Dhaka, Sept 20 (UNB) – If any freedom fighter or his/her inheritor does not believe in the Liberation War spirit, he/she will not be entitled to benefits to be given from the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust.

This was stated in the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust Bill, 2018 which was unanimously passed in the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday to ensure the welfare of freedom fighters.

Liberation Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq moved the bill in the House, which was passed by voice votes.

As per the Bill, the Prime Minister shall be the chairman of the Trustee Board while the minister–in-charge of the Liberation War Affairs Ministry will be its vice-chairman.

Besides, the Trustee Board consists of the following trustees: four MPs (Freedom Fighters) to be nominated by the Prime Minister, Finance, Industries and Liberation War Affairs secretaries, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division and Managing Director of Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Welfare Trust, who will be its member secretary.

The head office of the Trust will be situated in Dhaka and its branches can be set up anywhere across the country taking prior permission of the government.

The Trust will hold at least a meeting every year.

The Bill annuls the existing Bangladesh (Freedom Fighters) Welfare Trust Order, 1972.

Jashore, Sept 20 (UNB) – Three people including an elderly woman reportedly committed suicide in separate incidents in the district on Thursday.

The deceased were identified as Nijela Ray, 65, wife of Nath Ray, resident of Shukhdebpur village in Jhikargacha upazila; Fatema,22, wife of Ripon of Goalhati village of the same upazila and Mshiur Rahman, 35, son of Ataur Rahman, hailing from D-Block area in the district town.

Nijela Ray swallowed insecticide following a family dispute at doawn and died at Jashore-250 bed hospital in the evening while undergoing treatment there.

Mashiur Rahman hanged himself over the same reason, family feud.

Three UD cases were filed with the concerned police stations.

Dhaka, Sep 20 (UNB) - Interactive digital textbooks will help students learn,  understand, and retain lessons more easily, we learned recently at a ceremony to launch the technological innovation Interactive Digital Textbook (IDT) of class six, at International Mother Language Institute in city’s Segun Bagicha.

Education Nurul Islam Nahid said 16 interactive digital textbooks have been made for class six where audio, video, text and animation have been used. Each subject’s content will also be attractive and enjoyable to students. They will learn from here their desired lesson easily and it also be long lasting. It will also help teachers.

Nahid urged that students should use moedern knowledge and technology to acquire world class education. Use of technology has increased in the field of education so students should utilize these opportunities.  

Earlier six e-learning material books were made for class 9-10. Another  six Interactive Digital Textbooks for class seven and six for class eight are in progress under Se3sipthe government’s esip project.  

Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director Manmohan Parkash, Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Md Sohrab Hossain, Technical and Madrasah Division Secretary Md Alamgir, among others, addressed the function with National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) Chairman Prof Narayan Chandra Saha in the chair.

Dhaka, Sep 20 (UNB)  - Indigenous students on Thursday demanded retention of a five percent quota for members of ethnic and religious minorities  in government jobs and  higher education.

The ethnic minorities came up with demand while addressing at a human chain held in front of anti-terrorism Raju memorial sculpture of Dhaka University (DU) around 5pm. Organised by AdIbashi Quota Protection Council, more than 50 students participated in the programme.

Expressing solidarity with them Bangladesh Chhatra Federation president Golam Mostafa said, “The quota reform body formed by the government recommended to abolishing quota system from 9th to 13th grades (1st class and 2nd class) of government jobs. But our ethnic minority people are poor and deprived of different privileges. If the government withdraws quota system, the indigenous people will be more deprived.”

“We hope the government will reconsider, and retain the existing five percent quota for minorities,” the student leader added.

Adibasi Parishad central vice-president Sumita Rabidash, and Tripura Students Forum publication secretary Hola Chandra Tripura, among others addressed the program.

Dhaka, Sept 20 (UNB) – The 22nd session of the 10th Parliament was prorogued on Thursday after only 10 sittings.

The session passed 18 bills, including Digital Security Bill 2018 and Road Transport Bill 2018.

Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury read out the prorogation order of the President around 9:49pm.

During the session that began on September 9 last, some 189 notices were placed under Section 71 of the Rules of Procedure, of which seven were discussed in the House.

Besides, 30 notices were discussed for two minutes under Section 71 (Ka) of the Rules of Procedure and a total of 84 questions were received for the Prime Minister, of which she replied to 26 in the session.

The session received a total of 1,504 questions for different ministers with the ministers replying to 815.

Before reading out the prorogation order, Dr Shirin thanked all the MPs, including the opposition ones, for providing all-out cooperation in running the session and reaching a consensus in a unique way in upholding the parliamentary democratic practice in the House.

She said Parliament got lively with the active participation of the MPs of both the treasury and opposition benches.

The Speaker praised the opposition MPs for their constructive role in the session by joining different businesses of the House, and hoped that they will continue it in the future as well.