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Dr Zafrullah urged not to make reckless remarks on BNP
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday urged Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury to refrain from making unguarded and confusing remarks over their party and its leadership.
“He (Zafrullah) is a very revered and wise man. But as he has become older, he makes some reckless comments. His remarks on the process of appointing Tarique Rahman as the acting chairman of BNP is not logical,” he said.
Talking to reporters at his residence here, the BNP leader said Zafrullah has long been raising voice against fascism. ”But he never thought that such comments (against BNP) can disrupt the anti-fascist movement.”
"I would like to request him (Zafrullah) not to make such remarks that confuse people. Tarique Rahman is organising our party. The whole party is united under his leadership,” Fakhrul said.
READ: Dr Zafrullah describes how Bangladesh can go for low-cost vaccine production
Earlier at a programme at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital on Sept 2, Zafrullah criticised BNP for what he said making Tarique the BNP acting chairman violating its constitution.
Protesting Zafrullah’s remark, Fakhrul said Tarique was made the BNP acting chairman maintaining the party charter. “Tarique was the party's senior joint secretary general and then senior vice chairman. He has gradually come to this position. He’s been successfully organising the party from abroad.”
He hoped that BNP will soon be able to launch a movement reorganising the party’s rank and file under its current acting chairman. “We’ll able to remove the fascist Awami League government and establish a pro-people one through that movement.”
The BNP leader said people have lost their confidence in the entire election system. “We’ve seen its reflection in the previous parliamentary elections. The government has destroyed the election system, the first pillar of democracy, and usurped power illegally.”
READ: Bring Zaima back home to revive BNP: Dr Zafrullah
He slammed Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda for his subservient role in running the Commission, saying he always becomes ready to fulfill the hopes and aspirations.
Dengue: 275 more hospitalized, no new death reported in 24 hrs
Although no death from dengue was reported in the past 24 hours till early Monday, 275 more people were hospitalised with the mosquito-borne disease, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Among the new patients, 220 were admitted to government and private hospitals in Dhaka while the remaining 55 cases were reported from outside the division, according to DGHS.
Some 1,233 patients diagnosed with dengue fever are receiving treatment in the country as of Monday morning, according to DGHS.
Of them, 1,074 patients are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the remaining 159 were listed outside Dhaka.
This year’s total death toll from dengue remained static at 52.
READ: Dengue: 1 more dies, 315 more hospitalised
Among the dead 48 were in Dhaka city alone, two in Chattogram division, one in Khulna and one in Rajshahi.
Some 12,091 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January.
So far, 10,806 dengue patients have been released from hospitals after recovery, said the DGHS.
READ: Dengue death toll crosses 50 with 2 more deaths, 265 more hospitalized in 24 hrs
Health authorities have been recording over 200 dengue cases per day since August 1.
ACC grills five more Titas officials over graft charges
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday questioned another five officials of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company over charges of illegal accumulation of wealth through corruption.
ACC secretary Anwar Hossain Hawlader told reporters that they were being questioned on various corruption charges, including illegal acquisition of assets.
Deputy Director and investigation officer of the Commission Nurul Huda interrogated them at the ACC head office from 10.30am to 5 pm.
READ: Those aged 12-17 to be vaccinated after WHO’s approval: Minister
The five officials grilled on Monday are Deputy Managers of Savar area Anisuzzman and Abdul Mannan, Manager of Private Branch of Establishment Division Hasibur Rahman, Compnay Secretary of Corporate Division Mahmudur Rob and Manager of Corotion Control Division Abu Bakkar Siddqur Rahman
A total of 30 officials and employees of Titas Gas officials of Titas gas recorded their statements on August 23 in first phases.
READ: ACC goes slow on NID scam case raising questions over its anti-graft drive
The ACC informed that the rest of the employees will be quizzed from September 6 to September 8.
Fire service promotes 107 officers amid call for better performance
A total of 107 station officers and equivalent officers of the Fire Service and Civil Defense (FSCD) Directorate have been promoted to the post of Warehouse Inspector.
This for the first time that station officers and equivalent officers got the promotion within five years, while it needed 17-18 years to get promotion in the past.
Read: US Embassy partners with Rajshahi fire service to build capacity
Brigadier General Md. Sajjad Hossain, Director General of the FSCD Directorate on Monday conferred rank badges on those promoted to the post of Warehouse Inspector at a function held at the conference room of the department.
Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest the DG congratulated the promoted officials.
“Promotion not only enhances dignity and rank, it also increases responsibility,” he said.
Read:Fire Service control room landphones go out of order
Director (Administration and Finance) Md Habibur Rahman presided over the function.
Senior officials of the directorate, including Director (Training, planning and Development) Lt Col SM Julfikar Rahman and Director (Ops) Lt Col Zillur Rahman were present on the occasion.
Bangladesh’s daily Covid death toll falls, cases rise
Bangladesh logged 65 Covid-19 deaths and 2,710 cases in 24 hours till Monday morning, showing a slight fall in fatality and uptrend in cases from a day before.
The country reported 70 Covid-related deaths and 2,430 cases on Sunday.
The daily case positivity rate also increased slightly to 9.82% from Sunday's 9.66%, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Also read: Bangladesh’s international airports to have PCR booths for Covid tests
The fresh numbers pushed the country’s total fatalities to 26,628 while the cases reached 15,17,166, the DGHS said.
The new cases were detected after testing 27,595 samples during the 24-hour period.
Munia's death: Bashundhara MD among 8 sued over ‘rape, murder’
A rape and murder case was filed on Monday against Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir and seven others over the death of college student Mosarat Jahan Munia in her Gulshan apartment in April this year.
The seven other accused are: Bashundhara Group's Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan Shah Alam, Shah Alam's wife Afroza Begum; Anvir's wife Sabrina Sayem; Faria Mahbub Piyasha; Saifa Rahman Mim; landlord of the flat where the victim was staying, Ibrahim Ahmed Ripon and his wife Sharmim Akhter.
Munia's sister Nusrat Jahan Tania filed the case with Dhaka's 8th Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children's Repression.
Read: Munia's death: Court accepts IO's final report clearing Bashundhara Group MD
Judge Mafroza Parvin recorded the statement of the complainant. After the hearing, the judge directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to submit a report on it within seven working days.
Earlier on August 19, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury relieved Anvir of the charge of incitement to suicide of the college student.
On July 19, the investigating officer of the case, Gulshan Police Station officer-in-charge Abul Hasan, submitted a final report to the court giving a clean chit to Anvir.
Anvir was not found culpable in the suicide incitement case of Munia in the final report submitted by the investigating officer and asked for his name to be dropped.
Read: Munia’s sister files no-confidence petition against final investigation report
On April 26, police recovered the hanging body of Munia from the flat in Gulshan in the night. Munia's elder sister Nusrat Jahan Tania filed a case against Anvir that night accusing him of incitement to suicide.
According to Tania, her sister Munia was in a relationship with Anvir who regularly visited her at the Gulshan apartment.
GM Quader wants crackdown on illegal arms
Voicing deep concern over the reported involvement of a student leader in arms smuggling, Jatiya Party chairman GM Quader on Monday urged the government to launch a special drive to recover illegal arms.
“A list of arms smugglers and illegal arms dealers should be prepared immediately to ensure the safety of people,” he said.
In a statement, GM Quader said, “A special force should be engaged in conducting a drive to recover illegal firearms and bringing those involved with arms smuggling under the ambit of law.”
Read:Waterways must be made safe: GM Quader
He warned that Bangladesh will turn into a “savage state” if the government fails to stop the smuggling of illegal firearms.
The Jatiya Party chief also said the future of the nation will become disastrous and the law-and-order situation will deteriorate alarmingly if the arms smuggling continues.
“So, the government must take effective steps to prevent the shipment of illegal weapons alongside recovering the illegal arms,” he observed.
Referring to media reports, GM Quader said a student leader of Jashore has been arrested recently on charges of arms smuggling from India and supplying them to different districts.
“According to his confessional statement to the intelligence agency, he alone has sold more than two hundred firearms across the country in the last few years.
