Bangladesh
Man gets life term for killing an NGO worker after rape in Faridpur
A tribunal in Faridpur on Tuesday convicted a man and sentenced him to life in prison for killing an NGO worker after rape in 2009.
The convict was identified as Ripon Molla of Boalmari upazila of the district. The court also fined him Tk one lakh.
Faridpur Woman and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Pradeep Kumar Roy handed down the verdict.
Also read: 2 death-row convicts to be executed for killing two women after rape
The court also acquitted eight people—Syed Matobbar, Fazar Kha, Bakkar Molla, Rafique Molla, Miku MNatubbar, Ranju Sardar, Bipul Sardar and Obaidur Molla—as allegations brought against them could not be proved.
According to the prosecution, Ripon along with eight others waylaid NGO worker Sheuli Akter, daughter of Abdur Barik Molla of Dadpur village in the upazila, on her way back home on July 12, 2009.
Also read: Man gets 72-year sentence for rape and kidnap of minor in Joypurhat
Later, he along with others violated the girl and strangulated her to death with a scarf.
Her father lodged a complaint with Boalmari Police Station in this regard the following day and police later iled a case over the crime.
Hasina’s climate leadership lauded at CVF-COP26 dialogue
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's climate leadership and the Mujib Climate Prosperity Decade Plan 2021-2030 have been highly praised at the 4th CVF-COP26 Dialogue in London.
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron said Bangladesh as the CVF Presidency should make a powerful statement at the COP26 to ensure that world leaders take heed of the extreme climatic vulnerabilities of the 48 CVF countries contributing less than 5% of global emissions.
Recalling his visit to Bangladesh in 2017, Cameron praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, paying tribute to the country’s economic progress and development.
Also read: Climate change: EU to step up support for Bangladesh
Maldives former President Mohamed Nasheed came up with a strong opinion that climate vulnerable countries should be provided with fresh financing under the loss and damage initiative in order to avoid falling into debt due to climate-related loss and the impact of Covid on the economy.
He suggested decolonizing climate dialogue to give all parties a fair chance.
Bangladesh High Commission in London in partnership with the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Secretariat organized the Dialogue recently, said the Bangladesh High Commission in London on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen joined the dialogue virtually from Washington DC while prominent global climate leaders and eminent climate experts including CVF Thematic Ambassador on Ambition and former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed; the UK’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Edward Miliband; Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland; and Chair of the CVF Expert Advisory Group Prof. Dr. Saleemul Huq, participated in the dialogue as co-panelists.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem made a presentation on the Mujib Climate Prosperity Decade Plan 2021-2030, announced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the CVF Leaders’ Summit on 7 October 2020 under Bangladesh’s CVF Presidency during the Mujib Year.
Foreign Minister Dr Momen said as CVF chair, Bangladesh will amplify the voices of the most vulnerable countries at the COP26 at the CVF-COP26 Leaders' Summit on the sidelines of COP26 and forge an ambitious Dhaka-Glasgow CVF-COP26 Climate Declaration.
"A Climate Emergency Pact should also be established between the UK's COP26 presidency and CVF members in Glasgow to effectively support those nations most in need.”
Dr Momen commended Prime Minister Boris Johnson for UK’s proactive leadership as COP26 host in Glasgow next month and called for closing the major emission and financing gaps at COP26 for capping temperatures at 1.5 degrees.
Also read: Dickson lauds Bangladesh's efforts on climate front
High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem provided an overview of the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, stating, the Mujib plan is an ambitious roadmap of actions being taken by the CVF President Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to promote the concept of climate prosperity by making strategic investments in building resilience and a low-carbon sustainable and prosperous development pathway.
The High Commissioner hoped that at the COP26 many more CVF countries would come up with climate prosperity plans which need sustained green financing from richer countries.
Edward Miliband stressed the urgency of developed nations' obligations towards the developing world, especially to provide funding under the 100 billion dollars promised in Copenhagen to assist vulnerable countries in addressing climate-related losses and damages.
Commonwealth SG Patricia Scotland reaffirmed Commonwealth's commitment to helping its members confront climate challenges in a coordinated way.
