Dhaka's air quality was categorised as &ldquo;unhealthy for sensitive groups&rdquo; this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 121 at 8:53 am, Dhaka ranked 10th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
Thailand&rsquo;s Chiang Mai, India's Delhi, Nepal&rsquo;s Kathmandu and Indonesia&rsquo;s Jakarta occupied the first four spots on the list, with AQI scores of 173, 167, 164 and 162, respectively.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered &lsquo;unhealthy for sensitive groups&rsquo;, between 150 and 200 is &lsquo;unhealthy&rsquo;, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ 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.
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.

Dhaka's air unhealthy for sensitive groups this morning

Dhaka yesterday (19 April) urged Thumpu to reduce its Sustainable Development Fees for tourists for the Bangladesh at the 3rd Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and Bhutan.&nbsp;
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and his Bhutanese counterpart Pema Choden led their respective side at the FOC held in Thimpu, a foreign ministry&rsquo;s press release said here. &nbsp; As per Bangladesh&rsquo;s request the Bhutanese side assured of positive consideration to reduce fees for the Bangladeshi tourists to enhance tourism and foster people to people contact.&nbsp;
During the FOC, whole gamut of bilateral relations was discussed.&nbsp;
Both the Foreign Secretaries expressed satisfaction on the excellent bilateral relations that exist between Bangladesh and Bhutan.&nbsp;
They discussed all the major issues of mutual interests and agreed to promote cooperation encompassing all sectors, especially trade and commerce, health, investment, connectivity, power and energy, tourism, culture and education among others.&nbsp;
Momen urged Bhutan to take necessary measures to rejoin the BBIN MVA framework to promote prosperity through people to people contact.&nbsp;
Both the Secretaries also discussed the means and ways of faster implementations of the &nbsp;decisions taken and MoUs signed &nbsp;during the recent visit of His Majesty the King of Bhutan to Bangladesh.&nbsp;
On her part, Pema Choden stressed on the exploration of the untapped potential in economic, cultural and educational areas and proposed to establish meaningful collaborative relationship.&nbsp;
She mentioned that Bhutan would like to pursue more trade and investment cooperation with Bangladesh.&nbsp;
She also stressed on mutual efforts to conclude the pending Agreements and MoUs.&nbsp;
Bhutanese Foreign Secretary emphasized on the exchange of government and private level visits between the two countries.&nbsp;
Both the Foreign Secretaries discussed regional issues of mutual interest and &nbsp;hoped that both countries would continue to work to reinvigorate the SAARC and BIMSTEC processes.&nbsp;
&nbsp;Bangladesh Foreign Secretary also called on Lyonpo D. N. Dhungyel, Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Royal Government of Bhutan at the latter&rsquo;s office.&nbsp;
During the meeting, they discussed the issues of mutual interests including trade &amp; investment, special economic zone in Kurigram, power sector cooperation, cooperation in health and education and regional cooperation. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen also attended the National Day Reception hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy in Bhutan as the Special Guest.&nbsp;
He also inspected the progress of the ongoing construction work of the Chancery and Residence Construction project of Bangladesh Embassy in Thimphu.

Dhaka urges Bhutan to reduce fees for Bangladeshi tourists

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries have stressed the need to create conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of all Rohingya refugees and displaced persons and justice and accountability for atrocities committed against Rohingya and other ethnic communities.&nbsp;
They, in a joint statement, also reiterated their call on all States to prevent or to cease the flow of arms and other dual-use materiel, including jet fuel, into Myanmar.&nbsp;
They urged the Myanmar military to immediately cease any violence, release all prisoners arbitrarily detained &ndash; starting from the democratically elected leaders- and establish an inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders, in view of restoring the path towards a meaningful and durable democratic process.&nbsp;
"We also reiterate our call on the Myanmar military to respect human rights and international humanitarian law, to desist from any form of forced labour and to allow prompt, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all displaced persons and people in need," said the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union in their statement issued by the US Department of State on Friday.&nbsp;
They will continue to support ASEAN&rsquo;s efforts to promote a credible and inclusive process to achieve the swift implementation of the Five-Point Consensus.&nbsp;
"We highlight the importance of a comprehensive implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 2669 (2022) and support the UN&rsquo;s further engagement in the crisis, including through the leadership of the newly appointed UN Special Envoy on Myanmar and through the designation of a Resident Coordinator in country," said the G7 countries, noting that accountability for serious crimes committed in Myanmar remains essential.&nbsp;
The G7 countries reiterated their strong condemnation of the military coup in Myanmar and reaffirm our support and solidarity with the people of Myanmar in their quest for peace, freedom, and democracy.&nbsp;
The continuing attacks by the military destroying civilian infrastructure (including homes, schools, places of worship and hospitals), the repeated and serious violations of human rights and the alarming humanitarian situation &ndash; which particularly affect those in most vulnerable situations, including children, women and members of minority religious and ethnic groups &ndash; are unacceptable.&nbsp;
"We also condemn the recent implementation of the 2010 conscription law by the military regime," they said.&nbsp;
The forced recruitment of young people can only lead to further violence and trigger a massive exodus to neighboring countries, according to the joint statement.

G7 calls for starting process of Rohingya repatriation

Bangladesh has urged Bhutan to take necessary measures to rejoin the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) framework to promote regional prosperity through people to people contact.
At the third Foreign Office Consultations held between the two countries on Friday, Bangladesh also raised the issue of Sustainable Development Fees (SDF) for tourists and requested the Bhutanese government to reduce the current SDF for the Bangladeshi tourists.
The Bhutanese side assured their counterparts of positive consideration, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.
The two sides agreed to work together to enhance tourism and foster people to people contact.
The third Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and Bhutan was held in Thimphu.
The Bangladesh delegation was led by Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Masud Bin Momen, while the Bhutan delegation was led by Pema Choden, Foreign Secretary of Bhutan.
During the Foreign Office Consultations, the whole gamut of bilateral relations was discussed.
Both the Foreign Secretaries expressed satisfaction on the excellent bilateral relations that exist between Bangladesh and Bhutan.
They discussed all the major issues of mutual interests and agreed to promote cooperation encompassing all sectors, especially trade and commerce, health, investment, connectivity, power and energy, tourism, culture and education among others.
Both the Foreign Secretaries also discussed the means and ways of faster implementations of the &nbsp;decisions taken and MoUs signed &nbsp;during the recent visit of His Majesty the King of Bhutan to Bangladesh.
On her part, Pema Choden stressed on the exploration of the untapped potential in economic, cultural and educational areas and proposed to establish meaningful collaborative relationship.
She mentioned that Bhutan would like to pursue more trade and investment cooperation with Bangladesh. She also stressed on mutual efforts to conclude the pending Agreements/MoUs. Bhutanese Foreign Secretary emphasized on the exchange of government and private level visits between the two countries.
Both the Foreign Secretaries discussed regional issues of mutual interest and &nbsp;hoped that both countries would continue to work to reinvigorate the SAARC and BIMSTEC processes.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary also called on Lyonpo DN Dhungyel, Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Royal Government of Bhutan at the latter&rsquo;s office.
During the meeting, they discussed the issues of mutual interests including trade and investment, special economic zone in Kurigram, power sector cooperation, cooperation in health and education, regional cooperation etc.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen also attended the National Day reception hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy in Bhutan as the special guest.
He also inspected the progress of the ongoing construction work of the Chancery and Residence Construction project of Bangladesh Embassy in Thimphu.

Dhaka urges Thimphu to rekindle BBIN MVA framework to promote prosperity

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today termed BNP as communal force, kingpin of corruption and money laundering and urged all to resist them.
&ldquo;BNP is the main obstacle to the country&rsquo;s overall progress. They should be resisted,&rdquo; he told a discussion marking the 52nd founding anniversary of Krishak League at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh in the capital&rsquo;s Khamarbari.
Quader said BNP is now disoriented as its leader is staying in London and workers have become frustrated. BNP workers also don&rsquo;t believe that the party has any future, he said.
Those who failed in waging movement and resisting polls are now criticizing the government, he said.
The AL general secretary those who perpetrated assassination of Bangabandhu and most of his family members and killing of four national leaders are now talking about democracy.
He said BNP itself remains in crisis so that they are saying the country is in crisis. As long as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remains in power, the country will never lose its path, he said.
Krishak League President Samir Chanda chaired the discussion while AL Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organizing Secretary Mirza Azam, Agriculture and Cooperative Affairs Secretary Faridunnahar Laily and Krishak League acting General Secretary Biswanath Sarker Bitu also spoke. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Quader terms BNP as communal force, kingpin of corruption

Staff Correspondent

Eleven more members of the Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) have sought shelter in Bangladesh amid the ongoing conflict between Arakan Army insurgents and junta forces in Rakhine state.
These BGP members entered Bangladesh from Jimongkhali border and Hatimarajiri border of Teknaf on Friday (19 April), said Shariful Islam, public relations officer (PRO) of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarters.&nbsp;
Earlier on 18 April, 13 members of BGP surrendered to the Bangladesh Coast Guard after crossing the border through the Naf River in Teknaf.&nbsp;
Later, they were handed over to the BGB.
On Tuesday (16 April) night, 46 BGP members from Myanmar entered Bangladesh through the Naikshyongchari border in Bandarban.
Presently, there are at least 285 members of Myanmar&rsquo;s army and BGP staying in Bangladesh.
Today (19 April), Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud announced that 285 members of BGP and Army who had taken refuge in Bangladesh will be repatriated to Myanmar via sea route on April 22.
Additionally, the foreign minister said that 150 Bangladeshi citizens detained in Myanmar will also be repatriated via ship.
At the beginning of this year, 330 BGP members and their family members entered Bangladesh amid the intense conflict between the rebels and Myanmar junta.
Later on 15 February, they were sent back through Cox's Bazar sea border.

11 more Myanmar border guard members take refuge in Bangladesh

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has announced that 285 members of the Border Guard Police (BGP) and Army who had taken refuge in Bangladesh will be repatriated to Myanmar via sea route on 22 April.&nbsp;
Additionally, the foreign minister said that 150 Bangladeshi citizens detained in Myanmar will also be repatriated via ship.&nbsp;
Hasan Mahmud disclosed this information while speaking with reporters following a book inauguration program on Friday (19 April).&nbsp;
"We have discussed with our counterparts in Myanmar. They will send a ship to retrieve their soldiers and BGP members. Moreover, the same ship will facilitate the repatriation of the detained 150 Bangladeshi citizens," he said.
The foreign minister also said, &ldquo;We discussed with the Greek foreign minister about sending manpower to the country. Additionally, Greece has shown interest in establishing an embassy in Bangladesh.&rdquo;&nbsp;

285 Myanmar law enforcers, 150 Bangladeshi citizens to be repatriated on 22 April: Hasan Mahmud

Three people were killed when a truck ran over two motorcycles in Paba upazila of Rajshahi on Friday afternoon (19 April). 
The deceased were identified as Asif Iqbal, 19, son of Lal Muhammad; Sweet, 31, son of Alamgir; and Tajul Islam, 25, son of Md Zahurul Islam.
Additionally, two others were injured and taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH).
Ali Akbar, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Damkura Police Station, stated that five people riding on two motorcycles were heading towards the city around 4 pm. At approximately 4:30 pm, when they reached the Muralipur area, the dump truck collided with the two motorcycles, resulting in two deaths on the spot.
He added that the bodies were sent to the morgue of RMCH for autopsies and would be handed over to relatives following legal procedures.

3 killed as truck runs over motorcycles in Rajshahi

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday stressed the need for promotion of cooperatives in the agricultural sector in order to boost food production in the country.
&ldquo;In fact we&rsquo;ve to go for cooperatives. Though there is production through cooperatives, its sustainability has not actually been built as an intuition,&rdquo; she said.
The premier was addressing an event arranged in Ganabhaban to exchange views with the central committee members of Bangladesh Krishak League on the occasion of its 52th founding anniversary.
She asked the leaders of Bangladesh Krishak League, an associate body of Bangladesh Awami League, to encourage the people to cultivate lands forming cooperatives among them.
&ldquo;If we can do it, then we&rsquo;ll never have any shortage of food anymore,&rdquo; said &nbsp;Hasina.
Explaining the cooperatives system, she said the lands would be cultivated under the management of cooperatives and agricultural machines would be purchased and maintained under the cooperatives.
Under the system, the land owners would get a certain portion of profits, while farmers or labourers would receive another specific portion and the remaining share of the margin would be under the cooperatives for the management of agricultural inputs including machines, fertilizers, seeds, cultivation and irrigation, she noted.
The PM said her government took up &lsquo;My House My Farm&rsquo; and established Palli Sanchay Bank to promote cooperatives.
Focusing on her government&rsquo;s success in the agricultural sector, she said the production of food grains increased &nbsp;to 4.92 crore metric tons now from 1.80 crore metric tons in 2006 and 79 lakh hectare of lands are now under cultivation, which was only 28 lakh hectare of land at that time.
During the period, the fish production went up to 53.14 lakh metric tons from 21 lakh metric tons, &nbsp;while the number of domesticated animals now stands at 7.99 crore, which was 4.23 crore in 2006.
The prime minister said Bangladesh has been most successful in the field of agricultural research.
She said the people were once concerned just to manage rice and salt or rice and pulse for their families, but now they are concerned with the prices of fish, meat, chicken and egg.&nbsp;
She said the people now talk about fish, meat, egg and chicken, which means a development. The life of people has gone up many notches, she said asking the critics of her government to admit it.
Noting that the government is now providing Tk 26,000 crore to the agricultural sector, she highlighted her government&rsquo;s different steps taken in the sector.
PM Hasina, also the President of Bangladesh Awami League, called upon all not to leave a single inch of land uncultivated and exercise austerity during use of resources amid the current global situation.
She greeted the leaders and activists of Bangladesh Krishak League on the occasion of its founding anniversary.
In the function, Krishak League leaders led by its president Samir Chandra also greeted the prime minister with a flower bouquet.
The AL president, Sheikh Hasina, gifted various types of vegetables grown inside the Ganabhaban complex to the Krishak League leaders.
Bangladesh Krishak League, an associate body of Bangladesh Awami League, was established on 19 April 1972. &nbsp;

PM Hasina urges farmers to form cooperatives to boost agri production

Press Release

On the eve of the ongoing World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, global civil society is protesting against their debt catastrophe on Friday (19 April). As part of this, Bangladesh's civil society organised a protest rally demanding the cancellation of illegitimate debts, citing reparations owed by the World Bank and IMF.
The Asian People's Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD), Bangladesh Farmers Federation, Coast Foundation, Waterkeepers Bangladesh, and CPRD jointly organized the rally in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday, reads a press release.&nbsp;
Zayed Iqbal Khan, general secretary of the Bangladesh Farmers Federation, chaired the rally, moderated by Mustafa Kamal Akand, director of Coast Foundation.
In addition, global civil society will create a Twitter storm by posting their protest messages on Twitter today at 8 pm Bangladesh time. Their primary demand is the immediate cancellation of the illegitimate debt imposed on the people because the World Bank and IMF have reparations to pay, said the press release.&nbsp;
Joy Bangla Jatiyo Sramik Federation&rsquo;s General Secretary Lovely Yasmin, Coast Foundation's Deputy Executive Director Sanat Kumar Bhowmik. Waterkeepers Bangladesh's Iqbal Farooq, World Rural Women's Day Observation Committee's General Secretary Ferdous Ara Rumi, CPRD's Sheikh Noor Ataiah Rabbi, and Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity&rsquo;s General Secretary Engineer Foyej Ahmed Khan, spoke at the meeting.
Sanat Kumar Bhowmik said, &ldquo;Bangladesh is offered a loan for the development of local communities affected by the Rohingya refugees and to deal with climate change mitigation. We are not responsible in any part for such problems. So why should we take a loan for this? Those who are responsible for this should compensate us instead.&rdquo;
Ferdous Ara Rumi said, &ldquo;Developed countries like Germany pay an average of 1.5% interest on loans, and America gives 3.1%. In comparison, African countries pay an average interest of 11.6%, and Asian countries pay 6.5%. The poorer the country, the higher its interest rate. Because they are taking these higher-interest loans from private institutions as public institutions no longer lend to them.&rdquo;
Zayed Iqbal Khan said, &ldquo;Developing countries repay their debts mainly from export earnings. In the last decade, they have lost that ability. In 2010, developing countries' debt accounted for 71% of their exports, rising to 112% in 2022. They have already incurred and continue to incur more debt than their income.&rdquo;
Mostafa Kamal Akand stated that developing countries are exhausting their resources to pay the interest on their debts. The 139 World Bank-borrower countries spend 35% of their revenue budgets on debt repayment. Low-income countries (LIC) and lower-middle-income countries (LMIC) pay 57.5% and 44.5%, respectively. He said we refuse this public debt imposed on the poor because the World Bank and the IMF are responsible for their poverty. They should pay historical debt, not debt.
The protesters invited everyone to participate in the global protest to be launched through Twitter at 8 pm today Bangladesh time.
&nbsp;

Civil society demands cancellation of IMF-World Bank's 'illegitimate debt'

Chuadanga has been recording the highest temperature in Bangladesh for four consecutive days as a severe heatwave passes through the district.
The highest temperature in the current season in Bangladesh - 41.3 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Chuadanga at 3pm on Friday (19 April), according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
During this time, the humidity in the air was 17%.&nbsp;
On Thursday (18 April), the district recorded a maximum temperature of 40.4 degrees Celsius, a day before that on 17 April it was 40.7 degrees Celsius, and on 16 April it was 40.6 degrees Celsius.
The ongoing heatwave began shortly after Eid on 12 April and has shown no signs of abating.
Each day, temperatures have continued to climb, breaking the season's previous records.
"For the last couple of days, Chuadanga has been recording the highest temperature in the country. The ongoing heatwave will continue for a few more days,&rdquo; said Chuadanga Meteorological Office In-Charge Jaminur Rahman.
"If it rains, the temperature will decrease. However, there is currently no likelihood of regular rainfall. Nor'westers might bring rain, but it is not possible to predict in advance," he added.
The lack of rain this year has exacerbated the situation, with average temperatures climbing higher due to insufficient rainfall. &nbsp;
Chuadanga district's proximity to the Tropic of Cancer means that the temperature here is usually higher in March and April compared to normal.
Meanwhile, the local authorities are taking preventive measures to combat the adverse effects of heat.
"Due to the prevailing intense heatwave, there is a risk of heat strokes. So following the advice of the district health department, the district administration is conducting awareness through public announcements by using loudspeakers,&rdquo; said Chuadanga Deputy Commissioner Kisinger Chakma.
The local populace is suffering greatly due to the excessive heat.
"I came to the market with my bike to sell my bike off. The market is in an open field, and the sun is blazing down. It feels like my body is burning. I didn't even bring an umbrella from home," said a local named Jasim Uddin.
Shamser Mondal, a coconut seller in Chuadanga Sadar, said, "The demand and sales of coconuts have increased. Every day, the number of coconuts I bring to the market is selling out. People are drinking coconut water to find some relief and keep their bodies healthy."
Chuadanga Sadar Hospital has seen an increase in patients.&nbsp;The intense heatwave is particularly affecting children and the elderly.
"Along with the heat, the number of patients suffering from fever, pneumonia, diarrhoea, and respiratory issues has increased. Since Eid, the number of patients has exceeded the number of beds available, and many are receiving treatment in hallways and corridors. Managing the extra load of patients is overwhelming for the doctors and nurses," Chuadanga Sadar Hospital Resident Medical Officer (RMO) Dr Umme Farhana said.
"Children and the elderly are particularly susceptible to diseases due to the intense heat. Extra precautions should be taken. It is important to drink more water particularly cold drinks like lemonade and coconut water. During this time, it's best to stay in cooler places to avoid the heat," she added.

Heatwave hits Chuadanga hardest as temperature soars to 41.3℃

UN experts on Friday expressed dismay about the situation of Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia, who had travelled there in the hope of employment after engaging in the official labour migration process.
&ldquo;The situation of Bangladeshi migrants who have lived in Malaysia for several months or longer is unsustainable and undignified,&rdquo; the experts said in a statement issued from Geneva.
The experts are Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; Siobh&aacute;n Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; Gehad Madi, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants and Robert McCorquodale (Chair-Rapporteur), Fernanda Hopenhaym (Vice-Chair), Pichamon Yeophantong, Damilola Olawuyi, Elzbieta Karska, Working Group on business and human rights.
&ldquo;Malaysia needs to take urgent measures to address the dire humanitarian situation of migrants and protect them from exploitation, criminalisation and other human rights abuses," said the UN experts.
They noted that many migrants find on arrival in Malaysia that they do not have employment as promised and are often forced into overstaying their visas.
Consequently, these migrants risk arrest, detention, ill-treatment and deportation, the experts said.
They expressed concern that large sums of money were being generated through the fraudulent recruitment of migrant workers by criminal networks operating between Malaysia and Bangladesh.
Migrants were being deceived, recruited by companies that are frequently fake, and obliged to pay exorbitant recruitment fees which pushes them into debt bondage, the experts said.
&ldquo;We received reports that certain high-level officials in both Governments are involved in this business or condoning it. This is unacceptable and needs to end,&rdquo; the experts said.
&ldquo;Perpetrators of these exploitative recruitments must be held accountable,&rdquo; they said, adding that so far action taken against these private businesses and fraudulent recruitment companies have been wholly insufficient, both in Bangladesh and Malaysia.
&ldquo;Meanwhile, vulnerable migrants have been criminalised and some have faced severe reprisals for reporting the exploitation suffered,&rdquo; they said.
They urged Malaysia and Bangladesh to investigate and address the situation.
'Malaysia must govern labour migration more effectively by adopting adequate safeguards,&rdquo; the experts said, urging the country to fulfil its obligations under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to protect migrant workers against human rights abuses by businesses operating in Malaysia and ensure that these businesses respect human rights.
Malaysia must also step up efforts to identify, protect and assist victims of exploitation, enforce existing legal protections against trafficking in persons and uphold the country&rsquo;s international human rights obligations, they said.
The experts have previously engaged with the Governments of Malaysia and Bangladesh on these issues.

Bangladeshi workers must be protected from criminalisation in Malaysia: UN experts

Cases have been filed against BNP leaders and activists due to their involvement in various offences and not to get any political advantage, said Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
"BNP claims that cases have been filed against them for political reasons. They should be asked what the cases are about. Cases have been filed for arson, arms smuggling, and grenade attacks. They committed crimes, and legal actions have been taken against them," the premier said speaking at a greetings exchange event with leaders and workers of the Krishak League at the Ganabhaban on the anniversary of its founding on Friday (19 April).
Emphasising that the cases against BNP leaders and activists are not political, she said, "They [BNP] have burnt down 3,800 vehicles, buses, launches, and trains. Shouldn't cases be filed against them? The cases against them are not political; these are cases of arson, they have killed people by setting them on fire, like the incident on 28 October, where they set fire to a train to stop the elections and killed a mother and her children. Shouldn't cases be filed against them?&rdquo;
The trials of these cases should be completed quickly and the involved should be punished, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said, "They are lucky we are in power; we are not vindictive like them, so they still have the opportunity to speak. They talk all day, and still say they don't have the opportunity to speak."
Reflecting on her party's time in the opposition, PM Hasina noted, "We were barred even from entering the Awami League central office. Despite their oppressive actions against us, we chose not to retaliate."
&ldquo;Awami League is not focused on revenge but has instead dedicated all its energy and intellect towards the nation's development and serving its people,&rdquo; she said.
BNP claims that 6 million leaders and activists have been arrested, but the prisons in the country cannot hold so many, the premier said.
Stating that the government is providing a subsidy of Tk26,000 crore in agriculture, the PM called for a focus on sustainable development in cooperatives.&nbsp;
The premier also advised not to leave an inch of land fallow to increase food production.

Legal actions taken against BNP activists to serve justice, not politically motivated: PM

Educational institutions including primary and secondary schools and colleges will remain closed for the next seven days to safeguard children&rsquo;s health from the scorching heatwave.
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, with authorisation from Senior Information Officer Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin, and the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education on Saturday issued seperate notices announcing the closure.
Educational institutions run under the Children Welfare Trust and semi-formal education bureau learning centers will also remain closed during this period.

Schools, colleges declared closed for 7 days due to heatwave

Severe heat wave is sweeping Khulna division and Rajshahi, Pabna and Tangail districts, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
The heat wave condition will remain unchanged for the five days commencing 9 am on Saturday, it predicted.
Country&rsquo;s highest temperature was recoded in Chuadanga at 41 degree Celsius on Friday. The district also experienced &nbsp;the season&rsquo;s highest temperature in the previous three days.
A mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping &nbsp;Barishal division, rest part of Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions and Chandpur and Moulvibazar districts and it may continue, it said.
Besides, rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Mymensingh, Sylhet and Chattogram divisions with hails at isolated places.
Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country.
Day and night temperatures may rise slightly over the country. Due to the increase of moisture incursion, the discomfort may increase.
A trough of westerly low lies over West Bengal and adjoining area.

No respite from heat wave for five days: Met office

The price of 22-carat gold has been reduced to Tk118,757 per bhori.&nbsp;
With the new rates effective from Saturday, the price of 21-carat and 18-carat gold declined to Tk113,358 and Tk97,162 per bhori respectively.
The price of the precious metal nosedived a day after reaching its all-time high of Tk 119,637.
Since March 22 of this year, gold has been trading at Tk 114,074 per bhori.
The country witnessed gold prices surpassing Tk1 lakh per bhori for the first time on July 20 last year.
Despite Bangladesh not importing a significant quantity of gold, prices are consistently influenced by international fluctuations and domestic market volatility.
With an annual demand ranging from 20 to 40 tonnes, approximately 80 percent of the country's gold demand is fulfilled through smuggling.
&nbsp;In August of last year, the Bangladesh Bank mandated a 100 percent margin requirement on letters of credit for gold, aiming to discourage imports and conserve foreign currency.

Gold price drops to Tk1.18 per bhori

The Government of Bangladesh has signed a $71 million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a climate-resilient water management project.&nbsp;
The loan will fund the "Climate-Resilient Integrated Southwest Project for Water Resources Management," to enhance socio-economic conditions through improved water resources management in Bangladesh.
The agreement was signed by Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of the Economic Relations Divisiona at the Ministry of Finance, and Mr Edimon Ginting, country director of the ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission.&nbsp;
The ceremony was attended by senior officials from both the Government of Bangladesh and ADB.
Scheduled to be implemented from January 2024 to December 2028, the project will be overseen by the Bangladesh Water Development Board under the Ministry of Water Resources.&nbsp;
Key objectives include increasing agricultural and fisheries development, implementing integrated water resources management, and establishing Water Management Organisations (WMOs) to ensure the sustainability of the benefits.&nbsp;
The project also aims to provide improved infrastructure and coordinated support services for sustainable development.
The loan, provided under ADB&rsquo;s Ordinary Operations (Concessional), features a 25-year repayment term, including a 5-year grace period, with a fixed interest rate of 2%.&nbsp;
This financial package is part of ADB&rsquo;s ongoing commitment to supporting Bangladesh&rsquo;s priority sectors since the country joined the development bank in 1973.
To date, ADB has extended loans totalling US$ 31.5 billion and grants worth approximately US$ 571.2 million to Bangladesh, focusing on various sectors including power, energy, transport, education, agriculture, and health.

Bangladesh signs $71 million loan agreement with ADB for climate-resilient project

The government has issued a directive to suspend daily assemblies in all of its primary schools nationwide until further notice, citing the ongoing heatwave.
The Directorate of Primary and Mass Education disseminated this information through a notification signed by Md Touhidul Islam, assistant director (Policy &amp; Operations, Integrated Education).
Touhidul Islam said, "School authorities will implement this directive starting April 21, when schools are set to reopen."
This decision aims to protect the health of students amidst the severe heat conditions prevailing in the country.
According to a bulletin from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department issued at 9:00 am today, a severe heatwave is affecting the Khulna division, as well as the districts of Rajshahi, Pabna, and Tangail.
The bulletin further indicates that a mild to moderate heatwave is prevailing over the Barishal division, the remaining parts of Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions, and the districts of Chandpur and Moulvibazar, and it is expected to persist.

