Latest Bangladesh News Online
The domestic price of gold today increased by Rs 1,200 per tola (11.66 grams) compared to the previous day, hitting record high.
According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association, the price for hallmark gold is Rs 111,800 per tola today followed by Rs 111,250 for the worked gold.
Similarly, the price of silver reached Rs 1,445 per tola with a rise by Rs 20 compared to Wednesday . ---
Source: National News Agency Nepal
Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said those who are small-minded should not do politics for the betterment of the country.
"BNP is making statements saying that Sheikh Hasina could not bring anything on her visit to the United State (US) and will return empty-handed. Those who are small-minded should not do politics. Those who do not consider the country's achievements as their own do not need to do politics," he said.
The minister said this while inaugurating the peace procession (Shanti Shova jatra) and harmony festival (Sampriti Uthshab) organized in front of the National Museum here marking the Buddha Purnima.
Noting that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is currently out of the country, AL General Secretary said that her foreign visit is not to complain, but to help the country reach a unique height.
"Those, who do politics with small mind, say that Sheikh Hasina's foreign tour has not achieved anything," he reiterated.
During the time, Quader called for the building of a bridge of harmony rather than creating a dissension of politics.
"Building political walls will destroy mutual relations," he added.
Pointing out at BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Obaidul Quader said that he has lost his honour by doing ill-politics.
He requested him not to dishonor the country in front of all as the country's achievement is the achievement of people of the country.
"It is not the achievement of Awami League. This is the achievement of all the people of Bangladesh," he added.
Quader said that during the current global crisis, Japan has given 30 billion yen or Taka 25 thousand crore, only for budget support.
"Isn't that an achievement? Whereas, the World Bank walked away from constricting the Padma Bridge after slandering us," he said.
The World Bank today admitted their mistake, Quader said, adding that by inviting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the World Bank also gave about Taka 25 thousand crore in budgetary support for Bangladesh.
"Is it not an achievement?" he asked.
Obaidul Quader hoped that all will work together to build a non-communal Bangladesh.
"Gautam Buddha has preached the message of peace. In this festival of Buddhists, everyone is maintaining communal harmony," he said.
With Bangladesh Bouddha Sangskritik Parishad President Prof Dr Uttam Kumar Barua in the chair, the programme was attended, among others, by AL Office Secretary Biplab Barua, Buddhist leaders and Thailand and Chinese embassy representatives.
Later, a colorful procession, started from Shahbagh, paraded different streets and ended at the central Shaheed Minar.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
Jatiya Party today nominated its mayoral candidates for five city corporation polls-Gazipur, Sylhet, Khulna, Rajshahi and Barishal.
The main opposition party in the Jatiya Sangsad, Jatiya Party nominated MM Niaz Uddin for contesting in the polls of Gazipur City Corporation, Saiful Islam Swapan in Rajshahi City Corporation, Shafiqul Islam Madhu in Khulna City Corporation, Engineer Iqbal Hossain Taposh in Barishal City Corporation and Nazrul Islam Babul in Sylhet City Corporation, said a press release.
Jatiya Party finalized its mayoral candidate for the city polls during a views exchange meeting of top leaders with divisional leaders at its Banani office today.
As per the schedule of the Election Commission, the elections will be held in Gazipur on May 25, Khulna and Barishal on June 12, and Rajshahi and Sylhet on June 2.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave Washington DC for London tomorrow to attend the coronation of Charles III and his wife Camilla as the king and the queen of the United Kingdom (UK) and the other Commonwealth realms.
A United Airlines flight carrying the prime minister and her entourage members will depart from the Dulles International Airport in Washington DC around 08:25 Washington time.
Ambassador of Bangladesh to the USA Muhammad Imran will see off the prime minister at the airport.
The flight will land at the Heathrow International Airport in London at 20:55 (local time) where Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Saida Muna Tasneem will receive the Prime Minister.
During her stay in London, she will also attend a programme of Commonwealth Leaders, an event foxed by the Cambridge University and a civic reception.
The Prime Minister attended a programme marking 50 years of Bangladesh-World Bank partnership and some side events that include a roundtable with US business leaders and several meetings with WB's incoming President Ajay Banga and a civic reception.
She arrived in Washington DC on April 28 wrapping up her four-day official visit to Tokyo in Japan at the invitation of her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.
Earlier on April 24, a special chartered VVIP flight (BG1403) of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage members landed at the Haneda International Airport, Tokyo at 4:45pm (local time).
Japan had rolled out a red carpet to welcome the Bangladeshi prime minister and gave her the state guard of honour at the airport.
During her visit to Japan, she signed eight instruments on agriculture, metro rail, industrial upgrade, ship recycling, customs matters, intellectual properties, defence cooperation, ICT and cyber security cooperation.
On 26 April, Sheikh Hasina paid a courtesy call on the Emperor of Japan Naruhito. Then on the same day, she held a bilateral meeting with her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida after the signing of the deals.
The premier also attended an investment summit and a community reception alongside handing over the "Friends of Liberation War Honour" to four Japanese nationals on 27 April for their contribution to Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971.
During her visit to Tokyo, the prime minister attended several additional bilateral meetings with Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi as well as leaders of JAICA, JETRO, JEBIC, JBPFL and JBCCEC.
She also met the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife Akie Abe and Japanese architect Tadao Ando.
Her sister Sheikh Rehana, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen, agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque, prime minister's private industry and investment adviser Salman F Rahman, state minister for foreign affairs Md Shahriar Alam, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid and state minister for information and communication technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak along with concerned high level government officials accompanied the prime minister during her visit to Japan.
The prime minister is scheduled to reach Dhaka from London on 9 May.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
Two thousand hectares of community forests area has been damaged by wildfire in Gulmi.
Incidences of forest fire were recorded at 89 locations in the district in less than past two months.
Division Forest Office's information officer Muna Sharma said the fire massively destroyed vegetation including baby plants and herbs, killing some wildlife and causing many to leave their habitats.
Big plants have also been damaged partially.
Resunga and Musikot municipalities are largely affected by the fire as it damaged 709 hectares of community forest.
Two killed by the fire
The fire caused human casualties as well. The victims are Deepak Mukhiya, 13, and Dhan Bahadur Jogi Kunwar, 53 of Hadhade of Dhurkot rural municipality-3. They caught the fire during their failed to attempts to put out the fire.
One has been arrested for alleged involvement in causing the wildfire, it is said. ---
Source: National News Agency
Identities of the people who went missing in an avalanche at Boling of Byas rural municipality-1 in Darchula on Tuesday have been ascertained. The people who are disappeared reached there to collect Yarshagumba and among them four are females and one is male, according to the Armed Police Force (APF), Number 50 Company, Chharung.
They are Kamala Kunwar, 38 and her son Prabin Kunwar, 18 of Duhun rural municipality. Likewise, Nakni Dolma Thapa, 45, Ishwori Thapa, 28, and Chhimi Somo Thapa, 15 of Jorayal rural municipality are missing in the avalanche.
APF Deputy Superintendent of Police Ishwari Dutt Bhatt said the rescue operation for the missing has not been yet possible due to continuous rains and snowfall since last night. Security force is so far unable to set out for highlands for the rescue due to adverse atmospheric conditions.
The avalanche on Tuesday afternoon buried tents being occupied by groups of people from and outside the district who trekked to there to collect yarsa. They were waiting for a favorable time to start Yarsa collections. However, some others managed to escape to safety.
Following the incident, a 25-member APF team reached the site on Tuesday evening and it returned to Chharung as rescue efforts seemed not possible to be carried out due to rains and snowfall. According to DSP Bhatta, 20 people who managed to escape the possible consequences were later brought to Chharung and they are safe. ---
Source: National News Agency
Highlands in Taplejung received a snowfall coupled with rains on Monday and Tuesday. Ghunsa, Phale, Olangchung Gola and Yanga of Phaktanglung rural municipality witnessed the snowfall. According to Tasi Chhiring Sherpa of Ghunsa, the snowfall occurred in the area last night, too.
Tenzing Walung of Olangchung Gola said snow has been piled up to two feet in Yanga. Yanga, the part of Olangchung Gola, lies at an altitude of 4,200 meters.
Similarly, a tripoint of Taplehung, Tehrathum and Sakhuwasabha districts and Tinjure-Milke-Jalhale of Maiwakhola rural municipality in the district reported the snowfall. In addition to this, the people of Mikwakhola and Sidingawa said they could see the snowfall in the high lands. However, this year snowfall is relatively less compared to the previous year.
Farmers here are happy over the rains and snowfall as they take it as a favour from the nature during the season for crops cultivation. More, as they said it has been a boon to cash crops such as cardamom farming and vegetable farming.---
Source: National News Agency
World Press Freedom Day is being observed today across the globe including in Nepal.
May 3 each year is marked as the World Press Freedom Day in commemoration of the Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent and Pluralistic Press in Windhoek in Namibia in 1991. The Day was first observed in 1993 following the recommendation of the UNESCO.
This year, the Day is observed with the theme of “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights” set by the UNESCO. ---
Source: National News Agency
Senior journalist and former news editor of the national news agency, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Quamrul Islam Chowdhury who died on Tuesday was laid to eternal rest today at the family graveyard at his village home in Sonaimuri of Noakjhali district.
Family sources said his last namaz-e-janaza was held at 7.30am today at Sonaimuri. Earlier, his namaj-e-janaza was also held on the National Press Club premises at 1am.
Feeding of destitute will be held at his village home after Jumma prayers on May 5.
Quamrul Islam Chowdhury died of liver ailments at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital on Tuesday evening at the age of 63.
Quamrul Islam, former general secretary of Jatiya Press Club, earned his repute as a financial journalist as he made his debut in the Daily Sangbad while later he emerged as one of the country's leading environmental journalists.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
The maiden 'Boro-paddy cultivation' has been possible in a field located at Burirchar union under Barguna Sadar upazila in Barguna district of the Barishal division in the country.
Around 200 bighas of land in the area has been brought under Boro cultivation for the first time, said a press release.
This year, BRRI dhan 67, 74, 89, 92, 99 and Bangabandhu dhan 100 have been cultivated in the field at the initiative of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI)'s Irrigation and Water Management Division under 'Upokulio Shassa Nibirikoron Programme' and a bumper production of boro was obtained in the sample crop cutting (Nomuna Shassa Kartan) this afternoon, it added.
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Director General Dr Md Shahjahan Kabir, Head of Irrigation and Water Management Division of BRRI Md Moniruzzaman, Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Barishal Shawkat Osman and BRRI Barishal Regional Office Kazi Shirin Akhtar Jahan were present, among others, in the Nomuna Shassa Kartan programme.
According to the information of the Department of Agricultural Extension, boro has been cultivated in about 3,000 hectares of land in Barguna sadar upazila this year, which is 500 hectares more than last year.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
Legal action will be taken against anyone- student, teacher or staff of any educational institution if they found to be involved directly or indirectly in bullying or ragging.
In this regard, the government has formulated a new policy titled 'Educational Institution Bullying or Ragging Prevention Policy 2023', according to an education ministry notification.
Actions will be taken as per existing criminal law under the policy which will be applicable to all educational institutions across the country, it said.
If the president or members of the managing committee or governing body of the institution are involved in ragging, action will be taken in the same way, it added.
Each institution has been asked to form a bullying and ragging prevention committee consisting three to five members immediately so that necessary actions can be taken if anyone found to be involved in bullying or ragging.
Ministry asked the educational institutions to organise anti-ragging campaign program and making and publishing films, cartoons, banners, festoons and online posters featuring the consequences of ragging and bullying.
Besides, educational institutions have been asked not to arrange any kind of programme or conduct any kind of tasks that fuels bullying or ragging and to set up CCTV camera in the places where ragging or bullying likely to occur.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) has expressed deep shock at the death of former general secretary of Jatiya Press Club and senior journalist Quamrul Islam Chowdhury.
BFUJ acting president Shahidul Alam Chowdhury and Secretary General Dip Azad in a condolence message prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.
"A pioneering journalist and organizer like him could have played a very important role in this period of transformation of the country's news media. The vacuum created at his death will not be filled immediately," they added.
Quamrul, 63, died of liver ailments at 8:30 pm on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
He started his career in journalism through the daily Sangbad. He quickly gained reputation in economic reporting. He later emerged as one of the country's leading environmental journalists. Chowdhury retired from Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) in December, 2022.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha