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Bangladeshi State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury and Nepali Commerce Minister Damodar Bhandari on Saturday discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest. 

They also put emphasis on easy communication between local Banglabandha and Nepal’s Kakarbhita by land and expansion of trade. Visiting Kakarbhita on Saturday morning, the state minister noted Kakarbhita land port is 37 km off Banglabandha land port and this territory is part of India.

He said they discussed how Nepal can join Bangladesh using 37km of India's land directly. Bangladesh, India and Nepal will work together to use this route directly. The state minister on Friday visited Phuentsholing border of Bhutan through “Banglabandha Land Port” in Panchagarh district and Phulbari land port in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal of India.

Welcomed by Phuentsholing Governor Karmi Jurmi on the Phuentsholing border, the state minister went to Pasakha land port from the border where he discussed expansion of trade between the countries. Banglabandha is 142 km off of Bhutan’s bordering area Phuentsholing

Bangladesh Land Port Authority Chairman Md Zillur Rahman Chowdhury, Bangladesh Ambassador to Nepal Salahuddin Roman Chowdhury, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Munshi Md Moniruzzaman, part-time member of the Board of Directors of Bangladesh Land Port Authority Ziauddin Ahmed Bhuiyan and Superintending Engineer of the Land Port Authority M Hasan Ali were present during the meeting with Nepal’s commerce minister.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has said it accords top priority to Nepal.

A visiting high-level delegation from the AIIB said this during a meeting with Finance Minister Barshaman Pun, according to the Minister's Secretariat.

On the occasion, Finance Minister Pun urged the AIIB for scaling up its investment in Nepal's infrastructure development and other projects.

In reply, AIIB Director RMP Rathnayake, who leads the delegation, praised Nepal's endeavors for investment policy reforms and for their enhancement. He pledged to adopt a policy of increasing investment in Nepal in the days to come on the basis of the availability of resources. 

The Minister also urged the AIIB for a partnership with Nepal's private sector as per its policy of mobilizing its 50 percent capital in partnership with the private sector. In response, the delegation chief suggested the possibility for collaboration with Nepal's private sector by selecting multi-year projects. 

On the occasion, the finance minister invited the AIIB to the Third National Investment Summit that Nepal is scheduled to host on April 28-29. Director Rathnayake said a high-level participation will be there from the AIIB in the Summit.

The minister utilized the forum to call on the AIIB for ensuring provisions to provide a concessional loan to Nepal and middle-income developing countries. He shared to the delegation that Nepal has been deprived of leveraging on expected benefits from the AIIB due to its relatively high interests’ rates. "Despite being the AIIB founding member, Nepal has failed to take expected benefits from its investments due to a high interest rate," he said.

Stating that multiple projects of infrastructure development are to be carried out in Nepal, he insisted on the concessions on AIIB borrowings to Nepal. He said that the government accords top priority to the infrastructure development and it is required to source out the funds due to its limited internal resources.

The minister advised the AIIB to invest in Nepal's infrastructure development, hydroelectricity, tourism and information technology sectors, and the areas of relative benefits.

He apprised the delegation that an agreement has been reached to supply 10,000 megawatts of electricity and added that there is no market issue for power to be generated in Nepal. Likewise, as per the power trade agreement between Nepal and Bangladesh, Nepal will be soon exporting 40 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh.

Sharing about Nepal's process to graduate from the least developed country to a developing country by 2026, the Minister sought diversifications of AIIB investment in Nepal.

Similarly, stating about Nepal's plan to mobilize the climate change finance in Nepal's development projects, he also urged for the AIIB support towards that end.

The AIIB has invested USD 40 million in the under-construction 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 hydroelectricity project. It has investments in some under-construction transmission lines in Lumbini and Karnali Provinces.

Police have made public four persons arrested for their alleged involvement in the Dholahiti, Lalitpur-26 incident, where two persons lost their lives in a gang fight.

They were made public amidst a press conference at the District Police Range, Lalitpur on Tuesday.

Pujan Rai and Robash Rai were killed by attacking with a knife during a fight between two groups.

