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BNP and like-minded parties to hold rallies in all cities Saturday
As part of the ongoing simultaneous movement, the main opposition BNP, its associate bodies and like-minded parties who prioritise restoration of the country's democracy through a return to fair elections are set to hold rallies in cities across all divisions on Saturday to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.
The programme is also meant for registering the opposition parties’ protest against the rise in the prices of power, gas and essential items, and mounting pressure on the government to release BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia without any condition, essentially to drop the 'false' cases against her.
This will be the 10th programme of the simultaneous movement that started coalescing in December, towards the end of a very successful divisional rally programme of the BNP that attracted massive crowds in all ten locations it visited. Tomorrow's programme was announced from the human chain programme observed in all district towns and 13 organisational divisional cities, including Dhaka on March 11.
As part of the programme, BNP’s Dhaka south and north city units will arrange a rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office in the afternoon. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the party secretary general, will address the rally as the chief guest.
Besides, all other metropolitan city units of BNP will also arrange a similar programme to be attended by party senior leaders, including standing committee members.
Apart from BNP, Ganotantra Mancha, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, Gonoforum and People’s Party, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, Peshajibi Ganatantrik Jote, 12-party alliance, Bam Ganatantrik Oikya and LDP will also hold separate rallies from 11-12 pm in different areas of the capital.
In December last year, BNP and like-minded parties and alliances started a simultaneous movement based on their common objective of ousting the present government and holding the next election under a non-party neutral government.
So far, they have arranged rallies, human chains, sit-ins and road march programmes in all unions, districts and divisional cities across the country to press home their 10-point demand.
Besides, the leaders and activists of BNP’s Dhaka north and south city units observed the road march programme in five areas in the capital since January 28.
2 youths killed in separate road crashes in capital
Two youths were killed in separate road accidents in the capital’s Ramna and Matuail areas early Friday, police said.
In the Ramna accident, businessman Abdullah Limon, 30, sustained severe injuries when a speeding truck crashed into his motorbike near the Justice Residence around 1:45am.
Limon, from Manikganj’s Ghior upazila, was rushed to the Emergency Department at Dhaka Medical College Hospital where physicians declared him dead around 2:30am, confirmed Mujahidul Islam, sub-inspector at Ramna police station. The truck driver was detained and the vehicle was also seized soon after the accident, SI Mujahidul added.Limon's body was kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy. His paternal uncle Md Alam said Limon was returning to Narayanganj from the capital’s Mirpur after attending a wedding ceremony. He had a Navana Battery dealership in Narayanganj’s Balu Math area.
In the other fatal mishap, an unidentified youth aged around 35 was killed in what looked like a hit-and-run, but there were no witnesses. An unknown vehicle knocked him down while he was crossing the Dhaka-Chattagram Highway in the Matuail area around 3am, leaving him dead on the spot, said Mostafizur Rahman, sub-inspector at Jatrabari police station.
The body was sent to the DMCH morgue for autopsy, the SI said, adding that they were trying to identify the youth.
Bangladesh reports zero dengue cases, deaths
No fresh case or death due to dengue was reported in Bangladesh in the 24 hours to Friday morning.
Twenty-one dengue patients, including 14 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
So far, the DGHS has recorded 796 dengue cases, 766 recoveries, and nine deaths this year.
The country logged 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019. Also, it recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year.
Bangladesh registers 5 more Covid-19 cases in 24 hours
Bangladesh reported five more Covid-19 cases in 24 hours till Friday morning.
With the new number, the country's total caseload rose to 2,037,959, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,445 as no new fatalities were reported.
The daily case test positivity rate rose to 0.31 percent from Thursday’s 0.27 percent against the tests of 1986 samples.
The recovery and death rates remained unchanged at 98.47 percent and 1.44 percent, respectively.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and highest number of fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
EC sues Jubo League leader for snatching EVM ballot unit in Chattogram:Official
The Election Commission has filed a case against a Jubo League leader on charge of snatching an Electronic Voting Machine’s ballot unit panel from a polling centre during the Boalkhali Upazila Parishad election in Chattogram.
Presiding officer of the centre, Sajal Das, filed the case with Boalkhali Police Station last night against Nirmalendu Dey Sumon, the joint general secretary of Sreepur-Kharandwip Union Jubo League and son of late Gaurang Dey of ward-9.
Confirming the case, Boalkhali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Abdur Razzaque said, an investigation is underway regarding the matter.
Also Read: Pabna rickshaw-puller murder: Jubo League activist put on 3-day remand
Earlier yesterday, the Boalkhali Upazila Parishad by-election was held. However, there was no voter turnout throughout the day. Almost all the centres were empty.
In the meantime, around noon, Sumon entered room-5 of Jaistyapura Ramni Mohan High School centre in Sreepur-Kharandwip union and took away the EVM ballot unit panel from the polling room.
Assistant Presiding Officer Harunur Rashid protested, but the Jubo League leader did not pay heed to it.
Later, Union Awami League President Ratan Chowdhury recovered the EVM ballot unit panel and returned it to the centre.
Police detained Ratan for questioning in this connection and later released him.
Bangladesh remembers Bangabandhu on his 103rd birth anniversary
The nation on Friday fondly remembered Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of independent Bangladesh, on his 103rd birth anniversary.
The day -- a public holiday -- is also being observed as National Children’s Day.
Read more: Birth Anniversary: President, PM pay homage to Bangabandhu
Marking the day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid tributes to the Father of the Nation by placing a wreath at his portrait in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 in Dhaka this morning.
After placing the wreath, she stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu, the architect of Bangladesh's independence.
Later, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went to Tungipara, Gopalganj and paid tributes to the greatest Bangalee to be born in thousand years.
Flanked by senior leaders of her party, Hasina, also the Awami League President, placed another wreath at the Mazar of Bangabandhu on behalf of the party.
Later, First Lady Rashida Khanam along with her son Rejwan Ahammad Taufiq, MP, as well as the premier along with her family members paid tribute to Bangabandhu by placing floral wreaths separately.
Hamid and Hasina offered Fateha and joined a munajat seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of Bangabandhu as well as other martyrs of the August 15 carnage.
Cabinet members, PM's advisers, parliament members and senior AL leaders were present.
PM Hasina also attended a programme on National Children's Day.
Meanwhile, Television channels and radio stations are airing special programmes marking the day.
Read more: Children in Bangladesh to be groomed as smart citizens: PM Hasina
On this day in 1920, Bangabandhu was born in Tungipara village. While studying at Islamia College in Kolkata, he got involved in active politics.
Both while in and out of jail, Bangabandhu led the Language Movement in 1952. When on February 21, 1952, several language activists were killed during a protest in Dhaka, Bangabandhu was observing a hunger strike in jail.
In continuation of the Language Movement, all major movements of Bengalis, including the general elections in 1970 and the War of Liberation in 1971, were led by Bangabandhu.
Through his dynamic leadership, Bangabandhu had organised the Bengali nation to fight against exploitation and repression by then Pakistani rulers. The movement culminated in independent Bangladesh through the nine-month Liberation War in 1971.
When Bangabandhu was moving forward with an aim to build a 'Golden Bangladesh' overcoming all obstacles, the defeated and anti-liberation war clique assassinated him, along with most of his family members, on August 15, 1975.
Children in Bangladesh to be groomed as smart citizens: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday urged the children to grow as smart citizens following the ideals of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
"The Father of the Nation Bangabandu sheikh Mujib is no longer with us, but he left his ideals for us to follow," she told a National Children's Day programme here.
The premier said the country's children must grow up with human virtues and groom themselves smartly through sports and physical exercises.
“Every child will have to engage in sports and physical exercises, remain neat and clean, obey teachers and guardians, follow these rules, and must have human virtues,” she said.
The PM was addressing a discussion and cultural programme at Tungipara in Gopalganj, marking the 103rd birth anniversary of Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day-2023.
The Women and Children Affairs Ministry arranged the programme under the management of Gopalganj district administration.
This year the theme of the day is "Smart Bangladesher Swapne Bangabandhur Janmadin, Shishuder Chokh Somridhir Swapne Rangin (the birthday of Bangabandhu in the dream for Smart Bangladesh, Children need to be engrossed with dream for prosperity).”
The PM asked the children to be sympathetic towards the people with special needs or differently able persons.
Noting the children as the future of the nation, she said her government’s goal is to develop them as the abled citizens of the country.
Quoting from a poem of poet Sukanta Bhattacharya, she said her government will build a Bangladesh where no child will go hungry and all will have education and housing in a country suitable for their living.
The PM thanked the Women and Children Affairs Ministry for picking this year's theme, adding that her government wants to transform the country into a smart Bangladesh by 2041.
“Today’s children will be the smart community in future who will build Bangladesh properly,” she said.
Hasina said no child in the Smart Bangladesh will be deprived of the light of education and no person will remain homeless.
“We will build Bangladesh by fulfilling the basic needs of every person and they will not suffer from poverty,” she said.
Emphasizing sports and physical exercise, the PM said if children engage in sports, they can develop both their physical and mental health and thus all will finally grow up with self-confidence.
She said said doing something for the people, sacrificing for the people is a great work.
“The Father of the Nation had said that great achievements require great sacrifices,” she said, asking the children to follow his ideal.
Hasina also highlighted her government’s steps taken for the wellbeing of the children.
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira spoke on the occasion, while Women and Children Affairs Secretary Md. Hasanuzzaman Kallol delivered the welcome speech in the function, presided over by a child Sniha Islam.
Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Md. Khalilur Rahman and Gopalganj Deputy Commissioner Kazi Mahbubul Alam were on the stage.
Swapnil Biswas, on behalf of the children also spoke at the event, jointly moderated by two children Rubaba Toha Jaman and A.L. Sharfuddin.
A documentary titled ‘Bangabandhu and Children Rights’ was screened.
In the event, the premier unveiled the cover of an illustrated book titled “Shishuder Sheikh Mujib,” which was composed by Director General of Special Security Force (SSF) Major General Md. Majibur Rahman.
Cabinet members, members of parliament, political leaders and high officials were present in the programme.
The district administration arranged a competition among the children under several categories – painting, quiz on Bangabandhu’s books ‘The Unfinished Memoirs’ and ‘the Prison Diaries,’ as well as recitation on the Bagabandhu’s historic 7th march speech on the occasion of the Children Day-2023.
Thirty-two winners of the competition received crests from the premier.
Besides, 100 insolvent students received Tk 2,500 as financial donation on the occasion of the Bangabandhu’s birthday and the Children’s Day.
Blast in Science Lab area: Another person dies raising death toll to 5
The death toll from the explosion in a building in busy Science Lab area has increased to five after another person succumed to burn injuries.
Zahoor Ali (52), passed away at 7:20pm yesterday while undergoing treatment at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, a hospital doctor said on Friday.
With this, the death toll from the March 5 blast in Shirin Mansion on Mirpur Road rose to five.
Zahoor, who was a clerk of Phoenix Insurance Company, had 44 percent burn injuries on his body, said SM Ayub Hossain, resident surgeon of the Institute.
His village is in Faridpur’s Alfadanga upazila. He lived with his family at Paikpara in Mirpur.
Earlier four people died and 11 others were injured when the three-storey building partially collapsed due to the explosion.
Among the deceased, Tushar and Shafikuzzaman were computer operators, and Abdul Mannan was an office assistant of a company that has its office on the building’s second floor.
2 high school students among 3 killed as bus rams three-wheeler in Bhola
Three people, including two high school students, were killed and another was critically injured as a speeding bus crashed into a three-wheeler, locally known as Borak, on the Bhola-Char Fasson road in Doulatkhan upazila on Friday morning, police said.
The deceased were identified as Rima Akter, 17, Shikha, and Md Abdul Kalam, 55, from Joynahar union of the upazila.
Rima and Shikha were second-year students of Halima Khatun Mahila College.
Read more: Covered van-auto rickshaw collision leaves 2 dead in Kushtia
The accident occurred around 9.15am when the Char Fasson-bound bus of Shyamoli Paribahan hit the three-wheeler in the Uttar Uddin area, killing three people on the spot and leaving the vehicle's driver critically injured, Md Jakir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Doulatkhan police station.
The driver was rushed to Bhola Sadar Hospital; he is still not out of the woods.
The bus driver and his assistant were detained in connection with the accident, Jakir said.
PM pays homage to Bangabandhu on his birthday
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, marking his 103rd birth anniversary and the National Children’s Day-2023.
She placed a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road No. 32 here this morning.
After placing the wreath, the premier stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of the founding father of the country.
A smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force gave a guard of honour on the occasion.
A munajat was also offered seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs of August 15 carnage.
Later, Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina, flanked by AL senior leaders, placed another wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu on behalf of her party.
Read more: PM pays homage to Bangabandhu
Then the PM flew to Tungipara by helicopter to pay homage to Bangabandhu and offer prayers at the Mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman there.
She will also attend a programme on the National Children's Day.
On this day in 1920, Bangabandhu, the architect of independent Bangladesh and the greatest Bangali of all times, was born at Tungipara in Gopalganj.
He was assassinated along with most members of his family on August 15, 1975.