The ruling party Awami League will share 32 seats with Jatiya Party (JaPa) and 14-party partners in the upcoming national election scheduled on January 7. The party’s office Secretaryt Biplab Barua informed this matter to media at Election Commission (EC) on Sunday afternoon. Awami League will leave 26 seats for Jatiya Party and six for 14 party partners, he added. Awami League has issued a letter to the EC officially about their party candidates on Sunday. The party has withdrawn their party candidates for Jatiya Party in 26 seats where Jatiya Party will contest with their party symbol. Meanwhile, the leaders of 14-party will contest the poll with Awami League electoral symbol.    

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today (Dec 15) said it is not possible for the ruling party to share more than seven seats with its alliance partners. "We informed them yesterday that we can sacrifice 'boat' [AL's electoral symbol] in seven constituencies. We have to convince other partners of the alliance. But it is not possible for us to go beyond that," he said. Speaking about the alliance partner's demand to withdraw "AL's independent" candidates, Obaidul Quader said, "Elections will be competitive ... If the independents win, we will not forcibly take away anyone's victory." The AL General Secretary said, "We cannot guarantee victory to anyone. I am the general secretary of Awami League and I have no guarantee of winning. Four contenders are contesting against me. If anyone wins here, I have to accept the defeat." The 14-party alliance Coordinator Amir Hossain Amu announced that seven seats will be shared with three of AL's allies. Soon after the announcement, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal chief Hasanul Haq Inu in a video message last night said his party did not agree to the AL's decision on seat-sharing. Hasanul Haq Inu requested the ruling party to reconsider its decision and withdraw the "AL independents" from the seats to be shared with the alliance partners.

Indo Islamic Heritage Center (IIHC) director and Gaddi Nasheen of Dargah Khwaja Saheb Ajmer Sharif, Professor Syed Liaqat Hussain Moini, has said Indian and Anatolian Sufism share several connections due to the historical and cultural exchanges that took place between the Indian subcontinent and Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) over the centuries. The remarks by Moini came at an IIHC-organised webinar on "Connection Between Indian and Anatolian Sufism". Sufism, Islamic mysticism or asceticism which was propagated from different regions, including India and Anatolia, developed unique characteristics in each context. Main Speaker of the Webinar Issa Golitzen Farajaje, a Turkish-based US Sufi scholar, said while Indian and Anatolian Sufism have distinct regional flavours and practices, they are interconnected through shared spiritual lineages, cultural exchange, and the influence of prominent figures like Rumi and the Chishti saints. These connections have contributed to the diversity and richness of Sufi traditions in both regions, he noted. The most significant link between Indian and Anatolian Sufism is through the influence of the renowned Persian Sufi poet and mystic, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi. Rumi's teachings and poetry, compiled in his work 'Masnawi', have had a profound impact on Sufism in both regions. His writings on love, devotion, and union with the divine resonate with Sufis in India and Anatolia alike. He added that similarly the Chishti Order, one of the prominent Sufi orders in India, traces its spiritual lineage back to Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, a Sufi saint from the Chisht region in present-day Afghanistan. Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's teachings and practices had a significant influence on Sufism in Anatolia, particularly through his disciple, Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, who migrated to Delhi and spread the Chishti order there. The Chishti order became popular in India and later influenced Sufi traditions in Anatolia.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Wednesday) said the world would have to share the responsibilities of the climate migrants, as she addressed the Scottish Parliament in Glasgow at an event titled “Call for Climate Prosperity”.  “The world has to share the responsibilities of the climate migrants – the people displaced because of climate change induced natural events like sea-level rise, river erosion, increasing salinity, floods and draughts. The issue of loss and damage must be addressed properly,” she said. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh already has six million climatically displaced populations with an additional burden of 1.1 million Myanmar Rohingyas, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic has created additional challenges to address.   The premier was presenting the keynote speech titled “A Bangladesh Vision for Global Climate Prosperity” at the Committee Room, the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday evening. Speaker Alison Johnstone received the Bangladesh premier on her arrival at the Scottish Parliament. Sheikh Rehana and CVF Thematic Ambassador Saima Wazed Hossain were present. Mentioning that effective and adequate climate finance mechanism is the key for achieving prosperity, she put forth some proposals for successful implementation of the MCPP. Placing a proposal, Sheikh Hasina, also chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the Vulnerable20 (V20), said, “The major emitting countries must submit and implement aggressive NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions). Without ambitious mitigation efforts, only adaptation measures are not sufficient to slow, stop and then reverse the adverse impacts of climate change.”   