Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has arrested 5 Bangladeshi nationals at the Tentulia border in Panchagarh while trying to enter India.

On Wednesday (November 11) night, members of the Shukani BOP of the Nilphamari 56 BGB Battalion arrested them from the 3rd sub-pillar area of the main pillar 740 of the Shibchandi border in Bhajanpur union of Tentulia upazila.

During this time, Tk. 14,707 Bangladeshi and 405 Indian rupees in cash, a smart phone, three button phones, one gold ornament, 7 silver ornaments, and two wristwatches were seized from them.

This information was given in a press release of the Nilphamari 56 BGB Battalion that night.

The arrested are Maniram Chandra Barman (51) of Dhandugaon area of Sadar upazila of Thakurgaon district, his wife Hira Rani Barman (35), son Ripon Chandra Barman (21), daughter Papri Rani Barman (13) and Maniram's nephew Nimai Chandra Barman (23). However, since Maniram's daughter Papri is a minor, she was handed over to other family members.

It is learnt that preparations are underway for filing a case with Tetulia police station for illegal infiltration into India.

The press release said that they were trying to infiltrate into India through Shibchandi area of Bhajanpur union of Tetulia upazila in exchange for Tk. one lakh through a broker from Thakurgaon.

The members of the patrol team of Madanbari camp of the 46th battalion of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) stopped them and informed them at the BGB's Shukani camp.

Later, BGB members arrested them from the border area and took them to Shukani camp.

Sheikh Md. Badruddoza, commander of Nilphamari 56 BGB Battalion, said, "They were trying to infiltrate into India through a broker through the border in exchange for one lakh taka. Our patrol team arrested them from the border area. Preparations are underway to file a case on behalf of the BGB at Tetulia Police Station in this incident. The BGB is keeping a strict vigil on the border. The BGB is always ready to prevent illegal infiltration, drugs, and smuggling through the border."

28 associate professors of the BCS General Education cadre have been promoted to professors.

This information was given in a notification signed by Md. Mahabur Alam, Deputy Secretary (Government College-2) of the Secondary and Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education on Wednesday (December 11).

The notification states that the promoted officers will be considered as in-situ posted in their current workplace and will receive salary from that workplace until further orders.

It also states that if any of the promoted officers are on lien or educational leave, they will be issued promotion orders subject to joining after the lien or leave. If any issue arises later to cancel the promotion of any of the promoted officers, their promotion orders will be canceled.

In view of this order, no officer will be considered automatically preferred for appointment to a higher position in his own institution or in any other institution. These officers will necessarily log in to their PDS and complete the release and joining process.

Among the promoted professors, 1 person is from Economics, 3 people are from Islamic History and Culture, 1 person is from Home Economics, 2 people are from Mathematics, 4 people are from Philosophy, 2 people are from Management, 1 person is from Geography, 2 people are from Marketing, 1 person is from Chemistry, 1 person is from Accountancy, 2 people are from Political Science, 1 person is from Social Welfare and 3 people are from Arabic. In addition, there is 1 person from Teachers Training College TTC (Islamic Ideology).

In the era of modernization, the value of typewriters has decreased. Earlier, typists used to sit with typewriters at important points in the city. Typewriters were most widely used in courts and various government offices. Typewriting could be done in both Bengali and English. Although English typewriting has been around for centuries, Bengali typewriting has reigned for half a century after its invention. Now, lawyers have computers and laptops in every chamber. Computer shops with more facilities are just a few steps away. Therefore, the value of typewriters has decreased.

Abul Kalam Azad, who is over 60, has been working as a typist at the Dhaka Judge's Court since 1987. For 38 years, he has been typing with a typewriter at the entrance of Revati Mansion next to the Dhaka Judge's Court.

He told Barta24.com that typewriters were very valuable before. Common people or lawyers used to stand in line to get work done. Now that glamour is gone. Nowadays, with computers all around us, the value of typewriters has decreased. I still sit with a typewriter because I am old and cannot do any other work. Some days I earn 2-100 taka. Some days I earn none.

Azad also said, "That work I used to do is gone. Now I do small jobs. I run my family with whatever I earn."

When I went to the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, I saw only two typists in the designated place for 37 typists. Computers have taken over the place of typewriters. One of the two typists, Shekhar Pal, told Barta24.com, "There is no work, the family is not running. I am somehow surviving."

Subhash Pal, adviser to the nearly extinct Professional Typist Welfare Association at the Dhaka Judge's Court, said, "I have been typing for 49 years. Now, since there is no work for typewriters, I work on computers. However, not on the Bijoy keyboard, but on the Munir's Optima keyboard. The keyboard of the typewriter is similar to this keyboard. I learned typing in the hope of getting a government job. But I have been working as a typist for so many years because I could not get a job.

He also said that now no one is learning typing. And there is no institution to teach it. We are the last generation who will die and the typist profession will also disappear.

Hasan, the former general secretary of the association, said that earlier we had an association across the country. Now it is not there. Earlier, typists used to work in various places in the city including Dhaka Court Kachari, Dainik Banglar Mor, Land Office, Rajuk Bhaban, Press Club. Now due to lack of work, they have either changed their profession or died of old age.

Advocate Jewel Ahmed said that typists are quite skilled in spelling. When they are given work, there is no need to be tense about spelling mistakes. If you do not proofread computer work, many mistakes remain. That is why we do all the small and big work of the court with a typewriter. Earlier, many typists could be seen. Now they are not seen at all. Without typists, it would be a bit of a hassle to fill out various forms of the court and do other work.

It seems that the main goal of the previous government was to create opportunities for corruption in the electricity and fuel sector instead of walking on the path of sustainable development. The interim government is moving towards achieving sustainable electricity policies and procedures by stopping those methods that provide opportunities for corruption, said Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, Adviser on Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

He said this while speaking as the chief guest at the Bangladesh Energy Prosperity-2050 Conference at the BIAM Foundation in Dhaka on Wednesday (December 11). The three-day conference that he inaugurated will continue till Friday.

He said, we have restructured the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) to fix electricity tariffs. At the same time, we are working on revising the Integrated Power and Fuel Master Plan and reviewing the renewable energy policy. Along with this, we are also moving away from Independent Power Plants (IPPs) and are walking on the path of implementing more sustainable electricity policies.

The inaugural session was chaired by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Interim Government on Environment, Forests and Climate Change. She said that Bangladesh is facing serious obstacles in achieving energy prosperity due to the pressure of many power contracts and the ongoing crisis. In addition to the increasing gap in quality, affordability and transparency, equal access to energy remains a key issue.

To meet the 40 renewable energy targets by 2041, clear policies are needed, strong participation of the private sector and transformation in all areas from energy production to conservation ensuring reliable power for industrial enterprises.

She said that while it is easy to talk about canceling contracts in the power sector, it is very expensive to get out of it. Canceling contracts is not that easy. We had to go to the international level to cancel the NICO contract. Still, the Interim Government has taken up the challenge. Now the contracts are under review, she said.

In the inaugural session Professor Dr. M. Tamim of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Rahim Afroz Renewable Energy Limited (RREL) Managing Director Munawar Misbah Moin, Deepal Chandra Barua, Dr. Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Sainan Houghton, Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, Lidy Nakpil, Abul Kalam Azad expressed solidarity.