Dhaka, Oct 3 (UNB)—Four people were killed and 11 others injured in 1,577 fire incidents that occurred across the country in September this year, Fire Service and Civil Defence has said. Of them, 155 fire incidents occurred in Dhaka city where seven persons were injured but no one was killed, according to a press release issued by the Fire Service on Tuesday. Fire at Gazipur warehouse under control The number of fire incidents in Dhaka city increased by 27 in September from 128 in August, reads the release. However, monthly statistics showed that the number of fire incidents across the country decreased by 90 in September from 1,667 in August. According to the press release, 603 fire incidents occurred in Dhaka Division, 63 in Mymensingh, 189 in Chattogram, 225 in Rajshahi, 132 in Khulna, 57 in Sylhet, 60 in Barishal, and 248 in Rangpur divisions last month. Woman with intellectual disability dies in Natore fire As many as 777 people were injured and 184 people were killed in some other accidents and fire service participated in rescue operations in 590 road accidents, it said. Apart from this, there were 10 accidents caused by kitchen gas cylinder explosions, 13 due to fault in gas lines, 15 elevator accidents, 19 lightning , and 115 drowning accidents. Seventy-four people drowned in rivers, ponds and other water bodies across the country last month. Among these accidents, 49 occurred in Dhaka City Corporation area alone, killing 11. The Fire Service also said their offices across the country provided services responding to 4,354 calls over different incidents of fire and accidents in September. Mohammadpur Krishi Market fire doused nearly after 28 hrs Besides, the Fire Service also provided ambulance services in response to 1,152 calls. In the month of September, 1,098 patients were transported and provided services across the country.

A high-level parliamentary delegation from Nepal on Tuesday visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi 32. They paid tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. JS body recommends taking measures to stop entry of illegal arms They said that the people of Bangladesh are fortunate to have a visionary leader like Bangabandhu. The 11-member delegation is led by Dr. Arzu Rana, MP, Chairperson, Agricultural, Cooperatives & Natural Resources Committee of the Nepal Parliament. They arrived in Dhaka on Monday. They are visiting Bangladesh to see agriculture related projects and meet a few ministers. Trade Organisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 passed in JS The delegation members placed a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu and signed the visitors' book there.  

A local leader of Awami League was stabbed by some unidentified criminals at Brahmandi union of Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj on Monday night.   The victim was identified as Delwar Hossain, 42,labour affairs secretary of Awami League upazila unit. Police and locals said Delwar Hossain was on his way home from Baliapara Bazar around 9:45pm. Suddenly, some miscreants stabbed him indiscriminately, leaving Delwar seriously injured. Passenger arrested with 3,500 yaba pills in stomach at Dhaka airport Hearing his screams, locals rescued him and took him to Araihazar Upazila Health Complex. Later, he was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment, but his relatives admitted him to a private hospital in Dhaka.   Zakir Hossain, younger brother of the injured, said, "My brother's condition is very serious. He was stabbed in various parts of his body. Now, he is being treated in the ICU."   According to locals, Delwar had a long-standing dispute with the incumbent UP member Md. Sohel over establishing dominance in the area. JCD leader dies, 3 hurt in Chandpur road crash The attack might have been carried out as a result of the dispute, locals suspected. Police visited the spot and are investigating the incident, said Emdadul HaqueTayyab, officer-in-charge (OC) of Araihazar police station. “Efforts are on to identify and arrest those involved in the attack,” added the OC.  

Twenty-Nine Bangladeshi citizens returned home today (October 03, 2023) after serving jail terms in different prisons of Myanmar. They came back to Bangladesh through Teknaf border following a “Battalion Commander level flag meeting” between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Border Guard Police (BGP) of Myanmar. The steadfast and continued efforts by the Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon and its Sittwe Consulate made the latest repatriation possible after a long hiatus of 18 months when 41 Bangladeshi nationals were repatriated from Myanmar on March 23, 2022, said the Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon. US announces $116 million in humanitarian assistance to people in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Region Among the returnees, 23 are from Cox’s Bazar district, 4 from Bandarban, and 2 from Rangamati of Bangladesh. BGP detained the Bangladeshis on charges of illegally crossing the border into Myanmar at different times. Lt. Col. Mohiuddin, commander of BGB’s Teknaf battalion, led the 10-member Bangladesh team, which included, among others, Zakir Ahmed, Consul of the Bangladesh Consulate in Sittwe, during the handing over/taking over process. Bangladesh-Myanmar visa exemption reinstated

The United States has reiterated that it does not support any particular party and does not want to influence the outcome of the election in Bangladesh. The US only wants to ensure that the people of Bangladesh can freely choose their leaders.  “So, let me restate or state in slightly different language what I said last week, which is the United States wants what the Bangladeshis themselves want: free and fair elections that are conducted in a peaceful manner,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a regular media briefing in Washington on October 2. He, however, once again refrained from mentioning visa restrictions on media. US Ambassador in Dhaka, Peter Haas, during a recent TV interview had mentioned possible visa restrictions on media. Read more: Eminent citizens voice disappointment over US ambassador’s remarks on visa restrictions against media During the US State Department briefing, a questioner said that radical groups that advocate “Taliban-style rule” in Bangladesh along with opposition leaders, have hailed the US ambassador’s remark on including media under the visa restrictions, and have already threatened media persons, circulating a list of journalists who have been critical of radical views.  On the other hand, rights activists, anti-war crimes campaigners, editors, writers, minority community leaders found the statement by the US ambassador on possible visa curbs on media to be an “affront to freedom of press” that has been pivotal to the fight against terror, the questioner added. He asked the State Department spokesperson whether the US supports the statement of the ambassador and denies the concerns raised by such a large group of liberals. Miller did not give a direct response, but said that the government, political parties, civil society, and the media in Bangladesh have all expressed their desire that the upcoming national election be free and fair and conducted in a peaceful manner – “as we want.”  Read more: No discussion held on visa policy with US Assistant Secretary Bitter: Acting FS “The visa restriction policy that we’ve announced supports this objective and the desire of the people of Bangladesh to freely choose their leaders,” he said. 

Panic has gripped residents of Khulna's Dacope upazila due to erosion in some places along the riverside area, including the road adjacent to Botbunia Bazar under Tildanga union. According to locals, due to heavy downpours in the past few days and rising tides in various rivers in the area on Monday (October 2) night, several cracks have appeared on the Wapda Road near Botbunia Bazar on the bank of Bhadra river. Read: Water of 8 rivers in the south flowing above the danger mark Gazi Jalal Uddin, chairman of Tildanga Union Parishad, said that the Wapda Road can collapse any time and water could enter the locality, causing huge losses. If water enters, Aman paddy being cultivated on thousands of bigha of land will be inundated, fish in the pond will be washed away, and houses in the area will be flooded, he feared. Read: Teesta riverbank erosion in Lalmonirhat: Fear of losing homes grips locals He also said that the matter was immediately reported to Dacope Upazila Parishad Chairman Munsur Ali Khan and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Joydev Chakraborty. When contacted, Dacope Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Joydev Chakraborty said that he is now in Dhaka for official purposes, but he has already informed the DG and engineer of the Water Development Board. “They will take action in this regard as soon as possible,” he hoped.

The overall number of Covid-19 cases around the world has now surpassed 696 million. According to the latest global data, the total Covid-19 case count is 696,050,046, while the death toll reached 6,922,372 this morning. Read: Healthy lifestyle can reduce risk of hypertensive heart diseases: Experts The US has reported 108,758,605 Covid-19 cases so far, while 1,177,793 people have died from the virus in the country — both highest counts globally. India saw a single-day rise of 56 new Covid-19 infections, while the active cases have been recorded at 440, according to Union health ministry data updated on Sunday. The death toll has been recorded at 5,32,032, the data updated on Sunday morning stated. The total number of Covid-19 cases stands at 4.49 crore in the country, data showed. Read: Deaths from dengue now 989 as 14 more die in 24 hrs France and Germany have registered 40,138,560 and 38,494,789 Covid-19 cases so far, occupying the third and fourth positions in the world number-wise, and 167,642 and 176,101 people have died in the European countries, as per Worldometer. Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh Bangladesh reported 7 more Covid-19 cases in 24 hours till Monday morning. Read: Protect young people from deadly second-hand smoke, toxic e-cigarette emissions: WHO With the new numbers, the country's total caseload rose to 2,045,741, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,477 as no new fatalities were reported.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has warned that her government won't tolerate any arson and atrocities, in the name of movement, before the next national election. “There will be no scope left to spare if arson terrorism or likewise incidents or attacks on the people take place before the election, in the name of movement,’’ she said while speaking at a community reception hosted in her honour at the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster in London on Monday. The prime minister reminded the countrymen that the BNP-Jamaat alliance carried out mayhem across the country by “burning people to death, destroying public and private properties, hurling petrol bombs on vehicles that included buses, trains and launches” during 2013-14 in the name of so-called movement. Many, including women, suffered critical burn injuries in the arson attacks and they have been living inhuman lives with their injuries, she said. “Killing people through arson terrorism and destroying the country's properties are their movements. They have earlier killed 29 police personnel. If any such attempts are made on the lives of my distressed people, no mercy will be shown,’’ she warned. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap were present at the event. UK AL President Sultan Sharif presided over the function while General Secretary Syed Sajedur Rahman Faruk moderated it. Sheikh Hasina, also president of Awami League, said BNP had played ducks and drakes with the voting rights of the people during its time in office. BNP held a farcical election on February 15, 1996 and the people of the country ousted them from power soon after, she said. “The people of the country never allow vote riggers to hang on to power,’’ she said. The prime minister also reminded the countrymen that the BNP-Jamaat alliance had prepared a voter list with 1.23 crore fake voters and attempted to hold an election with the list. On the contrary, the leaders and activists of Awami League had struggled for long to establish the voting rights of the people and democracy, she said, adding that many of them sacrificed their lives in doing so.

Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Pranay Verma on Monday said that it wasn't just in the struggle for independence (1971), India would always stand with Bangladesh. "India-Bangladesh relations are lifelong. We are working together on all issues like social, cultural, trade and communication system. We believe that India-Bangladesh relations will last forever," he said. Also read: Commemoration of Int'l Day of Non-violence reaffirms universality of values of peace, tolerance, understanding: Pranay Verma He said this while inaugurating the newly constructed modern honors building of the traditional Kashinagar Degree College in Chauddagram of Cumilla on Monday (October 2) afternoon. Local MP and former Railway Minister Md Mujibul Haque was present as the special guest. Also read: Yoga a gift of India to world: Pranay Verma Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma inaugurated the newly constructed four-storey modern building of the traditional Kashinagar Degree College in Chauddagram with the grant of the Government of India for the development of rural education in Bangladesh. Also read: Pranay Verma appointed next Indian envoy to Bangladesh

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave London for Dhaka tomorrow after wrapping her 16-day official visit to the USA and UK. A commercial flight (BG -208) of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines will depart from the London Heathrow Airport around 8:35pm (London time) on October 3 (Tuesday). Also read: PM Hasina reiterates commitment to hold next election in a free and fair manner during meeting with APPGs for Bangladesh Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem will see the premier off at the airport. The flight will reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka around 12:30am on October 4(Bangladesh time). Also read: PM now in London The Prime Minister arrived in London, the capital city of the United Kingdom, on September 30 by a British Airways from Washington DC, the capital city of the USA. In London, Sheikh Hasina was hosted a reception by the Bangladeshi community and held several courtesy calls with some dignitaries including a delegation of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) led by Rushanara Ali, MP, chair of APPG on Bangladesh and Rohingya and the UK shadow minister for investment and small business on October 2. During her stay in New York and Washington DC from September 17-29, the Prime Minister attended the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session and other high-level side and bilateral events and attended a reception accorded to her by Bangladeshi expatriates in the US and visited Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC. Also read: Work to brighten country's image further: PM Hasina