Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated 15-storey newly-constructed Bangladesh Bar Council Bhaban at a cost of Taka 138 crore in the capital city on Saturday, October 21. She opened the Bhaban after unveiling the inaugural plaque built at a place adjacent to the High Court (HC) as the chief guest. The prime minister also went round different parts of the Bhaban. Earlier, on her arrival at the venue, Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq received the premier with a flower bouquet. The bhabon has been built under the supervision of Law and Justice Division and designed by the Department of Architecture. It has housed spacious office space, meeting room, two conference rooms, record room, store room, waiting area, cafeteria, day-care centre, exhibition space, registration room, bank, accounts section, IT section, ive tribunal rooms, multipurpose hall and separate prayers room.   More than hundred lawyers will be able to be in the Bar Bhaban. Source: BSS

The Minorities Alliance of Pakistan on Friday demanded more seats in national and provincial assemblies for members of religious minorities besides an amendment to article 41 and 91 of the Constitution to remove the bar on non-Muslims from becoming president and prime minister of Pakistan. Addressing a ‘Jinnah’s Pakistan public rally’ held to mark the National Minorities Day, Akmal Bhatti, the alliance chairman, said misuse of sensitive religious/blasphemy laws should stop in the country and there has to be provision of free and fair justice to the victims. “Members of religious minorities have played a vital role in Pakistan movement, its development, defence and progress. Our people sacrificed their lives for the motherland; we are proud to be citizens of Pakistan, but now, unfortunately, the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been forgotten,” Mr Bhatti said. He said those who played the religion card for their political motives ruined peace and harmony in society. Other speakers said religious campaigns were being launched to victimise political or personal opponents and settle personal vendetta by misusing the blasphemy laws. They regretted that state institutions, including police, had been providing cover to elements involved in forced conversions. A resolution passed at the rally held at Jinnah Avenue slammed both the PDM and PTI governments for ignoring the demand of minorities to impose a ban on forced conversions. The resolution said there should be legislation to ban forced conversion of minor girls. It also called the implementation of the five per cent quota allocated for minorities in formal and technical educational schools, colleges and universities. Moreover, the speech of Quiad-i-Azam made on August 11, 1947, should be the integral part of the 1973 constitution. Those who addressed the rally included Shamaoun Gill, Anosh Bhatti, Asif John, Sadaf Adnan, Ijaz Ghori, Fiaz Bhatti, Dalair Singh, Bishop Zahid Bahir, Sarfraz Gill and George Mehboob. Taxila Walk, seminar and cake cutting events were held in Hassanabdal and Attock to honour the services and sacrifices rendered by religious minorities for the country. A walk arranged by the Sikh community and attended by members of the Sikh, Hindu and Christian communities was organised at Hassanabdal. The walk was led by Deputy Commissioner Attock Rao Atif Raza along with Assistant Commissioner Sana Ramchand, which commenced from the municipal committee building and concluded at Gurdwara Panja Sahib. Speaking on the ceremony, the DC said Pakistan reassures its minorities of their future rights by specifically allocating a portion of the national flag, the white colour, which traditionally represents purity and innocence and which the minorities have kept so over many decades. He said the Constitution gives minorities all the privileges and facilities and their places of worship were being made safe. The assistant commissioner said religious minorities in Pakistan have full rights as equal citizens. This country was built by followers of all religions united under the leadership of the Quaid. She was of the view that the minority community had been playing an important role in the progress and development of the country. Meanwhile, the National Minority Day was also observed at Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hassanabdal. The Sikh community arranged an event to honour the services and sacrifices rendered by religious minorities for the country. Speaking as chief guest, Pakistan Baitul Maal (PBM) Managing Director Amir Fida Paracha said religious freedom and the protection of the rights of minorities were enshrined in the constitution and protected by a number of legislative, policy and administrative measures. PPP divisional vice president minorities wing Sardar Ravinder Singh Jaggi called for the implementation of Quaid’s principles of tolerance and religious freedom. He said in his 14 points, Mr Jinnah had stated that if any piece of legislation was not endorsed by minorities it could not become a law. PPP Attock President Sardar Asher Hayat Khan said the Sikh and Christian communities had made tremendous contributions in the fields of medicine and education. PPP leader Zulfiqar Hayat Khan said while some people had hijacked religious freedom in the country, the PPP was committed to bringing all citizens at one platform. A seminar to mark the day was also held at Jinnah Hall Attock. Source: dawn.com

The Minorities Alliance of Pakistan on Friday demanded removal of the bar on non-Muslims becoming President or Prime Minister of Pakistan, reported Dawn on Saturday. The Alliance also demanded more seats in national and provincial assemblies for members of religious minorities, reported Dawn. As per the Dawn, on National Minorities Day, the alliance chairman, Akmal Bhatti, while addressing a ‘Jinnah’s Pakistan public rally’ said misuse of sensitive religious/blasphemy laws should stop in the country and there has to be the provision of free and fair justice to the victims. “Members of religious minorities have played a vital role in Pakistan movement, its development, defence and progress. Our people sacrificed their lives for the motherland; we are proud to be citizens of Pakistan, but now, unfortunately, the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been forgotten,” Bhatti said. He also alleged that those who played the religious card for their political motives ruined peace and harmony in society. According to Dawn News, Apart from Bhatti, other speakers added that religious campaigns were being launched to victimise political or personal opponents and settle personal vendettas by misusing the blasphemy laws. They accused the state institutions, including the police, had been providing cover to elements involved in forced conversions. As per Dawn News, A resolution passed at the rally held at Jinnah Avenue slammed both the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party governments for ignoring the demand of minorities to impose a ban on forced conversions. The resolution raised the issue to ban the forced conversion of minor girls. It also called for the implementation of the five per cent quota allocated for minorities in formal and technical educational schools, colleges and universities. Moreover, the speech of Quiad-i-Azam made on August 11, 1947, should be an integral part of the 1973 constitution. Those who addressed the rally included Shamaoun Gill, Anosh Bhatti, Asif John, Sadaf Adnan, Ijaz Ghori, Fiaz Bhatti, Dalair Singh, Bishop Zahid Bahir, Sarfraz Gill and George Mehboob, reports Dawn News.

Shipping has started to pass through the new channel dredged in the outer bar of Mongla port. The project titled "Dredging at the Outer Bar Area of Mongla Port Channel" for handling 10.5 m draft vessels in the anchorage area of ​​Mongla Port was approved at the ECNEC meeting at an estimated cost of Tk 712.50 crore. After the approval of the project, Hong Kong River Engineering Co. Ltd.-China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation JV signed the agreement on December 13, 2018. The contractor started dredging after the contract was signed. The dredging area is divided into two sections, one of which is located about 20 km south of Hiron Point in the open sea and the other section is adjacent to Hiron Point. After completing the section within the sea and about 85% of the dredging of the adjoining section at Hiron point creating a channel with a depth of 8.5 m CD depth in the entire channel from the fairway buoy to Hiron Point. It should be noted that this channel is located on the west side of the currently used channel along Bangabandhu Char. Ships of higher drafts could not come to the port as the existing channel had a minimum depth of 6.5 m  CD in some places from Fairway Buoy to Hiron Point. But after Hiron Point to Harbaria Anchorage, it has a depth of 8.5m CD and in some anchorages is 10.5 m CD to berth ships. Ships of high draft could not be brought to the anchorage of the port only for the limitation of the outer bar. Besides, the current channel is quite zigzag. As a result of dredging at a depth of 8.5m CD, the port is now facilitated to bring ships of 10.5 m draft at high tide. Shipping has started from November 17, 2020 after installing buoy on the new dredged channel. As the new channel is relatively safe, it takes less time for ships to reach the port and the ships are able to arrive safely. This will greatly increase the number of ships in the port and the revenue is increasing. So far the overall progress of the project is 95% and the remaining work will be completed by December 2020. It should be noted that, As one of the ENR-listed top 100 global contractors for consecutive nineteen years with a global business network in 103 countries and regions, CCECC has been engaged in a wide spectrum of infrastructure projects worldwide in diverse fields such as railway, road, elevated expressway, bridge, marine works including dredging, and housing projects in the capacity of an EPC Contractor or a private investor. Since its incorporation in Bangladesh from 2015, CCECC has been engaged in 10 no.s infrastructure development projects totaling more than 2.0 Billion US Dollars in the domains of railway engineering, dredging and marine works, and roads and highways. AH  

The High Court (HC) on Wednesday turned down a writ petition seeking stay on the process of holding ‘A’ level, ‘O’ level examinations this year due to coronavirus pandemic. The bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam passed the order clearing the way for holding the ‘A’ level, ‘O’ level examinations in due time. ‘A’ level student Tamanna Tabassum Kabir filed the writ petition on September 27, stating that the students failed to prepare for the examination as all the classes remained suspended for the past six months. On September 23, British Council in a statement said this year General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), ‘A’ level and ‘O’ level examinations under October-November (2020) session will be held in due time. The British Council also secured approval from the Education Ministry in this regard. Source: UNB AH

The High Court has cleared the way for holding the by-election to the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). A two-member High Court bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah on Wednesday lifted its earlier order that stayed the election process. The DNCC mayoral post fell vacant with the death of Annisul Huq on November 30 last year. As per the law, the EC on January 9 last year fixed February 18 to hold the by-election to the DNCC mayoral post and polls to 36 new wards – 18 in DNCC and 18 in SNCC. On January 17, the apex court stayed the schedule of DNCC polls for six months following writ petition filed with the HC seeking a stay on the election. The court later extended its stay order on the election for six more months. MHK

A sheriff says 13 people are dead, including a sheriff's sergeant and the gunman, after a shooting inside a crowded Southern California bar in USA late Wednesday. Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean says sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus responded to the scene and was shot after he entered the building. He died at a hospital early Thursday. Reports AP. Authorities did not say how the gunman died. Dean says around 10 other people were shot and wounded. No other information on the victims was immediately known. Ventura County Sheriff's Office Capt. Garo Kuredjian said the first reports of shots fired came around 11:20 p.m. at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles. The bar's website says its hosts "College Country Night" every Wednesday. Police said hundreds were inside when the shooting occurred. Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Eric Buschow says the gunman is dead inside a Southern California bar where 11 people were injured late Wednesday. Authorities say a responding deputy was shot and taken to a hospital. No other information on the victims was immediately known. A sheriff's captain says at least 11 people — including a responding deputy — were shot late Wednesday when a suspect opened fire in a Southern California bar filled with college students. The sheriff's spokesman says the first reports of shots fired came around 11:20 p.m. at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, which is about 40 miles west of Los Angeles. Witnesses tell ABC News that a man fired several shots from a handgun before tossing smoke bombs and starting to fire again. Police tell the Los Angeles Times that at least 30 shots were fired. Witnesses say a man fired several shots from a handgun before tossing smoke bombs into a crowded bar in Southern California early Thursday. The Times reports that there were multiple reports of shots fired and people hit. Law enforcement and emergency crews were flooding the scene. AH