Month: April 2024

Kathmandu: The Nepali Congress is holding meetings of its parliamentary board and central execution committee today to decision on candidates for the April 27 by-elections in Ilam constituency 1 and Bajhang Province Assembly (1). Chief of information and publicity department of NC, Min Bahadur Bishwokarma, informed RSS that the meeting was being held later this afternoon to finalize by-election candidates from the party. The meeting will be held under the chairmanship of party President and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at 2:00pm. Initially, the parliamentary board meeting will decide on the candidates and the central execution committee endorses it, he added. The NC officer bearers, former office bearers and top leaders had held discussions on Monday evening about possible candidates. For the April 27 by-election, the Election Commission has already made public a schedule as per which parties need to file candidacy by April 6. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: The CPN (Unified Socialist) has called its members attending the 10th national general convention to renew membership before this mid April. The party called all of its leaders and members in the committees of central, provincial and district levels to elect the convention representatives on time. The party is scheduled to select representatives from April 27 to May 4. The convention will also amend party statute based on suggestions furnished by the lower committees of the party. Party's politburo member Dilu Pant informed that party had issued circular for the membership renewal and lower committees were asked to update central level accordingly. The party statute has the provision that central level leaders should be elected from the very lower committees. It has aimed at directing party activities towards socialism by protecting federal democratic republic. Source: National News Agency RSS

Chief Minister of Bagmati Province Shalikram Jamkattel has expanded the provincial council of ministers. On the recommendation of CM Jamkattel, Province Chief Yadav Chandra Sharma today appointed Province Assembly Member from CPN (Unified Socialist), Rama Alemagar, the Minister without Portfolio. Province Chief Sharma administered the oath of office and secrecy to Alemagar today itself. Chief Minister Jamkattel said the council of ministers will be expanded and portfolios allocated to the ministers within the next week. Chief Minister Jamkattel, Province Assembly Speaker Bhuwan Kumar Pathak, Deputy Speaker Apsara Chapagain, province ministers, leaders of various political parties and secretaries of province ministries were present on the occasion. The newly-appointed minister Alemagar is elected to the Province Assembly Member from Kathmandu electoral constituency no 10 (2). Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari has said that he was positive on resolving the problems facing the transport entrepreneurs. Receiving a memorandum of demands from the Federation of Transporter-Nepal today, the Minister expressed the commitment for possible support to that end on behalf the Ministry. He urged the Federation representatives for the smooth supply system throughout the country. Stating complaints have been received that the entrepreneurs associated with the Federation have established a monopoly in the market and were not allowing new entrepreneurs in the transporters' market, the Minister for Supplies urged the Federation to remove the monopoly and create a favourable environment in the sector. Federation president Madhav Nepal said that on the occasion they drew Minister Bhandari's attention, citing the government required of the entrepreneurs to pay VAT even though they had not collected tax under this heading in the fiscal year 2020/21. According to the Federation president Nepal, they have demanded that the government waive off the five percent VAT that it had asked the transporters to pay as 'scheme' in the current fiscal year, reasoning that they have not carried out the transactions according to this. It may be noted here that the government had asked the transporters to pay only five percent of the 13 percent VAT. Pointing out that the government's decision to impose VAT in the transportation has directly hit the entire transport entrepreneurs, the Federation has called for annulment of this tax. In the view of the Federation, this tax has caused inflation in the overall trade and business sector and subjected the general consumers to price hikes. The Federation has also demanded construction of Transport Village in big cities of the country. Nepal said a model Transport Village is under construction in Butwal at an investment of Rs 300 million of the government and the transport entrepreneurs. Likewise, the Federation has called for the class ification of transport entrepreneurs, stating that adopting a blanket approach to all the transport entrepreneurs has put the small entrepreneurs in problem. The memorandum undersigned by Federation general-secretary Pushpa Raj Shrestha calls for resolving the problems of the transport sector and to make provisions allowing for deduction of cost while calculating the taxable income. Source: National News Agency RSS

Birgunj Metropolitan City has given continuity to the campaign of identifying the encroached public property and removing physical structures constructed illegally along the road side. The metropolis started removing illegal structures after such structures hampered the road expansion drive. The local government continued the campaign with the increasing trend of encroaching upon public ponds and land, and constructing physical structures on such public land. In course of the campaign, the metropolis removed houses and huts at Ward No 29 on Monday. Around 7.5 kilometers blacktopped road from Bagahi to Paras Chowk via Musaili Basaldilwa, Bakner and Parsagadhi is under construction. The metropolis removed such huts after such structures were not removed even after frequent notice. Earlier, Birgunj metropolis had removed illegally constructed physical structures at Pratima Chowk of Birgunj metropolis-15 along the Postal Highway. An agreement was signed to complete the construction of around 150-meter road s ection from Pratima Chowk towards Kalaiya within June 12 at a cost of Rs 6.915 million. Hari Pokharel, secretariat advisor to Mayor of Birgunj metropolis, Rakeshman Singh, said the metropolitan city has brought 28 public ponds and more than 148 bighas of land within metropolitan city under its ownership in course of the campaign so far. Source: National News Agency RSS

President Mohammed Shahabuddin today asked the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) authorities to focus on research for exploring the new energy sources. "We need to find out new sources of energy and we should focus on strengthening energy related research," he said as a BERC delegation presented annual report to him at Bangabhaban here this noon. The BERC regulates the gas, electricity and petroleum products in Bangladesh. The president called the energy sector, including electricity, as one of the most important sectors in the country's overall development. He said the demand for electricity is on the rise along with country's overall development. The head of the state expressed his hope that the BERC authorities would provide time-befitting recommendations and advices to the government on stability and pricing of the energy sector. BERC Chairman Md Nurul Amin led the delegation that included Dr Mohammad Yamin Chowdhury, Dr Md Helal Uddin, Abul Khair Md Aminur Rahman and Md Khalilur Rahma n Khan. During the meeting, the president was apprised by the commission chairman of the overall activities of the BERC. The delegation sought the president's full cooperation and guidance in their activities. Giving the BERC delegation a patient hearing, the president expressed satisfaction over the overall activities of the commission. President's Office Secretary Md. Wahidul Islam Khan, Press Secretary Md. Joynal Abedin and Military Secretary Major General SM Salahuddin Islam were present. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, has reiterated its demand of forming a parliamentary committee for conducting a fair investigation into cooperative fraud, saying the name of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane is linked to it. The NC demanded that authority be given to such committee to carry out investigation on cooperative fraud case and bring out the truth. Speaker Devraj Ghimire allotted time to NC lawmaker Ram Krishna Yadav after all the NC lawmakers stood from their respective seats as a protest in today's meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR). Speaking in the meeting, lawmaker Yadav pointed out the need of parliamentary probe into the cooperative fraud scam, citing that as crisis of trust has surfaced after the investigation on Lamichhane stopped with reconstitution of the government. He said Home Minister Lamichhane should resign from the post based on ethics as he had taken loan of Rs 800 million from a cooperative at a time when he was working a t Gorkha Media Pvt Ltd and has not still cleared it. Lawmaker Yadav also demanded investigation on Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, DP Aryal as he is also found involved in cooperative case, clarifying his party would not obstruct the House on other issues except the issues connected with the Home Ministry and Cooperative. Urging the government to seriously pay attention on the issues raised by lawmakers in the House, he urged the government to raise hope among the people by ending impunity, and maintaining rule of law and good governance. In response, Speaker Ghimire said his and the House's attention was drawn on the issues raised by lawmaker Yadav. Source: National News Agency RSS

Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, MP, today called for protecting young generation from ill politics of BNP-Jamaat. "Young generation is important segment of the total population . . . they (young generation) have to involve in healthy politics through imbuing them with spirit of democracy," he made the comments at the function of Eid items distribution at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh here. KIB Secretary General Khairul Alam (Prince) conducted the function with KIB President Md. Shahidur Rashid Bhuiyan in the chair. Agriculturist Nazrul Islam, MP and Krishak League President Agriculturist Sameer Chand, among others, were present at the function. Nasim said, "We have to create congenial atmosphere for flourishing latent talent of young community. They will take Bangladesh forward in the coming days." In the name of stopping and banning student politics at BUET, BNP-Jamaat and militant groups were plotting to create unrest in the country, he added. "They are fanatics and evil forces. They always work in favour of communal organizations, "Nasim said adding despite the evidence of sectarianism, BNP leaders supported those groups. Nasim said, "Students played a major role in all the movements since the language movement of 1952. Today, there are various conspiracies to undermine their glorious contribution in different movements of Bangladesh history." Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Renovating and improvising the traditional landscape of student-politics, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) will develop a new model of student politics at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), leaders of the organization said today. "Modern, systematic, up-to-date and knowledge based model of student politics will emerge from BUET campus. BUET students will show the way to change the entire practice as well as guide the country's student politics in future by following the practice in developed countries," BCL president Saddam Hussain told a press conference at Madhu's canteen at Dhaka University. In the press conference this morning, the BCL announced to hold a sit- in programme on the BUET Shahed Miner premises demanding to give back the dormitory seat of Imtiaz Rabbi immediately. Besides, BCL also announce other programmes which include holding discussion with BUET students aimed at defining and making an action plan to introduce modern, smart, policy-based systematic student polit ics, organizing seminars and cultural festivals to make BUET free from communal-radical-militant black shadow and negotiation with the administration for BUET students' union polls. The politics is definitely not the student politics of class-exam closure, session jams, ragging-bullying, occupation-trading, murder-terror rather it will be modern, up-to-date, diversified and knowledge-fact based, said Saddam while reading out the written statement. Leadership will not be imposed on BUET students like traditional student politics, rather BUET students themselves will select their leadership which will create the world's best innovators and entrepreneurs, he added. BCL will not finish its duty by bringing back student politics in BUET rather BCL, with the common students of BUET, will turn BUET into a model institution of practicing better and smarter student politics, said Saddam. The leaders will be working on bringing an end to the brain drain of a significant number of BUET teachers and students every ye ar in the name of higher education, he added. The future BUET student leaders will be working on how to conduct expeditions in space, win the industrial revolution through robotics, build big bridges like the Padma Bridge by highly trained native engineers, manage the Rooppur nuclear power plant and increase agricultural production by inventing modern machinery, said Saddam. They will work on conducting research and studies in land and sea to ensure the country's energy security, how to increase the foreign exchange reserve by reducing the country's imports and how to increase the country's production and reduce unemployment forever, he furthered. The BCL also called upon the progressive student organisations to leave the traditional politics aside and start modern and advanced student politics from BUET. Conducted by BCL General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Enan, the press conference was also attended by BCL DU unit president Mazharul Kabir Shoyon, General Secretary Tanbir Hasan Shaikat, Dhaka City North u nit president Riaz Mahmud, General Secretary Sagar Ahmed, Dhaka City South unit president Rajibul Islam and General Secretary Sajal Kundu. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

The High Court (HC) today ordered authorities concerned to stop cutting of hills in Sajek valley under Baghaichari upazila, Rangamati. A High Court division bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order after holding a hearing on a writ filed in this regard. The court also issued a rule, asking authorities concerned to explain in four weeks as to why it shall not declare the inaction of the administration in stopping cutting down hills in Sajek, illegal. The court also asked authorities concerned to explain as to why it shall not pass order to take step in stopping cutting of hills and bringing the damaged hills to their previous state. The court asked administration to form a monitoring team so that none can cut down hills illegally. Rights group, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), filed the writ on April 1 as an alarming news of cutting down hills to construct swimming pool by a resort authorities came on newspaper on March 29. Senior advocate Manjil Morshed moved the plea for HRPB, while deputy attorney general Protikar Chakma stood for the state. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

A special court here today set July 24 for holding a hearing on whether to accept a supplementary charge-sheet filed against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman in a case filed under now replaced Digital Security Act (DSA) for declaring his father Ziaur Rahman as father of the nation. Judge AM Julfikar Hayat of Dhaka Cyber Tribunal passed the order today, bench assistant Jewel Miah told BSS. On December 2, 2023, investigation officer sub-inspector Hasanuzzaman of the Detective Branch filed the supplementary charge sheet. According to the charge-sheet, the BNP leader at a party meeting, declared Ziaur Rahman father of the nation and gave weird logics behind this. His aim was to destabilize the stable situation prevailing in the country, the charge-sheet said. Dhaka University Chhatra League leader Zahidul Islam filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station on February 25, 2021. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Shuklaphanta municipality has planned to stop incentives to the community forest users who have failed to enforce forest fire control plan. The ward no 8 office of the municipality took a decision to this effect. The office informed that such decision was taken to make community forest users committees accountable to minimize wildfires by implementing the work plan on fire control. "It will be devastative if the forest fire is ignored in the dry season," ward chair Bahadur Singh Mahara said, adding that ignorance of office bearers of community forest has huge cost on wildlife. Even the trees worth millions of rupees perish in no time with forest fire, he reminded. The Chure region and national forest in its vicinity suffer huge loss of biodiversity every year owing to the fire. Ward chair informed that the user committees of Sundevi community forest, Bhagawati community forest, Baijanath community forest, Kalika community forest, Pragati community forest and Baijanath religious forest were made alert on forest fire. They are also asked to prepare forest fire control plan and implement effectively. "They are reminded to mobilize necessary workforce, machines, tools and other resources to prevent damages in community forest. They are also asked to submit a work plan on it within two days," chair Mahara shared. Moreover, the ward chair warned of noncooperation with community forest users' committees if they ignored request. Source: National News Agency RSS