Dhaka, Jan 19 (UNB) – BNP on Saturday paid homage to its founder Ziaur Rahman on the occasion of his 83rd birth anniversary.

BNP leaders and activists led by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir placed wreaths at Zia’s Sher-e-Banglanagar grave around 10 am.

Later, they offered fateha following a special monazat seeking salvation of departed soul of Zia.

BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharaf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Doctor Abdul Moyeen Khan, Vice Chairmen Selima Rahman, Mohammad Shahjahan, Ruhul Alam Chowdhury and A Z M Zahid, among others, were present there.

Leaders and activists of BNP’s different units and associate bodies also placed wreaths at Zia’s grave.

Ziaur Rahman was born on January 19, 1936 at Bagbari in Bogura. He founded BNP in 1978 and became the country’s seventh President.

To mark the day, the party hosted flag atop all BNP offices across the country.

As part of the birth anniversary programmes, BNP arranged a discussion at the Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium on Friday.

BNP’s associate bodies and the party’s district, city, upazila and thana units are celebrating the birth anniversary with various programmes.

Dhaka, Jan 19 (UNB) - Jatiya Party Chairman and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament HM Ershad is again going to Singapore on Sunday for medical checkup.

Ershad along with his younger brother Hossain Morshed, his wife Roksana Khan Moreshed and party presidium member Major (retd) Khaled Akhter will leave the capital at 12:40 pm by a Singapore Airlines flight, said a press release issued Saturday.

Earleir, Jatiya Party Presidium member Faisal Chisti said Ershad is suffering from multiple health complications, but liver problem is the serious one. “Sir’s also suffering from acute knee pain.”

On December 10 last, Ershad had gone to Singapore for receiving treatment and returned home on December 26, just three days before the national election.

Ershad was elected MP from Rangpur-3 seat though he could not carry out any election campaign.

In a statement on January 4, Ershad said his party will be the main opposition in the 11th parliament while he will act as the Leader of the Opposition.

He also made GM Quader deputy opposition leader of the House.

Earlier in a statement released on Friday, the Jatiya Party Chairman said its cochairman GM Quader will lead the party as its head when HM Ershad will go abroad for medical treatment.

Jatiya Party which joined the election as the key partner of the Grand Alliance bagged 22 seats.

Dhaka, Jan 19 (UNB) – The number of high net-worth (HNW) individuals in Bangladesh will rise by 11.4 percent in the next five years, according to the latest report of Wealth-X, a New York-based research firm.

In the list of fastest growing countries in the world, Bangladesh has been ranked third in terms of increasing rich population, said the World Ultra Wealth Report 2019, published on Wednesday.

However, in its earlier report published in September 2108, the Wealth-X put Bangladesh on top of the list of the countries that saw the quickest growth in the number of ultra-high net worth (UHNW) population with a 17.3 percent growth during the 2012-17 period.

It defines HNW individuals as those with a net worth of $1 million to $30 million and those worth more than $30 million are classified as ultra-high net worth (UHNW).

HNW individuals are defined as people with investable assets up to $30 million, usually excluding personal assets and property such as a primary residence, collectibles and consumer durables.

In 2018, the world’s HNW population rose by 1.9 percent to 22.4m people, an increment below the rate of global economic growth, said the report adding that their combined wealth also grew by 1.8 percent to $61.3trn.

Apart from Bangladesh, four other countries posted double digit growth in terms of their rich population. They are Nigeria (16.3%), Egypt (12.5%), Vietnam (10.1%) and Poland (10.0%).

Five other countries on the top 10 list are China (9.8%), Kenya (9.8%), India (9.7%), the Philippines (9.4%) and Ukraine (9.2%).

In terms of richest concentration of rich people, the top 10 countries are US (8.68m UHNW population), China (1.88m), Japan (1.62m), Germany (1.02m), UK (893,905), France (877,380), Canada (505,010), South Korea (476,705), Australia (473,600) and Italy (418,090).

Munshiganj, Jan 19 (UNB) - The rescue operation for the 20 workers, who went missing after a soil-laden trawler capsized in the Meghna River in Munshiganj on Tuesday, has rolled into the 5th consecutive day as the trawler remains still traceless.

Two teams started the rescue operation around 8 am Saturday and they are trying to trace the trawler through side scan sound wave. 

Besides, divers of Bangladesh Navy, Fire Service, BIWTC, Coast Guard and River police are also trying to locate the trawler.

As there was no progress in rescue drive in five days, the family members of the victim expressed anger.

They also sought the Prime Minister’s interfere in the incident.

Earlier on Friday, a case was filed accusing three people in connection with the incident.

The trawler, carrying 34 workers from Cumilla, sank in the river at Charjhapta in Sadar upazila around 3 am on Tuesday after it collided with an oil-laden tanker while heading towards Fatulla in Narayanganj.

Although 14 workers managed to swim ashore, the rest went missing. All the workers hail from Pabna and Sirajganj districts.

Dhaka, Jan 18 (UNB) - Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit under Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) recovered huge arms and ammunition from a house in DOHS Baridhara in the city on Thursday.

The team recovered two pistols, two shot guns, 11 round bullets, 50 detonators and seven books on extremism, Tk 3 lakh cash and fake currency worth Tk 3 lakh from the spot.

Sources at the CTTC unit headquarters said they had information that a vested quarter, closely involved with a banned militant outfit, have been living in the house for long.

Based on the information, a CTTC team conducted the drive in the house, after taking a court order, on Wednesday morning.

As there was none inside it, the specialized crime unit entered the house by breaking open the main door and recovered the illegal firearms and ammunition.

Three separate cases were filed with Cantonment Police Station in this connection.