• Dhaka Wed, 04 DECEMBER 2024,
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Eid ul Fitr tomorrow
Circular issued extending ‘strict restrictions’ till May 23
The cabinet division has issued circular extending the ongoing ‘strict restrictions’ till May 23 to restrain transmission of coronavirus in the country. The circular was issued on Sunday afternoon. Earlier, on Saturday State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain said, the ongoing strict restriction has been extended as precautionary measures considering the transmission situation and also considering the situation of neighboring country India. Mentionable, to prevent Covid-19 transmission strict lockdown was enforced in the country from early morning of April 14 for next 8 days. At that time the government issued 13 directions to maintain the lockdown. During the extended period of restriction buses will ply within the districts but inter-district bus services will remain suspended. Besides, train and launch services will remain suspended. In this period shops and shopping malls will remain open from 10 am to 8 pm after abiding by the health protocols. Mills and factories will remain operational. Government and private offices will remain closed as well except the emergency service providing institutions. Banking transactions will continue in limited basis. AH
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Daytime ferry service halted
According to the government direction and to halt spread of coronavirus daytime ferry service will remain stop between the routes of Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Kanthal Bari from today. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) informed that ferry service will remain operational in the night for goods laden transport. BIWTC Chairman Md. Tazul Islam confirmed the information at around 12:30 am on Friday. He said, the decision has been taken to avert transmission of coronavirus. Concerned authority including the law enforcing agency members will work from Saturday morning to implement the direction. From Friday morning it was seen that pressure of home bound people and transports increased through Paturia-Daulatdia river route. People were seen hustling on the ferries to reach their destination. According to the ghat authority, people are returning to their homes through the river routes keeping the Eid ahead. As the time went on crowd began to increase from the early morning and it turned a huge gathering at around 8:30 am. There are 20 ferries on Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat river route. The ghat authority keeps six small and four big ferries in operation. The ghat authority also said, pressure of passengers mounted on Shimulia-Banglabazar river route as launch and speed boat services are halted. Vehicle movements are being disrupted on the ferries. As a result more than a thousand personal and goods laden vehicles have been stranded at the ghat area. Currently 13 ferries are in operation for transport movement. AH    
Germany bans ‘Ansaar International’ for funding terrorism
On Wednesday, Germany announced that it was banning the Islamist organization Ansaar International, for financing terrorism worldwide through its donations. A German government spokesman said that “The network finances terrorism worldwide with donations,” and quoted Germany’s Interior Minister saying, “If you want to fight terror, you have to dry up its sources of money.” The banned organization had also solicited donations in the name of post-CAA riots. The Germany-based Islamist organization is accused of sending funds to multiple terrorist groups abroad including the Al-Nusra Front in Syria, the Palestinian Hamas (which is on an E.U. terrorism blacklist), and Al-Shabab in Somalia. Interestingly, the banned organization had also solicited donations in the name of the Delhi anti-Hindu riots. On their website, they had mentioned that they were soliciting funds for Muslims of India after these riots and had also admitted that they were providing local help to Muslims. The German Interior Ministry has claimed that some of the money donated to Ansaar International also went to projects that can be counted as “directly within the sphere of activity of one or another of these terrorist organizations.” This claim means that it is certainly possible that any donations Ansaar International collected in the name of anti-Hindu Delhi Riots could have gone to fund international terrorism. Raids against Ansaar International were conducted all across Germany on Wednesday morning, in ten different states to be exact. Ansaar International’s website says that its humanitarian projects help “people in need at home and abroad,” with projects in Lebanon, Sudan, and the Palestinian territories advertised. The Islamist organization has also distributed some relief materials to Indian Muslims affected by the anti-Hindu Delhi riots, with the materials carrying the tagline, “Wake Up Ummah!” German authorities had carried out a major raid on the Ansaar network two years ago in April 2019 during which extensive materials were seized, prompting a series of investigations that have now resulted in Ansaar International being declared unlawful. According to the German Interior Minister, Ansaar International “spread a Salafist world view and finance terror around the world under the guise of humanitarian aid.” Germany’s domestic intelligence said in the 2020 annual report that the country’s number of Salafists had increased to an all-time high of 12,150 in 2019, listing them being “Islamist extremists.” According to the report, the number of Salafists had more than tripled since 2011 and the Salafist scene in Germany was going through a “consolidation stage,” with followers keeping a low public profile. This is also a lesson for India and its intelligence/security apparatus to be more vigilant of foreign organizations or other assorted NGOs who don the cloak of humanitarianism but are instead funding terrorist groups worldwide. Source: OpIndia AH
Universities can take exams using online platforms
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided that certain universities can hold the internal examinations using online platforms. The UGC and Vice Chancellors of different public universities have reached in this decision after holding a meeting through Zoom Platform on Thursday. In this regard the certain university has to decide the matter in its academic council meeting. The technical committee has given certain directions along with a guideline for holding examinations through online. After abiding by the matters universities have to take the examinations. If any student or university does not want to take part in the online examination then it should not be forced. If any university thinks that it would take the exams offline after situation improves then they will do that. That means it would not be forced upon anybody to hold the online examinations. In this regard UGC Secretary (additional responsibility) Dr. Ferdous Zaman said, decision has been taken to hold the examinations abiding by the international guidelines. But each university has to obtain approval from its syndicate and academic council. He said, viva would be given more priority. Universities were asked to maintain all types of strategies for holding the examinations in a transparent way. Discussions were held about developing software. Mentionable, according to the sources universities can arrange examinations using online platforms if they want after the Eid ul Fitr. AH