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RMG workers block road in Gazipur demanding salary hike
Vehicular movement on Dhaka-Tangail highway remained suspended for four hours today as workers of five garment factories blocked roads demanding salary hike at Telirchala in Mouchak of Gazipur city.
Shahidul Islam, inspector of Mouchak Police Station, said workers of the Purbani Group garment factory brought out a procession in the area and held a demonstration at Telirchala at 10 am demanding a minimum salary of Tk 23,000 m.
Read: Physician stabbed by rivals inside his Cumilla city chamber dies
Later, workers of four factories including Hydroxide Sweater Factory and SPS Apparels expressed solidarity with them.
On information, police rushed to the spot and used tear gas to disperse them.
The workers hurled brick chips targeting police.
Read: ACC files case against CCC councillor Salim Ullah and wife
Vehicular movement on the busy Dhaka-Tangail highway remained suspended for four hours, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.
Depression in Bay: Tourists asked to leave St Martin's Island by Monday afternoon
Local administration has asked the tourists to leave St Martin's Island by Monday afternoon due to inclement weather caused by a depression over the Bay of Bengal.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Adnan Chowdhury said the tourists in St Martin's Island have been asked to leave the place by 2:30 pm today for their safety.
All tourists have been asked to return to Teknaf.
However, the local administration imposed a ban on movement of all kinds of vessels on Teknaf- St Martin's, St Martin's-Cox’s Bazar and St Martin's-Chattogram routes on Monday.
Read: Well-marked low over southeast Bay intensified into depression: BMD
According to a Met office bulletin, maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal No 3 as the deep depression over Westcentral Bay and adjoining area moved slightly North-Northeastwards and lies in the same area.
At 12 pm on Monday, it was centred about 755 kms West-Southwest of Chattogram port, 710 kms West-Southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 630 kms Southwest of Mongla port and 630 kms Southwest of Payra port, said a Met office bulletin.
It is likely to move North-Northwestwards and intensify further.
Under its influence deep convection is taking place over North Bay.
Squally weather may affect the maritime ports, North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh, said the bulletin.
Sea will remain rough near the deep depression centre.
Read: Low-lying coastal areas could be inundated due to monsoon land depression: BMD
All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast, so that they can take shelter within very short notice.
They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea.
Read more: Depression over southeast Bay intensifies into deep depression
UNB Editor-in-Chief, Director attend AsiaNet's board meeting in Singapore
Enayetullah Khan, Editor-in-Chief of United News of Bangladesh (UNB) and its director Nahar Khan are attending the board meeting of its partner AsiaNet on Monday.
The two-day long AsiaNet's Board Meeting and Forum started at 11 am at Carlton city hotel in Singapore on Monday.
Before starting the conference, a pre-board coffee meet and greet was hosted by Medianet at 10 am.
On the opening day of the conference, AsiaNet presented various things including its financial results of FY23.
AsiaNet delivers far-reaching digital and social media exposure coupled with premium email and news wire services.
Powered by an elite network of international news agencies, AsiaNet offers an unrivalled multinational distribution service for news media releases.
With 12 national news agencies covering 198 distribution options and 12 languages, AsiaNet is a solution for convenient, cost-effective earned media with international scale.
Maritime ports asked to hoist local cautionary signal No 3
Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal No 3 as the deep depression over Westcentral Bay and adjoining area moved slightly North-Northeastwards and lies in the same area.At 12 pm on Monday, it was centred about 755 kms West-Southwest of Chattogram port, 710 kms West-Southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 630 kms Southwest of Mongla port and 630 kms Southwest of Payra port, said a Met office bulletin.
Well-marked low over southeast Bay intensified into depression: BMDIt is likely to move North-Northwestwards and intensify further.Under its influence deep convection is taking place over North Bay.Squally weather may affect the maritime ports, North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh, said the bulletin.Maximum sustained wind speed within 48 kms of the deep depression centre is about 50 kph rising to 60 kph in gusts or squalls.
