5 Top Stories to Know Today
The mild cold wave sweeping across the nation has upended the livelihood of people. Since Saturday, 22 individuals have died due to cold-related diseases, while hospitals are struggling to accommodate rising number of patients. If you have missed out on all the latest news of the day, here's all the important stories to get you up-to speed today.
Forex reserves fall below $33 billion
Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves have fallen below US$33 billion after the central bank had cleared import bills to the Asian Clearing Union, an arrangement to settle payments for intra-regional transactions among member countries including Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Bank paid $1.12 billion to clear payments for its imports from other member countries of the ACU. With the payment, forex reserves stand at $32.52 billion.
The country's foreign currency reserves, which was $44.95 billion early January 2021, stood at $33.63 billion on January 4, as import payments continued to remain higher than overall receipts from exports and remittances.
Students in Dhaka protest killing of Bangladeshi student in US
Students from Dhaka city gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, called for justice to prevail over the killing of Bangladeshi student, Sayed Faisal, by Cambridge Police. Faisal, 20, was studying engineering at UMass Boston.
According to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, the police were called to a Cambridgeport neighborhood when Faisal was seen injuring himself with a long 'machete type' knife. Faisal initially fled when the police arrived which started a long chase. Police claim Faisal advanced them with a knife which led to his fatal shooting.
The incident has gathered severe uproar from the Bangladeshi community in the US and raises questions regarding 911 calls involving mental illness, especially in regards to dealing with minorities.
The protest today in front of MoFa precedes US National Security Council's Senior Director for South Asia Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher's scheduled meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.
When asked about the matter, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said the US has a good judicial process and the authorities there will surely take action.
Wasa MD's reportedly bought 14 houses in US: ACC to seek info
The accountability (or lack thereof) saga regarding Dhaka WASA MD continues. Anti-Corruption Commission will seek information about WASA Managing Director Taqseem A Khan's wealth in the US.
Taqseem, who has been WASA's MD for 13 years, has allegedly amassed huge illegal wealth and bought 14 residences in the US, according to two separate complaints filed with the ACC, according to a report of the Daily Samakal.
Pori Moni signs new film project
Amidst the drug case and all the chaos in her life, Pori Moni has signed a new film project titled, "Cholo Bodley Jai," with director Abu Raihan Jewel.
"We have just finalised the story of the film, and when I told the plot to Pori Moni, she liked it very much. One thing I can tell is that Pori Moni never did such an interesting character," the director told The Daily Star.
Pori Moni also posted a photo of herself and Abu Raihan Jewel with the caption, "Cholo Bodley Jai—Our Next." The shooting of the film is expected to start in August this year.
Bolsonaro rejects Lula's accusation about role in Brazil violence
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro has rejected accusations against him by his successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that he incited the invasion of the seat of power in Brasilia, condemning the "pillaging and invasions of public buildings" in the country's capital.
Bolsonaro rejected what he called new President Lula's "baseless" accusations. He said on Twitter that peaceful demonstrations were a part of democracy but that any invasion of government buildings crossed the line.