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What is Tarique Rahman’s vision for Bangladesh?

Sreenivasan Jain challenges BNP secretary Mirza Fakhrul on whether the party and its leader really represents change.

Bangladesh is heading into a historic election after the 2024 uprising that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and sidelined the Awami League. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has emerged as the frontrunner after years on the margins.

In this interview, Sreenivasan Jain speaks to BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Alamgir about Tarique Rahman’s vision for the country and whether the BNP genuinely represents political change.

‘Treacherous assassination’: Who was Saif al-Islam Gaddafi?

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Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, former Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi’s most prominent son, and his number 2 between 2000 and 2011, was killed by “four masked men” in his Zintan home in what his political team blasted as a “cowardly and treacherous assassination”. But who was he?

IOC must ‘be better’ on climate change – Coventry

Emma Smith

BBC Sport journalist at Main Press Centre, Milan

International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry says it must “be better” on climate change after receiving a petition signed by more than 21,000 people who want to stop fossil fuel companies from sponsoring winter sports.

The petition – delivered on Wednesday and with athletes among the signatories – comes as Italy’s Eni, one of the world’s seven biggest oil companies, is a ‘premium partner’ of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

It follows reports that the number of countries which could reliably host a Winter Olympics will hugely reduce in the future because of climate change.

Asked by the BBC whether she is disappointed by the Games having high-carbon sponsors, Coventry said: “It’s really nice athletes have a platform to speak up.

Winter Olympics 2026

Milan-Cortina, February 6-22

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Christophe Dubi, the IOC executive director for the Olympic Games, added: “We make a point to receive those petitions, and we have to recognise climate is a challenge for all of us.

“What we have to do as an organisation is to be at the forefront of sustainability, and our principles are very clear.”

One area the IOC is aiming to make the Olympics more sustainable is having Games take place over a wider area with more pre-existing facilities, and Coventry said Milan-Cortina is an acid test for whether this is a viable future.

Milan-Cortina takes place in three hubs spread across northern Italy – in Milan, Cortina and Livigno – with only two newly built sporting facilities: the Santagiulia ice hockey arena and Cortina Sliding Centre.

The next two Winter Olympics – French Alps 2030 and Utah 2034 – will also have sports spread more widely, while the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane is will have venues across Queensland.

This has caused issues however, with Brisbane organisers saying they will go beyond the originally stated budget of $4.9bn (£3.6bn).

“We are really experiencing a spread out Games here for the first time – we are going to learn a lot,” Coventry said.

“We have taken this decision for sustainability reasons, climate and not having to have new venues. We are seeing there is an impact on National Olympic Committees because of the spreadness [sic], also for broadcast and media, making it harder to get around.

“What is really cool is that you get to see iconic venues in beautiful places – but now we have to weigh this up, the balance between a spread games for sustainability reasons but not shifting complexity and sustainability to different areas.”

While the action got underway on Wednesday with the start of the curling events, the 2026 Winter Olympics will officially start with the opening ceremony on Friday.

Coventry said she hoped all nations would be treated with respect by spectators, including the USA team amid criticism from Italian authorities about the presence of ICE agents in Milan.

“I hope the opening ceremony is seen by everyone as a chance to be respectful,” she said.

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  • Winter Sports
  • Winter Olympics

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Ebonyi Community Attack: VP Shettima Applauds Nwifuru’s Efforts At Restoring Peace

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has applauded Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, for his efforts in restoring peace following the Oso-Edda/Amasiri crisis in the state.

He described Governor Nwifuru’s handling of the crisis as mature and unbiased, expressing confidence that the approach would bring lasting peace to the affected communities.

The Vice President made this known while speaking at the Vision 2050 South-East Stakeholders’ Forum, themed “Charting a Shared Vision for Sustainable Prosperity for the South-East,” held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu.

Shettima called on the people of the South-East to leverage the region’s vast mineral deposits to drive industrialisation, noting that the Federal Government remains committed to regional development anchored on aligning national policy, resources, and political will in support of the South-East Vision 2050.

READ ALSO: Gov Nwifuru Sacks Commissioner, Withdraws Monarch’s Certificate Over Ebonyi Killings

According to him, the South-East is strategic to the Federal Government’s development initiatives because of the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. He urged leaders in the region to galvanise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking on the topic, “Feeding and Building the South-East Region for Agro- and Solid Minerals–Led Industrialisation,” Governor Nwifuru said Ebonyi State is deliberately working towards harnessing its rich mineral resources to drive national development in general and the South-East region in particular.

The governor expressed gratitude for the President’s vision for the federating units, especially the South-East, as demonstrated by the creation of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC).

“Ebonyi State is richly endowed with lead, zinc, limestone, salt, and granite. Under a reform-oriented approach, we will shift emphasis towards formal licensing, investor screening, community engagement, and the explicit goal of linking extraction to local processing,” he said.

“Our roadmap is anchored on the strategic vision of establishing at least two cement factories. We are actualising this vision because of our proximity to cement raw materials such as limestone and gypsum.”

He added that the state is also working towards processing lead and zinc to support metal fabrication, as well as developing salt resources to supply the food processing and chemical industries.

VIDEO: What Has Happened To Our Economy In 10 Years of APC Is A Disaster – PDP Chieftain

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A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Hashim-Olawepo, has alleged that Nigeria’s economy has taken a nosedive during the 10 years the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been in power.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Hashim-Olawepo said Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 20 years ago, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo was leaving office, was larger than it is today.

He lamented that Nigeria was the leading economy in Africa by the time former President Goodluck Jonathan handed over to APC’s Muhammadu Buhari, but is now struggling between fourth and fifth positions, a situation he described as a disaster.

Watch the video below: