We are not mixing trade with neighboring countries, said Ali Imam Majumdar, Food Adviser to the interim government, said, "We are not mixing trade with politics. Since India is our closest neighbor and the cost of imports from there is relatively low and cheap, so the products from there continue to come. We also welcome it."

He said this in response to questions from reporters after inspecting the unloading process of rice imported from Myanmar at the Chattagram port on Tuesday (January 21) afternoon.

Ali Imam Majumdar said, Myanmar also wants to sell us more rice. We have signed a contract with them for one lakh tons. They want to sell more. Eight to nine lakh metric tons of rice will come. The government sector often gets eight lakh metric tons of rice. It will come from India, Myanmar and Pakistan. Discussions are underway with Vietnam. Still, we are trying to see if any other benefits can be obtained. We will consider it after looking at the internal and supply conditions of their countries. We are also looking for more sources. We have made arrangements to import 50,000 metric tons of rice from Pakistan. It is already in the final stages.

Asked whether the price of rice is not decreasing even after import, he said, "The first thing here is that the price increase has stopped. The price of coarse rice that is available has decreased by three to five taka. We will continue to import more. There will be no more scope for it to increase. Rather, it will decrease."

Asked by journalists what kind of measures the government is taking to control food prices around Ramadan, he said, "During Ramadan, our Food Ministry, especially rice and wheat, takes care of the most. The remaining items are taken care of by the TCB. It is under the Ministry of Commerce. The TCB has also made extensive preparations. The Food Ministry has started selling two metric tons of rice every day in the upazilas from this month. This will continue during Ramadan as well. A food-friendly program has been launched for 50 lakh people across the country. 50 lakh people from the poor class will get 30 kg of rice per month for 15 taka. I hope that the prices of goods will be tolerable during the month of Ramadan." Adviser Ali Imam Majumdar said, "We are paying more attention to domestic production. We will be the happiest if we cannot bring it from abroad. Unfortunately, we are a disaster-prone country. Disasters come to our country in any way. Disasters really damage our country's crops. If there were no untimely floods this time, we would not have been under so much pressure. We are trying to ensure that the crops are good in the future. Many research laboratories are trying to produce more crops in a very short time. The seeds of research crops that are available are being supplied to farmers, so that crops can be grown in a short time. The population in our country is increasing. Cultivation land is decreasing due to industrialization and urbanization. Many ponds are being built again. This is reducing paddy land. Mango orchards are being established. We are trying to balance everything.

When asked about this, the adviser said, "When we determine the price in the government sector, we take into account both the production cost and the farmer's profit. In that case, if we increase it a little, the farmer will sell." But the price in the market will increase further if the government buys at a higher price. We have to balance there too. We have to look at the issue of protecting the interests of the farmers. Since the crops were damaged in the floods, the total tax on imports has been lifted this time. But this will not be the case forever. If our crops are good, it will not be the case anymore.

At that time, Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Dr. Md. Ziauddin, Director General of the Food Department Abdul Khalek and Port Chairman SM Moniruzzaman were present. Earlier, in the morning, the food adviser inspected the silo under construction in Patenga in the city.

Dhaka: After the news published on Barta24.com under the title ‘Yusuf Ali is cursed after being caught stealing electricity’, the Power Department (Renewable Energy-1 Branch) has formed an investigation committee. Although he was optimistic about the formation of the investigation committee, Yusuf Ali expressed extreme disappointment and apprehension about their activities.

Yusuf Ali told Barta24.com, the members of the investigation committee did not believe anything I said and did not even care about anything I said, rather they scared me more, if you find out where you are keeping the meter, otherwise a case will be filed against you and then you will understand how it feels. This investigation committee is just an excuse and nothing else. Otherwise, why would they scare me, besides, despite saying that I have proper evidence, why did the committee members not take any evidence!

I first greeted and entered inside, after entering, they asked me to sit, I sat down, after sitting down, they asked me how you went to the customer’s establishment, why didn’t you go there first, I then said sir, I didn’t go there first. I am sending two of my men there to give a letter of increase in load; their names are Nizamuddin and Farid Dafadar. They are linemen. They went to the customer's meter number and found that both meters were down and unsealed. Then they called me, I then went to the customer's establishment.

After going, the meter's base plate, unsealed and both meters were down, then I came to the office and informed the executive engineer sir. Then sir saw the two stipends of the bill and asked me to cut the line. Then I said sir, I cannot cut the line alone. Send your DPDC team, then call the control and Lokman's team will come. I along with Lokman's team went to the customer's establishment. After going, first seal the meter and then disconnect the connection from the pole. Nizamuddin and I write a confession. Then there is no signature of the customer. I have left the meter in the custody of the customer, he seals it. Every month he gives Tk. 10 thousand to the meter reader Abbas, there is no confession. Then we all go to the office.

