Bangladesh
Shaheed Asad Day Friday
Shaheed Asad Day will be observed in the country on Friday, commemorating the great sacrifice of student leader Asaduzzaman Asad during the mass upsurge of 1969 that led to Bangladesh’s independence.
The nation is set to recall Asad's supreme sacrifice with deep gratitude though various programmes, marking the 54th anniversary of his martyrdom.
On this day in 1969, Asaduzzaman Asad was killed in firing by Pakistani forces before Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) while protesting against their repressive acts on the then East Pakistan people.
Read more: Why hasn’t the UN recognised 1971 Bangladesh Genocide yet?
A graduate student of History at Dhaka University during that time, Asad was also the DU unit president and Dhaka city unit general secretary of erstwhile East Pakistan Chhatra Union.
Then President Ayub Khan was forced to step down amid a mass revolt fuelled by the incident.
Different socio-political organisations, including Shaheed Asad Parishad, have chalked out elaborate programmes marking the day.
Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the occasion paying homage to the memory of Asaduzzaman Asad. They also prayed for the eternal peace of Asad's departed soul.
Dhaka court orders issuing notice asking Tarique, Zubaida to appear before it
A Dhaka court on Thursday ordered the authorities concerned to publish a notice in newspapers asking BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida to appear before the court in a graft case filed by anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Asaduzzaman passed the order.
The court also ordered the authorities to submit a report in this regard on February 6.
Read more: Confiscate Tarique, Zubaida's assets: Court
On January 5, the same court asked police to confiscate all assets of Tarique and Zubaida.
Court Inspector of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Aminul Islam said police submitted a report on the confiscation of their property, mentioning that no property has been found in their permanent address.
On November 1 last year, the court issued arrest warrants against Tarique and Zubaida after accepting charges against them.
According to the case statement, the ACC filed the case at Kafrul Police Station on September 26, 2007, against Tarique, his wife, and mother-in-law Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu for amassing wealth of around Tk4.82 crore beyond their known sources of income and for concealing information on wealth.
A charge sheet was submitted to the court against them in 2008.
Read more: Arrest warrants issued for Tarique and Zubaida Rahman in corruption case
Later, the High Court issued a rule suspending the proceedings on the application of Zubaida Rahman.
On April 12 in 2018, the High Court gave its judgment dismissing the rule issued to dismiss the case. At the same time, Zubaida Rahman was ordered to surrender before the court within eight weeks.
Zubaida then filed a leave to appeal in the Appellate Division against the judgment of the High Court.
Lawyers said Zubaida, now living in the UK, is a fugitive in the case and will now have to go to jail after surrender. She will then be able to appeal for bail.
Bangladesh on right track to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2035: Momen
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Thursday laid emphasis on stronger partnership and collaborations, noting that Bangladesh is moving towards the right direction to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2035.
“We have potential to become an international business and manufacturing hub and it is time we start creating narratives which would allow Bangladesh platforms to become global incubators for innovation and entrepreneurship,” he told a luncheon meeting
Momen said Bangladesh will have to address the challenges and it is important to have stronger partnership and collaborations.
Read more: We want fair, credible election: Momen tells Donald Lu
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) hosted the networking luncheon at a hotel in Dhaka.
FBCCI will be organizing “Bangladesh Business Summit 2023” from March 11-13 to celebrate the 50 years of establishment of this apex trade body.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi spoke as a special guest. FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin, among others, spoke at the event.
Speaking as the chief guest, Momen said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina followed Bangabandhu’s footsteps and established Bangladesh as a “vibrant economy” and a “land of opportunity” today.
In fact, he said, PM Hasina has launched a new vision for today’s world - ensuring food, clothing, shelter, education, health services, welfare of the people and right to vote by maintaining friendship, peace and stability with all.
“I call this philosophy “Hasinanomics,” Momen said, adding that she introduced four driving forces to achieve Hasinanomics - digital Bangladesh, innovation and creativity development; entrepreneurship and individual Initiative and free market liberal enterprise. As a result, our economy stands on a solid foundation.
Read more: Dhaka studying US Indo-Pacific Strategy: Momen
The foreign minister said they are working with their best possible calculations to stabilize their production ecosystems and keep trade and investment flowing.
“Bangladesh is doing what the prime minister very correctly described as ‘striking a balance between life and livelihood’ and making Bangladesh a hub of connectivity, as connectivity is productivity,” Momen said.
He remains optimistic that the event will help them reach out to international business communities and uphold their efforts in strengthening their global connections for finding win-win paradigms for the economic prospect of Bangladesh.
Under the leadership of the prime minister, Momen said, Bangladesh has become a middle income country and is making “robust strides” to become a developed one by 2041.
Recent IMF data shows that in terms of nominal GDP, Bangladesh’s economy is the 35th largest economy, he said, adding that, “This is a big achievement for us.”
2nd phase Bishwa Ijtema: Metro rail to operate from 8am-5pm on Jan 22
The metro rail in Dhaka will be operated from 8am to 5pm on January 22 for the smooth movement of the devotees attending the second phase of Bishwa Ijtema.
The metro rail authority will extend their service hour to facilitate the devotees on the ‘Akheri Munajat’ (final prayer) day, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) (Public Relations) Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan told UNB on Thursday.
The second phase of Ijtema will be held from January 20 to 22 this year.
Read more: GMP issues traffic directives to reduce sufferings of Ijtema devotees
The metro rail currently operates for four hours daily from 8:00am.
The country’s commuting system entered a new era on December 28 last year with the inauguration of the operation of the first phase of metro rail service -- Uttara to Agargaon in the capital.
Why restricting govt officials from contesting JS polls in 3 yrs of retirement not illegal: HC
The High Court (HC) on Thursday issued a rule questioning why the provision of baring government officials from contesting the national election until three years passed after retirement is not unconstitutional.
The HC bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Md Bashir Ullah issued this rule after hearing the writ petition filed by Brigadier General(Retd) Md Shamim Kamal.
Read more: HC issues stay order on cancellation of Hero Alam’s nomination for Bogura by-polls
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Law Secretary, Home Secretary, Public Administration Secretary, Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Secretary and Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.
Barrister Hasan MS Azim appeared for the writ petitioner in the court.
Brigadier General(Retd) Md Shamim Kamal from Lalmonirhat filed the writ petition on January 15 challenging the provision of Article 12(1) (F) of the Representation of the People's Order 1972 which does not allow military and civilian government officials to contest the national elections until they complete three years of retirement.
UGC asks 4 private universities to stop enrollment for failing to fulfill conditions
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked four private universities not to admit new students for their failure to fulfill some of its conditions.
Those universities are Prime Asia University, Stamford University, Bangladesh, Asha University and Victoria University, said a press release of UGC on Thursday.
Besides, the UGC issued a public notice on the steps taken against 18 private universities as the tenure of their temporary certificates has expired and they have failed to transfer their activities to permanent campuses within the timeframe.
The four universities were asked to fully stop student enrollment for failure to shift activities to permanent campuses and not taking any visible initiative to build permanent campuses.
Apart from this, new student enrollment at temporary campuses of State University and Manarat University will completely remain suspended but it will continue at its permanent campus.
In the notice, Dhaka International University, Royal University, Southeast University, City University, The Millennium University and Bangladesh University were given time to transfer their activities to permanent campuses by March 31 this year.
If the universities fail to comply with the UGC directives within the stipulated time, the student admission to the institutions will remain halted and temporary campuses of the universities will be declared illeal.
Read more: Pvt universities’ permanent campuses: UGC to go tough as deadline ends on Dec 31
Brac University, University of Development Alternative, Green University, Uttara University, Progressive University and The People's University were asked to transfer their all activities by June 30 this year after noticing visible improvement in developing permanent campuses and their written commitments.
The student enrollment at those universities will be halted from July 1 this year once they fail comply with the directive.
Earlier on April 11 last year, the UGC issued notice asking to take measures regarding the expiry of temporary certificate and transfer to permanent campuses by December 31 last year.
As per the ‘Private University Act-2010’, there is an obligation to transfer all kinds of activities to a permanent campus within 12 years of its establishment.
Read more: UGC warning private unis to maintain standards: Biswajit Chanda
Covid-19: Bangladesh logs 9 more cases
Bangladesh reported nine more Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours till Thursday morning.
With the new number, the country's total caseload rose to 2,037,408, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,441 as no new fatalities were reported.
Read more: Hong Kong to scrap isolation rule for new COVID-19 cases
The daily case test positivity dropped to 0.32 percent from Wednesday's 0.53 percent as 2,823 samples were tested.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.45 percent while the recovery rate rose to 97.69 percent.
Bangladesh reported its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 in 2021 and daily fatalities of 264 on August 5 of the same year.
Bangladesh reports 16 more dengue cases
Nineteen more people were hospitalised with dengue in the 24 hours till Thursday morning.
Of the new patients, six were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and 10 outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
A total of 75 dengue patients, including 35 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
Read more: Bangladesh reports 2 more dengue deaths, 14 new cases
So far, the DGHS has recorded 454 dengue cases, 374 recoveries, and five deaths this year.
The country recorded 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019.
Also, the DGHS recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries in the last year.
Raise own funds for development: PM Hasina urges public universities
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called upon the public universities to raise their own funds through the alumni associations for their own development and welfare programmes.
“Every university has an alumni association and through this they can create their own funds for the development of universities and the implementation of projects for the welfare of students,” she said.
The premier made this call while the members of the Standing Committee of Bangladesh University Parishad (Bangladesh University Council) comprising vice chancellors of various public universities,called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.
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After the meeting, Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary KM Sakhawat Moon briefed the reporters.
Placing importance on maintaining good relations with students the PM said, besides studies students should be made useful for the development of the country.
“Students of Bangladesh are very talented, if they are given a little chance, they can bring a higher degree from abroad after completing their university studies,” she said.
To this end, she called upon the university teachers to be more responsible and attentive to make the students suitable.
She said that to fulfill the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to build a golden Bengal, golden boys and girls should be raised in the universities.
The prime minister said that university students should be involved in sports, cultural activities and creative activities in addition to studies so that they stay away from terrorism and militancy.
Read more: No condition for IMF loan to Bangladesh: PM Hasina tells Parliament
For this purpose, Hasina urged to take the initiative to start the inter-university sports competition again.
She recalled that once upon a time there was rampant use of weapons in university shootings, but after Awami League came to power, there is no clanking of weapons and terrorism and militancy in the country have been suppressed with a firm hand.
Pointing out that the government has given importance to the development of the skills of the youth, she said that steps have been taken to ensure that the youth can become entrepreneurs and provide jobs to others instead of chasing jobs after studying.
PM Hasina said that whenever Awami League comes to power, the rate and quality of education in the country increases.
In this context, she mentioned that her government has given importance to development of education, research, production and excellence as well as skill development.
At the same time, the prime minister said that the government is gradually moving the country towards industrialization by maintaining the balance of the environment.
Read more: AL never considers what it gets in return of working for the people: PM Hasina
Hasina said that the government has developed Digital Bangladesh under the guidance of her information and communication technology advisor Sajib Wazed Joy.
She expressed her determination to build a developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh in 2041 by maintaining this continuity of development.
In the event, the vice-chancellors of government universities raised various problems of their respective universities and the PM gave a patient hearing with assurance to solve those gradually.
Cumilla Medical College Intern dies 'by suicide’
An intern of Cumilla Medical College and Hospital allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the dormitory of the medical college on Wednesday night.
The deceased was identified as Minhazul Karim Bhuiya, a no 24th batch intern of the hospital.
Ahmed Manjur Morshed, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said other inmates of the hostel found Minhaz hanging from the ceiling in her room and informed police.
Later, police recovered the body and sent it to the hospital morgue.
Also read: Woman along with 2 children ‘attempts suicide’ in Narail
“The reason behind the apparent suicide could not be known immediately and everything will be known after getting postmortem report,” said the OC.
However, a suicidal note which reads ‘Nobody is responsible for my death’ was found at the room, said police.