United News of Bangladesh

Nearly 50 students were injured in a stampede at Niaz Muhammad High School in Brahmanbaria town on Wednesday afternoon, after panic broke out over a suspected fire. The incident occurred on the third floor of the school’s West Building while students were preparing a project for an upcoming Science and Technology Fair. Among them, eleven students were seriously injured and admitted to Brahmanbaria General Hospital. They are Amena Jahana Arisha (Class 8), Sohamani Eti (Class 6), Tasnova Israt (Class 7), Makia Akhter Lamia (Class 8), Faria Sultana (Class 8), Tanzina Akhter (Class 7), Noha Islam (Class 8), Kali (Class 8), Arifa (Class 8), Ruhan (Class 7), and Fatima Akhter Meem (Class 7). Of them, Ruhan is currently in the intensive care unit due to breathing difficulties. According to witnesses, a loud noise from a multi-plug device on the balcony caused alarm, prompting students to rush down the stairs in fear of a fire. Teachers on the scene reported that the commotion began after a short circuit caused a spark in the multi-plug.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has imposed a ban on rallies, processions, demonstrations and gatherings around the Secretariat, the Chief Adviser’s residence and its adjacent areas including Hotel Intercontinental crossing, Kakrail Mosque crossing, Mintu Road and Officer’s Club crossing. Father, 2 others get death penalty for killing daughter in Kishoreganj The restriction effective from Friday (August 8) will remain in place until further notice, according to a public notice signed by DMP Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali. The ban will be enforced under Section 29 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance (Ordinance No. III/76) to maintain discipline and for the sake of safety of the Chief Adviser, it said.    

A Bhola court on Wednesday convicted three people and sentenced them to death for killing two siblings by slitting their throats and set the bodies on fire in 2021. Additional District and Session Judge Shawkat Hossain handed down the punishment. The convicts were identified as Shariful Hossain, Belal and Salauddin. Of them, Belal and Salauddin were tried in absentia. The court also sentenced Abul Kashem to five months jail while Abu Majhi to six months in jail in another section of the case. According to the prosecution, the convicts killed Dulal Chanda Sheel and his brother Tapan Chandra Sheel of Charfassion upazila of Bhola district by slitting their throats on April 7, 2021 and looted the money they got from selling a piece of land. Later, the convicts severed the heads of the two siblings and set the bodies on fire. Police recovered the beheaded bodies from an abandoned place near Sundari canal on the following day. Through a DNA test, police identified the victims. Nipen Chandra Sarkar, younger brother of them, filed a case on April 9, 2021. During investigation, police arrested Shariful and following the confessional statement of him, police recovered the skulls of the two from a septic tank at the village. Police also recovered the weapons used in the double murder from the spot.  

South Korean company OCF Co. Limited is set to invest US$8.06 million in Mongla Export Processing Zone (Mongla EPZ). The company will establish a tent manufacturing, tent accessories, camping furniture, furniture accessories, and bag industry. The Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) signed an agreement with the company in this regard on Wednesday (August 6), at the BEPZA Complex in Dhaka. Md. Ashraful Kabir, Member (Investment Promotion) of BEPZA, and Hyun Gil Kim, Chairman of OCF Co. Ltd., signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations. BEPZA Executive Chairman Major General Abul Kalam Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, witnessed the signing ceremony. The company plans to produce tents, tent furniture accessories, camping chairs & tables, aluminum, carbon, ski & trekking poles, mountain & walking sticks, bed cots, stands, pet furniture, arrow, and all types of bags that will create employment opportunities for 820 Bangladeshi nationals. The Executive Chairman said that BEPZA always encourages investment in producing diversified products. As this is the company’s second project under BEPZA, he thanked OCF Co. Ltd. for their continued trust in BEPZA and requested them to act as an ambassador for bringing more South Korean investment to Bangladesh, especially in the EPZs. He also highlighted BEPZA's commitment to providing a secure and supportive environment for investors. Hyun Gil Kim thanked BEPZA for its support and expressed hope that they would be able to start production by next year. The signing ceremony was attended by senior BEPZA officials, including Member (Engineering), Md. Imtiaz Hossain, Member (Finance), A N M Foyzul Haque, Executive Director (Investment Promotion), Md. Tanvir Hossain and Executive Director (Public Relations) A.S.M Anwar Parvez, as well as representatives of the enterprise.  

A Kishoreganj court on Wednesday sentenced three people including a father to death for killing his daughter in Karimganj upazila of Kishoreganj district around nine years back. Judge of Kishoreganj Senior District and Sessions Judge Court Muhammad Nurul Amin Biplob also fined the convicts Tk 50, 0000 each , said the court’s Assistant Public Prosecutor Mazharul Islam.   The convicts are the victim’s father Anowarul Islam alias Angur Mia, paternal uncle Khurshid Mia (Anowarul’s brother) and paternal cousin Sadek Mia. All were tried in the absentia. 13 get life imprisonment for killing farmer in Kishoreganj The court also acquitted the victim’s mother Nazmunnhar of the charges.   According to the case statement, the accused slaughtered Mir Aktar Asma, daughter of Anowarul, to frame their rivals as they had rivalry with neighbour Abu Bakkar Siddique and others over land on October 10, 2016. Later, the father filed a murder case with the police station accusing his rivals. But police found that Mira was murdered by her family members in a planned way. Police filed a case accusing the trio and arrested them.

The government on Wednesday approved proposals to import of 50,000 metric tons of gasoline and procure vessels and infrastructure to strengthen oceanographic research capabilities. The approvals came at the 24th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room of the Bangladesh Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. To meet the rising domestic energy demand, the meeting approved a proposal from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division for the import of 50,000 MT (±10%) of Gasoline 95 Unleaded (Octane) during the 2025 calendar year. The committee also gave nod in principle to a proposal from the Ministry of Industries to procure construction services under the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) for building a ropeway on the Indian side under the “Conversion of Wet Process to Dry Process of CCCL” project. Two proposals from the Ministry of Science and Technology were approved to enhance oceanographic research capabilities. These include procurement of one small research vessel equipped for sample collection and two speedboats under the GD-1 package of the “Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (Phase 2) (1st Revised)” project. All will be procured from Khulna Shipyard Ltd through DPM. Additionally, under the GD-5 package of the same project, the government will procure one pontoon, jetty, and gangway for the safe berthing of the research vessel, also from Khulna Shipyard Ltd. Besides, the Ministry of Food received approval in principle to shorten the procurement timeframe under Section 83(1)(Ka) of the Public Procurement Rules, 2008 for the urgent international purchase of 4.00 lakh metric tons of rice.  

Superintendents of Police (SPs) and officers-in-charge (OCs) of different police stations across the country will be transferred through a lottery system ahead of the upcoming 13th parliamentary election, said Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Wednesday. “SPs and OCs will be given new postings through a lottery system before the election and all relevant officials will be transferred through this process,” said the adviser. The Home Adviser came up with the disclosure while talking to reporters after a meeting at the Secretariat, held to finalise operational plans for law enforcement agencies to ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming national election. The lottery for appointing Superintendents of Police (SPs) will be held at the Home Ministry, the adviser said, adding that a similar lottery will be conducted for the posting of OCs, based on departmental divisions. The appointments of both SPs and OCs will be finalised through this lottery system a few days before the announcement of the election schedule. Referring to the Chief Adviser’s address to the nation, Jahangir said, “The Chief Adviser has already announced that preparations for the election have begun. Today’s discussion is a continuation of that.” The meeting also discussed the logical support required during the election period, he added. Mentioning that deputy commissioners (DCs), SPs, Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) and OCs play a crucial role during elections, the adviser said, adding, “Candidates demand officials of their preference in their constituencies during elections. So, we have decided to hold the lottery publicly in front of the media to ensure neutrality.” After the announcement of the election schedule, matters relating to transfers and postings will fall under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission (EC). “We will do our job and if the EC wants to make any changes, they will be able to do so.” Regarding the postings of DCs, the adviser said, “The Ministry of Public Administration will decide how to handle the DCs’ postings. We hope they will follow a similar approach.” Mentioning that each polling centre should get one body camera, the adviser said, “How many forces will be needed to conduct the election properly was also discussed at the meeting and we will try to provide a body camera there. Discussions were held on how to purchase it and who will keep it.” When asked who would use the body cameras, the Home Ministry boss said, “We will try to provide one body camera for each of the 47,000 polling centres. The senior-most police officer at the centre will carry the body camera.” More importantly, he said, 8 lakh law enforcement personnel will be on duty in the upcoming elections and all of them will receive training. Necessary arrangements will also be made so that presiding officers can stay at the polling centres instead of at someone’s houses, he said adding “They will be accompanied by members of Ansar, police and other forces.” He mentioned that all law enforcement agencies will receive training ahead of the election.   “We have requested the Election Commission to arrange training for polling and presiding officers. After their training, we will conduct mock drills involving law enforcement members to ensure smooth election operations. Each force will train its members in their respective venues,” the adviser added. Asked whether there is any measure to deal with vote rigging allegations against any police, the adviser said, “We will do our best to ensure a fair election. With your (media’s) cooperation, I believe there will be no problems.” On Tuesday, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said he, on behalf of the interim government, will send a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner so that the Election Commission can hold the national election before the next Ramadan in February next.

Special Assistants to the Chief Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Hafiz and eminent economist Dr Anisuzzaman Chowdhury on Wednesday visited the Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Beximco Pharma), a leading pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh, to see its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. The visit included a guided tour of Beximco Pharma’s production lines, cutting-edge research and development centre and advanced quality control laboratories. They were briefed on the company’s innovation pipeline, export performance and public health contributions both locally and internationally. Abdul Hafiz, special assistant to the chief Adviser on matters of defence and the development of national harmony, appreciated the company’s achievements, saying, “Beximco Pharma serves as an example of how the country’s pharma sector transforms itself driving technological advancement to compete in global market.” Dr Anisuzzaman also lauded the company’s efforts, saying, “It is encouraging to see a Bangladeshi company investing in high-quality research and development while maintaining international standards. Beximco Pharma is not just producing medicine it is also creating value for the nation.” Beximco Industrial Park shuts 14 units; workers’ dues to be cleared from March 9 The delegation commended Beximco Pharma’s contribution to the national economy through job creation, foreign exchange earnings and healthcare innovation, said a media release. They also emphasised the importance of continued collaboration between the public and private sectors to strengthen Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry.  

The government on Wednesday approved procurement proposals for importing one cargo of LNG, 70,000 metric tons of fertiliser, and 25,000 metric tons of refined sugar to meet the growing domestic demand. The approval came at the 30th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room of the Secretariat. Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed presided over the meeting. Briefing reporters after the meeting, the Finance Adviser said that the Energy and Mineral Resources Division will procure one cargo of LNG from the spot market through international quotation method from M/S Aramco Trading Singapore Pte Ltd, Singapore. The estimated cost is at around Tk 517.19 crore with the price per MMBtu set at $12.289. Under two separate proposals from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Industries, the committee approved the procurement of 40,000 metric tons of DAP fertiliser by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) under the 8th lot from MA’ADEN, Saudi Arabia, at a cost of Tk 383.62 crore ($781 per ton). Govt approves procurement of 2 LNG cargoes The Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) will also procure 30,000 metric tons of bagged granular urea fertiliser under the 1st lot from KAFCO, Bangladesh, for approximately Tk 164.91 crore ($448.37 per ton). Besides, the committee approved a proposal from the Ministry of Commerce for the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to import 25,000 metric tons of refined sugar through international open tender. The procurement will cost around Tk 175.98 crore with the price per kilogram set at Tk 106.66.  

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) has made its investment education website and YouTube channel accessible through the Bangladesh National Portal (Bangladesh.gov.bd). From now on, investors can access all information related to BSEC’s investment education initiatives via the national portal, the regulator said in a press release on Wednesday. On the homepage of Bangladesh.gov.bd, users can scroll down and find the ‘All National Portals’ option on the right side. By clicking on ‘Chattogram Division’ (chattogramdiv.gov.bd), the homepage for the division will appear. Scrolling to the bottom right corner, users will find the ‘investment education programme’ section with links to both the website and YouTube channel. Similar links have been added to all divisional pages, enabling investors from any part of the country to gain knowledge about the capital market. As part of its awareness-raising activities, the commission has launched initiatives offering basic concepts of investment, awareness messages, documentaries and video content via its investment education website (www.finlitbd.com) and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@financialliteracyprogramba6178), the release said. It says that investment education helps investors avoid financial fraud and build a secure financial future. It equips them with the necessary knowledge to assess various investment products and make informed decisions.