Prime Minister calls upon to build Sonar Bangladesh



Senior Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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The night of March 25, 1971 is the dreadful night for the Bangalees. In this night the worst genocide in the history was carried out by the brutal Pakistani army on the unarmed Bangalees. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given a message to the nation on the eve the ‘Genocide Day’.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said March 25 is the most dreadful day in the life of the Bangalee Nation. On this day in 1971, she said, one of the most horrific and brutal genocide of the world history took place in Bangladesh.

She paid her deep homage to the greatest Bangalee of all times, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the four national leaders, martyred freedom fighters of the Liberation War and those dishonored women whose supreme sacrifices have given the nation an independent Bangladesh. She extended her sympathy to the wounded freedom fighters and the members of martyr’s families.

The Bangalee Nation under the leadership of Bangabandhu fought against the oppression and deprivation of the Pakistani rulers for 23 long years, she said.

The Premier said Awami League led by Bangabandhu secured an absolute majority winning 167 of the 169 seats of East Bengal in the General Elections of 1970. But the Pakistani rulers refused to hand over power to the Bangalees, she added.

She said calling for independence at the then Racecourse Ground on 7 March 1971 Bangabandhu declared ‘The struggle this time is the struggle for our emancipation; the struggle this time is the struggle for independence, Joi Bangla.’

Yahya Khan, the president of Pakistan, began to waste time in the name of negotiations and assembled troops in East Bengal. On 25 March, Yahya Khan went to Pakistan secretly giving the order of genocide in the name of ‘Operation Search Light’, she added.

She said the Pakistani occupation forces began massacre of innocent and unarmed Bengalis on that black night.

The Premier said only in nine months, Pakistani forces and their local collaborators-Rajakar, Al-Badar and Al-Shams killed 30 lakh people all over the country, two lakhs women were violated, thousands of homes were set fire and looted, nearly one crore people were driven out of their homes and they took refuge in India and more than three crore people were displaced internally.

The government of Bangladesh Awami League decided to observe 25 March as ‘Genocide Day’. On March 11 in 2017, the National Parliament unanimously passed a proposal to observe the day and the Cabinet on 20 March approved the proposal to observe 25 March as ‘Genocide Day’.

The government of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman framed the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act-1973 for the trial of the war criminals, she added.

Sheikh Hasina said under the law, trial of many offenders had begun. But assuming to power illegally Ziaur Rahman stopped the trial of the war criminals and released them, she said adding not only that, he made the war criminals partner of the state power. Later, Khaleda Zia also made Nizami-Mujahid, the two notorious collaborators of genocide, cabinet members allowing them to hoist national flag in their vehicles and houses, she added.

The Prime Minister said the Awami League government has been conducting the war crimes trial since assuming to power in 2009 and some of the verdicts of the trial have already been executed. The trial of the war criminals will go on. “We have taken all-out initiatives to achieve international recognition of genocide of 1971 in Bangladesh,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the observance of 25 March as ‘Genocide Day’ will be regarded as nation’s memorial of eternal respect and testimony to the martyrs of the Liberation War.

“Let us get united with the spirit of the Great War of Liberation and build a hunger-poverty free happy-prosperous Golden Bangladesh as dreamt by the Father of the Nation,” she said. She wished all the programs of Genocide Day a grand success.

She said that celebrating March 25 as a ‘Day of Genocide’ would be regarded as a reminder and testimony of the nation's eternal respect for the martyrs of the War of Liberation. Let us unite in the spirit of the Great War of Liberation and build hunger – poverty free and happy Sonar Bangladesh to materialize the dream of the Father of the Nation.

   

Dhaka is the sixth most polluted city in the world, Seoul is on top



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Today, Dhaka is sixth in the list of the most polluted cities in the world. The air quality of the capital has become 'unhealthy' with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 172 at 6:50 am today.

South Korea's capital Seoul topped the air quality index with 343. South Korea's Incheon, Pakistan's Lahore, Vietnam's Chiang Mai and India's Delhi occupy the second, third, fourth and fifth places in the list with AQI scores of 217, 187, 179 and 177 respectively.

An AQI score between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' for sensitive groups. An AQI score between 201 and 300 is considered 'very unhealthy'. And an AQI between 301 and 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing a serious health risk to residents.

AQI in Bangladesh is determined based on 5 parameters of pollution, namely - Particulate Matter (PM10 & PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone (O3).

Dhaka has been suffering from air pollution for a long time. Its air quality generally becomes unhealthy during winters and improves slightly during monsoons.

In March 2019, a report by the Department of Environment and the World Bank stated that the three main causes of Dhaka's air pollution are brick kilns, smoke from vehicles and dust from construction activities.

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Taka 400 crores laundered through digital Hundi, controlled by Dubai



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested 5 people for allegedly laundering around Tk. 400 crore abroad through Digital Hundi using Mobile Banking Service (MFS).

CID Chief Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia informed this in a press conference at CID headquarters on Thursday (March 28) afternoon.

The arrested are - Nasim Ahmed (62), the owner of Tasmia Associates, Fazle Rabbi Sumon (32), the territory sales manager of Agent SIM, Md. Kamruzzaman (33), Zahir Uddin (37), representative of Jet Robotics Apps Bangladesh and Khairul Islam alias Pius (34).

Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia said, a gang has smuggled around Tk. 400 crore abroad through digital Hundi using mobile banking services. Five members of this gang were arrested during the operation.

He said that Tk. 400 crores illegally came to Bangladesh through Jet Robotics app in the last few months. Police traced the app through intelligence.

He also said that the money of this gang was transacted from the Chattogram based distribution house. Five members of the gang were arrested in separate raids in Dhaka and Chattogram on Wednesday night.

He said that Tk. 28 lakh 51 thousand cash was seized from them at the time of arrest. He said that they used to rent development agent SIMS and deliver money through them to the grassroots level.

The head of CID said that Mamun, the master of this gang lives in Dubai. He is using agent SIM here. This app used for smuggling cannot work outside 48 SIM along the specific link sent from Dubai. Only seven people can enter this app.

Referring to this as a modern form of Hundi business, he said, money is being circulated in the country through this app by blocking remittances coming to Bangladesh. Already we got 5-7 more such organizations who are working like this.

He said, in the last three months, Tk. 400 crores have been hindered from coming to Bangladesh through Jet Robotic Apps. Five people using these apps have been arrested and their devices seized.

He said, Chattogram's development distribution house Tasmia Associates company has 1000 Bkash Agent SIMs. These agent SIMs who are not performing well, the agent SIMs provide DSOs to the users of Jet Robotic Apps.

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Demand for punishment for those responsible for electrocution death in Moulvibazar



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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The death of 6 members of the same family due to electrocution in Moulvibazar is very shocking and heartbreaking. The chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Dr. Kamaluddin Ahmed said that the main responsible person and institution should be brought under accountability.

He made this comment at a discussion on 'Role of Media in Protection of Human Rights and Consumer Rights' organized by 'Business Digest' at a hotel in the capital on Thursday (March 28).

The Chairman of the Human Rights Commission said, after investigating the incident of Moulvibazar, appropriate legal action should be taken against those responsible and necessary measures should be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. We could not do anything for one family, but we have to do for hundreds of such families.

He also said that the issue of rights is directly and indirectly the daily practice of the media. Media can question all the irregularities; make people aware of their rights and duties and play an important role in establishing rights. We can carry out reformative activities only in view of the news published in the media.

Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed called on the media workers to take all-out efforts to spread the necessary knowledge about the constitution, law and rights among the people.

At one stage of the discussion, he said about the recurrence of fires, we have not learned proper lessons from the big fires and explosions in Nimatli, Newmarket and Bangabazar in the past years. Had we taken effective measures, recurrence of fires could have been prevented.

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Suggestion to introduce Human Rights Wing in the Foreign Ministry



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended setting up a new wing on human rights to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The suggestion was made at the parliamentary committee meeting held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan on Thursday (March 28). After the meeting, this information was informed in a press release of the Parliament Secretariat.

The meeting recommended taking necessary steps to recognize March 25 as International Genocide Day. A proposal was made in the meeting to visit the Rohingya camps Kutupalong and Bhasanchar with the members of the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chairman of the committee AK Abdul Momen chaired the meeting and members of the committee and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Shahriar Alam, Nahim Razzak, Nizam Uddin Jalil, Nurul Islam Nahid, Habibur Rahman, Saimum Sarwar, Zara Zabeen Mahbub took part in the meeting. #

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