Dhaka,   Tuesday 19 March 2024

The South Asian Times | সাউথ এশিয়ান টাইমস
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Over 3.4 million children live on streets in Bangladesh: Report

Over 3.4 million children live on streets in Bangladesh: Report

Staff Correspondent Over 3.4 million children live in street situations without parental care in Bangladesh, according to a report. The report highlights the complex difficulties and harsh realities that children living on the streets experience by presenting the voices of over 400 children from different districts. The launching ceremony of the Qualitative Study on Children in Street Situations, part of the “Child Sensitive Social Protection in Bangladesh (CSPB) Project, Phase-II” was arranged at the National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Monday. This initiative is a collaboration between the Department of Social Services, Ministry of Social Welfare, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, and Unicef Bangladesh, with support from the European Union (EU) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Launching ceremony According to the report, in Bangladesh, about 3.4 million children live on the streets without the support of their parents. There are stories behind every street child in Bangladesh. These stories are different. The study “Voices from the shadows” illustrates the complicated realities of the street children in Bangladesh. This study addresses the root reasons for the issues faced by street children. Sheldon Yett, Representative to Unicef Bangladesh said: “We see a lot of street children while going to office, or coming back home. This report has given us the opportunity to look beyond the numbers. These street children in the picture have stress in their lives. These children also need to know about the possibilities out there for them. This part is important about the challenges but it’s about the action from us, the donor communities.” According to Unicef, Poverty, climate change, disasters, and familial dysfunctional migration bring children into the street. Social Welfare Minister Dr Dipu Moni said that Children in vulnerable places are not secure. Street child The image shows a portrait of a street child at an exhibition on street children at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Photo: Dhaka Tribune “Our country was once very poor. Nowadays it has decreased, though there are still poor people. We can see a lot of children in Bangladesh specially in the traffic. There are about 10 million middle-class families. According to Unicef, there are 3.4 million street children. It is easy to take care of one child in a middle class family. We need to show at least empathy to them.” The policy recommendation strengthened the child protection mechanisms to prevent abuse, exploration, and illegal activities among street children. State Minister Simeen Hussain Rimi, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs said: “There are two street children rehabilitation in Dhaka where street children get food, shelter and other fasciitis to grow. The children are also given counseling to improve their mental health.” The Child Protection Section of Bangladesh has partnered with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) to prevent violence against children and women (VACW) and harmful practices (child marriage, child labour, online violence, etc.) in a sustainable and scalable way. In 2021, a meaningful shift took place to reform the partnership with MoWCA to make a national program and to achieve larger and more meaningful reach. There were pictures in the gallery of National Art Gallery which talks a lot about the vulnerable life of street children. There are installation art and photographs in the art gallery. There are many artworks by street children in a corner of the gallery. There was a picture of an 11-year old girl child Rohini who ran away from her grandmother`s home. Rohini`s father died when she was one year old and her mother left her and got married again. Everyday Rohini used to wait for her mother but her mother never came back for her. So, she stayed with her grandmother. But her grandmother was very abusive and sold her to a man. After being physically assaulted by that man, she decided to run from home. Now, she lives in a launch and every night she travels to Barisal by sleeping on the deck. The next morning, she came back to Dhaka again by taking the same boat. She sometimes begs and this is how she eats. Boys tease her, men try to touch her but she always tries to protect herself. Rohini found a kitten and she is determined to raise it as her friend. Another child Karim, a 9-year-old child from Kolatoli, Coxbazar, does not have parents. Both of them left him. First, his father left and got married again and later his mother also left. Karim now lives on the street with his friends.

Tanzid, Rishad power Tigers to series win against Sri Lanka

Tanzid, Rishad power Tigers to series win against Sri Lanka

Sports Desk Rishad Hossain played an attacking innings of 48 after substitute Tanzid Hasan Tamim hit 84 off 81 balls Monday, steering Bangladesh to a four-wicket win and a 2-1 One Day International series victory over Sri Lanka. Set a modest target after Janith Liyanage`s unbeaten 101 guided Sri Lanka to 235 all out in 50 overs, Bangladesh raced to 237/6 in 40.2 overs. Rishad remained unbeaten on 48 off just 18 balls. The hosts were in danger when Wanindu Hasaranga forced Mehedi Hasan Miraz, the last recognized batsman, to give a catch to Pramod Madushan for 25, with Bangladesh still 58 runs away from victory. But Rishad dispatched the first ball he faced over midwicket for six and did not look back. He hit four sixes and five fours in his whirlwind innings before Mushfiqur Rahim, 37 not out, finished the game with a boundary off Maheesh Theekshana. Tanzid led the initial charge, replacing Soumya Sarkar in the second innings as a concussion sub, despite Lahiru Kumara wreaking havoc with 4/48. "Tanzid batted really well at the start. The way Mushi batted, I think it helped Rishad`s innings," Bangladesh captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto said. "On a wicket like this, the bowlers showed a lot of character." Liyanage earlier staged a lone battle en route to his maiden century after Bangladesh made regular strikes, with Taskin Ahmed leading the way for the home side with 3/42. Skipper Kusal Mendis (29) and Charith Asalanka (37) made a good start but lost their wickets before they could build bigger innings. "I think we were 40-50 runs short but we bowled well in few overs," Mendis said. "Janith batted really well, a couple of wickets fell in the middle overs, and he then batted very well." Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first, only to lose both openers inside four overs. Taskin struck early, trapping in-form opener Pathum Nissanka leg-before for one, then dismissing the other opener Avishka Fernando for four in his next over. Mustafizur Rahman, playing his first match in the series, removed Sadeera Samarawickrama off his first ball for 14 to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 41/3. Leg-spinner Rishad made Mendis his first ODI wicket, also off his first ball of the game. Mustafizur ended Asalanka`s counter-attacking innings before Miraz claimed two back-to-back wickets to expose the tail. But Liyanage held one end firm to ensure Sri Lanka batted out 50 overs, hitting Taskin over the cover for a four in the final over to reach his century off 101 balls. Mustafizur and Miraz claimed 2/39 and 2/38, respectively. Bangladesh won the opener by six wickets, with Sri Lanka taking the second by three wickets Friday. The two teams will now play a two-match Test series, beginning Friday in Sylhet. 3RD ODI Sri Lanka 235 (Liyanage 101*, Taskin 3/42) lost to Bangladesh 237/6 in 40.2 overs (Tanzid 84, Rishad 48*) by 4 wickets

PM calls upon UNDP to raise more funds for Rohingya

PM calls upon UNDP to raise more funds for Rohingya

Staff Correspondent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to make an effort to raise a larger international funds for the support of the Rohingya people. She made the call at a meeting with the visiting UNDP goodwill ambassador and Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria at a city hotel here. PM’s speech writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting. The prime minister said Bangladesh had given shelter to forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar on humanitarian grounds and arranged improved accommodation for them in Bhashanchar, ensuring many facilities for them. Now some one lakh Rohingya can reside there in Bhashanchar, she added. She sought assistance from the UNDP to relocate more Rohingyas to Bhashanchar. Princess Victoria arrived in Dhaka on Monday on a four-day visit to Bangladesh during which she will tour Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar and Bhashanchar. Bilateral and multilateral issues including climate change came up for discussion during the meeting with the PM. The princes said there is a huge scope to deepen the bilateral relations between Sweden and Bangladesh. She expressed her optimism for strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries specially in trade, business and investment. The Bangladesh prime minister urged the Swedish businesses to make investment in Bangladesh particularly in special economic zones. The PM said Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of climate change. Bangladesh’s contribution to carbon emission is negligible but the country is badly affected. Bangladesh faces different natural calamities like floods and cyclones due to climate changes, she said. About the local climate adaptation and mitigation programs, she said Bangladesh formed a climate trust fund to protect the local community and their livelihood. The PM said her government’s main goal is poverty alleviation as it has already reduced the poverty rate to 18.7% from 41% and the extreme poverty rate to 5.6% from 25.1%. She said the government has been providing homeless people with free cyclone-resistant houses throughout the country so that there will be no homeless people in Bangladesh She said her government constructed cyclone shelter centres on the coastal areas. Sheikh Hasina recalled her first visit to Sweden in 1969 when her husband was there for study.

Somali forces, foreign navies prepare operation on hijacked ship MV Abdullah

Staff Correspondent Somali police and international navies were preparing on Monday to attack the Bangladesh commercial ship “MV Abdullah” that was hijacked by pirates last week, the Puntland region`s police force said, two days after Indian commandos rescued another cargo vessel held by pirates. The MV Abdullah was hijacked off the coast of Somalia last week, the latest of more than 20 attacks since November by Somali pirates who had laid dormant for nearly a decade. On Saturday, the Indian navy rescued another cargo vessel, the Maltese-flagged MV Ruen, which had been seized in December, freeing its 17 crew members and arresting 35 pirates. The police force from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, a base for many pirate gangs, said it was on high alert and prepared to participate in an operation against the pirates holding the Abdullah. "Puntland police forces are ready after they got reports that international navies are planning an attack," the police said in a statement. India`s navy, which has disrupted several other attempted hijackings, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Sunday, the Puntland police said they had seized a vehicle that was transporting the narcotic khat to be supplied to the pirates on board Abdullah. At the peak of their attacks in 2011, Somali pirates cost the global economy an estimated $7 billion, including hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom payments.

Russia hails record win for Putin in vote with no opposition

International Desk Russia`s election commission on Monday hailed what it said were "record" results for President Vladimir Putin, guaranteeing the former spy a fifth term in office after a vote that featured no credible opposition. The Kremlin has presented the weekend election -- marred by ballot spoilers and Ukrainian bombardments of border regions -- as proof Russians were behind Putin`s assault on Ukraine. Putin`s victory, which was inevitable, paves the way for him to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than two centuries. All of the 71-year-old`s major opponents are dead, in prison or in exile and voting took place a month after Putin`s main challenger Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic prison. "Almost 76 million people" voted for Putin, Kremlin-friendly election chief Ella Pamfilova said. "This is a record figure." Putin has steered Russia into isolation from the West by launching the 2022 Ukraine campaign. "In the face of the West, we are united," Pamfilova said. In a victory speech late on Sunday, Putin vowed Moscow would resist outside pressure. "No matter who or how much they want to intimidate, no matter who or how much they want to suppress, our will, our consciousness -- no one has ever succeeded in anything like this in history," he said. "It has not worked now and will not work in the future. Never." Ballot spoilers to be ‘dealt with’ In power since the last day of 1999, Putin has cultivated a strong man image, telling Russians he is fighting to preserve Moscow`s national identity he claims is under threat. His offensive in Ukraine has been accompanied by a huge crackdown at home, with the number of political prisoners in Russia rising fast. Thousands responded to the opposition`s call to protest the election by forming long queues at polling stations -- both inside and outside Russia. Ballots were also spoiled by green dye and there were several incidents of voting booths being set on fire. Putin vowed that Russians who spoiled their ballots "have to be dealt with" and dismissed opposition protests as having "no effect." He said the vote showed Russians had "trust" in him. The three-day vote -- also held in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine -- and saw a surge of deadly Ukrainian bombardments on Russian border regions. Authorities said Ukrainian attacks killed 11 people were killed in Russia`s Belgorod region in the last week. China, North Korea congratulate Putin Whereas the previous four presidential elections Putin won since 2000 saw Western leaders pour in their congratulations, his victory this time was met with scathing statements. "This is not what free and fair elections look like," UK Foreign Minister David Cameron said. In Ukraine, battling Russian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky lashed out at Putin as a "dictator" who was "drunk from power." But others sent their congratulations including China, North Korea, Venezuela and Myanmar. Russia has said it is seeking new allies after ties with the West have been severed over Ukraine. Putin reaffirmed late on Sunday that Moscow intends to strengthen ties with its Chinese neighbour in particular. "Our relations are stable, they complement each other," he said. "The most important thing is that state interests coincide."

Famine imminent in Gaza: Report

International Desk Famine is imminent and likely to occur in the next two months in northern Gaza, a U.N.-backed report said on Monday, after more than five months of war which have shattered the Palestinian territory, killed thousands and cut off supplies. Across the whole of the besieged enclave, the number of people at risk of "catastrophic hunger" has risen to 1.1 million, about half the population, the report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said. The assessment by the UN-backed initiative - a scale used by UN agencies, regional bodies and aid groups that sets the global standard on measuring food crises - comes amid global pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave of 2.3 million people.Some 300,000 are cut off by fighting in the north. "Famine is now projected and imminent in the North Gaza and Gaza Governorates and is expected to become manifest during the projection period from mid-March 2024 to May 2024," it said. The EU accused Israel on Monday of provoking famine and using starvation as a weapon of war - claims that Israel rejects, saying it does not target civilians and is only interested in eliminating theHamas. The IPC uses a complex set of technical criteria. Its most extreme warning is Phase 5, which has two levels, catastrophe and famine. Famine is assessed as at least 20% of the population suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease. Monday`s IPC report said that in northern Gaza the threshold for acute food insecurity had been far exceeded and the threshold for acute malnutrition had likely also been surpassed. "The upward trend in non-trauma mortality is also expected to accelerate, resulting in all famine thresholds likely to be passed imminently," it said. SKIPPING MEALS The study also said the number of people deemed at risk of catastrophic hunger across Gaza was nearly double the figure reported in December, when the last report was issued and there was already record hunger. "From mid-March to mid-July, in the most likely scenario and under the assumption of an escalation of the conflict including a ground offensive in Rafah (city), half of the population of the Gaza Strip (1.11 million people) is expected to face catastrophic conditions," the IPC said. Because of a lack of aid, almost all households were skipping meals every day and adults were reducing their meals so children could eat, the report said. In northern Gaza, in nearly two thirds of households people went entire days and nights without eating at least 10 times in the last 30 days, it added. In southern areas, that applied to one third of the households. Israel has said it has a plan to assault Rafah, the southern Gaza city bordering Egypt, to root out Hamas fighters, but it is also involved in mediation talks about a possible truce. The IPC analysis said famine could still be avoided if Israel and Hamas stop fighting and aid organisations gain increased access. "But in order to do that, we must act and we must act now," chief economist of the World Food Programme, Arif Husain, told Reuters following the release of the IPC report. "We need full access, we need large quantities of food, and we need the ability to reach people where they are and provide them with this food as soon as possible. If we can do this, our hope is we can still avert a full-fledged famine. But the window is shutting, and it is shutting very, very fast."

Prominent band singer Khalid passes away

Staff Correspondent Renowned band singer Khalid passed away at a private hospital in the capital on Monday evening due to a heart attack. He was 60. He breathed his last at Comfort Hospital in Panthapath 7:15pm, said lyricist and composer Prince Mahmud confirming the matter. He fell ill due to a cardiac arrest at his residence in Panthapath around iftar time. Later, he was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead. Khalid’s namaj-e-janaza will be held at Green Road Jam-e-Mosque at 11pm on Monday. After that, his body will be taken to his ancestral home in Gopalganj where he will be buried at his family graveyard, said music producer and sound engineer Isha Khan Duray. Khalid is best known for his songs "Shorolotar Protima", "Himaloy", "Kono Karonei", among dozens of other hits during the 90`s and 2000`s. He was the vocalist of a band called "Chime". He joined this band in 1983. Khalid is survived by his wife and son, who live in the USA. His band mate from Chime, Aly Sumon, talked to Dhaka Tribune Showtime from the late singer`s home where burial preparations are underway. "It’s a huge loss for our industry. He was one of the finest singers in the scene, at the top of his popularity in late 80s, early 90s with the band," he said. "We performed in countless shows together in Dhaka, outside Dhaka and outside of Bangladesh. His popularity was most noticeable when we performed at universities. The crowd loved him.” “He was in the US for a long time. His family is still there. When he got sick, the caretakers took him to the hospital,” he added. “We didn’t know he was this sick. He hung out with our friends even the day before yesterday.” Khalid won the hearts of the audience by singing many popular songs. Born in Gopalganj, the singer started his journey in the world of music in 1981.

High Court scraps order suspending Dr Yunus’s jail term

The High Court has scrapped a Labour Appellate Tribunal order that suspended the six-month jail term of Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three other Grameen Telecom officials in a case filed over violation of labour laws.  The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Ibadat Hossain passed the order on Monday following the hearing of a petition challenging the Labour Appellate Tribunal order. On January 1, Dhaka Labour Court-3 sentenced Grameen Telecom Chairman Dr Yunus and three of its senior officials to six months in jail and fined each Tk30,000 in the case filed by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments on September 9, 2021. The court also granted Dr Yunus a month`s bail on condition of filing an appeal against the verdict of the court. After the filing of the appeal, the Labour Appellate Tribunal, on January 28, granted bail to Dr Yunus and three others, accepting the appeal for hearing.  On that day, the Labour Appellate Tribunal also suspended the sentence handed down by the labour court. On February 4, a petition was filed by Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan with the High Court challenging the suspension of Dr Yunus`s six-month sentence in the case. The petition also appealed to the court not to allow Dr Yunus to go abroad without its permission.  On February 5, the High Court directed Dr Yunus to inform the Labour Appeal Tribunal if he wanted to go overseas. At the same time, the court stayed the suspension of Dr Yunus`s six-month sentence. 

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India Hosts 6th Session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly in New Delhi

India Hosts 6th Session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly in New Delhi

The Sixth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) convened in New Delhi today, presided over by Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, who serves as the President of the ISA Assembly. Ministers from 20 countries and delegates representing 116 Member and Signatory countries gathered for this important event, according to a press release. In his opening remarks, Raj Kumar Singh emphasized the crucial role of renewable energy sources in addressing global energy challenges. He stated that renewable energy has the potential to supply 65 percent of the world`s total electricity by 2030 and decarbonize 90 percent of the power sector by 2050. The International Solar Alliance is committed to making solar energy the preferred energy source, attracting investments, and ensuring ample energy availability to meet growing global demands. To support this, ISA has expanded its Viability Gap Funding (VGF) mechanism, increasing the grant to 35% of the project cost based on the capacity and needs of member countries. Co-President of the Assembly, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, France`s Minister of State for Development, Francophonie, and International Partnerships, emphasized France`s commitment to the ISA. France has provided significant financial support for solar projects, including the construction of the Onigbolo solar power plant in Benin, bringing 25 megawatts of clean energy to the people of Benin. She emphasized the importance of supporting partner countries in their energy transition plans, said the release. Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General of the International Solar Alliance, stressed the need to accelerate the deployment of solar energy, particularly in developing countries and for applications that enhance the daily lives of those without reliable energy access. ISA is facilitating over 9.5 GW of solar applications in 55 developing countries and providing training to thousands of people in supporting solar energy. The organization is working on establishing STAR Centers as hubs of technology, knowledge, and expertise in solar energy, it said. The Assembly also discussed the ISA`s initiatives, including the development of solar mini-grids to provide universal energy access and mechanisms to attract private sector investment through guarantees provided by the Global Solar Facility. In May 2020, ISA initiated Demonstration Projects in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to showcase scalable solar technology applications and build the capacity of beneficiary member countries. Four projects, including solarization of the parliament building of the Republic of Malawi, solarization of health care centers in Fiji, installation of solar-powered cold storage in Seychelles, and solarization of a school in Kiribati, were inaugurated, it added. Singh dedicated these projects to the respective countries, highlighting ISA`s commitment to advancing the cause of energy transition through solar energy. The Assembly serves as the apex decision-making body of ISA and meets annually to assess the progress of solar energy deployment and discuss key initiatives related to energy access, energy security, and energy transition. The Sixth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance demonstrated the commitment of member countries to harnessing solar energy to address global energy and environmental challenges, the release also said.

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