Day: April 9, 2024

DHAKA, Health and Family Welfare Minister Professor Dr Samanta Lal Sen today said he will make surprise visits to hospitals to monitor their services during the vacation of Eid-ul-Fitr. "I will oversee services of on-duty doctors . . . I may visit any hospital without any notice both outside and inside Dhaka during the Eid festival to ensure smooth healthcare services," he told journalists at his ministry here. Samanta said, "After Eid-ul-Fitr, we will celebrate Nababarsha, the Bangla new year, in the country. For this, people will enjoy long vacation. I have directed authorities of all public hospitals to continue healthcare services during the Eid vacation." Improved diets will be provided to both patients and healthcare professionals at all public hospitals in the country, he added. About the dengue disease, the health minister said mass awareness is very crucial to prevent the dengue disease. He urged all to work together to destroy breeding sources of Aedes mosquito for combating outbreak of the mos quito-borne disease. The health minister suggested early hospitalization of all dengue infected patients to get quick recovery. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DHAKA, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury today hoped that the 23 crew members of hijacked Bangladeshi ship "MV Abdullah" could be rescued by this month. "The entire situation is now under our control . . . the 23 crew members of hijacked Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah could be rescued by this month," the state minister told journalists at his secretariat office here today. Replying to a question, he said rescuing the crew members of cargo ship MV Abdullah, which was hijacked by Somali pirates on March 12, is not a trifling job. "Work is going on . . . We hope, we will be able to bring back the 23 crew members safely and hand them over to their families safely," he added. The Department of Shipping is contacting the crew members regularly and they all are safe and sound, the state minister said, adding that efforts are going on to rescue them through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We had a plan to bring them back before the Eid-ul-Fitr but we couldn't do that. We hope that they will be b rought back shortly," he said. Somali pirates hijacked the ship with 23 crew members on board on March 12 when it was sailing from Maputo in Mozambique to Al Hamriyah in the UAE with 58,000 tonnes of coal. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DHAKA, Over 5.91 lakh people got meat, milk and eggs at fair price across the country during the holy month of Ramadan. "Some 5,91,971 people purchased meat, milk and eggs at fair price till Ramadan 27 as the government started the programme from March 10," according to an official release here today. Although the programme was initiated first in the capital and then thirty five districts were brought under the coverage of the programme. Apart from the capital, the programme also was operated in Chattogram, Cumilla, Noakhali (Senbagh), Feni, Lakhipur, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Bandarban, Rangamati, Rajshahi, Narshingdi, Tangail, Faridpur, Joypurhat, Natore, Bogura, Chapainawabganj, Bagerhat, Magura, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Patuakhali, Pabna, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Kushtia, Jashore, Satkhira, Rangpur, Moulvibazar and Naogaon (Badalgachi). Till Ramadan 27,the government has sold 1,99,168 kilograms of beef, 5131 kgs mutton, 2,16,427 kg dressed broiler meat,2,38,661 liters liquid cow milk and 42,09,300 pieces of eggs and earned over Taka22.33 crore", the release added. Department of Livestock Services (DLS) under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock is operating the programme with the support of its other partners organizations including Dairy Development Project,Bangladesh Dairy Farmers' Association, Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council and Milk processing units. On the occasion of holy Ramadan, the fisheries and livestock ministry has been selling milk,meat and eggs in 30 spots and fisheries in eight spots at fair price from March 10. Under the programme, the selling price of per liter milk fixed at Taka 80, beef at Taka 600, mutton at Taka 900, dressed broiler at Taka 250 and Egg per 12 pieces at Taka 100. Fisheries and Livestock Minister M Abdur Rahman inaugurated the programme on March 10, which was ended on April 8 (Ramadan 28), the release concluded. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DHAKA, Thai Ambassador to Bangladesh Makawadee Sumitmor today said that her country is interested in exploring oil and gas in the deep sea in Bangladesh and supplying LNG to the country. The Thai envoy expressed the interest when she paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid at his ministry office at Secretariat here, said an official release. Sumitmor requested the state minister for visible progress over exploration of oil and gas in deep sea and supplying LNG to Bangladesh during the Prime Minister's visit to Thailand. Nasrul welcomed the Thai envoy's proposal and said Bangladesh will encourage all types of investment here. "We welcome the interest of Thai PTT Global LNG Company Limited. We give preference to trading and production companies in LNG supply," he said, adding, the matter of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thailand to increase energy cooperation between Bangladesh and Thailand has progressed well. It is expected that the M oU will be signed soon, Nasrul said. During the meeting, they discussed different issues related to mutual interest between Bangladesh and Thailand. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

RAJSHAHI, Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), district administration and other organisations concerned have taken all sorts of necessary preparations to make sure successful celebration of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr in the city with due religious fervor and enthusiasm. The main and biggest Eid-jamat in the city will be held at Shah Makhdum Central Eidgah Maidan at 8 am. But it is decided to be held at Dargah Mosque if there is inclement weather on Eid day. The second largest ones will be held at Tikapara Eidgah Maidan and at Shaheb Bazar Zero point at the same time. Apart from this, the notable Eid-jamaats will be held at Rajshahi University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi Court Eidgah, Rajshahi Stadium, Shalbagan Eidgah, New Market Jame Mosque, Police Line Math, Upashahar Eidgah Maidan and Rajarhata Jame Mosque. Over 100 Eid jamaats are scheduled to be held at the traditional and temporary venues in the Rajshahi metropolis under the supervision of the respective Eid jamaat committees . To make the city's Eid congregations a success, Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is extending necessary cooperation for making arrangements to decorate about 50 Eid-jamaats. The city corporation will decorate the entire city roads and islands with national flags and banners inscribed with "Eid-Mubarak" in Bangla and Arabic. Rajshahi Metropolitan Police and RAB have taken all-out security measures for peaceful celebration of the Eid. Marking the celebration, special diets will be served to the inmates of different hospitals, jails and Government Shishu Sadan. District administration has distributed over 1,220 tonnes of rice among 1.22 lakh poor and distressed families under Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme here to mark the end of Ramadan and celebration of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr festival. Under the programme, the rice was distributed among the beneficiary families in all 72 Union Parishads under nine upazilas and 14 pourasabhas (municipalities) in the district. Each of the card-holders got 10kgS of rice this time as per the list prepared earlier under the existing social safety net programme. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

A fire occurred at a furniture industry of Matihani-8 in the district caused huge loss last night. It was shared that property worth over Rs 3.5 million was lost in the fire that engulfed Bharat Furniture run by Dukhmochan Thakur. District Police Office, Mahottari informed that the fire occurred at 10:00pm Monday. Furniture and other raw materials in the industry were destroyed in the blaze. Teams of the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police and locals worked together and took help of a fire engine to extinguish the blaze. Source: National News Agency Nepal