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MNA Editorial Desk: Another body was recovered on Tuesday morning from a readymade garment (RMG) factory in Gazipur’s Kashimpur area that was hit by a deadly boiler blast on Monday. At least ten people were killed and around 50 others injured as a boiler exploded in the area. Meanwhile, the authorities of Multi-Fabs Ltd, where the boiler exploded, closed the factory for an indefinite period, said workers of the factory. Besides, the authorities of 10 garments factories of the area closed their factories for Tuesday following the incident. The death toll may rise as some of the victims are injured ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The government has shifted its position on budget specially VAT, excise duty hike as they are focusing on the upcoming general election in 2019. Finance Minister AMA Muhith backtracked from his decisions to impose 15 percent uniform VAT and raise excise duty on bank accounts of smaller balance to meet the huge expenditure of the next fiscal year after severe criticism. The businessmen kept protesting the new VAT law for a period of over one year. The opposition leaders as well as leaders from the government have raised voices following public concern after Muhith presented the proposed ...

MNA Editorial Desk: About 46 people were killed and 68 others injured in road accidents across the district in the last six days till Tuesday. Of them, 23 were killed on Saturday (June 23) alone with 17 in a single road accident in Rangpur while five on Tuesday, reported news agency. In Rangpur, at least 17 people, including five members of a family, were killed and nine others injured in a fatal road accident on Dhaka-Rangpur highway at Kolabari in Pirganj upazila in the small hours of Saturday. In Comilla, three people were killed and two others injured as a ...

MNA Editorial Desk: At least 456 construction workers were killed and 463 others sustained injuries during their respective works across the country in last five years till December 31 in 2016. M Yusuf Al Mamun, Information Coordinator of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) disclosed this while presenting a paper titled ‘Professional Protection of Construction Workers and Social Security: Bangladesh Perspective’ at a journalists’ orientation workshop at BILS’ Dhanmondi office on Wednesday. Among the casualties, 85 workers were killed and 97 others injured in 2016, 61 killed and 119 other injured in 2015, while 102 were killed and 64 injured ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Several parliament members of ruling Awami league on Monday came down heavily on finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith for imposing excise duty on bank accounts and unified 15 percent VAT in the proposed national budget, reported news agency. Claiming that the 15 percent VAT and excise duty on bank deposits have created panic among the countrymen, the ruling party lawmakers urged Muhith to scrap the excise duty and reduce the VAT rate. “Your [finance minister’s] responsibility is just to place the budget… it’s the 350 MPs who determine what will be there in the budget and ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Miscreants attacked the motorcade of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir near Rangunia in Chittagong on his way to Rangamati on Sunday morning. Several central leaders of the party including Mirza Fakhrul, Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury were injured as the miscreants vandalized their vehicles. The BNP leaders in the motorcade said the miscreants equipped with sticks and other lethal weapons carried out the attack and smashed the windows of the cars. BNP claimed the leaders and activists of ruling party are involved with the attack. President of Rangamati district BNP Hazi Mohammad Shah Alam said the ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Rescuers went from door to door searching for information on people who might be missing Wednesday after massive landslides crashed onto villages and killed at least 140 in the southeastern area. As many as 106 people died in Rangamati alone while 21 bodies were revered from Rangunia and Chandanaish and three from Bandarban and one from Khagracchari. With some roads collapsed and others blocked by mud, soldiers were erecting a portable bridge to reach the worst-hit district of Rangamati, where government shelters housed about half of the 4,500 people whose homes were swamped by mud and debris ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Bangladesh’s deputy consul general in New York was indicted on Monday on charges of labour trafficking and assault for forcing his servant to work without pay through threats and intimidation, a New York City prosecutor said. Mohammed Shaheldul Islam has limited diplomatic immunity and was ordered to surrender his passport when he appeared before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis, said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a statement. Bail was set at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. According to the indictment, Islam brought another Bangladeshi, Mohammed ...

MNA Editorial Desk: A garment factory owner and his driver have been detained by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for their alleged connection in supplying firearms and funding militancy. Imran Ahmed, 37, managing director of Jim Tex, is said to be a Majlish-e-Sura member of Sarwar-Tamim group of “Neo JMB”, Dhaka City West unit, according to a press release sent from Rab headquarters. Imran, hailed from Pirojpur, was arrested from Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj and Shamim was arrested in Brahmanbaria, said Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of the force’s legal and media wing, at a press briefing at its media centre at ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Three Bangladeshi-origin female politicians dubbed as “tin kanya” or “three daughters” have shined again the UK general elections with their re-election in Thursday’s polls. The three — Bangabandhu’s granddaughter Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, Rushanara Ali and Dr Rupa Huq — retained their seats with a resounding victory on Labour Party ticket. Tulip, Sheikh Rehana’s daughter and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s niece, retained her Hampstead and Kilburn seat with a margin of 15,560 votes. She polled 34,464 against her Conservative rival’s Claire-Louise Leyland 18,904. This year’s polls she widened the margin of votes to 15,560 from 1,138 in 2015. ...

MNA Editorial Desk: A Canadian fugitive wanted for incitement to commit genocide against Jews is currently living in Dhaka, according to Canada’s National Post. Salman Hossain, who is wanted by Canadian authorities and Interpol, was photographed in Dhaka’s Gulshan on Sunday. Hossain first drew the attention of Canadian authorities a decade ago over Internet posts urging ‘Muslim militants’ to attack Canada and for the ‘extermination’ of Jews. In 2009 Canada declined to press charges against Hossain after he stopped posting online and underwent rehabilitation. But Hossain resumed his activities soon afterwards, calling for the ‘extermination’ of Jewish peoples in North ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Police have seized a huge arms cache from a canal in Narayanganj following information gleaned from a detained drug peddler. The drive that started on Thursday night continued into Friday afternoon in Purbachal residential area in Rupganj. Divers from the fire service joined the drive and recovered 62 submachine guns or SMGs, two rocket launchers, five pistols and some boxes filled with bullets. Although police did not name the group who belonged to those arms, they claimed to have found similarities with the arms and bags recovered from Diabari in the capital’s Uttara on June 18 last ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Finance Minister unveiled Tk 400,266 crore national budget for 2017-18 financial year (FY18) at the National Parliament. The budget speech began at about 1:30pm on Thursday. This giant budget includes allocating two festival allowances of Tk 10,000 each for the valiant freedom fighters in addition to their monthly honorarium. Besides Muhith in his speech said “GDP growth rate will be 7.4 percent in 2017-18 and inflation will come down to 5.5 percent by the end of the fiscal year.” Multilateral lending agencies, like the World Bank, ADB and IMF, however, projected the GDP to grow by less ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now in Austria on a two-day official visit, is keeping 24-hour contact with Dhaka about the cyclonic storm ‘Mora’. “The prime minister is maintaining round-the-clock communication with Dhaka on the storm situation. She has ordered all-out preparation to tackle the storm,” said Ihsanul Karim, Prime Minister’s press secretary. The press secretary said the prime minister also asked the authorities concerned to take necessary steps and perform their respective duties properly in this regard. Earlier, the severe cyclone has crossed Bangladesh coast near Chittagong as per the Bangladesh Meteorological Department around 7:00 AM. The ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The statue of the Greek goddess, Themis, has been removed from the Supreme Court premises on Thursday night. There was no official comment from the court or the government, but Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the statue’s removal was “a decision of the court”. Sculptor Mrinal Haque choked back tears as he oversaw the statue’s removal, saying it felt like “clearing a dead body”. Mrinal Haque also told media that he was told about the removal of the statue on Thursday afternoon. The removal process started around 11:30pm, Thursday, he added. The sculpture was installed in front ...

MNA Editorial Desk: A roasting heat wave sweeping across vast swathes of Bangladesh is likely to continue for more days, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said. Besides erratic load shedding, and low voltage, during the last couple of days have been causing untold sufferings to people across the country out of gear. Many preferred to remain indoors as it has become difficult to travel outside. Day-labourers have been the worst victims. Country’s highest temperature on Wednesday was recorded 37.8 degree Celsius at Jessore and minimum temperature was recorded 21 degree Celsius at Rangpur. Day temperature may rise slightly but night temperature ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Donald Trump along with other male White House officials participated in a ceremonial sword dance in Saudi Arabia outside the Murabba Palace, reported news agency. Trump arrived here accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump on Saturday on a two-day trip, beginning his first foreign trip as President that includes visits to Israel, the Vatican City, Belgium and Italy where he is to take part in NATO and G7 summits. Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner were also travelling as part of the presidential entourage. Video of the dance shows Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and ...

MNA Editorial Desk: United States President Donald Trump will give a major speech on the Islamic faith during his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, home to the religion’s holiest shrines, the White House said on Tuesday. “He will meet and have lunch with leaders of more than 50 Muslim countries, where he will deliver an inspiring, direct speech on the need to confront radical ideology and the president’s hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam,” National Security Advisor HR McMaster told reporters. Trump is set to visit Riyadh next week and meet with Saudi officials, as well as 56 Arab ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The owner of Apan Jewellers to verify the source of its stock of gold, diamond and jewellery and the owners of Raintree hotel over the illegal possession of alcohol was summoned by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Division (CIID). The directorate’s Director General Moinul Khan said that, they would have to appear with the necessary documents at CIID headquarters at 11 am on May 17. Dildar Ahmed, The sole owner of Apan Jewellers has been in the focus of the media in a recent incident involving his son Safat Ahmed, who was declared the prime suspect in ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Bangladesh’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is expected to reach 7.24 percent at the end of the current fiscal year (2016-17), breaking all the previous records in the history of the country’s economy. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) came up with the provisional estimate on Sunday attributing encouraging exports and robust agricultural outputs to the record high growth. The GDP growth was recorded 7.11 percent in the fiscal year (2015-16). The per capita income has risen to $1,602, which was $1,466 in the last fiscal year, according to the BBS. Planning Ministry AHM Mustafa Kamal submitted the ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Dhaka is the most populous city in the world, according to the United Nations’ habitat data. The data collected from the national census offices has given the number one spot to Dhaka with a density of 44,500 people per square kilometre. It is mostly Asian cities in the top of the list: Mumbai is second, while Manila is fourth, with Singapore high up as well. Medellin is South America’s most dense city at third overall, with Casablanca and Lagos in Africa close behind. However, the UN’s Demographic Yearbook gives a different result. This smaller measurement of area ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Five suspected militants and a firefighter were killed in a police drive at an alleged militant hideout in Godagari upazila of Rajshahi. Before setting off a suicide blasts on Thursday morning, the terror suspects speared a fireman to death. Two policemen have been also injured and admitted to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. Godagari police said they surrounded the house at Benipur village at wee hours of Thursday after intelligence inputs suggested presence of militants there. Two children have been rescued from the house. Police claimed the deceased are militant Sajjad Ali Mishthu and his wife Beli ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The European Union Head of the Delegation in Dhaka finds the government’s approach in engaging with the Islamist group Hifazat-e-Islam ‘positive’. “If initiatives are taken to engage with some components of society who otherwise would have been left aside….i think it is positive,” ambassador Pierre Mayaudon said on Monday. The question raised in light of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent invitation to Hifazat leaders to visit her residence. “This inclusive society rallies long objectives which are consensual objectives of bringing forward socio-economic agenda, and development agenda of Bangladesh. No quarters, no segments of the society, of population ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Jatiya Party (JaPa) formed a new political coalition ahead of next national parliamentary election named ‘United National Alliance’ (UNA) with fifty eight political parties. JaPa Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad announced the formation of the alliance at National Press Club at about 11:30am on Sunday. In the press briefing the former president said, “We will join the next polls and candidates will be given in 300 seats. JaPa is no more with the Awami League led 14-party alliance.” However, only two among the fifty eight parties are registered with the Election Commission. The two parties are, Jatiya Party ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has walked barefoot on Inani Beach at Ukhia upazila in Cox’s Bazar. She spent some time on the beach along with her entourage and military members around 12pm. The Prime Minister earlier inaugurated Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf 80 Kilometer Marine Drive from the beach ground in front of Bay Watch Resort. The marine drive has already contributed to an attractive tourist-friendly ambiance along with economic growth in Ukhia and Teknaf where hotels, cottages and resorts are being constructed. In the speech of inaugural ceremony, Sheikh Hasina said that the main tourist town of Bangladesh, Cox’s ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The Bangladeshi government has stifled freedom of expression by failing to protect dissenters and using repressive laws and tactics, London-based Amnesty International has said in a report. “Between the violence of armed groups and state repression of the state, secular voices in Bangladesh are being consistently silenced,” said Amnesty’s Bangladesh researcher Olof Blomqvist. Most media workers, interviewed by Amnesty, said media freedom was at its worst since Bangladesh returned to democracy in 1991, although the government insists that there was “enough freedom” for journalism in Bangladesh. In a statement, Amnesty claimed that Bangladesh had frequently invoked “archaic, ...

MNA Editorial Desk: A forum of businessmen today exchanged heated words with Finance Minister AMA Muhith centering Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI)’s proposal over new VAT law. The argument took place at a meeting jointly organized by National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka this noon. At one point in the discussions Business Unity Forum Secretary and FBCCI Director Abu Motaleb claimed the government was levying the new VAT without providing small businesses sufficient training in how to deal with the new tax. Abu ...