All candidates who won from their own constituencies in the 12th parliamentary election on January 7 have finished taking their oath of office as members of parliament today. Newly elected Jatiyo Party MPs were administered their oaths by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury at the parliament around 12:10 PM.

The JP bagged 11 parliamentary seats in the January 7 national elections as seen in the Election Commission Gazette.

AL won 222 out of 298 seats, which was enough for the party led by Sheikh Hasina to form the government for a 4th consecutive five-year term since January 2009.

Two MPs of Workers Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, who won the election with the Awami League electoral symbol, took oath along with the ruling party. There was only one Kalyan Party MP, who took oath with independents, parliament secretariat sources confirmed. In total 16 political parties, including the BNP, boycotted the elections held on January 7.

Source: Daily Star

AHM Mustafa Kamal, Bangladesh’s Finance Minister, said on Tuesday that it would close to impossible for the country to meet the International Monetary Fund (IMF) goal for its foreign exchange reserves. But he also said that Bangladesh’s economy was strong, both in terms of net and gross measures. He also said that the amount of remittance to the country could be doubled.

The minister committed to keep the funds above $30 billion this year when he talked to the media for the first time since the 12th national parliamentary election. To reach this goal, the government needs to open up the economy’s possible areas. Kamal also said that more money should be collected from taxes should be a top concern.

The minister said that Bangladesh aims to have the 20th biggest economy by 2041 and that non-performing loans (NPLs) have gone down a lot.

In response to another question, he talked about how important inflation is for economic growth. He said that people who don’t know much about economics often take part in talks about inflation. Kamal also said that the prime minister will choose the new government’s finance minister.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/336322/kamal-not-possible-to-meet-imf%E2%80%99s-forex-reserves

South Korea just started giving out a Digital Nomad visa to foreigners who want to work from home there. This program, which is also called a “workation” visa, started on January 1, 2024, and can include families of foreign workers who want to work from home in South Korea. This includes spouses and children.

The South Korean Digital Nomad visa allows remote workers to work in South Korea for up to two years, with the possibility of extension up to one year. Eligibility criteria include being at least 18 years old, having one year of work experience, and being employed by a company outside South Korea. Financial eligibility is crucial, with applicants earning over 85 million won or $66,000 in 2023, equivalent to double Korea’s GNI per capita. The application process involves submission through the Korean embassy in the applicant’s home country. For those already in Korea, visa exemptions, tourist visas, or short-term stay visas are available. Personal medical insurance covering at least 100 million won is also required.

Source: Daily Star

According to Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the State Department, the US said that the national elections in Bangladesh on January 7 were not “free and fair.” He has also said that the US acknowledges that the Awami League party won most of the seats, but it is worried about the arrests of thousands of opposition members and reports of wrongdoing.

The US strongly disagrees with the violence that happened during the elections and in the months before them. It also asks the Government of Bangladesh to look into reports of violence and hold those responsible responsible. The US backs Bangladeshis’ hopes for democracy, the right to peacefully gather with others, and the freedom to speak their minds.

The US is still dedicated to working with Bangladesh to achieve their shared goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific. They will do this by promoting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh and strengthening their economic and personal ties. Since December 2021, the US has been asking for elections that are free, fair, and peaceful.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/election-2024/news/news/bangladeshs-elections-were-not-free-and-fair-us-3514856?amp

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has lifted the restriction on adding unused data to a package that was bought before its end date. No matter how much data a customer has, they can now keep it and use it.

This cap was taken away completely when the BTRC updated the “Guidelines for Data and Data Packages of Mobile Phone Operators-2023.” From October 15, the commission told cell operators to stop offering three-day and fifteen-day data plans. Also, customers can no longer carry over more than 50 GB of unused data when they buy the same data plan. Also, operators have been told to cut the number of deals they offer to customers from 95 to 40.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/mobile-users-can-now-carry-forward-any-amount-unused-data-3514461

The World Health Organization (WHO) has cancelled an attempt to bring medical supplies to northern Gaza due to lack of safety guarantees. Since December 26, this is the fourth occasion that the WHO has had to cancel a mission.

It is very difficult to safely and regularly send medical supplies across Gaza, especially in the north, because of the heavy bombing, restrictions on movement, and broken communications. It was planned that the supply would keep five hospitals in the northern part of the enclave running. Eylon Levy, a spokesman for the Israeli government, has not given any information on what the WHO said and has instead referred questions to the Israel Defense Forces.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was shocked by how many people in northern Gaza needed medical help and how badly things had been damaged. He also warned that more delays could cause many more people to die or suffer. Due to more Israeli military action, the International Rescue Committee and the Medical Aid for Palestinians charity have also had to pull out of Al-Aqsa Hospital in the Middle Area of Gaza and stop their work there.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-cancels-delivery-medical-supplies-north-gaza-due-unsafe-conditions-2024-01-08/

United States, United Kingdom and Canada have not officially sent anyone to observe the elections in Bangladesh. Spokespersons of the United States and United Kingdom missions in Dhaka and the Canadian High Commission shared on X (previously Twitter) today.

Observers from different countries and international organizations visited different centers as invited observers in the election held yesterday on Sunday. Later in the evening they held a press conference at a hotel in the capital. The press conference was attended by former US Congressman Jim Bates, CEO of American Global Strategies Alexander Gray, Canadian Parliament member Chandrakant Arya and Senator Victor Oh.

Source: Prothom Alo

The ruling party Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said that the Prime Minister will decide who will be the opposition party in the 12th National Parliament. He said, “Already many of the opposition party Jatiya Party have won. 14 teams also won like two. The time to make a decision in this regard is not far. Whoever will be the leader of the house will decide in this regard. The new Prime Minister is the new Leader of the House, they will definitely decide what to do considering the situation.”

He also said that we will know who the opposition party will be after the official announcement of the election results.

Quader said that foreign journalists and observers including various institutions, organizations and media in the country and abroad have expressed their satisfaction after observing the election.

Source: bdnews24

Ruma Akter, a 26-year-old woman from Sadar upazila of Chandpur district, gave birth to five children at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. She is the wife of Shahid Molla, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Saudi. Dr. Nazma Haque, head of the gyno department at DMCH, cared for the births, but one daughter died during delivery.

DMCH director, Brigadier General Md Asaduzzaman, shared that after eight years of waiting, the couple has been blessed with quintuplets. Ruma was admitted with labour pain and the babies were placed in the NICU due to being underweight. All necessary assistance will be provided for the treatment of the four children.

Source: https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/woman-gives-birth-to-quintuplets-at-dmch/128846

A malware exploit has been discovered by CloudSEK, allowing hackers to access Google accounts without a password. The exploit, first disclosed on Telegram, exploits third-party cookies and bypasses two-factor authentication, posing a significant risk to users relying on additional security measures.

Google Chrome, the world’s most widely used web browser, has been targeted by a malware. The web browser, with over 60% market share, is currently working to enhance security by cracking down on third-party cookies. However, users are advised to remain vigilant and regularly remove any malware from their devices, activating ‘Enhanced Safe Browsing’ in Chrome to protect against phishing attempts and malware downloads.

Source: Daily Star

World Cup winning Argentinian forward Ángel Di María who now plays for Portuguese club Benfica will visit the subcontinent, spending a 1.5 days each in Kolkata and Dhaka, This was confirmed by Satadru Dutta, a Kolkata based sports promoter, over phone.

Dutta had previous brought Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and retired Brazilian forward Ronaldinho in 2023. Those 2 visits were widely criticised from media and the public due to the private nature of the tours and the mismanagement of those events.

However, Dutta has reassured that this won’t be an issue for the upcoming visit. He will take personal responsibility to make sure the footballer gets enough public interaction, and he is in talks right now to decide the itinerary for the Dhaka visit.

Source: Daily Star

Christopher Nolan has won best director at the Golden Globes for his 2023 film “Oppenheimer,” a much-praised biography of the man behind the development of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer.

He won ahead of Bradley Cooper for “Maestro,” Greta Gerwig for “Barbie,” Yorgos Lanthimos for “Poor Things,” Martin Scorsese for “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Celine Song for “Past Lives.”

Source: https://www.jagonews24.com/entertainment/news/72478

PM Sheikh Hasina was greeted at Ganabhaban by ambassadors from India, China, and Russia, as well as officials from Bhutan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. They were all happy for her that the Awami League won the 12th national elections. The officials said they were committed to working with Bangladesh in the future and reassured their support for the growth of the country.

PM Hasina thanked them for their well wishes and asked them to work with her to help Bangladesh grow and improve. During the meeting, Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma sent greetings and congrats from the Indian government and Prime Minister Modi. He said that he hoped the new term of Prime Minister Hasina’s government would bring more vigour to the two countries’ relationship.

Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen praised Prime Minister Hasina on the results of the elections and reaffirmed that Chinese leaders are committed to building trust and working together more closely in real life. Ambassador Yao said that China would always back Bangladesh’s national sovereignty and development goals. He also promised to improve cooperation in all areas and help make “Vision 2041” and “Sonar Bangla” come true.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/foreign-affairs/336195/india-greets-pm-sheikh-hasina-hopes-stronger-ties

Awami League candidate for Magura-1 constituency Shakib Al Hasan has won the electoral race by bagging 185,388 votes. His nearest rival Kazi Rezaul Hossain secured 45,993 votes.

Voting began at 8am at 261,912 polling booths in 42,024 voting centres and continued until 4pm with 299 parliamentary seats up for election.

However, centres where people are still waiting to exercise their franchise will continue to accept votes.

Polls were deferred in one seat at the death of a candidate.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

Police say that the man seen with a gun during a conflict near a voting centre in Chittagong’s Khulshi area today, has been identified as Shamim Azad, an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League.

Shamim Azad is a follower of Chittagong City Corporation councillor Wasim Uddin, who is also city Jubo League’s vice president. When The Daily Star reporter called Wasim over the phone, he said he is familiar with Shamim. “But I don’t know what he was doing at that exact time. I was not present there. I don’t know anything,” he said and disconnected the phone.

2 people were shot as two groups clashed near a voting centre in Chittagong’s Khulshi area this morning. Khulshi Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Mohammad Neyamat Ullah told The Daily Star that the 2 people suffered bullet wounds during a fight between two groups about 800 metres away from the voting centre at Pahartali College.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/election-2024/news/news/ctg-clash-gun-toting-man-identified-bcl-activist-say-police-3513341

The 12th National Parliamentary Election was called “free and fair” by Jim Bates, a former US congressman who is now an election watcher from the US.

“This election is already free and fair,” he told the press. “They keep talking about low numbers, but that’s not what it is. “In certain nations, you can vote until 5 or 6 p.m., or even for months,” he said. Bates said, “So when they say ‘low turnout,’ that’s something to play with the press.”

Jim Bates used to be a politician from San Diego, California. He worked for the Democratic Party. He served in the US House of Representatives for four terms, from 1983 to 1991. He was the first congressman to get penalized for sexual harassment.

Today, foreign experts went to a number of centers. “It looks calm right now.” One more witness said, “Hopefully that will stay the case all day.” There are currently about 127 foreign monitors in Dhaka to watch the 12th National Parliamentary Election.

Source: UNB

Senior leader of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Abdul Moyeen Khan, praised people for not going to the polls on Sunday, saying that their party’s call to skip the “unilateral” general election had been successful. He also told reporters at his home in Gulshan that the people of the country had rejected the Awami League government through this election where no one could vote.

“We don’t believe in any kind of fake or rigged election system that claims to be democratic.” A lot of people call this government an autocratic one. There are also different names for this government. It looks like this government is a democracy, but it’s not. “Governments that act like they are democratic are much more dangerous than governments that are truly authoritarian,” the BNP leader said.

He was afraid that the government and the Election Commission would show a false number of people who voted, like they did in the last two national elections. “But that’s not our business; everyone in the country and the whole world saw how the voters in Bangladesh turned down the election.” He said that many people who supported the ruling party didn’t go to the polls because they were sure that their candidates would win.

Source: https://www.newagebd.net/article/222196/bnp-congratulates-voters-for-making-its-boycott-call-a-success

In a press briefing at the Election Commission, CEC Kazi Habibul Awal said that the average voter turnout across the country is 40 percent.

He said, “Can’t say for sure, but about 40 percent of votes have been cast. This is reliable information so far. But when the counting of votes is over, it may vary a little.”

Although the CEC initially said the voter turnout was 28 percent. Later, the secretary corrected him and said it will be 40 percent or more.

“We have tried to stop election violence and irregularities. But in the end, for various reasons we couldn’t fully succeed.”

Source: BBC News Bangla

The EC cancelled the candidacy of ruling Awami League candidate from Chattogram-16 (Banshkhali) Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury. The action was taken against him because he threatened police, said EC Secretary Jahangir Alam.

The returning officer said that if EC cancels the candidacy of a candidate, the election will be held among the other contesting candidates of the relevant constituency.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/election-2024/news/news/ctg-16-al-aspirant-mostafizurs-candidacy-cancelled-3513371

In a center of Kalyanpur Girls School and College in Dhaka-14 Constituency, the signatures of the agents on the result sheet (result statement) have been kept before the voting ended. After the counting of votes, the result is declared on the result sheet signed by the agent of each candidate. The workers of Sabina Akhter Tuhin, an independent candidate of that seat, alleged that the vote could be rigged by taking signatures in advance on the empty form.

