United News of Bangladesh

Former secretary Md Sarwar Alam joined this Wednesday as Press Secretary to the President Mohammed Shahabuddin on a contractual basis for one year. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification in this regard on Tuesday. Sarwar, an officer of the BCS Information '84 Batch, also served as deputy press secretary to former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. Earlier, he served as the senior information officer to the home minister Abdul Matin Chowdhury. In 2022, he went on post- retirement leave while serving as Director (Joint Secretary) of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority. In 1994, he was posted to Bangladesh Deputy High Commission, Kolkata and served there as second and first secretary (Press). An alumnus of the top -ranked Notre Dame College and Motijheel Ideal High School, he obtained M.S.C and B.S.C (Honors) in Geography and Environment from the University of Dhaka in 1983 and 1982 respectively achieving a First-Class distinction in the both examination.  

Acting on the directives of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the newly-appointed administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) on Wednesday instructed officials to work with the highest level of professionalism and dedication to transform Dhaka into a modern ‘Green City and Clean City.’ Administrator Abdus Salam issued the directive during separate coordination meetings held at Nagar Bhaban with senior officials and the Waste Management Department of DSCC. To make Dhaka a more livable and aesthetically pleasing city, four priority programmes were finalized at the meetings.  Those are tree plantation and large-scale greening, restoration and dredging of canals to ensure natural water flow, modern waste management, and effective mosquito control. The meeting also decided that a comprehensive action plan will be prepared within one week and submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office for implementation of the programmes. In view of the recent surge in mosquito infestation, several DSCC wards have been identified as “high-risk” areas. To ensure 100 percent effectiveness of mosquito control activities, the meetings decided to form a strong monitoring team comprising senior officials. Emphasis was also placed on engaging local civil society to raise public awareness. The administrator warned that strict legal action, including mobile court operations, will be carried out if mosquito larvae are found or the environment is polluted due to negligence, even after awareness measures. Addressing officials, Abdus Salam said, “The City Corporation is a service-oriented institution. Upholding our responsibility and commitment to the people must be our foremost duty. Good work will be rewarded, while negligence will invite reprimand and strict action. "  To realize the Honorable Prime Minister’s ‘Green City, Clean City’ vision, he called for demonstrating the highest level of professionalism. He further announced that from today all civic services of DSCC will remain fully functional and uninterrupted. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain visited DSCC’s central mosquito insecticide storage facility at Dhalpur. DSCC Administrator Abdus Salam accompanied him during the visit. The minister expressed satisfaction over the overall environment and management of the storage facility and stressed the need to maintain the quality of insecticides used in mosquito control operations.  

A Dhaka court on Wednesday sentenced former Dhaka South Jubo League president Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, an alleged kingpin of the illegal casino business in Dhaka, to 20 years in jail in two separate cases. Judge of Dhaka Special Judge court-6, Md Zakaria Hossain sentenced 10 years jail to the former Jubo League leader in connection with money laundering case and fined Tk 10 lakh, in default to suffer six months more in rigorous imprisonment. The same court also sentenced ten years in jail in a case of amassing wealth beyond known income sources and fined Tk ten lakh in the case. The court also asked to confiscate the property of the ex-Jubo League leader. On July 17, last year, the court framed charges against Samrat in two cases and issued a warrant for his arrest. Samrat came under the spotlight after an anti-casino drive led by the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) exposed illegal gambling operations in Dhaka’s Motijheel on September 18, 2019. Following the operation, he went into hiding. On October 7, 2019, Rab arrested Samrat and his close aide Enamul Haque Arman from Cumilla’s Chauddagram. Later that day, Rab conducted a five-hour search at his Kakrail office in the capital. During the raid, the elite force said they recovered a foreign pistol with bullets, 1,160 yaba pills, 19 bottles of foreign liquor, two kangaroo hides and electric devices allegedly used for torture. Due to possession of the unauthorised wildlife items, a mobile court sentenced Samrat to six months in jail under the Wildlife Conservation Act. Later, Rab-1 filed separate cases with Ramna Police Station under the Arms Act and the Narcotics Control Act. After investigation, police submitted the charges to court on November 6 next year. The tribunal recorded testimonies of 10 witnesses before delivering the verdict on Tuesday. He walked out of jail on bail in August,2022 and went into hiding after August 5,2024. In November 2019, ACC filed a case against Samrat for amassing wealth of Tk 2.94 crore beyond known sources. A year later in November 2020, ACC submitted chargesheet against Samrat on charge of accumulating wealth of Tk 222.88 crore beyond his known sources of income.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque on Wednesday said that the government has a plan to bring national-level athletes under a structured salary framework. “The current government is planning to improve athletes’ living standards and ensure their future security and to bring national-level athletes under a structured salary framework. It is working to establish sports as a respectable profession,” he said. Former football captain Aminul appointed state minister for sports The state minister came up with the information while speaking at the view-exchange meeting with managing directors and chief executive officers of leading banks and financial institutions at the conference room of the National Sports Council. He also urged the banks and financial institutions to play an active role in the overall development of the country’s sports sector and in ensuring professionalism among athletes. The minister also announced that the ‘Notun Kuri Sports’ programme aimed at identifying talented players from the grassroots will be launched nationwide immediately after Eid-ul-Fitr. Mentioning that not all federations in the country are financially solvent, the state minister urged the banks and financial institutions to remain involved with different sporting disciplines and become integral partners in the sports arena through regular sponsorship. BCB president Aminul skips India-Pakistan clash in Colombo Executives of banks and financial institutions present at the meeting welcomed the initiative of the Ministry. They expressed satisfaction over having a sports personality as the State Minister and pledged to work together to elevate the country’s sports sector to a global standard.

Water Resources minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee on Wednesday said that efforts will be made to reclaim canals from illegal occupants, along with measures to protect their banks through tree planting and beautification projects. “Through ongoing projects, canals are being dredged and restored. Priority will be given to canal excavation projects across the country,” he said. The minister made the remarks while inspecting the re-excavation and bank protection works of the Shubhadya and Ati canals in Keraniganj. State Minister for Water Resources Ministry, Forhad Hossain Azad, was also present there. The work on the Shubhadya and Ati canals will be completed soon and in a second phase, additional projects will be implemented to ensure sustainability, proper water flow and river connectivity, he said. The government will take initiatives nationwide to prevent canal pollution by constructing necessary infrastructure, modernizing waste management, and engaging the Local Government Ministry in canal development and maintenance, he added. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has set a five-year target to excavate and restore 20,000 kilometers of canals, ponds and water bodies nationwide, said the minister. He also emphasised biodiversity conservation and proper, modern waste management practices. State Minister Forhad said that under the government’s electoral commitments, 20,000 kilometers of canals will be excavated and five million trees will be planted in the next five years. The canal dredging and restoration will improve irrigation for agriculture, restore river navigability and reduce waterlogging, said Forhad. During the visit, Minister Annie inspected areas along Shubhadya Canal, including Khejurbag, Jorabreez, Chunkutia and Ati Canal near Joynagar.  

Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday said the 2009 Pilkhana massacre, in which 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed, remains a shameful and dark chapter in the nation’s history. “By killing 57 army officers, there was a plot to break the morale of the Bangladesh Army and, at the same time, the spirit of the nation,” he said. Local government elections to be held ‘in due time’: Fakhrul Fakhrul, also BNP Secretary General, made the remarks after paying tribute at the graves of the 57 army officers at Banani Military Graveyard, marking ‘Jatiya Shaheed Sena Dibas’ (National Martyred Army Day). The minister said there had been a deep conspiracy on that day to destroy the country’s security system. He said that by the grace of Allah, the people of Bangladesh had stood up to protect the country’s independence, sovereignty and democracy. “Today, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has a great opportunity to strengthen independence and sovereignty and to establish democracy by taking responsibility for running the state,” Fakhrul said. BNP’s Nayapaltan office springs back to life with Fakhrul’s visit He said the BNP’s main goal is to build Bangladesh as a democratic state, ensure equal rights for all, and guarantee justice through an impartial investigation into the killings. “We demand a proper and impartial investigation into this heinous crime and that those responsible be brought to justice,” the minister added. Fakhrul also prayed for the forgiveness of the souls of the martyrs. Retired Major General Fazle Elahi Akbar, retired Lt Colonel Kamruzzaman, retired Major Mizanur Rahman, retired Major Siddiqur Rahman, retired Squadron Leader Zahid Hossain, JAGPA Chairman Khandaker Lutfur Rahman, Rakir Ahmed Bhuiyan, son of former BDR Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed, and BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan were, among others, present.

The candidates who contested the 13th parliamentary election are legally obliged to submit the return of election expenses by mid-March before the Election Commission (EC). “There is an obligation to submit the return of candidates’ poll expenses before the returning officer concerned within 30 days after the announcement of election result (in gazette),” said a letter the EC sent to returning officers on Wednesday. The EC also asked the returning officers to send the submitted return of election expenses to the Commission by March 25 next. According to the Article 44C (1) of the Representation of the People Order, 1972, every election agent of a contesting candidate shall, within thirty days after the publication of the name of the returned candidate, submit to the Returning Officer a return of election expenses in the prescribed form. Since the official election result was published on February 13, the return of a candidate’s election expenses must be submitted by March 15 next. A total of 2,028 candidates ran in the February-12 parliamentary election held in 299 constituencies (except Sherpur-3) across the country. The contestants include 1,755 nominated by 50 political parties and 273 independent candidates. The EC published the names and address of 297 elected MP candidates in a gazette on February 13, keeping the election result of Chattogram-2 and 4 constituencies withheld in line with the court’s decisions. The newly elected MPs include 209 BNP ones, 68 Jamaat MPs, seven independent MPs and six NCP MPs, two Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis MPs, one MP each of Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Ganaodhikar Parishad, Ganasamhati Andolan, Khelafat Majlish and Islami Andolan Bangladesh. The political parties that participated in the recent general election will have to submit an expenditure statement to the Election Commission within 90 days after the completion of election. “Every political party nominating any candidate for election shall submit to the [Commission, for its scrutiny, within ninety days] of the completion of election in all constituencies, an expenditure statement giving details of the expenses incurred or authorised by it in connection with the election of its candidates for the period from the date of publication of the notification under clause of Article 11 till the completion of elections in all the constituencies in which it has set up candidates,” states the article 44CCC (1) of the RPO, 1972.  

A senior officer of Janata Bank PLC was allegedly beaten to death by the authorities concerned of a Rehab Centre in Sabgram area of Bogura district town on Tuesday night. The deceased was identified as Samiul Hasan Shuvo, 33, a senior officer of Dupchanchia Sonali Bank branch. Family sources said Saimul was admitted to the city’s Subgram Rehab Center on February 13 for treatment of long-term drug addiction and mental health issues. On Tuesday evening, just 11 days after his admission, he was taken to Bogura Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in a critical condition by the center staff. Later, he was declared dead at the hospital. ATM Farhad, brother-in-law of Saimul said Saimul bore multiple injuries on his body. He alleged that the staff of the Rehab Center beat him up mercilessly there, leading to his death. Mostafa Manjur, additional superintendent of Bogura Police, said the body was sent to the hospital morgue for autopsy. Police are investigating the incident, he said  

A Dhaka court on Wednesday convicted a man and sentenced him to death for killing his wife in 2012. Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad Shahidul Islam handed down the punishment. The condemned convict, Jibon Hossain alias Mukul, was tried in absentia. The court also issued a warrant for his arrest and fined him Tk 10,000. According to the prosecution, Jibon, a staff of a furniture shop in Chattogram, married Fahima Begum in 2012. The couple had a six-month-old son. A few days before the incident, they moved to the Bhatara area of Dhaka. Jibon was involved with another woman and frequently abused Fahima over the matter. On September 17, 2012, the couple went to sleep after dinner. The following day, neighbors heard the cries of Fahima’s son coming from the house. When they entered, they found Fahima lying with her legs tied. Later, Fahima’s brother Sirajul Islam filed a case with Bhatara Police Station against Jibon. Police submitted the charge sheet against Jibon on September 18, 2014.    

The Editors' Council on Wednesday urged the government to withdraw false and harassing cases filed against journalists. In a statement, the council said that since August 5, 2024, many journalists have been falsely accused in murder and other cases. Some journalists are still in jail, while others are being forced to appear in court regularly. “These cases are seriously obstructing journalists’ professional work and harming the independent environment of the media,” the statement said. Editors' Council voices concerns over new clause in Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance It said that if there are specific and evidence-based allegations against any journalist, those should be dealt with under existing laws through a transparent judicial process. The Editors' Council said that in the interest of justice, proper investigation and due legal process must be ensured. “But harassment and motivated cases are not acceptable under any circumstances.” The council mentioned that it had repeatedly requested the interim government to withdraw the false and motivated cases and to take effective steps to stop the harassment of journalists. “The interim government assured us that the cases would be reviewed and that steps would be taken to withdraw false and harassing cases. But unfortunately, we have not seen the expected progress in this matter,” the statement added. Broad cancellation of press accreditation threatens free press: Editors' Council The council strongly urged the newly elected government to treat the issue as a priority and to take swift steps to withdraw the cases filed against journalists. It reiterated that ensuring media freedom and professional safety is a fundamental commitment of a democratic state and expressed hope that the government would act accordingly.