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UN to Support Bangladesh Reforms, Flood Rehab Measures
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22 Sep 2024, 18:09
Photo: Collected
The United Nations will support Bangladesh in wide-ranging areas including police and election reforms as the Interim Government rolls out a major restructuring of the country's institutions, the UN's resident coordinator said Sunday.
The chief of the UN in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis, paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his Tejgaon office where they discussed reforms, corruption, floods, the Rohingya crisis, and the UN-led investigation of the July-August carnage.
Gwyn Lewis expressed her support for the reform initiatives undertaken by the Interim Government and she thanked Professor Yunus "for taking up an extraordinary role" as the head of the post-revolution administration.
The Chief Adviser said this was the "most unifying moment" for the whole nation and the main job of his government was to "set an example" for everyone.
"This is a great opportunity for the country to reform the economy and fix almost every institution," he said.
Gwyn Lewis enquired about the reforms in the security forces including police administration. The chief adviser said the government has made police reform a top of its priorities.
The Chief Adviser said the government was also committed to setting up an integrated national IT system, which will ease hassles and cut corruption in the country.
He said the government has also formed a commission to make major reforms in the electoral system so that votes can be held free and fair.
Lewis said the UN-led investigation team has already started working on the murders and mayhem committed during July and August.
She said UN agencies, WHO and ILO, were looking at ways to help the injured victims and people who were traumatized by the events.
She said the UN has provided four million dollars for the post-flood rehabilitation in the country's eastern and southern regions.
She said some 18 million people in Bangladesh have been hit by floods since the beginning of the monsoon and the UN was coordinating aid from the agencies and charities for the flood victims.
Professor Yunus sought UN help to institute an early warning system for floods in South Asia.
They also discussed environmental, climate change, and the Chattogram Hill Tracts issues, with Lewis, outlining the aid work the UN agencies have done in the three hill districts.
Professor Yunus sought UN help to build a better future for the Rohingya children in the camps, saying "A whole generation of angry young people is growing up there".
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Traffic Congestion in Dhaka / Wasting Around 82,00,000 Working Hours Daily
The traffic congestion in the capital city is wasting around 8.2 million working hours daily. Massive use of private vehicles is responsible for the lack of order on the roads and thus, people cannot enjoy the advantage of rising public transport.
Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury revealed this at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday (October 6) at 11 o'clock.
In his written speech, he said, "The citizens of the capital are stuck in a terrible traffic jam because of the lack of respect for the rules and regulations of the passengers. It takes more than 4 to 5 hours to go from one end of the city to another. 8.2 million working hours of working people are wasted every day in Dhaka's traffic jams. BUET's information says that the financial loss in this traffic jam is Tk50,000cr every year.
He said, "The capital's public transport system has been broken for ages. Buses and mini-buses operating in the city are discolored with no rear light indicators and front-looking glasses. Can't sit on the seat with two legs apart. The footrests and catch handles are broken, have to stand for long periods. During the hot summer days, the bus is drenched in sweat, and in the rainy season, the bus is still drenched in rain. There is no cleanliness in any buses. Buses are not available at the right time even after enduring the agony of getting on and off the dirty, infested, cockroach-infested buses."
Mozammel further said, 'In such a reality, the able-bodied are buying private cars by taking loans. Others have turned to motorcycle ride-sharing, auto-rickshaws, easy bikes, e-bikes, and smaller vehicles like ride-hailing. As a result, 4,00,000 pedal-powered rickshaws, 6,00,000 battery-powered rickshaws and easybikes, 1,34,000 small ride-sharing vehicles, 30,000 CNG-powered auto-rickshaws are moving freely in the city, along with chaotic buses, the traffic congestion and crowding of the city are increasing extremely. On the other hand, the traffic system to control these vehicles is still outdated. After the change of government, 4,000 traffic police in the city are still inactive. In this situation, modern engineering traffic control system needs to be introduced on an urgent basis to reduce traffic congestion."
