Hasina recalled that Nobel laurate, Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus even conspired against the construction of Padma Bridge so as to retain the post of Managing Director….reports SUMI KHAN
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged the Special Security Force (SSF), that guards the head of the state and the head of government, to remain vigilant as there is information of a conspiracy against the inauguration of the much-awaited Padma Bridge.
“I have information that something so horrible will happen that we will not be able to hold the inauguration ceremony of the Padma Bridge on the (June) 25th. Many attempts are being made to obstruct the work of the bridge that has been completed after so many challenges.
“I have come to power to build the country, not my own fate. No false accusations will be tolerated,” she said at the SSF’s 36th founding anniversary celebrations.
She recalled that Nobel laurate, Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus even conspired against the construction of Padma Bridge so as to retain the post of Managing Director. And when the World Bank stopped funding for the Padma Bridge due to instigation, the Prime Minister said that at that moment, she announced that Bangladesh would construct the bridge with own funding.
“We have to ensure the security of the important infrastructures in the country,” she said.
Hasina, who is set to inaugurate the country’s longest bridge on June 25, also said: “Recent fire incidents in parts of the country, including the Sitakunda one, could be all part of a conspiracy to foil the celebrations.”
The Prime Minister praised the SSF for carrying out their duties with utmost skill, sincerity, responsibility, and devotion. She also emphasised the importance of working along with the people rather than creating a distance between them.
SSF Director General, Maj Gen Md Majibur Rahman highlighted the different activities of the force during the event. He also said that with the addition of the new VIP protection equipment, the SSF has become one of the modern and updated forces in the world.
Currently, 10 fire service units are working along with a military rescue and chemical expert team comprising 200 members….reports Asian Lite News
The death toll due to a devastating blaze at a container depot in Bangladesh’s Chittagong district has increased to 49, with the blaze still continuing to rage on Monday despite efforts to douse it even after 38 hours, authorities said.
Currently, 10 fire service units are working along with a military rescue and chemical expert team comprising 200 members.
The devastating blaze broke out at about 10.30 p.m. on Saturday at the private BM Container Depot Ltd, a Netherlands-Bangladesh joint venture company, in Sitakunda.
Authorities said that within 40 minutes of the raging fire, there was a massive explosion and the blaze spread from one container to the other due to the presence of explosive chemicals.
Of the 49 victims, nine were fire fighting personnel. So far 23 victims have been identified.
More than 160 people were injured, including 10 policemen and 15 fire fighters.
Sitakunda Circle Additional Superintendent of Police, Ashraful Karim told IANS on Monday that the Chittagong district administration has formed a nine-member body to probe the origin of the raging inferno and so far, no case has been registered in connection to the incident.
He added there was no water left in the ponds surrounding the depot to put out the fire.
However, the containers will now be removed with an excavator, and a path will be formed for fire service personnel to supply water to all the spots, Karim told IANS.
The BM Container Depot did not have proper authorisation to store chemical agents in the facility, claims Tofazzal Hossain, an explosives inspector in the port city.
This directly contradicts with the depot officials’ earlier claim that they did have paperwork for storing such materials, he said.
Tofazzal said hydrogen peroxide, the chemical agent that many are assuming stoked the fire, may not be behind the explosion at all.
“Hydrogen peroxide is an accelerant agent, it can help spread the fire, but it never causes it,” he said.
Since the fire is yet to be contained, an inspection team led by Tofazzal could not get close to the area still on fire.
“We could not get to the bottom of it. But I’m certain there were other chemical agents or materials which explode under the right circumstances, such as they come into contact with fire or any other materials.”
Meanwhile, Fire Service Director General Brigadier Md Main Uddin confirmed to IANS that the Fire Service and Civil Defence has formed a five-member body to look into the incident and will submit an inquiry report within three working days.
The bilateral Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting will help prepare the grounds for Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s planned visit to India, expected to take place early in July…reports Asian Lite News
External affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Bangladesh counterpart AK Abdul Momen will co-chair a meeting of the bilateral Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) in New Delhi on May 30 for a comprehensive review of relations between the two sides.
The meeting, being held after a gap of almost two years, is expected to take up the issue of sharing of river waters and connectivity initiatives between the two countries aimed at boosting commercial ties between Bangladesh and India’s northeastern states, they added.
The JCC meeting will also help prepare the grounds for Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s planned visit to India, which is expected to take place early in July, the people said.
Ahead of the JCC meeting, Jaishankar and Momen will both participate in the “NADI” (Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence) conclave being organised in Guwahati during May 28-29 with the backing of the external affairs ministry. The conclave is also being attended by senior diplomats and envoys of several countries that are members of Bimstec and Asean.
The last JCC meeting was held virtually in September 2020. Leaders of India and Bangladesh have described the current state of relations as a “golden chapter” and the relationship between the top leadership of both sides is very close.
Both countries have also launched several connectivity initiatives, especially the revival of rail links that were snapped by the 1965 India-Pakistan war and river routes that provide access to Bangladeshi ports for India’s northeastern states.
The Bangladeshi side is expected to bring up its long-standing demand for finalising an interim agreement for sharing the waters of the Teesta river. The people said the two sides are further expected to take up the early conclusion of arrangements on sharing the waters of six other joint rivers – Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumar.
The NADI conclave in Guwahati too will provide experts from India and Bangladesh to discuss the issue of cross-border rivers and make recommendations for the two governments.
Besides trade and connectivity, other issues that are expected to figure in the JCC meeting are security matters, development cooperation, and consular and cultural issues. The two sides are also expected to discuss ways to increase train services and flights to facilitate the large number of Bangladeshi travellers who come to India for both tourism and medical treatment.
Bangladesh’s largest Padma bridge opened to traffic on June 25, a Minister announced here on Tuesday…reports Asian Lite News
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader made the announcement after meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, reports Xinhua news agency.
“Our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the bridge on June 25 morning in a grand ceremony,” he said.
The Bangladesh government has already fixed the toll rates of the bridge.
According to a gazette notification, toll rates will range from 100 takas to over 6,000 takas.
The huge infrastructure project, with the main bridge spanning 6.15 km in length, is the largest and most challenging in Bangladesh’s history.
The bridge standing across the Padma River to link the northeastern and southwestern areas of Bangladesh is also a key part of an anticipated trans-Asian railway network.
Hasina inaugurated the main construction work of the bridge in 2015.
The Padma multipurpose bridge is located about 40 km southwest of Dhaka.
She also called for Ukraine to have increased access to Nato military equipment…reports Asian Lite News
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said Russian President Vladimir Putin is “humiliating himself on the world stage” and called for tougher sanctions on Moscow.
Speaking at a G7 meeting, she says sanctions should not be eased until all Russian troops have left Ukraine, the BBC reported.
Truss also called for more weapons to be sent to Ukraine to bolster its defence. She told a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Germany that Putin must face a defeat that prevents further aggression, the BBC reported.
“Putin is humiliating himself on the world stage,” she said, adding that he must be denied any benefit from his invasion of Ukraine.
She also called for Ukraine to have increased access to Nato military equipment.
G7 foreign ministers will meet again on Friday with their Ukrainian and Moldovan counterparts.
The UK Foreign Secretary has urged world leaders to continue to put pressure on Putin by imposing further international sanctions on Russia and supplying more weapons to Ukraine.
The G7 foreign ministers have been meeting in Germany over the last three days to discuss the war in Ukraine and its impact, particularly the increase of food and energy prices around the world.
Momen described the supply of the medicine as an expression of solidarity and friendship between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka…reports Asian Lite News
As a goodwill gesture, Bangladesh has sent emergency medical supplies to Sri Lanka as the island nation is undergoing a severe economic crisis.
At a token handover ceremony held at the State Guest House Padma here on Thursday, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque handed over a few boxes of medicines to Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sudharshan D.S. Seneviratne, reports Xinhua news agency.
Momen described the supply of the medicine as an expression of solidarity and friendship between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, at a time when the two countries are celebrating 50 years of their diplomatic relations.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, “Bangladesh never hesitates to extend assistance to any nation in difficulties, in particular, to its neighbours for ensuring shared peace and prosperity in the South Asian region”, he added.
For his part, Seneviratne said Sri Lanka values the friendly relationship with Bangladesh and is committed to further strengthening it.
He said the medical supplies demonstrated the bilateral relations are moving in the right direction.
Essential Drugs Company Limited, the only state-owned pharmaceuticals company in the country, and the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceuticals Industries, have each contributed medicines worth 100 million takas as gifts to Sri Lanka, the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka announced.
It added that the medicine supplies are expected to reach Sri Lanka in a few days.
Earlier, Bangladesh provided Sri Lanka with $200 million in aid through currency swapping arrangements.
BNP, the Opposition party in Bangladesh allegedly hosted non-Muslim community members with beef at an iftar event. The incident has sparked a sharp criticism on social media….reports Sumi Khan
Outraged with “serving beef” to Hindu attendees of an Iftar event hosted by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the pro liberation BNP leaders seeking anonymity have said that they love to stay with the party and its ally, but not with pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami or any such party.
Jamaat-e-Islami have tried to restore the “Pakistan military-fundamentalist model of radical Islam” but failed, they asserted.
BNP, the Opposition party in Bangladesh allegedly hosted non-Muslim community members with beef at an iftar event. The incident has sparked a sharp criticism on social media.
The Sylhet unit of BNP arranged the iftar party, attended by at least 20 leaders and activists from the Hindu community on Thursday. All the plates were served with traditional items alongside beef while no exception was made even for the Hindu attendees.
Outraged at the insensitivity, local unit Hindu participants from the party took to Facebook to condemn the organisers.
“In absence any separate arrangement, I, like 20 other Hindu colleagues, had to watch all the Muslim leaders and activists breaking their fasts,” wrote Muntu Nath, a local leader of an affiliated body of BNP, summing up his anger for being invited at the event.
Terming such an arrangement “a farce” with the colleagues from other community leaders, Kanak Kanti Das, a local leader of BNP’s student body, wrote “you enjoyed your iftar and we (Hindu invitees) were simply looking at it”.
Without offering any apology, BNP Sylhet district leaders later acknowledged the “mishap” as some activists on social media questioned the motive behind it .
Drawing on BNP’s long standing role as central to the country’s Islamic ecosystem, some analysts raised BNP Jamaat’s proven track record of systematically attacking the minorities.
Media personalities also that said the military rulers who had taken over and ruled Bangladesh for 15 years legitimised the pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami, introduced constitutional amendments that undermined the country’s secular democratic polity, and finally declared Islam as the state religion of Bangladesh.
Even during last rule of the BNP, back from 2001 to 2006, the emergence of Tarique Rahman as the de facto leader of the party emboldened the Islamists in a systematic land grabbing from Hindus let alone attack on temples and businesses and rape of Hindu girls.
Even while in Opposition, BNP has been accused of aiding Jamaat in perpetrating biggest attacks on Hindus centering war crimes trials. Afterwards, in other major incidents of attacks on Hindus including the recent attacks on Durga puja, involvement of the BNP Jamaat backed people had been blamed by the Awami League leaders.
The Bangladesh premier noted that an initiative was taken to resume cross-border routes between Bangladesh and India which were stopped during the 1965 India-Pakistan war when Bangladesh was eastern wing of Pakistan…reports Asian Lite News
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who offered her country’s main seaport – Chittagong Port – to India’s northeastern states like Assam and Tripura to enhance connectivity between the two neighbours.
Jaishankar, who arrived here on Thursday on a brief official visit, handed over an invitation to Hasina on her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi’s behalf to visit New Delhi.
“Thank Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her warm reception. Conveyed personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. Our bilateral relations are moving from strength to strength under the guidance of the two leaders,” Jaishankar tweeted.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Hasina said that the two countries have to increase the connectivity further, her press secretary Ihsanul Karim said.
She told Jaishankar that the enhanced connectivity was needed for mutual benefit while it would particularly benefit India’s northeastern region in using Bangladesh’s southeastern Chittagong port, Karim said.
