bangladesh
Khulna transport strike called off shortly after BNP rally wraps up
The transport owners and workers in Khulna called off their strike shortly after the BNP's divisional rally in the city ended.
Zakir Hossain Biplab, general secretary of Khulna Motor Workers' Union, said they resumed bus operation as the owners' association, who apparently called the strike over several demands, asked them to resume the service.
Earlier, the Khulna District Bus-Minibus Owners' Association announced the two-day strike starting from Friday morning to meet their various demands.
Meanwhile, the Khulna branch of Bangladesh Launch Labor Association called off their strike in the city.
Delwar Hossain, organising secretary of the organisation said they announced the 48-hour strike on various demands including an increase in fares.
However, the strike was called off with the assurance that the demands will be met by October 30, in a meeting between the owners and workers on Friday night.
The movement of launches started in the evening following the decision, he added.
Shahadat Bepari, general secretary of Rupsa Ghat Majhi Samity, said that in the evening there was a meeting with the local administration who assured them to fulfil their demands.
Trawlers' movement started from Rupsa Ghat in the evening following the assurance, said Shahadat adding that service is now normal.
RU-RMCH spat keeps going around in circles
Authorities of Rajshahi University (RU) on Saturday lodged a written complaint, or First Information Report, at a local police station over an alleged attack on their students at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), following the death of a student at the hospital, apparently due to negligence on Wednesday night.
The complaint signed by the university’s Registrar Prof Abdus Salam was lodged on Saturday afternoon, two days after the RMCH authority lodged a complaint of their own accusing 300 unidentified RU students for initiating the violence by attacking the hospital’s doctors, intern doctors, nurses and staff and vandalising its premises.
Jahangir Alam, officer-in-charge of Rajpara police station, said they received a complaint from RU regarding an attack on their students by the RMCH authority, but are yet to record it as a case.
“An immediate measure will be taken in this regard following scrutiny,” OC Jahangir said.
On Wednesday night, MGM Shahriar, a fourth-year student of the university's marketing department, died after falling off the roof of Shaheed Habibur Rahman Hall.
After Shahriar fell, some students took him to RMCH, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Meanwhile, Shahriar's batchmates vandalised the hospital as according to them, the doctors did not attend to Shahriar in time. It led to a scuffle between the students and the medical interns. Hospital property ended up getting vandalized.
Later, the interns embarked on an indefinite strike, protesting the attack on them by students of RU, who thronged the area and demanded punishment of the attackers. Both sides dispersed subsequently. The interns returned to work as well, on condition that the students who engaged in violence be arrested within 24 hours.
Since that did not happen, the intern doctors announced a 72-hour work abstention today (Saturday), reports our RU correspondent.
RMCH authorities formed a five-member panel on Thursday to probe the death of Shahriar, in the wake of the allegations of negligence on the part of their doctors.
The university also formed two separate probe bodies. One is to investigate how the deceased student fell off the corridor of the hall and another is to investigate the entire incident on Wednesday night at the hospital premises. They were asked to submit their reports within three days.
RU students will form a human chain on Sunday morning in front of the university’s main entrance, protesting against the alleged negligence in Shahriar’s treatment by doctors.
DU's first Research and Publication Fair underway
Dhaka University's first-ever 'Research and Publication Fair' got underway on Saturday, as part of its centenary celebrations.
The fair was inaugurated on Saturday morning by Industries Minister Nurul Majid Humayun, while Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, deputy education minister, attended the opening ceremony of the fair as special guest. DU Vice Chancellor Prof. Md. Akhtaruzzaman presided over the opening ceremony.
The fair consists of the stalls of every Department and Institutes under the pavilions of the Faculties.
Each Department and Institute of the University has decorated the Stalls with books, journals, research projects, posters and flyers of their own.
Nurul Majid Humayun said, "We are talking about multi-dimensional exports but we could not produce cotton for our garments sectors, the biggest export industry of our country.The DU vice chancellor said there is an absence of industry-academia relationship, community engagement, alliances and proper collaboration in the education and cultural sectors: "We are putting emphasis on developing public-private partnerships and academia-industry relationship."
