National
PM Sheikh Hasina stresses Importance of Local Games & Sportsmanship
On Wednesday, February 7th, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stressed the importance of regularly organizing sports tournaments at the inter-school, college, and university levels. Inaugurating the final round of the 52nd National Winter Sports Competition for schools, madrasas, and technical institutes, the Prime Minister virtually joined the event from her official residence, Ganabhaban. The competition, organized jointly by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Rajshahi, and Bangladesh National School, Madrasha, and Technical Institutions Sports Association, is set to take place from February 7 to 12 at Muktijuddho Smriti Stadium in Rajshahi.
Prime Minister Hasina highlighted the significance of creating an environment for regular inter-school, college, and university sports tournaments, including those at the upazila and district levels. She expressed the belief that organizing various tournaments throughout the year would contribute to the physical and mental strength of young people, fostering creativity, love for society and country, and bringing honor to their families.
Emphasizing the importance of local games, Prime Minister Hasina urged authorities to make them more attractive. She acknowledged the positive impact of sports on creating unity, fostering friendship, instilling a competitive spirit, and enhancing psychological strength through the development of sportsmanship.
The Prime Minister underscored her government’s commitment to sports development, mentioning initiatives such as football tournaments for primary school students. Responding to the education minister’s suggestion, she supported the introduction of secondary school-level tournaments for various sports. Prime Minister Hasina outlined plans for intensive training and the establishment of sports training centers in every division to enhance children’s skills in competitive tournaments.
She disclosed the government’s construction of mini stadiums in each upazila for year-round sports competitions. Present at the Rajshahi end were Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury.
The National Winter Sports Competition, initiated by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1972, involves 824 students participating in 13 different sports events in the final round. The competition, which commenced on January 11, 2024, faced interruptions in 1998 due to floods and in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds at most places across the Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Some areas may experience moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall, according to their latest weather bulletin released on Thursday.
Day and night temperatures are expected to remain nearly unchanged across the country.
The highest rainfall in the country over the past 24 hours was recorded in Kumarkhali, with 104mm of rain by 6 a.m. on Thursday.
The axis of the monsoon trough extends from India’s Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal to Assam, passing through Bangladesh, with one of its associated troughs stretching into the North Bay of Bengal.
The monsoon remains active over Bangladesh and moderate to strong over the North Bay region.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted that the mild heat wave currently affecting parts of the country, including the capital, is expected to subside in most areas within the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
“A mild heat wave is sweeping across the divisions of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Sylhet, as well as the districts of Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia. It is likely to ease in most regions,” the department reported.
In addition, BMD predicted light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across most of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Some areas are expected to experience moderate to very heavy rainfall.
Temperatures across the country may drop by 1-2 degrees Celsius during both day and night.
On Monday, Dinajpur in the Rangpur division recorded the country’s highest temperature at 38.6°C, while Bandarban in the Chattogram division saw the lowest temperature at 24.6°C early today.
Meanwhile, rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours, ending at 6 am today, reached 66 mm in Nikli of Dhaka Division.
The sunset in Dhaka is at 5:53 pm today, and sunrise is expected at 5:49 am tomorrow.
Two separate murder cases were filed today in connection with the deaths of a private service holder and a Madrasa student during the anti-discrimination student movement.
The first case was lodged by Ridwan Ahmed with Panchlaish police station, accusing former ministers Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, and 127 others for the death of his nephew Sujan, 14. Sujan, the son of Belal Hossain from Beramara village in Noakhali’s Sadar Thana, was a student at Al Jamirul Hayat Madrasa in the city’s Chandgaon area. He was fatally shot in the Muradpur area on July 18.
The second case was filed by Jamal Uddin at Doublemooring police station, accusing 225 individuals, including Dr. Hasan Mahmud and Education Minister Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, for the killing of his elder brother Alam, a private service holder, on August 5.
