22-01-2021 Without Page-7

frIday

Dhaka : January 22, 2021; Magh 8, 1427 BS; Jamadi-us Sani 8, 1442 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.17; N o.281; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

InternatIonal

Senate confirms Biden

1st Cabinet pick as

Democrats control

>Page 7

sports

Battered West Indies

face uphill task to

keep series alive

>Page 9

art & culture

Nadia, Lavlu,

Mou in drama

serial 'Bahana'

>Page 10

Writ filed to

reopen educational

institutions

DHAKA : A writ petition was filed

yesterday at the High Court, seeking

its direction to immediately

reopen educational institutions,

which remain close amid the global

coronavirus pandemic situation.

Abdul Kaiyum Sarkar, Principal

of Bhawal Mirzapur Public School

& College in Gazipur, filed the writ,

making six officials including education

secretary respondents.

"A High Court division bench of

Justice Md Khosruzzaman and

Justice Md Mahmud Hasan

Talukder may hear the petition

next week," petitioner's lawyer

Faruk Alamgir Chowdhury told

newsmen.

The lawyer said they sent legal

notice on January 11 to the concerned

officials to take necessary

steps to reopen educational institutions.

As they did not get any reply

to the notice, they filed the writ.

Report in rape

abetment case

against Nur Feb 8

DHAKA : A court yesterday set

February 8 to submit report in a case

against six including Dhaka

University Central Students' Union

(DUCSU) former vice-president (VP)

Nurul Haque Nur for alleged abduction,

rape, abetting rape and offences

under Digital Security Act.

Thursday was set for the submission

of the investigation report in the

case. But, Dhaka Metropolitan

Magistrate Begum Yeasmin Ara set a

new date as the investigation officer

of the case did not submit the report.

On the night of September 20, a

case was filed with Lalbagh Police

Station against Nur for his alleged

involvement in provoking a rape incident.

According to the case, the incident

took place at Sadarghat Hotel and

Restaurant in Kotwali police station

area.

The time of the rape incident has

been mentioned in the case from

7:40 pm to 8:30 pm on February 9,

2020.

Hasan Al Mamun, convener of the

Bangladesh Student Rights Council,

was made the main accused in the

case. The other accused are: Saiful,

Nazmul, Hasan Al Mamun, suspended

convener of Bangladesh Sadharan

Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan

Parishad Nazmul Hasan Sohag and

its joint convener and DU student

Abdullah Hil Baki.

Zumma

05:26 AM

01:30 PM

04:01 PM

05:41 PM

06:57 PM

6:42 5:38

20 lakh doses of Oxford vaccine

reach Dhaka as gift from India

DHAKA : Twenty lakh doses of Covid-19

vaccine gifted by India reached Dhaka on

Thursday. A chartered flight of Air India

carrying the vaccine landed at Hazrat

Shahjalal International Airport at 11:21 am,

said additional SP of Airport Armed Police

Alamgir Hossain.

Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr S

Jaishankar tweeted on "VaccineMaitri" saying

that India reaffirms the highest priority

to its relations with Bangladesh, reports

UNB.

Indian High Commissioner to

Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami

handed over the vaccine to Foreign

Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and

Health Minister Zahid Maleque at a ceremony

at state guesthouse Padma on

Thursday afternoon.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs M

Shahriar Alam was, among others, present.

It is part of commitment made at the

highest level - Bangladesh Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi --- and as part of

'Neighbourhood First policy', said the

Indian High Commissioner.

He said Bangladesh and India will fight

the disease together as friends.

On January 18, Health Minister Zahid

Maleque said Bangladesh would receive the

first consignment of Oxford-AstraZeneca

Covid-19 vaccine by this month.

"As per the guideline of the World Health

DHAKA : A court yesterday fixed

January 25 for the submission of

investigation report in a case filed

against six people, including Dr

Zafarullah Chowdhury, chairman of

the board of trustees of the

Ganoshahthaya Nagar Hospital,

alleging negligent in the death of a

midwife named Nasreen Akhter.

Thursday was set for the submission

of the investigation report of the

case, but Dhaka Metropolitan

Magistrate Mahmuda Akhter set the

new date as Police Bureau of

Investigation (PBI) did not submit it.

Earlier, on December 22, 2020, SA

Alam Sabuj, husband of the

deceased, filed a case in the court of

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate

Devdas Chandra Adhikari.

The court directed the Police

Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to

investigate the allegations and submit

a report on January 21.

The other accused in the case are:

Organization, we'll vaccinate those first

who're working with risks. Also, elderly

people will get more priority. People below

the age of 18 won't get the vaccine," the

minister said.

"The government is also in talks with

Russia, China and others to collect more

vaccines." On January 14, Maleque said,

"Bangladesh can now store up to 150 million

doses of the vaccine. So, there'll not be

any problem when 40-50 million doses

come from India." "The Directorate

General of Drug Administration (DGDA)

will strictly monitor the vaccination process

to prevent irregularities. A 'vaccine bulletin'

will be published regularly by the Health

Ministry," the minister said.

"Around 42,000 health workers are

being trained for vaccination and an app for

vaccine registration and distribution is at

the final stage under the ICT Ministry."

On January 7, the government approved

the emergency use of the Oxford-

AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

The approval allows Beximco

Pharmaceuticals to bring doses from

the Serum Institute of India, which is

manufacturing the vaccine,

Mohammad Salahuddin, deputy director

of the DGDA, said.

Under the deal, Bangladesh will import 3

crore doses of SARS-Cov-2 AZD 1222

(Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine) from Serum

over the next six months.

Report in 'death in negligence'

case against Dr. Zafarullah

on January 25

Dr. Nasrin, Dr. Shawkat Ali Arman,

gynecologist Dr. Delwar Hossain and

Nurse Shankari Rani Sarkar of the

Ganoshahthaya Nagar Hospital.

According to the case, Nasreen

Akhter, being in her labor, was

admitted to the hospital on

September 24. Duty Nurse Shankari

Rani was repeatedly informed but

she did not pay attention. As the

patient's condition deteriorated, two

intern doctors were called and they

said that everything was fine.

Shankari informed that Dr. Delwar

Hossain and Dr. Nasrin were called

but they didn't come.

Later, the victim bled to death, as

she was forced by the nurse to give

birth in absence of any doctor without

saline or necessary medicines.

In the case, the plaintiff further

said that initially the hospital authorities

admitted of negligence and

pledged to settle the matter but they

haven't taken any action since then.

Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami officially handed over 2 million doses of corona vaccine to

Bangladesh as a gift from the Government of India. Health Minister Zahid Malek, Foreign Minister Abdul Momen and

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam received the vaccine at the state guest house Padma in Ramna,

Dhaka, on Thursday afternoon.

Photo : PBA

ACC arrests

'two associates'

of PK Haldar

DHAKA : The Anti-Corruption

Commission (ACC) on Thursday

arrested two suspected associates of

Proshanto Kumar Halder, disgraced

director of International Leasing and

Finance Service Ltd (ILFSL), in a

money laundering case, reports UNB.

The arrestees are Sukumar Mridha

and his daughter Anindita Mridha.

ACC Deputy Director Md Salauddin

said they started interrogating the duo

at 10 am. Halder reportedly amassed

Tk 3,600 crore and laundered the

money abroad while performing his

duties as director at ILFSL.

Besides, on January 8, the Anti-

Corruption Commission also filed a

case against Halder for acquiring

wealth of around Tk 275 crore beyond

any known income sources and money

laundering.

In his appeal, Haldar who fled to

Canada after amassing the money, said

that he wanted to return for providing

help to recover the amassed money of

ILFSL and sought security after his

return back home.

The High Court on January 22,2020

ordered the confiscation of properties,

freezing of bank accounts and passports

to be seized of Halder, also former

managing director of NRB Global Bank

Ltd and 19 others including his mother,

wife and brother.

After hearing appeals of seven

investors of ILFSL, the court also

imposed restrictions on them to leave

the country. However, Haldar managed

to flee to Canada.

On Thursday,

DNCC Mayor

Atiqul Islam

inspected the

eviction drive

at Mirpur-11

of the

capital city.

Photo : PBA

Vaccine gift a sign of Hasina-

Modi strong ties : FM

DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr AK

Abdul Momen on Thursday said the

arrival of 20 lakh doses of Oxford vaccine

from India shows the sign of strong

relations and goodwill between Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian

counterpart Narendra Modi.

"It's a historic day. They've (Hasina

and Modi) achieved such a goodwill

and strong relations! It shows the sign

of that bonding," he said after receiving

the Oxford University and AstraZeneca

vaccine as gift from India, reports UNB.

The Foreign Minister said Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina from the day

one laid emphasis on partnership and

collaboration in dealing with the Covid-

19 situation.

"Today's gift from India is the sign of

partnership, cooperation and collaboration,"

DrMomen said adding that collaboration,

cooperation and partnership

is very essential for each country in

the world.

He said many developed countries

are yet to get the vaccine and

Bangladesh is one of the earliest recipients

of vaccine in the world.

Reiterating the highest priority India

DHAKA : The government will procure

some three crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines

from Serum Institute of India on

emergency state purpose through Direct

Procurement Method (DPM) with a cost

of Taka 1,271.55 crore to effectively deal

with this pandemic. The approval came

from a virtual meeting of the Cabinet

Committee on Government Purchase

(CCGP) with Finance Minister AHM

Mustafa Kamal in the chair.

Briefing reporters virtually after the

meeting, Kamal said the day's meeting

approved a total of eight proposals involving

an overall cost of around Taka

2,059.42 crore. "Of the total cost, he said

around Taka 1,870.82 crore will come

from the government of Bangladesh portion

while around Taka 188.60 crore from

the local banking sources as loan,"

He said the health service division will

procure these Oxford AstraZeneca

Vaccines. The finance minister said it's a

good thing that the Indian vaccines have

already started arriving in the country

and subsequently the country's people

attaches to Bangladesh under India's

Neighbourhood First Policy, Prime

Minister Narendra Modi on December

17 assured that vaccines would be made

available to Bangladesh as and when

produced in India.

Both Prime Minister Hasina and her

Indian counterpart Modi also noted the

ongoing bilateral collaboration between

the private sectors in this area.

Asked whether the Foreign Minister

will get vaccinated, he said since he is

elected by people, he would prefer to

save their lives first.

The Foreign Minister thanked the

Health Ministry for managing the situation

though there has been negative

campaign centering Covid-19 situation

and its death toll. "We remain connected

and are working together."

He also thanked the people of India

and the Indian government for sending

the vaccine as a gift.

Referring to Bloomberg media,

Foreign Minister DrMomen and State

Minister Shahriar Alam said

Bangladesh have become number one

in terms of Covid-19 management in

South Asia.

Govt to procure 3cr doses of COVID-19

vaccines with Tk 1,271.55 crore

will be vaccinated.

India yesterday formally handed over

20 lakh doses of Covishield (Oxford-

AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine manufactured

by Serum Institute of India) as "gift"

to Bangladesh at a ceremony in State

Guest House Padma in Dhaka yesterday.

Kamal said once all eligible people of

the country are vaccinated, they would

feel good and thus they would be able to

give their utmost efforts towards economic

progress of the country.

Answering to a question, the finance

minister said, "Considering my age, I will

definitely take that vaccine which will be

available at the earliest."

Replying to another question, he said if

the private companies are allowed to

import vaccines, then those would have to

arrange their own financing.

Briefing reporters also in digital platform,

Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division

Dr Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal said that the

meeting approved three separate proposals

for procuring a total of 85,000 metric tons

of fertilizer from different sources.

fridAY, JANUArY 22, 2021

2

Wahed Uddin

Chowdhury joins

the post of Director

General of BWDB

Engineer AKM Wahed

Uddin Chowdhury joined

the post of Director

General (Grade-1) of

Bangladesh Water

Development Board on 21

January 2021 AD. Prior

to joining the current

post, he served as

Additional Director

General (Planning), a

press release said. He

obtained his B.Sc-in-Civil

Engineering degree from

Bangladesh University of

Engineering (BUET) in

1984. He joined

Bangladesh Water

Development Board in

1986 as Assistant

Engineer. In his long

career, he has been proficient

in river bank conservation,

irrigation,

flood control and

drainage projects, design,

planning, monitoring

hydrology and BWDBs

field level offices. During

his long service in

Bangladesh Water

Development Board, he

participated in various

seminars and trainings at

home and abroad including

Japan, Thailand,

Italy, Morocco, France.

He was born in 1962 in an

aristocratic Muslim family

in Dhaka district.

Bitcoin slumps 10% as pullback

from record high gathers pace

LONDON: Bitcoin slumped 10 percent on

Thursday to a 10-day low, retreating further

from record highs, with traders citing fears of

tighter US regulation, reports Arab news.

The world's most popular cryptocurrency

Bitcoin was last down 7.5 percent at $32,779

after falling as low as $31,977. It has lost nearly

a quarter since touching a record $42,000

on Jan. 8.

The pullback comes amid growing concerns

that bitcoin is one of a number of financial

market price bubbles.

Fears that US President Joe Biden's administration

could attempt to regulate cryptocurrencies

have also weighed on sentiment,

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traders said. During a Senate hearing on

Tuesday Janet Yellen, Biden's pick to head the

US Treasury, expressed concerns that cryptocurrencies

could be used to finance illegal

activities.

"I think many are used, at least in a transactions

sense, mainly for illicit financing, and I

think we really need to examine ways in which

we can curtail their use and make sure that

money laundering does not occur through

these channels," said the former chair of the US

Federal Reserve.

Joseph Edwards of cryptocurrency broker

Enigma Securities said these comments had a

substantial impact.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2021

3

Tobacco control law amendment

needed urgently: Speakers

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Swapan

Bhattacharjee addressing as the chief guest Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park Auditorium,

Jessore on Thursday.

Photo : Courtesy

PM Hasina

greets new

US President

Joe Biden

DHAKA : Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina has

congratulated Joe Biden, the

46th president of the US.

Foreign Minister Dr AK

Abdul Momen termed

Biden's win as a victory for

democracy.

Talking to reporters at

State guesthouse Padma

after receiving COVID-19

vaccine from India as gift,

the minister said they are

very delighted to see Biden

as the US President.

Dr Momen said the Biden

administration returned to

the Paris Agreement which

is good news for Bangladesh,

reports BSS.

"You know that our Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina is

the President of Climate

Vulnerable Forum. We

thanked Joe Biden

specially," said the Foreign

Minister.

Dhaka urges Tashkent

to resume recruiting

Bangladeshi workers

DHAKA : Bangladesh

Embassy in Tashkent has

urged Uzbekistan to resume

the recruitment of

Bangladeshi workers in

different companies in that

country.

Bangladesh Ambassador

to Uzbekistan Md Zahangir

Alam made the call at a

meeting with Advisor to

Chairman of the board of

ERIELL company for the

Middle East and also former

Ambassador of Uzbekistan

to Iran Ilkhom Akramov and

Deputy Director of 'Enter

Engineering' Pte Ltd

Jahangir Nazrullaev

Zakirjanovich on

Wednesday at the

Bangladesh Embassy in

Tashkent, said a press

release.

Govt to involve people to control

noise pollution: Shahab

DHAKA : Environment, Forest and Climate

Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin

yesterday said the government has taken up

integrated and participatory projects to

control noise pollution by involving the mass

people.

Through this project, awareness training

on sound pollution will be imparted to

people from different walks of life, he added.

The minister said this while speaking as

chief guest at the inaugural workshop of an

integrated and participatory project on noise

pollution control, organized by the

Department of Environment, said a press

release.

He also said, public opinion against noise

pollution will be created through the

implementation of various awareness

programs and noise pollution will come

down to a tolerable level with the concerted

efforts of all.

Everything necessary would be done to

control noise pollution, Shahab added. .

Secretary of the ministry Ziaul Hasan,

Additional Secretary (Environment)

Mahmud Hasan and former Vice Chancellor

of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical

University Professor Pran Gopal Dutta

attended the workshop as special guests with

Director General of the Department of

Environment A, K, M Rafique Ahammed in

the chair.

Additional Director General of

Department of Environment and Project

Director of the Project Md Humayn Kabir

delivered the introductory speech.

The environment minister said BRTA is

registering about 3 to 4 lakh new vehicles

every year. The horns of the increasing

vehicles contribute about 55 percent to the

noise pollution of the city. Unnecessary

horns from vehicles, sound boxes and loud

noises through the mike are disrupting the

normal life of the people.

"If we want to make our socio-economic

development sustainable, now is the time to

build resistance against noise pollution,

among other things," he added.

The minister called upon all concerned to

create a culture of implementing the existing

laws and rules in noise pollution control and

refraining from making excessive noise

considering the harmful aspects.

He said 'Noise Pollution Free

Environment, Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh'

should be built to develop a safe abode for

future generations.

Speaking as special guest Environment

Secretary Ziaul Hasan said, "It will be

possible to create public awareness about

noise pollution through this project."

He also instructed all concerned to

implement the project following all

government guidelines.

Former Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujib Medical University Professor

Pran Gopal Dutta said that noise pollution

must be stopped to protect the people from

mass deafness.

He appealed to the government to include

the harmful aspects of noise pollution in the

curriculum of fifth, ninth, tenth, eleventh

and twelfth classes.

Additional Director General of

Department of Environment and Project

Director of the Project Md Humayn Kabir

said that under the integrated and

participatory project on noise pollution

control, a total of 95,200 people including

transport workers, drivers, students,

government employees, factory construction

workers, journalists, teachers, imams,

professionals and members of voluntary

organizations will be imparted sound

awareness training.

CID arrests 3 in job

fraud case in city

DHAKA : The Criminal Investigation

Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police

yesterday arrested three persons for their

alleged involvement in duping some 150

people in the name of offering jobs in the

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport

here.

"Three persons were detained on charge of

extracting money from the people in the

name of giving jobs for the post of terminal

supervisor and workers of the underconstruction

airport Terminal-3," CID's

additional DIG Sheikh Omar Faruk told

newsmen here in the afternoon.

The CID official said the fraudsters

swindled crore of Taka from 150 people by

showing fake appointment letters of an

organization called "Darpan Group".

The detainees were identified as Chairman

of Darpan Group Md Zahirul Islam Sohag,

52, managing director Hena Zahir, 50, and

manager Mintol Roy alias Apurba Roy, 26.

They have taken Taka 50 thousand to TK

one lakh from each person to get jobs as

terminal workers and supervisors, he added.

The CID said during primary

interrogation, they admitted to their

involvement.

"The drives still continues to nab the other

members of the gang," the additional DIG

added.

For the fourth day in a row, BIWTA launched an operation to evict illegal structures on the banks of

the river Buriganga.

Photo : Star Mail

Although significant progress has

been made in tobacco control in

Bangladesh, in some cases progress

has not been as expected. According

to the World Health Organization's

report on Global Tobacco Epidemic

2019, Bangladesh has not yet

achieved the best standards for

banning advertising for a smoke-free

environment and tobacco products.

This requires an amendment to the

current tobacco control law.

This was stated by the speakers at

view exchange meeting with

journalists on Thursday at the head

office of Dhaka Ahsania Mission

Health Sector in the capital.

The meeting was chaired by Md.

Mokhlesur Rahman, Assistant

Director and Project Coordinator

(Tobacco Control Project), Health

Sector, Dhaka Ahsania Mission

while Abdus Salam Mia, Grants

Manager, Campaign for Tobacco

Free Kids Bangladesh, Ruhul Amin

Rushad, Senior News Editor,

Banglavision and Sarkar Shams Bin

Sharif, Communications Officer,

Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids

Bangladesh were among others also

present at the occasion.

Sharmin Rahman, Senior Program

Officer, Health Sector, Dhaka

Ahsania Mission, gave a

presentation on the existing Tobacco

Control Act to protect public health

and life.

Abdus Salam Mia, Grants

Manager, Campaign for Tobacco

Free Kids Bangladesh, said at the

meeting that tobacco was involved

in six of the eight major causes of

preventable death worldwide. In

Bangladesh, more than 1 lakh 61

thousand people die every year

from diseases caused by tobacco

use alone. But we are not as

concerned about it as we should

be. Only media personnel can

create awareness among the

people. He called on the media to

play a role in this.

Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, Assistant

Director, Health Sector, Dhaka

Ahsania Mission, said that the

Government of Bangladesh enacted

the Smoking and Tobacco Use

(Control) Act, 2005 in the light of the

Framework Convention on Tobacco

Control (FCTC).

In 2013, several important

amendments were made to the

Tobacco Control Act and in 2015, the

Smoking and Tobacco Use (Control)

Rules were formulated. However,

the existing tobacco control law is

largely consistent with the FCTC, but

there are weaknesses in some areas.

The law does not say anything about

banning emerging tobacco products

such as e-cigarettes, a new threat to

public health, especially teenagers

and young adults.

Ruhul Amin Rushad, senior news

editor of Banglavision, hoped that

the media will play a stronger role in

amending the anti-tobacco law, just

as it did in 2013.

It is to be noted that the weak

points in the existing law are the

existing law does not prohibit

smoking in public transport and

restaurants in certain cases, does not

prohibit the display of tobacco

products in sales outlets, does not

prohibit the sale of single sticks or

retail sticks of bidi-cigarettes, does

not prohibit the sale of emerging

tobacco products such as e-

cigarettes, health-warning has failed

to play an effective role as the size /

volume of packaging of all tobacco

products has not been determined

and the tobacco company's 'Social

Responsibility Program' or CSR

activities have not been banned.In

most countries of the world, there is

no opportunity to buy a single stick

cigarette. There is no obligation in

our country.

Legal obligations are needed in

this regard.

A view exchange meeting with journalists was held on Thursday at the head office of Dhaka Ahsania

Mission Health Sector in the capital.

Photo : Courtesy

The unsung hero of

Bangladeshi journalism caught

between Covid & customers

CUMILLA : The reporter gathers and writes about the news. The editor

gives it the perfect shape. But it's the vendor who delivers the news to the

doorstep of the reader.

While the pandemic has compelled journalists around the world to work

from home for months on end, the vendors are facing the heat in the

absence of such a facility.

Meet Abdur Rahim, a resident of Chaumahoni village in Muradnagar

upazila. With clockwork precision, this physically challenged man had

been distributing newspapers in the upazila for over 14 years before the

pandemic forced the government to impose a nationwide lockdown.

More than 10 months on, he's still out of work. The reason: several people

had stopped accepting newspapers fearing the coronavirus infection.

"At the crack of dawn, I used to reach the Pannarpolu railway station

daily. Once newspapers were unloaded from the morning train, I tied them

on my cycle, my trusty companion for nearly one and a half decades, before

heading off," Abdur says.

Be it cold or rain, beating all odds, Abdur would ensure that newspapers

were delivered at the doorsteps of people daily. "From Bakhrabad Gas

Field and Jahapur Zamindar Bari to Alirchar College, Borarchar, and

Kalakandi markets, I used to cover 40km daily."

At the end of every month, Abdur would knock on the doors of his

customers to collect payment to buy the next month's essentials. "Believe

me, in 14 years I did not miss a single day of work. But now I have no work,

and that's what I miss," he says.

Indeed, after the coronavirus outbreak, a national lockdown was

imposed. And the lockdown hit the newspaper distribution hard. Readers

across the country soon stopped buying newspapers fearing the spread of

the infection. "I have always enjoyed and taken pride in my job, delivering

news at the doorsteps of readers to make their day complete. Now, I have

become news myself. Despite scientists vouching for the sterility of

newsprints, readers are still apprehensive," Abdur says.

With no work for more than 10 months now, Abdur claims, poverty has

pushed his family to the brink of starvation. His two daughters, a son, wife

and elderly parents, are all dependent on him.

"Forget fish and meat. Dal-bhaat (rice & pulses) are now a luxury for us.

Being disabled, I am literally struggling to ensure two square meals a day

for my family. In the past 10 months, I couldn't even buy milk for my twoyear-old

child," he says.Abdur wants immediate government support. "It's

a question of survival. The government must step in and support disabled

people like me, who don't have jobs but have families to support," he adds.

Tourism industry

to help achieve

SDGs : Mahbub

MUNSHIGANJ : State Minister for Civil

Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali yesterday

that measures have been taken to strengthen

the tourism sector as it will reflect the

country's development and help achieve

SDGs within the stipulated time.

"We have met the MDGs ahead of schedule,

next lie the SDGs…The tourism industry will

play a vital role in meeting the targets of this

SDG," he said while speaking as the chief

guest at the 'Padma Cruise' inauguration

ceremony beneath the under-construction

Padma Bridge in the middle of the Padma

river yesterday afternoon.

"We hope that our tourism industry,

Ministry of Tourism, Bangladesh Tourism

Board and Bangladesh Tourism Corporation

under the leadership of the Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina people will play a unique role

in projecting Bangabandhu's desired 'Sonar

Bangla' to the world," he added.

Replying to the queries of the newsmen,

Mahbub said, "There is a possibility of

creating a river tourism spot here… The

inauguration of the 'Padma Cruise' marked

the beginning of the river tourism, just within

41 days after the bridge's full infrastructure

was visible."

Stating that the initiative has been taken to

expand river tourism on the occasion of

Mujib Year, the state minister hoped that the

immense potentiality of the sector will be

brought out soon.

The 'Padma Cruise' started its journey with

a double Decker named 'MV Dingi'.

Up to 60 tourists can board this ship

together. And 48 tourists will be able to ride

at night with cabin facilities.

The cruise ensures safety life jackets,

firefighting facilities and rescue boats for the

passengers.

The Ship is currently offering student,

regular cruise and full-moon night packages.

Every day, the ship will cruise for 3 hours in

two phases starting from 10am-1pm and

2pm-5pm.

fRIDAY, jANUARY 22, 2021

4

Health cognizance and nutrition are prerequisite for Girls' Education; Bangladesh Perspective

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Friday, January 22, 2021

Promote new june

based products

The government must now move with a real

sense of urgency to effectively promote new

uses of jute. Government should particularly

encourage the private sector to this end providing

on its part fiscal and monetary supports plus

advisory and technical assistance. If projects

involving novel uses of jute see the light of day at

the fastest, the new jute based projects will be using

jute in large quantities. Thus, the demand for raw

jute will continue to be high and farmers will

continue to benefit by producing ample quantities

of raw jute to meet the high demand. Other

intermediaries in the jute trade will also not be

adversely affected. More significant will be

increased earnings from the new jute based

products including earnings in foreign currencies.

Diversified uses of jute in Bangladesh have long

awaited commercial exploitation although it

should have been realised long ago that such uses

of jute only could restore the glory that jute once

enjoyed in the country's export trade. The

traditional uses of jute as packing materials lost

considerable from the invention of synthetic

materials. Therefore, the present need is to only

fast diversify into other products by using jute.

Some years ago it was learnt that the paper mills

in Bangladesh would be using jute sticks and jute

plants to make pulp from which different types of

paper including the finer varieties would be

produced. But since then, the momentum to

produce paper from jute has mysteriously died

down. Among the raw materials for producing

various types of paper, jute is recognised as one of

these raw materials of the superior category.

It is regrettable that this country spends

precious foreign currency in importing huge

quantities of paper, including newsprint and

other types of quality paper, when it can save the

entire amount and improve its balance of

payments position by producing and meeting all

its demands for paper at home by utilising jute.

Bangladesh can also probably turn out to be a

major exporter of paper in the international

market producing paper from jute.

Years ago, jute's uses in the form of jute plastics,

as yarn for cloth making, as cloth for upholsteries in

cars and furniture, for matting embankments and

a host of its other uses were invented. Significantly,

the prospects for greater use of jute products have

brightened worldwide. The environmental concern

is peaking all over the world and manufacturers are

increasingly searching for environment friendly

and biodegradable products to replace synthetic or

plastic products which are now considered as

environmentally unsound.

Private entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, on their

own, should have worked on these inventions with

a view to promoting them or attracting foreign

capital to set up joint venture schemes for

transforming the inventions ---regarding new uses

of jute--- into commercial realities. But private

entrepreneurs in Bangladesh in many cases are

found very slow. Therefore, it is imperative for the

relevant ministry to work out a plan to promote the

new jute based products by engaging in a series of

result-oriented dialogue with members of the

private sector of both home and abroad.

Under WTO guidelines, the use of synthetic fibres

could be prohibited worldwide and opportunities

would be created for the use of natural fibres

instead. The automobile industries worldwide

include huge enterprises and in the wake of the

prohibition on artificial materials much prospects

could be created for the use of jute products in this

industry. Typically, an automobile uses artificial

fibre based products as its parts in thirty-seven

places. After the introduction of the WTO

regulation, the same thirty-seven parts could be

made from jute to meet the needs of the regulation.

Thus, much demand for these jute based products

could be created internationally and Bangladesh

would be in a leading position to meet this

international demand.

Thus, at a time when traditional products are

facing setbacks, new value added products made

out of jute can be prove to lucrative for sustaining

and expanding the demand for growing jute and,

more significantly, to very substantially increase

earnings from jute at all levels.

Female education is widely presumed

to affect health, including fertility and

child health through its influence on

health behaviors. Child health care is a

public health problem which is recognized

as a huge barrier for child development. The

association between education and health is

that education itself produces benefits that

later predispose the recipient to better

health outcomes. Education offers

opportunities to learn more about health

and its risks, both in the form of health

education in the school curriculum and also

by giving the girls the health literacy about

important lifestyle choices to prevent and

manage diseases. Educated women grow up

in comparatively modern communities or

households with implications not only for

education but also preferences for health

and its care.

Education is critical to social and

economic development and has a profound

impact on population health. Adolescent

girls generally lack access to comprehensive

or accurate information on menstruation

AFRIEND recently commented

that his father who passed away

just a couple of years ago missed

experiencing a pandemic. He was born

after the Spanish flu and passed away

before the coronavirus hit our world.

Living in times of a pandemic it is hard

to believe that there have been people

who had no idea what it means to live at

a time when a disease has engulfed the

entire world.

Indeed, as we obsess with how much

the pandemic has changed life and will

continue to do so, in terms of politics, the

global order, work life, for obvious

reasons (you can take the girl out of 'subeditory'

but you can't take the sub-editor

out of the girl), it is also fascinating how

this past year has shaped our language,

or rather the use of it.

