United News of Bangladesh

The student rally of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of BNP, has begun in the capital’s Shahbagh area with a massive presence of leaders and activists from all over the country. The rally formally started at 3:16pm on Sunday with the recitation from the Holy Quran, marking the anniversary of the July-August mass uprising. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and other senior leaders are expected to speak at the event. Thousands of JCD activists converge at Shahbagh for student rally Tarique, the organisational guardian of JCF, virtually joined the rally around 3:14pm. Students from various educational institutions, including those from outside Dhaka, have joined the rally, along with family members of the JCD martyrs during the July-August movement. Since morning, thousands of JCD leaders and activists have been gathering in Shahbagh area to attend the rally. Gridlock grips Dhaka as rallies and exams collide A stage has been set up at the Shahbagh intersection with loudspeakers placed all around the venue. The entire stretch from Matshya Bhaban to Katabon is filled with JCD leaders and supporters. Several big screens and projectors have also been installed to help people follow the event. JCD leaders said ambulances and emergency vehicles will be allowed to pass freely through the alley between Aziz Super Market and PG Hospital, from Katabon intersection to Hotel InterContinental. They also mentioned that no vehicle carrying JCD activists will be allowed into the Dhaka University area under any circumstances. Participants have been instructed not to bring any personal processions or showdowns to the rally. After the event, each unit has been asked to clean up their designated spots before leaving. Ten health centres have been set up around the rally grounds to provide medical support if needed. Roads around Shahbagh are packed with JCD activists which has caused traffic congestion in nearby areas. Police have shut down traffic on Shahbagh, Dhaka University and Matsyabhaban roads since morning due to the rally. Earlier, on Wednesday, JCD decided to shift the rally venue from the Central Shaheed Minar to Shahbagh, even though they had permission for the previous venue. At a press conference held at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, JCD President Rakibul Islam Rakib said the change was made following a request from the National Citizen Party (NCP), which had also planned a rally at the same time and place. As the rally at the busy Shahbagh intersection is likely to cause traffic disruptions, Rakib has apologised in advance to the city dwellers for the inconvenience. The JCD had earlier announced a series of programmes to mark the July-August uprising anniversary, with the August 3 student rally being one of the main events. This is the first major public event organised by the BNP’s student wing since the mass uprising last year. To ensure everything goes smoothly, the student wing issued six specific instructions to its members. The central leadership has clearly told participants not to bring any banners, festoons, or placards. Nasir Uddin Nasir, General Secretary of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, said the rally will be held peacefully and in an orderly manner. “Through this rally, our guardian and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will give an important speech on the future of student politics,” he said. Nasir also said 90 organisational committees have been formed and about 3,500 volunteer teams have been deployed to help manage the rally.  

The Bangladesh Army has arrested a local journalist for allegedly inciting violence during an attack on the homes of the minority community in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur. The detainee, Habibur Rahman Selim, is a correspondent for a local daily ‘Dainik Juger Alo’. According to police and local sources, Selim is accused of provoking attackers during the July 26 incident in Betgari union, which followed outrage over a social media post by a Hindu youth allegedly defaming the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Officer-in-charge (OC) of Gangachhara Model Police Station Al Imran said the army detained Selim from his home in Chawdapara village early Sunday after identifying him in a video footage where he was reportedly seen instigating others against the army. He was later handed over to police and formally shown arrested in a case related to the vandalism of Hindu homes, the OC added. Selim was produced before a court for legal proceedings.  

Road communications with Khagrachhari district and other parts of the country remained suspended since Sunday morning following a landslide on a regional road in Rangamati due to heavy rain. Locals said the Baghaichhari-Dighinala road became covered with soil due to overnight heavy rainfall, causing traffic to come to a halt from dawn. Maksudur Rahman, executive engineer of Khagrachhari Roads and Highways Department, said efforts are underway to clear the road. “Other roads in the district remain open and functioning normally,” he said. Landslide warning sparks fear among Rangamati people Baghaichhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shirin Akter said the army and other agencies are working to remove the chunks of soil and to resume the traffic. Subhuti Chakma, a weather officer at Dighinala, said they recorded 53 millimeters of rain in the last 24 hours till 10 am. Since Saturday night, intermittent rainfall has caused rivers and canals, including Chenggi and Maini, to swell, with authorities urging residents living near vulnerable hillsides to stay alert.  

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Bangladesh on Sunday signed a $150 million loan agreement to improve technical and vocational education and training (TVET), aiming to enhance access to decent employment and boost the country’s global market competitiveness. Economic Relations Division (ERD) secretary Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky and Country Director Hoe Yun Jeong signed the loan agreement on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB respectively at a ceremony at ERD in Dhaka.  ADB okays $58.6 mln grant, $28.1 mln loan for Rohingyas, host communities The results-based assistance for the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Teachers for the Future Program will expand access to modern teacher training—especially in underserved regions outside Dhaka; improve the pedagogical and technical skills of educators in emerging technologies; and strengthen systems for teacher development, management, and reporting. Under the programme, at least 10,000 new and existing TVET teachers will have enhanced their capacities, positively impacting over 250,000 students. The programme will also establish a nationwide system for continuous professional development to ensure the sustained quality and relevance of TVET in Bangladesh. ADB Country Director Hoe Yun Jeong said that aligned with the country’s economic diversification priorities, the programme targets five key technology clusters: mechanical, electronics and electrical, information and communication technology, civil, and food and agriculture. “It supports Bangladesh’s priority agenda of job creation, addresses non-income dimensions of poverty and social exclusion, and enhances access to decent employment and competitiveness in the global market, aligned with the government’s Integrated TVET Development Action Plan (ITDAP),” he said.

After finishing her shift at a small eatery in Baro Mile, a hardworking woman began her usual ride home with her husband, unaware that the night in kushtia would take a tragic turn. What followed in a nearby litchi orchard of Bheramara upazila will scar the couple forever. A group of five men intercepted the three-wheeler. The 26-year-old woman and her husband were no match for the sudden violence. The men dragged them into the orchard, tied the husband to a tree and began to beat him. Then, the woman was taken deeper into the trees and raped. “I could hear her screaming,” the husband later told police, choking on his words. “I couldn’t do anything. They had tied me up like an animal.” The alleged perpetrators, all from Bahirchar union, were swiftly detained by the police. Among them are Kalu Pramanik, 46, Murshid Sheikh, 45, Titu Mondal alias Tipu, 42, Ejajul, 42, and van driver Rubel Ali, 24. Two get life term for rape in Naogaon Police said that three of them have confessed to the crime. But even after enduring such a harrowing ordeal, the couple’s trauma did not end there. According to locals, the woman and her husband were taken to Bheramara Police Station after residents, hearing her desperate screams, called the national emergency helpline 999. Shockingly, they alleged that the couple was held at the station overnight without sending the woman for urgent medical examination. “They were kept there till 9am the next day,” a resident said. When asked, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bheramara Police Station Abdur Rob denied that the couple was kept without proper care. Superintendent of Police Md Mizanur Rahman assured that the woman would be taken for medical tests once the formal complaint process was completed. “Police detained five suspects soon after receiving the complaint,” he added. This isn’t just another police case, another line in a register. It is the story of a woman who survived a night of unimaginable brutality, and of a man who stood powerless as criminals tore through their lives. Khagrachhari rape underscores grave threat to women and children’s safety: MJF In just the first three months of 2024, at least 114 women fell victim to rape in Bangladesh, according to a report released by Ain o Salish Kendra yesterday. Among the victims, three were killed following the assault and one took her own life, the human rights group said, highlighting the ongoing crisis of violence against women.

A farmer was electrocuted at Bhatpara village in Gangni upazila of Meherpur district on Sunday. The deceased was identified Shawkat Ali, son of late Foratullah Kazi of the village. Officer-in-Charge of Gangni police station Bani Israil said Shawkat got electrocuted when was trying to turn on the switch of his irrigation pump. Couple electrocuted to death in Meherpur Another source said there were some holes in the electric wire of the pump and Ali managed to make it function with some patchworks which eventually became the cause of his tragic death.

Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Sunday said Dr M Shamsher Ali, founding Vice-Chancellor of both Bangladesh Open University and Southeast University, was a lifelong seeker of truth and a committed humanist. He said Dr Ali, who passed away early Sunday, endeavoured to bridge the realms of science and faith, drawing upon his profound understanding of both Islam and physics. "In an era when BTV was the sole broadcast medium at our homes, distinguished physicist and nuclear scientist, Dr Ali became a familiar face and a voice of deep contemplation," Alam said.  OCAB mourns death of its former President Shamim Ahmad  Throughout his life, Dr Ali strove to harmonise scientific inquiry with spiritual insights, enriching public discourse with his thoughtful perspectives, said the Press Secretary in a message shared from his verified Facebook account.  "May he rest in peace, and may Allah grant him a beautiful place in Jannatul Ferdous. May his unwavering pursuit of truth continue to inspire generations of young minds," Alam said, conveying his condolences to his son Jehan Ali and his family members.

Another official of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been sent into retirement for the sake of public interest, according to a notification issued on Sunday. The official is Lokman Ahmed, Tax Inspector (Grade-10) of Tax Zone-2, Dhaka. The decision was taken under Section 45 of the Government Service Act, 2018 which empowers the government to send any public servant into retirement  in public interest after completion of 25 years of service. Ahmed has completed 25 years in government service. The notification signed by NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan states that he will be entitled to all retirement benefits as per the existing rules. 18 judges sent into forced retirement Sources in the NBR said that Lokman Ahmed was in leading position in the recent movement. After the movement a good number of NBR officials or employees have been suspended or sent into forced retirement for their alleged involvement in it. National Board of Revenue(NBR) officials under the banner of NBR Unity Council went on complete shutdown on June 28-29 demanding the immediate removal of its Chairman and others demands. Since early June the agitating officials staged work abstentions, hunger strikes, and human chains, disrupting services in tax, VAT and customs offices across the country. The protests began after the government issued an ordinance on May 12 dissolving the NBR and the Internal Resources Division and replacing them with the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division.

Dhaka’s streets turned into a sea of traffic on Sunday morning, as political rallies and public examinations brought the city to a near standstill. From early hours, office-goers, students and everyday commuters found themselves stuck in long tailbacks, inching through major roads under the scorching sun. With thousands heading to political gatherings and exam centres across the capital, pressure on key thoroughfares only worsened. Roads near major intersections, exam centers and rally venues experienced particularly heavy traffic, leaving thousands stranded or delayed. Law enforcement agencies have intensified security measures and restricted vehicular movement on several major roads in the capital to reduce public inconvenience, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). The BNP-backed Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) is scheduled to hold a rally at the Shahbagh intersection from 2 pm to 6 pm. Besides, the National Citizen Party (NCP) will organise a gathering at the Central Shaheed Minar from 4pm to 6pm, demanding the announcement of the ‘July Declaration and July Charter’. Traffic movement on Kushtia-Rajbari regional highway halted for 2 hrs Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed cultural group ‘Saimum Shilpigoshthi’ will stage a program titled ‘July Awakening’ at Suhrawardy Udyan. Large crowds are expected in the Shahbagh, Central Shaheed Minar, and Suhrawardy Udyan areas due to these overlapping events. In a public notice signed by DMP Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sajjad Ali warned of possible traffic congestion in and around Shahbagh. In light of the HSC examinations, the DMP has announced traffic diversions and partial movement control in the area to minimize public inconvenience. The measures will remain in place from Sunday morning until evening, said the DMP.

The Teesta River has once again crossed the danger mark at the Dalia point in Rangpur, flooding low-lying areas along its banks following continuous heavy rainfall and gushing waters from the upstream. As of 9am on Sunday, the river was flowing at 52.16 metres, one centimetre above the danger level, according to the Water Development Board (WDB). Officials said the water level has risen by 23 centimetres over the past 16 hours. “In the early hours of Sunday, the water level rose rapidly and is now flowing above the danger mark,” said Nurul Islam, a level reader at the Teesta Barrage. To manage the pressure, all 44 sluice gates of the barrage have been opened, he said. Floodwaters have started pouring into homes and courtyards in several low-lying villages, including parts of Goddimari, Chandimari and Gobardhan. Croplands are also under water, raising fresh concerns among local farmers. Low-lying areas flooded in Lalmonirhat as Teesta swells “Rainfall has been heavy since morning, and now floodwaters from upstream are entering our courtyards,” said Shamsul Alam, a resident of Goddimari Union. Sindurna Union Chairman Advocate Ariful Islam said, “Immediate aid is needed as several wards are now waterlogged. People are trapped.” WDB Executive Engineer Ahsan Habib said the flooding is being caused by a combination of upstream inflow and local rainfall. District authorities have issued warnings and put emergency relief efforts in place.