United News of Bangladesh

Senior members of Israel’s Cabinet were expected to convene Sunday to decide whether to broaden the country’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, amid preparations for a larger offensive that include summoning thousands of reservists, according to Israeli officials. On the same day, air traffic at Israel’s primary airport was temporarily suspended after a missile fired by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen triggered alerts, police said. The military confirmed a projectile had landed near the airport, though it was unclear whether it was the missile itself or debris from an interceptor launched by Israel’s defense system. The move to intensify operations in Gaza comes over a year and a half into the war, as the humanitarian situation in the enclave grows increasingly dire. In an effort to pressure Hamas into agreeing to a ceasefire on Israel’s terms, the Israeli government halted the flow of goods into Gaza in early March. That decision has contributed to what aid groups say is the territory’s worst humanitarian crisis since the conflict began, affecting its population of 2.3 million. Pakistani Ranger detained by India amid war tensions between countries A temporary truce between Israel and Hamas that had lasted eight weeks collapsed in March. Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking control of parts of Gaza and causing heavy casualties. Local health officials report that hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since then. At least six Israeli soldiers have also died during this renewed phase of fighting. One Israeli official said the security Cabinet would meet Sunday evening to vote on escalating the operation, while a military source confirmed that thousands of reserve troops were being called up. Both officials spoke anonymously, as required by protocol. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, speaking to Israeli Army Radio, voiced his support for a broader campaign. “We need to increase the intensity and continue until we achieve total victory. We must win a total victory,” he said, without offering specifics. The Gaza war has continued to draw regional attacks against Israel, including Sunday's missile strike from Yemen by Houthi rebels, which activated sirens across several regions. Police confirmed debris had landed along Israel’s coast, though it remained unclear whether it came from the original missile or an interceptor. Footage shared by Israeli media showed smoke billowing near the airport, as travelers screamed and scrambled for cover. Authorities did not immediately confirm whether the projectile landed within the airport grounds but said access to the area had been restricted as they assessed the situation.  

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the country's apex trade body, will vote to elect a new Board of Directors for the term 2023-2025 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center on Monday. This election is called to maintain formality as of the total 80 posts of the directors, 34 (17 from the chamber group and 17 from the association group) - are nominated while the remaining 46 are elected (23 from the chamber group and 23 from the association group). Apart from this, 49 people are contesting as candidates against 23 posts of sector-wise association groups. Out of this, 23 people are contesting as director candidates from the panel of trade unions, 23 from the combined trade union panel, and 3 are contesting as independent candidates. On Monday from 9 am to 4 pm non-stop polling, the votes will be counted and the names of the elected will be announced on that day. Elections for the posts of FBCCI President, Senior Vice-President, and six Vice-Presidents will be held on August 2, 2023, by the elected directors. A Matin Chowdhury, Chairman of the Election Board told UNB that all the preparations for the election have been completed. “'Necessary measures have been taken so that everyone can vote properly. We will try our best to complete this election in a fair and happy atmosphere,” he said. Earlier, the FBCCI Election Board informed in the polling instructions that the polling officers will provide only one ballot paper to a voter for voting. No duplicate or extra ballot shall be issued to any voter. FBCCI Board of Directors' poll on July 31, candidates submitting nomination papers “Voter ID card will be kept from the voter at the time of delivery of ballot paper, which will not be returned. A voter can vote for 23 of the candidates mentioned in the ballot paper. If more or less than 23 candidates are voted, the said ballot will be considered invalid,” the election board said. According to the instructions of the Election Board, no one other than the voter will have access to the polling station. No candidate or voter can enter the polling station without the prescribed voter ID card. Candidates cannot campaign and show down within 100 yards of the polling station on polling day. No candidate can give gifts to voters in or around the polling station. Even a candidate or voter cannot carry any type of firearm or any dangerous object in the polling station. FBCCI-HSBC to work together to boost exports between Bangladesh-UK It should be noted that 15 minutes before polling, the transparent ballot box will be opened and displayed in the presence of all the candidates and the ballot box will be sealed and closed. FBCCI and Faction sign MoU to boost research, innovation

As Turkey heads for presidential and parliamentary elections at the weekend that are shaping up to be the strongest challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his 20 years as leader, complaints are growing about the fairness of the vote. Turkey’s opposition has long said that the country’s elections are played out on an unlevel playing field, claims often backed by international observers. Media coverage stands out as the most obvious example of where Erdogan enjoys an advantage over his opponents, but factors such as the use of state resources while campaigning and the questionable interpretation of electoral law also feature. Also Read: Turkey’s Erdogan faces tough election amid quake, inflation Some 90% of Turkey’s media is in the hands of the government or its backers, according to Reporters Without Borders, ensuring overwhelming airtime for the president. Only a handful of opposition newspapers remain in print, most having transitioned to online-only editions. During April, Erdogan received nearly 33 hours of airtime on the main state-run TV station, according to opposition members of the broadcasting watchdog. His presidential opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, received 32 minutes. The main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, last month launched legal action against broadcaster TRT for failing to screen its campaign video. “Unfortunately, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation has moved away from being an impartial and objective institution and has turned into the Tayyip Radio and Television Corporation,” CHP lawmaker Tuncay Ozkan said. The remaining independent media also face increasing restrictions. Last month, broadcasting authority RTUK fined independent channels Fox News, Halk TV and TELE1 over news and commentary deemed a breach of regulations. Ilhan Tasci, an opposition-appointed RTUK member, said in all three cases the stations had been accused of criticizing or questioning ruling-party actions. Also Read: Erdogan hints Turkey may ratify Finland's NATO membership In a statement following the last presidential and general elections in 2018, observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe noted that Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) enjoyed “an undue advantage, including in excessive coverage by government-affiliated public and private media outlets.” The government’s reach has also been extended over social media, where many opposition voices have retreated. A “disinformation” law introduced in October allows a jail sentence of up to three years for spreading false information “with the sole aim of creating anxiety, fear or panic among the public.” Sinan Aygul, the only journalist to be prosecuted under the new law, was handed a 10-month prison term in February. He is currently free while appealing the case. “The real aim is to silence all dissident voices in society,” said Aygul, chair of the journalists association in Bitlis, southeastern Turkey. It is “a law that targets anyone who expresses an opinion. It targets not only individuals but also media organs,” he said. The ill-defined law creates crimes from “basic journalistic activities,” Aygul said, adding that it could be used during the elections to target groups seeking to protect ballot box security who use social media to highlight abuses. “If there is going to be fraud in the election, all opposition channels will be silenced by using this law,” he said. The imposition of a state of emergency over the 11 provinces hit by February’s earthquake has also raised concerns about how the polls will be conducted in the region. A U.N. report published April 11 said at least 3 million people had relocated from their homes in the quake zone, many of them heading to other parts of Turkey. However, just 133,000 people from the earthquake region have registered to vote outside their home provinces, the head of the Supreme Election Council said last month. Ahmet Yener added that election officials are overseeing preparations, including polling stations at temporary shelters. In 2018, a nationwide state of emergency imposed following a 2016 coup attempt was in place until shortly before the election, which the OSCE said restricted the media and freedoms of assembly and expression. Erdogan has stepped up his public appearances, which are closely followed by most TV channels, and uses these official duties to attack his rivals. Attending a ceremony on the Friday of Eid al-Fitr last month to mark renovations to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, he accused the opposition of “working with terrorist groups.” The previous evening, the leaders of four political parties allied to the AKP were present for an event to launch the delivery of Black Sea natural gas, despite none holding any government position. Other large projects that were rolled out ahead of the vote include Turkey’s first nuclear power reactor built by Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear energy company, and several defense developments. Critics also point to the bending of election law to allow government ministers to stand as parliamentary candidates while remaining in office, despite legal requirements to the contrary. The election board, meanwhile, has previously faced criticism for siding with AKP objections during elections. In the 2019 local polls, the victorious opposition mayoral candidate for Istanbul was forced to face a rerun following AKP complaints of ballot irregularities. Results from district and city council votes, which were collected in the same boxes and favored the AKP, were not questioned. Adem Sozuer of Istanbul University’s law faculty told the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper that voters had lost confidence in the election authorities. “There is widespread suspicion in a significant part of society that elections will be rigged,” he said.

Paraguayan police on Friday detained Paraguayo Cubas, a far-right populist who came in third in Sunday’s presidential election and encouraged his supporters to protest over his unsubstantiated claims that the vote was marred by fraud. Cubas was being held in preventive detention under an order by the Attorney General’s Office that is accusing him of breach of the peace, Police Commissioner Gilberto Fleitas said in a radio interview. Cubas, the candidate of the National Crusade Party who received 23% of the votes Sunday, was broadcasting live on Facebook when officers detained him outside his hotel in San Lorenzo, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Asunción. Fleitas said Cubas got into a police vehicle “without any difficulty," but he continued streaming live. In his broadcast from inside the police vehicle, Cubas chatted with officers and focused the camera on his handcuffs. “You can see now I’m being imprisoned,” he said. “All the criminals in this country should be handcuffed like Paraguayo Cubas.” Cubas had been telling supporters since Monday that he was heading to the capital to lead a series of protests that had led to isolated clashes with police, largely outside the electoral court in Asunción. “We will remain on the streets until Paraguayo Cubas is released,” said Juan Reyes, one of hundreds of Cubas supporters who took part in demonstrations outside the electoral court. At least 208 people have been detained “for disturbance of public peace and other punishable offenses within the framework of the demonstrations taking place in the national territory,” police said Thursday. Efraín Alegre, who as the candidate of a broad-based opposition coalition came in second place during Sunday’s election, demanded Cubas be released along with everyone who has been detained in protests this week. “We demand the release of Paraguayo Cubas and all citizens imprisoned for demanding transparency," Alegre wrote on social media. Alegre, who received 27% of the vote Sunday, conceded the race shortly after polls closed, but then on Monday called for a manual count of votes and an international audit of the country’s electronic voting system after Cubas aired his fraud allegations. The Organization of American States, which deployed an observation mission for the election, said Tuesday there was “no reason to doubt the results” of the vote count. Santiago Peña of the long-ruling Colorado Party easily won Sunday’s presidential election with 43% of the vote. Over the past few days, Cubas has published images of supporters welcoming him in different parts of the country as he made his way toward the capital from Ciudad del Este, a city on the border with Brazil and Argentina. Some 1,500 to 1,800 law enforcement officers were deployed outside the electoral court Friday for the protest staged by Cubas supporters. Authorities also prepared for any demonstration outside the police station where Cubas was taken.

Criticising the movement by the opposition BNP to topple the government of Bangladesh, Minister for Health and Family Planning Zahid Maleque on Saturday (January 28, 2023) said a party left without a leader has no chance of coming to power. “First get a leader and then come to politics,” he said. Maleque said this while addressing at the inaugural function of a newly-built building and prize giving ceremony of a sports competition at Jagir High School in Sadar upazila of Munshiganj, as the chief guest. Urging the BNP to join the next national election expected to be held early next year, he said there is no chance to come to power by the backdoor. Read more: 'Only way to oust government is through election' “Seek the vote of people joining the election, go to the power once people take you (BNP) to the power through voting, otherwise not,” he said.     Addressing the developments carried out by Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina, the health minister said that she must be brought to power again for the development of the country.   Advising students to study attentively, he said a good human being without education and dreams does not materialise. With the school governing committee president Md Shamim Miah in the chair, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Abdul Latif and Municipality Mayor Md Ramjan Ali among others spoke at the event. Read More: 10-point Demand: BNP marches from Badda to Malibagh

Bangladesh has voted in favour of the UN resolution titled, “Territorial Integrity of Ukraine: Defending the Principles of the UN Charter" as the country strongly believes in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter regarding respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. While briefing the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam shared Bangladesh’s position regarding the resolution passed at the 11th emergency special session of the UNGA on Russia-Ukraine war. The UN General Assembly passed the resolution by a large majority on Wednesday night. The results were 143 Member States in favour, with five voting against, and 35 abstentions. The countries who voted against were Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria. A majority of those countries abstaining were African nations, alongside China and India. "Bangladesh remains respectful to the UN charter always,” said the state minister. Bangladesh said peaceful settlement of all disputes must be complied universally for everyone, everywhere under all circumstances, without any exception.  “As member states of the UN, we must continue to work together to promote peace and development," Bangladesh said in its explanation of vote (EOV) at the UN. Bangladesh also said it believes that sovereignty and territorial integrity of any country within its internationally recognized borders should be respected. Bangladesh specially underscored the need to take similar uniform stand by the international community against the annexations of Palestinian and other Arab lands by Israel. Bangladesh remains “deeply concerned” by the continuation of the conflict in Ukraine and its global socio-economic implications. Bangladesh believes that antagonism like war or economic sanctions, counter-sanctions cannot benefit any nation. “Dialogue, discussion and mediation are the best ways to resolve crises and disputes.” As a firm believer of multilateralism, Bangladesh said, they will continue to stand with the United Nations and the office of the SG and supporting them in every way they can. "We urge that in order to gain the trust and confidence of the people at all levels, the United Nations and the office of the SG must lead from the front and work to fulfill the expectations of all." Bangladesh, therefore, urged all parties in the conflict to play a positive role for de-escalation and resume immediate diplomatic dialogue in order to settle all disputes by peaceful means, and refrain from taking any action that may endanger international peace and security.

Pakistan’s embattled prime minister faces a tough no-confidence vote Saturday waged by his political opposition, which says it has the numbers to defeat him. A combined opposition that stretches the political spectrum from left to radically religious says it has the 172 votes it needs in Pakistan’s 342-seat Parliament to oust Imran Khan after Parliament convenes at 10:30 a.m. local time. Khan took to national television on the eve of the vote calling on his supporters to take to the streets to protest on Sunday, an indication he believed he would lose the vote, which was ordered by the Supreme Court. The five-member bench on Thursday blocked Khan's bid to stay in power, ruling that his move to dissolve Parliament and call early elections was illegal. Thursday’s court decision set the stage for a no-confidence vote, likely to go against Khan after several of his ruling party members and a small but key coalition partner defected. In an impassioned speech Friday, Khan doubled down on his accusations that his opponents colluded with the United States to unseat him over his foreign policy choices, which often seemed to favor China and Russia and defied U.S. criticism. Khan said Washington opposed his Feb. 24 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin hours after tanks rolled into Ukraine launching a devastating war in the heart of Europe. The U.S. State Department has denied any involvement in Pakistan’s internal politics. Deputy State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter told reporters on Friday there was “absolutely no truth to these allegations.” READ: Pakistan's top court blocks PM's move to stay in power “Of course, we continue to follow these developments and support Pakistan’s constitutional process, but again these allegations are absolutely not true,” she said. Still Khan urged his supporters, particularly the young who have been the backbone of his support since the former cricket star turned conservative Islamist politician came to power in 2018, to take to the streets. He said they needed to protest to protect Pakistan's sovereignty, against an America that wants to dictate to Pakistan. “You have to come out to protect your own future. It is you who have to protect your democracy, your sovereignty and your independence ... This is your duty,” he said. “I will not accept an imposed government." Khan’s options are limited and should he see a big turnout in his support, he may try to keep the momentum of street protests as a way to pressure Parliament to dissolve and go to early elections. A no-confidence vote loss for Khan on Saturday would bring to power in Pakistan an opposition of unlikely partners. Among them is a radically religious party that runs scores of religious schools or madrassas. The Jamiat-e-ulema-Islam (JUI) or Assembly of Clerics teaches a deeply conservative brand of Islam in its schools and many of Afghanistan's Taliban and Pakistan's own homegrown violent Taliban members graduated from JUI schools. The largest among the opposition parties — the Pakistan People’s Party, led by the son of the slain Benazir Bhutto and the Pakistan Muslim League — have been tainted by allegations of widespread corruption. The Pakistan Muslim League leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was convicted of corruption after being named in the so-called Panama Papers — a collection of leaked secret financial documents showing how some of the world’s richest hide their money and involving a global law firm based in Panama. He was disqualified by Pakistan’s Supreme Court from holding office. If the opposition wins the no-confidence vote, it is up to Parliament to choose a new head of government — which could be Sharif’s brother, Shahbaz Sharif. If the lawmakers are unsuccessful, early elections would be called.

