Pontoon number 11 of Sadarghat. Wash and wipe clean. Rows of launch blocks at anchor. No blood stains; There is no sign of death! BIWTA traffic box is just a few hands away. At this time, the traffic department is directing a launch called MV Abhijan-3, which is going to drop anchor at the ghat. Everything was going normally.

However, 5 people lost their lives when the rope of the launch that was standing on this pontoon broke. The afternoon of Eid day does not have the form of sadness at the moment. The bloody bodies lying on the pontoons spread to the media. Sadness covers the whole country.

But in exchange for this life, order has now returned to Sadarghat. The launch workers said that even a few days ago, there was no such activity to anchor the launch at the ghat. Now the launches are anchored according to the rules.

And on Tuesday (April 16) that scene was seen at the Sadarghat launch terminal. There is no usual crowd. Barrier launches lined up at the wharf. Sometimes two passengers come but no launch leaves due to non-scheduled time.

A shipping worker who did not wish to be named told Barta24.com that there is no passenger traffic at Sadarghat since the construction of the Padma bridge. Although there were some passengers in the two Eids, people were more scared because of the unexpected accident that happened on the Eid day. Each rope weighs at least 8/10 maunds. This rope is not supposed to break easily. But the rope that broke that day was a bit weak; otherwise the accident would not have happened. Also, BIWTA officials on duty at the wharf cannot be found throughout the year. Five people died, now they come every day and ask us different questions, is it okay? Is that right? But I don't see any fault with the driver of the launch. It is normal for the launch to come to the ghat to pick up passengers. But if there is a problem with another launch here, the people of the ghat should have seen it earlier.

A visit to the Sadarghat office of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) could not find any responsible official. An employee of the office told Barta24.com that everyone went to the meeting at the head office.

Officer-in-Charge of Naval Police Sadarghat Police Station Abul Kalam told Barta24.com that BIWTA's traffic department cannot escape responsibility for the death of five passengers. They are responsible for taking care of when a launch will enter or leave the wharf, where it will anchor. It appears that the accident may have occurred mainly due to the negligence of the officer on duty at the time of the incident. If MV Farhan 4 had not allowed the launch to rush to the wharf or asked to wait. Or if the ropes of the other two launches had been loosened a little, then maybe these five lives could have been saved. A thorough investigation into the incident is underway. Nothing can be said until the investigation is over. At the end of the investigation, it will be known who was at fault.

What happened that day...

According to eyewitness accounts, at least 5 passengers died when the rope of the anchored launch broke on that day (April 11) on the day of Eid at around 3 pm. Among the dead were 1 woman, 1 child and 3 men.

The accident happened in front of pontoon number 11 of Sadarghat Launch Ghat. The MV Tashrif 4 and MV Pubali 1 launches were tied to the pontoon with two ropes. When another launch called Farhan entered between these two launches, MV Tashrif 4's launch rope broke. And that is the death of five unfortunate people. 5 lives were lost on this pontoon, where the blood stains were removed.

In 2023, Bangladesh will surpass neighboring countries India-Pakistan in terms of prosperity, but it is far behind the countries in terms of freedom. Two foreign organizations based in Dhaka have published a report highlighting the position of Bangladesh in the index of freedom and prosperity.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Asia Foundation jointly organized the Prosperity and Good Governance Conference at the US Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday (April 16) to share the findings of the Atlantic Council's new Global Freedom and Prosperity Report.

The report lists Bangladesh as 'mostly poor' on the Prosperity Index and 'mostly subjugated' on the Freedom Index.

In this list made for 2023, Bangladesh ranks 99th among 164 countries in the prosperity index among South Asian countries. India ranks 146th and Pakistan ranks 150th in the list. But Bangladesh ranks 141st on the Freedom Index, while India ranks 104th and Pakistan ranks 113th.

Various factors such as GDP per capita including health, inequality, environmental conditions, minority rights and education are taken into account to list the prosperity index. On the other hand, political, economic and legal conditions are measured to list the freedom index.

Strengthening fundamental freedoms accelerates long-term economic prosperity, according to research by a US-based think tank.

According to the report, the January 7 parliamentary elections marked a strong shift towards an authoritarian party system. By boycotting the opposition party and using it as capital, Awami League has sustained its 15-year rule. Besides, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to be the longest serving woman head of government in the world. Although this indicates stability, authoritarian party systems often face various risks that can undermine good governance. To mitigate these risks, healthy competition in politics, governance and the economy must be ensured.

Speaking at the conference, US Ambassador Peter Haas said that among the 164 countries listed by the Atlantic Council (in the Freedom Index), countries listed as 'mostly subjugated' were not listed as 'prosperous' (in the Prosperity Index). This suggests that Bangladesh needs to take bold steps to increase the economic, political and legal freedom of its people in order to become prosperous.

He further said that every country is facing problems in securing economic and political rights besides corruption. Rather than avoiding problems, the real objective should be to accept problems and actively try to solve them.

Conference keynote speaker Joseph Lemoine, director of the Atlantic Council's Center for Freedom and Prosperity, outlined the key findings of the report. The report assesses a nation's economic standing using democracy and governance indicators based on the Freedom Index and the Prosperity Index.

According to Joseph Lemoine, the data shows that countries with more freedom enjoy higher prosperity and countries with less freedom enjoy lower prosperity. A country can be more welcoming to foreign investors by improving political and economic freedom and creating a strong legal environment.

He also said that more independent countries receive significantly more foreign direct investment than less independent countries. As the overall freedom index suggests, a strong commitment to freedom is key to attracting foreign investment.

Government representatives, representatives of civil society, businessmen, donors and people from various fields were present in the conference.

Mother Sugandha Das struggled to save 50 thousand taka for her daughter Arpita's surgery. But she had nothing to do but watching it go up in flames along with their belongings in a devastating fire at Tek Para in Firingibazar Ward of Chattogram city.

With her daughter in need of medical treatment, and the money lost, Sugandha was left in despair. The heartbreaking story was published in Barta24.com, prompting an outpouring of support from the community.

Upon learning of the situation, many individuals reached out to offer assistance to Arpita.

However, the Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram, Abul Basar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman, intervened, personally delivering the burnt 50,000 taka to Sugandha. He assured her that he would take steps to ensure her daughter Arpita's treatment.

Explaining the decision to Barta24.com, the Deputy Commissioner shared, "Sugandha Das had saved 50,000 taka for her daughter's surgery, but it was lost in the fire. In response to the media coverage, we provided 50,000 taka on behalf of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for Arpita's treatment.

“Additionally, I will liaise with the Port Hospital authorities to arrange affordable treatment for Arpita,” said the Deputy Commissioner.

On Tuesday, the Deputy Commissioner visited the fire-affected areas of Tek Para and Ayakub Nagar in Firingibazar Ward, where he provided humanitarian aid to Sugandha and others affected by the fire.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Sugandha Das couldn't hold back her tears as the District Commissioner presented her with financial aid. She tearfully expressed her thanks to the Prime Minister through the Commissioner, acknowledging the hardship she endured to save money for her daughter's surgery, only to see it vanish in the fire. With the Commissioner's assistance of 50 thousand taka, Sugandha expressed her profound appreciation to both the Prime Minister and the Commissioner. She also expressed her indebtedness to the journalists who shed light on her plight, recognizing that she could never fully repay them for their support.

13 people were killed in a head-on collision between a bus and a pickup van in the suburbs of Faridpur town. Two others were injured in this accident.

The accident took place on Tuesday (April 16) around 8:30 a.m. in the Deepnagar area of ​​Kanaipur, a suburb of the Dhaka-Khulna highway. However, the casualty was not immediately identified.

Eyewitnesses said that a Uttara Unique Paribahan bus was going to Magura with passengers from Dhaka in the morning. On the way, the bus collided head-on with a pickup van coming from the opposite direction when it reached Deepnagar area of ​​Kanaipur in Faridpur. The pickup van was twisted. 13 passengers including the driver of the pickup van were killed on the spot. Two people were injured at this time. They have been admitted to a local hospital.

They said that the pickup van was carrying passengers instead of goods. This information was confirmed by Highway Police Superintendent Mohammad Shahinul Alam.

He said that the passengers were going to Faridpur town from Alfadanga by renting the pickup van. On the way, the pickup van collided head-on with the Magura-bound bus. Thirteen people died on the spot. The police and fire service recovered the bodies of the victims after receiving information.