Author: Arif ArifArman

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Dhaka has alone been experiencing more than 600 MW of load shedding during daytime when demand for electricity remains relatively low than nighttime. According to official sources, like the previous few days the country has been seeing over 2000 MW of power shortage. As a result, consumers across the country are facing power outages for 6 to 7 hours in different spells during the day. “After the evening, the situation will be deteriorating with the increase in demand,” said a top official of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) preferring anonymity. He attributed the gas shortage for the…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a press conference at her official Ganabhaban residence here today highlighted different important issues about her recent tri-nation visit to Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom (UK). In her written speech, the Prime Minister said during her bilateral meetings, all including Japanese Prime Minister, UK prime minister and World Bank chief highly appreciated Bangladesh’s remarkable socio-economic development under her leadership. They also assured of their continuing support to her government to turn Bangladesh into a ‘Smart Bangladesh” she added. Following is the full text of the written speech: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: After Japan announced last year that it would double its military spending in the next five years and acquire the ability to strike enemy bases, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang lashed out at Tokyo over its planned biggest military build-up since World War II. Reminding Japan of its World War II defeat, Qin Gang said the post-war international order must be maintained, Asian Institute for China and IOR Studies (AICIS) reported. As an impact of geopolitical heat, China, which is arraigned by the international community for its aggressive military positioning in the Indo-Pacific region, has expressed its worries…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The US Senate confirmed Dr Geeta Rao Gupta, an Indian-American, for the position of Ambassador-at-Large for the Office of Global Women’s Issues in the State Department. “Dr Geeta Rao Gupta was confirmed by the US Senate as the Ambassador-at-Large for the Office of Global Women’s Issues. @StateDept looks forward to her efforts to promote women and girls’ rights through US foreign policy,” tweeted The Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Ambassador-at-Large for the Office of Global Women’s Issues. @StateDept looks forward to her efforts to promote…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is all set to host a working group meeting of tourism delegates from the G20 nations in ten-day time. The Summit is set to usher in a new positive phase in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory (UT). The citizens of Jammu and Kashmir are upbeat and are extending full support to the Jammu and Kashmir Administration to make the program a grand success, believing that the event is going to be historical in showcasing Jammu and Kashmir’s potential as a tourism destination, not just for India, but also for the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: To counter China’s footprint in Gulf, India is planning an ambitious connectivity project that aims to link New Delhi to the Middle East, reported Foreign Policy. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held a meeting with his US and UAE counterparts, which was also attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The leaders discussed a joint infrastructure project that would connect the Middle Eastern countries via rail. The ambitious connectivity project aims to link the Middle East to India through roads, rails, and seaports. The idea emerged during meetings of the I2U2 group–which also includes Israel–over the last…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Bangladesh and Vietnam have agreed to explore possibilities of concluding a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in order to add further substance to the steadily increasing bilateral trade and economic relations between the two regional countries, particularly in context of the LDC graduation of Bangladesh. The issue was discussed at the second Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held between Bangladesh and Vietnam at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on Sunday. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen led the Bangladesh delegation, while a nine-member Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister of Vietnam Hung Viet. Highlighting the lucrative…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid on Sunday said that it will take two days to improve the power and gas supply situation in the country. “The current disruption in power and gas supply will improve as one of the two terminals will resume supply within two days,” he told reporters at his office in the ministry. He said that after the suspension of gas supply from two floating LNG terminals, one terminal left its place for safe location while another one remained stationed at its own location. The suspension caused huge shortage in…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: People started returning home from cyclone centers since afternoon as the wind speed of the cyclonic storm Mocha has slowed in the coastal areas. Saint Martin Union Parishad Chairman Mujibur Rahman said around 7000 people of the island took refuge at cyclone centers. Apart from three cyclone centers, 37 hotels, resorts and multi-storied buildings have been used as shelters in the district, he said. People started returning home from the cyclone centers, Mujibur Rahman added. Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Kamruzzaman said trees have been uprooted and some houses have been damaged in the storm. He said there…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: A two-day meeting of the joint steering committee (JSC) and joint working committee (JWC) on Bangladesh – Nepal power and energy sector cooperation is set to start in Bangladesh on Monday with a target to address the transmission bottleneck in regional electricity trade. The JWC meeting is scheduled for May 15 while the JSC meeting is set for May 16 at the same venue at Payra power plant in Patuakhali, official sources said. Ahead of the meetings, Nepalese Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud in a meeting on Saturday urged Bangladeshi private and public sector companies to invest in…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Joy of sports is not just for the youth, the District Youth Services and Sports in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, has shown by conducting events for senior citizens as part of their Sports for Seniors Sports Week. About 45 senior citizens participated in football and Tug-of-War events held at GD College Baramulla, proving that age is just a number when it comes to enjoying sports. One of the participants, Abdul Rashid, expressed his delight at being part of the event. He said, “I never imagined that I would be playing football at this age, but I am so…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday (local time) met his French counterpart Catherine Colonna who shared her enthusiasm for making Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi’s visit to the Bastille Day a success. Both of them also exchanged views on Indo-Pacific and G20. “Glad to meet French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. Share her enthusiasm for making PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the Bastille Day a success. Exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific and G20,” tweeted Jaishankar. On the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend this year’s Bastille Day Parade as Guest…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Implementation of schemes under the Holistic Agriculture Development Plan ( HADP) of the Jammu Kasmir government would double the agricultural output of the Union territory and give a fillip to its agricultural export, said Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo while reviewing HADP implementation with the heads of Project Grounding and Monitoring Committees. The ACS, while addressing the meeting held in this regard, exhorted the officers to implement HADP in its entirety keeping its aims and objectives in mind. He asked them to complete all the preliminary work beforehand regarding issuing of tenders, procurement and…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday addressed the inaugural session of the G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting in Nagasaki. He highlighted the fact that India’s G20 Presidency Health Priorities and G7 health agendas are perfectly aligned. Union Minister Mandaviya noted that the G7 discussions prioritised health emergency preparedness, access to medical countermeasures, and digital health to achieve UHC (Universal Health Coverage). He tweeted, “Addressed inaugural session of the G7 Health Ministers’ Meeting in Nagasaki. India’s G20 Presidency Health Priorities & G7 health agendas are perfectly aligned. We have prioritized Health Emergency Preparedness, Access to…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on Saturday said that the success of the G20 event is a collective responsibility of every official in the government. “In a run-up to the upcoming G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting scheduled to be held here, Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta today impressed upon the officers that the success of the international event is the collective responsibility of all of us and each of us should fulfil our responsibility fully,” the press release said. During the meeting, J-K’s Chief Secretary said that all the management plans for the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Highlighting the healthcare reforms by the central government, Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that the last nine years have turned India into a cost-effective medical destination and this has been possible because of several pathbreaking healthcare reforms. Addressing the inaugural session of the 42nd annual conference of the National Medicos Organisation (NMO) organised at AIIMS Kalyani, West Bengal, Jitendra Singh said that previously India was hardly known for any preventive healthcare but today India is recognized as the vaccination hub of the world. He also said that Medico organisations can collaborate with the government for ensuring…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The 8th meeting of Agriculture Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries was held on Saturday via video conferencing under the chairmanship of Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China and Pakistan participated in it, along with India. Tomar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis is on the overall development of agriculture in the country through technology. Tomar said in order to maintain the normal functioning of the food supply chain in the present conditions, there is a need for close contact and cooperation between various countries for food…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The country is experiencing huge loadshedding to the tune of over 2000 MW today (Saturday) as gas shortage forced the authorities to shut down a number of gas-fired power plants. According to official sources, the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) had to resort to about 2051 MW loadshedding at 12noon when power generation was 10,749 MW against a demand of 12,800 MW. But many officials unwilling to speak on the record believe that the loadshedding was even more than 2000 MW. “This happened as we are not getting adequate gas supply that forced many plants to go for…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Bangladesh and Mauritius are keen to work together in different sectors, including tourism, education, agriculture, communications, connectivity and ICT, to explore the possible areas of collaboration and investment between the two countries. They came up with the common opinion as the visiting Mauritian President Prithvirajsing Roopun paid a country call on Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban here this evening. During the meeting, both the Presidents called for joint investment in two country’s potentials sectors, including trade and commerce, President’s press secretary Md Joynal Abedin told BSS after the meeting. Mauritius President, who is currently in Dhaka on…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing built the Pokhara international airport in Nepal in January but since it came into operation, there are no signs of the airport receiving any international flights, The Annapurna Express reported. According to the airport authorities, although the talks are ongoing with China, India and other countries, the chances of international airlines making flights to and from Pokhara airport in the near future appear slim. Without international flights, the airport cannot make sufficient income to sustain itself. According to officials in the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the airport should conduct…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Australia’s Blacktown City Council has cancelled Sikhs For Justice’s propaganda referendum event in Sydney, after hundreds of complaints about threats posed by the event, The Australia reported on Friday. The propaganda event was scheduled to be organised at Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope. The booking has now been cancelled after security agencies’ advice. A Blacktown City Council spokesperson told The Australia Today: “Council’s decision is in no way an endorsement of, or criticism of, any political position relating to the internal affairs of India or Pakistan and must not be represented as support for any particular political position,” he…

SPORTS DESK: Bangladesh youth women’s handball team got off to a winning start in the 3rd edition of four-nation Bangabandhu IHF Challenge Trophy Women’s (U-17) beating the Maldives by 48-10 goals held today (Saturday) at Shaheed Captain M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium in the city. The winners’ dominated the first period of play as they took a healthy 27-5 goals lead at the breather. Bangladesh’s skipper Mst. Marfe, led from the front, as she scored highest 16 goals in the match. She was well supported by Runa Layla and Dipa Rani, who scored 10 and 7 goals respectively in…

Michael Kugelman: The highlights this week: An ambitious connectivity project aims to better link India to the Middle East, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is detained months ahead of national elections, and communal violence flares in the Indian state of Manipur. Linking India to the Middle East Last weekend, national security advisors from India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh to discuss an ambitious connectivity project to link the Middle East to India through roads, rails, and seaports. The idea emerged during meetings of the I2U2…

INTERNATIONAL DESK:The Jammu and Kashmir government has started adventure activities ahead of the G20 meeting to boost tourism in Kashmir. In the run-up to the coming G 20 event and as stakeholder participation, Secretary of Tourism Syed Abid Rasheed Shah along with other officers of the tourism department inaugurated the hot air balloon, cycling and trekking expedition and other activities on the banks of world famous Dal lake at Zabarwan Park, Boulevard road. “On the occasion, a number of officials, tourists and school children were present, aiming to participate in these adventure activities including Air ballooning, Cyclothon organised by the…