He also described how he brought weapons to Bangladesh through the border of a neighbouring country adopting a new strategy,” the Jatiya Party chairman said.
Read: Reopen educational institutions on an experimental basis: GM Quader
He said the arrested student leader also informed the intelligence agency about how the arms-smuggling syndicate has been supplying illegal arms to Bangladesh. “Nothing can be more terrible news than this.”
The Jatiya Party chairman said a photo of a model with sophisticated Uzi pistols made in Israel went viral earlier. “This type of weapon is not even there in the hands of law enforcers. So, panic has spread among guardians in the country.”
On Thursday, police arrested five people, including a member of Bangladesh Chhatra League, from the capital's Darussalam area over smuggling and illegally firearms selling.
Museum in Ctg circuit house named after Zia will be removed: State Minister
The museum named after Ziaur Rahman at the old circuit house in Chattogram will be removed and the building will be turned into a circuit house again, said State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Md Murad Hasan on Monday.
"Ziaur Rahman (founder of BNP and a former military ruler) was an assassin, a Pakistani agent. No state-run museum can be named after Zia," said Dr Murad at a meeting with journalists at Chattogram Press Club.
He further said that Awami League leader MA Hannan read out the declaration of independence made by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. And so the microphone used for that announcement will not be in Zia's museum and it will be taken to Kalurghat.
Also read: Any plan to remove Zia’s grave to invite dire consequences: BNP
Dr Murad said Chattogram Circuit House is a witness to the history and tradition of the Liberation War. Many Bengalis have been martyred in the torture cells of the Pakistani forces here.
This circuit house has witnessed many historical events. In the interest of preserving the history and heritage of the liberation war, there can be no museum in the name of the murderer of Bangabandhu with the government funding, he added.
Besides, the state minister talked about various problems, solutions and development programs of the government.
He said, "Media friendly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is and will be by your side. She has donated Tk 10 crore to the Journalist Welfare Trust during her tenure."
"If a journalist needs medical treatment in the country or abroad and when a journalist's family is helpless, our PM stands by his/her side," he added.
Also read: Evidence on Zia’s involvement in Bangabandhu killing to be made public: Law Minister
Chattogram Press Club (CUJ) President Alhaj Ali Abbas presided over the meeting and Press Club General Secretary Farid Chowdhury, Senior co-president of CUJ Salah Uddin Md Reza, President of CUJ Md Ali, former President of CUJ Kalim Sarwar, former General Secretary Mohsin Chowdhury, former Vice President of BFUJ Shahid Ul Alam and others were present at the meeting.
Quick energy supply: Cabinet approves 5-yr extension of special provision
The Cabinet on Monday cleared a proposal for the extension of the Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provision) Act 2010 for another five years till 2026.
The approval came from the virtual cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The PM joined it from her official residence Ganobhaban. Other cabinet members were connected with the meeting from the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Read: Cabinet body okays proposal for setting up 42,500 solar systems in 3 hill districts
“Since the tenure of the existing law is going to expire in 2021, the proposed law was brought to extend it by another five years till 2026,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters after the meeting.
He said the cabinet gave the final approval to the draft of Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provision) (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in order to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity and energy for the sake of making Bangladesh into a higher middle-income country by 2030 and a developed country by 2041.
The tenure of the special provision, enacted in 2010, was extended on several occasions in the past, he said.
“But no change other than time extension has been made to the proposed law,” said the Cabinet Secretary.
Bangladesh’s international airports to have PCR booths for Covid tests
PCR testing booths will be set up at Bangladesh’s three international airports to facilitate passengers to take Covid-19 test four to six hours before boarding their flights, said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam.
The directive came from a virtual cabinet meeting held on Monday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair who joined it from her official residence Ganobhaban, Anwarul Islam said.
Read: RU student volunteers to engage Gram Bangla on Covid-19
Other cabinet members were connected with the meeting from the Bangladesh Secretariat.
“A good number of countries imposed a condition for travellers to take PCR test 4, 6 or 8 hours ahead of flying, the authorities were asked to install PCR machines within the next two or three days,” said Anwar while briefing reporters after the meeting.