Peace spread after 16 students fell ill at Jorkhali High School in Tamruddi Union of Hatia Upazila of Noakhali. A day after the incident, an administration investigation revealed that the students fell ill after toxic fumes from Acemix pesticide sprayed in a paddy field next to the school entered the classroom.Hatia Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Russell Iqbal visited Jorkhali High School on Tuesday (September 8) morning to investigate the cause of the incident. He was accompanied by police, intelligence agency representatives and members of an expert medical team. Earlier, on Monday afternoon, 16 students of classes 6, 7 and 10 of the school suddenly fell ill in the classroom.According to school sources, 16 students suddenly fell ill after feeling dizzy, nauseous and restless while at school on Monday. Later, 13 of them were admitted to the hospital in an unconscious state. After the necessary treatment, everyone returned home at night. After recovering, they returned to school on Tuesday and participated in teaching normally.An expert medical team led by UNO Russell Iqbal visited Jorkhali High School on Tuesday morning to investigate the cause of the incident. During the inspection, the investigation team received information about pesticide spraying on a land to the west-northeast of the school. The investigation revealed that the toxic vapors mixed with the air and entered the classroom as the pesticide was sprayed on that land right next to the school. This caused physical reactions among the students and some of them became unconscious.Jorkhali High School Headmaster Md. Jasim Uddin said that yesterday's incident had created extreme panic among teachers and guardians. However, relief has returned as the real cause of the incident has been revealed with the immediate action of the administration. About 500 students study in the school. The 16 affected students have fully recovered after treatment and returned home and all of them attended class on Tuesday.UNO Russell Iqbal said that a farmer sprayed Acemix pesticide on that land on Monday. Later on Tuesday morning, the farmer brought the pesticide bottle from his house to the investigation team. It is clearly mentioned on the bottle that the strong smell or contact with such a liquid can cause dizziness, nausea, restlessness and loss of consciousness. The pesticide bottle and other evidence have been seized in this incident.Meanwhile, strict warnings and instructions have been given by the administration to avoid such incidents in the future. UNO Russell Iqbal said that no type of pesticide can be sprayed on the land adjacent to the school boundary during school hours. If pesticides are to be used around the school, it should be done only on holidays like Fridays and Saturdays.It is worth noting that on Monday afternoon, 16 students of classes 6, 7 and 10 suddenly fell ill in the classroom of Jorkhali High School in Tamruddi Union. Of them, 13 were admitted to the Hatia Upazila Health Complex in an unconscious state.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said that every person in the country should enjoy equal rights and security based on citizenship, not religion or any other form of division. He said no community living in Bangladesh should need to be identified as a “minority.”“Our first identity should be that we are all Bangladeshis,” he said, adding that religious, social and ethnic identities should come afterward.He made the remarks on Friday while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the historic Janmashtami procession, held at the Dhakeshwari National Temple premises in the capital to mark the Central Janmashtami Festival 1433. The event was organized by the Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad.Expressing his commitment to building a non-communal Bangladesh, Salahuddin Ahmed said the principle of “Bangladesh first” should guide the state. Therefore, everyone should identify themselves as Bangladeshis first, while religious, social and ethnic identities should not become grounds for division.The home minister said attempts had previously been made to portray followers of Sanatan Dharma as the “vote bank” of a particular political party for political gain. However, he said, the conscious people of the country had rejected that misconception and artificial narrative.He further said that since the current government took office, the religious freedom and right to observe religious practices of people of all faiths had been ensured over the past six months.Referring to the people as the ultimate judges, Salahuddin Ahmed said they had already delivered their verdict and would continue to stand united to strengthen democracy and oppose all forms of evil forces and extremism.Highlighting the importance of the Constitution, he said the state is obligated to ensure every citizen’s religious freedom. In keeping with the spirit of the Constitution, no discrimination can be made on the basis of religion.The minister said the government had ensured the security and freedom of all places of worship and those responsible for them. He added that the government wanted to go beyond constitutional guarantees and establish equality and harmony in practice.Calling for a change in the use of language, he said the phrase “communal harmony” should be replaced with expressions emphasizing religious and social harmony, coexistence and peace. He said this positive practice would help make society better.The event was chaired by Gopal Chandra Debnath, president of the Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee. Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator and freedom fighter Md. Abdus Salam spoke as the inaugural guest.Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Ethnic Minority Affairs Bijon Kanti Sarker and Dhaka-7 lawmaker Hamidur Rahman also spoke as distinguished guests.Among others, speeches were delivered by Tapan Chandra Majumder, vice-chairman of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust; Jayanta Kumar Kundu, joint organizing secretary of the BNP National Executive Committee for the Khulna Division; Basudev Dhar, president of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad; and its general secretary, Santosh Sharma.The event was moderated by Shubhashish Kumar Biswas (Sadhan), general secretary of the Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee.The procession was formally inaugurated by Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md. Abdus Salam by lighting a ceremonial lamp. It later began at the Dhakeshwari National Temple premises near Palashi Mor and ended at Bahadur Park.

The government has formed a 25-member National Committee on Climate Finance (NCCF), with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman serving as its chair. The committee has been established to bring climate financing, carbon credits and carbon trading activities under a coordinated and effective national framework.According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Tuesday, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will lead the committee. Environment Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has been appointed as vice-chair, while Dr. Md. Saimum Parvez, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, will be responsible for coordinating the committee's activities.The secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will serve as the member-secretary.Other members include State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Health Dr. S. M. Ziauddin Haider, and Mahdi Amin, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Education, Primary and Mass Education, Expatriates' Welfare and Foreign Employment, and Labour and Employment.The committee will also include the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and secretaries of several ministries and divisions, including Local Government Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Ministry of Land, Power Division, Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Ministry of Industries, Ministry of Commerce, Road Transport and Highways Division, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, and Ministry of Water Resources.A key responsibility of the newly formed committee will be to establish Bangladesh's national vision, targets and strategic priorities concerning climate finance and carbon credits. It will also provide broad policy guidance on matters related to climate financing and carbon credits.In line with Bangladesh's international commitments, including Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, the NCCF will advise on the development, approval and implementation of a national framework for carbon credits and climate finance. It will also provide policy guidance for carbon trading in Bangladesh and oversee the activities of the Designated National Authority responsible for implementing Article 6.The committee will be responsible for finalising policies, strategies and guidelines related to climate finance, as well as recommending necessary changes to existing policies and institutional frameworks.It will also coordinate with bilateral and multilateral climate funds and international development partners, develop strategies for mobilising climate finance, and monitor and evaluate the progress of relevant programmes and projects.In addition, the NCCF will oversee the work of implementation and technical committees dealing with climate finance, review their reports and provide necessary instructions. It will also take decisions to resolve inter-ministerial policy issues and complications related to climate financing.Under the notification, the committee will meet at least twice a year. Additional meetings may be convened whenever necessary. The committee may also co-opt new members if required.The NCCF became effective immediately following the issuance of the government notification.