UN official Lt Col (retd) Sufiul Anam, abducted by Al Qaeda in Yemen in February 2022, has been rescued by the National Security Intelligence (NSI) working under the direct instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He is physically in good health.
Lt Col (retd) Sufiul Anam was abducted by Al Qaeda in Yemen 18 months ago.
He will likely be brought home on Wednesday (9 August) and handed over to his family.
Bangladeshi UN official in Al Qaeda captivity in Yemen for 7 months.
On February 11, 2022, Lt Col (retd) Sufiul Anam, who works in the United Nations, was abducted from Yemen’s Mudiah province by members of al-Qaeda and $3 million was asked as a ransom for him.
Lt Col (retd) Sufiul Anam expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for rescuing him and sought prayers from the countrymen.
“I am doing fine. I have gone through all the medical tests. On my behalf and my family members, I convey my thanks to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the government of Bangladesh,” he said in a video message.
“I have no problem. I am so grateful to NSI,” he added.
He said the government and NSI have done “so much to secure his rescue.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today announced 12 more districts and 123 upazilas homeless and landless free as she distributed 22,101 more houses with lands under her dream Ashrayan project, designed and being implemented by her to alleviate poverty.
"I am declaring 12 more districts and 123 upazilas homeless and landless free in the country," she said while joining virtually a house distribution ceremony among the beneficiaries from her official Ganabhaban residence here this morning.
The prime minister was also extending good wishes to those who got the houses with lands, saying, "The houses will help increase your dignity".
The soul of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will be happy seeing the efforts to change the fate of the people for which he sacrificed his entire life, she said.
She also called upon the beneficiaries of the houses to ensure cleanliness in and around of the houses and be economical in using electricity and water.
The premier distributed the houses constructed at government expenses as part of her generous move to make sure that none in Bangladesh will remain homeless and landless.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh today inaugurated the construction work of Dhaka city inter-district bus terminal at Kanchpur.
"After completion of the construction work, the services of Sayedabad inter-district bus terminal will be relocated to Kanchpur within the next six months and inter-district bus services to 16 districts of Chattogram and Sylhet divisions will be operated from here," said a DSCC press release.
"We have inaugurated the construction work of Kanchpur Terminal in light with the decision of the committee meeting of the bus route rationalization committee to make capital public transport management disciplined," said Taposh.
It has been a long wait as no inter-district bus terminal was built after 1984, he said extending his gratitude to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Road Transport and Bridge Ministry for providing 12.5 acres of land for the project.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni today said that
this year Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations
will begin on August 17 according to the prior schedule.
"The date of HSC exam will not be changed," she said while briefing reporters
after holding a national monitoring and disciplinary committee meeting at the
International Mother Language Institute here this afternoon.
Of the 11 general education boards, a total of 13, 59,342 examinees from
9,169 educational institutions are appearing in the examinations at 2,658
centers, she said, adding that among them, 6, 88, 887 are male while 6, 70,
455 female students.