Those who were made public today are eatery owner Bijay Rai and Sulabh Rai of Sakela Rural Municipality-2, Khotang, Bishal Hang Mukarung of Tyamkemayung-2, Bhojpur and Chengbihang Rai of Gokarneshwor, Kathmandu.

Two persons had died in a fight between two groups at an eatery of Dholahiti, Laltipur on Sunday night.

According to police, a person involved in the incident is on the run.

Lalitpur Police Range Chief Shekhar Khanal informed that an investigation is being conducted against them on the murder charge.

Police have also apprehended eight persons on suspicion of their involvement in the incident.

According to a preliminary investigation, Bijay Rai had earlier spent two years in jail in a drug case.

Presently, there is an influence of the westerly wind together with the local wind in Nepal.

Light rain or thunder and lightning is forecast at a few places of Koshi Province and at one or two places of Madhesh, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces today.

There are chances of light snowfall at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous region of Koshi Province and Bagmati Province.

Tonight, the weather will be partly cloudy throughout the country.

Light rain or thunder and lightning is likely to occur at one or two places of hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division.

Police on Tuesday made public five Bangladeshi nationals staying illegally in Nepal even after the expiry of their visa term.

They are Md Rifat Ahamed (26), Md Abdullah (23), Md Samsual Hoda (45), Abdul Biswas (30) and Md Masum Miah (36), according to SP Nakul Pokharel, Information Officer at the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office.

They were arrested from Sohrakhutte based on the information that they had been staying in Nepal illegally and involved in suspicious activities, shared Pokharel.

Of them, Biswas and Miah were arrested on March 22 while three on Monday.

The arrested Bangladeshi nationals have been sent to the Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan, for necessary investigation and action.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 300 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 126, 400 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 126, 700 per tola on Monday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 125, 800 per tola. It was traded at Rs 126, 100 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1, 505 per tola today.

Former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has said that it is a challenge for science to find out the Guru of Om Aditya Bal Guru.

He was addressing a program organized at the Panauti-based Third Aditya Mokshyadham in Kavre on Monday.

Saying that there should be a source of knowledge or guru in human life, Oli said that Guru Aditya has a supernatural power as the source of knowledge.

Leader Oli mentioned that the challenge to science is to find out the source of Aditya's knowledge.

“Humans need a guru or source for their knowledge. Knowledge is not possible without knowledge,” he said. Praising the language written in a book, Oli said, “Aditya’s book is not to keep in the cupboard but to keep in your brain.”

The things written in the book have touched my heart, he said.

“He has no medium to acquire knowledge. The sayings of Aditya, who has not gone to school, written in various languages are in the form of Guru Bachan,” he said. “Where did this natural ability come from?” he questioned.

“Scientists need to do research on this issue,” Oli further said.

Wishing for Aditya’s good health, Oli said that scientists should do research on Bal Guru Aditya.

Speaking at the program, Captain Rameshwor Thapa said that Aditya, considered as the eighth wonder of the world,  is constructing 108 structures in the area of that Mokshyadham.

He said that a pillar is being obstructed and that pillar is being built by learning from Guru Aditya and 80 percent of the construction has been completed.

Appealing to all to come to Mokshyadham and give suggestions, Capitan Thapa appealed for the support to develop this area as a high-level human settlement.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel, former Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, former Communications Minister Gokul Baskota, former minister Resham Lama, Om Adi Foundation Chairman Upendra Mahato, Dhulikhel Municipality Mayor Ashok Kumar Byanju, Panauti Municipality Mayor Ram Sharan Bhandari and Panauti Municipality Deputy Mayor Bhim Neupane among others were present in the program.

The Supreme Court has issued a directive to the government to grant affiliation to the Jhapa-based B&C Medical College.

A joint bench of Justices Kumar Chundal and Saranga Subedi issued the directive on Monday to grant affiliation to the B & C Medical College.

A controversy had erupted regarding the affiliation of the Medical College opened by medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai.

After not getting the affiliation even by completing all the procedures, Prasai filed a case on October 16, 2020.