The Bangladesh Today (23-01-2018)

More documents

Recommendations

Info

NATIONAL 6 TueSDAY, JANuARY 23, 2018 Saraswati Puja celebrated in Rangpur division The largest human rights protection body of South Asia, SAARC Human Rights Foundation arranged "International Human Rights Conference" under supervision of central committee on 20 January. Kazi Reazul Hoque, chairman of National Human Rights Commission Bangladesh was chief guest at the programme as chief guest with Mahabubul Alam, adviser of the organization and president of Chittagong Chamber Of Commerce & Industry in the chair at World Trade Centre in Chittagong. Photo: SM Akash. Right to information must for good governance: Speakers RAJSHAHI: Speakers at a discussion here stressed the need for proper implementation of right to information (RTI) act to empower mass people and make all the public services transparent and accountable, reports BSS. They said free flow of information at all government and nongovernment organisations and offices needs to be ensured for ensuring good governance in the country. The observations came at the inaugural session of a two-daylong 'Information Fair and Anti-corruption Cultural Function-2018" held at Green Plaza of Rajshahi City Corporation. District Administration, Four years of success as local maker, M A Malek of Dhaka-20 constituency and annual sports competition and prize giving ceremony were observed together yesterday at Shailan Surma High School in Demarai yesterday. Member of Parliament attended the programme as chief guest. Later, he gave away prize among winners in the competition. Photo: Milon Siddiqui Livestock Service Week begins in Khulna KHULNA: Livestock Service Week began here yesterday stressing on ensuring nutrition and safe food for all to help build a healthy nation, reports BSS. Deputy Director of Khulna Livestock Office Kallyan Kumar Fouzdar presided over the inauguration ceremony while joint secretary of Khulna city unit AL M D A Babul Rana addressed it as the chief guest. District Livestock Officer Dr. Md. Sayed Anwar-ul- Islam, President of Khulna Poultry Fish Feed and Shop Owners Association Kazi Nurul Islam, Secretary General S M Sohrab Hossain, central member of Bangladesh Krisak League Shyamol Kumar Singha, addressed the function, among others. Speakers at the function urged all to take milk, egg, fish and meat for building a healthy and talented nation. District Information Office and Committee for Conscious Citizens (CCC) jointly organized the event yesterday afternoon. Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Helal Mahmud Sharif and Superintendent of Police Syed Moazzem Hossain addressed the session as chief and special guests respectively with CCC President Professor Abdus Salam in the chair. Among others, District Primary Education Officer Nafisha Begum, Deputy Director of District Information Office Md Shamsuzzaman and TIB Area Manager Mahmud Ali were present. The chief guest said the government is very much confident and working relentlessly for successful implementation of the law. The field level government and non-government officials concerned need be positive to supplement the government effort. Prof Salam said implementation of RTI Law has become indispensable for the sake of establishing good governance in the society and enhancing transparency and accountability in all tiers of public services. Some 34 government and non-government organisations are taking part in the fair showcasing their respective servicedelivery related information. Livestock Services Week begins in Gaibandha GAIBANDHA: Livestock Services Week-2018 began today in the district as elsewhere in the country with a call to reach the livestock services at the doorsteps of common people, reports BSS. The Department of Livestock Services, Gaibandha, in cooperation with district administration has taken various programmes, marking the week. The theme of the week is 'Barabo Pranij Amish Garbo Desh Shastha Medha Samriddhir Bangladesh'. Livestock services camps are set up at Pearapur under Boali Union Parishad and Kachurar Khamar under Union Parishad to provide livestock services to local farmers. Early in the morning, a colorful rally, led by deputy commissioner (DC) Gautam Chandra Pal, was brought out from the Independence Square and ended in front of Zila Shilpakala Academy after parading the main streets of the town. Later, a discussion was held at Shilpakala Academy auditorium with District Livestock Officer Dr Abdul Latif in the chair. DC Gautam Chandra Pal, local Awami League leader Abu Bakar Siddique, mayor of Gaibandha Municipality Adv Shah Masud Zahangir Kabir Milon, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) AKM Ruhul Amin and Sadar UNO Alia Ferdous Zahan, among others, spoke at the discussion. Upazila veterinary surgeon Dr Sirazul Islam made a power-point presentation on overall activities of the department and its success. DC Gautam Chandra Pal said the farmers of the district, particularly char dwellers, can change their BGB distributes blankets among destitute in C'nawabganj CHAPAINAWABGANJ: The 59 battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) distributed blankets among cold-hit people in Chanshikari and Polladanga areas under Bholahat upazila of the district on Sunday, reports BSS. Commanding Officer (CO) of the battalion Lieutenant Colonel Md Rashed Ali as the chief guest distributed 320 blankets among the distressed people at a simple function at Bholahat Rameswar Pilot High School here. A total of 180 men, 120 female and 20 orphans were provided with blankets. life by rearing cattle, goats and sheep. 4 killed in Sylhet road accident SYLHET: At least four people were killed and 10 others injured as a bus, carrying devotees from Iztema, collided head-on with a truck at Rashidpur Satmile area under South Surma upazila of the district on Monday morning, reports BSS. The deceased were identified as Abu Bakar, 50, Akbar Ali, 50, Abdul Jafur, 45, and Abdul Khalek, residents of Sunamganj Sadar upazila. Officer-in-Charge of South Surma police station Khairul Fajal said the accident occurred on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at about 7.30 am when the two vehicles collided head-on, leaving three bus passengers dead on the spot and 11 others injured. RANGPUR: The people of Sanaton community celebrated the Saraswati Puja yesterday amid huge enthusiasm and due religious solemnity and fervour in all eight districts under Rangpur division, reports BSS. Since this morning, the Puja mandaps, mandirs and educational institutions were decorated and thousands of devotees thronged there to seek blessings of the Devi Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge. The students of different educational institutions, attired in colourful dresses, offered special prayers and observed fasting as per ritual of the religious festival to seek knowledge from goddess Saraswati. In Rangpur city, many images of Goddess Saraswati, symbolising a graceful woman, was erected at different Puja mandaps, mandirs, educational institutions and makeshift places for worships. The Saraswati Puja was celebrated at Dharmoshava Ashram, Laksmi Narayan Zeu Shiva Mandir, Sree Sree Poresh Mandir, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur Medical College, Begum Rokeya Government College, Polytechnic Institute, Technical School and College, Carmichael College, Lions School and College, Samaj Kallyan Biddya Bithi, Koilash Ranjan High School, TT College, Zila School, Dental College, Afan Ullah High School, Mahiganj College and other educational institutions. The biggest celebration was held at Rangpur Carmichael College where thousands of students thronged since morning as nearly 6,200 out of around 26,000 students of the institution belong to the Sanaton community. The Saraswati Puja was also celebrated at Lalbag, Modern Mour, Guptapara, Mahiganj, Mulatol, Paulpara, Tazhat, Boiragipara, Machuapara, Kallyanpara, Shalban, Burima Mandir, Textile crossing and many other places in the city by offering 'Devi Aradhona'. The programmes also included 'Puspoanjoli', 'archanas', 'anjolis', 'aratis', 'Prashad' distribution, 'Arati', discussions, different competitions, cultural functions, staging of drama and prize distribution. President of district unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad Advocate Rothish Chandra Bhowmick, Sanaton community leaders and Awami League leaders visited different Puja mandaps and educational institutions in the city. The Saraswati Puja was also observed at Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Dinajpur districts under Rangpur division with huge enthusiasm. Newly appointed Deputy Commissioner of Panchgarh district, Mohammad Jahirul Islam speaking at a view exchange meeting yesterday of the district. Handicrafts Fair begins in Mymensingh MYMENSINGH: A 15-day Small Scale Industries and Handicrafts fair began in Mymensingh today with the main thrust of expansion and popularization of the goods, reports BSS. Small-Scale Industries Association of Bangladesh organised the event on the premises of local gymsium. Mayor of Mymensingh Pourasabha Ekramul Haque Teto formally inaugurated the fair as the chief guest while President of City Awami League Eahtashemul Alam and President of Mymensingh Union of Journalists (MUJ) Ataul Karim Khokan were present, among others. Ekramul Haque said the fair will bring positive impact and encourage the young generation especially women entrepreneurs for presenting their items of goods produced by Small-Scale Industries and different Handicrafts. Different types of products are being displayed at 50 stalls at the exhibition. The mayor also thanked the stall owners for participating in the fair and sought cooperation for its successful completion. Holistic support needed for human trafficking victims rehabilitation: Speakers NAOGAON: Speakers at a review meeting here today underscored the need for close-coordination between the works of various governments and nongovernment organizations concerned for proper rehabilitation of the victims of human trafficking for their mainstreaming, reports BSS. They mentioned that the human trafficking victims are subjected to repression and oppression by their surroundings people. So there should be integrated measures for ensuring their access to family and social integration. They came up with the remarks at district directory review meeting at Food Palace Hall Room in the town. Sachetan Rajshahi, a rightsbased organization, arranged the meeting in association with Bangladesh Counter Trafficking in Persons Programme. USAID and Winrock International jointly supported the meeting. Deputy Commissioner Mijanur Rahman, District Legal Aid Officer Monirul Hasan Sarker, Assistant Commissioner Tania Tabassum, Deputy Director of Islamic Foundation Sultan Ahmed, Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr. Kazi Mizanur Rahman and Deputy Director of Social Services Noor Mohammad addressed the meeting. Project Coordinator of Sachetan Rajshahi Mahmud- Un-Nabi and its Programme Officer Rokshana Parveen also spoke. Mijanur Rahman stressed the need for collective efforts of all government and nongovernment organizations concerned for proper rehabilitation of the human trafficking victims. He mentioned that there is no alternative to creating mass-awareness to prevent human trafficking, victims' protection, legal aid and participatory approach for welfare the victims. People not want to see BNP in power: Hanif KUSHTIA: Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif today said the country's people do not want to see any corrupted government, led by BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, in power, reports BSS. "People of the country will prove in the next general election that they do not want any corrupted government, led by Begum Zia," he said while speaking the inaugural session of a seven-day regional small and medium enterprise (SME) product fair at collector's point in Kushtia. Meanwhile, Hanif said, top BNP leaders, including its senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, were convicted in courts for corruption. "The people, who think that people will elect the dishonest leaders of BNP in next polls, are insane," he said. Sreemangal Association of North America Ink distributes blanket among poor and helpless people yesterday in the district. Photo: Sayed Ahmed.
INTERNATIONAL TUESDAY, jANUArY 23, 2018 7 US Government services closed as working week begins Aidarous al-Zubaidi held a meeting in Aden on the future of South Yemen. UAE-backed group vows to 'overthrow' Yemen's govt A group of separatists in southern Yemen, backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have declared a state of emergency in the port city of Aden and vowed to overthrow the country's internationally recognised government within the next week, reports Al Jazeera. Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), said Yemen's parliament would be barred from convening in Aden or anywhere else in southern Yemen unless President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi replaced Prime Minister Ahmed bin Daghr and his entire cabinet. Speaking at a meeting on Sunday, al-Zubaidi accused Hadi's government of "rampant corruption" and of "waging a misinformation campaign against the southern leaders using state funds". The SRF, an armed group that has clashed with forces loyal to Hadi for control of strategic areas including Aden airport, will "become the core of a new force that will rebuild South Yemen's security and military institutions," the statement added. Several commanders from security Spain to seek Catalan politician's arrest on Denmark visit The office of Spain's state prosecutor said Sunday it will move to reissue a European arrest warrant for the fugitive former leader of Catalonia if he leaves Belgium and enters Denmark as planned, reports CNN. The region's ex-president, Carles Puigdemont, is scheduled to attend a debate Monday at the University of Copenhagen titled "Catalonia and Europe at a Crossroads for Democracy." The trip would be Puigdemont's first outside Belgium since he fled there to avoid a court summons in Spain for his role in an illegal- and unsuccessful- secession bid led by his government in October. If Puigdemont makes it to Denmark, the prosecutor's office said it would immediately ask the Spain Supreme Court to approve a European warrant for his arrest by Danish authorities. Spain issued a European warrant for Puigdemont's arrest in November, but withdrew it after a month based on concerns that Brussels would send the Catalan politician back while restricting the crimes with which he could be charged. Spain is investigating Puigdemont for possible rebellion, sedition and embezzlement linked to a unilateral declaration of independence by Catalonia's parliament on Oct. 27. His proposed appearance at the debate in the Danish capital comes while Puigdemont is trying to be reinstated as the regional president of Catalonia. forces set up by the UAE attended the meeting and declared their support for the announcement. The statement, however, did not give details on how it intended to topple Hadi's government, only that he had a week to comply. The announcement underscores rising tensions between Hadi's government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, and the southern separatists, who are backed by the UAE. The UAE entered Yemen's war in March 2015 as part of a Saudi-led coalition after Houthi rebels, traditionally based in the northwest of the country, overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014. Nearly three years on, Saudi Arabia has said it "wants out" of the war, but the UAE has become more involved in the conflict, indicating a divide in the two countries' agendas. The UAE has been financing and training armed groups in the south of the country who answer to al- Zubaidi, a 50-year-old militia leader who emerged from relative obscurity in late 2015 after helping purge the Houthis from Aden. Al-Zubaidi was initially rewarded and made governor of Aden by Hadi, but soon fell out of favour after reports emerged he was receiving patronage from the UAE to campaign for secession. The Middle East Eye news website, quoting sources, reported that Hadi was incensed with the UAE, accusing Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of acting as an occupying force, as opposed to a liberation force. Hadi's weakening has gone handin-hand with the UAE's growing power in southern Yemen. The Gulf nation has financed a network of militias that only answer to it, set up prisons, and created a security establishment parallel to Hadi's government, according to Human Rights Watch. The Arab coalition has so far failed to achieve its stated aims as Houthi rebels continue to hold the capital Sanaa and much of the north. The war has taken a huge toll on the country with more than 60,000 people killed and wounded by fighting, and millions of Yemenis at risk of famine amid a massive cholera outbreak. 'Executed' N Korean pop diva takes Olympic spotlight Just a few years ago, she was reportedly executed by a North Korean firing squad. Now, Pyongyang's top pop diva is a senior ruling party official and a surprise headliner in the run-up to the South Korean Winter Olympics, reports The News York Times. Hyon Song Wol, the photogenic leader of Kim Jong Un's hand-picked Moranbong Band, has made two excursions across the Demilitarized Zone as a negotiator and advance team leader working out the details of Kim's surprise offer for the North to participate in the Pyeongchang Games. South Korea's media have been treating her like a true K-pop celebrity. On Monday, as she wrapped up her latest visit and prepared to return to Pyongyang, the South's Yonhap news agency reported a large crowd waited outside her hotel for a glimpse of her eating breakfast. Journalists, it noted, received only a "subtle smile" in response to their questions before she was whisked away with the North Korean delegation. But not all South Koreans welcomed her or North Korea's plan to join the games. After a visit to the eastern city of Gangneung, Hyon was met at Seoul railway station by about 150 to 200 activists. The demonstrators later burned Kim's photo, a North Korean flag and a "unification flag" the rival Koreas plan to carry during the opening ceremony. North Korea is expected to send 22 athletes, a demonstration taekwondo team, several hundred members of an all-female cheering group and the 140-member Simjiyon Band to the games. Hyon's role in the pre-Olympic preparations is a good example. It has received virtually no coverage in North Korea's official media, which hasn't said much at all about whom it is sending. And while Hyon is the leader of North Korea's bestknown pop band, the overriding message is that in North Korea there is only one megastar, Kim Jong Un. The Moranbong Band was created specifically to sing his praises. The band, which has 10 or so members, made its debut in 2012, less than a year after Kim assumed power upon the death of his father, Kim Jong Il. Hyon and the band were supposed to make their international debut in Beijing in 2015, but that plan was derailed mysteriously at the last minute. It has held firmly to the party line with lyrics that inevitably stress love and devotion to Kim Jong Un or hail the wisdom of the ruling party and the values of selfless sacrifice and "single-minded unity." It frequently is called on to perform for major party events - often with Kim Jong Un, the military and missiles on big screens behind them - and alternate between mini-skirts and military uniforms when they take the stage. Kim Jong Il, who was much more involved in the arts, and particularly in filmmaking, also founded a band, which he called the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble. It was known for its synthesizer-heavy sound and Hyon was a prominent member. While still guaranteed a special role as the "soft" face of Kim's regime, the novelty of Moranbong Band might be wearing thin. A similar group, the Chongbong Band, was created in 2015 in what appeared to be an effort to revive interest in a similar kind of vaguely youth-oriented, popinfluenced music. But the regime doesn't seem to be promoting the Chongbong Band very seriously and it now rarely appears in public. Photo: Internet Survivors of Taliban attack on Kabul hotel recount ordeal Survivors of the Taliban attack on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel are recounting the ordeal of the deadly, 13- hours-long standoff that claimed 18 lives, including 14 foreigners, reports BBC. Mohammad Humayun Shams, telecommunications director of eastern Laghman province who was visiting Kabul and staying at the hotel, says he was able to escape by jumping into a tree form a hotel window as the attackers roamed the hallways, killing people. Shams says that "it was the worst night of my life." He says that as he ran he didn't know who were the police and who were the Taliban - they all had same uniforms. More than 150 people were rescued or managed to escape, including 41 foreigners. Eleven of the 14 foreigners killed were pilots and employees of KamAir, a private Afghan airline. Measles, malnutrition kill nearly 100 in Indonesia's Papua A measles outbreak and a spike in cases of malnutrition in Indonesia's easternmost Papua province have killed at least 97 people, mostly indigenous children, reports CNN. An army chief in the provincial capital of Jayapura, Boni Christian Pardede, said Monday that 27 people in one sub-district had died from malnutrition and an outbreak of diarrhea. He said the situation in Okbab subdistrict was first reported last week by church activists, who said 23 children and four adults had died. Pardede said the military has sent a 12-member health team. Meanwhile, a health official in remote Asmat district said the death toll from a measles outbreak and malnutrition since September has risen to 70 people. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be unable to report for work on Monday, as the US Senate struggles to end a government shutdown, reports BBC. Some will not be paid until the stalemate is resolved. A rare Sunday session of the Senate yielded no agreement between Democrats and Republicans, with immigration one of the main sticking points. Essential services will still run but famous sites such as the Statue of Liberty have already been affected. The monument was closed on Sunday but New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he would dip into state funds to pay the daily employment bill and reopen the popular tourist site. It missed a deadline. At midnight on Friday, lawmakers failed to agree on a spending bill. The bill was not a plan for funding for the whole of 2018, but would have kept things running until the middle of next month. Democrats refused to back a temporary deal until their concerns on immigration reform were dealt with. Efforts to reach a compromise ahead of the working week failed late on Sunday. A vote to end the shutdown was postponed until midday (17:00 GMT) on Monday, meaning many federal government offices will not open. Under Senate rules, the bill needs 60 votes in the 100-member chamber. The Republicans currently have 51 senators, so they need some Democratic support to pass a budget. Democrats want President Trump to negotiate over immigration as part of a budget deal, but Republicans say no agreement is possible while federal government services are closed. Republicans want funding for border security - including a proposed border wall with Mexico - and immigration reforms, as well as increased military spending. It means no pay for those federal employees who are "furloughed" - on unpaid leave - even though their workplaces are not open. Most staff in the departments of housing, environment, education and commerce will be staying at home on Monday. Half of workers in the treasury, health, defence and transportation departments will also not be going to work. But essential services that protect "life or human property" will continue, including national security, postal Prison officers are blocking streets outside prisons in a call for tighter security. services, air traffic control, some medical services, disaster assistance, prisons, taxation and electricity generation. And the Trump administration said it planned to keep national parks open - their closure in the 2013 shutdown provoked an angry public reaction. The shutdown began on the first anniversary of President Trump's inauguration. His trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, has also been called into question. It cost the government $2bn in lost productivity and led to "significant negative effects on the economy", the OMB said at the time. This is the first time a government shutdown has happened while one party, the Republicans, controls both Congress and the White House. Friday's vote fell 50-49, far short of the 60 needed to advance the bill. This is due to a number of key disagreements. Democrats have demanded protection from deportation of more than 700,000 undocumented immigrants who entered the US as children. But Vice-President Mike Pence reiterated his party's stance in a speech to US troops in the Middle East on Sunday. French prison guards in nationwide strike after attacks A series of attacks against prison guards by inmates at institutions across France has led to a nationwide strike in the country, reports BBC. Unions have vowed a "total blockade" of prisons on Monday as their dispute with the government over safety improvements and wage rises enters its second week. France's Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said she would meet union leaders to try to end the crisis. Last week, unions rejected government proposals to end the strikes. Guards at prisons across the country, including the high-security institutions Fleury- Mérogis and Fresnes prison outside Paris, are on Monday taking part in protests supported by France's CGT union, the Force Ouvrière (FO) union and the Ufap- Unsa Justice union. France's justice ministry has urged union representatives to "resume dialogue immediately", adding that it was the responsibility of all sides to ensure that prisons were functioning. The strike comes after a number of guards were injured in scuffles at several prisons. Last week, three officers were assaulted in an attack at Fresnes prison, which is situated south of Paris. On Sunday, two prison guards required hospital treatment after they were attacked at a detention centre at Longuenesse prison, near Calais, according to prison officials. "This is once again an attack on the staff, we cannot stand it anymore," spokesman for the Ufap-Unsa union, Yannick Lefebvre, said, adding: "It's a daily thing." The unions are taking further action after rejecting a draft agreement proposing the creation of 1,100 guard jobs over four years. Currently, the prison service employs 28,000 guards in 188 establishments holding about 78,000 prisoners, according to AFP news agency. Photo: Internet
Page 1 and 2: TueSday Dhaka : January 23, 2018; M
Page 3 and 4: METRO 3 TUeSDAY, JANUArY 23, 2018 D
Page 5: CAMPUS 5 TUESDAY, JANUArY 23, 2018
Page 9 and 10: SPORTS 9 TUESDAy, JANUARy 23, 2018
Page 11 and 12: MISCELLANEOUS 11 TUeSDAY, JANUArY 2

The Bangladesh Today (23-01-2018)

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?