United News of Bangladesh

The students of Jahangirnagar University have seized 16 buses of transport service company Moumita Paribahan, in protest against the alleged molestation of a female student of the University by one of the bus helpers. JU students intercepted 16 buses of Moumita Paribahan bound for Dhaka-Nabinagar at the main gate (Dairy Gate) area of the university on Wednesday morning. However, the bus owners have alleged  incidents of snatching mobile phones and wallets with cash from the seized bus drivers and helpers by the students. Earlier on Tuesday, a student of the 51st batch of the university was allegedly assaulted by a helper of a Moumita Paribahan bus in Radio Colony area of Savar on her way back to the university from Savar. She lodged a written complaint to the university proctor regarding this on Wednesday. In the complaint, the victim wrote: "I was coming to the campus by Maumita bus after getting tuition from Bank Town around 6:30 pm on Tuesday. When I paid the bus fare, the helper said that he had no change and would give it later. When the bus got close to Radio Colony, the helper said that the bus would not go further. All the passengers of the bus then got down and left. When I asked the helper to return the change, the helper said, let's take you to Dhaka. JnU female student accused of assaulting, revoked from dormitory "At that time, there were only three people on the bus. Bus driver, helper and one with them. As the driver did not stop the bus, being scared, I jumped off the bus and got serious injuries in my knee. “I was mentally disturbed after this incident. When I informed my batchmates, they brought me to the hospital.” Sohel Rana, a friend of the victim, said: "A bad incident happened with their friend yesterday. In protest, we stopped the bus of Maumita Paribahan. Later, We, along with the university proctor and the police of Ashulia police station went to the spot. But surprisingly, despite all the CCTV footage, no footage of the period from 6.10 to 6.18 was found. We demand a fair trial of this incident." In this regard, Assistant Proctor Monir Uddin Shikder said, "We visited the spot along with the police of Ashulia police station and the students. But we could not find any incident by checking the CCTV. We are looking at the matter very seriously. On behalf of the university, security officer Sudipta Shaheen will file the case as the plaintiff." DU BCL leader accused of assaulting canteen manager for asking unpaid dues “The buses will remain here until the incident is resolved,” he added. Regarding snatching mobile phones by the students, he admitted that some of the students did this in excitement, but these were later returned. "Later, they returned those mobiles in my presence within an hour,” the assistant proctor said. University  Proctor Professor Dr Alamgir Kabir said they informed the bus authority to identify the helper and driver of the bus and inform them immediately. “Police are also trying to identify the culprits,” he said.  

Engineer Mohammad Taufiqul Islam, who was held captive for over two months, has finally returned home to Khulna. He served as the second engineer aboard the MV Abdullah. Taufiqul arrived at his residence in the Karimnagar area of Khulna at 11:00 am on Wednesday, where he was welcomed with open arms by his overjoyed family. His return sparked a wave of emotions and celebrations, with his family greeting him with flowers. His father, Iqbal Hossain, mother, Bil-Afroz, wife, Jobaida Noman, and his two children, Tasfiya Tahsina (7) and Ahmed Rusafi (5), expressed their immense happiness at his safe return. His children, in particular, were tearful and insisted that they would not let their father leave them again. The ordeal began when the MV Abdullah, carrying 23 crew members and 55,000 metric tonnes of coal from Mozambique to Dubai, was hijacked by Somali pirates on March 12 while traversing the Indian Ocean. After a month of negotiations and efforts, the ship and its crew were finally freed on April 14. Taufiqul and the rest of the crew landed on home soil on Tuesday afternoon, marking the end of a harrowing experience. The joyous reunion with his family in Khulna underscores the relief and gratitude felt by all those involved.

