05-01-2021

Tuesday, Dhaka, January 5, 2021, Poush 21, 1427 BS, Jamadi-ul Awal 20 , 1442 Hijri
Bangabandhu
The pathfinder to tap
'Blue Economy' potential
On Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took part in a function at the Khamarbari Krishibid Institution auditorium in the
capital on the occasion of the 73rd founding anniversary of BCL.
Photo : Star Mail
Put Bangabandhu's ideology in heart,
be imbued with patriotism:PM to BCL
Jagannathpur
farmers fret over
stagnant water as
boro yield hit
SUNAMGANJ : This year, many farmers
in the haor areas of Sunamganj's
Jagannathpur upazila have still not
been able to prepare boro paddy
seedbeds due to "water stagnation in
their farm lands".
In Nalua Haor, the largest among the
swamps, farmers say they are facing real
difficulties in draining out the water
from their fields mainly because of a
blockade at the Bhurakhali sluice gate
by fish cultivators.
This blockade, the farmers say, has
been posing as the biggest hurdle for
them to prepare the seedbeds for cultivating
boro paddy this winter for summer
harvest. Seedbed finishing is the
final step in soil preparation for sowing
crops, reports UNB.
"This year, boro crop cultivation has
been hit as the tenants of Hamhami
Jalmahal have blocked the waterway
with bamboos and nets for fishing," says
Mia, a farmer from Bhurakhali village.
Another farmer, Nagendra Das, a resident
of Dasnowagaon village, claims
that waterlogging has rendered his 1.2
acres of land in the haor uncultivable.
Despite several complaints, he alleges,
authorities are yet to redress their problems.
"Cultivation this year has been disrupted
due to the non-discharge of
water from farm lands," says Randhir
Das, a member of the local union
council.
When contacted, Jagannathpur
Upazila Agriculture Officer Shawkat
Osman Majumder admitted that he was
apprised of the problems by the local
farmers.
DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina on Monday asked Bangladesh
Chhatra League (BCL) leaders and
activists to build themselves up putting
ideology of Bangabandhu in their
heart, imbued with patriotism and
keeping their organisation's tradition
in mind to lead the country in the
coming days.
"I will tell Chhatra League that you
have to keep your tradition in your
mind and put the ideology of
Bangabandhu in your heart for building
up yourselves imbued with patriotism
as the future leaders of the
country," she said, reports UNB.
The Prime Minister said this while
joining the 73rd foundinganniversary
of BCL virtually from her official residence
Ganobhaban. The programme
was arranged at Krishibid Institute,
Bangladesh.
She said that the BCL activists have
to build themselves up as leader of ideology
so that they could advance the
country in the coming days.
"You have to lead the country from
frontline, you have to build up yourselves
like that way," she said.
In this connection, she reminded
the BCL activists that one will be successful
if that person could be
groomed up with ideology.
"And if the concentration goes to
wealth and money, then that person
cannot be successful in life, rather that
person can be indulged with luxury,"
she said.
Sheikh Hasina, chief patron of the
BCL, asked the leaders and activists
of the organisation to inherit the
ideology of the Father of the Nation
and patriotism.
"BCL is one of the oldest organisations
in the subcontinent, make it
stronger," she said.
She said that principles of the BCL,
education, peace and prosperity,
should be kept in mind of all its leaders
and activists.
"We give highest priority to the education,
because without an educated
nation we won't achieve advancement.
We'll attain peace through education,
Bangladesh will be a non-communal,
hunger and poverty-free
developed and prosperous country.
Walking the path of peace, we'll go to
the [path of] prosperity," she said.
She asked all BCL activists to
remember the three principles of BCL
all time.
"Without ideology, you won't be
able to give anything to the country,"
she said.
Talking about COVID-19, she
directed all to follow the health guidelines
to protect themselves from the
virus.
She said that facing the COVID-19
pandemic, the government is doing
whatever needed to keep country's
economy running.
She said that apart from agriculture,
the government is giving same importance
to industrialisation as both are
essential for the country.
"There might be famine across the
globe due to the coronavirus. To avert
famine in Bangladesh, it should be
ensured that not a single inch of arable
land is left empty," she said.
In this connection, she put emphasis
on the optimum utilisation of the
arable lands.
Former BCL leader and Awami
League central committee member Dr
Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin, AL presidium
member and former BCL leader
Jahangir Kabir Nanak, BCL president
Al Nahean Khan Joy also spoke at the
programme while general secretary
Lekhak Bhattacharjee conducted it.
BNP's Jan 10 demonstration
programme an anti-state
conspiracy: Quader
DHAKA : Awami League General
Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday
said BNP's announcement of holding
demonstration programme on January
10, the historic homecoming day of
Bangabandhu, is nothing but an antistate
conspiracy.
In a statement, Quader, also Road
Transport and Bridges Minister, has
strongly condemned the announcement
of demonstration programme on the
historic day.
He said the historic homecoming of
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on January 10
is a milestone in the chronological history
of the great Liberation War and the
Bangalee nation has been observing the
day with deep respect.
BNP has announced their so-called
demonstration programme on the historic
day to attain their evil interests and
"it is nothing but an anti-Bangladesh
conspiracy", he said in the statement.
The minister said BNP showed their
characteristics as an anti-liberation force
and revealed their hatred towards
Bangabandhu by announcing such programme.
BNP had rehabilitated and safeguard
the killers of Bangabandhu, he said.
He said the people know the history of
ruination of the spirit and values of the
Liberation War with the assassination
Bangabandhu and evil efforts of dishonoring
the great architect of independent
Bangladesh.
As part of BNP's evil efforts to harm
the Liberation War spirit, the party is
becoming aggressive against the historic
synchronization that remains between
Bangabandhu and Bangladesh's independence,
he added.
Quader said the demonstration is also
the outburst of BNP's evil efforts to
destroy the hard-earned democracy of
the people.
Structures built
grabbing canals to be
demolished : Atiqul
DHAKA : Issuing a note of warning,
Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation
(DNCC) Md Atiqul Islam yesterday said
all the structures, which have been built
grabbing canals across the city, will be
demolished no matter how influential
the illegal occupants are.
"All the multi-storey buildings, built
grabbing canals, will be
demolished…After getting the responsibility
of the canals from WASA, we started
work to evict the illegal occupants of
the canals.
No matter how influential the canal
occupiers are, no one will be spared," he
said inspecting the eviction drive on
both sides of Ibrahimpur canal in the
city. He said the DNCC will continue its
drive to free canals from illegal occupants.
Bangladesh reports
24 COVID-19 deaths,
4,61,515 total
recoveries
DHAKA : Bangladesh recorded 24
novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths
and 910 fresh cases overnight. The
recovery count rose to 4,61,515 after
another 917 patients were discharged
from the hospitals during the period, a
press release of the Directorate General
of Health Services (DGHS) said.
"Twenty-four more COVID-19 patients
died in the last 24 hours, increasing the
death toll from the pandemic to 7650," the
release said. It said the tally of infections
has surged to 5,16,929 as 910 new cases
were confirmed in the last 24 hours.
A total of 12,096 samples were tested
at 180 authorized laboratories across
the country during the time.
Of the total sample tests in the past 24
hours, 7.52 percent tested positive, while
15.80 percent cases were detected from the
total tests conducted so far, the release added.
Among the total infections, 89.28 percent
patients have recovered, while 1.48
percent died so far since the first
COVID-19 positive cases were reported
in the country on March 8. Among the
24 deaths, 18 are male and six female,
the press release said, one is in his 40s,
eight are in their 50s while 14 are above
60 years and one is below 10 years.
According to the division-wise data, 17
deaths took place in Dhaka division and
rests are in other divisions.
Among the total 7,650 deaths, 4,209
deaths occurred in Dhaka division,
1,416 in Chattogram division, 441 in
Rajshahi division, 536 in Khulna division,
238 in Barishal division, 293 in
Sylhet division, 346 in Rangpur division
and 171 in Mymensingh division,
according to the press release.
A total of 32,72,423 samples have so
far been tested since the detection of the
first COVID-19 cases in the country.
The DGHS said in order to make
treatment facilities easily available for
the COVID-19 patients, the government
has introduced telemedicine services
comprising 100 physicians for round
the clock in the country.
A total of 6,65,895 people have so far
received healthcare services from
telemedicine. The DGHS said 2,33,07,922
people received healthcare services from
hotline mobile numbers and health web
portals as the government formed a group
of medical professionals to provide emergency
healthcare services.
DHAKA : Oceans and seas are the major
sources of both finite and infinite
resources, covering over two-third of the
earth surface. Those are the safe abodes
of marine resources, which provide food
and minerals and generate oxygen for
the living things, absorb greenhouse
gases, help check global warming, determine
weather patterns and work as
cheap-cost routes for maritime trade,
reports BSS.
Many mega cities and the hubs of trade
and commerce have been established on
the seashores since the beginning of
human civilisation aiming to utilise the
advantages of maritime routes.
In the Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG)-14, the United Nations has
informed that more than 3 billion people
directly depend on oceans worldwide
for their livelihoods, while the
value of the global ocean-based economy
is estimated to be around US Dollar
3-6 trillion per year.
Realising the huge potential of marine
resources, Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujubir Rahman
developed the Bangladesh's maritime
sector immediately after the birth of a
new state.
As part of his visionary policy, he
upgraded the sea-bound transportation
connecting the whole world, rebuilt the
seaports of a war-ravaged country and
cleared the mines from Chattogram
Port with support from Mine Clearance
Force of the then Soviet Union.
DHAKA : Bangladesh now can afford
more borrowing to address the economic
fallout from COVID-19 pandemic
as the country managed public
debt to GDP ratio in a conservative
way, as per a policy note, prepared by
Bangladesh Bank (BB).
According to the note, Bangladesh
has experienced low debt to GDP
ratio of around 34 percent of GDP
since last few years.
Debt statistics report also shows
that Bangladesh is at low risk in
terms of vulnerable debt sustainability.
Therefore, the country can
increase their expenditure, if needed,
at significant level through domestic
borrowing and foreign loans to support
affected sectors of the economy.
The report also recommends that
the government may improve tax
compliance with proper implementation
of tax reform policies for improving
tax-GDP ratio in the near and
medium term.
Chief Economist's Unit of the central
bank release the policy note,
titled 'COVID-19 Crisis and Fiscal
Space for Bangladesh Economy: A
Comparative Analysis with South
Asian Countries'.
Foreseeing the country's marine potential,
Bangabandhu had enacted the
'Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones
Act 1974', which was a milestone in the
maritime history of Bangladesh.
Nearly 46 years ago, the Father of the
Nation announced the legal instrument
to develop a sustainable 'Blue Economy'
in the country even before the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea was adopted in 1982.
In fact, the Territorial Waters and
Maritime Zones Act 1974 had laid the
foundation for the country's 'Blue
Economy'. Ceaseless efforts of Awami
League government under the visionary
and dynamic leadership of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina have earned a
1,18,813 square km boundary in the Bay
of Bengal after settlement of long-pending
maritime disputes with neighbouring
India and Myanmar.
The law paved the way for the proper
management and protection of the
country's marine resources, conservation
of biodiversity, pollution control,
coastal zone management, maintaining
the marine-protected areas and shipping,
harvesting marine fish and ensuring
maritime governance as well.
The act provided an excellent
roadmap for the demarcation of the
country's various maritime zones and a
clear indication of its rights and responsibilities
in sea, including regulations for
ensuring maritime safety and security.
>(Contd. on page-2)
Bangladesh can afford more
borrowing to address COVIDaffected
economy: BB
It also pointed out that Bangladesh
maintained around 10 per cent of tax
to GDP ratio, which is lower than all
other south Asian countries, except
India.
This report also finds that
Bangladesh was the lowest spending
country among South Asian countries
and the fiscal deficit as percent
of GDP for Bangladesh is below 5
percent in the last decade.
As per the policy note, COVID-19
pandemic continued to spread and
impacted Bangladesh economy
since March 2020, reflecting in a
sharp decline in growth rate of real
gross domestic product (GDP) to
5.24 percent in FY20 as compared
to a record high of 8.15 percent
growth in FY19.
Likewise, other South Asian countries
are not exception as being
affected by COVID-19, slowing
down their economic growth as well.
In response to combat against the
possible economic disruptions
because of the pandemic, South
Asian countries including
Bangladesh have been taking extensive
fiscal measures depending on
their own capacities.
DMP police seized
hemp while
transporting it in
a fancy manner
from Kadamtali
police station area
of the capital.
Photo : Star Mail
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam, Executive Editor : Sheikh Efaz Ahmed, 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.
Editorial and News Office: Bangladesh Timber Building (3rd Floor) 270/B, Tejgaon I/A Dhaka-1208. Tel : +8802-8878026, Cell : 01736786915; Fax: + 880244611604, Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com