The Immigration Department in Malaysia has dismantled a syndicate trafficking foreigners disguised as athletes after detaining 21 Bangladeshi nationals in Maluri, Kuala Lumpur. Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said three of those arrested are believed to be key members of the syndicate, reports Malaysian news agency Bernama. “Two of the men apprehended had temporary employment visit passes (PLKS), while the third had overstayed his visa. All three are aged between 21 and 33,” he said. Malaysia to accept 18,000 Bangladeshi workers who missed deadline: Asif Nazrul "The team also confiscated 18 Bangladeshi passports, RM990 in cash, and a suspicious invitation letter for a sports competition, along with the event schedule,” he said. The syndicate's modus operandi involved bringing in foreigners, particularly from Bangladesh, and having them pose as athletes in sports attire to evade detection by authorities. “They also booked return flights to Bangladesh and rooms in budget hotels in Kuala Lumpur a day before the supposed match to deceive authorities,” he added. The syndicate reportedly charged between RM2,000 and RM5,000 per person and has been operating for the past four months. All 21 detainees have been taken to the Lenggeng Immigration Depot for suspected offences under Sections 6(3), 15(4), and 56(1)(l) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, as well as Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963. Fully support your position: Malaysian PM to Dr Yunus

The 9th Edition of World Art Dubai 2023 was held at the Dubai World Trade Center from March 9 to 12, and for the second time, four Bangladeshi self-taught artists participated in the event. Artist Mahfuzur Rahman, Moonstasir Haque Moon, Kadizatul Qubra and Masuka Nourin Heya participated in this event under Mahfuz Canvas, which collaborated with Dubai-based Funun Arts under the patronage of Mahfuz Canvas’s founder Mahfuzur Rahman and Funun Arts’s founder Shiba Khan and Farah Khan. The goal of the event was to give established and new artists a place to show off their work and give collectors and art admirers easy access to affordable art. The event, comprised of an art fair, also featured workshops, live performances, and talks on a variety of art topics. Mahfuzur Rahman was the first Bangladeshi artist to be chosen to represent the country at World Art Dubai in 2022. “Artists from Bangladesh are gaining international recognition and showcasing their unique styles and works alongside artists from around the world, through such events. This is a significant accomplishment and evidence of Bangladeshi artists’ growing presence on the international art scene,” Rahman told UNB.  

Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers have held a man “identified as Bangladeshi”, over suspected immigration violations, after he was seen walking along the train tracks on the Causeway. The country’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority posted a photo of the man in a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 14, 2023). “On 9 Mar, a Bangladeshi male was spotted walking along the train tracks on the Causeway towards Singapore. The man was promptly intercepted by ICA officers from Woodlands Checkpoint, before he could pose a safety hazard to on-going train operations,” reads the post cited by a report published by The Straits Times. Also Read: Obaidul Quader off to Singapore for routine checkup The authorities said the man had no original identity documents or travel documents in his possession. “ICA takes a serious view on attempts to enter or depart Singapore illegally. Under the Immigration Act 1959, the penalties for illegal entry are fine of up to $1,000, or a jail term of up to six months, or both,” added the post. In 2022, 414 immigration offenders were arrested in Singapore, up from 355 in 2021, The Straits Times report said. Also Read: Govt to import 100,000 MT of rice from India and Singapore

One of the two Bangladeshi citizens, who suffered severe injuries in a road accident in South Africa on February 24, died in a South African hospital on Monday night. The deceased was identified as Anisul Haque Milan, 28, son of Bahar Mia, a resident of Ramanandapur village under Daganbhuiyan upazila of Feni district. The death toll from the accident now stands at six, all from the Feni district. Daganbhuiyan Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nahida Akter confirmed the information. The victim’s younger brother Rimon Miazi said that Milan had been living in South Africa for the last 13 years with his cousin Bablu Mia who confirmed the death news. Milan was being treated at South Africa's George Hospital after the accident. Milan recently got married and was supposed to come to Bangladesh, Rimon added. Read more: Five from Feni killed in South Africa road crash The deceased’s father Bahar Mia was shellshocked upon hearing the death news. His family sought the government's cooperation to bring the body home. The other five Bangladeshis who died in the accident were Abul Hossain, 45, and his son Nadim Hossain, 10, of Dakshin Char Majlishpur union of Feni's Sonagazi upazila; Raju Ahmed, 34, son of Md Milon, of Momarijpur village of Daganbhuiyan upazila; Mostafa Kamal, 40, son of Siraj Ullah of Dakshin Neyajpur village of the same upazila; and Ismail Hossain, 38, son of Shariat Ullah, from Biroli village of Panchgachia union of Feni Sadar upazila.  

The body of a Bangladeshi businessman, who was shot to death by unidentified miscreants in South Africa on 22 February, has been buried at his family graveyard in Jagatpur village of Daganbhuiyan Upazila on Monday morning. Earlier, the body reached Dhaka around two o'clock on Sunday night. The deceased was Omar Faruq (Manik Azam Sazal), 43, son of late Nurul Amin and a resident of Feni's Daganbhuiyan upazila. Md. Hasan Imam, Officer-in-Charge of Daganbhuiyan Police Station, said that the deceased Omar Faruq was a businessman in South Africa for the last 18 years and he was also former general secretary of the Bangladeshi community of the state. Omar Faruq’s mother Kohinur Begum said that Faruq had a conflict with a local shopkeeper over some money transaction. Although it was agreed that Sajal would pay Tk5 lakh to the shopkeeper, he fell short by Tk10,000. Sajal was killed by the shopkeeper for money, she alleged, demanding justice for the murder of her son.

Bangladeshi FM Mehdi Hasan Parag beat Azerbaijani GM Azer Mirzoev in the sixth round match of the Paytakht Cup International Chess Festival, a category A tournament, held in the Iranian capital Tehran Tuesday. Parag played with white pieces to beat Azer. After the sixth-round matches, Bangladeshi IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman remained in the third spot with five other players, securing four and a half points. He settled for a draw with Indian IM Himal Gusain in the sixth-round match. Parag bagged four points from six encounters. Read more: Chess Olympiad: Bangladesh beat stronger Czech Republic in 3rd round

A Bangladeshi student named Md Golam Syed Rinku has been reported missing in the wake of the powerful earthquake that rocked Türkiye and Syria along their borders early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 2,800 people. Rinku is from Bogura, Mohammed Nore-Alam, consul general of Bangladesh in Istanbul, told UNB. "Nur, one of the two missing students, has been found. However, Rinku is still missing," he added. Rinku's friends identified him as an undergraduate student but could not provide any more details. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka is in touch with the Embassy of Bangladesh in Ankara. "We are in touch with our mission," MoFA spokesperson Seheli Sabrin told UNB. Authorities feared the death toll would keep climbing as rescuers searched through tangles of metal and concrete for survivors in a region beset by more than a decade of Syria's civil war and a refugee crisis, AP reported. Read more: Powerful quake rocks Turkey and Syria, kills more than 2,800

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) commissioner Zahirul Haque has disclosed that  the commission will start an investigation about the properties of 459 Bangladeshi nationals in Dubai. The commissioner said this in a discussion with journalists in his office in the head office of ACC. The High Court on January 15 ordered four agencies, including the Anti-Corruption Commission, to investigate. The other agencies are Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and National Board of Revenue (NBR). The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat  passed the order after hearing a writ petition in this regard. It asked the four agencies to submit the progress report within a month. Also read: 459 Bangladeshis’ properties in Dubai: Writ petition seeks probe The court also issued a rule questioning why the inaction of the authorities concerned should not be declared illegal. On January 12, Advocate Subir Nandi filed the writ petition attaching a report in this regard published in a national daily. According to the report, a huge amount of money has been transferred to Dubai from different parts of the globe including Bangladesh. Based on a report of US-based Centre for Advanced Defense Studies, the EU Tax Observatory said 459 Bangladeshis have purchased 972 properties in Dubai till 2020, concealing the information in their own country. Also read: 459 Bangladeshis’ properties in Dubai: HC orders investigation by ACC, 3 agencies According to the report, Bangladeshis have purchased the properties worth approximately one billion dollars during this period, making them one of the top buyers in the real estate sector of Dubai. Experts believe that huge amounts of money are being transferred due to the lack of effective and strong measures to stop money laundering, it said.    

