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Woman found dead inside Sylhet hotel room: Police
A 19-year-old woman was found dead in a Dakshin Surma residential hotel room Wednesday, police said.
However, hotel manager Jahir Miah, the former husband of the 19-year-old, went into hiding after the incident.
The deceased was identified as Nilima Begum Lily from Sylhet's Osmaninagar upazila.
Md Kamrul Hasan Talukdar, officer-in-charge (OC) of Dakshin Surma Police Station, said the two kept in touch despite their separation.
"We recovered the body from the first floor of 'Shapla Residential Hotel,' ramming the door of room No. 105 open after getting information from the hotel staff around 10.45am," he said.
The body was sent to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical Hospital for post-mortem, Kamrul said, adding that the body bore no injury marks.
"Police are looking for Jahir. The cause of Lily's death can be confirmed after investigation," the OC said.
Read more: 2 Ansar members found dead inside Agrani Bank in Narsingdi
Truck mows down three motorcycle riders in Gazipur
Three motorcycle riders of the same family were killed after being run over by a truck in Sreepur upazila Wednesday, police said.
The dead were identified as Babul Miah, 32, his seven-year-old daughter Nusrat and 52-year-old mother-in-law Bachhiron from the upazila.
The accident occurred in the evening in the Chukkabari area as a speeding truck ran over the bikers after they fell off their vehicle, Khorshed Alam, sub-inspector (SI) at Mawna Police Outpost, said.
"Bachhiron died from the impact of the crash. Nusrat succumbed to her injuries on her way to Sreepur Upazila Health Complex. And Babul was declared dead after being taken to the hospital," he added.
The bodies were sent to Gazipur General Hospital morgue for autopsies, the SI said. "The truck was seized but its driver managed to flee."
Read more: 2 killed in Sirajganj road crash
'PM Hasina should get Nobel prize for hosting Rohingyas'
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should get the Nobel prize for her humanitarian and responsible policy in hosting the Rohingyas, the speakers said during a discussion Wednesday.
They were addressing the discussion "Rohingya's: Victims of Genocide and Looking for Answers" organised by the Entrepreneurship Economics Program of the Dhaka School of Economics.
The speakers also urged the international community to play a strong role in the repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh.
Munshi Faiz Ahmad, former ambassador of Bangladesh to China and former head of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, said Rohingya repatriation should get utmost priority now.
Read more: Hasina breaks down in tears while talking about everyday ordeals of Rohingyas
"More international pressure must be applied on Myanmar to overcome the Rohingya crisis. Considering world peace, Rohingyas must be resettled in their country for long-term results," he added.
Faiz also highlighted the importance of the five-point proposal placed by Hasina at the 72nd United Nations General Assembly session to solve the Rohingya crisis.
Muhammad Mahboob Ali, professor of Dhaka School of Economics and Coordinator of the Entrepreneurship Economics Programme, said: "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should get the Nobel Peace Prize for the generosity she showed in sheltering the Rohingyas."
Read more: UN asked to resolve Rohingya crisis: PM
Also, as the chief guest of the programme, Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, chairman of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation, urged more people to get admitted to Masters of Entrepreneurship Economics or postgraduate diploma in Enterprise Development at the Dhaka School of Economics to get proper knowledge and skill.
Mobile app launched to help adolescents, youth access public health services
Millions of adolescents and youth in Bangladesh will be able to access health information and services through two online portals launched Tuesday in Dhaka.
The Adolescent Health website and mobile application were launched by the health ministry, with support from UNICEF and the Embassy of Sweden, at the National Adolescent Health Conference. They aim to increase awareness and ensure easy access to physical and mental health information and services for adolescents.
"Adolescents can be powerful agents of change, and we must do all we can to empower them and to address their age-specific needs. The launch of these platforms represents the government's commitment to strengthen adolescent-friendly health services in Bangladesh," said Health Minister Zahid Maleque.
Adolescents in Bangladesh, accounting for over 36 million of the country's population, face multiple social barriers to accessing information and health services that are essential for them to grow and thrive. Low awareness and social stigma about mental health and mental illness, for example, are widespread among communities.
And when it comes to sexual and reproductive health, it is challenging for both girls and boys to seek and find trusted information and vital services.
Read more: Policies must to stop misuse, overuse of antibiotics: Health Minister
"Adolescence is a transformative time when teenagers are exposed not only to a new sense of independence but also new challenges. Adolescents need access to information, skills and services to enable them to reduce risk, but also to grow into capable adults that form a strong foundation for the next generation and the global future. The app gives them critical health information that they may be too shy to ask from parents, peers or health professionals," said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF representative to Bangladesh.
The Adolescent Health platforms include educational and gender-adapted guides and courses on sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition, violence, and physical and mental health as well as information on how and where to access adolescent-friendly health services.
To promote widespread use of the platform, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Ministry of Education will engage with adolescent clubs, youth peer groups and teachers in all secondary schools in the country.
Read more: Broilers chicken not harmful to health: Minister
"The Adolescent Health platforms have the potential to improve the lives of millions of girls and boys in Bangladesh," said Swedish Ambassador Alexandra Berg von Linde.
1 Rohingya shot dead, 2 others wounded in Bandarban border shootout
A Rohingya man was shot dead while two others sustained bullet injuries in a gunfight between two armed groups of Myanmar along Tumbru border in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban on Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Hamid Ullah, 27, a resident of Balukhali Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar while the injured are Mohib Ullah, 25, and Mohammad Hossain, 12. They are the residents of Jadimuda Camp-26 in Teknaf upazila of the district.
According to police and local sources, the firing started between the groups--Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa) and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO ) on the zero line of Konarpara of Tumbru border of Ghumdhum union of Naikhongchhari upazila in the morning.
Multiple incidents of gunfire occurred at a Rohingya camp, set up on the zero line, since 6:00am, leaving the trio injured with bullets.
They were rushed to MSF-run hospital in Kutupalong Rohingya camp where physicians declared Hamid dead, Mahfuzul Islam, superintendent of police in Cox’s Bazar, said.
Read more: Unexploded mortar shells found near Bangladesh-Myanmar border
Besides, the injured have been undergoing treatment at the hospital, he said.
Visiting the spot, the UNB correspondent found that some 30 Rohingyas including children took shelter in Ghumdhum union parishad (UP) leaving the zero line camp following the gunfight.
Later, locals took the Rohingyas to a government primary school for safety.
Ghumdhum UP Chairman Md Jahangir Aziz said locals were in panic following the gunfight between the two armed groups.
Some 4,280 Rohingyas have been residing at the zero line camp since 2017.
Bendsta for withdrawal of vape ban proposal for a smoking-free Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Traders Association (Bendsta) Tuesday called on authorities to consult with all stakeholders before making any policy decisions on vaping.
The organisation also called for excluding vape and other electronic nicotine delivery systems from the proposed amendment of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Control Act 2005 (amended in 2013).
The proposed amendments called for a ban on vaping products.
Bendsta demanded that vaping be excluded from the proposed tobacco law draft amendment. It also urged the authorities to consult with the organisation before taking any policy decision, and develop new regulations by recognising vaping and other nicotine replacement therapies as credible quit-smoking tools.
Bendsta President Masud Uz Zaman said: "If any amendment is proposed regarding vaping, we are an important stakeholder. It is unreasonable to not take our opinion and completely exclude us from the law-making process."
ALso read: Former minister Biren Sikder demands ban on e-cigarettes
Referring to figures from the World Bank, Masud said: "Recognised as an effective quitting tool in developed nations, vaping has the potential to reduce smoking rates drastically. Given the circumstances, a vaping ban will eventually work against the prime minister's ambition of making Bangladesh tobacco-free by 2040."
"India and Thailand are often used as examples by anti-vape groups when it comes to banning vape. But even after the vaping ban in India, it has been seen that these products are still being sold illegally in cigarette shops and various online marketplaces. People who recently visited Thailand also reported that many people are still openly vaping in public."
The Bendsta president said While developed countries like the UK, New Zealand, Canada, Saudi Arabia and others are embracing vaping as a quitting tool, Bangladesh is on its way to banning it.
"Anti-tobacco NGOs are making inaccurate statements that are not backed up by any science and they are doing it only to receive financial grants from US donor organisations. Listening to these NGOs blindly will do more harm than good," he added.
COD to destroy useless ammo, explosives from January 29 to February 23
The Central Ordnance Depot (COD) of the army will destroy useless ammunition and explosives at its demolition ground in Gazipur's Sreepur from January 29 to February 23.
The destruction of the useless ammunition and explosives will be held from 7am to 6pm each day, according to the Inter Services Public Relation Directorate.
Read more: CAD to destroy useless ammo, explosives from Jan 20
During the period, the movement of general people and domestic animals has been prohibited within a four-kilometre radius of the scene of destruction.
Bangladesh’s economy to reach $1 trillion by 2040: Planning Ministry
The size of Bangladesh’s economy will be $1 trillion by 2040, if the current consecutive growth of over 6 percent continues while it will be achieved by 2030 if the growth goes over 8 percent, said an official document of the planning ministry.
The information has also been placed in the updated picture of the economy of Bangladesh presented by the ministry of planning in the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), on Tuesday.
The document stated that the average economic growth of Bangladesh has been 6.4 percent in the last six years. Even if this growth falls below 5 percent, the economy of Bangladesh will touch the milestone of trillion dollars by 2040.
Read more: Social stability now economy’s main challenge: Planning Minister
But if economic growth increases to 8 to 9 percent and internal stability is maintained, it will reach trillion dollars by 2030.
The Canadian online publication Visual Capitalist on December 29 published the statistics of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showing the size of Bangladesh's economy at $465 billion. Bangladesh was ranked 35th among major economies last year.
Covid-19: Bangladesh logs 13 more cases
Bangladesh reported 13 more Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
With the new number, the country's total caseload rose to 2,037,399, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,441 as no new fatalities were reported.
Read more: Bangladesh sees 10 more Covid cases, zero death
The daily case test positivity rose to 0.53 percent from Tuesday's 0.42 percent as 2,458 samples were tested.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.45 percent while the recovery rate rose to 97.68 percent.
Bangladesh reported its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 in 2021 and daily fatalities of 264 on August 5 of the same year.
Bangladesh reports 2 more dengue deaths, 14 new cases
Two more dengue patients died and 14 people were hospitalised with dengue in the 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
With the new number, the official death toll from dengue rose to five this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the new patients, eight were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and six outside it.
Read more: Bangladesh reports one more dengue death: 22 new cases
A total of 80 dengue patients, including 39 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 438 dengue cases, 353 recoveries.
The country recorded 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019.
Also, the DGHS recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries in the last year.