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MoFA orders nine envoys to return home from missions abroad
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has issued separate transfer orders to nine of its envoys abroad as they are going for retirement or their contractual agreements are expiring.
“Decision has been taken to transfer you to the headquarters,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its office order sent to the envoys separately.
The MoFA requested the envoys to return to Dhaka leaving their current charges.
The transfer orders have been issued to Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Bangladesh Ambassador to Italy Md Monirul Islam, Bangladesh Ambassador to Poland Sultana Laila Hossain, Bangladesh Ambassador to Kuwait Major General Md Ashikuzzaman, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Offices and other International Organizations in Geneva Mohammad Sufiur Rahman, Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Shahabuddin Ahmed, Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Mohammed Abdul Hye and Bangladesh Ambassador to Greece Ashud Ahmed.
It's responsibility of youth to steer towards green, sustainable, peaceful world: Indian President tells Bangladesh youth delegation
The foreign ministry sources said the government will begin process to appoint new envoys for the nine missions abroad.
On January 16, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Canada Khalilur Rahman shared a post from his Facebook account against the “anti-Liberation” forces within the foreign ministry.
“I will leave the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shortly. However, my sincere wish and hope is that through the appointment of Foreign Minister (Hasan Mahmud), the anti-Liberation ghost will be eradicated from the Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be run in the light of the foreign policy directed by Bangabandhu and the spirit of Liberation War and freedom,” he wrote.
Jatka conservation week to begin March 11
Jatka Conservation Week 2024 will be observed from March 11 to 17, aiming to create mass awareness about preserving hilsa fry to boost its production.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Taskforce Committee on Hilsa Resources Development held at the conference room of the Fisheries Department on Wednesday with Fisheries and Livestock Minister Md Abdur Rahman in the chair.
Like every year, various programmes will be taken on the occasion of Jatka Conservation Week, the minister said.
19 fishermen jailed for catching jatka in Padma-Meghna sanctuary defying ban
The programmes include publicity activities on the importance of preserving jatka and related laws in different places including different important fish landing centers in Dhaka, fish warehouses and markets.
Besides, videos will be screened alongside arranging boat race, Hadudu, swimming and mobile courts drives will be conducted in hats, bazars and warehouses to raise awareness, said the minister.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Md Abdur Rahman will inaugurate the Jatka Conservation Week 2024 in Chandpur Sadar Upazila on March 11, 2024.
Fisheries and Livestock secretary Md Selim Uddin was present.
Govt sets Ramadan office timing from 9 am to 3:30 pm
The government has rearranged the office timing for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan from 9 am to 3:30 pm for all government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions.
The decision was taken on Wednesday at the weekly cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at the Prime Minister's Office.
“During the Ramadan, 9am to 3:30pm was fixed as the office timing from Sunday to Thursday. And there’ll be a 15-minute break from 1:15 to 1:30pm for Zohr prayers,” cabinet secretary Md Mahbub Hossain said while briefing reporters at the secretariat.
MPs elected to reserved women's seats will take oath this afternoon
However, banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, post, railway, hospitals, state-run mills and factories and other emergency service-providing organisations will fix their own office time considering their own laws and public interest.
Besides, the Supreme Court will fix the office timing for all courts which are under its authority.
The holy month of Ramadan is expected to begin on March 12, subject to sighting the moon.
Climate change key challenge to sustainable food security: Agriculture Minister
One killed, six injured in Gazipur factory fire
A man was killed and six others were injured in a fire at a mobile phone SIM manufacturing factory in Gazipur on Wednesday noon.
The deceased was identified as Likhon, 24, a resident of Gaibandha district.
According to locals and factory workers the fire broke out at “Intelligent Card Limited '' factory in Dhirasram Vararul following a blast while setting a machine, leaving Likhon dead on the spot.
Gas cylinder blast in Bhashan Char: Four Rohingya children dead so far
On information, two units of Joydebpur Fire Station rushed to the spot and doused the fire.
Gazipur Fire Service Deputy Director Abdullah Al Arefin confirmed the matter.
The injured were admitted to Gazipur Shahid Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital, he said.
Artist Prof Mostafizul Haque wins Mahatma Gandhi International Peace Award
Eminent artist Professor Mostafizul Haque, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology, has received Mahatma Gandhi International Peace Awards-2023 from the Bharat Bangladesh Maitry Society Kolkata and Asian Business Partnership Summit.
The award giving ceremony was held as a part of India-Bangladesh Friendship Festival in Kolkata recently.
Mostafizul won the award for his contribution to field of fine arts through developing children’s interest in art and drawing.
He said that to him the best use of his creativity was inspiring young children to become artists.
Prof Mostafizul completed his Bachelors and Masters in Fine Arts from the then Art College (now Fine Arts Faculty under Dhaka University). Later, he studied in Japan on scholarship, says a press release on Wednesday afternoon.
