bangladesh
Foreign Minister sees progress in efforts to free hijacked ship, crew members
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday (March 28, 2024) said that there has been progress in the government’s efforts to free the Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah, which was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean along with 23 sailors on board.
“Our aim is to rescue the sailors unharmed and at the same time rescue the ship. I just want to say that we have advanced much,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today.
Govt trying to free the hijacked ship and bring back crew members safely as soon as possible: Foreign Minister
Hasan Mahmud said they are in contact and are making multifaceted efforts to rescue the crew members.
Pirates make maiden contact with MV Abdullah’s owner
Regarding the reported food shortage on the ship, he said food shortage has never happened in the past when ships have been hijacked. “Hopefully it won’t happen in this case either.”
After 9 days of taking the Bangladeshi ship and holding 23 sailors hostage, Somali pirates contacted the owners.
Owner of hijacked vessel MV Abdullah doesn’t want armed operation
3 dead as bus hits auto-rickshaw in Mymensingh
Three passengers were killed and four others injured in a collision between a bus and a CNG auto-rickshaw on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at Ujanpara in Trishal upazila on Thursday.
The deceased are Rubaiya Tasnim,2, daughter of Shamim Ahmed of Rudra village, CNG driver Shariful Islam,33, son of late Abdus Samad of Chikna Manhar village, and Salman Azadi,27, a student of music department of Jatiyo Kobi Kazi Nazrul Islam University.
The injured are Mani Akhter45, wife of Jalal Uddin of Rudra village and Sahida Akhtar,45, wife of Shamim Ahmed of the same village. The identities of two others could not be known.
The injured were admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.
Kamal Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Trishal Police Station, said a bus collided with the auto-rickshaw while taking U-turn, leaving Tasnim dead on the spot.
Two other victims died at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.
10 kidnapped people freed on ransom in Cox’s Bazar
Ten people including four boys who were kidnapped while working on a hill at Hoaikong Roikhong in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar were freed after payment of Tk 4 lakh as ransom on Wednesday night.Those kidnapped were identified as Zunaid, 12, Mohammad Nur, 10, Shakil, 15, Farida lam, 35, Akter, 25, Ismail, 24, Babul 26, Fazal Kader, 40, Oli Ahmed, 32 and Nur Mohammad, 17 of Teknaf upazila.All of them are safe and sound now, said Osman Gony, officer-in-charge of Teknaf Model Police Station.
Elderly man crushed under wheels of train in Cox's BazarNur Mohammad Anwari, chairman of Hoaikhong Union, said some miscreants kidnapped them while they were working on the hill on Wednesday morning.However, the family members paid Tk 4 lakh as ransom for the release of the kidnapped people.The kidnappers freed them at Unsiprang around 12 am, he said.New 'Tourist Express' trains to Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route from Jan 10
Nor’wester damages hundreds of houses in Faridpur
Around hundreds of houses were damaged while a number of trees were uprooted during a nor’wester in Faridpur district early Thursday (March 28, 2024).
Twenty villages under Pachuria and Bana unions in Alfadanga upazila of the district were battered by the storm.
Residents of the 20 villages – Sirgram, Garania, Pakuria, Taboni, Tonapara, Sialdi Charpara, Joydebpur, Aushir haat, Kutharakandi, Majpara, Arpara in Bana union; Jugibarat, Bhatpara, Chandra, Pachuria, Deuli, Charnarandia, Dhuljuri and Charbhatpara in Pachuria union – remained in darkness as many electric wires were also snapped during the storm.
A vast track of cropslands were also damaged while trees were uprooted, halting road communications in different parts of the upazila.
Read more: Rains likely in parts of Dhaka, 7 other divisions
AKM Zahidul Hasan Zahid, chairman of Alfadanga upazila, said the storm started sweeping through the upazila around 1 am.
Many people have taken shelter under the open sky as their thatched houses were blown away during the storm.
