United News of Bangladesh

 Local Government Minister M Tajul Islam on Sunday said the unnatural price hike of construction materials has forced contractors to stop various projects across the country.   The Minister made the statement while answering a supplementary question of Awami League MP elected from Patuakhali-3 Constituency SM Shahzada in Parliament.   In the question, the ruling party MP said that there has been a lot of development under the Ministry of Local Government. But many construction works, including schools and institutions, have been lying half-complete for a long time.   “Now the situation is like this, it would have been better if the work had not started. As the works are stopped, the district executive engineer is not being done despite repeated requests,” he said.   He also mentioned that MPs are facing many embarrassing situations for promises they made while seeking votes during the elections.   In reply, the LGRD Minister said the price of construction materials has increased manifold due to global instability.   The Minister mentioned that the rod which used to be sold at Tk 50,000 per metric ton is now being sold at Tk 1 lakh per metric ton. The cement which used to be sold at Tk 200-300 per bag has become Tk 500.   “In all the works in which contractors participated, contractors expressed reluctance to work due to increase in prices,” he said.   He mentioned that the government realised the reality and increased the price of all these materials with the permission of the Prime Minister.   “But the contractors who had worked earlier have made their decision as they face real challenges, as we have no option but to issue fresh tenders excluding the works that we have a legal obligation to do.”   Tajul Islam mentioned that time is running out for following this process.   “In many areas, including my constituency, contractors got work but could not implement it, all their work will be canceled and new contractors will be appointed to implement it,” he said.

 Speakers on Sunday said the country is still facing acute lack of the necessary infrastructure and highly skilled medical professionals to diagnose cancer at an early stage.   They were taking part in a special roundtable discussion focused on cancer awareness on the occasion of World Cancer Day organised by Evercare Hospital Dhaka.    The roundtable brought together experts from different sectors of the society to exchange opinions and discuss various aspects related to cancer.  The 2024 World Cancer Day theme is: 'Close the Care Gap'. This campaign is about bringing attention to a higher level-literally-and raise our voices to engage our leaders, asking policymakers and decision makers around the world to prioritize cancer, develop innovative strategies to reduce inequity and invest in achieving a more equitable and cancer-free world.  They also called on leaders to eliminate health inequities by addressing the social determinants of health that contribute to them, ensuring that everyone has access to quality health services when, where and how they need them. Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Professor Dr. Md. Sharfuddin Ahmed delivered his speech as chief Guest while Dr. Arif Mahmud, Director, Medical Services of Evercare Hospitals, Bangladesh conducted the event as Chairperson.  Special guests included ; Prof. Dr. Golam Mohiuddin Faruque, President of Bangladesh Cancer Society; Professor Dr. Qazi Mushtaq Hussain, President of Bangladesh Society of Radiation Oncologists; Farida Yasmin, President of National Press Club; Suvas Chandra Singho Roy, Political Analyst; Prof. Dr. Akhil Ranjon Biswas, Professor of Department of Hematology, Dhaka Medical College & Hospital; Dr. Md. Ismail Hosen, Associate Professor of Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka; Professor Dr. Suvagoto Chowdhury, Medical Scientist, Author and Researcher; and Prof. Dr. Tasnim Ara, CEO, BioMed Molecular Diagnostics. Furthermore, the event was attended by key figures from Evercare Hospital Dhaka, including Dr. Abu Jafar Mohammed Saleh, Dr. Ferdous Shahriar Sayed, Dr. Biswajit Bhattacharjee, Prof. Dr. Raju Titus Chacko, Dr. Arman Reza Chowdhury, Prof. Dr. Raihan Hussain, Prof. Brig Gen (Retd) Dr. S. M. Mahbubul Alam, Dr. Mizanur Rahman, and Vinay Kaul, Chief Marketing Officer of Evercare Hospitals, Bangladesh, among others.  Their presence at the event highlighted the importance of cancer awareness and advancements in medical services, aligning with Evercare Hospital Dhaka's commitment to providing comprehensive and high-quality cancer care services.  The roundtable aimed to raise awareness about cancer prevention, treatment, diagnosis, infrastructural development, manpower development and foster collaboration to increase everyone's understanding. It also emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts in campaigns for cancer awareness, dispelling myths and misconceptions about cancer, and aligning medical science on cancer-related issues.    

General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday sought China's role for the repatriation of the Rohingyas who are taking shelter in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds. During his meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen, Quader said the presence of Rohingyas is an additional burden and China can play its role for their repatriation to Myanmar. Govt not waiting for recognition from anyone, Obaidul Quader says The two sides spoke highly of the achievements in bilateral economic and trade cooperation, especially in road, transport and bridges area and implementation of mega projects and explored the way to further enhance cooperation in this regard to support the new government of Bangladesh. Govt committed to stabilising prices amid rising costs: Obaidul Quader

As many as 102 people were killed and 281 others sustained burn injuries in 27,624 fire incidents across the country in 2023, according to Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters.Of the deceased, 73 were males, 29 were females and 77 fire incidents were recorded in a day on average.According to the Fire Service statistics, most of the fire incidents originated from electric short circuit, burning cigarette, oven and leakage of gas pipeline.As per the statistics, the estimated loss caused by the fire was Tk 792,36,82,014, said Talha Bin Jashim, station officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence media cell.Meanwhile, 48 firefighters were injured while another one died in a road crash while heading for extinguish fire, he said.Of the total fire incidents, 9,813 incidents (35.52%) happened due to electric short circuit, 4,906 (17.76%) from burning cigarettes, 4,117 (15.11%) from oven, 923 (3.34%) from playing with fire, 770 (2.79%) from gas pipeline leakage, 124 (0.45%) from explosion of gas cylinder and boiler explosion and 87 fire incidents occurred due to firecrackers explosion, the statistics said.Of the incidents, 3,334 fire accidents occurred in March, 3,141 in April, 3,235 in May, 2,646 in January, 2,713 in February, 2,450 in June last year.

Dhaka Metro Rail service, which remained suspended for an hour due to a technical glitch, resumed on Sunday afternoon, said the metro rail authority. A technical fault was detected at the signal section of No 11 station in Mirpur around 2:45 pm and since then the metro rail service remained suspended, said Public Relations Officer and deputy project director of Metro Rail, Nazmul Islam Bhuiya. However, the authorities concerned managed to resume the metro rail service around 4:10 pm after a repair work. Dhaka Metro Rail extends service hours on Uttara-Motijheel route; here are the timings Zihadul Kabir, deputy inspector general (MRT police chief), said people were seen waiting at the stations which went viral on the social media. Ahsan Habib Nobel, a passenger of the metro rail, in a post in traffic alert group said he arrived at Metro Rail Pallabi Station but light and air condition switched off suddenly and a train was not moving from the station. Meanwhile, some passengers at Mirpur 11 No station were seen coming out of the station after returning their tickets purchased earlier. Security beefed up for metro rail although there is no specific threat:  DMP official Earlier in the day, the metro rail authorities at Uttara Station were seen locking the collapsible gate of the station due to huge pressure of passengers. The huge crowd was noticed today as Ijtema devotees gathered at metro rail station after attending Akheri Munajat. All tickets were sold out so the authorities closed the gate of the station.  

Police have arrested four people including a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader for allegedly gang raping a woman after holding her husband captive on the Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus. Meanwhile, teachers and students of JU staged a demonstration and formed a human chain demanding capital punishment of those involved in the rape. Superintendent of Police Abdullahil Kafi confirmed the arrest of the accused at a press conference today. Read: Husband held captive, wife raped on JU campus  Earlier, prime accused Mustafizur Rahman Khan, a student of the 45th batch of International Relations Department and international affairs secretary of BCL, JU unit, was arrested from Savar bus stand area around 7am. The other arrestees are Mostafa Monwar alias Sagar Siddique, Hasanuzzaman, students of International Relations department and Sabbir Hossain, a student of Botany department, for helping the prime accused to escape. All of them are known to be followers of BCL university unit president Akhtaruzzaman Sohel. However, the central BCL expelled Mustafizur after the incident. Another accused Mamun, 45, and Murad, a student of the Department of International Relations, tied up the victim's husband Robin and beat him up. Meanwhile, teachers and students of JU staged a demonstration and formed a human chain demanding capital punishment for those involved in the rape. Their programme began at 11:30 am and then they held a brief rally in front of the new administrative building of the university. Speakers at the rally demanded the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor for the failure of the university administration in this incident. Read: 16 killed, 25 injured in U.S. airstrikes in W. Iraq: spokesman  The victim, a resident of Ashulia, said that the accused Mamun used to rent a room in their house and had prior acquaintance with Mostafizur. Mamun occasionally stayed with Mostafizur in Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall. Mamun had invited her husband to visit the university under the pretext of purchasing furniture. On the evening of the incident, the victim’s husband informed Mamun about their plan to buy furniture. Mamun then instructed the husband to call his wife to the university, suggesting she bring some clothes for Mamun as he would be staying on campus for a few days. Subsequently, Mostafizur and Mamun confined the victim’s husband in room 317 of the ‘A’ block of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall. When the woman arrived with the clothes, Mamun took them and later deceived her into going to the forested area near the hall under the pretense of meeting her husband from another gate, where she alleges both men raped her. 

A petition was filed with the High Court on Sunday against the Labour Appellate Tribunal’s order that had stayed the effectiveness of the jail sentence awarded to Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus and three others in a Labour Law violation case.Senior Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan filed the petition to the HC bench concerned.Besides, a petition was also filed seeking a bar on traveling abroad without the permission of the court. ACC submits chargesheet against Yunus, 13 others for allegedly embezzling Tk 25.22 croreEarlier on January 28, the Labour Appellate Tribunal on January 28 granted bail to Dr Yunus and three others in the case.Chairman of Labour Appellate Tribunal MA Awal stayed the punishment of the Nobel laureate and three others and fixed March 3 for next hearing.On January 1, Dhaka 3rd Labour Court Judge Sheikh Merin Sultana sentenced Dr Yunus and three top officials of Grameen Telecom to six months’ jail in a case over violation of labour law. Govt is not harassing Dr Yunus with false cases: Law MinisterThe court also fined them Tk 30,000 each.The other convicts were-- Ashraful Hasan, CEO of Grameen Telecom Trust; trustee Nurjahan Begum; and managing director M Shahjahan.On September 9, 2021, Labour Inspector Arifuzzaman, of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, filed the case with Dhaka’s 3rd Labour Court.On June 6, 2023, Dhaka Labor Court-3 framed charges against the four accused.Dr Yunus and the three others filed a petition challenging the legality of the charge framing and seeking a stay order on trial proceedings in the case.The High Court on July 23 last year issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the indictment order against the four should not be scrapped.On August 3, the Appellate Division directed the High Court to dispose of the rule questioning the charge framing against Dr Yunus and others by the lower court in the case.According to the case, during an inspection visit to Grameen Telecom, inspectors of the department found that 101 workers and staff members who were supposed to be permanent were not made so.No participation fund and welfare fund was formed for them and five percent of the company’s profit was not provided to the workers following the law. Upon a complaint, a criminal case was filed under sections 4, 7, 8, 117, 234 of the Labour Act.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has gone up to Tk 122.86 per kg for the month of February from Tk 119.40 in January, said BERC. The latest hike in LPG price will put more pressure on customers as the retail consumers will have to pay an additional Tk 3.46 for per kg of LPG from 6 pm on Sunday, according to Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC). Read: 12kg LPG cylinder to cost Tk 244 less  The energy regulator announced the new price, saying that retail consumers will now have to play Tk 1474 (including VAT) for a 12 kg cylinder of LPG. The previous price of a 12 kg LPG cylinder was Tk 1433, up by Tk 41. Prices of other LPG cylinders – from 5.5 kg to 45 kg – will go up rationally, said a BERC official at a press briefing at the BERC office in Dhaka. As per the BERC decision, the price of “auto gas” (LPG used for motor vehicles) also increased to Tk 67.68 per litre (including VAT) from Tk 65.76 per litre. The price of LPG, marketed by state-owned LP Gas Company, will remain the same as it is locally produced with a market share of less than 5 percent. BERC officials said LPG price witnessed an increase in the local market due to increase in the prices of Saudi CP (contract price). Read: 12kg LPG cylinder cost declines by Tk 65  Bangladeshi LPG operators normally import their products from the Middle-eastern market on the basis of Saudi CP. LPG witnessed the highest price at Tk 1,498 (per 12 kg cylinder) in the local market in February last year following the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022. 

More than 1000 distress people in Nandail upazila received free treatment and medicine as a medical camp was held marking the first death anniversary of Md Anwar Hossain, former managing director of Khulna Newsprint Mills.  More than twenty specialist physicians from the capital Dhaka contributed the medical camp at Purba Darillah village under Nandail Upazila in Mymensigh from 10am to 5 pm. Read: Engr. Sangeeta Kaushik made MD of BIFPCL Doctors from the discipline of medicine, physical medicine, cardiology, nephrology, ENT, orthopedics, gynecology, surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology and pediatrics volunteered the medical camp, said Assistant professor of Dhaka Medical Collage and Hospital (DMCH) Dr ASM Tanim Anwar, the younger son of late Hossain.  The elder son of late Hossain, Md Tanzim Anwar, Special Correspondent of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) lauded the initiative as the camp seemed a relief among the cold-hit distress rural people especially the elderly and children. Read: 5 BAF officers wounded as vehicle carrying them overturns in Ctg   Later, a Milad Mahfil was held after the Asr Prayer at Late Hossain’s ancestors’ residence at the village.    Anwar Hossain, who also served as managing director of Pakshi Paper Mills, Khulna Hardboard Mills and Karnaphuli Rayon and Chemicals Limited, passed away at Dhanmondi Popular Hospital at the age of 78 on February 4 last year.

Two Biswa Ijtema devotees were killed and 11 people were injured when a covered van hit an auto-rickshaw at Shilmun of Tongi in Gazipur on Sunday (February 04, 2024). The deceased were identified as Jony, 18, son of Monir Hossain of South Sadharchar village in Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi, Sohel, 40, son of Kajal Mia of the same village. Read: 3 more devotees die at Ijtema venue  The injured were Firoz ,50, Jahirul Islam, 52, Jisan, 22, Zahid Hasan, 35, Iqbal Hossain, 55, Nazrul Islam, 50, Anisur Rahman, Md. Borhan Uddin,50 and Basir Uddin, 55 and two unidentified people. The condition of the unidentified victims was stated to be critical. Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Tongi East Police Station of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, said the accident occurred around 7 pm before the Akheri.