The unabated smuggling of fake Indian currency notes and attacks on BSF personnel by cross-border criminals are some of the issues that will be discussed at a high-level meeting of the chiefs of India and Bangladesh's frontier forces in Dhaka next week.&nbsp

A 10-member Border Security Force (BSF) delegation, led by Director General K K Sharma, will travel to the Bangladesh capital for the meeting at the headquarters of their counterpart, Border Guard Bangladesh, from April 23 to 27. 
The BGB team will be led by its DG Maj. Gen. Abul Hossain.

Officials said the BSF will take up the issue of the continuous inflow of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) from across the border and the attacks on its personnel by criminals based in Bangladesh.

They said that FICN with a face value of about Rs 13.66 lakh have been seized along the border up to March this year.&nbsp

FICN with face value of more than Rs 68.96 lakh were confiscated last year.&nbsp

Also, two BSF men were killed and 122 injured in criminal attacks on this frontier last year. 109 personnel were injured in 2016, the officials said.&nbsp

"These issues are a big concern for India and for the overall security situation on the India-Bangladesh international border. The talks will aim at finding better solutions to reduce and stop these instances," a senior officer said.

The Indian side, which will have officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Home Ministry and the anti-narcotics department, will also raise issues related to cattle smuggling, illegal migration and human trafficking, upkeep of border pillars and others along this IB, they said.

The BGB is expected to raise the matter of their nationals being killed or injured in BSF firing at the border and the illegal transport of drugs into their territory from the Indian side.&nbsp

The two forces will also discuss the progress of a "crime free zone" created recently along the border in West Bengal, with the efforts of the BSF and the BGB.&nbsp

This upcoming bi-annual DG-level talks will be the 46th such dialogue between the two sides. The last time the two forces met was in October 2017 in Delhi.

India shares a 4,096-km-long border with Bangladesh.

Officials said the BSF will take up the issue of the continuous inflow of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) from across the border

The unabated smuggling of fake Indian currency notes and attacks on BSF personnel by cross-border criminals are some of the issues that will be discussed at a high-level meeting of the chiefs of India and Bangladesh's frontier forces in Dhaka next week. A 10-member Border Security Force (BSF) delegation, led by Director General K K Sharma, will travel to the Bangladesh capital for the meeting at the headquarters of their counterpart, Border Guard Bangladesh, from April 23 to 27. The BGB team will be led by its DG Maj. Gen. Abul Hossain. Officials said the BSF will take up the issue of the continuous inflow of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) from across the border and the attacks on its personnel by criminals based in Bangladesh. They said that FICN with a face value of about Rs 13.66 lakh have been seized along the border up to March this year. FICN with face value of more than Rs 68.96 lakh were confiscated last year. Also, two BSF men were killed and 122 injured in criminal attacks on this frontier last year. 109 personnel were injured in 2016, the officials said. "These issues are a big concern for India and for the overall security situation on the India-Bangladesh international border. The talks will aim at finding better solutions to reduce and stop these instances," a senior officer said. The Indian side, which will have officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Home Ministry and the anti-narcotics department, will also raise issues related to cattle smuggling, illegal migration and human trafficking, upkeep of border pillars and others along this IB, they said. The BGB is expected to raise the matter of their nationals being killed or injured in BSF firing at the border and the illegal transport of drugs into their territory from the Indian side. The two forces will also discuss the progress of a "crime free zone" created recently along the border in West Bengal, with the efforts of the BSF and the BGB. This upcoming bi-annual DG-level talks will be the 46th such dialogue between the two sides. The last time the two forces met was in October 2017 in Delhi. India shares a 4,096-km-long border with Bangladesh.

India, Bangladesh border forces to meet in Dhaka next week

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-coming-to-power-in-karnataka-will-prove-to-be-stepping-stone-for-rest-of-country-siddaramaiah-to-wion-131388">Lingayat religious issue not created by us: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to WION</a>

With the Karnataka elections just around the corner, chief minister Siddaramaiah is locked in a tight triangular contest with the BJP and the JD-S. Siddaramaiah says the Congress will come to power in Karnataka, paving the way for his party’s revival in the rest of the country.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/repeating-a-lie-doesnt-turn-it-into-the-truth-says-pak-on-pm-modis-surgical-strike-statement-131390">'Repeating a lie doesn't turn it into the truth,' says Pak on PM Modi's surgical strike statement</a>

After PM Modi said the surgical strikes against Pakistan in September 2016 were a 100 per cent success, the Pakistan foreign office said today that "by continuously repeating a lie, it doesn't turn into the truth."

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/3-belgian-companies-face-heat-over-chemical-exports-to-syria-131430">3 Belgian companies face heat over chemical exports to Syria</a>

According to reports, three Belgian countries have been accused of exporting chemicals to Syria. The trial date has already been set by a Belgian court. Chemicals exported include isopropanol which is also known to be used for producing nerve gas.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/air-force-carried-out-strikes-on-islamic-state-targets-inside-syria-iraq-pm-131409">Air Force carried out strikes on Islamic State targets inside Syria: Iraq PM</a>

PM Haider al-Abadi's said Iraqi Air Force carried out air strikes on Islamic State(IS) installations inside Syria. The prime minister's office said the "deadly air strikes" were launched from the Iraqi side of the border.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/watch-bangladesh-model-mosques-will-be-open-for-women--131408">Bangladesh's billion-dollar 'model' mosques will be open for women</a>

Touted as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flagship project, the plan aims to set up model mosques across the country to check radical ideologies and counter Islamist extremist. The preliminary work for the project has already been started. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Lingayat religious issue not created by us: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to WION With the Karnataka elections just around the corner, chief minister Siddaramaiah is locked in a tight triangular contest with the BJP and the JD-S. Siddaramaiah says the Congress will come to power in Karnataka, paving the way for his party’s revival in the rest of the country. 'Repeating a lie doesn't turn it into the truth,' says Pak on PM Modi's surgical strike statement After PM Modi said the surgical strikes against Pakistan in September 2016 were a 100 per cent success, the Pakistan foreign office said today that "by continuously repeating a lie, it doesn't turn into the truth." 3 Belgian companies face heat over chemical exports to Syria According to reports, three Belgian countries have been accused of exporting chemicals to Syria. The trial date has already been set by a Belgian court. Chemicals exported include isopropanol which is also known to be used for producing nerve gas. Air Force carried out strikes on Islamic State targets inside Syria: Iraq PM PM Haider al-Abadi's said Iraqi Air Force carried out air strikes on Islamic State(IS) installations inside Syria. The prime minister's office said the "deadly air strikes" were launched from the Iraqi side of the border. Bangladesh's billion-dollar 'model' mosques will be open for women Touted as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flagship project, the plan aims to set up model mosques across the country to check radical ideologies and counter Islamist extremist. The preliminary work for the project has already been started.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Bangladesh new ambitious project aims to build a total of 560 model mosques across the country. The plan is likely to get completed by December 2020.&nbsp;

Touted as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flagship project, the plan aims to set up model mosques across the country to check radical ideologies and counter Islamist extremist. The preliminary work for the project has already been started. &nbsp;

The billion-dollar model mosque project is believed to be partly funded by Saudi Arabia and will be open to women unlike most of Bangladesh's nearly three hundred thousand mosques.&nbsp;

There will also be research and cultural centres, library and learning centres.

Majority of mosques in the country are privately owned and have little government control and oversight.&nbsp;

The move is likely to warm PM Hasina's relations with the Muslim community and a diplomatic footing in the Middle East. &nbsp;

Watch: Bangladesh model mosques will be open for women

Bangladesh new ambitious project aims to build a total of 560 model mosques across the country. The plan is likely to get completed by December 2020. Touted as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flagship project, the plan aims to set up model mosques across the country to check radical ideologies and counter Islamist extremist. The preliminary work for the project has already been started. The billion-dollar model mosque project is believed to be partly funded by Saudi Arabia and will be open to women unlike most of Bangladesh's nearly three hundred thousand mosques. There will also be research and cultural centres, library and learning centres. Majority of mosques in the country are privately owned and have little government control and oversight. The move is likely to warm PM Hasina's relations with the Muslim community and a diplomatic footing in the Middle East.

Watch: Bangladesh's billion-dollar 'model' mosques will be open for women

An Ecuadorian bank and Wells Fargo have reached an out-of-court settlement over a 2015 cyber heist, providing a possible precedent for the Bangladesh central bank's planned suit to recover $66 million still lost in one of the world's biggest such cases.

A suit by Ecuador's Banco del Austro against Wells Fargo & Co was quietly settled in February, less than a month before a trial date was set, and the US&nbspdistrict court in Manhattan sealed all discussions, according to court documents. No other major media has reported the settlement.

Wells Fargo did not comment on the settlement, and a representative for Banco del Austro could not be immediately reached. &nbsp

Banco had sought to hold Wells responsible for authorising the fraudulent transfer of $12 million from its account in 2015.&nbsp

Hackers breached Bangladesh Bank's systems in early 2016 and tricked the Federal Reserve Bank of New York into sending as much as $81 million to accounts at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) in the Philippines. The accounts were held in fake names and most of the money disappeared into casinos in Manila.

Some of the funds were recovered but about $66 million remains untraced.

No one has been criminally charged for the heist despite an international investigation and two years of finger-pointing among Bangladesh, Philippines, the Fed and the SWIFT communication network that was used. Bangladesh Bank has threatened to sue Manila-based RCBC, and any legal fallout could set a precedent amid a rash of electronic heists at financial institutions around the world.

"This is a tricky issue. We can`t reveal our strategy. But yes we are reviewing each and every case, including the Ecuador one," Bangladesh Bank`s deputy governor Abu Hena Mohd. Razee Hassan said in a recent interview.

While Bangladesh has not taken any legal action, bankers and lawyers saw the cyber-heist suit by Banco against Wells Fargo as a test for any options available to Bangladesh.&nbsp

They said the settlement could signal that Wells compensated Banco in some way, a possibly encouraging sign for Bangladesh Bank, But it could still struggle to get a hearing in the United States and prove that Manila-based RCBC had a contractual obligation to freeze the stolen funds.&nbsp

"There are an awful lot of reasons for people to settle (and) there are all sorts of laws that may or may not apply," said Peter Jaffe, a senior associate at Washington-based law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.&nbsp

"RCBC was not the one that was hacked. Someone may think that RCBC should have done something different when it saw money coming through its accounts, but that is not really a cybersecurity issue at that point," Jaffe said. "I don`t think you would necessarily look to cybersecurity law (or US&nbspcommercial code) to determine ... obligations and rights."

Obligation unclear

At issue is the New York Uniform Commercial Code, which says a bank that is tricked by thieves must reimburse the customer unless it can prove it used a mutually-agreed protocol for verifying the payment messages. The customer could counter that the security protocol was not "commercially reasonable."&nbsp

In 2016, the judge rejected an attempt by Wells to dismiss Banco`s allegations because the Manhattan court could not rule that use of SWIFT`s security system alone was enough.

Bangladesh has a correspondent-banking contract with the New York Fed, which has repeatedly stressed that each of its foreign clients has agreed that it can rely on SWIFT protocols. The payment messages it received from the hackers in February

2016 were verified by SWIFT and directed the Fed to send much of the funds to RCBC.&nbsp

It is unclear what obligation RCBC has to Bangladesh Bank and whether US&nbsplaw would apply.&nbsp

The Philippine bank said it had received advice from lawyers in the United States that it had "strong and valid" defences against any suit by Bangladesh Bank.

"There is no act attributable to RCBC which caused the loss or the theft from Bangladesh Bank," it said in a statement on Monday. "We reiterate that RCBC was merely a beneficiary bank, meaning, the payment instructions which are alleged to have been the result of &nbsphacking were not executed by it."

In the immediate wake of the heist, Bangladesh`s central bank had threatened to sue the New York Fed and SWIFT, though relations have since warmed and the pair has committed to help recover the funds. The Fed and SWIFT, which has since strengthened its security protocols, declined to comment on implications of the Banco-Wells settlement.&nbsp

Financial firms around the world have reviewed defences after a rash of cyberheists involving SWIFT, the latest targeting Malaysia`s central bank.&nbsp

Bangladesh`s minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed Shahriar Alam, said in a recent interview that the central bank is determined to be reimbursed and that preparations are at a "final stage" for a suit.&nbsp

"It`s obvious that we will be filing a case," likely in the United States, he told Reuters while in New York. "There are frustrations in Bangladesh about it. But together we should have done better by now."

An Ecuadorian bank and Wells Fargo have reached an out-of-court settlement over a 2015 cyber heist, providing a possible precedent for the Bangladesh central bank's planned suit to recover $66 million still lost in one of the world's biggest such cases

An Ecuadorian bank and Wells Fargo have reached an out-of-court settlement over a 2015 cyber heist, providing a possible precedent for the Bangladesh central bank's planned suit to recover $66 million still lost in one of the world's biggest such cases. A suit by Ecuador's Banco del Austro against Wells Fargo & Co was quietly settled in February, less than a month before a trial date was set, and the US&nbspdistrict court in Manhattan sealed all discussions, according to court documents. No other major media has reported the settlement. Wells Fargo did not comment on the settlement, and a representative for Banco del Austro could not be immediately reached. Banco had sought to hold Wells responsible for authorising the fraudulent transfer of $12 million from its account in 2015. Hackers breached Bangladesh Bank's systems in early 2016 and tricked the Federal Reserve Bank of New York into sending as much as $81 million to accounts at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) in the Philippines. The accounts were held in fake names and most of the money disappeared into casinos in Manila. Some of the funds were recovered but about $66 million remains untraced. No one has been criminally charged for the heist despite an international investigation and two years of finger-pointing among Bangladesh, Philippines, the Fed and the SWIFT communication network that was used. Bangladesh Bank has threatened to sue Manila-based RCBC, and any legal fallout could set a precedent amid a rash of electronic heists at financial institutions around the world. "This is a tricky issue. We can`t reveal our strategy. But yes we are reviewing each and every case, including the Ecuador one," Bangladesh Bank`s deputy governor Abu Hena Mohd. Razee Hassan said in a recent interview. While Bangladesh has not taken any legal action, bankers and lawyers saw the cyber-heist suit by Banco against Wells Fargo as a test for any options available to Bangladesh. They said the settlement could signal that Wells compensated Banco in some way, a possibly encouraging sign for Bangladesh Bank, But it could still struggle to get a hearing in the United States and prove that Manila-based RCBC had a contractual obligation to freeze the stolen funds. "There are an awful lot of reasons for people to settle (and) there are all sorts of laws that may or may not apply," said Peter Jaffe, a senior associate at Washington-based law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. "RCBC was not the one that was hacked. Someone may think that RCBC should have done something different when it saw money coming through its accounts, but that is not really a cybersecurity issue at that point," Jaffe said. "I don`t think you would necessarily look to cybersecurity law (or US&nbspcommercial code) to determine ... obligations and rights." Obligation unclear At issue is the New York Uniform Commercial Code, which says a bank that is tricked by thieves must reimburse the customer unless it can prove it used a mutually-agreed protocol for verifying the payment messages. The customer could counter that the security protocol was not "commercially reasonable." In 2016, the judge rejected an attempt by Wells to dismiss Banco`s allegations because the Manhattan court could not rule that use of SWIFT`s security system alone was enough. Bangladesh has a correspondent-banking contract with the New York Fed, which has repeatedly stressed that each of its foreign clients has agreed that it can rely on SWIFT protocols. The payment messages it received from the hackers in February 2016 were verified by SWIFT and directed the Fed to send much of the funds to RCBC. It is unclear what obligation RCBC has to Bangladesh Bank and whether US&nbsplaw would apply. The Philippine bank said it had received advice from lawyers in the United States that it had "strong and valid" defences against any suit by Bangladesh Bank. "There is no act attributable to RCBC which caused the loss or the theft from Bangladesh Bank," it said in a statement on Monday. "We reiterate that RCBC was merely a beneficiary bank, meaning, the payment instructions which are alleged to have been the result of &nbsphacking were not executed by it." In the immediate wake of the heist, Bangladesh`s central bank had threatened to sue the New York Fed and SWIFT, though relations have since warmed and the pair has committed to help recover the funds. The Fed and SWIFT, which has since strengthened its security protocols, declined to comment on implications of the Banco-Wells settlement. Financial firms around the world have reviewed defences after a rash of cyberheists involving SWIFT, the latest targeting Malaysia`s central bank. Bangladesh`s minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed Shahriar Alam, said in a recent interview that the central bank is determined to be reimbursed and that preparations are at a "final stage" for a suit. "It`s obvious that we will be filing a case," likely in the United States, he told Reuters while in New York. "There are frustrations in Bangladesh about it. But together we should have done better by now."

Bangladesh eyes settlement in US cyber heist suit ahead of its own case

Bangladesh, in a twist of irony, is looking to Saudi Arabia to fund a $ 1 billion plan to build hundreds of mosques and religious centres to counter militant Islam that for much of the past decade traced its roots to ultra-conservative strands of the faith promoted by a multi-billion dollar Saudi campaign.

The Bangladeshi plan constitutes the first effort by a Muslim country to enlist the kingdom whose crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has vowed to return Saudi Arabia to an undefined form of 'moderate Islam,' in reverse engineering.

The plan would attempt to roll back the fallout of Saudi Arabia's global investment of up to $100 billion over a period of four decades in support of ultra-conservative mosques, religious centres, and groups as an antidote to post-1979 Iranian revolutionary zeal.

Cooperation with Saudi Arabia and various countries, including Malaysia, has focused until now on countering extremism in cooperation with defense and security authorities rather than as a religious initiative.

Saudi religious authorities and Islamic scholars have long issued fatwas or religious opinions condemning political violence and extremism and accused jihadists of deviating from the true path of Islam.

The Saudi campaign, the largest public diplomacy effort in history was, nevertheless, long abetted by opportunistic governments who played politics with religion as well as widespread discontent fuelled by the failure of governments to deliver public goods and services.

The Bangladeshi plan raises multiple questions, including whether the counter-narrative industry can produce results in the absence of effective government policies that address social, economic and political grievances.

It also begs the question whether a change in Saudi Arabia has advanced to a stage in which the kingdom can claim that it has put its ultra-conservative and militant roots truly behind it. The answer to both questions is probably no.

In many ways, Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism and militancy, violent and non-violent, despite sharing common roots with the kingdom's long-standing theological thinking and benefitting directly or indirectly from Saudi financial largess, has created a life of its own that no longer looks to the kingdom for guidance and support and is critical of the path on which Prince Mohammed has embarked.

The fallout of the Saudi campaign is evident in Asia not only in the rise of militancy in Bangladesh but also the degree to which concepts of supremacism and intolerance have taken root in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan. Those concepts are often expressed in discrimination, if not persecution of minorities like Shia Muslims and Ahmadis, and draconic anti-blasphemy measures by authorities, militants and vigilantes.

Bangladesh in past years witnessed a series of brutal killings of bloggers and intellectuals whom jihadists accused of atheism.

Moreover, basic freedoms in Bangladesh are being officially and unofficially curtailed in various forms as a result of domestic struggles originally enabled by successful Saudi pressure to amend the country's secular constitution in 1975 to recognise Islam as its official religion.

Saudi Arabia withheld recognition of the new state as well as financial support until the amendment was adopted four years after Bangladeshi independence.

In Indonesia, hard-line Islamic groups, led by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), earlier this month filed a blasphemy complaint against politician Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, a daughter of Indonesia's founding father Sukarno and the younger sister of Megawati Sukarnoputri, who leads President Joko Widodo’s ruling party.

The hardliners accuse Ms Sukarnoputri of reciting a poem that allegedly insults Islam. The groups last year accused Basuki Tjahaja Purnama aka Ahok, Jakarta’s former Christian governor, of blasphemy and spearheaded mass rallies that led to his ouster and jailing, a ruling that many believed was politicised and unjust.

Pakistan's draconic anti-blasphemy law has created an environment that has allowed Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatives and powerful political forces to whip up popular emotion in pursuit of political objectives. The environment is symbolised by graffiti in the corridor of a courthouse in Islamabad that demanded that blasphemers be beheaded.

Pakistan last month designated Islamabad as a pilot project to regulate Friday prayer sermons in the city's 1,003 mosques, of which only 86 are state-controlled, in a bid to curb hate speech, extremism and demonisation of religions and communities.

The government has drafted a list of subjects that should be the focus of weekly Friday prayer sermons in a bid to prevent mosques being abused "to stir up sectarian hatred, demonise other religions and communities and promote extremism." The subjects include women rights Islamic principles of trade, cleanliness and health and the importance of hard work, tolerance, and honesty.

However, they do not address legally enshrined discrimination of minorities like Ahmadis, who are viewed as heretics by orthodox Muslims. The list risked reinforcing supremacist and intolerant militancy by including the concept of the finality of the Prophet Mohammed that is often used as a whip to discriminate against minorities.

Raising questions about the degree of moderation that Saudi-funded mosques and religious centres in Bangladesh would propagate, Prince Mohammed, in his effort to saw off the rough edges of Saudi ultra-conservatism, has given no indication that he intends to repeal a law that defines atheists as terrorists.

A Saudi court last year condemned a man to death on charges of blasphemy and atheism. Another Saudi was a year earlier sentenced to ten years in prison and 2,000 lashes for expressing atheist sentiments on social media.

Saudi Arabia and other Muslim nations have long lobbied for the criminalisation of blasphemy in international law in moves that would legitimise curbs on free speech and growing Muslim intolerance towards any open discussion of their faith.

To be sure, Saudi Arabia cannot be held directly liable for much of the expression of supremacism, intolerance and anti-pluralism in the Muslim world. Yet, by the same token, there is little doubt that Saudi propagation of ultra-conservatism frequently contributed to an enabling environment.

Prince Mohammed is at the beginning of his effort to moderate Saudi Islam and has yet to spell out in detail his vision of religious change. Beyond the issue of defining atheism as terrorism, Saudi Arabia also has yet to put an end to multiple ultra-conservative practices, including the principle of male guardianship that forces women to get the approval of a male relative for major decisions in their life.

Prince Mohammed has so far forced the country's ultra-conservative religious establishment into subservience. That raises the question whether there has been real change in the establishment's thinking or whether it is kowtowing to an autocratic leader.

In December, King Salman fired a government official for organising a mixed-gender fashion show after ultra-conservatives criticised the event on Twitter. The kingdom this week hosted its first ever Arab Fashion Week, for women only. Designers were obliged to adhere to strict dress codes banning transparent fabrics and the display of cleavages or clothing that bared knees.

In February, Saudi Arabia agreed to surrender control of the Great Mosque in Brussels after its efforts to install a more moderate administration failed to counter mounting Belgian criticism of alleged intolerance and supremacism propagated by mosque executives.

Efforts to moderate Islam in Saudi Arabia as well as Qatar, the world’s only other Wahhabi state that traces its ultra-conservatism to the teachings of 18th-century preacher Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahhab, but has long interpreted them more liberally than the kingdom, have proven to be easier said than done.

Saudi King Abdullah, King Salman’s predecessor, positioned himself as a champion of interfaith dialogue and reached out to various groups in society including Shiites and women.

Yet, more than a decade of Saudi efforts to cleanse textbooks used at home and abroad have made significant progress but have yet to completely erase descriptions of alternative strands of Islam such as Shiism and Sufism in derogatory terms or eliminate advise to Muslims not to associate with Jews and Christians who are labelled kaffirs or unbelievers.

Raising questions about Saudi involvement in the Bangladeshi plan, a Human Rights Watch survey of religion textbooks produced by the Saudi education ministry for the 2016-2017 school year concluded that “as early as first grade, students in Saudi schools are being taught hatred toward all those perceived to be of a different faith or school of thought.”

Human Rights Watch researcher Adam Coogle noted that Prince Mohammed has remained conspicuously silent about hate speech in textbooks as well as its use by officials and Islamic scholars connected to the government.

The New York-based Anti-Defamation League last year documented hate speech in Qatari mosques that were disseminated in Qatari media despite Qatar’s propagation of religious tolerance and outreach to American Jews as part of its effort to counter a United Arab Emirates-Saudi-led economic and diplomatic boycott of the Gulf state.

In one instance in December, Qatari preacher Muhammed al-Muraikhi described Jews in a sermon in Doha’s Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque as “your deceitful, lying, treacherous, fornicating, intransigent enemy” who have “despoiled, corrupted, ruined, and killed, and will not stop.”

No doubt, Saudi Arabia, like Qatar, which much earlier moved away from Puritan and literal Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism, is sincere in its intention to adopt more tolerant and pluralistic worldviews.

Getting from A to B, however, is a lengthy process. The question remains whether the kingdom has progressed to a degree that it can credibly help countries like Bangladesh deal with their demons even before having successfully put its own house in order.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Bangladesh is looking to Saudi Arabia for funds to build mosques and religious centres to counter militant Islam

Bangladesh, in a twist of irony, is looking to Saudi Arabia to fund a $ 1 billion plan to build hundreds of mosques and religious centres to counter militant Islam that for much of the past decade traced its roots to ultra-conservative strands of the faith promoted by a multi-billion dollar Saudi campaign. The Bangladeshi plan constitutes the first effort by a Muslim country to enlist the kingdom whose crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has vowed to return Saudi Arabia to an undefined form of 'moderate Islam,' in reverse engineering. The plan would attempt to roll back the fallout of Saudi Arabia's global investment of up to $100 billion over a period of four decades in support of ultra-conservative mosques, religious centres, and groups as an antidote to post-1979 Iranian revolutionary zeal. Cooperation with Saudi Arabia and various countries, including Malaysia, has focused until now on countering extremism in cooperation with defense and security authorities rather than as a religious initiative. Saudi religious authorities and Islamic scholars have long issued fatwas or religious opinions condemning political violence and extremism and accused jihadists of deviating from the true path of Islam. The Saudi campaign, the largest public diplomacy effort in history was, nevertheless, long abetted by opportunistic governments who played politics with religion as well as widespread discontent fuelled by the failure of governments to deliver public goods and services. The Bangladeshi plan raises multiple questions, including whether the counter-narrative industry can produce results in the absence of effective government policies that address social, economic and political grievances. It also begs the question whether a change in Saudi Arabia has advanced to a stage in which the kingdom can claim that it has put its ultra-conservative and militant roots truly behind it. The answer to both questions is probably no. In many ways, Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism and militancy, violent and non-violent, despite sharing common roots with the kingdom's long-standing theological thinking and benefitting directly or indirectly from Saudi financial largess, has created a life of its own that no longer looks to the kingdom for guidance and support and is critical of the path on which Prince Mohammed has embarked. The fallout of the Saudi campaign is evident in Asia not only in the rise of militancy in Bangladesh but also the degree to which concepts of supremacism and intolerance have taken root in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan. Those concepts are often expressed in discrimination, if not persecution of minorities like Shia Muslims and Ahmadis, and draconic anti-blasphemy measures by authorities, militants and vigilantes. Bangladesh in past years witnessed a series of brutal killings of bloggers and intellectuals whom jihadists accused of atheism. Moreover, basic freedoms in Bangladesh are being officially and unofficially curtailed in various forms as a result of domestic struggles originally enabled by successful Saudi pressure to amend the country's secular constitution in 1975 to recognise Islam as its official religion. Saudi Arabia withheld recognition of the new state as well as financial support until the amendment was adopted four years after Bangladeshi independence. In Indonesia, hard-line Islamic groups, led by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), earlier this month filed a blasphemy complaint against politician Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, a daughter of Indonesia's founding father Sukarno and the younger sister of Megawati Sukarnoputri, who leads President Joko Widodo’s ruling party. The hardliners accuse Ms Sukarnoputri of reciting a poem that allegedly insults Islam. The groups last year accused Basuki Tjahaja Purnama aka Ahok, Jakarta’s former Christian governor, of blasphemy and spearheaded mass rallies that led to his ouster and jailing, a ruling that many believed was politicised and unjust. Pakistan's draconic anti-blasphemy law has created an environment that has allowed Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatives and powerful political forces to whip up popular emotion in pursuit of political objectives. The environment is symbolised by graffiti in the corridor of a courthouse in Islamabad that demanded that blasphemers be beheaded. Pakistan last month designated Islamabad as a pilot project to regulate Friday prayer sermons in the city's 1,003 mosques, of which only 86 are state-controlled, in a bid to curb hate speech, extremism and demonisation of religions and communities. The government has drafted a list of subjects that should be the focus of weekly Friday prayer sermons in a bid to prevent mosques being abused "to stir up sectarian hatred, demonise other religions and communities and promote extremism." The subjects include women rights Islamic principles of trade, cleanliness and health and the importance of hard work, tolerance, and honesty. However, they do not address legally enshrined discrimination of minorities like Ahmadis, who are viewed as heretics by orthodox Muslims. The list risked reinforcing supremacist and intolerant militancy by including the concept of the finality of the Prophet Mohammed that is often used as a whip to discriminate against minorities. Raising questions about the degree of moderation that Saudi-funded mosques and religious centres in Bangladesh would propagate, Prince Mohammed, in his effort to saw off the rough edges of Saudi ultra-conservatism, has given no indication that he intends to repeal a law that defines atheists as terrorists. A Saudi court last year condemned a man to death on charges of blasphemy and atheism. Another Saudi was a year earlier sentenced to ten years in prison and 2,000 lashes for expressing atheist sentiments on social media. Saudi Arabia and other Muslim nations have long lobbied for the criminalisation of blasphemy in international law in moves that would legitimise curbs on free speech and growing Muslim intolerance towards any open discussion of their faith. To be sure, Saudi Arabia cannot be held directly liable for much of the expression of supremacism, intolerance and anti-pluralism in the Muslim world. Yet, by the same token, there is little doubt that Saudi propagation of ultra-conservatism frequently contributed to an enabling environment. Prince Mohammed is at the beginning of his effort to moderate Saudi Islam and has yet to spell out in detail his vision of religious change. Beyond the issue of defining atheism as terrorism, Saudi Arabia also has yet to put an end to multiple ultra-conservative practices, including the principle of male guardianship that forces women to get the approval of a male relative for major decisions in their life. Prince Mohammed has so far forced the country's ultra-conservative religious establishment into subservience. That raises the question whether there has been real change in the establishment's thinking or whether it is kowtowing to an autocratic leader. In December, King Salman fired a government official for organising a mixed-gender fashion show after ultra-conservatives criticised the event on Twitter. The kingdom this week hosted its first ever Arab Fashion Week, for women only. Designers were obliged to adhere to strict dress codes banning transparent fabrics and the display of cleavages or clothing that bared knees. In February, Saudi Arabia agreed to surrender control of the Great Mosque in Brussels after its efforts to install a more moderate administration failed to counter mounting Belgian criticism of alleged intolerance and supremacism propagated by mosque executives. Efforts to moderate Islam in Saudi Arabia as well as Qatar, the world’s only other Wahhabi state that traces its ultra-conservatism to the teachings of 18th-century preacher Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahhab, but has long interpreted them more liberally than the kingdom, have proven to be easier said than done. Saudi King Abdullah, King Salman’s predecessor, positioned himself as a champion of interfaith dialogue and reached out to various groups in society including Shiites and women. Yet, more than a decade of Saudi efforts to cleanse textbooks used at home and abroad have made significant progress but have yet to completely erase descriptions of alternative strands of Islam such as Shiism and Sufism in derogatory terms or eliminate advise to Muslims not to associate with Jews and Christians who are labelled kaffirs or unbelievers. Raising questions about Saudi involvement in the Bangladeshi plan, a Human Rights Watch survey of religion textbooks produced by the Saudi education ministry for the 2016-2017 school year concluded that “as early as first grade, students in Saudi schools are being taught hatred toward all those perceived to be of a different faith or school of thought.” Human Rights Watch researcher Adam Coogle noted that Prince Mohammed has remained conspicuously silent about hate speech in textbooks as well as its use by officials and Islamic scholars connected to the government. The New York-based Anti-Defamation League last year documented hate speech in Qatari mosques that were disseminated in Qatari media despite Qatar’s propagation of religious tolerance and outreach to American Jews as part of its effort to counter a United Arab Emirates-Saudi-led economic and diplomatic boycott of the Gulf state. In one instance in December, Qatari preacher Muhammed al-Muraikhi described Jews in a sermon in Doha’s Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque as “your deceitful, lying, treacherous, fornicating, intransigent enemy” who have “despoiled, corrupted, ruined, and killed, and will not stop.” No doubt, Saudi Arabia, like Qatar, which much earlier moved away from Puritan and literal Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism, is sincere in its intention to adopt more tolerant and pluralistic worldviews. Getting from A to B, however, is a lengthy process. The question remains whether the kingdom has progressed to a degree that it can credibly help countries like Bangladesh deal with their demons even before having successfully put its own house in order. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Can Saudi help Bangladesh in rolling back militancy?

The UN&nbsprefugee agency called a Myanmar minister's visit to Bangladesh to meet Muslim Rohingya refugees a confidence-building measure, but said conditions in Myanmar were not ready for their return.

Myanmar Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye, who heads rehabilitation efforts in Myanmar's troubled western Rakhine state, told about 50 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on Wednesday that getting the repatriation process moving was top priority.

But the UN&nbspHigh Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Thursday Myanmar was not prepared.

"Conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees," it said in a statement, adding that the responsibility remains with the government to create such conditions.

According to UN&nbspofficials, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh from Rakhine to escape a military crackdown since August, amid reports of murder, rape and arson by Myanmar troops and Buddhist vigilantes which the United Nations has likened to "ethnic cleansing".

Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a legitimate counter-insurgency operation on Aug. 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks.

The refugees are living in cramped camps in the port of Cox's Bazar and Bangladesh is keen for them to return home soon, especially with the oncoming monsoons expected to cause major devastation at the camps.

The UNHCR called on Myanmar to provide the agency unhindered access in Rakhine to assess the situation and monitor the return and reintegration of refugees if and when they voluntarily return.

Acknowledging the mistrust and fear of the Rohingya of Myanmar, Win Myat Aye told the group of refugees on Wednesday to set aside the past and to prepare to go back, promising new villages would be built with hospitals and schools.

But some refugees have said they are worried about going back, fearing persecution.

'Conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees,' it said in a statement, adding that the responsibility remains with the government to create such conditions

The UN&nbsprefugee agency called a Myanmar minister's visit to Bangladesh to meet Muslim Rohingya refugees a confidence-building measure, but said conditions in Myanmar were not ready for their return. Myanmar Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye, who heads rehabilitation efforts in Myanmar's troubled western Rakhine state, told about 50 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on Wednesday that getting the repatriation process moving was top priority. But the UN&nbspHigh Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Thursday Myanmar was not prepared. "Conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees," it said in a statement, adding that the responsibility remains with the government to create such conditions. According to UN&nbspofficials, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh from Rakhine to escape a military crackdown since August, amid reports of murder, rape and arson by Myanmar troops and Buddhist vigilantes which the United Nations has likened to "ethnic cleansing". Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a legitimate counter-insurgency operation on Aug. 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks. The refugees are living in cramped camps in the port of Cox's Bazar and Bangladesh is keen for them to return home soon, especially with the oncoming monsoons expected to cause major devastation at the camps. The UNHCR called on Myanmar to provide the agency unhindered access in Rakhine to assess the situation and monitor the return and reintegration of refugees if and when they voluntarily return. Acknowledging the mistrust and fear of the Rohingya of Myanmar, Win Myat Aye told the group of refugees on Wednesday to set aside the past and to prepare to go back, promising new villages would be built with hospitals and schools. But some refugees have said they are worried about going back, fearing persecution.

Myanmar not ready for return of Rohingya Muslims, says UNHCR

The Ahmadiyya community, who are also known as 'Qadiani', has been living in fear ever since suspected radical groups allegedly attacked a mosque in Bangladesh`s Jamalpur last month, leaving more than 20 worshippers injured.

On that note, the Ahmadiyya community in Bangladesh is reportedly marginalised and has come under attack at various times.

Anticipating more `hate` attacks in the future, many Ahmadiyya families have left Jamalpur others who are residing in the town, are hiding their religious identities to avoid attention, a media reported.

On March 30, a group of people, armed with sharp weapons, launched an alleged attack on an Ahmadiyya mosque after Friday`s prayers at Jamalpur`s Madarganj Upazila, injuring 20 worshippers in the process.

As per the report, the members of Ahmadiyya community claimed that local Awami League leader Moneer Munshi had instigated the attack. However, this is yet to be ascertained.

A resident named Tayeb Ali was among those who were injured in the mosque ambush. He claimed, though he is not an Ahmadi, he went to the mosque to offer prayers and learn about their faith.

Jamalpur district`s Ahmadiyya Jamaat South teacher Asaduzzaman Rajib added that owing to repeated hate attacks on the Ahmadis, people are living in fear and peace is disturbed because of "hardliners such as Khatme Nabuat Bangladesh and Jamaat-e-Islami"."They have attacked us several times. They are disturbing the peace. We do not have any disputes with others. They (radical groups) are creating the discord," Rajib said, as quoted by the media.

Rafiqul Islam Khoka, a member of the Ahmadiyya community who owns a small stationery stop next to his home, said that he is not able to sell products, as people avoid purchasing from his shop for being an Ahmadi.

Speaking about the alleged attack, Sharishabari Ahmadiyya Jamaat President Faridul Islam and several others said that they had gone to offer their prayers at the mosque when the incident happened.The members of the Ahmadiyya community claimed that the attack happened for no reasons, and said that they did not force anyone to follow their ideology.

On a related note, over 15,000 Ahmadis reside in the country, with 10,000 of them living in Brahmanbaria, 3,500 in Kishoreganj and 3,000 more in Mymensingh.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Anticipating more `hate` attacks in the future, many Ahmadiyya families have left Jamalpur; others who are residing in the town, are hiding their religious identities to avoid attention, a media reported

The Ahmadiyya community, who are also known as 'Qadiani', has been living in fear ever since suspected radical groups allegedly attacked a mosque in Bangladesh`s Jamalpur last month, leaving more than 20 worshippers injured. On that note, the Ahmadiyya community in Bangladesh is reportedly marginalised and has come under attack at various times. Anticipating more `hate` attacks in the future, many Ahmadiyya families have left Jamalpur others who are residing in the town, are hiding their religious identities to avoid attention, a media reported. On March 30, a group of people, armed with sharp weapons, launched an alleged attack on an Ahmadiyya mosque after Friday`s prayers at Jamalpur`s Madarganj Upazila, injuring 20 worshippers in the process. As per the report, the members of Ahmadiyya community claimed that local Awami League leader Moneer Munshi had instigated the attack. However, this is yet to be ascertained. A resident named Tayeb Ali was among those who were injured in the mosque ambush. He claimed, though he is not an Ahmadi, he went to the mosque to offer prayers and learn about their faith. Jamalpur district`s Ahmadiyya Jamaat South teacher Asaduzzaman Rajib added that owing to repeated hate attacks on the Ahmadis, people are living in fear and peace is disturbed because of "hardliners such as Khatme Nabuat Bangladesh and Jamaat-e-Islami"."They have attacked us several times. They are disturbing the peace. We do not have any disputes with others. They (radical groups) are creating the discord," Rajib said, as quoted by the media. Rafiqul Islam Khoka, a member of the Ahmadiyya community who owns a small stationery stop next to his home, said that he is not able to sell products, as people avoid purchasing from his shop for being an Ahmadi. Speaking about the alleged attack, Sharishabari Ahmadiyya Jamaat President Faridul Islam and several others said that they had gone to offer their prayers at the mosque when the incident happened.The members of the Ahmadiyya community claimed that the attack happened for no reasons, and said that they did not force anyone to follow their ideology. On a related note, over 15,000 Ahmadis reside in the country, with 10,000 of them living in Brahmanbaria, 3,500 in Kishoreganj and 3,000 more in Mymensingh.

Bangladesh: Ahmadiyya community living in fear after ambush on mosque

Several websites in Bangladesh including those of the Bangladesh government, PM Office and the president’s office Bangabhaban were hacked following protest against quotas in government jobs on Tuesday, reports said.&nbsp;

As per reports, the websites were replaced with a page that showed messages related to the quota reform along with a picture of the ongoing protest.&nbsp;

“Hacked by Bangladesh,” the title of the page said.

Reportedly, there have also been a number of attempts to hack the National Portal for quite a few days. The websites of home ministry, education ministry and agriculture ministry and the same of public service commission (PSC) were found hacked around 12am Wednesday.

Telecommunications and Information Technology (ICT) Minister Mustafa Jabbar said that the intelligent department was in process of solving the issue and find the ones responsible for the cyber attack.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/students-acros-bangladesh-stage-anti-quota-protest-100-students-injured-129738">Thousands of students </a>staged a protest across Bangladesh which started on Sunday against discriminatory quotas for government jobs in favor of special groups which also left 100 students injured at the country’s top university left after clashes.&nbsp;

Hundreds of university students across Bangladesh blockaded roads on Tuesday in the third day of protests against what they say are discriminatory quotas for government jobs. Students took to the streets in Dhaka and elsewhere despite assurances from the government that it would review the controversial quota system.

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As per reports, the websites were replaced with a page that showed messages related to the quota reform along with a picture of the ongoing protest

Several websites in Bangladesh including those of the Bangladesh government, PM Office and the president’s office Bangabhaban were hacked following protest against quotas in government jobs on Tuesday, reports said. As per reports, the websites were replaced with a page that showed messages related to the quota reform along with a picture of the ongoing protest. “Hacked by Bangladesh,” the title of the page said. Reportedly, there have also been a number of attempts to hack the National Portal for quite a few days. The websites of home ministry, education ministry and agriculture ministry and the same of public service commission (PSC) were found hacked around 12am Wednesday. Telecommunications and Information Technology (ICT) Minister Mustafa Jabbar said that the intelligent department was in process of solving the issue and find the ones responsible for the cyber attack. Thousands of students staged a protest across Bangladesh which started on Sunday against discriminatory quotas for government jobs in favor of special groups which also left 100 students injured at the country’s top university left after clashes. Hundreds of university students across Bangladesh blockaded roads on Tuesday in the third day of protests against what they say are discriminatory quotas for government jobs. Students took to the streets in Dhaka and elsewhere despite assurances from the government that it would review the controversial quota system. ×

Watch: Several websites displaying quota reform messages hacked in Bangladesh

The United Nations refugee agency is set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh laying out a framework for the voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, an agency spokesman said on Wednesday.

The MoU is aimed at establishing cooperation between the UN agency and Bangladesh "on the safe, voluntary, and dignified returns of refugees in line with international standards, if and when the conditions are conducive to returns," said UN&nbspHigh Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman Andrej Mahecic.

Mahecic and Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mohammad Shahidul Haque said the MoU will be signed on Friday morning in Geneva.

Another Bangladeshi official involved in the discussions said the MoU is likely to lay out that the UNHCR will vet all refugees being repatriated to ensure that the process is 100 percent voluntary.

"The whole return process will be operated as per the UNHCR, so there will be no force put on the refugee to go back," said the source.

Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military crackdown and crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state since August. The refugees are living in cramped camps at Cox's Bazar, and Bangladesh is keen to urge the refugees to return home soon, especially with the oncoming monsoons expected to cause major devastation at the camps.

The official, who asked not to be named as he was not authorized to discuss matters with the media, said the UNHCR is expected to run a few transit sites along the border that will house refugees before they are transferred to temporary resettlement shelters in Rakhine State.&nbsp

The official added that the UN&nbspbody is expected to arrange sufficient funds to run the repatriation programme and that both the parties would conduct promotional activities urging people to return to Myanmar.

A Myanmar minister told Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on Wednesday that their repatriation was a priority, in the first visit by a top Myanmar official since last year's exodus.

The bilateral MoU would be an early step in the process work on a deal involving Bangladesh, Myanmar and the UNHCR is ongoing. That tripartite deal would aim to provide guarantees around the resettlement and safety of those that agree to be repatriated, along with assurances that officials of the UNHCR will be allowed to regularly inspect these sites.

The MoU will be signed on Friday morning in Geneva

The United Nations refugee agency is set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh laying out a framework for the voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, an agency spokesman said on Wednesday. The MoU is aimed at establishing cooperation between the UN agency and Bangladesh "on the safe, voluntary, and dignified returns of refugees in line with international standards, if and when the conditions are conducive to returns," said UN&nbspHigh Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman Andrej Mahecic. Mahecic and Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mohammad Shahidul Haque said the MoU will be signed on Friday morning in Geneva. Another Bangladeshi official involved in the discussions said the MoU is likely to lay out that the UNHCR will vet all refugees being repatriated to ensure that the process is 100 percent voluntary. "The whole return process will be operated as per the UNHCR, so there will be no force put on the refugee to go back," said the source. Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military crackdown and crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state since August. The refugees are living in cramped camps at Cox's Bazar, and Bangladesh is keen to urge the refugees to return home soon, especially with the oncoming monsoons expected to cause major devastation at the camps. The official, who asked not to be named as he was not authorized to discuss matters with the media, said the UNHCR is expected to run a few transit sites along the border that will house refugees before they are transferred to temporary resettlement shelters in Rakhine State. The official added that the UN&nbspbody is expected to arrange sufficient funds to run the repatriation programme and that both the parties would conduct promotional activities urging people to return to Myanmar. A Myanmar minister told Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on Wednesday that their repatriation was a priority, in the first visit by a top Myanmar official since last year's exodus. The bilateral MoU would be an early step in the process work on a deal involving Bangladesh, Myanmar and the UNHCR is ongoing. That tripartite deal would aim to provide guarantees around the resettlement and safety of those that agree to be repatriated, along with assurances that officials of the UNHCR will be allowed to regularly inspect these sites.

Bangladesh, UNHCR to ink preliminary plan on Rohingya repatriation

Thousands of students staged a protest across Bangladesh which started on Sunday against discriminatory quotas for government jobs in favour of special groups which also left 100 students injured at the country’s top university left after clashes.&nbsp;

Hundreds of university students across Bangladesh blockaded roads on Tuesday in the third day of protests against what they say are discriminatory quotas for government jobs. Students took to the streets in Dhaka and elsewhere despite assurances from the government that it would review the controversial quota system.

The mass protests roiling campuses across the country have been among the biggest faced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her decade in power.

"We'll continue our agitation until the authorities accept our demands," said Rahat, one of the roughly 500 students camped out at the university's main square.

Following the violence that erupted on Sunday and continued into the early hours of Monday, classes at Dhaka University ground to a halt as thousands occupied the main square chanting “Reform, reform!” Students at state-run universities in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal, Rangpur, Sylhet and Savar also boycotted classes and staged sit-ins, police and media said.

At Jahangirnagar University alone, more than 1,000 students joined the demonstrations, said Ataur Rahman, a protester in Savar where the university is located.

The students are angry at the government’s decision to set aside 56% of civil service jobs for the families of veterans from the 1971 war of independence and for disadvantaged minorities.

The Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, discussed the quota issue at its weekly meeting on Monday, said cabinet secretary Shafiul Alam. She has asked senior Minister Obaidul Quader to hold a meeting with the protest leaders, he said.

Hundreds of police patrolled key entry points to the campus.

Organisers in Dhaka said they had been holding peaceful protests on Sunday when police started firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and used batons and water cannon to clear a central square.

"More than 100 people were injured," police inspector Bacchu Mia told AFP, adding they were treated in hospital but their condition was not serious.

Protesters threw rocks, vandalised the home of the Dhaka University vice-chancellor, torched two cars and ransacked the fine arts institute, said senior police officer Azimul Haque.

Hasan Al Mamun, a leader of the protests, said tens of thousands of students joined the demonstrations nationwide. Police declined to estimate the number.

Al Mamun said the quota for top-grade jobs should be reduced to only 10 per cent.

"These quotas are discriminatory. Due to the quota system, 56 per cent of the jobs are set aside for five per cent of the country's population. And 95 per cent of the people can compete for the 44 per cent," he said.

Students are particularly upset at the 30 per cent quota set aside for descendants of veterans of the independence war.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Students are particularly upset at the 30 per cent quota set aside for descendants of veterans of the independence war

Thousands of students staged a protest across Bangladesh which started on Sunday against discriminatory quotas for government jobs in favour of special groups which also left 100 students injured at the country’s top university left after clashes. Hundreds of university students across Bangladesh blockaded roads on Tuesday in the third day of protests against what they say are discriminatory quotas for government jobs. Students took to the streets in Dhaka and elsewhere despite assurances from the government that it would review the controversial quota system. The mass protests roiling campuses across the country have been among the biggest faced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her decade in power. "We'll continue our agitation until the authorities accept our demands," said Rahat, one of the roughly 500 students camped out at the university's main square. Following the violence that erupted on Sunday and continued into the early hours of Monday, classes at Dhaka University ground to a halt as thousands occupied the main square chanting “Reform, reform!” Students at state-run universities in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal, Rangpur, Sylhet and Savar also boycotted classes and staged sit-ins, police and media said. At Jahangirnagar University alone, more than 1,000 students joined the demonstrations, said Ataur Rahman, a protester in Savar where the university is located. The students are angry at the government’s decision to set aside 56% of civil service jobs for the families of veterans from the 1971 war of independence and for disadvantaged minorities. The Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, discussed the quota issue at its weekly meeting on Monday, said cabinet secretary Shafiul Alam. She has asked senior Minister Obaidul Quader to hold a meeting with the protest leaders, he said. Hundreds of police patrolled key entry points to the campus. Organisers in Dhaka said they had been holding peaceful protests on Sunday when police started firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and used batons and water cannon to clear a central square. "More than 100 people were injured," police inspector Bacchu Mia told AFP, adding they were treated in hospital but their condition was not serious. Protesters threw rocks, vandalised the home of the Dhaka University vice-chancellor, torched two cars and ransacked the fine arts institute, said senior police officer Azimul Haque. Hasan Al Mamun, a leader of the protests, said tens of thousands of students joined the demonstrations nationwide. Police declined to estimate the number. Al Mamun said the quota for top-grade jobs should be reduced to only 10 per cent. "These quotas are discriminatory. Due to the quota system, 56 per cent of the jobs are set aside for five per cent of the country's population. And 95 per cent of the people can compete for the 44 per cent," he said. Students are particularly upset at the 30 per cent quota set aside for descendants of veterans of the independence war. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: At least 100 students injured in Bangladesh anti-quota protests

A Myanmar government minister will visit Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh on Wednesday, officials said, a rare trip Dhaka hopes will help speed the return home of hundreds of thousands of the neighbouring nation's Muslim minority.

Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, will speak with some of the roughly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims the United Nations and aid groups say fled a military crackdown in their Buddhist-majority country since last August.

"So many people of his country are here and it's their moral obligation to see their conditions," Mohammed Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner, told Reuters.

"His country may want to show the global leaders that they are sincere to repatriate. Bangladesh expects to resolve the problem soonest, as it is a huge burden for this country, which we cannot bear."

The Myanmar minister confirmed to Reuters last week that he was visiting Bangladesh.

Kalam will accompany Win Myat Aye on the visit to the camps in Kutupalong, where many refugees live in shacks made of bamboo and plastic sheets that are unlikely to withstand heavy rains and storms brought by the monsoon season when it starts in June.

A Bangladesh foreign ministry official said his country wanted to show the visiting minister the challenges it was facing in hosting the refugees in the coastal district of Cox's Bazar, bordering Myanmar.

Win Myat Aye, the minister charged by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi with leading rehabilitation efforts in the country's Rakhine State that the Rohingya call home, is likely to meet Bangladesh's foreign minister on Thursday, said the official, who declined to be identified, citing government policy.

Myanmar has said it has already verified several hundred Rohingya refugees for possible repatriation.

The Rohingya exodus followed reported killings, burnings, looting and rape in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces. Myanmar, which considers most Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, has denied the accusations.

Kalam will accompany Win Myat Aye on the visit to the camps in Kutupalong, where many refugees live

A Myanmar government minister will visit Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh on Wednesday, officials said, a rare trip Dhaka hopes will help speed the return home of hundreds of thousands of the neighbouring nation's Muslim minority. Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, will speak with some of the roughly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims the United Nations and aid groups say fled a military crackdown in their Buddhist-majority country since last August. "So many people of his country are here and it's their moral obligation to see their conditions," Mohammed Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner, told Reuters. "His country may want to show the global leaders that they are sincere to repatriate. Bangladesh expects to resolve the problem soonest, as it is a huge burden for this country, which we cannot bear." The Myanmar minister confirmed to Reuters last week that he was visiting Bangladesh. Kalam will accompany Win Myat Aye on the visit to the camps in Kutupalong, where many refugees live in shacks made of bamboo and plastic sheets that are unlikely to withstand heavy rains and storms brought by the monsoon season when it starts in June. A Bangladesh foreign ministry official said his country wanted to show the visiting minister the challenges it was facing in hosting the refugees in the coastal district of Cox's Bazar, bordering Myanmar. Win Myat Aye, the minister charged by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi with leading rehabilitation efforts in the country's Rakhine State that the Rohingya call home, is likely to meet Bangladesh's foreign minister on Thursday, said the official, who declined to be identified, citing government policy. Myanmar has said it has already verified several hundred Rohingya refugees for possible repatriation. The Rohingya exodus followed reported killings, burnings, looting and rape in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces. Myanmar, which considers most Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, has denied the accusations.

Myanmar minister to visit Rohingya camps as Bangladesh seeks refugees' return

Bangladesh and India have signed an agreement on Monday to construct a 129.5 km oil pipeline. The project will facilitate pumping at least 1 million tonnes of oil to Bangladesh every year.

The deal, which is a part of the six memorandum of understandings (MoUs), was signed during a meeting between the respective Foreign Secretaries in Dhaka.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale reached Dhaka on Sunday to hold talks with senior Bangladeshi officials on a host of bilateral and regional issues.

The two countries signed MoUs on significant areas including education, culture, health, community welfare, road infrastructure among others.&nbsp;

The bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh is reported to have almost tripled from $2.75 billion in 2008-09 to $7.52 billion in 2016-17. Gokhale called Bangladesh India's biggest trade partner in South Asia.

The second phase of humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar was also announced. Bangladesh's foreign secretary, Shahdiul Haque, expressed his happiness over India's position on the Rohingya refugee issue.&nbsp;

Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale reached Dhaka on Sunday

Bangladesh and India have signed an agreement on Monday to construct a 129.5 km oil pipeline. The project will facilitate pumping at least 1 million tonnes of oil to Bangladesh every year. The deal, which is a part of the six memorandum of understandings (MoUs), was signed during a meeting between the respective Foreign Secretaries in Dhaka. Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale reached Dhaka on Sunday to hold talks with senior Bangladeshi officials on a host of bilateral and regional issues. The two countries signed MoUs on significant areas including education, culture, health, community welfare, road infrastructure among others. The bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh is reported to have almost tripled from $2.75 billion in 2008-09 to $7.52 billion in 2016-17. Gokhale called Bangladesh India's biggest trade partner in South Asia. The second phase of humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar was also announced. Bangladesh's foreign secretary, Shahdiul Haque, expressed his happiness over India's position on the Rohingya refugee issue.

Bangladesh, India sign 129.5 km oil pipeline deal

In its&nbsp;latest attempt to counter Islamic extremism, Bangladesh has launched campaign worth&nbsp;billions&nbsp;of dollars.

Under the campaign, Bangladesh will build hundreds of 'model mosques' or cultural centres to preach against distorted Islamic philosophy.

A part of the funding for the initiative would come from Saudi Arabia, reports added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated nine mosques through a video conference on Thursday.

A senior official said that 560 'model mosques cum cultural centers' will be built in the next 30 months as part of government's attempt to fight extremism.

“In the next one to one and a half months, work on another 100 mosques will begin,” news agency AFP quoted Shahmim Afzal, who heads the government &nbsp;Islamic affairs department as saying.

These mosques would be equipped with libraries and cultural centres and unlike other mosques of the country, these will be opened for women as well.

As this year is the election year for Bangladesh some experts have considered this move to be purely aimed at political gains and to win over radical opposition forces.

In recent years Hasina has cracked down on hard-line groups, and tried and executed leaders of extremist groups accused of war crimes. She has made secularism part of Bangladesh’s constitution.

“Ahead of the elections, she is adjusting her secular stand by leaning toward a more rightist Islamist position,” Rahman said. 
Hasina has said a general election will be held this year.

Some 90 per cent of Bangladesh’s 160 million people are Muslims.

(With inputs from AFP)

In a latest attempt to counter Islamic extremism, Bangladesh has launched campaign worth of billion dollars

In its latest attempt to counter Islamic extremism, Bangladesh has launched campaign worth billions of dollars. Under the campaign, Bangladesh will build hundreds of 'model mosques' or cultural centres to preach against distorted Islamic philosophy. A part of the funding for the initiative would come from Saudi Arabia, reports added. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated nine mosques through a video conference on Thursday. A senior official said that 560 'model mosques cum cultural centers' will be built in the next 30 months as part of government's attempt to fight extremism. “In the next one to one and a half months, work on another 100 mosques will begin,” news agency AFP quoted Shahmim Afzal, who heads the government Islamic affairs department as saying. These mosques would be equipped with libraries and cultural centres and unlike other mosques of the country, these will be opened for women as well. As this year is the election year for Bangladesh some experts have considered this move to be purely aimed at political gains and to win over radical opposition forces. In recent years Hasina has cracked down on hard-line groups, and tried and executed leaders of extremist groups accused of war crimes. She has made secularism part of Bangladesh’s constitution. “Ahead of the elections, she is adjusting her secular stand by leaning toward a more rightist Islamist position,” Rahman said. Hasina has said a general election will be held this year. Some 90 per cent of Bangladesh’s 160 million people are Muslims. (With inputs from AFP)

Bangladesh launches billion dollar campaign to tackle extremism

Bangladesh's police today recovered the bloodstained body of a prominent Hindu lawyer who went missing on Friday and arrested four persons, including his wife, suspecting their link to the murder.

Ratish Chandra Bhowmik, who fought the state's case in high-profile murder trials against Islamist extremists, went missing after he left his home in northwestern Rangpur district on Friday morning.

When the 58-year-old lawyer did not return home and his mobile phone was found switched off, his family reported about his disappearance to police and the Hindu community leaders.

"Their confessional statements led us to the dead body from an under construction building near Bhowmik's own house," said Benazir Ahmed, Director General of police anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion.

He added that the lawyer's wife, a school teacher, and one of her arrested colleagues were directly involved in the murder pointing figure to their extramarital relations.

Police earlier launched a massive campaign amid huge protests to trace out Bhowmik suspecting militant links to his disappearance on early Friday as he fought major murder trials against them as a key prosecution lawyer.

Police said the mobile phone records gave them the clue to the murder leading to his wife's arrest.

Bhowmik's disappearance came two weeks after seven operatives of outlawed Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were sentenced to death for murdering the caretaker of a Sufi shrine in November 2015.

Earlier, he appeared as a key prosecutor against five JMB extremists, who too were sentenced to death for the murder of Japanese farmer Hoshi Kunio in the same year.

Bhowmik was also a crucial witness to the trial of senior Jamaate-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam who was eventually sentenced to death by a special tribunal for committing crimes against humanity siding with the Pakistani troops during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War.

According to the police, Bhowmik had earlier refused the offer of an armed escort during the high-profile trials.

Bangladesh has been waging a campaign against JMB and other homegrown militant outfits after a re-grouped faction of JMB called Neo-JMB, stormed a Dhaka cafe in 2016 and massacred 23 people, mostly foreigners.

Ratish Chandra Bhowmik, who fought the state's case in high-profile murder trials against Islamist extremists, went missing on Friday

Bangladesh's police today recovered the bloodstained body of a prominent Hindu lawyer who went missing on Friday and arrested four persons, including his wife, suspecting their link to the murder. Ratish Chandra Bhowmik, who fought the state's case in high-profile murder trials against Islamist extremists, went missing after he left his home in northwestern Rangpur district on Friday morning. When the 58-year-old lawyer did not return home and his mobile phone was found switched off, his family reported about his disappearance to police and the Hindu community leaders. "Their confessional statements led us to the dead body from an under construction building near Bhowmik's own house," said Benazir Ahmed, Director General of police anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion. He added that the lawyer's wife, a school teacher, and one of her arrested colleagues were directly involved in the murder pointing figure to their extramarital relations. Police earlier launched a massive campaign amid huge protests to trace out Bhowmik suspecting militant links to his disappearance on early Friday as he fought major murder trials against them as a key prosecution lawyer. Police said the mobile phone records gave them the clue to the murder leading to his wife's arrest. Bhowmik's disappearance came two weeks after seven operatives of outlawed Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were sentenced to death for murdering the caretaker of a Sufi shrine in November 2015. Earlier, he appeared as a key prosecutor against five JMB extremists, who too were sentenced to death for the murder of Japanese farmer Hoshi Kunio in the same year. Bhowmik was also a crucial witness to the trial of senior Jamaate-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam who was eventually sentenced to death by a special tribunal for committing crimes against humanity siding with the Pakistani troops during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War. According to the police, Bhowmik had earlier refused the offer of an armed escort during the high-profile trials. Bangladesh has been waging a campaign against JMB and other homegrown militant outfits after a re-grouped faction of JMB called Neo-JMB, stormed a Dhaka cafe in 2016 and massacred 23 people, mostly foreigners.

Bangladesh: Missing lawyer's body found; wife arrested

As Bangladesh gears up for the general elections to be held in December this year experts are fearing that hardline forces in the country have started gaining ground in a bid to remove the current moderate Government in Dhaka.

The Khalida Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamic fundamentalist groups, are making attempts to vote out the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League.

Experts believe that the Jamaat-e-Islami has committed war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War and killed three million people in the name of Islam.

Around 500,000 women were reportedly violated by the Pakistan Army and their collaborators Shahriar Kabir, a Dhaka-based journalist and human rights activist, said, "The rise of Islamic militancy, terrorism in the name of Islam that is being perpetrated by the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Hifazat-e-Islam, and backed by the BNP, one of the largest political parties of Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Because of the BNP, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Hifazat-e-Islam, as well as other fundamentalist and extremist groups, have become so violent and we have seen their violence starting from February 2013.

Experts sitting offshore are also concerned over the growing alliance of the BNP and Islamic fundamentalists as they believe the perpetrators of 1971 are still stronger than pro-liberation forces.

Rohan Gunaratna, an international terrorism expert based in Singapore said, "The Jamaat-e-Islami ideology has formed the seabed, the foundation for the emergence of extremist and terrorist groups in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

If not for the Jamaat-e-Islami, so many people would not have been radicalised and we have seen the emergence of JMB (Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh), HuJI-B, the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh and a number of other groups.

"The rise of Islamic forces in Bangladesh not only affects the common people in the country but also raises concerns for the fragile neighbourhood BNP-Jamaat-led coalition governments in the past had provided shelter, funds and training to secessionist insurgent groups of northeastern India.

A BNP return to power would mean New Delhi facing a difficult government in Dhaka which in the past has permitted terror groups to operate freely from its soil&nbsp;

Bangladesh's general elections to be held in December this year

As Bangladesh gears up for the general elections to be held in December this year experts are fearing that hardline forces in the country have started gaining ground in a bid to remove the current moderate Government in Dhaka. The Khalida Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamic fundamentalist groups, are making attempts to vote out the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League. Experts believe that the Jamaat-e-Islami has committed war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War and killed three million people in the name of Islam. Around 500,000 women were reportedly violated by the Pakistan Army and their collaborators Shahriar Kabir, a Dhaka-based journalist and human rights activist, said, "The rise of Islamic militancy, terrorism in the name of Islam that is being perpetrated by the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Hifazat-e-Islam, and backed by the BNP, one of the largest political parties of Bangladesh. Because of the BNP, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Hifazat-e-Islam, as well as other fundamentalist and extremist groups, have become so violent and we have seen their violence starting from February 2013. Experts sitting offshore are also concerned over the growing alliance of the BNP and Islamic fundamentalists as they believe the perpetrators of 1971 are still stronger than pro-liberation forces. Rohan Gunaratna, an international terrorism expert based in Singapore said, "The Jamaat-e-Islami ideology has formed the seabed, the foundation for the emergence of extremist and terrorist groups in Bangladesh. If not for the Jamaat-e-Islami, so many people would not have been radicalised and we have seen the emergence of JMB (Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh), HuJI-B, the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh and a number of other groups. "The rise of Islamic forces in Bangladesh not only affects the common people in the country but also raises concerns for the fragile neighbourhood BNP-Jamaat-led coalition governments in the past had provided shelter, funds and training to secessionist insurgent groups of northeastern India. A BNP return to power would mean New Delhi facing a difficult government in Dhaka which in the past has permitted terror groups to operate freely from its soil

As Bangladesh gears up for elections experts fear rise in hardline groups

China is developing a 750-acre industrial park in Bangladesh which will largely be used by Chinese manufacturing firms, a Chinese official said on Wednesday, part of its push to expand links with South Asia and beyond.

State-run China Harbour Engineering Company will hold a 70 percent share in a joint venture being formed for the park with the Bangladesh Special Economic Zone Authority (BSEZA), Li Guangjun, the economic and commercial counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Dhaka, said.

“This is for the first time China has received such a facility from the Bangladesh government where Chinese investors will be able to set up industries, mainly manufacturing firms,” Li told Reuters.

China is investing billions of dollars in building ports, power stations and roads in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan as part of its Belt and Road Initiative to build trade and transport corridors across Asia and beyond.

The industrial park will be in Bangladesh's main port city of Chittagong and will take five years to become fully operational.

Li said Chinese investment in Bangladesh would soon reach $10 billion, mainly focused on power, road and infrastructure projects.

Most financing for Chinese investment in Bangladesh comes through soft Chinese loans, with interest rates of 2 percent and repayment periods of 20 years.

In Sri Lanka, China has faced criticism for tough loan conditions which critics say has pushed the island nation into debt and forced it to hand over majority control of Hambantota port to China in an equity for debt swap.

Li said the land acquisition process needed to be faster in Bangladesh for projects to reach completion.vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

China is investing billions of dollars in building ports, power stations and roads in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan as part of its Belt and Road Initiative to build trade and transport corridors across Asia and beyond

China is developing a 750-acre industrial park in Bangladesh which will largely be used by Chinese manufacturing firms, a Chinese official said on Wednesday, part of its push to expand links with South Asia and beyond. State-run China Harbour Engineering Company will hold a 70 percent share in a joint venture being formed for the park with the Bangladesh Special Economic Zone Authority (BSEZA), Li Guangjun, the economic and commercial counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Dhaka, said. “This is for the first time China has received such a facility from the Bangladesh government where Chinese investors will be able to set up industries, mainly manufacturing firms,” Li told Reuters. China is investing billions of dollars in building ports, power stations and roads in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan as part of its Belt and Road Initiative to build trade and transport corridors across Asia and beyond. The industrial park will be in Bangladesh's main port city of Chittagong and will take five years to become fully operational. Li said Chinese investment in Bangladesh would soon reach $10 billion, mainly focused on power, road and infrastructure projects. Most financing for Chinese investment in Bangladesh comes through soft Chinese loans, with interest rates of 2 percent and repayment periods of 20 years. In Sri Lanka, China has faced criticism for tough loan conditions which critics say has pushed the island nation into debt and forced it to hand over majority control of Hambantota port to China in an equity for debt swap. Li said the land acquisition process needed to be faster in Bangladesh for projects to reach completion.vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

China to develop Bangladesh industrial zone as part of South Asia push

The first container train between Kolkata and Dhaka will soon be flagged off. The trial run of the train began yesterday.

"The much-awaited demand of the trade is finally being met after a long passing by Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR) and Indian Railways with Bangladesh Railway and other agencies of the two countries," Harindra Rao, General Manager, Eastern Railways said.

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Kolkata: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Visuals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Visuals</a> from trial run of Kolkata-Dhaka container train, first container train between India and Bangladesh, which was flagged off yesterday; the train will take around 8 hours to reach Bangaladesh and can carry 60 containers with maximum net weight of 12.247 kg in each <a href="https://t.co/BWlr1NtUOj">pic.twitter.com/BWlr1NtUOj</a>
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The train will take around eight hours to reach Bangladesh and is capable of carrying 60 containers with a maximum net weight of 12.247 kg in each container.

There has been regular railway service between Indian and Bangladesh wherein passenger and goods trains have been running between the two countries.

This will be the first time a container train service will be flagged-off between India and Bangladesh.&nbsp;

The move is expected to facilitate trade between India and Bangladesh.&nbsp;

The move is expected to facilitate trade between India and Bangladesh

The first container train between Kolkata and Dhaka will soon be flagged off. The trial run of the train began yesterday. "The much-awaited demand of the trade is finally being met after a long passing by Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR) and Indian Railways with Bangladesh Railway and other agencies of the two countries," Harindra Rao, General Manager, Eastern Railways said. Kolkata: #Visuals from trial run of Kolkata-Dhaka container train, first container train between India and Bangladesh, which was flagged off yesterday; the train will take around 8 hours to reach Bangaladesh and can carry 60 containers with maximum net weight of 12.247 kg in each pic.twitter.com/BWlr1NtUOj — ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2018 × The train will take around eight hours to reach Bangladesh and is capable of carrying 60 containers with a maximum net weight of 12.247 kg in each container. There has been regular railway service between Indian and Bangladesh wherein passenger and goods trains have been running between the two countries. This will be the first time a container train service will be flagged-off between India and Bangladesh. The move is expected to facilitate trade between India and Bangladesh.

Watch: First India-Bangladesh container train flagged off

The UN Security Council (UNSC) is likely to visit Myanmar and Bangladesh later this month to take stock of the ongoing Rohingya crisis.

The Myanmar government has welcomed UNSC's visit and is in the process of finalising the details of the visit.

The Council's will aim at visiting the tension-gripped Rakhine state. UN officials will also visit Bangladesh's Cox Bazaar where a majority of Rohingya refugees have taken shelter.

The UN described the Rohingyas fleeing -- triggered by widespread attacks -- as "ethnic cleansing."

UNSC has been grappling with internal divisions in its stance on the crisis due to which the council has not been able to take any decisive action. UNSC officials will also visit Iraq this month.

The Council will aim at visiting the tension-gripped Rakhine state

The UN Security Council (UNSC) is likely to visit Myanmar and Bangladesh later this month to take stock of the ongoing Rohingya crisis. The Myanmar government has welcomed UNSC's visit and is in the process of finalising the details of the visit. The Council's will aim at visiting the tension-gripped Rakhine state. UN officials will also visit Bangladesh's Cox Bazaar where a majority of Rohingya refugees have taken shelter. The UN described the Rohingyas fleeing -- triggered by widespread attacks -- as "ethnic cleansing." UNSC has been grappling with internal divisions in its stance on the crisis due to which the council has not been able to take any decisive action. UNSC officials will also visit Iraq this month.

Rohingya crisis: UN Security Council to visit Myanmar, Bangladesh this month

A prominent Bangladeshi lawyer who fought the state's case in a high-profile murder trial against extremists has disappeared, police said Sunday, with grave fears for his safety.

Ratish Chandra Bhowmik, a respected prosecutor and champion of minority rights, has not been seen since he left his home in Rangpur early Friday morning.

His disappearance comes a fortnight after seven militants from the Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh were sentenced to death for murdering the caretaker of a Sufi shrine in November 2015.

Bhowmik led the case that saw nearly a dozen hardliners from the homegrown extremist group convicted for killing the caretaker because they considered him a heretic.

Lawyers in the northern Bangladeshi city have staged protests calling for information about their colleague.

"We are concerned and worried," said Abdul Malek, a lawyer who represented the state with Bhowmik in the trial against the militants.

Bhowmik, a Hindu and leading cultural activist, also lead the state's prosecution against five JMB extremists sentenced to death for the murder of 66-year-old Japanese farmer Hoshi Kunio in 2015.

Rangpur regional police chief Khandaker Golam Faruque told AFP that Bhowmik had refused the offer of an armed escort during the high-profile trials.

"There was no threat against him. His family filed a complaint about his disappearance on Friday night," Faruque said.

JMB regrouped after the execution of its founder and top leadership in 2007 and has been blamed for a wave of attacks on religious minorities, atheist bloggers and foreigners in recent years.&nbsp

In July 2016, suspected JMB militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group.

Bangladesh has been waging a campaign against JMB and other homegrown militant outfits in the wake of the attacks.&nbsp

Security forces have shot dead more than 70 alleged militants in a crackdown since the cafe assault.

Hundreds of suspected Islamists have also been arrested, and scores have been sentenced to death.

Ratish Chandra Bhowmik, a respected prosecutor and champion of minority rights, has not been seen since he left his home in Rangpur early Friday

A prominent Bangladeshi lawyer who fought the state's case in a high-profile murder trial against extremists has disappeared, police said Sunday, with grave fears for his safety. Ratish Chandra Bhowmik, a respected prosecutor and champion of minority rights, has not been seen since he left his home in Rangpur early Friday morning. His disappearance comes a fortnight after seven militants from the Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh were sentenced to death for murdering the caretaker of a Sufi shrine in November 2015. Bhowmik led the case that saw nearly a dozen hardliners from the homegrown extremist group convicted for killing the caretaker because they considered him a heretic. Lawyers in the northern Bangladeshi city have staged protests calling for information about their colleague. "We are concerned and worried," said Abdul Malek, a lawyer who represented the state with Bhowmik in the trial against the militants. Bhowmik, a Hindu and leading cultural activist, also lead the state's prosecution against five JMB extremists sentenced to death for the murder of 66-year-old Japanese farmer Hoshi Kunio in 2015. Rangpur regional police chief Khandaker Golam Faruque told AFP that Bhowmik had refused the offer of an armed escort during the high-profile trials. "There was no threat against him. His family filed a complaint about his disappearance on Friday night," Faruque said. JMB regrouped after the execution of its founder and top leadership in 2007 and has been blamed for a wave of attacks on religious minorities, atheist bloggers and foreigners in recent years. In July 2016, suspected JMB militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group. Bangladesh has been waging a campaign against JMB and other homegrown militant outfits in the wake of the attacks. Security forces have shot dead more than 70 alleged militants in a crackdown since the cafe assault. Hundreds of suspected Islamists have also been arrested, and scores have been sentenced to death.

Prominent Bangladesh lawyer Ratish Bhowmik goes missing

Bangladesh officials said Monday a fishing boat carrying Rohingya Muslims to Southeast Asia did not set sail from its shores, where close to one million refugees live in congested camps.

Police in Bangladesh's southeast said they were investigating after a boat moored at a Thai island with dozens of Rohingya aboard, but were adamant their coast guard would have spotted the vessel.

"The boat didn't leave from Bangladesh," said Afrujul Haq Tutul, deputy police chief in Cox's Bazar district where the Rohingya camps are located.

"But, in light of the news, we are investigating this matter."

The boat, en route to Malaysia where there is a sizeable Rohingya community, stopped at an island off the west coast of Thailand early Sunday due to bad weather.

Thai officials said there were about 56 women, men and children on board and that the Rohingya would continue towards their destination.

Rohingya migrants attempting the boat routes south have been a rare sighting since Thai authorities clamped down on regional trafficking networks in 2015, leaving thousands of migrants abandoned in open waters or jungle camps.

Since then successive waves of violence in Myanmar have driven close to 800,000 Rohingya into southern Bangladesh, where they have joined hundreds of thousands who fled previous bouts of persecution.

Those who fled an army crackdown described by UN and US officials as ethnic cleansing arrived to find squalid camps and army blockades preventing them from leaving the immediate area in Cox's Bazar.

Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, Mohammad Abul Kalam, said local authorities had "no such information" about Rohingya trying their luck once again on the open ocean.

"We don't have any such intelligence about anyone leaving Bangladeshi shores for Malaysia by boat," he said.

A senior coast guard official said it was "impossible" that a captain would be able to evade patrols, which have been stepped up in recent months to combat drug trafficking and prevent people smuggling.

"They (boats) are not allowed to go out. It would be very hard to sneak out of our coastal patrol. I don't think these people sailed away from here," coast guard spokesman Abdullah Al Maruf.

Many of the Rohingya ensnared in the 2015 boat crisis wound up in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia as Thailand stuck to a policy of not accepting the vessels.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Bangladesh officials said Monday a fishing boat carrying Rohingya Muslims to Southeast Asia did not set sail from its shores

Bangladesh officials said Monday a fishing boat carrying Rohingya Muslims to Southeast Asia did not set sail from its shores, where close to one million refugees live in congested camps. Police in Bangladesh's southeast said they were investigating after a boat moored at a Thai island with dozens of Rohingya aboard, but were adamant their coast guard would have spotted the vessel. "The boat didn't leave from Bangladesh," said Afrujul Haq Tutul, deputy police chief in Cox's Bazar district where the Rohingya camps are located. "But, in light of the news, we are investigating this matter." The boat, en route to Malaysia where there is a sizeable Rohingya community, stopped at an island off the west coast of Thailand early Sunday due to bad weather. Thai officials said there were about 56 women, men and children on board and that the Rohingya would continue towards their destination. Rohingya migrants attempting the boat routes south have been a rare sighting since Thai authorities clamped down on regional trafficking networks in 2015, leaving thousands of migrants abandoned in open waters or jungle camps. Since then successive waves of violence in Myanmar have driven close to 800,000 Rohingya into southern Bangladesh, where they have joined hundreds of thousands who fled previous bouts of persecution. Those who fled an army crackdown described by UN and US officials as ethnic cleansing arrived to find squalid camps and army blockades preventing them from leaving the immediate area in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, Mohammad Abul Kalam, said local authorities had "no such information" about Rohingya trying their luck once again on the open ocean. "We don't have any such intelligence about anyone leaving Bangladeshi shores for Malaysia by boat," he said. A senior coast guard official said it was "impossible" that a captain would be able to evade patrols, which have been stepped up in recent months to combat drug trafficking and prevent people smuggling. "They (boats) are not allowed to go out. It would be very hard to sneak out of our coastal patrol. I don't think these people sailed away from here," coast guard spokesman Abdullah Al Maruf. Many of the Rohingya ensnared in the 2015 boat crisis wound up in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia as Thailand stuck to a policy of not accepting the vessels.

Bangladesh denies Rohingya boat docked at Thai island set sail from its shores

Myanmar authorities have lured dozens of mainly Buddhist Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land abandoned by fleeing Muslim Rohingya, officials said Monday.

About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side, attracted by offers of free land and food, have moved to Rakhine state in mainly Buddhist Myanmar - the scene of a brutal army crackdown which prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee.

The families from the ethnic Marma and Mro tribes have left their homes in the Bandarban hill district, local councillor Muing Swi Thwee told.&nbsp

He said 22 families departed from their villages in the Sangu forest reserve last month.&nbsp

The families, mainly Buddhist but with some Christians, were being "lured by Myanmar" to Rakhine where they were given free land, citizenship and free food for five years, Muing Swi Thwee said.

"They are going there to fill up the land vacated by the Rohingya who have left Burma (Myanmar). They are extremely poor."

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine for camps in mainly Muslim Bangladesh since Myanmar last August launched a crackdown which US and UN officials have described as ethnic cleansing.

An agreement to repatriate Rohingya has yet to see a single refugee returned. Rohingya leaders have said the refugees will not return unless they are allowed back to their villages, many of which have been torched by security forces, rather than to supposedly temporary resettlement camps.

Two government officials in the region confirmed the migration, saying up to 55 tribal families had left for Myanmar.&nbsp

"They are being lured by some people in Myanmar in return for free homes, free food for five-seven years. Some families have shifted there after being attracted by these offers," Jahangir Alam, a government district administrator, told.&nbsp

He said some of the tribal groups have family in Rakhine and these relatives are being used to woo the Bangladeshi tribals.

"These people have religious and linguistic similarities with Myanmar. Some of their ancestors have settled there in the past," he said.&nbsp

Al Kaiser, another government official, said a tribal man was killed and several family members were injured in a mine blast when they were crossing into Myanmar from the town of Ali Kadam.

Officials said they suspect political motives behind the migration.

"We think perhaps they (Myanmar) want to make some news using these people, that Buddhists are being tortured and repressed in Bangladesh and that's why they have left the country," said one official on condition of anonymity.

A Bangladeshi security officer told AFP that Myanmar had resettled thousands of Buddhists in Rakhine by using a resettlement scheme which offers free food, homes, cows and cash.

Muing Swi Thwee said more than 100 tribal families had left his area for Myanmar in the past three years.

Observers say Myanmar authorities are carrying out methodical social engineering schemes in northern Rakhine in the absence of many of the Rohingya.

A series of development projects, either government and army-sponsored or privately funded, are transforming the area, which the military sees as the frontline of its fight against encroaching Islam.

About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side have moved to Rakhine state in mainly Buddhist Myanmar

Myanmar authorities have lured dozens of mainly Buddhist Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land abandoned by fleeing Muslim Rohingya, officials said Monday. About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side, attracted by offers of free land and food, have moved to Rakhine state in mainly Buddhist Myanmar - the scene of a brutal army crackdown which prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee. The families from the ethnic Marma and Mro tribes have left their homes in the Bandarban hill district, local councillor Muing Swi Thwee told. He said 22 families departed from their villages in the Sangu forest reserve last month. The families, mainly Buddhist but with some Christians, were being "lured by Myanmar" to Rakhine where they were given free land, citizenship and free food for five years, Muing Swi Thwee said. "They are going there to fill up the land vacated by the Rohingya who have left Burma (Myanmar). They are extremely poor." Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine for camps in mainly Muslim Bangladesh since Myanmar last August launched a crackdown which US and UN officials have described as ethnic cleansing. An agreement to repatriate Rohingya has yet to see a single refugee returned. Rohingya leaders have said the refugees will not return unless they are allowed back to their villages, many of which have been torched by security forces, rather than to supposedly temporary resettlement camps. Two government officials in the region confirmed the migration, saying up to 55 tribal families had left for Myanmar. "They are being lured by some people in Myanmar in return for free homes, free food for five-seven years. Some families have shifted there after being attracted by these offers," Jahangir Alam, a government district administrator, told. He said some of the tribal groups have family in Rakhine and these relatives are being used to woo the Bangladeshi tribals. "These people have religious and linguistic similarities with Myanmar. Some of their ancestors have settled there in the past," he said. Al Kaiser, another government official, said a tribal man was killed and several family members were injured in a mine blast when they were crossing into Myanmar from the town of Ali Kadam. Officials said they suspect political motives behind the migration. "We think perhaps they (Myanmar) want to make some news using these people, that Buddhists are being tortured and repressed in Bangladesh and that's why they have left the country," said one official on condition of anonymity. A Bangladeshi security officer told AFP that Myanmar had resettled thousands of Buddhists in Rakhine by using a resettlement scheme which offers free food, homes, cows and cash. Muing Swi Thwee said more than 100 tribal families had left his area for Myanmar in the past three years. Observers say Myanmar authorities are carrying out methodical social engineering schemes in northern Rakhine in the absence of many of the Rohingya. A series of development projects, either government and army-sponsored or privately funded, are transforming the area, which the military sees as the frontline of its fight against encroaching Islam.

Myanmar lures Bangladesh Buddhists to take over Rohingya land: Officials

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to continue pressurising Myanmar to take Rohingya refugees back as soon as possible.

In her meeting with World Health Organisation-South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO) Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh at the Gono Bhaban here this week, Hasina said Rohingyas were given shelter in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds.

She added that it was time that Myanmar should speed up the repatriation process and that the Bangladesh government had completed the biometric registration of the refugees.

"The (Bangladesh) government gave identity cards to Rohingyas so that they could be identified easily and the Myanmar government could take them back," Hasina was quoted by Daily Star Bangladesh as saying.

Hasina further said that Bangladesh was in touch with other countries on the Rohingya issue such as India, China, Thailand and Myanmar.

Praising Bangladesh's efforts on the Rohingya issue, Poonam said that the WHO could collaborate with the country to provide immunisation and medical facilities to the refugees.

Stressing on health and sanitation issues in the Rohingya camps, Poonam added that such issues will be a challenge to tackle them and it had to be done soon before the monsoon season comes in.

Expressing concern over the health condition, sanitation and waterborne diseases of the Rohingyas in the upcoming monsoon, Poonam said it would be a challenging job to tackle the issue.

She urged the government to continue its immunisation activities.Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar.

They have been regarded by many majority Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year.

There are more than 3,00,000 Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, who fled in earlier waves of violence from Myanmar since the last three decades.The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which had left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Myanmar's Rakhine state, amounted to 'ethnic cleansing'.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to continue pressurising Myanmar to take Rohingya refugees back as soon as possible

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to continue pressurising Myanmar to take Rohingya refugees back as soon as possible. In her meeting with World Health Organisation-South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO) Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh at the Gono Bhaban here this week, Hasina said Rohingyas were given shelter in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds. She added that it was time that Myanmar should speed up the repatriation process and that the Bangladesh government had completed the biometric registration of the refugees. "The (Bangladesh) government gave identity cards to Rohingyas so that they could be identified easily and the Myanmar government could take them back," Hasina was quoted by Daily Star Bangladesh as saying. Hasina further said that Bangladesh was in touch with other countries on the Rohingya issue such as India, China, Thailand and Myanmar. Praising Bangladesh's efforts on the Rohingya issue, Poonam said that the WHO could collaborate with the country to provide immunisation and medical facilities to the refugees. Stressing on health and sanitation issues in the Rohingya camps, Poonam added that such issues will be a challenge to tackle them and it had to be done soon before the monsoon season comes in. Expressing concern over the health condition, sanitation and waterborne diseases of the Rohingyas in the upcoming monsoon, Poonam said it would be a challenging job to tackle the issue. She urged the government to continue its immunisation activities.Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar. They have been regarded by many majority Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year. There are more than 3,00,000 Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, who fled in earlier waves of violence from Myanmar since the last three decades.The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which had left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Myanmar's Rakhine state, amounted to 'ethnic cleansing'.

Bangladesh calls for global pressure on Myanmar to repatriate Rohingyas

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled to camps in Bangladesh from Myanmar must be relocated to avoid floods and other dangers from the monsoon, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday.

About 150,000 Rohingya are living in flood-prone areas in the crowded camps of Cox`s Bazar and could be exposed to health risks such as cholera during the rainy season, expected to start in June, according to the UN.

"The monsoon is the biggest concern," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York, adding that the Rohingya were "extremely vulnerable to the monsoon."

Guterres said he had discussed the relocation with Bangladesh`s government and stressed that "higher ground is the best place for this kind of relocation."

The government in Dhaka is continuing talks with UN agencies on where to move the Rohingyas, he said. There have been reports that authorities had proposed moving them to a remote island.

Some 700,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh by a major army crackdown in Myanmar`s Rakhine state since August.

Myanmar authorities say the operation is aimed at rooting out extremists.

About 150,000 Rohingya are living in flood-prone areas in the crowded camps of Cox`s Bazar and could be exposed to health risks such as cholera during the rainy season, expected to start in June, according to the UN

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled to camps in Bangladesh from Myanmar must be relocated to avoid floods and other dangers from the monsoon, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday. About 150,000 Rohingya are living in flood-prone areas in the crowded camps of Cox`s Bazar and could be exposed to health risks such as cholera during the rainy season, expected to start in June, according to the UN. "The monsoon is the biggest concern," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York, adding that the Rohingya were "extremely vulnerable to the monsoon." Guterres said he had discussed the relocation with Bangladesh`s government and stressed that "higher ground is the best place for this kind of relocation." The government in Dhaka is continuing talks with UN agencies on where to move the Rohingyas, he said. There have been reports that authorities had proposed moving them to a remote island. Some 700,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh by a major army crackdown in Myanmar`s Rakhine state since August. Myanmar authorities say the operation is aimed at rooting out extremists.

UN in talks with Bangladesh about relocating 150,000 Rohingyas

Bangladesh is not expecting much help from foreign donors as it forges ahead with plans to relocate 100,000 Rohingya refugees to an uninhabited island, an undertaking that does not yet have a timeline, a state minister said in an interview.

The minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed Shahriar Alam, told on Friday that Bangladesh was paying the entire roughly $280 million to build homes and fortify the muddy island in the Bay of Bengal from cyclones and that it was mulling a formal request for international funds.&nbsp

No refugees who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar would be moved there against their will, he added.&nbsp

Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims crossed the border from Myanmar's Rakhine state since August, and are in cramped camps at Cox's Bazar. Because a repatriation deal between the neighbouring countries has been delayed, Bangladesh aims to prepare new homes on the nearby island, called Bhasan Char, before the onset of seasonal monsoon rains that could come in late April.

"We don't have a timeline because it's a lot of money," Alam said at Bangladesh's United Nations office in New York. "We are so far building it with our own finances. I am not very hopeful about how much funds the international community will be able to raise."

