office statement. “We will continue to follow every fact, pursue every lead, and use every tool available to hold those responsible fully accountable. Our thoughts remain with the families of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy during this time.”

“Food coma” can occur in both people and animals. After having a large meal, you may feel the urgency to rest and find a corner or bed to relax. This is referred to as a “food coma”. The experience feels lethargic, and people struggle to get the necessary energy. However, by being aware of a few steps, food coma can be prevented. What is a Food Coma? A food coma is when you feel sleepy and tired after having a heavy meal. It's not like being in a deep sleep or a medical coma. After a large meal, your body sends a lot of blood to your stomach to digest the food, which can make you feel tired because it takes blood away from other parts of your body, like your brain.  Foods high in carbohydrates and fats can also make your blood sugar spike and then crash, leaving you feeling super tired. Additionally, hormones released after eating fatty foods can slow down digestion and make you feel sluggish. When you eat carbs and fats together, it can lead to a release of insulin, which increases the production of a chemical called tryptophan in your brain. Tryptophan boosts serotonin levels, making you feel relaxed and sleepy, leading to what's known as a food coma. Read more: Reasons Why Ramadan Fasting is More Beneficial Than Dieting Causes of Food Coma The reasons for a food coma lie in the intake of certain kinds and amounts of ingredients and the workload the stomach feels while metabolizing foods. To understand more deeply, reading a little explanation will help. Foods Containing Tryptophan People often get sleepy after eating certain types of foods. Some experts say it's because foods like whole grain, beef, lamb, poultry, dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes, etc contain a lot of a substance called tryptophan. When someone eats such foods, along with foods high in carbs, like rice or mashed potatoes, it can make them feel even sleepier.  It happens because tryptophan helps the brain make serotonin which makes a person feel calm and relaxed. Serotonin also helps the body produce melatonin, which is a hormone that gets people ready for sleep. So, eating tryptophan-enriched foods and carb-heavy foods can make people feel exhausted after a big meal. Read more: Colon Cancer: Everything You Need to Know Anomaly in Blood Supply to Brain Away from the brain to the digestive organs, a slight shift in blood flow can cause postprandial somnolence. Again, eating pumps up the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is liable to regulate different body functions like blood pressure, heart rate, and digestion. When the stomach fills with enough food, the PNS gets triggered, causing more blood flow to the digestive organs and less to the brain. This lack of blood flow to the brain will cause a person to feel tired and sleepy. High-Calorie Meals Some experts propose that high-fat meals like dairy products, eggs, fatty fish, meat, nuts, seeds, etc which are low in carbohydrates can also create drowsiness.  Scientists also propose the idea of satiety signals, a rather complex combination sent to crucial sleep centers in the brain when such a meal with high fat or high calories is taken. The signal theoretically decreases hunger and arousal signals in the brain and increases sleepiness. Read more: How Does Physical Activity and Exercise Affect Testosterone Levels? Cytokines Increase Cytokines, a molecule from the Interlekin-1 family, is a signaling substance, involved in processes like inflammatory response, and is believed by experts to be responsible for augmented post-meal fatigue.  To draw an example of the use case, experts refer to any incident that involves a person taking medications to reduce inflammatory responses when the postprandial somnolence effect gets less intense and less common. Cytokines can affect the central nervous system and increase one’s perception of fatigue.