Students with Depression: Tips for Parents and EducatorsSea will remain rough near the deep depression centre.All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast, so that they can take shelter within very short notice.They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea.Low-lying coastal areas could be inundated due to monsoon land depression: BMD
Maritime ports asked to hoist distant cautionary signal no 1
Maritime ports of Bangladesh have been advised to hoist distant cautionary signal no. one as the deep depression over Westcentral Bay and adjoining area moved slightly north-northeastwards and now lies over the same area.
At 6 am on Monday, it was centred about 840 kms West-Southwest of Chattogram port, 800 kms West-Southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 710 kms southwest of Mongla and Payra ports, respectively, said a special Met office bulletin this morning (October 23, 2023).
Read: Extreme weather kills 2 million, costs $4 trillion in 50 years: WMO
It is likely to move north-northeastwards and intensify further, added the bulletin.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 48 kms of the deep depression centre is about 50 kph rising to 60 kph in gusts or squalls.
Sea will remain rough near the deep depression centre.
Read: New weather forecasting system launched for Bangladeshi farmers
Meanwhile, all fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain closed to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice.
They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea, reads the special bulletin.
AL, BNP only care about minorities during puja and election: GM Quader
Jatiya Party chairman Ghulam Muhammad Quader on Sunday said that 'two parties' do politics by raising the smoke of the security of minorities only when the election and puja season come.
At other times, they (two main parties AL and BNP) keep the minority terrorized, he claimed.
GM Quader said this while addressing a rally after visiting the Durga Puja mandap at Dhakeshwari temple this evening.
Dirty politics is going on to keep minorities in hand by intimidating them, he added.
Read: US Embassy contests home minister’s claim that Haas queried road closures on BNP rally day
The Jatiya Party chairman said, “Recently, a senior leader of a party said that a party can attack minorities before the election. So their leaders and workers will guard the houses and places of worship of the minorities. Another senior leader of another party said a party is conspiring to attack minorities and file cases against the government.”
“This has caused panic among the minorities. In fact, both parties are intimidating minorities,” he said.
GM Quader said, “There is no such thing called ‘minority’ in this country. Everyone in this country is Bangladeshi. If someone is deprived of their rights because of religion, we cannot call that society civilized.”
The party chairman's advisers Monirul Islam Milon, Khalilur Rahman Khalil, vice-chairman Tareque Adel, organizing secretary Nirmal Das, information and research affairs secretary Md Zahirul Islam Mintu and many others were present at the time.
Buddhist Federation calls for Oct. 28 political programmes to be withdrawn
Prabarana Purnima, the second largest religious festival of Buddhists, will be held on October 28. The Bangladesh Buddhist Federation has thus requested to withdraw all political programmes on that day.
Bangladesh Buddhist Federation President Engineer Dibyendu Bikash Chowdhury Barua and General Secretary Bhikkhu Sunandapriya, Principal of International Buddhist Monastery Bhadanta Dharmamitra Mahather and Vice-Principal Bhadanta Buddhananda Mahather made the request on Sunday in a joint statement.
Read: US Embassy contests home minister’s claim that Haas queried road closures on BNP rally day
“The people of the Buddhist community who will come from far will face many obstacles to participate in the festival in the Buddhist monastery due to the announcement of several political programs including a grand rally on the Prabarana Purnima day by BNP and some political parties,” the statement reads.
Therefore, in a country of communal harmony, a special request was made to withdraw all political programs on the Prabarana Purnima religious festival of Buddhists, it added.
Bangladesh sets bright example of communal harmony: IGP
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun on Sunday said that Bangladesh has set a bright example of communal harmony for the world, where Durga Puja is being celebrated peacefully amid huge enthusiasm, across a country that is almost 90% Muslim.
The IGP said this after visiting Dhakeshwari National Temple puja mandap in the capital this evening.
Read: All enjoy equal religious rights in Bangladesh: PM Hasina tells Hindus celebrating Durga Puja
The police chief said that tight security arrangements have been made to celebrate Durga Puja peacefully.
He hoped that the festival would end safely through immersion.
The IGP urged all to remain alert so that no miscreant can cause any untoward incident at any momnt, especially on the last night.
Later, he visited Sri Sri Loknath Brahmachari Ashram and Temple Puja Mandap on Swamibagh Road.
Read: Guard Durga puja mandaps across the country: Quader to AL activists
DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman and leaders of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mahanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee were present at the time.
Haas queries home minister on security plan for BNP's Oct 28 rally
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday said that US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, who met him at the Secretariat Sunday, wanted to know whether the government would blockade all entry points of Dhaka ahead of the BNP's mega rally in the capital on October 28.
“The ambassador at the meeting wanted to know that the BNP may bring a number of people to Dhaka on the day of their mega rally. Whether we will close all the entry gates of Dhaka or take any other steps,” he said.
Read: BNP trying to create instability ahead of election: Home Minister
The minister said this while talking to reporters after the meeting with Peter Haas at the secretariat.
The home minister answered that the government doesn't have any programs like this.“We said that we don’t have such plans. We believe the political agenda they have given will be observed peacefully. If they carry out their programs peacefully we don’t have any say on this,” he said.
“I said to the ambassador that why will we close the entry? Everyone needs to come to Dhaka, a patient needs to come to Dhaka, if someone wants to go abroad, he needs to come to Dhaka - everything is Dhaka-centric,” he added.
The home minister said, “All we're going to say is that they don't indulge any violence. They will keep the movement areas free. That's our request, we've already told them that.”
Asked about whether diplomatic etiquette is maintained here when an ambassador asked the home minister about the programs of a political party, the minister said, “That's the question I want to ask you. My point is that he came, he is the ambassador of a country, he asked questions, we've answered.”
Read: No one spreading rumours in cyberspace to be spared: Home Minister
“It's not up to me to see if he can do it or not. For that, we have our foreign minister, we have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he added.
The US ambassador had come to discuss not only the October 28 program of BNP but also Rohingya and other issues, the home minister said.
While leaving the secretariat, the US ambassador told reporters, "I had a meeting with the home minister. We hope that Durga Puja will be celebrated peacefully. We also hope that the political program scheduled for October 28 after Durga Puja will be peaceful and violence-free."
Meanwhile, Spokesperson of United States Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday night said, "In the U.S. Embassy meeting with the Home Minister, the subject of road closures in Dhaka on October 28 was not discussed."Ambassador Peter Haas expressed the "importance of peaceful demonstrations and interference-free participation in the political process."
Last session of 11th JS starts with condolence motion for 3 recently deceased MPs
Parliament on Sunday unanimously adopted a condolence motion expressing profound grief at the demise of three sitting MPs, AKM Shahjahan Kamal (Laxmipur-3 Constituency), M Shahjahan Miah (Patuakhali-1) and M Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan (Brahmanbaria-2).
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury moved the condolence motion in the House at the beginning of the 25th session of the 11th Parliament.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while speaking at the condolence motion, the first day of this Parliament session is spent taking our condolence motion.
“It is the saddest of all,” she said.
Read: Speaker nominates 5-member JS panel
She said that one by one the Parliament lost many of its members.
“It was more during Covid. Now three of our members have left us. They were old but they contributed a lot to the democratic struggle of Bangladesh including the liberation war and the right to vote.”
She mentioned that AKM Shahjahan Kamal and M Shahjahan Mia played significant roles in the struggle for human rights.
The leader of the house said that since the formation of the Awami League government, Bangladesh is moving forward on the path of development.
Read: JS opens 25th session, probably the final one before upcoming election
“In each case, we have a substantial contribution from this Parliament. This is probably our last session. And that session had to start with the news of the death of some parliament members,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina prayed for the departed souls of the deceased MPs.
“We remember them with respect for their role in the development of Bangladesh and the welfare of people.”
Among others, Amir Hossain Amu, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, ASM Feroze, Noor Uddin Nayan, Anwar Hossain Khan, Muhibur Rahman, Kazi Kaniz Sultana, Mosiur Rahman Ranga, and Pir Fazlur Rahman participated in the condolence motion.
As per tradition, the day’s business of Parliament was adjourned after the adoption of the condolence motion.
Read: Inauguration of Agargaon- Motijheel section of Metro Rail postponed again; next date Nov 4
Later, a minute's silence and prayers were held in Parliament. The prayer was conducted by the ruling party MP Ruhul Amin Madani.