Day: November 5, 2023

MADINA, Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today offered ziarat of the Rawza Mubarak of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) at Masjid Al-Nabawi here.

She along with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana also offered Asr prayers and Fateha at the mosque and sought divine blessings for the people of Bangladesh as well as continued peace, progress and prosperity of the entire Muslim Ummah.

Earlier, she arrived Prince Mohammad Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Medina around 1:10 pm local time today from Dhaka to join the 'International Conference on Women in Islam' to be held in Jeddah.

The Saudi Arabia in coordination with the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is hosting the conference on November 6-8.

Sheikh Hasina will leave Medina for Jeddah by train.

Later, the Prime Minister will perform holy Umrah at the Al Masjid Al-Haram ((Kaaba Sharif) in Makkah after Isha prayers.

On November 6, the Prime Minister will attend the conference and deliver her speech.

She is also scheduled to have meetings with OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha, Iranian vice president for Women and Family Affairs Department Enseieh Khazali, Executive Director of OIC Women Development Organisation Dr Afnan Alshuaiby and Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan.

Apart from joining the conference, she will attend the opening of the 'Women in Islam Exhibition' and banquet dinner in honour of her.

On November 7, Sheikh Hasina will leave Jeddah for Makkah where she will offer prayers at the Al Masjid Al-Haram (Kaaba Sharif).

In the evening, the Prime Minister will leave Makkah for home.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines commercial flight, carrying the Prime Minister, will depart King Abdul Aziz International Airport around 10:45pm local time.

The flight is scheduled to land at the HSIA in Dhaka at 8am on Wednesday (November 8).

The conference will discuss on five themes and publication on "Jeddah Document of Women in Islam" will be published.

The 49th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Mauritania, in March 2023, called for holding an international conference on women in Islam and welcomed the offer made by Saudi Arabia to host it in coordination with the General Secretariat.

The conference aims to clarify women's rights and responsibilities in Islam, especially women's rights to education and work as per the teachings of Islam, with broad participation from scholars of the Muslim Ummah.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DINAJPUR, The second shipment of 976 metric tons of

potatoes have arrived from India for domestic consumption in Bangladesh amid

government efforts to ease the price.

On Thursday, seven trucks carrying 180 metric tons of potato entered the

country through the Hilly land port. For this reason the prices of potato

dropped at different markets. Indian potato is being sold at Tk 31 to 33 per

(kilogram) kg at wholesale hilly markets.

Retailer Md Ashraf Ali said the potato prices in hilly market dropped by Tk 5

per kg after Indian potatoes reached the country. The sweet potato is now

being sold at Tk 55 instead of Tk 60 at many places particularly in Dhaka

city.

Mahbub Hossain, the manager of Khan International, an importing entity, said

the potatoes are being imported from various parts of India. A metric ton of

potato has been bought at Tk 130-140 US Dollars.

Sohrab Hossain, public relations officer at Hili land port said they are

helping the importers for rapid marketing of the potatoes, as potato is a

perishable product. He said 45 Indian trucks have carried 1166 metric tons

potato into the country through the port in the last two days.

Besides, the second consignment of 518 tonnes of potatoes has reached

Sonamasjid Land Port in Chapainawabganj. As such prices of potato dropped by

Tk 10 to12.

Indian trucks carrying potatoes started to enter the port yard on Saturday

(November 4) noon.

On October 30, the commerce ministry decided to allow potato imports for the

first time in an effort to increase supply of the tuber and curb prices,

which have reached a historic high of Tk 60 per kilogramme (kg) in Dhaka.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DHAKA, The Minimum Wage Board for the RMG sector will

hold its 6th meeting on November 7 (Tuesday) at 11:00am to finalise the

minimum wage following continuous demands for raising wages by readymade

garments workers.

The meeting will be held at the office of the board at Segunbagicha in the

capital, the board said in a press statement today.

Garments workers in the capital and adjoining areas have been protesting with

the demand for a minimum wage of Taka 23,000 for a week, despite efforts by

the government, workers' leaders, and owners' associations to normalise the

situation.

On October 21, workers demanded that their minimum wage be increased from the

existing Taka 8,000 to Taka 20,390 while the owners have proposed to increase

it to Taka 10,400.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DHAKA, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun today said that strict measures will be taken against those involved in vandalism and violent crimes like vehicle vandalism and setting fire on vehicles.

"Strict measures are being taken against those involved in vandalism and violent crimes like vehicle vandalism and arson and taking of stern steps will continue," he said.

The IGP said these while chairing a meeting regarding the safe movement of goods and passenger vehicles at Police Headquarters here, a press release said.

President of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation and Presidium Member of Awami League Shajahan Khan, MP, and Opposition Chief Whip in Parliament Mashiur Rahman Ranga, MP, were present, among others, on the occasion.

Senior police officers including Md Monirul Islam, Additional IGP (Crime and Operations) Md. Atiqul Islam, Highway Range Additional IGP Md Shahabuddin Khan, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman and Dhaka Range DIG Syed Nurul Islam also attended the meeting.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: An emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers held this morning has decided to provide free medical treatment in all the hospitals for those injured in the Friday night's earthquake in Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim.

Minister of Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet told journalists that rescue of the quake survivors have been almost complete and all hospitals including in Kathmandu are on standby for providing treatment to this needy. The government will bear the cost of the treatment of the quake injured.

He also shared that a decision was taken to move ahead with the post-quake relief and rehabilitation work, learning from the lessons of the Gorkha Earthquake. Furthermore, decision in which areas to receive assistance from neighbors and friendly countries will be made after further discussion on the matter.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Nepalgunj: The number of earthquake survivors brought to Banke Hospital for treatment has reached 38. They have been brought from Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim.

District Administration Office Banke said that six more patients were brought to Bheri Hospital in Nepalgunj for treatment last night, bringing the number of patients to 38. Of them, 37 are being treated at Bheri Hospital Nepalgunj and one at Kohalpur Medical College.

On Saturday, a patient died on the way. The operation of five people who were seriously injured in the earthquake was successful and the condition of all the patients is improving and are out of danger, said Chief District Officer Shraaan Kumar Pokharel.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Jumla: Two persons died on the spot and another injured in a road accident that took place involving a tempo at Badki in Hima rural municipality-1 of Jumla.

The deceased have been identified as 45-year-old Padam Shahi, the driver of the tempo, and 42-year-old Bali Rokaya of the same ward, according to Information Officer of District Police Office, Jumla, Umesh Chand.

The accident took place at Badki this morning when the auto ( Ve. 1 Ha. 3197) was going to Dewargaon from Nagma. Nanda Rokaya,41, of the same locality was injured and is undergoing treatment at Karnali Institute of Health Sciences, police said.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Bheriganga: The government has said that the work of search and rescue of those affected by the Jajarkot earthquake has reached its final stage.

All three levels of government are working in coordination to rescue the earthquake survivors in Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim, the two districts largely affected by the Friday night's tremor.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka and Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet arrived in person to the affected Jajarkot to oversee the rescue operation and pledged to provide all required support for the same.

Similarly, the local, province and central governments are working together to ensure that the affected people are provided with immediate relief including medical treatment and daily essentials.

The Karnali provincial government and other provincial governments have also brought and distributed relief materials, while other social organizations are working to help the quake survivors.

The earthquake on Friday night at 11:47 pm hit Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim, with Ramidanda of Jajarkot as the epicenter of the 6.4 Richter scale quake. According to latest update from the police, 157 people have been confirmed dead with around 200 people injured.

The earthquake has caused a lot of material damage in Jajarkot headquarters Khalanga. Although official statistics on the damage is yet to come, there are many houses that have been completely damaged and more partially damaged.

The earthquake in Jajarkot caused more damage to traditional houses than modern and concrete houses. Aman Chaudhary of Dang, doing business in Jajarkot, said that most of the houses destroyed due to the earthquake in Jajarkot are old structures made of stone and mud.

Locals said that there was not so much damage to concrete houses built recently.

Gopal BK of Bheri Municipality-2 said that houses made of stone and mud were damaged a lot. The houses made of wood and the new concrete houses built in the market place have not been damaged so much. The Jajarkot Palace had also been damaged in the earthquake.

Meanwhile, many earthquake survivors are spending the night under the open sky. With their houses destroyed or not safe to live, they are forced to live under temporary tents.

Man Bahadur BK of Bheri Municipality-2 said that he is now living under the open sky with his children after his house was destroyed by the earthquake. "I am forced to stay out in the open with small children. The government has arranged tents, but it is very difficult during this cold season," he said.

Source: National News Agency RSS