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Police recover bodies of father, son from Dhaka's Agargaon
Police recovered the bodies of a man and his son from a house in the capital's Agargaon area on Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Sabuj and his son Shahdab, 18, said Rubayet Ferdous, ADC of Tejgaon zone of Tejgaon division.
He said that they recovered the bodies from the second floor of a house in Agargaon's Mollapara Road, Taltola this evening.
Two gatemen dismissed over Feni level crossing crash
They also rescued Sabuj’s daughter in critical condition and sent her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, he added.
The victim Sabuj was burdened with debt. He left the job years back and invested in different sectors but lost. As a result, he later suffered from depression due to the lack of money.
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“It is suspected that he ended his life by hanging his son and daughter. But luckily the girl survived,” added the ADC.
“At the time of the incident, his wife was out of home for private tuition,” he said.
Smart taxation policy key to desired growth in telecom sector: Palak
Desired growth in our telecom sector will be hampered without a smart taxation policy, State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak said on Sunday.
"It is important to improve the existing taxation policy for Smart Bangladesh in 2041outlined by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," he said.
He was speaking at a seminar titled 'Telecom Taxation for Smart Bangladesh' organized by TRNB and AMTOB on the tax policy of the telecom sector at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital on Sunday.
"Without a smart taxation policy, the desired growth in our telecom sector will be hampered," added the state minister.
Drive against illegal VoIP to continue: Palak
Engineer Md Mohiuddin Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) was present as a special guest.
"If you want to make a smart economy, a smart government system, a smart citizen, a smart social system, a policy improvement is a must. Which in fact without a smart taxation policy will hinder the growth that we want in this sector," Palak stated.
Addressing the operators, State Minister Palak said, "You have shown that if we reform and improve the taxation policy, how the telecom sector will help our digital economy and smart economy".
Passengers to spend Tk984 cr on extra fares during Eid journey, Jatri Kalyan Samity says
A total of 16 million people from Dhaka and neighbouring districts will travel to different districts of the country during the Eid ul Fitr holidays, according to 'Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity' (BJKS).
During this time, holidaymakers have to spend nearly Tk984 cr extra transport costs, the passenger welfare platform said in a statement on Sunday.
The members of the sub-committee on observation of 'extra fare' in public transport of the organization observed the situation on road, rail, sea and air routes from 03 April to 06 April and came up with the statement.
According to the observation, some unscrupulous bus owner-drivers have resorted to the anarchy of collecting extra fare without paying attention to the rules.
About 6 million people will travel by launch during Eid. An average of 50 taka to 800 taka per passenger is being charged extra fare depending on the category. If the additional fare is collected at the rate of Tk 200 per passenger on average, Tk 120 crore additional fare will be collected from these passengers before Eid, it said.
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The CNG-run auto-rickshaws plying in the capital are also charging extra fares ahead of Eid. Every passenger has to pay an extra fare of Tk 200 per trip on average while using these autos for daily activities.
About 7 million trip passengers in 25,000 CNG-run autorickshaws plying in the capital before Eid will have to pay an additional fare of more than Tk140 crore.
Around 30 lakh passengers on the long-distance route from Dhaka have to pay extra fare at an average rate of Tk 300 per passenger. Accordingly, bus passengers will have to pay an additional fare of Tk 90 crore.
Besides, extra fares are charged on air routes before Eid. In some cases, three times the additional fare is being charged. According to Jatri Kalyan Samity, passengers will have to pay an additional fare of Tk 35 crore if they pay an average of Tk 3500 extra per passenger on domestic routes before Eid.
According to the statement, 140 million passengers will travel through different Ghats including Sadarghat, and Narayanganj River port this Eid. At the rate of Tk 10 per head, an additional Tk 140 crore will be looted by the people of Ghat leaseholders with the connivance of the corrupt officials of BIWTA.
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"This is the scenario of Dhaka and its surrounding areas. If the whole country is calculated, this amount may increase three to four times."
“Due to such rent anarchy, low-income people are suffering and prices of the commodity, extortion, social unrest, irregularities-corruption and road accidents are increasing.”
In such a situation, introducing a smart fare collection system in public transport is crucial to overcome it, Jatri Kalyan Samity said, adding that it is important to ensure good governance of the law.
IPD opposes VAT on Metrorail fare
Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), a planning and development research and policy analysis organisation, on Sunday strongly opposed the imposition of VAT on Metrorail by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) from next July.
This will result in a 15 percent increase in Metro rail fares, which may put off regular users among Dhaka's low- and middle-class. For this reason, the IPD is demanding the immediate withdrawal of the decision to impose VAT on the Metrorail, the public transport of Dhaka's rich and poor, says a joint press statement of the IPD.
Existing Metrorail fares in Dhaka city are already higher than many other Asian countries like Kolkata, India, Lahore, Pakistan, Jakarta, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, etc. Metrorail travel cost is less than the current fare of Bangladesh Metrorail. However, there is no opportunity to be confused by the current demand and excessive pressure of passengers on the Dhaka Metrorail during peak hours, that the current fare of the Metrorail is within the limits of people's regular travel, it says.
In their joint press statement, Prof Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan, Director of the IPD and its Executive Director Dr. Mohammad Ariful Islam said that due to the acute crisis of quality public transport and excessive traffic congestion, many common people are regularly traveling by metro rail by paying extra fares cutting from their other daily expenses.
Many low-income people on the route between Uttara-Motijheel are forced to travel by substandard buses on this route as they cannot afford to board the metro rail at the existing fare.
Metrorail has a daily passenger transport capacity of 5 lakh but now about 3 lakh passengers are using it in Dhaka. As a result, we are still not able to use the Metrorail to its full capacity. That is why, Metrorail's proposal to increase fares may reduce its number of users.
The IPD demanded to consider the ability of the people to keep the fare of Metrorail affordable and urged the Communications Ministry, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) and NBR to ensure affordable fares of Metrorail through effective coordination.
It also urged to search for alternative strategies to reduce the subsidy in the Metrorail.
Bangladesh Scouts Day to be observed Monday
The 52nd Bangladesh Scouts Day will be observed with the theme “Smart Scouting, Smart Citizen” throughout the country on Monday.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the eve of the day, greeting all members of Scouts.
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In his message, the President said scouting has immense importance as a co-curricular activity alongside formal education. “Scouting helps children and adolescents become good citizens by teaching with joy,” he said.
Mohammed Shahabuddin said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced 'Vision 2041' to make Bangladesh a developed-prosperous-smart scouting country by 2041.
To achieve this goal, now it is essential to build the youths as honest, ideal, smart citizens through smart scouting, he said.
The president called upon scout leaders to play more effective role in transforming the country into a developed-prosperous-smart Bangladesh by further expanding and accelerating the scout movement.
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The premier in her message said the Awami League government is determined to develop children, adolescents and youths as skilled human resources equipped with technological knowledge.
“Bangladesh Scouts are carrying out commendable works to develop honest, competent, efficient and ideal citizens through scouting as co-curricular activities alongside conventional education,” she said.
The prime minister hoped that every member of Bangladesh Scouts would play an important role in building a hunger-poverty-free, developed-prosperous 'Golden Bangladesh' as dreamt by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which means a knowledge-based Smart Bangladesh.
She said the greatest Bengali of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave official recognition to Bangladesh Scouts on September 11, 1972 through promulgation of an ordinance.
As a result of his inspiration and initiative, Bangladesh Scouts became the 105th country to become a member of the World Scout Organization on June 1, 1974, said Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu.
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Focusing on the Awami League government’s steps to develop and expand scouting, the PM assured that her government would continue extending support to develop the scouting.
The Prime Minister wished for the overall success of Bangladesh Scouts Day.
5 Eid jamaats to be held at Baitul Mukarram
Five Eid-ul-Fitr congregations will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, starting from 7am on Eid day.
The first Eid jamaat will be administered by Hafez Maulana Mizanur Rahman, Senior Pesh Imam of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, said a press release of Islamic Foundation.
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The second one will be held at 8am while the next three jamaats will be held at 9am, 10am and 10:45am respectively.
Killers of forest official to get maximum punishment: Environment Minister
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that the ministry is working to ensure the maximum punishment of those who were behind the death of a forest officer in Cox's Bazar.
