Author: Arif ArifArman

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury on Tuesday requested increased cooperation from the European Union to facilitate greater access of Bangladeshi products to the EU market. The minister sought the cooperation when Charles Whitley, the EU Ambassador to Bangladesh, and Edwin Koekkoek, the Team Leader for Green Inclusive Development and Social Protection at the EU Delegation, called on him at his office in Bangladesh Secretariat. Minister Saber expressed his gratitude for the EU’s continued partnership and assistance in advancing Bangladesh’s environmental agenda. He reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to implementing sustainable practices and enhancing resilience to climate…

স্পোর্টস ডেস্কঃ দীর্ঘদিন ধরে ব্যাটে রান পাচ্ছিলেন না বিশ্বসেরা অলরাউন্ডার সাকিব আল হাসান। মাঝে চোখের সমস্যা নিয়ে দেশের বাহিরে চিকিৎসার জন্য যেতে হেয়েছিলো তাকে। অবশেষে রানের খরা কাটিয়ে বরিশালের বিপক্ষে দারুন একটি ইনিংস উপহার দেন সাকিব। বিপিএলে টেবিলের ছয়ে থাকা ঢাকার বিপক্ষে তিন ছক্কা ও এক চারে ২০ বলে ৩৪ রান করেন সাকিব। ইনিংসে তার স্ট্রাইক রেট ছিল ১৭০। বিপিএলের এবারের আসরে এটি তার সর্বোচ্চ রান। লম্বা সময় ধরে রানের দেখা পাচ্ছিলেন না তিনি। এ নিয়ে সমালোচকদের কটাক্ষের স্বীকার হতে হয়েছিলো তাকে। এর আগে টস জিতে রংপুর রাইডারসকে ব্যাট করতে পাঠায় দুর্দান্ত ঢাকা। পাওয়ার প্লেতে দারুণ ব্যাটিং করেন রনি তালুকদার…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Dhaka on Tuesday described what’s happening along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border as “completely unacceptable.” “This is completely unacceptable. Myanmar’s envoy was summoned today and Bangladesh lodged its strong protest,” Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said the Myanmar envoy would convey Bangladesh’s concerns and protest to his government. The Foreign Minister said Bangladeshis are being affected due to Myanmar’s internal conflicts and their mortar shells are coming into Bangladesh territory. Two people, including a woman, were killed in reported shelling on a house at Jolpaitoli under Ghumdum union of Naikhongchhari upazila…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: In a landmark move, Saudi Arabia has greenlit the recruitment of Bangladeshi doctors and nurses, marking a significant milestone in the Kingdom’s healthcare sector. This development heralds the first large-scale recruitment of Bangladesh’s medical professionals by Saudi Arabia, aligning with the bilateral agreement forged in 2022 to bolster healthcare cooperation. As reported by Gulf News, the Bangladesh Medical Association highlights the stark underrepresentation of Bangladeshi doctors among the estimated three million expatriates in Saudi Arabia. The recent policy shift, culminating in the arrival of the inaugural group of healthcare workers in November 2023, aims to bridge this gap.…

বেরোবি প্রতিনিধি:বেগম রোকেয়া বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় সাংবাদিক সমিতির (বেরোবিসাস) কার্যনির্বাহী পরিষদের নির্বাচন-২০২৪-২৫ এর অনুষ্ঠিত হয়েছে। এতে সভাপতি হিসেবে নির্বাচিত হয়েছেন ঢাকা পোস্টের বেরোবি প্রতিনিধি মোবাশ্বের আহমেদ শিপন ও সাধারণ সম্পাদক হিসেবে দৈনিক আজকের পত্রিকার বেরোবি প্রতিনিধি মো. কামরুজ্জামান হিমেল। মঙ্গলবার (৬ ফেব্রুয়ারি ) বেলা সাড়ে ১১টায় বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের কেন্দ্রীয় ক্যাফেটেরিয়ায় সমিতির সদস্যদের প্রত্যক্ষ ভোটের ফলাফল ঘোষণা করেন প্রধান নির্বাচন কমিশনার ড বিজন মোহন চাকী। নির্বাচনে তিন সদস্যের নির্বাচন কমিশনে সহকারী কমিশনার হিসেবে উপস্থিত ছিলেন বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের গনযোগাযোগ ও সাংবাদিকতা বিভাগের সহকারী অধ্যাপক মো সারোয়ার আহমাদ ও বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের এস্টেট শাখার সচিব মো আলী হাসান। নব-নির্বাচিত কমিটির অন্য সদস্যরা হলেন- সহ- সভাপতি দৈনিক কালবেলা ও ডেইলি…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday summoned Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh, Aung Kyaw Moe, and strongly protested the incidents along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Director General (Myanmar wing) at the Foreign Ministry, Miah Md. Mainul Kabir, handed over the protest note to Myanmar Ambassador during a meeting at the state guest House Padma. Two people, including a woman, were killed in reported shelling on a house at Jolpaitoli under Ghumdum union of Naikhongchhari upazila in Bandarban district on Monday. One of the deceased was identified as Hosne Ara, 50, wife of Badsha Mia while the identity of the…

স্পোর্টস ডেস্কঃ লম্বা সময় পর ম্যানচেস্টার সিটির শুরুর একাদশে দেখা গেলো ডি ব্রুইনা ও আর্লিং হালান্ড জুটিকে। গত মৌসুমে ট্রেবল জেতাতে অবদান রাখা এ দুই তারকা চোটের কারনে একসাথে মাঠে নামতে পারেননি লম্বা সময় ধরে। তবে এ জুটিকে ছাপিয়ে ব্রেন্টফোর্ড কমিউনিটি স্টেডিয়ামে সবার দৃষ্টি কেড়ে নিলেন ফিল ফোডেন। শুরুতে পিছিয়ে পড়লেও ২৩ বছর বয়সী মিডফিল্ডারের হ্যাটট্রিকে ব্রেন্টফোর্ডকে ৩-১ গোলে হারিয়েছেন সিটিজেনরা। ম্যাচের ২১ মিনিটে নিল মপের গোলে এগিয়ে যায় স্বাগতিক ব্রেন্টফোর্ড। কিন্তু ব্যবধান ধরে রেখে বিরতিতে যেতে পারেনি। প্রথমার্ধের অতিরিক্ত সময়ের তৃতীয় মিনিটে সিটিকে সমতায় ফেরান ফোডেন। দ্বিতীয়ার্ধে আরও আগ্রাসী হয়ে উঠেন এই ইংলিশ তারকা। ৫৩ মিনিটে ডি ব্রুইনার এসিস্টে…

জুমবাংলা ডেস্ক: বাংলাদেশের সাথে অংশীদারিত্ব জোরদার করার আগ্রহ প্রকাশ করেছে ইউরোপিয়ান ইউনিয়ন। ব্রাসেলসে অনুষ্ঠিত দ্বিপাক্ষিক বৈঠকে বাংলাদেশের পক্ষে উপস্থিত ছিলেন পররাষ্ট্রমন্ত্রী ড. হাছান মাহমুদ। বৈঠক শেষে সংকট ব্যবস্থাপনা বিষয়ক ইউরোপীয় কমিশনার জেনেজ লেনাসির্স বলেন, ‘আমরা দুর্যোগ প্রস্তুতিতে ইইউ-বাংলাদেশ সহযোগিতা জোরদার করার বিষয়ে পারস্পরিক স্বার্থ পূনঃনিশ্চিত করেছি এবং রোহিঙ্গা শরণার্থী ও মিয়ানমায়ের জনগনের প্রতি মানবিক প্রতিক্রিয়া জোরদার করার প্রয়োজনীয়তা নিয়ে আলোচনা করেছি।’ বৈঠকে আন্তর্জাতিক অংশীদায়িত্ব বিষয়ক ইউরোপিয়ান কমিশনার জুট্টা লিনারইকও বাংলাদেশের সাথে সবক্ষেত্রে সম্পর্ক জোরদারের আশা ব্যক্ত করেছেন। দুই ইউরোপীয় কমিশনার ইইউ’র সহযোগিতা বৃদ্ধি এবং অংশীদারিত্ব জোরদারের মাধ্যমে বিভিন্ন বিষয়ে বাংলাদেশের সঙ্গে কাজ করার আগ্রহ প্রকাশ করেন বলে জানান পররাষ্ট্রমন্রী ড.…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The European Union (EU) wants to strengthen partnership with Bangladesh in the coming days. “We reconfirmed mutual interest on strengthening EU-Bangladesh cooperation on disaster preparedness and discussed the need to reinforce humanitarian response to Rohingya refugees and the people of Myanmar,” said European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic after his meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud in Brussels. European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen also had a meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan and expressed willingness to strengthen the relations with Bangladesh on all fronts. The separate meetings with the Foreign Minister were held Friday evening…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Taiwan’s envoy to the United Kingdom Yao Chin-hsiang has urged the United Kingdom and other Western allies to help deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan, Taiwan News reported. Yao Chin-hsiang made the remarks during a Council on Geostrategy public panel event on January 30. He said that the UK should continue to express concern regarding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo and actively take concrete measures to defend the freedom of navigation in the region, Taiwan News reported citing Central News Agency (CNA). He stressed that if the Taiwan Strait…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, has written a letter to the Chinese authorities urging them to address the claims that it has allegedly tortured Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai for obtaining evidence against him, a press release from the United Nations Human Rights Commission stated. “I am deeply concerned that evidence that is expected to be presented against Jimmy Lai imminently may have been obtained as a result of torture or other unlawful treatment,” Edwards said. “An investigation into these allegations must be conducted immediately before any evidence is admitted into these present proceedings.” Article…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to pay an official visit to Vietnam. Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son has conveyed this to Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud during their meeting in Brussels. https://inews.zoombangla.com/pm-unveils-new-graphic-novel-on-bangabandhus-travel-to-china/ The meeting was held Thursday evening on the sidelines of the 3rd EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum. The Vietnamese Foreign Minister has also invited Foreign Minister Hasan to visit Vietnam at an early date to further strengthen 50 years of Bangladesh-Vietnam friendly relations, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday. The two Foreign Ministers also discussed issues of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) protested China’s unilateral adjustment of flight routes close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday. In a statement, the CAA said it “deeply regretted and strongly protested” Beijing’s move earlier in the day, when the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced it was cancelling what it called an “offset measure” for the southbound operation of the M503 flight route, which is west of the median line of the Taiwan Strait. Also in the announcement, the CAAC said it plans to start eastbound operation of routes W122 and W123, which…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled a new graphic novel based on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s book “Amar Dekha Noya Chin” (The New China as I Saw) on Thursday, February 1, following the inauguration of the Ekushey Book Fair. The unveiling took place at the Centre for Research and Information (CRI) stall located in the Bangla Academy premises, where she also purchased a copy of the book. The Prime Minister entered the fair at 4:40 pm and, after visiting several stalls and viewing the exhibits on display, she made her way to the CRI stall. Nasrul Hamid, a trustee…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s economy faced many challenges in 2023, such as fiscal deficits, real estate defaults, financial closures, and export decline. These affected the citizens’ welfare, causing lower property values, higher unemployment, and less spending. The situation did not improve, and more defaults were feared. However, at the Davos Forum, Chinese Premier Le Qiang claimed a 5.2% growth for China in 2023, exceeding the government’s target of 5%. This sparked doubts about its validity, and some even said that China had negative growth last year. What is China’s economic outlook for this year, and can it recover from the previous…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: For over three decades, every Chinese foreign minister’s first overseas trip of the year has been to Africa. This year continued the tradition with China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, visiting Egypt, Tunisia, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. Notably, every one of these countries is coastal. And yet, at a time of continued speculation over China’s next military installation in Africa, none of these countries has featured prominently as potential locations in previous analyses. We might, therefore, reasonably ask what China’s current considerations are around basing in Africa. Faced with an increasingly multipolar and assertive Africa at a time of…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A member of Tibet’s Parliament in exile on Tuesday claimed that China was trying to alienate Tibetans from their native culture through “colonially-run” boarding schools. A two-member delegation from Tibet’s Parliament in exile visited here as part of a campaign to increase interaction with the Indian people and took part in programs organized with the help of the India-Tibet Cooperation Forum. “In Tibet, children above three years of age are being forcibly sent to colonially-run boarding schools by China, so that they could be taken away from their original culture, language and traditions, and Chinese culture could be…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Bangladesh is virtually participating at the senior level officers meeting (SOM) in a major international conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The SOM is the forum of the senior officers from the 46 member states in the Asia and the Pacific to discuss multilateral effort to reform agrifood systems across the Asia-Pacific region, after years of pandemic, climate emergencies, volatile markets and economies that have affected millions of producers and consumers. The Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (#APRC37) is convened by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and hosted by the Government of Sri…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The U.S. government in recent months launched an operation to fight a pervasive Chinese hacking operation that successfully compromised thousands of internet-connected devices, according to two Western security officials and one person familiar with the matter. The Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation sought and received legal authorization to remotely disable aspects of the Chinese hacking campaign, the sources told Reuters. The Biden administration has increasingly focused on hacking, not only for fear nation states may try to disrupt the U.S. election in November, but because ransomware wreaked havoc on Corporate America in 2023. The hacking group…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: About 110,000 Chinese Communist Party officials faced disciplinary action last year as part of the ongoing drive to clean up the party’s act, according to the country’s top anti-corruption body. The figures published by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Sunday represent a 13 per cent increase in the number of cases compared with the previous year. There is little sign of Beijing easing up on its latest crackdown more than a year after the party’s national congress in October 2022, when President Xi Jinping began an unprecedented third term as China’s paramount leader and filled…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Tuesday urged all concerned to take stern actions against corruption alongside reforming the financial sector. “Uncertainty is increasing in the global economy due to geopolitical instability. In this regard, if the global economic crisis occurs, it will also affect us,” he said. He was addressing the opening session of the newly elected 12th Parliament. Earlier, he convened the first parliament session of 2024 exercising the power bestowed upon him as per the Article 72 (1) of the Constitution. Maiden JS session: Speaker nominates 5-member panel of chairmen The president’s speech was approved in the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: For China’s middle class, things have never looked harder as they reflected on 2023 and peered ahead to the second year of what should be a post-pandemic economic recovery in 2024. No signs have yet emerged to upend their frustration as the property market meltdown and free-falling stock market have continued to wipe out their wealth. The troubles are endangering the world’s largest middle class, as economists have warned that the group that numbers an oft-cited 400 million may shrink in the absence of a strong economic recovery. https://inews.zoombangla.com/the-boundaries-of-china-in-the-south-china-sea-are-being-challenged-by-the-philippines/ A continued decline would also threaten Beijing’s efforts to…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday directed the authority concerned to reduce import duty on four essential items – rice, edible oil, sugar and date– ahead of the upcoming Ramadan. The directive came from the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in the city. “The Prime Minister has given a clear directive to decrease the duty on four items – edible oil, sugar, rice and date — on the occasion of the upcoming Ramadan, said Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain while briefing reporters at the Secretariat. Now the National Board of Revenue (NBR)…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Former US President Donald Trump discussed with his advisers the possibility of imposing a 60% tariff on all imports from China if he is re-elected, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing sources. The former president is considering options for starting a new large-scale economic attack on China if he returns to the White House, which, according to the report, could lead to a global trade war. Experts asked by the newspaper said that such a move could lead to enormous disruption to both the US and global economies, which would be much more serious than the impact…