Bangladesh
HC turns down writ seeking enactment of law for EC formation
The High Court on Sunday rejected a writ petition seeking its directive to enact a law for the formation of the Election Commission as per Article 118 (1) of the Constitution. A bench of Justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah turned down the petition. Advocate Md Yarul Islam appeared for the writ petitioner while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state.
Read: HC orders judicial probe into attacks on Hindus in 6 districts On October 13, the writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking its directive to enact a law for the formation of the Election Commission as per Article 118 (1) of the Constitution. The writ petition sought the suspension of all activities related to the formation of the Election Commission till the enactment of the law. The writ petition was filed by Advocate Md Yarul Islam, a lawyer of the Supreme Court and secretary general of Bangladesh Congress, a registered political party. The Law Secretary and the Chief Election Commissioner were made respondents to the writ. Advocate Md Yarul Islam said, "It’s possible to formulate a law to form the EC within a week if the government wants. Part VII of the Constitution states what would be the law for the formation of the Election Commission.”
Read:HC summons ACC assistant director over allegation of bribery On October 7, Law Minister Advocate Anisul Huq said the Election Commission will be constituted through a search committee. “It won’t be possible right now due to the Covid-19 pandemic as the tenure of the current EC will expire in February next,” he added.
Govt to procure 9.5 lakh mts foodgrains this fiscal year: Minister
The government will procure a total of 9.5 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains from the farmers across the country in the current fiscal year, according to a decision on Sunday.
Under the programme, three lakh metric tonnes of paddy, five lakh metric tonnes of boiled rice and 1.5 lakh metric tons of wheat will be procured.
The decision was taken at an online meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) chaired by Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Sunday.
Read:Food grain storage capacity to be increased to 35 lakh mts by 2030: Food Minister
The government has fixed the paddy procurement price at Tk 27 per kg, boiled rice at Tk 40 per kg and wheat at Tk 28 per kg, said Sadhan Chandra.
The paddy procurement drive will begin on November 7 while the wheat procurement drive on April 1 in 2022, he said.
In order to ensure fair prices to the farmers and increase food stock, the government procures paddy and rice every year during the Boro season but only rice is collected during the Aman season.
Speech-impaired teen raped in city
A 13-year-old speech-impaired girl was reportedly raped in Sheora Railgate area in Bhatara of the capital on Saturday night.
The victim has been sent to one-stop crisis centre (OCC) at Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment and forensic test.
Read:Housewife ‘gang-raped’ in Bhola’s Monpura: Police
Assistant Sub-Inspector Md Parvez of Bhatara Police Station said a man was arrested in this connection.
He said that it has not been confirmed yet whether one or more people raped the girl.
Read:Mother-daughter gang raped; 2 arrested
However, OCC sources said that it will be confirmed after the forensic test.
Process is underway to file a case in this regard, the ASI added.
Rahimafrooz receives Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial Award 2020
Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy Limited has been awarded the “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial Award 2020” for its outstanding contribution in the solar power sector.
A total of 23 companies have received ‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial Award 2020’ in seven categories for their contributions to the country’s economic growth.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun distributed the award among the recipients at a programme at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Thursday.
Read: Rahimafrooz Renewable Energy wins Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial Award
Munawar Misbah Moin, managing director and Engineer Mohin Habib, chief executive officer of the company, were present on the occasion.
This was the first time that the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Award was introduced in seven categories.
The award will be given every year from now on, Industries Ministry Deputy Secretary Mostaq Ahmed told the function.
Man to die for killing wife in Khulna
A court in Khulna on Sunday sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in 2020.
The convict is Rafiq Sheikh of Fakirhat upazila in Bagerhat district. The court also fined him Tk 50,000.
Read: Faridpur man to die for killing wife in arson attack
The court also sentenced Rafiq to seven years imprisonment under another section of the case and fined him Tk 25,000, in default, to suffer one year more rigorous imprisonment.
Khulna District and Sessions Judge Mashiur Rahman Chowdhury handed down the verdict.
According to the prosecution, Mariam Begum, 25 of Fakirhat upazila got married to Rafiq in 2017 and the couple used to fight over family .
Rafique used torture Mariam suspecting that she had extramarital affair.
Rafique took Mariam to a betel leaf field where he killed her hitting with a brick and set her ablaze by pouring kerosene on August 12, 2020.
