United News of Bangladesh

A Bangladesh Chhatra League leader who died of cancer in Jamalpur two years ago has been named in a case filed after the fall of Awami League government, his family said.The deceased BCL leader was identified as Shafiqul Islam, a former assistant secretary of the municipal Chhatra League.The complaint was filed on Tuesday by Haider Ali, a resident of Fulbari Dhoripara in Jamalpur town, at the Jamalpur police station, his family said.According to the case filed by Haider blood donor Tariqul Islam was going to Jamalpur General Hospital to donate blood to a dying patient on August 5. Upon reaching the hospital, a group of leaders and activists from the Awami League and its associate organisations, allegedly carrying firearms, local weapons like machetes, swords, iron rods, and bamboo sticks, attacked them after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned amid mass protests. Later, Tariqul Islam, who accompanied Haider Ali, was severely injured in the attack. The accused snatched Tk 38,000 in cash and gold chain weighing 14 annas from Tariqul's pocket. Hearing the screams, the residents came and rescued him and took him inside the hospital. In this case, Mohammad Sanwar Hossain Chanu, general secretary of Jamalpur town Awami League and former municipality mayor, has been made accused number 1 while former BCL leader Shafiqul Islam, who died of cancer two years ago, has been made accused number 78.Meanwhile, Shafiqul's younger brother, Rafiqul Islam, confirmed that his elder brother died of cancer two years ago. According to Shafiqul Islam's death certificate, he died of cancer on September 20, 2022. His mother, Sufia Bewa, expressed her anguish over the case. She said, "My son died two years ago; I haven't yet recovered from the pain of losing him. Filing a case in his name after his death is extremely distressing for me." Mohammad Mohabbat Kabir, officer-in-charge (OC) of Jamalpur Police Station, said Haider Ali filed a case with Jamalpur Police Station against 83 people and 150/160 unidentified people. If Shafiqul Islam is found dead in the investigation, his name will be dropped from the case, he added.

The 15th death anniversary of ex-finance minister M Saifur Rahman will be observed on Thursday. On September 5, 2009, Saifur, also a former BNP standing committee member, died in a road accident on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway at the age of 77. BNP and Durre Samad Rahman and Saifur Rahman Foundation have chalked out various programmes, including milad mahfil, Qurankhwani and distribution of cooked food, to observe the day with due respect. Local BNP leaders and activists will place wreaths at the grave of Saifur in Moulvibazar in the morning. They will also offer fateha there and pray for the salvation of his departed soul. Besides, the Foundation will arrange a milad mahfil and Qurankhwani at the deceased’s local house and distribute cooked food among the destitute. Local BNP will arrange a milad and doa mahfil in memory of Saifur and seek the eternal peace of his departed soul. Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir issued a message paying tribute to the departed soul of Saifur. He recalled the late former finance minister’s contributions to different democratic movements of the nation and the country’s economic progress. Fakhrul also recalled with gratitude Saifur’s role in making BNP a stronger party as a close associate of its founder Ziaur Rahman. Born at Baharmardan village in Moulvibazar Sadar upazila on October 6, 1932, Saifur was with BNP since its inception as an adviser to late president Ziaur Rahman. He went on to serve in Zia’s cabinet as the first commerce minister and then the finance minister. A chartered accountant-turned-politician, Saifur placed budgets in the parliament 12 times. He was elected member of parliament four times.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur firmly stated that the central bank will not print new money to provide liquidity support to troubled banks, emphasizing the risks such a move would pose to inflation. Speaking at a press conference following the 'Bangladesh Bank’s Bankers Meeting' held at the central bank headquarters on Wednesday, Dr. Mansur clarified that any liquidity assistance to struggling banks would instead come through an inter-bank money supply system, with the central bank acting as a guarantor. “We cannot allow the entire banking sector to suffer because of issues in eight troubled banks. In the interest of depositors, we intend to offer limited liquidity support,” Dr. Mansur explained. He highlighted that a significant amount of money has been laundered out of the country through these eight banks, leading to their current liquidity crisis. However, he cautioned that fully bailing out these banks would require an estimated Taka 2 lakh crore, a move that could drastically exacerbate inflation. Dr. Mansur assured depositors that their interests would be protected, urging them not to panic or withdraw all their funds at once. “Withdraw only what you need. Give us some time, and we are confident the banks will recover,” he appealed. He further noted that these eight banks have been facing problems for a long time, and their depositors were likely aware of the risks. “I want to make it clear that the entire banking sector will not be compromised because of these seven to eight banks,” he reiterated. Senior officials, including Deputy Governors, were also present at the meeting.

Interim government’s Adviser for Power and Energy Dr Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan has said that a committee will be formed consisting of judges to review the deals in the power and energy sector signed during the previous Awami League government. “The committee will see whether any corruption has occurred or not in those deals,” he said when a four-member delegation of the Indian High Commission led by High Commissioner Pranay Verma met him at his office in the ministry on Wednesday. The adviser welcomed the Indian High Commissioner and said that the interim government is not like other governments. “This government has been formed after blood was shed and the sacrifices of many students,” he said. Fouzul, also the adviser for Road Transport and Bridges and Railways, said that after assuming office, he suspended the controversial laws and repealed Article 34 (Ka) of the BERC and now the regulator will set the electricity prices through public hearings. The secretaries have been removed from the post of chairman of the companies under their control and initiatives have been taken to form a new board consisting of people with experience and knowledge in the relevant field. The Indian High Commissioner congratulated the adviser and said that his government is keen to work sincerely with the government of Bangladesh. Pointing to the geographical importance of Bangladesh, he said that India is interested in working with Bangladesh in order to continue the ongoing projects. Various development projects are ongoing on the basis of partnership between the two countries in fields including power, energy, roads and railways, he said. The High Commissioner requested to ensure the safety of Indians working in the ongoing projects and assured the immediate commencement of work on all the projects. During the meeting, solar energy and floating solar parks were discussed. Power connectivity among Nepal, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh was also discussed in detail in light of the BIMSTEC proposal. Senior Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division Md. Ehsanul Haque, Senior Secretary of Power Division Md. Habibur Rahman, Secretary of Railway Ministry Abdul Baki and Secretary of Energy and Mineral Resources Division Md. Nurul Alam were present in the meeting.

An advisory committee has been established to create a legal framework for naming state institutions and structures funded by public money. The Cabinet Division issued a notification regarding the formation of the committee on Wednesday. The four-member committee will be chaired by Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, Adviser. The other members are LGRD Adviser Hasan Arif, Industries Affairs Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, and Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan . The committee's primary responsibility is to draft a legal framework for naming state institutions or facilities established with public funds and present it for the government's consideration. Additionally, the committee has the authority to co-opt members as needed and may convene meetings as required. The Cabinet Division will provide secretarial support to facilitate the committee's work.

Inkilab Manch, a cultural organization led by Dhaka University students, has announced a "long march" towards Dambur Dam in Tripura on Friday, demanding the removal of one-way dams on transnational rivers. Sharif Uddin Hadi, convener of the organization, made the announcement at a press conference held at Madhur Canteen on the Dhaka University campus on Wednesday. "We will start the march at 9 9am on Friday from Shahbagh in the capital," said Hadi. According to the plan, participants will gather at Shahbagh at 9 am,  hold a meeting at Jatrabari intersection at 10 am and then stop at Chandina, Comilla, for prayers on Friday. A mass rally will be held at Comilla Town Hall at 4 pm and following the rally, the procession will move towards Dambur Dam, marching to the Bibi Bazar border. "We have secured 10 trucks for the journey, and some participants will use their own transport. Those who wish to join by bike are also welcome," Hadi added. He accused India of harming biodiversity by opening the dam without prior notice to Bangladesh, calling it an illegal action against the people of Bangladesh. The Inkilab Manch also put forth five demands, including immediate implementation of the Teesta Master Plan, signing the UN Watercourses Convention of 1997, claiming compensation from India as per the convention since Bangladesh is a downstream country, and formulating a new list of transboundary rivers.

Authorities have declared holiday in at least 60 readymade garment (RMG) factories in Ashulia, Savar as workers’ protests erupted on Wednesday. The protests, which started along the Bypail-Abdullahpur road, have prompted heightened security measures, with military and law enforcement agencies on high alert. The unrest began early Wednesday morning when workers, who had entered their respective factories, took to the streets instead of joining  work. Their protests, which spanned from Bypail to Zirobo, centered around demands for improved working conditions and other grievances. As the situation deteriorated, factory authorities were compelled to declare holidays for the affected factories one by one, Md Sarwar Alam, Superintendent of Industrial Police-1, confirmed the development, stating that the decision to close the factories was made to address the growing unrest. This latest protest follows an earlier demonstration on September 2, when unemployed workers blocked the Nabinnagar-Chandra and Bypail-Abdullahpur roads, demanding equal recruitment opportunities for men and women in Ashulia's garment sector. In response, at least 30 factories had also declared holidays at that time.

