bangladesh
MRT symbolizes changing Dhaka’s face: Ambassador Ito Naoki
It gives a sudden feeling of excitement and pleasure when you see the metro-rail is approaching the station at a speed of 100 km per hour. This is something we usually see in other countries.
With much pride, by December next year, commuters can say that they too have such a modern transportation system in place. The year 2022 is the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-Japan diplomatic relations.
“The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) symbolizes the changing face of Dhaka,” said Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki on Tuesday during a press tour as passengers’ transportation in the Uttara-Agargaon section of MRT, Line-6 is set to begin in December next year.
Also read: Metro Rail: The Magic Wand to Improve Dhaka's Transport System
Selector at BCB national selection panel and former captain Habibul Bashar, selector and former left arm spinner Abdur Razzak and national team all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz also joined.
Jatrabari gas cylinder blast: Death toll rises to 3
The death toll from the gas cylinder blast in the city’s Jatrabari rose to three with the death of another victim at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Abul Kalam, 45.
Kalam, who was undergoing treatment at the hospital with 80 percent burn injuries, breathed his last around 9:30 am, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital police outpost.
Earlier, another victim, Md Ripon, son of late Ali Hossain of Bhola district, succumbed to his injuries at DMCH in the early morning .
Also read: Jatrabari cylinder blast: One more dies at Dhaka hospital
On Sunday, another victim of the explosion, Bishwanath Dutta, 48, died at the hospital.
On Saturday afternoon, six people received burn injuries when a gas cylinder exploded in a shop in the Sayedabad area of Jatrabari in the capital. They were all rushed to the Dhaka hospital.
Also read: 6 suffer burns in Jatrabari gas cylinder explosion
8 students injured as college dormitory floor caved in Patuakhali
Eight students were injured and rushed to the hospital after the ground-floor veranda of Sheikh Kamal dormitory of Patuakhali Government College caved in, witnesses said on Tuesday.
Mohammad Shamim Ahmed, assistant super of the hall said the incident took place around midnight Monday when the floor of the veranda, where some students were standing after a meeting, collapsed suddenly injuring the students.
Also read: 2 DU students endure night of torture at Surjo Sen hall
The soil beneath the floor may have been eroded by a water that came along with sand brought from a water body to fill the college compound, said Executive Engineer of Patuakhali Education Engineer Department Mohammad Hadiuzzaman Khan.
Of the injured, three were undergoing treatment Patuakhali Medical College and Hospital while five others were given first aid.
The students living at the dormitory demanded immediate steps to repair the floor and ensure their safety.
Also read: BM College students protesting against increase in hall fees
4 Health Ministry employees suspended over missing of 17 files
Four employees of the Health Education and Family Welfare Division under the Health Ministry have been suspended in connection with the missing of 17 files from the ministry.
Secretary to the Division Md Ali Nur confirmed the matter to reporters at the secretariat on Tuesday.
The four suspended staffers are computer operators Ayesha Siddika and Josef Sardar of Procurement and Collection Unit-2, office assistant of administration-2 unit Badal Chandra Goshwami and 3, office assistant of administration -3 unit Mintu Mia.
Also read: Missing files: Health Minister calls it “unexpected”
The four-member probe committee formed by the ministry over the incident identified the four staffers.
On October 27, it was revealed that 17 files of the Health Ministry had gone missing from the ministry’s Health, Education and Family Welfare division.
A General Diary (GD) was registered with Shagbagh Police station in connection with the the missing of files the following day.
Also read: Missing Files: 3 more Health Ministry officials taken into custody
Covid claims 2 more lives and infects 213 in Bangladesh
Bangladesh recorded two more Covid-linked deaths and reported 213 fresh infections in 24 hours until Tuesday morning, authorities said.
The daily-case positivity rate slightly dropped to 1.03 per cent from Monday’s 1.32 per cent.
The fresh numbers took the total fatalities to 27,922 while the country’s caseload mounted to 15,72,501, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Also read: Covid jabs for city’s slum dwellers start on Tuesday: Health Minister
However, the mortality rate remained static at 1.78 per cent, according to DGHS.
The fresh cases were detected after testing 20, 764 samples, it said.
Besides, the recovery rate remained unchanged at 97.71 per cent with the recovery of 223 more patients during the 24-hour period.
Also read: Bangladesh can produce Covid vaccine, let us do it: PM
Next year’s public exams won’t be held as per schedule: Dipu Moni
There is no scope to hold the public examinations in the next year as per schedule, said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Tuesday.
“It is not possible to hold the public examinations of 2022 in time but the delay will not be like that of this year’s SSC examinations,” she said.
“Measures will be taken to make up the losses caused by delay in holding the SSC examinations and the students will not face any problem,” she added.
Also read: Students to get new textbooks in time next year: Dipu Moni
The Education Minister came up with the information while replying to a question from local journalists when visiting Chandpur Hasan Ali Government High School exam center on Tuesday.
The much-awaited Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations began in the country on Sunday, maintaining health protocols.
Usually, the SSC examinations are held in February but this year the exams were delayed due to the pandemic.
Regarding vaccination of students she said, “The Health Ministry is trying to vaccinate all the HSC examinees. Though we don’t have sufficient infrastructures in every district to continue the inoculation drive with Pfizer vaccine but the authorities concerned are trying their level best.”
A campaign to vaccinate school students, aged 12-17, against Covid-19 kicked off at 12 centers in Dhaka on November 1.
Also read: Still unsure about dropped out students’ number: Dipu Moni
Some 40,000 students will be vaccinated every day under the campaign.
However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the officials concerned to increase the number of centres across the country under this campaign.
Tangail lawmaker Ekabbar Hossain passes away
Ekabbar Hossain, member of parliament from Tangail-7 constituency, passed away at a hospital in city on Tuesday. He was 76.
Ekabbar, also the president of Mirzapur upazila unit Awami League, breathed his last around 2 pm while undergoing treatment at Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka, said his son Barrister Tahrim Hossain Simanto.
He left behind his wife, one son, two daughters and a host of relatives to mourn his death.
Also read: Late artist Qayyum Chowdhury’s wife Tahera Khanam passes away
Ekabbar, also a valiant freedom fighter, returned from the constituency winning the four successive general elections in 2001, 2008, 2014 and 2018.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock at the demise of the Ekabbar Hossain.
She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.
Also read: Noted physicist Dr Harun-ar-Rashid passes away
3214 acres of railway land under illegal occupation: Minister
Some 3214 acres of land of Bangladesh Railway are now under the clutches of land grabbers across the country, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan told Parliament on Tuesday.
“The amount of unused (fallen) land of Bangladesh Railways is 10,843.15 acres and 3,213.78 acres of land remain under illegal occupation,” he said replying to a written question from BNP MP Aminul Islam (Chapainawabganj-2).
Read: Public Debt Bill lands in Parliament
Of the illegally occupied land, the highest 620 acres are in Rajshahi district, 321 acres in Rajbari, 282 acres in Sirajganj, 280 acres in Bagerhat, 210 acres in Kurigram, 183 acres in Chattogram, 154 acres in Faridpur, 143 acres in Pabna, 128 acres in Gaibandha, 113 acres in Nilphamari, 106 acres in Lalmonirhat, 103 in Jhenaidah and 56 acres in Kushtia.
The amount of illegally occupied land is less than 50 acres in other districts, according to the statistics placed by the Minister in the House.
Responding to a starred question from Jatiya Party MP Shameem Haider Patwary (Gaibandha-1), the Railways Minister said drives are being conducted to recover the grabbed railway land.
Read:Patents bill placed in Parliament
In reply to a written question from Awami League MP Didarul Alam (Chattogram-4), the Railways Minister said the government will collect 400 more modern coaches –-200 broad-gauge and 200 meter-gauge—for Bangladesh Railways within the next two years with the fund of European Investment Bank and the Tenders Financing.
He said a project is underway now to collect 150 meter-gauge and 100 broad-gauge passenger coaches from South Korean and China respectively.
PM to meet press over UK-France visit Wednesday
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address a press conference at 4:00 pm on Wednesday on the outcome of her two-week visit to the United Kingdom and France, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said on Tuesday.
Sheikh Hasina went on the foreign visit on October 31 and returned home on November 14.
Read:France showers immense honour on PM Hasina
In the UK the prime minister attended the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) at Glasgow in Scotland and Bangladesh Investment Summit 2021 in London. During her visit to France she handed over the first Unesco-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy as well as joined the 75th founding anniversary event of Unesco and the Paris Peace Forum in Paris.
Sheikh Hasina also had meetings with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, French Prime Minister Jean Castex, French Prime Minister Jean Castex, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other heads of state or government.
Read: Unite for common good: Hasina to global leaders
Besides, she had meetings with UK's Prince Charles, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland, Bill Gates, as well as other important dignitaries from different organisations and business bodies.
The PM joined three civic receptions accorded to her by the Bangladeshi expatriates living in Scotland, London and Paris.
‘TikTok’ video maker held in city
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have arrested a TikTok video maker from the city’s Mohammadpur area allegedly for cheating people using fake identity in social media platforms.
The arrestee is Md Abdur Rakib alias TikTok Raj, 26, son of late Abdur Rahim of Naogaon’s Niyamatpur.
Read:5 criminals including TikTok Hridoy’s aide held in city
According to a media release of Rab Headquarters, a team of Rab-2 and Rab-5 arrested him after conducting a drive in Mohammadpur area on Monday.
During the drive, a mobile phone, seven SIM cards, memory card, Rab uniform, fake ID card, whistler, boots etc. were seized from his possession.
During primary interrogation, Tiktok Raj confessed to his involvement in various criminal activities in the virtual world with his fake identity as a ‘member of law enforcement agency’.
He used to develop illicit relationship with women alluring them in social media platform and realized money after blackmailing them, said the press release.
Read:TikTok out-of-control: Teen goes for shoot, gets raped
Tiktok Raj, who works as a security in a hotel in Bogura, used to threaten them of circulating their indecent photos on social media platforms to realise money from them.
Legal processes are underway in this regard, said the release.