Canada
Govt would reward those providing info on Bangabandhu’s fugitive killers: Momen
Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Monday (August 14, 2023) said the government would reward those who can provide information on the killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“If you can give us information, you will be rewarded,” he said while speaking at a discussion at Jatiya Press Club.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Daily Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and senior journalist Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) President Omar Faruk, former Secretary General Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan,among others, spoke at the discussion.
Momen also called for unmasking those who kept mum for 21 years about the killers and the persons behind the killers. “All those people should be unmasked.”
Describing Canada and the USA as countries with very strong rule of law, the foreign minister said they should not shelter murderers.
The five killers who remain fugitives are Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, Nur Chowdhury, Rashed Chowdhury and Moslehuddin Khan.
Read: ‘Want Bangabandhu's killers to be deported to Bangladesh’: FM
Nur Chowdhury and Rashed Chowdhury have been traced in Canada and the US and Bangladesh wants them back to implement the conviction.
Momen said the government will be very happy if all the killers are brought back to face justice. “But we are yet to do it. If we can, we will feel that it is a great achievement.”
Momen said the government has written many letters to the US and Canadian governments seeking steps for returning the killers; even the PM wrote to the US president.
He encouraged the Bangladeshis living in Canada and the US to stage demonstrations routinely in front of the two killers’ residences.
Read: Bangabandhu’s vision, ideals will continue to inspire Dhaka-Delhi strong bonds of friendship: Pranay Verma
The foreign minister laid emphasis on writing more research-oriented books with solid facts so that they can provide more documentary evidence.
The National Mourning Day will be observed on August 15. On this day in 1975, the greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members was brutally assassinated.
Read more: It's shame for them, FM on countries sheltering Bangabandhu's killers
Here's how you can apply for a Canadian work visa from Bangladesh
Canada is a North American country known for its friendly people, stunning natural beauty, and thriving economy. It is the world's second-largest country in terms of land area and is located north of the United States. With a population of over 38 million, Canada is a multicultural country with a diverse range of languages and traditions.
For skilled Bangladeshi professionals, Canada offers many opportunities. The Canadian government will be increasing its immigration targets over the next few years, which means that there will be more opportunities for skilled foreign workers to come to Canada and contribute to its economy.
However, in order to work in Canada, foreign workers must obtain a work permit visa. This can be a complex process, and it is important for Bangladeshi workers to understand the requirements and procedures involved. Although there are work permits available for skilled workers and temporary workers, Bangladeshis have a great chance with acquiring skilled working visa.
Read more: Malta Work Permit Visa for Bangladeshi Citizens
Different types of work permits in Canada
Depending on the type of work, location in Canada, and the individual's qualifications, a few types of skilled migration programs are available in Canada. However, the process is a bit complex and time-consuming.
Express Entry – Federal Skilled Worker
The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) stream is aimed at individuals with a minimum of one year of experience in a profession that requires a certain level of expertise. The Comprehensive Ranking System is used to determine the suitability of applicants for immigration. The most qualified individuals will be chosen for immigration based on their scores. You can calculate the score and check the eligibility from this link. https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/crs-tool.asp
For detailed CSR, follow this link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/eligibility/criteria-comprehensive-ranking-system/grid.html
Read more: Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H): Who’s eligible for Malaysian Golden Visa, Investor Visa?
Out-of-control wildfires cause evacuations in western Canada
Fire crews battled wildfires threatening communities in western Canada on Sunday as cooler temperatures and a bit of rain brought some relief, but officials warned the reprieve came only in some areas.
Officials in Alberta said there were 108 active fires in the province and the number of evacuees grew to about 29,000, up from approximately 24,000 Saturday, when a provincewide state of emergency was declared.
Two out-of-control wildfires in neighboring British Columbia also caused some people to leave their homes, and officials warned that they expected high winds to cause the blazes to grow bigger in the next few days.
Provinicial officials in Alberta said the weather forecast was favorable for the next few days, with small amounts of rain and overcast conditions. But they cautioned that hot and dry conditions were predicted to return within a few days.
“People have called this season certainly unprecedented in recent memory because we have so many fires so spread out,” Christie Tucker with Alberta Wildfire said at a briefing. “It’s been an unusual year.”
Colin Blair, executive director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, said accurate damage reports were not yet available because conditions made it difficult to assess the situation. There were of buildings destroyed in the town of Fox Lake, including 20 homes, a police station and a store.
In northeastern British Columbia, officials urged residents to evacuate the areas around two out-of-control wildfires near the Alberta border, saying there were reports of some people staying behind.
“This is impeding the response and putting their lives and the lives of firefighters at risk," said Leonard Hiebert, chairman of the Peace River Regional District.
