Day: May 24, 2024

The District Court, Dhanusha has granted permission to the police to keep Kailash Sirohiya, the Chairman of Kantipur Media Group, for three more days in custody for investigation in a case related to citizenship. A bench of Judge Romakant Jha on Friday granted permission to this regard. Before this, in the hearing that took place under No 5 bench, advocates defended against the allegation labeled on media mogul Sirohiya. District Police Office, Dhanusha spokesperson Deputy Superintendent of Police Ranjan Awal confirmed the court's decision. It is said senior advocates Shambhu Thapa, Raman Shrestha, Sher Bahadur KC, Govinda Sharma Bandi and Tikaram Bhatarai, and advocates Raman Kumar Karna, Kishore Paudel and Dipendra Jha argued in defense of Sirohiya. Sirohiya was arrested by the police from his office, Kathmadu last Tuesday. Source: National News Agency RSS

Members of the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU), a specialized unit of Bangladesh Police has arrested a fugitive accused in four drug cases from Jatrabari police station area of the capital. The arrested is identified as Ariful Islam Babu, 29, son of Mojibur Rahman of village Aithadi Mathabhanga (Sardar Bari) of Matlab Uttar thana of Chandpur district. Acting on a tip off, ATU members raided the area and nabbed him around 6.45 pm on Thursday, said Mahfuzul Alam Russel, superintendent of police, media and awareness wing of ATU today. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Minister for Health and Population, Pradeep Yadav, has said the government would not let the heath sector face the budget paucity. During his inspection at the Department of Health Services on Friday, the Minister said he was trying to increase the budget for the health sector in the upcoming fiscal year, bearing in mind its sensitivity and gravity. He is in regular contact with the Finance Ministry and lobbying for an increase in the health budget in the upcoming budget, the Minister shared, urging the health employees to perform confidently and ensuring best use of the available resources. Stating that the emergence of a health crisis including a pandemic is unpredictable, he urged one and all to remain standby to withstand any unwanted situation in future. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: Secretary-General of the Amnesty International, Agnes Callamard has paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Friday. Various matters related to the transitional justice and human rights were discussed in the meeting held at PM residence, Baluwatar, informed PM Dahal's press expert Manahari Timlsina. On the occasion, PM Dahal clarified that Nepal has been ever effortful in fulfilling its national and international obligations on human rights being committed to the protection and promotion of human rights, Timlsina shared. During the meeting, PM Dahal said the draft bill of the transitional justice which is under consideration in the parliament would be taken ahead by bringing the national and international stakeholders into confidence. On the occasion, Secretary-General Callamard lauded the role of PM Dahal in taking the peace process of Nepal to a conclusion and expressed that the law related to transitional justice will be formulated and peace process to be conc luded soon, PM Dahal's secretariat shared. Source: National News Agency RSS

Newly elected committee of Bangladesh Computer Society (BCS) today paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj. Members of Bangladesh Computer Society committee led by its President Professor Dr. Mohammad Samshul Arefin and General Secretary Alin Boby placed a floral wreath at the mausoleum of Father of the Nation at Tungipara this noon. Bangladesh Computer Society Vice-Presidents Rezaul Karim, Zainal Abedin and Abdul Baset, Joint-General Secretaries Shariful Anwar, Nazmul Islam Masood and Zarafat Islam, among others, were present. After laying the wreath, the BCS leaders stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu, the architect of Bangladesh's Independence. Later, they prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls of Bangabandhu and other martyrs who had to embrace martyrdom on the fateful August 15, 1975. A special prayer was also offered seeking longevity of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasi na and her family members. BCS President Professor Dr. Mohammad Samshul Arefin and Secretary Alin Boby signed the visitors' book at the administrative building of Tungipara Mausoleum Complex. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: The Federation of Grill and Steel Fabricators Nepal (FGFSN) has said soaring prices of iron has adversely affected the grill industries. Issuing a press statement on Friday, it said although the price of blade, the raw material for grill products, was not increased in the international market, it was hiked in the Nepali market. The 'unexpected' and 'unusual' rise in the price of such materials is likely to kick around 16,000 workers out of their jobs, the press statement said, adding that several such workers are associated with over 1,100 grill industries across the country. As many as 1.5 million people are dependent on these industries. Such price has posed a severe threat of the closure of business. "In this situation, we have no option but to shutting down the industries and calling the government to respond," Federation Chair Thulo Babu Shrestha mentioned in the statement. He demanded prompt address to the problem. The Federation has accused the monopoly of big companies in its business. It has expressed serious concerns over the 'unexpected' rise of iron and construction materials hitting severely the grill industries which were in the process of recovery in the aftermath of COVID-19 and the economic slowdown in the country. The annual business of grill and steel fabricators' industries amounts over Rs 50 billion each year, it is said. Source: National News Agency RSS

Speakers in a function here underscored the need for bringing the persons with disabilities under rehabilitation programmes to help them living normal life. "The persons with disabilities are the integral part of the society. Many of them can lead normal life like the healthy persons if regular therapy and exercise are provided. In this regard, community-based rehabilitation workers can play crucial role to ensure therapy and exercise for the persons with disabilities in a bid to recover them from the incapacities," they also said. They made the remarks while addressing a concluding ceremony of a five-day FRIENDSHIP Disability Inclusion Programme held at the hall room of FRIENDSHIP Training Center at Madnerpara under Fulchhari upazila of the district on Thursday afternoon. FRIENDSHIP, an international social purpose organisation, founded by eminent female personality Runa Khan, organised the programme under FRIENDSHIP Inclusive Citizenship with the financial support of Ineke Feitz Stichting, N etherlands. Deputy Director (DD) of Department of Social Services Md. Fazlul Haque addressed the programme as the chief guest and Sadar Upazila Social Services Officer Nasir Uddin Shah spoke at the event as special guest. Deputy General Manager of the organisation Abu Mohammad Shihab and Assistant General Manager Nusrat Jerinand Project Manager Lucky Marandy addressed the ceremony, among others. Earlier, Regional Coordinator Md. Younus Ali formally inaugurated the programme on May 19. The speakers urged the concerned to create new community-based rehabilitation workers to provide the persons with disabilities with therapy and exercise to recover them from the disabilities so that they can lead normal life. Later, the prizes were distributed to the community-based rehabilitation workers coming from different chars of Gaibandha and Kurigram districts for keeping contribution to this field. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has reminded the world governments that it was time to act immediately for the recovery of biodiversity. Giving a message on the International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22, the Secretary General said, "The world's complex web of biological diversity sustains all life on earth. Yet it is unravelling at alarming speed - and humanity is to blame." He further reminded that land, oceans, and freshwater were contaminated with deadly pollution, causing severe blight on landscapes and ecosystems. The greenhouse gas emissions are wreaking havoc on climate, the Secretary General added. According to him, biodiversity loss has a direct role to dent sustainable development, which, he argued, would usher humanity to uncertainty. "The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework offers a pathway to reverse loss and restore biodiversity - while creating jobs, building resilience, and spurring sustainable development," Guterres said. The UN chief also recalled the significance of this year's slogan, 'Part of the Plan' where all of us have role to play. "Indigenous Peoples, business, financial institutions, local and regional authorities, civil society, women, young people, and academia must work together to value, protect and restore biodiversity in a way that benefits everyone," he underlined. He sought commitment from all stakeholders to be part of the plan and save the planet, thereby ensuring sustainable future. The UN Environment Programme stated, "'Be part of the Plan', the theme of International Day for Biological Diversity, 2024, is a call to action for all stakeholders to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by supporting the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also referred to as the Biodiversity Plan." The Biodiversity Plan was adopted in 2022. Source: National News Agency RSS

The venture of goat fattening has become popular as many marginalized families have elevated their fortunes in the region, including its vast Barind tract, side by side with beef and lamb fattening. Besides commercial farming, like the previous couple of years, many of the grassroots villagers are seen rearing different species of goat, including black Bengal, either in house or homestead areas in their native way. According to the Official sources of the Department of Livestock Services, around 5.30 lakh goats have been fattened and reared in farms and houses ahead of the Eid-ul-Adha in the district. Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), a state-owned anti-poverty organisation, has been extending financial and technical support to the farmers in association with various non-government development organisations, including Sataful Bangladesh (SB). Sohel Rana and his wife Rima Khatun, are both graduates of Daulatpur village under Bagmara upazila, have started goat rearing ventures at their hous e, failing to get a government job around five years back. Since then, they used to rear goats and sell them in sacrificial animal markets before Eid and the couple became self-reliant. Two years back, they found a goat fattening farm adjacent to their house. Talking to BSS here on Saturday, Sohel Rana said they fattened around 30 goats after purchasing kids at Taka 1.80 lakh in the current year. They sold eight of those at Taka 1.70 lakh and the rest are expected to be sold at around Taka 4.25 lakh. He said many rural families have been rearing and fattening goats commercially and earning huge profits every year. Some poor and marginalized people, including women, have achieved tremendous success in the sector. For the last couple of years, many villagers have been seen fattening their goats using natural methods. They use only straw, molasses, oilcake, gram, black-gram, green grass and wheat bran as feed instead of any steroid tablets or injection. Executive Director of Sataful Bangladesh Na zim Uddin Mollah said they are providing financial and technical assistance to the village-level entrepreneurs towards establishing goat farms and many of the beneficiaries have become self-reliant. District Livestock Officer Dr Zulfikar Muhammad Akhter Hossain said there is an immense prospect of rearing and fattening goats. There are more than 100 goat fattening farms in the district. Besides, the farming families reared two to five goats in houses. In the current year, around 5.26 lakh goats were reared in the district, up by around one lakh than the previous year. Dr Zulfikar Akhter said substantial and sustainable boosting of the rearing of goats, including black Bengal, has been playing a vital role towards meeting protein demands coupled with promoting income generation and improving the living and livelihood conditions of rural people. Farming has also been playing vital roles towards creating earning opportunities and reducing poverty, besides meeting the protein demand of rural peopl e. He said the climate of the region is favorable for rearing Black Bengal goats. The unemployment problem can be solved and the poverty of the rural people can be reduced easily by farming Black Bengal goats. The 'Black Bengal' is one of the top five meat producing breeds in the world. Its child production capacity is high, the meat is delicious, the skin is of international quality, its life expectancy in the region's climate is high and it is a tool for poverty alleviation. The existing seven public sector farms in different parts of the country, including one in Rajshahi, have been renovated with modern facilities on behalf of the project. Sheds have been built as per the ideal standard. The farms have been modernized by setting up offices, accommodation, godown, road, electrification, drainage, dipping bath, composting, shed, boundary wall and deep tube-well. Dr Zulfikar Akhter said they are also setting up exhibition farms side by side by creating skilled manpower and public awareness of goat rearing, coupled with supplying good quality goats from seven government goat development farms to the farmers at the upazila level. Prof Jalal Uddin Sarder of the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Rajshahi University said there are immense prospects of increasing export of goat meat by adopting artificial insemination programmes and increasing input support to medium-scale farmers, which will ease unemployment, meet nutritional needs, achieve economic independence and earn foreign currency. Substantial and sustainable boosting the rearing of black Bengal goats can be the best way of meeting protein demands coupled with promoting income generation and improving living and livelihood conditions of rural people. Prof Jalal Sarder said farming of Black Bengal goats has a vital role to play towards creating earning opportunities and reducing poverty besides meeting the protein demand of rural people. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: A meeting of the top leaders of five major political parties has begun in Baluwatar. Contemporary political affairs will be discussed in the meeting, it is shared. 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 other leaders are present in the meeting, the PM's secretariat informed. Source: National News Agency RSS

The import of green chilli has been started through Hili port in the district after six months. A green chilli laden truck entered into Bangladesh through the port around 8:30 pm last night, said Mahabub Hossain, import-export representative of Hili port. He said A Asha Banijjaloy imported the green chilli. Mahabub Hossain further said green chilli is being sold at Taka 120 per kg in the country. The import will decrease the prices of green chilli in the domestic market soon, he added. Then metric tons of green chilli were imported through this land port from India last night. Fifty MT would enter into Bangladesh today in five trucks, sources said. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Amnesty International's Secretary-General Dr Agnes Callamard called on Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. At a meeting held at Deuba residence, Budhanilakantha, on Friday, the two discussed the matters concerning transitional justice, press freedom and rights of the marginalized communities, among other contemporary issues, informed President Deuba's secretariat. Source: National News Agency RSS