United News of Bangladesh

Land Secretary Md Khalilur Rahman attended a workshop as the chief guest at the Manikganj District Administration Conference Room on Saturday and exchanged views with the officials of Bangladesh and Korea working in the Bangladesh Digital Survey (BDS) programme in Manikganj and the stakeholders of the area under BDS operation. The workshop discussed various challenges in conducting BDS operations and possible ways to overcome them. It was also discussed how the land owners of the survey area can get the maximum benefit of BDS. Land surveys stopped amid surge of complaints across country: Land minister The workshop on “Digital Land Survey in Manikganj Municipal Area” was organized by the EDLMS project (Establishment of Digital Land Management System Project) of the Bangladesh Digital Survey (BDS) program of the Ministry of Land. It is to be noted that Land Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda, in the 58th bi-monthly meeting of the Zonal Settlement Officers and Settlement Officers on February 27, 2024, directed to work with the highest importance to implement the Bangladesh Digital Survey Program/Operation and asked the concerned officials to speed up the work. Form Land Survey Appeal Tribunal within 90 days: HC Deputy Commissioner of Manikganj Rehana Akhter presided over the workshop while Director General of Land Record and Survey Department Anis Mahmud, Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Land Ziauddin Ahmed and Mayor of Manikganj Municipality Md Ramzan Ali were present as special guests. Officials of the Ministry of Land, Department of Land Record and Survey and Manikganj District Administration, Councilors of the municipality, Assistant Commissioners (Land) working at the field level, Upazila Management Surveyors and Upazila Settlement Surveyors, journalists, local dignitaries and officials of the project partners from South Korea were present in the workshop. Note that, Bangladesh Digital Survey is underway in Chattogram, Narayanganj, Rajshahi City Corporation, Manikganj Municipality, and Dhamrai and Kushtia Sadar Upazilas through the EDLMS project. The Bangladesh Digital Survey will also commence in 32 upazilas of Patuakhali, Barguna, Pabna, Sirajganj, and Gopalganj districts after the review of another project is completed. The 'Bangladesh Digital Survey' will be conducted across Bangladesh through two projects in phases.

Two people were shot and injured near a polling station in Cumilla city during the ongoing mayoral by-election on Saturday. The injured were identified as Zahirul Ahmed and Tuhin — supporters of mayoral candidate Nizam Uddin. Injured Zahirul said the incident occurred near Munshi M Ali High School polling station, under ward 19 of the city, around 10 am when “Sumon, a Chhatra League leader, opened fire on me and Tuhin in front of police”. Dhaka’s air quality 4th worst in the world this morning They were taken to Cumilla Medical College and Hospital. Contacted, candidate Nizam Uddin claimed that voters were obstructed by supporters of mayoral candidate Tahsin Bahar Suchona. Hasan Ahmed Quamrul, presiding officer, said the incident took place outside the polling station and the executive magistrate was informed about it. Farhad Hossain, returning officer, said necessary steps will be taken after more details emerge. Voting for Cumilla city’s mayoral by-polls is underway on Saturday. The voting started at 8 am and will continue till 4 pm.

Dhaka has ranked fourth on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 181 at 9:06 am this morning. Dhaka’s air was classified as 'unhealthy', according to the air quality index. Senegal’s Dakar, Pakistan’s Lahore and Nepal’s Kathmandu occupied the first, second and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 196, 183 and 181 respectively. UNDP launches ‘clean air’ campaign amid deteriorating air quality When the AQI value for particle pollution is 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 tops global air quality index as ‘very unhealthy’ Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. 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.  

