At least five people were killed and dozens injured in Bangladesh on Saturday after police opened fire on a crowd of workers protesting to demand unpaid wages and a pay rise at a Chinese-backed power plant, officials and police said.

Police opened fire after about 2,000 of the protesters began hurling bricks and stones at officers at the construction site of the coal-fired plant in the southeastern city of Chittagong, local police official Azizul Islam told Reuters.

Four protesters died at the scene and another died in hospital, he said.

"We're trying to control the situation," Islam said, adding that at least six police officers were among those injured.

The workers attacked and set fire to several structures at the 1,320-megawatt power plant, located 265 km (165 miles) southeast of the capital,&nbsp;Dhaka, he added.

Local government official Saiduzzaman Chowdhury said the workers were protesting over unpaid wages and to press demands for a pay rise and reduced hours during the holy month of Ramadan, which started this week, when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.

Several of the injured workers had gunshot wounds and were taken to a hospital in Chittagong, he said, adding that the five people who were killed had all been shot.

The $2.4-billion power plant is a major source of foreign investment into Bangladesh, and one of a series of projects that Beijing is pushing to cultivate closer ties with&nbsp;Dhaka.

In 2016, China's SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction signed a deal with S Alam Group, a Bangladeshi conglomerate responsible for construction work at the site.

During that year, four protesters opposed to its construction were killed when police opened fire during clashes between villagers who were demonstrating both for and against the project.

At least five people were killed and dozens injured in Bangladesh on Saturday after police opened fire on a crowd of workers protesting to demand unpaid wages and a pay rise at a Chinese-backed power plant, officials and police said.

At least five people were killed and dozens injured in Bangladesh on Saturday after police opened fire on a crowd of workers protesting to demand unpaid wages and a pay rise at a Chinese-backed power plant, officials and police said. Police opened fire after about 2,000 of the protesters began hurling bricks and stones at officers at the construction site of the coal-fired plant in the southeastern city of Chittagong, local police official Azizul Islam told Reuters. Four protesters died at the scene and another died in hospital, he said. "We're trying to control the situation," Islam said, adding that at least six police officers were among those injured. The workers attacked and set fire to several structures at the 1,320-megawatt power plant, located 265 km (165 miles) southeast of the capital, Dhaka, he added. Local government official Saiduzzaman Chowdhury said the workers were protesting over unpaid wages and to press demands for a pay rise and reduced hours during the holy month of Ramadan, which started this week, when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Several of the injured workers had gunshot wounds and were taken to a hospital in Chittagong, he said, adding that the five people who were killed had all been shot. The $2.4-billion power plant is a major source of foreign investment into Bangladesh, and one of a series of projects that Beijing is pushing to cultivate closer ties with Dhaka. In 2016, China's SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction signed a deal with S Alam Group, a Bangladeshi conglomerate responsible for construction work at the site. During that year, four protesters opposed to its construction were killed when police opened fire during clashes between villagers who were demonstrating both for and against the project.

Five people killed as police fire at protesting workers in Bangladesh

Russia has proposed to manufacture its 'Sputnik V' Covid-19 vaccine in Bangladesh in collaboration with local pharmaceutical firms under a co-production arrangement while Dhaka is searching other sources apart from India amidst a spike in infections in the country, according to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

'We agreed with them (Russia) on co-production (of vaccine) … though it's not finalised yet,' Momen told the official BSS news agency.

Russia has invited Bangladesh to be a vaccine co-producer with its technology, saying currently the country lacks the production capacity to export its vaccine to Bangladesh.

As per the proposal, Russia will give the technology and Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies will produce the Sputnik vaccine here, he said.

“If things go well … It will be cheap and hopefully it will be better,” he added.

Bangladesh so far was dependent on India’s Serum Institute. But as India was facing vaccine shortages amid an intensifying second wave of the deadly Covid-19 virus, the Pune-based vaccine producer has not been able to supply the doses to Bangladesh and other countries.

A Bangladeshi health ministry official meanwhile said the government constituted a five-member committee to explore newer vaccine sources and asked it to submit a report to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's office in the next seven days.

'The committee has been formed as availability of vaccines appeared uncertain,' director general of health services Professor Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam told newsmen.

Dhaka started vigorously hunting for other sources, including China, forgetting the high demanded inoculation fearing India could get run out of vaccines for its citizens.

Momen said Bangladesh earlier did not show much interest in the Chinese vaccine as their vaccine was yet to get the World Health Organisation (WHO) approval.

“But, now we are keeping open all options to get vaccines,” Momen said.

Momen said China, however, informed Bangladesh that they would not be able to export any vaccine before December as they already gave commitments to other countries to supply their vaccine.

Besides, he said, the World Bank recently informed Bangladesh to provide 80 lack doses of vaccine under COVAX by next month. “We are hopeful to get those vaccines under COVAX,” he said.

Bangladesh purchased 30 million doses of India-made vaccine under a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on November 5 and a subsequent agreement on December 13 among the Bangladesh government, Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPL) and the Serum Institute of India (SII).

As per the agreement, Bangladesh is supposed to receive 5 million doses each month, but after the first consignment of 5 million, Dhaka is yet to receive the second consignment of 5 million that was scheduled to arrive here by March. Bangladesh received 21.5 million vaccine doses from the Indian government as a gift apart from the commercially procured ones.

“They (India) have been telling us that they would send the vaccines... they never said that they couldn’t,” Momen said, adding that Dhaka keeps confidence in Indian assurance and is hopeful to get all the 30 million doses of vaccine within the timeframe of the agreement.

However, the minister said, Dhaka feared that Indian vaccine production is not enough considering their internal demand and international commitment.

Momen said the government has also been considering engaging the private sector in importing and marketing commercially expensive vaccines like the Pfizer-BioNTech one in the Bangladesh market to meet the demand.

He said the government aims to vaccinate 80 per cent of the total population free of cost to check the spreading of the deadly virus.

In Bangladesh, so far, nearly 5.5 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine while around seven million more registered for the vaccination.

Bangladesh is among the nations which have continued to witness a sharp surge in the cases of coronavirus, with right now 727,780 cases and 10,588 deaths caused by the disease, according to media reports.

Bangladesh recorded 91 deaths and 4,559 new infections in the 24 hours, according to government figures released on Tuesday.

Russia has proposed to manufacture its 'Sputnik V' Covid-19 vaccine in Bangladesh in collaboration with local pharmaceutical firms under a co-production arrangement while Dhaka is searching other sources apart from India amidst a spike in infections in the country, according to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

Russia has proposed to manufacture its 'Sputnik V' Covid-19 vaccine in Bangladesh in collaboration with local pharmaceutical firms under a co-production arrangement while Dhaka is searching other sources apart from India amidst a spike in infections in the country, according to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen. 'We agreed with them (Russia) on co-production (of vaccine) … though it's not finalised yet,' Momen told the official BSS news agency. Russia has invited Bangladesh to be a vaccine co-producer with its technology, saying currently the country lacks the production capacity to export its vaccine to Bangladesh. As per the proposal, Russia will give the technology and Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies will produce the Sputnik vaccine here, he said. “If things go well … It will be cheap and hopefully it will be better,” he added. Bangladesh so far was dependent on India’s Serum Institute. But as India was facing vaccine shortages amid an intensifying second wave of the deadly Covid-19 virus, the Pune-based vaccine producer has not been able to supply the doses to Bangladesh and other countries. A Bangladeshi health ministry official meanwhile said the government constituted a five-member committee to explore newer vaccine sources and asked it to submit a report to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's office in the next seven days. 'The committee has been formed as availability of vaccines appeared uncertain,' director general of health services Professor Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam told newsmen. Dhaka started vigorously hunting for other sources, including China, forgetting the high demanded inoculation fearing India could get run out of vaccines for its citizens. Momen said Bangladesh earlier did not show much interest in the Chinese vaccine as their vaccine was yet to get the World Health Organisation (WHO) approval. “But, now we are keeping open all options to get vaccines,” Momen said. Momen said China, however, informed Bangladesh that they would not be able to export any vaccine before December as they already gave commitments to other countries to supply their vaccine. Besides, he said, the World Bank recently informed Bangladesh to provide 80 lack doses of vaccine under COVAX by next month. “We are hopeful to get those vaccines under COVAX,” he said. Bangladesh purchased 30 million doses of India-made vaccine under a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on November 5 and a subsequent agreement on December 13 among the Bangladesh government, Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPL) and the Serum Institute of India (SII). As per the agreement, Bangladesh is supposed to receive 5 million doses each month, but after the first consignment of 5 million, Dhaka is yet to receive the second consignment of 5 million that was scheduled to arrive here by March. Bangladesh received 21.5 million vaccine doses from the Indian government as a gift apart from the commercially procured ones. “They (India) have been telling us that they would send the vaccines... they never said that they couldn’t,” Momen said, adding that Dhaka keeps confidence in Indian assurance and is hopeful to get all the 30 million doses of vaccine within the timeframe of the agreement. However, the minister said, Dhaka feared that Indian vaccine production is not enough considering their internal demand and international commitment. Momen said the government has also been considering engaging the private sector in importing and marketing commercially expensive vaccines like the Pfizer-BioNTech one in the Bangladesh market to meet the demand. He said the government aims to vaccinate 80 per cent of the total population free of cost to check the spreading of the deadly virus. In Bangladesh, so far, nearly 5.5 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine while around seven million more registered for the vaccination. Bangladesh is among the nations which have continued to witness a sharp surge in the cases of coronavirus, with right now 727,780 cases and 10,588 deaths caused by the disease, according to media reports. Bangladesh recorded 91 deaths and 4,559 new infections in the 24 hours, according to government figures released on Tuesday.

Bangladesh eyeing Russia's Sputnik vaccine production to overcome supply shortage from India

Hundreds of hardline Islamists have been arrested by Bangladesh police over the past week, officials said on Sunday, after deadly protests against the visit of India's leader.&nbsp;

At least 13 protesters died during the days-long demonstrations in late March over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.&nbsp;

The protests across several districts in Bangladesh were mostly led by the hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam.&nbsp;

Police said Mamunul Haque, 47, the firebrand joint secretary of Hefazat, was detained on Sunday after a top Islamic seminary in the capital Dhaka was raided.&nbsp;

"He was arrested over charges of violence by Hefazat-e-Islam," police spokesman Ifetkharul Islam said.&nbsp;

Haque was the seventh senior leader from Hefazat to be arrested this week, police said.&nbsp;

The leaders were expected to be charged with the outbreak of violence during the anti-Modi protests and demonstrations in 2013 that left nearly 50 people dead.&nbsp;

A further 298 Hefazat supporters and activists were arrested in the eastern rural district of Brahmanbaria where anti-Modi demonstrations were also held, police said on Sunday.&nbsp;

"We arrested them by identifying them through video footage," Brahmanbaria police's deputy chief, Mohammad Roish Uddin, said. &nbsp;

Hefazat spokesman Jakaria Noman Foyezi said that 23 leaders of his organisation had been detained by police.&nbsp;

He called police claims against them 'false and fabricated'.&nbsp;

Hefazat, which was found in 2010, is Bangladesh's largest hardline Islamist outfit.&nbsp;

The group draws its support from millions of students and teachers in thousands of the Muslim-majority madrasas. &nbsp;

A 2013 rally in Dhaka by thousands of Hefazat supporters demanding a blasphemy law ended in unrest and dozens of deaths.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Hundreds of hardline Islamists have been arrested by Bangladesh police over the past week, officials said on Sunday, after deadly protests against the visit of India's leader.

Hundreds of hardline Islamists have been arrested by Bangladesh police over the past week, officials said on Sunday, after deadly protests against the visit of India's leader. At least 13 protesters died during the days-long demonstrations in late March over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. The protests across several districts in Bangladesh were mostly led by the hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam. Police said Mamunul Haque, 47, the firebrand joint secretary of Hefazat, was detained on Sunday after a top Islamic seminary in the capital Dhaka was raided. "He was arrested over charges of violence by Hefazat-e-Islam," police spokesman Ifetkharul Islam said. Haque was the seventh senior leader from Hefazat to be arrested this week, police said. The leaders were expected to be charged with the outbreak of violence during the anti-Modi protests and demonstrations in 2013 that left nearly 50 people dead. A further 298 Hefazat supporters and activists were arrested in the eastern rural district of Brahmanbaria where anti-Modi demonstrations were also held, police said on Sunday. "We arrested them by identifying them through video footage," Brahmanbaria police's deputy chief, Mohammad Roish Uddin, said. Hefazat spokesman Jakaria Noman Foyezi said that 23 leaders of his organisation had been detained by police. He called police claims against them 'false and fabricated'. Hefazat, which was found in 2010, is Bangladesh's largest hardline Islamist outfit. The group draws its support from millions of students and teachers in thousands of the Muslim-majority madrasas. A 2013 rally in Dhaka by thousands of Hefazat supporters demanding a blasphemy law ended in unrest and dozens of deaths. (With inputs from agencies)

Bangladesh cracks down on Islamist hardliners after protests against Indian PM 

Bangladesh has decided to extend the nationwide lockdown for yet another week to counter the spike in coronavirus infections, an official said on Monday. 
 
"The restrictions will continue for one more week from Thursday," the government`s Chief Information Officer Surodh Kumar Sarker told reporters here, referring to a senior officials` meeting that reviewed the latest Covid-19 situation. 
 
Given the surge in new infections and deaths from the virus, the government on April 5 enforced a nine-day lockdown shutting offices, shopping malls and transport across Bangladesh, reports DPA news agency. 
 
The shutdown was then extended until Wednesday as the situation worsened. 
 
A country of more than 160 million, Bangladesh`s embattled healthcare system has carried out 5.1 million virus tests since the first cases of Covid-19 emerged in March last year. 
 
It saw the highest single-day increase in infections on April 9, with 7,462 new cases, and the highest daily death toll, 102, on Sunday. 
 
Some 781,950 coronavirus cases and 10,385 deaths have been reported so far in Bangladesh, which previously imposed a nationwide shutdown for more than two months, from March 26, 2020, until May.

Bangladesh has decided to extend the nationwide lockdown for yet another week to counter the spike in coronavirus infections, an official said on Monday. "The restrictions will continue for one more week from Thursday," the government`s Chief Information Officer Surodh Kumar Sarker told reporters here, referring to a senior officials` meeting that reviewed the latest Covid-19 situation.

Bangladesh has decided to extend the nationwide lockdown for yet another week to counter the spike in coronavirus infections, an official said on Monday. "The restrictions will continue for one more week from Thursday," the government`s Chief Information Officer Surodh Kumar Sarker told reporters here, referring to a senior officials` meeting that reviewed the latest Covid-19 situation. Given the surge in new infections and deaths from the virus, the government on April 5 enforced a nine-day lockdown shutting offices, shopping malls and transport across Bangladesh, reports DPA news agency. The shutdown was then extended until Wednesday as the situation worsened. A country of more than 160 million, Bangladesh`s embattled healthcare system has carried out 5.1 million virus tests since the first cases of Covid-19 emerged in March last year. It saw the highest single-day increase in infections on April 9, with 7,462 new cases, and the highest daily death toll, 102, on Sunday. Some 781,950 coronavirus cases and 10,385 deaths have been reported so far in Bangladesh, which previously imposed a nationwide shutdown for more than two months, from March 26, 2020, until May.

COVID-19: Bangladesh extends lockdown for another week

Bangladesh is likely to extend the ongoing nationwide lockdown for another week as the COVID-19 situation in the country continues to worsen."The ongoing nationwide lockdown is likely to be extended for another week, and the decision in this regard will come within a day or two," Dhaka Tribune quoted State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain as saying.

"We haven`t yet got any decision about a fresh lockdown. There`ll be a meeting on Monday over the current Covid-19 situation. But advice is there overextending the ongoing lockdown," the State Minister added.

Bangladesh on Sunday reported over 100 Covid-19 single-day deaths for the third consecutive day.On Sunday, another 102 deaths were logged in 24 hours. Earlier on Saturday and Friday, 101 new deaths were recorded in a single day, the highest in the country so far since the first reported death on March 18, 2020.With the updated data, the death toll in the country stands at 10,385, and the total cases at 718,950.

On April 14, the Bangladesh government enforced a fresh lockdown with harsher measures. The ongoing lockdown was imposed after a `loose` nationwide lockdown for one week from April 5 as part of its move to contain the spike in both coronavirus infections and fatalities.

"The decision [to extend lockdown] will be known within 1-2 days as the coronavirus infections keep spreading. If people follow health guidelines properly and stay home, then the infection rate will come down," Hossain said.

The National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 has recommended a 14-day fresh lockdown and the ongoing lockdown might be extended for another week based on the recommendation.Replying to a question about the extension of the ongoing lockdown, Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division Rafiqul Islam, said: "The decision in this regard will be known on Monday after an inter-ministerial meeting."

Bangladesh is likely to extend the ongoing nationwide lockdown for another week as the COVID-19 situation in the country continues to worsen."The ongoing nationwide lockdown is likely to be extended for another week, and the decision in this regard will come within a day or two," Dhaka Tribune quoted State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain as saying.

Bangladesh is likely to extend the ongoing nationwide lockdown for another week as the COVID-19 situation in the country continues to worsen."The ongoing nationwide lockdown is likely to be extended for another week, and the decision in this regard will come within a day or two," Dhaka Tribune quoted State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain as saying. "We haven`t yet got any decision about a fresh lockdown. There`ll be a meeting on Monday over the current Covid-19 situation. But advice is there overextending the ongoing lockdown," the State Minister added. Bangladesh on Sunday reported over 100 Covid-19 single-day deaths for the third consecutive day.On Sunday, another 102 deaths were logged in 24 hours. Earlier on Saturday and Friday, 101 new deaths were recorded in a single day, the highest in the country so far since the first reported death on March 18, 2020.With the updated data, the death toll in the country stands at 10,385, and the total cases at 718,950. On April 14, the Bangladesh government enforced a fresh lockdown with harsher measures. The ongoing lockdown was imposed after a `loose` nationwide lockdown for one week from April 5 as part of its move to contain the spike in both coronavirus infections and fatalities. "The decision [to extend lockdown] will be known within 1-2 days as the coronavirus infections keep spreading. If people follow health guidelines properly and stay home, then the infection rate will come down," Hossain said. The National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 has recommended a 14-day fresh lockdown and the ongoing lockdown might be extended for another week based on the recommendation.Replying to a question about the extension of the ongoing lockdown, Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division Rafiqul Islam, said: "The decision in this regard will be known on Monday after an inter-ministerial meeting."

Bangladesh likely to extend lockdown for another week as COVID-19 situation worsens

Five people have been killed in a clash between police and workers at an under-construction power plant&nbsp;in Chittagong District in Bangladesh. At least 25 people were injured. Four policemen have been seriously injured. Angry workers set fire to the power plant.

The power plant is located in Banshkhali Upazila of Chittagong district. The incident took place on Saturday morning when workers initiated a protest for their demands of&nbsp;salary and allowances ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, police said.

Banshkhali Police Station Inspector Azizul Islam said that power plant authorities had a dispute with the workers over salary and allowances.&nbsp;

On Saturday morning, when the police moved-in to control protesting workers, they were attacked. Four workers died in the ensuing clash&nbsp;while a fifth passed away at Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Faisal Karim, a doctor at the hospital confirmed this.

As per eyewitnesses, the police opened fire at one stage during the clash.

Earlier, on April 4, 2016, police had clashed with local villagers at&nbsp;the same power plant. Six people were killed in that incident on that day.

The 1,320 MW coal-fired thermal power plant is being constructed in&nbsp;a joint venture by&nbsp;S Alam Group and China's Sefco Company. The project is being set up on 600 acres of land.

Earlier, there were disputes over acquisition of&nbsp;land&nbsp;as well. Dissatisfied locals had alleged that S Alam group was acquiring land forcibly without any&nbsp;rehabilitation. There were also complaints of salt and shrimp farmers going out of business if the plant was built.

Five people have been killed in a clash between police and workers at an under-construction power plant in Chittagong District in Bangladesh. At least 25 people were injured.

Five people have been killed in a clash between police and workers at an under-construction power plant in Chittagong District in Bangladesh. At least 25 people were injured. Four policemen have been seriously injured. Angry workers set fire to the power plant. The power plant is located in Banshkhali Upazila of Chittagong district. The incident took place on Saturday morning when workers initiated a protest for their demands of salary and allowances ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, police said. Banshkhali Police Station Inspector Azizul Islam said that power plant authorities had a dispute with the workers over salary and allowances. On Saturday morning, when the police moved-in to control protesting workers, they were attacked. Four workers died in the ensuing clash while a fifth passed away at Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Faisal Karim, a doctor at the hospital confirmed this. As per eyewitnesses, the police opened fire at one stage during the clash. Earlier, on April 4, 2016, police had clashed with local villagers at the same power plant. Six people were killed in that incident on that day. The 1,320 MW coal-fired thermal power plant is being constructed in a joint venture by S Alam Group and China's Sefco Company. The project is being set up on 600 acres of land. Earlier, there were disputes over acquisition of land as well. Dissatisfied locals had alleged that S Alam group was acquiring land forcibly without any rehabilitation. There were also complaints of salt and shrimp farmers going out of business if the plant was built.

Bangladesh: Five killed in clash with police at under-construction power plant

Thousands of police patrolled the empty streets of the Bangladesh capital on Wednesday as the government enforced a strict nationwide lockdown to combat a deadly new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus </a>wave.

Normally jammed with some of Asia's worst gridlock, Dhaka took on the air of a ghost town as officers set up checkpoints across the city of 20 million people to ensure no-one ventured out without a special pass.

Wednesday was the first day of the Bengali new year, when millions normally flock to traditional rallies in major cities, as well as the first day of the Ramadan Muslim fasting month.

But all festivities have been called off for the second year because of the coronavirus threat.

Bangladesh has been swept for the past month by a fresh coronavirus wave that has seen daily infections rise seven-fold and deaths triple.

The South Asian country has recorded roughly 700,000 cases and nearly 10,000 deaths in all.

Tens of thousands of people packed the last trains, buses and ferries before the lockdown came into force at 6:00am (midnight GMT).

A Dhaka police spokesman told AFP said he had only seen "a handful" of people on the streets on the first day of the transport ban, as well as the closure of offices and stores.

For eight days, people are only allowed out to buy food and medicines or for medical emergencies.

Officers are checking online movement passes, issued for the first time.

National police chief Benazir Ahmed ordered all officers to strictly enforce the measure in a call with police chiefs across the country of 168 million people.

"During the government restrictions, no one should step out of their homes unnecessarily," he said.

<h2>Pakistan shutdown&nbsp;</h2>

Coronavirus restrictions have also overshadowed the start of Ramadan in India and Pakistan.

Pandemic curfews are being enforced in many Indian cities as fresh cases again hit new highs, while the number of dead in one day rose above 1,000 for the first time since September.

Pakistan's government has ordered a shutdown of all but essential shops at weekends and the closure of markets at 6.00pm on weekdays.

