Bangladesh
Minor boy dies falling off building in city
An eight-year-old boy died after falling off a seven-storey building while flying kite in the city’s Gendaria area on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Jisan Hossain Jim, son of Jamal of Gaibandha district.
Read:11-year old dies falling off roof in city
Jisan’s father is a rickshaw puller while his mother works as a domestic help. They live at Faridabad Madrasha Road in Gendaria.
Jisan went to the roof of the seven-storey building where his mother works for flying kite around 11:30 am. At one stage, he slipped and fell on the tin roof of an adjacent house.
Later, he was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital police camp.
46 gold bars seized at Chattogram airport
Customs officials on Tuesday seized 46 gold bars, weighing 5.33 kg, at Shah Amanat International Airport.
Tipped off, a team of Customs Officials conducted a drive at the ground servicing area of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and seized the gold bars, said Wing Commander Farhad Hossain, director of the airport.
The gold bars worth Tk 3.54 crore were concealed in a wheel of a vehicle parked in the area.
Read: 4 held with 11 kg gold at Sylhet airport
Food Safety Day: Checking trans-fat intake demanded
The National Food Safety Day will be observed in the country on Wednesday with the theme “Principle of good health is safe food and hygiene”.
On the occasion of day, advocacy organisation ‘PROGGA’ demanded effective implementation of the recently published regulation to control trans-fatty acid (TFA) or trans-fat intake in order to reduce the risks of heart disease.
Read: Safe food to be ensured for all amid pressure over subsidy
Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has published ‘Controlling Trans-Fatty Acid in Foodstuffs Regulation 2021,’ setting the maximum level of trans-fat to 2pc of the total fat in all fats, oils and foodstuffs.
The trans-fatty acid (TFA) or trans-fat is a toxic food element that causes increased risks of heart diseases, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases, said a release on Tuesday.
The prime source of trans-fat in food is Partially Hydrogenated Oil or PHO, which is better known as dalda or bonospoti ghee.
Generally, PHO or dalda is used in preparing baked foods, processed foods, and fried snacks, as well as in food preparation by restaurants and street food vendors.
Read:Is Bangladesh's dry food industry climate resilient? Sylhet scientists are finding that out
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Bangladesh ranks among the 15 countries with the highest burden of deaths from trans-fat induced heart diseases. Some 4.41pc of cardiovascular deaths in the country are attributed to consumption of trans-fat.
"We want trans-fat free safe food for everyone. Trans-fat control regulation needs to be implemented as soon as possible for the sake of public health," said PROGGA Executive Director ABM Zubair.
UP polls-violence leaves 29 dead in Jan alone: MSF
At least 29 people were killed and over 500 injured in January last during clashes centering the fifth and sixth phases of Union Parishad elections across the country.
Manabadhikar Shangskriti Foundation (MSF) revealed the data after collecting information about 109 reported incidents of election-linked violence from different media.
Read: Voting underway for 6th phase of UP polls
According to the MSF, the violence during the Upazila and Union Parishad elections this year broke all the previous records.
Of the deceased, one was shot dead by his rival group while four others by members of law enforcement agencies, the MSF report says.
The highest number of seven people died in Bagura district while five in Jhenidah, three in Chandpur and two in Narsingdi districts.
On January 5, police fired 25 gunshots as the supporters of a chairman candidate vandalised a centre and attacked law enforcers, administrative officers over the announcement of resuts in Gabtoli upazila, Bagura.
Four people, including a woman, died during the clash while five others suffered serious wounds, said the report.
A 50-year-old woman, Sumela Khatun, died after suffering a cardiac arrest at a voting centre in Doulatpur upazila of Manikganj during a chase and counter-chase between the supporters of two member candidates on the same day.
Read:Post-polls violence: 2 killed, 20 injured in Narsingdi
On January 12, a 30-year-old man, Anwarul Islam, was killed reportedly by a newly elected UP member over the election at Kaliganj upazila in Lalmonirhat.
According to the MSF findings, the deaths from election-related violence stood at 92 and the number of injured were more than 4,000 as of December 31, 2021.
