A 38-year-old restaurant manager who was on his way to work died after an oil tanker hit his bike in the city's Rampura area Friday morning. The deceased was identified as Abu Naser, the manager of a restaurant in the Gulshan area and son of Abu Taher from Eidgah Amin Bazar village in Noakhali district. "Naser was on his way to the eatery when the oil tanker coming from the opposite direction crashed into his bike near Farazy Hospital in Rampura," said Shahriar, a sub-Inspector at Rampura police station. READ: 3 killed in Ctg road crashes He fell off the bike in the impact and was crushed under the wheels of the oil tanker, said SI Shahriar. Naser was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in a critical condition, where doctors announced his death at 8.45 am, he said. READ: One killed in Joypurhat road crash The truck was seized and the driver and his assistant were arrested, the officer said.

Light to moderate  showers with thunderstorms hit several parts of Bangladesh including northern districts Dinajpur, Kurigram, Tangail, Pabna early on Friday morning, triggering chilly weather conditions at many places. Meanwhile it started drizzling in several places in Dhaka city after 12 pm , according to the met office. Dinajpur weather office, for instance, recorded 30.4 millimeters of rainfall from 4 am to 9 am, prompting the district to shiver at 13 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature in the past 24 hours was recorded at 11.2 degrees in Tetulia upazila and the highest temperature at 29.3 degrees in Mongla, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). Also read: Four days in a row, Tetulia records minimum temperature BMD, in a forecast for the next 24 hours commencing 9 am, said, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds is likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions."

Newly appointed justice of the appellate division of the Supreme Court FRM Nazmul Ahasan died of Covid on Friday before he could take his oath. The former High Court Division judge breathed his last at 6.15am at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College University (BSMMU), said Muhammad Saifur Rahman, spokesperson for the Supreme Court. Justice Nazmul had recently tested positive for Covid and got admitted to BSMMU, he said. His first namaz-e-janaza was held on the Supreme Court premises at 11am, said Saifur. Also read: Mother of BCB Director AJM Nasiruddin passes away On January 8, President Abdul Hamid appointed Justice Nazmul to the appellate division. On January 9, other justices, appointed along with FRM Nazmul Ahasan, were administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique. At the reception ceremony, Chief Justice had, however, said that Justice Nazmul would take his oath after recovery. Also read: TH Khan passes away The Chief Justice expressed "deep shock and sorrow" at the demise of Justice Nazmul and conveyed his condolences to the judge's family.

The overall number of Covid cases has surpassed 387 million as Omicron infections keep rising across the globe. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 387,549,471 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,710,191 Friday morning. The US has recorded 75,954,167 cases so far and 896,496 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows. Russia has confirmed 155,768 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the highest daily increase to date, taking the nationwide tally to 12,284,564, the official monitoring and response centre said on Thursday. The nationwide death toll increased by 667 to 333,357, while the number of recoveries increased by 10,337,008 to 10,390,732 Also read: Aid reaching disaster-hit Tonga brings first virus outbreak India's Covid-19 tally rose to 41,950,501 Thursday, as 147,183 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, the federal health ministry's latest data showed. Besides, 1,100 deaths from the pandemic since Wednesday morning took the total death toll to 500,087. Meanwhile, Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since last January, registered 26,099,735 cases as of Tuesday, while its Covid death toll rose to 630,001. Situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh reported 33 more Covid-linked deaths with 11,596 fresh cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning. The daily positivity rate further dropped to 25.86% from Wednesday's 27.43% after testing 44,843 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). On Wednesday, Bangladesh reported 36 more Covid-linked deaths with 12,193 fresh cases. The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,494 while the caseload mounted to 1,835,776. Among the new deceased, 22 were men and 11 women. Eighteen deaths were reported in Dhaka division, while six in Khulna, four in Rajshahi, two each in Chattogram and Sylhet, and one in Rangpur divisions. Meanwhile, the mortality rate further declined to 1.55%. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 33 more deaths with 11,596 fresh infections However, the recovery rate also declined to 86.13% with the recovery of 5,955 more patients during the 24-hour period. In January, the country reported 322 Covid-linked deaths and 2,13,294 new cases while 19,112 recovered from the disease, according to the DGHS. On January 28, Bangladesh logged its earlier highest daily positivity rate at 33.37% reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths. Bangladesh’s total tally of Omicron cases reached 69 with the detection of five more cases till January 23, according to GISAID, a global initiative on sharing all influenza data. On December 9 last year, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing. The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020. Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.

Four people were killed on Thursday as a microbus  hit an auto-rickshaw on Baburhat-Matlab road at Matlab Dakkhin upazila in Chandpur. The deceased were identified as auto-rickshaw driver Jashim Uddin Molla,49, Hanif bepari,28, from Puran Bazar area in Chandpur city, Nupur Begum,14 from Notun Bazar area and a 70-year old unidentified woman. The accident occurred on Thursday evening near Baradia Bazar area. According to witnesses, when the autorickshaw was heading toward Matlab upazila it collided  with the speeding microbus coming from the opposite direction, leaving driver Jashim dead on spot. Read: 2 killed in Gazipur road crash Of the five passengers of the auto-rickshaw three died at Chandpur Sadar Hospital. Jannat Aktar Popy, 25, was admitted to the hospital in critical condition and other injured passengers could not be identified yet, said Mohammad Mohiuddin Mia, Officer-in-Charge of Matab Dakkhin police station. The microbus  driver managed to flee, said OC Md Mohiuddin. After the accident agitated locals blocked  Baburhat road for nearly an hour but police later brought the situation under control.

A Rajshahi court on Thursday sentenced six people to life term imprisonment in a case over hacking a man to death for protesting stalking of his niece. Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal Judge Anup Kumar Ray pronounced the judgment. The court also fined the convicts Tk 10,000 each, in default, to suffer one year more imprisonment . Read: RAB uncovers another case of wrongful imprisonment; absconding convict arrested The court acquitted 15 other accused in the case . The lifers are Mintu Ali,35, Md Rana,21, Md Pana,25, Arif Hossain,25, Sharif Hossain,22, from Sultanpur village in Bagha upazila, and Arjed Ali alias Bhola,47, of Moniharpur village in Natore. On January 14, 2020, Nazmul Hossain was hacked to death at Sultastanpur village for protesting the stalking of his niece. A murder case was lodged at Bagha police station upon receiving a complaint from Nazmul’s father.

Police have arrested two youths in the case filed over the rape of a 9th grade school girl in Dholarhat of Thakurgaon Sadar. The arrestees are Ashraful,22, from old Thakurgaon area and Motiur,20, of Chilarong Bashgara area. Police made the arrests on Wednesday from the old Thakurgaon Bazar area, said Chittaranjan Roy, Officer-in-charge (OC) of Ruhia Police Station. On Tuesday night the girl was raped allegedly by her boyfriend, Sujan, a 10th grade student of Islamnagar High School and resident of Debiganj village, and 4-5 others including Ashraful and Biplob, according to her statement. Sujan took her to a poultry farm away from her house where his companions were waiting. Afterwards they left her unconscious near her house at midnight, she said. Read: RAB uncovers another case of wrongful imprisonment; absconding convict arrested Her father said that at around 3 am he heard his daughter crying in the yard. He came out of the house and found her bleeding. He also saw several injury marks on her body. That night, the girl was taken to a local doctor and a union parishad member was informed about the incident, her father said. On Wednesday noon, the victim's father filed a case against five people at Ruhia police station. OC Chittaranjan Roy of Ruhia police station said efforts are on to arrest the other accused.

The newly appointed chief justice of Bangladesh Justice Hasan Fayez Siddiqui on Thursday paid a courtesy call on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban. During the meeting, the chief justice briefed the president on various activities of the Supreme Court, especially the operation of virtual courts during Covid-19 pandemic. Justice Hasan also apprised the president of the steps taken to reduce the load of pending litigation. Congratulating him, the President said that the judiciary has been the last resort for the people to get justice.  The judiciary must continue its efforts to ensure that people get justice without any harassment, he said. Read: Canadian envoy presents credentials to President Hamid President Hamid hoped that under the leadership of the new chief justice, the judiciary would be able to meet the expectations of the people through speedy execution of justice. Secretary to the President's Office Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, Press Secretary to the President Md. Joynal Abedin and Secretary (attached) Wahidul Islam Khan were present on the occasion.

A Narayanganj court on Thursday directed Detective Branch (DB) of police to investigate a case against 15 people including BNP’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir , joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal  and 13 others over making derogatory comments on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Narayanganj Senior Judicial Magistrate Kawsar Ahmed accepted the case and directed the district DB police to investigate it. On December 22, Md Akram Hossain Badal, president of Joybangla Muktijoddha Projonmo League central committee, as a plaintiff appealed to Chief Judicial Magistrate Shamsad Begum’s court for filing a case. Also read: Filing ‘fictitious’ cases now a regular matter: Fakhrul Moazzem Hossain Alal was made the main accused in the case. The other accused in the case are BNP’s Ishraq Hossain, Major Delwar Hossain, Nurul Haque Nuru, Major (Retd) Shahidul Islam Khan, Md Nure Ilias Ripon, M Rahman Masum, Atiqur Rahman Shobuj, Jahangir Alam, Rezaul Karim, Ilias Molla, Zakir Hossain, Sheikh Md Titumir Akash and journalist Ilias Hossain. Plaintiff’s lawyer Nurul Huda said as a freedom fighter the plaintiff could not bear such comments on the Prime Minister and filed the case against these 15 people. Also read: Govt conspiring to "kill" Khaleda: Fakhrul

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said e-governance and innovation will make the service receiving easier and more comfortable ensuring transparency and accountability to the people. The MoFA said it has the necessary foundations for delivering e-governance promises and instituting innovation in its architectural framework.  This was acknowledged at an online training session on “E-governance and Innovation.” It was presided over by Secretary (West & ICT) Ambassador Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury. Wing Heads and officers of the ministry attended the session. Read: Bangladesh now an important economic, political partner: Germany Along with discussing the successful initiatives (digitalising consular services, implementation of E-nothi in the Ministry, meeting on Boithok platform) taken by the ICT wing of the ministry, senior officers of the Ministry suggested the future course of actions.  There will be a similar session to brief the missions on “E-governance and Innovation” next week and the process of reconstituting the innovation team will soon be finalised.  The chair thanked everyone for their presence in the session and requested everyone to provide their suggestions for easing of service provisions.