lighting decorations to mark the Independence Day and National Day in Dhaka, Bangladesh
President Hamid first placed a wreath at the altar of the National Memorial in Savar accompanied by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina…reports Asian Lite News
Bangladesh on Friday marked 50 years with President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paying rich tributes to all the victims of the 1971 Liberation War.
President Hamid first placed a wreath at the altar of the National Memorial in Savar followed by the Prime Minister, reports The Daily Star newspaper.
After placing the wreaths, Hamid and Hasina stood in silence as a mark ofrespect to the memories of the war victims.
A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion while the bugles played the last post.
President H.E Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have paid homage to the martyrs of Liberation War(Twitter)
Later, the President and the Prime minister signed the visitors’ book there on the occasion.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s younger daughter Sheikh Rehana, Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, senior Awami League leaders and high civil and military officials, among others, were present at the memorial.
Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the state ceremony is being celebrated in a limited scale maintaining the health guidelines and social distancing.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Dhaka to participate in the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina
Modi will join Hasina at the National Parade Ground, the main venue of the celebrations, in Dhaka with President Hamid as the chief guest.
This year also marks the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, who led Bangladesh’s Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971.
Bangabandhu declared independence on March 26 that yearafter the Pakistani forces had brutally cracked down on the unarmed people of the then East Pakistan on the night of March 25, 1971.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has summoned British Ambassador to China to lodge solemn representations, expressing firm opposition and strong condemnation….reports Asian Lite News
China on Friday announced sanctions on relevant British individuals and entities.
According to a statement by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the UK imposed unilateral sanctions on relevant Chinese individuals and entity, citing the so-called human rights issues in Xinjiang, Xinhua news agency reported.
“This move, based on nothing but lies and disinformation, flagrantly breaches international law and basic norms governing international relations, grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs, and severely undermines China-UK relations,” said the statement.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has summoned British Ambassador to China to lodge solemn representations, expressing firm opposition and strong condemnation.
China Announces Sanctions on Relevant UK Individuals and Entities
The Chinese side decides to sanction the following nine individuals and four entities on the UK side that maliciously spread lies and disinformation: Tom Tugendhat, Iain Duncan Smith, Neil O’Brien, David Alton, Tim Loughton, Nusrat Ghani, Helena Kennedy, Geoffrey Nice, Joanne Nicola Smith Finley, China Research Group, Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, Uyghur Tribunal, and Essex Court Chambers.
“As of today, the individuals concerned and their immediate family members are prohibited from entering the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of China. Their property in China will be frozen, and Chinese citizens and institutions will be prohibited from doing business with them. China reserves the right to take further measures,” said the statement.
China is firmly determined to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests, and warns the UK side not go further down the wrong path. Otherwise, China will resolutely make further reactions, said the statement.
On February 20, Iran closed several crossing points with Iraq to stem the spread of a new coronavirus variant…reports Asian Lite News.
While the coronavirus pandemic has continued to impact people of all strata, as earlier borders are about to shut down. The border points between Iran and Iraq will be closed for passengers until April 4 in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, a top government official said here
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Hossein Qasemi, Director-General of Border Affairs of Iranian Interior Ministry, Xinhua news agency reported.
The decision was taken by the National Headquarters for Fighting Coronavirus following the request of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Qasemi told the media.
However, if there are Iranian nationals in Iraq who want to return, or if Iraqi nationals in Iran want to go back to their country, they can cross the border, he said.
Also, border crossing for traders, contractors and engineering activities would be possible after necessary evaluations, he added.
On February 20, Iran closed several crossing points with Iraq to stem the spread of a new coronavirus variant.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said “we have seen a pattern of more assertive behaviour by Russia over the last years, including aggressive actions against nations.”…reports Asian Lite News.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) should deal with urgent problems that its member countries are facing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, after the bloc accused Moscow of “aggressive actions”.
The North Atlantic Council convening in 2010 with a defence/foreign minister configuration. (Wikipedia)
“They (these problems) require urgent attention: vaccination, the crisis, human rights issues in NATO countries. Once you manage to solve these issues, we will consider your experience,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, told reporters on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSoaQa9CNmg
NATO foreign ministers issued a statement on Tuesday following their meeting in Brussels, saying that “Russia’s aggressive actions constitute a threat to Euro-Atlantic security.”
Ahead of the meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said “we have seen a pattern of more assertive behaviour by Russia over the last years, including aggressive actions against nations.”
The bill grants Putin the possibility of starting his presidency from scratch in 2024 and holding the office for two more terms until 2036…reports Asian Lite News.
Russia’s lower house of parliament the State Duma approved a bill, enabling incumbent President Vladimir Putin to run for two more terms starting 2024.
The draft law on elections, which was approved in the State Duma’s third or final reading on Wednesday, was made in pursuance of constitutional amendments adopted in a nationwide referendum in July 2020, Xinhua news agency reported.
One of the 206 constitutional amendments stipulates that the limit of two presidential terms applies to the incumbent head of state, but without taking into account his previous terms.
In light of the amendment, the bill grants Putin the possibility of starting his presidency from scratch in 2024 and holding the office for two more terms until 2036.
In accordance with the bill, a Russian citizen, who is at least 35 years old, has been a permanent resident of the country for at least 25 years, and has never held citizenship or a residence permit of a foreign state, can be elected Russian president.
The bill needs to be passed by the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, and then to be signed by Putin into law
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to be the ‘honoured guest’ on Bangladesh’s 50th Independence Day on 26 March, the day when the marauding Pakistani forces launched Operation Searchlight and allegedly perpetrated the worst form of brutalities and genocide in the erstwhile East Pakistan. Modi’s presence in Dhaka on the day will revive memories of India’s all-out support to the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971when on the face of horrendous cruelties meted out to the hapless people, more than 10 million refugees had to flee and take shelter in India where they were extended all cooperation and assistance by the people and government of India, writes Louis Auge.
Modi’s visit to Dhaka will be in connection with three epochal events – Mujib Borsho (birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman); 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and India; and 50 years of Bangladesh liberation war. The visit of the Indian Prime Minister will be his first visit to any foreign country since the outbreak of Covid pandemic. This shows the importance India attaches to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh-India relations are multifaceted in nature and rooted in a shared history, geographical proximity and commonality in their cultures. The emotional bonds stemming from contribution of India towards liberation of Bangladesh remain a dominant factor in the country’s political, social and cultural web. Economically and commercially, the two countries are becoming increasingly closer. Besides, the dependence of Bangladesh on the common river waters remains an ever present reminder of the umbilical links between the two countries.
Economics has played a significant role in improving bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India. Economic relations between these two countries have over the last couple of years become multifaceted, embracing trade transactions, joint ventures, transit facilities and transport development.
Bangladesh happens to be the recipient of India’s largest ever financial assistance. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his last visit to Dhaka (June 6-7, 2015) announced that India would provide Bangladesh a Line of Credit of US $ 2 billion. Bangladesh can use the credit in any way it wants. The credit carries lowest ever one per cent interest rate with a repayment period of 20 years and a 5-year grace period.
Earlier, in August 2010 India gave Bangladesh $ 1 billion Line of Credit to be used in specific sectors especially railways. The first portion of this Line of Credit was used in infrastructure and transport. $ 200 million of $ 1 billion Line of Credit was later converted in to a grant. Virtually, barring a negligible portion, the entire amount has already been paid to Bangladesh. India has made it clear that no interest would be charged for $ 200 million that has been converted in to grant. The rest $ 800 million carrying one per cent interest is being used to implement 14 projects, seven of which have already been completed. These include 11 projects valued at about $630m in the railways sector for the supply of locomotives, tank wagons, flat wagons and brake wagons to Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina
The private sector initiative comes in parallel to the Indian government’s effort to bolster relations with Bangladesh. India’s External Affairs Ministry has made it clear that India continues to see Bangladesh as a “very, very important partner,” and it would like to take forward plans for investment, trade and joint ventures between the two countries. 38 Indian investments had been registered with the Board of Investments (BoI) in Bangladesh for about $183m in the preceding years.
Major Indian companies such as Bharti Airtel, Tata Motors, Sun Pharma, Asian Paints, Marico, Godrej, Venky’s Hatcheries, Parle Products, Forbes and Marshall have invested in Bangladesh in the recent past. At the Bangladesh Investment and Policy Summit held in Dhaka in 2016, two big industrial groups of India, Reliance and Adani, committed to make huge investment in Bangladesh to the tune of US dollar 1,100 crore.