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is keen to create more scopes for women in every sector. "This is her agenda. So you should not consider it as opportunity for women to work in the power sector or engineering profession, this is women’s right,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at a function celebrating the International Women’s Day. Hamid said there is no question of comparison between men and women. "Those who will come with appropriate skills they will get the chance. We will ensure equal opportunity for women and men," he said. Hamid endorsed the Shoktikonna initiative through a video message for the applications campaign in October 2023. Chargé d’Affaires, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh Dr Bernd Spanier addressed the audience, stating that ‘under the EU Global gateway Strategy, and through a Team Europe approach, the EU is committed to supporting gender equality in the energy sector, and more generally, to making energy and power more inclusive. "To this end, we need everybody on board. We need all the ideas," he said. In a significant stride towards empowering young women in the fields of engineering and STEM, the Shokti Konna initiative celebrated the graduation of its second cohort on International Women’s Day, heralding a new era of female leadership in Bangladesh's green energy transition. The event, organized by Devtale Partners in collaboration with the European Union Delegation to Bangladesh, GIZ, the World Bank, and USAID, was held at the Sheraton Banani, Dhaka, marking a momentous occasion in the journey towards gender equality in the energy sector. Md. Habibur Rahman, Senior Secretary, Power Division, MoPEMR, and Munira Sultana, Chairman, SREDA, participated as special guests. The event not only celebrated the achievements of the 75 graduates but also aimed to inspire these young women to continue their professional journeys in the energy and power sector. Shoktikonna, a grassroots-driven initiative led by DevTale Partners, aims at empowering young women engineers and STEM graduates actively contributing to the green energy transition. It will help increase young women’s engagement in the energy and power sector in Bangladesh by supporting access to employment opportunities and decision-making roles. The initiative is actively supported by the European Union, the Word Bank (WB), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH,  the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and USAID. The Shoktikonna initiative serves as a dynamic space for tomorrow’s women leaders, as well as a pioneering platform for sharing knowledge on energy and gender inclusive policies and best practices.

Showing respect for the professionalism and skills of women, Biman Bangladesh Airlines authority operated an international flight entirely by women crew for the first time on Friday. The pilot, cabin crew and even all the ground staff of the flight were women, according to a press release. The flight, BG-349, on the Dhaka-Dammam route left the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2:30pm, said the release.

Jaheda Begum is the head of Food and Beverage Production (Cooking Training) at the National Hotel and Tourism Training Institute (NHTTI) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has been a trainer for 21 years, creating skilled chefs. Many women she has trained up are now entrepreneurs, chefs, and home delivery caterers in Bangladesh and abroad. Women's participation in workforce has increased, not in decision-making: JnU VC Some have opened their own cooking schools, and many regularly appear on TV, YouTube, and Facebook cooking shows. Jaheda shared her story of life and career with UNB on international women’s day. She started her career in 1995 at Limo Electronics as a marketing executive. In 1998, she worked as a trainee officer at the Sheraton Hotel Dhaka (now Hotel InterContinental). When she started her training career, Jaheda noticed that very few women came to learn how to be chefs. PM hands over best Joyeeta Award to 5 women “I found that their families often discourage them. However, women are the best achievers in kitchens worldwide. In Bangladesh, this was not the case due to misconceptions about women's safety in the hotel and restaurant industry,” she said. “I started counseling the parents, husbands, and families of women interested in becoming chefs.” Jaheda's efforts have encouraged women to become chefs and take training. “Many of my students are now successful entrepreneurs, chefs, and home delivery caterers. Some have opened their own cooking schools, and many regularly appear on TV, YouTube, and Facebook cooking shows,” she said. Jaheda is a training specialist and consultant for various organisations outside her workplace. She also works on various topics, including safe food, hygiene, nutrition, tourism, technical training, and industrial kitchen setup. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work, both in Bangladesh and abroad. In January 2023, she received the WYO Spirit and Knife Skills Award at the Young Chef Olympiad in India. She has previously won the Ambassador Award, International Skills Award, Best Mentor Award, and Welcome Skills Award at the Young Chef Olympiad. In 2024, she won two more awards at the same competition. In 2022, Jaeda received a special award for promoting and branding Bangladeshi traditional food at the Bengal Business Summit in Kolkata, India. She has also received the Innovation Award from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the National Integrity Award from the government, and the Best Performer of the Year (2015) from the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation.Jaheda believes that women have made significant progress due to the government's long-standing focus on women and its sincere efforts. “However, women are still far from the desired goal,” she said. “Women hesitate to build careers in the tourism sector due to social barriers, in addition to childbirth and childrearing. Their parents and husbands need to support women in building careers in the hotel, restaurant, and culinary sectors,” said Jaheda. However, recently, several universities and colleges in Bangladesh have introduced tourism as a subject, and many female students are enrolling. Jaheda firmly believes that women can achieve remarkable success as chefs if they broaden their horizons and receive family support.

Three people died and at least 10 others were injured when a passenger bus overturned in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur early Friday morning. The incident happened at Babnatala Bus Stand area on the Dhaka-Barishal Highway of the upazila. Cop among 3 dead in Sylhet, Habiganj road accidents Upon receiving the news, members of the Bhanga Fire Service and Highway Police rushed to the scene, rescued the injured, and admitted them to the Bhanga Upazila Health Complex. The bodies of the deceased were recovered and taken to the police station, said Bhanga Fire Service Station Manager Abu Zafar. The Dhaka-bound bus named Imran Travels (Dhaka Metro-B-12-3020) that left Barishal on Thursday night lost control and overturned on the road. The bus was completely mangled, and the passengers inside were trapped, killing two people at the scene, he said. 2 die in road accident in Sylhet One of the deceased was identified as Shafikul Islam Suruj (45) of Pannduria village in Santhia Upazila of Pabna. Assistant Sub-inspector Abu Saeed of Bhanga Highway Police confirmed the matter. The identities of the other two deceased are yet to be found, he said.

While the participation of women in the workforce has increased, Dr Sadeka Halim, the Vice-Chancellor of Jagannath University (JU), stated that this has not necessarily translated into women's empowerment or an increase in social respect. To maintain the momentum of development in the country, she emphasised the need for giving more importance to women's participation and empowerment in decision-making. Nation to celebrate Int’l Women's Day Friday In an interview to UNB ahead of International Women's Day being celebrated on Friday, Sadeka said, "With the economic and social changes, the space for women to speak in politics needs to be created. Women should be included in decision-making in various fields to ensure their participation." Discussing gender issues, she stated, "My primary identity is as a human being before being identified as a woman. The distinctions created between men and women, demeaning women, considering them weaker physically and mentally, and relegating women to inferior status are entirely baseless." 5 women to be honoured on International Women's Day She commented on the evaluation of women in patriarchal societies, saying, "A social perspective has been created where women are seen as second-class citizens. Although the constitution of Bangladesh grants equal rights to men and women, it is challenging to find any country where women are considered equal to men in all aspects." She added, "In every sphere of society, women play a role in politics, whether in the family, society, state, institutions, educational institutions, or even religiously. No religion can be found on earth where women are granted equal rights in every field." Daraz Bangladesh celebrates International Women's Day Highlighting the role of women in decision-making, she said, "Even decisions about giving birth to a child are influenced by politics. We determine the rights of the child after birth based on religion. The rights of the father and mother, in our civil law, in Sharia law, are mostly centered on men. Men always dominate in the control of this society." Referring to the situation of women in the region, the JnU VC mentioned, "The empowerment of women in the Indian subcontinent has not yet happened. In the undivided Indian subcontinent, women had gained the right to vote even before the women of Europe. History shows that women have participated in wars, become queens, and collected taxes. In modern states, with the expansion of capitalism, the boundaries of women's working areas have increased, but women are seen as commodities. We haven't seen their work as actual work." She further stated, "Even if a woman works, we question what her husband does. If she earns more than her husband, it creates a sense of inferiority in men. The patriarchal mindset prevails. Men control the narrative in this society."Describing the situation of ordinary women in society, she said, "Although many women are economically empowered, working in the garment sector, shrimp farming, or the textile industry, it is much more than in India or Pakistan. But has the social respect for women increased? This is a very complex issue." She added, "Women who are victims of extreme poverty do not think about anything else. They know they have to work, overcome hunger, and provide food for their children. Ordinary women are hardworking, facing social criticism without accepting the challenge. However, in the process of decision-making, they are excluded." Addressing the issue of women's social safety, she said, "We have not been able to ensure women's safe mobility. Even in Bangladesh or abroad, we see that women are not safe, often falling victim to harassment through close relatives." Sadeka expressed optimism about the progress of women in the society's transformation, stating, "For a long time in our country, women have been becoming prime ministers, speakers, opposition party leaders, and in the current cabinet, a significant portion consists of women ministers and state ministers. This is a positive development." “From a numerical perspective, women's participation has increased significantly, but how much has changed in terms of qualitative aspects such as women's empowerment and social respect is a major concern. When women come forward to make decisions, take leadership roles that are when society will truly change."

Bangladeshi van driver Abdul Salam Md Ramjan Ali's long-cherished dream has become a reality following his inclusion in a programme for the guests of the custodian of the two holy mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to perform Umrah. "I wanted to see in my eyes both holy Makkah and Madinah. I have long been trying to see my request is accepted," Salam told UNB at his place of residence here. Bangladesh seeks Saudi cooperation in crude oil purchase He wrote letters to Saudi authorities and also reached out to Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh Essa bin Yousef Al Duhailan so that his desire is fulfilled. "I express my gratitude to Almighty Allah and the Saudi King for giving me such an opportunity to see Madinah and Makkah," said 54-year-old man. Bangladesh national football team reach Saudi Arabian city of Al Taif Sunday early hour He thanked the Saudi ambassador for his support in making his dream a reality. Abdul Salam, who has been running van in his village in Jhenaidah district over the last 35 years, arrived in Madinah on March 6 as part of 34-member delegation to perform Umrah. He will offer Jummah prayers on Friday (today) at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah with other delegation members. Islamic scholars, journalists, students and influencers like the Founder and CEO of 10 Minute School, Ayman Sadiq, and author, speaker, English teacher Munzereen Shahid are among the delegation members. Abdul Salam, who also worked as muezzin in a mosque of a government college for a couple of years, has another dream. He wants to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. "I want to give some gifts to Imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. I want to help them in whatever way I can," he said, adding that he does not want to go there to take up arms in hand but to help people. Salam said he has written a request letter to the President of Bangladesh to help him fulfil his dream. He said the Israeli aggression must stop and the Muslims should remain united. After visiting Quba Mosque, King Fahad Complex for printing the holy Quran, Shuhada and Mount Uhud, international exhibition and museum of the Prophet's Biography and Islamic Civilisation, the Bangladesh delegation will leave Madinah for Makkah on Monday to perform Umrah. Earlier, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman approved hosting 1,000 Umrah pilgrims from countries around the world during the year 2024. This is within the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Program for Hajj, Umrah and Visit, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Sheikh thanked the King, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for this generous gesture. He said this confirms the great care of the rulers in serving Islam and Muslims, as well as in strengthening the bonds of brotherhood between Muslims in various parts of the world, and fruitful communication with those who are engaged in various fields of Islamic work. The "Guests Program" would host 1,000 prominent Islamic figures from all around the world, including Islamic scholars, intellectuals, influential figures, and university professors to perform Umrah and pray in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The Saudi minister appreciated the continuous great support being received by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs in various fields that contribute to the success of its mission to serve Islam and Muslims, as well as to spread the values and principles of the Islamic religion, and confront hatred, fanaticism and extremism.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Professor Dr Samanta Lal Sen on Thursday said that the standard of medical professionals in Bangladesh is not lower than in any other country in the world. "Thousands of qualified doctors are coming out every year in the country. They are mostly skilled like doctors in the developed world," he said. The minister was speaking at a meeting at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical Education Conference Room organised by Sylhet Divisional Health Department. Drive against illegal clinics, diagnostic centers will intensify: Health Minister "Doctors of our country have efficiency to provide quality medical services if they are given better opportunities . . . we are working to provide special facilities to ensure better treatment for the people living in both urban and rural areas." He said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has attached the highest priority to the health sector aiming to provide better healthcare services for the common people. "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made me minister for improving the entire medical system. It is an honour for all medical professionals. So, we all have to work together with dedication for upholding the honour for us," he said. Bangladesh has one hospital bed for 990 patients: Health Minister "If you (doctors) don't work well, or if you don't do your office properly in the hospital, or if you don't fulfil your duties, I won't accept anyone's recommendation," he warned. Addressing the medical teachers, the health minister said, "Even if the number of quality doctors is less, there is no problem. You should focus on quality not quantity." Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Vice Chancellor of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Medical University Prof. A.H.M. Enayet Hussain, Secretary General of central committee of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Ehestashamul Haque Chowdhury and top authorities of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, among others, were present at the meeting with Director of Sylhet Divisional Health Shishir Ranjan in the chair.