The historic ‘Farakka Long-March Day' will be observed on Thursday in the country, commemorating populist leader Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani’s long march towards the Farakka Dam 48 years ago. Different socio-political organisations, including the Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani Parishad and the International Farakka Committee, have chalked out various programmes to mark the day with due respect. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir issued a message on the occasion, showing deep respect for Maulana Bhasani. "I believe Farakka Day remains profoundly significant even today. The unilateral construction of dams one after another on 54 different rivers flowing from India to Bangladesh, without consideration for international laws, treaties, and conventions, has posed a serious threat to Bangladesh's existence. The consequences of this unilateral action are already evident with the emergence of desertification in parts of Bangladesh," he said. Recalling the events of the long march towards India's Farakka barrage on May 16, 1976, under the leadership of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, Fakhrul said the Historic Farakka Day every year invigorates the people of Bangladesh to uphold their rights. On May 16, 1976, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani led a massive long march from Rajshahi towards India's Farakka barrage, demanding the demolition of the barrage constructed by the Indian government to divert the flow of Ganges water inside its territory. Thousands of people participated in the long march and staged demonstrations protesting the construction of the barrage. The Farakka Barrage over the Ganges in the Indian state of West Bengal is roughly 16.5 kilometers (10.3 miles) from the Chapainawabganj border, which has had a massive adverse impact on Bangladesh’s ecology since its implementation.  

The International Farakka Committee (IFC) has urged the government and all others concerned to join efforts to protect 54 common rivers and thus save the country’s environment by taking lessons from the historic Farakka Long March organised by Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, leader of the toiling masses on 16 May 1976. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday to mark the Farakka Long March Day, IFC leaders from New York and Bangladesh paid glowing tributes to Moulana Bhashani whose movement did pave the way for the signing of the 1977 Ganges water treaty ending unilateral withdrawal of water of the river by big neighbour, India. Now the situation has worsened. With water being diverted from all 54 common rivers the people of Bangladesh are suffering from lack of water in the dry season and either excessive floods in the Teesta or lack of normal rainy season inundation in others like the Meghna and the Ganges basins, they said. Bangladesh shares 57 transboundary rivers, 54 of which come through India, three others from Myanmar. The 30-year Ganges water treaty of 1996 which will end in two years does not guarantee the flow of the agreed quantum of water to Bangladesh in the dry season as it is silent on water diversion above Farakka point, they said. In case of the Teesta the entire dry season flow is diverted at Gazal Doba Barrage in West Bengal and in the rainy season on the other hand all the sluice gates of the barrage on the flashy hilly river are opened subjecting the Bangladesh part of the basin to devastating floods and bank erosion. This damages not only crops but also makes thousands of families homeless every year, said the IFC leaders. Moulana Bhasani’s historic Farakka Long March, done just six months before his death, thus remains relevant even today. The great leader united the people in favour of the demand for due share of water of the Ganges. The people now should get due shares of all 54 common rivers to protect the riverine country from environmental decline, loss of life and livelihoods, they added. The IFC leaders urged the government to pursue the path of basinwide sustainable and integrated management of the common rivers to keep those alive up to the sea and protect Bangladesh created by them over the millennia. The signatories to the statement are: Sayed Tipu Sultan, secretary general, Mohammad Hossain Khan, joint secretary general, Ataur Rahman Ata, organizing secretary of IFC New York; Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, president, Syed Irfanul Bari, general secretary of IFC Bangladesh and Mostafa Kamal Majumder, coordinator, IFC.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Md Atiqul Islam issued a warning on Wednesday, stating that punitive action will be enforced against those found dumping garbage into the city's canals. His remarks came during an exchange with reporters at a week-long waste exhibition in front of the Gulshan-2 DNCC Nagar Bhaban. The exhibition, running from May 11 to May 17, aims to raise public awareness by showcasing various types of waste collected from canals, drains, and other locations within the DNCC area. State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat also visited the event, lending his support to the initiative. Mayor Atiqul Islam emphasized the severe consequences of canal pollution, pointing out that drains clogged with plastic bottles lead to significant waterlogging during rainfall. "If such solid waste is kept at Secondary Transfer Stations (STS), our staff will transport it to the landfill. The public must be willing to cooperate," he urged. The mayor highlighted that the waste exhibition is an exceptional step towards educating citizens about the environmental damage caused by indiscriminate waste disposal. He expressed optimism that the initiative would particularly resonate with students and fosters a sense of responsibility. "It is impossible for the City Corporation alone to maintain clean canals if people continue to dispose of garbage irresponsibly," Atiqul lamented. He noted that both liquid and solid wastes, including sewage connections from buildings, are contaminating the canals. The mayor warned, "Such offenses will not be exempted. Punitive action will be taken against anyone who litters the canals." In response to a query about dengue prevention, Atiqul detailed ongoing efforts, including a month-long awareness campaign across 54 wards. "We have allocated 50,000 taka per month to each ward councilor to enhance awareness. Regular destruction of larvae and legal action will be taken if Aedes larvae are found," he affirmed. Several officials of the DNCC were present during the event.