The Prime Minister in another proposal said that developed countries must fulfill their commitment of providing 100 billion dollars annually to the developing countries for addressing climate change, with special focus on the climate vulnerable countries. She also said that these amounts should be in addition to the existing ODA (Official Development Assistance), and there needs to be synergy among the different climate funds.  “The distribution of the climate fund should have a 50:50 ratio between adaptation and mitigation,” she added.  In the last proposal, the Prime Minister suggested dissemination of green technology from developed countries to developing countries at affordable cost so that the plans like the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan can be realized.   Sheikh Hasina said that the world leaders have gathered in Glasgow to demonstrate resolve and ambition on climate action combining their global collective efforts to respond to the unprecedented challenges and risks of the adverse impacts of climate change from which no country is immune.   She described the recently published IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 6 Assessment report as “yet another wake-up call” for the globe to take decisive actions now to save the planet from temperature rise that cannot be reversed, and a climate disaster.  “We are facing the most serious global challenge of humankind. It is a major threat for climate-vulnerable countries like Bangladesh though we contribute less than 0.47 per cent of global emissions,” she said.  Extreme temperature, erratic rainfall, flood and drought, more intense tropical cyclones, sea-level rise, seasonal variation, river erosion, ocean acidification are causing severe negative impacts on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people of Bangladesh and other climate vulnerable countries, she mentioned.   Describing sea-level rise induced by global warming as a serious threat for Bangladesh, she said,” With a 1-meter rise of sea-level, tens of millions of people in the coastal area of Bangladesh will be displaced.”  The premier said that every year two per cent of Bangladesh’s Gross Domestic Product  (GDP)  is lost due to adverse impact of climate change, and it may go up to nine per cent in the coming decades.   “Although we are climate vulnerable, at the same time we are globally recognized for our resilience,” she said, referring to her government's various measures to face the adverse impact of climate change. Prime Minister said that the government of Bangladesh, with its own financing, has established the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF). Under this fund Bangladesh has undertaken 800 projects so far with an investment of USD 480 million, which mainly focuses on adaptation, mitigation, and climate change research, she added. “We have adopted the "Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100", a comprehensive 100-year strategic plan aimed at gradual, sustainable development through adaptive delta management process targets to achieve a safe, climate-resilient and prosperous delta. Currently, the country is advancing and formulating a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) that will significantly enhance our adaptation ambition,” she continued. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh revised and submitted an updated NDC on 26 August 2021, enhancing unconditional and conditional contribution with ambitious quantifiable mitigation targets.   “Our updated and enhanced NDC has expanded its emission coverage from only the energy sector to the country's whole economy, '' she added.   About measures to cut carbon emissions, she said Bangladesh is committed to following a progressive approach to developing its economy on a low carbon pathway.   “The country has taken several initiatives on renewable energy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as promoting green energy. We have recently cancelled ten projects of coal-based power plants worth 12 billion dollars of investment,” she told the Scottish Parliament.   Describing Bangladesh’s plan to generate energy from renewable sources for the sake of the environment, Sheikh Hasina said that she is happy to inform that in Bangladesh 6.5 million households have solar power for domestic use, one of the largest amount of off-grid solar power generations in the world.   “We have the target of generating 40 percent of our energy from renewable sources by 2041. We are also procuring electric locomotives for our mass transit system, further reducing our carbon footprint. Bangladesh has already started working to introduce a significant number of electric cars within the next few years. Charging stations for these cars will be set up all across the country,” she said. The Prime Minister said, in celebration of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, her government is planting 30 million saplings across the country. Additionally, to reduce the risk of death from lightning strikes, the government has planted 5.4 million palm trees, further contributing to carbon sink, she added. The premier said, “As we need to focus on overcoming risks and becoming prosperous despite those prevailing risks managing the adverse risks of climate change, we set our trajectory from one of vulnerability to resilience to prosperity (VRP).”   Bangladesh will soon launch the "Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan," a strategic investment framework named after the Father of the Nation to mobilize financing, including through international cooperation, for implementing renewable energy generation and climate resilient initiatives, she added. She continued that this climate prosperity plan has elements like setting up a large number of offshore power generating wind turbines, reconversion of existing fossil-fuel power plants with up skilling of the workforce, creating locally led adaptation hubs that will come up with innovative solutions to adapt with climate change, and to take steps for mental and overall wellbeing, with focus on climate related diseases.  To this end, she said, “Our Delta Plan 2100 has also been taken into account while developing the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan.” The premier said her government is also planning to re-build and reinforce the embankments in the coastal region as well as in the areas prone to river erosion as part of adaptation measures. “We hope to establish solar panels and wind turbines on these embankments for supplying power to the national grid. The net metering system where even domestic households with solar panels can contribute to the national grid, and then get their bills adjusted accordingly, will also be an effective tool in our prosperity plan,” she added. The Prime Minister said that Bangladesh expects to achieve transformative change through MCPP by leapfrogging in a number of technological and economic fronts. “We also hope to be able to access the global funds available for green investment and enhance the quality of education and capacity building of our youth. This will help us to reach the target of a developed country status faster,”  she added. Source: BSS AH

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stressed the need for filtering the harmful digital contents properly, urging the people not to share anything on internet or social media without verification. “Digital technologies are creating a scope in one hand, while many problems arise for it on the other hand. Many unnecessary links appear while going to use mobile phone or internet … So, arrangements will have to be made to filter harmful digital contents properly,” she said. The Prime Minister was addressing as the chief guest the award-giving ceremony of Digital Bangladesh Day 2019 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital on Wednesday morning. Sheikh Hasina said the people should not react or do anything by seeing or listening to anything. “It’s not proper … the people will have to verify first whether the information is correct or not,” she said. She went on saying: “While going to share any post on social media, the people will have to enquire about the matter beforehand whether it is true or fake.” The Prime Minister said some apps are developed and spread in such a way by some bad elements so that the country, society and person are affected. “So it’s better not to enter any app without verification by only paying heed to rumor or curiosity … it’ll bring welfare for the country, society and the people as well,” she said. Urging all to stay alert to cyber crimes, Sheikh Hasina said it is necessary to make the children and the youthfolk aware of the crimes. “The children and youths go to wrong paths and involved in various types of crimes, while many misunderstandings are created for misuse of internet. So all including the parents, guardians and teachers will have to remain careful so that it cannot happen,” she said. State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Posts and Telecommunications and ICT Ministry AKM Rahmatullah and Senior Secretary of the ICT Division ANM Ziaul Alam also spoke on the occasion. At the function, the premier handed over awards to 14 organizations and individuals for their outstanding contributions to development of the country’s IT sector. She also inaugurated an app titled “Amar Sarkar”. Referring to the children’s addiction to digital devices like computer, mobile phone and tab, Sheikh Hasina also called upon all to remain alert to it. “You’re handing over mobile phones or other digital devices to your children. But you must have surveillance on them that what they’re watching and where they’re visiting on internet through it,” she said. “When the children use mobile phone, computer or tab for a long time, it becomes like an addiction. It puts an impact on the body, mind, eye and brain due to it. So, it’s necessary to be careful about the matter,” she said. Elaborating her government’s steps for further development of the country’s IT sector, the premier said: “Our government’s all-out support will continue to ensure highest and latest info-based services and facilities for the people.” “We’ll build ‘Sonar Bangladesh’ as dreamt by the Father of the Nation and turn the country into a modern, prosperous and IT-based developed state in the world, Insha Allah,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League in its election manifesto on December 12, 2008 declared the Vision 2021 and pledged to build Digital Bangladesh. “We’ve turned the country into Digital Bangladesh before the countrymen,” she said, adding that the people are now getting its good results. After assuming office in 1996, she said, the Awami League had taken various initiatives for the expansion of information and communication technologies. “We broke down the monopoly on mobile business and also reduced the taxes on computer import,” she said. Referring to launching Bangabandhu Satellite-1 into the space, she mentioned that it has strengthened connectivity, while work on setting up of the 2nd satellite into the orbit has already begun. Sheikh Hasina said the government has set up a total of 5865 digital centers to bring the rural areas under internet connectivity. “The people have received 46 crore services only from these union digital centers in the last 10 years and the entrepreneurs have earned a total of Taka 396 crore as well,” she said. The premier said a total of 3600 unions have been brought under internet connectivity and 200 more unions will be brought under it by this year. “We’ll connect the remaining 772 unions of remote areas to internet service by 2021,” she said. The Prime Minister said the government has developed the largest web portal of the world — Jatiya Tathya Batayan — incorporating a total of 465000 government offices websites to digitize the government services. She said the government has achieved significant successes in e-tendering and e-governance and one-shop, one-pay and one-service are launched to provide one stop services. Sheikh Hasina said the people are now getting many emergency services calling at 999, 333 and 109 and these call center based services have become popular nowadays. The Prime Minister said the government has given importance to create a start-up culture utilizing the merits of the students and youths to face the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution. “Sheikh Kamal IT training and incubation centers are being set up in district levels to fulfill the demands of skilled manpower in the ICT sector,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said the government is setting up 28 hi-tech parks, software technology parks and IT training and incubation centers across the country which will be the ‘lifeline’ of digital economy. The premier said the government is going to launch e-passport and e-visa and 5G mobile services very soon. Pointing out Bangabandhu’s contributions to IT sector, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh became a member of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1973 through sincere efforts taken by the Father of the Nation. “The Father of the Nation set up the country’s first satellite sub-station at Betbunia on 14th June 1974 and that opened the path of direct communication with the world through information and data exchange,” she said. Source: BSS AH

The cricketers who are on strike to press home their 13-point demand have demanded share from the revenue of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The assigned person as the spokesman for the professional cricketers and Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Mostafizur Rahman said this at a press conference at a hotel at Gulshan in the capital on Wednesday evening. Besides he said that copy of the demand in a form of a letter was sent to BCB through postal service and e-mail in the afternoon. The 13-point demand of the cricketers: First, the responsible persons of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) have to resign. As they are associated with cricket board so they have to resign. There is no personal reason. Professional cricketers will run in the election every year. Professional Cricketers Association was first formed in England in 1967. This type of institution has to be established for cricketers in Bangladesh. Only cricketers should remain there. Second, Dhaka Premier League has to be returned. The existing draft system has to be abolished. Third, as there is no time so there is no scope to change the rules of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). But the BPL should go back to its old formation based on franchise tournament. The salary discrimination between the local and overseas players has to be driven out. Fourth, first class match fee has to be fixed at 1 lakh taka. Fifth, there should be 30 players in the BCB central contract.    Sixth, there should be coach and physio facilities for 12 months and game, practice opportunities should to be increased in each division. Seventh, salaries of coach and grounds men have to be increased. The framework should be like other test playing nations. Eighth, there should be other T-20 league in the country apart from BPL. Ninth, calendar of domestic cricket has to be developed and that must be followed strictly. Tenth, players remuneration has to be paid timely and it must be followed by all the clubs not only for BPL. Eleventh, the bar of playing not more two franchise cricket should be relaxed. Twelfth, the share of profit that comes from cricket has to be distributed among cricketers. Thirteenth, women cricketers should be brought under this framework. Equal rights have to be ensured. AH     

Visiting three top UN officials have urged the donors to do more and act faster to share the burden that Bangladesh is shouldering due to presence of huge number of Rohingya people in Cox’s Bazar district. Heads of three UN agencies – Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Vitorino, Director General of International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Lowcock, Head of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Emergency Relief Coordinator -- are jointly visiting Rohingya camps. Reports UNB. "High prices, deforestation, traffic jams, insecurity... visiting Cox’s Bazar, once again, shows the dramatic impact on local communities hosting Rohingya refugees. @IOM chief @UN Relief Chief and I are calling on donors to do more (and act faster) to share this burden," Grandi tweeted. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said those who are opposing the relocation of Rohingyas to Bhasan Char Island should take the responsibility if there is any casualty in Cox's Bazar camps during monsoon. “If people die due to landslides following heavy rain falls, we’ll not be responsible. You - who are creating barriers - should be responsible. This is your responsibility,” he conveyed to visiting three top UN officials during his meeting with them. The Foreign Minister also encouraged the UN officials to visit Myanmar saying Bangladesh is doing everything that is necessary  for Rohingyas.          On Wednesday, they met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam.         Bangladesh said the relocation of Rohingya people to Bhasan Char Island will help address the congestion problem in Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps. Bangladesh also informed the visiting three top UN officials that the government of Bangladesh has already developed Bhasan Char island to accommodate some 1,00,000 Rohingyas. AH

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said, some people are involved behind the ups and downs of recent share market index. Works are going on to find out the involved persons in this connection. He said these to the newsmen after holding meeting with Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday afternoon. The Finance Minister said, national budget will be submitted soon. We are taking care of share market. There is a relation between the economy and share market. So share market should remain good. He said, the incidents of ups and downs like at present were also seen in 1996, 2010. Those who are involved behind these incidents will be found out. The minister said, the market is normal at the moment. Index has come down to 5300 point from 5900 point but it is not a big matter. In 1989 in Japan the index was 39000 point and that came down to 7000 point in 2007. Again in India the index came down to 7000 point from 21000 point. Such types of ups and downs happen in the market , it is not a matter. He said, we should not be worried, our market is not like markets of other countries. There investors come in the market after being understood. But in our country people come in the market after not getting proper knowledge about it. If they come after being understood then we would have not needed such strong commission. AH      

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has asked all commercial banks to share the information of loan defaulters with the returning officers for ensuring the participation of qualified persons in the upcoming general election. Bankers will have to share the information with the returning officers after November 28, the last day of nomination paper submission, said a BB circular issued on Thursday. Reports BSS. Bankers must willingly collect the necessary information, like name, father’s name and mother’s name of the persons who will submit the nomination paper. Bank officials can also provide the information of the loan default to the returning officers by attending at the time of the nomination paper. AH  

The government of India strongly favors resolution of Teesta water share issue with Bangladesh but no feasible solution is possible without taking West Bengal government, a key stake holder, on board, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in New Delhi on Monday. ‘No resolution is possible without taking all stake holders on board. No solution cannot be achieved merely by the two central governments-the government of India and the government of Bangladesh. West Bengal government is a key stake holder and therefore we try to talk to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on this’- Swaraj told reporters in New Delhi. In 2017 when Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was in India, Mamata had offered an alternative formula wherein water can be supplied to Bangladesh from three other rivers and not from Teesta, she said. Hydrology experts are still studying the feasibility of Mamata’s alternative proposal and are yet to submit a report on it, Sushma said. She said, the federal Indian government cannot bypass the West Bengal government as it is the state which has to share the Teesta waters and has to weigh pros and cons of how much it will be affected by the proposed deal.  ‘So, West Bengal and Chief Minister Mamataji have a role to play in this, which the central government cannot overlook,’ the Indian External Affairs Minister remarked. Source: UNI AH