Bangladesh
President offers Eid prayer at National Eidgah
Dhaka, June 5 (UNB) - President Abdul Hamid offered his Eid-ul-Fitr prayer at the National Eidgah in the city on Wednesday morning.
Muslims in Bangladesh celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr
Dhaka, June 5 (UNB) – The Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims, is being celebrated across Bangladesh.
6 killed in Faridpur road accident
Faridpur, June 5 (UNB)— At least six people were killed after a passenger bus hit a roadside tree in the Sadar upazila on Wednesday.
Two bikers killed in Netrakona road crash
Netrakona, June 4 (UNB) - Two motorcyclists were killed and another was severely injured as a bus smashed their motorbike in Challisha Railgate area of Sadar upazila on Tuesday.
Schoolboy shot dead during Sirajganj clash
Sirajganj, June 4 (UNB) - A Class-IX boy was shot to death during a clash between two groups of people at Char Bonia village in Shahjadpur upazila here on Tuesday.
Bangladesh, Finland to work together on climate change
Finland, June 4 (UNB) - Bangladesh and Finland on Tuesday agreed to work together on the climate change issue.
The consensus came at a meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Finland President Sauli Niinisto at the President’s official residence in Helsinki.
The Prime Minister who is in Finland on a four-day visit sought strong support from the European Union over the safe and secured repatriation of the 1.1 million Rohingya who have taken shelter in Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister’s Speech Writer (Secretary) Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting.
The Finnish President lauded Sheikh Hasina for the economic uplift of Bangladesh under her leadership.
He also expressed concern that Bangladesh will be badly affected if the sea level rises due to climate change.
Sauli Niinisto also emphasised on strengthening the global warning system to reduce losses from the natural calamities, especially tidal surge.
About the climate change issue, the Prime Minister said one-thirds of Bangladesh will be submerged if the sea level rises by 1 metre.
She noted that different initiatives have been taken to mitigate climate change consequences.
Sheikh Hasina mentioned the formation of Bangladesh Climate Resilience Fund with own resources to face the climate change effects.
She also informed the Finnish President about her government’s various measures, including creation of green belt along the coast of Bay of Bengal and formation of volunteers, to offset the impacts of natural disasters like cyclone and tidal surge.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that Bangladesh is highly densely populated and it is very tough to give shelter to the vast number of Rohinyga people.
She expressed concern that Myanmar did not keep its promise to take back the Rohingya even after signing an agreement to this end.
Responding to a query from the President, the Prime Minister said relations with Myanmar did not deteriorate even after the forceful eviction of 1.1 million Rohingya by the Myanmar authorities.
She said Bangladesh pursues the foreign policy of ‘friendship to all, malice to none’ and it maintains very good relations with its neighbours.
Sheikh Hasina narrated different development indices, including 8.13 percent GDP growth this year, and urged the Finnish investors to invest in Bangladesh.
Mentioning that her government is setting up 100 exclusive economic zones, she said the Finnish entrepreneurs could have one of them if they want.
The Prime Minister lauded Finland for recognising Bangladesh immediately after the War of Liberation in 1971. “We always value the support and cooperation that Finland extended to Bangladesh during and after the liberation of the country,” she said.
The Prime Minister narrated how her father and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman struggled throughout his life and was subjected to incarceration for the emancipation of people and independence of the country.
Responding to a query of the President, Hasina also recollected her own struggle after the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with most of his family members.
She said she returned home with the people’s support in 1981 and it was the people who voted her four times as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister invited the Finnish President to visit Bangladesh at his convenient time and sought Finland support in electing Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque as the Deputy Director General of IOM.
At the beginning of the meeting, both the Prime Minister and the Finnish President exchanged greetings.
The President received Sheikh Hasina at his residence on her arrival. The Prime Minister signed the visitor book, the PM’s speech writer said.
Eid on Wednesday, says State Minister Abdullah
Dhaka, June 4 (UNB) - Holy Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated in the country on Wednesday as the Shawwal moon was sighted in Bangladesh sky on Tuesday.
The decision was taken at the
Stuck in tailback, woman gives birth on road in Tangail
Tangail, June 4 (UNB) – Stuck in long gridlock for hours, a woman gave birth to a baby girl on the road here on Tuesday morning on her way to Kurigram from Gazipur to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with her near and dear ones.
Action against Aarong: Transfer of DNCRP deputy director Shahriar halted
Dhaka, June 4 (UNB) – A day after transferring him to the Road Transport and Highways Division, the government on Tuesday revoked the transfer of Deputy Director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) Manzur Mohammad Shahriar, who led Monday’s drive against popular local brand Aarong.
One killed, 30 injured in Sylhet road crash
Sylhet, June 4 (UNB) – A woman was killed and 30 people were injured as a bus fell into a ditch by the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Osmaninagar upazila on Tuesday.