Day: April 21, 2024

Educational stipend and bicycles were distributed among 345 ethnic students at Nachole upazila of the district. A function was arranged on the occasion on the Nachole Upazila Parishad premises with the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nilufa Sarker in the chair. Deputy Commissioner (DC) AKM Galiv Khan attended the function as the chief guest while Superintendent of Police (SP) Md. Saidul Hasan and Civil Surgeon Dr. SM Mahmudur Rashid attended it as special guests. Deputy Director of Local Government Debendranath Oraon gave the welcome speech. Professor Sadequl Arefin of Social Work Department of Rajshahi University spoke as the chief speaker and Director (Programme) of BRAC International Africa Anna Minz spoke as a guest of honour. The stipend was distributed with the contribution of the Prime Minister's "Development Aid for Special Areas Project," Prime Minister's special fund and the development assistance fund of four UPs of Nachole upazila. 167 students got bicycles and 178 students got money worth of Tk. 25 lakh. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a drive seized around 500 sacks of illegally imported sugar, weighing 30 tonnes, from a warehouse in Chaktai area today and arrested a businessman. The arrested businessman is Borhan Alamdar, 37, son of Amin Sharif, aresident of Bhatikhain Alamdarpara area. The elite force also seized a lorry used to transport the sugar from Chaktai Chalapatti area under Baklia Police Station. On a tip-off, a RAB team conducted a drive in the area and arrested Borhan Alamdar for importing and selling Indian sugar by evading customs duty, Nurul Abser, senior assistant director (Media) of RAB-7 said. A lorry with 500 sacks of sugar was seized from the spot. The estimated value of recovered sugar is Taka 38 lakh. The accused has been handed over to Baklia Police Station. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Voting in the Maldives' parliamentary election began on Sunday morning after the opening of polling stations across the country and oversea Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Driver of a bus of Raida Paribahan that rammed a motorcycle near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, killing Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) engineer Maidul Islam Siddiqui, today gave confessional statement in the case filed over the incident. Police today produced driver Mahmud Hasan before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sheikh Sadi as he wanted to give statement under section 164. After recording his statement, the court sent him to jail. A team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on April 20 detained Hasan from Harinathpur area under Hijla upazilla of Barisal. The bus of Raida Paribahan rammed the motorcycle of Maidul Islam Siddiqui, dragging both the motorcycle and its rider through the barricade of under-construction project site of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital on April 19. Siddiqui, senior sub-assistant engineer of CAAB, was declared dead at the hospital. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Bhagwati Chaudhary has said that the FNJ's dispute regarding its founders be resolved with due respect to all parties. Minister Chaudhary said so addressing a dialogue on the theme 'Anniversary of the FNJ and contribution of Satya Narayan Bahadur Shrestha' organized by Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Journalists (FONIJ) here on Sunday. Urging to develop journalism sector as a common institution for all, Chaudhary asserted that the FNJ's founders related dispute should be ironed out on the basis of facts, statistics and evidences. Expressing her happiness over more and more journalists from indigenous community foraying into journalism sector in the recent days, the Minister expected that they should be able to bring to fore as many as people's issues in coming days. She recognized late Krishna Prasad Bhattarai as a dedicated leader while acknowledging the role played by late Satya Narayan in disseminating news in the favor of general people and unifying journalists at that era. The Minister expressed her confidence that the FNJ would be able to resolve the issue positively." During the programme, Minister Chaudhary also feted Dipin Rai with the FONIJ UK Journalism Honour and felicitated Sangita Chepang of Ichha Kamana FM Chitwan with FONIJ UK Journalism Award. Both the award and honour carries a purse of 25,000 each. In the programe chaired by FONIJ President Gajurdhan Rai, other participants such as Press Union's Vice-Chairperson Jeevan Bhandari, Press Chautari Nepal's Vice-Chairperson Devika Gharti Magar, Samajbadi Press Sangathan's Vice-Chairperson Asmita Giri and Madheshi Patrakar Samaj Chairperson Mohan Singh among others echoed with the Minister. They also viewed that the issue relating to founders of the FNJ's should be addressed based on the facts and evidences. Source: National News Agency RSS

District Disaster Management Committee in a meeting today suggested the mass people to stay under shade from 11 am to 4 pm. The meeting was held at the Conference Room of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) in the town this noon. With Deputy Commissioner Dr Kissinger Chakma in the chair, the meeting was addressed, among others, by district Fisheries Officer Dipak Kumar Pal, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Bivash Chandra Saha, Livestock Officer Mostafijur Rahman and Sadar Upazila Health Officer Dr Auliyar Rahman. The officers in the meeting suggested the mass people to drink much water during this heat wave. They also urged the people to take care of their pet and livestock in this high temperature in the district. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: A writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court against the appointment of Dirgha Sodari as the Chief Minister of the Sudurpaschim Province. Laxman Kishore Chaudhary of the Nagarik Unmukti Party filed the petition today calling for an order to cancel the appointment of Sodari, the leader of the CPN (US) Parliamentary Party, as the Chief Minister. A hearing on the writ petition is scheduled to take place on Monday. Chaudhary was one of the provincial assembly members that had staked the claim over the post of the CM, with the support of Nepali Congress and CPN-US parliamentary party members. In addition, Kailash Chaudhary of Nagarik Unmukti Party has submitted a claim over the CM's post with the support of CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) parliamentary party members in the provincial assembly. As two factions of the same party staked claim over the post of the new Chief Minister, Chief of Sudurpaschim Province Najir Mian made a call again for claim over the post of the Chief Minister. Meanw hile, in the recall, Sodari submitted a claim with the support of CPN (UML), CPN (Maoist Center), Nagarik Unmukti Party (Kailash Chaudhary faction) on April 19, and as subsequently appointed the CM. Source: National News Agency RSS

M Rafiqul Islam, a joint forces member of Bangladesh Army, was buried last night at his village home in Noakhali. On April 6, Rafiqul was critically injured in a gunfight with an armed group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in Bandarban. The joint forces including Army, RAB, Police and the BGB started a joint drive to recover firearms and ammunition from the regional armed group known as KNF during this time. He was buried at his family graveyard at Pashim Sosalia village under Chatkhil upazila of the district with full military stature on Saturday night. Earlier, his coffin reached his village home at 7pm from Chattogram Combine Military Hospital (CMH). Then his Namaj-e Janaza was held at a mosque adjacent to his village home. An army contingent gave a gun-salute to his (Rafiqul) coffin which was covered with national and military flags. At this time, a sad tune played in the bugles. After the Namaj-e Janaza, Rafiqul's coffin was carried by his colleagues and taken to the grave for burial and then homag e was paid to him by placing floral wreaths on his grave on behalf of the Army. Corporal Rafiqul Islam joined the Army as a soldier in 2005. He had been working at Ruma upazila in Bandarban till his death. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: The Godawari conclave of the CPN UML has passed a proposal on organizational clean up. The first meeting of the UML general convention representatives' council held at Godawari, Lalitpur univocally decided to observe 2081 BS as the year of party and organizational clean up. UML publicity department chief Rajendra Gautam informed that leaders in different six teams discussed the reports presented in the meeting on Saturday and shared conclusion on Sunday. The report was passed by incorporating the suggestions of the team leaders. The team leaders suggested the party that it reduced membership fee, ensured electoral reform, maintained disclosure of income and expenditure of party leaders and cadres, ended groupism in the party. On Saturday, party Chair KP Sharma Oli had presented a political report, while General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel tabled the organization report. Deputy General Secretary Bishnu Rimal presented various 13 proposals on contemporary politics in the meeting, publicity departm ent chief Gautam said, adding that even the reports by central disciplinary commission, central account commission, central election commission and central advisory councils of the party were presented. The meeting attended by 2,454 representatives resolved to make the current ruling alliance sustainable and result-oriented. The meeting was for giving continuity to the present coalition for stability and protection of nationality, according to Deputy General Secretary Rimal. Source: National News Agency RSS

A total of 16 candidates submitted their nomination papers to contest in the upcoming upazila election to be held on May 21 in Shibganj upazila of the district. Six candidates submitted nomination papers to contest for the post of Chairman, seven candidates for the post of Vice Chairman and three candidates for the post of Women Vice Chairman, District Election Office sources said. The chairman candidates are- Md. Asraful Hoque, Md. Mohsin Ali Mia, Muhammad Golam Kibria, Md. Golam Rabbani, Md. Jamal Hossain (Palas) and Sayed Nazrul Islam. The vice chairman candidates' are-Md. Al Mamun, Md. Ibrahim, Md. Nazmul Alom, Md. Robiul Khan, Md. Shamim Reja, Md. Saiful Islam and Md. Saiful Islam. The women vice chairman candidates are-Mst. Nurjahan, Mst. Muslema Khatun and Most. Sheuly Begum, the sources added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha