United News of Bangladesh

Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee on Saturday said there is no need for a separate oath for the ‘Yes’ vote, as it will automatically take effect once the Jatiya Sangsad is in session. “The national election has already been held. The members of parliament have taken oath. A referendum was conducted and  the ‘Yes’ has won,” he told reporters after paying tribute to the martyrs of the Language Movement at the Shaheed Minar in the Lakshmipur district. He also urged people to move away from what he described as mob culture, saying it creates disorder and instability. “Mob culture means creating chaos. If an atmosphere of disorder is created, it will obstruct the process of building Bangladesh. Those who create obstacles to building the country will eventually turn into enemies of the nation,” he said. The minister urged all to refrain from such practices. Among others present at the event were Lakshmipur district BNP Member Secretary Sahab Uddin Sabu, Joint Convener Hasibur Rahman, and Bangladesh Football Federation Vice-President Wahid Uddin Chowdhury Happy.

Bangladesh on Friday observed Shaheed Day and International Mother Language Day with due respect and solemnity, as people from all walks of life paid tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the recognition of Bangla as a state language. From the first hour of February 21, people thronged Shaheed Minars across the country, placing floral wreaths and observing silence in memory of the language martyrs.  Programmes were held in district towns, educational institutions and public spaces in a dignified and emotional atmosphere. On February 21, 1952, students and activists were killed when police opened fire on demonstrators demanding Bangla as a state language.  Among those martyred were Salam, Barkat, Rafiq and Jabbar. In recognition of their sacrifice, UNESCO declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 1999. Since then, the day has been observed worldwide to promote linguistic diversity and cultural heritage. In Chattogram, the Shaheed Minar became a place of emotion and reverence as people of all ages began gathering from late night.  After a ceremonial police salute, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Shahadat Hossain and others laid wreaths in a solemn atmosphere. In Sylhet, large crowds gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar in the Chauhatta area from midnight.  Floral tributes began at 12:01am, with participation from different segments of society.  Labour and Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Arifur Rahman Chowdhury, along with government officials, freedom fighters and leaders of political, social and cultural organisations, including BNP, paid homage to the language martyrs. In Barishal, senior officials including the divisional commissioner, DIG, police commissioner and deputy commissioner placed wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar during the first hour of the day. They were followed by leaders of the district Muktijoddha Sangsad and various political, social and cultural organisations. Teachers and students from different educational institutions also joined the observance. In Chuadanga, programmes began at 12:01am with floral tributes at the district Central Shaheed Minar.  The district administration, police, political parties, social and cultural organisations, educational institutions and members of the public paid homage.  A one-minute silence was observed in memory of the martyrs.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested a Rohingya man and seized 330,000 Yaba  tablets in separate anti-narcotics operations along the Ghumdhum border in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban. The arrestee was identified as Bashir Ahmed, 50, a Rohingya resident of Balukhali Camp-09 in Ukhia. He is the son of Abu Siddique. BGB’s Cox’s Bazar Battalion (34 BGB) conducted the operations in Ghumdhum and Baishfari border areas under Ghumdhum Union. According to BGB, at around 5:30 am on Saturday, a patrol team from the Ghumdhum BOP carried out a special operation based on intelligence information at Kankra Bridge, about 1.1 kilometres inside Bangladesh from Border Pillar-31.  During the raid, the team arrested Bashir Ahmed with 80,000 Yaba pills. Earlier, on Thursday night at around 9:40 pm, another patrol team from the Baishfari BOP conducted a separate operation at a bamboo grove area, about 200 yards inside Bangladesh from Border Pillar-36. The team recovered 250,000 Yaba pills in an abandoned condition. No one was arrested in that operation. BGB brings back 73 fishermen held by Arakan Army The total seizure from the two operations stood at 330,000 Yaba pills. Confirming the incident, Cox’s Bazar Battalion Commander Lt Col SM Khairul Alam said BGB remains committed not only to guarding the border but also to preventing drug trafficking and smuggling. “Such operations will continue in the future,” he said. BGB said legal action is underway to hand over the arrested Rohingya man along with the seized Yaba pills to police, following the filing of a case under existing laws.

A low pressure area has formed over the Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal. It is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify, according to the latest Met ofocr bulletin. Meanwhile, the ridge of Sub-continental high extends up to Bihar and adjoining areas, influencing the prevailing weather pattern over Bangladesh. Weather may remain mainly dry with a temporary partly cloudy sky over the country. Night and day temperatures may rise slightly across Bangladesh.

The nation is observing  'Amar Ekushey', the Language Martyr's Day and the International Mother Language Day early Saturday, marking the supreme sacrifice of the language heroes for upholding the dignity of the mother tongue, Bangla. The day is also being observed around the world as UNESCO recognised Ekushey February as the International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement early Saturday by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar. The Prime Minister arrived at the Shaheed Minar at 12:04am and placed a wreath around 12:07am. He stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the language heroes. President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Saturday paid tribute to the martyrs of the Language Movement by placing wreaths at the Shaheed Minar. President Shahabuddin arrived at the Shaheed Minar at 11:59pm on Friday and placed a wreath as the clock struck 12:01am. Walking barefoot to Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar with wreaths and flowers singing 'Amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February', people from all walks of life are paying their respect to the heroes of the Language Movement who sacrificed their lives for achieving the recognition of Bangla as the state language of erstwhile Pakistan. On February 21, 1952, students and common people in Dhaka took to the streets in protest against the then Pakistani government's denial of Bangla as the national language and imposition of Urdu as the only official language of Pakistan. Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar and a few other brave sons of the soil were killed in police firings on this day in 1952 when students came out in a procession from the Dhaka University campus breaching section 144 to press home their demand for the recognition of Bangla as a state language of then Pakistan. The day is a public holiday. In a message the eve of the day, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman extended his sincere greetings and congratulations to all Bangla-speaking people as well as speakers of all languages and ethnic groups across the world. PM Tarique pays tributes to Language Movement martyrs “The movement to protect the mother tongue not only established linguistic rights but also strengthened the foundations of the Bengali people’s struggle for self-rule, democracy and cultural identity. Following the blood-stained path of February 21, the nation eventually achieved independence through the great Liberation War,” he said. The Prime Minister said the government aims to build a self-reliant, secure, humane and democratic state by upholding the aspirations of all martyrs, including the language martyrs, those who laid down their lives in the Liberation War of 1971, the struggle to protect independence in 2024, and all democratic movements in the country. He called upon all concerned to work together to uphold the dignity of all languages across the world. National dailies have published supplements, marking the day, while Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television and private radio stations and television channels will air special programmes on the occasion.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement early Saturday by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar marking ‘Amar Ekushey’—the International Mother Language Day and Shaheed Dibosh. The Prime Minister arrived at the Shaheed Minar at 12:04am and placed a wreath around 12:07am. He stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the language heroes. A munajat was offered praying for the salvation of the departed souls of the language martyrs and those who sacrificed their lives during the Liberation War and various democratic movements. Later, the Prime Minister, along with cabinet members and his advisers, also placed a wreath at the altar of the Shaheed Minar, paying homage to the language martyrs on behalf of the BNP and the government. On behalf of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and former party chairperson Khaleda Zia, Tarique, along with his wife Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman, also paid tributes to the language heroes by placing a wreath. Ministers, advisers to the Prime Minister, members of parliament, the chiefs of the three services, senior BNP leaders, opposition leaders, freedom fighters, foreign diplomats and high civil and military officials also paid tributes afterwards. Later, the Shaheed Minar was opened to the public. Hundreds of people from all walks of life paid tribute with flowers at the memorial. Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan and other university officials welcomed the Prime Minister upon his arrival at the Central Shaheed Minar. Earlier, President Mohammed Shahabuddin paid homage to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar, marking the day. Earlier in a message, the Prime Minister said democratic values, people’s rights and equality were the core spirit of Ekushey, adding that the government is committed to consolidating the country’s democratic progress. He also called for collective efforts to uphold and protect the dignity of languages worldwide. President Shahabuddin pays tribute to Language Movement martyrs at Shaheed Minar “The establishment of democratic values, people’s rights and equality was the core spirit of Ekushey. Upholding this spirit, democracy has now been restored in the country after a long struggle. The present government is committed to consolidating this democratic progress,” the Prime Minister said. On the occasion of Shaheed Day and International Mother Language Day, he extended sincere greetings and congratulations to people of all languages and ethnic groups across the world, including speakers of Bangla. The Prime Minister paid deep tribute to all martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement whose sacrifices established the dignity of Bangla as a mother language. The nation is observing 'Amar Ekushey', the Language Martyrs' Day and the International Mother Language Day on Saturday, marking the supreme sacrifice of the language heroes for upholding the dignity of mother tongue Bangla. The day is also being observed around the world as UNESCO recognised Ekushey February as the International Mother Language Day on November 17, 1999. Walking barefoot to Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar with wreaths and flowers singing 'Amar bhaiyer rokte rangano Ekushey February', people from all walks of life will pay their respects to the heroes of the Language Movement who sacrificed their lives to achieve recognition of Bangla as the state language of erstwhile Pakistan. On February 21, 1952, students and common people in Dhaka took to the streets in protest against the then Pakistani government's denial of Bangla as the national language and imposition of Urdu as the only official language of Pakistan. Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar and a few other brave sons of the soil were killed in police firing on this day in 1952 when students came out in a procession from the Dhaka University campus breaching Section 144 to press their demand for recognition of Bangla as a state language of then Pakistan. The day is a public holiday.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Saturday paid tribute to the martyrs of the Language Movement by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar to mark International Mother Language Day and Martyrs' Day. President Shahabuddin arrived at the Shaheed Minar exactly at 11:59pm on Friday and placed a wreath as the clock struck 12:01am. Dhaka University's vice chancellor and other university officials met and greeted the president.

Meghmallar Bosu, president of Dhaka University unit of the Student Union (one faction), has been admitted to hospital after reportedly taking multiple medicines at once. He is currently undergoing treatment. Bosu was taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical in the capital shortly after midnight on Thursday. He was later referred to another hospital. Maeen Ahmed, general secretary of the DU committee of the Student Union (one faction), confirmed the information and said, “His recovery is ongoing.” He added, “After receiving the news, we went to Suhrawardy Medical around 2–3 am. Later, when he was referred to another hospital, he was taken there.” Quoting doctors, he said, “He is currently regaining consciousness.” Regarding the cause of his illness, he said, “He had been somewhat unwell earlier and was suffering from anxiety. He was found after taking multiple medicines. He will be able to provide details himself once he fully recovers.”

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon participated in an Iftar and prayer session organized by the National Press Club on the first day of Ramadan on Friday, joining journalists for the occasion. The event was also attended by Women and Children Affairs and Social Welfare Minister Abu Zafar Md. Zahid Hossain. Speaking at the event, Minister Swapon said the Press Club serves as a hub for the country’s journalists. I am very happy to break my fast with everyone here on the first day of Ramadan,” he said, adding prayers for the successful governance of the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarek Rahman. The Iftar and prayer session took place at the National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium in Dhaka. Editors, senior journalists, and members of various journalist organizations participated in the program. Minister Abu Zafar Md. Zahid Hossain said the government is committed to implementing the family card distribution program promptly, as promised in the election manifesto, and sought the cooperation of all stakeholders. He emphasized that journalists’ support is vital for the government to stay on the right path. Other speakers included National Press Club President Hasan Hafiz. Also present on stage were Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abu Abdullah M. Saleh, General Secretary of the National Press Club Ayub Bhuiya, General Secretary of DUJ Khurshid Alam, former General Secretary of the National Press Club Syed Abdal Ahmed, BFUJ Secretary General Qader Gani Chowdhury, Management Committee member of the Press Club Abdul Hai Sikder, BFUJ President Obaidur Rahman Shaheen, and DUJ President Md. Shahidul Islam.

Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali, Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), on Friday urged trader leaders to keep prices of essential commodities at a tolerable level during the holy month of Ramadan. He made the call while briefing journalists at Moulvibazar under Chawkbazar police station in the capital on Friday afternoon. The DMP Commissioner said that along with controlling prices during Ramadan, no adulteration of food items would be tolerated, stressing the need for vigilance and caution in this regard. Addressing traders, he said full cooperation must be extended when magistrates of the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate conduct market drives, which would help ensure transparency and fair pricing. He also sought cooperation from all trader leaders to maintain market discipline. DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) SN Md Nazrul Islam, leaders of the Moulvibazar Traders’ Association, representatives of the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate, police officials of various ranks, and journalists from electronic and print media were present at the briefing.