Nation this week
The Anti-Corruption Commission summoned former IGP Benazir Ahmed to appear before it on June 6 on corruption allegations. It also asked Benazir's wife Jissan Mirza and two of their daughters to appear before it on June 9. It came after the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) froze the beneficiary owners' (BO) accounts of Benazir, his wife, and two daughters.
On April 18, the graft watchdog decided to launch an inquiry into the allegations of amassing illegal wealth by the former inspector general of police after a Bangla daily ran reports on this. It also formed a three-member committee to probe the allegations. A Dhaka court on May 23 ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate the properties listed in 83 deeds (and later 119 more) belonging to Benazir and his family members, and to freeze their 33 bank accounts. Three days later, the same court also directed them to attach eight fully-owned and 15 partially-owned properties of the family.
Total foreign investment, including debt and equity securities in the capital market of the country at the end of December 2023 stood at $2,080.00 million, decreasing by 42.2 per cent compared with that of $3,600.74 million at the end of December 2021. Of the total foreign investment in equity securities at the end of December 2023, United States-based investors accounted for $497.48 million worth of investments in the Bangladesh stock market - a 52.75% decrease from their total equity securities investments at the end of December 2021.
United Kingdom-based investors held the second position in foreign investments in Bangladesh's capital market in this timeframe, having $140.36 million worth of investments in equity securities. DSEX, the key index of Dhaka Stock Exchange, lost 510 points to close at 6,246.49 points at the end of 2023 compared with that of 6,756.65 points at the end of 2021.
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) has decided to raise the price of water by 10 percent starting from July 1. Every 1,000 litres of water will now cost Tk 16.7 for residential consumers, up from Tk 15.18, and Tk 46.2 for commercial consumers, up from Tk 42, according to a notification by Wasa this week. "Dhaka Wasa's respected customers are hereby informed that the prices were adjusted due to inflation according to section 22 of the Wasa Act 1996," it said.
"This decision will also be effective for unmetered holdings, deep tube wells, buildings under construction, and all types of water and sewage charges, including minimum bills. The notification is published as per section 23 of the Wasa Act 1996." In July 2022, Wasa raised the price of water by 5 percent. Wasa previously increased prices by 5 percent for three consecutive years starting in 2017. Prices were raised by 25 percent for residential consumers in 2020 following government approval.
Chittagong University issued show-cause notices to 23 students who are also leaders of the varsity Chhatra League unit, for their alleged involvement in wielding local weapons and engaging in clashes to capture polling centres during the Upazila Parishad elections in Hathazari. The 23 students were identified after reviewing CCTV footage and other evidence, confirmed Rifat Rahman, assistant proctor at the university, and assistant secretary of the Investigation Committee.
"Necessary steps will be taken based on the disciplinary committee's decision after they respond," Rahman said, adding: "Two incidents occurred. The first one took place in front of the Laboratory School, and the second in front of Abdur Rab Hall. During this time, some students defied our prohibitions and displayed local weapons. Legal actions will be taken against them." A factional divide within the CU unit allegedly played out in the form of support for two different candidates in the second phase of the UZ election on May 21 in Hathazari.
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