Oil falls on easing fears over Middle East, most markets rise

The US delegation’s visit to Bangladesh in September 2024 carries both immediate and long-term significance for US-Bangladesh relations, occurring against the backdrop of political transition in the South Asian country.

Bangladesh is a country of multi-ethnic culture where people belonging to different religious, racial, cultural, and lingual identities live together harmoniously. Religious harmony has existed in Bengali culture for thousands of years. In Muslim-majority Bangladesh, the Hindus continue to remain the second-largest religion, constituting around 10 percent of the population.

Bangladesh is facing severe floods and river erosion due to irregular upstream water releases from barrages and dams on transboundary rivers. At the same time, excessive water withdrawal during the dry season is disrupting river ecosystems, leading to devastating impacts on agriculture and local livelihoods. This escalating crisis underscores the urgent need for a swift resolution to the long-standing water-sharing dispute and more effective transboundary river management strategies to prevent future catastrophes.

Powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia extensively use the messaging app Telegram which has enabled a fundamental change in the way organised crime can conduct large-scale illicit activity, the United Nations said in a report on Monday.

Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s interim leader, is urging the international community to take action on the Rohingya crisis.