Author: Arif ArifArman

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said that India sent medicines to 150 countries during covid crisis without increasing the price and compromising on the quality of the medicines. Minister was speaking at the inauguration of the International Symposium on Health Technology Assessment in Delhi on Friday. “During the Covid crisis, India sent medicines to 150 countries without increasing price and compromising on the quality,” Union Health Minister said. India offered support to more than 150 affected countries in the form of vaccines, medical equipment and medicines during the pandemic, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh said…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: United Nations lauded India’s G20 Presidency for highlighting a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation. Addressing the joint valedictory session of the 57th Capacity Building Programme of the Civil Servants of Bangladesh and Arunachal Pradesh, the UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp said, “In fact, India’s G-20 Presidency has become SDG-20 Presidency as India is raising strong voice to close financial gaps.” Sharp pointed out that four emerging economies — Indonesia, India, Brazil and South Africa — will be holding the G20…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The UK’s Indo-Pacific Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan arrived in Dhaka today to discuss security, democracy, human rights, trade and the Rohingya crisis. “As Bangladesh continues its development trajectory, the visit aims to celebrate the success and solidify the close links between the two countries for the years ahead, including through Bangladesh’s crucial election year,” said the British High Commission here in a press release. Trevelyan will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen as well as hold talks with civil society organisations, humanitarian actors, climate experts and business groups. The British minister will also…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Saudi commerce minister Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi arrived here this afternoon. Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen welcomed Qasabi at Bangabandhu Bangladesh Airforce Base at around 05:15 pm, a Foreign Ministry press release said. The Saudi commerce minister is visiting Bangladesh to attend ‘Bangladesh Business Summit-2023’ to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tomorrow. (BSS)

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Arunachal Pradesh assembly on Thursday passed a bill to strengthen traditional village councils and fast-track the justice delivery mechanism. The Assam Frontier (Administration of Justice) Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed by voice vote by the assembly. The bill, which was tabled in the House on Tuesday by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, is aimed at making provisions for framing guidelines by the government for the election, selection and appointments of gaon buras and gaon buris (village head), among others. “Amendments were made in the pre-Independence law, and through this bill, we are trying to protect indigenous customary…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said amid BNP’s continuous hue and cry that there is no democracy in the country and the people have no freedom of speech, Bangladesh moved one notch up in democracy index as per a new report of Washington based research institute Freedom House. “It means practice of democracy continues in Bangladesh. Under the leadership of Jananetri Sheikh Hasina, progress has been achieved in all sectors, including freedom of speech,” he said while exchanging views with reporters on Bangladesh’s progress in democracy index at his Minto Road residence here. Hasan, also…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Himanta-Biswa Government is going all out to tell the stories of Assam’s glorious and vibrant past to the world. “Telling Assam’s glorious and vibrant stories before the world-that’s the latest task that Dispur has taken up seriously,” claimed Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 9, when the state government received the certificate from Guinness Book of World Records for having the “largest online photo album of handwritten notes.” A compilation of over 42 lakh essays on valiant Ahom general Lachit Borphukan, uploaded in a portal in October-November last year as part of 400th birth anniversary…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: With sincere and relentless efforts by the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mymensingh has changed because of the implementation of massive development projects. Huge development is visible in all sectors, including agriculture, education, health and infrastructure, in the district in the last 14 years under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visionary leadership. Common people of Mymensingh are now enjoying the benefits of these developments. City Awami League General Secretary Mohit ur Rahman Shanto said there was no such development during the tenure of any government in the past. Because of the tremendous development, people of…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid today said Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline will contribute effectively to energy security. “It will be a milestone in providing fuel to the northern region of the country quickly, uninterruptedly and in a cost-effective manner,” he said while inspecting the progress of the pipeline project at Parbatipur here. Nasrul Hamid said one of the main conditions for development is uninterrupted power and energy supply in the country which is being ensured successfully by the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The foundation-stone of Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline was…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Shedding light on the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Friday said that PM Albanese’s visit to India underlines his enthusiasm and commitment to India-Australia ties. He further said that both leaders were satisfied with the “all-round progress” in various areas of the partnership between the two nations across fields including trade. Both the prime ministers met for the first India-Australia Annual Summit talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Both leaders (PM Modi-PM Albanese) assessed very clearly & noted with great satisfaction the strong all-round…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today called upon the Member States for greatering commitments so that the BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could be implemented as early as possible. He made the urge while addressing the Nineteenth BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting (MM) held in Bangkok today in virtual mode. Delegations from all the Member States of BIMSTEC joined the meeting. In his deliberations, Dr. Momen reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to the BIMSTEC process and emphasized that BIMSTEC Member States need to work together to realize the huge untapped potentials of the region. As the Lead Country for cooperation in…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The people of Mymensigh are eagerly waiting to welcome Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she is scheduled to visit the city on Saturday. The metropolis has already become colourful and decorative with scores of banners, posters, placards, festoons and paintings on the roadside walls. Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina last visited Mymensingh on November 2, 2018 and addressed a public rally on the local circuit house ground. On the occasion of her visit, a wave of excitement has spread across Mymensingh division, which is steeped in the fond memories of Mahua-Malua, Chandrabati and Birangana…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The United States and India will sign a memorandum of understanding on semiconductors as both countries discuss coordination of investment and continue dialogue around policies to spur private investment, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Thursday. Raimondo, who is on a four-day trip to India, is accompanied by the chief executive officers of 10 U.S. companies and is scheduled to meet India’s trade minister on Friday. The two nations will map the semiconductor supply chain together and identify opportunities for joint ventures and technology partnerships, Raimondo added. India has been seeking to attract more big-ticket investments under…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the filmmakers to make life-oriented quality movies, saying that a good movie can change a person’s life or a society. “Movies should be life-oriented as these attract people… a movie can change a person’s life or a society,” she said, addressing ceremony to distribute the National Film Award-2021 as chief guest in city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Mentioning that people get the image of their life in movies, she said cinema and drama can develop human thinking and consciousness and can keep the…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi would open jointly the maiden cross-border oil pipeline on March 18 for diesel transportation to Bangladesh. “Good news is India will send us diesel, the (Oil) pipeline has been completed,” he told reporters at a briefing at foreign ministry this afternoon. He added: “The two premiers will inaugurate the pipeline on March 18 (through videoconferencing)”. Momen’s announcement came a week after he held talks with India’s external affairs minister Dr. S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on the sidelines of the…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: British academics and journalists have observed that the speech delivered by Bangladesh’s Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 7 March 1971 is considered as the ‘Magna Carta’ of Bangladesh Independence. They made the remarks while participating a discussion titled “Contemporary Thoughts on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib’s Historic 7 March Speech: A UNESCO Documentary Heritage” organised by Bangladesh High Commission in London marking the historic 7 March at the mission’s Bangabandhu Lounge on Tuesday, a press release received here today. The speakers said that the 18-minute seminal speech would continue to inspire freedom-loving succeeding generations across the world. Paying…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Celebrating more women who have found strength and resilience in following their passion, we bring you a story of a forty-five-year-old single mother who has found her passion in pet grooming. Finding purpose in starting the first-ever pet grooming service, she said has helped her overcome challenges and achieve her goals. This is Chuki Gyaltshen, a mother of two. She started the pet grooming service in the capital some five years ago. Chuki says she grooms about fifteen dogs a month. She said there are times when her aggressive customers bite her but it is her passion that…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: People paid tribute to Khasi film actor Anjelus Enshon Lamare who passed away on March 6. Large number of people gathered at his Mawlai Phudmuri residence to pay respect to the departed soul. Born on December 10, 1945, late Lamare was a founder member of Seng Biria U Khasi (SBUK). He acted more in films directed by Pradip Kurbah. He also acted in many telefilms aired in Doordarshan. Ka Mon Bajwat, Hep, Onaatah and Iewduh are notable films in which he acted. Educationist Sylvanus Lamare and folklorist Desmond Kharmawphlang, who were present at the residence of the departed…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, MP, today said that no evidence of sabotage has so far been found in the Dhaka blast as investigating agencies yet to find any sign of sabotage regarding the explosion. “The investigation is still ongoing. So, we cannot say anything certainly . . . Army intelligence along with police forces are working to find out the cause behind the blast that took place in the Gulistan area of Dhaka city. But, initially, we thought that this explosion happened due to accumulated gas,” the Minister said. “After getting the investigation report, we will be…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said his country would continue to standby Bangladesh with its “best efforts” in the development endeavours of the South Asian country as he held talks with foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen. “We (US) will stand by you (Bangladesh),” Momen today said quoting his US counterpart as saying during their meeting in the Indian capital on the sidelines of the recent G-20 summit. The foreign minister described his meeting with Blinken as “very constructive” adding that they discussed various critical bilateral issues as “we have developed a very good rapport with…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Bangladesh and India had been sharing friendly and warm relations since 1971. Both the countries have been kith and kin through crisis moments. Bangladesh and India are going to script another golden chapter in their bilateral ties through the launch of operation of India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP) for diesel supply on March 17, the birthday of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The import of diesel from India through the pipeline is one of the prime examples of maximizing the geographical proximity with Bangladesh’s perpetual neighbour country. Once the diesel arrives it will bring a…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Devotees from across Sikkim and neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bhutan attended the Bhumchu ceremony at the Tashiding monastery in Gyalshing district on Tuesday. As per the Bhumchu Committee, which keeps records through a token system for regulating the crowd, more than 30,000 devotees were present to receive the sacred water. The distribution of Bhumchu to the devotees commenced from 2 AM of March 7, coinciding with the full moon of the first month of the lunar calendar. The ceremony was conducted by the monks of Tashiding monastery in the presence of SLA deputy speaker-cum-area MLA Sangay Lepcha…

SPORTS DESK: To think that a little over five years ago, if we talked about sportspersons from Assam, what would be the chances of the name of a female athlete popping up in our minds? Even as the women were working hard to bring accolades back to the state, fighting the additional barriers of gender-based discrimination, we hardly came to know about their names. Cut to 2023 and the same question will now yield not one, but many names. Lovlina Borgohain, Nayanmoni Saikia and Hima Das may be the most common names on the lips of people of Assam, and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The World Uyghur Congress, a Germany-based Uyghur rights group, has been nominated for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. Canadian lawmakers and a leader of the Young Liberals in Norway, the youth wing of Norway’s Venstre political party, nominated the organization. The rights group was cited for its work toward peace, democracy and the plight of the Uyghur and other Turkic people who live under what the nomination letter described as a “repressive regime in China.” “The World Uyghur Congress has the main purpose of promoting democracy, human rights, and freedom for the Uyghur People and supporting the use…