JEDDAH, 03 December 2022, (TON): The Organization of Islamic Cooperation welcomed the UN General Assembly’s adoption of five crucial resolutions on Palestine and the Middle East, including a text that calls on Israel to cease all actions aimed at ‘altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.‘

The Assembly adopted resolutions related to the mandate and work of the Committee on the “Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the Division of Palestinian Rights in the United Nations Secretariat,” the media program on the Palestinian cause and the basic principles of a “peaceful solution” to the Palestinian cause.

It also adopted a resolution to commemorate Nakba Day, when Palestinians were driven from their homes in 1948 following the foundation of Israel.

NEW DELHI, 03 December 2022, (TON): Trouble and delays continue to dog the navy's plan to build six modern conventional submarines that can stay underwater for prolonged duration, with foreign collaborators failing to meet a deadline for submission of bids.

Sources said that the Rs 43,000 crore P 75I programme-under which an Indian shipyard will construct submarines domestically in partnership with a foreign technology partner-is being given another extension, with a new deadline for bid submission being set for August 2023.

As per the original plan, Indian shipyards had to submit a consolidated bid with a foreign collaborator in 2021.

After a series of issues were raised regarding liability clauses and other difficulties, the deadline was extended to June 2022.

DHAKA, 03 December 2022, (TON): According to official figures “Bangladesh earned over $5 billion from merchandise exports in November, a record income in a month thanks to a surge in the apparel exports.”

The November export earnings of $5.09 reported by Export Promotion Bureau surpassed the previous monthly highest income of $4.098 billion in last June.

EPB said “the $5.09 billion earned in November was 26% higher than the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.”

The surge in the export earnings comes at a time when the Western countries, the main buyers of Bangladesh apparels, are fighting a depressed demand mainly due to energy crisis caused by Russia-Ukraine war.

DHAKA, 03 December 2022, (TON): State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali yesterday said they are concerned about why foreign tourists are not coming to Bangladesh.

He said "we are concerned. We will take effective measures in this regard. We will have to create an environment for foreign tourists to come and be more open-minded in this regard.”

Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh, an apex body of travel agents of the country, organised the fair, titled "Bangladesh International Travel and Tourism Expo", at Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka.

DHAKA, 03 December 2022, (TON): The World Bank approved $250 million for Bangladesh to help the country better its environmental management and promote private sector participation in green investment.

The Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and Transformation project will support the Department of Environment to strengthen its technical and administrative capacity, said a WB press release issued.

The release said “the project will also support to improve environmental regulations and enforcement to curb pollution and improve environmental quality.”

It added that the successful implementation of the project will help the country tackle key pollution issues, benefitting over 21 million people living in Greater Dhaka and beyond.

