Bangladesh
Constructing ferry ghat, road in Mongla port area may put 2 LPG plant operations at risk
Construction of a ferry ghat and connecting road in a location between two LGP plants in Mongla port industrial area may create major risks for the two sensitive establishments.
Such concern was expressed by the two largest private operators of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) – Omera LPG and Jamuna LPG which opposed the construction of the road and the Laudoba ferry ghat in between their plants in Mongla port area.
They also requested the authorities concerned to build the road and ferry ghat at any alternative location so that movement of the foreign LPG carriers to their plants is not obstructed.
The LPG operators claimed that the Roads and Highways Department is constructing the road by violating the land policy of the Mongla Port Authority (MPA).
They alleged that such construction may lead to a risk of serious accidents in the navigation of Mongla port and also the two LPG plants set up on both sides of the road.
The MPA is also not happy to see this road being built through the industrial area of the port by creating obstacles to the Pashur channel.
Both Jamuna and Omera LPG plant authorities have lodged complaints with various departments including the MPA, opposing the construction of this road to avoid the risk of accidents.
Read: Another Russian shipment for Rooppur arrives at Mongla Port
The Roads and Highways Department undertook the project to construct the road and ferry ghat at a cost of Tk 1.90 crore to facilitate the movement of the local people from Dakop upazila to Khulna.
Receiving the complaints, initially, the MPA blocked the construction work. But later, the construction work resumed following a verbal permission from the Ministry of Shipping.
Meanwhile, President of LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) and owner of Omera Petroleum Azam J Chowdhury met the chairman of the port authority, Rear Admiral M Musa, and requested him through a letter not to allow the construction of the proposed road and ferry ghat between Omera and Jamuna LPG plants in the port industrial area.
Officials of the Mongla Port Authority said that they have not given any permission for the construction of the structures through the port industrial area in Bagerhat.
They said if the proposed road and ferry ghat are constructed, the navigation system of the Pashur River channel of the port will be under threat and the navigability there will be reduced.
PM leaves for Dhaka ending 4-day visit to India
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, for home on Thursday afternoon wrapping up her four-day official visit to India.
A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and her entourage departed Jaipur International Airport at 5:30pm local time (6:00pm BST).
Rajasthan’s Education Minister Bulaki Das Kalla and Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran saw her off at the airport. The flight is scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8:00pm.
Also read: At a glance: Jointly agreed upon decisions during PM's India visit
Earlier in the morning, the Bangladesh prime minister arrived at Ajmer in Rajasthan to offer prayers at Khwaja Gharib Nawaz Dargah Sharif, the mazar (shrine) of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti on the last day of her four-day official visit to India.
Hasina reached New Delhi on Monday for her first India tour in three years at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
She held bilateral talks with Modi and met Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Indian Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar separately on Tuesday.
Also read: PM Hasina visits Ajmer Sharif to offer prayers
After the bilateral talks between the two leaders, Dhaka and Delhi signed seven MoUs -- demonstrating cooperation in a number of areas, including water sharing of the Kushiyara River.
Other MoUs are cooperation in the areas of space technology, science and technology, railways, judiciary and broadcasting.
Besides, the two leaders unveiled unit-I of the Maitree power plant in Rampal and 5.13-km Rupsha Bridge in Khulna.
During Hasina’s stay in India, former Congress party president Rahul Gandhi, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister for Development of North Eastern Region of India G. Kishan Reddy, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and late Indian president Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee also separately met her.
The Bangladesh premier visited the altar of the Samadhi (memorial) of Mahatma Gandhi to pay tribute to India’s Father of the Nation.
Sheikh Hasina visited Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah in Delhi and joined a business event, jointly organised by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi.
Sheikh Hasina also awarded the Mujib scholarships among 200 students, the descendants of Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
Bangladesh, US to host seminar for senior military officers to promote peace, stability
The Bangladesh Army and US Army will host the 46th annual Indo-Pacific Army Management Seminar (IPAMS) here on September 12-15 to promote “peace and stability” in the Indo-Pacific region through mutual understanding, dialogue and friendship.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Prospects and Challenges in Maintaining Peace and Security in the Indo-Pacific.”
This is going to be the largest conference for land forces (army, marines) in the region, said the US Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday.
Also read: Digital devices increase women's capacity to contribute to livelihoods: UNDP envoy
It will give senior level officers a forum to exchange views and ideas, and to develop and strengthen their relationships.
The conference will feature plenary sessions, as well as smaller break-out sessions. Attendees will hear from guest speakers and participate in “lively discussions” on topics, such as peacekeeping operations, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, leadership development, and empowering women.
Participation in IPAMS has grown from nine nations at the first conference held in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1977, to 31 nations in Seoul, Korea in 2017.
Also read: Japanese Embassy celebrates Abul Kalam's receipt of Order of the Rising Sun
IPAMS provides all participants a unique opportunity to discuss the Indo-Pacific region’s security issues and to exchange ideas on topics of mutual concern.
An opening ceremony will start at 8:45 am on September 12 at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, followed by a joint press conference with General Shafiuddin, Bangladesh Army Chief of Staff, and General Charles Flynn, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Pacific, according to the Embassy.
Bangladesh sees one more Covid death, 388 cases
Bangladesh reported one more Covid-linked death and 388 cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total fatalities rose to 29,330 and caseload to 2,014,077, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case test positivity rate rose to 7.40 percent from Wednesday's 6.94 percent as 5,241 samples were tested.
The deceased was a woman from Dhaka division.
Read: Bangladesh logs 282 more Covid cases, zero death
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.46 percent while the recovery rate dropped to 97.22 percent.
In August, the country reported 32 Covid-linked deaths and 6,689 cases.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
Australian envoy meets GM Quader, discusses political, economic issues
Acting Australian High Commissioner Nardia Simpson on Thursday met Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader and discussed political, economic and different bilateral issues.
The meeting was held at GM Quader’s Uttara residence at noon, said a Jatiya Party press release.
“Various mutual issues, including social, economic and political, of the two friendly countries were discussed at the meeting,” it said.
The party said Nardia Simpson highly praised the hospitality and friendly attitude of the people of Bangladesh.
Read: EC out to arrange stage-managed election: GM Quader
GM Quader hoped that the friendship between Australia and Bangladesh will be strengthened further.
Jatiya Party Chairman's Advisor and Jatiya Sanskritik Party convener Sherifa Quader and party chairman's Special Envoy and Advisor Masroor Mawla were present at the meeting.
America Bangladesh University illegal: UGC
University Grants Commission (UGC) announced the activities of America Bangladesh University, a private university, illegal and suggested students not to take admission in it.
The commission made the suggestion following the recommendation made by the probe committee formed to investigate about the university.
The investigation report was sent to the Education Ministry on Thursday, said UGC in a press release.
The activities of America Bangladesh University are creating a negative impression about the country’s higher education sector globally, said UGC.
Also read: HC directs UGC to find out about pvt unis' benefits for FF children, underprivileged
According to Section 12(1) of Private University Act, 2010, the university has no legal authority to conduct its activities as it failed to apply for a certificate after its temporary permit expired, said UGC member, Professor Dr Biswajit Chanda.
From 2006, the university has no vice-chancellor, pro vc or treasurer appointed President and Chancellor Abdul Hamid, he said.
As per section 17 and 19 of the Private Universities Act, the university's academic, administrative, financial activities, admission, examination and results and academic certificates are illegal as it has no valid syndicate and academic council, he added.
In 2006, the government announced closure of America Bangladesh University due to failure to comply with the conditions of the temporary permit and ensure quality education.
Also read: Britannia will be no university- UGC moves to stop new admissions
The university authorities filed a writ petition with the High Court against the order and proceeded with their activities acquiring a stay order.
Currently, three parties claiming to be the board of trustees of the university are operating the activities from different addresses which are not legal according to law, said UGC.
PK Halder, 13 others indicted in money laundering case
A Dhaka court today (September 8, 2022) framed charges against Proshanto Kumar Halder, disgraced director of International Leasing and Finance Service Ltd (ILFSL), and 13 others in a case over laundering money and amassing illegal assets.
The other accused are- PK Halder's mother Lilabati Halder, Purnima Rani Halder, Uttam Kumar Mistry, Amitabh Adhikari, Pritish Kumar Halder, Rajib Som, Subrata Das, Ananga Mohan Roy, Swapan Kumar Mistry, Sukumar Mridha, Anindita Mridha, Abantika Baral, Shankha Bepari.
Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-10 Judge Mohammad Nazrul Islam framed the charges and ordered to begin trial.
Read: 2 more associates of PK Halder held in city
Sukumar Mridha, his daughter Anindita Mridha, Abantika Baral and Shankha Bepari ,now in jail,pleaded not guilty during today’s hearing.
However, PK Halder and nine others were shown fugitives and will be tried in absentia.
The court also fixed September 22 for recording testimonies of the witnesses.
This is the first of three dozen cases filed against PK Halder and his associates.
On January 8, 2020, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Assistant Director Mamunur Rashid Chowdhury filed the case against PK Halder at the Dhaka Integrated District Office for acquiring illegal assets of around Tk 275 crore.
In the chargesheet submitted by ACC, PK Halder was accused of illegally laundering 1.17 lakh Canadian dollars to Canada.
Read: Extradition of PK Halder has to go through legal process: Indian envoy
Halder had been on the run since being charged by the ACC for money laundering and amassing ill-gotten wealth.
On May 13 this year, India's federal economic offences police arrested PK Halder and his two associates from the eastern state of West Bengal.
He is now in Indian jail.
Dengue: 275 more hospitalised in 24hrs
Another 275 dengue patients were hospitalised in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
Of them, 204 were admitted to different hospitals of Dhaka and 71 outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
A total of 886 dengue patients, including 721 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
This year's death toll from the mosquito-borne viral disease rose to 31 on Tuesday with five more deaths reported from Dhaka, Chattogram and Cox's Bazar districts.
Of the deceased, 15 were from Cox's Bazar, 13 from Dhaka, two from Barishal and another from Chattogram.
Read: Dengue: 279 more hospitalised in 24hrs
On June 21, the DGHS reported the first death of the season from the viral disease.
This year, the directorate has recorded 7,951 dengue cases and 7,034 recoveries so far.
2 workers hurt as under-construction gate of Durga Sagar Dighi collapses
Two workers were injured as the under-construction gate of historical Durga Sagar Dighi (lake) collapsed at Madhabpasha union in Babuganj upazila of Barishal on Thursday.
The incident occurred around 11 am and the injured workers were sent to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital, said Kamalesh Chandra Haldar, Officer-in-Charge of Barishal airport police station.
Anisur Rahman, one of the injured workers, said he and another construction worker was hurt as the gate suddenly collapsed while they were doing welding work.
Also read: Khulna: Embankment collapses again
Kamrul Hasan, executive engineer of Barishal Public Works Engineering Department (PWED) said, Messrs Khan Builders was given the work of Tk 16 cror project and the 22 feet high gate was being constructed as part of it.
A three-member probe body led by an additional district magistrate has been formed to identify if any negligence in construction work caused the collapse, said Goutam Baroi, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Barishal.
Also read: Student dies as school gate collapses in Khagrachhari
PM Hasina visits Ajmer Sharif to offer prayers
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (September 8, 2022) visited Khwaja Gharib Nawaz Dargah Sharif at Ajmer, Indian state of Rajasthan, to offer prayers at the shrine of Sufi saint Mainuddin Chisti.
Read: At a glance: Jointly agreed upon decisions during PM's India visit
“The Prime Minister offered fateha, nafal prayers and munajat, seeking for the development, prosperity and welfare of the country, the nation and for the entire Muslim ummah,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said.
She spent some time there and went around the Ajmer Dargah Sharif, he said.
A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier was landed at Jaipur International Airport in Rajasthan at 9:55 am local time.
Read:Nobel laureate Kailash lauds PM Hasina's efforts for the vulnerable
Earlier, the flight departed Palam Airport, New Delhi at 9:12am Indian time.