National
President Shahabuddin to Attend Key ASEAN Summit in Jakarta
President Mohammed Shahabuddin is scheduled to depart for Jakarta, Indonesia, tomorrow morning (Monday 4th September) to participate in the 43rd ‘ASEAN Summit’ and the 18th ‘East Asia Summit’ from September 5 to 7. Following the summit, the Head of State will proceed to Singapore for a health check-up on September 8.
According to President’s Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin, President Shahabuddin, accompanied by his spouse Prof Dr Rebecca Sultana and other delegation members, will board a regular Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraft departing from Hazrat Shahjalal (R.) International Airport (HSIA) at 8:30 am for Jakarta.
During his visit, Chairperson of Bangladesh National Advisory Committee on Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Saima Wazed and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen will also be part of the President’s delegation.
The President has been invited by the President of the Republic of Indonesia and ASEAN Chair for 2023, Joko Widodo, to attend the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit and the East Asia Summit at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC). The ASEAN Summit will span three days and carries the theme of “Asean Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.”
President Mohammed Shahabuddin’s accommodation in Jakarta will be at the Presidential Suite of Hotel Le Meridian. On the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, he will participate in the ‘East Asia Summit’ on September 7, where he will deliver a concluding speech on “Strengthening Regional Architecture to Support the Epicentrum of Growth from the Perspective of IORA” as the “Guest of Chair.”
The President will also engage in separate bilateral meetings with President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, as well as state leaders from Thailand, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste. On September 6, he is set to attend a ‘Gala Dinner’ hosted by the Indonesian president at Hutan Kota Gelora Bung Karno.
Joko Widodo will chair 12 meetings during the 43rd ASEAN Summit, a biannual gathering attended by leaders from ASEAN member nations and international dignitaries. The summit will cover a wide range of topics, including the South China Sea, nuclear weapons-free zones, maritime outlook, Indo-Pacific cooperation, and issues concerning Myanmar.
The summit is also expected to result in important agreements related to infrastructure strengthening, food security, the blue and green economy, digital economy, and payment ecosystems. Additionally, two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on energy and health collaboration between Bangladesh and Indonesia may be signed during President Shahabuddin’s visit.
President Shahabuddin and his spouse will conclude their visit by traveling to Singapore for a health check-up. The President is anticipated to return home on September 16, according to the revised schedule.
National
Professor Dr. Md. Mizanur Rahman Appointed Vice-Chancellor of Northern University Bangladesh
Professor Dr. Md. Mizanur Rahman, a distinguished academic from the Department of Marketing at the University of Dhaka, has been appointed the new Vice-Chancellor of Northern University Bangladesh (NUB). The Ministry of Education confirmed the appointment through an official notification issued on Sunday (23 November), signed by Sultan Ahmed, Assistant Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, on behalf of the President.
The notice states that, with the approval of the Honorable President and Chancellor, Professor Rahman will serve a four-year term as Vice-Chancellor under Section 31(1) of the Private University Act, 2010. He will receive all salary, allowances, and benefits as determined by the university, and his duties will commence immediately in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
Professor Rahman has an outstanding academic background. He secured First Class First in his Honors degree from the University of Dhaka’s Marketing Department, achieving record-breaking marks. He completed his MBA with dual majors in Finance and Marketing at Dalhousie University in Canada, graduating in the top 1% of his class. He later earned his Master’s degree (First Class Second) and PhD from the same department at the University of Dhaka.
During his illustrious 35-year career, he has served as Chairman of the Department of Marketing at the University of Dhaka for three years and was elected to both the Syndicate and Senate of the university. He also served as Dean at Daffodil International University and has taught as an adjunct professor at North South University, BRAC University, and Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB).
Professor Rahman has an extensive body of research, with over 35 publications, including four international papers and three research monographs. Several MPhil and PhD scholars have completed their degrees under his supervision. He also served for many years as Vice President of the Dhaka University Marketing Alumni Association.
Outside academia, he has contributed significantly to the corporate sector and educational governance. He has worked as an independent director and strategic adviser to various reputed organizations and has served on the governing bodies of several well-known colleges in Dhaka. He currently holds the position of Chairman of the North South Society.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds at most places across the Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Some areas may experience moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall, according to their latest weather bulletin released on Thursday.
Day and night temperatures are expected to remain nearly unchanged across the country.
The highest rainfall in the country over the past 24 hours was recorded in Kumarkhali, with 104mm of rain by 6 a.m. on Thursday.
The axis of the monsoon trough extends from India’s Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal to Assam, passing through Bangladesh, with one of its associated troughs stretching into the North Bay of Bengal.
The monsoon remains active over Bangladesh and moderate to strong over the North Bay region.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted that the mild heat wave currently affecting parts of the country, including the capital, is expected to subside in most areas within the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
“A mild heat wave is sweeping across the divisions of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Sylhet, as well as the districts of Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia. It is likely to ease in most regions,” the department reported.
In addition, BMD predicted light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across most of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Some areas are expected to experience moderate to very heavy rainfall.
Temperatures across the country may drop by 1-2 degrees Celsius during both day and night.
On Monday, Dinajpur in the Rangpur division recorded the country’s highest temperature at 38.6°C, while Bandarban in the Chattogram division saw the lowest temperature at 24.6°C early today.
Meanwhile, rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours, ending at 6 am today, reached 66 mm in Nikli of Dhaka Division.
The sunset in Dhaka is at 5:53 pm today, and sunrise is expected at 5:49 am tomorrow.
