Tag: BANGLA

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Lanka Thanks India, Bangladesh for Crisis Support

Wickremesinghe affirmed his commitment to dispatch a delegation of Lankan agricultural experts to Bangladesh with an aim of studying Bangladesh’s agricultural modernisation programme…reports Asian Lite News

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday expressed gratitude to India and Bangladesh for providing assistance as the island nation tries to recover from a serious economic crisis.

Wickremesinghe met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on Monday after attending Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two leaders engaged in bilateral discussions with the Bangladesh PM assuring Dhaka’s commitment to support Sri Lanka’s agricultural modernisation programme.

“Recalling the support received from both Bangladesh and India, Wickremesinghe expressed gratitude for their assistance,” Lankan President’s Media Division said in a statement after the meeting.

It also mentioned that Hasina has assured her country’s commitment to assist Sri Lanka with its plan to modernise agriculture.

Wickremesinghe affirmed his commitment to dispatch a delegation of Lankan agricultural experts to Bangladesh with an aim of studying Bangladesh’s agricultural modernisation programme through cooperative methods and gather valuable insights to enhance Sri Lanka’s own agricultural modernisation efforts.

The leaders also deliberated on the prospect of signing a free trade agreement between the two countries. Wickremesinghe highlighted the potential for such an agreement following the conclusion of the India Free Trade Agreement.

“Additionally, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh pledged to direct private investors from Bangladesh towards investment opportunities in Sri Lanka, further fostering economic cooperation between the two countries. Consideration was given to the initiation of a passenger ferry service connecting Sri Lanka and Bangladesh,” the Lankan President’s office said in a statement after the meeting.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister extended an invitation to Ranil Wickremesinghe to attend the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangladesh. However, Wickremesinghe conveyed that, as the conference will be held during the election period in Sri Lanka, the country’s Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Foreign Minister Ali Sabri will represent Sri Lanka at the event.

The Bangladesh PM also expressed her satisfaction with the progress of Sri Lanka’s economy under the leadership of Wickremesinghe.

The meeting was also attended by Wickremesinghe’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Secretary Aruni Wijewardene, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Kshenuka Senaviratne and delegations from both countries.

ALSO READ: Lankan Leader in India for Modi’s Swearing-In

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-Top News Asia News Bangladesh

Aid Dwindles, Rohingya Crisis Deepens

The WFP said that with the current cash allowance, the Rohingya have less than 9 cents for each meal and “are being pushed over the edge”….reports Asian Lite News

Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, now face a dire situation as aid funding diminishes, a UN spokesman said.

The Rohingya, who have faced repeated climate shocks since their exodus from Myanmar seven years ago, now face hunger, deepening their vulnerabilities, said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Tuesday.

Dujarric added that the World Food Programme (WFP) reports that cuts in donor funding have forced the agency to reduce its life-saving assistance for the entire Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar. Funding shortfalls have resulted in a cut in the Rohingya’s full ration of $12 to $10 per person per month in March and then to $8 in June, Xinhua news agency reported.

The WFP said that with the current cash allowance, the Rohingya have less than 9 cents for each meal and “are being pushed over the edge”.

“WFP is urging donors to step up now to support them in restoring full rations and keeping critical humanitarian operations intact until the Rohingya repatriation,” the spokesman told a regular press briefing.

“WFP needs another $175 million to provide the Rohingya with a full ration through December 2024.”

The UN Population Fund said Cox’s Bazar is the largest refugee camp in the world, with a population of nearly one million Rohingya.

ALSO READ: Rohingya repatriation faces setback in Myanmar

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s largest Padma bridge opened on June 25

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.

ALSO READ: Chinese firms involve in continuous tax evasion in Bangladesh

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.

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-Top News Bangladesh India News

India building better connectivity among neighbouring nations

India has always harped on better connectivity among its neighbouring nations in South Asia, more so with Nepal and Bangladesh…reports Asian Lite News

The recent development of better connectivity between India and Nepal was the train service on a 35 km long cross-border rail link between Jayanagar in Bihar and Kurtha in Nepal. This will enable easy connectivity and benefit the people of both the neighbouring countries.

It is a multi-pronged strategy. It is part of India’s NeighbourhoodFirst policy. India in this effort to build connectivity with neighbourhood has built electricity networks, upgrading ports, rail and airport infrastructure and laid new pipelines. It is a much more benevolent model than the Chinese ones. The Indian model does not put any country into a debt trap.

The first meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Coordination Group (IMCG) on Neighbouring Countries at Secretary level was convened by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on April 12. The IMCG has been setup as a high-level mechanism towards mainstreaming of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

The meeting deliberated upon and took important decisions on various aspects of India’s bilateral relationship with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the areas of trade and investment, connectivity, border infrastructure, immigration, development cooperation, border security among others.

The IMCG is supported by Inter-Ministerial Joint Task Forces (JTF) convened by the concerned Joint Secretaries in the Ministry of External Affairs. Government of India’s efforts to deliver benefits like greater connectivity, stronger inter-linkages and greater people-to-people connect under India’s Neighbourhood First policy takes place through a whole-of-government approach with coordination involving various Ministries, Departments and agencies of GOI and of concerned State governments. The IMCG will further improve institutional coordination across government and provide comprehensive direction to this whole-of-government approach on India’s relations with its neighbouring countries.

According to a news report by All India Radio, new Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) are constructed or expanded to facilitate trade and mobility along the borders with Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar. Inland waterway infrastructure for movement to Nepal and Bangladesh is developed. The number of railway connections with Bangladesh have increased manifold.

India and Nepal have South Asia’s first cross-border oil pipeline. Bhutanese cargo from the Himalayas is reaching Bangladesh on an Indian river vessel. Nepali cargo is transited and clearance processes through India’s eastern seaports. The airport at Jaffna in Northern Sri Lanka is reconnected with a direct flight from south India after upgradation with Indian aid. The ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) launched the South Asian Satellite in 2017, enhancing digital connectivity across the region. In 2019, Bhutan inaugurated a receiving station for the South Asian Satellite. In the same year, Bangladesh agreed to Indian transit access to Northeast states. India and Bangladesh are now directly exchanging freight under a new shipping agreement.

Sri Lanka could have avoided the present crisis had it tied up with India for connectivity and not wholly dependent on China for funds. It is neck-deep in loans from China and it has asked for more funds from China to service previous loans.

Sri Lanka is building its Port City Colombo in line with Dubai and Singapore. The project is estimated to be USD 14 billion and China has invested USD 1.4 billion.

According to a media report, Port City Colombo is a public-private partnership project between the Sri Lankan government and CHEC Port City Colombo Pvt. Ltd, which is a subsidiary of China’s state-run infrastructure firm, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), a company that is leading President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

ALSO READ: Secularism vs Pak-backed communalism in Bangladesh

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the Plenary Session “Central and South Asia: Connectivity” on July 16, 2021 had said: “Economic growth is universally driven by 3Cs: connectivity, commerce and contacts. All three need to come together to ensure regional cooperation and prosperity. The challenge we face is that politics, vested interests and instability can be formidable impediments to its realization. There are lessons too from our experiences that need to be understood. The real issues are of mindsets, not of disputes. Blocking connectivity in practice while professing support in principle benefits no one. A one-sided view of trade rights and obligations can never work. No serious connectivity can ever be a one-way street.”

Connectivity acquires a particular salience in the context of post-Covid economic recovery. It is itself an economic multiplier. But there is a widespread realization of the need now for more resilient and reliable supply chains. This is not just a matter of production; it is equally a challenge of efficient logistics. All of us need more and multiple options. And this applies to the domain of connectivity most of all.

While expanding connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia, we need to address not just physical infrastructure but all its accompanying facets. Tourism and societal contacts can create a fostering enabling environment. But, at the end of the day, building connectivity is an act of trust and must, at the minimum, conform to international law. Respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity are the most basic principles of international relations.

Connectivity efforts must be based on economic viability and financial responsibility. They should promote economic activity and not create debt burdens. Ecological and environmental standards, as also skill and technology transfers, are musts. Connectivity must be consultative, transparent and participatory.

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Bangladesh India News News

Questions raised over case against Science teacher in Bangladesh

In a case that has shone a harsh spotlight on the right to free expression in Bangladesh, Hriday Chandra Mondal, a Mathematics and Science teacher, was languished in jail for 19 days before getting out on bail on Sunday…writes Sumi Khan



The teacher at Binodpur Ram Kumar High School in Munshiganj Sadar Upazila has been booked for two blasphemy-related offences under the Penal Code, 1860, ostensibly for discussing the distinction between religion and science in the classroom. The teacher is charged with offences under sections 295 and 295A of the Penal Code.

