United News of Bangladesh

Vehicular movement on Airport road remained suspended for half an hour as the workers of a garment factory blocked the road demanding payment of salary and dues. 3 of a family killed in Munshiganj road crash Abu Saleh Md Raihan, joint commissioner (traffic north) of DMP, said hundreds of workers of the factory put up barricade on Mohakhali to Airport-bound road near Sainik Club around 8:35 am, demanding payment of dues. The workers left the road around 9:15 am after police intervention.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) predicted rains or thunder showers in parts of the country including Dhaka in 24 hours commencing 9am on Saturday. “Rains or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind are likely at a few places over Sylhet division and at one or two places over Rangpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Barishal and Chattogram divisions with hails at isolated places, said a Met office bulletin. Besides, mild to moderate heat wave may continue in Dhaka and five other divisions commencing at 9 am on Saturday. Rains likely in parts Dhaka,  other places from May 2: BMD“A severe heat wave is sweeping over the districts of Pabna, Jashore, Chuadanga and Bagerhat districts while a mild to moderate heat wave is scorching Dhaka, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh and Barishal divisions and parts of Khulna division and Moulvibazar and Chandpur distircts and it may continue,” said the bulletin.Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country.Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country. Rain expected in Chattogram and Sylhet within 24 hoursA trough of westerly low lies over West Bengal to the North-east Bay across southwestern part of Bangladesh. Country’s highest temperature was recoded in Jashore at 41.8 degree Celsius on Sunday.

Dhaka's air quality was categorised as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ this morning. With an air quality index (AQI) score of 118 at 8:56 am, Dhaka ranked 11th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality. India’s Delhi, Nepal’s Kathmandu and Thailand’s Chiang Mai occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 329, 210 and 180 respectively. When the AQI value for particle pollution is 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. Dhaka’s air quality 5th worst in the world this morning 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 has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. Amid ongoing heatwave, Dhaka’s air quality still ‘unhealthy’ 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.  

Finance Minister AH Mahmood Ali on Friday said building greater trust and confidence among countries could be key to leverage enormous opportunities for cross border energy trade and attract international finance in energy transition projects in South Asia. Speaking at a SASEC knowledge event here, the Finance Minister presented Bangladesh’s vision for clean and green energy transition.  While speaking as panelist, he focused on building greater trust and confidence among South Asian countries to leverage their additional capacities in hydro, solar and other non-fossil fuel sources for meeting region’s growing energy needs in a sustainable manner. Citing personal anecdotes on a number of South Asian projects, Minister put emphasis on creating enabling environment for domestic and foreign investors to bring finances in bankable energy projects. He sought ADB’s support  to this connection. As 2024 ADB annual meeting progressed into its second day, Bangladesh’s Finance Minister attended the SASEC knowledge event on “Financing the Clean Energy Transition in South Asia." On the sideline, ERD Secretary and Alternate Governor of Bangladesh to ADB met the US delegation headed by Alexia Latortue, Assistant Secretary for International Trade and Development, US Treasury for discussing climate cooperation and the progresses attained on financial and fiscal sector reforms. Clinging to the interest of US delegation, Secretary, ERD revealed Bangladesh’s expectations from the ‘Bangladesh Climate and Development Platform’ (BCDP) which has been formed recently by Bangladesh partners to leverage international adaptation and mitigation investments. While ERD Secretary stressed upon accessing larger concessional and blended climate finance alongwith easing access to finance, he also cited that huge investment would be required for Bangladesh’s climate transition, so Bangladesh perceives that BCDP financing will be in excess to DPs’ regular interventions in the climate field. Bangladesh and US delegation also exchanged views on the reforms Bangladesh is currently undertaking for consolidating financial and fiscal discipline. The secretary apprised the US delegation that reforms are on track. He also sought US support for implementing the long term economic vision of Bangladesh towards building ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041.

The women and children of the Filistin Sanghati Committee Bangladesh have staged demonstrations against Zionism and western imperialism, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza where thousands of innocent women and children are being killed every day in the name of so-called war. The demonstration was held in front of the national museum at Shahbag around 4 pm. Professor Emeritus Sherajul Islam Chowdhury presided over the demonstration and joined the program as the chief guest. The demonstration was joined by several left-leaning political parties where women and children from other districts joined spontaneously with placards and paintings in their hands. Expressing deep sympathy with the people of Gaza and West Bank, president of socialist women forum, Shompa Boshu said, we are always standing with you, Palestinians.  Palestine has to be free from Israeli Zionism and western imperialism which is directly patronizing Israeli aggression against the Palestinians. CPB women cell president Tahera Begum said, “Palestinians have been fighting against imperialism and sacrificing for their lives for the last 75 years since 1948. Since last  October, Zionism and their supporters have been openly and directly committing humanitarian acts against the women, children, and people of Gaza in the name of war against Hamas.” “The women and the children of Gaza are being deprived of their basic needs.  Even, they are not getting minimum medical treatment. The pregnant and newborns are not getting the minimum care due to the situation created by Israeli zionists,” she added.  Marking the struggle of palestinians as their own struggle and expressing hope for the success of the palestinians, she said, we don’t want mothers' chests to be empty and the toys of the babies to be lost under rubble. We want the mothers to be happy and smiling, and we want the babies to grow up cheerfully. Prof. Serajul Islam Chowdhury, the chief guest of the program, in his speech marked the acts of Israeli president Benjamin Netaniyahu as the ‘new Hitlar’ and the western media as the ‘new Goebbels’ who are patronizing the crimes against human kind and framing their deeds as legal using their media as like Joseph Goebbles did for Hitlar. Emphasizing on the incidents of Gaza, he said, the incidents that are happening in Gaza are not anything normal. These are the outcries of all the people of the world. Palestinians are the representatives of the tortured and oppressed people of the world. “Those who are marking the Israeli genocide as the war of Hamas, are the slaves to neo-Goebbels and imperialism. We are not only against a few Hitler and Goebbels, but we are against the system that supported and produced Hitler and Goebbels,” he added. Expressing support and sympathy for Palestinians, he said, “There is no room for defeat in our struggle. We have to win. Because defeat means death. Palestinians are fighting imperialism which we are fighting all around the world.”

This year's maiden hajj flights from Chattogram will start from May 14. Biman's Boeing 717, carrying 419 pilgrims, will depart from Shah Amanat International Airport for Madinah at 3:50am on May 14, Biman's Chattogram district manager Md Shahdat Hossain confirmed. This year, 22 direct flights will be operated from Chattogram to Saudi Arabia for the transportation of pilgrims, he added. Of them, 20 flights will go directly to Jeddah and two flights will go to Madinah. Meanwhile, the first flight with pilgrims from Dhaka will leave for Saudi Arabia on May 9. Then the next flights will leave as per the schedule.

All candidates who are contesting in the sixth upazila parishad election are equal to us, Election Commissioner Rashida Sultana said on Friday. The commission will take strict action against those who will violate the electoral code of conduct where party and candidate would not be considered, she said. She was speaking at a view exchange programme with the aspirants in the sixth upazila parishad election and related officials at Shahid M Monsur Ali Auditorium in Sirajgonj on Friday. "We have no partiality as to who are more or less powerful candidates," she added As the chief guest, Rashida Sultana said the commission is working actively to keep the environment in a free, fair and neutral manner. So, there is no chance of deteriorating the situation, she said. “We have tried our best to make an atmosphere where the voters can cast their vote without any fear.” She asked the candidates to confirm polling agents in every voting centre to hold a free, fair and credible election further adding that polling agents can protest against any kind of injustice and irregularities. EC Commissioner said polling agents will stay at the polling station at the end and leave the centre with the result list signed by the presiding officer. Rajshahi Division Commissioner Dewan Md Humayun Kabir chaired the programme while Rajshahi Range Police DIG Anisur Rahman, Rajshahi Regional election officer Delwar Hossain, Sirajgonj DC Mir Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman and Superintendent of Police Arifur Rahman Mondal were spoke.

Three more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Friday morning, raising the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 27 this year. 24 dengue patients hospitalised in 24hrs During the period, nine more patients were hospitalised with viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Of them, three patients were hospitalised in Dhaka city, while the rest were outside the capital. 15 dengue patients hospitalised in 24hrs A total of 116 patients are now receiving treatment at several hospitals across the country. A total of 2,248 dengue cases have been reported since January 1, 2024. 19 dengue patients hospitalized in 24hrs Last year, a total of 1,705 people lost their lives due to dengue, making it the deadliest year on record. The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 3, 18,749 recoveries last year. Last year’s September was the deadliest month for the dengue outbreak, with 396 fatalities and 79,598 cases, according to DGHS data.

The government is extending all-out support to the agri-entrepreneurs and providing them with all sorts of stimulus packages and young people should take this opportunity to be the agents of change in the transformation of agriculture. Minister of State for Women and Children Affairs Simeen Hussain (Rimi) was speaking in a day-long training program organized for agricultural entrepreneurs at Barun High School in Kapasia of Gazipur district on Friday. United Commercial Bank PLC (UCB) organized this training under the agricultural support scheme, titled ‘Bhoroshar Notun Janala’, which is being implemented as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) project in accordance with the directive of the Bangladesh Bank. ATM Tahmiduzzaman, Additional Managing Director and Company Secretary, UCB PLC; Abul Alam Ferdous, Additional Managing Director of UCB PLC; Rezaul Karim Siddique, popular presenter of BTV’s agriculture-based show ‘Mati O Manush’ & an agricultural analyst, were present among other distinguished guests. With the presence of 200 selected agri-entrepreneurs hailing from different upazilas of Gazipur district, the day-long training program shed light on different important issues related to business planning, marketing, managerial skills, banking and financial aspects of agricultural enterprises, and answered the various queries of the entrepreneurs as well. Simeen Hussain opined, “Farmers are a great source of inspiration for us, so is our youth. It feels so good to see that many young entrepreneurs are nowadays getting interested in agriculture and contributing to the economy. But they need proper guidance. I feel that this initiative by the UCB bank will enlighten them and guide them to prosperity.” Abul Alam Ferdous, Additional Managing Director of UCB PLC, said, “Our special CSR project will open a new window of trust in the minds of agri-entrepreneurs in the country. It will help to find a way to stand by the side of the farmers involved in agriculture and inspire them.” ATM Tahmiduzzaman, Additional Managing Director of UCB, said, “Equipping the farmers and agri-entrepreneurs with the right information and knowledge is very crucial to making sure that the country is moving forward in the right direction to achieve food security. UCB aims to do that through our CSR project ‘Bhoroshar Notun Janala’ that has been designed to facilitate and empower entrepreneurs across the country.”

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam on Friday distributed umbrella, bottled water and saline among rickshaw pullers to protect them from scorching heat as the county continues to experience a heat wave for the past few days. He made the distribution at the sector No-4 in Dhaka’s Uttara on Friday morning. Mayor said, "The heat wave is getting worse day by day. Every day the suffering of those who have to go out for livelihood increases. People with limited income, especially rickshaw pullers, suffer even more.” He said the city corporation is providing umbrellas so that they can at least stay in the shade of the umbrella. Atiqul said all the registered rickshaws under the DNCC will be delivered to this umbrella in phases. Earlier, he inaugurated the walkway upon completion of the renovation work at the sector No. 4 Park. Local lawmaker Khasru Chowdhury,  RAJUK Chairman Major Gen Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Sarker and Ward Councillor Md Afsar Uddin Khan, among others, were present on the occasion.