United News of Bangladesh

A teenager died and her cousin is in critical condition after being electrocuted while trying to hang clothes on the rooftop of their aunt's house in Sylhet. Samia Rahman, 18, succumbed to her injuries at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn & Plastic Surgery on Friday afternoon (April 26). Samia, a resident of Boroail village in Bianibazar upazila, suffered 90% burns. Her cousin, Sadia Jannat Eva,23, also got electrocuted but is receiving medical treatment in Dhaka. Samia and her cousin Eva went to the rooftop of the three-storey house to bring in clothes on Wednesday evening. At that moment, Samia was struck by an electric wire on the rooftop. Eva, in an attempt to save her, also got electrocuted. Samia's cousin Dipu Ahmed said, "Samia passed away while undergoing treatment at noon." They were admitted to Sylhet M.A.G. Osmani Medical College Hospital. Dr. Soumitra Chakraborty, the assistant director of the hospital, said after initial treatment, they were referred to Dhaka for advanced medical care. Within a day of being transferred to Dhaka, Samia succumbed to her injuries.  

German news agency DPA's Nazrul Islam Mithu and Julhas Alam, Bureau Chief of Associated Press (AP), have been elected president and general secretary of the Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh (OCAB), a platform of Dhaka-based journalists working for foreign media. The committee was formed after the election which was held following the organization's general meeting at the National Press Club on Friday. The general meeting was chaired by the convener of the organization Qadir Kallol. The election was conducted by senior journalists Shahjahan Sardar and Qadir Kallol, said a press release. Shafiqul Alam of AFP was elected vice-President while Naeem-ul-Karim of Xinhua and Pulak Ghatak of Benar News elected as joint-secretary and treasurer, respectively of the organisation. Besides, senior members of the organization Harun Habib, Farid Hossain, Rafiqur Rahman, Parveen F Chowdhury, Mir Sabbir and Kamran Reza Chowdhury were elected as executive members of the new committee. Some amendment proposals of the organization's constitution and other organizational proposals were accepted unanimously in the general meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, the OCAB members adopted a condolence motion on the deaths of some members of the organisation and one minute silence was observed for the peace of their departed souls.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday asked the leaders and activists of Awami League to work for the development of Bangladesh and its people.  “You should work for the development of the country and its people,” she said when a delegation of Thailand Awami League paid a courtesy call on her at her place of residence. PM’s Speechwriter Md. Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters. The President of Bangladesh Awami League, Sheikh Hasina, asked them to spread the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “The Father of the Nation was killed untimely but his ideals remained among us. That is why I’ve been working to implement his ideals,” she said, adding that Bangabandhu had dreamt to bring smiles to the faces of poor and destitute people of the country. Referring to the remarkable progress and development Bangladesh witnessed in the last 15 years, the premier said it has been possible to attain the progress as they (her party) are in power uninterruptedly for a long time. The leaders and activists told the Prime Minister that many Bangladeshis have accepted the citizenship of Thailand, but they are keen to keep the dual citizenship. They sought the PM’s intervention for maintaining dual citizenship. In response, the prime minister said that she would talk with the Thai government in this regard.

Gas supply will remain suspended for all categories of customers at different areas in the city for 12 hours from 9 am to 9 pm on Saturday for emergency works in the gas pipeline. According to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution company Ltd, the areas where gas supply will remain off include Shanir Akhra, Baraitala, Chhapra Mosque, Dania, Jurain, Dholairpar and Kadmatoli. The adjoining areas may experience low pressure in gas supply, said the Titas Gas regretting the temporary inconvenience of the consumers.

The government is constantly working to bring equality between men and women, establish women's rights and eliminate discrimination against women, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Simeen Hussain (Rimi) said on Friday. The government is also working on including women's domestic work in the GDP as recognition of economic activities along with determining the specific value of it, she said. She was speaking at the National Assembly Meeting-2024 organized by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad at Chittagong Hill Tracts Complex on Friday as the chief guest. The state minister said, the position of women now we are currently seeing was not like this before.Women's empowerment in Bangladesh has been ensured through the adoption of women-friendly policies under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after 2008, she added. "Women are working with reputation in home and abroad as per their qualifications. Women are playing an important role in all fields including information technology, research, sports, entertainment and bringing fame to the country." The state minister said that the government has taken various steps for the development of women's society, including the Prevention of Women and Child Abuse Act 2020, Dowry Prevention Act 2018, Child Marriage Prevention Act 2017. "Digital Security Act 2018 was enacted to protect women from cyber bullying on online platforms," she said.

Two people including a school student died in separate road accidents in Dhaka’s Mugda and Gendaria areas. The accidents occurred on Thursday night and early Friday. The schoolboy was identified as Md Mahin Ahmed, 13, son of Masum Ahmed of Kishoreganj’s Bajitpur upazila but he used to live with his family in Mugda area. The victim’s elder brother Mahfuz Ahmed said Mahin, a class seven student of Motijheel Government Ideal School, went out of the house to meet a friend on Thursday night. A vehicle of Dhaka South City Corporation crashed into him while walking on the Mugda road around 9:30pm, leaving him critically injured, he said. He was first rushed to Mugda General Hospital and later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment, said the DMCH’s police outpost In-Charge Md Bachhu Mia. In another incident an unidentified vehicle hit a woman while she was crossing the road in Padma Bridge Railing Project Ghonti Ghar area under Gendaria police station around 3am. The impact of the accident left her critically injured, said pedestrians. Later, she was taken to DMCH’s emergency department where she was declared dead, Bachhu Mia said. The concerned police stations were informed about the road crashes, he added.

Bangladesh Metrological Department (BMD) forecast rain or thundershowers in Chattogram and Sylhet divisions country in 24 hours commencing 9:00 am on Friday. “Rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Chattogram and Sylhet divisions with hails at isolated places,” said a met office 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. Due to the increase of moisture incursion, the discomfort may persist, it said. However, a very severe heat wave is sweeping over the districts of Chuadanga and Jashore and severe heat wave is sweeping over rest part of the Khulna division and the districts of Tangail, Faridpur, Gopalgonj, Manikgonj, Rajshahi, Pabna, Dinajpur & Nilphamari. Mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping over Barishal division and the districts of Dhaka, Madaripur, Kishoregonj, Narsingdi, Bagura, Naogaon, Sirajgonj, Rangpur, Kurigram, Panchagarh, Mymensingh, Maulovibazar, Rangamati, Chandpur, Feni and Bandarban and it may continue, read the bulletin. Country’s highest temperature was recorded in Jashore at 42.4 degree Celsius over the past 24 hours till 6 am today. On the other hand, the lowest temperature was recorded in Panchagarh’s Tetulia at 20.6 degree Celsius.

The bodies of a teenage couple were recovered from their rented flat in a high-rise building in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur on Friday, said police. The deceased were identified as Md Israfil, 17, son of Mafizul Huq of Sherpur’s Jhenaigati upazila and his wife Rokeya Khatun, 15, daughter of Abul Kashem of Iswarganj upazila in Mymensingh. Rokeya’s elder brother Md Borhand Uddin said his sister got married with Israfil around seven to eight months back without family's consent after developing an affair. After the marriage, they started to live in a rented flat in Mawna Mulaid area of the upazila. Israfil was a workshop worker while Rokey worked for a readymade garment factory, he said. Israfil went away from his residence recently following a dispute with his parents, who live in a separate flat of the same building, Borhan said. Mafizul said they spotted the body of Israfil hanging from a ceiling fan with a scarf while Rokeya’s body was on the bed. Sreepur police station’s Inspector (investigation) Md Shakhwat Hossain said being informed they recovered the bodies from the house. The wife seems to have first committed suicide and the husband followed , he said, adding that legal actions would be taken in this regard.

A 50-year-old farmer was trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants in Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur district on Thursday night, an official said. The deceased was identified as Omar Ali Mistri, son of Tamij Uddin of bordering Batkuchi village under the upazila. The farmer came under attack by the wild elephants coming from a nearby jungle while he was guarding off the Boro paddy at night, leaving him killed on the spot, said Rafiqul Islam, Madhutila Range officer of the Forest Department on Friday. Locals recovered the body after the elephants left the spot, he added. Forest officials and local public representatives rushed to the spot after hearing about the attack. According to locals, they frequently come under attacks by wild elephants especially at night when they guard their croplands in Nalitabari and Jhenaigati upazilas of Sherpur.

Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury has highlighted Bangladesh's significant advancements in skills development, notably in ensuring accessibility and equity for marginalized groups such as women, indigenous communities, and persons with disabilities. These endeavours align closely with the government's stated political objectives and developmental priorities.  Nevertheless, the minister stressed the need to bridge the skills mismatch between the high-skills needs of industry and the generally low-skilled labour force, both nationally and more generally. Speaking at a high-level panel discussion in Geneva, he called upon industry sectors and development partners to take proactive steps in promoting lifelong learning and enhance skills development, especially in emerging industry sectors like pharmaceuticals, ICT, and agro-food processing. The Global Skills Forum, hosted by the ILO Skills and Employability Branch on April 23 and 24, which had invited constituents and development partners to discuss skills challenges and partnerships in a changing world, featured an exclusive session dedicated to Bangladesh. The high-level panel, held at ILO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, was  attended by Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, as well as senior representatives from Employers' and Workers’ Organizations and key Development Partners, the European Union and the Government of Canada. During the session, participants deliberated on Bangladesh's achievements, ongoing challenges, and proposed strategies for advancing the national skills system through targeted strategies and collaborative partnerships. The essential role of skills and lifelong learning is well-recognised in enhancing the labour force’s employability and productivity, attracting investment and fostering national economic growth, said ILO on Thursday. Recognising the crucial role of skilled labour in driving higher-value production and economic advancement, the Government of Bangladesh has since 2007 multiplied its investment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and skills development, and after one and a half decade the results of these numerous efforts are tangible.  Bangladesh has formulated a National Skills Development Policy and established a unified national qualifications framework to enhance recognition of skills qualifications and upskilling of the workforce. Moreover, the traditional TVET system has evolved into an industry-relevant and skills-focused model. These transformations reflect the government's commitment to its development vision, complemented by significant financial contributions by development partners and technical expertise provided notably by a.o. the International Labour Organization (ILO). However, challenges persist in realising the Bangladesh government’s vision for the national skills system.  Srinivas Reddy, Chief of the Skills and Employability Branch at ILO moderated the session, commencing with a video showcasing Bangladesh's main achievements in skills development. Gilbert F. Houngbo, the Director General of ILO, graced the session with his presence and joined the high-level panel for his intervention.  Houngbo commended the beneficial long-term partnerships between the Government of Bangladesh, the ILO, the EU and Canada, recognizing their mutually reinforcing contributions to Bangladesh’s skills development objectives.  Houngbo underscored the importance of climate change mitigation and adaption through green skills development, as well as promoting social cohesion and employment through ensuring accessibility and inclusivity of the skills development system. Farooq Ahmed, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation, highlighted the essential role of the private sector in skills development, including the need for more apprenticeships in skills development and job creation, as well as facilitating a seamless transition from education to employment. He advocated for incentives to encourage businesses to adopt and increase the quantity and quality of apprenticeships models applied and emphasized the comprehensive need for industry-relevant TVET. Rezwana Saki, Secretary of the Bangladesh Free Trade Union Congress, brought attention to the obstacles encountered by workers striving to acquire advanced skills suitable for the labour market. She advocated for social dialogue and greater involvement by Workers' Organizations and the need for accelerating the implementation of the Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework in order to facilitate lifelong learning and formal recognition of workers' skills. Charles Whiteley, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh highlighted the EU's commitment to enhancing the capabilities of the Bangladeshi workforce, not only for domestic employment, but also for international labour markets. He emphasized the EU’s support for upcoming talent partnerships between Bangladesh and key EU Member States for skilled migration of Bangladeshi workers to the EU through legal migration pathways, as well as plans to support the diversification of the production base of industry sectors through Gateway collaboration. Thomas Wagner, Ambassador, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva, affirmed the EU's ongoing support for the modernization of skills systems in partner countries across regions, particularly focusing on enhancing industry-relevant skills provision in the forthcoming years. Patricia McCullagh, Minister-Counsellor, Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN in Geneva highlighted Canada's recent initiatives funding projects aimed at empowering vulnerable communities through skills training and job creation. She reiterated Canada's commitment to collaborating with the ILO and Bangladesh to ensure decent work opportunities for millions of Bangladeshi citizens. All panel representatives commended the Government of Bangladesh, the ILO and Development Partners for their long-term partnership since 2007, yielding significant transformations of the national skills system, and expressed their commitment to continue the beneficial partnerships in the future for the further strengthening of the Bangladesh economic and social development, in line with the Government’s vision.