As per experts, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1989 adds an important caveat – a case under these provisions of the criminal law can only be filed with the approval of the government. However, there is no indication that the police has complied with the provision before recording the case.

Prof Mizanur Rahman, the former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh, highlighted the need for ‘serious deliberation’ before invoking these particular provisions. That is why the prior approval of the ministry has been mentioned in the procedural law.

On March 20, Hriday was trapped by some colleges who use to sell fake certificates to the students, said another teacher of the school, seeking anonymity.

He had been teaching mathematics and science for the last 22 years.

Human rights activists, legal practitioners, academics point to a ‘procedural impropriety’ on the part of the police, which puts the case under yet more scrutiny.

Smriti Singh, deputy regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International said, “It is outrageous that a teacher finds himself behind bars simply for voicing his opinion while teaching a class. Teachers should be free to discuss ideas and opinions of all kinds without fear of reprisals. Hriday must be released immediately and unconditionally.”

This is not the only contention surrounding the controversial case. Lawyers and activists have also questioned the rationale behind denying bail to the teacher, who is behind the bars for more than two weeks.

They believe the detention of a schoolteacher “without regard for the legal process” may have serious implications for the country down the line as it could embolden communal forces. It also sends a worrying signal to teachers and academicians about the concept of “academic freedom” in Bangladesh.

Hriday’s family members are scared. Anita Saha, his domestic help, said, “Last Sunday when I was near the (Hriday’s) house around 1:00 p.m., four-five young men stared at me dead in the eyes. I went inside the house in fear.”

Renuka Hawladar, Hriday’s mother-in-law was harassed by the Islamists. She said, “I was walking on the terrace of our house at 6:00 a.m., when a young man with a brick in his hand addressed me and said, ‘don’t come out of the house’. He then went ahead and verbally abused me. I immediately went back to the house in fear.”

Shrestha Mondal, son of Hriday resumed schooling a day after his father was released from Munshiganj jail. He stopped going to school for 19 days. “Since then, I have been inside the house all day. Not being able to go to school made me quite sad. And my father was also in prison back then,” he said.

“I am not facing any difficulties going to school today (after bail to Hriday). No one is even calling me ‘son of the accused’. None of my friends asked me any questions in that regard.”

Shrestha is a student at the very same school where Hriday teaches.

Shrestha, the student in grade 5, said, “I couldn’t attend my school for 19 days as after the incident students of Classes 6-10 started calling me ‘son of the accused’. After which my mother stopped me from going to school.”

ALSO READ: Secularism vs Pak-backed communalism in Bangladesh

Alauddin Ahmed, the headmaster of the school, spoke to IANS on Monday, about Shrestha attending classes for the first time in a while. “He is a very talented student, as well as son of a talented teacher. His family members were afraid to leave the house after that incident. Now a teacher of the school has been assigned the task. The teacher will make sure to pick him up from home and walk him home after school.”

Munshiganj Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sumon Dev said, “There is no chance in the slightest that the safety of the (Hriday’s) family will be breached. We are monitoring them all the time. Police will not allow any untoward incident to happen with the family.”

Following a bail hearing in the case on Sunday afternoon, Hriday was granted bail and after release, he has sent to Dhaka for treatment.

Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Aminul Islam told IANS that section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure makes it clear that a case under the blasphemy provisions can only be filed with the prior permission of the government or the home ministry. Police do not have the unilateral authority to record such a case, he added.

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Bangladesh

BSF hands over Bangladeshi national to BGB in goodwill gesture

During the flag meeting of the BSF and Bangladesh Border Guards (BGB), the Bangladeshi national was handed over to the BGB in a goodwill gesture…reports Asian Lite News

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday said that it apprehended one Bangladeshi national, who had illegally crossed the International Border and come into the Indian side at Border Out Post Bamoor in North Dinajpur district in West Bengal.

During the flag meeting of the BSF and Bangladesh Border Guards (BGB), the Bangladeshi national was handed over to the BGB in a goodwill gesture.

The North Bengal Frontiers of BSF said that the apprehended Bangladeshi national was thoroughly questioned by the force and after ascertaining that he crossed the International Border by mistake, he was handed over the BGB.

Recently on April 7, 2022, the BSF apprehended an Indian female tout, who was trying to facilitate illegal entry of a Bangladeshi family of four members, near BoP Ramnagar in Nadia district of West Bengal.

The South Bengal Frontiers of the Force said that the Indian woman tout took a hefty amount from the Bangladeshi family, two women with their spouses and a child, were apprehended by the troopers posted at Ramnagar BoP.

The apprehended family said that they gave money to touts for entering India without a valid visa.

They also said that they wanted to come to India to meet their relatives to seek help in searching for a job for livelihood in India.

There has been a rise in infiltration from the Bangladeshi side in the bordering states in the Northeast.

ALSO READ: Secularism vs Pak-backed communalism in Bangladesh

The Ministry of Home Affairs in December 2021 informed Parliament that a total of 1,787 infiltration attempts were registered in the last three years on the India- Bangladesh border while as many as 128 attempts were made at the Indo- Pakistan border.

Similarly, in the last three years, a total of 133 cases of infiltration occurred on the India-Myanmar border while there was no case of infiltration reported on the India- Sikkim border.

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s largest Padma Bridge to open to traffic in June

Bangladesh largest Padma Bridge to open in June

Bangladeshi Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the country’s largest Padma bridge will open to traffic in June this year…reports Asian Lite News

He made the remarks at a meeting in Dhaka on the progress of the project, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the Minister, the overall work in the project of building the mega multipurpose road-rail bridge dubbed the “Dream Padma Bridge of Bangladesh” is currently 92 per cent completed.

Construction work of the main bridge is 97 per cent completed, he said.

According to the Minister, installation work of the gas pipeline is 99 percent completed, and the 400 KVA power lines 79 per cent completed.

The Padma multipurpose bridge is located about 40 km southwest of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.

The huge infrastructure project, with the main bridge spanning 6.15 km in length, is undertaken by China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Co, Ltd (MBEC).

ALSO READ: Hasina illuminates Bangladesh, claims 100% power coverage

It is the largest and most challenging infrastructure project 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 in an anticipated trans-Asian railway network.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the main construction work of the bridge in December 2015.

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Bangladesh India News News

Hasina announces long-term plans for future of children

Her government has long-term plans to make the future beautiful for the children…reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said it was really sad and painful for the nation that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated, along with his family including his youngest son Russel, by some of the same Bengali people for whom he had risked his life, faced incarceration for years, and established the dignity of a nation for them.

In her remarks at a programme at the Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara in Gopalganj, to mark the 102nd birth anniversary of the Bangabandhu and the National Children’s Day, she said that her government has long-term plans to make the future beautiful for the children, as no other children can lost their lives including parents like Russel, her innocent youngest brother, who was only 10 years old then.

The National Implementation Committee for Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Birth Centenary Celebration, in collaboration with the Women and Children Affairs Ministry, had arranged the programme, featuring a discussion and a cultural soiree.

The event began with the National Anthem followed by the theme song of “Mujib Borsha”. An audio-visual presentation titled “Tungipara: Hridoye Pitribhumi (Father’s Land in Heart)” was screened.

This year, the theme of national children’s day is “Bangabandhur Janmodiner Ongikar, Sokol Shishur Soman Odhikar (Equal Rights for all children, Commitment of Bangbandhu’s birthday)”.

Sheikh Hasina, also the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, said though there had been a reign of killers, war criminals, Al-Badr and Razakars (collaborators of Pakistani forces) in the country after the assassination of her family members, she returned home to fulfil the dreams of her father.

“(I returned home) to ensure that the children would not live with the pain of losing family members like us, rather they would have a nice and improved life,” she said.

Noting that the Father of the Nation used to love children very much, the PM said her government in 1996 declared the 17th March as the children’s day.

“Bangabandhu used to like playing with children. When he was playing with children, he seemed like a child.

“But it is unfortunate that even children were not spared in 1975 carnage. Children and women had not been killed even during Karbala tragedy,” she said.

She said that following the footsteps of Bangabandhu, her government had taken various steps for the welfare of the children, including establishment of schools in every area and measures to protect them from social menaces like terrorism and militancy.

“Coming in power again through the 2008 election, we’ve done a lot further for the welfare of children,” said Sheikh Hasina, highlighting various measures and laws taken for the children during her regime.

Noting that Bangladesh today attained the status of a developing country, she said: “We’ll definitely make Bangladesh the developed and prosperous Sonar Bangla. It’s our commitment.”

In this context, she mentioned her government’s vision 2041 and Delta Plan-2100.

“I’ve prepared a plan over how this Bangladesh would develop till 2100.”

Sheikh Hasina reiterated that her government’s plans focus on making the future of children bright and decent.

ALSO READ: Hasina calls for more collaboration to ensure food security

“Our goal is that our children would remain safe and get a beautiful life.”

Bangabandhu’s grandsons – Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Sheikh Rehana’s son Radwan Mujib Siddiq were present, along with cabinet members, members of parliament and Awami League central leaders, Gopalganj Zila Parishad Chairman and AL’s district unit president Chowdhury Emdadul Huque.

Sheikh Hasina also inaugurated the six-day Mujib Borsha Folk Fair to be held at Government Sheikh Mujibur Rahman College premises in Tungipara from March 21-26.

She said Awami League and its associate bodies will arrange programmes in Tungipara on separate days from March 18 to 25 to mark the Mujib Year.

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Bangladesh India News News

Sushmita Dev: North-Eastern states lack basic health, education facilities

Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev

Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev on Monday said that the North Eastern (NE) states lack basic health and education facilities…reports Asian Lite News

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, during a debate on grants to Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), she said, “Despite being strategically the most important part of the country that shares its borders with other countries like China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan, being rich in biodiversity and having the highest literacy rates, the North Eastern states lack basic health and education facilities.”

The MP from Assam further said that the DONER Ministry operates on 10 per cent of the entire budget of 54 ministries of the country. In 2015-16 the budget for the ministry was Rs 2,363 crore and as of 2022-23, it is only Rs 2,800 crores.

She urged the government for more budget allocation to the NE states so that work on major infrastructure projects be completed in time.

“All money allocated to NE states is dependent on their administrative strength and in the state of Assam, the whole administration has been doing the work on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for the last two years…how will they work on the tasks of the DONER Ministry?” asked Dev.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Khamakhya Prasad Tasa said that the Assembly election in Manipur passed very peacefully as a result of the works done by the DONER Ministry in the entire regions.

Earlier, participating in the debate, Congress MP Ripun Bora said that the government has been diluting the dream of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The lawmaker also claimed that there is slow implementation of the projects in the NE states.

ALSO READ: Bangladesh commemorates landmark speech of Bangabandhu

However, BJP MP Bhubaneswar Kalita praised the government for the all round development of the entire North East region. He said that most of the states in the region including Assam have completed the vaccination and the health infrastructure in Assam is “taking care of the neighbouring states”.

“All oxygen plants in Assam are operational and there would not be any shortage of oxygen in the region,” he added.

Kalita also said that a sports university is being set up in Manipur to produce more and more sportsmen.

Accusing the Central government for the “low budgetary allocation”, Independent Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Singh Bhuyan said that people sitting in Delhi “will not understand the culture and aspirations of the North Eastern people, regardless of the parties that come to power in the region”.

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Bangladesh India News News

Maha ATS busts Bangladeshi human trafficking racket

Maha ATS busts Bangladeshi human trafficking racket

The ATS has arrested four persons in connection with the human trafficking racket…reports Asian Lite News

The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) has busted a human trafficking racket involving Bangladeshis immigrants entering India illegally and going to Mumbai or other cities with the help of forged travel and other official documents, officials said here on Monday.

The ATS has arrested four persons in connection with the human trafficking racket, but the kingpin based in West Bengal is reported to be absconding.

With tentacles spread across India and Bangladesh, the racket’s modus operandi involved sneaking Bangladeshi nationals on foot through the porous borders and providing them with fake Aadhar cards in their names from a UIDAI Centre in Bangaon, North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

ALSO READ: $32mn humanitarian cash aid reaches Afghanistan

Armed with the forged Aadhar cards, the illegal entrants reached various cities like Mumbai and with help of local agents, obtained more fraudulent documents like Indian birth certificates, school leaving certificate (SLCs) or even Indian Passports.

“We have arrested Indian agent Santosh Varne of Mumbai, besides three other Bangladeshis, including a 17-year-old girl, and Kajal Shaikh, 28, who managed to get an Indian passport based on the fake documents,” said an ATS official.