She said climate efforts, unlike vaccine nationalism, should be a global initiative to save the planet for future generations.
The dialogue was attended by CVF High Commissioners, Ambassadors and climate experts.
Sylhet hospitals: India hands over 2 Life Support ambulances
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram K. Doraiswami on Tuesday handed over two Life Support ambulances to the Sylhet Osmani Medcial College and Hospital and Khadimpara 31-Bed Hospital, Sylhet Sadar.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen joined the function held at the Sylhet Osmani Medical College and Hospital (SOMCH).
The brand new ambulances, fitted with modern, critical life-saving equipment, can be used by paramedics and first responders to provide quality emergency care and trauma life support to patients en-route to hospital for treatment.
Also read: Health Minister receives India’s gift of 109 cardiac ambulances
These ambulances are part of the overall programme for supply of 109 Life Support ambulances, as announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his state visit to Bangladesh in March 2021.
India has assisted Bangladesh in its fight against Covid-19 in a wide variety of means, including the supply of PPE kits, medical equipment, testing kits, vaccines, and through capacity-building and experience-sharing workshops.
Bangladesh too responded when India needed assistance during the second wave of Covid earlier this year.
Also read: AL distributes ambulance, corona safety materials
As a close friend of Bangladesh, India remains committed to doing all it can to assist Bangladesh, within the limits of its capacity, in its response to improving public health and welfare of its people, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
2 injured in Madaripur bomb blast
Two people were injured after a bomb they were making went off at a house in Kalkini upazila of Madaripur district on Tuesday, police said.
The injured were identified as Sumon Shikdar, 50 and Yeasin Bepari, 40.
Also read: Ctg Cylinder blast: One injured dies in Dhaka
Golam Mostafa Russel, superintendent of Madaripur Police, said the explosion occurred in the house of UP member Mannan Molla early this morning, leaving two people injured.
Later, they were taken to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital.
The tin-roof of the house was also blown away during the explosion.
Also read: Three hurt in unexplained explosion while cutting tree at Rajbari
UP member Manna has been absconding since the incident.
Covid kills 23, infects 694 more in Bangladesh
Covid-19 claimed 23 more lives in Bangladesh with 694 new cases being detected in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
On Monday, the country saw 18 Covid-related deaths and 794cases.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 25,499 samples which brought down the daily case positivity rate to 2.72 percent from Monday’s 3.19 percent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Also read: ADB to provide Bangladesh $250 million for Covid recovery
The daily case positivity rate in the country remained below 5 percent for the 13th consecutive day.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if the daily-case positivity rate remains at 5 percent or below for 14 days it is considered to be safe for mass unlocking.
The daily case positivity rate in Bangladesh reached its peak 32.55 percent on July 24 this year and the country reported the lowest 0.65 percent on March 30, 2020.
The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,614 while the caseload mounted to 15,59,452, said the DGHS.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 percent.
Also read: Covid kills 18, infects 794 more in Bangladesh
The recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.49 percent with the recovery of 708 more patients during the 24-hour period.
So far, 15,20,296 people have recovered from the deadly virus infections, the DGHS added.
3 get life term in murder case in Sirajganj
A Sirajganj Court on Tuesday was sentenced a man and his two sons to life imprisonment in a case over killing his brother in Tarash upazila of the district in 2016.
The lifers are- Nurul Islam, 48, of Mohishluti Uttarpara village in Tarash upazila and his two sons Md Hasmatullah, 30 and Md Hasan Ali.
Sirajganj District and Sessions Judge Fazle Khoda Md Nazir handed down the verdict in the presence of the convicts at 12pm.
The convicts were fined Tk 20,000 each, in default, to suffer another year of rigorous imprisonment.
Public Prosecutor (PP) of Sirajganj District Sessions Judge Court Advocate Gazi Abdur Rahman confirmed the verdict.
According to the case, the convict Nurul Islam along with his two sons stabbed his brother Rahmat Ali dead over a land dispute on March 4 in 2016.
Later, a case was filed at Tarash Police Station. After an investigation, police submitted charge-sheet before the court in this regard.
