bangladesh
AL show-cause Gazipur Mayor over comment on Bangabandhu
Awami League has issued a show cause notice to Gazipur City Mayor and the party’s metropolitan general secretory Jahangir Alam for his recent viral video of controversial comments on Bangabandhu and other local leaders.
AL office secretary Barrister Biplob Barua said a show cause letter signed by party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader was sent to Jahangir on Sunday. He was asked to reply to the letter within 15 days, said Biplob.
The letter said Jahangir’s viral comments ruined the image and popularity of the political organization.
It is equal to going against the interest of the organization and breaking its disciplines which is a punishable offence according to the party’s constitution, it said.
Jahangir was asked to explain in writing why organizational actions will not be taken against him, said the letter.
Mayor Jahangir said he will reply to the letter within the deadline and will obey the Party’s president Sheikh Haasina’s decision in this regard.
The mayor said conspirators and anti-election groups have spread the technologically manipulated video as propaganda against him.
Meanwhile, anti-Mayor faction of the local AL continued their protests in Gazipur demanding action against him for his remarks.
PM condoles death of Awami league sub-committee member Gias Uddin
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Awami League Publicity and Publication Sub-Committee member Gias Uddin Ahmed.
She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.
Also read: PM condoles death of Rahat Khan
Gias Uddin, 55, breathed his last today at a city hospital.
He left behind his wife, two daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers.
Also read: PM condoles Rakhi Das’ death
Meanwhile, AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader also expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Gias Uddin Ahmed.
ACC raids CPP to investigate alleged corruption in hiring staff
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Sunday raided the office of Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) after allegations hiring staff without conducting written and oral examinations.
Deputy Director of ACC Public relation office Muhammad Arif Sadeq told UNB that an enforcement team headed by ACC’s Assistant Director Jabed Habib conducted the drive as part of the investigation.
The ACC team recorded the statements of the concerned officials, including the director (administration) regarding the complaint.
CPP informed the team that disaster management and relief Ministry has already formed an inquiry committee in the wake of the allegations and the investigation is continuing.
The investigation team has sealed the attendance books and application forms of the accused candidates for the purpose of investigation.
During the drive, the ACC team also asked for a copy of the attendance books and application forms of the candidates.
The ACC team will review it and submit a full report with recommendations to the Commission for taking effective action.
BB brings flexibility in dispatching export documents to buyers
Bangladesh Bank has introduced greater flexibility for banks in dispatching export documents to buyers.
A circular issued by the Foreign Exchange Policy Department said that to accommodate customary practice in export trade, it has been decided that authorised dealers (ADs) of designated banks may allow exporters to dispatch export documents (excluding original transport document of title to cargo) directly to importers or their agents abroad through secured media, subject to observance of certain instructions.
The instructions include underlying sales contracts/letters of credit provide for such direct dispatch of export documents while ADs shall be satisfied with the arrangement of realization of export proceeds within the statutory period.
Read: BB asks Union Bank to explain Tk 19 crore missing from its Gulshan branch
The ADs shall endorse original transport documents retained with them on receipt of payment against relevant export.
This is to clarify that export documents may also be dispatched by exporters against full export payment realized in advance, it said.
However, ADs shall obtain relevant export documents to adjust advance payment with related exports.
Read: BB to launch Tk 3,000 crore agriculture loan refinance scheme
In terms of FE Circular No. 17, dated April 23, 2019, exporters are required to report transport/shipping information immediately in Bangladesh Bank online reporting portal, and submit relevant documents within 14 days from the date of shipment, inter alia, the BB mentioned.
Mohib Ullah murder: Another Rohingya suspect detained
Armed Police Battalion (APBn) has detained another Rohingya man from Ukhiya on Sunday over suspicion of his being involved in the killing of Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah raising the number of arrestees to five.
The 5th arrestee was named as Md Ilias,35, a resident of Kutupalong camp-5.
Tipped off a drive was conducted at the camp around 12pm and Ilias was held while trying to run away, said SP Naimul Haque, commander of the 14th Armed Police Battalion.
With this, five suspects have been arrested since the murder on September 29.
Read: 4 held over Mohib Ullah murder; 7-day remand sought for 2
Earlier on Friday two Rohingya men Mohammad Selim,33, and Shawkat Ullah,23, were arrested and on Saturday another two Rohingya men Abdus Salam,32, and Jiaur Rahman,32, were taken into custody. All were arrested from Kutupalong Rohingya camps.
A Cox’s Bazar court on Sunday placed Mohammad Selim and Shawkat Ullah on a three-day remand for interrogation about over the killing.
On Thursday night, police registered a murder case following a complaint from Mohib Ullah’s brother Habib Ullah, said officer-in-charge Sanjur Morshed.
Read: Mohib's murder: FIR lodged, probe in full swing, say police
Unknown assailants gunned down Mohib on Wednesday night.
Formerly a teacher in Myanmar, the slain activist was popularly known as Master Mohib Ullah among the Rohingya refugees. He was the head of Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH) at Kutupalong camp.
DU ready to roll out its vaccination drive Monday
Dhaka University, the country’s oldest university, will launch its vaccination campaign on Monday at its medical centre, aiming to vaccinate its teachers, students and staff.
The university has already turned its Martyred Intellectual Dr Muhammad Murtaza Medical Centre into a temporary vaccination centre.
Officials said the campaign will be inaugurated at 9:30am and run till October 17 with Sinopharm vaccine jabs.
The vaccine seekers must bring their national identity cards (NIDs) or DU IDs to complete the on-the-spot registration.
The drive for the second dose was scheduled to begin on November 1.
Those who have already registered to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at centres under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), such as Dhaka Medical College Hospital, BSMMU, and Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute, may take the vaccine at the DU if they are yet to be vaccinated with any of the doses.
