Bangladesh
2 more test positive for coronavirus
Two more people tested positive for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of cases in the country to 56, the government announced Thursday.
President mourns death of ex-land minister Shamsur Rahman
President Abdul Hamid on Thursday expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of former land minister and member of parliament Shamsur Rahman Sherif.
In a condolence message, he said the Awami League lost an efficient organiser as well as a veteran politician. “The loss at his death is really irreparable to the political arena of Bangladesh,” he said.
Hamid prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.
Sherif was a ruling Awami League lawmaker from Pabna-4 constituency and also the president of the party’s district unit.
He breathed his last at 5:30am on Thursday at a city hospital at the age of nearly 80.
70-year-old man suffering from fever dies in Laxmipur
A 70-year-old man, suffering from fever, cold and cough, died at Kamankhola in Sadar upazila on Wednesday night.
Civil Surgeon Dr Abdul Gaffar said the man had been suffering from fever and cold for the last two days. He had many other ailments including high blood pressure.
The man fell sick around 8pm and died before he was taken to Sadar Upazila Health Complex, said Dr Gaffar.
A medical team collected samples from the deceased for coronavirus test.
The local administration has put the house under lockdown.
327 Japanese leave Dhaka
A total of 327 Japanese citizens left Bangladesh for their country on Thursday.
A chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying them took off from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the morning, said Mokabbir Hossain, the managing director of the national flag carrier.
Sohel Kamruzzaman, assistant director (public relation) of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab), said the flight took off for Japan around 10:19am.
Jubo League leader shot dead in Rangamati
A local leader of Jubo League was gunned down by miscreants at Chitmarme Headman Para in Kaptai upazila on Wednesday night.
The deceased was identified as Usuipru Marma alias Achese, 30, vice-president of ward number 3 unit of Jubo League.
Asraf Uddin, officer-in-charge of Kaptai Chandraghona Police Station, said a group of masked miscreants swooped on the house of Usuipru and called him out around midnight.
They shot him dead as soon as he got out.
Police recovered the body at night and sent it to a local hospital morgue.
2 ‘criminals’ killed in Naogaon ‘gunfight’
Two suspected criminals were killed in separate ‘gunfights’ with police in Atrai and Patnitala upazilas of the district early Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Minhajul Islam alias Mintu alias Shikdar, 40, and Zahidul Islam, 38.
Moselm Uddin, officer-in-charge of Atrai Police Station, said they arrested Minhajul, son of Abdur Rahman of Bhartetulia village, from his residence as he was wanted in 10 cases including that of murder on Wednesday night.
Later, police took him with them to recover firearms at Tilabaduri village at night.
“As soon as police reached the spot, Minhajul’s cohorts opened fire. Minhajul was killed during the skirmish,” the OC said.
Police said they recovered a foreign pistol, four bullets and four bombs from the spot.
In a separate incident, Zahidul, son of Rafatullah of Balugha village in Patnitala upazila was killed in another reported gunfight with police.
Parimal Kumar Chakrabarty, officer-in-charge of Patnitala Police Station, said the man was wanted in 12 criminal cases.
He was arrested from Balugha village on Wednesday night and after interrogation, police took him to Bakrail village to recover drugs.
When police reached the spot, Zahidul’s associates opened fire. “He was killed in the ensuing gunfight,” the OC said.
A shutter gun, two bullets, 985 Yaba pills and four sharp weapons were recovered from the spot.
Last year, 376 people were killed in so-called crossfires in Bangladesh, according to Odhikar, a human rights organisation. Of them, 193 died in ‘crossfires’ with police.
In 2018, Bangladesh saw 458 extrajudicial killings.
Former land minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif passes away
Former land minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif, a parliamentarian from Pabna-4 constituency, passed away at a hospital in Dhaka early Thursday.
Trader stabbed to death in Jashore
A trader was stabbed to death and two others were injured in an attack by miscreants at Kharki in the Jashore district town on Wednesday night.
The deceased was identified as Al Amin, 24, son of Alamgir Hossain of the area.
Maniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model Police Station, said a group of miscreants swooped on them while they were returning home around 9:30pm.
The miscreants stabbed them indiscriminately, leaving them injured.
Later, they were taken to Jashore Medical College Hospital. Doctors referred Al Amin to Khulna Medical College Hospital as his condition deteriorated.
Al-Amin died while being taken to KMCH around 1am.
Police arrested three suspects over the murder.
Youth dies with fever, abdominal pain in Feni
A young man who had been suffering from fever, abdominal pain and respiratory problems for the last few days died at his residence at Pashchim Chhanua village in Sadar upazila here on Wednesday.
Dhaka’s air still ‘unhealthy’ in Air Quality Index
Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka was ranked second worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) for the second consecutive day on Thursday morning.
The city had a score of 167 at 08:01am, indicating that the air quality was ‘unhealthy’.
A numerical value between 151 and 200 indicates that everyone may begin to experience health effects. Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Thailand’s Chiang Mai and China’s Shenyang occupied the first and third spots respectively with scores of 210 and 163 respectively.
A numerical value between 151 and 200 indicates that everyone may begin to experience health effects. Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, tells people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
Dhaka, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, has been grappling with air pollution for a long time. The air quality generally worsens during summer and shows signs of improvement in monsoon when the dust settles.