bangladesh
Banglalink app offers free healthcare for dengue treatment
Banglalink, one of the leading digital communications service providers in Bangladesh, is offering free emergency healthcare to patients with dengue symptoms through its one-stop digital solutions platform, MyBL Super App, to further enhance its commitment to providing comprehensive care and support to users across Bangladesh.
Customers can enjoy the offer from August 22 (Tuesday) through the "BL Care" segment of MyBL Super App, offering users doctor consultations, specifically designed to address dengue concerns, completely free of charge and within just 10 minutes of requesting an appointment.
Banglalink Youth Fest 2023 launched
Taimur Rahman, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer, Banglalink, said, “At Banglalink, we are committed to supporting the people of Bangladesh in times of need by leveraging our technological expertise to make meaningful contributions to the communities and citizens of Bangladesh.”
“With the dengue epidemic significantly impacting our nation, we are dedicated to aiding the government's efforts in early detection and efficient management of Dengue by providing widespread access to expert medical guidance through MyBL Super App and safeguarding the well-being of our valued users,” he said.
Banglalink, a2i team up to 'accelerate' Smart Bangladesh Vision
Banglalink is committed to enhancing healthcare accessibility, solidifying its role in leveraging technology to improve the healthcare and well-being of the people of Bangladesh.
MyBL Super App’s BL Care segment aims to make healthcare accessible and affordable all across the nation.
Banglalink’s annual revenue growth increased by 12.1% in 2022
Additionally, MyBL Super App offers its users the opportunity to experience the seamless convenience of high-quality digital services for education through Courses, entertainment through Content and Gaming, and much more.
4 killed as covered-van hits CNG auto-rickshaw in Brahmanbaria
Four people were killed and three others injured when a covered van hit a CNG-run auto-rickshaw on Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Sohagpur bus stand in Ashuganj upazila of Brahmanbaria district on Monday.
The deceased were identified as Sohel Mia, 27, son of Farid Mia, Jilani, 8, son of Nazmul Mia, Askar Mia, 60 and Ujjal, son of Rashid Mia of Kishoreganj district.
Read: Mother, daughter die in Sylhat gas cylinder blast; 4 injured
Akul Chandra Biswas, officer-in-charge of Khatihata Highway Police, said the accident occurred in the afternoon when the covered van hit the stationary CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Shohagpur bus stand, leaving its three passengers dead on the spot and four others injured.
Read: Truck, easy-bike collision leaves 2 dead in Chuadanga
Of the injured, another victim died on the way to Sadar hospital.
The injured were sent to Dhaka for better treatment.
Read: Road accident leaves youth dead in the city
OPPO A17 now available at Tk 16,990
Reaffirming OPPO's commitment to offering cutting-edge technology at an accessible price, the global smart technology company has announced a significant price drop on its popular OPPO A17 smartphone, bringing it closer to the hearts and pockets of users.
The price of the sleek and feature-packed OPPO A17 smartphone has been lowered to Tk 16,990, down from its previous price of Tk 17,990, said a press release issued on Monday.
This move aims to enable more Bangladeshi consumers to experience the powerful capabilities of OPPO's state-of-the-art smartphones without compromising their budget.
Oppo Reno10 5G Review: Is it a balanced phone?
The OPPO A17 smartphone, now available at an even more attractive price, is a testament to OPPO's dedication to bringing innovation to everyone.
Packed with advanced features and cutting-edge technology, the OPPO A17 offers users an exceptional experience at a fraction of the cost.
From its stunning design to its impressive performance, the OPPO A17 delivers style, substance, and value in one sleek package.
The OPPO A17 smartphone boasts a premium leather-feel design, a 50MP AI camera, a 5000mAh long-lasting battery, and up to 4GB extended RAM. The smartphone's screen size is 6.56 inches, and the screen ratio is 89.8 percent. The pixel density is 269 PPI. The phone has a refresh rate of 60Hz and a touch sampling rate of 60Hz.
OPPO ranks first in Chinese smartphone market in H1 of 2023
The OPPO device supports fingerprint, facial recognition, and two nano SIM cards. The system is fueled by ColorOS 12.1. In the box, each owner of the smartphone gets one phone, one charger, one Micro USB data cable, one SIM ejector tool, one safety guide, one quick guide, and one protective case.
Oppo Reno10 Pro+ 5G: Premium mid-ranger on the go
The newly priced OPPO A17 smartphone is available for purchase at all authorized OPPO stores across Bangladesh. OPPO encourages tech enthusiasts, smartphone aficionados, and everyone in between to take advantage of this offer and experience the best of technology at an unbeatable price.
APBn detains Biman staff with 68 gold bars at Dhaka airport
Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBn) on Sunday detained an employee of Biman Bangladesh Airlines along with 68 gold bars weighing around 8 kg at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport .
The detainee is Shafiqul Islam, 33, a resident of Khulna's Daulatpur Thana.
Read more: 28 gold bars recovered in Chuadanga, 1 arrested
He joined Biman Bangladesh Airlines as a casual staff in 2013 and became a permanent employee in 2017.
Additional SP of Airport Armed Police (AAP) Mohammad Ziaul Haque said they detained Shafiqul Islam with the gold bars stashed around his waist around 10pm on Sunday.
Read more: 3 held with gold bars worth Tk 1.74cr in Benapole
A Boeing 777 flight arrived at Dhaka airport at 7:30pm from Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur.
When All the staff in charge of cleaning and maintenance left the aircraft, Shafiqul went inside it at 10 pm and his movement appeared suspicious to a team of APBn agents, ASP Ziaul said.
APBn found the gold bars after searching him in the presence of other law enforcers, the ASP said.
“During interrogation, he didn’t give any clear answer about the source and the destination of the gold bars,” he added.
Read more: Man arrested with gold bars worth Tk 85 lakh in Jashore
According to the APBn, the market value of recovered gold is Tk7.80 crore.
Preparations are underway to file a case against him, the APBn official said.
Mother, daughter die in Sylhat gas cylinder blast; 4 injured
A woman and her daughter were killed and four members of the same family injured in a fire that broke out following the blast of a gas cylinder at Jaflong in Sylhet’s Gowainghat upazila early Monday.
Read: Truck, easy-bike collision leaves 2 dead in Chuadanga
The deceased were Jasmine Akter, 30, and daughter Sumaiya Akter, 12 while the injured were Jesmin Akter's husband Yaqub Mia, mother-in-law and two children Zubair and Junaid.
The fire broke out at the shop and house of Yaqub Mia at Rasalpur village around 12:30 am following a gas cylinder blast, leaving his wife and daughter dead, said KM Nazrul Islam (OC) of Gowainghat Police Station.
Read: Unidentified woman crushed under wheels of train in Chattogram
Locals rescued the injured and informed the fire service and police.
The fire service and police personnel with the help of locals brought the blaze under control after about two hours and recovered the bodies of the deceased.
Read: Gas supply to remain off in Banani area Sunday
The injured were taken to Jaintapur Upazila Health Complex first in critical condition and then shifted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.
PM Hasina to leave for Johannesburg Tuesday to attend BRICS Summit: PMO
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave Dhaka on Tuesday morning for Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend 15th BRICS Summit.
The Premier is joining the Summit at the invitation of South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa.
South Africa is hosting the historic Summit of BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It will be the first BRICS Summit to be hosted in person since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent global restrictions.
Indian Prime Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the global leaders who are traveling to the African country.
They will be visiting South Africa from August 22 to 24 to attend the summit at the invitation of Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa.
A regular flight of Emirates, carrying Sheikh Hasina and her entourage members, will take off Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 10:15am, according to the available schedule from Prime Minister Office (PMO).
The flight is scheduled to land at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg at 2050 Hrs after making more than one hour stopover at Dubai International Airport in UAE.
From the airport, Hasina will be escorted to the Place of Residence, the Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton.
Read: Qatar Economic Forum 2023: PM to leave for Doha this afternoon
On August 23, Bangladeshi prime minister will deliver a speech at the "Bangladesh Trade and Business Summit" as the chief guest, jointly organized by Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) at 10am at the Radisson Blu Hotel and Convention Center.
On the same day, the PM will speak at the “Bangladesh Envoys Conference '' organized by Bangladesh ambassadors stationed in African countries to be held at Rivonia 7th Floor, the Palace of Residence at 12:30pm.
Later in the afternoon, she is likely to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President XI Jinping at the Hotel Hilton Sandton.
During the evening, the prime minister will attend a cultural programme and a “State Banquet” hosted by the current Chair of BRICS and the South African President at the Gallagher Estate, Johannesburg.
On August 24, the PM will deliver a speech on behalf of Bangladesh as a member of the “New Development Bank of BRICS” in 'BRICS -Friends of BRICS Leaders Dialogue (BRICS-Africa Outreach and the BRICS Plus Dialogues) comprising representatives from 70 countries to be begin at 9am in the Sandton Convention Centre.
Read: PM to leave Dhaka for Doha on Mar 4 to attend LDC5 Conference
On the same day, Hasina is expected to hold several bilateral meetings with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and President of the New Development Bank Dilma Vana Rousseff at the Sandton Convention Centre.
PM Hasina will attend a meeting of the community leaders on August 24.
The prime minister is scheduled to depart the O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg for home by an Emirates Airlines flight at 1:40pm(local time) on August 26.
She is expected to arrive at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka at 8:40am on August 27 following a brief stopover at the Dubai International Airport.
Read more: PM to leave London Monday after attending Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
It was a state-sponsored conspiracy to kill Hasina: Witness and injured Nazib recalls horror of Aug 21 carnage
Recalling the moments of heinous 21 August grenade attack, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cousin and her former personal security staff Nazib Ahmed has said the killers actually wanted to do what they could not do on August 15, 1975 killing the then opposition leader and other Awami League leaders.
“It was a state-sponsored final conspiracy (to complete the unfinished job of killers),” he told UNB, adding that the court verdict in this case should be implemented by bringing back the killers including BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman who are fugitives now.
“If the court verdict is implemented, their souls - the leaders and activists of AL whom we have lost- will find peace,” Ahmed said.
The August 21 grenade attack was carried out on an anti-terrorism rally organised by then opposition AL in 2004 in front of its central office in the Bangabandhu Avenue when the BNP-Jamaat alliance was in power. The then opposition leader and current PM Sheikh Hasina was the main target.
Read: No doubt Khaleda, Tarique and their men were completely involved in Aug 21 grenade attack: PM Hasina
The horrendous attack left 24 people killed and nearly 1000 injured. AL President and also then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina luckily escaped death, but her hearing was impaired by the repeated grenade blasts. Among the dead was Awami League’s women affairs secretary and late President Zillur Rahman’s wife Ivy Rahman.
He said they had a single goal that was to shift her to a safer place. “We could do that. We were committed politically and we had a responsibility to protect her. We did not flee keeping her alone. It is the biggest success of my life that we could protect her from the killers taking the risk of our own lives.”
Ahmed said he is satisfied today to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina alive. “I am ready to go for any war to keep her protected. Still I have that strength and courage.”
He, however, thinks Almighty Allah protected her and people have no such power.
Ahmed said it could have been another lifelong pain for him if he was not there for Prime Minister Hasina on that violent day.
Read: Mahbubur Rashid's parents want to see killers punished
“In my body, I feel like splinters of grenades keep walking from one place to another. We who are bearing the splinters can only understand the pain. Nobody can make others understand this pain. We, who are bearing splinters in our bodies, can’t even do MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging),” he said.
