Author: Asian Bangla

Asianbangla, Dhaka : In reference to the recent debate over BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, the chief for immigrations and passport department today said “citizenship does not depend on a passport”. “Aren’t there a lot of Bangladeshis living without a passport? Does it stand in the way of them being Bangladeshi nationals?” said Maj Gen Md Masud Rezwan, director general of the Department of Immigration and Passport. There is no relation between citizenship and surrendering a passport, he said. “Tarique Rahman is currently living in the UK without a Bangladeshi passport. He will have to come to Bangladesh, make a…

Asianbangla Desk : The European Union will extend its arms embargo on Myanmar for another year this week and may then move to target more Yangon generals with fresh sanctions, EU diplomats and officials said. The EU accuses Myanmar of “serious and systemic” human rights violations in a military operation in the country’s northwest last year that sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh. The EU arms embargo is now in place until the end of April and the diplomats and officials said it would be extended for another year before that deadline expires. It will also be…

Asianbangla, Dhaka : A top leader of banned Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh has secured bail in a militancy case using a fictitious guarantor in the bail bond. But Bulbul Ahmed Sarker, who according to police was the second-in-command of Chittagong JMB, could not come out of jail as he faces seven more cases, including for murder and possession of arms and explosives. The Metropolitan Sessions Judge of Chittagong granted him bail on November 18 last year in a case filed in 2012. Police arrested him based on information gleaned from another suspected JMB operative named Ershad Hossain Mamun. Mamun, who was…

Asianbangla, Dhaka : The International Crimes Tribunal -1 today sent former additional inspector general of police to jail in a case filed for allegedly committing crimes during the Liberation War in 1971. Police yesterday arrested Oahidul Haque, 69, from Gulshan area in the capital hours after the ICT-1 issued an arrest warrant against him in the case following a petition moved by Prosecutor Tureen Afroz.. A two-member tribunal led by Justice Amir Hossain sent Oahidul Haque to jail after he was produced before the court around 11:30am today, Tureen Afroz told. . The tribunal also asked the prosecution to submit…

Asianbangla, Dhaka : The launch of Bangladesh’s first commercial satellite, Bangabandhu-1, has been deferred. A scheduled launch of May 4 (USA time) has been deferred to May 7 for weather reasons, Mustafa Jabbar, ICT minister, told reporters at a programme today. He was talking at a discussion programme of Telecom Reporters’ Network at the office of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) this afternoon. Thales manufactured the 3.7 tonnes satellite a few months ago and kept it in a warehouse in Cannes. It will be launched from Florida. A new rocket would carry the satellite into space. In November 2015, the…

Asianbangla, Dhaka : President Abdul Hamid made a unique record in the history of Bangladesh by swearing in as the head of the state for second consecutive term yesterday. He is the first politician in Bangladesh to get re-elected as president after completion of the first term. He is a lucky president for many other reasons. He completed a five-year term without being mired into any controversy. None of his predecessors have had such luck. A seasoned politician and well-known for his sense of humour, Hamid is the seventh elected president after restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1991. Seven is…

Asianbangla, London : The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has refused to answer questions about her country’s human rights record. She is in the UK as part of the Commonwealth Summit. This programme has been investigating the many cases of the so-called “missing” in Bangladesh who are political opponents of her government. Alex Thomson (the reporter): There will be a reception for the Bangladesh Prime Minister with the British Prime Minister, but across the day another reception was on the streets of London. But one thing the British Foreign Office these protesters of course and a host of human…

BNP general secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Prothom Alo file photo The documents state minister for foreign affairs M Shahriar Alam produced to support his claim that BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman along with his wife and daughter handed over their passports to the British Home Office four years ago are not authentic, BNP general secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged on Tuesday. At a press conference at the party office in the city, Fakhrul termed Shahriar’s claims mysterious and said the documents have as many as 13 flaws, which do not go with a UK state entity. The state…

Asianbangla, London : The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has refused to answer questions about her country’s human rights record. She is in the UK as part of the Commonwealth Summit. This programme has been investigating the many cases of the so-called “missing” in Bangladesh who are political opponents of her government. Alex Thomson (the reporter): There will be a reception for the Bangladesh Prime Minister with the British Prime Minister, but across the day another reception was on the streets of London. But one thing the British Foreign Office these protesters of course and a host of human…

Elections are expected in Bangladesh soon, as by law they must take place between October 31 and December 31 this year. This is not an easy prospect either for Bangladesh or for its principal neighbor, India. The previous general election in 2014 was marred by violence and was boycotted by the Bangladesh National Party (BNP). It saw a turnout of just 22%. The international community is hoping that the elections this time around are more credible and help stabilize the polity of this volatile country, which is witnessing the growth of Islamist radicalism. This month, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit…