16-02-2021

TuEsdAy, FEBRuARy 16, 2021
4
As the rich thrive during Covid
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Death from fake liquor
consumption
Although Bangladesh has been blissfully a
relatively moderate alcohol consuming
country by comparison, alcoholism here is
not so small a social problem either that it can
be ignored. Despite limited prohibition on liquor
as a Muslim country, nonetheless people here in
large number can legally have access to liquor as
habitual drinkers, for health reasons, pleasure,
etc. In most cases they buy permission for liquor
consumption from the relevant agency of the
government for a fee and this has to be renewed
on timely basis. Thus, this system keeps
alcoholism in check from liquor's restricted
availability. Bangladesh is not like many other
countries where liquor is too plentiful, available
in unrestricted amounts to anyone.
But although the consumption of liquor in
Bangladesh has remained under controls for the
regulations involved, its consumption
nevertheless in not so free from risks. For
example, many drinkers in the country are
simply priced out in buying imported and
expensive liquor. The common people here
simply cannot afford the same. They take
'country liquor' which is made in unsafe manner
using mainly raw sprit combined with other
locally available ingredients. The making of the
same is also considered as unhygienic and
unhealthy. Thus, from taking such country
liquor on long term basis or habitually, the users
often fall prey to serious intestinal diseases
mainly cirrhosis of liver. Therefore, the
production and consumption of country liquor
also call for regulations and their enforcement to
protect against health risks.
The comparatively smaller number of drinkers
of foreign imported liquor so far had escaped
such worse health risks. Served in posh
restaurants and among the elite such
consumption of liquor proved relatively safe and
hazard free. But the worrisome feature of the
present situation is even such caterers of foreign
liquor can no long count on the safety of the
liquor they peddle. According to mainstream
media reports, death from drinking liquor
claimed as of foreign origin, has shattered the
idea that the drinking of such foreign stuff in
elegant bars and eateries is free from health
risks.
Reportedly, 33 persons were identified as dead
after drinking such so called foreign made liquor
in Dhaka and other cities of the country over the
last one month. The victims include 13 who died
recently after such liquor consumption in a well
known and reputed resort in Gazipur in the
outskirts of Dhaka. Thus, the issue has become
a full blown one of much significance and calls
for strictest immediate law enforcement actions
by the police and others.
The authorities who should be concerned
needs to show much greater activism in the
matter because once the news of deaths from
liquor consumption reaches widely among
foreign tourists and members of the foreign
community in Bangladesh, the negative
repercussions of the same are likely to be
heavier. Bangladesh has not been noted
particularly hospitable for its restriction on
liquor, night life and other attractions that
foreigners look forward to in host countries. If
on top of these disadvantages, our country gets a
bad name as one where people in considerable
number die from liquor consumption, then the
same will not create incentives among
foreigners to work and live here.
Reportedly, the police last week also detected
an unauthorized liquor making factory in a
suburban area of Dhaka city. They found there
one person who was making fake liquor of
famous foreign brands and putting them in used
or empty bottles and labelling them likewise
with fake labels. There is every reason to reliably
assume that the products of such a clandestine
factory were destined for the upscale
restaurants and caterers where the recent liquor
related deaths occurred.
The authorities need to review these
developments with a great deal of seriousness
and root out the same with iron hands at the
fastest.
WHILE the Covid-19 pandemic has
had a devastating effect on the lives
and livelihoods of people across
the world, the health crisis has been a boon
for the richest. Millions have died and the
global economy has shrunk pushing more
people into poverty. Yet the fortunes of the
planet's richest have seen an astronomical
rise over the past one year. Since the
outbreak of the pandemic, the poor have
become poorer and the rich richer.
It's evident that the impact of the global
health emergency has been uneven. The
pandemic has worsened the existing
inequality among countries as well as within
countries. As UN Secretary General António
Guterres said: "While we are all floating on
the same sea, it's clear that some are in super
yachts, while others are clinging to the
drifting debris."
While the richest nations may have been
hit harder by the pandemic they will be able
to recover much faster than underdeveloped
countries, further widening the gap between
rich and poor nations with grave
implications for world peace.
An Oxfam report released last month and
titled The Inequality Virus has made some
startling revelations about the gnawing
economic disparity in the times of
pandemic. While hundreds of millions of
people have lost their jobs and are finding it
hard to survive, the richest have remained
the least affected. It is estimated that the
total number of people living in poverty
could have increased by between 200m and
500m in 2020.
