Bangladesh
Thailand rolls out red carpet to greet PM Hasina on her six-day official visit
A red carpet was rolled out as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday afternoon on a six-day official visit to Thailand at the invitation of her Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin.
On her arrival at Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok at 1:08pm (local time),Puangpet Chunlaiad, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office received the Bangladesh Prime Minister at the airport.
She was given a static guard of honour and a 19-round gun salute at the airport.
No political case filed against BNP men: PM Hasina
Earlier, the Bangladesh premier left Dhaka by a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at 10:13am on the six-day tour, which is both a bilateral and multilateral visit.
The bilateral visit of the prime minister will be the first-ever visit at the level of head of government from Bangladesh to Thailand since establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972.
During her visit from April 24 to 29, the Bangladesh premier will hold bilateral talks with PM Thavisin and also attend the 80th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
Bangladesh and Thailand will sign a number of cooperation documents including a letter of intent on negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two countries.
Bangladesh and Thailand are likely to sign an agreement on visa exemption for official passport holders, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on energy cooperation while two more MoUs on tourism sector cooperation and duty related mutual cooperation to expand the relations, said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud at a media briefing on Monday.
Bangladesh will seek support from Thailand regarding Rohingya repatriation as well as increased investment from Thailand, he said, adding that the issue of shipping connectivity will also be discussed.
On April 26, PM Hasina will be formally received by her Thai host Srettha Thavisin while a ceremonial guard of honor will be accorded to her.
PM Hasina urges farmers to form cooperatives to boost agri production
Next budget will focus on controlling inflation, raising remittance and exports: State Minister for Finance
Waseqa Ayesha Khan, state minister for finance, has said in the next national budget the government will emphasise controlling inflation and boosting remittance and exports.
She said this while speaking as the chief guest at a pre-budget roundtable discussion, organised by the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB), to recommend its proposals for the FY2024-25 national budget. The event was held in a hotel in the capital on Tuesday.
The government is also working to create an investment-friendly environment ensuring uninterrupted electricity and power supply, she said.
ICMAB delegation takes part in pre-budget discussion with NBR
She also assured that the government will continue to focus on infrastructural, ICT and human resource development, and short- and long-term revenue strategy for sustainable economic growth.
Other speakers at the event also highlighted the need for nuanced adjustments in fiscal and monetary policies to address issues such as exchange rate stability, currency policy, and balancing export-import dynamics.
The importance of encouraging household savings, broadening the tax base, enhancing reserve buffers, and controlling the prices of daily commodities were also focused.
Professor Dr. Mohammed Farashuddin, former governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, executive director of the Policy Research Institute (PRI) Mahbubul Alam, president of FBCCI, participated in the discussion as the special guests.
ICMAB delegation meets Finance Secretary
The discussion was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Md. Salim Uddin FCMA, President of ICMAB, and moderated by Arif Khan FCMA, past president and current council member of the institute.
Man, niece killed as train hits auto-rickshaw in M’sing
A 60-year-old man and his 40-year-old niece were killed when a train hit an auto-rickshaw while crossing Natun Bazar level crossing in Mymensingh district town on Tuesday night.
The deceased were identified as Abdur Rahman of Barrora village and Shefali Akter, wife of Rafiqul Islam of the village.
The accident occurred near Vidyamoyee School around 10:15 pm when the Dewanganj-bound intercity ‘Brahmmaputra Express’ train hit an auto-rickshaw carrying the two, while passing the level crossing, leaving them dead on the spot, said Jahangir Alam, officer-in-charge of Government Railway Police (GRP).
Train operation resumes 14 hours after Bijoy Express derailed in Cumilla
Habib, younger brother of Rahman, said Abdur Rahman and Shefali went to the district town market for shopping on the occasion of the wedding ceremony of Khoka, Rahman’s nephew.
They met a tragic death while returning to their home by an auto-rickshaw.
On information, police recovered the bodies and sent them to the local hospital morgue for autopsy.
Cumilla train derailment: 4 bogies removed
Train communication on the Mymensingh-Jamalpur route remained suspended for two hours following the accident.
