Dhaka Nov 12 (UNB) – Dr Shafiqur Rahman has been elected the Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Previously, he was the secretary-general of the party.

Jamaat’s Member (Rokon) elected him through direct voting held from October 17 to November 10. The Election Commission confirmed the result on Tuesday announcing him as the Ameer, said a press release.

Dr Shafiqur Rahman was born in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar district on October 31, 1958. He passed MBBS from Sylhet Medical College in 1983. He was the President of Sylhet city unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir. He became the Majlis-e-Shura member of central Jamaat-e-Islami in 1985.

Dr Rahman is the chairman of a private medical college and a high school’s management committee.

Dhaka, Nov 12 (UNB) - Newly appointed Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Naoki Ito on Tuesday laid emphasis on working together to further the business environment in Bangladesh noting that Japanese companies are vigorously doing business here.

The envoy said the Embassy of Japan, together with JETRO, will take every opportunity to improve the business environment so that Japanese companies can expand their trade between the two countries and increase their direct investment in Bangladesh.

He made the remarks while addressing a reception at his official residence mentioning that vibrant economy and people of Bangladesh have already fascinated him since his arrival last month.

Ambassador Ito and his wife Yuki hosted the reception and introduced themselves to the Bangladeshi government officials as well as dignitaries and representatives of Japan-related and international organizations based in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman who attended the function as the chief guest said Bangladesh and Japan have been enjoying longstanding friendship, mentioning the similarity of the two national flags which symbolises the proximity of the two nations.

Ambassador Ito said his recent visit to the Rohingya camps made him recognise again the necessity of working for displaced people and people in the host community, and of realising their early repatriation.

“To that end, we’ll continue to support the efforts made by the Bangladeshi government, and to cooperate with UN agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders,” he said.

The Japanese Ambassador also reiterated that both the years 2021, 50th anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh and 2022, 50th anniversary of Japan-Bangladesh relations, will make a very good opportunity to further strengthen the bilateral ties.

“As we move forward, there’ll be important milestones of our partnership. Year 2021 will be the 50th anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh, and Year 2022 will be the 50th anniversary of the Bangladesh-Japan Diplomatic Relation,” he said.

Ambassador Ito said these coming events will be very good opportunities to further strengthen the ties between the two countries and to elevate them to a higher dimension.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid and Secretary (Bilateral- Europe, Africa & Americas – and Consular) Kamrul Ahsan among others, were present.  

Dhaka, Nov 12 (UNB) – Bangladesh witnessed a tragic train accident in Brahmanbaria early Tuesday that left at least 16 people dead and over 100 others injured. Casualties in train accidents appeared to be a common phenomenon in the country allegedly for lack of proper maintenance by the authorities and negligence as well. 

Although the latest accident killed the highest number of people in the current century, the country experienced far deadlier accidents before.

In 1983, a rail bridge collapsed with a running train in Pabna’s Iswardi upazila on March 22, leaving 60 passengers dead. 

In another incident, at least 27 people were burnt to death as a Parbatipur-bound passenger train caught fire on January 13 in 1985. Twenty-seven more people sustained burn injuries in the accident.  

In 1989, a head-on collision between two passenger trains left people 170 dead and around 400 others injured at Majukhan of Gazipur on January 15. The year witnessed another deadly train accident that claimed 13 lives. The accident took place after a train derailed near Chattogram on February 2. 

In Kushtia’s Bheramara upazila, 25 people were dead and 45 more injured as a train plunged into a river after derailment on March 15, 1986. Members of Sarbahara Party were blamed for the accident.

Another tragic accident took place in Hili Railway Station of Dinajpur on January 13, 1995 when a train smashed into another one which was stationed earlier, leaving around 50 people dead and 200 more injured. 

In 2010, two passenger trains collided head-on in Narsingdi on December 10, leaving 12 people dead on the spot. 

Misled by a wrong signal, a Brahmanbaria-bound commuter train engine derailed at Arshinagar of Narsingdi on January 10, 2016, leaving two dead and 10 more injured.
 
In 2018, five bogies of a passenger train derailed at Tongi of Gazipur on April 15 that claimed five lives. Around 50 more people were injured in the accident. 

On June 24 this year, six bogies of Upaban Express train derailed in Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila, killing at least four passengers and injuring over 200 others.
 

Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan on Tuesday said they have set a target to collect Tk 3,000 crore as revenue during the upcoming tax fair.

“The NBR is going to organise its annual Income Tax Fair across the country beginning on November 14 aiming to facilitate taxpayers. We hope we can serve 4 lakh new taxpayers during the fair,” he said while speaking at a press conference at its auditorium in the city.

In the capital, the weeklong fair will be held at the Officers’ Club and continue till November 20, while the fairs at district level will be held for 3-4 days.

“We have been arranging the tax fair since 2010 getting a good response from taxpayers. Income tax collection was around Tk 2,400 crore in the last year’s fair,” the NBR chairman said.

He said there is no alternative but to strengthen the activities of revenue collection to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and the status of a developed country by 2041. “So, we want people to come forward to pay tax spontaneously.”

Mosharraf said they will provide awards to the highest taxpayers this year too.
 

Jatiya Party Secretary General Mashiur Rahman Ranga on Tuesday faced fierce criticisms even by two senior MPs of his own party alongside others in the Jatiya Sangsad for his recent offensive remarks against slain pro-democracy activist Shaheed Noor Hossain.

They demanded Ranga apologize before the nation standing in Parliament for his insulting remarks against Noor Hossain, a young pro-democracy activist, sacrificed his life to end the autocratic regime of HM Ershad on November 10, 1987.

Taking floor on point of order in the House, Awami League MP Tahzeeb Alam Siddique launched a blistering attack on opposition chief whip Mashiur Rahman Ranga.

Later, two Jatiya Party MPs Kazi Firoz Rashid and Mujibul Haque Chunnu, AL MPs Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Ganoforum MP Sultan Muhammed Mansur Ahmed, Tarikat Federation Chairman Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary criticised Ranga joining the unscheduled discussion.

However, Ranga was not present in the House at that time.

Ranga at a discussion on Sunday said, “Who was Noor Hossain? An addict... a Yaba abuser, a Phensedyl abuser! Two democratic parties -- Awami League and BNP -- are overenthusiastic about him. This day is observed as Noor Hossain Day.”

Taking floor in the House, Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid said Ranga’s comments are not the stance of Jatiya Party and. “It can’t be a political speech. It is his personal statement. Jatiya Party is ashamed of such remarks. We’re sorry and feel embarrassed for this,” he said.

Noting that Jatiya Party does not support his comments, Kazi Firoz Rashid said, “We don’t own what he said about Noor Hossain. Our party does not acknowledge it. We reject it with hatred.”

“We’ve complete respect to the brave youth who can sacrifice his life for democracy…. I never showed such audacity or utter such words like him (Ranga),”  Firoz said.

Taking a swipe at Ranga, he said,”Ranga has no background and education, but he was surprisingly made a minister. We got astonished as he was suddenly made a minister.”

Another Jatiya Party Mujibul Haque Chunnu also said Jatiya Party does not own his comments and he will have to take its responsibility.

AL senior parliamentarian Tofail Ahmed said Ranga hurt the sentiment of the country’s people as he made insulting remarks on Noor Hossain. “We expressed hatred to his remark.”

Tofail said, “Ranga will have to apologize before the nation.”

AL senior parliamentarian Amir Hossain Amu said Ranga made the remarks to hide the misdeeds of HM Ershad. “Now actions should be taken against him. He’ll have to apologize.”

Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim said the Jatiya Party should suspend Ranga from the party.