United News of Bangladesh

In an incident early today in Bholahat upazila, Chapainawabganj, nine cattle perished in a fire, which local authorities attributed to a mosquito coil. The blaze, igniting around 1 am in Mayamari village, rapidly consumed a cattle shed. A city of fire traps: Decades of tragedies in Dhaka expose systemic failures Abul Kashem, the station officer of Bholahat Fire Service Station, reported that the fire was sparked by a mosquito coil, which was being used in an attempt to protect the cattle from mosquito bites. Despite the quick response from the fire service, with a firefighting unit promptly dispatched to the scene, the fire had already wrought havoc, leaving behind a trail of destruction. The casualties of this unfortunate event included three cows and six goats, collectively valued at approximately Tk 5 lakh. The fire service's prompt action prevented further damage, but the loss of livestock represents a significant blow, underscoring the dangers of using seemingly harmless mosquito coils in close proximity to animals and flammable materials.

A pivotal ‘Training of Trainers on Road Safety Journalism’ workshop, supported by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) and the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), wrapped up on Sunday, marking a significant step towards bolstering the quality of road safety reporting in Bangladesh. Hosted by the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio & Communication (BNNRC), the event took place from March 2-3 at the Savar CCDB Hope Center. It was meticulously designed to refine the reporting capabilities of journalists, emphasizing the importance of the Safe System Approach to road safety. The workshop aimed at arming journalists from various media landscapes—including daily newspapers, both public and private TV channels, online news portals, and news agencies—with the essential knowledge and tools to effectively cover road safety issues. The curriculum was rich and varied, covering a broad spectrum of topics. These ranged from global road safety perspectives to the local context, including the Safe Road Safety Approach, comprehensive road safety laws, risk factors, crash reporting, fact-checking, and verification tools. It also touched on constructive interview techniques, the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to road safety, and a detailed overview of road safety challenges in Bangladesh. In the workshop's opening remarks, AHM Bazlur Rahman of BNNRC, Taifur Rahman of GRSP, Dr. Shariful Alam, and Mervyn Christian of GHAI underscored the training's significance. They emphasized how vital it is for journalists to report on road safety through an evidence-based lens, highlighting the training's role in fostering a more informed and proactive media landscape in addressing road safety issues. The closing session saw AHM Bazlur Rahman, Taifur Rahman, and Dr. Shariful Alam expressing their gratitude and optimism. They articulated their hope that the training would lead to a tangible improvement in the quality of road safety journalism, enabling reporters to delve deeper into issues surrounding the Safe System Approach and comprehensive road safety laws and policies.

'Zakat Conference 2024' will be held tomorrow at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka. MASTUL Foundation and Al Zakat Sadaqa Foundation are jointly organising the Zakat Conference. Organisers said in a press release that the conference aims to deepen understanding, promote best practices, and encourage dialogue around Zakat, a pillar of Islam and cornerstone of Islamic philanthropy. It will bring together scholars, community leaders, philanthropists, and individuals interested in Zakat to explore its potential to empower those in need. They will speak on various aspects of Zakat and discuss challenges and solutions in Zakat distribution. Zakat Fair 2024 begins in Dhaka   The conference is open to the public. Interested individuals can register on the website. The conference will be attended by speakers and guests including Sheikh Mufti Saiful Islam, Imam and Khatib of Musjid-Ut-Taqwa; Mufti Dr. Muhammad Khalilur Rahman Madani, Islamic scholar and researcher; Dr. Mahmmod Hasan, Islamic scholar and Professor at Dhaka University; A.H.M Shafiquzzaman, Director General (Additional Secretary) National Consumers' Right Protection; Niaz Rahim, Director and Chairman, Center for Zakat Management; BRIG GEN DR. Nasir Uddin Ahmad (RTD); Dr. Mohammad Ayub Miah, CEO - Center for Zakat Management; Muhaddith Mahmudul Hasan; Dr. Md. Mohiuddin Ahmad; SD Khan and many others. The main topics of the conference will be: obligation and importance of Zakat, calculation and quantification of Zakat, modern application of Zakat, transparency and accountability in Zakat distribution, workshops for Zakat collection and distribution institutions. 2-day Zakat Fair 2024 begins Saturday in Dhaka MASTUL Foundation is a government-registered charity-based organization and has its own school, madrasa and shelter home for deprived/orphaned students.  