Police recovered the charred body of Mariam, two days after the incident on August 15.
Read:Feni man to die for killing wife on Facebook live
Halima Begum, mother of the victim, lodged a complaint with Rupsha Police Station.
A case was filed against four people in this connection.
On December 31, 2020, police submitted a chargesheet accusing Rafique.
After examining the records and 15 witnesses, Khulna District and Sessions Judge handed down the verdict.
Egyptair’s passenger flight operation from Dhaka likely to be delayed
Launching of flight operation of Egyptair, the state-owned flag carrier of Egypt, between Dhaka and Cairo is likely to get delayed due to increase in airport taxes worldwide.
“Due to Coronavirus pandemic, the Egyptair, like other airlines, has to readjust taxes in their reservation system at different destinations across the globe. Thus it is taking time,” Farhad Hossain, executive director and chief operating officer of the Alo Dhaka Aviation, the general sales agent (GSA) of Egyptair, told UNB.
Earlier on September 11, Egyptair announced its direct regular flights from Dhaka to Cairo on November 1, 2021.
Read: US-Bangla to resume Dhaka-Kolkata flights from October 21
“Now, it could be delayed, and we hope we could be able to launch the non-stop flight operation on Dhaka - Cairo - Dhaka sometime in December,” Farhad added.
He said that all the necessary arrangements and preparations are in progress to make a regular flight operation of Egyptair. He noted two flights a week would initially operate between Dhaka and Cairo.
“The frequency of the flight operations will be increased further from January 2022,” he said.
Egyptair has operations to over 80 destinations in different cities worldwide, including 15 domestic destinations in Egypt.
Officials of ALO Dhaka Aviation Limited – GSA of Egypt Air said they would announce several packages for the passengers and tour operators to encourage people to visit historical tourist sites in Egypt, including pyramids and some other attractive museums.
In addition, many Bangladeshi nationals who live abroad can also travel through Egyptair to take transit in Cairo to their destinations across the world as the airline has huge connectivity with other cities, and Egypt Air is a member of Star Alliance.
Read: Bangladesh-India flight frequency ‘to increase’
Egyptair officials said the start of its direct flights between Dhaka and Cairo would offer an excellent opportunity for different stakeholders to visit Egypt, Europe, Africa, and North America.
In addition, it would reflect the exchange of businesses, cargo, and hosting Bangladeshi students in Egyptian universities and tourists who would come to explore the multifaceted Egyptian tourism they hoped.
Egyptair, headquartered at Cairo International Airport, currently has a fleet of 69 modern aircraft and operates scheduled passenger and freight services to over 80 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
24 people sued over clashes at Chittagong Medical College
A case has been filed against 24 people in connection with the clashes between two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Chittagong Medical College (CMC) campus.
A section of BCL, led by Toufiqur Rahman, a 5th year student, lodged the complaint against 16 identified and eight unidentified people with Panchlaish Police on Saturday night, said officer-in-charge Zahidul Kabir.
Read: Chittagong Medical College closed indefinitely after clashes
Police also arrested Raktim Dey, 21 and Enamul Hossain alias Shimanto, 21, 2nd year students of the medial college, on Saturday night.
They are also number 11 and 15 accused in the case.
CMC was shut down on Saturday for an indefinite period following a series of clashes between two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on its campus.
Earlier, at least three CMC students were injured in clashes between two groups of BCL of the medical college unit over establishing their dominance on the campus.
The three injured -- Mahfuzul Haque, 23, Naimul Islam, 20 and Md Akib Hossain, 20— were admitted to the CMCH.
Meanwhile, Akib Hossain underwent a surgery and has been kept at the ICU of the hospital, said Ranjan Kumar Nath, head of the ICU department of the hospital.
Campus sources said the two BCL groups-- one loyal to a former mayor and another loyal to a junior minister--locked in a clash on Friday night.
In a sequel to it, they engaged in clashes on Saturday morning and chased each other forcing the authorities to close the college for an indefinite period.
Read: 2 killed, 30 injured in clash over dominance in Narsingdi
Panchlaish Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Jahedul Kabir said the clash began on Friday night as the supporters of two groups locked into an altercation over their internal affairs.
As a sequel to the internal feud, the OC said they again engaged in clashes in the morning, leaving a few students injured.
A five-member probe committee, led by Dr Motiur Rahman, was formed to look into the incident.
The probe body was asked to submit a report within the next seven working days.
Cricketer Nasir, wife Tamima get bail
A Dhaka court on Sunday granted bail to Bangladesh national team cricketer Nasir Hossain, his wife Tamima and mother-in-law in a case filed over his ‘illegal marriage’.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohamamd Jashim passed the order when they surrendered before the court and sought bail in the case.
On September 30, a report of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) said the marriage between Nasir Hossain and Tamima Sultana is illegal as she is still wife of businessman Rakib Hasan.
PBI investigation officer Mizanur Rahman submitted the report before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohamamd Jashim.
Later the court asked cricketer Nasir , Tamima and Tamima’s mother Sumi Akhter to appear before it on October 31.
Read: PBI asked to probe case against cricketer Nasir, his wife
Tamima allegedly got married to cricketer Nasir without divorcing her husband Rakib Hasan.
According to the PBI report, Tamima did not divorce her first husband Rakib and Rakib did not get any divorce notice from her. Rather, Tamima made a fake divorce notice. So, Tamima is still the wife of Rakib, said the report.
Earlier on February 24, a Dhaka court directed PBI to investigate the case.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court Judge Md Jashim passed the order after taking the case filed by Rakib into cognizance.
According to the case statement, Tamima got married to Rakib Hasan on February 26, 2011 and they have an eight year old daughter.
Tamima, a cabin crew of Saudia Airlines, had been staying in Saudi Arabia due to Covid-19 situation since March 10, 2020.
Read: All-rounder Nasir eyes a national team comeback
During this time, she contacted her family through mobile phone and social media.
Tamima got married to the cricketer on February 24 while photographs of their marriage went viral on social media which drew the attention of Rakib Hasan.
2 killed as speedboat hits trawler in Meghna River
Two people were killed as a speedboat hit a trawler in the Meghna river at Marichakandi in Bancharampur upazila on Saturday night.
The deceased are Farid Mia, 45, son of Juluf Mia and Jewel, 35, son of Khurshid Mia of the upazila.
The speedboat with 10/12 passenger on board crashed into trawler while heading towards Marichakandi ghat on Saturday night, leaving two people injured.
Also read: Food-laden trawler capsizes in Meghna River
Later, Jewel and Farid died on way to hospitals in Dhaka and Narshingdi respectively.
Also read: Bride among 7 dead as trawler sinks in Meghna
However, police could not arrest anyone as the driver of the speedboat went into hiding.
Reimagination, recycling and rejoice: Brihatta opens 'Mukti' at its unique, new home
Transcending the roadblocks in creativity through marching ahead with experimental and refreshing ideas, Brihatta Art Foundation started its journey to its temporary address through the inaugural exhibition 'Mukti' on the roof of Mukti Tannery-1, in the Hazaribagh Tannery area in the capital on Saturday.
Known for its leather manufacturing and being one of the most polluted areas in Dhaka city, the abandoned tannery space was chosen by Brihatta Art Foundation which has renovated the place with the state-of-the-art design and a massive recycling process for four months, under the curation and supervision of renowned artist Bishwajit Goswami, founder of the Brihatta Art Foundation and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Fine Art, Dhaka University.
Celebrating 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence, the inaugural exhibition ‘Mukti’ started welcoming the visitors to this unique, new art space from October 30, consisting of five artists from Bishwajit Goswami’s sculptural based curatorial project “Khujiya Dekho Tai” (Find, Create, Express) and a special artistic venture titled “Aay Tobe Sohochori” (Let’s Play Together) by the children of Hazaribagh Local School, Nalonda High School and many other schools under the supervision of artist Tania Sultana and Yunnan Arts University, China lecturer artist Mon Mong Sho.
Prior to welcoming the general art admirers, Brihatta hosted a two-day launching event on October 28, Thursday, and October 29, Friday. The event was attended by the locals, other tannery owners, street children, workers, children and their guardians, and neighbors of 'Brihatta's new space and artists participating in the exhibition.
Also read: Curtain lifts on Brihatta Home Art Project 2020 at Bengal Shilpalay
On Thursday, special guests including BGMEA Board of Directors member Rubana Haque, architect Saif Ul Haque, thespian Tanveen Sweety, and Dhaka University Dean at the Faculty of Fine Art Professor Nisar Hossain visited the exhibition on Thursday.