special
Sonu Rani’s failure: a bellwether for the Harijans?
Narayanganj, Oct 27 (UNB) – Sonu Rani Das, the lone graduate from the Harijan community here, wanted to be a teacher to establish her own language, but could not yet materialise the dream.
Panchagarh ready to welcome winter
Panchagarh, Oct 26 (UNB) – Bangladesh’s northernmost district has been shrouded by fog and morning dews over the last few days, giving off telltale signs that winter is creeping ever closer.
Temperature in the district dropped below 20 degrees Celsius in the last week.
During an early morning visit on Friday outside the town, the UNB correspondent saw people walking through dense fog, shivering in cold. Thick fog is forcing vehicles to keep their headlights on in the morning, too.
“Winter is set to arrive with its full force when the south wind and deep depression weaken,” said Rahidul Islam, in-charge of Panchagarh meteorological observatory office.
People have already started buying clothes for winter. Those travelling in the morning wear warm clothes now. Nazma Rahman of Dokropora area of the town said she has already prepared thick blankets and clothes for her children ahead of the cold season.
Golam Kibria Mukul, geography and environment science department head of Panchagarh Government Women’s College, said the temperature is falling gradually.
“Cold wind from the north will start blowing over the district when the monsoon wind stops,” he said.
Mega project aims to improve power distribution system in Mymensingh zone
Dhaka, Oct 25 (UNB) - The power distribution system in greater Mymensingh region is expected to see a marked improvement by the end of 2021 as a major move is underway to install a number of new substations, upgrade the existing ones and also expand some of their capacities.
Prisoner of Ignorance: Mentally ill woman enchained for 8 years
Panchagarh, Oct 25 (UNB) - A mentally ill woman in Sadar upazila here has reportedly been confined to a room for eight years tied to shackles.
Now brick fields operating in municipal area
Bogura, Oct 24 (UNB) – At least 25 brick factories continue to operate in the municipality area defying the law and posing serious threats to the environment and public health.
Laksam residents may finally get some chance for play
Cumilla, Oct 24 (UNB) – The residents of Monpal at Uttarda union in Laksam upazila are deprived of playing games and amusement facilities, but see an opportunity to change that by utilising a swathe of vacant khas land.
DMA helping Dhaka Wasa curb system loss
Dhaka, Oct 24 (UNB) - District Metered Area (DMA), a monitoring system, has helped Dhaka Wasa significantly cut its system loss and become self-sufficient in supplying water to city dwellers.
Dhaka Wasa’s current production capacity is 255 crore litres a day against the daily demand of 220-240 crore litres.
An official document says the overall system loss in areas covered by Dhaka Wasa is 20 percent. The introduction of DMA has cut the system loss by up to 35 percent.
Before the DMA was introduced, the system loss in the areas was 40 percent, the document shows. The government initially decided to introduce 164 DMAs. Of them, the process to introduce 62 DMAs has been completed while 10 more are in the pipeline.
President attends dinner hosted by Japanese PM
Tokyo, Oct 23 (UNB) - President Abdul Hamid attended a banquet hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and his spouse at Hotel New Otani here on Wednesday.
Panna’s dream captures the imagination of Chandpur
Chandpur, Oct 23 (UNB) - Meritorious student Panna Akter of Raicho village in Hajiganj upazila will get the chance to chase her dream of becoming a doctor after all, thanks to the initiative and generosity of her local MP and other affluent personalities of the district.
Bangladeshi workers in KSA facing ‘unfair deportation’
Dhaka, Oct 23 (UNB) - He had valid papers to stay back and work there but the police in Saudi Arabia deported him ‘forcefully’. Babul Hossain of Chandpur returned home last month barefoot and empty-handed in his uniform.
Babul is not the only worker to have been sent back from Saudi Arabia.
According to Brac Migration Programme, some 16,000 workers were deported from Saudi Arabia this year while the number is 79,106 in the last five years.
Most of the workers had legal papers to stay back and work in Saudi Arabia but they were forced to leave the country on various allegations.
A total of 534 workers were deported from Saudi Arabia in the current month, said Shariful Hasan, head of Brac Migration Programme.
He said workers were used to be sent back home in the past if they violated the recruitment rules but in recent times, workers were being forced to leave the country although they have legal papers.
Shariful urged the ministries concerned and the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia to look into the matter.
He said recruiting agencies should ensure jobs for the workers when they reach Saudi Arabia on free visas and make sure that they do not face any problem there.
Babul along with 175 other Bangladeshi workers was forced to leave Saudi Arabia in September last.
Talking to UNB, he said he had permission to stay for another six months in Saudi Arabia but police sent him back. “They didn’t pay any heed to our words.”
Mahiuddin Ahmed of Munshiganj had been working in Saudi Arabia for the last 10 years legally but Saudi Immigration Police arrested him recently and beat him mercilessly before sending him back home.
Ninety-three workers returned home on October 9 while 105 on October 8, 120 on October 4 and 130 were deported from Saudi Arabia on October 3.
On September 17, Abu Bakkar came home with a group of 160 Bangladeshi workers from Saudi Arabia.
Bakkar said Saudi police sent him home empty-handed although he has permission to stay and work there.
Jamal of Chandpur told UNB that he renewed the permission (akama) to stay in Saudi Arabia with 4,500 Riyals but police sent him back to the country in two months.
Bayazid of Patuakhali, Abu Sayeed of Manikganj, Nasim of Madaripur, Jamal of Cumilla, Mizan of Munshiganj, Tipu Sultan of Brahmanbaria, Siraj of Madaripur and Jahurul of Kushtia also complained of the same.
They all said Saudi police put them behind bars for a few days and forced them to leave the country.
Workers were being deported from Saudi Arabia for two specific reasons, claimed Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira).
Workers with no legal papers are being forced to leave the country while some others were also being sent back as they sell vegetables or work as hawkers in addition to their scheduled work, he said.
Shameem, however, admitted the deportation of many legal workers, saying the Bangladesh Embassy there should look into the matter.
Asked about the number of workers who returned from Saudi Arabia, DM Atiqur Rahman, director (Employment) of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), said some workers are coming back home. “But I can’t tell you the exact number now.”
According to sources at BMET, around 257,317 workers went to Saudi Arab last year while 234,071 till August of the current year.