bangladesh
112th birth anniversary of former Chief Justice Mahbub tomorrow
The 112nd birth anniversary of former Chief Justice Syed Mahbub Murshed will be celebrated tomorrow (Wednesday).
Syed Mahbub Murshed Memorial Committee will place a floral wreath to the graveyard of the former justice, jurist and thinker in the city’s Banani area around 10am. A doa mahfil will also be held marking the birth anniversary.
Read more: Panel formed for smooth celebrations of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary
Besides, several lawyer, social and cultural organisations have taken initiatives to hold a session on his life and works, a press release, signed by the committee’s Secretary Kazi Salahuddin, said on Tuesday.
Dengue: 32 more patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
Thirty-two more people were hospitalised with dengue in the 24 hours till Tuesday morning.
Of the new patients, 15 were admitted to the hospitals in Dhaka and 17 outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read more: Dengue: 1 dies, 20 more patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
A total of 165 dengue patients, including 52 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country
So far, DGHS recorded 321 dengue cases and 155 recoveries this year with a death reported on Monday.
Read more: Dengue: 27 more patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
The country reported 281 deaths from the mosquito-borne disease last year, the highest ever dengue fatalities recorded in a single year in Bangladesh. The previous record of 179 deaths was reported in 2019.
The DGHS has recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries in the past year.
No new pay scale, dearness allowance for govt employees right now: Finance Minister
The government has no plan to announce new pay scale or dearness allowance for the government employees right now, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said in Parliament on Tuesday.
The minister said this in reply to a tabled question from Gonoforum MP Mokabbir Khan.
Read more: Primary school headmasters to get grade 10 pay scale: SC
The finance minister said that the government issued the National Pay Scale Order in 2015, which is still in force.
In the past, government employees were given the benefit of salary increment every year as per the pay scale order.
But, due to the provision of increase in percentage of the basic pay in the National Pay Scale 2015, the annual salary of the government employee increase at a fixed rate up to a certain limit, which has been playing a positive role in improving the standard of living of the government employees at all levels, the minister said.
“Amid the post-Covid global recession, inflation has increased around the globe with hike in commodity prices, which has also affected Bangladesh.The government has taken various steps to control inflation and normalize the market situation.”
Read more: Govt employees demand amending 8th pay scale
The finance minister said that in the current situation, the government has launched a programme to provide daily essentials through family cards at a lower price.
The government is trying to take practical steps to increase the financial capacity of people.
“In this situation, there is no plan to announce new pay scale or dearness allowance for the government employees at this moment,” Kamal said.
Legal process underway to bring home laundered money: Finance Minister
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal told the Parliament on Tuesday that legal proceedings are underway to recover the money laundered from the country based on specific information,
The minister, in reply to a tabled question from Jatiya Party MP Mashiur Rahman Ranga, said that due to various procedural and legal complications, recovery of laundered money takes a long time.
He also mentioned that determining the amount of laundered money is very difficult.
He, however, reiterated the government’s determination to bring home the laundered money. Various development organisations and research organisations use different methodologies to estimate the amount of money smuggled out of the country.
“But even those organizations do not claim to be accurate in their methodologies,” he said.
The finance minister said, the reports of these organizations show conflicting information about the amount of money laundered from Bangladesh.
“In fact, quantifying money laundering is extremely difficult. But regardless of the scale or amount of money laundering from the country, the government is determined to stop the possible sources of money laundering as well as prevent money laundering and bring the money back to Bangladesh,” Kamal said.
He said that for this purpose, all the government’s agencies are working together.
Read more: Finance Minister Mustafa Kamal urges global leaders to ease economic crisis
The finance minister expressed hope that money laundering will reduce to a large extent in the future due to the government's actions.
Kamal said that Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has been collecting information from foreign financial intelligence agencies about smugglers or smuggled money and providing it to various investigating agencies including the Anti-Corruption Commission, CID of Bangladesh Police and the National Board of Revenue.
He also said that several cases related to buying flats or houses abroad (including Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, United Kingdom, USA, Canada etc.) or in any other manner are currently under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Besides, proceedings of several cases related to money laundering filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police are ongoing.
On the other hand, the inter-agency task force under the leadership of the Attorney General is working to recover the money smuggled abroad.
Besides, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been designated as the central authority to provide mutual assistance in matters related to crime in order to ensure mutual legal cooperation with various countries.
In response to a question from Workers Party MP Lutfun Nesa Khan, the finance minister said that Bangladesh is far below the risk limit as per the percentage of foreign debt-GDP.
He said that the economy of Bangladesh is at a risk-free and satisfactory level in terms of foreign loans.
Read more: $4.5bn IMF loan: 1st instalment expected next Feb, says Mustafa Kamal
The finance minister claimed that there is no major risk in the medium and long term repayment of Bangladesh's foreign debt.
Quoting the IMF report, the minister said that Bangladesh is risk-free in terms of foreign debt including domestic debt till 2032.
In reply to another query, the finance minister said that 217 people have been sent to jail for defaulting on loans during the tenure of the current government. The incident of taking 12 farmers to jail for defaulting on loans (in Pabna) is related to Bangladesh Sambay Bank Ltd. It is not a scheduled bank under Bangladesh Bank.
The minister also said it is not appropriate to comment on the issue of sending loan defaulters to jail as it under the jurisdiction of the courts.
265 schools in Kurigram closed as teachers attend political wedding
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has denounced the incident where teachers of 265 primary schools in Kurigram attending the wedding reception of the son of the state minister of primary and mass education keeping the schools closed.
Head teachers have institutionalised personal invitations using their three days of reserved leave in such a way, the graft watchdog body said in a statement on Tuesday.
Read more: TIB wants ACC's work order granting greater powers to secretary withdrawn
In this regard, a clear explanation from the government is needed as to whether this leave reserved for special circumstances can be used for such events or not, it said.
According to the media reports, the teachers of Chilmari, Roumari and Char Rajibpur upazilas of Kurigram attended the wedding reception on January 8. They also presented gold rings, a refrigerator and a washing machine after each teacher contributed Tk 500 each compulsorily.
The TIB has demanded that all those involved, including the state minister, should be made accountable for such an incident that demonstrated the destruction of the country's education sector through partisanship and abuse of power.
Read more: IMF’s conditions for loan: TIB watchful about “discriminatory implications”
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, “This incident is an extremely alarming example of the country's education system being held hostage by factionalism and abuse of power in the long process. None of the state ministers, education officers concerned and teachers can avoid the responsibility.”
The government should publish an explanation in this regard for the information of the public, especially the students, he added.
SC orders GP, Robi, Banglalink to pay Tk 2500 crore
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Grameenphone , Robi and Banglalink to pay dues of Tk 2500 crore as their spectrum acquisition fee including VAT to the government, National Board of Revenue and Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
A five-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order after rejecting their petition challenging the High Court order that had rejected their writ petition against imposing VAT (value added tax) on spectrum acquisition fee.
Read more: Mobile operators must increase spectrum by December to provide better services to customers
Of the total amount, Grameenphone has been asked to pay Tk 1,400 crore, Robi Tk 500 crore and Banglalink Tk 650 crore.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state while Barrister Reza-e-Rakib and Barrister Mostafizur Rahman Khan stood for BTRC and mobile companies, respectively.
Talking to reporters, Attorney General Amin said the government has allocated spectrum for the three mobile operators and fixed charges on it. VAT (value added tax) was also added later by the government on the spectrum fee.
The three mobile operators filed a writ petition challenging the VAT which was rejected by the High Court.
Read more: BTRC's spectrum auction: Govt earns revenue of Tk 10,645 crore
Later, they filed petitions to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the High court order which was also rejected, he said.
Now, NBR and BTRC will realise the money as dues including charges and VAT from the three mobile operators.
11 people killed in road crashes in 5 dists
Eleven people were killed and 11 others injured in a number of road crashes in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Pabna, Chandpur and Mymensingh district on Monday and Tuesday.
In Rajshahi, three people were killed when a truck rammed a motorbike at Dangerhat in Paba upazila of Rajshahi district on Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as Shaheen Ali, 40, son of Abu Syed, Sohagh Ali, 28, son of Md Babul and Rakib Ali, 26, son of Anwar Hossain of Bahrampur area.
Ismail Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kornahar Police Station, said the accident occurred around 4 pm when the iron-rod laden truck hit the motorbike when it reached in front of Dangerhat School, leaving Shaheen and Sohagh dead on the spot and injured one.
Read more: Road accidents leave 10 dead in 6 districts
The injured was taken to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital where the doctors declared Rakib dead.
Police seized the truck.
In Rangpur, three people were dead and at least 10 were injured in a head-on collision between two buses in Rangpur's Taraganj upazila this morning.
The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.
The accident occurred in Doalipara area of the Rangpur-Dinajpur highway around 7:45 am, said Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Taraganj police station.
According to the police, a Rangpur-bound bus of Tripti Paribahan from Saidpur collided head-on with another bus, of Saimon Exclusive Paribahan, coming from the opposite direction in Doalipara area -- leaving two dead on the spot and 10 injured. "Another person died at the hospital while undergoing treatment there," the OC said.
The bodies have been kept in the hospital morgue for autopsies, added the OC.
In Chandpur, a teacher and a student of a local madrasha were killed when a bus hit a motorbike at Rasulpur in Kachua upazila in the afternoon.
The deceased were identified as Zahid Hossain, 25, son of Abdur Razzak of Shahrasti upazila and jabber Hossain, 13, son of Sahabuddin of Laksham upazila.
The accident occurred around 2 pm when the bus of ‘Bogdad Paribahan’ from Chandpur hit the motorbike, leaving them injured, said Ibrahim Khalil, officer-in-charge of Kachua Police Station.
They died while taking to upazila health complex.
Vehicular movement remained suspended for some time following the accident.
In Pabna, two students were killed and another one was injured when a motorbike skidded off the road on Madhupur-Sathia road at Boalmari intersection in Sathia upazila on Monday midnight.
The deceased were identified as Rubel Hossain, 22, a student of Pabna government Edward College and son of Nazrul Islam and Juboraz, 16, an SSC examinee and son of Yunus Ali of the upazila.
Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sathia Police Station, said the accident took place at 12 am when the motorbike carrying trio fell on the road as its driver lost control over steering, leaving them injured.
Later, they were taken to Pabna General Hospital where the doctors declared two of them dead.
The duo met the tragedy while returning home from a trade fair.
Read more: Road accidents leave 4 dead in 2 districts
In Mymensingh, Apu Mia, 20, a helper of a truck driver and son of Abdur Rahman of Kishoreganj district, was killed when the sand-laden truck overturned at Dighirpar in Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh district in the morning, said Rasheduzzaman Khan, officer-in-charge of Pagla Police Station.
Govt to issue health cards for all: Health Minister
The government will issue health ID cards for every Bangladeshi, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Tuesday .
The minister said this while speaking at the ‘BSRF Dialogue’ organized by Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at the Media Center at the Secretariat.
He said the DPP (development project proposal) regarding this has been submitted to the Planning Commission.
“I also talked to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina regarding this and am waiting for her approval,” he added.
Also Read: No unauthorised clinics in Dhaka city, health minister tells JS
He said the health cards will contain of all necessary medical records of a patient.
He said the newly inaugurated Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Super Specialized Hospital will start full-scale operations on January 23.
“During my tenure, hospital beds were increased from 21 to 50 in 30 hospitals and from 50 to 100 in another five. In the last four years, seven medical assistance training centers and five medical colleges have been established. Projects for another five medical colleges are ongoing,” he said.
BSRF president Tapan Biswas presided over the dialogue while its secretary Masudul Haq moderated it.
Laubacher's visit underscores US commitment to strengthening ties with Bangladesh: US Embassy
National Security Council’s Senior Director for South Asia Eileen Laubacher's just concluded visit underscored the United States’ "continued commitment to strengthening" the Bangladesh-US bilateral relationship, said the US Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday.
During her four-day visit, Laubacher and other NSC representatives visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.
Read more: US is largest source of investment in Bangladesh, other Indo-Pacific countries: Embassy
Bill placed in JS to establish universities in Meherpur, Naogaon
Two bills were placed in Parliament on Tuesday to establish universities in Meherpur and Naogaon.
These two bills are --‘Mujibnagar University’ in Meherpur and ‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University’ in Naogaon.
Read more: JS passes Bill replacing 1982 Ordinance for SC judges
Education Minister Dipu Moni placed the two bills.
Both Bills were sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education Ministry.
The committee was asked to submit their reports within one month.
Read more: Review of mass media employees bill gets another 60-day extension