Central News Hub

Month: September 2022

  • Death toll in Bangladesh boat capsize mounts to 51

    Death toll in Bangladesh boat capsize mounts to 51

    Another 26 bodies were recovered on Monday, bringing the total death toll to 51 from 25…reports Asian Lite News

    At least 51 people have died after a boat capsized in a northern Bangladesh district, a senior police officer said.

    S.M. Sirajul Huda, Superintendent of Panchagarh District Police, told Xinhua that 26 more bodies were retrieved from the Karatoya river in Bangladesh’s northern Panchagarh district, 468 km away from the capital Dhaka, on Monday.

    According to the officer, the jam-packed boat, carrying some 100 passengers, sank on Sunday afternoon, Xinhua news agency reported.

    Another 26 bodies were recovered on Monday, bringing the total death toll to 51 from 25, the officer told Xinhua over phone on Monday evening.

    “The boat overturned and sank due to overloading,” said the officer.

    TV images from the scene showed dozens of bodies in white bags which were retrieved from the river on Monday.

    The boat has already been dragged to the river bank, where many were waiting for the bodies of their loved ones to be retrieved from the water.

    The police officer added that rescuers had been working against a strong current and choppy river waters, adding that a search was underway as several passengers were still believed to be missing.

    Boat accidents in Bangladesh are common due to laxity in safety standards and overloading.

    As Bangladesh lies on the lower course of mighty rivers – the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra, the country is crisscrossed by 230 rivers. Notably, around 37 persons drowned in December last year after a passenger ferry hit a cargo ship and sank.

    At least 85 people drowned in November when an overloaded triple-decker ferry capsized off Bhola Island in the country’s south.

    A week later another boat sank leaving 46 people dead. So far this year, dozens of people have been killed in several smaller boat accidents in Bangladesh.

    Naval officials have said more than 95 per cent of Bangladesh’s hundreds of thousands of small- and medium-sized boats do not meet minimum safety regulations and millions of people in Bangladesh rely on boats and ferries to travel to the capital or the delta nation’s major cities, The Daily Star reported. (IANS/ANI)

    ALSO READ: Bangladesh sees dengue spike

  • 3-day India-Bangladesh festival to be held in October

    3-day India-Bangladesh festival to be held in October

    Chief Ministers of north-eastern states and several Union Ministers along with foreign delegates are expected to attend the festival…reports Asian Lite News

    To commemorate India’s ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and Bangladesh’s golden jubilee of independence, a three-day Silchar-Sylhet festival has been planned to be organised in Assam’s Silchar town from October 29-31.

    India Foundation, in association with ‘Friends of Bangladesh’, an organisation working to develop Bangladesh’s relations with its neighbourhood, is the joint organiser of the three-day event.

    Chief Ministers of north-eastern states and several Union Ministers along with foreign delegates are expected to attend the festival.

    BJP MP from Silchar, Rajdeep Roy said that this will be the first grand inter-country festival to be held in Assam to mark the country’s 75 years of independence.

    “In the sideline to the event, we will address the issues related to both countries, including trade and commerce, river sharing, apart from intermixing of art, culture and food,” he added.

    The organisers have claimed that as Sylhet was partitioned in 1947 from India, the event will act to bridge the gap between the two countries.

    Roy said that nearly 10 Bangladesh MPs and a few Ministers are also expected to attend the three-day event.

    Major General (retd) of Bangladesh, Samsul Arfin has come to India to look after the things related to organising this major event and said that the festival will further strengthen the ties between India and Bangladesh.

    He said: “Sylhet was once a part of Assam and we are hoping to witness the old connection between the two places once again during the festival.”

    Improving physical linkages

    India has been working on infrastructure on either side of the border. In March 2021, the Prime Ministers of the two countries inaugurated the Maitri Setu, a bridge built over the Feni River, which has reduced the distance between Sabroom in southern Tripura and the Chittagong port to just 111 km.

    The government is working on a multi-modal transit hub at Sabroom inclusive of road and rail connectivity that can help goods reach the Chittagong port in a few hours. Road connectivity in Meghalaya’s Dawki, southern Assam’s Sutarkandi and Tripura’s Akhaura linking eastern and south-eastern Bangladesh is also being improved.

    Mizoram is keen on bridges across the Khawthlangtuipui river (Karnaphuli in Bangladesh) for faster access to the Chittagong port. Apart from the India-Bangladesh Protocol Route involving the Brahmaputra, cargo ships from Bangladesh have reached Tripura through the Gomati River and Assam’s Karimganj via the Kushiara River.

    In June this year, the Mitali Express, a train running bi-weekly from New Jalpaiguri in northern West Bengal’s North Bengal region to the capital city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, began its maiden journey.

    Due to the pandemic, it was delayed by 14 months following its virtual inauguration in March 2021.

    By connecting Bangladesh with North Bengal, the Mitali Express facilitates travel for Bangladeshi tourists to favoured Indian destinations like Darjeeling, Dooars, and Sikkim. It, therefore, opens up more opportunities to establish robust people-to-people connections.

    ALSO READ: New York protest demands recognition of 1971 Bangladesh genocide

  • Violence-hit Helmand residents seek financial aid

    Violence-hit Helmand residents seek financial aid

    Condemning the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, another citizen of Helmand Abdul Shakur said, “These walls had crumbled during the bombing. We reconstructed these walls to create the house.”…reports Asian Lite News

    Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the residents of Helmand Province have requested financial aid to re-build the demolished homes as the Taliban regime and conflicts have resulted in financial difficulties for the people in the country.

    The locals of Afghanistan’s Helmand province which has been affected by violence for a long time have added to the financial suffering of the Afghans as most of them are not able to reconstruct their homes, TOLOnews reported.

    “Twelve family members were killed during a bombardment, and I was the lone survivor. One of my uncles was also martyred,” said Fatema, a resident of Sangin District located in Helmand province of Afghanistan.

    Condemning the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, another citizen of Helmand Abdul Shakur said, “These walls had crumbled during the bombing. We reconstructed these walls to create the house.”

    “All of our homes collapsed here,” said Abdul Rashid, a resident of Nad Ali district said, reported TOLOnews.

    However, the local Helmand officials refuted all the claims of residents and said they have started work on re-constructing the demolished homes in the province’s war-torn areas with the financial assistance of humanitarian organizations.

    Moreover, blasts have also become a new normal in Helmand. Earlier on September 4, three children were killed and three others were injured after a blast took place in Afghanistan’s Helmand province of Afghanistan.

    As per reports, all the victims were students.

    Last month, a number of blasts were reported in the capital city of Kabul, claiming dozens of innocent lives. Several Rights groups said the Taliban have broken multiple pledges to respect human rights and women’s rights, according to TOLOnews.

    After capturing Kabul in August last year, the Islamic authorities have imposed severe restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights, suppressed the media, and arbitrarily detained, tortured, and summarily executed critics and perceived opponents, among other abuses.

    Rights groups say that the Taliban’s human rights abuses have brought widespread condemnation and imperilled international efforts to address the country’s dire humanitarian situation. (ANI)

    ALSO READ: SCO renews call for inclusive govt in Afghanistan

  • Taliban make fresh bid to revive TAPI

    Taliban make fresh bid to revive TAPI

    Earlier this month, Baradar said in a meeting with scholars, tribal elders, domestic investors, and local businessmen in Herat province the construction of the project will begin soon…reports Asian Lite News

    The Taliban interim government in Afghanistan is making a fresh bid to seek India’s lucrative energy market by trying to revive the Turkmenistan Afghanistan Pakistan India (TAPI) gas pipeline.

    In a meeting with  Mohammad Murad Amanov, Executive Chairman of TAPI Gas Pipeline Company the Taliban’s interim Deputy Prime Minister, Mullah Abdulghani Baradar discussed the implementation of the agreement on the Tapi project between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and also the beginning of “ practical work” of this project. Baradar said the project will take-off soon, as reported by a Tweet of the Taliban Times.

