Day: October 1, 2023

Human Rights Watch and global workers’ rights organizations have intensified a call for action after the June killing of Bangladeshi union activist Shahidul Islam, urging the government to thoroughly investigate the death.

Islam, 45, a longtime Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation labor organizer, was beaten to death in Gazipur, a major garment industry hub on the outskirts of Dhaka. At the time, he was trying to intervene on behalf of workers in a factory dispute over unpaid wages. Colleagues allege he was killed by factory-hired goons.

“The motive was to prevent him from speaking on behalf of workers so that the factory management could get rid of him and not pay the workers,” union president Kalpona Akter told VOA.

Akter filed a police complaint. The Industrial Police Unit is currently investigating the case and has made a few arrests but has yet to file any charges.

An officer who is investigating the incident would not comment when contacted by VOA in early September, saying the case was still “being investigated."

Akter said Islam was a target of threats and assaults by factory owners and law enforcement authorities in the past because of his labor rights work.

The Bangladesh government has a history of cracking down on trade union activists in the garment industry, and putting them behind bars, a move that has been criticized by human rights groups.

“Bangladesh authorities should ensure that an independent and thorough investigation is conducted to hold accountable all those involved in directing, planning, and executing the attack,” Human Rights Watch said in a September 14 statement.

Activists from Clean Clothes Campaign, a Netherlands-based workers’ rights organization, protested in Amsterdam last month at a Bangladesh garment industry exhibition to urge the Bangladeshi government, the employers’ association, and brands sourcing from Bangladesh to take immediate action regarding Islam's killing.

Activists also demanded safeguards for the right to organize, and a new minimum wage in line with workers’ demands in Bangladesh. Difficulties organizing

Labor activists say Bangladeshi factory owners block workers from forming unions, despite laws that in theory allow workers to organize.

Bangladeshi law requires at least 20% of a factory's workforce in a factory to sign a petition if they want to form a union. However, union organizer Dolly Akhtar in Gazipur, told VOA that once signature collection starts, “the factory management finds out pretty soon, and they try everything in their power to foil the attempt to form a union in their factory.”

Factory owners commonly threaten workers and organizers with dismissal and blacklisting if they attempt to unionize, Akhtar said.

“I've received countless written and verbal threats for trying to organize workers and demand due payments, severances and better working conditions,” she said. “The factory authorities often use the thugs and goons, local political leaders to intimidate me. They have money and the means to make anyone dance to their tune. They filed bogus cases against me, and local goons stopped me on the road to threaten me at night when I come back home. Because I am a woman they think I’ll get scared easily,” Akhtar said.

Additionally, government bureaucracy and red tape remain significant obstacles to union formation. The law requires a lengthy and complex registration process, which can drag on for months or years.

As a result, only a small percentage of garment workers in Bangladesh, about 7%, are union members, according to a 2020 Cornell University report.

Workers’ rights groups have been advocating reforms to give workers more power and protect union organizers for a long time.

“It's crucial to prioritize the safety of these dedicated organizers because they are the backbone of the labor movement. Their safety ensures the continued empowerment of workers and the protection of their rights. Without secure and protected organizers, the struggle for fair labor practices and workers' rights would be significantly hampered,” said Sarwer Hossain, a grassroots union organizer in Savar of Bangladesh Textile and Garment Workers League.

Christie Miedema of Clean Clothes Campaign called on international brands to ensure that the factories they use follow ethical labor standards.

“It is of utmost importance that the government, factories and brands create an enabling environment for independent organizing – lowering hurdles for independent unions to register, allowing access to workers to independent union organizers, and for brands to clearly signal to factories that they value freedom to organize and to stop the downward price pressure,” Miedema told VOA through an email.

VOA contacted Bangladesh’s Ministry of Labor and Employment and its Department of Labor but was unable to obtain a comment.

Source: Voice of America

Nepal has been able to draw nearly 800 thousand foreign tourists in recent nine months.

In the nine months of current year, 2023, a total of 782,372 tourists arrived in Nepal via air route, said the Nepal Tourism Board referring to the Immigration Department.

