Bangladesh
5 killed in Gazipur road crash
Five people were killed as a bus crashed into a battery-run auto-rickshaw in Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur on Saturday night, police said.
The deceased were identified as auto rickshaw driver Nazrul Islam, 27, and its four passengers- Mehedi Hasan, 44, Atiqul Islam, 42, Saidul Islam, 27, and Shahin Uddin, 28.
The accident occurred around 10:30 pm when a speeding passenger bus of ‘Itihas Paribahan’ collided with the auto-rickshaw coming from the opposite direction at Makish Bathan in the upazila, leaving the auto-rickshaw driver and Mehedi dead on spot and three injured, said Abdul Bashar, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kaliakair police station.
The injured were rushed to Kaliakair Health Complex in critical condition where two of them succumbed to their injuries, said the OC.
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Later, another was shifted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where he was declared dead, said Sub-Inspector (SI) of Kaliakair police station Rahat Akand.
The bodies were handed over to their respective families without post mortem, he added.
Police seized the killer bus but its driver escaped, said the SI.
Road accidents in Bangladesh
As many as 524 people including 73 children were killed and 821 others injured in 467 road accidents across the country in June alone.
Of these, 204 people died in motorbike accidents alone during this period, which is 38.93% of the total fatalities, the Road Safety Foundation said in its latest report released on July 4.
Besides, 107 pedestrians, 86 drivers and their assistants were killed in the accidents.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh witnessed 398 deaths on roads in 319 accidents in just 15 days during journeys before and after Eid-ul-Azha this year.
The accidents and deaths recorded on Bangladesh roads during Eid-ul-Azha were highest in the last 7 years, according to a report prepared by Jatri Kalyan Samiti, a passenger welfare organization.
Directive to restrict use of ‘Indigenous’ unconstitutional
Fifty eminent citizens of the country in a joint statement have said that the Information Ministry’s restriction to use the word ‘Indigenous’ is unconstitutional and tantamount to contempt of the court.
“The Information Ministry has sent a circular to all the television channel owners saying that they’ll have to broadcast the restriction on using the word ‘Indigenous’ to prevent those who’ll take part in programs commemorating the International Day of The World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9 from using the word. We find the restriction self-contradictory as the government which has imposed the restriction had used the word ‘Indigenous’ more than once in its election manifesto in 2008,” read the statement.
The statement added that in the country’s constitution, it has been stated that if any question arises over any subject mentioned in the constitution, it’s the Supreme Court which has the only jurisdiction to provide explanation on that issue, not any other institution. The Supreme Court itself had said in one of its verdicts that there is no constitutional bindings on using the word ‘Indigenous’, which goes against the restriction put out by the Information Ministry.
“The ILO convention 107 was signed by Father of The Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman-led government in 1972, where the word ‘Indigenous’ was not only used but the rights of all the indigenous people of the country were also recognized. In 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had also emphasized on protecting the rights and dignity of the indigenous people in a speech,” adds the statement.
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The statement also says that the restriction by the Information Ministry also denied section 39 of the country’s constitution, which ensures the right to speech and the right of media.
“We strongly condemn the restriction by the Information Ministry. We urge the concerned authorities to refrain from issuing such misleading directives that disrespect the eminent citizens, journalists and intellectuals of the country. We demand for the removal of the circular immediately,” the statement concluded.
Sultana Kamal, a well-known rights activist, Khushi Kabir, Coordinator of Nijera Kori, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, Trustee of Gonoshasthya Kendra and Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), among others, signed the statement.
RU female student's hanging body recovered; Husband arrested
A female student of Rajshahi University (RU) was found hanging at a residence in the district's Dharampur area on Friday midnight.
The deceased was identified as Mst. Rikta Akhter, 21, a second-year student of the Law department of the university and hailed from Jotpara village of Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia.
She used to live in a rented house in the Dharampur area adjacent to the university with her husband Abdullah Ishtiaq Rabbi, also a second-year student in the university’s Applied Mathematics Department hailing from Porahati of Harinakundu Upazilla of Jhenaidah.
Quoting Rabbi, police said he found Rita hanging in their window on Friday night. Later, Rabbi along with his friend took her to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where on-duty doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Read: Female CU student 'kills herself'
Rita's father Liakat Ali Joarder filed a complaint with Motihar police accusing Rabbi, said Anwar Ali Tuhin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Motihar Police Station.
Later, police arrested Rabbi and sent him to jail through a Rajshahi court, added the OC.
Child accidentally strangles himself while playing with rope
A nine-year-old boy breathed his last after accidentally strangling himself with a rope in the capital's Jurain on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Arafat Islam Arzu, son of Azizul Haque, a trader of Siabnia village in Mongla upazila of Bogra district.
Arzu was a second grader at a local school. He lived with his family on the fourth floor of a four-storey building next to Muradpur High School in Jurain.
The incident took place on Saturday noon when the boy strangled himself while playing with a rope in the balcony of the house.
He was rushed to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the doctor on duty declared him dead at around 2 pm, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) police outpost.
Read: Child killed in Cox’s Bazar landslide
BSMMU prepared against Monkeypox: VC
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed said on Saturday that his institution is fully equipped to control any crisis created by global health hazard Monkeypox.
The VC said this at a press briefing held at the Shaheed Dr. Milton hall of the university.
Sharfuddin said that the World Health Organization (WHO) has termed Monkeypox as an identifiable and expansionary disease.
“Around 17,000 people have been identified with Monkeypox worldwide till now. Although no Monkeypox case has been detected in Bangladesh yet, we’re being alerted about it. We’ll be able to tackle this disease if the countrymen avoid rumors and false alarms,” Sharfuddin said.
Sharfuddin added that the Prime Minister will inaugurate the country’s first super specialized hospital built under the supervision of BSMMU on August 28.
“This hospital is also a milestone for the government like the Padma Bridge. We’ll ensure that every patient can avail treatment at this hospital,” Sharfuddin added.
Read: BSMMU VC warns against excessive use of antibiotics
The VC also provided details about Monkeypox at the press briefing.
“Monkeypox is a DNA virus. A person contracts this virus by direct communication with a carrier of this virus or eating insufficiently cooked meat of an animal containing the virus. This virus can also be contracted from droplets of breathing. Around 26 percent people infected with Monkeypox are also identified with HIV virus and 90 percent patient infected with this virus is aged below 15 years,” said Sharfuddin.
Those infected with Monkeypox have to be treated in quarantine, said the VC.
BSMMU Pro-VC Prof Dr Saif Uddin Ahmed, Treasurer Prof Dr Mohammad Atiqur Rahman, Dean Prof Dr Debabrata Banik, among others, were present at the briefing.
Perilous roads: Seven killed in 4 dists
At least seven people, including a child were killed and another injured in separate road accidents in Chuadanga, Habiganj, Rajshahi and Dhaka districts on Saturday.
In Chuadanga, at least three motorcyclists were killed and another was injured as two motorcycles collided in the Jafarpur area of Chuadanga municipality on Saturday.
The deceased were identified as Tunu Hossain alias Anando, 22, son of Sirajul Islam of Farmpara of Chuadanga , Mithu Hossain, 30, son of Rikat Ali of Nurnagar Colonypara, and Shri Mukta Halder,28, son of Shri Manoranjan Halder of Sirajganj district.
The injured was Roni Hossain ,35, son of Alauddin Biswas of Monharpur village of Bagmara police station in Rajshahi district.
Officer-in-charge (OC) of Chuadanga Sadar Police Station Mahabubur Rahman said the accident occurred around 1pm when the two motorcycles collided in front of the Jafarpur Youth Development Department, leaving two bikers dead on the spot.
Another succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Chuadanga Sadar Hospital around 3:15pm.
On information, police rushed to the spot, said the OC.
In Habiganj, a truck driver and his assistant were killed when another truck hit their truck in Bahubal Upazila of the district in the early hours of Saturday.
The identities of the deceased could not be known yet, said Salah Uddin, officer-in-charge of Shaistaganj Highway Police Station.
The accident occurred at Baganbari on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway at around 5 am when they were doing repair works underneath the truck parking it on the highway and they were hit by another truck.
Both of them died on the spot, added the OC.
In Dhaka, a battery-run auto-rickshaw driver was killed by an anonymous vehicle in Asad gate area of Mohammadpur in the city Saturday.
Read: Road accidents claim 7 lives in 3 districts
The deceased was identified as Monir Sheikh, 40, hailing from Tongi Bari upazila of Gopalganj district, said Abdur Rashid, Sub Inspector of Mohammadpur police station
The accident occurred early in the morning and his body was found lying in front of Nabil Paribahan bus counter on Mirpur road near Asad Gate, he said.
“Efforts are on to identify the vehicle and the driver that is responsible for the accident. The body has been sent for autopsy,” said the SI.
In Rajshahi, a 12-year-old schoolboy was killed in a road crash in Rajshahi's Durgapur municipality on Saturday.
The deceased Salman Hossain, son of Rahidul Islam of Devipur village. He was a student of class IV in Shyampur Government Primary School, said Nazmul Haque, officer-in-charge (OC) Durgapur Police Station.
The accident occurred around 10am when a tractor hit Salman near Devipur College, leaving him spot dead.
On information, police visited the scene and seized the tractor, added the OC.
Road accidents have become very common in Bangladesh.
At least 2,329 people, including 291 women and 381 children, were killed and 4,361 others injured in 2,159 road accidents across the country in the first half of the current year, says a new report by the Road Safety Foundation.
The road accidents occurred on highways, and national, inter-district and regional roads between January 1 and June 30 across the country.
CSOs, NGOs for transparency, accountability in Sylhet flood assistance
The civil society organisations (CSOs) and NGOs have called for ensuring transparency and accountability in the delivery of humanitarian assistance for Sylhet flood survivors.
They also demanded the transfer of operational leadership to local NGOs, adding that the role of the UN agencies and INGOs will have to be limited to monitoring and technical assistance.
The CSO leaders were speaking at an online press conference Saturday organised by the Sylhet chapter of the Bangladesh NGO-CSO Coordination Process (BDCSO Process).
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, executive director at COAST Foundation, said there should be a transparent and competitive policy for the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) fund disbursement. "This time the size of the fund is $5 million as announced by the UN emergency relief coordinator."
"The fund should not only be earmarked for the UN agencies, Red Cross and large national NGOs. There is little disclosure of the INGO funding although the UN already raised $2.5 million," he added.
Rezaul said: "There should be a policy for building sustainable and accountable local civil society in Sylhet. Funds should be disbursed through open, competitive and transparent practices."
Nayeem Gowhar Warha, secretary of the Disaster Forum, urged the government to depute a senior official as a relief commissioner in Sylhet and Sunamganj for relief coordination.
Read: BDCSO Process to hold virtual annual conference from Oct 6-8
AKM Jashim Uddin, director of the Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh (ADAB), said given the Grand Bargain commitment, the UN and INGOs should consider allocating at least 25 percent of the funds for the local NGOs.
Tofazzel Hossain, chairman of BDCSO process in Sylhet, Babul Akhter, coordinator of ADAB Sylhet, Badrul Islam, executive director of Jaintia Shinnomul Songstha (JASHIS), Badrul Akter, secretary of ADAB in Sylhet, Sazzadur Rahman, executive director of Poddha Sylhet, and Jobair Hossain, executive director of Shatadol Sylhet, also spoke.
Transport workers block roads protesting detention of colleagues in Dinajpur
Agitated transport workers in Dinajpur have blocked the district’s Dashmail central truck terminal and adjacent roads, protesting the detention of two of their fellow workers over allegations of extortion and obnoxious comments made by the Officer In-charge (OC) of Kaharol police station about their organization.
As a result, movement of all types of public transport has remained suspended in the district.
According to Sadakatul Bari Sada, President of Dinajpur Truck-Lorry-Covered Van Workers’ Union, OC Rais Uddin detained two workers over allegations of extortion in Kaharol upazila.
“We went to the police station to talk to the OC. But instead of giving us time, the OC termed our registered organization as illegal. The aggrieved workers are protesting the detention and the remark made by the OC by blocking various roads since 5:00pm today,” said Sada.
Read: Rajshahi transport owners, workers call strike from Nov 1
OC Rais denied the allegations, saying that they detained two workers for questioning over extortion at Kaharol cattle market.
“I didn’t term the Union as illegal. Rather, I tried to talk to the leaders of the organization in the evening. I’m trying to mitigate the situation by talking with my high-ups,” Rais said.
President visits Bangabandhu Military Museum
President Abdul Hamid on Saturday visited the Bangabandhu Military Museum.
The President was received by Principal Staff Officer (PSO) Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman and senior officials of the Armed Forces Division on his arrival at the museum.
President's press secretary Joynal Abedin said the President was apprised of a brief history of the establishment of Bangabandhu Military Museum during his visit.
Also read: President Hamid calls for stepping up flood relief distribution
President Hamid, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Division, along with his family members and entourage visited various rooms of the Bangabandhu Military Museum and installations there.
He also enjoyed the "Light and Sound Display" near the fountain in the museum premises.
The President also signed the visitors’ book kept at the designated table in the President's corner of the Bangabandhu Military Museum.
Also read: President receives report on Bangabandhu birth centenary celebration
The President also attended a photo session there too.
The museum authority presented a crest to Abdul Hamid while the President also presented a crest to the Bangabandhu Military Museum Authority.
The ‘Bangabandhu Military Museum’ was built on 10 acres of land on the west side of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theater at Bijoy Sarani in the capital.
Secretaries concerned to the President and senior officials concerned accompanied the President during the visit.
Crane operator dies as KSRM Steel Mill crane catches fire
A 40-year-old man was burned to death in a fire that broke out at a crane in the KSRM steel mill in Chattogram Sitakunda on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Md Mohiuddin, son of Zaheer Ahmed of Dakshin Masjidda Dhupapara Pukurpar village of Kumira Union of the Upazila. He was a crane operator of the steel mill.
Kumira Fire Service Station Officer Md Feroze said Mohiuddin died on the spot after the factory's loading crane caught fire Saturday noon.
On information, a fire tender was rushed to the spot.
After the flames were doused, the firemen recovered the charred body of the man, he added.
Read: 3 steel mill workers burnt by molten iron at Jatrabari