Rajshahi University (RU) has attained its place among 500 top universities in Asia.
Times Higher Education (THE), a periodical related to education based in the United Kingdom (UK), has recently published a ranking list of 2024 showing RU's place among 401-500.
In the list, 21 universities in Bangladesh including RU have come, said a press release issued by RU Public Relation Office here today.
The ranking list has been made based on some indicators, including education standard, teachers-students ratio, research standard and citation rate and international students. &nbsp;
Published in THE's website on April 30 the list showed RU, Dhaka University and Brac University grabbed the third position jointly among Bangladesh's universities.
The release added that RU Vice-chancellor (VC) Professor Golam Sabbir Sattar has joined a conference on 'Going Global Asia Pacific' held in Singapore in November 2022 and talked with the THE education and research officials about planning towards taking the RU to world standard through development.&nbsp;
Subsequently, the VC has adopted all sorts of time-fitting steps and implemented those efficiently.

RU among 500 top universities in Asia

All primary and secondary level educational institutions which remained closed because of the countrywide heat wave will reopen on Saturday (4 April)
The Ministry of Education issued a notice in this regard on Thursday (2 May).
"Classes will resume from Saturday," reads the notice signed by the ministry&rsquo;s public relations officer MA Khayer.
Schools and colleges were scheduled to reopen on 21 April after the end of the Eid holidays but the closure was extended till 27 April due to sweltering heat across the country caused by heat waves.
Classes resumed on 28 April although there was no remarkable change in the heat wave condition, worrying the guardians, especially those of primary level students.
The authorities extended the closure of primary and secondary level educational intuitions till 2 May following a High Court order to keep those shut.
The HC passed the suo moto order following reports of death and sickness of people including teachers and students after the reopening of the educational institutions

Classes at schools, colleges to resume from 4 May

The authorities of Comilla University have announced the closure of the institution indefinitely amid an ongoing demonstration by teachers.
The university authorities made the decision in the 93rd Emergency Syndicate meeting on Tuesday (30 April) evening.
All dormitories of the university will also remain closed for an indefinite period.
A notification signed by the acting registrar of the university, Amirul Haque Chowdhury, was issued in this regard.
The announcement comes as a tense situation prevails in the university, where a faction of teachers have put different administrative buildings under padlocks to press their demands.
According to the notification, all academic and administrative activities of the university will be closed until further notice.
However, all activities related to the GST cluster examination will continue.
Meanwhile, students have been directed to leave the hall by 4pm on Wednesday.
Apart from this, 4 decisions were taken in the syndicate meeting, including forming a committee to review the demands of the teachers' association. &nbsp;

Comilla University shut down indefinitely amid teachers’ demonstration

Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nofel has recommended that the age limit for entry into government jobs should be pushed back to 35, with another 2 years (37) allowed for quota positions.
The Education Minister has sent a letter to his counterpart, Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain, with this recommendation.
The age limit for entry into government service is 30 at present (32 under various quotas including freedom fighters, etc).
In the letter, the Education Minister said that the students have been protesting on the streets for a long time regarding the demand to make the age limit of job application minimum 35 years according to international standards.
In 2018, Bangladesh Awami League's election manifesto on page 33 stated that 'proper steps will be taken considering merit and ability to increase the age limit for entry into government jobs'.
It further states, "In reality, the age limit for applying jobs at all levels in Bangladesh was raised from 27 years to 30 years in 1991, 33 years ago, when the average life expectancy of people in Bangladesh was 57 years. At present, the average life expectancy of people in Bangladesh has increased to 73 years, so it is logical to increase the age limit for applying for jobs."
Nofel wrote that the age limit for applying for jobs in about 162 countries of the world is at least 35 years, among South Asian countries, our neighboring country India is the most populous country in the world, but the maximum age limit for applying for jobs is 45 years in different states, 45 years in Maldives, 45 years in Sri Lanka, 35 years in Nepal, 35 years in Afghanistan.
The developed countries of the world, including India, have done a lot of research about the age limit and increased it to about 35 years according to international standards. In order to eliminate unemployment and create a developed smart Bangladesh, it is important to make students skilled at international standards and also to create opportunities to enter the international job market.
In such cases, the maximum age limit for application in all Ministries, Departments, Directorates &nbsp;and Autonomous, Nationalized Institutions at various levels of employment is minimum 35 years as per International Standards (37 years for &nbsp;BJS, Doctors, Freedom Fighters Quota), Sub Inspector of Police and in case of appointment of sergeant, opportunity to participate in examination up to 30 years.
The Education Minister requested the Minister of Public Administration to take necessary steps considering the issue of opening the age limit in research and various special skill fields as per the government policy.

Age limit for entering govt service to be 35, if Nofel has his way

University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman (Additional Charge) Prof Dr Muhammad Alamgir has suggested appointing an ombudsman from among the senior citizens in the universities to investigate various complaints, including sexual harassment, ragging and other irregularities.
He made the recommendation while addressing a meeting with stakeholders on grievance redressal mechanism at the UGC here today, a press release said.
Alongside appointing ombudsman, Prof Alamgir also suggested creating an impartial platform to speed up disposal of complaints, protect the safety and privacy of individuals and ensure transparency and accountability of institutions.
UGC Secretary Dr Ferdous Zaman presided over the meeting.

UGC for appointing ombudsman to probe sexual harassments at universities

Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering (Buet), who had boycotted all sorts of academic activities protesting Bangladesh Chhatra League&rsquo;s move to restore political activities on the campus, have decided to sit for the examinations.
The decision was taken at meeting of class representatives with Buet administration on Tuesday.
Director of &nbsp;Buet Student Welfare Directorate (DSW) Professor Dr. Mohammad Al Amin Siddiq confirmed the matter.
These exams will start from 11 May and the fresh exam routine will be published soon.
Buet students started demonstration after BCL president Saddam Hussain along with other leaders and activists entered the campus on March 28 midnight to restore politics although student politics is prohibited.
They boycotted all sorts of academic activities and demanded stricter action against those students who tried to revive student politics on the campus ignoring the ban. Amid a tense situation, Buet authorities announced the postponement of all examinations on April &nbsp;20.
&nbsp;

Buet students postpone class, exam boycott

Staff Correspondent

Schools may be kept open on Fridays if required to mitigate the learning gap, Education Minister Barrister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel said on Tuesday (April 30).&nbsp;
"Educational institutions will not be uniformly closed or opened across all districts during heatwaves. Decisions will be made on a district-by-district basis due to variations in temperature across Bangladesh," said the minister while talking to journalists at the Secretariat.
He said, "Classes may need to be suspended in some areas after a few days due to flooding. In such cases, the decision to continue classes and examinations, even on Fridays, may be considered to reduce the learning gap caused by various holidays, including natural disasters."
Regarding the court's order to keep educational institutions closed, the minister said, "The executive branch has been providing instructions in coordination with the meteorological department and the health directorate for the operation of educational institutions in different regions. Spontaneous decisions sometimes disrupt our work. Nevertheless, we respect the decisions of the court."

Schools to remain open on Fridays if necessary: Education minister

The Ministry of Education will not appeal against the High Court's order to close educational institutions due to the ongoing severe heat waves.&nbsp;
As a result, primary, secondary school and madrassa holidays remain in effect till Thursday (2 May).
&ldquo;The decision on when the educational institutions will be open will be announced later,&rdquo; Education Ministry Public Relations Officer Abul Khair said on Tuesday (30 April).
Earlier, on 29 April, Education Minister Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury said that he would appeal against the HC order to close educational institutions due to the ongoing severe heatwave.
Meanwhile, educational institutions opened on Sunday (28 April) after a 32-day holiday due to Ramadan, Eid and summer vacations.
However, due to the searing temperatures and severe heat waves, many students and teachers fell ill in various educational institutions in the country.&nbsp;
As a result, the HC ordered to close all educational institutions till 2 May.
&nbsp;

Education ministry will not appeal against HC order to close educational institutions due to heat wave

Due to the ongoing heatwave, secondary schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical education institutions in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Khulna, Chuadanga and Jashore districts will remain closed on Monday (29 April). &nbsp;
The education ministry announced the decision by issuing a notice on Sunday (28 April).&nbsp;
However, educational institutions equipped with air-conditioning systems may choose to remain open. Further decisions will be announced tomorrow, read the notice.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the primary schools will remain open tomorrow.&nbsp;
All primary and secondary schools, along with colleges, resumed classes today after an extended break, which included the Eid-ul-Fitr and Pahela Baishakh holidays, as well as a week off due to the ongoing heatwave.

Heatwave: All educational institutions except primary schools to remain shut tomorrow in five districts

Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel has expressed his stance against shutting down schools due to heatwaves.
"We should move away from the mindset that educational institutions should be closed in response to any situation. Our new curriculum focuses on maintaining regular attendance in classes," said the minister in response to concerns raised from various quarters regarding the reopening of educational institutions during heatwaves.
The minister made these comments while addressing an event titled "Technical and Voluntary Education Week 2024" at Dhaka Mohila Polytechnic Institute on Sunday (April 28).
However, the minister added that if the temperature in any specific region exceeds 42 degrees Celsius, the educational institutions in that area would be closed.
"If the temperature rises above 42 degrees Celsius in any district, the district's primary education officer and secondary education officer will have the authority to close or adjust operational hours after discussions," said the minister.
The minister also mentioned that virtual classes could be implemented at higher education levels, emphasising that the ministry does not have any objection regarding this.
He further noted that a decision has been made to keep schools open on Saturdays to compensate for learning losses caused by the closure of educational institutions. "The ministry will make decisions regarding this matter once the gaps are addressed," said the minister.

Shutting down schools due to heat makes no sense: Education minister

All the primary schools, high schools and colleges across the country have resumed today (28 April) after one week of extended closure due to the ongoing heat wave flowing nationwide.
On Saturday (April 27), the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education took decision to reopen the classes from today.
However, Secondary and Higher Education Division, on 25 April, declared to resume the classes from 28 April.
Ministry of Primary and Mass Education said primary class hours will be limited to the cooler morning hours beginning from 8:00 am to 11:30 am.&nbsp;
However, for schools operating in two shifts, the first shift will run from 8:00 am to 9:30 am and the second from 9:45 am to 11:30 am, it elaborated.&nbsp;
Despite these changes, pre-primary level classes will remain closed until further notice, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education further said.
It also reminded that no school assemblies will be held amid ongoing heat wave.&nbsp;
From now on, academic activities will be held on every Saturday until further notice to cover the lessons hampered for closures, it also said.
However, outdoor academic activities will remain limited.&nbsp;
Following heat wave conditions, the authorities concerned, &nbsp;on 20 April, extended the closure of schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical education institutions across the country until 27 April.&nbsp;
The government set 21 April to reopen all education institutions across the country after the nearly one-month long holidays on various occasions.

Education institutions reopen today amid heat alert

Academic activities at all colleges under National University will resume from today (27 April) a week after those were shut due to the scorching heat in the country.
This information was confirmed in a notice signed by Director of Public Relations Department of the NU Md Ataur Rahman.
Earlier on April 20, the NU authority in a notice said that academic activities would remain suspended until further notice.
Before that, the Ministry of Education decided to keep all schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical education institutions across the country closed from April 21 to 27.
However, educational institutions at primary and secondary-levels will also reopen today.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the county continues to experience a heat wave for the past few days.

Colleges under NU to resume classes from today

All the primary schools, high schools and colleges across the country will be reopened tomorrow after one week of extended closure due to the hot weather following the Eid holidays.&nbsp;
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education today took the decision of reopening the classes from tomorrow while Secondary and Higher Education Division on 25 April decided to resume the classes from 28 April.
In the primary schools, class hours will be limited to the cooler morning hours, from 8:00 am to 11:30 am. For schools operating in two shifts, the first shift will run from 8:00 am to 9:30 am and the second from 9:45 am to 11:30 am.&nbsp;
Despite these changes, pre-primary level classes will remain closed until further notice, and daily school assemblies will be suspended to avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.&nbsp;
Academic activities will be held on every Saturday until further notice to make up the loss of lessons caused by closure of the institutions due to heat wave and other reasons.
Academic activities which are performed outside of classrooms will remain limited.&nbsp;
Earlier, on April 20, due to the ongoing heatwave conditions, the authorities concerned extended the closure of schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical education institutions across the country until April 27.
These institutions were initially scheduled to reopen after the Eid holidays on April 21.&nbsp;

Primary, secondary schools, colleges to open tomorrow

The government has decided to reopen primary schools from Sunday with morning classes scheduled until 11:30am to mitigate health risk from ongoing heatwaves.&nbsp;
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education issued a notice on Saturday (April 27) outlining guidelines for the resumption of classes.
For primary schools operating in single shift, classes will run from 8:00am to 11:30am. Those schools operating in a two shifts will hold classes from 8:00am to 9:30am for the first phase, with the second shift classes scheduled from 9:45am to 11:30am.
These instructions apply to all government primary schools, those managed by the Shishu Kalyan Trust, and learning centers under the non-formal education bureau, said Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin, information officer at the ministry.
Pre-primary grade classes will remain suspended until further notice, Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin added.
He also noted that assemblies will remain suspended until the situation stabilizes to an acceptable level.

Primary schools to reopen Sunday with morning classes due to heatwaves

The first-year undergraduate admission test for the academic year 2023-24 of 24 general and science and technology (GST) public universities under cluster-system will begin today (27 April).
A total of 305,346 candidates will participate in the entrance test in three units against some 20,000 seats.
A total of 170,599 students have registered under 'A' unit, 94,631 under 'B' unit, and 40,116 under 'C' unit to participate in the entrance test.
The test will be held under the management of Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST), said the public relations office of JUST on Thursday.&nbsp;
According to the GST website, the entrance test of 'A' unit will be held from 12:00pm to 1:00pm. On the same day, the practical exams (drawing) for architecture will take place from 3:30pm to 4:30pm.&nbsp;
JUST Vice-Chancellor Md Anwar Hossain, also chairman of the GST Integrated Admission Committee, said all necessary measures have been taken to hold the exams smoothly.

Cluster admission tests begin today

Mizanur Rahman

As the severe heatwave persists, Dhaka University (DU) has shifted its academic activities online.&nbsp;
However, female students residing in five halls are facing untold sufferings in the intense heat as the university doesn't allow ceiling fans in their rooms.
After interviewing a dozen students from all female residential dormitories, it has been learned that the university authorities opted not to install ceiling fans purportedly to prevent the risk of potential suicides.&nbsp;
The DU authorities, however, refused to comment on this regard.
Consequently, students have been compelled to purchase table fans on their own. But, amidst the ongoing heatwave, the absence of ceiling fans has turned the rooms into unbearable hotspots.&nbsp;
Additionally, the loud noise emitted by the small table fans disrupts concentration during study sessions, likened to the noise of a factory.
Except for Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall, 7,298 students reside in the other four halls.
According to data obtained from hall websites and provosts of the halls, Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall accommodates 880 residential students against 372 seats in 93 rooms, while Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall houses 1,600 students in 252 rooms.&nbsp;
Ruqayyah Hall accommodates 3,500 students, and Shamsun Nahar Hall has 1,398 students.
Sanjida Ferdousi Reshmee, a resident student of Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall, said, "We personally installed table fans. However, these fans only provide airflow in a limited area. Two students have to share a single bed, and the airflow from the table fan barely covers one person.
&ldquo;Moreover, we are not confined to the bed all day. These fans are ineffective during studying, praying, or other tasks. Additionally, there's a lack of space to place the fan. It's challenging to accommodate both the fan and two people on a small bed," she shared.&nbsp;
Amidst the heatwave where people are succumbing to the heat, we expect such basic amenities from the university, she added.
Reshmee added that the authorities should have provided ceiling fans, especially considering the severity of the situation.
Jannatul Islam Mim, a student of Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall, remarked that not installing ceiling fans to allegedly prevent suicide is like cutting off the head to cure a headache.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We are using very small table fans, which produce huge noise. With eight students residing in one room, the noise generated by their table fans resembles that of a factory, causing considerable distraction during our studies," she said.
Ashrefa Khtaun of Shamsun Nahar Hall, mentioned, "Our rooms have ceiling fan hanging rings and arrangements, but the hall authority did not provide fans."
Trupa Basu added, "I reside on the top floor. Due to the absence of ceiling fans, the rooms have become extremely hot. We also face severe heat at night too."
Dr Nelofar Parvin, Provost of Ruqayyah Hall, said, "The newly built 7th March building is equipped with ceiling fans provided by the university authorities, while the remaining buildings do not have any ceiling fans."
She clarified that they do not provide table fans to students.
Dr Gawsia W Chowdhury, provost of Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall, stated that her hall has a strategy to install ceiling fans.&nbsp;
"There is a valid reason for which the university opted to not install ceiling fans in the girls' hall. However, the absence of ceiling fans does not imply that they cannot be installed. We have a strategy in place for installing ceiling fans in our hall. Some rooms in our hall already have ceiling fans installed.&rdquo;
&ldquo;To install ceiling fans, all students sharing a room must submit an application along with a declaration accepting responsibility for any incidents that may occur due to the ceiling fan. Following this procedure, the hall authority may grant permission for the installation of ceiling fans,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp;
Upon failing to reach DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, who is currently abroad, the Bangladesh First contacted Pro Vice-Chancellor (Admin) Dr Muhammad Samad.&nbsp;
Dr Samad explained that it is not currently feasible to install ceiling fans in all halls.&nbsp;
He assured that he would address the matter with the vice-chancellor upon his return to the country.

Ceiling fans ‘banned’ at DU girls’ halls! Heatwave brings untold sufferings for female students

The ongoing road safety movement by Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet) students has been postponed following a bilateral meeting between the university administration and the students on Thursday night.
The vehicular movement on busy Chattogram-Rangamati&rsquo;s Kaptai Road resumed around 11:30pm after the protesting students left it.
Moreover, the students decided to return to their academic activities deferring their movement.
In a statement signed by the university&rsquo;s Registrar (additional duty) Prof Dr Sheikh Mohammad Humayun Kabir on Thursday night said that a decision will be made in the syndicate meeting to be held on Friday to reconsider the closure of academic activities.
However, the students will be allowed to stay in the dormitories till then, it read.
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, the Cuet was declared closed for an indefinite period as students burst into protests demanding road safety after the deaths of two fellows in a fatal road accident on April 22.
Besides, the male students were asked to vacate dormitories by 5pm on Thursday and the female students by 9am on Friday.
Two Cuet students&mdash;Shanto Saha, a 3rd year student and Tawfiq Hasan, a 2nd year student of Civil engineering department, died when a bus of &lsquo;Shah Amanat&rsquo; paribahan hit a motorbike on Chattogram-Kaptai road at Zianagar in Rangunia upazila on Monday.
As soon as the news spread, some Cuet students vandalised three buses and set one more on fire on that day.
The students took to the streets boycotting classes and examinations and continued their protests till Wednesday blocking the Chattogram-Kaptai road by setting fire on logs and tyres to press home their 9 point demand for safe road.
They demanded arrest of the bus driver and his assistant and their exemplary punishment.
The other demands include providing compensation to the deceased and bearing the medical expenses of the student injured in the accident, establishment of modern treatment centre with all facilities on the campus, proving ambulances with modern equipment, stopping movement of all local buses including Shah Amanat and AB Travels on the road, examining liscences of the buses and CNG-run auto-rickshaws that ply the road , making the Student Welfare Council under accountable and forming students representative group.
Bus driver Md Tazul Islam was arrested from the Kotwali area of Chattogram city on Wednesday afternoon.

CUET students' agree to halt their protest, classes to resume

Desk Report

Secondary schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical education institutions across the country are set to resume classes from Sunday (28 April).
"Classes and regular activities will restart next Sunday as per the Ministry of Education's instructions. We are making the necessary preparations to welcome back students safely," said Professor Syed Jafar Ali, director (secondary) of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE).
"Assemblies at schools will remain suspended until further notice, and we're advising schools to limit activities that expose students to direct sunlight," the DSHE official added.
To compensate for the educational gap caused by recent closures, schools and colleges are also permitted to conduct classes on Saturdays until further notice, according to the DSHE directive.
However, as of 6:30pm, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has not issued any circular regarding the reopening of schools.
Earlier on 20 April, due to heatwave, the government had announced closure of all schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical education institutions nationwide from 21-27 April.
All secondary schools in Bangladesh began their holiday including Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, and Pohela Boishakh on 26 March, following the closure of colleges on 25 March.&nbsp;
Primary schools and madrasas had already started their break on 22 March.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has issued a warning today stating that the ongoing heatwave is expected to persist for another 72 hours, commencing this morning.

Secondary schools, colleges to reopen Sunday

The Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) authorities have decided to close the institution and instructed students to vacate dormitories amid student protests.
&ldquo;On Thursday, the university&rsquo;s academic council met for an emergency meeting with the vice chancellor and made the decision of closure as protesters were blocking the road and torching vehicles,&rdquo; said CUET Assistant Director (Public Relations) Mohammad Rashedul Islam.
The male students have been directed to vacate the halls of residence by 5pm today, while female students are given until 10:00am tomorrow to depart.
Shanto Saha and Toufique Hossain, both from the Department of Civil Engineering, lost their lives when a bus rear-ended their motorcycle on Monday near Zia Nagar Selina Quader Chowdhury College in Chattogram's Rangunia Upazila.&nbsp;
Another student sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
The students' grief transformed into protest, starting at the CUET gate on Monday.&nbsp;
They set a Shah Amanat Parbahan Group bus on fire and vandalised another.

CUET shuts down indefinitely amid protests, students ordered to evacuate halls

State Minister for Education Shamsun Nahar Chapa said today a decision regarding the reopening of educational institutions will be made on Saturday, taking into consideration the prevailing weather conditions.
Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat in response to inquiries about a potential extension of the closure of educational institutions due to the three-day extension of the heat alert, the state minister for education emphasised the need to weigh all factors before reaching a decision.
Addressing the issue of online classes, she said, "While classes can be conducted online, many schools lack the necessary infrastructure to facilitate virtual learning. Therefore, a comprehensive decision will be made after considering all aspects."
Earlier, on April 20, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and the Secondary and Higher Education Division declared a seven-day holiday for secondary and higher secondary educational institutions, prioritising the health and safety of students amidst the scorching heatwaves. Educational institutions are scheduled to resume operations on April 28.
Meanwhile, a severe heat wave continues to affect the country, prompting the Bangladesh Meteorological Department to extend the heat alert period until April 27. According to a weather forecast signed by Shahinul Islam, the Meteorological Department predicts that the heat wave will persist throughout the month of April.

Decision on opening educational institutions Saturday: State minister for education

Reuters

Student protests in the US over the war in Gaza have intensified and expanded over the past week, with a number of encampments now in place at colleges including Columbia, Yale, and New York University. Police have been called in to several campuses to arrest demonstrators.
Here are some details on the protests:
WHAT ARE THE PROTESTERS DEMANDING?
Across campuses where protests have broken out, students have issued calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an end to US military assistance for Israel, university divestment from arms suppliers and other companies profiting from the war, and an amnesty for students and faculty members who have been disciplined or fired for protesting.
WHO ARE THE PROTESTERS?
Pro-Palestinian protests have drawn students and faculty of various backgrounds, including of Jewish and Muslim faiths. The groups organising the protests include Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace.
The encampments have also attracted a diverse array of teach-ins, interfaith prayers, and musical performances.
Organisers have widely disavowed violence against pro-Israel counter-protesters, although some Jewish students have said they feel unsafe on campus and unnerved by chants they say are antisemitic.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE FROM AUTHORITIES?
School administrators and local law enforcement have cracked down on the protests.
Columbia and the affiliated Barnard College have suspended dozens of students involved in the protests. More than 100 protesters have been arrested at Columbia, where University President Minouche Shafik called in New York Police to clear the encampment a day after she testified before a US House of Representatives committee. She said the encampment violated rules against unauthorised protests.
Yale police arrested more than 60 protesters on Monday, after giving them "several opportunities to leave and avoid arrest," according to the university.
The New York Police Department said officers arrested 120 people at NYU late on Monday. University officials said they requested their intervention because protesters had not dispersed and were "interfering with the safety and security of our community."
WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT ON REGULAR CAMPUS LIFE?
After holding all classes virtually on Monday, Columbia announced most courses would be offered with both virtual and in-person attendance options for the rest of the semester. Shafik said in a statement that she would not permit any group to disrupt graduation.
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, cancelled in-person classes until Wednesday after students barricaded themselves in an administrative building and demanded the school disclose all ties and holdings with Israel and cut ties with Israeli universities.
The University of Michigan said it would allow free expression and peaceful protest at its early May graduation ceremonies but would stop "substantial disruption."
HOW ARE POLITICAL LEADERS RESPONDING?
Democratic President Joe Biden, who has been criticised by the protesters for supplying funding and weapons to Israel, told reporters on Monday that he condemned both "antisemitic protests" and "those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians."
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the 2024 election, called the campus protest situation "a mess" as he walked into the second day of his criminal trial in New York.

What is behind the pro-Palestinian protests at US universities?

A Dhaka University (DU) student died while swimming in the university's Physical Education Centre swimming pool on Monday (22 April).&nbsp;
The deceased, Muhammad Sawad, 19, was a first-year student of Philosophy department and a resident of Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall.
&ldquo;Sawad drowned while swimming with his friends in the university's swimming pool,&rdquo; confirmed DU Proctor Professor M. Maksudur Rahman to Bangladesh First.
&ldquo;The body of the deceased has been placed in the morgue of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) for autopsy. The exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem examination,&rdquo; added the proctor.
Sawad's friend, Md Sohag, said, 'Many students were bathing at the swimming pool in the afternoon. At that moment, I noticed Sawad was surrounded by several students. Soon after, I learned that he had drowned in the pool. We immediately took him to DMCH, where the attending doctor declared him dead.&rdquo;

DU student drowns at swimming pool

Dhaka Education Board has requested the private educational institutions that maintaining international curriculum to remain closed till 27 April in a bid to avoid heat-related health risks.
The move comes a day after the closure of schools and colleges until April 27.
Several universities have already declared to hold only online classes from today (22 April) until further notice.
On Sunday, Comilla University decided to hold only online classes from today (22 April).
Meanwhile, Dhaka, Chittagong, and Jagannath universities have declared that they will hold only online classes from today due to ongoing heatwave.
The National University, on Saturday, asked its affiliated colleges to suspend classes until further notice.
In the meantime, the Islamic Arabic University has also asked its 1,500 affiliated Fazil and Kamil madrasas to hold online classes until April 27.
According to the BMD, a very severe heatwave is sweeping over Pabna and Chuadanga districts while severe heatwave is sweeping over the districts of Rajshahi, Tangail, Jashore and Kushtia. Mild to moderate heatwave is sweeping over Rangpur, Barishal and Mymensingh divisions and rest parts of Dhaka, Rajshahi and Khulna divisions and the districts of Srimangal and Chandpur and it may continue.
Temperatures between 40 and 41.9 degrees C were termed as severe heatwaves.
On Sunday, the temperature in the capital reached 38.2 degree Celsius while the highest -- 42.2 degrees Celsius -- was recorded in Pabna and Chuadanga.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and ICDDR, B issued some guidelines in an effort to minimise health risk due to the scorching heat.

English medium schools to remain closed until 27 April

The University of Dhaka will conduct academic classes online until further notice to avert possible health hazards due to the heatwave.
However, the exams will be held in person, the university Pro-Vice Chancellor Sitesh Chandra Bachar told Bangladesh First on Sunday (April 21).
A searing heatwave is sweeping over the country, leading the government to close primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges, for a week.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) today forcast that the heatwave may continue for longer than expected and the temperatures may rise in coming days.

DU classes to be held online until further notice due to heatwave

The exam results for the position of assistant teachers in government primary schools across 21 districts in Dhaka and Chattogram divisions have been published.&nbsp;
A total of 23,057 candidates have passed the exams, said Mahbubur Rahman, Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.
The examinations, which were held on March 29, saw the participation of 349,293 candidates.
The results are now accessible on the websites of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (www.mopme.gov.bd) and the Directorate of Primary Education (www.dpe.gov.bd).
Successful candidates will also receive their results via their mobile numbers.
Details regarding the date and venue of the viva voce will be disclosed in due course, said the public relations officer.

23,057 succeed in govt primary school teacher recruitment exams

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) has postponed examinations amidst a student-led boycott of academic activities, marking their protest against campus politics.
Sources from a recent academic council meeting revealed that Buet made the decision last evening in light of the ongoing student demonstrations.
The students have been abstaining from classes and examinations, denouncing the presence of Chhatra League activists on campus, where political activities are prohibited.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a member of the academic council disclosed that the authorities postponed the exams in consideration of the prevailing circumstances. The rescheduled exam dates will be announced at a later, more suitable time, the member added.
Buet students have persisted in their boycott of exams as part of their ongoing movement against campus politics even after Eid holidays.
The ban on student politics at the university was enforced following the tragic murder of second-year student Abrar Fahad by a group of Bangladesh Chhatra League members at Sher-e-Bangla Hall on October 7, 2019.
On April 1, the High Court temporarily suspended the university's notice banning student politics on campus.

Buet postpones exams in response to student boycott

National University (NU) authorities have suspended classes of all colleges under the university due to the ongoing heat wave in the country.
An official release issued on Saturday (20 April), the authorities of the national university will announce resumption of classes considering overall weather condition.
The government has already decided to keep all primary, secondary schools, colleges and madrasahs closed from April 21 to April 27 as the entire country is under reeling from severe heat wave.

NU suspends all classes amid heat wave

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

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

The Ministry of Education has pledged to take stern action against educational institutions found collecting additional fees from the examinees of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) under the guise of test examinations.
In a notification issued on Tuesday (16 April), the ministry addressed concerns raised by various media outlets regarding the collection of extra fees from students in the name of test examinations and the denial of admit cards to them.
&ldquo;Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury has instructed that no additional fees shall be levied on any student in the name of test examinations, and students cannot be denied admit cards on examination grounds,&rdquo; reads the statement.&nbsp;
In the event of non-compliance with this direction, the Education Ministry has asked the relevant authorities to take specific measures against those institutions, said the notification.

Stern action against institutions charging extra fees for HSC test exams: Mohibul

President Mohammed Shahabuddin today asked the university authorities to formulate world-standard and modern curriculums as the newly appointed vice-chancellor (VC) of Chittagong University (CU) Professor Dr Md Abu Taher paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban.
"Modern curriculums should be formulated so that the students can establish themselves as competent at the national and international levels," President's press secretary Md Joynal Abedin quoted the President as saying during the meeting.
Mohammed Shahabuddin, also the chancellor of the universities, said the country's higher education needs to be compatible with science and information technology (IT).
The authorities concerned of the universities should take necessary initiatives to expand formal education as well as non-formal educational programs in the field of the higher education, he hoped.
The head of state added that necessary initiatives should be taken so that the students can attain proper knowledge about the country's Liberation War, independence, culture and traditions.
Meanwhile, during the meeting, the President was apprised by the VC of the academic and overall activities of the University of Chittagong.
President's Office Secretary Md Wahidul Islam Khan, Military Secretary Major General SM Salahuddin Islam and Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin were present.

President for modern curriculums in universities

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

Students of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) have appealed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, seeking her intervention to maintain their campus as a zone free of political activities.
This request was articulated through an open letter to the Prime Minister, the contents of which were shared during a press briefing held Tuesday afternoon in front of the Prof MA Rashid Administrative building on the BUET campus.
During the briefing, students publicly read their letter, appealing directly to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to visit their campus. They expressed their aspiration to demonstrate the potential of a politics-free educational environment, confident in their ability to surpass global technological institutions if given a chance to focus solely on academic and research excellence.
"Our earnest appeal to you is to implement the policies adopted by the greatest Bengali of all times, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Please keep student politics out of Buet, even if it requires reforming the law. Because law is created for justice,&rdquo; the letter asserts, echoing the students' collective desire for an educational environment focused on innovation, free of student politics.

In open letter, Buet students appeal to PM for a politics-free campus

This year's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exams are scheduled to start from 30 June.
Schedule of the exam was published on the Dhaka Education Board's website on Tuesday (2 April).
This year's exams will be based on the revised syllabus.&nbsp;
HSC and equivalent exams are typically held in April.
However, the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the academic calendar have delayed the exams this year as well.
Examinees can start filling out forms for this year&rsquo;s exams from 16-25 April.

HSC exams to begin from 30 June

The Non-Government Teachers' Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) on Sunday published a job circular for the recruitment of teachers to fill 96,736 positions in private schools, colleges, and madrasas.
According to the circular, candidates can submit their applications for these positions starting from 17 April.
Out of the total vacancies, applications are being accepted for 43,286 positions in schools and colleges, and 53,450 positions in madrasas and technical institutions.
The collection of data regarding teacher vacancies in private educational institutions affiliated with MPO (Monthly Pay Order) was conducted from 29 February to 18 March. A thorough review of the vacancy data was completed by 25 March.

Job circular released for 96,736 non-govt teaching positions

The hanging body of a female student of Dhaka University has been recovered from the university's teachers' quarters.
&ldquo;Police recovered the body, which was hanging from a fan, from the third floor of a teacher's quarter building on Fuller Road at DU on Sunday (31 March) morning,&rdquo; DU Proctor Professor M Maksudur Rahman said.
"We were informed at 4:30am by her family about the incident. Later, police went there and rushed her to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where the on-duty doctor declared her dead," he added.
&ldquo;After receiving the news, we went to the residential quarter situated on Fuller Road early in the morning and found the student lying on the bed. Her family said that she hung herself from the ceiling fan using her scarf,&rdquo; Shahbag Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mustazirur Rahman said.
The student, Adrita Binte Musharraf, is a first-year student of the Marketing Department of DU, and her father, Dr Md Mosharraf Hossain, is a faculty member of the Management Department.
She was living with her parents at the teachers' quarter.

Hanging body of DU student recovered from teachers' quarters

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) will hold a protest rally demanding the reinstatement of student politics on the campus of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) at Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka tomorrow (31 March) at 11 am.
Signed by BCL President Saddam Hussain and General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan, the ruling party's student wing released a statement today (30 March) on the issue.
The development arises as a group of BUET students are staging a protest for the second consecutive day on the campus, boycotting academic activities, including scheduled exams, in response to the entry of BCL leaders and activists onto campus premises.
In the statement, BCL stated that its rally is demanding the eviction of the dark shadow cast by fundamentalist groups and protesting against unconstitutional, anti-fundamental rights, and anti-educational decisions of the BUET administration.
In response to the protest, the university authorities revoked the dormitory allotment of Imtiaz Rabbi, a student of the Civil Engineering Department and a central BCL leader.
The statement reads, "The Buet administration has obstructed the constitutional right to association of Imtiaz Hossain Rahim Rabbi by revoking the allotted seat.&rdquo;

BCL announces protest rally demanding the reinstatement of student politics at Buet

Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury has announced that an investigation will be conducted to ascertain whether extremist groups are operating their activities secretly at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).
The minister made this statement in response to questions from journalists after a program organized at the International Mother Language Institute (IMLI) in Dhaka on Saturday (30 March).
Just a few days ago, numerous complaints surfaced regarding the presence of certain extremist groups operating covertly within Buet, he said. 
The education minister said, &ldquo;We will thoroughly investigate this matter. If anyone exhibits extremist tendencies, they will be identified and countered.&rdquo; 
Law enforcement agencies are currently investigating the issue, and counter-terrorism groups will be involved in the process, added Mohibul Hassan.
A group of Buet students have been protesting on the campus, boycotting academic activities, including scheduled exams, following the entry of Chhatra League (BCL) leaders and activists onto campus premises.
In response to the ongoing student protests, Buet Vice-Chancellor Satya Prasad said they stand in solidarity with the students' demands, but it will take time to address them properly.

Investigation to be carried out to check extremist group presence at Buet: Education Minister

Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) continued their protest for the second consecutive day on Saturday, condemning a late-night gathering of Chhatra League activists on the campus.
The demonstration began early this morning as students from various academic batches gathered in front of the Shaheed Minar at 8:00am.&nbsp;
Despite the ban on student politics following the tragic murder of Abrar Fahad, several leaders and activists of BCL breached campus restrictions and engaged in political activities around 2:00am on Thursday.
Expressing their outrage, students presented a list of demands to the Buet administration yesterday afternoon. Wishing anonymity, a student revealed that Imtiaz Hossain Rahim, a 21-batch civil engineering student, had previously promised to resign from his position to restore campus harmony amidst student protests. However, he failed to uphold his pledge and continued to partake in political activities openly. He was actively involved in facilitating the entry of outsiders onto campus, conversing with security personnel, and organising political gatherings on the premises.
In response to the uproar, Buet authorities revoked Imtiaz's residential privileges at Titumir Hall last night and formed an investigation committee following student protests, as stated in a university press release.&nbsp;
Students are demanding not only Imtiaz's expulsion from the institution but also the expulsion of other Buet students involved in the incident.
Highlighting the breach of regulations, a protesting student questioned how leaders from other universities gained access to the campus at 2:00am when entry is prohibited after 10:30pm.&nbsp;
Additionally, the student criticised the unauthorised use of the seminar room for political events, stressing that permission from the Director of Student Welfare (DSW) is mandatory.&nbsp;
The protesting students demand the removal of the DSW if he fails to provide a satisfactory explanation.
Buet authorities imposed a ban on political activities following the tragic death of Fahad Abrar, a second-year student, allegedly at the hands of BCL activists at Sher-e-Bangla Hall on 7 October 2019.

Buet students continue protest for second straight day against BCL gathering on campus

A group of students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) demonstrated on the university campus on Friday, protesting against the entry of Bangladesh Chhatra&nbsp;League (BCL) leaders onto the campus last night despite a ban on political activities.
Buet authorities had banned all forms of political activities on the campus following the brutal murder of its 2nd-year student Abrar Fahad in 2019.&nbsp;
According to students participating in the protest, BCL activists have recently resumed political activities on the campus despite the ban.
During the protest rally, they held a press conference where they announced the boycott of all academic activities, including participating in exams scheduled for 30 and 31 March.&nbsp;
Gathering in front of the office of the Director of the Directorate of Students' Welfare (DSW) of the university, they chanted slogans such as &ldquo;Buet won&rsquo;t be the home of politics,&rdquo; &ldquo;No politics in Buet,&rdquo; and "The blood of Abrar Fahad has yet to dry."
During the press conference, they also announced a five-point demand, including the suspension of students from the university and dormitories who assisted BCL leaders in their entry onto the campus at night. They sought clarification on how BCL leaders were allowed to enter the campus.
They also warned of a tougher program, including the removal of Prof. Mizanur Rahman, Director of Students' Welfare (DSW), if the authorities fail to meet the demands by 2:00 pm tomorrow.
BCL President Saddam Hussain, along with leaders and activists, entered the Buet campus last night.&nbsp;

Buet students protest over entry of BCL leaders on campus

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Rumana Ali said that ten thousand primary school teachers will be recruited within the month of June in the third phase.&nbsp;
She said this while visiting Comilla Victoria Government College centre on Friday, during the third phase of the primary teacher recruitment examination of Dhaka and Chattogram divisions.
Written exams for assistant teacher recruitment in Dhaka and Chattogram divisions started at 10 am on Friday and ended at 11 am.&nbsp;

10,000 primary teachers to be recruited by June: state minister

The admission test results of all units of Dhaka University's (DU) undergraduate progamme for the academic year 2023-2024 have been published.
DU Vice-Chancellor Professor ASM Maksud Kamal revealed the results from the Abdul Motin Chowdhury virtual classroom on Thursday afternoon.
A pass rate of 8.89% has been recorded in A unit [Science] followed by 10.07% in B unit, 13.3% in C unit (Business), and 11.75% in Cha Unit (Fine Arts).
Applicants will be able to check their results at admission.eis.du.ac.bd website or through SMS by providing the relevant information. To access their results, candidates need to enter specific codes based on the units: DU ALS &lt;roll no&gt; for arts, law, and social science units; DU SCI &lt;roll no&gt; for science unit; DU BUS &lt;roll no&gt; for business education unit; and DU FRT &lt;roll no&gt; for fine arts unit, using any mobile number. Following this, they should send the SMS to 16321.&nbsp;
The results were informed through a return SMS.
The admission test for the arts, law and social science unit was held on 23 February; the admission test for the business studies unit was held on 24 February, and the test for the science unit was on 1 March.
Meanwhile, the test (Drawing and MCQ) for the Fine Arts unit was held on 9 March.

DU admission test results published

<div class="news-article-text-block text-patter-edit ref-link">
Admission test results of all units of Dhaka University's undergraduate progamme of the academic year 2023-2024 &nbsp;will be published at 3.30 pm on 28 March.
DU vice-chancellor Prof ASM Maksud Kamal will reveal the results from the Abdul Motin Chowdhury virtual classroom.
By providing information, applicants will be able to check their results at admission.eis.du.ac.bd website or use the short message service (SMS) available on any mobile operator.
A press release issued by DU public relations office confirmed the information.
The admission test for the Arts, Law and Social Science unit was held on 23 February; for the Business Education unit on 24 February, and the test for the Science unit was on 1 March.
The test(Drawing and MCQ) for the Fine Arts unit was held on 9 March.
</div>
<div class="fullwidth-add text-center hidden-xs" style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>

DU admission test results of all units to be published tomorrow

Only half (50.1%) of Grade 3 students in Bangladesh could recognize three Bengali letters out of three, including one complex letter.
Only 47.9% of students of the same grade recognize three Bengali words out of three, as revealed by research titled 'Quality of Education in Bangladesh: Aspiration, Reality, and Implications for Policy,' conducted by SM Zulfiqar Ali, Research Director of the Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
The study further revealed that 14.1% of grade three students could not read a Bangla word, while 19.4% of Grade 4 students could not read a word with difficult spelling.
The paper identified significant weaknesses in mathematics as well. Approximately 13.2% of Grade 3 students could not identify any numbers, and only 56% of students could identify all three numbers presented.
The paper was presented on Sunday at a seminar titled 'Unpacking the Economic Manifesto of the Awami League: Trends and Challenges for Tomorrow&rsquo;s Bangladesh,' organized by the BIDS in its conference room.
Planning Minister General Abdus Salam attended the inauguration session of the event as the chief guest, while Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali was the chief guest at the concluding session.
Three advisors to the Prime Minister, Dr. Mashiur Rahman, Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi, and Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, along with former Planning Minister MA Mannan, representatives from the private sector and research organizations, and policymakers, attended the event.
Researchers from the BIDS presented a total of eight papers highlighting the challenges and initiatives of the government to achieve the targets set in the manifesto of the Awami League prior to the last national election.
Zulfiqar Ali, while presenting his paper virtually, stated that every child now attends primary school, and there has been substantial progress in retaining students. The literacy rate has also increased, ensuring equal access to education for boys and girls. However, the education sector of the country is facing significant challenges, as the quality remains a major concern from primary to higher education.
Improving incentives and elevating teacher status are vital for quality education, he said.
&ldquo;We observe noticeable learning deficiencies among the students at the primary level. It is reflected in both Bangla and Mathematics. However, it is more pronounced for Mathematics than for Bangla,&rdquo; he said.
He also mentioned that girls performed better in Bangla, while boys performed better in Mathematics. Schools in urban areas performed better than those in rural areas, and schools in chars and coastal areas performed relatively poorly.
He urged the implementation of appropriate measures not only to sustain improved teaching and learning in schools but also to address the learning deficiencies resulting from school closures during the Covid period.
&nbsp;

Only half of Grade 3 students could recognize all Bengali letters

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will celebrate the silver jubilee of International Mother Language Day on February 21, 2025.
The decision was taken unanimously at the 219th meeting of UNESCO executive board, held at its headquarters in Paris, the Bangladesh Embassy in Paris said.
Sixty-three UNESCO member states supported the proposal placed by Bangladesh.
Besides UNESCO headquarters, the silver jubilee of International Mother Language Day will be celebrated at its regional and local offices as well.
All member states have been requested to celebrate the silver jubilee of International Mother Language Day.
Bangladesh Ambassador to France and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to UNESCO, Khondker M Talha, thanked the UNESCO member states.
He thanked all concerned for giving universality to sign language by giving it the importance of a mother tongue.
The ambassador said the decision was yet another recognition of the leadership and concerted efforts of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the preservation, promotion and expansion of the mother tongue and sign language.
He hoped that as a result of this decision, various programmes would be adopted at home and abroad to honour the mother tongue next year.
The ambassador identified the global celebration of International Mother Language Day as a unique success of Bangladesh's public diplomacy and through this he felt it was a golden opportunity to highlight to the world the great history of Bangladesh's Language Movement and sacrifice for the mother tongue.
In 1999, the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed February 21 as the International Mother Language Day.
The proclamation considered the moves to promote the dissemination of mother languages to encourage not only linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also developing fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and inspiring solidarity based on understanding, tolerance, and dialogue.
The proclamation was also considered to be one of the most effective ways to promote and develop mother languages through organising various activities and exhibitions by the member states.

UNESCO to celebrate silver jubilee of International Mother Language Day in 2025

The five-member committee formed by Jagannath University (JnU) authority to investigate the death of their student Fairuz Abontika visited her village home in Cumilla and talked to her mother Tahmina Shabnam on Friday.
The probe committee headed by its Convenor Prof Md Jakir Hossain came to Abontika&rsquo;s house in Shasangachha area of Cumilla city on Friday morning and talked to her mother for around two and half hours.
The committee included member secretary and JnU deputy registrar Ranjan Kumar, members Prof Dr Abul Hossain, Prof Mohammad Masud Billah and Dr Johar Ahmed.
Later, the committee also went to Cumilla&rsquo;s Kotwali Model Police Station and talked to the investigation officer of the case filed by Abontika's mother on charge of torturing her to death.
The committee also talked to reporters about the progress of the investigation into the suicide of Abontika on March 15 in her Cumilla residence.
Convenor Prof Jakir said, &ldquo;We are carrying out investigation. We learned a lot from Abontika&rsquo;s mother after coming to the house of Abontika. We again will go to police, and take statements from police. Besides, we'll take statements from several sources.&rdquo;
Abontika&rsquo;s mother said, &ldquo;I told everything to the probe committee that came from Dhaka. They heard my words and wrote down those.&rdquo;
Abontika, a student of the 2017-18 academic year of the JnU Law Department, hanged herself to death at her Cumilla residence after accusing her classmate Amman and relieved assistant proctor Din Islam in a Facebook post around 10 pm on Friday.
In the Facebook post before committing suicide, Abantika said that Amman Siddique and Din Islam would be responsible for her suicide.
Hours after death of Abontika by suicide, massive protest broke out and continued till Saturday morning, demanding justice for the student.
In the face of student movement, the university authorities were compelled to relieve the assistant proctor and suspend the student to assuage the movement.
Besides, the university administration formed a four-member probe committee.
On March 17, members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested the teacher and student from Dhaka on Saturday night.
On March 18, a Cumilla court placed Jagannath University&rsquo;s suspended student Raihan Siddique Amman and teacher Deen Islam on a two and one- day remand respectively in a case filed over the death of JnU student Fairuz Abontika.
After expiring the remand period, the Cumilla court sent them to jail and since then they have been in jail.

Abontika’s death: Probe members visit her Cumilla residence, talk to mother

The Jagannath University (JnU) authorities on Thursday (21 March) suspended Abu Shahed Emon, a lecturer of the Film and Television Department, for allegedly sexually harassing a student.
"Emon was suspended after the probe body present initial evidences of sexual harassment against him while Professor Junaid Halim has been relieved from his chairmanship for not assisting the student after the victim filed a complaint", Jagannath University Proctor Prof Jahangir Hossain told BSS.
The decisions came from an emergency syndicate meeting of the university, said Jahangir, adding "JnU Social Science faculty dean Professor Dr. Md. Abul Hossen has been appointed to replace Junaid Halim".
The university authorities also decided to make necessary arrangements including forming an exam committee for the student so that she can sit for supplementary exams, added the proctor.
Earlier on March 18, the JnU student lodged a complaint with the DB, stating that she has been subjected to threats of death and expulsion from the university since coming forward with the complain of sexual harassment.
The student of Film and Television Department filed the complaint in December, 2021, stating that she was sexually harassed by Abu Shahed Emon.
Later, she wrote several times to the university vice chancellor, UGC chairman, and even the president alleging that, after filing the complaint, she faced retaliation from the department head and others.
They also threatened her with expulsion from the university and even death, she alleged.

JnU teacher suspended for alleged sexual harassment

Primary and Mass Education Secretary Farid Ahmad said the students of class I to class III will not have to appear in the first and second terminal examinations from this year.
He told reporters about the government&rsquo;s decision in this regard while addressing a press conference at the secretariat on Thursday.
Farid Ahmad said the performance of the students in the classes will be evaluated continuously through apps.
An app in this regard has already been developed to evaluate the students, he said, adding that the government is trying to free the students from extra loads.
Students will also be evaluated on their overall performances at school, he continued.
The government has started to implement the new curriculum at primary and secondary levels in 2023.&nbsp;
The system will come into effect for class XII in 2027.

No terminal exams in class I – III

Schools in the country with less than 50 students in the last 10 years will be merged with neighbouring schools, said Ministry of Primary and Mass Education secretary Farid Ahmed on Thursday.
He said this at a briefing held at the conference room of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education at the Secretariat on Thursday.
The secretary said, "We will look at the picture of the last 10 years. Schools with less than 50 students will be merged with neighboring schools. We have found about 300 such schools. We are verifying them. However, all schools will not be closed down indiscriminately. Decisions will be taken after considering all the circumstances including local realities."
He said there is an upazila called Belaichhari in Rangamati district, where there is a school with only 42 students and the number has been 42 for the last few years. &ldquo;We will not merge that school. Because those 42 students come from a distance of about 7-8 kilometers. So we will consider that context. So we will not take an entirely general decision."

Schools with less than 50 students to be merged with nearby schools

Islami Bank Plc and Social Islami Bank Limited (SIBL) were the top remittance collectors in April as $2.4 billion was sent to Bangladesh by expatriates in the month.
A total of around $500 million in remittances were sent through Islami Bank PLC in the month of April this year, according to Bangladesh Bank data released on Thursday (2 May).
SIBL, BRAC Bank, Janata Bank and National Bank respectively stood at the second, third, fourth and fifth positions.
The central bank said the growth in remittance flow in April compared to March was 2.16%.
Earlier, remittances fell by 8.46% in March compared to February.
&ldquo;Decrease or increase in remittance flow is a regular and normal phenomenon. However, the remittance flow is increasing every year. Remittances help stabilise the supply and exchange rate of foreign currency in the country and strengthen reserves,&rdquo; said a top official of the Bangladesh Bank.
Meanwhile, central bank sources said that if the 'hundi' syndicates are not stopped, the flow of remittances through the legal route will decrease.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, in the first 10 months of the current financial year, remittance inflows saw a 7% increase compared to last year.
According to sources, a total of $1.99 in remittances came to the country in March. The amount of remittance in February was $2.16 billion.

Islami Bank, SIBL top remittance collectors in April

AFP/BSS

Modern Europe is facing a triple existential threat; a new paradigm is needed to counter it, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with the British weekly The Economist.
"It's this triple existential risk for our Europe: a military and security risk; an economic risk for our prosperity; an existential risk of internal incoherence and disruption to the functioning of our democracies," the French president said. "So these are the three risks that have accelerated in recent years, very strongly no doubt. Moreover, after the pandemic, we underestimated these tensions, even though Europe began to respond to them, but too timidly or sometimes a little too late," he added.
According to Macron, "a new geopolitical, economic and societal paradigm for Europe" is needed to address these challenges. First of all, as the president believes, Europe must take care of its own security. In addition, it needs to ensure its strategic autonomy "in terms of energy, materials and rare resources, but also in terms of key skills and technologies."
Among other things, this concerns the active participation of its companies in the development of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, where the United States and China may get a long-term advantage. Finally, Europe needs to address the vulnerabilities "created by social networks and the digitalization of our societies and the way democracy works," he went on to say.
In reply to the question whether this will lead to a gradual death, or will it be a sudden death, Macron said: "Things can fall apart very quickly. In Europe and everywhere else, they are creating a rise in anger and resentment."

Europe facing 'triple existential risk,' Macron warns

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson, who introduced a contentious requirement for voters to show photo ID while voting, was turned away from a polling station on Thursday for forgetting to bring his.
Johnson, who quit in 2022 following a scandal-ridden premiership, was initially turned away at a polling station in Oxfordshire, southern England, while trying to vote in local elections taking place across England on Thursday (2 May), reports the BBC.
As prime minister, Johnson's government introduced the ID requirement in 2022 to crack down on possible voter fraud but it was heavily criticised for the potential to disenfranchise parts of the electorate.

Boris Johnson, who introduced voter ID rule in UK, turned away from polling station after forgetting his own

At least 50 people were injured when a freight train collided head-on with a passenger train in Gazipur.
The incident took place at Joydebpur railway station around 11:15am on Friday (3 May).
Locals said a commuter train leaving Dhaka for Tangail hit a freight train standing at the outer signal at Kazipara when it crossed Joydebpur railway station.
5 compartments of the passenger train have been derailed.
So far no casualties have been reported.
&nbsp;

50 injured as trains collide head-on in Gazipur

Despite there being no shortage of supply, the prices of almost every daily essential commodity have increased on the pretext of the heat waves sweeping across the country.
Traders say there is adequate supply but high prices are due to items rotting faster than before because of the severe heat waves.
However, the price of broiler chicken has decreased slightly compared to week.&nbsp;
Visiting the capital's Karwan Bazar kitchen market on Friday (3 May), broiler chicken was found to be selling at Tk190-200 per kg, which was Tk220-230 per kg last week.
Beef was being sold at Tk780-800 per kg while mutton was at Tk1,100 per kg.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the price of vegetables has increased compared to last week, citing less supply due to last night's rain.&nbsp;
No vegetable was being sold for less than Tk60-70.
Carrots were being sold at Tk60, beans at Tk80, and eggplants at Tk100 per kg.
A hali (set of four) of lemons was being sold at Tk40.
Prices of fish have not increased much compared to last week.&nbsp;
Hossain Ali, a resident of Moghbazar, came to the kitchen market for his weekly grocery shopping.
&ldquo;The price of fish seems to be the same as before. But the price of vegetables is increasing day by day,&rdquo; he said.

Prices of kitchen market essentials still high

The success of ballistic missile defences facing their first complex, high-stakes combat scenarios in Israel, the Red Sea and Ukraine will encourage militaries globally to invest in the pricey systems, experts say - and intensify missile arms races.
Iran launched as many as 120 intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Israel on 13 April, US and Israeli officials say. US SM-3 and Israeli Arrow interceptors destroyed nearly all of them, leaving drones and smaller threats to the Iron Dome system. &nbsp; In previous months, interceptors fired from US Navy destroyers stopped Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles, while in Ukraine, US-made MIM-104 Patriot batteries have shot down advanced Russian Iskander and Khinzal missiles.
Reuters spoke with six experts who said more militaries would look to invest in ballistic missile defence, a potential windfall for companies such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, which build those types of systems. &nbsp; "It's undeniable that any wealthy country with the technological wherewithal will continue to invest in missile defence," said Ankit Panda of the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a defence and security think tank. "All of this is a recipe for a conventional arms race."
European countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Poland already operate RTX subsidiary Raytheon's Patriot batteries, the most common Western advanced ballistic missile defence system. &nbsp; Saudi Arabia has used its Patriots for years to defend against Houthi attacks; it and the United Arab Emirates also operate the Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) system.
Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain have Patriot batteries as well, and Oman has expressed interest in missile defence.
In the US, Lockheed Martin in April won a $17.7 billion contract for a next-generation interceptor for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) programme - designed to shoot down small numbers of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) aimed at the continental United States. &nbsp; But the impact may be most acute in Asia, where China has invested heavily in conventionally armed ballistic missiles.
A 2023 Pentagon report said the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force has about 500 DF-26 missiles, designed to accurately strike targets thousands of kilometres away.
That puts US and allied bases in Japan and Guam within range of an attack that may only come with 20 to 30 minutes' warning.
Ballistic missile defence works by spotting an attacking weapon either at launch or in flight, then using a surface-based radar to guide an interceptor to the target.
Interceptions can occur in the atmosphere or in space, and each domain requires different hardware. For instance, fins won't work outside the atmosphere - interceptors must have small steering rockets to function there.
The necessary high-powered computers, far-seeing radars and missiles as large as telephone poles are not cheap, together stretching into the billions. In 2022, for example, the US approved the sale of both Patriots and THAAD systems to Saudi Arabia, in deals worth as much as $5.3 billion.
In the Indo-Pacific region, wealthier countries such as Japan, Australia and South Korea are prime candidates for missile defence, Lewis said, while nearly every country in Asia is already investing in missiles.
Japan's defence ministry said the country "needs to fundamentally and swiftly reinforce its defence capabilities, including integrated air and missile defence". It said it is investing in improved Patriot missiles, better radars and enhanced naval anti-missile capabilities.
In its latest defence budget, South Korea increased funding by 12% for its Korea Air and Missile Defense System to expand it "from the existing lower-level defence concept," the country's defence ministry said in a statement.
"Cases such as the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war have reaffirmed the importance of a 'ballistic missile defence system' to respond to increasingly sophisticated missile threats," the ministry said.
In mid-April, Australia announced a A$500 million ($328 million) contract with Lockheed Martin to deliver its Joint Air Battle Management System for tracking and destroying aircraft and missiles.
The cost of a ballistic missile is often much cheaper than the system meant to stop it.
But that isn't the right way to consider cost, said Yoji Koda, former commander in chief of Japan's Self-Defense Fleet, and an advocate of stronger missile defences in his country.
"In a war economy, the cheaper the better. But sometimes what is necessary, is we need to protect key infrastructure, or key command centres, at any cost. Because without them we would lose."
THE CHINA QUESTION
Most of China's conventionally armed ballistic missiles are designed to hit targets on land.
But it also fields steerable warheads meant to hit ships at sea, including the DF-21D and variants of the DF-26, developed by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Such anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) had never been used in combat until late 2023, when Houthi forces in Yemen began firing Iranian-made models at ships in the Red Sea.
Between November - the first documented use - and April, U.S. Central Command reported at least 85 ASBMs fired in the region, with 20 interceptions and one civilian ship reported sunk.
CENTCOM has declined to provide specifics about the effectiveness of Iranian ASBMs but has noted missiles posing no threat were not engaged and most that were not intercepted landed harmlessly.
The effectiveness of missile defences on land and at sea will catch China's attention, said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Program and Carnegie China.
"It raises the possibility that the US and its allies could depend on missile defence significantly against a ballistic missile attack," Zhao said.
Although the technical specifics of China's missiles are closely held secrets, the country's heavy investment means they are likely to be more reliable, and are widely believed to use complex countermeasures to complicate interception.
"For opponents such as China which have missile stockpiles an order of magnitude larger than that of Russia or Iran and which field more sophisticated systems ... it's not clear that the lessons learned invalidate existing operational constructs," said Sidarth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.
But the political and practical incentives to invest in missile defence will be too attractive for many countries to ignore, Lewis said.
"All defence procurement decisions are ultimately about politics," he said. "The politics of this stuff is really simple: do you want to defend the country or not? And the winning answer is always 'Yes'."
($1 = 1.5225 Australian dollars) &nbsp;

Missile defence successes in Israel, Ukraine fuel global urgency to acquire systems

Under mounting political pressure, US President Joe Biden broke his silence on campus unrest over the war in Gaza on Thursday, saying Americans have the right to demonstrate but not to unleash violence.
"There is a right to protest, but not a right to cause chaos," Biden said in remarks at the White House.
With television images of campus unrest that have swept the country in recent days playing out on news networks, Biden has faced criticism of his handling of the situation. He had been leaving it largely up to his spokespersons to comment.
The Democratic president, seeking re-election in November, has walked a careful line of denouncing antisemitism while supporting young Americans' right to protest and trying to limit longer-term political damage.
Biden said both sides had a point, that peaceful dissent was critical to a democracy but that violence would not be tolerated.
"Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It's against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancelling of classes and graduations -none of this is a peaceful protest," he said.
Biden said the United States was not an authoritarian nation that silences critics but that "order must prevail."
"Dissent is essential to democracy but dissent must never lead to disorder or denying the rights of others so students can't finish the semester and college education," he said.
Biden, asked whether state governors should call in National Guard troops to restore order if necessary, replied "no."
In response to a reporter's question, Biden said the campus protests had not forced him to reconsider his policies in the Middle East.
Student protesters are calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and demanding schools divest from companies that support Israel's government.

Biden breaks silence on college protests over Gaza conflict

Police forcibly removed scores of defiant pro-Palestinian protesters at several colleges on Thursday, including taking down an encampment at UCLA in a jarring scene that underscored the heightened chaos that has erupted at universities this week.
In the pre-dawn hours, helmeted police swarmed a tent city set up at the University of California in Los Angeles, using flash bangs and riot gear to push through lines of protesters who linked arms in a futile attempt to halt their advance.
Hundreds were arrested at UCLA and other schools.
"I'm a student here," one UCLA protester told cameras as he was led away, his hands bound. "Please don't fail us. Don't fail us."
Hours later, the student, who would only give his first name as Ryan, was back on campus and vowed he would not stop fighting.
"We will be back," said Ryan, who was cited for unlawful assembly. "We will be disrupting. We will be demanding divestment."
Students have rallied or set up tents at dozens of universities in recent days to protest Israel's war on Gaza. Demonstrators have called on President Joe Biden, who has supported Israel's right to defend itself, to do more to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and demanded schools divest from companies that support Israel's government.
Many of the schools, including Columbia University in New York City, have called in police to quell the protests.
Biden broke his silence on the demonstrations on Thursday after the UCLA raid, saying Americans have the right to protest but not to unleash violence.
"Destroying property is not a peaceful protest," he said at the White House. "It's against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancelling of classes and graduations - none of this is a peaceful protest."
Biden, who is seeking re-election in November against Republican former President Donald Trump, has walked a careful line as he confronts criticism from both the right and the left over his Israel policy.
VIOLENCE ON CAMPUS
At UCLA, police repeatedly urged demonstrators to clear the protest zone, which occupied a central plaza about the size of a football field, before they moved in.
Dozens of loud explosions were heard from stun grenades, fired by police, while demonstrators, some carrying makeshift shields and umbrellas, chanted "push them back" and flashed bright lights in officers' eyes.
Live TV footage showed officers taking down tents and tearing apart makeshift barricades.
Some of the protesters had been seen donning hard hats, goggles and respirator masks in anticipation of the siege a day after the university declared the encampment unlawful.
By morning, the plaza was strewn with detritus from the destroyed encampment: tents, blankets, food containers, a Palestinian flag, an upturned helmet. Police remained on hand during the first half of the day as the area was cleaned of debris.
In Portland, Oregon, police entered the Portland State University library on Thursday morning, where demonstrators had barricaded themselves since Monday. Several dozen protesters ran out of the building and rushed into a phalanx of officers in riot gear, who arrested them.
In New Hampshire, police arrested approximately 100 protesters in separate incidents at Dartmouth University and the University of New Hampshire overnight, breaking up encampments.
The protests follow the deadly Oct 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip, which killed 1,200 people and saw dozens taken hostage, and an ensuing Israeli offensive that has killed about 34,000 and created a humanitarian crisis.
The campus demonstrations have been met with counter-protesters accusing them of fomenting anti-Jewish hatred. The pro-Palestinian side, including some Jews opposed to Israeli actions in Gaza, say they are being unfairly branded as antisemitic for criticizing Israel's government and expressing support for human rights.
UCLA had cancelled classes for the day on Wednesday following a violent clash between the encampment's occupants and a group of masked counter-demonstrators who mounted a surprise assault late Tuesday night on the tent city.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, in a written statement, said that officials had allowed the encampment to remain on campus for several days as it was peaceful at first, but that the clashes with the pro-Israeli crowd clearly put students in harm's way.
"It led to unsafe conditions on our campus and it damaged our ability to carry out our mission," Block said of the encampment. "It needed to come to an end."
Taylor Gee, a 30-year-old pro-Palestinian protester and UCLA law student, said the police operation on Thursday felt "especially galling" to many protesters given the slow police response a night earlier.
"For them to come out the next night to remove us from the encampment, it doesn't make any sense, but it also makes all the sense in the world," he said.
UCLA officials said the campus, with nearly 52,000 students, would remain shuttered except for limited operations on Thursday and Friday.

Fresh chaos, arrests on US college campuses as police flatten camp at UCLA

Seventy percent of environmental journalists from 129 countries, polled in March, reported experiencing attacks, threats or pressure related to their job, UNESCO said Thursday.
Of those, two in five subsequently experienced physical violence, it said in a report released on World Press Freedom Day. More than 900 reporters were questioned for the poll.
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization warned of an increase in violence against and intimidation of journalists reporting on the environment and climate.
"Without reliable scientific information about the ongoing environmental crisis, we can never hope to overcome it," UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay said in a statement.
"And yet the journalists we rely on to investigate this subject and ensure information is accessible face unacceptably high risks all over the world, and climate-related disinformation is running rampant on social media."
UNESCO said at least 749 journalists and news media outlets reporting on environmental issues were "targeted with murder, physical violence, detention and arrest, online harassment or legal attacks" between 2009 and 2023.
More than 300 of those attacks occurred between 2019 and 2023 -- a 42 percent increase on the preceding five-year period.
"The problem is global, with attacks taking place in 89 countries in all regions of the world," the agency added.
At least 44 environmental journalists have been killed for their work in the past 15 years, with convictions in only five cases, said the report.
On top of hundreds of reported physical attacks, "a third of journalists surveyed said they had been censored," it added.
"Almost half (45%) said they self-censored when covering the environment due to fear of being attacked, having their sources exposed, or due to an awareness that their stories conflicted with the interests of concerned stakeholders."
At a press freedom conference in Chile this week, UNESCO will announce the launch of a grants program to provide legal and technical support to over 500 environmental journalists facing persecution, said the statement.

70% of environment journalists report attacks, threats, pressure: UN

Quebec Premier Francois Legault said on Thursday the encampment at Montreal's McGill University should be dismantled as more students erected pro-Palestinian camps across some of Canada's largest universities, demanding they divest from groups with ties to Israel.
The Canadian protests come as police have been arresting hundreds on US campuses and the death toll in Gaza has been mounting.
While McGill had requested police intervention, law enforcement had not stepped in Thursday to clear the encampment and did not respond to Reuters' questions about their plans. Students also set up encampments at Canadian schools including the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and the University of Ottawa.
"We want the camp to be dismantled. We trust the police, let them do their job," a spokesperson for Legault said.
There was also a pro-Israel counter-protest in Montreal Thursday. The two sides were kept separate.
On Thursday morning, students at the University of Toronto set up an encampment in a fenced-off grassy space at the school's downtown campus where some 100 protesters gathered with dozens of tents.
According to a statement from organisers the encampment will stay until the university discloses its investments, divests from any that "sustain Israeli apartheid, occupation and illegal settlement of Palestine" and ends partnerships with some Israeli academic institutions.
Israel says it does not participate in apartheid and that its assault on Gaza does not constitute genocide.
A university spokesperson told Reuters it was "in dialogue with the protesters" and that, as of midday, the encampment was "not disruptive to normal university activities."
University of Toronto graduate student and encampment spokesperson Sara Rasikh told Reuters they will remain until their demands are met.
"If public disruption is the only way to get our voice heard, then we are willing to do that," she said.
Some Jewish groups have accused protesters of being antisemitic. Organisers deny that charge, noting that some protesters are Jewish.
Asked to comment on the encampments, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office pointed to a statement he made on Tuesday, saying "Universities are places of learning, they&rsquo;re places for freedom of expression ... but that only works if people feel safe on campus. Right now ... Jewish students do not feel safe. That&rsquo;s not right."The protests follow the deadly Oct 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip, which killed 1,200 people and saw dozens taken hostage, and an ensuing Israeli offensive that has killed about 34,000 and created a humanitarian crisis.

Students erect pro-Palestinian encampments across major Canadian universities

The United&nbsp;Nations said Thursday that the post-war reconstruction of Gaza would require an&nbsp;international effort unseen since the aftermath of World War II, estimating it&nbsp;could cost up to $40 billion.
It came as Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh struck an optimistic tone over a&nbsp;possible truce and hostage release deal for Gaza, after weeks of largely&nbsp;stalled negotiations.
There have been reports of sticking points between the group and Israel nearly seven months into the war that has devastated the Palestinian&nbsp;territory.
But Haniyeh, head of the militant group's Qatar-based political bureau,&nbsp;said in calls to Egyptian and Qatari mediators that Hamas was studying the&nbsp;latest proposal with a "positive spirit".
Much of Gaza has been reduced to a grey landscape of rubble and the United&nbsp;Nations estimated the cost of reconstruction at between $30 billion and $40&nbsp;billion.
"The scale of the destruction is huge and unprecedented... this is a&nbsp;mission that the global community has not dealt with since World War II," UN&nbsp;assistant secretary-general Abdallah al-Dardari told a briefing in the&nbsp;Jordanian capital Amman.
The UN official said "72 percent of all residential buildings have been&nbsp;completely or partially destroyed".
Reconstruction is made more difficult by the presence of large quantities&nbsp;of unexploded ordnance in the debris that Gaza's Civil Defence agency says triggers "more than 10 explosions every week".
The war started with Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in&nbsp;the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of&nbsp;Israeli official figures.
Israel estimates that 129 captives seized by militants during their attack&nbsp;remain in Gaza. The military says 34 of them are dead.
Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 34,596&nbsp;people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Mediators have proposed a deal that would halt fighting for 40 days and&nbsp;exchange Israeli hostages for potentially thousands of Palestinian prisoners, according to details released by Britain.
An Israeli official not authorised to speak publicly said Israel was still&nbsp;waiting for Hamas's formal response to the latest proposal.
Before Haniyeh's comments on Thursday, Hamas officials had given it a&nbsp;generally negative reception.
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told AFP late Wednesday that the&nbsp;movement's position on the proposal was "negative" for the time being.
Another senior Hamas official, Suhail al-Hindi, said the group's aim&nbsp;remained an "end to this war" -- a goal at odds with the stated position of&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But the militant group has come under intense pressure from mediators to&nbsp;accept the latest offer.
"Hamas needs to say yes and needs to get this done," US Secretary of State&nbsp;Antony Blinken said in Israel Wednesday on his latest Middle East crisis tour.
&nbsp;

Gaza needs biggest post-war reconstruction effort since WWII: UN

Myanmar's junta has suspended the issuing of permits for men to work abroad, it said, weeks after it introduced a military conscription law that led to thousands trying to leave the country.
The labour ministry had "temporarily suspended" accepting applications from men who wish to work abroad, the ministry said in a statement posted by the junta's information team late Thursday.
The measure was in order to "take more time to verify departure processes and according to other issues," it said, without giving details.
The Southeast Asian nation has been in turmoil since the military seized power in 2021, sparking massive armed opposition it has failed to crush.
In February, it said it would enforce a law allowing it to call up all men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 to serve in the military for at least two years.

Myanmar junta bans men from applying to work abroad

Japan and India are struggling economically because they are "xenophobic," US President Joe Biden told a campaign event, lumping the American allies in with rivals China and Russia as countries rejecting immigrants.
"Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan in trouble? Why is Russia in trouble? And India? Because they're xenophobic. They don't want immigrants," Biden said on Wednesday, with a transcript not made public until Thursday.
The 81-year-old Democrat, who is seeking reelection against Republican rival Donald Trump in the November presidential vote, made the remarks at a campaign fundraising event in Washington marking the start of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month.
Such events are neither filmed nor recorded, but a small number of journalists attend and provide a written account.
"One of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants," the president said.
While China and Russia are considered US rivals, Biden's remarks on Japan and India came as a surprise.
Since taking office in 2021, Biden has made a point of strengthening ties with US allies in Asia, in particular with New Delhi and Tokyo.
He has hosted state dinners -- a rare high-level diplomatic gesture -- for both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The White House sought to downplay the president's remarks on Thursday.
"The broader point the president was making, and I think people all around the world recognize this, is that the United States is a nation of immigrants, and it's in our DNA," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
"Our allies know very well how much the president respects them, values their friendship, values their contributions," he added.

Biden calls ally Japan 'xenophobic' along with India, China

Turkey said Thursday it was suspending all trade with Israel until it allows aid to enter Gaza unhindered during its offensive against Hamas in the territory.
"Exports and imports to and from Israel have been suspended," the trade ministry said in a statement, adding: "Turkey will apply these new measures... until the Israeli government authorises an uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza."
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz had earlier on Thursday accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of breaking agreements between the two countries by blocking Israeli exports and imports.
The move is the latest incident degrading relations after Turkey, one of the few Muslim-majority nations to recognise Israel, restricted exports to the country in April.
The Gaza Strip is suffering a humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's war against Hamas that has been raging since 7 October, with the United Nations and aid agencies warning of impending famine.
The war started with Hamas's unprecedented 7 October attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel estimates that 129 captives seized by Hamas during their attack remain in Gaza. The military says 34 of them are dead.
Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 34,596 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

Turkey says suspending all trade with Israel

Chattogram division is likely to experience rain and thundershowers accompanied by gusty winds, with the possibility of hail at isolated spots, according to BMD&rsquo;s weather bulletin for Friday.
Similarly, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Barishal, and Sylhet divisions may see rain in one or two places, alongside temporary gusty winds. Elsewhere in the country, the weather is expected to remain dry with partly cloudy skies.
A severe heatwave continues to grip districts including Rajshahi, Pabna, Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia.
Meanwhile, Dhaka, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Barishal divisions, along with parts of Rajshahi, Khulna, and the district of Chandpur, are experiencing mild to moderate heatwave conditions.
There are expectations that this heatwave may begin to ease in some areas, it said.
Daytime temperatures are expected to slightly decrease, and night temperatures may fall by 1-2 degrees Celsius across the country, added the bulletin.

Rain, thunderstorms likely in Dhaka, Chattogram

Dhaka's air quality was categorised as &lsquo;unhealthy&rsquo; this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 158 at 9:33am, Dhaka ranked sixth on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
India&rsquo;s Delhi, Nepal&rsquo;s Kathmandu and Pakistan&rsquo;s Lahore occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 318, 197 and 193 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.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five 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.
As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. &nbsp;

Dhaka air ‘unhealthy’ this morning

AP/UNB

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveiled an international framework for regulation and use of generative AI on Thursday, adding to global efforts on governance for the rapidly advancing technology.
Kishida made the announcement in a speech at the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
&ldquo;Generative AI has the potential to be a vital tool to further enrich the world,&rdquo; Kishida said. But &ldquo;we must also confront the dark side of AI, such as the risk of disinformation."
When Japan chaired the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations last year, it launched a Hiroshima AI process to draw up international guiding principles and a code of conduct for AI developers.
Some 49 countries and regions have signed up to the voluntary framework, called the Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group, Kishida said, without naming any. They will work on implementing principles and code of conduct to address the risks of generative AI and &ldquo;promote cooperation to ensure that people all over the world can benefit from the use of safe, secure, and trustworthy AI,&rdquo; he said.
The European Union, the United States, China and many other nations have been racing to draw up regulations and oversight for AI, while global bodies such as the United Nations have been grappling with how to supervise it.

Japan's Kishida unveils framework for global regulation of generative AI

Bangladesh recorded a substantial increase in remittances, receiving $2.04 billion in April, marking a 21.3%&nbsp; rise compared to the same period last year.
According to Bangladesh Bank, from January to April this year, the country received a total of $8.31 billion from expatriates, spurred by various bank initiatives aimed at encouraging the flow of remittances.
The figures show a consistent upward trend with $2.11 billion received in January, $2.16 billion in February, $1.99 billion in March, and $2.04 billion in April. This influx has been a boon to the economy, particularly during the ongoing foreign exchange crisis.
Dr Ahsan H Mansur, a noted economist, told UNB that Bangladesh could further increase remittances through legal channels by offering more financial and non-financial incentives to expatriates. He highlighted the preference among remitters for using the hundi system, an illegal money transfer method, due to its higher exchange rates, which are Tk5-7 more per US dollar compared to the official rates.
To counter this, Dr Mansur proposed that the government could introduce various benefits for legal remitters, including health cards, insurance coverage, and pension schemes, to make formal channels more attractive and dissuade the use of illegal methods like hundi.

Bangladesh secures $8.31 billion remittance in first 4 months of 2024

Earthquake warning smartphone apps have surged in popularity in Taiwan due to high demand from people eager to get a few extra seconds to take cover after more than 1,300 aftershocks rattled the island in the past month following a large temblor.
Taiwan's east coast was struck by a 7.2 magnitude quake on April 3, killing 17 people.
The frequent aftershocks since then - including more than 200 tremors in a 24-hour period starting April 22 - have unnerved many.
While the government has an automated quake warning system, sent in the form of an text message accompanied by a loud alert sound meant to sound a few seconds before the shaking starts, it can be patchy. In the capital Taipei it did not sound before the April 3 quake, prompting criticism of the system.
That, along with the rising demand to stay more informed about forthcoming earthquakes, have helped a surge in popularity in privately-developed quake warning apps.
"What we offer is customised earthquake early warning. You get to set your own threshold," said Kuo Chen-yu, the 20-year-old co-founder of Disaster Prevention Information Platform, whose users jumped to nearly 370,000 from around 3,000 in recent weeks.
Lin Ruei, another co-founder of the app launched in 2022, said their app tracks fast-moving seismic waves from more than 130 seismic sensors the team installed across the island to give users early warnings. For instance, he said, the app could give users in more populated western Taiwan up to 30 seconds warning for a quake from the remote eastern coast.
"Some people might feel quite panic with just an earthquake of intensity 2, then they can download our app," said Lin, a 17-year-old student.
"If you get a 10-second early warning and you move to a secure spot, maybe it would be a life-saving tool for you."
The official, government-run warning system only goes to phone users in areas where major earthquakes with estimated intensity of 4 or above are expected, which authorities say are powerful enough to move some furniture, cause wall cracks or disrupt power or water supplies.
Wu Chien-fu, Director of the Central Weather Administration's Seismological Center, told Reuters they encourage development of alternative tools which provide innovative means for disaster response, adding authorities were aware of calls to lower thresholds for official alerts, a system designed for bigger tremors that are more likely to bring damage.
"We will consider whether to issue warnings to the whole of Taiwan for big earthquakes," Wu said.
Still, many are drawn to the privately-developed apps extra functionalities, such as automatic flashlight switch-on before the shaking starts, a countdown timer, or alerts for smaller quakes that did not trigger the government warnings - a reassurance for those who wish to stay more alerted for the frequent tremors.
"The 30-second countdown gave me enough time to mentally prepare myself, grab my survival kit, and dash to my child's room," one user wrote in the review of Taiwan Earthquake Quick Alert, currently one of the most-downloaded apps for iPhones in Taiwan which issues a countdown to the first shock waves.

Quake warning app demand surges in earthquake-rattled Taiwan

A delegation of the Near East South Asia (NESA) Centre for Strategic Studies, a pre-eminent institution of the US Department of Defense (DoD), visited Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC on Wednesday and joined an interactive session with officials of the mission.
Dr. Hassan Abbas, the distinguished professor of the NESA Centre for Strategic Studies, led the 46-member team. The delegation comprised of participants of 28 countries in a seminar organised by the NESA Centre in Washington DC, said a press release.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Muhammad Imran welcomed the NESA Centre delegation at the embassy and presented a keynote speech at the event.
In his keynote speech, Ambassador Imran highlighted the history of Bangladesh and the country&rsquo;s recent socioeconomic development. He also focused on the Rohingya crisis issue, Bangladesh&rsquo;s success in countering terrorism and extremism and the progress on Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).
The ambassador stressed the need for undertaking coordinated and concerted efforts by all countries to effectively address the global challenge of terrorism. Terrorism is a global challenge and no country can handle the challenge alone, he said.
While talking about the protracted Rohingya crisis, Ambassador Imran reiterated Bangladesh&rsquo;s stance on durable and dignified repatriation of all displaced Rohingya people to their homeland in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.
If the problem persists further, it may affect the security and stability of the entire region and jeopardize development initiatives, he said.
While addressing the interactive session at the Bangabandhu Auditorium in Embassy, Dr. Abbas, highly commended Bangladesh&rsquo;s success in combating terrorism, violent extremism as well as climate change challenges.
Referring to Bangladesh&rsquo;s rich history, culture and heritage, he said he was highly inspired by the historical figures of Bangladesh in his personal and professional life.
Dr Abbas said his institution&mdash; NESA Centre for Strategic Studies &mdash; is looking forward to closer relationship between Bangladesh and the United States and wished more prosperous and developed Bangladesh.
First Secretary of the Mission Wahiduzzaman Noor highlighted the various initiatives and successes of Bangladesh in combating terrorism and extremism before the delegation.
First Secretary of the Mission Ataur Rahman moderated the event, while Counsellor and Head of Chancery Shamima Yasmin Smriti was in the overall coordination of the session.

US NESA Centre delegation praises Bangladesh’s success in combating terrorism

Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting US troops, a senior US defence official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel US forces from the country.
The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the US to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.
A senior US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian forces were not mingling with US troops but were using a separate hanger at Airbase 101, which is next to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger's capital.
The move by Russia's military puts US and Russian troops in close proximity at a time when the nations' military and diplomatic rivalry is increasingly acrimonious over the conflict in Ukraine.
It also raises questions about the fate of US installations in the country following a withdrawal.
"(The situation) is not great but in the short-term manageable," the official said.
The Nigerien and Russian embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The US and its allies have been forced to move troops out of a number of African countries following coups that brought to power groups eager to distance themselves from Western governments. In addition to the impending departure from Niger, US troops have also left Chad in recent days, while French forces have been kicked out of Mali and Burkina Faso.
At the same time, Russia is seeking to strengthen relations with African nations, pitching Moscow as a friendly country with no colonial baggage in the continent.
Mali, for example, has in recent years become one of Russia's closest African allies, with the Wagner Group mercenary force deploying there to fight jihadist insurgents.
Russia has described relations with the United States as "below zero" because of US military and financial aid for Ukraine in the war now approaching the end of its second year.
The US official said Nigerien authorities had told President Joe Biden's administration that about 60 Russian military personnel would be in Niger, but the official could not verify that number.
After the coup, the US military moved some of its forces in Niger from Airbase 101 to Airbase 201 in the city of Agadez. It was not immediately clear what US military equipment remained at Airbase 101.
The United States built Airbase 201 in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million. Since 2018 it has been used to target Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) fighters with armed drones.
Washington is concerned about Islamic militants in the Sahel region, who may be able to expand without the presence of US forces and intelligence capabilities.
Niger's move to ask for the removal of US troops came after a meeting in Niamey in mid-March, when senior US officials raised concerns including the expected arrival of Russia forces and reports of Iran seeking raw materials in the country, including uranium.
While the US message to Nigerien officials was not an ultimatum, the official said, it was made clear US forces could not be on a base with Russian forces.
"They did not take that well," the official said.
A two-star US general has been sent to Niger to try and arrange a professional and responsible withdrawal.
While no decisions have been taken on the future of US troops in Niger, the official said the plan was for them to return to US Africa Command's home bases, located in Germany.

Russian troops enter base housing US military in Niger, US official says

Shamsunnahar Seba

With the world yet to be civilized enough to see a girl as a human being akin to a man, &ldquo;Laapataa ladies&rdquo; played the role of a wake-up call, alerting those oblivious to the struggles of girls living in the lowest echelons of our multi-layered society.
Just as the life of Jaya, who was barred from pursuing her dreams despite showing potential, sheds light on the struggles of Afghan girls who are prevented from continuing their studies after completing their academic year in schools.
Meanwhile, Phool, one of the two brides who were swapped, leading to the exposure of the flaws of patriarchal society that sets norms to handicap women for its survival, represents those who are unaware of their rights.
She was content with society until she had to face the world alone. Phool found herself unable to take a single step without the support of others, making her realize the hypocrisy of the paternalistic patriarchal society.
It showcases the independent nature of women through the portrayal of Manju Maai, who embodies strength and humanity simultaneously.
Apart from depicting the harsh reality, the movie possesses every element to captivate an audience. Especially, the love story of Deepak and Phool touches the hearts of the audience and provides satisfaction with their reconciliation. The joyful moments of people with limited or no access to entertainment uphold the notion that wealth or fame has nothing to do with happiness. It can be attained anywhere through the right approach to life.
Additionally, the flawless cinematography lends the movie a semblance of reality. Director Kiran Rao did not compromise on the length, cast, or timing required to film the perfect version of the movie.
Kiran Rao, the ex-wife of Bollywood actor Amir Khan, has already garnered acclaim both domestically and internationally for this outstanding movie. I believe the movie will surely endure beyond its time, much like the struggle of women.

Laapataa Ladies: Heart wrenching yet wonderful

After a relentless month of fierce heatwave, Dhaka finally witnessed the much-desired rain, bringing a breath of cool relief.&nbsp;
The first drops fell around 9 pm on Thursday, as if the sky itself sighed in relief.&nbsp;
Across the capital, the rains whispered their arrival. The evening had already cloaked the city in heavy clouds, with occasional flashes of lightning piercing the gathering darkness, hinting at the impending downpour.&nbsp;
The Meteorological Department had forecasted this welcome change, signaling it as the clouds began to rumble in the evening. Lightning flickered, lighting up the sky, a prelude to the rain that would soon quench the heat-oppressed city.&nbsp;
The promise of rain lifted spirits, and prompted some to prepare to step out and embrace the cooling showers.&nbsp;
The lightning and the patter of rain gradually quieted, leaving behind a serene hush over Dhaka. Streets, dusty and dry till this evening, now glistened under the lamplight, reflecting the calm after the storm. The fleeting showers, though short-lived, provided a temporary escape from the persistent heat, whispering promises of cooler days ahead.

Rain arrives in Dhaka after prolonged heatwave

Palestinians may be gratified to see American university campuses erupt in outrage over Israel's offensive in Gaza, but some in the embattled enclave are also wondering why no similar protests have hit the Arab countries they long viewed as allies.
Demonstrations have rocked US universities this week, with confrontations between students, counter protesters and police, but while there have been some protests in Arab states, they have not been nearly as large or as vociferous.&nbsp;
"We follow the protests on social media every day with admiration but also with sadness. We are sad that those protests are not happening also in Arab and Muslim countries," said Ahmed Rezik, 44, a father of five sheltering in Rafah in Gaza's south.&nbsp;
"Thank you students in solidarity with Gaza. Your message has reached us. Thank you students of Columbia. Thank you students," was scrawled across a tent in Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering from Israel's offensive.&nbsp;
Reasons for the comparative quiet on Arab campuses and streets may range from a fear of angering autocratic governments to political differences with Hamas and its Iranian backers or doubts that any protests could impact state policy.&nbsp;
American students at elite universities may face arrest or expulsion from their schools, but harsher consequences could await Arab citizens protesting without state authorisation.
And US students may feel more motivation to protest as their own government backs and arms Israel, while even those Arab countries that have full diplomatic relations with it have been strongly critical of its military campaign.&nbsp;
When asked about the conflict, Arabs from Morocco to Iraq have consistently voiced fury at Israel's actions and solidarity with Gaza's embattled inhabitants, leading to muted Ramadan celebrations across the region last month.&nbsp;
Some rallies to support Palestinians have erupted, notably in Yemen where the Houthis have joined the conflict with strikes on shipping in the Red Sea.&nbsp;
And Arabs around the region have also shown their horror at the war and support for their fellow Arabs in Gaza on social media, even if they have not taken to the streets.&nbsp;
But whatever the reason for the lack of public protests, some people in Gaza are now drawing unfavourable comparisons between the tumult in the United States and the public reaction they can see in other Arab countries.&nbsp;
"I ask Arab students to do what the Americans have done. They should have done more for us than the Americans," said Suha al-Kafarna, displaced by the war from home in northern Gaza.&nbsp;
PUBLIC OPINION
In Egypt, which made peace with Israel in 1979 and where President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has largely outlawed public protests, the authorities fear that demonstrations against Israel could later turn against the government in Cairo.&nbsp;
At state-sanctioned protests over the war in October, some demonstrators veered off the agreed route and started chanted anti-government slogans, prompting arrests.&nbsp;
"One cannot see the lack of large public protests against the war and the muted reaction on the Egyptian street in isolation from a broader context of crackdown on all forms of public protest and assembly," said Hossam Bahgat, head of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.&nbsp;
At the American University in Cairo security forces are less likely to intervene on campus and there have been some protests. But a student activist there who requested anonymity said they could still face consequences for demonstrating.&nbsp;
"Being arrested here is nothing like being arrested in the US It's completely different," he said, adding that there was "the factor of fear" preventing many from taking to the streets.&nbsp;
In Lebanon, where success in studies has become even more personally important to many young people after years of political and economic crises that have shrunk their shot at future prosperity, that calculation is even tougher.&nbsp;
Several students Reuters approached at campus protests in Beirut declined to be interviewed, saying they feared repercussions from university authorities.&nbsp;
The complex histories of Lebanon and other Arab states such as Jordan that host many Palestinian refugees also play into the question of public protests.&nbsp;
In Lebanon, some people blame Palestinians for triggering the 1975-90 civil war. Others fear any overt displays of support for Palestinians might be hijacked by the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has been trading fire with Israel since the start of the Gaza conflict.&nbsp;
"The Arab world is not reacting like Columbia or Brown (US universities) because they don't have the luxury to do so," said Makram Rabah, a history professor at the American University of Beirut.&nbsp;
Besides, he added, with public opinion already largely backing the Palestinian cause it was not clear what protests there would achieve.&nbsp;
"The dynamics of power and the way you change public perception are just different in the Arab world compared to the US," he said.

Why Palestinians can count on American students but not Arab allies to protest

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Thursday said the government has taken plan to build open jail in Bangladesh like those in the developed countries.
He said this in reply to a query from ruling Awami League MP Mamunur Rashid Kiran elected from Noakhali-3.
The Home Minister said that 160 acres of land has been acquired in Ukhiya Upazila of Cox's Bazar district for the construction of an open jail following the model of Malaysia's Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP).
&ldquo;The construction of the open jail will start soon,&rdquo; he said.
In response to the question of Nizam Uddin Hazari, another ruling AL MP from Feni-2, the Home Minister said that 83,577 posts have been increased in the Bangladesh Police in the past three terms of the current government in order to modernise the Bangladesh Police Force.
&ldquo;Recruitment of manpower to these posts has been ensured through a transparent and corruption-free process,&rdquo; he said.
The minister said that the process of adding two sophisticated helicopters is underway to prevent criminal activities and conduct operations and transform the Bangladesh Police into a three-dimensional force.
&nbsp; He said that with the aim of making the police a smart force, various types of modern firearms are being given to them.
For example, the home minister said that 7.62 mm rifles are currently being used instead of the previous .303 rifles.
Also, policemen are being supplied with necessary ammunition including 7.62/9 mm pistol, 9 mm SMG, .45 inch SMG, 12 bore shotgun, 38 mm tear gas, gas gun/launcher.
In response to the question of AL MP Mahbubur Rahman from Chattogram-1, the Home Minister said Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has been equipped with modern weapons, vehicles, aircraft and watercraft.
State-of-the-art weapons including 40 ALCOTAN, 12 ATGW, 132 Sniper Rifles, 3 AAMG, 28 APC Amors have been added to BGB.
The vehicles include 259 ATVs, 10 Riot Control Vehicles (RCV), 40 Armored Personal Carrier (APC), among others.
Three helicopters were also included in BGB.
Among the vessels, there are 87 speed boats, 12 high-speed engine boats, 4 air boats, 1 logistics ship, 5 pontoons, 25 motor launches, 4 petrol boats, 15 rescue boats, and 2 water carrier vessels.
In response to the question of AL MP Morshed Alam from Noakhali-2, the Home Minister said, for the first time in the country, seven grams of black cocaine was recovered by the Department of Narcotics Control on December 11, 2023.
&nbsp;

Govt plans to build open jail in Cox's Bazar’s Ukhiya: Home Minister

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia returned to her Gulshan residence on Thursday night after receiving treatment for just a day at Evercare Hospital in the capital.
"She was discharged from the hospital as per the advice of the medical board. The board took the decision after reviewing her medical test reports," said her personal physician, AZM Zahid Hossain.
He said the BNP chairperson will now be provided with proper treatment at home.
The BNP chief left the hospital at 8:20 pm and reached home around 9:00 pm, said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan.
Earlier on Wednesday night, Khaleda was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital and placed in the CCU following the advice of the medical board.
She was shifted to a cabin from the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) in the afternoon.
Dr Zahid said the BNP chief underwent several urgent tests on Wednesday night.
Based on the test reports, the medical board determined her next course of medical treatment.
Since her conditional release from prison in 2020, the BNP chief has been receiving medical care at the hospital under the supervision of a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder.
The 79-year-old former prime minister has long been battling various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and issues related to the kidney, lung, heart, and eyes.
Khaleda's physicians have been advocating for her treatment abroad since she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in November 2021.
On October 26 last year, three US specialist doctors performed the hepatic procedure known as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS procedure) to alleviate fluid accumulation in Khaleda Zia&rsquo;s abdomen and chest, as well as to address bleeding in her liver.

Khaleda returns home from hospital

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation, led by Chris Papageorgiou, engaged in discussions with key Bangladeshi energy officials on Thursday. The meetings, centered around the pressing financial challenges in the country&rsquo;s power and energy sectors, remained closed to the media.
The delegation first met with officials from the Power Division, led by Power Secretary Habibur Rahman, before progressing to talks with the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, and concluding with Petrobangla, the nation&rsquo;s energy corporation.
Despite the high-profile meetings, officials were tight-lipped about the discussions. "Right at this moment it&rsquo;s really tough to comment on the issues discussed in the meeting,&rdquo; Rahman told UNB, reflecting the general reluctance among the participants to disclose any outcomes.
Sources close to the matter indicate that the primary focus of the discussions was on reducing the subsidies provided in the power and energy sector and adjusting power and gas tariffs accordingly. The IMF voiced concerns over pending dues amounting to approximately Tk 50,000 crore ($5 billion), pressing for a detailed plan on how the government intends to settle these substantial bills.
The IMF's visit forms part of a broader review of Bangladesh's adherence to economic commitments, including the implementation of an automated price adjustment system for petroleum fuels and recent hikes in power and gas prices aimed at curbing financial losses. Despite these measures, the disparity between government spending and income in these sectors continues to necessitate significant subsidies.
The ongoing negotiations also touched on the necessity of further tariff adjustments as a means to bridge the financial gap, a stance that the IMF has consistently maintained. As Bangladesh navigates these economic reforms, it anticipates the next installment of the IMF&rsquo;s $4.7 billion loan, with hopes pinned on an upcoming tranche worth around $690 million.
Previously, the IMF had disbursed an initial $476 million in January 2023, following the government's commitment to economic reforms, and a subsequent $690 million in December 2023, despite not meeting revenue and forex reserve targets.

IMF wants to know govt plan on settling energy dues

The authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have published a list of 80 Saudi companies that are keen to invest in various sectors of Bangladesh, said Salman F Rahman, Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister.
Salman, who is currently visiting Saudi Arabia, attended meetings with the Saudi Ministers and various important persons in the country and discussed potential investment opportunities in Bangladesh.
After attending the special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, Salman held these meetings with Saudi officials, according to a press release on Thursday.
He also met with the Chief of Staff and Secretary General of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saad Alkroud.
&ldquo;PIF Secretary General praised the economic development of Bangladesh and gave this information in a meeting: 80 Saudi companies have expressed interest in investing in Bangladesh,&rdquo; Salman said.
He said Saudi Arabia is interested in energy cooperation with Bangladesh. Saudi Arabia's Assistant Minister of Energy, Mohammed Al Ibrahim, said that the Saudi government is actively considering the proposal to buy crude oil on a deferred payment basis from Bangladesh. At this time, they discussed various issues of partnership between the two countries.

80 Saudi companies keen to invest in Bangladesh: Salman F Rahman

Press Release

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has called upon the UK government to collaborate with Bangladesh to establish a peaceful and conflict-free world and to put an end to the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
During his speech as the Guest of Honour at a high-profile diplomatic reception hosted by Bangladesh High Commission, London to celebrate the 54th Independence and National Day of Bangladesh on Wednesday, the Foreign Minister emphasized the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire in conflict zones worldwide, including Gaza and Ukraine, reads a press release.&nbsp;
He stressed that stopping the killing of innocent people is crucial to restoring normalcy and establishing peace.&nbsp;
Speaker of the UK&rsquo;s Parliament Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle was the Chief Guest at the event where Leader of the House of Commons Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt, UK FCDO Minister for Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and United Nations Lord Tariq Ahmad, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed, and Chairman of All-party Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh Rushanara Ali spoke as special guests.&nbsp;
International Affairs Adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Dr Gawher Rizvi, Former Foreign Minister and Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs Dr AK Abdul Momen and State Minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury attended the reception.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem gave welcome remarks at the reception held at the historic Churchill Room of Queen Elizabeth II sited in a magnificent setting centering the British Parliament.&nbsp;
In his speech, the Foreign Minister Dr Mahmud paid profound homage to Bangladesh's Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the 3 million martyrs, and the valiant freedom fighters of the 1971 War of Liberation. He expressed his gratitude to the UK Government, its citizens, and the British-Bangladeshi diaspora for their support during Bangladesh's War of Liberation, and pledged to elevate Bangladesh-UK historical relations to new heights under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He paid tribute to British Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath, who warmly welcomed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib as the President of independent Bangladesh at No 10 Downing Street on 8 January 1972.&nbsp;
The Minister also paid tribute to the then opposition Leader and two-time British Prime Minister Sir Harold Wilson, who welcomed Bangabandhu in London and later mourned his brutal assassination on 15 August 1975.
&ldquo;Bangabandhu&rsquo;s shared values of democracy, secularism and progressive aspirations with these stalwart British leaders and his special love and affection for his British Bangladeshi compatriots set the foundation of today&rsquo;s Bangladesh-UK friendship&rdquo;, he said.
Dr. Mahmud thanked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for emphasizing his commitment to enhancing the economic and security partnership between Bangladesh and the UK in his congratulatory letter to Prime Minister Hasina after the national election on 7 January 2024.&nbsp;
He stated that Prime Minister Hasina remains dedicated to strengthening their robust trade, investment, aviation, climate, defence, security, and migration cooperation to the next level in her current term, as agreed upon by the two Prime Ministers in London last May.
The minister termed the UK as a true friend of Bangladesh and hoped that Bangladesh-UK friendship would continue to thrive, as they are an important partner in ensuring peace, prosperity, and security in the Bay of Bengal and a free, open, peaceful, and secure Indo-Pacific region.&nbsp;
He also emphasized the importance of the UK's support in the early repatriation of 1.2 million Rohingyas back to their ancestral home in Myanmar.
In his speech, he highlighted the sustained economic growth of Bangladesh over the past one and a half decades under the globally acclaimed dynamic Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who has leapfrogged Bangladesh from 41st to the world&rsquo;s 34th largest economy- just over the past decade. Today, the world has its eyes on Bangladesh, which is set to become the 9th largest consumer market by 2030, and a tech-based &lsquo;Smart Bangladesh&rsquo; by 2041.&nbsp;
The minister commended the Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK for launching the 'Bangabandhu-Edward Heath Friendship Award' and the 'Bangabandhu-Harold Wilson Friendship Award.'&nbsp;
Speaker of the UK's Parliament Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle in his speech paid tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and recalled the contribution of the British-Bangladeshis to the War of Liberation in 1971.&nbsp;
He reaffirmed that the UK would remain a steadfast partner of Bangladesh efforts towards a developed country.
Penny Mordaunt commended Bangladesh's recent progress and assured that the UK would collaborate with Bangladesh to build a better and prosperous future.&nbsp;
He also praised the significant role of the British-Bangladeshi diaspora for their contribution to the UK&rsquo;s economy and society.
Lord Tariq Ahmad lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for upholding the values and spirit of Bangabandhu in creating a self-sustaining, inclusive, and secular Bangladesh, which is now one of the world's most rapidly growing economies.&nbsp;
He said that Sheikh Hasina is a leader who showed the world the magnanimity of humanity by hosting over a million of Rohingya displaced from the country Myanmar.&nbsp;
Lord Tariq Ahmad also praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her efforts in upholding the values and ideals of Bangabandhu, which has resulted in a self-sustaining, inclusive, and secular Bangladesh.&nbsp;
He also highlighted Bangladesh's rapid economic growth, which has made it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Lord Ahmad further acknowledged Sheikh Hasina's compassionate leadership in providing refuge to over a million Rohingya people who were displaced from Myanmar.
Paying deep homage to the Father of the Nation and 1971 martyrs, High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem in her welcome remarks said: &ldquo;Bangabandhu founded Bangladesh on democratic, secular, and progressive values. Now, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina relentlessly strides to realise Bangabandhu's vision of a prosperous Bangladesh, the UK remains a crucial partner in achieving this goal&rdquo;.&nbsp;
The High Commissioner thanked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his congratulatory message to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following January election, and also recalled the bilateral meeting of the two Premiers where they agreed to take Bangladesh-UK relations to new heights towards a sustainable, greener and more prosperous future.&nbsp;
High Commissioner also thanked the UK Government for its continued support to the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh, and urged the UK to take stronger diplomatic leadership for the return of the Rohingyas to their ancestral home in Myanmar.&nbsp;
In her speech, the envoy thanking the Foreign Minister Lord David Cameron for his congratulatory message to Bangladesh Foreign Minister, also highlighted the significant collaborations between Bangladesh and the UK in various fields including in trade, investment, climate, aviation, and defence, and said that the first-ever home office dialogue between the two countries would be held later this month.
The Foreign Minister along with the UK&rsquo;s Speaker, High Commissioner and distinguished guests unveiled the exclusive &ldquo;Mujib and Britain&rsquo; publication by Bangladesh High Commission, London and handed over the Bangabandhu-Edward Heath Friendship Award&rsquo; and the &lsquo;Bangabandhu-Harold Wilson Award&rsquo; to two great friends of Bangladesh Lord Marland and Lord Swaraj Paul respectively to honour their extraordinary contributions in promoting Bangladesh-UK Friendship.
The event's highlights included an Exhibition on Bangabandhu, a colourful cultural performance by British-Bangladeshi prominent performers; and a traditional Bangladeshi Saree exhibition. It was well attended by the vibrant presence of a distinguished selection of guests including UK parliament members, UK government officials, eminent British Politicians, high commissioners and ambassadors, senior representatives from Commonwealth and International Maritime Organisation (IMO), and representatives from the diplomatic missions in London, think tanks, members of the media, academia as well as members of the Bangladesh community in the UK.

Bangladesh wants UK on its side to end war in Gaza for world peace: FM Hasan in London

Speakers at a panel discussion in Dhaka on Thursday said there is no alternative to freedom of the press and freedom of expression to ensure democracy.
It is also imperative that the safety and freedom of the press be prioritised to tackle the ongoing environmental crisis and natural disasters, they said.
Marking World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) 2024, speakers made these remarks at panel discussions organised jointly by UNESCO, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), and Article 19 at MIDAS Centre in Dhaka&rsquo;s Dhanmondi on Thursday.
The discussions centred on the WPFD theme of this year, &ldquo;A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.&rdquo; There were two separate panel discussions where the panellists talked about issues like the ongoing oppression against journalists and their safety concerns in the context of climate-related issues, freedom of expression and the press, tackling misinformation, and access to information.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman, TIB executive director,, said, &ldquo;In the period from 2022 to 2023, while covering environmental issues, there were 23 attacks on the media, resulting in the torture of 43 journalists.
Between 2016 to 2021 alone, 12 individuals, including environmental rights activists, were killed for protesting against coal-based plants.&rdquo;
He further stated that those who are legally responsible for protecting the environment are the ones leading the destruction of the environment. Therefore, it is imperative to create an environment where journalists and civil society organisations can play their active roles. But in reality, such space is being shrunk by the use of repressive acts like the Digital Security Act.
Taking part in the &ldquo;zero-sum political game,&rdquo; journalists and rights activists are harassed by misusing laws, which ultimately benefits a certain faction. The harassment of media workers and civil society actors has been normalised through this process, he added.
There are additional risks while reporting on land grabbing, water bodies' destruction, or the construction of training centres by taking over protected land. To tackle such challenges, those who are responsible in the government have to respect the commitment to freedom of press and speech enshrined in the constitution, so journalists and activists working on environmental issues do not become the victims of "shoot the messenger".
Speaking at the opening session, Susan Vize, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh, said, &ldquo;Raising public awareness about climate change and other environmental issues in Bangladesh is critical to achieving behavioural change. The media remains the single most influential source of credible public information. WPFD 2024 aims to build the capacity of Bangladesh&rsquo;s media to ensure accurate and impactful coverage of the current environmental crises.&rdquo;
Alexandra Berg von Linde, Ambassador to Bangladesh, Sweden Embassy, said, &ldquo;Public interest is inextricably linked to climate change and environmental degradation. The negative effects of climate change are becoming more visible, affecting people's daily lives. People want to know about the results and effects of negative climate change. Freedom of the media and the ability to report independently on all such matters of public interest are important elements of democracy.&rdquo;
Responding to a question about the misuse of repressive acts (ICT, DSA and CSA) and the safety concerns of journalists, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad A Arafat said, &ldquo;We always talk about ensuring freedom of the press. However, in some cases, vested interests exploit this freedom to publish agenda-driven news and disseminate misinformation. Instances of such misinformation regarding Rampal or Adani power plants have been observed. Therefore, alongside ensuring media freedom, accountability must also be ensured.
"If media freedom is misused to spread false information or disinformation, appropriate legal action should be taken. However, I will take necessary steps to ensure the protection of journalists in the country who report on environmental crises or climate issues based on truth and scientific evidence.&rdquo;
The first panel discussion titled &ldquo;A Press for the Planet: Free Press and Freedom of Expression in the Context of the Current Global Environmental Crisis&rdquo; kicked off with the presentations of Shamsuddin Illius, bureau chief of Chattogram, The Business Standard, and Usraat Fahmidah, freelance journalist, regarding the challenges of journalism in environmental issues and training young journalists.
The second panel discussion focused on the safety issues of journalists under the theme of &ldquo;Media Defence for Crisis Reporting,&rdquo; where journalists and experts from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka participated.
&nbsp;

No alternative to press freedom to ensure democracy: Speakers

Maximum temperature in the country started falling on average one or two degrees Celsius from today, the Met Office said predicting temperature may dip more from 5 May as almost all parts of the country may witness much awaited rainfall. &nbsp; "Maximum temperature has started one or degree Celsius . . . it is an indicator that rainfall is likely to occur from May 5 in most areas in the country," Md Omar Faruq, a meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) told BSS today.
Analyzing the mathematical model of rainfall index, he said, Bangladesh may witness heavy to very heavy downpour from the next three or four days meaning intense of heat will decrease significantly providing some relief as the entire country braced for more extreme heat since 1 April.
Large swaths of Khulna and Rajshahi division are sweltering through a heatwave as the Met office logged highest temperature above 40 degree Celsius in most stations located in the two divisions since 1 April, Omar said predicting rains are likely to occur in different areas of the two division.
"Northeastern, central parts including Sylhet division and some parts of Mymensingh and Dhaka division are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall from 2 May," Dr Abul Kalam Mallik, BMD meteorologist said.
The meteorologist attributed uncomfortable feelings of unbearable hot-weather to high humidity persisting in the air during the afternoon and evening period suggesting avoiding movement between 12 noon to 4pm as the sunlight is getting too hot as it (the Sun) provides sunlight vertically with intense heat.
"Normally we record temperature from the air," Mallik said the highest temperature was found between 12 noon and 4pm because of vertical position of the Sun.
Analyzing humidity indexes, Mallik continued, "There is a close relation of temperature and humidity . . . discomfort feelings will increase, if high humidity persists in the air with high temperature. "Although temperature decreases after 4pm, but we feel very hot weather due to high humidity," he added. &nbsp; The Met Office today recorded 41.7 degree Celsius at Chuadanga, the highest temperature of the current year while the temperature in Dhaka was recorded at 37.9 degrees Celsius but the high humidity has exposed the residents to massive discomfort.
The BMD official said the country witnessed the longest duration of the heatwave for the past 30 days since April 1 and the met office warned the phenomenon would continue throughout the next month.
"But unlike the previous heatwaves, this year it spread all over the country," commented meteorologist Abul Kalam Mollik, who was supported by Zebunnesa as well.
Visibly for the first time the meteorologists acknowledged that the climate change phenomenon caused the erratic weather pattern with gradually expanding areas of heatwave, joining the voice with the climate experts and activists.
According to the weather bulletin of BMD issued here today, very severe heat wave is sweeping over the districts of Jashore, Khulna, Chuadanga, Pabna and Rajshahi and severe heat wave is sweeping over the districts of Tangail, Faridpur, Gopalgonj and rest parts of Khulna division.
Mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping elsewhere over the country and it may abate from some places over eastern part of the country, the bulletin said adding day temperature may fall slightly over western part and it may fall by (1-2)oC elsewhere over the country
April is typically hot in Bangladesh as it is in other South and Southeast Asian countries, but according to meteorologists, temperatures this month have been unusually high which was highlighted by international media outlets as well.
According to the New York Times, hundreds of millions of people in South and Southeast Asia were suffering from a grueling heatwave that has forced schools to close, disrupted agriculture, and raised the risk of heat strokes and other health complications.
The recent report also specially acknowledged the Bangladesh scenario saying temperature in some areas soared above 42 degrees Celsius but the "numbers don't quite capture how extreme humidity makes the heat feel even worse".
The schools across the country were closed due to the extreme weather but students are struggling to or doing anything at home as well.
The heatwave has forced the healthcare facilities to take emergency measures to provide medical services with higher number of patients reporting to hospitals with heat-related ailments since the beginning of April while the children and elderly people appeared as the most vulnerable during this prolonged hot weather.
"Large numbers of people are becoming ill with heatstroke, dehydration, exhaustion and breathing problems and they are suffering from other heat-related diseases as well," Director of Mugda Medical College and Hospital Dr Md Niatuzzaman told BSS.
The other hospitals and healthcare facilities including Shishu Hospital, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) reported identical scenarios.
"Nearly, 500 diarrhoea patients have been admitted to the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). A significant number of patients are getting admission to ICDDRB daily," ICDDR'B spokesman AKM Tariful Islam Khan said. &nbsp; The health ministry issued a directive to take extra measures to face the crisis in hospitals across the country.
Doctors suggested people to stay indoors as much as possible and wear weather-suitable clothes during exposure to sun to protect themselves from heatstroke and take rest after one or two hours during working period alongside consuming more liquid food beside water to avoid dehydration during the heatwave.
"Our brains can tolerate certain level of temperature, if it exceeds people may faint, suffer heatstroke besides suffering from dehydration causing electrolyte imbalance and other complications including kidney dysfunction," former Suhrawardy Hospital director Professor Dr Khalilur Rahman said.

Temperature starts falling, may dip more from 5 May

Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali has sought increased support from the development partners including ADB to improve Bangladesh's food distribution system, develop market connectivity and scale up innovation in agriculture in the wake of climate challenges.
The Finance Minister said this while addressing a High-Level panel titled "Harvesting hope; ensuring a food secure, climate resilient Asia and the Pacific" as a distinguished speaker at the 57th annual meeting of ADB at Tbilisi in the capital of Georgia today. &nbsp; Ali is currently leading a seven-member Bangladesh delegation to the 57th annual meeting of ADB at Tbilisi, said a press release received here today.
In his remarks, the Finance Minister said despite being a land scarce country, Bangladesh emerged globally as the third largest producer of rice and vegetables by increasing food production, supporting agriculture and expanding social safety net programmes under the guidance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's inclusive development policies.
On the same day, The Finance Minister met ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa to discuss bilateral issues.
In the meeting with the ADB President, the Minister sought policy based lending (PBL) supports for undertaking trade policy, logistics, climate, and LDC graduation reforms.
He also requested ADB to increase concessional climate finance, facilitate cross-border energy trade, assist Bangladesh in its initiatives for tax sector reforms, undertaking projects for river restoration and developing some of the thrust sectors of its economy such as, jute, leather and tourism towards Bangladesh's drive for diversifying economy.
In response, the ADB President praised Bangladesh government's strong climate and development agenda, and assured ADB's continued support both in sovereign and non-sovereign resources, in Bangladesh's prioritized sectors.

Finance Minister seeks increased support from development partners to improve food distribution system

The price of gold has dropped for the consecutive eighth time as the Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) reduced prices again on Thursday (2 May).
The price of 22-carat gold was downed by Tk1,878 per bhori (11.664g).
Each carat of top-quality gold will now cost Tk1,09,163, BAJUS said in a statement on Thursday.
The new revised prices will be effective from 3 May, it said, adding that the price will remain in effect until further notice.
Meanwhile, each bhori of 21-carat gold will cost Tk1,04,194 while 18-carat gold&rsquo;s price now stands at Tk89,331.
The traditional gold price has been set at Tk 74,276. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Gold prices reduced for 8 times straight

Expatriate Bangladeshis sent $2.04 billion remittances in April, which is 21.3 per cent higher than the corresponding period of the preceding year.
The country received $1.68 billion remittances during the month of April, 2023.
According to bankers, the flow of remittances usually rises during Eid.
In March, remittances dipped below the $2 billion mark after two months amid the weakening of the dollar against the Taka.
Data from the Bangladesh Bank show expatriate Bangladeshis sent home $1.99 billion in March.

Remittance rises 21% in April

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto made it clear that his side won't make any experiment in the five-match series against Zimbabwe, despite taking it as the preparation platform for the T20 World Cup.
Considered as the third biggest cricket extravaganza, the T20 World Cup will be held in West Indies and USA from June 1-29. Apart from these five matches, Bangladesh will play three more T20 Internationals against hosts USA later this month.
Bangladesh are keen to sort out their shortcomings and other technical issues in these eight matches before the World Cup.
"World Cup is knocking at the door, so the series is a preparation platform for us. What matters is that how we would prepare ourselves and how we can gain the confidence," Shanto said in Chattogram today.
"While the World Cup preparation will be in our mind, at the same time, we want to win the series and that's our first goal. Normally when a preparation goes on, teams make experiment but I think there is no need to make any experiment because the 15 players who were included in this team, are capable enough to beat this Zimbabwe. I think the series will give us the insights about our shortcomings and where to focus to rectify our mistakes."
The selectors rested Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman for the first three matches. Shanto said when these two players will be included, the World Cup squad will be complete. According to him, there is hardly any chance that the squad will be changed, sans injury and other issues.
"The team that was given for this series, is originally the World Cup squad. Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman will be added later and may be one or two changes may come but I think it's the original squad barring injury and other issues," he said, adding that Saifuddin's inclusion after 18 months will bolster Bangladesh's lower order.
"A key component is T20 cricket is how the lower order fires. Our lower order batters -- Taskin, Shoriful, Rishad can bat well and when Saifuddin will be added, it will be a good lower order."
Shanto further said, lower order strength doesn't necessarily give every player the freedom to bat at his will.
"The thing is that everyone has a role in the team and he should play it well," he said. "The lower order's strength won't give you the license to come hard at the bowlers at will. Yes there is freedom to play the shots without any reservation but at the same time, there will be specific role for everyone. A boundary or over boundary from lower order always helps. So it's a good sign that our lower order can play shots."

Our first target is to win series against Zimbabwe: Shanto

Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said that the main goal of the ruling Awami League (AL) is to work for the welfare of the toiling people of the country. &nbsp; &ldquo;The goal of AL is to change the fate of farmers, workers and the toiling people,&rdquo; he said in a statement sent to the media today, protesting the misleading and provocative statements of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Recalling BNP-Jamaat&rsquo;s tenure, the AL general secretary said that when the BNP-Jamaat evil forces were in power, the people of the country had to live in misery due to their misrule.
&ldquo;Today, they talked about the rights of working people. But they never increased the wages of the workers while in power,&rdquo; he added.
Highlighting BNP-Jamaat&rsquo;s atrocities, he said this evil force shot dead laborers who were agitating for salary and bonus, killed farmers who were agitating for fertilizer and murdered ordinary people who were agitating for electricity.
Thus, the BNP-Jamaat clique crushed Bangladesh by holding people hostage at gunpoint, he said.
Obaidul Quader said that they made the life of working people miserable by shutting down different factories, including the Adamjee Jute Mills. &nbsp; On the other hand, Awami League has increased the salaries of garment workers as well as tea workers after coming to power, he said, adding that the living standard of all, including working people, has improved.
Quader further said that Awami League always comes to power with people's vote.
Awami League is not like a political party which came into being from the pocket of a military dictator, he said, adding that this party led the struggles for establishment of all rights, including democratic rights, of the people of this country, he said.
In continuation of that, Awami League is working to establish people's voting rights and other rights, he added.
He said that the 12th national election, held on January 7 last, was fairer than all the elections held in the country after 1975.
&ldquo;Awami League has come to power through elections by ensuring people's right to vote and is running the country with people's mandate,&rdquo; he said.
Obaidul Quader said that BNP had always taken away the voting rights of the people to grab the power. &ldquo;For this, they are afraid of elections and they don't want to participate in it,&rdquo; he added.
&ldquo;Once they excluded half a crore voters from the list to make smooth their way to grab power. They also created 1.23 crore fake voters,&rdquo; he said.
He said that issues like democracy and right to vote do not fit in the mouth of those who undertook different tactics to snatch the voting rights of the people.
&ldquo;The main objective of BNP&rsquo;s politics is to seize power by any means,&rdquo; he continued.
They seized state power and used it illegally to make Bangladesh a dysfunctional state through corruption and looting, he said.
Bangladesh had the stigma of being the champion of corruption for five times because of BNP, he said.

AL’s main goal is to work for welfare of toiling people: Quader

India's Kerala state has closed all schools and colleges until Monday due to scorching temperatures, urging people in the coastal region to limit exposure to the sun and take care to prevent wildfires.
With most parts of India reeling from high temperatures, the weather department has forecast an unusually high number of heatwave days for April to June, as the country stages a general election that has seen a low voter turnout.
Heatwaves are rare in Kerala and data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows that the state recorded five heatwave days in April.
Referring to the current El Nino weather pattern, the IMD said on Wednesday that El Nino years typically have more heating, with hot and dry weather in Asia and heavier rains in parts of the Americas.
Fewer thunderstorms and an anti-cyclonic circulation near India's southeastern coast were causing heatwaves, the IMD said.
Kerala's state government on Thursday directed people to minimize exposure to the sun and urged authorities to monitor situations to avoid fires. With several districts issuing heatwave warnings, the government asked all educational institutions to be shut till Monday.
Heatwaves have forced school closures in parts of Asia and North Africa too, widening learning gaps between developing nations in the tropics and developed countries, experts told Reuters.
Local media reported that at least two people died earlier this week in Kerala, but authorities are yet to confirm if their death was due to extreme heat.
On Thursday, temperature in state capital Thiruvananthapuram touched 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) but the IMD said it felt like 46 (115) due to high humidity.
Soaring temperatures and dry spells have caused frequent forest fires in other parts of India, and the blazes have been worsened by people burning the forest to collect a flower used to brew alcohol in Odisha state.
&nbsp;

India's Kerala shuts schools, colleges amid sweltering heat

Special Correspondent

Forced mergers will not save poorly performing banks, said Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, veteran economist and former governor of Bangladesh Bank.
&ldquo;Mergers should be ensured through discussion among parties instead of enforcing force,&rdquo; he said while presenting a keynote at an event titled &ldquo;Conversation with ERF members&rdquo; arranged by the Economic Reporters&rsquo; Forum (ERF) in Dhaka on Thursday (2 May).
ERF General Secretary Abul Kashem moderated the event while ERF President Mohammad Refayet Ullah Mirdha chaired it.
&ldquo;The number of banks in Bangladesh has not exceeded the limit. But the pattern of loan disbursement is a major problem,&rdquo; he added.
Dr Mohammed Farashuddin said a bank branch in Bangladesh serves 15,000 people, while the number is around 12,000 in India and Pakistan.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So, there can be more bank branches in proportion to population but the distribution of deposits and loans should be balanced,&rdquo; he added.
For example, he said that many banks disbursed around 80% of their loans from the branch in Motijheel and the remaining 20% through the remaining branches across the country.
Highlighting the country&rsquo;s present economic condition, he said, &ldquo;Bangladesh is one of the many countries in the world that are maintaining the continuity of GDP growth for the last couple of decades. The economy of 16 countries was stable during the Covid-19 crisis and Bangladesh is one among these countries.&rdquo;
Bangladesh has been maintaining geopolitical balance, the former central bank governor said.
However, the economist has expressed concern over the rising and persistent inflation.
&ldquo;Bangladesh failed to reduce inflation while most economies all over the world have succeeded in taming commodity price hikes,&rdquo; he said, urging for coordination among fiscal and monetary measures and also effective market monitoring to reduce the price of the essential commodities.
Dr Farasuddin said, &ldquo;Ministers are saying that people are doing well even after inflation of 9.7%. &nbsp;That is unrealistic. Salaries for certain groups of people may have gone up a little but the majority is not better off due to this inflation.&rdquo;
He also said the central bank should have stronger rules from the Ministry of Finance for transparency in the financial sector.
&ldquo;The former finance minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhith announced the formation of the banking reform commission, but it was not done. This commission needs to be formed and active,&rdquo; he added.
Dr Farasuddin also said that there is no need for a reform commission if there is a strong central bank and an efficient finance ministry.
Expressing concern over the recent rise in inequality in the country, the former central bank governor said, &ldquo;When a capitalist economy grows, the kindness of people decreases.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Maybe that's what's happening now. That is why the inequality has increased,&rdquo; he added.

Forced mergers won’t save troubled banks: Farashuddin

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India's largest private port operator, posted a 76% rise in its fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by record cargo volumes.
The company, which is part of billionaire Gautam Adani's conglomerate, said its consolidated net profit rose to 20.40 billion rupees ($244.6 million) in the quarter ended March 31, from 11.58 billion rupees a year earlier.
Adani Ports achieved its highest ever quarterly volumes at 109 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the January-March period, helping revenue rise by 19% to 68.97 billion rupees as business activities picked up pace in the early months of 2024.
APSEZ operates 13 ports and terminals in India, including the country's largest container handling port in Mundra in the western state of Gujarat.
The Adani group company last month said more than a fourth of India's cargo volumes was routed through its ports in FY24, while flagging a growing share of cargo volumes for its non-Mundra ports.
APSEZ handled 420 MMT cargo in FY24, surpassing its guidance of 370 MMT-390 MMT.
In March, the company said it would acquire 95% of Odisha's Gopalpur Port for $162 million to expand its east-coast presence.
Shares of APSEZ were up 1.5% after the company reported its results. So far this year, the stock has risen about 31%, outperforming a 4.5% gain in the blue-chip Nifty 50 index (.NSEI).
($1 = 83.3970 Indian rupees)

India's Adani Ports Q4 profit soars 76% on record cargo volumes

The death toll from the collapse of an expressway section in China's Guangdong province that caused vehicles to tumble down a slope has risen to 48, with rescue work hampered by mudslides, state media reported on Thursday.
The road collapsed in the wee hours of Wednesday, the first day of the five-day May Day holiday break as millions in the country travel.
The collapse, triggered by heavy rain, occurred at around 2:10 a.m. on the Meizhou-Dabu Expressway, Xinhua news agency reported, adding that 17.9 meters (58.7 feet) of the road gave way and caused 23 vehicles to plunge. Another 30 people sustained injuries, it said.
Meizhou is one of the areas in southern China's Guangdong that has been badly hit by heavy rain and hail since late April which set off dangerous mudslides, inundated homes and destroyed bridges.
Meizhou officials told a press conference on Thursday livestreamed on state broadcaster CCTV that 577 relief personnel and more than 80 rescue vehicles and equipment had been dispatched to the site but rescue work proved difficult as some vehicles were buried deep in the mud after their fall.
Video from state media showed a twisted metal guardrail and a big hole in the path of the forested green area where the collapse happened. Rescue personnel with cranes and excavators as well as a few damaged cars could also be seen.
Some vehicles fell and caught fire, according to social media accounts in China. A driver of a vehicle said in a video posted on Weibo he saw a crack in the road in front of him and mistook it for a puddle, but sped off before the road collapsed.
President Xi Jinping called for the utmost efforts to save lives and eliminate danger as rainy weather continued in the region, according to a Xinhua report.
Task forces from the central and local governments have been dispatched for the rescue work, the report added.
&nbsp;

Road collapse in southern China kills 48, state media reports

UNB/AP

Over 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested in recent days according to US media reports, as the anti-war demonstrations at over 20 American universities continued on Tuesday.
Some schools including Columbia University, where the protests initially erupted, have seen a further intensification of the protests, while on some other campuses, the situation appears to be cooling down.
Early Tuesday, dozens of protesters at Columbia University's Manhattan campus moved furniture and metal barricades to block the entrance of Hamilton Hall, one of several buildings occupied by students during the 1968 civil rights and anti-Vietnam War protests.
Protesters formed a human chain in front of the building and said that they would only leave unless the school meets their demands, which include the university's divestment from Israeli-related companies, disclosure of all financial assets, and amnesty for students and faculty disciplined in the protests.
In a statement Tuesday, a Columbia spokesperson said that "students occupying the building face expulsion."
The university spokesperson stated that the protesters were offered an opportunity to depart peacefully and complete the semester. However, those who does not comply with the conditions outlined since Monday should face suspension.
"Protesters have chosen to escalate to an untenable situation -- vandalizing property, breaking doors and windows, and blockading entrances -- and we are following through with the consequences we outlined yesterday," the spokesperson said.
On Tuesday night, New York police entered Columbia University campus and started to make arrests after pro-Palestinian protesters refused to leave.
In light of the escalation, the White House expressed disapproval of the actions taken by the protesters at Columbia University.
"The president believes that forcibly taking over a building on campus is absolutely the wrong approach, that is not an example of peaceful protests," White House national security communications adviser John Kirby told reporters. "Taking over a building by force is unacceptable."
"A small percentage of students shouldn't be able to disrupt the academic experience, the legitimate study, for the rest of the student body," Kirby said.
At a demonstration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earlier Tuesday, police entered the protest camp and arrested about 30 people.
Later in the day, protesters returned to the site and replaced the American flag in the center of the campus with a Palestinian flag. They linked arms and formed a circle around the flagpole, and could be heard chanting "Intifada" and "Free Palestine," according to the school newspaper. Law enforcement officers later switched back to the American flag.
In the northwestern state of Oregon, protesters occupied a library at Portland State University overnight. On Tuesday, the university urged protesters to leave the library and asked the police for help.
Clashes between police and protesters turned violent in some cases. Police used riot gear and pepper spray to break up a protest at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond late Monday after protesters threw objects at officers and used chemical spray, officials said. Thirteen people, including six students, have been charged with unlawful assembly and trespassing.
Since protests broke out at Columbia University on April 18, more than 1,000 protesters have been arrested on over 20 U.S. college campuses in recent days, the New York Times reported.
While tensions have increased on some campuses, they appear to be cooling on others.
On Tuesday, police managed to end an eight-day occupation of the administration building at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. Protest camps at Yale University and the University of Pittsburgh also appeared to have been emptied.
Northwestern University announced an agreement with protesters late Monday, saying it would re-establish an Investment Responsibility Advisory Committee in the fall with participation of student, faculty and staff representatives.
The agreement calls for the removal of tents set up by protesters and in exchange, the school allows students to demonstrate peacefully on the grass until the end of the semester on June 1.
The multi-day wave of campus anti-war protests is a manifestation of young Americans' discontent with how the Biden administration is managing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A recent CNN poll found that 71 percent of American adults surveyed were dissatisfied with the Biden administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Among those under 35, 81 percent were dissatisfied.

Over 1,000 arrested so far in protests on US college campuses nationwide

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has renewed the Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) license of Fiber@Home Limited.
BTRC Chairman Engineer Mohiuddin Ahmed handed over the renewed license to Fiber@Home Limited on Thursday (2 May).&nbsp;
Fiber@Home Limited &nbsp;Managing Director Brigadier General Md Rafiqul accepted the renewed license on behalf of the company.
The commission has already granted NTTN license to six companies including three government and three private companies.
Fiber@Home Limited was the first among the private companies to get a license from BTRC for 15 years on 7 January, 2009.
The company's license was valid till 6 January this year.&nbsp;
Later, given the application for renewal on 12 November 2023, its NTTN license was renewed for the next 15 years &ndash; effective from 7 January this year.

BTRC renews Fiber@Home’s transmission license for 15 years

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is currently undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital, was shifted to a cabin from the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) on Thursday.
"Madam was previously in the CCU. The medical board has now shifted her to the cabin. She is receiving treatment under the close supervision of doctors in the cabin," Khaleda's personal physician Prof AZM Zahid Hossain told UNB.
In response to a question, Zahid said the BNP chief underwent several urgent tests on Wednesday night. &ldquo;Based on the test reports, the medical board is now giving her medical treatment.&rdquo;
Earlier on Wednesday night, Khaleda was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital and placed in the CCU following the advice of the medical board.
Since her conditional release from prison in 2020, the BNP chief has been receiving medical care at the hospital under the supervision of a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder.
The 78-year-old former prime minister has long been battling various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and issues related to the kidney, lung, heart, and eyes.
Khaleda's physicians have been advocating for her treatment abroad since she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in November 2021.
On October 26 last year, three US specialist doctors performed the hepatic procedure known as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS procedure) to alleviate fluid accumulation in Khaleda Zia&rsquo;s abdomen and chest, as well as to address bleeding in her liver.

Khaleda moved to cabin from CCU

Milton Samadder, chairman of Child and Old Age Care, has been placed on a three-day remand in a case filed in connection with forging death certificates.&nbsp;
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court passed the order on Thursday (May 2) after police produced him in the court seeking a 7-day remand.
Earlier on the day, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Kamal Pasha at Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) in Mirpur Zone filed the case against Milton at Mirpur Model Police Station.
Apart from this, two more cases on charges of human trafficking and illegal detention are under process, police said.
According to the case statement, &ldquo;Milton Samaddar used to forge death certificates of people who died in his shelter centre. He used to forge doctors&rsquo; signatures and seals in the death certificates of those who would die at the centre.
&ldquo;Milton Samadder is not a registered medical practitioner. No registered doctor has been appointed in his institution. He fraudulently made money by creating institutions in the name of child and old age care services.&rdquo;&nbsp;
It stated that Milton and his manager Kishore Bala cheated anonymous children and elderly people in the name of service to humanity.
A team of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) detained Milton Samadder from Mirpur, Dhaka on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Milton Samadder on 3-day remand in death certificate forgery case

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the country&rsquo;s leftist parties who they want to bring to power by ousting her.
&ldquo;The leftists have turned by 90 degrees. Well, they want to oust me. But could they determine who would come next? It is my question. Who would come to power and who would work for the country? But it is not clear who they want to bring,&rdquo; she said.
The premier said this while addressing a press conference arranged at her official residence Ganabhaban on the outcome of her recent six-day visit to Thailand.
Replying to a question, she said since it is not clear whom the leftists want to bring in power next, none of them don&rsquo;t get response from the people.
She said yes, movement is being carried out. Staying in a foreign land as a fugitive, someone is doing movement as well as giving orders online everyday thanks to Digital Bangladesh made by her government, she added.
&ldquo;Let those who are waging a movement do it. We at least are not hindering it,&rdquo; she said.
Criticising the US style to curb ongoing demonstrations carried out against Israeli aggression on Palestine, the PM said there is a possibility now for Bangladesh to stop the movement here following the American style.
&ldquo;I think our police now can follow the American police. We asked them (Bangladesh Police) to show patience,&rdquo; she said, adding that their member was beaten to death in October 2023.
&ldquo;So, our police can take measures to curb movement in American style,&rdquo; she went on.
Replying to another question, the prime minister said her government&rsquo;s goal is to make the ongoing upazila election a meaningful one.
In this context, she said a good number of political parties boycott elections as they have no capacity to run in the polls.
&ldquo;Why do they boycott elections? The reason is that they actually don&rsquo;t have capacity to compete in the elections,&rdquo; said Sheikh Hasina, also the President of ruling Bangladesh Awami League.
The prime minister returned to Bangladesh on April 29 after concluding her visit, which began on April 24 at the invitation of her Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin.

Who they want to bring to power ousting me: PM Hasina wonders about leftists

A lower turnout so far in India&rsquo;s long general election has rattled Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s campaign managers, raising into question whether his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies can achieve the landslide victory predicted by opinion polls just one month ago.
The lack of momentum has been partly blamed on apathy among party workers believing victory is assured and seems to have prompted Modi to change tack in his campaign speeches to try to fire up the Hindu majority, the party&rsquo;s support base, and get them out to voting stations, political analysts said.
The last major opinion poll had predicted that the BJP and its allies could win three-fourths of parliament's 543 seats at stake on the back of Modi's popularity, strong economic growth, handouts and the inauguration of a Hindu temple on a contested site in the Hindu majority country.
At the last election in 2019, the BJP won 303 seats and its allies won around 50 seats. Its slogan before this year's election began was "Ab ki baar, 400 paar" or "This time, above 400".
More than half a dozen BJP leaders and political analysts that Reuters spoke to said a lack of momentum in the two initial phases of the seven-phase election have dampened hopes of a huge majority for the party, although they said it was still likely to retain power in the world's most populous nation.
What could be affected is the BJP's aim to get a two-thirds majority in the chamber, or 362 seats, which would let the party usher in far-reaching constitutional changes.
"The fall in polling turnout is mainly due to apathy among party workers and voters," said Sanjay Sharma, one of the members of the BJP's campaign committee in the northern state of Haryana.
Some candidates were being affected by an anti-incumbency wave, he said, adding the party was facing a "tough fight" in the state where it won all ten parliamentary seats in 2019.
Modi himself has shifted in his campaign speeches from a focus on the administration's successes in his 10-year tenure to targeting minority Muslims and the opposition Congress party.
"After the first phase, we saw a definite change of strategy by the PM...delivering Islamophobic kind of speeches," said Arati Jerath, a Delhi-based political commentator.
"Obviously, he has now decided to polarise the campaign."
A total of 190 seats went to the polls on April 19 and 27 with approximate voter turnout at about 66%, the Election Commission has said. The number was only slightly lower than the last election in 2019, although there was a drop of 5-8 percentage points in voting in the BJP and allied-ruled states Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.
The BJP had been hoping for a high turnout, believing that would signal that its supporters had voted in force.
Polling ends on June 1 and votes will be counted on June 4. The government bans the publication of exit polls until all voting is concluded.
'BELOW EXPECTATIONS' Gopal Krishna Agarwal, BJP's national spokesman, said the voting numbers were "below expectations" but would not have much impact on the final results.
"Many voters have become lethargic as they are convinced about the victory of the party," he said.
The BJP's shift in tack may have backfired with some voters.
"We have lost interest because the BJP is seeking votes by communalising the campaign, and not on its performance," said Vikash Kumar, a voter in Rajnandgaon in the state of Chhattisgarh.
Kamal Abbas, a Muslim shopkeeper in the city of Lucknow, the capital of politically vital Uttar Pradesh state, reflected the sense of apathy. He said he would not waste time and money to travel to his hometown Prayagraj to vote as Modi's party was set to win the election.
"Minority votes do not stand anywhere in the majoritarian government... there is no point in wasting time," he said.
Anirudh Singh, one of the district campaign managers of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, said the party would have reaped rich electoral dividends if the election was held during February-March, when fervour over the construction of the Ram Temple was at its peak.
"The party has failed to encash public support for Modi after the inauguration of the temple," said Singh, noting that the religious feel-good mood had by and large been replaced by issues like jobs and inflation.
"So far there's neither a communal wave, nor a Ram wave, nor a Modi wave in the election,&rdquo; said Jerath, the political commentator, noting Modi would have to re-invigorate his party workers and supporters if he hoped for a sweep.
After being battered by Modi in the two last general elections, opposition parties are hopeful of a better performance.
The shift in the language and style of Modi's campaign reflected a sense of nervousness, said Jairam Ramesh, a Congress party general secretary.
"The initial voting trends show there is no Modi wave. In states where we were wiped out in 2019, this time the trends are encouraging," he said.
Gilles Verniers, a political analyst who teaches at Amherst College in Massachusetts, said the BJP appeared to have revised its expectations and was feeling a bit rattled at the moment.
"But it's still a very long campaign. There's still room for events and surprises that may alter the course of the election," he said.
"The balance of probability continues to tilt in favour of the BJP, but not maybe as strongly as they would have hoped."

Low turnout, apathy in India election a worry for Modi's campaign

The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) has argued that it is possible to withdraw the subsidy provided in the energy sector without raising power tariffs, as suggested by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
&ldquo;The government can withdraw the power subsidy without hiking electricity prices by addressing issues such as irregularities, waste of resources, extravagance, and mismanagement prevailing in the sector,&rdquo; CAB&rsquo;s Energy Adviser M Shamsul Alam said on Thursday.
He read out a written statement from CAB at a press conference held under the banner &ldquo;Energy justice, not price hike, is needed to save the graft-hit electricity and fuel business&rdquo; at the auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity in Segunbagicha.
Earlier, on April 25, during a meeting with the budget sub-division under the Finance Division, the IMF delegation, which visited Bangladesh to evaluate the progress of conditions set as part of its $4.7 billion loan agreement, suggested that the government withdraw subsidies provided in the power, gas, and fertilizer sectors and adjust prices upward at the consumer level. The team also suggested using the money saved from the budget allocated as a subsidy in the social safety net.
The Finance Division informed the team that the government will continue subsidies in agriculture given the importance of ensuring food security.
Criticizing the government&rsquo;s response to the IMF proposal, the CAB energy adviser said, &ldquo;It seems the government is indifferent to ensuring energy security. Don&rsquo;t they understand that it is not possible to ensure food security if energy security is not ensured?&rdquo;
He further added, &ldquo;It would be possible to meet the deficit of around Tk40,000 crore without a price adjustment if the plundering expense and profit made in the energy sector could be prevented. But the IMF does not offer any such suggestion, as donor organisations like IMF want to turn Bangladesh into an export destination for electricity and fuel.&rdquo;
Speaking at the conference, Shamsul Huda, Executive Director of the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), said, &ldquo;World Bank, IMF could not help any nation to be self-reliant, to come out of the crisis by providing them with loans since their century-old journey. So it is merely an injustice to create a burden for common people to meet their conditions to secure a loan.&rdquo;

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