Day: May 17, 2024

Kathmandu: The parliamentary party meeting of the opposition Nepali Congress (NC) is taking place in the federal parliament building, Naya Baneshwor. The meeting is discussing the contemporary political issues and the political development that took place in Thursday's meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR). The NC parliamentary party office shared that the meeting would discuss the ways about the NC's presence in today's meeting of the HoR scheduled for 11:00 am. Source: National News Agency RSS

A total of Rs 21 billion in revenue was collected in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Sustapurba). According to the District Treasury Office, the offices under the federal and province governments collected the amount. Information Officer of the Office Jit Narayan Mahato said that the federal government would receive Rs 20.5 billion from the total amount of the revenue collected in the district while Rs 452 million would be deposited in the treasury of the Gandaki Province Government. Mahato shared that the Inland Revenue Office based in Kawasoti collected Rs 20.33 billion in revenue during the period. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has asked the private sector to invest in the country's hydropower sector with confidence stating that an agreement has been signed with India to export 10,000 megawatts of power from Nepal in a decade. Addressing the 22nd annual general assembly of Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal (IPPAN) here today, the PM said the moment to export 10,000 megawatts of power will be a historical achievement for the country's journey to prosperity. "We have signed the long-term agreement with neighbouring country India for the export of 10,000 megawatts of electricity in 10 years. Likewise, power trade will be done with Bangladesh via India's transmission line. Such an important opportunity to sign the deal is created during my premiership. This is a historic success in terms of commitment to prosperity journey and campaign not only in the area of Nepal's hydroelectricity sector," the PM stated. The PM also expressed confidence that an agreement will b e signed even with Bangladesh soon to export Nepal's electricity. On the occasion, the PM shared that the government was promoting different programmes to increase power consumption in the domestic market besides the power export. He said the government is considering to promote electric vehicles and appliances to reduce the import of petroleum products and increase the domestic consumption of electricity. In his speech, the PM viewed electricity is the most important sector for the country's development and prosperity, and appreciated the role of the private sector in scaling up power production. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, has reiterated the demand for formation of a parliamentary investigation committee. A meeting of the NC Parliamentary Party held this morning repeated the same demand for the guarantee of security of savings of cooperative depositors, to return the savings of victim depositors and to take action against those involved in cooperative amount embezzlement. The meeting held under the chairmanship of NC President and Parliamentary Party leader, Sher Bahadur Deuba, reiterated the demand for the formation of the parliamentary probe committee as other political parties in the federal parliament also raised the same demand. Stating that the fact for the formation of parliamentary probe committee is being established, NC Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak shared that the NC PP meeting again demanded formation of the parliamentary probe committee. "In parliamentary history and tradition, it is considered that the meeting is obstructed if opposition party lawmakers stand u p from their seats in protest in the House," he added, stressing that conducting the meeting by Speaker amidst the sloganeering of the main opposition party as well as protests of other parties standing from their seats was not appropriate. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: The price of gold and silver has dropped in the domestic market today. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Associations, the price of hallmark gold has dropped by 700 rupees per tola (11.66 grams) and is being traded at Rs 139 thousand and 300 on Friday. It was traded at Rs 140 thousand on Thursday. Similarly, the price of worked gold was Rs 139,300 yesterday and it is traded at Rs 138,650 today. The price of silver has also dropped by five rupees and reached 1,800 per tola today. Silver was traded at Rs 1,805 yesterday. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: President Ramchandra Paudel inaugurated the 16th All Nepal Lawyers National Conference here today. President Paudel inaugurated the three-day conference at Nepal Academy, Kamaladi Kathmandu amid a function today. The conference is organized under the banner of 'Competent lawyers, decent bar: Restructuring of the judiciary is the basis for strengthening democracy'. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha, justices, and advocates were present at the opening ceremony. According to the Nepal Bar Association, about 7,000 lawyers from across the country will participate in the conference which runs until May 19. Source: National News Agency RSS

Two persons drowned in Gorkha on Friday. Mesh Tamang, 16, and Samir Shrestha, 18, lost their lives to the separate incidents of drowning. Tamang drowned while swimming in the Chepe stream at Siranchowk rural municipality-1 and Shrestha hailing from Kamala rural municipality-5 in Jhapa met a similar accident while swimming at Daraudi River at Chhewetar of Gorkha municipality-10, according to the District Police Office, Gorkha. Source: National News Agency RSS

The 44th homecoming day of Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was observed today. On May 17 in 1981, she returned to the country after a long exile. Boarding on an aircraft of the Indian Airlines, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina reached the then Kurmitola Airport here from the Indian capital of New Delhi via Kolkata at 4.30pm on that day. Marking the homecoming day of Sheikh Hasina, the ruling Awami League (AL) chalked out elaborate programmes. As part of the programmes, the party leaders greeted Sheikh Hasina, the eldest daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at her Ganabhaban residence here at 9 am. Leaders and workers of AL associate and like-minded bodies also greeted her with bouquet. A discussion was held at Dhaka District AL Bhaban in the city's Tejgaon area this afternoon with AL Presidium Member Engineer Mosharraf Hossain in the chair. AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader and other central leaders also addressed the discussion. Marking the day, Jubo League, Chhatra League, Krishak League, Swechchhasebak League, Mohila Awami League and Jubo Mohila League and other like-minded bodies also organized different programmes. The programmes included discussion, doa and milad mahfil seeking sound health and long life of Sheikh Hasina, food distribution among orphans and destitute people. AL's relief and social welfare subcommittee also organised food distribution programme marking the day. Foods were distributed among the orphans of Azimpur Salimullah Muslim Orphanage, Salimullah Road's orphanage in Mohammadpur, Sobhanbag Masjid adjacent orphanage and Rahim Ullah Orphanage at Beraid in Badda. Foods were also distributed among the orphans of the orphanages adjacent to Hazrat Shahjalal (R) Mazar (shrine) in Sylhet, Hazrat Shah Amanat (R) Mazar and Garib Ullah Shah (R) Mazar in Chattogram. Special doa and prayers were also offered at mosques, temples, churches and pagodas marking the day. Doa was offered at Baitul Mukarram Nation al Mosque after Jummah prayers. Christian Community held special prayer at Mirpur Baptist Church at 9 am while Buddhist Community at International Buddhist Monastery in the city's Merul Badda at 10 am and Hindu Community at Dhakeshwari National Temple at 11.30 am. Marking the day, Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud will distribute food among the inmates of Chattogram's Kadam Mobarak Orphanage tomorrow (Saturday). Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was brutally killed along with most of his family members on August 15 in 1975 and his two daughters-- Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana --- luckily escaped the brutal assassination as they stayed abroad. In a national council session of the Awami League on February 14, 15 and 16 in 1981, Sheikh Hasina was elected as party president in her absence and then she returned to the country on May 17. A large number of people had gathered outside the Kurmitola Airport in Dhaka to receive Sheikh Hasina on that day. They had come from every co rner of the country and the whole thoroughfare from the Farmgate point to Kurmitola in the city was full of jubilant crowds. After a long hovering over the airport, an aircraft of Indian Airlines carrying Sheikh Hasina from New Delhi via Kolkata, touched the runway at 4:30 pm. "I have returned to the country not to become a leader of the Awami League, rather to participate in the struggle for freedom by staying beside the people," said the AL president in a heart touching reception awarded by nearly 1.5 million people at the airport at that time. She added: "I want to stay beside you as your sister, as your daughter, and as a worker of Awami League, who believes in the ideals of Bangabandhu." Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today said police will play the main responsibility towards implementing the Prime Minister's vision to transform the country into Smart Bangladesh. "Bangladesh is moving forward due to your (police) sincere efforts to control terrorism, militancy and crimes. Now Bangladesh has become a strong country," he told a function at Rajarbag police line here yesterday. Newly elected committee of Bangladesh Police Service Association (BPSA) held its installation ceremony with its president Special Branch Chief and Additional Inspector General of Police Md Monirul Islam. Kamal said, "We have come to this place today because of the vision of the honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she materialized digital Bangladesh. Now she is talking about Smart Bangladesh. She formulated a plan to build a better Bangladesh. The main responsibility of implementing that plan lies on you." The minister inaugurated the installation ceremony of the newly elected 155-member committee of BPSA and said the association was formed to achieve professional excellence and solve various problems of the members of the police force. Md Mustafizur Rahman, Senior Secretary, Public Security Division and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun were present as special guests on the occasion. Among others, Md Mahabubur Rahman, Additional IGP, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Joint Commissioner Biplob Kumar Sarkar and Superintendent of Police of Narayanganj District and General Secretary of BPSA Golam Mostafa Russell spokes on the occasion. Mustafizur Rahman said that smart policing is necessary for the smart Bangladesh. He urged members of the association to give a smart policing as a gift to the people of the country. Welcoming the newly formed committee, the IGP said that members of BPSA will work tirelessly to provide services to people. He expressed his hope that members of the association will continue their efforts to make Bangladesh Police a service-oriented institution. Md Monirul Isl am thanked all said that Bangladesh Police can face any challenge in provision of security. He said that with the blessings and support of Prime Minister, BPSA has been playing a role in building Bangabandhu's dream 'Sonar Bangla'. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Five people were killed and 15 others injured as a bus plunged into a roadside ditch on the Dhaka-Chattogram highways in Chauddagram upazila of the district today. Among the deceased, two were identified as Mohammad Hossain, 30, hailed from Cox's Bazar district and Badrul Hasan Riyad, 26, a resident of Chattogram district. The identities of the others could not be known immediately. All the five died on the spot. The accident occurred when a bus of 'Relax Paribahan' fell into a roadside ditch in Basantapur area of the upazila this morning as its driver lost control over the steering, said Sub-Inspector (SI) Nazrul Islam of Mia Bazar Highway Thana. Being informed, police and Fire Service personnel rescued the injured and took them to Chauddagram Upazila Health Complex, he added. Of the wounded, a few were later transferred to Cumilla Medical College and Hospital for better treatment. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina's homecoming was the restoration of the lost values of the Liberation War. He was addressing a discussion at AL's Dhaka district unit office at Tejgaon marking the 44th Homecoming Day of AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Quader said Sheikh Hasina is a name of the most courageous politician, prudent leader, efficient administrator, popular leader and successful diplomat in the last 44 years history of Bangladesh. "Sheikh Hasina is the architect of the changed Bangladesh. Bangabandhu was poet of politics and Sheikh Hasina is magic of politics. Sheikh Hasina's homecoming was the restoration of the lost values of the Liberation War," he said. The AL general secretary said BNP is constantly making attacking comments against AL as the party (BNP) gets perplexed. "Ziaur Rahman had imprisoned 62,000 leaders and workers of AL and others parties, he said, adding, "How m any leaders of BNP are now in jail?" Ziaur Rahman, Quader said, had abducted AL's 3,000 leaders and workers and government officials. Many say that Bangabandhu pardoned anti-liberation elements, which is not true, he added. He said during the tenure of Bangabandhu, 11,000 people who opposed the country's independence were in jail, while Ziaur Rahman freed them and among them 713 were involved with crimes against humanity. About BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's comment that neighboring country is controlling the country, Quader said none can control Sheikh Hasina. "The people and the country's constitution govern us," he said. AL Presidium Member Engineer Mosharraf Hossain chaired the discussion while Presidium Members Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Bir Bikram, and Jahangir Kabir Nanak, poet Nirmalendu Goon, AL Joint General Secretaries-Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Dr Dipu Moni, Organizing Secretary Mirza Azam, martyr Altaf Mahmud's dau ghter Shawan Mahmud, martyred intellectual Abdul Alim's daughter Dr Nuzhat Chowdhury, Dhaka District AL President Benzir Ahmed and AL's Dhaka City South unit president Abu Ahmed Mannafi also spoke, among others. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

The members of the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in several anti-drug campaign arrested a total of 34 people on charges of selling and consuming drugs during the last 24 hours till 6am today. The DB in association with local police carried out the drives simultaneously at different parts of the metropolis from 6 am of May 16 to 6am today, according to a DMP release. In those separate anti-drug raids, police seized huge drugs from their possessions. During the anti-drug campaign, police seized 93 pieces of contraband yaba tablets, 138 grams of heroin, 2.350 kilograms of cannabis (ganja), 48 bottles of Phensedyl syrup and 79 litres of foreign made liquor from their possessions, the release added. Police filed 22 separate cases against the arrestees in these connections with respective police stations under the Narcotics Control Act. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha