Bangladesh
Work hard to provide maximum service to people, IGP tells new recruits
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed on Thursday asked the newly appointed police members to work diligently to provide maximum services to the people.
The IGP was addressing the concluding parade of the 164th Trainee Recruit Constable (TRC) batch at the parade ground of Bangladesh Police Academy in Sarada of Rajshahi.
"People will come to you for any problem. Always be ready to serve them,” he said.
He asked them to be prepared mentally to perform duty in any situation. “You have to emphasize national interests, state interests and social interests above personal interests.”
Also read: Legal action against depot fire culprits after probe, says IGP
The police chief said the main duty of the force is to maintain internal peace and order in the country, control crime, suppress terrorism and militancy, prevent drug abuse and spread.
“The society is changing. That is why crime is also variable,” he said, adding that police have acquired the ability to use modern technology to deal with new crimes and tactics.
"We will not tolerate any injustice done by any policeman," the IGP said.
The police force will not take responsibility if any police member commits anything wrong, Benazir said.
“We do not want to be a 'news headline' by wrongdoing. I want to be a 'news headline' with good work. We want to be close to the people,” he said.
The IGP also urged the police members to protect the young generation from drugs, juvenile crimes as well as from getting involved in militancy.
Also read: IGP asks new DIGS to do their best for people’s welfare
As per the revised recruitment rules, 453 trainees have successfully completed the six-month basic training of the recruited TRCs.
Eid-ul-Azha in Bangladesh on July 10
The holy Eid-ul-Azha, the second biggest religious festival of the Muslims, will be celebrated in the country on July 10 (Sunday) as the new moon of the Arabic month of Zilhaj was sighted in Bangladesh sky on Thursday.
The decision was made at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee after reviewing information about the sighting of the Jilhaj moon, said Md Abdul Awal Hawlader, additional secretary to the Religious Affairs Ministry.
The meeting was held at the office of the Islamic Foundation at Baitul Mukarram in the evening with Awal Hawlader in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, he said the moon of the holy month of Jilhaj was sighted in the sky of Bangladesh today (Thursday).
Awal also said the month of Zilhajj will begin on July 1 (Friday). “So, the Eid-ul-Azha will be cleared in Bangladesh on July 10.”
Muslims celebrate the Eid-ul-Azha on the 10th of Zilhaj to uphold the true spirit of sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim (AS).
On this day, some 4,000 years ago, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) had offered to sacrifice his son Ismail, who willingly submitted to the will of his father to please Allah.
But the Almighty in His benign mercy spared Hazrat Ismail and instead sent a ram to be sacrificed.
Muslims all over the world slaughter sacrificial animals to commemorate the historic event on the day. They will also offer prayers in congregations and sacrifice animals in the name of Almighty Allah.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries will celebrate Eid-ul-Azha on July 9. The religious festival marks the end of hajj which will start this year on July 6.
College teacher killing in Savar: Prime accused Jitu put on 5-day remand
A Dhaka court on Thursday placed Ashraful Ahsan Jitu, the prime accused in college teacher Utpal Kumar Sarkar murder case, on a 5-day remand.
Dhaka Senior Judicial Magistrate Rajib Hasan passed the order when he was produced before the court.
Emdadul Haque, sub-inspector of Ashulia Police Station and investigating officer of the case, sought a 10-day remand for Jitu.
READ: Rape on moving bus in Savar: 5 put on remand
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) handed over Jitu to Ashulia police Thursday afternoon. He was detained from Sripur of Gazipur on Wednesday evening by the elite force.
On Tuesday, police arrested Jitu’s father Ujjal from Kushtia’s Kumarkhali. A Dhaka court on Wednesday put him on a 5-day remand.
Utpal Kumar Sarkar, a teacher of Haji Yunus Ali School and College in Savar’s Ashulia who suffered critical injuries allegedly after Jitu, a 10th grader of the same educational institution, beat him up with a cricket stump in Savar, died at Enam Medical College and Hospital in the early hours of Monday.
HC seeks explanation about birth certificate of street children
The High Court on Thursday issued a rule seeking explanation as to why a direction should not be given to provide birth certificate to street children .
It also wanted to know why not giving birth certificates to the street children should not be declared illegal .
The bench of Justice Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Khizir Hayat issued the rule after hearing a petition.
Women and children affairs secretary, home secretary, registrar of the Office of the Registrar General, Birth and Death Registration have been made the respondents to the rule.
Read: HC issues rule on ethics code for news media
Respondents have been asked to respond to the rule within the next four weeks.
The court also directed the respondents to submit a progress report within three months on the measures taken to provide birth certificate to the street children.
Advocate Taposh Kanti Bol and advocate George Chowdhury stood for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Bipul Bagmar represented the state.
On May 20, the social welfare organisation ‘Sports for Hope and Independence’ filed the writ petition to give birth certificate to street children.
Blue Economy: Dhaka calls for joint efforts to harness marine resources
Bangladesh has sought a joint blue economy approach to harness the untapped marine resources that can be useful in tackling poverty, food insecurity, unemployment, energy crisis and ecological imbalances towards strengthening the sustainable development process.
“Oceans are the potential and versatile resource-frontiers for humankind, but remains under-explored and unexploited,” said secretary of the Maritime Affairs Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rear Admiral (Retd.) Md. Khurshed Alam.
Bangladesh along with some other countries co-hosted the event titled “Fostering international and regional cooperation in support of the sustainable development of the blue economy in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS” organised by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 2nd UN Ocean Conference being held in Lisbon, Portugal.
Also read: Ecnec clears a Tk 1092-cr project to widen Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive
The vice-president of Tanzania, foreign and tourism minister of Tonga, minister of international development of Norway, ministers, high representatives and experts from the member states also attended the event, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Khurshed emphasized the need of fostering international and regional cooperation to develop strategies in support of the sustainable development of the blue economy in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS.
He elaborated that states and organizations in developing regions may not have the capacity to develop and manage their own shared marine resources, as they lack the necessary information, expertise or the financial capacity to follow through with planning and operations.
External assistance can be valuable, and sometimes essential, in establishing shared international marine resources arrangements, Khurshed said.
Also read: Blue Economy Dev: Govt to take project on Tuna, similar pelagic fishing in deep Sea
Panelists opined that regional and international cooperation is crucial to develop marine scientific knowledge and research capacity to leverage the benefits offered by the blue economy.
They said transfer of technology can create enabling conditions in the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS states to participate effectively in existing and emerging ocean sectors of the blue economy. Representatives also viewed strongly that strategic partnership is necessary for harnessing the benefits of the blue economy.
The seminar was wrapped up with commitments to forging wider regional and international cooperation, devising mechanisms for technology transfer and financing the blue economy.
50 spotted doves poisoned to death in Chandpur; Probe on
Around 50 spotted doves have been poisoned to death at an Aman paddy field at Charpuramukhi village under Haimchar upazila of Chandpur.
On information, Haimchar upazila agriculture officer Debbrato Sarkar visited the spot Wednesday afternoon.
Debbrato Sarkar told UNB that these ill-fated doves used to come to the Aman paddy seedbed in search of food. Some locals killed the doves by giving poison.
Also read: Two bulls poisoned to death in Kushtia
“It is inhumane. Killing birds is a crime and a threat to the environment. I have asked the locals not to kill birds like dove,” he said.
An investigation is underway to find out the culprits and bring them to the book, added the agriculture officer.
Earlier on February 25, more than a hundred of doves were poisoned to death in the same upazila.
Farmer Swapan Dewan was fined Tk 2,000 for committing the crime, said Debbrato Sarkar.
Also read: 16 monkeys poisoned to death in Madaripur
The spotted dove is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon that is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia including Bangladesh.
Experts raise red flag over Bangladesh’s entry into Int’l Energy Charter Treaty
Experts expressed concern over Bangladesh's entry into the International Energy Charter Treaty (IECT) as it may allow the foreign companies a free hand with their investment.
Though Dhaka signed “International Energy Charter” on May 20 in 2015, it is still unclear if it approved the deal.
Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, professor at the International Relation Department of Dhaka University, voiced the concern while making a presentation at a dialogue with journalists at Bishwo Shahitto Kendro (BSK) organized by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB).
The keynote presentation was tiled: Bangladesh Energy Transition Policy and Energy Charter Treaty.
Also read: TEI GET to promote renewable energy in Bangladesh
Vice president of CAB Prof M Shamsul Alam, who presided over the function, said it’s not clear if Bangladesh has approved the charter and got full membership to the organization.
"If Bangladesh approves the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), it will bring disaster to the country’s energy sector as the country will virtually lose its sovereign authority to control the foreign companies operating and those who will invest in the future,” he said.
Prof Tanzimuddin said a signatory to the ECT will have an obligation to allow foreign investment without any commitment to use local resources and equipment.
As a result, the local resources and equipment, despite having all efficiency, will have no use in any project in Bangladesh.
He said if the country wants to get out of the ECT, it will have to wait for 20 years as its obligation will exist for the period.
He also noted that in case of dispute with any foreign investor, it has to be settled through an international arbitration court and the country has to share half of the cost no matter whether it loses or wins the legal battle.
He said many signatories including Germany, Sweden and Hungary faced bad experience in dealing with foreign investment.
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Now, they are trying to get out of the ECT to regain control on foreign investment, he added.
Flood death toll reaches 92 : DGHS
Flood claimed four more lives in the country in 24 hours till Thursday morning, raising the total fatalities to 92.
Al the latest victim died by drowning in floodwater in Sherpur, Sunamganj and Habiganj districts , according to the Directorate general of Health services (DGHS).
Among the deceased, 66 people have died by drowning in floodwater, 14 from lightning strike, two from snake biting, one from diarrhoea, and nine due to other reasons.
The total deaths were recorded from May 17 to June 30.
Meanwhile, Flood Forecasting & Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said there is chance of heavy rainfall at places of the the northern and north-eastern Bangladesh along with Assam, Meghalaya and Sub-Himalayan WestBengal (Jalpaiguri, Sikkim) of India in next 24 hours.
As a result, basically the major rivers of northern Bangladesh (Teesta, Upper Atrai, Dharla, Dudhkumar, Upper Karotoa, Tangon, Punarbhaba and Kulikh) may rise rapidly during this period.
Read: Flood claims five lives in 24 hours; death toll now 73
Flood situation in Kurigram and Dinajpur districts of northern region and Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj & B’baria districts of northeastern region may remain steady in next 24 hours, it said in their latest warning.
However, the flood situation is unlikely to worsen further after mid-July, reports Bangladesh Weather Observation Team – BWOT, an independent weather research group.
Specialised hospital in Ukhiya for host community, Rohingyas to start operation soon
A new specialised hospital in Ukhiya, Cox’s bazar will soon begin operation to provide health services for both Bangladeshi host community and the Rohingyas living in the adjacent camps.
The “Ukhiya Specialized Hospital” was constructed and equipped by UNHCR to provide timely specialist interventions for patients in need of lifesaving interventions and those who require secondary care.
Health secretary Dr Md, Anwar Hossain Howlader, Disaster Management and Relief secretary Md Kamrul Hasan and UNHCR Representative Johannes Ven Der Klaauw signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday, committing UNHCR to build the premises of the hospital, provide all necessary equipment, and contribute initially to the personnel costs.
The MoU also stipulates that the health and family welfare ministry will progressively take over the management of the facility and the costs for all human resources, to take full responsibility by the end of a three-year period.
Also read: ADB gives $41.4 mln in grant to help improve infrastructure, manage the basic needs of Rohingyas
The hospital will provide outpatient services for surgery, trauma care, eye and dental care, physiotherapy and palliative care, while it also includes a 24/7 emergency unit, state of the art laboratory and diagnostic facility.
Medical and support staff from the health ministry and UNHCR partner organizations Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK), Relief International and Orbis will provide services at the hospital.
BERC orders Petrobangla to return Tk 12,227 cr to ESF and GDF funds
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission has directed state-owned Petrobangla to return Tk 12,227.44 crore to its two original funds—the energy security fund (ESF) and the Gas Development Fund (GDF).
The energy regulator’s latest directive which came as the BERC Order No-2022/7, in detail, was released on June 27 and uploaded on its website on the same day.
However, BERC gave its brief order on June 4 raising gas prices by average 23 percent at retail consumer level.
Also read: Petrobangla to scrap compensation clause in future gas pacts?
As per the BERC Verdict, the Petrobangla has to now return Tk 9227.44 crore to ESF Fund and Tk 3000 crore with interest to the GDF fund which the organization had taken away and used for different purposes.
The verdict did not dictate a specific date for the Petrobangla as to when it has to return the funds.
The order came as a follow-up of the public hearing on gas prices held on March 21 in the city’s BIAM Auditorium where different consumer right groups, including Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) termed the ESF and GDF fund as consumers’ money which they paid in addition to their bills for gas field development and security purposes.
But the Petrobangla used some of the funds for different other purposes while deposited to the government exchequer as per a Finance Ministry order.
The CAB and other right groups pleaded with the BERC to return the amount to the original funds and ensure its use only for gas field development and the gas sector’s security purpose through a transparent way which will be monitored by consumers representatives.
CAB Vice President M Shamsul Alam welcomed the verdict and said that now an obligation has been created on the part of the Petrobangla to return the fund.
Also read: Proposed gas price hike: Petrobangla under fire at public hearing
He said if Petrobangla does not abide by the BERC order, the regulator can punish or fine the responsible officials of Petrobangla for violating the verdict
He said if the Petrobangla fails to fulfill its legal obligation, the CAB will move the court to force the organization to implement the order.