“If the connectivity is increased, the Indian northeastern states -like Assam and Tripura- can have access to the seaport in Chattogram,” she said.
The Bangladesh premier noted that initiative were taken to resume cross-border routes between Bangladesh and India which were stopped during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, when Bangladesh was eastern wing of Pakistan.
Karim said a number of bilateral and international issues were discussed during Prime Minister Hasina’s more than half an hour long meeting with Jaishankar.
Jaishankar later held talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Momen and then jointly briefed the media.
“Dr. Momen and @DrSJaishankar discussed the bilateral issues between Bangladesh and India. They expressed satisfaction about the ongoing Bangladesh-India cooperation, vowed to further strengthen the bilateral ties, stressed on regional stability for socio-economic development as a whole,” the Bangladesh foreign ministry tweeted.
Jaishankar hands over PM’s invitation
Jaishankar’s visit also raised prospects of signing of the controversial Teesta Water Sharing Treaty something that Dhaka has been waiting for since 2011.
During his meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina this afternoon, Jaishankar handed over a personal letter from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inviting her to visit Delhi. No dates have yet been fixed, but is expected within a few months.
Bangladesh had long wanted the Teesta Water Sharing Agreement to be signed with India. The pact should have been signed and sealed during prime minister Manmohan Singh’s 2011 visit to the neighbouring country. In fact, that was to be the highpoint of the trip but the West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee refused to endorse and threw a spanner on what was billed as a done deal.
The long anticipated pact was to have been a major diplomatic triumph for the UPA government, but ended being a disaster. What is more it was an embarrassment for the Sheikh Hasina government, and the opposition made a big deal of the fiasco. But with the mercurial chief minister putting her foot down, it was impossible for Manmohan Singh to go through with it.
Perhaps the UPA leadership had not done its homework and thought that Mamta Banerjee would not pull out at the last moment. Since then, Teesta water agreement had fallen off the bilateral radar. It was a major disappointment for Dhaka as the Awami League government had been assured by Delhi that it was a done deal.
Water sharing was not mentioned in Jaishankar’s opening statement. However, Dhaka’s influential English daily the Daily Star said in its report on Jaishankar’s visit, “The foreign minister recalled that the two countries had resolved many of the outstanding issues in the spirit of friendship and cooperation and expressed hope that all outstanding issues including the early signing of the Teesta Water Sharing Treaty may be concluded at an early date.”
Considering the current state of relations between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress, any chance of co-operation on water sharing seems far-fetched at the moment.
Despite a few major hiccups in ties during the NRC and the CCA agitations in India, which was regarded as anti-Muslim, and attacks on Hindu puja pandal’s in that country last year that led to angry protests in India, the two governments have handled these controversial incidents with a great deal of maturity. As a result, India and Bangladesh continue to have excellent ties.
Ever since the Awami League came to power relations have grown tremendously. India too as a growing power in the region is being much more generous with its neighbours and is ready to step in to help in any emergency, including the pandemic or natural disaster.
Jaishankar said that Bangladesh was one of the most important countries for India as it looks to promote its neighbourhood first policy. His counterpart reciprocated the sentiment by saying India is Bangladesh’s most important neighbour.
Earlier foreign minister Abdul Momen had told the local press that he had asked New Delhi to lobby with the US to lift sanctions slapped last December on seven serving and retired officials of the country’s elite anti-terror unit (Rapid Action Battalion) for alleged human rights violations. Many in Bangladesh are furious with the minister for turning to India for help in a matter not of national interest but on a minor matter like this.
Jaishankar’s visit to Bangladesh may be seen in the context of frequent bilateral high-level visits and exchanges particularly as both sides commemorate 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties…reports Asian Lite News
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Thursday arrived in Dhaka to hold talks with his Bangladesh counterpart AK Abdul Momen. Jaishankar was received at the airport by the Bangladeshi Minister of Foreign Affairs and other officials. During his visit to Bangladesh, Jaishankar will also call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apart from holding discussions with his counterpart Abdul Momen.
The EAM is on a three-day visit to Bangladesh and Bhutan starting today. Notably, this is Jaishankar’s first visit to Bangladesh, since March 2021. Jaishankar’s visit to Bangladesh may be seen in the context of frequent bilateral high-level visits and exchanges particularly as both sides commemorate 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties, an official statement said on Wednesday. During his visit to Bhutan, the EAM will receive an audience with Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and also call on Bhutan Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering. He will also meet his counterpart Dr Tandi Dorji. (ANI)
Among the injured were eight reporters who were attacked during the clashes. Four of them are receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital….reports Sumi Khan
Day-long clashes between shopkeepers in Dhaka’s New Market area, students of the adjacent Dhaka College and the local police left one person dead and over 50 injured.
Nahid Hasan, 23, who worked as a deliveryman for a courier service in the Elephant Road area, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on Tuesday.
Among the injured were eight reporters who were attacked during the clashes. Four of them are receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Highlighting the government’s concern, Education Minister Dipu Moni said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed the state to treat the injured, especially the students. All necessary steps have been taken to ensure the advanced treatment of Mosharraf Hossain, a critically injured student of Dhaka College, at a specialised hospital, she added.
The Prime Minister also questioned the police’s firing on students, she added.
Dhaka Metropolitan police authority on Tuesday said: “Legal action will be taken if the traders file any complaints.”
According to witnesses, several cocktail explosions and attacks on the public continued daylong on Tuesday. The students also burnt wood on the roads during the clashes. A number of police personnel had rushed to the spot in a riot van, around three hours after the violence broke out.
As per officials, the clash began around Monday midnight. They rushed to the spot and lobbed tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. However, some of the officials suffered injuries in the process, as the students began hurling brickbats at them.
Traffic movement on Mirpur Road remained suspended, due the clashes, for over two hours till 2.15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Speaking to IANS, the police said that a dispute between two eateries in the New Market area led to the clashes A group of Dhaka College students then got involved in the argument which finally resulted in a deadly clash.
The workers and the students clashed for nearly two and a half hours during the wee hours of Tuesday before the police dispersed them using tear gas and rubber bullets. However, the fight resumed in the morning, further crippling Dhaka’s slow Ramadan traffic.
Different journalist organisations, including the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) condemned the attack on journalists and demanded the immediate arrest of the attackers. They also demanded compensation and necessary treatment of the victims.
Nazrul Islam Mithu, President of DRU, and Nurul Islam Hasib, General Secretary, DRU opined that attacking journalists is not acceptable, especially while they are on duty.
BFUJ President Omar Faruk, Secretary General Dip Azad, and DUJ president Sohel Haider Chowdhury said those who attack journalists on duty are “nothing short of terrorists”.
Assistant Commissioner Sharif Mohammad Faruquzzaman said that the violence eased in the afternoon and stopped for a while in the evening, during Iftar. However, the traders started demonstrating again around 7.45 p.m. while the students had gathered outside the Dhaka College campus. The police had to resort to a baton charge to disperse the storekeepers.
According to the injured journalists, both parties involved in the clashes assaulted them whenever they tried to take photographs or video footage of the violence.
A photojournalist, who was attacked by the students, said: “They pushed me to the ground and beat me up with sticks and iron rods while I was taking photos. When I told them I was a college alumnus, they let me go. But then I saw, they began thrashing another journalist, Hasan Reza. I, somehow, managed to save him and get ourselves out of there.”
Shaheen Ahmed, president of the New Market Shop Owners’ Association, said that the workers of the two eateries, Capital Hostel and Welcome, fought over the ownership of a place to sell Iftar items on Monday evening.
“They scuffled at one stage. An employee of Welcome then called some Dhaka College students he was acquainted with. Now things have gone this far,” Shaheen told IANS.
A group of 10-12 students were assaulted by the workers of Capital Hostel when they came to support workers of Welcome which finally led to the daylong violent clash, he added.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Opposition Jatiya Party, GM Quader, has condemned the attack on media personnel. Calling upon the law enforcers, he demanded strict action against those who are violating the sanctity of Ramadan and committing acts of terrorism and anarchy.