Primary schools asked to suspend daily assemblies

Desk Report

Internet users are facing trouble with connectivity as the supply of bandwidth from the country&rsquo;s second submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE 5, has remained suspended since Friday night.
The state-owned bandwidth provider, Bangladesh Submarine Cables Plc (BSCPL), said the situation has arisen due to the 'break' of the fiber cable in Singapore.
Mirza Kamal Ahmed, the managing director of the company, said, "SEA-ME-WE 5 provides 1,600 Gbps bandwidth to the country. All of it is currently unavailable. We are trying to make alternative arrangements with SEA-ME-WE 4 (the first submarine cable). The fiber cable break in Singapore has created a similar situation in several other countries, including Bangladesh."
"It will be known by Saturday afternoon when it will return to normal," Mirza Kamal added.
Imdadul Haque, President of the Internet Service Provider Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), said, "They are receiving calls from customers. Customers are complaining about slow internet service."
Currently, there is a demand for 5500 bandwidth in the country. Among them, the government organization Submarine Cable Company provides more than 2500 bandwidth. Private companies meet the rest of the demand through the International Terrestrial Cable (ITC).

SEA-ME-WE 5 connection snapped, disrupting internet service

Reuters

Some 800,000 people in a Sudanese city are in "extreme and immediate danger" as worsening violence advances and threatens to "unleash bloody intercommunal strife throughout Darfur," top U.N. officials warned the Security Council on Friday.
War erupted in Sudan one year ago between the Sudanese army (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), creating the world's largest displacement crisis.
U.N. political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the 15-member Security Council that clashes between RSF and SAF-aligned members of the Joint Protection Forces were nearing El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
"Fighting in El Fasher could unleash bloody intercommunal strife throughout Darfur," DiCarlo said, echoing a warning by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday.
The U.N. has said nearly 25 million people, half of Sudan's population, need aid and some 8 million have fled their homes.
"The violence poses an extreme and immediate danger to the 800,000 civilians who reside in El Fasher," said the U.N. aid operations director, Edem Wosornu.
"And it risks triggering further violence in other parts of Darfur &ndash; where more than 9 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance," she said.
A United Nations-backed global authority on food security said late last month that immediate action is needed to "prevent widespread death and total collapse of livelihoods and avert a catastrophic hunger crisis in Sudan."
Donors pledged more than $2 billion for war-torn Sudan at a conference in Paris on Monday.
&nbsp;

UN warns 800,000 people in Sudan city in 'extreme, immediate danger'

The U.S. military's success helping Israel stop a massive wave of Iranian missiles and drones last weekend might suggest Washington is well prepared militarily for whatever comes next as Iran and Israel move from shadow warfare to direct confrontation.
But current and former U.S. officials say U.S. forces are not positioned for a major, sustained Middle East conflict and the Pentagon may have to revisit assumptions about military needs in the region if the crisis deepens.
"I don't think we have all the forces that we would want to support Israel if there was a direct war between them and Iran," said Michael Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East under the Trump administration.
Though Tehran has indicated it had no plans to retaliate for an apparent Israeli strike on Friday, the tit-for-tat attacks have raised fears of an unpredictable regional war that the United States has sought to prevent.
In the months since an attack by Hamas militants on Israel triggered a war in Gaza that has ignited unrest throughout the Middle East, the United States has rushed thousands of U.S. service members to a region that had seen a steadily declining U.S. presence over years.
But many of those new U.S. troops are on warships and aircraft that move in and out of the region, and are only temporarily deployed. That U.S. strategy to rely on surge forces could be tested now Iran and Israel have broken the taboo of open military strikes against each other.
"What it means for the U.S. military is that I think we have to revisit this idea of what are the necessary, sustainable (military) capabilities that we have to maintain in the region," said Joseph Votel, a retired four star Army general who led U.S. troops in the Middle East.
SUSTAINED FOCUS
Votel and other former officials said the U.S. military's success in downing Iran's drones and missiles last Saturday was presumably aided by detailed U.S. intelligence that allowed the Pentagon to anticipate the timing and targets of Iran's attack.
"I think the bigger concern is our ability to be responsive over a sustained period of time," Votel said.
U.S. officials say Iran does not appear to want an all-out war with Israel, and Tehran has played down Friday's strike. Still, experts warn the situation is unpredictable, particularly as long as the Israel-Hamas conflict rages.
U.S. Army General Michael "Erik" Kurilla, the current head of Central Command, told lawmakers last month that he had requested more troops than the Pentagon had sent to his region, which President Joe Biden's administration has said is a lower priority than the challenge from China, for example.
In written testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, Kurilla said a dangerous shortfall in U.S. intelligence assets, targeting expertise and linguists "contributes to gaps and seams in our ability to detect and disrupt plots, increasing freedom of movement" for violent extremist organizations.
Although Kurilla's comments appeared more focused on Afghanistan, some intelligence shortfalls have already affected U.S. strategy since the start of the war in Gaza.
For example, a lack of detail about Houthi weapons stockpiles before the Iran-backed group started attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea has made it hard to determine the effect of months of strikes on the group's arsenal of missiles and drones, said officials.
Still, sending more U.S. troops to the Middle East and bolstering intelligence assets longer-term could prove difficult, officials say.
"Troops are spread around Europe (and) those that aren't are going through overdue maintenance cycles," one U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"And Asia is supposed to be the focus."
Another official said it was still unclear whether the U.S. military was prepared to pull forces from Asia or Europe, despite the increase in tensions.
Prior to October, the last time the United States surged thousands of troops into the Middle East was under former President Donald Trump, during a series of escalatory actions that culminated in the U.S. killing of Iran's top general and a retaliatory missile attack by Tehran on a U.S. base in Iraq.
The first U.S. official noted that the surge of troops in 2019 and 2020 was possible because, unlike today, Washington did not have to dedicate so many personnel and resources to Europe -- a new reality following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Mulroy said the United States should strengthen its position in the Middle East without abandoning its China-first focus.
"We need to deploy forces based on the current threat environment. And the current trend ... is obviously a potential for a broader nation-on-nation conflict in the Middle East," Mulroy said.
&nbsp;

US military strategy tested as Iran-Israel warfare comes out of shadows

Roads in Bangladesh have become more dangerous with fatalities and injuries almost every day and the two highways from Dhaka to Khulna and Barishal are two of those which have witnessed 320 fatalities in the past one year.
Unskilled drivers, over-speed, negligence of authorities concerned and rules violation are blamed for the frequent road accidents on highways although the highway police claimed that several measures have been taken to reduce road accidents.
The recent deadly road crash on Dhaka-Khulna highway that claimed 15 lives raised question whether these measures were adequate to control the fatal accidents .
On April 16, 15 people including five members of a family died in a collision between a bus and a pick-up van on Dhaka-Khulna highway at Kanaipur of Faridpur district.
A five-member probe body was formed to investigate the accident and &nbsp;two more members including an expert from Buet were also included in the committee, headed by Additional district Magistrate Ali Siddique.
The committee was asked to submit its report within three working days. At least one representative from the Roads and Highways division, Highway police, district police and Fire Service were also included in the committee.
National Committee to protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) said the authorities concerned including police and BRTA can&rsquo;t avoid responsibility for the Faridpur road crash on Dhaka-Khulna highway.
Condemning the authorities&rsquo; negligence, the NCPSRR said although carrying passengers on trucks, pick-up vans and good- laden vehicles is prohibited the vehicle was heading towards Dhaka from Faridpur&rsquo;s Boalmari with 25-30 passengers on board.
On March 8, three people died and ten others were injured when a bus overturned on Dhaka-Barishal highway in Bhanga.
Besides, nine people died in separate accidents in January.
Roads and Highways division and highway police blame over-speed, unskilled drivers, reckless plying of motorbikes and pedestrians&rsquo; desperate bid to cross the highways behind the accidents and fatalities.
According to Faridpur Highway Police sources, the length of the Bangabandhu Expressway from Jatrabari in Dhaka to Bhanga in Faridpur is 55 kilometers. Of these, 32 kilometers are from Jatrabari to Padma Bridge and 23 kilometers from Janjira to Bhanga.
In the last one year, 131 people were killed in 135 accidents on the expressway and of these, 63 accidents occurred in Bhanga portion that claimed lives of 67 people.
There are five highway police stations, one police outpost and two camps under the 381 km highway in Madaripur region.
Shahinur Alam Khan, superintendent of Madaripur Region highway police, said 320 lives were lost on the two highways in the last one year but a number of measures have been taken to prevent road crashes.
In the past one year, 28,404 cases were filed and Tk 9,43,26,200 was fined for reckless driving on the two highways, said the SP.
Besides, 271 cases were filed in 432 road accidents on Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Barishal highways, he said.
Morshed Alam, superintendent of Faridpur police, said the owners and transport workers must play a big role alongside the passengers to stop accidents on highways.
Besides, the residents along the highways have to be more responsible while using highways, he said.

Dhaka-Khulna, Dhaka-Barishal highways turn perilous; 320 die in one year

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has issued a 72-hour nationwide heat alert starting from yesterday saying the ongoing heat wave is expected to continue in most parts of the country.
"Discomfort might increase due to high humidity during this period," said a BMD warning signed by Meteorologist Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik.
The ongoing heatwave began shortly after Eid on 12 April and has shown no signs of abating. Each day, temperatures have continued to climb, breaking the season's previous records
&nbsp;

Met office issues nationwide heat alert for 72-hour

The Mymensingh Zone of Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC organized an employee conference at the Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Auditorium of Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh on Friday (19 April).
Mohammed Monirul Moula, managing director and CEO of Islami Bank, addressed the conference as the chief guest, reads a press release. &nbsp;
Md. Altaf Hossain, additional managing director, and G.M. Mohd. Gias Uddin Quader, senior executive vice president, addressed the conference as special guests.
Md. Maksudur Rahman, senior executive vice president of Islami Bank, presided over the function while Md. Anisul Haque, head of Mymensingh Zone addressed the welcome speech.&nbsp;
Md. Khalilur Rahman and Md. Abdul Jalil, senior vice presidents and A M Shahidul Amran, senior assistant vice president, along with executives from Head Office, branch incumbents, sub-branch incharges and employees from all branches under Mymensingh zone of the bank attended the conference.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Islami Bank holds employee conference in Mymensingh

&lsquo;Mohor&rsquo; is the amount demanded from the bride during marriage, and it is obligatory for the groom to pay the amount to the woman. Allah says in the Holy Quran, &ldquo;&hellip; and give to the women (whom you marry) their Mohor (obligatory bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage) with a good heart, but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it, and enjoy it without fear of any harm&hellip;&rdquo;
Most people are callous, seemingly indifferent to recognizing it as an essential right of a woman to receive her Mohor from her husband. Consequently, the practice of Mohor payment is not widely practiced in society. A hefty amount of Mohor is stipulated in marriage, but it becomes difficult for the groom to fulfill the financial commitment (Mohor) to his wife while simultaneously meeting the family&rsquo;s expenses.
Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC has launched the Mudaraba Mohor Savings Account (MMSA) with the aim of promoting the culture of fulfilling Mohor to the wife and facilitating an easy payment process, reads a press release.&nbsp;
Muslim people from all walks of life, especially professionals, employees, businessmen, and expatriates, can open the Mudaraba Mohor Savings Account (MMSA) by depositing money in monthly installments according to their ability.&nbsp;
The monthly installments range from Tk 500 to Tk 5,000 for a tenure of five years or ten years. A married man or a man wishing to marry can open this account. The installments will be determined based on the total amount to be paid by the groom, after deducting the amount already paid either in cash or other forms from the amount mentioned in the Kabinnama. Around 33 thousand clients opened this account in Islami Bank.
Any legal citizen of Bangladesh can open a Mudaraba Mohor Savings Account (MMSA) at any branch, sub-branch, or agent of Islami Bank by providing a photocopy of their National Identity Card/Passport/Driving License, 2 copies of their own photographs, 2 copies of their wife's photographs (if applicable), and one copy of the nominee's photograph.
Additionally, men can open an MMS account through Islami Bank&rsquo;s Celfin app.&nbsp;
Installments can be deposited online from other branches, sub-branches, or agent banking outlets.&nbsp;
Monthly installments can be conveniently paid from any location on any day of the month through Celfin or by a "Special Instruction" at the branch, which will result in automatic transfers from the respective savings account to the Mohor account on a specified date each month.&nbsp;
Furthermore, monthly installments can also be paid through Islami Bank's i-banking and mcash. The account holder has the option to pay the installments in advance if they wish to do so. The principal and profit paid thereagainst are all due to the wife.&nbsp;
Installment amount and tenure should be decided at the time of account opening and cannot be changed later.
&nbsp;A husband can absolve himself of his wife's debt by fulfilling Mohor from accumulated funds in the Mudaraba Mohor Savings Account (MMSA). This not only brings financial stability to women's lives but also establishes respect for them. After all, they are empowered by realizing the rights of women in society.&nbsp;
Ultimately, this initiative by Islami Bank, aimed at promoting the practice of giving Mohor, deserves commendation.
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
&nbsp;

Mudaraba Mohor savings account: Revolutionising the practice of Mohor

Educational institutions across Bangladesh are scheduled to reopen tomorrow (21 April) &mdash; amid a severe heatwave with temperatures soaring to record highs &mdash; &nbsp;after a prolonged holiday period that included Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, and Pohela Boishakh.
The highest temperature of the year was recorded at 41.5 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga yesterday. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh &nbsp;Meteorological Department issued a heatwave alert for the next three days, anticipating further temperature rises.&nbsp;
"The temperature is unlikely to decrease in the next three days; rather, it may increase. There will be a heatwave throughout April, although its intensity may vary,&rdquo; said Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik, a meteorologist from Met office.
He added that the high humidity in the air may cause more discomfort for people.
Amid these challenging conditions, the government stayed firm on resuming educational activities, however, the Directorate of Primary and Mass Education directed to suspend daily assemblies at all its primary schools across the country until further notice.
Meanwhile, parents and guardians express concerns about the well-being of their children.&nbsp;
"Reopening schools in such extreme weather conditions puts our children at risk, and it feels like their health is being overlooked," said Farah Khan, a concerned parent from Dhaka.
All secondary schools in Bangladesh began their holiday on 26 March, following the closure of colleges on 25 March. Primary schools and madrasas had already commenced their break on 22 March.

Schools to reopen tomorrow amid severe heatwave after nearly a month

Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering "moderate to severe" levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released on Friday.
The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found 45% of China's urban land was sinking faster than 3 millimetres per year, with 16% at more than 10 mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables but also the sheer weight of the built environment.
With China's urban population already in excess of 900 million people, "even a small portion of subsiding land in China could therefore translate into a substantial threat to urban life," said the team of researchers led by Ao Zurui of the South China Normal University.
Subsidence already costs China more than 7.5 billion yuan ($1.04 billion) in annual losses, and within the next century, nearly a quarter of coastal land could actually be lower than sea levels, putting hundreds of millions of people at an even greater risk of inundation.
&nbsp;"It really brings home that this is for China a national problem and not a problem in just one or two places," said Robert Nicholls at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia. "And it is a microcosm of what is happening around the rest of the world."
The northern city of Tianjin, home to more than 15 million people, was identified as one of the worst-hit. Last year, 3,000 residents were evacuated after a "sudden geological disaster" that investigators blamed on water depletion as well as the construction of geothermal wells.
The Philippines is one of the most marine resource rich countries in the world.
Many of China's old coal districts, opens new tab have also suffered as a result of overmining, with authorities often forced to inject concrete into the crumbling shafts to reinforce land.
The problem is not limited to China. A separate study published in February said around 6.3 million square km (2.4 million square miles) of land across the globe was at risk. Among the worst-hit countries is Indonesia, with large parts of the capital Jakarta now below sea level.
Nicholls said vulnerable cities could learn lessons from Tokyo, which sank by about 5 m (16 feet) until it banned groundwater extraction in the 1970s.
"Subsidence mitigation should be looked at very seriously, but you can't stop all of it so you are talking about adaptation and building dykes," he added.
Of the 44 major coastal cities suffering from the problem, 30 were in Asia, according to a 2022 Singapore study.
"It is a problem of urbanisation and population growth - larger population density, more water extracted, (and) more subsidence," said Matt Wei, a geophysics expert at the University of Rhode Island.

Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say

Fighting raged at Myanmar's eastern frontier with Thailand on Saturday, witnesses, media and Thailand's government said, forcing about 200 civilians to flee as rebels pressed to flush out junta troops holed up for days at a bridge border crossing.
Resistance fighters and ethnic minority rebels seized the key trading town of Myawaddy on the Myanmar side of the frontier on April 11, dealing a big blow to a well-equipped military that is struggling to govern and is now facing a critical test of its battlefield credibility.
Three witnesses on the Thai and Myanmar sides of the border said they heard explosions and heavy machine gun fire near a strategic bridge from late on Friday that continued into early Saturday.
Several Thai media outlets said about 200 people had crossed the border to seek temporary refuge in Thailand.
Thai broadcaster NBT in a post on social media platform X said resistance forces used 40-milimetre machine guns and dropped 20 bombs from drones to target an estimated 200 junta soldiers who had retreated from a coordinated rebel assault on Myawaddy and army posts since April 5.
Reuters could not immediately verify the reports and a Myanmar junta spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said he was closely monitoring the unrest and his country was ready to provide humanitarian assistance if necessary.
"I do not desire to see any such clashes have any impact on the territorial integrity of Thailand and we are ready to protect our borders and the safety of our people," he said on X. He made no mention of refugees.
BIG SETBACK
Myanmar's military is facing its biggest challenge since first taking control of the former British colony in 1962, caught up in multiple, low-intensity conflicts and grappling to stabilise an economy that has crumbled since a 2021 coup against Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's government.
The country is locked in a civil war between the military on one side and, on the other, a loose alliance of established ethnic minority armies and a resistance movement born out of the junta's bloody crackdown on anti-coup protests.
The capture of Myawaddy and surrounding army outposts is a significant setback for a junta that has been squeezed by Western sanctions, with the town a key tax revenue source and conduit for more than $1 billion of annual border trade.
The Khaosod newspaper in a post on X showed a video of Myanmar civilians, many of them women and children, being marshalled by Thai soldiers at an entry point to Thailand.
Thailand had on Friday said no refugees had entered the country and it was discussing with aid agencies about increasing humanitarian relief to civilians on the Myanmar side.&nbsp;

Fighting flares at Myanmar-Thai border as rebels target stranded junta troops

Tesla chief Elon Musk has postponed a planned trip to India where he was to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and announce plans to enter the South Asian market, three people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
Reuters could not immediately determine why Musk postponed the trip. Tesla and Modi's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
After Reuters reported his India trip plans on Apr 10, the CEO posted on X: "Looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India!"
In New Delhi, Musk was expected to announce an investment of $2 billion to $3 billion, mainly to build a factory in India, after the government announced a policy lowering high tariffs on imported cars if companies invest locally, Reuters has reported.
Musk's planned Sunday arrival was to have come two days after the start of India's nation election, in which Modi is forecast to win a rare third term.

Tesla's Elon Musk postpones India trip, sources say

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Friday that Iran will respond at an immediate and "maximum level" if Israel acts against its interests.
"If Israel wants to do another adventurism and acts against the interests of Iran, our next response will be immediate and will be at the maximum level," Amirabdollahian said, speaking through a translator, in an interview with NBC News.
His comments follow reports of an Israeli strike on Iran early Friday.

Iran says it will respond at 'maximum level' if Israel acts against its interests

Nearly 2,500 voters have crossed the fence on the India-Bangladesh border to cast their votes in Tripura on 19 April.
Indian border officials left the border gates open to facilitate the voting rights for those who, for historical reasons, live beyond the barbed wire fencing.
Those who have attained the legal age for voting are now enrolled in the electoral rolls of Tripura, says NDTV.
The Indians who participated in the polls even after living on the Bangladesh side stated they had received cooperation and support from their authorities to vote without problems.
Hafizur Rahman, an Indian resident interviewed by ANI, said that all 50 voters in his village were enthusiastic about participating in the elections.
"My name is Hafizur Rahman. I live on the other side of the fence. The situation is quite good. The voting is also proceeding smoothly. There are 19 families consisting of 50 voters. Most of them have cast their votes in the morning and the remaining voters will soon come to cast their votes," said Rahman.
The voting also coincided with "Jumma.". "Due to Jumma, some people were busy with religious activities. All of them will certainly come to cast votes," Rahman told ANI, adding that the border gates stay open when the polling is underway.
The border guarding forces deployed at the border gates verify the photo identification cards of the villagers who have to cross the fence every day. On the voting day as well, there was no exception. In the Jayanagar area, located very close to Agartala city, female BSF personnel have been discharging their duties.
Ful Banu Begam, another resident of the same village that falls under the Ramnagar assembly constituency, said, "The families living in our village have been participating in the election process since morning. We have faced no problems so far. Several people have already voted; others are getting ready to cast their votes. Everything is going on peacefully. We live ahead of the fence. This 80C gate behind me helps us cross the borders."
According to the Returning Officer West Tripura Parliamentary seat, the total number of voters living ahead of the fence stands at 2,500. All the ahead-of-fence villages fall under the jurisdiction of the West Tripura Parliamentary Constituency.
"The voting turnout is satisfactory and if the trends keep rising at the same pace, the total voting turnout will certainly cross the 80 per cent mark," said RO West Tripura Dr Vishal Kumar.
He said that around 34 per cent of the voters casted their vote adding that administration and police made rounds to keep a strict vigil on the safety and security of the voters.
On the security measures in bordering areas given the history of violence in the area, he said, "Since Ramnagar is a border-aligned area and it has a history of poll violence, we have made adequate arrangements for security personnel. Teams of administration and police have been making rounds to keep a strict vigil. According to reports received from the polling stations, the voting process is underway smoothly and no untoward incident has occurred so far."
On the population living ahead of fencing areas, Dr Kumar said, "If you consider the whole Parliamentary Constituency, more than 2,500 voters are residing between the zero line and fencing and most of them are living in Boxanagar. The population there is around 1,600 and all will vote here. We have seen that a large number of voters participated in the polls last year. More than 90 per cent of them cast their votes. We hope the same scenario will be there this year also."

2,500 Indians residing in Bangladesh cross border to cast votes In Tripura

A voter turnout of over 60 per cent was recorded in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections covering 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories amid sporadic incidents of violence at some places and an accidental explosion of a grenade launcher shell in Chhattisgarh that left a CRPF jawan dead.
The Election Commission said on Friday polling for the first and biggest phase of the seven-phase elections remained largely peaceful.
Voters braved the heat in most parts while at some places, they waited patiently in pouring rain as the world's largest poll exercise got underway at 7 am. &nbsp; The National Democratic alliance (NDA) under Prime Minister Modi is seeking a stronger majority for a third consecutive term, while the constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc are hoping for a rebound after facing reverses in the 2014 and 2019 elections. &nbsp; Tripura recorded the highest turnout of 79.90 per cent, followed by West Bengal at 77.57, Puducherry 73.25 per cent, Assam 71.38 and Meghalaya 70.26 per cent. Voters in six districts of eastern Nagaland stayed indoors following an indefinite shutdown call by an apex body of tribal organisations to press for its demand for a separate state. &nbsp; Tamil Nadu, where the BJP is trying to make inroads, was among the seven states and three Union territories where polling was held for all the seats. &nbsp; Assembly elections were also held simultaneously in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. &nbsp; The tentative figure of voter turnout till 7 pm is likely to go upwards when reports from all polling stations are obtained, the EC said, adding voters reaching polling stations till the end of polling hour are allowed to cast their vote.
Among the voters were first-timers, many newly-wed couples who came in their traditional attires, physically-challenged people and some elderly persons carried on stretchers and wheelchairs.
Minor EVM glitches were reported at some booths in Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Assam. &nbsp; In West Bengal, polling was marred by violence in the Cooch Behar seat. TMC and BJP workers clashed with each other and lodged 80 and 39 complaints respectively related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assault on poll agents, sources from both parties said.
In strife-torn Manipur, around an impressive turnout of 68.62 per cent till 5 pm was recorded.
An altercation broke out between locals and unidentified persons in Thongju assembly constituency under the Inner Manipur Lok Sabha seat. &nbsp; In Chhattisgarh, 63.41 per cent voters cast their votes in the Naxal-hit Bastar Lok Sabha constituency where the CRPF jawan after the grenade accidentally went off while an officer was injured in an IED blast in another incident.
For the first time in a Lok Sabha election, voters in 56 villages in Bastar cast their vote in a polling booth set up in their own village. &nbsp; In Tamil Nadu, where polling is spread over 39 constituencies, a voting percentage of over 62.19 was recorded. &nbsp; Voting was delayed by an hour in some polling booths in the state such as the one near Tambaram due to technical glitches in the electronic voting machines.
Arunachal Pradesh saw 65.46 per cent of the total 8,92,694 voters exercising their franchise.Though the turnout was moderate in the morning hours due to inclement weather, it gathered momentum with weather conditions improving. &nbsp; In a few polling stations in the state, polling was delayed as the electronic voting machines (EVMs) developed technical snags which were later replaced, Chief Electoral Officer Pawan Kumar Sain said. &nbsp; Supporters of two candidates clashed near a polling station in the Bameng constituency in East Kameng district, Inspector General of Police (Law &amp; Order) Chukhu Apa said, adding the situation was brought under control and polling is continuing. Incidents of EVM damage were also reported from three polling stations in East Kameng, Kurung Kumey and Upper Subansiri districts, the police officer said. &nbsp; Andaman and Nicobar Islands saw a voting percentage of 56.87 per cent.There were some minor EVM glitches but it was addressed immediately, officials said. &nbsp; For the first time in the Union territory, seven members of the Shompen tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group of Great Nicobar Islands voted for the lone Lok Sabha seat. &nbsp; Assam also reported EVM malfunctioning at three polling booths of Bihpuria in Lakhimpur, one each in Hojai, Kaliabor and Bokakhat, and one in Naharkatia of Dibrugarh, an official said.
 "Most of the glitches were noticed during the mock poll, which started 90 minutes before the commencement of actual voting. Those glitches were rectified immediately. Voting started sometime late in those booths and now it is going smoothly," an official said. &nbsp; A vehicle carrying an EVM partially sank into a river after water level rose suddenly, washing away a mechanised boat that was ferrying the SUV in Lakhimpur constituency. The driver and the polling officer of the vehicle managed to get out before water gushed into the vehicle. &nbsp; Around 47.49 per cent of the 75 lakh voters in four Lok Sabha constituencies of Bihar exercised their franchise.
Braving incessant rains, 65.08 per cent of voters exercised their choice in the first six hours of polling in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur parliamentary constituency. &nbsp; In Rajasthan, 50.95 per cent voting took place while Uttarakhand saw 53.64 per cent polling. &nbsp; In Maharashtra, a voter turnout of 55.29 per cent was recorded while the six Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh recorded a voter turnout of 63.33 per cent. &nbsp; Uttar Pradesh witnessed 57.61 per cent voting, Mizoram 54.18, Nagaland 56.77 and Sikkim 68.08. &nbsp; Over 16.63 crore people are eligible to vote in this phase. In the first phase, there are 35.67 lakh first time voters, besides 3.51 crore young voters in the age group of 20-29 years. &nbsp; Counting of votes in the elections that will conclude on June one will be taken up on June 4. &nbsp; Among the prominent candidates in the fray in the first phase are Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Sarbananda Sonowal, Gaurav Gogoi of Congress and DMK's Kanimozhi. &nbsp; Besides Tamil Nadu, polling is being held for all seats of Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1) and Lakshadweep (1). &nbsp; &nbsp;Voting was also held in 12 seats of Rajasthan, eight in Uttar Pradesh, six in Madhya Pradesh, five seats each in Assam and Maharashtra, four in Bihar, three in West Bengal, two in Manipur, and one seat each in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh. &nbsp; Simultaneously, assembly elections were held in Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) and Sikkim (32 seats). &nbsp; The Election Commission has deployed over 18 lakh polling personnel across 1.87 lakh polling stations.

60% voter turnout in Phase 1 of India's Lok Sabha elections

Film actors Misha Sawdagar and Monowar Hossain Dipjol's panel defeated Nipun Akter and Mahmud Koli in the Bangladesh Film Artistes' Association (BFAA) election held on Friday.
Misa Sawdagar secured 265 votes to become president, beating Mahmud Koli by 95 votes, while Dipjol received 225 votes to win the sectretary position, 16 more than Nipun, according to the election results announced on Saturday (20 April).
Starting at 9:30am, the voting continued until 5:30pm, with 475 artists participating in a festive atmosphere.
There were a total of 570 eligible voters in this election. Forty-eight candidates from two panels, including six independents, contested to form a 21-member committee.
In addition to Misa-Dipjol, Masum Parvez Rubel and DA Taib secured the position of vice-president. Arman has been elected as joint general secretary, Joy Chowdhury as organising secretary, Alexander Bo as international affairs secretary, Jackie Alamgir as office and publicity secretary, Mamnun Hasan Emon as culture and sports secretary, and Kamal as treasurer.
Furthermore, 11 members of the Executive Council were elected, including Sucharita, Rozina, Aliraj, Subrata, Dilara Yasmin, Shahnoor, Nana Shah, Ratna Kabir, Chunnu, Poli, and Soni Rahman.

Misa Sawdagar becomes Shilpi Samiti president, Dipjol secretary

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today (18 April)&nbsp; said the upazila parishad election will be held in a free, impartial, fair and peaceful environment though BNP leaders are making &nbsp;confusing statements over the polls going beyond political etiquette.
&ldquo;Bangladesh Awami League is determined to develop democratic culture. Elections at different tiers of local government are immensely important for empowerment of people. Upazila Parishad elections will be held in a free, neutral, fair and peaceful environment,&rdquo; he said.
Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said this in a statement sent to the media to protest the &lsquo;false and fabricated&rsquo; remarks of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and its other leaders.
He alleged that BNP leaders are making confusing statements about the upazila elections, going beyond political etiquette.
&ldquo;BNP as always has taken a stance against the elections and the country's democracy. That is why people have turned away from them,&rdquo; said the AL leader.
Noting that Awami League had to take a strategic stance regarding the upazila election in the context of BNP&rsquo;s an anti-election stance, he said Awami League is not allocating it&rsquo;s symbol (Boat) this time.
&ldquo;Awami League expects that persons, who are acceptable to the party (AL) and the people outside the party, would be elected,&rdquo; said Quader.
He said Awami League has given strict organisational instructions so that ministers, MPs and party leaders can&rsquo;t make any sort of interference in the upazila parishad elections.
Extensive electoral campaigns and spontaneous participation of the people are being noticed in the first phase upazila election, said the AL general secretary.
&ldquo;When the people of the country are spontaneously participating in the elections, the BNP leaders are taking steps to question the country's democratic system and elections as always. BNP wants to disrupt the electoral system and destroy the democratic process,&rdquo; he said.
Quader said BNP leaders including BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir have been continuously lying.
&ldquo;In fact, they have no respect towards democracy and the rule of law. On one hand they are nurturing arson terrorists and on the other hand they are raising false allegations of suppressing the opposition when the law enforcement agencies take legal action against the terrorists. BNP has continuously been engaged in conspiracies to destroy the continuation of democracy and stability of Bangladesh,&rdquo; he said.
The AL leader alleged that BNP leaders are trying to protect terrorists by making false allegations of suppression of opposition parties.
&ldquo;We want to say in an unequivocal voice that Awami League does not believe in suppressing the opposition parties. But there is no exemption for terrorists and they must face justice no matter what party they belong to,&rdquo; he said.
The AL general secretary urged everyone to be aware and alert about the anti-democratic activities of BNP.
Besides, he asked his party&rsquo;s leaders and activists to extend full cooperation to the Election Commission for arrangement of free, fair and peaceful elections.

Upazila parishad polls to be held in free, fair environment :Quader

The ruling party, Awami League, has issued a directive barring the children, family members, and close associates of ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs) from participating in the upcoming upazila parishad elections.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader conveyed these directives of the prime minister during a meeting with the party's divisional leaders held today (18 April) at the party's political office in the capital.
"During the meeting, our secretary general informed us about the Prime Minister's directive to ensure that the children, brothers, or relatives of ministers and MPs to not become candidates in the upazila elections," the party&rsquo;s organising secretary SM Kamal Hossain told the Bangladesh First.
Those who defy this order and persist in their candidacy may face disciplinary action, possibly resulting in expulsion from the party, said party sources.
The upazila parishad elections are scheduled to be held in four phases across 485 out of 495 upazilas. The Election Commission will organize voting in the remaining areas afterward.
The first phase, slated for 8 May, will witness voting in 150 upazilas.
Meanwhile, a local media report reveals that in 14 upazilas of the first phase, the children, family members, and close relatives of ministers and Members of Parliament are running for the chairman's position.

AL prohibits ministers' and MPs' relatives from upazila polls

The recent increase in the number of road accidents in the country is due to the negligence and mismanagement of the government, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.
&ldquo;Currently, road accidents have taken a terrible form. The level of road accidents has increased due to mismanagement and negligence of the government,&rdquo; he said in a statement issued over the death of 13 people, including 4 members of the same family, in a head-on collision between a bus and a pickup van in Dignagar Tentultala area of Faridpur Sadar on the Dhaka-Khulna highway on Tuesday (16 April).
The BNP secretary general also expressed deep grief over the accident.
In the statement, he expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims and expressed deep concern over the loss of lives in such accidents across the country.

Road accidents have increased due to govt’s negligence: Mirza Fakhrul

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s actions against Palestinians are similar to Adolf Hitler&rsquo;s atrocities during World War II, Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said.
&ldquo;Netanyahu has emerged as more dangerous than Hitler,&rdquo; he said at a press conference held at the political office of the AL president in Dhanmondi on Tuesday (16 April).
&ldquo;Today the whole world has become a battlefield. The arrogance and warlike attitude of Hitler during WWII can be seen again in world politics. The Holocaust that Hitler caused killed 6 million Jews. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu appears more terrifying than Hitler. They are already killing 14,000 children in Gaza,&rdquo; he added.
Awami League General Secretary said, that after Iran attacked Israel, the world's influential countries, including the United States, told Israel to remain calm, but Netanyahu decided to attack Iran again.
&ldquo;It seems that Netanyahu is the most powerful person in the world today. His power seems to surpass that of Hitler,&rdquo; he said.
Regarding the first round of upazila parishad elections, the AL general secretary said that there will be no party in the first round of elections on 8 May.
&ldquo;The prime minister has instructed not to interfere in any way so that the election is conducted peacefully and fairly. The administration will not interfere in any way,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;The Election Commission has arranged for smooth voting. Although BNP openly opposes the upazila elections, we know many of them will participate,&rdquo; he added.

Netanyahu is behaving like Hitler: Quader

Claiming BNP&rsquo;s falsehood over the number of its imprisoned party men, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today sought the list of imprisoned BNP leaders, otherwise BNP have to seek apology to the nation.
&ldquo;The number of BNP&rsquo;s captive leaders was 20,000 and how it becomes 60 lakh&hellip;so, reveal the list of 60lakh jailed activists, otherwise Mirza Fakhrul Islam must have to seek apology to the nation for his falsehood&rdquo;, he said.
Quader also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister made this comment while briefing the journalists at Awami League President&rsquo;s political office at Dhanmondi here this afternoon. Talking about the Mujibnagar Day on April 17, the ruling party leader said &ldquo;it [April 17] is the oath day of the first government of the Independent Bangladesh &hellip;but BNP does not accept it.&rdquo;
Even they refuse June 7, a red-letter day in the history of freedom movements of the people of Bangladesh and the nation has since been observing June 7 as the historic Six-Point Day, he said.
&lsquo;So, I never believe that BNP will do positive politics with the spirit of Bengali culture&rdquo;, Quader added.
Sharply criticizing that the BNP was born to destroy the Spirit of Liberation of Bangladesh, the road transport and bridges minister said they want to strike on the root of the land [Bangladesh]. &ldquo;Suddenly one became an announcer of our independence through blowing a whistle and it was the role of BNP in 1971&rdquo;, he noted.
Replying to a query on Israel and Palestine, the minister said &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want war&hellip; We want peace&rdquo;.
Asked about the continuation of government&rsquo;s step on checking commodity price like the holy Ramadan, Quader said the programme would be continued till fulfill the peoples&rsquo; requirement.
Awami League Joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organizing secretaries BM Mozammel Huq, Mirza Azam, Relief and Social Welfare Affairs secretary Aminul Islam Amin, Cultural affairs secretary Ashim Kumar Ukil and deputy office secretary Sayem Khan, among others, attended the function.

Reveal BNP’s jailed leaders list, otherwise seek apology to nation: Quader

BNP is spreading lies and fabricated narratives about forced disappearances and torture of its activists, said Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
&ldquo;At a time when the countrymen are celebrating Eid, BNP is spreading lies about forced disappearances and torture to mislead people,&rdquo; he said in a statement on Saturday (13 April).
&ldquo;Information given by Mirza Fakhrul about the disappearances and murders of BNP activists and the number of cases filed against them is completely fabricated. They [BNP] are now making blatant lies with fabricated information,&rdquo; he added.
Quader said BNP leaders are spreading anti-government propaganda to gain favours from foreign powers.
&ldquo;If there is any violation of law and rights, the government will look into the matter seriously. But Mirza Fakhrul is trying to gain political advantage by spreading propaganda, he added.
Obaidul Quader further said, &ldquo;When the BNP was in power, The 21 August 21, 2004 grenade attack was carried out to completely wipe out the Bangladesh Awami League. Between 2001 and 2006, a total of 1,223 Awami League leaders and activists were killed in crossfire and police custody by law enforcement forces.&rdquo;
&ldquo;But Awami League does not believe in revenge. Awami League government is determined to establish democracy and the rule of law in the country at any cost,&rdquo; he said.

BNP spreading lies about forced disappearances and torture: Obaidul Quader

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday said that the people of country are going to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr tomorrow in a festive mood but there is no joy of Eid in the families of BNP leaders and activists.
He said this in an Eid gift distribution programme organised by BNP Dhaka Metropolitan North&rsquo;s Kafrul Thana unit in the city.
Rizvi said a sad ambience has been prevailing at BNP leaders and activists&rsquo; families as someone has lost a leg, and someone lost an eye in law enforcement agencies&rsquo; brutal torture.
&ldquo;When we visit any BNP leader or activist&rsquo;s house , we see that the party activist missing for a long time or was subject to extra judicial killing earlier&rdquo;.
Families of BNP leaders and activists are celebrating Eid with tears for their son, brother, father, husband and so on, he said.
In the 15 years BNP leaders and activists either went to jail, hospital or got out of jail, he added.
On the one hand, the ruling party is driving steam roller on BNP, on the other hand, Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s close one was placed Forbes Magazine top twenties richest list by looting country&rsquo;s poor people&rsquo;s money, he claimed.
&ldquo;In the name of development like Padma Bridge, metro rail, quick rental, Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s looters made Begum Para in Canada, Gulshan 3 in Dubai, second home in Malaysia by looting poor people&rsquo;s money.&rdquo;
This is not fairy tale, it is real, Rizvi said.
Not only the BNP men but also the mass people are suffering due to AL misrule, said Rizvi further adding that a father sold his son after failing to pay treatment bill in hospital, mother sold her child in market due to extreme poverty.

No Eid joy in BNP leaders, activists’ families: Rizvi

The ruling Awami League has been invited by India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to serve the world's largest democracy's Lok Sabha polls, reports The Indian Express.
India's ruling party however has not yet extended an invitation to BNP.
The leaders of the invited parties from abroad will be in India at the invitation of BJP which seeks a record third term under Inidan Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the seven-phase elections beginning 19 April.
BJP has asked the political parties to send their representatives.
However, none of the political parties from the US has been invited but the Conservative and Labour parties of the United Kingdom and the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats of Germany have been invited.
BJP has also invited all leading political parties of Nepal.
13 parties have so far accepted the invitation.

BJP invites AL to observe Lok Sabha polls

BNP Leaders and activists are trying to sow seeds of despair among the people, said Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
&ldquo;Such activities are against the interest of the country and the people,&rdquo; he said in a statement signed by Awami League Office Secretary Biplab Barua on Tuesday (9 April) afternoon.
&ldquo;There is no vision in BNP leadership. They see nothing positive, always trying to mislead the people of the country,&rdquo; he added.
Obaidul Quader said BNP is following the wrong policies.
&ldquo;BNP's politics is in dire straits. Their leaders and activists are depressed due to wrong politics,&rdquo; he added.
Referring to BNP as an enemy of democracy and an internationally identified terrorist group, Obaidul Quader said in his statement, &ldquo;BNP's policies, ideals and practices are contrary to democratic values.&rdquo;
He also said Awami League is working tirelessly to protect the freedom, sovereignty and democracy of the country under the leadership of PM Hasina.
&ldquo;We will take Bangladesh forward against all odds. Future Bangladesh will be a developed, prosperous, safe and smart Bangladesh,&rdquo; he said.

BNP trying to sow seeds of despair among the people: Quader

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said BNP has no responsibility towards the country's democracy rather the party is the main obstacle to implement the democratic norms here.
"When killers of democracy talk about democracy, then it should be understood that they have different purpose. This is nothing but their crocodile tears for democracy. BNP has no responsibility towards democracy," he said in a statement.
Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, said such outcry of BNP for democracy is to push back the country towards the misrule of Tarique Rahman, who is the mastermind of August 21 grenade attack, kingpin of "Hawa-Khwab Bhaban" and key player of corruption, terrorism and criminalization.
Today the democracy-loving people of this country are united against the evil force, he said.
The AL general secretary said BNP, which was born at the hands of dictator, is carrying out ill-attempts to destroy the spirit and values of Liberation War and democracy as well under an orchestrated plan.
He said BNP leaders should have sought unconditional pardon from the nation for their undemocratic activities. But without doing so, they are making their traditional ill-motivated comments, he added. &nbsp; The minister said BNP founder cruel military dictator Ziaur Rahman had seized the state power down the barrel of a gun.
Ziaur Rahman forced President Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem to resign at gunpoint and became the President of Bangladesh, he said.
Quader said Zia had ruined the country's democratic values and election system in the name of farcical elections of "Yes-No" vote in 1977.
Following the footprints of Ziaur Rahman, Begum Khaleda Zia held farcical elections on February 15 in 1996, he said.
"She (Khaleda) gifted the nation Mirpur and Magura types rigged by-elections," he said.
BNP formed Aziz-type Election Commission and created voter's list of 1.23 crore fake voters to seize the state power through election manipulation, Quader said. The AL general secretary said BNP had set a worst example of repression and torture on leaders and workers of opposition party in the name of "Operation Clean Heart".
During the tenure of the BNP-Jamaat coalition government in the post 2001 period, as many as 21,000 leaders and workers of Awami League were killed, Quader said.

BNP has no responsibility towards democracy: Quader

History laughs when a political party like BNP, which was founded by a military dictator talks about democracy, said Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader
&ldquo;When BNP &ndash; a party founded by Ziaur Rahman after orchestrating the killing on 15 August, 1975 talks about democracy and human rights, history laughs,&rdquo; he said in a statement on Monday (8 April).
&ldquo;Military dictator Ziaur Rahman, the founder of BNP, seized power illegally and held the nation hostage at gunpoint in an unconstitutional manner. Begum Khaleda Zia followed in the footsteps of Zia,&rdquo; he added.
Obaidul Qauder said the BNP continues its attempts to subvert the ideals and values of the great liberation war and democracy.
&ldquo;BNP is the main obstacle to the implementation of democratic ideals in this country. Its leaders should have apologised to the nation for their undemocratic actions. But instead of doing that, they are making false statements as always,&rdquo; he added.
&ldquo;When the killers of democracy talk about democracy today, they have different intentions. BNP&rsquo;s cry for democracy is mainly to take the country back to the misrule of Tarique Rahman,&rdquo; he further said.
Obaidul Quader also said the democratic and patriotic civil society is united today against the evil forces who are trying to hinder the country&rsquo;s progress.

History laughs when BNP talks about democracy: Quader

The High Court (HC) has ordered the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) to reinstate the dormitory seat of its student and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader, Imtiaz Hossain Rahim Rabbi.
Following a petition filed challenging the legality of the suspension, an HC bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar Kajol issued the directive on Monday (8 April).
Barrister Harun Ur Rashid has filed the writ in the High Court on behalf of Rabbi.
The university revoked the dormitory seat of Rabbi, a student of the civil engineering department, following protests by a group of students demanding his punishment for accompanying BCL leaders during their entry onto the campus.
Earlier, following a writ filed by Imtiaz Rabbi, the High Court stayed the effectiveness of the university's notice banning student politics.
BUET banned student politics on campus following the murder of Abrar Fahad in the university's Sher-e-Bangla Hall on 7 October 2019.

HC orders reinstatement of BCL leader Rabbi's seat in BUET dormitory

BNP is trying to make an issue out of the recent attacks by the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) to cover up the party&rsquo;s own failures, said Awami League General Secretary and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
&ldquo;They [BNP] are looking for an issue again over the KNF incident,&rdquo; he said during a briefing at the Awami League president's political office in Dhanmondi on Sunday (7 March) afternoon.
&ldquo;KNF cannot hamper the peace in the hill areas. The government has taken a strong stand in this regard. This is an isolated incident. Overall, the peace in the hills will not be disturbed,&rdquo; he added.
AL Organising Secretary BM Mozammel Haque, Mirza Azam, Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Biplab Barua, Deputy Office Secretary Sayem Khan among others were present during the briefing.&nbsp;

BNP trying to make an issue out of the Kuki-China attack to cover up its failure: Quader

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Friday said BNP is talking nonsense out of its fear for political existence.
He said this in response to questions from journalists about the BNP's stance on India at Kasba upazila parishad in Brahmanbaria.
He said, &ldquo;When any political party fears about its existence, they tend to say things that make no sense. Whatever the BNP is saying is not to be taken seriously.&rdquo;
Later, he joined a programme as the chief guest to distribute laptops among 80 female entrepreneurs at the upazila auditorium.
The district administration and the Brahmanbaria Information and Communication Technology Department organised the event, chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Habibur Rahman. Special guests included Police Superintendent Mohammad Shakawat Hossain, Kasba Upazila Chairman Rashedul Kaisar Bhuiyan Jibon, and Upazila Executive Officer Shahriar Mukhtar.

BNP uttering nonsense out of fear for its political existence: Law minister

Newly elected mayors of two city corporations --Tahsin Bahar Suchona of Cumilla and Ekramul Haque Titu of Mymensingh&mdash; as well as chairmen of five Zila Parishads took oath on Thursday morning.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina administered the oath at a ceremony held in Shapla Hall of her office.
The chairmen of five Zila Parishads are ANM Obaidur Rahman of Kurigram, Abdul Majid of Thakurgaon, Shamim Talukder of Sirajganj, Billal Miah of Brahmanbaria and Aleya Akhter of Habiganj.
Later, some 44 newly elected councillors of general wards and female councillors of the reserved seats of Mymensingh City Corporation also took oath at the same venue.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam administered the oath of the councillors.
Local Government Division Secretary Muhammad Ibrahim conducted the oath-taking ceremony.
Cumilla City Corporation has got the first female mayor as Tahsin Bahar Suchona, daughter of Cumilla-6 MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar. She won the by-election to the city corporation on March 9 last.
Ekramul Haque Titu was elected the mayor in the Mymensingh city corporation election held on the same day.

Newly elected Cumilla and Mymensingh city mayors take oath

It is tradition for the Awami League (AL) to stand by people in their times of need, said AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
&ldquo;Awami League's tradition is to stand by people in times of need. Today's event is part of that tradition,&rdquo; he said while speaking as the chief guest at the Prime Minister's Eid gift distribution programme in front of the Bangabandhu Museum at the capital&rsquo;s Dhanmondi on Wednesday (3 April).
He said that some poor people come in the hope of charity but there are no instances of people dying on the streets without food.
Pointing to opposition leader GM Quader's statement regarding the security of the city dwellers, Obaidul Quader said, &ldquo;No one's safety was disturbed even late at night while shopping.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, we do the politics of standing by the helpless people,&rdquo; he added.
In response to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's statement about his party people getting tortured by police, the AL general secretary said, &ldquo;I have told Mirza Fakhrul Sahib to publish the list. If one is accused of killing people, or arson, then it is a crime. I don't know why BNP is crying so much when they go to jail for committing crimes.&rdquo;
Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh was also present at the programme under the chairmanship of popular actor Ferdous Ahmed, the member of parliament of Dhaka-10 constituency.x

Awami League's tradition is to stand by people in times of need: Quader

Senior Correspondent

BNP Senior Joint Secretary-General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said his party will not let Bangladesh lose its sovereignty and turn out like Kashmir.
&ldquo;The whole world did not recognise Sheikh Hasina's illegal election. Be it 2014, 2018 or 2024 elections. But our neighbouring country, who claim to be democratic are advocating for AL all over the world, trying to legitimise illegal elections,&rdquo; he said speaking as the chief guest at the Eid gift distribution ceremony on behalf of BNP Acting Chairman Tariq Rahman at Nayapaltan on Tuesday (2 April).
"They do not respect the people of Bangladesh, they do not believe in the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh. They just want a party in Bangladesh to be in power and take care of them. That is why people are protesting against them, boycotting their products," he added.
&ldquo;Our neighbouring country does not respect Bangladeshi people, they do not want free and fair elections in the country,&rdquo; Rizvi said.
&ldquo;India wants to control Bangladesh, wants to be its master. Bangladesh should not be made a subservient state, the people will not allow it,&rdquo; he further said.

Will not let Bangladesh become another Kashmir: Rizvi

Minister-MPs will have no chance to interfere in the upcoming Upazila Parishad elections, said Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
&ldquo;The elections will be held impartially in a fair and peaceful environment. Ministers-MPs will not have any chance to interfere there,&rdquo; he said in a press statement on Tuesday (2 April).
&ldquo;Administrative personnel engaged in the work of conducting the elections, including the law and order forces, will also maintain hundred percent neutrality. Legal action will be taken against any illegal interference,&rdquo; he added.
In the statement, he said, &ldquo;The 12th Jatiya Sangsad elections were held in a peaceful environment on 7 January. This election is a milestone in Bangladesh's democratic journey. There was a multi-pronged conspiracy to derail the election. Despite those obstacles, voters came to the polling centres and the elections clearly reflected public opinion.&rdquo;
Obaidul Quader said even though AL leaders and workers are participating in this election, the party symbol is not being allocated.
&ldquo;Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed her determination to give full cooperation to the Election Commission in conducting the elections impartially in a fair and peaceful environment,&rdquo; he added.
&ldquo;Voters will cast their votes without any disturbance. Organizational instructions are being given to the party MPs and activists, including the ministers, to not be involved in any interference in the election,&rdquo; Obaidul Quader further said.

Minister-MPs have no chance to interfere in upazila elections: Obaidul Quader

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said the contribution of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) to the country&rsquo;s liberation war is undeniable while around 17,000 BCL men sacrificed their lives in the 1971 war.
&ldquo;Under the undisputed leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Awami League played a leading role in achieving the country&rsquo;s independence. The Chhatra League's contribution to Bangladesh's liberation war is undeniable,&rdquo; he said in a statement.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said BCL is always working to implement the spirit of liberation war.
BCL is a student organisation run by its constitution and principles, while it does not believe in occupation, he said.
Recalling that occupation of educational institutions was started by military dictator Ziaur Rahman, the AL general secretary said Zia used students as tools to consolidate his illegal power, while luring power and money, Chhatra Dal was established by deviating student leaders from ideals.
He said the student leaders were used to materialistic thinking and luxurious life by avoiding their principles and ideals and as a result, a stigmatised trend was established in student politics.
Similarly, he said, the politics of Pakistani ideology was established in Bangladesh under the direct supervision of Ziaur Rahman.
Quader said Zia reestablished the defeated anti-liberation forces in the country&rsquo;s politics and introduced religion-based communal politics. &nbsp; Its wave touched the educational institutions too and disrupted the democratic environment of education in the educational institutions, he said, adding that BCL continues its struggle against the forces having no principle and ideology.
The AL general secretary said BNP leaders do not understand that if they continue to lie about the country&rsquo;s independence and liberation war, they will further be isolated from people.
After assuming power, BNP created a trend of anti-state politics by making anti-Awami League statements through distorting the country&rsquo;s history and in continuation of that, they continue to try to create controversy about the declaration of the country&rsquo;s independence, he said.
Quader said the contribution of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Awami League to the Great War of Liberation is established logically.
Bangladesh, AL and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman are synonymous, he added. The road transport minister said making statements against Bangabandhu and Awami League means taking a stand against the history.
He said the defeat of those who stand against history is obvious. &ldquo;As a result, we see that the anti-history evil forces, BNP and its allies, are now detached from the core spirit of Bangladesh and they are on the brink of extinction after being repeatedly rejected by the country&rsquo;s people,&rdquo; he added.
Mentioning that the BNP leaders were delivering false and fabricated statements of torture, Quader said BNP men followed the path of terrorism and violence to foil the 12th general elections and that was why legal action was taken against them.
But, now their leaders and activists are being released gradually, he added.

BCL’s contribution to 1971 liberation war is evident: Quader

AFP/BSS

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an end to "the dangerous cycle of retaliation" in the Middle East following reports of Israeli strikes against Iran.
The UN chief condemned "any act of retaliation" and called on the international community to prevent "any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond," his spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

UN chief says Mideast 'cycle of retaliation' must stop

A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
The man burned for several minutes in full view of television cameras that were set up outside the courthouse, where the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president is being held.
"He was on fire for quite a while," one witness, who declined to give his name, told reporters. "It was pretty horrifying."
Officials said the man, who is in his late 30s, survived and was in critical condition at a hospital.
Witnesses said the man pulled pamphlets out of a backpack and threw them in the air before he doused himself with a liquid and set himself on fire. One of those pamphlets included references to "evil billionaires" but portions that were visible to a Reuters witness did not mention Trump.
The New York Police Department said the man, who they identified as Max Azzarello of St. Augustine, Florida, did not appear to be targeting Trump or others involved in the trial.
"Right now we are labeling him as sort of a conspiracy theorist, and we are going from there," Tarik Sheppard, a deputy commissioner with the Police Department, said at a news conference.
In an online manifesto, a man using that name said he set himself on fire and apologized to friends, witnesses and first responders. The post warns of "an apocalyptic fascist coup" and criticizes cryptocurrency and US politicians, but does not single out Trump in particular.
A smell of smoke lingered in the plaza shortly after the incident, according to a Reuters witness, and a police officer sprayed a fire extinguisher on the ground. A smoldering backpack and a gas can were visible.
The downtown Manhattan courthouse, heavily guarded by police, drew a throng of protesters and onlookers on Monday, the trial's first day, though crowds have dwindled since then.
JURY SELECTION COMPLETED The shocking development came shortly after jury selection for the trial was completed, clearing the way for prosecutors and defense attorneys to make opening statements on Monday in a case stemming from hush money paid to a porn star. The court adjourned later in the afternoon.
The 12 jurors, along with six alternates, will consider evidence in a first-ever trial to determine whether a former US president is guilty of breaking the law. Prosecutors intend to call at least 20 witnesses, according to Trump defense lawyer Susan Necheles. Trump may testify on his own behalf, in a risky move that would open him up to cross-examination.
The jury consists of seven men and five women, mostly employed in white-collar professions: two corporate lawyers, a software engineer, a speech therapist and an English teacher. Most are not native New Yorkers, hailing from across the United States and countries like Ireland and Lebanon. The alternates, who will also hear the case, are held in reserve in case one of the jurors has to leave due to illness or some other cause.
Trump is accused of covering up a $130,000 payment his then-lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says they had a decade earlier.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and denies any such encounter with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
Trump has pleaded not guilty in three other criminal cases as well, but this is the only one certain to go to trial ahead of theNov. 5 election, when the Republican politician aims to again take on Democratic President Joe Biden.
A conviction would not bar him from office.

Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway

The WHO announced Friday it had approved a new, simpler version of an existing oral cholera vaccine, which should help increase the number of available doses as global cases surge.&nbsp;
The Euvichol-S vaccine is a simplified formulation of Euvichol-Plus, with fewer components -- which should allow for larger volumes to be produced faster.&nbsp;
&nbsp;It is produced by EuBiologics, and the World Health Organization has already given its green light to the South Korean firm's Euvichol and Euvichol-Plus vaccines.&nbsp;
The WHO said the new vaccine has a similar efficacy rate.&nbsp;
&nbsp;"The new vaccine is the third product of the same family of vaccines we have for cholera in our WHO prequalification list," said Rogerio Gaspar, director of the UN health agency's department for regulation and prequalification.&nbsp;
&nbsp;"The new prequalification is hoped to enable a rapid increase in production and supply which many communities battling with cholera outbreaks urgently need."&nbsp;
&nbsp;Some 473,000 cholera cases were reported to the WHO in 2022 -- double the number from 2021 -- and preliminary data indicates that more than 700,000 cases were reported last year.&nbsp;
Even though the global supply of oral cholera vaccines ballooned 18-fold between 2013 and 2023, the surging demand has created a global shortage.&nbsp;
Currently, 23 countries are reporting cholera outbreaks. The most severe impacts are being felt in the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Somalia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.&nbsp;
&nbsp;In a joint statement, the Gavi vaccine alliance and the UN children's agency UNICEF said the move would help produce "more volumes of vaccine, faster, and at a lower cost".&nbsp;
&nbsp;They said it would help increase the global stockpile from 38 million doses in 2023 to around 50 million this year.&nbsp;
The WHO move "represents a lifeline for vulnerable communities around the world", said Derrick Sim, Gavi's vaccine markets chief.&nbsp;
&nbsp;"The approval of this new product could not have come at a more important time given the acute upsurge of cholera outbreaks we are seeing worldwide." &nbsp;The liquid vaccine has a 24-month shelf life.&nbsp;
&nbsp;Gavi and UNICEF said EuBiologics was currently the only oral cholera vaccine supplier to the global stockpile, though other manufacturers were expected to have products available in the coming years.&nbsp;
&nbsp;Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with the bacterium vibrio cholerae, often from faeces. &nbsp;It can kill within hours when not treated, but immediate access to treatment saves lives, the WHO says.

WHO approves simpler cholera vaccine

<ul>
<li>Summary Israel retaliates to Iran missile barrage with limited strike War cabinet approved Monday strike on Iran, then paused: sources Nuclear facilities not among approved targets In hours before strike, fears were fading of major escalation Ultra-Orthodox cabinet observer opposed immediate response</li>
</ul>
Israel's apparent strike on Iran after days of prevarication was small and appeared calibrated to dial back risks of a major war, even if the sheer fact it happened at all shattered a taboo of direct attacks that Tehran broke days earlier.
Netanyahu's war cabinet had initially approved plans for a strike on Monday night inside Iranian territory to respond forcefully to last Saturday's missile and drones from Iran, but held back at the last-minute, three sources with knowledge of the situation said.
By then, the sources said, the three voting members of the war cabinet had already ruled out the most drastic response - a strike on strategic sites including Iran's nuclear facilities whose destruction would almost certainly provoke a wider regional conflict.
Facing cabinet divisions and strong warnings from partners including the United States and in the Gulf not to escalate, and aware of the need to keep international opinion on Israel's side, the plans to hit back were then postponed twice, the sources said. Two war cabinet meetings were also delayed twice, government officials said.
Netanyahu's office did not respond to requests for comment for this story. Before the attack, a spokesperson for the government's National Public Diplomacy Directorate cited Netanyahu as saying Israel would defend itself in whatever way it judged appropriate.
Reuters spoke to a dozen sources in Israel, Iran and in the Gulf region, as well as the United States, who described six frantic days of efforts in the Gulf, the U.S. and among some of Israel's war planners to limit the response to Iran's first ever direct attack on its arch rival after decades of shadow war.
Most of the sources asked not to be named to speak about sensitive matters.
The eventual strike on Friday appeared to target a Iranian Air Force base near the city of Isfahan, deep inside the country and close enough to nuclear facilities to send a message of Israel's reach but without using airplanes, ballistic missiles, striking any strategic sites or causing major damage.
Iran said its defence systems shot down three drones over a base near Isfahan early on Friday. Israel said nothing about the incident. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States had not been involved in any offensive operations,
An Iranian official told Reuters there were signs the drones were launched from within Iran by "infiltrators," which could obviate the need for retaliation.
A source familiar with western intelligence assessments of the incident also said initial evidence suggested Israel launched drones from inside Iranian territory. Iran's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
"Israel tried to calibrate between the need to respond and a desire not to enter into a cycle of action and counter reaction that would just escalate endlessly," said Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington.
He described the situation as a dance, with both parties signalling to each other their intentions and next steps.
"There is huge relief across the Gulf region. It looks like the attack was limited and proportionate and caused limited damage. I see it a de-esclation," veteran Saudi analyst Abdelrahman al-Rashed told Reuters.
BIDEN CALL The decision to hold back from broader and immediate action this week underlined the competing pressures on Netanyahu's government in the aftermath of the more than 300 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles fired by Iran on Saturday night.
As Iran's barrage unfolded, two members of the war cabinet, Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, both former armed forces commanders, wanted to respond straight away before agreeing to hold off following a call with U.S. President Joe Biden and in the face of differing views from other ministers, two Israeli officials with knowledge of the situation said.
A spokesman for Gantz, a centrist who joined Netanyahu's emergency government following the Hamas-led attack on Israel last October, did not respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. State Department declined to comment to questions about Israel's decision-making. Washington was working to de-escalate tensions, Blinken said on Friday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Aryeh Deri, the head of one of the ultra Orthodox parties in Netanyahu's coalition, who has observer status in the war cabinet and who has generally been wary of drastic moves, was firmly opposed to an immediate strike against Iran, which he believed could endanger the people of Israel given the risk of escalation, a spokesperson for his party said.
"We should also be listening to our partners, to our friends in the world. I say this clearly: I see no shame or weakness in doing so," Deri told the "Haderech" newspaper.
Israel's options ranged from strikes on strategic Iranian facilities, including nuclear sites or Revolutionary Guards bases, to covert operations, targeted assassinations and cyber attacks on strategic industrial plants and nuclear facilities, analysts and former officials in Israel have said.
Gulf countries had been increasingly worried the situation would spill into "a grave regional conflagration which might be beyond anyone&rsquo;s control or ability to contain," said Abdelaziz al-Sagher, head of the Saudi-based Gulf Research Center.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had publicly called for maximum "self-restraint" to spare the region from a wider war.
Sagher said Gulf countries had warned the United States of the risk of escalation, arguing Israel should conduct only a limited attack without casualties or significant damage that could provoke a major reprisal.
This messaging "was relayed forcefully" in the last few days by the Jordanians, Saudis, and Qataris through direct security and diplomatic channels, one senior regional intelligence source said.
By Thursday, four diplomatic and government sources in the region were expressing confidence that the response would be limited and proportionate.
Ahead of the overnight Israeli strike, one regional source, who had been briefed on Israel's thinking, said the response would aim to minimize or completely avoid casualties and was likely to target a military base.
Flying F-35 fighter jets from Israel to Iran, or launching missiles from Israel would almost certainly violate the airspace of neighbouring countries, angering Arab states who Netanyahu has long sought to cultivate as strategic allies, said a Gulf government source with knowledge of the issues.
He couldn't "just fly F-35 fighter jets across the region and bomb Iran or its nuclear sites," the source said.
Iranian officials had warned a major Israeli attack would trigger immediate retaliation.
Iran's options to respond included shutting down the Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes, urging proxies to hit Israeli or U.S. interests, and deploying previously unused missiles, a senior Iranian official said.
While satisfying Israel's moderates at home, its neighbours and international partners, the measured strike, when it came, was met with dismay from hardliners in Netanyahu's cabinet.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, whose ultranationalist party is a key prop in Netanyahu's coalition, posted a single word on X, &ldquo;Feeble."

Israel's Iran attack carefully calibrated after internal splits, US pressure

The WHO said it was collaborating with both the manufacturer and regulatory authority in South Africa to investigate the Benylin paediatric syrup, and had information on the source of the ingredients used. Kenvue has previously said it tested its ingredients before manufacture.
The agency said the possibility that the syrup was counterfeit was also "under consideration as part of investigations".
Earlier this week the WHO sent out a separate alert on five batches of contaminated cough syrup ingredients found in Pakistan that appeared to have been falsely labelled as Dow Chemical products. &nbsp; It was the first alert the WHO has sent on excipients - elements of a medicine other than the active pharmaceutical ingredient - rather than finished products, the agency confirmed on Friday.
The batches of propylene glycol were contaminated with ethylene glycol.
"It was critical for WHO to also alert manufacturers that may have been procuring this material to exercise more caution," a WHO spokesperson said by email. Propylene glycol is not an ingredient in Benylin paediatric syrup, a Kenvue spokesperson said on Friday.

WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated J&J cough syrup

BSS/AFP

India began voting Friday in a six-week election with an all but assured victory for Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a weakened opposition is pushed to the sidelines.
A total of 968 million people are eligible to take part in the world's biggest vote -- a staggering logistical exercise that critics say follows a concerted effort to delegitimise rivals.
A long and winding queue was patiently assembled outside a polling station in the Hindu holy city of Haridwar, on the banks of the Ganges river, even before the booths opened.
"Modi had ensured our country as well as our faith is secure," 59-year-old Hindu ascetic Uday Bharti told AFP outside a polling station.
"We have come here to make sure Modi keeps doing his good work."
Modi, 73, remains resoundingly popular after a decade in office that has seen India rise in diplomatic clout and economic power, as well as efforts by his government to bring the country's majority faith in ever closer alignment with its politics.
"I urge all those voting... to exercise their franchise in record numbers," he wrote in a post on X as the election began. "Every vote counts and every voice matters!"
Modi has already led the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) through two landslide victories in 2014 and 2019, forged in large part by his appeal to the Hindu faithful.
This year, he presided over the inauguration of a grand temple to the deity Ram, built on the grounds of a centuries-old mosque razed by Hindu zealots.
Construction of the temple fulfilled a long-standing demand of Hindu activists and was widely celebrated across India with back-to-back television coverage and street parties.
- 'We have no money' -
Analysts have long expected Modi to triumph against a fractious alliance of more than two dozen parties that have yet to name a candidate for prime minister.
His prospects have been further bolstered by several criminal probes into his opponents and a tax investigation this year that froze the bank accounts of Congress, India's largest opposition party.
"We have no money to campaign, we cannot support our candidates," Rahul Gandhi, the most prominent Congress leader, told reporters in March.
"Our ability to fight elections has been damaged."
Opposition figures and human rights organisations have accused Modi's government of orchestrating the probes to weaken rivals.
Modi's tenure has seen India overtake former colonial ruler Britain as the world's fifth-biggest economy, and Western nations lining up to court a prospective ally against regional rival China's growing assertiveness.
In doing so, they have sidestepped concerns over the taming of India's once-vibrant press and restrictions on civil society that have seen rights groups such as Amnesty severely curtail their local operations.
Last year, the tax office raided the BBC's local offices weeks after the British broadcaster aired a documentary questioning Modi's role in the 2002 religious riots that killed around 1,000 people, most of them Muslims.
Modi's time in office had seen "a pattern of repression to undermine democracy and civic space", rights group CIVICUS said in a Wednesday report.
While India is constitutionally secular, the country's 220 million-strong Muslim community and other minorities have felt threatened by the rise of Hindu nationalist fervour.
"They have polarised along religious lines so much that there is no trust left between Hindus and Muslims," restaurant owner Abdul Basit, 25, told AFP at a restaurant in the city of Muzaffarnagar.
- 'Hatred and injustice' -
Modi's BJP is challenged by an alliance of more than two dozen parties.
Gandhi -- the scion of India's most famous political dynasty, whose father, grandmother and great-grandfather all served as prime minister -- was briefly disqualified from parliament last year after being convicted of criminal libel.
The 53-year-old has criticised the government for democratic backsliding, failing to create jobs for India's millions of out-of-work youth, and its chest-thumping Hindu nationalism.
"Your one vote can put an end to inflation, unemployment, hatred and injustice," his party said on X.
But Gandhi has already led Congress to two defeats against Modi and his efforts to dent the premier's popularity have failed to register with voters.
Published opinion polls are rare in India, but a Pew survey last year found Modi was viewed favourably by nearly 80 percent of the public.
Voting on Friday was mostly without incident, but one polling station in conflict-hit Manipur was ransacked after unknown assailants let off gunfire outside.
The far-flung state has fractured along ethnic lines after fighting broke out last year between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community, displacing thousands.
Voting in the first phase closed at 6 pm India time (1230 GMT), with six more rounds between April 26 and June 1 to come.
Ballots will be counted all at once on June 4 and are usually announced on the same day.
&nbsp;

Hindu nationalist Modi the favourite as India votes

A substantial number of Indians voted on Friday in the first phase of the world's largest election, authorities said, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a historic third term on the back of issues such as growth, welfare and Hindu nationalism.
The vote pits Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against an alliance of two dozen opposition parties that promise greater affirmative action and more handouts while stressing what they call the need to save democratic institutions.
Three hours before polls closed, figures from the Election Commission showed voter turnout ranged between 40% in the sprawling northern state of Bihar and 68% in the small northeastern state of Tripura.
"Voters show great enthusiasm as polling reaches halfway mark," an election panel spokesperson had posted earlier on X. "Substantial voter turnout reported."
The first of seven phases, Friday's vote covered 166 million voters in 102 constituencies across 21 states and territories, from Tamil Nadu in the south to Arunachal Pradesh on the Himalayan frontier with China.
Almost a billion people in the world's most populous nation are eligible to vote in the entire exercise running through the peak of summer until June 1, with results set, opens new tab for June 4.
"Modi will come back to power, because apart from the religious push, his other work, in areas such as safety and security, is good," said Abdul Sattar, 32, a Muslim voter in the city of Kairana in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.
Surveys suggest the BJP will easily win a majority, even though voters worry about unemployment, inflation and rural distress in the world's fastest growing major economy.
Jobs were the chief concern for Mohammed Shabbir, another Muslim voter in Kairana. None of his eight children had regular employment, the 60-year-old driver said.
"Even the Hindus are affected by a lack of jobs," he said, adding that the problem outweighed the appeal of Hindu nationalism in the Hindu-majority nation.
Especially after Modi's January consecration of a grand temple to Lord Ram on a site in Uttar Pradesh believed to be his birthplace, Hindu nationalism is a key election theme.
Critics accuse Modi's government and party of targeting India's 200 million minority Muslims to please their hardline Hindu base - charges both deny.
Modi aims to win 370 of parliament's 543 seats, up from 303 in 2019, hoping for a two-thirds majority that some analysts and opposition members fear could let his party usher in far-reaching constitutional changes.
STRONG SOUTHERN PUSH But in Tamil Nadu, one of India's most developed states where the BJP is weak, voters seemed divided on whether Modi's strong push this time round would benefit his party.
"Modi has made India a peaceful country, particularly for Hindus," said S. Rajagopal, a three-wheel taxi driver in the state capital of Chennai.
"The BJP may not boost its vote share in Tamil Nadu but nationwide, Modi will win hands down again."
However, V. Parasuraman, 55, a businessman in construction, said the BJP had done little for Tamil Nadu, adding, "People here are educated and ... won't fall for Modi's sugar-coated words."
The BJP campaign focuses on Modi&rsquo;s guarantee to deliver on promises to voters.
"This election is not just to choose a member of parliament," Modi said on Friday. "It is an election to secure the future of generations that come after you."
India needed a "strong" government at a time when "clouds of war are hanging over the world", he added.
Victory for Modi would make him only the second Indian prime minister to be elected three times in a row, after post-independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru.
PROSPECT OF HEAT, VIOLENCE Surveys show a big gap between BJP and the opposition but it was not "necessarily unsurmountable", said political analyst Sandeep Shastri of research firm Lokniti Network.
"Many voters say that we take our decision on who to vote for during campaigning and many say we do it closer to the day of voting," he said. "So there is also scope for campaigning to impact the nature of the verdict."
But some BJP insiders and analysts say the party is worried about complacency or overconfidence among voters and party members, and needs to draw more people to vote.
Yet the opposition's INDIA alliance has struggled to forge unity. It has accused the government of hobbling its efforts by arresting its leaders in graft cases and making huge tax demands ahead of the vote - a charge the government denies.
The election will decide the future of Indian democracy, Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, said on X.
"Strengthen democracy by applying the balm of your vote to the wounds inflicted on the soul of the nation in the last 10 years ... defeat hatred," he said on Friday.
&nbsp;

Indians vote in huge election dominated by jobs, Hindu pride and Modi

Southeast Asian regional bloc ASEAN said it is "deeply concerned" about a recent upsurge in fighting in Myanmar, after fierce clashes over a key trading hub on the Thai border.
The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations urged "all parties for an immediate cessation of violence" in Myanmar, which has been roiled by conflict since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup.
The ministers' statement issued late Thursday said 10-member ASEAN was "deeply concerned over the recent escalation of conflicts, including in the area of Myawaddy".
The military was forced to pull its troops out of positions in the valuable trading post last week after days of battling the Karen National Union (KNU), a long-established ethnic minority armed group, and other anti-junta fighters.
It was the latest blow suffered by the junta, which has suffered a string of battlefield losses in recent months, with some analysts warning it was its most significant threat yet.
Myawaddy is important to the cash-strapped junta, with more than $1.1 billion worth of trade passing through it in the 12 months to April.
The clashes drove people to flee across the border into Thailand, from where gunfire and the boom of artillery barrages could be heard.
There have been no major clashes in the town since then, although fighting rumbles on around the town of Kawkareik, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) southwest of Myawaddy on the main highway.
The junta is anxious to avoid losing another major town, analysts say, following the humiliating surrender of around 2,000 troops at the town of Laukkai on the northern China border in January.
- UN warning - Parts of the country that have been previously peaceful have been sucked into the conflict, including in Rakhine state where a longstanding ceasefire ended in November.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said on Friday clashes between the military and the Arakan Army, alongside tensions being fuelled between the Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine communities, meant there was a serious risk of a repeat of previous atrocities.
"The alarm bells are ringing, and we must not allow there to be a repeat of the past," Turk said in a statement.
However, despite the losses and uptick in fighting, analysts believe the junta is not in dire peril yet.
"In the larger scheme of things, the regime is clearly losing control of many areas in the periphery," independent Myanmar analyst David Mathieson told AFP about the Myawaddy clashes.
"There is still a long way to go for the SAC to fall," he said, using the acronym of the junta's official name.
ASEAN has led diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis but has little to show for it, with more than 4,400 people killed and nearly 20,000 in detention in the military crackdown according to a local monitoring group.
Little progress has been made since 2021 when the bloc agreed on a five-point peace plan -- which Myanmar signed up to but has failed to implement.
And friction has also erupted between ASEAN members over differing approaches to the crisis, with some like Thailand -- which has a 2,400-kilometre (1,490-mile) border with Myanmar -- appearing more willing to engage.
Thailand has also said it is ready to receive people from Myanmar, though the kingdom's foreign minister warned it would not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty.
The Thai air force said on Friday it had deployed an F-16 fighter plane to "protect sovereignty" along the border.
The conflict in Myanmar has provoked a previous Thai response, with the kingdom scrambling jet fighters in 2022 after junta planes breached the border during operations against anti-coup fighters.

ASEAN 'deeply concerned' by escalating Myanmar violence

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called Friday for restraint to avoid further escalation in the Middle East, following reports that Israel carried out a strike on Iran.
"We have to do everything possible (so) that all sides restrain from the escalation in that region," von der Leyen told reporters during a visit to Finland.
"It is absolutely necessary that the region stays stable and that all sides refrain from further action," she added.

EU chief urges restraint after reported strike on Iran

Explosions echoed over an Iranian city on Friday in what sources described as an Israeli attack, but Tehran played down the incident and indicated it had no plans for retaliation - a response that appeared gauged towards averting region-wide war.
The limited scale of the attack and Iran's muted response both appeared to signal a successful effort by diplomats who have been working round the clock to avert all-out war since an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel last Saturday.
Iranian media and officials described a small number of explosions, which they said resulted from Iran's air defences hitting three drones over the city of Isfahan.
Notably, they referred to the incident as an attack by "infiltrators", rather than by Israel, obviating the need for retaliation.
An Iranian official told Reuters there were no plans to respond against Israel for the incident.
"The foreign source of the incident has not been confirmed. We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," the official said.
Israel said nothing about the incident. It had said for days it was planning to retaliate against Iran for Saturday's strikes, the first ever direct attack on Israel by Iran in decades of shadow war waged by proxies which has escalated throughout the Middle East through six months of battle in Gaza.
The two longstanding foes had been heading towards direct confrontation since a presumed Israeli airstrike on April 1 that destroyed a building in Iran's embassy compound in Damascus and killed several Iranian officers including a top general.
Iran's response, with a direct attack on Israel, was unprecedented but caused no deaths and only minor damage because Israel and its allies shot down hundreds of missiles and drones.
Allies including the United States had since been pressing hard to ensure any further retaliation would be calibrated not to provoke a spiral of hostilities. The British and German foreign ministers visited Jerusalem this week, and Western countries tightened sanctions on Iran to mollify Israel.
In a sign of pressure within Israel's hard-right government for a stronger response, Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right national security minister tweeted a single word after Friday's strikes: "Feeble!".
Countries around the world called on Friday for both sides to avert further escalation.
"It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action," EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said.
Similar calls came from Beijing and from Arab states in the region.
In financial markets, global shares eased, oil prices surged and US bond yields fell as traders worried about the risks.
NO MENTION OF ISRAEL
Within Iran, news reports on Friday's incident made no mention of Israel, and state television carried analysts and pundits who appeared dismissive about the scale.
An analyst told state TV that mini drones flown by "infiltrators from inside Iran" had been shot down by air defences in Isfahan.
Shortly after midnight, "three drones were observed in the sky over Isfahan. The air defense system became active and destroyed these drones in the sky," Iranian state TV said.
Senior army commander Siavosh Mihandoust was quoted by state TV as saying air defense systems had targeted a "suspicious object".
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had warned Israel before Friday's strike that Tehran would deliver a "severe response" to any attack on its territory.
Iran told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that Israel "must be compelled to stop any further military adventurism against our interests" as the UN secretary-general warned that the Middle East was in a "moment of maximum peril".
By morning, Iran had reopened airports and airspace that were shut during the strikes.
Still, there was alarm over security in Israel and elsewhere. The US Embassy in Jerusalem restricted, opens new tab US government employees from travel outside Jerusalem, greater Tel Aviv and Beersheba "out of an abundance of caution".
The embassy warned US citizens of a "continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness as security incidents often take place without warning".
Israel's assault on Gaza began after Hamas Islamists attacked Israel on 7 October killing 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military offensive has killed about 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gazan health ministry.
Groups backed by Iran have declared support for Palestinians, carrying out attacks from Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq, raising fears the Gaza conflict could grow into a wider regional war.

Iran plays down Israeli attacks, signals no further retaliation

Oil steadied on Friday after prices spiked earlier on reports that Israel had attacked Iran, as market fears of a major escalation to hostilities in the Mideast appeared to ease and a build-up of global oil stocks weighed.
The benchmark contracts surged more than $3 before dipping back down. At 0845 GMT, Brent futures were up 14 cents, or 0.2%, at $87.25 a barrel. The most active US West Texas Intermediate contract climbed 23 cents, or 0.3%, to $82.96 per barrel. &nbsp; Israel launched an attack on Iranian soil on Friday, sources told Reuters, the latest tit-for-tat exchange between the two countries that threatens to drag the region deeper into conflict.
Iranian media reported explosions, but an Iranian official told Reuters those were caused by air defence systems. State media said three drones over the central city of Isfahan had been shot down.
"The fear is that we are on an escalating tit-for-tat retaliatory path. ... The hope is that the retaliatory strikes will be fading in magnitude and then fizzle out," said Bjarne Schieldrop, commodities analyst at SEB Research.
"The oil market is nonetheless concerned as there is too much oil supply at stake."
Last weekend Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles in a retaliatory strike after a suspected Israeli attack on its embassy compound in Syria. Most of the drones and missiles were downed before reaching Israeli territory, with minimal damage and casualties.
Investors have been closely monitoring Israel's reaction to the April 13 Iranian drone attacks. The geopolitical risk premium in oil prices had been unwinding this week on the perception that any Israeli retaliation to Iran's attack would be moderated by international pressure.
Meanwhile a rise in global oil storage weighed on prices.
"Visible oil stocks globally have steadily risen, which seems counterintuitive given strong price action recently," Citi analysts wrote in a note late on Thursday, citing a build of about 1 million barrels per day in crude stocks over the first quarter.
The US also announced sanctions on Iran, an OPEC member, targeting its unmanned aerial vehicle production after the country's drone strike on Israel. The sanctions on Iran, however, exclude its oil industry.

Oil steadies after surge following reported Israeli attack on Iran

Dengue cases have created an "emergency situation" in the Americas, although cases in hotspots Argentina and Brazil appear to have stabilised, the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Thursday.
PAHO, a United Nations agency, has confirmed more than 5.2 million cases of dengue across the Americas this year, an over 48% jump from the 3.5 million cases the group reported late last month.
More than 1,800 people have died from the mosquito-borne viral illness, up from over 1,000 deaths reported last month in the year through March.
"We have an emergency situation," PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa said in a press briefing.
The countries so far hit the hardest in the current outbreak, Argentina and Brazil, "still have a very strong transmission," Barbosa said, adding that "in recent weeks there seems to be a stabilisation, or even a reduction" in the countries' cases.
Barbosa warned that supply of an existing dengue vaccine is "very limited" and even widespread vaccination would not have an immediate impact on interrupting the ongoing outbreak.
"The dengue vaccine can play an important role in reducing severe cases of deaths, but it will take time until the effects of the vaccine can be reflected in the decrease in dengue cases," Barbosa said.
Dengue symptoms include fever, headaches, vomiting, skin rashes, as well as muscle and joint pain. In some cases, it can cause a more severe hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding that can lead to death.

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World

UN chief says Mideast 'cycle of retaliation' must stop

Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway

WHO approves simpler cholera vaccine

Israel's Iran attack carefully calibrated after internal splits, US pressure

WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated J&J cough syrup

Hindu nationalist Modi the favourite as India votes

Bangladesh

Dhaka's air unhealthy for sensitive groups this morning

Dhaka urges Bhutan to reduce fees for Bangladeshi tourists

G7 calls for starting process of Rohingya repatriation

Dhaka urges Thimphu to rekindle BBIN MVA framework to promote prosperity

Quader terms BNP as communal force, kingpin of corruption

11 more Myanmar border guard members take refuge in Bangladesh

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Quader terms BNP as communal force, kingpin of corruption

Upazila parishad polls to be held in free, fair environment :Quader

AL prohibits ministers' and MPs' relatives from upazila polls

Road accidents have increased due to govt’s negligence: Mirza Fakhrul

Netanyahu is behaving like Hitler: Quader

Reveal BNP’s jailed leaders list, otherwise seek apology to nation: Quader

BNP spreading lies about forced disappearances and torture: Obaidul Quader

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