Hasina’s photos of her sewing, fishing go viral
Dhaka, Nov 22: Two separate photos of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have gone viral on the social media, giving people a glimpse of the leader’s daily life, the media reported on Sunday.
In one photo, Hasina is seen working on a sewing machine while donning a traditional Bengali attire, while is the other the leader was snapped while she was looking at catch after fishing at the Ganabhaban lake, reports bdnews24.
The Prime Minister had earlier described in Parliament how she slightly tweaked her routine amid the coronavirus pandemic, enjoying the thrill of fishing during her morning stroll.
Top Awami League leaders and the party’s official account have shared the photos on Facebook.
Salman F Rahman, the premier’s adviser for private industry and investment, shared the photos and wrote: “Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a complete human being. She has successfully transformed the fortune of 170 million Bangladeshis, has given refuge to over a million Rohingya Muslims, but still finds the time to enjoy cooking, fishing and sewing.”
“I don’t have the knowledge to put a caption,” wrote State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam in a post sharing the photo of the Prime Minister fishing.
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak shared both photos and wrote: “Our honourable prime minister, our leader Sheikh Hasina dressed as a common Bengali woman. She sews cloth and goes fishing at the Ganabhaban pond whenever she takes a break from a busy schedule.
“Much love and respect for this extraordinary person who works for the country all day long after losing everything.” (IANS)
Indian- Americans celebrate Chhath Puja in US
Washington, Nov 22: Indian-Americans, mainly from Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh, celebrated the popular Hindu religious festival of Chhath Puja to worship the Sun God at various places in the US.
The community members gathered in small numbers due to the COVID-19 pandemic at various water bodies across the country- from the banks of the historic Potomac river to a lake in New Jersey to makeshift pools in houses. Hundreds of Indian-American devotees watched the celebrations, including the worship of the sunset on Friday and sunrise on Saturday, live on Zoom and other social media outlets. Chhath, an ancient Hindu Vedic festival, is mostly celebrated in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
People during the festival fast, bathe in the rivers and offer prayers to thank Sun God for bestowing the bounties of life on earth and fulfilling wishes. The four-day festival culminated on Saturday morning this year.
“The presence was limited to 25 people with family members maintaining social distancing. Additional people who visited the venue to watch the Chhath Puja were watching the procession from a distance at the bank of Potomac river to obey the state mandate on social gathering during this pandemic,” said Kripa Singh. (PTI)
Ancient Madrid market reopens amid debate over virus rules
Madrid, Nov 22: Madrid’s ancient and emblematic Rastro flea market reopened on Sunday after a contentious eight-month closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has walloped the Spanish capital.
With many major European flea markets still shut down, the Rastro’s return seems to be another example of Madrid’s bid to show that heavy coronavirus restrictions may not be necessary even among the latest surge of the virus and some sort of normality can resume with precautions. That stance has been both criticised and lauded.
After lengthy negotiations, city authorities agreed the Rastro could open at 50 per cent capacity, with half its 1,000 stalls alternating each Sunday for a maximum crowd of 2,700 people.
Police with backup drones will monitor the market to avoid overcrowding. Dating back to the 1700s, the Rastro sells the usual flea market mix of antiques, clothes, furniture, bric-a-brac and curios in stalls that snake down through a warren-like district next to Madrid’s majestic Plaza Mayor square. (AP)
Man arrested for pushing woman onto subway tracks
New York, Nov 22: A 24-year-old Indian-origin homeless man has been arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted murder after he pushed a woman onto subway tracks just as a train was entering the station.
Aditya Vemulapati was arrested and booked on suspicion of attempted murder, reckless endangerment, attempted assault in the first degree and assault in the second degree, according to a criminal complaint filed by Manhattan prosecutors.
A report in NBC News said a judge ordered Vemulapati held until his December 4 court date. Video footage from the station showed Vemulapati at a subway station in Union Square here pushing Liliana Llanos just as the incoming train pulled into the station.
Llanos miraculously escaped and sustained only minor injuries. She fell in between two train tracks and narrowly missed the train’s impact as it passed over early morning Thursday.
Vemulapati was taken into custody at the scene, police said. The report said Llanos had headphones on and was listening to Bible passages. Witnesses say she was waiting for the train when Vemulapati approached her, appearing to talk to himself.
From the footage it appeared that he had timed the shove just as an incoming train was approaching the station and pushed her without saying a word, the report added. “It’s very disturbing. We see him waiting, calculating for the train to approach the station and at the opportune moment he pushed the victim onto the tracks,” Kathleen O’Reilly, NYPD Chief of Transit Capt., said. (PTI)