Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, all the investigation reports of home ministry, Gazipur district administration and prison directorate have mentioned the death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed as ‘natural death’. He said this at a press conference organized at the home ministry on Thursday. The Home Minister said, but still the autopsy report is not submitted, final information will be available after getting that. On February 25 writer Mushtaq Ahmed died while being imprisoned at Kashimpur High Security Prison in Gazipur. Criticism has arisen following his death. After the incident Security Service Division of the home ministry formed a five-member investigation committee to ascertain whether there was any negligence of the jail authority in connection with the death of Mushtaq Ahmed. AH   

The High Court has granted six months bail for cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore in connection with a case filed under Digital Security Act for the allegation of providing anti-government post on Facebook. The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md. Mostafizur Rahman granted the bail for him. Earlier, the hearing over the bail plea of Kishore concluded on Monday. The court fixed the date for delivering verdict today. Apart from the bail plea of Ahmed Kabir Kishore, that of writer Mushtaq Ahmed who died recently in the jail, had been fixed for hearing in the concerned bench of the High Court. Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua stood for the bail petitioner before the court while Deputy Attorney General Md. Sarwar Hossain Bappi represented the state. During the hearing Barrister Jyotirmoy said that writer Mushtaq Ahmed died in the night of 25th February while being imprisoned at the Kashimpur High Security Prison. In this regard the court asked the lawyer to submit an affidavit. AH     

While delivering speech over the matter of extending the tenure of release of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, Khaleda Zia’s brother Shamim Eskander handed over the letter of appeal to me on Tuesday. In the letter appeal was made to relax the conditions. We will inform about our decision after examining it. In this regard the government will inform about the decision after consulting the matter with law ministry. He said this while discussing the matter with the newsmen at his office at the secretariat on Wednesday. The Home Minister said, in the appeal it was said to take necessary initiatives for better treatment for her after cancelling the punishment. Responding to a question of newsmen Asaduzzaman also said, I received the letter just yesterday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is the mother of humanity. We hope that she would consider the matter positively. AH

Bangladesh recorded five novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 614 fresh cases overnight. The recovery count rose to 4,99,627 after another 936 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period, a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said today (Wednesday). “Five more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 8,428,” the release said. It said the tally of infections has surged to 54,79,30 as 614 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours. A total of 16,414 samples were tested at 217 authorized laboratories across the country during the time. Of the total sample tests in the past 24 hours, 3.74 percent tested positive, while 13.40 percent cases were detected from the total tests conducted so far, the release added. Among the total infections, 91.18 percent patients have recovered, while 1.54 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8. Source: BSS AH

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said, currently there is no issue for waging movement in the country. Sheikh Hasina’s politics of development and attainment have pushed the anti-government political force into issue crisis. He said this while speaking as the chief guest at the extended meeting of Dhaka north metropolitan Awami League on Monday. Obaidul Quader joined the meeting through video conference from his official residence. The minister said, BNP has stepped aside from Union Parishad elections after sensing that people would not vote them. People have proved by casting votes for boat in the fifth round municipal election that they are for development and attainment performed by  Sheikh Hasina. Some ongoing projects are visible at the moment, so people are for Sheikh Hasina. Obaidul Quader said, BNP could not show any success in its tenure. So drought has engulfed their politics. Bangladesh is able to place it on the list of developing nations from the Least Developed Countries under leadership of daughter of Bangabandhu and that is one of the great successes of Sheikh Hasina. To the party leaders and activists he said, committees for all units of metropolitan North and South have to be formed within three months according to the party constitution. And also according to the party constitution ward and thana conferences will be organized within three months of that. AH   

Bangladesh recorded eight novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 585 fresh cases overnight. The recovery count rose to 4,97,797 after another 873 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period, a press release of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said today (Monday). “Eight more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 8,416,” the release said. It said the tally of infections has surged to 54,68,01 as 585 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours. A total of 13,570 samples were tested at 216 authorized laboratories across the country during the time. Of the total sample tests in the past 24 hours, 4.31 percent tested positive, while 13.48 percent cases were detected from the total tests conducted so far, the release added. Among the total infections, 91.04 percent patients have recovered, while 1.54 percent died so far since the first COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country on March 8. Among eight deaths, four are male and four female the press release said, adding two are in his 40s, three in his 50s while three are above 60 years. According to the division-wise data, four deaths took place in Dhaka division. Among the total 8,416 fatalities, 4,712 deaths occurred in Dhaka division, 1,544 in Chattogram division, 478 in Rajshahi division, 560 in Khulna division, 253 in Barishal division, 310 in Sylhet division, 363 in Rangpur division and 196 in Mymensingh division, according to the press release. A total of 40,57,597 samples have so far been tested since the detection of the first COVID-19 cases in the country. The DGHS said in order to make treatment facilities easily available for the COVID-19 patients, the government has introduced telemedicine services comprising 100 physicians for round the clock in the country. It added that 2,37,55,964 people received healthcare services from hotline mobile numbers and health web portals as the government formed a group of medical professionals to provide emergency healthcare services. To receive information and treatment facilities on COVID-19, the contact hotline and mobile numbers are 16263; 333; 10655 and 01944333222. As of March 01, 2021, 10:47 GMT, 2,544,254 people have died so far from the COVID-19 outbreak and there are currently 114,738,603 confirmed cases in 212 countries and territories, according to Worldometer, a reference website that provides counters and real-time statistics for diverse topics. China was the world’s first country which on January 11 reported the first death from the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province. Source: BSS AH

Police have fired on protesters in Myanmar killing at least nine, medics say, on the deadliest day since rallies against the country's coup began. Deaths were reported in Yangon, Dawei and Mandalay, as police used live rounds, rubber bullets and tear gas. Security forces began the violent crackdown on Saturday, after weeks of largely peaceful protests against the 1 February military takeover. Government leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, were overthrown and detained. Social media footage from Sunday showed protesters running away as police charged at them, makeshift roadblocks being erected, and several people being led away covered in blood. The police crackdown was expanded on Sunday as coup leaders sought to quash a civil disobedience campaign that has shown no sign of ending. What is happening on the ground? Activists, doctors and medical workers told the BBC that at least nine people had been killed on Sunday. The figures in unverified social media reports were much higher, in some cases more than 20. Dozens more are said to have been injured. In the largest city, Yangon, police fired bullets after stun grenades and tear gas failed to disperse protesters. Social media images showed blood on the streets as people were helped away by fellow protesters. Four people are reported to have died there. The protesters remained defiant, with some setting up barricades. "If they push us, we'll rise. If they attack us, we'll defend. We'll never kneel down to the military boots," protester Nyan Win Shein told Reuters. Another, Amy Kyaw, told AFP: "Police started shooting just as we arrived. They didn't say a word of warning. Some got injured and some teachers are still hiding in neighbours' houses." Some protesters were herded away in police vans. In the south-eastern city of Dawei, security forces moved to break up a rally. There are reports of live rounds being used. Four people were killed in the city, activists told the BBC. Police also cracked down on a large rally in Mandalay, where police used water cannon and fired into the air. One person was killed there, the BBC has been told. Protests have continued elsewhere, including the north-eastern town of Lashio. The number of arrests since the protests began has not been confirmed. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group has put the figure at 850, but hundreds more appear to have been detained this weekend. Where is Aung San Suu Kyi? Myanmar's civilian leader has not been seen in public since she was detained in the capital Nay Pyi Taw as the coup began. Her supporters and many in the international community have demanded her release and the restoration of the November election result that saw her National League for Democracy party win a landslide. Suu Kyi is scheduled to face court proceedings on Monday on charges of possessing unregistered walkie-talkies and violating coronavirus rules. But her lawyer says he has been unable to speak to her. Military leaders justified the seizure of power by alleging widespread fraud in the elections, claims dismissed by the electoral committee. The coup has been widely condemned outside Myanmar, prompting sanctions against the military and other punitive moves. Source: BBC AH