Latest News

Sexual harassment at edn institutions alarming

Latest News , Published on April 13, 2019

Incidents of sexual harassment in educational institutions go unabated across the country as a High Court order issued in 2009 for installing a complaint committee at every institution is not being followed properly, allege educationists and rights activists.

FIREFIGHTING Govt plans to amend rules

Latest News , Published on April 13, 2019

The government has decided to amend the Fire Prevention and Fighting Rules 2014 to relax major safety clauses under pressure from apparel and knitwear factory owners.

Bhutan positive about BBIN MVA: FM

Latest News , Published on April 13, 2019

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen on Friday said Bhutan is positive about implementing the stalled BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal) Motor Vehicle Agreement in a regulated way balancing the environment.

Hasan for expansion of Ctg metropolitan and corporation areas

Latest News , Published on April 13, 2019

Information minister Hasan Mahmud on Friday underlined the importance of expansion of both metropolitan and corporation areas considering the need of time and significance.

Assange arrested in London

Latest News , Published on April 12, 2019

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s nearly seven-year hideout in Ecuador’s London embassy abruptly ended Thursday when police entered the building and arrested him ahead of possible extradition to the United States.

Sudan army topples president Bashir

Latest News , Published on April 12, 2019

Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir was ousted by the army on Thursday, brought down by months of anti-government protests against his three decades of iron-fisted rule.

Nusrat Jahan Rafi, 18, student of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrassah, who died Wednesday, after a brave fight against madrassah principal for groping her in his office room, was buried at her family graveyard in Uttar Char Chandia, Sonagazi, Feni Thursday evening amid countrywide protests demanding justice. Political, socio-cultural, rights and students’ organizations in the capital and elsewhere in the country took to the streets chanting ‘We want justice.’ Everywhere the common demand was ‘We want the highest punishment prescribed in the law for the habitual and perverted sex offender Siraj-ud-Doula, who was supposedly the principal of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrassah and his accomplices. After Nusrat died fighting, many other students of the same madrassah said that Siraj committed the same criminality against them too but they could not pull up their courage like Nusrat to tell their parents about Siraj’s offences. Eminent citizens and individuals as well as the Bangladeshi diaspora in several foreign lands expressed their shock and protests against principal Siraj’s crimes and said that such acts could recur due to lack of the rule of the law and denial of justice to victims. A court in Feni on Thursday allowed the police to take two more arrested suspects on five-day remand for interrogations. In Feni, hundreds of students and the people took to the streets demanding justice for Nusrat’s family. On Dhaka University campus, a number of organizations and general students held demonstrations demanding exemplary punishment of Siraj and his cohorts. Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, that organized the quota reform movement, took out processions and formed human chain in front of the National Shaheed Minar in protest against maniac principal Siraj’s sex crimes against adolescent girl students. Addressing the human chain, BGSRPC joint-convener and DUCSU vice-president Nurul Haque Nur said that citizens of the country were unsafe due to the state’s failure to ensure justice and public security. Dhaka University Students’ Association of Feni, ‘Students of DU’ and Female Students of DU held separate demonstrations seeking justice for Nusrat’s family. Bangladesh Chhatra League (pro ruling AL) and pro JSD (Ambia) BCL in separate statements demanded speedy and exemplary punishment of Nusrat’s assailants. Shahbagh Against Repression held a protest demonstration in front of the National Museum. Left Democratic Alliance, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, Ganasamhati Andolan, Bangladesh Chattra League, Bangladesh Chattra Union, Child Rights Coalition in Bangladesh and Human Rights Forum Bangladesh in separate statements condemned Nusrat’s murder. The women’s cell of Communist Party of Bangladesh and Samajtantrik Mahila Forum formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club to denounce Nusrat’s murder. Protests were reported from Sonagazi, Feni, Barishal and Khulna. Protests on the Facebook and the other social media demanding punishment of sex maniac principal Siraj and his cohorts became viral. Distinguished professor of Politics and Government at Illinois State University Ali Riaz in his Facebook post blamed dirty politics, muscle power, lack of rule of law and accountability and the other social inconsistencies for the incident. Journalist Anis Ahmed said Bangladesh was ashamed and angry against sex offenders like madrasah principal Siraj. Responding to the post of Anis Ahmed, noted photographer and activist Shahid Alam said like Nusrat and Tonu other adolescent girls would continue to be victims of injustice. Crooner Fahmida Nabi reiterated Nusrat’s demand for justice. Nusrat’s body was handed over to her family at about 12:30pm after a post mortem examination by the DMCH. ‘Deep burns’ caused Nusrat’s death, according to the DMC forensic doctors. Nustrat’s body arrived at Uttar Char Chandia, Sonagazi at about 5:00pm. Her namaj-e-janaza, held at the Sonagazi Saber Government Pilot High School maidan at about 5:45pm was participated by thousands of people from Sonagazi and surrounding areas. She was buried after the namaj-e-janaja was conducted by her father AKM Musa. On March 27, she was sexually assaulted by Snagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrassah principal Siraj. On March 28, her mother filed a case with Sonagazi police station and principal Siraj was arrested on the same day. Until now, nine suspects were arrested. On Wednesday, Feni senior judicial magistrate Sharaf Uddin Ahammed allowed the police to take two more detained suspects on remand for interrogations for five days. The same court earlier allowed the police to interrogate Siraj to interrogate for seven days and six other detained suspects for five days all in custody. While undergoing treatment at the DMCH Burn Unit Nusrat in a statement given to a doctor in the presence of a magistrate and a police official said four people wearing burkas and hand gloves and covering their faces with veils got hold of her while one of them asked her to declare that the complaint she had made against principal Siraj was not true. Feni district AL on Wednesday expelled its Kazirbagh union unit president advocate Kazi Bulbul Sohagh for giving legal support to prime accused Siraj, said district AL president Abdur Rahman

Latest News , Published on April 12, 2019

THE consequences of IMF and World bank policies have been traumatic for the people of South. They have increased poverty and inequality, deprived poor nations of their crucial resources, and directed their wealth towards the North. They have long played the central role in carrying out

Nusrat buried amidst widespread protests

Latest News , Published on April 12, 2019

Nusrat Jahan Rafi, 18, student of Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrassah, who died Wednesday, after a brave fight against madrassah principal for groping her in his office room, was buried at her family graveyard in Uttar Char Chandia, Sonagazi, Feni Thursday evening amid countrywide

‘We should not forget Nusrat like Tonu, Sagor-Runi, Mitu,’: HC

Latest News , Published on April 12, 2019

The High Court Division on Thursday said at a hearing, ‘We should never forget the murder of 18-old Feni madrassah student Nusrat Jahan Rafi like the murders of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar

Stop discharging wastes into rivers: PM

Latest News , Published on April 12, 2019

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged all, particularly mills and factories, to stop discharging wastes into rivers as water pollution has appeared to be a severe problem for the country.

Global

June 19, 2025