Habeas Corpus rights

31/01/2025

ከ80 ሚሊዮን ዶላር በላይ ዋጋ ያለው የአሜሪካው ኤፍ-35 የጦር አውሮፕላን ተከሰከሰ

የዓለማችን ልዕለ ሀያል ሀገር የሆነችው አሜሪካ በአላስካ ዘመናዊ የጦር አውሮፕላን ጣቢያ አላት።

ኤሊሰን በተሰኘው በዚህ የአየር ሀይል ጣቢያ ውድ እና ዘመናዊ የሚባሉ የጦር አውሮፕላኖች ይገኛሉ።

ከነዚህ ሙካከልም 54 ኤፍ-35 የተሰኘው ዘመናዊ የጦር አውሮፕላን ለብሔራዊ ግዳጅ ዝግጁ ተደርገዋል።ይህን የውጊያ አውሮፕላን ልምድ ባለው በተባለ አብራሪ የተለመደ እና መደበኛ የውጊያ ልምምዱን እያደረገ እያለ ችግር እንደገጠመው ተገልጿል።

https://bit.ly/42xzg0Q

30/01/2025

14/02/2024

14/02/2024

14/02/2024

የአሜሪካው ፕሬዝዳንት ጆ ባይደን የግብፁን ፕሬዝዳንት አብደል ፋታህ አል ሲሲን በስህተት የሜክሲኮ መሪ ብለው በመጥራታቸው በግብፃውያን ዘንድ መነጋገሪያ ሆኑ።
ፕሬዝዳንት ባይደን ትናንት ሐሙስ በሰጡት ጋዜጣዊ መግለጫ ላይ እስራኤል በጋዛ ላይ እያካሄደች ያለውን ዘመቻ በተመለከተ በተናገሩበት ጊዜ ነው አል ሲሲን የሜክሲኮ ፕሬዝዳንት ብለው የጠቀሷቸው።
“እንደምታውቁት መጀመሪያ ላይ የሜክሲኮው ፕሬዝዳንት ሲሲ፣ ወደ ጋዛ ሰብአዊ እርዳታ ለማስገባት በራቸውን መክፈት አልፈለጉም ነበር” በማለት ነበር ባይደን ስህተት የፈጸሙት።
ባይደን ፕሬዝዳንትነታቸውን ለአል ሲሲ በስህተት የሰጡባቸው አሜሪካንን በስተደቡብ የምታዋስነው ሜክሲኮ ፕሬዝዳንት አንድሬያስ ማኑኤል ሎፔዝ ኦብራዶር ናቸው።
ግብፃውያን ፕሬዝዳንት አል ሲሲን በተመለከተ ትችት በሚጽፉበት ጊዜ ሳንሱር እንዳይደረጉ አል ሲሲን ከሚለው ድምጽ ጋር በሚዛመደው “ኤል ሜክሲኪ” በማለት ይገልጿቸዋል።
https://bbc.in/497dpxK

14/02/2024

የአሜሪካው ፕሬዝዳንት ጆ ባይደን የቲክቶክ አካውንት ከፍተው ቪዲዮ ማጋራት ጀምረዋል

ፕሬዝዳንቱ ቲክቶክ በመንግስት ተቋማት ጥቅም ላይ እንዳይውል የሚያግድ ህግ ላይ ፊርማቸውን ማኖራቸው ይታወሳል።

የቻይናው ባይትዳንስ ኩባንያ ንብረት የሆነው ቲክቶክ የደህንነት ስጋት ደቅኗል በሚል ያሳለፉት ውሳኔን ተከትሎ በርካታ የፌደራል ተቋማት ይህን መተግበሪያ በቢሮ ውስጥ መጠቀም መከልከላቸው አይዘነጋም።
https://am.al-ain.com/article/biden-joins-tiktok-despite-security-concerns

04/02/2024

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Hidden Brain
As Millions Of People Fast For Ramadan, Does The Economy Suffer?
JULY 24, 20146:01 AM ET
HEARD ON MORNING EDITION
Shankar Vedantam 2017 square
Shankar Vedantam

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TRANSCRIPT
New research examines the effects of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month during which millions of people around the world go without food all day. Does religious practice affect economic growth?

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And we are approaching the end of Ramadan, the holy month where Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. The fact that hundreds of millions of people around the world go without food all day has drawn the attention of another group of people - social scientists. To learn what they discovered, our David Greene sat down with NPR's social science correspondent, Shankar Vedantam.

DAVID GREENE, BYLINE: OK, Shankar, so explain to us exactly what social scientists were studying here.

SHANKAR VEDANTAM, BYLINE: Well, David, these are researchers who are trying to tease apart the effects of religious faith and behavior on economic activity. I spoke with Filipe Campante. He studies public policy at Harvard's Kennedy School. Here he is.

FILIPE CAMPANTE: Being in church or going to the Temple means that at that time, you're not going to be working or you're not going to be engaging in materially productive activities.

VEDANTAM: Campante told me that there's a chicken-and-egg problem. It's hard to know whether religion is actually changing economic activity. So, for example, if we see more religion in poorer parts of the world, which we often do, is that because religion has shaped economic life, or is it that because being poor is a driver for pursuing religious beliefs?

GREENE: Interesting - actually causing people to look for religion...

VEDANTAM: Exactly

GREENE: ...In order to improve the lives. Well, let's talk about how Ramadan fits into all this. Is there some connection here that we're talking about?

VEDANTAM: Yes, so Campante told me that Ramadan offered him, his co-author - this is David Yanagizawa-Drott - a unique way to solve this chicken-and-egg riddle. And that's because Ramadan happens to be a religious observance that falls at different times of the year. It's driven by the lunar calendar. So some years, you have Ramadan in the summer. Some years, you have it in the winter. When Ramadan falls it the summer, as it does this year in the United States, the days are longer.

Now, since Muslims who observe Ramadan are supposed to fast from dawn until sunset, what this means is that the length of fasting will depend on the season. Campante and Yanagizawa-Drott analyzed changes in the lengths of fasting in a 167 countries over more than 60 years. And they measured how economic productivity rose and fell in those countries over time. And they found that longer periods of fasting were associated with a drop in productivity. So having your fasting from go from 12 hours a day to 13 hours a day, for example, means a GDP drop of about seven-tenths of 1 percent, which is quite sizable. And interestingly they find that this effect is only in Muslim-majority countries, so they're not picking up on some seasonal variation in economic productivity.

GREENE: And seasonal variation - I mean, that might have been the challenge if we were talking about a different holiday like Christmas, like Hanukkah, that falls around the same time every year. There could have been other factors at play.

VEDANTAM: Exactly.

GREENE: Well, OK, then, the conclusion that these researchers seem to be heading towards, Shankar, is that religion is bad for your country if it impedes economic growth - not something that a lot of people want to hear probably.

VEDANTAM: Well, I think the story might be more complicated than that. Campante finds that the changes in economic activity are not driven just by what happens during Ramadan, but broader changes in attitude. So Muslims who are observant seem to place greater focus of family, greater focus on social well-being rather than individual well-being. And there's survey data from more than 200,000 people in dozens of countries that produces a finding that your standard economist might not like. Here is Campante again.

CAMPANTE: Muslim individuals become more likely to report that they're happy and that they're satisfied with their lives. So in that sense, the practice of Ramadan may make people poorer as a result of the slow-down in economic activity and the way they sort of choose to change their economic behavior. But on the other hand, it seems that they are happier.

GREENE: Material versus non-material satisfaction, right?

VEDANTAM: Yeah, and I think that's the point that Campante is making, which is he's saying that policymakers might not want to use economic productivity as a sole measure of success. As he puts it, GDP is not everything.

GREENE: Shankar, thanks as always.

VEDANTAM: Thanks, David.

GREENE: That Shankar Vedantam, who regularly joins us to talk about social science research. You can follow him if you're on Twitter , and you can also follow this program , , and the show is .

Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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04/02/2024

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SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY 04, 2024

SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY 04, 2024

How Ramadan makes the economy stronger
TBS RAMADAN
Abbas Uddin Noyon
24 March, 2023, 12:50 pm
Last modified: 01 April, 2023, 11:39 am

The Ramadan and Eid economy has seen continuous growth in the recent past. The Business Standard takes a look into the breakdown of revenues, transactions and more across different industries

Photo: TBS
Abdul Barek Mollah, from the Madhabdi of Narsingdi, has been engaged in the saree, three-piece and punjabi business for over two decades. He owns a small batik factory in his hometown that employs 30 people.

Although the factory produces goods year-round, its sales peak during the month of Ramadan. "Our annual sale is around Tk15 crore, [and] 70% of it is done in the two months before Eid-ul-Fitr," he told The Business Standard.

"We buy all the raw materials for the factory with the help of bank loans. Businessmen from different places in the country come to buy dresses from us a month before Ramadan. The wholesale trading lasts till the 20th-22nd [day of] Ramadan. We also sell retail products at our shop before Eid," he added.

Most owners of nearly 500 batik factories in Madabbdi deem the Eid-ul-Fitr as "a blessing" with 65%-70% of sales of the Tk3,000 crore industry here stemming from Ramadan.

According to economists, sales of fashion and consumer goods experience a significant surge during Ramadan, injecting a fresh boost into the country's economy. And this surge reaches far and wide covering the markets for iftar products, entertainment, the zakat economy, tourism and transportation sectors.

The economists explained this surge as a result of the overall growth of the country's economy which, in effect, contributed to an increase in people's purchasing power. And so a Ramadan-centric economy budded.

In recent times, people tend to spend more during Ramadan and Eid, and the transactions surrounding these festivals have now reached several lakh crores in taka, including bonuses, salaries and remittances.

Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director at the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said, "An increase in income has diversified people's demand. Earlier, Eid shopping was limited to food and clothes, but now, electronics and other luxury products are also bought on this occasion. So it comes as a blessing for the economy."

A massive Eid economy

A skyrocketed demand for different products during this period means companies increase their production. Many people spend their savings to cover the additional expenses. Consequently, bank deposits go down, and cash in people's pockets goes up.

Businessmen speculate that the size of the Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr economy in the country is around Tk3 lakh-Tk3.5 lakh crore.

A 2017 study by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) estimated the economy at Tk2.5 lakh crore.

FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin thinks that the economic transaction centring Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr has exceeded the threshold of Tk3 lakh crore now.

"The majority of transactions during Ramadan centre on consumer goods, including iftar, fashion products, zakat, donations to religious institutions, and more," he said. "However, there is currently a concern due to inflation."

Tk17,000 crore iftar market

The Café De Taj at the Mogbazar intersection in the city starts selling various iftar items including pyazi, beguni, chhola, various kebabs, halim, biriani etc from the first day of Ramadan.

Abdur Rahim, manager of the restaurant, said that they sell these products worth at least Tk50,000 starting from 2 pm till iftar time.

He said at least 20 more makeshift stores sell iftar items including Café Tamanna, Hotel Ghorowa, Bharta-Bhat Restaurant, and Bhai-Bhai Restaurant in the area.

Imran Ahmed, general secretary of the Bangladesh Restaurant Traders Association, said besides 450,000 permanent restaurants, at least 200,000 temporary selling spots of 'iftar items' emerge during Ramadan in the country.

In addition to ordinary restaurants, star-rated hotels and convention centres of varying quality across the country also become busy with iftar parties this month. Additionally, the corporates, social, political and professional organisations host iftar parties.

Although there is not enough survey or research on the economic value of iftar in the country, we can gauge an estimate by combining the current inflation and people's demographic and expenditure patterns in the country.

Currently, the population of the country is around 17 crore and around 88% of them are Muslims. During the month of Ramadan, at least 12 crore people break fast during iftar. If a person spends an average of Tk50, the daily expenditure would be Tk600 crore. It amounts to at least Tk17,400 crore in a month.

Mamun Rashid, the managing partner of PwC Bangladesh, conducted a survey on the iftar economy in 2014. He said, "The spending abilities for iftar of people in villages, towns and cities are different. But the per capita expenditure is not less than Tk50. Apart from this, if the expenditures in iftar parties are added, it will add several thousand crores of taka more."

Other consumer goods

Traders of other consumer goods and daily essential food products also have special preparations centred around Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr.

The demand for some products such as chickpeas, sugar, onions, soybean oil etc skyrockets. Additionally, the demand for other products including semai, fish, meat and milk also sees an uptick.

An official from a top consumer goods producing company said that there is a demand for around 70 lakh kilogram of semai during Eid-ul-Fitr.

Customs officials said the demand for these products increase by at least 20% during Ramadan compared to the rest of the year.

Tk70,000 crore local clothes market

Both sides of the Buriganga river pass a busy time as the largest wholesale markets for readymade garments in the country are located in Keraniganj, Kaliganj and Sadarghat areas.

At least 40,000 shops in these areas meet the local demand for these products and retail traders across the country procure their products from here.

At least 10,000 wholesale traders are involved in this business in different markets including the Zila Parishad Market on the other side of the river. A store in this area with a size of 70-80 square feet has products worth several crores of taka.

People concerned said around 7-8 lakh people are employed in this business here.

Muktar Dewan, the owner of Golenoor Garments, is a wholesale trader of jeans pants at Zilla Parishad Market. He sold products worth Tk5 crore last Ramadan and this year his sales target is around Tk7 crore. "The sales in the one month of Ramadan is more than double than that of the remaining 11 months of the year," he told TBS.

The situation is the same in Keraniganj, Kaliganj or the Shanir Akhra area beside the Buriganga River.

According to Mohammad Ali Khokon, president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), the organisation of textile mill owners who supply clothes to the domestic market, the clothing market in the country is around Tk70,000 crore and around 70% of the amount is sold during the Eid-ul-Fitr.

The main markets for three-piece, saree, lungi, punjabi, school dress, shirts, pants etc are centred on the two banks of the Buriganga, Madhabdi, Baburhat of Narsingdi, Islampur of the capital, Narayanganj, Pabna, Sirajganj and Kushtia.

Beyond clothes

In addition to clothes, the business of shoes, cosmetics, fashion items, crockeries, home appliances, etc also sees a boost during Ramadan.

Md Sirajul Islam, president of Bangladesh Footwear Manufacturers Association, said 60% of the sales of the country's Tk30,000 crore shoe market occur during this month.

He said that there are at least 25,000 shoe factories across the country.

The country's main shoe brand Bata Shoes sells products worth more than Tk1,000 crore annually. Sabbir Rahman, showroom manager of the company at the Bashundhara Shopping Mall, said, "Our sales during Ramadan are double compared to the remaining months of the year."

A senior official of Aarong, a leading fashion brand in the country, said products worth at least Tk5,000 crore are sold during Eid, which is around 60% of the entire year's sales.

According to Bangladesh Jewelers Association (BAJUS), jewellery products worth Tk200 crore will be traded during this month.

Tk50,000 crore zakat economy

Being a predominantly Muslim country, a large amount of zakat is applicable to the rich people in the country during Ramadan.

Kabir Hassan, professor of finance at the University of New Orleans, claimed in a study that the zakat economy in the country is more than Tk30,000 crore, although only a few crores of zakat are collected under the government's management.

However, recently the World Bank published a report on the potential economy of zakat in 10 predominantly Muslim countries. The report, titled 'Islamic Finance: A Catalyst for Shared Prosperity?' estimated the contribution of zakat to the GDP in 10 countries.

As per the report, the economic potential of zakat in Bangladesh is very high among other Muslim countries, which amounts to 1.63% of GDP. This rate is the second highest among Muslim countries in the world.

According to the finance ministry, the size of the country's GDP was Tk41 lakh crore in 2021-22 FY. In that respect, the potential amount of the zakat economy is more than Tk50,000 crore. Although only Tk7 crore was deposited in the government's zakat fund in the last financial year.

Muhammad Harunur Rashid, director of the Zakat Board run by the Islamic Foundation, said, "People of the country give zakat only to their acquaintances. The official initiative to collect zakat is not so strong. As a result, the major part of this sector still remains informal."

Religious institutions

A large part of the money required to run religious institutions in the country comes during the month of Ramadan. These activities involve promoting religious education, rehabilitation of orphans, financial support for religious scholars, and sales of Islamic books.

Experts believe that at least Tk1,000 crore is transacted in this sector during Ramadan.

Tk10,000 crore in the transport sector

From the beginning of Ramadan, people start travelling from cities to their villages to celebrate the Eid vacation. Around 1.7 crore people from Dhaka and approximately 1 crore people from Chattogram travel to their villages during this time. As people's mobility increases, the transport sector's business also experiences a surge.

According to the Jatri Kalyan Samity, the transport sector performs around 60 crore trips during Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr. Out of this, 40 crore trips are made by road, 20 crore by rail, sea and air.

As per the organisation, at least Tk10,000 crore is transacted additionally in these trips.

Other sectors

Around 21 lakh government officials and employees get a possible Eid bonus worth Tk15,000 crore, and 85 lakh shop employees get around Tk1,000 crore. Besides, the potential bonus of 40 lakh RMG workers is around Tk5,000 crore, according to sector insiders.

Apart from this, expatriates from different countries send a large amount of foreign currency to their relatives during Eid to cover the extra expenses. This sector adds about Tk5,000 crore to the Ramadan and Eid economy.

Mohammad Helaluddin, director of FBCCI, said that more than Tk3 lakh crore is added to the Eid market in these other sectors.

Meanwhile, the wedding season in the country takes place after Eid which also increases economic activities.

RELATED TOPICS
Bangladesh / Top News
Ramadan / Economy / Ramadan Magazine

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