United News of Bangladesh

Shakhawat Hossain Badsha and Asab Mahmud were elected president and general secretary of the Tangail District Journalist Forum, Dhaka (TJFD). The new committee was formed after the biennial general meeting of TJFD, held at Maulana Mohammad Akram Khan Hall of the Jatiya Press Club on Monday. The outgoing president of the organisation, Khan Mohammad Salek, chaired the meeting. The former president of TJFD, Rafiqul Islam Ratan, unanimously announced the names of the committee members, including the president and secretary for the session of 2024–26, in the general meeting. Other elected members of the committee are Senior Vice President Jahangir Feroze, Vice President Sheikh Enamul Haque, Joint General Secretaries Anisur Rahman Khan and Shahnaz Parveen Elis, Treasurer DM Amar, Organising Secretary Taufiq Apu, Publicity Secretary Walid Khan, Office Secretary Hafizur Rahman, and Women Affairs Secretary Nazneen Akhtar Lucky. The executive members of the committee are: Ashraf Sarkar, Ferdous Salam, Dr Harunur Rashid, Ekabbar Ali, Anisul Islam, Rezaul Karim, Tareq Salman, Atiqur Rahman, Nurul Huda, Mushfiq Khan, and Abu Md Machani. Besides, the outgoing president and general secretary will be considered as executive members of the committee. In the general meeting, an advisory council was formed consisting of former presidents and general secretaries of the forum. There are in the advisory council: Rafiqul Islam Ratan, Gaffar Mahmud, Md. Ashraf Ali, Talukdar Harun, Jiban Islam, Jamal Uddin Jamal, and Feroz Manna.

The High Court has ordered Grameen Telecom to deposit Tk 50 crore before filing income tax appeals for 2011-12 and 2012-13 tax years. The High Court bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir passed the order on Monday rejecting a petition filed by Grameen Telecom against the order to deposit 25 percent of the money. As a result, Grameen Telecom will have to deposit Tk 50 crore and then appeal, lawyers said. Barrister Mostafizur Rahman stood for Grameen Telecom while Assistant Attorney General Barrister Tahmina Akhter represented the state. "In November 2020, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) sent a notice to the Grameen Telecom demanding Tk 250 crore in income tax for the two years. Later, Grameen Telecom asked for a waiver as there was no money,” said Barrister Tahmina. After the application was rejected by the NBR, they sought a waiver of income tax. But then they had about Tk 400 crore in one account, she said. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued a notice asking for income tax money mentioning that there was money in the account. Later, Grameen Telecom filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the NBR's notice. The court also issued a rule on why the notice should not be declared illegal. After visiting different courts in the last three years, the case came to the concerned bench of the High Court. After hearing the petition on Monday, the court dismissed the writ petition of Grameen Telecom. At the same time, the court ordered Grameen Telecom to deposit 25 percent of the income tax demanded as per the rules and then file an appeal against the NBR.  

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat said the formation and operation of the Journalist Welfare Trust proves that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government are journalist-friendly. The state minister said this at the 29th meeting of the trustee board of Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust at the meeting room of his ministry at the Secretariat on Monday afternoon. No mechanism yet to take action against misinformation from abroad: Mohammad Arafat   At the time, Arafat said, “The present government has tried to do a lot for the journalists. In particular, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given Tk 25 crore for the welfare of journalists. She promised to pay another Tk 10 crore. Yet, at the international level, propaganda is sometimes spread from some places, questioning whether the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu, is shrinking or expanding the space of journalism.” “But such a big initiative to form a journalist welfare trust for the welfare of journalists proves that she is a journalist-friendly Prime Minister,” he added. Incredible development made under leadership of PM Sheikh Hasina in past 15 years: State Minister for Info Arafat “There is professionalism and transparency in the work of the Journalist Kanyan Trust. It is necessary to keep in mind that the process of selecting journalists to provide assistance from the Journalists' Welfare Trust is more transparent and professional. It is being ensured that there are representatives of journalists at every level of selection. We want to make an impartial and professional decision from the trustee board of the welfare trust,” said the junior minister. At the meeting, a committee was formed to formulate a policy on the allocation of grants for the welfare of journalists and the committee was given time to formulate the draft policy within a month. Besides, the issue of allocating money for providing emergency education scholarships to the poor, insolvent, seriously injured in accidents and the meritorious children of the deceased journalists was discussed. Media needs to be more professional and transparent: Mohammad Arafat Senior Secretary to the ministry and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust Humayun Kabir Khandaker; Member Secretary of Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust Subhash Chandra (Badal) and Chief Information Officer and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Department of Information Shahinur Miah, were present at the time, among others.

Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdus Shahid said jute production has increased by 33 lakh bales in the last decade due to the jute-friendly policy of the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “In 2015, jute production was 51 lakh bales, while in the financial year 2022-23, the country produced about 84 lakh bales. Of this, about 43 lakh bales of jute and jute products have been exported. About Tk 8,000 crore has been earned through the export of jute and jute products,” he said.Govt to formulate action plan to double jute export in next 2-3 yrs The minister said this while addressing a seminar titled “Success and Prospect of Jute Research Genome Centre” at Bangladesh Jute Research Institute at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital on Monday. The minister said, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina started the activities of genome sequencing of jute in 2009 to bring back the lost glory of jute and established the Genome Centre. As a result, the mystery of jute life was revealed for the first time in the world in 2010. As a result of unraveling the mystery of life, there is a huge opportunity to invent high-yielding varieties suitable for cultivation in the country. China can be an export market for Bangladeshi mangoes and jute products: Chinese Ambassador said to FBCCI “And the soil of the country is also very suitable for jute cultivation. Therefore, there are many opportunities to increase jute production.” Addressing the scientists, the minister said high-yielding varieties and production technology will have to be invented to increase jute production. To this end, they have to pay more attention to research and work with sincerity and dedication to make full use of the genome sequencing lab. Mentioning that work is underway to achieve self-sufficiency in jute seeds, the minister said, "We have not yet been able to become self-sufficient in jute seeds. Most of the demand is imported from India. Therefore, the government is working on priority basis to reduce import dependency of jute seeds, achieve self-sufficiency in jute seed production and produce more jute in less land.” Titu affirms commitment to export diversification; calls on EU, UK to invest in jute, leather sectors “Although the use of polythene has increased, there is a huge demand for environmentally friendly jute and jute products worldwide in the current era of sustainable development. The versatile use of jute fiber is increasing day by day,” said Shahid. “At present, the domestic market of geotextile is around Tk 700 crore. Not only in Bangladesh, the value of environmentally friendly and excellent jute geotextile is increasing instead of synthetic geotextile made from 'metal netting' or polymer for various purposes around the world. Besides, black ash from Bangladesh is currently being exported to China, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and Brazil,” he added. Executive Chairman of the Agricultural Research Council Sheikh Md Bakhtiar; Agriculture Ministry Joint Secretary Rehana Parvin and Jute Research Institute Director General Abdul Awal, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said the success of the Loss and Damage Fund of COP28 hinges on its adequate capitalization and how promptly funds thereof can be disbursed to communities most impacted by loss and damage. He also said the pledges on climate finance during COP28 need to be significantly built upon during this year to respond to the increasingly acute needs of the most vulnerable countries. The minister said this in a pivotal session in the World Government Summit ‘Delivering the UAE Consensus Globally: From Agreement to Action' held on Monday in Dubai, UAE. He further said it is essential to agree on a definition of climate finance and we must also ensure that the New Collective  Quantifiable Goal is designed to deliver scaled-up financing aligned with needs and scientific assessment – for mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage. Chowdhury said we must ensure there is appropriate follow-up and accountability in the implementation of GST outcomes.  “Any potential loopholes must be closed and our focus must be on actions that are strictly 1.5C aligned. For the first time in around three decades of the COP process, the UAE Consensus, under the able leadership of the UAE, yielded concrete commitments from nations around the world on transitioning away from fossil fuels,” he added. Likewise, the success of the Global Stocktake outcome, with strong recognition of achieving 1.5°C and significant gaps on climate finance, will rely on countries’ commitments to the outcome and prompt action to address the ambition and implementation gaps to 1.5C. The Environment Minister said other crucial areas such as the mitigation work programme and the work programme on just transition pathways need to step up in 2024 to contribute to the implementation of the GST outcomes and deliver activities that will contribute to realizing the objectives of the Paris Agreement and fostering inclusive climate action implementation. Saber Hossain Chowdhury said the focus now is on the delivery of the UAE Consensus and translating its ambitious outcomes into tangible implementation that aligns fully with 1.5C and the needs of the most climate vulnerable members of our global community.  The Global Stocktake decision from COP28 has set a list of follow-up tasks for 2024 which will be crucial to guide timely implementation and for tracking progress on climate action to ensure accountability. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, CoP 28 president & UAE special envoy to climate change; Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF;  Muawieh Radaideh, Minister of Environment, Jordan;  Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC;  Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President Designate and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan also spoke on the occasion. The session was moderated by CNN Presenter Becky Anderson.

Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA) wants an increase in their depreciation facility from 35 percent to 50 percent in the case of import of reconditioned motor vehicles in the next budget. The BARVIDA president Md. Habib Ullah Don gave this proposal to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) at the pre-budget discussions on Monday. BARVIDA President said that the provision of providing the highest rate of depreciation in the first year for any product is internationally accepted. For age calculation to provide depreciation, the year recorded is treated as current as per the import policy. A tale of multiple marriages, betrayal and murder In terms of determining the rate of depreciation, depending on the year and the nature of the vehicle, zero percent for one-year reconditioned vehicle, 10 percent for two-year-old vehicle, 20 percent for more than 2 years old, 30 percent for up to 3 years old, 40 percent for 4 years old and 50 percent for 5 years old. He said, if this proposal is considered, the import of cars will increase. This provision will play an effective role in meeting the revenue targets of the NBR. On the other hand, the market for world-class reconditioned cars at affordable prices will expand at the grassroots level. New employment will also be created, said BARVIDA President. 10-year old boy killed after abduction in Keraniganj; prime accused arrested Don said during the severe crisis of public transport, the introduction of healthy and modern public transport in its limited practical scope by reducing the supplementary tariff of microbuses used to transport large numbers of passengers. “I hope that in the next budget too, the policy will favour the majority of the motor vehicles to keep the lifestyle of the people engaged in production and development dynamic,” he added. They also proposed to revise the CC slab and supplementary duty on import of old hybrid cars. BAVIDA said that since the import of old reconditioned hybrid cars has been allowed, various studies have proved both the state and consumers are benefiting from hybrid cars as they are good for the environment as well as fuel efficient. 'Unveil true circumstances of Preeti's death': Domestic Workers Rights Network The vehicle importers demanded to increase the CC slab up to 4000 CC from 289 percent to 442.60 percent. BARVIDA leaders believe that imports of the advanced technology environment and energy-friendly hybrid vehicles will be facilitated if the proposed rates are considered. The NBR chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem in response said that if duty support is given, that facility is misused. “When it is misused, the industry is affected. Because of this, we have to consider many things before giving policy support,” he said.

In a shocking incident that has gripped the outskirts of Dhaka city, police arrested two individuals late Sunday night in Keraniganj, linked to the brutal murder of a housewife named Rozina in the Kamrangirchar area. The suspects, identified as Mala Saha (25) and her husband, Sanjit Saha alias Akash (31), were caught in a dramatic operation that also led to the recovery of a critical piece of evidence: a shard from the mirror used in the gruesome act.  Rozina, tragically caught in a love triangle, was the second wife of Sanjit Saha. 10-year old boy killed after abduction in Keraniganj; prime accused arrested Deputy Commissioner Mahbub Uz Zaman of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Lalbagh Division revealed the details during a press briefing at the DMP's media center on Monday. The incident came to light last Friday night when Rozina's lifeless body was discovered in a flat on the first floor of Haji Md. Badruddin's building, adjacent to the Baragram Wapda Mosque, by a team from the Kamrangirchar police station. The subsequent investigation was propelled by a murder case lodged by Rozina's father, Rahim.  The narrative that unfolded was one of betrayal and jealousy. Rozina, who had recently given birth to a daughter named Souravi, discovered that her husband, Akash — who had converted from Hinduism to Islam a year and a half prior — was previously married. This revelation led to frequent and heated disputes between the couple. 5-yr-old boy burned to death in Savar  Mala Saha, the first wife, upon learning of her husband's secret second marriage, confronted Rozina last Friday. In a fit of rage fueled by jealousy and anger towards her husband for his neglect and betrayal, Mala attacked Rozina, inflicting a fatal wound with a shard of glass before fleeing the scene. During her escape, she discarded the murder weapon in the Buriganga River. The case took a turn when Mala, during preliminary interrogation, confessed to the murder, citing her husband's indifference and her own financial struggles as the motive behind her actions. 

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in a drive have arrested the prime accused in a case over the killing of a 10-year-old Madrasha student after abduction in South Keraniganj. Makbul Hossain, 37, a mason by profession, was arrested from Dhaka’s Shyampur area. Director (Legal and Media wing) of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) headquarters Commander Khandaker Al Moin disclosed the matter on Monday at a press briefing. College student killed in Magura road crash When briefing, Moin said the elite force conducted a drive in Dhaka’s Shyampur area and arrested Makbul on Sunday. Makbul went to the house of Tawhid Islam, 10, son of a Bangladeshi expatriate, in South Keraniganj as a mason, he said. He also inquired about Tawhid’s movement during his stay at the house and make a plot to kidnap the boy six months ago, said the Rab director. On February 10, Makbul kidnapped Tawhid and kept him hostage after tying up his hands, legs and mouth. At one stage, when Tawhid started crying, Makbul got angered and strangled the boy to death with a scarf on that day. Bus driver killed in road crash during his break on Dhaka-Chattogram highway Later, he kept the body in a septic tank near Tawhid’s house and left the place. Makbul had demanded ransom of Tk 3 lakh over phone. Following Makbul’s demand, Tawhid’s mother and relatives went to a flyover in Rajendrapur and left a bag of money but Tawhid was not freed. Getting no whereabouts of Tawhid, Tawhid’s mother filed a case and informed the matter to Rab. Rab also recovered Tk 2.90 lakh from Makbul’s possession.

Voting in the election to Naogaon-2 constituency (Patnitala and Dhamoirhat upazilas), which was postponed following the death of independent candidate Aminul Haque, began amid strict security measures on Monday (February 12, 2024) morning. The balloting began at 8 am and will continue till 4 pm without any break. The Election Commission suspended the election due to the death of the independent candidate on December 29, eight-day ahead the 12th national election held on January 7 this year. Visiting several polling stations, the UNB correspondent found a huge presence of voters. Read more: BNP's program is nothing but restarting an old car: Foreign Minister Abdullah Al Mamun, presiding officer of Puiya Government Primary School centre, said that they have taken all preparations to hold the polls in a fair and peaceful environment. With the cooperation of the members of the law enforcement agencies, they will be able to hold the polls in a fair and peaceful environment, he hoped. Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Golam Mowla said all security measures have been taken so that election can be held in free, fair and neutral manner. There are 16 police and Ansar members in important centers each and 15 members in other centers each, he said, adding that on an average there is one police mobile team for every four centers along with a striking team and reserve team. Read more: 15 BNP men died in police custody 'for lack of care or torture': Rizvi Executive Magistrates and Judicial Magistrates are performing duty along with patrolling by members of the Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guard Bangladesh, he said. A total of four candidates including one from the ruling Awami League and one from Jatiya Party are contesting the polls.

 The Domestic Workers Rights Network has called for a thorough investigation and legal intervention into "the murder of an indigenous teenage domestic worker" at the residence of The Daily Star's Executive Editor, Syed Ashfaqul Haque. In a press release, the organization expressed  concern over the death of 15-year-old Preeti Urang and urged the government and administration to unveil the true circumstances of the incident. They emphasize the need for appropriate action to prosecute those responsible to prevent such occurrences in future. Read more: DSCC Mayor serves legal notice on The Daily Star seeking Tk 100 crore over satire article "In recent years, there has been a concerning rise in torture, killings, and violations of human rights against domestic workers. These workers are entitled to just treatment and respect as human beings. The absence of enforcement for the 'Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy, 2015' and their exclusion from labor laws contribute to a pattern of abuse, with perpetrators emboldened by a lack of consequences. Imposing exemplary punishment for such incidents could deter future acts of violence against domestic workers," it said. Earlier on Feb 6, police recovered the body of a teenage domestic help from in front of a multi-storey building at Shahjahan Road in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur.A case was filed following a complaint lodged by Preeti’s father Lokesh Urang the next day. Ashfaqul Haque and his wife Tania Khondoker were denied bail and sent to jail, where investigators interrogated them on February 8-9 at the jailgate.   Read more: 15-year-old domestic help's body recovered from in front of building where she worked; 2 in custody