CHENNAI, 2 April, 2021 (TON): On Friday, the Indian PM Narendra Modi will address rallies in poll-bound Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

At 1130 hours, he will address a public rally at the Amma Thidal grounds in Tamil Nadu's Madurai.

The program will be attended by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam, and senior BJP leaders.

On Thursday night, Prime Minister Modi arrived at Madurai and visited the famous Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple clad in traditional Tamil attire of "Veshti", white shirt, and "Angavastram".

Heavy police security has been deployed at Madurai with more than 4,000 policemen pressed into duty for the program.

CAIRO, 2 April, 2021 (TON):  In the backdrop of the container ship blockade in the waterway in the Suez Canal, Egypt's Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said that it will seek over $1 billion in compensation for the losses caused by the massive container.

SCA chairman Osama Rabie said, “The compensation for the losses and damages will reach over $1 billion dollars. This is the right of the state and we will not give it up."

The refloated Ever Given veered off its course in a single-lane stretch of the canal during a sandstorm on 23 March, and six days later through the efforts of the SCA in cooperation with the Dutch firm Boskalis and its emergency response team SMIT Salvage hired by Ever Given's owner, the ship was freed.

The compensation demanded by the authority is not only for the financial losses caused by the six-day navigation suspension, but includes the expenses of using dredgers and tugboats and the physical damage caused during the salvage process, the Chairman stated.

However, Egypt resumed navigation in the canal several hours after the Ever Given was freed and re-floated on Monday, after which many of the 422 ships that have been kept waiting started to cross the waterway.

MALE, 2 April, 2021 (TON): Seven revisions to the policy drafted by the Education Ministry for the admission and transfer of school students for the upcoming academic year were recommended by the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM).

The policy is reviewed from a human rights perspective, so the education ministry must make changes, HRCM said.

Considering the five cases of human rights violations of children reported to the Gender Ministry in February, all of which involved the obstruction of the right to access education, the Education Ministry establish a mechanism to identify students who aren’t attending school or aren’t being allowed to attend school, identify parents or guardians who are negligent is sending students to school, and take appropriate action.

A second revision recommended by HRCM was for Education Ministry to establish a mechanism to ensure students who are unable to attend school due to health conditions continue to have access to education.

HRCM also recommended that the Education Ministry identify students who enroll in the first grade without completing the foundation stage, assess their education standard, prepare an individual education plan, and establish the mechanism to ascertain the right to education under the plan.

Moreover, ensuring children from foreign countries who live in the Maldives are granted educational opportunities in government schools without discrimination, and to include a clause in the policy detailing a mechanism to submit and review complaints under the policy.

COLOMBO, 2 April, 2021 (TON): While addressing the 17^th Ministerial Meeting of Bay of Bengal initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) virtually on Thursday, the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunawardena emphasized on enhancing the transport connectivity between the BIMSTEC countries.

The need to focus on expediting the adoption of the BIMSTEC Transport Connectivity Master Plan was also brought into focus by the FM.

The plan was finalized by the Third Working Group and the Asian Development Bank.

The Minister said transport connectivity which include coastal shipping, waterways, ports and harbors used over centuries and today road connections and air cargo capable of withstanding future disruptions, is vital for the supply chains, people to people contact and development of the region.

The Foreign Minister at the 17th Ministerial Meeting of the BIMSTEC which comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, informed that the platform would provide Speakers and Parliamentarians space for greater understanding, trust and friendship and to exchange ideas and information on parliamentary practices and commitment on democratic principles.

The BIMISTEC Ministers reviewed the progress made since the fourth BIMSTEC Summit held in Kathmandu in 2018, where Sri Lanka was elected as Chair.

However, the Foreign Minister was elected as Chair of the meeting and State Minister for Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya led the Sri Lanka delegation at the meeting.

HARARE, 2 April, 2021 (TON): As Southern African states rushed to craft a response to the deteriorating security situation in Mozambique, the Presidents of Zimbabwe and Botswana met in Harare on Wednesday.

The regional bloc is said to be preparing a military intervention in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado region, where militant violence has been raging since 2017.

Last week, armed fighters overrun the coastal town of Palma, killing dozens of civilians and sending thousands fleeing for safety.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, the President of Zimbabwe said, "President Masisi is the current chairperson of the troika, so he was briefing me about the security situation in the region with particular emphasis on what is happening in Cabo Delgado."

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi said, "We have formed views as a troika. One of them will result in taking this further so that we as SADC respond in a helpful manner to ensure that we assure the integrity and sovereignty of one of our own, never to be assaulted by dissident, rebellious and non-state-actor forces."

However, as per the UN, the humanitarian crisis in the region is likely to worsen, with more than 670,000 people forced to leave their homes.  The NGO Acled counted 2,600 dead before the attack on Palma, half of whom were civilians.

By TON Research Section

The land of rivers is under the massive fire which suddenly erupts in the area near Cox's Bazar, in southern Bangladesh. More than 750,000 Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group, have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh since a campaign of killing, rape, and arson began against them in 2017. Millions of Rohingya refugees fleeing the campaign of violence carried out by Myanmar's military. The Rohingya have been persecuted relentlessly by the Government and mobs of Buddhists, who make up the so-called majority in Myanmar.

Similarly, the fire incident also occurred in 2017, and fire reduced to ashes and flames burned more than 400 houses in Cox's Bazar. Over time, people build more houses and slums in the area, which resulted in the relocation of the slums and people affected by the fire. It is difficult to say how and who is then responsible for the extreme event. However, who is beneficiary from this fire is evident. 

The Government of Bangladesh opened its arms to the millions of Rohingya refugees, belonging to the Muslim ethnic group. As the past knows, Bangladesh welcomed more than 8 lakh refugees and settled them in different camps. In 2017 this camp was established, which occupies an area of more than 6000 acres. More than 50000 people were living before the massive fire in the camp, which is displaced now in the winter chill. The Government put all its efforts to facilitate the refugees and the people who are highly affected by the fire. Bangladesh is eager to begin sending the refugees back to Myanmar, which has a Buddhist majority. However, several attempts at repatriation under a joint agreement have failed because the Rohingya refused to go, fear more violence in a country that denies them fundamental rights, including citizenship.

The Government of Bangladesh has decided to shift more than 1lakh refugees in the Bhasan Char Island. On 4^th December, 2020, a navy ship of Bangladesh carried several people and settled on the island. The Government builds a massive infrastructure on the island, houses, mosques, and farming for the people who suffered from the brutality of the Myanmar army and the International community who are remained silent on the genocide of Rohingya Muslims. Hasina Wazid expends 23.12 billion takas for the refugees in Bhasan Island. Instead of supporting, the international community is showing its concerns regarding the island. The regional powers and western powers do not want Bangladesh would become the economic power of South Asia, the entire media of the west and India blaming the Government of Bangladesh although Bangladesh commenced its all services to the refugees. The point is that when the Muslims were slaughtered and genocide by the Myanmar Buddhist, why the entire international community was silent? When the unfortunate incident of the fire occurred with the same people in Bangladesh, the entire international community rushed at Bangladesh and blamed them for the massive fire. UNO and human rights NGOs' Apathetic behavior seems to destabilize Bangladesh with the influx of migrants and install UNO peace-keeping forces on the borders.

However, several people have died in the fire. The authorities still not found any clue or evidence of the eruption of a massive fire. The damage to life in the camp is irrecoverable. About half of the refugees at the camp were children, who were particularly at risk in the wake of the fire, including some who had been injured and separated from their families. Hospitals and schools were among the structures that went up in flames.

