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Dhaka Metro Rail service hours being extended from March 27
In a move to cater to the increasing demand for late-night transportation, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has announced the extension of metro rail service hours beyond 9 pm, starting from Wednesday, March 27.
During a press briefing scheduled for tomorrow, the Managing Director of DMTCL, M. A. N Siddique, will provide detailed information regarding this significant service extension.
According to sources from DMTCL, the last train from Motijheel will now depart at 9:40 pm, and from Uttara end at 9:20 pm. This extension will introduce trains running every 12 minutes during the additional service hours, adding 10 more trains to the current schedule.
Read more: Metro rail operating hours to be extended by one hour from 16th Ramadan
Consequently, the total number of daily trips will increase from 184 to 194.
Currently, the Dhaka metro rail operates from 7 am to 8:40 pm, with trains running every 8 minutes during peak hours (7 am to 11:30 am and 2 pm to 8 pm) and every 12 minutes during off-peak hours (11 am to 2:30 pm).
This expansion of metro rail service is aimed at enhancing the commuting experience for Dhaka's residents, providing a more flexible and accessible transportation option during the evening hours.
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Genocide Day today
‘Genocide Day’ is being observed in the country on Monday, to commemorate brutalities of the Pakistan army during Operation Searchlight, launched on the night of March 25 in 1971, as a last resort to try and suppress the will of the people of what would become, in less than nine months, an independent Bangladesh.
On the Black Night of March 25 in 1971, the Pakistani military junta resorted to mass killings and arson in Dhaka to implement their blueprint to thwart the Awami League's assumption of office following the election mandate of 1970.
In the attack dubbed 'Operation Searchlight', the Pakistani forces mercilessly killed the Bangalee members of the East Pakistan Rifles and police, students, teachers and common people.
They killed people indiscriminately, set fire to the houses and property and looted business establishments, leaving a trail of destruction.
The night also witnessed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s proclamation of independence before he was arrested by the Pakistani troops and subsequently flown to West Pakistan.
The day is being observed as Genocide Day officially for the eighth time in the country since the Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on March 11, 2017.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on this occasion.
Political parties including the ruling one have taken up programmes in observance of the day.
Different cultural organizations are holding seminars, cultural programmes lyrical drama on genocide.
Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television as well as private television channels and radio stations are airing special programmes while national dailies published supplements marking the day.
Meanwhile different religious organizations arranged special prayers and doa mehfil seeking peace for the eternal souls of the deceased.
Fire guts furniture shops in Manikganj
At least 16 business establishments, mostly wooden furniture shops, were gutted in a devastating fire in Manikganj’s Shibaloy upazila early today.
Md Nadir Hossain, warehouse inspector of Shibaloy upazila Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the blaze broke out at one of the furniture shops in Aricha Bandar area around 4 am, and soon spread to other furniture shops, one sawmill and one house.
On information, two firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought it under control around three hours after the fire, he said.
The fire service officer assumed that the fire originated from an electronic short-circuit, causing damages of around Tk 50 lakh.
Construction worker dies from impact of heavy equipment in Malibagh landslide; 3 in hospital
A worker was killed and three others injured when construction machinery fell on them due to the landslide near Malibagh Railgate area on Sunday afternoon.
The deceased Nur Nabi Nayem, son of CNG driver Salim Raza of Yakubnagar village of Sitakundu upazila of Chittagong district, was a crane operator. He used to live in Dhaka's Ashulia.
The incident happened around 5pm on Sunday when they were working underground in an under-construction multi-storey market; four workers were injured, said Bachchu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) police outpost.
On information, firemen from Khilgaon Fire Station rescued a person and brought him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 6:30pm, where doctors on duty declared him dead on arrival, Bachchu Mia added.
Co-workers also brought Ziarul, 20, excavator operator Ratul Pramanik,18, and Sadekul, 22. They are now undergoing treatment at the hospital, said Bachhu Mia.
