05-01-2022

Wednesday, Dhaka: January 5, 2022; Poush 21, 1428 BS; Jamadi-us Sani 1, 1443 Hijri
A fight broke out during Bangladesh Chhatra League's celebration of its 74th founding
anniversary and left the student organisation's General Secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee
and nine others injured.
Photo : Courtesy
Will resolve issues,
if any, with some
countries: FM
DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul
Momen has said the government wants
to find out the reasons if there is any "dissatisfaction"
of some countries towards
Bangladesh, stressing that they will try to
address those issues, reports UNB.
"Our aim is to maintain good relations
with all countries. Some countries may
apparently be unsatisfied for certain reasons.
We'll find out the reasons and will
try to address that," he said while sharing
New Year's thoughts with a small group
of journalists.
Dr Momen said the government will
try to maintain the basic principle -
'Friendship to all and malice towards
none' - in terms of its relations with foreign
countries.
"We'll try our best to maintain the policy
of neutrality," said the Foreign
Minister underlining that they have a big
challenge to that end.
Dr Momen said his party-the Awami
League-believes in democracy and very
few countries gave blood for democracy.
"We'll promote it (democracy). No
democracy is perfect. It's an evolutionary
process. Nothing is perfect as such. We'll
want perfection and our efforts will be
there to strengthen the process," he said.
When people's voices and election
results were ignored by the then
Pakistani government in 1971,
Bangladeshis waged the War of
Liberation to uphold democracy, human
rights and justice.
The Foreign Minister highlighted the
achievements made in the last year
including hosting two mega celebrations
- the birth centenary of Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman and 50 years of Bangladesh's
independence."
He said the global figures who attended
in-person and sent messages appreciated
Bangladesh's achievements under
the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina and pledged to stand by
Bangladesh and the Prime Minister in its
journey towards the next level of development.
The Foreign Minister said the government's
efforts will be there to resolve the
regional and bilateral problems peacefully.
Bangladesh has expressed its willingness
to work together to further the relationship
with Myanmar including
through ensuring "early, voluntary, safe
and sustained repatriation" of the
Rohingyas to their place of origin in
Rakhine state.
"As an immediate and friendly neighbour,
the people of Bangladesh have
been persistent in developing mutually
beneficial relations with the people of
Myanmar and will work together to further
the relationship," said the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs in a message of felicitation
on the occasion of the Independence
Day of the Republic of the Union of
Myanmar.
On the occasion of the Independence
Day of the Republic of the Union of
Myanmar, the people of Bangladesh
expressed greetings and felicitations to
the people of Myanmar and wished them
peace and prosperity.
Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million
Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar district and
Bhasan Char Island.
As per the PM's roadmap, Dr Momen
said they will continue to work to create
"gainful employment" at home and
abroad.
He said the government will continue
to work so that both employment and
investment keep growing to make the
economy more vibrant.
The Foreign Minister said they will
put in more efforts to strengthen its
public diplomacy as some enemies of
the country are spreading misinformation.
"We'll tell our stories through those
people who have wider credibility and
those stories about Bangladesh will be
based on facts," he said, adding that they
will counter those with true facts.
Dr Momen said the government will
engage Bangladeshi diaspora, think
tanks and universities as part of making
public diplomacy stronger based on true
facts.
BCL celebrates
its 74th founding
anniversary
DHAKA : Bangladesh Chhatra League
(BCL), the students' wing of Awami
League having a glorious history of struggle
and success, yesterday celebrated its
74th founding anniversary with elaborate
programmes.
This historic organisation came into
being on January 4 in 1948 at the instruction
of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with an aim to
attain the country's independence.
The five-day-long celebration commenced
with the hoisting of national and
party flags at party offices at 7:30 am and
placing wreaths at the portrait of Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman at Dhanmondi road-32 at 8:00
am yesterday.
At the same time, a delegation, consisting
of some leaders of the central executive
committee, paid rich tribute to the Father
of the Nation by placing a wreath at his
graveyard at Tungipara and offering doa.
After cutting a cake at Dhaka University
(DU) Curzon Hall around 10:00 am, leaders
and activists of BCL, led by its president
Al Nahian Khan Joy and general secretary
Lekhak Bhattacharya, gathered on
the premises of DU's Aparajeo Bangla
around 2 pm to bring out a joyous procession.
Chhatra League played a historic role in
terms of foiling conspiracies, made by
communal and anti-Liberation forces in
different transitional periods of the country,
said Bangladesh Awami League presidium
member Advocate Jahangir Kabir
Nanak while inaugurating the rally.
In the coming days, BCL will fight to foil
the conspiracies aiming to establish a noncommunal
country and building Sonar
Bangla as dreamt by the Father of the
Nation, he added.
AL presidium member Abdur Rahman,
AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul
Alam Hanif and Krishibid AFM
Bahauddin Nasim, Organizing Secretary
Advocate Afzal Hussain, Dr Mostafa Jalal
Mohiuddin, AL deputy publicity and publication
secretary Aminul Islam, former
BCL presidents and general secretaries
addressed the rally.
Marking the anniversary, a discussion
will be held at Krishibid Institution
Bangladesh (KIB) tomorrow at 11:30 am.
Prime Minister, also president of Awami
League Sheikh Hasina, is expected to virtually
join the discussion from her official
Ganabhaban residence here.
Contradictory statements of law enforcing agencies
over Cox's Bazar rape unfortunate : HC
DHAKA : The High Court (HC) yesterday
said the contradictory statements
of different law enforcement
agencies regarding recent alleged
gang-rape of a tourist, is unfortunate
and unwarranted.
"The victim has given her testimony
before a magistrate. But at this stage,
such contradictory statements are
unfortunate. These statements can
create confusion among people," the
court said.
A High Court division bench of
Justice M Enayetur Rahim and
Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came
up with the observations while hearing
a writ petition in this regard.
"There is inconsistency in the statements
of police and RAB. Those
statements came on the media. We
are pleading for judicial inquiry over
the alleged rape of December 22. The
court, during the hearing, said one
law enforcing agency can assist
another in the probe. But during the
investigation stage, it is better to talk
less," writ petitioner Advocate
Abdullah Al Harun Bhuiyan told
newsmen.
Deputy Attorney General Bipul
Baghmar stood for the state at the
hearing.
The petition was filed on January 3,
also pleaded for issuing a rule in this
regard. Officials concerned including
Home Secretary, Inspector General
of Police, Tourism Secretary and
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner
were made respondents in the writ.
DGHS issues 15-point
guidelines to tackle
Omicron variant
DHAKA : The Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS) on Tuesday
issued 15-point guidelines to prevent the
highly contagious new African COVID-
19 variant named Omicron.
The whole world has remained alert to
tackle the spike of new coronavirus variant
Omicron, an official release said.
Security concern hits Cox's
Bazar tourism hard
COX'S BAZAR : Though the authorities concerned
are looking for every way to beef up
security to prevent unpleasant activities in
the beach town, tourists have largely ignored
it to visit during the New Year as some
recent incidents badly tarnished its image as
a safe tourism destination, reports UNB.
"Cox's Bazar usually sees a surge of
tourists on the eve of New Year every year
but this year it was almost empty.
Restrictions on outdoor events and recent
rape incidents and skyrocketing food prices
might be the reasons," said Mahbubr
Rahman, a physical teacher of a local school.
Hotel, motel and restaurant owners and
those involved in tourism support services
are now worried over the fall in the number
of tourists during the peak season.
They said 50% of rooms in many hotels
and motels were vacant during the New
Year celebrations.
In the wake of some unwanted activities,
law enforcement agencies have taken various
steps to ensure the security of tourists
while the local administration has set up a
monitoring cell following the outcry of
people over two rape incidents in the
tourist hub recently.
Salahuddin Setu, councillor of Cox's Bazar
municipality, said, "Some 350 big tourist
buses had been kept ready in designated
parking spaces during the 3-day government
holiday starting from December 16,
while 250 tourists vehicles were there at
local Ilias Mia High School ground to deal
with the pressure of tourists. Once 700
buses, carrying tourists, used to arrive in
The guidelines are as follows:
1. Strengthening of medical test and
screening of passengers, who are
arriving from Omicron infected
countries, at gateways-land, air and
waterways.
2. All types of public gatherings
(social/political/religious/others)
have to be discouraged.
3. People must follow all essential
health rules including wearing facemasks
while going outside the
house.
4. Limiting dining facility at restaurants
should be ensured.
5. Limiting people's gathering at different
places including tourist spot,
recreation centre, resort, community
centre, cinema hall/ theatre hall
and social programmes should be
ensured.
6. Health rules including wearing facemasks
must be maintained at all
places of worship as well as
mosques.
7. Health rules must be maintained at
public transports.
8. Passengers arriving from the infected
countries have to be kept for 14-
day quarantine.
9. All educational institutions
(madrasah, pre-primary, primary,
secondary, higher secondary and
universities) and coaching centres
must maintain health rules.
