United News of Bangladesh

Security measures have been heightened in Gazipur and all industries,including garment factories, have been reopened. Workers started entering the factories in groups on Saturday morning , with employees and officials also reporting for duty. Industrial police were deployed in factory areas, and the army is patrolling to maintain order. Many factories in Gazipur had declared holidays due to worker unrest, protests, road blockades, and vandalism for several days. However, following a decision by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and assurances of necessary security from the government, factory owners  decided to keep all factories open. Workers  claimed that except for a few factories, genuine workers are not involved in any significant movement at this time. In most cases, outsiders are creating the problems, they said. Workers expressed their desire to work in a peaceful environment. Factory owners stated that law enforcement agencies need to take a strict stance to prevent conspirators from launching attacks, vandalizing, or creating chaos that could harm the industrial sector. Additional Superintendent of Police of Gazipur Industrial Zone-2 Imran Ahmed confirmed that all factories are open. Approximately 900 industrial police officers were deployed for the security of factory areas, and the army is patrolling, he said. Factories in Tongi, Board Bazar, Bhogra, Laxmipura, Konabari, Kashimpur, Kaliakoir, and other areas of Gazipur resumed operations.  

Stating that there are no thoughts of changing the national anthem, Religious Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain on Saturday said that the interim government will not do anything that creates controversy. “Currently, we are prioritising law and order the most. We do not want to do anything at this moment that might create any controversy. We want to build a beautiful Bangladesh with everyone,” he told reporters before attending a meeting with representatives of all religions at the Rajshahi Islamic Foundation. Replying to a question about the news of the Hindu Mahasabha's threat of attack on the Bangladesh cricket team, Khalid Hossain said, “As a neighbouring country, we want a friendly relationship with India. We have heard about the threat on our cricket team in India. Since the BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) is there, they will decide on the course of action.” Regarding attacks on places of worship, the religious affairs adviser said, attacking mosques, temples, and shrines is a heinous act. “Those who attack places of worship are enemies of humanity and criminals.” They will be brought to book according to the existing laws and  for the security of Durga Puja, students from madrasas will be involved alongside the local people in guarding the temples to prevent any attacks or sabotage. “The madrasa students were never involved in any kind of militancy. This is a conspiracy and false propaganda by the previous government,” he said. He also said, after the change of government, just as there have been attacks on the homes of some Hindu community people, there have also been attacks on the homes of Muslims. “There is no scope to view this differently. This government is a government for everyone, committed to ensuring everyone's security.”  

Police in a drive arrested 10 suspected robbers after a robbery attempt in a multipurpose building in Gulshan-2 of the capital early Saturday. Sub-inspector Rafique, duty officer of Gulshan Police Station, said a group of robbers, riding on 50 motorbikes and two vehicles,  stormed into the Finance Square Building around 1 am and held the security guards hostage at gunpoint. On information, a team of joint forces rushed to the spot and encircled it. Later, the joint forces arrested 10 robbers while the others managed to flee the scene. The building houses Padma Bank, Exim Bank and some other private organisations.

 Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Saturday visited the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINH) at Agargaon in Dhaka. He enquired about the condition of the people who are undergoing treatment at the hospital after being critically injured by security forces during the student-led revolution in July-August. At least 11 people, including eight students from universities and colleges, have been treated at the hospital. "He saw the condition of four students who are being treated in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital," Kazi Deen Mohammad, the director of the hospital, said. "All four were hit by bullets in their heads. Their condition is being improving," the director said. Badrul Alam, the joint director of the institute, and senior physicians of the hospital were present.  

Police in a drive arrested 10 suspected robbers after a robbery attempt in a multipurpose building in Gulshan-2 of the capital early Saturday. Sub-inspector Rafique, duty officer of Gulshan Police Station, said a group of robbers, riding on 50 motorbikes and two vehicles, stormed into the Finance Square Building around 1 am and held the security guards hostage at gunpoint. On information, a team of joint forces rushed to the spot and encircled it. Assault on physicians: one arrested from Gaibandha Later, the joint forces arrested 10 robbers while the others managed to flee the scene. The building houses Padma Bank, Exim Bank and some other private organisations.  

Bangladesh Meteorological Department(BMD) has predicted that rainfall is likely to increase and temperature may fall in the next five days since 9am on Saturday. “Light to moderate rain/thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at many places over Chattogram and Sylhet divisions; at a few places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna and Barishal divisions and at one or two places over Rangpur division with moderately heavy falls at places over Chattogram and Sylhet divisions,” said a Met office bulletin on Saturday morning in a forecast for next 24 hours. Freight trains to be operational from Monday; commuter from Tuesday Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country during the period. Country’s highest rainfall was recorded at 96 mm in Sandwip in Chattogram district till 9am today. The low over Westcentral and adjoining Northwest Bay is likely to intensify. The axis of monsoon troughs runs through Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across central part of Bangladesh. Light to moderate rains likely across the county: BMD Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over North Bay.  

After rain, Dhaka’s air quality has improved.The capital city ranked 58th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 59 at 09:15am this morning. Dhaka’s air was classified as 'moderate' today, according to the air quality index. Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kinshasa, United Kingdom’s Birmingham and Algeria’s Algiers occupied the first, second and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 181, 156 and 155, respectively. Dhaka's air quality in the 'moderate' range this morning When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. Dhaka’s air quality 3rd worst in the world this morning As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.    

Demanding the removal of all one-way dams on the transnational rivers of India and Bangladesh, Inqilab Mancha, a cultural organization led by Dhaka University students, marched symbolically towards Dumboor Dam of Tripura, India, on Friday. The march was launched from the Town Hall of Cumilla in the afternoon. Earlier this day, the agitators went to Comilla Town Hall from Dhaka ascending on trucks and motorbikes. Sharif Usman Hadi, convenor of Inqilab Mancha , said, "In the afternoon, we gathered at Cumilla Townhall and started our marching toward Dumboor Dam. After marching for 30 minutes, the local administration came to us and discussed the matters." Later, the administration requested us not to advance and assured us to fulfill our demands. "Upon assurance from the local administration, we placed our demands to them. Now we are returning to Dhaka," he added Earlier, Usman Uddin Hadi, convener of the organization, declared this long march from a press conference on Wednesday.

The Board of Trustees of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS) has recently re-elected Professor Ali Riaz as President and Professor Rebecca Manring as Vice President of the organization’s Executive Committee for the 2024-2028 term. Both leaders have successfully completed their first terms in these roles and were re-elected in participatory elections, with the Presidential election held in May and the Vice-Presidential election taking place in August of this year, said AIBS. The elections were conducted by AIBS Secretary Professor Dina Siddiqi, who chaired the Nomination Committee. Professor Ali Riaz, a distinguished political scientist specializing in South Asian politics, democratization, violent extremism, and Bangladeshi politics, expressed his commitment to enhancing the profile of AIBS and contributing to the vibrant Bangladesh studies community in both the United States and Bangladesh during his second term. He is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Illinois State University, a Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, and has held notable positions such as Visiting Researcher at the Varieties of Democracy Institute (V-Dem) in Sweden (2023) and Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (2013). Professor Riaz's recent publications include Pathways for Autocratization: The Tumultuous Journey of Bangladeshi Politics (2024) and The Charade: Bangladesh’s 2024 Election (2024). Professor Rebecca Manring, a Professor of India Studies and Religious Studies at Indiana University-Bloomington and Director of Language Instruction at the Dhar India Studies Program, will continue as Vice President of AIBS. She also chairs the Language Committee of the American Institute of Indian Studies and the South Asian Summer Language Institute. With extensive experience in Bangla language programs and research in Bangladesh, Professor Manring's work has included preserving the Sukumar Sen manuscript collection and producing scholarly publications such as Reconstructing Tradition: Advaita Acarya and Gaudiya Vaishnavism at the Cusp of the Twentieth Century (2005) and The Fading Light of Advaita Acarya (2011). Her recent translation of Rūprām Cakravartī’s Dharma-maṅgala will be published in the Texts and Translation series of Oxford University Press.

Ekotar Bangladesh, an organization that works for increasing inter-communal harmony and political issues, will arrange a photo exhibition to present integration and unity among the communities in Bangladesh. The two-day long programme named 'Ekotar Aloy Bangladesh' will be inaugurated at the Bishwo Shahitto Kendro at 3pm on Sunday (September 8). The organizers arranged a press conference at the office room of Dhaka University Journalist Association on Friday around 5 pm. Plabon Tarek, the convener of the Ekotar Bangladesh, said, "This is a platform working with the conviction to build an egalitarian and humane state, transcending all religions, castes and ideologies, in the new Bangladesh created after the July Revolution." "All of us who are working here believe that our only identity is that we are citizens of Bangladesh. So, there is no room for differences here. We want to reflect this mindset through our programs. I am expressing the hope that the nation will see the reflection of the July revolution, communal harmony and an egalitarian and humane state rising above religion, caste and ideology in the photo exhibition on 8th and 9th," he added.