On the first day of the fair, Arts, Science, Social Science, Business Studies, and Law faculties each gave a presentation on glorifying historical background and achievements.
The Biology, Pharmacy, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Engineering faculties.
Ansar Al Islam militant arrested from N’ganj
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested a member of banned militant outfit Ansar Al Islam on Friday from Fatullah in Narayanganj.
The arrestee was identified as Ali Sayfi, 24, son of Ali Ashraf from the Talla Ajmeri Bagh area falling under Fatullah model police station, said police.
He was arrested from a mosque in the Talla Ajmeribagh area on Friday noon during a drive conducted by Rab-3. However, two other members of Ansar Al Islam - Maruf Taki, 26, and Mohibulla, 28, managed to flee, said Rab.
Read: Rab intensifies anti-militancy drive in CHT, 10 arrested
Rab-3 handed over the arrestee to police on Friday night and filed a case in this regard at Fatullah model police station, said Kazi Masud Rana, inspector and investigation officer in the case.
According to the case complaint, Sayfi got information about extremist organization Al Qaeda from the internet in 2018. Later he started spreading extremist ideology along with Taki and Mohibullah from the Misbahul Ummah Hifz Madrasah in Ajmeribagh, as an Ansar Al Islam member.
During the arrest Rab recovered an Android phone, SIM cards, pen drive and extremist literature he used to promote extremist ideologies, said the inspector.
Sayfi was produced before a court with a seven day remand prayer on Saturday but a hearing on this regard will be held on Sunday, he said.
Mobile internet service slowed down in Khulna amid BNP rally
Locals and journalists of different media gathered in Khulna to cover BNP’s divisional rally claimed they faced a slow internet service from around Saturday afternoon.
Mujahidul islam, owner of a computer operating shop in Khulna city, told UNB there is no issue in broadband network but mobile internet is quite slow.
Meanwhile, Ehteshamul Hague Shawon, a journalist of local news daily Dainik Loksamaj said he was "unable to send any photos of the BNP rally to office due to slow internet.”
Some other journalists claimed they have faced the same issue with mobile internet.
Read: Internet speed slows down after problems with submarine cable in Kuakata
A mobile service operator on condition of anonymity told UNB that Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Corporation (BTRC) directed the mobile service operators to shut down 3G and 4G internet services in Khulna division until further notice through an email around 1:20 pm.
However, BTRC didn't mention any specific reason for downgrading the internet, he said.
When contacted, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar said “I have no information about such an issue or direction.”
Endangered Lojjaboti monkey rescued in Bandarban
A Bengal Slow Loris, an endangered primate locally known as 'Lojjaboti Banor' (shy monkey), was rescued from the Bangchari area of the district on Saturday.
Kaptai Forest Department rescued the monkey around 11 am from the deep forests of Kaptai's Bangchari, said Khandkar Mahmudul Haque Murad, Kaptai range officer of Chittagong Hill Tracts Southern Forest Department.
The forest officer said, "They received information that someone was planning to smuggle the rare monkey."
On information, a team of the Kaptai Forest Department led by Khandkar Murad conducted a drive in the area.
Sensing the presence of the Forest Department team, the man dropped a box and fled into the jungle, Murad added.
Later, the endangered monkey was rescued from inside the box.
The Bengal slow loris is nocturnal and arboreal (hence 'lojjaboti'), a species of slow loris native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina. They also tend to be quite small, measuring 26 to 38 cm (10 to 15 in) from head to tail and weighing between 1 and 2.1 kg.
It will be let free in the forest tonight (Saturday), added Murad.
Sultan Haitham bin Tarik lauds role of Bangladeshi workers in Oman
Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik has praised the role of Bangladeshi expatriate workers played in Oman.
Sultan Tarik accepted the invitation to visit Bangladesh and wished to undertake the visit at a convenient time.
He also underscored on strengthening bilateral relations in other areas of mutual interest including trade and investments, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The issues were discussed when Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Sultanate of Oman Md. Nazmul Islam presented his credentials to Sultan Tarik at the Al Baraka Royal Palace in Muscat recently.
The ceremony commenced with a guard of honour by the Royal Guard of Oman and playing of national anthems of Bangladesh and the Sultanate of Oman followed by the presentation of the letter of credence to the Sultan.
The Ambassador conveyed warm greetings and best wishes of the President and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to the Sultan.
Read: Coordinated efforts made to ensure expats' comfortable return to 5 countries: FM
He also conveyed the invitation to the Sultan from the President and the Prime Minister to visit Bangladesh.
The Ambassador expressed his firm commitment to further enhance bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries during his tenure.
Sultan Tarik congratulated Ambassador Nazmul Islam for his new appointment and reciprocated his greetings to the President and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
The Sultan assured the Ambassador of his government’s full support during his tenure.
The ceremony concluded with Ambassador’s signing the guest Book at the Baraka Royal Palace.
RU-RMCH clash: Intern doctors resume strike demanding arrest of attackers
Intern doctors of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) resumed their strike on Saturday demanding the arrest of the Rajshahi University (RU) students who attacked them over the death of a fellow student.
At 1 pm, a human chain was formed and a rally was held at RMCH premises protesting the attack by RU students, vandalisation and obstructing administrative duty.
Dr Imran Hossain, President of Intern Doctors Council, announced a 72-hour long strike from the rally.
According to the announcement, the intern doctors will carry out protest rallies in front of the hospital every day during the strike. No intern joined work today after the announcement.
“We’ll take tougher actions if police don’t record the case lodged by the hospital authority and arrest the attackers,” Imran said.
KGM Shahriar, a fourth-year student of the marketing department of RU, was critically injured after falling off the roof of Shaheed Habibur Rahman Hall on Wednesday night. Shahriar's friends took him to RMCH where he was declared dead.
But Shahriar's classmates alleged the RMCH doctors and staff delayed in attending to him, and insisted he could have been saved. Alleging negligence in his treatment, they started vandalising RMCH in protest. At that time, some intern doctors and hospital staff fought back and threw them out.
Later, the intern doctors went on an indefinite strike, protesting the attack and vandalism carried out by the RU students. Hospital patients naturally suffered as a result.
On Thursday, intern doctors of RMCH withdrew their indefinite strike, with the condition that the strike would resume unless the attackers were identified and punished within 24 hours.
Today's development comes following no headway in that regard.
LGRD minister urges public representatives to build 'creative society'
Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Md Tajul Islam on Saturday said public representatives will have to work to build a creative society, taking the people along with them.
He said this while addressing a training course organised for the newly elected councilors of Cumilla City Corporation at Institute of National Local Government in the capital’s Agargaon as the chief guest.
Local Government Division Secretary Mohammad Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury chaired the function where Cumilla City Corporation Mayor Arfanul Haque Rifat also spoke.
Urging the representatives of the city corporation to turn the Cumilla city into an ideal city, he said the public representatives are pioneers of the society and will have to play a role in developing the society, but not only development of the physical infrastructure.
Read: Local government representatives should earn dignity by their work for people: LGRD Minister
He said the incidence of dengue in the country is higher this year compared to previous years due to weather.
“Though condition of the dengue is pathetic in the country, we are in a better condition than Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and Vietnam and Philippines,” the minister claimed.
He, however, said he already asked the mayors to conduct a crackdown to curb the dengue.
Mayor Rifat called upon his all associates to work with honesty and keep themselves from corruption.
Dengue death toll stands at 112 as 2 more die
Two more deaths from dengue confirmed in 24 hours till Saturday morning raised this year’s fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 112.
During this period, 922 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever as cases keep rising, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the latest deaths, one was reported from Dhaka and another from Chattogram division raising the death tolls in the divisions to 67 and 36 respectively
The dengue death toll remained static in Mymensingh and Khulna at two and in Barishal division at five.
Read: 2022 becomes second-deadliest year for dengue on record; Oct second-deadliest month
Of the new patients, 520 were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka and 402 outside it, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
A total of 3,404 dengue patients, including 2,328 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
The Directorate has recorded 30,029 dengue cases and 26,513 recoveries so far this year.