Day: May 6, 2024

A Truck driver was killed as his vehicle overturned in Madarganj Upazila of the district this morning. Police identified the deceased as Saidur Rahman, 40 son of Kandu Miah at village Gopalganj in Saturia Upazila of Manikganj district. Sub-inspector of local police station Shamim Al Mamun said a coal laden truck coming from Aminbazar in Dhaka was heading to a brick filed in Madarganj upazila of the district. When the truck reached Ghughumari area in the upazila, it overturned as the driver lost control over the steering and rammed into a tree at 7:05 am. In the accident, the driver died after being crushed with the tree on the spot. Truck helper Enamul Haque, 18, was also injured in the accident. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Two people were killed and another was injured in the city's Matuail area under Jatrabari police station in the early hours of today. The deceased were identified as Babul Chisti, 44, and Kabir Hossain Bapari, 48. Both of them were the residents of Shariatpur district, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) police outpost. Police said the accident occurred as a bus hit a pickup van at around 2am. They were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where they died at around 2:45am. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

After 33 days of record heatwave spell, northeastern, central and south-eastern parts of Bangladesh witnessed much awaited rainfall with thunderstorms last night bringing respite from intense heatwave. 'Much of the country including Dhaka city experienced significant rainfall with thunderstorms last night bringing downs mercury as Bangladesh has been facing longer and intense heatwave since April 1,' Omar Faruq, meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) told BSS this morning. Dhaka city and its adjacent districts recorded a significant amount of rainfall, he said adding, 'Dhaka recorded 36mm rainfall while 31 mm rains were recorded in Narayanganj, 32mm in Kishorganj, 12mm in Tangail.' The country's highest rainfall was recorded in Srimangal with 124mm while 37mm Patenga and 62mm at Rangamati, Faruq said adding different regions including Chattogram and Barishal division witnessed much welcome rains with thunderstorms. Extreme heat has blasted two divisions - - Khulna and Ra jshahi since at the beginning of April but these divisions did not receive rainfall till now this summer, the BMD meteorologist adding Rangpur division received very insignificant rainfall last night. 'Bangladesh is likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall with thunderstorms from today and it will continue throughout the month,' BMD meteorologist Dr Abul Kalam Mallik said. He said as rainfall with thunderstorm will continue hoping to bid farewell the sweltering heatwave that battered the country forcing school closure and staying the people indoors claiming 15 deaths linked to heatstroke. Northeastern, central parts including Sylhet division and some parts of Mymensingh and Dhaka division are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall between May 6 and 11 simultaneously south-western and north-western regions will witness rainfall with thunderstorms, he added. Mallik suggested avoiding to stay outdoors during the hailstorm as intensity of hailstorms is increasing accompanied with f requent lightning impacted by climate change, which are largely responsible for casualties. The meteorologist attributed uncomfortable feelings of unbearable hot- weather to high humidity persisting in the air during the afternoon and evening period suggesting avoiding movement between 12 noon to 4pm as the sunlight is getting too hot as it (the Sun) provides sunlight vertically with intense heat. "Normally we record temperature from the air," Mallik said the highest temperature was found between 12 noon and 4pm because of vertical position of the Sun. Analyzing humidity indexes, Mallik continued, "There is a close relation of temperature and humidity . . . discomfort feelings will increase, if high humidity persists in the air with high temperature. "Although temperature decreases after 4pm, but we feel very hot weather due to high humidity," he added. The Met Office today recorded 39.5 degree Celsius at Rajshahi while the temperature in Dhaka was recorded at 36.9 degrees Celsius but the high humidity has exposed the residents to massive discomfort. The BMD official said the country witnessed the longest duration of the heatwave for the past 33 days since April 1 and the met office warned the phenomenon would continue throughout the next month. "But unlike the previous heatwaves, this year it spread all over the country," commented meteorologist Abul Kalam Mollik, who was supported by Zebunnesa as well. Visibly for the first time the meteorologists acknowledged that the climate change phenomenon caused the erratic weather pattern with gradually expanding areas of heatwave, joining the voice with the climate experts and activists. "Maximum temperature in the country started falling on average one or two degrees Celsius from May, the Met Office said predicting temperature may dip more from today as almost all parts of the country may witness much awaited rainfall, " Md Omar Faruq, a meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said. Large swaths of Khulna and Rajshahi division are sweltering through a heatwave as the Met office logged highest temperature above 40 degree Celsius in most stations located in the two divisions since April 1, Omar said predicting rains are likely to occur in different areas of the two division. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

The government has declared May 8 as general holiday for elections in 141 upazilas to allow the voters to cast their votes without any hassle. In response to a letter of the Election Commission, the Public Administration Ministry issued a notification in this regard today. A total of 141 upazilas around the country will go to the polls in the first phase on May 8. The upazila elections will take place in four phases. Elections in the second phase will be held on May 23, in the third phase on May 29, and in the fourth phase on June 5. There are 492 upazilas in the country. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered for a written reply within seven days from the persons whose names were mentioned during the recording of the statement and hearing on the contempt of court case against sidhakura.com. Recording of the statement and hearing on the case was conducted in a division bench of Justices Hari Prasad Phuyal and Mahesh Sharma Poudyal here on Monday. Written reply is sought from Chairperson of Annapurna Post, Rameshwor Thapa, Kantipur Media Group's Chairperson Kailash Sirohiya, senior advocate Hari Prasad Uprety, advocate Kishore Kumar Bista, Annapurna Post's journalist Surendra Kafle and erstwhile Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjay Thapa. The Kathmandu-based news portal's executive editor Navin Dhungana and publishers Yuwaraj Kandel and Raj Kumar Timilsina were also presented in the court. A week back, the online media had published a story with an audio on a 'sting operation' launched by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority where was mentioned the 'Supreme Court justices held a meeting to influence a case'. Raj Kumar Timilsina had provided audio clip to the media. Following the news, Deputy Registrar at SC Govinda Ghimire, had submitted a report on the contempt of court against the news portal. In response to the contempt of court case on April 29, a division bench of justices Nahakul Subedi and Tek Prasad Dhungana ordered the online media to omit the defamatory new story within 24 hours. The top court ordered online's executive editor Navin Dhungana and publishers Yuvawaj Kandel and Raj Kumar Timalsina who recorded their statement on the preliminary hearing on the contempt of court case to appear on date. The court also ordered that the original devise used by Raj Kumar Timalsina to record the disputed content and the email sent by Timalsina to Surendra Kafle be made available to the court by Raj Kumar Timalsina himself within seven days. The next hearing on the case is scheduled for May 17. Source: National News Agency RSS

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan today informed the cabinet that the fire in Sundarbans remains under control but he didn't mention the fire has been doused completely. Briefing journalists after the meeting, cabinet secretary Md Mahbub Hossain said the home minister informed the cabinet that the fire in the Sundarbans is now under control. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the cabinet meeting at her office here. The cabinet secretary said the home minister also informed the meeting that the situation in the Sundarbans will be monitored for few days as forest fire is not like usual fire. In case of forest fire, it can be seemed that fire has been doused but it can again spread blaze, he said. Md. Mahbub Hossain said direct flight operation between Bangladesh and Uzbekistan is going to resume again as the cabinet has approved the draft of an agreement relating to flight operations between the two countries. In 1993, direct flight operation between the two countries began through an agreement but the fl ight operation in this route was shut in 2005, he said. The cabinet secretary said now Uzbekistan expressed interest to resume the flight operation. Draft of Antiquities Act was placed in the cabinet meeting but it didn't get approval, he said. The cabinet gave directives to revise some portions in the draft to place it again, he said. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Two girls critically hurt after a fire broke out in a hut at Gwarko in Lalitpur Metropolitan City-17 passed away on Monday. The fire had happened on Sunday. Of the five persons of a family hurt in the fire, eight-year-old Priya Giri and three-year-old Elisa Giri succumbed to the burn injuries, Superintendent of Police (SP) and Spokesperson of District Police Range Lalitpur Naresh Raj Subedi said. The two died at Kist Hospital in Lalitpur at 7:30 pm on Monday while receiving treatment, police confirmed. Likewise, the health condition of two others is critical. According to SP Subedi, 35-year-old Sanjay Giri is receiving treatment by keeping him in a ventilator while his spouse Rupa Giri, 32, is in ICU support. The condition of the next patient is normal and is receiving treatment from a general ward of the hospital, police said. Source: National News Agency RSS

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid today said that Bangladesh has immense potential for investment in the power and energy sector. 'The use of technology has been increasing. Overall we are moving towards automation, which created investment opportunities and around $50-$60 billion will be required in the technology sector in the next 5 years,' he told this while, Singapore's non-resident High Commissioner to Bangladesh Derek Loh paid a courtesy call on him at his secretariat office. During the meeting, they discussed various issues related to mutual interest. They discussed on nuclear power, wind power, solar power, clean power, price of solar power, smart grid, data center, LPG and LNG terminal, storage system, refinery, automation, electricity import and export. Singapore's non-resident High Commissioner Derek Loh today expressed his keen interest in the renewable energy sector of Bangladesh. He discussed about modern technology. During the discussion, Sheela Pillai, Charge d'Affaires, Singapore High Commission in Dhaka, among others, was present. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Chief Minister of Gandaki Province, Khagaraj Adhikari, on Monday appointed Bed Bahadur Gurung and Sita Sundas as the ministers in the Gandaki Province Government. Gurung and Sundas are from the CPN (UML). Chief Minister Adhikari expanded his cabinet after getting a vote of confidence from the Gandaki Province Assembly on Sunday. Gurung has been given the portfolio of Minister for Energy, Water Resource and Drinking Water while Sundas has got the responsibility as the Minister for Social Development and Health. The newly-appointed ministers were sworn in at a function at Pokhara City Hall on Monday. The Gandaki Province Chief, Dilli Raj Bhatta, administered the oath of office and secrecy to Gurung and Sundas. In the swearing-in ceremony, Chief Minister Adhikari, Speaker of Gandaki Province Assembly Krishna Prasad Dhital, Deputy Speaker Bina Kumari Thapa, province ministers and province assembly members, among others were present. Adhikari, who was appointed the Chief Minister on April 7, had earlier pick ed Rajib Gurung as the Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management and Hari Bahadur Chuman as the Minister for Economic Affairs. Gurung is an independent lawmaker while Chuman is from the CPN (Maoist Centre) in the province assembly. Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress (NC) has expressed the party's objection to the activities in the Gandaki Province Assembly for taking the vote of confidence from Chief Minister Adhikari on Sunday. Issuing a press statement on Monday, the NC chief secretary at the party central office, Krishna Prasad Poudel, stated that the vote of confidence motion should be settled by the majority of votes of the entire province assembly members as stated in Article 188 (3) of the constitution. The NC Chief Secretary has said that 31 votes are required to get a majority in the 60-member Gandaki Province Assembly and added that the announcement of the vote of confidence for the Chief Minister in Gandaki was against the constitutional provision. Source: National N ews Agency RSS

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdur Rahman today said the production of Hilsa fishes exceeded 5.71lakh tonnes. 'The Hilsa production was 2.99 lakh tonnes in 2008-09 fiscal year while it is now reached to 5.71 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23 fiscal due to appropriate initiatives taken by the present government', he said. The minister told this while responding to a written question which was raised by Independent lawmaker Pankaj Nath at the question-answer session at the Jatiya Sangsad here. Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury chaired the session. In 2008-09, he said country's Hilsa production was only 2.99 lakh metric tonnes and it now reached to 5.71 lakh metric tonnes. To raise the Hilsa production, the minister said the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken various steps including increasing the quantity of rice for the fishermen under the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) project. The monthly allocation of the VGF rice has been increased to 40 KGs from the earlier al location of 10 KGs. So, the country's Hilsa output has reached to 5.71 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23 fiscal year. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Foundation stone has been laid for the reconstruction of a historic Thanthu Durbar in Bhaktapur Dubar area. The Thanthu Durbar was constructed 346 years ago. At a programme organised by Bhaktapur municipality here on Monday, Secretary of the Nepal Workers Peasants Party and lawmaker Prem Suwal said excavation of 99 thoroughfares in Bhaktapur Durbar area should be continued. Pointing out the need of examination from technicians whether or not 100-year-old houses in Bhaktapur are safe to live in, he stressed the need of protecting originality in reconstruction of heritages. Similarly, Coordinator of Thanthu Durbar Reconstruction Direction Committee and Mayor of Bhaktapur municipality, Sunil Prajapati, shared Bhaktapur municipality had been operating its activities from Thanthu Durbar before 2072 BS. The municipality now has forwarded activities for the reconstruction of Thanthu Durbar keeping it in priority. An estimated cost for the reconstruction of the Thanthu Durbar is Rs 128.5 million, it is said. Ba gmati Province Assembly member Srijana Sainju, Deputy-Mayor of Bhaktapur municipality, Rajani Joshi, Chief District Officer of Bhaktapur, Roshani Kumari Shrestha, among others were present on the occasion. Source: National News Agency RSS

Liberation War Affairs Minister valiant Freedom Fighter AKM Mozammel Haque today said anti-liberation forces killed Freedom Fighter and eminent labour leader Ahsan Ullah Master to remove the thorn of the way. "Ahsan Ullah Master was a patriotic, honest, popular, meritorious and worker-friendly leader and he struggled to establish the rights of the working-class people," he said while speaking at a memorial meeting marking the 20th death anniversary of Ahsan Ullah Master at Jatiya Press Club here. Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master Smiriti Parishad President Advocate Abdul Baten chaired the meeting while Editor of the Daily Observer Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, BFUJ-Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists President and Chief News Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Omar Faruque, Bangladesh Sangbadik Adhikar Forum President valiant Freedom Fighter Azizul Islam Bhuiyan, General Secretary of Jatiya Press Club and editor of the Daily Bhorer Kagoj Shyamal Dutta, senior journalist Ashraf Khan, Workers Party leader Abu l Hossain, vice-president of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) Manik Lal Ghosh and Gazipur city Awami League leader Kazi Elias Ahmed, among others, spoke at the meeting. Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master Smiriti Parishad general secretary journalist Md Ataur Rahman conducted the meeting. Mozammel said Ahsan Ullah Master had worked throughout his life to implement the spirit of Liberation War being imbued with the ideology of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. BNP-Jamaat alliance government killed many popular leaders of Awami League to establish their misrule but they are now talking about democracy to misguide the people, he added. The minister said BNP founder General Ziaur Rahman had established his party through conspiracy and started politics of killing and coup in the country. He also said BNP-Jamaat and their followers want to come to state power through conspiracy and with the help of foreigners but the countrymen thwarted that conspiracy time and again. Mentioning that BNP-Jamaat i s hatching conspiracy against the incumbent government, he urged the countrymen to remain alert against such conspiracy for continuation of democracy and development. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly to implement the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the country is now moving forward under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the minister added. Daily Observer editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said Ahsan Ullah Master was a worker-friendly leader and he was very much popular among the working-class people because he (Ahsan Ullah Master) struggled throughout his life for the welfare of toiling-people. BFUJ President Omar Faruque said ideology of Ahsan Ullah Master will have to be followed to build the country based on the spirit of the Liberation War. Azizul Islam Bhuiyan said Ahsan Ullah Master was a patriotic leader and he dreamt to build the country upholding the ideology of Bangabandhu. General Secretary of Jatiya Press Club Shyamal Dutta said Ahsan Ullah Master had worked for welfare of the country and its people throughout his life. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha