Bangladesh
BU student with husband beaten: club-houses vandalized, students set ultimatum
Two houses and a club were vandalized in Barishal University (BU) area after a female student of the university and her husband were humiliated and beaten at the Anondo Bazar area near the campus on Tuesday.
The university students blocked Dhaka-Kuakata highway protesting the incident at around 9 pm and announced a 12-hour ultimatum to arrest the accused.
According to the students, Zahid Hossain Joy, a follower of Charkaua Union Ward- 8 member Saidul Alam Liton, with his companions humiliated and beat a student of Management Department and her husband as they were roaming in the afternoon.
READ: No winter vacation at Barishal University this year
Joy used to tease and harass the female students on a regular basis, the students claimed.
Saikat Naeem, a BU student said the incident happened with a student of the management department and her husband. "We immediately went to the scene to protest. But we don't know who vandalized the houses. We have given a 12-hour ultimatum for the arrest of Liton and Joy. If they are not arrested during this time, there will be a bigger movement," he said.
Meanwhile, UP member Liton and his followers alleged that the students vandalized an organizational office called Sheikh Russell Library and their houses.
Altaf Hossain Hawlader, father of UP member Liton, said, "Before anyone could understand anything, they were attacking and vandalizing my house. I kept saying, I'm an old man but I got two punches on my back too."
Liton's mother Nurjahan Begum said we haven’t seen the sight of Liton but the university students came and attacked our house.
Jotsna Begum, mother of Zahid Hossain Joy, said, “My son knows nothing. Around 200-300 students came and vandalised our house. They broke our TV, freezer, almirah and looted our gold and cash.”
Proctor of BU, Khorshed Alam said that the students have been brought back from the streets and the situation has been calmed. However, Liton and his followers did not act with manners.
"The students have come up with some demands which we are looking into. I don't know anything about vandalism," he said.
Md. Asaduzzaman, OC of Barishal Bandar Police Station said, extra police have been deployed to keep the situation under control.
Covid-19: Khulna shops and malls to shut by 8pm
The local administration on Tuesday decided to shut down the shops and shopping malls by 8 pm due to the surge in Covid cases in the district. The District Coronavirus Preventive Committee took the decision on Tuesday which will be effective from Wednesday. Deputy Commissioner Mohamamd Maniruzzaman Talukdar presided over the meeting while Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukdar Abdul Khalek was present at a chief guest in the meeting.
READ: Harsh restrictions back in Bangladesh as Covid situation worsens
However, the shops related to daily essentials were out of the purview of the directives. District Civil Surgeon Dr Niaz Mohammad, said a covid patient is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the district. So far, a total of 28,019 people have been found infected with the virus in the district and deaths of three people were reported in the month of November.
READ: Wary, weary world slams doors shut, fearing omicron variant Besides, no deaths were reported in December in the district. Dr Niaz also urged all to wear masks and follow health guidelines.
Shamim Osman's campaigning would violate code of conduct: Ivy
Ahead of Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) election, Awami League (AL) nominee Selina Hayat Ivy said if Shamim Osman engages in election campaigning as a Member of Parliament (PM), the code of conduct may be violated.
She said this during her campaign at Narayanganj’s Siddhirganj on Tuesday.
She also said, "My confidence is always my people."
“How will Shamim Osman stay on the field, he is a Member of Parliament (MP). If he and his followers are on the field, the code of conduct will be violated. I once again tell the media that my confidence is always with the people, with my leader, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. I don't want to say anything else,” she said.
Claiming that his followers are working for Selina Hayat Ivy's campaign for the boat symbol, Shamim Osman said that Narayanganj is the base of Awami League and it was normal for him to work for the boat symbol. Shamim Osman said that he and his followers are in the field.
He said this during a backyard meeting in the Sanatanpal Lane area on Tuesday night arranged by the local businessmen as a part of the campaign for the boat symbol.
READ: NCC polls: Taimur actually candidate of 'godfather' Shamim Osman, says Ivy
Meanwhile, the independent candidate advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker, said his supporters were being harassed by members of the law enforcement agencies. Police are raiding the houses and arresting his leaders and activists.
"We have become more united after being harassed and arrested. If needed we would sit in front of the police station and continue to campaign,” he said.
