Author: Staff Reporter

Bangladesh requires at least 170 cancer treatment centres based on the World Health Organization’s recommendation of one per million people. However, the country currently has only around 20, with the majority located in Dhaka. The government initiated a project to set up comprehensive cancer treatment centres in all eight divisional cities. But six years into the project, it remains in the construction phase, with no clear timeline for the procurement of equipment or recruitment of staff. In 2008, with assistance from the WHO, Bangladesh developed a National Cancer Control Strategy, followed by a work plan for 2009-2015. Unfortunately, the plan…

Home Affairs Adviser Lt.  Gen.  Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) today called upon Kuwait to recruit more manpower from Bangladesh. “Around 280,000 Bangladeshis are working in the Gulf state and I urge the government of Kuwait to take more manpower from Bangladesh,” he said when Ambassador of Kuwait to Bangladesh Ali Tunyan Abdul Wahab Hamadah paid a courtesy call on him at  Bangladesh Secretariat  this afternoon. The adviser said Kuwait is interested in taking more female domestic workers from Bangladesh. “I also request them to take male workers along with women,” he continued. The adviser said historically Bangladesh and Kuwait…

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has found involvement of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and some top military and civil officers in overseeing the enforced disappearances of the individuals.  “Hasina, as well as top officials Major General (Retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and Major General Ziaul Ahsan, and senior police officers, were involved in overseeing the disappearances,” it said. The US based human rights watchdog said in its recently released 50-page report titled, “After the Monsoon Revolution: A Roadmap to Lasting Security Sector Reform in Bangladesh.” The national commission investigating on enforced disappearance issued its first report on December 14, estimating…

Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, has announced that anyone distributing Awami League leaflets will be arrested. Speaking at a briefing on Monday, February 3, at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital, he made it clear that there would be no tolerance for such activities. “We have a strong message: those who engage in activities supporting the fallen government will not be spared,” said Alam. “The content of the Awami League leaflets is highly objectionable. Anyone distributing these leaflets will be arrested.” He also accused the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council of spreading false information and…

Importers have announced a two-day suspension of fresh fruit offloading at Chittagong Port in protest against the government’s decision to impose increased VAT and additional duties on fruit imports. Muhammad Touhidul Alam, General Secretary of the Chittagong Fruit Traders Association and Organizational Secretary of the Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association, confirmed the decision on Monday, February 3. The suspension will not only affect Chittagong Port but will also extend to all land ports across the country, with imported fruits being held back from clearance for the next two days, he said. Earlier on the same day, fruit importers staged a…

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has instructed the police nationwide to implement an online system for filing cases. The directive was issued during a high-level meeting at the state guest house, Jamuna, at Monday, where the current law and order situation was reviewed. The meeting was attended by Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, and Home Secretary Nasimul Gani. Under the existing system, filing a First Information Report (FIR) requires a visit to the nearest police station, a process that is often time-consuming and vulnerable to misuse. To address this, Professor Yunus…

Students of Government Titumir College have blocked railway tracks in the capital’s Mohakhali area   protesting for an independent university status. This has caused a disruption in rail communication between Dhaka and the rest of the country. The protest began at around 3:40 p.m. on Monday, February 3, when students blocked the railway crossing in Mohakhali. Prior to this, at approximately 2:45 p.m., they marched from the college to the crossing. Anwar Hossain, the station master at Dhaka Railway Station, confirmed that the blockade had halted rail traffic between Dhaka and other parts of the country. The Jamuna Express and Kalni…