Chinese baby, rescued from toilet, is released to grandparents

 A newborn baby boy who was found alive inside a toilet pipe in Jinhua, China, has been released from a hospital and taken home by his maternal grandparents, police said.

The child's mother is still being treated at the hospital, but has been cooperating with the investigation, Xiang Jiangsong, a police official, said Thursday.

The police are labeling the case an "accident" at this time, and no charges have been filed against the mother.

Dramatic video of the infant's rescue made global headlines and sparked reactions worldwide.

Unable to pull the infant out, rescuers went to a floor below the toilet and sawed away a section of pipe to gain access from there.

Still unable to extract the infant, rescuers detached the section of pipe with the infant inside and took it to the hospital.

Working together, rescuers and doctors used pliers and gingerly tore away bits of the pipe.

CCTV video showed the exact moment hands in white gloves gingerly pulled away a part of the pipe to reveal the newborn's face.

The infant, a boy referred to as "Baby 59," was drinking formula, doctors said.

Police said firefighters and other rescuers involved visited the baby at the hospital and sent clothes, formula powder and diapers.

The mother's account

The mother of the infant is not being identified, but local police say she is 22.

Police say that, so far, they believe her account of how the baby ended up in the pipe.

"That day she felt stomachaches," said Jiang Song, the vice director of police. "So she went to the toilet. It was actually close to her due date and the baby just slid out."

Police questioned the woman, who told them that she did not intend for the child to fall into the toilet, according to a local TV channel that was posted on the official police Weibo account.

The police said she tried to retrieve the baby with a stick, then decided to flush the toilet to clear away the blood.

Police: Young mother was embarrassed

A police officer in Pujiang County, in which the incident took place, told a journalist working for CNN that the unmarried woman broke up with her boyfriend six months ago. The officer refused to give his full name to the reporter, identifying himself only as Fang.

According to Fang, the young woman was embarrassed to have a child as a single woman and felt nervous, so after the baby fell in the toilet, she called her landlord and told him that she'd heard crying, Fang said.

The landlord saw the baby and called police, the officer said, adding that the woman later begged police not to tell her story to anyone, including her parents, because she didn't want public attention, according to the officer.

The mother's parents have agreed to help the mother take care of the baby, and police have identified a man they believe is the father. The police are conducting blood tests to confirm paternity, the officer told CNN.

Fang said that the mother has legal custody of the child and can decide if she wants help from the baby's father

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'American Idol' to get makeover with exits of Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj

There won't just be a new winner next season on "American Idol." Most everything about the show may be new.

Weeks after Randy Jackson announced his departure from Fox's long-running music talent show, two of his fellow judges -- Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj -- followed him out the door Thursday.

That leaves only one "Idol" judge left in crooner Keith Urban -- for now.

News of Carey's departure came out first Thursday, in the form of a tweet posted on her official account that stated she was saying "goodbye 2 idol" (and, simultaneously, announced a new world tour). Players behind "American Idol" -- namely Fox, FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment -- confirmed her departure in a statement.

 'Idol' judges fight ends in walk-off 'American Idol' contestant admits to lie

"Mariah Carey is a true global icon -- one of the most accomplished artists on the planet -- and we feel extremely fortunate that she was able to bring her wisdom and experience to the 'American Idol' contestants this season," they said. "We know she will remain an inspiration to 'Idol' hopefuls for many seasons to come."

Minaj followed up a short time later with a tweet of her own, making her exit official, also after a lone season.

"Thank you American Idol for a life changing experience! Wouldn't trade it for the world!" the rapper wrote. "Time to focus on the Music!!! Mmmuuuaahhh!!!"

After this tweet, Fox, FreemantleMedia and 19 Entertainment issued another statement saying they "understand and respect her decision" in light of "her extremely busy career."

"Nicki Minaj is a superstar who brought a level of honesty and passion to 'American Idol' and who had a tremendous positive impact on so many contestants this season," they said.

The two performers had been brought on following the exits of judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, hoping to bolster the show's ratings.

"Idol" had topped the Nielsen charts as America's most watched program for eight years running. But that streak ended in 2012, and since then the show's producers have made several changes. This season's finale was earlier this month.

Carey and Minaj, though, ended up generating headlines more for their reported tiff than they did for bringing in more viewers.

Both of them join Jackson, who had been the only judge remaining from the program's 2002 debut. Earlier this month, he announced he had voted himself off the show.

"It's been a life-changing opportunity, but I am looking forward to focusing on my company, Dream Merchant 21, and other business ventures," the musician and producer said.

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Bangladeshis did not vote in Malaysia

AKM Atiqur Rahman, who has been touring polling centres throughout the day, told bdnews24.com that he had not come across ‘a single such incident’.

He was in Johor Bahru, near the southern tip of mainland Malaysia, when the polls closed on Sunday.

“I have gone round quite a few centres today and everything appears to be quite in order,” the envoy said."There were no such complaints."

Reports , later dismissed as false, had surfaced that many expatriate Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia had been duped into believing they were indeed being made voters in Malaysia.

The NGO Affairs Bureau’s announcement, citing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said that many Bangladeshis working in Malaysia would not only be given citizenship but voting rights in these elections.

However, the Bangladesh envoy Atiqur Rahman clarified that no such announcement had ever been made.

According to a petition filed with the White House of USA , the ruling coalition —Barisan Nasional — “had bribed the official recruitment agency of Bangladesh to allow a huge number of Bangladeshi workers (estimated about 600,000 people) taken to Malaysia for such despicable and non democratic action”.

The petitioners , ‘Kuan-Ping Ang and etc’ , on the White House website’s open petition page have urged the Obama administration for assistance to prevent this supposed vote rigging by phantom voters.

Asked whether the High Commission had initiated any investigation to ascertain whether there is any truth in these allegations, the Bangladeshi envoy said there had been none. “But we may begin something to this effect later.”

Asked about the process of becoming a Malaysian voter, Rahman said, “There are perhaps 100 Bangladeshis or so who might have become citizens and thereafter voters.”

“It (voting rights) is very difficult and restricted,” said the diplomat. He said that there was no way such a huge number of people could actually secure citizenship, let alone a voter ID.

According to another High Commission official , since there were numerous complaints and worries about Bangladeshi workers, this hoax might have been engineered by certain quarters for political advantage.

He said voting rights were almost exclusively restricted to Malaysians and anyone foreigner who went up to a polling booth , even with a fake voter ID, would give himself away. “Any idiot would know that the person was a foreigner and not a Malaysian.”

Requesting anonymity this official told bdnews24.com that there were an estimated 600,000 Bangladeshis living in Malaysia. “That is including the officially registered people as well as illegal and semi-legal workers.”

Familiar to the region, the official said the highest number of workers were from Indonesia and put their number at around 1.5 million. If there are fake voters, it makes more sense to give them the false identity papers. “But here the complaints appear to be directed against Bangladeshis.”

“I tried checking the situation after hearing these rumours but have not been able to spot a single such case.”

He confirmed that the High commission had not taken any steps to probe these rumours. “We cannot do that unless it we are officially asked to.”

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Half day transport strike in Dhaka

A half-day transport strike was in effect in Dhaka on Monday adding to the misery of commuters.

The strike was called protesting the death of a transport worker who died during clashes between the Hifazat-e-Islam and police on Sunday.

Only a few state-owned BRTC buses were seen plying streets. Some ‘staff buses’ of various institutions were also seen.

Office-goers were seen crowding at key bus stops throughout the city. Many were seen walking to respective destinations, bdnews24.com Correspondents reported.

Hundreds headed for offices were seen waiting at Banglamotor, Kawran Bazar, Farmgate and Mohakhali around 8:30am. Many from Kawran Bazar was seen walking to respective offices in Motijheel, Paltan and Gulistan.

The strike will be effective until 12 noon, Dhaka road transport association General Secretary Khandaker Enayetullah told bdnews24.com. After the strike, a Namaj-e-Janaza will be held at Phulbaria for the deceased Siddiqur Rahman.

A procession will be brought out after the Janaza to protest the killing, he added.

On Sunday, up to 15 home-made bombs were exploded near Awami League headquarters at Bangabandhu Avenue around 1:45pm and Hifazat supporters damaged at least 15 vehicles there.

At one point, they tried to attack the Awami League office but were stopped by the ruling party activists.

Police lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets continously to bring the situation under control.

During this time, a bus used by the police was set on fire fire and its helper Siddiqur Rahman, 28, was hit on the face by bullets.

The bus driver Jewel told bdnews24.com that Siddiqur was near the stadium when he was hit. He succumbed while on the way to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

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Hifazat sets vehicles on fire

At least 50 vehicles and several buildings were vandalised and torched in Dhaka by supporters of the Hifazat-e Islam during their rally at Motijheel on Sunday.

  

The Hifazat activists, while heading towards the rally, unleashed the mayhem in Paltan, Bijoynagar and the surrounding areas after involving with the law enforcers in clashes at Gulisthan in the noon.

They set fire to the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) headquarters in Mukti Bhaban, House Building Finance Corporation Bhaban and numerous buildings until night in Dhaka. Vehicles parked in front of the building were also torched.

Smokes were billowing out from those building at around 10pm.

Hundreds of shops on pavement were also set ablaze in areas stretching from Fakirapool to Paltan. The fire-fighters were not being able to douse the flames due to the ongoing clashes.

The Hifazat activists also vandalised and torched the shops on the ground floor of Mukti Bhaba, breaking open the gate of the building. They threw brickbats to break the window panes up to the fourth floor.

The flames soon spread from the foothpath to the adjacent buildings.

Six vehicles parked caught fire then.

Fire Service Official Mohammad Mohsin said they could not reach the scene due to fierce clashes.

Fire Service officials told bdnews24.com that at least 10 vehicles were set on fire between the afternoon and evening at Mouchak, Malibagh and Tejgaon in the capital.

He added that two toll plazas on the Babubazar Bridge in Old Dhaka were also set on fire.

Eye-witnesses say Hifazat supporters also set on fire at least 30 government vehicles in front of the Housing Building Finance Corporation in Purana Paltan.

The fire which started in the small shops on the pavement in front of the House Building gradually spread to the ground floor.

At 8:30pm, the fire services personnel were seen trying to tame the flames after police took the area under their control.

A Fire Service official told bdnews24.com that clashes prevented them from reaching those places which were engulfed in fire.

Police constable Piaul Islam, 35 sustained burn injuries after the attackers set the traffic box at East Bijoynagar on fire.

He has been admitted to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital’s burn unit for treatment.

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ACC to look into Rana’s wealth

The Anti-Corruption Commission has launched an investigation into the source of income of Mohammad Sohel Rana, the detained owner of Rana Plaza that collapsed on Wednesday leaving over 375 people dead and several hundreds injured. 

Rapid Action Battalion arrests Mohammad Sohel Rana, owner of collapsed multistory commercial bloc Rana Plaza in Savar, from Benapole and brings him to its headquarters in Dhaka on SundayThe structure was erected over 56 decimals of land. Now only three stories are standing above the ground. The building housed five garment units, a bank branch, and shops of electronics, computers, cosmetics and clotheThe majority of the victims are readymade garment workers, who were forced into work by the factory owners on the day despite safety alerts sounded by the Industrial Police the previous daRana and three owners of the factories have already been arrested over the incident.

Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir visited the site on the day the building caved in and said it had not been approved by the authorities.

Savar Municipality Deputy Assistant Engineer, however, said the nine-storey building had permission for six floors.

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Plaza owner responsible for the building collapse: RAB

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Mohammad Sohel Rana, the owner of multi-storey commercial block Rana Plaza which collapsed on Wednesday morning, has been brought to RAB headquarters at the capital’s Uttara.

He was presented before the media there while RAB officials briefed the reporters about his arrest on Sunday.

RAB Director General Mokhlesur Rahman told reporters, “Rana is responsible for the deaths at Savar. He forced the workers to join duty.”

Rana, whose ‘negligence’ allegedly caused the high-rise to collapse in Savar, was arrested at noon from the residence of clearing and forwarding trader Moniruzzaman Jeti at Benapole’s Ballfield, Benapole Port Police Station Inspector Mijanur Rahman Khan told bdnews24.com.

Two bottles of Phensedyl were also found on him at the time. Rana was trying to flee to India through Benapole, he said.

Jessore RAB commander Major Jahiduzzaman said Rana was hiding in the room of tenant Shah Alam Mithu at that house. They are distant relatives.

Mithu and Rana’s associate ‘Anil’ were also arrested from there. Anil helped Rana to get to Benapole via Faridpur, Jahiduzzaman said.

RAB intelligence chief Lt Col Ziaul Ahsan led the raid that captured Rana.

After their capture in Jessore earlier in the day, the trio was flown to old airport in Dhaka’s Tejgaon by a RAB helicopter at around 5pm.

Then they were driven to the elite force’s headquarters in a microbus and presented before the press.

Rapid Action Battalion chief Mokhlesur Rahman said on hearing the news of building collapse Rana had fainted and received treatment at a local hospital at Savar for two hours. “Then he came to Dhaka and spent Wednesday night at the house of a friend named ‘Shamim’.”

Then Rana went to Manikganj and spent two nights at the house of one ‘Afzal’. From there, he went to Anil’s house in Faridpur and spent Saturday night there, Rahman said.

Rana then went to Mithu’s residence along with Anil on Sunday. RAB arrested all of them from there, Rahman added.

Asked whether anyone had aided Rana to flee, RAB intelligence chief Ziaul Ahsan said, “No. If anyone had aided and provided shelter to him, he wouldn’t have to stay at three places before getting to Benapole.”

He also said necessary measures will be taken if he was also accused in any other cases.

Earlier on Sunday, State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak, who is coordinating the rescue work at Savar, had confirmed the news of his arrest from Benapole bordering India.

“The Prime Minister had promised that those responsible will be brought to justice. She has kept her promise,” Nanak said.

Junior Home Minister Shamsul Haque Tuku was also present beside him when the announcements were made at Savar.

Tuku said, “The arrestees will be prosecuted. And those who are yet to be arrested will be caught soon.”

Along with the ministers was local Awami League MP Talukdar Mohammad Towhid Jung Murad, who on Wednesday had aided Rana to flee from the collapse site at Savar after Rana had gone there to visit the scene.

The death toll from the worst building collapse in Bangladesh’s history has swelled to nearly 400.

Sohel Rana claims himself to be the Senior Joint Convenor of the ruling Awami League’s youth front – Juba League, but Awami League supremo Sheikh Hasina has dismissed his claim.

The Prime Minister herself also had ordered that Rana be arrested.

Rana reportedly had taken no heed of the cracks in the wall that surfaced in his building, housing at least five garment factories and many other offices, and dismissed it as ‘nothing serious’ on Tuesday.

The majority of the victims after the collapse on Wednesday were readymade garment workers, who were forced into work by the factory owners on Wednesday despite safety alerts raised by the Industrial Police the previous day.

Two cases have already been filed at the Savar Model Police Station, over what is being described as the worst industrial disaster in the history of Bangladesh, against Rana and the owners of the five garment factories located in the building

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31 people rescued 3 days after collapse

Rescuers saved 31 more lives on Saturday - three days after the collapse of Rana Plaza at Savar on Dhaka’s outskirts.

   

Heavy machinery and equipment have not been used yet as the rescuers are hopeful of finding more survivors.

The death toll reached 355 by Saturday night, and almost a thousand people were still missing, officials said at the temporary information centre set up on the Adhar Chandra High School premises.

Rescue efforts continued amidst rain at noon. Again, around 9:35pm, it halted for a while and then resumed as a wave of seasonal storm and rain lashed the area.

“Rain can’t stop our work,” Fire Service Director Major Mohammad Mahbub, one of the rescuers, had told bdnews24.com at noon.

However, those taking part in the rescue said they would need tarpaulin and other relevant materials to carry on their work in case it rained heavily again.

Relatives of the deceased also claimed that they faced lots of trouble while receiving bodies at the school grounds as there was not sufficient tarpaulin to protect the bodies from the rain.

The Meteorological Department has predicted rain and thundershowers accompanied by gusty or squally winds in Dhaka region in the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, with the arrest of a third garment factory owner on Saturday night, the number of the RMG unit owners in police custody has reached three, apart from two engineers of the Savar municipality arrested in the morning in connection with the tragedy. The law enforcers were given remand to question four of them earlier in the day.

However, owner of the ill-fated building Sohel Rana, a leader of Awami League’s youth front Juba League, continues to evade arrest.

The main opposition BNP claimed the government helped him escape, but State Minister for Home Shamsul Hoque Tuku dismissed the charge saying the law enforcers were trying to arrest him.

Rana Plaza, a nine-storey building located near Savar’s Bus Stand area, collapsed on Wednesday morning. Locals had immediately initiated search for victims and were soon joined by the Fire Service and Civil Defence and Bangladesh Army personnel. The majority of the victims are readymade garment workers, who were forced into work by the factory owners that day despite a safety hazard alert sounded by the Industrial Police the previous day.

The Fire Service, Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police and RAB personnel, along with the regular volunteers, are jointly conducting the rescue operation at the building collapse site.

An information centre has been set up in front of the site to provide latest update on the search operation.

The other centre is at the Adhar Chandra High School, adjacent to the Enam Medical College Hospital, where most of the injured are receiving treatment since Wednesday.

At least 348 dead bodies were identified and handed over to relatives until Saturday night.

The dead are being kept in the school grounds, while those injured being rushed to various hospitals.

Sub-Inspector Saiful Islam, who was on duty at the Adhar Chandra High School centre on Saturday night, said 1,050 people were still missing.

Unidentified bodies are being sent to the morgues of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and Sir Salimullah Medical College, also known as Mitford Hospital. Currently, 37 bodies are kept at DMCH and six at Mitford for identification.

The nine-storied building came crushing down with approximately 3,000 people inside it.

Meanwhile, the rescuers have decided not to call off their mission as planned before, as they are hopeful of finding more survivors trapped under the debris.

The rescuers were likely to use heavy equipment for removal of slabs and heavy steel from the spot since Saturday morning. But their plan changed as they found some survivors.

The Bangladesh Army, which is leading the rescue operation, has declared that the operation would continue until the last alive person was rescued.

However, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Major General Chowdhury Hasan Suhrawardy of the 9th Infantry Division, which is leading the rescue operation, on Saturday afternoon told reporters, “We are not going for any massive scale salvage attempt.”

On Friday, rescuers managed to dig out 118 victims from the debris of the building which was erected over 56 decimals of land.

Rescue workers dug several tunnels to pull out the possible survivors trapped under the debris of the building using drilling machines as use of heavy machines could trigger further collapse.

However, heavy equipment have been brought to the site. A huge hydraulic crane reached the spot at around 2pm Saturday.

“Each life matters to us. We are carefully conducting the operation to rescue everyone trapped in the wreckage alive,” ISPR Director Shahinur Islam told reporters in the afternoon.

He said they have put seven special cameras through holes to scan those parts of the debris which are yet to be explored. “We have dug 25 such holes,” he added.

Another rescuer, Brigadier General Sayeed Masud said they could still see signs of life inside the wreckage.

He said heavy equipment would be used only after consulting the relatives and common people engaged in the rescue operation.

Maj Gen Suhrawardy said the rescue drive was very risky. “The rescuers are putting their lives to risk,” he said.

He also rejected the possibility of taking foreign assistance in the rescue operation. “We are capable enough. We don’t need foreign assistance.

Relatives of the missing were still assembled at the site and going running to find their loved ones.

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Efforts on to save those alive in Rana Plaza

Relentless efforts are on to salvage those still alive inside the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza on Sunday morning, 96 hours after the tragedy struck in what was being described as the worst such incident in the history of Bangladesh.

  

Nine people were found breathing under the rubble at the third-floor of the collapsed building, army said at a press conference in the morning. Five of them could be rescued around 12:30pm, bdnews24.com reporter at the scene reported. Apart from these nine, the rescuers also noticed another sign of life under the debris.

The death toll stood at 397 at around 3:00pm. A total of 309 bodies were handed over to the relatives and 52 more, awaiting recognition, were sent to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital and Mitford Hospital.

After all these survivors are rescued, heavy equipment and machinery will be used to clear the debris. Captain of the Bangladesh Army’s 9th division Maj Gen Chowdhury Hassan Suhrawardy said a decision was finally taken, 99 hours after the operation was launched, for use of heavy machinery and equipment.

“Until now, we prioritised the safety of those alive and trapped inside. We were on the first phase. But now, manual method is proving a bit tough. That is why we are turning to some use of technology.”

It might take around two hours to rescue them, Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Ali Ahmed Khan said.

Police had cordoned off the site. Scores were waiting outside the cordoned area for news of their dear ones, bdnews24.com Correspondent at scene reported.

Earlier in the morning, all except rescuers were moved away from the site. Machines like hydraulic cranes and loaders were brought at the site.

Before the press conference took place, rescuers were also moved away.

The figures were confirmed from the notice board of the control room set up there announcing official counts to the families of the distraught.

“Rescue works will pursue till the last person is salvaged,” Bangladesh Army’s Brigadier General Siddiqul Alam Sikder said in the morning, removing doubts on the prior announcements that it would end after 72 hours on Saturday.

Still, 1050 were missing according to the relatives, Police Sub Inspector put in charge at the Adhar Chandra School – the place where bodies were being kept – said.

Though it was not clear exactly how many people were inside the building when the building collapsed, estimates suggest the figure to be around 3,500.

On Saturday, the rescuers salvaged 31 people alive from the debris. These unsung heroes had to brave rains and storms to carry on with the rescue efforts. They said of rescuing 2,433 people from the debris in four days.

On Apr 24, the nine-storied Rana Plaza located near Savar bus stand collapsed a day after cracks appeared on the building. It was first the locals who rushed to carry out rescue works. Later, Bangladesh Army and Fire Service and Civil Defence coordinated the salvage operations.

The majority of the victims are readymade garment workers, who were forced into work by the factory owners on the day despite safety alerts were sounded by the Industrial Police the previous day.

The structure was erected over 56 decimals of land. Now only, three stories are standing above the ground. The building housed five garment units, a bank, and commercial shops including electronics, computer, cosmetics and clothes.

The building was owned by the ruling Awami League’s youth front, Juba League’s Senior Joint Convenor Sohel Rana. The building had permission of up to six floors.

Shahinul Islam of the Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) said special cameras were being used for looking under the debris through seven holes drilled for the purpose. Some 25 such holes have been made.

“We are looking everywhere. Whenever we found someone, we tried to rescue that person.”

Meanwhile, owners of the three factories located inside the building were arrested. Four among them were remanded. However, Sohel Rana is still on the run.

BNP alleged Rana had fled with assistance from the government. Junior Home Minister Shamsul Haque Tuku refuted such allegations and said the law enforcers were trying to arrest Rana.

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SSC, equal exam results on May 9

Results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equal examinations will be published on May 9, subject to approval from the Prime Minister, officials say.

   

টানা দুইদিন হরতালের কারণে স্থগিত হওয়া এসএসসির বাংলা দ্বিতীয় পত্র পরীক্ষা শুক্রবার নেয়া হয়। ছবিটি মতিঝিল সরকারি বালক উচ্চ বিদ্যালয় থেকে তোলা।

Inter-Board Coordination Sub-Committee chief Prof Taslima Begum told bdnews24.com on Sunday they sent a proposal to Sheikh Hasina to this effect.

It is a norm to seek the Prime Minister’s approval before publishing the results of public examinations. Following the approval, the Education Minister announces the results at a media briefing.

The SSC and its equivalent examinations began on Feb 3 and the month-long written tests ended on Mar 5.

A total of 1,303,203 candidates, from 27,063 educational institutions, sat the examinations and the figure was 116,854 fewer than that of the previous year.

This year, ‘creative questions’ replaced the traditional system except in Bangla second paper, English first and second papers and mathematics.

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Rana arrested from Benapole

Sohel Rana, whose ‘negligence’ allegedly caused the Rana Plaza, at Savar, to cave in leaving at least 369 people dead, was arrested from Benapole on Sunday afternoon.

 

Junior LGRD Minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak confirmed the news of his arrest from Benapole - bordering India.

“He was trying to flee the country. He is now being brought to Dhaka in a helicopter,” Nanak said. Junior Home Minister Shamsul Haque Tuku was present beside Nanak when the announcements were made at Savar.

Earlier on Sunday morning, police and the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) conducted unsuccessful raids in Khulna’s Sonadanga area to nab Rana, Sonadanga Police Station Officer in-Charge SM Kamruzzaman said.

Sohel Rana claims himself to be the Senior Joint Convenor of the ruling Awami League’s youth front - Juba League, but Prime Minister and Awami League supremo Sheikh Hasina has dismissed his claim.

She herself had ordered that Rana be arrested.

Rana reportedly took no heed of the cracks that surfaced in the Rana Plaza, housing at least five garment factories and many other offices, and dismissed it as ‘nothing serious’ on Tuesday.

The majority of the victims after the collapse on Wednesday were readymade garment workers, who were forced into work by the factory owners on Wednesday despite safety alerts raised by the Industrial Police the previous day.

Two cases have already been filed with the Savar Model Police Station, over what is being described as the worst industrial disaster in the history of Bangladesh, against Rana and the owners of the five garment factories located in the building.

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Savar tragedy: Search for survivors rolls into 5th day; Death toll now 360

SAVAR: The death toll from the collapse of the complex that also housed five garment factories jumped to 360 with recovery of 4 more bodies from the debris on Sunday as the search for the survivors goes on.

OC, DB (Dhaka district) Wahiduzzaman said 359 bodies have so far been pulled out from the wreckage of the building.

Of the total bodies, 346 were handed over to the victims’ families, he said.

The rescuers also recovered four people alive from the ruins of the building early Sunday. With the latest ones, some 2433 people have been rescued alive since the complex collapsed on Wednesday, sources at the Control Room opened here said.

Locals said some heavy equipment, including cranes and bulldozers, have been assembled here to launch a massive operation. Army personnel have been taking preparation to launch the operation and removed the local people from near the complex site.

However, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Savar Cantonment Major General Chowdhury Hasan on Saturday night said those still remained trapped alive inside the collapsed building will be rescued.

The rescue operation will continue as long as the last person remained trapped but alive is rescued. He, however, declined to give any specific time when the rescue operation will come to an end.

The ill-constructed building had accommodated at least five garment factories and some 300 shops with nearly 4,000 workers. However, it is not still clear as to how many workers were at their workplaces on the fateful day.

The building, ‘Rana Plaza’, which developed cracks on Tuesday morning, collapsed after a big bang around 9.00 am on Wednesday.

Many survivors alleged that the owners of their garment factories had forced them to go back to work on Wednesday morning against their will.

Five cases were filed on behalf of Labour and Employment Ministry with the Labour Court against the owners of the building and the garment factories housed in the complex.

Eleven people, including building owner Sohel Rana’s wife and three garment factory owners, were held in this connection in the last two days.

Four people, including two garment owners, arrested in connection with the Savar building collapse, were remanded on Saturday.

The four are Bazlus Samad Adnan, 45, chairman of New Wave Buttons and New Wave Style, and Mahmudur Rahman Tapos, managing director of the two garment units, Imtemam Hossain, executive engineer of Savar Pourashava and Alam Mia, assistant engineer of Savar pourashava.

