bangladesh
Youth held with 1.162 kg of gold bars smuggled from Myanmar
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained a youth with seven gold bars weighing 1.162 kg on Thursday at Ukhiya-Marichya joint check post while smuggling them from Myanmar.
The arrestee was identified as Md Rifat,20, hailing from Bandarban .
Commander of 30-BGB, Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Faruque said, tipped off about a smuggling gang illegally entering Bangladesh from Myanmar with huge amount of gold, search operation at Marichya bazaar, Marichya-Goalia road, Marichya check post and other important points was intensified.
Around 10 am , BGB members held a CNG carrying Ibrahim for checking and recovered the gold bars from him.
In primary interrogation the arrestee confessed of smuggling the gold bars across the country after buying them from a Myanmar citizen at Tamabru border.
The youth was handed over to Ramu police station and the gold bars were submitted to Cox’s Bazar treasury office.
Spain to invest in shipbuilding sector: Shipping minister
Spain has expressed interest in providing financial assistance to the shipbuilding sector in Bangladesh, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said on Thursday.
“Spain wants to invest in the collection of ‘River Clean Vessels’ which will prevent river pollution and clean up waste,” the minister said following a meeting with the Spanish Ambassador Francisco Del Asis Benitez Salas at the secretariat.
“Spain has experience in the shipbuilding and maritime sectors. The government has collected dredgers for the purpose of digging 10,000 km of waterways and will collect more. Spain's assistance will be available in the collection of sophisticated copper and hopper dredgers,’’ he added.
During the meeting, they discussed issues of mutual interest including the upcoming election of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Bangladesh and Spain will be competing in ’C’ and ‘B’ categories respectively in the election.
The state minister and the ambassador reassured that the countries will get each other's backing during the election.
President Hamid calls for boosting ICT skills of judges
President Abdul Hamid on Thursday directed the Judicial Service Commission to take steps to improve information and technological skill alongside the appointment of judges.
The President made the remarks after receiving the commission's Annual Report-2020 from Chairman of the Judicial Service Commission Justice Hasan Fayez Siddiqui at Bangabhaban in the evening.
The President said that although the judicial activity has already been launched in a virtual manner, it is necessary to increase its virtual skill considering the situation.
At the same time, Hamid also called for ensuring extensive training to enhance the professional skills of judges.
Justice Hasan briefed the President on the overall activities of the commission and various aspects of the annual report.
Members of the commission Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder, Justice Sahidul Karim, Attorney General Abu Mohammad Amin Uddin and Secretary of Law and Justice Golam Sarwar were present.
EU stepping up its strategic engagement with Indo-Pacific region, adopts cooperation strategy
A joint communication on the “EU Strategy” for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific has been adopted saying the European Union is stepping up its strategic engagement with the Indo-Pacific region as the region is increasing its strategic importance for Europe.
The joint communication adopted by the Commission and the High Representative on Thursday contains concrete actions to reinforce the strategic engagement with the region, as tasked by the Council on 19 April 2021.
The EU will deepen its engagement with partners in the Indo-Pacific to respond to emerging dynamics that are affecting regional stability.
“The economic, demographic, and political weight of the Indo-Pacific region is expanding, from the east coast of Africa to the Pacific island states,” said President Ursula von der Leyen.
With today's proposals, and guided by values, Leyen said they are offering a strengthened partnership to advance trade, investment and connectivity, while addressing common global challenges and reinforcing the rules-based international order.
High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said the world's centre of gravity is moving towards the Indo Pacific, both in geo-economic and geo-political terms.
“The futures of the EU and the Indo-Pacific are interlinked. The EU is already the top investor, the leading development cooperation partner and one of the biggest trading partners in the Indo-Pacific region,” Borrell said.
The High Representative said their engagement aims at maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific for all, while building strong and lasting partnerships to cooperate on matters from the green transition, ocean governance or the digital agenda to security and defence.
The EU and the Indo-Pacific are highly interconnected, with many shared interests and solid ties, from trade and investments to research and innovation, as well as sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity protection and security.
Read: EU to help Bangladesh fight climate adversities: Rensje Teerink
Its growing economic, demographic, and political weight makes it a key player in shaping the rules-based international order and in addressing global challenges.
The EU aims to contribute to the region's stability, security, prosperity and sustainable development, in line with the principles of democracy, rule of law, human rights and international law, according to a statement issued from Brussels.
The implementation of the EU Strategy will include in particular the following actions: completing EU trade negotiations with Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand; resuming trade negotiations and starting investment negotiations with India; completing an Economic Partnership Agreement with the East Africa Community; assessing the possible resumption of trade negotiations with Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, and the eventual negotiation of a region-to-region trade agreement with ASEAN.
The EU mentioned concluding Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCA) with Malaysia and Thailand; starting PCA negotiations with the Maldives, and bringing the EU's upcoming new Partnership Agreement with the African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (ACP) to full fruition.
It also mentioned about concluding Green Alliances and Partnerships with willing and ambitious Indo-Pacific partners to fight against climate change and environmental degradation.
The first has been agreed with Japan in May 2021.
Strengthening ocean governance in the region, including increasing the EU's support for Indo-Pacific countries' fisheries management and control systems, the fight against Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and the implementation of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements and expanding the network of digital partnerships with Indo-Pacific partners, as well as exploring the possibility of new Digital Partnership Agreements with Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore are also part of the particular plan of action.
The EU will step up implementation of the Connectivity Partnerships with Japan and India; supporting partners in establishing an appropriate regulatory environment and facilitating the mobilisation of the necessary funding to improve connectivity on the ground between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
It will also strengthen cooperation on research and innovation under ‘Horizon Europe'; explore the association to this programme of eligible likeminded Indo-Pacific partners such as Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand and Singapore.
The EU will explore ways to ensure enhanced naval deployments by EU Member States to help protect the sea lines of communication and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific while boosting Indo-Pacific partners' capacity to ensure maritime security.
It will reinforce support to healthcare systems and pandemic preparedness for the least developed countries in the Indo-Pacific region, enhancing collaborative research on communicable diseases in the context of the Horizon Europe research programme.
The adoption of the Joint Communication follows Council Conclusions on an EU Strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific adopted on 19 April 2021.
14th parliament session prorogued
The fourteenth session of the 11th parliament was prorogued on Thursday, after only seven sittings as it was another short session amid the Covid pandemic.
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury read out the prorogation order of the President.
Earlier, Leader of the Parliament and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Parliament GM Quader delivered their concluding speeches.
Nine bills were placed in the session that began on the first day of this month.
During the brief session, 31 important notices under section 71 of the rules of procedure were received, but none of them was discussed.
Read: Medical Degrees (Repeal) Bill goes through Parliament
Twenty-four questions were received for prime minister’s question-answer session and she replied to 16 of them. The session also received 584 questions for different ministers with the minsters answering 389 ones.
Only a limited number of MPs joined the parliament session maintaining health safety rules due to the pandemic.
There was a parliament sitting of this session on Friday, which is unusual as the day is a public holiday.
Before reading out the prorogation order, the Speaker thanked all the MPs of treasury and opposition benches and all other officials concerned for their cooperation in holding the session smoothly.
No worries about bank account details of journalists: Minister
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said journalist leaders have no reason to be worried about their bank account details sought by Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).
Speaking at the annual general meeting (AGM) of a faction of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), the minister also said the government is trying to bring discipline in the mass media by removing various problems.
Dr Hasan said he tried to look into the matter after seeing a report in the newspaper on seeking bank account details of 11 journalist leaders by the BFIU.
"The government can of course seek bank account details of anybody for any reason. But I don't think there's any reason to be worried about it. I know those whose bank account details have been sought. I also know the financial condition of many of them,” he said.
The DUJ’s AGM was held at the Jatiya Press Club with its president Quddus Afrad in the chair.
The BFIU of the Bangladesh Bank issued letters to the commercial banks asking for details of bank accounts of 11 journalist leaders last week.
The ministers said journalists themselves demanded removing chaos in the mass media and he is trying to do it in consultation with media persons. “This process is going on, and discipline has already been restored in many cases.”
Read: JPC condemns BFIU as it seeks bank account details of 11 journalists
He said the government is going to enforce the existing laws in the country so that foreign channels cannot show any advertisement without permission from October next.
Dr Hasan said they are also trying to ensure discipline in the case of IP TV as its registration process will start very soon.
About journalists’ concern about the Digital Security Act, he said this law has been enacted to ensure digital security to all people of the country. “There’re such laws all over the world, including in our neighbouring countries. Even, there’re tougher laws there.”
The minister said journalists or anyone else can get redress under this law if they are subjected to character assassination digitally. “So, the Digital Security Act is needed. At the same time, it should be ensured that this law does not hinder the professional duty of journalists.”
Speaking at the programme, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said those who engaged in the great profession of journalism have a deep responsibility and duty towards the country and the nation.
He called upon the journalists to brighten the country’s image in the international arena through depicting the real scenario of the country through objective journalism.
Dengue: 234 new patients hospitalised, no death reported in 24 hours
No death from Dengue was reported in 24 hours till Thursday morning but 234 more patients were hospitalised, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Among the new patients, 218 were undergoing hospital treatment in Dhaka while the remaining 52 cases were reported from outside the division, according to DGHS.
Some 1,247 patients diagnosed with dengue fever are receiving treatment in the country as of Thursday morning.
Also read: Keep the dengue mementoes in city museum, demand Jurain residents in unique protest
Of them, 1,047 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the remaining 200 were listed outside Dhaka.
The death toll from the mosquito-borne disease remained unchanged at 57.
Among the deceased, 53 died in Dhaka city alone, two in Chattogram division, one in Khulna and one in Rajshahi.
Some 15,065 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January.So far, 13,761 dengue patients have left hospitals after recovery, said the DGHS.
The number of dengue patients hospitalized in a single day was the highest with 343 patients on September 7.
Also read: Dengue: 307 more hospitalised, no deaths in 24 hours
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.
Health authorities have been recording over 200 dengue cases per day since August 1.
FM gifts masks to journalists at media briefing
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday gifted masks to journalists who attended a media briefing noting that safety comes first during COVID-19 situation.
The Foreign Minister handed over the masks to President of Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) Pantho Rahaman and its General Secretary AKM Moinuddin.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, among others, were present.
Also read: FM's book 'The Foreign Policy of the Twenty-First Century: Development and Leadership' published
Earlier, the Foreign Minister briefed the media on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official visit to the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Prime Minister will leave here on Friday to begin her two-week visit to New York and Washington DC with a stopover in Finland.
Covid claims 51 more lives in Bangladesh, case positivity rate falls to 5.98 per cent
The infection positivity rate dropped below six per cent as Bangladesh logged 51 more Covid-related deaths and 1,862 fresh cases in 24 hours until Thursday morning
The daily case positivity rate declined to 5.98 per cent on Thursday, a slight fall from Wednesday’s 6.54 per cent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
However, today’s fatalities were higher than the 35 deaths reported on Tuesday, the lowest in around three months.
Also read: Covid in Bangladesh: Daily deaths rise again as 51 more die
The new numbers pushed the country’s Covid death tally to 27,109 while the caseload climbed to 15,38,203.
Evaly CEO, chairman arrested from Mohammadpur residence
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested Evaly CEO Mohammad Rassel and his wife Shamima Nasrin, the chairman of the company, conducting a raid on their house at Mohammadpur in the city.
Sources at the Rab headquarters said the elite force members cordoned off the multi-storey building at Sir Sayed Road, Mohammadpur around 3:30 pm and arrested them around 5 pm.
The owners of Evaly, an e-commerce firm, were allegedly involved in embezzlement of several hundred crores of taka. They were arrested after a victim filed a case against them.
Read: Evaly is under ACC probe for alleged misappropriation
Earlier, on Wednesday night, a victim, Arif Baker, lodged a case with Gulshan police station accusing the couple.
Sub-inspector Ahidul Islam, the investigating officer of the case, said the case was registered over the allegation of embezzlement of money and fraudulence.