United News of Bangladesh

To instil traffic rule awareness among children from an early age, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) today announced plans to construct “Traffic Parks” across the city. Joint Commissioner (Traffic South) of DMP, SM Mehedi Hasan, made this announcement during a press conference at DMP’s media center. He emphasized the importance of educating young minds about traffic regulations and safety. For the last 1-2 years, the traffic department of the DMP has been actively visiting schools to promote public awareness among children, Hasan stated. Improving the capital’s traffic system through various initiatives has been prioritized, he added. One of the key initiatives includes a collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Hasan highlighted that JICA is assisting the DMP in multiple activities such as public awareness campaigns, training for traffic officials, and comprehensive data collection and analysis. The improvement of the traffic system has been ongoing for two years. Currently, the focus is on creating widespread awareness about road safety and traffic laws among city residents, Hasan explained. Hasan further elaborated on the data-driven approach being employed with JICA's help. "We are analyzing data to identify the locations with the highest traffic congestion and accident rates. This allows us to target our efforts where they are needed most." Recently, 13 officers from the DMP's traffic department received training in Japan, gaining insights from a country that has successfully fostered good citizenship and traffic discipline among its youth since the 1960s. "We aim to replicate this success in Dhaka," Hasan added.  

The sale of advance train tickets for Eid holidaymakers will start online from June 2. The commuters have to purchase their tickets online and though mobile apps, said Director General of Bangladesh Railway Sardar Sahadat Ali while speaking at a press briefing held at the conference room of the Rail Bhaban over railways’ preparation on the occasion of Eid on Tuesday. The ticket for June 12 will be available on June 2, for June 13 on June 3, June 14 on June 4 and the tickets for June 15 and 16 will be available on June 5 and June 6 respectively. Read more: How to Buy Plane, Bus, and Train Tickets Online in Bangladesh Those sale of tickets will start at 8 am for western region and at 2 pm for the eastern region of the country, he said. Railway Minister Zillul Hakim, deputy secretary Toufique Imam and Additional Director General of Bangladesh Railway Md Arifuzzaman were present there.

Launches operating on inland waterways from Dhaka resumed at 12:00 pm today following the withdrawal of the warning signal issued by the BMD after the influence of Cyclone Remal weakened. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Public Relations Officer Ehteshamul Parvez confirmed the matter in a press release today. Cyclone Remal: Launch services suspended on all routes Earlier on Sunday, the Shipping Ministry suspended launch services on all routes from 10:00 pm due to the deep depression over the east-central Bay and adjoining west-central Bay intensifying into Cyclone Remal.

Gas supply will remain suspended for 10 hours from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm on Wednesday (May 29) in different areas of Narayanganj for gas pipeline relocation and installation. According to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company, the areas where gas supply will remain halted include Panchabati, Panchabati BSCIC, Bholai, Isdair, Kashipur, Goganpur , Char Syedpur, and Mukta. Gas supply to remain off for 10 hours Sunday in parts of Gazipur Regretting the temporary inconvenience to consumers, the Titas Gas authority said the adjoins areas may experience low pressure in gas supply.

A total of 300 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed across the country to maintain law and order during the 3rd phase of the 6th Upazila Parishad Election. BGB will work as a mobile and striking force to maintain peace and order in the electoral areas from May 27 to May 31. During the 2nd phase of Upazila election, 457 BGB troops were deployed and in the 1st phase, a total of 418 troops were deployed. 2nd phase of Upazila polls: 457 platoons of BGB deployed

In a pointed response to recent allegations, General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Bangladesh Army, firmly denied any instances of human rights violations committed by Bangladeshi peacekeepers. His comments came during a press briefing on Monday following the inauguration of the 12th annual general meeting and workshop of the Association of Asia-Pacific Peace Operation Training Centers (AAPTC) at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) in Rajendrapur, Gazipur. DW documentary is "misleading portrayal" of Bangladesh Army personnel in UN Peacekeeping Missions: ISPR “Bangladesh Army has served in 43 missions worldwide, with over 6,000 peacekeepers currently deployed. Can anyone provide a single example of us violating human rights or failing in discipline during these missions?” The army chief asked, addressing the media. General Shafiuddin’s remarks were prompted by a recent documentary by German media outlet DW, which suggested that Bangladeshi troops in peacekeeping missions had been involved in human rights abuses. DW documentary on Peacekeepers: UN says it follows three-step screening process when deploying troops “Someone tries to make a case by reporting that an individual violated human rights while working for a particular organization. This is hearsay. If it indeed happened, were we informed?” The army chief questioned the validity of the allegations. He further emphasised that the Bangladesh army’s responsibilities extend beyond Africa to Asia and Europe, maintaining a spotless record. “Have you ever heard of any human rights violations by us in these regions?" he asked. Bangladesh highlights its contribution to UN Peacekeeping Criticising the report as “biased and motivated,” General Shafiuddin stated, “The documentary expresses frustration that, despite repeated claims of human rights violations, the UN headquarters took no action. The UN would only act if they found us at fault. We strongly protest such one-sided and intentional reporting.” During his address at the AAPTC event, the army chief emphasised the significance of hosting the meeting in Bangladesh for the first time. He noted it as a recognition of the country’s contributions to global peacekeeping efforts. Highlighting Bangladesh’s leadership in both diplomatic and military domains, he mentioned the peace-centric development model presented by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the UN General Assembly in 2023, stressing its relevance in the current global security context. The AAPTC serves as a crucial platform for policymakers, researchers, peacekeepers, trainers, and other stakeholders involved in peacekeeping operations. The organisation includes 24 member states and two observer countries. At the previous annual conference in 2023, Major General M. Nazim Parvez, Commandant of BIPSOT, was appointed President of AAPTC for one year. The event saw the participation of senior UN officials, ambassadors, UN resident representatives, defense and military attachés, senior military and civilian officials, and approximately 50 foreign representatives from AAPTC member countries. The main objectives of this year’s AAPTC meeting were to assess the evolving security landscape and outline future training frameworks to address emerging challenges. To date, 168 Bangladeshi army officers have been martyred in UN peacekeeping missions across 19 countries.

The dominance of businesspeople is prevalent in the third phase of the sixth Upazila Elections, with 67 percent of chairman candidates belonging to the business community. Among the chairman candidates, 106 are millionaires. Apart from the chairman aspirants, 11 vice-chairman candidates , five candidates for vice-chairman posts reserved for women are millionaires. Leakage of citizens’ personal data alarming: TIB Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Monday revealed the information at a press conference held at TIB office at Dhanmondi after analysing the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission ahead of third phase upazila polls. In the third phase, elections to 90 upazila parishads are going to be held on May 29. Though, the EC has scheduled to organise elections in 112 upazilas. Of them, Pirojpur Bhandaria Upazila’s all candidates are elected unopposed. Election of two upazilas has been postponed for another reason while 18 for cyclone ‘Remal’. Businesspeople dominate 2nd phase Upazila Parishad Elections too: TIB According to TIB, 66.53 per cent chairman candidates in the third phase upazila parishad election mentioned themselves as businesspeople while second highest 12.6 introduced themselves as farmers. Besides, lawyers (7.69 per cent) and teachers (4.37 per cent) are in third and fourth positions respectively. CEC estimates over 30 percent voter turnout in second phase of Upazila Polls Moreover, 68.99 per cent vice-chairman aspirants introduced themselves as businessmen and 48.54 per cent candidates for vice-chairman posts reserved for women have addressed themselves as housewives while 32 per cent as businesspeople, the TIB said. In the second phase of upazila parishad election held on May 21 where 71 per cent chairman candidates were businessmen and their total number was 105 while in first phase upazila election held on May 8, where 70 per cent were business community. In the press conference, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said it’s a big question that the businessmen are involved in politics through proper channels or not and are they using politics as a tool of getting benefits. Information shows that when they remain in power as representatives of the people, their income and wealth are being increased abnormally. As a result, the priority of mass people's interest gets less importance, he added. TIB said like the Jatiya Sangsad election, candidates from the business community are dominating local body elections and this domination is on the rise.