Tomorrow marks one month since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime, and the Anti-discrimination Student Movement has announced a nationwide event titled “Shaheedi March” to honour the martyrs of the uprising. The central march will begin at 3 pm on Thursday from the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University. The event aims to mobilize students and the public across the country in a show of solidarity and remembrance. Sarjis Alam, a coordinator of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, made the announcement at a press conference held at the TSC auditorium of Dhaka University on Wednesday at 1 pm. He called on students to actively participate in the march to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the movement.

The interim government has appointed Lutfey Siddiqui as Chief Adviser’s special envoy on international affairs. The Cabinet Division has issued a gazette notification on Wednesday in this regard. He will enjoy the facilities equivalent to an adviser’s status. Lutfey Siddiqi is an Adjunct Professor at National University of Singapore and a visiting Professor-in-Practice at the London School of Economics. He was previously Global Head of Emerging Markets for FX, Rates & Credit at UBS Investment bank and a Managing Director at Barclays bank. He was recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012 where he’s served on councils and steering groups on capital markets, infrastructure investment, inclusive growth and global risks. He has spoken at over a dozen WEF events including the official program at Davos for several years. Lutfey is a member of the advisory boards of LSE Systemic Risk Centre, NUS Centre for Governance and the governing boards of UWC Atlantic College and NCC London. He also contributes to the Bretton Woods committee, CFA Institute’s Future of Finance and OMFIF, the forum for central banks. Lutfey has an extensive, international media presence. He’s been named a CIP by the Government of Bangladesh since 2009.

The government is set to take immediate action to address the growing labor unrest, which officials believe is being fuelled by external influences. Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, Labor and Employment Adviser, announced the government’s plan following a meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs today. The meeting, chaired by Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, included Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar, and Industry Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan. “We’ve had multiple discussions with both the workers and factory owners regarding the unrest,” said Asif Mahmud. “Our industry adviser has also been involved in these discussions. What we’ve learned from labor leaders is that the current protests lack a clear set of demands, leaving even the leaders puzzled. This suggests a significant involvement of external elements.” He pointed out that the usual participants in labor movements are noticeably absent, while an increasing number of outsiders have been observed. He noted that in some instances, protests have been sparked by delayed wages, and in a few cases, factory owners have fled, leading to worker dissatisfaction. The government has responded by offering soft loans to affected workers, with plans to expand this support. However, Asif Mahmud expressed concern over the presence of outsiders at protest sites, particularly in factory clusters. “In some areas, we’ve seen incidents of vandalism, such as vehicle destruction, carried out by individuals with no previous involvement in labor issues.” The adviser revealed that labor leaders reported seeing individuals wearing helmets and shorts, typically hired for disruptive activities, at these protest sites. “These are not genuine workers; they are outsiders,” he emphasized. The adviser further said that the government is committed to addressing legitimate labor grievances through long-term dialogue. “We can’t reform labor laws in a single day. We’ve asked labor leaders to differentiate between genuine workers and those with no ties to the industry.” He also highlighted the government’s plan to take strong action against those exploiting the situation for their own gain, including those involved in illicit activities related to the jhoot (fabric waste) business. “The syndicates once controlled by some local leaders have been disrupted, and now others are attempting to seize control, leading to further unrest. The government will not tolerate this and will take decisive action.” The adviser warned that local leaders from both the Awami League and the BNP have been implicated in exacerbating the unrest. “We’ve discussed this with central BNP leaders, urging them to keep their local leaders in check. We will take a firm stand against any remaining influential local Awami League leaders involved.” The adviser said that based on information from the Home Ministry, arrests of those responsible are imminent, and the police will act to alleviate public suffering caused by the unrest. When asked how long it would take to restore normalcy, he replied, “Action will start today. The police will take appropriate steps to clear the roads without causing damage. Those inciting the unrest will be arrested. We expect the situation to normalize from today onwards.”