bangladesh
N’ganj four murders: HC fixes Apr 4 for delivering judgment
The High Court on Monday set April 4 for delivering the judgment in the sensational four murders case.
The HC bench of Justice SM Emdadul Hoque and Justice K M Zahid Sarwaras fixed the date after concluding the hearing on the appeal petition and death reference of 23 death row convicts.
Deputy Attorney General Sujit Chatarjee Bappi represented the state.
On May 4, 2017, Narayanganj Additional District and Session Judge sentenced 23 people to death for killing four people.
The convicts are—Abul Bashar Kashu, former upazila chairman of Sadasadi union of BNP, Dalim, Yeakub Ali, Rafique, Halim, Shahabuddin, Liakat Ali Mastar, Siraj Uddin, idris Ali, Mohammad Hossain, Abu Kalam, Ahad Ali, Yunus Ali, Zahir Uddin, Faruk Hossain, Golam Azam, Abdul Hye, Khokon, Al-Amin, Ruhul Amin, Tajul Islam and Harun.
Of them, Al Amin, Ruhul Amin, Tajul Islam and Harun remained absconding.
The death reference of the convicts were sent to the High Court.
Later, the convicts filed appeal petitions challenging the lower court order.
On March 12, 2002, Abdul Barek, brother of former resident of Araihazar upazila unit Chhatra League Rafiqul Islam, his cousin Badal, Awami League activist Faruk and Kabir Hossain were picked up by the convicts to an abandoned place. Later they set the four victims on fire after unleashing torture.
Barek’s father Azgarh Ali filed a case.
Police submitted chargesheet against 23 people including BNP leader Kashu.
4 more dengue patients hospitalised in 24 hours
Four more patients were hospitalised with dengue in the 24 hours to Monday morning.
Of the new patients, three were admitted to hospitals in Dhaka and the rest outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Thirty dengue patients, including 15 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
So far, the DGHS has recorded 786 dengue cases, 747 recoveries, and nine deaths this year.
The country logged 281 dengue deaths in 2022 – the highest on record after 179 deaths recorded in 2019. Also, it recorded 62,423 dengue cases and 61,971 recoveries last year.
RU bans unauthorised entry of outsiders at campus
Rajshahi University has banned unauthorised entry and loitering of outsiders in the campus, said a press release signed by RU Public Relations Office Administrator Prof Pradip Kumar Panday on Monday evening.
The release says, "If someone needs to come to the campus for any reason, the security personnel at the entrance gate will allow them to enter after verifying their identity and confirming the reason for entering the campus."
"The authorities are urging all concerned including teachers, students, officers, employees of the university to keep their identity cards with them," said the release.
END/UNB/Corr/SSK
Woman kills husband, calls 999
A 33-year-old woman stabbed her husband to death in Jhalakathi's Rajapur area early Monday, and then called 999 to surrender to police.
The deceased was identified as Rabiul Awal Talukder, 39, an auto-rickshaw driver in Patuakhali area.
Safia Khatun called the hotline, 999, to surrender to the law after killing her husband.
Emergency service call operator Constable Ikramul, who received the call, immediately reported the matter to Rajapur police station.
Upon receiving the news, a team of police rushed to the spot and arrested Safia, a mother of two.
"Safia gave her husband sleeping pills first to make him unconscious and later stabbed him to death," said Pulak Chandra Roy, officer-in-charge of Rajapur police station.
Safia suspected that her husband had remarried and could kill her at any moment. She killed her husband out of suspicion and fear, according to primary interrogation.
The killing was a result of a long and unhappy marriage, added the OC.
A case was filed in this regard, the officer said.
Army warrant officer killed as Kuki-Chin separatists open fire in Bandarban
A senior army warrant officer was killed and two other soldiers suffered injuries when members of the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) opened fire on a patrol team in Rowangchhari upazila of Bandarban district on Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Master Warrant Officer Nazim Uddin, son of late Shamser Ali of Ghaghatpara village of Rangpur Sadar upazila.
The injured army soldiers are being treated at a hospital, according to the ISPR.
Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed expressed deep grief over his death.
On the occasion of National Children's Day-2023 and Independence Day, the patrol team went to remote hilly areas to ensure the security of a team that went to provide free health care to mothers and children on Sunday noon.
Around 1pm, the armed KNA members suddenly opened fire on the patrol team from an ambush vantage point, leaving the warrant officer dead on the spot and two others injured, ISPR said.
According to the ISPR, the separatist Kuki-Chin National Army, an armed terrorist group, has previously provided arms training to a militant group "Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya" in Bandarban's hilly areas for money.
Besides, the terrorist group tried to stop the road construction work going on in Thanchi under the supervision of the Bangladesh Army. On failing, they kidnapped 12 workers on March 11, 2023.
Of them, a worker suffered bullet injuries and four workers are still being held hostage by the KNA.
Although the remaining seven workers were released for ransom, they threatened them not to work on the road construction project.
Earlier on February 8, 2023, KNA sent a notice to the Transport Owners Association threatening to stop vehicle movement in three upazilas of Bandarban.
On Sunday, March 12, 2023, the district administration issued an indefinite travel ban in the area due to security concerns caused by various terrorist activities of KNA members.
AL to lose security money if next election is held under neutral govt: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said most of the Awami League candidates will lose their security money if the next national election is held under a non-party neutral government.
“Awami League won’t get even 30 seats if the election is held under a caretaker or neutral government. Their (most AL) candidates will lose their security deposit,” he said.
Speaking at an extended meeting of the Thakurgaon district unit BNP at his local residence, Fakhrul said the ruling party is against the caretaker government as it knows it will face a debacle in a fair and credible election.
Stating that political parties in Bangladesh do not trust each other, he said the caretaker government is the only solution in the current culture of Bangladesh’s politics to overcome the political crisis and have a fair and inclusive election.
The BNP leader alleged that the government has been carrying out false campaigns and indulging in various misdeeds to divert the people’s democratic movement, demanding the restoration of the caretaker government system and rights of people and the resignation of this government, to a different direction.
He urged the government to refrain from conducting ‘false’ campaigns against BNP.
Fakhrul alleged that the government wants to retain power by holding another ‘stage-managed’ election as they have already destroyed the electoral system. “But this time it won’t happen. The country’s people have woken up and they want to exercise their right to franchise.”
Govt behind Panchagarh communal violence
The BNP secretary general alleged that the government was behind the communal attacks on the Ahmadiyya community in Panchagarh. “This happened with the direct and indirect backing of the government. The government must shoulder the responsibility for the incident.”
He alleged that Awami League leaders are blaming BNP for the communal attacks only to tarnish the image of the opposition party and hide the real offenders.
“Panchagarh incident was premeditated. It’s also an unexpected incident. The image of the country has been somewhat damaged while the image of the government has been seriously dented because of the incident,” Fakhrul observed.
He alleged that the government has orchestrated the incident to thwart the BNP’s movement that was moving ahead in full swing.
Fakhrul also said the people of the Ahmadiyya community clearly said in front of Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan that people around him were involved in this violence. “Among them, Abdur Rahman's name is notable. But none of them were arrested by the police, and no case was filed against them.”
He alleged that the government is trying to eliminate BNP leaders and activists in Panchagarh taking an advantage of the attacks on the Ahmadiyya community.
The BNP leader said cases have been filed against BNP leaders and workers and 180 of them have already been arrested. “A reign of terror has been created in Panchagarh. BNP leaders and supporters now can’t stay at home.”
He said attacking the Ahmadiyya community and damaging their houses and looting their valuables was a brutal and inhuman incident.
Even after such a horrific incident, Fakhrul said the government has been trying to put the blame on BNP instead of carrying out an impartially and fairly investigation to identify the real perpetrators.
He bemoaned that some media outlets have been carrying out false propaganda involving BNP with communal violence. “The media should always play a neutral role. If you (journalists) don't play a neutral role, people will remember it and give a fitting reply when the time comes.”
Bangladesh registers 7 more Covid-19 cases in 24 hours
Bangladesh reported seven more Covid-19 cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning.
With the new number, the country's total caseload rose to 2,037,929, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,445 as no new fatalities were reported.
The daily case test positivity rate rose to 0.33 percent from Sunday’s 0.24 percent against the tests of 2,091 samples.
The recovery and death rates remained unchanged at 98.47 percent and 1.44 percent, respectively.
Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and highest number of fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
Find out the reasons why people rush to foreign countries for medical treatment : President Hamid
President Abdul Hamid on Monday urged the physicians and the authorities concerned to find out the reasons why people go abroad for medical treatment despite having many reputed doctors and hospitals.
"Despite having many reputed doctors and medical institutions in our country about 25 lakh Bangladeshis go abroad for treatment every year. So we have to think where the real problem is," he said.
He said this in the fourth convocation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University held at Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Convention Hall in the city.
The president and chancellor of the university Abdul Hamid presided over the event while vice-chancellor Professor Dr Sharfuddin Ahmed delivered the welcome speech.
Saying that a doctor must first be a good listener to gain the trust of the patient, Hamid said many things may seem irrelevant but it is a matter of emotional satisfaction for the patient. So the patient should be treated with sufficient time, he said.
He said reports of various inducements by pharmaceutical companies to prescribe drugs to patients often appear in the press.
Emphasising on avoiding this sick and unfair competition, Hamid said the issue of introducing Generic Name like abroad should be considered.
Hamid mentioned that the number of doctors and nurses in proportion to the population in the country is insufficient and the number of specialist doctors is also less than the demand.
"Many are being deprived of specialised treatment. You know humanitarianism is a divine virtue. Unwell people rely on a doctor and a nurse after God. Your kindness and treatment is a must for any patient," he said.
The President said if doctors work with a generous mind, they can be considered a good doctor as well as a great person among the public.
Calling this university as a repository of knowledge not only in the field of medical services but also in all fields of research and medical science, Hamid asked the new graduates to maintain its continuity in their life what they have learned and seen here.
Saying Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University as the birthplace of experts in medical related subjects, he said that the result of their hard work is the country's expert doctors, medical scientists and medical teachers.
"There is no substitute for research in improving the quality of education, while our medical education has very little research," he added.
Emphasising on own research, Hamid said types of disease in our country are different from developed and western countries. That is why own research work can only make the real solution available to the patients of this country by inventing effective and affordable treatment methods for diverse diseases of this country.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque and Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni spoke as special guests while Prof Rajvardhan Azad, chairman of University Service Commission, Bihar, India was the convocation speaker.
The Institute of Postgraduate Medical Research (IPGMR) was converted into BSMMU in 1998. The last convocation of the university was held in 2018, before the global outbreak of Covid-19.
Govt orders DCs to strictly monitor markets during Ramadan
The government has asked deputy commissioners to monitor markets strictly during the upcoming Ramadan and to take legal measures if necessary, Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain said today.
The government made the directives for the DCs today at the weekly cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at the PMO, the cabinet secretary said while briefing reporters.
Asked whether there was any directive from the PM about keeping prices of daily essentials stable, the cabinet secretary said, “It is being communicated always. Monitoring activities are on at different levels of the government to ensure that prices and supplies are stable during Ramadan.”
Replying to a question about preparations ahead of Ramadan, Mahbub said, “The DCs have been asked to monitor the market strictly and enforce law if needed.”
Clash between Rajshahi University students and locals: Case filed against 300
Police filed a case against 250-300 unidentified people in connection with Saturday’s clash between Rajshahi University (RU) students and local people.
Sub-inspector of Motihar Police Station Amanat Ullah filed the case last night.
Confirming the development, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Rafiqul Alam, said that police have filed a case with Motihar Police station against unnamed people.
Read more: Those who set fire on rail line are outsiders: RU VC
The authorities of Rajshahi University yesterday afternoon filed a case against more than 500 unnamed people in connection with Saturday’s clash.
Following this case, police have arrested a businessman named Taslim Ali alias Peter (45).
Moreover, the university authorities formed a 5-member probe committee to investigate into the incident. Pro Vice-chancellor Prof Humayun Kabir is leading the committee.