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Traffic system digitised, signalling manual Tk 200 crore goes down the drain!

There are modern traffic signal lights on the roads in the capital of Digital Bangladesh, but police are controlling the signals by hand because most of the traffic signal lights in the city are out of order. In the last two decades, around TK 200 crore has been spent implementing various traff...

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Dhaka Nagar Paribahan in a shambles

Dhaka Nagar Paribahan bus service was launched two years ago to bring order to public transport in the capital, reduce the competition to pick up passengers and relieve city dwellers of unhealthy competition.There were promises that Nagar Paribahan buses would not stop everywhere, no one would board...

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Playground for people with disabilities nearly ready

The much-hyped playground for people with disabilities is getting ready beside the National Parliament Bhaban in Dhaka after long 13 years.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced an open playground for people with disabilities in 2011. Later, the prime minister asked the National Foundation for ...

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Chemical warehouses yet to be relocated

The chemical warehouses in the residential buildings in Old Dhaka have not yet been moved despite the government’s decision to relocate them following the Nimtoli fire tragedy around 13 years ago.A total of 124 people died and many injured in an inferno at a chemical warehouse at Nimtoli in 20...

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Intimacy of police with accused growing

The trend of a section of police officers and members of different levels of police getting involved in crime is increasing day by day. In addition to abuse of power, neglect of duty, taking bribes, extortion, drug trade, robbery, torture, extortion by intimidation, embezzlement of seized goods...

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Academic certificates on sale, formal education not required!

‘Academic certificates’ are available without going to schools, colleges or universities as several groups are active in selling certificates. Anyone does not need to study hard or attend a prestigious educational institution for getting such a certificate.  The secret market of fak...

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Fire Service sends notice only

The Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) does nothing but send notice when a building, restaurant, shopping mall, or establishment is found to be a fire risky. Although there is a separate law for them, there is no penalty or legal action. So, even if a fire hazard or irregularity exists in a ...

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85 city buildings identified as highly risky, 409 risky

The Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) through a visit to different parts of capital Dhaka has identified a total of 85 buildings as highly risky and 409 others as risky in the city. The buildings, which have no fire-safety measures have been labelled as highly risky and those having minimum...

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No law to stop violence against domestic helps

Violence against domestic helps and torture on them are frequent almost everywhere in Bangladesh, but there is no law to protect the highly vulnerable community from their employers.Lacking legal protection, domestic workers faced different kinds of torture, including physical, mental, and sexual ha...

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Money laundering rife thru online betting

Online gambling has emerged as a major threat across the country from cities to remote rural areas.With multiple syndicates comprising local and foreign individuals, crores of taka is being laundered from the country through this newly emerged illicit online business.Most of these sites and apps are...

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Can be legalised by adding safety measures

Despite their popularity and cost-saving benefits, these battery-operated rickshaws are still not officially recognized in the country, leading to occasional disputes between auto-rickshaw drivers and law enforcers.Some people blame these vehicles, which can travel at high speeds on roads and highwa...

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How do they manage?

Despite the High Court ban, these battery-powered rickshaws are still running in the capital and elsewhere in the country, managing influential political leaders and police.That is why many illegal battery-powered rickshaws and three-wheeler autos ply across the country with little or no resistance ...

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From pedal to battery

In the face of modern motorized auto-rickshaws hitting the streets, the traditional manually-driven rickshaws are finding it hard to survive and compete in a fast growing economy of Dhaka city.In the fifties and sixties, rickshaws were one of the main public transports for travelling in sh...

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Youth fall prey to online scammers

Digital fraud gang members are swindling huge amounts of money from people in the name of freelancing, offering attractive remunerations in a short time while staying at home.However, most victims do not seek legal remedies for fear of embarrassment and additional trouble. Taking the opportunity of ...

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All wake up after all burns

Following the devastating fire at Bailey Road, the concerned authorities are apparently attempting to divert attention from negligence by conducting drives against restaurants and coffee shops in the capital, and elsewhere in the country. Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Fire Service and Civil...

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Mushroom growth of eateries in city

Hundreds of restaurants and coffee shops have sprung up all over the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country in violation of safety rules, posing potential risk of fire.As per the rules, offices are allowed in commercial buildings, but permission of the authorities concerned is required for setti...

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Joy-dinner turns tragedy

Syed Mobarak Hossain Kawsar had been living in Italy for 20 years and his wife and three children were in Dhaka. After obtaining the green card, Mobarak came to Bangladesh to bring his family to Italy with him. Their flight was scheduled for March 10.Just days before going to Italy with his family, ...

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Tragedy of towering inferno

In one of the worst fire tragedies of the time, at least 46 people including 26 women and three children, were killed and 22 critically injured in the deadly fire that originated in a seven-storey building housing the ‘Kacchi Bhai’ outlet at Bailey Road in the capital on Thursday night.T...

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A Bailey Road fire survivor tells it all

“Just ordered the food. Suddenly, I heard screaming all around followed by the stench of smoke, and after a while, a loud bang.I went out and saw the fire below. I went upstairs. Then the power was cut off. Darkness and heavy smoke lay all around. Many people were burning while in the rush of ...

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Police demand univ for professional skill, deputation in embassies

Senior police officers on Thursday urged the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to establish a separate university for police to develop the professional skill of the police officers.They also demanded the recruitment of police officers on deputation in Bangladesh embassies abroad.They placed the proposal...