Mahfuz Sadique, chief communications officer of mobile financial services firm bKash, passed away in Bangladesh capital Dhaka Friday morning. He was 40.

Mahfuz died around 9:00am while undergoing treatment at a hospital in the capital, bKash said in a statement.

Mahfuz, who began his career as a journalist at New Age, was taken to the hospital around 7:00am after he complained of chest pain. Doctors declared him dead around 9:00am saying that he had died of cardiac arrest.

Mahfuz is survived by his wife, a son, and a host of well-wishers to mourn his death.

Mahfuz’s namaz-e-janaza was held after asr prayers at the Taqwa Jame Mosque in Dhanmondi before he was buried in the Rayerbazar graveyard.

Mahfuz joined bKash as chief communications officer in 2021, according to the MFS firm.

He came to bKash from BBC World News in London, where he held the roles of news editor, foreign correspondent, presenter, and producer since 2007 on Emmy and BAFTA award-winning programmes.

Earlier, he was assistant manager of corporate affairs at Citibank.

Awarded as a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2018, Mahfuz has taught at the universities of SOAS and Utrecht and chaired conference panels at Harvard and Yale.

He was an advisor and consultant on FCDO- and USAID-funded projects. He has a master’s in public policy from King’s College London.

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News Desk : dhakamirror.com

Despite the presence of both new and old potatoes in the market, potato prices have soared by 229% compared to late December last year.

According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the selling price for both new and old potatoes has now reached Tk60-65 per kilogramme in the city kitchen market, which marks an alarming 44% hike in prices compared to the past month alone.

Meanwhile, potato prices ranged from Tk16-22 per kg during the same time last year.

Visiting several kitchen markets like Kallyanpur, Moghbazar, and Hatirpool in the capital on Friday (29 December), our correspondent witnessed a grim picture.

New potatoes are now fetching prices ranging between Tk70-80 per kg, while old potatoes are not being sold at Tk60-70 per kg.

The shopkeepers in these markets say this surge starkly contrasts the usual market trends during mid-December when new potatoes enter the market resulting in a decline in prices.

“New potatoes are being sold at Tk70 per kg. Last year, during this period, I sold new potatoes for Tk40 per kg and old ones for Tk20 per kilogram,” said Mohammad Anwar Hossain, a seller from Kallyanpur.

Another seller Rejwan Sikder from Moghbazar said, “Usually, vegetable and potato prices drop during winter, but this year, due to last year’s inflation, vegetables are being sold at double the price. Even now, the price of one kilogram of beans is Tk70.”

The onion market is also experiencing a similar trend, with desi onion prices ranging between Tk80-100 per kg, while old local onions are selling for an even higher rate, ranging from Tk140-150 per kg.

With government interventions in September, potato prices were fixed at Tk35-36 per kg for retail sales and Tk26-27 per kg for wholesale, while local onions were set at Tk64-65 taka per kg.

However, despite the commerce ministry’s stringent measures to regulate the prices of staple items such as potatoes, onions, and eggs, shopkeepers across the country were boldly flouting the government-fixed rates.

– Input from TBS was used in this article.

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An engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) was killed and three other government officials were injured when the vehicle of a UNO hit a roadside tree in Panchagarh Sadar upazila early today.

The deceased was identified as Abu Sayed, 33, upazila engineer of LGED from Pirganj upazila of Thakurgaon. He had been transferred from Tentulia upazila a few months ago.

The injured officials are Tentulia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Fazle Rabbi, 33, Upazila Social Service Officer Al Amin, 31, and Assistant Programmer of the UNO office Nabiul Karim Sercar, 30.

According to Zakir Hossain Mollah, the officer-in-charge of Tentulia Highway Police Station, the accident occurred around 1:00am when the UNO’s Panchagarh-bound vehicle hit a roadside tree after crossing Chawai Bridge, leaving Abu Sayed dead on the spot.

On information, police and firefighters rushed to the scene and transported the injured to Panchagarh Sadar Hospital.

Al Amin was shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital due to his deteriorating condition.

The cause of the accident and details such as who was driving the vehicle could not be known immediately.

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The United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has made an urgent appeal to all countries in the region, particularly those in the area surrounding the Andaman Sea, to swiftly deploy their full search and rescue capacities in response to reported vessels in distress with hundreds of Rohingya at risk of perishing.

While all details are not fully known, UNHCR has received reports from various sources of a distress situation at sea, where two overcrowded boats have engine failures and are now aimlessly drifting in unseaworthy vessels in the Andaman Sea, reads a press release issued by the UNHCR Representation in Bangladesh on Saturday.

Weather conditions over the coming days are unpredictable with cyclones being an unfortunate, but real, possibility. Combined, the two boats carry approximately 400 individuals, said the release.

Another boat with 150 Rohingya was reported to have arrived in Sabang, an island north of Aceh early Saturday morning. Many more are reported to be still in distress in the open sea.

UNHCR is concerned that food and water may be running out and there is a significant risk of fatalities in the coming days if people are not rescued and disembarked to safety.

In line with the principle of non-refoulement, international obligations under the Laws of the Sea and longstanding maritime traditions, the duty to rescue persons in distress at sea must be upheld, irrespective of nationality or legal status of the persons in need of rescue.

UNHCR reiterates its call for a comprehensive regional response to address these perilous maritime movements. Since 2022 until today more than 570 people including Rohingya refugees have been reported as dead or missing at sea.

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Over two hundred garment workers in Cumilla’s Chauddagram have been injured while trying to evacuate the factory building of Amir Shirt Garment Limited during today’s earthquake.

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 10km jolted Dhaka, and parts of the country at 9:35am today (2 December). The epicentre of the earthquake was located 8km east-northeast of Lakshmipur’s Ramganj upazila.

Confirming the incident, Chauddagram Upazila Health Officer Golam Kibriya said multiple teams are working to provide care to the injured.

“The exact number of admissions is not yet clear, but it is believed to be over two hundred. Additionally, more injured individuals are being admitted to the hospital, and the number may rise,” he added.

Anwar Hossain, the manager of Amir Shirt Garment Limited, said, “Most of our workers safely evacuated during the earthquake. Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted that the building had developed cracks. This caused panic among the female workers, leading to a rush that resulted in several injuries.

“We provided medical treatment to many at our own health complex. Many were also transported to the upazila health complex in the institution’s ambulance,” he added.

Trinath Saha, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Chauddagram police station, said he heard about some people getting injured in the panic during the earthquake.

“We are trying to gather more details,” he added.

Meanwhile, Director of Cumilla Medical College Hospital Azizur Rahman Siddiqui said four people from Cumilla EPZ and Cumilla Women’s College have been admitted for treatment at the hospital.

– Input from TBS was used in this article

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A father was hacked to death by his own daughter during an altercation over a trivial matter at Lohagara upazila in Chattogram on Friday (1 December).

The deceased was identified as Abdur Rahman, 50, of Putibila Sarai village under the upazila.

Police have detained the daughter, Humaira Begum, 23, soon after the incident.

Confirming the incident to The Business Standard, Lohagara police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rashedul Islam said the police went to the spot upon receiving information.

“The accused daughter was swiftly apprehended by the police and taken to the police station for further investigation,” he added.

He also said the body has been sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy, and legal actions in connection to the incident are currently underway.

Replying to a query, the OC said Humaira was divorced two years ago and since then she has been living with her parents.

“She used to rear two cows for her own earnings. In the morning today, she was feeding her cows which were already fed earlier. When her father inquired why she was feeding the cows which had already eaten grass, she became angry and locked into an altercation with her father.

“At one stage of the altercation, she came out with a sharp weapon and hacked her father to death,” the OC said quoting other family members and witnesses.

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Dhaka had the highest number of GPA-5 recipients in the HSC exams, while Barishal Education Board had the highest pass rate among nine educational boards.

Education Minister Dipu Moni announced today that the overall pass rate in the nine general boards is 75.90 percent.

In terms of pass rates, Barishal ranked first with 80.65 percent, while Jashore ranked last with 69.88 percent.

Dhaka board’s pass rate is 79.44 percent, Rajshahi board’s 78.46 percent, Cumilla board’s 75.39 percent, Chattogram board’s 74.45 percent, Sylhet board’s 71.62 percent, Dinajpur board’s 74.48 percent, and Mymensingh board’s 70.44 percent.

In terms of GPA-5, the Dhaka board topped the list with 31,752.

A total of 11,258 students secured GPA-5 under the Rajshahi Education Board , 5,655 students from Cumilla board, 8,122 students from Jashore board, 6,339 students from Chattogram board, 3,993 students from Barishal board, 1,699 students from Sylhet board, 6,459 students from Dinajpur board, and 3,244 students from Mymensingh board.

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The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) has decided to postpone the written tests for the 45th Bangladesh Civil Service examination, which was scheduled to be held on 27 November.

The announcement came through a notification signed by Ananda Kumar Biswas, the exam controller of PSC, issued on Friday.

PSC held a meeting where the decision to delay the examinations was reached, reads the notification.

The notification stated that the revised schedule for the examination will be made available on the PSC website.

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A woman reportedly killed herself after stabbing her younger sister to death in the capital’s Hazaribagh area today.

Police said the incident took place in the Kalunagar area at around 12am on Monday (13 November).

The deceased have been identified as Jasmine Akhtar, 44, and her younger sister Nasreen Akhtar, 30.

“We have come to know that the elder sister committed suicide after killing her younger sister in a dispute over family matters. However, the exact cause of death will be known after getting the autopsy report,” Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) Police Outpost In-Charge Md Bachchu Miah said.

There were marks of sharp weapon injuries on the bodies of both sisters, police added.

According to the police, neighbours called the national emergency helpline 999 and informed them about the incident.

Later police went to the spot and took the two sisters to DMCH.

Doctors declared Nasreen dead around 12:30am; Jasmine succumbed to the injuries at around 4:30am.

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The Sultanate of Oman has suspended the issuance of visas across all categories for Bangladeshi nationals, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said on Tuesday.

The decision was effective from Tuesday, reported Oman-based English newspaper the Times of Oman referring to the Royal Oman Police.

The report said that the ROP confirmed the suspension of ‘visa conversions’ for expatriates arriving in Oman on tourist and visit visas.

‘Previously, expatriates entering the country on visit visas could convert their status to employment visas. However, they will now be required to exit the country and return on a work visa,’ it said.

‘The ROP, within its review of the policies for obtaining some types of visas, announces the suspension of the conversion of all types of tourist and visit visas to work visas for all nationalities coming to the Sultanate of Oman, as well as the issuance of all types of new visas for Bangladeshi Citizens, effective Tuesday (October 31, 2023) till further notice,’ the newspaper quoted a statement of the ROP as saying.

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