The Olympic flame has been lit with 100 days left before Paris 2024 kicks off in the French capital. At a time of global crisis, security will be a top priority. On Tuesday, the Olympic flame was lit in the ancient ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia in southwestern Greece. It will now make its way to Paris, where the Summer Olympic Games are due to open on July 26. Until the closing ceremony on August 11, 10,500 athletes from 206 countries will compete at Paris 2024 in 32 disciplines. The French government has said that security will be the top priority during the event. Some 45,000 police and gendarme officers will be deployed every day, as well as 18,000 soldiers and 20,000 private security guards. In addition, more than 2,000 foreign police officers, including from Germany, will be helping to keep guard. Macron: 'We can do it' France increased its security alert to its highest level after an attack by Islamist terrorists in Moscow at the end of March left more than 140 people dead. Providing security for the opening ceremony alone will be a huge logistical challenge: 160 boats carrying athletes are due to sail six kilometers (3.78 miles) along the Seine River. More than 300,000 spectators are expected. "We can do it and we are going to do it," French President Emmanuel Macron insists.  But he has also admitted that there are back-up plans in place should the security threat become too acute. These would include holding the opening ceremony in a stadium. Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and concerns about a further escalation of the situation in the Middle East have exacerbated fears of a security threat. Despite this, eight of the 10 million available tickets for the 2024 Summer Olympics have already been sold and some 15 million spectators are expected.   Parisians not looking forward It will be a test for the French capital's infrastructure. Last autumn, Clement Beaune, who was France's transport minister at the time, described the plans to organize traffic as "hardcore." Security barriers and diversions will be abundant, particularly around the Eiffel Tower and the Place de la Concorde. Some metro stations will be closed.   The price of metro tickets will be doubled during the Games. This is unlikely to increase the enthusiasm of Parisians for the event. In a recent poll, 44% said that they thought that Paris 2024 was a "bad thing." Germany's team in Paris one of the biggest The Olympic qualification period ends officially on June 23. The German Athletics Association (DLV) has made qualifying for Paris 2024 also dependent on performance at the European Athletics Championships taking place in Rome starting June 7. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) has to register the German athletes competing in Paris 2024 by July 8. It expects 400 to participate, which would make Germany's "Team D" one of the biggest national teams. In 2021, 415 Germans took part in the Games in the Japanese capital Tokyo, winning 10 gold medals, 11 silver medals and 16 bronze medals. It was the German team's worst haul since German reunification. The DOSB is hoping for better results this year. "I believe that Team D will play a good role, and that one or two surprises are possible," said sport director Olaf Tabor. Belarusian and Russian athletes to compete as 'neutrals' Last December, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cleared athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in Paris 2024, but as "neutrals," and not as part of teams. They will be banned from attending the opening ceremony, and nobody who has actively shown support for the war in Ukraine will be allowed to compete at all.  The Russian and Belarusian national anthems will not be played, and national symbols and flags will be prohibited. According to the IOC, only 12 Russian athletes and five Belarusians have qualified for Paris 2024 so far, but the numbers could rise to 36 (Russia) and 22 (Belarus). In Tokyo, 330 Russians and 104 Belarusians competed. In an open letter to the IOC last week, Ukraine demanded the complete exclusion of Russia and Belarus from the Olympics. The IOC has come under fire from various quarters over its decisions regarding Russia and Belarus. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the body had become "a place where neo-Nazism and racism flourish." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete was "shameful." He added that the IOC had essentially given Russia "the green light to weaponize the Olympics" because it would use athletes "as a weapon in its propaganda warfare." The Germany-based human rights organization Society for Threatened Peoples described IOC President Thomas Bach as a "dinosaur" who was incapable of learning. At the lighting of the flame ceremony in Olympia, Bach repeated a message of hope: "Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. […] Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message: Yes, it is possible to compete fiercely against each other and at the same time live peacefully together under one roof." Bach's term is due to end in 2025, but some IOC members have suggested changing the statutes so that he can continue as president for another four years. The 70-year-old has said he would rather wait until after Paris 2024 to make a decision on this.  

The sale of advance bus tickets on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr has started from today (March 22). Passengers can collect tickets from different counters in the capital. Ramesh Chandra Ghosh, Chairman of Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners' Association, confirmed the matter on Friday (March 22). According to Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners' Association, advance tickets will be available at all inter-district bus counters from Friday morning. At the same time, passengers can collect advance tickets online. Ramesh Chandra Ghosh said that bus fares will be charged as per the fixed fare of BRTA. No extra fare can be charged outside the fare list. All bus owners have been instructed to do so. Meanwhile, 'busbd.com.bd', an associate of the bus companies' online ticket sales, said in a special notice that advance bus tickets on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr will be sold online from today (March 22).  

The fiery March, the month of independence begins today. In this month, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh. "The struggle this time is the struggle for  for our freedom, the struggle this time is the struggle for independence" these lines of the dreamer of independence makes the whole nation strong as steel. On March 7, 1971, during this historic speech at Suhrawardy Udyan former Racecourse Ground, there was a sea of people roaring at the moment. The fire that was ignited on February 21, 1952, for the demand for language, spread all over East Bengal. The education movement of 1962, the six-point movement of 1966 and the March 1971 of 1971 brought a new era which lead the nation straight to the independence.  

The admission test of 'Kha' unit (Arts, Law and Social Science Faculty) for the academic year 2023-24 of Dhaka University is going to start from today. The admission test will be held simultaneously in eight divisions of the country including Dhaka on Friday (February 23) at 11 am. According to the notification published on the university's website, the admission test will begin on February 23. The admission test will end on March 9.  

The second phase of Biswa Ijtema officially started with "Aam Bayan" on the bank of the Turag, Tongi today (Feb 9). Before this, the first phase ended with Akheri Munajat on February 4. Maulana Ilyas Bin Saad begins Aam Bayan after Fajr, it was immediately translated into Bengali by Maulana Monir Bin Yusuf. Generally, Biswa Ijtema begins with "Aam Bayan" by noted Islamic scholars after Fazr prayers and ends with Akheri Munajat. Mohammad Sayem, media coordinator of Bishwa Ijtema, said about 12 to 14 thousand foreign guests are expected to join the second phase of Bishwa Ijtema this year.  In the meantime, more than three thousand foreign guests and hundreds of thousands of devotees from different parts of the country have arrived on the Ijtema ground.

The ruling party Awami League has formed the government with newly elected MPs after getting the majority seats in the 12th national parliamentary election. The first session of Parliament started on Tuesday (January 30) at 3 pm. Deputy Speaker Advocate Md. Shamsul Haque Tuku is presiding over the session. Earlier, Chief Whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury said, The session will begin on the first day under the chairmanship of the Deputy Speaker as the decision to re-elect Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury as Speaker has been made. Awami League won 223 parliamentary seats in the 12th national parliamentary election. The opposition Jatiya Party won 11 seats. Independent candidates won 62 seats. Besides, Workers Party, Jasad and Kalyan Party got 1 seat each. Polling for the postponed Naogaon-2 seat will be held on February 12.

Voting in the 12th parliamentary election has ended, and the counting of ballots has begun, election officials said. The results will be released gradually throughout the night, according to the Election Commission (EC). The balloting began around 8 pm and continued until 4 pm, according to the election schedule. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal stated on Saturday (Jan 6) that the polling time will be extended until all the voters at the polling stations finish casting their ballots. People from all walks of life participated in the electoral process, casting their votes to choose representatives for the 12th Parliament.

The initial tranche includes 40 previously undisclosed documents with almost 1,000 pages of depositions and statements, with the final batch expected to name prominent individuals. A New York judge on Wednesday began to unseal a tranche of documents containing the identities of people linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who committed suicide in 2019 as he awaited trial for sex crimes. Speculation has been rife in recent weeks that a judge was about to release a list of clients or alleged co-conspirators of Epstein. And on Wednesday, the judge began the process of unveiling the documents.   The great majority of those whose names appear in the documents are not accused of wrongdoing or have been mentioned previously in legal proceedings. The disclosures are part of a defamation proceeding between Epstein's former mistress, Ghislaine Maxwell, and a plaintiff against the pair, Virginia Giuffre. Last month a judge listed some 180 cases — under pseudonyms — ordering that their identities be made public within 14 days, meaning the early part of January.   What was included in the documents? There had been speculation that the documents that were made public would amount to a list of Epstein's "clients" and "co-conspirators." However, the first material to be released was mainly information that had already been made public in newspapers stories, legal cases, books and documentaries.  The documents did, however, serve as a reminder as to the extent of Epstein's influence in that he surrounded himself with powerful and famous figures.   Who was named? The papers mention Epstein's past friendship with former US Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, both of whom it appeared were not accused of any wrongdoing in the case. They also mention Britain's Prince Andrew, who has previously settled a lawsuit accusing him of having sex with a 17-year-old girl who traveled with Epstein. One of Epstein's accusers said she had met Michael Jackson at Epstein's Palm Beach, Florida, home, although she said nothing untoward had occurred.   The figures also include French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, who was awaiting trial on charges that he raped underage girls. Brunel killed himself in a Paris jail in 2022.  Disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was also an associate and one-time girlfriend of Epstein, and was convicted on five counts of sex trafficking by a New York court in December 2021. She was handed a a 20-year jail term in June 2022.

Allegations of manipulating the electoral process have once again become the talk of the town in Pakistan as the politically unstable country goes to the polls early next year. Pakistan has a long record of rigged elections since its independence, where its powerful military played a central role. “Since 2018, we have lost too much political space to the military establishment,” said political analyst Arifa Noor. Pakistan has swung between military and civilian rule since its independence from the colonial British India. The Military has directly ruled Pakistan for roughly half of its 75-year history while ensuring its tight control over the civilian governments the rest of time. The 2018 elections were the most controversial elections Pakistan saw, thanks to pre-poll rigging, vote buying, crackdown on news media and kidnappings. There were direct allegations that the Pakistani army had supported cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan to win the elections and become the prime minister. Leaders from other parties said their members were forced to join Khan’s party using the threats of corruption charges. They also alleged their polling agents were evicted by security officials before the final tally was made. Aqil Shah, political scientist at Oklahoma University, said “If what most political parties are alleging is true. It would be the biggest theft of an election since the 1970s.” Several media personnel were threatened and abducted as their news coverage angered the establishment, a common euphemism in Pakistan to refer to the army. The manipulation by the army included prohibiting specific candidates from contesting elections, censoring news outlets, and blocking political rallies. Prominent journalist Gul Bukhari was kidnapped and released later, which by perceived by many as a message by the military to journalists.3 Even international election observers were tried to be kept away from the electoral process. “We have never had a situation like this in any of our 150-plus missions,” said Dmitra Ioannou, the deputy chief observer for the EU observation mission. While Imran Khan won the 2018 elections, many observers claimed that the real power remained with the army. Interestingly, the same army led to the downfall of the Khan, who was forced to resign in early 2022, and now languishes in jail. Now, he opposes the military interference in the elections. “I categorically oppose the involvement of the army in politics, and in the future they must stay away from politics in Pakistan,” he said. In 2013, similar allegations were made by Khan. He had vowed not to support the army in order to hold free and fair elections in Pakistan. The 2008 elections too could not remain unaffected by the allegations of rigging “The pre-election period was marred by widespread electoral manipulation and a concerted attempt by the government to prevent or reduce the scale of an opposition victory,” found Human Rights Watch. UK Department for International Development (DFID) observed that the 2008 elections were neither free nor fair, which were important in the wake of the transition of power from military to civilian set-up. “Military dictators have used and manipulated elections to consolidate and legitimise executive power and their own position as well as to embrace a return, periodically, to civilian rule,” it said. The Local Government Ordinance (LGO), which was brought by a military government led by General Parvez Musharraf in 2001 was designed to undermine the powers of the provincial governments and legislatures and to neutralize the opposition parties, said Washington-based Urban Institute Centre on International Development and Governance. “Central government manipulation ensured that local government elections in 2001 and 2005 were neither free nor fair,” it said. The Election Commission of Pakistan has historically colluded with the civil-military bureaucracy to manipulate polls, said the International Crisis Group. “Polling procedures are often manipulated; accountability mechanisms for candidates and political parties seldom employed; and the electoral code of conduct routinely flouted,” it said. Now, that Pakistan is set to hold fresh elections in January 2024, there are strong apprehensions over the transparency in the process. Many find problems in delays in holding elections, rigged voter lists, and involvement of the army. Even the Human Rights Commission expressed concerns about the scope for institutions to manipulate the electoral process.15 “What is happening is the biggest pre-poll rigging ever in the history of Pakistan,” said Zulfi Bukhari, a former minister. Source: Thepakmilitarymonitor

The highly anticipated historic G20 Leader's Summit begins today, September 9, in the country's capital city. The world leaders including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have arrived in Delhi have gathered at the Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition and Convention Centre. The first session of the G20 Summit would begin at around 10:30 am under this year's theme 'One Earth'. This global meeting, a culmination of various ministries, meetings and the engagement of different groups that happened throughout the year, aims to address key issues around the globe.