Bangladesh
Abrar Murder case: Two accused give testimonial statement
Two of the accused in the Buet student Abrar Fahad murder case gave testimonial statements as defense witnesses on Sunday.
Md Meftahul Islam Jeon and Mehedi Hasan Russel submitted their testimonies before Judge Abu Zafar Md Kamaruzzaman of Dhaka Speedy Trial Tribunal-1.
The judge has decided to hear further testimonies on Monday.
Special public prosecutor of the court Abu Abdullah Bhuiyan said four more accused in the case will testify as defence witnesses.
So far, 46 of the 60 prosecution witnesses have testified in this case.
On September 15, the court formed charges against the 25 accused in this case.
On November 13, 2019, Detective Branch (DB) Inspector and investigation officer of the case Wahiduzzaman submitted the charge sheet accusing 25.
Of the 25, 19 were accused in the case and police found primary proof of six more being involved in the murder, said the charge sheet.
With 17 of the 19 accused and another five involved in the incident being arrested a total of 22 accused have been arrested in this case so far.
Three of the accused – Jishan, Rafid and Tanim – remain absconding, said police
In the charge sheet police made 60 people prosecution witnesses in the case and submitted 21 pieces of evidence and a seizure list of eight to the court.
Abrar, 21, a second-year student of electrical and electronic engineering, was beaten to death by then Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders at Sher-e-Bangla Hall of the university.
He was found dead on the staircase of the hall in the early hours of October 7 after he was taken to room No-2011 around 8pm on October 6 and beaten mercilessly.
His murder sparked nationwide outcry.
On October 7, Abrar’s father Barkat Ullah filed a murder case with the Chawkbazar police station accusing 19 people.
The 25 convict of the case are- Mehedi Hassan Rasel, Muhtasim Fuad, Anik Sarker, Mehedi Hasan Robin, Ifti Mosharraf Shakal, Moniruzzaman Monir, Meftahul Islam Zion, Mazedur Rahman, Muzahidur Rahman Muzahid, Tabakhkharul Islam Tanvir, Hossain Mohammad Toha, Jisan, Md Akash, Md Shamem Billah, Nazmus Sadat, Ahtesamul Rabbi Tanim, Morshed Amartya Islam Moaz, Abu Huraira, Amit Shaha, Muztaba Rafid, Ishtiaq Ahmed Munna, Samsul Arefin Rafat, Mizanur Rahman, and Mahmud Setu.
Dengue: Year's death toll rises to 36; over 1200 receiving treatment
Dengue claimed one more life in 24 hours until Sunday morning, raising the death toll for 2021 so far to 36, said a report of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
A total of 291 new patients were admitted to different hospitals during the period, it said.
Among the new patients, 259 were admitted to government and private hospitals in Dhaka while the remaining 32 cases were reported from outside the division, according to DGHS.
Of the deceased, 32 have died in Dhaka city, two in Chattogram division, one each in Khulna and Rajshahi.
Read: Risk of dengue outbreak rises amid lockdown
Health authorities have been recording over 200 dengue cases per day since August 1.
The dengue outbreak has become a cause of major concern as the country is battling the deadlier Delta variant of coronavirus with its limited health care facilities for the last few months.
Some 1,218 patients diagnosed with dengue fever are receiving treatment in the country as of Sunday morning, according to DGHS.
Read: Dengue spike in Bangladesh: 242 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
Most of the cases have been reported in the capital so far, said the health authorities.
Of them, 1,119 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the rest were listed outside Dhaka.
Some 8,041 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January, and 6,787 of them have been released after they recovered.
Barishal clash: Two cases filed against UNO Munibur Rahman
Two cases have been filed against Barishal Upazila Nirbahi Officer Munibur Rahman in a Barishal court over the incident of violence in the city on August 18.
Barishal City Corporation panel mayor Rafiqul Islam Khokon and official Md Babul filed the cases with Barishal Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court on Sunday..
In the two cases, the UNO was accused of obstructing BCC’s work, disabling two people and injuring 30-40 people by giving orders to attack, fire bullets without any incitement.
Besides, 40 to 50 anonymous people and posted Ansar guards at the UNO’s residence that night were accused in those cases.
Acknowledging the two cases judge Masum Billah ordered Superintendent of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to conduct an investigation and submit a report within September 23.
Read: Barishal violence: 2 ruling party activists lose eyesight
Earlier in the morning the court rejected bail plea of 21 Awami League men arrested in connection with the cases filed over the attack on the residence of UNO Munibur and ordered them to provide medical treatment under custody of jail.
A clash broke out between the supporters of the AL, BCL and members and Ansar when the former tried to attack the residence of the UNO at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal Wednesday night.
Five people suffered bullet wounds during the clash. Of them two AL men lost their eyesights later.
Earlier two separate cases were filed in this connection.
Upazila Nirbahi officer Munibur Rahman of Barisal Sadar Upazila and Assistant sub-inspector of police Shahjalal Mallick were the plaintiffs in these cases accusing the mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah and his men of obstruction of government work and attempt to murder.
Actress Eka gets bail in a case of torturing house help
A Dhaka court on Sunday granted bail to film actress Eka in a case of torturing a woman who worked as her house help.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mamunur Rashid passed the order on a bond of Tk 10,000.
Also read: Film actress Eka held for torturing house help
Earlier on August 10, Eka also got bail in another case filed under the Narcotics Control Act but she couldn’t walk out of jail as the case over torturing the maid was pending.
On Aug 1, the court sent Eka to jail after rejecting bail in two cases filed against her for reportedly torturing her housemaid and having narcotics at her home.
Also read: Film actress Eka sent to jail in two cases
On July 31, Eka’s house help filed one of two cases against her for torturing and police filed another for keeping narcotic substances at her home. Both the cases were filed with Hatirjheel Police Station.
Police immediately arrested Eka from her Ulon apartment at Hatirjheel.
Pori Moni: Hearing on new bail plea on Sept. 13
A Dhaka court on Sunday set September 13 for hearing a plea seeking bail for jailed film actress Pori Moni being held in a narcotics case.
Dhaka Metropolitan session judge KM Imrul Kayesh set the date after her lawyer advocate Mojibur Rahman submitted the latest bail petition on Sunday.
Advocate Mojibur said his earlier bail petition filed with Dhaka Chief Magistrate’s court was rejected.
Read: Narcotics Case against Pori Moni: Hearing on bail, remand petitions Thursday
“For a long time Pori Moni has been behind bars and she is physically unwell. It’s hampering her professional commitments. Hopefully the court will consider all this and grant her the bail,” said the lawyer.
On Saturday Pori Moni was sent to jail after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inspector Kazi Golam Mostafa produced her before the court on completion of a one-day remand. No bail petition was submitted on her behalf on this day.
The latest bail plea was filed a day after she expressed her anguish at her lawyers for not filing bail petition on Saturday.
Read: Shakib Khan at odds with acting association's stance on Pori Moni
Pori Moni has been remanded three times for interrogation by police since Rab arrested her on August 4 from her Banani residence.
Later a case was filed against the popular Dhallywood actress for illegal possession of alcohol and drugs in her house.
Pori Moni made headlines in June after she went on Facebook live accusing businessman Nasir U Mahmood and others of trying to rape and kill her at Boat Club on the city’s outskirts.
Solar village launched in Kurigram's Char Goynar Patal
A solar village was launched in Char Goynar Patal, an island in Kurigram's Chilmari, Sunday.
According to officials, the project was named "Friendship solar village" as Friendship, an NGO, helped install the system.
A 54-kilowatt solar microgrid will receive electricity from a solar plant and illuminate 100 families and a local bazaar, primary school, legal booth, and flood shelter centre.
However, 471 families are living on the remote island.
Read:Is solar power the solution to Bangladesh's growing energy needs
The Power Division officials said the consumers will get an uninterrupted power supply from the solar microgrid.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid inaugurated the launching of the village through a virtual function from Dhaka. Friendship CEO Runa Khan presided over the event.
So far, 6 million solar-home systems have been installed to provide electricity to people in the off-grid areas as part of the government's plan to bring everyone under power system coverage, Nasrul Hamid said.
Read: Renewable energy: 40% target 'ambitious, but roadmap absent'
"The share of renewable energy sources in power generation is increasing steadily. Some remote islands have been connected with electricity networks through submarine cables," he added.
"Now rooftop solar and net metering system has become a profitable business model”, he said, adding that the emphasis is now being laid on improving the quality of service that consumers are getting.
50 railway stations are getting facelift with modern amenities, says railways minister
As part of initiative taken to modernise the railway services, more than 50 railway stations are now being renovated on the occasion of the Mujib Year, said Railways Minister Md. Nurul Islam Sujan on Sunday.
“The government has taken different initiatives in order to build a modern, up-to-date and advanced railway communication system,” he said.
The minister said this while laying the foundation stone of a modern public toilet adjacent to the Kamalapur Railway Station here. WaterAid Bangladesh and Bangladesh Railway jointly constructed the toilet, said a PID handout.
“Some 52 railway stations are being renovated and modernised throughout the country on the occasion of the Mujib birth centenary. These will have modern toilets,” he said.
Read: After 56 yrs, Bangladesh-India rail link to reopen Sunday
Nurul said many projects are now being implemented and many others have already been undertaken for the development of the railway sector. “Old rail tracks and bridges are being repaired. New rail coaches and engines are being brought. The new trains would have bio toilets to avoid the pollution of the environment,” he said.
He said the Khulna-Mongla railway and Tongi-Joydebpur double-track railway would be launched next year. Had the railway faced no brunt of Coronavirus, the sector would be more developed now, he said.
The minister said the Bangladesh Railway has taken initiative to form a consultancy firm under its own management as part of enhancing the capacity. “We would be able to provide consultancy service with our own manpower and thus it would save the foreign currency,” he said.
Talking about the new public toilet, he said WaterAid Bangladesh and Bangladesh Railway will also construct two such toilets at the valiant freedom fighter Sirajul Islam Railway Station in Panchagarh and Ishwardi Railway Station in Pabna.
Read: Dhaka’s first-ever metro rail set to start by December 2022, says project chief
The public toilet would be a friendly one to women, children and even persons with disabilities. Alongside the separate entry doors for both women and men, there would be safe water, rainwater conservation system, breast-feeding corner and solar power system in the toilets.
Railway Secretary Md. Salim Reza and WaterAid Bangladesh country director Hasin Jahan also spoke at the function presided over by Director General of Bangladesh Railways Dhirendra Nath Mazumder.
Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 139 more deaths
Bangladesh logged 139 Covid-related deaths in 24 hours till Sunday morning, one day after the lowest record in about two months amid concern over the unlocking of the country from restrictions imposed to check the spread of the virus.
The country on Saturday saw 120 Coronavirus related deaths and the upward curve of the fatalities was at its peak on August 5 and 10 with 264 deaths.
Besides, 4,804 more people came out positive with the virus after testing 31,689 samples during the last 24 hours, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh numbers pushed the country’s total fatalities to 25,282 while the cases reached 14,61,994.
READ: Covid-19: Journalist Dalim ‘too young to die’
Meanwhile the case positivity rate fell to 15.16% from Saturday’s 16.71 %, said the DGHS.
The recovery rate rose to 93.29 %, but the case fatality increased to 1.73 % compared to the same period.
Among the new deaths, 38 died in the Dhaka division, 31 in Chattogram , 17 in Khulna, 12 Sylhet, 15 in Rajshahi, 10 in Mymensingh, eight in each Rangpur and Barishal division.
READ: DGHS chief vows action in instances of stealing Covid jabs
Of them 72 were male and 67 female.
The country is currently seeing around 170 deaths and 6,800 cases on a seven day average.
HC orders probe into death of a school student due to bullying
The High Court on Sunday directed the education authorities to investigate the death of a teenaged school student reportedly as a result of bullying by classmates and teachers for being overweight.
The court also issued a rule on the formulation of anti-bullying rules in the educational institutions.
READ: Polluting canal: HC issues contempt of court rule against 5 govt officials
The order and the rule came from the virtual bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman after hearing on a writ petition filed in this regard.
The writ filed by Supreme Court lawyer Tanvir Ahmed referred to 10th grade student of Ideal School and College Banasree branch who died of anorexia and bulimia _ diseases related to loss of appetite and eating disorder.
The 16-year-old student’s family complained that he was pushed to the death due to bullying and body shaming because of his obesity. It went viral on the social media prompting protests from the users.
This was broadcast by the Bengali service of BBC on July 8 fuelling further condemnation of the harassment.
Responding to the writ the HC bench asked Dhaka District Education officer to submit an investigation report on the incident within the next 60 days.
READ: HC upholds death sentence to a couple for murdering a man in Jashore
In the rule the court questioned why authority’s inactivity and negligence to prevent bullying at educational institutes will not be declared illegal.
The court asked the Education Secretary and other concerned government officials to reply to the rule.
DGHS chief vows action in instances of stealing Covid jabs
Action will be taken if any Health Department officials are found involved in the recent selling of Covid-19 jabs in Dhaka city and elsewhere in the country, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) ABM Khurshid Alam warned on Sunday.
He said this while talking to UNB during a visit to National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital in Dhaka.
He said vaccine stealing is a sensitive issue and investigation is going on regarding this.
Also read: Take actions against Cumilla councilor for pushing Covid jabs: Probe
His warning came days after police held Bijoy Krishna Talukdar, owner of ‘Doridro Paribar Seba’ clinic in city’s Dakshinkhan area for illegally administering Moderna Covid-19 jabs.