By R. Hassan, TON Bangladesh
Since the start of this year the Bangladeshi opposition parties, especially the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have been staging rallies throughout the country. All this shows that Bangladesh has experienced political instability. The ruling Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) formerly held a monopoly on organizing political rallies and has cracked down on public demonstrations by opposition parties in current years. The presence of opposition on the street with hundreds of thousands of people joining opposition rallies sign of change in the country’s political prospects. In reply to the protests, the BAL has arranged transport slowdowns to discourage citizens from joining the mass demonstrations. The incumbent government is being alleged for even being attacked rally participants and impose restrictions on the flow of information.
It is clear that Bangladesh’s growing economic crisis has contributed to the growing political discontent, the upsurge in public demonstrations reflects the increased anger about the BAL’s tyrannical style of governance and fears about how it may handle the general elections scheduled for the upcoming general elections. The escalating skirmishes between the government and the opposition may likely lead to sharp ferocity in the coming months. The worsening economic crisis is forcing a large pool of disgruntled citizens who will look for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to register their grievances, while the ruling party seems to keep the situation under its control by hook and crook.
Bangladesh is facing a growing financial crisis, which has increased political instability. Fresh protests began after the government proclaimed price hikes to the fuel and energy sectors in August, snowballing instant fuel prices by more than 50 percent. The extraordinary hike came on the heels of the growing costs of necessities since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. As the decline in foreign exchange reserves, a descending trend of payments, and a trade shortage show hard times ahead. Price rises have reached their highest as compared to past decades. According to a World Bank report, Bangladesh has experienced the highest price hike of essentials among the five South Asian countries.
Continuing blackouts have reached unparalleled levels, as government offices, banks, and even schools are now being closed more regularly for energy cuts. Power outages have increased after a national grid failure in early October, which left 80 percent of the country in the dark for hours. Fuel shortages render Bangladesh’s power plants impracticable, producing severe load-shedding disturbing industrial production, and contributing to price hikes in daily necessities and wages.
The mounting protests have weakened the BAL’s apparent control over the administration and politics, Elections in 2014 and 2018, were described by international media and observers as highly rigged. Human rights groups are alleging the increasing incidences of human rights violations under her administration since 2009, such as extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. The outgoing Chief of the UN Human Rights Council raised concerns during her visit to Bangladesh in August 2022. The United States Treasury imposed sanctions on the elite police force called the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven of its current and former officers in December 2021. Since the beginning of these demonstrations, the government has increased the persecution of opposition activists and critics: for example, in July and August, offices and houses of opposition leaders were ransacked, several activists died, and thousands have been arrested. However, the demonstrations have still gained strength, as revealed by the magnitude of the recent gatherings. Opposition parties have also claimed that they will not join the election under the government-led BAL. The incumbent government is in not ready to accept this demand.
Holding elections under a neutral government is more necessary than ever. However, the condition is no different, as the police continue to act in favor of the BAL. A fair and comprehensive election in Bangladesh is improbable unless the government reforms to ensure a level playing field. Growing discontent with the economy and frustrations about authoritarian governance are pushing the citizens to the verge of collapse. While the incumbent government seems intent on confronting the opposition with force. Upholding the status quo means more crackdowns on the opposition and the suppression of rebel voices in the coming months. All these trends in Bangladeshi politics are increasing the economic anguish of ordinary people in Bangladesh.

RIYADH, 02 December 2022, (TON): Saudi Shoura Council Speaker Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Asheikh held official talks with the Thai Senate Speaker Prof. Pornpetch Whichitcholchai, who is currently on an official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Al-Asheikh, at the Shoura Council’s Riyadh headquarters.

Al-Asheikh commenced the meeting by welcoming Whichitcholchai and his accompanying delegation, stressing the importance of boosting and developing the Saudi-Thai bilateral relations in various fields, while also promoting joint parliamentary cooperation, as this would serve the common interests of both nations.

WASHINGTON, 02 December 2022, (TON): Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron sat down Thursday for the centerpiece talks of a pomp-filled French state visit, with the two leaders eager to talk through the war in Ukraine, concerns about China’s increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and European dismay over aspects of Biden’s signature climate law.

Biden is honoring Macron with the first state dinner of his presidency, but first the two leaders met in the Oval Office to discuss difficult issues that they confront.

At the top of the agenda is the nine-month-old war in Ukraine in which Biden and Macron face headwinds as they try to maintain unity in the US and Europe to keep economic and military aid flowing to Kyiv as it tries to repel Russian forces.

CAIRO, 02 December 2022, (TON): The fourth Arab Water Conference titled “Arab Water Security for Life, Development and Peace,” organized by Palestine, the Arab League and the Arab Water Experts Network in Cairo, kicked off on Nov. 30.

The two-day conference was held under the auspices of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, with the participation of ministers of water resources as well as delegations from Arab countries and concerned regional organizations.

The conference on Wednesday and Thursday included working sessions and presentations of scientific papers dealing with issues related to water scarcity, drought and climate change.

GENEVA, 02 December 2022, (TON): The UN appealed for record funds for aid next year, as the Ukraine war and other conflicts, climate emergencies and the still-simmering pandemic push more people into crisis, and some toward famine.

The United Nations’ annual Global Humanitarian Overview estimated that 339 million people worldwide will need some form of emergency assistance next year a staggering 65 million more people than the estimate a year ago.

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told reporters “it’s a phenomenal number and it’s a depressing number.”

He said “if all the people in need of emergency assistance were in one country, it would be the third-largest nation in the world, after China and India.”