Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s Independence Day celebrated in Netherlands
The Embassy of Bangladesh in the Netherlands celebrated the 53rd anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh with due dignity in a festive atmosphere (26 March 2024, the Hague).
The celebration started with hoisting the national flag at the Embassy premises in the early morning.
In the evening, the Embassy hosted a reception at the prestigious Marriott Hotel in the heart of the Hague. Bangladesh Ambassador M Riaz Hamidullah, his spouse Sazia Ahmed, officials of the Embassy welcomed the guests at the reception.
The former Dutch Prime minister and the present Minister of State, Jan Peter Balkenende graced the reception as the guest of honour. Dutch politicians, academics, entrepreneurs, NGO representatives, business persons, high government officials, ambassadors of different countries, expatriate Bangladeshi professionals joined the event.
The programme started with the national anthems of Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Bangladesh Ambassador recalled the contribution of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of our independence. He said that in the five decades since, defying many odds, Bangladesh made notable strides. Today, Bangladesh stands as the second-largest economy in South Asia, and 35th largest globally. Much of that is credited to political and social stability aside sustained and equitable economic growth thanks to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In positioning Bangladesh with her value-driven policies, we firmly hold on to democracy, pluralism and secularism. He further said that Bangladesh – Netherlands ties as also a vision of global well-being premised on shared prosperity - be it sustainable development, tackling climate change or advancing circularity.
The former prime minister of the Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende apprised Bangladesh’s remarkable development. He acclaimed how Bangladesh is getting prosperous under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A microcosm of Bangladesh was presented through traditional decorations including miniature of traditional boats of Bangladesh which attracted many guests. Audio-visuals on Bangladesh’s history, culture, tourism, tradition, development and potential were screened. Two prominent, contemporary dancers from Bangladesh Alif and Maati, showcased traditional Bangladeshi dance through their rendition. The guests were served authentic Bangladeshi cuisine during the dinner.
Jatri Kalyan Samitiy demands extension of Eid holidays by 2 days
Passenger welfare platform 'Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samitiy' (BJKS) on Wednesday demanded extension of the Eid holidays by two days to reduce the suffering of passengers on the roads and prevent road accidents during the upcoming Eid.
In a press conference organised at Dhaka Reporters Unity Secretary General of the BJKS Md. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury made the demand to make the Eid trip safe and hassle-free.
According to the observation of the platform, 16 million people, including one crore people from Dhaka, 40 lakh from Gazipur district, 12 lakh from Narayanganj district, and other surrounding districts will travel to different districts of the country during this Eid.
In the four days before Eid, 3 million passengers can travel by bus-minibus, 0.4 million by train, 3.5 million by private car, jeep and microbus, 1.2 million by motorcycle, 6.0 million by launch, and about 1 million by air.
Due to the inadequate public transport and the anarchy of overcharging, 1.8 lakh passengers may travel on the roofs of buses, trains and open trucks and freight transport, said the leaders of BJKS.
Also, about 4 to 5 crore passengers will travel inter-district. For this, from April 5 to April 14, there may be an additional 60 million trip passengers in different types of transport in the country due to various reasons including travel to Eid Bazar, village home.
For this reason, it is feared that if proper use of public transport is not ensured, there may be hellish situation in this year's Eid journey.
They said on April 9 and 10, 60 to 70 lakh people will leave the capital every day but public transport has the capacity to carry 22 to 25 lakh people.
In such a situation, if the holiday is not extended before Eid, the traffic situation on all the roads of the country may get worse. Therefore, if the Eid holidays are extended by 2 days on 8 and 9 April, everyone will get a chance to go home in phases from 05 April.
In the written statement, Mozammel said that there might be traffic jams in 714 spots in the country this Eid. Out of which 140 spots need close monitoring, he said.
Police and various intelligence agencies have alerted the government about 218 high-risk accident spots on 10 national and regional highways.
Dr Yunus got no UNESCO Award: Mohibul
Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury on Wednesday said the UNESCO did not confer “The Tree of Peace” award to Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Mohibul, who is also the Chairman of the Bangladesh UNESCO Commission, made the statement to reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
He said "Dr Yunus was conferred the 'Tree of Peace' award by an Israeli sculptor, upon invitation from the Ganjavi Foundation in Azerbaijan."
The minister said that Dr Yunus’ claim that he received the award from UNESCO is untrue.
"The information propagated by the Yunus Centre regarding the UNESCO award is inaccurate and misleading," said the minister. "It is imperative that we set the record straight and ensure that such misinformation does not tarnish the reputation of our country. An explanation will be sent to the UNESCO headquarters regarding this matter as it is humiliating for Bangladesh."
The minister also warned of legal repercussions if the Yunus Centre persisted in spreading false claims about the UNESCO award. He emphasised the need for immediate cessation of such misleading information to prevent further damage to the reputation of both Dr Yunus and Bangladesh on the international stage.
However, comments from the Yunus Centre were not immediately available.
UAE buildings decorated with Bangladesh flag
United Arab Emirates (UAE) has celebrated Bangladesh's Independence Day by decorating its landmarks buildings with Bangladesh flag.
On the occasion of Bangladesh's Independence Day 2024, iconic landmarks in the United Arab Emirates, including the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world in Dubai and the ADNOC headquarters in Abu Dhabi, were adorned in the vibrant red and green shades of the Bangladeshi national flag on March 26, 2024 (Tuesday).
This symbolic gesture of solidarity serves to foster bilateral harmony and commemorate significant moments with Bangladesh.
UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh, Abdulla Ali AlHmoudi emphasized the enduring friendship between the two nations and expressed optimism about further expanding their excellent relations across various dimensions in the future.
With more than a million Bangladeshi expatriates residing in the UAE, it stands as the second-largest community of non-resident Bangladeshis worldwide.
Bangladeshis represent the third-largest expatriate group in the UAE. Among these expatriates are workers, along with professionals such as doctors, engineers, professors, accountants, and IT experts.
Moreover, the UAE currently ranks as the top source of remittances to Bangladesh.
Madrasa student drowns in Meghna River
Police recovered the body of a madrasa student, who went missing on Tuesday while taking a bath in the Meghna river in Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria on Wednesday morning.
The deceased was identified as Shawkat Hossain,11, son of Akhter Hossain of Purasunda village in Shayestaganj upazila of Habiganj district.
Wife, 3 others get death penalty for killing man in Cumilla
According to locals, Shawkat, a student of Deobari Gausia Sunnotia Madrasha, and some of his friends went to take a bath in the Meghna River on Tuesday.
At one point, Shawkat drowned in the river.
Later, his friends informed a teacher of the madrasa. Later divers recovered the body from the river on Wednesday morning.
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Sarail police station Officer-in-Charge Emranul Islam confirmed the matter.
Workers of all sectors will get salary, bonus before Eid: State Minister
Workers of all sectors including readymade garments will get their salary and festival bonus before starting the government holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr, State Minister for Labour and Employment Nazrul Islam Chowdhury said on Wednesday.
He made the announcement while talking to reporters during the 77th meeting of the Tripartite Consultative Council (TCC) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment at the Secretariat.
The state minister further said that based on discussion and agreement between the employers and workers, the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays will be coordinated with public holidays so that holidaymakers can reach their destinations conveniently.
Besides, no workers can be laid off before Eid, he added.
Among others, Secretary of Ministry of Labor and Employment Md Mahbub Hossain, Director General of Labor Directorate Md Tariqul Alam, President of Bangladesh Employers Federation Ardashir Kabir, President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association Faruque Hasan, Acting General Secretary of Bangladesh Mukta Sramik Federation Md Shahidullah Badal, Bangladesh Trade Union Center General Secretary Dr Wazedul Islam Khan were also present.
VFS Global urges visa applicants to apply for visas early to avoid last minute challenges
VFS Global has urged the visa applicants to remain careful and apply for visas early to avoid last minute challenges.
VFS Global has reported many fake websites and social media accounts / pages that are claiming to give appointments in exchange of money or impersonating VFS Global to fleece unsuspecting applicants.
"As a responsible service provider, we continue to create awareness against this menace," VFS Global, the world's largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, said in a statement on Wednesday.
As a trusted partner to client governments, VFS Global said, it handles the front-end administrative tasks in the visa application process.
This includes collecting application forms and documentation as per the checklist provided by the government, enrolling biometrics where applicable, and ensuring the safe return of passports post the decision-making process by the embassy or consulate.
"VFS Global does not control appointment availability. These are governed and controlled by the governments we serve," the statement reads.
The availability of visa appointments, mandatory documentation, and the visa application decision are entirely at the discretion of the respective governments.
"Processing times are also under their control. VFS Global has no role whatsoever," said the statement.
Visa appointments are free and available only on www.vfsglobal.com at first come; first served basis.
Post the pandemic there has been limited availability of visa appointments across visa categories including Worker Visa.
"Grey operators / black marketers are misusing the situation and promising visa appointments in exchange of money," said VFS Global.
Pahela Baishakh celebration must end by 6 pm: Home Ministry
All events centering Pahela Baishakh including those at Ramna park, Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka University, Hatirjheel, and Rabindra Sarobar, must conclude by 6 pm.
The decision was taken at a meeting on law and order during celebration of Pahela Baishakh at a conference held at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday.
Other decisions taken at the meeting include those who are attempting to spread misinformation about the celebration of Bangla New Year via social media platforms like Facebook will be brought under law.
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Besides, fireworks and lanterns will remain prohibited to ensure public safety during the upcoming Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla new year celebrations.
District administrations, district police, and event organisers will ensure security by coordinating arrangements for nationwide celebrations.
Special security measures will be taken at important locations such as Ramna Botomul, Ramna park, Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka University, Hatirjheel, and Rabindra Sarobar. Law enforcement forces and intelligence agencies will be vigilant during these events.
The Bangla Academy will ensure necessary security measures during the Pahela Baisakh fair.
Personal security arrangements need to be in place alongside law enforcement agencies during the celebration programmes. Volunteers and law enforcement agencies will collaborate to ensure security, said the Home Ministry.
Special security arrangements will be made for diplomatic zones and establishments.
Fire service teams, including fire trucks and ambulances, will be present at significant points in Dhaka and throughout the country during celebrations. Medical teams will also be available, it said.
Mobile courts and law enforcement units will be deployed to prevent any incidents of harassment, vandalism, pickpocketing, or other undesirable activities during the celebrations.
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Playing banned instruments like vuvzela horn will be prohibited during the celebrations.
High-quality food will be served in prisons across the country during the New Year, and cultural events will be organised.
Measures will be taken to prevent drug abuse during the Bangla New Year celebrations.
Raise budgetary allocation to fight non-communicable diseases: Speakers
Speakers at a virtual workshop on Wednesday stressed the need for increasing budgetary allocation to effectively control the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases.
They said non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for the majority of deaths in the country but the budget allocated to fight NCDs remains alarmingly insufficient.
The workshop for journalists titled “Budgetary Allocation to Combat NCDs: Bangladesh Perspective” was organised by a research and advocacy organization, PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), with support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).
Journalists from different media outlets working in Sylhet participated in the workshop.
In the workshop, it was said 70% of total deaths in Bangladesh are attributed to non-communicable diseases such as heart diseases, stroke, cancer, kidney diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and hypertension. However, the budgetary allocation dedicated to combat NCDs is only 4.2 percent of the total health budget.
Despite the World Health Organization's recommendation for countries to allocate at least 15% of their total budget to the health sector, Bangladesh allocated only 5% of its total budget to healthcare in the fiscal year 2023-24.
The government's health budgetary support is one of the lowest in the WHO South-East Asia region, said speakers.
The government has several policy obligations to tackle non-communicable diseases including the goal of reducing premature deaths from NCDs by one third within 2030, which requires increased budget allocation for this sector, they said.
Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead of GHAI, Dr Shamim Jubayer, Program Manager, Hypertension Control Program, National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute and ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA were present at the workshop as discussants.
The keynote presentation was delivered by PROGGA’s Coordinator Sadia Galiba Prova, said a press release.
Wife, 3 others get death penalty for killing man in Cumilla
A Cumilla court on Wednesday sentenced a woman and three other people to death for killing her husband in Cumilla’s Homna upazila.
The convicts are Shahanaj Begum, Md Kuddus Mia, Abdul Khalek, Md Rajib.
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Jahangir Hossain of Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court-4 handed down the verdict in the absence of the accused.
According to case statement, Abdul Jalil went missing on June 9, 2013, after leaving his home in Homna on his way to Dhaka.
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Jalil's mutilated body was recovered from the roadside in Baher Khola area the next day.
His brother Tajul Islam filed a case with Homna Police Station against unidentified miscreants.
Later, the investigating officer of the case submitted the charge sheet to the court accusing five people -Abdul Jalil's wife Shahnaz Begum, Md Shahjahan, Md Kuddus Mia, Abdul Khalek and Md Rajib.
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The court sentenced four people to death as the charges against them were proved after the prosecution examined 14 witnesses.