Bangladesh
Committee formed to further probe sexual harassment allegations against JU teacher
An investigation committee has been formed to further probe sexual harassment allegations against Mahmudur Rahman Jony, a teacher of Public Health and Informatics Department of Jahangirnagar University.
University Registrar (Contractual) Rahima Kaniz confirmed the matter.
Rahima Kaniz said, "Subject to the review of the preliminary inquiry report, the University Syndicate has constituted a 'clarification' committee for further investigation. The report of the preliminary inquiry committee was presented in the 313th regular meeting of the Syndicate on March 9. At one point in the meeting, the Syndicate members wanted to be more clear about some aspects of the report. For this reason, a five-member clarification committee has been formed for further investigation."
According to the Registrar's office, Professor Kaushik Saha of the Department of Chemistry will serve as the convener of the committee.
Also Read: Jahangirnagar University students attacked
"No decision to dismiss the teacher during the investigation was taken by the syndicate meeting,” Rahima Kaniz said.
When asked what was the reply to the letter sent by the University Grants Commission, Registrar Rahima Kaniz said, "We have informed them that an inquiry committee has been formed and Mahmudur has been relieved of the post of assistant proctor."
Meanwhile, the UGC asked to know the action taken by the authorities in view of the complaint of sexual harassment against the teacher on March 1.
Dhaka, Bangkok keen to explore FTA prospects to boost bilateral trade
Bangladesh and Thailand have agreed to seriously explore the prospects of an FTA (free trade agreement) to further enhance the bilateral trade between the two countries.
Bangladesh also apprised the Thai side that a qualitative feasibility study is being undertaken by the Ministry of Commerce in this regard.
Bangladesh and Thailand agreed to hold the Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in Dhaka this year at a mutually convenient time to review the whole range of bilateral trade and investment portfolio, and increase the volume and diversity of trade to its true potential.
Bangladesh requested the Thai side to ease the trade regime of Thailand in the form of removal of non-tariff barriers, duty waiver/reduction etc. for Bangladeshi products to help achieve a better balance in the bilateral trade.
Also Read: India, Thailand on board to include Bangladesh in Trilateral Highway project
Bangladesh and Thailand held the third Foreign Office Consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen led the Bangladesh delegation, while Sarun Charoensuwan, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, led the Thai side.
Senior officials of the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Agriculture, Industries, Civil Aviation and Tourism and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) also attended the meeting. The meeting discussed the whole gamut of the Bangladesh-Thailand bilateral relations. The 2nd FOC was held in Bangkok last year.
Both sides appreciated the existing excellent bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment for raising the profile of bilateral ties to newer heights in the coming days.
Also Read: 50 years of ties with Thailand: Dhaka calls for regional cohesion
The two sides lauded the growing pace of engagement and enthusiasm in areas of political, economic, social and cultural ties and agreed to further explore new areas of cooperation.
The meeting took stock of cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, health services, tourism, defence cooperation, consular cooperation, agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, connectivity, ICT, energy, cultural exchange and people to people contacts.
The two sides also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.
Also Read: Thailand hosts informal meeting on Myanmar political crisis
During the meeting, the foreign secretary expressed satisfaction that both countries marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with commemorative events throughout 2022 in a befitting manner.
The permanent secretary for foreign affairs of Thailand assured that the country will continue its support to enhance collaboration and cooperation in combating transnational crimes.
By stressing the need for mutual accreditation and recognition of standards, the foreign secretary expressed hope that the draft MoU on testing and standardization of products would be finalized at the earliest.
Also Read: Study in Thailand: Admission process, cost for International Students
A 15-member business delegation was accompanying the Thai permanent secretary who are taking part in various business events including the just concluded Business Summit and the business matchmaking and networking with the Bangladeshi business leaders held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Secretary Masud highly appreciated the presence of the Thai business delegation on the occasion of the 3rd FOC in Dhaka.
Thailand appreciated the high potential and lucrative areas for profitable investment in Bangladesh, both in unitary and joint venture formats. Both sides agreed to mobilize greater dynamism in the B2B institutional cooperation between trade bodies and joint chambers of the two countries.
The foreign secretary lauded Thailand’s successes and experiences in the sectors of poultry, fisheries, and other agro-based industries and sought the Thai government's cooperation in agro-based industries to develop capacity through training and technology transfer.
He also suggested partnership and research related collaborations on aquaculture and marine biodiversity.
The foreign secretary appreciated the visit of Director General of South Asia and Central Asia Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand to the Cox’s Bazar Rohingya Camp the next day and called for a more proactive role by the Thai government for ensuring voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya people currently sheltered in Bangladesh to their homeland in Myanmar.
Dhaka’s air ‘unhealthy’, 3rd most polluted in the world this morning
Dhaka’s air quality is still in the 'unhealthy' zone this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 187 at 9 am, the capital of Bangladesh ranked 3rd in the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
Pakistan’s Lahore and India’s Delhi occupied the first two spots, with AQI scores of 193, 189.
Also Read: AQI: Dhaka's air 2nd most polluted in the world this morning
An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’ while between 201–300 is ‘’very unhealthy’, and 301–400 is 'hazardous', posing severe health risks to residents.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a particular city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Also Read: AQI: Dhaka’s air continues to be in ‘unhealthy’ zone
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognized as increasing a person’s chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections, and
As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
Indian High Commission hosts ‘Open House’ interactions
High Commission of India hosted an ‘Open House’ on Tuesday for the Indian community members to address their grievances and receive suggestions on consular services.
Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma joined the interactions and listened to the queries and concerns of the community members.
He assured the community members that their grievances and suggestions would be taken into consideration and appropriate actions would be taken to address them.
The ‘Open House’ was organized to provide a platform for the Indian community members to discuss various issues pertaining to consular services and to seek practical solutions to resolve them.
China supports Bangladesh foreign policy; envoy promises to resolve Rohingya crisis
Appreciating Bangladesh's foreign policy, China hopes that Bangladesh will not take any side but will remain independent regarding any regional or global issues.
“Bangladesh has a very good foreign policy: friendship to all and malice to none. This means Bangladesh will take no side, but remain independent. We support this,” said Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen at the annual Spring Dialogue with journalists at the embassy on Tuesday.
He said Indo Pacific Strategy, AUKUS, a security pact among Australia, UK and US; and Five Eyes, an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and US; and QUAD, a security dialogue among US, Australia, Japan and India -- have very strong defence elements.
“It is an era of development and peace. Why do you need nuclear submarines? We know who is the target,” Yao said.
If these initiatives create confrontation, China will not support them, he said.
Regarding the Rohingya crisis, the envoy said his country began a trilateral initiative, but the coronavirus pandemic and conflicts in Myanmar since 2021 slowed down the process.
The lack of “trust between Bangladesh and Myanmar and foreign interventions” further complicated the crisis, he said without going into details.
He expects the repatriation of the first batch of Rohingyas to take place soon, he said.
Officials earlier said 1,000 Rohingyas may get repatriated before June.
Read more: No limit to potential of Bangladesh-China ties: Ambassador Yao Wen
The western countries are spending billions of dollars on military equipment for Ukraine, but they are not sending enough aid for the Rohingyas, he said.
“It is my promise. China will never be absent from helping the Rohingya. China will play the role of a mediator and facilitator, but we will not take sides,” he said.
‘China adheres to true multilateralism’: Ambassador Yao Wen
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen has said China always stands on the side of peace and morality and its proposals do not target any specific country, nor exclude any party.
"China adheres to true multilateralism. In China’s belief, issues that matter to all shall be addressed through consultation among all," he said while speaking at the “Spring Dialogue with China” held at the Embassy of China in Bangladesh on Tuesday.
The Chinese Modernization does not resort to war, colonization or plundering, said the Ambassador, adding that it commits to peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results, and insists on harmonious coexistence between mankind and Mother Nature.
Ambassador Yao concluded his opening remarks by assuring that China will keep in mind the interests of the world, take an active part in global governance, and cooperate with the international community, including Bangladesh, to tackle the deficit in peace, security, development and governance, and contribute more to world peace and human progress.
The Ambassador had an in-depth talk with Inam Ahmed, Editor of The Business Standard, and answered questions from the audience.
Ambassador Yao first introduced the “Two Sessions” recently closed in China. He said that the “Two Sessions” this year is the first of its kind since the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which makes it unique.
He underscored the significance and relevance of the dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran under the mediation of China.
The improvement of Saudi-Iranian relations has opened the way for peace and stability in the Middle East and set an example for resolving conflicts between countries through dialogue and consultation, said the envoy.
"This is a victory for dialogue and for peace.”
Ambassador Yao concluded his opening remarks by assuring that China will keep in mind the interests of the world, take an active part in global governance, and cooperate with the international community, including Bangladesh, to tackle the deficit in peace, security, development and governance, and contribute more to world peace and human progress," he said.
Ambassador Yao also introduced China’s positions and propositions on various issues, including China’s economic growth target in 2023, the growth of China’s defense budget, GDI, GSI, Belt and Road cooperation between China and Bangladesh, bilateral trade and investment, displaced people from Myanmar to Bangladesh, Ukraine crisis, China-Russia relations, China-India relations, and the so-called Indo-Pacific Strategy.
First nor’wester of season likely Wednesday
A light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions, and the regions of Cumilla, Jashore and Kushtia in the next 24 hours from 6pm on Tuesday.
Md Shahinur Alam, a meteorologist of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), told UNB on Tuesday night.
A nor'wester is also likely to lash parts of Bangladesh with the speed of 60 to 80 kilometer per hour within the time, the meteorologist said.
Day temperature may fall slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, he said.
On the other hand, the Agriculture Ministry in a media release said the light to moderate rain is likely to occur in all districts from March 17- 22.
In the release Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) provided some instructions for farmers.
The instructions includes refraining from using sewerage, fertilizers and insecticides during the period, harvesting the ripped crops soon and reserving in dry spaces among others.
After the gusty rain, the farmers are asked to use fertilizers and insecticides as per the instructions.
A heatwave is sweeping over the parts of the country for the last a few days.
Nor'wester or the Kalbaishakhi occurs in India and Bangladesh, often with violent hurricane-speed winds and the pre-monsoon nor'wester is caused by heavy convection for excessive heat.
Read more: Nor'wester coming, likely to hit five divisions
Another danger that has come to the fore in recent years is lightning accompanying the nor'westers, that have taken scores of lives in recent years. In 2016, 42 people were killed in a single day of nor'westers across the country.
High Court questions hike in price of performing hajj
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday questioned how common people will perform hajj at the cost of the package set by the government.
It questioned: “Why doesn't the government allocate budgets for the hajj like other countries in the world?”
The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali came up with this observation while hearing a writ petition over revising the hajj package offered by the government this year.
The court set Wednesday for further hearing.
Supreme Court lawyer Ashraf-uz-Zaman was present in the hearing on behalf of the writ petitioner.
Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar and Assistant Attorney General Md Awlad Hossain represented the state at the hearing.
The High Court ordered DAG Bashar to inform the court about the latest update on revising the hajj package ahead of Wednesday’s hearing.
Read more: Govt raises hajj cost by Tk 1.61 lakh this year
Earlier on February 1, the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced the hajj package for 2023 in a memorandum. According to the package, a person has to pay a hefty amount of Tk 6.83 lakh to perform hajj this year - up from Tk 5.22 lakh in 2022.
In response, Ashraf-uz-Zaman sent a legal notice to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, requesting it to reduce the cost of hajj pilgrims and bring it under Tk 4 lakh
Later, he filed a writ on March 12 as the concerned authority failed to respond to the legal notice.
Contacted, Lawyer Ashraf Uz Zaman said: “Currently, the plane fare on the Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia-Bangladesh route is Tk 76,000 to Tk 1,10,000. Every year, the governments of both countries force hajj pilgrims to buy tickets for Saudia Airlines and Biman Bangladesh Airlines which destroys the hajj pilgrims’ capacity to choose for themselves.”
“The legal notice was sent requesting the authorities to amend and reduce the price of the hajj package for 2023, citing various factors.”
Hajj-2023 will be held on 9th day of Zilhaj (June 28) depending on moon sighting.
This year, over 127,000 Bangladeshis will get the chance to perform hajj, more than double the number last year.
Only 60,000 people from Bangladesh were allowed to perform hajj in 2022 as the Saudi government only partially opened up in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the first year since the pandemic that the hajj is expected to be held with no restrictions on attendance.
Read more: HAAB announces private hajj package: Minimum cost set at Tk 6.72 lakh
Sitakunda explosion: MD of oxygen plant arrested
Police have arrested Parvez Uddin Santu, managing director of Seema Oxygen Limited, where seven people died due to an explosion in Sitakunda of Chattogram on March 4.
A team of industrial police arrested him from the Muradpur area of Panchlaish Police Station around 8:30 pm tonight.
Parvez is the number two accused in a case filed with Sitakunda Police Station in connection with the recent explosion at the oxygen plant.
Read more: 16 sued over Sitakunda oxygen plant fire
Md Mahbubur Rahman said, the additional inspector general and head of industrial police, confirming the arrest, said, "Details will be announced at a press conference tomorrow.”
On March 4, a massive cylinder explosion and fire broke out at the Seema Oxygen Plant in the Kadam Rasul area of the Bhatiari union of Sitakunda, where seven people died and 30 people were injured.
Rokeya Begum, the wife of Abdul Quader who died in the explosion, filed the case against 16 people, including three brothers, who own the factory.
A seven-member committee was formed by the district administration with Chattogram Additional District Magistrate Rakib Hasan as the convener to investigate the blast.
The committee submitted its report to the deputy commissioner today.
Although the details of the investigation report have not been released, the report has presented nine recommendations to prevent such incidents.
The investigation found evidence of negligence on the part of the owner in operating the factory.
IU lodges case against outsiders; one arrested
The authorities of Islamic University in Kushtia on Tuesday lodged a case against outsiders with Shailkupa police station over assaulting two of its students.
The authorities of the university also issued an order prohibiting the movement of outsiders on the campus without any permission of the university authorities.
Police, however, arrested an outsider for his alleged involvement in assaulting the students, the police officials said.
Shailkupa police station officer-in-charge Aminul Islam told UNB that the university's acting registrar HM Ali Hasan filed the case against two named and 20 to 25 unnamed persons with the police station early Tuesday.
On a drive, a team of police conducted a drive in the upazila and arrested Jahangir Hossain alias Jhantu in the case.
Police were trying to arrest the other accused and involved in the incident, the OC added.
"IU is only open to its students. Outsiders cannot stay, roam around and do any activities on the campus without the permission of the proctor or authorities concerned," IU proctor Professor M Shahadat Hossain Azad said.
If they do not comply with the notice, the authorities will take steps against them, he added.
Earlier, Mehedi Hasan of management department and Jahid of finance and banking department under 2018-19 academic sessions locked into an altercation with the outsiders over capturing videos of their female classmates of the students at IU Lake area.
Mehedi and Jahid were allegedly assaulted by the outsiders at Sheikhpara Bazar adjacent to the campus on Monday evening over the issue. That left the students critically injured on the spot.
Local people rescued the students and took them to IU central hospital for treatment where the attending doctor referred them to Kushtia General Hospital for better treatment, the hospital’s office assistant Khandokar Naimul Reza said.
A group of fellow students went to the university’s main entrance and blockaded the Kushtia-Jhenaidah Highway demanding immediate arrest of the outsiders and restriction for campus entry of the outsiders.
No vehicles were allowed to move on the highway during the blockade, causing immense suffering for the passengers from faraway districts.
A team of Kushtia highway police and IU proctorial body led by proctor Professor M Shahadat Hossain Azad went to the spot to bring the situation under control but failed.
The students, at one stage, went to the IU VC’s bungalow and threw bricks at its collapsible gate to press home their demand.
The students later withdrew their demonstration on the campus at around 11:00pm as the university authorities and Kushtia additional superintendent of police (special branch) Farhad Hossain assured them of looking into the matter.