In one short year, it seems, some

words have become permanently

prefixed with 'self-quarantine' and 'selfisolate'

used so commonly that it's hard

to realise they would have drawn blank

stares if used in 2019. In fact, it's hard to

remember examples of the use of

'isolate' or 'quarantine' as a verb, before

last year. Were 'quarantine' and 'isolate'

used interchangeably as they are now?

A small admission here: it took the

pandemic for me to find out about the

origins of quarantine - the 40 days ships

and crew had to spend in isolation

before being allowed onshore in Venice

and sexual and reproductive health; such

knowledge generally increases among older

girls, in urban areas and among girls with

primary education or more. Lack of

knowledge can underpin unhygienic

practices for managing menstruation. Due

to high child marriage rates and norms

favoring early childbearing, adolescent

pregnancy and childbearing rates in

Bangladesh are high.

Malnutrition is a common problem in

Bangladesh and thinness and stunting

among adolescent girls is widespread and

persistent. Data from the latest DHS shows

that 31% of married girls aged 15-19 are

Words, words, words

during the Black Plague. And for all the

scientific progress mankind has made

in the centuries between, it seems as if

the modes of prevention have not

changed much since. A quarantine for

those arriving at the border is what was

in place then and now to control the

spread of an infection.

But I digress. The past year also

forced us to venture (not too sensibly)

into the world of medical lingo.

Specialised terms such as 'herd

immunity', 'oxygen levels' and

'oximeters' now slip into everyday

conversations as smoothly as 'insta' or

'tweeple'. By the time the first wave hit

us, we all had become experts, thanks to

our smartphones and ample time to

read and panic about the coronavirus.

Another new yet permanent fixture in our

everyday conversations is 'social distancing'

though if one thinks about it, it is hard to

reconcile the use of social with distancing.

For it imposes upon us distances that are

more unsocial than social.

But then, in a world turned topsyturvy

by a pandemic, words have taken

on new connotations. And despite what

it implies and enforces, social

distancing in our new, uncertain world,

is what the handshake was in the old

days, ie the hallmark of civility and

politeness.

And last but not least is 'lockdown',

which was perhaps only used in films

A S M SHAMEM

ARIfA NooR

undernourished, while a study found that

more than one in four rural girls were thin

and stunted. As is the case for adolescent

sexual and reproductive health status,

nutritional status is also related to

Girl's education is one of the major issues which have an impact on

the health sector of a country. If the girls and women are educated

then they will be concerned about their health, family and environment.

It is easier for an educated mother to take care of her child

than an uneducated mother.

socioeconomic status, place of residence and

other contextual factors.

Basic human rights by international

conference declaration and legal

instruments selected that women have the

right to have timely, affordable and good

quality of health care. The millennium

development goals are also highlighting

that part. So like other countries the

Bangladeshi women also have the rights to

and shows about prisons or terrorist

plots, but is now a widely accepted,

worldwide policy. It is no longer a twist

in a Hollywood thriller but an intrinsic

part of our lives.

But oddly enough, there was little in

terms of contributions in our own

language as we wrestled with the

pandemic. Was it because it is so easy to

adopt English words and phrases that

came to define 2020 - from 'lockdown'

to 'mask' to 'quarantine'? Did we really

just not need any innovation in Urdu

for the new normal? So it seems. Or was

it because the damage caused by Covid-

19 to Pakistan was far less and hence it

has - so far - left little lasting impact?

But this is not to say that 2020 and

corona gave us no memorable phrases.

Thanks to Nadeem Afzal Chan and his

Mukhtar (or should I say Mukhtariaya),

'Gal vadh gayee aye' definitely deserves

the phrase of the year award, if we ever

decide to give out such a commendation.

In a country obsessed with politics and

leaked audio (and video) tapes, the

politician's rebuke urging his Mukhtar

to stay home during the first wave of

Covid-19 caught the political

imagination, and the public to a large

extent. It was even turned into a song. It

became our go-to phrase to describe

any crisis or situation which threatens

to deteriorate. For those who have not

heard the conversation, please just use

have women friendly health service. But it is

quite difficult for the distance of the health

care. The women in our country are not

allowed to move such a far distance place

and the religious issue is also a great fact

here. They need separate kind of health

service in the health care to feel

comfortable. The government of

Bangladesh and UNICEF has been working

tighter for this (BDHS, 2007).

Girl's education is one of the major issues

which have an impact on the health sector of

a country. If the girls and women are

educated then they will be concerned about

their health, family and environment. It is

easier for an educated mother to take care of

her child than an uneducated mother. If we

can involve the women into work then they

will be conscious about their family

planning and also be aware about their

rights and responsibilities.

The writer is Assistant Professor,

Department of English of Asian

University of Bangladesh

Health security needs strengthening in wake of COVID-19 pandemic

More than a year has passed since the

emergence of the coronavirus

disease (COVID-19) and, with it, a

pandemic that is still wreaking havoc across

the globe. Biological threats are not just

public health crises, they also have the

power to paralyze entire nations through

economic recessions, productivity

downturns, international and domestic

security fears, the loss of lives, and civic

distress. It is thus imperative that global

leaders work collectively to upgrade their

health security measures to counter the

effects of infectious disease outbreaks.

In recent years, epidemics have served as

a wake-up call to nations. The 2003 SARS

outbreak spread to two dozen countries in

Asia, Europe, North America and South

America before it was contained. By then, it

had infected more than 8,000 people and

claimed the lives of about 800. In 2014, the

Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa became

the biggest of its kind in history. West

African countries were, at the time, illprepared

to deal with this unfamiliar illness,

with weak detection systems and healthcare

workers untrained in handling such a

disease; not to mention the social and

economic upheavals that accompanied the

outbreak. These factors enabled the disease

to spread expansively across populations

until global efforts brought it under control.

Spurred by such recent biological threats,

many governments took measures to

improve national health security in order to

prevent, detect and respond to serious

threats. For example, the Singaporean

government in 2019 established the

National Centre for Infectious Diseases to

strengthen its capabilities in terms of

preventing and managing infectious

diseases. Its work focuses on long-term

horizon scanning and risk assessments, as

well as training on outbreak management,

epidemiological research, and outbreak

readiness and response. Elsewhere, the

South Korean government invested heavily

in digital health technologies to monitor

infectious diseases and manage outbreaks.

Its detailed epidemiological data dashboard

has enabled the government to successfully

curb COVID-19 infection rates by tracking

patients, identifying hotspots and alerting

citizens.

Health security essentially refers to a

country's ability to prevent the emergence of

pandemics, detect and report biological

threats, ensure early and rapid responses,

manage a robust healthcare system with

sufficient infrastructure and trained

healthcare professionals, comply with

international health standards, and measure

its vulnerability to biological threats. The

most comprehensive evaluation of health

security capabilities is the Global Health

Security Index, which assesses 195 countries

in this area and is published by the Johns

Hopkins Center for Health Security, the

Economist Intelligence Unit, and the

Nuclear Threat Initiative.

Its 2019 report revealed that no country is

fully equipped to face epidemics or

pandemics, with major gaps in their public

health systems preventing them from doing

so. For example, fewer than 7 percent of

countries scored in the top tier for their

ability to prevent the emergence of

pandemics. Furthermore, only 20 percent

scored well in monitoring, detecting and

reporting emerging outbreaks, while fewer

than 5 percent had the public health and

governance systems to respond rapidly to

SARA AL-MULLA

outbreaks and mitigate their spread.

In 2019, fewer than 5 percent of countries

had the public health and governance

systems to respond rapidly to outbreaks and

mitigate their spread.

The rankings also highlighted the health

security levels in Arab states, with Saudi

Arabia leading the region in its capability,

followed by the UAE and Kuwait.

Unfortunately, many other Arab states'

scores categorized them among the leastprepared

nations, with perilous outages that

leave them ill-equipped to handle outbreaks.

It is clear that governments worldwide

need to seriously commit to upgrading their

health security. This can be done, firstly, by

establishing a dedicated agency that is

responsible for monitoring and managing

infectious disease outbreaks, in addition to

conducting vital epidemiological research,

The rankings also highlighted the health security levels in Arab states,

with Saudi Arabia leading the region in its capability, followed by the

UAE and Kuwait. Unfortunately, many other Arab states' scores

categorized them among the least-prepared nations, with perilous

outages that leave them ill-equipped to handle outbreaks.

bringing new knowledge on medical

diagnoses and treatments related to

infectious diseases, training medical staff,

coordinating with public bodies, engaging

with communities, and formulating effective

public health interventions.

Governments should ensure that

healthcare systems are fully equipped with

medical devices and personal protective

gear, as well as having infection control

practices in place. Sufficient healthcare

professionals should also be available, and

they should have access to specialized

training on handling, preventing and

treating patients with infectious diseases,

especially during stressful periods like

epidemics or pandemics. Furthermore, it is

important to have a multifunctional and

qualified team of physicians, nurses,

epidemiologists, public health officials,

laboratory staff, community health workers,

and social workers that work together to

deliver a holistic outbreak management

strategy. In tandem, universal health

coverage should be available for citizens and

residents to mitigate the spread of infectious

diseases.

More investment needs to be channeled

into research within this area to study

effective strategies in handling epidemics or

pandemics from various perspectives, such

as industry and trade, international

relations, immigration, security, and social

services. Governments and private sector

companies should be encouraged to invest

in research that revolves around vaccine

development, case management and

treatment plans, the invention of lifesaving

medical devices, and effective medications.

Additionally, it is important to invest in

digital health technologies - namely live

health data dashboards and epidemiological

research - that can inform decision-makers

on managing outbreaks.

Finally, it is imperative that countries

work closely together to boost national

health security and provide real-time

global biosurveillance data, updated

health research, technical advice, and

emergency response efforts. It is also

worth reaching out to the private sector

and civil society in this regard, seeing as

they have positively contributed to

mitigating outbreaks in the past. For

example, during the COVID-19 pandemic,

they have donated to global health efforts,

invested in technological innovations,

provided essential products and services

to affected communities, and enabled

employees to work remotely.

Source: Arab news

Google!

In fact, it has become as popular as

the rebuke Khwaja Asif hurled at the

PTI in 2015 on the latter's return to

parliament - 'Koi sharam hoti hai, koi

haya hoti hai'. Like 'gal vadh gayee aye',

the Noonie stalwart's phrase too has by

now crossed party lines and gained

universal popularity. It rolls of the

tongues of PTI wallahs as easily as it

does the PML-N members' and even

journalists' when someone has to be

criticised or rebuked.

But what made such phrases so

popular? Their vagueness which allows

them to be applied to multiple

situations? Or is it because they were

Punjabi, which is perhaps used most

widely on television, compared to other

tongues? Or was it just the implied

doses of sarcasm and humour in them?

Perhaps it simply reflects our obsession

with politics at the expense of all else

that even in the year of a pandemic, it

was a politician who gave us a

memorable turn of phrase. It is not easy

to decipher why something becomes so

popular. To contrast, consider the use

by Farooq Sattar of 'Meray pas tum ho'

during a talk to MQM workers; it was

such a clever use of the title of a hit

television series and yet it didn't really

catch on.

Source: Dawn

FrIDaY, JanUarY 22, 2021

5

How to avoid the new coronavirus variant

5

Tara Parker-PoPe

New variants of the coronavirus continue to emerge. But one

in particular has caused concern in the United States because

it's so contagious and spreading fast. To avoid it, you'll need

to double down on the same pandemic precautions that have

kept you safe so far.

The variant known as B.1.1.7., which was first identified in

Britain, doesn't appear to cause more severe disease, but it

has the potential to infect an estimated 50 percent more

people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has

predicted that this variant could become the dominant

source of infection in the United States by March. Variants

with the same mutation have been reported in Brazil and

South Africa, and now scientists are studying whether a

variant with a different mutation, and first found in

Denmark, along with one identified in California, have

caused a surge of cases in California.

The new variant spreading in the United States appears to

latch onto our cells more efficiently. (You can find a detailed

look inside the variant here.) The change suggests it could

take less virus and less time in the same room with an

infected person for someone to become ill. People infected

with the variant may also shed larger quantities of virus,

which increases the risk to people around them.

"The exact mechanism in which it's more transmissible

isn't entirely known," said Nathan D. Grubaugh, assistant

professor and epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public

Health. "It might just be that when you're infected, you're

exhaling more infectious virus."

So how do you avoid a more contagious version of the

coronavirus? I spoke with some of the leading virus and

infectious disease experts about what makes the new variant

so worrisome and what we can do about it. Here's what they

had to say.

The variant spreads the same way the coronavirus has

always spread. You're most likely to contract the virus if you

spend time in an enclosed space breathing the air of an

infected person. The same things that have protected you

from the original strain should help protect you from the

variant, although you may need to be more rigorous. Wear a

two- or three-layer mask. Don't spend time indoors with

people not from your household. Avoid crowds, and keep

your distance. Wash your hands often, and avoid touching

your face.

"The first thing I say to people is that it's not a different

virus. All the things we have learned about this virus still

apply," said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of the Brown University

School of Public Health. "It's not like this variant is somehow

magically spreading through other means. Anything risky

under the normal strain just becomes riskier with the

variant." And let's face it, after months of pandemic living,

many of us have become lax about our Covid safety

precautions. Maybe you've let down your guard, and you're

spending time indoors and unmasked with trusted friends.

Or perhaps you've been dining in restaurants or making

more trips to the grocery store each week than you did at the

start of lockdowns. The arrival of the variant means you

should try to cut back on potential exposures where you can

and double down on basic precautions for the next few

months until you and the people around you get vaccinated.

It's more contagious than the original and spreading quickly.

"The more I hear about the new variants, the more

concerned I am," said Linsey Marr, professor of civil and

environmental engineering at Virginia Tech and one of the

world's leading aerosol scientists. "I think there is no room

for error or sloppiness in following precautions, whereas

before, we might have been able to get away with letting one

slide."

You should be wearing a high-quality mask when you run

errands, go shopping or find yourself in a situation where

you're spending time indoors with people who don't live with

you, Dr. Marr said. "I am now wearing my best mask when I

go to the grocery store," she said. "The last thing I want to do

is get Covid-19 in the month before I get vaccinated."

Dr. Marr's lab recently tested 11 mask materials and found

that the right cloth mask, properly fitted, does a good job of

filtering viral particles of the size most likely to cause

infection. The best mask has three layers - two cloth layers

with a filter sandwiched in between. Masks should be fitted

around the bridge of the nose and made of flexible material

to reduce gaps. Head ties create a better fit than ear loops.

If you don't want to buy a new mask, a simple solution is to

wear an additional mask when you find yourself in closer

proximity to strangers. I wear a single mask when I walk my

dog or exercise outdoors. But if I'm going to a store, taking a

taxi or getting in the subway, I double mask by using a

disposable surgical mask and covering it with my cloth mask.

Photo: Getty

While medical workers who come into close contact with

sick patients rely on the gold-standard N95 masks, you don't

need that level of protection if you're avoiding group

gatherings, limiting shopping trips and keeping your

distance from others.

"N95s are hard to get," said Dr. Jha. "I don't think people

should think that's what they need. Certainly there are a lot

of masks out in the marketplace that are pretty good." If

you're working in an office or grocery store, or find yourself

in a situation where you want added mask protection, you

can get an alternative to the N95. Dr. Jha suggested using a

KF94 mask, a type of mask made in South Korea that can be

purchased easily online. It resembles an N95, with some

differences. It's made of a similar nonwoven material that

blocks 94 percent of the hardest-to-trap viral particles. But

the KF94 has ear loops, instead of elastic head bands, so it

won't fit as snugly as an N95.

The KF94 is also disposable - you can buy a pack of 20 for

about $40 on Amazon. While you can let a KF94 mask air dry

and reuse it a few times, it can't be laundered and won't last

as long as a cloth mask. One solution is to save your KF94

mask for higher-risk situations - like riding a subway,

spending time in a store or going to a doctor's appointment.

Use your cloth mask for outdoor errands, exercise or walking

the dog. Getting the vaccine is the ultimate way to reduce

risk. But until then, take a look at your activities and try

reducing the time and number of exposures to other people.

For instance, if you now go to the store two or three times a

week, cut back to just once a week. If you've been spending

30 to 45 minutes in the grocery store, cut your time down to

15 or 20 minutes. If the store is crowded, come back later. If

you're waiting in line, be mindful of staying at least six feet

apart from the people ahead of you and behind you. Try

delivery or curbside pickup, if that's an option for you.

If you've been spending time indoors with other people

who aren't from your household, consider skipping those

events until you and your friends get vaccinated. If you must

spend time with others, wear your best mask, make sure the

space is well ventilated (open windows and doors) and keep

the visit as short as possible. It's still safest to take your social

plans outdoors. And if you are thinking about air travel, it's a

good idea to reschedule given the high number of cases

around the country and the emergence of the more

contagious variant.

"The new variants are making me think twice about my

plan to teach in-person, which would have been with masks

and with good ventilation anyway," Dr. Marr said. "They're

making me think twice about getting on an airplane."

Experts are cautiously optimistic that the current

generation of vaccines will be mostly effective against the

emerging coronavirus variants. Earlier this month, Pfizer

and BioNTech announced that their Covid vaccine works

against one of the key mutations present in some of the

variants. That's good news, but the variants have other

potentially risky mutations that haven't been studied yet.

Some data also suggest that variants with certain

mutations may be more resistant to the vaccines, but far

more study is needed and those variants haven't yet been

detected in the United States. While the data are concerning,

experts said the current vaccines generate extremely high

levels of antibodies, and they are likely to at least prevent

serious illness in people who are immunized and get infected.

"The reason why I'm cautiously optimistic is that from

what we know about how vaccines work, it's not just one

antibody that provides all the protection," said Dr. Adam

Lauring, associate professor of infectious disease at the

University of Michigan. "When you get vaccinated you

generate antibodies all over the spike protein.

Why you shouldn't work from bed

We've all lost so much through the pandemic, but by making sense of it we can look

forward.

Photo: eva Bee

Finding meaning in the life after

losing a family member

Joanna MoorheaD

Death came early into David Kessler's

life. He was just 13 when his mother

died, and her loss prompted his

decision to forge a career working in

palliative care. He went on to

collaborate with psychiatrist Elisabeth

Kübler-Ross, a central figure in the

field, who devised the five stages of

grief. In lectures he would talk about

his mother's death and remind his

audiences that no one is exempt from

loss; and yet, he says today, in his heart

he believed his personal experience of

devastating grief was behind him,

rather than ahead.

And then, four years ago, another

tragedy hit his family. Kessler was

totally floored by it. He discovered it

was one thing knowing the landscape of

mourning, and quite another travelling

through it. But his journey, hard and

long as it was, had an important byproduct:

he realised that the seminal

Kübler-Ross inventory was not

complete. To the five stages of grief she

described, he was able, with the

permission of the Kübler-Ross family,

to add a sixth. And now, in the midst of

the pandemic, he believes that the sixth

stage will be as important in our

universal experience of grieving as it is

in individual lives hit by loss.

The tragedy in Kessler's life came out

of nowhere, as tragedies so often do. He

was on a lecture tour when his son

Richard, the eldest of two boys he had

adopted in 2000, phoned to say his

younger brother David, 21, had been

found dead. As children they had a

traumatic past life. Kessler says this

had come back to haunt David and that

he was using drugs at the time he died.

In his book, Kessler describes feeling,

on hearing of the loss of his son, as

though he had fallen into the deepest

part of the ocean. What's more, he

knew he would have to stay there for

some time. He knew he would

experience the stages outlined by

Kübler-Ross - denial, anger,

bargaining, depression and acceptance

- and he knew these would not

necessarily be linear, that there was no

"right" time frame and that he would

oscillate between the different stages.

But what he hadn't realised until he

experienced it for himself was that

there was a sixth stage. "I discovered

there was something else, something

beyond acceptance," he tells me on a

call from his home in Los Angeles. "It

was finding meaning: the possibility of

being able to discover something

meaningful in my grief."

He's not saying, he stresses, that

there was anything meaningful to be

found in David's death. "It's not about

finding meaning in the death - there is

no meaning there. What it's about is

finding meaning in the dead person's

life, in how knowing them shaped us,

maybe in how the way they died can

help us to make the world safer for

others." Finding meaning, in other

words, is something the bereaved can

do after the death of someone they

loved very much. It's how those who are

left can fold the existence of the lost

individual into their lives, how they can

allow it to change them, and how they

can behave in response to it.

Much of what is experienced on an

individual level in grief is echoed in

what we're collectively experiencing

because of Covid, Kessler believes.

"Many people say they are feeling a

heavy sadness - and what they're

describing is grief," he says. "We're

grieving the world we have lost: normal

life, our routines, seeing our friends,

going to work. Everything has changed.

And change is actually grief - grief is a

change we didn't want."

Just as with individual loss, at the

moment the whole world is going

through the stages Kübler-Ross

documented. Some people are denying

what's happening; others are angry

about it; some are trying to bargain;

many are depressed; and eventually,

there will have to be an acceptance of

what we can never go back to. But also,

there will have to be the sixth stage: a

search for meaning - and indeed, the

stages of grief aren't chronological or

linear, and we've been seeing signs.

eMIne Saner

Everybody who knows what they're

talking about will tell you not to do it,

but the lure of bed is hard to resist for

any home worker. Or it may have

become a necessity. With children

home schooling, or in a cramped

flatshare, your bed may be the only

place you can get any peace (although

many people living and working with

chronic illness will be rolling their eyes

at the idea that working from bed has

only just been invented).

During the first lockdown, one survey,

by Uswitch.com, found a quarter of

home workers had worked from bed.

Ten months into the on-off lockdown,

more of us are doing it than ever. "We've

found that up to 40% of people who

have worked from home during

lockdown have worked from their bed

at some point," says Catherine Quinn,

president of the British Chiropractic

Association.

Of course, you know you're not

supposed to have devices in the

bedroom, that your bed is only meant

for sleep and sex, that good posture is

easier at a desk (Quinn says bedworking

can cause or exacerbate back

pain), that you don't need to be

encouraged into even more sedentary

behaviour. But it's January, the world is

grim, and many of us, even if forced

back under the covers by circumstances,

will have discovered the joys of working

from bed.

Far from being indulgent and

indolent, the practice may spark

creativity and productivity -

memorably, Samuel Johnson, Edith

Wharton, Marcel Proust, Florence

Nightingale and William Wordsworth

all worked from bed. Contemporary

writers, including Monica Ali, do, too.

View it also as a rebellion against the

corporate ridiculousness of standing

desks, or worse, those with treadmills.

They seem very 2019.

Still, it can be healthy to create some

boundaries between work and rest. I

delineate the two by getting washed,

dressed and then climbing into my

boyfriend's side of the bed (he has better

pillows, which we'll come to, and I don't

have to worry about spilling crumbs on

my side). I have regularly worked from

bed for about a decade, and this is what

I've learned about what you need to get

started.

It may change your working life or it

may become a piece of useless clutter.

"It's important to keep your laptop in

front of you at eye height to avoid any

strain on your neck," says Quinn. "There

are some fairly cheap laptop stands you

can purchase to use at home, which will

help provide support when working in

this position." I know Quinn will

disapprove, but they don't work for me.

I like to sit cross-legged, so the fold-out

legs of a tray table get in the way. I

swapped it for one that looks like a tray

stuck to a beanbag, which was fine for a

while, but became stained with drinkspillage.

Sometimes, I use a pillow with a

coffee-table book on top as a makeshift

version, but most of the time I do

without. It's probably not great for your

laptop's air vents (or your neck), but it

feels much less restrictive - I want to feel

free and comfortable, not trapped under

furniture. A table that you roll over the

bed is an option, but feels like an

extreme investment for bed-working,

and a bit too "hospital room" for me.

(Ikea does a metal and glass one that

doesn't whisper "convalescence".)

Don't use your tray table for drinks.

See stains, above. Use your bedside

table for cups of tea and snacks, or get a

small side table (a folding one feels less

permanent). You could use a high-sided

tray to keep on the bed next to you for

drinks, but you will still end up with

spillages at least once a week. Don't be

tempted to get a mini fridge or kettle -

you need to be regularly up and moving

around, and getting out of bed is hard.

Hunting for snacks is my main

motivation.

This is your "desk drawer" and where

you keep chargers, pens, notepads and

emergency biscuits. The point of using a

basket, rather than keeping everything

in a bedside drawer, is that it's mobile (a

carrier bag would do, but is less

attractive). If you're the sort of person

who enjoys working from bed, you're

probably the sort of person who would

also enjoy working from the sofa (or

someone else's bed) for an occasional

change of scene. Some tasks are better

done from a desk or table, so don't label

yourself only a "bed worker". And it is

helpful to remove your work basket

from your room when it's time to go to

sleep.

You can buy ergonomic cushions and

back supports that may work for you.

For a while, I tried reclining against a V-

shaped pregnancy pillow, but I kept

sinking backwards into it until I was

wearing it like a wimple. I like to be

upright, with arms free, so in my view a

few simple, firm pillows or cushions

should be all you need. You probably

have these in the house already - borrow

from other people, or the sofa. "Beds

Photo: Prasit photo

don't have the same support as a desk

chair," says Quinn. "Make sure your

lower back is fully supported by using

pillows and sitting up against your

headboard."

"Our bodies love variation, so my top

piece of advice is to try to mix up the

position you work in," says Quinn. "If

you work from your bedroom, consider

using your chest of drawers as a

standing desk, for example. It's also

great to incorporate movement into

your day, so try something as simple as

a 10-minute yoga routine in the

morning, doing one work call a day

standing up or popping out for a 20-

minute walk over your lunch break." I

know the point is to get up and move

around, but working in bed doesn't have

to mean being supine and stationary.

FriDAY, JANUArY 22, 2021

6

Mirzaganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Sarwar Hossain held a view exchange meeting and press briefing

with local journalists at his office on Thursday.

Photo: Uttam Golder

Press briefing marking handing over 47

houses among landless people held

28th steering Committee meeting

of CosCaP-sa held

the 28th steering Committee

meeting of Cooperative development

for operational safety and Continuing

airworthiness Programme-south asia

(CosCaP-sa) was held from January

19-20. at the occasion CosCaP-sa

members, representatives from

afghanistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam,

india, sri lanka, maldives, Nepal and

Pakistan and representatives from

various organizations including iCao

HQ, iCao aPaC office, Faa, Boeing,

easa, iFalPa, dGaC France took

part in the meeting, a press release said.

the meeting was attended by a fivemember

delegation led by Civil

aviation authority of Bangladesh

(Caab) Chairman, air Vice marshal m

mafidur rahman. the meeting was

chaired by rajan Pokhrel, Chairman of

CosCaP-sa and director General of

Nepal Civil aviation authority.

in addition to discussing various

issues related to CosCaP-sa in the

meeting of the steering committee, the

regulatory activities of CosCaP-sa

such as audit, inspection, subject

matter expert's database, software,

electronic CosCaP Capacity Building

matrix (eCCBm) were also discussed.

CosCaP-sa's Chief technical advisor

ms. marie highlighted various aspects

of the software and briefed the meeting

on its effectiveness.

it is to be noted that the software was

developed by Civil aviation authority,

Bangladesh and was first opened for

use by CosCaP-sa, which will be used

in other parts of the world. the

meeting praised Bangladesh for

creating the software and thanked

Bangladesh.

uttam Golder, mirZaGaNJ CorresPoNdeNt:

on the occasion of mujib Borsho,

Prime minister sheikh Hasina will

inaugurate the program of providing

land and houses to 47 landless and

homeless families in mirzaganj,

Patuakhali. marking the occasion,

mirzaganj upazila Nirbahi officer md

sarwar Hossain exchanged views and

held press briefings with local

journalists at his office on thursday.

during the time, uNo said 47 houses

in 6 unions of the upazila are already on

the way to completion. the Prime

minister will formally inaugurate the

handover and acceptance ceremony of

the house to the beneficiaries of

mirzaganj along with the rest of the

country from Ganabhaban on saturday

23rd January. He further said that

under the asrayan-2 project of the

Prime minister's office, houses were

allotted to landless and homeless

families in upazila in the first phase.

the government has taken initiative to

build houses for the homeless and

landless after Prime minister sheikh

Hasina's directive that 'no people of

Bangladesh will be homeless in mujib

Year'. out of 47 houses, 32 houses have

been completed. Work on the

remaining houses will be completed

within a week.

The 28th Steering Committee meeting of Cooperative Development for Operational Safety and

Continuing Airworthiness Programme-South Asia (COSCAP-SA) was held recently. Photo: Courtesy

1,319 landless families to get

houses in C'nawabganj

Prime Bank has distributed blankets among the poor in the constituency of Narail-2 MP Mashrafe

Bin Mortaza on Thursday.

Photo: Humaun Kabir

excellent mustard production

likely in rangpur region

raNGPur: officials and farmers are

expecting an excellent production of mustard in

rangpur agriculture region as its harvest will

begin in the next month during the current rabi

season, reports Bss.

officials of the department of agricultural

extension (dae) said the blooming mustard

plants on crop fields have given an alluring

yellowish look to nature amid favourable

climatic conditions bringing a smile to farmers.

the dae has fixed a target of bringing 39,150

hectares of land under mustard cultivation to

produce 53,248 tonnes of the oil seeds for all

five districts in the region this season.

deputy director of the dae at its regional

office agriculturist md. moniruzzaman said

farmers have finally cultivated mustard on

38,433 hectares of land this time, lees by 717

hectares of land or 1.83 percent against the

fixed farming target.

"the cultivated land area of 38,433 hectares

of land this year is higher by 5,093 hectares

than the achieved cultivated land area of 33,340

hectares of land last year when famers

produced 43,750 tonnes of the crop in the

region," moniruzzaman said.

despite a little shortfall against the fixed

3,200 underprivileged households involve

in income generating activities

raJsHaHi: some 3,200

underprivileged families consisting

around 12,000 population are involved

in various need-based incomegenerating

activities in order to

improve their livelihood in the region,

reports Bss.

many of the beneficiary households

have already started overcoming their

long-lasting extreme poverty condition

after the best uses of their received

resources.

Panna Begum, 40, is rearing nine

sheep and seven hens and ducks

valued at taka 24,700 amidst her

farming target this year, farmers are expected to

attain the fixed production target of mustard

following cultivation of its high yielding

varieties on more land this season.

after getting better production with lucrative

prices between taka 2,800 and taka 3,000 per

mound (every 40 kg) in local markets last year,

farmers have shown more interest in cultivation

of the highly profitable crop this season in the

region. "Farmers finally cultivated mustard on

6,410 hectares of land in rangpur, 10,600

hectares in Gaibandha, 13,765 hectares in

Kurigram, 2,158 hectares in lalmonirhat and

5,500 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts in

the region," moniruzzaman said.

"Farmers are likely to get bumper output as

they have mostly cultivated high yielding

mustard varieties like 'tori 7', Bari-9, Bari-

14, Bari-15 and BiNa-4 on more land and

excellent growth of the crop plants predicts

excellent output," moniruzzaman said.

the dae, Bangladesh agriculture research

institute, Bangladesh institute of Nuclear

agriculture (BiNa) and other agri-related

organisations have extended assistance to

farmers to make the extensive mustard

cultivation programme a success.

painstaking efforts of improving their

livelihood condition at present. she is

happy with her income-generating

activities saying her level of confidence

has been enhanced to a greater extent.

Begum, wife of dulal Hossain in

Chalk Boloram village under

raninagar upazila in Naogaon district,

received two sheep, one hen and other

rearing accessories worth taka 9,000

from an anti-poverty project in 2019.

reshma Begum, 26, wife of abdur

rouf of Parmohanghosh village under

atrai upazila of the same district, has

founded an asset valued at taka

Prime Bank

distributes

blankets in

Narail

HumauN KaBir, Narail

CorresPoNdeNt:

Prime Bank has

distributed blankets among

the poor in the constituency

of Narail-2 mP mashrafe

Bin mortaza. district

Council Chairman advocate

sohrab Hossain Biswas

inaugurated the blanket

distribution function as the

chief guest at the Narail

office premises of mP

mashrafe Bin mortaza on

thursday morning.

during the time, father of

mP mashrafe Bin mortaza,

Golam mortaza swapan,

Prime Bank Jashore Branch

manager md. rafi, senior

officer munjurul Haque,

social Worker Nahid, maruf

Hasan, sajjad tuhin were

present on the occasion.

21,000 amid their relentless efforts of

reviving their livelihood at present

from a worst situation. the recent

devastating flood had lost most of their

belongings.

a total of 1,600 families in 43 villages

under the two flood-affected upazilas

received productive resources worth

taka 9,000 each under the

'strengthening of resilience and

adaptability to climate change in north

Bangladesh (reaP) Project'.

last year, five consecutive floods

drove people of the two upazilas into a

state of despair.

CHaPaiNaWaBGaNJ: a

total of 1,319 homeless and

landless families of five

upazilas of the district are

going to get houses as a gift

from Prime minister sheikh

Hasina on the occasion of the

birth centenary of Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu

sheikh mujibur rahman,

reports Bss.

the houses have been

being constructed in different

areas of five upazilas of the

A seminar on food security was held at the Langadu Upazila Parishad auditorium on

Wednesday.

Photo: Omor Faruk Musa

seminar on food security

held in langadu

omor FaruK musa, laNGadu

CorresPoNdeNt:

seminar on Food security-2021 has

been organized by Bangladesh safe

Food authority rangamati and in

collaboration with langadu upazila

administration.on Wednesday a

seminar on food security was organized

at the langadu upazila Parishad

auditorium to create public awareness

at the upazila level. Various food

district by allocating

government khas land for the

landless and homeless people

at the special initiative of

Prime minister sheikh

Hasina.

the construction work of

130 houses in sadar upazila,

737 houses in shibganj, 95

houses in Gomostapur, 200

houses in Nachole and 157

houses in Bholahat upazila

has already been completed,

said deputy commissioner

(dC) md. manjurul Hafij at a

press briefing at his

conference room last noon.

on behalf of ashrayan

Project-2 of the Prime

minister's office, the

department of disaster

management (ddm)

constructed the houses, he

said.

main thrust of the initiative

is to improve the standard of

living ensuring basic needs of

the landless, homeless and

traders, representatives of

organizations and various officials of

langadu upazila took part in it.

Chairman of langadu upazila

Parishad abdul Barek sarkar

addressed the seminar as the chief

guest under the chairmanship of md.

mainul abedin, upazila Nirbahi

officer.

among others, langadu upazila Vice

Chairman sirajul islam Jhantu

Chowdhury, upazila livestock officer

distress people. the houses

will be handed over the

beneficiaries by 23 January.

each tin-shed house with

two rooms, a kitchen and an

attached bathroom has been

constructed at a cost of taka

1.71 lakh.

among others, additional

deputy commissioner (rev)

debendranath orao and

additional district magistrate

Zakiul islam were present in

the meeting.

shubhashish Karmakar, rangamati

district safe Food officer shuvro das,

langadu Health department assistant

dental surgeon dr Nandini das,

upazila assistant education officer

moniruzzaman, Gulshakhali uP

Chairman abu Naser, President of

langadu Press Club md. ekhlas mia

Khan, upazila Health inspector

ananta Chakma and Journalist arman

Khan were among others also present

at the occasion.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2021 8

Islami Bank Bangladesh ltd has opened its Mirhajirbagh Chowrasta Sub-branch under Gandaria Branch in

Dhaka recently. Muhammad Qaisar Ali, Additional Managing Director of the bank inaugurated the Sub-branch

as chief guest. Presided over by Abu Sayed Md. Idris, Head of Dhaka South Zone, the program was addressed

as special guest by Kazi Samiul Rahman Ovie, social organizer. Md. Jakir Hossain Head of Gandaria Branch

delivered the welcome speech while Md. Nuruzzaman In-charge of the sub-branch thanked the audience.

Businesspersons, professionals and local dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Photo: Courtesy

How cloud kitchens are disrupting

traditional restaurants in Bangladesh?

Although the concept already

exists in Asia and has been

tested successfully by brands

such as Dahmakan (pop

Meals) in Southeast Asia and

Rebel Foods in South Asia, the

cloud kitchen landscape in

Bangladesh is still in its infancy

and has the potential to grow

exponentially.

More recently, there has been

a significant interest in this space

due to its hassle-free business

activities, reliable profit margins,

growing customer base, and

low-cost. So what is this cloud

kitchen concept? Cloud Kitchens,

also called Ghost Kitchens, are

simply online-based or internet

restaurants with no dine-in

facilities like a traditional

restaurant. Their food is only

offered through food aggregators

like Hungry Naki or pathao

Food, or through their own

delivery network. Since these

internet restaurants are generally

just commercial kitchens, they

take extra care in preparing food

and satisfying the customer's

desire, rather than focusing on

the dine-in experiences.

In metro cities like Dhaka or

Chittagong, cut-throat competition

combined with low margins is

leading to restaurant closures,

with customers preferring to

order food at home. This shift

in customer choice has

disrupted the restaurant

industry because convenience

now beats dining experiences.

This has paved the way for new

entrepreneurs to enter this

industry utilizing the cloud

kitchen model and make

conventional brick-andmortar

outlets tremble.

established players in the F&B

industry are more likely to

survive, but the smaller brands

will struggle going forward.

Therefore, the new kitchencentric

model is interesting as it

does not require high working

capital to open a full-fledged

dining restaurant.

One of the more recent

entrepreneurs in this field, Syed

Tahmid Zaman, co-founded an

internet restaurant company

through which he plans to

launch over 600 internet

restaurants in Bangladesh over

the course of 5 years.

Since its launch in October

2020, his venture called Ghost

Kitchen Bangladesh has already

opened 4 internet restaurants in

just 2.5 months and hopes to

start 5 more within the next two

months.

"We are one of the very few

companies in Dhaka's foodtech

community and at this point, we

are at a very early stage.

Currently, our razor-sharp

focus is on proving our business

model. When our own kitchens

start breaking-even, we will

launch our Fulfillment partner

concept to scale rapidly

throughout the country."

Jamuna Bank Ltd inaugurated Agent Banking Outlet Under the supervision of

Progotisharani Branch with M/S Boishakhi Enterprise at Khilkhet Bazar in

Dhaka. Fazle Quayum, Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Risk Officer

(CRO) was inaugurate the program as Chief Guest. Ashim Kumer Biswas, EVP

& CFO was present as special guest. Besides Sk. Rafejul Islam, Head of Agent

Banking Division with other high officials of the bank, local elites and dignitaries

and huge customers were also present in the program. Photo:Courtesy

Asia sees in Biden presidency

with healthy gains

HONG KONG : Asian markets welcomed Joe

Biden's first day as US president with broad

gains Thursday as investors look forward with

optimism about his economic and Covid

recovery plans.

Soon after being sworn in Biden signed more

than a dozen executive orders unwinding some

of his predecessor's policies, including rejoining

the World Health Organization that observers

say will help in the fight against the devastating

disease. He also signed back up to the paris

climate accord, extended a mortgage foreclosure

moratorium and a pause on student debt

repayments.

The moves came as the new administration

looks to push through a $1.9 trillion relief

package for the world's top economy that

encompasses, among other things, $1,400 cash

payments to struggling Americans.

Investors have welcomed Biden's election and

his pledges to kickstart growth, which has offset

concerns about his plans for higher taxes and

market regulation.

In his inauguration address, Biden pledged to

"rebuild the economy" and "rebuild the

backbone of the country: the middle class".

His pick for Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen,

provided a jab in the arm for markets on

Tuesday by reasserting her determination to

drive through the stimulus package, telling

lawmakers to "go big" if they wanted to rescue

the economy.

There is also a hope that he will devote more

time to fighting the coronavirus, which has killed

more than 400,000 people in the United States

and two million worldwide.

All three main indexes on Wall Street surged

to record highs, and Asian investors took up the

baton with relish. Hong Kong rose for a sixth

successive day to breach 30,000 points for the

first time since April 2019.

Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore,

Taipei, Jakarta and Wellington also rose, though

there were dips in Manila and Bangkok.

Obituary

Mahamuda Begum, the

2nd sister of Shaheed

Lieutenant Commander

Moazzem Hossain, the

second accused in the

Agartala Conspiracy Case,

has died yesterday in the

morning at her sister's

house in Moghbazar due to

old age disease. She was 73

years old at the time of her

death. Mahamuda Begum

was born in an aristocrat

family in Dumurtola,

pirojpur. She will be buried

at Shahid Buddhijibi

Graveyard, Mirpur after

Asar prayer.

Cuba says Trump

sanctions cost it

$20 billion

HAVANA : The Trump

administration's stepped-up

sanctions against Cuba cost

the communist-run island

some $20 billion, a foreign

ministry official said

Wednesday, reports BSS.

"The damage to the bilateral

relationship during this time

has been considerable, and the

economic harm to Cuba

immense," Johana Tabalada, a

senior ministry official, told

AFp.

"We estimate it at about $20

billion," she said by email.

Trump, whose term ended

Wednesday with the

swearing-in of Joe Biden as

America's 46th president,

used his time in power to

tighten the screws on Cuba.

earlier this month, the

Trump administration

returned the island to a list of

state sponsors of terrorism,

undoing then-president

Barack Obama's 2015 move to

remove it. Biden was vice

president at the time.

Trump reversed many of

Obama's moves to normalize

relations with Cuba.

Tabalada said 240 measures

were taken against Cuba

under the 45th US president.

They include a ban on

American cruise ships

stopping over on the island, a

blacklist for a range of Cuban

companies and bosses,

prosecution of foreign

companies doing business on

the island, and making it

difficult for Cubans working

abroad to send money home.

"There is objective and

palpable damage to the

standard of living of the Cuban

people because of measures

that were exactly taken to cause

such damage," the official said.

Tabalada said the island

nation was hoping for better

relations with the United

States under the new

Democrat president.

"Biden has said that he

wants to reverse the damage

caused by Trump and we have

no reason to doubt his

commitment," she said.

Marjan's mission on building a gender

inclusive business with LOGOS

TBT RepORTS

Lulu-Al-Marjan, a business entrepreneur

from Cox's Bazar left fer lucrative job in

the Int’l Development Organization only

in the hopes to fulfill her ambition to do

something for the betterment of society

and its people. Without delving too much

into her former positions, she quit and

returned to Bangladesh. Upon her

arrival, she opened her first sustainable

business called 'LOGOS'/ The Organization

focuses on manufacturing slippers made

out of eco-friendly materials such as jute,

cotton and native leather.

After leaving her job, she initiated the

formation of 'LOGOS' with 9 workers in

its early stages. Gradually, 'LOGOS'

continues to show profitable success and

growing their total number of workers to

172. However, 'LOGOS's profitable

business triumphant is not the only thing

that flourished. Lulu-Al-Marjan also took

a vow to implement her humanitarian

ethos into the business. Out of 172

LOGOS workers, but 72 also

transgender, her goal is to rehabilitate the

neglected and backward hijra

community and integrated them into a

working civilization. After 9 workers,

LOGOS started with 27 workers

belonging from three different gander

identities. Marjan ensured that the ratio

of gender representation among the

workers remains balanced and equal. So,

she hired 9 transgender people according

to the male and female ratio. She has

given opportunities to the helpless and

deprived transgender people in the

selection of workers. Also the

organization provided them with all

kinds of training that include teaching

etiquette and manner before putting the

workers in the production house. So that

RFL Group's popular housewares brand 'Tel Plastic', Footwear brand 'Walkar' and paints brand 'Rainbow'

organized dealers' conference at The Palace Luxury Resort in Habiganj recently. Some 31 top dealers were

awarded in the conference. Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, Chairman and CEO of PRAN-RFL Group, RN Paul,

Managing Director of RFL Group, Kamrul Hasan, Chief Operating Officer of Tel Plastic, Walkar Footwear and

Rainbow Paints, Fahim Hossain, Assistant General Manager (Marketing), Bashir Uddin, Deputy General

Manager (Sales) of Tel Plastics and Walkar Footwear and Shajahan Sunny, Assistant General Manager (Sales)

of Rainbow Paints, among others, were also present at the function.

Photo: Courtesy

Most Asia stocks down after gains,

China growth beats expectations

HONG KONG:Most markets fell Monday as

investors took a breather following a recent

rally, though Hong Kong and Shanghai

enjoyed gains after data showed China's

economy grew more than expected last year,

reports BSS.

While broadly welcomed on trading floors,

Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus proposal was

unable to fuel fresh gains with the spending

spree largely factored into prices, while

analysts warned it could be watered down by

the time it reaches his desk for signing.

Concerns about a frightening spike in new

virus cases was also keeping a lid on buying

sentiment as governments are forced to

impose fresh lockdowns while battling to roll

out vaccines.

However, the general consensus remains

these individuals can learn to civilly work

side by side with men and women. There

are now few Hijras who hold important

positions like as LOGO'S supervisors.

Now LOGOS frequently export its goods

to Japan since its inauguration.

The initiative contrived with the hopes

to bring the Hijras out of the Guru

System or syndicate and train them to be

self- reliant. In the beginning of this

endeavour, Marjan has faced many

challenges to get acceptance and

approval from the leaders of the Hijra

community. It was very often that Hijra

community members chased her away

and gave her death threats when she

proposed the idea of bringing Hijras out

of Guru's abode. With her persistence she

managed to break the barriers and

started and respectfully known as "Sagor

parer Marjon Apon", among the Hijra

gures of the country.

At present, everyone is working together

under one root, gender identity is not the key

element here, instand, LOGOS has become

a single-family with mainful respect and

friendship for the another. Marjan has

proved that transgender people can work

with equal efficiency if they are given the

opportunity. The can also contribute to the

growing economy of the country; Lulu-Al-

Marjan has been able to transform this

reglested propulation into manpower.

Creating workplaces with transgender

people invited a lot of challenges. But

LOGOS set an example by getting them out

of the clutches of street money, nex, and

drug fraflicking and putting them to work

through exclusive training.

Major was against propaganda and

very indecent and politic in speech, has

proved that successful business can

contribute to the country's prestige and

economy while protecting both the

upbeat for the long-term outlook. Tokyo,

Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and

Wellington led losses following a negative lead

from Wall Street.

However, stocks in Hong Kong and

Shanghai rose after official figures showed

China's economy expanded a forecast-beating

2.3 percent last year. While the reading was the

weakest in four decades, it showed growth was

picking up again after a devastating start to

2020 as swathes of the country were shut

down to contain the deadly coronavirus.

Focus will now turn to Biden's inauguration

on Wednesday and hopes that his massive

spending plan can get through Congress, with

worries that a Senate impeachment trial of

Donald Trump could snarl up its progress as

well as that of cabinet confirmation hearings.

Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh in partnership with Nananta Jubo Mohila

Unnyan Sanghta donates winter blankets support for distressed and cold affected

communities in Dhaka. The bank supports under-privileged communities with

donations of warm clothes and blankets during the winter months each year as a

part of its commitment to be Here for good.

Photo: Courtesy

people and the environment.

The initiative contrived with the hopes

to bring the Hijras out of the Guru

System or Syndicate and their them to be

self-reliant. In the beginning of this

endeavour, Major has faced many

challenges to get acceptance and

approval from the leaders of the Hijra

community. It was very often that Hijra

community members chased her away

and gave her death threats when she

proposed the idea of bringing Hijra's out

of Guna's abode. With her persentence

she managed to break the barriers and

started to build a relationship with the

community, but now Lulu-Al-Marjan

popularly and respectfully known as

"Shagor parer Marjan Apa", among the

Hijra Gurus of the country.

At present, everyone is working

together under one roof, gender identity

is not the key element here, and instead,

LOGOS has become a single family with

mutual respect and friendship for one

another. Marjan has proved that

transgender people can work with equal

efficiency if they are given the

opportunity. They can also contribute to

the growing economy of the country.

Lulu-Al- Marjan has been able to

transform this neglected population into

manpower. Creating workplaces with

transgender people invited a lot of

challenges. But LOGOS has set an

example by getting them out of the

clutches of street money, sex, and drug

trafficking and putting them to work,

through exclusive training.

Marjan who is against propaganda and

very reticent and politic in speech, has

proved that a successful business can

contribute to the country's prestige and

economy while protecting both the

people and the environment.

Brazil keeps

2 pct interest

rate despite

rising inflation

BRASÍLIA : Brazil's central

bank on Wednesday held

the country's benchmark

interest rate at two percent,

concerned that the second

wave of Covid-19 infections

means the economy still

may need a boost despite a

rise in inflation, reports BSS.

The unanimous decision by

the bank's monetary policy

committee keeps the rate at

the historically low level set in

August 2020 following nine

consecutive rate cuts.

"Uncertainties about the

pace of economic growth

remains higher than normal,

especially in the first quarter

of this year," the committee

wrote. It cited "the possible

effects of the recent rise in

the number of Covid-19

cases," in an outbreak that

has killed nearly 213,000

people, the world's secondhighest

death toll after the

United States.

The bank said it would no

longer use the "Forward

Guidance" mechanism, which

it had used to since August to

indicate its next steps in order

to reassure markets and

consumers about its intentions.

Analysts take this as a sign

that central bank is paving the

way for a future rate hike.

However the bank said in

the statement that this "does

not mechanically imply a

rise in interest rates."

FRIDAY, JAnUARY 22, 2021

9

Having struggled with their batting in the first match, West Indies will be hoping to put up a better

show.

Photo: BCB

Battered West Indies face uphill

task to keep series alive

pirlo wins first trophy as Juventus

beat Napoli in Italian Super Cup

SpOrTS DeSK:

Andrea pirlo won his first trophy as a

coach on Wednesday as Juventus beat

Napoli 2-0 in the Italian Super Cup,

reports BSS.

Cristiano ronaldo blasted in his 20th

goal of the season following a corner on

64 minutes in reggio emilia, before

Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne missed

a penalty and Alvaro Morata added a

second deep into injury time.

pirlo, 41, clinched his first silverware

five months after taking over at his

former club where he won four league

titles.

"Winning a first title (as a coach) is a

great joy, different from that felt as a

player, it's even more beautiful," said

pirlo, who lifted the trophy three times

as a player with Juventus and AC

Milan.

Juventus won the annual trophy,

played between the league champions

and Italian Cup holders, for the ninth

time, having finished runners-up last

year to Lazio.

"This trophy is very important

because it can give us confidence for the

rest of our season," said ronaldo.

Juventus sit fifth in the league, 10

points behind leaders AC Milan, after

losing 2-0 to second-placed Inter Milan

last weekend.

"The Scudetto is possible, Milan and

Inter are very strong, but there are still

a lot of games to be played and we can

still do it," added ronaldo.

It was the first meeting between pirlo

and Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso,

who won the 2006 World Cup together

and spent a decade as AC Milan

teammates, winning two Serie A titles

and two Champions League crowns

together.

They have not faced off this season

after Napoli refused to travel to Turin

for their October league match because

of coronavirus cases - a fixture which

has still to be played.

"I'm sorry for Gennaro Gattuso, but

we wanted to react after the defeat

against Inter Milan," said pirlo.

"We bet a lot on the pride of the

players, we wanted to show that we

were a team."

Juventus received a boost hours

before kick-off with Juan Cuadrado

recovering from coronavirus and

starting for the first time in two weeks.

Napoli had the best chance of the first

half in the Mapei Stadium, with Juve

keeper Wojciech Szczsesny

demonstrating quick reflexes to save

Hirving Lozano's diving header just

before the half-hour mark.

Federico Bernardeschi came off the

bench after the break in place of

Federico Chiesa and immediately had

an impact.

Juventus piled on the pressure after

an hour when ronaldo was sent

through on goal and defender Kostas

Manolas almost deflected the ball into

his own net.

But the five-time Ballon d'Or winner

made the most of the resulting corner,

with the ball bouncing off Tiemoue

Bakayoko and into the path of the

unmarked portuguese forward to fire

in his 20th goal of the season.

Napoli had a chance to equalise from

the spot after Weston McKennie fouled

Dries Mertens, but Insigne wasted the

opportunity by dragging a woeful effort

wide.

Szczsesny pulled off another late save

before a last-gasp Morata goal sealed

victory.

"We all lost together, not because of

Lorenzo's penalty. Let's move on," said

Gattuso, 43, whose side beat Juventus

in last season's Italian Cup.

"In the first half there was a bit of

fear. I don't remember Juve's serious

chances today.

"We could have done better, but the

match is very similar to the one seven

months ago. In fact, we suffered more

seven months ago than today."

SpOrTS DeSK:

Bangladesh couldn't have made a

better return to international cricket on

Wednesday (January 20) when they

romped home to a comfortable sixwicket

win. More than the victory, the

hosts would have also been pleased with

the performance of their star allrounder

Shakib Al Hasan, who enjoyed a fruitful

outing in his comeback game following

the ban. Shakib spun a web around the

inexperienced West Indies lineup and

ended up with stunning figures of 4/8,

reports Ap.

Shakib did look scratchy with the bat

making only 19 off 43 balls in the small

chase but the team management would

be unperturbed by that. Debutant

Hasan Mahmud picked up three wickets

while skipper Tamim Iqbal scored a vital

44 in the chase to kickstart his captaincy

regime with a win. With plenty of

positives to take from the opening game,

Bangladesh are outright favourites to

inflict more damage in less than 48

hours against a side that looked quite

lost with the bat.

Can the West Indies be blamed

though? With the big stars pulling out of

the tour, they had to field plenty of

newbies. Among those, only a couple of

them made an impression. Left-arm

spinner Akeal Hosein ended up picking

three wickets making it hard for

Bangladesh to chase down 123. But the

new faces in the batting order struggled.

It's never easy when four batters from

the top six are making their debut away

from home. Kyle Mayers stood tall with

40 but the rest crumbled. Their skipper

Jason Mohammed played his first ODI

in two and a half years and his struggles

were evident as well. It wasn't the easiest

wicket to bat on but the fact that they

didn't even bat 50 overs would have

stung the visitors. A win looks farfetched

and hence the immediate target

for the camp will be to focus on the

batting performance and come up with

a better total.

The hosts won't be keen on changing a

winning combination. While they

handed out a debut to Hasan Mahmud,

the other two uncapped players may

have to wait a little longer until the

series is wrapped.

predicted XI: Tamim Iqbal©, Liton

Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al

Hasan, Mushfiqur rahim(w), Soumya

Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan,

Hasan Mahmud, rubel Hossain,

Mustafizur rahman

Despite the lack of runs in the opening

game, the management will be keen on

sticking with the same set of players to

hand them more exposure.

predicted XI: Sunil Ambris, Joshua

Da Silva(w), Andre McCarthy, Nkrumah

Bonner, Jason Mohammed©, rovman

powell, Kyle Mayers, Akeal Hosein,

raymon reifer, Alzarri Joseph, Chemar

Holder.

pogba fires Man Utd back

to premier League summit

SpOrTS DeSK:

paul pogba produced a

moment of magic as

Manchester United came

from behind to beat Fulham

2-1 and reclaim the premier

League lead on Wednesday,

ending Manchester City's

short stay at the top, reports

BSS.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's inform

team started the match

third in the table after 24

hours of chopping and

changing at the summit.

The win sent the red Devils

two points clear and equalled

the club record of 17 premier

League away games without

defeat set by the treblewinning

side of 1999.

United were forced to dig

deep after Ademola Lookman

punished them for an untidy

start before edinson Cavani

pulled them level with a

poacher's goal later in the first

half. pogba - back in the

starting line-up in recent

weeks after a spell on the

periphery of Solskjaer's team -

put United in front with a

stunning left-foot curling

effort from outside the area in

the second half.

United have now won seven

premier League games after

going behind this season.

"Fantastic goal by paul and

we had some other chances to

finish the game but of course

when it is just one goal, and

the players they put on, it is

going to be like heart in your

mouth," Solskjaer told BT

Sport.

But the Norwegian refused

to be drawn on a title

challenge, even though

United are top at the halfway

point of the season.

"It is always going to be

talked about when you are

halfway through and top of

the league but we are not

thinking about this," he

added. "We just have to go

one game at a time. It is such

an unpredictable season."

The premier League race is

shaping up to be a thriller,

with just eight points

separating United from

seventh-placed West Ham.

United knew they had to

respond after City beat Aston

Villa 2-0 earlier on

Wednesday to leapfrog

Leicester, who topped the

table after their 2-0 win

against Chelsea the previous

evening.

But the defensive discipline

they showed in their goalless

draw against Liverpool on

Sunday was absent in the

early minutes and they paid

the price.

United were punished in the

fifth minute when Lookman

sprang the offside trap,

collecting a ball over the top

from Andre-Frank Zambo

Anguissa.

The forward had time to

pick his spot and gave

Manchester United

goalkeeper David de Gea no

chance, striking the ball into

the bottom corner with his

right foot.

The away side settled and

were level in the 21st minute

through Cavani, moments

after Bruno Fernandes had hit

the inside of the post.

Paul Pogba produced a moment of magic as Manchester United came from behind to beat

Fulham 2-1.

Photo: AP

Ronaldo blasted in his 20th goal of the season following a corner on 64 minutes in Reggio

Emilia.

Photo: AP

HK's Lee stuns

Indonesia's Ginting

in Thailand Open

SpOrTS DeSK:

Indonesia's fifth seed

Anthony Ginting suffered an

unexpected defeat at

badminton's Thailand Open

Thursday to Hong Kong's Lee

Cheuk-yiu, who moved into

the quarter-finals with a 21-

19, 13-21, 21-12 win, reports

BSS.

Ginting was Indonesia's last

remaining hope after Jonatan

Christie's exit on Wednesday,

but despite a fightback in the

second game, the 20thranked

Lee was able to close

out the match.

"He played better than me,"

admitted the 24-year-old

Ginting, who reached the

semi-finals of last week's

tournament, also held in the

Thai capital.

"When I tried to come back,

Lee knew - he's smart and he

was in control."

It was Ginting's second loss

to Lee, who upset the

Indonesian in the final of the

2019 Hong Kong Open.

"I had beaten him in the

Hong Kong Open final, so

maybe I was a bit more

comfortable against him," Lee

said. Denmark's Viktor

Axelsen continued his quest

for back-to-back titles when

he dominated Thailand's

Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-11, 21-

13. "He's an upcoming player

that I respect a lot so I had to

come with quite a high pace,"

said Axelsen, who won last

week's first of two consecutive

Thailand Opens.

Bangkok is hosting three

tournaments in a row,

culminating in badminton's

World Tour Finals next week.

The players have been

facing off under tight

biosecurity because of the

coronavirus pandemic, and

without spectators, although

the tournaments have been

blighted by four positive

coronavirus cases.

With six months to go, cancellation

fears cloud Tokyo Olympics

SpOrTS DeSK:

When the Tokyo Olympics

were postponed last year,

officials promised they

would open in 2021 as proof

of mankind's triumph over

the coronavirus, reports

BSS.

But six months before the

rescheduled start, victory

over the virus remains

distant, and fears are growing

rapidly that the Games may

not take place at all.

publicly, organisers are

still adamant the Games can

go ahead, and say they can

be held safely even if the

virus is not under control by

the time the flame is lit on

July 23.

"It's precisely because

we're in this situation that

we need to remember the

value of the Olympics - that

humankind can coexist

peacefully through sport,"

Tokyo 2020 CeO Toshiro

Muto told AFp.

However, with much of the

world still paralysed by

Covid-19, and Tokyo under a

state of emergency, the

doubting voices are growing

louder.

Former London 2012

deputy chairman Keith Mills

this week said he thought the

Games looked "unlikely" to

happen, while British

Olympics legend Matthew

pinsent said it was

"ludicrous" to go ahead.

The long path to Tokyo's

second Summer Games has

been littered with obstacles,

from bid bribery allegations

to fears over the summer

heat. But none has loomed as

large as the pandemic, which

last March forced the first

peacetime postponement in

modern Games history.

In Japan, whose

emergency measures cover

greater Tokyo and other

parts of the country, public

disenchantment is rising.

A poll this month found 80

percent of respondents

opposed hosting the event

this year, with 35 percent

favouring outright

cancellation and 45 percent

calling for further

postponement.

The Australian Open

tennis Grand Slam has

underlined the complexity of

organising international

sport in the pandemic, with

major problems bringing in

players and keeping them

Covid-free.

"It's been really eyeopening

here in Melbourne

to see and hear the amount

of logistical challenges and

the scale of trying to organise

just a tennis event in the

current situation," said

Gordon reid, the British

wheelchair tennis player and

paralympic gold-medallist.

"You've got to multiply

that by a thousand when it

comes to the Olympics and

paralympics because they

are on another scale."

Tokyo 2020 chiefs say

another postponement is

"absolutely impossible",

meaning the Games will be

cancelled if they cannot go

ahead this year.

They are pushing ahead

with a raft of coronavirus

countermeasures intended

to ensure a safe Games, even

without vaccines which

remain non-mandatory for

athletes.

Bayern maintain Bundesliga

lead with win over Augsburg

SpOrTS DeSK:

robert Lewandowski scored his 22nd Bundesliga goal of

the season as Bayern Munich stayed four points clear,

helped by a late penalty miss from Alfred Finnbogason in a

1-0 victory at Augsburg on Wednesday, reports BSS.

Lewandowski's 13th-minute penalty was enough for a win

which kept the reigning champions clear of second-placed

rB Leipzig, who edged out Union Berlin 1-0 thanks to an

emil Forsberg goal.

But Bayern survived a late scare in the Bavaria derby as

Finnbogason could only hit the post from the spot with 14

minutes to play.

"We've now won our last two games and that's a sign to

our rivals," said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer.

poland striker Lewandowski has scored 10 goals more

than his nearest rival, Dortmund's erling Braut Haaland, in

the Bundesliga this term. But he was replaced midway

through the second half after treatment for a leg knock, but

Bayern coach Hansi Flick said it was only as a precaution.

Bayern battered the hosts' goal with 15 first-half shots

while Augsburg did not trouble the european champions

with a single attempt in the first 45 minutes.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2021

10

Nadia, Lavlu, Mou in drama

serial 'Bahana'

TBT RepoRT

Salauddin Lavlu is a popular actor, screenwriter and

television director of the country. In his 35-year career,

he has directed many audience-acclaimed drama

serials, including, 'Ronger Manush', 'Vober Hat', 'Ghor

Kutum', 'Alta Sundori' and 'Sakin Sarisuri'. Alongside

directing, the talented artiste is now acting in drama

and serials regularly.

Director Faridul Hasan has come up with a long

drama serial 'Bahana', composed by Zakir Hossain

Ujjwal.

Salahuddin Lavlu is to play the role of Mufakkar as

the main lead in the serial 'Bahana'. Tahmina Sultana

Mou is play the role of his wife Pushpa and Nadia

Ahmed as his sister-in-law. Meanwhile, the shooting of

the series has started at a shooting house in the capital.

Regarding the drama, Salauddin Lavlu said, "The

story of the serial is very nice. The audience will see me

showing different excuses in the drama for my

TBT RepoRT

National Film Award

winning actress Lux star

Zakia Bari Mamo's

upcoming movie

'Agamikaal' is scheduled

to be released next

March. The producer of

the movie Tutul

Chowdhury has

confirmed the matter,

saying "We are trying to

release the film on the

Independence Day, and

making all preparations

for it".

Mamo has played the

role of Rupa in the movie

'Agamikaal'. "The story of

the movie and my

character are amazing in

one word," she said. This

is my first work with

Anjan Ich dada in a

movie. He tried to

portrait the story

appropriately and I tried

my best.

Hopefully the viewers

unwillingness to get my sister-in-laws' married. I hope

viewers will enjoy the serial very much."

Mou said, "This is the first time I am acting under the

direction of Faridul Hasan, a tidy unit. I like working

very much. There is Salauddin Lavlu in the role of my

husband. I have got him as a director before. He is

remarkable as an instructor. But it is also true that

when he works under the direction of another director,

he becomes an artist of that director. The audience will

love story. "

"I acted in the first seven-episode serial 'Jamai Hajir'

under the direction of Faridul Hasan. Just as the story

of his drama is important, so he makes drama with

people who know the acting or the cast. That is why the

drama is quite acceptable to the audience, said Nadia

Ahmed

The drama will be aired on RTV soon. Dr. Azizul

Islam is acting more in this series. Ejazul Islam, Faruk

Ahmed, Siddiqur Rahman, Irene Tani and many more,

said the producer.

Mamo's

'Agamikaal' to

be released on

Independence

Day

will like once the movie is

released. There will be a

request from the viewers

that when the movie is

released, they should be

careful and enjoy the

movie."

Tutul

Chowdhury has played an

important role in this

movie.

Zakia Bari Mamo won

the first National Film

Award for her

performance in the movie

'Daruchini Dip' directed

by Taukir Ahmed.

After 13 long years,

Mamo is acting again in

Taukir Ahmed directed

movie called ' Sfulingo'.

According to Mamo,

viewers will see her in a

whole new different way

in the movie 'Sfulingo'.

Taukir Ahmed is also

optimistic about her new

look.

Zakia Bari Mamo

starrer movies are

'Chhuye Diley Mon',

'Altabanu', 'Dohon',

'Prem KorboTomar

Saath'. Now she is very

selective to choose

dramas and movies. And

trying to present herself

especially in the

challenging characters.

The actress is also

working on a web series.

In the meantime, she has

completed a web series

with Arifin Shuvo by

Krishnendu.

Babu's playback

song 'Sukh Nai Ei

Bhuban Jure'

TBT RepoRT

Fazlur Rahman Babu, a national Film Award winning actor

and musician. He has enlightened as an actor as well as a

singer. Fazlur Rahman Babu sang a song in Bondan Biswas

directed movie 'Chayachobi' again.

The director himself wrote the song titled 'Sukh Nai Ei Bhuban

Jure'. The melody and music of the song has been composed by

National Film Award winning music director Emon Saha.

Earlier, the duo collaborated in 2016 for the film 'Meyeti Ekhon

Kothay Jabe'. For this film, Emon Saha got the National Film

Awards as the Best Music Director and the Best Music Composer.

Fazlur Rahman Babu said, 'I have sung movie songs before in

Emon's tune. Emon always composes great tunes. Since he

knows the way I am, he composes tunes in that way. I have the

same confidence in him as I have. The song will be loved by the

audience all over the world. ' Emon Saha said, "Babu is one of my

Television star Parth

Samthaan has featured in

T-Series latest music video

"Pehle Pyaar Ka Pehla

Gham". Sung by Tulsi

Kumar and Jubin Natiyal,

it is a recreation of the

popular song from the 1996

movie Papa Kehte Hai. The

music video also stars

Gulshan Kumar's youngest

daughter Khushali Kumar.

Set in a beautiful town in

Goa, what works for the

music video is the actors,

who have done an

impressive job.

Playing college sweet

hearts, Kumar's Gracy

gives all her savings to help

boyfriend Shoor (Samthaan)

become a big movie star.

He comes back to town to

shoot for his next project,

and reunites with her.

However, his manager asks

him to stay away from these

"townies" to keep up his

favourite actors. He is also a talented singer. He has a powerful

voice. I've tried to compose the music keeping in mind his style of

singing. He has lent his voice to the song wonderfully."

Meanwhile, Babu will take part in a professional shooting of

an NGO. Recently, Babu has given voice in the title song of

Faridul Hasan's 'Bahana' series. The song is written by

Adhara Jahan and composed by Mushfiqur Litu.

Parth-Khushali's music

video will make nostalgic

image, leaving the young

couple heartbroken. The

melodious song is duly

complemented with the

emotional tale of first love,

and the heartache it brings

along. The music video is

bound to take you back in

time, and make you

remember your own love

story. Also, the makers have

stuck to the original version,

which is quite a relief, given

the kind of recreations that we

have gotten to see recently.

Talking about "Pehle

Pyaar Ka Pehla Gham",

singer Tulsi Kumar in a

statement said, "The song is

very close to my heart. It is a

beautiful melody with

deeply woven lyrics about

love and heartache. This is

also special for me in a way

because my sister Khushali

is featuring to my voice in

the song and this way both

of us have come back

together after doing songs

such as Ek Yaad Purani and

Menu Ishq Da Lagaya Rog."

"Pehle Pyaar Ka Pehla

Gham" is composed by

Rajesh Roshan and Manan

Bhardwaj.

The original lyrics are by

Javed Akhtar, while the

additional have been

penned by Rashmi Virag.

Source: indianexpress.com

Savannah Welch is Titans' Barbara Gordon

Savannah Welch has joined the cast of

DC's TV series Titans as Barbara

Gordon, Variety reported. Savannah is a

relatively little known name and has

been a part of films like Boyhood and

The Tree of Life as well as TV shows like

Six.

First appearing in 1967, Barbara is the

daughter of Gotham City police

commissioner James Gordon, and has

held the mantle of Batgirl.

She was paralysed by Joker in

Batman: The Killing Joke and

subsequently adopted the identity of

Oracle, a hacker and technical advisor

assisting other superheroes. She later

returned as Batgirl in The New 52 event.

As Batgirl, Barbara has capabilities

matching that of Batman, including

genius level intellect, combat skills, highend

gadgets and equipment and so on.

Developed by Akiva Goldsman, Geoff

Johns and Greg Berlanti, Titans is based

on the superhero team of the same name

in DC Comics. The team is made up of

Dick Grayson or Robin, Koriand'r or

Kory Anders or Starfire, Rachel Roth or

Raven, Garfield Logan or Beast Boy.

Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan

Croft, Ryan Potter, Curran Walters,

Conor Leslie, Minka Kelly, Alan

Ritchson, Esai Morales, among others

Pehle Pyaar Ka Pehla Gham

star in Titans.

So far, two seasons of Titans have

aired. The filming on the third season is

currently underway.

Source : variety.com

H o R o s c o p e

ARIes

(March 21 - April 20) : A friend from

far away could contact you by phone,

email, or even in person, Pisces. This

person might bring great news that

suddenly turns your life in a new direction. This

could involve a new intellectual study or possibly

a new circle of friends. At any rate, you will

certainly enjoy catching up and hearing what

your friend has to say.

TAURUs

(April 21 - May 21) : Family, home,

and hEarth are on your mind today,

Taurus. There may be a community

event that you attend out of a sense of

obligation but stay for the sheer fun of it.

Sometimes you get so caught up in work and the

daily hassles of life that you forget there's a whole

world outside of work. It does your heart good to

take in a wider view.

GeMINI

(May 22 - June 21) : Today may be

an odd combination of social and

financial, Gemini, likely a combination of

the two in some way. Perhaps you need to meet with an

attorney and end up dining together. Or you and a

casual acquaintance could decide to go out for a drink.

Legal documents are highlighted, so be sure to carefully

look over contracts of any kind.

cANceR

(June 22 - July 23) : Even though you

seem content with your career, you're

ready for some change in your life,

Cancer. This is the time to consider

joining a group. How about a local book club? Or if

you're more actively inclined, sign up with a tennis

team or local running club. There are lots of diversions

to occupy your mind as well body. The real upside is

that you're likely to make some wonderful new friends.

Leo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Even though you

think of yourself as a rational person,

Leo, today your intuition is so keen that

even you can't ignore it. Rather than try

to will it away, why not embrace the messages that

bombard you? Give yourself this one single day to

embrace the possibility that you may have some

extrasensory ability. There's no harm in trying to

understand the extent of your power.

VIRGo

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): You may feel

slightly bored and restless, Virgo. If so, an

opportunity may come your way today that

shouldn't be ignored. You may have a chance

to take a trip to an exotic locale or attend a class or lecture

that will open your mind to all sorts of interesting

possibilities. Just because you only have one life, that doesn't

mean you can't fit many different lives into it.

LIBRA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) : You consider

yourself a rational person, Libra. If you

aren't a scientist, you should be. You view

life objectively and rarely let extraneous

matters cloud your thinking. You're likely to be taken

aback by today's extraordinary events. Your intuition is

so sharp that you can almost read people's minds. At

first you think this is just a fluke, but you may be a

believer by the end of the day.

scoRpIo

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22): This is your lucky

day, Scorpio, and you can expect all

sorts of wonderful surprises. You may

enjoy a financial surprise or someone

could propose an interesting and potentially

lucrative project. Take advantage of any

opportunities that come your way today, as all signs

indicate that new ventures will ultimately prove

quite profitable.

sAGITTARIUs

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Passion is very much on

your mind, Sagittarius. Unfortunately, you

have a lot to do before you can concentrate

on romance. Much as you'd prefer to put

paperwork off for another day, you really should buckle

down and get it all done. You will be relieved to have it

behind you, and you will be free to enjoy the evening

pursuing other interests.

cApRIcoRN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): You're never at a loss

for an opinion, Capricorn, and today is

no exception. The energy of the day is

such that you're happier listening to

conversations than participating in them. You can't

help but smile at the misinformation that gets

bandied about. Since no one has bothered to ask for

your opinion, you aren't about to offer it today.

Tomorrow is another matter entirely.

AQUARIUs

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Finances are

highlighted for you today, Aquarius.

This isn't necessarily a good or bad

thing - it just is. Spend as much time

as necessary sorting out your records and

making sure everything is in good order. It's

never too early to collect receipts and get

organized. You may feel inspired to concentrate

on budgeting as well.

pIsces

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Conversation and travel

are highlighted today, Pisces. You may sit next

to someone fascinating on a plane ride. You

two have much in common, and the time will

pass quickly as you enjoy discovering more about one another.

You're likely to exchange phone numbers, if not kisses, by the

end of the trip. There's no denying the chemistry. The question

remains whether you will act on it or not.

GD- 117/21 (5x3)

we`ÿ r/Rb- 553 (2)/21/1/21

GD- 125/21 (6x 3)

GD- 122/21 (7x 3)

evsjv‡`k Af¨šÍixY †bŠcwienb KZ…©cÿ

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority

gywRee‡l©i A½xKvi

b`x ivL‡ev cwi®‹vi

Dubai orders hospitals

to cancel surgeries

amid virus surge

DUBAI : The government of

Dubai on Wednesday

ordered all hospitals to cancel

nonessential surgeries

for the next month as coronavirus

infections surge to

unprecedented heights in

the United Arab Emirates,

reports UNB.

In a circular sent to government-run

and private

health centers across the

emirate, Dubai's Health

Authority announced that

starting Thursday medical

operations "may be allowed

to continue only per medical

urgency" as the city tries to

keep its hospitals from

becoming overrun.

For the ninth consecutive

day, the UAE shattered its

record for new infections,

reporting 3,509 cases. The

country does not release

location data for infections,

making it difficult to determine

where in the federation

of seven sheikhdoms has

been hardest hit by the virus.

Dubai, its economy built

largely on aviation, hospitality

and retail, has remained

open for tourism and business

throughout weeks of

skyrocketing cases. The capital

of Abu Dhabi has

retained tighter restrictions,

requiring all who travel

through to present a negative

COVID-19 test.

Biden bets big on

immigration reform

in opening move

SAN DIEGO : For the opening

salvo of his presidency,

few expected Joe Biden to

be so far reaching on immigration,

reports UNB.

A raft of executive orders

issued Wednesday undoes

many of his predecessor's

hallmark initiatives, such as

halting work on a border

wall with Mexico, lifting a

travel ban on people from

several predominantly

Muslim countries and

reversing plans to exclude

people in the country illegally

from the 2020 census.

Biden is also ordering his

cabinet to work to preserve

Deferred Action for

Childhood Arrivals, a program

known as DACA that

has shielded hundreds of

thousands of people who

came to the U.S. as children

from deportation since it

was introduced in 2012. In

addition, he is extending

temporary legal status to

Liberians who fled civil war

and the Ebola outbreak to

June 2022.

But that's just the beginning.

Biden's most ambitious

proposal, unveiled

Wednesday, is an immigration

bill that would give

legal status and a path to

citizenship to anyone in the

United States before Jan. 1 -

an estimated 11 million people

- and reduce the time

that family members must

wait outside the United

States for green cards.

Taken together, Biden's

plans represent a sharp U-

turn after four years of

relentless strikes against

immigration, captured

most vividly by the separation

of thousands of children

from their parents

under a "zero tolerance"

policy on illegal border

crossings. Former

President Donald Trump's

administration also took

hundreds of other steps to

enhance enforcement, limit

eligibility for asylum and

cut legal immigration.

Biden's package dispels

any belief that his policies

would resemble those of

former President Barack

Obama, who promised a

sweeping bill his first year

in office but waited five

years while logging more

than 2 million deportations.

Eager to avoid a rush on

the border, Biden aides signaled

that it will take time

to unwind some of Trump's

border policies, which

include making asylumseekers

wait in Mexico for

hearings in U.S. immigration

court.

GD- 123/21 (3.5x4)

GD- 127/21 (5x4)

GD- 118/21 (7x4)

fridAY, JANUArY 22, 2021

11

Read Biden's inaugural speech as

46th US president

WASHINGTON : President Joe Biden's

inaugural address Wednesday, as provided

by CQ Transcripts:

Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President

Harris, reports UNB.

Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer,

Leader McConnell, Vice President

Pence, and my distinguished guests, my

fellow Americans, this is America's day.

This is democracy's day. A day of history

and hope, of renewal and resolve.

Through a Crucible for the ages, America

has been tested anew and America has

risen to the challenge.

15

Today, we celebrate the triumph not of

a candidate, but of a cause. The cause of

democracy. The people, the will of the

people has been heard and the will of the

people has been heeded. We've learned

again that democracy is precious.

Democracy is fragile. And at this hour,

my friends, democracy has prevailed.

So now, on this hallowed ground,

where just a few days ago violence

sought to shake the Capitol's very foundation,

we come together as one nation

under God, indivisible, to carry out the

peaceful transfer of power as we have for

811 21-01-2021

e-Tender Notice (OTM) & Corrigendum-1

more than two centuries.

As we look ahead in our uniquely

American way, restless, bold, optimistic

and set our sights on the nation we know

we can be and we must be. I thank my

predecessors of both parties for their

presence here today. I thank them from

the bottom of my heart and I know-

And I know the resilience of our

Constitution and the strength, the

strength of our nation, as does President

Carter who I spoke with last night who

cannot be with us today but whom we

salute for his lifetime of service.

156 20.01.2021

Friday, Dhaka, January 22, 2021, Magh 8, 1427 BS, Jamadi-us Sani 8 , 1442 Hijri

PM to handover 66,189

houses to homeless

families tomorrow

DHAKA : As part of the government's

campaign to bring all landless and

homeless families under housing facility,

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set

to inaugurate the distribution of houses

among 66,189 landless and homeless

families at 10:30am on Saturday

(January 23).

"On the occasion of the "Mujib

Borsho", the government has completed

66,189 houses for homeless

and landless families for handing over

for the first time in the world," Prime

Minister's Principal Secretary Dr

Ahmad Kaikaus said.

Addressing a press briefing at the

Prime Minister's Office (PMO), he said

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate

the distribution ceremony virtually

at 10:30am on Saturday.

Prime Minister's Office (PMO)

Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah

and Project Director of Ashrayan-2 Md

Mahbub Hossain highlighted the project.

Prime Minister's Deputy Press

Secretary Ashraful Alam Khokon and

Assistant Press Secretaries Imrul Kayes

and Ashraf Siddique Bitu were present

in the briefing.

"The government has built 66,189

houses at a cost of Taka 1,168 crore for

homeless people on the occasion of the

Mujib Borsho. Some one lakh more

houses will also be distributed among

those people in the next month," Dr

Kaikaus said.

Besides, Ashrayan Project under the

PMO rehabilitated 3,715 families by

constructing 743 barracks under 44

DHAKA : The Power Division has directed

power distribution entities to ensure

uninterrupted electricity supply for Covid-

19 vaccine preservation in coordination

with local administration and the health

department, reports UNB.

State Minister for Power, Energy and

Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid

issued the directive at a virtual meeting

with top executives of the power distribution

entities on Thursday.

The meeting was convened to discuss

work plan of the power distribution

companies to ensure uninterrupted

power supply to the Covid-19 vaccine

preservation system across the country.

Nasrul asked the distribution entities

to keep alternative power supply sources

project villages in 36 upazilas in 21 districts

during the Mujib Borsho, he said.

The principal secretary said the

Ashrayan Project has prepared a list of

8,85,622 families in 2020, of which

2,93,361 landless and homeless families

and 5,92,261 families having 1-10 decimal

land but no housing facility.

He said Ashrayan has also rehabilitated

3,20,058 landless and homeless families

from 1997 to December 2020,

adding, "Armed Forces Davison is constructing

barracks for landless and

homeless families."

Dr Kaikaus said the Ashran-2 project

(July 2010-June 2022) has a target to

rehabilitate 2,50,000 landless, homeless

and displaced families at a cost of

Taka 4,840.28 crore, for the 250,000

families, Ashrayan has already rehabilitated

1,92,277 landless and homeless

families across the country from July

2010 to June 2019.

A total of 48,500 landless and homeless

families have been rehabilitated in

barracks while 1,43,777 families having

own land (1-10 decimal) but no capacity

to construct houses in semi-barracks,

corrugated iron sheet barracks and specially

designed houses.

He said the government also constructed

20 five-story buildings at

Khurushkul in Cox's Bazar for 600 families,

who are climate refugees as a special

gift by the Prime Minister, adding,

"Armed Forces Division is also implementing

more 119 multi-storey buildings

and related activities through

Detailed Project Proposal (DPP)."

Ferry services resumed

on Paturia-Daulatdia

route after 6.30 hours

MANIKGANJ : The ferry movement on

Paturia-Daulatdia route has resumed

after 6.30 hours suspension to avert

any untoward incident due to dense

fog. BIWTC Paturia ghat sources said

the ferry movement on the route was

suspended from 12 am on Thursday

due to poor visibility as the dense fog

blanketed the river route.

Md. Jillur Rahman, Deputy General

Manager (DGM), BIWTC, Pauria Ghat

said the ferry movement resumed after

6.30 am on Thursday when the dense

fog started to disappear.

The ghat sources said several hundred

passenger buses, private cars and

trucks were remaining at both sides of

the river Padma for ferrying. The ghat

sources also said, thousands of passengers

including children and women suffered

in the cold wave and passed the

long time in fear.

Productivity to be

5.6pc by 2030:

Humayun

DHAKA : Industries Minister Nurul

Majid Mahmud Humayun yesterday

said productivity in all sectors will be increased

to 5.6 percent from the existing

3.8 percent by 2030.

"Japan based, Asian Productivity

Organisation (APO) and National

Productivity Organisation (NPO) of

Bangladesh have jointly formulated a

master plan for 10 years. Through implementing

the plan, productivity in all

sectors will be increased to 5.6 percent

from the existing 3.8 percent by 2030,"

he said. The minister said this at a

greeting message for the 60th anniversary

of the APO, said a press release.

Ensure uninterrupted power supply in

Covid vaccine preservation areas: Nasrul

beside the regular sources. The arrangement

for stand-by power generators has

to be ensured in areas where vaccines

will be preserved, he said.

He instructed the power supply entities

to prepare a work plan in coordination

with the local government and

health department.

"It must be ensured that power supply

isn't disrupted under any circumstance,"

he said, adding that the concerned officials

have to be alert about the uninterrupted

operation of power supply equipment

like transformers, conductors,

cables and fuses.

He instructed the top officials of different

entities to determine the focal point

officials for proper coordination with

other departments.

Power Division Joint Secretary

Rezwanur Rahman and Deputy

Secretary Tahmina Yeasmin were

selected as focal point officials to coordinate

with other entities.

The meeting was attended by the

Bangladesh Power Development

Board (BPDB) Chairman Belayet

Hossain, Bangladesh Rural Electrification

Board (BREB) Chairman Moin Uddin,

Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd

(DESCO) Managing Director Kawsar

Ameer Ali, Dhaka Power Distribution

Company Ltd (DPDC) Managing

Director Bikash Dewan and Northern

Electricity Supply Company Ltd's

(NESCO) Zakiul Islam.

Wood is being burnt in the illegal brick kiln built in the middle of the crop land, bricks are being

dried by making a shed adjacent to the crop land. The picture is taken from Mohadevpur Upazila of

Naogaon yesterday.

Photo: PBA

Covid-19

The high price of

onions caused a

stir in Sept-Oct

last year. But last

Nov-Dec the price

of onion fell.

Buyers are

reluctant to buy

imported Indian

onions as the

prices of imported

Indian onions are

the same as

domestic onions.

For this reason,

Indian onions are

not being sold in

the market. The

photo was taken

from Karwan

Bazaar in the

capital on

Thursday.

Photo : Star Mail

Refrain from spreading rumours,

politics over vaccine:Health Minister

DHAKA : Health and Family Welfare

Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday

urged all to refrain from doing politics,

spreading rumours over vaccine, reports

UNB.

He urged those who are doing politics

and conspiring over people's lives not to

make people confused about the vaccine

as it is one of the lifesaving tools.

The minister made the remarks while

talking to reporters after receiving 20

lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine gifted by

India and licensed from Oxford

University and AstraZeneca.


Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami

handed over the Covid-19 vaccine to

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen

and Health Minister Zahid Maleque at a

ceremony at State guesthouse Padma

on Thursday afternoon.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs M

Shahriar Alam was, among others, present.

The Health Minister expressed satisfaction

over the vaccine management

as Bangladesh has prior experiences in

vaccination.

"The country has been made free from

polio. People know very well about vaccine

and its side effects," he said.

The minister said the government is

planning to carry out a trial of vaccination

programme within the next sixseven

days. Zahid Maleque said another

50 lakh doses of the vaccine from India

are expected to arrive within this month.

He said 50 lakh doses of vaccine are

scheduled to arrive in each of the next

six months as per the agreement.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will

join the first vaccination progamme

through a videoconference.

He thanked the Indian government,

Indian Prime Minister and the people of

India for staying beside Bangladesh

both in time of happiness and sorrows.

"It's an important moment. We're

very delighted today. We've received the

vaccine and taken it to our store. It's

proved today that friends help each

other in need," he said. The Health

Minister said the entire world and the

global economy are affected yesterday

due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"India was always beside Bangladesh

since 1971. India will continue to help

Bangladesh's fatalities

rise to 7,966

DHAKA : Bangladesh's Covid-19 fatalities

rose to 7,966 on Thursday after the

health authorities confirmed 16 more

coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours

until morning, reports UNB.

The caseload reached 530,271 with

the detection of 584 new cases.

Bangladesh reported its first cases on

March 8 and the first death on March

18. So far, 3,515,428 samples have been

tested - 14,797 in the last 24 hours.

A handout from the Directorate

General of Health Services (DGHS) said

the daily detection rate was 3.96 percent

while the overall rate is 15.08 percent.

Until the morning, 475,074 patients

(89.59 percent) have recovered.

"The mortality rate is 1.5 percent," the

DGHS said.

Global Covid-19 situation

The confirmed Covid-19 cases globally

surpassed 96.8 million with over 2.07

million deaths till morning, according to

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) data.

The US remained the worst-hit country,

with 406,001 deaths and

24,432,829 cases.

In late 2020, the coronavirus pandemic

entered its deadliest phase yet in

the US, AP reported. The death toll from

coronavirus surpassed 400,000 as the

nation launched the largest vaccination

campaign in its history.

In Brazil, the death toll from Covid-19

stood at 212,831 with a total 8,638,249

cases as of Thursday.

Meanwhile, India's caseload reached

10,595,660 while the death toll surpassed

152,718 until Thursday.

Bangladesh gets Covid vaccines

Two million doses of Covid-19 vaccine

gifted by India reached Dhaka on

Thursday.

A chartered flight of Air India carrying

the vaccine landed at Hazrat Shahjalal

International Airport at 11:21am.


Bangladesh Vikram Kumar

Doraiswami handed over the vaccine to

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen

and Health Minister Zahid Maleque at a

ceremony at state guesthouse Padma in

the afternoon.

Foreign Minister Momen said that the

arrival of two million doses of Oxford

vaccine from India is sign of strong relations

and goodwill between Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian

counterpart Narendra Modi.

Thirty million doses of vaccine are

scheduled to arrive between January

and June (five million a month) as per

the agreement the government signed

with Serum Institute Of India Pvt Ltd.

Health Minister Maleque on Monday

said Bangladesh would receive the first

consignment of Oxford-AstraZeneca's

vaccine on January 25-26.

"As per the guideline of WHO, we'll

first vaccinate those who are working

with risks. And the elderly people will

get priority. People below the age of 18

won't get the vaccine," the minister said.

He said the ICT department is developing

an app to properly distribute vaccine.

us," he said.

The friendship between Bangladesh

and India has got strengthened with

India's gift, Maleque said.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated

the economy of many countries

in the world. Look at the USA and

Europe! Bangladesh is relatively in a

better condition as our economy still

moving on, the life here is almost normal,"

he said.

A chartered flight of Air India carrying

the 20 lakh doses of vaccine landed at

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport

at 11:21 am.

Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr

S Jaishankar tweeted on "Vaccine

Maitri", saying that India reaffirms the

highest priority to its relations with

Bangladesh.

It is part of commitment made at the

highest level-Bangladesh Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi-and as part of

'Neighbourhood First' policy, said Indian

High Commissioner Doraiswami. He said

Bangladesh and India will fight the disease

together as friends.

Land crisis

FM says Purbachal

may have a

diplomatic zone

SANGSAD BHABAN : Foreign Minister

AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said it

may be necessary to set up a diplomatic

zone in Purbachal due to land crisis in

Gulshan and Baridhara areas. He made

the remarks while replying to a question

from Mozaffar Hossain, MP (Jamalpur-

5) in Parliament, reports UNB.

"There's a demand for land from several

embassies/high commissions for

shifting all the embassies/high commission

offices in Baridhara diplomatic

area. However, land scarcity is an

important issue. The Ministry of

Housing and Public Works, Rajuk and

other authorities concerned are in touch

in this regard," the minister said.

Momen said the application for plots by

10 foreign missions is currently under

process at the Foreign Ministry.

"Especially, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Oman,

Kuwait, Myanmar and Afghanistan have

been making requests in this regard since

the opening of their missions."

Besides, he said, they got an indication

that among the 50 diplomatic missions

in Dhaka which are not using their allotted

or self-purchased lands may show

interest to get plots.

The minister said Dhaka city is witnessing

rapid expansion as various

development activities are underway in

the capital city.

"It's very difficult to manage sufficient

land in the Gulshan and Baridhara

diplomatic zones of Dhaka against the

new demand for setting up embassies.

Under the circumstances, it may be necessary

to establish a diplomatic zone in

Purbachal to set up foreign missions,"

he observed.

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

22-01-2021 Without Page-7

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