Tag: dhaka

Categories
-Top News Bangladesh India News

Doval meets Hasina, discuss situation in Dhaka

The security has heightened outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi after PM Sheikh Hasina reached India after leaving Dhaka amid the ongoing protests…reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina held discussions with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on the present situation in Bangladesh and her future course of action at the Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad on Monday, according to Sources.

Indian Air Force has put its personnel on alert in every eastern sector in view of the present developments.

Moreover, the Indian Air Force and other security agencies are providing security to her and she is being moved to a safe location, according to the sources.

PM Sheikh Hasina landed at the Hindon Air Base near New Delhi in a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft on Monday evening.

The security has heightened outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi after PM Sheikh Hasina reached India after leaving Dhaka amid the ongoing protests.

Moreover, a senior BSF officer said that they are constantly in touch with Border Guard Bangladesh over the current situation.

“As of now, the situation is normal at the border. Due to the curfew in Bangladesh, there are restrictions on traffic movement at Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) along the India-Bangladesh border,” a senior BSF officer said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also briefed PM Modi on Monday evening about the current political situation in Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina reached India.

Meanwhile, Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia appealed to all the people of the country to remain calm.

Zia, who is also the BNP Chairperson urged the people of all levels of the country to remain calm in the ongoing situation.

Acting chairman of the party, Tariq Rahman, also called upon the people of all levels of the country to remain calm.

The anti-discrimination student movement will announce the outline of the national government at 8 pm (local time).

The leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement said in a live program of Channel 24 that the outlines of the national government will be announced at the Sark fountain in Karwan Bazar in Dhaka, Bangladesh newspaper Prothom Alo reported.

Nahid Islam, the coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, called upon the students to ensure that no one gets the opportunity to loot in the situation arising in Bangladesh.

He further appealed to the students who were standing on the streets to stop the looters.

Moreover, Nahid Islam called upon the students to sit on the streets peacefully until the desired goal is achieved.

Protestors in Bangladesh stormed the Prime Minister’s official residence on Monday, shortly after Sheikh Hasina tendered her resignation and left the country accompanied by her sister.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh newspaper Prothom Alo reported that Awami League’s Dhaka district office was set on fire by the agitators. The agitators started the fire at around 4 pm on Monday.

Agitators also set on fire Awami League president Sheikh Hasina’s office at 3/A Dhanmondi in Dhaka. Protesters were seen chanting slogans and celebrating the news of Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. (ANI)

Hasina will not return to politics, says son Joy

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said his mother would not make a political comeback as she is “deeply disappointed” by the uprising against her leadership despite her efforts for the betterment of Bangladesh, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Joy, who served as an official adviser to the former prime minister until Monday, said in an interview with a British public service broadcaster’s Newshour program that Sheikh Hasina had been contemplating resignation since Sunday and had left the country for her safety following pressure from her family.

“She has turned Bangladesh around. When she took over power it was considered a failing state. It was a poor country. Until today it was considered one of the rising tigers of Asia,” Joy said, defending his mother’s record in office, Dhaka Tribune reported.

While addressing allegations of excessive force against protesters, Joy said that the government’s response had been justified given the violence faced by law enforcement.

“You’ve had policemen beaten to death – 13 just yesterday. So what do you expect the police to do when mobs are beating people to death?” he said.

Bangladesh is facing a fluid political situation with the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning from her post in the wake of mounting protests. The protests, majorly by students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, took the shape of anti-government protests.

At least 95 people, including at least 14 police officers, died and hundreds of people were injured in clashes in Dhaka on Sunday, local media outlet Prothom Alo reported.

Bangladesh PM Hasina arrived in India on Monday evening after tendering her resignation in the wake of mounting protests in Dhaka.

It is not clear if the Bangladeshi Prime Minister will stay in Delhi or move to another location. Reports in media outlets in Bangladesh have speculated that Sheikh Hasina may proceed to London.

The Cabinet Committee on Security met on Monday at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg. In the meeting, PM Modi was briefed about the situation in Bangladesh.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were present in the meeting. Moreover, senior officials were also present.

After landing at the Hindon Air Base, Sheikh Hasina held discussions with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at the Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad on the present situation in Bangladesh and her future course of action, sources said.

