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BGMEA President Faruque Hassan visits shrine of Sheikh Abdulaziz Gilani
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan visited the shrine of Sheikh Abdulaziz Gilani, son of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani, in Aqrah, 120 kilometers away from Erbil, Kurdistan in Iraq, near the border of Turkey.
He also met Sheikh Wriya Sheikh Saeed Al-Barzanji Al-Husseini, custodian, shrine of Sheikh Abdulaziz Gilani, and Sheikh Al-Qaderiya Al-Wullanlyya.
Read: BGMEA delegation meets Investment Board Chairman of Kurdistan regional government to discuss investment opportunities
Ambassador of Bangladesh to Iraq Fazlul Bari, Sharmeen Hassan Tithi, Director, Giant Group; Mohammed Shohel, Managing Director, Bangla Poshak Ltd; Mohd Shawket Hossain, Director, Bangla Poshak Ltd; and Nisher Khan, Managing Director, Banika Fashion Ltd were also present on the occasion.
They prayed for the wellbeing and prosperity of Bangladesh and its people including the members of BGMEA.
Bangladesh Air Force Chief departs for Qatar
Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan left Dhaka for Qatar on Saturday for an official visit along with two entourages.
During the visit, Chief of Air Staff will make courtesy call on with Lieutenant General (Pilot) Salem Hamad Aqeel Al-Nabit, Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces and Major General (Pilot) Jassim bin Muhammad Al-Mannai, Commander of Qatar Emiri Air Force.
Read: Be always ready to protect the independence, sovereignty of country: Army Chief
They will exchange views on bilateral issues of mutual interests, says an Inter Service Public Relation ( ISPR) directorate media release.
Besides, Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force will visit Al Zaeem Mohammed Bin
Abdullah Al Attiya Air Academy in Doha. This visit of Chief of Air Staff will play a significant role in strengthening the existing relationship between Bangladesh Air Force and Qatar Emiri Air Force.
Dhaka University's IBA wins 'Battle of Minds' competition
Battle of Minds,’ the flagship business case competition platform of Bangladesh to foster the development of next-generation business leaders, concluded its 20th iteration on Saturday.
The championship title was secured by ‘Team Khichuri’ from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of Dhaka University. The triumphant team, composed of Abir Ershad, Mashrif Hasan Adib, and Mohtasim Bin Habib, showcased their exceptional ingenuity by outshining four other finalist teams with their innovative project titled Synergy. Synergy is an energy initiative that sells biogas cylinders as a sustainable cooking gas alternative.
‘Azor Ahai’, a collaborative team from the Army Institute of Business Administration (AIBA) and Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), comprising Hasrat Humayun, Azmain Bin Rashid and Salman Sayeed clinched the first runner-up position. In parallel, Team “Twenty’s Tenants” from Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), consisting of Alavy Rayhan Mahim, Zuhayer Ali and Zunayed Mubtasim Islam secured the second runner-up position.
An impressive participation of over 3800 participants from 22 universities marked the 20th edition of Battle of Minds in Bangladesh.
Read: Scholastica takes national level top honors in British Council's 'Your World' video competition
The champion team will have a chance to compete against the winners from 36 countries who participate in the global round. The champions in the global round will have the opportunity to get £50,000 as a seed fund to catalyze the launch of the idea presented.
The 20th iteration of ‘Battle of Minds’ centered around four ESG-themed (Environmental, Social, Governance) challenges: Energy, Tech, Bio, and Inclusions. Teams were tasked with selecting one of these challenges and crafting distinctive real-life business solutions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for a more sustainable future.
Attending the event as chief guest, State Minister for Planning Ministry Dr. Shamsul Alam underscored the need for the pivotal role of empowering youth in Bangladesh and highlighted their potential to positively influence community and economic development.
He extended his commendations to ‘Battle of Minds’ for providing youth with invaluable real-world experiences that nurture leadership and sustainable growth.
Key leaders from BAT Bangladesh including Chairman Golam Mainuddin, Managing Director Shehzad Munim and Saad Jashim, head of Talent, Culture and Inclusion, among others were present at the event.
Read: IEEE Bangladesh organises 'Robotics for Climate Change' competition
BAT Bangladesh’s ‘Battle of Minds’ stands as a revered platform that empowers participants to explore their capabilities transcend limitations and embrace challenges with determination.
Originating in 2004 with participation from just four universities, the platform has grown exponentially, now engaging over 22 universities across Bangladesh. Its global reach extends to 36 countries, solidifying its status as a renowned talent competition. Over its history, ‘Battle of Minds’ has sharpened the skills of more than 30,000 young leaders in Bangladesh.
This milestone 20th year marks the enduring legacy of ‘Battle of Minds’, exemplifying how the younger generation shapes industries and societies through innovative ideas, pioneering technologies, and visionary solutions.
Alumni of ‘Battle of Minds’ have consistently risen to prominence, occupying leadership positions in various sectors, both domestically and internationally. The platform boasts a thriving network of over 1,700 alumni driving businesses and contributing to diverse professional fields.
Read more: IM Fahad Rahman leaves for Vietnam to participate in two GM Chess competitions
Repatriation is the only solution to Rohingya problem: Hasan Mahmud
Immediate repatriation of Rohingya refugees is the only proper solution to the Rohingya problem, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said on Saturday.
“We see no other option except for the safe return of Rohingya refugees. This is not the solution to move some refugees to other countries, rather it is a problem escalating," Hasan Mahmud said in a seminar held at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building of Dhaka University marking the 6th year of the Rohingya crisis.
The seminar was bannered as 'Genocide and Justice: Bangladesh's response to Rohingya crisis' and organised by Centre for Genocide studies (CGS), University of Dhaka.
The seminar focused on the suffering of the Rohingya people and ongoing efforts that are being undertaken by the government of Bangladesh to reach a proper solution.
DU VC Prof. Md. Akhtaruzzaman inaugurated the seminar and Information Minister Hasan Mahmud attended the seminar as the chief guest.
Read: Bangladesh hopes Japan will step up efforts to resolve Rohingya crisis: Shahriar Alam
Chaired by professor Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, director of Centre for Genocide Studies (CGS), University of Dhaka, Mofidul Hoque, trustee of the Liberation War Museum presented the keynote paper at the event.
Hasan Mahmud said, "Bangladesh is an overpopulated country. We have many severe issues including natural and man-made to address, moreover we have a refugee problem."
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina allowed Rohingyas to come in and stay in Bangladesh while the military junta killed them. It was a great response to a humanitarian call. However, now we have over 2 million refugees. While they came first we had to face some problems initially like fanaticism. But our administration very successfully handled those problems. Later, when we moved Rohingya people to Bhasan Char, there were many objections at the beginning from the NGO's as they might face some problems in Bhashan Char because it is a remote area. But they also praised our decision after some days," he added.
Read: Rohingya Genocide Case at ICJ: US shares info with The Gambia
Addressing the international community, he said, "International community cannot deny their responsibility. They have a lot more things to do and to solve this problem. Moving a few refugees is not a solution. Repatriation is the only solution to this problem. If the entire international community, especially India and China join in hand, nothing shall bar them from returning to their homeland," the minister added.
DU VC Prof. Md. Akhtaruzzaman said, "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's provision of shelter to the Rohingyas, including their security, deserves praise. Foreign human rights organizations are also sending aid to the Rohingyas, which is certainly commendable, but it is not a final solution. We want a complete solution for this. We want to see them back to their own land."
Read: Further delay in commencing Rohingya repatriation may put entire region at risk: Bangladesh Govt
Among others, Johannes Van Der Klaauw, UNHCR Representative to Bangladesh, Asif Munier, Migration and Displacement Specialist, Professor Dr. Zia Rahman, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences. University of Dhaka, were also present in the seminar.
National pension scheme: ‘Probas’ program not attracting expatriates
The National Pension Authority (NPA) is getting a lower response from Bangladeshi expatriates.
Among 1.49 crore Bangladeshi expatriates, only 209 people have deposited their contribution in the name of the ‘Probas’ program of the national pension scheme.
According to the sources, about 8231 people have contributed their money to different programs till August 17.
Read: Pragati Universal Pension Scheme: Registration Process for Bangladeshi Non-Government Employees
Among them, 4371 people contributed under the Progoti program, 2741 under Surokkha, 910 under Samata, and 209 under the Probas program.
An official of the pension authority said, "Many people are registering. But we don't consider the registration number as the real number. We see how many people have actually deposited money against the specific program.”
