DHAKA, 1 February, 2021 (TON): 27 March, 2021 is the expected for the Bangladesh Prime Miniter Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi in Dhaka to join the celebrations of 50 years of independence.

The Foreign Secretary, Masud Bin Momen, said on Sunday that the Indian PM may arrive In Dhaka on 26 March, 2021.

However, the itinerary of his visit is still being worked out.

As per the plan, an official banquet will be held in his honor after the event of the celebrations, told the foreign Secretary, Masud on returning from India following a four-day tour.

“In that case, a bilateral meeting can be held the next day. Or he (Modi) can travel outside Dhaka,” the secretary said.

Modi may visit Gopalganj’s Tungipara to pay respects to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his grave.

The Indian premier was scheduled to join the celebrations of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary but the programs were finally held mostly online.

Besides his Indian counterpart Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Masud said he met Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who may visit Dhaka by the end of February.

The visit will not only focus on the celebrations but the projects as well.

The ‘Independence Road’ from Mujibnagar to West Bengal and Feni Bridge is likely to be launched along with the inauguration of a digital exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi and Bangabandhu.

Officials are also discussing five to six Memorandums of Understanding, including one on disaster management.

Bangladesh has challenges like balancing trade deficit and resolving water-sharing discords of Farakka and Teesta Barrages while India has challenges like transit to North Eastern Region (NER) through Bangladesh from the Indian mainland, establishing security at those regions.

The ties between the two countries are of utmost importance for both, for to maintain pleasant and friendly relations in future, both the countries have also certain challenges and opportunities to resolve the other major issues.

NIGERIA, 1 February, 2021 (TON): On Sunday, in a ruling pronounced, Nigeria’s Constitutional Court confirmed the second round of the presidential election to be held on 21 February, 2021.

The court observed that in the first round, none of the candidates got an absolute majority of votes, and whose annulment, partial or total cancellation claimed by opposition candidates was rejected by the Court.

"The Court receives the request of the President of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Céni) in the form, validates and proclaims the final results of the first round of the presidential elections of 27 December, 2020. The court, therefore, declares Mohamed Bazoum and Mahamane Ousmane candidates in the second round of the presidential elections."

Mohamed Bazoum leads with 39.3% of the total 5.1 million votes followed by ex-president Mahamane Ousmane at 16.98%.

For the second round, Bazoum and Ousmane must engage in the negotiations with the 28 remaining candidates who did not place.

Eighteen opposition parties including that of Ousmane, gathered in the coalition Cap 20-21, called the failed candidates in the first round to join the candidacy of the former president.

Hama Amadou, the opponent rejected from the ballot because of conviction in the case of trafficking babies, Cap 20-21 already threatened not to recognize the results of the second round if it not honest and transparent without ballot box suffering.

The former President Salou Djibo has formed a second alliance, the Alliance of Candidates for Change (ACC), offering their support in the second round "to any interested candidate", in return for power-sharing afterwards, and also ten other unsuccessful candidates in the first round formed the alliance.

However, the score altogether of the ACC candidates does not exceed 10%.

Myanmar, 1 February, 2021 (TON): Democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Prize winner, and others detained of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the early morning raids.  

Myanmar’s military seized power on Monday in a coup against the leader.  

The army said it had carried out the detentions in reaction to the election fraud, imposing a state of emergency for one year and handing power military chief Mn Aung Hlaing.

The phone lines to the capital, Naypyitaw, and the main commercial center of Yangon were unreachable.

In Yangon, the soldiers took up positions at city hall and mobile internet data and phone services in the NLD stronghold were disrupted, the residents said.

Suu Kyi, Myanmar President Win Myint, and other NLD leaders were taken in the early hours of the morning.

“I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law,” he said, adding he expected to be arrested himself.

After the tensions between the civilian government and the military peaked, it stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of the election.

The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the arrest of Suu Kyi.

“The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

The Australian government said it was “deeply concerned at reports the Myanmar military is once again seeking to seize control of Myanmar” and called for the immediate release of the unlawfully detained leaders.

Japan said it was watching the situation and currently had no plans to repatriate Japanese nationals from Myanmar.

John Sifton, Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said Myanmar’s military had never submitted to civilian rule and called on the United States and other countries to impose “strict and directed economic sanctions” on the military leadership and its economic interests.

In the elections on 8 November, 2020, NLD won 83% of the available seats however, many saw it as a referendum on the civilian government.

It can be seen that the military raised disputes over the results of the elections and filed complaints at the Supreme Court against the President and the chair of the electoral commission. It is noteworthy, that it is just the second elections since the end of military rule in 2011.

NEW DELHI, 31 January 2021, (TON): Indian Police registered a case at the Alipur police station under section 186, 332, and 353 of the Indian Penal Code against 44 protesters including two journalists while they were covering farmers’ protest. All three sections correspond to obstructing any public servant in the discharge of his public function and are bailable offences. Police also levelled charges that he misbehaved with the police.

Meanwhile, Alipur Police authorities confirmed arrest of two journalists including Mandeep Punia, a freelance journalist and Dharmender Singh, while they were covering the ongoing farmers’ agitation at Delhi’s Singhu border. It was revealed that journalists; Mandeep Punia worked for Caravan magazine and Dharmender Singh worked for Online News India.

A group of around 150 men claiming to be “local residents” had managed to get past three layers of security barricades on 29 January and reach the protest site at the Singhu border. Leaders of farmers’ union have claimed that the mob was sponsored by the BJP and RSS. However, same could not be confirmed. One of the journalist was conditionally released.

As the news broke about Mandeep Punia’s detention and a video of him being dragged across the barricade went viral, Hartosh Bal, the political editor of Caravan magazine posted on Twitter that Mandeep Punia had spent the entire day trying to verify the truth behind the protest. “We’ve learnt Mandeep had spent the morning trying to track down those from BJP claiming to be ‘locals’ at Singhu,” Bal tweeted. He also wrote that the magazine was informed by Additional DCP J. Meena that an FIR (no: 52/21) was registered at the Alipur police station.

Those arrested including Mandeep Punia and Dharmender Singh complaint against ill treatment and torture by the Indian Police. Court proceeding will be held tomorrow on 1 February 2021. 

CAIRO, 31 January 2021, (TON): Egypt has re-nominated Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, 78-year-old, as Secretary General of the Arab League (AL) for a second term. It was confirmed by Egyptian Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said on Saturday.

President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi sent messages to Arab leaders to express Egypt’s intention to re-nominate Aboul-Gheit as the Arab League chief for another five years. 

Ahmed Aboul-Gheit also served as Egypt’s foreign minister from July 2004 to March 2011.

DHAKA, 31 January 2021, (TON):   The third phase election to 62 municipalities ended across the country Saturday amid reports of violence and election boycott by BNP candidates. Candidates of the ruling Awami League have been unofficially elected from majority of the municipalities that went to polls in the third phase. There were reports of clashes, allegations of vote rigging, polling centre capture, and boycotts. In the earlier phase in Sirajganj municipality, Tarikul Islam, 45, was killed  by his rivals when he was celebrating his victory on the basis of unofficial results.   

The Election Commission (EC) is conducting the polls in five phases and till now third phase of it has been completed. The main contest of ballots is between two arch-rival political parties -- the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Other parties include Jatiya Party and Islami Andolan Bangladesh. A total of 229 people ran for mayoral posts at the 62 municipalities in 36 districts. There were 2,360 councillor candidates and 755 women's reserve seat candidates. Fifty-six municipalities will go for election on February 14 in the fourth phase. Of them, EVM will be used in 31 municipalities. Elections to 31 municipalities will be held in the fifth phase on February 28, using EVM.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid ensured proper probe regarding complaints through Election Commission and has asked all the candidates and their supporters to remain calm and peaceful and work with more zeal and enthusiasm in their respective municipalities once they are elected.

