Day: May 21, 2024

Kathmandu: Armed Police Force (APF) inspector Suraj Paudel has successfully climbed the world's highest peak, Mount Everest or Sagarmatha, on Monday. Representing the APF, Paudel reached atop Mt Everest at 10:20 am on Monday, said Deputy Superintendent of APF Shailendra Thapa. During the process, he also successfully climbed Mount Lobuche, which is next to Everest. Source: National News Agency RSS

CHAPAINAWABGANJ, The polling in Shibganj upazila of the district began today as a part of the 2nd phase of 6th upazila parishad elections across the country. Voting of the upazila election is progressing in a peaceful, free and fair atmosphere. Voting started at 8 am and will continue till 4 pm without any break. All necessary measures including security were taken up so that the voters can exercise their voting power going to the vote-centres without any fear and hindrance. The voters are casting their votes in 166 polling centres of the upazila. The total number of voters in Shibganj upazila is 4,78,702 with 2,45,621 male and 2,33,081 female, Chapainawabganj District Election Office sources said. A total of 11 candidates including four chairman candidates, four vice chairman candidates and three woman vice chairman candidates are contesting the polls, the sources added. Deputy Commissioner AKM Galiv Khan said voters are exercising their voting power in a free, fair and peaceful atmosphere. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: The meeting of the National Assembly scheduled for today has been postponed. Issuing a notice, the Parliament Secretariat has stated that the meeting scheduled for 13:15 this afternoon could not be held due to special reasons. It may be noted that the main opposition Nepali Congress has been obstructing the House, demanding the formation of a parliamentary probe committee regarding the misappropriation of funds from financial cooperatives. The National Assembly will meet next on May 24. Source: National News Agency RSS

DHAKA, A Dhaka court today convicted and sentenced 11 people including former assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami ATM Azharul Islam to two-year jail in a sabotage case filed with the capital's Motijheel Police Station. The other 10 convicts are-Mobarak Hossain, Hasan Al Mamun, Abu Taher Mejbah, Jahangir, Ibrahim, Saiful Islam, Jarif, Abul Kashem, Ashrafuzzaman and Redwan. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury pronounced the judgment in presence of Azhar as police produced him before the court. The other 10 convicts however, are yet to be arrested and were tried in absentia. Confirming the news to BSS, defence counsel Adv Abdur Razzaq said the convicts were sentenced to one and a half years of jail under section 435 and six months more under section 143 of the penal code. Police filed the case in November, 2010, and later filed charge-sheet against 18 including the Jamaat leader. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Secretary-General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Indra Mani Pandey, paid a courtesy all on President Ramchandra Paudel this afternoon. During the meeting held at Sheetal Niwas, President Paudel said BIMSTEC is a common aspiration of prosperity, sustainable development and regional stability. Sharing that the countries from mountainous region to coastal areas are in BIMSTEC, he pointed out the need of mutual cooperation, collaboration as well as partnership to lessen impacts of climate change. The President emphasized on the need of carrying out activities prioritizing the environmental protection including the mountains to lessen climate change impacts, reads a press release issued by the Office of the President. Source: National News Agency RSS

DHAKA, The government has announced one-day state mourning on Thursday next at the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, said a Cabinet Division notification issued today. On the day, the national flag will remain at half mast atop all government, semi-government and autonomous organisations and educational institutions, all government and private buildings and Bangladesh missions abroad, it said. Special prayers will be held at all mosques and other religious institutes on the day seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of those who died in a recent helicopter crash in mountainous terrain of East Azerbaijan province of Iran. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and its Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were killed in the helicopter crash. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Finland is to provide grant assistance for implementation of the Local Climate Adaptation Programme of Nepal. An agreement related to this financial support was signed at a programme organized at the Ministry of Finance here today. Ministry Joint Secretary and Chief of the International Economic Assistance Coordination Division, Shree Krishna Nepal and Ambassador of Finland to Nepal, Riina-Riikka Heikka, signed on the agreement. A meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 20 had decided to accept the grant assistance. As per the agreement, Finland will provide 13 million Euros or Rs 1.87 billion to Nepal. With this amount climate adaptation programmes will be run through the various local levels of Karnali and Sudur Paschim provinces. The European Union and the Ministry of Finance have already signed on a memorandum of understanding related to it before this on July 22, 2023. This agreement has been reached on the occasion of the 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Finland and the EU. The project under the Local Climate Adaptation Programme will be implemented from the upcoming fiscal year 2024/25. Source: National News Agency RSS

