Author: Arif ArifArman

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Wednesday urged businessmen to make marginal profit during the month of Ramadan considering people’s sufferings. The minister advised the common people to cross-check and shop without stepping into the trap of lucrative advertisements. Munshi said this while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion meeting organised by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) on the occasion of ‘World Consumer Rights Day 2023’ at Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Agargaon on Wednesday. Taking into account the suffering of the people, the Commerce Minister asked the businessmen, “There are various discount systems…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas today said in terms of foreign investment here, the United States (US) is number one and will continue this position in the future. “We are the number one in foreign investment in Bangladesh. Our investment will continue in the future too,” he said this while visiting 584 MW power plant, a gas-based combined cycle plant at Sonargaon in Narayanganj district. He said, the US companies are interested to invest more in Bangladesh but the regulatory bodies would have to be more rationale. Managing Director and Chairman of the Unique Meghnaghat Power Plant…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today issued separate messages wishing the 51st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Bangladesh Scouts a success as it will be held tomorrow. On the eve of the 51st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Bangladesh Scouts, the President and the Prime Minister greeted all Rovers, Scouts, Cubs, and Scout Leaders. President Md Abdul Hamid, in his message, extended his congratulations to the recipients of the Silver Tiger and Silver Hilsa Awards and other awards in 2021 in recognition of their unique contribution to the development and expansion of Bangladesh Scouts.…

ZOOMBANGA DESK: Elections to five city corporations — Barishal, Gazipur, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet — will be held between May 23 and June 29. “The polls will be held in three phases,” said Election Commission secretariat secretary Jahangir Alam after a meeting of commissioners. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal presided over the meeting held at the EC office today. “Preliminary discussion on elections to the Gazipur, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barishal and Khulna, was held at the commissioners’ meeting,” Jahangir Alam added. He said the EC will announce the schedules in mid-April. He said after the holy month of Ramadan, SSC…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The remains of a Chinese rocket which was used to deliver spy satellites into space burned up over the skies of Nepal on Saturday, the USNI reported. The similar incident had occurred over the Texas last week. The Chang Zheng 2D ‘Long March’ rocket reentered the atmosphere on Saturday after more than 200 days in space and burned up over the skies of Nepal, according to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell. The four-ton piece of space junk was part of the China National Space Administration’s Y-65 mission. It had deliver three military electronic surveillance satellites on July 29 from the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The local Muslims in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district helped in performing the last rites of a 70-year-old Kashmiri Pandit, who died on Tuesday. Setting an example of communal harmony and brotherhood, the local Muslims in Batapora Wahibugh village of Newa hamlet in South Kashmir’s Pulwama came together to help perform the last rites of their Pandit neighbor. According to the news agency, Parry Lal Pandit resident of Wahibugh village about 8 kilometer from Pulwama town was a known figure in the area as according to the locals, he used to help persons in need. As only a few…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: China’s chip manufacturing industry, which is rife with intellectual property theft and unfair trade practices, poses a significant threat to global security, and the country’s efforts to train artificial intelligence using advanced chips must be curbed, The Times of Israel reported. According to The Times of Israel, the United States last year, rightfully increased its competition with China in the semiconductor industry. The CHIPS and Science Act signed by the Biden administration in August is a necessary industrial policy to ensure the US maintains its technological edge and protects its supply chain. Restrictions rolled out by the Biden…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A Russian fighter jet on Tuesday dumped fuel on an American drone over the Black Sea and then collided with it, causing the drone to crash, the US military said, slamming the manoeuvre as “reckless”. US European Command said two Russian Su-27 fighters intercepted the unmanned MQ-9 Reaper over international waters and one clipped its propeller. “Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner,” it said. Moscow denied causing the crash of the drone, which the Pentagon said was on a…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Yang Xiaokun, Special Representative for Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, on Tuesday met Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen and discussed on multilateral human rights discourse and also on possible areas of cooperation. Earlier, on 13 March, China and Bangladesh held first-ever official consultations on multilateral human rights issues in Dhaka. Yang Xiaokun led the Chinese delegation, while Toufiq Islam Shatil, Director General (United Nations Wing), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led Bangladesh side. The wwo sides exchanged views on their national human rights philosophy and achievements, ongoing developments, and mutual cooperation on human…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Good news for flower lovers! The eighth edition of the Royal Bhutan Flower Exhibition will be held in Thimphu, from May 2 to 6 2023, stated The Tourism Council Of Bhutan. This popular annual event provides a platform for local gardeners, artisans and entrepreneurs to display their plants and floral creations. Traditional crafts and installations are showcased at the festival along with a huge mural painted by artists from VAST Bhutan (Voluntary Artists Studio, Thimphu ). A vast range of medicinal plants and herbs from the Himalayas are exhibited by Bhutan’s Institute of Traditional Medicine. Bhutan is known…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The High Court on Tuesday asked the two city corporations in Dhaka to form a 7-member committee for each ward to examine the sewerage and gas pipelines to ensure safety of the residents. The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order after hearing a writ petition. Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (Rajuk), Managing Director of Titas Gas, Managing Director of Dhaka Wasa, Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North and South City Corporations have been asked to form the seven-member monitoring committees involving experts from the departments concerned. The HC also asked the…

Z00MBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today sought more cooperation from Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the development of Bangladesh mainly its education, skill enhancement and infrastructures. She called for the support when a visiting delegation of ADB led by its President Masatsugu Asakawa paid a courtesy call on her at Hotel Intercontinental Dhaka. Prime Minister’s Speech Writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting. During the meeting, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is emphasizing education, skill development and infrastructures, seeking more cooperation for various projects including those. Talking about stipends and mid-day meal programmes for school students, she urged…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Bangladesh and Australia today expressed keen interest to work together for further deepen and widen the economic cooperation between the two nations. This was discussed during the 4th Foreign Office Consultation between Bangladesh and Australia held at the State Guest House Padma in the capital. Bangladesh foreign ministry’s Secretary (West) Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury and Australian ministry of foreign affairs and trade Gary Cowan led the delegation of their respective side. During the meeting, various bilateral, regional, international, economic and overall issues related to the mutual interests of Bangladesh and Australia were discussed in detail. Australian delegation expressed its…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The government has fixed the office timing from 9 am to 3.30 pm for all government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan. The decision was taken at the regular cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) here with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. “The office timing for all government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions has been set from 9 am to 3.30 pm during the upcoming Ramadan,” Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain told a press briefing at the Secretariat here after the meeting. During the office time, he said, there…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said she will never bow down to any foreign pressure as the people are her strength, reiterating to hold the next general election in a free and fair manner. “You have to keep one thing in mind that there is no such pressure that can pressurize Sheikh Hasina,” she said in reply to the question – whether she is feeling any foreign pressure over the next general election in the context that the BNP has been lobbying foreigners and publication of an advertisement with the statement of 40 global personalities regarding Dr Yunus.…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Xi Jinping has stressed the need to oppose “pro-independence” influences in Taiwan, as he closed the National People’s Congress (NPC) after a week in which the rubber-stamp parliament handed China’s president an unprecedented third presidential term, and key roles at the top of the government were reshuffled. Xi closed the session with a speech to the gathered delegates. On Friday he secured his place as China’s most powerful leader in generations in a carefully choreographed ceremony in Beijing. In his speech on Monday laying out his priorities for China, Xi described the need for “national reunification” as the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Nepal’s newly elected president — the third since the Himalayan nation abolished its centuries-old monarchy in 2008 and became a republic — took the oath of office Monday in Kathmandu. Ram Chandra Poudel was elected Thursday by members of the Federal Parliament and provincial assemblies. Top officials, diplomats and Parliament members lined up to congratulate the new president at the ceremony where the military band played national songs and gave him a salute. Outgoing President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, having completed the maximum completed two terms in office, passed the position on immediately after the swearing-in ceremony. The president…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: A more assertive China poses a “systemic challenge” to the global order, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told NBC News on Sunday as the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia planned to unveil their latest steps in a defense partnership to counter Beijing’s growing military might. “The behavior that we’ve seen in China over recent times is concerning,” Sunak told NBC News’ Lester Holt at the USS Midway Museum shortly after he arrived in San Diego for the summit. China is “acting in a more authoritarian fashion at home” and is “more assertive overseas,” he said. “China…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Pasteur Institute in France has announced that it has decided to suspend its partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing regarding the Institute Pasteur of Shanghai. The Pasteur Institute in a statement announced that it ceased to be involved in the activities of the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai and stopped co-leading the structure with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the statement, the Pasteur Institute said that the name of Institute of Pasteur will change as a result. It noted that additional conversation is required to ensure that strategic axes of these two institutions are aligned.…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Sunday urged the international community, including the UK to play a more decisive role in ensuring the voluntary, safe and sustainable repatriation of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas, temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh, to their homeland in Myanmar at an early date. Momen made the call as UK Minister of State for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan met him at the foreign ministry. The foreign minister also briefed the UK minister about the facilities created in Bhasan Char for the Rohingyas. Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas. The foreign minister lauded the UK’s role…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid today said the government will ensure uninterrupted power and energy supply and continue the country’s development and progress. “We have ensured 100 percent electricity in the country. Efforts are going on for uninterrupted power supply,” he said this as the chief guest at a session on energy security organized on the occasion of Bangladesh Business Summit-2023 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. Nasrul Hamid said exploration and extraction activities have been increased for primary fuel supply, adding, “All the plans are being completed focusing the goal of developed…

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said the country’s people are the strength of the ruling party Awami League as the party practices politics for their wellbeing. “The AL assumed the state power with the people’s mandate and it is governing the state upholding their hopes and expectations,” he said in a statement. Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said except for the people, the AL never depends on anyone in assuming power. The certain triumphs of the AL were snatched away many times through local and international conspiracies, he said. He said the country’s…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Minister for Home and Cultural Affairs, HE Ugyen Dorji while inaugurating the cultural evening on the eve of the fourth Y-20 consultation meeting in Pune said that India holding the G20 presidency is a matter of pride for the whole of South Asia, including Bhutan. Y20 is a forum for youth from all G20 member countries to hold dialogue over various issues. India and Bhutan share a special bilateral relationship. Bhutan has the most significant share of the allocated budget for the Ministry of External Affairs ( MEA) under Grants and Loans to Foreign Governments. Under the…

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The March 10 announcement that Saudi Arabia and Iran will restore diplomatic relations under China’s mediation drew astonishment from Western commentators. By American standards, China’s presence in the Middle East is minimal. But China’s footprint in trade and especially technology has grown enormously in Western Asia, allowing Beijing to turn its gradual accumulation of soft power into an unprecedented diplomatic coup. Saudi Arabia is the evident winner in the agreement. After decades of proxy war between Shiite Iran and the Sunni kingdom, a cessation of hostilities implies that Iran and its proxies will stand down. US National Security…