TRIPOLI, 31 January 2021, (TON): During a virtual meeting of the Security Council on Libya, the United Arab Emirates that followed a policy, accusing the United States of harbouring civil war in Libya by military intervention in Libya, issued a statement Friday through a letter to United Nations expressing its readiness to work closely with the new US administration for a peaceful solution to the conflict including to preserve and reinforce the ceasefire agreement agreed to in October 2020.

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE ambassador to the UN said in a letter,  “The UAE stands ready to work closely with all Security Council members, including the new US administration, to achieve a peaceful settlement for the Libyan people.” Welcoming Security Council’s call for all foreign forces to withdraw from Libya and end to foreign intervention in the conflict, she said, “The UAE firmly believes that diplomatic and political solutions are the sole path to end the Libyan conflict.” She added, “This will enable and encourage a political process and a Libyan-led transition that fulfils the aspirations of the Libyan people for stability, peace, and prosperity.”

The UAE, Egypt and Russia are supporting US national General Khalifa Haftar, who is also underhand assisted by the US since April 2019 to seek to seize control of the Libyan capital Tripoli from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).  GNA, on the other hand is supported by Turkey, which has been condemned by all nations including the US, Russia, Egypt and UAE to compel Turkey to withdraw its forces. However, Libyans fear that once Turkey withdraws, way will be paved for General Khalifa Haftar to take control over oil reserves and all other affairs. Now it seems US, Israel, UAE and others are in principle again in communication.  

KABUL, 31 January 2021, (TON): A suicide bomber on Saturday drove a Humvee loaded with explosives material into a Afghan defence forces protected camp in Sherzad district of Nangarhar, killing at least eight security personnel and wounding three others. The killing of the soldiers would not be confirmed by independent sources. There are claims that it was a symbolic attack in which an Afghan soldier drove his Humvee and collided accidently that caused blast.

Meanwhile, media reports claimed that Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said his group carried out the attack but Taliban officials in Nangarhar province admitted engagement with Afghan troops but declined to have carried out any suicide attack.

The symbolic attack came two days after the Pentagon said the Taliban was not living up to promises made in a deal signed with Washington last year, including reducing violence and cutting ties with Al-Qaeda.

Washington claims that the agreement required the Taliban halt attacks on US forces, sharply decrease violence, and advance peace talks with the government in Kabul while the US would steadily reduce its troops and completely withdraw all forces by May 2021.

SRINAGAR, 30 January 2021, (TON): The Indian Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has allowed National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) to illegally acquired 52.6 hectare forestland for construction new roads leading to the Zojila tunnel in India occupied Jammu and Kashmir State. Sources confirmed strategic military construction in progress in the area.

Strategically important Zojila tunnel and the new constructions in the area is direct threat to Pakistan as well as China. Otherwise, it is illegal to carry out such infrastructure in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir where implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions is pending.  One of the features of the new work is that tunnel will connect Srinagar-Kargil-Leh that is vital for the military convoys’ movement and ensure uninterrupted supplies throughout the year.

As per the details, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has confirmed acquisition of 52.6 hectares forestland and it is joint venture in which major project has been awarded to Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) which last year floated bid of Indian Rs 4,509.5 crore. He added that case for acquisition of 208 hectares is in progress.  Extensive blasting in the area has been reported and it is being claimed that many other projects are in progress in the area under the garb of construction of tunnel.

KUPWARA, 30 January 2021, (TON): Another dead body of a Kashmiri youth was recovered from the forest area of Cherkoot in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday.

The brutally killed Kashmiri youth was identified as Javaid Ahamd Mir, son of Dilawar Mir, resident of Izgund Khumriyal. As per the family members of the youth he was kidnapped by Indian agencies on 19 January and was missing since then and later his dead body was found in the forest area of Cherkoot.

.The masses in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir have been made hostage of their conscience and it has become a routine affair that any youth who challenges the authority of Indian occupying forces is forcibly taken away and is either killed or remains missing for ever.