Bangladesh
No respite from ‘unhealthy’ air in Dhaka
Dhaka’s air quality continued to be in the 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' zone this morning (June 15, 2023).
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 120 at 8:57 am, Dhaka ranked 6th in the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality.
Chaina’s Sanghai, Indonesia’s Jakarta and China’s Wuhan occupied the first three spots, with AQI scores of 156, 156 and 134, respectively.
Also read: Dhaka’s air quality ‘unhealthy’ Friday morning
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
Also read: Dhaka's air quality 'moderate' this morning
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
With the advent of winter, Dhaka’s air quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction work, rundown roads, brick kilns, and other sources.
Also read: Despite rain, Dhaka's air quality 'unhealthy for sensitive groups’ this morning
EU-supported livelihood scheme kicked off in CHT
A project – funded by the European Union – was launched on Wednesday aiming to alleviate poverty and improve the livelihoods of extremely low-income households in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The project titled "Partnership for Resilient Livelihoods in the CHT Region" was officially launched at a city hotel in Dhaka.
The project is funded by the European Union in collaboration with UNDP Bangladesh and Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF).
Also read: India–EU Connectivity Conference in Meghalaya: Identifying concrete projects in India’s northeast and Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan
With a budget of EUR 8 million, the four-year project will be implemented in the districts of Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khagrachhari.
It aims to closely collaborate with the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MoCHTA), Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council (CHTRC), three Hill District Councils (HDCs), relevant line departments, local elites, and leaders in CHT, according to a press release.
Minister of CHT Affairs Bir Bahadur U Shwe Sing was present at the launching ceremony as the chief guest.
During his speech, Bir Bahadur emphasised on the importance of collaboration with multiple partners and expressed gratitude towards the development partners for working alongside the government to achieve the common goals in the CHT region.
Also read: Proud to stand together with Bangladesh in its journey towards greener, prosperous future: EU
“The government is dedicatedly working in CHT to alleviate poverty and improve livelihoods. We deeply appreciate our development partners working alongside the government to achieve our goals in the CHT region. This project, launched under the joint management of Manusher Jonno Foundation and UNDP Bangladesh, will help take our development goals forward,” the minister said
Charles Whiteley, the EU Ambassador to Bangladesh, highlighted the objectives of the PRLC project.
He mentioned that the project aims to create a sustained pathway out of poverty in the most vulnerable areas of the CHT region.
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"Together with UNDP and Manusher Jonno Foundation, the PRLC project will create a sustained pathway out of poverty in the most vulnerable area of the CHT region, with special attention to livelihood promotion for the extremely poor, expansion of nutrition services, community mobilisation, and market development. Issues like gender equity, women empowerment, and disability inclusion will be the core of the project," he said.
Van Nguyen, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP, Bangladesh, welcomed the guests and acknowledged the long-standing partnership between the EU, UNDP, and the Government of Bangladesh.
“EU and UNDP have been working with the Government of Bangladesh for many years with a focus to alleviate poverty, achieve SDGs, and graduate from LDCs. UNDP, together with MoCHTA, has been supporting the capacity building of the CHT institutions and communities during the last two decades, and the EU was one of the major contributors to UNDP’s project funding in the region. We highly appreciate the EU’s firm engagement through this PRLC project to support the CHT communities and institutions,” she said.
“The project will work very closely with MoCHTA, CHT Regional Council, and Hill District Councils on policy and other important issues, including facilitating discussions on achieving SDGs, harmonisation of laws and supporting the Land Commission. We hope that the project will be able to make a positive change in the CHT,” she further added.
Shaheen Anam, the Executive Director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, delivered a welcome speech at the launching ceremony. She expressed optimism that the PRLC project would improve the living standards of people in the three CHT districts.
The event was presided over by Nirupa Dewan, MJF's governing board member.
Among others, Mongsueprou Chowdhury, Chairman of Khagrachari Hill District Council, and Secretary Mashiur Rahman, ndc, the Ministry of CHT Affairs (MoCHTA), were also present as Special Guests.
Over 50 people including police injured as villagers clash in Sylhet
More than 50 persons including police were injured in clashes on Wednesday among people of several villages in Sylhet over the making a temporary drainage on the side of the road to drain stagnant water.
Jalalabad Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saiful Alam said residents of several villages including Moiarchar, Naya Kurumkala, Nazirgaon and Shimultala clashed with residents of Shonatola area over the cutting of a road, in which several people were injured.
Police fired several tear gas shells and rubber bullets to stop the clashes. BGB was deployed at the spot to control the situation.
Also read: 5 Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal activists detained for vandalising mural of Bangabandhu in Ctg
Some of the injured were admitted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.
The situation is currently under police control. The identities of the injured are yet to be ascertained, said the OC.
The clashes lasted from 2 pm to 4 pm on Wednesday.
According to witnesses, continuous rain on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning caused waterlogging on Kumargaon-Badaghat road. Due to the ongoing development work on the Sylhet airport bypass road, soil has been lifted at several places of the road causing waterlogging in the area.
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Residents of Moiarchar, Naya Kurumkala, Nazirgaon and Shimultala blocked the Kumargaon-Badaghat road demanding immediate removal of the waterlogging. During this time, the protesters protested by burning tires on the road.
At around 2:00pm, the Roads and Highways officials went to cut a road in Sonatola area under Sadar upazila to ease the waterlogging situation but they were stopped by the residents of the area.
Later, residents of Moiarchar, Naya Kurumkala, Nazirgaon and Shimultala clashed with the locals of Sonatola injuring more than 50 people, including police.
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DNCC Mayor unveils foot overbridge foundation stone in front of EWU at Aftabnagar
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Md Atiqul Islam on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of a foot overbridge adjacent to the East West University (EWU) at Aftabnagar in the capital.
This bridge will cross the busy main road and allow pedestrians, particularly students, to traverse it. It will connect Aftabnagar with the Merul Badda end of Hatirjheel.
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Marking the foundation ceremony, the East West University arranged a programme in its Manzur Elahi auditorium on Wednesday.
The 4 crore taka overbridge would be one of the most beautiful bridges, mayor Atiqul Islam said in his speech. He said that the bridge's construction would be finished in six months.
At the same time, he was entrusted with the maintenance of the bridge to East West University authority.
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To protect people from the risk of dengue fever, the mayor urged everyone to keep a watchful eye on the surroundings so that water does not accumulate anywhere during the rainy season.
EWU Board of Trustees Chairperson Syed Manzur Elahi and Chief Advisor Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, EWU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr M M Shahidul Hassan, the Chief Engineer of DNCC, and two Councillors of the area also spoke on the occasion.
Apart from teachers and students of the East West University, people of the locality were also present at the event. Later, the mayor planted a tree on the university premises and urged everyone to plant more trees to keep the city free from the heatwave.
Also read: No allocation for plans with roads less than 20 feet wide: Mayor Atiqul
The foot overbridge is a long-cherished demand of the locality because of speeding vehicles on the busy main road of Rampura, which led to a number of accidents in the past. The East West University students have been urging for the bridge ever since the university moved to its main campus in Aftabnagar in 2014 from its Mohakhali campus.
5 Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal activists detained for vandalising mural of Bangabandhu in Ctg
Police detained five activists of BNP’s Jubo and Chhatra Dal in connection with the vandalism of a mural of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman following a clash between BNP men and Awami League’s student body Chhatra League in Jamal Khan area of Chattogram on Wednesday.
The detainees are Md Mahbub Siddique, 35, Md Irfan, 30, Nurul Islam alias Masum, 39, Md Mohiuddin Hasan Emon, 20, and Md Emon Khan, 20, hailing from different areas of the city.
Jahidul Kabir, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said they detected some miscreants who vandalised the mural after scrutinising footage of CCTV cameras.
Also read: 5 hurt as BCL, Jubo Dal activists clash in Chattogram
Later, they detained five activists of Jubo and Chhatra Dal from different areas of the city, he said.
Police, however, could not inform designations of the detainees.
Police said supporters of the BNP were marching towards the city’s Kazir Deweri area to join a scheduled programme ‘youth rally’ from the different areas of the city since noon.
Also read: 10 held over police-Jubo Dal activists clash in Cumilla
A sudden attack was carried out on activists of Chhatra League who took position in front of Chittagong College under Chawkbazar police station when several processions of the BNP from Chandgaon and Bakolia police stations were passing by.
As Chhatra League activists protested against them, at one stage of a clash between the parties, BNP men allegedly vandalised the mural of Bangabandhu and other structures in the Jamal Khan area.
After the vandalism, the BNP supporters attended the party’s rally.
Also read: Jubo Dal leader arrested under DSA for alleged caricatures of Bangabandhu in Kurigram
EU MPs’ statement echoes BNP: Agriculture Minister
The statement of the six members of the European Parliament is similar to BNP's statement, said Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque on Wednesday.
“It's like a statement from the EU branch of the BNP,” he said while addressing a national seminar on nutrition development and poverty reduction through mushroom cultivation at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) auditorium at Farmgate in the capital on Wednesday.
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Noting that religious and ethnic minority people are most secure during the Awami League regime, the minister said the statement of six members of the EU Parliament is baseless and unwarranted.
"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we have brought down the poverty rate from 40 percent to 18 percent and the extreme poverty rate from 18 percent to 6 percent. If mushroom cultivation can be spread on a large scale, there will be no poverty in the country. Moreover, in the next 3-5 years, we will be able to export mushrooms abroad,” the minister told the seminar.
Also read: Letter from 6 members of European Parliament reflects views of signatories, Ambassador tells UNB
The minister directed the agriculture officers of every upazila of the country to work on to create 200-300 mushroom entrepreneurs.
Also read: 6 congressmen’s letter to Biden a ‘false projection’ of the state of Bangladesh’s minorities, community leaders say
PM Hasina thanks Prince Rahim, Aga Khan Development Network for contributions in Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has conveyed her appreciation to Prince Rahim Aga Khan and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for the contributions made in Bangladesh over many decades.
The Prime Minister especially recognised the establishment of the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka, which seeks to create future Bangladeshi leaders who will contribute to further development of the country.
Also read: Bangladesh likely to become member of BRICS in August: Momen
Prince Rahim Aga Khan and PM Sheikh Hasina met on Wednesday to discuss education and climate priorities in Bangladesh.
Prince Rahim thanked the Prime Minister for the government’s ongoing support, particularly in the area of education.
He conveyed the continued commitment of His Highness the Aga Khan and the Aga Khan Development Network to the economic and social development of Bangladesh.
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Building on nearly seven decades of cooperation, bilateral relations were enhanced through a Protocol of Cooperation signed in 2013, according to AKDN.
Prince Rahim acknowledged the good progress made by Bangladesh since independence, over 50 years ago, in improving many social and economic indicators, reducing poverty and enhancing the quality of life of Bangladeshis.
In addition to discussing AKDN’s activities globally, Prince Rahim informed the Prime Minister about the organization’s work in Bangladesh, including the opening of the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka in 2022.
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The Academy offers an enhanced International Baccalaureate curriculum and leadership development opportunities to empower graduates to contribute to their society in the country and around the world.
Discussing the impact of climate change in Bangladesh and globally, Prince Rahim shared AKDN’s experiences and programmes to reduce its carbon footprint and outlined the climate adaptation and mitigation measures undertaken by the Network to enable green and sustainable development.
Prime Minister Hasina is visiting Geneva to participate in the ‘World of Work Summit: Social Justice for All’ organised by the International Labour Organisation.
Prince Rahim will join Prime Minister Hasina and global heads of international organisations tomorrow at a luncheon hosted by Bangladesh’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Office.
Recruitment Scam: IU VC’s conversation goes viral again
An audio clip containing a conversation between the Islamic University vice-chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam and an unidentified person involving recruitment of drivers at the university went viral on social media Facebook on Tuesday night.
A total of 14 audio clips containing conversations between the vice-chancellor and different people went viral on social media from February 16 to June 13 this year.
The audio clip shared from a Facebook account Darbesh Salam on Tuesday, the VC was heard saying to a person addressing him as Nazrul that the university administration would circulate an advertisement of recruiting drivers at the university very soon.
The VC also told the person to ask his candidate to apply for both the driver and helper posts so that the appointment of the candidate could not be missed.
Read: Islamic University won't join combined admission test system
Some senior teachers said that the conversations of the vice-chancellor went viral on social media one after another but the government, the Ministry of Education and UGC did not take any decision regarding the leaked audio conversations.
They, in a press conference held on April 3, sought prime minister’s intervention regarding the leaked audio conversations, said IU Awami League-backed teachers’ alliance Shapla Forum’s general secretary Professor M Mahbubar Rahman.
The vice-chancellor tarnished the image of the university by adopting unfair means of recruiting teachers and drivers at the university, he added.
IUTA general secretary Professor Tapon Kumar Godder said that they sent written documents to the prime minister, the president, the education minister and the chairman of the University Grants Commission in this connection.
They should look into the matter, he added.
IU vice-chancellor Shaikh Abdus Salam said that he had nothing to say regarding the leaked audio conversations. “May Allah bless the person who leaked his conversations,” he said.
Read: 42 Islamic University students win Science and Technology Fellowship
On Monday, the written examinations for recruiting three engineers at the university were held after three audio clips containing vice-chancellor’s mobile conversations about recruitments went viral.
IU acting registrar HM Ali Hasan filed a general diary with the Islamic University police station after an audio clip containing conversation between the VC and a jobseeker of IU’s Mass Communication and Journalism Department had gone viral on February 17.
The Islamic University Teachers’ Association and the Awami League-backed teachers’ alliance Shapla Forum submitted a written petition to the vice-chancellor requesting him to explain his audio conversations leaked on February 18.
Later, the university administration postponed the recruitment boards of five departments.
Read more: Islamic University celebrates 43rd founding anniversary Tuesday
Bangladesh likely to become member of BRICS in August: Momen
Bangladesh is likely to become a member of BRICS in August this year.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said this while briefing reporters about the outcome of the meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa here at the Bilateral Meeting room of Palais de Nations.
He said that recently BRICS Bank has invited Bangladesh as a guest.
He said that in the future BRICS would invite Bangladesh to join in.
“Their conference will be held in August in South Africa and the Prime Minister would go there,” he said.
BRICS now has five members—Brazil, India, China, South Africa, Russia.
In the future they will add eight more countries as members.
Also read: PM Hasina urges Swiss businesses to boost investment in Bangladesh
They have invited Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
“This will be another area of our financing. It will be good for us as we need money,” he said.
The Prime Minister requested South Africa to open a mission in Bangladesh to enhance bilateral cooperation.
Earlier, President of Malta Dr George Vella also called on the Prime Minister at the same venue.
Also read: Switzerland will develop skilled manpower in Bangladesh under a new MoU
Sheikh Hasina requested him to open a mission in Dhaka. She also requested Malta to import RMG products and pharmaceuticals items.
After that, ILO DG Gilbert F Hounbo also called on her at the same place.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Labour and Employment Secretary Md Ehsan-E-Elahi and PM’s speech writer M Nazrul Islam were also present.
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2 dead, 15 hurt as villagers clash in Kushtia
At least two people were killed and 15 others injured in a clash between two groups of villagers over a trifling matter at Doulatpur upazila in Kushtia on Wednesday.
The deceased were identified as Velosh Malitha, 40, and Bajlu Malitha, 42, residents of Hatkholapara village of the upazila.
Two groups of locals locked into the clash as Sarder group’s Farid Khasrur’s cattle ate up some crops in the Malitha family’s field.
Read: 5 hurt as BCL, Jubo Dal activists clash in Chattogram
At one point, Sarder group attacked Malitha group with sharp weapons and opened fire on them, said police quoting locals.
Four of the injured were admitted to the Kushtia general hospital in serious serious condition and the rest to Kushtia upazila health centre.
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Mojibur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Daulatpur police station, said additional police have been deployed in the area to bring the situation under control.
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