Ahead of BNP's planned sit-in, members of Law enforcement agencies including Police have been deployed of Capital Dhaka's importance entry points including Aminbazar, Gabtoli, Sayedabad, Mohakhali and Abdullahpur. On Saturday Morning, Police and BNP leaders and activists clashed at different parts of the city including Dholaikhal, Matuail and Jatrabari. Around 12 pm, BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy got injured at Dholaikhal area, during the clash between police and the activists of BNP, after that Police picked up him from the spot. After 50 minutes clash, Police took the road under their control. Police also detained BNP's Dhaka Metropolitan North convener Aman Ullah Aman from Gabtoli area when counter sit-ins program was going on.  In the meantime, around 1 pm two buses were set on fire during a clash between BNP leaders, activists and police at Matuail area of Dhaka’s Jatrabari.  Police and BNP leaders and activists clashed in Narayanganj also. During the clashes, Police detained some activists of BNP.

NATO members have said they want Ukraine in the alliance when the time is right, as Turkey drops its opposition to Swedish accession on day one of two-day summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. A summit communique issued by NATO leaders meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday, said, "Ukraine's future is in NATO." The document said thatKyiv would be asked to join the military alliance when "members agree and conditions are met." No hint was given as to when that might be. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, "there has never been stronger language for membership in NATO." Zelenskyy dissatisfied at 'weakness' of position But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced disappointment over the situation, saying it would be "absurd" if no time frame for membership were given. "I traveled here today with belief in a decision, with belief in partners, with belief in a strong NATO, a NATO which does not doubt, which does not lose time," he told a crowd of thousands of cheering, flag-waving Ukraine supporters in Vilnius alongside Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. Zelenskyy thanked Nauseda for Lithuania's, "clear, honest and courageous position." Then the Ukrainian leader said, "every soldier expects… our every citizen, our every mother, our every child…" wants certainty from NATO, "is that too much to wish for?" Olexander Scherba at Kyiv's Foreign Ministry told DW that NATO's position on Ukraine membership in recent years had been "one big lie," saying that Ukraine was already "doing NATO's job and defending Europe."  Speaking on ARD television on Tuesday evening, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, "I understand the dissatisfaction and impatience, particularly in the situation Ukraine is in, I have complete sympathy." "But nevertheless, the assurance is there: Ukraine will become a NATO member, as soon as the preconditions are met. That's an agreement that hasn't previously existed with such clarity," Pistorius said. Summit hosts Lithuania praise Ukraine Nauseda has staunchly backed Ukraine, and Lithuania was the first NATO member to send Kyiv weapons before Russia's February 24, 2022, invasion. Speaking alongside Zelenskyy, he said, "Ukraine is buying us time with their blood, so we can prepare and give a strong retort to Russia." The Baltic States — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — were the last to become part of the Soviet Union when they were annexed in 1940, and the first to declare independence when it collapsed in 1990.  Still, NATO does not accept countries that are involved in ongoing conflicts, thus sealing Ukraine's fate while it remains under attack from neighboring Russia. Further conditions to be filled by Kyiv are effectively clamping down on corruption as well as modernizing the country's armed forces. Eastern NATO members who feel the threat posed by Russia, have been far more eager to extend a hand to Kyiv, yet the US and Germany, for instance, fear the consequences of NATO ultimately getting drawn into an open conflict with Russia. Nevertheless, Ukraine is enjoying unheard of assistance, with Germany announcing €700 million (roughly $770 million) in new military aid before the start of the Vilnius summit. France and Norway, too, have recently delivered new longer-range missiles. US President Joe Biden has offered Kyiv a security guarantee similar to the one Washington maintains with Israel, for example, but Kyiv has been hesitant to put too much faith in such US promises with another presidential election coming up there in November 2024. Turkey supports Sweden NATO membership after a year of stalling While in Vilnius, Biden thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his "courage" and "diplomatic efforts" on day one of the summit after it was announced that Ankara would drop more than a year of opposition to Stockholm's membership bid. NATO boss Stoltenberg had spoke of Turkey's change of heart on Monday, saying Turkey would put acceptance of Swedish membership to a vote in parliament — though no date was given when — in exchange for increased security cooperation and Stockholm's assistance in reviving Turkey's floundering EU membership bid. Increased trade and investment were part of the deal as well, and the US rushed to hint at new F-16 fighter jets for Turkey after years with the possible deal on ice. Turkey had presented an ever-growing list of demands before the announcement. Initially these had to do with members of the Turkish and Kurdish diaspora living in Sweden and then focussed on the arrest and extradition of Erdogan's perceived political opponents. Sweden has indeed tightened control over the activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting an insurgency against Turkey for 39 years and whom Turkey considers terrorists. In an agreement signed between the two on Monday, Stockholm also promised to clamp down on the YPG, the PKK's Syrian wing. In the hours after Erdogan's change of tune on Sweden, several US officials hinted that a long-frozen Turkish bid to acquire F-16 fighter jets from Washington could be revitalized. Though purportedly not related subjects, Biden said the US would work with Turkey to "enhance defense and deterrence in the Euro-Atlantic area," after he welcomed news of Ankara's about face on Sweden. The US recently balked at a deal that would have seen 40 F-16s going to Turkey as a result of perceived unreliability from the NATO partner, given its hostility with fellow NATO member Greece, its purchase of Russian air defense technology, and other issues.  Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "certain" Turkey's decision to relent on Sweden would have "negative consequences." Turkey and Russia have for years maintained close if tense relations, with Erdogan siding with Moscow and the West in different situations. On Tuesday, the EU's only other hold-out, Hungary, said acceptance of Sweden's membership bid was now simply a "technical matter." Other NATO commitments and tomorrow's slate One other area where members found agreement was in the need for NATO countries to devote "at least 2%" of GDP to defense spending. Previously, this figure was given as a NATO target, not a basline.  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Berlin "will be in a position to do just that next year." On day two of the summit, the newly-formed NATO-Ukraine Council will convene for the first time. The body aims to improve coordination between Kyiv and alliance members.

The United States has reaffirmed its support for India's inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers Group ( NSG ) and is committed to continuing its engagement with like-minded partners to advance this goal. In the joint statement released by US and India, US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the important role that nuclear energy plays in global decarbonisation efforts and affirmed nuclear energy as a necessary resource to address the climate, energy transition and energy security needs of the nations. The two leaders noted the ongoing discussion on developing next-generation small modular reactor technologies in a collaborative mode for the domestic market and export. "President Biden and Prime Minister Modi underscored the important role nuclear energy plays in global decarbonization efforts and affirmed nuclear energy as a necessary resource to meet our nations' climate, energy transition, and energy security needs. The leaders noted ongoing negotiations between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) for the construction of six nuclear reactors in India," the joint statement released by India and the US reads. It further said, "They welcomed intensified consultations between the US DOE (Department of Energy) and India's DAE (Department of Atomic Energy) for facilitating opportunities for WEC to develop a techno-commercial offer for the Kovvada nuclear project (in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam). "They also noted the ongoing discussion on developing next generation small modular reactor technologies in a collaborative mode for the domestic market as well as for export. The United States reaffirms its support for India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and commits to continue engagement with likeminded partners to advance this goal," the statement read. The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports. According to the NSG's official statement, the NSG was created after the explosion of a nuclear device by a non-nuclear-weapon state in 1974. The NSG guidelines contain the so-called "Non-Proliferation Principle," adopted in 1994, whereby a supplier, notwithstanding other provisions in the NSG Guidelines, authorises a transfer only when satisfied that the transfer would not contribute to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The NSG guidelines are consistent with the various international legally binding instruments in the nuclear non-proliferation sector. Currently, there are 48 members in the Nuclear Suppliers Group which include - Argentina Cyprus, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Czech Republic, Italy, Norway, Spain Austria, Denmark, Japan, Poland, Sweden, Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Switzerland Belgium, Finland, Latvia, Romania, Turkey, Brazil, France, Lithuania, South Korea, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Germany, Luxembourg, Russia, UK, Canada, Greece, Malta, Serbia, US, China, Hungary, Mexico, Slovakia, Croatia, Iceland, Netherlands and Slovenia.

Most European countries have lifted travel restrictions — despite ongoing high infection numbers. DW Travel has compiled this overview of EU rules. Tourism in Europe is slowly moving back to pre-pandemic levels. Since the omicron variant predominantly causes moderate symptoms, most countries have relaxed their restrictions. Here is an overview of the latest rules for traveling in and around Europe. The European Union An overview of EU travel measures, including information on the EU Digital COVID Certificate, is available via the European Commission website. Detailed information regarding quarantine rules, testing requirements and more in the EU’s 27 member states along with non-EU Schengen countries Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland can be accessed through the Reopen EU platform. You can also download the Reopen EU smartphone app for up-to-date information on the go. Please note that every member state maintains its own rules for granting entry to third country travelers already within the EU or Schengen zone. The European Union COVID traffic light system The EU has introduced a traffic light system for a better overview of the epidemiological situation in individual member states. Three colors red, orange and green denote high-, medium- and low-risk areas in the bloc. Grey regions signify areas where insufficient data is available. Please note: The information listed here is not exhaustive. It serves as a reference and is subject to change at any time. All travelers to and within Europe, the EU and the Schengen Area are strongly advised to consult the official guidance and regulations of local, state and national authorities in the relevant countries. EU Digital COVID certificate To ease EU travel, the European Parliament approved a digital COVID certificate that has been rolled out across the entire bloc. It shows that individuals have either been fully vaccinated, tested negative for the virus or recovered from the disease. The document is issued by test centers and health authorities, and has been available in all EU member states since July 1, 2021. At this stage, however, only COVID-19 vaccination records performed by an official, government-mandated body within the European Union can be logged on the certificate. Vaccinations from outside the EU are not accepted yet. For more information, visit the COVID Certificate platform. These COVID rules are currently in place in different European countries (listed in alphabetical order): Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

The insurance regulator wants the removal of the minimum entry capital requirement of Rs 100 crore for setting up an insurance business in a bid to facilitate the entry of multiple players such as standalone micro insurers and niche players.   Debasish Panda, chairman, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), said it should be left to the regulator instead to decide what should be the entry fee for interested players, depending on the size of the business and operations. According to the current norms, insurers are required to have a minimum paid-up capital of Rs 100 crore.   “We propose to request the government to amend the [IRDA] Act and remove the so-called minimum requirement. It should allow the regulator to decide that, based on regulations that will be framed and amended from time to time depending on the market conditions,” Panda said in his maiden address to the industry and the press on Thursday.   Among the many changes in regulations that Panda is seeking are the investment guidelines. “The current investment guidelines for the assets under management are being revisited, and the ask from the industry is that they should be given a little more leeway so that they can invest in riskier instruments such as infra financing,” Panda said.   The regulator is also looking at revisiting the current investment norms to rationalise them so as to bring more investments into the country.   The Irdai chief also asked insurance companies to come up with a road map when it comes to going public. “Our idea is to nudge them to go for listing and therefore have access to the markets to raise capital,” Panda said. “Today with the LIC listing, close to 60 per cent of the market gets listed. That brings in a lot of transparency, disclosures, and access to the market to raise capital. This will help them grow, and our ultimate target of deepening insurance penetration will happen.”   The insurance regulator also intends to reduce the compliance burden on the insurance companies, which will help reduce the cost of compliance for companies and reduce the requirement of resources and time. A working group will be constituted to look into this.   Irdai also wants to revamp the product certification process, wherein the players will be able to follow the system of “use and file” rather than “file and use”.   “We will have light-touch regulations. And, these will be principle based rather than rule based. Rule-based regulations do not provide flexibility. The industry has matured and it understands the rules of the game,” Panda said.   The regulator has plans to introduce new channels of distribution and widen the scope of existing channels to ensure widespread availability of insurance products. It is exploring the launch of Bima Mitra on the lines of Bank Mitras to enhance the scope of insurance distribution.   It also wants to facilitate the lowering of operating costs and review the commission and the remuneration structure of insurance products with the objective of reducing cost for policyholders.   “The broad vision is that every Indian should have a life insurance cover; every household should have a health insurance cover. Also, everyone at the bottom of the period mandatorily should have dwelling insurance cover. We also want to have one stop insurance solutions for MSMEs. We also want to provide income security for the ageing population through annuity and pension products,” Panda said.   Commenting on the state of the three state-owned general insurers, Panda said, “The government is very much aware of the present financials of the insurance companies. The regulator has given some forbearance with advice that they have to infuse more capital in order to perform at an optimum level.”   Source: Business Standard  

Travelers who are fully vaccinated with the shots from Sinopharm, Sinovac and COVAXIN will be allowed to enter Canada starting Nov. 30, the Canadian government announced on Friday.   Currently, Canada only accepts travelers who have received the vaccines including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.   Also starting Nov. 30, people leaving Canada by land or by air for less than 72 hours will no longer be required to provide proof of a negative molecular test to re-enter the country.   This change applies only to Canadians, permanent residents and individuals registered under the Indian Act, as well as accompanying children under 12, and individuals with medical contraindications to vaccination.   Additionally, starting Jan. 15, certain groups of travelers who are currently exempt from entry requirements will only be allowed to enter Canada if they are fully vaccinated.   Those groups include individuals travelling to reunite with family, international students, professional and amateur athletes, individuals with a valid work permit and other essential service workers including truck drivers.   "With more Canadians getting vaccinated every day, we can move forward cautiously toward a more open border economy and society," said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. "At the same time, we can't let our guard down."   To date, the country has reported a total of 1,762,434 cases with 29,481 deaths, according to the Canadian government. Source: Xinhua/BSS AH

After Singapore banned arrivals from India and other South Asian countries due to fears of an explosive Covid-19 outbreak, the country is now facing an increasing coronavirus-induced labour shortage – spraining its economic model. Foreign nationals comprise about a third of the total workforce in Singapore, where construction and shipbuilding sectors rely heavily on low-cost labour especially from India and Bangladesh, says Kentaro Iwamoto in the Nikkei Asia. Even before Singapore stopped entries from India and other South Asian nations, departures and tighter travel rules were already keeping foreign workers away from the country. According to Iwamoto, the crunch has led to delays of construction projects by as much as a year, resulting in a surge of 30 per cent in the price of labour and sparking worries over excessive workloads. “Some workers have even told us that they have been forced to work double shifts, each shift eight hours, for at least half the week since last year,” Nikkei Asia quoted Desiree Leong, casework manager at the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics, a local rights group. The number of migrant workers in Singaporean building sites, shipyards and factories plunged by 16 per cent in 2020 to 311,000, according to government statistics. The total number of international workers also decreased by 14 per cent. Meanwhile, the bans on short-term travelers and long-term pass holders from South Asia, which remain in place even though India’s second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has eased. Although the government last week maintained its annual growth outlook for this year at 4 per cent to 6 per cent, it warned the recovery’s speed would be uneven across industries and flagged the manpower shortage as a drag on construction, reported Nikkei Asia. “Recent border restrictions on the entry of foreign workers from South Asia will exacerbate ongoing severe labor shortages at construction worksites and shipyards,” the Ministry of Trade and Industry said. Singapore’s construction sector shrank by 36 per cent in 2020, while COVID-19 clusters in crowded worker dormitories shut down work sites. Despite the situation stabilising, the industry’s decline continued in the first quarter of 2021, with a 23 per cent year-on-year fall. Project delays in Singapore risk slower real estate sales, stalled facility openings and, potentially, weaker consumption. Thus, industry groups of the country are urging the government to reopen the border for South Asian workers. They argue housing, hospital and transit line projects will be “badly disrupted” if the entry ban continues. Apart from Singapore, Vietnam’s plans to send 500,000 workers abroad in the five years through 2025 have been cast in fresh doubt, partly due to border restrictions in key destinations like Japan, Iwamoto writes. Regarding long hours of work, the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics says some migrants have been reported working 14 to 16 hours a day and six days a week. On May 17, nine construction-related industry organisations warned that the current workforce is “already working at maximum capacity, increasing the risks of workplace incidents.” Source: ANI AH

To contain the coronavirus infection the Forest Department has imposed ban against tourist entry to the Sundarbans abiding by the government directions. The ban will be effective till April 15. In this regard, Sultan Ahmed, Station Officer of Burigoalini under Satkhira range of the Sundarbans said, a ban has been imposed against tourist entry till April 15 to prevent the coronavirus infection. So, everyone is requested for not coming to visit the Sundarbans until April 15. Earlier, in a notice of fisheries and livestock ministry it was said that Bangladesh National Zoo at Mirpur in Dhaka and Rangpur Zoo will remain closed for the visitors with effect from Friday (April 2). AH  

Bangladesh has imposed a 16-day ban on entry of passengers from all European nations except the United Kingdom (UK) and 12 other countries from April 3 to check the new spike of coronavirus. Apart from Europe, the 12 other countries are Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Peru, Qatar, South Africa, Turkey and Uruguay, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) announced today (Thursday) in a circular dated March 31, 2021. As per the circular, the ban comes into effect from April 3 and will continue till April 18. Airlines operating scheduled passenger flights from all those countries will be allowed to carry only transit passengers to Bangladesh subject to the conditions that the passengers remain confined inside the terminal building only, it said. The CAAB said it came up with the decision after reviewing the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation throughout the country and across the world. Source: BSS AH

After closure for seven months the National Zoo situated at Mirpur in the capital is going to be opened for public from next Sunday (November 1). The zoo will remain open for the visitors from 9 am to 3 pm. In this regard the ministry of fisheries and livestock has directed to follow some instructions for the zoo authority. The instructions were given to avert coronavirus infections. The ministry also said, on the occasion of birth centenary of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the National Zoo will remain open for the visitors free of cost on the first Sunday of every month from November 2020 to March 2021. In this regard students of schools and colleges will be given preference. Public Relations Officer of fisheries and livestock ministry Md. Iftekhar Hossain delivered the information to Rtv on Friday. He said, the National Zoo will be reopened after following the health guidelines. By this time some directions were given from the ministry in this regard. AH