NEW DELHI, 10 September 2020, TON: India has signed a mutual logistics support arrangement (MLSA) with Japan to keep an eye on China’s expansionist behavior in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The defense secretary of India Ajay Kumar and Japanese ambassador Suzuki Satoshi signed the agreement. 

The officials said, “This agreement will provide the closer framework of interoperability, cooperation, and use of each other’s military force through the armed forces of both the countries.”

Moreover, the defense ministry spokesperson said “The agreement established the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the armed forces of India and Japan in the reciprocal provision of supplies and services while engaged in bilateral training activities.

Before the agreement with Japan, India has signed similar agreements with various countries that include France, the US, Singapore, Australia, and South Korea. 

In 2018, India has signed an agreement with France that allows the Indian Navy’s reach in south-western IOR due to the French bases in the Reunion Island near Djibouti and Madagascar on the horn of Africa.

India signed the agreement with the US back in 2016; it was an agreement of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA). This agreement allows India to refuel and access American bases in Guam, Diego Garcia, Djibouti, and Subic Bay.

The agreement with Australia allows India to reach the warships in southern IOP as well as the Western Pacific region. Similarly, India has signed agreements with other countries to get access to various bases in time of need.

On the other hand, it is claimed that China has an access to Pakistani port of Gwadar to harbor its warships and submarines. Moreover, China has also military access to strategic port of Hambantota as well as other bases in various other countries.

OTTOWA, 10 September 2020, TON, Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau announced the first Black- Entrepreneurship Program of Canada on 10th September. The contribution of Black business owners and entrepreneurs are recognized respectively in the Canadian economy through the new program. The Canadian PM announced, “The pandemic has shone a light on the inequalities that disproportionately hurt Black Canadians, and has underscored the need to restart our economy in a way that allows all Canadians an equal chance to succeed. That is why today – thanks in part to the leadership, advocacy, and expertise of Black business owners and Black-led organizations – we are announcing Canada’s first-ever Black Entrepreneurship Program.”

 And this is an extended part of the ahead launched Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy in 2019.

The PM Trudeau announced nearly up to $95 million to launch the Black- Entrepreneurship Program. The Black  Entrepreneurship Loan Fund will be accessible via the Black-led business organizations funded through the National Ecosystem Fund. Canada's Regional Development Agencies will provide the National Ecosystem Fund.

This is a crisis mitigating strategy for the Black-led Canadian organizations, which facilitates $33.3 million for the Black Entrepreneurship Fund and $6.5 million for the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub with many other strategies. The program aims to highlight the importance of Black Lives around the world.

KABUL, 10 September 2020, TON: A road side mine exploded in the Afghan capital city of Kabul on Wednesday, injuring Afghanistan's First Vice President Amrullah Saleh. Witnesses claimed that it was an apparent assassination attempt which targeted convey of Amrullah Saleh, who suffered minor injuries while at least 10 people killed.

Afghan authorities said, Vice President Amrullah Saleh survived the attack but  dozens of civilian casualties, mostly bystanders, were reported  injured or have been killed in the blast.

Pakistan has strongly condemned the attack and expressed sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims. In a statement by his spokesperson, Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, in a message to media denied the its involvement in the attack on Saleh's convoy. The latest attack comes as Afghanistan is all prepared for direct peace negotiations with Taliban.

KABUL, 9 September 2020, TON: For the first time in two decades since foreign invasion in Afghanistan, Panjshir province which was secured by the foreign troops has come under attack. Local witnesses of the area claims that unidentified miscreants group also kidnapped some locals on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, residents of Panjshir claim that the unnamed authorities directed to take up arms to resist such attack in the future. Although media quoting Afghan authorities says that the attack might be carried out by the Taliban but accent of the attackers described by the locals suggests they were Persian speaking or Hazara or Tajik ethnic groups.  

Provincial officials were quoted by Afghan media that the militants took over several Afghan security force outposts in the Afshar district. VOA reported that District official Mohammad Sohrab saying that about 60 militants came from Nuristan province and took number of villagers hostage. Taliban residing in neighbouring Nuristan, Baghlan, Badakhshan, and Kapisa provinces ruled out any maneuver or attacks by the Taliban.

A local, who identified himself to Mohammad Daud said attack came at a time when 19th anniversary of Ahmed Shah Masood's death was being observed. He pointed out that Ahmed Shah Masood  and Gulbadin Hikmatyar were the main commanders who expelled foreign forces from Afghanistan and  freed Afghanistan. However, as a foreign conspiracy he was killed in 2001. He claimed that it was also an attempt to divide Afghan people into Taliban and non-Taliban.

Meanwhile Mohammad Naim, the Taliban spokesman, said the process of releasing Taliban prisoners is in progress and once the prisoner released    negotiation will be started.

PANGONG TSO, 8 September 2020, TON: As engagement at military, diplomatic and political levels is in progress well and all roads to peace are being explored, the Indian military authorities have accordingly rejected Chinese claim that they resorted to any aggressive means including firing warning shots. Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday night alleged that Indian troops “outrageously fired” warning shots near the Pangong TSO lake in eastern Ladakh and immediately returned back their guns to actual positions. Tension escalated after conflicting reports that the soldiers of the two nations exchanged fire on the south bank of Pangong Tso (lake) on Monday night. However, Indian military leadership said that India is committed to disengagement & de-escalating situation on the LAC.

Meanwhile, a spokesman of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was quoted to have claimed that its soldiers had been forced to by Indian side to take countermeasures in response to the “warning shots” fired by the Indian Army personnel at them on the south bank of the Pangong Tso. There were no causalities on either Indian Army or the Chinese PLA side.

Media reports quoting Colonel Zhang Suili, a spokesperson of the said, “Indian Army had “again illegally crossed the Line of Actual Control on the south bank of Pangong TSO on Monday and had outrageously fired warning shots  on the PLA border patrol position”. However, New Delhi denies the same and claims that India and China are on road towards peace. 

It we recall, on June 15, as many as 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley. Ever since, due to political statements there is environment of suspicions between the two neighbouring nations.

BANDIPORA, 8 September 2020, TON: Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed today that on the tip of Indian Military Intelligence (MI) on Monday, they arrested three Kashmiri hardcore militants on 8 September, belonging to outlawed Lashkar-e-Tayyiaba (LeT). Police claims, “They hoised Pakistani flags at Bazar Hajin in Bandipura”.

An FIR vide no 35/2020 has been filed in Police Station Hajin against, Mujeeb Shamas, Tanveer Ahmad Mir and Imtiyaz Ahmad Sheikh all residents of Mir Mohalla Hajin in which their arrests have been shown and FIA read, “On 06/09/2020 police station Hajin recieved information from reliable sources that some miscreants at the behest of local active militants of LeT has hoisted Pakistani flags at main Bazar Hajin with a view to create fear pyschosis and  incite anti-national feelings among the common people of Hajin town.” Police also claimed that a hand grenade, cloth, sewing machine and other incriminating material used in preparing flags was also recovered from them.

A local eye witness at main Bazar Hajin said on the condition of anonymity, “I swear by Allah that Indian Military Intelligence and other Intelligence setups of security forces are, in fact, involved in the crime but they always blame the local Kashmiris”. He pointed out that the six side star in the flag is symbol of Jews and why a Kashmiri will stitch such flags or hoist in the Bazar. TON representation at Srinagar also confirmed the claim of eyewitness at main Bazar Hajin through sources.

It has become a matter of routine that Indian authorities create self engineered cases of involvement of Kashmiri Muslims in various crimes and terrorism related cases and try to establish their link with Pakistan to malign the neighbouring country. How long Kashmiris would suffer.

UDHAMPUR, 7 September 2020, TON: Indian Security Forces have abandoned its third cordon-and-search-operation in a row since 6 September 2020, when the case of extra judicial fake encounter was surfaced before the international media. One such operation was suspended in Kawoosa area of district Budgam while the other was at Pulwama. TON on 6 September, also reported the story titled, “Dead Bodies of Two Kashmiri Youth found in Neelum River – Army claims they were drowned” that highlighted Indian Army and security forces fake operations against Kashmiris. It was reported that the Northern Command, Udhampur, on Monday, has issued orders to it’s under command Crops Headquarters to carryout investigations in their Area of responsibilities (AOR).

 On 5 September 2020, Indian Army unit deployed at Gurez valley sector claimed to have fished out dead bodies of two Kashmiri youth fished out from Neelam River (Kishanganga) in Bandipora district. Army authorities handed over the bodies to Police claiming that they finished out Malangam village. However, the locals claimed that Indian Army was seen in the area at dawn on 5 September 2020 but locals were not allowed around the operation area and Indian Army personnel made fake recoveries of huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the drowned dead bodies.  The dead bodies were identified as Nisar Ahmad Rathore son of Abdul Aziz Rathore, resident of Dadsara, Tral  and Sameer Ahmad Dar son of Mohammad Yousuf Dar, resident of Dogripora Pulwama. Family of the one of the deceased claimed, “My son was a driver and we approached Police in April 2018 that Sameer is missing but they could not be traced him and now Indian Army has killed him while Police claims that he was drowned in the river and was a militant”. 

There is no doubt that it has become a routine that Indian Army and security forces kill Kashmiri youth in illegal confinement and extra judicial killings. Hundreds of Kashmir youth have been killed by the Indian occupying forces in disputed Jammu and Kashmir State by declaring them to be infected with COVID or their dead bodies are found in the forests. This time they Kashmiri youth were killed in extra judicial custody and thrown into the river.  

UNICEF is the world’s largest buyer of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic vaccine. The officials now announced to provide the vaccine to low-income countries. More than 2 billion doses of vaccine are said to be required annually for approximately 100 countries.

The officials of UNICEF have announced to lead the supply of the COVID-19 vaccine so that all the countries will have equal and fast access to the vaccine. Therefore, it will not be wrong to consider the UNICEF a world’s fastest and largest supplier.

The COVID-19 Pandemic is considered to be one of the worst pandemics of the recent era. It shakes the world badly and makes the businesses collapse at once. Now, the pharmaceutical scientists in all over the entire world are rubbing their minds to invent the vaccine of the COVID-19 Pandemic as soon as possible. It is said that the scientist is very near to invent the vaccine as the human experiment of the process is in the process.

The official of UNICEF collaborated with the Revolving Fund of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to lead the supply of the vaccine which shows promising results. The supply of the vaccine will be done on the behalf of the COVAX Global Vaccine Facility; they will purchase the vaccine as a support mechanism for the lower-middle-income countries.

Moreover, UNICEF will also play the role of procurement coordinator as the 80 higher-income countries have shown their interest to finance the supply of the vaccine to the lower-income countries with the help of the COVAX facility.

This project is considered to be the world’s largest and fastest operation of its kind as more than 170 economies are involved in the COVID-19 Pandemic vaccine’s distribution effort.

In one statement UNICEF’s executive director Henrietta Fore said; “This is an all-hands on deck partnership between governments, manufacturers and multilateral partners to continue the high-stakes fight against COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Further, she added, “In our collective pursuit of a vaccine, UNICEF is leveraging its unique strength in vaccine supply to make sure that all countries have safe, fast, and equitable access to the initial doses when they are available.”

These efforts of UNICEF are the joint venture of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Word Health Organization (WHO), PAHO, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, and other partners.

It is necessary to say that almost 28 manufacturers have shared their plan that indicates the annual production of COVID-19 Pandemic through 2023 and UNICEF is the supplier of that drug in the market. On the other hand, UNICEF has also shown its interest to collectively produce unprecedented quantities of the vaccine for the upcoming 1-2 years.

UNICEF also shows that the next step would be to ensure the self-financing economies to sign up for the COVAX Facility until 18th September. It will allow the COVAX to increase the manufacturer of the drug at a broader scale.

The Gavi’s Chief Executive Officer Seth Berkley said, “Together we can work to end the acute stage of this pandemic, including its devastating impact on individuals, communities, and economies.”

The officials of UNICEF along with the other contributors are taking the necessary steps to ensure the equal, safe, and fastest distribution of the COVID-19 pandemic around the globe, especially to the lower-income countries.

Bangladesh and Pakistan both retain a closer and bilateral relationship with Palestine. Both country support Palestine in the context of the war of Israel. These countries have criticized the brutality of Israel towards the Palestinian people.

From the view of Bangladesh, during the war of independence in 1971, Palestine and its leaders, including Yaseer Arafat, had opposed it. That time Palestine was too against Bangladesh and had supported Pakistan by blaming Bengali as "terrorists."

Time had gone, and the relations had turned to affinity during the October War in 1973 when the Palestinian's fight against Israel happened. At that moment, Bangladesh assisted by sending a medical team and relief supplies for Palestinians. Bangladesh was opposed to Israel's occupation in Palestine, as well as its massacres. Bangladesh is one of the 137 countries to recognize Palestine as a State since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence on November 15, 1988. The most notably high-level meeting between the two countries took place in 1974 at the Second OIC summit, where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Yaseer Arafat were present. Then Yasser Arafat visited Bangladesh in 1981 and 1987. A relationship with PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) became established at that period for which Bangladesh allowed the opening of a PLO office in the capital, Dhaka. Besides, a report as per the US Library of Congress, the Bangladeshi government reported in 1987 that – 8,000 Bangladeshi youths had volunteered to fight for the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Embassy of the State of Palestine is in Dhaka, which represents the excellent relationship between Bangladesh and Palestine. Overall, In the context of Palestinians, Bangladesh is committed to supporting it. Bangladesh does not maintain a direct or indirect diplomatic relationship with Israel.

Moreover, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met Grand Mufti of Al Aqsa Mosque and State of Palestine Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed Hossain at her official residence Gonobhaban. She said,"Bangladesh will continue to support the cause of Palestine and always stand by its people."

Still, now, Bangladesh supports Palestinians after the fact of the UAE (United Arab Emirate) agreement with Israel.

It has been remarked that Palestine supports Pakistan during the War of Independence, and it can be easily guessed that their relations are strong and entrenched. Pakistan is always a side of  Palestine. Pakistan is against Israel’s injustice occupation.

Very recently, after the UAE agreement with Israel, Pakistani Prime Minister said, “ His country will not recognize Israel.”“Whatever any country does, our position is very clear. And our position was made clear by (Pakistan’s founder) Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1948 that we cannot ever accept Israel as long as Palestinians are not given their rights and there is no just settlement”. He also mentioned that If Pakistan consented Israel and denied the Palestinians, they will lose Kashmir. He also believes if Pakistan supports Israel, they have to be responsible for it to Allah.

So there is a good relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan with Palestine undoubtedly. Both countries are devoted supporters toward Palestine.

Halima Akter, Department of International Relations, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh

Bangladesh - Pakistan diplomatic relation was established in 1976. The relationship between Bangladesh and Pakistan has passed the required courses with ups and downs since the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan on December 16, 1971, following a nine-month bloody war. The icy relations got worse stimulation in 2016 when the Bangladesh government executed several leaders of Jamat- e- Islami on charges committing a war crime in 1971. Pakistan claimed the executions and trials as "politically motivated. "

Bangladesh and Pakistan are maintaining a 'quite' diplomacy from the very beginning. As Bangladesh's foreign policy is " Friendship to all, malice to none, "it doesn't say 'No' to any country. That's why Bangladesh hasn’t refused diplomatic relations with Pakistan; instead, it maintains a cold relationship.

There are some reasons why the ice of Bangladesh - Pakistan relationship hasn’t melted yet. Pakistan hasn’t yet asked for an apology for the genocide of 1971. Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed of international relations at Dhaka University said if Pakistan wants ties with Bangladesh, the first and foremost thing that it has to do is to formally apologize to Bangladesh for the genocide committed by the Pakistani military in the 1971 Liberation War. Pakistan also has to achieve that it will not repeat the mistakes it made by opposing the war crimes trial. " The relationship with Pakistan cannot go forward without that," he told The Daily Star.

Munshi Faiz Ahmad, the former chairperson of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, also agreed. He said there is no hurry for Bangladesh to improve relations with Pakistan unless Pakistan apologizes for what its military did in 1971.       

Against the backdrop, on July 1, Pakistan's newly-appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Ahmad Siddiqui, met Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in Dhaka. Many diplomats and foreign policy analysts have taken these diplomatic events as positive initiatives for both Bangladesh and Pakistan. "For the greater interest of our country we will keep relations with all and our constitutional foreign policy is- friendship to all and malice to none,” Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told Anadolu Agency. And Pakistan's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Aisha Farooqui, said her country "has a keen desire to see bilateral relations and peoples’ relations with Bangladesh improve and strengthen."

This is due that the atrocities of 1971 by Pakistan is still fresh in the mind of Bangladeshi people. But maybe the time to take in the initiative to reshape the icy relationship between Pakistan and Bangladesh. "Now it's Pakistan's responsibility to rebuild the relationship, "international relations expert Prof. Delwar Hossain said. 

Israt Jahan Leena, Department of International Relations,  University of Chittagong, Bangladesh.