Bangladesh reported five more Covid-19 cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning. With the new number, the country's total caseload rose to 2,038,023, 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 has risen to 0.40 percent from Wednesday’s 0.29 percent against the tests of 1239 samples. The death remained unchanged at 1.44 percent and the recovery rates has dropped to 98.41 percent. END/UNB/JHR

Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury has said though the prices of petroleum and gas are declining in the international market, the government would not go for downward adjustment in power and gas tariffs until a stable situation is created. He made the remarks while unveiling a publication titled: Empowering Bangladesh by Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB) at DPDC Conference Room in Biduyt Bhaban in the city on Thursday.  “It’s not clear how long such a declining trend in fuel prices will continue. But if a stable situation comes only then the government would think of downward adjustment,” he told reporters.     He, however, said the government has been overcoming the dollar crisis as export earnings and inflow of remittances are increasing. “The inflow of remittances shows a positive trend while exports are rising,” he added. With FERB president Shamim Jahangir in the chair, the function was also addressed by Power Cell director Mohammad Hossain, Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited’s managing director Bikash Dewan and Dhaka Electric Supply Company limited’ managing director Kausar Ameer Ali while FERB executive director Rishan Nasrullah conducted the event. Responding to a question Tawfiq Elahi said the government has set up a huge number of power generation plants from an advance thinking of serving the future load in industrial sector. “We set up the power plants keeping in mind that some 100 economic zones are being established across the country. They will create a huge demand in power supply,” he added. The PM’s Energy Advisor said that the government would not allow open-cut coal mining in order to protect the underground aquifer and also the top soil of the fertile lands that yield huge crops in the country.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Thursday said Criminal Investigation Department (CID) freed Prothom Alo journalist Shamasuzzman Shams after interrogation over a report published on its website on March 26. “But later he was arrested further when several cases were filed against him in different places,” he said, adding that more cases are being filed against him.   The minister came up with the remarks while responding to questions from journalists over the arrest of journalist Shams after a meeting with Law Minister Advocate Anisul Huq at the ministry on Thursday noon. Asked about detention of the journalist and his subsequent disappearance for around 20 hours, Asaduzzaman said, “I clearly told yesterday that I heard one or two cases were filed over a report and even told that I had no detail information about the matter.” Replying to a question, the Home Minister replied that the journalists who prepare reports based on true information need not to be afraid of the matter. Read more: Prothom Alo journalist Shams denied bail, sent to jail On March 29, the CID in plainclothes picked up Shams from his residence in Ambagan area, adjacent to Jahangirnagar University, around 4:30 am. In the afternoon, a Jubo League leader filed a case under the Digital Security Act against Shams, accusing him of publishing a "false and fabricated report" in the daily Prothom Alo. On Thursday, a Dhaka court sent Shams to jail after rejecting his bail plea. Read more: Prothom Alo journalist Shams taken to court

Six more people were hospitalised with dengue in the 24 hours to Thursday morning. Of the new patients, three were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Twenty-four dengue patients, including 13 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.      

Three individuals and two institutions have been nominated for the National Environment Medal, 2022, for outstanding contributions to environmental conservation and pollution control, environmental education and publicity, and environmental research & technological innovation. This decision was taken at a meeting of the National Committee formed for the purpose of final nomination of the National Environment Medal, 2022 held at the meeting room of the ministry chaired by Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin on Thursday. Jibananda Roy, sub assistant agriculture officer of Batiaghata Upazila, Khulna District, and Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Dhamrai, Dhaka, have been nominated in the Environmental Conservation and Pollution Control category at the individual and institutional level respectively. Read more: Benuka is awarded as the best music show Professor Dr. Abu Saleh Mohammad Wadudur Rahman (Dr. Tuhin Wadud), Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Rangpur Begum Rokeya University, has been nominated for the Environmental Education and publicity category at the individual level and Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS), Khulna at the institutional level. Dr. S.M. Mofizul Islam, Senior Scientific Officer and Head of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Satkhira, has been nominated for the award at the individual level in the environmental research and technology innovation category. Each person/institution awarded the National Environment Medal will be given a check, crest and certificate of 22 carat two tola weight of gold and an additional check of Tk 50000 in a ceremony to be organized on the occasion of World Environment Day.

Democratic Student Council, a student organization formed with the leaders and activists of various left-leaning student organizations, on Thursday demonstrated on Dhaka University campus demanding release of Prothom Alo journalist Shamsuddin Shams. They brought out a protest procession from the Madhur Canteen of Dhaka University around 12.30 pm which ended at Raju Sculpture and then they held a rally on its premises around 12.45 pm. Their other demands include abolishing the DSA act, stopping extra judicial killings, justice for Sultana Jesmin who died allegedly under RAB custody. Dilip Roy, general secretary of Biplopi Chhatra Maitri, said, “The journalist was picked up in the early morning when people were sleeping. We have to move against this fascist government. Our promise is that we will fight with our last drop of blood against the fascist government that wants to suppress our voices.” Mitu Sarkar, president of Bangladesh Chhatra Federation, said, “The act of abducting people and preventing the protesting voices by using DSA and detaining them in civil dress are the clear sign of a fascist government. We all have to stand against such activities.” Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams, working in Savar near the capital Dhaka, was picked up from his house in Ambagan area near Jahangirnagar University in the early hours of Wednesday morning by the CID allegedly for publishing a fake and fabricated news. Later he was sued under DSA on the same day and a Dhaka court sent him jail on Thursday rejecting his bail plea.

A case has been filed against a reporter of the Daily Jugantor under the Digital Security Act in Chattogram. Helal Akbar Chowdhury Babar, a former leader of Chattogram Metropolitan Jubo League, filed the case against Mahbubul Alam Bablu, a staff reporter of the Daily Jugantor's Dhaka office, said Public Prosecutor (PP) of Chattogram Divisional Cyber Tribunal Advocate Mezbah Uddin. The case was filed at the court of Chattogram Divisional Cyber Tribunal Judge Mohammad Zahirul Kabir on Wednesday, he said. Advoc Mezbah Uddin, the plaintiff's lawyer, said the court took the case into cognizance and ordered the Counter Terrorism Unit to investigate. According to the case details, Helal Akbar Babar is the former deputy finance secretary of the central Jubo League. Journalist Mahbub recently published a report in Jugantor titled, “Dubai-returnee top criminal of Chattogram Babar Bahini’s deminance, rail held hostage by Shah Alam Syndicate”. Read more: Law Minister in staunch defence of Digital Security Act He (Mahbub) shared the report from his personal Facebook ID. In the report, Helal Akbar was referred to as an extortionist, occupier and godfather of terrorist. The Jubo League leader alleged in the case that he was defamed by the report with false information. When asked about this, Helal told UNB that, "I have no dispute with any journalist; I have good relations with everyone. This journalist of Jugantor has ruined my reputation by publishing false news about me. He wrote that I am a criminal.” “I sent him a lawyer's notice before the case. If necessary, I will file another defamation case,” he said.

A Dhaka court on Thursday (March 30, 2023) sent Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams to jail in a case filed under the Digital Security Act after rejecting his bail petition. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka Md Tofazzal Hossain turned down the bail petition. Earlier, Ramna Model Police Station Inspector Abu Ansar, also investigating officer of the case, requested the court for sending him to jail when Shams was produced before the court. Read More: CID arrested Prothom Alo journalist Shamsuzzan in a case: Home Minister Proshanto Kumar Karmakar, lawyer of Shamsuzzaman, appeared for the bail plea. 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. The same day, a Jubo League leader filed a case under the Digital Security Act against Shams, accusing him of publishing a "false and fabricated report" in the daily Prothom Alo. Read More: Prothom Alo journalist Shams taken to court

Karnaphuli Hydroelectric Power Station has taken a project to install a 7.4 MW capacity solar panel in Kaptai project area. The authorities have already fixed a location to install the solar panel and the work to install it will start soon, said ATM Abduzzaher, managing engineer of Karnaphuli Hydroelectric Power Station. The solar panel will be installed in brick filed area of Kaptai Power Station and a total of 7.4 MW power will be produced from it which will be added in the national grid, he said. Already 7.5 MW power is being produced from the existing solar panel and steps are being taken to produce one MW more power from the panel, said Abduzzaher. According to the authorities, there is an acute shortage of water at the Hydropower station and the water level of Kaptai lake is 76 MSL (Mean Sea Level) and if the water level falls below 70 MSL then the production of the power station will be stopped. A total of 240MW electricity can be produced by the five units of the hydropower station. However, both power production and navigation get disrupted during the dry season which lasts from October to February. Meanwhile, residents of brick filed area, where the solar panel will be set up, are worried of possible eviction as they have been living there for the past 50 days.  

Dhaka University Journalists Association(DUJA) has expressed deep concern over the picking up of Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams by Criminal Investigation Department(CID). In a joint statement on Thursday, its president Mamun Tushar and general secretary Sirajul Islam Rubel said, “The incident of picking up journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams from his residence by the law enforcement agency without any formal complaint or warrant is worrying. We believe that such incidents are a threat to the country's independent journalism and freedom of media.” “Any complaint against anyone can be addressed through normal legal process. Without doing so, the incident of picking up of a journalist from his house early in the morning is not desirable at all. We believe that there should be sincere cooperation of authorities of the government to uphold the freedom of media recognized by the constitution. At the same time, we demand the release of all the journalists arrested under the Digital Security Act and justice for the attacks and torture on journalists in the country at various times,” the statement reads. Prothom Alo's reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams, working in Savar near capital Dhaka, was picked up from his house in Ambagan area near Jahangirnagar University in the early hours of Wednesday morning by the CID accusing him of publishing a ‘false’ and ‘fabricated’ report. “Jahangirnagar University Chief Security Officer Sudipta Shaheen was with the CID when Shamsuzzaman Shams was picked up. He also admitted that CID members called the owner of the house where Shamsuzzaman lives when he was picked up from home. They told the owner of the house that the state has objections regarding a report made by Shamsuzzaman and  he is being taken for questioning,”the statement also reads.