Indian Air Force and security agencies are providing security to her and she is being moved to a safe location, the sources said.

ALSO READ-Hasina Waits in India for UK Asylum

Categories
-Top News Asia News Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina Lands In India As Violence Grips Bangladesh

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina arrived at Hindon Air Base near New Delhi on a C-130 Hercules, closely monitored by the Indian Air Force, reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday evening landed at the Hindon Air Base near New Delhi in a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft.

Sources have told ANI that the aircraft will be parked near the Indian Air Force’s C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft hangars. The aircraft movement was monitored by the Indian Air Force and security agencies from its entry into Indian airspace to the Hindon air base in Ghaziabad.

It is, however, not clear if the Bangladeshi Prime Minister will stay in Delhi or move to another location. Reports in media outlets of Bangladesh have speculated that Sheikh Hasina may proceed to London.

According to sources, Indian Air Force fighter aircraft were airborne soon after the Bangladeshi C-130 aircraft entered Indian airspace and kept an eye on it for some time. The Indian Air Force and Indian Army were prepared to meet any contingency, the sources said.

Meanwhile, leading Bangladeshi daily newspaper Prothom Alo said that Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman will soon hold direct talks with student-teacher representatives in the country. It cited a circular issued by the Directorate of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday evening.

Celebrations and protests were reported from across Dhaka and Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina tendered her resignation and left the country accompanied by her sister.

After Hasina resigned and left the country, many people entered the Ganabhaban, the residence of the Prime Minister. Prothom Alo reported that people were seen decamping with various items from public buildings. A crowd was also noticed inside the Parliament building and people were seen taking things from inside the parliament building as well.

Protesters also set fire to Sudha Sadan, the private residence of Sheikh Hasina’s family in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. Prothom Alo reported that around 5:30 pm, Sudha Sadan was vandalized. A fire was also set inside the house. Protestors were reported to be seen taking things out of the house.

Protesters also vandalized the residence of the Chief Justice. Several people were seen entering the Chief Justice’s residence by climbing over its wall and commotion and vandalism were reported from inside. Along with vandalizing the residence, various items in the residence were taken away, Prothom Alo reported.

Protesters also set fire to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum at 32 Dhanmondi. A Prothom Alo report said that the fire was raging there. The agitators also set fire to the Dhaka district office of Awami League.

Meanwhile, the operations of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport was shut for six hours the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Monday.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged the countrymen to remain calm. In a message on Monday, he said, that today’s meeting with Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman was good.

The Army Chief is expected to name members of the interim government shortly. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Violence Grips Bangladesh

Categories
-Top News Bangladesh India News

‘India Leads as Dhaka’s Prime Export Hub in Asia’

Verma’s remark came after Shipping Minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury inaugurated the Sultanganj port on Monday…reports Asian Lite News

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma said New Delhi was today Dhaka’s largest export destination in Asia, and hoped that better connectivity links and new measures like trade in Indian Rupee will further enhance exports to India.

Verma’s remark came after Shipping Minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury inaugurated the Sultanganj port on Monday, establishing naval connectivity between Bangladesh’s Rajshahi and India’s Murshidabad.

“With our contiguous geography and shared history and culture, we are actually re-connecting our two countries,” Verma said.

This inauguration marks the first of the five trial movements of cargo vessels between Maia Port in India and Sultanganj, Godagari Port of Call in Bangladesh on Indo Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) Route 5 and 6.

There is significant potential for cargo movement through this IBP Route, which is expected to give new impetus to the Inland waterways ecosystem in both countries.

Verma said that the re-opening of the Maia-Sultanganj river route is a step which will benefit the local economies on the two sides of the border as well as also contribute to national economies and strengthen sub-regional cooperation and integration.

The High Commissioner said negotiation on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Bangladesh is going to start soon.

ALSO READ: Bangladesh cries foul over Rohingya issue

Categories
-Top News Asia News Bangladesh

Dhaka Buses Ablaze, Home Minister Condemns BNP

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal asked law enforcement agencies to resist the destructive activities of the BNP-Jamaat during the ongoing blockade….reports Sumi Khan

BNP activists set fire to a passenger bus in front of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) gate at Jigatla here while two buses were set on fire in Tatibazar and Banani areas of the capital on Wednesday night on the first day of the 48-hour blockade being enforced by the opposition party and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami.

