A blast ripped through a crowd Saturday killing four&nbsp;and injuring more than 40 people in Bangladesh&#39;s northeastern city of Sylhet where army commandos stormed an Islamist extremist hideout, police and hospital staff said.

Two &quot;powerful&quot; blasts went off some 400 yards (metres) from the hideout, targeting a huge crowd of people and police officials who were witnessing the commando operation, police said.

&quot;At least three people including a policeman were killed,&quot; Sylhet police spokesman Zedan Al Musa told AFP.

More than 30 people were wounded including several army, police and elite security officers, Sylhet Medical College Hospital emergency medical officer Atiqul Islam told AFP.

Police have not blamed any group for the blasts, which occurred as commandos engaged in a day-long gun-fight with suspected Islamist extremists holed up in a five-storey building.

The commandos backed by armoured personnel carriers launched the operation after a more than 30-hour standoff that began early Friday morning when police sealed off the place after suspected militants detonated small bombs.

Armed forces spokesman Colonel Rashidul Hasan said earlier that 78 people who were trapped in the building for more than a day were rescued by the commandos.

&quot;The operation began at 7:00 am (0100 GMT) in the morning and is still going on,&quot; he said, adding the commandos &quot;exchanged fire&quot; with the suspected militants who were confined in a ground-floor apartment of the building.

The spokesman could not say how many extremists were in the building, but police said there were at least two including a woman.

&quot;They are Islamist extremists,&quot; police spokesman &nbsp;Musa, adding they shouted &quot;Allahu Akbar&quot; (God is the greatest).

Police used loudspeakers to ask the extremists to surrender, but they refused to give up, Musa said.

The raid came after a series of suicide attacks on security camps by Islamist extremists this month including one at a police checkpoint near the country&#39;s main international airport on Friday night.

Two of the attacks including Friday&#39;s blast in which the suicide attacker was killed were claimed by Islamic State group.

This month a police elite unit also stormed a building outside the port city of Chittagong, killing four members of the homegrown extremist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) including one woman.

A forensic doctor confirmed that Friday&#39;s attack was a suicide blast with the bomber apparently detonating a bomb tied to his body.

The attack was the third since last Friday, when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a camp for the country&#39;s elite security force near the airport.

IS has also claimed responsibility for a wave of killings since 2015 including for a major attack on a Dhaka cafe last year in which 22 people, including 18 foreign hostages, were killed.&nbsp;

The Bangladeshi government denies IS has any presence in the country, arguing instead that a new faction of JMB was behind that and other attacks. 
 
(AFP)

Two powerful blasts went off some 400 yards from the hideout, targeting a huge crowd of people and police officials witnessing the hideout

A blast ripped through a crowd Saturday killing four and injuring more than 40 people in Bangladesh's northeastern city of Sylhet where army commandos stormed an Islamist extremist hideout, police and hospital staff said. Two "powerful" blasts went off some 400 yards (metres) from the hideout, targeting a huge crowd of people and police officials who were witnessing the commando operation, police said. "At least three people including a policeman were killed," Sylhet police spokesman Zedan Al Musa told AFP. More than 30 people were wounded including several army, police and elite security officers, Sylhet Medical College Hospital emergency medical officer Atiqul Islam told AFP. Police have not blamed any group for the blasts, which occurred as commandos engaged in a day-long gun-fight with suspected Islamist extremists holed up in a five-storey building. The commandos backed by armoured personnel carriers launched the operation after a more than 30-hour standoff that began early Friday morning when police sealed off the place after suspected militants detonated small bombs. Armed forces spokesman Colonel Rashidul Hasan said earlier that 78 people who were trapped in the building for more than a day were rescued by the commandos. "The operation began at 7:00 am (0100 GMT) in the morning and is still going on," he said, adding the commandos "exchanged fire" with the suspected militants who were confined in a ground-floor apartment of the building. The spokesman could not say how many extremists were in the building, but police said there were at least two including a woman. "They are Islamist extremists," police spokesman Musa, adding they shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is the greatest). Police used loudspeakers to ask the extremists to surrender, but they refused to give up, Musa said. The raid came after a series of suicide attacks on security camps by Islamist extremists this month including one at a police checkpoint near the country's main international airport on Friday night. Two of the attacks including Friday's blast in which the suicide attacker was killed were claimed by Islamic State group. This month a police elite unit also stormed a building outside the port city of Chittagong, killing four members of the homegrown extremist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) including one woman. A forensic doctor confirmed that Friday's attack was a suicide blast with the bomber apparently detonating a bomb tied to his body. The attack was the third since last Friday, when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a camp for the country's elite security force near the airport. IS has also claimed responsibility for a wave of killings since 2015 including for a major attack on a Dhaka cafe last year in which 22 people, including 18 foreign hostages, were killed. The Bangladeshi government denies IS has any presence in the country, arguing instead that a new faction of JMB was behind that and other attacks. (AFP)

Bangladesh: 4 killed, 40 injured in explosions near site of terrorist siege in Sylhet

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav&#39;s assertion that he could align with Mayawati&#39;s BSP has created a political firestorm with the BJP declaring that the chief minister has already &quot;conceded defeat&quot;&nbsp;

Union minister Kiren Rijiju said, &quot;Counting se pehle hee haar maan liya (he has conceded defeat even before counting). What should I say on this?&quot;

Speaking to BBC radio Hindi yesterday Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had said he wanted to keep the BJP out in Uttar Pradesh for that he was ready to align with Samajwadi Party&#39;s long-time rival Mayawati, the chief of Bahujan Samaj Party.

<h3><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-assembly-elections-2017-exit-polls-bjp-has-advantage-in-3-states-13234">Also </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-assembly-elections-2017-exit-polls-bjp-has-advantage-in-3-states-13234">Read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-assembly-elections-2017-exit-polls-bjp-has-advantage-in-3-states-13234">&nbsp;India Assembly Elections 2017 Exit Polls: BJP has advantage in 3 states</a></h3>

&nbsp;

The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh elections ended on March 8, the results are due to be declared tomorrow. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-assembly-elections-2017-exit-polls-bjp-has-advantage-in-3-states-13234">Most exit polls have put the BJP ahead in Uttar Pradesh with the SP-Congress alliance </a>set to finish a distant second but Mayawati&#39;s BSP who is expected to finish third could end up as a &#39;kingmaker&#39; if either the BJP or the SP-Congress fail to get the required 202 seats&nbsp;in the 403 member House.

<h3><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/muslims-understand-majority-govt-can-be-formed-without-their-support-but-be-careful-about-splitting-up-13223">Also Read:&nbsp;&#39;Muslims understand majority govt can be formed without their support... but be careful about splitting UP&#39;</a></h3>

&nbsp;

(WION)

Two members of the security force challenged the suicide bomber and an explosion occurred as he tried to escape

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's assertion that he could align with Mayawati's BSP has created a political firestorm with the BJP declaring that the chief minister has already "conceded defeat" Union minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Counting se pehle hee haar maan liya (he has conceded defeat even before counting). What should I say on this?" Speaking to BBC radio Hindi yesterday Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had said he wanted to keep the BJP out in Uttar Pradesh for that he was ready to align with Samajwadi Party's long-time rival Mayawati, the chief of Bahujan Samaj Party. Also Read: India Assembly Elections 2017 Exit Polls: BJP has advantage in 3 states The seven-phase Uttar Pradesh elections ended on March 8, the results are due to be declared tomorrow. Most exit polls have put the BJP ahead in Uttar Pradesh with the SP-Congress alliance set to finish a distant second but Mayawati's BSP who is expected to finish third could end up as a 'kingmaker' if either the BJP or the SP-Congress fail to get the required 202 seats in the 403 member House. Also Read: 'Muslims understand majority govt can be formed without their support... but be careful about splitting UP' (WION)

Bangladesh: IS claims hand in suicide blast at anti-terror unit headquarters in Dhaka

India will be touring Sri Lanka in March 2018 to play a tri-nation T20 tournament which will also involve Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka are scheduled to play 3 Tests, 5 ODIs and a 2 T20 Internationals in India next year but probably some of the ODI matches will be transformed into T20 fixtures which will also help both SLC and Bangladesh make substantial monetary gains.

Sri Lanka was always there with India at ICC and now it&#39;s clear that even Bangladesh, which had voted against BCCI at February meeting of the ICC Board is now in favour of world&#39;s richest cricketing board.

Bangladesh it is heard is not happy with ICC&#39;s move to review full membership status which could also harm their prospects in the long run.

During a meeting of the top board officials in Colombo on the occasion of Bangladesh&#39;s historic 100th Test match, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri is believed to have had discussions with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) supremo Nazmul Hasan Papon and SLC chief Thilanga Sumathipala.

&quot;The (SLC) technical committee and cricket committee is looking into it, but at the moment we would like it to be a T20 triangular - that&#39;s what the agreement is,&quot; SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala was quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.

&quot;We made this appeal to India in about June or May last year,&quot; he said. &quot;India were here during the Asian Cricket Council opening ceremony, so we discussed this - it&#39;s been going on for seven to eight months. So this has nothing to do with the ICC board meeting that happened in February. Our stand has been very clear.

(PTI)

India will be touring Sri Lanka in March 2018 to play the tournament

India will be touring Sri Lanka in March 2018 to play a tri-nation T20 tournament which will also involve Bangladesh. Sri Lanka are scheduled to play 3 Tests, 5 ODIs and a 2 T20 Internationals in India next year but probably some of the ODI matches will be transformed into T20 fixtures which will also help both SLC and Bangladesh make substantial monetary gains. Sri Lanka was always there with India at ICC and now it's clear that even Bangladesh, which had voted against BCCI at February meeting of the ICC Board is now in favour of world's richest cricketing board. Bangladesh it is heard is not happy with ICC's move to review full membership status which could also harm their prospects in the long run. During a meeting of the top board officials in Colombo on the occasion of Bangladesh's historic 100th Test match, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri is believed to have had discussions with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) supremo Nazmul Hasan Papon and SLC chief Thilanga Sumathipala. "The (SLC) technical committee and cricket committee is looking into it, but at the moment we would like it to be a T20 triangular - that's what the agreement is," SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala was quoted by ESPN Cricinfo. "We made this appeal to India in about June or May last year," he said. "India were here during the Asian Cricket Council opening ceremony, so we discussed this - it's been going on for seven to eight months. So this has nothing to do with the ICC board meeting that happened in February. Our stand has been very clear. (PTI)

India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka to play T20 tri-series next year

International Affairs Adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina talks to WION on elections, bilateral trade, IS and more

WION Exclusive: Bangladesh not aligned to India or China, says Gowher Rizvi

Brishti was 16 when she got married to the man she had an affair with. They both worked at a garment factory in Dhaka. Two years later her husband left her. By then she had already conceived. At 19 she&#39;s a single mother to a daughter. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;I was married at 16, I conceived at 18 and my husband left me at 19. When my husband was there I had no trouble. After my husband left, I have been living with my daughter with a lot of difficulties and I cannot work,&rdquo; Brishti shares with WION.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FHm4-IG6KeM" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

Bangladesh has legislated a Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017 on February 27 that can make Brishti&rsquo;s condition common for many girl children.

The Child Marriage Restraint Act, which dates back to 1929, stipulates the legal marriageable age for girls as 18 years. A draft of this law in 2014 initially proposed to make legal marriage age for girls at 16 under special circumstances.

Two years later, a revision in the law has stipulated the minimum age for marriage as 18 for females and 21 for males but with a provision that marriage below those ages can be legalised with the consent of the legitimate guardian and the court. 
&nbsp; 
The government says it has made the changes keeping &ldquo;reality&rdquo; in mind and circumstances when abortion for young girls is not an option. 
&nbsp; 
The women and children affairs minister Meher Afroz Chumki told WION that all ambiguity will become clear after rules for the provision are laid out. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;They think we are excusing everyone through this provision but really it is not so. We have brought this up after observing the social circumstances,&rdquo; she said. 
&nbsp; 
Legal experts fear that without much transparency about the kind of special circumstances that are being considered, this exception can be exploited. 
&nbsp; 
Asked about conditions for such special circumstances, Chumki said, &ldquo;We will make exceptions for people with special needs. In many cases, they are without guardians and have other difficulties. Under those circumstances, if they are married, it helps the family. In disaster-prone areas, women&#39;s security remains extremely vulnerable. We cannot resolve everything at this time, which is why we will make some exceptions but we will do them by discussing.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
Legal experts say the purpose of such a provision is still incomprehensible. None of the marriage laws, whether religious or civil, invalidate a marriage irrespective of whether they are legal or illegal, said Sara Hossain, a prominent Supreme Court lawyer. 
&nbsp; 
Understandably, the legitimacy of the marriage will prevent jail terms for those involved in pursuing it including the groom. However, the law is feared to give sex offenders a leeway where families of the victims of sexual violence consider marrying off their daughter to the offender as a way of escaping the social stigma. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;You could conceive of a situation where parents or guardians try to get their daughter married off to a person even though he has committed rape or sexual assault on her in order to reduce what they see is the social stigma and they could then try and use this exception perhaps,&rdquo; said Hossain. 
&nbsp; 
Bangladesh is applauded for reducing child mortality, increasing primary school enrolment and empowering women through awareness, education and legal protection. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;The exception might go against a lot of the high-level commitment we have seen in Bangladesh in trying to end violence against women, particularly sexual violence. It may end up being a weapon, which is used by those who will further such forms of violence or cover-up such forms of violence,&rdquo; Hossain, who is also the honorary executive director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, told WION. 
&nbsp; 
Bangladesh is reported to have one of the highest prevalence of child marriage. A report by the UNICEF titled &ldquo;The State of the World&rsquo;s Children 2015: Executive Summary&rdquo; states 65 per cent of girls in Bangladesh were married by 18 and 29 percent were married by 15. 
Chumki said her government has made provisions to penalise offenders of child marriage with imprisonment for two years and fine for $625 not to encourage child marriage. The new provision, however, creates much ambiguity. 
&nbsp; 
Although many girls suffer the plight of Brishti in Bangladesh in the absence of adequate child protection mechanisms, this new provision may become an instrument to protect sex offenders and put child marriage in the country under the carpet.

(WION)

A new provision says girls under 18 can get married under 'special circumstances'

Brishti was 16 when she got married to the man she had an affair with. They both worked at a garment factory in Dhaka. Two years later her husband left her. By then she had already conceived. At 19 she's a single mother to a daughter. “I was married at 16, I conceived at 18 and my husband left me at 19. When my husband was there I had no trouble. After my husband left, I have been living with my daughter with a lot of difficulties and I cannot work,” Brishti shares with WION. Bangladesh has legislated a Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017 on February 27 that can make Brishti’s condition common for many girl children. The Child Marriage Restraint Act, which dates back to 1929, stipulates the legal marriageable age for girls as 18 years. A draft of this law in 2014 initially proposed to make legal marriage age for girls at 16 under special circumstances. Two years later, a revision in the law has stipulated the minimum age for marriage as 18 for females and 21 for males but with a provision that marriage below those ages can be legalised with the consent of the legitimate guardian and the court. The government says it has made the changes keeping “reality” in mind and circumstances when abortion for young girls is not an option. The women and children affairs minister Meher Afroz Chumki told WION that all ambiguity will become clear after rules for the provision are laid out. "They think we are excusing everyone through this provision but really it is not so. We have brought this up after observing the social circumstances,” she said. Legal experts fear that without much transparency about the kind of special circumstances that are being considered, this exception can be exploited. Asked about conditions for such special circumstances, Chumki said, “We will make exceptions for people with special needs. In many cases, they are without guardians and have other difficulties. Under those circumstances, if they are married, it helps the family. In disaster-prone areas, women's security remains extremely vulnerable. We cannot resolve everything at this time, which is why we will make some exceptions but we will do them by discussing.” Legal experts say the purpose of such a provision is still incomprehensible. None of the marriage laws, whether religious or civil, invalidate a marriage irrespective of whether they are legal or illegal, said Sara Hossain, a prominent Supreme Court lawyer. Understandably, the legitimacy of the marriage will prevent jail terms for those involved in pursuing it including the groom. However, the law is feared to give sex offenders a leeway where families of the victims of sexual violence consider marrying off their daughter to the offender as a way of escaping the social stigma. “You could conceive of a situation where parents or guardians try to get their daughter married off to a person even though he has committed rape or sexual assault on her in order to reduce what they see is the social stigma and they could then try and use this exception perhaps,” said Hossain. Bangladesh is applauded for reducing child mortality, increasing primary school enrolment and empowering women through awareness, education and legal protection. "The exception might go against a lot of the high-level commitment we have seen in Bangladesh in trying to end violence against women, particularly sexual violence. It may end up being a weapon, which is used by those who will further such forms of violence or cover-up such forms of violence,” Hossain, who is also the honorary executive director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, told WION. Bangladesh is reported to have one of the highest prevalence of child marriage. A report by the UNICEF titled “The State of the World’s Children 2015: Executive Summary” states 65 per cent of girls in Bangladesh were married by 18 and 29 percent were married by 15. Chumki said her government has made provisions to penalise offenders of child marriage with imprisonment for two years and fine for $625 not to encourage child marriage. The new provision, however, creates much ambiguity. Although many girls suffer the plight of Brishti in Bangladesh in the absence of adequate child protection mechanisms, this new provision may become an instrument to protect sex offenders and put child marriage in the country under the carpet. (WION)

Bangladesh adds loophole to law against underage marriage

Indian foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is due in Dhaka tomorrow to convey a letter of invitation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to meet her Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. 
&nbsp; 
Jaishankar would meet with Bangladesh foreign secretary Shahidul Haque to finalise the date and firm up the agendas to be discussed during her visit, which is expected in April. 
&nbsp; 
Bangladesh should be expecting an affirmation of commitment towards investments and lines of credit mostly in areas of infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, waterways and energy, Ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmad, chairman of Bangladesh Institute of International Strategic Studies told WION. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Around $11 billion of investments from India in the power, LNG (liquefied natural gas) and port sectors in Bangladesh are in the pipeline. India has also been offered sites by Bangladesh for setting up Special Economic Zones exclusively for Indian companies to invest,&rdquo; said Harsha Vardhan Shringla, the High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh in a statement last week. 
&nbsp; 
At $6.14 billion for financial year 2015-16, Bangladesh is India&rsquo;s largest trade partner in South Asia. 
&nbsp; 
The water sharing of Teesta, which has a downstream towards Bangladesh restrained during the period of irrigation, will not likely find a resolution even this time due to bureaucracy and strains between India&#39;s central and provincial government. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;We are in a way stuck on India&rsquo;s centre-provincial relations. It&rsquo;s not easy to get out of that,&rdquo; said Ahmad. 
&nbsp; 
There will likely be reaffirmation on security cooperation between the two countries that already shares &ldquo;extremely friendly cooperation on security matters and on issues of reducing threats of extremism, separatism and insurgency,&rdquo; he said. 
&nbsp; 
Ahmad expressed concerns over the non-traditional security issues across the frontiers between India and Bangladesh that stretch over 4,000 kilometres. The trafficking of contraband, cattle and even human is causing serious implications through killing of unarmed Bangladeshi people by the Indian border security. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;There is a marked reduction in it but it has not stopped completely and therefore we would like to see more progress on this,&rdquo; Ahmad shared with WION.

(WION)

At more than $6 billion for the financial year 2015-16, Bangladesh is India?s largest trade partner in South Asia

Indian foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is due in Dhaka tomorrow to convey a letter of invitation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to meet her Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. Jaishankar would meet with Bangladesh foreign secretary Shahidul Haque to finalise the date and firm up the agendas to be discussed during her visit, which is expected in April. Bangladesh should be expecting an affirmation of commitment towards investments and lines of credit mostly in areas of infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, waterways and energy, Ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmad, chairman of Bangladesh Institute of International Strategic Studies told WION. “Around $11 billion of investments from India in the power, LNG (liquefied natural gas) and port sectors in Bangladesh are in the pipeline. India has also been offered sites by Bangladesh for setting up Special Economic Zones exclusively for Indian companies to invest,” said Harsha Vardhan Shringla, the High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh in a statement last week. At $6.14 billion for financial year 2015-16, Bangladesh is India’s largest trade partner in South Asia. The water sharing of Teesta, which has a downstream towards Bangladesh restrained during the period of irrigation, will not likely find a resolution even this time due to bureaucracy and strains between India's central and provincial government. “We are in a way stuck on India’s centre-provincial relations. It’s not easy to get out of that,” said Ahmad. There will likely be reaffirmation on security cooperation between the two countries that already shares “extremely friendly cooperation on security matters and on issues of reducing threats of extremism, separatism and insurgency,” he said. Ahmad expressed concerns over the non-traditional security issues across the frontiers between India and Bangladesh that stretch over 4,000 kilometres. The trafficking of contraband, cattle and even human is causing serious implications through killing of unarmed Bangladeshi people by the Indian border security. “There is a marked reduction in it but it has not stopped completely and therefore we would like to see more progress on this,” Ahmad shared with WION. (WION)

India set to invest $11bn in Bangladesh power and port sectors

The Indian Express reported Monday that the Border Security Force had caught fake Rs 2,000 notes at the India-Bangladesh border.

The report said the notes had been printed in Pakistan.

The report said the BSF caught at least 40 fake Rs 2,000 notes.&nbsp;

The notes were seized in Murshidabad on February 8 from Azizur Rahman (26), who hails from Malda in West Bengal.

Rahman told investigators that the notes were printed in Pakistan, allegedly with the help of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and had been smuggled across the border from Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the BSF is in talks with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for imparting of training to its troopers for identifying fake notes smuggled through the&nbsp;Indo-Bangla border.

The paramilitary force and intelligence agencies are having sleepless nights over consignments of counterfeit Rs 2,000 notes being seized from the border in past one month.

&quot;The amount of counterfeit notes that has been recovered by security agencies is a matter of concern. The security features have been expertly replicated, half of the security features of the new Rs 2,000 notes is there in the fake notes. We are in talks with RBI for a training program for our soldiers,&quot; said a senior BSF official.

Smugglers were reportedly required to pay Rs 400-600 in genuine currency for each fake Rs 2,000 note, sources said citing&nbsp; interrogation records.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

The Border Security Force seized at least 40 notes in Murshidabad on February 8

The Indian Express reported Monday that the Border Security Force had caught fake Rs 2,000 notes at the India-Bangladesh border. The report said the notes had been printed in Pakistan. The report said the BSF caught at least 40 fake Rs 2,000 notes. The notes were seized in Murshidabad on February 8 from Azizur Rahman (26), who hails from Malda in West Bengal. Rahman told investigators that the notes were printed in Pakistan, allegedly with the help of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and had been smuggled across the border from Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the BSF is in talks with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for imparting of training to its troopers for identifying fake notes smuggled through the Indo-Bangla border. The paramilitary force and intelligence agencies are having sleepless nights over consignments of counterfeit Rs 2,000 notes being seized from the border in past one month. "The amount of counterfeit notes that has been recovered by security agencies is a matter of concern. The security features have been expertly replicated, half of the security features of the new Rs 2,000 notes is there in the fake notes. We are in talks with RBI for a training program for our soldiers," said a senior BSF official. Smugglers were reportedly required to pay Rs 400-600 in genuine currency for each fake Rs 2,000 note, sources said citing interrogation records. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Fake Rs 2,000 notes printed in Pak seized at Bangla border: Report

At least thirteen persons have been killed and 20 others injured when the CNG bus they were travelling in exploded after it collided with a van in south-west Bangladesh, officials said today.

The accident took place yesterday on a highway connecting Dhaka and Khulna town in Faridpur district when the vehicles caught fire as they collided head-on.

&quot;The fire might have occurred by explosion of gas cylinder of the bus. Police and firefighters rushed the spot and tried to bring the fire under control,&quot; Fire service and Civil Defence assistant director Momtaz Uddin was quoted as saying by New Age Bangladesh.

Four firefighting units from Faridpur were rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control. Both the vehicles have smashed badly, he said.

&quot;A Dhaka-bound bus from Narail collided head-on with a covered van. We have recovered seven bodies so far and spotted six others. We are trying to bring out the bodies by cutting the smashed vehicles,&quot; he added.

At least 20 people were injured in the accident. The collision sparked a huge fire and the toll might increase since some of the injured were in critical condition, he said, adding that the injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals.&nbsp;

(PTI)

The accident took place yesterday (Friday) on a highway connecting Dhaka and Khulna town in Faridpur district

At least thirteen persons have been killed and 20 others injured when the CNG bus they were travelling in exploded after it collided with a van in south-west Bangladesh, officials said today. The accident took place yesterday on a highway connecting Dhaka and Khulna town in Faridpur district when the vehicles caught fire as they collided head-on. "The fire might have occurred by explosion of gas cylinder of the bus. Police and firefighters rushed the spot and tried to bring the fire under control," Fire service and Civil Defence assistant director Momtaz Uddin was quoted as saying by New Age Bangladesh. Four firefighting units from Faridpur were rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control. Both the vehicles have smashed badly, he said. "A Dhaka-bound bus from Narail collided head-on with a covered van. We have recovered seven bodies so far and spotted six others. We are trying to bring out the bodies by cutting the smashed vehicles," he added. At least 20 people were injured in the accident. The collision sparked a huge fire and the toll might increase since some of the injured were in critical condition, he said, adding that the injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals. (PTI)

13 killed, 20 injured in bus-van collision in Bangladesh

A protest against a $2.4-billion Chinese-backed power plant in&nbsp;Bangladesh turned violent, killing one person and injuring about a dozen, risking delay to a project seen as a symbol of warming ties between the two nations.

The coal-fired plant being built 265 km (165 miles) southeast of Dhaka, the capital, is a major draw for foreign investment in&nbsp;Bangladesh, and is expected to begin power generation by the end of 2019.

Police said security forces were guarding the site on Thursday to prevent disruption to construction work that villagers fear will force several evictions, disturb graveyards where relatives are buried, and damage the environment.

&quot;There is an uneasy situation, and police are patrolling the area to avoid any further clashes,&quot; said Alamgir Hussain, an official of the Banshkhali police station near the plant site.

Protesters were chanting slogans on Wednesday when project supporters attacked them, said Nurul Mostafa, a leader of the group that wants the plant shifted.

About a dozen people were injured in the clashes. A similar protest last year led to the deaths of four demonstrators, halting work on the plant.

Such protests risk delaying the project and hamper fund-raising efforts, said a senior official of conglomerate S Alam Group, which has a deal with China&#39;s SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corp to build the 1,320-MW plant.

&quot;We hope to resolve the problem soon, otherwise we may not be able to finish our project in time,&quot; said the official, who declined to be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Chinese banks are expected to provide 70 per cent of the projected investment, he added.

The plant will use the &quot;most sophisticated technology&quot; to reduce its environmental impact, said Masud Alam, chairman of the&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;conglomerate, who offered to help with medical treatment for the injured.

Late last year, China signed 27 pacts worth billions of dollars with the south Asian nation, as it steps up a competition with India to build regional influence. It is also seeking to boost investment in another of India&#39;s neighbours, Sri Lanka.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The coal-fired plant being built 165 miles southeast of Dhaka, the capital, is a major draw for foreign investment in?Bangladesh

A protest against a $2.4-billion Chinese-backed power plant in Bangladesh turned violent, killing one person and injuring about a dozen, risking delay to a project seen as a symbol of warming ties between the two nations. The coal-fired plant being built 265 km (165 miles) southeast of Dhaka, the capital, is a major draw for foreign investment in Bangladesh, and is expected to begin power generation by the end of 2019. Police said security forces were guarding the site on Thursday to prevent disruption to construction work that villagers fear will force several evictions, disturb graveyards where relatives are buried, and damage the environment. "There is an uneasy situation, and police are patrolling the area to avoid any further clashes," said Alamgir Hussain, an official of the Banshkhali police station near the plant site. Protesters were chanting slogans on Wednesday when project supporters attacked them, said Nurul Mostafa, a leader of the group that wants the plant shifted. About a dozen people were injured in the clashes. A similar protest last year led to the deaths of four demonstrators, halting work on the plant. Such protests risk delaying the project and hamper fund-raising efforts, said a senior official of conglomerate S Alam Group, which has a deal with China's SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corp to build the 1,320-MW plant. "We hope to resolve the problem soon, otherwise we may not be able to finish our project in time," said the official, who declined to be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media. Chinese banks are expected to provide 70 per cent of the projected investment, he added. The plant will use the "most sophisticated technology" to reduce its environmental impact, said Masud Alam, chairman of the Bangladesh conglomerate, who offered to help with medical treatment for the injured. Late last year, China signed 27 pacts worth billions of dollars with the south Asian nation, as it steps up a competition with India to build regional influence. It is also seeking to boost investment in another of India's neighbours, Sri Lanka. (Reuters)

Bangladesh: One killed in protest against Chinese-backed power plant

Bangladesh authorities are to push ahead with a controversial plan to relocate tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees who arrived from Myanmar to a remote island, according to a government website.

The government has set up a committee comprising state officials in the coastal districts, ordering authorities to help identify and relocate undocumented Myanmar nationals to Thengar Char in the Bay of Bengal.

&quot;The committee will assist transferring both registered and unregistered refugees from Myanmar to Thengar Char near Hatiya island in Noakhali district,&quot; according to an order issued by the Cabinet Division last week and posted on the website.

Hatiya Island is situated on the estuary of the River Meghna and is nine hours&#39; journey from the camps where the Rohingya have taken shelter.&nbsp;

Some 232,000 Rohingya Muslims, both registered and unregistered, were already living in Bangladesh before over 65,000 stateless Rohingya fleeing violence in Myanmar&#39;s western state of Rakhine began entering the country last October.

Most of those who fled to Bangladesh live in squalid conditions in refugee camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar district, which borders Rakhine state and is home to the country&#39;s biggest tourist resort.&nbsp;

Bangladesh has also asked its officials in the border districts to&nbsp;identify the Myanmar nationals who &quot;illegally infiltrated&quot; the country.

&quot;It has to be assured by taking preventive measures that they (refugees) cannot spread out and mix with the locals,&quot; read the order which was dated January 26.

&quot;The identified refugees should be arrested or pushed back to the camps if they try to go out beyond the assigned boundary.&quot;

The Rohingya refugees mostly live in squalid conditions in Cox&#39;s Bazar. Bangladesh first mooted the idea of relocating them in 2015 despite allegations that the island was still not ready for human habitation.

The idea sparked an outcry from Rohingya community leaders while a UN agency said a forced relocation would be &quot;very complex and controversial&quot;.

(AFP)

The government has set up a committee,ordering authorities to help identify and relocate undocumented Myanmar nationals to Thengar Char

Bangladesh authorities are to push ahead with a controversial plan to relocate tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees who arrived from Myanmar to a remote island, according to a government website. The government has set up a committee comprising state officials in the coastal districts, ordering authorities to help identify and relocate undocumented Myanmar nationals to Thengar Char in the Bay of Bengal. "The committee will assist transferring both registered and unregistered refugees from Myanmar to Thengar Char near Hatiya island in Noakhali district," according to an order issued by the Cabinet Division last week and posted on the website. Hatiya Island is situated on the estuary of the River Meghna and is nine hours' journey from the camps where the Rohingya have taken shelter. Some 232,000 Rohingya Muslims, both registered and unregistered, were already living in Bangladesh before over 65,000 stateless Rohingya fleeing violence in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine began entering the country last October. Most of those who fled to Bangladesh live in squalid conditions in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar district, which borders Rakhine state and is home to the country's biggest tourist resort. Bangladesh has also asked its officials in the border districts to identify the Myanmar nationals who "illegally infiltrated" the country. "It has to be assured by taking preventive measures that they (refugees) cannot spread out and mix with the locals," read the order which was dated January 26. "The identified refugees should be arrested or pushed back to the camps if they try to go out beyond the assigned boundary." The Rohingya refugees mostly live in squalid conditions in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh first mooted the idea of relocating them in 2015 despite allegations that the island was still not ready for human habitation. The idea sparked an outcry from Rohingya community leaders while a UN agency said a forced relocation would be "very complex and controversial". (AFP)

Bangladesh authorities push on with Rohingya island plan

A railway staffer in Bangladesh died on Saturday after he saved a mother and a daughter from being hit by a fast approaching train.

A divisional railway manager told AFP that Badal Mia noticed a woman and a five-year-old girl trying to cross the track while he was on duty. He jumped to save them as an&nbsp;inter-city train approached at full speed.

&quot;Mia jumped and pushed them away from the track, he managed to save both of them. But he was run over by the train as he tried to jump away from the track,&quot; Arif-uz Zaman said.

&quot;He died on the spot. It&#39;s shocking for us to lose a colleague like this but Mia has set an example of gallantry and true heroism,&quot; he said.

The 58-year-old father of eight was just a few months away from retirement, local media reported.

In December, railway lineman&nbsp;Billal Hossain Mazumder dragged a man out of harm&#39;s way as a train approached. He was rewarded by the authorities.

Fatal railway accidents are common in the south Asian country where some 40 percent of around 2,500 rail crossings are unmanned.

In the last six years at least 152 people were killed in railway accidents, official figures show.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)

Badal Mia pushed a woman and her daughter trying to cross the railway tracks to safety but was hit by a train before he could jump away

A railway staffer in Bangladesh died on Saturday after he saved a mother and a daughter from being hit by a fast approaching train. A divisional railway manager told AFP that Badal Mia noticed a woman and a five-year-old girl trying to cross the track while he was on duty. He jumped to save them as an inter-city train approached at full speed. "Mia jumped and pushed them away from the track, he managed to save both of them. But he was run over by the train as he tried to jump away from the track," Arif-uz Zaman said. "He died on the spot. It's shocking for us to lose a colleague like this but Mia has set an example of gallantry and true heroism," he said. The 58-year-old father of eight was just a few months away from retirement, local media reported. In December, railway lineman Billal Hossain Mazumder dragged a man out of harm's way as a train approached. He was rewarded by the authorities. Fatal railway accidents are common in the south Asian country where some 40 percent of around 2,500 rail crossings are unmanned. In the last six years at least 152 people were killed in railway accidents, official figures show. (With inputs from AFP)

Heroic Bangladeshi man dies saving mother, daughter from approaching train

Desperate to end their suffering, an impoverished Bangladeshi father has begged permission to kill three terminally ill members of his family, sparking a rare debate about euthanasia in a deeply conservative society.

&quot;I have taken care of them for years. I took them to hospitals in Bangladesh and India, I sold my shop to pay for their treatment but now I&#39;m broke,&quot; said Tofazzal Hossain as he describes his years-long struggle to cope with the costs of looking after his two sons and grandson.

&quot;The government should decide what it wants to do with them. They are suffering and have no hope of recovery. I can&#39;t bear it any longer.&quot;

Hossain, a fruit vendor from the rural west of the country, wrote to his local district administration pleading for them to either help care for his loved ones -- who suffer from an incurable form of muscular dystrophy -- or &quot;allow them to be put to death with medicine&quot;, he told AFP.

One of Asia&#39;s poorest countries, Bangladesh lacks any kind of free health care, and medical treatment is often beyond the reach of the tens of millions of inhabitants who live below the poverty line. An estimated 600,000 Bangladeshis suffer from incurable diseases, yet the country has just one palliative care centre and no hospice services.

This leaves few treatment options for Hossain&#39;s sons, aged 24 and 13, and eight-year-old grandson, who are afflicted with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. &nbsp;This rare genetic disorder is characterised by progressive muscle degeneration and patients rarely live beyond 30 years of age.

Hossain said his sons were aware of their condition but could do little for themselves, unable to move and confined to their beds. The grandson can still go to the washroom, but his condition is worsening. &quot;I told them about the letter. I told them (about seeking permission for their deaths). They did not take it seriously. Perhaps they did not understand the severity of the situation,&quot; he said.

His eldest son, 24-year-old Mohammad Abdus Sabur, said he spent his days watching television and talking with their father. &quot;I tell father not to worry too much,&quot; he told AFP.

An AFP correspondent&#39;s attempt to ask the son about his father&#39;s desperate appeal was met with stern rebuke from Hossain, who said it would hurt them. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Mahbubul Alam, a doctor who has treated the Hossain family, said there was no cure for their condition and they lived in extreme pain. &quot;It&#39;s a humanitarian case. Everyone should come forward (and help).&quot;

&nbsp;

An act of murder

A government official who visited the family after Hossain&#39;s appeal grabbed national headlines said the request was &quot;the plea of a helpless father&quot;.

&quot;He asked for their medical assistance, or permission to kill them. But who will give the permission to kill?&quot; he told AFP. Authorities were trying to find ways to help Hossain bear the cost of their care, the official added.

Their plight has sparked a rarely-seen debate about euthanasia in Bangladesh, where even attempted suicide can land one in prison. So-called &quot;mercy killing&quot; is forbidden both under the secular law of the land, and by religious code adhered to by the Muslim-majority population.&nbsp;

&quot;Euthanasia is completely illegal in Islam. It is the government&#39;s duty to take responsibility for every citizen,&quot; top Islamic cleric and scholar Fariduddin Masoud told AFP.

The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshis not only disapprove of mercy killings but would oppose the mere discussion of it, said Nur Khan Liton, head of local rights group Ain O Salish Kendra. &quot;They consider it an act of murder. It&#39;s the duty of the government and society to look after these victims,&quot; he told AFP.

But sympathy for Hossain&#39;s family has run deep on social media, where many have offered thoughts and prayers amid calls for the government to improve its paltry health services.

Nezamuddin Ahmed, the head of Bangladesh&#39;s sole palliative care centre in the capital Dhaka, said it was time for an &quot;honest discussion&quot; about the issue and improving care for those suffering from incurable diseases.

&quot;I think this will lead to healthy debate about assisted death,&quot; he said. &quot;But before launching into this, the government should strengthen palliative care services here. There has to be something we can all do to ease the suffering of these helpless people.&quot;

(AFP)

'They are suffering and have no hope of recovery. I can't bear it any longer'. Conservative Bangladesh has a rare debate about euthanasia

Desperate to end their suffering, an impoverished Bangladeshi father has begged permission to kill three terminally ill members of his family, sparking a rare debate about euthanasia in a deeply conservative society. "I have taken care of them for years. I took them to hospitals in Bangladesh and India, I sold my shop to pay for their treatment but now I'm broke," said Tofazzal Hossain as he describes his years-long struggle to cope with the costs of looking after his two sons and grandson. "The government should decide what it wants to do with them. They are suffering and have no hope of recovery. I can't bear it any longer." Hossain, a fruit vendor from the rural west of the country, wrote to his local district administration pleading for them to either help care for his loved ones -- who suffer from an incurable form of muscular dystrophy -- or "allow them to be put to death with medicine", he told AFP. One of Asia's poorest countries, Bangladesh lacks any kind of free health care, and medical treatment is often beyond the reach of the tens of millions of inhabitants who live below the poverty line. An estimated 600,000 Bangladeshis suffer from incurable diseases, yet the country has just one palliative care centre and no hospice services. This leaves few treatment options for Hossain's sons, aged 24 and 13, and eight-year-old grandson, who are afflicted with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This rare genetic disorder is characterised by progressive muscle degeneration and patients rarely live beyond 30 years of age. Hossain said his sons were aware of their condition but could do little for themselves, unable to move and confined to their beds. The grandson can still go to the washroom, but his condition is worsening. "I told them about the letter. I told them (about seeking permission for their deaths). They did not take it seriously. Perhaps they did not understand the severity of the situation," he said. His eldest son, 24-year-old Mohammad Abdus Sabur, said he spent his days watching television and talking with their father. "I tell father not to worry too much," he told AFP. An AFP correspondent's attempt to ask the son about his father's desperate appeal was met with stern rebuke from Hossain, who said it would hurt them. Mahbubul Alam, a doctor who has treated the Hossain family, said there was no cure for their condition and they lived in extreme pain. "It's a humanitarian case. Everyone should come forward (and help)." An act of murder A government official who visited the family after Hossain's appeal grabbed national headlines said the request was "the plea of a helpless father". "He asked for their medical assistance, or permission to kill them. But who will give the permission to kill?" he told AFP. Authorities were trying to find ways to help Hossain bear the cost of their care, the official added. Their plight has sparked a rarely-seen debate about euthanasia in Bangladesh, where even attempted suicide can land one in prison. So-called "mercy killing" is forbidden both under the secular law of the land, and by religious code adhered to by the Muslim-majority population. "Euthanasia is completely illegal in Islam. It is the government's duty to take responsibility for every citizen," top Islamic cleric and scholar Fariduddin Masoud told AFP. The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshis not only disapprove of mercy killings but would oppose the mere discussion of it, said Nur Khan Liton, head of local rights group Ain O Salish Kendra. "They consider it an act of murder. It's the duty of the government and society to look after these victims," he told AFP. But sympathy for Hossain's family has run deep on social media, where many have offered thoughts and prayers amid calls for the government to improve its paltry health services. Nezamuddin Ahmed, the head of Bangladesh's sole palliative care centre in the capital Dhaka, said it was time for an "honest discussion" about the issue and improving care for those suffering from incurable diseases. "I think this will lead to healthy debate about assisted death," he said. "But before launching into this, the government should strengthen palliative care services here. There has to be something we can all do to ease the suffering of these helpless people." (AFP)

Bangladeshi father seeks mercy killing of sons, grandson

Jahangir Alam is?one of the main masterminds of last year's attack on Holey Artisan bakery, police said. The attack had left 22 people dead

Bangladesh police said on Saturday that they have arrested an Islamist extremist accused of being one of the "masterminds" of the Dhaka cafe siege that left 22 hostages dead in last July. A police spokesperson told news agency AFP that Jahangir Alam, 32, was detained on Friday night by counter-terrorism forces in Elenga, 120 kilometres north of the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. "He is one of the main masterminds of the Holey Artisan Bakery (cafe) attack," Yusuf Ali, an additional deputy commissioner of the Dhaka police force. "He was a member of a new faction of Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and was directly involved in the murder of at least 22 religious minorities including Hindu priests and a Christian and foreigners (at the cafe)," he said. The Daily Star reported that Alam, who went by the alias Gandhi, has been placed in an eight-day remand by a Dhaka court’. The arrest comes only a week after police killed another plotter of the cafe attack in a shootout in the country's capital city. Sanwar Hossain, an additional deputy commissioner of the police's counter-terrorism and transnational crime unit, told AFP that Alam was a close associate of Tamim Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi-Canadian who was named as the primary plotter of the cafe siege. Chowdhury was killed during a raid outside the capital last August. The Dhaka Tribune reported the counter-terrorism unit chief as saying that Alam started off as a cook in JMB and went on to become Chowdhury's trusted deputy. "(Alam) was notorious. He led around two dozen attacks on religious minorities outside the capital," he told AFP. Alam was with Chowdhury at a Dhaka hideout where they planned the cafe attack, Hossain added. Bangladeshi security forces have killed around 50 Islamist extremists, including most of the alleged leaders of Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh. (WION)

Bangladesh: Another Dhaka cafe siege plotter arrested

A special envoy of Myanmar&#39;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi will begin top-level talks in Bangladesh on Wednesday, as the United Nations said the Rohingya crisis prompted 65,000 people to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh in the past three months.

Kyaw Tin, Myanmar&#39;s deputy minister of foreign affairs, will make a three-day visit to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, in a rare diplomatic foray to tackle the biggest challenge facing Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi&#39;s nine-month-old administration.

The stream of new refugees&nbsp;and reports that Myanmar&#39;s navy has shot at Bangladeshi fishermen&nbsp;have further tested historically strained ties between the neighbours, who each see the stateless Rohingya Muslims as the other side&#39;s problem.

The visit marks a shift away from Myanmar&#39;s reluctant approach to cooperation with its western neighbour, which analysts see as key to solving the growing crisis.

Rohingya insurgents attacked Myanmar border posts on October 9, killing nine police. In response, Myanmar sent the army into the Muslim-majority northern part of Rakhine State.

Residents and refugees have described summary executions, arbitrary arrests and rape in the operation. Suu Kyi&#39;s government has denied almost all abuse allegations.

During the visit, the neighbours will discuss bilateral relations, but the Myanmar side was unlikely to bring up the &quot;complicated&quot; issue of border security, said Aye Aye Soe, deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

&quot;For the border situation, an operation is still in progress to create stability, so I don&#39;t think there will be a lot of results from this first-time meeting,&quot; she said.

&nbsp;

International pressure:

Kyaw Tin will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday, said a senior official at the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said Myanmar had initiated the visit &quot;so that Bangladesh does not raise pressure on Myanmar on the Rohingya issue in international forums,&quot; such as an upcoming meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation.

Southeast Asia&#39;s Muslim-majority nations, Indonesia and Malaysia, have publicly pressured Myanmar over the crisis.

&quot;Bangladesh has been persuading and pressing in international forums behind the scenes so as not to hamper the relationship,&quot; the Bangladeshi official said.

Talks between the neighbours are complicated by the fact that as many as 500,000 Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh during decades of persecution in Myanmar are not recognised as citizens there either.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that by Jan. 5 about 65,000 more people had arrived in Bangladesh since October 9.

Myanmar&#39;s Aye Aye Soe questioned the UN&nbsp;figure, saying anyone claiming to be a refugee from Myanmar would have to be scrutinised.

She referred to a longstanding government policy that repatriation talks can only cover 2,415 people in Bangladesh whom Myanmar recognises as citizens.

&quot;We need to make sure how many people arrived and where they are from, but no one can confirm exactly,&quot; she said.

(Reuters)

Kyaw Tin, Myanmar's deputy minister of foreign affairs, will make a three-day visit to Dhaka

A special envoy of Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi will begin top-level talks in Bangladesh on Wednesday, as the United Nations said the Rohingya crisis prompted 65,000 people to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh in the past three months. Kyaw Tin, Myanmar's deputy minister of foreign affairs, will make a three-day visit to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, in a rare diplomatic foray to tackle the biggest challenge facing Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi's nine-month-old administration. The stream of new refugees and reports that Myanmar's navy has shot at Bangladeshi fishermen have further tested historically strained ties between the neighbours, who each see the stateless Rohingya Muslims as the other side's problem. The visit marks a shift away from Myanmar's reluctant approach to cooperation with its western neighbour, which analysts see as key to solving the growing crisis. Rohingya insurgents attacked Myanmar border posts on October 9, killing nine police. In response, Myanmar sent the army into the Muslim-majority northern part of Rakhine State. Residents and refugees have described summary executions, arbitrary arrests and rape in the operation. Suu Kyi's government has denied almost all abuse allegations. During the visit, the neighbours will discuss bilateral relations, but the Myanmar side was unlikely to bring up the "complicated" issue of border security, said Aye Aye Soe, deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "For the border situation, an operation is still in progress to create stability, so I don't think there will be a lot of results from this first-time meeting," she said. International pressure: Kyaw Tin will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday, said a senior official at the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said Myanmar had initiated the visit "so that Bangladesh does not raise pressure on Myanmar on the Rohingya issue in international forums," such as an upcoming meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation. Southeast Asia's Muslim-majority nations, Indonesia and Malaysia, have publicly pressured Myanmar over the crisis. "Bangladesh has been persuading and pressing in international forums behind the scenes so as not to hamper the relationship," the Bangladeshi official said. Talks between the neighbours are complicated by the fact that as many as 500,000 Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh during decades of persecution in Myanmar are not recognised as citizens there either. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that by Jan. 5 about 65,000 more people had arrived in Bangladesh since October 9. Myanmar's Aye Aye Soe questioned the UN figure, saying anyone claiming to be a refugee from Myanmar would have to be scrutinised. She referred to a longstanding government policy that repatriation talks can only cover 2,415 people in Bangladesh whom Myanmar recognises as citizens. "We need to make sure how many people arrived and where they are from, but no one can confirm exactly," she said. (Reuters)

Myanmar's Suu Kyi sends envoy to Bangladesh as Rohingya crisis deepens

The vice chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party Shamsuzzaman Dudu has said that Dhaka will be renamed as &quot;Zia City&quot; if it comes to power, the Dhaka Tribune reported

The statement was made during a discussion programme &quot;Conspiracy and the government of one-eleven&quot; held at the Press Club in Dhaka.&nbsp;

&quot;Recently, the government has renamed Pirojpur`s Zianagar upazila as Indurkani upazila. It means Indurkani is more befitting to Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,&quot; the Dhaka Tribune quoted Dudu, as saying.

The opposition leader accused the ruling party of changing the names of many establishments which were earlier named after the leading figures of Bangladesh.

Dudu said that BNP, if it is voted back to power, would replace the changes that have been made.

(WION)

Dudu accused the ruling party of changing the names of many establishments which were earlier named after leading figures of the country

The vice chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party Shamsuzzaman Dudu has said that Dhaka will be renamed as "Zia City" if it comes to power, the Dhaka Tribune reported The statement was made during a discussion programme "Conspiracy and the government of one-eleven" held at the Press Club in Dhaka. "Recently, the government has renamed Pirojpur`s Zianagar upazila as Indurkani upazila. It means Indurkani is more befitting to Awami League and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," the Dhaka Tribune quoted Dudu, as saying. The opposition leader accused the ruling party of changing the names of many establishments which were earlier named after the leading figures of Bangladesh. Dudu said that BNP, if it is voted back to power, would replace the changes that have been made. (WION)

Dhaka to be renamed 'Zia City' if BNP comes to power

Suspected Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative and fake note kingpin Ripon Sheikh alias Liton was nabbed by India&rsquo;s National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday.&nbsp;

The 22-year-old&nbsp;was arrested from Daulatpur in Malda district of West Bengal on the Bangladesh-India border.&nbsp;

According to sources in the NIA, Sheikh was wanted by 14 Indian states and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for smuggling fake currency into India from Bangladesh and circulating it in the country.&nbsp;

Officials in the NIA highlight that he had been absconding for the last six months and was arrested with the help of Border Security Force (BSF).

Sheikh has been charged with cases relating to possession, smuggling and circulation of high-quality Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) of rupees 800,000 and thereby damaging the monetary stability of India.&nbsp;

(WION)

The 22-year-old was arrested from Daulatpur in Malda district of West Bengal on the Bangladesh-India border

Suspected Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative and fake note kingpin Ripon Sheikh alias Liton was nabbed by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday. The 22-year-old was arrested from Daulatpur in Malda district of West Bengal on the Bangladesh-India border. According to sources in the NIA, Sheikh was wanted by 14 Indian states and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for smuggling fake currency into India from Bangladesh and circulating it in the country. Officials in the NIA highlight that he had been absconding for the last six months and was arrested with the help of Border Security Force (BSF). Sheikh has been charged with cases relating to possession, smuggling and circulation of high-quality Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) of rupees 800,000 and thereby damaging the monetary stability of India. (WION)

India: NIA arrests suspected JMB operative and fake note kingpin Ripon Sheikh

Bangladesh police said Nurul Islam Marzan, a key coordinator of the attack on an upscale Dhaka cafe last July which left at least 20 people dead in its wake, was killed Friday morning in a gunfight with police.&nbsp;

Another man who is a suspect in the murders of Hindu priest Jogeshwar Roy, Hossain Ali, a Christian convert from Islam, and Japanese national Hoshi Kunio was also killed in the gunfight, Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime chief Monirul Islam confirmed to WION.

Ali was killed in March last year. Roy in February, and Kunio in October 2015.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/2016-10-08t075201z_1_lynxnpec9707s_rtroptp_3_bangladesh-militants-20161008090110.JPG" />
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The Holey Artisan bakery and O&#39;Kitchen restaurant after it was retaken by Bangladeshi army commandos. (Reuters)
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Security forces said Marzan was a key coordinator of the July attack, and that the terrorists who had taken hold of the cafe had shared photographs of the atrocities they committed inside with Marzan via encrypted messages.

Police said Marzan was a member of the neo Jamaatul Mujhideen Bangladesh and had been involved in the &quot;motivational training&quot; of militants in the country.

A student of the department of Arabic at Chittagong University, Marzan disappeared from the radar in January last year.

The attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka&#39;s diplomatic area in July last year killed at least 20 civilians, including 17 foreign nationals. One of those killed was a 19-year-old Indian girl,&nbsp;Tarishi Jain.&nbsp;

After a nearly 13-hour hostage crisis, Bangladesh Army&nbsp;commados launched &quot;Operation Thunderbolt&quot; to retake the cafe. Five terrorists were killed in the operation.&nbsp;

Islamic State later released photographs of the five terrorists and claimed responsibility for the attack.&nbsp;

Monirul Islam had earlier told WION that his counter-terrorist unit was hunting three militants, including Marzan, on priority.

Syed Ziaul Haque, chief of the Ansar Al Islam, an Al-Qaida affiliate in the Indian subcontinent, and Mynul Musa, a leader of the neo JMB, are the other two terrorists. They are still at large.

&quot;There has been an effort by the law enforcement agencies to gradually fold up or dismantle some of the key networks that they have identified and go after some of the top leadership of the neo JMB and some of the other groups which have become very prominent in recent times,&quot; said Shafqat Munir, a security analyst with the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies.&nbsp;

An awkward silence

Despite the coordinated efforts of security forces, which has resulted in the killing of at least 28 suspected militants since the July attack, Dhaka has been experiencing an awkward &quot;silence&quot;.

But the absence of more attacks since the July one last year cannot rule out the possibility of terrorists having more cards under their sleeves, warned Brigadier General (Retd.) Sakhawat Hussain, a security analyst.&nbsp;

&quot;There are serious challenges that still remain in our path,&quot; Munir told WION.

Analysts also caution that terrorist networks are not confined to key leadership alone, and that law enforcement agencies need to keep a close eye on sleeper cells and other parts of the networks. &nbsp;

(WION)

&nbsp;

Another man who is a suspect in the murders of a Hindu priest and a Christian convert from Islam was also killed in the gun battle

Bangladesh police said Nurul Islam Marzan, a key coordinator of the attack on an upscale Dhaka cafe last July which left at least 20 people dead in its wake, was killed Friday morning in a gunfight with police. Another man who is a suspect in the murders of Hindu priest Jogeshwar Roy, Hossain Ali, a Christian convert from Islam, and Japanese national Hoshi Kunio was also killed in the gunfight, Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime chief Monirul Islam confirmed to WION. Ali was killed in March last year. Roy in February, and Kunio in October 2015. The Holey Artisan bakery and O'Kitchen restaurant after it was retaken by Bangladeshi army commandos. (Reuters) × Security forces said Marzan was a key coordinator of the July attack, and that the terrorists who had taken hold of the cafe had shared photographs of the atrocities they committed inside with Marzan via encrypted messages. Police said Marzan was a member of the neo Jamaatul Mujhideen Bangladesh and had been involved in the "motivational training" of militants in the country. A student of the department of Arabic at Chittagong University, Marzan disappeared from the radar in January last year. The attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's diplomatic area in July last year killed at least 20 civilians, including 17 foreign nationals. One of those killed was a 19-year-old Indian girl, Tarishi Jain. After a nearly 13-hour hostage crisis, Bangladesh Army commados launched "Operation Thunderbolt" to retake the cafe. Five terrorists were killed in the operation. Islamic State later released photographs of the five terrorists and claimed responsibility for the attack. Monirul Islam had earlier told WION that his counter-terrorist unit was hunting three militants, including Marzan, on priority. Syed Ziaul Haque, chief of the Ansar Al Islam, an Al-Qaida affiliate in the Indian subcontinent, and Mynul Musa, a leader of the neo JMB, are the other two terrorists. They are still at large. "There has been an effort by the law enforcement agencies to gradually fold up or dismantle some of the key networks that they have identified and go after some of the top leadership of the neo JMB and some of the other groups which have become very prominent in recent times," said Shafqat Munir, a security analyst with the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies. An awkward silence Despite the coordinated efforts of security forces, which has resulted in the killing of at least 28 suspected militants since the July attack, Dhaka has been experiencing an awkward "silence". But the absence of more attacks since the July one last year cannot rule out the possibility of terrorists having more cards under their sleeves, warned Brigadier General (Retd.) Sakhawat Hussain, a security analyst. "There are serious challenges that still remain in our path," Munir told WION. Analysts also caution that terrorist networks are not confined to key leadership alone, and that law enforcement agencies need to keep a close eye on sleeper cells and other parts of the networks. (WION)

Bangladesh: Key coordinator of Dhaka cafe attack killed in gunfight with police

Bangladesh will be on high alert on New Year&#39;s&nbsp;as much as Europe and other parts of the world. But unlike the other countries where civilians will be watchful, in Dhaka&nbsp;people must end their outdoor errands by 8 pm on December 31, and no fireworks are allowed.

Bangladesh&nbsp;interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan has already announced that tight security will be maintained on the streets&nbsp;and the diplomatic zones will have tight security.

New Year celebrations in Bangladesh have become a very dry, private and restricted affair in the past decade or so, and the July caf&eacute; attack in Dhaka has added to the reasons to continue the trend. At least 20 lives were lost in the caf&eacute; attack, and, while no life matters less, the killing of 17 foreigners alarmed visitors to the country.

This has had implications on investments in the country, besides concerns for tourism, and reputation. The garment industry, which attracts most interest from western and European buyers, has witnessed a fall in visits.&nbsp;Many business meetings now take place in Hong Kong and Singapore.

&ldquo;We are aware that a lot of buyers cancelled their tickets and did not travel to Bangladesh. Many restaurants and hotels ran out of customers for quite a few months,&rdquo; said Monirul Islam, chief of counter-terrorism and transnational crime, Bangladesh police.

Since July&nbsp;security forces have carried out at least nine operations in which 28 suspected militants were killed. The counter-terrorist units have claimed significant success in the operations,&nbsp;which took down Tamim Chowdhury, a suspected leader of Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The Neo JMB, according to Bangladesh law enforcement agencies, is an affiliate of the Islamic State.

In another operation, Jahidul Islam, a former major of Bangladesh army, and a suspected member of Neo JMB, was killed on September 2.

Syed Ziaul Haque --&nbsp;another former major of Bangladesh army, who is said to be leading Ansar Al Islam, an affiliate of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) --&nbsp;is still at large. Two others of interest are Maynul Musa and Nurul Islam Marzan --&nbsp;both leaders of the Neo JMB.

&ldquo;In 2016 we had some unprecedented terrorist incidents that never happened in Bangladesh. Law enforcment&nbsp;agencies are working (on it)&nbsp;and after the Gulshan incident, people from all spheres of life have come together against terrorism. That is the main strength of Bangladesh,&rdquo; says Islam, also an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

&ldquo;We think that we are now more experienced in combating terrorism. We are optimistic that in 2017, with our increased knowledge and expertise of countering terrorism, we will be able to dismantle their organisational structure,&rdquo; Islam told WION.

Islam&rsquo;s counter-terrorist unit&nbsp;arrested five members of JMB on December 28 in Dhaka with 30 kilograms of explosive. Even as law enforcers take preemptive measures to thwart subversive activities in an otherwise peace-loving Bangladesh, the attacks and efforts at foiling them have become almost concurrent.

(WION)

Security forces say they hoped to dismantle terror organisations in 2017 with the experience gathered in countering them this year

Bangladesh will be on high alert on New Year's as much as Europe and other parts of the world. But unlike the other countries where civilians will be watchful, in Dhaka people must end their outdoor errands by 8 pm on December 31, and no fireworks are allowed. Bangladesh interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan has already announced that tight security will be maintained on the streets and the diplomatic zones will have tight security. New Year celebrations in Bangladesh have become a very dry, private and restricted affair in the past decade or so, and the July café attack in Dhaka has added to the reasons to continue the trend. At least 20 lives were lost in the café attack, and, while no life matters less, the killing of 17 foreigners alarmed visitors to the country. This has had implications on investments in the country, besides concerns for tourism, and reputation. The garment industry, which attracts most interest from western and European buyers, has witnessed a fall in visits. Many business meetings now take place in Hong Kong and Singapore. “We are aware that a lot of buyers cancelled their tickets and did not travel to Bangladesh. Many restaurants and hotels ran out of customers for quite a few months,” said Monirul Islam, chief of counter-terrorism and transnational crime, Bangladesh police. Since July security forces have carried out at least nine operations in which 28 suspected militants were killed. The counter-terrorist units have claimed significant success in the operations, which took down Tamim Chowdhury, a suspected leader of Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The Neo JMB, according to Bangladesh law enforcement agencies, is an affiliate of the Islamic State. In another operation, Jahidul Islam, a former major of Bangladesh army, and a suspected member of Neo JMB, was killed on September 2. Syed Ziaul Haque -- another former major of Bangladesh army, who is said to be leading Ansar Al Islam, an affiliate of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) -- is still at large. Two others of interest are Maynul Musa and Nurul Islam Marzan -- both leaders of the Neo JMB. “In 2016 we had some unprecedented terrorist incidents that never happened in Bangladesh. Law enforcment agencies are working (on it) and after the Gulshan incident, people from all spheres of life have come together against terrorism. That is the main strength of Bangladesh,” says Islam, also an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. “We think that we are now more experienced in combating terrorism. We are optimistic that in 2017, with our increased knowledge and expertise of countering terrorism, we will be able to dismantle their organisational structure,” Islam told WION. Islam’s counter-terrorist unit arrested five members of JMB on December 28 in Dhaka with 30 kilograms of explosive. Even as law enforcers take preemptive measures to thwart subversive activities in an otherwise peace-loving Bangladesh, the attacks and efforts at foiling them have become almost concurrent. (WION)

Terror-stricken Bangladesh gears up for muted New Year's celebration

The typical assessment for militancy in Bangladesh has been a case of poverty and illiteracy. This year&nbsp;has seen suspects with diverse identities and ones that have until recently been unsuspected. 
&nbsp; 
Former defence personnel, educated youths and women are among members that have shocked people about the avenues of terrorist recruitment. 
&nbsp; 
The diversity of profiles that has&nbsp;become more apparent now is a result of an ideological environment that has extended a moral license to radicalisation. 
&nbsp; 
While security forces are on an all-out effort to crack down on militants in the country, Bangladesh is experiencing newer levels of extremism. 
&nbsp; 
The chief of Al-Qaida&rsquo;s local affiliate Ansar Al Islam is Syed Ziaul Haque, a former major who was sacked from Bangladesh Army in 2011. Dhaka&rsquo;s counter terrorist forces killed&nbsp;Jahidul Islam, another former major, who was one of the leaders of Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh. 
&nbsp; 
There are youths from educated and affluent backgrounds joining terrorist outfits. This first came to prominence through the July attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, where at least three of the attackers came from top universities and schools. 
&nbsp; 
The latest revelation for Bangladesh is how women have joined militant outfits to become suicide bombers. 
&nbsp; 
The latest raid at Ashkona in Dhaka on December 24, titled &ldquo;Operation Ripple 24&rdquo;, revealed how terrorists have motivated female members into becoming suicide bombers. While two suspected female militants surrendered to the police during the raid, one of them blew herself up. This is the first time Bangladesh has seen radicalised women go to such an extreme. 
&nbsp; 
Security forces say that most of the Bangladeshi female radicals were influenced by their husbands and that they did not voluntarily become radicals. That is still a considerable threat. Expanding tribes through kinship in the Chinese dynasties has been a political strategy to keep supremacy as early as in 1500 BC. Such practice has evolved among political parties, even in Bangladesh. 
&nbsp; 
WION has learned&nbsp;from investigators that contrary to the belief that the female jihadists became radicalised under pressure of their husbands, there are also those such as Jebunnahar Shila, wife of deceased militant Jahidul Islam, who is&nbsp;defensive about her extremist values. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;We need to recognise that the threat as we knew it has evolved quite substantially. The type of people who were attracted to militancy and the radical path in the past, the profiles of those individuals have changed a lot,&rdquo; says Shafqat Munir, a research fellow with Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;When we look at 2017, we have to acknowledge that the threat is substantial and various new kinds of people are getting attracted to radical ideology. So our countering violent extremism and counter radicalisation strategy have to be geared towards that,&rdquo; he tells WION. 
&nbsp; 
Investigators are saying that youths devoid of the history and culture of Bangladesh are more susceptible to radicalisation. As a result, although there is no one theory explaining what is motivating the youths irrespective of their socioeconomic backgrounds to become radical, clearly the access and exposure of extremist ideologies have become more pervasive. 
&nbsp; 
No militant attacks have occurred since July in Dhaka, but the tension is no longer local. Under cover of religious virtues, terrorism seeks to lend local and personal grievances a global perspective. There is an awkward silence in the atmosphere, where security analysts fear that the possibility of more attacks cannot be ruled out.

(WION)

The old profile of radicals is expanding.?Former defence personnel, educated youths and women have taken part in terror activity this year

The typical assessment for militancy in Bangladesh has been a case of poverty and illiteracy. This year has seen suspects with diverse identities and ones that have until recently been unsuspected. Former defence personnel, educated youths and women are among members that have shocked people about the avenues of terrorist recruitment. The diversity of profiles that has become more apparent now is a result of an ideological environment that has extended a moral license to radicalisation. While security forces are on an all-out effort to crack down on militants in the country, Bangladesh is experiencing newer levels of extremism. The chief of Al-Qaida’s local affiliate Ansar Al Islam is Syed Ziaul Haque, a former major who was sacked from Bangladesh Army in 2011. Dhaka’s counter terrorist forces killed Jahidul Islam, another former major, who was one of the leaders of Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh. There are youths from educated and affluent backgrounds joining terrorist outfits. This first came to prominence through the July attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, where at least three of the attackers came from top universities and schools. The latest revelation for Bangladesh is how women have joined militant outfits to become suicide bombers. The latest raid at Ashkona in Dhaka on December 24, titled “Operation Ripple 24”, revealed how terrorists have motivated female members into becoming suicide bombers. While two suspected female militants surrendered to the police during the raid, one of them blew herself up. This is the first time Bangladesh has seen radicalised women go to such an extreme. Security forces say that most of the Bangladeshi female radicals were influenced by their husbands and that they did not voluntarily become radicals. That is still a considerable threat. Expanding tribes through kinship in the Chinese dynasties has been a political strategy to keep supremacy as early as in 1500 BC. Such practice has evolved among political parties, even in Bangladesh. WION has learned from investigators that contrary to the belief that the female jihadists became radicalised under pressure of their husbands, there are also those such as Jebunnahar Shila, wife of deceased militant Jahidul Islam, who is defensive about her extremist values. “We need to recognise that the threat as we knew it has evolved quite substantially. The type of people who were attracted to militancy and the radical path in the past, the profiles of those individuals have changed a lot,” says Shafqat Munir, a research fellow with Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies. “When we look at 2017, we have to acknowledge that the threat is substantial and various new kinds of people are getting attracted to radical ideology. So our countering violent extremism and counter radicalisation strategy have to be geared towards that,” he tells WION. Investigators are saying that youths devoid of the history and culture of Bangladesh are more susceptible to radicalisation. As a result, although there is no one theory explaining what is motivating the youths irrespective of their socioeconomic backgrounds to become radical, clearly the access and exposure of extremist ideologies have become more pervasive. No militant attacks have occurred since July in Dhaka, but the tension is no longer local. Under cover of religious virtues, terrorism seeks to lend local and personal grievances a global perspective. There is an awkward silence in the atmosphere, where security analysts fear that the possibility of more attacks cannot be ruled out. (WION)

?Terrorism, beyond the poor and illiterate: Bangladesh case study

The Bangladesh government has decided to block more than 500 locally hosted pornography websites.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has forwarded the list to mobile phone operators, international gateway operators, internet service providers, interconnection exchange operators, and other telecom service providers.

MA Hakim, president of the Internet Service Providers Association Bangladesh, confirmed receiving the letter from the BTRC and that, steps were being taken to comply with it.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Initially we have decided to block around 500 websites that contain pornography, obscene pictures and video contents. In the first phase we will go for blocking the locally hosted sites. We are trying to impose some restrictions and trying to create hurdles for random pornographic site browsing, particularly for those who are under 18,&rdquo; said Tarana Halim, state minister for post and telecommunications division.

About 70 to 80 percent of the pornography sites, operated from overseas, would also be blocked in phases, Tarana added.

The Posts and Telecommunications Division committee was formed in November to block access to porn and objectionable contents on the internet from Bangladesh, reports Daily Star.

Tarana had said the ISPs should play an active role in blocking such websites hosted in Bangladesh.

&ldquo;We could not block all the porn sites but if we could block even 80% of them, it would be huge accomplishment for us,&rdquo; she said earlier this month.

(WION)

BTRC has forwarded the list of sites to be banned to different service providers

The Bangladesh government has decided to block more than 500 locally hosted pornography websites. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has forwarded the list to mobile phone operators, international gateway operators, internet service providers, interconnection exchange operators, and other telecom service providers. MA Hakim, president of the Internet Service Providers Association Bangladesh, confirmed receiving the letter from the BTRC and that, steps were being taken to comply with it. “Initially we have decided to block around 500 websites that contain pornography, obscene pictures and video contents. In the first phase we will go for blocking the locally hosted sites. We are trying to impose some restrictions and trying to create hurdles for random pornographic site browsing, particularly for those who are under 18,” said Tarana Halim, state minister for post and telecommunications division. About 70 to 80 percent of the pornography sites, operated from overseas, would also be blocked in phases, Tarana added. The Posts and Telecommunications Division committee was formed in November to block access to porn and objectionable contents on the internet from Bangladesh, reports Daily Star. Tarana had said the ISPs should play an active role in blocking such websites hosted in Bangladesh. “We could not block all the porn sites but if we could block even 80% of them, it would be huge accomplishment for us,” she said earlier this month. (WION)

Bangladesh to ban more than 500 locally hosted porn sites

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the security of the more than 200-kilometre-long Indo-Bangladesh border was a priority for the BJP government and it will be completely sealed in the next year and a half.

&quot;We are committed to sealing the 223.7-km Indo-Bangladesh border and the process is on. It is expected to be completed within the next year and a half,&quot; Singh said addressing BJP workers here.

&quot;Bangladesh is our neighbouring country and we share a good and warm relation, which we will continue to pursue and remain committed to in the future,&quot; he said.

The Union minister, without referring to the issues of illegal migration and granting of citizenship to Hindu refugees, assured the people of Assam that the BJP was committed to protecting the interests of the state&#39;s indigenous population,&nbsp;as per Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.

&quot;We are committed to Clause 6 of the Assam Accord and will protect it even if we have to amend the Constitution,&quot; he said. 
Referring to the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Singh said the process is underway and the state government should complete it soon.

The Union minister said the Centre will make no compromise on the issue of insurgency as he claimed that violence has considerably come down in the state.

&quot;If any people or group have any grievances, problems or issues, we are ready to talk to them...we are ready to embrace them and talk. But if there is violence, there will be no compromise,&quot; he added.

(PTI)

The Union minister said the Centre will make no compromise on the issue of insurgency as he said violence in the state was considerably down

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the security of the more than 200-kilometre-long Indo-Bangladesh border was a priority for the BJP government and it will be completely sealed in the next year and a half. "We are committed to sealing the 223.7-km Indo-Bangladesh border and the process is on. It is expected to be completed within the next year and a half," Singh said addressing BJP workers here. "Bangladesh is our neighbouring country and we share a good and warm relation, which we will continue to pursue and remain committed to in the future," he said. The Union minister, without referring to the issues of illegal migration and granting of citizenship to Hindu refugees, assured the people of Assam that the BJP was committed to protecting the interests of the state's indigenous population, as per Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. "We are committed to Clause 6 of the Assam Accord and will protect it even if we have to amend the Constitution," he said. Referring to the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Singh said the process is underway and the state government should complete it soon. The Union minister said the Centre will make no compromise on the issue of insurgency as he claimed that violence has considerably come down in the state. "If any people or group have any grievances, problems or issues, we are ready to talk to them...we are ready to embrace them and talk. But if there is violence, there will be no compromise," he added. (PTI)

India-Bangladesh border to be completely sealed by 2018: Rajnath Singh

Bangladesh security forces on Tuesday arrested two members of an Islamist militant group blamed for a deadly attack on a cafe in Dhaka in July in which 22 people were killed, most of them foreigners.

The July 1 attack in Dhaka&#39;s diplomatic quarter was claimed by the Islamic State and was the worst militant attack in Bangladesh, which has been hit by a spate of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the past year.

The two suspects, aged 21 and 28, were members of a faction of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant group, known as New JMB, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, and which police believe was involved in organising the cafe attack.

&ldquo;We have recovered money, jihadi books, leaflets and sharp weapons,&rdquo; Lutful Kabir, a senior official with the police-led Rapid Action Battalion, which is involved in counter-terrorism efforts, told a news conference.

The five gunmen who attacked the cafe were all killed.

Police have killed at least 42 suspected Islamists in raids since then, including the man police said was the attack mastermind, Bangladesh-born Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The two suspects, aged 21 and 28, were members of a faction of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant group

Bangladesh security forces on Tuesday arrested two members of an Islamist militant group blamed for a deadly attack on a cafe in Dhaka in July in which 22 people were killed, most of them foreigners. The July 1 attack in Dhaka's diplomatic quarter was claimed by the Islamic State and was the worst militant attack in Bangladesh, which has been hit by a spate of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the past year. The two suspects, aged 21 and 28, were members of a faction of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant group, known as New JMB, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, and which police believe was involved in organising the cafe attack. “We have recovered money, jihadi books, leaflets and sharp weapons,” Lutful Kabir, a senior official with the police-led Rapid Action Battalion, which is involved in counter-terrorism efforts, told a news conference. The five gunmen who attacked the cafe were all killed. Police have killed at least 42 suspected Islamists in raids since then, including the man police said was the attack mastermind, Bangladesh-born Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury. (Reuters)

Bangladesh arrests two Islamists blamed for cafe attack

Equating atrocities in Balochistan to the massacre of Bengalis by Pakistan Army during the 1971 liberation war, a self-exiled Baloch leader has sought Bangladesh&#39;s support to raise the issue at the UN and help liberate the restive region from &quot;Pakistan&#39;s occupation&quot;.

&quot;They (Pakistan) are committing the same atrocities that they had committed with you,&quot; Mir Suleman Dawood Jan Ahmedzai said here yesterday, referring to Bangladesh&#39;s independence struggle during which 3 million Bengalis were killed.

&quot;The family of the present prime minister (Sheikh Hasina) went through the same crisis and even worse,&quot; he said, referring to Bangladesh&#39;s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who led the independence movement.

He said &#39;Pakistan occupied his country&#39; in March 1948 and since then has been carrying out atrocities to suppress public uprisings.

Ahmedzai said Balochs are expecting &quot;cooperation and diplomatic understanding of the situation they are going through&quot; from Bangladesh so that Dhaka can take it up to the UN.

&quot;We, Balochistan, cannot speak in the UN as we are not a member. We want members to speak for us,&quot; bdnews24.Com quoted him as saying.

In Balochistan, they are committing atrocities on a daily basis, he said, adding that Pakistan has adopted ?kill and dump? policy in Balochistan.

&quot;More than 25,000 people are missing and over a million displaced. First, people go missing and then they are found in the wilderness....Tortured, bullet-ridden bodies.&quot;

&quot;Our only plan is to regain independence for Balochistan. We are optimistic,&quot; he said.

He accused Pakistan of &quot;spreading terrorism from Manila to California with its army intelligence&quot;.

&quot;Only difference between normal terrorists and Pakistani army is that they are wearing uniforms while the others are not. Both are terrorists. One has a shield of the government and the other one is a non-state actor,&quot; he said.

&quot;Going to the background as to who they back or finance, you will trace them in every terrorist link from Manila to California&quot;.

Ahmedzai has been staying in Britain since 2007 to gather international support for their cause of an independent Balochistan.

He was in Dhaka to take part in a seminar organised by the Centre for Genocide Studies at the Dhaka University.

The Balochistan issue returned to the spotlight in the region after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech in August pointed at human rights violations in the province.

(PTI)

'They (Pakistan) are committing the same atrocities that they had committed with you (Bangladesh)', Mir Suleman Dawood Jan Ahmedzai said

Equating atrocities in Balochistan to the massacre of Bengalis by Pakistan Army during the 1971 liberation war, a self-exiled Baloch leader has sought Bangladesh's support to raise the issue at the UN and help liberate the restive region from "Pakistan's occupation". "They (Pakistan) are committing the same atrocities that they had committed with you," Mir Suleman Dawood Jan Ahmedzai said here yesterday, referring to Bangladesh's independence struggle during which 3 million Bengalis were killed. "The family of the present prime minister (Sheikh Hasina) went through the same crisis and even worse," he said, referring to Bangladesh's founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who led the independence movement. He said 'Pakistan occupied his country' in March 1948 and since then has been carrying out atrocities to suppress public uprisings. Ahmedzai said Balochs are expecting "cooperation and diplomatic understanding of the situation they are going through" from Bangladesh so that Dhaka can take it up to the UN. "We, Balochistan, cannot speak in the UN as we are not a member. We want members to speak for us," bdnews24.Com quoted him as saying. In Balochistan, they are committing atrocities on a daily basis, he said, adding that Pakistan has adopted ?kill and dump? policy in Balochistan. "More than 25,000 people are missing and over a million displaced. First, people go missing and then they are found in the wilderness....Tortured, bullet-ridden bodies." "Our only plan is to regain independence for Balochistan. We are optimistic," he said. He accused Pakistan of "spreading terrorism from Manila to California with its army intelligence". "Only difference between normal terrorists and Pakistani army is that they are wearing uniforms while the others are not. Both are terrorists. One has a shield of the government and the other one is a non-state actor," he said. "Going to the background as to who they back or finance, you will trace them in every terrorist link from Manila to California". Ahmedzai has been staying in Britain since 2007 to gather international support for their cause of an independent Balochistan. He was in Dhaka to take part in a seminar organised by the Centre for Genocide Studies at the Dhaka University. The Balochistan issue returned to the spotlight in the region after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech in August pointed at human rights violations in the province. (PTI)

Baloch leader seeks Bangladesh's help to raise Balochistan issue

Around 21,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent weeks to escape violence in neighbouring Myanmar, an official of the International Organisation for Migration said today.

Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stem the tide of refugees fleeing a bloody crackdown by Myanmar&#39;s army in the western state of Rakhine since early October.

But Sanjukta Sahany, head of the IOM office in Bangladesh&#39;s southeastern district of Cox&#39;s Bazar bordering Rakhine, said around 21,000 members of the stateless ethnic minority had crossed over in the past two months.

The vast majority of those who arrived took refuge in makeshift settlements, official refugee camps and villages, said Sahany.

&quot;An estimated 21,000 Rohingya have arrived in Cox&#39;s Bazar district between October 9 and December 2,&quot; she told AFP by phone.

&quot;It is based on the figures collected by UN agencies and international NGOs&quot; (non-governmental organisations).

Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh told horrifying stories of gang-rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar&#39;s security forces.

Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse but has banned foreign journalists and independent investigators from accessing the area.

Myanmar&#39;s Nobel peace laureate and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has faced a growing international backlash for what a UN official has said amounts to a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, a Muslim group loathed by many of Myanmar&#39;s Buddhist majority.

Last week she vowed to work for &quot;peace and national reconciliation&quot;, saying her country faced many challenges, but did not mention the violence in Rakhine state.

Bangladesh has reinforced its border posts and deployed coastguard ships to try to prevent a fresh influx of refugees.

In the past two months Bangladeshi border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with Rohingya women and children from entering the country.

The Bangladesh government has been under pressure from Muslim groups and the opposition to open its border to the fleeing Rohingya.

Today police stopped thousands of hardline Muslims from marching to the Myanmar embassy in Dhaka to protest at the ongoing &quot;genocide&quot; of Rohingya.

Shiblee Noman, an assistant commissioner of Dhaka police, told AFP about 10,000 Muslims joined the march, which was halted at central Dhaka&#39;s Nightingale Crossing.&nbsp;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

International Organisation for Migration said 21,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh to escape a crackdown by Myanmar's army

Around 21,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent weeks to escape violence in neighbouring Myanmar, an official of the International Organisation for Migration said today. Bangladesh has stepped up patrols on the border to try to stem the tide of refugees fleeing a bloody crackdown by Myanmar's army in the western state of Rakhine since early October. But Sanjukta Sahany, head of the IOM office in Bangladesh's southeastern district of Cox's Bazar bordering Rakhine, said around 21,000 members of the stateless ethnic minority had crossed over in the past two months. The vast majority of those who arrived took refuge in makeshift settlements, official refugee camps and villages, said Sahany. "An estimated 21,000 Rohingya have arrived in Cox's Bazar district between October 9 and December 2," she told AFP by phone. "It is based on the figures collected by UN agencies and international NGOs" (non-governmental organisations). Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh told horrifying stories of gang-rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar's security forces. Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed. Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse but has banned foreign journalists and independent investigators from accessing the area. Myanmar's Nobel peace laureate and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has faced a growing international backlash for what a UN official has said amounts to a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, a Muslim group loathed by many of Myanmar's Buddhist majority. Last week she vowed to work for "peace and national reconciliation", saying her country faced many challenges, but did not mention the violence in Rakhine state. Bangladesh has reinforced its border posts and deployed coastguard ships to try to prevent a fresh influx of refugees. In the past two months Bangladeshi border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with Rohingya women and children from entering the country. The Bangladesh government has been under pressure from Muslim groups and the opposition to open its border to the fleeing Rohingya. Today police stopped thousands of hardline Muslims from marching to the Myanmar embassy in Dhaka to protest at the ongoing "genocide" of Rohingya. Shiblee Noman, an assistant commissioner of Dhaka police, told AFP about 10,000 Muslims joined the march, which was halted at central Dhaka's Nightingale Crossing. (AFP)

21,000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh from Myanmar: IOM

India&#39;s defence minister Manohar Parrikar today called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discussed measures to strengthen military and security ties between the two countries.

Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to visit Bangladesh in the last 45 years, met Hasina, who holds the defence portfolio in the cabinet, for about 30 minutes.

Parrikar, who arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit leading an 11-member high-powered delegation, yesterday met President Abdul Hamid who assured India that it has &quot;zero tolerance&quot; policy against terrorism and sought expanded military ties.

The President urged the Indian minister to send more military officials to Bangladesh for training to boost ties between the armed forces of the two countries.

The defence minister yesterday also met Hasina&#39;s security adviser Major General (Retd) Tariq Ahmed and discussed bilateral military and security cooperation.

Top defence ministry officials in New Delhi had said the focus of Parrikar&#39;s trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Hasina visits India next month.

