Bangladesh
Chinese national among 15 arrested in Dhaka for social media loan scams
The Detective Branch of Police has arrested 15 people including a Chinese national for operating loan scams through social media.
The mastermind behind this operation is identified as Zhang Ji Zhang, a 60-year-old Chinese national.
The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) showed them arrested in cases filed at Hatirjheel and Kafrul police stations in the capital.
Train movement on Bhairab-Mymensingh route suspended following derailment in Kishoreganj
The gang was involved in fraudulent schemes using social media for easy loan opportunities and job applications without any association with legitimate institutions.
During the operation, police seized evidence from the suspects, uncovering information from 29 mobile banking accounts.
Additional Commissioner and Chief of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mohammad Harun or Rashid on Saturday said the group had siphoned off over Tk 200 crore in the past two years.
However, none of this money is in Bangladesh; it has all been transferred to China, he said.
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During the last six months alone, more than Tk 50 crore had been transacted using the mobile banking accounts. The gang has victimized at least 1,500 people in the country. An app, developed by Chinese nationals, has its server in Singapore, and the call centres are located in Bangladesh and in Pakistan, the DB chief told journalists at his office.
The gang used to extort lakhs of taka after providing small amounts of money to the victims
They also enticed victims by advertisements on social media to download the app that, once installed, allowed the fraudsters access to crucial information such as photos, videos, and contact lists on the victims' mobile phones. Subsequently, the scammers used the information to blackmail individuals and extort money, sometimes resorting to creating false images and videos, said the police official.
Speakers for nature-based solutions and local adaptation for building resilience in Sundarbans
Harun also said more than 60 people have committed suicide due to harassment in various ways by taking loans from these apps in the neighbouring country. It is not known whether anyone has committed suicide in Bangladesh. The DB chief suggested that if anyone is duped by this gang, the victim should file a case.
He added that there are many others involved in this racket. They went into hiding. DB’s drive to bring them under the law is underway.
Four-storey building tilts in Ctg
A four-storey building tilted in Raufabad area of Baizid Bostami in Chattogram city on Saturday.
The building tilted around 6:30pm on Saturday, the fire service said. A fire service unit rushed to the spot. They have surrounded the building.
3-storey building in Chattogram tilts
Jalal Ahmed, control room operator of Agrabad Fire Service, confirmed the matter.
“At 6.18 pm, we received a call about the building. The building named “Khorshed Mansion”, tilted slightly, fell on a building next to it. However, no one was injured. As far as I know, there is work going on drains and sewerage next to the building. I suspect this could lead to the building getting tilted. However, more details will be known later,” said Jalal.
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Three firefighting units have been sent there.
Sujon Kumar Dey, officer-in-charge of Baizid Police Station, said, "Our team is on the spot. Police and fire services are working to evacuate residents of the building. Beyond that, I can't say anything at the moment. More details will be known later.”
6-storey building tilts in Chattogram, residents evacuated
721 arrested by RAB on charges of sabotage since Oct 28
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a total of six leaders and activists of BNP and its student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) from different parts of the country for their alleged involvement in car vandalism, arson and sabotage on Saturday.
So far, the elite force arrested a total of 721 people involved in violence and sabotage in different parts of the country since October 28, according to a press release sent from the RAB headquarters.
On Saturday, the RAB force conducted drives in the capital’s Bangshal and Chawkbazar areas and arrested BNP man Arman and JCD fellow Rabbi Hossain for involvement with the arson, vandalism and other crimes.
Train movement on Bhairab-Mymensingh route suspended following derailment in Kishoreganj
Rail communication between Kishoreganj’s Bhairab and Mymensingh remained suspended after an intra-city train derailed in Katiadi upazila of Kishoreganj on Saturday afternoon.
Fortunately no casualties were reported in the incident.
The suspension of the rail operation came to a halt when the engine and two other compartments of the Dhaka-bound Kishoreganj Express train derailed while entering Gachihata Rail Station Point in the Katiadi upazila around 4:20 pm.
Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, master of Kishoreganj Rail Station, told UNB that there was a schedule to change a crossing line between Mymensingh-bound Bijoy Express and the Kishoreganj Express in the Gachihata Rail Station.
The train suddenly derailed when it was changing a point line for crossing, he said, adding that the Chattogram-return Bijoy Express got stranded in the station following the derailment.
A relief train from Brahmanbaria’s Akhaura station was coming to remove the derailed train from the rail track, the master said.
Normalcy to the rail communication on the Bhairab and Mymensingh route will return after removal, he added.
Exhibition titled “Words from the Heart” begins in Dhaka
In line with 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Saturday inaugurated the exhibition "Words from the Heart" at Drik Gallery.
Thijs Woudstra, Charge d' Affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, addressed the opening ceremony alongside lead artist Fareha Zeba.
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This exhibition puts forward the result of last month's five-day art workshop with a team of fifteen artists.
The team comprises artists from gender-diverse communities, Rickshaw painters, and contemporary visual artists.
The artist team is composed of Fareha Zeba, Saidul Haque Juise, T H Tonmoy, Surovi Sriti, Auntora Mehrukh Azad, Rasel Rana, Monir Hossain, S A Noor Ali, Mrinalini Devi, Jordan Aswad, Sharif Hasan, Zara Rahman, Himel Hossain, Abhijit Sinha, and Miraj Hossain. Saidul Haque Juise curated the exhibition.
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The art workshop produced paintings that reflect stories of the challenges and successes of gender-diverse communities using the techniques of Rickshaw art, which is considered an integral component of Bangladesh's local culture.
This exhibition touches two themes together – it brings the Kingdom of the Netherlands' commitment to diversity and inclusion through an activity that connects with Bangladesh's urban folk art and culture.
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The exhibition will run every day between 26 November to 10 December from 3 pm to 8 pm at Drik Gallery.
Sexagenarian killed in Manikganj road accident
A 60-year-old man was killed in a road accident at Paturia's Ferryghat area in Shibaloy upazila of Manikganj.
The accident occurred around 12 noon on Saturday (November 26) .
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The deceased was identified as Rafiqul Islam , a resident of Khorshedpur area of Kushtia's Kumarkhali upazila .
Anwar Hossain , Sub-Inspector (SI) of Shibaloy Police Station, said Rafiqul Islam was walking through ghat number 5 to get on the ferry.
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Suddenly , a truck hit him, leaving him seriously injured.
Locals rescued him and took him to Shibaloy Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
The body was sent to Manikganj District Hospital morgue for an autopsy, added the officer .
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Police seized the truck but its driver managed to flee.
A case was registered at Shibaloy police station in this regard, said the SI.
Dengue: 12 more die; 759 hospitalised in 24hrs
Twelve more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Friday morning, raising the fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 1,595 this year.
During the period, 759 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever, according to the DGHS.
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A total of 3,924 dengue patients, including 1,046 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 3,07,196 dengue cases and 3,01,677 recoveries this year.
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September has so far been the deadliest month for the dengue outbreak this year with 396 fatalities and 79,598 cases, according to DGHS data.
Minor boy among two dead in Feni road crash
Two people including an eight-month-old boy were killed and four members of a family were injured in a road accident in Fulgazi upazila of Feni on Saturday.
The deceased were identified as autorickshaw driver Saiful Islam, 22, of Haripuskarni village under the Fulgazi upazila of the district and eight-month-old Anas, son of Akram Hossain of Chiora village in Chauddagram upazila of Cumilla.
The injured were the baby’s father Akram Hossain, mother Jannatul Munni, brother Hashim Bin Akram and maternal grandfather Jamal Uddin.
Akram along with his family went to the house of his father-in-law to Pubro Basantopur village in the Fulgazi upazila from Cumilla’s Chauddogram upazila a few days back.
They were returning to Cumilla from the Basantopur village by a CNG-run autorickshaw in the morning.
Police and locals said the accident happened in the morning when a speeding pickup van ran over the autorickshaw carrying the five members of the family on Amzadhat-Munshirhat road in Shanirhat Monipur area, leaving all critically injured.
The autorickshaw driver and the baby were rushed to Feni Sadar Hospital where physicians declared them dead upon arrival, they said, adding that the rest were sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital where they are undergoing treatment.
Fulgazi Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abul Hasim said the pickup van driver Shahin was arrested in this connection and both vehicles were also seized.
Legal actions will be taken in this regard, he added.
Speakers for nature-based solutions and local adaptation for building resilience in Sundarbans
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organised a national workshop, focusing on the integration of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) in the world's largest mangrove forest Sundarbans, in Dhaka on Saturday.
The primary objective of the workshop was to engage and consult with stakeholders to identify issues, prioritise interventions, and understand challenges and opportunities in the Sundarbans catchment area.
Participants delved into the intricacies of combining LLA and NbS, with a specific focus on addressing pressing regional development needs.
Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, attended the workshop as the chief guest.
Dr. Mohammed Asaduzzaman, former Research Director and Professorial Fellow at BIDS, Dr. Stefan Alfred Groenewold, Principal Advisor at GIZ, Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka and Sonali Dayaratne, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh, among experts joined the event.
Iqbal Abdullah emphasised the crucial role of the Sundarbans in Nature-Based Solutions, calling for a collaborative effort from all stakeholders to address issues related to this magnificent ecosystem and its surrounding communities.
He highlighted the need to modify policies to support nature's inherent ability to thrive.
Experts stressed the significance of biodiversity and discussed how new initiatives can learn from previous projects in the area. The importance of a coordinated effort involving government bodies, development partners, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, researchers, and communities was underscored.
They also highlighted the importance of planning, large-scale design, and financing as central to addressing the challenges of the Sundarbans region.
Through a series of presentations, exercises, and open discussions, workshop participants explored the potential of integrating NbS and LLA.
Dr. Haseeb, National Consultant at the UNDP, moderated the workshop ensuring a constructive and insightful dialogue.
At the function, UNDP's commitment was reaffirmed to enhancing the Sundarbans and its neighbouring areas – a vital sanctuary for biodiversity, a natural shield against extreme climatic events, and a lifeline for millions.
The collaborative spirit was palpable as participants shared enthusiasm, experience, and hope for area-specific programming driving sustainable growth for the region. This collaboration will strengthen the partnerships for the sustainable future of the Sundarbans and its communities.
The outcomes of this workshop will contribute to shaping policies and initiatives that ensure the resilience and well-being of this ecologically significant region
Zonta Clubs of Bangladesh commemorate UN day
The Zonta Clubs of Bangladesh held a special event to celebrate United Nations Day at the Baridhara Diplomatic Club on Friday.
The event honored the United Nations' work and Zonta International's collaboration as the largest non-governmental organization (NGO) supporter of UN Women programs.
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Berhanu Assefa Tegegene, Manager of UNOPS Bangladesh, attended the event as special guest.
The celebration highlighted Zonta's commitment to climate change mitigation and gender equality.
Berhanu Assefa Tegegene, Manager of United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Bangladesh, pointed out that women comprise nearly 40% of the agricultural workforce in developing nations.
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“Climate change, however, disproportionately affects the agriculture and food sectors, adversely impacting approximately 43% of women. Despite this alarming reality, only 20% of women participate in forums and activities addressing climate change, even though they constitute 80% of those affected,” he said.
Dr. Zareen Delawer Hussain, Vice Area Director of Zonta’s Area 2, District 25, reiterated the urgent need to address climate change and gender equality.
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“We will work on climate change and gender equality. This is a serious issue that needs to be focused now,” she said.