Meanwhile, a person who started the fire at Jigatla has been arrested from the spot, officials said.

On getting information, two fire engines rushed to the spot to douse the blaze, a fire service official added.

In the other incidents, a minibus was set on fire in front of Kakoli Police camp in Banani and a bus of Akash Paribahan at the Tatibazar intersection, Fire Service and Civil Defence control room duty officer Rafi Al Faruk told IANS, adding fire service units reached the spot to control the fire.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal asked law enforcement agencies to resist the destructive activities of the BNP-Jamaat during the ongoing blockade.

“The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has created a reign of terror to make Bangladesh a failed state.

“The BNP is not an opposition party…. Jatiya Party is an opposition party in the Parliament. BNP is now a political party isolated from the country’s people,” he said at a programme at Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) at Gulshan.

ALSO READ: UN Convoy Attacked in Mali, Two Bangladeshi Peacekeepers Injured

Categories
-Top News Bangladesh UAE News

Etihad Airways Pulls Out Of Dhaka Routes

Officials from the Abu Dhabi-based carrier have refrained from making any official comments regarding their departure…reports Asian Lite News

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is set to discontinue its flights to and from Dhaka starting from October 29.

According to the Daily Star reports, The airline is taking this step due to the substantial funds that have become inaccessible in Bangladesh, coupled with other commercial challenges it is currently facing, according to sources within the aviation industry. The ongoing US dollar crisis is identified as a significant factor hindering airlines from repatriating their earnings.

A representative from the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh, who maintains close ties with Etihad but requested anonymity, mentioned that Etihad is exploring the possibility of reallocating its aircraft to routes experiencing high demand in the post-Covid era, The Daily Star reported.

Notably, officials from the Abu Dhabi-based carrier have refrained from making any official comments regarding their departure.

ALSO READ: Bangladesh Protests Seek Justice for Uyghurs in China

Categories
-Top News Asia News Bangladesh

16 killed, over 100 injured in blast in Dhaka

Dhaka Blast

The blast ripped through the seven-storey building, shattering the first two floors, besides damaging a passenger bus standing on the opposite side of the busy road…reports Sumi Khan

At least 16 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in a massive explosion at a building in Siddique Bazar, a crowded marketplace in Old Dhaka, at 4:50 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday, the fire service control room told IANS.

A doctor at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) told IANS that the hospital needs blood to treat the injured persons.

“The blast took place in the seven-storey building adjacent to a five-storey apartment that houses a branch of BRAC Bank. Several bank officials were injured by flying glass shards,” said Abdur Rahim, a spokesman for the bank.

The injured persons were rushed to DMCH, inspector Bacchu Mia of the DMCH police outpost told IANS.

The blast ripped through the seven-storey building, shattering the first two floors, besides damaging a passenger bus standing on the opposite side of the busy road.

The building houses several stores for sanitary products and household items. Eleven firefighting units are working on the spot to bring the situation under control.

The cause of the explosion could not be known immediately.

This was the third blast in a week to claim innocent lives after explosions at an oxygen plant in Sitakunda and at another building on Mirpur Road in Dhaka.

ALSO READ: Bangladesh takes tough measures on single-use plastics

Categories
-Top News Bangladesh Europe

Argentina reopens embassy in Dhaka

Argentina,flag.(photo:pixabay.com)

The Argentine Embassy in Dhaka was previously closed down in 1978…reports Asian Lite News

Argentina has reopened its embassy in Bangladesh capital Dhaka.

Argentina’s Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero arrived in Dhaka on a three-day visit on Monday morning to inaugurate the embassy of the South American country, which is the first one by an Argentine foreign minister to Bangladesh, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Argentine Embassy in Dhaka was previously closed down in 1978.

Last December, Argentina announced a plan to reopen its embassy in Dhaka in 2023 to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Bangladesh’s exports

Bangladesh is ready to topple China as the top clothing exporter to the EU amid Beijing’s decreasing share in the ready-made garment (RMG) market, reported Nikkei Asia.

Notably, in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine and other global geopolitical tensions, the supply chains are shifting and driving up orders to the densely populated South Asian nation. “A lot of work orders were shifted to Bangladesh from China because of the recent trade war between China and the US,” Shahidullah Azim, vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told Nikkei Asia.

Mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing have driven many brands to seek out non-Chinese suppliers in sectors ranging from clothing and textiles to consumer electronics and smartphones.

Bangladesh’s exports of clothing to the EU surged nearly 42 per cent in the first nine months of 2022 from the same period the year before to USD 19.4 billion, while Chinese shipments grew about 22 per cent to USD 25.5 billion, according to the latest data from the EU’s statistical office, Eurostat.

Major EU buyers of clothes made in Bangladesh include fashion chains H&M, Primark, Zara, G-Star Raw and Marks & Spencer, reported Nikkei Asia.

With a population of nearly 170 million people, Bangladesh has a sizable potential workforce and is one of around 45 developing countries that currently enjoy duty-free and quota-free access to all EU markets, except arms and ammunition. In contrast, Chinese exporters must pay duty.

“Buyers prefer Bangladesh due to its zero-tariff export facilities to EU markets,” said Ashikur Rahman Tuhin, managing director of TAD Group, which manufactures a range of products including clothing. All the garments it makes go to Europe.

Producers in Bangladesh have also been moving away from so-called fast fashion — disposable attire churned out to suit rapidly shifting consumer tastes — to higher quality and more profitable clothing.

“Bangladesh is shifting its production base to high-end, value-added garment items from basic products, which are also helping the country to increase its share in the EU market (where such items are increasingly in demand),” said Azim from the BGMEA.

Meanwhile, Paul Marchant, chief executive of Britain’s Primark, said on a visit last month to Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, that his company plans to ramp up its sourcing from the country.

Producers and others in the country are confident it will be the top exporter to Europe soon, reported Nikkei Asia.

“In the EU market, Bangladesh is close to China, so within four to five years we can overtake it,” said Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh.

“China’s RMG market share is decreasing worldwide. I think China has no strategic interest to protect this share as the country is now focusing on developing and producing higher-valued goods like electric cars. So they are not concentrating on the apparel industry as before.”

Boosting shipments to Europe will bolster a crucial part of Bangladesh’s economy, with RMG manufacturers already contributing around a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product and more than 80 per cent of its export earnings, reported Nikkei Asia. (IANS/ANI)

ALSO READ-Argentina seeks India’s cooperation on currency swap issues

Categories
India News

Assam delegation advances Northeast’s outreach to Dhaka

Assam Assembly delegation team visits Bangladesh

Bangladesh invited the Chief Ministers of all the northeastern states to visit Dhaka to boost ties…reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen said that Dhaka attaches great importance to its relationship with India. Momen said this while meeting a 55 member delegation from Assam which is currently in Dhaka. The delegation which includes more than 30 MLAs is led by Biswajit Daimary, Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly called on Momen on Monday.

Momen added that Bangladesh’s relations especially with Northeast India is a special one for its unstinting support to Dhaka during the War of Liberation in 1971.

Momen mentioned that Assam can reap the benefit from the outstanding growth of Bangladesh’s economy by enhancing trade and commerce, tourism and people to people contact, News On Air in its report said.

Meanwhile, Daimary said that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s zero tolerance policy towards terrorism and radicalism has contributed to “peace and prosperity in the entire region.”

India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-kilometre-long border — the fifth-longest land border in the world. Four of the eight northeastern states including Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghakaya share their borders with Bangladesh. Besides these northeastern states, Bangladesh also shares its borders with West Bengal.

Earlier, Bangladesh invited the Chief Ministers of all the northeastern states to visit Dhaka to boost ties.

Earlier this month, India also completed a trial run for trans-shipment of cargo movement from Kolkata to the northeast through Mongla port in Bangladesh marking a new era in connectivity for New Delhi and Dhaka. This would mean that goods from Kolkata can reach the land-locked northeastern states through Bangladesh.

The movement of goods from Kolkata port to the northeastern states using the India-Bangladesh Protocol route will reduce both transit cost and time. (India Narrative)

ALSO READ-‘ULFA-I has lost most of its influence in Assam’

Categories
-Top News Asia News

Dhaka air quality continues to be under ‘unhealthy’ category

Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy during winter and improves during monsoon…reports Sumi Khan

The air quality in Dhaka continued to be under the “unhealthy” category on Saturday as the Bangladeshi capital, one of the most polluted cities in the world, registered an air quality index (AQI) score of 160.

