Shipping workers call off strike over justice for seven murdersThe indefinite strike called by the shipping workers nationwide demanding justice against the killings of seven crew members aboard the MV Al-Bakhera ship in the Meghna River in Chandpur has been called off. The decision to suspend the industrial action came after a meeting with the leaders of the Bangladesh Water Transport Workers Federation, at the office of the Department of Shipping in Dhaka on Saturday night. The department’s Director General Commodore Mohammad Maksud Alam told bdnews24.com, “The water vessel workers announced to return to work by suspending the strike from the night after the discussion.”The shipping workers federation launched a nationwide strike from Thursday midnight, demanding justice for those involved in the killings of seven crew members on the ship and compensation. The shipping department DG said the demands of the workers were discussed and the families of the deceased workers were assured of compensation. After discussions, they agreed to call off the strike.”Shah Alam, president of Bangladesh Water Transport Workers Federation, told bdnews24.com: “After discussions, it was decided to suspend the strike and the workers will join work from the night.”Source: The Financial Express

Amit Singh, who has previously worked as a director at the oilfield services company SLB, was appointed as Adani Green's CEO in May 2023India's Adani Green CEO to step down for new role in groupElectric power transmission pylon miniatures and Adani Green Energy logo are seen in this illustration taken, December 9, 2022. REUTERSElectric power transmission pylon miniatures and Adani Green Energy logo are seen in this illustration taken, December 9, 2022. REUTERSAdani Green Energy's chief executive officer Amit Singh will step down to take up the role of the chief of the international energy business of the Adani Group, the renewable energy firm said, opens new tab on Monday. The Adani group has called the charges "baseless". However, the indictment had major ripple effects with French oil major TotalEnergies pausing investments in the group, Adani Green shelving a $600 million bond issue, and credit rating agencies flagging risks to the group's access to funding.

United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) leader Michael Chakma has filed a written complaint with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and eight others over his enforced disappearance, reports bdnews24.com. He submitted the complaint on Monday morning, said ICT Prosecutor BM Sultan Mahmud. Earlier on Dec 18, Michael filed a verbal complaint with the ICT, stating that Hasina and others subjected him to an enforced disappearance for five years. According to the media reports, Michael was imprisoned in the 'Ayna Ghor', the secret detention cells under the control of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). UPDF Central Vice President Nutan Kumar Chakma said: "Michael Chakma was picked up and imprisoned for more than five years on the orders of the fascist Awami League government."

Seventeen people, including three Forest Department workers, were abducted from Teknaf's hilly Jadimora area in Hnila union at around 10am today (30 December). The three kidnapped forest workers were identified as Saiful Islam, 22, Syed Ahmed, 50, Mohammad Rafiq, 40. In today's incident, UNO Ehsan said the workers had gone to plant saplings on Jadimora hill when they were abducted. "This morning, 24 people, including the three forest workers, went to the hills to plant saplings of various trees. Forest Department's Teknaf Range Officer Abdur Rashid said the police, Armed Police Battalion, Rapid Action Battalion, and locals were jointly engaged in the rescue operation.

The promotion will be considered effective from Dec 24Another 12 officials of the joint secretary rank have been promoted to additional secretaries. They were made the officers on special duty of the Ministry of Public Administration following the development. Their promotion will be considered effective from Dec 24, the ministry said in a notification on Monday. Earlier, a total of 131 joint secretaries were promoted to additional secretaries on Aug 25. At a press conference on Dec 24, the chief advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the advisory council had decided to promote 764 former officials with all facilities who were "deprived" during the rule of the ousted Awami League government.

Asked about whether the recently-ousted Awami League will be able to participate in the next elections, the CEC said: "It will basically be a political decision. It is a political decision or a legal decision. "I have been saying this from the very beginning - a political decision or a court decision. The decision on whether to contest the elections is basically up to them. "You have seen the elections that were held before the last three elections.

India launched its first space docking mission on Monday, on an Indian-made rocket, in an attempt to become the fourth country to achieve the advanced technological feat. The mission, called Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh state at 1630 GMT aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) "workhorse" PSLV rocket. The mission is seen as pivotal for future space endeavours, including satellite servicing and the operation of the country's planned space station. In-space docking technology is crucial when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve shared mission objectives. The fourth stage of the PSLV, which usually turns into space debris, has been converted into an active un-crewed space laboratory.

"Foreign loans primarily come around project implementation. The momentum this year has further slowed due to the impact of the July-August protests. "A power plant was built with financing from the Asian Development Bank, but it is now idle due to a lack of gas. The Karnaphuli Tunnel, funded by a loan from China, is also not generating returns," Zahid said.He added, "The interim government must now reconsider all projects. It's not just about taking loans; careful attention must also be paid to how they are utilised."

"It will be delayed for the fourth grade, fifth grade and pre-primary students as well. "NCTB officials promised to deliver all books to primary and secondary students by Jan 20. "We'll publish the soft copies of 411 revised textbooks online on Jan 1," said NCTB Chairman Prof AKM Reazul Hasan. "We'll be able to supply 75 percent of primary textbooks and 25 percent of secondary textbooks on the first day of the new year," said Sheikh Sirajuddin, managing director of "Letter and Colour", one of the companies which received the order to print textbooks. Books on other subjects for these grades will be available by Jan 20," NCTB Chairman AKM Reazul Hasan told bdnews24.com.—bdnews24.com

The instructions were given at a meeting with divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners via video conference at the Chief Advisor’s Office on Monday. People will be concerned and angry if boys and girls do not get their textbooks properly, the chief advisor said. The chief advisor met with field level administration officials from the Dhaka, Chattogram, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions for the first time on Monday. Nineteen officials, including the divisional commissioners, police commissioners, range police chiefs, deputy commissioners and police superintendents spoke at the event. If we do not understand this opportunity, then I think we have failed.”"We must take on this opportunity for change.

Panchagarh is once again experiencing a mild cold wave as temperatures have dipped to 9.8 degrees Celsius. After a brief rise, temperatures in the northern district fell to 9.8 degrees Celsius at 9am on Monday, according to the Tentulia Weather Observatory. On Sunday, the temperature was recorded at 12.9 degrees Celsius in the morning and 28.6 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, while Saturday’s lowest was 9.3 degrees Celsius. Jitendra Nath Roy, acting in charge of the Tentulia Weather Observatory, confirmed Monday morning’s lowest temperature of 9.8 degrees Celsius, compared to Sunday’s 12.9 degrees Celsius. “A mild cold wave occurs when the lowest temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius,” Jitendra explained.

The advisor calls for prioritising workers' rights in the ConstitutionMost human rights organisations don't speak up for workers, says Advisor FaridaFisheries and Livestock Advisor Farida Akhter has said most organisations working on human rights in Bangladesh do not speak up for workers' rights. Speaking at a dialogue organised by the Bangladesh Agricultural Farm Labour Federation, or BAFLF, in Dhaka's Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific, or CIRDAP, auditorium on Monday, she compared the situation to human rights violations. The advisor said, "The rights of workers must come first in the Constitution. “While the exploitation of garment workers and many others is visible to us, the exploitation of agricultural workers remains unseen.”Farida expressed concern about the impact of modern machinery on agricultural workers, particularly with the introduction of harvester machines. Farida also called for changes to the Agricultural Farm Worker Recruitment and Control Policy, 2017, to strengthen workers' rights.

The number of patients in hospital with the mosquito-borne disease this year stands at 101,130Another person has died of dengue while 114 new patients have been hospitalised with the Aedes mosquito-borne disease across Bangladesh over the past 24 hours. The number of patients in hospital with the disease this year has risen to 101,130. The Directorate General of Health Services, or DGHS, said as many as 40 new patients were hospitalised in the Dhaka metropolitan area until Monday morning. The DGHS has been keeping records of dengue hospitalisations and fatalities since 2000. Since then, a record 321,179 dengue hospitalisations were logged in 2023.

She will be the first woman to lead the institution in its more than 70-year historySyria's new rulers appoint Maysaa Sabrine to lead central bank, official saysPeople and cars are seen in front of the Central Bank of Syria, after rebels seized the capital and ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria Dec 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshPeople and cars are seen in front of the Central Bank of Syria, after rebels seized the capital and ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria Dec 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah DalshSyria's new rulers have appointed Maysaa Sabrine, formerly a deputy governor of the Syrian central bank, to lead the institution, a senior Syrian official said. Sabrine did not immediately respond to a request for comment. She would be the first woman to lead the institution in its more than 70-year history, replacing Mohammed Issam Hazime who was appointed governor in 2021 by toppled President Bashar al-Assad.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, JaSaD, President Hasanul Haq Inu has been placed on a four-day remand in connection with the killing of a man during the Anti-discrimination Student Movement. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sharifur Rahman issued the remand order on Monday in a case filed at the Gulshan Police Station in Dhaka. Meanwhile, Inu’s lawyer Shahinur Rahman petitioned to scrap the remand order. The court remanded Inu for four days after hearing both sides. He also said that a remand order for 10 days was necessary to uncover the truth in the case.