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PM Sheikh Hasina Vows Justice for Journalists Targeted in October Attacks
During the meeting at her official residence, Ganabhaban, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep concern over the unprecedented and targeted attacks on journalists during the opposition BNP’s rally in Dhaka on October 28. She underscored that the attacks, which seemed aimed at causing severe harm to the journalists, were unparalleled in the history of the country’s movements and struggles.
In response to the brutality witnessed, Prime Minister Hasina assured the injured journalists that the perpetrators behind these heinous acts would not go unpunished. She emphasized the importance of scrutinizing image and video footages of the incidents to bring the culprits to justice.
In addition to the attacks on journalists, Prime Minister Hasina highlighted that similar acts of violence were carried out on the residence of the chief justice, judges’ quarters, and on-duty police members. She expressed her shock at the unprecedented attack on the chief justice’s house and called for accountability for those orchestrating such actions.
Acknowledging the broader context of the upcoming general election scheduled for January 7, Prime Minister Hasina urged the citizens to remain vigilant. She cautioned about both domestic and international conspiracies aimed at disrupting the democratic process and emphasized the need for the public to stay alert.
During the event, a video documentary was presented, featuring statements from the injured journalists, shedding light on the inhumane treatment they endured on October 28. The Prime Minister’s Press Secretary, Ihsanul Karim, welcomed attendees, and the event was moderated by Jatiya Press Club General Secretary Shyamal Dutta. Notable figures such as Mozammel Babu, Editor-in-chief of Ekattor TV and President of the Editors Guild, Bangladesh, and Shakil Ahmed, Head of News of Ekattor TV, also addressed the gathering.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