Read: Hasina’s birthday celebrated amid mass vaccination campaign
Banani double rape: 5 accused sent to jail, verdict on October 12
A Dhaka court has set October 12 to deliver its verdict in the case of rape of two private university students at a hotel in Dhaka’s posh Banani area four years ago on completion of prosecution and defense arguments.
Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-7 Judge Begum Kamrunnahar also cancelled the bail of five accused and directed to send them to jail after hearing both sides, said the plaintiff’s lawyer Faruque Ahmed.
On June 7, 2017, investigation officer of the case Inspector Ismot Ara submitted a charge sheet to the court against the five accused.
On June 19, the same year the tribunal accepted the charge sheet.
Rape charges was pressed against accused Safat Ahmed and Nayeem Ashraf while charges for assisting in rape was pressed against Safat’s friend Sadman Sakif, Shafat's driver Billal Hossain and bodyguard Rahmat Ali.
On May 6, 2017, one of the two abused girls filed the case with Banani Police Station against five persons including Shafat and Shadman Sakif.
According to the case statement, Safat and Nayeem raped the plaintiff and her friend on March 28 at The Raintree Dhaka in the capital's Banani area while the three others assisted them.
The victims were acquainted with Safat through Sadman two weeks before the incident and they were tricked in attending a grand program at the hotel on that day, said the statement.
Almost 14,000 people arrested in DMP’s special anti-narcotics drive in 8 months
Police arrested 13, 942 people and filed 9,821 cases in the capital city during an eight-month special drive against illegal narcotics until August 30, a senior official said on Sunday.
Teams from city’s police stations were joined by detectives from Dhaka Metropolitan Police conducted the drive, said Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the DMP Iftekhairul Islam quoting from statistics.
The crackdown saw the recovery of different types of drugs, including 5,898 kgs hemp, 61.66kg heroin, 31,67,723 pieces contraband yaba pills, 44,426 cans bear, 40,554 bottles of phensidyle,13746 ample injections,3746 bottles foreign wine, 6,718 litres of local wine, opium 10 kg, snake venom four pounds and other contraband drugs and items during the period from January 1 this year, Iftekhairul said.
READ: Almost 14,000 people arrested in DMP’s special anti-narcotics drive in 8 months
He said the highest number of 2192 people were nabbed in January, while lowest 1333 people were arrested in April.
The highest number of cases, 1532, was recorded in January, while the lowest came in April with 947 cases were filed at different police stations.
READ: E-commerce firms like Evaly, E-orange to face action: DMP
Dengue: 194 more hospitalized across the country
As many as 194 new dengue patients were hospitalized across the country in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
The death toll from the mosquito-borne disease remained static at 68 this year as no new death was reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
Among them, 63 people died in Dhaka city alone, two each in Chattogram and Khulna divisions and one in Rajshahi.
READ: Dengue: 188 more hospitalised
Among the new patients, 143 were undergoing hospital treatment in Dhaka while the remaining 51 cases were reported from outside the division, according to DGHS.
Some 955 patients diagnosed with dengue fever are receiving treatment in the country as of Sunday morning.
Of them, 758 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the remaining 197 were listed outside Dhaka.
Some 18,774 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January.
So far 17,721 dengue patients have left hospitals after recovery, said DGHS.
The number of dengue patients hospitalized in a single day was the highest with 343 patients on September 7.
In September the country recorded the highest number of 7,841 dengue cases of the current year with 22 deaths.
READ: Dengue: 1 more dead, 165 hospitalized in 24 hours
In August 7,698 people were diagnosed with dengue while the highest 34 people died from it, said the DGHS.
Munia rape-murder: Model Piyasha placed on 2-day remand
A Dhaka court on Sunday placed model Faria Mahabub Piyasha on a 2-day remand allowing police to quiz her in a case over the murder of college student Mosarat Jahan Munia after rape in her Gulshan flat.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nivana Khayer Jessy passed the order after Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Inspector Golam Muktar Md Ashraful Islam sought a 7-day remand to interrogate Piyasha about the case.
Also after the hearing the court rejected and defense lawyer’s plea to release her on bail.
On September 6, Munia’s elder sister Nusrat Jahan Tania filed the case with Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-8 against eight people including model Piyasha who is now in jail in a separate Narcotics case.
Piyasha has already been shown arrested in Munia rape-and-murder case, PBI sources said.
The main accused in this case is Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir, who allegedly had a relationship with Munia with a promise to marry her. According to the case Piyasha, a family friend of Anvir, was known to both of them and is believed to have knowledge about the sensational incident.
READ: Detained Piyasha and Mou placed on remand again
The other accused in the case are Bashundhara Group's Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan Shah Alam, Shah Alam's wife Afroza Begum, Anvir's wife Sabrina Sayem Saifa Rahman Mim, owner of the flat Ibrahim Ahmed Ripon and his wife Sharmim Akhter. All of them are accused of abetting the crime.
On September 29, the High Court rejected Anvir’s plea to grant him anticipatory bail, but gave it to his wife.
Munia, 21, was found dead in the Gulshan flat on April 26.
Within hours Gulshan police recovered her body hanging from a ceiling fan of her room with the elder sister alleging that her feet were touching the bed and there were marks of injury on the body.
Munia's sister first filed a case against Anvir accusing him of incitement to Munia’s suicide.
Case investigator Abul Hasan, who was also the officer-in-charge of Gulshan police station found no evidence of Anvir’s abetting the suicide and later a lower court cleared him of the charge.
READ: Model Piyasha and Mou placed on 3-day remand
At this stage Munia’s sister approached the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-8 and filed a new case of murder-after-rape against Anvir and seven others.
The tribunal recorded the case and entrusted more efficient and skilled PBI to probe the case.