bangladesh
Regent Hospital scam: ACC approves chargesheet against ex-DGHS DG, 5 others
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday approved a charge sheet against six people including former Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services(DGHS) Abul Kalam Azad in a case over Regent Hospital scam.
Azad was not initially named in the case but the charge sheet added his name after an investigation, Deputy Director of ACC Public Relations office Muhammad Arif Sadeq told UNB.
Deputy Director of the anti-graft commission Farid Ahmed Patwary filed the case against five people with Dhaka Coordinated Office-1 on September 23 last year for embezzling Tk 1.37 crore by issuing fake Covid test certificates from Regent Hospital.
READ: Quader says ACC is welcome to probe his ministry for corruption
The five others accused in the case are - Regent Chairman Shaheduzzan, former DGHS Director Aminul Hasan, Deputy Director Yunus Ali, Assistant Director Shafiur Rahman, and Research Officer Didarul Islam.
Last year, numerous incidents of mismanagement and irregularities in the health sector got exposed when physicians of some government hospitals, including Mugda General Hospital, complained of receiving low-quality masks and protective equipment.
Then issuance of fake Covid-19 certificates by some hospitals triggered huge criticisms at home and abroad.
The scandal came to light with a drive at Regent Hospitals on July 6 and the Regent Group head office along with its hospitals was subsequently sealed off.
READ: Ward councillor asked to submit wealth statements: ACC
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested Regent Hospital chairman Mohammad Shahed from Komorpur border in Debhata upazila of Satkhira district early July 15 on charge of issuing fake Covid-19 certificates.
NRBs' engagement can shape Bangladesh's development: BGMEA chief
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan has said engagement of non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) can play a crucial role in shaping the financial, social and economic conditions of the country.
He made the remark during a meeting with Nayem Uddin Ahmed, consul general of the Bangladesh Consulate General in Toronto, recently, said the apparel industry's apex body Monday.
BGMEA Director Abdullah Hil Rakib was also present at the meeting.
READ: BGMEA wants to increase RMG exports to Canada, promote positive image
Faruque said many NRBs are well-established businessmen, having huge investments in their countries of residence, while many hold influential positions in governments as politicians and members of parliaments.
Also, a lot of Bangladeshis are renowned scientists, academicians, researchers, high government officials and holding other prestigious positions.
Avenues should be created in an effective way to allow them to contribute to the development of Bangladesh, he added.
He sought the cooperation of Nayem Uddin to help the NRBs living in Canada promote the interests of Bangladesh.
The BGMEA president expressed thanks to the Bangladesh government for setting up a state-of-the-art office of the consulate general in Toronto as it would be helpful to showcase "Made in Bangladesh" products, including apparel items and attract potential foreign investors.
READ: BGMEA chief invites Canadian businessmen to invest in Bangladesh
Also, he requested the consul general to consider providing one-stop services to foreign investors from the consulate general
Krishak League leader shot dead in Cox’s Bazar
A leader of local unit of Krishak League was gunned down by some unidentified miscreants at Fasiakhali Ghonapara in Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar district on Monday.
The deceased was identified as Sarwar Kamal, general secretary of Fasiakhali union unit of Krishak League.
Some 10-12 miscreants attacked Sarwar and shot him around 10:30 am, leaving him dead on the spot, said Shaker Mohammad Zobair, officer-in-charge of Chakaria Police Station.
On information, police recovered the body and sent it to a local hospital morgue for autopsy
7 members of RMG goods theft gang held
Detectives have arrested seven members of a RMG goods theft syndicate in Dhaka’s Uttara and Burichong thana area of Cumilla district.
The detectives also recovered 4,705 RMG products and two covered vans from their possessions.
The arrestees are Md. Shahed alias Saeed alias Sylheti Saeed (the ringleader of the gang), Razzak, Yusuf, Mainul, Alamin, Dulal Hossain and Khairul.
Briefing reporters at the DMP media Centre on Monday, Additional Commissioner (DB) of DMP AKM Hafiz Akhter said Network Clothing Limited, a RMG goods exporter, shipped a total of 17,152 pieces of garment goods in 1,431 cartons for export.
Also read: Three arrested in joint drive against counterfeit medicines
After the shipment reached the Chittagong port, 5,000 pieces of goods were found missing during the count.
A case was filed in this regard on September 17 at Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station. DB (Tejgaon division) started investigating the case, he said.
He said on the basis of information technology and intelligence information, the Tejgaon zonal team of DB (Tejgaon Division) raided Uttara area in Dhaka city and arrested Razzak, Yusuf and Mainul and Khairul on Friday.
They also recovered some stolen garments and a covered van from their possessions.
According to their statements, Al-Amin and Dulal were arrested along with the rest of the stolen garments and another covered van from Nimsar area of Burichang police station in Cumilla district. Later, ringleader of the gang Md. Shahed alias Sylhet Saeed was arrested according to the information gleaned from the other arrestees.
Also read: Uttara man arrested for brandishing firearms, setting off panic
There are 24 cases against Shahed in different police stations of the country including Dhaka and Chittagong. Shahed served jail term for a long time in six cases.
Additional Commissioner (DB) said Shahed had stolen RMG goods worth several thousand crores from 5,000 trucks / covered vans at different times.
Meanwhile, Hafiz Akhter said another garment exporter Jayanti Knit Wire Ltd shipped a total of 28,820RMG goods in 374 cartons for export to Chittagong port through a covered van on May 11 last.
After the export of the goods, it was found that each carton contains 20/40 pieces less than the exported amount. The foreign buyer fined Jayanti Knit Wire $28,908 dollars for the goods. This has also tarnished the international reputation of the organization, he said.
A case was filed in this regard on September 12, 2021 at Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station, he said.
Later, on September 13, Mohiuddin, Mubarak, Ibrahim and Emran, the driver of the covered van, were arrested in separate drives in different areas of the capital.
The operation to recover the stolen RMG goods and arrest the fugitives involved in it is continuing, he said.
Covid daily-death toll in Bangladesh falls to 26
Bangladesh registered 26 more Covid-related deaths in 24 hours till Monday Morning, the lowest in in around four months.
The country last recorded 22 single-day Covid deaths on May 27, this year.
Besides, 1,555 more people came out positive with the virus during the 24-hour period after testing 27,431 samples, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Also read: Declining trend in Covid cases continues: DGHS
With this increase, the daily case positivity rate rose to 5.67 percent from Sunday’s 5.62 percent.
The fresh numbers took the country’s total covid-19 fatalities to 27,251 today (Monday), while the caseload mounted to 1,544,238, said the DGHS.
Meanwhile, it said, the fatality rate remained static at 1.76 per cent.
Besides, the recovery rate continued to rise as it reached 97.34 per cent on Monday with the recovery of 1,565 patients during the 24-hour period.
Also read: No vaccine crisis in the country: Health Minister
So far, 1,503,106 people have recovered from the deadly virus infections, the DGHS added.
Quader says ACC is welcome to probe his ministry for corruption
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has urged the Anti-Corruption Commission to conduct graft investigation in his ministry assuring that the government will not obstruct it.
Quader said this during a virtual meeting with the officials of BRTC on Monday,
“I am calling for investigating the ministry of road transport and bridges by the Anti-Corruption Commission. There will be no obstruction from the government. If there is any corruption, take action,” he said.
Also read: Govt working to constitute EC as per constitution: Quader
Underling the importance keeping service organisations like BRTC corruption-free, the minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has adopted a zero tolerance policy against corruption.
He said past non-Awami League government turned BRTC into a den of corruption. The greedy people must be checked to make the institutions free of corruption, he said.
Also read: President Hamid urges ACC to go hard after the corrupt people
BFIU letter to journalist leaders unexpected, Home Minister tells media leaders
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Monday said that he is trying to find out the details relating to the letter the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) recently sent to commercial banks asking accounts information of 11 elected leaders of the journalist community.
“I agree with you what has happened is unexpected,” Assaduzzman said when a delegation of senior journalists met him at his Secretariat office.
“I think there has been a misunderstanding and I personally believe that the letter should not have been issued in such a way, '' said the minister while talking to reporters after a meeting with the delegation.
Also read: Govt officials to face dope test, says the home minister
The delegation comprised prime minister's ex-media advisor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, journalist leaders Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Kuddus Afrad, Abul Kalam Azad, Abdul Jalil Bhuiya, Omar Faruk, Sajjad Alam Khan.
Asaduzzman said he talked to all organizations including National Security Intelligence (NSI), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and Special Branch, Bangladesh Bank to discuss this issue.
Also read: No worries about bank account details of journalists: Minister
He assured the journalists he will sit again with them to find out more about the issue and take action accordingly.
“Your reputation has been undermined. You are in pain,” the minister said adding that “It has to be ensured that such incident does not occur again”, he said.
Earlier on Thursday Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said journalist leaders have no reason to be worried about their bank account details sought by BFIU.
Bangladesh needs no UN help for holding elections: Information Minister
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Monday said Bangladesh needs no assistance from the United Nations (UN) to arrange elections since the country’s Election Commission (EC) is capable enough to hold fair and transparent polls.
“The Election Commission of Bangladesh is very strong, and I don't think it needs anyone’s help to hold elections,” he said.
The minister came up with the remarks at a programme of Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) as journalists sought his reaction to UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo’s comment on the UN’s assistance for holding elections in Bangladesh.
Stating that the EC has already conducted many elections in Bangladesh in a very fair and transparent manner, Dr Hasan said Bangladesh is not Somalia or Ethiopia that it needs the UN’s help to hold elections here.
He, however, said it is completely a different issue if anyone wants to observe elections in Bangladesh. “But the Election Commission doesn’t need any assistance to conduct elections.”
Also read: UN to provide electoral assistance to Bangladesh if requested: Mia Seppo
On Sunday, Mia Seppo said the UN will provide electoral assistance to Bangladesh only if there is any request on that particular front.
Responding to questions at “DCAB Talk” at the Foreign Service Academy, she also said, “The UN doesn’t provide electoral assistance unless we’re asked to.”
About seeking the bank account details of journalist leaders by Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), the Information Minister said the government can seek bank account details of anybody for any reason. “The bank accounts of MPs, government employees and the leaders of various business organisations are also sought. There’s nothing wrong to ask for bank account details of anybody.”
He said it was not supposed to be published in newspapers that the journalists’ bank account details were sought. “This is a question as to why it was published in the media. Another question that’s being raised by the journalists is why the bank accounts were asked with the name of organisations. I think if someone is transparent, there’s no reason to be worried about it.”
The BFIU of the Bangladesh Bank recently issued letters to the commercial banks asking for details of bank accounts of 11 journalist leaders.
Asked about the government’s move regarding the YouTube-based news channel after closing IPTVs by BTRC, Dr Hasan said his ministry only gives registration to the IPTVs, but they get domain allocation from BTRC. “The question is how they got the domain allocation. I think one has to be very careful from now on before allocating a domain.”
He said there would be a tripartite meeting of Information, Posts and Telecommunications and the ICT ministries on Wednesday to discuss the matter.
Also read: Next election must be under neutral govt: Fakhrul
Later, the minister unveiled the cover of BSRF’s magazine, 'BSRF Barta', at the meeting room of the Information Ministry at the Secretariat.
BSRF president Tapan Biswas and general secretary Masudul Haque were, among others, present at the programme.
Durga Puja: PM donates Tk 3 crore
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday donated Tk 3 crore to Hindu Kalyan Trust on the occasion of Durga Puja.PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus handed over a check for the financial assistance to secretary of the Trust Dr Dilip Kumar Ghosh at the Prime Minister Office.
Dengue: 275 new patients hospitalized , no fresh death reported
As the number of dengue patients keep rising in Bangladesh, 275 new patients were hospitalized across country in 24 hours till Monday morning, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease remained static at 59 as no death was reported during the period.
Read: Dengue cases likely to come down within a month: LGRD Minister
Among the new patients, 211 were undergoing hospital treatment in Dhaka while the remaining 64 cases were reported from outside the division, according to DGHS.
Some 1,072 patients diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment in the country as of Monday morning.
Of them, 857 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the remaining 215 were listed outside Dhaka.
Among the deceased, 54 died in Dhaka city alone, two each in Chattogram and Khulna divisions and one in Rajshahi.
Some 15,976 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January.
So far, 14,845 dengue patients have left hospitals after recovery, said DGHS.
Read: 'National laws need to be revised to tackle dengue menace'
The number of dengue patients hospitalized in a single day was the highest with 343 patients on September 7.
In the month of August the country recorded the highest number of 7,698 dengue cases of the current year.
In July, 2,286 people were diagnosed with dengue and 12 died while in June 272 cases were recorded with no deaths.