United News of Bangladesh

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Monday afternoon left Dhaka for China to discuss a wide range of issues and ways to strengthen Dhaka's economic partnership with Beijing. China has already invited Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to pay an official visit to Beijing in March this year with Dhaka seeing it positively, said a diplomatic source. Bangladesh and China are preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2025. Adviser Hossain is paying the visit at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in what is  described as “very important first bilateral visit” after the formation of the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Dr Yunus in August last year. He will have engagements with Chinese officials on January 21-23. He is scheduled to return home on January 24. Bangladesh is likely to request China to lower loan interest rates, extend repayment terms by 30 years and waive commitment fees to bolster economic cooperation. Deeper ties with Russia sought in meeting with new ambassador The issues along with budget support will come up in a big way during Hossain's visit. "...all economic issues will come up for discussion. Some issues are very important. Bangladesh's trade and economic relations with China are very important," the adviser said while talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week. He said they will discuss budgetary support, explore China's assistance, expedite loan disbursement for Bangladeshi projects, and seek a full withdrawal of the commitment fee. A commitment fee in China is a charge made by a lender to a borrower for keeping a line of credit available. Bangladesh sees Hossain’s maiden bilateral visit to China as a “great opportunity” to further strengthen and deepen the bilateral relations with Beijing giving an outline for the future cooperation. Asked about the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the adviser said there are some issues that will continue to be discussed with a positive approach and noted that Bangladesh’s relationship with China is not just government-specific. The GDI is a multilateral development initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2021.

A petition has been filed in the High Court challenging the president's power to pardon convicted offenders. Supreme Court lawyer Ishrat Hasan filed the petition on Monday. The petitioner has informed that a High Court bench, comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury, will hear the petition next week. The Cabinet Secretary, the Law Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Parliament Secretary, and the Secretary of the President's Office have been named as respondents in the petition. 2 men sentenced to 10 years for harassing minor, inciting suicide The petition requests the High Court to issue a rule asking why the president's power to pardon convicted offenders without a policy should not be declared unconstitutional. Additionally, the petition seeks directions to formulate a policy for the remission, suspension, or reduction of sentences under Article 49 of the Constitution. The petition also asks the court to rule on why the respondents' failure to formulate a policy for the implementation of this provision of the Constitution should not be declared illegal, unconstitutional, and contradictory to Articles 7, 27, and 31 of the Constitution. Article 49 of the Constitution states: "The president shall have the power to grant pardon, delay or suspend the execution of any sentence, and remit, suspend or reduce any sentence awarded by any court, tribunal, or other authority." The petition points out that under Article 49, the president’s power to grant pardons is unrestricted and lacks any formal policy. There is no clear policy governing who can be granted a pardon and on what basis, which the petition argues contradicts Articles 7, 27, 31, and 32 of the Constitution. Appellate Division defers 13th Amendment review hearing to Feb 9 The petition also highlights the misuse of this power, citing examples such as the pardons granted to individuals like the brother of the former army chief, Joseph, and Aslam Fakir. It has become common for sentences to be remitted for political reasons, which the petition claims constitutes an abuse of power. “For years, the president's power to grant pardons has been widely misused. During the previous government’s tenure, convicted murderers were pardoned through the improper use of this power. This has led to growing public concerns about the fairness of justice, with many feeling disillusioned with the notion of receiving fair legal treatment. To prevent the ongoing misuse of this power, the petition asserts that it is essential to formulate a clear policy,” said petitioner Ishrat Hasan.

Authorities at Bengali daily Bhorer Kagoj newspaper have shut down its operations due to “circumstances beyond the owner’s control”. A notice regarding the decision was hung on the main gate of the newspaper’s Malibagh office on Monday. "The authorities of Bhorer Kagoj have decided to shut down the head office of the organisation under Section 12 of the Bangladesh Labour Act-2006 due to circumstances beyond the owner’s control. This decision will take effect from January 20, 2025,” reads the notice. Chief Reporter of the newspaper Khandaker Kawsar said employees had been protesting demanding their rights, settlement of all pending dues and financial benefits, as per the 8th Wage Board when the closure order came. A list of demands was also submitted to the management but the sudden closure came as a shock to the staff, he said. Media reform commission members have solid backgrounds, says CA's press secretary "We have been facing discrimination for over a decade. The closure is highly condemnable. The journalists and the employees will announce protest programmes soon," said the chief reporter. He said the management had planned to continue operations with 30-35 employees while laying off the rest. "Our stance was clear—in case of layoffs, we had certain demands that must be addressed," he said. The protesting staff said the Bhorer Kagoj authorities which implemented the 8th Wage Board to secure government benefits such as a Tk 900 per column-inch advertisement rate should clear all dues, including wages and service benefits, before any layoff. Their demands also included immediate implementation of the 8th Wage Board for all employees if layoff does not occur, issuance of appointment letters to all employees, settlement of all pending dues and financial benefits as per the 8th Wage Board. The newspaper was launched on February 15, 1992, under the slogan "The Daily for Free Thought." The newspaper faced a significant blow following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5. Its editor Shyamal Dutta was arrested on September 16. He has been in prison since September 23.

Eighty-five new dengue patients were admitted to hospitals in 24 hours till Monday morning, bringing the total number of cases to 916 this year. Of the new cases, three were reported in the Dhaka North City Corporation, while seven others were hospitalised in the Dhaka South City Corporation, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). 19 dengue patients hospitalised in 24hrs The number of deaths remained at 8, with no new fatalities reported during this period, the DGHS added. Currently, 221 dengue patients are receiving treatment in hospitals across the country. 46 dengue patients hospitalised in 24hrs Last year, dengue claimed the lives of 575 people. According to the DGHS, there were 101,214 dengue cases and 100,040 recoveries in 2024.  

Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumdar has been given the additional charge of Land Ministry. The Cabinet Division issued an official notification in this regard on Monday. This move follows the passing of  former Land Adviser A. F. Hassan Ariff who died of a heart attack on December 20. Voting rights to be restored at any cost: CEC The notification said that, in line with previous communications from the Cabinet Division dated August 16, August 27, and November 10, the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government has now assigned Ali Imam Majumdar with the additional responsibility of the Ministry of Land.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) experienced a substantial rise in indices on the second trading day of the week.  At the end of trading on Monday, all three major indices of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) witnessed gains.  The DSEX, the benchmark index, increased by 50 points to 5,195 points. The Shariah-based DSES index rose by 15 points, while the DS30, which tracks selected large-cap shares, gained 20 points. Stock Market: Indices surge as most company stocks gain in early trading Most companies' shares saw an increase in prices. Out of the traded stocks, 248 companies saw price hikes, 81 experienced declines, and 71 remained unchanged. The price rise was observed across all categories.  Among ‘A’ category shares, 126 saw gains, 54 declined and 40 remained unchanged.  In the ‘B’ category, prices of 65 companies increased, 11 fell, and 13 remained unchanged. While for the ‘Z’ category, 54 companies registered gains, 15 saw declines and 18 remained stable. Of the 37 mutual funds traded, most remained unchanged.  However, 12 funds registered price increases while 16 saw declines. In addition to index growth, trading turnover increased by Tk 58 crore compared to the previous day, marking the highest turnover in eight sessions.  The total turnover in the stock market on Monday amounted to Tk 426.92 crore. Dhaka stock market sees uptrend after five days of decline Among traded shares, Midland Bank led the price gainers' list. It was the only bank among the top 10 gainers, with its share price increasing by 10% in a day.  The price of each share rose from Tk 25 to Tk 27.50, reflecting a gain of Tk 2.50 per share. Other top gainers included Runner Automobiles, JMI Hospital, Monno Ceramics, Summit Alliance Port, Fine Foods, Sonargaon Textile, Kohinoor Chemicals, Confidence Cement and Shahjibazar Power Company Limited, all of which registered significant price increases. Meanwhile, DSE moved Associate Oxygen Limited from the ‘A’ category to the ‘Z’ category and instructed brokerage houses and merchant banks not to provide margin loans for trading its shares. On the other hand, CVO Petrochemical Refinery was upgraded from the ‘B’ category to the ‘A’ category following a specific dividend declaration.  Slight rise in key index at start of week's trading After seven years, the company paid its investors a maximum dividend of 10% for the fiscal year 2024. Acme Laboratories Limited also distributed dividends for the June quarter last year. Investors received a 35% dividend per share, the highest in four years from the company. Like Dhaka, the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also experienced an index rise.  The CSCX index climbed by 56 points.  However, the turnover decreased by Tk 68.58 lakh compared to the previous trading day. On Monday, the CSE recorded a total turnover of Tk 2.58 crore. Among 200 traded companies, 114 saw price increases, 58 experienced declines, and 28 remained unchanged.

CNG drivers’ demonstration brought traffic to a standstill in the capital’s Mohakhali area on Monday afternoon, causing immense suffering to commuters.  The drivers staged the protests on Mohakhali-Banani road to press home their various demands at 12:30 pm, halting vehicular movement on the busy road, said Banani Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Russell Sarwar. Police foil protesters’ march towards Home Ministry The protesters gathered in front of the Mohakhali BRTA building to voice their various demands including ‘arbitrary detention’ of CNG-run auto-rickshaws and easing restrictions on parking.  The demonstration concluded around 2 pm, after which traffic started returning to normal, said the OC. Alia Madrasa students block roads protesting court set-up on field

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members have detained a Sudanese woman while she was trying to trespass into the country through Feni border from India. The detainee is Eslam, 26, daughter of Abdel Rahim. Mohammad Mosharaff Hossain, commandant of the BGB-4 Battalion in Feni, said a patrolling team detained the Sudanese woman while she was trying to enter through Parshuram border in Purbo Nij Kalikapur area early Monday morning. Read: Bangladeshi youth ‘tortured by BSF’ near Feni border A mobile phone set, $100 dollars, 30 Indian rupees, and some dresses were seized from her, he said. On November 7 last, the BGB detained an Ethiopian national from the Feni border. On December 29, a Nigerian citizen named Gilbert Aphe was detained for illegal intrusion into Bangladesh through the border.

Students have issued an ultimatum for the republication of medical admission test results for the 2024-25 academic year by today, calling for the abolition of all irrational quotas, including the freedom fighter quota. The demand was made during a sit-in and protest rally today held at the Central Shaheed Minar at 11:30 am. Students from Dhaka University also expressed solidarity with the protest. MBBS admission test results published During the event, protesters raised various slogans. “Yesterday, many candidates with 40 or 41 marks gained admission, while others who scored double that could not. Isn’t this discrimination?,” said Kumudini Women's Medical College Psychiatry Prof Dr Major (retd) Abdul Wahab, while expressing solidarity with the students. “Since you have learned to protest, you must continue to fight for your rights on the streets,” he said urging the students. Doha, a student of Dhaka Medical College, said, “After a successful movement demanding the abolition of discrimination, this kind of biased treatment in the medical admission exam should not happen. When the passing mark is 40, how can someone with 37 or 38 marks gain admission? We demand an end to this discrimination today.” MBBS admission test to be held Friday Abir Hossain, a student of Sir Salimullah Medical College, said, “In previous years, students scoring slightly below the cutoff could gain admission through quotas. But this year, candidates with marks 30 to 35 below the cutoff have been admitted through the quota system, which is unacceptable. We demand the abolition of all quotas, including the freedom fighter quota, and the republication of the results today.” Mahin Sarkar, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, also expressed solidarity with the medical students, saying, “Even after the movement in Bangladesh, we see irrational quotas being implemented in medical colleges. “Some students scoring 72 marks didn’t gain admission, while others with 40 marks did. We demand the immediate republication of the medical admission results and the abolition of all irrational quotas in all universities and medical admission exams,” he said.

Forest officials in a drive seized 25 kgs of deer venison from Jongla area under Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans East Zone in Bagerhat district.Tipped off, a team of forest officials conducted a drive in the area on Sunday and challenged a boat at a canal, two kilometers away from the Sundarbans. 4 deer die while being shifted to Bogura from Dhaka ZooLater, they seized the venison, deer skin, deer head, trap and a boat, said Dipon Chandra Das, said assistant forest conservator of Chandpai Range.However, the forest officials could not arrest anyone as the poachers managed to flee the scene.The seized items were sent to the Khulna. Two men arrested for hunting deer in BagerhatOn January 15, the forest officials seized 30 kgs of venison, two heads, seven legs and a trap from the Sundarbans.