Install Set Top Box by April 1 to watch satellite TV channels: Minister
The decision to bring the cable TV network under the digital system will be enforced from April 1 in Dhaka and Chattogram, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Tuesday.
Customers in the two cities will have to get TV set top boxes from April 1 to watch satellite television channels, he told reporters after a meeting with cable TV operators at the ministry.
Read: Minister slams cable operators for stopping operation of clean feed channels
“We had a discussion in detail to implement our initiative to bring cable TV network under digital system and you (journalists) know that a case was also filed in this regard,” he said.
He said the government has taken the initiative to provide better service to customers and ensure that the government is not deprived of VAT and tax from this sector.
“Today we’ve set a timeframe and we have fixed April 1 to ensure installation of set top boxes in Dhaka and Chattogram. We will work together to provide set top boxes within the time,” he said.
“Those who will fail to install set top boxes during this period will be deprived from watching some satellite channels,” he added.
The decision will be enforced in all metropolitan cities and divisional cities by May 30, he said adding already several lakh set top boxes have been procured and it will be implemented in phases.
The meeting also decided to formulate a guideline for the cable operating system and it is needed, he said adding, “We have reached a decision to form a guideline through a committee involving stakeholders.”
Mobile courts started operating from October 1 under the direction of the ministry of information and broadcasting to implement ad-free or clean feed broadcasting of foreign channels in accordance with Cable Network Operation Act 2006.
Cable Operators Association of Bangladesh (COAB) members stopped broadcasting foreign satellite channels without 'clean feeds', i.e. their advertisement slots filled by show sponsors and other commercial entities cater to a foreign market, on October 19 in line with a government directive.
Legally, a 'clean feed' means the broadcast runs without any advertisements from show sponsors or other commercial entities.
Read:IPTVs, YouTube channels shouldn’t air news: Info Minister
The clean feed policy calls for foreign channels to streamline content according to region, i.e. not air commercials meant for one region in another region. For example, if an Indian channel is to be aired in Bangladesh, commercials produced for the Indian market cannot be aired here.
The solution the information ministry would like to force upon these channels is to have a separate broadcast feed for Bangladesh, in which the advertising slots would be filled by commercials aimed at the Bangladeshi market. The channels would have to make this call based on how much revenue they expect to raise from Bangladeshi advertisers.
Benapole customs report growth in revenue despite pandemic
Benapole Customs House has recorded a 29.78 per cent growth in revenue earning in the first seven months of FY2021-2022, up from 19.48% during the corresponding period last year despite Covid-19 disruptions, customs sources said.
According to the sources at Benapole Customs House, revenue earning from trading along this border already crossed Tk. 2436 crore from July to January against the fiscal year’s target of Tk 5100 crore. Earning during the first seven months of the last fiscal was over Tk.2225 crore.
However, many importers are avoiding the country’s largest land trading route because of its zero-tolerance policy against malpractices, said one official.
Joint Commissioner of Benapole Customs, Abdur Rashid, said measures such as digital automation, prevention of tax dodging and smuggling and auction of goods for failure to on-time collection have helped streamline the trading along this route.
Besides, strict action was also taken against the importers and C&F Agent Association for false declaration and fraudulence, he said.
Already, three licences have been cancelled and 14 others suspended the last seven months for flouting rules, said Rashid.
Covid in Bangladesh: 31 more die, 13,154 get infected
Bangladesh logged 31 more Covid-related deaths with health authorities logging 13,154 fresh cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
The daily positivity rate slightly declined to 29.17 per cent from Monday’s 29.77 per cent after testing 45,358 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,425 while the caseload mounted to 1,811,987.
Read:175 officials including MD of Barapukuria Coal Mine contract Covid; coal extraction suspended
Among the new deceased, 15 were men and 16 women.
Nineteen deaths were reported in Dhaka division while seven in Chattogram, two in Sylhet, and one each in Rajshahi, Khulna and Rangpur divisions.
