Chattogram, Dec 10 (UNB) – Police recovered the decomposed body of a young man from a remote hill in Sitakundu upazila on Monday morning.

Locals said that a group of woodcutters found the body handing from a tree in the area under 6 no ward in Banshbaria union of the upazila in the morning and informed police.

Being informed, police recovered the body, said S M Julfikar Hossain, sub-inspector of Sitakundu Model Police Station.
 

Dhaka, Dec 10 (UNB) - Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on Monday urged judicial magistrates to act neutrally to gain people’s confidence and ensure a fair election. 
 
"You must be free and fair as you are judges. You’ll have to apply your judicious minds," said KM Nurul Huda while briefing the judicial magistrates at Nirbachan Bhaban at Agargaon.
 
The CEC asked the magistrates to perform their duties as per the Constitution and law. 
 
He said the Election Commission is accountable to the nation, Constitution, political parties and public for holding a fair election. 
 
Nurul Huda further said some 600 magistrates will perform duty from December 29 to January 1 to ensure a fair election atmosphere. 
 
Election Commissioner Mahbub Alam said it is their aim to make sure no candidate goes to the Jatiya Sangsad without confirming their win through votes.
 
Election Commissioners Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam, Brigadier (retd) Shahadat Hossain and EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed also spoke at the briefing.
 

Dhaka, Dec 10 (UNB) - The International Human Rights Day is being observed in the country on Monday as elsewhere across the globe.

It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Day is being celebrated with the theme “Stand Up For Human Rights” this year.

This year Human Rights Day marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone document that proclaimed the inalienable rights which everyone is inherently entitled to as a human being -- regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, according a message of the United Nations (UN) issued ahead of the day.
 
Different organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the day.

President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued messages on the eve of the day and wished success of all the programmes.
 

Dhaka, Dec 9 (UNB) - A total of 272 candidates are going to contest the 11th parliamentary elections with 'Boat', Awami League's electoral symbol, while 298 with BNP’s polls symbol 'Sheaf of Paddy'.

Out of total 300 constituencies, Awami League has fielded its own candidates in 258 while shared the rest 42 with its partners from the Grand Alliance.

BNP has shared 58 seats with its partners from the Jatiya Oikyafront and the 20-party alliances and fielded its own candidates in 242 parliamentary seats.

The ruling party has kept aside 27 constituencies for Jatiya Party while five for Bangladesh Workers Party, three each for Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasod) and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, two for Tarikat Federation, and one each for Jatiya party (JP-led by Manju) and Bangladesh Federation.   

Of them, HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party will contest the election with its own symbol 'Plough' and Jatiya Party (JP) with its own symbol 'Bicycle' in the polls.

Awami League on Sunday afternoon sent the list of its 258 final candidates to the Election Commission.

It also sent another list of candidates from its partners except Jatiya Party informing that 14 contenders will also vie the polls with the 'Boat' symbol, while two JP candidates -- its chairman Anwar Hossain Manju for Pirojpur-2 and Md Ruhul Amin for Kurigram-4 -- will run the election with ‘Bicycle’ symbol.

However, AL candidate Zakir Hossain will also contest with ‘Boat’ in Kurigram-4, according to the AL's list.

Earlier in the day, Jatiya Party informed the EC that it will contest the election in 29 constituencies as a partner of the Grand Alliance and independently in 158 other parliamentary seats.

A Jatiya Party delegation, led by its presidium member SM Foysal Chisti, submitted the list of its candidates to the EC.

As per the Jatiya Party's list, the 29 Jatiya Party candidates who run under the Awami League-led Grand Alliance are HM Ershad for Rangpur-3, Raushon Ershad for Mymensingh-4, GM Quader for Lalmonirhat-3, Moshiur Rahman Ranga for Rangpur-1, Rana Mohammad Sohel for Nilphamari-3, Ahsan Adilur Rahman for Nilphamari-4, AKM Mostafizur Rahman for Kurigram-1, Panir Uddin Ahmed for Kurigram-2, Shamim Haider Patwary for Gaibandha-1, Shariful Islam Jennah for Bogura-2, Nurul Islam Talukder for Bogura-3, Nurul Islam Omar for Bogura-6, Altaf Ali Bogura-7, Golam Kibria Tipu for Barishal-3, Nasrin Jahan Ratna for Barishal-6, Rustum Ali Faraji for Patuakhali-3, Shafiullah Al Monir for Tangail-5, Fakhrul Imam for Mymensingh-8, Mujibul Haque Chunnu for Kishoreganj-3, Syed Abu Hossain Babla for Dhaka-4, Kazi Firoze Rashid for Dhaka-6, Liakat Hossain Khoka for Narayanganj-3, Salim Osman for Narayanganj-5, Pir Fazlur Rahman for Sunamganj-4, Yahya Chowdhury  for Sylhet-2, Ziaul Haque Mridha for Brahmanbaria-2, Masud Uddin Chowdhury for Feni-3, M Noman for Lakshmipur-2 and Anisul Islam Mahmud for Chattogram-5.

However, AL candidate Aslam Hossain Sawdagar alongside the Jatiya Party candidate is taking part in the election from Kurigram-1, while Workers Party candidate Tipu Sultan is vying with ‘Boat’ symbol alongside Jatiya Party's Golam Kibria Tipu in Barishal-3, as per the two separate lists submitted by AL and Jatiya Party.

The 16 candidates of AL's other partners include Workers' Party's Rashed Khan Menon for Dhaka-8, Elias Ali for Thakurgaon-3, Fazle Hossain Badsha for Rajshahi-2, Mustafa Lutfullah for Satkhira-1 and Tipu Sultan for Barishal-3, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal's (Jasod) Hasanul Haq Inu for Kushtia-2, Shirin Akter for Feni-1 and AKM Rezaul Karim Tansen for Bogura-4, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh's Mahi B Chowdhury for Munshiganj-1, MM Shaheen for Moulvibazar-2 and Abdul Mannan for Lakshmipur-4, Tarikat Federation's Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary for Chattogram-2 and Anwar Hossain for Lakshmipur-1, Jatiya Party's (Manju) Anwar Hossain for Pirojpur-2 and M Ruhul Amin for Kurigram-4, and Bangladesh Jasod's Moyeenuddin Khan Badal for Chattogram-8.

Though BNP shared 58 seats with its partners, 56 of them are contesting the polls with the 'Sheaf of Paddy' symbol.

Col (retd) Oli Ahmed, chairman of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a partner of BNP, is running the polls with his party’s symbol 'Umbrella' from Chattogram-14.

BNP also did not inform the EC about its candidate for Cox's Bazar-2, leaving the parliamentary seat for Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad who is contesting as an independent candidate. So, there is no ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ in the constituency.

Of the 58 seats, BNP shared 22 with Jamaat, seven with Dr Kamal Hossain-led Gano Forum while four each with ASM Abdur Rob-led Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Kader Siddiqui-led Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL) and Mahmudur Rahman Manna-led Nagorik Oikya, five with LDP, three with Jamiat-e Ulema-e-Islam, two each with Khelafat Majlish and Jatiya Party (Zafar), and one each with Bangladesh Kalyan Party and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Labour Party, National People’s Party (NPP) and Peoples Party of Bangladesh.

The seven Gano Forum candidates are Subrata Chowdhury (Dhaka-6), Mostofa Mohsin Montu (Dhaka-7), Sultan Mohammed Mansur Ahmed (Moulvibazar-2), Reza Kibria (Habiganj-1), AHM Khalequzzaman (Mymensingh-8), AMSA Amin (Kurigram-2) and Prof Abu Sayeed (Pabna-1).

The four JSD candidates are Abdur Rob (Laxmipur-4), Abdul Malek Ratan (Cumilla-4), Shahiduddin Mahmud Swapan (Dhaka-18) and Prof Dr Muhammad Saiful Islam (Kishoreganj-3).

The four KSJL candidates are Kader Siddiqui’s daughter Kuri Siddiqui (Tangail-8), Liakat Ali (Tangail-4), Iqbal Siddiqui (Gazipur-3) and Monzurul Islam Natore-1.

The candidates of Nagorik Oikya are Mahmudur Rahman Manna (Bogura-2), SM Akram (Narayanganj-5), Shah Rahmat Ullah (Rangpur-1) and Nurur Rahman Jahangir (Barishal-8).

The five LDP contenders are Oli Ahmed (Chattogram-14), Syed Mahmud Morshed (Mymensingh-10), Redwan Ahmed (Cumilla-7), M Shahadat Hossain (Lakshmipur-1) and Nurul Alam (Chattogram-7).

The three Jamiat-e Ulema-e-Islam contestants who will be there in the election with BNP’s symbol are Monir Hossain (Narayanganj-4), Md Shahinur Pasha Chowdhury (Sunamganj-3) and Ubaidullah Faruk (Sylhet-5).

The two Khelafat Majlish candidates are Abdul Basit Azad (Habiganj-2) and Ahmed Abdul Kader (Habiganj-4).

Jatiya Party (Zafar) leaders TI Fazle Rabbi and Ahshan Habib Linkon are in the election race from Gaibandha-3 and Kushtia-2 constituencies respectively with the BNP’s symbol.

Besides, Jamaat candidates are vying with ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ symbol in the election.

Dhaka, Dec 9 (UNB) – The government accepted the resignation of four technocrat ministers on Sunday ahead of the upcoming general billed for December 30.

The Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification relieving Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam, Religious Affairs Minister Principal Matior Rahman, Science and Technology Minister Yafesh Osman and Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar, said its Joint Secretary Shafiul Azam.

On Saturday, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader in Noakhali said there would be no technocrat minister in the Cabinet from Sunday (December 9).

Hours after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked them to step down, the four technocrat ministers of the current Cabinet rendered their resignation letters on November 6 last.

However, they continued to perform their duties as of Sunday as their resignations had not been accepted.