07-02-2021

sunday
Dhaka : February 7, 2021; Magh 24, 1427 BS; Jamadi-us Sani 24, 1442 hijri
www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net
Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.17; N o.297; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00
InternatIonal
Myanmar junta shuts
Twitter and Instagram
to curb protests
>Page 7
sports
Black Caps aim to
purge Lord's pain in
world Test final
>Page 9
art & culture
Movie 'Nawab
LL.B' stucks in
censor board
>Page 10
Bangladesh has
vast prospect for
tourism : Jabbar
DHAKA : Posts and Tele communications
Minister Mustafa Jabbar yesterday
said Bangladesh has vast prospect
for tourism industry.
He hoped that the tourism sector
would play a significant role to the economic
development of the country if
the natural beauty of the country and
modern hospitality of the people here
could be tapped properly.
The minister said this while speaking
as chief guest at a webinar on the
importance of digital technology for the
development of tourism sector organized
by a private tourist operator organization
Tour Operators Association of
Bangladesh (TOAB) , said a press
release.
Highlighting the need for using digital
technology in various ways including
marketing and group tracking, Wi-Fi
facilities for tourists in the tourist spots
with modern amenities it would attract
huge tourists from both home and
abroad .
He said, though once there was little
infrastructure in the sector but nowadays
the country's tourism industry
under the dynamic leadership of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken on a
new dimension.
LDC graduation to
be a matter of great
honour for BD: Kamal
DHAKA : Finance Minister AHM
Mustafa Kamal yesterday said that
graduation from the Least Developed
Country (LDC) status would be a matter
of great honour and pride for
Bangladesh.
"Such pride and prestige can't be
quantified", said Kamal while speaking
as chief guest of an online workshop on
'Effective Partnership with the Private
Sector for Sustainable Graduation' held
yesterday.
The finance minister said graduation
from LDC status would be a manifestation
of the dream of the Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman.
"This will also be recognition of the
unprecedented development stride the
country has made under the valiant
leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina", he added.
Support to Sustainable Graduation
Project (SSGP) of the Economic
Relations Division (ERD) of the
Ministry of Finance organized the
workshop, said a press release.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi
and Senior Secretary of Finance
Division Abdur Rouf Talukder were
present as the special guests of the
workshop.
Zohr
05:22 AM
12:18 PM
04:12 PM
05:52 PM
07:07 PM
6:37 5:49
Bangladesh to boost spending in next
two fiscals to offset Covid impact
DHAKA : The Bangladesh government
has decided to fix the public expenditure
at 17.1% and 17.2% of the gross domestic
product (GDP) in the next two fiscals
(2021-22 and 2022-23, respectively), as
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks to
pull the economy out of the Covid-19 pit.
Expenses incurred by the government
of a country on collective needs such as
pension, provisions, security and infrastructure
are called public expenditure.
Such expenses are considered key to
staving off a crisis in a nation-in this
case, likely to help Bangladesh offset the
adverse impact of the pandemic.
The growth of public expenditure for
the next two fiscals, in fact, will be 7.56%
and 13.8%, respectively, according to a
government estimation. The decision
has been taken keeping in mind the
long-term development as well as the
present situation, as per a document, a
copy of which is in possession with
UNB.
The public expenditure for the current
fiscal has been pegged at 17.9 % of GDP,
while it was kept unchanged in the
revised budget of the last financial year.
The public expenditure was 13.8%,
13.9%, 13.6%, 14.3% and 15.4% in 2014-
15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-
19 fiscals, respectively, according to an
official document.
"In the mid-term, the target of the
government is to limit the budget deficit
through maintaining tolerable path with
integrated efforts. Later, the main aim of
the public expenditure will be to reduce
the loses of the coronavirus pandemic
and assist in attaining the desired economic
growth," the document states.
As a result, in 2019-20 fiscal, the public
expenditure was reduced to 17.9%
from 18.1% in the revised target.
"Moreover, in 2022-23 fiscal, the target
for public expenditure has been estimated
at 17.2% of GDP," the official document
says.
It states that the growth in public
expenditure was 10.5% in 2014-15 fiscal,
14.9% in 2015-16, 11.9% in 2016-17,
19.8% in 2017-18 and 21.6% in 2018-19.
The growth in the last fiscal was 28.1%
(revised) when the whole economy was
in a standstill due to the pandemic.
In the budget of the current 2020-21
fiscal, the growth in public expenditure
has been fixed at 13.2%. To bring the
economic activities back on track, the
Bangladesh government announced
stimulus packages worth USD 14.1 billion,
equivalent to around 4.3 percent of
the country's GDP, in the last quarter of
the 2019-20 fiscal.
First metro rail set to ship for
Mongla from Japan Feb 20
DHAKA : The authorities of Metrorail
expect that the first metro rail set will
ship for Mongla port from Kobe on
February 20 after a third party inspection
in Japan. "We are bringing metro
train sets from Japan after carrying out
a third party inspection due to travel
restriction," Managing Director of
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited
(DMTCL) MAN Siddique told BSS.
He said the inspection work is being
carried out in Japan by a reputed international
company, adding, "The first set
will reach Uttara depot on April 23 and
the second set will ship on April 15 from
Kobe port."
According to the project details, integrated
tests of the Mass Rapid Transit
(MRT) Line-6 will be carried out before
formal operation and the trial runs will
also be carried out after integrated test of
the metro rail sets.
"If everything is completed properly,
the construction company will start
shipment of the metro rail from there to
Bangladesh. We will also carry out trial
runs in our country," the managing
director said.
He said workers and experts have
been working to set up rail track on six
lines abiding by the health guidelines
strictly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the project details, the
overall physical progress of the first
phase construction, from Uttara to
Agargaon, is 76.50 percent, while the
progress on the second phase of construction,
from Agargaon to Motijheel,
is 55.97 percent. Coordinated progress
of electrical and mechanical system
reached 58.70 percent, while collection
of rolling stock (rail coach) and depot
equipment progress rose to 37 percent.
The length of the metro rail route up
to Motijheel was 20.10 km. But now it
has been extended to Kamalapur
Railway Station by 1.16 km. As a result,
the number of stations was also
increased to 16.
There will be a total of 16 stations on
the 21 km route of the Mass Rapid
Transit-MRT Line-6. The stations are:
Uttara North, Uttara Center, Uttara
South, Pallabi, Mirpur-11, Mirpur-10,
Kazipara, Shewrapara, Agargaon, Bijoy
Sarawni, Framgate, Karwan Bazar,
Shahbag, Dhaka University, Bangladesh
Secretariat and Motijheel.
Myanmar writes
to Bangladesh
explaining military
takeover : FM
DHAKA : Myanmar has written to
Bangladesh through its Ambassador in
Yangon explaining why the military
took over on February 1, reports UNB.
The current interim government conveyed
that some 10.4 million fake votes
were cast in the national election in
Myanmar held in November last year.
"We got a letter. They gave the letter
to our Ambassador," said Foreign
Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen sharing
the updates with the reporters after
attending a function.
After the takeover, the new military
administration in Myanmar has
reached out to Rohingyas in Rakhine
State which is seen as military junta's
"desire to gradually bring back normalcy"
in the Rakhine state giving confidence
to Rohingyas for return. "These
are good news. It's a good beginning,"
Foreign Minister Dr Momen said.
"Whatever may be the military's new
approach and policy on Rohingya and
Rakhine issues, it'll take time to get a
shape," a diplomatic source told UNB.
Dr Momen said Rohingyas in
Kutupalong Rohingya camp expressed
happiness hearing the news from
Rakhine.
For voluntary repatriation to commence,
officials say, the question of the
confidence of the potential returnees
Rohingyas about going back plays a
very important role. Rohingyas at the
camps in Cox's Bazar were joyous at the
news of the fall of Suu Kyi.
Earlier, Myanmar said they are committed
to beginning the repatriation of
Rohingyas as per the bilateral agreement
signed with Bangladesh in 2017.
Fishermen of
Sirajganj are
getting success
by cultivating
fish using
bioflock
method
indoors.
having
succeeded in
low cost
bioflock
method of fish
farming, it is
now known
as in the whole
district. The
picture was
taken on
Saturday.
Photo : Star mail
Commentary
DHAKA : Bangladesh High
Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna
Tasneem has expressed the hope that
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
will visit Bangladesh soon on the occasion
of 50 years of Bangladesh-UK
diplomatic relations.
She recalled the visit of Prime Minister
Boris Johnson to Bangladesh in 2018 and
his meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina, reports UNB.
"We would be delighted to join celebrations
of 50 years of the UK's historic relations
with Bangladesh, including our
longstanding economic and development
partnership, climate co-operation and the
vibrant Bangladeshi diaspora,? said
British Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office Permanent Under-
Secretary Sir Philip Barton KCMG OBE at
a bilateral meeting at the FCDO recently.
The water in
the Sangu river
in Bandarban
is drying up.
The river
channels are
being closed
due to illegal
occupation of
river banks and
non-dredging
for a long time.
as a result,
navigation is
being
disrupted.
Photo : Star mail
Al Jazeera's report is
politically motivated
On February 2, a report titled 'All the
Prime Minister's Men" published by
AlJazeera disrupted the thoughts of
social media users of Bangladesh. The
Qatar based cable network termed it as
"An explosive investigation reveals how
a criminal gang is colluding with the
security forces of Bangladesh and has
links to the country's Prime Minister,
Sheikh Hasina." The title of the report
itself is borrowed from a 1976's book
"All the President's Men"by Carl
Bernstein and Bob Woodward.
Although the later book surfaced the
Watergate scandal that brought down
the Nixon's government to its knees, Al-
Jazeera's report will merely have any
mirror impact in the case of
Bangladesh. The reasons are rudimentary.
Many facts in this report are misrepresented
specially those involving
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and
other inter-governmental bodies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Bangladesh has termed the Al Jazeera
investigative report "All the Prime
Minister's Men" as "false, defamatory
and a politically motivated smear campaign".
The report did not properly portray
the great war of liberation of
Bangladesh and undermined the effort
of the 3 million martyrs. In addition, the
report seems politically motivated as it
resonates the activities of some groups
who tries to fracture the harmony of different
government organs.
Jahid Rahman
The report also alleges that
Bangladesh Army purchases technology
from an Israeli company.
Bangladesh, a pre-dominantly Muslim
nation, have no diplomatic relationship
with the state of Israel. Does the media
group is trying to sour the relationship
among the inter-governmental agencies?
To corroborate this claim, the
video was seen having prepared putting
together clips of different official, social
and private events using technology. In
fact, several disconnected events are
edited together giving voices at the
background.
Being a reputed international media
group, Al Jazeera couldn't provide a
shred of evidence linking the Prime
Minister and other state institutions of
Bangladesh to this particular. This is
undoubtedly highly irresponsible for an
international news channel to draw conclusions
on the basis of the words of a
person who is not in usual state of mind.
Picturing Bangladeshi government as
an oppressive regime is nothing new for
Al Jazeera. When Bangladesh tried several
convicted Jamat-e-Islami leaders
in charges of crime against humanity in
the 1971 liberation war, the media
group disseminated misinformation in
an effort to destabilize the country. In
summary, It should be condemned Al
Jazeera's irresponsible reporting to tarnish
the country's image as a role model
of a developing nation.
Bangladesh expects Boris Johnson's
visit to celebrate diplomatic ties
The bilateral meeting was held between
the Permanent Under-Secretary and
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the
UK Saida Muna Tasneem to mark
February 4, the day the UK officially
recognised Bangladesh in 1972, said the
High Commission on Saturday.
High Commissioner Tasneem said 50
years ago since the hoisting of the flag of
independent Bangladesh in August 1971
at the first Bangladesh diplomatic mission
in London at 24 Pembridge Gardens followed
by the warm reception accorded to
Bangladesh's first President
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
on 8 January 1972 by Prime Minister
Edward Heath at No 10, Bangladesh-UK
special friendship has only grown from
strength to strength bilaterally and multilaterally.
British FCDO PUS and Bangladesh

SUNDAY, feBRUARY 7, 2021
2
Mamunur Rashid Kiron, MP of Begumganj constituency and Managing Director of Globe Group-of-
Company inaugurated the newly constructed building of Narottampur Union Parishad (UP) in
Begumganj upazila of Noakhali.
Photo : TBT
Newly constructed UP
building inaugurated in
Begumganj
MANIK BHUIYAN, NOAKHALI CORRESPONDENT:
Mamunur Rashid Kiron, MP of Begumganj constituency and
Managing Director of Globe Group-of-Company
inaugurated the newly constructed building of Narottampur
Union Parishad (UP) in Begumganj upazila of Noakhali. A
discussion meeting was held on Saturday afternoon
centering the inauguration of the newly constructed building.
Earlier, he inaugurated a new road in the union.
In the discussion meeting, Mamunur Rashid Kiran MP was
present as the chief guest at the function presided over by UP
Chairman and Union Awami League convener Harun Aur
Rashid Bachchu. Newly elected Mayor of Chawmuhani
Municipality Md Khaled Saifullah, Upazila Engineer Kazi
Kamrul Islam, District Awami League leaders Nur Nabi Tipu
and Shafiul Azam Pintu, Union Awami League Joint
Convener Nurul Huda were present as special guests.
Hundreds of leaders and activists of the party and allied
organizations including Chhatra League were present.
The Latest:
Sri Lankan officials say
vaccinations advancing
COLOMBO : Sri Lankan health officials said on Saturday
that more than half of the health workers and frontline
military and police officers have so far been vaccinated
against COVID-19.
Sri Lanka last week began inoculating it's frontline health
workers, military troops and police officers against COVID-
19 amid warnings that the sector faces a collapse with a
number of health staff being infected with the new
coronavirus. The ministry had planned to first vaccinate
150,000 health workers and selected 115,000 military and
police personnel.
By Saturday, 156,310 had been given with COVISHIELD
vaccine. India had donated 500,000 does of Oxford-
AstraZenica vaccine also known as the COVISHIELD which
is the only vaccine approved by the regulatory body in Sri
Lanka. Health ministry says Sri Lanka has ordered 18
millions doses of COVISHIELD vaccines and also had asked
to allocate 2 million doses of Pfizer-BioNtech. Besides, China
has promised to provide 300,000 shots of Sinopharm
vaccine this month.
Sri Lanka has witnessed a fresh outbreak of the disease
since last year's October when two clusters - one centered on
a garment factory and other on the fish market - emerged in
the capital Colombo and it's suburbs.
India vaccinates over 5m
healthcare workers, second
shot begins Feb 13
NEW DELHI : India has vaccinated some nearly 53 lakhs
healthcare workers during the last 21 days from the
beginning of the countrywide vaccination drive against
Covid-19. "The cumulative number of healthcare workers
vaccinated against Covid-19 is nearly 53 lakhs. 52,90,474
beneficiaries were vaccinated through 1,04,781 sessions till 6
pm on Saturday," according to a union health ministry report
released here late Friday evening.
Of the total, some 3,31,029 beneficiaries were vaccinated
on the 21st day (February 5)of the vaccination drive. Besides,
27 persons have been hospitalized so far. No new
hospitalization is recorded in the last 24 hours.
A total of 22 deaths have been registered till 6 pm Friday
with one fresh death reported in the past 24 hours. The
deceased is a 77-year old Male in Agra. The man with preexisting
diabetes was died 7 days after vaccination, the health
ministry report added.
India launched the world's largest immunisation exercise
against Covid-19 on January 16 with priority to about 30
million health care and frontline workers to be inoculated in
the first phase. However, the Indian government announced
that the second Covid-19 vaccine shot for those who took the
first shot on Day-1 of inoculation drive on January 16, will be
administered on February 13.The Centre also said while the
country has made remarkable progress in terms of the
number of people vaccinated - reaching the 5 million mark in
Covid-19 vaccination in record.
Intruder throws
spotlight on US Air
Force security woes
WASHINGTON : The US Air Force opened an
investigation Friday after an intruder managed to board
an official plane at an air force base near Washington,
despite heightened security measures after the January 6
Capitol Hill attack.
An "adult man" managed to enter Andrews Air Force
base - which hosts visiting dignitaries in Washington and
is where official US planes, including the Air Force One
presidential jet, are based - on Thursday, officials said.
"Everyone takes this very seriously. (Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin) takes this very seriously," Pentagon
spokesman John Kirby said, stressing that the
investigation would focus on security measures of the US
Air Force around the world. The unarmed man, whom
authorities did not immediately link to any extremist
group, was able to illegally board a C-40, the military
version of the Boeing 737, before being arrested, the air
force added.
The C-40 aircraft stationed at Andrews Air Force Base
are used by members of the United States government,
senior congressional officials, or senior military officials
during their official travels.
The Air Force did not specify how the man had managed
to enter the air base, which is closely guarded, or how long
he had spent on the plane. Thousands of National Guard
soldiers have been bolstering Washington's security since
the assault on Capitol Hill by pro-Trump protesters that
left five people dead. As authorities fear further protests,
the Guard are tasked with protecting the Capitol during
Donald Trump's second impeachment trial set to start on
February 9.
UN has first contact
with Myanmar military
since coup
UNITED NATIONS : The United Nations has had its first
contact with the military in Myanmar since it launched a
coup this week, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said
Friday, repeating calls for civilian leaders to be freed.
"Our special envoy today had a first contact in which she
expressed clearly our position to the deputy military
commander," Guterres told reporters, referring to Swiss
diplomat Christine Schraner Burgener.
Burgener was also in contact with other countries in the
region, he said, adding: "We will do everything we can to
make the international community united in making sure
that conditions are created for this coup to be reversed."
De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained Monday
and ousted from power, returning the country to military
rule after a 10-year dalliance with democracy.
Guterres has branded the putsch "absolutely
unacceptable." But the UN Security Council has so far taken
a softer line, voicing "deep concern" - a step down from a
draft Tuesday that had also condemned the putsch.
Diplomats said veto-wielding China and Russia,
Myanmar's main supporters at the UN, had asked for more
time Tuesday to finesse the council's response.
Automatic AI based Diabetic Retinopathy
Mobile Lab was inaugurated at Sufia Kamal
Auditorium of National Museum in the capital
city yesterday.
Photo : TBT
JCI to work for
underprivileged
people
DHAKA : Junior Chamber
International (JCI), Dhaka
South chapter has decided to
work to improve the life of
underprivileged people and
build and develop
entrepreneurship in
collaboration with different
organisations, reports UNB.
In its first general
members' meeting,the
yearly plan was also
published along with other
reports, said a media release
on Saturday. Local
President Khondoker Ashik
Iqbal inaugurated the event
with the presence of JCI
Bangladesh National
President Niaz Morshed
Elite, National Board
Members, past national
Presidents, Dhaka South
Board members and all
general members.
The South Chapter
recognised the support and
guidance received from the
National Board which was
mentioned by National
President in his speech.
Past National Presidents
gave their guidance and
encouragement in their
speeches.
GD-209/21 (5 x 4)
GD-207/21 (7 x 4)
US formally moves to end terror
designation of Yemen Huthis
WASHINGTON, Feb 6, 2021 (BSS/AFP) -
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
formally moved Friday to delist Yemen's
Huthi rebels as terrorists, a short-lived step
by the previous administration that
humanitarian groups said jeopardized
crucial aid. "We have formally notified
Congress of the secretary's intent to revoke
these designations," a State Department
spokesperson said. The move, which will
take effect shortly, comes a day after
President Joe Biden announced an end to
US support for Saudi-led offensive
operations in Yemen, where more than 80
percent of the population is surviving on aid.
"This decision has nothing to do with our
view of the Huthis and their reprehensible
conduct, including attacks against civilians
and the kidnapping of American citizens,"
the spokesperson said.
"We are committed to helping Saudi
Arabia defend its territory against further
such attacks. Our action is due entirely to the
humanitarian consequences of this lastminute
designation from the prior
administration, which the United Nations
and humanitarian organizations have since
made clear would accelerate the world's
worst humanitarian crisis."
Aid groups say that they have no choice but
to deal with the Huthis, who are the de facto
government in much of Yemen including the
capital Sanaa, and that the terrorist
designation would put them at risk of
prosecution in the United States. Blinken's
predecessor Mike Pompeo announced the
designation days before leaving office last
month, pointing to the Huthis' links to Iran,
an arch-enemy for former president Donald
Trump, and a deadly attack on the airport in
Yemen's second city of Aden on December 30.
Twitter condemns Myanmar's
move to block access
BANGKOK : Twitter on Saturday
condemned Myanmar's move to block
access to its platform as part of a
broadening crackdown on social media,
days after a coup that imprisoned Aung
San Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders. "It
undermines the public conversation and
the rights of people to make their voices
heard," a spokesperson for the platform
said. "We will continue to advocate to end
destructive government-led shutdowns."
Telenor, one of the country's main
telecoms providers, earlier confirmed that
authorities had ordered a blockade to
Twitter and Instagram "until further
notice" on Friday. Myanmar's de facto
leader Suu Kyi and president Win Myint
were detained in Monday dawn raids by
the military.
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SUNDAY, febRUARY 7, 2021
3
Major General Md Mahbubur Rahman of Director General, Directorate General of Drug
Administration addressing a seminar organized marking World Cancer Day.
Photo : ISPR
CU Prof Kamrul
Huda passes away
CHATTOGRAM : Former acting
Registrar Dr. Kamrul Huda, also
a professor of Botany
Department under CU passed
away Friday night at Bangladesh
Spine and Orthopaedic Hospital
in Kalyanpur in Dhaka.
He left behind his Mother,
wife, one son, one daughter and a
host of colleagues, students,
relatives and well-wishers to
mourn his death. Professor Sirajud-Dollah,
student advisor of
Chattogram University confirm
his death to BSS.
Earlier, Professor Kamrul
Huda received serious injury in a
road accident on January 27 at
city's CRB area. He was admitted
to Chattogram Medical College
Hospital, later he was shifted to
Bangladesh Spine and
Orthopaedic Hospital in
Kalyanpur, Dhaka according to
the doctor's advice. A former
acting registrar of Chattogram
University, Prof Kamrul served at
different capacities including
General Secretary of Chattogram
University Teachers Association
in his lifetime.
CU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr.
Shirine Akter in a message of
condolence expressed her deep
shocked and profound sympathy
to bereaved family members.
His first Namaj-e-Janaja was
held at Jamiatul Falah Mosque
premises at 11 am, 2nd Namaj-e-
Janaja held at CU Campus after
Zohour Prayer and he buried at his
native village Katirhat under
Hathazari upazila of the district
after 3rd Namaj-e-Janaja at 5 pm.
DIU celebrates
'Nat’l Library Day'
Bangladesh National Library
Day 2021 was celebrated at
Daffodil Int’l University with
the motto 'Pledge of Mujib Year
is to establish Library in room
to room'. On this occasion, a
colorful rally was brought out at
the permanent campus of
Daffodil Smart City, Ashulia
yesterday. The rally was led by
Prof. Dr. SM Mahabub - Ul
Haque Majumdar, Acting Vice
Chancellor of the University.
Professor Dr. Engineer AKM
Fazlul Hoque, Registrar, Dr.
Milon Khan, Librarian and other
officials and students of the
Deptt of Information Science
and Library Management also
participated the rally.
During the inauguration of the
rally, the speakers briefly
discussed the importance and
necessity of the library in the field
of education. They also expressed
that the various aspects of
Daffodil University's rich and
unobstructed database with
online-offline library facilities.
JCI to work for
underprivileged
people
DHAKA : Junior Chamber International
(JCI), Dhaka South
chapter has decided to work to
improve the life of underprivileged
people and build and develop
entrepreneurship in collaboration
with different organisations,
reports UNB.
In its first general members'
meeting,the yearly plan was
also published along with other
reports, said a media release on
Saturday. Local President
Khondoker Ashik Iqbal inaugurated
the event with the presence
of JCI Bangladesh National
President Niaz Morshed
Elite, National Board Members,
past national Presidents,
Dhaka South Board members
and all general members.
KCC mayor will take first
vaccine in Khulna today
KHULNA : V accination programme will be
inaugurated in Khulna at Khulna Medical
College (KMC) at 10 am today.
Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukder
Abdul Khaleque will be inaugurated the vaccination
programme by receiving the inoculation
of corona virus.
Describing the various step by the government
to make vaccination programme a total
success, the Mayor urged people to be taken
vaccine after completion of registration
through apps www.surokhha.gov.bd.
He made the remarks in a press briefing held
at the deputy commissioner's conference room
yesterday as the chief guest.
The mayor said everybody should be aware
against who are spreading rumours and propaganda
about covid-19 vaccination, adding,
journalists can play vital role against such type
of vested quarters. He asked authorities of different
government hospitals to provide 24
hours service for whom to be taken vaccine if
he become sick.
Chaired by Khulna deputy commissioner Md
Helal Hossain, Khulna Civil Surgeon Dr Newaz
Mahmud, Director of Khulna Medical College
Hospital Dr Manjur Morshed, Khulna Medical
College vice Principal Dr Mehedi Newaz, KCC
Health Officer Dr Abdullah, Superintendant of
Khulna Police Md Shafiullah, among others,
addressed the occasion.
While addressing the inaugural speech,
Khulna Civil Surgeon Dr Newaz Mahmud said,
a total of thirteen inoculation centers have
been set up in Khulna City Corporation while
nine inoculation centers in each upazila health
complex for the implementation of covid-19
vaccination activities.
Khulna Medical College Hospital, Khulna
General Hospital, Office of the Civil Surgeon,
Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialised Hospital,
Khalishpur Lal Hospital, Khalishpur Nagar
Matrisadan, Tutpara Taltola Matrisadan
Hospital, Amira Banu Nagar Matrisadan,
Baitipara Nagar Matrisadan, Phulbarigate Chest
Disease Hospital, Bangladesh Navy Upashom
Hospital and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)
Hospital are the vaccination point of Khulna City
Corporation.
A total of 56 team including 29 in the KCC
will get first doze vaccine to 84 thousand people
in next two week and second doze will get
by next 12 week.
The Civil Surgeon said at least 13,000 people
so far completion registration in Khulna,
adding that 6000 people will get vaccine every
day. He also added a total of 1,68,000 vaccinations
have reached in Khulna. Inoculation will
continue in all Khulna centers from 8.00 am to
4.00 pm every day.
With the motto 'Pledge of Mujib Year is to establish Library in room to room'
Daffodil International University brought out a colorful rally at the permanent
campus of Daffodil Smart City at Ashulia.
Hasan unveils memorial
plaque in Kolkata for
2 Indian journalists
DHAKA : Information Minister Dr
Hasan Mahmud yesterday unveiled a
memorial plaque in Kolkata for journalists
Dipak Bandopadhyay and Surajit
Ghoshal of West Bengal, India, who sacrificed
their lives in the Liberation War
of Bangladesh.
The minister, now visiting Kolkata,
unveiled the plaque on the premises of
Kolkata Press Club before going to
Brigade Parade Ground associated with
the memories of Bangabandhu, said a
release here.
Speaking on the occasion, Hasan said
though the countries are divided, the
minds of the people of Bangladesh and
India could not be divided.
He said Bangladesh is now moving forward
maintaining the deep relations
between the two nations. The country
(Bangladesh) is now on the way of building
'Sonar Bangla' dreamt by Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman under the dynamic leadership of
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina astonishing
the whole world, said Hasan, also
Awami League joint general secretary.
Parliamentary Standing Committee on
Information Ministry Chairman Saimum
Sarwar Kamal, Bangladesh High
Commissioner to India Mohammad Imran,
Kolkata Deputy High Commissioner Towfiq
Hasan, Kolkata Press Club President
Snehashish Sur and secretary Kingshuk
Pramanik, AL Deputy Publicity Secretary
Aminul Islam, officials of the information
ministry and actors, among others, joined
the function.
Snehashish said India, without the
then journalists, would not have been
able to know how Bangladeshis had
spent their days at that time.
He said not only the duo, a total of 13
journalists sacrificed their lives in the
War of Liberation of Bangladesh and
the Press Club published a book on
this issue marking the hundred years
of the foundation of the club.
Later the minister joined a lunch and discussion
organised by banglaworld.com.
Hasan exchanged views with former chief
justice of Kolkata and Mumbai High Courts
Chithatosh Mukharjee and other members
of the organization.
Screening of Daughter's Tale
connects Kolkata audience
DHAKA : As the dawn broke on August 15,
1975, her phone rang ominously when she
and her sister were at the house of a
diplomat in Belgium, oceans away from
her homeland.
It foreshadowed the ordeals about to
dawn on her life as her father, also the
Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, was killed in a military
coup in her homeland Bangladesh.
With the fall of the status of a president's
daughter, her host in Belgium took no time
to change his mind, refusing even to offer
his car to lift her to the airport. All her life
stories, the turns and twists, from that year
onwards, spanning over four decades,
came alive through the docufiction 2018-
Hasina: A Daughter's Tale.
As it was rescreened at Nandan-I during
the inauguration of the Third Bangladesh
Film Festival in Kolkata on Friday, some
viewers could not hold back tears since
they could relate to the story of a lady and
also the land she belongs to, with which
they share cultural and linguistic
similarities.
This film festival was part of an array of
programmes that the country's
Information Ministry and the deputy
high commission in Kolkata are hosting
in the city to commemorate the birth
anniversary of Bangladesh's Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman and the 50thyear of
the independence of Bangladesh.
Nat’l Library
Day observed
at IU
ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY :
The National Library Day
was observed at Islamic
University (IU) in Kushtia
yesterday with a befitting
manner. Marking the day,
the university authorities
brought out a colourful
procession around 11.00
am from Khademul
Haramain Badsha Fahad
Bin Abdul Aziz Central
Library on the campus
maintaining social
distance in the pandemic
situation. The procession
ended at the same place
after parading the main
streets of the university.
Later, a discussion
programme was also held
in front of the library
building to mark the day
chaired by library incharge
S M Abdul Latif.
IU acting registrar M
Ataur Rahman addressed
the event as the chief
guest while over 50
officials and staff of the
library attended the
programme conducted by
deputy librarian Abdul
Aziz.
While addressing the
meeting, the speakers
said the library plays an
important role to make
the people enlightened.
To make a civilized
society every person
should make a good
relationship with the
library.
One held
with huge
yaba tablets
in Ctg
CHATTOGRAM : Police in
a drive arrested an alleged
drug peddler with one lakh
pieces of contraband yaba
tablets from Dohazari area
under Chandanaish
upazila of the district
yesterday.
The arrested drug
peddler was identified as
Rabiul Islam Tutul, 34,
son of Shamsul Hoque,
hailed from Satiya upazila
in Pabna district. Police
also seized a pickup van
and a private car.
On a tip-off, a team of
police conducted a drive in
the area at about 5 am and
arrested Rabiul with the
yaba tablets from a pickup
van, said SM Rashidul
Haque, Superintendent of
Chattogram district police.
A case was filed with
Chandanaish police
station in this connection.
Though the docudrama continued to
impress the global audience, it touched the
viewers of Kolkata more since part of
Sheikh Hasina's life was spent in India and
that was well portrayed in the film.
Besides, its background score was
composed and the theme song sung by
Debojyoti Mishra, an Indian music
composer.
Bengal minister Bratya Basu and
Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan
Shringla were present at the
inauguration of the film festival.
The film - directed by Piplu Khan and
produced by the Centre for Research and
Information and Applebox Films - on
Hasina has won international acclaim
because it reflected on the untold stories of
her life as the daughter of Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, not as her life as
the prime minister of the country. In an
attempt to get a peek into her life, the
camera has followed her inside her kitchen
and library.
"Sheikh Hasina's life with all the twists
and turns and her journey as the daughter
of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
has come alive on screen and we think all
of you will like it," said Information
Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, who
inaugurated the film festival.
Thirty-two Bangladeshi films would be
screened at the festival. On account of
popular demand, the film on Hasina would
be screened again at Nandan-II on Sunday
Covid vaccine doses
reach Chattogram
CHATTOGRAM : As Bangladesh plans to
begin it's mass inoculation drive from
Sunday, Covid-19 vaccine doses have
arrived in 14 upazilas of Chattogram.
The nationwide inoculation programme
will be inaugurated by the Health
Minister.
District Civil Surgeon Sheikh Fazle
Rabbi said consignments of the
Covishield vaccine were sent to the upazila
offices from EPI store on Friday. "They
have been kept at the cold storage facilities
of the Upazila Health Complexes."
According to the District Civil Surgeon's
office, a list has already been prepared for
distributing the vaccine of which,
1,54,905 doses have been kept across 15
booths in Chattogram city only, while the
remaining 3,01,095 doses will be available
in the 14 upazilas of the district.
Some 31.5 thousand doses have been
sent to Patiya upazila, 15,524 doses to
Anwara, 25,841 to Bashkhali, 13,372 to
Boalkhali, 13,965 to Chandanish, 31,525
to Fatikchhari, 25,876 to Hathazari,
LGRD Minister Tajul Islam speaking after inaugurating a water treatment
plant in Narayangaj on Saturday.
Photo : Courtesy
Bangladesh Embassy in
Washington introduces
passport-tracking system
DHAKA : The Bangladesh Embassy in
Washington, D.C. has introduced a tracking
system to enable applicants to know the status
of their passport, visa, No Visa Required
(NVR) seal and dual nationality certificate,
reports UNB.
This is being done as part of improving
consular service coinciding the celebration of
the "Mujib Borsho", the birth centenary of
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman, said the Embassy on
Saturday.
The system was inaugurated by
evening, said the organisers.
It took around five years to make the
one-hour-ten-minute film, which captures
through Hasina's eyes the heyday of
freedom struggle in Bangladesh, the
capturing of her father by the Pakistani
forces, and finally, the assassination of
Bangabandhu and his entire family.
Several commentators have called the film,
narrated in her voice, a brief history of
Bangladesh as Bangabandhu is at the
center of the neighboring country's history.
"Bangabandhu is an asset of both the
Bengal on two sides of the border as well as
that of the world... People involved in the
world of art and culture on two sides of the
border should come forward and
collaborate in making films on
Bangabandhu and the Liberation War and
that would be a befitting tribute to this
great man," said Bratya Basu, science,
technology, and biotechnology minister in
the Mamata Banerjee cabinet.
Earlier, the film was rescreened at the
51stInternational Film Festival of India
organised in Goa.
Reached out for comments about the
film's international tour, its director Piplu
Khan said, "People had prior thought that
it would be a typical narrative on the prime
minister.
But, it is less-explored aspects of her life
that intrigued them. They were asking how
we made this, why my first moviemaking
venture chose this topic."
16,776 to Lohagarah, 23,896 to Mirsarai,
20,317 to Rangunia, 19,349 to Raozan,
16,697 to Sandwip, 23,062 to Satkania
and 23,244 to Sitakunda.
Dr Mohammad Jabed, Patiya Upazila
Health officer, said, "If everything goes as
planned, people who have registered for
taking the jab will receive the shot after
the inauguration of the mass vaccination
programme. People who have to carry a
copy of the registration document."
Already a team of healthcare workers
from the upazila hospital has been trained
for administering the vaccine to people,
he said.
On January 27, Prime Minister Sheikh
virtually launched the Covid-19 vaccination
programme at Kurmitola General
Hospital.
At the inaugural event, five people were
vaccinated in the virtual presence of the
Prime Minister. Runu Veronica Costa, a
senior staff nurse at Kurmitola General
Hospital, was the first to get the shot in
the country.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA M
Shahidul Islam.
"We hope that the tracking system will
reduce the anxiety of our consular service
seekers," said the Ambassador.
The tracking system will allow applicants
to know the dates their applications are
received as well as their documents dispatched.
It will inform the applicants at all
stages of processing of their applications.
The system will also generate email messages
keeping the applicant informed of the
status of the service requested.

SunDAy, FeBRuARy 7, 2021
4
Strict laws are needed to prevent the sale of e-cigarettes online
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Sunday, February 7, 2021
Bangladesh Bank
on the spot
Bangladesh Bank (BB) is the central Bank of the
country. We must all realizer that BB is just no
ordinary bank. It is the apex bank of the country
in the sense of regulatory powers it enjoys in relation
to all other commercial or scheduled banks in the
country and alsonon banking financial institutions
(NBFIs). In sum, it is at the heart of the financial
system of the country. The role it plays in watching
over the activities of banks and NBFIs reserves for it a
place of great trust and reliability in the financial
arena.
Should a bank or financial institution err in its policy
implementation or succumb to corruption or other
irregularities, it is BB that has the responsibility of
admonishing it, investigating its affairs, giving of
directives to it to improve and as a last resort to
intervene in its management directly to force it to cure
its sickness in any form. BB is expected to play this role
wherever and whenever the need arises in respect of
each scheduled bank or NBFI with the aim that the
health of the financial sector as a whole can be
scrupulously maintained always.
Thus, when it was reported only days ago that
serious allegations of corruption committed by
certain high ranking officials of BB were made in the
confessional statement of the managing director of a
leasing company who was arrested and taken into
custody by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC),
the news must have triggered shock waves in the
minds of all who have a stake in the integrity of our
financial system. The confessor in his statement
unambiguously disclosed that one former deputy
Governor of BB himself, plus one Executive Director
was sheltering and protecting a bunch of high level
officials in BB as they helped the notorious P K Haldar
in pulling out thousands of crores of Taka from
certain banks and NBFIs and laundering such monies
abroad.
The two allegedly also persuaded other top officials
of BB who went out for inspections in the affected
banks and NBFIs to hide the crimes and give a clean
bill of health in their functioning in their reports. In
return, they received big sums of bribe money
fromHaldar and associates for their cooperation. The
accused Deputy Governor and Executive Director of
BB were receiving payoffs from Haldar to ensure that
BB's inspections never unveiled what crimes were
being committed so flagrantly.
We are dumb struck by these reports. But would like
to thank the ACC for getting this confession from a key
player in the crookery. Indeed, the ACC has been
playing a commendable role in recent months in first
finding out the enormous of the thefts and swindling
committed by Haldar and his accomplices. It appears
that ACC could successfully lay its hands on most of
these persons and their stashed away ill gotten wealth
; their monies and properties ( locally available) have
been already seized. ACC is now actively engaged in
bringing back Haldar from Canada through
INTERPOL and diplomatic contacts with his host
country.
But we would specially like to applaud ACC's actions
because their vigilance has led to the unearthing of
such a serious gang of crooks within the upper
echelon of the BB. Now that they have been identified,
we like to feel assured that the highest authorities in
the country will leave nothing not done to flush very
clean from top to bottom this pivotal organization with
which is crucially connected the financial health of the
country. It must not be business as usual like
temporarily taking departmental actions such as
suspension of the identified in their jobs, keeping their
jobs while investigations go on, etc. The services of the
accused must be terminated with immediate effect.
Even the ones in BB who have had indirect
collaborative relations with them, they too should be
relieved of their duties and made to stand in the dock.
Of course, we are not saying that those who may prove
their innocence after fair investigations, they shall not
be considered for reappointment. But that is another
matter and time will tell. For now, people want to see
hard penal measures against the group that have been
connected with heinous immoral activities and crimes
sufficient to mar the good name and standing of BB.
BB's reputation as the guardian of the country's
financial system must be saved and salvaged come
what may.
We are fully aware that BB as an institution has been
performing above average. Indeed its leadership
under different Governors have been doing a great
deal of positive things such as successively adopting
correct monetary policies for the country,
attractinginnovatively inward remittances,
operationalizing correct policy moves to help reduce
the economic impact of the pandemic, etc. We do not
mean to ignore these undesirable positive
achievements of our central bank. But a country's
central bank must be like a foolproof organization that
cannot allow even a small cancer in its body to remain
lest it starts grows alarmingly undermining its
viability. It must be cut off at the outset.
People always like change. Likes to get
acquainted with new things. As a
result, some good things as well as
some bad things are included in this list of
changes. E-cigarettes are such a new and
interesting thing. But it has no benefit, more
than 20 countries have already banned it for
the sake of harm. However, the prevalence
of e-cigarettes in our country has been
increasing so much recently that it is being
sold and displayed online on various e-
commerce sites. As a result, the youth are
attracted to the unscrupulous attraction of
e-cigarettes and can easily buy and use e-
cigarettes online. This is mainly due to the
lack of specific laws.
An e-cigarette is a battery-powered device
that looks a lot like a cigarette. Although it
does not contain tobacco, it does contain
enough nicotine. However, in the modern
era, e-cigarettes include Vap mods, Jules,
Vap pens. There is a misconception among
many that these types of cigarettes do not
contain as much nicotine as conventional
ones.
Again, many people think that these
battery-powered cigarettes play a role in
reducing the addiction to cigarettes, but the
reality is different. Studies have shown that
the amount of nicotine in e-cigarettes is
enough to cause addiction. And if someone
starts smoking through e-cigarettes, then
that person is more likely to become
addicted to smoking in the future. In fact,
electronic products like e-cigarettes help in
absorbing nicotine. It helps to smoke liquid
cartridges filled with nicotine, perfume and
other ingredients with heat. Since these e-
cigarettes contain liquids instead of tobacco,
Making the US-UK relationship special again
If there were a meter that ranked
satisfaction at 10 Downing Street, London,
on a scale from one to 10, I can guarantee
that it was registering about 15 the other
day, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson
became the first world leader outside the
Americas to receive a phone call from new
US President Joe Biden. The call
demolished two myths at an early stage:
That Biden's Irish heritage and some
careless remarks made by Johnson years
ago would make the president ill-disposed
toward the UK and its leader; and that the
decision of the UK to leave the EU redefined
it as less relevant to both US and world
politics.
Both nations can be pleased at such an
early reset, which is beneficial to each.
Although for different reasons, the US and
the UK both started the year with
reputational issues that needed addressing.
The US is seen very differently after four
traumatic years of Donald Trump. The
world has changed, and the storming of the
Capitol suggested the US has changed too -
but no one is quite sure where it is going.
Re-establishing its relationships,
particularly with long-standing allies, is a
vital precursor to facing the challenges
ahead.
Brexit led to questions surrounding the
wisdom of the UK in untethering itself from
the EU in its never-ending search for a postempire
role. Accordingly, recognizing the
UK's formidable reach through that early
call is highly significant. The US
establishment's acknowledgement of the
UK's strategic importance - beginning with
the country's leadership of the UN Security
Council (UNSC) this month and its hosting
Large-scale protests continue to take
place across Russia in response to the
arrest and conviction of Russian
opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Social media is full of videos showing
protesters being violently subdued, beaten
and detained by Russian security forces.
More than 5,000 people have been arrested
this week alone.
For years, Russian President Vladimir
Putin and those around him insisted that
Navalny was not a threat. His role in leading
the main political opposition against the
Kremlin was always downplayed. The recent
actions taken by the Russian government
prove the opposite to be the case, however.
Navalny has been on the Russian political
scene for years and has served as the de facto
leader of the opposition for about a decade.
He has grown in popularity mostly through
his use of social media, on which he has
millions of followers, to expose the
corruption of Putin and his cronies.
In an assassination attempt in August
2020, Russian security forces poisoned
Navalny in eastern Russia with Novichok, a
military-grade nerve agent. He was
transported to a hospital in Germany in the
nick of time and recovered. To the surprise of
many, Navalny and his wife decided to
RezAuR RAhmAn RIzvI
it is assumed that this type of cigarette does
not produce any smoke. In fact, e-cigarettes
are also encouraging people to smoke who
may never have thought about smoking.
One of the reasons for this is that in the case
of ordinary or conventional cigarettes,
although there are products of different
companies, only cigarettes wrapped in
copper can be seen. But as these cigarettes
have different options in terms of size,
smokers will also get some freedom in terms
of flavor. And once you become proficient in
these cigarettes, it is normal to want to use
conventional cigarettes. Electronic
cigarettes are available in a variety of fruit
flavors.
According to the researchers, the
combination of sugar or sweeteners with
nicotine strengthens the addiction to this
type of cigarette. This is an addictive feature
of this product. Just as the sudden rise in
demand for e-cigarettes is due in large part
to the fact that different flavors are
associated with the addition of sweeteners to
make more addictive products in the distant
future. According to the Global Center for
Good Governance in Tobacco Control
(GGTC), 41 countries have banned the sale
of the G7 and COP26 summits later this
year, while also still containing an
institutional intelligence and defense
alliance with the US ranking above all
others - will have been noticed. In a world
that badly needs evidence of the likeminded
coming together, an unnecessary
rift between Washington and London
would sit ill.
But what real difference might this
alliance and relationship make? Clues
might be found in the just-published
agenda of the UNSC for the UK presidency,
and in Joe Biden's subsequent first foreign
policy speech. Both highlighted areas, not
only of national priority to each, but also
where only concerted international action
will pull the world back from potential
disaster and disruption. They had a
welcome symmetry, and the UK will have
noted where it might have influence in
common causes.
The first item is climate change, and no
one should underestimate just how
important this issue is to both leaders. I
strongly suspect that Biden sees it as
perhaps the real legacy issue for his
administration, not just making up for
Trump, but putting a revived US green
economy firmly behind the radical changes
ALISTAIR BuRT
LuKe CoFFey
required. "Empires fall," as the musical
"Hamilton" reminds us, but "oceans rise"
and we do not get a second chance with the
planet. Johnson feels the same, and has
long championed the environment and
wildlife in his career. COP26 is his legacy
issue, and the two of them urging each other
on further could be one of the year's stories.
The Middle East should be pleased with this
emphasis, where attention to renewables,
sustainability and new technologies in some
countries is making it a key partner.
The second UNSC agenda item of the
British is the coronavirus disease (COVID-
Both nations can be pleased at such an early reset, which is beneficial to each. Although
for different reasons, the uS and the uK both started the year with reputational issues
that needed addressing. The uS is seen very differently after four traumatic years of
Donald Trump. The world has changed, and the storming of the Capitol suggested the
uS has changed too - but no one is quite sure where it is going.
19) and there are opportunities here for
joint action. The need to avoid vaccine
nationalism, and the world's poor being
blighted by non-delivery, will grow urgent
this year. The UK's lead as a major donor in
global health sustainability, through Covax
and Gavi, must be well supported by a US
returning to multilateral action. It is not too
late to heed UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres' call for COVID-19 to be a bridge
between nations, for conflicts throughout
the Middle East to be brought to a close, and
for states in the region faced with threats
from disease beyond their borders to work
collectively, not least for the self-interested
principle that my neighbor's virus could kill
No end in sight to Russian protests
return to Russia last month. Upon arrival, he
was arrested on dubious charges.
Ever defiant, on the night of his arrest he
called for his compatriots to "take to the
streets." Many of them obliged. Since then
tens of thousands of citizens have taken part
in demonstrations in towns and cities across
Russia. On Feb. 2, as he sat in a glass box in
a crowded courtroom, he was handed a
prison sentence of almost three years. As the
judge read the ruling, Navalny stood
defiantly, a smile on his face, and made a
"heart" sign with his hands to his wife.
His conviction and prison sentence mark a
turning point in the Kremlin's thinking.
Although he had been arrested numerous
times, until now the Russian authorities
were hesitant to send him to prison. There
was concern that doing so would turn him
into a political martyr, potentially making
him even more dangerous to the Kremlin.
This calculus has changed. Because of all
the international attention Navalny has
brought to his case, and because of the
massive turnout of protesters on the streets
across Russia, the Kremlin now believes him
to be a bigger threat outside of prison then he
is behind bars. Time will tell if this
assumption is correct.
Putin's crackdown on Navalny and the
and distribution of e-cigarettes.
Studies have shown that young and adult
smokers prefer flavored electronic cigarettes
to nicotine-containing cigarettes. Smokers
do not want to use e-cigarettes without
flavor. And sadly, this flavor increases the
amount of damage. Although flavored
cigarettes were banned in the United States
The FDA has not yet recognized the use of e-cigarettes to
reduce smoking. In addition, e-cigarettes help quit smoking
in some cases, but in most cases it is just as harmful as regular
cigarettes. It is not yet known which is more harmful or
how safe it is to use e-cigarettes. So for now it is better to
refrain from using e-cigarettes.
in 2009, e-cigarettes have not been affected,
as the non-tobacco product does not fall into
the category of cigarettes. Asked about this,
Jul said the company is working with the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to
reduce cigarette addiction among young
people. But the current situation says
otherwise. Chemicals, oils, flavors and
nicotine in e-cigarettes create aerosols when
exposed to heat. The resulting fine particles
are similar in size to tobacco particles, which
can reach the lungs. Most of the chemicals in
these cigarettes are toxic to the cells.
However, it is difficult to understand how
harmful its effects are. This is because the
chemical composition and composition of
each cigarette is different. Scented or
flavored cigarettes may contain less nicotine
than tobacco cigarettes used in smoking. But
inhalation of chemicals used for these
political opposition means relations between
Russia and the US under the Biden
administration are off to a bad start. During
President Joe Biden's first telephone call
with his Russian counterpart, a few days
after his inauguration, he raised the issue of
Navalny's poisoning. The US State
Department has also been clear in its
condemnation of the crackdown on, and
arbitrary arrests of, protesters across Russia.
The sentiment has been shared by many of
America's partners in Europe. Practically
speaking, there is very little the US and its
allies can do to influence Navalny's fate - but
remaining silent could be seen as tacit
approval. It is possible for the US and its
partners to implement targeted economic
sanctions against those responsible for
Navalny's arrest and the crackdown on
peaceful protesters. However, doing so is
unlikely to change Moscow's behavior.
It is also important that US and other
Western policymakers keep their eyes wide
open when it comes to Navalny. While there
is little doubt that he genuinely wants to fight
corruption and bring democratic reforms to
his country, his views on Russian foreign
policy are strikingly similar to those of Putin.
In fact, Navalny supported some of the most
contentious Russian foreign policy acts that
perfumes is harmful to health. In addition, if
you use a faulty e-cigarette, it may explode
and cause an accident.
The FDA has not yet recognized the use of
e-cigarettes to reduce smoking. In addition,
e-cigarettes help quit smoking in some
cases, but in most cases it is just as harmful
as regular cigarettes. It is not yet known
which is more harmful or how safe it is to
use e-cigarettes. So for now it is better to
refrain from using e-cigarettes.
Recently, e-cigarettes are being sold in
Bangladesh through various online e-
commerce sites. Hundreds of different types
of e-cigarettes are being sold and displayed
online with discounts and cashback offers.
In some cases, sales of e-cigarettes are also
being increased by reducing delivery
charges or making delivery free. People of
any age can buy e-cigarettes online as there
is no age limit. Users are being attracted
with all the flashy ads and misinformation.
There is no specific law in Bangladesh to
prevent the sale and display of e-cigarettes.
Despite the threat to public health due to
lack of law, e-cigarettes are being sold and
displayed freely. In this case, the only law
can prevent the sale and display of e-
cigarettes in various ways, including online.
Therefore, the government and all
concerned are requested to enact strict laws
to prevent the sale, marketing and display of
e-cigarettes as soon as possible to save the
present and future generations.
Rezaur Rahman Rizvi: Media
Manager, Tobacco Control Project,
Dhaka Ahsania Mission
me. Those who reach out to help others will
be remembered. Bringing the like-minded
together, and challenging the reluctant and
skeptical, will be easier, and more
successful, now that 'America is back.'
Thirdly, the politics of the Middle East,
another element of President Biden's
speech, features high on the UK's UN
agenda, with Syria, Iraq and Yemen named
specifically. These issues provide an early
opportunity to gauge the new Biden team,
which is full of previous administration
experience, and for them to demonstrate
that they know the world they have
returned to is not 2016 anymore. Their
appetite for involvement will be scrutinized.
I think the UK will want to encourage the
US in terms of a clear-eyed negotiation over
Iran, recognizing the interests of Arab
partners and Israel, but will also perhaps
press for a realistic new approach between
Israel and Palestine in light of the changed
region and world.
Global challenges abound. The UK will be
at the center of the diplomatic machinery
setting a course for the post-COVID-19
world. Bringing the like-minded together,
and challenging the reluctant and skeptical,
will be easier, and more successful, now that
"America is back."
Alistair Burt is a former UK
Member of Parliament who has
twice held ministerial positions in
the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office - as Parliamentary Under
Secretary of State from 2010 to 2013
and as Minister of State for the
Middle East from 2017 to 2019.
Twitter: @AlistairBurtUK
created the most friction between the West
and the Kremlin.
In 2008, he supported Russia's invasion of
Georgia, and once called for Georgians to be
kicked out of Russia. In 2014, he supported
the illegal annexation of Crimea by Moscow -
which is considered by the international
community to be part of Ukraine.
Despite coming across as a progressive
and liberal-minded politician, Navalny has
shown disdain for some minority groups. In
a blog post he once used a racist term to
describe Georgians (he later apologized for
this). He has called for immigrants from
Central Asia to be deported - seemingly tone
deaf to the historical echoes that words such
as "deportation" have for some minority
groups in Russia, especially those that are
Muslim. He has also compared people from
the predominately Muslim North Caucasus
to cockroaches. Navalny is a Russian
nationalist. While he stands for reforms and
democracy at home, he holds some unsavory
positions and opinions that are troubling for
those in the West.
Luke Coffey is director of the
Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for
Foreign Policy at the Heritage
Foundation. Twitter: @LukeDCoffey

SUnDAy, FeBrUAry 7, 2021
5
The coronavirus is a master of mixing its genome
roxAnne KhAmSi
In recent weeks, scientists have
sounded the alarm about new
variants of the coronavirus that carry
a handful of tiny mutations, some of
which seem to make vaccines less
effective. But it is not just these small
genetic changes that are raising
concerns. The novel coronavirus has
a propensity to mix large chunks of its
genome when it makes copies of
itself. Unlike small mutations, which
are like typos in the sequence, a
phenomenon called recombination
resembles a major copy-and-paste
error in which the second half of a
sentence is completely overwritten
with a slightly different version.
A flurry of new studies suggests that
recombination may allow the virus to
shapeshift in dangerous ways. But in
the long term, this biological
machinery may offer a silver lining,
helping researchers find drugs to stop
the virus in its tracks.
"There's no question that
recombination is happening," said
Nels Elde, an evolutionary geneticist
at the University of Utah. "And in
fact, it's probably a bit
underappreciated and could be at
play even in the emergence of some of
the new variants of concern."
The coronavirus mutations that
most people have heard about, such
as those in the B.1.351 variant first
detected in South Africa, are changes
in a single "letter" of the virus's long
genetic sequence, or RNA. Because
the virus has a robust system for
proofreading its RNA code, these
small mutations are relatively rare.
Recombination, in contrast, is rife
in coronaviruses. Researchers at
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
led by virologist Mark Denison
recently studied how things go awry
during replication in three
coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-
2, which causes Covid. The team
found that all three viruses showed
"extensive" recombination when
replicating separately in the
laboratory.
Scientists worry that recombination
might allow for different variants of
the coronavirus to combine into more
dangerous versions inside of a
person's body. The B.1.1.7 variant first
detected in Britain, for example, had
more than a dozen mutations that
seemed to appear suddenly.
Dr. Elde said that recombination
may have merged mutations from
different variants that arose
spontaneously within the same
person over time or that co-infected
someone simultaneously. For now,
he said, that idea is speculative: "It's
really hard to see these invisible scars
from a recombination event." And
although getting infected with two
variants at once is possible, it's
thought to be rare.
Katrina Lythgoe, an evolutionary
epidemiologist at the Oxford Big Data
Institute in Britain, is skeptical that
co-infection happens often. "But the
new variants of concern have taught
us that rare events can still have a big
impact," she added.
Recombination might also allow
two different coronaviruses from the
same taxonomic group to swap some
of their genes. To examine that risk
more closely, Dr. Elde and his
colleagues compared the genetic
sequences of many different
coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-
2 and some of its distant relatives
known to infect pigs and cattle.
Using specially developed software,
the scientists highlighted the places
where those viruses' sequences
aligned and matched - and where
Coronavirus test samples being unpacked in the Bonsignori Lab of Duke University this week.
Photo: Pete Kiehart
they didn't. The software suggested
that over the past couple of centuries
of the viruses' evolution, many of the
recombination events involved
segments that made the spike
protein, which helps the virus enter
human cells. That's troubling, the
scientists said, because it could be a
route through which one virus
essentially equips another to infect
people.
"Through this recombination, a
virus that can't infect people could
recombine with a virus like SARS-
CoV-2 and take the sequence for
spike, and could become able to infect
people," said Stephen Goldstein, an
evolutionary virologist who worked
on the study.
The findings, which were posted
online on Thursday but have not yet
been published in a scientific journal,
offered fresh evidence that related
coronaviruses are quite promiscuous
in terms of recombining with each
other. There were also many
sequences that cropped up in the
coronaviruses that seemed to come
out of nowhere.
"In some cases, it almost looks like
there's sequence dropping in from
outer space, from coronaviruses we
don't even know about yet," Dr. Elde
said. The recombination of
coronaviruses across totally different
groups has not been closely studied,
in part because such experiments
would potentially have to undergo
government review in the United
States because of safety risks.
Feng Gao, a virologist at Jinan
University in Guangzhou, China, said
that although the new software from
the Utah researchers found unusual
sequences in coronaviruses, that
doesn't provide ironclad evidence for
recombination. It could simply be
that they evolved that way on their
own.
"Diversity, no matter how much,
does not mean recombination," Dr.
Gao said. "It can well be caused by
huge diversification during viral
evolution." Scientists have limited
knowledge about whether
recombination could give rise to new
pandemic coronaviruses, said
Vincent Munster, a viral ecologist
with the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases who has
studied coronaviruses for years.
Still, that evidence is growing. In a
study released in July and formally
published today, Dr. Munster and his
collaborators suggested that
recombination is likely how both
SARS-CoV-2 and the virus behind the
original SARS outbreak in 2003 both
ended up with a version of the spike
protein that allows them to deftly
enter human cells. That spike protein
binds to a particular entry point in
human cells called ACE2. That paper
calls for greater surveillance of
coronaviruses to see if there are
others that use ACE2 and may thus
pose similar threats to people.
Some scientists are studying
recombination machinery not only to
fend off the next pandemic, but to
help fight this one. For example, in
his recent study on the
recombination of three
coronaviruses, Dr. Denison of
Vanderbilt found that blocking an
enzyme known as nsp14-ExoN in a
mouse coronavirus caused
recombination events to plummet.
This suggested that the enzyme is
vital to coronaviruses' ability to mixand-match
their RNA as they
replicate.
Now, Dr. Denison and Sandra
Weller, a virologist at the University
of Connecticut School of Medicine,
are investigating whether this insight
could treat people with Covid. Certain
antiviral drugs such as remdesivir
fight infections by serving as RNA
decoys that gum up the viral
replication process. But these
medications don't work as well as
some had hoped for coronaviruses.
One theory is that the nsp14-ExoN
enzyme chucks out the errors caused
by these drugs, thereby rescuing the
virus.
How scientists shot down
cancer's 'death star'
GinA KoLAtA
After 40 years of effort,
researchers have finally
succeeded in switching off one
of the most common cancercausing
genetic mutations in
the human body. The finding
promises to improve treatment
for thousands of patients with
lung and colorectal cancer, and
may point the way to a new
generation of drugs for cancers
that resist treatment.
The finding has already led to
a new medication, sotorasib, by
the drugmaker Amgen. Other
companies are close behind
with their own versions.
Amgen tested its drug in
patients with the most
common type of lung cancer,
called non-small cell cancer.
The disease is diagnosed in
228,000 Americans a year,
and for most patients in the
advanced stages, there is no
cure.
The new drug attacks a
cancer-causing mutation,
known as KRAS G12C, that
occurs in 13 percent of these
patients, almost all of whom
are current or former smokers.
Sotorasib made the cancers
shrink significantly in patients
with the mutation, Amgen
reported last week at the World
Conference on Lung Cancer.
On average, tumors in the
patients stopped growing for
seven months. In three out of
126 patients, the drug seems to
have made the cancer
disappear entirely, at least so
far, although side effects
included diarrhea, nausea and
fatigue.
It already is routine to test
lung cancer patients for the
mutation, because they are
often resistant to other drugs,
said Dr. John Minna, a lung
cancer specialist at the
University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center
in Dallas.
Amgen's drug is not as
drastically effective as some
new cancer medicines, said Dr.
Bruce Johnson, the chief
clinical research officer at the
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
in Boston. But in combination
with other drugs, those
targeting specific mutations
can change the course of the
disease in many patients, he
added.
For example, drugs targeting
specific mutations in
melanoma patients at first
seemed unimpressive, but
when combined with other
medicines, they eventually
changed prospects for patients
with this deadly disease.
"The more I looked at it, the
more optimistic I became," Dr.
Johnson said of Amgen's new
data. While the KRAS G12C
mutation is most common in
lung cancer, it also occurs in
other cancers, especially in
colorectal cancer, where it is
found in up to 3 percent of
tumors, and particularly in
pancreatic cancer. KRAS
mutations of some type are
present in 90 percent of
pancreatic tumors.
How the off-switch was
discovered is a story of
serendipity and persistence by
an academic chemist who
managed the seemingly
impossible. In 2008, that
chemist, Kevan Shokat, a
professor at the University of
California, San Francisco,
decided to focus on the
mutated gene. It had been
discovered 30 years earlier in
rats with sarcomas, a type of
cancer that begins in bones and
soft tissues.
Researchers found the
mutation in human tumor
cells, and then discovered that
it was one of the most
frequently mutated genes in
cancers of many types.
Different cancers tend to
spring from different
mutations in the KRAS gene
and the protein it encodes. The
G12C mutation occurs mostly
in lung cancers.
A colored scanning electron micrograph of a cell of a common type of
lung cancer.
Photo: Steve Gschmeissner
The search for drugs to block
previously discovered cancercausing
mutations was always
straightforward: Researchers
had to find a molecule that
attached to the mutated
protein and could stop it from
functioning. That strategy
worked for so-called kinase
inhibitors, which also block a
protein created by gene
mutations. There are 50
approved kinase inhibitors on
the market now.
KRAS was different. The
gene directs production of a
protein that normally flexes
and relaxes thousands of times
a second, as if it is panting. In
one position, the protein
signals cells to grow; in the
other, it stops the growth. With
the KRAS mutation, the
protein remains mostly in an
"on" position, and cells are
constantly forced to grow.
The standard solution would
be a drug that would hold the
mutated protein in the "off"
position. But that seemed
impossible. The protein is large
and globular, and it doesn't
have deep pockets or clefts on
its surface where a drug could
slip in. It was like trying to drive
a wedge into a ball of solid ice.
"Our medicinal chemists
referred to it as the Death Star,"
said Dr. David Reese, executive
vice president for research and
development at Amgen. "It was
so smooth." So Dr. Shokat and
his colleagues began looking
for a molecule that could do the
trick. Five years later, after
screening 500 molecules, they
found one and discovered why
it worked.
Their drug held the protein
steady, making a crevice visible
on its surface. "We never saw
that pocket before," Dr. Shokat
said. The protein normally
flexes and relaxes so quickly
that the narrow groove had
almost been impossible to see.
There was more good news.
The drug attached itself to
cysteine, an amino acid that
occurs in the groove only
because of the KRAS mutation.
The drug worked only against
the mutated protein, and
therefore only against cancer
cells.
"It is really specific," Dr.
Shokat said. "That's what's
amazing." He published his
findings in 2013, causing a
sensation in the field. Dr.
Reese, of Amgen, said that the
data "gave us the proof that we
could actually do this," and that
"it silenced many of the
doubters."
Dr. Shokat, too, began
working on a drug, which is
now being developed by
Johnson and Johnson. At least
eight companies have their
own KRAS inhibitors in clinical
trials. Lung cancer is only the
beginning, Dr. Shokat said. The
next challenge is pancreatic
cancer, one of the most lethal
types: "KRAS is the signature
mutation for pancreatic
cancer," he added.
Most patients have such a
mutation, and while it makes
the disease very difficult to
treat, now it may also make the
cancer particularly vulnerable.
Researchers have already
found drugs that seem
promising.
Climate change can endanger your health, both physical and mental, now and in the future.
Photo: Collected
How climate change may affect your health
JAne e. BroDy
Melting ice caps, warmer oceans,
intense storms, heat waves, droughts,
floods and wildfires - all these welldocumented
effects of climate change
may seem too remote to many people to
prompt them to adopt behaviors that
can slow the warming of the planet.
Unless your neighborhood was
destroyed by a severe hurricane or
raging wildfire, you might think such
disasters happen only to other people.
But what if I told you that no matter
where you live or how high your
socioeconomic status, climate change
can endanger your health, both physical
and mental, now and in the future? Not
only your health, but also the health of
your children and grandchildren?
Might you consider making changes to
help mitigate the threat?
Relatively few Americans associate
climate change with possible harms to
their health, and most have given little
thought to this possibility. Even though
I read widely about medical issues, like
most Americans, I too was unaware of
how many health hazards can
accompany climate change.
Studies in the United States and
Britain have shown that "people have a
strong tendency to see climate change
as less threatening to their health and to
their family's health than to other
people's health," according to Julia
Hathaway and Edward W. Maibach at
the Center for Climate Change
Communication at George Mason
University.
Two recently published reports set me
straight. One, by two public health
experts, called for the creation within
the National Institutes of Health of a
"National Institute of Climate Change
and Health" to better inform the
medical community, public officials and
ordinary citizens about ways to stanch
looming threats to human health from
further increases in global warming.
The experts, Dr. Howard Frumkin
and Dr. Richard J. Jackson, both
former directors of the National Center
for Environmental Health at the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, warned that recent climaterelated
disasters, including devastating
wildfires and a record-breaking
hurricane season, demonstrate that our
failure to take climate change seriously
is resulting in needless suffering and
death. The second report appeared just
as I began investigating the evidence
supporting their proposal: a full-page
article in The New York Times on Nov.
29 with the headline "Wildfire Smoke in
California Is Poisoning Children." It
described lung damage along with
lifelong threats to the health of
youngsters forced to breathe smokeladen
air from wildfires that began
raging in August and fouled the air
throughout the fall.
Children are not the only ones
endangered. Anyone with asthma can
experience life-threatening attacks
when pollution levels soar. The risks of
heart disease and stroke rise. And a
recent study in JAMA Neurology of
more than 18,000 Americans with
cognitive impairment found a strong
link between high levels of air pollution
and an increased risk of developing
dementia.
"While anyone's health can be
harmed by climate change, some people
are at greatly increased risk, including
young children, pregnant women, older
adults, people with chronic illnesses
and disabilities, outdoor workers, and
people with fewer resources," Drs.
Hathaway and Maibach wrote in
Current Environmental Health
Reports.
Alas, said Dr. Jackson, emeritus
professor at the University of California,
Los Angeles, "Human beings respond
only to what is a threat to them at the
moment. Californians are now much
more aware - the fires got people's
attention." The wildfire season is now
starting much earlier and ending later
as a result of a warming climate, an
international research team reported in
The New England Journal of Medicine
in November.
Dr. Frumkin, emeritus professor at
the University of Washington, told me,
"Lots of people who don't consider
climate change a major problem
relative to themselves do take it
seriously when they realize it's a health
concern. Heat waves, for example, not
only kill people, they also diminish work
capacity, sleep quality and academic
performance in children."
"Our changing climate will have much
more of an impact on people's health
over time," Dr. Jackson said. People of
all ages will develop respiratory
allergies, and those who already have
allergies can expect them to get worse,
as plants and trees respond to a warmer
climate and release their allergens in
more places and for longer periods.
Infectious diseases carried by ticks,
mosquitoes and other vectors also rise
with a warming climate. Even small
increases in temperature in temperate
zones raise the potential for epidemics
of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain
spotted fever, encephalitis and other
tick-borne infections, as well as
mosquito-borne West Nile disease,
dengue fever and even malaria.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021
6
Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard Station Teknaf in a drive arrested 2 drug smugglers along
with 14,000 pieces of yaba tablets and seized a dinghy used for smuggling on Friday midnight
from Naf river.
Photo: Courtesy
bCg detains two drug traffickers along
with yaba tablets in teknaf
new jashore sp expressed interest
in working with journalists
shahid joy, jashore Correspondent:
jashore's new superintendent of
police proloy Kumar joardar said that
disturbing the peace in jashore which a
district of history and heritage, will not
be tolerated. there will be no criminals
or any of his forces in jashore.
action will be taken against those
involved in corruption, drugs, extortion
and crime. Case filed at the police
station, no money will be required to
make a gd he expressed interest in
working with journalists for this.
he said this while exchanging views
with journalists of jashore on the first
day of his tenure on thursday from
6.30 pm to 8 pm.
the superintendent of police said,
'the job of a police and journalist is the
same. journalists do a lot for the
society. the police are also part of the
society. partnership is essential for the
good of society. i promise, i will work in
the interest of cooperating with the
people.
he warned members of the police
that there would be no link between
corruption and drugs. if the police
unjustly tortures him, internal action
will be taken against him. i will see how
much crime can be controlled.
the sp said that bit policing or
community policing would be
strengthened in every area to facilitate
the work of the people. he said that
journalists can go to him in case of any
need.
he sought the cooperation of
journalists to build a beautiful jessore.
during the time, president of press
Club jessore Zahid hasan tukun,
former president ekram-ud-daulah,
editor ahsan Kabir, former editor sM
touhidur rahman, president of
jessore journalists union Faraji
ahmed saeed bulbul, general secretary
hr tuhin, aminur rahman Mamun of
desh tV were also present at the
occasion. the meeting was attended by
senior officers of jessore police.
Members of bangladesh Coast
guard station teknaf conducted an
operation and arrested 2 drug
smugglers along with 14,000 pieces of
yaba tablets and seized a dinghy used
for smuggling on Friday midnight. Lt.
Commander amirul haque, a media
officer at the bangladesh Coast guard
headquarters, made the
announcement on saturday, a press
release said.
Media officer Lt. Commander
amirul haque confirmed the incident
and said that the operation was
carried out by bCg station teknaf
under the leadership of Lt.
Commander sayedul Morsalin
(station Commander teknaf) on the
naf river in sabrang jalliapara 2
under teknaf police station. during
the operation, 1 dinghy boat was seen
crossing the border of Myanmar in
naf river and coming to the border of
bangladesh. when the boat looked
suspicious, Coast guard members
chased it with a speed boat and later
searched the boat and arrested 2 drug
traffickers with 14,000 pieces of yaba
tablets wrapped in polythene in 01
plastic packet.
the arrested drug smugglers
Mohammad nur (24) is the son of
Mohammad yunus of teknaf police
station in baraitali village of Cox's
bazar district and Mohammad Liakat
ali (18) is the son of nur islam of the
same village. the dinghy used in the
smuggling along with the two arrested
drug traffickers and the seized yaba
were later handed over to teknaf
Model police station for legal action.
he further said that regular
operations are being carried out in the
areas covered by the bangladesh
Coast guard to maintain law and
order, ensure public safety as well as
curb kidnapping, robbery and drug
control.
Jashore's new Superintendent of Police Proloy Kumar Joardar held a view exchange meeting with journalists of
Jashore on the first day of his tenure recently.
Photo: Shahid Joy
boat island inaugurated at
arunima resort in narail
huMaun Kabir, naraiL Correspondent:
boat island has been inaugurated at
the initiative of arunima resort golf
Club for bird conservation and bird
show. on Friday (February 5) evening,
the aesthetic boat island was officially
inaugurated in the middle of the vast
lake of the resort at panipara in narail.
boat island was inaugurated by Khabir
uddin ahmed, Chairman, arunima
resort golf Club and a member of the
governing body of bangladesh
tourism board.
the keynote speaker was tourism
writer and tourism expert Ziaul haque
hawlader. the occasion was presided
over by Mollah shahadat hossain,
general Manager of the resort. among
others, nature lover priyanka pihu
sarkar, eminent social worker and
teacher nazrul islam and resort official
Munib h Khandaker were also present
at the occasion.
the keynote speaker tourism expert
Ziaul haque hawlader said the boat
island, built in the middle of the vast
waters modeled on the Maldives, would
be much more helpful in meeting the
needs of birdwatchers and nature lovers
as well as ecotourism. Khabir uddin
ahmed, chairman of the resort, said in
his keynote address that a boat island
resembling a "picture boat" has been
built to give the visitors a chance to enjoy
the birds chirping and flying. arunima
resort golf Club is an important part of
the development of ecotourism and
overall tourism in bangladesh. this boat
island will play an important role in
creating bird sanctuaries at the resort
and bird watching for bird lovers.
Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company (Pvt) Ltd. (BIFPCL) Managing Director Engineer
Kazi Absar Uddin Ahmed paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman in Gopalganj's Tungipara on Friday. During the time, Deputy Project Director Md. Rezaul
Karim, Chief Procurement Officer Md. Mofizul Islam, General Manager Debashish Nath and Mihir
Kumar Mohanty were among others also present at the occasion. Photo: Titash Chakraborthey
project planning and review workshop held in habiganj
Md MaMun Chowdhury, habiganj Correspondent:
a district project planning and
review workshop has been held in
habiganj under the haor region
infrastructure and Livelihood
development project (hiLip) under
the Local government engineering
department (Lged). the workshop
was held on thursday (February 4)
from morning till noon at Lged's
habiganj conference room.
Lged habiganj executive engineer
Md. abdul bashir presided over the
function while Lged dhaka project
director gopal Chandra sarkar was the
chief guest. during the time, Md.
habibur rahman, smritam
Khashanbis, Md. sadekur rahman,
consultants of the project mentioned
from dhaka Md. habibur rahman,
smritam Khashanbis, Md. sadekur
rahman and Md. Zakir hossain were
also present at the occasion.
speaking at the meeting, Chief guest
project director gopal Chandra sarkar
said, "we have to fulfill our
responsibilities." in no way can it be
neglected. sustainable development has
taken place in the haor area through the
project as everyone has worked
together. which has come for the
welfare of the grassroots people.
success comes from doing the right
thing. we need to work more
dynamically in the coming days.
Boat Island has been inaugurated at the initiative of Arunima Resort Golf Club in Narail on Friday
for bird conservation and bird show.
Photo: Humaun Kabir
bangabandhu hi-tech park generates
massive hopes in rajshahi
District Project Planning and Review Workshop has been held in Habiganj recently under the
Haor Region Infrastructure and Livelihood Development Project (HILIP) under the Local
Government Engineering Department (LGED).
Photo: Mamun Chowhury
rajshahi: the bangabandhu
sheikh Mujib high-tech park, which is
being constructed in rajshahi, has been
generating high hope among the young
entrepreneurs and others concerned in
terms of generating job opportunities,
reports bss.
as a whole, around seventy-five
percent of the physical infrastructure
development works of the park has
already been completed.
however, construction works of
sheikh Kamal it incubation and
training Centre at the park has been
completed creating working scopes for
100 start-ups and 500 it professionals.
the 62,000 square-feet it
incubation centre with energy efficient
state of the art office of building have
multipurpose training facilities, high
quality start-ups, rainwater harvesting
and renewable energy sources.
all sorts of business environments
were ensured for attracting investors
from both home and abroad.
space allotments were already
handed over among ten young
entrepreneurs in the sheikh Kamal it
incubation and training Centre and six
of those have started work with around
200 youths.
it may be mentioned that the park is
being built on 30.67 acres of land in
nabinagar area adjacent to rajshahi
metropolis aimed at establishing
knowledge-based it industries
together with ensuring an area-based
development.
bangladesh hi-tech park authority
has been implementing the taka
287.11-crore project initiated by the
information and Communication
technology division with the main
thrust of creating scopes for the new it
entrepreneurs and employment
generation.
employment opportunities for
around 14,000 youths both male and
female will be created upon successful
implementation of the project by june,
2021, said engineer Fazlul haque,
director of the project.
the infrastructure development
works included land development, a
ten-storey sajeeb wazed joy silicon
tower in the area of 2.70 lakh squarefeet,
substation and generation
building, internal roads and drains,
boundary wall and high-speed
internet.

SUNDAY, FEbrUArY 7, 2021
7
Military authorities in charge of Myanmar broadened a ban on social media following this
week's coup and shut Twitter and Instagram, as residents in the biggest city again banged pots
and plastic bottles to show their opposition to the army takeover.
Photo : Internet
Myanmar junta shuts Twitter
and Instagram to curb protests
YANGON : Military authorities in
charge of Myanmar broadened a ban
on social media following this week's
coup and shut Twitter and
Instagram, as residents in the
biggest city again banged pots and
plastic bottles to show their
opposition to the army takeover.
In addition to Facebook and
related apps, the military
government on Friday ordered
communications operators and
internet service providers to cut
access to Twitter and Instagram. The
statement said that some people are
trying to use both platforms to
spread fake news.
Netblocks, which tracks social
media disruptions and shutdowns,
confirmed the loss of Twitter service
starting 10 p.m. Instagram was
already subject to restrictions.
In a statement, Twitter said it is
"deeply concerned" about the order
to block internet services in
Myanmar and vowed to "advocate to
end destructive government-led
shutdowns."
"It undermines the public
conversation and the rights of people
to make their voices heard," the
Coronavirus cases
drop at US homes
for elderly and
infirm
BIRMINGHAM : Coronavirus
cases have dropped at U.S.
nursing homes and other
long-term care facilities over
the past few weeks, offering
a glimmer of hope that
health officials attribute to
the start of vaccinations, an
easing of the post-holiday
surge and better prevention,
among other reasons.
More than 153,000
residents of the country's
nursing homes and assisted
living centers have died of
COVID-19, accounting for
36% of the U.S. pandemic
death toll, according to the
COVID Tracking Project.
Many of the roughly 2
million people who live at
such facilities remain cut off
from loved ones because of
the risk of infection. The
virus still kills thousands of
them weekly.
The overall trend for longterm
care residents is
improving, though, with
fewer new cases recorded
and fewer facilities reporting
outbreaks. Coupled with
better figures for the country
overall, it's cause for
optimism even if it's too
early to declare victory.
"We definitely think
there's hope and there's light
at the end of the tunnel,"
said Marty Wright, who
heads a nursing home trade
group in West Virginia.
Nursing homes have been
a priority since vaccinations
began in mid-December,
and the federal government
says 1.5 million long-term
care residents have already
received at least an initial
dose.
spokesperson said, reports BSS.
Telenor, a Norway-based
telecommunications company
operating in Myanmar though a
subsidiary, said it had complied with
the order but also challenged "the
necessity and proportionality of the
directive."
State media are heavily censored
and Facebook in particular has
become the main source of news and
information in the country. It is also
used to organize protests.
For the fourth night Friday, the
cacophony of noise from windows
and balconies reverberated through
the commercial capital of Yangon, as
resistance to the coup and arrests of
activists and politicians gathered
steam.
Earlier Friday, nearly 300
members of Aung San Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy
party declared themselves as the sole
legitimate representatives of the
people and asked for international
recognition as the country's
government.
They were supposed to take their
seats Monday in a new session of
Parliament following November
elections when the military
announced it was taking power for a
year.
The military accused Suu Kyi and
her party of failing to act on its
complaints that the election was
fraudulent, though the election
commission said it had no found no
evidence to support the claims.
In New York, Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres pledged Friday
that the United Nations will do
everything it can to unite the
international community and create
conditions for the military coup in
Myanmar to be reversed.
He told a news conference it is
"absolutely essential" to carry out
the Security Council's calls for a
return to democracy, respect for
the results of the November
elections, and release of all people
detained by the military, "which
means the reversal of the coup that
took place."
Guterres said Christine Schraner
Burgener, the U.N. special envoy for
Myanmar, had a first contact with
the military since the coup and
expressed the U.N.'s strong
opposition to the takeover.
ICC ruling a ‘victory
for justice’: Palestinian
prime minister
JERUSALEM : Palestinian prime minister
Mohammed Shtayyeh on Friday praised the
International Criminal Court for ruling it had
jurisdiction over the situation in the
occupied Palestinian territories.
"This decision (of the ICC) is a victory for
justice and humanity, for the values of truth,
fairness and freedom, and for the blood of
the victims and their families," Shtayyeh
said, according to the official Wafa news
agency. The move is a "message to
perpetrators" who "will not go unpunished",
Shtayyeh added, calling on the ICC to speed
up legal proceedings over the 2014 conflict in
the Gaza Strip, Palestinian prisoners and the
expansion of Israeli settlements in the
occupied West Bank.
Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda had asked the
court for its legal opinion on whether its
reach extended to areas occupied by Israel,
after announcing in December 2019 that she
wanted to start a full probe.
The ICC said in a statement it had
"decided, by majority, that the Court's
territorial jurisdiction in the Situation in
Palestine, a State party to the ICC Rome
Statute, extends to the territories occupied
by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the
West Bank, including East Jerusalem."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu called the ICC a "political body",
saying the court's decision undermined the
"right of democracies to defend themselves
against terrorism".
Gaza, an Israel-blockaded territory, is
controlled by the Islamist group Hamas.
Israel has fought three wars with Hamas
since the Islamists ousted loyalists of
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas from
the territory in 2007.
Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on Friday praised the
International Criminal Court for ruling it had jurisdiction over the
situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. Photo : Internet
AP analysis:
Federal executions
likely a COVID
superspreader
WASHINGTON : As the
Trump administration was
nearing the end of an
unprecedented string of
executions, 70% of death
row inmates were sick with
COVID-19. Guards were ill.
Traveling prisons staff on
the execution team had the
virus. So did media
witnesses, who may have
unknowingly infected others
when they returned home
because they were never told
about the spreading cases.
Records obtained by The
Associated Press show
employees at the Indiana
prison complex where the 13
executions were carried out
over six months had contact
with inmates and other
people infected with the
coronavirus, but were able to
refuse testing and declined
to participate in contact
tracing efforts and were still
permitted to return to their
work assignments.
Other staff members,
including those brought in
to help with executions, also
spread tips to their
colleagues about how they
could avoid quarantines and
skirt public health guidance
from the federal government
and Indiana health officials.
The executions at the end
of Donald Trump's
presidency, completed in a
short window over a few
weeks, likely acted as a
superspreader event,
according to the records
reviewed by AP. It was
something health experts
warned could happen when
the Justice Department
insisted on resuming
executions during a
pandemic.
China granted
WHO team
full access in
Wuhan
WUHAN : A member of the
World Health Organization
expert team investigating
the origins of the
coronavirus in Wuhan said
the Chinese side granted full
access to all sites and
personnel they requested - a
level of openness that even
he hadn't expected, reports
UNB.
Peter Daszak told The
Associated Press on Friday
that team members had
submitted a deeply
considered list of places and
people to include in their
investigation and that no
objections were raised.
"We were asked where we
wanted to go. We gave our
hosts a list ... and you can see
from where we've been,
we've been to all the key
places," Daszak said.
"Every place we asked to
see, everyone we wanted to
meet. ... So really good," said
the British-born zoologist,
who is president of the NGO
EcoHealth Alliance in New
York City.
Daszak said the team has
now concluded site visits
and will spend the next few
days trolling through data
and consulting with Chinese
experts before presenting a
summary of their findings at
a news briefing prior to their
departure on Wednesday.
"I can't really say too much
about what we've found yet
because we're at that exact
point in time where the
teams are coming together
looking at different
pathways, different issues,"
he said. He said questions
include what were the first
cases, what was the link with
animals and what, if any,
was the role of the so-called
"cold chain" - the possibility
the virus was brought into
China on packaging from
imported frozen food, an
unproven theory that China
has long put forward.
"And of course, we're
looking at every hypotheses
that's been out there and
seeing where the data take
us and do they point to any
particular one," Daszak said.
'Britain's worst Zoom
meeting' goes viral
LONDON : Parish councils have long been
seen as the genteel backbone of local
democracy in towns and villages across
England, overseeing the upkeep of bus stops,
and the maintainance of footpaths and street
lighting.
But one group of parish councillors has
been accused of holding "Britain's worst
Zoom meeting", after a chaotic and
frequently aggressive online session.
Britain's tabloid newspapers on Friday
bestowed the dubious accolade on the online
meeting of Handforth Parish Council after
YouTube highlights garnered hundreds of
thousands of views on social media.
The uploaded footage made the principal
characters in the Zoom spat - council
chairman Brian Tolver and clerk Jackie
Weaver - overnight celebrities.
Like so many video conferencing calls, the
meeting of the council in northwest England
in December was plagued by technical
problems.
Members forget to turn their mics off, one
councillor interrupts to take a phone call and
participants arriving late aren't sure if the
meeting has officially started.
But simmering tensions from the start
between Tolver and his nemesis Weaver boil
over on an issue of bureaucracy - whether the
meeting has been called legally and who was
in charge.
"You have no authority here, Jackie
Weaver! No authority at all!" Tolver bellows
down the camera after the clerk threatens to
eject him from the meeting.
Moments later, Weaver quietly carries out
her earlier threat and kicks the chairman out.
After she suggests a vote for a replacement,
vice-chairman Aled Brewerton erupts.
"I take charge!" he says before telling
Weaver to "read the standing orders".
"Read them and understand them!"
Brewerton shouts before he in turn is booted
out of the virtual meeting by Weaver.
As the footage has made its way into the
mainstream media, the spat has gained
momentum in the public sphere.
"I'm not actually sure who was in charge,"
Weaver told BBC radio on Friday in one of
several media appearances.
Tolver has remained steadfast in his own
view and called Weaver's actions an
"appalling attack on democratic rights".
Parish councils have long been seen as the genteel backbone of local
democracy in towns and villages across England, overseeing the
upkeep of bus stops, and the maintainance of footpaths and street
lighting.
Photo : Internet
Trump impeachment trial confronts
memories of Capitol siege
WASHINGTON : The impeachment trial of
Donald Trump is more than an effort to
convict the former president of inciting an
insurrection. It's a chance for a public
accounting and remembrance of the worst
attack on the U.S. Capitol in 200 years.
In the month since the Jan. 6 siege by a
pro-Trump mob, encouraged by his call to
"fight like hell" to overturn the election,
defenders of the former president say it's
time to move on.
Trump is long gone, ensconced at his Mara-Lago
club, and Democrat Joe Biden is the
new president in the White House. With the
trial set to begin Tuesday, and a
supermajority of senators unlikely to convict
him on the single charge, the question arises:
Why bother?
Yet for many lawmakers who were
witnesses, onlookers and survivors of that
bloody day, it's not over.
One by one, lawmakers have begun
sharing personal accounts of their
experiences of that harrowing afternoon.
Some were in the Capitol fleeing for safety,
while others watched in disbelief from
adjacent offices. They tell of hiding behind
doors, arming themselves with office
supplies and fearing for their lives as the
rioters stalked the halls, pursued political
leaders and trashed the domed icon of
democracy. "I never imagined what was
coming," said Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.,
recounted in a speech on the House floor.
Memory is a powerful tool, and their
remembrances, alongside the impeachment
proceedings, will preserve a public record of
the attack for the Congressional Record. Five
people died and more than 100 people have
been arrested in a nationwide FBI roundup
of alleged ringleaders and participants, a
dragnet unlike many in recent times. While
that is sufficient for some, assured the
perpetrators will be brought to justice, others
say the trial will force Congress, and the
country, to consider accountability.
Todd Shaw, an associate professor at
University of South Carolina, said the
founders envisioned a check on the
presidency and the trial provides a moment
that will demarcate whether American
democracy makes a course correction and
says "things have gone too far" - or not, he
said.
"We're in a period where a lot of Americans
are very aware of that question," he said.
Defenders of the former president are
casting doubt over the legality of the
impeachment trial, the rationale for
punishing an elected official no longer in
office and the political fallout of preventing
him from being elected again.
India restores 4G mobile internet
in Kashmir after 550 days
SRINAGAR : India ended an 18-month-long
ban on high speed internet services on
mobile devices in disputed Kashmir, where
opposition to New Delhi has surged after it
revoked the region's autonomy.
The order late Friday lifted the ban on 4G
mobile data services However, the order
issued by the region's home secretary,
Shaleen Kabra, asked police officials to
"closely monitor the impact of lifting of
restrictions."
A blanket internet ban, the longest in a
democracy which rights activists dubbed as
"digital apartheid" and "collective
punishment," came into effect on August
2019 when India stripped Kashmir of its
statehood that gave its residents special
rights in land ownership and jobs. The
region was divided into two federally
governed territories. The move
accompanied a security clampdown and
total communications blackout that left
hundreds of thousands jobless, impaired the
already feeble health care system and paused
the school and college education of millions.
Months later, India gradually eased some of
the restrictions, including partial internet
connectivity.
In January last year, authorities allowed
the Indian-controlled territory's more than
12 million people to access governmentapproved
websites over slow-speed
connections.
Two months later, authorities revoked a
ban on social media and restored full
internet connectivity but not high speed
internet. In August, 4G services were allowed
in two out of the region's 20 districts.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2021 8
Chattogram North & South Zone of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited organized Business
Development Conference at Raddison Blu, Chattogram on 5 February 2021. Mohammed Monirul
Moula, Managing Director and CEO of the bank addressed the conference as chief guest. Muhammad
Qaisar Ali & Md. Omar Faruk Khan, Additional Managing Directors, Abu Reza Md. Yeahia, JQM
Habibullah, FCS & Md. Mosharraf Hossain, Deputy Managing Directors and Miftah Uddin, Executive
Vice President of the Bank addressed the conference as special guest. Md. Nayer Azam, Head of
Chattogram North Zone presided over the conference while Mohammad Yakub Ali, Head of
Chattogram South Zone addressed welcome speech. Meah Md. Barkat Ullah, Head of Agrabad
Corporate Branch & Mohammad Ehsanul Islam, Head of Khatungonj Corporate Branch also
addressed the program. Head of Branches, Manager Operations, In-Charge of the Departments and
Sub Branches under the Zone attended the conference.
Photo : Courtesy
STC signs debt settlement
deal with Etihad Atheeb
Saudi Telecom Co. (stc) signed an
agreement with Etihad Atheeb
Telecommunications (GO) on settling the
latter's due balances and debt, according to
the company's statement.
The agreement was reached following
intensive talks between the two telecom
firms over the past period, which resulted
in the balances and debt settlement in a
manner that best serves the two sides.
The telecom operator expects the
agreement to reflect positively on Atheeb
and help it proceed with the upgrade and
support of its operations, in addition to
raising the competitive ability and
enhancing the infrastructure of both sides,
in line with customer aspirations and the
Kingdom's status globally.
Furthermore, the agreement will
positively impact the telecom sector as a
whole, through helping it achieve its
targets as being among the Kingdom's key
vital and growing sectors. This is in
addition to boosting the country's gross
domestic economy, in line with indicators
related to Vision 2030.
Oil hits highest in a year on
growth hopes, OPEC+ cuts
LONDON: Oil hit its highest in a year on
Friday, closing in on $60 a barrel, supported
by economic revival hopes and supply curbs
by producer group OPEC and its allies.
New orders for US-made goods rose more
than expected in December, pointing to
continued strength in manufacturing.
President Joe Biden's drive to enact a $1.9
trillion coronavirus aid bill also gained
momentum on Friday.
Brent crude was up 85 cents, or 1.4
percent, at $59.69 by 1438 GMT after hitting
its highest since Feb. 20 last year at $59.79.
US crude was up $1.02, or 1.8 percent, at
$57.25, after reaching $57.28, its highest
since Jan. 22 last year.
"The conditions still remain supportive for
oil markets," said Jeffrey Halley, an analyst
at brokerage OANDA. "Oil should find
plenty of willing buyers on any material dip."
Brent is on track to rise more than 6
percent this week. The last time it traded at
$60 a barrel, the pandemic had yet to take
Minority-owned businesses in U.S. concerned
more about access to credit: survey
NEW YORK : Most U.S. small
businesses hit by the COVID-19
pandemic found it hard to access credit
after the first two rounds of the
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
had ground to a halt, a Federal Reserve
survey has found, reports UNB.
The survey, conducted in September
and October, showed that most small
businesses impacted by the pandemic
worried they would not survive without
hold, economies were open and people were
free to travel, meaning demand for gasoline,
diesel and jet fuel was much higher.
The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines,
however, is fueling hopes of lockdowns being
eased, boosting fuel demand.
But even demand optimists such as OPEC
do not expect oil consumption to return to
pre-pandemic levels until 2022. Oil also
gained support from supply curbs by
producers. OPEC and its allies, collectively
known as OPEC+, stuck to their supply
tightening policy at a meeting on Wednesday.
Record OPEC+ cuts have helped to lift prices
from historic lows last year.
"OPEC+ discipline has been a real
positive," said Michael McCarthy, chief
market strategist at CMC Markets.
Further boosting the market, a weekly
supply report showed a drop in US crude
inventories to their lowest since March,
suggesting that output cuts by OPEC+
producers are having the desired effect.
government help. Of around 10,000
small businesses surveyed, some 78
percent reported a drop in revenue and
46 percent said they had to lay off their
employees. About a third of them said it
was hard for them to survive until sales
recovered without more government
help.
The U.S. government's PPP provides
loans to small businesses that can be
forgiven as long as the businesses
Global shares
near record
levels as
vaccines
inject hope
LONDON: Global shares
approached record highs
on Friday while the dollar
and oil topped recent
milestones, as progress in
vaccine distribution and
US stimulus hopes
prompted bets on further
normalization in the global
economy.
An index of the world's
major 50 markets, MSCI
ACWI, rose 0.21 percent to
668.1, coming within reach
of a record high of 670.82
touched about two weeks
ago. It was the fifth
consecutive day of gains.
The STOXX index of
Europe's 600 largest stocks
was up 0.3 percent at
410.8, though slower
vaccination rollouts in
continental Europe and
disappointing industrial
data from Germany
tempered optimism.
On the corporate front,
Chinese short-video app
company Kuaishou - a
major rival to TikTok -
nearly tripled on its market
debut following a $5.4-
billion initial public
offering that was the
biggest for an Internet firm
since Uber's May 2019
listing.
US President Joe Biden's
drive to enact a $1.9 trillion
coronavirus aid bill gained
momentum on Friday as
the US Senate narrowly
approved a budget
blueprint allowing
Democrats to push the
legislation through
Congress in coming weeks,
with or without Republican
support.
"Following from a
positive US trading session
on Thursday supported by
decent earnings numbers,
it looks as though
Democrats will go on their
own on stimulus and not
try to compromise with
Republicans, so you might
get something closer to the
$1.9 trillion rather than a
compromise," said Philip
Shaw, chief economist at
Investec in London.
retain their employees or hire them
back. The survey, released on
Wednesday, also showed outcomes
varied widely by race and ethnicity.
Around 54 percent of white-owned
firms considered their financial
condition as "fair" or "poor," compared
with 79 percent of Asian-owned
companies, 77 percent of Black-owned
and 66 percent of Hispanic-owned
firms.
STL inaugurates power
transformer plant
Country's renowned power
supply equipment
manufacturer Sylvan
Technologies Limited
(STL)hasstarted
manufacturing power
transformer in its factory.
Md. Sirazul Islam,
Executive Chairman at
Bangladesh Investment
Development Authority
(BIDA) inaugurated the
power transformer
plantrecently located at
Habiganj Industrial Park at
Olipur under Sayestaganj
Upazila in Habiganj.
Ahsan Khan Chowdhury,
Chairman and CEO at
PRAN-RFL Group and
EleashMridha, Managing
Director of PRAN Group
apprised the BIDA chairman
to various aspects of
production process. BIDA
chairman expressed
satisfaction to see the overall
activities of the factory.
Sylvan Technologies
Limitedis the sister concern
of PRAN-RFL Group. The
company is manufacturing
single phase and three phase
distribution transformer
beside power transformer
and supplying to the various
government and nongovernment
organizations
under the brand STL.
Md. Sirazul Islam,
Executive Chairman at BIDA
said, "I am very happy to see
that various kinds of
transformers are now being
manufactured in Bangladesh
following standard
technology. This is a good
example that Bangladesh
isnotnow import dependent.
This kind of activities will
play important role to ensure
100 percent electrification."
Engr. Mostafizur Rahman
Khan, Chief Operating
Officer at Sylvan
Technologies Ltd saidthat
various power distribution
panel
including
transformers for making
electric sub-station are being
manufactured in the factory.
STL is manufacturing
transformer using standard
raw materials, modern
Saudi Arabia sees surge
in credit for SMEs in
2020: SAMA
Saudi Arabia saw a surge
in financing awarded to
small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) in
2020 by the Kingdom's
banks and financial
companies despite the
constraints of the
economic impact of the
coronavirus, according to
recent official data.
Figures released by the
Saudi Central Bank
(SAMA) in late January
showed that in the third
quarter of 2020 the total
amount of credit awarded
to SMEs was SR 176.2
billion ($46.99 billion), up
from SR115 billion in Q3
2019 and SR 106.7 billion
in Q3 2018.
While the total figure
rose 8.3 percent in 2019, it
surged 52.4 percent in
2020.
Amount the four
categories of companies
monitored by SAMA, the
biggest increase was for
micro companies - classed
as those with less then five
employees - which saw an
89 percent rise in the total
credit awarded to them.
The figure for small and
medium companies rose
by 58.9 and 48.4 percent,
respectively.
Small companies are
classed as those with six to
49 employees and
medium-sized are those
machine, skilled manpower
and modern testing
technology. Around 100
employee get job
opportunity for the new
plant.
He also added that Sylvan
Technologies
is
manufacturing the products
following the standard of
International
Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC).
Thrust on using Brazilian Cotton in Bangladesh
A Virtual Meeting was
organized by Bangladesh
Cotton Association,
ABRAPA (Brazilian
Cotton Growers
Association), ANEA
(Brazilian Cotton
Shippers Association),
Apex Brazil (Brazilian
Trade and Investment
Agency) and Embassy of
Brazil held in Dhaka on
Thursday Last.
The Virtual meeting was
attended by Shahriar
Alam MP, Minister of
State for Foreign Affairs of
Bangladesh, Minister of
Agriculture of the
Republic of Brazil,
officials of Bangladesh
Embassy Brazil, Cotton
associations including the
Embassy of Brazil in
Dhaka, a press released
said.
with 50 to 249 staff
members.
The SAMA data also
showed that credit from
banks accounted for 93.6
percent of credit for SMEs,
with the remainder coming
from other financial
companies.
The SAMA report said
that SMEs also account for
8 percent of banks' lending
in Q3 2020, up from 5,8
percent in Q3 2018.
Commenting on the
results, Wassim Basrawi,
managing director for
Wa'ed,
the
entrepreneurship arm of
Saudi Aramco, told Arab
News: "These new
statistics confirm the
growing confidence we also
share at Wa'ed in the
dynamic resilience that is
being demonstrated by
Saudi start-ups during the
COVID pandemic.
Earlier this year, Wa'ed
reported that it had tripled
the amount of money
loaned to startups in the
Kingdom last year. The
Dhahran-based initiative
gave out 12 loans to small
and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs), up
from four in 2019, with the
value surging to SR31
million, up from SR10
million in 2019. In venture
capital funding, Wa'ed
deployed SR43 million to
In this online meeting,
various opportunities,
possibilities and obstacles
were discussed regarding
the use of Brazilian cotton
in the textile industries, in
SMEs, up 34 percent yearon-year.
"In 2020, we also
experienced rising demand
for our loan, venture
capital and incubation
services at Wa'ed . . . The
demand was there . . . We
are doing this because we
have full confidence and
trust in our entrepreneurs
and are deeply committed
to supporting new ideas,
solutions and products that
fill critical gaps in the
Kingdom's economy and
promote economic
diversification."
Basrawi also confirmed
that Wa'ed is planning to
double its deal volume over
the next three years to meet
this increasing demand for
financing by SMEs. Since
Wa'ed was established in
2011, it has deployed more
than SR375 million
startups in the Kingdom.
Last month, a new
industry report also
revealed that Saudi Arabia
recorded a 35 percent yearon-year
increase in the
number of investment
deals in the technology
startup sector in 2020. A
study by data research
platform Magnitt found
that the Kingdom
accounted for 18 percent of
the 496 investment deals
across the Middle East and
North Africa last year.
Bangladesh.
Also present at the
discussion was the
Ambassador of Brazil to
Bangladesh, Mamun
Abdullah of the Embassy
Two-day
SAFA Intl
Conference
ends
DHAKA : The two-day
SAFA International
Conference 2021 of Institute
of Cost and Management
Accountants of Bangladesh
(ICMAB) ended on
Saturday.
The conference was held
with the theme
"Digitalization of
Accounting and Auditing
Practices: Challenges and
Opportunities to Protect
Public Interest" at the Pan
Pacific Sonargaon Hotel and
ICMAB Ruhul Quddus
Auditorium in the capital.
Planning Minister MA
Mannan inaugurated the
Conference as the chief guest
yesterday (Friday) while
Mohammad Muslim
Chowdhury, comptroller
and auditor general of
Bangladesh and Dr. Md.
Jafar Uddin, secretary,
Ministry of Commerce,
spoke as special guests, said
a press release. Prof. Dr. Md.
Hamid Ullah Bhuiyan,
chairman, Financial
Reporting Council (FRC)
presented the keynote
paper. SAFA President AKM
Delwer Hussain and SAFA
Vice-President HM
Hennayake Bandara, Md.
Jasim Uddin Akond,
president of ICMAB,
Mahmudul Hasan Khusru,
president of ICAB, Md.
Abdul Aziz, chairman, SAFA
International Conference-
2021 and Md. Mamunur
Rashid, chairman, SAFA
and International Relations
Committee of ICMAB spoke
on the occasion.
of Bangladesh in Brazil.
Mohammad Ayub,
Former President of
Bangladesh Cotton
Association represented
Bangladesh side.

SUnDAY, FEBrUArY 7, 2021
9
The Black Caps won't let past agonies at England's famed Lord's cricket ground hamper their quest to
win the inaugural World Test Championship final later this year.
Photo: AP
Black Caps aim to purge Lord’s
pain in world Test final
SporTS DESk:
The Black Caps won't let past agonies
at England's famed Lord's cricket
ground hamper their quest to win the
inaugural World Test Championship
final later this year, coach Gary Stead
said Wednesday, reports BSS.
New Zealand earned a place in the
decider - to be held at Lord's from June
18 - after Australia withdrew from a
Test tour to South Africa this week due
to Covid-19 fears.
The London venue was the scene of
the Black Caps' cruellest defeat, the
one-day World Cup final against
England in 2019.
With scores tied after a nail-biting
Super over, an obscure tie-break rule -
which has since been scrapped - meant
the hosts were awarded the trophy
because they had scored more
boundaries than the Black Caps.
New Zealand have also managed
only four wins from 23 completed
Irving, Harden
shine as Nets
outpower Clippers
SporTS DESk:
kyrie Irving rattled in 39
points and James Harden
bagged the 50th regular
season triple double of his
career as the Brooklyn Nets
outgunned the Los Angeles
Clippers 124-120 on Tuesday,
reports BSS.
The potential NBA finals
sneak preview at the Barclays
Center saw the Nets' big three
of Irving, Harden and kevin
Durant combine for a total of
90 points to halt the Clippers'
three-game unbeaten streak.
kawhi Leonard led the
Clippers scoring with 33
points while paul George
added 26 and French
international Nicolas Batum
chipping in with 21.
Irving said the Nets had
been determined to lay down
a marker against the Clippers,
who led the Western
Conference with the league's
best record heading into the
game. "We knew they were
going to come out aggressive
and they've got two wonderful
players (Leonard and George)
and a great collection of guys,"
Irving said.
"We know they're in
contention for meeting us
down the line so we wanted to
come out and make an
impression. I felt like we did
that. It was a total team effort
and that's what it's going to
take every single night."
The Nets, who had blown a
10-point fourth-quarter lead
in a late collapse to the
Washington Wizards on
Sunday, were given a scare
late in the game when a 118-
108 advantage shrank to a
single point with five seconds
remaining. But a length-ofthe
court pass from Harden to
Jeff Green set up a lay-up that
made it 122-119, and the Nets
eventually made the game
safe with two closing free
throws from Irving with 1.9
seconds on the clock.
matches at the ground in all formats,
with only a single Test victory.
Stead insisted history would not
weigh on his players as they seek to
become the first Test team to be
crowned world champions under the
new International Cricket Council
format.
"What's happened back in 2019 has
been and gone. We can't change it, we
can't do anything about it," Stead told
reporters.
"Now it's about us moving to what's
in front of us. I think our guys are
professional enough and skilful
enough that they'll be able to do that."
While denying 2019 was on the Black
Caps' minds, Stead did admit to having
a peek at the rule book to see what
would happen if the World Test
Championship final was tied.
"There's definitely no Super over,"
he said. "If the match is a draw or a tie
there are joint winners."
New Zealand's opponent in the final
has not been decided, with India,
Australia and England all possibilities
under the ICC's complex qualification
criteria.
Stead refused to nominate a
preferred opponent, saying they were
all great Test-playing nations.
"I just think it's magnificent we get
the opportunity to play one of them,"
he said.
New Zealand currently top the Test
rankings but Stead said his veteran
players remembered when they
tumbled to eighth in the world after a
humbling loss to South Africa in 2018,
after being all out in the first innings
for just 45.
He said winning the Test
championship would be a fitting
testament to their improvement.
"They've seen some dark days but
turned that around," he said.
"(It) would rank up there with some
of the best achievements of their
career."
Zverev battles to ATp Cup win over
Shapovalov, Italy reach semis
SporTS DESk:
Alexander Zverev rallied from a set down
to beat dangerous Canadian Denis
Shapovalov and open his season with a
fighting victory in the ATp Cup, while inform
Matteo Berrettini steered Italy into the
semi-finals on Wednesday, reports BSS.
The seventh-ranked German had to dig
deep for his 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) win
to seal the tie, but gained valuable court
time ahead of another crack at a first
Grand Slam trophy at the Australian
open starting next week.
Zverev, who fell agonisingly short in the
US open final last year to Dominic
Thiem, said having his brother Mischa as
team captain had helped him. "All the
players enjoy having him as captain, he's
been fantastic in training as well. It's just
great to have him here," he said.
Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff upset
Milos raonic 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2) in the
opening match and Canada are now out
after a second narrow loss for
Shapovalov, who pushed Novak Djokovic
hard in their Group A clash on Tuesday.
Djokovic's defending champions beat
Canada 2-1 in their opener on Tuesday
and will play Germany on Thursday for a
place in the semis.
Italy became the first nation into the
last four by beating France to follow their
opening win against Austria in Group C.
Fabio Fognini won just five games in
his ATp Cup opener on Tuesday against
Denis Novak, but bounced back to battle
past Benoit paire 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) and give
Italy a 1-0 lead.
Berrettini, tipped by Djokovic as among
the new generation capable of winning a
Grand Slam, clinched the tie with a
comfortable 6-4, 6-2 victory over Gael
Monfils, ranked a place below him at 11.
"I was ready for any score. I kept
going," said Berrettini, who recovered
from going down an early break in the
first set. "I thought about my weapons
and that's how I won the match.
"It's a great team, great guys. We are
enjoying on court, but off court as well,"
he added. "I think when you're playing
for your country, for your team, it's
something special."
russia, the only nation playing with
two top 10 stars in Daniil Medvedev and
Andrey rublev, could also make the
semis if they beat kei Nishikori's Japan
in their evening clash in Group D.
Hosts Australia, who lost to rafael
Nadal's Spain in their opening Group B
tie, face a Greek team spearheaded by
Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday
evening.
Serbia overcame Spain in the final of
the inaugural and hugely popular
tournament last year in Sydney -
launched as a rival to the Davis Cup.
Alexander Zverev rallied from a set down to beat dangerous Canadian
Denis Shapovalov and open his season with a fighting victory in the
ATP Cup.
Photo: AP
Merciless Man Utd equal record in
9-0 thrashing of Southampton
SporTS DESk:
Manchester United matched the
premier League record win with a 9-0
demolition of nine-man Southampton
on Tuesday to move level on points
with Manchester City at the top of the
table, reports BSS.
It is the second consecutive campaign
Saints have suffered a 9-0 thrashing
after Leicester last season at St Mary's
equalled the record set by United
against Ipswich in 1995.
The visitors were punished for
Alexandre Jankewitz's second-minute
red card on his premier League debut.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Marcus
rashford, Edinson Cavani and Jan
Bednarek's own goal made it 4-0 before
half-time.
Anthony Martial came off the bench
to score twice in the second half, while
Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes
and Daniel James also netted either
side of Bednarek's late dismissal.
City have two games in hand on
United to reassert their advantage in
the title race, the first of which comes at
Burnley on Wednesday. But United
boss ole Gunnar Solskjaer evoked
memories of the 2011/12 title race that
City snatched on goal difference from
their local rivals as the reason why his
side had to show no mercy.
"We know better than anyone what
osaka, Barty struggle but
reach Melbourne quarters
SporTS DESk:
goal difference can do to you because
we have lost the league on goal
difference," said the Norwegian.
Solskjaer had called on his forward
players to be more clinical after a
number of missed chances cost United
in a shock 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United
and 0-0 draw at Arsenal over the past
week. rashford, Martial and Fernandes
had all seen goals dry up in 2021, but
Solskjaer is hoping they will now have
the perfect confidence boost heading
into the second half of the season.
"We've been waiting for them to show
the magic and it was a night for them to
go and enjoy it," he added. "We've not
had many times where we could just
enjoy the second half."
ralph Hasenhuttl survived the 9-0
thrashing by Leicester to turn his time
in charge of Southampton around.
But after a bright start to the season,
the Saints have lost four consecutive
leagues games to slip to 12th.
Southampton were already
decimated by an injury crisis that led to
Jankewitz getting his chance before the
19-year-old lunged into McTominay
after just 79 seconds. "He punished the
guys who were on the pitch. They were
helpless after he is sent off," said
Hasenhuttl.
"You know the 90 minutes can be
very long against a team of this quality.
World number three
Naomi osaka and top-ranked
Ashleigh Barty were pushed
to the brink Wednesday, but
both survived early exits at
Melbourne park, reports BSS.
Japan's osaka was made to
work hard against in-form
katie Boulter, but fought back
for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory to
reach the quarter-finals in the
Gippsland Trophy.
She next meets British
world number 14 Johanna
konta or Irina-Camelia Begu
from romania as she ramps
up preparations for the
Australian open starting
Monday.
"Today was really tough for
me. It just felt like a new
experience playing here again
after such a long while,"
osaka said.
"For me, I thought she
played really well. I sort of had
to raise my level, kind of go
within myself.
"I was actually more calm
after losing the first set
because I felt like for me, I just
wanted to be able to play
well," she added.
British world number 371
Boulter, who has impressed
in Melbourne and knocked
out teenage sensation Coco
Gauff Tuesday with a
comeback three-set victory,
ran her error-strewn
opponent ragged to claim the
first set in 39 minutes.
A refocused osaka lifted her
intensity to run away with the
contest in a one-sided third
set.
The three-time Grand Slam
champion had comfortably
beaten France's Alize Cornet
in straight sets on Tuesday in
her first competitive match
since lifting her second US
open title in September.
World number one Barty
also had a fright in her match
against Marie Bouzkova of the
Czech republic, but
recovered from a second-set
stutter to win 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 in
just over two hours.
"Mid-match I lacked
execution … but happy to get
it on my terms in the end," she
said.
The result is there and we have to live
with the result again. "It doesn't reflect
what we did this season so far. It's hard
to explain. We have to live with this
again."
Wan-Bissaka opened the floodgates
on 18 minutes when he scored just his
second goal for the club by meeting
Luke Shaw's cross at the back post.
rashford then converted Mason
Greenwood's cross and it was from his
driven low ball across the box that
Bednarek turned into his own net.
Cavani powered home a header from
another Shaw cross before the
Uruguayan thought he had won a
penalty. A VAr review gave
Southampton a rare let-off as instead a
free-kick on the edge of the box was
awarded.
However, Hasenhuttl's men were
denied themselves after the break when
Che Adams had a consolation strike
ruled out for a marginal offside.
The goals at the other end kept on
coming as Martial ended his eightgame
goal drought with a thumping
finish from Fernandes's through ball.
McTominay then drilled home a low
effort from long range.
A nightmare night for the visitors
continued when Bednarek was harshly
sent off after another lengthy VAr
review for clipping Martial as he bore
down on goal.
Manchester United matched the Premier League record win with a 9-0 demolition of nine-man
Southampton on Tuesday.
Photo: AP
Australia defend
'heartbreaking'
decision to scrap
S. Africa tour
SporTS DESk:
Cricket Australia denied
Wednesday it was only
interested in lucrative series
against India and England
after scrapping next month's
Test tour to South Africa
over coronavirus fears,
reports BSS.
The withdrawal drew a
sharp response from Cricket
South Africa, which
expressed frustration at the
"eleventh hour" decision
despite extensive work to
establish bio-secure bubbles
for the tourists.
CA interim chief executive
Nick Hockley described the
pull out as "heartbreaking",
insisting the Covid-19
situation in South Africa
gave the Australians no
choice.
"We share their
disappointment, we've all
worked to make this tour
happen," he told reporters.
"At the end of the day, the
weight of medical advice and
our duty of care to players
and staff meant we were
really left with no
alternative."
South Africa is the worsthit
country on the continent,
with 1.5 million detected
infections and more than
44,000 fatalities.
Hockley said CA had
offered to host the series in
Australia, where the virus is
largely contained, but
scheduling clashes and the
need to quarantine meant it
was not feasible for the
South Africans.
It was a quick turnaround
for Barty, who beat Ana
Bogdan in straight sets on
Tuesday night, but she
showed no ill effects to cruise
through the first set in 32
minutes.
Barty's radar went awry
with 13 unforced errors in the
second set and the world
number 52 broke in the fifth
game before levelling the
match.
Barty continued to struggle
on serve in the deciding set
but held on to reach the
quarter-finals of the Yarra
Valley Classic.
Fans to be allowed
into India-England
second Test
SporTS DESk:
India's first Test against England this week will be behind
closed doors but fans will be allowed into the second clash as the
country's coronavirus figures improve, officials said Wednesday,
reports BSS.
The decision to allow 50 percent capacity in sports stadiums
means that up to 16,500 people will be allowed into the second
Test in Chennai which starts February 13.
The Tamil Nadu state cricket association said the first match
in Chennai from Friday would be in an empty stadium "as a
precautionary measure for Covid-19".
The second game will be the first home Test for India with
spectators since they played South Africa at ranchi in october
2019.
India has the world's second highest number of pandemic
cases, more than 10.7 million, but numbers of new infections
and deaths have fallen dramatically in recent weeks.
The government this week eased pandemic restrictions so that
stadiums can operate at 50 percent capacity.

sUNDAY, feBrUArY 7, 2021
10
Bangladesh participates in WHO's
Health for All Film Festival 2021
The World Health Organization (WHO)'s second
call for entries to its Health for All Film Festival has
received 1,175 submissions from 110 countries
including Bangladesh, the organization said on
Thursday, reports UNB.
In the second edition of the festival, Bangladesh is
participating alongside countries including
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France,
Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Kenya,
Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Portugal,
United Kingdom, the United States of America,
Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey
and Uganda.
More than 40% of the short films feature themes
related to Covid-19,
revealing the pandemic's
pervasive and universal
consequences, WHO said
in a press release.
Launched in 2020, the
festival aims to nurture a
new generation of film
and video innovators
focused on health topics.
WHO engaged with
independent filmmakers,
production
companies, NGOs,
communities, students,
and film schools, to ensure a diverse range of
entries.
"Telling stories is as old as human civilization. It
helps to inspire, motivate, build empathy and share
problems so we can find and share solutions
together. Everything WHO does is about stories
because everything we do is about people. We're
excited about the quantity and quality of entries in
this year's Health for All Film Festival. Ultimately,
we hope the festival is not just a way to tell stories,
but to change the arc of people's stories around the
world, towards better health," said Dr Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
Three GRAND PRIX (grand prizes) will be
awarded in May 2021 for each of the following
categories that are aligned with WHO's global goals
for public health.
Universal health coverage (UHC): films about
mental health, non-communicable diseases, major
communicable diseases, innovative health services
and other UHC stories not part of emergencies.
Health emergencies: films about health
emergencies, such as COVID-19 and Ebola, as well
as health responses in the context of humanitarian
crises and conflict-affected settings;
Better health and well-being: films about
environmental and social determinants of health,
such as nutrition, sanitation, pollution, and/or
films about health promotion or health education.
WHO also plans to award three special prizes: a
student-produced film, a health educational film
aimed at youth, and a short video designed
exclusively for social media platforms.
Entries can include short documentaries or
fiction films (3 to 8 minutes in length) or animation
films (1 to 5 minutes).
The composition of the Festival jury will be
announced in the coming
weeks and will include a
number of criticallyacclaimed
artists from the
film and music industries,
along with WHO experts.
The jury will recommend
winners to WHO's
Director-General, who will
make the final decision.
Initial shortlists for each
category, comprising 15
films per category, will be
announced in March.
Richard Curtis, a film
director and writer from the United Kingdom, who
was a member of the 2020 jury, said: "Being a Juror
for the Health For All Film Festival was a deeply
satisfying job-so many subjects I knew nothing
about suddenly coming to life in the work of some
remarkable film-makers. And the actual judgement
day was gripping-really varied and passionate
points of view from everyone on the panel. It was a
real pleasure and a real privilege."
Wagner Moura, an actor and film director from
Brazil, who was also among the jurors in the first
edition of the Festival, said: "It was truly an
honour for me to participate. The films that I
have seen educated me a lot about different
health issues around the world, and I want to
encourage all persons concerned to keep doing
these films, to keep talking about your
communities, to keep exposing the
vulnerabilities of the communities that you
filmed. This is the perfect moment to praise the
work of volunteers, of doctors, of health sector
workers, that have sacrificed their lives for the
sake of the most vulnerable ones."
Gillian Anderson comes aboard
Lionsgate's White Bird adaptation
Actor Gillian Anderson will be
toplining Lionsgate's upcoming
drama White Bird: A Wonder
Story. Based on a graphic novel
of the same name by RJ Palacio,
the movie will serve as a creative
companion to the studio's 2017
hit Wonder, featuring Jacob
Tremblay, Julia Roberts and
Owen Wilson.
The story is about a young
Jewish girl hidden away by a boy
and his family in Nazi-occupied
France during World War II,
reported Deadline.
Anderson, 52, will essay the
role of Vivienne, the woman who
along with her family must make
unimaginable choices.
Filmmaker Marc Foster,
known for movies such as World
War Z, Quantum of Solace, The
Kite Runner and Stranger Than
Fiction, will direct from a
screenplay by Mark Bomback.
The project, which will begin
production in the Czech Republic
later this month, will be
produced by Mandeville Films'
David Hoberman and Todd
Lieberman alongside Palacio.
Anderson most recently
received Golden Globe and SAG
nominations for her
performance as former UK
Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher in hit Netflix series The
Crown.
Source: The Indian Express
TBT reporT
Shakib khan and Mahi's movie
'Nawab LL.B' got stuck in the
censor board due to 11
objections.
The Secretary of the Board of
Censor Md. Jasim Uddin
confirmed the matter on last
Thursday (February 4) at noon.
"The director-producer has
been informed of their
objections to 11 scenes," he said.
Excluding the scenes, he sent a
Bongo
releases
new horror
series '2
Mad Men'
Bongo, the first and largest video streaming
platform of the country, on Friday released
its new horror series"2 Mad Men", reports
UNB.
The new series portrays a horror story
with a narrative saying: "Have you ever been
in an empty office and felt like someone was
watching you? For some that horrific
sensation is never-ending."
British actor Jameela Jamil has
shared a message on the online
harassment she has been facing
since speaking up about the
farmers' protests in India. Jameela,
who is the star of the hit show, The
Good Place, said she has been
regularly speaking about the protest
and has been getting rape and death
threats online for it.
"I have repeatedly spoken about
the farmers in india over the past
few months and what is
happening there at the moment,
but each time I do I am met with
death and rape threats. so while
you are pressuring me in my dms
please keep in mind that i am a
human being who has some
limitations as to what i can
handle," she wrote in a message
on Instagram on Friday.
"I do however maintain. my
solidarity is of course with the
farmers in India and everyone
fighting for their rights during this
protest. I hope you are also
pressuring men to speak on this
subject too as they are far less
likely to be attacked the way
women in the public eye are. To
everyone reading this. As I've
letter to submit the image to the
censor again. Otherwise, it is not
possible to give clearance to this
film in any way."
Meanwhile, director Ananya
Mamun expressed surprise in
response to the censor board's
decision. He has already been
jailed for a scene in the film and
is out on bail.
Ananya Mamun told the
media, "I apologize again for
that scene of the police. That
may not have been the case. But
asked many times before, please
read about what's happening," she
added. Responding to her
comment, Four Weddings and a
Funeral star Andie Macdowell
wrote, "Went to India for my first
they also objected to the
dialogue that 'rape of women
means killing freedom'! This is
what I am having trouble
accepting. I want to go to jail a
hundred times for this
dialogue".
I would change 11 scenes
based on the censor board's
objections. And the film will be
released in theaters soon with
censor clearance said Mamun.
However, he thinks that
dropping the scenes will lead to
a rhythmic decline in the
continuity of the film.
'Nawab LL.B' was released on
December 16, on "I-Theater"
"At this haunted office, no one will dare
stay after it gets dark. Only the '2 Mad Men'
can explain this persistent haunting."
Starring Manoj Kumar Pramanik, Arosh
Khan and Sumaiya Afrin Ahona in the lead
roles, and directed by Sameer Ahmed, "2
Mad Men" has been powered by e-
commerce outlet Buy Here Now.
Bongo Chief Operating Officer Fayaz
Movie 'Nawab
LL.B' stucks in
censor board
time last year right before
coronavirus. I am watching. don't
know why people are threatening
you ? You can block those people."
On Saturday, Oscar-winning actor
Susan Sarandon had also voiced
app. Director Ananya Mamun
and actor Shaheen Mridha were
arrested on the night of
December 24 on charges of
'insulting' the police in a scene
from the film. Both were sent to
jail in a pornography case filed
by the police. On January 11,
they both got bail. Originally,
the film was submitted for
censor board after bail. It is
believed that both of them got
bail on the condition of
removing the objectionable
issues from the film.
Orchita Sporshia has played
an important role in Shakib
Khan's 'Nawab LL.B'.
Taher said, "We always try to provide the
best entertainment possible. And we
previously released genres of action, thriller,
romantic, comedy, and much more."
"I believe people will love this newly added
genre - horror."
Viewers can watch the series on Bongo
through Bongo's iOS or Android app,
website and Android TV app.
Jameela Jamil getting rape threats after
voicing support for Indian farmers
her support towards the farmers,
who are protesting against the
new farm laws by the central
government. "Standing in
solidarity with the
#FarmersProtest in India. Read
about who they are and why
they're protesting below," she
wrote in her tweet.
Before them, pop star Rihanna
had also tweeted about the
protest, raising awareness about it
on Twitter. Later, Swedish activist
Greta Thunberg also extended her
support to the farmers' cause.
On Wednesday, a host of
Bollywood celebrities, including
Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn,
Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor and
Suniel Shetty, put out similar
statements about the ongoing
farmers' protest with the hashtag
'India against propaganda'.
Source: The News
H o r o s c o p e
ArIes
(March 21 - April 20) : Have you been
thinking about attending a seminar of some
kind, Aries, perhaps business related? You
and a partner might go together. This is a
good time to do this, as your thinking is particularly clear
and retentive and you find it easier than usual to
concentrate. Discussions with your partner afterward
could be the icing on the cake. Tomorrow you will feel like
you can take the world by storm.
TAUrUs
(April 21 - May 21) : Your dreams might
be especially intense now, and some could
even be prophetic. You may have recently
dreamed of an old friend you haven't seen
for a while. Don't be surprised if you suddenly hear from
this person, Taurus. You might also come up with some
previously unknown ideas for advancing yourself
professionally. Don't let the unorthodox source of these
insights stop you from using them.
GeMINI
(May 22 - June 21) : Social events involving
both old and new friends could prove especially
satisfying at this time, Gemini. You will be able
to catch up with those you haven't seen for a
while. You might also be introduced to new people who prove
valuable business contacts in the future. Expect good news,
stimulating conversation, and a lot of reminiscing about the
past with warm and congenial companions.
cANcer
(June 22 - July 23) : Today you might
decide to get some annoying but
necessary chores done, Cancer. You
have the energy and stamina to finish
them and probably will, although you may go crazy
from boredom in the meantime. Your mind should
be especially active, so don't be surprised if during
the course of doing your chores you find the
answers to questions you've been asking yourself
for a long time.
Leo
(July 24 - Aug. 23): Some information
that you've been seeking for a long time
might finally be unEarthed today through
your diligent efforts, Leo. This is going to
increase your ability to take on whatever challenges
you're planning to address. Your already sharp business
acumen is likely to be enhanced by whatever you
discover. Be prepared for a lot of hard work and
continued success over the next few months.
VIrGo
(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): Virgo, some volatile
emotional matters that may have reared their
heads over the past few days could finally be
settled to the satisfaction of all involved. The
subject of money may come up. Happiness reigns in the
home, as all the members of your household are basically
pleased with the way their lives are going. The appearance of
some well-loved visitors may add to the contentment.
LIBrA
(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Some solid, honest
communication between you and those
you love is likely to clear up some
confusion. Roles are more clearly defined,
emotional problems clarified, and chores are more
fairly allotted. This is going to make a big difference in
your daily life. The removal of relationship issues will
guarantee that the atmosphere is more harmonious
from now on.
scorpIo
(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : You might need to do
some of the less exciting chores involved
with creative or artistic projects today,
Sagittarius. You're in the right frame of
mind to get them done. Your efficiency is at a peak. A
practical, no-nonsense manner marks all your
interactions. By day's end you should feel more than
satisfied with what you've done. You're apt to be
prepared for the next phase of the project.
sAGITTArIUs
(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): You might need to do
some of the less exciting chores involved with
creative or artistic projects today, Sagittarius.
You're in the right frame of mind to get them
done. Your efficiency is at a peak. A practical, no-nonsense
manner marks all your interactions. By day's end you should
feel more than satisfied with what you've done. You're apt to be
prepared for the next phase of the project.
cAprIcorN
(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): You may have let
household tasks and chores go for a
few days, Capricorn, so today you
might decide to get them all done at
once. You have the energy and the stamina to do
it. However, take care not to get too caught up in
little details that only you tend to notice. This can
keep you from getting the most important chores
done.
AQUArIUs
(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Some letters and
calls that you may have agreed to do for
a group you're affiliated with might
have to be taken care of today,
Aquarius. Don't be surprised if you spend a lot of
your time on the phone. It might take a little
persistence, as some of the people you need to reach
may not be in. But you're likely to get everything
done. Your determination is strong.
pIsces
(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : You may need to take
care of paperwork related to financial
matters today, Pisces. You will pay bills,
make deposits, or balance checkbooks.
Whatever you need to handle, you will get it done, and
done well. You might even find that you're better off
financially than you thought you were. In the evening, go
to a movie and forget about money for a while.

Orientation program for the divorcee women to create awareness and income generic in
Boguraorganised by Mary SomajKallyanSangstha last Saturday speech chief-guest
BoguraZilaJubo league President ShubasishPodderLiton.
Photo:Azahar Ali
Fox News
cancels show of
pro-Trump
host Lou Dobbs
NEW YORK : Fox News has
canceled the show of Lou
Dobbs, a right-wing
presenter with a history of
airing baseless conspiracy
theories and one of the
most ardent supporters of
former president Donald
Trump among US
broadcasters.
The decision on Friday
came a day after Fox News
and Dobbs were sued for
defamation by voting
technology
firm
Smartmatic, which is
claiming $2.7 billion in
losses from the network for
promoting false claims that
the company was involved
in fraud in November's
presidential election.
"As we said in October,
Fox News Media regularly
considers programming
changes and plans have
been in place to launch new
formats as appropriate
post-election, including on
Fox Business," a Fox News
spokesperson told AFP.
The cancellation of Lou
Dobbs Tonight "is part of
those planned changes," the
spokesperson said. "A new
5pm program will be
announced in the near
future."
Dobbs' show had the
highest viewership on Fox
News' affiliate channel,
averaging more than
300,000 viewers every
night.
Somalia leaders fail to reach
deal on elections: govt
MOGADISHU : Emergency talks between
Somalia's divided political leaders have
ended without agreement on how to proceed
with elections, a government minister has
announced just days before the president's
mandate expires.
Somalia is likely to miss a February 8
deadline to choose a new president after days
of negotiations between the central
government and federal states collapsed
Friday without resolution over the disputed
electoral process.
The impasse threatens a constitutional
crisis in the fragile Horn of Africa nation that
is already confronting a violent Islamist
insurgency, a locust invasion and serious
food shortages.
"The government offered to negotiate and
settle all the disputed issues, but some
brothers have failed to understand, and
refused to resolve the issues," Information
Minister Osman Abukar Dubbe told
reporters in the capital Mogadishu late
Friday.
"The government has shown flexibility to
compromise, gentleness and readiness to
negotiate, but some leaders tried to exploit
that openness to seek more. That will not
work." President Mohamed Abdullahi
Mohamed and Somalia's five regional
leaders reached an agreement on September
17 that paved the way for indirect
parliamentary and presidential elections in
late 2020 and early 2021. But that deal fell
apart as disagreements over the multi-stage
process escalated between the president,
better known by his nickname Farmajo, and
some regional rivals.
Farmajo, who is seeking a second term as
president, is expected to announce another
round of talks at a joint sitting of parliament
on Saturday.
The United Nations had warned that
Somalia risked entering uncharted territory
should the February 8 deadline lapse
without a concrete consensus about a way
forward.
Somalia had set itself the goal of holding its
first one-person, one-vote ballot since 1969,
a pursuit described by the UN as a "historic
milestone" on the country's path to full
democratisation and peace after decades of
war and violent instability.
But that was abandoned for a complex
indirect system similar to past elections,
where special delegates selected by Somalia's
myriad clans pick lawmakers for the upper
and lower houses of parliament, who in turn
choose the president.
Farmajo's political opponents have
accused the central government in
Mogadishu of an unwillingness to
compromise with regional leaders and
engage in good faith to reach common
ground on the fraught process.
Airstrikes kill 18 militants
in E. Afghanistan: gov't
JALALABAD : At least 18 Taliban militants
were killed when the Afghan Air Force struck
a militants' position in eastern Nangarhar
province overnight, the local government
confirmed on Saturday.
The airstrikes were conducted in the
mountainous Sherzad district in the west of
Nangarhar, the government said in a
statement.
Those among the killed were 14 members
of the Taliban's so-called Red Unit, or Special
Fighter Regiment, including divisional
militants' commander Khalid, the statement
noted. Ten Red Unit fighters were also
wounded following the air raids, according
to the statement.
The Afghan security forces have beefed up
offensive against the Taliban militants who
have been attempting to take territory and
consolidate their positions in the countryside
during the winter.
Police officer
killed, 6 wounded
in Kabul separate
bomb attacks
KABUL : A police officer was
killed and six civilians were
wounded in two separate
bomb explosions in Kabul,
capital of Afghanistan on
Saturday, the latest in a
string of bomb attacks in
recent months, the capital
police confirmed.
The police officer died in
the line of duty when an
improvised bomb struck a
police pick-up truck in
Khairkhana neighborhood,
Police District 11, roughly at
9:40 a.m. local time, a
source from Kabul police
told Xinhua anonymously.
The vehicle was destroyed
and several shops were
damaged by the force of the
blast.
Earlier on Saturday, an
improvised bomb exploded
outside a shop in Shorbazzar
locality, PD 1 of the city,
injuring six civilians, Kabul
police spokesman Ferdaus
Faramarz told reporters via
a text message.
No group has claimed
responsibility for the attacks
so far.
Half of Americans
want Senate to
convict Trump:
report
WASHINGTON : Half of
Americans believe that the
Senate should convict
Former U.S. President
Donald Trump in an
upcoming impeachment
trial for his alleged role in
inciting an insurrection at
the U.S. Capitol earlier this
year, local media said.
Impeachment trial of the
former president - his
second in little more than a
year - is set to begin on Feb
8, weeks after the House
voted to impeach him for
stoking the riot with toxic
rhetoric before and during
the insurrection.
Forty-one percent of
respondents believe that
Trump should be held guilty,
The Hill reported, citing a
Marist poll.
Meanwhile, 90 percent of
Democrats said Trump
should be convicted, while
only 5 percent believe he
should be acquitted,
according to the poll.
Conversely, 90 percent of
Republicans desire an
acquittal for Trump and only
5 percent cling to a
conviction. There is much
more to this bipartisan
outrage.
SUNDAY, feBRUARY 7, 2021
11
UN chief
UN will seek to unite world,
reverse Myanmar coup
UNITED NATIONS : Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres pledged Friday that the
United Nations will do everything it can to
unite the international community and
create conditions for the military coup in
Myanmar to be reversed.
The U.N. chief told a news conference it is
"absolutely essential" to carry out the
Security Council's calls for a return to
democracy, respect for the results of the
November parliamentary elections, and
release of all people detained by the military,
"which means the reversal of the coup that
took place."
"It is absolutely essential that that moves
forward, and for that, I believe, we need to
have all possible areas of pressure to make it
happen," Guterres said.
Myanmar's military announced Monday
on the eve of the meeting of new Parliament
that it will take power for one year, accusing
leader Aung San Suu Kyi's government of
not investigating allegations of voter fraud in
the November elections, where its party did
poorly. It detained Suu Kyi, whose party
swept that vote, and other lawmakers,
activists, journalists and members of civil
society. The election commission had refuted
the military's allegations.
In its first statement following the
military's takeover on Thursday, the Security
Council "stressed the need to uphold
democratic institutions and processes,
refrain from violence, and fully respect
human rights, fundamental freedoms and
the rule of law." It also "emphasized the need
for the continued support of the democratic
transition in Myanmar."
Guterres said Christine Schraner
Burgener, the U.N. special envoy for
Myanmar, had a first contact Friday with the
military since the coup and expressed the
U.N.'s strong opposition to the takeover.
According to U.N. spokesman Stephane
Dujarric, she reiterated to Deputy
Commander-in-Chief Vice Gen. Soe Win
"the secretary-general's strong
condemnation of the military's action that
disrupted the democratic reforms that were
taking place in the country."
Intruder at Canada PM's
residence pleads guilty
OTTAWA : A heavily armed military reservist who crashed his truck onto the estate where
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lives pleaded guilty Friday to eight mischief and weapons
charges. Corey Hurren, 46, had originally faced 21 counts of firearms violations and one of
uttering threats against the prime minister.
In July 2020 Hurren drove his pick-up truck into the main gate of Rideau Hall and was
arrested without incident. The court heard that Hurren was carrying several loaded firearms
and prohibited weapons, including shotguns, pistols and rifles with high capacity magazines,
as he then tried to walk from his abandoned truck to confront Trudeau.
The sprawling estate in Ottawa is the home of the governor general, who represents Queen
Elizabeth II in this Commonwealth country. Trudeau, his wife and three children are staying
at Rideau Cottage on the estate because his official residence is in disrepair. They were not at
home at the time of the security breach. According to an agreed statement of facts read out in
court and cited by public broadcaster CBC, Hurren had wanted to interrupt the prime
minister's daily news conference on the front steps of his home to press him on the
government's pandemic response and a recent ban on assault rifles.
A press conference was recently organized at Bangladesh Crime Reporters
Association protesting against the unjust eviction from ancestral land and
attempted murder.
Photo : TBT
GD-208/21 (6 x 4)
GD-210/21 (6 x 4)

Sunday, Dhaka, February 7, 2021, Magh 24, 1427 BS, Jamadi-us Sani 24, 1442 Hijri
Highlight Bangladesh's success
stories: FM to media
DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr AK
Abdul Momen on Saturday urged the
media both at home and abroad to
highlight Bangladesh's achievements
instead of describing the country as a
poverty-stricken one as in the past,
reports UNB.
He said the significant achievement
that Bangladesh made over the last 12
years; and the life and work of Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman will have to be shared
globally.
Bangladesh is celebrating the birth
centenary of Bangabandhu at home and
abroad till December 16.
Dr Momen said poverty has significantly
been dropped in Bangladesh
within a very short period of time under
the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina.
He was addressing a function titled
"Exim Bank at Mujib100" at Army
Stadium in the city.
Dr Momen said Bangabandhu had
been imprisoned for many years keeping
him away from his family and people
at a crucial time in his life as he fought
for the rights of Bengalees.
"Everyone from the new generation
should know about the dedicated and
patriotic leader like Bangabandhu and
adopt his character traits.
He said like Bangabandhu, his daughter
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thinks
about the common people of this country
and the development of Bangladesh.
During Mujib Borsho, the government
wants to build 9 lakh houses for
the homeless people, said Dr. Momen
adding, "I had the opportunity to see
Bangabandhu closely and also work
with his daughter Sheikh Hasina. So, I
consider myself blessed..."
"Everyone has to work hand in hand
with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for
Stage set to launch today
nationwide COVID-19
vaccination campaign
DHAKA : The country is set to witness the
launching of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination
campaign today as inoculates
reached designated government medical
warehouses up to upazila level.
"Everything is set to launch it (campaign)
tomorrow," health services (DGHS) director
general Prof Dr Abul Bashar
Mohammad Khurshid Alam said. He
added: "The people will get the vaccine free
of cost, meaning the government will bear
all expenditures to vaccinate of them."
Bangladesh by now received five million
doses of expected 30 million doses of
Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured
by India's Serum Institute apart
from two more million jabs received as
gift from the neighbouring country.
Bangladesh eventually is expected to
get 68 million or 6.80 crore vaccines for
20 percent of its population or 3.40 crore
people from the WHO, COVAX facility.
Officials said after initial lab testing, the
Oxford-AstraZeneca inoculates were dispatched
across the country to be preserved
at Expanded Programme on
Immunization (EPI) stores.
The inoculates would be administered
among people in government
hospitals up to upazila level while three
lakh people so far got them registered
to be inoculated.
DGHS additional director general
Professor Nasima Sultana said vaccination
would start at 8am at every designated
hospital of the country and continue
for two or three hours every day
while in Dhaka city, 49 hospitals were
selected to carry out the drive. The frontline
workers are to get the vaccines on
priority basis in line with a list with officials
saying they included 452,027 government
health workers and approved
600,000 private health workers.
They said 7,344 vaccine distribution
teams each comprising six health workers
were entrusted with the charge of vaccine
distribution to be closely overseen by
the Drug Administration.
The DGHS chief said 42,000 health
workers and volunteers were trained as
part of the nationwide vaccination drive
while his office would issue regular vaccine
distribution bulletins containing
inoculate related information to all.
Five million or 50 lakh Oxford-
AstraZeneca vaccines reached
Bangladesh on January 25 under a
memorandum of understanding (MoU)
signed on November 5 and a subsequent
tripartite agreement on December 13
among Bangladesh Government,
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPL) and
the Serum Institute of India (SII).
The agreement ensures availability of
three crore COVID-19 vaccine doses in
phases from the Serum Institute.
India, however, sent as gift two million
doses on January 21ahead of dispatching
consignments under the agreement.
The other priority groups includes
210,000 freedom fighters, 546,620 frontline
members of law enforcement agencies,
360,913 members of armed and civil
defense forces, 50,000 officials and
employees working in the offices which
are indispensable for governing the state.
The list included 50,000 frontline media
personnel, 178,298 elected representatives,
150,000 frontline employees of the city corporations
and municipalities, 541,000 religious
figures, 75,000 people engaged in
funeral works, 400,000 staff engaged in
emergency water, gas, sewerage, power, fire
service and transport services.
The rests in the list are 150,000 land,
river and air port workers, 120,000 expatriate
unskilled workers, 400,000 district
and upazila level government employees
engaged in emergency public services,
197,621 bank employees, 625,000 low
immunity people suffering from tuberculosis,
AIDS and cancer, 11,639,631 elderly
people, 21,863 players and 170,000 people
from buffer, emergency and outbreak
groups.
the development of the country. Then by
2041, we'll be able to turn Bangladesh
into a developed, prosperous country,"
the Foreign Minister added.
Mujib Birth Centenary Celebration
National Committee Chief Coordinator
Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury also
spoke at the function chaired by Exim
Bank Chairman Md. Nazrul Islam
Majumdar.
Dr Momen inaugurated the function
by cutting a cake and releasing balloons.
Talking to reporters after the programme
on Al Jazeera report, Dr
Momen said there is a Bangladeshi gentleman
who always asks such questions
at the UN briefing.
He said Al Jazeera has lost its credibility
by broadcasting a false report and the
people of Bangladesh understood it.
Dr Momen said Bangladesh investigates
if there is any credible allegation
but ignores if there is any fake allegation.
Bangladesh reports
eight COVID-19
deaths, 4,82,841
total recoveries
DHAKA : Bangladesh recorded eight
novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths
and 305 fresh cases overnight.
The recovery count rose to 4,82,841
after another 417 patients were discharged
from the hospitals during the
period, a press release of the Directorate
General of Health Services (DGHS) said
yesterday.
"Eight more COVID-19 patients died
in the last 24 hours, increasing the death
toll from the pandemic to 8,190," the
release said.
It said the tally of infections has
surged to 5,37,770 as 305 new cases
were confirmed in the last 24 hours.
A total of 12,135 samples were tested
at 206 authorized laboratories across
the country during the time.
Of the total sample tests in the past 24
hours, 2.51 percent tested positive, while
14.39 percent cases were detected from
the total tests conducted so far, the
release added.
Among the total infections, 89.79 percent
patients have recovered, while 1.52
percent died so far since the first
COVID-19 positive cases were reported
in the country on March 8.
Sylhet train services
resume after 27 hrs
SYLHET : Train operations between
Sylhet and other parts of the country resumed
early on Saturday, some 27
hours after services were stopped in the
wake of a freight train derailment in
Fenchuganj upazila, reports UNB.
Seven bogies of the freight train carrying
wagons of fuel derailed in the
Maijgaon area of Fenchuganj upazila
around 12am on Friday, halting rail
services on Sylhet-Dhaka and Sylhet-
Chattogram routes.
"Services were restored around 3 am
on Saturday, after the authorities concerned
removed the derailed bogies
from the rail tracks," said Fenchuganj
Maijgaon Railway Station Master
Mohamamd Monir Hossain.
According to Railway sources, two
The
coronavirus
vaccination
program is
starting all
over the
country today.
Vaccination
will be given at
204 centers in
the capital
Dhaka and
2,196 centers
across the
country.
Photo : Star Mail
Govt works tirelessly to ensure
sustainable water supply: Tajul
DHAKA : Local Government, Rural
Development and Cooperatives
Minister Md Tajul Islam yesterday said
the government led by Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina, is working relentlessly to
ensure sustainable water supply in the
country.
"The incumbent government is working
relentlessly to ensure sustainable
water supply as well as sustainable
development across the country considering
the future demand for water," he
said.
The minister said this while talking to
journalists after visiting Dhaka Water
Supply and Sewerage Authority
(WASA)'s Gandharbpur Water
Treatment Plant at Rupganj in
Narayanganj.
He said that there will be no water
problem in the country as the water
problem in Chattogram and Dhaka has
now been resolved.
The minister further said that
Bangladesh, like the rest of the world, is
giving special emphasis on surface water
due to the declining water level in the
present world.
The project to take water from
Gandharbpur Water Treatment Plant to
the capital and the work of water distribution
line are going on simultaneously
in full swing for the betterment of the
people, he said.
He hoped that water supply from the
plant would start as soon as the work is
completed.
BNP's programme
means terrorist acts,
sabotage: Quader
DHAKA : Awami League General
Secretary and Road Transport and
Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday
said BNP is again carrying out
its evil attempts to launch violence in
the name of political programme after
failing to gain people's support.
"BNP's programme means launching
sabotage and terrorist acts. If BNP
carries out violence in their programmes,
their evil acts will be dealt
with in an iron hand," he told a regular
press conference on contemporary
issues at his official residence on parliament
premises.
To BNP, Quader said, fair elections
means giving guarantee of the party's
win. When BNP was in power, they
ruined democracy again and again, he
said. The AL general secretary said
BNP formed Oikya Front before the
previous parliamentary elections and
that front was for sharing power
among the parties of the alliance.
He said the front leaders have lack of
trust and confidence in one another
and the 'success' of the front was to
suspend one another from the
alliance.
"BNP is again taking initiative to
form Jatiya Oikya Front now.
Actually, the purpose of forming such
an alliance is sharing power among
the parties under the cover of national
unity," he said.
Responding to a question from
reporters about the road construction
under Local Government Engineering
Department (LGED), he said that the
concerned authorities have been directed
to take necessary steps to make better
and sustainable the work of all the institutions
under his ministry.
No one would be spared after doing
substandard work due to corruption or
irregularities, he said, adding that many
engineers have already been suspended
and legal actions were taken against
many for doing substandard work.
Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage
Authority (WASA) Managing Director
Engineer Taksim A Khan, Local
Government Division (LGD) Additional
Secretary Muhammad Ibrahim and
other officials were present during the
visit.
Commenting that the cost of the project
is increasing in some cases for doing
sustainable and quality work, Tajul said
that the cost of the project naturally goes
up when a project remains incomplete
after starting five to six years ago.
He advised all concerned to increase
quality of work while implementing
projects.
Mentioning that the officials and
employees who are working risking
their lives to complete the project even
during the COVID-19 period, he hoped
that the work of WASA project to supply
water to Dhaka city will be completed
within the stipulated time.
Mentioning different achievements
of the AL government, the minister
said Bangladesh is marching towards
prosperity under the leadership of
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and
political stability is prevailing in the
country while the country's economy
started rebounding overcoming the
adverse effects of coronavirus pandemic.
He said the government is continuing
its multifaceted initiatives for the
repatriation of the Rohingya people.
The government is keeping an eye
on the incidents after the seizure of
power by military in Myanmar, he
added. Quader hoped the international
community will further strengthen
its efforts for repatriation of the
Myanmar nationals to their homeland
from Bangladesh considering the
depth of the issue.
He said a vested quarter is still creating
confusion over the vaccine of coronavirus.
He urged the people not to
pay heed to rumors and propaganda
over the vaccine. The AL general secretary
called upon the leaders and
workers of the party and its associate
and like-minded bodies to hold discussions,
rallies, representatives'
meetings and mass-contact campaigns
marking the golden jubilee of
independence and Mujib Barsho from
February 15.
Students and
parents staged
a sit-in in front
of Dhanmondi
27 on Saturday
demanding trial
of all rape cases
and killings
including
Anushka Amin
Arna and
Mim Akhter .
Photo : Star Mail
Dohazari-Cox's Bazar
rail line construction
to end by Dec
2022: Sujan
CHATTOGRAM : Railway Minister
Nurul Islam Sujan on Saturday said the
construction of the railway line from
Dohazari to Cox's Bazar will be completed
by December 2022.
He said this while inaugurating, as
chief guest, two new pairs of Demu
trains on Chattogram-Dohazari and
Chattogram-Patiya routes on the
Dohazari railway station premises yesterday
noon.
The minister said Bangabandhu's
daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
has taken 10 mega projects for expediting
the country's development.
"Of the 10 mega projects, two are for
railways - one is the rail link with the
Padma Bridge and the other is the rail
link with Myanmar, China and India,"
he added.
He said that based on these mega
projects, the railway authorities are taking
up reform activities and development
programme for railways in different
areas in the country.
"There will be a sophisticated railway
junction at Dohazari. Many jobs will be
created here," he added.
Nurul Islam said the Demu train has
been provided here as a first step. The
train service will be expanded at
Dohazari, he added.
Fire guts 2 floors
of Gazipur market
GAZIPUR : A fire broke out at a market in
Gazipur's Konabari town in the early
hours of Saturday. No casualties have
been reported, officials said, reports UNB.
Abdul Hamid, deputy director of
Gazipur Fire Service, said the blaze
started on the fourth floor of Excellent
Super Shop Market around 4 am. "The
fire soon spread to other floors," he said.
Six fire engines rushed to the spot
after being alerted by locals. "It took us
nearly two hours to bring the blaze
under control, around 6.30 am. But at
least two floors were gutted in the fire,"
the official said. A probe has been
ordered to ascertain the exact cause of
the fire, he added.
Passenger launch
attacked in
Patuakhali
PATUAKHALI : At least five people
were injured after miscreants attacked
passenger launch Adventure-11 in
Patuakhali's Rangabali upazila on
Saturday.
Sources say the launch was scheduled
to leave for Dhaka from Koralia terminal
at 2pm. Around that time, one of the
passengers identified as Ikram beat up a
staff of the launch over a trivial matter.
Passengers on the launch intervened
and tried to calm both sides down. But
by then Ikram's cousin Mahmud Hasan
attacked the launch with his associates
brandishing sticks and sharp weapons.
They vandalised the glass and furniture
of the launch as panicked passengers
looked on. The launch authorities took the
vessel mid-river and anchored there.
Police later intervened and brought both
parties to the police station.
Adventure-11 launch's General Manager
Tanvir Hossain Rubel said at least 10 people
had been injured in the attack - five of
them are in serious condition.
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