A second  Bangladeshi man in less than 3 weeks has lost a leg in a landmine explosion near the border with  Myanmar along Naikhongchhari of Bandarban. The injured was identified as Abdul Kader, 27, a resident of Chherakum area in Dochhari union under the upazila. Several organs of his body including eyes were also damaged in the explosion, Md Imran, chairman of the Union Parishad, told UNB. He was first rushed to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital in critical condition, the chairman said.   Kader stepped on the mine when he drifted across the border to bring back his cows around 8pm on Tuesday, said Mohammad Hossain, who brought him to the hospital. Read: Mine explosion inside Myanmar kills Rohingya teen, wounds another Dr Tarekul Islam, medical officer of the hospital, said Kader's leg was severed from the knee down and eyes were also damaged badly. He was shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital for better treatment as his condition was stated to be critical, he added. Mentionable, Rohingya teen identified as Omar Farooq was killed and another critically injured in a landmine explosion inside Myanmar along the country's border with Bangladesh early Sunday. On September 16, another Bangladeshi youth was seriously injured in a landmine explosion along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban. Also read: Rohingya man killed in Myanmar landmine blast near Bandarban Border Twelve mortar shells have been fired by Myanmar army on Bangladesh territory so far. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh warned Myanmar over it.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government is going to introduce a fresh national curriculum from the next year to raise Bangladeshi children as global citizens. “We look forward to raising our children as truly global citizens. We are introducing a new national curriculum from next year. It will prepare our students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” she said. The premier said this in a pre-recorded video containing Bangladesh's national statement, played at the UN Secretary General's Transforming Education Summit on Monday here in New York. She said the new curriculum will make them aware of becoming climate resilient. It will turn them into the real agents of our Vision- 2041 to become a developed, knowledge-based economy. In higher education, Sheikh Hasina said, "We are giving priority to research and development. For technical education, we aim to have better industry linkages." She said Bangladeshi children should have skills that they can use anywhere in the world. Read: PM Hasina in New York to attend UNGA "We need international cooperation for mutual recognition of qualifications .We commit to improve access to foundational and lifelong learning,” she said. To promote multilingual education, the Prime Minister said they have developed text books in the mother tongue of some of our ethnic groups. "We are offering education in Myanmar curriculum to millions of children forcibly displaced from Rakhine State and sheltered in our land," she said. For quality and inclusive education, she said her government must invest in regular training and incentives for our teachers. They are responsible for making classrooms a safe space for our children. We commit to increasing budget allocation for education in proportion to our GDP, she said. The Prime Minister said the development partners of Bangladesh need to live up to their fiscal commitments for SDG-4. She thanked the UN Secretary General for organising the Transforming Education Summit saying that this Summit marks a new way of thinking about education with future changes in the world of work. "The COVID - 19 pandemic caused learning losses all over. In Bangladesh, we have enrolled six hundred thousand out - of - school students into non - formal education since December 2021," she said. The premier said they have started vaccinating children above 5 years of age. "Nearly 23 million students from primary level to high education get stipends and scholarships," she added. She said Bangladesh shall continue to provide cash incentives through mobile gateways to hard - pressed families. "Our successful programmes involving stipends, midday meals and free text book distribution will be carried on," she said. The pandemic also opened up scope for innovations in distance learning, she said, adding that a Blended Education Master Plan has been developed in Bangladesh. "We shall set up nearly 59,780 multimedia classrooms by next year. We shall put focus on reducing the digital divide among our students," she added. She said Bangladesh has made significant gains in achieving gender parity in primary and secondary schools.  “We shall continue to work on reducing gender gaps in higher and technical education. Educating our girls has always been one of my key priorities,” said Sheikh Hasina.