Day: May 25, 2024

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), in an anti-crime drive, arrested an alleged top-listed firearms trader with two firearms and phensedyl in the district here last night. The arrested was identified as Rashikul Islam, 35, son of Abdur Rashid of Badarpur village under Godagari Upazila in the district, RAB sources said this noon. On a tip-off, a team of the elite force conducted a drive at Bidirpur area around 4.30 am and arrested him. The operation team recovered two one-shooter guns and 142 bottles of phensedyl from his possession, according to the RAB sources. The RAB team detained the person for his long involvement in firearms and drugs trading and trafficking. A case was recorded with Godagari Police Station in this connection and the arrested person, along with the seized firearms and drugs were handed over to police, the sources added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Bhadrapur municipality of Jhapa district has collected Rs 48.66 million in revenue in the last 10 months of the current fiscal year, 2023/24. The municipality has set a target of collecting Rs 55 million in revenue this fiscal year. It collected Rs 11.67 million more revenue during the period as compared to corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, 2022/23, said information officer, Netra Prasad Pokharel. The municipality had collected Rs 36.99 million in revenue in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Pokharel shared that the target of collecting the revenue set by the municipality could be achieved easily. Meanwhile, Bhadrapur municipality has spent Rs 517 million in the 10 months of the current fiscal year. The current expenditure was more than the capital expenditure while spending 52.63 per cent of the total budget of the municipality. It poured in 37.64 per cent towards capital expenditure in 10 months of the current fiscal year and 63.02 per cent towards capital, Pokharel a dded. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Two siblings died from electrocution at Barmotol village under Baliadanga upazila of the district last night. The deceased were identified as Tomij Uddin, 50, and his brother Rabiul Islam, 45, son of Dabij Uddin, residents of Barmotol village under Bhanor union of the upazila. Police said Tamij came into contact with a live electric wire when he was repairing a fan hanging from the ceiling. Seeing this, Rabiul rushed there and tried to rescue his brother but got electrocuted. Both of them died on the spot. Officer-in-Charge of Baliadanga Police Station Firoj Kabir said bodies were handed over to their family members after autopsy today. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Following continuous diplomatic efforts by the Government of Nepal, most of the border crossings with trade points with China are re-opening for service from today. This includes the Kimathangka transit at Sankhuwasabha. The border crossings were shut down by the Chinese government in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are being re-opened after four years of negotiations, dialogue and agreement between the high political leadership of Nepal and China. A total 14 border trade points in the northern region, including Kimathangka have remained closed for the past four years. An agreement was reached to gradually open all the trade points in the Nepal-China border region during the official visit to the People's Republic of China by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayankaji Shrestha last April. The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung, Tatopani-Jhangmu, Yari-Puran and Nechung-Lichi (Korala) trade points have already come into operation. Tiptala border crossing in Taplejung has also resumed operations fr om Friday. Meanwhile, a delegation led by DPM and Foreign Minister Shrestha including Chief Minister of Koshi Province Hikmat Kumar Karki, Joint Secretaries of Ministry of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs, Chief District Officer, High-ranking officials of security agencies in the district are going to Kimathangka today to participate in the opening ceremony of the re-operation of all 14 trade points on the Nepal-China border including Kimathangka. Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha will be joined by Vice President of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Silang Nima, to announce the re-operation of the trade points including Kimathangka-Chentang during a ceremony later today. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has shared that the Chinese side will open seven different border crossings from today and other border crossings will be opened gradually. Border crossings with Darchula, Dolpa, Mustang, Gorkha, Dolakha, Taplejung and Sankhuwasabha districts will be opened from today. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Kathmandu: Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal is attending the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) to be convened by the United Nations in Saint John's, capital of Antigua and Barbuda from 27 to 30 May. During the Conference, in her capacity as the Chair of the Global Coordination Bureau for the Group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Secretary Lamsal is scheduled to deliver a statement on behalf of the Group. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Secretary is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Conference. Foreign Secretary left Kathmandu for Antigua and Barbuda on Friday. The Conference is organized in every ten years with the aim to review the progress of the Small Island Developing States on sustainable development and propose a plan of action for the new decade. The Fourth Conference is being held under the theme of 'Charting the course toward resilient prosperity'. Foreign Secretary Lamsal will return to Kathmandu on 01 June. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Speakers at a programme have said music and literature could protect many things to retain social values and national pride. Music covers the areas that politics fails to incorporate, they argued. Addressing a programme organized to release a collection of songs, 'Nabhujhiyeko Jindagi', penned by former chief justice Kalyan Shrestha in Lalitpur on Friday, the speakers underlined that need for music and literary activism so that Nepal's identity and values could be made known to the world. On the occasion, musician Prof Deepak Janggam viewed quality production of Nepali songs and music would contribute to nation. Their values exist for centuries, he added. "The songs in this collection are however excellent. These are melodious and meaningful," he commented, adding that those devoted to music and literature must be active for the laws friendly to their rights. The outsiders without minimum ken of music push the devoted literati, singers and musicians to edge, he made aware. The former chief justice Shrest ha has also the identity of poet and lyricist. He however viewed himself as a new entrant to this field. Literature and creation are sources of knowledge, he stressed, adding that Nepal needs to augment its literature in the international arena as well. "Nepalis' lifestyle itself is musical," he observed. Similarly, musician Mahesh Khadka expressed worry that their copyright was not ensured. Nepal lacks laws friendly to creative people. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Kathmandu: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has directed all community and institutional schools in the metropolis to appoint information officers within May 27. In accordance with KMC's Communications and information Act, 2080, the KMC asked the community and institutional schools to inform it after assigning information officers within two days. According to Chef of KMC's Education Department, Govinda Prasad Sharma, KMC issued the directive again after only few schools assigned the information officers. The information officer should be the person in second position of the organisation. The KMC has now 87 community schools and 600 institutional schools. Meanwhile, training would be imparted to the applicants at skills fair in collaboration with local schools and campuses. The KMC has been organising skills fair from May 1. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Police have submitted a report, seeking a case against 35 people including a lawmaker on the charge of embezzling the fund of Chhipchhpe Users Cooperative. The office of the cooperative is located at Kawasoti municipality-3 in Nawalparasi Purba. The Police submitted the investigation report at the District Attorney's Office with a suggestion to file a case against 35 persons, determining that they had embezzled more than Rs 166.8 million savings of depositors. Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Nawalparasi Purba, Narahari Regmi, said the report suggested the District Attorney's Office that it made a member of House of Representatives Gita Basnet of Rastriya Prajatantra Party elected from Bardiya, her brother-in-law Nagendra Babu Rimal, cooperative manager Yogendra Pandey, cooperative chairperson Gopi Krishna Sharma, among others as defendants. Of them, 10 defendants are now in police custody and search for remaining 25 people absconding after the launch of investigation- including law maker Basnet- is underway, he added. The investigation of the police and cooperative registrar office revealed that the sitting manager Yogendra Pandey was the mastermind of the cooperative fund embezzlement. Pandey had served as chairperson of the cooperative for seven years. In course of the probe, Pandey was found issuing loan to his close persons without any collateral, mentioned Regmi. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Kathmandu: The parliamentary probe committee formed on embezzlement of cooperatives fund would make utmost efforts to forge consensus so that the parliamentary deadlock would end, said a committee member. Though an understanding was reached to form a probe committee one week ago after the Nepali Congress continued parliament obstruction demanding formation of a parliamentary probe committee on cooperative fund embezzlement, the parliament meeting is still obstructed in lack of finalization of terms of reference of the probe committee. A taskforce member and Chief Whip of the CPN UML, Mahesh Bartaula, told the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) that the government had a policy to adopt maximum flexibility to forge consensus in today's meeting of the taskforce. A signal was received that consensus would be forged in the panel meeting after the meeting of the top leaders of the major political parties held on Friday which ended in positive note on ending parliament impasse. Bartaula said they would involve in bo th formal and informal discussions all the day today and maximum efforts would be taken for consensus. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Padam Giri, has said the agreement would be forged by Sunday on the mandate and jurisdiction of the parliamentary investigative committee formed on cooperative fund embezzlement. During a press meet organized by the FNJ Parbat chapter here today, Minister Giri blamed the opposition parties behind delayed formation of probe committee. Once both sides become flexible, we can reach conclusion soon, he added. The Minister arrived in hometown, however, said the agreement would be made before the parliament meeting on Sunday, which will help take ahead the parliament proceeding. He informed that ruling parties were positive on the provision that the embezzled amount of cooperatives should be returned so that depositors would get justice. Minister Giri shared that the major opposition has backtracked from the stand of mentioning Home Minister's name in the investigation. However, the company and cooperatives embezzling the amount could be mentioned. Indicatin g a person from the very beginning would set a wrong precedent because investigative would show it later whether the person is involved or not, he reminded. On a different note, Minister Giri asserted that the government would finalize the bill relating to transitional justice bill soon. All political parties were positive on concluding backlogs of transitional justice, he added. According to him, the obstruction in parliament had stalled presentation of many bills, thereby affecting the province and local level activities. He made it clear that government was not for bringing budget through ordinance. "Opposition needs to cooperate with government to bring the budget on the constitutionally stipulated date," Minister Giri underlined. Source: National News Agency Nepal

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) has protested the recent Deutsche Welle (DW) documentary titled "Torturers deployed as UN peacekeepers", terming it "false and fallacious". This documentary presents a misleading portrayal of Bangladesh Army personnel in UN Peacekeeping Missions, said an ISPR rejoinder today. Bangladesh Army rigorously follows the UN's stringent selection and vetting protocols to ensure that only the most qualified and thoroughly vetted individuals are deployed, said the rejoinder. These measures underscore the Army's commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct and professionalism in peacekeeping missions. Furthermore, DW did not seek comments from the Bangladesh Army regarding the allegations presented in the documentary. This lack of balanced reporting raises concerns about the aim and objective of the documentary, said the rejoinder. It is pretty clear that the documentary was focused on defaming a law enforcing agency of Bangladesh showing irrelevant video foot ages. It was totally a biased media projection, which has largely compromised the credibility of the documentary. It has also raised questions about the motive behind it. It is crucial to recognise the significant contributions of Bangladesh to UN peacekeeping efforts. Bangladeshi peacekeepers have earned a reputation for their dedication, professionalism, and humanitarian approach. A total of 131 Bangladesh Army personnel have made supreme sacrifice and 239 sustained injuries while serving under the UN flag, embodying the spirit of selflessness and commitment to global peace. More so, the Bangladesh Army has a spotless record with no human rights violations while serving under the UN, a distinction shared by only a few countries. Given these facts, it is crucial for media outlets to adhere to the principles of fair and balanced reporting, especially on issues as vital as international peacekeeping. Misrepresentation and insufficient diligence can lead to eroding the credibility and effectiveness of peac ekeeping forces globally, added the rejoinder. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

A driver and his helper were killed in a road accident after a covered van rammed a lorry from behind on the Tangail-Bangabandhu Bridge highway in Pungli Bridge area under Kalihati upazila of the district today. The details about the driver and helper of the covered van could not be known immediately. The accident occurred in the area when the lorry and the covered van were going to Dhaka. On the way, the covered van driver lost control over the steering and rammed the lorry from behind around 5:30am, leaving driver and helper of the covered van died on the spot, officer-in-charge (OC) of Elenga Highway Police Outpost Mir Sajedur Rahman said. Police recovered the bodies from the spot and sent to Tangail General Hospital morgue for autopsy, the OC added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha