State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has shared an explanation on why load shedding has become more acute and frequent in Bangladesh as people struggle with the ongoing sweltering heat.  “People of Bangladesh are suffering during this scorching heat. Use of air conditioners and fans is increasing, and people are using these devices for comfort,” the state minister wrote in a post on his verified Facebook profile. Read more: BTMA seeks smooth gas-electricity supply and loan moratorium to survive On June 3, Bangladesh generated 13,635 MW of electricity, yet there was load shedding, he noted. Imagine what would have happened in the country today if 3000 MW of electricity were being produced as was the case during the last BNP-Jamaat government, he wrote. “The Awami League government has provided electricity to all the villages and cities in the country. This is a people's government, so the government wants to deal with this crisis with the cooperation of everyone,” Nasrul Hamid wrote in the post. Read more: 1500 MW of electricity from solar systems can be generated in next 1 year: Speakers He urged everyone to save electricity from their individual position.

Bangladeshi writer in exile, Taslima Nasrin, has once again made news – saying she “became a big victim of medical crime” in India.   The internationally renowned writer, who is often embroiled in controversies, tweeted on her verified account on January 19, 2023: “I fell on the floor at my home and went to a private hospital for the internal fixation of my simple femoral neck fracture. Doctors did not want to do fixation, they have done my total hip replacement without any indication. Handicapped forever.” Taslima then tweeted, “I have seen my Xray report today (January 21, 2023). My Xray shows no fracture on my femur or anywhere. I came to a city private hospital to treat my knee pain after I fell on my knee. I never had any joint pain or any joint disease. But my total hip replacement was done.” Read more: Charges pressed against author Taslima Nasrin, 2 others in ICT case She tweeted by saying, “I became a big victim of medical crime. I was a healthy and fit person. In the name of treating my knee strain, they cut the parts of my healthy body off; my healthy hip joint, my femur were thrown away and a metal was put inside me. They have made me permanently handicapped”. She followed that with another tweet: “I became a big victim of medical crime. I was a healthy and fit person. In the name of treating my knee strain, they cut the parts of my healthy body off; my healthy hip joint, my femur were thrown away and a metal was put inside me. They have made me permanently handicapped.” Earlier in a Facebook post from her verified profile, Taslima said that the doctor imposed several restrictions, which included avoiding sitting in a normal chair, carrying heavy things, and sitting cross-legged. Read More: Freedom fighters receiving free medical treatment: Liberation War Minister On Friday (January 20, 2023), in another Facebook post she wrote, “Returned home from the hospital after being made paralyzed in exchange of lakhs of taka”.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy has said Bangladesh’s first military ruler Gen Ziaur Rahman had executed thousands of members of Bangladesh's armed forces through so called 'military tribunals.' In a Facebook post shared from his verified account, Joy said Zia had done this in order to prolong his unconstitutional and illegal hold on power. “It should be noted that a majority of those killed were freedom fighters,” Joy said posing a question, “How many members of the armed forces were killed during Zia's illegal rule? Read: August 21 grenade attack planned in Hawa Bhaban: Joy He shared a report run by private television channel – Somoy TV and advising people to watch the report.   General Zia, founder of the BNP, became the army chief after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15 in 1975, and eventually the first military ruler of Bangladesh.

Narail court has placed college student Akash Saha on a three-day remand in a case over a Facebook post that allegedly hurt religious sentiment in Lohagara upazila of the district. Senior Judicial Magistrate Morshedul Alam passed order on Sunday after investigating officer of the case Makfur Rahman, also  sub-inspector (SI) of Lohagara police station, sought a seven-day remand to interrogate him. Police arrested Akash Saha from Khulna Saturday night. Besides, another case was filed against 200 to 250 people at Lohagara police station on Sunday night in connection with the vandalism of houses and shops and attacks on two temples in Sahapara, said Sheikh Abu Hena Milon, officer-in-charge of the police station. Read: Narail vandalism: Youth held over Facebook post ‘hurting religious sentiment’ On Friday, an angry mob went on a rampage in Lohagara upazila of Narail district damaging at least two houses of the Hindu community and several shops at Digholia Bazar following the Facebook post by the youth. Haran Chandra Pal, officer-in-charge of Lohagara police station, said the college student belonging to the Hindu community posted a remark on Facebook hurting religious sentiments on Friday. As the news spread like wildfire, a group of local people thronged Digholia Bazar and vandalised two houses and six shops that night. They also set one of these houses on fire over the issue, the OC said. They also vandalised chairs and sound boxes of Shahapara temple and tin roof of Akhrabari temple during the mayhem. On information, police rushed to the spot and fired in the air to bring the situation under control. Additional police forces were deployed in the area to avert further trouble.

Police in a drive arrested  Narail college student Akash Saha from Khulna Saturday night over a Facebook post that allegedly hurt religious sentiment, police said on Sunday. An angry mob on Friday went on a rampage in Lohagara upazila of Narail district damaging at least two houses of the Hindu community and several shops at Digholia Bazar following the Facebook post by the youth. Haran Chandra Pal, officer-in-charge of Lohagarha Police Station, said the college student belonging to the Hindu community posted a remark on Facebook hurting religious sentiments on Friday. As the news spread like wildfire, a group of local people thronged Digholia Bazar and vandalised two houses and six shops that night. They also set one of these houses on fire over the issue, the OC said. Also read: Hindu houses, shops vandalised in Narail They also vandalised chairs and sound boxes of Shahapara temple and tin roof of Akhrabari temple during the mayhem. On information, police rushed to the spot and fired in the air to bring the situation under control.Additional police force were deployed in the area to avert further trouble. Read:Narail teacher's humiliation: Sadar thana OC stand-released The protesters also staged demonstrations in front of the house of Akash demanding his arrest. Prabir Kumar Roy, superintendent of Narail Police on Sunday said “Legal steps will be taken against the offenders after investigation.

A Narail court on Sunday placed four accused in a case over the humiliation of a college teacher in the district on a three-day remand. The accused are mobile phone mechanic Shaon, auto-rickshaw driver Rimon, madrasa teachers Monirul Islam and Rahmat Ullah Rony. Read:Narail teacher's humiliation: Sadar thana OC stand-released Narail Judicial Magistrate Court-2 Judge Amatul Morsheda passed the order after the investigating officer of the case sought a five-day remand to interrogate them. On June 18, a Hindu student of Mirzapur United Degree College made a post on Facebook supporting suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. There was day-long unrest in the college over the post and rumours that acting principal Swapan Kumar Biswas had sided with the student, following which police escorted him out of the campus. At one stage, a group of people forced him to wear a garland of shoes. A video of the incident also went viral on social media that sparked huge criticism. Later, the accused, who made the Facebook post, was arrested and a case was filed against him under the Digital Security Act. On June 26, two probe committees were formed led by Additional District Magistrate Jubayer Hossain Chowdhury and by Additional Superintendent of Police Md Riazul Islam. Read: Directive issued to stop using mobile phones in Narail schools, colleges and madrashas On June 27, three more were arrested in another case filed at the Sadar Police Station police for setting teachers’ vehicles on fire and obstructing police duty. Police also arrested Rahmat Ullah Roni, the prime accused in this case, from Khulna on June 29.

Five students of Dhaka University's Sir AF Rahman Hall were allegedly beaten up by seniors, also Bangladesh Chhatra League activists, following a Facebook post on Thursday. The victim students are-- Rubel Hossain and Al-Amin Hamid of Management department, Bulbul Ahmed and Rana Hossain of Islamic Studies department and Md Emdadul of Finance department. They all are first year students residing in the hall. The accused students are Lalon Hossain of Geography and Environment department, Ariful Islam Arif and Asif Hossain of Marketing Department and Wajid Tawsif of Music Department. The accused are all second year students and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists. Sources from the hall said recently, a first year student  and resident of the hall was beaten up seriously. After that, the organizing secretary of BCL hall committee Saleh Uddin Saju issued an instruction to end the 'Guest Room culture' in the hall. Read:Female student complains of harassment at DU dorm The 'guest room culture' refers to a practice whereby senior students, particularly politically active ones -usually BCL leaders now- gather junior students in a hall room under the pretext of political sensitisation sessions to more casual get-togethers. But these sessions have long been criticized as the setting for seniors to harass and torture junior students physically and mentally. That's why residents of the hall posted their positive reactions on Facebook to the instruction by Saju, welcoming it. However, the accused BCL activists called all the first-year students of the hall to the guest room and harassed them. The five students were later beaten separately by the four second-year students around 10pm on Thursday, said a first-year student at the hall, who declined to be named. He added that BCL leader Lalon Hossain had beaten up the students. The accused tortured them in various ways till 12am. The victims declined to comment fearing further torture.  When contacted, accused Lalon Hossain flatly denied the allegations. "There was no guest room in the hall, and no such incident of torture took place," he said. Read: DU authority asks public not to enter campus unnecessarily Meanwhile, Saleh Uddin Ahmed Saju, who had given the positive instruction against guest room culture, said he discussed the matter with everyone after being informed. But the victims said nothing in this regard. Saju said he has warned everyone not to let such incidents happen again. Professor Saiful Islam Khan, Provost of Sir AF Rahman Hall, told UNB that he had not received any complaint from the students. "I heard about it from the media," he said. "We need the permission of the administration to hold any kind of congregation in the guest room. No such permission was taken regarding this. However, I have asked the house tutor of the concerned block to look into the matter," the provost added.

A police complaint has been filed against Dhaka University Prof Asif Nazrul over his controversial Facebook post hinting at a Kabul airport-like situation in Bangladesh "if fair elections are held". Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the students' wing of the ruling Awami League, filed the complaint at the Shahbagh police station on Wednesday night, said acting officer-in-charge Moudud Howlader. Read:National Mourning Day observed at DU "His remarks have tarnished the country's image," as per the complaint. Police on Thursday claimed to have received the complaint from BCL's human resource development secretary Md Nahid Hasan Shahin, but said that no FIR was filed in connection with the general diary entry. “The complaint has been accepted as a general diary entry. As the allegation pertains to cyber security, we will take further steps only after consultation with the detective branch of the cyber unit," Moudud said. Read RNPP contractor Asif Hossain secures HC bail In his Facebook post on 17 August, the law professor wrote: "The scenario of Kabul Airport could also take place in Bangladesh as well, if fair elections were held here." Enraged by the Facebook post, BCL on Wednesday even locked his office at the university’s law department.

Police arrested a businessman after he uploaded a Facebook post boasting of taking Covid vaccine at his home in the port city on Monday. Mohammad Hasan’s trouble began as his post, along with his image taking the shot in the arm, went viral. Another man Mobarak Ali, who assisted him in  taking the jab, was also arrested. Read:Another black fungus case detected in Chattogram Aftab Hossain, inspector of Khulshi Police Station, said Hasan also uploaded a statement thanking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Mobarak Ali for getting the first dose of Moderna vaccine, said Aftab. Mohammad Shahinuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Khulshi Police Station, said “We have got an oral complaint. Later, a team of police conducted a drive at the house of Hasan at Zakir Hossain Road and arrested him early Monday.” Read:Chattogram receives 2.6 lakh jabs ahead of vaccination push Police are looking for Hasan’s friend who took the vaccine in the same manner, said OC. Civil Surgeon Sheikh Fazle Rabbi, said “We will find out who were behind this and who took the shots at home. The health worker, who is responsible for that, will be brought under law as taking a jab at home is a crime.”

Hefajat-e-Islam followers Wednesday vandalised several Hindu houses in Sunamganj as a Hindu youth had allegedly criticised the party's Joint Secretary General Maulana Mamunul Haque on social media.