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US keen to assist in modernizing Bangladesh armed forces
Rtv news
07 Apr 2022, 14:43
Photo: Collected
The United States (US) is keen to assist in modernization of Bangladesh's armed forces while Dhaka and Washington agreed to continue discussion over sanction on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as two countries concluded eight round of security dialogue.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ambassador Bonnie Denise Jenkins led their respective delegations at the daylong dialogue held in Washington DC on Wednesday, a foreign ministry press release said in Dhaka today.
During the meeting at the US Department of State, the two sides had constructive discussions on defence agreements like General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) and the Acquisition Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) which are "foundational agreements" meant to strengthen defence relationship between the two countries.
Bangladesh side raised deep concern regarding the sanctions on RAB and some of its current and former officials, and urged the US side to reconsider the decision.
Bangladesh delegation highlighted RAB's pivotal role in Bangladesh's fight against terrorism, violent extremism and transnational crimes and also elaborated on how the sanctions on RAB is unjustified as the personnel do not enjoy any impunity.
The two sides discussed detailed the issue and agreed to continue discussion in this regard.
Bangladesh foreign secretary stated that Dhaka deeply values its partnership with the Washington while the US delegation appreciated strong ties between the two countries which is well reflected in the regular dialogues.
The US side praised Bangladesh's successes and leadership in UN Peacekeeping Operations.
The US delegation observed that, after 50 years of the independence, Bangladesh has emerged as a responsible country and taking part in resolving global crises and problems.
Two countries agreed to continue robust cooperation in counterterrorism and transnational crimes while the US side assured about its continued support in building law enforcement and prosecutorial capacity as well as in countering violent extremism in Bangladesh.
The dialogue also covered areas like cooperation in military training, maritime security and capacity development, regional issues like Rohingya, Indo-Pacific, and civilian security cooperation.
On Indo-Pacific Strategy, fruitful discussion took place, and Bangladesh expressed support to inclusive socio-economic development in the Indo-Pacific region.
Regarding Rohingya issue, the US highly praised Bangladesh's role, and gave a big thank and committed to continuing all possible support.
Bangladesh appreciated the determination by the US of the genocide against Rohingyas, and urged the US side to take follow up measures.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in aviation safety, with the view to early resumption of Dhaka New York Direct flight.
Bangladesh appreciated the robust support received from the US in terms of COVID-19 vaccines.
The next Security Dialogue would be held next year in Dhaka.
Bangladesh delegation was also comprised of Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division (AFD) Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Secretary of Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Md Kamrul Hasan, Secretary of Law and Justice Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Md. Golam Sarwar, among others.
The US Side was represented by, among others, Assistant Secretary Jessica Lewis and Deputy Assistant Secretary Kelley Keiderling.
Later, the Bangladesh foreign secretary and AFD's PSO also held a separate meeting with the US Under Secretary.
Source: BSS
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Kamrul Islam Placed on 8-Day Remand in Murder Case
Advocate Kamrul Islam, a member of the Awami League Presidium, has been placed on an 8-day remand by a Dhaka court in connection with the Abdul Wadud murder case filed at New Market Police Station.
On Tuesday (November 19), the police submitted a remand application, and after a hearing, Judge Ziadur Rahman Jumman approved the remand.
Kamrul Islam was arrested late on Monday (November 18) around 11 p.m. from a residence in the Uttara-12 sector of the capital. He was detained overnight at the Detective Branch (DB) office.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched an investigation into substantial illegal assets allegedly held by Advocate Kamrul Islam, his wife, and his children, both domestically and internationally. According to ACC’s Deputy Director and Public Relations Officer Md. Aktarul Islam, the decision to investigate was made at the ACC headquarters on October 14.
ACC sources claim that Kamrul Islam, a former Food Minister, State Minister for Law, and Member of Parliament for Dhaka-2, accumulated massive wealth illegally in his and his family members’ names. During his tenure as State Minister for Law, he allegedly took millions in bribes through corrupt hiring practices in lower courts. As Food Minister, he reportedly misappropriated significant government funds by procuring substandard wheat from Brazil through corrupt deals.
