United News of Bangladesh

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said on Thursday that the nutritional value of rice is lost due to excessive trimming and polishing. "So, a law was enacted to ban polishing the rice, and it would be implemented from Aman season on," he added. The minister was speaking at a meeting with the officials of the Food Department on the occasion of the Boro paddy-rice collection campaign at Circuit House in Naogaon on Thursday afternoon. He said that 16 to 20 lakh metric tonnes of rice are wasted due to excessive rice trimming and polishing. "If there is a law, this huge quantity of rice will be saved, and consumers can buy rice at a lower price." Regarding price tags on rice sacks, the food minister said that the work has already started. The sacks with prices and types of rice have started coming into the market. Majumdar said that it will be ensured that no farmer or mill owner is harassed while giving paddy to the government food warehouse. “Strict action will be taken against the culprits in case of any complaint of harassment.” In response to the question of whether the procurement of paddy will be successful, he said that measures are being taken to identify the reasons why the collection of paddy is not successful. "The procurement of paddy will be successful, like rice collection this year," he hoped. Last year, rice was not imported into our country. Due to the timely action of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, production has increased multiple times, he added. "This year, we had a bumper yield of Boro paddy as well," he mentioned.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia returned to her Gulshan residence on Thursday night after receiving treatment for just a day at Evercare Hospital in the capital. "She was discharged from the hospital as per the advice of the medical board. The board took the decision after reviewing her medical test reports," said her personal physician, AZM Zahid Hossain. Khaleda moved to cabin from CCU He said the BNP chairperson will now be provided with proper treatment at home. The BNP chief left the hospital at 8:20 pm and reached home around 9:00 pm, said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. Earlier on Wednesday night, Khaleda was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital and placed in the CCU following the advice of the medical board. She was shifted to a cabin from the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) in the afternoon. Khaleda Zia hospitalised again Dr Zahid said the BNP chief underwent several urgent tests on Wednesday night. Based on the test reports, the medical board determined her next course of medical treatment. Since her conditional release from prison in 2020, the BNP chief has been receiving medical care at the hospital under the supervision of a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder. The 79-year-old former prime minister has long been battling various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and issues related to the kidney, lung, heart, and eyes. Khaleda Zia taken to Evercare Hospital for check-up Khaleda's physicians have been advocating for her treatment abroad since she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in November 2021. On October 26 last year, three US specialist doctors performed the hepatic procedure known as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS procedure) to alleviate fluid accumulation in Khaleda Zia’s abdomen and chest, as well as to address bleeding in her liver.

Speakers at a panel discussion in Dhaka on Thursday said there is no alternative to freedom of the press and freedom of expression to ensure democracy. It is also imperative that the safety and freedom of the press be prioritised to tackle the ongoing environmental crisis and natural disasters, they said. Marking World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) 2024, speakers made these remarks at panel discussions organised jointly by UNESCO, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), and Article 19 at MIDAS Centre in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi on Thursday. The discussions centred on the WPFD theme of this year, “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.” There were two separate panel discussions where the panellists talked about issues like the ongoing oppression against journalists and their safety concerns in the context of climate-related issues, freedom of expression and the press, tackling misinformation, and access to information. Dr Iftekharuzzaman, TIB executive director,, said, “In the period from 2022 to 2023, while covering environmental issues, there were 23 attacks on the media, resulting in the torture of 43 journalists. Between 2016 to 2021 alone, 12 individuals, including environmental rights activists, were killed for protesting against coal-based plants.” He further stated that those who are legally responsible for protecting the environment are the ones leading the destruction of the environment. Therefore, it is imperative to create an environment where journalists and civil society organisations can play their active roles. But in reality, such space is being shrunk by the use of repressive acts like the Digital Security Act. Taking part in the “zero-sum political game,” journalists and rights activists are harassed by misusing laws, which ultimately benefits a certain faction. The harassment of media workers and civil society actors has been normalised through this process, he added. There are additional risks while reporting on land grabbing, water bodies' destruction, or the construction of training centres by taking over protected land. To tackle such challenges, those who are responsible in the government have to respect the commitment to freedom of press and speech enshrined in the constitution, so journalists and activists working on environmental issues do not become the victims of "shoot the messenger". Speaking at the opening session, Susan Vize, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh, said, “Raising public awareness about climate change and other environmental issues in Bangladesh is critical to achieving behavioural change. The media remains the single most influential source of credible public information. WPFD 2024 aims to build the capacity of Bangladesh’s media to ensure accurate and impactful coverage of the current environmental crises.” Alexandra Berg von Linde, Ambassador to Bangladesh, Sweden Embassy, said, “Public interest is inextricably linked to climate change and environmental degradation. The negative effects of climate change are becoming more visible, affecting people's daily lives. People want to know about the results and effects of negative climate change. Freedom of the media and the ability to report independently on all such matters of public interest are important elements of democracy.” Responding to a question about the misuse of repressive acts (ICT, DSA and CSA) and the safety concerns of journalists, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad A Arafat said, “We always talk about ensuring freedom of the press. However, in some cases, vested interests exploit this freedom to publish agenda-driven news and disseminate misinformation. Instances of such misinformation regarding Rampal or Adani power plants have been observed. Therefore, alongside ensuring media freedom, accountability must also be ensured. "If media freedom is misused to spread false information or disinformation, appropriate legal action should be taken. However, I will take necessary steps to ensure the protection of journalists in the country who report on environmental crises or climate issues based on truth and scientific evidence.” The first panel discussion titled “A Press for the Planet: Free Press and Freedom of Expression in the Context of the Current Global Environmental Crisis” kicked off with the presentations of Shamsuddin Illius, bureau chief of Chattogram, The Business Standard, and Usraat Fahmidah, freelance journalist, regarding the challenges of journalism in environmental issues and training young journalists. The second panel discussion focused on the safety issues of journalists under the theme of “Media Defence for Crisis Reporting,” where journalists and experts from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka participated.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Thursday said the government has taken plan to build open jail in Bangladesh like those in the developed countries. He said this in reply to a query from ruling Awami League MP Mamunur Rashid Kiran elected from Noakhali-3. The Home Minister said that 160 acres of land has been acquired in Ukhiya Upazila of Cox's Bazar district for the construction of an open jail following the model of Malaysia's Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP). “The construction of the open jail will start soon,” he said. In response to the question of Nizam Uddin Hazari, another ruling AL MP from Feni-2, the Home Minister said that 83,577 posts have been increased in the Bangladesh Police in the past three terms of the current government in order to modernise the Bangladesh Police Force. “Recruitment of manpower to these posts has been ensured through a transparent and corruption-free process,” he said. The minister said that the process of adding two sophisticated helicopters is underway to prevent criminal activities and conduct operations and transform the Bangladesh Police into a three-dimensional force. He said that with the aim of making the police a smart force, various types of modern firearms are being given to them. For example, the home minister said that 7.62 mm rifles are currently being used instead of the previous .303 rifles. Also, policemen are being supplied with necessary ammunition including 7.62/9 mm pistol, 9 mm SMG, .45 inch SMG, 12 bore shotgun, 38 mm tear gas, gas gun/launcher. In response to the question of AL MP Mahbubur Rahman from Chattogram-1, the Home Minister said Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has been equipped with modern weapons, vehicles, aircraft and watercraft. State-of-the-art weapons including 40 ALCOTAN, 12 ATGW, 132 Sniper Rifles, 3 AAMG, 28 APC Amors have been added to BGB. The vehicles include 259 ATVs, 10 Riot Control Vehicles (RCV), 40 Armored Personal Carrier (APC), among others. Three helicopters were also included in BGB. Among the vessels, there are 87 speed boats, 12 high-speed engine boats, 4 air boats, 1 logistics ship, 5 pontoons, 25 motor launches, 4 petrol boats, 15 rescue boats, and 2 water carrier vessels. In response to the question of AL MP Morshed Alam from Noakhali-2, the Home Minister said, for the first time in the country, seven grams of black cocaine was recovered by the Department of Narcotics Control on December 11, 2023.  

Parliament on Thursday unanimously adopted a condolence motion expressing profound grief at the death of MP Abdul Hyee and some noted personalities. Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury moved the condolence motion in the House at the first sitting of the 2nd session of the 12th Parliament. As per the tradition, the day’s business of Parliament was adjourned after the adoption of the condolence over the death of  Awami League MP Abdul Hyee, who was elected from Jhenaidah-1 constituency, in order to pay respect to him. Abdul Hyee, the president of Jhenaidah district Awami League, died at the Bumrungrad Hospital in Thailand on March 16. He was 78. Before passing the condolence motion, Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and a number of MPs took part in an obituary reference on his death. Hasina in her speech described Abdul Hyee as a brave soul and good organiser as he had made the strong position for Bangladesh Awami League in an adverse area like Jhenaidah. She said Hyee had been elected time and again from such an adverse place like Jhenaidah, which was once a stronghold for terrorists and outlawed parties. “He was not only a politician but also a dedicated soul for the development of that area,” she said, adding he had established a women's college in his constituency. Noting that Hyee was made as the state minister for fisheries and livestock for the 2012-2014 period, the PM said he served his responsibility with utmost sincerity. Besides, the House expressed deep shock at the death of five former MPs – Shamshul Haque Bhuiyan (Chandpur-4), Abul Hashem (Cumilla-5), Pinu Khan (Women Seat-23), Nazir Hossain (Sunamganj-1) and Mokhlesur Rahman (Rangpur-3). The parliament also mourned the death of some noted personalities including Ekushey award-winning personality, language veteran, freedom fighter and International Crimes Tribunal’s (ICT) chief prosecutor Gholam Arif Tipu, and Ekushey award-winning veteran journalist and Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim and Ekushey award-winning educationist and Awami League advisory council member Pranab Kumar Barua and Freedom fighter and one of designers of Bangladesh National Flag Shib Narayan Das. A one-minute silence was observed and a munajat offered eternal peace to the departed souls. Independent MP Mohammad Huchamuddin Chowdhury (Sylhet-5) conducted the munajat.

Milton Samaddar, founder of charity organization ‘Child and Old Age Care’, used to bury bodies at night, without death certificate, said Harun-or-Rashid, Additional Commissioner and Chief of Detective Chief. “He used make death certificate using fake seals of city corporation and bury bodies at night illegally,” he said. “We’ll interrogate him in this regard,” said the DB chief while speaking at a press briefing held at DMP Media Centre on Thursday. Two more people are waiting at different police stations to file case against him, he added. Replying to a question, the DB chief said after the completion of the remand of Milton, his wife will be interrogated. “If anyone files case against his wife, she will be arrested too.” Meanwhile, a Dhaka court placed Milton on a three-day remand in a case over alleged death certificate forgery. Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Tofazzal Hossain passed the order when sub-inspector of Mirpur zonal team Mirpur and also investigating officer of the case, Mohammad Kamal Hossain produced him before the court with a seven-day remand prayer. Mohammad Kamal Pasha, sub-inspector of DB of Mirpur division, filed three cases with Mirpur Police Station on Thursday morning. M Rakib, filed a case against Milton with Mirpur Model Police Station under Human Trafficking Act, said officer-in-charge of the police Station Munshi Sabbir Ahmed. Besides, Matiur Rahman Mallik, a resident of Mallim Para in Mirpur, filed another case against Milton on charge of physically assault and murder attempt.

Former attorney general and also president of Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum A J Mohammad Ali passed away on Thursday. Mohammad Ali  breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore around 2pm (Bangladesh time), BNP's media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan told the media. He left behind wife, a son, a daughter and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death. The time of namaz-e-janaza will  be informed following the arrival of the body from Singapore, he added.

A court here on Thursday granted bail to Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus in a case over embezzling Tk 25.22 crore of the Grameen Telecom Workers' welfare fund. The hearing date for forming charges against Dr. Yunus and 13 other accused in the case has been postponed to June 2. Dr. Yunus's lawyer Abdullah Al Mamun confirmed the development. Today was the date for the hearing, but the court granted more time after Yunus’s lawyer appealed for time. The 13 other  accused in the case are Grameen Telecom MD Nazmul Islam, Director Ashraful Hasan, former MD Parveen Mahmood, Director, Najnin Sultana, Shahjahan, Noorjahan Begum, and S. M. Hazzatul Islam Latifi, all serving as directors, along with Advocate Yusuf Ali, Advocate Zaforul Hasan Sharif, Mo. Kamruzzaman, President of the Union of Gramin Telecom Employees, Firoz Mahmud Hasan, General Secretary Kamrul Hasan, office secretary of the Employees' Union office, and representative Mainul Islam. Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Parvin Mahmud are currently on bail, while arrest warrants have been issued against the remaining 12 individuals. Gulshan Anwar, the Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), filed the case as the primary complainant on May 30, 2023.  

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is currently undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital, was shifted to a cabin from the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) on Thursday. "Madam was previously in the CCU. The medical board has now shifted her to the cabin. She is receiving treatment under the close supervision of doctors in the cabin," Khaleda's personal physician Prof AZM Zahid Hossain told UNB. In response to a question, Zahid said the BNP chief underwent several urgent tests on Wednesday night. “Based on the test reports, the medical board is now giving her medical treatment.” Khaleda Zia hospitalised again Earlier on Wednesday night, Khaleda was admitted to Evercare Hospital in the capital and placed in the CCU following the advice of the medical board. Since her conditional release from prison in 2020, the BNP chief has been receiving medical care at the hospital under the supervision of a medical board headed by cardiologist Prof Shahabuddin Talukder. The 78-year-old former prime minister has long been battling various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and issues related to the kidney, lung, heart, and eyes. Khaleda's physicians have been advocating for her treatment abroad since she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis in November 2021. Khaleda Zia taken to Evercare Hospital for check-up On October 26 last year, three US specialist doctors performed the hepatic procedure known as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS procedure) to alleviate fluid accumulation in Khaleda Zia’s abdomen and chest, as well as to address bleeding in her liver.    

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the country’s leftist parties who they want to bring to power by ousting her. “The leftists have turned by 90 degrees. Well, they want to oust me. But could they determine who would come next? It is my question. Who would come to power and who would work for the country? But it is not clear who they want to bring,” she said. The premier said this while addressing a press conference arranged at her official residence Ganabhaban on the outcome of her recent six-day visit to Thailand. Replying to a question, she said since it is not clear whom the leftists want to bring in power next, none of them don’t get response from the people. She said yes, movement is being carried out. Staying in a foreign land as a fugitive, someone is doing movement as well as giving orders online everyday thanks to Digital Bangladesh made by her government, she added. “Let those who are waging a movement do it. We at least are not hindering it,” she said. PM Hasina blasts US for police action against students protesting Israeli genocide in Palestine Criticising the US style to curb ongoing demonstrations against Israeli aggression on Palestine, the PM said Bangladesh may now stop the movement here following the American style. “I think our police now can follow the American police. We asked them (Bangladesh Police) to show patience,” she said, adding that their member was beaten to death in October 2023. “So, our police can take measures to curb movement in American style,” she went on. Citing different incidents of human rights violation in the USA, Hasina said the USA should pay attention to it as the human rights are being breached regularly in their country and the common people are getting killed. “They should tackle their internal issue first,” she said pointing at the US. Replying to another question, the prime minister said her government’s goal is to make the ongoing upazila election a meaningful one. In this context, she said a good number of political parties boycott elections as they have no capacity to run in the polls. “Why do they boycott elections? The reason is that they actually don’t have capacity to compete in the elections,” said Hasina, also the President of ruling Bangladesh Awami League. In case of the parliamentary election, a political party needs to inform the people about who would be their leader or the prime minister, if it is elected, she said. “If you don’t have a proper leader, then you look for excuse for boycotting the election,” she said adding that the boycotting election sounds a big matter to them. “If you present a convicted and fugitive accused (as the leader) before the people, the people won’t accept it. If anyone does politics, the person needs to take risk,” she said, not mentioning the name of BNP leader Tarique Rahman, now living in London. Noting that some political parties asked the people not to go to polling stations, she said media should talk against the interference in exercising voting rights. Not naming any political party, but obviously referring to BNP, she said those who are now crying for democracy and the voting rights of the people have forgotten that once they had stolen the voting rights of the people. AL ensured a smooth graduation of Bangladesh to a developing country: PM Hasina tells ALCWC In reply to another question, the PM said the 12th parliamentary election was held on January 7, 2024 in the most free, impartial, fair manners, ensuring the voting rights of people for the first time since 1975. Responding to a question over the AL-led 14 party alliance, she said still the alliance is surely there. The alliance will remain in future and she would meet the leaders of the 14-party combine soon, she said. Hasina said Awami League has a plan to celebrate its 75th founding anniversary in a massive scale this year. PM’s Speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam conducted the press conference. The prime minister returned to Bangladesh on April 29 after concluding her visit, which began on April 24 at the invitation of her Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin.