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Tarique Rahman’s India Visit ‘Nearly Certain’ for Aug. 21-22, Officials Say

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DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to travel to New Delhi for a bilateral visit in the third week of August, with Aug. 21-22 emerging as the likely dates, according to several government sources in Dhaka. The dates could shift by a few days, the officials said, adding that the proposed visit originated with India and that Bangladesh has indicated Rahman is prepared to travel. Preparations are already under way for what would be Rahman’s first visit to India as prime minister. However, Bangladeshi officials said Dhaka has raised several issues that it wants addressed before the trip is finalised. Bangladesh seeks assurances over Hasina’s political activities One of the key issues concerns former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in India since Aug. 5, 2024, following her removal from power. Bangladeshi officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Dhaka wants assurances that Hasina will not continue making political statements or engaging in polit...
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Summit LNG Terminal Resumes Gas Supply to Bangladesh Grid

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DHAKA: Summit LNG has resumed gas supply from its liquefied natural gas terminal, beginning with about 110 million cubic feet (mmcf) per day at 6:10 p.m. on Friday, the company said in a statement. The terminal is expected to gradually increase deliveries and reach close to its full capacity of about 550 mmcf by around 2 a.m. on Saturday, Summit said. Supply to support industry and power generation According to the company, the additional gas will improve availability for industrial users, power generation and other customers. Summit said the increased supply is also expected to support economic activity and ease pressure on Bangladesh’s energy system. The company said it would continue supplying as much gas as possible while maintaining safe and reliable operations within the technical capabilities of the LNG terminal and the national gas transmission network. Focus on energy security Summit LNG said a sufficient and uninterrupted energy supply is important for Bangladesh’s industrial...
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Minister Warns Bangladesh Could Struggle to Pay Public Officials Amid Rising Debt

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SIRAJGANJ: Bangladesh is standing amid what he described as a “ruined” economic landscape and could eventually face difficulties paying government officials because of the country’s mounting debt, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said on Friday. “If we do not plan properly, there will come a time when it will be difficult even to pay the salaries of government officials,” Tuku said at a meeting with officials and employees of Sirajganj municipality. He said development would not be sustainable without proper planning and that the government had prepared a budget aimed at avoiding excessive tax pressure on ordinary citizens. Implementing the budget, he added, would require cooperation between the public and the administration. Municipal services Earlier on Friday, Tuku handed over six vehicles, including dump trucks, for use in the city’s waste-cleaning operations. He also climbed onto one of the trucks, explaining that his gesture was prompted by mem...
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BNP Names Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as Presidential Candidate

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DHAKA: Bangladesh’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has nominated its secretary-general and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its candidate for the country’s 23rd presidency, according to senior party leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. Rizvi, the BNP’s senior joint secretary-general, told reporters at the Secretariat on Thursday that BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman finalised Fakhrul’s candidacy during a meeting with senior party leaders. Fakhrul resigned from his positions as BNP secretary-general and a member of the party’s standing committee after being selected as the presidential candidate, Rizvi said. Presidential election could be contested Thursday is the deadline for submitting nominations for the presidential election. Under the Election Commission’s schedule, nomination papers can be filed with the returning officer at the Election Commission headquarters between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. A separate nomination has already been submi...
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Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia Expand Air Links With More Passenger and Cargo Flights

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DHAKA: Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have agreed to significantly expand air connectivity between the two countries, increasing the permitted number of weekly passenger flights from 49 to 84 and introducing new opportunities for cargo operations and airline cooperation. The expanded framework was outlined by Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq , chairman of the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB), during a meeting with media representatives at CAAB headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday. Under the new memorandum of understanding between the two countries’ civil aviation authorities, designated airlines will be permitted to operate up to 84 passenger flights a week , an increase of 35 flights from the previous limit. The agreement also provides for 21 cargo flights a week , fifth-freedom traffic rights, code-sharing, co-terminalisation and aircraft leasing arrangements. More Flights for Pilgrims and Migrant Workers CAAB said the additional passenger capacity is expected to help...
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Taiwan Detects Unusual AI-Assisted Cyberattacks Targeting Government Agencies

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TAIPEI: Taiwan has detected a series of unusual cyberattacks targeting government agencies that allegedly used artificial intelligence to automate parts of the hacking process, according to the island's Ministry of Digital Affairs. The attacks, which originated from overseas and were first detected on July 20, targeted government systems and later expanded to include Taiwan's nuclear safety authority and at least seven energy companies, the ministry said. Israeli artificial intelligence security company Dream told the Financial Times that the attackers used open-source AI agents to develop an automated hacking tool capable of operating like a coordinated cyber team. Dream described the incident as unprecedented in its experience. 85 Government Accounts Compromised According to Dream, the attackers gained access to at least 85 government user accounts and collected information relating to more than 2,500 employees . Taiwan's cybersecurity monitoring authorities detected ...
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Feni Police Chief Rebuffed After Entering Judge’s Courtroom Despite Transfer Order

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FENI: A police station chief in Bangladesh’s Feni district who had been ordered to be withdrawn from his post was rebuffed by a judge after entering a courtroom without permission and attempting to draw the judge’s attention by saluting three times, according to court sources and officials. The incident involving Mohammad Faizul Azim Noman , officer-in-charge of Daganbhuiyan Police Station, took place on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the Feni Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal, where Judge A.N.M. Morshed Khan was presiding. Court-related sources said Noman had earlier sought permission to meet the judge before the hearing began but was told that he could not meet the judge without authorization. He later entered the courtroom after proceedings had begun and saluted the judge three times. The judge then asked court staff to identify the officer and, after learning who he was, told him that there was no personal relationship between them and that an order had already been issue...
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