Journalist leaders of different organisations on Wednesday said that Bangladesh Bank (BB) has made a great mistake by banning journalists at the central bank. They urged Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder to withdraw the ban immediately saying that the journalists are working to disseminate the right information about different sectors which also helps the government to make the right decision. The journalist leaders were speaking in a meeting on the central bank’s ban held at the auditorium of the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) in Paltan. They said the free flow of information is a must to overcome the economic crisis and understanding the upcoming budget. They threatened that if the ban is not withdrawn , the leaders of various journalists' organizations including the National Press Club, journalists' unions, and Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) will wage a movement in the future against this ‘illegal’ ban. They also alleged that the central bank is helping the corrupt businesses in looting bank money and giving protection to them by banning free access of journalists at the central bank headquarters. ERF president Refayet Ullah Mirdha said journalists' access to Bangladesh Bank has been restricted for the last one and a half months and the central bank has been contacted several times for withdrawing the ban but it is still effective. In such a situation, the meeting has been organised to take suggestions and opinions on what can be done to remove the restrictions on data collection and free access, he said. The ERF president urged all to give opinion for the sake of journalism staying above political ideology. General Secretary of Jatiya Press Club and Editor of Bhorer Kagoj Shyamal Dutta said that there would be no benefit to banning journalists from entering the central bank.  “Because in this digital era, it is not possible to keep information secret. Either way, the data will be extracted.” “Did the thieves have to come to the Bangladesh Bank when the reserve money was stolen? The thieves did not need to come to Bangladesh. Now the information of theft cannot be kept secret by banning the entry of journalists,” he said. President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Ruhul Amin Gazi, Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury, Founding Convenor of ERF and Editor of English Daily the Financial Express Shamsul Haque Zahid, Editor of UNB Farid Hossain, Dhaka Union of Journalist Union-DUJ (one faction) president Sohel Haider Chowdhury, Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu, president of the other faction of DUJ Shahidul Islam, President of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) Syed Shukur Ali Shubo, General Secretary Mohiuddin Mahi, Ex-President of ERF Manwar Hossain, former general secretary of ERF Ziaur Rahman, SM Rashidul Islam, among others, spoke in the event. ERF General Secretary Abul Kashem moderated the programme.  

The Appellate Division on Wednesday stayed till August 25 the High Court order that had asked the jail authorities to no to keep the convicts in condemn cell before disposal of all appeal petitions. Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice M Enayetur Rahim passed the order following a petition filed by the state counsel. Advocate Mohammad Sishir Monir stood for the petitioner while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state. High Court issues rule on compensation for Bailey Road fire victims The High Court on Monday declared illegal the practice of keeping convicts in the condemned cell before the disposal of the petitions. The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Md Bazlur Rahman passed the order after hearing a writ petition. “No convict will be termed as death-row convict before the verdict is finalised. The final judgment means completion of all judicial and administrative process including those at High Court, Appellate Division and review petition and mercy petition from the President,” the High Court said in its order, said Advocate Sishir Munir. A convict who was sentenced to death can be kept in the condemned cell if his/her mercy petition is rejected by the president, he said adding before that no one can be kept in the condemned cell. High Court orders to recruit 285 people with disabilities under quota in govt primary schools However, in exceptional cases for various reasons including for physical problems, infectious diseases and sexual diseases, a death-row convict can be kept in a separate cell, he added. The HC also asked the jail authorities to provide details of death-row convicts to the reporters and researchers if they submit application seeking information under the Right to Information Act. The HC also asked the authorities concerned to publish the annual report on the death-row convicts in the Supreme Court websites. On Tuesday, a petition was filed with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the effectiveness of a High Court (HC) order. On September 2, 2021, a writ petition was filed with the High Court challenging the legality of keeping death-row convicts in the condemned cell before the finalization of the death sentence verdict. Three prisoners---Zillur Rahman of Chattogram’s Satkania, Abdul Bashir of Sylhet’s Sunamganj and Shah Alam of Khagrachari-- filed the writ petition. On April 5, 2022, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why keeping the death-row convicts in the condemned cell before finalisation of the death sentence should not be declared unlawful and unconstitutional. It also asked to submit a report of the facilities provided to the convicts at condemned cell.  

Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Dr Natalia Kanem has appreciated Bangladesh’s success in reducing child and maternal mortality rates and preventing child marriages. The praise from Kanem, who is also the UN Under-Secretary General, came during her courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at InterContinental hotel in Dhaka, PM’s Speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam told reporters after the meeting. Issues including child and mother mortality rates, reproductive health, child marriage and girls education came up for discussion during the meeting, said Nazrul. The UNFPA chief said Bangladesh has made an excellent performance in reducing the child and maternal mortality rates. She said the reproductive health of women is being affected due to adverse impacts of climate changes. About the climate change, the prime minister said her government took various steps to offset the impacts of climate change and thus the vulnerability of the poor and marginalised community has declined. Japanese envoy visits Japan-funded UNFPA project sites in Noakhali In case of natural disasters, the rate of casualties has sharply reduced in Bangladesh due to measures taken by her government, she said. Turning to education for women Hasina said girls outshine boys both in numbers and academic performance in the school examinations in Bangladesh. “Girl students have surpassed the boys both in numbers and pass percentage in the recent school examinations (SSC examinations). And it has been possible for our girl-friendly policy,” she said adding that many parents once were not willing to send their girls to schools in the past. She said when her party Awami League came to power in 1996 the government framed policy to promote girls’ education drawing from experiences she gathered after she returned home in 1981 ending six years of forced exile, said the PM. UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS conclude first regional session with Presidency of Bangladesh She focused on different steps including introduction of stipend programme for students and school feeding scheme. A larger number of girls are coming to schools now as employment scope for women has widened, she noted. Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, State Minister for Health Rokeya Sultana, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, PMO Secretary Mohammad Salahuddin and Medical Education and Family Welfare Division Secretary Azizur Rahman were present. END/UNB/MS/F

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday cancelled the candidacy of Gazipur’s Shreepur upazila parishad chairman candidate Md Jamil Hasan for violating the electoral code of conduct. The EC took the decision after a hearing held at the EC secretariat in Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon area. The EC summoned the chairman candidate to the Nirbachan Bhaban on Wednesday to explain the electoral code violation. He appeared before the EC and explained but the commission was not satisfied, EC ‘s Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath told reporters. Upazila Election: Heavy rains lead to low voter turnout in Natore On the other hand, Barishal-6 constituency’s Member of the Parliament (MP) Abdul Hafiiz Mollik came to the EC and apologised for casting vote openly in the upazila parishad elections on May 8. The EC Additional Secretary said the MP apologised unconditionally in the hearing of the commission and then the EC acquitted him of the charges.Upazila Election: Voting underway amid festive atmosphere in Bagerhat

 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in a meeting on Wednesday approved the draft “Export Policy 2024-27” setting a target to increase the annual export to $110 billion by 2027 from the current target of $80 billion. Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali virtually presided over the meeting as he tested Corona positive after returning from abroad. Briefing reporters about the outcomes of the meeting Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan, Secretary, Coordination & Reforms at the Cabinet Division, said different issues including the upcoming challenges in the country against the backdrop of the graduation from LDC have been highlighted in the new draft export policy. Cabinet okays draft law to expedite implementation of mega schemes in Maheshkhali He said now the draft policy will be sent to the Cabinet for final approval. “We’re going to graduate from the LDC in 2026 and some new challenges are coming ahead in our export business...Which sectors should get the priority and which products need branding were focused in the new policy,” he said. He noted that some new issues have been included the new export policy.Strategies to overcome the impact of the Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine War, 4th industrial revolution, support for small and medium entrepreneurs, raising the participation of the women entrepreneurs, and environment-friendly initiatives are among the new initiatives included in the new export policy. Cabinet okays draft agreement for flight operations with Uzbekistan He said directives were given in the new export policy to take supporting measures for the women entrepreneurs to promote their exports and finding alternative measures to the financial incentives to the exporters. Some new items have been included as potential export items including vegetables, handicrafts, dyeing and printing while drugs and equipment manufacturing have got extra focus in the new policy.