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 G7 leaders arrived in Hiroshima, Japan on Thursday to weigh tighter sanctions on Russia and protections against China’s “economic coercion”, surrounded by reminders about the harrowing cost of war.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is hosting leaders from six other wealthy democracies in his hometown — a city synonymous with nuclear destruction and now peppered with peace monuments.

Over three days, leaders including US President Joe Biden will try to forge a united front on Russia, China and a host of other pressing issues where the allies’ interests do not always neatly align.

Biden’s delicate diplomatic offensive in Asia hit a bump even before Air Force One left the United States: a domestic budget row forced him to cancel stops in Papua New Guinea and Australia.

He arrived in Hiroshima in driving rain Thursday, becoming only the second US president after Barack Obama to visit the city levelled by the United States’ “Little Boy” atomic bomb. 

When the G7 summit gets underway Friday, Russia’s 15-month-old invasion of Ukraine will top the agenda, after a long winter of grinding warfare in Bakhmut and other frontline towns.

The United States and its allies have poured weaponry into Ukraine to help its defence, but a long-anticipated spring counteroffensive by Kyiv’s forces has yet to materialise.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to address the group by video link.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said leaders would focus on further deterring Russia off the battlefield — tightening a sanctions regime that, according to official statistics, caused Russia’s economy to contract a further 1.9 percent last quarter.

The G7 has already adopted price caps on Russian crude, plunging revenues by about 43 percent, according to International Energy Agency figures.

“There’ll be discussions about the state of play on sanctions and the steps that the G7 will collectively commit to on enforcement,” Sullivan said.

“The US will have a package of sanctions associated with the G7 statement that will centre on this enforcement issue.”
An EU official said sanctions on Moscow’s approximately $5 billion a year trade in diamonds would also be up for debate. 

– Nuclear shadow –

Putin’s repeated threats to turn the Ukraine conflict nuclear have been roundly condemned by G7 leaders and dismissed by some commentators as little more than an attempt to shake European and American resolve.

But leaders’ planned visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Friday is likely to pull those threats into sharper focus, as they contemplate the events of August 6, 1945, which obliterated a city, claimed an estimated 140,000 lives and forever changed the world. 

Kishida wants to use the summit to press his guests — including Britain, France and the United States, who together possess thousands of warheads — to commit to transparency on stockpiles and arsenal reductions.

But amid heightened tensions with fellow nuclear powers Russia, North Korea and China, expectations for a breakthrough are low.

– ‘Economic coercion’ –

Summit discussions on China are expected to focus on efforts to insulate G7 economies from potential economic blackmail, by diversifying supply chains and markets.

In disputes with countries from Australia to Canada, President Xi Jinping’s administration has shown a willingness to block, tax or hamper trade with little warning or explanation.

White House official Sullivan said leaders were expected to decry this “economic coercion” and work to bridge transatlantic differences about how to engage with China.

Washington has taken an aggressive approach, blocking China’s access to the most advanced semiconductors and the equipment to make them, and has pressed Japan and the Netherlands to follow suit.

But European policymakers — most notably those in Berlin and Paris — are keen to make sure that “de-risking” does not mean shattering ties with China, one of the world’s largest markets.

“This G7 is not an anti-Chinese G7,” an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron told journalists before the summit.

“We have a positive message for China, which is that we are ready to cooperate on condition that we negotiate together,” the adviser added.

Host Japan is also keen to reach out to developing nations that have been wooed by Chinese investment, with leaders from India, Brazil and Indonesia among those invited by Kishida to Hiroshima.

Evidence of Beijing’s growing economic and diplomatic clout was on display Thursday in the former imperial capital Xi’an.

There, Xi is hosting the leaders of five Central Asian countries that were once seen as firmly in Moscow’s orbit but are increasingly drawn to Beijing. 

 Vote counting got under way in Thailand’s general election Sunday with pro-democracy opposition parties tipped to 

defeat the conservative military-backed government of Prime Minister Prayut 
Chan-O-Cha after almost a decade in power.

Opinion surveys pointed to a resounding defeat for ex-army chief and coup 
leader Prayut after a campaign that played out as a clash between a young 
generation yearning for change and the traditionalist, royalist 
establishment.

The main opposition Pheu Thai party, fronted by the daughter of billionaire 
former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was ahead in final opinion polls.

But in a kingdom where victory at the ballot box has often been trumped by 
coups and court orders, there are fears the military could seek to cling on, 
raising the prospect of fresh instability.

Polling stations closed at 5:00 pm (1000 GMT) after a smooth day of voting, 
with no major problems reported by Thai media.