The latest wave of refugees joined about 300,000 Rohingya already in Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest and most crowded countries, who fled previous bouts of violence.&nbsp

A UN coordination branch has separately requested $951 million for immediate relief.&nbsp

Alam pointed to blueprints of construction on the island 30 km (21 miles) from the mainland and said one plan could be to bring potential donors there.&nbsp

He brushed off as "misunderstandings" concerns raised by humanitarian groups such as Amnesty International that the silt island was vulnerable to flooding. "Some people raised concerns about Bhasan Char (but) there is absolutely no reason to be concerned because we are building an embankment," he said.&nbsp

Bangladesh sees the island as a temporary arrangement for refugees but has given conflicting signals on how much freedom they would have to leave once there.&nbsp

Alam said Bangladesh shared the building designs with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which suggested "we engage people, countries and organizations to come help and contribute" to the cost. "We are yet to do it," the minister said. "We haven't decided on that."&nbsp

Mohammed Shahriar Alam told that Bangladesh was paying the entire roughly $280 million to build homes and fortify the muddy island in the Bay of Bengal from cyclones

Bangladesh is not expecting much help from foreign donors as it forges ahead with plans to relocate 100,000 Rohingya refugees to an uninhabited island, an undertaking that does not yet have a timeline, a state minister said in an interview. The minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed Shahriar Alam, told on Friday that Bangladesh was paying the entire roughly $280 million to build homes and fortify the muddy island in the Bay of Bengal from cyclones and that it was mulling a formal request for international funds. No refugees who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar would be moved there against their will, he added. Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims crossed the border from Myanmar's Rakhine state since August, and are in cramped camps at Cox's Bazar. Because a repatriation deal between the neighbouring countries has been delayed, Bangladesh aims to prepare new homes on the nearby island, called Bhasan Char, before the onset of seasonal monsoon rains that could come in late April. "We don't have a timeline because it's a lot of money," Alam said at Bangladesh's United Nations office in New York. "We are so far building it with our own finances. I am not very hopeful about how much funds the international community will be able to raise." The latest wave of refugees joined about 300,000 Rohingya already in Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest and most crowded countries, who fled previous bouts of violence. A UN coordination branch has separately requested $951 million for immediate relief. Alam pointed to blueprints of construction on the island 30 km (21 miles) from the mainland and said one plan could be to bring potential donors there. He brushed off as "misunderstandings" concerns raised by humanitarian groups such as Amnesty International that the silt island was vulnerable to flooding. "Some people raised concerns about Bhasan Char (but) there is absolutely no reason to be concerned because we are building an embankment," he said. Bangladesh sees the island as a temporary arrangement for refugees but has given conflicting signals on how much freedom they would have to leave once there. Alam said Bangladesh shared the building designs with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which suggested "we engage people, countries and organizations to come help and contribute" to the cost. "We are yet to do it," the minister said. "We haven't decided on that."

Bangladesh sees little foreign funds for Rohingya refugee island: State minister

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the people of Bangladesh must respond to those who have been lost in their love for Pakistan and should be punished.

Speaking at a Genocide Day event on Sunday, Hasina said that the citizens had to help the Bangladesh government ensure that the "lovers" should forget Pakistan for good.

"If we cannot do it, we will cease to exist," she said at an event organised by the ruling Awami League at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka to remember the victims of the genocide carried out by Pakistan on March 25, 1971.

Recalling the assassination of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, Hasina named certain political leaders as lovers of Pakistan- such as former Bangladesh president and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) founder Ziaur Rahman and his wife and Hasina's arch-rival Begum Khaleda Zia, who is now the current chief of the party, bdnews24 reported.

"The entire history changed after 1975. Even the words 'Pakistani occupation forces' could not be uttered. People had to call them only 'occupation forces' in an effort to make them forget that the forces were Pakistani, such was the love for Pakistan," Hasina asserted.

She claimed that those who came to power after 1975 never wanted "people's fate to change" and did not want Bangladesh to progress, adding that the "agenda of Pakistani occupation forces" were being implemented.

Coming down on former Bangladesh president H.M. Ershad, who came to power in 1983 after Ziaur was assassinated, Hasina scoffed that "all of them had the same agenda."

Ershad, the chief of a key ally of the Awami League, now serves as a special envoy of Hasina.

Getting no respite from suppression by Pakistani forces after the Partition in 1947, then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), led by Mujibur, launched a movement against injustice.

When the people of East Pakistan were advocating for independence from West Pakistan (now Pakistan), Pakistani forces swooped down on unarmed Bengalis on March 25, 1971.

Bangladesh observes March 25 as Genocide Day for the past two years now after the country's parliament passed a motion recognising the day.

It has been demanding the United Nations (UN) to declare the day as the World Genocide Day as a sign of protest against genocides carried out around the globe.

However, in September 2015, the UN, recognised December 9 as International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of this Crime, on lines of the adoption of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide or the 'Genocide Convention'.

Bangladesh observed its 47th Independence Day on March 26.

Bangladesh observed its 47th Independence Day on March 26

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that the people of Bangladesh must respond to those who have been lost in their love for Pakistan and should be punished. Speaking at a Genocide Day event on Sunday, Hasina said that the citizens had to help the Bangladesh government ensure that the "lovers" should forget Pakistan for good. "If we cannot do it, we will cease to exist," she said at an event organised by the ruling Awami League at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka to remember the victims of the genocide carried out by Pakistan on March 25, 1971. Recalling the assassination of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, Hasina named certain political leaders as lovers of Pakistan- such as former Bangladesh president and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) founder Ziaur Rahman and his wife and Hasina's arch-rival Begum Khaleda Zia, who is now the current chief of the party, bdnews24 reported. "The entire history changed after 1975. Even the words 'Pakistani occupation forces' could not be uttered. People had to call them only 'occupation forces' in an effort to make them forget that the forces were Pakistani, such was the love for Pakistan," Hasina asserted. She claimed that those who came to power after 1975 never wanted "people's fate to change" and did not want Bangladesh to progress, adding that the "agenda of Pakistani occupation forces" were being implemented. Coming down on former Bangladesh president H.M. Ershad, who came to power in 1983 after Ziaur was assassinated, Hasina scoffed that "all of them had the same agenda." Ershad, the chief of a key ally of the Awami League, now serves as a special envoy of Hasina. Getting no respite from suppression by Pakistani forces after the Partition in 1947, then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), led by Mujibur, launched a movement against injustice. When the people of East Pakistan were advocating for independence from West Pakistan (now Pakistan), Pakistani forces swooped down on unarmed Bengalis on March 25, 1971. Bangladesh observes March 25 as Genocide Day for the past two years now after the country's parliament passed a motion recognising the day. It has been demanding the United Nations (UN) to declare the day as the World Genocide Day as a sign of protest against genocides carried out around the globe. However, in September 2015, the UN, recognised December 9 as International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of this Crime, on lines of the adoption of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide or the 'Genocide Convention'. Bangladesh observed its 47th Independence Day on March 26.

Bangladesh must punish 'lovers of Pakistan': Sheikh Hasina

The Rohingyas are rapidly crossing over from Bangladesh and settling in West Bengal's 24 Parganas districts, home ministry sources said on Tuesday.

The sources, quoting a report sent to the home ministry by intelligence agencies, said that the number of Rohingya migrants in 24 Parganas of West Bengal has surged from 29 to over 100 in just about a month.

The report also said that 40 groups have been identified who are helping the Rohingyas to relocate to West Bengal from all other parts of India like Jammu and Hyderabad. These groups, the report said, are raising funds to carry out this migration.

These groups have held more than 50 meetings on the issue, the report said.&nbsp;

New houses are being constructed in India's eastern state which borders Bangladesh the groups involved in the relocation process are asking the villagers living in 24 Parganas to donate their lands for the purpose of building these houses.

Intelligence agencies have raised concerns in the report saying that efforts are being made by certain agencies to help these Rohingyas gain India's citizenship.

The report also said that 40 groups have been identified who are helping the Rohingyas to relocate to West Bengal from all other parts of India like Jammu and Hyderabad.

The Rohingyas are rapidly crossing over from Bangladesh and settling in West Bengal's 24 Parganas districts, home ministry sources said on Tuesday. The sources, quoting a report sent to the home ministry by intelligence agencies, said that the number of Rohingya migrants in 24 Parganas of West Bengal has surged from 29 to over 100 in just about a month. The report also said that 40 groups have been identified who are helping the Rohingyas to relocate to West Bengal from all other parts of India like Jammu and Hyderabad. These groups, the report said, are raising funds to carry out this migration. These groups have held more than 50 meetings on the issue, the report said. New houses are being constructed in India's eastern state which borders Bangladesh the groups involved in the relocation process are asking the villagers living in 24 Parganas to donate their lands for the purpose of building these houses. Intelligence agencies have raised concerns in the report saying that efforts are being made by certain agencies to help these Rohingyas gain India's citizenship.

Rohingyas gravitate towards West Bengal, more than 100 resettle in a month: Home Ministry report

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may be seeking to revert his kingdom to an unspecified form of moderate Islam but erasing the impact of 40 years of global funding of ultra-conservative, intolerant strands of the faith is unlikely to be eradicated by decree.

Not only because ultra-conservatism has taken root in numerous Muslim countries and communities, but also because it has given opportunistic politicians a framework to pursue policies that appeal to bigoted and biased sentiments in bids to strengthen their grip on power. Nowhere is that more evident than in Asia, home to several of the Islamic world&#39;s most populous countries.

Examples of the fallout abound among recipients of Saudi largess. They include institutionalised discrimination in Pakistan against Ahmadis, a sect considered heretic by orthodox Muslims, as well as biased policies towards non-Muslims and Shiites in Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Basic freedoms in Bangladesh are being officially and unofficially curtailed in various forms as a result of domestic struggles originally enabled by successful Saudi pressure to amend the country&#39;s constitution in 1975 to recognise Islam as its official religion. The amendment was a condition for Saudi recognition of the young republic and the promise of substantial financial support.

Reports that Prince Mohammed in a dramatic gesture to Shiites, who have been discriminated against for years in the kingdom and demonised by its religious and political leaders as part of Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s public affairs war with Iran, plans to visit the Shiite religious citadel of Najaf in Iraq is likely to do little to change things on the ground in Muslim majority nations in Asia.

Neither will his meetings with Christian religious luminaries in Egypt and elsewhere even if they demonstrate that Saudi Arabia, the custodian of Islam&rsquo;s two most holy cities, is, under Prince Mohammed&rsquo;s guidance, embracing principles of inter-faith dialogue and religious tolerance.

Reporting on a visit to the ultra-conservative Indonesian region of Aceh, Islam scholar Kamaruzzaman Bustamam-Ahmad noted that &quot;supporters for anti-Shi&rsquo;ah in Aceh are Wahabism, an Islamic political party, a group of young Acehnese who finished their study in the Middle East....They play their role in urban areas. After the Tsunami (in 2004), many of pesantrens (religious seminaries) from Wahabism were built in Aceh. They received funding from &#39;outside&#39; Aceh.&quot;

Bangladeshi journalist Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury, who fled his country after a failed assassination attempt by religious militants, recently sketched Bangladesh&#39;s migration from a nation founded with aspirations of &quot;economic, political and intellectual emancipation&quot; to one in which the &quot;will of the military and its leadership was key in shaping politics towards selfishness and subornation&rdquo; and &ldquo;political parties are willing to go to any length to hold on to power.&quot;

It was a process abetted by Saudi Arabia. Chowdhury noted that &quot;the healthy trend of democratic and progressive politics was never able to regain a footing in Bangladesh&quot; with freedom of speech and the press as one of its major casualties. Unlike human rights lawyer and writer Ikhtisad Ahmed, Chowdhury shied away from referring to the role of Saudi Arabia and Saudi-inspired ultra-conservatism in his country&rsquo;s political development.

One strand of ultra-conservatism, Salafism, that Saudi interior minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz wanted to elevate to an official Islamic school of thought shortly before his death in 2012, gained, according to&nbsp; Ahmed, currency under the coalition government in the first years of the 21st century formed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, a controversial group that opposed the country&#39;s independence.

Like in Pakistan, of which Bangladesh was part until, 1971, the military as well as political parties maintained opportunistic ties to militants such as Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Jihad that were often as opposed to secularism as they were to Saudi-style monarchy.

As a result, Bangladesh, the world&rsquo;s fourth largest Muslim nation, is at the heart of a struggle between liberalism and ultra-conservatism that questions Saudi Arabia&#39;s legacy and is about reforms that go beyond anything envisioned by Prince Mohammed. It is a battle in which free-thinking, journalists, writers and intellectuals have paid a heavy price.

In the latest incident earlier this month, prominent scholar, award-winning science fiction author and outspoken critic of religious militants, Muhammed Zafar Iqbal was stabbed and seriously injured in a knife attack in the north-eastern town of Sylhet.

Iqbal was the latest victim of more than 30 machete attacks, shootouts, and bombings in Bangladesh in the past three years, including last year&#39;s assault on the Holy Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in which 22 hostages were killed.

The country&#39;s battle was fuelled by a 2010 Bangladesh Supreme Court decision to roll back the Saudi-inspired amendment of the constitution and restore secularism as its basic tenant as well as the execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders for war crimes during the 1971 Pakistani-Indian war that gave birth to Bangladesh.

In response, ultra-conservatives and militants demanded death for &quot;atheists and apostates&quot; who had demonstrated in favour of the death penalties, stricter anti-blasphemy legislation and a crackdown on alleged un-Islamic cultural practices.

To be sure, Saudi Arabia, a country that is itself in transition, is unlikely to be backing the ultra-conservatives and militants. Yet, their struggle and deep-seated polarisation in Bangladesh are offshoots of the kingdom&rsquo;s past ultra-conservative support and the creation of an environment in which politicians and state organs can opportunistically exploit religious sentiment.

Criticism of the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed&rsquo;s weak response to the violence, if not inaction, coupled with the battle for the soul of Bangladesh serves as evidence that reversing the fallout of four decades of Saudi promotion of ultra-conservatism as an anti-dote to Iranian revolutionary zeal will take time and often be volatile. The same is true for efforts to counter creeping ultra-conservatism in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.

In fact, what the struggles in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia suggest is that today&#39;s culprits are not Saudi Arabia, even if it bears a responsibility, but politicians and/or national governments. Said Chowdhury: &quot;The failure to bring culprits to justice in many of the recent attacks in Bangladesh has &#39;been the deliberate goal of the government. It supports their ambition to continue holding on to power by silencing critics and pandering to the religious right&#39;.&quot;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Reports that Prince Mohammed in a dramatic gesture to Shiites, plans to visit the Shiite religious citadel of Najaf in Iraq is likely to do little to change things on the ground in Muslim majority nations in Asia.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may be seeking to revert his kingdom to an unspecified form of moderate Islam but erasing the impact of 40 years of global funding of ultra-conservative, intolerant strands of the faith is unlikely to be eradicated by decree. Not only because ultra-conservatism has taken root in numerous Muslim countries and communities, but also because it has given opportunistic politicians a framework to pursue policies that appeal to bigoted and biased sentiments in bids to strengthen their grip on power. Nowhere is that more evident than in Asia, home to several of the Islamic world's most populous countries. Examples of the fallout abound among recipients of Saudi largess. They include institutionalised discrimination in Pakistan against Ahmadis, a sect considered heretic by orthodox Muslims, as well as biased policies towards non-Muslims and Shiites in Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia. Basic freedoms in Bangladesh are being officially and unofficially curtailed in various forms as a result of domestic struggles originally enabled by successful Saudi pressure to amend the country's constitution in 1975 to recognise Islam as its official religion. The amendment was a condition for Saudi recognition of the young republic and the promise of substantial financial support. Reports that Prince Mohammed in a dramatic gesture to Shiites, who have been discriminated against for years in the kingdom and demonised by its religious and political leaders as part of Saudi Arabia’s public affairs war with Iran, plans to visit the Shiite religious citadel of Najaf in Iraq is likely to do little to change things on the ground in Muslim majority nations in Asia. Neither will his meetings with Christian religious luminaries in Egypt and elsewhere even if they demonstrate that Saudi Arabia, the custodian of Islam’s two most holy cities, is, under Prince Mohammed’s guidance, embracing principles of inter-faith dialogue and religious tolerance. Reporting on a visit to the ultra-conservative Indonesian region of Aceh, Islam scholar Kamaruzzaman Bustamam-Ahmad noted that "supporters for anti-Shi’ah in Aceh are Wahabism, an Islamic political party, a group of young Acehnese who finished their study in the Middle East....They play their role in urban areas. After the Tsunami (in 2004), many of pesantrens (religious seminaries) from Wahabism were built in Aceh. They received funding from 'outside' Aceh." Bangladeshi journalist Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury, who fled his country after a failed assassination attempt by religious militants, recently sketched Bangladesh's migration from a nation founded with aspirations of "economic, political and intellectual emancipation" to one in which the "will of the military and its leadership was key in shaping politics towards selfishness and subornation” and “political parties are willing to go to any length to hold on to power." It was a process abetted by Saudi Arabia. Chowdhury noted that "the healthy trend of democratic and progressive politics was never able to regain a footing in Bangladesh" with freedom of speech and the press as one of its major casualties. Unlike human rights lawyer and writer Ikhtisad Ahmed, Chowdhury shied away from referring to the role of Saudi Arabia and Saudi-inspired ultra-conservatism in his country’s political development. One strand of ultra-conservatism, Salafism, that Saudi interior minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz wanted to elevate to an official Islamic school of thought shortly before his death in 2012, gained, according to Ahmed, currency under the coalition government in the first years of the 21st century formed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami, a controversial group that opposed the country's independence. Like in Pakistan, of which Bangladesh was part until, 1971, the military as well as political parties maintained opportunistic ties to militants such as Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Jihad that were often as opposed to secularism as they were to Saudi-style monarchy. As a result, Bangladesh, the world’s fourth largest Muslim nation, is at the heart of a struggle between liberalism and ultra-conservatism that questions Saudi Arabia's legacy and is about reforms that go beyond anything envisioned by Prince Mohammed. It is a battle in which free-thinking, journalists, writers and intellectuals have paid a heavy price. In the latest incident earlier this month, prominent scholar, award-winning science fiction author and outspoken critic of religious militants, Muhammed Zafar Iqbal was stabbed and seriously injured in a knife attack in the north-eastern town of Sylhet. Iqbal was the latest victim of more than 30 machete attacks, shootouts, and bombings in Bangladesh in the past three years, including last year's assault on the Holy Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in which 22 hostages were killed. The country's battle was fuelled by a 2010 Bangladesh Supreme Court decision to roll back the Saudi-inspired amendment of the constitution and restore secularism as its basic tenant as well as the execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders for war crimes during the 1971 Pakistani-Indian war that gave birth to Bangladesh. In response, ultra-conservatives and militants demanded death for "atheists and apostates" who had demonstrated in favour of the death penalties, stricter anti-blasphemy legislation and a crackdown on alleged un-Islamic cultural practices. To be sure, Saudi Arabia, a country that is itself in transition, is unlikely to be backing the ultra-conservatives and militants. Yet, their struggle and deep-seated polarisation in Bangladesh are offshoots of the kingdom’s past ultra-conservative support and the creation of an environment in which politicians and state organs can opportunistically exploit religious sentiment. Criticism of the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed’s weak response to the violence, if not inaction, coupled with the battle for the soul of Bangladesh serves as evidence that reversing the fallout of four decades of Saudi promotion of ultra-conservatism as an anti-dote to Iranian revolutionary zeal will take time and often be volatile. The same is true for efforts to counter creeping ultra-conservatism in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. In fact, what the struggles in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia suggest is that today's culprits are not Saudi Arabia, even if it bears a responsibility, but politicians and/or national governments. Said Chowdhury: "The failure to bring culprits to justice in many of the recent attacks in Bangladesh has 'been the deliberate goal of the government. It supports their ambition to continue holding on to power by silencing critics and pandering to the religious right'." (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Saudi Prince Mohammed's religious moderation unlikely to change Asian realities

Rohingya refugees living in shelters at Cox&#39;s Bazar in Bangladesh said on Thursday (March 22) that they were facing aid shortage and harassment from Myanmar&#39;s border guards, even as an anticipated monsoon season looms in the horizon, compounding difficulties for the refugees.

Work was underway in Kutupalong camps to build additional infrastructure and drains to cope with potential heavy rains and the cyclone season. Aid agencies were ramping up efforts to distribute aid packages, but residents such as Ali Miah said they sometimes &quot;don&#39;t get any water&quot; despite twice daily supplies.

Elsewhere at the Tunbru border, which separates Bangladesh with neighbouring Myanmar, camp refugees said border guards have been constantly disturbing them. &quot;They throw stones towards our camps at night,&quot; said Noor Alam.

United Nations&#39; officials said nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh since August 2017, after militant attacks sparked a crackdown, led by security forces, in Rakhine state that the UN and United States said constitutes ethnic cleansing.

The UK&#39;s International Development Committee said the situation for Rohingya would likely worsen, with heavy rains of 2.5 metres predicted to fall from June through August.

Heavy rains of 2.5 metres predicted to fall from June through August

Rohingya refugees living in shelters at Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh said on Thursday (March 22) that they were facing aid shortage and harassment from Myanmar's border guards, even as an anticipated monsoon season looms in the horizon, compounding difficulties for the refugees. Work was underway in Kutupalong camps to build additional infrastructure and drains to cope with potential heavy rains and the cyclone season. Aid agencies were ramping up efforts to distribute aid packages, but residents such as Ali Miah said they sometimes "don't get any water" despite twice daily supplies. Elsewhere at the Tunbru border, which separates Bangladesh with neighbouring Myanmar, camp refugees said border guards have been constantly disturbing them. "They throw stones towards our camps at night," said Noor Alam. United Nations' officials said nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh since August 2017, after militant attacks sparked a crackdown, led by security forces, in Rakhine state that the UN and United States said constitutes ethnic cleansing. The UK's International Development Committee said the situation for Rohingya would likely worsen, with heavy rains of 2.5 metres predicted to fall from June through August.

Rohingya refugees face aid shortage, harassment ahead of monsoon season in Bangladesh

The bodies of 23 Bangladeshi nationals, from the devastating US-Bangla plane crash that killed 49 people last week in Nepal, will be brought back to Bangladesh, said an official on Monday.

&quot;A cargo plane of Bangladesh Air Force, carrying the bodies, is scheduled to land at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 4 pm&quot;, said Kamrul Islam, general manager (marketing support and public relations) of US-Bangla Airlines.

Prior to this, a &#39;namaz-e-janaza&#39; was held for the 23 nationals at the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu on Monday morning, according to US-Bangla Airlines Chief Executive Officer Imran Asif, The Dhaka Tribune reported.

Bangladeshi and Nepali authorities announced on Sunday that the identification process of the deceased nationals was completed.

Last Monday, 49 people were killed after the plane evaded the runway at Kathmandu&#39;s Tribhuvan International Airport and crashed into a fence on the ground and burst into flames.

The plane, which was en route to Kathmandu from Dhaka, had 33 Nepali, 32 Bangladeshi and one passenger each from China and the Maldives.

Other 21 passengers out of total 71 (Including crew member) in the US-Bangla plane are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Kathmandu.

The reason behind the crash of the ill-fated aircraft is yet to be established, but the rescuers and other aviation staffs have recovered the black box of the flight.&nbsp;

"A cargo plane of Bangladesh Air Force, carrying the bodies, is scheduled to land at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 4 pm", said Kamrul Islam

The bodies of 23 Bangladeshi nationals, from the devastating US-Bangla plane crash that killed 49 people last week in Nepal, will be brought back to Bangladesh, said an official on Monday. "A cargo plane of Bangladesh Air Force, carrying the bodies, is scheduled to land at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 4 pm", said Kamrul Islam, general manager (marketing support and public relations) of US-Bangla Airlines. Prior to this, a 'namaz-e-janaza' was held for the 23 nationals at the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu on Monday morning, according to US-Bangla Airlines Chief Executive Officer Imran Asif, The Dhaka Tribune reported. Bangladeshi and Nepali authorities announced on Sunday that the identification process of the deceased nationals was completed. Last Monday, 49 people were killed after the plane evaded the runway at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport and crashed into a fence on the ground and burst into flames. The plane, which was en route to Kathmandu from Dhaka, had 33 Nepali, 32 Bangladeshi and one passenger each from China and the Maldives. Other 21 passengers out of total 71 (Including crew member) in the US-Bangla plane are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Kathmandu. The reason behind the crash of the ill-fated aircraft is yet to be established, but the rescuers and other aviation staffs have recovered the black box of the flight.

US-Bangladesh plane crash: 23 bodies to be brought back to Bangladesh today

Supreme Court today refused to pass an interim order on ensuring health and educational facilities for Rohingya refugees in India.

The Centre has told the top court that there has been no discrimination in granting health and educational facilities to Indians and outsiders.

The Rohingyas who fled Myanmar in August last year set up camps in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court directed the Centre to put up a status report on the condition of Rohingyas in various states in the country.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves had said that conditions at the camps are &quot;unhygienic&quot; and &quot;filthiest to say the least&quot;.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves had said that conditions at the camps are "unhygienic" and "filthiest to say the least".

Supreme Court today refused to pass an interim order on ensuring health and educational facilities for Rohingya refugees in India. The Centre has told the top court that there has been no discrimination in granting health and educational facilities to Indians and outsiders. The Rohingyas who fled Myanmar in August last year set up camps in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. The Supreme Court directed the Centre to put up a status report on the condition of Rohingyas in various states in the country. Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves had said that conditions at the camps are "unhygienic" and "filthiest to say the least".

File status report on condition of Rohingyas: Supreme Court to Centre

The acting president of&nbsp;The Board of Control for Cricket in India C K Khanna hailed the &#39;strength of domestic&nbsp;cricket&#39; for India&#39;s spectacular victory in the finals of Nidahas T20 tri-series against Bangladesh at the R&nbsp;Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.

He said,&nbsp;&quot;What an amazing win. Shows the strength of our good domestic cricket. I congratulate everyone for this victory as it shows the hardwork done by every individual involved in BCCI.&quot;

He appreciated <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nidahas-final-hero-karthik-has-played-only-19-t20-games-in-11-years-36317">Dinesh Karthik</a> for his efforts in the death overs that helped the team in achieving the set target of 166 runs, he said, &quot;Dinesh Karthik played very well under pressure.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-india-bangladesh-nidahas-trophy-tri-series-final-t20-rohit-sharma-shakib-al-hasan-yuzvendra-chahal-shikhar-dhawan-score-updates-36273">Read the match report.</a>

After Manish Pandey&#39;s wicket, India needed 34 runs with 2 overs remaining, it was looking next to impossible to win from there but then <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nidahas-final-hero-karthik-has-played-only-19-t20-games-in-11-years-36317">Dinesh Karthik</a> came in and outplayed Bangladeshi bowlers.

Dinesh Karthik, the hero of Nidahas Trophy finale, has played only <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nidahas-final-hero-karthik-has-played-only-19-t20-games-in-11-years-36317">19 T20 games in 11 years</a>, blasted 29 runs off just 8 balls. For his splendid innings, he was honoured with the &#39;Man of the Match&#39; award.

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What an amazing win. Shows the strength of our good domestic cricket. I congratulate everyone for this victory as it shows the hardwork done by every individual involved in BCCI. Dinesh Karthik played very well under pressure: CK Khanna, BCCI Acting President(File Pic) <a href="https://t.co/McG5iSJCXl">pic.twitter.com/McG5iSJCXl</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/975427202287374337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The regular skipper&nbsp;of India,&nbsp;Virat Kohli, also tweeted to share his regards.

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What a game of cricket last night, Complete team performance! Big up boys!!! ????????Well done DK <a href="https://twitter.com/DineshKarthik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DineshKarthik</a> ????<a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NidahasTrophy2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NidahasTrophy2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsBAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsBAN</a>
&mdash; Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/975571929766641664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Indian cricket coach Ravi Shastri also admired wicket-keeper batsmen <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nidahas-final-hero-karthik-has-played-only-19-t20-games-in-11-years-36317">Dinesh Karthik</a> for his marvellous&nbsp;knock.

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No game is over till the fat lady sings. DK, you beauty! <a href="https://twitter.com/DineshKarthik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DineshKarthik</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvBAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvBAN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NidahasTrophy2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NidahasTrophy2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> ???????? ???? <a href="https://t.co/yKHMaIfc7p">pic.twitter.com/yKHMaIfc7p</a>
&mdash; Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaviShastriOfc/status/975432577111744513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

'What an amazing win. Shows the strength of our good domestic cricket. I congratulate everyone for this victory as it shows the hardwork done by every individual involved in BCCI,' says Khanna

The acting president of The Board of Control for Cricket in India C K Khanna hailed the 'strength of domestic cricket' for India's spectacular victory in the finals of Nidahas T20 tri-series against Bangladesh at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. He said, "What an amazing win. Shows the strength of our good domestic cricket. I congratulate everyone for this victory as it shows the hardwork done by every individual involved in BCCI." He appreciated Dinesh Karthik for his efforts in the death overs that helped the team in achieving the set target of 166 runs, he said, "Dinesh Karthik played very well under pressure." Read the match report. After Manish Pandey's wicket, India needed 34 runs with 2 overs remaining, it was looking next to impossible to win from there but then Dinesh Karthik came in and outplayed Bangladeshi bowlers. Dinesh Karthik, the hero of Nidahas Trophy finale, has played only 19 T20 games in 11 years, blasted 29 runs off just 8 balls. For his splendid innings, he was honoured with the 'Man of the Match' award. What an amazing win. Shows the strength of our good domestic cricket. I congratulate everyone for this victory as it shows the hardwork done by every individual involved in BCCI. Dinesh Karthik played very well under pressure: CK Khanna, BCCI Acting President(File Pic) pic.twitter.com/McG5iSJCXl — ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2018 × The regular skipper of India, Virat Kohli, also tweeted to share his regards. What a game of cricket last night, Complete team performance! Big up boys!!! ????????Well done DK @DineshKarthik ????@BCCI #NidahasTrophy2018 #INDvsBAN — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) March 19, 2018 × Indian cricket coach Ravi Shastri also admired wicket-keeper batsmen Dinesh Karthik for his marvellous knock. No game is over till the fat lady sings. DK, you beauty! @DineshKarthik #INDvBAN #NidahasTrophy2018 #TeamIndia ???????? ???? pic.twitter.com/yKHMaIfc7p — Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) March 18, 2018 ×

India's victory shows 'strength of domestic cricket': BCCI Acting President

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