The poor nation has also been hit by a new wave and authorities fear an acceleration of cases during Ramadan.

Many mosques ignored official pleas to host prayers outside and follow social distancing rules, as Muslims gathered ahead of the first fast.

Ikram Jan, 45, a school teacher in Rawalpindi, said he would pray at home to keep his family safe.

"Most worshippers do not have masks and all of them stand shoulder to shoulder, hundreds of people, that's very dangerous," he said.

More than 730,000 people in Pakistan have been diagnosed with coronavirus, but with limited testing in the country of 220 million people, the true figure is believed to be much higher.

It has recorded more than 15,000 deaths, with 130 reported Wednesday one of the highest daily tolls.

Thousands of police patrolled the empty streets of the Bangladesh capital on Wednesday as the government enforced a strict nationwide lockdown to combat a deadly new coronavirus wave.

Thousands of police patrolled the empty streets of the Bangladesh capital on Wednesday as the government enforced a strict nationwide lockdown to combat a deadly new coronavirus wave. Normally jammed with some of Asia's worst gridlock, Dhaka took on the air of a ghost town as officers set up checkpoints across the city of 20 million people to ensure no-one ventured out without a special pass. Wednesday was the first day of the Bengali new year, when millions normally flock to traditional rallies in major cities, as well as the first day of the Ramadan Muslim fasting month. But all festivities have been called off for the second year because of the coronavirus threat. Bangladesh has been swept for the past month by a fresh coronavirus wave that has seen daily infections rise seven-fold and deaths triple. The South Asian country has recorded roughly 700,000 cases and nearly 10,000 deaths in all. Tens of thousands of people packed the last trains, buses and ferries before the lockdown came into force at 6:00am (midnight GMT). A Dhaka police spokesman told AFP said he had only seen "a handful" of people on the streets on the first day of the transport ban, as well as the closure of offices and stores. For eight days, people are only allowed out to buy food and medicines or for medical emergencies. Officers are checking online movement passes, issued for the first time. National police chief Benazir Ahmed ordered all officers to strictly enforce the measure in a call with police chiefs across the country of 168 million people. "During the government restrictions, no one should step out of their homes unnecessarily," he said. Pakistan shutdown Coronavirus restrictions have also overshadowed the start of Ramadan in India and Pakistan. Pandemic curfews are being enforced in many Indian cities as fresh cases again hit new highs, while the number of dead in one day rose above 1,000 for the first time since September. Pakistan's government has ordered a shutdown of all but essential shops at weekends and the closure of markets at 6.00pm on weekdays. The poor nation has also been hit by a new wave and authorities fear an acceleration of cases during Ramadan. Many mosques ignored official pleas to host prayers outside and follow social distancing rules, as Muslims gathered ahead of the first fast. Ikram Jan, 45, a school teacher in Rawalpindi, said he would pray at home to keep his family safe. "Most worshippers do not have masks and all of them stand shoulder to shoulder, hundreds of people, that's very dangerous," he said. More than 730,000 people in Pakistan have been diagnosed with coronavirus, but with limited testing in the country of 220 million people, the true figure is believed to be much higher. It has recorded more than 15,000 deaths, with 130 reported Wednesday one of the highest daily tolls.

COVID-19: Bangladesh enforces tough lockdown to fight virus

As COVID-19 cases rise to an all time high, Bangladesh is going to a strict lockdown for the next 8 days. All offices, factories and transport services have been suspended; only emergency services will remain open in the country.

Bangladesh: 8 day strict lockdown begins after daily COVID cases rose to 7 month high

Shantir Ogrosena, a 10-day multinational military exercise in which troops of four countries including India participated, culminated on Monday at Bangabandhu Senanibas (BBS), Bangladesh.

The armed forces of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka along with observers from the US, UK, Turkey and Saudi Arabia among others participated in the multilateral UN-mandated counterterrorism exercise.

The aim of the exercise was to strengthen defence ties and enhance interoperability amongst neighbourhood countries to ensure effective peacekeeping operations, the Indian Army said on Monday.&nbsp;

The armies of all participating nations shared their wide experiences and enhanced their situational awareness through robust information exchange platforms.The exercise was held from April 4-12 to mark the birth centenary of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the liberation of Bangladesh.&nbsp;

BBS is a Bangladeshi military cantonment near Bangabandhu Bridge in Bhuapur Upazila, Tangail District, Bangladesh.The Indian Army contingent was comprised of 30 personnel, including Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and jawans of a Battalion from the Dogra Regiment.

The exercise culminated with a validation phase and closing ceremony organised on the theme of Robust Peace Keeping Operations jointly undertaken by contingents of Indian Army, Royal Bhutanese Army, Sri Lankan Army and Bangladesh Army, preceded by an Army Chiefs Conclave, according to the Indian Army. General MM Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff witnessed the validation phase of the exercise.&nbsp;

He had also delivered a Keynote Address on "Changing Nature of Global Conflicts: Role of UN Peacekeepers" on April 11. Naravane also interacted with the senior officers of the participating nations and Military Observers from other countries.&nbsp;

Shantir Ogrosena, a 10-day multinational military exercise in which troops of four countries including India participated, culminated on Monday at Bangabandhu Senanibas (BBS), Bangladesh.

Shantir Ogrosena, a 10-day multinational military exercise in which troops of four countries including India participated, culminated on Monday at Bangabandhu Senanibas (BBS), Bangladesh. The armed forces of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka along with observers from the US, UK, Turkey and Saudi Arabia among others participated in the multilateral UN-mandated counterterrorism exercise. The aim of the exercise was to strengthen defence ties and enhance interoperability amongst neighbourhood countries to ensure effective peacekeeping operations, the Indian Army said on Monday. The armies of all participating nations shared their wide experiences and enhanced their situational awareness through robust information exchange platforms.The exercise was held from April 4-12 to mark the birth centenary of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the liberation of Bangladesh. BBS is a Bangladeshi military cantonment near Bangabandhu Bridge in Bhuapur Upazila, Tangail District, Bangladesh.The Indian Army contingent was comprised of 30 personnel, including Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and jawans of a Battalion from the Dogra Regiment. The exercise culminated with a validation phase and closing ceremony organised on the theme of Robust Peace Keeping Operations jointly undertaken by contingents of Indian Army, Royal Bhutanese Army, Sri Lankan Army and Bangladesh Army, preceded by an Army Chiefs Conclave, according to the Indian Army. General MM Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff witnessed the validation phase of the exercise. He had also delivered a Keynote Address on "Changing Nature of Global Conflicts: Role of UN Peacekeepers" on April 11. Naravane also interacted with the senior officers of the participating nations and Military Observers from other countries.

Bangladesh: Multinational military exercise 'Shantir Ogroshena 2021' concludes

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, a year after she was released from jail temporarily amidst the pandemic, according to media reports.&nbsp;

The 75-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief's samples were sent to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, for testing on Saturday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper quoted Public Relations Officer, Health Ministry, Maidul Islam Prodhan as saying.&nbsp;

"It came back as positive today [Sunday], which has been updated on the database of the Directorate of Health Services," he told Dhaka Tribune.&nbsp;

The newspaper reported that one of Zia's relatives, who had met her last week, had later tested positive for the coronavirus.&nbsp;

"That is why madam's [Zia] family took steps for her COVID-19 test, though she has no major symptoms," a source close to the family told the Dhaka Tribune.&nbsp;

However, BNP leaders failed to confirm Zia's diagnosis.&nbsp;

Speaking to The Daily Star, Sayrul Kabir Khan, member of BNP press wing, said, "After talking to Khaleda Zia's physician Dr Mamun, I came to know that it was a regular health check-up. We have no information about the positive COVID-19 test report."&nbsp;

Zia has served thrice as the premier of Bangladesh since 1991. Her party suffered a miserable defeat in the 2018 elections bagging only six seats in the 300-seat parliament.&nbsp;

Her conviction on "moral turpitude" charges de-barred her from contesting the polls.&nbsp;

Zia is serving a 17-year prison term in two graft cases since February 8, 2018.&nbsp;

She was sent to jail by a local court on charges of embezzling foreign donations meant for an orphanage, named after her slain husband and president Ziaur Rehman, during her premiership between 2001 and 2006.&nbsp;

Rehman, a military ruler-turned-politician, was the founder of the BNP.&nbsp;

She was convicted in another corruption case later the same year, though her party claims both cases are politically motivated. &nbsp;

In March 2020, Zia was released from jail for six months on condition that she would stay at home, amid the coronavirus outbreak. Last month, the Bangladesh government extended the suspension of the sentence for a second time by six months.&nbsp;

The coronavirus has claimed 9,661 lives, along with 678,937 confirmed cases, in Bangladesh so far.&nbsp;

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, a year after she was released from jail temporarily amidst the pandemic, according to media reports.

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, a year after she was released from jail temporarily amidst the pandemic, according to media reports. The 75-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief's samples were sent to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, for testing on Saturday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper quoted Public Relations Officer, Health Ministry, Maidul Islam Prodhan as saying. "It came back as positive today [Sunday], which has been updated on the database of the Directorate of Health Services," he told Dhaka Tribune. The newspaper reported that one of Zia's relatives, who had met her last week, had later tested positive for the coronavirus. "That is why madam's [Zia] family took steps for her COVID-19 test, though she has no major symptoms," a source close to the family told the Dhaka Tribune. However, BNP leaders failed to confirm Zia's diagnosis. Speaking to The Daily Star, Sayrul Kabir Khan, member of BNP press wing, said, "After talking to Khaleda Zia's physician Dr Mamun, I came to know that it was a regular health check-up. We have no information about the positive COVID-19 test report." Zia has served thrice as the premier of Bangladesh since 1991. Her party suffered a miserable defeat in the 2018 elections bagging only six seats in the 300-seat parliament. Her conviction on "moral turpitude" charges de-barred her from contesting the polls. Zia is serving a 17-year prison term in two graft cases since February 8, 2018. She was sent to jail by a local court on charges of embezzling foreign donations meant for an orphanage, named after her slain husband and president Ziaur Rehman, during her premiership between 2001 and 2006. Rehman, a military ruler-turned-politician, was the founder of the BNP. She was convicted in another corruption case later the same year, though her party claims both cases are politically motivated. In March 2020, Zia was released from jail for six months on condition that she would stay at home, amid the coronavirus outbreak. Last month, the Bangladesh government extended the suspension of the sentence for a second time by six months. The coronavirus has claimed 9,661 lives, along with 678,937 confirmed cases, in Bangladesh so far.

Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia tests positive for Covid-19 

A protest over police enforcement of coronavirus restrictions in rural Bangladesh turned violent late Monday when a mob of demonstrators attacked a police station, with at least three people shot, police and a doctor said.

The incident took place in the central town of Saltha in the Faridpur district, where police said rumours had spread that a man was injured in a police sweep at a market aimed at enforcing health measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, as cases spike nationwide.

Thousands of villagers took to the streets in anger. A group of them hurled bricks at a police station and vandalised government offices in the town, torching an officer's home and two cars belonging to government officials, police said.

"Police fired in self-defence after they attacked the police station," a police spokesman in Faridpur district told AFP. A second police official, the inspector Nur-a-Alam Fakir, confirmed the incident.

Police did not give any casualty figures, but Abdul Matin, a doctor at the emergency ward of the state-run Faridpur Medical College Hospital, said three people were in critical condition after suffering gunshot wounds.

"One of them was hit in his buttocks, another in his chest and the third person was shot in both legs," he told AFP.

Bangladesh on Monday instituted a seven-day nationwide lockdown after coronavirus case numbers reached record highs and fatalities skyrocketed in recent weeks.

On Sunday, at least 7,087 people tested positive for the virus, the highest daily case total since the virus was first detected in the South Asian nation in March 2020.

All domestic travel services -- including buses, ferries, trains and flights -- have been suspended, and shops and malls will be shut for a week. A nighttime curfew is in effect.

Hundreds of shopkeepers protested in the capital Dhaka over the lockdown, saying it would disproportionately affect their businesses.

Two officers said supporters of the hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam joined the attack on the police station at Saltha.

Tens of thousands of Hefazat supporters staged nationwide demonstrations against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi late last month, which triggered deadly clashes with police.

There was no immediate comment from Hefazat over police claims of their involvement in the incident in Saltha.

A protest over police enforcement of coronavirus restrictions in rural Bangladesh turned violent late Monday when a mob of demonstrators attacked a police station, with at least three people shot, police and a doctor said.

A protest over police enforcement of coronavirus restrictions in rural Bangladesh turned violent late Monday when a mob of demonstrators attacked a police station, with at least three people shot, police and a doctor said. The incident took place in the central town of Saltha in the Faridpur district, where police said rumours had spread that a man was injured in a police sweep at a market aimed at enforcing health measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, as cases spike nationwide. Thousands of villagers took to the streets in anger. A group of them hurled bricks at a police station and vandalised government offices in the town, torching an officer's home and two cars belonging to government officials, police said. "Police fired in self-defence after they attacked the police station," a police spokesman in Faridpur district told AFP. A second police official, the inspector Nur-a-Alam Fakir, confirmed the incident. Police did not give any casualty figures, but Abdul Matin, a doctor at the emergency ward of the state-run Faridpur Medical College Hospital, said three people were in critical condition after suffering gunshot wounds. "One of them was hit in his buttocks, another in his chest and the third person was shot in both legs," he told AFP. Bangladesh on Monday instituted a seven-day nationwide lockdown after coronavirus case numbers reached record highs and fatalities skyrocketed in recent weeks. On Sunday, at least 7,087 people tested positive for the virus, the highest daily case total since the virus was first detected in the South Asian nation in March 2020. All domestic travel services -- including buses, ferries, trains and flights -- have been suspended, and shops and malls will be shut for a week. A nighttime curfew is in effect. Hundreds of shopkeepers protested in the capital Dhaka over the lockdown, saying it would disproportionately affect their businesses. Two officers said supporters of the hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam joined the attack on the police station at Saltha. Tens of thousands of Hefazat supporters staged nationwide demonstrations against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi late last month, which triggered deadly clashes with police. There was no immediate comment from Hefazat over police claims of their involvement in the incident in Saltha.

Bangladesh protest turns violent, 3 shot: Police 

At least eight people, including three women, were crushed under trees in Gaibandha district of Bangladesh as a violent thunderstorm called nor`westers packed with gale-speed wind, and rain thrashed at least 13 districts in northern, central, and western parts of the country on Sunday.

The eight people died in separate incidents in Fulchhari, Palashbari, and Sundarganj Upazilas of the district just before sunset reported local media. Among the deceased, five were identified as Shimuli Begum, 25, Abdul Gaffar, 42, Hafiz Uddin, 44, Jahanara Begum, 50, and Moyna Begum 60.&nbsp;

They were all from Gaibandha."A violent wind rose all of a sudden uprooting trees damaging houses, crops and claiming lives of people," Gaibandha`s deputy commissioner Abdul Matin was quoted by local media.&nbsp;

The DC confirmed the death of at least eight people in his district. A four-year-old girl, Toa Moni, and a 35-year-old rickshaw puller, Farid Uddin, were also injured after being hit by a brick during the nor`westers that swept parts of the capital Dhaka during sunset and afterwards, said sources at Dhaka Medical College.

Farid was having a snack when a wall collapsed on him near DMC while a brick fell on Toa Moni from the rooftop of her house while she was entering it.The nor`westers left bookstalls at Amar Ekushey Book Fair in a complete mess, as reported by local news.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said that "norwesters swept the districts of Rajshahi, Natore, Pabna, Sirajganj, Bogura, Tangail, Mymensingh, Meherpur, Kushtia, Rajbari, Faridpur, and Jashore between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm," the BMD said.

"There were reports of hailstorms and Dhaka experienced it only for few moments around 6:30 pm," said meteorologist AKM Nazmul Haque.

In Dhaka, the nor`westers brought wind up to 64 kilometres per hour, said Nazmul. New Age correspondent in Manikganj said that inclement weather caused the suspension of ferry and launch services between the Paturia and the Daulatdia and the Aricha and the Kazi ferry terminals for nearly two hours from 5:45 pm.

Apart from momentary heavy winds that destroyed properties, the nor`westers also brought rains, a relief to the people who had been smarting under the scorching heat for about a month that offered little rains.

The BMD recorded the country`s highest daily maximum temperature of 38.5°C at Rangamati and Sitakunda with a mild cold wave sweeping over the regions of Dhaka, Tangail, Sandwip, Feni, Rajshahi, Pabna, Khulna, and Kushtia and a moderate heatwave over Rangamati and Sitakunda.

The BMD predicted the heatwave to continue with the day`s maximum and minimum temperatures remaining unchanged through Monday. The BMD also predicted rain and thundershowers at one or two places in all eight divisions through Monday.

At least eight people, including three women, were crushed under trees in Gaibandha district of Bangladesh as a violent thunderstorm called nor`westers packed with gale-speed wind, and rain thrashed at least 13 districts in northern, central, and western parts of the country on Sunday.

At least eight people, including three women, were crushed under trees in Gaibandha district of Bangladesh as a violent thunderstorm called nor`westers packed with gale-speed wind, and rain thrashed at least 13 districts in northern, central, and western parts of the country on Sunday. The eight people died in separate incidents in Fulchhari, Palashbari, and Sundarganj Upazilas of the district just before sunset reported local media. Among the deceased, five were identified as Shimuli Begum, 25, Abdul Gaffar, 42, Hafiz Uddin, 44, Jahanara Begum, 50, and Moyna Begum 60. They were all from Gaibandha."A violent wind rose all of a sudden uprooting trees damaging houses, crops and claiming lives of people," Gaibandha`s deputy commissioner Abdul Matin was quoted by local media. The DC confirmed the death of at least eight people in his district. A four-year-old girl, Toa Moni, and a 35-year-old rickshaw puller, Farid Uddin, were also injured after being hit by a brick during the nor`westers that swept parts of the capital Dhaka during sunset and afterwards, said sources at Dhaka Medical College. Farid was having a snack when a wall collapsed on him near DMC while a brick fell on Toa Moni from the rooftop of her house while she was entering it.The nor`westers left bookstalls at Amar Ekushey Book Fair in a complete mess, as reported by local news. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said that "norwesters swept the districts of Rajshahi, Natore, Pabna, Sirajganj, Bogura, Tangail, Mymensingh, Meherpur, Kushtia, Rajbari, Faridpur, and Jashore between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm," the BMD said. "There were reports of hailstorms and Dhaka experienced it only for few moments around 6:30 pm," said meteorologist AKM Nazmul Haque. In Dhaka, the nor`westers brought wind up to 64 kilometres per hour, said Nazmul. New Age correspondent in Manikganj said that inclement weather caused the suspension of ferry and launch services between the Paturia and the Daulatdia and the Aricha and the Kazi ferry terminals for nearly two hours from 5:45 pm. Apart from momentary heavy winds that destroyed properties, the nor`westers also brought rains, a relief to the people who had been smarting under the scorching heat for about a month that offered little rains. The BMD recorded the country`s highest daily maximum temperature of 38.5°C at Rangamati and Sitakunda with a mild cold wave sweeping over the regions of Dhaka, Tangail, Sandwip, Feni, Rajshahi, Pabna, Khulna, and Kushtia and a moderate heatwave over Rangamati and Sitakunda. The BMD predicted the heatwave to continue with the day`s maximum and minimum temperatures remaining unchanged through Monday. The BMD also predicted rain and thundershowers at one or two places in all eight divisions through Monday.

8 killed in violent thunderstorms in Bangladesh

The ruling could not have been more clear.

One of soccer’s six regional bodies had engaged in discriminatory behavior against a female official by hindering her chances of getting a seat on its board and a leadership position with the sport’s global governing body, FIFA.

The official, Mariyam Mohamed, also convinced judges at sports’ top court that an influential Kuwaiti sheikh had actively interfered in elections held by the Asian Football Confederation in 2019 to achieve his desired outcome.

The full ruling, which has not been published, was obtained by The New York Times. In it, a panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland concluded that the inaction by Asian soccer officials over several months amounted to a “denial of justice” for Mohamed. Yet two months since the decision was announced, the effect of what appears to be a powerful denunciation of ethics breaches and a disregard for women’s rights has had all the effect of a snowball hitting a tank.

Nothing has happened.

The tainted elections will not be rerun. The men who offered Mohamed inducements to drop out have not been punished. And soccer’s leaders have taken no action.

FIFA said in an email it had no comment, even though it previously insisted it would follow up on the court’s findings with soccer officials in Asia. Asian soccer’s governing body also declined to comment, saying its leaders had nothing to add to a January statement in which they had pledged the organization would review the findings.

For Mohamed, the silence has been maddening.

“It’s just a game for them, justice denial, the same process that I was in,” she said in a phone interview. “They’re waiting for time to pass by, and hoping I get fed up. Now the verdict has come, and it’s just very sad. I don’t know where else to go now.”

Mohamed, who filed her complaints to the Asian federation’s disciplinary department in May 2019, says she initially celebrated the ruling, but came to realize it may amount to a Pyrrhic victory.

She has not been contacted by officials from the AFC, she said. Nor has she heard from ethics investigators from FIFA, even though the organization’s rules state that gender discrimination is “strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.”

The case and its aftermath have highlighted how power works in global sports. It shows how a tainted Gulf royal linked to other cases of corruption has been able to exert significant control over one of soccer’s largest governing bodies even though he has no official role in its affairs. And it shows how a strategy of delay can be its own kind of injustice.

Mohamed’s case had roots in FIFA’s response to its own problems with discrimination: To address a lack of women on its governing board, the organization since 2013 set aside specific seats for women, starting with one voting member in 2013 and now a minimum of one from each of FIFA’s six regional confederations.

Mohamed, a former soccer player and coach from the Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, had hoped to win the AFC’s spot in a vote in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in April 2019. It did not take her long to realize that the power brokers of Asian soccer had already decided the election’s outcome.

She filed her first complaints about the election to the Asian confederation’s disciplinary department a month later. Emails show the organization responded to her inquiries by insisting it had begun an investigation, although it appears little was done. The AFC, citing confidentiality, refused to supply any evidence of its investigation to the court.

At a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport last July, the AFC hardly put up a defense. Its lawyers offered no witnesses to challenge Mohamed’s testimony that a top confederation official and the head of the soccer federation of Qatar had been present in a luxury hotel suite when the Kuwaiti sheikh, Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, told Mohamed he had decided that his preferred candidate, Mahfuza Akhter Kiron of Bangladesh, would be elected as the AFC’s female representative to the FIFA Council.

Mohamed was told she should drop her candidacy, and do so within 24 hours. She later claimed, in testimony that went unchallenged by the AFC, that Sheikh Ahmad attempted to mollify her by saying he had so much sway in international soccer circles that he could obtain for her “any other position of her choosing at the AFC or FIFA” in exchange for her withdrawal.

By this point, Sheikh Ahmad had no official role in soccer, having resigned his position on the FIFA Council in 2017 after allegations emerged in a U.S. federal court that he had bribed Asian officials. But Mohamed’s decision to take her case to court provided a rare public glimpse into his continuing stature as a power broker in global sports through his role as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia, an organization created by his father in 1982.