A third fire in British Columbia was burning out of control 700 kilometers (430 miles) to the south, in the Teare Creek region, and some residents near the village of McBride were evacuated.
Canadian parliament passes International Mother Language Day Act: Bill S-214
The Canadian House of Commons has passed Bill S-214 on International Mother Language Day (IMLD) Act.
By adopting this bill, Canada will now officially honour IMLD on February 21 every year.
It is a historic moment for Bangladeshi Canadians and the proponents of mother tongues globally, said the Bangladesh High Commission in Canada on Friday.
On the occasion, the high commission acknowledged the contribution of late Rafiqul Islam, Abdus Salam and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for getting IMLD adopted by UNESCO in 1999 and later by the UN.
"We also recognise the contribution of Aminul Islam to take the initiative to get Bill S-214 passed by the Canadian parliament," said the mission.
Bangladesh to Canada Khalilur Rahman was present at the House of Commons during the discussion and passing of the bill.
Read more: International Mother Language Day: Tribute from UN in Bangladesh in many languages
Ken Hardie MP, who introduced the bill to the House, and Mobina S Jaffer, a senator, who led the passing of the Bill earlier by the Canadian Senate, were also present.
The high commission acknowledged the initiative and contribution of the Mother Language Lovers of the World Society and its President Aminul for persisting with Bill S-214 with the MPs and senators for almost a decade.
"Adoption of Bill S-214 highlights Canada's commitment to linguistic diversity and cultural heritage. The bill recognises that language is an essential aspect of one's identity and cultural heritage, and linguistic diversity should be celebrated, promoted, and preserved," the Bangladesh mission said.
Canada to increase potash exports to Bangladesh to boost food production, says country’s trade ministry
Canada is set to increase its potash exports to Bangladesh this year – aiming to strengthen food production and security in Bangladesh and support the country’s agricultural sector.
The agreement to increase the supply of potash was signed between the Canadian Commercial Corporation, Saskatchewan-based Canpotex (one of the world’s largest suppliers), and the government of Bangladesh, the Canadian Trade Ministry said in a statement released on March 17.
“The sale of Canadian potash to Bangladesh, made possible through the hard work of the Canadian Commercial Corporation, shows our commitment to being a reliable partner and quality supplier of agricultural products in the Indo-Pacific region. Canada is a global leader in helping to address challenges in global supply chains, all while promoting Canadian values and protecting good, middle-class Canadian jobs,” Mary Ng, Canadian Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, said while announcing the agreement.
Read More: Canada wants agro collaboration with Bangladesh, says visiting minister
The agreement – under the country’s new Indo-Pacific strategy – will help Bangladesh address the increased food insecurity caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the Canadian trade ministry statement.
The Canadian Commercial Corporation has been supplying potash to Bangladesh since 2014. In 2022, Canada exported more than $500 million worth of potash to Bangladesh.
According to Bangladesh Fertilizer Association (BFA), Bangladesh imported 80% of its potash requirements from Russia and Belarus and about 20% from Canada in recent years. However, due to sanctions and payment-related complications since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, Bangladesh is not able to import potash from Russia and Belarus.
Read More: BGMEA for Bangladesh mission's support for explore more trade opportunities in Canada
Death of 3 Bangladeshi students in Canada: Body of one victim to arrive in Dhaka on Feb 24
The body of one of the three Bangladesh students, who died in a tragic car crash in Toronto on Monday night, is scheduled to reach Dhaka from Canada on February 24.
The families have also been informed and assured that the High Commission and the Consulate in Toronto can be contacted even after the office hours and during the weekend, if necessary.
The Consulate is also in touch with two Funeral Homes in Toronto that are making arrangements with the hospital authorities over issuing death certificates as well as other necessary documentation for transportation of the bodies of the three deceased students, said the Bangladesh High Commission on Saturday.
The families of the deceased have been reassured that the Bangladesh Consulate in Toronto would issue necessary documents as soon as death certificates and other necessary papers are received from the hospital and the funeral homes.
Three Bangladeshi international students died and another was injured in a tragic car crash in Toronto on Monday night.
The High Commission and the Bangladesh Consulate in Toronto offer their deep condolences to the families of the deceased students and pray for the salvation of their departed souls and also for the rapid and full recovery of the injured student.
The High Commissioner was informed by the family that the condition of the injured student is stable and improving.
Meanwhile, the families of the three deceased students were assured that the High Commission and the Consulate in Toronto would provide all the possible necessary support to transport the bodies of the deceased students.
