Bangladesh
Rab launches special drive to free Sundarbans from robbers
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have launched a special drive to free the world’s largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, from robbers – to ensure security of fishermen.
A special team named “Elite Tigers” of the battalion launched the drive on Saturday noon through a long range patrolling in Sharankhola, Joymoni, Baroitala, Andarmanik, Mrigamari and others spots. The drive will continue while another team, “Bengal Tigers”, with trawlers is kept standby to response to emergency calls.
Robbers abducted 11 fishermen from different areas of the Sundarbans between December 13 and 18.
Read more: 11 kidnapped fishermen rescued in Sundarbans: Police
Last Wednesday, police claimed that the robbers left the fishermen in the face of their drives. Some of the rescued fisherman, however, claimed that they were released after paying ransom to the abductors. Police denied this claim.
Commandant Md Badruzzoha, of Rab-6, said they launched the special drive to bring the robbers, who recently kidnapped fishermen, under the law through identification.
Read more: Killing tigers in the Sundarbans: Offenders get off scot-free for lack for evidence
“We are determined to free the Sundarbans from the criminals at any cost,” Lt Col Mostak Ahmed, commandant of the Rab-6, said.
The Rab officer further said that law enforcers will always stand by the fishermen to provide security.
Russia says Dec 14 incident an “expected result” of US Ambassador’s efforts to “influence” Bangladesh’s domestic affairs
Russia has said the December 14 incident is an “expected result” of the activity of the American ambassador, who — under the pretext of caring about the rights of the citizens of Bangladesh — was “persistently trying to influence” the domestic processes in the country.
“As of late, his colleagues from the British and German diplomatic missions have been engaged in the same cause and have allowed themselves to openly give recommendations to the local authorities regarding transparency and inclusiveness in the parliamentary elections scheduled for next year,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in Moscow.
Russia said they believe that such actions that “violate” the basic principles of non-interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign states are “unacceptable”.
Read more: US Embassy Dhaka wants to know if Russian 'principle of non-interference' applies in Ukraine
The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said they have noted the widely publicized incident involving the US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, whose security was “allegedly threatened” by activists from a local public organization when he went to meet with the family of a supporter of an opposition political party on December 14, 2022 in Dhaka.
In 2013, the opposition party supporter went missing, the Russian spokesperson said.
“If anybody wants to ask: How about the terms ‘diplomat, immunity, embassy, security’? We always urge these things in accordance with international law and the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations,” she said.
“We urge the US, the United Kingdom and other countries to care about and comment not only on cases of their own security, but also to support their colleagues when the countries and their representatives, including at international organizations, raise questions about the security of their embassies and consular facilities,” Zakharova added.
“They do not care about this. At best, they remain silent and at worst, they justify those who do this. When international terrorists committed a series of attacks against our embassy in Syria, we urged the Americans to respond to this through the UN Security Council,” she said.
Read more: Russia committed to ‘not interfering in the domestic affairs’ of Bangladesh: Embassy statement
She said, “Everything was obvious. There can be no political justification for an unwillingness to publicly take a stand and use the common voice of the Security Council.”
The spokesperson said Washington did not support Russia’s proposal on the council taking a clear stance on the protection of diplomats and condemning terrorist attacks at embassies and against diplomats.
“There cannot be any double standards, only a joint consolidated position,” said the Russian foreign ministry official.
Biker, pillion rider dead in Kushtia road accident
A biker and his pillion rider were dead as the motorcycle carrying them collided with a trolley in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia on Saturday night.
The deceased were identified as motorcycle rider Irfan, 34, and Ashiq, 24, of the district.
Read more: 2 inc. wife of expatriate killed in road crash after receiving him at airport
The accident occurred around 9:30 pm when the motorcycle collided with the goods-laden trolley in Shyamnagar market area of the upazila, leaving the duo seriously injured, said Daulatpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mojibur Rahman.
They succumbed to their injuries on the way to hospital, he added.
The bodies were sent to Kushtia General Hospital morgue.
Read more: Road accidents in Kurigram, Savar leave 5 killed, 5 injured
Police seized the trolley. However, the driver fled the scene immediately, said the OC.
Christmas celebrations underway in Bangladesh
The Christian community is celebrating Christmas in the country, as elsewhere across the world, this morning amid festivities and enthusiasm.
Christmas, the biggest religious festival of the Christians, is annually celebrated all over the world on the 25th of December — commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.
It is a time when family, friends and relatives get together to celebrate the day with colourful lights and Christmas trees decorated at homes.
Read more: Law enforcers ready to face any situation over Christmas: IGP
Tourists throng Sajek Valley: A night under the open sky?
The weekend melding with Christmas falling on Sunday this year, translating to a 'long weekend', has brought life to the country's tourism sectors including Sajek Valley.
At the same time, it has also brought suffering to the tourists who have gone to enjoy the scenic beauty of Sajek valley.
Thousands of holidaymakers of all ages have thronged to the hill district to enjoy the beauty of Sajek at Bagaichhori in Rangamati.
Resorts are experiencing a room crunch as more tourists enter Sajek - already almost double its capacity!
As a result, many tourists are forced to spend the night in cars or in mosques and local clubs.
Sultan Mia, 28, who came with his family from Mymensingh and Ashraf Ali, a tourist from Netrakona, said that they had come because of their children's holidays. But there is no room vacant in any hotel due to the overflow of tourists, leaving them in great trouble.
Alfred Lusai, the owner of two Sajek resorts (Neel Pahari and Morning Star), said that rooms were booked almost a month before Christmas. Today, many tourists can't get even a single room which is really sad, he added.
Read more: Jhum fire destroying reserved forest in Sajek
According to Sajek Resort Owners Association, almost 7,000 tourists entered Sajek on Saturday. The valley's 112 cottages can accommodate only 4,000. Many of the tourists who came here did not have advance bookings.
As a result, many tourists returned in the afternoon due to lack of rooms for overnight stay, sources added.
Those who stayed are passing the night by renting rooms on the verandas of various cottages and in the homes of local residents.
Subrata Chakma, manager of Khasrang Hill Resort, said that the inflow of tourists started on Wednesday. No rooms are available at any resort currently, he added.
Read more: Visit Sajek Valley: Amazing Hilltop Cottages, Resorts, to Spend Your Vacation
Mother, daughter electrocuted to death in Khagrachhari
A 32-year-old woman and her eight-year-old daughter were electrocuted to death in Khagrachhari's Manikchhari Saturday.
Kulsum Begum and her daughter Ishrat Jahan Koli were from the Shah Nagar area of Manikchhari.
The mishap occurred in the evening as Kulsum and her daughter came into contact with a live wire of an electric pole while going to a nearby field to bring their cow back home, Manikchhari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Shahnoor Alam said.
Both the mother and daughter were rushed to Manikchhari Upazila Health Complex where they were declared dead on arrival, he added.
Read more: Sixth-grader electrocuted in Kurigram
Law enforcers ready to face any situation over Christmas: IGP
Though there is no specific threat ahead of Christmas, the biggest religious festival of Christians, law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh are ready to face any kind of situation ahead of the festival.
" We have taken necessary security measures depending on the situation of respective areas", Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, inspector general of police (IGP), said this while responding to journalists after visiting a venue organised by the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas Day in the capital's Kakrail on Saturday night."
Besides, an adequate number of law enforcers have been deployed across the country to ensure law and order, he added.
Read: Christmas celebrations tomorrow
"We want to assure our Christian brothers and sisters that they will enjoy their Christmas Day amid festivity and religious fervour in a very secure environment and we are here to celebrate the festival with them. As we know, happiness increases when it is shared. That's why we're here to increase their happiness level by sharing. If they want any kind of help, we are ready to extend our helping hand."
Claiming that the recent escape of two militants was an isolated incident, he said that the law and order situation is completely under control.
Among others, DMP Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq, Additional Commissioner AKM Hafiz Akhtar and the chief of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Md Asaduzzaman, were present.
Read: Christmas celebrations: Rab stands guard to ensure security, respond to emergencies
The Christian community in Bangladesh is all set to celebrate Christmas, as elsewhere across the world, on Sunday to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on Christmas eve Saturday.
45-yr-old man arrested for raping minor girl in Chattogram
A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 45-year-old man in Boalkhali upazila of the district on Saturday noon, police said.
The accused identified as Md Jahangir was arrested after the victim’s mother filed a case in this connection. He is a resident of the ward No-4 under Shakpura union of the upazila.
According to the case statement, the victim went to the house of the accused to play with other children on Saturday noon while the mother was cooking.
Jahangir raped the minor girl taking her to a room of the house where there was no one except his elderly mother during the incident.
Later, the victim, who was bleeding, shared the matter with her mother in a cry, the statement said. The mother filed the case after hearing this.
Md Abdur Razzak, officer-in-charge of Boalkhali police station, said they arrested the accused, who primarily confessed to the crime, after a case was lodged under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act in this connection.
The victim was sent to One-Stop Crisis Center of Chattogram Medical College Hospital for medical tests, the OC added.
AL National Council: Not easy to lead both party and government, says PM
Awami League president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said it is a hard job to lead both the government and the party.
“I am cordially accepting the responsibility that you have given to me. But I think new leadership has to come up. I hope that you will bring new leadership in the future,” she said.
The prime minister said this while speaking at the second session of the 22nd National Council of ruling party Awami League, where she was elected as the president of the party for the 10th consecutive time, starting from 1981.
The second session of the council was held at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).
Hasina said that many people tried to destroy the Awami League, but failed.
“AL always changes the fate of the people, people always get something whenever AL comes to power. Whenever AL comes to power, it develops the lives of the masses, and the country's image and dignity are also enhanced,” she said.
Read more: AL leaders, activists must remain united to resist conspiracies: PM at party’s nat’l council
"Keeping that in mind, we have to advance our party through strengthening it," she added, before turning her focus to the next general election. “The next election will be held in 2024, we have public support, and we have to increase our votes by consolidating the support.”
In this regard, she put emphasis on increasing membership of the party. “There must not be any deviation in this connection,” she said.
She also asked the AL leaders and activists to remain beside the people of the country at all times in order to serve them.
Read more: AL’s struggles will end when it can ensure smiles on the faces of people: PM Hasina
Christmas celebrations: Rab stands guard to ensure security, respond to emergencies
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has kept its special force teams, helicopters, dog squads and bomb disposal unit ready to ensure security and mitigate any threat during Christmas celebrations across the country.
For the Christian community in Bangladesh, Christmas is a magical time of goodwill and giving back. People want to celebrate the day as much as possible, with family, community and joy. Christians in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world will celebrate their biggest religious festival, Christmas Day, Sunday.
Read: Christmas celebrations tomorrow
As part of the overall security arrangements, a sufficient number of Rab personnel, along with law enforcers from other agencies, have already been deployed across the country to respond to emergencies and unforeseen situations during Christmas celebrations, sources at the Rab headquarters said.
Rab has stepped up its intelligence surveillance, cyber monitoring, closed-circuit television monitoring, and patrols to scale up security in churches.
It has also set up checkposts at important points in the country, including in the capital.