Gas supply will remain suspended in many areas of Narayanganj, and parts of Dhaka and Munshiganj districts for 16 hours — from 8 am on Monday (March 04, 2024) to 12 am — for emergency gas pipeline repair work. Gas outage for 8 hours in parts of capital city Saturday A public notice from Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited said the areas where gas supply will remain off include Godnail, Enayetnagar, Bau Bazar, Lucky Bazar, Hajiganj, Wabdapul, Qayyumpur, Fatulla, Sistabpur, Jail Khana Road, Post Office Road from Hajiganj junction to Shibu Market, Panchbati, Maizdair, Izdair, Chashara, Khanpur, Killarpool, Talla, Kutubail, Dharmaganj, Takkarmath, Pagla, Chitashal, Delpara, Jalkuri, Nayamati, Dapa Idrakpur, Bhuigarh, Qutubpur Union, Dhaka Match, Senpur, Moktarpur, Narayanganj BSCIC Area, Kashipur Union to Moktarpur via Panchabati area, Shimgaon, Siddhirganj, Adamji, Sahebpara, Mizmiji to Chittagong Road, and Siddhirganj. The adjoining areas under Fatulla Police Station, Munshiganj and Narayanganj city may experience disruption or low pressure in gas supply, said Titas, regretting temporary inconveniences during the period. Gas crisis: Indefinite transport strike underway in Sylhet

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader left for Singapore for regular health checkup on Sunday. Obaidul, general secretary of Awami League, left Dhaka around 8:30 am by a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. BNP has nothing to do now except waiting for another 5 yrs: Obaidul Quader He will return to the country soon after having medical tests at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, according to Sheikh Walid Foyez, information officer of the ministry.  

Dhaka has again topped the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 205 at 9:01 am on Sunday. Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy', according to the air quality and pollution city ranking. An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' while 201-300 is 'very unhealthy', and 301-400 is considered 'hazardous', posing severe health risks to residents. India’s Kolkata, Vietnam’s Hanoi and Myanmar’s Yangon occupied the second, third and fourth spots in the list, with AQI scores of 163, 161 and 160, respectively. DoE asks people in Dhaka to wear mask outdoor if air quality turns ‘hazarous’ 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. 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. Dhaka’s air quality still 'unhealthy', 2nd most polluted in the world this morning

Aga Khan Academy Dhaka has hosted the inaugural graduating ceremony of its Teachers' Training Programme (TPP), a pivotal step towards elevating the standard of education in Bangladesh. Aligned with the Academy's mission of providing a world-class education and fostering future global leaders from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, there exists a steadfast commitment to help fortify the national education systems, said Resident Diplomatic Representative of AKDN Munir M Merali. This commitment is manifest through an integrated Professional Development Centre (PDC), which equips educators with the requisite tools and knowledge to excel in their profession, he said. The ceremony celebrating the first cohort of TPP graduates was joined by Mohammad Ariful Hoque, Director General of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) as the chief guest. Indeed, the education landscape in Bangladesh faces challenges that impact the quality of teaching and overall educational outcomes, according to AKDN. Addressing these hurdles necessitates a comprehensive approach, including robust investments in teachers' training, efforts to attract and retain skilled educators, equitable resource allocation, and enhanced support systems, Merali said. Collaborative efforts between Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), the Aga Khan Academy, governmental bodies, educational institutions, and community stakeholders are pivotal in driving meaningful reforms and fostering educational excellence for all students across Bangladesh, he said. In the spirit of collaboration and commitment to transformative change, the Aga Khan Academy stands ready to play its part in reshaping the educational landscape of Bangladesh, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come, Merali said.  

New State Minister for Cultural Affairs Naheed Ezaher Khan joined the closing ceremony of the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2024, chaired by Bangla Academy Chairperson novelist Selina Hossain. Poet Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Education and Cultural Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister, and Cultural Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed joined the ceremony as well. Bangla Academy Director General Poet Mohammad Nurul Huda delivered the welcome speech. Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2023 organising committee secretary KM Muzahidul Islam delivered the sales report on the book fair. “The Amar Ekushey Book Fair has become an important component of Bengali language, art, literature, and culture today. Every year, we celebrate our ingenuity at the Book Fair, celebrating our emotions, ethnicity, language, literature, and traditions,” Poet Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury said at the ceremony. Naheed Ezaher Khan, the new State Minister for Cultural Affairs, said, “The Amar Ekushey Book Fair is not just a fair, but a rendezvous where we celebrate our existence. After its four-decades-long journey, this fair has grown to an enormous scale and is acknowledged by the entire world as an exceptional intellectual and cultural event.” According to Bangla Academy, a total of 3751 new books hit this year's fair. A total of 937 units were allocated to 635 organizations for this year’s book fair, across Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan. Publishing house Kataprokash received the 'Chittaranjan Saha Memorial Award 2024' while Prothoma, Oitijjhya and Journeyman Books received the 'Munir Chowdhury Memorial Award 2024’ for publishing their extraordinary publications, respectively. In addition to that, the 'Rokanuzzaman Khan Dadabhai Memorial Award 2024’ was conferred to the publishing house Mayurpankhi for publishing the highest number of quality children's books, and the ‘Artist Qayyum Chowdhury Memorial Award 2024 was handed over to the three best-designed stalls at the fair - Anyaprokash, Nymphea Publication and Bengal Books.

Teachers- employees under monthly pay-order (MPO) scheme of the government demanded steps be taken to pay their festival allowances before Eid-ul-Fitr. MPO-Affiliated Teachers-Employees Grand Alliance made the demand at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Saturday. Placing 5-point demands including full nationalization of their jobs, bringing the appointments and promotions under the government jurisdiction and depositing student fee to the state exchequer, they said such MPO-included teachers and employees should be paid the festival allowances before the Eid. Jasim Uddin Ahmed, member secretary of the organisation and secretary general of Bangladesh Teachers' Association, read out the written statement at the press conference while the event was presided over by the convener of the organization and the president of Private Teacher-Employee Forum, principal Md. Main Uddin. The organization's joint convener-1 and the president of Bangladesh Madrasa Teacher-Employee Forum, Principal Maulana Delwar Hossain Aziji, chief advisor of the organisation, Dr. Md. Idris Ali, and other leaders Vice-Principal Md. Abdur Rahman, Md. Rafiqul Islam, Md. Shah Alam, Sheikh Md. Jasim Uddin, Ratan Kumar Debnath, Shahidul Islam, Md. Farid Uddin, Matiur Rahman Dulal, Majbaul Islam Prince, Engineer Abul Bashar, Golam Mostafa, and Mumtaz Uddin were present at the press conference. They said that if their demands are not met within a specific timeframe, they will announce greater movement to realise those.

The longest Boi Mela in memory, running for 31 days including a two-day extension, wrapped up on Sunday (March 2), publishing a total of 3751 new books from the book fair and welcoming 60 lakh (6 million) visitors in total. The concluding ceremony was held at the main stage of the Book Fair at the premises of the Bangla Academy where Bangla Academy director general Mohammad Nurul Huda delivered the welcome speech and expressed satisfaction while prime minister’s adviser for education and cultural affairs Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest. Dr. Sahed Mantaj, deputy director of administration sub-division of Bangla Academy disclosed the figure of this year’s sales and the overall information of this year’s fair in the closing ceremony. The book fair's organizer, Bangla Academy, reports that sales at this year's event exceeded Tk 60 crore, compared to 47 crores the year before and 52 crores in 2022. This indicates that the publishers were somewhat relieved by the lack of buyers throughout the Covid and pre-Covid periods of this year. In the fair, out of the total 3,751 books, there were 1262 poetry books, 106 rhymes books, 76 researches, 69 Liberation war related books, 64 history books, 71 children’s novels, 64 travel books, 61 translations, 44 science books, 36 science fictions, 29 compositions, 33 books of religious category, 31 of comics category, 34 of dramas, 27 about Bangabandhu, 29 books on politics, 29 books on health, and 19 dictionaries related books were released in this fair so far along with 222 books on other categories. However, Bangla Academy itself sold books worth Tk 1.36 crore in the 30 days which was Tk 1.33 crore in 2023 and Tk 1.35 crore in 2022. In the concluding ceremony of the fair, Bangla Academy distributed awards in four categories to eight publishing houses where Kothaprokash was with Chittaranjan Saha Smriti Puraskar-2024 for publishing a maximum number of quality books in terms of subject and quality. Besides, Prothoma Prokasona, JourneymanBooks and Oitijjho Publication were given Munir Chowdhury Smriti Purasker for publishing best books in terms of art and quality. Moyurpankhi Publication was awarded with Rokonuzzaman Khan Dadabhai Smriti Purasker for publishing the highest number of quality books for kids while Annyaprokash Prokasani, Nymphea Publication and Bengal Books Prokasani received Qayyum Chowdhury Smriti Award for best interior designs which were aesthetically rich among the participating publishing houses.