Bangladesh
Two policemen 'closed' on charges of extortion
Two policemen were closed on Friday night from the Companiganj police station on a charge of extortion from drivers of stone-laden trucks at Companiganj upazila in the district.The policemen are Md Suman Miah and Shahriar Hossain of the Companiganj police station.They were withdrawn from the Companiganj police station and attached to the district police line in Sylhet, according to a letter signed by Sylhet Additional Superintendent of Police Shahriar bin Saleh.Local people said that the drivers of stone-laden trucks in association with the local residents chased off Suman and Shahriar on December 24 night in Kalabari area under Companiganj upazila as they demanded extortion money from the drivers after stopping their stone-loaded vehicles.Bholaganj police outpost in-charge Shahab Uddin filed a general diary in this regard with the Companiganj police against constable Suman and Shahriar following a complaint from the local people.Later, the district police administration issued an order on Friday night asking for the withdrawal of the two constables from their workplace and to attach them to the police lines after the allegation brought against them was found true in the primary investigation.Read more: Consider police stations as 'service delivery centres' to provide better service: IGP
E-gates at Sylhet airport to open for passengers today
The authorities of Sylhet Osmani International Airport have completed all preparations for opening six electronic gates at the airport to make the immigration process faster and improve the quality of services.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, lawmaker from Sylhet-1, will inaugurate the gates at 11 am, said Hafiz Ahmed, manager of the airport.
"Six e-gates will be inaugurated on Sunday (January 08, 2023). Three of them were set up for departure and three for entry," he added.
Read More: E-gates to be introduced at Chattogram airport
He also said the passengers who have e-passports will be able to complete the immigration activities through e-gate.
APBn detains Saudi resident with yaba at Dhaka Airport
Members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) on Saturday detained a Saudi Arabia resident with 15,400 yaba pills at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The detainee has been identified as Md Rubel Hossain, originally from Chandpur district.
Additional SP of Airport Armed Police (AAP) Mohammad Ziaul Haque said they detained Rubel on suspicion in front of Gate No. 1 of the departure terminal this afternoon.
During preliminary interrogation, Masud revealed that he had kept 15,400 Yaba pills in his luggage which were recovered later, he added.
Legal action will be taken against him, said the ASP.
Read more: 2 held with Yaba worth over Tk 1 cr in Dhaka
TIB wants ACC's work order granting greater powers to secretary withdrawn
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has demanded that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) withdraw the work order that gives its secretary the authority to appoint and transfer Deputy Director and Assistant Director rank officers involved in any investigation and inquiry.
TIB voiced worry that this order could undermine the power of the ACC because the commission's chairman and commissioners will no longer have the aforementioned power, according to a press release.
Mentioning the office order published on the ACC website on December 18, Iftekharuzzaman, the executive director of TIB, said, “According to the relevant law, the executive power of the ACC is entrusted to the chairman and the commissioners under his leadership."
“What was the logic behind this shift of executive power? Why did the Commission decide to leave the power in the hands of the secretary, aka the bureaucracy?” asked Iftekharuzzaman.
“This suicidal decision cedes all powers to the bureaucracy, including the permanent employment of ACC investigating officers, granting of current duties, allowances and leave, pension, PRL, awards on conviction of cases, and so on. Nothing remains of the ACC now,” he added.
Stating the shift in executive authority to be the final nail in the coffin of public expectations from the national anti-graft agency, TIB urged to revoke the order as soon as possible.
Read more: IMF’s conditions for loan: TIB watchful about “discriminatory implications”
Bangladesh reports 27 more dengue cases
Twenty-seven more people were hospitalised with dengue in the 24 hours to Saturday morning.
However, no fatalities were reported during this period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Also, the DGHS did not report any dengue death in the first six days of this year.
The country recorded 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019.
A total of 202 dengue patients, including 94 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
The DGHS has recorded 242 dengue cases and 40 recoveries so far this year. It recorded 62,423 cases and 61,971 recoveries last year.
Read more: Govt fixes cost of dengue test
Gold worth Tk 1.5 cr seized at Benapole
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh seized 17 gold bars weighing 1.98kg from Pachvulot border of Jashore's Sharsha upazila on Saturday.
Lt Col Tanveer Ahmed, commanding officer of BGB-21 battalion, said tipped off that gold was being smuggled to India, a team of BGB conducted a drive in Bottola area at noon.
Sensing the presence of the law enforcers, two smugglers riding on a motorcycle fled the scene leaving behind two bags and the BGB team recovered the gold bars worth Tk 1.5 crore from the bags, said Tanveer Ahmed.
Also Read: Gold worth over Tk 8.5cr seized in Chuadanga, Jhenaidah; one detained
He said they are trying to arrest the two smugglers.
A case has been filed with Sharsha police in this regard, added the commanding officer.
Road accidents kill 2 in Sirajganj
Two people were killed and four others injured in separate road accidents in Sirajganj's Sadar and Raiganj upazilas on Friday night and Saturday morning.
In Sadar upazila, an engineer of the Bangabandhu Railway Bridge project was killed after being hit by a truck in Mulibari Railgate area on Friday night.
The deceased was identified as Hamidur Rahman, 28, son of Chand Mandol of Kumiradanga village of Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha district.
The accident occurred when the truck hit Hamidur, leaving him dead on the spot, said Md. Humayun Kabir, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sadar Police Station.
A case was filed in this regard, added the OC.
Also Read: 3 family members among 5 dead in accident involving truck, pick-up and microbus on Dhaka-Sylhet highway
In another accident in Raiganj, a man was killed and four others suffered injuries after a bus rammed a rickshaw van on Saturday, police said.
The deceased Kanai Haldar,30, son of Shri Rampada Haldar of Kalinja Haladarpara village of Raiganj upazila of Sirajganj.
Police said the accident occurred in the morning as they were going to Sadar upazila from Kalinja of Raiganj upazila in the van along with others.
When they reached the town's court mosque area, the speeding bus hit their vehicle, killing Kanai Haladar on the spot, he added.
Among the injured, Rampada Haladar, father of the deceased Kanai Haladar was sent to Bogura in critical condition.
Three others were admitted to the Bongamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib General Hospital in Sirajganj, said the OC.
Cold wave grips parts of Bangladesh; situation likely to improve after 2/3 days
A mild cold wave is sweeping parts of the country and it may continue for two or three days , said Bangladesh Metrological Department.
Omar Faruk, a meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), said temperatures in most parts of the country decreased over the past few days.
Read: Chuadanga shivers at 9-degree Celsius
Dhaka recorded 11.5 degree Celsius — lowest this season — this morning, he said.
“The situation may continue for the next two-three days in the country, he predicted adding that the situation mayl improve from January 11-12.
“A mild cold wave is sweeping Rajshahi division, Faridpur, Madaripur, Kishoregonj, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Jashore, Chuadanga, Kushtia, Satkhira and Barishal districts and it may continue, said a bulletin of BMD.
Read: Mild cold wave sweeping parts of Bangladesh
The Met office made the forecast at 6 pm today for the next 24 hours.
Weather may remain dry with partly cloudy sky over the country, it said.
Moderate to thick fog may occur over the country from midnight till morning and it may continue at places till noon.
Night and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.
Due to reduced difference between day & night temperature, feelings of moderate to severe cold condition is likely over the country, it added.
Jamaat leader, activist arrested in Savar
Police have arrested a leader and an activist of Jamaat-e-Islam in Savar.
The arrestees are- Hasan Mahbub, 60, political secretary of Dhaka district north unit of Jamaat-e-Islam and a former councilor of Savar municipality, and Abul Bashar, 56, an activist of the party and also a teacher of Savar Girls High School.
Hasan Mahmud was arrested on Friday from his residence in Dagarmora area of Savar municipality while Abul Bashar from his house in Parbatinagar area of the same municipality, said Nayan Karkun, inspector of Savar model police station.
Hasan Mahbub was arrested for his involvement in sabotage, police said.
Bangladesh now world's 35th largest economy: Canadian publication
According to Canada-based online publication 'Visual Capitalist', Bangladesh has emerged as the 35th largest economy in the world.
Earlier, the IMF revealed that Bangladesh and India were the only two South Asian countries considered to be part of the 50 largest economies.
Citing IMF statistics, Visual Capitalist published the report titled 'The Top Heavy Global Economy' on December 29, 2022. It has listed countries in terms of gross domestic product (GDP).
Also Read: Economy offers reasons for optimism, even as chronic problems persist
Renowned economist Dr Atiur Rahman has said that Bangladesh's economy reached this stage due to its macroeconomic stability and 6-plus GDP growth over the last 12/13 years.
Talking to UNB, he said that the Canadian publication released an appropriate report on Bangladesh and global economists are observing the country’s continued growth even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Atiur said that Bangladesh’s economy will be the 28th largest by 2030 and its economic volume will be $1 trillion by 2035.
The country has to focus now on developing skilled human resources, good governance, and stable macroeconomic management, he said.
“Bangladesh expended around 12 percent of its total budget to infrastructure development during the last 13 years, which contributed to mega projects including Padma Bridge, Metro Rail, Rapid Mass Transit, Karnaphuli Tunnel, and the development of 100 economic zones,” he added.
As a result, an economic boom is happening in urban and rural areas.
According to the report, neighbouring country India has moved to fifth place in the world economy. Earlier, it was in the sixth position.
With a GDP of $3.46 trillion in 2022, India has overtaken the United Kingdom to occupy the fifth place.
The first, second, third, and fourth places in the list are USA, China, Japan, and Germany, respectively. The remaining five countries in the world's 10 largest economies are the UK, France, Canada, Russia, and Italy.
According to the report, two major events happened in the world in the year 2022. First, the world's population has crossed 8 billion. Second, the size of the world economy has crossed $100 trillion to $101.56 trillion.