Bangladesh
KCC polls: Formal electioneering begins through allocation of symbols
The formal electioneering started in Khulna city on Friday morning after symbols were allocated among 179 candidates including four for the mayoral post in the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) elections slated for June 12.
Md Alauddin, returning officer of the KCC elections, said the formal campaigning started through allocating the symbols among the candidates in the morning.
“We want to hold the elections in a festive manner, the foremost condition to create a fair and congenial environment is to comply with the electoral code of conduct by all,” he said.
As there was no independent candidate for the mayoral post, the four candidates got their parties’ symbols to race in polls are--Awami League-backed Talukder Abdul Khaleque (boat) Jatiya Party’s SM Shafiqul Islam Madhu (plough), Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Md Abdul Awal (hand fan) and Jaker Party’s SM Sabbir Hossain (rose), he said.
The candidates vying for the posts of general and reserved ward councillors were given symbols through lottery, said the returning officer.
According to the election office, 136 candidates will compete against 31 general councillor wards and 39 for 10 reserved wards.
The voting in the KCC elections will be held at 289 centres and of them 161 are considered as risky.
Some 8,500 members of police and Ansar will be assigned for the security of the polling centres and 3,567 police personnel, 300 Armed Police Battalion cops and 657 Ansar members will be on the electoral field.
Moreover, members of Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guard Bangladesh will be deployed on the voting day along with the police and others. 10 judicial magistrates were assigned to conduct mobile court from June 10 to 14.
To ensure a congenial atmosphere, CCTV cameras will be set up at 289 centres and before 1,732 booths. The Election Commission from its headquarters in Dhaka will monitor the elections.
Sixteen checkposts have already been set up in the city to maintain law and order while a control room was opened by Khulna Metropolitan Police.
5, 35,529 voters and of them 2, 66,696 are females and the rest are males are expected to exercise their franchises using the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
DB nabs motorcycle theft gang
Four members of an inter-district motorcycle theft gang have been arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of Faridpur district police.
Two stolen motorcycles were recovered during the operation, said a press release.
The arrestees are Abdullah Sheikh, Md Sumon Molla, Md Naimur Rahman Naim, and Md Ohidur Rahman. They are residents of different areas of Chatul Union, Boalmari.
Md. Rakibul Islam, the Officer-in-Charge of the Faridpur DB Police Office, said tipped off, a team of district DB police conducted a drive at Baikhir Chourasta area of Chatul union.
The recovered motorcycles, identified as a black-colored Pulsar and a red-colored Discover, were confirmed to be stolen property.
He also said the accused had been stealing motorcycles from different locations and selling them at significantly lower prices.
The arrested individuals would initially retain possession of the stolen motorcycles and then sell them to others after removing the engine and chassis numbers to increase their resale value, he added.
Sub-Inspector Md Emanur Hossain of the DB Police has filed a case at Boalmari Police Station in this regard.
Yunus, Clooney address German Postcode Lottery Charity Gala in Germany
Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus spoke as the keynote speaker at the 2023 Charity Gala event of the German Postcode Lottery in Dusseldorf on May 24.
Between 33 to 40 percent of revenues from the post code lotteries support charities around the world. The Dutch Postcode Lottery (DPCL) and the German Post Code Lottery (GPCL) have been supporting Yunus' global social business movement through YY Foundation for many years, according to a press release of the Yunus Centre.
Yunus has been invited to be their international ambassador for the post code lottery since 2012, said the release.
At the event, he (Yunus) spoke about his journey with microcredit, social business, universal entrepreneurship, and campaigning for creating a new civilization by creating a 3Zero World of zero global warming, zero wealth concentration and zero unemployment.
He talked about re-designing the economic framework, policies and institutions which he said were responsible for all the mega problems of the world.
Hollywood actor and activist George Clooney who is also an international ambassador for the post code lottery, elaborated on his work along with his wife Amal through the Clooney Foundation and highlighted their work in South Sudan and Darfur and other conflict ridden places where he found microcredit program that Professor Yunus created had made a world of difference to people --- he called microcredit "masterful".
An ambassador for the lottery is Yusra Mardini, a refugee from Syria who competed at the Olympics as a member of the refugee team. She had to flee Syria at the age of 17 when her home was destroyed. Yusra is an ambassador attached with the UNHCR.
Clooney had also signed Yunus' call to End Genocide against the Rohingya more recently his call to make Covid-19 Vaccines as a Global Common Good free. Clooney in his talk with Professor Yunus said microcredit following Prof Yunus approach had made a big difference in the lives of people in the areas that he and Amal Clooney as part of the Clooney Foundation was working for in South Sudan/ Darfur.
The charity gala was attended by 500 high level citizens of Germany including representatives of the main charities of Germany and the winners of the lottery some of whom shared their stories of how they used their winnings.