The High Commissioner also advised the Country and the Station Managers of the Bangladesh Biman Airlines in Toronto to facilitate the process as well as to arrange for tickets on a priority basis for the family members who would like to come to Toronto or who would accompany the bodies to Bangladesh by the Biman flight to and from Toronto, if and as required.
Leading Canadian museum reviewing submission on ’71 genocide for display
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is now reviewing a submission for recognition of the "genocide" perpetrated by the Pakistani occupation forces in Bangladesh in 1971 to it last year.
CMHR is a federally-managed museum whose role includes preserving and promoting Canada’s heritage at home and abroad; contributing to the collective memory and sense of identity of all Canadians; and inspiring research, learning, and entertainment that belong to all Canadians.
As part of the review process, Jeremy Melvin Maron, curator of the Holocaust and Genocide Contest at CMHR and in charge of reviewing and recommending the submission to the concerned authorities of CMHR for acceptance, will be in Dhaka from February 6 to 12 this year.
During his stay in Dhaka, Maron would visit some of the sites where the genocide took place and meet the members of the families of the victims and the survivors. The Liberation War Museum, Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and other museums.
He will also meet senior officials and policymakers of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other national experts in genocide issues. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Liberation War Museum will jointly organise and manage his visit to Bangladesh.
Once the submission is accepted, CMHR would permanently display the "Evidences and Exhibits of Genocide" in the museum.
At the same time, the Year of the Birth of Bangladesh and the Portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would also be placed in the "Time Stream" of the museum.
Acceptance of the submission and permanent display of "Evidences and Exhibits of Genocide" in the CMHR is an important step towards raising awareness about the genocide in 1971 and its recognition in Canada, the Bangladesh High Commission in Ottawa said Monday.
Earlier, the Bangladesh mission in collaboration with the Bangabandhu Centre for Bangladesh Studies in Canada, the Liberation War Museum Dhaka, the Centre for Genocide Studies of Dhaka University and the Conflict and Resilience Research Institute Canada made a submission for recognition of the genocide to CMHR.
After the submission, the Bangladesh High Commission organised an international seminar at CMHR participated by international experts, intellectuals, diplomats and academicians.
The seminar discussed the genocide in Bangladesh in 1971 and emphasised its global recognition.
Read more: Prominent persons demand recognition of 1971 killings as genocide
BGMEA for Bangladesh mission's support for explore more trade opportunities in Canada
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has sought the support of the Bangladesh High Commission in Canada to explore more trade opportunities, including apparel exports, in the North American country.
Bangladesh High Commissioner in Canada Dr Khalilur Rahman paid a visit to BGMEA President Faruque Hassan in Dhaka Wednesday.
Read more: BGMEA, GarmentTechBD to collaborate in improving supply chain management skills
BGMEA Vice-President Shahiduallah Azim, Director Abdullah Hil Rakib and BGMEA Standing Committee on UD-Woven and Knit Chair Md Nurul Islam were also present at the meeting.
They talked about the current state of affairs in the readymade garments (RMG) industry, especially how the sector had been navigating through a rough patch in recent times amid a depressed global economy and rising inflation.
Their talks also focused on trade opportunities in Canada and ways to seize them.
Faruque requested the high commissioner to step up diplomatic efforts to boost the ties between the two countries and ensure trade benefits for Bangladesh in the Canadian market after it graduates from the least developed country (LDC) category.
The BGMEA president also sought cooperation from Dr Khalilur Rahman in promoting Bangladesh and its RMG industry in Canada.
Read more: Bangladesh's RMG bracing for next phase of growth: BGMEA
Leaders of US, Canada, Mexico show unity despite friction
President Joe Biden, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sought to downplay their frustrations with one another on migration and trade as they met for the near-annual North American Leaders Summit.
The leaders offered a unified front on Tuesday despite tensions that have put a strain on their relationships even as Biden has made repairing alliances a cornerstone of his foreign policy agenda.
The tensions were front and center when Biden and López Obrador met on Monday, with the Mexican president complaining of “abandonment” and “disdain” for Latin America.
But as they closed Tuesday’s summit in Mexico City with a joint news conference, the leaders offered an optimistic outlook.
“We’re true partners the three of us,” said Biden, adding that they had “genuine like” for one another. “We share a common vision for the future, grounded on common values.”
López Obrador, for his part, thanked Biden for not building “even one meter of wall,” a not so subtle dig at Biden’s Republican predecessor, Donald Trump. The warmth during their joint press conference stood in stark contrast to the more brusque exchange a day earlier.
Still, López Obrador prodded Biden to “insist” Congress regularize undocumented Mexican migrants who work in industries where American employers are struggling mightily to find enough workers.
The three-way gathering is held most years, although there was a hiatus while Trump was president. It’s often called the “three amigos summit,” a reference to the deep diplomatic and economic ties among the countries.
However, the leaders have found themselves at odds, especially as they struggle to handle an influx of migrants and to crack down on smugglers who profit from persuading people to make the dangerous trip to the United States.
In addition, Canada and the U.S. accuse López Obrador of violating a free trade pact by favoring Mexico’s state-owned utility over power plants built by foreign and private investors. Meanwhile, Trudeau and López Obrador are concerned about Biden’s efforts to boost domestic manufacturing, creating concerns that U.S. neighbors could be left behind.
Trudeau emphasized in a one-on-one meeting with Biden the benefits of free trade and warned against Buy America policies that the U.S. administration has promoted, according to the prime minister’s office. Nearly 80% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., so avoiding protectionism remains a priority for Canada.
The key takeaways from the summit revolve around better connections among the three nations and a shared goal of a stronger North America on energy and in particular semiconductors, climate and a pledge to cut methane emissions, an agreement to manage large waves of migrants coming to the region and a more cohesive regional strategy on dealing with future pandemic-related health threats.
In their talks on Monday, López Obrador challenged Biden to improve life across the region, telling him that “you hold the key in your hand.”
“This is the moment for us to determine to do away with this abandonment, this disdain, and this forgetfulness for Latin America and the Caribbean,” Lopez Obrador said.
Biden responded by pointing to the billions of dollars that the United States spends in foreign aid around the world.
At the start of Tuesday’s Biden-Trudeau meeting, the leaders spoke familiarly and with optimism. Trudeau called the U.S. president “Joe” and Biden joked with Trudeau — after the Canadian leader had delivered a statement to reporters in English and French — that he should have paid more attention in his college French classes.
Biden and Trudeau also discussed their countries’ efforts to support Ukraine nearly 11 months after Russia’s invasion. Canada announced Tuesday that it would buy an American-made National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System, or NASAMS, to be donated to Ukraine. The medium-range ground-based air defense system, which protects against drone, missile and aircraft attacks, costs about $406 million and brings Canada’s contribution to Ukraine to more than $1 billion since the start of the war.
The White House said in a statement that the leaders also discussed “the generational opportunity to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals, electric vehicles, and semiconductors.” The U.S. administration also announced that Biden will make his first visit to Canada as president in March.
“There’s a lot of reasons to be optimistic, especially for those of us in our countries,” Trudeau said. “But it’s going to take a lot of work, something neither you or I or most our citizens have ever been afraid of.”
Biden and López Obrador haven’t been on particularly good terms for the past two years. The Mexican leader made no secret of his admiration for Trump, and last year he skipped a Los Angeles summit of the Americas because Biden didn’t invite the authoritarian leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
But despite the tension, there’s been cooperation. The U.S. and Mexico have also reached an agreement on a major shift in migration policy, which Biden announced last week.
Under the plan, the U.S. will send 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and Venezuela back across the border from among those who entered the U.S. illegally. Migrants who arrive from those four countries are not easily returned to their home countries for a variety of reasons.
In addition, 30,000 people per month from those four nations who get sponsors, background checks and an airline flight to the U.S. will be able to work legally in the country for two years.
The number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border has risen dramatically during Biden’s first two years in office. There were more than 2.38 million stops during the year that ended Sept. 30, the first time the number topped 2 million.
López Obrador spoke at length about Mexico’s efforts to control the flow into the United States of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that has become a scourge for many American communities. He noted that his government gave the military control of sea ports to help with the interdiction of precursor chemicals coming from Asia.
“We are battling fentanyl, these chemicals, and we are doing it because we care. No human is foreign to us,” he said. “It really matters to us to be able to help with what is happening in the United States, the deaths from fentanyl. But also as we discussed today, it is not only an issue for the United States, because if we don’t confront this problem, this scourge, we are going to suffer it, too. So we have to act in a coordinated way.”
Canada is being nudged by the U.S. and other allies to lead an international mission to Haiti to help solve the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the country’s Council of Ministers sent an urgent appeal Oct. 7 calling for “the immediate deployment of a specialized armed force, in sufficient quantity” to stop the crisis caused partly by the “criminal actions of armed gangs.” But more than three months later, no countries have stepped forward.
Trudeau on Tuesday called the situation “heartbreaking.” Both he and Biden said they will work with the United Nations Security Council to assist the Caribbean nation but also expressed caution about direct intervention.
“We need to make sure that the solutions are driven by the people of Haiti themselves,” Trudeau said.
Millions in US hunker down from frigid, deadly monster storm
Millions of people hunkered down in a deep freeze overnight and early morning to ride out the frigid storm that has killed at least 18 people across the United States, trapping some residents inside homes with heaping snow drifts and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.
