Two school students have been killed after being hit by a train while playing 'Free Fire' on their mobile phones while sitting on the railway track in Jamalpur.   The accident occurred at the Bottola Bazar area of the ​​Dumuth Union at around 1.30pm on Monday (Jan 22), said Raju Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Melandah Police Station. The identities of the victims were not known yet.   The OC said that two of them died on the spot after being hit by a Dewanganj-bound commuter train.   However, it is believed that they could not hear the train coming because they were wearing earphones.   The OC said that the bodies of the victims were taken to the police station.  

State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Tuesday (Jan 16) directed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to take steps to block all unregistered mobile phones. He issued the directive at a meeting with senior officials of the BTRC at the commission office in the capital Dhaka's Agargaon area this morning, said a press release. The state minister said that the regulatory body has a system of database and automatic registration of mobile handsets manufactured and assembled in and imported to the country. Noting that there is no alternative to taking initiatives to increase export income and investment, create employment and increase revenue in the telecommunication and information technology sectors to lay the foundation for 'Smart Bangladesh' with specific goals in the next five years, he directed all concerned to work with utmost sincerity to achieve this goal. During the current global economic crisis, a simple technology-based solution can benefit the country in many ways, increasing exports, investment and employment, and maintaining law and order, Palak said. Mentioning that a revolutionary change has taken place in service delivery through 'Parichoy' verification authentication service, he put emphasize on making all databases interoperable with one another to make the service more accessible. BTRC Chairman Engineer Md Mohiuddin Ahmed and Spectrum Division Commissioner Engineer Sheikh Riaz Ahmed, National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) Director General (DG) Major General Ziaul Ahsan, BTRC DG (admin) Abdullah Al Mamun, DG (engineering and operations) Brigadier General Md Ehsanul Kabir, DG (spectrum) Brigadier General Mohammad Maniruzzaman Jwel and DG (system and services) Brigadier General Mohammad Khalil-Ur-Rahman were present, among others, at the meeting.   Source: BSS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invited the world to invest in India, saying the South Asian nation offers what innovators and investors need. "India's strides in the world of tech and start-up are well-known," Modi said, delivering a virtual keynote address at the 5th edition of VivaTech -- one of Europe's largest digital and start-up events, held annually in Paris. The prime minister's appeal comes as India turns a corner from a surge of coronavirus infections that overshadowed the Modi government's economic agenda, including his Make in India campaign to attract manufacturing investment. "Our nation is home to one of the world's largest start-up eco systems. Several unicorns have come up in the recent years," he said inviting investment into India based on five pillars of "talent, market, capital, eco-system and culture of openness." Modi pointed out that India has 1.18 billion mobile phones and 775 million internet users. Data consumption in the country is among the highest and cheapest in the world, and Indians are the largest users of social media. "There is a diverse and extensive market that awaits you," he added. Touching on India-France ties, Modi said technology and digital are emerging areas of cooperation between the two countries. "Many youngsters saw the French Open with great enthusiasm," he said, pointing out that Infosys, one of India's leading IT services companies, provided tech support for the recently concluded tennis tournament. He added that French company Atos is involved in a project for making the fastest supercomputer in India. "Whether it is France's Capgemini or India's TCS and Wipro, our IT talent is serving companies and citizens all over the world." On COVID-19, a deadly second wave of which ravaged India in April and May, Modi called the global pandemic "the biggest disruption of our age". COVID-19 "put many of our conventional methods to test," he added. "However, it was innovation that came to the rescue." Modi mentioned India's unique biometric digital identity system known as Aadhaar, which helped the government to provide financial support to the poor. The IT platform Aarogya Setu enabled effective COVID-19 contact tracing, while another digital service called CoWIN helped in the country's vaccination drive, the prime minister said. "Had we not been innovating, then our fight against COVID-19 would have been much weaker," Modi said. "We must not abandon this innovative zeal so that we are even better prepared when the next challenge strikes." He also said two vaccines -- Covishield, which is known as AstraZeneca overseas, and indigenously-developed Covaxin -- are being made in India and more are in the development or trial stages. The Serum Institute of India is manufacturing Covishield while Bharat Biotech is producing Covaxin. As of Wednesday morning, India had administered nearly 262 million doses nationwide - mostly first of the two required -- since launching the inoculation drive on Jan. 16. The country has so far reported 29.63 million infections with 379,573 fatalities. Modi's government has faced criticism for its handling of the coronavirus crisis, from a lack of hospital beds to an oxygen shortage to slow progress on the world's biggest vaccination drive. In his address, Modi said there has been a lot of disruption in different sectors over the past year, and much of it is still there. "Yet disruption does not have to mean despair. Instead, we must keep the focus on the twin foundations of repair and prepare," he said, calling for repairing of the health infrastructure and economies, and preparing for insulating the planet Earth against the next pandemic, among other things. Jointly organized by Publicis Groupe, a prominent advertising and marketing conglomerate, and Les Echos, a leading French media group, the latest edition of VivaTech runs from Wednesday to Friday. Source: Nikkei Asia AH

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Thursday) said the government is sending allowances under social safety net (SSN) programmes directly to the beneficiaries’ mobile wallets to get rid of middlemen. “We have been trying to send different allowances directly to the hands of the actual beneficiaries since long so nobody is there between the beneficiaries and they can use the money whatever they want,” she said. The premier said this while inaugurating different allowances distribution ceremony at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC), joining virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban. She said the government wants the allowances being given to different segments of destitute people are reached their hands properly and the job is being done by the mobile financial service (MFS) operators –Nagad and bKash. Mentioning that the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had started different works for rural people such as rural social welfare activity to change the fate and livelihood of the people, Sheikh Hasina said they (Awami League) after coming to power have taken up the unfinished schemes of Bangabandhu and are working for their (rural people) welfare. The allowances were given directly through MFS following G2P system among the old age, widow, husband-abandoned women and financially insolvent physically challenged persons as well as education stipends to the physically challenged students under the SSN programmes. Deputy Commissioners of Chandpur, Pirojpur, Lalmonirhat and Netrokona districts were connected with the distribution ceremony where Members of the Parliament of local constituencies, Superintends of Police, Chairmen of Zila Parishads, Awami League leaders and officials concerned were present. Beneficiaries also talked with the Prime Minister and expressed their gratitude to her for the allowances. They thanked the Prime Minister for sending the allowances to their mobile wallets and said it would facilitate them to spend the money easily to fulfill their necessities. Social welfare minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed, MP also spoke on the occasion where social welfare secretary Mohammad Jainul Bari gave welcome speech. Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus moderated the event. Source: BSS AH

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has been conducted mobile courts in different parts of the capital. RAB is conducting the drive to ensure use of masks for the people to face the second corona wave. Besides, masks are being distributed among the poor people. On Thursday mobile courts were conducted at four populous spots in the capital- Shahbag, Farmgate, City College Jigatala and Mirpur and its adjacent areas. While conducting the mobile court at Farmgate in the capital it was observed that most of the people wear masks. But someone is apathetic about wearing mask. They are showing different excuses before the mobile court. During the drive to make people aware about wearing masks mobile courts fined a number of people. Besides, masks were distributed among them. Executive Magistrate Akteruzzaman led the mobile court at Farmgate area. He said, the government has made wearing masks compulsory to face the second corona wave. At the populous are like Farmgate most of the people were seen wearing masks. But somebody is apathetic. Some are not wearing mask though they have it. To make everybody conscious and for correction of the people who are not wearing masks certain amount of money has been fined. AH    

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said, law enforcement agencies have been asked to take stern action including conducting mobile courts in the capital to ensure use of masks. He said this on Monday while briefing the newsmen. Earlier the virtual cabinet meeting was held presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Prime Minister from Ganabhaban and the cabinet members from the cabinet division at the secretariat took part in it through video conference. While answering a question Khandker Anwarul Islam said, it was said in the meeting to take bolder action to face the coronavirus situation. It seems that corona infection is increasing. So direction has been given to be more alert. Fearing increase of corona infection in the winter the Prime Minister has been directing to take stern action about using masks. By this time mobile courts are awarding punishment and fines in several districts including Khulna. The Cabinet Secretary said, the premier in different times has directed to take stern action for using masks. We have already told law enforcing agencies and mobile courts to take stronger action in Dhaka. The effect will be visible within two or three days. AH    

The High Court has scrapped the conviction and jail sentence of children given by the mobile courts. Besides, the court has scrapped jail sentence of 121 children given by the mobile courts in this connection. The High Court bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Md. Mahmud Hasan Talukder delivered the verdict on Wednesday declaring a previously issued rule appropriate. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Bipul Bagmar represented the state during the hearing while Barrister Abdul Halim and Advocate Ishrat Hasan stood for the petition. Mentionable, the hearing of the rule, asking why not conviction and jail sentence given by the mobile courts will not be declared illegal, concluded on Tuesday. In this regard the High Court fixed the date for delivering verdict on Wednesday (today). On October 31, last year the High Court ordered to release 121 children captive in the Children correction centers in Jashore and Tongi who were sentenced by the mobile courts. In this connection the court also issued rule asking why not the conviction and jail sentence to the children given by the mobile courts will not be declared illegal. Following the order the children were released. AH     

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has ordered to suspend mobile phone network in the areas of one kilometer inside Bangladesh from the Indian border. Following the order which was issued on Sunday night all the mobile telephone operators of the country have suspended their network in the border areas. The directions issued to mobile telephone operators Grameenphone, Tele Talk, Robi and Banglalink said, under the present context for the interest of security for the country network coverage has to be stopped in the border areas until next directions are given. AH

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has ordered to stop mobile phone facilities for Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh. In a notice of the ministry served on Monday it was said, BTRC has taken the steps following order from Post and Telecommunication Minister Mustafa Jabbar. In the BTRC direction it was said to the operators, considering state security and importance, for keeping law and order situation under control and protecting interest of the people, the organizations were directed to confirm the matter that Rohingya people cannot get mobile phone facilities. But information was gathered through camp inspecting committee, different newspapers, media report, law enforcing agencies and intelligence agencies that Rohingya people are using SIM/RIM in a large scale. In this situation, BTRC is asked to ensure steps for not selling mobile phone SIM to Rohingya people and for taking all types of steps so that they cannot get mobile phone facilities. AH    

More than 6 thousand mobile phone towers throughout the country including Dhaka have turned offline after the nor’wester that hit on Sunday. Banglalink Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Taimur Rahman delivered the information to the media on Monday. He said, about one and half thousand site out of 9 thousand of ours are currently offline for lack of power supply. Nearly 3 thousand sites are being run with help of generators. Besides it was known that there was no power supply in 50 percent mobile phone towers of the country till 11 am. The source also said, for the same reason at least 5 thousand towers of country’s two major mobile phone operators Grameen Phone and Robi are offline. Robi’s vice president Ikram Ahmed said that they are facing network problem as Power Development Board cannot provide electricity. It was said from Tele Talk that at least two hundred and fifty Base Transceiver Station (BTS) are currently offline after the storm. The nor’wester lashed down Dhaka and other districts in the country on Sunday (March 31) evening. AH