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BNP starts hunger strike seeking Khaleda’s treatment abroad
BNP started a seven-hour mass hunger strike programme in the capital on Saturday morning demanding that its ‘critically ill’ chairperson Khaleda Zia be allowed to go abroad for advanced treatment.
As part of a countrywide programme, hundreds of leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies began the hunger strike in front of their Nayapaltan central office at 9am.
Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir formally inaugurated the programme.
He urged all to observe the programme till 4pm in a peaceful manner with due respect maintaining discipline.
On Thursday, Mirza Fakhrul announced the programme at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Fakhrul said the programme will also be observed in all metropolitan cities and district towns.
“Khaleda Zia is fighting a battle between life and death. She’s the most beloved leader of the people of Bangladesh. It’s inhumane that she won’t be given a scope to receive treatment abroad,” he said.
Read: No legal scope for Khaleda to go abroad: Law Minister
Meanwhile, at a discussion programme on Friday, Fakhrul accused the government of plotting to end the life of Khaleda Zia by not allowing her to receive advanced treatment abroad.
He also said they will come up with more action programmes after observing the mass-hunger strike today.
Global Covid cases top 256 million
The overall number of Covid cases has surged past 256 million amid the global race to vaccinate masses against the infectious disease.
According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 256,617,432 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,139,946 Saturday morning.
The US has recorded 47,658, 708 cases to date and more than 770,671 people have died so far from the virus in the country, as per the university data.
Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 22,003,317 cases as of Friday, while its Covid death toll rose to 612,370.
India's Covid-19 tally rose to 34,489,623 on Friday, as 11,106 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry data.
Also read: COVID-19′s global death toll tops 5 million in under 2 years
Besides, 459 deaths have been recorded since Thursday morning, taking the death toll to 465,082.
Situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh logged seven more Covid-linked deaths and 253 fresh infections in 24 hours till Friday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services.
Of the deceased three were men and four women, said DGHS.
The daily case positivity rate increased to 1.40 from Thursday’s 1.25 percent.
The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,946 while the country’s caseload mounted to 15, 73,711, said DGHS.
Also read: Merck agrees to let other drug makers make its COVID pill
Dhaka division logged six Covid-related deaths while Chattogram division logged one during the period, it said.
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 percent.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 18,124 samples, the directorate added.
Besides, the recovery rate remained the same as 97.72 percent, with the recovery of 294 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Deal signed with Russia for procuring 2 police helicopters
Bangladesh Police have signed an agreement with JSC Russian Helicopters to procure two MI-171A2 helicopters, to enhance the capacity and efficiency of the law enforcement agency and ensuring better public safety.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Benazir Ahmed and Director General of JSC Russian Helicopters Andrey Boginskiy signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations on Friday, according to a media release of Police headquarters.
Read: Police receive final approval to procure 2 Russian helicopters
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan witnessed the signing ceremony as the chief guest, while Senior Secretary of Public Security Division Mustafa Kamal Uddin, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Mantytsky, Additional IGPs, and other officials were present.
On October 27, Bangladesh Police received the final approval from the cabinet committee on public purchase (CCPP) to procure two Russian helicopters.
On October 6, the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) gave in principle its approval to the proposal.
Read:Police to get 2 advanced helicopters
As per the proposal, the Bangladesh Police Directorate will procure the Russian Mi-171A2 model helicopters from Russian firm JSC Russian Helicopters under a G2G contract at a cost of Euro 42.60 million, equivalent to Tk 428.12 crore.
On February 10 this year, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Bangladesh Police and helicopter manufacturer JSC Russian Helicopters for the purchase of helicopters on a government-to-government (G2G) basis.
Awami League expels Gazipur mayor Jahangir
The ruling Awami League has expelled its Gazipur unit general secretary and city mayor Jahangir Alam for life for controversial comments on Bangabandhu and other local leaders.
The decision was made at a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee at Ganabhaban chaired by party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday evening.
Earlier on October 3, Awami League issued a show cause notice to Gazipur City Mayor and the party’s metropolitan general secretary Jahangir Alam for his recent viral video of controversial comments on Bangabandhu regarding the number of people martyred during the Liberation War and other local leaders.
He was asked to reply to the letter within 15 days.
The letter said Jahangir’s viral comments ruined the image and popularity of the political organization.
Read: AL show-cause Gazipur Mayor over comment on Bangabandhu
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 via the letter.
Mayor Jahangir said he would reply to the letter within the deadline and would obey the party’s president Sheikh Hasina’s decision in this regard.
The mayor said conspirators and anti-election groups have spread the 'technologically manipulated video' as propaganda against him.
Meanwhile, local AL leaders and activists brought out processions in the town celebrating the party chief’s decision.
Metropolitan unit President Advocate Azmat Ullah Khan welcomed the expulsion of Jahangir Alam.
Army chief Gen Shafiuddin returns after 2-day UAE visit
Bangladesh Army chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed on Thursday returned to Bangladesh from the UAE after a two-day official visit.
During the visit, General Shafiuddin paid a courtesy call on the UAE Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi and discussed bilateral relations and mutual cooperation between the armies of the two countries, the Inter-Service Public Relations Directorate said in a statement.