At a 2013 International Olympic Committee meeting, for example, Sheikh Ahmad’s support helped Thomas Bach secure the IOC presidency and also deliver the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo. Since he was indicted in a forgery case unrelated to sports in 2018, he has “self-suspended” from two prominent Olympic roles. But his opinion still carries weight.

Before the AFC’s 2019 elections, his legal troubles did not seem to be an issue. A list of his favored candidates was distributed to AFC voters on the eve of the elections and, aware of the talks with Mohamed and of Sheikh Ahmad’s preference for a different candidate, the leaders of several federations pressured Mohamed to drop out, she said. She declined to withdraw, and lost the vote, 31-15. Every candidate on Sheikh Ahmad’s list, however, was elected to seats on the AFC’s executive board or, as in Kiron’s case, as a confederation representative to FIFA.

After reviewing the evidence presented by Mohamed and her lawyers, the CAS panel made clear in the summary of its decision that it agreed with her version of the events. The panel confirmed that the 2019 elections had breached FIFA and AFC rules on gender discrimination. It concluded that Sheikh Ahmad had tried to influence the outcome, and that the AFC had denied Mohamed justice by not making a ruling on her complaint. It did, however, also say that by not bowing out of the elections, Mohamed ensured the sheikh’s efforts to influence the election in her case were not effective.

But the court said it was powerless to order that the flawed elections be annulled, or to punish any of the individuals accused of interfering with them. Any decision on further action was for FIFA, and the AFC, to decide, the court said.

Because of the rules governing the court, the panel’s full findings have been cloaked in secrecy since the verdict was announced on Jan. 25.

“If nothing happens it is a disgrace for FIFA, the AFC, and undermines the authority of CAS indirectly,” said Miguel Maduro, the former FIFA governance head who gave evidence in Mohamed’s case. “This award and what follows tells us at once that CAS has exposed corruption at the highest level of elections in football and at the same time tells us they cannot do anything about it.”

Maduro added that at the very least, FIFA should have initiated an ethics inquiry after the ruling. To date, it has not.

Such a move, though, would be extremely sensitive for soccer’s global leadership. The FIFA official responsible for overseeing the 2019 election, Eduardo Ache, told the CAS panel that soccer’s guidelines to improve female representation were mere recommendations. The panel said Ache’s evidence suggested he was “prepared to accept any discrimination provided at least one woman was elected to FIFA.”

But pressing for discipline in the case also could be uncomfortable for FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, who relies on the support of national and regional soccer leaders to push his agenda. He recently spent two weeks touring Africa, for example, to ensure that his favored candidate, a South African billionaire with no high-level experience in soccer administration, was elected president of the continent’s regional confederation. And he is unlikely to press for discipline against the leader of Qatar’s soccer federation — reportedly present when Mohamed was offered inducements to step aside — or any other Asian leader a year before Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup.

The longer the full ruling in Mohamed’s case goes unpublished, though, the more it will give the appearance soccer’s leaders are trying to brush a problematic situation under the carpet, said Johan Lindholm, a professor of law at Umea University in Sweden who has published a book on CAS.

“Whether it’s because of bad PR or there are other things going on, then you would probably want to keep it as secret as possible,” Lindholm said.

The ruling could not have been more clear. One of soccer’s six regional bodies had engaged in discriminatory behavior against a female official by hindering her chances of getting a seat on its board and a leadership position with the sport’s global governing body, FIFA.

The ruling could not have been more clear. One of soccer’s six regional bodies had engaged in discriminatory behavior against a female official by hindering her chances of getting a seat on its board and a leadership position with the sport’s global governing body, FIFA. The official, Mariyam Mohamed, also convinced judges at sports’ top court that an influential Kuwaiti sheikh had actively interfered in elections held by the Asian Football Confederation in 2019 to achieve his desired outcome. The full ruling, which has not been published, was obtained by The New York Times. In it, a panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland concluded that the inaction by Asian soccer officials over several months amounted to a “denial of justice” for Mohamed. Yet two months since the decision was announced, the effect of what appears to be a powerful denunciation of ethics breaches and a disregard for women’s rights has had all the effect of a snowball hitting a tank. Nothing has happened. The tainted elections will not be rerun. The men who offered Mohamed inducements to drop out have not been punished. And soccer’s leaders have taken no action. FIFA said in an email it had no comment, even though it previously insisted it would follow up on the court’s findings with soccer officials in Asia. Asian soccer’s governing body also declined to comment, saying its leaders had nothing to add to a January statement in which they had pledged the organization would review the findings. For Mohamed, the silence has been maddening. “It’s just a game for them, justice denial, the same process that I was in,” she said in a phone interview. “They’re waiting for time to pass by, and hoping I get fed up. Now the verdict has come, and it’s just very sad. I don’t know where else to go now.” Mohamed, who filed her complaints to the Asian federation’s disciplinary department in May 2019, says she initially celebrated the ruling, but came to realize it may amount to a Pyrrhic victory. She has not been contacted by officials from the AFC, she said. Nor has she heard from ethics investigators from FIFA, even though the organization’s rules state that gender discrimination is “strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.” The case and its aftermath have highlighted how power works in global sports. It shows how a tainted Gulf royal linked to other cases of corruption has been able to exert significant control over one of soccer’s largest governing bodies even though he has no official role in its affairs. And it shows how a strategy of delay can be its own kind of injustice. Mohamed’s case had roots in FIFA’s response to its own problems with discrimination: To address a lack of women on its governing board, the organization since 2013 set aside specific seats for women, starting with one voting member in 2013 and now a minimum of one from each of FIFA’s six regional confederations. Mohamed, a former soccer player and coach from the Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, had hoped to win the AFC’s spot in a vote in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in April 2019. It did not take her long to realize that the power brokers of Asian soccer had already decided the election’s outcome. She filed her first complaints about the election to the Asian confederation’s disciplinary department a month later. Emails show the organization responded to her inquiries by insisting it had begun an investigation, although it appears little was done. The AFC, citing confidentiality, refused to supply any evidence of its investigation to the court. At a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport last July, the AFC hardly put up a defense. Its lawyers offered no witnesses to challenge Mohamed’s testimony that a top confederation official and the head of the soccer federation of Qatar had been present in a luxury hotel suite when the Kuwaiti sheikh, Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, told Mohamed he had decided that his preferred candidate, Mahfuza Akhter Kiron of Bangladesh, would be elected as the AFC’s female representative to the FIFA Council. Mohamed was told she should drop her candidacy, and do so within 24 hours. She later claimed, in testimony that went unchallenged by the AFC, that Sheikh Ahmad attempted to mollify her by saying he had so much sway in international soccer circles that he could obtain for her “any other position of her choosing at the AFC or FIFA” in exchange for her withdrawal. By this point, Sheikh Ahmad had no official role in soccer, having resigned his position on the FIFA Council in 2017 after allegations emerged in a U.S. federal court that he had bribed Asian officials. But Mohamed’s decision to take her case to court provided a rare public glimpse into his continuing stature as a power broker in global sports through his role as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia, an organization created by his father in 1982. At a 2013 International Olympic Committee meeting, for example, Sheikh Ahmad’s support helped Thomas Bach secure the IOC presidency and also deliver the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo. Since he was indicted in a forgery case unrelated to sports in 2018, he has “self-suspended” from two prominent Olympic roles. But his opinion still carries weight. Before the AFC’s 2019 elections, his legal troubles did not seem to be an issue. A list of his favored candidates was distributed to AFC voters on the eve of the elections and, aware of the talks with Mohamed and of Sheikh Ahmad’s preference for a different candidate, the leaders of several federations pressured Mohamed to drop out, she said. She declined to withdraw, and lost the vote, 31-15. Every candidate on Sheikh Ahmad’s list, however, was elected to seats on the AFC’s executive board or, as in Kiron’s case, as a confederation representative to FIFA. After reviewing the evidence presented by Mohamed and her lawyers, the CAS panel made clear in the summary of its decision that it agreed with her version of the events. The panel confirmed that the 2019 elections had breached FIFA and AFC rules on gender discrimination. It concluded that Sheikh Ahmad had tried to influence the outcome, and that the AFC had denied Mohamed justice by not making a ruling on her complaint. It did, however, also say that by not bowing out of the elections, Mohamed ensured the sheikh’s efforts to influence the election in her case were not effective. But the court said it was powerless to order that the flawed elections be annulled, or to punish any of the individuals accused of interfering with them. Any decision on further action was for FIFA, and the AFC, to decide, the court said. Because of the rules governing the court, the panel’s full findings have been cloaked in secrecy since the verdict was announced on Jan. 25. “If nothing happens it is a disgrace for FIFA, the AFC, and undermines the authority of CAS indirectly,” said Miguel Maduro, the former FIFA governance head who gave evidence in Mohamed’s case. “This award and what follows tells us at once that CAS has exposed corruption at the highest level of elections in football and at the same time tells us they cannot do anything about it.” Maduro added that at the very least, FIFA should have initiated an ethics inquiry after the ruling. To date, it has not. Such a move, though, would be extremely sensitive for soccer’s global leadership. The FIFA official responsible for overseeing the 2019 election, Eduardo Ache, told the CAS panel that soccer’s guidelines to improve female representation were mere recommendations. The panel said Ache’s evidence suggested he was “prepared to accept any discrimination provided at least one woman was elected to FIFA.” But pressing for discipline in the case also could be uncomfortable for FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, who relies on the support of national and regional soccer leaders to push his agenda. He recently spent two weeks touring Africa, for example, to ensure that his favored candidate, a South African billionaire with no high-level experience in soccer administration, was elected president of the continent’s regional confederation. And he is unlikely to press for discipline against the leader of Qatar’s soccer federation — reportedly present when Mohamed was offered inducements to step aside — or any other Asian leader a year before Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup. The longer the full ruling in Mohamed’s case goes unpublished, though, the more it will give the appearance soccer’s leaders are trying to brush a problematic situation under the carpet, said Johan Lindholm, a professor of law at Umea University in Sweden who has published a book on CAS. “Whether it’s because of bad PR or there are other things going on, then you would probably want to keep it as secret as possible,” Lindholm said.

A soccer official proved her discrimination case. No one was punished.

The death toll of Sunday's ferry sinking in the Shitalakkhya River near Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has risen to 26, according to official reports.

The sunken ferry was extracted from the heavily polluted Shitalakshya River in the central district of Narayanganj as hundreds of onlookers and relatives of the missing watched from the shore.

"We have found 21 bodies today after the ship was pulled out of the water," local official Mustain Billah told AFP.

The one-and-a-half storey Sabit Al Hasan sank after it collided with a bigger cargo vessel on Sunday.

The vessel had departed less than an hour earlier from Narayanganj, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Dhaka, officials told AFP.

A local police inspector said the ferry was packed with passengers after the government confirmed it would impose a seven-day lockdown across the country to combat the recent rise in coronavirus cases.

Billah said the ship was carrying at least 46 people when it left.&nbsp;

"Some 20 people swam to safety after the vessel sank," he told AFP, adding several people could still be missing. "We have ordered a probe into the accident," he said.&nbsp;

Local police chief Dipak Saha said rescue efforts were hampered for hours by a powerful storm that hit after the accident.

Under the lockdown, all domestic travel services -- including buses, ferries, trains and flights -- will be suspended from Monday.

Shops and malls will be shut for a week and a night curfew in effect.&nbsp;

Public and private sector businesses were told to only have a skeleton crew in their offices.

Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, a delta nation crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers.&nbsp;

Millions of people are heavily reliant on ferries for transport, particularly in the country's southern coastal region, but the vessels have a poor safety record.

Experts blame poor maintenance, lax safety standards at shipyards and overcrowding for many of the accidents.

In June last year, a ferry sank in Dhaka after it was hit from behind by another ferry, killing at least 32 people.

In February 2015, at least 78 people died when an overcrowded ship collided with a cargo boat in a central Bangladesh river.

The number of accidents has dropped sharply in recent years as authorities crackdown on unseaworthy vessels. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The death toll of Sunday's ferry sinking in the Shitalakkhya River near Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has risen to 26, according to official reports. The sunken ferry was extracted from the heavily polluted Shitalakshya River in the central district of Narayanganj as hundreds of onlookers and relatives of the missing watched from the shore.

The death toll of Sunday's ferry sinking in the Shitalakkhya River near Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has risen to 26, according to official reports. The sunken ferry was extracted from the heavily polluted Shitalakshya River in the central district of Narayanganj as hundreds of onlookers and relatives of the missing watched from the shore. "We have found 21 bodies today after the ship was pulled out of the water," local official Mustain Billah told AFP. The one-and-a-half storey Sabit Al Hasan sank after it collided with a bigger cargo vessel on Sunday. The vessel had departed less than an hour earlier from Narayanganj, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Dhaka, officials told AFP. A local police inspector said the ferry was packed with passengers after the government confirmed it would impose a seven-day lockdown across the country to combat the recent rise in coronavirus cases. Billah said the ship was carrying at least 46 people when it left. "Some 20 people swam to safety after the vessel sank," he told AFP, adding several people could still be missing. "We have ordered a probe into the accident," he said. Local police chief Dipak Saha said rescue efforts were hampered for hours by a powerful storm that hit after the accident. Under the lockdown, all domestic travel services -- including buses, ferries, trains and flights -- will be suspended from Monday. Shops and malls will be shut for a week and a night curfew in effect. Public and private sector businesses were told to only have a skeleton crew in their offices. Ferry accidents are common in Bangladesh, a delta nation crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers. Millions of people are heavily reliant on ferries for transport, particularly in the country's southern coastal region, but the vessels have a poor safety record. Experts blame poor maintenance, lax safety standards at shipyards and overcrowding for many of the accidents. In June last year, a ferry sank in Dhaka after it was hit from behind by another ferry, killing at least 32 people. In February 2015, at least 78 people died when an overcrowded ship collided with a cargo boat in a central Bangladesh river. The number of accidents has dropped sharply in recent years as authorities crackdown on unseaworthy vessels. (With inputs from agencies)

At least 26 killed after ferry sinks in Bangladesh

It was a joyous occasion for Bangladesh, a golden jubilee celebration of the country independence and marking the birth centenary of the country's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman but the celebrations were marred by protests in Dhaka.

Rise of political Islam & Islamist terrorism in Bangladesh

Amid surging <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> cases, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/bangladesh">Bangladesh</a>, a South Asian country, has decided to impose a seven-day nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

The announcement was made by the Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader during a media briefing. Lockdown will be initiated from Monday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladeshs-report-card-of-50-years-is-here-and-it-is-glorious-373522" hreflang="en">Bangladesh's report card of 50 years is here, and it is glorious</a>

“Every office and court will be closed during this lockdown but industries and mills will continue their operation on rotation,” state minister for public administration, Farhad Hossain was quoted by Dhaka Tribune.

When asked why will the mills be operational, Hossain said, "If we close the mills then the workers may have to leave their workstations and head for home."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/readymade-in-bangladesh-a-future-proof-success-story-in-textiles-372290" hreflang="en">Readymade in Bangladesh: A future-proof success story in textiles</a>

The South Asian country recorded the highest single-day increase in coronavirus cases by recording 5,358&nbsp;infections on Wednesday. The situation has not gotten better since then.

Considering the same, the government had also issued a directive imposing restrictions on public gatherings in areas with high infections.

These restrictions have also been imposed on political and religious gatherings. In addition to this, the buses are only allowed to accommodate 50 per cent of the seating capacity with required safety measures.

Amid surging coronavirus cases, Bangladesh, a South Asian country, has decided to impose a seven-day nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

Amid surging coronavirus cases, Bangladesh, a South Asian country, has decided to impose a seven-day nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly virus. The announcement was made by the Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader during a media briefing. Lockdown will be initiated from Monday. Also read | Bangladesh's report card of 50 years is here, and it is glorious “Every office and court will be closed during this lockdown but industries and mills will continue their operation on rotation,” state minister for public administration, Farhad Hossain was quoted by Dhaka Tribune. When asked why will the mills be operational, Hossain said, "If we close the mills then the workers may have to leave their workstations and head for home." Also read | Readymade in Bangladesh: A future-proof success story in textiles The South Asian country recorded the highest single-day increase in coronavirus cases by recording 5,358 infections on Wednesday. The situation has not gotten better since then. Considering the same, the government had also issued a directive imposing restrictions on public gatherings in areas with high infections. These restrictions have also been imposed on political and religious gatherings. In addition to this, the buses are only allowed to accommodate 50 per cent of the seating capacity with required safety measures.

Bangladesh imposes 7 day nationwide lockdown amid coronavirus surge

United States's climate envoy John Kerry is set to travel to the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh ahead of a climate summit that Washington will host in April.

Kerry will visit Abu Dhabi, New Delhi and Dhaka between April 1 and 9, the State Department statement said.

The leaders of the three countries are among 40 invited to a two-day virtual meeting starting April 22 and meant to mark the US' return to the front lines of the climate crisis fight, after former president Donald Trump disengaged from the process.

The Paris Agreement left countries in charge of making their own promises and taking their own measurements of emission reductions, but requires them to regularly revise their Nationally Determined Contributions.

The agreement's goal is to limit the increase in global temperatures by the end of the century to around 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels -- or risk leaving much of the planet inhospitable to life.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-invites-40-world-leaders-including-xi-and-putin-to-virtual-climate-summit-373539">Also read |&nbsp;Biden invites 40 world leaders, including Xi and Putin, to virtual climate summit</a>

The United States, the world's top economy, is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere.

The trip announcement comes as the administration of President Joe Biden was preparing to seek a multi- trillion dollar package from Congress to modernise ageing infrastructure, while shifting to renewable energy and electric cars.

The US is expected to make ambitious new commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions under the terms of the Paris climate accord soon, and will encourage others to boost their own goals.

(with inputs)

United States's climate envoy John Kerry is set to travel to the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh ahead of a climate summit that Washington will host in April.

United States's climate envoy John Kerry is set to travel to the United Arab Emirates, India and Bangladesh ahead of a climate summit that Washington will host in April. Kerry will visit Abu Dhabi, New Delhi and Dhaka between April 1 and 9, the State Department statement said. The leaders of the three countries are among 40 invited to a two-day virtual meeting starting April 22 and meant to mark the US' return to the front lines of the climate crisis fight, after former president Donald Trump disengaged from the process. The Paris Agreement left countries in charge of making their own promises and taking their own measurements of emission reductions, but requires them to regularly revise their Nationally Determined Contributions. The agreement's goal is to limit the increase in global temperatures by the end of the century to around 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels -- or risk leaving much of the planet inhospitable to life. Also read | Biden invites 40 world leaders, including Xi and Putin, to virtual climate summit The United States, the world's top economy, is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere. The trip announcement comes as the administration of President Joe Biden was preparing to seek a multi- trillion dollar package from Congress to modernise ageing infrastructure, while shifting to renewable energy and electric cars. The US is expected to make ambitious new commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions under the terms of the Paris climate accord soon, and will encourage others to boost their own goals. (with inputs)

US climate envoy to travel to UAE, India and Bangladesh

Bangladeshi's high commissioner to India&nbsp;Muhammad Imran has highlighted his country's economic progress and how the country is developing fast.

Speaking at the Independence Day celebration of his country at the high commission, he said, "Bangladesh has become a role model for fighting poverty, empowering women, disaster management. We have made commendable progress in achieving food security despite frequent natural disasters...The economy of Bangladesh is developing rapidly"

The economic size of Bangladesh is $330 billion,&nbsp;with GDP growth during COVID times standing at 5.2%. Now 99% of the country has access to electricity, 150 million people have a mobile phone and 100 mn are connected to the internet. It has its own satellite in space since 2018, and second one will be launched soon.

Bangladesh's textile industry is second largest in the world, fourth largest rice producer and is self-sufficient in food. Foodgrain production increased more than four times, from 1971 to 2020. This year, it fulfilled all the criteria to get the status of a developing country, from the Least Developed Country&nbsp;status.

Imran also paid tributes to Indian soldiers who laid down their lives for the liberation of his country in 1971. This year, the country is celebrating its 50th year of Independence from the then West Pakistan. March saw an almost a month-long celebration, including visits of leaders of India, Maldives, Nepali, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

Imran said, "We recall with deep gratitude, the contribution of people and government of India for their moral and material support during our difficult days".

"Bangladesh acknowledges the support received from our neighbours and remember our friends around the world who stood beside us for our just cause."

Bangladesh will be building a memorial for Indian soldiers in Ashuganj near Dhaka, the foundation stone for which was laid during PM Modi's Bangladesh visit in March.

He pointed out&nbsp;that the "emotional bonds between India and Bangladesh stem from the invaluable contribution from the people and government of India in the war of liberation in 1971. In the last decade, relations have reached a golden chapter, achieving a comprehensive partnership covering all possible area of cooperation"

Both countries have seen high-level visits, including the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar to Bangladesh in March. That was Modi's first foreign visit during Covid pandemic. Dhaka and Delhi are working to revive old connectivity routes and establish new ones.

"India will be able to use both land and water routes in Bangladesh, to go to northeastern states from the mainland", Imran said.

Earlier this year, a bridge over the Feni river was inaugurated, connecting India's North East with Bangladesh. The countries share 54 rives, maximum for any two countries globally.

Imran also spoke about the issue of Rohingyas, the displaced minority community from Myanmar that has taken refugee in the country. Bangladesh is hosting 1.2 million Rohingya refugees and is keen for "safe and early" repatriation of the community.

He said, "to keep on supporting them for an indefinite period would be asking too much for a country like us which has its own domestic development targets to achieve with limited resources...we all want to avoid the rise of any radicalism, which can seriously impact peace, stability, economic growth in the region and beyond".

The Independence Day celebration at the high commission saw large presence of Delhi's diplomatic community. India's Trade Minister Piyush Goyal was the chief guest.

Bangladeshi's high commissioner to India Muhammad Imran has highlighted his country's economic progress and how the country is developing fast. Speaking at the Independence Day celebration of his country at the high commission, he said, "Bangladesh has become a role model for fighting poverty, empowering women, disaster management.

