03-03-2022

Thursday, Dhaka: March 3, 2022; Falgun 18, 1428 BS; Rajab 29, 1443 Hijri
Bangladesh Army to become
a global-standard force to be
emulated : Army Chief
DHAKA : Chief of Army Staff General S
M Shafiuddin Ahmed on Wednesday
said that Bangladesh army will be
developed to a level of global standards
so others can emulate it.
The army chief said this while
addressing the closing and award-giving
ceremony of Bangladesh Army
Firing Competition-2022 at Cumilla
Cantonment.
In his directional speech, General
Shafiuddin emphasized on training
and instructed all army personnel to
achieve maximum efficiency in firing
through rigorous training.
He expressed his firm belief that the
Bangladesh Army will always stand
by the government and the people in
facing any challenge of the country,
said an Inter Service Public Relation
(ISPR) Press Release.
Earlier, General Shafiuddin distributed
prizes among the winners as the
chief guest.
The firing competition started on 27
February last month under the overall
management of 33 Infantry Division.
Isolated BNP is afraid
of elections:Hasan
DHAKA : Information and
Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan
Mahmud yesterday said the BNP is
scared of elections as the party
becomes isolated from the people.
"BNP becomes isolated from the
countrymen. For this, they are afraid
of elections and raising various questions
over the Election Commission
(EC). They have no relations with the
people and they become isolated from
the countrymen due to their destructive
politics. That's why, they don't
want to take part in elections," he
said.
The minister stated these while
replying to a query of journalists at
Bangladesh Press Institute (PIB) in
the capital.
Hasan said, in fact, the BNP does
not want polls as their party leaders
are convicted that Begum Khaleda Zia
and Tarique Rahman could not take
part in the polls as per the
Constitution of the country. They
have no interest in elections as the
duo couldn't take part in polls, he
added.
In fact, he said, the demand of an
election-period government is nothing
but excuses. "You all know that
they (BNP) tried to resist the 2014
elections. Even, they declared not to
take part in the 2018's polls. But later
they took part in the polls (2018) to
make it (elections) controversial," he
added.
The minister said Dr Zafarullah
Chowdhury was addressed different
meetings of BNP and all know that
he is an advisor of BNP. The new
chief election commissioner (CEC)
has been made from his
(Zafarullha) list and he expressed
his satisfaction and urged all parties
including BNP to keep confidence
in the CEC, he added.
But now the BNP is also denying Dr
A total of 16 teams of Bangladesh
Army from different regions participated
in this competition.
In the competition, 7 independent
ADA brigade team became champion
and 11 infantry division team became
runners up.
Corporal Md Abdul Alim of 11
infantry division team was named 1st
Best and Soldier Tuhin Mia 2nd Firer
and Captain Syeda Rafia Zaman was
named Best Female Firer.
The ceremony was attended by senior
officers of the Army Headquarters
and Cumilla region as well as officers
of various units and organizations,
JCOs and other ranks of army members.
The professionalism of the army
and its skills in firing are very important.
Firing exercises are an integral
part of basic military training.
Everyone present at the event
expressed hope that this firing competition
would serve as a source of
inspiration in improving the quality
of training of the army.
Zafarullah, said Hasan, also Awami
League joint general secretary.
Earlier, the minister joined a seminar
organized by News Broadcasters'
Alliance (NBA) Bangladesh at an
auditorium of PIB.
In his speech, Hasan said about 34
crore people are speaking in Bangla
across the globe and the position of
the language is seventh in the perspective
of population. Great Poet
Rabindranath Tagore was the first
person who got the Nobel Prize outside
of Europe in literature, he added.
He said it is very important to present
pure Bangla in all sectors including
in news presentation and the
media houses have responsibility in
this regard.
The minister put emphasis on regular
training on this issue.
He said the journey of private television
in the country began after
Bangabandhu's daughter Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina assumed
office in 1996.
Currently, 45 television channels
got license while 35 are on air, he
added.
PIB director general Zafar Wazed,
journalists Syed Ishtiaq Reza and
Manash Ghose addressed it as special
guests with NBA president
Mumtahina Hasnat Ritu in the chair.
Presenter Jafar Sadiq presented the
keynote paper in the seminar.
Later, Hasan joined a function of
the daily 'Somoyer Alo' marking the
third founding anniversary of the
newspaper at its office at Bangla
Motor in the city.
He congratulated the editor, publisher
and the journalists on this occasion.
Publisher Gazi Ahmed Ullah, acting
editor Komalesh Roy and executive
editor Harun-or-Rashid, among others,
were present.
Direct
teaching has
started at
primary
schools across
the country
with
enthusiasm.
The picture is
taken from
Binapani
Government
Primary School
in Gopalgonj
Sadar Upazila.
Photo :
Star Mail
PM Hasina assassination attempt
Fugitive death row
convict held in city
DHAKA : Police have arrested a fugitive
death row convict in a case filed over the
attempt to kill Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina in 2000. Azizul Haque Rana alias
Shahnewaz alias Ruman was arrested
from Khilkhet Bazar in the capital on
Tuesday, reports UNB.
Police also seized two jihadi books, two
mobile phone sets, a pen drive and a computer
hard disk from his possession.
Police recovered a 76-kg bomb in front
of a shop adjacent to Sheikh Lutfur
Rahman Govt High School on July 20,
2000 where Sheikh Hasina was supposed
to address a rally on July 22.
Another 40-kg bomb was also recovered
by an army bomb expert squad from
near Kotalipara helipad on July 23, 2000.
Three separate cases were filed in this
connection.
On March 23, 2021, a Dhaka tribunal
sentenced 14 people to death in a sedition
case filed over the murder attempt on
Sheikh Hasina at Kotalipara in Gopalganj
in 2000. Mohammad Azizul Haque alias
Shah Newaz was among the condemned
convicts.
Azizul was tasked with planting bombs ,
said police after interrogation.
After primary interrogation, police
came to know that Azizul remained
absconding for 21years and continued his
activities secretly. He worked as shop
keeper, book seller, driver and printing
press worker to hide his identity.
Govt let loose
police against
BNP, alleges Rizvi
DHAKA : BNP senior joint secretary
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday alleged
that the government has let loose law
enforcers like "hyenas" against its leaders
and activists out of fear of facing public
wraths, reports UNB.
"The Illegal political forces are
always sacred of facing public wraths.
They get terrified with the loud voices
of people. That's why they've let loose
the law enforcement agencies like hyenas
to foil BNP's different programmes,"
he said.
Speaking at a press conference at
BNP's Nayapaltan central office, Rizvi
also said the government is shedding the
blood of opposition activists through
attacking political programmes of the
opposition by law enforcers at different
parts of the country.
He accused the government of establishing
its control over every constitutional
institution from the Election
Commission to the judiciary by appointing
people who hold the spirit of Awami
League. "The entire nation has been
colonised by the government by placing
its own people everywhere.
The BNP leader said the government
has obliterated democracy and snatched
the civic and voting rights of people by
usurping power.
"They (govt) are using the state
machinery to brutally suppress the
democracy-loving dissidents. The same
way, they're now using its cadres and
police force to obstruct BNP programmes
across the country," he
observed.
The BNP leader said police and the ruling
party cadres resorted to various
repressive acts to foil their rallies
arranged for protesting the hike in daily
essential in Dhaka's Savar, Patuakhali,
Magura and Jhalakati.
He said police attacked their party's
peaceful rally on Dhaka-Aricha Highway
in Savar without any provocation. "They
charged batons on our leaders and
activists, leaving at least 15 of them
injured."
Rooppur power plant not
to be affected directly by
War : Planning Minister
DHAKA : Planning Minister MA
Mannan on Wednesday said
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant won't
be affected directly by the ongoing
Russian-Ukraine war as the project
is being executed completely under a
bilateral agreement with Moscow,
reports UNB.
"Equipment, manpower and
finance (for the project) are coming
through the single channel. No
third party is involved here. So, the
project will witness no direct
impact," he said while briefing
reporters after the meeting of the
National Economic Council (NEC).
NEC Chairperson and Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the
meeting, joining it from her official
residence Ganobhaban. Other NEC
members including ministers and secretaries
attended the meeting from the
NEC Conference Room and the
Cabinet Division's Conference Room.
Replying to a question, whether the
meeting discussed the war and its
impacts on Rooppur plant, being
built by Russia, the planning minister
said Bangladesh is against any war.
"The prime minister has clearly said
we are a peace-loving country. We
want peace," he added.
Though they are fighting, both the
countries are the friends of
Bangladesh, he said.
"Ukraine is our friend. And Russia
has been our friend for a long time.
We always recognise the Russian role
in our Liberation War. We had been
able to achieve independence despite
Protest against
price hike : BNP
men clash with
police in Savar
SAVAR : Over a dozen of BNP activists
were injured in a clash with police on
Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Savar on
Wednesday as the law enforcers allegedly
obstructed them from bringing out a
procession to protest the growing prices
of commodities, reports UNB.
Former MP BNP leader Dewan
Mohammad Salauddin said when the procession,
which was brought out from his
residence around 11am, reached Dhaka-
Aricha highway police dispersed the BNP
men. Police charged baton on the BNP
leaders and activists when they tried to hold
a sit-in programme in front of Rangaban
Nursery, alleged the BNP leader.
BNP convener Khandaker Shah
Mainul Hossain Biltu and Ashulia Thana
BNP leader Jahangir Alam were among
the injured, he said.
Kazi Mainul Islam, officer-in-charge
(OC) of Savar Police Station, said two
policemen were injured as BNP activists
threw brickbats on them.
Police detained two BNP activists and a
case will be filed, the OC added.
Earlier, BNP senior joint secretary general
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged that
Awami League is increasing the prices of
commodities and utility services through
forming a syndicate. "The government
has no interest in controlling commodity
prices as they are busy in suppressing the
opposition party."
On February 24, BNP and its associate
bodies worked out an 11-day countrywide
programme, including demonstrations,
to protest the growing price hike of
key commodities and utility services.
The programmes were also taken to
push for the party's demand for the sale
of necessary commodities by the government
at fair prices at the upazila level.
Beginning on February 26, the programmes
will continue until March 15.
The fishermen
are catching
small fish with
a thick net
in at Char
Bijoy area that
have floated
in the bosom
of the Bay
of Bengal
adjacent to
Kuakata.
These nets
have been
kept all over
the place.
Photo: PBA
Dhaka, Riyadh "dynamic partnership" to reach new
height under inspired leadership : Saudi envoy
having many barriers due to their
bold role," he added.
Mannan said if there is fire, its heat
must be felt. "But the matter that
needs to be considered is whether the
heat is burning us or our body hair. I
still think that as of now we've not
reached that stage," he said.
Noting that Rooppur Power Plant is
being implemented completely under
a bilateral agreement, he said, its
equipment, machineries and manpower
were brought through airway
even during the Covid-19 lockdown in
the world.
"So, there is no reason that these
things can't be brought now. The
project still doesn't get the touch of
such wind (impact of the war)," said
the minister.
He said if the war lasts long in
Ukraine, the experts and scholarly
persons may assess whether there
would be any by-product impact of
the war on the project.
War leaves no impact on economy
yet:
In reply to another question over
the impact of war on the economy of
Bangladesh, he said the economy still
doesn't see the impact of the war as
well.
"As per my observation, still there is
no impact of the war here in our
country. But I can't say about tomorrow.
As of now, I'm not seeing it. Of
course, there is the heat of the
Ukraine war. But our economy doesn't
feel it adversely right now," said
Mannan.
DHAKA : Saudi Ambassador to
Bangladesh Essa Yussef Essa Al
Dulaihan on Wednesday said the
"dynamic partnership" and longstanding
relations between
Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia will
further flourish and reach to a new
height, reports UNB.
"My utmost priority is to work for
the betterment of the people of
Bangladesh, maintain the good relationship
and take it to a new height,"
he said while briefing the journalists
at the new premise of the Saudi
Embassy in Dhaka.
Every year, the ambassador said,
150,000 Bangladeshis travel to
Saudi Arabia in order to perform
Hajj.
"We hope that, insha'Allah, after
getting back to the new normal we
will be able to accommodate the
Bangladeshi pilgrims like past
years," Al Dulaihan said.
In terms of manpower export, the
Saudi envoy said, solid contacts
have been developed between Saudi
Arabia and Bangladesh, which benefits
Bangladesh economy and the
lives of the migrant workers' families
as well.
The people of Saudi Arabia also
deeply acknowledge the contribution
of Bangladeshi workers towards
the development of the Saudi economy,
he said, adding that for both
countries, it is a "win-win" situation.
More than 2.3 million Bangladeshi
labours are employed in Saudi
Arabia in diverse fields, said the
Saudi envoy.
Despite the fact that recruitment
has been reduced or halted as a
result of the pandemic, Saudi Arabia
continues to take manpower from
Bangladesh, and the flights between
the two brotherly countries did not
stop or even suspended, he said.
During the last five years, the
envoy said, Saudi Arabia has issued
more than 1.4 million work visas
and on November 1 last year, they
issued almost 8,500 work visas in a
single day.
Now they issue 4000 visas every
working day. "We hope to keep this
trend going."
The embassy issued last week
more than 38000 work visas with a
new record of 12300 issued in one
working day.
To combat the Covid-19 pandemic,
the ambassador said, Saudi
Arabia through King Salman
Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center
provided medical commodity worth
US$ 1 million including 23 ventilator
set and more than 1.5 million
vaccines for Bangladesh.
He said Bangladeshis in the
Kingdom also received necessary
medical treatment for free assistance
as part of the Kingdom's
efforts in confronting Covid-19 pandemic
and distinguished relationship
between the two brotherly
countries.
"We are pleased to report that several
universities throughout the
Kingdom have raised the number of
scholarships available to
Bangladeshi students besides
employing faculty members," the
ambassador said.