US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu's visit to Dhaka may raise the issue of ban on RAB in addition to visa policy, said Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud.

He gave this information to reporters while talking about contemporary issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday (May 13).

Meanwhile, to a question from the journalists, the foreign minister said that our relationship with the United States is very good. After Sheikh Hasina was elected Prime Minister for the fourth time in a row, the US President wrote a letter expressing his intention to take the relationship between the two countries to a new height. So, whoever from the US administration visits Bangladesh, we will work to advance our relationship.

He said that apart from economic relations, the two countries have relations in various fields, and they will be discussed. It is true that the ban on visa policy or RAB disturbed us a bit, but we will discuss with them. In addition, in order to simplify them, we have previously discussed with the officials who came from the White House State Department of the US administration. Those topics may come naturally.

Regarding BNP's boycott of Indian products, he said, BNP's movement to boycott Indian products has failed. Its main objective was to destabilize the country's market. But all their efforts failed.

Dr. Hasan Mahmud said that the construction of Padma Bridge without the assistance of the World Bank is a manifestation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's strong leadership. The Padma bridge was built under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by challenging the cynic. CPD-TIB and other critics of Padma Bridge should apologize to the nation. If the nation is united, any development is possible in the country - Padma Bridge is a big proof of that, he said. 

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works has taken the initiative to take up housing projects for the low-income people, especially the slum dwellers, in various cities across the country, including the capital Dhaka.

For this purpose, a meeting was held on Monday (May 13) in the conference room of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works under the chairmanship of Public Works Minister R, A, M Ubaidul Moktadir Chowdhury. Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works at the meeting Nabirul Islam, Additional Secretary, Chairman of National Housing Authority Mostafizur Rahman, Chairman of RAJUK Major General (retd) Siddiqur Rahman and senior officials of the Ministry and various departments/organizations under it were present.

In accordance with the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Minister of Public Works directed to prepare the necessary project proposal for the construction of rental-based flats for low-income people and send it to the ministry as soon as possible. In implementing the project, he suggested environmental protection, necessary forestation, preservation of open space, setting up of playgrounds, sewage treatment plants, maximum use of solar energy, use of eco-friendly block bricks instead of terracotta bricks, provision of rainwater harvesting, maximum use of surface water.

Initially, he directed to implement the proposal under the National Housing Authority to construct 12600 flats in 100 multi-storied buildings in three phases in Dattapara of Tongi at the earliest. Feasibility study of this project has already been completed. In the first phase of the project, 2 thousand 142 residential flats will be constructed in 17 15-storey buildings. The proposal for construction of 5922 flats in 47 buildings in the 2nd phase and 5436 flats in 36 buildings in the third phase is under process.

The Minister directed the RAJUK and Public Works Department to take up projects for construction of flats for low-income people in Karail slums and T&T Colony slums of the capital through separate projects. He gave verbal instructions to the chief architect to take necessary measures to prepare a uniform design for these flats of 750 square feet gross area.

In addition to the capital Dhaka, such projects will be taken up in phases in other cities of the country as per the requirement.

Note that 10 acres of land has been earmarked for the housing of low-income people in the Uttara Housing Project (third phase) under implementation by the RAJUK. The minister directed to prepare project proposals for the construction of flats for the housing of low-income people on the said land as soon as possible. He said that in addition to own financing for the implementation of the project, financing from various development aid organizations will also be accepted if possible.

Meanwhile, the National Housing Authority of Mirpur in the capital has constructed 533 rent-based flats for the slum dwellers. They are living comfortably in these flats. Apart from this, the landless slum dwellers affected by the river erosion of the districts have been rehabilitated through the project titled "Improved Living System of Low Income People" of the National Housing Authority in Kobdas Para of Sirajganj. The minister suggested using the experience of these projects in taking up the next project. Along with that, he suggested positive publicity about these philanthropic activities of the government. 

A court has sentenced Tithi Sarkar, a student who was temporarily expelled from Jagannath University, to five years in prison in a case filed under the Digital Security Act for defaming religion.

On Monday (May 13), Dhaka's cyber tribunal judge AM Zulfikar Hayat announced the verdict.

The bench assistant of the concerned tribunal, Jewel Mia, confirmed this information.

According to the complaint source, on October 31, 2020, CID's cyber monitoring team found that a false post was shared on social media saying that Tithi Sarkar was 'rescued hand and foot tied' from the fourth floor of CID's Malibagh office. It created a huge stir. Actually no such incident happened in CID.

On investigation of this incident, one person named Niranjan Baral, who spread rumors, was arrested from Banasree area of Rampura. A case under the Digital Security Act was registered against Niranjan and some unknown others at the Paltan police station on November 2. On May 19, 2021, the investigating officer of the case, CID Police Sub-Inspector Mehdi Hasan submitted a charge sheet against the two of them. On October 25, at 9 am, Tithi Sarkar left Pallavee's home for the police station. After that she was missing for 15 days.

It is known that for a long time Tithi Sarkar had been making negative comments about the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on Facebook and various social media. Later, all student organizations and general students of Jagannath University organized a human chain and protest rally demanding the expulsion of Tithi Sarkar on the charge of insulting religion.

On October 23, 2020, in the face of student agitation, the University temporarily expelled Tithi Sarkar from the University. Then came a complaint from her family that Tithi was missing.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged Saudi Arabia to extend the Hajj visa approval period so that all registered Hajj pilgrims can perform Hajj.

She made this call when Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Bangladesh Isa Bin Yusuf Al Duhailan went to a courtesy meeting at Ganabhaban on Monday (May 13).

Prime Minister's speech writer M Nazrul Islam gave this information in the briefing after the meeting. More than 10,000 pilgrims have not yet received visas from Saudi Arabia due to various complications.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Ambassador expressed the interest of his country's investors and companies in implementing some projects in Bangladesh and handed over a list of those projects to the Prime Minister.

In response, Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh will take the next step after the verification. In this context, she assured the concerned ministries and divisions to look into the matter.

On the Palestine issue, the Prime Minister said, Bangladesh is preparing another tranche of aid for the Palestinian people. She also said that Bangladesh has already sent aid twice.

She said that the whole world is in favor of Palestine except the United States and some of its allies.

The Saudi ambassador said that there are about 32 lakh Bangladeshis in his country who are contributing to the economy of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia.

The Prime Minister urged the Ambassador to take steps to encourage Bangladeshis living in Saudi Arabia to send remittances to Dhaka through legal channels.

At that time, Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman, Ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin and Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Secretary Mohammad Salahuddin were present.