Bangladeshi's high commissioner to India Muhammad Imran has highlighted his country's economic progress and how the country is developing fast. Speaking at the Independence Day celebration of his country at the high commission, he said, "Bangladesh has become a role model for fighting poverty, empowering women, disaster management. We have made commendable progress in achieving food security despite frequent natural disasters...The economy of Bangladesh is developing rapidly" The economic size of Bangladesh is $330 billion, with GDP growth during COVID times standing at 5.2%. Now 99% of the country has access to electricity, 150 million people have a mobile phone and 100 mn are connected to the internet. It has its own satellite in space since 2018, and second one will be launched soon. Bangladesh's textile industry is second largest in the world, fourth largest rice producer and is self-sufficient in food. Foodgrain production increased more than four times, from 1971 to 2020. This year, it fulfilled all the criteria to get the status of a developing country, from the Least Developed Country status. Imran also paid tributes to Indian soldiers who laid down their lives for the liberation of his country in 1971. This year, the country is celebrating its 50th year of Independence from the then West Pakistan. March saw an almost a month-long celebration, including visits of leaders of India, Maldives, Nepali, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Imran said, "We recall with deep gratitude, the contribution of people and government of India for their moral and material support during our difficult days". "Bangladesh acknowledges the support received from our neighbours and remember our friends around the world who stood beside us for our just cause." Bangladesh will be building a memorial for Indian soldiers in Ashuganj near Dhaka, the foundation stone for which was laid during PM Modi's Bangladesh visit in March. He pointed out that the "emotional bonds between India and Bangladesh stem from the invaluable contribution from the people and government of India in the war of liberation in 1971. In the last decade, relations have reached a golden chapter, achieving a comprehensive partnership covering all possible area of cooperation" Both countries have seen high-level visits, including the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar to Bangladesh in March. That was Modi's first foreign visit during Covid pandemic. Dhaka and Delhi are working to revive old connectivity routes and establish new ones. "India will be able to use both land and water routes in Bangladesh, to go to northeastern states from the mainland", Imran said. Earlier this year, a bridge over the Feni river was inaugurated, connecting India's North East with Bangladesh. The countries share 54 rives, maximum for any two countries globally. Imran also spoke about the issue of Rohingyas, the displaced minority community from Myanmar that has taken refugee in the country. Bangladesh is hosting 1.2 million Rohingya refugees and is keen for "safe and early" repatriation of the community. He said, "to keep on supporting them for an indefinite period would be asking too much for a country like us which has its own domestic development targets to achieve with limited resources...we all want to avoid the rise of any radicalism, which can seriously impact peace, stability, economic growth in the region and beyond". The Independence Day celebration at the high commission saw large presence of Delhi's diplomatic community. India's Trade Minister Piyush Goyal was the chief guest.

Bangladesh envoy highlights country's economic progress, pays tributes to Indian soldiers for Liberation War

Rohingya refugees at Cox's Bazar rebuild their lives after a deadly blaze ripped through their camp last week. Will the authorities build back better or will the bamboo and plastic 'tinderbox shanties' return? Mariam Wardak tells you.

South Asia Diary : Rebuild at Cox's Bazar after deadly fire

Indian Prime Minister and his counterparts have signed 5 key agreements. The two sides signed five Memorandum of Understandings covering areas such as connectivity, commerce, information technology and sports.

PM Modi's Bangladesh Visit: Indian PM Modi and his counterparts sign 5 key agreements

These last 50 years have not been easy for Bangladesh. The nation was born out of war. It was suppressed under military rule, but none of it could diminish the flame of democracy.

As Bangladesh marks five decades of nationhood, we have prepared a report card and at the outset, we can say it's an impressive one.

In 1991, military rule ended and democracy returned. There was a brief hiccup in 2006 when a caretaker government took control. It was later supported by the military and everyone thought if it would go Pakistan's way, but it didn't.

Have a look|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-happened-on-day-1-of-pm-modis-historic-visit-to-bangladesh-373516" hreflang="en">What happened on Day 1 of PM Modi's historic visit to Bangladesh</a>

Two years later, the caretaker government held elections and democracy was back. Two more general elections followed.

The army continues to be powerful, but they operate as allies of the government. There isn't fear that a military coup is just around the corner, and that's crucial for Bangladesh because another military takeover could reverse the gains of the last three decades.

Talking about religion, the separation of state and religion is the hallmark of modern nation-states. Bangladesh's constitution designates Islam as the state religion. At the same time, it guarantees secularism and freedom of religion.

While there are reports of attacks on minorities and of Hindu temples being vandalised, the government has been quick to set the record straight.

In May 2018, Sheikh Hasina said secularism is the way forward for Bangladesh. In 2020, she vowed to crack down on anarchy in the name of religion. So, the Prime Minister is saying all the right things.

Muslims make up 90 per cent of Bangladesh's population. The country does have a stake in global Islam but it does not define itself by that. Dhaka maintains close ties with most Islamic nations, but it stays away from the power politics of the Islamic world. Its leaders don't want to be caliphs or sultans but they've done more for Muslims than countries with such ambitions.

When 700,000 Rohingya Muslims were purged from Myanmar, it was Bangladesh that came to their rescue and not the so-called leaders of the Muslim world. The Cox's Bazar refugee camp is run by the Bangladesh government. It is the largest refugee camp in the world, almost 600,000 people live there.

Watch |

All of this while Bangladesh has its own issues and its own citizens to feed. On the other hand, A self-sufficient superpower such as the US — with an economy that is 175 times bigger — is turning migrants back at its southern border.

Bangladesh's biggest achievement is its economy. It is classified as a developing economy — the 30th biggest in the world — and it is unexplored territory for producers. The Bangladeshi consumers are taking baby steps into the middle class. So, in a couple of years, it could be the toast of foreign brands.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has become the world's boutique. Its garment industry has exploded in the last two decades as it now contributes 20 per cent to the country's GDP and makes up 80 per cent of total exports. The target was to hit 50 billion dollars in exports by 2021. However, the pandemic hit the industry.

Bangladesh is the second-largest garment exporter after China. All big western brands source their clothes from here. But there is a downside to this as sometimes factories are in reality just sweat shops where working conditions can be appalling and child labour is common. It's something the government will have to work on going forward.

Garments, however, are not Bangladesh's biggest export. It's an economic idea: micro-finance. It is a banking service that targets small businesses and low-income individuals — people who won't get a loan from the big banks.

Since the 1970s, micro-finance has grown in Bangladesh and has lifted 2.5 million people out of poverty. Today, it covers 32 million members and gives out 7.2 billion dollars annually. Leading this campaign is the Grameen Bank which has more than nine million borrowers, of which 97 per cent of them are women.

Micro-finance in Bangladesh is a success story — one that many countries have been inspired by. In five decades, Bangladesh has been through more than most countries in the world — war, military dictatorship, the migrant crisis and now a pandemic. However, it has always emerged stronger from each of these crises.

These last 50 years have not been easy for Bangladesh. The nation was born out of war. It was suppressed under military rule, but none of it could diminish the flame of democracy.

These last 50 years have not been easy for Bangladesh. The nation was born out of war. It was suppressed under military rule, but none of it could diminish the flame of democracy. As Bangladesh marks five decades of nationhood, we have prepared a report card and at the outset, we can say it's an impressive one. In 1991, military rule ended and democracy returned. There was a brief hiccup in 2006 when a caretaker government took control. It was later supported by the military and everyone thought if it would go Pakistan's way, but it didn't. Have a look| What happened on Day 1 of PM Modi's historic visit to Bangladesh Two years later, the caretaker government held elections and democracy was back. Two more general elections followed. The army continues to be powerful, but they operate as allies of the government. There isn't fear that a military coup is just around the corner, and that's crucial for Bangladesh because another military takeover could reverse the gains of the last three decades. Talking about religion, the separation of state and religion is the hallmark of modern nation-states. Bangladesh's constitution designates Islam as the state religion. At the same time, it guarantees secularism and freedom of religion. While there are reports of attacks on minorities and of Hindu temples being vandalised, the government has been quick to set the record straight. In May 2018, Sheikh Hasina said secularism is the way forward for Bangladesh. In 2020, she vowed to crack down on anarchy in the name of religion. So, the Prime Minister is saying all the right things. Muslims make up 90 per cent of Bangladesh's population. The country does have a stake in global Islam but it does not define itself by that. Dhaka maintains close ties with most Islamic nations, but it stays away from the power politics of the Islamic world. Its leaders don't want to be caliphs or sultans but they've done more for Muslims than countries with such ambitions. When 700,000 Rohingya Muslims were purged from Myanmar, it was Bangladesh that came to their rescue and not the so-called leaders of the Muslim world. The Cox's Bazar refugee camp is run by the Bangladesh government. It is the largest refugee camp in the world, almost 600,000 people live there. Watch | All of this while Bangladesh has its own issues and its own citizens to feed. On the other hand, A self-sufficient superpower such as the US — with an economy that is 175 times bigger — is turning migrants back at its southern border. Bangladesh's biggest achievement is its economy. It is classified as a developing economy — the 30th biggest in the world — and it is unexplored territory for producers. The Bangladeshi consumers are taking baby steps into the middle class. So, in a couple of years, it could be the toast of foreign brands. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has become the world's boutique. Its garment industry has exploded in the last two decades as it now contributes 20 per cent to the country's GDP and makes up 80 per cent of total exports. The target was to hit 50 billion dollars in exports by 2021. However, the pandemic hit the industry. Bangladesh is the second-largest garment exporter after China. All big western brands source their clothes from here. But there is a downside to this as sometimes factories are in reality just sweat shops where working conditions can be appalling and child labour is common. It's something the government will have to work on going forward. Garments, however, are not Bangladesh's biggest export. It's an economic idea: micro-finance. It is a banking service that targets small businesses and low-income individuals — people who won't get a loan from the big banks. Since the 1970s, micro-finance has grown in Bangladesh and has lifted 2.5 million people out of poverty. Today, it covers 32 million members and gives out 7.2 billion dollars annually. Leading this campaign is the Grameen Bank which has more than nine million borrowers, of which 97 per cent of them are women. Micro-finance in Bangladesh is a success story — one that many countries have been inspired by. In five decades, Bangladesh has been through more than most countries in the world — war, military dictatorship, the migrant crisis and now a pandemic. However, it has always emerged stronger from each of these crises.

Bangladesh's report card of 50 years is here, and it is glorious

Prime Minister Modi has departed for India after completing the Bangladesh visit.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bangladesh visit concludes

India and Bangladesh signed five MoUs in presence of Prime Minister Modi and Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka after bilateral talks concluded between the two leaders.

Key takeaways from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh

Much credit for Bangladesh's incredible rise goes to Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the longest-serving prime minister of the country.&nbsp;

She is one of the only two women heads of state in Asia.&nbsp;

Her soft manner and steely determination have often been discussed, but the world knows little about her political journey and her contribution to the growth of Bangladesh.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-story-of-sheikh-hasina-373524/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Hasina's journey has been a fascinating one as has seen military rule, detention and has lived in exile.

She has even survived assassination attempts.

Her political career began in the late 1960s when she served as her father's political messenger during his numerous stints in jail.

In 1975, she was in West Germany when her father, mother and three brothers were assassinated.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladeshs-report-card-of-50-years-is-here-and-it-is-glorious-373522">Bangladesh's report card of 50 years is here, and it is glorious</a>

She was left with no one but her sister and the incumbent PM spent the next six years of her life in exile in India.

It was during this self-exile that Hasina was elected as the president of the Awami League.

On her return to Dhaka in 1981, she became a prominent and outspoken advocate for democracy.

In the years that followed, she fought the military generals of Bangladesh and initiated several steps to secure basic human rights for her countrymen.&nbsp;

In 1996, Hasina became the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the first time and in her first stint, she achieved laudable successes in many fields.

The most significant achievements were the 30-year Ganges water-sharing treaty with India, the peace accord on the Chittagong hill tracts, construction of the Bangabandhu Bridge, allowances for distressed women, widows and the disabled and the 'Ashrayan' project aimed at eradicating homelessness.

In 2009, she was re-elected and this time she oversaw the resolution of maritime disputes with Myanmar and India.

Bangladesh's GDP growth surged to 6 per cent and an estimated 50 million Bangladeshis were elevated to the middle-income group.

There was a slump in the poverty level from 38 per cent in 2006 to 24 per cent in 2013.

