Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Canada find many areas for potential collaboration
Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said Bangladesh and Canada are willing to expand the existing multiple engagements between the two countries exploring the areas for further collaboration.
“We have excellent relations with Canada. We have multiple engagements with Canada. They (Canada) want to widen and expand these engagements,” he told reporters after his meeting with Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Lilly Nicholls.
Talking to reporters separately, the High Commissioner said they had a “productive first discussion” about their “multifaceted” and longstanding relationship.
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“With strong people to people ties, a growing commercial relationship and an evolving development program, there are many areas for potential collaboration, benefiting the citizens of both our countries,” she said in a brief statement.
During the meeting, she said they also discussed the importance of media freedom, civil society and alternative voices in a healthy democracy.
The High Commissioner reiterated Canada’s continued commitment to responding to the Rohingya crisis.
On human rights issues, he said human rights are a global issue and this is an issue in America, Europe and also an issue in Canada. “We remain engaged.”
“We discussed the issues of democracy as we have to make democracy healthier. We value the opinion of our friendly countries,” said the Foreign Minister, while responding to a question.
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“There are many areas for potential collaboration, benefiting the citizens of both our countries,” said the High Commissioner.
The Foreign Minister discussed ways to send back the killer of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Noor Chowdhury to execute the court verdict at home.
Responding to a question, he said the High Commissioner is not the authority to decide but she will communicate Dhaka’s request with her government.
They spoke about the special relationship between the two countries and ways to further strengthen the long-standing relations.
"We have a long-standing and a multifaceted relationship, which has many dimensions," said the High Commissioner.
"And we also, of course, spoke about the evolving Development Partnership and how each of these offers many opportunities for joint collaboration between our two countries," said the envoy.
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As good friends, the High Commissioner said they also spoke very openly about the importance of freedom of expression, the tremendous value of civil society, and a vibrant civil society.
"We spoke about the importance of alternative voices and perspectives," she said.
The High Commissioner also took the opportunity to speak with the foreign minister to thank Bangladesh for hosting the Rohingya people.
"And it was my opportunity also to reiterate Canada's continued support for the Rohingya response," she said.
Dengue: 14 more patients hospitalised in 24hrs
No fresh death due to dengue was reported in Bangladesh in the 24 hours till Monday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
However, 14 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever during this period, according to the DGHS.
Read: Nipah virus: Two patients from Manikganj die in Dhaka
Of them, six were admitted in Dhaka hospitals, while the rest were outside the capital.
A total of 131 dengue patients, including 43 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, 1020 dengue cases have been reported since January 1, 2024.
Last year, a total of 1,705 people lost their lives due to dengue, making it the deadliest year on record.
Read: COVID-19: Bangladesh reports 28 more cases in 24hrs
The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 3,18,749 recoveries last year.
Last year’s September was the deadliest month for the dengue outbreak, with 396 fatalities and 79,598 cases, according to DGHS data.
Man gets life term in drugs case in Narail
A Narail court on Monday sentenced a man to life imprisonment in a narcotics case.
The lifer is Md. Kader Biswas, 40, son of Karim Biswas of Mohammadpur area of Jashore's Chougacha, said Alamgir Siddique, an additional public prosecutor at the court.
According to case statement, police arrested Kader with 3 litres of phensedyl after searching a bus near Sitarampur bridge in Sadar Upazila in 2009.
Later, a case was filed at Sadar Police Station in this connection.
After examining records and witnesses, Additional District and Sessions Judge-2 Md Saiful Alam handed down the judgment.
Barendra Express train narrowly escapes accident; rail link with Rajshahi suspended
Barendra Express Train narrowly escaped an accident as the locomaster managed to stop the train after seeing 'red' signal near Nandangachhi station of Charghat upazila of the district on Monday.
The railway communication between Rajshaahi and other parts of the country remained suspended after rail tracks found broken near Nandangacchi rail station around 11 am, Asim Kumar Talukder, general manager of West Zone Railway, confirmed.
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Locals had noticed the broken part of the railway tracks before Barendra Express train coming from Nilphamari's Chilahati reached the spot and promptly hoisted a red cloth at the danger point.
Seeing the red signal the locomaster of the running train managed to stop the train.
The repair work of the broken tracks is going on and the train service will resume soon, he added.
Woman electrocuted in Chattogram
A 50-year-old woman died from electrocution while trying to catch a kite at Narikeltala in South Halishahar of Chattogram city on Monday morning.
The deceased was identified as Surfa Begum, 50, wife of Masud Mia of Maizpara area of Ratanpur village under Madan police station in Netrakona.
Read: 2 dead as pick up van hits tree in Savar
Jamal Uddin, officer-in-charge (investigation) of EPZ Police Station, said Surfa Begum was electrocuted after she got tangled with an electric wire while trying to catch a kite on the roof. She died on the spot.
Later, police recovered the body and sent it to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) morgue for autopsy.
Preparations are underway to file an unnatural death case, said the OC.
