Day: June 10, 2024

The Beni-Jomsom-Korala road project under the Kaligandaki corridor has seen 80 percent of physical progress in eight years. The road infrastructure connecting Triveni along Nepal-India border with China's Korala border point is considered the 'fate line' of Gandaki province, which is important for infrastructure, economic, trade, hydropower, tourism and religious development. The project had started in 2073 BS to upgrade the 202-km road from Maldhunga (Parbat) to Korala border point (Mustang) via Myagdi and construct bridges over the rivulets along the road. Project Chief Dhruba Kumar Jha informed physical progress of the project till the mid second week of June was 80 percent. The road, estimated to cost Rs 10 billion, was targeted to be completed in the fiscal year 2079/80 BS. The project period has been extended till the fiscal year 2082/83 BS when the targeted works could not be completed within the stipulated time. According to project chief Jha, Rs 6 billion has been spent so far against the contr act of Rs 7 billion for the construction of roads and bridges. "Out of the target of blacktopping 105 kilometers, 48 kms have been blacktopped,. Five kilometers have been cemented and gravelling has been done along 85 kilometers of the road", he informed. Among 24 motorable bridges to be constructed along the road, contracts have been awarded for 19 bridges, he shared. "Construction of 10 bridges has been completed, five are in progress ", he said, adding contracts for four bridges have been terminated while contracts are yet to be made for five bridges". Source: National News Agency RSS

NEW YORK, Bangladesh suffered a heartbreaking four-run defeat to South Africa after failing to hold their nerve at a crunch moment in their second game of the T20 World Cup at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York today. With requiring 11 runs to win in the last over, Bangladesh went for glory shots instead of playing smart cricket which played a vital role in their slender margin defeat. South Africa played a gamble by giving left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj the last over but he rose to the occasion impeccably to give away just six runs and took two wickets as Bangladesh were restricted to 109-7 in the chase of South Africa's 113-6. On a tricky pitch, Bangladesh lost wickets early when Kagiso Rabada had Tanzid Hasan Tamim caught by de Kock behind the wicket for 9 and Maharaj then struck with the wicket of Liton Das. Anrich Nortje who was in superb form struck twice by dismissing Shakib Al Hasan and (3) and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (14) who opened the innings with Tanzid. He eventua lly claimed 2-17 from four overs to stifle Bangladesh at the halfway through the innings. With Bangladesh at 50-4, it still looked their game and the belief was further bolstered when Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah Riyad combined for a small but crucial 44-run for the fifth wicket. Hridoy top-scored with 37 off 34 with two fours and as many sixes before Rabada had him trapped leg-before to finish with 2-19. With Mahmudullah at the crease, Bangladesh still is believed to sneak home somehow. Ottneil Baartmen though didn't get any wicket, he delivered a good penultimate over, leaving Bangladesh 11 runs to win in the last over. Maharaj however defended the game smartly and boldly as he lured the batters to go for all out attack rather then depending on quick singles and twos. His high risk strategy paid off terrifically as both Jaker Ali Anik and Mahmudullah went for glory shots to give their wicket. Maharaj returned figures of 3-27 in four overs to be the best bowler of South African in manic afternoon in Ne w York. Earlier, Bangladesh bowlers once again put up a disciplined bowling show to restrict South Africa for just 113-6, a total that was below par, whatever the wicket was. All of the Bangladeshi bowlers maintained a nagging line and length in a pitch which was a home like wicket for them out of home. After the captain Aiden Markram surprisingly opted to bat first in a pitch where batting first is believed to be suicidal, Quinton de started with a brace of boundaries but Tanzim got the wicket of Reeza Hendricks for duck to help the side make a good start. He then claimed the big wicket of de Kock who made 18 and Tristan Stubbs for a duck before Taskin got the better of Aiden Markram (4), leaving South Africa a precarious 23-4 in just 4.2 overs. Henrich Klaasen and David Miller, the two natural stroke-makers put the ego behind to make a slow recovery and it initially looked paid off as they shared 79-run for the fifth wicket. They took 81 balls for that partnership, which slowed down the innings conside rably. However their plan to go for all out attack in the death overs didn't work with Taskin rattling the stump of Klaasen after he made team-best 46 off 44 with two fours and three sixes. In the next over, Rishad undid Miller with a delivery that had extra bounce and knock his stump. He scored 29 off 38 with one four and one six. Bangladesh bowlers then curbed the aggression of Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj with excellent bowling, giving the batters a mediocre target to chase. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

