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Army on Standby as Student Protests Escalate Over HSC Results
Rtv News
21 Oct 2024, 09:54
Photo: Collected
Authorities have ordered increased security across all education boards amid concerns that students may continue protests demanding a re-evaluation of the recently published Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) results. If necessary, the army will be deployed to maintain order.
Protests erupted yesterday in Dhaka and across eight education boards as students rejected the newly released HSC results. Clashes broke out during the demonstrations, leaving several students injured.
According to sources, the protests were triggered by the cancellation of exams for some subjects under pressure from student movements advocating for fair evaluation. In response, the results were published using a "subject mapping" method, where grades from students' previous Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams were considered for the canceled subjects. However, students argue that the results are unfair and demand re-evaluation based on mapping all SSC subjects.
On Sunday, students surrounded the education board offices in various regions, with incidents of violence reported at the Dhaka Board office, where 11 students were injured. In Dhaka and Mymensingh, protests continued into the evening, with students blockading board officials, including the chairpersons, until late at night.
In response to the unrest, Tapan Kumar Sarkar, the chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, announced his resignation. “If anyone has doubts about their results, they can apply for re-evaluation. Resorting to protests and violence is not a solution,” he told Dhaka Post, adding that he would submit his resignation to the ministry today.
The results, published on October 15, followed an alternative evaluation method due to the cancellation of certain HSC exams. For these canceled subjects, students' SSC marks were used, while the subjects that were held were graded based on their answer scripts. However, dissatisfied students demand new results using full SSC subject mapping.
Authorities confirmed that security will be bolstered at all board offices today, with police presence increased in protest-prone areas. Officials have also indicated that, if necessary, the army will be deployed to ensure peace.
The Ministry of Education has reportedly urged the Dhaka Board chairman to reconsider his resignation and work towards resolving the issue.
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Bishwa Ijtema to be Held in Two Phases From Jan 31
In 2025, the 'Bishwa Ijtema' will be held in two phases like the last few years.
Home Affairs Advisor Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury revealed this information after the meeting with the two factions of Tabligh on Monday (November 04).
He said that the 1st phase of Bishwa Ijtema will be held from January 31 to February 2 next year and the 2nd phase from February 7 to 9 on the Turag riverbank in Tongi.
He also said that although the date of Ijtema had been announced, it had yet to be decided which faction would hold its event first.
They had discussed topics such as the handover and preparation of the Ijtema ground, security, visas for foreign attendees, uninterrupted power supply, construction of floating bridges, emergency disaster arrangements, hygienic food, and traffic management for the final prayer day, Jahangir added.
It is to be noted that Bishwa Ijtema has been held since 1967 on the Turag riverbank in Tongi, Gazipur. Many Muslims from different parts of the world participated in this gathering of Tabligh Jamaat.
The two-phase Ijtema is led by Maulana Saad Kandhalvi of India and the other by Maulana Zubair of Bangladesh.
Although followers of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi participated in the meeting, representatives of Maulana Zubair were absent.
Working to Mitigate Losses of Karnaphuli Tunnel: Fouzul Kabir
Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan has termed the Karnaphuli Tunnel project an instance of 'political showmanship and said they are working to mitigate the huge losses from this 'unrealistic' project.
"This tunnel is an unrealistic project. It was essentially a politically motivated project, a display for earning public attention. Other countries have tunnels underwater, why shouldn't we have one? But current realities reveal that it was grandstanding," adviser Fouzul said in an exclusive interview with UNB recently.
The tunnel, built at a cost of around Tk 10,700 crore, cannot simply be shut down or dismantled, he said, adding, "We are reviewing the reasons behind the losses and are working on ways to mitigate that."
Strategies will be worked out in coordination with relevant departments to reduce losses, he said.
The adviser added that authorities are exploring options to increase traffic flow through the tunnel but any investment would be based on concrete data, not inflated projections. "We have to repay our foreign loans, so there will be no speculative studies," the adviser said.
He said the tunnel under the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram—Bangladesh's first underwater tunnel—failed to see its projected benefits, resulting in substantial daily losses.
Criticizing the previous Awami League government, he added, "They took up projects for the sake of having projects without considering national interests. This attitude has caused significant losses to the country."
He said the tunnel expenses have exceeded income significantly and vehicle flow estimates made before the tunnel’s construction have proven inaccurate, he added.
There were also flaws in the tunnel design as it was constructed with a shorter headroom of 4.9 meters which restricts the movement of heavy vehicles and fuel-carrying transport movement is prohibited due to safety concerns, thereby reducing potential traffic volume, said the Adviser.
Besides, projects planned for Chattogram's southern region and Cox's Bazar over the project were not implemented, limiting the tunnel's usage.
Karnaphuli Tunnel was built at a cost of Tk 10,700 crore. The tunnel project was implemented with joint funding of the governments of Bangladesh and China (G2G).
The Exim Bank of China provided a loan of Tk 5,913 crore while the Bangladesh government funded the rest.
The Karnaphuli River divides Chattogram into two parts. The tunnel being built – following the "One City, Two Towns" model like Shanghai in China – aiming to connect the port city on the north with Anwara upazila on the south.
Bridge Authority's statistics
According to the reports of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, since the tunnel’s opening on October 28 last year, revenue has consistently fallen short of operational costs.
In its first operational month, November, 166,312 vehicles used the tunnel, a daily average of 5,544, earning Tk 3.94 crore. However, by April this year, traffic dropped to an average of 3,855 vehicles per day. For the first 21 days of September, the average daily vehicle count further dropped to 3,073, showing a downtrend.
Currently, an average of Tk 11.80 lakh is being earned daily as a toll from the tunnel. However, since the tunnel is constructed underground, a substantial amount of money has to be spent each day to provide artificial oxygen and lighting, along with general and emergency security measures.
On average, around Tk 37.47 lakh is being spent every day to cover these operational costs. As a result, the daily loss amount reaches over Tk 25 lakh.
The Bridge Authority statistics reveal that over the past year, the tunnel saw about 14.11 lakh vehicles, 76% of which were light vehicles, with only 10% buses and 12% trucks.
Revenue from this vehicle flow has amounted to Tk 37.44 crore, far below projections.
Construction firm estimates from 2017 anticipated that, if opened by 2020, the tunnel would handle around 20,719 vehicles daily, growing by 6.4% annually to 28,305 vehicles per day by 2025, and nearly 38,000 by 2030. However, current figures fall drastically short of these projections, with a daily average of just 4,613 vehicles as of August this year, most of which are tourist transports.
Source: UNB
LPG Cylinder Price to be Fixed Today
The new consumer price of private liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for November will be fixed on Tuesday (November 5). Today it will be known whether the price of LPG is increasing or decreasing.
This information is based on a circular issued by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) on Monday (November 4).
It is said that according to the Saudi CP announced by Saudi Aramco for November (2024), the instructions of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission regarding the price adjustment of private LPG at the consumer level for this month will be announced on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Earlier, the price of a 12 kg cylinder was increased by Tk44 to Tk1,421 for the month of September and by Tk35 to Tk1,456 for the month of October.
In 2023, the prices of LPG and Autogas decreased 5 times and increased 7 times. The prices of LPG and Autogas decreased in January, March, April, June, and July last year. Prices increased in February, May, August, September, October, November and December.
12Kg LPG Cylinder Price Slashed by Tk1
After four times of consecutive price hikes, the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has finally been reduced at the consumer level.
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Chairman Jalal Ahmed announced the new price of LPG in a press conference on Tuesday (November 5) afternoon.
According to the new announcement, the price of each 12 kg LPG cylinder has been reduced by Tk1 to Tk 1,455 from Tk1456.
Earlier, the price of a 12 kg cylinder was increased by Tk44 to Tk1,421 for the month of September and by Tk35 to Tk1,456 for the month of October.
Want to Build A Beautiful Country With All Religions: Army Chief
Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has expressed the hope of building a beautiful country with people of all religions.
He stated this on Friday (November 8) afternoon at the capital's International Buddhist Monastery of Merul Badda on the occasion of 'Kothin Chibor Dan and Buddhist Great Convention.'
Army Chief said, " We want to build a country of harmony. This is the main motto of Buddhism. We want to build a beautiful country with people of all religions.
He also said, "Many people have come here from the hilly areas. We want the day to be celebrated like this every year. We will provide all kinds of assistance for this."
Waker-Uz-Zaman said, "The hill region is a great asset of our country. So I will do whatever is necessary for the peace of the hill region."
