British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson on Thursday said their country wants the elections to the two Dhaka city corporations to be held in a fair and participatory manner.
 
He made the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting with BNP mayoral candidate in the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) polls Tabith Awal at his Banani office around 8pm.
 
Mentioning that the mayoral election is important for the country, the British envoy said he has already discussed the issue with ruling Awami League and the Election Commission.
 
Talking to reporters, Tabith Awal said they informed Dickson about what they told the Election Commission over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the polls.
 
The High Commissioner cleared British government’s stance over the election and expressed optimism about the advancement of the democratic process in Bangladesh, he claimed.
 
BNP Standing Committee member Selima Rahman, organising secretary Shama Obaid and BNP chairperson’s adviser Mizanur Rahman Minu were, among others, present at the meeting.

Police recovered the body of a college student from Chaltetola Baganbari area in the district town of Satkhira on Thursday, two days after his abduction.

The victim is Rasul Ahmed Jim, 22, son of Sheikh Hemayet Hossain Himu of Fulbari Gate area of Khulna and a 1st year Honours student of Satkhira Govt College.

Police also arrested the abductor -- Zahid Hasan, son of Abdur Rouf of Munjitpur area of the town.

Jim was abducted from the district town of Satkhira on January 21.

His father filed a case on January 22 accusing 6-7 people, including Zahid.

On Thursday morning, police arrested Zahid and upon his confessional statement, they recovered the body of the college student from one Liton’s house at Chaltetola Baganbari area.

Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said they sent the body to Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday said the government will soon start providing 24-hour services at 14,000 community clinics across the country.

“There’s no alternative but to introduce 24-hour services to ensure safe motherhood and reduce infant mortality,” he said.

The minister was addressing a discussion titled safe water and sanitation at hospitals jointly organised by NGO Forum Bangladesh and The Dainik Bhorer Kagoj at the vernacular daily’s office.

Two usable toilets were already set up at all 14,000 community clinics each, he said, adding that cleaning staff will be appointed soon.

He also said 72 percent of government hospitals have modern and clean toilet facilities and modernisation of the rest 28 percent are underway.

Bhorer Kagoj editor Shyamal Dutta conducted the programme which was attended by Md Saifur Rahman, chief engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering; SM Moniruzzaman, national adviser (Policy Support) of the Local Government Division; and Ahsan Habib, Head of Research, Monitoring & Evaluation at NGO Forum for Public Health were, among others, present.

The government has excluded the name of the Daily Sangram, a mouthpiece of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, from the official media list.

The action was taken after the daily published an article on its December 12 issue describing executed war criminal Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Quader Molla as ‘martyr’, said a handout on Thursday.

Quader Molla, Jamaat assistant secretary general, was executed on December 12, 2013 for his crimes against humanity, including the massacre of unarmed civilians and the killing of intellectuals, during the War of Liberation in 1971.

A new intercity train - Jamalpur Express – will be introduced on the Dhaka-Jamalpur-Dhaka route on January 26.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the new train from Ganobhaban.

Coaches of ‘Udayan Express’ and ‘Paharika Express’ running on the Chattogram-Sylhet route will be replaced with new ones while the service of ‘Pabna Express’ will be extended till Dhalarchar in new name ‘Dhalarchar Express’ and that of ‘Faridpur Express’ till Bhanga as ‘Rajbari Express’, said a handout on Thursday.

Jamalpur Express will leave Dhaka at 10:30am and reach the destination at 4:05pm and leave Jamalpur at 5:45pm and arrive in Dhaka at 11:30pm.

This train with modern facilities will have altogether 620 seats-- 110 AC ones and 510 Shovon chairs. It will operate six days every week and have a holiday on Sunday.

People with special needs will be provided with wheelchairs at the train.