A total of 39 illegal establishments were evicted on Wednesday from the side of Tongi bridge.

The drive began at 10 in the morning and continued till 5 pm.

AKM Arif Uddin, Joint Director of Dhaka River Port, informed that the drive was conducted from the Bridge Ghat area of Turag river. At this time, 39 illegal establishments including a three-storied market, five structures comprising half-concrete shops and tin-shed houses, and 33 shops were evicted.

Side-by-side the five-acre illegally occupied government land was also reclaimed. Besides, Tk 14,500 in fines were realized and submitted to the government coffer.

BIWTA officials informed that all the illegal establishments on the bank of the Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakshya rivers will be evicted. Besides, work for erecting permanent pillars of the river will continue.

The eviction drive of the remaining illegal establishments will be held from 10 am to 5 pm on Thursday, said BIWTA.

BIWTA, River Police, local administration and executive magistrate part of the team during the eviction drive.

At least ten people were killed in road accidents in five districts on Wednesday.

According to reports reaching UNB news desk – two teenage boys were crushed under the wheels of a truck at Kaijuri of Faridpur Sadar upazila in the afternoon.  

The deceased were identified as Babu Molla, 12, son of Faruk Sheikh and Asif Hossain, 13, son of late Abdur Sardar of the area. They both were students of Bangram High School.

Nazrul Islam, sub-inspector of Kotwali Police Station, said the incident took place when the duo was returning home from school on a motorcycle.

A truck rammed into their motorcycle near the school around 4:30pm, leaving them dead on the spot. Later, angered students caught the truck and set it on fire, he said.

In Chattogram, four people were killed in a head-on collision between a truck and a pickup van on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway at Banshbaria in Sitakunda upazila in early hours.

The deceased were identified as Fazlu Bepary, 60, Hannan, 42, Nurul Amin, 55 and CNG Driver Siraj Saiyyal, 25.

The accident took place around 4:45am when a stone-laden truck from Dhaka hit the Dhaka-bound green chilli-laden pickup van, leaving three people dead on the spot, said in-charge of Kumira Highway police camp Sub-Inspector Mohammad Abdullah.

On information, police recovered the bodies while the injured were taken to Sadar Hospital, he said.

Siraj was referred to Dhaka for better treatment but he succumbed to his injuries on way to hospital around 2pm, the SI added.

Traffic movement on the busy road remained halted for a while after the accident.

In Rajshahi, two schoolboys were killed and another was injured after being run over by a microbus at Sadhurmor area in Godagari upazila in the morning.

The deceased were identified as Abdur Alim Sohag, 12, son of Hamidur Rahman and Sumon, 11, son of Alamgir Hossain of Ratahari area of the upazila. They were fifth graders at Ratahari Brac School.

Khairul Islam, officer-in-charge of Godagari Police Station, said they were going to school when a microbus hit their bicycle around 9:45am, leaving Sohag and Sumon dead on the spot and another injured.

On information, police recovered the bodies, the OC said.

In Panchagarh, a man – Mokles alias Bachchu, 40, son of Eunus Ali of Bakshipara village - was killed as a trolley hit his bicycle at Tunir Hat in Sadar upazila at afternoon.

Abu Aksad Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said a sugarcane-laden-trolley hit his bicycle when he along with his son Jewel was returning home.

Mokles died on the spot while the son sustained injuries. On information, firefighters recovered the body and took Jewel to the Sadar Hospital.

In Chapainawabganj, a woman – Jahanara Begum, 50, wife of Badal of Radhanagar – was killed in a road accident in Gomastapur Upazila.

Jashim Uddin, officer-in-charge of Gomastapur Police Station, said a truck hit the rickshaw Jahanara was on, leaving her dead on the spot.  

The High Court on Wednesday asked the government to inform it by Tuesday next about its plan on Suhrawardy Udyan where Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered the historic 7th March Speech in 1971.

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Dr Bashir Ahmed in 2017.

The court also fixed Tuesday for further order.

The petitioner represented himself while Assistant Attorney General Mohammad Saiful Islam stood for the state during the hearing.

The writ petition was filed seeking HC directives to reinstate the stages at the same places where Bangabandhu had delivered the 7th March Speech, Pakistani force surrendered, and gratitude extended to then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by Bangladesh, and set up an statue of Bangabandhu, a museum and declare March 7 as the Historic National Day.

After hearing the writ on November 20, 2017, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why directives should not be given to set up a Bangabandhu’s speech-mode sculpture at the place.

The court had also wanted to know as to why directives should not be given to take necessary steps to preserve the place for the next generation as a historical one.

On March 4, 2018, the HC issued another rule asking the government to explain as to why directives should not be given to set up a Bangabandhu’s speech-mode sculpture at the place where he had delivered the historic 7th March Speech in 1971.

The High Court on Wednesday directed the government to appoint within 60 days 38 candidates who came out successful in the 36th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations.

The bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order after final hearing of a writ petition filed by the candidates.

Advocate Salah Uddin Dolon stood for the petitioners while Deputy Attorney General Wayes Al Haruni represented the state.

The final results of the 36th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations were published on October 17, 2017.

Some 2,323 examinees were recommended for various cadre positions.

Thirty-eight of the candidates who are yet to get appointment filed the writ petitions in 2019.

Salah Uddin said the HC issued a rule on February 19, 2019, after hearing the writ.

On January 28, the HC directed the government to appoint within 60 days 27 candidates who came out successful in the 34th and 35th BCS examinations.

Speakers at a discussion here on Wednesday laid emphasis on collaboration among all shakeholders to eradicate TB together with the government.

They said media can play a pivotal role to raise awareness among the people in the country.   

They made the observation at a roundtable discussion on “Progress and challenges in TB control programme” organized by National TB Control Programme (NTP), BRAC and the Daily Star, which was held at the Daily Star Centre.

Prof. Shamiul Islam, Line Director, TB Control programme was present as the chief guest at the event, said a press release.   

The keynote presentation was made by Dr Nazis Arefin, Medical officer from NTP.

The programme started with a welcome speech by Dr Mahfuza Rifat, Associate Director for Tuberculosis under Brac’s Communicable Disease Programme

The event was moderated by Shameen Ahmed, researcher from University of Toronto.

Health sector experts Prof. DR. M.A. Faiz, former Deputy General of DGHS Dr Iqbal Arslan, President of the Swadhinata Chikitswak Parisad Dr Akramul Islam, Director of the Communicable Diseases and WASH in BRAC, Prominent columnist and researcher Syed Abul Maksud,  Syed Istiaq Reza, Editor in Chief from Gazi TV, prominent journalist Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Toufiq Maruf and some of the most renowned actors Tropa Mazumdar, Sumaiya Shimu, Dr Ejajul Islam, dancer Munmun Ahmed, magician Jewel Aich and drama maker Chayonika Chowdhury shared their stories, experiences and opinions.

Dr Shamiul Islam expressed his satisfaction with the TB programme and its activities.

He said, “The private sector companies have a good partnership with NTP in tackling tuberculosis but now is the time to step up and work more towards this common goal. For this we need to enhance our activities and raise even more awareness.”

Media personalities Munmun Ahmed, Tropa Mazumdar, Sumaiya Shimu, magician Jewel Aich and director Choyonika Chowdhury requested all the private sector entity and the government to emphasize on raising awareness and work together.

They also extended their support and their willing availability to work with NTP.

Syed Abul Maksud said there was a time when the word Tuberculosis or TB used to scare people but due to some very impressive work of NTP and its partners this scenario has changed.

He also placed utmost importance on TB research.