No action to stop killing in Gaza regrettable: PM



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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It is very sad that the world is witnessing the killings in Gaza, but no one is taking any effective measures to stop it, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Sheikh Hasina said this on Sunday (March 24) when the visiting Secretary General of the ruling party of Palestine Lt. Gen. Jibril Al-Rajab went to meet the Prime Minister at Ganabhaban.

After the meeting, Prime Minister's speech writer M. Nazrul Islam briefed the journalists.

Nazrul Islam said the Prime Minister reiterated her unequivocal support to the Palestinians. At the same time, she condemned the killing of thousands of people including women and children in Gaza and the attack on hospitals by Israeli forces.

She lamented the casualties caused by Israeli forces in Gaza and demanded an immediate ceasefire there. She said that Bangladesh has sent relief aid to the Palestinian people twice through Egypt.

Sheikh Hasina said, whenever I get a chance, I raise my voice in international forums for the Palestinian people. The Prime Minister recalled Yasir Arafat's visit to Bangladesh in 1997 during the Awami League government.

The Prime Minister strongly criticized the silence of the human rights organizations regarding the attack of the Israeli forces in Gaza. She said, it is a kind of hypocrisy. Sheikh Hasina urged the Muslim Ummah to be united in support of the Palestinians.

She said this should be done in the interests of protecting the Muslim Ummah and alleviating the plight of the Palestinians.

In this context, she called for the implementation of the United Nations proposal for East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Fateh Movement leader Lt. Gen. Jibril Al-Rojab thanked the Prime Minister for her unconditional support to the Palestinians and for speaking strongly on their behalf in international forums. He told the Prime Minister that the war in Gaza should be stopped immediately and the international community should take immediate action for this.

He said there is a severe food crisis in Gaza and people are starving. Food aid is urgently needed there. He also said that recognizing the Palestinian state is the only way to solve this crisis.

General Jibril Al-Rajab said that 400 million people live in Arab countries, but they are not united. He said, if they are united, the persecution of Palestinians will be easily stopped. The Arab world has the power and the resources and only unity among them is needed to stop the Israeli aggression.

He also said that regional stability and global peace will never be established if this war is not stopped.

He thanked Bangladesh for supporting South Africa's petition against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israel's violation of the Genocide Convention against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.

He also handed over a letter from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the Prime Minister. 

   

Everything will be strict to make elections fair: EC Alamgir



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
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Election Commissioner (EC) Md. Alamgir said that everything will be strict to make upazila elections fair, nothing will be soft. Whatever is necessary will be done, as strict as necessary, to maintain law, order and fair elections. It cannot be reduced, and if anyone reduces it, he will not be exempted if he is negligent.

He said that the security system has been strengthened more in the upazila elections than in the national elections. There was only the army in the national elections. And in the upazila elections, there will be members of other law and order forces along with the army.

He said these things in the speech as the chief guest at a discussion meeting on the law and order situation organized in the conference room of the Gopalganj Deputy Commissioner's office on the occasion of the Sixth Upazila Parishad election on Sunday (April 28) afternoon.

Regarding the national election, the Election Commissioner said, we held the national election on January 7. As in Gopalganj, this election was completed peacefully and properly. We want to maintain the record we have of fair elections.

He also said that in the upazila elections, voters can vote fairly, votes are counted fairly, results are announced fairly, and people should ensure that whoever they vote for can be elected. No influential person should be able to extort votes from voters by intimidation or create disorder in the polling station.

The Election Commissioner (EC) commented that it is risky to talk to the media. Alamgir said, "In the past, we have seen that the voting rate is always high in the local government elections. I have not said anywhere that 80% of votes will be counted. However, some media have promoted this. Many have written columns about it. That's why I fear the media.

Regarding EVMs, he said, the previous commission bought EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines), it had some problems. As EVMs are being destroyed, the manpower, money and storage space needed to maintain them were not available in earlier projects. As a result, they are getting destroyed. Based on the EVMs that are good, we have planned EVM polling in nine districts.

Superintendent of Police Al-Baili Afifa and election related officials were present in the exchange meeting held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Kazi Mahbubul Alam. Earlier, the election commissioner Md. Alamgir paid tribute to Bangabandhu's tomb by reaching Tungipara.

Later, he took part in Surah Fatiha recitation and special prayers seeking forgiveness for the souls of Bangabandhu and his martyred family members.

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Instruction to investigate the allegations against Milton



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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The National Human Rights Commission has ordered a speedy investigation into the allegations leveled against Milton Samadder of Child and Old Age Care.

Yusha Rahman, public relations officer of the National Human Rights Commission, informed the media in a circular on Sunday (April 28) afternoon.

According to the National Human Rights Commission, the brutal and barbaric picture that has emerged in the background of human services in the report published in the national The daily Kalbela is very terrible. Human service is an absolute religion but the allegation against Milton Samadder of selling organs in the name of medical treatment by picking up sick, helpless and innocent people from the streets under the guise of human service is very scary, disgusting and a gross violation of human rights.

According to the constitutional body, the commission thinks that the information that has come up in the report about the accused Milton Samaddar's detention of seriously ill patients in his own institution instead of taking them to the hospital, the preparation of death certificates by fake doctors or the mutilation of the bodies of the dead bodies should be properly investigated.

Therefore, the Commissioner of Police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police has been asked to investigate the complaint closely and take appropriate legal action and send a report to the Commission at the earliest. At the same time, the Director General, Department of Social Services has been asked to investigate the activities of such institutions and take necessary measures and send a report to the Commission. The report is said to be submitted to the commission on May 30.

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It is recommended to harvest paddy at 80 percent maturity



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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The Department of Agriculture Extension has advised harvesting Boro paddy at 80 per cent maturity in Haor region to avoid the adverse effects of possible heavy rainfall.

The department gave this advice in an emergency notice sent to the media on Sunday (April 28).

It is said that according to the forecast of the Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in many places in North-East Haor region of Bangladesh (Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria and Netrokono) from May 3. In such a situation the following suggestions are given to protect standing crops from the harmful effects of heavy rainfall in Haor region:

>> When boro paddy is 80 percent mature, collect it quickly and keep it in a safe and dry place.

>> Harvest fast ripening vegetables.

>> Keep the drains clean so that water does not accumulate in the paddy field.

>> Raise the land aisle.

>> Take measures to remove excess manure from cropland.

>> Avoid irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides.

>> Apply herbicide after rainfall.

>> Arrange poles for bananas and other horticultural crops and vegetables. 

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Schools also opened on heat alert, students at risk of heatstroke



Raju Ahmed, Btaff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Educational institutions have reopened after more than a month of vacation due to Eid and severe heat wave. According to the decision of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, teaching has resumed from Sunday. The teaching time schedule has been changed to the new time. But even at that time the students are at risk of intense heat.

Parents said that students have to change their routine regularly. Naturally, students have to get some momentum in making new habits. Besides, many students are being deprived of study time and private tuition facilities. Apart from this, the temperature outside becomes unbearable after 9 am due to heat wave in the country. As a result, students are not out of danger in teaching according to the new time. In such a situation, online classes are better, they said

Marano Marin, a sixth-grader at Farmgate Bottomley Home Girls School. She regularly comes to school at 10 am. Wake up at 8 in the morning as per daily habit, have breakfast and get ready. However, this student took about 35 and half minutes to prepare herself for the new rules. Merino Lina, Marino's mother, said that she is suffering from a headache due to lack of sleep.

"There are certain aspects of our habits that cannot be changed," says Lina Even if there are changes, there are many complications and there are many problems to adapt. It is more in the case of children.

She said, the heat can no longer be tolerated at 10 o'clock in the morning. Decisions taken to protect children are not benefiting them in any way. As severe as the weather has become, there is no way to change the time. Online classes are required for this.

Amena Khatun, mother of a class 4 student of Nakhal Para Primary School, said that the heat wave is high from morning to afternoon. As a result, keeping students at home is the way to prevent what we are talking about. In this case, as long as the heat wave lasts, their online education system seems to be the best for us.

Maruf, a class nine student of Civil Aviation School said, "We have a habit of a regular morning routine." Out of which there is some problem today to fix the new time. However, the afternoon sun did not get rid of it. The body is sweating now in such a situation it would be better if we had online classes

According to the government's new timings, the schools run in one shift (shift) from 8 am to 11:30 pm every day. And in two shifts, the first shift will run from 8:00 am to 9:30 am and the second shift will run from 10:15 am to 11:30 pm.

Is it possible to protect children from heat and sun by changing the shift? In this context, pediatricians say that children are most at risk of intense heat flow. Overheated children may have diarrhea, pneumonia, jaundice. Besides, children are suffering from fever, cold and cough. Inflammation of the respiratory system, ear infections, tonsillitis and pneumonia can also occur. Hot sun can cause skin blisters, skin discoloration, fungal infections, rashes and itching. As a result, everyone is advised to stay at home to protect children from the sun.

Doctors said, the current temperature is totally abnormal for children. As a result, children can be affected in various ways. It is important to keep children in a cool and shaded place. And family awareness should be raised to avoid heat. So not shift change, but a safe place for child protection is definitely needed.

Pediatrician and Associate Scientist at ICDDRB Hospital Farhana Afroz said that the heat flow is increasing day by day. As a result children and old people are suffering from various diseases. Children in particular are at increased risk. Therefore, special attention should be paid to children.

She said, children should be kept away from heat as well as dust. Outside food and drinking water should be prevented from contamination. Children may become dizzy due to discomfort in intense heat. It is best to stay indoors during the day to avoid all risks.

Incidentally, the heat wave started in the country from March 31. Continuous heat wave for the last 28 days; which was never seen in the past. In this situation, the government did not open schools after the Eid holiday. A holiday was declared in schools and colleges till April 27 due to unbearable heat.

The United Nations children's fund UNICEF has also called for special measures for children this summer, reminding them that they are at 'very high risk'. 

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