2 dead as pick up van hits tree in Savar
Two people died and another was injured as a pick up van crashed into a roadside tree in Akran area of Savar early Monday.
The deceased were identified as Rahim and Salahuddin. The details of the victims could not be known immediately.
Read: Youth dead, two wounded in Sylhet road crash
The accident occurred around 6am when the pick up van coming from Birulia area of Savar hit a roadside tree in the area, leaving them injured, said Akbar Ali, officer-in-charge (OC) of Savar Model Police Station.
Later, locals rescued the three and took them to Enam Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared Rahim and Salahuddin dead on arrival.
Read: Man hacked to death in Sylhet
Another seriously injured person was transferred to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital for better treatment.
Police recovered the bodies and sent those to Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital morgue for post-mortem, added the OC.
Physician among 2 arrested with 4 gold bars at Ctg airport
Two people including a physician of Chattogram Shah Amanat International airport’s health department were arrested along with four gold bars weighing around 4.64 grams at the airport on Monday.
The arrested physician was identified as Dr Sharif Mithu who is posted at the health department of the airport while the identity of the rest could not be known immediately.
Group Captain Taslim Ahmed, also director of the airport, said an Air Arabia flight from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) landed at the airport in the morning.
The physician might have been carrying the gold bars of a passenger in his packet, he said, adding that the passenger was also arrested in this connection.
The gold bars were handed over to the Customs Intelligence and Investigation (CIID), Chattogram, he said.
CIID Assistant Director Md Abdul Matin Talukdar told media that a UAE-returnee gave the gold bars to Dr Sharif who tried to smuggle it into the country safely.
The gold bars were detected during scanning.
Earlier on Friday, 14 gold bars worth Tk 1.5 crore were recovered from a cigarette packet at the airport.
Youth ‘commits suicide’ after ‘killing’ wife in Noakhali
A man reportedly committed suicide ‘after killing newly-wed wife’ over family feud in Sadar upazila of Noakhali on Monday.
The deceased were Mehedi Hasan Shuvo, 20, and his wife Tamanna Islam Priya, 16, of Bashundhara colony in Maijdee under Sadar upazila.
Locals said Shuvo and his maternal cousin Priya got married following a love affair around six months ago.
Shuvo along with his wife had been living in his father-in-law’s house since their marriage and was trying to go abroad with a driving license.
On Sunday night, Priya’s mother, father and a brother were staying at a hospital in the town as her younger brother fell sick on Sunday. Only the couple was in the house at night.
After returning from the hospital on Monday morning, brother Noman knocked on the door but received no response from the inside, they said.
Later, from a neighbour’s window they saw the body of Shuov hanging in a room and the neighbours phoned the national emergency service 999 seeking help.
Later, a team of Sudharam model police station recovered the bodies.
Several teams of police, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Detective Branch, Police Bureau of Investigation and other intelligence agencies visited the spot.
Md Asaduzzaman, superintendent of district police, suspected that Priya was hacked to death with sharp weapons as there were marks of injuries on her throat.
Family feud might be the reason behind the incident but the mystery will be debunked through investigation, he said.
The bodies were sent to 250-bed Noakhali General Hospital morgue for autopsy, he added.
2 gold bars recovered passenger’s rectum in Benapole
Two gold bars weighing 233 grams were recovered from a passenger’s rectum at Benapole customs in Jashore on Monday morning.
According to customs intelligence sources, Mehedi Hasan, son of Abdul Baten of Joag village in Chandina upazila of Comilla, was challenged for his suspicious movement and then detained.
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Deputy Commissioner of Benapole Customs Intelligence Arefin Jahedi said they recovered the gold bars from his rectum after interrogation.
The detainee will be handed over to Benapole Port Police Station, he said.
A case will be filed in this regard, he added.
What BRAC University says about Asif Mahtab
BRAC University, a renowned private university of the country, today issued a statement clearing its stance over the recent incidents involving part-time teacher Asif Mahtab Utsha and demonstration by some students on the campus.
BRAC University said it believes, like all great institutions of higher education, its role should be to create space for all views to be discussed and debated constructively, predicated on tolerance and respect.
The university said that it considers any act of vandalism towards national property as unacceptable behavior and does not tolerate or support such activities.
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“The recent act of tearing pages of a textbook published by the Government of Bangladesh, included in the national curriculum for students enrolled in 7th grade in schools, and asking others to do the same in a public forum, is an act of vandalism, a behavior not supported by BRAC University,” the statement reads.
The university said, it therefore, cannot offer a part-time teaching contract to Asif Mahtab Utsha for the Spring 2024 semester. However, the university will compensate him for his time and efforts towards his preparatory work for Spring 2024.
BRAC University said it respects and fully complies with the country's constitution and laws on all matters. Accordingly, it does not promote homosexuality as has been alleged by some quarters in various social media content.
However, BRAC University said it believes in equal rights and opportunities for every single human being to realize their potential.
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