The scope of the storm has been nearly unprecedented, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the U.S. population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians, the National Weather Service said.
More than 2,360 domestic and international flights were canceled Saturday, according to the tracking site FlightAware.
Forecasters said a bomb cyclone — when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm — had developed near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard conditions, including heavy winds and snow.
The storm unleashed its full fury on Buffalo, with hurricane-force winds and snow causing whiteout conditions, paralyzing emergency response efforts — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said almost every fire truck in the city was stranded — and shutting down the airport through Monday, according to officials.
Freezing conditions and day-old power outages had Buffalonians scrambling Saturday to get out of their homes to anywhere that had heat. But with city streets under a thick blanket of white, that wasn’t an option for people like Jeremy Manahan, who charged his phone in his parked car after almost 29 hours without electricity.
“There’s one warming shelter, but that would be too far for me to get to. I can’t drive, obviously, because I’m stuck,” Manahan said. “And you can’t be outside for more than 10 minutes without getting frostbit.”
Mark Poloncarz, executive of Erie County, home to Buffalo, said ambulances were taking more than three hours to make a single hospital trip and the blizzard may be “the worst storm in our community’s history.”
Read more: 18 die as monster storm brings rain, snow, cold across US
Two people died in their suburban Cheektowaga, New York, homes Friday when emergency crews could not reach them in time to treat their medical conditions, he said, and another died in Buffalo.
“We can’t just pick up everybody and take you to a warming center. We don’t have the capability of doing that,” Poloncarz said. “Many, many neighborhoods, especially in the city of Buffalo, are still impassable.”
Ditjak Ilunga of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was on his way to visit relatives in Hamilton, Ontario, for Christmas with his daughters Friday when their SUV was trapped in Buffalo. Unable to get help, they spent hours with the engine running in the vehicle buffeted by wind and nearly buried in snow.
By 4 a.m. Saturday, with their fuel nearly gone, Ilunga made a desperate choice to risk the howling storm to reach a nearby shelter. He carried 6-year-old Destiny on his back while 16-year-old Cindy clutched their Pomeranian puppy, stepping into his footprints as they trudged through drifts
“If I stay in this car I’m going to die here with my kids,” he recalled thinking, but believing they had to try. He cried when the family walked through the shelter doors. “It’s something I will never forget in my life.”
The storm knocked out power in communities from Maine to Seattle, and a major electricity grid operator warned 65 million people across the eastern U.S. of possible rolling blackouts.
Across the six New England states, more than 273,000 customers remained without power on Saturday, with Maine the hardest hit. Some utilities said electricity may not be restored for days.
In North Carolina, 169,000 customers were without power Saturday afternoon, down from more than 485,000. Utility officials said rolling blackouts would continue for the next few days.
Storm-related deaths were reported in recent days all over the country: Four dead in an Ohio Turnpike pileup involving some 50 vehicles; four motorists killed in separate crashes in Missouri and Kansas; an Ohio utility worker electrocuted; a Vermont woman struck by a falling branch; an apparently homeless man found amid Colorado’s subzero temperatures; a woman who fell through Wisconsin river ice.
In Mexico, migrants camped near the U.S. border were facing unusually cold temperatures as they awaited a U.S. Supreme Court decision on pandemic-era restrictions preventing many from seeking asylum.
Along Interstate 71 in Kentucky, Terry Henderson and her husband, Rick, weathered a 34-hour traffic jam in a rig outfitted with a diesel heater, a toilet and a refrigerator after getting stuck trying to drive from Alabama to their Ohio home for Christmas.
“We should have stayed,” Terry Henderson said after they got moving again Saturday.
Poloncarz of Erie County tweeted late Saturday that 34.6 inches (about 88 centimeters) of snow had accumulated at the Buffalo Airport and drifts were well over 6 feet (1.8 meters) in some areas. Blizzard conditions were expected to ease early Sunday, he continued, but continuing lake effect snow was forecast.
Vivian Robinson of Spirit of Truth Urban Ministry in Buffalo said she and her husband have been sheltering and cooking for 60 to 70 people, including stranded travelers and locals without power or heat, who were spending Saturday night at the church.
Many arrived with ice and snow plastered to their clothes, crying, their skin reddened by the single-digit temperatures. On Saturday night, they prepared to spend Christmas together.
“It’s emotional just to see the hurt that they thought they were not going to make it, and to see that we had opened up the church, and it gave them a sense of relief,” Robinson said. “Those who are here are really enjoying themselves. It’s going to be a different Christmas for everyone.”