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Central bank needs full autonomy for preventing financial scam

DHAKA, APR 27: Speakers at a roundtable discussion demanded full autonomy of the central bank to prevent Hall mark type scam in the future. “A fully autonomous regulator that can hire quality staff it needs, procure the technology it requires to strengthen its effectiveness and implement prudent norms without the fear of political influence is essential to prevent the Hallmark type scams in future,” said Sadiq Ahmed in a keynote paper presented at the discussion. The speakers pointed out that the weakly performing public banks with a huge amount of infected portfolio are a serious threat to the soundness of the banking sector.

The policy research institute (PRI) organised the roundtable discussion on the occasion of releasing its fourth quarterly policy brief on Bangladesh economy at its office in the city. 

Three keynote papers were presented at the roundtable by Ahsan H Mansur and Sadiq Ahmed on banking sector and stock markets related issues.   

Prominent economists Prof Rehman Sobhan, Dr Mashiur Rahman, Dr Salehuddin Ahmed Dr Mustafa K Mujeri, Dr Hasan Zaman Dr Ahsan H Mansur took part in the discussion.

Referring to the mismatch between bank deposit and investment in share market, Rehman Sobhan observed that there was a structural change in financial sector of the country. He  said savers seem to be interested in depositing their money in banks instead of going for investing in the capital market. “As a result, we are facing some structural crisis”.  

He termed the capital market as like a casino where speculation runs very fast. 

Former Bangladesh bank governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed pointed out that there was no dearth of policy and regulations in the country but the main problem is the implementation of those regulations.

Referring to the Hallmark scam, Ahmed pointed out that it happened because the whole system was in cracks. 

It is a red signal for the future of banking system in the country, he observed.

According to him there was no visual and rapid action by the Bangladesh bank to prevent the Hallmark scam.

Mustafa K Mujeri said the banking sector in the country made tremendous progress over the years. He, however, pointed out that lack of ethics in the banking sector can be dangerous in future.        

Sadiq Ahmed in his paper pointed out that an autonomous central bank is necessary to conduct sound monetary policy management and to exercise utmost prudence in such matters as the licensing of new banks and the use of directed credits.

“Recent experience with government interventions in these matters is illustrative of the critical importance of establishing an autonomous central bank in Bangladesh.”     

He also suggested the government rethink the strategy for the supervision of public banks. Ahsan H Mansur in his keynote paper said the government should stop the annual ritual of allowing black money into the stock market. “Stock market should not be painted as the playground for legalizing illegally obtained money.” 

He pointed out that a comprehensive review of the stock market is long overdue. At the moment, the tax regime is full of inconsistencies due to ad hoc measures and not in line with international best practices.  Mansur suggested that the government should issue treasury bills and bonds at market rates and thereby develop a liquidity bond market. 

He emphasised on complete demutualization of stock exchanges to segregate ownership management and trading rights of members and convert the two exchanges into commercially and professionally run organisations. He also suggested upgradation of accounting and auditing standards to enhance confidence of the people to capital market.

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Unnayan Onneshan projects lower GDP growth of 5.75 pc

DHAKA, Apr 27: Unnayan Onneshan, an independent multidisciplinary think-tank, in its current issue of the Bangladesh Economic Update projected the country’s GDP growth rate to be 5.75 per cent in the current fiscal year against the government target of 7.2 per cent. It also reveals that the economy of Bangladesh has been major macroeconomic challenges, culminating into contraction rate of growth in gross domestic product (GDP) this fiscal year.

“The gap between savings and investment has increased at a high rate over the time and the lack of matching infrastructure development by the government and the private sector due to lack farsightedness in operating fiscal policy on the one hand and increase in cost of loanable funds due to contractionary monetary policy on the other have suppressed investment demand,” adds the think-tank. 

The investment as per centage of GDP has remained 25.9 per cent against the required rate of 31.4 per cent, revealing a gap of 5.5 per cent in FY 2011-12.

Against the business as usual scenario, the Unnayan Onneshan cautions that the saving -investment gap might reach at 5.14, 5.47 and 5.81 per cent of the nominal GDP in FY 2012-13, FY 2013-14 and FY 2014-15 which may further create pressure on the growth trends whereas eight per cent rate of growth in GDP has been targeted in the Six Five Year Plan of the government.

As regards the revenue income, the Unnayan Onneshan reasons the non-achievement of the target primarily due to fall in tax-revenue income from the large enterprises like banking sector as well as political instability. 

The Unnayan Onneshan notes that the bulk of the foreign financing has come in the form of medium- and long-term (MLT) loans to the public sector. During July-January of FY 2012-13, MLT loans have increased by USD 456 million.

The rate of growth in industrial sector has decelerated due to reduction in investment demand, increased cost and reduced supply of investible capital and inapt policy regime, adds the Unnayan Onneshan.

According to the think tank, the capital market of Bangladesh has been witnessing continuous fall due to erosion of confidence amongst investors. “The absence of confidence has persisted as the government has failed to bring the perpetrators of two crushes to book and the regulatory regime is yet to enforce zero-tolerance on the activities of the cartels,” observes the Unnayan Onneshan.

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BNP sees govt plot to save Savar accused

Mosharraf Hossain
Dhaka, Apr 27: BNP, on Saturday, accused the government of plotting to help Sohel Rana, owner of the collapsed building at Savar, to flee the country. “The government is hatching a plan to save Rana. Awami League is trying to shift the people’s attention on this, by holding the opposition party responsible for the tragedy that claimed over 300 lives,” BNP standing committee member Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain said.
He was addressing a programme to demand the immediate release of detained BNP leaders. The programme was organised by Jehad Parishad, at the National Press Club.
He warned the government against shifting the blame on the opposition. “Instead, the ruling Awami League must act immediately to book the people responsible for the tragedy immediately,” he added.
Mosharraf alleged that Rana was an influential leader of the ruling party’s youth front, in the area, and, therefore, his business establishment was not declared vulnerable, despite having a cracked wall. “As a result of the government’s negligence, poor and innocent ready made garments (RMG) workers were killed,” he said.
The BNP leader said the arrest of Rana’s relatives was just eyewash. “The ruling Awami League is staging a drama in the name of arrests,” he alleged.
After the tragedy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had assured Parliament that Rana was not involved with her party’s youth front. Besides, home minister MK Alamgir had held BNP responsible for the tragedy.
“The government is deflecting the blame in another direction, by cooking up different stories,” he alleged.
Reiterating the opposition’s demand for a caretaker government (CG), to monitor the election, the BNP leader said the government’s stubbornness on the issue had triggered the present political crisis. “The country’s political arena will not be calmed till the government restored the CG provision in the Constitution. We urge the Awami League government to do so for the sake of holding the next general elections in a free and fair manner,” he added.
In a separate rally in front of BNP’s Naya Paltan central office, Mosharraf accused the government of trying to brush the Savar tragedy under the carpet, like the BDR carnage.
“Sheikh Hasina and her ministers are engaged in a blame game, with a view to conceal the real facts in the Savar tragedy. The government had adopted a similar strategy during the BDR carnage at Pilkhana, in 2009,” he said.
Referring to statements by victims, he said the RMG workers were forced to take part in work on Wednesday, despite the appearance of a crack on the wall of Rana Plaza. “Who forced them inside, and for what purpose? The Premier must answer these questions before the nation,” he said.
The rally was organised to demand the release of detained BNP leaders, holding of the next general election under a non-party CG oversight, and punishment for those responsible for the Savar tragedy.
The BNP leader alleged the government’s wrongdoing has destroyed the country’s political stability. “The situation became worse after the CG provision was expunged from the Constitution. The Awami League will be held responsible if the country plunges into a fresh crisis over the CG issue,” he added.
BNP leaders Moudud Ahmed, Shamsuzzaman Dudu and Barkat Ullah Bulu were among those who spoke at the rally. BNP vice-chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka chaired the rally.
In a separate programme, BNP leader MK Anwar accused the PM of sedition for her “false statements” in Parliament, by denying Rana’s links with her party.
“Parliament is a holy place for a nation. But, the holiness of our Parliament has been tarnished as our Premier has made untruthful statements. This is blatantly seditious,” he said.
Anwar was addressing a programme organised by Rajshahi University Nationalist Student Association, at Bhasani auditorium in the city.
The BNP leader said the media had exposed Rana’s links with Awami League leaders, even as the PM continued to deny this. “Awami League was plotting to save Rana by hiding him in a safe place under the government’s management,” he added.
Anwar criticised the government for not extending necessary equipment to accelerate the salvage operations at the site of the collapsed Rana Plaza, and said it was the government’s failure as it did nothing to protect the lives of poor RMG workers.

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Savar death toll crosses 350; many still trapped

Dhaka, Apr 27: After the passage of 80 hours since the tragic collapse of the 8-storey Savar building that housed nearly 5,000 workers of five garment factories, rescuers, on Saturday, were able to rescue 26 people, thus negating the perception that no one would be able to survive for 72 hours inside the debris. Besides, some of those rescued on Saturday said that there were still many survivors who were battling against death, inside the ill-fated building, which crumbled on Wednesday, killing 355 people till Saturday evening. The rescuers said that the death toll could rise. as many dead bodies could not be recovered immediately.

On Saturday, the rescuers made a breakthrough by reaching to the ground floor by cutting concrete floors. They identified some 351 bodies which they handed over to the victims’ relatives, till 3:45pm on Saturday.

Till Saturday morning, some 2,507 people were rescued from the debris of the collapsed Rana Plaza.

The rescue work was hampered for 20-25 minutes due to sudden rain that started around 1:16 pm.

“We must salute those common people who dared to enter the wreckage to rescue the victims, as even our professionals didn't dare the risk,” Mizanur Rahman, deputy director of the fire service, told Reuters.

Nilufer Yasmin, a worker, told of her ordeal inside the broken building for three days.

“It felt like I was in hell,” she told reporters from her hospital bed. “It was so hot; I could hardly breathe. There was no food and water. When I regained my senses, I found myself in this hospital bed.”

However in an emergency meeting the Rescue team decided to take a pause in the rescue operation at 6 am on Sunday.

“The team members along with media personnel will visit the building to make an assessment whether there was any survivor. If there would be a survivor the rescue operation would continue,” said an official of the ISPR. 

Several private companies including Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Reneta, Ajmat Group provided medicines and oxygen cylinder for the victims.

Emdadul Islam, chief engineer of the state-run Capital Development Authority (CDA), said the owner of the building had not received the proper building consent, obtaining a permit for a five-storey building from the local municipality, which did not have the authority to grant it.

“Only CDA can give such approval,” he said. “We are trying to get the original design from the municipality, but, since the official concerned is hiding, we cannot get it readily.”

Furthermore, another three storeys had been added illegally, he said. “Savar is not an industrial zone, and for that reason no factory can be housed in Rana Plaza,” Islam told Reuters.

Islam said the building had been erected on the site of a pond filled in with sand and earth, which meant its foundations were too weak. “There were three big and very heavy generators that shook the whole building when they were operating. On that day, the generators were being used and within seconds, the building collapsed,” Islam said.

Though some sophisticated and heavy equipment were brought to the site on Saturday, for the first time after the incident, they were not used. “If we use the heavy equipment, people who are still alive inside the debris might be in danger,” an official of the rescue team said.

Meanwhile, Mitu Akhter, wife of Sohel Rana, the owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza, was detained, while two garment factory owners were arrested early on Saturday.

Asaduzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Savar police station, said that they detained Mitu Akhter, 25, from her father’s house at Shahibagh, around 1 am, for interrogation.

The Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka district police arrested the two garment factory owners—Bazlus Samad Adnan, 45, chairman of New Wave Buttons and New Wave Style, and Mahmudur Rahman Tapas, managing director of the two garment units—from the city’s Ramna area.

At a press conference at the PID, disaster management and relief minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali described the collapse of Rana Plaza as “man-made”.

“It’s a man-made disaster, but we are happy with the rescue operations,” he said.

“There is great coordination among the rescuers. As many as 328 bodies have been recovered as of 11 am today, while a total of 2,413 people have been rescued so far,” the minister said on Saturday.

Ali also requested the public not to throng the site in large numbers as that would create problems in the rescue work.

Visiting the site, state minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku said, on Saturday, that the government was leaving no stone unturned to capture Sohel Rana, owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar.

Reuters add: On Saturday, Canada’s Loblaw, a unit of George Weston Ltd and which had a small number of “Joe Fresh” apparel items made at one of the factories, said it was working with other retailers to provide aid and support.

It said it was sending representatives to Bangladesh and was also joining what it described as an urgent meeting with other retailers and the Retail Council of Canada.

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2 RMG owners arrested

Dhaka, Apr 27: After the passage of 80 hours since the tragic collapse of the 8-storey Savar building that housed nearly 5,000 workers of five garment factories, rescuers, on Saturday, were able to rescue 26 people, thus negating the perception that no one would be able to survive for 72 hours inside the debris. Besides, some of those rescued on Saturday said that there were still many survivors who were battling against death, inside the ill-fated building, which crumbled on Wednesday, killing 355 people till Saturday evening. The rescuers said that the death toll could rise. as many dead bodies could not be recovered immediately.
On Saturday, the rescuers made a breakthrough by reaching to the ground floor by cutting concrete floors. They identified some 351 bodies which they handed over to the victims’ relatives, till 3:45pm on Saturday.
Till Saturday morning, some 2,507 people were rescued from the debris of the collapsed Rana Plaza.
The rescue work was hampered for 20-25 minutes due to sudden rain that started around 1:16 pm.
“We must salute those common people who dared to enter the wreckage to rescue the victims, as even our professionals didn't dare the risk,” Mizanur Rahman, deputy director of the fire service, told Reuters.
Nilufer Yasmin, a worker, told of her ordeal inside the broken building for three days.
“It felt like I was in hell,” she told reporters from her hospital bed. “It was so hot; I could hardly breathe. There was no food and water. When I regained my senses, I found myself in this hospital bed.”
However in an emergency meeting the Rescue team decided to take a pause in the rescue operation at 6 am on Sunday.
“The team members along with media personnel will visit the building to make an assessment whether there was any survivor. If there would be a survivor the rescue operation would continue,” said an official of the ISPR.
Several private companies including Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Reneta, Ajmat Group provided medicines and oxygen cylinder for the victims.
Emdadul Islam, chief engineer of the state-run Capital Development Authority (CDA), said the owner of the building had not received the proper building consent, obtaining a permit for a five-storey building from the local municipality, which did not have the authority to grant it.
“Only CDA can give such approval,” he said. “We are trying to get the original design from the municipality, but, since the official concerned is hiding, we cannot get it readily.”
Furthermore, another three storeys had been added illegally, he said. “Savar is not an industrial zone, and for that reason no factory can be housed in Rana Plaza,” Islam told Reuters.
Islam said the building had been erected on the site of a pond filled in with sand and earth, which meant its foundations were too weak. “There were three big and very heavy generators that shook the whole building when they were operating. On that day, the generators were being used and within seconds, the building collapsed,” Islam said.
Though some sophisticated and heavy equipment were brought to the site on Saturday, for the first time after the incident, they were not used. “If we use the heavy equipment, people who are still alive inside the debris might be in danger,” an official of the rescue team said.
Meanwhile, Mitu Akhter, wife of Sohel Rana, the owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza, was detained, while two garment factory owners were arrested early on Saturday.
Asaduzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Savar police station, said that they detained Mitu Akhter, 25, from her father’s house at Shahibagh, around 1 am, for interrogation.
The Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka district police arrested the two garment factory owners—Bazlus Samad Adnan, 45, chairman of New Wave Buttons and New Wave Style, and Mahmudur Rahman Tapas, managing director of the two garment units—from the city’s Ramna area.
At a press conference at the PID, disaster management and relief minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali described the collapse of Rana Plaza as “man-made”.
“It’s a man-made disaster, but we are happy with the rescue operations,” he said.
“There is great coordination among the rescuers. As many as 328 bodies have been recovered as of 11 am today, while a total of 2,413 people have been rescued so far,” the minister said on Saturday.
Ali also requested the public not to throng the site in large numbers as that would create problems in the rescue work.
Visiting the site, state minister for home Shamsul Haque Tuku said, on Saturday, that the government was leaving no stone unturned to capture Sohel Rana, owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza in Savar.
Reuters add: On Saturday, Canada’s Loblaw, a unit of George Weston Ltd and which had a small number of “Joe Fresh” apparel items made at one of the factories, said it was working with other retailers to provide aid and support.
It said it was sending representatives to Bangladesh and was also joining what it described as an urgent meeting with other retailers and the Retail Council of Canada.

Read More