Here I want to conclude my words; The Government of Bangladesh always supports and facilitates the migrants of Myanmar. The international community rushed at Bangladesh but remained silent on the genocide of Rohingyas Muslims in Myanmar. Conspiracies have also existed regarding the eruption of fire. It is challenging to say the reason, but it also seems it is the agenda of international and regional powers to destabilize Bangladesh's economy and progress. UNO's responsibility is to protect and settle the migrants in their homelands and restore the peace in Myanmar. People's migration is a severe post threat to the region's demography and the local destinations culture. Pakistan Government also facilitates and is eager to protect the Rohingya Muslims and support Bangladesh in the cause of humanity and peace. 

ISLAMABAD, 1 April, 2021 (TON): As an indication of growing ties with India, the government of Pakistan has lifted a nearly two-year ban on the import of sugar and cotton from the neighboring country, the Finance Minister said

On Wednesday, the Finance Minister Hammad Azhar said, Pakistan would allow the import of 500,000 tons of white sugar from India to combat spiking domestic prices.

“In our neighboring country, in India, the price of sugar is much lower than in Pakistan,” said Azhar.

“So we have decided to open sugar trade with India, to the limit of 500,000 tons in the private sector,” he added.

“There is a large demand for cotton in Pakistan right now. Our exports have increased in textiles and the cotton crop was not good last year.

“So we allowed imports of cotton from all over the world, but it is not allowed from India and that causes a direct impact on [small and medium enterprises,” he said.

Meanwhile, while stating the minister asserted that a ban on the import of raw cotton from India would also be lifted by the end of June.

However, New Delhi so far offered no comment on the decision.

KOLKATA, 1 April, 2021 (TON): The second phase of the West Bengal assembly elections amid tight security have started.

The polls including the high-profile Nandigram seat, started at 7 in the morning on Thursday.

However, incidents of violence were reported in some areas as house of a TMC booth agent was allegedly ransacked, another was ‘forced to return home’, a Trinamool worked was reportedly hacked to death in West Midnapore and polling agents were heckled in booth number 14 of Nandigram.

The Election Commission has declared all the 10,620 polling booths as sensitive and deployed around 651 companies of central forces, apart from the state police, to provide security. A total of 210 companies of central armed police forces have been deployed in Paschim Medinipur, 199 in Purba Medinipur, 170 in South 24 Parganas and 72 in Bankura,

Voting is underway with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols in nine seats each in Purba and Paschim Medinipur districts, eight in Bankura and four in South 24 Parganas.

MALE, 1 April, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, President’s office spokesperson Mabrouq Azeez affirmed that the economy of Maldives could a path for growth during the second half of the year.

In a press conference Mabrouq said that at the end of the first quarter, the economy was in a fast recovery phase.

“At the end of the first quarter, we are at a fast phase recovery. At the end of the second quarter (the economy) could go on a growth path,” said Mabrouq.

Mabrouq said that initially it had been thought that economic growth could be calculated at 13 percent.

 However, he added, what was being observed currently was a bit different with the tourism industry recovering and the state income also rising.

While, giving his remarks on the economic growth, he also appreciated the hard work of the tourism industry workers, saying, “At the end of the first quarter, we are at a fast phase recovery. At the end of the second quarter (the economy) could go on a growth path.”

However, he viewed the pandemic stuck year as a year of hope as he stressed that if a majority of the population received vaccinations soon, the remainder of the year could see the economy boom.

DHAKA, 1 April, 2021 (TON): Tenth Summit of the Developing-8 Organization for the Economic Cooperation will be hosted by Bangladesh that is beginning virtually on 5 April, FM Momen said.  

On Wednesday, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh AK Abdul Momen said, the conference of the bloc, also known as Developing-8, will end through the summit of the top leaders of the eight countries on 8 April.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the summit and head the Bangladesh delegation. Heads of state or government of the D-8 countries will also speak.

Bangladesh will take over as the head of the organization for the next two years from Turkey at the conference, FM said.

The other countries in the organization for development co-operation are Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.

Nevertheless, the conference will create new opportunities for Bangladesh to highlight its progress in the international arena and expand multilateral diplomatic cooperation.