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TIB voices concern on relaxing wealth statement provision for govt servants
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Tuesday voiced deep concern over the move to amend the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules 1979 by relaxing the provision for mandatory submission of wealth statements.
As a result of this initiative, some 15 lakh government employees will be exempted from accountability as well as corruption will be encouraged, said a TIB press release.
The Bangladesh chapter of Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) urged the government to cancel the initiative.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said the annulment of provision of wealth statement submission will create a situation where the dishonest government officials would become more corrupt.
"The proposed amendment of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules is exactly opposite to the government's electoral pledge and the government’s top leadership’s declaration of zero tolerance policy against corruption," he said.
He said there was a provision to submit the assets statement every year, but later it was relaxed and made the provision for submitting wealth statements after every five years due to the reluctance of the government employees.
Now the removal of the obligation means in a sense to massively promote the government employees to become corrupt, said the TIB Executive Director.
“If there is no provision to submit the wealth statement, the tendency among the government employees would go up to acquire illegal wealth through adopting corruption fearlessly,” he said.
At the same time, the suffering of people to avail the services in government offices will increase, illegal money transactions will enhance manifold and overall the government’s dream of ensuring a well-governed system will end in failure, said Dr Iftekharuzzaman.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden witnesses climate change resilience efforts in Bangladesh
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 2023, visited Khulna and Chattogram on 19 March to witness firsthand the impact of climate change and UNDP's initiatives on climate change adaptation in Bangladesh.
With a focus on climate change adaptation and sustainable development, Crown Princess engaged with community members including climate displaced population particularly women, who have undergone transformational changes to become active change-makers in their communities. By immersing herself in locally-driven solutions, the Crown Princess gained invaluable insights into the development of comprehensive resilience models.
Throughout the day, the Crown Princess observed UNDP interventions undertaken in partnership with other UN agencies and the Governments of Bangladesh, with support from the Government of Sweden and other development partners.
In Moheshwaripur Union of Koyra Upazila, Khulna, she observed climate adaptation initiatives programme adopted by UNDP and UNCDF with support from the Swedish government. Additionally, she visited a UNDP-supported a2i digital service delivery center, where rural populations are empowered to access essential public services through ICT services and inaugurated a smart post center.
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A key highlight of the visit was the interaction with empowered female leaders championing locally-led adaptation approaches. In Jele Para Dakshin, Chattogram she interacted with a climate-displaced community and witnessed their resilience-building efforts led by women. The Crown Princess also observed innovative interventions, including an embankment wall constructed through collaboration between the UK and Bangladesh governments, facilitated by UNDP.
The visit also included a stop at the Asian University for Women in Chattogram, where Her Royal Highness interacted with female students and observed UNDP-supported initiatives, including innovative training courses aimed at empowering women and fostering sustainable development.
The Crown Princess was accompanied by Ulrika Modéer, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of External Relations and Advocacy at UNDP and Johan Forssell, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Stefan Liller, UNDP Bangladesh Resident Representative, Alexandra Berg von Linde, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh and others.
Her visit underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in tackling climate change and promoting gender equality, reaffirming UNDP's commitment to building resilient and inclusive communities in Bangladesh and beyond.
Govt to convert local post offices into smart service points: Palak
State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that the government has adopted a plan to convert local post offices into smart service points in the journey to build Smart Bangladesh.
As a result, post offices will provide more than 325 e-government services as well as regular postal services, he said.
In this continuation, even from remote villages, people can easily receive all e-government services including banking, agent banking services from those smart post service points, he added.
Along with economic inclusion, it will play an incredible role in eliminating the digital divide in the country.
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The state minister said these things while talking to reporters after inaugurating SmartPost Center Koira at Koyra in Khulna on Tuesday.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, inaugurated a Smart Service Point of Post Office in Koyra, Khulna.
Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Director General of Postal department Tarun Kanti Sikdar, and Policy Adviser of A2I, Anir Chowdhury were present at the event.
Palak said “Initially, we have started the work of converting 5 post offices into smart post centers on an experimental basis. SmartPost Centre, Koira is the first journey of this initiative. We will soon implement 500 more SmartPost Centers in continuation of this.”
He also emphasized on the need to create a digital inclusive society and said that our goal is to deliver services to the doorsteps of every person in the country, including remote areas, using the vast network of post offices, huge infrastructure and manpower.
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“We have started the journey to reach another dream destination of building Smart Bangladesh by 2041. With the smart postal system, it will be possible to deliver goods through various hubs centered around 10,000 post offices in the country,” he said.
The State Minister said the Smart Service Point (SSP) initiative is a concerted effort to integrate digital solutions with traditional postal services.
He expressed strong optimism that these service points will revolutionize accessibility and efficiency in rural areas of Bangladesh by hosting facilities like parcel tracking, bill payment and e-commerce facilities.
Gold to drop by Tk 1750 a bhori from Wednesday
Bangladesh Jeweller's Association (Bajus) has decided to reduce the gold price by Tk 1,749 per bhori from tomorrow (Wednesday).
Masudur Rahman, chairman of the Price Determination and Price Monitoring Standing Committee of Bajus confirmed this on Tuesday.
According to the Bajus, an association of gold traders, the gold prices will be slashed by 1.5 percent to Tk 111,158 per bhori (11.664 grams) from the existing Tk 112,907 a bhori, which was the highest in the country.
According to the new rate, the price of the best quality or 22-carat gold is Tk 1,11,158 per bhori, 21-carat gold is Tk 106,142 per bhori, 18-carat is Tk 90,989 and traditional gold is Tk 75,816.
The gold price marked an all-time high and reached Tk 1,01,244 per bhori in domestic market after the price hike on August 24.
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The price of gold increased but the price of silver remained unchanged.
According to the category, currently, the price of 22-carat silver is Tk2100 per bhori, 21-carat is Tk2006, 18-carat is Tk 1715 and the price of traditional silver is Tk 1283.
In line with the rise in foreign exchange, gold prices have risen significantly over the last couple of years.
Besides, the gold price increase in the global market was influenced by the Russia and Ukraine war and volatility in its supply in the domestic market.
Although Bangladesh does not import any significant quantity of gold, its prices are almost linked with international trends.
In Bangladesh, the annual demand for gold stands between 20 tonnes and 40 tonnes.
Abontika’s death: Teacher Din Islam sent to jail after remand
A court here on Tuesday (March 19, 2024) sent Jagannath University teacher Din Islam, who was relieved from assist proctor post of the university,to jail after completion of his one-day remand in a case over the death of Law Department student Fairuz Abontika by suicide.
Judge of Cumilla Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Abu Bakar Siddique passed the order when he was produced before the court after remand.
A Cumilla court on Monday placed Jagannath University’s suspended student Raihan Siddique Amman and teacher Din Islam on a two and one-day remand respectively in the case.
Cumilla train derailment: 4 bogies removed
The court also ordered the investigation officer of the case filed to submit a report within seven days.
Abontika, a student of the 2017-18 academic year of the JnU Law Department, hanged herself at her Cumilla residence after accusing her classmate Amman and relieved assistant proctor Din Islam in a Facebook post around 10 pm on Friday.
In the Facebook post before committing suicide, Abantika said that Amman Siddique and Din Islam would be responsible for her suicide.
Hours after death of Abontika by suicide, massive protest broke out and continued till Saturday morning, demanding justice for the student.
In the face of student movement, the university authorities were compelled to relieve the assistant proctor and suspend the student to assuage the movement.
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Besides, the university administration formed a four-member probe committee.
Members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested the teacher and student from Dhaka on Saturday night.
Van driver Humayun from Cumilla becomes millionaire after buying Walton fridge
Humayun Sarker, a van driver from Debidwar upazila of Cumilla, has become a millionaire after purchasing a Walton refrigerator under the “Nonstop millionaire” offer, announced by the company as part of its ongoing nationwide ‘Digital Campaign Season-20.’
Earlier, a total of 31 customers became millionaires through the campaign, according to a media release. With the slogan “Best product, best offer”, the country’s electronics giant Walton has launched the campaign’s season-20 with the offer of “Nonstop Millionaire”.
In season-20, customers are offered “nonstop millionaire” on the purchase of Walton fridge, television, air conditioner, washing machine or fan from any Walton Plaza, distributor outlet or online sales platform ‘E-plaza’ across the country. In addition, crores worth of cashback are also available.
On Saturday, popular film actor Amin Khan handed over a cheque of Tk10 lakh to Humayun Sarker at a program held in front of the Chowdhury Electronics, one of the distributors’ showrooms of Walton, at the New Market area in Cumilla city.
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The function was also attended, among others, by Municipal Mayor Saiful Islam Shamim, local politician Mamunur Rashid Mamun, Upazila Awami League President Abul Kashem, Walton’s Executive Director Monirul Haque Mona, Divisional Sales Manager Sohel Rana, Regional Sales Manager Rakibul Hasan, Chowdhury Electronics' Proprietor Saiful Islam Chowdhury.
Hailing from Gunaighor village of the upazila, Humayun Sarker bought a fridge worth Tk 45,200 from Chowdhury Electronics on March 9, 2024. His name, mobile number and the model number of the purchased fridge are digitally registered. Later, he received a message from Walton on his mobile with the notification that he was awarded Tk 10 lakh.
Thanking Walton authorities, Humayun Sarker said: “I never imagined that I would get Tk 10 lakh just for buying a fridge. This has changed my life. Walton proves that it keeps the promises given to customers.”
Calling upon all to purchase and use local products, film actor Amin Khan said, “We should buy local products to strengthen the country’s economy and create employment.”
Following the upcoming Eid festivals, Walton has targeted to meet about 80 percent of the total demands of refrigerators in the local market. To achieve the target, Walton released more than 300 models and designs of refrigerators, freezers and beverage coolers in the market. The price of these refrigerators is set between Tk 14,990 taka and Tk 2 lakh.
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Using AIOT based smart technology, intelligent inverter, Nano health care and anti-fungal door gasket technology in Walton refrigerators, along with easy installment facility for maximum 36 months, 12-year warranty on compressor with 1-year replacement facility, 5-year free after-sales service, and swift after-sales service from the nationwide ISO certified service centers are resulted in turning into the most loved brand in the local refrigerator market.
Cumilla train derailment: 4 bogies removed
Four of the nine bogies of derailed Bijoy Express train were removed from Tejer Bazar in Nangalkot of Cumilla on Tuesday morning.
Saiful Islam, divisional manager of Chattogram Eastern Railway said so far four bogies have been removed and it will take two more days to remove five other bogies and repair the damaged rail tracks.
Train operation resumes 14 hours after Bijoy Express derailed in Cumilla
Due to rescue and repair work, the movement of trains on the down line remains suspended for several hours that disrupts the regular schedule of the train movement, he said.
Several people were injured as nine bogies of Jamalpur-bound Bijoy Express train from Chattogram veered off the tracks at Tejer Bazar in Nangalkot, Cumilla Sunday.
Train movement between Dhaka and north resumes four hours after derailment in Tangail
Train operation on the down line resumed 14 hours after the derailment early Monday.
Crackdown on teen gangs in Dhaka: 35 including key leaders arrested
In a decisive move against gang violence, members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have apprehended 35 operatives including two masterminds behind several notorious teen gangs, across key areas of Dhaka. From March 11 to 18, focused operations spanned Mohammadpur, Adabar, Nakhalpara, Tejgaon, and surrounding locales, marking a significant stride in curbing urban crime.
The arrest announcement came today via a statement from RAB-2’s Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP-media), Shihab Karim. Among those detained were Md. Akash, Md. Farid, and Md. Imam Hossain, alongside figures like Md. Arif alias Rasel Mia and Md. Mosharraf, pinpointing a wide net cast by law enforcement to dismantle these criminal networks.
Train movement between Dhaka and north resumes four hours after derailment in Tangail
This crackdown follows reports of rampant robbery, mugging, and extortion, leading to a targeted response from several RAB teams in areas under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) jurisdiction. Notably, operations led to the capture of leaders from the FDC Munna and King Jamal Group, including Md Ismail alias “FDC Munna” and Md Jamal Hossain, as well as heads of the King Mosharraf and Apna Bhai Groups.
Authorities also seized locally-made weapons used in these gangs’ criminal endeavours. The arrests reveal a disturbing trend of violence, snatchings, and extortion, with teen gangs frequently clashing over territory and influence. Preliminary interrogations have unearthed admissions of past crimes and plans for future violence, indicating a deep-rooted issue within Dhaka’s underbelly.
The arrestees engaged in criminal activities under the guise of everyday professions, from transport workers to vegetable vendors, making their operations not only diverse but challenging to dismantle, said the RAB statement, highlighting the deceptive methods employed by these groups to evade law enforcement.
Gazipur gas cylinder blast: Death toll rises to 11
Following their arrest, the teen gang members have been transferred to various police stations across the DMP area for further legal proceedings, signifying the beginning of a lengthy process to bring these individuals to justice.
Train movement between Dhaka and north resumes four hours after derailment in Tangail
Train movement between Dhaka and northern parts of the country resumed around four hours after a bogie of ‘Panchagarh Express’ derailed in Bangabandhu Bridge Purbo Rail Station in Tangail early Tuesday.
Khairul Islam, master of the rail station, confirmed the matter, saying that train operation normalised around 3 am when a rescue train removed the derailed bogie from the rail tracks.
Earlier around 10 pm last night, the bogie of the Dhaka-bound ‘Panchagarh Express’ derailed when it started running after a stopover at the station.
The impact of the derailment left several trains stranded.
Gazipur gas cylinder blast: Death toll rises to 11
One more person who suffered burn injuries in the gas cylinder blast in Gazipur’s Kaliakair upazila, died on Monday evening, raising the death toll from the incident to 11.
Tawhid (7), died at the ICU of the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery while undergoing treatment at 6:45 pm on Monday, Associate Professor Hossain Imam of the institute confirmed the matter.
Gazipur gas cylinder blast: Death toll rises to 10
Tawhid had 80 percent burn injuries on his body. Earlier on Saturday, his younger sister Tayyaba (4) died, he said.
At present, 17 more people are under treatment at the hospital, added the doctor.
Earlier, four more people including died from burn injuries.
With 3 more demises today, death toll from Gazipur gas cylinder blast rises to 6
The deceased were identified as Golam Rabbi, 11, Solaiman, 9, Jahirul Islam, 40, and Motaleb, 40.
Dr Partha Shankar Pal, a resident physician at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery said victims breathed their last at the ICU of the burn institute from Sunday night to Monday morning.
RMG worker injured in Gazipur gas cylinder blast dies
The bodies were kept at the hospital morgue, he added.
Rabbi suffered 90 percent burns, Solaiman 80 percent, Zahirul 65 percent and Motaleb 95 percent, he said.
At least 35 people, including women and children, sustained burn injuries after a gas cylinder exploded in Kaliakair on Wednesday evening.
One patient was admitted with 100 percent burns while three were hospitalised with 95 percent burns, and 16 were hospitalised with over 50 percent burns, according to sources at the hospital.
Locals said a fire broke out from a gas cylinder at a house in Telir Chala area of Mouchak in Kaliakair around 6 pm on Wednesday. When the residents of the house threw it out on the road, the explosion occurred.