Bangladesh
Dutch Embassy marks Human Rights Week with mini film-festival
A film festival titled “Human Rights Film Festival: Movies that Matter” began at Shilpakala Fine Arts auditorium in Dhaka.
The mini film festival, organized by the Embassy of Kingdom Netherlands, began on Monday with the screening of the film, “The Killing of a Journalist,” which investigates the murder of a journalist in Slovakia.
The film screening included a musician accompaniment of the popular Bangladeshi band “Joler Gaan”.
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In her opening remarks, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bangladesh Irma van Dueren said, “One of the ways we want to give attention to issues related to human rights is to organize annually the Movies that Matter Film Festival.”
In The Hague, the ambassador said, other places in the Netherlands and through our embassies abroad, this week is commemorated with the screening of films brought by Movies that Matter, a Dutch organization that screens and promotes films that draw our attention to rights issues across the globe.
This year, the three-day mini-film festival includes five movies in total.
The films will be screened at Alliance Francaise de Dhaka in Dhanmondi till December 13.
22 women of USAID’s Nobo Jatra initiative receive ‘Jibika loan'
Twenty-two women who graduated from ultra-poor status through USAID’s Nobo Jatra Project II (NJP II) received digital microloan of Tk 30,000 each under BRAC Bank’s Agricultural and Rural Credit service “Jibika Loan” on Tuesday at Shyamnagar Upazila in Satkhira.
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BRAC Bank digitally transferred the credit to 14 women of Kaikhali Mohila Unnan Somobay Samity Ltd. and eight women of Dharoni Mohila Unnan Somobay Samity Ltd. at an event organized by USAID’s Nobo Jatra Project II (NJP II), implemented by World Vision Bangladesh (WVB).
Attending the event, Lima Hanna Daring, Chief of Party (CoP), NJP II, WVB, said “USAID’s NJP II has been facilitating more than 30,000 ultra-poor rural women who formed over 1,600 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) for their financial inclusion through linkage building with government agencies and formal financial institutions.”
She also said, “The ultra-poor women are not in their previous status anymore. They are united and through collective efforts, already 33 VSLA Cooperatives received government registrations from the Department of Cooperatives.”
Tapos Kumar Roy, Head of Agricultural and MFI Finance, BRAC Bank, said “This is one of our very first initiatives in Bangladesh to come with Agricultural and Rural Credit service ‘Jibika Loan’ for financial inclusion of marginal rural women of VSLA and registered cooperatives through partnership.”
“We’re working through a partnership with USAID’s Nobo Jatra Project II (NJP II), implemented by World Vision Bangladesh. We’re open for new partnership with other projects like Nobo Jatra,” he added.
“The whole process of this credit distribution system was conducted digitally,” Tapos said adding that the marginalized rural customers can withdraw money from any of our local banking outlets and transfer credit to their own bKash number.
4 UPDF activists shot dead in Khagrachari, 2 remain missing
Loan recipient Shopna Pervin, also the President of Dharoni Mohila Unnan Somobay Samity, said “I’ll invest the money in my fish farm. The monthly installment process of ‘Jibika Loan’ is easier for me.”
Promila Rani Shil, another loan recipient and the president of Kaikhali Mohila Unnan Somobay Samity, said “I’ll buy clothes for my tailoring and clothes business.”
US providing tech assistance to upgrade Dhaka Airport and meet int’l standards
The United States is providing technical assistance to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka to meet US and international standards.
This move is part of Bangladesh’s efforts to establish new international routes and become a regional aviation hub.
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The US Embassy in Dhaka emphasized the importance of robust airport security for expanding international flights, during a meeting on Monday between US Ambassador Peter Haas and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman, Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman.
The meeting included discussions on further development of Bangladesh’s aviation sector and US support in this regard.
A significant point of discussion was the resumption of direct flights between Dhaka and New York. Ambassador Haas assured cooperation from the US government to enable Biman, the national carrier of Bangladesh, to reinstate this route.
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The CAAB chairman briefed the US envoy about various efforts made by CAAB and Biman in line with graduating Bangladesh to category-1 following the guideline of Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) of the US.
Amid the global economic challenges, Biman is also evaluating the commercial viability of acquiring new aircraft to expand its fleet and services.
5-yr old girl dies being hit by easy bike in Dinajpur
A 5-year old gil was killed after being hit by an easy bike in Dinajpur’s Ghoraghat Upazila on Tuesday morning.
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The deceased was identified as Raisa Moni, daughter of Raju Mondal from Chatiyanchura of Gaibandha’s Gobindaganj.
Ghoraghat Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Asaduzzaman Asad said, the accident occurred this morning when the child came out of house to visit her grandparents’ house.
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“Police seized the easy bike and legal procedure is going on to arrest the fugitive driver,” he added.
