DHAKA, 27 October 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of several development schemes at Payra Seaport to ensure its smooth operations with better facilities.

A press release said “the development works include capital dredging of the port, inauguration of eight ships, the first terminal and construction of a six-lane approach road and a bridge.”

It said “the premier will virtually inaugurate the development schemes, involving around Taka 11,072 crore, from her official residence Ganabhaban.”

The capital dredging of the seaport's Rabnabad channel will create a 75km-long, 100-125meter-wide and 10.5meter-deep channel, building a capacity to dock 40,000 tons of cargo or 3000 container-laden ships at the port.

DHAKA, 27 October 2022, (TON): Foreign minister Dr A K Abdul Momen said “Bangladesh needs brotherly gesture from oil-rich Saudi Arabia to meet its power demand amid global energy crisis due to Russian-Ukraine war.”

He made the urge while Saudi Arabia ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yousef Essa Alduhailan paid a call on him at foreign ministry here. 

A foreign ministry press release said “the foreign minister also urged the Ambassador to look into the possible Saudi investment in the LNG sector.”

The Saudi envoy assured that he would take up the issue with the concerned Saudi stakeholders.

By Ali Hassan

The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the central executive government which was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh and represented by the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Bangladesh. The legislature represented by the Jatiya Sangsad, and judiciary is represented by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is a unitary state and the central government has the authority to govern over entire nation.

The first parliamentary elections in Bangladesh were held in March 1973 under 1972 Constitution, Awami League got a massive majority and Sheikh Mujeeb ur Rehhman took oath as the head of the state who focused on relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of the economy and society. Mujib ur Rehman remained state centric and implemented his own policies based on the principles of Islam and did not accept any external unfair aid to save his government which could raise the question about the sovereignty and freedom of the state and people of the state. Likewise BNP’s party leaders when came into power continued to follow the policies of Bangbandu which were in favour of Bangladesh and the people of Bangladesh.

The center-right BNP won a plurality of seats and formed a government with support from the Islamic fundamentalist party Jamaat-I-Islami, with Khaleda Zia, widow of Ziaur Rahman, obtaining the post of Prime Minister. Begum Khaleda also encouraged the Islamist forces to grow. The BNP had made its political preference clear when it formed the government in 2001 with pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami as its coalition partner. Begum Khaleda Zia worked for the nation of Bangladesh despite caring for her government. She brought educational, agricultural and different economic reforms in the state. During her tenure of the government she never compromised on the sovereignty of the state and the people of Bangladesh. She remained very straightforward to the external entities such as India and never allowed any state to interfere more than its need.

But during the regime of Sheikh Hasina, the current Prime Minister, Bangladesh faced different sort of policies turn over and reforms to save the government but not Bangladesh. Moreover,  in recent years, Bangladesh has seen rising anti-India sentiments among its citizens due to the Indian government's perceived anti-Muslim and anti-Bangladeshi activities like India's interference in Bangladeshi politics, killings of Bangladeshis by Indian BSF, Citizenship Amendment Act, rise of Hindutva in India as well as India's reluctance in solving the water disputes in common rivers with Bangladesh. In 2019, several Bangladeshi ministers canceled their scheduled state visits to India as a response to India's Citizenship Amendment Bill. In 2021, massive protests in Bangladesh against the state visit by Indian PM Narendra Modi to the country led to the death of at least 14 people.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina subsequently signaled support for the statue’s removal from the Supreme Court premises. Despite the outcry from secular groups, the authorities quietly relocated the statue to the annex building of the Supreme Court, away from the public eye. The ruling Awami League – an in-principle secular political party – is not new to the religious groups’ threats of escalating protests. In hindsight, this may look like a minor political compromise for a government in a Muslim-majority state. However, three years on, agitations over another sculpture has turned out to be Awami League’s déjà vu moment. For Hasina, the ball this time has rather hit too close to home.