READ: AL picks Ivy again as NCC mayoral candidate
The Election Commission has appointed 14 magistrates to ensure smooth conduct of NCC elections. They will be on duty in the NCC constituency for five days from January 14 to January 18.
The NCC election is set to be held on January 16.
Woman hacked to death in Chattogram, 1 held
A person was held for hacking a woman to death in Chattogram’s EPZ area.
The arrestee was identified as Iran, son of Abul Bashar of the city.
He was arrested from Bhabhi Mor area of Ichakhali Economic Zone in Mirsarai Jorarganj on Tuesday morning by RAB.
According to RAB sources, On January 1, Iran along with his two brothers and other accomplices, attacked Laila Begum's residence in the EPZ area. Laila Begum and her son were seriously injured in the attack. On January 6, Laila Begum died at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) while undergoing treatment.
READ: Woman hacked to death in Pabna; Youth held
Nurul Abshar, senior assistant director (media) of RAB said there were four cases including two murder cases against Iran, in different police stations in the city. He was handed over to the concerned police station and legal action was being taken against him, he said.
On April 11, 2009, due to a family dispute, a young man named Ershad, 22, was beaten by Iran and his two brothers in the EPZ area. Ershad was taken to CMCH by locals where he died while undergoing treatment.
A murder case was filed against Iran and his two brothers at the EPZ police station. Accused Iran and his brothers threatened the witnesses not to testify in the case. But Laila Begum's husband Kabir Ahmed and son Omar Farooq testified in the Ershad murder case.
READ: Man hacked to death allegedly by wife in Sirajganj
Enraged by this, on January 1, Iran, along with his brothers and companions, attacked Laila Begum's residence in the EPZ police station area.
A case in this regard was filed against Iran and his two brothers at the EPZ police station. Since then, three brothers have been on the run. RAB, with the help of technology, finally tracked Iran's location and arrested him.
Vulnerability in trading system needs to be addressed pragmatically: BGMEA President
The Covid-19 has exposed vulnerabilities in the global trading system, especially showed how vulnerable the enterprises are in the absence of adequate legal protection from going bankrupt caused by non-payment by the global customers and forced payment to the suppliers, said BGMEA President Faruque Hassan.
“The vulnerability in the trading system needs to be addressed pragmatically and systematically to make trade more predictable, safer and sustainable for mankind. Also, deepening buyers-suppliers relationship requires more attention than ever before,” he said while speaking at webinar on Tuesday.
The Policy Research Institute (PRI) organized the virtual event titled “After the Pandemic Onslaught – Economy on Strong Recovery Path”.
Planning Minister M. A. Mannan, MP attended the event as the chief guest.
Chairman of PRI Dr. Zaidi Sattar made the keynote presentation at the discussion which was moderated by Executive Director of PRI Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur.
READ: Airport upgradation to underpin trade growth: BGMEA
Waseqa Ayesha Khan, MP and Naser Ezaz Bijoy, President of Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) also spoke at the webinar.
In his address BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said, “Even though we are following a path of recovery at this moment, the dent caused by Covid is still very fresh and needs special care to be healed.”
Pointing out to the challenges of LDC graduation he said, “We need to prepare ourselves for the LDC graduation and changes in the market access.”
He said the pandemic also unveiled new opportunities for Bangladesh. “Global online sales have gone up astronomically during this period with the emergence of technologies, disrupting the retail industry to a significant extent.”
The BGMEA chief said they also see opportunities in PPEs and technical textiles, especially when they are prioritizing product diversification.
READ: Bangladesh’s next development phase to depend hugely on industrialisation: BGMEA
"We have to be prepared and for that, we need strongest backward linkage than ever. We need to diversify our raw material sourcing and strengthening our backward linkage to reduce dependence on external sources should be a major strategic call, and need to realign our policies and priorities accordingly,” he added.
Adopt modern technology in cargo handling: BGMEA president
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan on Tuesday said modern equipment should be adopted in line with the demand of time for reaping the immense trade potential of Bangladesh while keeping cargo handling services smooth and efficient.
He said the cargo village has a shortage of ground handling staff and required equipment and machinery.
The BGMEA chief laid emphasis on increasing manpower for ground handling in order to derive full benefits of the improved cargo services -- the installation of new scanners and increased storage capacity.
He urged the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh to reduce scanning charge and also terminal handling charge keeping it international standard.
He also requested CAAB for always keeping cargo handling services fast and smooth.
A delegation of BGMEA headed by President Faruque Hassan visited the cargo village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Tuesday to observe the current cargo handling situation.
READ: Airport upgradation to underpin trade growth: BGMEA
The BGMEA team included Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Vice President Miran Ali, Director Asif Ashraf and former Director Ashikur Rahman (Tuhin).
The delegation expressed thanks to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) over the improvements in air cargo handling services including smooth functioning of all scanning machines at the airport.
Two new explosive detection scanners (EDS) have been installed along two separate machines have been set up for scanning perishable goods. Besides, cargo storage facility has been increased in the airport. Category-wise zones have also been earmarked for storing goods at the airport.
As a result, currently export-import cargoes are not facing any delay due to scanning process.
The improvements were made following repeated calls from BGMEA leaders who earlier held several meetings with the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, CAAB and Biman Bangladesh Airlines and visits to the cargo village where they requested the authorities to improve air cargo handling services at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to facilitate RMG exports.
READ: Bangladesh’s next development phase to depend hugely on industrialisation: BGMEA
CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman assured the BGMEA delegation of taking more steps including increasing storage space and warehouse at the airport to facilitate cargo handling.
Goethe and HerStory Foundation to host 'Sister Library: Mother Steals a Bicycle' on Wednesday
German cultural institution Goethe-Institut Bangladesh and HerStory Foundation will jointly host an online circle reading from the mischievous short story collection 'Mother Steals a Bicycle and Other Stories' by Salai Selvam and Shruti Buddhavarapu, at 7 pm on Wednesday.
The book has been illustrated by Tejubehan, his second project with Tara Books.
Read:Goethe-Institut & Lagvelki to virtually screen award-winning German short films
The virtual event titled 'Sister Library: Circle Reading Apart Together' is open to all and this maiden edition of 2022 will feature the popular Indian short story collection as the latest edition of the monthly reading circle.
"….Stories about a mother who tells her child about her strange and exciting adventures growing up in a village in South India. Look carefully at the beautiful illustrations... and imagine yourself in this fantastic world of midnight feasts, roving hyenas, shrieking peacocks, buzzing insects and stolen bicycles... does it sound unbelievable? And yet...could it all be true? The readers will discover together with us, in this reading cycle," the organizers said about the book for this reading circle.
Salai Selvam is a Tamil writer, working in the genres of children's literature, education, and childhood studies. She has been working on literacy and gender issues in rural India for almost three decades now, and her works have been published in a number of Tamil feminist magazines and newspapers. She is currently working for a charity that promotes teacher education.
Shruti Buddhavarapu is a poet, academic, and translator who has a double masters in Literature and Social Justice from the University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and University of British Columbia. Her work is rooted in sifting the numerous networks of power in the quotidian, and is informed by both popular culture and critical theory.
Tejubehan, who was born in Rajasthan and raised in a musical family, was part of a group that used to travel the streets singing devotional songs. The singers were given grain, clothing, and money in exchange. This custom, like many other historical caste-based customs, has survived in some form but is no longer a sustainable vocation.
Teju married Ganesh Jogi after relocating from her village to the city, and the two began to work together, initially singing, but later painting following a fortuitous encounter with an inspiring artist. This was her second project with Tara Books.
According to Sister Library authority - the platform, powered by female excellence, is a space to celebrate female creativity. The flagship library, founded by indigenous artist Aqui Thami in Mumbai, holds one thousand works of women writers, artists, and zine makers. It is an evolving and generative artwork that engages with an in-depth reflection on the visual and reading cultures of modern times.
Read:Goethe-Institut’s int’l conference on Masculinity begins Friday
The goal of the project is to bring together readers, in order to explore literary contributions, showcase the artistic quality, and celebrate women in the creative world - as well as to foster interests and understanding of the accomplishments of female writers and artists, according to the Sister Library.
Goethe informs that following the usual format of the event, the circle readers take turns reading from the text and it is not mandatory for every participant to read, instead, the participants can continue listening while the speaker narrates the play, as the circle goes round.
Interested participants can join the circle through the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81988398635?pwd=d3BWcE1jQ3NmaEd3Q09EMUxCdDRGdz09.
The Meeting ID for the event is 819 8839 8635 while the Passcode is 596096.
The online event is free and open to all. For additional information, interested readers can visit the official Facebook page of Goethe-Institut Bangladesh.
Ban on public rallies in open space unacceptable: BNP
Terming illogical the restriction on public meetings and rallies in open space in the name of containing Covid transmission, BNP standing committee has said it is an ‘evil’ attempt of the government to control normal political activities.
At their virtual meeting on Monday, the BNP standing committee, the highest policymaking body of the party, also said it is unacceptable to stop political rallies by continuing the ongoing local body elections, said a press release signed by party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday.
Read: BNP leader Fakhrul, wife contract Covid
It said, “BNP considers the decision to ban meetings and rallies in open space keeping the scope for indoor meetings and gatherings in the name of preventing the spread of Omicron as the government’s evil efforts to control normal political activities.”
Stating that World Health Organisation (WHO)’s statement that the Omicron of Covid-19 is less likely to spread in open space than the closed one, the meeting said it is an illogical decision to restrict, social, political and religious gatherings in open spaces by allowing the activities in places like hats, markets, shopping malls, schools and colleges.
The BNP policymakers said people had successfully held BNP’s rallies at different parts of the country resisting the unnecessary and conspiratorial obstructions by the government and the ruling party. “So, the government is using the Omicron and Covid-19 as a shield to thwart people's spontaneous resistive movement.”
Read: Repression again on BNP leaders as per ‘govt master plan’: Rizvi
Amid the spike in Covid cases due to the transmission of the Omicron variant, the government on Monday imposed various restrictions, including public gatherings, social programmes, political and religious events. The restrictions will be effective on January 13.
The BNP standing committee meeting also criticised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she in her recent address to the nation claimed that her government was elected by people’s votes.
It described Sheikh Hasina’s claim to have been elected by people’s votes as ‘’ridiculous and a low-quality joke’’.
Islamic Front and NAP discuss formation of EC with President Hamid
Islamic Front Bangladesh and Bangladesh National Awami Party ( NAP) on Tuesday separately took part in the discussion with President Abdul Hamid on the formation of the Election Commission. A six-member delegation of Islamic Front Bangladesh led by the party's chairman Allama Syed Bahadur Shah Mojaddedi met the president at the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban at 6pm.
Read:Dialogue before EC formation just a mockery, says BNP They presented a five-point proposal including enactment of election law as per the constitution. Saying 'Elections reflect public opinion,'they proposed the formation of a transparent, accountable, self-sufficient and independent election commission in accordance with the constitution. They also proposed to keep the overall election activities out of the purview of the government and the executive bodies and to make publicity of the directives of the Election Commission compulsory in the media, including radio and television. Later, a eight-member delegation led by NAP Chairman Jebel Rahman Ghani took part in the discussion. The delegation presented a three-point proposal including enactment of electoral law. They also suggested adopting a modern election system. They proposed the use of modern technology to ensure fair and impartial voting in every constituency.
Read: Boycotting the election dialogue not a solution: Gono Front They said that democracy cannot be established without participatory elections. President Hamid told the delegations that the cooperation of all, including the executive bodies, irrespective of party affiliation, is essential for a fair election. He said that the mentality of the people has to be changed for this as well. Secretary to the President Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, Press Secretary to the President Joynal Abedin were also present on the occasion.
PM condoles death of the president of European Parliament
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed deepest condolence at the demise of European Parliament President David Sassoli.
In a signed letter addressed to Charles Michel, President, European Council, Brussels, Sheikh Hasina recalled that Sassoli was a compassionate journalist and an extraordinary EU Parliament President.
Read:PM condoles death of Awami league sub-committee member Gias Uddin
She reiterated that Sassoli’s legacy will continue to inspire parliamentary democracies around the world to forge ahead and strengthen cooperation amongst the nations.
She expressed her deepest sympathy to the bereaved family members and his loved ones and extended her prayers for eternal peace of his departed soul.