Preliminary results are expected later in the evening, though the final 
number of seats won by each party will not be officially confirmed for 
several weeks.

After casting her ballot in Bangkok, Pheu Thai’s main candidate Paetongtarn 
Shinawatra showed no signs of nerves.

“Today is going to be a good day. I have very positive energy about it,” the 
36-year-old told reporters, smiling broadly.

Millions of Thais cast ballots at 95,000 polling stations scattered from the 
lush-forested mountains of the north to the idyllic sands of the southern 
beaches.

A turnout of 90 percent in last Sunday’s early round of voting pointed to an 
electorate looking for change, but the opposition faces an uphill battle to 
secure power, thanks to the junta-scripted 2017 constitution.

The new premier will be chosen jointly by the 500 elected MPs and 250 senate 
members appointed by Prayut’s junta — stacking the deck in the army’s 
favour.

In the controversial last election in 2019, Prayut rode senate support to 
become prime minister at the head of a complex multi-party coalition.

– Protest legacy – 

The election is the first since major youth-led pro-democracy protests 
erupted across Bangkok in 2020 with demands to curb the power and spending of 
Thailand’s king — breaching a long-held taboo on questioning the monarchy.

The demonstrations petered out as Covid-19 curbs were imposed and dozens of 
leaders were arrested, but their energy has fuelled growing support for the 
more radical opposition Move Forward Party (MFP). 

MORE/SSS/1625 hrs

As he arrived to vote in Bangkok, MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat, 42, said he 
expected a “historic turnout”.

“Younger generations these days care about their rights and they will come 
out to vote,” he told reporters.

While MFP is looking for support from millennial and Gen Z voters — who make 
up nearly half the 52 million-strong electorate — Pheu Thai’s base is in the 
rural northeast where voters are still grateful for the welfare policies 
implemented by Thaksin in the early 2000s.

Prayut also urged voters to turn out in large numbers as he cast his ballot 
on Sunday.

The former general has made an unashamedly nationalist pitch to older voters, 
painting himself as the only candidate capable of saving Thailand from chaos 
and ruin.

But he has lagged badly in the polls, blamed for a sputtering economy and 
feeble recovery from the pandemic, which battered the kingdom’s crucial 
tourism industry.

Voter Pakorn Adulpan, 85, said he was impressed by the quality of this year’s 
contest.

“I am very hopeful because there is strong competition between many talented 
candidates, compared to the elections in the past,” he told AFP.

Rights groups accuse Prayut of overseeing a major crackdown on basic 
freedoms, with a huge spike in prosecutions under Thailand’s draconian royal 
defamation laws.

The country has seen a dozen coups in the last century and has been locked 
over the last two decades in a rolling cycle of street protests, coups and 
court orders dissolving political parties.

The Shinawatra family’s bitter tussle with the royalist-military 
establishment has been at the heart of the drama, with Thaksin ousted in a 
2006 coup and his sister Yingluck unseated by Prayut in 2014.

An unclear or disputed result this time could lead to a fresh round of 
demonstrations and instability.

Adding to the uncertainty, rumours are already swirling that MFP could be 
dissolved by court order — the same fate that befell its predecessor Future 
Forward Party after it performed unexpectedly well at the 2019 poll.

Once results come in, attention will turn to the Electoral Commission, the 
judges and the generals to see what the next steps will be.

 Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday met his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on his first trip to Germany since Russia’s invasion.

Zelensky signed the guestbook at the Bellevue Palace, before heading into talks with Steinmeier. He is expected to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz later Sunday.

  A Bangladeshi origin Malaysian citizen is controlling Bangladeshi manpower export business using MiGRAMS, an online registration portal for workers’ health screening.

