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Housewife 'commits suicide' in Kamrangirchar
A housewife apparently committed suicide following an internal family feud by drug overdose in Kamrangirchar of the capital.
The deceased was identified as Moni Akhter, 27, wife of Al Amin of the area.
read more: Mother kills children in Dhaka's Hazaribagh before committing suicide
Md Bacchu Mia, In-Charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) police outpost, said that family members took her to DMCH but doctors pronounced her dead.
The body was sent to the DMCH morgue for autopsy, he added.
Bangladesh reports another death from Covid, 6 more cases
Bangladesh logged another death from Covid-19 with six more Covid cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
With the new numbers, the country's total fatality rose to 29,439 and the caseload to 2,037,024, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case test positivity declined to 0.44 percent from Saturday’s 0.78 percent as 1,372 samples were tested during the period.
read more: Bangladesh reports zero Covid death, 7 new cases
The mortality and recovery rates remained unchanged at 1.45 percent and 97.56 percent, respectively.
In November, the country reported 10 Covid-linked deaths and 1,345 cases.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
Anti-liberation forces and killers of Bangabandhu are always trying to make Bangladesh a ‘failed state’: PM to AL activists
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the anti-liberation forces and killers of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman are always active in trying to make Bangladesh a “failed state”.
"We should always keep in mind that Bangladesh is our country. We had earned our independence. The anti-liberation elements and the killers of the Father of the Nation are always active to make Bangladesh a failed state," she told Awami League leaders and activists.
Sheikh Hasina said this during her closing remarks while exchanging greetings with party leaders and activists at Ganabhaban after she was reelected AL President for the 10th consecutive term.
The PM said other governments had tried to turn the country into a failed state for 29 years — from 1975 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2009.
Read more: Accepted leadership of the party considering the volatile global economy: PM Hasina
As Awami League could come to power for three consecutive terms through elections, getting the votes of people since 2009, now Bangladesh has attained the status of a developing country and its people have got dignity, she said.
She said that only one decision to build Padma Bridge with own funds has immensely brightened the image of Bangladesh in the world.
Sheikh Hasina said Awami League's source of power is the people. "The general people who support us are the greatest source of power for us. So, every leader and activist will have to work for the welfare of the common people," she added.
Read more: Never allow anti-liberation forces to be in power again: PM
Amid surge in Omicron BF.7 in countries, DGHS asks for necessary steps at airports and other entry points
In the wake of the surge in the new sub-variant of Covid-19 infections, Omicron BF.7, in different countries including China and India, the government has asked all to take necessary steps in maintaining health guidelines in all airports, land ports and river ports across the country.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a notice on Saturday, according to a press release.
The emergence of new sub-variant Omicron BF.7 is most likely responsible for the current surge of COVID-19 infection in China, India and other countries which is more transmissible, said DGHS.
Read more: COVID-19 Omicron XE Variant: Should we be worried?
To contain the spread of Covid, DGHS has instructed the authorities concerned to strengthen surveillance and screening of people coming to Bangladesh from countries including China, India, Japan, South Korea, USA, France, Brazil and Germany.
It also asked the authorities concerned to take steps so that people, coming from those countries, go through tests and digital thermal scanner and thermometer in hand are used at the entry points of all districts. It also requested to strengthen the risk communication activities.
Read more: Bangladesh's Omicron tally rises to 187
Bangladesh reports 49 more dengue cases
Forty-nine more people were hospitalised with dengue in the 24 hours to Sunday morning.
However, the official death toll from the mosquito-borne disease remained unchanged at 276 – the highest on record after the 179 deaths recorded in 2019 – as no fatalities were reported during this period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read more: Dengue fatalities now 276 with two more deaths
Of the new patients, 27 were admitted to the hospitals of Dhaka and 22 outside it, said DGHS.
A total of 485 dengue patients, including 271 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
The DGHS has recorded 62,021 dengue cases and 61,260 recoveries so far this year.
Brace for foggy weather: Met office
A light to thick blanket of fog is likely to envelop large parts of Bangladesh in the next 24 hours, starting this morning.
Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the river basins and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere over the country during late night to morning, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said today.
Read more: Moderate to thick fog likely in 24 hrs: BMD
The weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country, it added.
Night temperature may rise by (1-2 °C) and day temperature may rise slightly over the country.
The lowest temperature in the country was recorded at 9.8 degree Celsius in Dinajpur in the last 24 hours till 6am Sunday.
The highest temperature was recorded at 30.1 degree Celsius in Teknaf.
Meanwhile, the depression over southwest Bay and adjoining area moved southwestwards at 6am today, as per the latest warning of the met office.
Read more: Dense fog disrupts Daulatdia-Paturia ferry services
All fishing boats and trawlers over north Bay and deep sea have been advised not to venture into the depression area, it added.
Christmas celebrations underway in Bangladesh
The Christian community is celebrating Christmas in the country, as elsewhere across the world, this morning amid festivities and enthusiasm.
Christmas, the biggest religious festival of the Christians, is annually celebrated all over the world on the 25th of December — commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.
It is a time when family, friends and relatives get together to celebrate the day with colourful lights and Christmas trees decorated at homes.
Read more: Law enforcers ready to face any situation over Christmas: IGP
Law enforcers ready to face any situation over Christmas: IGP
Though there is no specific threat ahead of Christmas, the biggest religious festival of Christians, law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh are ready to face any kind of situation ahead of the festival.
" We have taken necessary security measures depending on the situation of respective areas", Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, inspector general of police (IGP), said this while responding to journalists after visiting a venue organised by the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas Day in the capital's Kakrail on Saturday night."
Besides, an adequate number of law enforcers have been deployed across the country to ensure law and order, he added.
Read: Christmas celebrations tomorrow
"We want to assure our Christian brothers and sisters that they will enjoy their Christmas Day amid festivity and religious fervour in a very secure environment and we are here to celebrate the festival with them. As we know, happiness increases when it is shared. That's why we're here to increase their happiness level by sharing. If they want any kind of help, we are ready to extend our helping hand."
Claiming that the recent escape of two militants was an isolated incident, he said that the law and order situation is completely under control.
Among others, DMP Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq, Additional Commissioner AKM Hafiz Akhtar and the chief of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Md Asaduzzaman, were present.
Read: Christmas celebrations: Rab stands guard to ensure security, respond to emergencies
The Christian community in Bangladesh is all set to celebrate Christmas, as elsewhere across the world, on Sunday to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on Christmas eve Saturday.
AL National Council: Not easy to lead both party and government, says PM
Awami League president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said it is a hard job to lead both the government and the party.
“I am cordially accepting the responsibility that you have given to me. But I think new leadership has to come up. I hope that you will bring new leadership in the future,” she said.
The prime minister said this while speaking at the second session of the 22nd National Council of ruling party Awami League, where she was elected as the president of the party for the 10th consecutive time, starting from 1981.
The second session of the council was held at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).
Hasina said that many people tried to destroy the Awami League, but failed.
“AL always changes the fate of the people, people always get something whenever AL comes to power. Whenever AL comes to power, it develops the lives of the masses, and the country's image and dignity are also enhanced,” she said.
Read more: AL leaders, activists must remain united to resist conspiracies: PM at party’s nat’l council
"Keeping that in mind, we have to advance our party through strengthening it," she added, before turning her focus to the next general election. “The next election will be held in 2024, we have public support, and we have to increase our votes by consolidating the support.”
In this regard, she put emphasis on increasing membership of the party. “There must not be any deviation in this connection,” she said.
She also asked the AL leaders and activists to remain beside the people of the country at all times in order to serve them.
Read more: AL’s struggles will end when it can ensure smiles on the faces of people: PM Hasina
Christmas celebrations: Rab stands guard to ensure security, respond to emergencies
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has kept its special force teams, helicopters, dog squads and bomb disposal unit ready to ensure security and mitigate any threat during Christmas celebrations across the country.
For the Christian community in Bangladesh, Christmas is a magical time of goodwill and giving back. People want to celebrate the day as much as possible, with family, community and joy. Christians in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world will celebrate their biggest religious festival, Christmas Day, Sunday.
Read: Christmas celebrations tomorrow
As part of the overall security arrangements, a sufficient number of Rab personnel, along with law enforcers from other agencies, have already been deployed across the country to respond to emergencies and unforeseen situations during Christmas celebrations, sources at the Rab headquarters said.
Rab has stepped up its intelligence surveillance, cyber monitoring, closed-circuit television monitoring, and patrols to scale up security in churches.
It has also set up checkposts at important points in the country, including in the capital.