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Custodial deaths outpace EJK, mobs killed the most, DSA misused as ever, alarming spike in violence against women: March report by Sultana Kamal-led MSF
Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF), noted advocate and activist Sultana Kamal's new outfit to protect and promote human rights, on Friday expressed deep concern over a marked increase in human rights violations across the country in March.
The organisation also strongly demanded proper trials for human rights abusers and justice delivery for victims.
In its monthly report, the MSF said one man lost his life in an extrajudicial killing in March, 2023. Three people were abducted by law enforcers in plain clothes this month.
In addition to the unethical actions of some members of the police, allegations of their involvement in several crimes including indecent behavior, torture, extortion and harassment were published in the media, the report said.
At least two people, including a woman, died in the custody of law enforcement agencies and one man died while trying to escape arrest in March.
The MSF prepared the report based on information published in various media and also collected information through its own sources.
During the period between March 1 and 30, six people died in prison custody which was five in the previous month of February. All fell sick in prison and were taken to the Medical College Hospital outside the jail where they were declared dead.
Around 31 incidents of political violence occurred in March, during the programs of the opposition parties in different districts of the country, with 389 victims.
According to information in the media, political violence and post-UP election violence cost the lives of five people and injured around 385 people in March.
Violence against women and children such as; Rape, gang rape, sexual harassment, suicide and domestic violence especially physical violence have continued like in previous months which is very alarming.
Around 361 incidents of violence against women and children were reported in the month - 45 more than in February.
Among those incidents, 72 were rapes, 14 were organised or gang rapes, and six were incidents of murder after rape. Among the victims, four were disabled women.
On March 29, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) men in plainclothes picked up Shams from his residence in Ambagan area, adjacent to Jahangirnagar University, around 4:30 am.
At least 40 journalists faced different troubles during this period. Among them, one was picked up by plainclothesmen with CID identity and sued under Digital Security Act, three more journalists were sued under Digital Security Act, four received death threats, three were assaulted, 21 journalists were attacked and 5 were injured while doing their professional duties in March, 2023.
Despite being heavily criticised, harassment in the name of the law utilising the DSA has not decreased, rather its arbitrary abuse created a new level of concern this month. According to the MSF, a total of seven persons including a journalist, two political activists (1 BNP, 1 Awami League),an actress, two youths and a government employee were arrested under the Digital Security Act in March.
Six incidents of minority torture (4 religious and 2 ethnic) were reported during the period in March.
Explosions in three market buildings and Sitakunda oxygen plant cost at least 43 lives and left around 188 people injured in this month. MSF seeks a strong role and special importance from authorities concerned to prevent recurrence of these incidents.
According to MSF statistics, casualties from mob beatings increased abnormally this month. Seven people were killed and seven others were critically injured in nine incidents of mob beating in March.
Desh TV's Khulna div correspondent now faces two cases under DSA
Two separate cases under the Digital Security Act (DSA) were filed against Khulna divisional correspondent of private channel Desh TV following a report on a beauty parlour aired on March 18.
The news implicating the Khulna journalist surfaced on Friday when a widespread criticism has been going on over the DSA case against Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams.
The two cases were lodged at the court of Khulna Cyber Tribunal Judge Kanika Biswas on March 21 and 28 respectively. The accused is Md Asim who works for the electronic media as the divisional correspondent.
According to the first case statement, the journalist prepared a report styled ‘Unethical deeds in guise of beauty parlour’ aired on the channel on March 18.
On March 21, beautician Tania Islam, owner of the beauty parlour, filed the case at the court accusing four people including the journalist as the fourth accused.
The other accused are Mahfuzur Rahman, a resident of the Khulna’s Khalishpur, Dhaka First News Editor and Publisher Md Sarwar Hossain Khan and its Managing Editor Md Alam Khan.
Taking the case into cognisance, the court ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter.
Moreover, Sumaiya Kabir, an employee of the beauty parlour, filed a second case against the journalist at the same court on March 28 bringing the same allegation.
The court asked the Criminal Investigation Department to investigate the allegation.
Accused Asim alleged that one after another case has been filed against him after revealing the unethical deeds carried out at the parlour in the name of business.
Expressing concern over his life, the journalist said he came to know about it on Friday and is being subjected to conspiracy.
Project govt's success before common people: Hasan
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Friday asked his party men to raise the development works of the current government before the common people everywhere.
He said today the country has changed under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The minister was addressing as the chief guest a meeting in Rangunia under Chattogram, said a PID handout.
Representatives of Awami League’s Rangunia municipality and six union units were present in the meeting.
Hasan said thousands of people in each union are beneficiaries of various social safety programmes of the government and every house in the village has electricity connection. Not only the main road, now the roads to personal houses have become paved.
“All these developments of the government will have to be raised before the common people in villages, towns, markets and fields,” he said.
He said the whole country including Rangunia has witnessed unprecedented development in the last 14 years.
The minister said when he was elected MP in 2009 (from Rangunia), his house was not connected with the electricity network. But now the electricity connection provided to every house in his constituency, he added.
Noting that the next general election is imminent, he said BNP was not seen standing beside the people with even a fist of rice in any disaster including corona and flood. But they will be seen again among the people during the election, he said.
Hasan said if the development works of the government and Awami League can be highlighted properly, the people will vote for none other than ‘boat’ symbol and Sheikh Hasina will become the prime minister again for the fourth consecutive time.
Local AL leaders also spoke at the meeting.
No dengue patient in 24hr
No new dengue case was reported in the last 24 hours until 8am on Friday, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Twenty-one dengue patients, including 12 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 843 dengue cases, 810 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.
Child killed, 4 injured in wall collapse in Gazipur
A 4-year-old boy was killed and four others were seriously injured after a wall of a under-construction building collapsed over a nearby tin shade house in Gazipur on Friday.
The deceased has been identified as Mushfiq. The injured are Mst Mukta, 15, Rubel, 35, Md Jahidul Islam, 28, Shahidul Islam, 22.
According to police and locals of Konabari area, a local garments owner Md Faruk Ahmed’s under-construction five-storey building’s 15 feet wall collapsed on a the tin shade house during rain early hours of Friday, leaving five residents injured.
Locals rescued and rushed them to Konabari Popular Hospital. Mushfiq succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Later, three of the injured were transferred to National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation due to critical condition.
At least 18 rooms of the house were also damaged.
Sakhawat Imtiaz, SI of Gazipur Metropolitan's Konabari police station, said legal proceeding is underway.
BJC protests arrest of Prothom Alo journalist in DSA case, stresses need for 'responsible journalism'
The Broadcast Journalist Center (BJC) has protested the Digital Security Act (DSA) case filed against Prothom Alo journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams and his arrest over a report published on March 26.
If someone is aggrieved by any report published in the newspaper, redress can be sought from Bangladesh Press Council, a press release from BJC said.
But going beyond that process, a case under the much contested DSA was filed against Shams despite the government making a clear commitment towards not misusing the law, the press release signed by BJC Chairman Rezwanul Haque and Member Secretary Shakil Ahmed said Thursday.
Demanding immediate release of the arrested journalist, BJC said it was not "lawful to pick Shams up from his residence in the dead of the night and later show him arrested."
However, BJC also pointed to the questions raised regarding the Prothom Alo report and stressed the need for "responsible journalism." On March 29, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) men picked up Shams from his residence in the Ambagan area, adjacent to Jahangirnagar University, around 4:30 am. The same day, a Jubo League leader filed a case under the DSA against Shams, accusing him of publishing a "false and fabricated report" in Prothom Alo.
A Dhaka court on Thursday sent the Prothom Alo reporter to jail in the case filed under Digital Security Act after rejecting his bail petition.
5 more Covid-19 cases reported in 24hrs: DGHS
Bangladesh reported five more Covid-19 cases in 24 hours till Friday morning.
With the new number, the country's total caseload rose to 2,038,028, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,446 as no new fatalities were reported.
The daily case test positivity rate rose to 0.69 percent from Thursday’s 0.40 percent against the tests of 720 samples.
The death and recovery rates remained unchanged at 1.44 percent and 98.41 percent, respectively.
Broiler chicken now selling at Tk 230 per kg, egg price down
The broiler chicken was selling at a slightly higher price of Tk220-230, up from the recent price of Tk200- 210 a kilo in the kitchen markets of Dhaka city.
After a recent meeting with broiler suppliers and the Director General of Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP) on March 23, its price was lowered to Tk200 per kg from Tk 260-270 per kg.
The retailers said the price of broiler chicken has increased at wholesale and middlemen level, which impacted on retail prices.
The Sonali (cock) was selling at Tk 350-360 per kg, while Pakistani Sonali chicken below 1 kg weight was sold at Tk 330-340 per kg on Friday in Dhaka.
Layer (mother) broiler chicken price was also stable at Tk 330-340 per kg, while the domestic rearing (indigenous) chicken was sold at Tk 580 to Tk640 per kg.
Egg price decreased slightly and it was selling at Tk 130 per dozen on Friday.
Beef was selling at Tk750 to 800 per kg based on quality in the city’s kitchen market on Friday while mutton was selling at Tk1000-1100 per kg.
Fish prices were also stable at higher prices but the presence of customers in the fish was thin on Friday compared to other times.
Read more: CAB for punishment of broiler chicken market manipulators for 'looting Tk1000 crore'
This correspondent found this scenery of chicken items visiting different areas including Karwan Bazar, Khilgaon, Malibag, Shantinagar, Rampura, Basabo and Fakirapol of Dhaka City.
The prices of different types of vegetable and fruits items are still stable at higher prices.
Ratan Hawlader, a vegetable trader of Karwan Bazar told UNB that the price of vegetables is slightly higher as the production of all kinds of vegetables has fallen in this season.
With the arrival of new vegetables, the price will fall gradually, but not below Tk 40 per due to higher transportation and production cost, he said.
Natore eyeing GI status for its famous Kachagolla
One of the most famous traditional delicacies of the region, Natore's Kachagolla, is bidding to obtain Geographical Indication (GI) status.
The district administration of Natore took the initiative to register this two-hundred-year-old dessert, which started from the royal court of Natore.
A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
To this end, Natore Deputy Commissioner Shamim Ahmed handed over the affidavit copy of the registration to the representatives of the Ministry of Commerce in his office on Thursday afternoon.
Deputy Commissioner Shamim said Natore's emotion and dignity are tied to Kachagolla.
Different types of sweets are being sold in many places by duplicating the nature of the original kachagolla, which is detrimental to the status of Natore kachagolla. Due to these reasons, real kachagolla may disappear at some point," he added.
Natore's Kachagolla will be recognized as a GI (Geographical Indication) product very soon, he hoped.
Deal signed with China for 150-bed burn institute in Chattogram
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh and China's Ministry of Commerce signed an agreement to set up a 150-bed burn unit at Chattogram Medical College Hospital on Thursday.
Md Anwar Hossain Hawladar, secretary of the health service department of the health ministry, and Yao Wen, ambassador of China to Bangladesh, signed the deal at the meeting room of the health ministry.
According to the agreement, the burn unit will be set up with full support from the Chinese government. All kinds of medical equipment and furniture required for the unit will also be provided by the Chinese government.
The burn unit will have an outdoor, an indoor and an emergency department, 10 ICU beds, 10 HDU beds for men, 10 HDU beds for women and five HDU beds for children.
The construction work of the burn unit will take two years to complete, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said.
"The burn unit at the Chattogram Medical College and Hospital will reduce pressure on the 500-bed Sheikh Hasina Burn Institute in Dhaka. We have also initiated to build five burn institutes in five divisions. With these, there will be seven quality burning institutes in the country ," the minister said.