The Advisory Council meeting on Thursday gave final approval to the draft of 'Security of Family Members of the Father of the Nation (Repeal) Ordinance, 2024', subject to vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Department. Interim Government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus chaired the meeting at state guesthouse Jamuna. “Our government is an outcome of anti-discrimination movement. It (the security ordinance) was seen as discriminatory,” Adviser on Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Syeda Rizwana Hasan told reporters after the meeting. The Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs initiated the issue as they feel there is “no necessity” of such special security. As per the decision of the previous government, the 'Father of the Nation Security of Family Members Act, 2009' (Act No. 63 of 2009) was enacted and promulgated. Later, a gazette was issued to provide special security and facilities as per the Act. The law was enacted only to provide state privileges to members of a family which is a clear discrimination, said the Advisory Council. The current interim government is committed to eradicating all discrimination after the anti-discrimination student uprising, according to the press wing of the Chief Adviser. It is necessary to take immediate action and issue an ordinance to repeal this Act, the Council viewed. The family members of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were getting foolproof state security everywhere in the country, including their residences and free utility services. Meanwhile, the Advisory Council in its meeting also gave final approval to the draft of 'Special Security Force (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024'. The 'Special Security Force Act, 2021' was formulated to provide security to the President, Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, family members of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In view of the popular uprising of the students, an interim government was formed on August 8, 2024, consisting of the Chief Adviser and other advisers. In such a changing situation, it is necessary to ensure the security of the Chief Adviser under the 'Special Security Force Act, 2021'. It was also necessary to cancel some of the provisions of the said law with the addition of the security provision of the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. 'Special Security Force Amendment Ordinance 2024' was unanimously approved in the advisory council meeting.    

Brig Gen (Retd) M. Sakhawat Hussain today (February 22, 2023) said that using a liberal interpretation of the non-lethal assistance clause may allow the United States to provide military support to the various ethnic armed organizations (EAO) in Myanmar which “may undermine” Bangladesh’s security as these groups have some ties to the same separatist factions operating in the country.   He made the remarks while addressing at a colloquium on Impacts of “BURMA Act” on Bangladesh-Myanmar bordering region. Minister of Health and Education, National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar Professor Zaw Wai Soe today expressed gratitude for the passing of the BURMA Act and for US support. He, however, reiterated that it does not rely on any one single superpower, rather believes in a multilateral response to be the ideal way to address the current conflict. Also Read: US to refrain from anything that might contribute to further violence in Myanmar: FS NUG officially recognizes the Rohingya as an ethnic group of Myanmar and is in favour of peaceful and full repatriation of Rohingya from Bangladesh to Myanmar. It has been two years since the military coup in Myanmar, and there is no peace in sight. Late last December, the United States passed the BURMA Act, a comprehensive law designed to simultaneously sanction Myanmar’s military junta while providing support to the country’s numerous democratic forces. In view of these changes, the Center for Peace Studies (CPS) of the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) at North South University hosted the colloquium. Read More: Japan, UNFPA join hands to provide $3.7 million assistance to Rihingyas in Bhasan Char, host communities in Noakhali Moderated by Dr Sk. Tawfique M. Haque, Director of SIPG, the seminar was addressed by SIPG Senior Fellow and former Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Dr M. Sakhawat Hussain; Sufiur Rahman, Bangladesh’s ambassador to Switzerland and the permanent representative to the UN; former Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque; and Dr Raymond Kwun-Sun Lau, Assistant professor at the Department of Political Science and Sociology of NSU. Mohammad Sufiur Rahman highlighted the emergence of the Arakan Army as a key player in the conflict and emphasized how reaching a resolution on the Rohingya issue between Bangladesh and Myanmar cannot be achieved without taking the Arakan Army’s interests into account. Shahidul Haque discussed ASEAN’s role in the conflict and pointed to its repeated shortcomings in addressing the conflict in Myanmar, drawing particular attention to its negligence in understanding the plight of the numerous ethnic minorities in the country. Dr Raymond Kwun-Sun Lau, underscored the geopolitical and strategic importance of the Rakhine State to regional powers such as India and China, both for its vast reserves of hydrocarbons as well as its location as a key area for connectivity projects that links India to its northeast region and reinforces China’s Belt-and-Road Initiative (BRI) respectively. Read More: Reduction in WFP assistance could drive up crimes, radicalization in Rohingya camps: ARSPH The event was also attended by experts and practitioners of geopolitics, representatives from international agencies, government officials, researchers, journalists, faculty members and students of NSU.

