United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday hailed the engineers as the driving force for transforming the country into a smart Bangladesh. “For building smart Bangladesh the main driving force is the engineers of the country,” she said. The prime minister was speaking at the 61st convention of Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) at its premises in the city. She referred to her government's goal of building a smart Bangladesh by 2041. This will mean having smart population, smart government, smart economy and smart society. “We will build Bangladesh this way. And for that I will ask the engineers to make plans using their merit and creativity,” she said. PM pays tributes to Bangabandhu in Tungipara She requested the engineers to find ways on how the country would be advanced and which sectors would be given priority for that purpose. “I want your advice which will be beneficial for us. And I hope that you will give that,” she said. Hasina also urged the engineers to discuss strategies by which the country would be developed quickly. She put emphasis on the engineering sector in their universities and staff colleges. She mentioned that the government is mechanising the agricultural sector to enhance production. None can isolate me from people: PM Hasina tells JS “If we want to increase our agricultural production three to four folds then we have to mechanise this sector,” she said. She said that due to the industrialisation and increase of per capita income sometimes it becomes difficult to find agricultural workers.The cost of production has also increased. “For that we are introducing mechanisation in the agricultural sector, and as a result the production has been increased,” she said. The prime minister requested the engineers to get involved more in research works to utilise their talents for the purpose. “I want that you would give special attention to this purpose,” she said. The Prime Minister also handed over awards including gold medals and certificates to different levels of engineers, centre, sub-centre, engineering division and graduates of AMIE examination. An audio-visual presentation on the contribution of the engineers to country's development as well protecting its environment alongside the theme song marking the IEB's 61st was played at the function. Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) chairman of Dhaka Centre Engineer Mohammad Hossain delivered the welcome address. IEB President Engineer Md Abdus Sabur and IEB General Secretary SM Monjurul Haque Monju also spoke. IEB Dhaka Center General Secretary Engineer Nazrul Islam gave vote of thanks.  

 A former chairman of Mallikpur Union Parishad was shot dead by unidentified miscreants at Mangal Hata in Lohagara in Narail district on Friday night.The deceased was identified as Shikdar Mostafa Kamal, a local leader of Awami League.Kanchan Kumar, officer-in-charge of Lohagara Police Station, said Mostafa and former UP member Akram Hossain Lipu had been at loggerheads over establishing supremacy in the area. Two Bangladeshi youths shot dead by BSF near Tetulia borderA group of miscreants opened fire on Kamal while he was sitting near his house on Friday evening, leaving him injured.Later, he died on the way to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital around 10:30 pm.Additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further trouble.Father, son shot dead by robbers in Cox’s Bazar

Residents of Dhaka woke up to waterlogged streets on Saturday morning after showers lashed the city. The rains coupled with gusty wind started around 7:15 am and continued till 8:30 am.The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has recorded 87 mm of rainfall in two hours from 7:15 am, said meteorologist Md Omar Faruk. The city dwellers experienced waterlogging in many areas before the monsoon that again exposed the poor drainage system of the capital. Many low-lying areas in the capital including Mirpur, Mouchak, Rampur, Badda, Moghbazar, Rampur and Khilkhet went under rainwater, causing immense sufferings to its residents. Many people were seen wading through ankle-deep water in these areas to reach their destination.Though today is a government holiday, many schools were kept open to recover the leaning losses caused by the closure due to heat wave across the country last month.Rains likely to drench Dhaka, six other divisions in 24 hours  

Former ambassador to France Tozammel Tony Huq passed away in Birmingham, UK. He was 84.He breathed his last on May 9.Tony is survived by his wife, one son, one daughter and a host of relatives.He also worked as the head teacher of a secondary school in Birmingham. DCAB mourns death of journalist Hassib's mother-in-lawIn 1971, he played a significant role as one of the organizers of the Liberation War in Britain.He was contractually appointed as the Ambassador of Bangladesh to France during the government of HM Ershad. He also served as the principal officer of the Asia Pacific region of UNESCO. Gazipur college student stabbed to deathHailing from Naogaon district, Tony had been living in Birmingham with his family for a long.

After rain, Dhaka’s air quality has improved. The capital city ranked 17th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 89 at 09:06 am this morning. Dhaka’s air was classified as 'moderate' today, according to the air quality index. Egypt’s Cairo, Iraq’s Baghdad and India’s Delhi occupied the first, second and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 212, 208 and 193 respectively. Dhaka’s air quality ‘unhealthy’ this morning When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka’s air quality ‘worst in the world’ this morning Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.  