Vowing &quot;zero tolerance&quot; against terrorism, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today assured India that Bangladesh will not allow its soil to be used for terror acts against any country.

&quot;We won&#39;t tolerate any sorts of terrorism and militancy and won&#39;t allow our land to be used for carrying out terrorist acts against any country,&quot; Hasina told Parrikar, who called on her at her official Ganobhaban residence here.

According to Hasina&#39;s press secretary Ihsanul Karim, she recalled with gratitude the contribution of Indian armed forces to Bangladesh&#39;s Liberation War and told Parrikar that during her upcoming visit to India she would honour those Indian soldiers who died during the 1971 freedom war.

On his part, Parrikar said &quot;it was our moral responsibility to extend help to Bangladesh in the War of Liberation as a friendly country and we provided that assistance.&quot;

After the meeting, he handed over Hasina a replica of a helicopter that India used during Bangladesh&#39;s liberation war and photographs of paratroopers who took part in that war.

Parrikar, who was accompanied by a high-level defence delegation, offered Indian expertise to train Bangladesh Coast Guards for enhanced capacity to guard the country&#39;s southern coastlines along the Bay of Bengal.

Hasina thanked the Indian Coast Guards for rescuing Bangladeshi fishermen recently.

Parrikar appreciated Bangladesh&#39;s tremendous socio- economic development, particularly the women empowerment under Hasina&#39;s leadership, saying &quot;Bangladesh made impressive development in various sectors, especially women empowerment, which India could not do yet&quot;.

His meeting with Hasina came at the end of a two-day visit, the first by an Indian defence minister, during which he called on President Abdul Hamid and also met premier&#39;s security adviser Major Gen (retd.) Tariq Ahmed Siddiqui.

Earlier in the day, Parrikar visited Bangladesh Military Academy near the southeastern port city of Chittagong and paid tributes to &quot;Shikha Anirban&quot; or &quot;flame eternal&quot;, a military monument built in memory 1971 war martyrs at Dhaka Cantonment.

Prime Minister&#39;s International Affairs Advisor Dr Gowher Rizvi, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen Mahfuzur Rahman, PM&#39;s Military Secretary Maj Gen Mia Mohammad Joynul Abedin and Indian High Commissioner Harsha Vardhan Shringla were present at the meeting, among others.

The vice chiefs of India&#39;s three wings of armed forces, who comprised Parrikar&#39;s delegation along with the Indian Coast Guard chief, held talks with Bangladesh army, navy and air force chiefs at their offices in Dhaka cantonment.

&quot;During the meetings, they discussed issues related to the existing good relations and cooperation between the two armed forces,&quot; a defence ministry statement said.

Security analysts said Parrikar&#39;s visit was expected to firm up defence cooperation initiatives ahead of Bangladesh premier&#39;s expected India visit later this month which could yield a defence cooperation agreement.

(PTI)

Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar was meeting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today

India's defence minister Manohar Parrikar today called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discussed measures to strengthen military and security ties between the two countries. Parrikar, the first Indian defence minister to visit Bangladesh in the last 45 years, met Hasina, who holds the defence portfolio in the cabinet, for about 30 minutes. Parrikar, who arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit leading an 11-member high-powered delegation, yesterday met President Abdul Hamid who assured India that it has "zero tolerance" policy against terrorism and sought expanded military ties. The President urged the Indian minister to send more military officials to Bangladesh for training to boost ties between the armed forces of the two countries. The defence minister yesterday also met Hasina's security adviser Major General (Retd) Tariq Ahmed and discussed bilateral military and security cooperation. Top defence ministry officials in New Delhi had said the focus of Parrikar's trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Hasina visits India next month. Vowing "zero tolerance" against terrorism, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today assured India that Bangladesh will not allow its soil to be used for terror acts against any country. "We won't tolerate any sorts of terrorism and militancy and won't allow our land to be used for carrying out terrorist acts against any country," Hasina told Parrikar, who called on her at her official Ganobhaban residence here. According to Hasina's press secretary Ihsanul Karim, she recalled with gratitude the contribution of Indian armed forces to Bangladesh's Liberation War and told Parrikar that during her upcoming visit to India she would honour those Indian soldiers who died during the 1971 freedom war. On his part, Parrikar said "it was our moral responsibility to extend help to Bangladesh in the War of Liberation as a friendly country and we provided that assistance." After the meeting, he handed over Hasina a replica of a helicopter that India used during Bangladesh's liberation war and photographs of paratroopers who took part in that war. Parrikar, who was accompanied by a high-level defence delegation, offered Indian expertise to train Bangladesh Coast Guards for enhanced capacity to guard the country's southern coastlines along the Bay of Bengal. Hasina thanked the Indian Coast Guards for rescuing Bangladeshi fishermen recently. Parrikar appreciated Bangladesh's tremendous socio- economic development, particularly the women empowerment under Hasina's leadership, saying "Bangladesh made impressive development in various sectors, especially women empowerment, which India could not do yet". His meeting with Hasina came at the end of a two-day visit, the first by an Indian defence minister, during which he called on President Abdul Hamid and also met premier's security adviser Major Gen (retd.) Tariq Ahmed Siddiqui. Earlier in the day, Parrikar visited Bangladesh Military Academy near the southeastern port city of Chittagong and paid tributes to "Shikha Anirban" or "flame eternal", a military monument built in memory 1971 war martyrs at Dhaka Cantonment. Prime Minister's International Affairs Advisor Dr Gowher Rizvi, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen Mahfuzur Rahman, PM's Military Secretary Maj Gen Mia Mohammad Joynul Abedin and Indian High Commissioner Harsha Vardhan Shringla were present at the meeting, among others. The vice chiefs of India's three wings of armed forces, who comprised Parrikar's delegation along with the Indian Coast Guard chief, held talks with Bangladesh army, navy and air force chiefs at their offices in Dhaka cantonment. "During the meetings, they discussed issues related to the existing good relations and cooperation between the two armed forces," a defence ministry statement said. Security analysts said Parrikar's visit was expected to firm up defence cooperation initiatives ahead of Bangladesh premier's expected India visit later this month which could yield a defence cooperation agreement. (PTI)

Won't allow our land for terrorist acts against any country: Bangladesh PM

At least 10,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks, fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

&quot;Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks,&quot; said Vivian Tan, a UN spokeswoman in Bangkok.

A senior UN official said the reputation of Aung San Suu Kyi&#39;s government in Myanmar is at stake amid international concerns over how it is dealing with violence in the country&#39;s divided northwest.&nbsp;

The bloody crackdown in the Rakhine state has sent thousands fleeing across the border amid allegations of abuse by security forces. The UN said, &quot;the situation is fast changing and the actual number could be much higher.&quot;&nbsp;

The United Nations was urging the Bangladesh government, which has stepped up patrols on the border, to allow the Rohingyas safe haven.&nbsp;

&quot;We are ready to support the government to provide effective humanitarian assistance for these individuals in need of international protection,&quot; she said.

On Tuesday, the UN OHCHR said Myanmar&#39;s treatment of the Rohingya could be tantamount to crimes against humanity, reiterating the findings of a June report.

Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh had horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar&#39;s security forces.

Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed.

But Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting &quot;terrorists&quot; behind raids on police posts last month.

The de facto leader vowed to work for &quot;peace and national reconciliation&quot; in the country but did not mention the violence in the Rakhine state.&nbsp;

Speaking at a business forum in Singapore, Suu Kyi said that multi-ethnic Myanmar needed to achieve stability to attract more investment.

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Reiterating the findings of a June report, the UN said Myanmar's treatment of Rohingyas may be tantamount to crimes against humanity

At least 10,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh in recent weeks, fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar, the United Nations said on Wednesday. "Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks," said Vivian Tan, a UN spokeswoman in Bangkok. A senior UN official said the reputation of Aung San Suu Kyi's government in Myanmar is at stake amid international concerns over how it is dealing with violence in the country's divided northwest. The bloody crackdown in the Rakhine state has sent thousands fleeing across the border amid allegations of abuse by security forces. The UN said, "the situation is fast changing and the actual number could be much higher." The United Nations was urging the Bangladesh government, which has stepped up patrols on the border, to allow the Rohingyas safe haven. "We are ready to support the government to provide effective humanitarian assistance for these individuals in need of international protection," she said. On Tuesday, the UN OHCHR said Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya could be tantamount to crimes against humanity, reiterating the findings of a June report. Those interviewed by AFP inside Bangladesh had horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar's security forces. Analysis of satellite images by Human Rights Watch found hundreds of buildings in Rohingya villages have been razed. But Myanmar has denied allegations of abuse, saying the army is hunting "terrorists" behind raids on police posts last month. The de facto leader vowed to work for "peace and national reconciliation" in the country but did not mention the violence in the Rakhine state. Speaking at a business forum in Singapore, Suu Kyi said that multi-ethnic Myanmar needed to achieve stability to attract more investment. (WION with inputs from agencies)

UN: Myanmar Rohingya abuse may be 'crimes against humanity'

A cyber cafe owner was arrested in Bangladesh for allegedly masterminding attacks on Hindu temples and houses earlier this month.

Police said 30-year-old Jahangir Alam was nabbed last night from the Brahmanbaria town will be interrogated in custody for four days as he was brought before a magistrate.&nbsp;

Investigations revealed the cafe owner could have hacked the Facebook account of a Hindu youth and posted images of Hindu gods over those of Muslim holy shrines to instigate violence.&nbsp;

Police official Mizanur Rahman told PTI, that Alam was the main culprit who prepared handbills copying the controversial image (to be distributed among ordinary people) and hired trucks to carry the attackers to the scene at Nasirnagar (in Brahmanbaria).

Earlier, police arrested over 100 people for their alleged involvement in Nasirnagar attacks when the Islamists carried out two subsequent attacks ravaging nearly a dozen temples and over 20 houses.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Police said Alam played a crucial role in posting images of Hindu gods over Muslim holy shrines that instigated violence

A cyber cafe owner was arrested in Bangladesh for allegedly masterminding attacks on Hindu temples and houses earlier this month. Police said 30-year-old Jahangir Alam was nabbed last night from the Brahmanbaria town will be interrogated in custody for four days as he was brought before a magistrate. Investigations revealed the cafe owner could have hacked the Facebook account of a Hindu youth and posted images of Hindu gods over those of Muslim holy shrines to instigate violence. Police official Mizanur Rahman told PTI, that Alam was the main culprit who prepared handbills copying the controversial image (to be distributed among ordinary people) and hired trucks to carry the attackers to the scene at Nasirnagar (in Brahmanbaria). Earlier, police arrested over 100 people for their alleged involvement in Nasirnagar attacks when the Islamists carried out two subsequent attacks ravaging nearly a dozen temples and over 20 houses. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Bangladesh arrests alleged mastermind of attack on Hindu temples

Uber launched its on-demand car ride services in the perennially jammed Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Tuesday, saying it would help reduce congestion in one of the world&#39;s largest metropolises.

Dhaka is the 33rd city in South Asia where the smart phone taxi app is now available. The city&#39;s first Uber ride was made by Bangladeshi cricket star Shakib Al Hasan, according to the California-based company, adding its technology would help reduce traffic and improve air quality.

&quot;Uber has a simple goal: to use technology to make our cities more accessible while reducing congestion and pollution,&quot; said Amit Jain, president of Uber India and South Asia.

Bangladesh&#39;s government backed Uber&#39;s launch in the capital - which has a population of over 30 million in the city and adjoining industrial towns but lacks a metro system, leaving residents totally reliant on the heavily congested roads.

&quot;Smart cities are integral parts of the digital Bangladesh and I&#39;m very excited to have Uber in Dhaka as a part of our efforts to build smart cities,&quot; said junior Information Technology Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

There was no immediate comment from the city&#39;s taxi drivers or the powerful army-linked company that runs a fleet of more expensive cabs.

Uber has revolutionised car share rides across the globe since it was launched in 2010, becoming one of the world&#39;s most valuable startups. But it has faced protests from established taxi operators in most locations where it has launched and been hit by a series of lawsuits and regulatory hurdles.

(This piece first appeared on DNA)

The city's first Uber ride was made by Bangladeshi cricket star Shakib Al Hasan, according to the California-based company

Uber launched its on-demand car ride services in the perennially jammed Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Tuesday, saying it would help reduce congestion in one of the world's largest metropolises. Dhaka is the 33rd city in South Asia where the smart phone taxi app is now available. The city's first Uber ride was made by Bangladeshi cricket star Shakib Al Hasan, according to the California-based company, adding its technology would help reduce traffic and improve air quality. "Uber has a simple goal: to use technology to make our cities more accessible while reducing congestion and pollution," said Amit Jain, president of Uber India and South Asia. Bangladesh's government backed Uber's launch in the capital - which has a population of over 30 million in the city and adjoining industrial towns but lacks a metro system, leaving residents totally reliant on the heavily congested roads. "Smart cities are integral parts of the digital Bangladesh and I'm very excited to have Uber in Dhaka as a part of our efforts to build smart cities," said junior Information Technology Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak. There was no immediate comment from the city's taxi drivers or the powerful army-linked company that runs a fleet of more expensive cabs. Uber has revolutionised car share rides across the globe since it was launched in 2010, becoming one of the world's most valuable startups. But it has faced protests from established taxi operators in most locations where it has launched and been hit by a series of lawsuits and regulatory hurdles. (This piece first appeared on DNA)

Taxi aggregator Uber launches in Dhaka

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar fled into neighbouring Bangladesh this week in a bid to escape the violence that has killed at least 86 people and displaced about 30,000 people in recent fighting.

Without specifying the exact number, UN aid workers told Reuters hundreds crossed the border to Bangladesh over the weekend and on Monday.

Some are feared to have drowned after their boat sank in a river while crossing the river Naaf that separates Myanmar and Bangladesh, Reuters reported. Those who managed to enter Bangladesh sought shelter in refugee camps or people&#39;s homes.

&quot;There was a group of people from our village who crossed the river by boat to come here, but suddenly the boat sank,&quot; said Humayun Kabir, the father of three children untraceable since the mishap.

He also said that though many of the refugees swam to the river bank, seven people are still bmissing -- his children among them.

The violence in Myanmar &nbsp;poses the biggest challenge yet for the eight-month-old administration of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.&nbsp;

It is the most serious after 2012&#39;s communal clashes in Rakhine that killed hundreds of people.

Soldiers have flooded the area along Myanmar&#39;s frontier with Bangladesh in response to coordinated attacks on three border posts on October 9 that killed nine police officers, Reuters reported.

Myanmar&#39;s military and the government have rejected allegations by residents and rights groups that soldiers have raped Rohingya women, burnt houses and killed civilians during the military operation in Rakhine.

Sirajul Islam, who arrived on Monday at an unregistered camp in Bangladesh&#39;s southern coastal town of Teknaf, said he did not know what happened to his eight-member family after soldiers set fire to their home in Rakhine.

&quot;I don&#39;t know where my wife and children are,&quot; Islam said. &quot;I somehow was able to cross the border to save my life.&quot;

The area -- mostly home to the Rohingya community -- is under military lockdown. A humanitarian effort to provide aid to more than 150,000 people has been suspended for more than 40 days in the area, Reuters reported.

&quot;Difficult as it is for the Bangladesh government to absorb large numbers, it seems to me there is no other choice, because the only other choice is death and suffering,&quot; John McKissick, head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees office in the southern resort town of Cox&#39;s Bazar told Reuters. &quot;For now, the only thing that can be done is to assist and protect them.&quot;

Mynamar&#39;s 1.1 million Rohingyas are viewed as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh by many people in the Buddhist-majority country.

(WION with inputs of Reuters)

Some Rohingya refugees have been missing since Tuesday after a group crossed the river Naaf that separates Myanmar and Bangladesh

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar fled into neighbouring Bangladesh this week in a bid to escape the violence that has killed at least 86 people and displaced about 30,000 people in recent fighting. Without specifying the exact number, UN aid workers told Reuters hundreds crossed the border to Bangladesh over the weekend and on Monday. Some are feared to have drowned after their boat sank in a river while crossing the river Naaf that separates Myanmar and Bangladesh, Reuters reported. Those who managed to enter Bangladesh sought shelter in refugee camps or people's homes. "There was a group of people from our village who crossed the river by boat to come here, but suddenly the boat sank," said Humayun Kabir, the father of three children untraceable since the mishap. He also said that though many of the refugees swam to the river bank, seven people are still bmissing -- his children among them. The violence in Myanmar poses the biggest challenge yet for the eight-month-old administration of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. It is the most serious after 2012's communal clashes in Rakhine that killed hundreds of people. Soldiers have flooded the area along Myanmar's frontier with Bangladesh in response to coordinated attacks on three border posts on October 9 that killed nine police officers, Reuters reported. Myanmar's military and the government have rejected allegations by residents and rights groups that soldiers have raped Rohingya women, burnt houses and killed civilians during the military operation in Rakhine. Sirajul Islam, who arrived on Monday at an unregistered camp in Bangladesh's southern coastal town of Teknaf, said he did not know what happened to his eight-member family after soldiers set fire to their home in Rakhine. "I don't know where my wife and children are," Islam said. "I somehow was able to cross the border to save my life." The area -- mostly home to the Rohingya community -- is under military lockdown. A humanitarian effort to provide aid to more than 150,000 people has been suspended for more than 40 days in the area, Reuters reported. "Difficult as it is for the Bangladesh government to absorb large numbers, it seems to me there is no other choice, because the only other choice is death and suffering," John McKissick, head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees office in the southern resort town of Cox's Bazar told Reuters. "For now, the only thing that can be done is to assist and protect them." Mynamar's 1.1 million Rohingyas are viewed as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh by many people in the Buddhist-majority country. (WION with inputs of Reuters)

Hundreds of Rohingyas flee to Bangladesh as violence spreads in Myanmar

&nbsp; 
A Dhaka court issued a warrant Thursday for the arrest of Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief and former prime minister Khaleda Zia for celebrating her birthday on August 15.

August 15 is observed as National Mourning Day in Bangladesh and is the day&nbsp;the country&rsquo;s&nbsp;founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and his family were assassinated, PTI reported.

Bangladesh&#39;s current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is Sheikh Mujibur Rehman&#39;s daughter.

An official told PTI it was Zia&rsquo;s &quot;defiance&quot; that prompted the prosecution to ask the court to issue the warrant.

&ldquo;(Zia) was summoned by the court but she did not appear during three previous hearings&hellip; So the magistrate issued the arrest warrant in line with legal procedure,&rdquo; the official said. &nbsp;

Zia&rsquo;s birthday?

On August 31, journalist Gazi Zahir filed a case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, alleging that Zia&rsquo;s marriage certificate said her date of birth was August 9, 1944, but that she chose to celebrate her birthday on August 15 to mock the &ldquo;father of the nation&rdquo;.

Zia&#39;s other documents, PTI reported, including her first passport and her official biography published in 1991, say Zia&rsquo;s date of birth are August 5 and August 19 respectively.

&ldquo;I have submitted copies of all these documents before the court as none of those suggest that she was born on August 15,&rdquo; PTI quoted Zahir as saying.

Zia&rsquo;s birthday celebrations on August 15 -- they started in 1996 -- have been a source of much vexation for the ruling Awami League which incidentally returned to power that same year.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

The country observes August 15 as National Mourning Day to mark the assassination of founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

A Dhaka court issued a warrant Thursday for the arrest of Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief and former prime minister Khaleda Zia for celebrating her birthday on August 15. August 15 is observed as National Mourning Day in Bangladesh and is the day the country’s founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and his family were assassinated, PTI reported. Bangladesh's current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is Sheikh Mujibur Rehman's daughter. An official told PTI it was Zia’s "defiance" that prompted the prosecution to ask the court to issue the warrant. “(Zia) was summoned by the court but she did not appear during three previous hearings… So the magistrate issued the arrest warrant in line with legal procedure,” the official said. Zia’s birthday? On August 31, journalist Gazi Zahir filed a case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, alleging that Zia’s marriage certificate said her date of birth was August 9, 1944, but that she chose to celebrate her birthday on August 15 to mock the “father of the nation”. Zia's other documents, PTI reported, including her first passport and her official biography published in 1991, say Zia’s date of birth are August 5 and August 19 respectively. “I have submitted copies of all these documents before the court as none of those suggest that she was born on August 15,” PTI quoted Zahir as saying. Zia’s birthday celebrations on August 15 -- they started in 1996 -- have been a source of much vexation for the ruling Awami League which incidentally returned to power that same year. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Bangladesh: Arrest warrant against former PM Khaleda Zia for celebrating birthday on August 15

A top delegation of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina has flown to Marrakech in Morocco today to participate in the high level segments of the 22nd Conference of Parties.

Thirty-seven heads of states are expected to attend this year&rsquo;s COP22, which is deemed significant for the execution of the landmark Paris Agreement signed last year.

Bangladesh is part of the Least Developed Countries and as such is arguing for Loss and Damage finance to be agreed, Saleemul Huq, senior fellow at the International Institute of Environment and Development in London told WION. The member states are pushing for negotiations on the topic till the actual filing of the report.&nbsp;

On Suday, Bangladesh&rsquo;s foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told reporters that Dhaka would highlight &quot;the initiatives and measures undertaken by the government in tackling the menaces of climate change.&quot;

The COP22 is deemed a major event as the industrialised countries, including the United States and Russia, had failed to come to a consensus until the Paris Agreement. The member states refused to oblige to the targets stipulated at the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent.

Last year in Paris however, all member states including the United States appeared to be happy with the outcome.

&quot;There is a new concept that Paris has brought, which is called INDC, Intended Nationally Determined Contribution. This means rather than anybody telling another country how they should reduce their carbon or greenhouse gas, each country say this is what I am going to do,&quot; said Atiq Rahman, renowned Bangladeshi climate scientist and executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies.

&quot;Bangladesh has already achieved that, we said we are going to reduce 5 per cent of our total greenhouse gas [by 2030], but if you can give us the finance we can reduce up to 15 per cent,&rdquo; he told WION.

The <a href="http://(http://www4.unfccc.int/ndcregistry/PublishedDocuments/Bangladesh%20First/INDC_2015_of_Bangladesh.pdf" target="_blank">INDC</a>&nbsp;issued by Bangladesh&rsquo;s ministry of environment and forests states: &quot;An unconditional contribution to reduce GHG emissions by 5 per cent from Business as Usual (BAU) levels by 2030 in the power, transport and industry sectors, based on existing resources.

Among its contributions Bangladesh also states: &quot;A conditional 15 per cent reduction in GHG emissions from BAU levels by 2030 in the power, transport, and industry sectors, subject to appropriate international support in the form of finance, investment, technology development and transfer, and capacity building.&quot;

The <a href="http://www.greenclimate.fund/-/climate-resilient-infrastructure-mainstreaming-in-bangladesh?inheritRedirect=true&amp;redirect=%2Fprojects%2Fbrowse-projects" target="_blank">Green Climate Fund</a> of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has raised $10.4 billion of which it has received 27 projects worth $1.2 billion. One of the projects worth $80 million belongs to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Under the project titled &quot;Climate-resilient infrastructure mainstreaming in Bangladesh&quot; the country will construct 45 new cyclone shelters, renovate 20 existing cyclone shelters and develop infrastructure to safeguard people in the coastal belts.

The Paris Agreement is significant, as it will establish the rules of the game. &quot;Various committees will be formed. They will be working in tandem to decide how to do best mitigation,&quot; said Rahman.

&quot;Lastly the best technology would have to be used by all so that we don&rsquo;t have to produce as much greenhouse gas. So all those will have to be taken on board and this is what&#39;s going to happen step by step starting in Marrakech,&rdquo; Rahman told WION.

Experts tell WION that mitigation from the most polluting industrialised countries can reduce the burden of adaptation for developing countries like Bangladesh and make the world more sustainable.&nbsp;

They have also expressed concerns about the future of the Agreement in light of the remarks made by the US President-elect Donald Trump, who said that he finds climate change to a hoax perpetrated by China to take down the US manufacturing industries and threatened to quit the Paris Agreement.&nbsp;

A source who works with Trump&#39;s transition team for international energy and climate policy told Reuters on Tuesday, &quot;It was reckless for the Paris Agreement to enter into force before the election.&quot; Reuters has reported that Trump is seeking quick ways to withdraw the United States from a global accord to combat climate change.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Least developed countries, including Bangladesh say mitigation from the most polluting industrialised countries will reduce burden on them

A top delegation of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina has flown to Marrakech in Morocco today to participate in the high level segments of the 22nd Conference of Parties. Thirty-seven heads of states are expected to attend this year’s COP22, which is deemed significant for the execution of the landmark Paris Agreement signed last year. Bangladesh is part of the Least Developed Countries and as such is arguing for Loss and Damage finance to be agreed, Saleemul Huq, senior fellow at the International Institute of Environment and Development in London told WION. The member states are pushing for negotiations on the topic till the actual filing of the report. On Suday, Bangladesh’s foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali told reporters that Dhaka would highlight "the initiatives and measures undertaken by the government in tackling the menaces of climate change." The COP22 is deemed a major event as the industrialised countries, including the United States and Russia, had failed to come to a consensus until the Paris Agreement. The member states refused to oblige to the targets stipulated at the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent. Last year in Paris however, all member states including the United States appeared to be happy with the outcome. "There is a new concept that Paris has brought, which is called INDC, Intended Nationally Determined Contribution. This means rather than anybody telling another country how they should reduce their carbon or greenhouse gas, each country say this is what I am going to do," said Atiq Rahman, renowned Bangladeshi climate scientist and executive director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies. "Bangladesh has already achieved that, we said we are going to reduce 5 per cent of our total greenhouse gas [by 2030], but if you can give us the finance we can reduce up to 15 per cent,” he told WION. The INDC issued by Bangladesh’s ministry of environment and forests states: "An unconditional contribution to reduce GHG emissions by 5 per cent from Business as Usual (BAU) levels by 2030 in the power, transport and industry sectors, based on existing resources. Among its contributions Bangladesh also states: "A conditional 15 per cent reduction in GHG emissions from BAU levels by 2030 in the power, transport, and industry sectors, subject to appropriate international support in the form of finance, investment, technology development and transfer, and capacity building." The Green Climate Fund of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has raised $10.4 billion of which it has received 27 projects worth $1.2 billion. One of the projects worth $80 million belongs to Bangladesh. Under the project titled "Climate-resilient infrastructure mainstreaming in Bangladesh" the country will construct 45 new cyclone shelters, renovate 20 existing cyclone shelters and develop infrastructure to safeguard people in the coastal belts. The Paris Agreement is significant, as it will establish the rules of the game. "Various committees will be formed. They will be working in tandem to decide how to do best mitigation," said Rahman. "Lastly the best technology would have to be used by all so that we don’t have to produce as much greenhouse gas. So all those will have to be taken on board and this is what's going to happen step by step starting in Marrakech,” Rahman told WION. Experts tell WION that mitigation from the most polluting industrialised countries can reduce the burden of adaptation for developing countries like Bangladesh and make the world more sustainable. They have also expressed concerns about the future of the Agreement in light of the remarks made by the US President-elect Donald Trump, who said that he finds climate change to a hoax perpetrated by China to take down the US manufacturing industries and threatened to quit the Paris Agreement. A source who works with Trump's transition team for international energy and climate policy told Reuters on Tuesday, "It was reckless for the Paris Agreement to enter into force before the election." Reuters has reported that Trump is seeking quick ways to withdraw the United States from a global accord to combat climate change. (WION)

Bangladesh to negotiate Loss and Damage finance at COP22

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