27-08-2020

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 20202Bangladesh Navy has provided assistance to the family of the late Bir Bikram, a retired naval member.A cheque for Tk 5 lakh was handed over to his wife as financial assistance on Wednesday. AbdulKhaleq had been suffering from geriatric illness for a long time. He died on July 30, 2020 whileundergoing treatment. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. The Navy extendedits deepest condolences to the bereaved family.Photo: ISPRMSMEs, farmers to benefit fromIFC Covid-19 supportDHAKA : Thousands of micro, small,and medium enterprises (MSMEs), andmillions of farmers across Asia and thePacific will be benefited from the firstphase of Covid-19 crisis responsefunding from the International FinanceCorporation (IFC), a member of theWorld Bank Group. As the pandemiccontinues to send shockwaves throughthe global economy, IFC supported 13companies in the region with $554million in Covid-19 related funding inthe fiscal year ending June 30 this year,said a press release.IFC deployed $492 million in Covid-19 related trade finance lines in theregion. This has helped financialinstitutions provide liquidity tobusinesses dependent on trade,especially small and mediumenterprises (SMEs).About 17,500 MSMEs and corporatesin the region are also expected to beamong the beneficiaries of IFC's $2billion Working Capital Solutions(WCS) programme in FY 2020.The aim of the programme is to helpemerging-market banks extend creditso that businesses can continue tooperate, stemming job losses, said theIFC. "The economic and social impact86kg govtrice seized inBoguraBOGURA : Police in a driveseized 86kg of governmentrice from a garage atUmardighi bazar inShahjahanpur upazila ofBogura on Tuesday, reportsUNB.A man informed policeabout the rice by calling 999.The rice was stockedillegally, said AmbarHossain, inspector ofShahjahanpur PoliceStation. No one was arrestedin this connection.Earlier, rice under VGFwas distributed among thedestitute on Tuesdaymorning.Fauci says prematureapproval of vaccinecould hurtDr Anthony Fauci haswarned that the emergencyuse of authorisation for apotential Covid-19 vaccinecould hurt the developmentof other vaccines, reportsUNB.Speaking to Reuters newsagency, the head of theNational Institute ofAllergy and InfectiousDiseases advised againstrushing out a Covid-19vaccine before it has beenproven to be safe andeffective, reports BBC."The one thing that youwould not want to see witha vaccine is getting an EUAbefore you have a signal ofefficacy," he said, notingthat one of the potentialdangers of prematurelyletting a vaccine out is thatit would make it difficult, ifnot impossible, for theother vaccines to enrollpeople in their trial.of COVID-19 will continue to exact a tollon people and businesses, leaving anindelible mark on the region'seconomies and private sector," saidAlfonso Garcia Mora, IFC's newlyappointed Regional Vice President forAsia and the Pacific. "To address this,we're stepping up efforts to supportcompanies strengthening also oursupport to the financial sector so thatbusinesses and firms can buildresilience on the road to recovery."In Bangladesh, IFC provided a loan ofup to $30 million to The City BankLimited to provide financing for SMEsand export-import companies affectedby Covid-19. This investment comesunder the WCS programme, which ispart of IFC's $8 billion global COVID-19fast-track financing facility developed tohelp businesses cope with the ongoingglobal slowdown. "Small and mediumenterprises provide more than 35percent of employment in Bangladeshand contribute to a quarter of thecountry's GDP," said Wendy Werner,IFC Country Manager for Bangladesh,Bhutan and Nepal."Through IFC's COVID-19 financingfacility, we hope to help revitalise smallbusinesses and also support our clientsTarrant won't speak in court overNew Zealand mosque attacksBrenton Harrison Tarrant told a NewZealand judge Wednesday he will notspeak in his defense at his sentencinghearing for the mass shooting ofworshippers at two Christchurch mosques,reports UNB.Tarrant had the opportunity to speakThursday, the final day of a hearing whichhas seen 90 survivors and family memberstalk about the pain of the March 2019attacks. Earlier Wednesday, a womanspeaking about her beloved father broughtmany people in the courtroom to tears.Sara Qasem said she wonders if, in hislast moments, her father was frightened orin pain, and wishes she could have beenthere to hold his hand. She told thegunman to remember her dad's name,Abdelfattah Qasem. "All a daughter everwants is her dad.I want to go on more road trips with him.I want to smell his garden-sourcedcooking. His cologne," she said. "I want tohear him tell me more about the olive treesin Palestine. I want to hear his voice. Mydad's voice. My baba's voice."The hearing has given a chance for someof the survivors and family members toconfront Tarrant. Many of those who havespoken at the hearing have asked the judgeto impose the maximum possible penalty -that have seen cash flows disrupted dueto the worldwide crisis."Since the outbreak, IFC has madeefforts to help both small and largebusinesses in Bangladesh, Pakistan, SriLanka, India, and Vietnam. Thesupport to companies focused onagriculture - between 15,000 and fivemillion farmers and SMEs in theirsupply chain networks - will help boostfarmers' incomes, strengtheningagribusiness and contributing to foodsecurity. The FY 2020 also saw IFCwork upstream and with the WorldBank on complex projects withpotentially transformative impact todeliver power to millions of people inAfghanistan, Nepal, and Pakistan.IFC also advised governments andthe private sector in a range of areasfrom green sustainable finance andgender issues to helping companies andinstitutions through webinars to copewith Covid-19 impacts.Overall, IFC committed $6.7 billion inprivate sector investments in Asia andthe Pacific in the fiscal year ending June30, 2020.This includes the $554 millionin IFC financing in response to Covid-19under the new Covid-19 fast-trackfacility.life without the possibility of parole.Tarrant had earlier fired his lawyers butwas appointed a standby lawyer by thecourt. Philip Hall, the standby counsel, toldjudge Justice Cameron Mander that hewould make a brief statement on Tarrant'sbehalf. Tarrant confirmed to Mander thathe didn't wish to speak.The 29-year-old Australian has pleadedguilty to murder, attempted murder, andterrorism. He has shown little emotionduring the sentencing. He has watched thespeakers, occasionally giving a small nod orsmirking at jokes made at his expense.Qasem said Tarrant made a choice. "Aconscious, stupid, irresponsible, coldblooded,selfish, disgusting, heinous, foul,uninformed and evil choice," she said.She said she pitied Tarrant's coarse andtainted heart, and his narrow view of theworld that couldn't embrace diversity."Take a look around this courtroom," shesaid to the gunman. "Who is the 'other'here, right now, is it us, or is it you? I thinkthe answer is pretty clear."Qasem said that love will always win. Atthe current hearing, he hasn't shown thebrazenness he did at his first courtappearance the day after the attacks, whenhe made a hand gesture sometimesadopted by white supremacists.On Wednesday, Dhaka Ahsania Mission and Light House Consortium underDrug Abuse Resistance and Understanding (DARAU) jointly organized around table meeting with Natore district journalists. Photo : CourtesyTk131.14cr CMSMEsloan disbursed fromstimulus package:BSCICDHAKA : Bangladesh Smalland Cottage IndustriesCorporation (BSCIC) hasinformed that Taka 131.14crore has so far beendisbursed under thesupervision of the districtSME loan distributionmonitoring committee fromthe government stimuluspackage for the cottage,micro, small and mediumEnterprises (CMSMEs).According to the loanadministrative division ofBSCIC, under thesupervision of SME loandisbursement monitoringcommittee in differentdistricts in Dhaka, Rajshahi,Khulna and Chattogramregional offices of BSCIC,the money was distributedamong 702 cottage, micro,small and mediumenterprises, said anIndustries Ministry pressrelease issued.The recipients include 48women and 654 maleentrepreneurs.Loan disbursementmonitoring committee hasbeen formed for ensuringsmooth implementation ofloan disbursement activitiesas per the directives of thePrime Minister to recouplosses in the industriessector caused by the covid-19 outbreak.The committee has beenasked to take necessary stepsso that entrepreneurs cancollect their loan withoutany hassle under thestimulus package.Youth arrestedafter sexuallyassaulting girlin publicCHATTOGRAM : Police onTuesday arrested a youthfrom the Double Mooringarea of Chattogram as heassaulted a girl in public inbroad daylight.The development cameafter some photos of theincident went viral on socialmedia platforms drawing ahuge public outcry, reportsUNB.He was identified as SajjadHossain Bablu, 18, son ofMd Saleh Ahmed of TongFakir Mazar Lane of the city.In the viral photos, Babluwas seen taking off histrousers in a lane andharassing the girl sexually,apparently in the presence ofhis mother and sister.Mehedi Hasan, deputycommissioner (south) ofChattogram MetropolitanPolice, said they came toknow about the issuethrough social mediaplatforms.Later, police conducted adrive in the Double Mooringarea and arrested Babluaround 8pm, he said, addingthat he will soon be sued in acase.Venison, deerheads seizedin BagerhatBAGERHAT : Forest officersin a drive recovered 42 kgs ofvenison, three deer heads, 12legs from Marapashur Canalof the Sundarbans inBagerhat district onTuesday, reports UNB.Tipped off, a team of forestofficers conducted the drivein the area under Chandpairange in the afternoon andchallenged a boat carryingfive people, said divisionalforest officer (DFO) of theSundarbans East ZoneBelayet Hossain.Sensing the forest officers'presence, the poachers fledthe scene.Later, the forest officersrecovered 42 kgs of venison,three deer heads, 12 legs, onmachete, and a trap used forcatching deer.Water level in Ganges basincontinues to remain steadyRAJSHAHI : Water level in many of therivers in the Ganges basin either recordedfall or remained steady till Wednesdaymorning like the previous couple of days dueto declining of onrushing flood water fromupstream hilly catchment areas in the past24 hours.Of the 30 river points monitored in theGanges basin on Wednesday, water levelsreceded at 17 points, while increased at 10points and remained stable at three points,according to data of Flood Forecasting andWarning Centre (FFWC).However, the rivers were flowing below thedanger level at 28 points, while above thedanger levels at two points."We recorded falling and steady trends inmany rivers, including Modananda, Ganges,Padma and some of the downstream riversand tributaries of the Ganges basin today,"Mukhlesur Rahman, SuperintendingEngineer of Bangladesh Water DevelopmentBoard (BWDB), told BSS.He said water level of the Ganges Riverremained steady at Pankha inChapainawabganj, Rajshahi and Talbariapoints, while went up by one centimeter (cm)at Hardinge Bridge point slightly afresh at 9am of Wednesday.However, Mukhlesur said, the GangesRiver was still flowing 165 cm, 183 cm, 109cm and 77 cm below the danger levels atPankha, Rajshahi, Hardinge Bridge andTalbaria points respectively.Water level of the Padma River declined byfive cm further at Goalundo point, and theriver was flowing 13 cm above the dangerlevel at the point on Wednesday morning, headded.Korotoa River water level went up by 10cm at Chak Rahimpur point further, whilereceded by two cm at Bogura point, and theriver was flowing 263 cm and 358 cm belowGD- 1092/20 (7 x 3)the danger mark at the two pointsrespectively on Wednesday morning.Besides, a falling trend of water levels wasrecorded at the three points of the JamunaRiver of Wednesday. The water level recededby 18 cm at Sariakandi point in Bogura, 12cm at Kazipur point in Sirajganj and 16 cm atSirajgonj point.FFWC executive engineer ArifuzzamanBhuiyan said the Jamuna River was flowing34 cm, 31 cm and 39 cm below the dangerlevel at Sariakandi, Kazipur and at Sirajganjpoints respectively.He said the Gur River was flowing 35 cmbelow the danger level at Singra point inNatore with five cm falling further, while theAtrai River was flowing six cm above thedanger mark at Baghabari point in Sirajganjwith seven cm falling further on Wednesdaymorning.Water level in the Atrai River went up by 17cm at Mohadevpur point in Naogaon furtherand the river was still flowing 419 cm belowthe danger level on Wednesday morning.Of the 16 river points both in Ganges andBrahmaputra Basins, being monitored inmany districts under Rajshahi divisionregularly, water levels declined at 10 pointswhile increased at three points and remainedsteady at three points.However, the rivers were flowing below thedanger level at all the 16 points Wednesdaymorning.Engineer Bhuiyan said the Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Padma rivers are falling trend,while the Ganges River is in steady state,which may continue in next 72 hours.Meanwhile, the district and upazilaadministrations have recorded that around2.16 lakh households and standing crops on47,729 hectares of land valued at aroundTaka 529.83 crore were affected by the floodwater.Managing Director of Bangladesh Municipal Development Fund SayedHasinur Rahman and Project Manager of PMU AKM Kamruzzaman visitedthe on going sub-project of MGSP at Noakhali Municipality onWednesday. Mayor Shohid Ullah Khan, Councilors, concerned Engineersand contractors were also present during the visit. Photo: Manik Bhuiyan
THuRSdAY, AuguST 27, 20203uS proposes to holdTICFA int'l meetingevery three to fourmonthsDHAKA : The United States (US) has proposed to hold theTrade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement(TICFA) International meeting in every three to fourmonths to increase trade and investment withBangladesh.The proposal was come at a 'TICFA International"meeting between Bangladesh and the US on Tuesdaynight through online platform, said a press release.A 24-member Bangladesh delegation led by CommerceSecretary Dr Md Jafar Uddin took part at the meeting fromBangladesh side while a 13-member delegation led byAssistant US Trade Representative for South and CentralAsia Chris Wilson joined the meeting from the US side.At the meeting, the US team informed that the USgovernment will assist, if Bangladesh sends the list ofcompanies that have canceled orders for ready-madegarments during the Coronavirus pandemic.Bangladesh seeks the cooperation of the US governmentin facilitating the export of various international qualityproducts to the United States. In particular, it called for areduction in tariffs on ready-made garment exports.During the meeting, the investment opportunitiesannounced in Bangladesh were also highlighted in detail.In the meeting, the United States raised various issues,including resolving the complexities of cotton exports toBangladesh, amending the e-waste regulation, amendingthe country's National Building Code, introducing digitaltrade and reducing import duties on various US products.Bangladesh envoypresents credentialsto uNIdO's dgDHAKA : Bangladesh Permanent Representative to UNAgencies and other International Organizations in ViennaAmbassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith has presentedcredentials to United Nations Industrial DevelopmentOrganization (UNIDO) Director General (DG) LI Yong.During the credential presentation ceremony, held atUNIDO Headquarters in Vienna, Austria on Tuesday, LiYong reiterated UNIDO's strong commitment to supportBangladesh to reach the next level of industrial development.Recalling his visit to Dhaka and fruitful meeting with PrimeMinister Sheikh Hasina in 2017, the DG highly laudedBangladesh's exemplary economic development in recentyears and offered all sorts of cooperation from UNIDO.The DG also observed that Bangladesh can be included inthe Programme for Country Partnership (PCP) of UNIDOand the existing Country Programme can be connected to thePCP.The Bangladesh envoy urged UNIDO for extending itscooperation to Bangladesh in the field of blue economy,climate change, waste management, food security, SDGsimplementation as well as the issues on COVID-19(challenges & opportunities).Muhith accepted the proposal from the DG for thecooperation in the field of 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR)and informed him that Bangladesh had already started theimplementation of the 4IR innovations under it's 'DigitalBangladesh' initiative.He also suggested the DG to take waste management andwaste to energy projects in Bangladesh involving the WorldBank for financing.bdnews24 editorKhalidi gets 8-monthanticipatory bail inACC caseDHAKA : The High Court(HC) on Wednesday grantedanticipatorybailtobdnews24.comeditor-inchiefToufique ImroseKhalidi for eight months in acase filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission foraccumulating wealthillegally, reports UNB.A bench of Justice MEnayetur Rahim and JusticeMd Mostafizur Rahmanpassed the order afterhearing a bail petition.Advocate Abdur MatinKhashru stood for thepetitioner while AdvocateKhurshid Alam representedACC.Gulshan Anowar, DeputyDirector of ACC, filed thecase on July 30.According to the casestatement, Khalidi has Tk 42crore in different bankaccounts which have nolegalsource. He accumulatedthe money illegally with fakedocuments.Probe report in graft caseagainst Papia Sep 13DHAKA : A court on Wednesday setSeptember 13 for submitting probe report ina case lodged against expelled Jubo MohilaLeague leader Shamima Nur Papia and herhusband Mofizur Rahman Sumon foramassing illegal wealth of over Taka six crore.Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate KM ImrulQayes set the date again as the investigationofficer (IO) could not file the report onWednesday as per the court order on August 5.Earlier, Anti-Corruption Commission(ACC) Deputy Director Shaheen AraMomtaz filed the case against Papia and herhusband with its Dhaka district office-1 onAugust 4 for amassing illegal wealth of Taka6.24 crore.According to the case documents, Papiaand her husband from October 12, 2019, toFebruary 22, 2020, rented a total of 25rooms of a five-star hotel in Dhaka and paidover Taka 3.23 crore cash as room rent, billsfor bars, spa, laundry and food service.Papia spent around Taka 40 lakh inshopping during her stay at the hotel, butcouldn't show any valid source of incomeagainst this huge sum.Besides, the ACC also did not find any validsources of Taka 30 lakh which Papia paid asrent for her flat from April 2015 to April2020, Taka 1 crore invested in car business,Taka 20 lakh invested in car wash solutionbusiness in Narsingdi and over Taka 30.52lakh deposited in different bank accounts ofher and her husband.On February 22, the Rapid ActionBattalion (RAB) arrested Papia and herhusband, along with two of theiraccomplices, at Hazrat ShahjalalInternational Airport with counterfeitbanknotes, foreign currencies and cash.RAB later raided their two luxurious flatsin the capital's Indira Road area andrecovered a foreign-made pistol, twomagazines, 20 bullets, five bottles of foreignliquor and Taka 58.41 lakh in cash, amongother things.RMCH getshigh flow nasalcannula fromPMGD- 1087/20 (6 x 4)RAJSHAHI : RajshahiMedical College Hospital(RMCH) has received a highflow nasal cannula fortreatment of its patientssuffering from covid-19.As the gift of PrimeMinister Sheikh Hasina,Rajshahi Mayor AHMKhairuzzaman Liton handedover the modern device tothe RMCH authorities at hisoffice.RMCH Director Brig GenJamilur Rahman andPrincipal of RajshahiMedical College ProfNawshad Ali received themachine expressing theirdeep gratitude to the PrimeMinister for donating it.RCC Chief ExecutiveOfficer Dr Sharif Uddin andSecretary Abu HayatRahmatullah were presenton the occasion.Prof Nawshad Ali said thehigh flow nasal cannula willbe very effective intreatment of the seriouspatients suffering fromCovid-19 infection.GD- 1085/20 (7 x 3)GD- 1086/20 (7 x 4)GD- 1090/20 (7 x 4)
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