"According to BRTA's information, an average of 800 small vehicles are coming down in the capital every day. According to a JICA survey, 60 percent of the daily average 40 million trip passengers travel in Dhaka metropolis use public transport. 67 percent of these passengers use buses only. However, the quality of passenger service of Dhaka City Bus has been lacking quality for the last 20 years. To reduce the traffic congestion in Dhaka, the bus-minibus system must be fixed first. The registration of small vehicles and the movement of these vehicles on the main roads of the city should be stopped," he further added.
Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity has demanded to improve city services in Dhaka city by providing a bus route rationalization system with privileged lanes, removing small vehicles including rickshaws, and easy bikes from the main roads of the city, and scientifically controlling the traffic system.
No Security Threat During 'Durga Puja', Still We Are Cautious: IGP
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mainul Islam said that there is no security concern in the upcoming 'Durga Puja'.
He said this to reporters after visiting Dhakeshwari Temple in the capital on Monday (October 7) afternoon.
The IGP said that there is no fear of any terrorist attack during the puja. Law enforcement agencies are on high alert. There is no room for any kind of chaos and inactivity.
He also said that Ansar has been deployed in important Puja Mondops. They will be deployed in all puja Mondops from Tuesday. Other police patrols and striking forces will be deployed. Armed forces are deployed in all districts.
Moinul Islam said, there is no opportunity for inactivity anywhere. Cyber monitoring has been strengthened. 999 is always on. A special control room will monitor the security of the puja from across the country.
He said that control rooms have been launched in each upazila, district, and police headquarters. Action will be taken immediately if anyone wants to create disturbance anywhere, in any Pujamondop.
Lalmonirhat Magistrate Tapashee Tabassum Urmi Suspended
Tapashee Tabassum Urmi, an executive magistrate in the Lalmonirhat district administration, has been suspended temporarily after being On Special Duty (OSD).
A notification was issued in this regard from the Ministry of Public Administration on Monday (October 7).
Previously Urmi was making controversial comments on the social media Facebook about Dr Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor of the interim government.
It is to be noted that, Tapashee wrote on Facebook on Saturday (October 05): "The chief adviser of the constitutionally baseless interim government has said a reset button has been pushed. The past is erased. He deleted all the history of the country by clicking a reset button. So simple. The countdown has begun for you, sir."
Mansur Hossain, public relations officer of the Ministry of Public Administration, said that Assistant Commissioner Tapashee Tabassum Urmi has been suspended after OSD. At the same time, the process of taking departmental action against her has been initiated.
Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor: / Durga Puja Holiday Extended by One Day
The holiday for Durga Puja has been extended by one day, as announced by Mahfuz Alam, the special assistant to the chief advisor.
The Sharadiya Durga Puja holiday will begin on Thursday. Since there are public holidays on Friday and Saturday this month, the total duration of the Puja holiday will be four days. The official notification will be issued soon.
On Tuesday (October 8), Mahfuz Alam provided this information at the Dhakeshwari Temple.
He stated that this year the Durga Puja holiday has been extended by one day. He sent a message to those trying to destabilize the country that the current interim government stands with everyone.
The formalities of Sharadiya Durga Puja will begin on Wednesday (October 9), and therefore, Dashami will be celebrated next Sunday (October 13). The Sharadiya Durga Puja concludes for followers of the Sanatan Hindu religion with the immersion of the idols on Dashami. Therefore, there will also be a public holiday on Sunday. In total, this year there will be a four-day holiday for Sharadiya Durga Puja.
HSC, Equivalent Results to be Published on October 15
HSC and equivalent exam results of 2024 will be published on October 15. However, the result will be published in the new system, not in the previous rules.
Dhaka Education Board's Chairman and head of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee Professor Tapan Kumar Sarkar confirmed this information to the media. The results will be published around 11:00 am, he added.
Inter Education Board officials said that the results of HSC and equivalent examinations will be published on October 15 (Tuesday). Candidates will know their results around 11 am on that day. But like other times, there will be no central event this time. As per the new rules, the results will be declared separately by each education board.
In this regard, Professor Tapan Kumar Sarkar, coordinator of the Inter-Education Board, said that the central program is not being held this year. However, like every year, students will be able to know the results through SMS, website, and their respective educational institutions.
The results this year were prepared through subject mapping, where marks for six canceled exams were calculated based on students' results from the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams.
For subjects where exams were conducted, the answer sheets were evaluated based on the full marks for those subjects.
Earlier, the HSC and equivalent exams started on June 30 this year. Because of the quota movement, first the exam on July 18 and then the exam on July 21, 23, and 25 were postponed.
Meanwhile, the Sheikh Hasina government was ousted on August 5 in the face of the mass uprising led by the anti-discrimination student movement.
The dates of the remaining exams are changed several times based on the overall situation. The last date was set for August 11. Meanwhile, the candidates started a movement demanding cancellation of the postponed exams. They protested under the building of the Ministry of Education at the secretariat on August 20 and the remaining exams were cancelled.
A total of 14 lakh 50 thousand 790 people participated in this year's HSC examination under 9 General Education Boards, Technical Boards, and Madrasa Boards.
Incidentally, for the past 22 years, the summary of public examination results has been handed over to the Prime Minister. The board chairmen used to hand over the summary of the results of their respective boards to the Prime Minister. The Education Minister, State Minister, Secretary, and many people related to education were present there. After that, the education ministry held a separate press conference, then the candidates could know the results.
All Jewellery Shops to be Closed on 11 October: BAJUS
On the occasion of Durga Puja, all jewellery shops in the country will be closed on Friday (October 11).
Bangladesh Jewelers Association (BAJUS) informed this in a circular on Tuesday (October 8).
It is said that as usual on the occasion of Autumn Durga Puja, BAJUS has decided to close all jewellery establishments across the country including the capital Dhaka, on Ashtami Puja on October 11.
According to the announcement of BAJUS, all jewellery associations in the country will be closed on October 11.
Incidentally, the country's market is currently selling 22-carat gold at Tk1,37,449. Tk1,31,197 per 21 carat, Tk1,12,453 per 18 carat, and Tk92,286 per traditional method gold.
Apart from this, the selling price of gold has to be compulsorily added with a government-mandated 5 percent VAT and BAJUS-mandated minimum wage of 6 percent. However, the wages may vary depending on the design and quality of the jewellery.
The price of gold has been adjusted 42 times in the country's market so far this year. Where the price has been increased 25 times, and reduced 17 times. In 2023, the price was adjusted 29 times.
23 New Judges Appointed to the High Court Division
Twenty-three new judges have been appointed to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court. They are scheduled to take their oaths today, Wednesday, October 9.
On Tuesday, October 8, the Ministry of Law issued a notification regarding their appointment on the orders of the President. The notification was signed by Md. Golam Rabbani, Secretary of the Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs.
According to the notification, the President has appointed the following 23 individuals as additional judges of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh for a maximum term of two years, effective from the date of their oath-taking, under the authority granted by Article 98 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
The newly appointed judges are—Md. Golam Mortuza Mojumder, Syed Enayet Hossain, Md. Mansur Alam, Syed Zahed Mansur, K M Rasheduzzaman Raja, Md. Jabed Hossain, Mubeena Asaf, Kazi Waliul Islam, Aynun Nahar Siddika, Md. Abdul Mannan, Tamanna Rahman, Md. Shafiul Alam Mahmud, Md. Hamidur Rahman, Nasrin Akhter, Sathika Hossain, Syed Mohammad Tajrul Hossain, Md. Tawfiq Inam, Yusuf Abdullah Suman, Sheikh Tahsin Ali, Fayez Ahmed, Md. Sagir Hossain, Shikdar Mahmudur Razi, and Debashish Roy Chowdhury.
According to sources from the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed will administer the oath to the newly appointed 23 judges at the Judges' Lounge of the Supreme Court on Wednesday morning, October 9.
Notably, this is the largest judicial appointment in the Supreme Court since the fall of the Awami League government following the anti-discrimination student movement.
