bangladesh
Road accidents kill 2 in Sirajganj
Two people were killed and four others injured in separate road accidents in Sirajganj's Sadar and Raiganj upazilas on Friday night and Saturday morning.
In Sadar upazila, an engineer of the Bangabandhu Railway Bridge project was killed after being hit by a truck in Mulibari Railgate area on Friday night.
The deceased was identified as Hamidur Rahman, 28, son of Chand Mandol of Kumiradanga village of Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha district.
The accident occurred when the truck hit Hamidur, leaving him dead on the spot, said Md. Humayun Kabir, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sadar Police Station.
A case was filed in this regard, added the OC.
Also Read: 3 family members among 5 dead in accident involving truck, pick-up and microbus on Dhaka-Sylhet highway
In another accident in Raiganj, a man was killed and four others suffered injuries after a bus rammed a rickshaw van on Saturday, police said.
The deceased Kanai Haldar,30, son of Shri Rampada Haldar of Kalinja Haladarpara village of Raiganj upazila of Sirajganj.
Police said the accident occurred in the morning as they were going to Sadar upazila from Kalinja of Raiganj upazila in the van along with others.
When they reached the town's court mosque area, the speeding bus hit their vehicle, killing Kanai Haladar on the spot, he added.
Among the injured, Rampada Haladar, father of the deceased Kanai Haladar was sent to Bogura in critical condition.
Three others were admitted to the Bongamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib General Hospital in Sirajganj, said the OC.
Cold wave grips parts of Bangladesh; situation likely to improve after 2/3 days
A mild cold wave is sweeping parts of the country and it may continue for two or three days , said Bangladesh Metrological Department.
Omar Faruk, a meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), said temperatures in most parts of the country decreased over the past few days.
Read: Chuadanga shivers at 9-degree Celsius
Dhaka recorded 11.5 degree Celsius — lowest this season — this morning, he said.
“The situation may continue for the next two-three days in the country, he predicted adding that the situation mayl improve from January 11-12.
“A mild cold wave is sweeping Rajshahi division, Faridpur, Madaripur, Kishoregonj, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Jashore, Chuadanga, Kushtia, Satkhira and Barishal districts and it may continue, said a bulletin of BMD.
Read: Mild cold wave sweeping parts of Bangladesh
The Met office made the forecast at 6 pm today for the next 24 hours.
Weather may remain dry with partly cloudy sky over the country, it said.
Moderate to thick fog may occur over the country from midnight till morning and it may continue at places till noon.
Night and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.
Due to reduced difference between day & night temperature, feelings of moderate to severe cold condition is likely over the country, it added.
Jamaat leader, activist arrested in Savar
Police have arrested a leader and an activist of Jamaat-e-Islam in Savar.
The arrestees are- Hasan Mahbub, 60, political secretary of Dhaka district north unit of Jamaat-e-Islam and a former councilor of Savar municipality, and Abul Bashar, 56, an activist of the party and also a teacher of Savar Girls High School.
Hasan Mahmud was arrested on Friday from his residence in Dagarmora area of Savar municipality while Abul Bashar from his house in Parbatinagar area of the same municipality, said Nayan Karkun, inspector of Savar model police station.
Hasan Mahbub was arrested for his involvement in sabotage, police said.
Bangladesh now world's 35th largest economy: Canadian publication
According to Canada-based online publication 'Visual Capitalist', Bangladesh has emerged as the 35th largest economy in the world.
Earlier, the IMF revealed that Bangladesh and India were the only two South Asian countries considered to be part of the 50 largest economies.
Citing IMF statistics, Visual Capitalist published the report titled 'The Top Heavy Global Economy' on December 29, 2022. It has listed countries in terms of gross domestic product (GDP).
Also Read: Economy offers reasons for optimism, even as chronic problems persist
Renowned economist Dr Atiur Rahman has said that Bangladesh's economy reached this stage due to its macroeconomic stability and 6-plus GDP growth over the last 12/13 years.
Talking to UNB, he said that the Canadian publication released an appropriate report on Bangladesh and global economists are observing the country’s continued growth even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Atiur said that Bangladesh’s economy will be the 28th largest by 2030 and its economic volume will be $1 trillion by 2035.
The country has to focus now on developing skilled human resources, good governance, and stable macroeconomic management, he said.
“Bangladesh expended around 12 percent of its total budget to infrastructure development during the last 13 years, which contributed to mega projects including Padma Bridge, Metro Rail, Rapid Mass Transit, Karnaphuli Tunnel, and the development of 100 economic zones,” he added.
As a result, an economic boom is happening in urban and rural areas.
According to the report, neighbouring country India has moved to fifth place in the world economy. Earlier, it was in the sixth position.
With a GDP of $3.46 trillion in 2022, India has overtaken the United Kingdom to occupy the fifth place.
The first, second, third, and fourth places in the list are USA, China, Japan, and Germany, respectively. The remaining five countries in the world's 10 largest economies are the UK, France, Canada, Russia, and Italy.
According to the report, two major events happened in the world in the year 2022. First, the world's population has crossed 8 billion. Second, the size of the world economy has crossed $100 trillion to $101.56 trillion.
Public hearing on retail power tariff hike proposals begins Sunday
Public hearing on retail power tariff hike proposals will begin at 10 am on Sunday (January 08, 2023) in the city's BIAM Auditorium.
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) will hold the hearing on the proposals submitted by 6 state-owned power distribution entities to raise about 20 percent power tariff at the retail level.
It was said by the commission in a notice that the hearing will continue until 5 pm and if all stakeholders could not complete their submissions, then the hearing will continue for the second day on Monday (January 9) too.
Read: BPDB submits retail power tariff adjustment proposal seeking a 19.44 percent hike
All the six state-owned power distribution bodies which submitted their respective proposals on raising retail power tariff in subsequent of the bulk power tariff hike are—Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco), Northern Electricity Supply Company PLS (Nesco), West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDCL).
They have placed almost an identical proposal to raise retail power tariff by about 20 percent.
They moved to submit their proposals following the BERC’s decision to hike the bulk power tariff by 19.92 percent with effect from December 1.
Read: Power tariff hike to deepen public suffering further: BNP
As per the latest statistics, the financial loss of state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), the principal organisation in power sector and also the single buyer of electricity from private sector power plants, is likely to increase by Tk 18,094 crore in one year.
According to BPDB’s own latest estimates, the financial loss will cross Tk 48,000 crore in the 2022-23 fiscal from Tk 29,915 crore in the fiscal year 2021-22, an increase of almost 67%.
Sources said the BPDB’s revenue deficit has further increased due to its purchase of electricity at higher price and sale at lower price, the hike in petroleum fuel prices and also the price escalation of US dollars.
Read More: BERC now to consult with govt before any move on retail power tariff hike proposals
Officials said the recent 19.92 percent hike in the bulk tariff may help the BPDB to reduce its loss by only Tk 5,000 crore while a huge revenue deficit will remain a big burden.
On the other hand, the bulk power tariff hike puts pressure on power distribution companies to submit their retail tariff hike proposal to the BERC to cover their own revenue gaps.
The retail power tariff was last raised in March, 2020 by BERC after holding a public hearing.
Read More: Bulk power tariff hike won’t affect retail consumers right now: Nasrul Hamid
Through an announcement, the BERC had raised the power tariff on a weighted average by 5.3 percent at retail level with effect from March 1, 2020.
As per that decision, the retail power tariff was increased from Tk 6.77 to Tk 7.13 per unit (each kilowatt-hour).
Officials said the Power Division is under tremendous pressure from the Finance Ministry to raise power tariff in bulk and retail to cover its huge financial losses.
Read More: CPD raises question about power tariff enhancement proposal
The recent commitment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to provide a $4.5 billion loan to Bangladesh has increased the pressure as the donor agency has tagged a condition to decrease subsidy in the power sector and raise power tariff to cover the losses, said a Power Division official.
Assistant proctor, 8 others hurt in BCL infighting at CU
At least nine people including the assistant proctor of the Chittagong University have been injured in a clash between two factions of the Bangladesh Chhatra League of Chittagong University (CU) unit.
Dr. Shahidul Islam, assistant proctor of the university and eight BCL activists were injured in the clash that erupted between two BCL factions- “Sixty Nine” and “VX” -in front of Suhrawardy Hall at around 12 am Friday.
Police and the proctorial body brought members the situation under control at around 1 am, said Dr. Robiul Hasan Bhuiyan, Proctor of CU.
“Discussion is being held between the two groups to resolve the matter,” he added.
Md. Ataul Gani, a doctor at the university’s medical center, said the injured assistant proctor was given primary treatment.
One of the injured was sent to the Chittagong Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment.
Read more: 15 injured in BCL factional clash at CU
Pradip Chakraborty Durjoy, leader of the VX group and vice president of CU BCL, said, “Members of ;Sixty Nine’ threw bricks at us. We retaliated against their attack.”
Previously, just a day before this clash, another clash erupted between the members of the same groups following a spat on the shuttle train.
On Thursday night, three BCL men were injured in the clash in the railway station area.
Read more: 3 CU BCL men hurt as Shuttle Train spat triggers clash
Scrap warehouse catches fire in Khulna
A fire broke out in a warehouse of jute scrap in Aronghata area in the district on Saturday noon.
Tanharul Islam, deputy director at Khulna divisional Fire Service and Civil Defence department, said on information seven firefighting units from several stations are working to tame the fire.
Read more: Over 100 shops gutted in Gazipur textile market fire
The origin of the fire could not be known immediately, he added.
5 of a family burnt in Dhaka fire
Five members of a family sustained severe burn injuries in a fire following a blast at a house in Dhamrai upazila of the district early Saturday.
Those suffered burn injuries are Md Manjurul, 32, a garment worker, his wife Josna Begum, 25, their two-year-old daughter Mariam, Josna’s elder sister Hosna Begum, 30 and her daughter Sadiya Akter, 18, all hail from Kishoreganj uapzila of Nilphamari district.
Manjurul received 33 percent burns while Josna 40 percent, Morium 15 percent, Hosna 25 percent and Sadiya 75 percent, said Dr SM Ayub Hossain, resident surgeon of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
Neighbour Sufian, who took the injured people to the hospital, said the blast occurred around 5.30am when Josna tried to light their gas stove on the second floor of their rented house at Kumral village under Dhamrai.
It is suspected that fire originated from gas leaked from the gas cylinder in the kitchen.
Chuadanga shivering as country’s lowest temperature recorded at 8.4 degree C
A mild cold wave is sweeping over the country and Chuadanga district recorded the lowest temperature this morning at 8.4 degree Celsius. The northern district has been recording the lowest temperatures over the past few days in a row.
The shivering cold is causing immense sufferings for low-income people, forcing them to stay indoors.
Omar Faruk, a meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), said temperatures in most parts of the country decreased over the past few days.
“Dhaka recorded 11.5 degree Celsius — lowest this season — this morning,” he said.
The situation may continue for the next two-three days in the country, he predicted, saying that the situation will improve from January 11-12.
Cold weather is disrupting day-to-day life in Chuadanga and the poor are the worst sufferers.
Read more: Mild cold wave sweeping parts of Bangladesh
Temperature between 8 to 10 degrees Celsius is considered a mild cold wave, 6 to 8 degrees Celsius a moderate cold wave and less than 6 degrees Celsius a severe cold wave.
Private jobholder Sharmin Malik said she leaves home for nearby Meherpur in the morning for work, but could not do so due to the severe cold and wind this morning.
Day-labourer Jaban Ali said that staying in due to cold weather means no income.
Rakibul Hasan, in-charge of the Chuadanga Weather Observatory Centre, said, the lowest temperature of the country was recorded in the district for the second consecutive-day today.
Meanwhile, the hospitals in the district are overwhelmed with patients with cold-related diseases.
Read more: Khulna struggles to cope with biting cold wave
Of the patients, the number of children and adults is high with cold-related diseases and diarrhoea.
3 family members among 5 dead in accident involving truck, pick-up and microbus on Dhaka-Sylhet highway
Three members of a family were among five dead and three others were injured in a collision that involved a truck, a pick-up, and a microbus on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in the early hours of Saturday (January 07, 2023).
The deceased are microbus driver Sadir Ali, 25, of Kamlatila village, Abdus Salam, 32, of Barachara village under Kamalganj upazila; Sadia, 21, wife of Abdus Salam, their two-year-old daughter Habiba, and Sadia’s brother Atiqur Rahman Shihab, 15.
Read more: Road crash leaves two dead in Keraniganj
Ashraful Alam, a relative of the victims, said all the passengers of the microbus were relatives who were returning home after receiving a relative named Razu, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Malaysia, at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
Abdur Razzak, officer-in-charge of Madhabpur police station, said the accident occurred when a Moulvibazar-bound microbus collided head-on with a pick-up and a truck when the pick-up was trying to overtake the truck — leaving the driver of the microbus and four other passengers of the vehicle dead on the spot.
Read more: Bagerhat road crash leaves 3 dead
The injured were first rushed to Madhabpur Upazila Health Complex and later were shifted to Sylhet Medical College Hospital. The victims’ bodies were handed over to the highway police.