In September alone, 91,012 tourists entered Nepal. In the same period last year, only 58, 314 foreign tourists had visited Nepal.

In the year, 2019, Nepal was able to bring in only 92,604 tourists.

The Board has believed that number of foreign tourists would increase in the days ahead. Board Director Maniraj Lamichhane informed that the recent months recorded gradual increase in tourists' influx.

The latest record on tourist arrival is 90.28 percent of the tourist arrival before Covid-19. The government has aimed at bringing in one million foreign tourists in 2023.

As per the record, most of the tourists arriving in September are from India- 28,642; which is followed by China with 8,174.

Similarly, the arrival of tourists from US stands third with 7,364, while Bangladesh stands fourth with 3,716. Other tourists are from Australia, the UK, Sri Lanka, Germany, South Korea, and Israel.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

CPN (Maoist Centre) has concluded that the official visit of Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has opened up new doors for Nepal's prosperity by building the environment for confidence.

Organizing a news conference at the party central office in Paris Danda Sunday, Maoist Centre Vice-Chairman and Spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota said that the visit was entirely successful to further deepen Nepal-China relations and to ensure cooperation. "The high-level visit, which had not happened after the COVID-19 pandemic, has created new dimensions on bilateral relations. This visit has not only connected the series of high-level visits but also wiped out different questions and suspicions," Sapkota added.

Sapkota further viewed the visit was important also to understand each other's sensitivities and obligations along with elevation of bilateral ties.

According to Sapkota, cooperation between Nepal's National Planning Commission and China's National Development and Reforms Commission is crucial in itself that the agreements signed during the PM's visit have created bases for economic development of both countries. Likewise, energy exchanges and the construction of Chilime-Kerung 220 KV transmission line bears equal importance.

The Maoist Centre has also praised different agreement including industrial development and digital economy signed during the PM's China visit. The party has concluded that PM Dahal's visit has created new avenues to cement Nepal-China relations existing from political and cultural fronts to people to people level.

Stating that the completion of four different periodic elections since the beginning of the peace process was a powerful example of success, he shared that everyone appreciated the role played by Nepal in maintaining the world peace.

According to him, PM Prachanda had drawn the attention of the powerful nations towards reducing the climate change induced adverse effects all over the world through the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA.

The PM, partaking in the important sessions as the Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) alongside the UNGA, urged the world community to fulfill their climate action related commitments, Spokesperson Sapkota shared. Highlighting need to maintain national unity through comprehensive discussions on the national issues, the Spokesperson believed that all problems would be solved if the political parties worked in unison.

Stating that PM Dahal, as the Head of the Government, had been taking special initiatives to resolve all the problems seen in the country, he asserted that the government's top agenda was to achieve good-governance with social justice as well as economic prosperity.

According to him, the incumbent government was effortful to provide employment to as many as youths within the country besides working on the ways to achieve economic development and raising the living standards of the citizens. He pointed out the need to move ahead holding an extensive discussions on the national common interests. The Spokesperson said that while the geo-political complexities were complex and intricate, there was a big prospect of prosperity due to that factor.

Sapkota informed that the government was working to bring back those Nepali youth forces migrating to foreign lands for higher education and employment. The government had made a notable achievement in maintaining good-governance with social justice and controlling corruption.

He reminded that the incumbent government had managed to address the discontents of teachers and doctors while the questions of transformation, criticism and support were seriously posed in the Maoist Centre's campaign that is aimed at the ideological and organizational strengthening of the party from the central to the grassroots level.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

President Ramchandra Paudel on Sunday appointed two non-resident ambassadors of Nepal to different countries.

Nepal's Ambassador to People's Republic of China Bishnu Pukar Shrestha was appointed the non-resident ambassador to Magnolia while Nepal's Ambassador to Denmark Prof Dr Ram Swatha Ray will serve as the non-resident ambassador to Finland.

President Paudel appointed the non-resident ambassadors on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers in accordance to the Article 282 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal, Spokesperson of the Office of the President Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai said issuing a press statement.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

The Nepal Police on Sunday nabbed two youths for assaulting doctors of Kathmandu Medical College at Sinamangal in Kathmandu.

Superintendent of Police (SP) and Spokesperson of District Police Range, Kathmandu, Kumodh Dhungel told the RSS that Rupak Gautam, 22, and Saroj Gautam, 34, from Gulmi and currently living in Kathmandu were arrested for attacking Dr Manish Khadka of Kathmandu Medical College.

The two youths had attacked Dr Khadka in OPD Department at around 1:00 pm on Sunday.

After the attack on doctor, entire doctors of the hospitals staged protests by halting their duty.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

Speakers at a programme have stressed the need for boosting women journalists' access to information technology (IT) along with their professional enhancement.

During a programme organized by Press Council Nepal on 'Women journalist's status, problems and remedies' here Sunday, Chairperson of National Women Commission, Kamala Parajuli, viewed women need to lead media sector because it is an important area for their empowerment.

Director General at Department of Information and Broadcasting, Shankar Nepal, said professional development among women is imperative with the exercise of free speech as envisioned by Nepal's constitution and relevant laws.

Similarly, Chairperson of Federation of Nepali Journalists, Bipul Pokhrel, viewed time has come to wipe out exploitation of labour in journalism sector and ensure women editors in Nepali media. Media could be further professionalized through the use of IT, according to him.

Chairperson of Minimum Wage Fixing Committee, Sangita Khadka, analysed that Nepali media sector has witnessed crisis in the wake of unprecedented development of IT, Covid-19 pandemic and economic crisis. The Working Journalists Act must be enforced effectively, she underlined.

Moreover, Chairperson of Sancharika Samuha, Bimala Tumkhewa, also stressed guarantee of women's leadership in IT and media.

Former Chairperson of Sancharika Samuha, Nirmala Sharma, viewed women journalists' competence in IT is essential for their professional and personal security.

General Secretary of Sancharika Samuha, Basanti Bastola, made a presentation on women journalists' status and problems in Nepal. She argued that Nepali media lack women's presence in editorial level. She recommended an establishment of a body to hear women journalists' complaints.

Press Council Nepal's Chairman Balkrishna Basnet shared information that that the programme was organized to shed light on the problems facing Nepal's women journalists and how they could be addressed. The Council would provide training to women journalists for their empowerment at province level as well.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

The government of Nepal has fielded the candidacy of country's senior public health expert Dr Shambhu Prasad Acharya for the Southeast Asia Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Talking to the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) on Sunday, Dr Acharya, contender for the post, said that Nepal will vie with another candidate from Bangladesh in the election for the post slated to be held on October 31.

The voter countries are India, Maldives, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste (aka East Timnor) and Bhutan.

Dr Acharya urged Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' to send a request letter to voting countries to cast their votes in favor of Nepal in the upcoming election.

The sexagenarian public health professional with decades of international experience in the health sector expressed his sincere gratitude to Prime Minister Dahal for selecting him in the competition to represent the country.

He was confident that Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Prasad Saud, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal's Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva and New York would do the needful through diplomatic channels in favour of candidacy of Nepal to the post and viewed that Nepal should not miss such an important opportunity come up in 20 years.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

Nepal has been able to draw nearly 700 thousand foreign tourists in recent nine months.

In the nine months of current year, 2023, a total of 692,372 tourists arrived in Nepal via air route, said the Nepal Tourism Board referring to the Immigration Department.

In September alone, 91,012 tourists entered Nepal. In the same period last year, only 58, 314 foreign tourists had visited Nepal.

In the year, 2019, Nepal was able to bring in only 92,604 tourists.

The Board has believed that number of foreign tourists would increase in the days ahead. Board Director Maniraj Lamichhane informed that the recent months recorded gradual increase in tourists' influx.

The latest record on tourist arrival is 90.28 percent of the tourist arrival before Covid-19. The government has aimed at bringing in one million foreign tourists in 2023.

As per the record, most of the tourists arriving in September are from India- 28,642; which is followed by China with 8,174.

Similarly, the arrival of tourists from US stands third with 7,364, while Bangladesh stands fourth with 3,716. Other tourists are from Australia, the UK, Sri Lanka, Germany, South Korea, and Israel.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairperson Madhav Kumar Nepal asserted that the party's 'awakening campaign' was launched with the objective of paying heed to people directly and to take their concerns to the State so that their problems would be addressed.

Inaugurating the campaign at Kakadvitta in Jhapa district on Sunday, Nepal, also former Prime Minister, said that the campaign was initiated to create jobs, curb corruption and maintain good-governance.

He said, "We will create awareness among the people to further strengthen constitution, to promote patriotism, to fight for protection of republic as well as to amplify the voice of democracy through the campaign."

According to him, during the campaign, party's agenda and programmes on socialism and making the country prosperous would be shared with people apart from soliciting suggestions from them regarding gaining clarity on party's moves. Calling out the political parties' increasing indifference towards the problems and concerns, he said that such tendency should be ended.

Furthermore, the Chairperson viewed there was a huge potential for job creation to the youths by developing national capital and establishing agricultural industries.

Similarly, party's senior leader and former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal shared that the campaign was taken forward considering the fact that the governance systems kept on changing but the condition of citizens remained unchanged.

Lamenting that the political front was becoming directionless, he worried about the increasing trade deficit and inflation and blamed that the incumbent government could not control it. He warned that the nationality itself was at stake at this moment, foreign countries' interferences had increased and the government subsequently had reached a situation where it could not protect the borders of the country.

The campaign will go through many places across the country and will conclude with a corner meet in Surkhet district on October 16, informed Ghanashyam Bhusal, party's General-Secretary.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has appealed to all to respect senior citizen's rights. Those misbehaving with senior citizens must be taken action, while the young generation can learn from senior citizen's knowledge, skills and experiences.

The 33rd International Day of Older Persons is being observed across the globe under the theme, 'Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations' today, the NHRC reminded.

On this occasion, the NHRC urged government and State mechanism to provide all sorts of facilities and services to the older people, prioritize them in service delivery and pay heed to their health.

Issuing a press statement today, NHRC spokesperson Dr Tikaram Pokhrel stressed further seriousness and activism among all three-tiers of government, political parties, non-government organizations and all other stakeholders in terms of the rights and care of senior people.

"It is worrying to have growing incidents as transfer of the property of senior citizens to others' ownership by luring or without their knowledge, indifference to senior citizens' care and service and abandoning them at senior citizens' home," the statement read, urging all to ensure proper services to the elderly people as social security, health insurance, discount in treatment cost and transportation fare, priority while delivering service.

Source: National News Agency Nepal

The Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) Reforms Recommendation Committee has suggested that more capital should be investment to make the national flag carrier more competitive.

The Committee led by former Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Dipendra Bahadur Chhetri submitted its report to Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati on Sunday stating that additional capital should be invested for the elevation of the NAC.

CA Piyus Anand, Captain Om Gurung, Tikaram Rai and Sahara Neupane were the members in the Chhetri-led five-member Recommendation Committee.

"Evidences are there that the concerned governments provide capital to the international airlines companies in need in the special circumstances. Considering this fact, the government should take the state-owned Corporation in a competitive state by investing additional capital amid other competitors," according to the report.

Currently, the NAC is reeling under serious crisis with negative net worth of Rs 4.9 billion till the fiscal year 2078/079 BS.

The total loan of the NAC stands at Rs 48.3 billion. The report has pointed out the NAC should explore ways to receive concessional loan and increase its business to reduce its loan.

Likewise, the Committee has recommended that the Chief Executive of the NAC should be appointed through an open competition by a committee under the leadership of National Planning Commission Vice-Chairman.

Likewise, management contract is also suggested to embrace modern management system.

Furthermore, the Committee has recommended that the NAC could be run in a company model by welcoming a strategic partner.

Source: National News Agency Nepal