04-01-2021

MondAY, JAnUARY 4, 2021
2
Liton calls for materializing
dreams of Bangabandhu
RAJSHAHI : Rajshahi Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman
Liton today urged all to play due and responsible role to
materialize the dreams of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in building
'Sonar Bangla'.
"The nation was taken backward with the killing of the
Father of the Nation but her competent daughter Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina with her political wisdom and
realistic vision is striving hard to march forward the
county with massive developments " he said.
The mayor made this observation while speaking as
chief guest at the unveiling ceremony of a music album
dedicated to Bangabandhu at the premises of Rajshahi
station of Bangladesh Betar today.
Betar, Rajshahi station developed the album styled
"Hridoyer Ohongkare Tumi " to mark the Mujib Borsha,
the birth centenary of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
With Regional Director of Bangladesh Betar Hassan
Akter in the chair, the meeting was addressed, among
others, by city unit Vice-President of Bangladesh Awami
League Shaheen Akter Rainy and former Principal of
Shahmukhdum Degree College Dr Tasiqul Islam Raja.
Mayor Liton said the spirit of the Liberation War has
been established in the country under the dynamic leadership
of Bangabandhu's worthy daughter Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh is now a unique
example of communal harmony before the world.
He said Bangabandhu dreamt of building a secular
Bangladesh. But, it is regretful that the conspirators had
destroyed the spirit of non- communalism through
killing Bangabandhu brutally.
Besides, Liton said the country is moving forward with
indomitable speed to materialize the dreams of
Bangabandhu under the dynamic and visionary leadership
of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Colombia's jobless
rate hits pandemic
low in Nov.
BOGOTA : Colombia's
unemployment rate fell to
13.3 percent in November,
its lowest level since the
COVID-19 began, the
National Administrative
Department of Statistics
(DANE) said Wednesday,
reports BSS.
The decline mirrored signs
of economic recovery following
periods of lockdown
imposed due to the health
crisis, according to Juan
Daniel Oviedo, director of
DANE, at a press conference.
Colombian women suffered
the most from job losses
amid the pandemic, with
an unemployment rate of
19.6 percent from
September to November
compared to 10.9 percent for
men.
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New Year OPEC+ meeting
to decide production levels
LONDON, Jan 2, 2021
(BSS/AFP) - Members of the
OPEC group of oil producers
and their partners will meet
via videoconference on
Monday to decide on production
levels for February,
hoping to turn the corner on
a difficult year.
The OPEC+ ministerial
meeting comes after oil consumption
tanked in 2020
due to the Covid-19 pandemic
and a price war between
Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Despite a pick up in prices
towards the end of last year,
the market levels for black
gold remain uncertain.
After their last summit,
from November 30-
December 3, the OPEC+
members agreed to increase
production by half a million
barrels per day in January.
Also at that meeting the 13
members of the OPEC cartel,
led by Saudi Arabia, and
their six allies, led by Russia,
agreed to meet at the beginning
of each month in order
to decide on any adjustments
to production volumes for
the following month.
Russia and Saudi Arabia
are respectively the second
and third biggest oil producers
in the world after the
United States.
The decision illustrates
OPEC's desire to maintain a
strong influence on the oil
market and the gravity of the
situation for crude producers
last year.
" ' R e m a i n i n g
demand uncertainty' -
Before the pandemic,
OPEC members were content
with two summits per
year at the organisation's
headquarters in Vienna.
"Finally, we saw a strong
demonstration of OPEC+
will and capability to manage
the market, laying the
groundwork for Brent's
recovery to over $50 per barrel
despite remaining
demand uncertainty in the
market," JBC Energy analysts
said in a statement.
The two contracts of reference,
North Sea Brent Crude
and West Texas
Intermediate (WTI) crude
both ended the week around
the $50 per barrel level, far
lower than the prices seen at
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the start of 2020 but well up
on the lows seen last year.
In March, Moscow and
Riyadh embarked on a brief
but intense oil price war
which led prices to plummet.
