Nepal electricity exports to India surge to USD 56 million in the last 4 months(IN)
Engineers of both BPDB and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) have been working to restore electricity transmission across the country…reports Asian Lite News
Power outage has hit several areas of Bangladesh, including capital Dhaka, port city of Chattogram and Sylhet, due to a collapse of the South Asian country’s national grid.
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) Director of Public Relation, Shameem Hasan informed that the national power grid failed and caused the power outage in many areas except some parts of the north, a state news media reported on Tuesday.
“Due to the national grid failure, people of many areas of Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Cumilla area are not getting electricity since 2:05 p.m. today,” Hasan said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.
Engineers of both BPDB and Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) have been working to restore electricity transmission across the country, according to the state news media report.
The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) took the decision in its 56th meeting held Thursday in the capital Dhaka…reports Asian Lite News
The central bank of Bangladesh has hiked the repo rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 5.75 per cent in a bid to rein in inflation.
The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) took the decision in its 56th meeting held Thursday in the capital Dhaka. The new rate will come into effect October 2, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a circular issued by the BB.
The bank earlier in June increased its policy rate (the repo rate) by 50 bps to 5.50 per cent from 5.00 per cent to deal with the demand-side pressures while ensuring the required flow of funds to the priority and production sectors to promote supply-side activities.
On May 29, the bank raised the key interest rate by 25 bps to 5 per cent, the first increase in a decade.
Considering her first term in power (1996-2001), coupled with her third straight term since 2009, Hasina is the longest-serving woman leader across the globe, longer than Angela Markel of Germany…writes Sumi Khan
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina turned 76 on Wednesday, bringing the spotlight back on many of her success stories, including scripting a socially inclusive economic turnaround for the nation which turned 50 this year.
After efficiently tackling the challenge posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, as endorsed by top global bodies including the WHO, the country’s next battle to avert the looming fears of a global recession has come under scrutiny with a singular observation — under Hasina, Bangladesh is better poised to overcome the impending crisis as compared to many other emerging and developed economies.
Hasina will also be remembered for her role in the restoration of democracy in the country by bringing down a local military regime — just like her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did with the Pakistani military junta — and then sustaining it against the persisting threats from radical Islamist forces who try to destabilise the country with violent agitations, terror attacks and systematic disinformation.
Former President of India, late Pranab Mukherjee, whom Hasina considered as her ‘Obhibhabok’ (guardian), once told some journalists, including this writer, to imagine what Angela Merkel or Jacinda Ardern would have done had they faced the lurking threats of assassination that Hasina faced and survived.
Considering her first term in power (1996-2001), coupled with her third straight term since 2009, Hasina is the longest-serving woman leader across the globe, longer than Angela Markel of Germany.
Mukherjee had said that when it comes to ‘raw courage’, Hasina is comparable to only Indira Gandhi who refused to take off her Sikh bodyguards despite intelligence warnings of a lurking physical threat after Operation Blue Star.
Maybe we can add Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff, who suffered intense torture in military prison (hung upside down and beaten up frequently), before reaching the top.
Hasina is deeply religious, though her politics is firmly secular. And it is believed that her spiritual disposition is the source of her courage.
Despite being arrested without a warrant by the military-backed caretaker government, and the baseless propaganda by leading outlets like The Daily Star, the overwhelming public support enjoyed by Hasina never diminished.
From giving birth to her son in virtual house arrest by Pakistani occupational forces, to witnessing the gruesome murders of her parents, brothers and other near ones by pro-Pakistan elements — Hasina’s life was undoubtedly more challenging than most other female leaders of her time.
For someone who had seen almost her entire family getting wiped out in a violent coup in 1975, continuing in politics was indeed a tough decision.
Equally challenging was the decision to return to Bangladesh six years after her family members were assassinated. Each of these decisions required not just courage, but also steely determination to uphold and build on her father’s legacy and a deep faith in her destiny.
Soon after her return in 1981, Hasina had to wage a battle to free the people of Bangladesh from the clutches of military dictator General Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who seized power as head of the army during a bloodless coup against President Abdus Sattar in 1982.
Till the downfall of Ershad in 1990, Hasina crisscrossed almost every nook and corner of the country to reach out to the masses. Her arduous decade-long struggle equipped her to address the needs of the people languishing even in the remotest part of the nation.
Possibly, her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s trait to travel across the nation then known as East Pakistan to rope in the masses to join the fight for freedom against Pakistan offered the lesson for Hasina that “if you want to serve the people, go to their doorsteps”.
A faithful Bengali housewife with some exposure in student politics, Hasina not only returned to her country at great personal risk, but also re-organised her father’s party, Awami League, before toppling the Ershad military regime.
Hasina
She has ruled Bangladesh for three terms since and is now into her fourth term. “All because Allah’s wishes,” Hasina would say.
But analysts see in her success not only courage and determination, but also the presence of a sharp analytical mind which can plan ahead of time and anticipate challenges.
Hasina is a fast learner as well, as her policies on combating climate change would indicate.
Her detractors blame Hasina for creating a ‘police state’ and haul her up for ‘forced disappearances’ and ‘extra-judicial executions’, but sources close to her argue that she has no choice but to resort to tough policing to keep Islamist radicals at bay.
On the day, hundreds of hotels and tourist spots in the country offered special discounts…reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh marked the World Tourism Day with various events, including a colourful rally in the state capital Dhaka.
“Rethinking Tourism” is the theme for World Tourism Day 2022 celebrated in Bangladesh on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Bangladeshi President Md. Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the occasion. World Tourism Day was observed in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.
On Tuesday morning, the colourful rally in the capital showcased the rich culture and heritage of Bangladesh. State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md. Mahbub Ali, among others, joined the rally.
On the day, hundreds of hotels and tourist spots in the country offered special discounts.
To mark the day, a week-long beach carnival has been organised to attract more tourists to the world’s longest beach in Cox’ Bazar, nearly 400 km southeast of Dhaka.
The Cox’s Bazar district administration and the beach management committee also held a tourism fair and a beach carnival on Tuesday morning.
BARISAL, Sept. 21, 2016 (Xinhua) -- People retrieve a body after a ferry capsized in Bangladesh's Barisal district, Sept. 21, 2016. At least 12 people have been killed and 18 still missing after a ferry capsized in the river of Sondha in Bangladesh's Barisal district, 169 km south of capital Dhaka, on Wednesday. (Xinhua/IANS)
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)
Assam: 3-day India-Bangladesh festival to be held in October (twitter)
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.
PM Hasina said that the uncertainty over the repatriation led to widespread frustration in the country and cross-border organised crimes including human and drug trafficking are also rising…reports Asian Lite news
The Rohingyas refugees are causing serious ramifications on Bangladesh’s economy, environment, security and socio-political stability of the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said and urged United Nations to play an “effective role” in this matter.
While addressing the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Bangladesh PM said, “Prolonged presence of Rohingyas in Bangladesh has caused serious ramifications on the economy, environment, security and socio-political stability.”
PM Hasina, who is also in New York to attend the UNGA, said that the uncertainty over the repatriation led to widespread frustration in the country and cross-border organised crimes including human and drug trafficking are also rising.
“The situation can even potentially fuel radicalization. If the problem persists further, it may affect the security and stability of the region and beyond,” PM Hasina added.
Remembering the five years of 2017 mass exodus of the Rohingyas to Bangladesh from Myanmar, Hasina said that despite the engagements with Naypyidaw and engagements with the UN, “not a single Rohingya was repatriated to their ancestral homes in Myanmar.”
“The ongoing political turmoil and arms conflict in the country has made the repatriation of Rohingya even more difficult. I hope the UN will play an effective role in this regard,” she added.
“We need to prove that in times of crisis, UN is the cornerstone of the multilateral system. Therefore, in order to gain the trust and confidence of the people at all levels, the United Nations must lead from the front and work to fulfil the expectations of all,” she said.
She further said, “Bangladesh believe that antagonism like war or economic sanctions, counter-sanctions can never bring good to any nation. Dialogue is the best way to resolve crises and disputes.”
Hasina today gave utmost importance on dialogue to resolve crises and disputes, urging the world community to stop arms race, war and sanctions for building a peaceful world.
“My urge to the conscience of the world community- stop the arms race, war, and sanctions, ensure food and security of the children; build peace,” she said.
She continued that “We believe without addressing root causes of conflict, we cannot sustain peace.”
Wanting to see a peaceful world with enhanced cooperation and solidarity, shared prosperity and collective actions, Sheikh Hasina said “We share one planet, and we owe it to our future generations to leave it in a better shape.”
During her last visit to India this month, Bangladesh’s PM talked about the Rohingyas and said that the Rohingya migrants are a “big burden” on Bangladesh and the country is reaching out to the international community to ensure they return to their homeland.
Refugees in the Kutupalong Rohingya Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in July, 2018. (Photo: UN/IANS)
In an interaction with ANI, Hasina confessed that the presence of lakhs of Rohingyas in Bangladesh had created challenges for her regime.
“Well you know… for us it’s a big burden. India is a vast country; you can accommodate but you don’t have much. But in our country… we have 1.1 million Rohingya. So well… we are consulting with the international community and also our neighbouring countries, they should also take some steps so that they can go back home,” Hasina said.
The Bangladesh prime minister said that her government had tried to take care of the displaced community keeping the humanitarian aspect in mind.
Bangladesh has in the past faced a big influx of Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
Last month in August, Bangladesh witnessed 5 years of Rohingya mass exodus from Myanmar. (ANI)
Led by activist Priya Saha, the group estimated that nearly three million people were killed in a span of nine months at that time, reports Asian Lite News
Protesters representing ethnic and religious minorities on Friday protested outside the United Nations in New York, demanding recognition of the genocide committed by the Pakistani Army in 1971 in Bangladesh.
Led by activist Priya Saha, the group estimated that nearly three million people were killed in a span of nine months at that time.
On March 25, 1971, Pakistan Army launched ‘Operation Searchlight’, wherein a planned military operation was carried out by the Pakistani Army and its military deliberately harmed hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi citizens.
According to the rights groups, the horrors of 1971 are considered one of the worst mass atrocities in history.
Protesters were also carrying placards “calling for help” for women from Hindu, Christian and Sikh communities in Pakistan.
Religious minority women and girls are abducted, forcibly converted, forcibly married and abused, and their families are unsuccessful in their attempts to challenge these crimes using legal avenues.
Representational Image
A 2015 report by the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan in collaboration with Aurat Foundation found that at least 1,000 girls are forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan every year. In a recent case in September 2022, Bhagwanti, a Hindu teenage flood victim girl from Shahadapur, Sanghar, Sindh, was raped for two days while she went out to get a paltry ration, reported IFFRAS.
While the abductions, forced conversions, forced marriages and abuse are perpetrated by individuals, the fate of religious minority women and girls is often sealed as the existing laws or handling of such cases deem any legal recourse unavailable or ineffective.
Human rights groups have documented the plight of Pakistan’s religious minorities for years, but it is only recently that these minorities have become the focus of popular discourse because of revelations on social media regarding their treatment, reported IFFRAS. (ANI)
Bangladesh has witnessed a significant spike in dengue cases this month, with 5,826 cases and 24 deaths registered…reports Asian Lite News
The number of dengue cases in Bangladesh has surpassed the 12,000 mark this year as 438 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours, the biggest single-day spike since January, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Bangladesh has witnessed a significant spike in dengue cases this month, with 5,826 cases and 24 deaths registered, Xinhua news agency quoted the DGHS as saying.
In August, 3,521 more dengue cases were recorded after 1,571 people were infected with the mosquito-borne disease in July, according to official figures.
Dhaka and its neighbouring districts are the most vulnerable to the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, according to the DGHS, with 315 dengue cases reported in Dhaka in the last 24-hour period.
The fresh infection tally indicates the fast-rising trend of the mosquito-borne disease in the Bangladeshi capital city.
Authorities in Dhaka have recently strengthened mosquito eradication drives as dengue infections usually start rising in the country during the June-September period.
Krishna Rani scored the second goal for Bangladesh in the 42nd minute, following Shamsunnahar Jr’s opener in the 14th minute and ensured Bangladesh’s victory with another expert finish in the 77th minute…reports Asian Lite News
A brace from Krishna Rani Sarkar and an early goal from Shamsunnahar jr helped Bangladesh clinch their first-ever SAFF Women’s Championship title at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Monday.
With this win, Bangladesh have broken India’s dominance in this competition who were knocked out earlier by host country Nepal for the very first time in the history of this tournament.
Krishna Rani scored the second goal for Bangladesh in the 42nd minute, following Shamsunnahar Jr’s opener in the 14th minute and ensured Bangladesh’s victory with another expert finish in the 77th minute.
After taking a 2-0 lead in the first half on a rain-soaked pitch and in front of a capacity crowd, Bangladesh came under tremendous pressure from the hosts, who pulled one back in the 70th minute through a powerful diagonal attempt.
This was the first victory for Bengal Tigresses against Nepal in their ninth attempt, with losing six and two draws. Bangladesh President, PM lauded women’s football team for winning SAFF Women’s Championship 2022.
Bangladesh team captain Sabina Khatun became the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals in the tournament. Unbeaten champions Bangladesh conceded only once in the tournament – Nepal’s consolation goal netted by Anita in the final – and scored 23 goals.
Bangladesh became champions in South Asian women’s football for the first time in the sixth edition, ending India’s reign of five successive titles. Hosts Nepal, meanwhile, had to contend with the runners-up trophy for the fifth time.
Although Bangladesh had won other tournaments in women’s in South Asian football, this is the first time they won the title at senior level, that too by beating the two best teams of the region in India and Nepal for the first time.
Bangladesh had earlier made the final on one occasion in 2016, but eventually were beaten 3-1 by India in that final.