Biman launches its 'Smart' call centre
Biman Bangladesh Airlines has officially inaugurated its Smart Call Centre with a ceremony held at the national flag carrier's Balaka headquarters.
Biman's Managing Director and CEO, Shafiul Azim, inaugurated it by dialing the short code number 13636.
Through this call centre, passengers can avail all kinds of services related to 'Biman' by calling the number 13636 using Bangladesh's mobile networks. Similarly, passengers traveling from abroad can receive services by dialing the number 096109-13636.
Shafiul Azim said that this internally managed call centre is in its initial phase. Plans are underway to enhance passenger services by swiftly incorporating various modern features, including outsourcing part-time employment opportunities to university students and relocating the call centre to a separate establishment.
PWD to build 6-storey mosque in Azimpur Colony
A 6-storey mosque is going to be built at Azimpur Colony in the city by the Public Works Department at a cost of Tk 12.34 crore.
“We’ve already awarded the contract to Contemporary Shams Engineering JV to construct the mosque and its construction work will soon begin,” said a top official of the PWD.
Additional Chief Engineer of PWD of Dhaka Zone Md. Shafiqul Islam informed that the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase recently approved the contract award to the contractor.
He said the mosque project is a part of the main project titled: Construction of Multi-Story Residential Flats of the Government Officers in Azimpur Colony.
Under the main project, the government has been developing a good number of 20-storey residential apartment complexes in Azimpur replacing the old officers and employees buildings there.
Shafiqul Islam said the 20-storey buildings are still ongoing and it will take more than a year to complete.
However, as per the project profile, the 20-storey building project in Zone –A in Azimpur Colony was supposed to be completed on December 31 in 2021.
Officials said that under the construction of multi-storey residential flats project at Azimpur, fifteen 20-storey buildings will be constructed at a cost of Tk 1921.80 crore which will have a total of 1140 flats.
Officials said the new mosque will be rebuilt, dismantling the old one.
“The main idea is to build the new cone keeping in mind the growing population and the new shape of the Azimpur Colony where 20-storey builds are being developed with a new architectural view,” said another PWD official.
Fly Dhaka waiting on AOC to become country’s newest private airline
Fly Dhaka is set to become the country's newest entrant into the private airline industry.
Prioritizing the paramount importance of safe travel coupled with affordability, the airline has already secured its aircraft and is actively addressing various pertinent matters pertaining to the acquisition of the Air Operator's Certificate (AOC).
With aspirations to expand its presence across the Bangladeshi airspace in 2024, the airline is diligently advancing through the personnel recruitment process.
In this context, Lt. General (Retd.) Molla Fazle Akbar PhD, NDC, PSC , the Chief Executive Officer of Fly Dhaka Airlines, said: "The honorable Prime Minister has articulated a vision to position Bangladesh as a prominent global aviation hub. Fly Dhaka Airlines is committed to earnestly pursuing this vision, thus contributing to the enhancement of the aviation sector in Bangladesh.”
“Our aim is not only to establish a robust presence in the domestic market but also to extend our reach to the global arena. Towards this end, negotiations with a giant Asian airline are already underway,” he said.
Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, the Jatiya Party lawmaker from Chattogram and leading RMG businessman as the owner of Sasha Denims, is the owner of the airline, and serves in the post of managing director.
Anchored by the ethos of "Connecting Dreams, Uniting Destinations," the workforce of Fly Dhaka Airlines will be steadfastly dedicated to realizing this vision, the CEO pledged.
The airline envisages commencing operations on domestic routes utilizing the fuel-efficient ATR 72-600 model aircraft popular for short haul commercial travel.
Subsequently, for international services, Fly Dhaka intends to induct Airbus/Boeing aircraft.
BAF's BBT-2 training aircraft: A stepping stone for domestic high-end manufacturing
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday officially inaugurated the first training aircraft manufactured by the country's air force. The Bangladesh Air Force's first Bangabandhu Basic Trainer (BBT) aircraft was unveiled during the Military Hardware Display 2024, held today at the Tejgaon Airfield of BAF Base Bashar.
The Prime Minister was warmly welcomed on the occasion by Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan, the Chief of Air Staff.
The development of the Bangabandhu Training Aircraft (BBT) commenced in January 2020 under the auspices of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University (BSMRAAU).
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This initiative was propelled by the visionary idea that Bangladesh can produce aircraft.
Under the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and guided by the motto "Free Shall we keep the Sky of Bangladesh", the Bangladesh Air Force successfully manufactured its first Trainer Aircraft BBT-1, which completed its maiden flight on 12 February 2023.
Following this, the advanced model BBT-2 was developed to meet specific training requirements, with both models benefiting from the extensive experience of the BAF's engineers and technicians in aviation and aerospace maintenance and operations, according to an ISPR media release.
On 26 October 2023, BBT–2 completed its first maiden flight. It is noteworthy that these aircraft allow for side-by-side pilot seating and are equipped with a modern instrument parameter monitoring system that provides essential flight information for safe flying.
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BBT-2 can reach a top speed of 250 km/h at an altitude of 20,000 feet, with a maximum take-off weight of 500 kg. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the Bangladesh Air Force, positioning it on the path towards self-reliance in military hardware design and production.
It is felt that the fabrication of this aircraft represents a pivotal step towards realizing the Prime Minister's vision of a Smart Bangladesh.
The ceremony was also attended by other high-ranking military and civilian officials.
50,000MT onions arriving from India in 2-3 days: Commerce State Minister
Fifty thousand metric tonnes of onions imported from India will enter the country in phases starting in the next two to three days, according to State Minister for Commerce Ahsanul Islam Titu.
“The Indian embargo on onion export will not affect its deal with Bangladesh. As per the agreement to import 50,000 tonnes of Indian onion, it will gradually come to Bangladesh. Our onions from India have already boarded trains which will arrive in two or three days through the Darshana route,” he said.
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Titu said this while speaking at a seminar organised by International Business Forum of Bangladesh on "Impact of syndicate and competition on price of essentials,” at its office in the city’s Tejgaon Industrial Area on Sunday.
The Indian government recently announced an exemption for Bangladesh and five other friendly countries from a ban on export of onions, aimed at maintaining stability in their domestic market. By far the largest exemption was for Bangladesh - out of the 54,000MT of onions to be exported under the exemption, 50,000MT was allocated for Bangladesh.
Titu said there is no perfection with markets by definition. Different issues like natural calamities, pandemic and global conflict sometimes seriously disrupt markets.
When the government detects any unscrupulous behavior in the market, it takes necessary action, he said.
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Highlighting the government’s role to support the people affected by market volatility, he said the government provides support to the poor through programs like TCB's family card for 10 million families.
He suggested an improved supply chain, proper storage of agriculture produce and agro processing, raising the scope for digital transactions to help check market manipulation.
State Minister for Commerce joined the programme as the chief guest, while senior secretary to the Ministry Tapan Kanti Ghosh was present as the special guest.
Professor at the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka Dr Mohammad Helal Uddin Ahmed presented the keynote paper while the IBFB President Humayun Rashid chaired and moderated the programme.
Take steps to prevent crimes by teen gangs: Adl IGP
Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP) Atiqul Islam on Sunday asked filed level officers to take necessary measures for preventing crimes by teen gangs after identifying the area based teen gang members.
“Police have been asked to remain alert so that the teenage boys cannot get involved in any crimes forming ‘teen gang’, said Atiqul while speaking at monthly crime review meeting held at police headquarters.
Metropolitan Police Commissioners, DIG range and Superintendents of District Polices were present at the meeting.
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Directive was given to form Cyber Crime Investigation Cell in the district level at the meeting.
The meeting also stressed the need for taking necessary steps to speed up the court proceedings in absence of the accused.
Referring to the price hike of daily essentials, the meeting also emphasised need for monitoring markets and controlling hoarding of goods.