Businesses lead the economy to prosperity by creating new products or services in the country. In the same way, due to irregularities and immorality, consumers get cheated by buying faulty services or products. There are some specific policies for companies, sellers and service providers. The National Consumer Rights Act of Bangladesh monitors whether the consumers get the right products and services. As Bangladeshi citizens, the consumers will be able to lodge a complaint as per the law if they fall victim to any fraudulence. Let’s get to know the procedure for filing a complaint under Bangladesh’s National Consumer Rights Act if you get any faulty product and service. The Procedure for Complaints under the National Consumer Rights Act Assembling appropriate evidence Before filing a complaint, the complainant has to gather accurate evidence in support of the complaint. Receipt of purchasing goods or services must be given as an attachment to the complaint letter. In addition to this, a picture of the product and the store can also be given. Complaint form fill up First, the complainant needs to download the complaint form from the National Consumer Complaints Center box on the website of the National Consumer Rights Protection Department. Then he/she has to print the form and write the name of the district in the blank space of the recipient part.  Read AL profiteers’ foul play behind rice price hike: BNP After that, it is time to write the details of the complaint in the correct way. Complete information of the complainant along with the name of the parents should be mentioned. In this part, it is advisable to give the mobile number of the complainant.  Finally, the complainant needs to include the full name and address of the accused person or organization in the form. Now the previously collected product purchase receipt needs to be added to this form. Where to complain about getting cheated buying a faulty product or service The complainant has to go directly to the TCB (Trading Corporation of Bangladesh) building at Kawran Bazar with the completed form with attachments. Complaints are lodged in the office of the Assistant Director on the eighth floor. Complaints can also be lodged to the district magistrate. These submitted complaint forms are later forwarded to the Head of the Department.  Read 3 cops closed in Feni after complaint of mugging trader Fees It should be noted that no fee is required for filing a complaint under National Consumer Rights Act of Bangladesh when you get cheated purchasing any defective product and service. Complaint Settlement After filing the complaint, a case number will be given by the department. Then a letter will be sent to the complainant's address for a hearing within a month. Subsequently, the accused is fined and the punishment was meted out after verifying the allegations. 25 percent of the accrued fine is paid to the complainant. Read Following complaints, ACC launches drive against Jibon Bima MD How to complain online about getting cheated to buy a product Preparing documents for attachment Necessary evidence including the signature of the complainant and receipt of purchase of the product or service should be scanned or photographed and stored on the computer. Registering on the ‘My Gov’ website For online complaints, the complainant needs to navigate to the National Consumer Rights Complaints Service page of the MyGov website. It is required to register with the name and mobile number or email ID of the complainant. Once the registration is complete, the complainant can easily log in to his/her newly created account. Read BIWTA suspends operation of Surovi-9, lodges complaint against manager-staff Online form fill up for complaints Clicking on the new application from the menu displayed on the left side of the complainant's profile page, the system will show the web page of the national consumer complaint form. Here the complainant has to type his/her name, address, occupation, and parent's name. Now the most important thing is to describe the complaint. After that, the name and address of the accused organization are needed to enter. Uploading attachments and filing the complaint Now the picture of the signature previously saved on the computer needs to be attached by clicking on the small button next to the complainant's name. The last part is to upload other proofs including pictures of product purchase receipts. Through clicking on the ‘Submit’ button below, the complaint submission process will be completed. Read NBR chairman asks businesses to come directly with any complaints Terms of complaints The complaint must be submitted to the Director-General of the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate or the officer in charge within thirty days of the occurrence of the relevant cause. Otherwise, the allegation will be dismissed. If the complainant is an officer of the department, he/she will not get 25 percent of the fine collected from the accused person or organization. Other means of filing the complaints Consumers can complain by fax, email, or even phone if they are being harassed when buying a product or service. The contact numbers are 0255013218 and 01777753668. They can be emailed at [email protected]. Complaints can also be lodged by calling the Consumer Hotline 16121. Read Police instructed not to impede good-laden vehicles without specific reason or complaint Bottom line Complaints under the National Consumer Rights Act of Bangladesh are indicative of the practice of democracy by every citizen. Unscrupulous businesses try to impose defective products on them by abusing the basic needs of the people. This often leads to harassment with the purchased product instead of spending the extra money. This is not only a violation of the basic rights of the people but also hampering their money and time. Proper and proactive implementation of the already defined Act can protect the people from this hassle.

