Bangladesh, China to be connected by high-speed train

As part of its “Southern Silk Route” China plans to establish a high speed railway link between Kunming and Kolkata through Dhaka and Chittagong, according to reports reaching Dhaka from Kunming, the capital city of China’s southern Yunnan province.

The proposal, which found a mention at recently held Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) meeting in Kunming, plans to boost the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) multi-modal transport system.

“The high speed corridor would give a fillip to the economies of all the countries of the region,” said Li Ji Ming, vice- secretary of Yunnan provincial government. The project looks forward to the newly established Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and other funders for financing it.

Ming was talking to journalists following a successful expo fair in Kunming, which was attended by a large number of South Asian firms.

The 2800 kilometer rail route could be a critical component for the BCIM that seeks cross border movement of goods and people in the four countries.

China has pledged US $40 billion for the Silk Route and $50 billion for the AIIB. The BCIM area has a trade potential of $132 billion.

Yunnan enjoys geographical proximity with GMS and BCIM regions and is only 1000 kilometers away from Chittagong compared to 1700 kilometers to the nearest Chinese port.

It is the epicenter of the China-South, South-East Asia economic corridors. (Source: BSS)

All Rana Plaza victims to be compensated within weeks, says ILO

A fund set up to compensate the victims of the Rana Plaza factory collapse has finally reached its 30-million target, the UN’s international labor organization (ILO) said this week.

With all the funding now secured, the last families still awaiting a payout will receive their money “In The Coming Weeks”, said the ILO, which chairs the Rana Plaza coordination committee.

The committee, which was established in 2013 and represents all industry stakeholders, had estimated it would need 30 million (26.5 million euros) to fully and fairly compensate the families of the over 1,100 garment workers who died and some 1,500 others who were injured in the country’s worst ever industrial accident.

By April 24, on the second anniversary of the disaster, the committee had raised 27 million and was able to pay compensation to 70 percent of the more than 2,800 claimants, the ILO said in a statement.

“Further donations, including one significant sum pledged late last week meant that 30m had now been reached and all payments can be made,” it added.

The development was welcomed by ILO director-general Guy Ryder. “This is a milestone but we still have important business to deal with,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

“We must now work together to ensure that accidents can be prevented in future, and that a robust national employment injury insurance scheme is established so that victims of any future accidents will be swiftly and justly compensated and cared for.”

A host of western retailers had clothing made at Rana plaza, including Italy’s benetton, Spain’s mango and the British low-cost chain Primark. all three were among a number of international brands that contributed to the compensation fund. (Source: BSS)

Poet Sufia Kamal’s birthday today

Saturday is the 104^th birthday of Poet Sufia Kamal, founder president of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad and also a pioneer of Bengali women’s emancipation.

She was born on June 20, 1911 at her maternal uncle’s home at Shayestabad, Barisal. Her father’s name was Abdul Bari. Despite being born to a conservative Muslim family, she was taught Bengali by her mother Sabera Begum.

Bangladesh Mohila Parishad will celebrate the poet’s birthday in a befitting manner. The celebration program includes memorial lecture, awarding Poet Sufia Kamal medals and cultural function.

The Bangla Academy has also undertaken programs to celebrate her birthday by organizing a memorial lecture titled “Literature of Sufia Kamal: Humanity and Status of Women” in its auditorium.

Chairman of Bangla Department of Dhaka University Prof Begum Akhtar Kamal will deliver the lecture, while the president of Mohila Parishad, Ayesha Khanam, will chair it.

Eight women will be given the Sufia Kamal honor this year. It would be followed by a cultural function.

Apart from her literary pursuits, Poet Sufia Kamal fought for women’s emancipation, humanity’s emancipation and restoration of democracy. She was also active in the Language Movement of 1952.

She was also involved in the movement to protest the embargo on Tagore imposed by then government in the late ‘60s. She was also involved in the mass-upsurge of 1969 and the non- cooperation movement of March 1971. She also renounced the” Tamgha-I-Imtiaz” award given to her by the Pakistan government.

She was an excellent organizer. In the politically charged atmosphere of 1970, she organized the Bangladesh Mohila Parishad. Earlier in 1956, she had organized the children’s organization “ Kochi-Kachar Mela”.

She edited the women’s magazine “Begum” before partition of the subcontinent in 1947. Her first poem “Bashanti” was printed in the “Saogat” in 1926. Since then, she has written prolifically: poems, short stories and travelogues. Her “Ekatturer Diary” tells the untold stories of the Bengalis in 1971.

Her struggle for a society free of disparity and her politics earned her over 50 awards including the “Ekushey Padak”, “Swadhinata Dibash Padak” and “Bangla Academy Padak”.

She played a crucial role in the emancipation of women in post-liberation Bangladesh. She was uncompromising about communalism and fundamentalism. The poet died on November 20, 1999. She was the first Bengali woman to be buried with state honors. (Source: BSS)

Journalist Habibur Rahman Milon’s qulkhwani held

The qulkhwani of Habibur Rahman Milon, an Ekushe Padak recipient and former advisory editor of the daily Ittefaq, was held at his New Eskaton Gous Nagar residence in the city on Friday.

On the occasion, a milad and doa mahfil was held seeking divine blessings for the eternal peace of the departed soul.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Managing Director and Chief Editor Abul Kalam Azad, Jatiya Press Club President Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman and General Secretary Qamrul Islam Chowdhury, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) President Manjurul Ahsan bulbul, Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) Director General Shah Alamgir, Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) President Altaf Mahmud and General Secretary Quddus Afrad attended the qulkhwani, among others.

Habibur Rahman Milon, who was suffering from kidney ailments for a long, died on Saturday midnight at a city hospital at the age of 78. (Source: BSS)

Bangladesh law minister for strengthening rule of law in cyberspace

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Friday put emphasis on strengthening the rule of law in cyberspace.

He also sought international cooperation against cyber crime while addressing the closing ceremony of the three-day Octopus Conference, the international event on cyber crime, organized by the Council of Europe at Strasbourg, France.

Anisul spoke on the event as a designated speaker from Bangladesh being invited by Gabriella Battani-Dragoni, the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, said an official release of the ministry on Friday.

After his address, the minister also had an elaborate discussion on Bangladesh’s cyber crime issue with Gabriella Battani-Dragoni and other dignitaries of the conference.

The dignitaries assured the minister of all sorts of support and cooperation for Bangladesh in this regard.

Earlier on June 17, Bangladesh Law minister attended the 3-day conference in France. He is expected to arrive in Dhaka on June 23. (Source: BSS)

Bangladesh minister calls for donating Zakat to govt fund

Religious Affairs Minister Principal Matiur Rahman on Friday urged all to donate Zakat to the Government Zakat Fund for a better use of the donation.

Seeking cooperation of all concerned, the minister said everyone will have to be encouraged for donating Zakat, according to a release.

The minister made the call while addressing a reception accorded to deputy commissioners and concerned officials for realizing highest volume of Zakat.

Islamic Foundation organised the reception at Baitul Mokarram National Mosque with its Director General Shameem Afzal in the chair.

As the chief guest, the minister extended greetings to the Muslim Ummah on the first day of the holy Ramadan.

Religious Affairs Secretary Dr Chowdhury M Babul Hasan spoke at the programme as the special guest. (Source: BSS)

A total of 28 officials including seven deputy commissioners, seven deputy directors of Islamic Foundation, seven upazila nirbahi officers and seven highest zakat donators were given the reception. (Source: BSS)

Myanmar returns 37 rescued migrants to Bangladesh

Thirty-seven Bangladeshi migrants rescued from a boat at sea by Myanmar authorities were handed over to Bangladesh authorities on Friday.

“Bangladesh verified 37 Bangladeshi citizens and confirmed that they are the Bangladeshi nationals,” said Lieutenant Colonel Saiful Alam Khandakar, the commanding officer of Border Guard Bangladesh at the port of Cox’s Bazar.

Thousands of people, many of them Bangladeshi or Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar, have taken to the sea in recent months in dangerously crowded boats run by people-traffickers, heading south toward other southeast Asian countries.

The 37 were among 208 migrants whom the Myanmar navy said it rescued from a boat in the Bay of Bengal on May 21.

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Myanmar announced at the time that nearly all the people found aboard were Bangladeshis seeking better economic prospects, rather than Rohingya, a group who complain of severe discrimination and mistreatment in Myanmar.

But people aboard the boat told Reuters last month many of the migrants had been Rohingya. On June 8, Bangladesh received another 150 Bangladeshis, rescued from the same boat, from Myanmar.

Myanmar said this month persecution of Rohingya was not the cause of the Southeast Asian migrant crisis, a day after the United States called on the country to give full rights to the minority to help end the exodus. (Source: Reuters)

India’s captain Dhoni, Bangladesh’s pacer Mustafizur Rahman fined for collision

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Bangladesh paceman Mustafizur Rahman have been fined for a collision during Thursday’s first one-day international at Mirpur, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said.

While Dhoni has been fined 75 percent of his match fee, Rahman, who made his ODI debut with a man-of-the-match performance, was docked half of his match earnings.

The incident occurred in the 25^th over of India’s chase when Dhoni appeared to shove the bowler away while taking a single with the left-arm paceman in his path.

The 19-year-old Rahman left the field after the incident, returning later to complete a five-wicket haul in the match, which hosts Bangladesh won by 79 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

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Both players pleaded not guilty to the charge, ICC match referee Andy Pycroft said in a statement on Friday.

“In the hearing, Dhoni defended the charge on the basis that the bowler was on the wrong line and realising that he couldn’t avoid the collision, he used his hand and arm to push him away as he went through to ‘minimise the impact’,” Pycroft said.

“However, my assessment was that Dhoni deliberately pushed and shouldered Mustafizur, which was inappropriate.

“Mustafizur was fined 50 percent of his match fee after he admitted that his actions in not getting out of the batsman’s way were inappropriate and he should have done more to avoid the contact.”

The second match of the series will be played on Sunday. (Source: Reuters)