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ACC files case against senior official of Standard Bank
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Sunday filed a case against Senior Assistant Vice President (SAVP) of Standard Bank, Rafiq Mahmood for misappropriating TK 31 crore 18 lakh.
The case was filed with the Coordinated Office, ACC-1 after the primary investigation.
Also read:ACC sues former officials of GCC
Deputy Director of ACC Public relation office Muhammad Arif Sadeq told UNB that deputy director G M Ahsanul Kabir filed the case against the former manager of the Shyampur branch of the bank.
According to the statement, the bank spotted that the former branch manager Rafiq opened fixed deposits worth Tk 30crore without following proper guidelines of the bank and transferred almost Tk 18 crore to his account.
Also read: Ex-CJ Sinha faces another graft case filed by ACC
He used his relatives' documents to open those fixed deposits to embezzle the money.
The present manager of the same branch of the bank SAVP Jasim Bhuiyan filed a complaint with the Shyampur police station.
Nagad Islamic brings zakat calculator
Nagad Islamic has introduced several features, including a zakat calculator and a range of Islamic lifestyle services on its app and website.
Using their mobile phones, customers will now be able to calculate their zakat accurately. To do so, they will have to first select the zakat calculator option on the Nagad Islamic website.
Also read: Nagad wins 'Best Innovative Digital Financial Services Brand' award
Then the customers will be required to enter the value of their assets for the whole year, including yearly income, investment, gold, and loans.
Next, the precise amount of zakat will be generated automatically as the customers click on the calculate button.
The service will also be available on the Nagad app soon.
Through Nagad Islamic, run under the Nagad Shariah Supervisory Committee, customers will also be able to donate zakat regularly.
Also read: Nagad organises workshop on money laundering & crime control
The Nagad Islamic account has been in operation for the last three years, assuring Islamic financial management for the customers.
Customers are using this interest-free mobile financial services account to make donations, payments for hajj tours and travels, and Islamic insurance.
Dr. Atiur receives Bangla Academy Rabindra Award 2021
Dr. Atiur Rahman, prominent economist and former governor of Bangladesh Bank, was conferred with the Bangla Academy Rabindra Award 2021 on Sunday.
On this occasion, Bangla Academy organized a program in its auditorium. Director General of Bangla Academy Muhammad Nurul Huda delivered the welcome speech.
The secretary of Bangla Academy AHM Lokman was also present on the occasion. The program was conducted by Bangla Academy Director Nurunnahar Khanam.
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Atiur Rahman said, "Rabindranath Tagore has made a great contribution to the uniqueness and aristocracy of the Bengali world. He has also taken forward the aesthetic practice of Bengalis. Rabindranath is not only a writer but also a great economist, he has constantly spoken about the development of agriculture and farmers."
He has taken the deprived people of the society forward and sought self-reliance. So, his socio-economic thinking should be further highlighted, he said.
Also read: Japan honours businessman Matiur Rahman with Order of the Rising Sun award
Speaking on the occasion, Bangla Academy President Selina Hossain said, "Rabindranath Tagore has spread Bengali nationalism and Bengali language all over the world."
Birth control measures planned in Rohingya camps: Home Minister
The government will take birth control measures in the Rohingya camps to curb alarming population growth among the refugees.
This was decided on Sunday at a meeting presided over by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
The meeting also decided that UNHCR database will be used to prevent Rohingyas from getting Bangladeshi passports.
Also read: Japan: Lasting Rohingya solutions to help a free Indo-Pacific
The decisions came at the fourth meeting of the National Committee on Coordination, Management and Law and order of Displaced Myanmar Citizens, held in the conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
State Minister for Disaster and Relief Md. Enamur Rahman was also present at the meeting.
Emerging from the meeting the home minister said birth rate is alarmingly high in Rohingya camps with about 35,000 births reported every year. The Health Department and the Islamic Foundation will be asked to take necessary steps to control it.
Political will needed to enforce anti-discrimination law: Citizens’ Platform
Citizens’ Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh on Sunday said a political will and citizen-based monitoring are required for proper enforcement of the proposed anti-discrimination law.
The platform arranged a media briefing to present the statements of the civil society persons, who were involved in raising public opinion for the formulation of the proposed law, said a release.
The Anti-Discrimination Bill 2022 was placed in Parliament on April 2 last to protect, uphold and ensure equal rights and dignity of all human beings.
Also read: Bill seeking end to discrimination tabled in Parliament
“Undoubtedly, this bill has been placed based on the basic articles of the Constitution. However, visible political will, efficient administration and monitoring by citizens are required for proper enforcement of this law,” said Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, the Convenor of the Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh.
He, in his introductory speech, also said the platform and its affiliates have been assisting the government in raising and drafting this law for a long time.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman, core group member of the platform and also TIB executive director, said the people with mental disabilities and acid burns, and caste discrimination should be incorporated in the structural definition of inequality.
Though the legal owners of land were mentioned in the bill, there is nothing in the law about the traditional owners of lands which means indigenous people, he said.
It is important to assess whether the law can be implemented through formation of an anti-discrimination commission, said Dr Iftekharuzzaman, also the TIB executive director.
Shaheen Anam, another core group member of the platform, congratulated the government for the placement of such a pro-people and women-friendly law.
Focusing on the long struggle for the enactment of law, she said, “Now our main goal is to see if this law reflects the public expectations.”
Shaheen Anam, also the Executive Director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, said a proper monitoring committee is needed for its enforcement.
Barrister Sara Hossain, Executive Director, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), praised the bill for focusing on all sorts of discriminations generally.
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She said different communities such as transgender, differently abled persons and minorities have reported discrimination against them at different times. “This attempt to centralise all forms of discrimination in a single law generally here is undoubtedly commendable,” she added.
Dr Faustina Pereira, senior fellow of the center for peace and justice, and professor at BRAC University, said the scope for getting remedies should be wider. It is not clear that what would be remedy if a person faces more than one type of discrimination at a time, she said.
She thought that the State should take initiative on its own for the victims before a victim files a complaint.
Dr Shahdeen Malik, a Supreme Court lawyer, said though a monitoring committee is formed under such a law, in many cases such bodies do noy hold meetings, and the law is not properly enforced, he said.
Parliamentary body to raise maternity allowance for rural women
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women and Children Affairs Ministry on Sunday recommended raising monthly maternity allowance for poor rural women to Tk 1,000 from Tk 800.
The committee also recommended the ministry for taking necessary steps for allocating five computers alongside the allocation of five sewing machines against each Member of Parliament (MP).
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The recommendations came from the 31st meeting of the committee at the Parliament Bhaban.
The chairperson of the parliamentary body Meher Afroze (Chumki) presided over the meeting, said a parliament release.
The committee again asked for formulation of different area-wise policies for all the hostels (for working women) under the Women's Affairs Department.
Also read:Paperfly to deliver rural women products across Bangladesh
Committee members Shabnam Jahan, Lutfun Nesa Khan and Shahadara Mannan attended the meeting. High officials from the ministry, the department, Bangladesh Shishu Academy and Joyeeta Foundation were present.
Press Council sets roadmap for creating journalists' database: Info Minister
The Bangladesh Press Council is preparing a roadmap to create a database for the protection of journalists and media outlets in the country, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday.
“The new law we have drafted to strengthen the Press Council has already been sent to the Cabinet,” he told reporters after receiving the council's annual report of 2020 from the chairman of the Press Council at the secretariat.
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If passed by the parliament after its presentation in the cabinet, the power of the press council will increase, he said.
“When someone commits misdeeds in disguise of a journalist, it often affects the entire journalist community,” he said.
“In order to protect the journalist community from this, I requested the Press Council to create a database of journalists and news media by formulating a policy in consultation with the stakeholders.”
“I think it will bring order, it will reduce misinformation.”
