by Amal Jayasinghe in The Island, Dec 31, 2023The controversial arrest of Sri Lanka’s senior most Kapuwa, or the intermediary between devotee and deity, has renewed a debate over who should benefit from the valuable offerings to the gods. Somipala Ratnayake, the chief “Kapuwa” at the Kataragama Maha Devale was taken into custody on Wednesday over a missing gold tray said to be worth over 6.4 million rupees. He was enlarged on bail of half…
Posts published in “Bangladesh”
report in Dhaka Tribune,Dec 31, 2023As the country gears up for voting on January 7, violence centering on the election and breaches of the electoral code of conduct continue amid warnings and action by the Election Commission (EC). In Dhaka, at least 12 people were injured in a factional clash among the followers of the Awami League’s Dhaka-10 candidate, Ferdous Ahmed, during an election campaign program in the Central Road area Saturday afternoon. The injured…
Report in The Daily Star, Dec 30, 2023BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan today said time is still there for the Awami League-led government to hold talks with political parties to get out of the political crisis. He also urged the ruling party to do politics understanding the character and psychological traits of the people of Bangladesh. He made the remarks while addressing the inaugural function of the biannual council of a faction of…
By Sahan Tennekoon in The Daily Morning, Dec 29, 2023Following many claims being circulated that the Tamil parties from the North and the East of the country are planning to put forward a Tamil candidate for the upcoming Presidential Election, no formal discussion has taken place in this regard thus far, The Daily Morning learnt. Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (28), the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) Batticaloa District Opposition Parliamentarian Govindan Karunakaran said…
by Rejaul Karim Byron in The Daily Star, Dec 29, 2023The government’s spending on interest payments against the mounting foreign debt surged 136.70 percent year-on-year to $562 million in the first five months of the current fiscal year as disbursements surged in recent years. The interest payment stood at $237 million in July-November of the previous financial year of 2022-23, data from the Economic Relations Division (ERD) showed. The fund release for the mega projects…
report in Prothom Alo, Dec 29, 2023Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen expressed confidence that Bangladesh’s national election on 7 January will be conducted in a fair and festive atmosphere. He reassured that there is no need for anxiety or fear regarding potential sanctions post-election, and if any sanctions arise, Bangladesh will face them. These statements were made during an exchange of views with leaders of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association Bangladesh (DCAB) at the Ministry of…
report in Prothom Alo, Dec 29, 2023Foreign ministry spokesperson Seheli Sebrin has said if India raises an objection to China’s proposed Teesta project, then the government will deal with the issue from a geopolitical perspective. She made the remark at the regular briefing of the ministry today, Sunday. Chinese ambassador Yao Wen on 21 December said, “We’ve already received proposals for some development projects relating to the Teesta river from Bangladesh. We are waiting till…
report in Prothom Alo, Dec 28, 2023Bangladesh Awami League has unveiled its manifesto for the 12th parliamentary election prioritising 11 key areas that include ensuring affordable commodity prices and creating jobs. With a theme of Smart Bangladesh, the party placed the manifesto with the slogan “Tangible development, employment will increase this time.” Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled the manifesto at a programme at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka hotel at around 10:30…
report in Prothom Alo, Dec 28, 2023The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has started its three-day public campaign and distribution of leaflets calling people to boycott the ‘dummy’ elections and build a public opinion in favour of their non-cooperation movement demanding the resignation of the incumbent government in the second phase of its ongoing movement. According to concerned sources, the party is likely to declare the same type of programmes at the end of this 3-day…
report in Dhaka Tribune, Dec 27, 2023The Election Commission (EC) has decided to cancel candidacy as a punishment for violating the electoral code of conduct. An official order has been issued to returning officers to take steps in this regard. So far, the commission has issued 258 show-cause notices to candidates based on the Election Inquiry Committee’s report. Among them, 92 candidates are nominated by the ruling party Awami League, and 53 candidates are current…
by Mohiuddin in Prothom Alo, Dec 27, 2023Power generation has decreased during the winter, leading to a decline in both gas demand and supply in the sector. Despite this, the crisis in gas supply to other sectors persists due to a reduction in liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. Consumers in industrial and residential areas are suffering from the gas crisis. Owners of export-oriented industries are struggling to maintain production by purchasing alternative fuels at high…