National
Bangladeshi Expats in China Celebrate Eid Reunion, Pahela Baishakh
Representatives from China adorned the festive atmosphere with traditional Bangladeshi cultural elements, marking the celebration of Eid reunion and Bengali New Year. Despite the thousand-mile distance, the essence of Bangladeshi heritage and culture remained intact throughout the event.
The event, organized by the Bangladeshi community in Guangzhou, was held at Sun Yat-sen Park on Sunday (April 14).
The program included a vibrant array of activities, such as a New Year rally, children’s drawing competition, traditional indoor games for adults, poetry recitation, Bengali folk music performances, panel discussions, and a feast featuring a variety of traditional Bangladeshi dishes.
The event commenced with Quran recitation by Golam Kader Siddique and Abu Sayed Sayem. Speakers at the event included Dr. Miraj Ahmed, Humayun Kabir Dulal, Kallol Kanti Debnath, Mamun Sikdar, Sakhaowat Hossen, Atiqullah, Mahadi Amit, along with many others.
Over two hundred Bangladeshi and Chinese citizens attended the program, enriching the cultural exchange and fostering bonds between the two communities.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared today (27 July) that the recent widespread violence is part of a conspiracy aimed at crippling Bangladesh’s economy and turning the nation into one of beggars once again.
“It might be their conspiracy to make us again a nation of beggars by crippling the country’s economy completely,” she said, according to BSS reports.
The prime minister made these remarks during her visit to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), also known as Pongu Hospital, in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. She was there to see patients injured during the recent student protests for public service quota reform. The visit took place around 9am this morning, where she instructed hospital authorities to ensure proper treatment for the victims.
At approximately 10am, Prime Minister Hasina visited the Setu Bhaban and the Department of Disaster Management to assess the damage caused by the attackers. At Setu Bhaban, she inspected the vandalized floors and premises. Accompanied by the Minister of Road Transport and Bridges, Obaidul Quader, and other senior ministry officials, she received a briefing on the extent of the damage from the vandalism and arson attacks, which included numerous vehicles set ablaze.
Earlier, the prime minister also visited the toll plaza of the elevated expressway at Mohakhali to view the damaged sections.
On 18 July, approximately 250-300 unidentified individuals stormed Setu Bhaban, vandalizing vehicles and motorbikes, and ransacking various rooms and sheds. The attackers set these on fire, beating many employees in the process. Around 50 vehicles were torched at the Setu Bhaban during this violent outbreak.
The prime minister’s visits today underscore the severity of the attacks and the government’s commitment to addressing the aftermath of the violence.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate rain showers across the country within the next 24 hours, starting from 9 AM on Saturday.
According to a bulletin issued by the Met office, “Light to moderate rain or thunder showers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, are expected in many areas of the Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. A few places in the Rangpur and Mymensingh divisions, as well as one or two spots in the Rajshahi and Dhaka divisions, may also experience similar weather. Additionally, moderately heavy to heavy rainfall is anticipated in parts of the Khulna, Barishal, and Chattogram divisions.”
Meanwhile, a mild heat wave is sweeping through the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions, along with Tangail, Sylhet, and Chuadanga districts. This heat wave may subside in some regions.
Temperatures across the country are expected to remain nearly unchanged, both during the day and at night.
The bulletin further explained that the low-pressure area over the North Bay and its adjoining regions has intensified into a well-marked low, now positioned over Gangetic West Bengal and the northwest Bay. The axis of the monsoon trough extends from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and the center of the well-marked low to Assam, passing through the southern part of Bangladesh.
Overall, the monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and exhibits moderate to strong activity over the North Bay.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today visited the massively damaged Setu Bhaban and Department of Disaster Management at Mohakhali here by the BNP-Jamaat-Shibir men during the nationwide mayhem centering the quota reform movement.
After entering the Setu Bhaban, she looked appalled seeing its different damaged sections as she had teary-eyed.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, among others, were present.
Several hundred of miscreants stormed into the Setu Bhaban on July 18 last and vandalized it badly, set it on fire, and looted government property from the bhaban.
They also vandalized many vehicles, motorbikes, ransacked different sheds and rooms and later set those on fire and beat many employees of the Setu Bhaban black and blue.
The prime minister later inspected the Department of Disaster Management at Mohakhali and saw different sections of the damaged establishment which was also came under terror attack on July 18.
High officials of the Setu Bhaban and Department of Disaster Management gave a brief description of the devastation of the two buildings.
The terror attacks on the government establishments was carried out across the country by the BNP-Jamaat clique cashing in on the quota reform movement.