The minister further hoped that true journalists and the media will get protection through the formation of this database.
Also read: Digital platform for risk-informed development launched
The minister also thanked the Press Council for training the journalists and for contributing to the betterment of journalism as well as for initiating the work of compiling the list of journalists on the basis of a policy as directed.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established the Bangladesh Press Council. As a judicial board, the body was set up to deal with disputes between readers and newspapers, Hasan Mahmud added.
Stern action against harassment in issuing birth certificates: Minister
Stern action will be taken against those who harass people while issuing birth certificates, said Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam on Sunday.
“There are many flaws in the way people get birth registration after the automation of the system and we have identified those,” he said at a view-exchange meeting to speed up online birth and death registration activities.
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No one will be exempted if any kind of harassment of service seekers are reported at any level in birth registration, warned the minister.
“We see birth registration as a very burning issue these days. Even then, if there is a complaint against someone, action will be taken.”
Regarding the server issue, he said, "We have re-rationalised the server. That's why the server was shut down for some time and launched again.”
“The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has helped us financially. They are taking care of the server so that it can be handled properly,” said Tajul.
He said birth registration is the basic foundation of a human being. “In order to fulfill the commitment of good governance and build an ideal society, birth registration has to be administered very seriously.”
“All the requirements along with the birth registration will be added when everyone will get what they need,” he added.
Also read: Buildings in capital must have septic tanks: LGRD Minister
He said there are still many mistakes in birth registration. He urged the authority concerned to solve it.
In this case, the lower entity is the Union Parishad. There are 25,000 people in a union and cannot reach these places on purpose. In that case the chairmen have to be active by holding monthly meetings, said Tajul.
In that meeting every citizen should be informed about who was born and who died. A time limit of 12 to 24 hours may be fixed for the notification, suggested the minister.
Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 42 new cases, zero death
Bangladesh logged 42 fresh Covid cases in 24 hours till Sunday morning, taking the total caseload to 19,52,065.
As per the latest government data, the country’s total fatalities remained static at 29,123 as no death was reported during the period for the 6th consecutive day.
Also read: New wave a reminder that Covid far from over, says UN chief
The daily positivity rate slightly increased to 0.80 per cent from Saturday's 0.62 per cent after testing 5,254 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
On Saturday, the number of infections was lower as 28 new cases were reported with no death.
Besides, the mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.49 per cent.
The recovery rate rose to 96.75 per cent with the recovery of 707 more patients during the 24-hour period.
In March, the country reported 85 Covid-linked deaths and 8,000 new cases while 66,639 patients recovered from the disease, according to DGHS.
Among the 85 deaths during the period, 44 were unvaccinated patients, 11 were vaccinated with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, 28 with the second dose and two with the third dose.
The country reported first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.
Also read: Experts say US suspension of COVID aid will prolong pandemic
On January 28, Bangladesh logged its previous highest daily positivity rate at 33.37 per cent reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.
Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.
No launch ticket without NID cards during Eid: Khalid
Travellers will have to show their National Identity Card (NID) for buying tickets for launch journey, said State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday.
The decision will come into effect five days ahead the Eid-ul-Fitr, said the minister while talking to reporters after attending a meeting on ensuring safe operation of steamers, launches and other river vessels during Eid-ul-Fitr.
Also read: Khalid inaugurates pilot launch service in Gaibandha
The government has taken the initiative to ensure safety of the passengers who are planning to go to their respective homes using river route, said Khalid.
Strict measures will be taken after Eid to give the system a permanent shape, he added.
Replying to a question, the minister said those who don’t have NID cards will have to show their birth registration certificates for purchasing tickets.
Issuing a warning, Kalid said no launch owners will be allowed to charge extra fares and carry passengers beyond their capacity.
Also read: Smoke in Barishal-bound launch creates panic among passengers
Besides, movement of goods-laden vessels will remain suspended five days before and after Eid, he said.
The Eid vacation for the garment workers will start from April 27, he added.