Abdul Wadud was killed during clashes in the New Market area amid anti-discrimination student protests. Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, several ministers, state ministers, and Awami League leaders have been arrested in various cases filed at different police stations.
Battery-Run Rickshaws Ordered to be Banned Within 3 Days
The High Court has ordered the ban on battery-powered rickshaws in the Dhaka metropolitan area within three days.
A High Court bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi issued the order on Tuesday (November 19).
In total, about 1.2 million rickshaws are currently operating in the capital. A large part of which is battery-powered. In addition, many old pedal-powered rickshaws are being mechanized by installing batteries.
Battery-powered rickshaws are more common in the capital's narrow streets than on the main roads. These rickshaws also ply on the main roads when they get the opportunity. The number of battery-powered rickshaws is higher in the capital's Khilgaon, Manda, Basabo, Maniknagar, Rampura, Badda, Sayedabad, Jatrabari, Kadamtali, Sabujbagh, Shyampur, Demra, Mohammadpur, Basila, Uttara, Bhatara, Dakshinkhan, Uttarkhan, Moynartek, Mirpur, Pallabi areas.
ADB, WB to Provide $1.1b Loan Assistance to Bangladesh by Dec: Finance Sec
Finance Secretary Dr. Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder today said that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank would provide $600 million and $500 million loan assistance respectively to Bangladesh by December 2024.
Mozumder disclosed this at a press conference at the Ministry of Finance at Bangladesh Secretariat here today.
Replying to a query on the amount of loan commitments received by the interim government, he said the policies implemented by the interim government have been positively received by donor agencies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
“Our interim government’s policy measures have yielded good results, exceeding our initial expectations in terms of funding. For instance, we’ve successfully negotiated $600 million in loans with ADB and thus expect to receive the funds by December this year,” he added.
Besides, he highlighted progress with the World Bank, which has agreed to provide $500 million in loan support within the same timeframe. “Originally, these loans were set at $300 million and $250 million respectively, but were later doubled due to favorable negotiations.”
The Finance Secretary said the government is seeking further financial assistance from the IMF adding, “We’ve requested an additional $1 billion in support from the IMF for this year. Discussions are set to conclude when the IMF team visits on December 4 and we’re optimistic about the outcome.”
He expressed confidence in the government’s ability to implement its policies effectively and secure continued support from international financial institutions.
Chaired by Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, the press conference was attended, among others, by Financial Institutions Division Secretary Nazma Mubarak, Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, and National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan.
Source: BSS
HC Suspends Recruitment of 6,531 Primary School Teachers
The High Court postponed the decision to issue appointment letters to 6,531 people in the third phase of the government primary school assistant teacher recruitment exam due to the quota system.
The High Court bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi issued this order on Tuesday (November 19).
The appointment letters were to be issued to the teachers from tomorrow, Wednesday.
Barrister Foyez Uddin Ahmed and Advocate Kamruzzaman Bhuiyan heard the writ petition in the court. Deputy Attorney General Nur Mohammad Azmi argued for the state.
The final results of the third phase of the government primary school assistant teacher recruitment exam (Dhaka and Chattogram divisions) were published on October 31. 6,531 candidates passed in it. The results were published on the website of the Directorate of Primary Education.
It is known that the exam was conducted in 21 districts of Dhaka and Chattogram divisions in the third phase. The revised results of the written exam were published on April 22. In this, 46,199 candidates were selected for the oral examination. The examination was held at the district level from 10 am to 11 am on March 29.
On May 28, the High Court suspended the recruitment process for the posts of assistant teachers in government primary schools in the districts of Dhaka and Chattogram divisions (except the three hill districts) for six months, including the oral examination. The Appellate Division then dismissed the stay order issued by the High Court regarding the conduct of the oral examination.
Based on this, the Department of Primary Education conducted the oral examination. However, the court ordered an investigation into the allegations made in the media about the leaking of question papers in the written examination for this recruitment.
Committee to Examine Feasibility of Titumir University, Movement Withdrawn
The students have announced the suspension of the agitation after assuring that a committee will be formed within 7 working days to examine whether the government-run Titumir College can be converted into a university.
On Tuesday (November 19) afternoon, a delegation of Titumir College students went to the Secretariat. Professor Aminul Islam, Special Assistant to the Education Advisor assured them in this regard. Later, the students left the Secretariat and announced the suspension of the agitation.
Matiur Rahman, a member of the Titumir College student delegation who participated in the meeting, said that the government has assured to form a committee regarding the demand to convert Titumir College into a university. Which will be formed within the next seven working days. Based on this, we are announcing the suspension of the agitation.
He said that the same committee has informed us that it will investigate the overall issue and submit a report.
The delegation members are Mahmud Hasan Muktar, Mosharraf Rabby, Neyek Nur Mohammad, Abdul Hamid, Nuruddin Jisan, Matiur Rahman Joy, Jahangir Sunny, Mehedy Hasan Mal, Aminul Islam, Mohammad Bellal, Al Noman Nirob, Habibullah Rony, Md Toaha, and Kawsar.
Earlier, students staged a protest for the second day demanding that the government-run Titumir College be converted into a university. A delegation of 14 students went to the Ministry of Education at the government's request.
The rest took up positions in front of the main gate inside the campus around 11 am.
It is worth noting that the Titumir College students have made three demands to the university.
The demands are- 1. Titumir College should be separated from 7 colleges by canceling its affiliation with Dhaka University. 2. A commission should be formed to convert Titumir College into a university. 3. Titumir should formulate an outline for implementing an independent university.
Dr. Yunus: Elections Now If No Reforms Needed!
Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government, has stated that the nature and scope of reforms will be determined by the political parties, and decisions regarding the speed of elections will be based on their consensus.
In a special interview with The Daily Star's editor, Mahfuz Anam, Dr. Yunus mentioned that reforms and elections are entirely a matter of consensus among political parties. He emphasized that if the public's direct opinion is to be sought, a referendum would be required.
Regarding elections, he said, "The faster the reforms, the faster the elections. And if the political parties say they do not want reforms, I will hold elections immediately."
He outlined his vision for reforms based on reports from the Election Commission, the police, the judiciary, the Anti-Corruption Commission, public administration, and the Constitutional Reform Commission. Dr. Yunus mentioned that the interim government would pave the way for elections through consensus among political parties as swiftly as possible.
He emphasized, "We are not imposing anything." He further stated that his administration is only working to facilitate the process.
On the election roadmap, Dr. Yunus explained, "We are moving along two parallel tracks. Equal focus and effort are being given to both: one is the election, and the other is reforms."
He added, "The Election Commission will be announced within a day or two. The commission will operate independently. It’s not under my control. Everything necessary will be done there." However, he clarified that the Election Commission cannot begin its work until the Reform Commission submits its report. "Once the report is submitted, it cannot be used without political consensus," he noted.
Dr. Yunus mentioned that the Reform Commission's report would be available by the end of December. However, implementing it will require political consensus. "Meetings will be held with political parties, and efforts for understanding will continue—what they want, what they don’t. We will impose nothing."
He added, "Editorials will be written in the media, opinions will emerge, and we will seek the views of civil society." According to him, the timeline for reforms depends on how quickly political parties can reach a consensus, as elections are not possible without such agreement.
He said, "If the political parties tell us they don’t need reforms and want elections as is, we will conduct them as is. It will be ready. How long it takes for reforms to prepare depends on everyone’s consideration. Maybe no one is ready for elections. But if everyone agrees to hold elections before reforms, we will do so. Who are we to prevent that?"
When asked about the timeline for reforms, he stated that the commissions’ reports could be available by the end of December, and the government would have sufficient time until next July to reach a consensus on reforms.
He emphasized that it depends entirely on the political parties. "There’s no use asking me how long it will take."
On how the government would gauge public opinion, he replied that the government would discuss with political parties as representatives of the people. "I don’t think we can directly approach the public. That would require a referendum."
When asked whether the Awami League would participate in discussions on reforms, the Nobel laureate said, "It depends entirely on the political parties. If they want the Awami League to participate in this process, that’s what will happen. We are not giving any special opinions."
On the issue of cases filed against journalists without specific evidence, the Chief Advisor said, "It was done under old laws, hastily. We later stopped it."
Regarding foreign policy, Dr. Yunus stated that although he is closer to Democrats, his government can work with the Trump administration. He explained that when he was awarded the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, there was bipartisan agreement. "So, if anyone disliked me, they would have said so then," he added.
Discussing how Indian media portrayed Bangladesh’s changing situation, Dr. Yunus said he raised the issue during a conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"I told him that the allegations of minority persecution are entirely false and propaganda. To see for themselves, Indian journalists should be sent here. It’s an open place; journalists can go wherever they want. No one will stop them. Indian journalists started coming, but the narrative didn’t change."
Dr. Yunus said he wanted to revive SAARC because he believed it could enhance cooperation in South Asia and the subcontinent.
"Everyone agrees on SAARC. Only India is not keen, which is why progress hasn’t been made. I continue to encourage India," he added.
However, the Chief Advisor stressed that the relationship between Bangladesh and India is very friendly. He stated that while differences may exist, they will not define the relationship between the two nations.
He remarked, "These two neighboring countries have such a long history and such a position that one cannot truly thrive without friendship with the other."
On relations with China, Dr. Yunus referred to his recent experience at the UN General Assembly. While a Chinese delegation wanted to meet him formally, protocol did not allow it.
Nevertheless, he had an extensive discussion with the Chinese Foreign Minister. "We didn’t meet formally. We sat in one place," he said.
The Chief Advisor added that the Chinese delegation, led by their Foreign Minister, presented a long statement, and he also shared his own views. Both sides discussed ways to collaborate further.
Jamaat-e-Islami to Apologize if Proven Wrong in 1971 Liberation War
Jamaat-e-Islami’s Amir, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, stated that if it is proven beyond doubt that the party made any mistakes during the 1971 Liberation War, they will apologize to the nation.
He made this statement on Tuesday (November 19) in response to a question from the press regarding Jamaat’s role during the war, while speaking at a restaurant in East London.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, "If we made any mistakes and it is proven beyond doubt, I will apologize to the nation. In the UK court ruling on Chowdhury Mainuddin’s case, the judges here referred to the judgment passed in our country’s War Crimes Tribunal as 'genocide of justice.' For 15 years, we were not allowed to sit in our office, speak, or organize rallies. We were unable to reach the nation through the media."
He further stated that due to ethnic disunity and corruption, the nation has not been able to progress as it should. He described corruption as a national shame. He pointed out that the UK, by keeping itself largely free from corruption, has been able to maintain a respected position globally, which Bangladesh has not achieved. He emphasized that a society will not improve unless those in power are honest.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman also criticized the previous government's unchecked corruption, stating that the development that could have been achieved was not. He claimed that while development projects in Bangladesh show inflated costs, similar projects in other countries in the region were completed at a third of the cost.
He continued, "In the 24th movement, those who were killed should be recognized as national heroes. People from all walks of life participated in this uprising, including those living abroad who fought with us to the best of their abilities."
Jamaat’s Amir also praised the contributions of expatriates, stating, "The diaspora continues to support Bangladesh through remittances. In addition to monetary remittances, I urge expatriates to send 'intellectual remittances' to help the intellectual development of Bangladesh. This will play a huge role in building the Bangladesh of our dreams."
The event was attended by Barrister Abubakar Molla, the spokesperson for Jamaat-e-Islami Europe, and over fifty journalists from various Bangladeshi media outlets in the UK.
