United News of Bangladesh

George Yeo, former foreign minister of Singapore, will present a keynote address on “Bangladesh and ASEAN in a Multimodal World” at a dialogue at a local hotel on Monday. The discussion, organised by Cosmos Foundation as part of its Cosmos Dialogue Distinguished Speaker’s Series, is expected to be attended by academics, diplomats and foreign policy experts. It will be presided over by president of Cosmos Foundation Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, while its chairman Enayetullah Khan will offer welcome remarks. Cosmos Dialogue on Bangladesh-Canada relations in city Saturday Cosmos Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Cosmos Group, registered as a trust dedicated to providing strategic insights and policy solutions to help Bangladesh chart its course toward a better future.Cosmos dialogue on EU’s contemporary relevance begins

The government will be able to supply onion and sugar, imported from India, to the market before the month of Ramadan, said State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu on Sunday. “Already a proposal for importing 50,000 mts of onion and one lakh mts of sugar was sent to India and got assurance from them about 20,000 mts of onion and 50,000 mts of sugar but we hope we would be able to import products as per our demand,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat. Read:Black market sales of train tickets will be stopped: Railways Minister The foreign minister got assurance from India about onion and sugar supply and we will get good news over it within Thursday, he said. Besides, the government is trying to import daily essentials from other neighbouring countries, he said. A meeting of the task force committee will be held on Tuesday, said the junior minister adding the price of edible oil is expected to be refixed in the meeting Read: 7.5 kg gold recovered from Oman Air flight at Ctg Airport   The government will ensure market monitoring at the field level during Ramadan and after fixing the price of edible oil it will take measures to prevent hike in oil prices, he added.

Cosmos Group, a multi-sector conglomerate, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DU Digital, an India-based company which is engaged in the business of visa processing services to embassies of various countries. Turkish Embassy, Gallery Cosmos host 'Smiles Around the World: An Artistic Celebration'  Masud Jamil Khan, Deputy Managing Director of Cosmos Group and Honorary Consul General of Ireland in Dhaka, and  Shivaz Rai, Director of  DU Digital,  signed the MoU at Cosmos Center in the capital recently. Shivaz has over 20 years of experience in finance. At DU Digital, he now handles the finance of the entire company.

A 17-year-old boy was hacked to death allegedly by a youth over a trivial matter in Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh Saturday night. The deceased was identified as Mustaqim, son of Surjot Ali of Charshakchura village and an autorickshaw driver and sound system operator. Read: Rohingya man stabbed to death in Cox’s Bazar  Police and locals said the victim went to a religious event (Waz Mahfil) at Ansar Nagar Madrasa to work as a loudspeaker operator. Sajal locked into an altercation with Mustakim when he went to a fair adjacent to the event venue. At one stage of the altercation, Sajal stabbed Mustakim's neck, shoulder and hand with a knife, leaving him critically injured, they said. Later, locals rescued him and rushed to Gafargaon Upazila Health Complex where physicians declared him dead. Tara Mia, 20, and Babul, 20, of the same village, were also injured while trying to stop their altercation. Read: Woman, son dies as bus hits motorcycle in Tangail  Khairul Bashar, Officer-in-Charge of Pagla police station, he might have been killed over previous enmity. The body was sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

At 91, a yogurt seller from Chapainawabganj’s Bholahat upazila, Ziaul Haque, may have missed out on formal education himself, but he has been a beacon of learning for hundreds in his community. Living in Chamamusribhuja village, Ziaul has dedicated his life to social welfare, significantly impacting the lives of those around him through education and various community services. In recognition of his lifelong commitment to bettering the lives of others, Ziaul was awarded the ‘Ekushey Padak,’ the country’s second-highest civilian honor, this year in the social service category. A testament to his dedication, Ziaul has been a familiar face in his community, selling yogurt for over six decades. Read: BSCIC officials’ training on salt iodization underway in Cox’s Bazar The Cultural Affairs Ministry announced the award on February 13, placing Ziaul in the esteemed company of other notable awardees. His contributions have previously earned him accolades, including the ‘Shada Moner Manush’ award in 2006. Upon receiving the news, an elated Ziaul expressed his joy and humility, seeing the recognition as a motivation to continue his social work. Despite the challenges of poverty that cut his own educational journey short after class five, Ziaul turned his circumstances into a mission to support the educational aspirations of others in his community. He has been particularly supportive of financially disadvantaged but talented students, offering books and academic materials funded by his yogurt sales. In 1969, Ziaul established a home library now boasting around 14,000 books, from novels to educational texts, which he offers free to local students. His generosity extends beyond education; he has provided housing for the homeless, dug wells for clean drinking water, and donated winter clothing and Qurans to madrasa students. Reflecting on his contributions, Ziaul finds deep satisfaction in the educational opportunities he has been able to provide, valuing the progress of local children over his own educational setbacks. His efforts have kept many children in school, a legacy he is proud to leave behind. Read: Scholastic student wins global coding competition Ziaul's family, along with the entire district, celebrates this well-deserved recognition. Local journalist Rubel Ahmed and many others in Bholahat commend Ziaul’s spirit and integrity, acknowledging the profound impact of his library and philanthropy on the community’s youth and educators alike. Ziaul Haque’s story is a powerful reminder of the difference one individual can make in the lives of many.

Training on 'Quality control, quality assurance system and lab test procedures for salt iodization' for the officials of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) is going at Cox`s Bazar. The training started on Friday (February 16, 2024) will end on Tuesday in two phrases. Read more: Industries Minister invites SMEs to invest in BSCIC facilities This training was jointly organized by Salt cell, BSCIC and Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) of Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR). Chairman of Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik inaugurated the training. Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan director of IFST, BCSIR presided over this training while Akil Ranjan Tarofder, GM of Extension division in BSCIC, Sarawor Hossain AGM of Extension division and Head of Salt Cell, BSCIC and , officials of IFST, BCSIR and Nutrition International were present. Read more: 12 types of salt used in cooking, baking and seasoning

In a heart-wrenching incident in Rajshahi, two baby sisters passed away within four days of each other after contracting an unidentified virus, as reported by medical professionals. The almost two-year-old younger sister, Muntaha Marisha, tragically died en route to the hospital last Wednesday, while her elder sister, four years and nine months old Muftaul Mashiya, passed away on Saturday afternoon during treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH). The girls were the daughters of Manjur Rahman, a mathematics teacher at Rajshahi Cadet College, residing with his family in the college's quarters in Sarda. Physicians at RMCH initially suspected a viral infection but awaited confirmation pending laboratory results from samples sent to Dhaka for analysis. The girls' parents, Manjur and Poly Khatun, have been placed in RMCH's isolation ward. Read: Nipah Virus: Don’t Consume This If You Want to Be Safe Dr. Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, an ICU physician at RMCH, mentioned that there is a suspicion of the Nipah virus, although the girls' parents refuted this possibility.  He noted that the children had consumed unwashed plums, which could potentially be linked to the Nipah virus or another viral agent. The definitive cause of death awaits the results of the samples sent for testing. Poly Khatun recounted the events leading to their illness, stating that their domestic help had given the girls unwashed plums from a tree on campus on the morning of February 13. The following day, Marisha developed a fever, exhibited repeated vomiting, and showed signs of severe dehydration. Despite being rushed to the Rajshahi Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Marisha died en route. Mashiya exhibited similar symptoms the next morning and, after initial treatment at the Upazila Health Complex and CMH, was transferred to RMCH, where she was admitted to the ICU.  Read: Nipah virus: Two patients from Manikganj die in Dhaka Both sisters displayed black spots on their bodies before their deaths, a symptom noted by their mother. RMCH physician Mostafa Kamal clarified that there have been no reported deaths from the Nipah virus in Rajshahi this year. However, he confirmed that a viral infection caused the sisters' deaths, emphasizing the rapid progression of their illness and the limited opportunity for treatment. The parents remain in hospital isolation as precautions continue. Read more: Ancient viruses can help fight cancer, scientists say

A two-day long Math and Biochemistry Olympiad, and Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Fest ended on Saturday with massive participation with a display of academic prowess and scientific ingenuity. Organised by student-governed clubs of International Hope School Bangladesh (IHSB) Hopians Math, Programming & Robotics Club(HMPRC), IHSB STEM Club, and IHSB NASA Rover Team, these events showcased the dedication and talent of students from various educational backgrounds. A total of 50 famous schools of the capital participated in this science festival while around 1500 students displayed 115 science projects. The organizers said that the modern technology-rich projects in this festival with biochemistry, robotics, materials, chemistry and other science-related topics have introduced the students' scientific mindset and scientific thinking. Dhaka 18 Constituency Member of Parliament Khosru Chowdhury was present as the chief guest in this festival while Professor of Biochemistry and Microbiology Department of NorthSouth University Abdul Khaleque and Pro-Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh Branch of UCSI University of Malaysia Prof. Dat'r Mohammad Saleh Jafaar were present as special guests. Roksana Jerin, Principal of International Hope Schoo delivered welcome speech. Member of Parliament Khosru Chowdhury commented that such an arrangement will take Bangladesh further in science practice. He also expressed hope that through these science-oriented students, Bangladesh will be able to achieve a position of glory in the world. In the welcome speech, Principal of IHSB  Roksana Jerin said," From the very beginning, students were very interested in this science festival.Through such competitions, students are proving their skills in science and modern technology."

Textiles and Jute Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak on Saturday expressed his determination to take the golden fibre, jute, to the first position on the list of goods exports. He came up with the remarks while replying to questions from reporters after visiting the multipurpose jute products exhibition at the pavilion of Jute Diversification Promotion Center (JDPC) at Dhaka International Trade Fair Saturday evening. Once the jute was the main exporting product but now its glory largely vanished, he observed. Urging all to work together to increase production of environment-friendly jute products, he said there is a huge demand for those products in the era of sustainable development across the world. The minister said that he would do whatever is needed to encourage the private sector to increase the export of multipurpose jute products. Nanak, also presidium member of the ruling Awami League, said they could accommodate only 20 entrepreneurs to display their products in the fair due to lack of space. He, however, hoped that measures would be taken to facilitate more entrepreneurs to exhibit their products in a larger pavilion in the next fair.

Left Democratic Alliance (LDA) will hold a rally in front of the National Press Club at 11:30 am on Monday to lead a march towards Bangladesh Bank in protest against the looting of banks and money laundering. A partner of the LDA, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Mohammad Shah Alam and General Secretary Ruhin Hussain Prince urged all to join the protest rally. In a statement they demanded investigating and publishing a white paper on allegations of money laundering, recovery of money smuggled abroad, recovery of defaulted loans, punishment of those involved and responsible, mismanagement in the financial sector. Syndicates nurtured by govt behind runaway prices: Manna The leaders said that money laundering and bank robbery have become a normal phenomenon. It is not easy to create the field of such free loot without colluding with the rulers in various ways. People's money should be protected by building people's resistance against it. The leaders also called on the people to build a resistance against corruption, looting and autocracy. They said that recently, especially in the run-up to the last parliamentary elections, the face of unscrupulous politics has emerged more clearly through political shopping and party formation. Jatiya Party's Chunnu wants 2 lines from 'Sharifa's story' be removed The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) will ignore any conspiracy to end the misrule, establish voting rights, establish democracy, eliminate the crisis in public life and continue the struggle to change the system and build a left democratic alternative power gathering.