United News of Bangladesh

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan on Sunday said Biman Bangladesh Airlines will launch flights soon on different news routes including Male, Sydney, Kunming, Jakarta and Wuhan. The minister said this in parliament while responding to a question from independent MP Abdullah Nahid Nigar. The government has taken various measures including operating flights on different new routes to turn Biman Bangladesh Airlines into a profitable entity, said the minister. He said the other steps include evaluating the existing routes of the airline and increasing the weekly frequency on various profitable routes. Besides, flights to New York will be resumed subject to the upgradation of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh to Category-1. Faruk Khan said the old aircraft of Biman will be phased out subject to the addition of new aircraft to the fleet. In response to a question of Awami League MP Ali Azam from Bhola-2, the minister said, the government has no plan to reopen the closed airports. The minister, however, said, in view of the development of the current global economic situation, passenger’s demand and the interest of the airlines, decision can be taken to open the closed airports. The civil aviation minister said currently there are three international, seven domestic and five STOL (Short Take-off and Landing) airports in the country. Among them, three international airports and five domestic airports are operational.

A writ petition was filed seeking directives to stop cutting trees across the country including the capital Dhaka for protecting the environment. Advocate Sarwar Ahad Chowdhury, Advocate Ekhlas Uddin bhuiya and Advocate Ripon Baroi on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed the petition. The writ will likely move at the bench of HC bench of Justice Md Khasruzzaman and Justice K M Zahid Sarwar on Monday, said Senior Advocate Manzil Murshid. High Court issues rule on compensation for Bailey Road fire victims Advocate Manzil Murshid, said the amount of forestation needed to live in Dhaka city is decreasing day by day and due to the rise in temperature, people's lives are becoming more miserable due to the sweltering heat prevailing in the country, which violated the rights to live properly. On the other hand, an adverse effect has been created on the environment due to the cutting of trees planted across the country under the social forestry agreement, which will invite a natural disaster, he said. Besides, the rights of people to live in the city will be harmed severely, he added. The writ also sought directives to form a seven-member committee, composed of Environmentalist, Environmental scientist, Prof. of Environment Science of Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University, who will give approval of cutting trees in Dhaka city, if needed. High Court orders to recruit 285 people with disabilities under quota in govt primary schools It also sought directives to ask the Public Administration Ministry to issue a circular within seven days by the Deputy Commissioner and directed to form a committee comprising the District Environment Officer, Principal of Government College, Social Worker, Environmentalists, President or Secretary of the District Lawyers Association and Civil Surgeon, who will provide approval to cut trees. The writ petition is also sought directives of the Public Administration Ministry to issue a circular within seven days and form a committee led by the Upazila Nirbahi Officers and Principal of college, social worker, environmentalists, Social Welfare officer, assistant commissioner of land and Executive Engineer of LGED by whom no approval will be given to cut trees. The respondent persons will be asked to take effective measures to stop cutting trees in their respective areas before the formation of the committees and submit the court compliance report within two weeks, said the writ petition. The writ petition also sought to issue a rule asking the government to explain as to why the ineffectiveness of the respondents to stop cutting trees should not be declared illegal and why directives should not be given to the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to stop cutting trees in Dhaka and other districts and upazila headquarters. Secretary to the Cabinet division, Principal Secretary of Prime Minister Office, Secretary to the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry, secretary to the Local Government Ministry, senior secretary of Public Administration Ministry, secretary to the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry, Director General of the Directorate of Environment, two mayor of Dhaka South and North City Corporations, chief executive officer of the two city corporations, chief engineer of LGED, Chief Forest Conservator, Chief Engineer of Roads and Highways Division and Inspector General of Police have been made respondent to the rule.  

A fire that broke out in the Amurbunia area at Chandpai range of the Sundarbans East Zone on Saturday afternoon is now under control, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The fire did not spread to the top of the trees or branches, only spread sporadically above the ground, it claimed in its statement on Sunday. Sundarbans fire: Low tide delaying dousing operation Apart from the forest department, several units of Fire Service, Navy, Police, district administration, upazila administration, public representatives Community Patrol Groups, volunteers and local people are providing assistance in extinguishing the fire. Besides, an Air Force helicopter also assisted in extinguishing the fire by sprinkling water from above, it added. According to the statement, the Forest Department workers, Fire Service,  and other related government agencies reached the spot immediately after the fire was first reported on Saturday at around 3.30 pm. Probe committee formed over Sundarbans fire Forest department personnel started cutting fire lines around the fire with the help of local community patrolling groups, village tiger response teams and local people.  But due to low tide at that time, there was no water in the canal so it was not possible to spread water to the fire. However, the forest department's firefighting equipment and water dispenser were brought in at night and it was prepared and set by pipe.  From early today, the Forest Department workers, Fire Service, local people, CPG started cutting the fire line around the fire and dousing the fire with water. Around the place of fire, the work of cutting the fire line covering an area of about 5 acres is going on. However, since the fire is spreading underground through the roots of the trees, the fire has to be extinguished with caution, it added. “Although the fire is under control, fire extinguishing activities will continue for the next few days.” Fire breaks out at Sundarbans A 3-member committee has already been formed by DFO, East of Khulna Circle of the forest department to investigate the exact cause of the fire. Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury and the Secretary of the Ministry Dr. Farhina Ahmed have been supervising and coordinating the Sundarbans firefighting operations round the clock. The Prime Minister is aware of the matter and is keeping a regular check. Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury, the chief conservator of Forests, rushed to the scene of Sundarbans to supervise the activities on the ground. He will brief the journalists at the office of the divisional forest officer of Sundarban West Forest Division in Khulna at 8:30 pm on Sunday regarding the latest progress and action in this regard, reads the statement.

In light  of the Israeli war on Gaza and the Biden Administration's attack on the protesting students at the universities of USA, the students of Dhaka University have staged demonstration protesting Netanyahu government's aggression and USA government's one eyed behavior. The rally was formed in front of Dhaka University’s anti terrorism Raju sculpture around 3pm on Sunday. Teachers and students from halls and abroad joined the rally with flags and placards demanding immediate ceasefire of Israeli war on Gaza. Nakib Mahmud Nasrullah, professor of law department of Dhaka University, expressed his solidarity with the students and said, "Today we have come here being motivated and inspired by humanity. Today we stand for oppressed people of Gaza. It is not important to be a Muslim to stand with the people of Palestine. Being human is good enough to stand with and for them. Such massacres have shattered all the history of the world. No war has killed so many women and children since first world war.” Marking Netanyahu and Joe Biden as criminals, he said, “Netanyahu and Biden are the direct supporters of this war and they are war criminals. Movement for Palestine has started all over the world. All university students of Bangladesh should wake up to this movement. All their plots and conspiracies will end through this movement.” Ariful Islam Apu, lecturer of management department of Dhaka University, said, “We all are aware about what is going on in Gaza. There left nothing new to say about. Our movement is not against any particular group. This movement is against those states that are the destroyers and dangers for humanity. The world has never seen such a thoroughly documented genocide. Even after witnessing this amount of documented genocide, the world is unable to take any action against it. As a result, we have to bring questions to the whole system.” However, the students also talked boldly against the ‘Israeli occupation’. Mosaddek Ibne Mohammad Ali, one of the protesting students, said, “The things Israel has been doing with people of Gaza is clearly war crime and genocide. The Netanyahu administration violated all the humanitarian laws. This illegal war has to be stopped for the sake of humanity. Again, USA’s Biden Administration is the main patronizer of this war as the USA has long been giving backup to Israel to carry the expenses of the war.” Condemning Biden administration activities, he said, “USA claims itself as the savior of the democracy but we see that they are the main exploiters of the democracy. They violated the laws of democracy in Palestine, in Iraq, in Afghanistan and now they are violating democracy in their own country as we see that the Biden Administration attacking and imprisoning the students of the universities of USA for protesting USA administration’s naked support of Israeli crimes. We are always with our protesting brothers all around the war.” Addressing Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mosaddek requested to cut all kinds of tie with the allies of Israel and also to reinstate the words "This passport is valid for all the countries of the world except Israel’ in the Bangladeshi passport which was installed by Bangabandhu." After the rally the students marched to Shahbagh chanting slogans demanding to free Palestine and withdrawal of Israeli “occupation” forces from Gaza and burned the effigy of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netaniyahu.

The Election Commission (EC) has ordered the transfer of Noakhali’s Subarnachar thana Office-in-charge (OC) ahead of the upazila parishad polls. EC’s deputy secretary Md Mizanur Rahman sent a notice to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on Sunday. According to the notice, aiming to hold the sixth upazila polls in a free, fair and neutral manner, the EC has decided to withdraw Noakhali’s Subarnachar thana OC Rafiqual Islam and Assistant Sub-inspector Nur Nabi and appoint eligible officers in that posts. The EC requested the authorities concerned to take necessary initiatives, reads the notice. This time EC is going to hold election to 476 upazilas out of 495 in four phases. Election to rest 19 upazilas will be held later as their tenure has not expired yet. According to EC’s announced schedule, upazila parishad elections to 150 upazilas will be held on May 8 in the first phase , in second phase 160 upazila will go to polls on May 21, in third phase 112 upazilas will go to polls on May 29 and in 4th phase elections will be held in 55 upazilas on June 5. As per the EC’s plan, Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will be used in 22 upazila parishad polls in first phase, 24 in second phases, 21 in third phase and two in fourth phase.

A Dhaka court on Sunday placed Milton Samaddar, chairman of Child & Old Age Care, on a four-day remand in a human trafficking case.Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Begum Shanta Akter passed the order when investigating officer Mohammad Kamal Hossain, sub-inspector of Mirpur Zonal Team, produced him before the court after completion of his three-day remand in another case.Maitul Alam, inspector of DB police, sought a seven-day remand for Milton in the human trafficking case. DB detains Child & Old Age Care Chairman Milton SamaddarDhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mehera Mahbub granted the petition of police to show him arrest in the case, said sub-inspector Saiful Islam of Mirpur Model Police Station .Earlier on May 2, a Dhaka court placed him on a three-day remand in a case over alleged death certificate forgery.Detectives on Wednesday (May 1) arrested Milton from the city’s Mirpur area.Samaddar, who had been recognised for his public service through various awards, was allegedly involved in significant wrongdoing. While his social media profile publicized his work in building an old age home for the helpless and providing shelter to the homeless, more sinister allegations have surfaced.Allegations include the illegal trade of human organs, specifically pointing to the cutting and selling of kidneys. Milton Samaddar put on 3-day remandThe revelations led to individuals speaking out and a flurry of discussions on social media, culminating in Samaddar's detainment.Mohammad Kamal Pasha, sub-inspector of DB of Mirpur division, filed the case with Mirpur Police Station on Thursday morning.

Flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport will remain halted for three hours from May 6 to 8 due to maintenance work on the runway. “As part of runway management, maintenance work will be conducted on the centre lights and markings on the runway and its use will be temporarily suspended from 12am to 3am for three days starting May 6 All airlines and organizations have been duly notified,” said Group Captain Muhammed Kamrul Islam, executive director at the airport, on Sunday. Kamrul also said that airlines have been requested to notify passengers in advance about any alterations to their flight schedules. "The airlines have already been asked to coordinate their flight operations and notify the passenger about their individual flights in advance. The matter has been informed the other government organizations that provide services at the airport for coordination, he added.  

Child and Old Age Care chairman Milton Samaddar’s wife Mithu Haldar was aware of her husband’s activities and she could not avoid responsibility in any way, said Chief of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Mohammad Harun-Or-Rashid.Though Milton’s wife claimed that she was not involved in activities relating to fund collected for the foundation and bank accounts, said the DB chief while talking to reporters at his office on Sunday.“I believe that Milton collected money from different sources in the name of the so-called service of humanity and embezzled the money. He neither provided any service to the elderly people nor sent them to any physician for treatment purposes,” he said.Milton’s wife also claimed herself as a nurse of the foundation, said Harun adding “Why she did not protest or inform the police. After interrogating Mithu it seems that she cannot avoid responsibility.” DB detains Child & Old Age Care Chairman Milton SamaddarRegarding the alleged torture by Miton on elderly people at the shelter home, Mithu told DB that it just wasn’t right. Asked about the source of Tk 2 crore in the bank account of Milton, Mithu said her husband did not engage her in it as she is a government service holder.Ruling out the allegation against Milton of burying 900 people, Milton’s wife said the exact number is 135. He used to raise the number in a bid to get sympathy or money from people but he did not keep any document regarding death. Now Milton Samaddar’s wife called for interrogation to DB officeHowever, Milton did not inform any hospital, police station or relatives of the victim after death of the inmates, said the DB Chief.A remand petition was filed again and if is approved, Milton will be interrogated again, he said.Milton Samaddar was arrested by DB in a case over alleged death certificate forgery Wednesday. Later, Milton’s wife Mithu was called for interrogation to the DB office in the capital’s Mintoo Road on Saturday.

 The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in Bangladesh, with UNICEF's support, on Sunday launched the National Guidelines to protect children and vulnerable populations, including pregnant women from heat-related health risks.   This event marks a critical step in keeping children safe as Bangladesh is increasingly buffeted by the impacts of climate change. In alignment with UNICEF's Healthy Environments for Healthy Children global program framework, launched in 2021, the National Guidelines, jointly developed by DGHS with UNICEF support, underscore the importance of a primary healthcare approach in protecting vulnerable populations from the adverse effects of climate change. These National Guidelines, developed in collaboration with experts from health and other sectors, provide a comprehensive framework for responding effectively to heat-related health risks. These risks, according to UNICEF reports, include that the odds of a preterm birth rise by 5 per cent per 1°C increase in temperature, and by 16 per cent during heatwave versus non-heatwave days, demonstrating that the risk of a preterm delivery is higher during a heatwave – i.e., greater exposure and severity result in greater risk.   The preterm birth rate in Bangladesh (16.2%) is the highest in the world and this is further aggravated by heatwaves.   In addition, the guidelines include UNICEF’s B.E.A.T the Heat framework, based on the English acronym: 1) BE AWARE of heat stress and protect yourself; 2) EASILY IDENTIFY the symptoms of heat stress; 3) ACT IMMEDIATELY to protect yourself and others; and 4) TAKE the person to a health facility if an individual is showing serious symptoms. These directives are aimed at raising public awareness and fostering mass participation in heat-related health initiatives. These guidelines will be disseminated widely through various government ministries, mass media channels, and grassroots organizations to ensure broader community and public engagement. "Every child has the right to a healthy environment, and we all have a role to play. By addressing heat-related illnesses and prioritizing skills for healthcare professionals, we can help pave the way for a healthier and brighter future for children in Bangladesh," emphasized Sheldon Yett, Representative of UNICEF in Bangladesh. According to recent projections from UNICEF and as a stark reminder of climate change impact, by 2050 a staggering 35.5 million children in Bangladesh, 99 per cent of the total child population at that time, are set to face high heatwave frequency - meaning on average 4.5 or more heatwaves per year. This will be a significant surge from 2020, when just 2.6 million children, representing 5 per cent, were exposed to such risks. UNICEF estimates that one in three children in Bangladesh, nearly 20 million children, bear the brunt of climate change every day. Children are victims of extreme weather, such as the current heatwaves, floods, river erosion, sea level rise, and other environmental shocks driven by climate change. As the impact on children is diverse, UNICEF is also working on supporting the Government in addressing these risks in the education sector. Last week 30 million children had their classes and learning upended, when all schools were closed in Bangladesh due to the scorching heatwave as temperatures skyrocketed to 40C and beyond. With technical support from UNICEF, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education has organised a workshop with education ministries and directorates to develop a Climate Change in Education framework. This initiative aims to integrate climate change education into the educational landscape, fostering a generation equipped to tackle environmental challenges. Extreme heat waves have become increasingly prevalent in Bangladesh, posing significant health risks to its population, particularly during the humid months from April to August. UNICEF remains committed to supporting Bangladesh in its efforts to combat climate-related health challenges and looks forward to continued collaboration with DGHS, the Ministries of Education, and other partners in building a resilient and sustainable future for every child.    

Ninety seven percent of the Boro paddy in haor areas have been harvested, said the Agriculture Ministry on Sunday. This year, a total of 4,53,400 hectares of land in seven haor districts -Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, Netrakona and Brahmanbaria- were brought under Boro cultivation and so far body paddy on 4.38 lakh hectares land have been harvested while only 33 percent Boro paddy harvested across the country, according to a release of the ministry. The government is working to make haor crops risk-free and that’s why the government has been providing combine harvesters, and reapers to the haor farmers at 70 percent subsidy, so that ripe paddy can be harvested in a short time, said the release. This year, a total of 50.58 lakh hectares of land have been brought under boro cultivation across the country, which is over 20,000 hectares more land than the previous year. The ministry also set a target to produce 2.22 crore tonnes of paddy this year. During a visit to Srimangal of Moulvibazar district recently, Agriculture Minister Dr Md. Abdus Shahid said Boro paddy supplies more than half of our total rice production throughout the year and that’s why the government puts importance on Boro cultivation. To raise the Boro cultivation, the government has provided seeds and fertilizers worth Tk 215 crore at free of cost, he said.