United News of Bangladesh

Involvement of private sectors is crucial in climate finance, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said on Friday. He said the private sector is not interested in Climate Adaptation financing. They need to be incentivized and motivated to invest in adaptation activities. The minister was addressing a session entitled 'Ensuring Public and Private Financial Flows Aligned with Environmental Goals to Close the Massive Funding' at the 6th United Nations Environment Conference being held in Kenya’s Nairobi on Friday. Chowdhury said the leadership of the government of the world made pledges in the past in which promises were unkept. The environmental goals even become stiffer and the resources we need are going to be far greater. Urgency and delivering of commitment not just signing, pledges and making landmark resolutions but implementing is a must. Environment Minister said Bangladesh formulated a plan for transitioning from vulnerability to resilience and ultimately to prosperity. It requires a significant investment, estimated at nearly $80 billion. Bangladesh, with its abundant offshore wind and nature-based solutions, has outlined a plan for climate finance. Tareque Muhammad; High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kenya; Md. Abdul Wadud Chowdhury, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Md Sabbir Ahmed, Third Secretary at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kenya were present among the members of Bangladesh Delegation.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin has appointed seven more state ministers for the cabinet who are set to take oath this evening. A gazette notification, signed by Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain, was issued in this regard this afternoon. The oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet members will be held at 7:30pm at the Bangabhaban. The order will come into effect immediately, read the notification.

Seven more new faces including four women from reserved seats are going to take oath as new members of the cabinet on Friday evening. They are Md. Abdul Wadud (Rajshahi-5 ), Md. Shahiduzzaman Sarker (Naogaon-2 ), Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury (Chittagong-14), Lawmaker for reserved women seat MP and Awami League Education and Human Resource Affairs Secretary Shamsunnahar Chapa, MP from reserved seat and AL Finance and Planning Affairs Secretary Waseqa Ayesha Khan, Nahid Izhar Khan, MP of reserved women's seat and daughter of Martyr Colonel Nazmul Huda, and MP of reserved women's seat and Health Secretary of AL Rokeya Sultana. New Cabinet members’ oath on Friday They have been invited to take oath at 7:30pm on Friday at the Bangabhaban. One or two more technocrat members may be added to the cabinet, a highly responsible source in the government confirmed this information to UNB.

Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) Director General (DG) Brig Gen Md Main Uddin said on Friday that there were no fire safety measures at the building where the devastating fire broke out leaving 46 dead and dozens of people burnt on Thursday night on Dhaka’s Bailey Road. He came up with the remark while talking to reporters in front of the burnt ‘Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall’ on Friday afternoon. The FSCD DG said that there was no fire safety in the building while there was only a small stairwell in the whole building. He said the FSCD had issued three notices to the building owners previously as part of routine monitoring. DG Main Uddin also said that one of the rooms where people took shelter during the fire had no windows. Expressing deep sorrow and shock at the death of several people in the fatal fire accident, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday also said that there was no fire exit in the multi-storied building. Profile of the seven-storey commercial building On the first floor of the building there were shops of Gadget & Gear, mobile showroom and tea stall ‘Cha Chumuk’ from where the fire reportedly broke out. On the second and third floors there was popular restaurant ‘Kacchi Bhai’ and attire showroom ‘Illiyeen’. On the fourth and fifth floors there were eateries ‘Khanas’, ‘Fuko’ and ‘Pizza Inn’ respectively. On the sixth and seventh floors, there were ‘Zasdi’, ‘Street Oven’ and ‘Ambrosia’. On Friday morning a video clip containing the fire shows that the ablaze broke out from one of the shops on the ground floor and spread to others within a short time. At least 46 people have so far reportedly confirmed dead in the fire accident and dozens of people have been struggling for lives at hospitals’ beds.

Speakers at a programme have laid emphasis on stepping up efforts supporting the government of Bangladesh to address human trafficking. A series of workshops carried-out over three days ( 27- 29 February) that brought together judges and public prosecutors from the seven Divisions of Bangladesh including the most trafficking prone districts of the country. The workshops focused on seeking an exchange of experiences, addressing common challenges and providing input from the learned participants on the Bench Book on Effective Adjudication of Human Trafficking Cases Using a Victim-centered Approach, jointly developed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Bench Book is developed as part of the technical guidelines on the interpretation and full implementation of the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act (PSHTA) enacted in 2012; a landmark in Government of Bangladesh’s commitment to combatting human trafficking in persons in the country. This is a timey and critical initiative supported jointly under the a comprehensive counter trafficking programme to address human trafficking in Bangladesh funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) implemented by IOM, and the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants – Bangladesh (GLO.ACT – Bangladesh) project funded by the European Union and implemented by UNODC. Speaking as the chief guest, Secretary of Law and Justice Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Golam Sarwar has said that the judiciary is a key player when it comes to the interpretation of the legislation ensuring victim friendly trial procedures and speedy disposal of human trafficking cases. "Therefore, this Bench Book aims to serve as a legal resource guide on the adjudication of human trafficking cases in Bangladesh," he said. AKM Tipu Sultan, Additional Secretary, Public Security Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, applauded the organizers and noted that “the Bench Book marks a significant milestone in our journey towards achieving the shared goal of eradicating human trafficking. It is imperative that we continue to build upon the knowledge and insights gained through this endeavour”. F. Nusrath Ghazzali, Officer in Charge, IOM, reiterated that IOM has always stood steadfast to support the government’s commitment to combat human trafficking, the Bench Book being one of several efforts towards this objective. "Similar tools such as the manuals for law enforcement agencies and the Counter Trafficking Committees, are being finalized with the active participation of relevant government stakeholders”. "The Bench Book is one of our strongest tools that we have developed - we at UNODC are truly proud to have the opportunity to support you in your important work in combatting trafficking," said Jee Aei Lee, Legal and Policy Officer, UNODC. “The development and implementation of the Bench Book represents a critical step in equipping the judiciary with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively adjudicate human trafficking cases, ensuring the rights of victims,” commented Hyunwoo Yang, Deputy Country Director, KOICA at the closing of the workshop. The Bench Book on Effective Adjudication of Human Trafficking Cases Using a Victim-centered Approach will reflect the outcome of the discussions and suggestions discussed by the 49 (11 female, 38 male) judges and prosecutors during the workshop, andand the Bench Book will be submitted to the to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for finalization and dissemination amongst the relevant judges and public prosecutors.

Md. Nurul Islam, a student of Jagannath University (JnU) of the 13th batch of the MBA (evening) program, passed away in the Bailey Road fire last night. The incident took place around 10pm on Thursday. As soon as the news spread in the media, relatives and friends came to the spot and started searching. Then a student ID card of Jagannath University was found in the pocket of a corpse that was burned at Dhaka Medical. Then his friends rushed to the hospital and confirmed the dead body as the victim and tried to send it to his hometown. It is to be noted that, Nurul Islam's ancestral home is in Babubazar of the capital Dhaka. His father is Md. Muslim and mother is Reshma Begum. Earlier, he completed graduation in finance and banking from Siddheshwari College. Jagannath University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Sadeka Halim and Treasurer Professor Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir Chowdhury expressed deep grief and wished the departed soul to rest in peace. Also, they expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of life in the devastating fire at Green Cozy Cottages on Bailey Road.

"Baba (father), I'm trapped, save me,"- it was the last request of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Lamisha Islam, who was burnt to death in the Bailey Road fire on Thursday, on the phone to her father, Additional Deputy Inspector General (headquarters) of police Nasirul Islam Shamim. But the father unfortunately could do nothing for his eldest daughter, a second year mechanical engineering department student of BUET. Lamisha’s paternal uncle Rafiqul lsam Sumon relayed this at their village home Jhiltuli in Faridpur headquarters where a gloomy atmosphere has been prevailing since the news of her death was heard. Sumon said Lamisha and friends went to the restaurant to have dinner after visiting Boi Mela on Thursday night. As the fire broke out, Lamisha called her father and said, "Baba (father), I am trapped, save me," after which there was no more interaction with her. Despite several attempts to contact her by her family, her mobile was found switched off, said the uncle. Lamisha's body was brought to their village home Jhiltuli house around 10:45 am. The atmosphere became heavy with the cries of family members and relatives. She was buried at Alipur graveyard after a Namaz-e-Janaza at Chawkbazar Jame Mosque in the town followed by Jumma prayers.  

Gas supply will remain suspended for 8 hours from 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm on Saturday in different areas of Dhaka city for emergency works in gas pipelines. According to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited all categories of consumers in areas, including Dhaka Cantonment, Banani DOHS, Arjatpars, and Shaheenbag will suffer the disruption. The adjoining areas may experience low pressure in gas supply during the period, the companysaid regretting for the temporary inconvenience of the consumers.

A fire that broke out in an under-construction cold storage in the Bakolia area of the port city of Chattogram on Friday morning was brought under control. Abdullah Harun Pasha, deputy assistant director of Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the fire erupted at under-construction Taja Multipurpose Cold Storage of ‘S Alam Group’ on Bakolia Express Road in Bakolia around 10:30 am. On information, four firefighting units from several stations rushed to the spot and brought the flames under control around 1:35 pm, he said. The origin of the fire could not be known immediately, he said, adding that details will be shared upon receiving the investigation report.

Dhaka University's science unit admission test for 2023-24 academic session was held today in all eight divisions of the country. The admission test began at 11:00am and continued till 12:30pm. A total of 1,22,184 students have applied for the test against the total 1851 seats of science faculty this year. Around 11.30 am, DU vice chancellor prof. ASM Maksud Kamal visited Curzon Hall exam centre of the University and thanked all for helping the University authority for cooperation.