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Students hold protest rallies in Shahbagh against fuel price hike
Different student organisations including left leaning Bangladesh Students’ Federation staged rallies protesting the sudden rise in fuel prices in front of National Museum at Shahbagh on Saturday.
BSF's procession started from in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh which rounded via Kantaban and ended in front of Bangladesh Students’ Federation’s central office in front of Hatitpul Bazar.
Meanwhile, the progressive student alliance held a separate protest rally.
Besides, some students staged a demonstration for one hour at Shahbagh intersection after failing to block the transports.
The government on Friday night raised prices of diesel by Tk 34 per litre, octane by Tk 46 per litre and petrol by Tk 44 per litre.
"Common people are already in hardship to cope with the rise of living cost. Government's looting of Public property and mismanagement led people toward this suffering,” the protesters said.
Read: Hamid looking to send load shedding back to museum by August-end
"The illegal fascist government is increasing the price of fuel oil without maintaining any policy. Fuel is a strategic product which will affect the prices of electricity, agricultural products, bus fares and other services," BSF General Secretary Soikot Ali said.
Moshiur Rahman, President of BSF, held the government's import policy responsible for the fuel crisis and said, "They adopted a short term policy to import for quick rental power plants instead of inventing its own gas fields and domestic resources. Price hike of the fuel oils will lead to increased bus fares and hamper food productions.”
Faiz Ullah, President of Bangladesh Students Union, said, "The government has been looting people’s pockets and joshing with the people in the name of mega projects without keeping any specific account of import and export."
"Though the country has fallen in a bad state, the leaders of Awami League are getting richer. Those who could not eat fifteen years ago, have become owners of crores of taka by getting involved with the politics of Awami League," he added.
Hamid looking to send load shedding back to museum by August-end
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said that the government is trying to end the need for load shedding from this current month.“We’ll try to come out of load shedding by the end of this month. Till then we’ll try to keep the load shedding within half an hour in urban areas and one hour in rural areas,” he told reporters at Keraniganj in his constituency.Once again, he said many countries in the world had to adjust fuel prices.“Countries like Germany had to increase the price by 20 percent. They cut energy consumption as well,” he said.
Read: Power crisis will not last long: Nasrul Hamid He said increased fuel prices have been affecting 'everyone everywhere'.He assured that the current load shedding and petroleum price hike is a short term measure.“We seek cooperation of all consumers,” he said, adding that it is not correct that the bus operators stayed off the road for fuel price hike.He said the Energy Division had set an indicative hike in transport fare.“We had a number meeting with transport operators before the announcement of adjustment in fuel price,” he said.
Jatri Kalyan Samity urges govt to revoke hike in fuel prices
Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity has demanded the government to immediately repeal its decision of hiking fuel prices to ease the already-existing sufferings of the people created by the price hikes of essentials.
The Samity made the demand through a press release published on Saturday.
The release mentions last year’s fuel price hike by the government, saying that prices of Diesel and Kerosene were hiked by Tk 15 per litre, thus taking their prices to Tk 80 from Tk 65.
Read: Commuters' misery mounts countrywide after fuel price hike
Following the price hike, fares of public transport including buses and launches were hiked by 27 percent and 35 percent, respectively, which were much higher compared to the increase in fuel prices, the release read.
The release added that due to hikes in fuel prices, costs of transportation will double, further increasing the prices of essentials. Industrial production will be hampered, pressure on imports will be created. While rising imports will affect the country’s economy, it’ll increase unemployment too.
Prices of fuel in the international market are showing a downward trend. Raising fuel prices instead of lowering them to appease the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is unacceptable and anti-people. We urge the government to revert fuel prices to their previous rates immediately, the release concluded.
Fuel prices lower than neighbouring countries even after hike: Hasan Mahmud
Even after the latest hike in fuel prices in Bangladesh it is equal to India and comparatively lower than the other neighbouring countries, said Information Minister Hasan Mahmud.
He made the remark Saturday at a seminar marking Sheikh Kamal’s 73rd birth anniversary at Dhaka University.
Hasan Mahmud said the government provided a subsidy of Tk 53,000 crore or 6 billion dollar in fuel and power sector in the last fiscal year.
Also read: Fuel price hike: Passengers suffer as buses go off roads in capital
The neighbouring countries did not provide such subsidy and as a result they had to raise the fuel prices long before Bangladesh, he added.
“India has been selling diesel at Tk 114 per liter and octane at Tk 134-135 per liter which is the current price in Bangladesh. As our price was lower a huge amount of fuel was being smuggled to India through borders,” said the Information and Broadcasting Minister.
He said in India’s Kolkata current diesel price is Tk 114 per liter (as per local currency) while Tk 112 in allover India. “In China the diesel price is equal to Tk 118, in United Aram Emirates it is Tk 123, in Nepal it is Tk 127.82, in Indonesia Tk 138.24 and in Singapore Tk 189. 78,” said the minister.
Regarding the increase in transport fares he said, if there are 70% passengers in a 50-seated bus the fare will increase by Tk 0.29 per kilometer only.
Also read: Fuel price hike by govt just rubbing salt in wounds: BNP
“Currently, a passenger has to pay Tk 1.80 per kilometer which will increase by Tk 2.90. Soon the government will hold meeting with all concerned parties to ensure no one takes unfair opportunity of the fuel price hike,” said Hasan Mahmud.
Nurse dies falling off rooftop in city
A nurse died after falling off the rooftop of a four storeyed building in Sabujbagh area in the capital Saturday.
The deceased was Ataul Karim Apu,50, a nursing staff of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), said Firoza Parvin, a senior staff nurse of DMCH.
Apu slipped on the wet floor and fell down around 6:30 am when he went to the rooftop of his house for physical exercise .
Also read: Falling crane kills BRT project worker in Gazipur
He was rescued by neighbours and taken to DMCH in a critical condition where doctors announced him dead around 9 am, said inspector Bacchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost.
The body has been sent for an autopsy.
Also read: ‘Thief’ dies after falling off building in city
Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Two more die; new cases 220
Bangladesh recorded two more Covid-linked deaths with 220 fresh cases in 24 hours till Saturday morning.
With the latest numbers, the total fatalities reached 29,304 while the caseload 2,007,119, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case positivity rate slightly increased to 5.56 per cent from Friday's 5.06 percent as 3,959 samples were tested.
Also read: Bangladesh reports 2 more Covid deaths, 253 cases
The deceased included a man and a woman. They were from Rajshahi and Khulna divisions.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.46 percent. The recovery rate rose to 97.02 per cent from Friday's 97 per cent.
In July, Bangladesh reported 142 Covid-linked deaths and 31,422 cases, the highest death toll and cases in the last five months since March this year, as per DGHS.
Among the deceased, 57 were unvaccinated while seven received the first dose, 52 the second dose and 26 the third dose, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Besides, 34,901 patients recovered from the disease during this period.
Also read: Covid in Bangladesh: 2 more die, new cases 278
Bangladesh reported its first zero Covid death on November 20 last year since the pandemic broke out here in March 2020.
The country registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 in the same year.
FOSA pays tributes to Bangabandhu at Tungipara
The executive committee (EC) of the Foreign Office Spouses' Association (FOSA), a not-for-profit organisation, has paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his mausoleum in Tungipara, Gopalganj.
The association led by its chief patron Selina Momen, wife of Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, placed a wreath on Bangabandhu's grave, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a media statement Saturday.
FOSA patron Ayesha Akhtar, wife of State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, and President Fahmida Jabeen were also present.
The FOSA EC members also prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul of Bangabandhu and other martyrs of August 15.
Read: FOSA hosts Eid Charity Fair in city
Five to receive 'Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Award' 2022
The government has named five "outstanding personalities" as the recipients of the "Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib Award" 2022 – considered the highest state award for women in the "Ka" category – for their contributions to different sectors.
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira announced the names during a press briefing in Dhaka Saturday.
The government has introduced the award to recognise five Bangladeshi women in politics, economics, education, culture and sports, social services, independence and liberation war, research, and agriculture and rural development every year.
Also read: Mahmuda gets USAID's Laura W. Bush Award
This year's awardees are Sylhet's Syeda Jebunnesa Haque (politics), Cumilla-2 MP Selima Ahmed (economics), former Dhaka University pro-vice chancellor Nasreen Ahmed (education), Kishoreganj's Asia Alam (social service), and Gopalganj's Ashalata Baidya (independence and liberation war).
The award will be handed over on August 8, marking the 92nd birth anniversary of Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, mother of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Also read: Bangladesh receives D-8 peace award
Born in Gopalganj's Tungipara on August 8, 1930, Fazilatun Nesa was assassinated along with most of her family members on August 15.
Blast leaves 7 burnt in city warehouse
At least seven people were received burn injuries following an explosion in a hand sanitizer godown in Rajabari area of Kamarpara in the city on Saturday.
The injured were identified as rickshaw garage owner Gazi Mazharul Islam, 48, Md. Mizan,35, Md. Nur Hossain,60, Md. Alam Mia 20, Masum, 35, Md. Al-Amin,30 and Md. Shaheen, 25.
Read: Two suffer burn injuries in blast at S Alam Power Plant
Officer-in-Charge of Torag Police Station Mehedi Hasan told UNB that the blast occurred around 11:45 am in a godown of hand sanitizer, leaving the seven people wounded.
Local people rescued them and rushed to the emergency department of the Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute, he said.
Resident surgeon Dr. SM Ayub Hossain of the institute said most of the injured are in critical condition.
Dengue: 77 new patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
Another 77 dengue patients were hospitalised in 24 hours till Saturday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
All the new patients were hospitalised in Dhaka, it said.
As many as 380 dengue patients including 306 in the capital are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
Also read: Dengue numbers keep rising: 1 more death, 40 cases reported
On Friday, this year’s death toll from the mosquito-borne viral disease rose to 14 with one more death reported from Dhaka.
Among the total deaths, nine were reported from Cox’s Bazar while five from Dhaka.
On June 21, the DGHS reported the first death of the season from the viral disease.
In July, the country reported 1,571 dengue cases with nine deaths.
Also read: Another Dengue patient dies; 91 hospitalised in 24 hrs
This year, the DGHS has recorded 3,097 dengue cases and 2,703 recoveries so far.