On April 20, West Texas
Intermediate (WTI) crude
collapsed to minus $40.32
per barrel - meaning producers
paid buyers to take
the oil off their hands.
The climate between the
two oil giants has eased since
then, with the Russian and
Saudi energy ministers
meeting in mid-December
in a display of unity.
It remains difficult, however,
to predict the evolution
in demand as governments
begin rolling out vaccination
programmes against the
coronavirus.
Last month OPEC predicted
a slight rebound in the
market while noting continued
uncertainties, particularly
in the transport sector.
Despite the heft of the
OPEC+ countries, countries
outside the system have a
major impact on the oil market;
principally the United
States which is still producing
11 million barrels of
crude per day.
Even within its ranks,
OPEC will have to pay attention
to developments in the
three members which have
been granted exemptions
from quotas - Libya, Iran
and Venezuela.
Oman foresees
$5.7 bn deficit
in pared down
2021 budget
MUSCAT, Jan 2, 2021
(BSS/AFP) - The Gulf sultanate
of Oman unveiled a 2021 budget
on Friday that foresees a
deficit of 2.24 billion riyals ($5.7
billion), despite a 14 percent cut
in spending.The government
expects revenues of 8.64 billion
riyals based on an oil price of
$45 dollars a barrel, 19 percent
less than in 2020, the official
Oman News Agency reported.
Spending is set at 10.88 billion
riyals, 14 percent less than
in 2020.The government plans
to finance 73 percent of the
deficit through borrowing on
local and international markets,
and the rest from state
reserves.
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud addressed a discussion meeting on the occasion of the 2nd death anniversary
of Syed Ashraful Islam.
Photo: PBA
China, Russia vote against UN
draft resolution on minorities'
situation in Myanmar
DHAKA : China and Russia have once again
stood beside Myanmar while India and Japan
refrained from standing against them as a
draft resolution on the situation of human
rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities
in Myanmar was adopted 130-9 by the UN
General Assembly.
Russia, China, Belarus, Cambodia, Laos,
Philippines, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and
Myanmar themselves were the nine countries
that voted against the resolution, i.e. in
Myanmar's favour, reports UNB.
The proposal was placed before the 75th
General Assembly of the United Nations on
Thursday.
A total of 130 countries including
Bangladesh voted against Myanmar.
Nine of the 130 countries previously voted
in favour of Myanmar but this time, they voted
against.
A total of 26 countries, including India,
Japan, Sri Lanka and Singapore abstained
from voting.
India recently said they engage with
Myanmar at every level, including the highest
level of the civilian government and the highest
level of military establishment in the State
of Rakhine, where they claimed to make their
position clear.
Japanese Ambassador Ito Naoki said they
are communicating directly with Myanmar's
top military officials and at the government
level on the Rohingya crisis as Japan sees it
the proper channel to play a role.
China is trying to work with Myanmar and
Bangladesh to find a solution through tripartite
discussion.
Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it
rejects "ill-disguised, mischaracterized and
politicized" resolution co-sponsored by the
OIC and the European Union.
On 31 December 2020, at its 48th plenary
meeting (resumed), the 75th UN General
Assembly took action on Third Committee
resolution against Myanmar.
Myanmar delegation called for the vote and
voted against resolution number IV contained
in document A/75/478/Add.3.
In his explanation of the vote, Myanmar's
Permanent Representative reiterated that the
country would not accept the exploitation of
human rights and would regard any attempt
to censure them as an abuse of UN mechanisms
under "the banner of human rights".
Allegations of
irregularities
brought against an
LGED engineer
Staff Correspondent
Allegations of various irregularities
and corruption
have been surfaced against
LGED Senior Assistant
Engineer (Administration),
Manas Mandal. According
to the allegation, Manas
Mandal extorted large sums
of money from the executive
engineers, senior assistant
engineers, upazila engineers,
assistant engineers
working in different districts
across the country by threatening
to transfer them from
their current posts.
He allegedly founded a
transfer trade syndicate by
abusing the power of the
LGRD minister's APS. He is
also accused of illegally laundering
money to America.
He has his own house in old
Dhaka.
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