At least seven people were killed in a collision between a bus and a auto-rickshaw. The accident took place in the Parerhat area of Pirojpur around 12:30pm. The incident took place at Jhautala bus stand are on Friday (March 8). The identities of the deceased could not be known immediately. Pirojpur Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Kamruzzaman confirmed the matter to the reporters. He said that the incident took place at Jhautala area of Parerhat road at noon. The fire service recovered seven dead bodies so far and sent them to the hospital. The death toll in the accident may increase.

As taking examinations not possible in this year, so steps should be taken to begin the lessons of students for the next class by giving promotion. She said this at the inaugural ceremony of Itna-Mithamoin-Oshtogram all weather road on Thursday. The Prime Minister said, students have to be attentive in virtual learning through digital method. There is no alternative of conquering Corona and going ahead. She said, to turn the haor areas into multi productive zone, fish and food processing centers will be built as well as agricultural production. The premier inaugurated the Itna-Mithamoin-Oshtagram road through video conference in Kishoreganj district. After the inauguration video clips of the all weather road were showed. Being astonished to see the beauty of haor areas and the road the Prime Minister wished to go there. She said that one day she will go there to see the natural beauty of the area. The President also wants her to visit. She said, I will go there, I will go there by road when corona situation would improve. AH 

Senior Secretary of primary and mass education ministry Akram Al Hossain said, from class one to class five in the government primary schools syllabus has been made short for examination based evaluation centering the months of October and November. Class evaluations will be made based on that after taking the examinations for the students of class one to class five if schools are opened. If schools cannot be opened then there will be no alternative but auto pass in the examinations. The Senior Secretary said these on Sunday at a press conference at secretariat on the occasion of taking preparation for celebrating international literacy day. Primary and Mass Education Minister Md. Zakir Hossain was present at that time. Akram Al Hossain said, it is uncertain when the schools will be opened in the coronavirus pandemic situation. Considering the matter of school reopening in the month of October and November two short syllabuses were prepared and finalized. In which month the schools can be opened based on that syllabus and given lessons students can be promoted to the next class after taking class evaluations. If schools cannot be opened then examinations and evaluations cannot be possible and there will no alternative but auto pass. The decisions will be taken based on the situation. He said, we have taken different types of steps to prevent drop out of students. Literacy rate have to be increased among the aged people. Many kindergarten schools may be shut in the coronavirus situation and in this regard we have directed the adjacent government primary schools to admit students. Anybody can be admitted anywhere. AH   

The CNG run auto rickshaws older than 15 years that are plying in Dhaka and Chittagong will not be renewed. Those will be removed and time has given for replacing those. The expired auto rickshaws in Dhaka metropolitan area will get time for replacement till September. And the auto rickshaws of Chittagong will get time till June. A direction in this regard was given to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) on March 15. Joint Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division Dr. Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan confirmed this to Rtv online on Tuesday. He said, time is not extended for the auto rickshaws of Dhaka and Chittagong. But some time has been given for replacement. Because, those cannot be removed at once. It will hamper people’s movement and cause sufferings to the passengers. For this reason those will be removed by phases. Kamrul Ahsan said, in Dhaka the auto rickshaws of 2002 will be replaced by September. We have directed BRTA in this regard. Those will be replaced slowly through forming committee by BRTA. And the auto rickshaws that are plying in Chittagong should be replaced by June 30. He said that BRTA is working with the matter. According to the information published in media, total 26 thousand 652 CNG auto rickshaws are plying including 13 thousand 652 in Dhaka and 13 thousand in Chittagong. Of those the registration of 5 thousand 561 auto rickshaws were given in Dhaka and 7 thousand 459 were registered in Chittagong in 2002. The time-limit of these auto rickshaws were expired on December 31 last year. Of the registered auto rickshaws more than 450 were affected in different times. New model auto rickshaws were replaced against those. These newly registered Auto rickshaws need not to be replaced. The time-limit of the remaining 13 thousand 642 auto rickshaws which are plying in two metropolitan areas will expire on December 31 this year. Under this circumstance the owners demanded for time-limit extension and then BRTA sought opinion of BUET. BRTA Secretary Mohammad Shawkat Ali said, owners and workers organizations demanded for allocation of time for replacement as the time-limit was not extended. But after examining the auto rickshaws Mechanical Engineering Department of BUET suggested for not extending time-limit as those have not hundred per cent fitness. In this situation the time-limit of CNG auto rickshaws that are older than 15 years is not extended, only specific time has been given for replacement. AH    

BUET Mechanical Engineering department has suggested for not renewing the expiration of 2002 model CNG run auto rickshaws that are plying in the metropolitan areas in Dhaka and Chittagong. They also have suggested for declaring those as out of order and to assemble those in a fresh way. But the CNG owners as usual seek time. The CNG run auto rickshaws are passing bad times following introduction of alternative transport like Uber, Pathao or Sam. In this circumstance time limit of more than eight thousand auto rickshaws are going to be expired in this month. Earlier time limit of those auto rickshaws were fixed at 15 years which were increased in three phases. Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) gave three months time to the owners association as the time limit expired on December 31 lastly. In this situation owners again claimed for expansion of CNG auto rickshaws time limit for another 15 years. Then BRTA sought BUET’s opinion in this regard. But after examining the auto rickshaws Mechanical Engineering department of BUET suggested for not renewing the time limit as those were not hundred percent fit. Based on the suggestion, BRTA informed for taking quick decision over auto rickshaws. BRTA Secretary Mohammad Sowkat Ali said, owners and workers association demanded that if the time limit is not increased then they should be given time for the auto rickshaw replacement. Dhaka Metropolitan CNG Auto Rickshaw Owners and Workers Association has said, if their demand is not met then owners and workers will be affected financially as well as there is a fear of severe joblessness. AH