Not a single case of Bangladesh bloggers’ murder resolved so far || Perpetrators of blogger killings go unpunished

Bogra Sangbad Desk : The law enforcement agencies could not yet arrest the masterminds behind the gruesome killings of bloggers and freethinkers, although they repeatedly claimed that militant outfits had links with the murders.

With yesterday's murder of Niladri Chattopadhyay, four bloggers have been killed in a span of just seven months. However, investigators have yet to make any visible progress into the killings of bloggers -- Avijit Roy, Oyasiqur Rahman and Ananta Bijoy Das -- except the arrest of a handful of suspects.

Bangladesh’s child killing rate goes up alarmingly || 191 killed July 2015 year

Bogra Sangbad Desk : The rate of children being killed in the country had increased by 61 percent in 2014 than that of the previous year, according to a statistics of Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) and it's not looking good at all for this year either.

Based on newspapers' reports, the BSAF said at least 191 children were killed till this July, 350 in 2014, 218 in 2013 and 209 in 2012.

The leading network of child rights organisation expressed concern, saying incidents of brutalities against children in different forms are increasing every year. At least 968 children were killed after brutal torture from 2012 to July 2015.

This year, incidents of murder, kidnap, human trafficking, rape, sexual harassment and violence against children are also on the rise, the BSAF noted.

PUBLIC EXAM QUESTIONS LEAK || TIB study finds involvement of govt officials in Bangladesh

Bogra Sangbad Desk : A section of government officials responsible for preparing, printing and distributing public exam question papers are involved in their leakage, a TIB study has found.

The leaked questions are then spread by some leaders of the ruling party's student wing, coaching centres, guidebook traders, people in photocopy shops, guardians, students and their relatives, according to the study.

Findings show all this is possible because between preparation and distribution there are too many steps -- 40 in all with 19 of them risky.

Leaked questions are sold for between Tk 20 and 20,000, the graft watchdog said yesterday, releasing the report at a press conference at its Dhanmondi office in the capital.

TERRIBLE TOILETS || Dhaka's public hospital washrooms simply living nightmare to patients, attendants

Bogra Sangbad Desk : Hospital is the byword for cleanliness and hygiene, or at least that is what you would think. Go to the toilets at the emergency block of Pangu Hospital and you would have your faith in hospital hygiene pretty much destroyed.

You would never want to go back in there.

The word unhygienic falls far short when you are trying to describe the toilet. It's dark, damp, filthy, and garbage is scattered everywhere.

And oh! the horrifying gut-wrenching stench from the toilets flooded with faeces.

Your inner organs would want to leap out with your vomit.

This is the state of the toilets The Daily Star correspondents found during a recent visit to National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics Rehabilitation, popularly known as Pangu Hospital.

Bangalees observe 74th death anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore today

Bogra Sangbad Desk : Rabindranath Tagore is not just a name in Bangla literature, he is the joy in our celebrations, hope in our plight and inspiration in our struggle for a better world.

The greatest of all Bangalee writers dealt with the subject of death in many of his poems, songs, plays and prose pieces, and pondered whether death was the ultimate truth of life.

He journeyed to the beyond on this day, 22nd Srabon in 1348 of the Bangla calendar or August 7, 1941.

But we all know how death has failed to separate him from us. Even 74 years after his death, he remains as ubiquitous in our lives as he was while alive. The vast body of his unsurpassable creations touches us in so many ways that we feel his ubiquity every so often. 

Shots fired at Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram's car

The cricketer was not hurt in the attack

Bogra Sangbad Desk : Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram's car has been fired at in Karachi, the country's commercial capital, police say.

The shooting took place near the National Stadium in Karachi's Karsaz area on Wednesday, reports said. The ex-bowler was not hurt in the attack.

Police said the incident appeared to be a case of road rage.

Gun violence is not uncommon in Karachi, with much of it linked to militant groups.

Wasim told the Express News channel: "A car hit mine, I stopped him and then his guy stepped out and fired at my car."

India extends $1b credit by $62m

Bogra Sangbad Desk : India today announced to increase the cash amount of the $1 billion credit line for Bangladesh that was given mostly to boost connectivity.

The country is providing $62 million more in the remaining $800 million tranche, said a press release of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

The decision was made based on further negotiations between the two countries to cater for rise in expenditure on the Khulna-Mongla and the Kulaura-Shahbazpur rail link, the media release said.

India's inter-linking of river project is devoid of legal basis

Bogra Sangbad Desk : It appears from recent newspaper reportings in India and Bangladesh that India has not deviated from her decades old plan of massive inter-linking of river plan to divert substantial amount of water from Brahmaputra to her South West region. It is learnt that our Ministry of Water Resources has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to contact the Indian Government to know her position and also to let India know our position on the issue. We are yet to know whether such communication has at all taken place, and what is the outcome of any communication if it has taken place.

BASIC BANK SCAM || Mr Commission stays untouched

Bogra Sangbad Desk : Import-export firm AVIATE International was in desperate need of Tk 15 crore loans since the start of 2012 to keep its business afloat.

Its owner somehow came to know that Sheikh Shariar Panna, younger brother of the then BASIC Bank chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu, could arrange a quick loan for the firm.

Sirajul Amin, elder son of AVIATE's owner Nurul Amin, then contacted Panna through some middlemen, who assured him of managing loans double the amount the firm needed.

On May 25, 2012, Panna had BASIC Bank's Bashundhara branch approve a loan of Tk 8.3 crore for the firm, and demanded Tk 4.8 crore in “consultancy fees” -- 16 percent of the promised loans of Tk 30 crore.

Ex-enclave citizens to get farm loans, CSR funds

Bogra Sangbad Desk : The new Bangladeshi citizens from the former enclaves will get farm loans and corporate social responsibility (CSR) budgets from the scheduled banks operating in the country.

The central bank today issued two separate circulars in this regard, two days after the exchange of enclaves between Bangladesh and India.

The decision regarding the farm loans was made to expand agricultural activities in these areas, says one of the circulars.

Bangladesh to purchase modern surveillance equipment || Tk 200cr proposal to intensify watch on phone calls, social network activities

Bogra Sangbad Desk : The government has decided to purchase modern equipment worth more than Tk 200 crore to step up mobile phone, email and social network surveillance.

The home ministry has recently sent a proposal to the cabinet committee on economic affairs, seeking relaxation of Public Procurement Regulations (PPR) for direct purchase of the equipment, ministry officials said.

More modern equipment is required to assume more control over obstructing or recording users' telephonic or online communications so that intelligence activities could be conducted more smoothly, they informed.

High yield yet little joy for growers

Wholesalers buy the luscious fruits from there and transport them to different places of the country. Photo: Arifur Rahman

Bogra Sangbad Desk : As the only floating guava market in Jhalakathi, Vimruli attracts orchardists keen to sell their daily harvest from across the district.

Buyers from all over the country are similarly drawn to the market with a view to transporting the fruit to cities and towns. Every day 15 large trawlers arrive to load guavas. But these days prices offered to growers are a pittance.

Cheers!

Bogra Sangbad Desk : Ratan Miah and his neighbours in Banshkata had good reasons to be happy yesterday. They not only became citizens of Bangladesh, after the enclave exchange, but Ratan also got to marry the girl of his dreams.

Ratan's bride Nurfa Begum, 19, had turned down the marriage proposal because Ratan, 26, was a citizen of an Indian enclave. She did not want an Indian husband.

But, all that changed yesterday and wedding was held.

Banshkata is one of the 111 enclaves India exchanged with Bangladesh in the four northern districts yesterday.  

Bangladesh Bank awards top remitters

Bogra Sangbad Desk : Bangladesh Bank today honoured 31 non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) for sending the highest amount of remittances last year to encourage the expatriates to send money home through legal channels.

Two exchange houses that transfer money have also been awarded by the BB for the first time.

Myanmar floods: President declares state of emergency

Apartments buildings in Chin state collapsed following a landslide

Bogra Sangbad Desk : Myanmar's president has declared a state of emergency in four regions after heavy floods left 27 people dead.

Monsoon rains over many weeks have led to flooding in most of the country (also known as Burma).

Myanmar's President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency in four regions - Chin, Magwe, Sagaing and Rakhine.

Thousands of people are sheltering in monasteries, but one report said people from the Rohingya Muslim minority were turned away from some shelters.

The Myanmar Times said security forces turned away Rohingya Muslims from abandoned schools and community centres in the western Rakhine state.

Enclaves swapped in landmark India-Bangladesh border deal

The enclaves, a legacy of colonial times, have been a contentious issue for decades

Bogra Sangbad Desk : India and Bangladesh have swapped control of some 160 small pockets of land on each other's territory.

The enclaves, home to some 50,000 people, were created through local peace treaties in the 18th Century.

New national flags were to be hoisted as a landmark accord between the two countries came into effect at midnight local time on Friday.

Residents were asked to choose where they wanted to live and which nationality they would prefer.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to become a father

The couple posted a picture to accompany Zuckerberg's announcement.

Bogra Sangbad Desk : Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are expecting a baby girl.

The couple made the announcement with a post on Zuckerberg's Facebook page.

"Priscilla and I have some exciting news: we're expecting a baby girl!" he wrote to his 33 million followers.

In his post, the 31-year-old revealed that they had suffered three miscarriages previously, but added that the risk of miscarrying at this stage of the pregnancy was low.

FREE, finally || Enclaves fall, dwellers erupt into celebration

Two men in their 90s in Banshpachai enclave of Lalmonirhat embrace on the eve of the exchange of enclaves between Bangladesh and India. The two neighbours were not on talking terms for 30 years over a dispute on a piece of land. The exchange of enclaves put an end to their longstanding feud yesterday. Photo: S Dilip Roy

Bogra Sangbad Desk : The clock struck 12:00am.

It was the moment when around 52,000 inhabitants of 162 enclaves inside Bangladesh and India got the taste of freedom for the first time in 68 years, officially becoming citizens either of the two countries.

It was also the moment when the tiny pockets of land -- or enclaves -- in each other's territories got merged with the respective countries, bringing an end to one of the most complicated and confusing border disputes in the world.