Read more: Samata Universal Pension Scheme: Registration Process for Low Income Bangladeshis
Mother, daughter among 3 electrocuted in Jhenaidah
Three people including a mother and her daughter died after being electrocuted in separate incidents in Harinakundu and Kaliganj upazilas of Jhenaidah on Saturday.
The deceased Marium Khatun, 60, and her daughter Taslima Khatun, 35, hailed from Gobrapara village under Harinakundu upazila, and Abdul Alim, 50, was from Gopinathpur village under Kaliganj upazila.
Abul Kalam Azad, chairman of Daulatpur union parishad in Harinakundu upazila, said mother Marium came into contact with a live electronic wire while working in the house in the morning.
Read: Couple dies from electrocution in Chandpur
Noticing this, Taslima rushed to her mother and got electrocuted when she tried to save the mother, leaving the duo dead on the spot, he said.
Moreover, farmer Abdul Alim was electrocuted on his way to a cropland from home when he was walking on a bank of a pond in the morning, said Anwar Hossen, chairman of Trilochonpur union parishad in the Kaliganj upazila.
Read: 24-year-old dies of electrocution while running on treadmill at gym
Officer-in-charge (OCs) of Harinakundu and Kaliganj police stations, Abu Azif and Mahbubur Rahman confirmed the death of the trio in separate incidents.
Read more: Man dies from electrocution in Dhaka’s Chawkbazar
Nazrul’s 47th death anniversary to be observed on Sunday
On Sunday, the nation will observe the 47th death anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Unanimously revered as the ‘Rebel Poet’ - Kazi Nazrul Islam is considered a pioneer for his enormous contributions to Bengali literature.
Marking his 47th death anniversary, different organisations and institutions will organize multiple programmes throughout the day commemorating the life and works of the great poet.
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Dhaka University teachers, students, officials and employees will gather at the Aparajeyo Bangla in Kala Bhavan premises alongside DU vice-chancellor Professor Dr Akhtaruzzaman on Sunday at 6:15 am.
From there, they will visit the poet's tomb with a procession, offer wreaths and recite Fateha.
Bangladesh Awami League will also gather at the poet’s tomb with a procession and prayer session at the graveyard of Nazrul at 7am.
Cultural institution Chhayanaut will organise a special cultural tribute programme at its auditorium in Dhanmondi at 7pm. The event will be simultaneously broadcasted on its Facebook group and YouTube channel.
Several television channels including Bangladesh Television (BTV), radio stations including Bangladesh Betar and online platforms will broadcast special programmes commemorating the life and works of the national poet.
Read: Rabindranath Tagore’s 82nd death anniversary being observed
Kazi Nazrul Islam, widely revered for his revolutionary and spectacular literary works in the then-Indian subcontinent, was born in Churulia village of Bardhawan in West Bengal, India, in 1899.
Nazrul had a brief 21-year literary career, during which he produced 2,600 songs, 600 poems, three books, and 43 essays, according to the Kabi Nazrul Institute.
In his early childhood, he had to work as a caretaker and as a muezzin in a mosque to support his family when his father passed away. He was forced to leave school at age nine in order to work for a professional "Leto" song team in Churulia, West Bengal.
While working with the group, he became familiar with Bangla and Sanskrit literature. A year later, he went back to school and enrolled at Matharun English School, but due to his financial hardship, he dropped out once more in Class VI.
After some time, police officer Kazi Rafizullah took him under his wing and enrolled him in Class VII at Darirampur School near his house in Trishal, Mymensingh.
Within a few years of beginning his military service in the British Army in 1917, Nazrul embarked on his literary career. He wrote his cult classic poetry "Bidrohi" (The Rebel) in 1921 and founded "Dhumketu" (The Comet), a monthly journal, in 1922.
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Due to his frequent nationalist involvement in the Indian Independence Movement, Nazrul found himself in the clutches of colonial British authorities. He wrote the "Rajbandir Jabanbandi" (Deposition of a Political Prisoner) while he was incarcerated.
His works later inspired the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, and his poems inspired many Bengali netizens and nationalists to revolt against the oppression of Pakistan.
Freedom, humanity, love, and revolution are recurring themes throughout Nazrul's remarkable literary creations. He was against radicalism and all sorts of caste, gender, and religious prejudice.
Nazrul also published short stories, novels, and essays, although his songs and poems have received the most praise from critics. He is renowned for his liberal use of Arabic and Persian terms in his writings and for popularizing Bengali ghazal melodies.
He invented his own musical genre known as "Nazrul Geeti," which consists of almost 4,000 songs he penned and composed the music for, many of which were released on vinyl and HMV records.
When Nazrul was 43 years old and suffering from an unidentified illness, he started to lose his voice and his memory in 1942. His condition was later discovered to be "Pick's disease," a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disease, by a medical team in Vienna.
Read: ‘Eternal Existence’: Curtain rises on Sourav Chowdhury's 5th solo exhibition at AFD
At the invitation of the Bangladeshi government and then President and the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Nazrul's family migrated to Bangladesh and settled in Dhaka in 1972. The government of Bangladesh conferred upon him the status of "national poet" in the same year.
He was awarded the honorary DLitt by Dhaka University in 1974 and received the Ekushey Padak in 1976, for his legendary contribution to Bangla literature and culture,
On August 27, 1976, the rebel poet breathed his last in Dhaka and was buried next to a mosque at the Dhaka University campus, fulfilling a wish he had made in one of his poems.
9 more dengue patients die; 1,960 hospitalised in 24hrs
Nine more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Saturday morning, raising the fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 537 this year.
During the period, 1,960 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever, DGHS said.
Of the new patients, 833 were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside the capital--indicating a worsening situation across the country, according to DGHS.
Read: 14 more dengue patients die; 1,594 hospitalised in 24hrs
A total of 8,232 dengue patients, including 3,846 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 1, 12,184 dengue cases and 1, 03,411 recoveries this year.
Meanwhile, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) urged swift action as dengue cases surge in Bangladesh.
Read more: 8 more dengue patients die; 2,201 hospitalised in 24hrs
“The higher incidence of dengue is taking place in the context of an unusual episodic amount of rainfall, combined with high temperatures and high humidity, which have resulted in an increased mosquito population throughout Bangladesh,” WHO said.
Chinese national’s body recovered in Khulna
The body of a 44-year-old Chinese national was recovered from the Bhairab River at Khalishpur Charer Haat in Khulna city on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Wang Siao Khui, an engineer of 800-MW under-construction power plant project inside Khulna newsprint mill.
Abducted from Dhaka, teenage boy found dead in Ctg
Naimai Mandal, Inspector(Investigation) of Khalishpur Police Station, said being informed by local people, police recovered the body of the Chinese national in the morning.
The reason behind the death could not be known immediately.
Awami League leader found dead in Cox’s Bazar hotel
Tuhin Mia, an interpreter of Sundong Sunlong Sun Hui electrical company, said Wang Soai had left his room on August 24 to cut his hair and did not return home.
Then a general diary was lodged with Khalishpur Police Station, he said.
“On Saturday morning, we conducted a search operation in the river after hiring some boats and found the body of Wang,” said Tuhin.
Abducted from Dhaka, teenage boy found dead in Ctg
A 13-year-old boy, who was abducted from Dhaka’s Jatrabari area last Monday, was found dead in Chattogram city on Friday.
The deceased was identified as Nurun Nabi, son of Golam Rasul, from Dhalpur in Jatrabari in Dhaka.
Read more: Dead body of abducted girl recovered from madrasa in Cox’s Bazar
Aktaruzzaman, inspector of Panchlaish Police Station, said the abductors likely killed the boy after failing to get ransom.
Family members of the victim said Nurun Nabi went missing on Monday and someone made a phone call to the boy’s father demanding Tk 50,000 as ransom for releasing his son.
Read more: 3 workers rescued in Rangamati after 2 days of abduction
Golam Rasul lodged a general diary with Jatrabari Police Station on Tuesday.
He also provided Tk 5,000 to the abductors through bKash.
Golam Rasul claimed that he provided all information to police but they did not take prompt action.
On Friday morning, locals spotted the body of Nurun Nabi at Hill View residential area in Chattogram and informed police.
Read more: 2 BCL leaders arrested for abduction, robbery at Dhaka College
Nurun Nabi’s brother identified the body on Friday night.
Police are trying to arrest the abductors, said Inspector Aktaruzzaman.
Mafizul Islam, officer-in-charge of Jatrabari Police Station, said police were investigating the incident after the general diary was filed and that the abductors could be the victim’s neighbours.
The Jatrabari OC also denied the allegation of negligence brought by the victim's father.