With this AQI score, Dhaka is currently the fourth most polluted cities in the world after Lahore, Karachi and Wuhan (China) occupied the top three spots with scores of 180, 169 and 161, respectively.

An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, particularly for sensitive groups.

Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘poor’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered ‘hazardous’.

Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy during winter and improves during monsoon.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants — Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.

With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction works, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.

ALSO READ: UN chief shocked by scale of floods in Pakistan

Categories
Bangladesh India News Travel & Tourism

Direct air connectivity with Dhaka pushes for India’s medical tourism

Indigo’s maiden direct flight service from Hyderabad to Dhaka took off at 12.45 p.m from GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) Ltd. Senior officials from GHIAL along with Indigo officials and other stakeholders flagged off the first flight amidst a festive atmosphere…reports Asian Lite News

The Hyderabad international airport has added yet another international destination to its portfolio with the launch of Indigo’s direct flight service from Hyderabad to Dhaka on Monday.

Apart from boosting tourism and leisure travel between Bangladesh and Telangana, the direct flights are expected to give a fillip to medical travel to Hyderabad.

The IndiGo Flight 6E 1931 will depart from GMR Hyderabad International Airport at 12.45 p.m. The return IndiGo Flight 6E 1932 from Dhaka will arrive in Hyderabad at 6.50 p.m. The two hours forty-five minutes flight will operate between GMR Hyderabad International Airport and Dhaka twice a week – Saturday and Monday.

As per data released by the Indian tourism ministry, about 54 per cent of all international medical visitors to India for treatment are from Bangladesh. With some of the finest medical facilities in the region, Hyderabad has emerged as one of the preferred destinations for medical tourists from Bangladesh. To attract medical tourists to the city, airlines are adding new flight routes connecting to the popular international destinations catering to the medical tourists.

Pradeep Panicker, CEO- GHIAL, said: “Apart from many tourist places to visit in Hyderabad, the city has also been a major hub for medical tourism. Over the years we have seen a massive influx of medical tourists along with leisure travellers. There is a great demand for direct connectivity between Hyderabad and Dhaka. This new connectivity will not only allow Bangladeshis to explore our city and medical facilities but also give a chance for the Hyderabadis to experience the unique charm of Dhaka.”

Indigo’s maiden direct flight service from Hyderabad to Dhaka took off at 12.45 p.m from GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) Ltd. Senior officials from GHIAL along with Indigo officials and other stakeholders flagged off the first flight amidst a festive atmosphere.

Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, Indigo said: “We are pleased to commence new flights connecting the Indian hub of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to the cultural and economic capital of Bangladesh. Hyderabad has seen significant recovery in air traffic over the last few weeks, even surpassing the pre-covid levels on some days. Travellers from Dhaka could also use Hyderabad as the hub to connect more than 70 cities within the country. We are very confident that these flights will command high traffic, promoting leisure and medical tourism across both countries.”

Hyderabad International Airport is now connected to over 70 domestic destinations, from the pre Covid period of 55 domestic destinations and 16 international destinations. Though the overall international travel was subdued during the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic, Hyderabad International Airport is now connected to its earlier favorite destinations like London, Singapore, Kualalumpur, Colombo, Dubai, Qatar to name a few.

Hyderabad is the only airport in the country where all ten domestic airlines fly. For the ‘Summer-22’ schedule, International Airlines have filed flight slots to 20 International destinations. The international summer slots filed is 103 per cent of the pre-Covid times. Flights from Hyderabad to Thailand and Hongkong will resume soon, GHIAL stated.

Domestic air passenger traffic crosses 4L mark

India’s daily domestic air passenger traffic crossed the 4 lakh mark on Sunday – for the first time in the last two years, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said on Monday.

In a tweet, he said: “And we hit the 4 lakh mark for the first time in the last two years!”

On Sunday, 407,975 domestic passengers were ferried on 2,838 flights. The total flight movement stood at 5,672.

According to industry experts, lower Covid infection rate as well as lesser restrictions and holiday travel propped up the passenger numbers.

ALSO READ-Aviation ministry eases Covid rules for air travel