Meanwhile, the mortality rate further declined to 1.57 per cent.
However, the recovery rate also declined to 86.70 per cent with the recovery of 2,721 more patients during the 24-hour period.
One year into Myanmar coup: Stronger course of int’l action needed
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews on Tuesday reiterated the urgent need for the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo on the Myanmar military and stressed the need to significantly increase financial pressure on the junta, as many in Myanmar are doing with boycotts.
“The fact that one year has elapsed with no Security Council Resolution imposing a comprehensive arms embargo — as arms continue to flow to the junta and kill innocent people — is unacceptable,” he said. “The people of Myanmar deserve better from the United Nations.”
Read: Myanmar takeover anniversary marked by strike, int’l concern
One year after the Myanmar military launched a coup, the UN Special Rapporteur released a video featuring the voices of some of those in Myanmar who have suffered greatly and are taking action to defend their country.
Tom Andrews implored States to take a more robust course of international action “before it’s too late”.
“Now is not the time for more rhetoric, it is time for meaningful action,” the UN expert said. “The international community must take strong, meaningful steps to cut the junta’s access to weapons, funds and legitimacy.”
Andrews said he would soon release a report that identifies the weapons that continue to flow into the arsenal of the junta and where they are from.
“The military junta is functioning as a criminal enterprise, committing murder, torture, abductions, forced displacement, all the while stealing the revenue and seizing the assets that rightfully belong to the people of Myanmar,” he said.
What is worse, they appear to be getting away with it. Their attacks continue unabated. The suffering of the Myanmar people is steadily increasing.
“Recent months have seen an even further escalation of violence, and a campaign of terror now widespread across the country. I have received more reports of mass killings, attacks on hospitals and humanitarian targets, and the bombing and burning of villages,” Andrews said.
Read: Dozens arrested to suppress protests on Myanmar anniversary
Despite great risks and immense hardships, he said, the people of Myanmar are responding with courage, tenacity and an unwavering commitment to save their country and their children’s future.
“I am amazed at the resilience of the Myanmar people. In the face of aerial assaults, and mass arrest and torture, they continue to strike, to protest, to speak out and to defend themselves. They need and deserve stronger support from the international community,” Andrews said.
On this first anniversary of the illegal coup by the military junta, the best and worst of humanity is unfolding in Myanmar, he said.
“As we mark this dark day and what amounts to a military occupation of Myanmar, let the international community, and Member States of the United Nations, offer not only words of concern, but strong action. The people of Myanmar deserve nothing less,” he said.
Ctg madrasha principal gets life term for violating female teacher
A Chattogram tribunal on Tuesday sentenced the principal of a local Madrasha to life imprisonment in a case over violating a female teacher in 2016.
The convict is Maulana Nizam Uddin, principal of Ummul Kura Dakhil Madrasha in Satkania upazila. The court also fined him Tk 50,000. He was tried in absentia.
According to the prosecution, Nizam Uddin raped an assistant teacher of the madrasha on January 3, 2016.
On September 26, 2016, the woman lodged a complaint with Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal.
Also read: O-level student ‘rape, murder’: Court permits drug test on Dihan
On February 8, 2017, Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted a chargesheet against Nizam.
Also read: O-level student ‘rape, murder’: 3 suspects freed
After examining the records and six witnesses, Woman and Child Repression Tribunal-4 Judge Jamiul Haidar handed down the verdict.
Commerce minister warns against using fake FB accounts in his name
Unscrupulous elements have been operating multiple fake Facebook accounts using the name and picture of Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi in a campaign that is likely to tarnish his image, the commerce ministry said on Tuesday.
Legal action will be taken against the operators of these fake accounts unless they refrain from the immoral activities, the ministry said in a statement.
Read: Edible oil price may go up further: Tipu Munshi
It said law enforcers, including police and the RAB's IT intelligence branch, are conducting necessary investigation in this regard.
The statement said the commerce minister does not have any Facebook account.
Earlier on July 6 last year, a general diary (GD) was filed at Ramna Model Police Station in this regard, said the ministry.