Bangladesh and the USA in the 9th Security Dialogue here today agreed to strengthen cooperation in both civil and military security domains.
The dialogue covered various traditional and non-tradition security issues of mutual interests, including Indo-Pacific outlook of Bangladesh and the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the USA, said a release of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
The discussed issues included- upcoming national elections, security assistance, defense trade and cooperation, checking terrorism and violent extremism and transnational crimes and fostering broader and regional security, the release said.
The Cabinet today gave the final approval to the draft of Ansar Battalion Act, 2023 with a provision of the death penalty as the maximum punishment for committing different crimes, including mutiny and provocation for rebellion.
The approval came from the Cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister Office (PMO) in the city with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
"As per the draft law, there will be two courts to run the trial proceedings of the internal crimes of Ansar battalion members. One is Summery Ansar Battalion Court to be headed by an additional director and another is Special Ansar Battalion Court to be headed by the director general of the Ansar," Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain said while briefing reporters at the Secretariat here this afternoon after the meeting.
SANGSAD BHABAN: Railway Minister M Nurul Islam Sujan today said the government has a plan to operate electric train service on Dhaka-Chattogram route.
“Bangladesh Railway has been working for providing cost-effective safe and comfortable transport service to the people of the country”, he said while replying to a star-marked question made by treasury bench lawmaker M Mamunur Rashid Kiron of Noakhali-3 at the question-answer session tabled at the Jatiya Sangsad here.
To this end, the minister said the government has already taken a feasibility study project aiming to operate electric train service between the capital Dhaka and the commercial city Chattogram.
A total of 13,165 motor vehicles moved from Kawla to Farmgate through the Dhaka Elevated Expressway and gave over Tk 11,08,240 lakh as toll today.
"Dhaka Elevated Expressway was opened for public to ease traffic congestion in the capital . .. . the traffic movement through the expressway started at 6 am today," project director of the Elevated Expressway AHMS Akter told journalists.
"A total of Tk 11,08,240 was collected today," he said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the much-awaited expressway HSIA-Farmgate section unveiling the inaugural plaque at the Old Trade Fair Ground at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar yesterday afternoon.