Then they asked me, why did you go to give the letter and why did you give the responsibility to me? I said that the executive engineer sir can say that, I don't know, they told me that everyone at the customer's establishment has given witness against you that you have opened the meter and brought it, I then asked who gave witness, then they said that the customers gave deposition and your linemen also gave witness, then I said which of my linemen signed it! You can call Team Leader Lokman and see. Then Nurul Afsar (member of the investigation committee, director of the electrical equipment department of the Power Development Board) called Sir Lokman. After giving the call, Lokman said that first we seal the meter and then disconnect the connection from the pole. We left from there with a confession.

They asked me who entered the seal in the register book and who understood the seal. I said that sir, the meter has been entered in the register book, this is his document, then Nurul Afsar sir said that this is the register book, not the entry book; I said again that this is the entry book of the register. Then they did not believe me and said it is not a ledger, I said sir, after the meter is opened from the customer's premises, an entry is made here and how many units are in the meter is entered here. They did not listen to anything I said. They said it is not a register entry ledger but I challenged it and it is a register entry ledger. Even then they did not believe me.

I said sir, I spoke to the customer and the customer admitted to me that he did not say anything about me. I did not open the meter; the electricity office person opened it. Even then they did not believe me. I said that I have the call record. Then he said that I have the call record. I said that the customer installed the line himself, I have his video. The same thing is being said repeatedly by the Senior Assistant Secretary Sir, everyone is accusing you that you have opened the meter. I said that sir, if I open the meter and bring it, is there any video evidence, then the Senior Assistant Secretary (Electricity Department) Mazharul Islam Sir told me that the sun rises from the east and sets in the west, is there any evidence of that!

I said sir, I have call records, video footage and you can see them. The senior secretary sir said they have no value. Leave them. You don't have to see them. I wanted to submit all the information including call records, video footage, meter store submissions, customer confessions, but he didn't keep them.

The customer accused of theft was supposed to be punished and Yusuf Ali was supposed to get a reward as an employee, but Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) did the opposite. Fearing that the syndicate involved in electricity theft would be caught, it dismissed the technical supervisor Yusuf Ali from his job. And all these ridiculous allegations were brought against him. Which do not fall under his authority or responsibility? The reason for the dismissal was mentioned, not collecting the actual reading of the customer's actual electricity consumption meter, taking unclear screenshots.

Yusuf Ali is also not a man to be silenced; he has also thrown a challenge. He has written a written application saying that taking meter readings and taking screenshots is not our responsibility. These are the work of the commercial supervisor. He also wrote that if I am responsible, I will definitely take the punishment. If not, I want my job back.

How the incident began

Musa Majid (43/A), a resident of Eskaton area, was using additional load as per the meter record. Letter for unauthorized additional load increase when it came to paying, tampering was detected in both meters (reading much lower than the bill). Before the tampering was detected, 246 units were being used in the month of May (2024). The previous month was 262 units. The minimum bill was 144 to the maximum 477 units. In the meantime, the bill has fluctuated. And after the tampering was detected, the bill for 2940 and 2501 units of electricity in October (2024) and November (2024) was 42,238 taka and 36,056 taka respectively. DPDC has found a bill for 25 to 30 thousand taka against that meter 8 years ago (before tampering) which fluctuated from 2 to a maximum of Tk. 4.5 thousand in the previous months. After the installation of the new meter, the bill was Tk. 42 thousand even in winter, meaning that there was an incident of electricity theft of more than Tk. 40 thousand every month.

It has been alleged that DPDC's outsourcing company (Moon Power Engineering) coordinator Mominul Haque, DPDC's Kakrail Zone Superintendent Engineer Hanif Uddin and DPDC's Director (Admin) Sonamoni Chakma are conspiring in various ways to save accused Musa Majid. Many people are involved in DPDC's Kakrail Zone and head office.

Investigation committee member Nurul Afsar (Director of Electrical Equipment Directorate of Power Development Board) told Barta24.com, we have submitted the report. I cannot comment on this. If you have anything to say, talk to the head of the investigation committee.

When Yusuf Ali's complaint was brought to his attention, he said, anyone can file a complaint against anyone. I do not want to comment further.

Early-ripening mango buds have started to bloom on trees in Rajshahi. These buds signal the start of the season at the beginning of Magh. There is a possibility of new mangoes.

Mango farmers said that if the weather is favorable, the early mango harvest could be good this time. An abundance of these early buds are being seen in Bagha, Charghat and Puthia upazilas of Rajshahi. Farmers are now hoping for a good harvest.

As much as farmers are happy with the arrival of early buds, there is also a fear of buds being damaged in dense fog. However, the Department of Agricultural Extension said that the risk of mango buds being damaged is low. As the sun rises after the fog, the buds will be fresher instead of damaging the mango buds. However, the Department of Agriculture is advising the use of some fungicides for this purpose.

According to the Rajshahi Department of Agricultural Extension, this year the target for mango cultivation has been set at 93,200 hectares of land in the four districts of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Natore. The production target has been set at approximately 1.25 million tons. Of this, there are mango orchards on 17,900 hectares of land in the district. Last year, a total of 12 lakh 7 thousand 263 tons of mangoes were produced in this region.

It has been found that early mango buds have appeared in Charghat and Bagha upazilas of Rajshahi. Early buds have appeared in many gardens in Nimpara, Bhayalakshipur, Charghat Sadar, Sarada and Shalua of Charghat upazila and in Monigram, Bausa and Gargaria unions of Bagha upazila.

Mango farmers said that early buds have started appearing on the trees. Farmers are quite happy with the early buds. The buds are swaying in the green leaves like the cool breeze of Magh month inviting Fagun. This time, some mango trees have budded in mid-January. In this situation, farmers do not want dense foggy weather. They said that it causes a lot of damage to the buds. They have done primary care of the trees before the buds appear. The farmers said that they have sprayed the necessary medicines as per the advice of the local agriculture department to protect the buds from diseases.

Bahadur Rahman, a mango farmer from Kaluhati village in Nimpara union of Charghat upazila, said that the buds have not appeared in the garden for the last two years. This time, the buds have appeared earlier in the garden. However, if the buds are not damaged in the fog, there will be a massive mango harvest this time.

Mango farmer and businessman Shamsul Haque said that buds have started appearing on some mango trees. And after 10 days, the buds will bloom on the entire garden. Therefore, time has to be spent on caring for small and large mango gardens. In addition, pesticides are being sprayed to control insects, including cleaning the garden. This will not only eliminate insects, but also healthy buds will appear on the trees.

Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam, Chief Scientific Officer of Rajshahi Fruit Research Center, said, "This time, buds have come quite early. Some trees have started to bud now. However, it will take more time to understand how many buds will come. Hopefully, since there were fewer buds last year, this time there will be more buds."

Umme Salma, Deputy Director of Rajshahi District Agricultural Extension Department, said, "Some trees in Rajshahi have started to bud. However, it will take time until February for buds to appear. The buds that are coming are of the early variety."

He also said that farmers are being instructed to spray garden care drugs. And farmers are also working accordingly in the hope of higher yields. Compared to last year, it seems that more buds will come this time. The yield will also be higher. There will be no significant damage from the fog. As a result, the target that I have set this time will be achieved.

Dr. Motaleb Hossain said that last year, 2024 was the mango of the year. Mango trees that had abundant fruit last year may bear less fruit this year. This situation depends on weather, pollination problems and diseases. Usually, 20 percent of the trees bear fruit every year. However, due to this, there is little variation in yield. He also said that mango orchards in Naogaon district of Rajshahi division have expanded a lot in the last five years, which is almost equal to that of Chapainawabganj. However, the reason why Naogaon's production rate is higher in terms of production is that the orchards are new. Speaking about Rajshahi district, he said that the conversion of cultivated land in various upazilas including Durgapur, Bagha-Charghat in Rajshahi has led to a crisis in cropland. Due to this, many farmers have cut down their mango orchards and converted them into cropland. He sees this as a threat to the future food chain. 

Law Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul said that all the cases under the Cybersecurity Act will be withdrawn.

He said this at a press conference organized by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday (January 21).

He said, ‘Initiatives have been taken to reform the Cyber Security Act. The Ministry of Information Technology is working on this.’

Regarding harassment cases, the adviser said, ‘Two and a half thousand political harassment or disappearance cases have been identified in 25 districts of the country. Lakhs of people are accused in these cases. These cases will be withdrawn by next February.’

Mentioning that judges were previously appointed to the High Court based on political considerations, Asif Nazrul said, ‘From now on, judges will be appointed on the basis of competence and party neutrality. A ‘Supreme Court Judge Appointment Ordinance’ is being made for the appointment of judges.’