Dhaka, Aug 29 (UNB) – Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of raising the age limit to 32 years for entry into government jobs.

“Before the election, I believe, there’ll be no change in the age limit,” he told reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase at the Cabinet Division.

His comments came amid media reports that the government might move to raise the age limit to 32 years for entering government service.

Currently, the age limit for entry into government jobs is 30 years while the retirement age is 59 years.

A parliamentary panel in June this year recommended increasing the age limit for entering government jobs to 35 years and retirement age for public servants to 65 years.

The parliamentary standing committee on Public Administration Ministry made the recommendation at a meeting and the parliament secretariat later issued a media release in this regard.

The recommendation came at a time when students and jobseekers had been demonstrating for raising the age limit for public service, apart from reform in quota system.

However, Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam told parliament on June 6 that the government has no plan at the moment to increase the age limit for the entry into government jobs.

Responding to another question, the Finance Minister also said the election-time government might be formed in the middle of October and he might be a Cabinet member in that government.

Dhaka, Aug 29 (UNB) - The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) on Wednesday conducted a drive against unauthorised commercial entities in residential areas of Swamibagh and Wari in the city.
 
The drive, led by Rajuk Executive Magistrate Jesmin Akhter and Authorised Officer Md Nur Alam, fined the owner of an under-construction building Tk 2 lakh for not keeping open space while a rod-cement shop Tk 50,000 for running operation in a parking lot and a Well Food showroom Tk 5,000 for running in a residential building.

During the drive, several commercial entities were sealed off and some others asked to shift elsewhere in seven days. 

The Rajuk is conducting the drive as part of the government’s decision to dismantle commercial structures from residential areas.

Rajuk Assistant Authorised Officer FR Ashik Ahmed and Chief Building Inspector Nipen Chandra Sindha were present.

Dhaka, Aug 29 (UNB) – Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a human rights body, on Wednesday urged the government to form a judicial commission immediately for guaranteeing proper trial of the incidents of involuntary disappearances.

Marking the International Day of the Disappeared, observed on August 30 each year, ASK stressed on ensuring proper investigation and trial of every incident of disappearance in the country.

ASK, in a press statement, also asked the authority to find out the disappeared persons.  

Referring the media reports, the right body said at least 310 persons disappeared from 2014 to 2018 in the country. Of them, bodies of 44 people were recovered, 45 others were shown arrested while 33 returned safe later. 

“In these incidents, the victims’ families mostly claimed that the disappeared ones were taken by the law enforcers but the forces, most of the time, refute it”, they said.

The right body alleged, “If the missing person is not well-known one, law enforcers are not seen to play active role to find them out.”

Terming this type of abduction as a serious violation of human rights, ASK stressed the government to sign ‘the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance’ especially convention number eight, which is about the safety of disappeared persons.

In 2011 the United Nations (UN) declared August 30 as the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances to express its deep concern about the increase in enforced or involuntary disappearances in various regions of the world.
 

Pabna, Aug 29 (UNB) – Police on Wednesday arrested the ex-father-in-law of female journalist Subarna Akther, who was hacked to death by unidentified miscreants, from a hospital in the town.

The arrestee was identified as Abul Hossain, a local industrialist and owner of Shimla Hospital and Diagnostic Centre.

Subarna Akhter Nodi, 32, district correspondent of private channel Ananda TV, and editor of Daily Jagroto Bangla, an online news portal, was hacked to death on Tuesday.

Abul Hossain was arrested from Shimla Hospital after Nodi’s mother filed a case with Sadar Police Station against 6-7 people, including Abul Hossain and his son Razib, over the killing, said additional police superintendent Goutam Kumar Biswas.

Victim’s relatives said Nodi got married with Razib Hossain, son of Abul Hossain, one and half years back without the consent of Razib’s family.

 When Razib divorced Nodi, she filed a dowry case against Razib which is still under trial.     

On Tuesday night, Nodi was hacked to death by a group of men in front of her house on her return from her workplace in the district town.

Locals took her to General Hospital where doctors declared her dead.

Meanwhile, local journalist formed a human-chain at Pabna Press Club demanding justice for their fellow.

Chattogram Journalists Union condemned the killing and demanded immediate arrest of her killers.
 

Chattogram, Aug 29 (UNB) – A case has been filed against 54 people in connection with the murder of two brothers in an attack reportedly by their rivals in Sitakunda upazila.
 
The deceased’s brother Selim Uddin filed the case with Sitakunda Police Station on Tuesday night accusing 34 identified and 20 unidentified people, said Iftekhar Hasan, officer-in-charge of the police station.
 
Saiful Islam, publicity and publication secretary of upazila unit Jubo League, was among the accused.
 
Earlier on Monday, Awami League activist Ramjan Ali Khokon and his younger brother Sijol Ali was hacked to death by some unidentified criminals in Choto Daroga Hat area of Sitakundu upazila.
 
Later, they were taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where the two duos succumbed to their injuries in the night.