Going back to the dangerous moments of the first blast, Ahmed said, “At one stage, all leaders completed their speeches. Leader Hasina was at the last part of her speech. She uttered Joy Bangla and was about to utter Joy Bangabandhu. Exactly at that moment, I noticed a black object flying towards us from the City Hotel front. Within a second, the blast occurred.”
He claimed to be senior most among those who were deployed for her safety and security all the time.
“Usually, at Bangabandhu Avenue, police and AL leaders come together but one that particular day, no AL leaders and activists were allowed to be there on the rooftop. No police were deployed on the rooftop. We did not take it much seriously at that time but it came to our notice,” Ahmed said.
Read: 19th anniversary of Aug 21 grenade attack today
When within seconds there were a number of blasts, three sides surrounding Sheikh Hasina were covered immediately by the senior AL leaders and activists, he recalled and said, “We were on the truck. Hanif bhai, Maya bhai and Squadron Leader Mamun shielded Apa [Hasina] from three sides.”
“There was something like a table on her front side exposing her half of the body. I blocked the front side as her front side was open to a large extent. We built a human shield to protect her at any cost,” Ahmed said.
He said Sheikh Hasina kept telling him to remember Almighty Allah. “Only Alah can protect us. We were reciting Doa Yunus together as she asked. We were again attacked and the splinter hit me and others.”
They got down from the truck and managed to take Hasina to the SUV. Maj Mamun ran to the vehicle and opened its left door. Hasina huddled inside it. Nazib, Tarique, Shoyeb, Mamun and Maya followed.
They saw the frightening scenes and some of the injured lay on the street, bleeding profusely, while some groaned sitting on congealed blood and some motionless bodies lay scattered.
Read: Grenade attacks and targeted killings among methods then BNP-Jamaat govt applied in their attempt to decimate AL, tweet reminds
"I saw Ivy chachi (Ivy Rahman) lying in a pool of blood, motionless. I also saw my cousin Bahauddin Nasim trying to stand up amid blood, but failed," he said.
Getting off the car, Hasina gave some money to her party men and asked them to go to the spot immediately.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday stressed the need for expediting the implementation of the trial court’s verdict of the August 21 grenade attack case.
“Our leaders and activists including Ivy Rahman were brutally killed in broad daylight on this August 21. The trial has been held. Its (trial court) judgment has been handed out. This verdict should be implemented soon,” she said.
A Dhaka court had already convicted and sentenced 49 people – 19 of them to death and 19 to life imprisonment. Eleven others were sentenced to jail on different terms.
Eighteen convicted people, including BNP leader Tarique Rahman, have remained fugitives.
Appeals against the judgment are now being heard in the high court.
Hasina, while presiding over today’s discussion, said some convicted people of the grenade attack case are now in jail but the main mastermind stays outside the country.
Amassing illegal wealth: Regent's chairman Shahed jailed for 3 years
A Dhaka court on Monday sentenced Regent Group Chairman Mohammad Shahed to three years' imprisonment in a case filed for acquiring illegal wealth worth Tk 1.69 crore.
Prodip Kumar Roy, judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-7, handed down the judgment in presence of Shahed at the court.
The court also fined him Tk 1 lakh and ordered to deposit the money to the government treasury within the next 60 working days.
Read: Regent’s Shahed, 2 others indicted in fraud case
On March 1, 2021, Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission Farid Ahmed Patwary filed the case against Shahed with its Dhaka Integrated Office-1 for his alleged involvement in acquiring illegal wealth.
The Anti-Corruption Commission submitted a chargesheet against Shahed on February 2, 2022.
Later, the court framed charges against him on April 17 last year.
Read: Petition dismissed, Appellate Division orders to continue labour law violation case against Dr Yunus, 3 others
On July 15, 2020, he was arrested from the border area of Satkhira by RAB.
Shahed has been in jail since then.
On September 28, 2020, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment in an arms case.
No doubt Khaleda, Tarique and their men were completely involved in Aug 21 grenade attack: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday stressed the need for expediting the implementation of the trial court’s verdict in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack case.
“Our leaders and activists, including Ivy Rahman, were brutally killed in broad daylight on August 21. The trial has been held. Its (trial court) judgment has been handed out. This verdict should be implemented soon,” she said.
The premier was addressing a discussion arranged by Bangladesh Awami League (AL) at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Avenue, marking 19th anniversary of the August 21 grenade attack.
The grenade attack was carried out on an anti-terrorism rally organised by the then opposition AL on August 21, 2004 in front of its central office on Bangabandhu Avenue.
The gruesome attack left 24 people killed and nearly 1,000 injured. AL president and then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina luckily survived, but her hearing was impaired by the repeated grenade blasts. Among the dead was Awami League’s women affairs secretary and late president Zillur Rahman’s wife, Ivy Rahman.
A Dhaka court had already convicted and sentenced 49 people, including 19 to death and 19 to life imprisonment. Eleven were sentenced to different prison terms.
Read: 19th anniversary of Aug 21 grenade attack today
Eighteen of the convicted, including BNP leader Tarique Rahman, remain fugitives.
Appeals against the judgment are now being heard in the High Court.
Sheikh Hasina, while presiding over today’s discussion, said some of those convicted in the grenade attack case are now in jail but the main mastermind remains outside the country.
Without mentioning Tarique Rahman, she said that he went abroad signing a bond. “If he has courage, why doesn’t he come back? We’ve transformed the country into Digital Bangladesh. He is now talking big, taking its advantages… He should come back, if he has courage. People of Bangladesh will not spare that killer,” she said.
Recalling the grisly grenade attack, the premier said Khaleda Zia was the prime minister at the time, and the question remains what role she played at that time.
Read: It was a state-sponsored conspiracy to kill Hasina: Witness and injured Nazib recalls horror of Aug 21 carnage
She questioned why Khaleda obstructed police (from taking appropriate measures) and didn’t take any initiative to protect evidence of the attack.
“What does it prove? There is no doubt that Khaleda, Tarique and their men were completely involved in the grenade attack. It was also revealed in the investigation,” said the AL president.
Onion prices soar in Khulna market after India slaps duty on export
Onion prices have gone up in Khulna market just after the India's imposition of 40 percent duty on its export which came into effect from Sunday (August 20).
The prices of onion have increased by Tk 10-15 per kg in the local market just in a day.
On Sunday, Indian onions were being sold at Tk 65-70 per kg, while local onions at Tk 90 per kg. But on Saturday, per kg of Indian and local variety onions were sold at Tk 55-60 and Tk 75 per kg respectively.
Read: India imposes 40% duty on onion exports effective today
Sujan and Kawsar, traders of Mylapota Sandhya Bazar in the town, said that there is no shortage of onion in the market.
However, they are paying Tk 10-15 more for buying per kg of onion. As a result, onions have to be sold at a higher price, they added.
On August 19, the Revenue Department of the Indian Finance Ministry imposed a 40 percent duty on onion export to check price hike.
Read: Indian onions start arriving through land ports as import resumes
Importers said earlier they paid no tax for importing onions from India. Due to the 40 percent duty, an extra Tk 15-19 per kg will have to be counted.
An Indian gazette notification signed by Amreeta Titus, deputy secretary of the Revenue Department under the Finance Ministry, said the duty will remain effective till December 31 this year.
Indian exporters said onion prices are soaring in the country and the government has imposed the duty to discourage exports.
Read: Proper preservation of onions to end instability, crisis: Agriculture Minister
Buyers said that the prices of onion have increased compared to the last few days. Onions may be stockpiled by unscrupulous traders on the pretext of import duty that may cause further rise in prices, they feared.
Ibrahim Hossain, deputy director of the Khulna divisional office of the Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection, said that they are monitoring the market.