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India names Bangladesh’s Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for Gandhi Peace Prize
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, March 22:
India on Monday named Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, revered in Bangladesh as father of the nation, and Oman’s long-time ruler Sultan Qaboos for the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is Sheikh Mujib’s daughter.
This is the first time that the prestigious prize for 2019 and 2020 has been awarded posthumously. The award carries an amount of INR10 million, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handloom item.
Modi, who heads the jury for the Gandhi Peace Prize, called Bangabandhu a champion of human rights and freedom, and is a hero to Indians as well.
An official statement said the prestigious award “recognizes the immense and unparalleled contribution of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in inspiring the liberation of Bangladesh, bringing stability to a nation born out of strife, laying the foundation for the close and fraternal relations between India and Bangladesh, and promoting peace and non-violence in the Indian subcontinent”.
The decision to confer the award for 2020 on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, his first foreign trip since the outbreak of Covid-19.
Modi will attend the national day programme of Bangladesh on March 26 as the guest of honour and participate in the commemoration of what New Delhi has described as “three epochal events” – Mujib Borsho, the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two neighbours, and 50 years of Bangladesh’s war of liberation.
Modi’s itinerary in Bangladesh includes visits to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s memorial in Tungipara, about 400 km from Dhaka, the capital. Tungipara is Mujibur Rahman’s birthplace. It is also also where the architect of the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence lies buried inside a tomb called the ‘Bangabandhu mausoleum’.
Modi will also pay respect to Harichand Thakur, the founder of Matua Mahasangha, a religious reformation movement, at his shrine in Orakandi. On March 27, Modi will visit the famous Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira.
A large number of people from the Matua community migrated from Bangladesh to parts of neighbouring Indian states of West Bengal and Assam over the last five decades to escape religious persecution.
In West Bengal, they are mostly concentrated in Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Kolkata and Hooghly, districts that together have 16 of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats.
Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman was the Middle East’s longest-ruling monarch, and known internationally for his diplomatic balancing in the volatile Persian Gulf. He often served as a facilitator of talks between adversaries, Iran and the U.S. He was a key to meeting India’s energy security needs in the Persian Gulf.
News
Navy seize 03 Indian fishing boats poaching in Sri Lankan waters north of Mannar
The Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard seized 03 Indian fishing boats and apprehend 33 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, during special operations conducted in the sea area north of Mannar on 25 and 26 Jan 25.
The seized boats (03) together with Indian fishermen (33) were brought to the island of Iranativu and they will be handed over to the Assistant Directorate of Fisheries, Kilinochchi for onward legal proceedings.
News
Election campaign finance laws must be tightened, says PAFFREL
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The election campaign finance laws should be amended to allow the automatic disqualification of candidates who fail to submit expense reports on time, without requiring separate legal action, Executive Director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), Rohana Hettiarachchi proposed.
Currently, the Election Commission must pursue legal action against non-compliant candidates through the Police and the Attorney General’s Department, a process Hettiarachchi described as cumbersome and inefficient.
“This is a major issue concerning the campaign finance laws. During the 2024 presidential election 13 candidates, along with their party secretaries or nominators failed to submit their expense reports. Similarly, over 100 candidates at the Elpitiya Local Council poll and more than 1,200 who contested the November 2024 general election did not submit their reports,” he said.
Hettiarachchi explained that under current laws, legal proceedings must be initiated to penalise such individuals. “The Election Commission lodges complaints with the Police, and the Police, after consulting the Attorney General’s Department, take legal action against those who fail to submit their expense reports on time. This is a lengthy and unnecessary process as there is no investigation required. It is a straightforward case of failing to comply,” he said.
He warned of the administrative challenges this could pose at the upcoming Local Council elections. “If, for example, 10,000 candidates fail to submit their expense reports, the Election Commission, Police, and Attorney General’s Department will be overwhelmed. They would have no capacity to focus on anything other than filing cases. Similarly, the courts will be burdened with hearing these cases, leaving little room for other judicial work.”
Hettiarachchi highlighted the current penalties under campaign finance laws: a person found guilty of failing to submit expense reports loses their civic rights for three years and is required to pay a fine of Rs. 100,000.
He called for stricter reforms, proposing an extension of the civic rights suspension period from three to seven years and the immediate loss of civic rights for individuals who fail to submit their reports on time. “These measures will not only simplify enforcement but also ensure greater accountability from candidates,” he said.
News
Switzerland will help SL to recover stolen assets
Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and Ambassador-designate to the Maldives, Dr Siri Walt, on Friday pledged Switzerland’s support in recovering assets that have been moved out of Sri Lanka, the President’s Media Division said.
Dr Walt gave this undertaking during a meeting held on Friday at the Presidential Secretariat with the Secretary to the President, Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
During discussions, Ambassador Walt outlined the international measures required to reclaim such assets and expressed Switzerland’s willingness to provide essential resources and assistance whenever necessary.
The discussion also focused on leveraging Switzerland’s expertise and technical knowledge to support Sri Lanka’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts.
The Swiss government reaffirmed its commitment to offering technical and financial assistance for Sri Lanka’s priority initiatives, including the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme.
The Ambassador further reiterated Switzerland’s dedication to aiding Sri Lanka in addressing social challenges, promoting national reconciliation, and supporting the development of the Northern region through targeted aid and resources.
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