Month: March 2023

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of former Chattra League President and leader of Chattra Sangram Parishad Nur-e-Alam Siddique.

In a condolence message, Quader, also Road Transport and Bridges Minister, prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

Veteran freedom fighter and former ruling party lawmaker of Jhenidah-2 constituency died early today while undergoing treatment in the city's United Hospital at the age of 82.

He left behind his wife, two sons, a daughter and a host of relatives to mourn his death.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to transform land management into a digital one to put an end to the social and family problems regarding ownership of land and ensure hassle-free services.

"Land distribution system has to be digitalised to specify the ownership of land and thus the family and social problems over the issues would be solved," she said while inaugurating the country's first-ever three-day National Land Conference at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here today.

She said that it is very common in society that both brothers and sisters deprive each other of paternal property resulting in attacks, killings and conflicts.

"If a proper land management system can be ensured, the problem would be solved," she said.

The Prime Minister said that her government has taken measures to protect the ownership of land of all the people staying at home and abroad.

"Your (countrymen) property will remain yours wherever you stay at home and abroad. We have taken measures to secure and protect your rights," she said.

The Premier said people must not experience hassle while getting land-related services, adding, "The problem will not exist anymore as we are building a digital land system."

At the same function, the Prime Minister also launched seven innovative initiatives, such as the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Monument and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Guchhagram Complex in Laksmipur, Registration-Mutation Interconnection, Smart Land Map, Smart Land Records, Smart Land Pedia, Smart Land Service Centre and Modern Land Offices at 400 upazilas across the country.

"Each of the seven initiatives, taken by our Land Ministry, will play a significant role in building a developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh," she said.

The Prime Minister asked all concerned to work with sincerity to render hassle-free and quick land-related services to the people.

Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, MP, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq, and Law Secretary Md. Golam Sarwar, spoke at the function, arranged by the Ministry of Land.

Land Secretary Md Mustafizur Rahman PAA gave the address of welcome while Assistant Commission (Land) of Rajbari Sadar Upazila Nurjahan Akhter Sathi expressed her feelings on behalf of the assistant commissioners.

A video documentary on the activities of the land was screened at the function.

The aim of the conference is to highlight the role of the Land Ministry in building a smart Bangladesh and find out the future challenges of digitization of land services.

Other objectives of the National Land Conference include informing citizens, government agencies, and stakeholders about the steps taken by the Ministry of Land, creating awareness among them about land management, and giving an idea about the existing laws and regulations related to land.

Sheikh Hasina reminded the countrymen of the 2013-14 nationwide mayhem of the BNP-Jamaat clique in the name of so-called movement in which they burned people to death alive by carrying out petrol bomb attacks on vehicles alongside damaging 70 public offices, including six land offices.

The Prime Minister said attacks on the offices exposed the dilapidated condition of the land offices across the country, adding that her government has built developed upazila land offices having all the modern facilities.

"Today, I have opened modern land offices in 400 upazilas. The BNP-Jamaat clique destroys while the Awami League creates for the welfare of the people. Our only target is to serve the people... our target is to ensure peace and prosperity for the countrymen," she said.

Briefly describing her government's measures for building a modern, time-worthy and digitised land management system, the premier said her government has introduced online land mutation and DCR with QR code and payment of land tax.

She said the countrymen can get land related services that include mutation, khatian and payment of land development tax from anywhere in the world by calling 16122 and searching land.gov.bd.

The premier said the land offices have so far received over 13 lakh phone calls, including 6800 from the people staying abroad.

She continued that one can know about his land status by searching using his national identity card (NID).

"People are getting the land related services at the quickest time by introducing the system...complete digitisation of the land management system would be in place soon," she said.

She added that the revenue collection from land related services has increased with the introduction of the modern systems, adding that so far Taka 770 crore has been collected as revenue from the sector.

The Prime Minister tanked the Land Ministry for winning the prestigious "United Nations Public Service Award-2020" in the 'Developing Transparent and Accountable Public Institutions" category and Bangladesh's Digital Land (Development) Tax system - under the Ministry of Land for wining World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Award 2022 .

"I congratulate the Ministry of Land from the core of my heart as it has brought honour for the country," she said.

The Prime Minister said her government is mechanizing agriculture to increase production following the footsteps of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

She said Bangabandhu had made free-tax up to 25 bighas of land and cancelled all the certificate cases filed against the farmers immediately after the country's independence and announced that one can possess the highest 100 bighas of land and the additional lands would be allocated to landless people.

The Prime Minister reiterated her call to the countrymen to bring every inch of fellow land under cultivation to boost agri-production so that Bangladesh needs not to depend on others for food grains.

She said the entire world, including the developed countries, has been rattling from the global economic and food crises arisen out of the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war.

"So, we have to increase our food production. We don't want to depend on import anymore, rather we look forward to exporting our additional food-grains to other countries after meeting our demand," she said.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan and opener Liton Das came up with terrific performance to script Bangladesh's 77-run win over Ireland in the second T20 International at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here today.

The victory helped Bangladesh take an unassailable 2-0 lead following their 22-run win in the first game by DLS method.

Shakib and Liton were instrumental in the victory which saw a number of records break in the dominating victory.

Opener Liton Das smashed a swashbuckling 41 ball-83 as Bangladesh compiled 202-3 in the second T20 International against Ireland, which was reduced to a 17-over game after rain halted the game twice.

Liton brought up his fifty off just 18 deliveries, which was fastest by a Bangladeshi batter, eclipsing Mohammad Ashraful's 20 ball-fifty against West Indies in 2007 T20 World Cup. He clobbered 10 fours and three sixes overall.

Bangladesh scored runs at 11.88 per over, comfortably their best in their history and a full over game could potentially help them go past their highest total of 215 in this format.

Shakib Al Hasan who hammered an unbeaten 38 off 24, laced with three fours and two sixes, pushed the Bangladesh's total past 200 for the consecutive second match for the first time in their history and then got into act in style with cherry as he claimed 5-22 to restrict Ireland to 125-9.

It was his second-best bowling figures in T20 International after a 5-20 against West Indies in Mirpur in 2018.

This was also the fourth time that Shakib scored more than 20 runs and taken four wickets in a T20I - most by any player. India's Hardik Pandya comes next to Shakib in this regard as the Indian pace-bowling all-rounder scored 20-plus runs and taken four wickets in a T20I three times.

After his tremendous bowling show, Shakib now has 136 wickets in 114 matches, pushing New Zealand's Tim Southee to second in the list with 134 wickets in 107 T20Is.

Opener Rony Talukdar, fresh from his 38 ball-67, smoked 44 off 23 with three fours and two sixes.

Put into bat first again, Liton and Rony gave Bangladesh a whirlwind start, sending the Irish bowlers at the receiving end.

Treating them with utmost disdain, they racked up 73 runs in the first power play, which was for the first five overs, instead of the six, since the match was reduced for three overs. Earlier in the first match Bangladesh put up a record 81 runs in the first six overs.

They might not break the power play record but brought up 100 runs off just 43 legal deliveries to set another record, putting a shed on the previous fastest 100 that also came against the same opponent in the last match off 53 balls.

After a comparatively quiet first over that fetched 8 runs, Liton kick-started the party with two fours off Mark Adair and then went on to berserk in a way that was beyond imagination.

He went after on every Irish bowler’s ruthlessly to quickly reach his 49 off 17 deliveries and then took a single off leg-spinner Ben White past backward square leg to complete his 10th fifty off 18 balls.

Rony Talukdar who watched Liton turning his bat into sword to cut through the Irish bowlers mercilessly then broke the shackle and struck leg-spinner Gareth Delany two sixes to make the matter worse for Irish bowlers further.

As things looked completely out of control for the visitors, Rony mishit one against Ben White to be caught at long-on and it brought an end to the 124-run partnership for the opening stand.

Liton looked like a batter to complete his ton as he continued his merciless attack. But White, who took 2-28 denied him what could have been his maiden century when he nicked one that spun away.

After Liton's dismissal, skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Towhid Hridoy further came down heavily on the Irish bowlers to keep the runs flowing.

They added 61 off just 30 balls before Hridoy was dismissed in the penultimate delivery by Mark Adair (1-52) after contributing 24 off 13.

Ireland received a major setback when fast blower Taskin Ahmed had Paul Stirling caught by Liton in the first delivery of the innings.

Shakib then got into act, with a slower delivery that baffled Lorcan Tucker (6). He then struck twice in his second over to get the better of Ross Adiar and Gareth Delany for single digit figure.

Shakib continued to bowl and gave Bangladesh another double wicket over to complete his second five-for, dismissing George Dockrell and Harry Tector who struck three sixes for his 16 ball-22.

Curtis Campher resisted as Shakib completed his four overs quota in one spell.

But Taskin Ahmed who finished with 3-27 and Hasan Mahmud (1-6) kept them in check with Campher hitting 50 off 30.

The third and final T20 game is on Friday.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

The High Court today granted Mawalana Rafiqul Islam Madani, popularly known as 'Shishu Bokta' bail in four cases.

A High Court division bench comprising Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Aminul Islam passed the order as the Islamic preacher signed a bond stating that in future he will not make any derogatory statement against existing laws or the state.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on April 7, 2021, arrested Rafiqul from his house in Netrokona.

The next day a case was filed under the Digital Security Act with Gacha Police Station in Gazipur. Another case under DSA was filed against Rafiqul with Gazipur's Bason Police Station.

Two more cases were filed against him in Tejgaon and Motijheel Thana in the capital.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

A total of 247 Government Primary

Schools in five upazilas of the district got laptops under the "Fourth

Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4)", a five-year project of the

government to run till 2023.

Among the laptops, 92 were distributed in Chapainawabganj sadar upazila, 78

in Shibganj upazila, 42 in Gomostapur upazila, 15 in Nachole upazila and 21

were distributed in Bholahat upazila of the district, Chapainawabganj

District Primary Education Officer (DPEO) Md. Jeser Ali said.

He said that the laptops have been distributed through the Upazila Primary

Education Officers which would be used for taking multimedia classes and the

school’s office works.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of one of the organizers of the Liberation War and former lawmaker from Jhenaidah-2 constituency Nur-e-Alam Siddique.

In a condolence message, he said Nur-e-Alam Siddique had a deep affection to the country and its people.

"His heroic contributions to the great Liberation War and the country's politics will remain alive forever," the minister added.

Dr Hasan prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

Siddique, convener of the Swadhin Bangla Chhatra Sangram Parishad and former vice president of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU), breathed his last at 4:37am today while undergoing treatment at a city hospital at the age of 82.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

Awami League (AL) Presidium Member Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak today said that nobody will be spared if any kind of conspiracy gets involved with journalism.

"I urge all to stand against those who do ill-journalism in the country. Nobody will be spared if any kind of conspiracy is included in journalism," he said.

The AL leader said these while speaking at a human chain in front of Jatiya Press Club (JPC) here at the initiative of the Bangladesh Mohila Awami League, the women's wing of the ruling Awami League, as the chief guest to protest the false and fabricated report of the daily Prothom Alo.

Nanak said:"On the great Independence Day of the country, the news was published (in daily Prothom Alo) naming Sabuj as Zakir. What is the reason behind this? What is the purpose of this kind of news? This newspaper is always conspiring against the beloved leader Sheikh Hasina and the progress of Bangladesh."

Urging all to maintain morality while pursuing journalism, he said no exemption will be given if any kind of unprofessionalism is found with journalism.

"Our countrymen were celebrating 52 years of independence with due dignity. Then a special news item of a national daily of the country (Prothom Alo) drew attention of the countrymen. Even after so many years of the country's independence, we have to stand on the streets and protest against lies and yellow journalism," he added.

He further said that in this holy month of Ramadan, all have to protest against those who follow anti-liberation based journalism in the country.

With Mohila Awami League President Meher Afroz Chumki in the chair, the human chain was attended, among others, by Secretary of Education and Human Resource Affairs of Bangladesh Awami League Shamsunnahar Chapa.

General Secretary of Bangladesh Mohila Awami League Shabnam Jahan Shila, MP, moderated the programme.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

Ashtami Snan, a two-day religious bath festival of the Hindus, is being held in the river Brahmaputra at Langolbandh in Bandar upazila of the district.

Hundreds of thousands people from different parts of the country thronged at Langolbandh, a traditional venue, to have the holy bath at 18 different Snan ghats (bathing points).

Langolbandh, a pilgrimage of the Hindu communities, is on the bank of Brahmaputra which sees hundreds of thousands of devotees throng the river bank every year with a belief that the dip would purify their sins.

This year's bath started at 9:18pm yesterday and will end at 10:47pm today.

A folk fair is being held over an area of about two kilometers on the banks of the Brahmaputra river and vendors from different parts of the country are sitting with a wide variety of products ranging from beds, palangs, hand fans, drums, rangata, children's toys, sandesh, sweets and etc.

The devotees expressed their satisfaction regarding the overall management and security measures, our Narayanganj correspondent said.

Saroj Kumar Saha, the president of the Snan (bathing) celebration committee, said this year a number of devotees came from India, Nepal and other countries to perform the yearly bathing ritual.

Superintendent of Police Golam Mostafa Russell said that 1,200 law enforcement officers were deployed to ensure security of the festival.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

Uttara South and Shewrapara stations of the metro rail are ready to open for commuters from March 31.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) has already taken steps to open these two stations, said sources of DMTCL, which operates the metro rail service.

With the opening of Uttara South and Shewrapara stations, commuters will be able to enjoy the metro rail ride using all nine stations from Uttara to Agargaon.

"We've formed two teams which will coordinate with the operation teams of the Uttara South and Shewrapara stations for operation," said a DMTCL official.

On December 28 last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the country's first ever elevated metro rail, setting a milestone in the country's communication history.

She opened the 11.73 km part of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 of the metro rail project from Diabari to Agargaon by unveiling its plaque at Diabari in the city.

At present, the metro rail is operating its service from 8:30am to 12:30pm.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

Awami League (AL) Advisory Council member and 14-party alliance spokesperson Amir Amir Hossain Amu today said anti-liberation forces who carried out August 15 assassination also made attempts to kill Sheikh Hasina are now hatching conspiracies to taint the Bangladesh-India relationship.

"The goals of these forces are to make the Liberation War controversial and thus ultimately hit the country's independence and sovereignty," said Amir Hossain Amu.

He was addressing a discussion as chief guest organized by Bangladesh-India Friendship Society (BIFS) marking the 103rd birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Independence Day at Kabi Sufia Kamal Auditorium of the National Museum.

Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma and Awami League Advisory Council member Mozaffar Hossain Paltu addressed it as special guests while President of the organisation Md Rashidul Alam presided over.

Amu said those who are hatching conspiracy to taint Bangladesh-India relationship are actually against the country's Liberation War and sovereignty. They want to establish pro-Pakistan values and spirit replacing the existing one and make controversy over the country's independence and sovereignty, he added.

"Assassinating Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was not just enmity against an individual rather it was a part of consistent conspiracy against the country's Liberation War and sovereignty," Amu said, adding, "Frequent attacks on Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina are another attempt of the anti-state forces to destroy country's independence and sovereignty."

Amu said, "Bangladesh-India relations will remain strong forever. Indian Army's role during the Liberation War can never be forgotten. Anti-liberation forces want to create cracks in Bangladesh-India relations. We have to remain alert and vigil against each of their conspiracies."

Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma said it was Bangabandhu's vision and his appetite for India that duo India and Bangladesh get closer together to share special and historic bond of friendship.

"It was traditionally rooted in the shared history, culture, language and people to people ties of our two nations but our friendship becomes even more reinforced by our common sacrifices during Liberation War," he added.

Verma said today, India and Bangladesh are not only neighbors but important partners and stakeholders in each other's prospect through an increasingly robust trade, investment, connectivity, energy, security and development cooperation.

"The connectivity between our two countries are not just in the physical sense, but also we are connected digitally, we are connected emotionally bringing other people closer to each other and that is the essence of India-Bangladesh friendship", he said.

"People to people relations remain at the heart of this relationship and everything that we are doing is to promote this contact between the people of two countries", he added.

Verma said under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, relations of the two countries are becoming model of good neighboring relations.

Terming Bangabandhu as a global statesman, he said the works and deeds of Bangabandhu who fought for the rights, aspiration, dignity of his countrymen and made supreme sacrifices for Bangladesh's Liberation, continue to inspire generation of people not only Bangladesh but also India and rest of the world as well.

Dhaka District AL President Benjir Ahmed, MP, Basanti Chakma, MP, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) former President Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul and BIFS General Secretary Narayan Saha Moni also spoke at the discussion.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated the country's first-ever three-day National Land Conference at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here.

The Prime Minister also launched seven other initiatives of the land ministry in the programme, arranged by the Ministry of Land.

Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, MP, Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq, and Law Secretary Md Golam Sarwar, spoke at the function.

Land Secretary Md Mustafizur Rahman, PAA gave the address of welcome while Assistant Commission (Land) of Rajbari Sadar Upazila Nurjahan Akhter Sathi expressed her feelings on behalf of the assistant commissioners.

A video documentary on the activities of the land ministry was screened at the function.

The aim of the conference is to highlight the role of the Land Ministry in building a smart Bangladesh and find out the future challenges of digitisation of land services.

Other objectives of the National Land Conference, include informing citizens, government agencies, and stakeholders about the steps taken by the Ministry of Land, creating awareness among people about land management, and giving an idea about the existing laws and regulations related to land.

One of the seven initiatives is Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Monument and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Guchhagram Complex, which was set up at Ramgatti in Lakshmipur, a memorable place visited by the Father of the Nation.

The remaining six initiatives are Registration-Mutation Interconnection, Smart Land Map, Smart Land Records, Smart Land Pedia, Smart Land Service Centre and Union Land Office.

Four seminars/panel discussions on various topics related to land management, such as 'Field Administration in Smart Land Management', 'Sairat and Khas Land Management', 'Acquisition Management, Government Cases, and Government Procurement Management', and 'Bangladesh Digital Survey', are scheduled to take place during the conference.

The second and third-day activities of the conference will be held at BIAM Foundation in the capital.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of Nur-e-Alam Siddique, one of the organisers of the War of Liberation and former president of Bangladesh Chhatra League.

In a condolence message, the foreign minister said "Nur-e-Alam, who was a brilliant student leader of the 70's, played a vital role during the War of Independence.

"Even the nation will forever remember his contribution to different movements, including the Six-Point Movement, the Language Movement and the struggle for independence of the country", he added.

Dr Momen also prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury also expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Nur-e-Alam Siddique, one of the leaders of all parties Chhatra Sangram Parishad and former lawmaker of Jhenaidah-2.

SOURCE: BANGLADESH SANGBAD SANGSTHA