Bangladesh
37 muggers held in city
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members have detained 37 members of a mugging gang from different areas in the capital.
A team of Rab-3 detained the muggers after conducting simultaneous drives in Shahjahanpur, Motijheel, Mugda and Tejgaon areas on Saturday night, said Additional Superintendent of Police and staff officer (Media) Bashir Ahmed.
Read: Muggers strike with sharp weapons, make off with Tk 5 lakhs from Rocket agent
The elite force also seized sharp weapons and sedative sprays from their possession.
During primary questioning, the alleged gang members said they used to mug passengers at bus stands and railway stations in the city spraying sedatives on their face and brandishing sharp weapons.
Legal steps will be taken against the detainees, the officer added.
6 teen gang members held over murder in Cumilla
Members of Rapid Action Battalions (Rab) have detained six members of a teen gang named ‘Ratan Group’ over the killing of a teenage boy in Cumilla city.
A team of Rab-11 detained the teenage boys after conducting drives at Debidwar and Sadar upazilas on Saturday night, said Md Sakib Hossain, commander of Crime Prevention Company-2 of the battalion, at a press briefing on Sunday.
Read:Govt to lower age bracket for children to punish teen gangs
The detainees were handed over to Kotwali Model police station, the officer added.
On Friday afternoon, Ratan Group members hacked Shahadat Hossain, a member of teen gang ‘Eagle Group’, indiscriminately in front of Our Lady of Fatima Girls High School in Cumilla city following previous dispute, leaving him seriously injured.
Later, he was rushed to a local hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Police arrested 12 more people in connection with the killing.
Cox’s Bazar trawler capsize: 3 more bodies retrieved
A team of Coast Guard on Sunday fished out the bodies of three more fishermen from the Bay of Bengal two days after a fishing trawler carrying 19 fishermen capsized amid inclement weather.
The deceased were identified as Hossain Ahmad, Azizul Haque and Mohammad Absar, residents of Sadar upazila of Cox’s Bazar.
Local fishermen spotted the bodies at Maheshkhali Channel of the Bay around 10 am and informed the coast guard, said Selim Uddin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Cox’s Bazar Sadar police station.
So far, five bodies have been recovered from the Bay, he added.
Read: Cox’s Bazar trawler capsize: bodies of two among missing eight recovered
On Saturday, coast guard members fished out bodies of two fishermen from Maheshkhali and Sonadia channels.
On Friday afternoon, fishing trawler ‘MB Mayer Doa’ carrying the 19 fishermen capsized at Najirartek Channel, said M Hamidul Islam, contingent commander of the CG East Zone in Cox’s Bazar Station.
Of them, eight fishermen were rescued and three others managed to swim to ashore
Three more fishermen are still missing, he added.
Momen urges youth to work hard to achieve ‘Sonar Bangla’
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has called upon the young generation to use time effectively and work hard to attain ‘Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by Father of The Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Momen made the call at an event organized by ‘Ghashful’, an organization of children and adolescents, at the auditorium of the Liberation War museum as the chief guest on Saturday.
“Bangabandhu bestowed the responsibility of achieving Sonar Bangla on all of us. We’ve to work hard until this goal is achieved. The road isn’t smooth but we can do it as we are a victorious nation,” said Momen.
Momen added that the Prime Minister has provided a roadmap to turn Bangladesh into a prosperous nation.
“If we follow the roadmap properly, we’ll be able to establish ‘Sonar Bangla’ within 2041. Sonar Bangla means a Bangladesh which is developed, resourceful, stable and secular. Sonar Bangla is a place where there won’t be any difference between the rich and the poor, where basic needs of people including food, clothing, accommodation, education and treatment are ensured,” Momen added.
Read: Momen explains what he meant by 'heaven'
The event was presided over by Founder of Ghashful and President of its central committee Hasan Abdullah Biplob.
Valiant freedom fighters Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) M Abdur Rauf Bir Bikram and Major (Retired) Wakar Hasan Bir Bikram spoke at the event as special guests.
250 fishermen go missing as 16 trawlers sink in Bay, 150 rescued in Patuakhali
Over 250 fishermen of Patuakhali remained missing as 16 fishing trawlers capsized in the Bay of Bengal amid inclement weather on Friday, said Naval police on Sunday.
About 150 fishermen of 18 trawlers that sank in the Bay near Kuakata in Patuakhali have been rescued so far, said Akhtar Morshed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kuakata Naval police outpost.
Locals along with a rescue trawler of fish wholesalers’ association reached the fish landing center with the rescued fishermen from Saturday evening to 11 pm on Sunday, the OC added.
Kuakata-Alipur Fish Depot Owners Association President Ansar Uddin Mollah said 13 fishermen were rescued from the Bay while 11 fishermen were rescued by the fishermen of Rayadighi of India. They are currently in the South Sundarban Fishermen and Fish Workers Union of India’s custody.
Read:34 fishermen go missing as 11 trawlers sink in Bay
And the remaining fishermen were rescued by the trawlers of the owner's association and local fishermen.
However, at least 126 fishermen of seven trawlers of Alipur are still missing, he added.
Raju Ahmed Raja, general secretary of Mohipur Fish Depot Owners Association, said least 130 fishermen of nine trawlers of Mohipur are still missing.
Besides, a fisherman Rafiq, 32, fell into the sea from a trawler on the way back to the shore from the deep sea and went missing. The owners of the capsized and missing trawlers are from Charfashion, Mahipur, Kalapara and Rangabali upazilas of Bhola, he added.
“Operation is on to rescue the missing fishermen and trawlers,” said the OC.
PM Hasina blames BNP-Jamaat govt for August 21 carnage
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said that the August 21 grenade attack was carried out with direct patronisation of then BNP-Jammat government to kill her and wipe out the top leadership of her Awami League party 18 years ago.
“Without having any government patronisation, this kind of heinous attack could not have taken place,” the premier said. “The target was to kill me and wipe out the Awami League.”
She was addressing a discussion marking the August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an anti-terrorism rally organised by then opposition Awami League in front of its central office on Bangabandhu Avenue.
The attack left 24 people killed and about 300 injured, but Hasina, then opposition leader, luckily escaped death.
Hasina revealed that Rashid and Dalim, two of the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, had returned to Bangladesh and were involved in the plot to kill her and her party’s leadership.
She said that then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia helped the two killers leave the country after the carnage, one of the worst such political violence in the history of Bangladesh.
“This is the reality. Many know that Dalim and Rashid were in Dhaka. I don’t know whether all people are aware of this or not. They have their relatives, you can know that easily,” she said.
She mentioned that when they found out that she did not die in the attack, they fled the country.
“Who brought them here unless the then BNP government had not taken the initiative? They came and they went away,” she said.
She apprehended that more attacks on her are being planned and she knows that she has danger in her every step.
“Killing is the character of BNP and now we have to sit with them and provide them hospitality so that they come to the election. Why? I don’t understand. Are there no other people in Bangladesh?,” she questioned.
Sheikh Hasina, chief of Awami League, said that BNP shed crocodile tears in front of the foreigners at that time so they could cash in some benefits by faking sympathy.
She said the people of Bangladesh must choose now from between the politics of terrorism and the path of development.
“The people will have to decide whether they want to return to the era of terrorism or stay firm on the current path of development,” she said.
Earlier, the prime minister paid tributes to the memory of those killed in the gruesome grenade attack by laying a wreath at the makeshift memorial erected at scene of the carnage.
She shared her pains with the relatives who lost their loved ones and also with those who have been living a painful life with injuries from grenade splinters.
One-minute silence was observed in memory of the victims before offering prayers for the salvation of the departed souls.
Read: 18th anniversary of August 21 grenade attack today
Showers likely in parts of Bangladesh
The weather department has predicted showers across Bangladesh in 24 hours commencing 9 am on Sunday.
“Light to moderate rain or showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at a few places over Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions with moderately heavy falls at places over the country,” the weather department said in a bulletin.
Day and night temperatures may rise slightly over the country, it said.
Read:Showers likely to drench Bangladesh
The weather office recorded the highest 32 mm rainfall in Hatiya of Chattogram division in 24 hours till 6am on Sunday.
The highest temperature was recorded at 36.5 degrees Celsius in Sylhet, while the lowest temperature was recorded at 25.0 degrees in Hatiya, Rangamati, Kutubdia and Teknaf of Chattogram division.
Meanwhile, the Land Deep Depression over Jharkhand and adjoining area moved westwards, weakened into a land depression and now lies over Chhattisgarh and adjoining area of India. It is likely to weaken gradually further.
The axis of monsoon trough runs through Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, the centre of the Land Depression, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across central part of Bangladesh. One of its associated troughs extends upto Northwest Bay.
Monsoon is less active over Bangladesh and weak to moderate elsewhere over North Bay, as per the bulletin.
Rice price hike adds to plight of low-income people in Bagerhat
The prices of all varieties of rice have gone up in the wholesale and retail markets of Bagerhat, creating a suffocating condition for the low-income group people who are already plagued by price hikes of daily essentials.
Wholesale and retail rice markets in the district are witnessing an increase in rice prices by Tk 10 per kilogram and Tk 150 per 25kg sack.
Both the buyers and rice traders are finding it hard to procure rice as per their demands. Traders alleged that rice prices have soared due to syndication by rice mill owners.
While visiting Chaupatti and Nagerbazar wholesale rice markets, the UNB correspondent found that both the buyers and sellers were engaging in altercations over rice price hike.
The rice traders were blaming rise in fuel prices for increases in rice prices. On the contrary, consumers were returning home with rice less than the amount bought by them previously.
In wholesale markets, the staple is being sold at rates between Tk 50 to Tk 85 per kg. Even price of coarse rice has also seen an increase by Tk 5 per kg. Rice traders are asking for prices according to their wish, while rice are being sold in the village markets at higher prices due to multiple handovers.
Read: OMS: Rice to be available at Tk 15 per kg from Sep 1
Pradeep Kumar Saha, a wholesaler of Nagerbazar area, said that they are receiving less rice than they’ve ordered.
“If we order 100 sacks of rice, we only get 20 of them which is creating a crisis. So rice prices have gone up by Tk 6 to Tk 10 per kg. Fuel price hike and syndication by the rice millers are behind this situation,” Pradeep said.
Prabir Saha, a retailer from Falpatti area, also blamed syndication by the rice millers behind rice price hike.
“Prices of rice have increased by Tk 150 to Tk 200 per sack (25 kg) within just one week. We’re regularly facing customers’ wrath for selling rice at a high prices. The situation is such that we may have to stop doing business altogether,” Prabir said.
Gopal Saha, a wholesaler of Nagerbazar, said that people from the lower income bracket is feeling the real punch as the rice variant that they buy is out of stock most of the time.
Taposh Saha, a rice trader from Chaulpatti, said that they can’t even buy rice in the evening at the rate at which they had bought rice in the morning.
“We’ve nothing to do except selling rice at the rate of purchase,” said Taposh.
Md Belal Sheikh, a consumer, said that he had bought a 25 kg sack of rice at Tk 1,300 15 days ago, which he now has to buy at Tk 1,450.
Nasima Begum, another buyer, said that she came to buy a 25kg sack of rice but instead bought only 10kg due to exorbitant prices.
“Rice prices are varying from shop to shop. Traders are asking for prices as they wish. I’m confused about what to do but as prices of almost every essential item is on the rise,” said Nasima.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bagerhat Mohammad Azizur Rahman said that he is aware of the rice price hike in local markets.
“We’re monitoring the market regularly. We’ll conduct drives by mobile court so that no one can sell rice at exorbitant prices,” said the DC.
Maritime ports asked to lower cautionary signal
Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to lower the cautionary signal as squally weather is unlikely over the ports, the weather department said on Sunday.
Squally weather is also unlikely over the North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh.
Read:Tidal surges likely to inundate parts of coastal districts
However, all fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay and the deep sea have been advised to proceed with caution till Sunday evening.
On Saturday, the deep depression over the northeast Bay and adjoining Bangladesh-West Bengal coast moved west-northwestwards and crossed West Bengal and adjoining North Odisha coast.
It was likely to move northwestwards further and weaken gradually, said Bangladesh Metrological Department.
Dhaka’s air quality turns 'moderate'
Dhaka's air quality witnessed a marked improvement Sunday morning, after remaining ‘unhealthy’ a day before.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 70 at 9am, the metropolis ranked 20th in the list of world cities with the worst air quality.
Pakistan’s Lahore, Russia’s Moscow and Chile’s Santiago occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 158, 153 and 141 respectively.
An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’ with an acceptable air quality. However, there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Read: Dhaka’s air quality turns 'unhealthy' again
On the other hand, an AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria 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 during winter and improves during monsoon.
With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction works, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.