United News of Bangladesh

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Md Nurul Islam on Tuesday submitted the audit reports for the 2021-22 fiscal year to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The reports were placed at the Prime Minister’s Office at the Secretariat in the afternoon, his Press Secretary Saleh Shibly said. He said a total of 38 audit reports on different government ministries, divisions and agencies were submitted, covering both compliance and performance. “The Prime Minister was briefed on key observations and recommendations highlighted in the reports,” Shibly said. Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Finance Secretary Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder and other senior officials concerned were present during the submission of the reports. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the audit reports were prepared under Article 128(1) of the Constitution of Bangladesh and Section 5 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Additional Functions) Act, 1974. As part of the process, a total of 38 compliance and performance audit reports covering 17 ministries and divisions, along with their directorates, departments, institutions and projects, were submitted to the Prime Minister before being placed in Parliament. During the meeting, Tarique Rahman stressed the importance of ensuring transparency and accountability in public spending and in assessing whether development projects are achieving their intended objectives. He also underscored the need to strengthen performance audits alongside compliance ones.  

Local people set two dump trucks on fire after a trader was killed after being hit by one of them on Dhaka–Rajshahi highway in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi district on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Akram, 60, owner of a tailoring shop in Sardah Thanapara of Rajshahi district. The Natore-bound sand-laden dump truck knocked Akram  down while he was crossing the road and dragged him for a few yards, leaving him dead on the spot around 7 am in front of Biraldah Mazar. Angered by the accident, local people blocked the highway and set fire to the dump truck. They also set anther dump truck on fire which was passing the highway at that time. Meanwhile, locals also set fire to some mobile phone sets and vandalised others as some people were found recording video footage of the incident on mobile phones. Vehicular movement on the highway remained halted for some time following the accident. On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, said Officer-in-Charge of Puthia Police Station Faridul Islam. Locals demanded a ban on dump truck movement in the area during daytime and the installation of speed breakers on the road. Farhad Hossain, Deputy Assistant Director of Rajshahi Fire Service and Civil Defence, said they extinguished the fire with the help of police and local people.    

An elderly woman and her granddaughter were killed when a bus ran over them on Dhaka–Barishal highway in Ujirpur upazila of Barishal district on Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Roksana Yeasmin, 65, wife of Pannu Kazi, and Arfa, 7, daughter of Rubel Kazi of Paschim Joysree village. The accident occurred around 12:30 pm when a bus of ‘Hanif Paribahan’ hit them while they were crossing the road, leaving them dead on the spot, said Mahsin Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Gouranadi Highway Police Station. On information, police recovered the bodies.  

The Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh (OCAB), a Dhaka-based platform of journalists representing international media, on Tuesday voiced concern over the barring of journalist Nazrul Islam from travelling to China at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday. Nazrul Islam represents the German news agency DPA and heads OCAB as incumbent President. OCAB unanimously condemned the development, saying that such a travel ban without showing any valid reason by the security and immigration officials is unwanted, unexpected and a clear violation of basic rights to travel, and an attempt to inject fear and confusion in the minds of the journalists, said a press release issued on Tuesday. This is also regrettable that the incident took place on the day of the World Press Freedom Day on Sunday when it was being observed in Bangladesh and beyond with a promise to uphold the spirit of press freedom. Just one day before marking the World Press Freedom Day, OCAB in a statement signed by its General Secretary Julhas Alam, urged the government and all political stakeholders to guarantee the physical safety of journalists and ensure swift accountability for attacks, to release all journalists detained arbitrarily and held without formal charge and to withdraw charges filed against hundreds of journalists that many international monitors have deemed disproportionate, to reform or repeal laws that restrict freedom of expression and independent journalism and to promote media literacy, support independent fact-checking initiatives, and strengthen security measures for media professionals against cyber threats. From Nazrul Islam’s personal social media account, it is known that OCAB President collected his boarding pass for a scheduled trip to China on May 3 when immigration police called him aside and questioned him about his profession and the role he played as the association’s President, it said. He was eventually told that he would not be allowed to travel to China because of no-clearance from “security agencies.” In a Facebook post, Nazrul Islam said that immigration officials did not show any valid reasons for preventing him from travelling. OCAB called on the government to immediately clarify the incident and stop such unlawful moves and other repressive acts that undermine the rights of journalists.

Expressing concern over a significant decline in global assistance for the Rohingyas Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday said it is now imperative to enhance international support to improve their living standards and meet their humanitarian needs. Despite being one of the world’s most densely populated countries Bangladesh has sheltered a large number of Rohingya refugees purely on humanitarian grounds, said the minister. He came up with the remarks when Ivo Freijsen, Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangladesh, met the Home Minister at the Ministry of Home Affairs at Secretariat. He also noted that the United States has recently reduced its funding allocation by 50 percent. During the meeting, they discussed the overall situation of the Rohingya population sheltered in Bangladesh, including international funding and repatriation issues. Highlighting the current condition in the camps, the UNHCR representative said refugees are facing severe challenges due to high population density in a very limited space. In response, the minister said expansion of camp areas is difficult given Bangladesh’s socio-economic and geographical realities. He stressed that safe, dignified and voluntary repatriation of the Rohingyas remains the most viable solution to the crisis. Referring to the prevailing geopolitical situation, the minister said the Rohingya crisis should not be overshadowed by global issues such as the Gaza conflict, the Ukraine war and tensions between Israel and Iran. He urged the United Nations and UNHCR to play a more proactive role in keeping the Rohingya issue high on the agenda at international platforms. The UNHCR representative invited the minister to attend the Joint Response Plan (JRP) presentation on Rohingya refugees scheduled to be held on May 20.

The government has extended support to Muslima, the orphaned daughter of truck driver Hannan Sheikh who was killed in a mob attack following rumours of a road accident in Boalmari upazila on May 1. On Tuesday morning, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Boalmari SM Rakibul Hasan visited the child’s home in Satair village and inquired after her wellbeing. He said the visit was made following instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office and assured full support for the child’s upbringing and welfare. At that time, the UNO handed over toys, cash assistance and food items to the child’s grandparents. Local Union Parishad Chairman Rafiul Alam Mintu also assured continued support. Upazila Project Implementation Officer Manash Bose and Upazila Social Services Officer Karizul Islam, among others, were present. UNO Rakibul Hasan said the incident involving the death of truck driver Hannan Sheikh reached the highest level of government. He added that instructions were issued from the Prime Minister’s Office to ensure financial and social support for the orphaned child, and initial assistance has already been provided. The incident took place on May 1 night in the Talma area of Nagarkanda upazila when a speeding truck allegedly hit several pedestrians, triggering rumours that around 20 people had been run over. The rumours spread rapidly on social media, creating panic and leading to road blockades. In the ensuing chaos, locals stopped the vehicle, pulled out driver Hannan Sheikh, and allegedly beat him severely. He was later taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Coast Guard members on Tuesday detained a listed ‘criminal’ along with arms, ammunition and cannabis during a drive in Ilisha area of Sadar upazila in Bhola. The arrestee is Md Zakir Hossain,42, a resident of Koralya Khayerhat area and an accused in multiple cases. Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujan, media officer of the Coast Guard, said tipped off, they conducted a drive around 3:00 am on Monday in Tulatuli estuary adjacent to Ilisha under Coast Guard Base Bhola. During the drive, Coast Guard members searched the launch and detained Zakir Hossain along with a single-barrel gun, four rounds of lammunition and 2 kg of cannabis. During preliminary interrogation, it was revealed that the accused had long been involved in drug trafficking and various criminal activities. Legal action has been taken against the detainee, the official added.

The local government elections will begin at the end of the current year, said Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman on Tuesday. “The election will start at the end of the year. Some preparations are needed which have already been communicated by the concerned ministry,” he said while responding to questions at a press briefing at the conference room of the Press Information Department (PID) at the Secretariat. Replying to a question the adviser said the whole election process is expected to take between 10 months to a year after it begins. Responding to another question whether the government plans to abolish Upazila Parishad following the allocation of office space for MPs at Upazila Parishad office, the adviser said no such decision has been taken yet. Referring to legal provisions, the adviser said under Section 25 of the Upazila Parishad Act, MPs are legally advisers to Upazila Parishad.  “If he is there legally, some may argue whether that position should exist at all — whether an MP should serve as an adviser is a separate debate. But providing an office does not make the situation worse in any way. If we follow that line of reasoning, since an MP is an adviser to the Upazila Parishad, it is only logical that they would have an office there. As I said, there is public debate on whether MPs should hold such advisory roles,” he said. The government has no intention of weakening or diminishing the role of Upazila Parishad through such measures, he noted.

Mango harvesting officially began in Satkhira on Tuesday, with fresh produce arriving in local markets. Acting Deputy Commissioner Bishnupada Pall formally inaugurated the harvesting activities at an orchard in the Fingri area in the morning. Officials from various levels of the administration, including Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Saiful Islam, were present along with local mango growers. Farmers said they are expecting a bumper yield this season. They also expressed hope of making a good profit if fair market prices are ensured. Authorities noted that Satkhira’s mangoes enjoy a strong reputation across the country and are also exported abroad. To maintain this reputation, officials stressed the importance of marketing safe, chemical-free mangoes. They warned that strict action will be taken against any traders found using harmful chemicals. In the first phase, local varieties such as Gobindabhog, Gopalbhog and Golapkhas have entered the market. Himsagar mangoes are expected to be available from May 15, followed by Langra on May 27 and Amrapali from June 5.  

Bangladesh and China eye an enhanced cooperation as Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman is set begin his first official visit to China- May 5-7 at the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi. Through this visit, China hopes to work with the new government of Bangladesh to enhance political mutual trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and strengthen China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. During the visit, the Foreign Minister will hold bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB.The two Foreign Minister are expected to engage in comprehensive bilateral discussions on issues of mutual interest alongside exchange of views on contemporary regional and global developments, including the situation in the Middle East. The two Ministers are also expected to discuss about possible alignment of their development policies and strategic priorities.During the visit Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur is scheduled to meet the Chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning. Minister for International Department of the Communist Party of China Liu Haixing will host a lunch in honor of Bangladesh Foreign Minister, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Humaiun Kobir, Adviser for Foreign Affairs to the Prime Minister, Ashiq Chowdhury, Chairman of BIDA, and senior Government officials will accompany the Foreign Minister. Bangladesh and China have long been each other's friends and close neighbors and are comprehensive strategic cooperative partners. Over the past five decades and more since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have been developing friendly ties on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and with mutual respect and equality, and the bilateral ties have enjoyed sustained and steady progress and delivered tangibly for the two peoples, said the Chinese side. China said it attaches high importance to its relations with Bangladesh.