The pandemic has worsened the existing
Future Iran nuclear talks should include the GCC and regional issues
During its summit in AlUla last month, the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) made public
its position on future talks with Iran, stating
that any future negotiation process should
address Tehran's regional conduct and
missile program "all in one basket" along
with its nuclear program. It also stressed the
need to include GCC countries in this
process.
The GCC's concerns go far beyond the
confines of the current Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action (JCPOA) text. They are related
to the overall scope of the 2015 agreement
and its exclusion of key actors that are
immediately affected by it.
While it is exceedingly important to close
the gaps in the old text, Iran's missile
program is equally worrisome, especially as
the regime has beefed up its arsenal with
cruise missiles, drones and new generations
of ballistic missiles.
For the region, the most immediate threat
is Iran's regional conduct, i.e., supporting
sectarian militias regionally and all types of
terrorists globally.
In addition, there is an urgent need to
address the environmental risks associated
with Iran's nuclear program, even if it were
non-military. Some of its nuclear reactors are
built or planned along earthquake fault lines.
Japan's Fukushima disaster demonstrated
the risk earthquakes pose to nuclear
installations. The Bushehr nuclear facility is
only 200 km from major population centers
in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. If nuclear
effluents pollute Gulf waters, it could spell
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It's a gentleman's game, they always said.
In recent times, it is not easy to be
consistently convinced.
From Darren Sammy's allegations of
racism by players of his IPL SunRisers
Hyderabad team last year to the Aussie art of
sledging that has no time frame, sometimes
it feels like Trevor Chappell is constantly
bowling an underarm.
Maybe, it also has something to do with
how all around us, mutual respect and
humility have become the twelfth man.
Sport and communities- the link is strong,
neither exists as an island. Which is perhaps
why it feels like a rabbit has been pulled
from the hat. Ajinkya Rahane- dignified and
classy, has in recent days shown us many
things, but none as important as the
message, you do not have to shout to be
heard. Many these days have the wrong
memo.
What happened on the field is history,
what took place off it showed that not all
inequalities between the rich and the poor.
But, despite the downturn in the global
economy, billionaires' wealth worldwide
increased by a staggering $3.9 trillion
between March 18 and Dec 31, 2020.
According to the report released at the
World Economic Forum, the world's 10
wealthiest billionaires have together seen an
increase in prosperity by $540bn over this
period. The figures show their cumulative
wealth standing at $11.95tr. The top 25 US
corporations earned 11 per cent more profits
in 2020 compared with the previous year.
Two American billionaires, space
technology entrepreneur Elon Musk and
Jeff Bezos of Amazon increased their net
wealth by $128.9bn and $78.2bn
respectively in this period. But it is not only
American billionaires who got wealthier.
India's richest man Mukesh Ambani also
saw his wealth double, reaching $78.3bn
between March and October 2020.
"During that period, the average increase
in Ambani's wealth in just over four days
represented more than the combined
annual wages of all of Reliance Industries'
195,000 employees," according to the
Oxfam report. From being the 21st richest
dR. ABdEL AZIZ ALuWAIshEG
disaster for desalination plants.
All of these issues are urgent and need to be
addressed in the talks with Iran: Its rush to
acquire military nuclear capability, a
runaway missile program, expanding rogue
regional activities, and nuclear safety. There
appears to be a regional and global consensus
that any future talks should have a wider
scope to include most of these issues. There is
also a growing consensus to include regional
actors, although no agreement yet on the
shape of that participation.
Most of the JCPOA's original participants
have voiced support for widening the scope
and participation of any new talks. US
President Joe Biden has said that, if Iran
returns to compliance with the agreement,
Washington would rejoin and then seek to
build a broader pact to also deal with Iran's
development of ballistic missiles and support
for proxy forces in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and
elsewhere. US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake
Sullivan have also made similar comments.
JyOTsNA MOhAN
French President Emmanuel Macron on
Friday told Al-Arabiya TV that Saudi Arabia
should be involved in any new negotiations
with Iran about its nuclear program. He
cautioned against repeating the mistake of
excluding the countries of the region, other
than Iran, from discussions when the 2015
deal was negotiated. He added that talks with
Tehran would be very "strict" and warned
that little time remains to prevent Iran
Iran has voiced opposition to both widening the scope of
the talks and including other regional actors. This opposition
contradicts its own pronouncements about the need
for dialogue with its neighbors. President hassan Rouhani
has publicly expressed and sent missives suggesting that
Iran and the GCC countries turn a new page and start talking
about their differences.
developing a nuclear weapon.
