Nov 10: The police has arrested a Bhutanese refugee in connection to murder of late KB Khadka that took place last September.

The arrestee was has been identified as Dadhi Ram Biswa of Beldangi-I camp. According to Nabin Karki, police chief of Damak Police Post, Biswa was arrested on Sunday night from Beldangi-I.

Four Bhutanese  have been alrady arrested in connection to murder.

Nov 09: The students of Bhutan have stated that Dzongkha, their national language is boring, difficult and has less job opportunities.

The responses came surprisingly from the students of Rinchhen Higher Secondary school when they were interviewed by officials from Dzongkha Development Commission (DDC) on Friday.

The Dzongkha graduates are expected to be jobless, and therefore the students seem less interested to learn the subject. 

Interestingly, the students were found to be studying Dzongkha because it is a main subject which is must for them to get through to the next class. 

The students demanded the subject to be simplified and made interested. 

DDC’s secretary Dasho Sherub Tenzin suggested that the students should preserve the national language. However, they stated that the government should open the institutions like Institution of Language and Culture Studies in Semtokha, where they can attain Master’s degree in Dzongkha. 

The DDC officials are scheduled to visit many schools in all Dzongkha (districts) to collect the students’ views on the quality of the national language of Bhutan.

Nov 09: The Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Program (AusAID) has donated AUD$500,000 (US$460,000) to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Nepal to feed more than 90,000 Bhutanese refugees. 

AusAID’s donation will cover the food needs for the entire refugee population for 20 days. 

“Australia is also contributing to a long-term solution by resettling 5,000 Bhutanese refugees over the next five years,” said Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Susan Grace. 

“We are very grateful to the Australian Government for their timely contribution and their continued support to the refugees,” said Richard Ragan, WFP Country Representative in Nepal, adding that WFP has been able to resume full ration distributions two weeks after funding shortfalls had forced a 50 percent reduction in rice rations.

At the request of the Government of Nepal, WFP has been providing food assistance to the refugees since 1992, in close coordination with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

Nov 08: Citing that the resettlement agency could not work according to the agreement, Locals in Damak, Jhapa have started to hinder the vehicular movement on the buses belonging to International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

According to locals, IOM had earlier agreed to construct the road connecting Damak municipality. Locals have also stated that they will hit to the street to protest it until IOM comes out with a solution. z

Nov 07: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met with King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck at his office at Tashichodzong in Bhutanese capital Thimpu on Saturday morning amidst royal formalities.

Sheikh Hasina arrived at the King’s office in a ceremonial motorcade led by a colorful traditional Bhutanese procession, known as ‘Chhipdrel’, at 9:20am (local time).

The traditional procession started from the South Gate of the Tashichhodzong. On her arrival at the South Gate, Sheikh Hasina and the Bangladesh delegation were received by Dzongda (governor) of Thimpu Lhab Dorji and senior government officials.

Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Adviser to the Prime Minister HT Imam, Industries Minister Dilip Barua and Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, among others, accompanied the prime minister during the ceremonial occasions.
Several hundred Bhutanese male and female from various cultural groups of the country wearing different types of colorful dresses depicting Bhutanese traditions took part in the procession.

The people in the procession danced and sang to the tunes of flutes, drums and many other traditional musical instruments.
At the main entrance of the King’s office, Sheikh Hasina was received by the ADC to the King, senior government officials and Bhutan’s Chief of Protocol.

The Bangladesh prime minister was then escorted to the South Court of the King’s office premises and given a guard of honor as national anthems of the two South Asian nations were played.

Standing on a dais, Sheikh Hasina received salute of the Bhutanese Royal Army. Later, she inspected the guards.
After the royal reception, the Bangladesh prime minister was then escorted to the Bhutanese King’s office room where she had the audience with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

On the occasion of Sheikh Hasina’s audience with the Bhutanese king, the whole city was decorated with big ceremonial arches, as well as banners and festoons, and national flags of the two friendly countries.

Hundreds of students standing in queues welcomed the prime minister on her way to the King’s office from her hotel.

New Delhi, Oct 06: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leading a high-level delegation that includes a number of ministers, leaves for Bhutan on a three-day official visit today noon.

According to official sources, a trade agreement would be signed between Bangladesh and Bhutan during the visit.

It will be her first visit to any Saarc country after her assumption of office as the prime minister following her party’s landslide victory in the December 29 polls.

She will reach at Paro International Airport, Bhutan at 12:30 pm (local time).

The PM’s entourage will include Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Industries Minister Dilip Barua, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, PM’s adviser H T Imam and Principal Secretary M Abdul Karim, and former ambassador M Ziauddin.

Buddhist Monk Dharma Mitra Mahathero and Ven Suddhananda Mahathero, eminent personalities Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, Dr Md Habibe Millat, Prakrita Ranjan Barua, Md Rezaul Karim Razu, journalists Farazi Azmal Hossain and Abul Bashar Nuru are also included in the entourage.

During her stay, Hasina will have bilateral meetings with King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and her Bhutanese counterpart Jigmi Y Thinley.

Bhutanese Foreign Minister Ugyen Tshering, Speaker of the Bhutan National Assembly Jigme Tshultim and Chairman of Bhutan National Council Namgye Penjore and Minister for Economic Affairs of Bhutan Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk will also call on the Bangladesh premier during her visit.

Hasina will attend a luncheon hosted by the King of Bhutan and a dinner hosted by Bangladesh ambassador to Bhutan.

Nov 4: Speaker of the Nepal’s constituent assembly Subash Nembang unveiled a new book writing by Bhutanese human rights activist Tek Nath Rizal amidst a function in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

Nembang, addressing the function, said the testimony would be an eye opener for everyone to know about people being treated in the Bhutanese jails.
 
Nepalese lawmaker Indrajit Rai, who is also an military expert, expressed astonishment how Rizal managed to live even under the mind control device being used by the Bhutanese authorities in jail. He explained how mind control devices are used by the military rulers to extract or compel the prisoners to confess the allegations.
 
Indian journalist Ananda Swaroop Verma said it was shame for his country, which claims to be the largest democracy in world, to continue protecting a ruthless ruler ignoring the democratic fighters of Bhutan.
 
Other speakers suggested reading the book ‘torture killing me softly’ once to know the reality behind Bhutanese monarch’s inhuman behavior towards its advisor.

This book of around 200 pages is jointly published by Human Rights Without Frontier Nepal and Group for International Solidarity Nepal.