Dhaka, A court here today fixed June 20 for the testimony in a case lodged over the murder of Awami League leader Zahidul Islam Tipu and college girl Samia Afran Preeti in the city's North Shahjahanpur area on March 24, 2022. As none of the witnesses testified before the court today, Judge Ali Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-3 fixed the date afresh. Tipu, who was in his microbus destined for his home, was shot dead by a masked assailant in the capital's Shahjahanpur area on the night of March 24, 2022. A rickshaw passenger Samia Afran Preeti was also killed in the incident. Tipu's wife Farhana Islam Dolly filed the case with Shahjahanpur Police station on March 25 the same year. Members of Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested main shooter Masum Mohammad alias Akash from Bogura. During primary interrogation, Masum admitted that he killed Jahidul Islam Tipu. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has conducted a 'cyber security preparedness rehearsal' with an objective of making cyber security more systematic. The rehearsal named 'National Cyber Deal-2024' was conducted on the issues how to react or protect the sensitive information technology infrastructures if any unwanted activities or attack from anywhere on it, said Ministry's Joint-Secretary and Cyber Security Section Chief, Raj Kumar Maharjan. The two-day rehearsal was conducted at the Integrated Data Management Centre from Monday. Representatives associated to Information Technology Emergency Response Team formed as per the provision- National Information Technology Emergency Response Team Operation and Management Directives-2075 had participated in the rehearsal. Representatives of different bodies concerned including Finance Ministry, Home Ministry, Nepal Police, Nepali Army, Nepal Rastra Bank and Nepal Telecommunications Authority are in the team. In the first day of t he event, theoretical classes were run while a practical regarding cyber security related equipment and table top exercise was conducted in the second day. "There are two objectives behind organising this event. The first objective is that we should be ready that any type of incident might occur and how to react on such incidents. The second objective is how to coordinate among ministries regarding cyber security", he stressed. Cyber Security Section of the Ministry has been conducting training related to' cyber hygiene ' with an objective of making the general people aware. Around 3.5 billion US dollar was spent for cyber security across the world in 2004 and it reached 64 billion US dollar in 2011 and 219 billion US dollar in 2023, estimates the International Data Corporation. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: The experts have said the Buddhist philosophy is everlasting, so its relevance is growing across the globe. During a programme the TU Central Department of Buddhist Study organized on the occasion of 2568 Buddha Jayanti and Baisakh Poornima on Monday, the speakers viewed Buddhist philosophy is gaining relevance and prominence at present. Chairman of TU Service Commission, Pro Dr Ghanashyam Bhattarai, viewed once Buddha's teachings were implemented, it would elevate the status of human beings. Esurient nature of human is the factor behind unhappiness, he said, stressing that academia must conduct researches on life, teachings and philosophy of Gautam Buddha. Similarly, Chairman of Gumba Development Committee, Thupten Jigdol, said Buddhist study is the art of living. For human peace, Buddha's teachings are essential, he reminded. Chairperson of Central Department of Buddhist Study, Dr Chandra Kala Ghimire, informed that the Department was transforming itself for better understanding and study of Buddhist philosophy. Research is another focus, she added. Other speakers on the occasion suggested that government spread the Buddhist philosophy at international level. Even a journal published by the Department was released in the programme. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: The Bill Related to Political Parties (Second Amendment), 2080BS has been withdrawn from the House of Representatives (HoR). Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister, Rabi Lamichhane, had presented a proposal in the HoR meeting today for withdrawing the bill. Speaker Devraj Ghimire announced in the meeting that the proposal has been approved by the House majority. He had urged the lawmakers to present their notice of dissent to the proposal if any. The Speaker had then put the proposal for a decision after no notice of dissent on it was received. A meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 16 had decided to withdraw the Bill Related to Political Parties (Second Amendment), 2080 BS. The HoR will next meet at 11.00am on May 24. Source: National News Agency RSS

DHAKA, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen today said Bangladesh does not compromise with the 'zero tolerance' approach to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations with a view to building a peaceful, just and inclusive society. The Foreign Ministry was speaking at a seminar on 'Prevention of Violent Extremism in Bangladesh: Graduation and Sustainability' at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Executive Director of Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) Dr Khalid Koser and Ambassador of Italy, among others, spoke at the inaugural session. Momen said they must not feel complacent that violent extremism has been eliminated altogether, but they can draw comfort from the fact that GCERF has equipped some of their communities with the tools and modalities to resist and withstand the spread of violent extremism. "We must stay sensitized to the potential sources of risks and challenges, including from the prolonged Rohingya humanitarian situation pending a durable solution to be foun d in neighbouring Myanmar - where the crisis had its origin," he said. The Foreign Secretary assured the GCERF of continued engagement with its work, including through its Governing Board. He thanked GCERF for its diligent work in Bangladesh that he believes it can further build on and showcase. Masud Momen said they remain assured that GCERF would continue to assess the sustainability of progress over a period, and would remain available to redeploy in case Bangladesh required it do so. Koser highly appreciated Bangladesh's progress made so far and assured of continuing support. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha