09-02-2021

TUESDAY, fEBRUARY 9, 2021
3
State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury MP taking the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine
at BSMMU in Dhaka on Monday.
Photo : Courtesy
Don't get confused
over vaccine
propaganda: Food
Minister
DHAKA : Food Minister
Sadhan Chandra Majumder
on Monday urged people not
to get puzzled over the
propaganda regarding the
Covid-19 vaccine.
"A vested quarter has been
involved in spreading
propaganda against the
country since the country's
independence and when
Bangladesh signed the deal
with India they said the
vaccine would not come to
the country. But the vaccine
has arrived for. Now they
have started spreading
rumours about vaccine," he
said, reports UNB.
The Minister came up with
the remark while talking to
reporters after taking a jab of
Covid-19 vaccine at 250-bed
TB Hospital in Shyamoli on
Monday. Many countries in
the world are yet to get
vaccine but Bangladesh has
been able to collect
coronavirus vaccine quickly
due to diplomatic success of
Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina, he added.
300,000 hectares
of cropland made
bare by unplanned
Beanibazar sluice gate
BEANIBAZAR : An
unplanned sluice gate at
Karsati canal and Kushira
River's connecting point in
Sylhet's Beanibazar upazila
has turned around 3 lakh
hectares of crop land barren
according to the Upazila
Agricultural office.
People of at least 35
villages in 3 unions of
Beanibazar are finding it
difficult to cultivate crops
due to the sluice gate,
reports UNB.
Local sources said almost
12 years ago, at the request
of the Kurarbazar locals, this
sluice gate was established
to aid communication
systems with the Sylhet-
Zakiganj-Beanibazar road.
However the sluice gate is of
no help in conserving the
water flow and dried up the
region, has become
uncultivable. Also the sluice
gate has created scarcity of
local fish in the adjacent
water bodies. Habib Ahmed
Dutta Chowdhury area's
liberation war researcher
said, 'in the flood season
Kushiyara River's water
won't flow through the
unplanned sluice gate as a
result Karsati canal gets
filled up with soil.'
Bianibazar Upazila
Nirbahi Officer (UNO)
Moushumi Mahbub said,
'locals have already
informed us about the issue.
Letter for taking effective
measures will soon be sent
to the Water Development
Board (WDB) and others
involved'.
According to the sources,
Karsati sluice gate was
mentioned in the
government's plan with no
prior excavation work, water
used to clog and agriculture
would get hampered.
BUILD urges govt to
revisit SME policy
DHAKA : The Business Initiatives Leading
Development (BUILD), a joint initiative of
DCCI, MCCI and CCCI, has urged the
government to revisit the SME policy.
It has also urged the government to clarify
the definition of CMSME & WE, Logistics in
the upcoming National Industrial Policy 2021.
The urge came from the 7th meeting of the
SME Development Working Committee of
BUILD held yesterday. The meeting was cochaired
by KM Ali Azam, Secretary, Ministry
of Industries and Mahbubul Alam,
President, Chittagong Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (CCCI).
Ferdaus Ara Begum CEO, BUILD made
two key note presentations on Industrial
Policy 2016 and Support for CMSMEs in
Bangladesh & Revisiting the Action Plan of
SME Policy 2019 to Address COVID-19
Situation, said a press release.
Industries Secretary KM Ali Azam said to
attain the goals set by the government by
2041, it is very essential to implement
demand-based individual cottage, micro,
small, medium & large industries.
He also said that the Ministry of Industries
will consider all the recommendations
placed by BUILD in the National Industrial
Policy 2021. CCCI President Mahbubul Alam
in his welcome speech said that there is no
alternative for harmonized and
synchronized policy advocacy for sustainable
Monthly Annual Development Program (ADP) Implementation Review Meeting
was held on Monday on online platforms.
Photo : Courtesy
ADP review meeting of
ICT dept held
DHAKA : The Annual Development
Program (ADP) Implementation review
meeting of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) Department for the
financial year 2020-21 was held yesterday
virtually.
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed
Palak presided over the meeting while Senior
Secretary of ICT Division NM Ziaul Alam,
heads of ICT Department, Bangladesh Hi-
Tech Park Authority, Bangladesh Computer
Council and Department of Information and
Communication Technology and other
project managers attended it, a press release
said.
The meeting discussed in details
implementation plans of the projects
undertaken by the ICT department in the
current financial year, monthly
achievements and realistic financial targets
and recruitment of manpower.
It also discussed the financial and practical
progress of the below projects:
Access to Information (a2i) Programme,
Connected Bangladesh Project,
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi-tech Park
Rajshahi Project, Kaliakoir Hi-tech Park and
SME growth in Bangladesh. He said around
99 percent of the industries in Bangladesh
belong to the SME sector while this sector
contributes to 86 percent of the total
employment generation in Bangladesh.
"The constraints faced by the SMEs need
to be addressed in the upcoming Industrial
Policy and SME Policy properly," added
Mahbubul. The CCCI President also drew
the attention of the government to ensure
ease of financing for the WEs.
The CEO of BUILD informed that among
26 recommendations placed before the 6th
SMEDWC, 10 have been implemented while
2 are in process. She stressed the need for
inclusion of logistics as a high priority sector
in the National Industrial Policy 2021.
Ferdous Ara said Bangladesh is going to
graduate from the LDC status by 2024 and
this will be a huge achievement for the
country. On the other hand, she said
Bangladesh would lose some preferential
treatment in the export market. "To attain
sustainable cost competitiveness, there is no
alternative for improving the logistics
scenario in Bangladesh," she added.
She emphasized the need for designing the
action plan for ensuring fruitful
implementation of the ensuing National
Industrial Policy 2021 by addressing the
impact of COVID-19 in the socioeconomic
context.
other Hi-tech Parks Development Project,
Digital Security Agency Establishment and
Necessary Infrastructure Development
Project, Sheikh Russel Digital Lab Project,
Mobile Game and Application Skills
Development Project, Learning and Earning
Development Project, Sheikh Kamal IT
Training and Incubation Center
Establishment Project, Innovation and
Entrepreneur Development Academy
Establishment Project.
The heads of the agencies and the project
managers presented the implementation
plans and the latest progress of their
respective projects at the meeting.
Palak gave necessary instructions to the
project managers to complete the work of the
projects on time in maintaining the quality
as per the work plan.
The meeting also directed the concerned to
fill the vacancies in the projects including
High-tech parks under the ICT Department.
According to the release, ADP has
allocated Taka 1414.69 crore to 26 projects
including technology under the ICT
department in the current financial year
(2020-21).
CDCS Director, French
Ambassador visit
Rohingya camps
DHAKA : Director of the
Crisis and Support Center
(CDCS) Eric Chevallier has
recently visited the
Rohingya camps in Cox's
Bazar along with French
Ambassador Jean-Marin
Schuh, reports UNB.
They met people from the
Rohingya community and
shared views with women,
kids and doctors at the
camps and possible
opportunities for
repatriation, said the
Embassy on Monday.
They visited one of the
Ideas Boxes managed by
Bibliotheques sans
Frontieres and inaugurated
a Community Resource
Center managed by
Medecins du Monde, both
being funded by the CDCS.
MIST wins global
medical robotics
competition
DHAKA : A Military
Institute of Science and
Technology (MIST) team
has become the winner of
the global "Medical Robotics
for Contagious Diseases
Challenge 2020."
A team of MIST students
has been awarded £5,000 as
championship prize money
in the application category,
reports UNB.
Team MIST won the
award for developing a UVC
disinfection robot named
"UVC Purge V.2." Other two
winners in competition are
Johns Hopkins University -
in the "Innovation" category
- and Leeds University - in
the "Design" category.
Imperial College of London
organised the multi-round
qualifying and prestigious
global competition. And UK
Robotics and Autonomous
System Network sponsored
it. The online award
ceremony was held on
February 4, said the Inter
Service Public Relations
(ISPR) Directorate on
Monday.
CJ urges lawyers
to get vaccinated
DHAKA : Chief Justice Syed
Mahmud Hossain, who
received his first dose of the
COVID-19
vaccine
yesterday, urged lawyers to
get vaccinated.
"We've taken the vaccine
yesterday and doing fine and
conducting the trial today.
You should also get
vaccinated," he said to
lawyers connected virtually
during Appellate Division
hearing on Monday.
Attorney General AM
Amin Uddin in reply said he
would take the vaccine
today. The chief justice, at
the time, also urged senior
lawyers AJ Mohammad Ali,
Barrister Ruhul Quddus
Kazal and Barrister AM
Mahbub Uddin Khokon to
take the vaccine.
Vaccination of
COVID-19 continues
in Khulna
KHULNA : Mass
Vaccination campaign for
coronavirus (COVID-19) is
continuing in the city as
elsewhere in the district
amidst fanfare yesterday
A total of 1290 citizens
have been inoculated in all
nine upazila health
complexes and city's
government hospital from
8a m to 4pm of Monday,
says Dr Sabrina Snigdha,
Medical Officer of Khulna
general hospital.
In Khulna city, 685
citizens have been took the
first round of shot . Of them
507 are men and 178 are
women. In nine upazila of
the district, 605 people took
vaccination. Of them, 441
are men and 164 are women,
she said, adding that huge
people are thronging in all
inoculation centers.
Industries Minister
Majid attended Law and
order committee meet
NARSINGDI : The monthly Law and order
committee meeting was held at Deputy
Commissioner's conference room yesterday.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud
Humayun attended the meeting as chief
guest while Parliament Members Dr
Anwarul Ashraf Khan Dileep and Jahirul
Hoque Mohan were also present as special
guests respectively.
Deputy Commissioner and also the
District Magistrate, Narsingdi Syeda
Farhana Kawnine presided over the meeting
.The meeting discussed on the present law
and order situation in the district including
terrorism, militancy ,drug trafficking and
other crimes for ensuring safety and security
of the people .
Superintendent of Police Narsingdi Kazi
A team of students from the Military Institute of Science and
Technology (MIST) won the 'Medical Robotics for Contagious Diseases
Challenges 2020' (Application Division).
Photo : Courtesy
Germany to support country's
textile education: UGC
DHAKA : GIZ, a German-based
organisation, has expressed interest in
providing more technical assistance to the
country's textile education sector and
creation of skilled human resources in it.
A three-member delegation, led by UGC
member (administration) Professor
Muhammad Alamgir and GIZ's project
manager Christian Bachmann, expressed
interest to start a new project while
conducting a meeting in this regard, said a
press release here.
The company has proposed a new project
called 'Higher Education and Leadership
Development for Sustainable Textiles in
Bangladesh (HELD)'.
The proposed three-year project is expected
to start this year to assist the Government of
Ashraful Azim BPM, Civil Surgeon Dr Nurul
Islam, Mayor of Madhobdi Municipality
Hossain Manik, President of Narsingdi Press
Club Makhan Das, Secretary Mazaharul
Parvez, Former Muktijuddah Commander
Abdul Motaleb Pathan, Secretary of Shibpur
Upazila Awami League Shumsul Islam
Rakhil, and President of Narsingdi Chamber
of commerce and Industry Ali Hossain
Shishir also addressed.
The Minister called upon all to carry out
ongoing mammoth development works of
the country facing all conspiracies politically.
Majid expressed satisfaction that
terrorism, militancy and other pressing
criminal issues are under control in the
district and the criminal acts are also
declining in the district.
BCL to form college, university
level committee
DHAKA : Bangladesh Chhatra League
(BCL), the students' wing of ruling Awami
League (AL), will form its committee for
all educational institutions including
colleges and universities after reopening
of the country's educational institutions.
"Committee for all the educational
institutions including colleges,
universities and halls will be announced
soon after reopening of all educational
institutions of the country as we should
not announce any committee without the
presence of the students," BCL central
General Secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee
told BSS.
As of now, BCL has announced
committee for 13 districts through issuing
press release instead of holding council
considering the pandemic situation while
committee for no university or college
except Dhaka University have been
announced after the last council on May
11-12 in 2018.
"The rest of districts and metropolitan
cities except Dhaka will be announced by
holding council in limited scale with inperson
presence at an auditorium or
conference room if possible. Otherwise
we've to announce it through issuing
press release," Lekhak added.
Besides, committee for those districts,
which have no existing committee, will
also be announced through press release
as without leaders, it's not possible to
hold a council, he continued.
Committee for the halls of Dhaka
University will also be announced once
the university and the dormitories are
open fully, he further said.
On January 31, BCL announced its 68-
member extended committee with 25 vice
presidents and a joint secretary.
Earlier in May, 2019, BCL announced
its 301-member full-fledged committee
one year after its last council, led by
former BCL president Rezwanul Haque
Chowdhury Shovon and its general
secretary Golam Rabbani.
On May 11-12 in 2018, the ruling party's
student wing held its last council and
Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon and
Golam Rabbani became president and
general secretary on July 31.
On September 14, 2019, Al Nahiyan
Khan Joy and Lekhak Bhattacharya were
made acting president and general
secretary of the student front after
removal of Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury
Shovon and Golam Rabbani from their
respective posts.
Later, on 4 January, 2020, Awami
League President and Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina declared Al Nahiyan Khan
Joy and Lekhak Bhattacharya as
president and general secretary
respectively of BCL at Suhrawardy Udyan
marking the 72nd founding anniversary
of BCL.
Bangladesh in implementing the Sustainable
Development Goals 2030 Development
Policy, the release added.
UGC Secretary (additional responsibilities)
Ferdous Zaman, Additional Director of
Planning and Development of the
Commission Durga Rani Sarkar and Deputy
Director Roxana Laila were present, among
others.
The project, worth about Taka 300 million
(three million euros), would help in the
expansion of higher education and building
skilled human resources in the textile sector
in Bangladesh.
It will also develop research in the textile and
ready-made garments sector of the country
and enhance the skills of the managers
engaged in the sector.