Balloting for the fourth phase polls to 838 Union Parishads in different districts is underway on Sunday. The voting started at 8am and will continue till 4pm without any break. Besides, elections to three municipalities – Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, Raipura in Narsingdi and Atghoria in Pabna—are being held. The balloting is being held through the electronic voting machines (EVM) in 33 UPs and all the three municipalities. UNB Cumilla correspondent reports that voting in 26 union parishads of three upazilas is going on peacefully  amid a festive mood. Voters were seen standing in long queues in the morning to cast their votes. READ: Uncontested elections a concern for democracy: EC Mahbub  Besides, the balloting in 15 union parishads in Bijoynagar and Akhaura upazilas of Brahmanbaria district and 21 union parishads of Birganj, Kaharol and Khansama upazilas of Dinajpur district is going on peacefully. The first, second and third phases of UP elections were marred by violence and irregularities. At least six people were killed and over 100 others injured in the 2nd phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections held on November 11. Violence was reported from different parts of the country, including Narsingdi, Cox’s Bazar, Cumilla and Chattogram. READ: 2 children fall to death from an election campaign van Three people were killed and a number of people were injured in the first phase of union parishad election that concluded with reports of sporadic violence and clashes on September 20. Two people were killed and a number of people injured in the 3rd phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections  held on November 28.

Kosovo's governing party suffered a heavy blow Sunday by losing the capital's mayoral post in runoff municipal elections held in almost two-thirds of the country after center-right opposition parties dominated in the first round. About 1.26 million voters in the small Balkan nation were eligible to cast ballots in the second round to elect mayors in 21 out of 38 municipalities. Preliminary turnout was 38% Sunday. The voting was peaceful. Police reported minor incidents not affecting the vote. The governing left-wing Self-Determination Party, or Vetevendosje!, of Prime Minister Albin Kurti lost the race in Pristina where it had nominated its former health minister, Arben Vitia. It won in four other communes, one more than 2017. READ: Bangladesh, Kosovo explore investment, trade opportunities  The center-right Democratic League of Kosovo won in Pristina. The league, the center-right opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo of former independence fighters and the Alliance for Kosovo’s Future together won 21 mayoral seats. The Srpska List party of Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority, which is close to the Serbian government in Belgrade, won one more mayoral post, adding to nine it won in the first round in the northern Kosovo districts. Dukagjin Gorani, an independent analyst, said a landslide loss for the governing party could have a negative impact “on the overall legitimacy of both the political party and the government.” “One might also expect early parliamentary elections, sometimes next year,” Gorani added. READ: Kosovo soccer federation head sentenced to 9 months in jail A European Union team was monitoring the election. Kosovo, which has a majority ethnic Albanian population, declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia has not recognized the move.

The party that narrowly beat outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s bloc pushed Monday for a quick agreement on a coalition government amid concerns that Europe’s biggest economy could be in for weeks of uncertainty after an election that failed to set a clear direction. Olaf Scholz, the candidate of the center-left Social Democrats, called for Merkel’s center-right Union bloc to go into opposition after it saw its worst-ever result in a national election. Both finished with well under 30% of the vote, and that appeared to put the keys to power in the hands of two opposition parties — raising questions over the stability of a future government. READ: Germany urged to waive intellectual property rules for COVID19 vaccines During her 16 years in office, Merkel was seen abroad not just as Germany’s leader but in many ways as the leader of Europe, helping steer the European Union through a series of financial and political crises. READ:  Germany embarks on tricky search for post-Merkel government The unclear result combined with an upcoming French presidential election in April creates uncertainty — at least for now — in the two economic and political powers at the center of the EU, just as the bloc faces a resurgent Russia and increasing questions about its future from populist leaders in eastern countries.