Bangladesh
Man to die for killing wife in Feni
A Feni court on Tuesday sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in Fulgazi upazila of Feni district in 2012.
The condemned convict is Abdul Quader Zakaria, 40, of Khajuria village of the upazila.
Additional Sessions Judge Md Kaysar Mosharof Yusuf handed down the verdict and fined the convict Tk 30,000.
According to the case statement, accused Zakaria tortured his wife Ayesha Akter and strangled her at his home on January 5 in 2012. She was later taken to a local hospital where doctors declared her dead.
READ: 30,000 villagers’ long wait for concrete bridge in Feni yet to end
Later police arrested Ayesha's husband Zakaria .
On June 2 in 2012, the investigating officer of the case and Fulgazi police inspector Abul Manzur submitted a chargesheet against him. The trial began on October 9 of the same year.
Spotted deer released in Sundarbans after being rescued
The forest department has rescued a spotted deer from Mongla in Bagerhat and released it in the Sundarbans.
Azad Kabir, officer-in-charge of Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Center in the eastern part of the Sundarbans, said they rescued the deer, which was roaming in the locality after crossing the Sundarbans canal about eight months ago, from EPZ area of Mongla after being informed by the locals in the morning.
READ: Deer that crossed over from India dies after locals give chase
The deer, approximately 5 years old, was later released in the Sundarbans after giving first aid as it sustained injury marks on its legs, abdomen and neck.
Azad Kabir said the deer crossed Dhangmari canal and entered the Baniyashanta area of Dakop upazila in Khulna district about eight months ago. After that the deer crossed the river and started roaming in Mongla area.
Hoarders control essential market taking advantage of inactive govt machineries: HC
A nexus of individuals and groups are taking advantage of inactive machineries such as law, regulation, policy, regulatory and monitoring body of the government in controlling prices of the essential commodities, said the High Court on Monday.
A bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice SM Moniruzzaman made the remarks while hearing a writ petition seeking directions to set up a monitoring cell to control soybean oil prices in the market for the second day.
“We have law, organization, everything but failure to execute the hoarders courage to take control of the market,” the bench said.
“It’s not a one-day job to control or monitor the market so we want the machinaries to be active 365 days a year and effective steps are needed to activate them,” said the court.
Deputy Attorney General Pratikar Chakma opposed the writ petition saying the government has taken steps to control the market as prices of soybean oil, other essential commodities are under control already.
He said “Issuing a rule on this writ petition will not be right after the government has taken a decision to form a taskforce to monitor the market.”
The court then questioned how the anti-competition nexus is being defined here.
In 2012, the Competition ACT was enacted but there is no implementation of it, said the court.
It said, “The government is fixing the prices of daily essentials and behind its back a group jointly hoarding the goods and raising the prices. Legal actions have to be taken against those who are usurping the money of people. Monitoring only during Ramadan will not work as it is a daily work,” to the state side.
The court adjourned the hearing for Monday, asking the petitioner’s lawyer to make corrections in the petition as it doesn’t mention about price hike of other essentials except edible oil.
Earlier on March 6, Supreme Court lawyers Monir Hossain, Syed Mohidul Kabir and Mohammad Ullah filed the writ petition in the public interest.
The secretary of Commerce Ministry, Consumer Rights Authority and others were made respondents in the petition.
On March 3, the three lawyers brought the issue of soybean oil price hike to the notice of HC following a report published in an English daily about the hike in the price of soybean oil.
According to the report, a group of traders in Bangladesh has raised the price of soybean oil at an unusual rate, taking advantage of the Russia-Ukraine war.
On March 2, the price of a liter of loose soybean was charged at Tk 175 from the buyers in the market that is fixed at Tk 143 by the government.
DCAB celebrates International Women’s Day amid calls for gender equality
Speakers at a function here on Tuesday laid emphasis on paying utmost attention to gender equality and keep talking on the barriers to ensure that no one is left behind.
They highlighted the urgency of working together for equality everyday which is good for society and economic growth when everyone desires a more sustainable tomorrow.
Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) hosted the event at the Foreign Service Academy auditorium marking the International Women’s Day.
Read:DCAB pays tribute to Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi 32
Secretary (East) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mashfee Binte Shams spoke as the chief guest at the event while Ambassador of Switzerland Nathalie Chuard and Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh Alexandra Berg von Linde spoke as special guests.
Additional Foreign Secretary and Rector of FSA Asad Alam Siam, Chief of Protocol M Amanul Haq, Director General (Public Diplomacy wing) Mohammad Harun Al Rashid and DG (Consular & Welfare Wing) Seheli Sabrin, among others, joined the event.
Saudi FM in city; meetings with PM, FM Wednesday
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud arrived in Dhaka on a brief official visit Tuesday evening.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen received his Saudi counterpart at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 6:07pm.
Read: Saudi FM due Tuesday; meetings with PM, FM Wednesday
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yussef Essa Al Dulaihan were also present.
In his less than 24-hour visit at the invitation of Momen, the Saudi Foreign Minister will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gonobhaban on Wednesday morning, according to his programme schedule.
The Foreign Minister will hold a “tete-a-tete” with his Saudi counterpart at a city hotel the same day which will be followed by bilateral “political consultation” between the two countries at the same venue.
Online food stock, market monitoring system to be launched: Minister
The government will soon launch online food stock and market monitoring system to ensure transparency in procurement, movement, distribution and storage of food grains, said Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Tuesday
The activities of the Directorate General of Food will be brought under online monitoring to ensure transparency, he said.
Read: Proud to contribute to Bangladesh’s food security efforts: Canadian envoy
The Food Ministry is not lagging behind in honesty, nor in using technology, said the minister at a workshop ‘Online Food Stock and Market Monitoring System’ at Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) auditorium here.
Beximco Computers Ltd. Bangladesh, Bangladesh Export Import Company Ltd., Tech Mahindra Ltd. of India and Tech Valley Networks Ltd. JV are working to implement the project. The contract value of the project is Tk 261.71 crore.
Once implemented, it will create a central database that will radically change the management of food grain collection, movement, distribution and storage activities, said the minister.
Under the project, 2,500 people get training. More than 1200 areas (CSD and LSD) will be connected through optical fiber.
The 28-month project will end in October next year.
Sadhan Chandra urged the project implementing agency to focus on the quality of work and deadline.
Read:Dishonest traders raising prices of essentials: Food Minister
He said the usefulness of Digital Bangladesh was proved during the Covid pandemic which made it possible to easily deliver services to people.
Senior officials of the Food Ministry and Directorate General of Food, including Director of Directorate General of Food Md Shakhawat Hossain and Food Secretary Dr. Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum, Regional Food Controllers, District and Upazila Food Controllers were present at the workshop.
Man to die for killing ex-wife in Khulna
A Khulna court here on Tuesday sentenced a man to death for killing his ex-wife last year.
The condemned convict was Liton Molla of Dumuria upazila.
Read: Man to die for killing woman after rape in Ctg
According to the prosecution, Liton used to lock into quarrel with his 2nd wife Parvin since their marriage in 2015. In 2021, the couple got divorced.
On June 15, 2021, Liton equipped with sharp weapons entered the house of Parvin while she was sleeping with her eight-year-old daughter at night.
At one stage, he stabbed Parvin indiscriminately, leaving her dead.
Parvein’s daughter lodged a complaint with Dumuria Police and later police filed an FIR.
Read: Man to die for burning pregnant wife to death in Kushtia
Police submitted chargesheet against Liton on August 30, 2021.
After examining records and witnesses, Khulna District and Sessions Judge Mashiur Rahman handed down the verdict.
Bangladesh logs zero death from Covid after 3 months
Bangladesh logged zero Covid-related death in 24 hours till Tuesday morning after more than three months amid signs that the pandemic is easing with declining positivity rate.
The country, however, logged 217 more infections during the 24-hour period.
On December 9 last year, Bangladesh logged zero Covid-related death with 262 cases.
Read: Benapole: Covid-negative certificates not needed for vaccinated India returnees
The country reported first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.
The daily positivity rate declined to 1.54 per cent from Monday’s 1.75 per cent after testing 14,074 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the latest report, the country’s total fatalities static on 29,112 while the caseload rose to 19,49,942.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 per cent.
The recovery rate rose to 95.61 per cent with the recovery of 1,600 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Read: COVID-19 cases more than double in China's growing outbreak
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest daily positivity rate at 33.37 per cent reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.
Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.
Dhaka dwellers suffer amid unusual traffic gridlock
The capital city was stuck up for hours in terrible traffic gridlocks on Tuesday, causing untold sufferings to the dwellers, including school children. After a reality check in different parts of the capital including Asadgate, Khilgaon, Moghbazar, Mohammadpur and Dhanmondi areas the UNB reporter found huge tailbacks in many alleys and main roads especially near schools and colleges.
Read: Commuters suffer in gridlock after sudden shower’s relief
World Bank keen on investing in rural development: LGRD Minister
The World Bank has expressed interest in providing USD 5-8 billion dollars in the development of rural infrastructure in Bangladesh, said Local Government and Rural Development Minister Md Tajul Islam on Tuesday.
He was talking to reporters emerging from a meeting with a World Bank delegation at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Read: World Bank presents its areas of interest for future projects in Bangladesh
Tajul said that Bangladesh needs foreign funding in implementation of “My Village, My City” project and building of roads, bridges and culverts.
'My Village My City’ is a coordinated project that seeks to develop urban facilities for the rural people. Roads, bridges, culverts, sanitation system and supply of safe water are major components of the project, he said.
Read: World Bank approves $295 million to enhance Bangladesh’s digital economy
The bank is interested in financing in rural development programmes, the minister said.
He said the delegation also showed interest in providing financial assistance for building rehabilitation centres in cyclone-prone coastal areas.