By Erlina Premadani

It began when thousands of members of an Islamist group rallied in Bangladesh’s capital on Friday. They protested against recent violence in Sweden involving an anti-muslim far-right group and created the Al Aqsa clash.

The protesters came from the conservative Islami Andolon Bangladesh who supported the Islamic laws in the majority of Muslim secular countries. They carried banners, placards, and even the Bangladesh and Palestine flags during the protest.

On Friday, Israeli Police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, after the Palestinian youths threw stones at the gate. After that, the leader of the Islami Andolon Bangladesh urged the Bangladeshi government of Prime minister Sheikh Hasina to denounce such acts. He demanded the Organization of Islamic Cooperation raise its voice upon the tragedy.

On Monday, Bangladesh condemns the violence against innocent worshippers and civilians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque occupied by the Israeli forces in the early morning of 15 April 2022. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep concern over the violations of basic civil norms, international human rights laws, and international accords that have been invoked by the Israeli forces.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs talks came from the belief of Bangladesh toward religious freedom. It is a fundamental human right that must be upheld and the right of practicing religious rituals should be ensured. Bangladesh urges the international community to take sustained measures to end any kind of attacks against worshippers. They also provide medical treatment to the wounded civilians and struggle to end the heinous action in the territories.

It was analyzed that Israel seized the opportunity during the global pandemic to raise violence in Palestine. The oppressive movement toward the Palestinians was arranged to divert attention from its internal crisis. The attack’s motives came not only from the external factor that Israel against Palestinians. But there was also an internal crisis in Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to secure a victory. It is probably a part of diverting people’s attention to Israel’s domestic crisis.

It shows that Bangladesh firmly supports the inalienable rights of the Palestine people and is against the Al-Aqsa Mosque clash. Bangladesh has shown its position in establishing an independent state of Palestine based on the two-state solution. It was stated by AK Abdul Momen, the Bangladesh economist and diplomat that Bangladesh believes the two-state solution to the Middle East Crisis, both Israel and Palestine could be living side by side.

Although Bangladesh nowadays has not yet made diplomatic ties with Israel, they might believe that Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. The belief came without any trustworthy issue in bilateral relations between these two states.

Going back to history, it was stated by a professor of International Relations at Dhaka University, Imtiaz Ahmed that Israel does not hesitate to conduct violations against Palestinians because of the indemnity to the Israeli occupation forces.

The geopolitical atmosphere in the Middle East and the whole of Europe unilaterally seem to support the forces. It would continue until there is a unity between the Arab countries and the consensus among the Muslim citizens is developed against Israeli aggressions. It needs mass awareness within Israel, especially among the new generation to bring a change to the long-persistent oppression of the Israel policy. Formally Bangladesh never supports the illegal occupation of Israel in Palestine.

However, ethically they urged the global community in the Muslim world to unite against Israeli aggression to solve the Middle East crisis with a justice and a humanitarian approach. The supporting statement of Bangladesh toward Palestinians and the territorial integrity was proved in the UNSC resolutions including UNSCR 338, 425, 1397, 1515, and 1544 and also the principle of land for peace.

Referring to history, Bangladesh was the only country in the subcontinent with religious minorities. Bangladesh has become a persistent supporter of the Palestinians for an independent state and has no diplomatic relations with Israel. The supporting movement proved for years in almost oppression happened in Palestine. Bangladesh keeps giving aid to the Palestinians during the fight against Israel in the October war in 1973. Also in early 1980, Bangladesh youth went to Lebanon to fight against the Israeli invading force.

Bangladesh has shown its capability in holding the partiality toward Palestine. They keep continuing to urge the global Muslim community to stop any oppression in Palestine. It was confirmed by the UNGA, the HRC, and the International Court of Justice that the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law.

Bangladesh supports the inalienable rights of the Palestinians without any bias or ambiguity about the illegal status of Israeli occupation and settlement activities. Thus, it can be concluded that whether there is a bilateral relation or not with Palestine, Bangladesh keep supporting Palestinians and against any oppression in these state as a human right support movement.

By TON Bangladesh

Many in Bangladesh now fear that their country could face a similar situation to Sri Lanka, given the rising trade deficit and foreign debt burden. Bangladesh imported goods worth $61.52 billion (€58.48 billion) in the first nine months of the 2021-2022 fiscal year, a rise of 43.9% compared to the same period last year.

As exports rose at a slower pace of 32.9% while payments from Bangladeshis living abroad a key source of foreign exchange dropped about 20% in the first four months of 2022 from the year before, to $7 billion. This dealt a severe blow to foreign reserves and may further go down to a hazardous level.

As there are qualms that the trade deficit could grow in the coming years as imports are increasing at a faster pace than exports. Bangladesh imports are set to reach $85 billion by this year, while exports are estimated to not more than $50 billion. This shows a trade shortfall of $35 billion by remittances alone and is anticipated to be around a $10 billion deficit this year.

The foreign exchange reserves of Bangladesh have fallen from $48 billion to $42 billion over the past eight months. This is anxious that they may drop further in the coming months, probably down another $4 billion.

If the trend of more imports against exports continues and fails to minimize the gap with the remittances, then the foreign reserves will go down to an unsafe level in the next three to four years, underlining that this would lead to a significant deflation of the nation’s currency against the US dollar.

That's why the people have a grave apprehension that Bangladesh won’t be able to repay those loans at that time because of the shortage of income from the mega projects. The government of Bangladesh has to finish the mega projects carefully.

There is no room for carelessness and dishonesty. Those projects should neither be delayed nor the existing budget be increased. If these projects finish on time with profits, only then Bangladesh will be able to repay the loans.

Due to the debt and deficit, the soaring prices of essential items are hitting the poor people hard. The Russia-Ukraine war has also increased the inflationary pressure.

Bangladesh has been particularly vulnerable as the country imports significant amounts of goods like cooking oil, wheat, and other food items, as well as fuel. The poor people are suffering the most because of the skyrocketing prices of these items.

The government has to offer commodity goods subsidized to the poor people. Additional financial support should also be provided to them under a social security system. However, there are still prospects that Bangladesh can improve the current economy as the global economy recovers from the COVID pandemic.

Bangladesh has been observing inflation worldwide during the COVID recovery phase. The Ukraine war has added more uncertainty to it besides, and the economic crisis in Sri Lanka has also created fear among the masses.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has taken several steps to reduce spending and save foreign currency reserves and urged people to practice austerity. She has decided to suspend foreign trips of officials and postponed some less important projects that require imports from other countries.

She has also urged citizens to play their due role by performing austerity and being careful about spending decisions. The prime minister earlier gave some directives to the government officials on practicing austerity and called upon the private sector and the people to be economical.

At the moment, the government needs to be extremely careful with economic management, given the widespread suffering on account of soaring price rises, which could exacerbate the already high political tensions in the Muslim-majority country.

It will also decide the fate of the next upcoming elections. Bangladesh’s last election has been viewed by the opposition parties as a fraudulent one. Another national election is due in the next two years.

So the political situation will remain tense anyway and the economic uncertainty could fuel it even more. However, good governance and financial management are needed in Bangladesh to evade a situation like Sri Lanka.

WASHINGTON, 26 May 2022, (TON): The United States warned Turkey against launching a new military operation in northern Syria, saying the uneasy NATO ally would be putting US troops at risk.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that Turkey would soon launch a new military operation into northern Syria to create a 30-kilometer, security zone along the border.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told “we are deeply concerned about reports and discussions of potential increased military activity in northern Syria and, in particular, its impact on the civilian population.”

He said “we condemn any escalation. We support maintenance of the current cease-fire lines.”

At the United Nations, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the priority for war-battered Syria should be a political solution and humanitarian assistance.

MOSCOW, 26 May 2022, (TON): Russia is ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for vessels carrying food to leave Ukraine, in return for the lifting of some sanctions.

Ukraine’s Black Sea ports have been blocked since Russia sent thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 and more than 20 million tons of grain are stuck in silos in the country.

Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies and the lack of significant grain exports from Ukraine ports is contributing to a growing global food crisis.

Ukraine is also a major exporter of corn and sunflower oil.

Western powers have been discussing the idea of setting up safe corridors for grain exports from Ukraine’s ports, adding that any such corridor would need Russian consent.

LONDON, 26 May 2022, (TON): British Embassy Kuwait is inviting project bids for funding as part of its programme for the next 3 years.

The Kuwait Programme supports implementation of UK priorities for Kuwait.

It supports Kuwait’s ambitious ‘New Kuwait’ Vision 2035 agenda for transforming Kuwait into a trade centre, with a resilient and diverse economy led by the private sector under the umbrella of government institutions, which accentuates social values and identity and supports human resource development.

This call for bids runs in parallel with the FCDO Kuwait Country Business Plan development process, and projects will be expected to align with its strategic direction.

Gulf Strategy Fund projects are not intended to support isolated activities, such as a single visit or training course.

WASHINGTON, 26 May 2022, (TON): The US pointman on Iran warned Wednesday it was more likely than not that talks would fail to revive a nuclear deal as he vowed no let-up in pressure if Tehran clings to its demands.

Rob Malley, who has led more than a year of indirect talks with Iran in Vienna, nonetheless told lawmakers “President Joe Biden’s administration still supported the 2015 nuclear accord and was ready to lift sanctions if it secures an agreement.”

Malley told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee “as of today the odds of a successful negotiation are lower than the odds of failure and that is because of excessive Iranian demands to which we will not succumb.”

He said “the United States would reject demands that go beyond the scope of the JCPOA.”

Malley said “we are fully prepared to live with and confront that reality if that is Iran’s choice.”

He was likely referring to the clerical state’s demands to remove a terrorism blacklisting of the elite Revolutionary Guards, a step rejected by Biden and bitterly opposed by many in Congress.

SEOUL, 26 May 2022, (TON): North Korea fired a volley of missiles, including possibly its largest intercontinental ballistic missile, just hours after US President Joe Biden left Asia after a trip overshadowed by Pyongyang’s sabrerattling.

North Korea has also been conducting operational tests of a nuclear detonation device, Kim Taehyo, Seoul’s first deputy director of the National Security Office, said, adding a test could come imminently.

His warning adds to the drumbeat of predictions from US and South Korean officials, who have been saying for weeks that Kim Jong Un’s regime is close to conducting its seventh nuclear test.

Three missiles, including one ICBM, were fired from the Sunan area in Pyongyang, Seoul said “one of nearly 20 weapons tests by North Korea so far this year, prompting joint US-South Korea live fire missile drills in response.”

DAVOS: The president of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency highlighted the significance of Saudi-Japanese cooperation, reiterating how Saudi Arabia has been, and will continue to be, a very important country for Japan. 

Stressing the importance of maintaining good relations with the Kingdom, Akihiko Tanaka, president of JICA, told media at the 2022 World Economic Forum that Saudi Arabia is important for Japan “not just as a source of natural resources, but also as a key country in the Middle East.”

Tanaka also acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s interest in keeping collaborative relations, particularly in the area of technology advancement, standardization and future development.

Speaking about Saudi Vision 2030, Tanaka assured Arab News that Japan will continue to contribute to the economic reforms that are being promoted under the initiative. 

NEW YORK, 26 May 2022, (TON): The UN Security Council welcomed the fact that parliamentary elections in Lebanon went ahead as planned on May 15, despite challenging circumstances, but called for the swift formation of a new, inclusive government.

In a joint statement, council members said “the reforms should include the adoption of an appropriate national budget for 2022 that will enable the speedy implementation of an agreement with IMF to respond to the demands of the Lebanese population.

The country’s economy has been mired since August 2019 in a crippling crisis, during which the Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value and more than three-quarters of the population have fallen into poverty.

Last month, Lebanon and the IMF had reached an agreement on a plan that could unlock about $3 billion of international funding over several years.

However, the deal is subject to approval by the management and executive board of the IMF, and hinges on Lebanese authorities implementing a host of economic reforms, including the restructuring of the country’s collapsed banking sector, improved transparency, and unifying the multiple exchange rates that apply to the nation’s spiraling currency.

WASHINGTON, 26 May 2022, (TON): The graduating class of the U.S. Air Force Academy got a lesson in leadership straight from the top as Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III delivered the commencement address.

Austin reminded the newly minted second lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force have a special responsibility as a symbol of what America stands for.

The secretary said “always remember that you didn’t join just any air force. You joined the United States Air Force.”

“You’re not just any guardians. You are United States Guardians. We’re here to defend America’s security and win America’s wars. But we’re also here to safeguard America’s values.”

The secretary told “the 973 graduates that safeguarding America’s values means having a love of service. The cadets swear an oath like all other members of the military to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. “