07-02-2021

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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