It should be noted that according to Buddhist scriptures, this religious ritual was introduced during the lifetime of Lord Gautam Buddha about two and a half thousand years ago. It is termed 'Kothin Chibor Dan' as it is done within 24 hours from spinning the thread to weaving, sewing, and dyeing the cloth and giving it to the Buddhist monks.
Interim Government cannot be questioned, draft ordinance finalized
A new ordinance is about to be issued soon regarding the legitimacy of the interim government and all its activities. The final draft of this ordinance has already been prepared by the current interim government, which mentions that its tenure will last until the formation of the next parliament.
Once the ordinance is issued, if there are any faults in the formation of the interim government or the appointment of the Chief Advisor or any other advisors, their work cannot be deemed illegal just for this reason. No court will be able to raise any questions about this, nor can any case be filed.
The draft of the Interim Government Ordinance 2024 was approved in the meeting of the Advisory Council on September 19, but it has not yet been issued in the form of an ordinance. Now that the final draft is prepared, the matter is moving to the next stage.
However, lawyers have raised concerns about the delay in issuing this ordinance, which has led to many questions. After the removal of Sheikh Hasina from power and her departure from the country on the following day of the people's uprising led by the anti-discrimination student movement on August 5, the President dissolved the 12th National Parliament. On August 8, the interim government took the oath under the leadership of Dr. Muhammad Yunus. However, there has been no clear statement on the duration of this government or the election timeline from the beginning.
Now, the legitimacy of the interim government is being defined in the "Interim Government Ordinance 2024," the final draft of which has been sent to the President. The ordinance states that the tenure of the interim government is not fixed. The interim government will hold power until the 13th parliament is formed and a new Prime Minister is appointed. The Supreme Court or any other court will not be able to raise questions about the legality of any activity of this government, nor can it declare it illegal. No case or legal process can be initiated regarding this.
Supreme Court lawyer Shishir Monir commented that the legal legitimacy of the people's uprising could have been better established by issuing a Presidential Order at the beginning. Instead, the path of the interim government has been chosen, which has led to various questions.
Meanwhile, government sources indicate that, in the current situation, it is necessary to give the interim government the powers required to address the constitutional crisis and carry out the executive functions of the state. Hence, this ordinance is being enacted, and the President will issue it.
However, the draft of the ordinance does not specify the number of advisors in the interim government. It states that the interim government will be formed with a Chief Advisor and as many advisors as the Chief Advisor appoints. The President will appoint a reputable and acceptable person as the Chief Advisor. Other advisors will be appointed according to the advice of the Chief Advisor, as mentioned in the draft.
The draft also notes that a person will not be eligible to hold the position of Chief Advisor or other advisors if they do not agree not to stand as a candidate in the 13th National Parliament election or any local government election.
Regarding the executive power of the Republic, the draft states that the Election Commission will be assisted to conduct free, fair, and impartial parliamentary elections and fulfill duties specified by the Constitution or any other law.
According to the final draft of the Interim Government Ordinance 2024, notwithstanding any provisions in the Constitution or any other law currently in force, all powers, ordinances, rules, regulations, proclamations, orders, activities, and measures taken by the interim government between the formation of the interim government and the day the new Prime Minister assumes office shall be deemed to have been lawfully exercised. The Supreme Court or any other court or authority cannot question or declare these actions illegal or invalid.
3 Out of 5 New Advisors Sworn in Today
Three more advisors were added to the advisory council of the interim government.
They are Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor Mahfuz Alam, Film director, producer, screenwriter Mostafa Sarwar Farooki and businessman Sheikh Bashir Uddin.
President Sahabuddin administered the oath to the new advisers on Sunday (November 10) at 7:30 pm at Bangabhaban.
Earlier, while talking to reporters at the Secretariat on Sunday (November 10) evening Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid said that the Advisory Council of the Interim Government expands.
It is to be noted that Sheikh Hasina fled to India after resigning from the post of Prime Minister in the mass uprising of students on August 5. The cabinet was dissolved that day. The next day on August 6, the President dissolved the 12th National Parliament. Then the interim government was sworn in on August 8. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Dr. Muhammad Yunus took oath as the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government. 16 advisors were appointed at that time. The three advisors could not take oath that day as they were out of Dhaka and the country. They later took the oath. Four more advisors joined the interim government later.