Read: Army chief Gen Shafiuddin leaves for 2-day UAE visit
General Shafiuddin also attended the Dubai International Air Show-2021 in the UAE capital where he exchanged views with high-ranking military and civilian officials of the country, the directorate said.
Fire breaks out at glass factory in Keraniganj
A fire broke out at the One-Time Glass Factory in Della village in Keraniganj on Friday evening.
Md Raihan, Station Officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense Headquarters, said the fire broke out in the factory in Della village around 7:07pm.
Read:7 burnt as fire breaks out in Narayanganj cotton factory
Being informed, five units of the Fire Service rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after an hour.
However, the source of the fire could not be known immediately. No casualties were reported.
Khaleda always tried to wipe out Awami League, says Hasina
Citing various incidents, including the August 21 gruesome grenade attack, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said Khaleda Zia and her allies always tried to wipe out the name and sign of Awami League.
“I’m always Khaleda Zia’s target,” she said, adding that Khaleda Zia had commented that Sheikh Hasina would never be the opposition leader let alone the Prime Minister and then a bomb was planted in Kotalipara.
Later, the PM said, Khaleda remarked that AL would never be able to come to power in 100 years and then the gruesome August 21 grenade attack was launched. “We should not forget the remarks,” the Prime Minister added.
Read: Govt conspiring to end Khaleda’s life: Fakhrul
When AL came in power, Hasina said, it did not resort to repressive acts against them. “I believe in democracy and the vote of people,” she said.
Turning to the misrules unleashed by the BNP regime, the Prime Minister said some people are there in the country who do not think about the thousands of offences committed by some particular people as crimes.
“They talk against corruption, but speak in favour of a person convicted on graft charges. They’re vocal against terrorism and militancy, but utter no single word against those who are involved in terrorism and militancy as well as convicted in the 10-truck arm-haul case,” Hasina said.
“We're noticing a strange situation. They find all faults in Awami League,” bemoaned the Prime Minister,
3 missing sisters fled Dhaka home for the love of father, Rab found them
Three teenage sisters missing from their Dhaka home was on Friday traced safe in their father’s house in Jashore, Rab said.
The three sisters Rokeya (18), Zainab Ara (18) and Khadija Ara (17) went to Jashore on Thursday to see their ailing father, they told Rapid Action Battalion which found them.
While Rokeya passed SSC last year, her two younger sisters are this year’s SSC examinees.
Read: Police launch a search after three sisters go missing from their city home
The girls, living with their maternal aunt Sajia Nawrin at Adabar in Dhaka, left the house on Thursday morning without informing her, she said in a general diary she filed with Adabar police.
Rab-2 joined the hunt for the girls and traced their location at their father’s ancestral home in Jashore.
Rab arranged a video contact between the girls and their aunt ensuring that they are safe.
The girls’ mother died of cancer in 2013 and since then they have been living legally with their aunt.
2 held with gold worth over Tk 2cr in separate drives at Dhaka airport
Customs officials detained two men along with 20 gold bars, paste-like gold, and various gold ornaments at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in separate drives on Thursday and Friday.
The detainees were identified as MH Shiblee, and Rakibul Hasan.
Read: Man held with Tk 3.5 crore worth gold at Sylhet airport
Customs Detective and Investigation Circle of the airport said in a press release that based on a tip-off, officials intercepted Shiblee at the airport around 9.30 am today upon his arrival from Sylhet on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Dubai.
"Upon frisking, our officials found 18 gold bars weighing 2.09kg hidden in a paper bag in his luggage. The estimated market value of the seized gold is Tk 1.46 crore," said the release.
On Thursday, the Customs officials, tipped off, searched Rakibul Hasan upon his arrival from Dubai on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight and seized 525 grams of paste-like gold and two gold bars and 98 grams of various gold ornaments.
Read: 12 kg gold bars seized at Dhaka airport
The estimated market value of the seized gold on him is Tk 59.85 lakh.
The seized gold was later deposited at the Customs Warehouse.
The detainees were later handed over to the Airport Police Station. A case will be filed against them in this connection, said the release.
No new political party to face any impediment in Bangladesh: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday said no new political party will face any obstruction in waging any movement in this multiparty democratic country, but they will not be allowed to damage the lives and property of people.
“If anyone (group) wants to form a party they can do it because there’s a multiparty democracy here. There’ll be no obstruction here,” she said while addressing a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee at her official residence Ganobhaban.
Sheikh Hasina said BNP-Jamaat is always hyperactive to make every development activity of the government controversial. “No matter how much good work we do, they come up with an attempt to create a controversy. BNP-Jamaat is hyperactive here,” she said.
Read:Done enough for Khaleda Zia, says Hasina
Noting that some new parties are being formed, the PM said she asked the IGP on Thursday that those who want to form new political parties should be allowed to do so. “Let them form parties and work because it’s essential in Bangladesh,” she said.
“If they want to bring out processions, they can. Why do we hinder their processions? They can do all sorts of movements, but they can’t burn people to death and cause any damage to any life and property. We’ll have to take care of it,” she said.