Sharing knowledge and best practices and collectively exploring climate smart techniques for sustainable and climate resilient aquaculture and fisheries sectors would be the key factors of fostering regional collaboration between Bangladesh and ASEAN. Astanah Abdul Aziz, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political Security Community and Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock agreed on this while speaking at the inaugural session of an international workshop on “Building Climate Resilience in Aquaculture and Fisheries: An ASEAN-Bangladesh Initiative” and a training on “Regional Knowledge Exchange to Apply Ecosystem Approaches in Managing Inland Fisheries: An ASEAN-Bangladesh Training Initiative” held on Monday at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. UN, ASEAN urged to act to save Rohingyas from further genocide in Myanmar As Special Guests, Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral-East and West) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam and Bangladesh Ambassador in Jakarta, Md. Tarikul Islam delivered remarks. In addition, the session was attended by among others, Md Tofazzel Hossain, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Md. Rais Hasan Sarower, Director General of Regional Organizations Wing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Syed Md. Alamgir, Director General, Department of Fisheries and Representatives from Permanent Missions of member countries to ASEAN, diplomats, bureaucrats, policy makers, researchers, academician, and participants from nine ASEAN countries and Bangladesh. UN, ASEAN urged to act to save Rohingyas from further genocide in Myanmar The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and ASEAN Secretariat have organized a three days long workshop and training under “ASEAN-Bangladesh Cooperation project in Fisheries and Aquaculture” with a view to strengthening cooperation between Bangladesh and ASEAN in this field. It is expected that the experts from ASEAN and Bangladesh will share their experiences and best practices to come up with sets of valuable recommendations for forging new ways of collaborations between Bangladesh and ASEAN in the aquaculture sector. ASEAN envoys hold meeting with ICC Bangladesh President Bangladesh has recently taken a number of initiatives to enhance its engagement with the ASEAN in its efforts to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN. In this endeavors, Bangladesh funded “ASEAN-Bangladesh Cooperation Project on Fisheries and Aquaculture”, the first ever project between ASEAN and Bangladesh will be completed with the closing of these workshops and training on May 29 in Jakarta. Under that project, an international workshop on sustainable aquaculture was earlier organized in Mymensingh and Cox’s Bazar in March this year. On the sideline of the inauguration, a bilateral meeting between Md. Rais Hasan Sarower, Director General of Regional Organizations Wing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Astanah Abdul Aziz, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political Security Community was held. In the meeting, a fruitful discussion on inclusion of Bangladesh’s candidature as Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in the upcoming ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting to be held in Vientiane in June 2024, enhancing cooperation in fisheries, information and communication technology, tourism, disaster management, trade and investment as well as holding of short course for mid-career diplomats from ASEAN in Foreign Service Academy this year were held.

Though the activities at the country’s premier seaport Chittagong Port have been suspended for the past two days due to Cyclone Remal, the port partially got activated through handling containers at jetties and yards and transporting goods on Monday noon. However the vessels are yet to dock at jetties. Omar Faruq, secretary of the port, said no ships arrived at the port from the outer anchorage on Monday due to adverse weather conditions. Operational work can begin if ships arrive within the next few hours. He, however, said administrative and internal port activities have started at noon. Earlier, on Saturday night, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) asked the Chittagong Port to hoist danger signal number 6 under the impact of the Remal.  Cyclone Remal: Chittagong Port Authority issues alert 3 In response, the port authorities issued their second-highest alert level, ‘Alert-3’, which ordered the suspension of cargo handling and unloading activities. Subsequently, on Sunday morning, the BMD issued the great danger signal No- 9 while the port authority imposed its own Alert-4', meaning the highest level of internal alert. As a result, all ships were sent to deep sea from the port jetty and all port activities were declared suspended considering the overall condition. 500 acres of land transferred to Chittagong Port Authority for expansion: Hasan Mahmud Meanwhile, to avoid damage from the cyclone, Bangabandhu Tunnel, constructed under the Karnaphuli River in Patenga in the port city of Chattogram, was reopened after being closed for 18 hours on Monday.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has decided to allow black money whitening by paying just 15 percent tax for individuals. In the next budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, the NBR brings back the opportunity of individual black money whitening closing such opportunities as investing in Economic Zones or high-tech parks. In the last five years, the opportunity of whitening black money was available in EZs, but not a single penny of black money was being invested. Under the new rules, black money can be turned into white without question by paying only 15 percent tax, said sources of the budget section of NBR. According to the sources, to bring black money into the mainstream of the economy, the 2019-20 budget allowed unquestioned investment in economic zones or hi-tech parks. Then finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said in the budget speech that the income arising from the production of goods or services in economic zones and hi-tech parks has been given tax exemption at various rates for 10 years. Junior finance minister gets coy over keeping provision for whitening black money in next budget A tax of 10 percent on the money invested from undisclosed income in setting up industries in economic zones and hi-tech parks to increase investment and create employment. Such investment would not raise any question from the Income Tax Department about the source of that invested money. After several years economic zones or hi-tech parks got the opportunity to invest black money. But no one took this opportunity in 5 years. This facility is scheduled to expire on June 30 of the current fiscal year 2023-24. Therefore, black money investment in new economic zones or hi-tech parks is not allowed as part of the advice of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Instead, an opportunity to legitimize black money or undeclared income is being offered under a general amnesty (tax amnesty). Of course, for this, you will have to pay more income tax than before. HC summons BFIU chief over 'incomplete report' on black money in Swiss banks Earlier black money could be whitened by a 10 percent tax, in the future, it will be 15 percent. If the money is legalized in this way, no other organization of the government can question this, said an official of NBR.