In addition, Indian companies plan to invest more than $100m in various projects in Bangladesh. A number of Indian and Bangladeshi companies signed proposals to set up projects in sectors such as limousine services, manufacturing three-wheelers and software development during road shows held in Chennai and Mumbai recently.
There are a number of Indian investments in ready-made garment (RMG) sector like Ambattur Clothing, a Chennai-based company that started operations in Bangladesh in 2007 and later set up its own manufacturing units through acquisitions. Helix Garment started operations in Bangladesh more than a decade ago. Consumer brands like Marico and Godrej have consolidated their position in Bangladesh. Indian tire manufacturing giant CEAT has tied up with Bangladesh’s A.K Khan Group to form CEAT Bangladesh.
The growing resilience of Bangladesh economy continues to attract Indian investment. The average economic growth rate in the country has been over 7.0 percent for the last couple of years. The country has graduated to lower-middle income league from lower-income status. The middle class is rising steadily and creating demand for consumer goods and services. The country has also graduated as developing nation.
This change in Bangladesh economy has not gone unnoticed by Indian businessmen and entrepreneurs and some of them have come with direct and joint investments in selected service and manufacturing sectors. Bharti Airtel, for example, acquired 70% stake in Warid Telecom Bangladesh. It has further injected some $ 300 million in subsequent years and renamed it Airtel Bangladesh.
‘Regional connectivity is not only strengthening friendship between Bangladesh and India but also proving to be a strong link of business’, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remarked while inaugurating ‘Maitri Setu’ (Friendship Bridge) virtually with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9. The Indian Prime Minister expressed the view that connectivity between Bangladesh and India will prove to be very important for the north-east region of India and Bangladesh trade as well.
Sheikh Hasina lauded India for ‘building a prosperous region together’ and wished for a ‘successful operation and utilization of the Maitri Setu’. The opening of the bridge is a “testimony to Bangladesh government’s continued commitment to support our neighbor India in strengthening connectivity in the region”, she said.
During the Indian Prime Minister Modi’s last visit to Dhaka in 2015, two MoUs were signed to produce 4,600 Mega Watt (MW) electricity. Reliance Power signed MoU with Bangladesh Power Development Board to produce 3000 MW by investing $ 3billion. Adani Power would set up two coal-fired plants with a total capacity of 1,600 MW by investing $ 1.5 billion.
Bangladesh and India have signed MoU to construct a pipe line for supply of high speed diesel from Numaligarh in Assam to Parbatipur in Bangladesh under a joint venture project between Numaligarh Refinery Limited and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. As a goodwill gesture an initial consignment of 2,200 tons of diesel has been transported from Siliguri in West Bengal to Parbatipur by 50 wagons of Indian Railways. The decision to construct pipe line was taken during Modi’s last visit.
India’s state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) is set to sign an agreement to construct the 1,320 megawatt (MG) thermal power station in Khulna. BHEL outbid Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and two Chinese companies to bag the contract for building $ 1.6 billion power plant having a final capacity of 2,640 MW. The Indian concern has emerged as the lowest bidder for this ‘Maitri’ (friendship) project.
The Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Ltd (BIFPCL), a joint venture between Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and India’s power generation major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), had invited bids for turnkey construction of 2 x 660 coal-fired super thermal power plant coming up near Mongla river port at Rampal, district Bagerhat, Khulna. This project, known as “Maitri Super Thermal Power Project”, is set to be the largest in Bangladesh. The power plant is a partnership between BPDB and NTPC which will share fifty-fifty ownership of the plant as well as electricity it produces. The project is, however, presently facing opposition from some environmentalist groups.
On security aspects, Bangladesh-India relations have never been better. Bangladesh has already addressed major issues that remained matters of concern from India’s security point of view for a long period. Bangladesh has handed over to India a large number of North East Indian insurgents who had been camping and executing anti-India operations from Bangladeshi soil. Bangladesh government did this even though there was no extradition treaty between the two sides. Anup Chetia, a major United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) insurgent and a constant headache for Indian security establishment, has also been handed over to India by the country.
Bangladeshi security forces have seized huge stockpiles of explosive materials, broken up numerous camps and apprehended a number of Indian insurgents. The arrests and seizures bear witness to wide spread reach and presence of Indian insurgents in Bangladesh. During BNP-Jamaat rule, Bangladesh state machinery continued to indulge in activities endangering India’s security by actively supporting and assisting the ULFA that operated in Bangladesh with ISI backing and patronization.