President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday directed the Information Commission to be more active for implementing the Right to Information (RTI) Act . The President gave the directive when a delegation of the Information Commission led by Chief Information Commissioner Martuza Ahmed submitted the annual report of the commission to the President at Bangabhban. Information Commissioners Suraiya Begum and Dr. Abdul Malek were also present. During the meeting, the Chief Information Commissioner briefed the President about various aspects of the report and the overall activities of the Commission including the progress of  implementation of the Right to Information Act. READ: President urges transparency and accountability in government spending President Hamid said the Right to Information is very important to ensure transparency and accountability.  Noting that the volume of development activities of the country is increasing, the President said people need to be motivated to use the Right to Information Act to ensure transparency in all government activities.  President also asked the authorities concerned to come forward so that the people could get the required information easily. READ: Brand Bangladesh in a new way, FBCCI president urges entrepreneurs Secretary to the President's Office Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, Press Secretary Joynal Abedin and secretary  Wahidul Islam Khan were present on the occasion.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has directed the Titas Gas authorities to take punitive action against officials responsible for a failure to increase customer services. He gave the directive on Monday while visiting the headquarters of the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, the largest state-owned utility responsible for gas supply in Dhaka and adjoining districts.   He said he has been receiving constant complaints from the Titas Gas customers. “These complaints need to be settled quickly. The Titas Gas officials have to be held accountable to their customers for their services," he added. The state minister advised the Titas Gas authorities to keep their customers informed about its activities to increase their confidence in the company. READ: N’ganj mosque blast: 8 suspended Titas officials get bail He also directed the Titas Gas officials to step up the drives against the illegal gas connections. He mentioned that due to technical reasons and also for the increase in the global price of LNG, the pressure of gas is slightly lower in the Titas Gas area. While discussing the implementation progress of the existing projects of Titas Gas, the state minister said that schemes have to be taken up keeping in mind the next generation’s better services. The Titas gas officials informed him that 25 km of illegal gas connections have been removed in November-2021, 24.1 km in December-2021 and 16 km in January-2022 during drives against illegal gas connections. Titas officials also said that different government entities’ unpaid bills to Titas now stand at Tk 745.22 crore while private consumers’ unpaid bills are Tk 5620.25 crore. READ: Narayanganj mosque blast: Titas probe body files report Nasrul Hamid requested the customers to pay the arrears, saying it was not possible to take up many service-oriented projects if the arrears bills are not realised. He also instructed the Titas Gas officials to strengthen the drive for installing smart meters to enhance customer service.

A long-serving member of Parliament was stabbed to death Friday during a meeting with constituents at a church in England, in what police said was a terrorist incident. A 25-year-old man was arrested in connection with the attack, which united Britain’s fractious politicians in shock and sorrow. Counterterrorism officers were leading the investigation into the slaying of Conservative lawmaker David Amess. In a statement early Saturday, the Metropolitan Police described the attack as terrorism and said the early investigation “has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism.” Amess, 69, was attacked around midday Friday at a Methodist church in Leigh-on-Sea, a town about 40 miles (62 kilometers) east of London. Paramedics tried without success to save him. Police arrested the suspect and recovered a knife. Also read: UK lawmaker stabbed in eastern England has died They did not identify the suspect, who was held on suspicion of murder. Police said they believed the suspect acted alone, and were not seeking anyone else in connection with the killing, though investigations continue. The slaying came five years after another MP, Jo Cox, was murdered by a far-right extremist in her small-town constituency, and it renewed concern about the risks politicians run as they go about their work representing voters. British politicians generally are not given police protection when they meet with their constituents. Read: Shooting in Russian university leaves 8 dead Tributes poured in for Amess from across the political spectrum, as well as from the community he had served for decades. Residents paid tribute to him at a vigil at a church in Leigh-on-Sea. “He carried that great East London spirit of having no fear and being able to talk to people and the level they’re at,” the Rev. Jeffrey Woolnaugh said at the vigil, attended by about 80 people. “Not all politicians, I would say, are good at that.” Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he and his Cabinet were “deeply shocked and heart-stricken.” “David was a man who believed passionately in this country and in its future, and we’ve lost today a fine public servant and a much-loved friend and colleague,” Johnson said. The prime minister would not say whether the attack meant politicians needed tighter security, saying, “We must really leave the police to get on with their investigation.” Amess had been a member of Parliament for Southend West, which includes Leigh-on-Sea, since 1997, and had been a lawmaker since 1983, making him one of the longest-serving politicians in the House of Commons. A social conservative on the right of his party, he was a well-liked figure with a reputation for working hard for his constituents and campaigning ceaselessly to have Southend declared a city. Amess, who leaves a wife and five children, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015 for his service, becoming Sir David. Flags at Parliament were lowered to half-staff amid a profusion of questions about lawmakers’ security. “This is an incident that will send shockwaves across the parliamentary community and the whole country,” House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said. “In the coming days we will need to discuss and examine MPs’ security and any measures to be taken, but for now, our thoughts and prayers are with David’s family, friends and colleagues.” Violence against British politicians is rare, but concerns have grown about the increasingly bitter polarization of the country’s politics. In 2016, a week before the country’s divisive Brexit referendum, Cox, a Labour Party lawmaker, was fatally stabbed and shot in northern England. Also, several people have been jailed in recent years for threatening lawmakers. British lawmakers are protected by armed police when they are inside Parliament, and security there was tightened after an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group fatally stabbed a police officer at the gates in 2017. But politicians have no such protection in their constituencies. Amess published the times and locations of his open meetings with constituents on his website. Two other British lawmakers have been attacked over the past two decades during their “surgeries,” regular meetings where constituents can present concerns and complaints. Labour legislator Stephen Timms was stabbed in the stomach in 2010 by a student radicalized by online sermons from an al-Qaida-linked preacher. In 2000, Liberal Democrat Nigel Jones and his aide Andrew Pennington were attacked by a man wielding a sword during such a meeting. Pennington was killed and Jones wounded in the attack in Cheltenham, England. Former Prime Minister Theresa May, a Conservative, tweeted that Amess’ killing was a “tragic day for our democracy,” and former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was “shocked and horrified.” Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party said on Twitter: “In a democracy, politicians must be accessible and open to scrutiny, but no one deserves to have their life taken while working for and representing their constituents.” Kim Leadbeater, Jo Cox’s sister and now a member of Parliament herself, said it was “horrific” that Amess’ family was experiencing what hers had gone through. “They will think about this every single day for the rest of their lives,” she said. “I find myself now working as a politician and trying to do good things for people, and it’s really important you get good people in public life, but this is the risk we are all taking, and so many MPs will be scared by this.”

A 74-year-old man has filed a case against his son on Monday demanding sustenance allowance in Patuakhali. AZM Sahanur filed the case with the Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court in the afternoon. Judge Aminul Islam took the case into cognizance and issued an arrest warrant for the son Md Muzammel, 37. Muzammel is an assistant health official of Nowmala union in Baufal upazila. In Bangladesh, the social security of senior citizens is ensured by the Parent's Care Act 2013. According to this law, children are bound to take proper care of their parents. Under the Parent Care Act 2013, a person can be fined a maximum of Tk 100,000 for violating any of the provisions. The person has to serve a maximum of three months in jail if she/he fails to pay the fine. Read Implementation of law to protect people with disabilities demanded.

India on Thursday rolled out new regulations for social media companies and digital streaming websites to make them more accountable for the online content shared on their platforms, giving the government more power to police it.