"During the rule of BNP, the country had food shortage, now it is self-sufficient"



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

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The country has become self-sufficient in food under the present government. And Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mentioned that there was a food shortage during the BNP.

She said, we will produce our own meal. Along with food security, the government will also ensure nutritional security.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said this while attending a function organized at the old trade fair ground in Sher Bangla Nagar at 10 am on Thursday (April 18).

The Prime Minister said, when I formed the government in 1996, I saw a shortage of 40 lakh metric tons of food. In this condition we started the journey. There was not much reserve money then. There was a food crisis in Asia. Our aim was, we are not going to touch anyone. I will grow my own crops.

Stating that there was a shortage of food in the country during the BNP, the Prime Minister said that during the BNP we had to depend on other countries for food. Their thinking was to make the country dependent. But we came back from that situation after coming to power. Now Bangladesh is self-sufficient in food.

   

Woman worker killed by her husband on Labor Day



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Savar(Dhaka)
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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The police have arrested the husband of a garment worker in connection with the death of his wife due to a family dispute in Savar's Ashulia on May Day. The police recovered the body of the deceased and sent it for post-mortem.

On Wednesday (May 1) evening, the police recovered the body of the victim from Ashulia Women and Children's Hospital.

Deceased Maina Begum (60) lived in a rented house with her family in North Ghazirachat area of Ashulia. She worked as a cleaner in a local Grameen knitwear garment factory.

Arrested husband Taimur Rahman (65) is a day laborer by profession. Their village home is in Nirapara village of Niamatpur police station in Naogoan district.

Citing the victim's family, the police said that in the afternoon, due to a family quarrel, Maina Begum was beaten up by her husband. Later, when she was taken to the hospital with injuries, the doctor on duty declared her dead. The police also said that the body of the deceased had the marks of punch injuries.

Sub- Inspector (SI) of Ashulia police station Badiuzzaman told Barta 24.com that the dead body has been recovered and sent for autopsy. There was a quarrel between them due to the financial crisis in the family. The process of filing a case is ongoing with the victim's family as the plaintiff.

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The coolies rush to the platform as the train's whistle sounds



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Rajshahi
Photo: Barta24.com

Photo: Barta24.com

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Rajshahi Railway Station. which has become the heart of daily life for many. Here Ghulam Mustafa, Afzal, Sharif, Kamal and about 40 coolies run with different trains every day. Their job is to carry passengers' heavy luggage. At the sound of the train's whistle, they ran to the platform, in one breath.

Their competition begins to see who can get into the train compartment first. Who can lift the goods in his troly first. They stand in front of the train and ask the passengers to carry the goods. Their lives have been going on like this for ages, months after months.

Not only at Rajshahi railway station; This image is seen in medium to large railway stations almost all over the country.

This daily rush is not only a part of their professional life, but it is an essential part of their family life.

The workers said that with the increase in the price of goods, their income is not increasing. The income is three to four hundred takas a day. But; It costs 500 to 600 taka. It is running out of water to bring salt. But they are happy to earn in halal way even with low income.

Golam Mostafa, who has been involved in this profession for the past 45 years, said that our daily run is actually a struggle for bread and sustenance for our family. A train is a symbol of our hope.

These porters not only carry the luggage but also provide a reliable support to the passengers. The scope of work of these employees of Rajshahi station is wide ranging from arrival to departure of trains. Another worker (coolie) named Afzal said, We develop a bond with each passenger, which in some cases gets stronger with time.

Another worker Kamal said, the risk in this profession is not less; we carry heavy baggage every day, which puts a strain on our physical health. But this work for family is essential for us.

This daily scene at Rajshahi railway station is not just a picture of a platform; it is a familiar scene at many railway stations in Bangladesh, where coolies like Golam Mostafa go out of their way to serve passengers every day.

These regular scenes at Rajshahi railway station are similar to other railway stations in Bangladesh, where coolies are fighting for their families every day. Their life and professional responsibilities are like a mocking challenge, which they need not only for financial security, but also for their contribution as part of a society.

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"The poor have no hot or cold, what will they eat if they don't work"



Gulshan Jahan Sarika, Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Barta24.com

Photo: Barta24.com

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People's life has been disturbed by the intense heat wave that is sweeping over the country. Everyone, young and old, is short of breath in the intense heat. Although no one goes out of the house except for urgent needs, the workers are working in such heat because of their stomachs. One of them is Anjura Begum, who is fifty years old.

Anjura Begum, who works as a mason in the scorching heat, told Barta24.com that her entire family is supported by her earnings alone. Even though she cannot work for a long time due to her age, she continues to work hard while looking after her family.

If you work in the hot sun for a long time, you will get sick. She said, the poor do not have hot and cold, what will they eat if they do not work? I have to run the family with the money that I earn from daily wages.

She also said, I don't have energy like before, but because of my stomach I have to go out every day in search of work. When there is work, food comes, if not, you have to starve.

She lamented that it is difficult to work due to age. People don't even want to employ her because of her age. Even if you go for old age pension, you will not get government pension because you are not yet old. If she does not come to work, the stove does not burn. It is very difficult to run a family with the money you get as a daily wage.

Anjura Begum, who lost everything and came from Shyamnagar in Satkhira, said that her husband used to work in fishing and collecting honey in the Sundarbans. They had their own houses and cultivated land. But in the happy life, sadness came in the flood of 2000. The river dam broke and the house was washed away in one night. Destitute, she took her husband's hand with her two little daughters and moved to Satkhira town. There, the two started working as day laborers to run the family from a rented house. After a few years, the husband fell ill. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Then pregnant Anjura Begum fell on the stone.

After selling everything that was in the village, she treated her husband with a sigh and said that her husband died in 2013 after a few months of the birth of her little girl in poverty. A well-to-do family offers accommodation in exchange for domestic work. She turned grief into strength to run the family in the pursuit of livelihood and started working as a laborer.

Anjura Begum said, we do not work less than men. Yet our women workers are being paid less than men. Why are we discriminated against?

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Three cases against Milton Samader are processed in the night



Staff Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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Three cases are under process against Milton Samaddar, Chairman of Child and Old Age Care Ashram. Dhaka Metropolitan Detective (DB) Police said that a case will be filed at Mirpur Model Police Station on Wednesday (May 1) night.

According to detective police sources, a case will be filed against Milton on three charges at Mirpur Model Police Station. The process of listing the cases is under process.

Earlier, a team of detective police arrested Milton Samaddar in a raid in Mirpur area of the capital.

Later, in an emergency press conference, DMP Additional Commissioner (Detective) Mohammad Haroon Or Rashid said that there are many complaints against Milton Samaddar. His house is in Uzirpur of Barishal. He was ostracized by the local people because he beat his father. Then he moved to Dhaka.

He said his wife will also be interrogated on the allegations and multiple cases will be filed. The charges leveled against him are heinous crimes. If there is evidence, he will not be exempted.

The DB chief said that Milton will be charged with human trafficking, assault on children, beating relatives when they visit and his torture cell.

Haroon Or Rashid also said that Milton came to Dhaka and started working in Shahbagh pharmacy. There, Milton was expelled for stealing medicine. Then he married a nurse. After marriage, he discussed with his wife to set up 'Child and Old Age Care'.

Before this, news about Milton Samadar's various misdeeds was published in the media. Since then, a storm of criticism started with him on social media. The victims also opened their mouths though Milton Samadar denied all the allegations made against him by interviewing some media.

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