25-03-2018

UNITING PEOPLE EVERYDAY
SUNDAY, DHAKA, MARCH 25, 2018, CHAITRA 11, 1424 BS, RAJAB 7, 1439 HIJRI
President Abdul Hamid planted coconut sapling on Saturday in Noakhali.
The Library That Stands
On Two Countries
INTERESTING NEWS
The Haskell Free Library and Opera
House has two different addresses. If you
are American, you’ll say the library is
located at “93 Caswell Avenue, Derby
Line, Vermont”, and if you are Canadian,
you’ll insist its located at “1 rue Church
Street, Stanstead, Quebec”. Both
addresses are correct, and either one will
take you to the same building. The only
thing that matters is from which way you
are approaching.
You see, the Haskell Free Library and
Opera House is located astride the US-
Canada border. One half of the building
stands in Derby Line, which is an
American town, and the other half
stands in Stanstead, a Canadian town.
Being border towns, Derby Line and
Stanstead share many peculiarities—
which we will come to shortly. But first,
let’s draw our attention to this singular
building.
The Haskell Free Library and Opera
House is housed in an ornate, centuryold,
two-story stone building built in the
Queen Anne Revival style, typical of public
libraries of the time. The library and
opera house was built by the American,
Carlos Haskell, and his Canadian wife
Martha Stewart Haskell, and donated to
the residents of both countries. It was
deliberately built over the border so that
both Canadians and Americans can have
equal access to the library. The library
has only one entrance, on the American
side, but Canadians are free to enter and
use the library, as long as they return to
their Canadian side once they’re done.
There is, however, an emergency exit on
the Canadian side of the building, but it
stays closed.
Photo: Star mail
Govt moves to tighten grip
on money laundering
DHAKA : Government has decided to
pool information resources on money
laundering in a single file to better track
the capital flight and work in a coordinated
way to bring the laundered money
back home.
"The government is very serious about
the money laundering, it has decided to
maintain a single file upon taking information
from various organizations like
Bangladesh Bank, National Board of
Revenue and others for make the drive
against money laundering easier," a well
placed source in the Finance Ministry
told UNB.
He said upon preparing the file the government
will take the next course of
action to track the siphoned off money.
The decision was recently taken at a
meeting of anti-money laundering task
force of the government with attorney
general Mahbubey Alam in the chair that
was held at his office.
In the meeting it was decided to hold
meeting in every three months and follow
up the advancement of the activities of
the task force.
It also took decision to not spare anyone
and take appropriate measures
including collection of accurate information
regarding money laundering.
Representatives from Prime Minister's
Office, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence
Unit, National Board of Revenue (NBR),
Bangladesh Bank, Anti-Corruption
Commission, Home Ministry and
Securities and Exchange Commission
were present in the meeting.
The meeting discussed about the process
to stop money laundering from
Bangladesh as this illegal means is going
on for various reasons.
It also discussed about the way to work
under one umbrella for bringing back the
laundered money.
"For this purpose, the meeting decided
to prepare a single file containing information
from various organizations and
continue its activities based on that file,"
according to the meeting sources.
An NBR official present in the meeting
said that the meeting sounded tough
against sparing anyone for money laundering
irrespective of one's social standing.
He also said that the activities of the
related organizations will be done in
more coordinated way.
The matter of money laundering came
in focus recently after the release of
names by the International Consortium
of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in the
much talked Panama Papers.
Plane crash survivor
Kabir put on life
support, to be taken
to Singapore
DHAKA : US-Bangla plane
crash survivor Kabir
Hossain, who is undergoing
treatment at the burn unit of
Dhaka Medical College and
Hospital (DMCH), will be
taken to Singapore for better
treatment, said doctors,
reports UNB.
"The medical board, which
was formed for the treatment
of plane crash survivors,
opined that the right leg of
Kabir need to be amputated
due to infection," Dr
Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator
of the DMCH burn and
surgery unit, told UNB on
Saturday.
The family members of
Kabir want to take him to
Singapore for treatment and
US-Bangla Airlines will bear
the cost of his treatment, he
added.
Kabir Hossain has been
kept on life support at the
hospital since early Saturday.
"Kabir Hossain's condition
is very critical and he needs
life support," Dr Samanta Lal
Sen told UNB on Friday
night.
Earlier on Monday, Kabir
was brought back home from
Nepal and admitted to the
DMCH.
On March 12, at least 49
people, including 26
Bangladeshis, died as an aircraft
of US-Bangla Airlines
from Dhaka to Kathmandu
crashed at Tribhuvan
International Airport in the
capital of Himalayan country
Nepal.
JP to create history
by forming govt
again: Ershad
DHAKA : Jatiya Party
Chairman HM Ershad on
Saturday said his party will
create a history by forming the
next government winning the
upcoming general election,
reports UNB.
"People want me to give
messages for them. My first
message is we'll create a history
by forming the government
through a fair election. We as
well as the country are ready
for it. We want a fair election
and the government will be
forced to arrange the (next
general) election in a credible
manner," he said.
Ershad, a former military
ruler, came up with the
remarks while speaking at a
rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in
the city arranged by his party.
He said the Election
Commission is responsible for
conducting a fair election, and
it will have to take all the necessary
steps to this end.
The Jatiya Party chairman
said there is no peace anywhere
in the country while no
one has any security. "We've
not been there in power for
over 25 years. The two parties
ruled the country. What did
they give people? They talk
tall, but couldn't give anything
except injustice, repression,
unemployment and violence
against women."
He said his party has preparations
to return to power.
"We'll ensure security for people
of all unions and jobs for
them. We'll remove plundering
and chaos from the country
going back to power."
YOUTH DESK
Queen Elizabeth II has recognized a
Bangladeshi volunteer, Arefin
Rahman Himel, as the 37th
Commonwealth Point of Light, in
honor of his "exceptional service" in
raising awareness of the hereditary
blood disorder- Thalassemia- across
Bangladesh, the British High
Commission says.
The Points of Light awards recognize
outstanding volunteers every day
of the week - people whose service is
making a difference in their communities
and whose story can inspire
others to create innovative solutions
to social challenges in their own communities
and beyond.
Himel is the founder of 'Let's Fight
Against Thalassemia', a project that
sensitizes the public about the hereditary
blood disorder which affects the
production of red blood cells. Since
2010, Arefin has held 165 events
across ten districts in Bangladesh,
educating more than 10,000 young
people on thalassemia carrier detection
and blood donation program, the
British High Commission said in a
statement. Arefin, with the support of
his team of 250 volunteers and 50
doctors, has also created an app called
'ABC of Thalassemia' to further educate
the people about this potential
fatal disease.
Each Commonwealth Point of Light
will receive a personalized certificate
signed by the queen as the head of the
Commonwealth. Himel was presented
the award on Mar 23 at a
Commonwealth Big Lunch reception.
"It is a great privilege and honor to
receive the Commonwealth Point of
Light Award, offered to me by Her
Majesty the Queen as the Head of the
Commonwealth," Himel said in a
reaction. "I was very surprised and
humbled to receive such a prestigious
award.
The award shines a light not just on
my own volunteer work but the wider
work of young volunteers across
Bangladesh," he was quoted as saying.
Thalassemia is a hereditary disorder
which results in excessive destruction
of red blood cells leading to anemia.
The symptoms include paleness,
BNP finds Bertelsmann Stiftung
report on BD ‘shameful’
DHAKA : BNP secretary
general Mirza Fakhrul Islam
Alamgir on Saturday said it
is a matter of shame as
Bangladesh has been enlisted
as 'one of five new autocratic
countries' by a
German-based institution.
"BBC online has published
a report based on the findings
of a German-based
institution that Bangladesh
is one of five low-ranking
countries where autocracy
emerged eliminating
democracy," he said, reports
UNB.
Speaking at a press beefing
at BNP's Nayapaltan central
office, Fakhrul further said,
"As Bangladeshi citizens and
those of us who fought for
democracy and earned the
country's independence feel
ashamed of seeing the study
findings."
Mentioning that their
party has long been saying
democracy is absent in
Bangladesh, he said their
assertion has been proved
right and recognised
through the study. "The government
has now taken the
country to such a stage with
its despotic rule."
German-based organisation
Bertelsmann Stiftung in
its report released on Friday
said five countries-
Bangladesh, Lebanon,
Mozambique, Nicaragua
and Uganda-'no longer meet
the minimum standards for
weakness, frequent infections, loss of
appetite and stalled growth, which
appear within two to five years of age.
According to estimates, Bangladesh
has 11 million Thalassemic carriers,
which means one in every 16
Bangladeshi is a carrier of this disease.
Silent carriers contribute to the
number of patients, as thalassemia
gene carriers or 'minors', who on
inter-marrying, have 25 percent
chance of producing thalassemia
major offspring, which is avoidable.
The British Council in Bangladesh
has congratulated Himel on his recognition."On
behalf of the British
Council, I would like to congratulate
Arefin [Himel] on receiving this
award," Director of British Council
Barbara Wickham was quoted as saying
in the statement.
"As an Active Citizen volunteer, he
has shown remarkable commitment
towards raising awareness on
Thalassaemia - a genetic blood disorder,
connecting particularly with
young people across Bangladesh to
ensure that current and future generations
are aware of the risks".
She said his initiative "Youth Club
of Bangladesh" is both a "powerful
and inspiring" example of youth
working at the heart of their community
to address social issues. "We
believe that Arefin's work is testament
to the benefits of embedding social
action in the journey of young people,
democracy.
"These countries, where
democracy has been gradually
undermined for years,
are under autocratic rule....,"
said Bertelsmann Stiftung's
Transformation Index
report 2018.
Fakhrul said their party
has formed 37 teams, comprising
senior leaders, to
visit the its 78 organizational
districts to intensify their
movement for having their
party chief Khaleda Zia
released from jail and take
opinions of the party grassroots
followers about the
country's political situations.
He said the teams will
complete their visits by April
20.
Bangabandhu met people's demands
through movements: Kamal
DHAKA : Home Minister Asaduzzaman
Khan Kamal yesterday said that the architect
of independent Bangladesh Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had always realized
people's just demands through movements.
Had Bangabandhu remained alive,
Bangladesh would have been a developing
country much earlier, he said at a discussion
on Dhaka University (DU) campus.
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the
students' wing of Awami League, organised
the discussion marking the 98th birth
anniversary of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on
Swaparjito Swadhinota premises on DU
campus.
A photo exhibition titled "Alokchitre
Bangabandhu O Bangladesh" was organised
there. Kamal urged the BCL leaders to
uphold the spirit of liberation war and ideology
of Bangabandhu.
Speaking on the occasion, National
University Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor
Harun-or-Rashid said that Bangladesh is
now a role model of development around the
world.
Jagannath University VC Professor
Mijanur Rahman said that the construction
of the Padma Bridge symbolizes the continuous
development process of Bangladesh.
BCL president Mohammad Saifur
Rahman Sohag presided over the programme
while BCL general secretary SM
Jakir Hossain conducted it.
Bangladeshi youth recognized as a Queen’s
Commonwealth Points of Light
and that through the continued work
of British Council's Active Citizen's
program, we will have the opportunity
to work with more young people
like Arefin, who strive to make longlasting,
positive contributions to society."
British Deputy High Commissioner
The winner of the award Arefin Rahman Himel (Center) pose
for a photo with the director of British Council Barbara
Wickham (Left) and the Deputy British High commissioner
KanbarHossein-Bor (Right).
Photo: PMO, UK
to Bangladesh KanbarHossein-Bor
said he was "delighted that Arefin's
work and tremendous dedication and
perseverance in raising awareness
about Thalassaemia in Bangladesh
has been recognized."
"I have had the pleasure to meet
him and he is an impressive young
man. He has embodied the community
leadership that is so vibrant in the
voluntary sector and which makes
Bangladesh world leaders in the field
of development and grassroots
activism," he said. The deputy high
commissioner also remarked that "I
have no doubt that he will be an inspiration
to other young leaders in
changing their communities and help
realize the exciting potential of all the
peoples of Bangladesh."
The British Council director and the
British deputy high commissioner
handed over the award certificate to
Himel recently.
The Commonwealth is a grouping of
53 nations who were former British
colonies. Together it is aimed at promoting
prosperity, democracy and
peace.
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam, Advisory Editor: Advocate Molla Mohammad Abu Kawser, Managing, Editor: Tapash Ray Sarker, News Editor : Saiful Islam, printed at Sonali Printing Press, 2/1/A, Arambagh 167, Inner Circular Road, Eden Complex, Motijheel, Dhaka.
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