2 buses burnt in Dhaka’s Gulistan since this morning
Another bus has been burned in Dhaka's Gulistan area since this morning, on the first day of the latest blockade called by BNP and like-minded opposition parties. Miscreants set the bus on fire in front of Gulistan police box, under Mayor Hanif Flyover.
The incident was reported at 12:18 pm today, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters (media cell).
Read: Fire Service records 7 arson attacks in 24 hours
On information, two fire-fighting units from Siddique Bazar Fire Station rushed to the spot and doused the fire at 12:34 pm, he added.
However, the incident didn’t cause any casualties.
Earlier this morning, arsonists set a bus of Bahon Paribahan on fire in Gulistan area around 10 am.
Read: 11th blockade: 152 BGB platoons, 422 RAB patrol teams deployed across country
BNP and like-minded parties are observing hartals and blockades across the country to protest the schedule for the next national election announced by the Election Commission (EC).
Fire Service records 7 arson attacks in 24 hours
At least seven arson attacks were recorded in 24 hours till 6 am today, Fire Service said.
A total of seven vehicles were set on fire by arsonists during this period and five of those were set ablaze in different places of Dhaka on Monday and early Tuesday, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters (media cell).
Read: 11th blockade: Bus burnt in Dhaka’s Gulistan
Six buses and a private car were burnt during this period, he said.
The arson attacks were reported in Dhaka city, Ashulia and Feni district.
A total 14 firefighting units were engaged in dousing the fire during this period, added the fire service official.
Read: 11th blockade: 152 BGB platoons, 422 RAB patrol teams deployed across country
So far, 270 vehicles have been set on fire during the blockades and hartals since October 28, according to the Fire Service. The vehicles include 168 buses, 44 trucks, 23 covered vans, 8 motorcycles, and 27 other modes of transportation, it said.
4 UPDF activists shot dead in Khagrachari, 2 remain missing
Four activists of United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) were shot dead by miscreants in ward no. 9 of Panchhari upazila under Khagrachari district on Monday night.
The miscreants also abducted two UPDF activists at the time, said UPDF district organiser Angya Marma.
Khagrachari police, however, said the matter is yet to be confirmed.
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The deceased were identified as UPDF-backed Democratic Youth Forum's central organising secretary Bipul Chakma, district vice president Liton Chakma, UPDF's student wing Pahari Chhatra Parishad central vice president Sunil Tripura and UPDF member Ruhinsha Tripura. UPDF leaders Hari Kamal Tripura and Niti Dutta Chakma are missing since the incident.
Angya Marma said a youth conference was scheduled to be held in the area today. That's why they were there.
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He also claimed that UPDF Democratic is behind this.
On Monday night, gunshots were heard in Pujgang area of Panchhari upazila of the district -- creating panic in the area.
11th blockade: 152 BGB platoons, 422 RAB patrol teams deployed across country
A total of 152 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed across the country to maintain law and order as the latest countrywide blockade of road, rail and waterways called by the BNP and like-minded opposition parties is underway since this morning.
Shariful Islam, public relations officer (PRO) at BGB headquarters, shared the information this morning.
Along with the BGB, 422 patrol teams of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have been deployed across the country.
Among them, 130 patrol teams were deployed in Dhaka, he added.
RAB is ensuring the security of long-distance public transport and goods-carrying transport in different parts of the country.
Intelligence teams are also keeping vigil at bus stands, train stations and other important places to prevent violence and sabotage, said the official.
11th blockade: Bus burnt in Dhaka’s Gulistan
Unidentified arsonists set a bus on fire in Dhaka’s Gulistan area this morning, on the first day of the latest blockade called by BNP and like-minded opposition parties.
A bus of Bahon Paribahan was burnt around 10 am, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of FSCD headquarters (media cell).
Two fire-fighting units from Siddique Bazar station reached the spot and doused the blaze at 10:16 am, he said.
Read: 11th blockade called by BNP, like-minded opposition parties underway
No casualties were reported.
On Monday night, miscreants set two buses on fire in Dhaka’s Tikatuli and Mohammadpur areas.
BNP and like-minded parties are observing hartals and blockades across the country to protest the schedule for the next national election announced by the Election Commission (EC).
Dense fog disrupts Paturia-Daulatdia ferry services
Poor visibility caused by thick fog has disrupted the ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia route since midnight, causing immense suffering of commuters.
Mohiuddin Russell, manager of Aricha section of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), said the ferry services remained suspended from 12 am due to poor visibility.
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The ferry 'Bonolota' carrying vehicles and passengers remained stranded in the middle of the Padma River since the suspension of the services, he said.
Seven ferries are stuck at Paturia Ghat and four at Daulatdia Ghat.
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Several hundreds of vehicles waiting to cross the river remain stuck on both sides of the river due to the suspension of the ferry services.
The service will resume once the fog dissipates, said the official.