10. Healthcare professionals and health
service recipients must follow heath
guidelines strictly.
11. Unvaccinated people must receive
first and second doses of COVID-19
vaccines from vaccination centres.
12. People with suspected coronavirus
cases, positive patients and other
people who have come in close contact
with Covid-19 patients have to
be kept in quarantine.
13. The suspected Covid-19 people have
to be kept at isolation as well as they
have to be brought under testing
facility.
14. Wearing face masks must be made
mandatory at offices besides maintaining
other health rules.
Cox's Bazar at this time of the year, but this
time the number was 50 only, a sharp fall in
tourist arrival." Salahuddin said the recent
rape incidents and soaring food prices
(cooked rice and pulses) in hotels have tarnished
the image of the beach town.
Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar
Mamunur Rashid said, "Cox's Bazar is an
attractive tourist destination and some foreign
tourists have come here to welcome the
New Year and the authorities concerned of
the respective hotels have welcomed them."
He said a meeting was held recently with
all concerned to ensure the highest security
of tourists and better services for them
round the year. "The monitoring committee
is monitoring everything round the clock."
Abul Kashem Shikder, general secretary
of Cox's Bazar Hotel, Motel, Guest House
Owners' Association, said, "This year the
number of tourists is low as only 50% rooms
have been booked on the New Year eve."
He hoped that the tourism in Cox's Bazar
will get a boost with the arrival of foreign
tourists as special discounts are being
offered by many hotels and motels to attract
tourists. Kalim Ullah, general secretary of
Resident Hotel Officers Association, said,
"Now bookings can be done online and the
number of foreign tourists is more than the
previous years."
Additional Superintendent of Police
(tourist police) Mohammad Mohiuddin
Ahmed said some 1.5 lakh people can stay in
450 resident hotels here and all hotels have
been brought under CCTV services to
ensure security.
Dipu Moni urges
BCL leaders to
uphold ideology,
tradition
CHANDPUR : Education Minister Dr
Dipu Moni yesterday urged all leaders
of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL)
to work together, maintaining the
organization's tradition and ideology.
"Chhatra League was formed by
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It should
maintain its tradition. Now the present
generation is leading it and they
have to work for the country," she
said.
Dipu Moni, also the Awami League
(AL) joint general secretary, was
speaking at a rally organized by BCL
Chandpur district committee here as
the chief guest on the occasion of the
74th founding anniversary of BCL,
the students' wing of ruling Awami
League (AL).
Referring to the ongoing pandemic,
she advised all to remain vigilant and
follow proper health rules to prevent
new coronavirus variant 'Omicron'.
With District BCL unit President
Zahir Uddin Mizi in the chair, the programme
was, addressed, among others,
by District AL President Nasir Uddin
Ahmed, General Secretary Abu Naim
Dulal Patwari, Mayor Zillur Rahman
Jewel and District AL Organizing
Secretary Advocate Mojibur.
Three held with
fake notes from
city's Pallabi
DHAKA : Members of Rapid Action
Battalion (Rab) have arrested three
people including ringleader of a fake
notes making gang with fake notes
worth Tk 1.20 crore from the city's
Pallabi area, reports UNB.
The arrestees are ringleader Md
Sogir Hossain, 47, of Barguna, his two
associates Selina Aktar Pakhi, 20, of
Barishal and Md Ruhul Amin, 33, of
Jhalakathi.
According to a media release from
Rab Headquarters, tipped off, a team
of Rab-4 conducted a drive in Pallabi
area of Mirpur on Monday night.
During the drive, fake notes worth
Tk 1.20 crore, fake notes making
equipment, five mobile phone sets,
two laptops and a hand air drier were
seized from their possession.
They planned to make huge amount
of fake currency targeting the trade
fairs and various festivals in remote
areas during winter, said the release.
In primary interrogation, the
arrestees confessed to their involvement
in making fake notes in different
parts of the country including
Dhaka and Barishal.
Sogir was arrested in 2017 by the
law enforcement agencies with fake
notes. After spending years in jail, he
started making fake notes again in
2018.
His associates Ruhul Amin and
Selina used to sell those notes
through 7-8 other gang others.
Selina's husband is also a member of
this gang who is currently serving jail,
said the release.
In Rangpur, the dense fog of Poush month and the frozen air disrupted public life. Even though the
sun rises in the morning, the light is missing in the foggy sky. The face of the sun could not be seen
due to fog till 10:15 in the morning on Tuesday.
Photo: PBA