bangladesh
Tk 7 crore and counting: Donations at Pagla Masjid break all previous records
The counting of donations at Pagla Masjid, a 250-year-old mosque in Kishoreganj, has shattered all previous records. With some sacks still left, by 7:30pm on Saturday night, the total count had already crossed Tk 7.38 crore (7 crore 38 lakh).
The previous highest on record, in December 2023, had been Tk 6.32 crore, from 23 sacks of the 9 donation boxes of the mosque.
This time the 9 boxes yielded 27 sackloads of cash, apart from stones including gold jewellery, some foreign currency, and assorted items, which escape valuation.
Read more: Amid support and challenges, mosque for hijra community opens in Mymensingh
Shaukat Hossain, administrative officer of the mosque, confirmed the matter to the UNB correspondent.
“According to the latest information, after counting till 8:30 tonight, we already have a new record for the highest money received in the history of Pagla Masjid,” Hossain said.
He added that the mosque authorities are anticipating the count may even cross the Tk 8 crore mark this time around.
Read more: Top 10 Historical Mosques in Bangladesh
Trade through Tamabil land port resumes after 2-day suspension for Indian election
Export-import and immigration activities through Tamabil land port in Sylhet resumed on Saturday after two days of suspension due to India's Lok Sabha election.
Runu Mia, in-charge of Tamabil Immigration Police, said the import-export and immigration activities at Tamabil land port remained suspended on Thursday and Friday on the occasion of the 18th general election of India.
Fire guts 1O houses in Chandpur
From Saturday (April 20) morning, import-export and visa-holding passengers have started travelling through the port, he added.
The 18th general election of India is being held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1.
Saudi expat killed in Chandpur road crash
The voting was held in the first phase on April 19 in the two Lok Sabha seats of Meghalaya state, India, located opposite to Tamabil land port.
10 hurt as Karnafuli 3 launch catches fire in Chandpur
At least 10 people including women and children were injured as a Dhaka-bound launch from Bhola, the Karnafuli-3, caught fire in the middle of the Meghna river in Majherchar area in Chandpur's Haimchar on Saturday (April 20, 2024).
Md Shahadat Hossain, deputy director of Chandpur BIWTA, said the fire broke out around 11:30am due to a technical glitch.
At the time, 10 people were injured in the launch fire incident as they panicked and jumped into the river, he added.
The stranded passengers of Karnaphuli-3 were being taken to Dhaka through Karnaphuli-4 launch.
Read more: Banani slum fire under control
On information, our investigation team along with the fire service rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control, he added.
However, the reason behind the fire could not be known immediately.
The injured were treated locally.
Meanwhile, senior police officers of Naval Police Chandpur region visited the spot soon after the incident, added the officer.
Read more: TK Group’s super board manufacturing factory catches fire in Munshiganj
Body of Navy person recovered 8 hrs after going missing in Muhuri River
The body of a member of Bangladesh Navy who went missing while taking a bath in the Muhuri River in Feni on Saturday (April 20, 2024) afternoon has been recovered after more than 8 hours.
The deceased Abul Hasan was the son of Abul Khair of Dhanikunda village of Parshuram upazila. He was posted at Chittagong Naval Basecamp.
Abul Hasan along with his friends went to take a bath at the ghat adjacent to Nazir's house on the Muhuri river around 2pm on Saturday for some relief from the scorching heat.
Read more: Bangladeshi siblings drown in Sea of Oman
Suddenly, Abul Hasan presumably drowned and went missing. Failing to find him, his friends informed the Parashuram Fire Service.
Despite a lot of searching, the members of the Fire Service failed to rescue the missing Abul Hasan.
Later, a diving team from Chattogram joined the rescue operation and managed to recover the body around 9:20pm.
Mohammad Shahadat Hossain Khan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Parashuram Police Station, said the body would be sent to Feni General Hospital morgue for an autopsy.
Read more: No concrete bridge for 20,000 inhabitants in Feni, Noakhali for over 22 years
Coordination between power transmission, distribution system being done rapidly to ensure uninterrupted supply: Nasrul Hamid
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said coordination between the power transmission and distribution systems is being made rapidly to ensure uninterrupted supply.
“Internal technical faults are being repaired on a priority basis and special emphasis is being laid on uninterrupted supply of primary to the power plants”, he said while visiting Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd (APSCL) on Saturday.
He noted that said this summer's electricity demand may be 17500 MW.
Nasrul Hamid said the government is determined to provide uninterrupted power even if the demand increases.
He said the government will meet the demand through uninterrupted power supply. “The only challenge in this regard is the financing”.
The state minister directed the power plant officials to work in a coordinated manner and said that if there is any problem in transmission or distribution system, it should be reported to the authorities quickly.
Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd. is a government owned public limited company and the largest power hub in Bangladesh.
The current total power generation capacity of its 6 units is 1584 MW. The goal of Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd. is to increase the power generation capacity from the current 1584 MW to 3302 MW by the year 2030.
APSCL officials said the company has been adopting the principle of Corporate Social Responsibility from the place of responsibility to the society.
During 2022-23, the APSCL spent Tk 33 lakh on CSR activities. APSCL has also played a major role in education and healthcare last year.
Among others, Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Managing Director AKM Gauch Mohiuddin Ahmed, APSCL Managing Director Sayed Ekram Ulla and A2I (Aspire to Innovate) Program Policy Advisor Anir Chowdhury were present on the occasion.
Govt cutting general hajj package cost by over Tk 1 lakh: Religious Affairs Minister
Addressing the firm determination to provide best service to hajj pilgrims, Religious Affairs Minister Md Faridul Haque Khan said on Saturday that this year the government has reduced the cost of general hajj package compared to the last year despite the high price of dollar against local currency.
“We are sincere so that the hajj pilgrims of this country can perform the hajj at a reasonable cost,” he said.
The religious minister said this while inaugurating ‘Hajj pilgrims training 2024’ at Osmani Smriti Auditorium in Dhaka.
He informed that they are reducing the price by Taka 1, 04,178 for government hajj package while Taka 82,818 for private hajj package.
Minister Faridul said the government is working to ease the official works of pilgrims and it (government) is determined to provide best service to them.
He said the training has been arranged for the pilgrims so that they can perform the hajj following proper religious rules. Skilled trainers have been selected for the training.
Putting forward the importance of the hajj before the intended pilgrims, he said the hajj was made mandatory for one time for every Muslim in life.
Chaired by the ministry’s secretary Md A Hamid Zamadder, Additional Secretary (hajj) Md Matiul Islam, Additional Secretaries Md Nayeb Ali Mandal and Dr Md Manjurul Haque and Dhaka Hajj Office director Muhammad Kamruzzaman, among others, spoke on the occasion.
Road crashes claim 407 lives during Eid journeys, up almost 25%
Road crashes during the recent Eid-ul-Fitr holiday rush claimed 407 lives in just 15 days, according to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Shamiti (Passenger Welfare Association).
At least 399 road crashes occurred during April 4-18, leaving 1,398 individuals injured, BJKS Secretary General Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury revealed this information at a press briefing on Saturday held at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital on Saturday.
Compared to the previous year, road crashes this Eid have increased by 31.25 percent, fatalities by 24.08 percent, injuries by 147.43 percent.
According to the report, a total of 24 fatalities and 21 injuries were recorded in 18 accidents on railtrack, while seven individuals lost their lives and five were injured in accidents on the river routes.
BJKS noted that the number of homegoing people went up by 20 per cent due to extended vacation. Although various regulating and law-enforcement agencies were on the field, incidents of charging extra fare and harassment reached their peaks during the Eid trips.
Like other years, motorcycles were the most lethal form of transport, recording 165 deaths and 240 injuries in 198 accidents. This accounts for 49.62% of the total accidents and 40.44 % of the total deaths recorded.
UP member dies after being electrocuted in Jashore’s Manirampur
A union parishad (UP) member died after being electrocuted in Mobarakpur village under Manirampur upazila of Jashore on Friday night.
The deceased was identified as GM Moshiru Rahman, 44, son of Abdus Sattar and member of the ward No-1 under Chaluahati UP.
Locals said the UP member came into contact with a live electric wire while irrigating trees on the bank of a pond in the village around 9:30 pm, leaving him critically injured.
He was rushed to nearby Keshabpur upazila health complex where physicians declared him dead, UP Chairman Abdul Hamid confirmed the matter, saying that Moshiur was the two-term elected member from the ward.
Rajganj police investigation centre’s Sub Inspector Rakibuzzaman said they came to know about the matter
Want to create an excellent atmosphere for the press: State Minister Arafat
The government wants to create an excellent environment for journalists in Bangladesh, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat said on Saturday.
“We want to ensure all necessary things for all media so that they can work freely to facilitate free journalism and freedom of expression as it was pledges of our Liberation War,” he said.
The state minister was speaking at the ‘Meet the Reporters’ programme organized by the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) at its Nasrul Hamid Auditorium at Segunbagicha in the capital on Saturday.
“And those who believe in the spirit of liberation war will be benefited through the fair practices of journalism”, he added.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin attends national conference of Aparajita Network
Noting that lack of information creates the scope of sprouting misinformation and disinformation, the state minister said the government is working to bring necessary reform to allow journalists to get information from government sources within the shortest possible time.
He also said that those who are in the profession of journalism and fall into various financial problems are being tried to help them through the Journalist Welfare Trust.
Underlining the steps taken by the present government for journalists’ welfare, the state minister said, “Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust is the real manifestation of Sheikh Hasina’s government to ensure the welfare of the journalists.
“We are working to ensure that the congenial atmosphere for free journalism, free-thinking and freedom of expression as well as the welfare of the journalists,” he said.
Arafat sought the cooperation of the journalists to prevent any falsehood against the government in the name of so-called criticism saying the media must criticize the government if any mistake is made.
“Free flow of information and constructive criticism can help take the society ahead while misinformation can take it back,” he said.
IGP urges students to advance in knowledge, science
The state minister said it is the collective responsibility of the government and media to contain disinformation. The government is fully careful about overstepping its authority while preventing misinformation, he said.
“Anti-liberation forces are still out to change the definition of our struggle of independence which we have got at the cost of the lives of 30 lakh people and the chastity of thousands of women. They want to take the country back to a dark age, opposite to the spirit of our Liberation War,” he added.
“Our constant fight against this evil force, those who are enemies of democracy, freedom, and evil forces of society will continue and we sought the support of the media in this fight,” he added.
Regarding the Media Workers Act, the state minister said that instructions have been given to create a cell with two representatives from all journalist organizations to review the law. After discussion with the members of this cell it will be finalized with their input. Then it will be taken to the Parliamentary Standing Committee within a short time and subsequently passed by the Parliament.
IGP urges students to advance in knowledge, science
Inspector General of Police (IGP) and also Chief Patron of Bangladesh Retired Police Officers Welfare Association Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun on Saturday called on the students to advance in knowledge and science through hard work and relentless efforts.
The IGP made the call in his address as the chief guest at the 'IGP merit scholarship' awarding ceremony at the Bangladesh Retired Police Officers Welfare Association complex seminar hall at Rajarbagh police lines in the capital on Saturday.
President of Bangladesh Retired Police Officers Welfare Association AT Ahmadul Haque Chowdhury presided over the event where Managing Director and CEO of Community Bank Bangladesh Mashiul Haque Chowdhury attended as special guest.
Welcoming the meritorious students on scholarship, the IGP said, besides acquiring knowledge, you have to work for the welfare of the country and the people. You have to increase reputation of your (students) educational institution, family and above all the reputation of the country, he added.
The top officer of the police force also said, you have to increase the reputation and status of Bangladesh by leaving the mark of merit in the international arena beyond the borders of the country.
Among others, Vice Presidents of the association Waliur Rahman and Md. Nazmul Haque, Additional IGP Abu Hasan Muhammad Tariq, DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman also spoke on the occasion. Members of the association, teachers and students were present.
It is to be noted that, among the students of schools and colleges managed by the Bangladesh Police, the IGP scholarship is given to the students who obtained GPA 5 in SSC and HSC examination in 2023 under the initiative of the association.
Scholarships, crests and certificates were awarded to 66 students from 5 educational institutions in Dhaka city and Gazipur and Narayanganj districts.
Later, the IGP handed over merit scholarships and certificates to the students.