    Earlier this month, Baradar said in a meeting with scholars, tribal elders, domestic investors, and local businessmen in Herat province the construction of the project will begin soon.

    The Taliban-run Bakhtar state news agency reported citing Baradar that an industrial town will be established in the Pol-e-Hashim region of Herat province, which will be one of the hubs of the project. The pipeline is slated to enter the Nimroz Province and Kandahar before it enters Pakistan with India as its final destination.

    Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline.(wikipedia)

    Construction of Pashdan Dam in Herat province has come to a halt since the fall of the previous government in August, leaving the fate of the project up in the air.

    Pashdan Dam, one of the largest infrastructure projects of Afghanistan, is situated in Karukh district, 25km east of Herat city. The hydroelectric dam was scheduled for completion by the end of 2021. However, work has been suspended on the project, and the dam is only 85 per cent finished.

    The situation in Afghanistan since Taliban’s takeover has remained volatile.

    Last month, a number of blasts were reported in the capital city of Kabul, claiming dozens of lives.

    This series of blasts comes on the heels of one year of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Rights groups said the Taliban have broken multiple pledges to respect human rights and women’s rights.

    After capturing Kabul in August last year, the Islamic authorities have imposed severe restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights, suppressed the media, and arbitrarily detained, tortured, and summarily executed critics and perceived opponents, among other abuses.

    Rights groups say that the Taliban’s human rights abuses have brought widespread condemnation and imperilled international efforts to address the country’s dire humanitarian situation. (India Narrative/ANI)

    ALSO READ: China’s ‘New Great Game’ in Afghanistan

  • Baloch insurgents claim responsibility for military chopper crash

    Baloch insurgents claim responsibility for military chopper crash

    Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that a helicopter had “crashed” in Balochistan, but did not say the chopper had been shot down. …reports Atul Aneja

    Pakistan has lost its second military helicopter in Balochistan in two months, with the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claiming that it had shot down the chopper, killing six people on board.

    In an emailed statement sent to India Narrative, the BLA said that it had first arrested two Pakistani military personnel near Zardaalo, an area in Harnai Balochistan, following which Pakistani helicopters arrived in the area. The BLA said it then shot down at least one chopper near Khost, Harnai. It added that the helicopter was downed in an area which was five kilometres from where the two Pakistanis had been detained.

    Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that a helicopter had “crashed” in Balochistan, but did not say the chopper had been shot down. The ISPR statement said that two Majors, Muhammad Muneed Afzal and Khurram Shyahzad who were both pilots were among the six personnel who were killed.

    This the second Pakistani military helicopter that has crashed in Balochistan in the last two months. The casualties in the first chopper crash were even bigger as it had killed Quetta corps commander Lt. Gen .Sarfraz Ali and five others, most of whom were senior military officers.

    In case the BLA claim is confirmed, it would suggest a quantum jump in the group’s ability, which was not only capable of launching strikes on the ground, but also equipped to reliably defend against aerial attacks. The two strikes are expected to deter the Pakistanis from launching low-flying helicopter gunship attacks against Baloch insurgents on the ground.

    The two helicopter downings add to the BLA’s heft on the ground. At the beginning of the year, BLA’s Majeed Brigade had claimed responsibility for deadly strikes against Pakistan’s Frontier Corps contingents camped in Panjgur and Noshki.

    The BLA has also made it a point that it would target Chinese presence, including the Gwadar port, and other nodes inside Pakistan.

    Unsurprisingly, the group had earlier claimed responsibility for the attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi in November 2018.

    In June 2020, the BLA has also claimed responsibility for the strike on the Karachi stock exchange, in which the Chinese are believed to have made significant investments. Three security guards and a police sub-inspector were killed in the strike.

    In April, Shari Baloch, said to belong to the BLA’s Majeed Brigade blew herself up and killed three Chinese nationals involved in running the Confucius institute in the Karachi university.

    Analysts say that despite the potent strikes and impressive growth in capability, the Baloch insurgency has much work to do to acquire the critical mass to change the balance of power against Pakistan in Balochistan.

    (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

    ALSO READ: No let-up in Pakistan’s dengue woes

  • Japan bids farewell to Abe

    Japan bids farewell to Abe

    Prime Minister Fumio Kishida received the ashes, which appear to be contained in a ceremonial box…reports Asian Lite News

    Japan on Tuesday bid a final farewell to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the country’s longest serving leader, at a state funeral.

    The 67-year-old politician was gunned down at an election rally in July, the BBC reported.

    Some 20,000 police officers have been reportedly being deployed for the security at the event being held at the Nippon Budokan arena in central Tokyo which is estimated to cost taxpayers $1.65 billion yen ($11 million).

    The event is currently underway with thousands of dignitaries from all over the world, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seated in the arena.

    Prime Minister Fumio Kishida received the ashes, which appear to be contained in a ceremonial box.

    He then formally handed it to military officers who placed the box in the centre of the altar, set up at the front of the room.

    Up to 1,000 soldiers are set to perform ceremonial duties, with a military honour guard firing 19 blank rounds from a cannon to salute the former Prime Minister.

    This is only the second state funeral held in Japan. The other was for former Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru 55 years ago.

    Members of the public have been laying flowers outside the venue to pay their respects. Flags at government offices across Japan are also being flown at half-mast, reports public broadcaster NHK.

    But people opposing the expensive event have taken to streets in protest.

    Some opponents have said that the government and Japanese taxpayers should not bear the entire cost of the event, while others question the rationale since only one other former Prime Minister has been given a state funeral since the end of World War Two.

    An NHK opinion poll this month found more than half of respondents did not approve of the event. Seventy-two per cent said the government had not done a good enough job explaining why a state funeral was needed.

    Abe’s death has also shed light on another political controversy. The suspect says he held a grudge against a religious group he claims bankrupted his family. He says he believed Abe had had close ties with the group.

    The group, previously known as the Unification Church, has been accused of demanding large sums of money from its followers.

    In the wake of the shooting, hundreds of Japanese lawmakers admitted ties with the group, including about half of the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s members.

    Kishida has told his party’s members to sever those links. Nonetheless, the latest NHK poll suggests almost two-thirds of respondents do not think the LDP has adequately addressed the matter.

    ALSO READ-Modi meets Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida

  • Imran demands Shehbaz’s resignation over audio leaks

    Imran demands Shehbaz’s resignation over audio leaks

    The PTI claimed that the government was trying to purchase the (stolen) data from a hacker to secure it..reports Asian Lite News

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday demanded that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should resign over the audio leaks, media reports said.

    He warned that more leaks were coming, which would prove collusion between the government and the Election Commission to disqualify him, Samaa TV reported.

    Addressing a ceremony at GC College in Lahore on Monday afternoon, he said that the audio leaks showed how the Prime Ninister was crafting a means to circumvent the ban on trade with India, which his administration had imposed to import machinery from India for his niece Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law, Samaa TV reported.

    Moreover, he said that the ruling government was planning to set up a grid station for a housing society by Maryam’s son-in-law and use taxpayer money to pay for the Rs 700 million station.

    The PTI claimed that the government was trying to purchase the (stolen) data from a hacker to secure it, Geo News reported.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said earlier that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an investigation into the audio leaks allegedly from PM House that features government officials.

    Security at PM House was called into question by the PTI � the biggest opposition party � after purported audio clips featuring government officials surfaced last week.

    In a press conference, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry, quoting the alleged hacker, said that they have not yet leaked an “explosive” audio.

    “To date, the PM Office has not released a statement on the audio leaks. There are reports that the government is in talks with the hacker to secure the data,” the PTI leader said, Geo News reported.

    The former federal minister claimed that audio of 340 hours was leaked and no one batted an eye despite the PTI government equipping relevant authorities with the latest technology.

