`Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, has stated that the idea of reducing cigarette consumption by increasing taxes is not working.’

On Wednesday (March 12), Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, stated that the idea of reducing cigarette consumption by increasing taxes is not working. He made this remark at a workshop on effective taxation and price hikes of tobacco products for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal budget, held at the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) office in Paltan, Dhaka.

Shafiqul Alam said that increasing taxes should reduce cigarette consumption, and for the past 20 years, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been pressured to implement this measure. However, this approach has not been effective.

He further noted that abruptly stopping cigarette consumption is not possible. According to him, anti-tobacco organizations have attempted to reduce tobacco use by urging the NBR to increase VAT instead of focusing on social awareness, but this approach has completely failed.

The Press Secretary also stated that all organizations working against tobacco use have failed. He emphasized the need for new strategies to make the country tobacco-free. Raising awareness and conducting nationwide campaigns could bring significant changes in cigarette consumption, he suggested.

Shafiqul Alam also mentioned that discouraging tobacco farmers from production is not possible without offering viable alternatives.

A couple, Nazim and Rupa, lost their money bag after coming to Kamalapur in the capital from Rangpur. Both of them are under 25 years old. Seeing their helplessness, former Vice Principal of Habibullah Bahar College, Mohammad Saifur Rahman Bhuiyan, extended a helping hand. He took the two to a rented house in Uttarkhan, promising them jobs at his house. Despite promising jobs, Saifur Rahman's intention was to sexually assault the woman. Whenever he got the chance, Saifur Rahman would send the young man out and touch his wife's sensitive areas.

Finally, when he tried to rape the young woman last Sunday night, her husband protested, and a scuffle ensued. At one point, the couple cut Saifur Rahman into pieces and fled. Later, the couple was arrested from the Faridpur Railway Station area on March 11.

The arrested couple is: Md. Nazim Hossain (21) and Rupa Begum alias Jannati (23).

Two mobile phones, a key ring and a bank Visa card were recovered from them during their arrest. Earlier, a sharp object used in the murder, a sharp knife and blood-stained clothes and bed sheets were recovered from the deceased's flat.

DMP Uttara Division Deputy Police Commissioner (DC) Md. Mohidul Islam gave this information at a press conference organized at the DMP Media Center on Minto Road on Wednesday (March 12) afternoon.

Describing the incident, he said that Mohammad Saifur Rahman Bhuiyan, former vice-principal of Habibullah Bahar University College, was murdered in a six-story flat on the fourth floor of a six-story building in Puranpara Batan area of Uttarkhan police station between 2 am and 4 am on March 10. His younger brother Mohammad Lutfar Rahman Bhuiyan filed a case with Uttarkhan police station on March 11 as the plaintiff in this murder.

In the case report, the deceased's brother mentioned that the deceased Saifur had been living in a rented house for the last 3-4 months to build a house on his wife's ancestral property of 2.5 acres in Puranpara Batan area of Uttarkhan where the place of incident is in front of him.

Citing the initial interrogation of the arrested couple, Uttara DC Mohidul Islam said that before the murder, Saifur Rahman Bhuiyan met arrested Md. Nazim Hossain and Rupa Begum alias Jannati at Kamalapur railway station on March 1. Saifur brought the couple to his flat by promising to give them a job. At one stage, Saifur Rahman locked Rupa in his flat and started torturing her physically, mentally and sexually. On the night of the murder, the deceased Saifur Rahman and the couple Rupa and Nazim were in the same bed.

He also said that when Nazim fell asleep that night, Saifur Rahman tried to rape Rupa. At one point, Nazim woke up and brought a bowl from the kitchen and started beating Saifur Rahman indiscriminately. He died of excessive bleeding as a result of the injuries.

During the initial interrogation, the arrested persons confessed to the murder. The arrested persons have been sent to court.

When asked whether the deceased Saifur Rahman had any dispute with his wife, Uttara Division DC Mohidul Islam said, "There may have been." He also questioned his wife for the investigation. However, we did not get any such information.

When asked what stage the case will take, the couple killed Saifur Rahman because he tried to rape the girl. He said, "It is definitely a murder case." When the case is tried in court, the court will decide later based on the statement of the defendant's lawyer. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is arriving in Bangladesh tomorrow on a four-day visit. Diplomatic sources have said that the Rohingya refugee crisis and human rights will be a priority during his visit.

According to sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UN Secretary-General will be welcomed by Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Towhid Hossain at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport tomorrow. He will go directly to the hotel from the airport.

On Friday morning, Foreign Affairs Adviser and Special Representative of the Chief Adviser on Rohingya Issues and Priority Issues Khalilur Rahman will pay a courtesy call on the Secretary-General at the hotel. Then, after a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr. Mohammad Yunus at his office, the UN Secretary-General will leave for Cox's Bazar on a special flight. There, he will visit the Rohingya refugee camp with the Chief Adviser. After the visit and several meetings, they are scheduled to have iftar with more than a hundred Rohingyas in the evening. They will return to Dhaka at night.

Antonio Guterres will go to the UN office in Dhaka next Saturday. He will exchange views with UN staff there. Then, he will return to the hotel in the afternoon to join the roundtable meeting. He will also exchange views with youth and citizen representatives of Bangladesh there.

They are scheduled to hold a joint press conference this afternoon. In the evening, Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus organized an iftar and dinner in honor of the UN Secretary-General. The UN Secretary-General is scheduled to leave Dhaka the next day, Sunday morning.

Antonio Guterres is coming to Bangladesh at the invitation of Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Dr. Khalilur Rahman handed over the Chief Adviser's invitation to him in a meeting with the UN Secretary-General in New York on February 7.

The Special Security Force (SSF) will be deployed to provide security to the UN Secretary-General during his visit to Bangladesh. The government has declared Antonio Guterres a "person of great importance."

No one except MBBS and BDS degree holders will be able to use the title 'doctor' before their name. In this case, those who only have a diploma certificate will also not be able to use the word 'doctor' before their name.

The High Court gave its verdict on this matter on Wednesday (March 12).

The High Court's verdict says that no one except MBBS and BDS degree holders will be able to write 'doctor' before their name.

The High Court also said that legal action will be taken if this order is disobeyed from Thursday (March 13).