An Air Arabia flight with 168 passengers and seven crew members  made an emergency landing at Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport on Friday morning following a hydraulic glitch at brakes, airport officials said. The incident happened at the runway of the airport but flight operations were normal.  Airport officials concerned said that some faults related to hydraulic pressure were detected during landing and it was stuck in the middle of the runway for 12 minutes. Later the plane was removed from the runway and taken to a safer place. Mentally-handicapped husband murders wife in Meherpur: Police  Group Captain Tanvir Ahmed, director at the airport, said there was a hydraulic problem in the brakes of the aircraft that flew from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates in the morning. As a result the normal landing became uncertain, he said, adding that finally they were able to make a safe landing by alternative arrangements. Clash over trifling matter leaves 3 dead in Habiganj Later, the aircraft was removed from the runway with the help of a tow tractor, he said. The hydraulic problem was being investigated, the group captain added.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday stressed the need for cooperatives in every area throughout the country in order to boost agricultural production, alleviate poverty and create scope for micro-savings. “Our (political) leaders should be sincere to enhance production, alleviate poverty and make arrangements for micro-savings through cooperatives in every area,” she said. The premier said this while exchanging views with the members of Dariarkul Gram Unnayan Samity, a village-level cooperative society, at Tungipara Upazila Awami League Office in Gopalganj District. She said her government has been implementing multifaceted programmes to make each of the countrymen economically solvent. "We have been working to make each of the people financially solvent by taking up multi-dimensional programmes," she said. The premier briefly highlighted her government’s different programmes including "My House, My Farm", Start-up programme, universal pension scheme and collateral-free bank loans for self-employment. "We have taken many initiatives to improve the living standard of the people by stamping out poverty," she said. The PM said if the programmes taken by her government are implemented properly none will remain poor in the country. Sheikh Hasina, who is the adviser of the Dariarkul Gram Unnayan Samity appreciated the initiative of reviving the cooperatives system. She asked the authorities concerned to spread the idea of forming cooperatives across Bangladesh to increase food production and thus make Bangladesh self-reliant. The Dariarkul cooperative society has been built on 9.05 acre of land donated by Sheikh Hasina. In the cooperatives system, the ownership of the land will not be changed, while the profit from the crops production on the land will be divided into three parts, she said. Two shares of the profit will be given for the land owners and the farmers who give labour. The remaining share will be given to the fund of the cooperatives, she added. The prime minister reiterated her call to bring every inch of land under cultivation to increase food production to cut dependency on others. About the pension scheme, she said her government took the universal pension schemes for secured future life of the countrymen. "We are not only working for the present but also for the future. The Universal Pension Scheme will secure future life of its beneficiaries," she said. Hasina, also the President of Bangladesh Awami League, urged her party members to join the universal pension scheme for betterment of their old-age life. Bangabandhu’s youngest daughter Sheikh Rehana was present at the event. Gopalganj Deputy Commissioner Kazi Mahbubul Alam moderated the view-exchange meeting. Later, the prime minister distributed agricultural equipment and educational materials as well as financial grants among the poor and students. The PM arrived at her ancestral home in Tungipara by road after crossing the Padma Bridge on Friday morning. She paid tributes and offered prayers at the Mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The prime minister is scheduled to return to Dhaka this afternoon.

A fisherman died as a trawler carrying him capsised in the Meghna River after it crashed into two anchored barges early Friday, river police said. Deceased Harun Majhi, 55, was a resident of ward No-6 under Kachia union of Sadar upazila in Bhola. Locals said Harun and his two sons went to the river for fishing with the trawler in the early morning. The trawler crashed into the barges anchored in the river when the trio was pulling fishing nets amid tides in Dhania Kathirmatha area under Sadar upazila around 5:30am, they said. Though the sons jumped into the river, the father unfortunately got stuck in it and drowned, they said. Later, the sons managed to swim ashore while the father went missing, said Md Yunus Munshi, inspector of Bhola river police station. On information, police in association with locals retrieved the body from the river shortly after the incident, he added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday paid tributes and offered prayers at the Mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj. She paid homage by placing a floral wreath at Bangabandhu's grave in the morning. Then she joined a prayer seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of Bangabandhu and other martyrs of the August 15, 1975 carnage. Sheikh Hasina, also the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu, stood in solemn silence for some time as a show of profound respect to the memory of the architect of independent Bangladesh. Bangabandhu’s youngest daughter Sheikh Rehana and Bangababdhu’s other family members were present. Hasina, also the President of the Awami League, arrived at her ancestral home at Tungipara by road after crossing the Padma Bridge on Friday morning. The prime minister is scheduled to return to Dhaka this afternoon.

Bangladesh Navy has recovered Bangladesh Air Force’s training fighter jet Yak-130, which crashed into the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram earlier in the day, at around 10 pm on Thursday. Probe committee formed to investigate BAF fighter jet crash in Ctg Ashraful Islam, Squadron Leader of Bangladesh Air Force, confirmed the development and said that Bangladesh Navy conducted a search operation to recover the aircraft. They recovered the training fighter jet at night and handed it over to the Air Force. Pilot dies as Air Force training fighter jet crashes in Ctg Earlier in the day,  the Air Force's YAK-130 training fighter jet caught fire due to a mechanical fault and crashed into the Karnaphuli River around 11 am. The two pilots of the plane managed to eject via parachute. Air Force training fighter jet crashes in Ctg; 2 pilots rescued  One of the pilots, Squadron Leader Muhammad Asim Jawad, died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. The other pilot is in hospital with serious injuries.