He joined drawing and painting department of Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University in 1995.
Gas cylinder blast in Bhashan Char: Four Rohingya children dead so far
A child who suffered burn injuries in a gas cylinder blast at Bhashan Char Rohingya camp on Saturday died at Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) on Wednesday, taking the death toll from the incident to four.
The deceased was identified as Sohel, 5.
Sohel succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at CMCH this morning, said hospital Director Brigadier General Md Shamim Ahsan.
The child suffered 50 percent burn injuries and his trachea was also severely affected.
On Saturday, nine people were injured when a gas cylinder exploded at the Rohingya camp in Bhashanchar area.
Of them, seven were taken to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital for treatment where Russel, 3, succumbed to his injuries on that day.
Two more Rohingya children -- Mubashshera, 4, and Robi Alam, 5 -- died at CMCH on Monday.
Currently, Jobaida, 22, Rosmina, 5, and Amena Khatun, 24 are undergoing treatment at the hospital, said Director of Chattogram Medical College and Hospital, Brigadier Shamim Ahsan. Of them, Roshmina suffered 50 percent burn injuries, Amena eight percent, and Jobaida 25 percent burn injuries.
MPs elected to reserved women's seats will take oath this afternoon
MPs elected to reserved women's seats will take their oaths this afternoon.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will administer the oath-taking ceremony at the oath chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad at 3:30 pm.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be present at the ceremony, according to her official schedule.
The Parliament Secretariat has taken all preparations for the oath-taking ceremony, according to the sources in Parliament.
The Election Commission Secretariat announced the election of 50 MPs to reserved women's seats for the 12th National Parliament on Tuesday.
Among them, two are from Jatiya Party while the remaining are from Awami League and one from Ganotantri Party, a partner of the 14-party alliance.
According to sources in the Parliament Secretariat, the oath of Awami League MPs will be held first. After that, two members of Jatiya Party will take oath.
The sworn-in MPs will attend today’s parliament session.
According to sources, the seat distribution has been finalised.
Dhaka’s air quality worst in the world this morning
Dhaka has topped the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 274 at 9 am on Wednesday morning .
Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy', posing serious health risks to residents, according to the air quality index.
China’s Shenyang, Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek, and China’s Wuhan occupied the second, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 194, 176 and 169 respectively.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
Seven burned as fire breaks out twice at same house in Dhaka’s Shahjahanpur
Seven people sustained burn injuries from two fires that broke out at a house in Dhaka’s Shahjahanpur Jheel Mosque area on Tuesday.
The fires broke out in the same house at 8am and 6pm on Tuesday.
The injured were identified as Mintu Hawlader, 40; his daughter Maria Ishrat, 19, sanitary mechanic Monir Hossain, 41, Delwar Hossain, 57; and neighbours Ali Akbar, 35; Bachchu Mia, 45; and Sirajul Islam, 48.
They were admitted to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
Mintu said the smell of gas was often found in the bathroom and kitchen of their rented house on the ground floor. “However, I could not find where the gas leaked from.”
A fire broke out in the kitchen around 8am on Tuesday. He and his neighbour, Bachchu Mia, were burned.
Mintu's wife Jharna Akhter said the injured were taken to the burn institute in the morning.
After the fire incident in the morning, the sanitary mechanic went to the house to repair the leak in the evening. Then there was a fire from the accumulated gas again, she said.
Maria, the sanitary mechanic, and the rest were burned in the second fire. Later, they were taken to the Burn Institute, added Jharna.
Tariqul Islam, a resident surgeon at the burn institute, said Mintu suffered 40 percent burns. The other injured have burn injuries in different parts of their bodies, including hands and faces. All have been kept under treatment.
Climate change key challenge to sustainable food security: Agriculture Minister
Agriculture Minister Dr Md. Abdus Shahid said climate change is a key challenge to sustainable food security.
The importance of agriculture is immense for the food security of the country's 17 crore people. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the present government has achieved tremendous success in food security and agricultural production due to its agriculture-friendly policies, he said.
The minister was speaking at an international seminar on climate change, food security and challenges in sustainable agriculture in Bangladesh at Hotel Amari in the capital on Tuesday.
The Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), an organization of international agricultural research institutes, organized the event.
Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Climate change will pose a direct risk to future food production, especially rice production; It can have a negative impact on rice production. Considering these issues, the present government is working on a priority basis to combat the adverse effects of climate change. The government's goal is to build a sustainable, safe and profitable agricultural system, said the minister.
Presided over by Prof Lutful Hassan, member of the expert poll of the Ministry of Agriculture, the function was addressed, among others, by Homnath Bhandari, Bangladesh Representative of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Dau Da An, Senior Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, Phelloun Chan, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Cambodia and Björn Ole Sander, Senior Scientist of IRRI.
A total of 50 delegates from 17 countries are participating in the seminar.