Slow progress in Kushtia medical college project: PM orders action
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to take action against those responsible for the slow progress in implementation of Kushtia Medical College and Hospital Project.
She issued the order while approving the 2nd revision of the much-talked-about project with an additional cost of Tk 71.38 crore at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).
Sheikh Hasina, also the Ecnec chairperson, presided over the meeting held at the NEC conference room, joining it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.
Also read: EC to be constituted through search committee: PM
“The final notice was served to complete the work on Kushtia Medical College. The Prime Minister issued a tough directive in this regard. She directed the Planning Commission to take punitive action against those responsible for its slow implementation,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting.
He said IMED launched an investigation and finally submitted its report over the alleged irregularities in the work of the medical college project.
Mannan said the Prime Minister asked the authorities to take action against all those involved in the irregularities in implementing the project and asked them not to spare anyone, even if one goes on retirement.
Also read: PM urges expats to invest in Bangladesh
Hasina asked the implementing agencies to complete the work on the project within the new timeframe.
According to its original layout, the project was supposed to be implemented from January 2012 to December 2014 with a cost of Tk 275.44 crore.
In the 2nd revision, the project cost was raised to Tk 682.46 crore and the deadline was extended up to December 2023.
The Ecnec meeting approved a total of nine projects with the overall estimated cost of Tk 6,551.27 crore (only additional costs of the revised projects were counted here).
“Of the total cost, Tk 3,742.29 crore will be drawn from the government portion, while Tk 26.22 crore will come from the fund of organization concerned and the rest of Tk 2,782.76 crore as project assistance from foreign sources,” said the Planning Minister.
Among the nine projects, four are new, while five are revised ones.
Bangabandhu Tunnel
MA Mannan said the Ecnec meeting was informed that the work on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman tunnel under the Karnaphuli Tunnel is likely to be completed well ahead of the stipulated timeframe of December 2022.
Out of the two channels of the tunnel, the work on one channel has already been completed and that of another channel is likely to be completed soon, most likely on Friday, he said.
“Hopefully, the work on the tunnel will be completed well before December 2022…..it’s a matter of great pleasure for the government,” he said, adding that the project didn’t require any revision.
The Prime Minister said if foreign funding is not available against development projects, then the government could go for using its sound foreign currency reserves, he mentioned.
Also read: Dhaka-Cox's Bazar train service still a distant reality as project limps along
Fresh Projects
Among the fresh projects, the meeting approved a Tk 1435.89-crore project to upgrade the Tangail-Delduar-Louhati-Saturia-Kawalipara-Kalampur stand road to a regional highway. The Roads and Highways Department, under the Road Transport and Highways Division, will implement the project in Tangail by December 2023.
Three other fresh projects are Establishment of two agricultural training institutes in Jagannathpur and Mohonganj upazilas with Tk 356.08 crore; Riverbank protection, re-excavation of small rivers, canals, beels, addressing waterlogging at Pirganj upazila in Rangpur with Tk 165.59 crore; and riverbank protection on the both sides of the Kirtinasha River at Shariatpur with Tk 319.33 crore.
Of the revised project, the Ecnec cleared the first revision of Sayedabad Water Plant (Phase-III), increasing its cost to Tk 7518 crore from Tk 4597 crore and extending the deadline to June 2025 due to complication in availing of funds and legal complexities.
According to the factsheet provided by the Planning Commission, the reasons behind the revision of Sayedabad Water Plant (Phase-III) include complexity in getting funds from development partners, filing a writ petition with the High Court by Aman Group, concerns of development partners over industrial activities on the banks of Meghna River and its water pollution, inflation, expanding scope of work.
In the original project, the cost was Tk 4597.36 crore and the project timeframe was July 2015 to June 2020. But the cost now increased to Tk 7518.03 crore and the project deadline was extended to June 2025.
The main objective of the project is to decrease dependency on underground water by the construction of a surface water treatment plant with 450-MLD capacity.
The major operations under the projects include construction of surface water treatment plant with 450 MLD capacity and Intake Pumping Station with 950 MLD, installation of 52.8-km transmission line and 54-km distribution line, and acquisition of 34.31 acres of land.
The other revised projects are Boropukuria-Bogura-Kaliakoir 400kv line (1st revised) with an additional cost of Tk 729.89 crore; Erection of railway track from Khulna to Mongla Port (2nd revised) with an additional cost of Tk 459.27 crore; and agriculture weather information system development (1st revised) with an additional cost of Tk 93.18 crore.
Drive from Wednesday to ensure airing ad-free foreign TV channels: Info Minister
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud has said the government will launch mobile court drive again from Wednesday to ensure that ad-free foreign TV channels get back to air.
“Mobile court drives will be conducted again from Wednesday to check whether foreign channels having clean feed are being broadcast in the country,” he told a delegation of Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC) at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Also read: Minister slams cable operators for stopping operation of clean feed channels
Mobile courts will take legal action against those found violating the conditions, he said adding “Legal steps will be taken if anyone found involved in spreading rumours.”
There are many clean-feed foreign channels but the cable operators shut down them since October 1, he said. “Now some cable operators are airing clean-feed channels and we have given time to others for complying with the law.”
Also read: 'Clean feed' may lead to foreign channels' ad slots catering to local market
Foreign Minister talks tough against smuggling along Bangladesh-Myanmar border
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said the government will take tougher steps to prevent illegal arms and drugs smuggling, and human trafficking along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border and warned of “firing shots”, if necessary.
"There was a decision not to open fires along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. But now, firing shots will be allowed (if necessary) to prevent illegal activities," he said.
The Foreign Minister came up with the warning while talking to reporters at a function here.
Also read: FM seeks Commonwealth solidarity for Rohingya repatriation
Dr Momen said there has been a discussion with the Home Minister to take tough action to stop all kinds of smuggling along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. "The Home Ministry will take a decision in this regard.”
Two ambulances, gifted by the Indian government, were handed over to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital.
Earlier, a decision had been taken to stop firing along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border but illegal smuggling is still carried out along the border, said Momen.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami was present.
Talking about the incomplete Sylhet Airport-Badaghat bypass, the Foreign Minister said the officials of Roads and Highways Department should quit their jobs for failing to complete the work.
The construction work on the 12-km Sylhet Airport-Badaghat bypass started in 2010 during the tenure of former Finance Minister AMA Muhith.
He also expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in implementing many development works and the negligence of the authorities concerned.
Referring to the development work on Sylhet Specialized Mother and Child Hospital, Momen slammed the authorities concerned for failing to upgrade the hospital to a 200-bed one hospital from the existing 100-bed hospital.
An amount of Tk 110 crore had been allocated for the development of the hospital but the authorities concerned spent only Tk 10 crore and returned the rest of the amount without upgrading it.
Also read: Rohingya children must be educated in their own language: FM
"They’ve just wasted the money allocated for the health sector of Sylhet and it happened just due to negligence of the authorities concerned,” he said.
Referring to the six-lane work of the Dhaka-Sylhet highway, Momen said the work has been divided into 13 sections and tenders for that of eight sections have been floated.
"The work on the Sylhet portion is being delayed due to the complexity in land acquisition," he said, hoping that the work would begin soon.
Next neutral national poll to be held on time: Quader
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said the next parliamentary polls will be impartial to be held in due time as per the constitution.
“No matter who comes or not, the poll will not be delayed,” the minister said.
Read: Work for the people’s welfare, not for personal gain, Quader asks AL members
Quader came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after inspecting the construction work of the second bridge at Gabtali Aminbazar in the Aminbazar area of Savar on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway on Tuesday morning.
He further said that the government is ready to suppress any attempt of BNP to create chaos in the name of movement.
“Everyone knows the history of BNP. The BNP activists earlier had set fire to many cars, houses, land offices and other facilities. And so, they completely got alienated from people,” he said.
Read: No chance for fresh debate over caretaker govt: Quader
“So, there is no need to make evil attempts to make chaos unnecessarily centring the election,” the minister said.
Quader also warned that if any party creates any chaos in the name of movement in the country, it will be crushed with iron hands.
Senior officials of the Roads and Highways Department were present during the inspection.