A worker have to collect calling visa and then collect E-Visa, and the attestation from the Bangladesh Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to make a fly to Malaysia. But he needs a health screening report first as a pre-requisite of getting the calling visa.
For performing the health screening a worker need to be registered in MiGRAMS system by paying 100 ringgit registration fee.
Recruiting agencies complete this registration process and pay the fee of the workers. Upon paying the fees recruiting agents get credit as like a prepaid system. Credits deposited in “top-up e-wallet” segment of MiGRAMS portal.
Now the top-up e-wallet option for paying registration fee is erased from the portal by Bestinet.
This manipulation is depriving Bangladeshi workers of entering in Malaysian labor market which causes a serious threat to this sector’s rich potential.
Along with the workers dozens of agencies who have a good reputation and track record in manpower export are falling in to the image crisis. And thousands of Bangladeshi workers are suffering.
Malaysian government assigned online system provider Bestinet who owned the MiGRAMS. Bangladeshi origin Dato Aminul Islam Bin Abdul Nor is the owners of Bestinet and recklessly created obstacle for Bangladeshi agencies and controlling the whole system.
At this stage Bestinet is allocating credit only for those agencies that are in his syndicate. Thus many recruiting agencies are depriving despite having adequate number of workers demand.
Insiders claimed that Dato Aminul with his Bangladeshi Partners is illegally collecting money more than RM100 for each worker in Bangladesh. Thus, they are earning extra money from the poor Bangladeshi migration aspirant workers.
“Nothing can be done if MiGRAMS registration is not done. We wrote letters to Bestinet, Expatriates welfare ministry in Bangladesh and Human Resource ministry of Malaysia. We hope the concern authorities will take appropriate actions to break the malpractices, Mahbub Miah Babul, proprietor of Darbar Global Overseas
“Apart from access problem to e-wallet, there are some problems we face with the MiGRAMS. Very often a worker need to perform health screening as MiGRAMS authority said it was not done properly. In this case each time we have to pay 100 ringgit for the same worker, he added.

Many Bangladeshi recruiting agencies failed to find the e-wallet option in the MiGRAMS system from the mid-January this year. Later on May 2, recruiting agencies send a letter to the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmed to solve the problem.
On top of that Malaysian Human Resource Ministry wrote Bestinet several times in between March3, March 7 and March 8 to make top up e-wallet service open for all. But bestinet did not do that. Later in March 20, in a letter Malaysian human resource ministry warned Bestinet and said that the ministry received complains that Bangladeshi recruiting agencies are still unable to use the service.
“The ministry hopes that this is the last letter submitted to Bestinet regarding this matter. The ministry is very concerned about this matter because it does not support the implementation of the Bangladesh Employment MoU concluded by this two countries to run smoothly and to achieve the goals desired by the both countries.
“Requesting your immediate cooperation to take appropriate action against this complain” ministry letter read.
Latter on March 22, April 2 and April 16, Bangladeshi recruiting agencies send email to Bestinet seeking the opportunity to pay the registration fee.
“There are two types of problems of paying registration fees from Bangladesh. Firstly, there is no legal way to send money to a Malaysian company from Bangladesh. And the second problem is the Bestinet is not providing top-up to the agencies who are not the member of the racket created by its owner Dato Amin, Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury, owner of Sadia International
Shamim also the former secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) said, “As per MoU signed between Malaysia and Bangladesh all expense in Malaysian part including system provider’s fees will be beard by the employer. And Health Screening should be done by the Bangladeshi medical centers with the supervision of the ministry of expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment.
“The whole process of sending manpower to Malaysia became hostage to the Bestinet in MiGRAMS registration, he added.

What is Migrams?
MiGRAMS is an online portal where every aspirant workers need to be registered for performing health screening. Workers registration need to be done after qouta approval of workers demand in favor of Malaysian employers and distribute whose demands among Bangladeshi recruiting agencies through Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS). The MiGRAMS registration fee is RM100 (Tk2,700) for each workers.

Poor workers are the ultimate victim
Poor people who want to change their fate by going abroad for work are the main victim of this malpractices. At present at least 32,000 workers are trying to get registration. They gave money to the recruiter. And waiting to go to Malaysia.
Md Sujon, healing from Chittagong said, “I gave TK1, 00,000 to the recruiter. I loan the money at 5 per cent interestpoor people rate. Now waiting for health screening. After health Screening visa will be issues. I am waiting for at least two month to perform health screening.
Recruiting agencies are saying they are helpless and aspirants migrants also suffering and blaiming them for the delay.
“Complexity in Migrams registration is delaying the migration process and creating uncertainty. Moreover, country is depriving from remittance, Golam Sarwar, managing partner of Haidory Trade International said.

Who and how should pay?

Earlier the MiGRAMS registration fees were paid by the Malaysian employer. Later on September 27, 2022 in a letter, Malaysian foreign ministry informed the Bangladesh High Commission to Kuala Lumpur that each workers’ 100 ringgit registration fee to MiGRAMS shall be paid by recruiting agencies in Bangladesh. However, for other 13 sources countries employer pay the fees. Only Bangladesh is exceptional.
“in case of other sources countries including Nepal there is no relation of health screening and MiGRAMS. They perform workers health screening from their government approved medical centers. Moreover, employer pay the registration fee for all other sources country, the same procedure need to be maintain for Bangladesh. Md Mizanur Rahman, managing director of Elegants Overseas
A Bangladeshi agency buy credit by paying advance money through credit card in Malaysia and credit were shown deposited in MiGRAMS portal. The option was called e-Wallet Top-Up. Now, MiGRAMS system owner Bestinet erased the option of paying the registration fees from the portal. Now, the agencies who are ally of Dato Amin and Ruhul Amin are only able to pay the registration fee in other ways bypassing the online system.

Poor workers are the ultimate victim
Poor people who want to change their fate by going abroad for work are the main victim of this malpractices. At present at least 32,000 workers are trying to get registration. They gave money to the recruiter. And waiting to go to Malaysia.
Md Sujon, healing from Chittagong said, “I gave TK1, 00,000 to the recruiter. I loan the money at 5 per cent interestpoor people rate. Now waiting for health screening. After health Screening visa will be issues. I am waiting for at least two month to perform health screening.
Recruiting agencies are saying they are helpless and aspirants migrants also suffering and blaiming them for the delay.
“Complexity in Migrams registration is delaying the migration process and creating uncertainty. Moreover, country is depriving from remittance, Golam Sarwar, managing partner of Haidory Trade International said.

MiGRAMS top up system controls the total manpower business?

Every workers need to perform a health screening from selected Bangladeshi medical centers. To perform workers health screening, MiGRAMS registration is a must.
Due to erase the e-wallet top-up system, recruiting agencies need to convince this system owners bestinet for paying registration fee.
“For last one and half month we cannot registrar in MiGRAMS. Dato Amin lead quarter is trying to establish that the other agencies who are not in his control are non-competence. Though we are failing to pay the fee, Amin controlled agencies are doing health screening and paying the as well by bypassing the MiGRAMS’s e-Wallet top-up option, Md Mizanur Rahman, managing director Elegants Overseas. He received order of 1500 workers who are struggling to do registration.
Seeking anonymity a recruiting agent said, “Cathersis International owner Ruhul Amin Shawpon is collecting registration fees in Bangladesh on behalf of Bestinet.”

  The United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today called Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as a successful economic leader, saying, “You’re inspiration for us.”

“I’m following you for many years. You’re a successful economic leader,” Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem quoted Sunak as telling the Bangladesh premier at their maiden bilateral meeting at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Bilateral Meeting Room on Friday (local time).

According to Tasneem, the UK premier said his two daughters and wife are big fan of her (Sheikh Hasina) as he wished his daughters to be great leader like Sheikh Hasina since he took office in October last.

“You’re great inspiration for my two daughters,” Sunak said.

The British prime minister highly lauded the leadership of Sheikh Hasina for Bangladesh’s prosperity alongside giving shelter to Rohingyas and houses to the landless and homeless Bangladesh people at government expenses and her glorious role in various international forums including climate change.

Sunak said Bangladesh’s economic progress is remarkable referring to maintaining over six percent economic growth during post Covid-19 pandemic period.

He described Bangladesh premier as a “role model” for development.

The two leaders discussed various issues related to mutual benefits of the two countries at their meeting lasted for 35 minutes.

“Our relation is wonderful over 50 years,” Sunak said, adding the UK values relationship with Bangladesh.

At the outset of the meeting, Sheikh Hasina congratulated Rishi Sunak for becoming the prime minister of the UK.

“You’re becoming prime minister in such a young age from the Asian heritage. I feel good by seeing such young men in leadership,” she said.

The Bangladesh premier said her government had already given houses to seven lakh families.

She has also sought larger investment from British companies in Bangladesh.

The British premier said: “We have enhanced business relations between the two countries.”

He expressed his satisfaction over signing a joint communique between Dhaka and London.

Both the leaders also talked about Rohingya issue.

Sunak hailed Bangladesh premier’s humanitarian gesture for sheltering such a huge number of Rohingyas.

He said the UK understands that Rohingyas are big burden for Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina thanked the UK for supporting Bangladesh over the Rohingya issue.

“Rohingyas are big burden and great security threat for us,” she said.

Sunak responded positively when Bangladesh premier invited him to Bangladesh to see the plight of Rohingyas.

Heads of the state and government from 130 countries arrived in London to attend the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey, London.

“Of them, Sunak had meetings with only seven of them including Bangladesh premier which manifests Bangladesh has a wonderful relations with the UK in terms of political, diplomatic and economic,” said the Bangladesh high commissioner while briefing newsmen after the two premiers meeting.

The envoy said Bangladesh’s bondage with the UK has reached a strategic level through economic and business relationship.

PM’s Speechwriter M Nazrul Islam was present during the briefing

 Russia said Wednesday it had shot down two drones at President Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin residence in what it called a Ukrainian “terrorist” assassination attempt.

 Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at Amsterdam’s airport late Wednesday for an unannounced visit to the Netherlands, with a trip to the International Criminal Court on his agenda, local media reported.