PM mourns death of ex-Mohila League leader Taslima
Awami League (AL) President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Taslima Chowdhury, a former leader of Bangladesh Mohila Awami League, the woman wing of the ruling party.
Taslima was a former vice-president of Bangladesh Mohila AL and also former president of its Dhaka city north unit.
In a condolence message, the premier prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.
Taslima Chowdhury breathed her last on Thursday afternoon at the age of 85.
She left behind two sons, a daughter and a host of relatives and admirers to mourn her death.
AL general secretary Obaidul Quader also expressed deep shock at her death, said an AL press release.
Pak diplomat, his family members escape unhurt after a bus hits his car in B'baria
The deputy high commissioner of Pakistan to Bangladesh and his family members narrowly escaped unhurt after a speeding bus collided head-on with his car in Brahmanbaria on Friday noon, police said.
Akul Chandra Biswas, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sarail Khantihata Highway Police, said that DHC Qamar Abbas Khokhar along with his wife Rehena Sarwar Khokhar, son Mohammad Khokhar and daughter Huda Abbas Khokhar were going to Moulvibazar's Srimangal this noon.
At that time, the diplomat was driving the car.
When the vehicle carrying them reached Rampur area of Vijaynagar upazila of Brahmanbaria, a passenger bus of Duranta Paribahan coming from the opposite direction collided with the car.
Fortunately, they did not get hurt though the front part of the car was twisted.
On information, highway police rushed to the spot and rescued them.
Police detained bus driver Md. Saiful Islam, 30, son of Md. Shafiqul Islam of Habiganj district, and seized the bus.
Later, the deputy high commissioner and his family members left for Moulvibazar in another vehicle.
"A case will be lodged over the incident", added the OC.
Comments from Pakistan high commission here were not immediately available.
Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 28 more cases
Bangladesh reported 28 more Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours till Friday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total caseload rose to 2,038,837, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,446 as no new fatalities were reported.
Meanwhile, the daily case test positivity dropped to 4.31 percent from Thursday’s 5.25 percent as 649 samples were tested.
The recovery and death rates remained unchanged at 98.4 percent and 1.44 percent, respectively.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 in 2021 and highest number of fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
Bangladesh reports 4 more dengue cases
Four more people were hospitalised with dengue in 24 hours till Friday morning.
All the new patients were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
178 dengue patients, including 148 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 1,624 dengue cases, 1,433 recoveries, and 13 deaths this year.
The country logged 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019. Also, it recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year.
BMD predicts rain in Dhaka, 7 other districts
Dhaka and seven other divisions may experience rain or thundershowers in 24 hours from 9 am on Friday (May 26, 2023).
“Rain or thunder showers -- accompanied by temporary gusty/squally wind -- is likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram & Sylhet divisions with hails at isolated places over the country,” said a weather bulletin by Bangladesh Meteorological Department .
Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged.
The country’s highest temperature was recorded at 36.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday in Khulna and the lowest temperature was recorded on Friday at 20.0 degrees Celsius in Tetulia and Rajarhat.
Meanwhile, the highest rainfall for the past 24 hours till 6am on Friday was recorded at 44 millimetres in Sreemangal.
Garment worker stabbed to death in Savar: Police
A garment worker was stabbed to death by hijackers in Savar at the C&B area on Thursday night, according to police.
The deceased was Palash Chandra Mistry (35) of Thakurgaon district.
Deepak Chandra Saha, officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station, said an operation is underway to arrest the killers.
In the last one week, three people have been killed in Savar, Ashulia and Dhamrai by hijackers. Police also recovered the bodies of four people in the last 24 hours, said the OC.
According to eyewitnesses, Palash boarded a rented car to go to his rented house in Kurgaon of Ashulia after his work around 11:30 pm in Kalma area of Savar. Later, when he got out of the car in the C & B area, the robbers caught hold of him and tried to snatch his mobile phone and cash, but when he resisted, the robbers stabbed him to death and fled.
Police recovered the body and sent it to Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital morgue for an autopsy.
Man arrested with over 1 kg heroin in Chapainawabganj: RAB
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion have arrested a man with 1.26 kg of heroin in Chapainawabganj.
The arrestee Ziakur, 50, of Shibganj upazila of the district was arrested from Langra Mor area of Charbagdanga union of Sadar upazila of the district on Thursday night, said a press release of Rab-5's Chapainawabganj camp.
RAB 5 Deputy Company Commander and Assistant Superintendent of Police Aminul Islam conducted the operation. Based on intelligence inputs, a team raided the Langra Mor area around 7:30 pm on Thursday and seized 1.26 kg of heroin and arrested Ziakur, RAB said.
A case has been filed with Chapainawabganj Sadar Police Station over the matter. It added.