In 2014, she secured the top office for the third time and the per capita income of Bangladesh rose to &nbsp;$1,602 with the poverty rate slumping further to 22.4 per cent.&nbsp;

The forex reserves rose to $32 billion and in 2017, Bangladesh's GDP stood at $250 billion dollars.

In 2019, the annual GDP growth was 8.15 per cent.&nbsp;

Hasina has been bestowed with several honours, including the Mother Teresa award in 1998 and the Indira Gandhi Peace Award in 2009.

She has also received the Unesco 'Peace Tree' award in 2014 and has featured on 59th place in the 2015 Forbes' list of 100 Most Powerful Women.

In 2018, she received praise for accepting Rohingya refugees.

She is also known for her wit and gentle diplomacy, but like any other leader, she's not been able to escape some controversies.

Some say that under her tenure Bangladesh has witnessed democratic backsliding.

It is an accusation which gets complex, the deeper one tries to dig. 
&nbsp;

Much credit for Bangladesh's incredible rise goes to Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the longest-serving prime minister of the country.

Much credit for Bangladesh's incredible rise goes to Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the longest-serving prime minister of the country. She is one of the only two women heads of state in Asia. Her soft manner and steely determination have often been discussed, but the world knows little about her political journey and her contribution to the growth of Bangladesh. Watch | Hasina's journey has been a fascinating one as has seen military rule, detention and has lived in exile. She has even survived assassination attempts. Her political career began in the late 1960s when she served as her father's political messenger during his numerous stints in jail. In 1975, she was in West Germany when her father, mother and three brothers were assassinated. Also read | Bangladesh's report card of 50 years is here, and it is glorious She was left with no one but her sister and the incumbent PM spent the next six years of her life in exile in India. It was during this self-exile that Hasina was elected as the president of the Awami League. On her return to Dhaka in 1981, she became a prominent and outspoken advocate for democracy. In the years that followed, she fought the military generals of Bangladesh and initiated several steps to secure basic human rights for her countrymen. In 1996, Hasina became the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the first time and in her first stint, she achieved laudable successes in many fields. The most significant achievements were the 30-year Ganges water-sharing treaty with India, the peace accord on the Chittagong hill tracts, construction of the Bangabandhu Bridge, allowances for distressed women, widows and the disabled and the 'Ashrayan' project aimed at eradicating homelessness. In 2009, she was re-elected and this time she oversaw the resolution of maritime disputes with Myanmar and India. Bangladesh's GDP growth surged to 6 per cent and an estimated 50 million Bangladeshis were elevated to the middle-income group. There was a slump in the poverty level from 38 per cent in 2006 to 24 per cent in 2013. In 2014, she secured the top office for the third time and the per capita income of Bangladesh rose to $1,602 with the poverty rate slumping further to 22.4 per cent. The forex reserves rose to $32 billion and in 2017, Bangladesh's GDP stood at $250 billion dollars. In 2019, the annual GDP growth was 8.15 per cent. Hasina has been bestowed with several honours, including the Mother Teresa award in 1998 and the Indira Gandhi Peace Award in 2009. She has also received the Unesco 'Peace Tree' award in 2014 and has featured on 59th place in the 2015 Forbes' list of 100 Most Powerful Women. In 2018, she received praise for accepting Rohingya refugees. She is also known for her wit and gentle diplomacy, but like any other leader, she's not been able to escape some controversies. Some say that under her tenure Bangladesh has witnessed democratic backsliding. It is an accusation which gets complex, the deeper one tries to dig.

Sheikh Hasina: Leader who overcame all odds to push Bangladesh's success story

Prime Minister Modi has departed for India after completing the Bangladesh visit. He will be flying back in Special Air India Boeing 777.

Bangladesh Visit: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has departed for India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday handed over a representational key of 109 life-saving ambulances to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.&nbsp;

During the delegation-level meeting, he also handed over a representational item to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as a symbol of India's gift of 1.2 million Covid vaccine doses.&nbsp;

"Relationship going from strength to strength! Prime Minister @narendramodi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina discussed the progress achieved in areas of health, trade, connectivity, energy, developmental cooperation and many more," wrote the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Twitter.&nbsp;

"Reiterating the highest priority India attaches to Bangladesh under India's #NeighbourhoodFirst Policy! Prime Minister @narendramodi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are together for a bilateral meeting," the spokesperson wrote earlier.&nbsp;

Hasina presented a gold and a silver coin released on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to PM Modi. She also handed over a silver coin released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's Independence.&nbsp;

Along with that, an exchange of MoUs between India and Bangladesh also took place in the presence of the two leaders. Earlier today, the Prime Minister visited Orakandi Temple and addressed a gathering. "Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own progress. Both the nations want to see stability, love, and peace in the world instead of instability, terror and unrest," he said. &nbsp;

After delegation-level talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid.&nbsp;

The Prime Minister, who arrived in Bangladesh on Friday, is on a two-day visit to the neighbouring country. He also offered prayers at the Orakandi Temple located at Kashiani Upazila in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. &nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries. &nbsp;

The Prime Minister also informed that the Indian government will undertake the construction work of a multi-purpose community hall at Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. &nbsp;

After that, he paid tribute to Bangladesh's 'Father of the Nation' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara. He signed the visitors' book and also planted samples at the complex. PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his visit to the complex.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with several community leaders, including representatives of minorities in Bangladesh, mukhtijoddhas, friends of India and youth icons on the first day of his visit.&nbsp;

The Prime Minister received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora as he marked his first foreign visit since the Covid-19 outbreak. Soon after he arrived in Dhaka, he visited the National Martyrs' Memorial (Jatiyo Sriti Shoudho), the National monument of Bangladesh to pay tributes to the valour and the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. He also planted a sapling of Arjun tree at the memorial premises and signed the visitor's book in the monument, MEA informed.&nbsp;

PM Modi's visit comes as Bangladesh is celebrating its 50th Independence Day and the centennial birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday handed over a representational key of 109 life-saving ambulances to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. During the delegation-level meeting, he also handed over a representational item to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as a symbol of India's gift of 1.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday handed over a representational key of 109 life-saving ambulances to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. During the delegation-level meeting, he also handed over a representational item to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as a symbol of India's gift of 1.2 million Covid vaccine doses. "Relationship going from strength to strength! Prime Minister @narendramodi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina discussed the progress achieved in areas of health, trade, connectivity, energy, developmental cooperation and many more," wrote the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Twitter. "Reiterating the highest priority India attaches to Bangladesh under India's #NeighbourhoodFirst Policy! Prime Minister @narendramodi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are together for a bilateral meeting," the spokesperson wrote earlier. Hasina presented a gold and a silver coin released on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to PM Modi. She also handed over a silver coin released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's Independence. Along with that, an exchange of MoUs between India and Bangladesh also took place in the presence of the two leaders. Earlier today, the Prime Minister visited Orakandi Temple and addressed a gathering. "Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own progress. Both the nations want to see stability, love, and peace in the world instead of instability, terror and unrest," he said. After delegation-level talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid. The Prime Minister, who arrived in Bangladesh on Friday, is on a two-day visit to the neighbouring country. He also offered prayers at the Orakandi Temple located at Kashiani Upazila in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries. The Prime Minister also informed that the Indian government will undertake the construction work of a multi-purpose community hall at Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. After that, he paid tribute to Bangladesh's 'Father of the Nation' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara. He signed the visitors' book and also planted samples at the complex. PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his visit to the complex. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with several community leaders, including representatives of minorities in Bangladesh, mukhtijoddhas, friends of India and youth icons on the first day of his visit. The Prime Minister received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora as he marked his first foreign visit since the Covid-19 outbreak. Soon after he arrived in Dhaka, he visited the National Martyrs' Memorial (Jatiyo Sriti Shoudho), the National monument of Bangladesh to pay tributes to the valour and the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. He also planted a sapling of Arjun tree at the memorial premises and signed the visitor's book in the monument, MEA informed. PM Modi's visit comes as Bangladesh is celebrating its 50th Independence Day and the centennial birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. (With inputs from agencies)

After exchanging MoUs, PM Modi hands over Covid-19 vaccines to Bangladesh  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that both India and Bangladesh want to see peace, stability, and love instead of instability, terror and unrest in the entire world.&nbsp;

Addressing the Matua community after visiting the Orakandi Temple, PM Modi, said, "Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own progress. Both the nations want to see stability, love, and peace in the world instead of instability, terror and unrest."&nbsp;

"During the coronavirus pandemic, India and Bangladesh have proven their capabilities. Today, both nations are facing this pandemic strongly and fighting it together. India is working by considering it its duty that 'Made in India' vaccine reaches the citizens of Bangladesh," he said.&nbsp;

Speaking about Harichand Thakur, also known as Sri Sri Harichand Thakur, who formed the Matua sect of Hindus, PM Modi said, "The life of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur has given the message of divine love, but also made us realise our duties. He told us that the struggle against oppression and misery is also cultivation." &nbsp;

"His successor, Sri Sri Guruchand Thakur has a huge role in bringing the teachings of Harichand Thakur to the people, uniting the Dalit-afflicted society. Guruchand ji gave us the formula of devotion, deed, and knowledge," he added.&nbsp;

"Our siblings of Matua community celebrate 'Baruni Snan Utsav' every year on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur. A large number of devotees from India come to Orakandi to participate in this festival," he added.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered prayers at the Orakandi Temple located at Kashiani Upazila in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. &nbsp;

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also informed that the Indian government will undertake the construction work of a multi-purpose community hall at Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple.&nbsp;

After that, he paid tribute to Bangladesh's 'Father of the Nation' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara. He signed the visitors' book and also planted samples at the complex. PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his visit to the complex. &nbsp;

Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi will hold talks with Sheikh Hasina and they are likely to sign few key pacts. Thereafter, he will call on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid. This is Prime Minister Modi's first foreign trip since the Covid-19 outbreak last year.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that both India and Bangladesh want to see peace, stability, and love instead of instability, terror and unrest in the entire world.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that both India and Bangladesh want to see peace, stability, and love instead of instability, terror and unrest in the entire world. Addressing the Matua community after visiting the Orakandi Temple, PM Modi, said, "Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own progress. Both the nations want to see stability, love, and peace in the world instead of instability, terror and unrest." "During the coronavirus pandemic, India and Bangladesh have proven their capabilities. Today, both nations are facing this pandemic strongly and fighting it together. India is working by considering it its duty that 'Made in India' vaccine reaches the citizens of Bangladesh," he said. Speaking about Harichand Thakur, also known as Sri Sri Harichand Thakur, who formed the Matua sect of Hindus, PM Modi said, "The life of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur has given the message of divine love, but also made us realise our duties. He told us that the struggle against oppression and misery is also cultivation." "His successor, Sri Sri Guruchand Thakur has a huge role in bringing the teachings of Harichand Thakur to the people, uniting the Dalit-afflicted society. Guruchand ji gave us the formula of devotion, deed, and knowledge," he added. "Our siblings of Matua community celebrate 'Baruni Snan Utsav' every year on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur. A large number of devotees from India come to Orakandi to participate in this festival," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered prayers at the Orakandi Temple located at Kashiani Upazila in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also informed that the Indian government will undertake the construction work of a multi-purpose community hall at Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. After that, he paid tribute to Bangladesh's 'Father of the Nation' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara. He signed the visitors' book and also planted samples at the complex. PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his visit to the complex. Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi will hold talks with Sheikh Hasina and they are likely to sign few key pacts. Thereafter, he will call on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid. This is Prime Minister Modi's first foreign trip since the Covid-19 outbreak last year. (With inputs from agencies)

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