Bangladesh received inward remittances of $1.97 billion in July, the first month of Fiscal year 2023-24, which saw a decline on year-on-year basis by 5.86 percent. (UNB reported) According to Bangladesh Bank (BB) data, the expatriates sent $2.19 billion remittance in June last month of FY23, saw a fall by 10.27 percent in July. Despite the fall in remittance inflow in July, the central bank officials described it as better than other months. UNB mentioned a spokesman of the BB, Md Sarwar Hossain, that the expatriates sent a higher volume of remittances in June for Eid-ul-Azha. He also thanked one of the biggest festival. Bangladeshi expatriates sent $21.61 billion in remittance in the last fiscal year FY23 (June-July). In the previous FY it was $21.03 billion.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today received the medal and citation of IDF Global Ambassador for Diabetes. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen handed over the medal to her at her official residence Ganabhaban this morning. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam, PM’s ambassador-at-large Mohammad Ziauddin, Principal Secretary M. Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Senior Secretary of Foreign Ministry Masud Bin Momen were present. On December 5, 2022, Sheikh Hasina was named as the "Global Ambassador for Diabetes" by the International Diabetic Federation (IDF) at the opening ceremony of the World Diabetes Congress 2022 held in Lisbon, Portugal. Bangladesh Ambassador to Portugal Tarik Ahsan on behalf of the Prime Minister, received the certificate of the honorary title in Lisbon. The honorary title of Global Ambassador for Diabetes was conferred as recognition of PM Hasina’s contribution to improving the lives of people with diabetes. As the global ambassador, she will represent the voice of people living with diabetes worldwide for two years. Sheikh Hasina had earlier received various international awards and recognitions, including MDG Award, South-South Award, Vaccine Hero Award for her prudent leadership and contribution in taking healthcare services to people's doorsteps.

A total of 10 young writers from Jammu and Kashmir in the fields of fiction, poetry etc. have received the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for Kashmiri language so far. Constituted in 2011, the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar is a literary honour which is annually conferred on young writers for outstanding works in 24 major Indian languages. It recognises young writers under the age of 35, with the aim of encouraging and promoting them to produce quality literature. The 10 writers from Kashmir, who have received this prestigious award for their works in Kashmiri language so far, all admit that the honour has served as an inspiration in their literary journey. Their achievement has also inspired many youngsters to take up writing in Kashmiri language. The 10 Yuva Puraskar awardees, who have been honoured for their works in the fields of fiction, poetry and critical writing in Kashmiri language, are: Nishad Azam, Farooq Shaheen, Saba Shaheen, Adil Mohiuddin, Nighat Sahiba, Diba Nazir, Sagar Nazir, Muzaffar Ahmad Pare, Razi Tahir Baghat and Shaista Khan. Nisar Azam was the first young writer to receive this award in 2011 for his poetry collection titled 'Pathalej Zone Dars'. Farooq Shaheen was awarded in 2012 for his literary criticism 'Gash Miller', while Saba Shaheen was honoured in 2013 for his poetry collection titled 'Vola Kial Ravi'. Nighat Sahiba was conferred with the Yuva Praskar in 2015 for her poetry collection 'Zardpankh Dear', while Adil Mohiuddin received the award for his book 'Zol Dith Sardars' in 2016. Sagar Nazir won the award for his poetry collection 'Thar Anganch' in 2017, while the following year Diba Nazir was honoured for her fiction collection 'Zarin Zhom'. The 2020 Yuva Puraskar for work in Kashmiri language went to Muzaffar Ahmed Pray for his poetry collection 'Wauch Baath', while in 2021, the award was won by Razi Tahir Bhagat for his fiction collection 'Yela'. In 2022, Shahista Khan won the Yuva Puraskar for her literary collection 'Brand Birs Peeth'. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and an engraved copper plaque. According to eminent writer and researcher Mohammad Salim Salik, bestowing the Yuva Puraskar has increased interest in Kashmiri language among the young writers. "This is a welcome step by the Sahitya Akademi to encourage young writers. It gives more inspiration to the writers and encourages them to produce quality literature in their own language," he said.

Approximately 90 per cent of the adult population in India has been vaccinated against COVID-19 with the first dose, said The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday. Addressing media personnel, Luv Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry said, "Approximately 90 per cent of the adult population in India has been vaccinated against COVID-19 with the first dose. On average, India reported more than 8,000 cases per day last week. Overall case positivity rate stands at 0.92 per cent. From December 26 onwards, the country has been reporting 10,000 daily cases."   "The weekly positivity rate of more than 10 per cent is being noted in eight districts including six districts of Mizoram, one from Arunachal Pradesh and Kolkata in West Bengal. The weekly case positivity rate is between 5-10 per cent in 14 districts of the country. There are 961 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus in India, out of which 320 patients have recovered," he added.   India has reported 13,154 new COVID-19 cases and 268 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. The tally of Omicron COVID-19 variant cases in the country has gone up to 961 with maximum cases were reported from Delhi (263) and Maharashtra (252). With this, the country's COVID-19 tally has risen to 34,822,040 while the death toll has mounted to 4,80,860.   The ministry informed that the active caseload in the country stands at 82,402 constituting 0.24 per cent of the total cases. As many as 7,486 patients recovered in the last 24 hours taking the total number of recoveries to 3,42,58,778. The recovery rate in the country currently stands at 98.38 per cent. The weekly positivity rate in the country is 0.76 per cent which remains lesser than 1 per cent for the last 46 days. The daily positivity rate is 1.10 per cent which remains lesser than 2 per cent for the last 87 days.   The country has conducted as many as 67.64 crore COVID-19 tests so far.   Source: ANI

Ahmed Nawaz, a security guard at the National Bank of Pakistan branch in Quaidabad of Punjub’s Khushab district, has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court. The convict had shot dead the branch manager, Malik Imran Hanif, in November last year over blasphemy allegations. According to a report of Dawn, the guard had claimed to have killed Hanif over committing blasphemy, with a video circulating on social media in which he could be heard saying that the deceased manager had “insulted the prophet”. Other videos shared on Twitter showed the guard being greeted by a crowd of supporters after killing the manager. The security guard and the mob then raised slogans as they walked on the street. The suspect was then joined by leaders of a religious group, all of whom raised slogans and addressed supporters from the rooftop of the Quaidabad Police Station. Police personnel could be seen standing nearby, recording videos. Police had later arrested Nawaz and charged him for the murder under the anti-terrorism law. According to the Pakistani advocacy group Centre for Social Justice, between 1987 and 2017, an estimated number of 1,549 people have been charged under the draconian blasphemy laws; for comparison, before 1986, only 14 cases have been reported. Citing civil society reports, the International Research Force (IRF) report mentioned that there were many individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges, at least 35 of whom had received death sentences, as compared with 82 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges and 29 who received death sentences in 2019. Source: ANI BM

BNP’s senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi raised question, how the incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received treatment in Square Hospitals when she was imprisoned in the sub jail? He said this at a press conference held at party central office in Nayapaltan on Monday. To Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, Rizvi said, would you please answer how Sheikh Hasina received treatment in Square Hospitals while she was imprisoned in the sub jail? Was she (Sheikh Hasina) imprisoned in an abandoned building? Does any former prime minister is kept in such a damp environment? He said, Obaidul Quader and his associates are playing roles of Goebbels under an undemocratic government. Those who are disconnected from people have to depend on ‘hyper propaganda’. Obaidul Quader and associates are desperate to keep up the blowing out lamp to sustain in power. Rizvi claimed, Obaidul Quader is trying hard to spread propaganda against BNP to hide what he said about his party chief’s money transaction while under arrest during 1/11. AH