United News of Bangladesh

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said most of the problems of the prison system can be solved by stopping bribery and corruption. The adviser made the remark while addressing a meeting with prison officials as the chief guest this morning at the Department of Prisons in Bakshibazar, Dhaka. In his address, the adviser highlighted the broader implications of corruption, tying it to recent social revolution. “The recent Anti-discrimination Student Movement was not just about quotas,” he noted. “It was fueled by deeper issues, including bribery, corruption, and rising commodity prices. Bribery cannot be allowed to continue; there is no alternative.”

The government has appointed Muhammad Anowar Pasha, additional divisional commissioner (general) of Chattogram, as the administrator for the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI). A notification, signed by Dr Naznin Kawsar Chowdhury, additional secretary to the Ministry of Commerce, was issued in this regard on Monday. He was appointed following Section-17 of the Trade Organizations Ordinance-2022. The administrator has been asked to hold a fair and neutral election within 120 days and hand over the charge to the elected committee and apprise the ministry of the matter, said a media release of the ministry.

The maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal No 3 as the deep depression over Northwest Bay and adjoining West central Bay of Bengal moved slightly north-northwestwards and now lies over the same area. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to remain closed to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice, said a special weather bulletin on Monday morning. Under its influence steep pressure gradient persists over North Bay. Gusty or squally weather may affect the maritime ports, North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh. The depression now lies about 705 kms west-southwest of Chattogram port, 685 kms west-southwest of Cox's Bazar port, 525 kms west- southwest of Mongla port and 550 kms west-southwest of Payra port. It is likely to move northwesterly direction and may cross Odisha coast near Puri. It maximum sustained wind speed within 48ems of the deep depression centre is about 50 kph rising to 60 kph in gusts or squalls. Sea will remain rough near the system centre.

Legendary Bangladeshi painter, sculptor and cultural personality Mustafa Monwar, lovingly known as Bangladesh's ‘Puppet Man’, has been put on life support in a private hospital in the capital. According to family sources of the artist, he has been suffering from various physical problems for a long time, most notably from pneumonia and prostate cancer. On Saturday when his physical condition worsened, he was put on life support at Square Hospital. It was informed to the media that the artist went to Delhi, India for treatment a few days ago. After being treated for prostate cancer from there, he returned home and was healthy. One of Bangladesh's pioneering and respected artists, Mustafa Monwar is also revered as the revolutionary behind promoting puppetry and television drama in the country. His popular television puppet show ‘Moner Kotha’ ran on BTV for 12 years, which became immensely popular and remembered to date by the 90’s kids as one of BTV’s all-time classic programs, dedicated to children. The Ekushey Padak-winning artist started his career as a lecturer at the East Pakistan College of Arts and Crafts. Later, he joined as the Director General of the East Pakistan branch of PTV (now Bangladesh Television). In his illustrious career, Mustafa Monwar also served as the Director General of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and the National Media Institute. He also served as the Managing Director of the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) and the Chairman of Bangladesh Shishu Academy. September 1 was the legendary artist’s 89th birthday, who was born to eminent poet Golam Mostofa in Jessore in 1935.

A case has been filed against 100 individuals, including former Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud and Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, for abusing a journalist.  The case was filed on Sunday in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Shahriar Iqbal in Chattogram. Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil, the former Rangunia correspondent of Prothom Alo, filed the case as plaintiff, citing at least six incidents of alleged abuse that occurred between 2010 and 2014.  According to the case statement, the plaintiff is a professional journalist with no affiliation to any political party. He began his career as a Rangunia correspondent for Prothom Alo in 2000. Throughout his career, Khalil became an adversary to certain corrupt individuals, terrorists, and extortionists involved in illegal activities such as hill cutting, sand smuggling, alcohol and timber trafficking, illegal brick kilns, extortion, and illegal land grabbing due to his unbiased reporting and standing up for the common, innocent, and oppressed people.  The case accuses 100 individuals in six different incidents. Among the accused are Dr. Hasan Mahmud, former Foreign Minister; Khaled Mahmud; Ershad Mahmud; Tanvir Azam Siddiqui, former Upazila Executive Officer of Rangunia and current Joint Secretary of the Local Government Ministry; Hasan Ali, former Upazila Engineer of Rangunia and current Executive Engineer of LGED, Chattogram; M Manjur Morshed, former Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Rangunia Police Station; Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman; and News Editor Lazzat Enab Mohsin. Additionally, 30 to 40 unidentified individuals have been listed as accused. The court has directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the case. Advocate Jamir Uddin, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, confirmed the filing of the case.

Golam Rabbani, Joint Secretary (Administration-1) of Law and Justice Department of the Law Ministry, has been appointed as the new secretary of the department. An office order was issued to this end on Sunday. The order issued in the public interest will come into effect immediately, it added.  Meanwhile, Md Golam Sarwar, secretary of the division, has been made the attached officer of the Law and Justice Division.  

There will be no crisis with the stock of fertilizers, whether urea or non-urea, in the country till December, according to the secretary to the Agriculture Ministry on Sunday. There is at present a stock of 10.63 lakh metric tonnes of fertilizer, Secretary Emdad Ullah Mian said on Sunday. “With the current stock of fertilizers, the demand can be met till December. However, there is still some crisis in opening the LC of fertilizer import but we are constantly working to resolve the issue,” he said, while speaking at a view-exchange meeting with Bangladesh Agriculture Reporters Forum (BARF) at the ministry. However, the process to provide incentives to the affected farmers in the flood-hit areas is ongoing, he said. So far, Tk 193 crore has been allocated for the farmers which will be used for agriculture rehabilitation in phases, he added. More than 14 lakh farmers in 23 districts have been affected by the floods, but mainly 11 districts have suffered extensive damage and most of the incentives are being given to the farmers of these districts, said secretary Emdad. 'Food, fertilizer, fuel...and Rohingyas': Dhaka on possible agenda for meeting with Lavrov Besides, seedbeds of Aman have been made in all the unused lands of the agriculture department in these affected districts and adjoining districts which will be distributed among Aman farmers. Under the rehabilitation programme, 80,000 small and marginal farmers of nine districts will be given free seeds of Ufsi variety, 10 kg of fertilizer assistance and Tk 1000 cash through mobile banking services for cultivating one bigha of land, he said. Meanwhile, around 1.5 lakh farmers in 22 districts will be given seeds of different varieties of vegetables and Tk 1,000 in cash for early winter vegetable cultivation at homesteads. Bangladeshi farmers need to use fertilizer and water efficiently: Experts   The floods were caused by the onrush of water from upstream and torrential rainfall from August 16 to August 30, he said. Almost ten lakh metric tonnes of produce including paddy, fruits and vegetable were damaged in the flood, incurring a damage of Tk 3,346 crore. Besides, a total of 3,72,733 hectares of land have been damaged in the flood.    

A 32-year-old man died after falling from a tree in the capital’s Demra North Bazar area on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Md Shapon, son of Md Raton of this area. Sources said that Shapon fell from a coconut tree while picking coconut around 12pm on Sunday. Later, family members rescued him and took him to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival. Md Faruk, in charge of the DMCH police outpost, said the body has been kept in the  hospital morgue for post-mortem.

The Bangladesh Chapter of SAARC Journalist Forum has been formed with Nasir Al Mamoon of the Daily Ajkal as its President and Shiabur Rahman of The Financial Express as General Secretary. The committee was constituted at a meeting held on Saturday afternoon at the National Press Club in Dhaka with Abdur Rahman, Central Secretary General of SAARC Journalist Forum, in the chair, said a press release. Other office bearers are Vice-presidents Asif Hasan Nabi (Ajker Probhat) and Shariful Islam (Janakantha), Joint General Secretary Shahed Matiur Rahman (Nayadiganta), Treasurer Reza Mahmud (New Nation) and Executive Member Rafiqul Islam Azad (Daily Industry), Mohd Jahangir Alam (UNB), MA Noman (NTV), Rashed Ahmed (New Age) and Md. Mustafa Khan (Ittefaq).The meeting decided to hold a seminar on the future of SAARC and emphasized the need for forging close communication among journalists in the region.

Noting that the dengue situation this year is still at a tolerable level, Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Adviser AF Hassan Ariff said the interim government wants to prevent even a single death due to dengue. Last year, on the corresponding date (Sep. 8), seven dengue patients died but the health authorities reported one death due to dengue in the past 24 hours till Sunday morning. “So our main motive will be to ensure that not a single patient dies of dengue this season. Hassan came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after attending a meeting on the National Committee on Prevention of Dengue and other Mosquito-borne Diseases, held at the Secretariat. Measures have been taken to curb dengue and emphasis has been given on treatment and awareness. Campaigns will be conducted every Friday in mosques, temples and all religious places of worship to raise awareness,” he added. “Research activities will be taken to prevent dengue as part of a long-term plan like developed countries. Various cultural activists should be involved to raise awareness about dengue,” he said.