Dhaka, May 23 (UNB) - Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday urged the transport owners and workers to maintain discipline on the roads while carrying holidaymakers to their destinations during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.

“We aren’t getting the benefits of four lanes [of highways] or flyovers for the absence of discipline on the roads and highways,” said the minister while addressing a meeting with stakeholders on road safety at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority’s (BRTA) new building in the city. 

He also directed the authorities concerned to remain watchful so that faulty and old vehicles cannot ply roads and highways.

Quader also said heavy vehicles like trucks, lorries and covered vans will not be allowed on highways three days ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr to ensure hassle-free journeys for passengers.

However, vehicles carrying daily essentials will remain out of the purview of the instruction, he added. 

Quader also said vigilance team has been formed for Gabtoli, Mohakhali and Sayedabad bus terminals each to check charging of extra fares from passengers, travelling on roofs and carrying passengers and goods beyond capacities.
 

Dhaka, May 23 (UNB) - Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said Bangladesh will welcome the new Indian government, no matter whoever comes to power, as Bangladesh maintains good relations with all Indian political parties.

“Whoever comes to power, we’ll welcome them,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when media reports suggest that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stunned its opposition with a massive election win.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first foreign leader who congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina soon after the re-election of her ruling Awami League in Bangladesh’s last general election.

“We’ve very good relations with the BJP,” said the Foreign Minister.

“So, if he (Modi) comes (to power), we’ll welcome him in the same manner,” he said adding that Bangladesh will be happy to see stability in the neighbouring countries.

The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh is on a development trajectory and moving towards higher development and laid emphasis on stability in the region. “At this stage, we want a stable government in every neighbouring country of South Asia.”

He said elections in India, the largest democratic country in the world, are held in a transparent democratic environment.

Asked about the pending Teesta River water-sharing issue, Dr Momen said the two countries can achieve everything if there is friendship.

Dhaka, May 23 (UNB)- A court here on Thursday sentenced four people to death for killing a land businessman in Kamrangirchar area in 2013.

The condemned convicts are—Swarna Akter Kakoli alias Nipa, Anwar Hossain Mollah, Md Sharif Matbbar alias Sharif and Ibrahim Khalil. Among them, Sharif and Khalil were tried in absentia.

According to the prosecution, Nipa and Sharif called Monir Hossain to their residence on April 17, 2013 in a planned way following previous enmity.

They strangled him to death with a pillow and slited his throat with a knife.

Later, the convicts sliced the body and threw those into the Buriganga River.

Monir’s first wife Hasina Begum identified the body after police recovered the body parts. Later, she filed a murder case on April 17 with Kamrangirchar Police Station.

On May 14, 2014, police submitted the chargesheet against the four accused.

After examining all the records and 23 witnesses among 39, Dhaka speedy trial tribunal-1 judge Md Abu Zafor Md Kamruzzaman handed down the verdict. 
 

May 23 (UNB)- Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh (WEAB) and Linkus Network Technology Bangladesh Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to ensure collaborative usage of their resources.

The MoU was signed at a fair arranged by WEAB in Kalabagan area of the capital on Thursday. 

WEAB Founder President Nasreen Fatema Awal, and Linkus Chairman Ye Liang signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations.

WEAB Founder President Nasreen Fatema Awal said, “Now our friendship with Linkus has started officially. I hope along with good sales we’ll have good standard of products as well.” 

Other officials of WEAB and Linkus were also present in the signing ceremony.

Linkus Chairman Ye Lian mentioned that both the organisations are a united family now. 

“We will be able to help WEAB members and consumers with new technologies from China,” he said. 

By signing MoU WEAB and Linkus agreed to utilize both of their platforms equally through various steps such as, using Linkus platform for online training programs among WEAB members, co-organising small interaction fairs, using the ‘Linkus App’ for achieving promotions and sales across all branches of  WEAB and more. 

Linkus is a digital live streaming platform which provides digital services for the users including real time traffic live information, online training, e-store with live promotions of products and more. 
 

Dhaka, May 23 (UNB) - A new rail link connecting the port city of Chattogram and the country’s tourism hub Cox’s Bazar is expected to open in 2023 aiming to help promote trade, investment and tourism in Bangladesh in a greater way by transporting 2.9 million passengers annually by 2024, officials say. 

Bangladesh signed a deal with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday for a $400 million loan to help build the dual-gauge railway connecting Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar.

Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD) Monowar Ahmed and Country Director, ADB Manmohan Parkash signed the agreement on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB respectively, at a ceremony in the capital.

The railway corridor is part of the Trans-Asian Railway network that will facilitate access for the Cox’s Bazar region’s population and products to sub-regional markets and trade.

The Trans-Asia Railway network, an initiative led by the United Nations, aims to provide seamless rail links between Asia and Europe to better connect people and markets.

The assistance forms the second part of $1.5 billion ADB loans for the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Railway Project.

The loan will finance around 27 percent of the progress towards constructing 102 kilometers of new railway line between Chattogram and Cox's Bazar, according to the ADB.

“ADB is committed to helping Bangladesh develop its railways, which is a safe, affordable and environment-friendly mode of transport,” said Parkash.

He said the project is a priority investment under Bangladesh’s Seventh Five Year Plan and will open up the unserved areas of Cox’s Bazar region by promoting investment, trade and tourism.

Parkash said the project also integrates features that are friendly to the elderly, women, children, and people with disabilities.

He said the project will connect Cox’s Bazar for the first time to the national and sub-regional railway network.

The construction of this railway section is one of several ADB railway projects to help Bangladesh meet its targets under its Seventh Five-Year Plan and Railway Master Plan.