“Criminals will not be spared. All those responsible will be brought to justice through a transparent process,” he said while handing over a cheque of financial assistance to the family members of the deceased forest official at Vitikandi village in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj district on Sunday.
Md Sazzaduzzaman, Beat Officer of the Forest Department, was killed by a mini truck (dumper) of miscreants in Cox’s Bazar.
A special message will be given to prevent such incidents from happening in the future, he added.
Expressing deep condolences to the family members of the forest official, the minister said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also expressed sorrow over the demise of the forest officer.
The minister handed over a cheque of Tk 15 lakh on behalf of the ministry to the father of the deceased.
He also assured that they will give a job to the wife of the deceased.
Launch services see reduced demand ahead of Eid amid road transport improvements
The allure of river journey is facing a downturn as the Padma Bridge has significantly bolstered road transport options, leading to a noticeable dip in waterway passenger numbers. This shift is particularly evident at Dhaka’s Sadarghat launch terminal, where, ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, launch owners are in limbo over the need for special services due to reduced demand.
Navigational challenges have further exacerbated the situation, lengthening travel times and inflating operational costs for launch owners. Consequently, travelers are increasingly shunning waterways in favor of road options.
“The enhanced efficiency in road transport, exemplified by the Padma Bridge, has directly impacted passenger flow to waterway services, with our figures halving recently,” stated Badiuzzaman Badal, Senior Vice-President of the Bangladesh Inland Waterways Passenger Carrier Association (BIWPCA).
Moreover, severe traffic congestion in critical areas leading to the Sadarghat terminal has deterred potential passengers, contributing to the decline. Presently, only 50-55 launches depart daily for southwestern destinations, carrying fewer than half of their usual passenger loads.
Badal emphasised that unless there's an uptick in travelers, the number of operational launches will remain unchanged. However, he hinted at a possible increase in service should the Eid holiday rush materialise.
In the past, Eid seasons saw launches operating beyond their capacity. This year, however, the scenario has drastically changed, with passenger numbers dwindling to almost half. Despite the downturn, launch owners are refraining from raising fares, underlining their commitment to affordability.
Mohammad Shaheed Mia, President of the National Committee for the Protection of Shipping, Road, and Railways, highlighted the longstanding reliance on waterways by people of the southwestern region, noting a significant drop in passengers from Barishal and Chandpur.
Ashish Kumar Dey, President of the Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF), pointed out that while launch travel remains a preferred, cost-effective mode for many, its patronage has fallen by 35 to 45 percent over the last eighteen months due to various factors.
Despite the challenges, an estimated 2.5 million individuals are expected to depart Dhaka via launches this Eid, according to Dey.
Alamgir Kabir, Joint Director of the Bangladesh Inland Waterways Transport Authority (BIWTA), reported a subdued start to the Eid exodus at Sadarghat, with many launches operating at half capacity. However, optimism remains that passenger numbers may rebound as the Eid holiday draws closer.
2 people go missing after cargo vessel sinks in Rupsha River
Two people went missing when a cargo vessel sank in the Rupsha River after hitting a pillar of Rupsha Rail Bridge in Khulna district on Sunday.
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Inspector Nurul Islam Sheikh, in-charge of Rupsha New Police camp, said the fertilizer-laden cargo vessel named ‘MV Three Light-1’ from Mongla port hit the pillar of the Rupsha rail bridge and sank in the river around 1 pm while heading towards Nauapara.
Eleven crew members out of 13 managed to swim ashore while two remained missing.
Severe heat wave sweeps Chuadanga, Pabna; rains likely in Dhaka, 7 divisions
Severe heat wave is sweeping Pabna and Chuadanga districts, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
Besides, mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping Rangpur, Dhaka, parts of Rajshahi and Khulna divisions and Barishal, Patuakhali & Rangamati districts and it may abate from some places, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department, said a Met office bulletin on Sunday.
Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely in Dhaka and seven other divisions, it said.
Chuadanga scorches: Highest temperature in the country this year at 41.2°C
“Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at a few places over Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions and at one or two places over Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions with hails at isolated places,” it said.
Day temperature may fall by (2-3)°C and night temperature may fall slightly over the country.
Country’s highest temperature was recorded at 40.2 degree Celsius in Chuadanga district ton Saturday.