Awami League’s candidate for the seat is Jubo League General Secretary Mainul Hasan Khan (Nikhil). There are 10 polling stations in Kalyanpur Girls School and College.

Independent candidate Sabina Akhtar went to the place where the news of signing had spread earlier on Sunday afternoon. He told reporters, “I don’t know which candidate the presiding officer did this for.”

Later, when the presiding officer Gopal Chandra Das was approached, he refused to speak to Prothom Alo about the matter.

Source: Prothom Alo

In the 12th parliamentary election, Election Commissioner Md Anisur Rahman said he was hopeful that more than half of the votes would be cast. Following his vote this morning at the Dhaka City College in the city, Anisur spoke about his views. The voting center is in the Dhaka-10 constituency.

When asked about his expectations for the polling turnout, he said, “I hope that more than 50 percent of the votes will be cast.” People are voting for 299 of the 300 seats in the national parliament starting from 8:00 AM. Because a candidate had died, voting in the Naogaon-2 district had to be put on hold. The polls will stay open until 4:00 PM. Over 11,93,33,157 people have registered to vote in the 299 constituencies. There are 6,05,92,169 male voters, 5,87,40,140 female voters, and 848 hijra voters in this group.

Out of the 44 registered parties, 28 are joining the elections, while others, including the BNP and some opposition parties, are boycotting it.

Source: Daily Star

আজ রোববার সকাল ৯টায় বান্দরবান সরকারি বালিকা উচ্চ বিদ্যালয়ের ভোটকেন্দ্র পরিদর্শন শেষে ভোটারদের উদ্দেশে এই আহ্বান জানান তিনি। একই সময়ে ওই কেন্দ্রে ভোট দিতে আসেন আওয়ামী লীগ সমর্থিত প্রার্থী বীরবাহাদুর উশৈসিং। সেসময় কুশল বিনিময় করেন দুই প্রার্থী। পরে জাপা প্রার্থী শহিদুল সাংবাদিকদের বলেন, ‘নৌকা মার্কায় ভোট দিবেন আর আমার জন্য দোয়া করবেন।’

উল্লেখ্য, সাতটি উপজেলায় দুটি পৌরসভা ও ৩৪টি ইউনিয়ন মিলে দেশের সর্বশেষ সংসদীয় আসন পার্বত্য বান্দরবান। এ আসনে এবার ভোটার সংখ্যা দুই লাখ ৮৮ হাজার ৩০ জন। তার মধ্যে নারী ভোটার এক লাখ ৩৯ হাজার ৪৪৬ জন এবং পুরুষ ভোটার এক লাখ ৪৮ হাজার ৫৮৪ জন।

মোট ভোটকেন্দ্র ১৮২টি, তার মধ্যে সাধারণ কেন্দ্র ৪৫ এবং গুরুত্বপূর্ণ কেন্দ্র ১৩৭টি, বুথ কক্ষ ৭২৭টি। পার্বত্য বান্দরবান ৩০০ নং আসনে নৌকা প্রতীকে বীর বাহাদুর উশৈসিং এবং লাঙ্গল প্রতীকে এটিএম শহিদুল ইসলাম প্রতিদ্বন্দ্বিতা করছেন।

Source: Daily Star

Volunteers with BAL badges standing next to the center forced the voters who had voted to stand in line again after they saw journalists. Some time before 10:30 AM there was no line to be seen. While talking to the voters of the line, it was found that they have irremovable ink marks on their fingers. When asked, they said that they have already voted. But the BAL volunteers made them stand in line again.

“We voted in the morning,” two of them told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity. “He asked us to stand again without letting us go, so we are standing.”

Sukumar Barua, a resident of Kalaghata area and a BAL volunteer, who was moving next to the voters’ line, asked them to stand in line. When asked why voters were kept standing in queues even after voting was over, Sukumar told Daily Star, ‘We did not force anyone to stand in queues. Those who voted are gone.’ “We have not heard of such a thing,” Haroon Or Rashid, the Centre’s presiding officer, told The Daily Star when asked about voters being forced to stand in queues. Inform us if you see anything like that.’

Source: Daily Star

The Election Commission’s (EC) Tk 21 crore app, which helped voters find details about the election, like polling places, crashed the night before the election. As of January 1, EC Secretary Jahangir and other officials said that voters would be able to use the app to find out where they could vote.

But minimum 5 voters who tried to use the app told the Daily Star that they could not use it despite trying several times since January 6 evening. When reached out to for comment, EC System Manager Ashraf Hossain, said the accessibility issue is a temporary one and will be fixed soon. “We believe the number of users trying to access the app exceeded its traffic capacity,” he said. For voters who are yet to know who the candidates in their constituencies are, or even what constituencies they fall under, they can use the Election Commission’s app, Smart Election Management BD. Once you download the app, enter your date of birth and national ID number. Your polling centre with its address, voting serial number, and even details about other voters in your constituency show up at your fingertips.

The app will also keep you up to date with turnout numbers in your constituency every 2 hours.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/election-2024/news/news/ecs-21cr-app-crashes-eve-election-day-3512696#lg=1&slide=0

Four people were killed in at least 14 fires across the country between 6 PM on January 5 and 10 AM on January 6 (16 hours). The fires destroyed 6 cars and 9 buildings. Stats from the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) show that five of the events happened in Dhaka Division.

The stats show that 5 in Dhaka Division (Dhaka City 1, Narayanganj 1, Gazipur Sadar 2, Kaliakair 1), 2 fires broke out in Sylhet division (South Sylhet, Chunarughat), 4 in Chittagong Division (Ramu 1, Feni 1, Sitakund 1, Chittagong City 1), 3 in Mymensingh Division (Nandail 1, Gafargaon 1, Sherpur 1).

According to the stats, 1 train (4 coaches), 2 pickups, 1 truck, 2 covered vans, 1 Buddhist temple, and 8 educational institutions were set on fire in these incidents.

32 units of Fire Service and Civil Defence and 151 personnel were engaged to put out the fire.

Source: https://www.daily-sun.com/post/729186

In the midst of talks about the conflict between Israel and Gaza, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has voiced worries about the lack of support for Muslim and Palestinian tech workers in the field. Since Altman is Jewish and works in technology, he said that he has seen more support for Jewish coworkers than for Muslim and Palestinian coworkers. He was upset and said that Muslim and Palestinian tech workers often don’t talk about their problems because they’re afraid of being punished or having their jobs hurt. Altman asked everyone in the tech industry to come together and help these coworkers through what he called a “atrocious time.”

Altman wrote on Twitter, “Muslim and Arab (especially Palestinian) coworkers in the tech community i’ve talked to feel uncomfortable talking about their recent experiences, often out of fear of retaliation and hurt career prospects.” Our whole business should come together to help these coworkers; this is a terrible time. When asked about his Jewish coworkers, Altman stressed that he sees more support in the business world against racism than support for Muslims. The tech industry has had a hard time keeping employees from talking about the war between Israel and Gaza. Some companies have even deleted Slack messages and had problems with freedom of speech.

Even with these worries, Altman said he hoped for real and lasting peace and stressed how important it was to be kind to each other during the fight. Tech companies like Apple and Google have had trouble keeping their staff from talking about the war between Israel and Gaza. Paddy Cosgrave, an Irish businessman and co-founder of Web Summit, also got flak and resignations over claims against Israel, which made big companies like Intel and Stripe less likely to attend.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-sam-altman-urges-tech-community-support-muslim-peers-2024-1

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said Friday that world food prices went down in 2023. Grain and oil prices went down the most as worries about supply eased. The Rome-based FAO said that the prices of food commodities around the world fell 13.7% in 2023 compared to the previous year.

The FAO’s cereals price index dropped 15.4% last year, which “reflected well-supplied global markets.” This is in contrast to 2022, when prices went through the roof after Russia invaded Ukraine, a major producer of grains. worries about wheat and corn supplies got better, but worries about rice supplies got worse because of El Nino and India’s decision to limit exports. Last year, the price of rice went up by 21%.

Last year, the vegetable oil price index dropped the most, by 32.7%. This was because stocks got better and less oil was used to make biofuels. On the other hand, sugar prices rose 26.7% total last year, though they fell from their peak in December because Brazil increased exports and cut back on biofuel use.

Food prices are going up a lot in many countries, often much faster than the general inflation rate, even though the FAO’s overall index went down. The FAO’s index tracks the prices of commodities on the market. It takes a little longer for consumer prices to be reflected, since they are also affected by the cost of labor and energy used during processing and distribution.

Source: https://www.newagebd.net/article/222046/global-food-prices-drop-137pc-in-2023-fao

Police have arrested Nabi Ullah Nabi, the joint convenor of Dhaka South, and seven other party members on suspicion that they had something to do with the fire on the Benapole Express train on January 6. The other people who were arrested are Md Hasan Ahmed, Md Russell, Delowar Hakeem Biplab, Md Salauddin, and Md Kabir. Around 12:30 a.m. on January 6, Nabi Ullah was arrested at his home in Sector 11 of Uttara.

A virtual meeting was held on January 4 with the convenor of Metropolitan South Jubo Dal, Khandkar Enam, Member Secretary Robiul Islam Noyon, Joint Convenor MA Gaffar, Joint Convenor Iqbal Hossain Bablu, Office Secretary Shahjahan Chowdhury, and the team leaders of eight Dakshin Jubo Dal teams. For the two main plans, they told leaders and activists from the Ward and Thana Jubo Dal to do destructive things on January 5, 6, and 7. These included setting fire to vehicles and temporary election camps for candidates, throwing explosives near polling places, and other destructive things.

Sources in the BNP said that police raided the homes of several BNP leaders, such as Engineer Ishrak Hossain in Gopibagh, Anam Saiful Islam in Dholaipar, AGM Shamsul Haq in Baridhara, and Mojammel Hossain Matir in Kafrul. Friday night, someone set fire to the Benapole Express train in the Gopibagh area of Sayedabad. At least four people on board died.

Source: https://www.risingbd.com/english/national/news/101428

Azad Hossain, the former Chhatra League leader who publicly put 43 seals in 57 seconds in the by-election of Laxmipur-3 (Sadar) seat, was seen campaigning in the polling field. But this time no one is calling him a ‘Shibir member’. This time, Awami League officials are identifying him as a former Chhatra League leader. Azad is the former vice president of Chandraganj Thana Chhatra League.

On Friday, Azad took part in mass communication including distributing leaflets, hanging posters and miking in different areas of Dighli Union on behalf of Bangladesh Awami League. In his presence, the local and opposition supporters fear the repetition of the sealing incident. It was not possible to talk to Azad about this.

At 1:06 p.m. Dighli Union Awami League president and convenor of the election management committee Abdul Wadud Liton told Jugantor that Azad was not given any responsibility even though he was in the BAL campaign. “There will be a fair vote, there is no doubt. Azad is a part of Chhatra League. Never was involved with Shibir. I don’t know who called him a part of it.”

Source: Daily Jugantor

Everything about the game is great, from the original story to the graphics and sound. But the stunning 3D model of the IUT campus is what has caught many people’s attention the most. Three third-year students at IUT’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) made this game for their Computer Graphics class project. Their names are Ramisa Zaman Audhi, Samnun Azfar, and Shams Farhan Ivan.

IUT’s nickname, “Red Heaven”, is found in the name of the game, aMIDst Red. The plot of the story is about a character who has to find missing midterm scripts on campus. They can either walk or drive to get to the scripts. This is where the recreation of the school comes in. Audhi, Azfar, and Ivan mostly used 3D assets they made from scratch to do this. Sketchfab, Quixel Bridge, and Unreal Marketplace are some of the third-party products that were used. The way the map is made makes it easy to take a virtual tour of the school. All the important spots, like the academic buildings, dorms, and cafeteria, have been perfectly recreated. “We wanted to provide a virtual tour for IUT students as well as those of other institutions, and give a taste of nostalgia for the alumni. It might also be useful for the future aspirants,” shared Audhi.

Source: Daily Star

Robert Kiyosaki, author of the best-selling personal finance book ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’, has confirmed being in $1.2 billion worth of debt. The widely followed entrepreneur who is popular for his advice on building up wealth and managing finances, claimed this on a podcast named “Disruptors.”

Kiyosaki talked about his unique way of dealing with debt and money. His book from 1997 has sold over 40 million copies. He says that there is a difference between “good debt” and “bad debt,” and that “good debt” can be used to make money. This includes loans for buying things that will make money. Luxury cars like Ferraris and Rolls-Royces, which he owns but has already paid for, he sees as liabilities instead of investments.

His bold saying, “If I go bust, the bank goes bust. Not my problem,” reflects a debated stance on his substantial debt. He repeated this remark in his podcast appearance, where he shared his view of debt as money.

Source:Daily Star

On the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Mouchak, Narayanganj, a time bomb was found in a bus going to Cox’s Bazar. At 10:30 PM, on January 5, the bomb was found in a Bengal Paribahan sleeper bus.

The counter-terrorism unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police carried out an operation and proved that the object was a time bomb. Around 1:30 AM, the bomb was taken out. Superintendent of Police for the District Golam Mostafa Russell said that the bomb had a timer in it, and if it wasn’t found at the right time, it could have done a lot of damage.

Mohammed Hasan, the bus driver, saw what looked like a bomb behind a seat and called the cops at 999. That seat was taken by someone who got on the bus from Gabtali and heard about the bomb, which made everyone get off the bus. Police officer Abu Bakkar Siddique, who is in charge of the Siddhirganj station, stated that the bomb was defused and that the legal process is now underway.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/335969/bomb-like-object-found-on-bus-in-narayanganj

8 fire engines units brought the Benapole Express train fire under control at 10:22 PM, Fire Service and Civil Defence duty officer Rakibul Hasan asserted on Friday. The fire was first reported at approximately 9 PM when the train was passing through Gopibagh.

Officials of the fire service brought out four bodies from the train. According to railways source, the Benapole Express (795), which departed from Benapole at 1 PM, was on its way to Dhaka with a scheduled arrival time of 8:45 PM.

Source: Somoy TV

The University Teachers’ Network is a platform of university teachers in Bangladesh. On Friday they have rejected Bangladesh’s upcoming general election. They said that another ‘unacceptable’ election like those in 2014 and 2018 was going to take place in the country.

DU Professor Gitiara Nasreen sent an open letter to the Bangladeshi people on behalf of the platform, showing concern and frustration over the upcoming election.

The platform asserted that as the previous 2 national elections were questionable, the whole governance system now has a lack of transparency. The UTN said that during this time, major human rights and constitutional rights of the people of the country, especially freedom of speech and gathering, have been clearly violated. At the same time, it said, unfair distribution of wealth, a biased judiciary, and threats from the ruling party have caused a reign of fear.

Everyone worked together to make sure the election was free, competitive, and fair, based on what everyone agreed on. “But we were let down,” UTN said. It also said that the upcoming election will not be able to give the people anything other than more power for the present ruling party.

Source: https://www.newagebd.net/article/222019/university-teachers-network-rejects-january-7-polls#google_vignette

A study in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (Volume 11, Number 9) called “Tuning of cellular insulin release by music for real-time diabetes control” showed that scientists were able to program cells to release insulin in response to certain sound waves, in this case, music from the band Queen.

The study which employs a mechanosensitive ion channel to direct cells into making insulin when stimulated with certain sound waves, was led by a Bioengineering professor at ETH Zurich, Martin Fussenegger. These MUSIC-controlled, insulin-releasing cells, where MUSIC is an acronym for music-inducible cellular control, were brought up in a lab adjacent to loudspeakers. Some of the songs used in this study included Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”, Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, and Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”. Researchers found that Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, at a volume of 85 decibels, caused the strongest insulin release.

Researchers used diabetic mice and found that playing “We Will Rock You” for 15 minutes a day brought the insulin levels in the mice’s blood back to normal. At the same time, the blood sugar levels of the mice went back to normal.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/campus/campus/news/study-rock-music-could-replace-insulin-injections-3510926

It is now as cold as it has been all winter in Finland and Sweden, with temps dropping as low as -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit). This cold spell has made it hard to get around. For example, in Norway, a major highway in the south was closed, and boat lines stopped running.

Swedish train companies say there are big problems with rail travel in the Arctic north. A small town in northern Sweden called Nikkaluokta had a temperature of -41.6 degrees C (-42.8 degrees F) early Tuesday. Several places in northern Sweden had temperatures of -30 C (-22 F), according to the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute. Central and southern Sweden were warned of snow and wind.

The coldest temperature ever recorded in Finland was in Ylivieska. This week, temperatures are expected to drop below -40 C in some parts of the country. Arendal in southern Norway’s schools were closed on Wednesday because of problems with the sidewalks. Some ferry crossings have been delayed, like those from southern Norway to Denmark because a key bridge was closed to light vehicles.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/finland-sweden-cold-celsius-fahrenheit-same-temperature-degrees-2024-1

A computer science and engineering student at BRAC University named Hasibul Hasan Ahmed has been given a $2,000 seed grant by the National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy for his study internship on “Community and Conservation.” The grant is part of an eight-week virtual learning and leadership program for young people around the world between the ages of 18 and 25. The program’s main goal is to bring international concerns about protecting freshwater to the local level.

Hasibul’s community project, Ecoflow Revive, aims to improve Banani Lake and meet the needs of the people who live in the Korail slum. During his two-month externship, he talked to community members, conservationists, and local officials about problems related to protecting freshwater in Dhaka’s Banani Lake and Korail. Hasibul taught 12 students at BRAC University how to do cause-driven research, which led to the publication of two research papers. Hasibul says that the grant gives their team credibility and will be used to look for more money nationally and abroad for their community development work.

Hasibul has done many great things. He is a co-founder of BRAC University’s Social Impact Lab, a Millennium Fellow for the class of 2022 in the United Nations Academic Impact, and a member of Harvard University’s Aspire Leadership Program. Hasibul is excited about the future because he wants to build a job in climate change and conservation through social entrepreneurship and a circular economy that takes into account both global and national issues to meet future needs.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/education/335444/brac-university-student-wins-2-000-seed-funding

মৃত ব্যক্তিদের কবর থেকে উঠে এসে ভোট না দেওয়ার আহ্বান জানিয়েছে খুলনা বিএনপি। আজ বুধবার দুপুরে খুলনা নগরের টুটপাড়া কবরস্থানে মৃত ব্যক্তিদের উদ্দেশে এমন শপথবাক্য পাঠ করায় তারা। পরে টুটপাড়ার দিলখোলা সড়কে এক দফা দাবিতে লিফলেট বিতরণ করেন বিএনপির নেতা-কর্মীরা।

এ সময় বিএনপির নেতা-কর্মীরা বলেন, এই সরকারের ভোট জালিয়াতি এমন পর্যায়ে পৌঁছেছে যে বিভিন্ন সময় কবরবাসীকে জীবিত দেখিয়ে জাল ভোট দেওয়া হয়েছে। ৭ জানুয়ারির নির্বাচনেও কবরবাসীর ভোট নিয়ে টানাহেচঁড়া করা হতে পারে। এ জন্য মৃত ব্যক্তিরা যাতে কবর থেকে এসে ভোট না দেন, সে জন্য তাঁদের উদ্দেশে শপথবাক্য পাঠ করানো হয়েছে। বিএনপির নেতা-কর্মীরা বলেন, কবরে শায়িত ব্যক্তিদের ককটেল মেরে দৌড়ে পালিয়ে যেতে দেখতে পান ‘গায়েবি’ মামলার তদন্ত কর্মকর্তারা। মৃত ব্যক্তিদের প্রতি অসম্মান-তাচ্ছিল্য এবং পরিবারের সঙ্গে তামাশাকারীদের প্রতিহত করতে হবে। রাজনৈতিক ভিন্নমত থাকার কারণে মৃত ব্যক্তিদের বিনা চিকিৎসায় বা অপচিকিৎসা দিয়ে কারাগারে আটকে রেখে মৃত্যুকে ত্বরান্বিত করা ও আপনজনের সঙ্গে বিদায়ী সাক্ষাৎ করতে না দেওয়ার মতো ঘটনার সঙ্গে জড়িত সবাইকে উপযুক্ত জবাব দেওয়া হবে।

Source: https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/district/w1v3nv4ghw

The temperature has been dropping for a few days because of cold waves and frost in the northern parts of the country. After the sun goes down, thick fog is seen, making winter even worse. The temperature hit 7.4 degrees celsius in Tetulia, Panchagarh district, at 6 AM on Wednesday, January 3, which was the coldest day of the season.

At the same time, Rangpur had a temperature of 11.9, Kurigram had a temperature of 10.5 and Dinajpur had a temperature of 9.6. Nilphamari had a temperature of 10.2 and Gaibandha had a temperature of 12.3.

In Rangpur, the Regional Meteorological Department says that the temperatures will stay below average for the next few days. Furthermore, on Tuesday, the temperature in Rangpur was 12.1, Tetulia was 10.9, Kurigram was 12.8, Dinajpur was 10.0, Saidpur was 9.0, Dimla in Nilphamari was 11.5, Gaibandha was 12.5, and Lalmonirhat was 12.3 degrees Celsius.

Source: https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/country/temperature-drops-to-74-degree-in-tetulia

After ‘MBA Chaiwala’ and ‘Patrakaar Pohewala’, a ‘PhD Sabzi Wala’ is going viral on the internet. Dr Sandeep Singh, who has 4 Master’s degrees and 1 PhD degree, is now a vegetable vendor on the streets of Punjab. Singh, 39, was a contractual professor at Punjabi University in Patiala for 11 years, reports say.

He was quoted by Times Now as saying, “I had to leave the job because I didn’t use to get my remuneration on time and there were frequent pay cuts. It became difficult for me to earn a living with that job. So I switched to selling vegetables for my family’s survival.”

“Having a job should mean that you can run your family with the salary you get. But what’s the advantage of a job which doesn’t fulfill your needs?” Navbharat Times quoted him as saying.

“I also worked as a professor at Punjabi University, Patiala, for 11 years, but even because of all these years of hard work, the government did not approve me,” he told News 18. “I still would like to work as a professor, but the situation is not allowing,” he added.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/trends/meet-phd-sabzi-wala-who-has-four-master-phd-degrees-but-sells-vegetables-on-punjab-streets-11704108116886.html