bangladesh
Worker dies falling from crane in Dhaka's Kadamtali
A construction worker died after falling from a crane while working at a building in Dhaka’s Kadamtali area on Thursday.
The incident took place at Famous Steel Mills in the BSCIC zone this afternoon.
Read: 4 dead, 3 injured as truck collides with ambulance in Gopalganj
The deceased was identified as Rakib Hossain, 19, son of Md Harun Mia of Hajihat village of Manpura upazila of Bhola district. He worked as a painter.
“Rakib was painting the fifth floor of a building from a crane. He suddenly fell off the crane,” Rakib’s brother Jewel Mia said.
Read: Missing tourist found dead in Sylhet’s Sada Pathor area
Rakib was declared dead after he was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 1:30 pm, said Bachchu Mia, inspector of the DMCH Police Outpost.
The body has been kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy, he said, adding this was informed to the concerned police station.
Bangladesh Embassy counsellor in Saudi Arabia fired for sexual harassment
A counsellor of Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh of Saudi Arabia has been sacked on charge of sexually harassing a female domestic help who took shelter at safe home in the embassy.
According to a gazette notification issued by the Public Administration Ministry on Thursday, counsellor Md Mehedi Hasan, also a deputy secretary, was fired from his service as the allegations brought against him were found to be true.
The allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against him when he was performing duty as the counsellor at the embassy.
Read: DSCC engineer sacked for graft
Later, he was made OSD to the Public Administration Ministry.
On January 24 in 2021, the deputy secretary was relieved from his post as the allegations of sexual harassment were proved against him.
Later on February 8 of the same year, he was temporarily suspended from the service to take departmental action against him.
Subsequently on March 8, he was served a show cause notice after being implicated in a departmental case for misconduct.
As his reply to the show cause was not satisfactory, an investigating officer was appointed to look into the allegations brought against him on June 20 of the same year.
Read: Ex-India skipper Md Azharuddin sacked as regional cricket body chief
The investigator submitted a report on December 20 in 2022 saying that the allegations were found to be true.
According to the Public Servants Act (discipline and appeal), a decision to sentence him was taken initially and served a show cause notice for the second time.
Also, he was asked to explain as to why he won’t be sacked from service.
As the deputy secretary failed to reply to the show cause with satisfactory answers for the second time, the decision to sack him was taken finally with the approval from the president.
Read more: Sacked SI held for cheating people in Cumilla
Budget session prorogued
The 23rd session of the 11th Parliament, which was the budget session, was prorogued on Thursday after 22 working days.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury read out the prorogation details from the President at 10:11pm.
Some 14 bills were passed in the House during the session that convened on May 31.
Read: Budget session in Parliament resumes Tuesday
On June 1, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal placed the Tk 7,61,785 crore-national budget for 2023-24 fiscal year, and it was passed on June 26.
Earlier on May 25, Parliament passed the Finance Bill 2023 with some minor changes.
The supplementary budget for 2021-22 fiscal year was passed on June 6.
Some 187 MPs participated in the general discussion on the budget that accumulated some 32 hours and 3 minutes.
Read: Parliament opens budget session on Wednesday
Some 97 questions were received for the Prime Minister to respond. She replied to 56 questions.
The session received 1,889 questions for different ministers and they replied to 1,338 questions.
Read more: Parliament to go into budget session May 31
PM urges JICA to allow farmers to use wastage of sea water in the desalination project at Matarbari
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to allow local farmers to use wastage of sea water in the desalination project at Matarbari of Coxs Bazar.
The Prime Minister made the call when Executive Senior Vice President of JICA called on her at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Read: JICA remembers Japanese nationals who lost lives in Holey Artisan attack
Prime Minister's Speech Writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters.
Hasina said that local farmers can be benefited more through the initiative.
During the time, the Prime Minister pointed out Moheshkhali-Matarbari Integrated Infrastructure Development Initiative (MIDI) and directed authorities concerned to form an authority to this end.
Talking about the EPZ in Araihazar of Narayanganj, she mentioned that one-stop service point would be set up there so that the investors do not face any hassle.
Read: JICA Executive Senior Vice President meets Nasrul Hamid
Hasina also talked about the Children Library to be constructed at Shahbagh with the initiative of JICA and said that it would be set up near Shishu Park.
During the Call on, the JICA Executive Senior Vice President said that he visited three mega projects including Matarbari, Arraihazar EPZ and 3rd Terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Expressing satisfaction at the progress of the projects' works, Yamada Junichi said that access road to the deep seaport will be opened later this year.
Besides, the Matarbari Power Plant project will go into operation early next year as 95 percent of the work had already been completed, he added.
Read more: Terminal 3 of Dhaka Airport getting ready to ‘take off’: JICA shares latest photos
Only AL can ensure free, fair election in Bangladesh: PM Hasina tells parliament
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday firmly told parliament that only Awami League can give free and neutral elections in this country and it will continue protecting the voting rights of the people.
“Only Awami League can give free and neutral elections in this country. I can undoubtedly say it," she said, referring to recent city corporation elections and parliamentary by-polls held under her government.
The premier said this while delivering her valedictory speech at the 23rd session (2023-24 Budget Session) of the 11th parliament.
“Our goal is to protect voting rights of the people and attain economic emancipation of the people. We’ve been doing the work and will continue doing it ,” she said.
The Leader of the House said none could raise a single question regarding the recent city elections in Barishal, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Gazipur.
Read: Raushan Ershad hopes next national election will be free and fair
“Has any election ever been held in such a peaceful manner in Bangladesh in the past?” she asked.
About the parliamentary by-polls, she said every by-election was held in fair, free and neutral manners.
Earlier, the prime minister raised how elections were rigged in the past during the regimes of Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad and Khaleda Zia.
She said Ziaur Rahman spoiled the electoral system of the country by grabbing power illegally. Then HM Ershad followed him and Khaleda Zia followed Ershad, she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, said her party always struggled for returning the voting rights of the people to their hands.
She said she handed over the power in the most peaceful way in 2001 for the first time in the history of Bangladesh.
Read: No dialogue until govt accepts demand of caretaker govt, quits power: Fakhrul
Depicting the misrules, violence and tortures unleashed by BNP regimes, she said their tortures can be compared only to the repressions carried out by Pakistan occupation forces in 1971.
Noting that none could raise any question over the 2008 general election, she said BNP secured only 29 seats (out of 300) in that election, which reflected the condition of BNP clearly.
The PM said AL and BNP can’t be equal as AL was founded in 1949 from the movement for establishing rights of people, whereas BNP was formed in an illegal way from cantonment grabbing the state power.
“So, their (BNP’s) ideology and principle don’t match with those of AL,” said Sheikh Hasina.
She said her government protected the voting rights of the people and continued the democratic process in Bangladesh during the 2009-2023 period.
Read: BNP, like-minded parties plotting to create chaos over polls: Quader
“Since AL has been in power, the democratic trend continues, the purchasing power of the people has increased, and the country has gained the status of a developing country today,” she said.
Pointing at those who question the human rights situation of Bangladesh, she said they should protect the human rights of the people of their own countries first.
She questioned why those who say there are no human rights in Bangladesh, didn’t see the repression committed in 2001, the August 21 grenade attack and what happened in Bangladesh from August 15, 1975 to 1996.
Noting that her government gave shelter to persecuted and forcibly displaced Rohingya people in Bangladesh, the PM said: “We took the responsibility of so many people on humanitarian ground. What can be a big instance of human rights protection from it? It is my question,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina questioned why the AL government would violate human rights when it gave shelter to persecuted people of another country. “How can they say that?” she said.
She said many people were killed in many places throughout the world. Children are killed in schools and (the people were killed) in shopping malls and streets in gun-shootings regularly even in the USA, she added.
Read: No fair polls possible without neutral govt: Fakhrul tells EU envoy
“They should protect the human rights of their own countries first,” said the PM.
The session, which started on May 31, was later prorogued. It held 22 sittings.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury read out the prorogation order of the president in the afternoon.
Metro Rail's test run from Agargaon to Motijheel on Friday
Authorities will conduct a test run of metro rail from Agargaon to Motijheel section on Friday (July 7).
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader will officially inaugurate the test run of the train at 3:30pm at Agargaon station of metro rail, said Sheikh Walid Foyez, senior information officer of the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry.
Read: World Bank agrees to finance for development of metro rail-centric communication
But at a June 18 programme, Obaidul Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Agargaon-Motijheel section in October this year.
The prime minister formally inaugurated the Uttara-Agargaon section of MRT-6 on December 28 last year.
Read: Metro Rail’s Mirpur-11, Kazipara stations now open to commuters
At first, only three stations on this route were open to the public. Later, all nine stations on the Uttara-Agargaon route became operational in phases.
10 districts get new DCs
The government has appointed new deputy commissioners to 10 districts in the country on Thursday.
New Deputy Commissioners have been appointed in Dhaka, Gazipur, Cumilla, Rangamati, Bandarban, Tangail, Pabna, Shariatpur, Laxmipur and Feni districts.
The Ministry of Public Administration has issued a notification in this regard.
Gazipur's Deputy Commissioner Anisur Rahman has been transferred to Dhaka and was replaced by the Power Division's Deputy Secretary Abul Fateh Mohammad Shafiqul Islam.
The other deputy commissioners are – Deputy Secretary of Public Security Department Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Khan (Rangamati), Personal Secretary to the mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation Shah Mojahid Uddin (Bandarban), Principal Secretary to the prime minister's Chief Secretary Md Kaysarul Islam (Tangail), Personal Secretary to the home minister Md Asaduzzaman (Pabna), Personal Secretary to the deputy minister of the Water Resources Arifuzzaman (Shariatpur), Deputy Secretary of Finance Division Suraiya Jahan (Laxmipur), Personal Secretary to state minister for Disaster Management and Relief Khandakar Md Mushfiqur Rahman (Cumilla), and Economic Relations Division's Deputy Secretary Mushammat Shahina Akhtar (Feni).
Earlier, on March 12, the government reshuffled the post of DC in eight districts.
Bangladesh-UK relations transformed to strategic partnership: British envoy
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke on Thursday said Bangladesh-UK relations have transformed from development assistance-driven to a more strategic and economic partnership.
The UK envoy observed that Bangladesh would be the leading beneficiary of the UK’s new Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) and hoped that it would help Bangladesh to increase export and diversify its economy.
The High Commissioner expressed her deep satisfaction over the immense socio-economic progress Bangladesh has achieved.
The new British High Commissioner met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam at his office.
Read: UK to support Bangladesh’s aspiration of becoming an aviation hub
The British High Commissioner requested for Bangladesh’s support to the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) and hoped for free and fair general elections in Bangladesh, according to a media release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Congratulating the new High Commissioner, the State Minister termed the historic friendly relations between the two countries as true ‘Brit-Bangla Bondhon’ which is based on strong foundations like a large Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK, enhanced trade and investment relations.
He thanked the UK government for DFQF market access until 2029 and urged the need for continuation of the DFQF facilities until 2032 and British investments in startups, services and IT sectors, among others.
Alam appreciated humanitarian and political support of the UK government for the forcibly displaced Rohingyas, temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh.
Reform of the existing labour laws, improvement of the labour conditions, green transition, scope of cooperation on climate issues, facilitation of visas for the Bangladeshi students, upcoming national elections, Bangladesh’s candidature to the IMO Secretary-General election were highlighted by the State Minister.
Read: UK provides £11.6 million humanitarian support for Rohingyas, affected communities in Bangladesh
Referring to the newer dimension of aviation cooperation, he hoped for further assistance of the UK in the pursuit of Bangladesh’s becoming an aviation hub.
The envoy expressed the UK’s desire of sharing knowledge, expertise and technology in the aviation sector, deeper engagement and cooperation on climate issues, and political support in different multilateral fora on Rohingya crisis.
She conveyed desire of some British educational institutions to extend their operation in Dhaka and the possibility of substantial investment by the British Investment International (BII) in Bangladesh.
Read more: First cohort of Bangladeshis recruited for seasonal work in UK farm sector
Lutfor Rahman appointed next Ambassador of Bangladesh to Viet Nam
The government has appointed Md. Lutfor Rahman as the next Ambassador of Bangladesh to Viet Nam.
He will replace Ambassador Samina Naz in this capacity, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
Read: Monirul Islam next Ambassador of Bangladesh to Italy
A career diplomat, Md. Lutfor Rahman belongs to the 17th batch of BCS (Foreign Affairs) Cadre.
Joining the Foreign Service in 1998, he is now serving as the Bangladesh Consul General in Toronto.
Before that, he was serving as the Deputy High Commissioner at Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Mumbai.
Read: Govt appoints Samina Naz as next Ambassador of Bangladesh to Egypt
In his diplomatic career, he also served in various capacities in Bangladesh missions in Hanoi, Karachi, Riyadh and Rabat.
Born in Thakurgaon, Lutfor Rahman graduated in Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
Acquisition and Tenancy (Amendment) Bill passed in JS to ease case backlog
The State Acquisition and Tenancy (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed in Parliament on Thursday bringing a minor change in the existing law to ease case backlog.
Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury moved the bill and it was passed by voice vote.
There is a provision for a tribunal in the law. In the district level, assistant judge or senior assistant judge can be given the authority to settle the cases, while the district judge can act as the appeal authority until the formal tribunal is formed as per the draft law.
Read: Industry Design Bill passed in JS to protect intellectual property rights
As per the proposed law, until such a judge is appointed, the government may empower a joint district judge in each district as the judge of the Land Survey Tribunal of the district.
The proposed law mentioned that joint district judge empowered shall be deemed to be the judge of the Land Survey Tribunal appointed under the sub-section.
It said that the government may, if necessary, appoint one or more senior assistant judges or assistant judge as a judge of the Land Survey Tribunal to dispose of the suits transferred by the judge of the Land Survey Tribunal appointed or empowered.
The government shall appoint the judge of the Land Survey Appellate Tribunal from among the persons who are district judges.
Until such judge is appointed, the government may empower the district judge as the judge of the Land Survey Appellate Tribunal of the district.
The district judge, empowered shall be deemed to be the judge of the Land Survey Appellate Tribunal can be appointed.
Read: JS passes bill with major changes in Public-Private Partnership Authority’s role
The government may, if necessary, appoint one or more Additional District Judges as a judge of the Land Survey Appellate Tribunal to hear appeals transferred by the judge of the Land Survey Appellate Tribunal appointed or empowered under this section.
As per the objective of the proposed law, the amendment has been brought to remove backlog of cases and ensure justice for the mass people.
Read more: Bill placed in JS to ensure transparency, accountability in public procurement