KHULNA, Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest festival of the Muslim ummah, the market for sacrificial animals under Khulna City Corporation (KCC) started on Monday on the premises of Zoragate Bazar area. Mayor of the KCC Talukder Abdul Khaleque inaugurated the cattle market-2024 by releasing balloons as the chief guest. Panel mayor S M Rafiuddin Ahmed and convener of the KCC's cattle market, presided over the function. Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) commissioner Md Mozammel Haque, Chief Executive Officer of KCC Sanzida Begum, additional commissioner of KMP Sarder Rakibul Islam, councilors and officers of the KCC were present during the inauguration ceremony. The cattle market started with all the modern management facilities including round-the-clock security through CCTV cameras, ensuring uninterrupted power supply, and detection of counterfeit notes under the management of Bangladesh Bank and effectuation (Hasil) in computerised system. The law enforcement agencies are working round the clock to ensure the maximum security for customer and cattle trader. Talking to BSS today, Commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Md Mozammel Haque said, "We have taken three-tier security measures with a number of CCTV cameras at the Zoragate cattle market." "Besides, we have introduced a special traffic management system to ease traffic congestion in and around the markets in the city," he added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

CHATTOGRAM, A total of 234 marginal poor, landless and homeless families of Chattogram district are expected to get homes from the government in fifth phase tomorrow before the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha as Prime Minister's Eid gift. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hand over these semi-pucca tin-shed houses to them on June 11 before the Eid-ul-Azha, official sources said here today. Abul Bashar Mohammad Fakruzzaman, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chattogram, at a press briefing at DC's conference room here said keys of those houses would be handed over to those families through a function on June 11. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to join the function through a video conference from her official Ganabhaban residence. As a result, Chattogram district is becoming landless and homeless free. It is known that out of 234 houses, 155 families in Chandanish Upazila, 34 families in Mirsarai, 45 families in Sitakunda. According to the official sources, each of the houses has been constructed in the fifth phas e under the Asrayan-2 project. In this phase, more than 234 families will get houses as the gift from the government in three upazila of the district. Meanwhile, out of 15 upazilas of the district, Patiya, Karnaphuli, Satkania, Lohagara, Raozan, Boalkhali, Anwara, Fatikchari, Hathajari, Rangunia, Banshkhali, Mirsarai upazilas have been declared landless and homeless free earlier. The Deputy Commissioner said a total of 1,444 houses were allotted in the 1st phase in Chattogram district with two Shatak of land with full government funding. In the second phase, 649 houses were allotted to 649 families in same condition. In the third phase, 1,962 houses were allotted . In the fourth phase, 1,223 houses were allotted to 1,223 families . In the fifth phase, 234 houses have been allotted so far. Various non-government organizations and individuals have now come forward to join this unique initiative of the Prime Minister, sources said. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

KHULNA, Ananda Mohon Biswas, G M Mohsin Reza and Ezaz Ahmed were elected chairman unofficially of Paikgachha, Koyra and Dumuria upazila respectively in the 6th Upazila Parishad election held on Monday. The results were announced unofficially in the Khulna District Administration conference room last night. Ananda Mohon Biswas was elected chairman in Paikgachha Upazila Parishad. He secured 33.466 votes while his nearest competitor Sheikh Kamrul Hasan Tipu bagged 30,917 votes. Besides, S M Abdul Wahab Bablu was elected vice chairman Anita Rani Mondal was elected the female vice chairman. G M Mohsin Reza was elected as chairman in Koyra upazila. He bagged 3,917 votes while his nearest rival candidate S M Shafiqul Alam got 27,323 votes. Adv Mehedi Hasan was elected as Vice Chairman and Nasima Alam as Female vice chairman of the upazila. In Dumuria upazila, Ezaz Ahmed won by getting 70,519 votes. His closest rival Muminur Rahman Nayan got 39,415 votes. Gobina Ghosh was elected vice chairman in the upazila and Sharmin Parveen Ruma was elected female vice chairman. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DHAKA, A training workshop on Right to Information Act, 2009 was held at Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) office today. Chief News Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Omar Faruque presided over the workshop while deputy director of Information Commission Shahadat Hossain was present as trainer. Special Correspondent and member of the Board of Directors of BSS Mahfuza Jasmine moderated it while Chief Reporter of BSS Tareq Al Naser and chief administrative officer Mohammad Ali Khan Opu, among others, spoke at the event. Omar Faruque said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina enacted the RTI Act in 2009, so that the country's people can get information properly and no one can spread rumours, misinformation and disinformation in the society. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DHAKA, Water levels at 39 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked rise while 67 stations recorded fall. Among the 110 monitored river stations, four have been registered steady and water levels at all river stations are flowing above the danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said here today. The Brahmaputra-Jamuna rivers are in falling trend, which may continue in next 48 hours. The Ganges is in steady state, on the other hand the Padma river is in falling trend, which may continue in next 48 hours, it said. Water level of Manu, Someswari and Bhugai rivers in the North-eastern region of the country are in rising trend while other main rivers in that region are in steady state which may continue in next 24 hours. Significant rainfall was recorded at some stations in different districts of Bangladesh during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today. A total of 135 mm rainfalls were recorded at Sylhet, 56mm at Jariajanjail (Netrokona), 52mm at Habiganj, 50mm a t Durgapur (Netrokona), 123mm at Pateswari (Kurigram), 56mm at Panchagarh, 52mm at Mymensingh and 47mm at Kamalganj (Moulvibazar. During the past 24 hours, significant rainfalls (mm) were recorded at some states of India - West Bengal, Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya, the bulletin added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DHAKA, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hand over 18,566 more houses to homeless and landless families across the country tomorrow under the government's flagship housing programme-Ashrayan-2 Prakalpa- to ensure housing for all. The premier will inaugurate the handing over activities of homes along with the ownership documents of land to the beneficiaries at 11am tomorrow directly connecting to Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat, Eidgaon upazila of Cox's Bazar and Char Fashion upazila of Bhola through videoconferencing from her official Ganabhaban residence here. Along with handing over the houses to 18,566 homeless and landless families under the second stage of the fifth phase of Ashrayan-2 Prakalpa, she will also declare 70 more upazilas including all upazilas of 26 districts free from landless and homeless people. The Prime Minister will distribute 1,282 houses in Lalmonirhat, 261 in Cox's Bazar and 1,234 in Bhola districts tomorrow. With the new landless and homeless people-free districts and upazilas , the total number of the districts will stand at 58 while the upazilas will be 464 across the country. Earlier, the Prime Minister distributed 63,999 houses in the first phase, 53,330 in second phase, 59,133 in third phase and 39,365 in the fourth phase of the Ashrayan-2 Prakalpa across the country. Under the project, each of the landless and homeless families is being given a semi-pucca house on two decimals of land with the ownership, which will belong to both husband and wife. Each house is consists of two bedrooms, one kitchen, one toilet and veranda. Talking to reporters, Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner (DC) said Muhammad Shahin Imran said a total of 4,666 houses were distributed among the homeless and landless people in the district under the Ashrayan Prakalpa earlier while 261 more houses will be distributed tomorrow. 'Along with handing over these 261 houses, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will declare Cox's Bazar as homeless and landless people-free district tomorrow,' he added. Shahin said that the Ashrayan project not only gives shelter to the homeless and landless people of the district but also creates opportunities for employment generation and makes them self-reliant. According to the project details, a total of 266,012 landless and homeless families were rehabilitated in the first, second, third, fourth and the first stage of the fifth phases of the Ashrayan-2 Prakalpa while 18,566 more families are going to be rehabilitated tomorrow in the second stage of the fifth phase of the project. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced the rehabilitation programme for homeless people in 1972. Following the footprints of Bangabandhu, her daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the initiative to provide ownership of houses and lands to homeless and landless people through the Ashrayan project in 1997. Under the Ashrayan project, a total of 771,301 families have been rehabilitated so far since 1997. The number of rehabilitated people is 3,856,505 (estimated as five persons in a family). So far 4,340,000 people of 867,904 landless and homeless families have been rehabilitated under the Ashrayan and other programmes across the country while 2,910,265 people of 582,053 landless and homeless people have been rehabilitated under the Ashrayan Prakalpa only, the document said. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

NEW DELHI, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today sought Sri Lankan investment in Bangladesh's tourism sector for mutual benefits of the two friendly countries. She made the appeal at a courtesy meeting with President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe at her Place of Residence here this morning. "A discussion on how Sri Lankan investment can come to Bangladesh in its tourism sector was held as Sri Lanka is much ahead in tourism sector," Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud told a news briefing after the meeting. The two leaders also had a detailed discussion on mutual cooperation in agriculture and maritime sectors, he said. "The meeting was just a courtesy call-on. But, the entire gamut of bilateral relations was discussed elaborately," he added. The Sri Lankan president thanked the Bangladesh premier to help his country financially in their critical time. Sheikh Hasina invited the Sri Lankan president to visit Bangladesh. In reply, Wickremesinghe said that he has a desire to visit Bangladesh, but the electi on in his country is ahead. Senior Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and PM's Press Secretary M Nayeemul Islam Khan were present at the briefing. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DHAKA, One dengue patient died and 47 dengue patients were hospitalised in the last 24 hours till this morning, according to the daily statement of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). During the period, 16 dengue patients were hospitalised in Dhaka city while 31 were admitted to different hospitals outside the capital, the statement added. This year, the total number of cases rose to 3,103 while 39 deaths from dengue disease were reported during the same period. In the past 24 hours, 40 dengue patients were discharged from different hospitals. Among the total cases, 1,917 patients have already been released, the DGHS statement added. Last year, the country recorded 1,705 dengue-related deaths and a total of 3,21,179 dengue cases. On May 29, eighteen wards under two city corporations of Dhaka are at high risk of dengue, according to a survey released recently. The risky wards of Dhaka North City Corporation are 12, 13, 20, 36, 31, 32, 17 and 33 while the vulnerable wards of Dhaka South Ci ty Corporation are- 4, 13, 52, 54, 16, 3, 5, 15, 17 and 23, the survey added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

CHAPAINAWABGANJ, A total of 2,06,793 people of the district would get rice on the occasion of Eid Ul Azha this year under Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme of the government. 2,067.93 tonnes of rice has been allocated for the purpose in the district in 2023-2024 financial year. Each of the VGF card holders would get 10 kgs of rice. According to the Relief and Rehabilitation wing of the Deputy Commissioner's office, ultra poor and destitute people of five upazilas and four municipalities of the district in "ka" and "kha" categories would get the rice under VGF programme. The sources added that 548.490 tonnes of rice has been allocated against 54,849 cards in sadar upazila, 738.350 tonnes against 73,835 cards in Shibganj, 338.020 tonnes against 33,802 cards in Gomostapur, 174.880 tonnes against 17,488 cards in Nachole and 98.750 tonnes against 9,875 cards in Bholahat upazilas of the district. Besides, 46.210 tonnes of rice has been allocated against 4,621 cards in each of Chapainawabganj , Shibganj and Rohonpur municipalities and 30.810 tonnes against 3,081 cards in Nachole municipality, the sources further added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

DHAKA, Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Dr Abdul Malek today said the people are becoming empowered through right to information act as the act guarantees free flow of information and people's right to information. "We have to keep in mind that getting information is not an opportunity, rather it is the right of everyone to get information in time," he said while addressing a workshop held at the conference room of the Information Commission of Bangladesh here. He said, "Right to information act has played a significant role in establishing good governance, transparency and accountability in the country." Urging all to publish information in time in line with the provisions of the existing laws, the CIC warned of punitive measures if anyone does not provide the information to the people. Information commissioners - Masuda Bhatti and Shahidul Alam apprised workshop of various matters related to right to information. Secretary of Information Commission Zubaida Nasreen, among others, were p resent at the event, said a press release. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha