by Rejaul Karim Byron in The daily star, Oct 25, 2017 The government is going to build a 24-kilometre elevated expressway from Dhaka airport to Ashulia for quick entry and exit of vehicles to and from the capital. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) gave the go-ahead yesterday to the Tk 16,901 crore project, 65 percent of which will be financed by China. Following the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said…
Posts published in October 2017
By SUI-LEE WEE in The NY Times online, Oct 23, 2017 BEIJING — Guo Junwen was a successful property developer in southwestern China when the authorities threw him behind bars three years ago on charges involving land use and seized his business. Now free, Mr. Guo — who still disputes the charges — says the police are refusing to return money they still owe him under Chinese law. “They said, ‘We have no choice, Old…
By Eva Dou and Chun Han Wong in The Wall St Journal, Oct 24, 2017 BEIJING—The best career move by rising political star Chen Min’er may well have been his efforts 15 years ago to promote another phenom— Xi Jinping. With Mr. Xi now starting a second five-year term as China’s top leader—and with the question looming of whether he will step down in 2022—Mr. Chen is poised to enter the upper ranks as a…
By Choi Chi-yuk in South China Morning Post, Oct 24, 2017 The political ideology of President Xi Jinping was enshrined in the charter of the Communist Party as its twice-in-a-decade national congress concluded on Tuesday. The congress said “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” – which Xi revealed in his political report when the congress was kicked off last week – would be a guide to action for the…
The Daily Star, Oct 24, 2017 by Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee and Mohammad Al-Masum Molla Dhaka: The government, the ruling Awami League and the BNP are happy over Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s statement on the Rohingya issue as they hope that India’s stance on the crisis will expedite the process of achieving a solution. About the Indian minister’s remarks on the next general election, the AL said there was nothing new in her comments…
by Md Tauhid-Uz-Zaman in Dhaka Tribune, Oct 23, 2017 at 10.41pm Jessore: Police on Monday evening arrested a suspected member of banned militant outfit New JMB, and seized a large amount of bomb-making materials from a hideout in Jessore City. The detained militant was identified Muzzaffor. Jessore Police Superintendent Anisur Rahman confirmed the matter to reporters at a press briefing at around 10pm. Quoting officials from the Special Branch of Police Headquarters, the police super…
ISLAMABAD – The foreign ministry has proposed setting up of a new force for manning the porous Pak-Afghan border to check illegal crossing of people and goods, and introduction of visa system for Afghan travellers. The country, which has been facing the problem of terrorism for long, is already fencing the border and adopting other measures to check militant infiltration. The draft, submitted to the interior ministry, has been prepared with input from Adviser to…
By Peter Guy in South China Morning Post, Oct 23, 2017 “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible, ” said Frank Zappa. The American rock activist’s work was characterised by nonconformity and free-form improvisation. His thought can just as easily apply to the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s contrarian, ambitious and some suggest authoritarian vision that he laid out at the Communist Party’s 19th congress last week. But, it is only contrarian to foreign…
by Senior Correspondent in bdnews24.com, Oct 22, 2017 at 23.54hrs Bangladesh has proposed new regional connectivity initiatives to India at the fourth Joint Consultative Commission meeting led by two foreign ministers. After the meeting on Sunday, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali in his statement said India agreed to “positively consider” these proposals. He praised India as the “most important, trusted and friendly” neighbour. His Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj said both countries achieved “a great deal,…
Report in The News, Oct 23, 2017 ISTANBUL: Pakistan army is evaluating the Turkish T-129 attack helicopter for its defence needs and negotiating the contract and terms, the prime minister said at the end of his Turkey visit. In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Sunday took a test-flight of T-129, Turkish attack helicopter and appreciated it as an “impressive and good machine.” Talking to Pakistani and Turkish media after the test-flight, the…
by Adil Sakhawat in Dhaka Tribune, Oct 20, 2017 (This is the third in a five-part series on the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for which Dhaka Tribune’s Adil Sakhawat interviewed almost 20 ARSA members, including top leaders of the organisation) In postwar Burma, now known as Myanmar, the rule of law has always been in flux. From democratic governments to autocratic military dictators to military-industrial oligarchies, the regime has always been rigid in its…