Bangladesh was being viewed as a hot destination by the ISI in its attempt to wage a full-fledged battle against India. Pakistan wants North East India to remain in perpetual instability so that it becomes easy for Pakistan to intervene and sever north eastern part from the rest of India, thus fulfilling Pakistan’s long-cherished desire to avenge its defeat and subsequent loss of its eastern part in 1971.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has delivered on all of India’s concerns ranging from security to connectivity. India on its part has done its best to reciprocate by giving priority to supply Covid 19 vaccine to Bangladesh.
Many of the long outstanding problems that had existed since the partition of India in 1947 have been resolved. The most important of these being strengthening connectivity between the two countries through resuming the long suspended rail, road and waterway links. The exchange of enclaves and the long standing border disputes were also solved and the Indian Parliament showed a rare gesture of good-will when both houses of the Indian Parliament unanimously voted to ratify the Mujib-Indira accord of 1974 agreeing to exchange adversely located enclaves and demark the boundaries.
Although most of the bilateral disputes between the two countries have now been resolved, Teesta river water sharing continues to remain a nagging problem. The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again indicated that the problem will be resolved during his tenure. He pointed out that India works on a federal system and does not take any decision bypassing the concerned state government. West Bengal government which is a stakeholder has to be convinced before taking decision on the Teesta water sharing.
Both the countries have improved not only their diplomatic ties but also deepened their bonds on all fronts including security and border management, trade, commerce and investment, connectivity, energy and power, space, developmental projects, culture and people-to-people exchanges. For the sake of deepening their ties, the two countries have signed about 100 agreements in the last couple of years. Most of these agreements are not merely renewal of previous agreements but also initiation of cooperation in high technology areas such as space, civil and nuclear energy, IT and electronics, cyber-security and blue economy to name a few.
There will be joint monitoring by the foreign offices of the two countries to oversee implementation of all the accords and agreements. Earlier there had been many agreements but not all of them reached the implementation stage. Now both the countries have decided to engage in close monitoring of the implementation process to ensure materialization of the agreements.
Issrael moves towards a political deadlock amid Netanyahu’s bloc lacks majority…reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may struggle to secure enough seats in Parliament to stay in power, incomplete results of Tuesday’s election suggested, even as he claimed victory in the country’s fourth elections in two years.
His announcement came within two hours of exit polls on Israel’s main three TV channels which indicated no immediate winner in the unprecedented elections amid a prolonged political deadlock.
“A huge victory to the right-wing and the Likud (party) under my leadership,” Netanyahu wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night, Xinhua news agency reported.
He said his right-wing Likud party is “by far” the largest party in Israel, after the polls suggested it won about 31 seats.
With about 90 per cent of votes counted, his right-wing bloc is course to win 59 seats – two short of the threshold, the BBC reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
In a surprise development, an Arab party which is projected to win five seats could hold the balance of power.
The final outcome will among other things determine the course of Israel’s relations with the Palestinians.
The Arab party, Raam, has not declared whether it will support the efforts of Netanyahu – an unnatural ally – to form a government or those of the bloc opposed to him remaining in office.
Those parties have garnered 56 seats, according to the latest tally, and although backing from Raam could give them a sufficient number to form a government, they are fragmented and unlikely to be able to agree to work together.
If neither grouping can form a majority coalition, the country could face its fifth general election since April 2019.
Israel’s electoral system, a form of proportional representation, makes it almost impossible for a single party to win an election outright.
Ballot papers in Nesher(Wikipedia)
Based on the latest results, to stay in office, Netanyahu would need to secure the support of both Raam and a small right-wing nationalist party, Yamina.
Like Raam, Yamina’s leader, Naftali Bennett, has not announced which side he will throw his weight behind.
“I will do only what is good for the State of Israel,” he said after the voting ended on Tuesday night.
He added that he had told Netanyahu that Yamina would await the final results before deciding on its next steps.
It was the first missile launch since Biden took oath as US president. Biden said defence officials called it “business as usual”…reports Asian Lite News
US President Joe Biden has said he does not consider North Korea’s launch of short-range missiles as a provocation.
The launch is the first since Biden took office. Biden said defence officials called it “business as usual”, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
North Korea is said to have fired non-ballistic cruise missiles, which do not flout UN Security Council resolutions, over the weekend.
The incident happened after Pyongyang criticised the US and South Korea for conducting joint military exercises.
It also comes as Biden’s administration continues to attempt to establish diplomatic relations with North Korea.
The launch, originally reported by US media, has since been confirmed by US officials and the South Korean defence ministry.
South Korea said two cruise missiles were fired into the Yellow Sea early on Sunday from Onchon in North Korea.
Responding to reporters’ questions on Tuesday night, Biden said: “We have learned that nothing has changed.”
When asked if he considered the test as a provocation, he said: “No, according to the Defence Department, it’s business as usual. There’s no new wrinkle in what they did.”
UN Security Council resolutions, which have resulted in strict sanctions on North Korea, have only banned Pyongyang from firing threatening weapons such as ballistic missiles.
It’s true that every test of a missile by Pyongyang helps improve its military capabilities and that is always a concern to the international community.
But cruise missile tests are not a breach of UN Security Council sanctions and North Korea has bigger weapons in its arsenal if it really wanted to challenge the Biden administration.
The current focus of the new White House team and its allies is the impending review on North Korea policy.
Decades of sanctions and three summits between former US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have failed to prevent Pyongyang from developing a larger and more deadly nuclear arsenal.
So President Biden is most likely shrugging off this latest missile test for good reason – there’s a much bigger challenge ahead.
Senior US officials have separately said they considered the action as “most normal military activity by the North”.
They added they were in the “final stages” of their North Korea policy review and planned to host Japan and South Korea’s national security advisers for a discussion soon.
The US government had previously said it had been trying for weeks to make diplomatic contact with North Korea.
Pyongyang has yet to acknowledge that President Biden is now in office, and the two countries remain at loggerheads over the North’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
During Biden’s election campaign, he called Kim “a thug” and said North Korean nuclear disarmament had to happen before US and UN economic sanctions could be relaxed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina
Islamist radical groups like Hifazat have threatened to block Modi’s entry into Dhaka city from the airport, prompting furious security preparations by Bangladesh security forces..By Ayesha Zaman Shimu
A fierce social media ‘war’ has erupted between pro-Liberation Bangladeshis and the Pakistanis resenting Bangladesh’s much vaunted progress and growing relations with India ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country.
Modi will be the Guest of Honour at the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh Independence on March 26, the day in 1971 when Pakistan’s brutal army started ‘Operation Searchlight’, a genocidal campaign to stamp out the Bengali revolt for Independence.
Islamist radical groups like Hifazat have threatened to block Modi’s entry into Dhaka city from the airport, prompting furious security preparations by Bangladesh security forces. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered tough action against anyone trying to disrupt Modi’s visit .
Modi’s visit is significant because it comes at a time when bilateral relations have peaked, despite occasional hiccups. There is also promise of mutual growth on the horizon with a latest World Bank report suggesting that India and Bangladesh can augment their national incomes by 8 to 10 per cent in a few years if the two neighbours can ensure “seamless transport connectivity”.
The visit also comes at a time when Bangladesh has achieved ‘Developing Nation’ status , up from Least Developed Country (LDC) category . The UN citation announcing that upgrade is a testimony to Bangladesh’s success in national building through practice of moderate Islam, tolerance of other religions, abiding faith in liberal Bengali culture and its syncretic traditions and focus on economic growth and human development.
This is stark contrast to Pakistan’s slide in economy and society with analysts across the world suggesting it has all the bearings of a failed state. And all because of the Pakistani state and its powerful army’s obsession in using terrorism as an instrument of national policy and its lopsided defence spending at the cost of neglect for infrastructure and social sector investments.
The Twitter war has been sparked by some Bangladeshi radicals backing the Hifazat-e-Islam’s announcement to stop ” Modi from entering Dhaka.” Pro-liberation forces who express gratitude to India for its role in Bangladesh’s liberation promptly denounced the Hifazat move as an ‘evil ploy’ by Pakistani intelligence ISI to disrupt not only Modi’s visit but also the celebrations of 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence.
They also attacked Hifazat-Khilafat leaders as ‘powerhungry’ and ‘traders of religion’. Some tweets and Facebook posts also showcased Bangladesh’s economic and human development achievements cited in top global publications like ‘Diplomat’ and ‘Wall Street Journal’ and contrasted this with Pakistan’s downslide.
That provoked a strong riposte from Pakistani Twitterati and Facebookers with some presenting absolute cooked up statistics to show Pakistan was ahead of Bangladesh in many respects. Bangladesh’s net warriors shot back immediately asking uncomfortable questions.
Sheikh Hasina.
“Ask your PM Imran, has he paid up the PMO’s electricity bills” and “30 rupees for an egg, 1,000 rupees for a kilo of ginger, what do you eat Pakistanis, only dry wheat” are some of the shoot-back posts that escalated into direct allegations of Pakistani funding for Bangladesh’s Islamist radicals to disrupt the Modi visit and adversely impact India-Bangladesh relations. Citing a ‘Times of India’ opinion piece, a tweet said: ” India and Bangladesh, Made for Each Other, Destined to Grow Together’.
Bangladesh has a passionate and fiercely secular bloggers community who have never hesitated to attack Islamist radical politics.
In the aftermath of the 1971 War Crimes Trials, that began after PM Hasina assumed power, scores of bloggers like Rajiv Haider were hacked to death by the fundamentalists along with secular publishers and intellectuals like Faisal Ahmed Dipon and Abhijit Roy.
The bloggers were targetted after they demanded death penalty for the Bengali Islamist collaborators of Pakistan army who helped their campaign of massacres and mass rapes, mass conversions of non-Muslims under duress, all well documented in books compiled by Barrister Tureen Afroz, who led the prosecution of the war criminals.
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh(Wikipedia)
But the attacks have not deterred Bangladesh’s passionate net warriors to uphold their country’s glory and road to recovery after the devastation of the 1971 war and 20 years of debilitating military rule by two Bengali generals Ziaur Rahman and H.M. Ershad, who put back Bangladesh’s “Unfinished revolution” by decades through constitutional changes that made the country an Islamic Republic by undermining the secular values of Bengali linguistic nationalism that made possible our Independence over an ‘ocean of blood’.
What has unnerved Pakistan and his active netizens is the obvious lack of ammunition they have to defend their ‘failed state’ and the matter has been aggravated after PM Hasina’s government raised the pitch for UN recognition of the 1971 genocide and demanded a formal apology from Pakistan.
At a time when Islamabad faces restive ethnic minorities like the Baloch and the Pashtuns, Sindhis and Baltistanis, the Bangladesh example is an uncomfortable foreboding on the wall for Pakistan’s rulers. No wonder, their generals are almost begging India for peace and Imran Khan is confusing Japan as Germany’s neighbours. With the Damocles Sword of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) hanging on Pakistan’s head, their only saving grace appears to be a peace deal in Afghanistan which gives the Taliban a prepoderant position in running the war-ravaged country.
Bangladesh has as much strategic advantage as Pakistan but it is poor — and a very military– approach to pitch national policy just on leveraging strategic advantage , neglecting the hard work to develop economic and social infrastructure for stimulating growth in economy and human development. Bangladesh is all that Pakistan is not. Thankfully, our great leader ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led us to independence and abandon the sinking ship called Pakistan at the right time.
“A huge victory to the right-wing and the Likud (party) under my leadership,”said Netanyahu…reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory in the country’s fourth elections in two years.
The announcement came fewer than two hours after exit polls on Israel’s main three TV channels indicated no immediate winner in the unprecedented elections amid a prolonged political deadlock.
“A huge victory to the right-wing and the Likud (party) under my leadership,” Netanyahu wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night, Xinhua news agency reported.
He said his right-wing Likud party is “by far” the largest party in Israel, after the polls suggested it won about 31 seats.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara cast their ballots(Twitter)
“It is obvious that a clear majority of the citizens of Israel are right-wing and they want a stable and strong right-wing government that will take care of Israel’s economy and security,” Netanyahu added.
In a bid to form a government coalition, Netanyahu talked over the phone with leaders of three right-wing parties that already vowed to join a coalition under his leadership. Exit polls projected that they have won some 53-54 seats together.
Naftali Bennet, leader of the pro-settler Yamina party, said he also held a talk over the phone with Netanyahu.
Polls projected Yamina won about seven seats. If Bennet, a former close ally of Netanyahu, will decide to join the longtime leader’s coalition, they could form a coalition of 61 seats in the 120-seat parliament.