Victims of Rana Plaza tragedy being remembered on Wednesday
The 11th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, the worst-ever tragedy in the country’s multi-billion-dollar ready-made garment (RMG) industry, is being observed on Wednesday.
Different right bodies, worker organisations and left-leaning political parties, including Rana Plaza Survivors’ Association, usually arrange various programmes every year, remembering the victims of the tragedy.
On April 24 in 2013, Rana Plaza, an illegally-constructed building in Savar which housed five garment factories, came down crashing, killing 1,138 people and injuring over 2,000 others.
Business integrity, ethical sourcing key to RMG sector sustainability: TIB says on 10th anniv of Rana Plaza tragedy
Later, police filed the murder case accusing Sohel Rana who has been in jail since his arrest.
Trial in the murder case filed over Rana Plaza collapse began officially on January 31, 2022 by recording statements of the witnesses.
On July 18, 2016, Dhaka District and Session Court Judge SM Kuddus Zaman framed charges against the accused and passed an order to begin the trial.
But it got barred as most of the accused appealed to the higher court challenging legality of the order.
On January 31, 2022, after clearing the appeals, District and Sessions Court Judge AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan recorded the statement of plaintiff, then Sub-Inspector of Savar police station Wali Ashraf.
BGMEA pays tribute to Rana Plaza victims
Over the tragic incident then SI of Savar police station Wali Ashraf filed a murder case accusing the owner and others of dereliction and negligence in building construction.
On June 1, 2015, Assistant Superintendent of Crime Investigation Department (CID) of police Bijoy Krishna Kar submitted a charge sheet in the case against 41 people including the building owner Sohel Rana.
A total of 594 people were made witnesses in this case.
PM mourns death of Gopalgonj AL leader Rezaul
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Labour Affairs Secretary of Gopalganj District Awami League Rezaul Haque Shikdar Raju.
Raju was also the President of Gopalganj District Sramik League and former elected Mayor of Gopalganj Municipality.
The prime minister prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved members of the family.
PM Hasina expresses condolence for Nepal earthquake victims
PM Hasina departs for Thailand on six-day official visit
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka on Wednesday (April 24, 2024) for Bangkok on a six-day official visit to Thailand at the invitation of her Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries.
A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the premier and her entourage, departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:13am on Wednesday, said PM’s Speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam.
The PM is scheduled to land at Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok at 1:30pm local time.
"It's both a bilateral and multilateral visit," said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said at a media briefing on Monday.
The bilateral visit of the prime minister will be the first-ever visit at the level of head of government from Bangladesh to Thailand since establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972.
PM Hasina begins her six-day official visit to Thailand on Wednesday
During her visit from April 24 to 29, the Bangladesh premier will hold bilateral talks with PM Thavisin and also attend the 80th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
Bangladesh and Thailand will sign a number of cooperation documents including a letter of intent on negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two countries, said the Foreign Minister.
Bangladesh and Thailand are likely to sign an agreement on visa exemption for official passport holders, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on energy cooperation while two more MoUs on tourism sector cooperation and duty related mutual cooperation to expand the relations, he said.
Bangladesh will seek support from Thailand regarding Rohingya repatriation as well as increased investment from Thailand, said Hasan Mahmud adding that the issue of shipping connectivity will also be discussed.
On April 26, PM Hasina will be formally received by her Thai host Srettha Thavisin while a ceremonial guard of honor will be accorded to her.
On the same day, the Bangladesh premier will hold bilateral talks with PM Thavisin at the Government House (Prime Minister’s Office) following a tete-a-tete between the two leaders, witness the signing of the documents, participate in a joint press conference and then attend a state lunch to be hosted by her Thai counterpart in her honour there.
PM Hasina likely to travel to India and China in first bilateral visits since forming new govt
During the visit, the prime minister will have a Royal audience of Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshan, King and Queen of the Kingdom of Thailand at the Palace.
In her multilateral engagement, PM Hasina is scheduled to attend the 80th Session of ESCAP and deliver a speech there on April 25.
On the same day, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjabana will call on the prime minister.
Guided by the theme “Leveraging digital innovation for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific”, the eightieth session will be an opportunity to strengthen region-wide cooperative action on leveraging digital innovation for the accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The session will bring together government leaders and ministers from across Asia and the Pacific and other key stakeholders to discuss how digital innovation can more inclusively contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across multiple disciplines.
Read more: Bangladesh, Qatar sign 10 cooperation documents to take ties to new height
Dhaka’s air quality unhealthy for sensitive groups
Dhaka's air quality was categorised as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 134 at 8:59 am, Dhaka ranked 11th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
India’s Delhi, Egypt’s Cairo City and Thailand’s Chiang Mai occupied the first three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 193, 171 and 170 respectively.
Dhaka’s air quality ‘unhealthy’ this morning
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
After a day of being ‘moderate’, Dhaka’s air quality back to being ‘unhealthy’
As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
Gas supply to remain off for 3 hours in different areas Wednesday
Gas supply will remain suspended for 3 hours from 2pm to 5pm on Wednesday at different areas in the city for emergency work of gas pipeline.
According to Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, the areas where supply will remain off for all categories of customers include Shanirakhra, Baraitla, Chhapra Mosque, Dania, Jurain, Dholairpar and Kadmatoli.
The adjoining areas may experience low pressure in gas supply, said Titas Gas regretting the temporary inconvenience of the consumers.
25 days after going missing, body of BCL leader retrieved from Kishoreganj’s Narsunda River
The body of a local leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of Awami League, was recovered on Tuesday from the Narsunda River in Kishoreganj, some 25 days after he went missing.
The deceased was identified as Mokhles Uddin Bhuiya, vice-president of Kewarjur Union unit of BCL under Mithamain Upazila of the upazila and son of Mokbul Hossain, who reportedly died of cardiac arrest after hearing the missing news, of Phulpur village under Kewarjur Union.
Ashraf Ali, elder brother of the victim, said that his younger brother had been missing since March 29 after he came out of his rented house in upazila sadar around 9pm.
Later, he filed a case against six identified people with the concerned police station on April 16.
After scrutinising CCTV footage, police could identify four people and round them up from Habiganj’s Shaistaganj upazila subsequently.
The arrestees are Sheful Sheikh and his three sons- Mizan Sheikh, Marjan Sheikh and Raihan Sheikh, residents of the same union.
During the preliminary interrogation, the arrestees admitted that they dumped the body into the river after killing him.
Information gleaned from the arrestees, divers with the help of police started salvation work on Monday morning and could fish out the body on Tuesday.
Al-Amin Hussain, additional superintendent of police (Crime and Operations) of Kishoreganj, confirmed the matter saying that dives were on to arrest the rest other involved with the murder.
HC directs judicial inquiry to identify those responsible for topsoil depletion in Satkania
The High Court (HC) directed to form a judiciary body to find out the accused involved with cutting off topsoil from croplands for selling it to brick kilns in Satkania upazila of Chattogram Tuesday.
The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Md Atabullah also ordered Chattogram Chief Judicial Magistrate to submit a report within one month in this regard.
The court passed the order on Tuesday when Chattogram Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Satkania Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Satkania police station’s Officer-in-Charge virtually joined the HC to explain as to why the cutting off topsoil from croplands in the upazila was going on despite an HC restriction issued earlier.
The HC also ordered the authorities concerned to fill up the lands, whose topsoil was dug for brick kilns, with alluvial soil by collecting from outside and make those as cultivable.
Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy, Assistant Attorney Generals Selim Azad and Anis Ul-Mawa represented the state during the court procedure.
Earlier on Monday, the HC summoned the four government officers including DC and SP virtually to explain on Tuesday why the restriction order over cutting off the topsoil from the croplands was ignored.
As per the order, the officers joined virtually to submit their statements in this regard.
On March 19 this year, the HC imposed a restriction on cutting off the topsoil after one local named Abdul Munaf submitted a petition following media outlets reporting on this point.
Despite the restriction, the topsoil cutting continues unabated in the upazila in collaboration with syndicates.
However, on Sunday (April 21) a mobile court sentenced two people to jail for cutting off the topsoil in Pathanipul area under Kaliyash union of the upazila.