Day: May 24, 2024

The construction works of the Tamor-Mewa Hydropower Project with a capacity of 128 megawatts have started. The project promoted by Spark Hydroelectric Company Limited is expected to complete construction in four years. Constituent Assembly Member Sanchapal Maden and the company's chairman Bhanendra Kumar Limbu laid the foundation stone of the project on Thursday. The project site is in Aathrai Tribeni Rural Municipality and Phungling Municipality in Taplejung district. On the occasion, the Mayor of Phungling Municipality, Amir Maden, said the development of the project will contribute to the development endeavours of the district. "Development of the electricity project in the district is to pave ways for economic prosperity. The projects also provide shares to the local residents," he added. Mayor Maden urged the promoter to accord priority to the local people in employment and ensure corporate social responsibility in the project site. The total cost of the project is estimated Rs 24.32 billion. Sou rce: National News Agency RSS

The depression over Eastcentral Bay and adjoining Westcentral Bay moved north-northeastward over the same area and was centred at 6pm today (Friday). It is about 745 kms southwest of Chattogram port, 680kms southwest of Cox's Bazar port, 710 kms south of Mongla port and 670 kms south of Payra port. It is likely to intensify and move northeastwards further, said Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) in a latest special weather bulletin signed by meteorologist Khandoker Hafizur Rahman on late night Friday. Maximum sustained wind speed within 44kms of the depression center is about 40 kph rising to 50 kph in gusts or squalls. Sea will remain moderate near the depression center. Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted distant cautionary signal no-1. All fishing boats and trawlers over north Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice. They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Visiting Secretary General of Amnesty International Dr Agnes Callamard called on CPN UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli on Friday. During the meeting held at UML headquarters, issues as human rights, transitional justice and press freedom featured, according to UML party office secretary, Dr Bhishma Adhikari. Dr Adhikari informed that Oli shared Nepal ensured human rights and good governance with the establishment of the federal republic that ended monarchy. Chairman Oli reminded that amnesty could not be awarded in the cases of serious violation of human rights. The UML was for ensuring justice to the victims while concluding transitional justice, he added. The General Secretary Dr Callamard had inquired Chair Oli about Nepal's status of transitional justice, press freedom, and social and gender discriminations. Source: National News Agency RSS

The 125th birth anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam will be celebrated across the country tomorrow in a befitting manner. Ministry of Cultural Affairs has taken elaborate programmes to mark the day at the national level. Different organizations and cultural bodies, including Dhaka University, have also taken programmes to celebrate the day amid various functions. President Mohammed Shahbuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages paying rich tributes to the memory of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. The birth anniversary of the national poet will be celebrated in the poet's memorable place Trishal in Mymensingh, Doulatpur in Cumilla, Tewta in Manikganj and Karpasdanga in Chuadanga and Chattogram. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has organized a three-day program from May 25 to 27 at 4 pm at National Museum in city's Shahbagh area. Deputy Leader of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Begum Matia Chowdhury will be present as the chief guest on the opening day of the program. L ed by State Minister for Cultural Affairs Naheed Ezaher Khan, the cultural ministry will place wreaths at the grave of the poet on DU premises around 6.30am. The birth anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam will be celebrated with due dignity under the patronage of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the management of the local administration at various places including Mymensingh, Daulatpur of Cumilla as those places have the memories of the poet. In continuation of that, the local administration has taken various programs including holding discussions and cultural events. Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and private television channels will live telecast the inaugural ceremony and air special programmes and print media will bring out special supplements highlighting the birth anniversary of the national poet. Bangla Academy will pay respect to the national poet by placing wreaths at his grave near Dhaka University mosque at 8am tomorrow. Besides, it will also pay homage to Na zrul at his portrait at Nazrul Mancha on the academy premises tomorrow. Dhaka University has taken programmes to mark the birth anniversary of the national poet. As part of the programmes, teachers-students and officials-employees of the university will gather at the Aparajeo Bangla at 6.15am and then place wreaths at the grave of Nazrul Islam near the university mosque lead by DU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr ASM Maksud Kamal. A discussion and a cultural programme will also be held there with the VC in the chair. Awami League (AL) will pay rich tribute to Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam by placing wreaths at his grave marking his birthday at central mosque premises of Dhaka University here at 7.30am tomorrow. AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has requested leaders and activists of his party and its associate bodies to attend the program in time, said a press release signed by AL office secretary Barrister Biplab Barua. Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on the 11th Joishtha in Bengali calendar year 1306 in Churulia, near Asansol in the Burdwan district of West Bengal. He was famous for his fiery poem Bidrohi (The Rebel) and his many melodious songs. He was a poet, lyricist, musician, revolutionary and philosopher. The nation got inspirations from Nazrul's poems and songs during the great Liberation War and all democratic movements and struggles. There are 2,400 Nazrul songs, and together, they are known as Nazrul-Geeti or Nazrul Sangeet. He composed the songs, which he liked to tune himself. Considering his impressive talent, Rabindranath Tagore dubbed him as Saraswati's bor-putra (the gifted son of the Goddess of learning). Kazi Nazrul Islam was the poet of rebellion against injustice and taboos. His nickname was Dhukhu Miah (Mr. Sorrow). True to his name, Nazrul suffered a lot in his life. His father died in 1910 while he was still at school and he became the breadwinner of the family working for a bakery company, Wahid's, the most well known in no rth Bengal at that time. Later, he resumed studies at Darirampur, Trishal, Mymensingh. But he left his studies to join the British Indian Army as a non-commissioned officer and was posted to Karachi. He left the army and settled in Kolkata, where he started publishing a fortnightly, Dhumketu (The Comet). The magazine had a fiery tone and was critical of the British rule in India. He soon found himself in prison for publishing a poem written by him, "Anandomoir Agomone" (Advent of Goddess Durga-the Goddess of destruction of all evil). In prison, he did not stop writing. He wrote, "Rajbandir Jabanbandi" (Deposition of a political prisoner). After a prolonged hunger strike, Nazrul was released from the prison. But throughout the 1920s, he found most of his work banned. After the death of his second son- Kazi Bulbul- the poet was sad. He wrote, "My nightingale sleeps forever." Although known for his rabid criticism of imperialism, social and religious taboos, Nazrul also explored the themes of lov e, romance and devotion. He also introduced a robust style that was very bold and innovative. His use of Persian and Arabic words in Bengali poetry also opened up new literary horizons. In the 1930s, the leading gramophone company of India, HMV, as a lyricist, employed him full-time. Later, All-India Broadcasting Authority employed him. But his luck once again ran out and in 1942, he developed a rare neurological disorder that led to the loss of his voice and memory. Doctors in Vienna diagnosed it as Pick's disease. After independence, Nazrul was declared the national poet and he was brought to Dhaka from Kolkata by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and given a house at Dhanmondi. He died here in 1976 and was buried beside the central mosque of Dhaka University. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

The recount of votes for the mayoral election in Byas municipality of Tanahu has been scheduled for June 16. The latest local level elections, including in the Byas municipality, were held on May 13, 2022. The High Court, Patan on May 14 ordered a recount of the votes -with the full text of the order released on Friday. The court mandated the recounting to be completed within a month. Recounting is set to commence at 10:00 am on June 16 at the meeting hall of the High Court in Pokhara. A division bench comprising judges Rajan Prasad Bhattarai and Nirmala Poudel Bhattarai rescinded the previous counting, ordering a fresh count. Mayor candidate Deepak Raj Joshi filed a petition at the court on May 26, 2022, alleging rigging in vote count. The court's order followed this writ. According to the announcement of the election results, Baikuntha Neupane had emerged victorious with 12,078 votes, while his closest rival, Joshi, secured 11,826 votes. During the election, Joshi was allegedly assaulted after ballots were torn at Risti of Byas municipality-8. With this, the re-vote was held for this ward. Source: National News Agency RSS

A housewife was electrocuted at Islamnagar village of Amjhupi union under Sadar upazila of the district today. The deceased was identified as Sarzia Khatun, 42, wife of Mizanur Rahman of Islamnagar village of the upazila. Amjhupi Union Parishad member Abul Kashem said Sarzia Khatun came in contact with a live electric wire when she was electrocuted in a short circuit while taking a bath in the bathroom by running an electric water pump around 1:30 to 1:45pm this afternoon. She died on the spot. Later, family members of the victim recovered the body from the bathroom. Officer-In-Charge (OC) of Sadar Police Station Koni Miah confirmed the matter. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: The freed bonded labourers have demanded the government that it allocated budget in the upcoming fiscal year to restore justice to their community. At a press meet organized here Friday, the former freed Kamiya, Kamlari, Harwacharwa, and Haliya lamented that their voices for restorative justice and support in the livelihood remained unheard by the State for long. Rastriya Mukta Haliya Samaj Federation Nepal said it was working for the socio-economic rights of freed Haliya (land tillers). Despite liberation, freed land tillers are enduring severe poverty and multiple challenges in their daily lives, the Federation shared. Federation Chair Ishwor Sunar said the issues of freed Haliya remained unaddressed, as he said, they had put forth an 11-point demand before the government so that it would address through the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2081-82 BS. The Federation stressed the need to implement a study report about the freed Kamaiya, Haliya, Kamlari, and Harawa Charawa presented by the committee chaired by rights activist Shyam Shrestha in 2078 BS. The Federation also urged the government come up with an integrated action to pay heed to the concerns of these communities. Rastriya Dalit Network (RDN) Nepal Vice Chair Shyam Sunar, Freed Kamaiya Women Development Forum, Kailali's Chair Sima Chaudhary, and Freed Kamlari Development Forum's Hiramoti Chaudhary voiced they were posing demand for long but in vain. They urged the government to ensure resources for them in the upcoming budget. Source: National News Agency RSS

President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today paid rich tributes to the memories of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on his 125th birth anniversary to be observed tomorrow. In separate messages, they prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul of the poet. In his message, President Mohammed Shahabuddin said: "On the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, I pay deep tributes to him." The head of the state said the poet's fiery writings speak out for the rights of the exploited and deprived people and teach them to protest against injustice. From the songs and poems of the poet, people have been inspired in every democratic movement, including anti-British movement, language movement, mass upsurge of 1969 and the Liberation War, he added. The president hoped that the new generation will be able to enrich themselves by following the lifestyle of Nazrul and devote themselves to build a happy-prosperous Bangladesh with patriotism, honesty and devo tion. He prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul of this poet who will remain immortal for campaigning for equality and humanity. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said Poet Nazrul has enriched the literature, music and culture of the country through his writings. She said Nazrul was the first Bengali poet who demanded complete independence of India from British rule. In his literary works, the message of struggle against subjugation, communalism and imperialism has been uttered, the premier said, adding that possessing an extraordinary and versatile talent, Nazrul was a symbol of secularism and nationalism. The greatest Bangalee of all time, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was devoted to poet Nazrul, she said. In the post-independence period, the poet was brought from Kolkata to Bangladesh with the honor of National Poet as per the desire of Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina added. The government has implemented various programs in the last 15 years to spread the life and work of the national poet among the new generation, Sheikh Hasina said. It has implemented programs like renovating and repairing the Nazrul Museum, publishing Nazrul albums, releasing CDs of Nazrul music, launching special courses to train Nazrul Sangeet in 'Shuddhsur O Bani', collecting Nazrul's unconventional songs, she said. National and international Nazrul conferences have been organized, she said, adding that the government has established Nazrul Institute center in Cumilla, constructed new 11-storey building of Nazrul Institute in Dhaka and renovated existing buildings in Dhaka, Mymensingh and Cumilla. "Poet Nazrul dreamt of establishing a non-communal, discrimination-free, exploitation-free and peaceful society and we find that reflection in the struggle and actions of the father of the nation," the premier said. She believed Nazrul's work will play a role in building a non-communal, non-discrimination, peaceful, happy-prosperous and modern Bangladesh by removing all evil obstacles f rom the people's mindset. She thought poet Nazrul's struggling life and his immortal works will be a source of endless inspiration for the Bangalee nation. The president and the premier wished the overall success of all the programmes taken on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the national poet. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: A meeting held among top leaders of key political parties remained positive to end the current parliamentary stalemate. Briefly talking to media after the meeting among top leaders of major political parties at the Prime Minister residence, Baluwatar, today, CPN-UML's chief whp Mahesh Bartaula informed that the meeting went positive. He shared that the meeting with the representatives from main opposition, Nepali Congress, remained positive towards ending parliamentary deadlock and developing a terms of reference of the parliamentary probe committee on cooperative funds scam. "The discussion today went positive", chief whip Bartaula said, adding, "Nepali Congress presented in a positive way. The discussion remained positive towards ending parliamentary deadlock, developing a terms of reference of the parliamentary probe committee and facilitating on their own to remove complications". Nepali Congress chief whip Ramesh Lekhak said the meeting remained positive towards constituting a parliamentar y probe committee. "The meeting discussed the formation of a parliamentary probe committee on the issue of misappropriation, siphoning off, fraud and embezzlement of cooperative funds. Colleagues have been working on the structure and scope of the committee. Today's meeting has discussed In a way to finalize the issue". Present in the meeting were Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress General-Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa, leader Krishna Sitaula, NC parliamentary party chief whip Ramesh Lekhak and Maoist Centre's chief whip Heetraj Pandey among others. Source: National News Agency RSS

At least 50 homes were gutted in a fire that broke out at Tanzimarkhola Rohingya Camp No. 13 in Palankhali union under Ukhiya upazila of the district today. Additional Commissioner of Cox's Bazar Refugee Relief and Repatriation Office, Shamsud Douza, said that the fire originated from the Caritas warehouse in Kathaltali Bazar area at Tanzimarkhola B Block Rohingya Camp No. 13 in Palankhali union around 11am this morning and spread to the adjacent areas. As a result at least 50 homes were gutted in the fire. On information, two units of Ukhiya Fire Service and Civil Defense rushed to the spot. Later, some other units of Fire Service and Civil Defense from Cox's Bazar rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after about 3 hours of hectic efforts, he added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

The experts on budget have said the budget for the fiscal year, 2081/82 should not be big, but realistic and based on availability of resources. The speakers at a discussion programme organized by Nepal Intellectual Council at CPN UML office on Friday laid emphasis on preparation of the realistic budget. UML Vice Chairman and former finance minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel viewed the forthcoming budget could focus on availability of means and resources. "We can not make a huge budget given the revenue size, foreign aid, and internal loan. Although demand is made for a huge budget, we can not afford it." Paudel added budget should have credibility, so it can reference the 16th periodic plan, government policies and programmes and common minimum programmes of the ruling parties. According to him, industries are running in one-thirds capacity. People are in despair. So, the government must dispel the disappointment and make economy dynamic through the budget, Paudel suggested. Moreover, socialism-oriented bud get is the need of hour. Erasure of duplication in budget allocation, and enforcement of Financial Procedure and Fiscal Accountability Act is equally important, the former minister reminded. UML central member and the Council In-Charge, Bidya Bhattarai, viewed constitution has a clear direction on how the budget should be. Budget should not be taken only from economic viewpoint but also from social perspective, where behavioral problems and people's plights matter, she argued. On the occasion, member of the National Planning Commission, Prof Dr Shivraj Adhikari, said money should be put in the projects that are implementable. The speakers expressed worry over rising policy level corruption and recurrent expenditures, while decreasing development spending. Source: National News Agency RSS

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) has discovered new gas in well No-8 of Kailashtila Gas Field in Sylhet. Officials of Sylhet Gas Fields Limited (SGFL) revealed this on Friday after the excavation work. With the new discovery, gas has been found in four wells of Sylhet in the last seven months, SGFL Managing Director Mizanur Rahman confirmed. He said since January last year, Bapex started the digging in well no-8 of Kailashtila Gas Field. Mizanur said gas has been found at a depth of 3,440 feet to 55,000 feet and now 21 million cubic feet of gas is being extracted daily from the field on experimental basis. He hoped that they would be able to go to operation in full swing within next three months. According to officials concerned, the SGFL authorities have been continuing the exploration and drilling of wells in Sylhet since last year. As a part of that, the excavation work in Kailashtila well no-8 started in early 2023 spending about Taka 150 crore. About 100 mil lion cubic feet of gas is now being added to the national grid from the production wells of Sylhet Gasfield Limited. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha