Chattogram
Athlete dies completing marathon in Chattogram
An athlete in Chattogram died soon after completing a 21.1 km half marathon race in Chattogram’s Patenga sea beach.
The deceased was identified as Jamil Hossain, 45, son of Moazzem Hossain of Nawabpara area of Patuakhali.
Read:Bomb blast at Ctg traffic police box: JMB leader Selim held
The incident occurred at 9 am on Friday (January 6) after the Chattogram City Half Marathon at the sea beach.
Kabir Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Patenga Police Station said, Jamil fell ill at the finishing point of the marathon. He was given first aid at the Navy Hospital from where he was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. There the on-duty doctor declared him dead.
Rape in Chattogram: step father held
Rab have arrested a person on Thursday night for allegedly raping his teenaged stepdaughter in Chattogram's Hathazari.
The arrestee Ibrahim Hossain Parvez, 35, is the son of Nur Islam of Fatika village in Hathazari.
Read: Cox’s Bazar gang rape: Prime accused Ashiq put on 3-day remand
The incident occurred on Wednesday when the 10th grade school girl came to visit her mother.
Next day, her mother lodged a complaint in this regard.
RAB-7 senior assistant director (media) Nurul Abshar said, on the basis of the complaint Ibrahim was arrested on Thursday from Hathazari’s Madhyam Mirer Khil area.
Read: Cox’s Bazar schoolgirl rape: Prime accused, 2 others held
After filing a case the man was handed over to Hathazari police station, he said.
BNP leader Aslam Chy indicted in embezzlement case
A Chattogram court on Thursday framed charges against BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury, his wife and two others in a case filed for embezzling Tk 325 crore of bank loan.
Chattogram District Special Judge Munshi Abdul Majid passed the order during a hearing on the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said Kazi Sanwar Ahmed, Public Prosecutor of ACC.
The other accused in the case are Aslam Chowdhury’s wife Jamila Najnin Mowla, his brothers- Jashim Uddin Chowdhury and Amjad Hossain Chowdhury.
Also read: Aslam Chowdhury's bail order stayed
On July 17, 2016, Manik Lal Das, Deputy Assistant Director of the ACC, filed the case against BNP’s Joint General Secretary Aslam and his family members on charges of embezzling Tk 325.74 crore loan of AB Bank, Agrabad branch.
On August 7, 2017, Deputy Director of ACC in Dhaka Md Mosharraf Hossain Mridha submitted the charge sheet in the case after investigation.
Also read: BNP's Aslam Chowdhury gets bail in two 2013 sabotage cases
ACC case against policeman in Chattogram
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against Chattogram Police inspector and former officer-in-charge (OC) of Lohagara and Sandwip Md Shajahan for concealing information on his assets.
ACC Chattogram-2 Region Deputy Director Ratan Kumar Das filed the case on Tuesday.
In the case filed by the ACC, Inspector Shahjahan has been accused of misusing his power and concealing information on acquiring assets worth Tk 49.39 lakh. At the same time, assets worth Tk 78.1 lakh is found to be inconsistent with his known source of income.
READ: Social Islami Bank official sued by ACC
Earlier, ACC directed the Md Shajahan and his wife Ferdousi Akter to file separate statements of assets.
Md Shahjahan joined Lohagara police station on 12 June 2012 as OC. There he was accused of various irregularities including abuse of power, illegal arrests and acquisition of assets. He was later transferred to Swandip over the allegations. Similar allegations were raised against him in Swandip too.
READ: Ex-OC Pradeep denied bail again in ACC case
In February 2018, ACC Chattogram-2 started an investigation based on a complaint lodged by a person named Harun at the ACC head office in Lohagara.
City development: Ecnec clears Tk 2,490 cr for Chattogram
The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday cleared 10 development projects, including a Tk 2,490-crore one, for the development of different roads and infrastructures of Chattogram city aiming to remove its traffic chaos and enhance its beauty.
The approval came from an Ecnec meeting presided over by Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who joined it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban. The ministers and officials concerned were connected from the NEC conference room in the capital.
“Ten projects, including seven revised ones, were approved in today’s meeting and the overall estimated cost of the projects is Tk 11,211.44 crore (only additional costs of revised projects were counted here),” said Planning Minister MA Mannan while briefing reporters after the meeting.
Read:Turning Bangladesh into digital economy: Ecnec clears Tk 2,542 cr project
About the revision of so many projects, he said some practical problems are there in Bangladesh, which delay the implementation of those.
Describing the problems, the minister said the reasons behind the revision of projects in Bangladesh include Covid-19 pandemic, price-hike of project materials, land acquisition complexities, and delayed release of foreign funds.
Talking about the project titled “Improvement of different roads including Airport Road and Development of important infrastructures under Chattogram City Corporation,’’ MA Mannan said the project will be implemented by December 2024.
“It’s a large project since the incumbent mayor of the city was elected,” he said.
3-day intl tourism fair begins in Chattogram Thursday
International tourism fair "TripLover Chittagong Travel Mart 2022" will kick off in the port city Thursday.
To revive the Covid-hit travel and tourism industry of the country, travel and tourism publication The Bangladesh Monitor has taken the initiative to organise the 12th edition of the fair.
The three-day tourism fair will be held at The Peninsula Chittagong Hotel.
Also read: Triplover becomes title sponsor of intl tourism fair 'Chittagong Travel Mart 2022'
Stakeholders in the travel and tourism sector, from home and abroad, including airlines, tour operators, hotels, resorts, online travel agencies, hospitals and other healthcare service providers, immigration solution providers will join it.
Bangladeshi online travel agency Triplover has become the title sponsor of the fair, while the Bangladesh Tourism Board has joined it as a partner.
A total of 26 participants will showcase their products and services in 29 stalls at the fair.
TripLover, the Bangladesh Tourism Board, US-Bangla Airlines, Best Western Heritage, Sea Shell Hotel, Hotel Grand Mostafa, Arshinagar Future Park, Hotel The Cox Today, Goldsands Hotels and Resorts, Ocean Paradise Hotel and Resort, Nagar Valley Hotel, Sangu Tours, Blue-Dream Tours and Travels, GoTrip, and Eco Travelers will join the international tourism fair.
Travel Business Portal, TLNTRIP, Bumrungrad Hospital Bangladesh Office, CM International Immigration Service, Innoglobe Technologies, Med Solutions, United College of Aviation Science and Management, THR Immigration Service, and Fortis Hospital Bangalore are the other participants.
Also read: Triplover: US-Bangla's online travel agency eyes to make a big difference
They will offer special discounts on air tickets, tour packages and other products and services for the visitors during the fair.
The fair will be open for all from 10am to 8pm every day till January 8.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali will inaugurate it as the chief guest.
Star Cineplex to open its maiden theatre in Chattogram next year
Quenching the thirst of movie buffs in Chattogram, the country's largest multiplex chain -- Star Cineplex -- will open its maiden theatre in the port city at Bali Arcade Shopping Complex in the Chawkbazar area.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel on Thursday evening. The agreement was signed by Mahboob Rahman Ruhel, chairman of Show Motion Limited, and Aftab Alam, chairman, The Casablanca Limited.
At a press meet, it was informed that the multiplex is planned to be launched in the middle of next year (2022). This spacious multiplex will have three halls with seating arrangements for 400 moviegoers.
READ: Documentary on Bangabandhu premiered at Star Cineplex
The halls will be constructed following world-class cinema hall standards, including an aesthetic environment, state-of-the-art visuals on the giant screen, and high-quality Dolby sound systems, the organisers informed.
'We have already announced plans to build many cinema halls across the country. The work of implementing that plan has been continuously going on. This initiative will continue to expand the country's film industry, and it will enthral the movie lovers in Chittagong who expect a world-class multiplex like Star Cineplex,” Mahboob Rahman Ruhel, chairman of Star Cineplex, told reporters.
Explaining the venture, Ruhel added, “I myself am from Chittagong, and many have asked me to open this branch as this is a long-standing demand of the movie lovers in Chittagong. I wanted to fulfil this demand a long ago but due to the pandemic and some other reasons, we could not open it earlier. So this marks a jovial occasion for me, personally.”
Bangladesh’s first multiplex cinema hall Star Cineplex was launched on October 6, 2004, at Bashundhara City Shopping Mall in the capital. Currently, Star Cineplex is operating four branches in Dhaka at Bashundhara City in Panthapath, Shimanto Shambhar in Dhanmondi, Sony Square in Mirpur and SKS Tower, Mohakhali.
"We had a plan to launch more than a hundred single screens inside our multiplexes, as part of our countrywide expansion masterplan. Due to the pandemic havoc, we had to compromise that plan, now having only 14 screens inside our four multiplexes; however, my dream is to fulfill that target as soon as possible,” Ruhel had told UNB earlier.
READ: Star Cineplex to continue screening movies at Bashundhara City
Outside Dhaka, two branches are under construction, at Bogura and Rajshahi.
Three bikers killed in separate crashes in Chattogram
Three bikers have been killed in separate road accidents in Chattogram city in the past 24 hours.
The deceased were identified as Touhid Uddin, 28, and Salah Uddin, 25, both residents of Begumganj in Noakhali, and Sajedul Faisal, 24, of Ranguni upazila in Chattogram.
Read: Two killed in Dinajpur road crash
Adam Ali, a sub-inspector with Dohajari Highway police, said that Towhid and Salah sustained serious injuries after their bike was hit by an unidentified vehicle on the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway in the Mithardighi area of Satkania upazila on Wednesday afternoon.
The two were rushed to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), where they succumbed to their injuries.
Read: Two motorcyclists killed in Manikganj road crash
In the evening, Sajedul and his friend Md Akib were injured when a three-wheeler hit their motorcycle in the Noapara area of Raozan.
They were taken to CMCH, where Sajedul was declared dead on arrival, said Md Alauddin Talukder, assistant sub-Inspector at CMCH police outpost.
Mushtari Shafi laid to eternal rest in Chattogram
Eminent litterateur and freedom fighter Begum Mushtari Shafi, also known as "Shaheedjaya" (wife of a martyr), was laid to rest with state honours at Chaitanyagali graveyard, Chattogram Wednesday.
Earlier, her namaz-e-janaza was held at Jamiatul Falah National Mosque Ground after Zuhr prayers.
Thousands of people including, eminent personalities, political leaders, social and cultural activists attended the janaza.
People from all walks of life paid their last respects to Begum Mushtari at the Central Shaheed Minar in Chattogram at 11:30am. A team of Chattogram Metropolitan Police gave a guard of honour to the freedom fighter there.
Freedom fighters Nurul Absar, Balagat Ullah; woman leader Nurjahan Khan, Professor Rita Dutta, dramatist Ahmed Iqbal Haider, writer Anwara Alam, and poets Ashish Sen, Abul Momen paid homage to Begum Mushtari, along with a host of other people.
Monday, Begum Mushtari, also president of Udichi Shilpigosthi Chattogram unit, breathed her last at 5pm at Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka.
The 84-year-old was undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit of the hospital for various complications, including kidney and blood infections.
Born on January 15, 1938, in West Bengal, Begum Mushtari participated in the 1952 Language Movement. Her ancestral home is in the Faridpur district.
In the 1960s, she founded the women's organisation called Bandhabi Sangha in Chattogram.
From this organisation, she published a regular magazine, "Bandhabi," and started a printing house called Meyeder Press, which were considered as remarkable activities at a time when examples of women activism were rare in society.
READ: Writer, freedom fighter Begum Mushtari Shafi dies
Her husband doctor Mohammad Shafi and younger brother Ehsanul Haque Ansari were assassinated by the Pakistani military on April 7, 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
With that deep grief in her heart, Mushtari worked at Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra as a voice artiste, till December 16, 1971, to inspire the freedom fighters.
She preserved the memories and her experiences of the Liberation War in some of her notable books – "Women of Chittagong in the War of Liberation," "Letter to Jahanara Imam," and "Swadhinata Amar Roktojhora Din"
For her outstanding role during the Liberation War, the Bangla Academy awarded Mushtari a fellowship in 2016. She also received the state award Rokeya Padak in literature last year.
CDA starts demolishing three risky buildings in Ctg
Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) on Tuesday started demolishing three risky buildings including one that tilted at Majhirghat in Sadarghat area of the port city on Monday night.
CDA officials said a building tilted during the ongoing canal re-excavation work to end waterlogging in the port city.
Read:3-storey building in Chattogram tilts
Local people staged demonstrations in the area on Tuesday demanding compensation from the CDA authorities.
Shahinul Islam, chief city planning officer of CDA, said “According to the CDA guidelines, a structure should be established 15 feet off a canal and during the approval of the building the authorities concerned warned the owners of it . But the owners constructed the buildings adjacent to the canal ignoring the warning.”
A notice was served on the owners before starting the re-excavation work of the canal, he said.
Besides, the CDA authorities also asked them to show legal documents but they failed to show it.
Read: Earthquake: 3 buildings tilt in Chattogram
A building tilted towards a nearby building on Monday, triggering panic among locals. Besides, two building in the same area were identified as risky.
A rescue team from Agrabad Fire Service Station managed to evacuate the residents of the building.