    “Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office is not safe when it comes to cybersecurity and we condemn this. An investigation should be launched into the matter,” he demanded.

    ALSO READ: His legs were trembling in Putin’s presence, Imran mocks Shehbaz

  • Sitharaman blasts states for seeking more funds

    Sitharaman blasts states for seeking more funds


    Sitharaman also described the “revadi” culture (populist measures offered by states) as “bogus”…reports Asian Lite News

    Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday criticised states seeking greater funds from the Central government on the basis of the fact that they generated more revenue.

    Addressing a CNN-News18 Town Hall event here, she made the comment while responding to Tamil Nadu’s demand for more funds.

    “You can’t expect more money just because you generate more money than other states. ‘You, me’ narrative won’t work. A country cannot prosper like that. Revenues earned by states are for India,” she said.

    Sitharaman also described the “revadi” culture (populist measures offered by states) as “bogus”.

    She said such measures are meant for misleading the common man.

    “Do understand the finances of your state and account for it in your budget. Pay your own subsidies. Do not expect from us,” she said.

    On the issue of releasing funds for states, she said: “The population is coming down. Many states have valid questions to be asked… reproductive rate is almost going to be negative. The Finance Commission took the route to make up for it on some level proves that there is a recognition of the problem. The Commission is addressing it, not to the proportion of expectation, but somewhat.”

    She also said that welfare is equivalent to public good, adding that it undoubtedly means hospitals, public schools, infrastructure and good roads.

    Sitharaman also called out the opposition parties that have been criticising the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.

    “Institution building takes time… to trash it is very easy.

    “Some of us probably will have a greater level of patience, some may not, but institutions need patience,” she said.

    She pointed out that the GST was constituted by a panel of state ministers which was led by West Bengal’s Asim Dasgupta, who came from an opposition party.

    Asked whether southern states were being discriminated against in the devolution of funds as defined by successive Finance Commissions, she said that the issue had been addressed to an extent.

    ALSO READ: India wins global praise at UNGA

  • Biden to host Macron at White House

    Biden to host Macron at White House

    The French President will be accompanied by his wife, First Lady Brigitte Macron…reports Asian Lite News

    The White House announced that President Joe Biden will host his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron for a state visit on December 1.

    This will be the first state visit of the Biden-Harris administration since it took office in January 2021, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Monday.

    “It will underscore the deep and enduring relationship between the US and France, our oldest ally, that is founded on our shared democratic values, economic ties, and defence and security cooperation,” she was quoted as saying.

    The leaders will also discuss “our continued close partnership on shared global challenges and areas of bilateral interest”.

    The French President will be accompanied by his wife, First Lady Brigitte Macron.

    This is Emmanuel Macron’s second state visit to the US after he was re-elected as President in April.

    In 2018, he was also the first world leader to be invited for a state dinner by former President Donald Trump.

    ALSO READ-Macron calls for independent foreign policy

  • Modi meets Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida

    Modi meets Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida

    Modi is among the thousand dignitaries from across the world to participate in the state funeral being held at the Nippon Budokan arena in central Tokyo…reports Asian Lite News

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a day-long visit to Tokyo to attend the state funeral of late leader Shinzo Abe, met his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on Tuesday and held a bilateral meeting.

    Following the meeting, Modi said in a tweet: “Had a fruitful meeting with PM Kishida. We discussed various bilateral subjects. I conveyed my condolences on the tragic demise of former PM Shinzo Abe.”

    During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi noted the contributions of Abe in strengthening India-Japan partnership as well in conceptualizing the vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

    Modi and Kishida also discussed a number of regional and global issues and renewed their commitment towards further strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, working together in the region, as well as in various international groupings and institutions, the statement added.

    Modi is among the thousand dignitaries from across the world to participate in the state funeral being held at the Nippon Budokan arena in central Tokyo.

    Abe, 67, was assassinated on July 8 while he was addressing an election campaign in the city of Nara.

    ALSO READ-$42-bn investment from Japan, Kishida & Modi say ties deepening