ISLAMABAD, 25 March, 2021 (TON): Pakistan Interior minister Sheikh Rashid underlined the need for enhancing Pak-Maldives relations.

He stressed that the relations can be fostered through improved diplomacy and cooperation in trade.

Talking to High Commissioner of Maldives to Pakistan Farzana Zahir, who called on him in Islamabad, the Minister said a lot of scope for bilateral tourism and trade between both the countries prevails that needs to be enhanced through better diplomatic coordination and business partnership.          

Farzana Zahir and Rashid discussed common goals and vowed to strengthen the ties and also the Minister highlighted Pakistan’s historical ties with Maldives based on mutual brotherhood and love.

He said Maldives is a key member of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and stressed the need to activate the forum for development of the region.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Rashid said online visa facility has started luring foreign tourists towards Pakistan and the High Commissioner of Maldives suggested Pakistan to provide more opportunities and facilities to businesses community.

LONDON, 25 March, 221 (TON): A man for encouraging acts of terrorism in Bangladesh through messages posted to social media has been sentenced by the British Court.

Munna Hamza, 50, of South London was convicted of three counts of encouraging terrorism contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006.

According to the verdict delivered by Woolwich Crown Court on 19 March, he will spend an additional year on licence when he is released.

On Monday, the Metropolitan Police in post on their website, Hamza also encouraged violence against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government on social media.

Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said, “I praise the member of the public for alerting us to Hamza’s harmful, extremist posts. As a result, we were able to prevent him from publishing further incitements of violence and terror which could have had devastating consequences.”

“I hope this case sends a message that we will seek to prosecute anyone who seeks to instigate acts of serious violence by posting extremist messages.

"Every year, thousands of reports from the public help police tackle the terrorist threat and I would remind everyone to remain vigilant and help us by reporting anything at all suspicious to police. If you see or hear something that doesn’t seem right, even if it is online, trust your instincts and act by reporting to police in confidence,” he added.

However, the experts are of the view that this case sends a message that anyone who seeks to to instigate acts of serious violence by posting extremist messages will be prosecuted.

CHENNAI, 25 March, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu K. Palaniswami said that PM Modi’s advice and tips have helped him govern and develop Tamil Nadu in a better way.

 "The Prime Minister had told me to always act for the development and welfare of the rural areas of the state, and I have implemented a lot of schemes and programs for the people of the villages of Tamil Nadu which had transformed their lives," Palaniswami said.

Countering the allegations of DMK leader M.K. Stalin that the AIADMK-led government had become a slave to the BJP government at the Centre, the Chief Minister said, "Development projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore have been executed in the state which became possible because of the cordial relations we share with the Centre. We have entered into an electoral understanding with the BJP for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu."

However, in his address while campaigning for BJP candidate from Aravakurichi, K. Annamalai, Palaniswami also highlighted welfare schemes for the people of the state as vowed by the AIADMK, possible only if the state government collaborates with the central government.

COLOMBO, 25 March, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, the Justice Minister Ali Sabry presented the Code of Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill.

The bill presented would make provisions that those punished under the convention against Torture and other Cruel inhuman or Degrading Treatment or the Punishment Act No 22 of 1994 will be ensured protection in custody.  

It will be the duty of every Magistrate to visit every police station situated within the judicial division in respect of which he is appointed.

The Magistrate will visit at least once in every month to ensure that the suspects under police custody at such police stations are protected to the extent provided for in the Convention against Torture and other cruel, inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Act No 22 of 1994.

Moreover, the Magistrate who visits the police station shall personally see the suspect and look into his well-being, welfare and conditions under which he is kept at such police station and then record his observations and complaints the suspect may make.

However, where the Magistrate is of the opinion that the suspect may have been subjected to torture, he may direct that the suspect be produced before a Judicial Medical Officer for a medical examination and the report be submitted by the medical officer to him as per the Bill and then the Magistrate can order treatment if the suspect is subjected to torture and can also change the custody of the suspect.

KHATMANDU, 25 March, 2021 (TON): No-confidence motions registered against the chief ministers of the two provinces Rai and Poudel have been withdrawn by the Provincial Assembly members from the Madhav Kumar Nepal-Jhala Nath Khanal faction of CPN-UML in Province 1 and Bagmati.

An agreement was reached among the top leaders at the central level three days ago to withdraw the no confidence motions against Province 1 Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai and Bagmati Province Chief Minister Dor Mani Poudel.

According to Rajendra Kumar Rai, a leader of the Nepal-Khanal faction and a Provincial Assembly member of Province 1, “The decision comes following a party meeting after the top leaders reached an agreement,” said Rai. “We have started collecting signatures of those lawmakers who had signed in favor of the motion. We will withdraw the proposal within four-five days.”

 “The Provincial Assembly has not commenced any meeting for the past four months, and since the Nepali Congress has not come up with a decision, there is confusion as to when this issue will be settled,” said Rai. “That is why we have decided to withdraw the proposal,” he added.

The Nepal-Khanal faction is facing a tough time ever since the Supreme Court on 7 March scrapped the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and revived the UML and the Maoist Centre.

The no confidence motions against Rai and Poudel were filed when the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) still existed and the court had not yet overturned Oli's House dissolution decision. At that time, Nepal and Khanal were with Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who was then another chair of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) along with Oli.

DHAKA, 25 March, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, while speaking at an event marking the double celebration of Bangladesh, Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said that Bengalis should take pride in telling the story of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the rest of the world.

He spoke at the National Parade Ground on Wednesday.

Bhutanese PM said, "Today, we are celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50th anniversary of the country for which he has given his entire life."

"I strongly believe that all of us human beings and all the nations in the world must have a story to share. Bangabandhu has given Bangladesh a good story to share with the global population," he added.

Tshering was the guest of honor on the eighth day of the program titled 'Mujib Chirantan’ (Eternal Mujib).

While referring to Bangladesh’s remarkable and commendable growth in the last decade and during the Pandemic, he said, "I am sure that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is also very proud of Bangladesh and his daughter Sheikh Hasina."

Meanwhile, he also praised Bangladesh's surprising and admirable socio-economic progress and highlighted various aspects of the country’s excellent friendly relations with Bhutan.

KABUL, 24 March, 2021, (TON): Tending to the introduction function of Kamal Khan dam, Ghani said that the economy of Iran and Afghanistan are interrelated and collaboration between the two nations ought to create.

He added that the value of transferring goods through Chabahar Port is 2.5 times less than Karachi Port. Meanwhile, Afghan Agriculture minister Anwar ul-Haq Ahady said Nimrouz is located near Chabahar and the agricultural products can be transferred through this border.

Chabahar, as Iran's only ocean port, plays an important role in developing trade, exports, imports, and fishing as well.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei's special attention and the efforts made by President Hassan Rouhani's government have accelerated the development of Makran Coasts, especially Chabahar Port, in a way that five big ships carrying basic goods, including wheat, barley, soybean, and corn berthed in one week.

THIMPHU, 24 March, 2021, (TON): PM Sheik Hasina today put accentuation on building important frameworks to receive the most noteworthy rewards from the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) endorsed among Bangladesh and Bhutan.

She mentioned the objective fact during a meeting with visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering at her office.

PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting. He said that both PM talked about different fields of collaboration between the two nations, particularly exchange and network. The two of them consented to enact the riverine courses so that exchange between the two nations could be extended.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on building more ports of call. For establishing cooperation in the hydropower project, she asked for formulating bilateral or tripartite MoU in this regard.

The Bhutanese Prime Minister mentioned PM Hasina to give one-time numerous full-term visas for their understudies who are concentrating in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Prime Minister settled upon the issue and asked the officials concerned for making essential strides. She additionally said that Bangladesh would participate in Bhutan in the ICT area, particularly giving broadband web.

Earlier, both PM also held a meeting for 45 minutes.

Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen, Principal Secretary Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, and Ambassador of Bangladesh to Bhutan AKM Shahidul Karim were present from the Bangladesh side.

Ambassador of Bhutan to Bangladesh Rinchen Kuentsyl and chief of protocol Daso Ugyen Gongphel were present, among others, during the meeting.

PTA BETWEEN BANGLADESH, BHUTAN

Bangladesh on December 6, 2020, signed its maiden PTA with Bhutan to boost bilateral trade between the two countries. The PTA with Bhutan is the first such bilateral agreement Bangladesh signed with any country since independence in 1971.

Nearly 100 Bangladeshi items will get obligation-free access in Bhutan. These incorporate infant garments and dress extras, men's pants and shorts, coats, and jackets, jute and jute products, cowhide and calfskin merchandise, dry cell battery, fan, watch, potato, condensed milk, concrete, toothbrush, pressed wood, molecule board, mineral and carbonated water, green tea, squeezed orange, pineapple juice, and guava juice

Then, 34 Bhutanese items that will get obligation-free admittance to the Bangladeshi market including orange, apple, ginger, organic product juice, milk, regular nectar, wheat or Maslin flour, homogenized arrangements of jams, natural product jams, preserves, food preparation of soybeans, mineral water, wheat grain, quartzite, concrete clinker, limestone, wooden molecule sheets, and wooden furnishings.

COLOMBO, 24 March, 2021, (TON): After the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) embraced the goal on Sri Lanka, Foreign Affairs Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the quantity of votes that the European countries expected against Sri Lanka didn't emerge.

Out of the 47 member states of the Human Rights Council, just 22 had cast a ballot for the draft goal introduced by the Core Group, he noted, adding that this was not the outcome European nations anticipated. He said the Core Group couldn't get larger part casts a ballot true to form.

 “We thank all those countries who stood up for the defense not only of Sri Lanka but also of all other sovereign nations of the world,” he said. He appreciated the countries that voted against the resolution and abstained from voting.

Convening a press conference, the minister said this is not a time to bring country-specific resolutions. “Don’t waste time unnecessarily on a country-specific resolution by trying to punish Sri Lanka.”

UNHRC on Tuesday adopted the draft resolution L1/Rev.1 titled “Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka” which was tabled at the 46th Regular Session of the council.

Speaking further, the minister said, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa with his mandate in 2019, soon after his being elected as the head of the state, decided as promised to the country to withdraw from the co-sponsorship of the resolution on Sri Lanka, which the previous government had agreed.

However, constitutionally it was not possible, he emphasized. “Even my predecessor [former] Minister Marapana mentioned in an international forum that constitutionally Sri Lanka cannot go forward with co-sponsored resolution. So, we withdrew from the co-sponsorship.”

“Any of these resolutions, without the consent and acceptance of the country concerned, cannot be implemented.”

Foreign Affairs Minister stressed that Sri Lanka restored human rights by defeating the LTTE. “The LTTE massacred all Tamil democratic leaders. LTTE massacred innocent youths of the north and east.”

He added that Sri Lankan forces were able to bring the conflict to an end, so that Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities could live with a sense of security.

COLOMBO, 24 March, 2021, (TON): Tomorrow (March 25) has been proclaimed as a day of grieving in recognition of late Amarapura Maha Nikaya Mahanayake Most Venerable Aggamaha Panditha Kotugoda Dhammawasa Thera.

As needs are, all slaughterhouses, meat and fish shops, and alcohol stores in the Colombo District will be shut tomorrow.