05-01-2022

FPU of Bangladesh
Police reaches
Kinshasa
DHAKA : The only female
Formed Police Unit (FPU) of
180 members of Bangladesh
Police has reached Kinshasa,
the capital of Democratic
Republic (DR) Congo,
under the UN
Peacekeeping Mission,
reports UNB.
Sources at the Hazrat
Shah Jalal International
Airport said a chartered
flight of Biman Bangladesh
Airlines carrying the
contingent left the Airport
last Sunday night.
The team of BANFPU-1,
rotation-15, under the
leadership of Commander
Nazmun Nahar will replace
the members of BANFPU-
1, rotation-14, deployed
under the United Nations
Organization Stabilization
Mission ( MONUSCO) in
the DR Congo.
Marina Akhter is the
commander of the
outgoing BANFPU-1 unit.
The FPU has faithfully
served in UN peacekeeping
missions in the wake of the
ongoing Covid-19
epidemic.
Senior officials of Police
headquarters, including
Additional IG (HRM) Md
Mazaharul Islam saw off
the female FPU contingent.
It is to be noted that since
2005, the Formed Police
Unit of Bangladesh Police
has been sent to UN
Peacekeeping Mission
MONUSCO. Bangladesh
Police has been sending
women-formed police units
to the Democratic Republic
of Congo since 2011. Since
the year 2019, the officers
of Bangladesh Police have
been performing their
duties in the mission with
distinction as Individual
Police Officer (IPO).
Bangladesh Chhatra League, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital University unit
observed the 74th founding anniversary through various arrangements. On the occasion,
Bangladesh Chhatra League organized various programs including wreath-laying at Bangabandhu's
portrait, joyous procession and cake cutting.
Photo : Courtesy
Soaring prices of key items in Dhaka
turn up heat in the kitchen
DHAKA : The overheated
kitchen markets in Dhaka
left the middle class and
marginal income groups of
people gasping even in the
winter season, reports UNB.
"We're now in the middle
of winter. The prices of key
vegetables should have gone
down by the time, but the
prices are on fire," said
Shamim Gowher, a
businessman.
After visiting various
kitchen markets, the UNB
Correspondent found that
the retailers were selling
popular vegetables at Tk 50
to Tk 90 per kg claiming that
there was a short supply in
major wholesale markets.
But the wholesalers claimed
that the retailers are
charging higher prices for
vegetables for no reason.
According to his market
investigation, the price of
broiler chicken has shot up
to Tk 200 a kg, pinching the
pockets of commoners
already battered by the
surging prices of other
essentials like rice, edible oil,
sugar and pulses.
Visiting some wholesale
kitchen markets, the
correspondent observed that
the winter vegetables are
selling at 20 percent to 30
percent higher prices based
on quality this year
compared to that of the
previous year. The price
variation of vegetables also
is based on areas like
Gulshan, Banani and
Hatirpool. The prices of
vegetables at Karwan Bazar,
Mohammadpur Krishi
Market, Mirpur, Khilgaon,
Fakirapool and Motijheel
are almost similar.
One piece of bottle gourd
was selling at Tk 60 at
Karwan Bazar, while the
same size was selling at Tk
70 to Tk 75 at Gulshan and
Hatirpool markets.
Cauliflower, broccoli and
cabbage were selling at Tk
40 to 60 per piece based on
its size and quality.
Good quality bean was
selling at Tk 80 per kg, while
long bean at Tk90 to 100 per
kg, long brinjal at Tk 60 to Tk
70 per kg, eggplant at Tk70 to
80 per kg, pumpkin at Tk 50
per kg, bean seed at Tk100
per kg, papya at Tk40 per kg,
green chili at Tk 80 to 100 per
kg, potato (new) at Tk 30 to
40, local variety of newlyharvested
potato at Tk45 to
50 per kg, carrot at Tk 60 to
Tk80 per kg based on sizes
and quality, okra at Tk 80 per
kg, ash-guard at Tk 60 to 70
per piece, tomato at Tk 60 to
70, onion (new) at Tk 40 to
50, onion old at Tk 70 to 80
per kg.
Leafy vegetables, such as
spinach, were selling at Tk 15
to Tk 20 per bundle, red
spinach at Tk 10 to 15, green
spinach at Tk 20 per bundle,
coriander leaves at Tk 120 per
kg.
The prices of layer,
Pakistani, Sonali and
indigenous chicken breeds
also showed a substantial
hike amid the growing
demand from households,
restaurants and catering
houses on the occasion of
New Year celebrations as well
as for different socialreligious
programmes, said
sellers.
The broiler chicken was
selling at Tk 185-200 per kg,
while layer at Tk 220-225,
Pakistani at Tk 300-320,
Sonali at Tk 320-30 and
indigenous ones at Tk 490-
530 per kg, marking a 15-20
per cent hike just in a week.
But broiler chicken
witnessed more than a 30 per
cent hike in the last two
weeks, while the current price
is 49 per cent higher than the
price a year ago.
Habibur Rahman, a
poultry farm owner at Basail
in Tangail, said the
production of broiler chicken
came down significantly in
his area as many farm owners
had closed operations during
lockdown during the April-
August period due to
staggering losses.
He said production cost has
now gone up to Tk 150 per kg
due to a 35-40 per cent hike
in poultry feed prices in the
last one year.
Secretary of Consumers
Association of Bangladesh
Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan
said rice, flour, edible oil,
sugar, fish, lentil, broiler
chicken and other essentials
have witnessed a marked
hike in a year, hitting the
people of low-income group
hard.
Speakers praise economist
Dr. Atiur Rahman for his
pro-people work
Dhaka, Jan 4 (UNB)- Desh Proshongo, a Bengali magazine, has
published a special issue on noted economist and Bangladesh
Bank's former governor Dr Atiur Rahman.
Speakers at the unveiling ceremony of the magazine here on
Monday admired Dr. Atiur, who they said devoted his thoughts,
writings and works for the impoverished people of the country.
They said that Dr. Atiur focused on the poor and disadvantaged
strata of the society during his tenure as Bangladesh Bank
governor.
The function was held at the Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled
Memorial Seminar Hall of Unnayan Shamannnay in the city.
Journalist Abed Khan was present here as the chief guest while
Prof. Dr Ratan Siddiui and former Bangladesh Bank executive
director Mahfuzur Rahman and Bank Asia Ltd. Managing
Director Arfan Ali were present as special guests.
Freedom fighter- Dr. M. Amzad Hossain, Atish Dipankar
Research Council President Golam Quader, Bangali Prokashoni
Publisher Poet Arif Nazrul, Daily Manobkontho feature editor
Achintya Chayan and Bangladesh Awami League's cultural affairs
sub-committee member- Sujatol Alom Kallol, Unnayan
Shamannay emeritus fellow Khandakar Shakhawat Ali and Desh
Proshongo Editor Imdadul Hoque Soofi also spoke in the
function. Dr Atiur thanked everyone and said, the goal of all his
intellectual endeavours is to motivate the youth to learn more
about the two greatest Bengalis of all time- Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman and Rabindranath Tagore.
GD-22/22 (5x3)
weDneSDAY, JAnUARY 5, 2022
11
2021: A year of challenges for Awami League
>(From page-1)Both remained silent for
months after the intervention of party policymakers.
However, on a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption
Commission (ACC) in June, the court
ordered the seizure of eight bank accounts of Sayeed
Khokon's business and family. He again
alleged that Taposh was behind the ACC's activities.
However, Taposh did not reply and avoided
the matter as it is the jurisdiction of the court and
the ACC.
Audacity of Gazipur mayor
A video, containing statements of the former
Gazipur Metropolitan Awami League general secretary
and city mayor Mohammad Jahangir Alam,
about the number of martyrs in the Liberation War
and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman went viral on social media Facebook
last September. On October 3, the Awami
League protested against Jahangir Alam for his
activities against the interests of the party and violation
of organisational discipline. The party
expelled him from the post of general secretary and
primary member of the party at a meeting of the
party's central working committee meeting on
November 19. Then on November 25, the local
government ministry also suspended him from the
post of mayor.
Rise and fall of Helena Jahangir
Helena Jahangir is another name that has been
discussed and criticised on social media for several
years. She loved to introduce herself as a journalist,
human rights activist, Awami League leader and
singer. Last July, Helena was widely criticised for
trying to form a nationwide 'Employees League'.
Although she had never been involved in Awami
League politics before, she became a member of
the party's women's affairs sub-committee.
A video containing a sentence from her "I don't
care any MP-Minister," was published on Facebook.
After various discussions and criticisms on
these issues, she was expelled from the sub-committee
on women's affairs of the Awami League.
Helena was later arrested from her Gulshan house
by law enforcement agencies.
The Murad affair
At the end of 2021, the Minister of State for Information
and Broadcasting, Dr Murad Hasan, gave
birth to another controversial issue which embarrassed
the party and the government.
In an interview, he made indecent remarks
about Tarique Rahman's daughter. Then, after
some offensive audio of the state minister was
leaked on social media with an actress, condemnation
and criticism erupted across the country.
The ruling party and government were plunged
into an embarrassing situation. Following this incident,
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina instructed
him to resign from the cabinet. After that, Dr.
Murad resigned from the cabinet on December 7,
citing personal reasons. Murad was also expelled
from the health secretary post of Jamalpur Awami
League. Immediately, he migrated to Canada in
hiding for a few days. But he was sent to Dubai
from Canadian immigration. Murad, who lost his
ministry, had to return from there.
Mayor of Katakhali
Expulsion from the party and disciplinary action
was taken against Abbas Ali, the mayor of
Katakhali municipality in Rajshahi. Action was taken
against him for opposing the sculpture of
Bangabandhu. Abbas Ali was arrested on December
1.
Intra-party conflicts
During the Corona period, the organizational
work of the Awami League was interrupted. It was
not possible to hold councils in many districts even
with a few initiatives. Councils have been held in
some districts in Rajshahi and Dhaka divisions.
Although there was no trend of Awami League unit
council before the national council.
Dhaka Metropolitan North unit council was held
while preparations were underway for the Dhaka
Metropolitan South Awami League unit council.
Similarly, the responsible leaders have been able to
hold councils of 35 upazilas in Rajshahi division.
Abnormal rise of rebel candidates
Although the organizational work did not gain
momentum, the root level Awami League was
strong with the Union Parishad elections. However,
at the union level, there were a huge number of
rebel candidates. The local level Awami League
leaders did not hesitate to go beyond the party's
decision if they could not become a candidate for
the boat. They are blaming the failure to select the
right candidate. There were rebel candidates in
many unions as they were not the preferred candidates
of the local MP-ministers. More than two
thousand grassroots leaders have been expelled
this year over the union council elections. There
have also been widespread casualties in election
violence. Regarding the activities of the party in the
last one year, Abdur Rahman, a member of the presidium
of the Awami League, said, "The last one
year has been a memorable one. We have lost
many leaders from the Awami family. However,
the Awami League has stood by the side of many
distressed and sick people. At the same time, we
have become more organized except for some limitations."
Looking back on the last one year, Awami
League Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin
Nasim said, "We have been able to overcome this
crisis with comparatively less damage with the
leadership of the people's leader Sheikh Hasina.
However, the ongoing conspiracy of the anti-independence
forces has always acted as an obstacle in
the way of development.
04/01/2022
GD-19/22 (5x3)
GD-21/22 (5x3)