Additional General Manager of Alfadanga Sub-zonal officer of Palli Bidyut Samity, said some electric poles were uprooted while some wires got snapped, disrupting power connection.
Work is going on to resume power supply, he said.
Quamrul Ahsan Talukdar, deputy commissioner of Faridpur, said directives have been given to provide all-out support to those affected in the storm.
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Donald Lu lauds Bangladeshi Americans for building foundation of ties between two countries
US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Lu, has highly appreciated the contributions of the Bangladeshi Americans in building the foundation of bilateral relations between the two nations.
Lu was addressing, as the guest of honour, a reception hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC on Tuesday evening on the occasion of Independence and National Day of Bangladesh.
Donald Lu to lead US delegation at India-US Forum in New Delhi
Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Muhammad Imran delivered the welcome address at the function held at Bangabandhu Auditorium of the Mission.
The US Assistant Secretary of State said that there are huge number of Bangladeshi Americans in the United States and it is their strength and tremendous hard work that builds the foundation of the excellent relations between the two countries.
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“We are so proud of the work of the Bangladeshi Americans, what they do to support the relations between our two great nations,” Bangladesh Embassy in Washington quoted Lu as saying.
In this connection, Lu referred to Bangladeshi-American entrepreneurs who have excelled in different fields with their unique and innovative ideas.
US Under Secretary Uzra Zeya, Donald Lu visit Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar
The US Assistant Secretary of State concluded his remarks by saying, “Happy Birthday Bangladesh and Joy Bangla.”
In his welcome remarks, Bangladesh Ambassador Muhammad Imran extended heartfelt greetings to all Bangladeshis living at home and abroad on the occasion of Independence and National Day.
He also paid deep homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and three million martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the cause of independence.
Ambassador Imran said Bangladesh attaches high importance to its long-standing partnership with the United States. Ever since the establishment of the two countries’ relations, excellent understanding and collaboration with the United States have played a positive role in Bangladesh’s development journey.
He mentioned that Bangladesh also shares with the United States a common vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region with shared prosperity for all.
"We sincerely believe that two countries will be able to strengthen and advance the relationship further and explore new areas of cooperation," Ambassador Imran said.He said Bangladesh looks forward to the support and cooperation from all its friends to realise the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to transform Bangladesh into “Sonar Bangla” (Golden Bengal), a hunger-and poverty-free prosperous Bangladesh.
Later, the US Assistant Secretary of State and the Bangladesh Ambassador jointly cut a cake in the presence of the guests.
Earlier, the reception began with the playing of the national anthems of Bangladesh and the United States. It was followed by a screening of a documentary on the Liberation War and development of Bangladesh.
Ambassador Rebecca Gonzales, Director, Office of Foreign Missions, US State Department; ambassadors and diplomats of different countries, senior officials of the State Department, and representatives from the US Government, USAID, USTR, NDI, IRI and other organisations were present at the function.
The event was also attended by Ambassador Muhammad Ziauddin, Ambassador at Large of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and former Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA, Dr. Ahmed Kaikaus, ex-Alternate Executive Director of World Bank Group and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Saddam Selim, a Bangladeshi American elected a State Senator from Virginia and Dr. Siddiqur Rahman, the President of the US chapter of Bangladesh Awami League, and members of the Bangladeshi diaspora.
To celebrate Independence and National Day, the Bangladesh Embassy arranged daylong programs that included hoisting of the National Flag, placing a floral wreath at the bust of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, screening of a documentary and holding a discussion session and a special prayer.
Body of youth killed in 'BSF firing' returned in Lalmonirhat
Members of India's Border Security Force (BSF) handed over the body of a youth, who was reportedly killed in BSF firing along the Durgapur border in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat district on Tuesday, to the Bangladesh authorities on Wednesday night.
Liton Mia (19), of Hatibandha upazila, received bullet injuries as BSF personnel from Rarthar BoP camp opened fire on Tuesday when he along with others went to the border area.
Liton succumbed to his injuries under the custody of BSF, said Commanding Officer of Lalmonirhat-15 BGB, Lt Col Mofazzal Hossain Akanda.
Around 10:30 pm last night, the BSF members handed over the body of Liton through a flag meeting at Jawrani border.
Woman’s body recovered from under-construction house in Rajshahi
Police recovered the body of a woman from an under-construction house in Gogram area of Godagari upazila in Rajshahi yesterday.
On information from the locals, police recovered the body and sent it to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. Police arrested two people in this connection.
The name of the deceased is Sandhya Rani (20), daughter of Harilal Das of Sundarganj upazila of Gaibandha.
The arrested are Phulbabu Ravi Das (25), step brother of the deceased, and Adil Ahmed Palak (19), son of Awal Hossain of Lalpukur village of Godagari upazila. Phulbabu's wife Manti Das (22) is absconding. Phulbabu, his wife and Sandhya Rani worked as laborers.
Abdul Matin, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Godagari Police Station, said that Sandhya Rani had an argument with her step brother and his wife. The arrested persons confessed that Sandhya Rani was stabbed after giving her sleeping pills.
BSF hands over body of Bangladeshi farmer through Naogaon border
The body of a Bangladeshi farmer, who was shot to death allegedly by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the Nitpur border in Porsha upazila of Naogaon on Tuesday, was handed over to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Wednesday night.
BSF members handed over the body of Al Amin through 236 main pillars of the bordering area at Hapania around 10 pm after a flag meeting between the border forces of Bangladesh and India, said Subedar Mahfuzur Rahman of Nitpur BGB camp.
Bangladeshi teenager shot dead by BSF along Lalmonirhat border
Public representatives and police officers of Porsha Police Station were also present there.
On March 26, Al Amin was shot dead when the BSF members from Mil Mari of Malda district in India opened fire on him along Nitpur border area in Porsha upazila.
BSF kills 1 in Noagaon, injures another in Lalmonirhat border regions
Dhaka’s air 3rd most polluted in the world today
Dhaka ranked third on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality on Thursday morning.
Its air quality continued to be in the 'unhealthy' zone with an air quality index (AQI) score of 169 at 8:55 am.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
India’s Delhi and Thailand’s Chiang Mai occupied the first two spots on the list, with AQI scores of 179 and 170, respectively.
Dhaka’s air quality still ‘unhealthy’, 3rd worst in the world today
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
Worst air quality in the world today: South Asian cities make up top 4
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Visit by Qatar's Emir to strengthen cooperation in manpower, energy, and investment: Foreign Ministry
Bangladesh and Qatar want to expand the existing ties with broader cooperation in the areas of manpower, energy, trade and investment following the planned visit of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Bangladesh next month.
The two countries are in discussion to finalise nearly a dozen of cooperation documents which will be signed during the visit, said a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two-day visit is likely to take place on April 21-22, he said.
The two sides are now working on the MoUs and agreements that will be signed after the Emir’s meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Cease-fire talks with Israel and Hamas are expected to resume Sunday in Qatar
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already held an inter-ministerial meeting to discuss various aspects of the visit.
In March last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a meeting with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha.
She sought increased energy, particularly LNG, from Qatar to meet the energy demands.
The State of Qatar recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign State on March 4, 1974 following the 2nd OIC Summit held in February 1974.
Qatar assures support for Bangladesh's media sector development
Bangladesh opened its diplomatic mission in Doha on June 25, 1975. The State of Qatar reciprocated by opening its diplomatic mission in Dhaka in 1982.
Bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Qatar are based on mutual respect, shared values, common religious ground, shared culture, and tradition.
People-to-people contacts bolstered by more than four hundred thousand Bangladeshi workers who are highly appreciated as disciplined and hardworking is one of the dominant features of bilateral relations, according to the MoFA.
Bangladesh and Qatar consider each other as brotherly countries and important development partners in materialising Bangladesh’s Vision 2041 and Qatar’s vision 2030.
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