The current ruling party AL’s leader Sheikh Hasina favored many Indian based policies and investments of mutual benefits by neglecting many serious issues of Bangladesh which may destroy Bangladesh in future as a whole such as water management issues. The pro-Indian stance of current ruling party may affect its respect and strength in next forthcoming elections as it seemed not to follow the pro-Bangladeshi policies which could lead to grow Bangladesh from under developing to developed state which has its own separate identity in international relations. Moreover the democratic values and the policy objective set by Bangabandu are also being demolished and the sovereignty of the state is at risk. Bangladesh needs a very loyal leadership in coming elections so that it could restore the policies of Bangabandu, the father of nation, and Islamic values and principles which have been remained a key importance in Mujeeb ur Rehman leadership and BNP’s leadership as well.

By S. Habib

This year monsoon season, Bangladesh suffered its worst flooding since 2004. Over seven million people in the north-eastern region have been severely affected, with floods damaging 185,000 acres of crops fields and 741,000 acres of other crops, including every kind of vegetables. This is in addition to the loss of precious lives, besides the damage to property and infrastructure. Bangladesh has always been dependent on on its water assets.

Its location demands it, as it is situated on the lower regions of river basins, where the weather is branded by monsoon rain. In this delta region, the basins of four major rivers converge the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, and Meghna. Consequently, during years of highest rainfall, water flow has inundated substantial areas of the Bangladesh. Considering Bangladesh’s high susceptibility to climate change, it is worthwhile considering where Dhaka sits on the broad spectrum of climate geopolitics and the country needs to  consider to navigate the challenges posed by the climate crisis in the years to come.

When the Paris Agreement on climate change came into being, member countries agreed on an international agenda to restrict global warming to well below 2°C and follow struggles to limit it to 1.5°C. The purpose of this consensus was also to reinforce the capability of countries to treat with the impacts of climate change and to support each other in their struggles.

The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that if the world simply proceeds on a as usual basis against the 1.5°C temperature goal, there will be irreparable consequences. The compounded impacts of climate change and an international pandemic have brought to a time when disturbing terms, such as ‘terrestrial emergency’, are realities Bangladesh has to live and accept, and learn how to tackle it. For the implementing the Paris climate goals, it is imperative for Bangladesh to explore the possibilities of new pathways to achieve national targets.

According to the World Bank, climate-related disasters affected nearly 700 million people across South Asia in the past decade around half of the region’s population. Bangladesh’s development is hampered not only by the global climate crisis and contextual realities like the COVID-19 pandemic, but also by the influx of over a million Rohingya refugees from neighboring Myanmar in recent years.

Even if countries have started implementing the Paris Agreement obligations diligently, the world will still experience a 3.2°C temperature increase by the end of this century. The countries that are bearing the brunt of climate change are small island nations and densely populated countries. Bangladesh falls in the latter group, in addition to having a huge coastal region in the Bay of Bengal.

Over the years, the country has come up with numerous strategies, including installing more than six million solar-home systems in off-grid areas, distributing over 4.5 million enhanced cooking stoves in rural areas, and even abandoning plans to build ten coal-based power plants worth USD 12 billion of foreign investment.

Bangladesh has taken large paces to fight the climate crisis with its own resources. It has established its own national Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF), with a budget of USD 447 million between the Fiscal Years 2009-10 to 2019-20. As Bangladesh takes steps to reach middle-income status, by graduating from least developed countries (LDC) rank, through it would be an end to its dependence on its development partners, such as Japan and other OECD countries.

For the implementation the Paris climate goals, it is imperative for Bangladesh to discover the new pathways to achieve national targets, which includes reducing carbon emissions. This target will be achieved by cutting about 96 percent emissions from the energy sector, such as power, transport, industry, households, commercial, agriculture, brick kilns, and fugitive emissions. The remaining is to be removed from agriculture and livestock, forestry, and municipal solid waste and wastewater.

Furthermore, the country needs a multi-stakeholder approach for development. It is important to mainstream climate change into developmental processes via inter-country interoperability. This is compound, but it can open doors for greater regional cooperation, such as with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) neighbors, including Sri Lanka and the Maldives, which are also excessively susceptible to rising sea levels. Lastly, Bangladesh needs the global community help to recover from its plight.

By F.F Mushfika

As quoted by Lloyd Alexander as, “keep reading. It’s one of the most marvelous adventures that anyone can have,” one must always be thirsty for knowledge. Indeed, reading is mandatory and essential for human learning. With that being said, I would like to introduce a commoner who rose into fame by writing a masterpiece. He has won the 2008 Gratiaen Prize which is given yearly as a literary prize for the best writing in English by a Sri Lankan. At the same time 2012 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature is awarded internationally to writers of any origin who pens down any themes related to South Asia. That being said, Shehan Karunatilaka rags to riches. Shehan Karunatilaka is a Sri Lankan author who shifted to London, Amsterdam, and Singapore for his career growth. Although he was writing several other pieces the Chinaman which is a debut novel that was self-published in 2010 captured global attention. It was recognized and awarded internationally for its inspiring writing. This novel captivates the readers with a story which is local to Sri Lankans speaking about their history. Interestingly, the author uses Cricket as his medium to narrate his significant themes. What is further applauded is the manner he has handled to deliver his messages including his description of characters. Overall, the book needs to be read to its continuous praise and awards.

In addition to that, Shehan Karunatilaka also got the award of booker Prize for his novel “The seven Moons of Maali Almeida,” which was presented for the outstanding writers published in English in the United Kingdom. This was held on October the seventeenth, 2022. This award has been one of the most high-profile and invites a flow of fans and readers. Yet, Shehan stays low and humble when addressing the audience in his vote of thanks. He says, “we are all winners for being part of this magnificent shortlist, though, perhaps I might pocket the extra cash and that’s okay.” He also attempts to be funny as well, getting more laughter from the crowd. Also, he addresses his beloved nation to celebrate the victory as a whole even in sheer challenging times roaring in Sinhala and Tamil, reminding the Sri Lankans to stay strong and voice up. He also revealed his wish for the Sri Lankan to win in T20, at the end.

Shehan Karunatilaka is a joy and a pride for the nation at present. His awards have brought the country to a limelight. It has reminded the world that regardless of the ongoing tragedy of economic crisis, Sri Lankans deserve better. It also recalled the lost wars and betrayals by the state and the sufferings of people who are hoping for justice and peace. Shehan was winning in telling the story to the world. In fact, the current President Ranil Wickremasinghe and several others, including minister Sabry congratulated for his biggest achievement and recognition for receiving the “prestigious booker Prize.”  It is necessary to state that Shehan Karunatilaka is the second person of Sri Lankan origin to win the Booker awards after Michael Ondaatje who was awarded in 1992.

Further, among the six shortlisted books for Booker awards, it is crucial that we know why the panel of Judges unitedly selected Shehan’s book. It was said by Neil MacGregor that, “what the judges particularly admired and enjoyed in The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida was the ambition of its scope, and the hilarious audacity of its narrative techniques.” 

Moreover, Shehan Karunatilaka spoke about topics related to his local citizens of what he addressed in a conversation as “Island Paradise, indeed.” He found the role of a writer to expose the truth and fight against corruption and injustice. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida features a protagonist who is a ghost and thereby he narrates about the Lankans civil war of the 1980s. When talking to NDTV he says, “I think Sri Lanka has a lot of chaos and it’s been a terrible time but it’s nowhere near that is,” highlighting the fact that the Island has changed from its past much more. In fact, he also reasons out why he particularly chose a dead man to narrate a significant theme. This is what he said, “I want to write a ghost story and it just seemed like Sri Lanka has had many tragedies and massacres and so on and I was thinking about 2009-the end of the war and how many civilians were killed and we were just arguing about whose fault it was.” He also followed up saying that “there was just blame giving and I thought why not give voice to the dead where they could set the records straight.” He also pointed out as the living are merely arguing there could be a truth in the narrative of the dead. He further mentioned about his discomfort in writing of the present narratives and therefore he determines to write about the past. Hence, he assumes that it could be “ideal” to “let few ghosts tell their story” - which has taken into the book.

 As a final note he gave some hints to his future writings which he wants to be “lighter” and declared that it would be certainly about Sri Lanka as he believes that the nation has a plenty of stories to be heard.

In short, Shehan karunatilaka’s achievement has brought Sri Lanka into a spotlight at a time of its economic and political instability. It has been an extraordinary masterpiece in bringing the nation to a world stage. It has reminded the world that Sri Lanka is blooming once again regardless of its great fall. As a novelist he has been phenomenal. It has taken around 10 years’ time to build this story after his book Chinaman. Hence, he has been victorious and enjoying the present life with many surreal experiences with his family and two kids.

As certainly said by Eric Thomas “the next time you feel slightly uncomfortable with the pressure in your life, remember no pressure, no diamonds. Pressure is a part of success.”

Today, Shehan Karunatilaka shines bright and brings about an amalgamation of emotions with his skillful art of writing which also serves to be as inspiring, as well.

NEW DELHI, 26 October 2022, (TON): Outgoing Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong said “as neighbours, it is natural for China and India to have some differences, but the focus should be to seek common ground for development while resolving the pending issues through dialogue.”

His comments came at the end of his little over three-year tenure that saw the ties between India and China coming under severe strain following the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15, 2020, which marked the most serious military conflicts between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Mr Sun said in his farewell remarks "China and India are important neighbours to each other. It is only natural for China and India having some differences. The key is how to handle the differences.”

DHAKA, 26 October 2022, (TON): State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman said “around 10,000 houses in 419 unions of the country were damaged by cyclone Sitrang that lashed the coastal districts.”

The state minister said “Sitrang did not turn into a severe cyclone and crossed the coastal area very quickly.”

Enamur said “we have been able to provide shelter to one million people in 6,925 cyclone shelters. The cyclone weakened quickly after hitting the coastal districts at 10pm.”

He added “people have already left the shelters.”

DHAKA, 26 October 2022, (TON): speakers at a roundtable discussion have said “Bangladesh should set a proper strategy to analyze the full picture and deal with various issues of Myanmar, instead of focusing only on the Rohingya crisis.”

They added “we need to form a task force under the Prime Minister's Office that has all the representation of key ministries to involve them in the response mechanism.”

The speakers were deliberating at a roundtable, titled “Instability In Myanmar: Implications for Bangladesh and the region”, organized by the leading English daily Dhaka Tribune and Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies at a Dhaka hotel as part of a series of discussions on important national and international issues.

In the opinion of the speakers, Bangladesh has ignored Myanmar historically and politically.

However, there has been big influence exerted by the big players, including India, China, the US and Russia, along with some Asian countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

DHAKA, 26 October 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina congratulated Giorgia Meloni, President of the Council of Ministers of the Government of the Italian Republic.

In a letter wrote to Giorgia Meloni, she said "it's indeed a great pleasure to extend my warmest congratulations to you on behalf of the People and the government of Bangladesh on your appointment as the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic."

She also extended heartfelt greetings to the friendly Italian people as they have endorsed their historic mandate in Giorgia Meloni's visionary leadership and elected her as the first woman leader in the history of Italy.

WASHINGTON, 26 October 2022, (TON): Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will travel to London, United Kingdom, October 26-28, to participate in an on-stage conversation at Chatham House to discuss the United States’ international climate efforts.

Secretary Kerry will also engage in further discussions on climate cooperation ahead of COP27, which will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 6-18, 2022.