Germany also believes that the 2015
JCPOA is no longer enough and needs an
overhaul, calling for a broader accord to rein
in Tehran's ballistic missile program and its
regional activities. Foreign Minister Heiko
Maas in December told Der Spiegel: "A form
of 'nuclear agreement plus' is needed, which
also lies in our interest." He added: "We have
clear expectations for Iran: No nuclear
weapons, but also no ballistic rocket program
which threatens the whole region. Iran must
also play another role in the region … We
need this accord because we distrust Iran."
Behind every Rahane stands a Wall
heroes wear a cape, some are also in white
flannels.
Back home after the series win against
Australia, Rahane was asked to cut a cake
shaped like a Kangaroo- the Australian
national animal. He refused.
That he was even presented with one
shouldn't be all that surprising - everything
today is black or white. One wonders if the
roles were reversed how many effigies of
Australian players would have been burnt at
the mere sight of a peacock themed cake.
What Rahane said holds true not just for
sport, "it is important to respect the
opposition and their sentiments regardless
of whether you win or lose." It is a timely
reminder that to give respect is to command
respect, both two sides of a coin.
Rahane had also presented the Australian
spinner Nathan Lyon with a signed Indian
Team jersey for his 100th test. Suddenly, in
a world gone awry, Rahul Dravid and VVS
Laxman didn't seem part of a bygone era. All
that was left was to hear Richie Benaud at
the MCG.
Without any fuss the stand-in captain has
already embraced his role as the deputy
once again, for him the Australia series is
now history, the English are at the doorstep.
The captaincy debate though continues.
Many argue it is time for Virat Kohli to
follow in Sachin Tendulkar's footsteps- the
best batsman in the world isn't always a
stellar captain.
ZAhId hussAIN
person on Earth he now occupies the sixthrichest
slot. Interestingly, India has been
among the countries hardest hit by the
pandemic with its economy facing its worst
recession since independence.
It is almost the same story in other parts of
the world. According to Oxfam, between
It is almost the same story in other parts of the world. According
to Oxfam, between March and August 2020, billionaires in the
Middle East and North Africa increased their wealth by 20pc,
which amounts to more than double the IMF's emergency
financing to the region for the same period.
March and August 2020, billionaires in the
Middle East and North Africa increased
their wealth by 20pc, which amounts to
more than double the IMF's emergency
financing to the region for the same period.
Meanwhile, the sales of private planes grew
as commercial travel was banned.
This grotesque concentration of wealth
has come at a huge human cost. While it
took just nine months for the top
billionaires' fortunes to return to pre-Covid-
19 levels, for the world's poorest, economic
recovery could take more than a decade, the
report points out.
The pandemic has exposed the extreme
inequality that exists in today's world.
Billions of people were already living below
the poverty line before the onset of the
coronavirus. Over 3bn people reportedly did
not have access to healthcare, and threequarters
of workers had no access to social
To be fair, despite Virat Kohli returning
home for paternity leave after the first test,
India's fightback had his legacy stamped all
over it. He has built a team that has the
tenacity and fire to win despite the pressure
of a billion prayers that many times seem as
anything but prayers.
Whether it was the comeback after what
sounded more like a tambola/bingo number
36 in the first test or the constant racial
abuse that Mohammed Siraj faced at the
Sydney Cricket Ground, the resurgence left
many cricket pundits, not to mention former
Aussie greats and Michael Vaughan with egg
on their face.
The young blood knew they had nothing
to lose. Those who fight the good fight, can
only win respect.
Yet is Kohli's aggression - in his words "a
representation of a new India" the kind of
message a society on edge needs? Without
taking away anything from his batting or his
do-or-die spirit, the brashness and the
arrogance that filters through at times is not
just a representation, it is unfortunately the
new India.
Sourav Ganguly swinging his jersey at the
Lords balcony in 2002 was controversial
and yet it never gave this feeling, even
though he is widely regarded as the captain
who took Indian cricket's fight to the
opposition. The aggression now feels
different, perhaps there is much more at
stake today.
protection. That made them more
vulnerable to the impact of the contagion.
The circumstances appear even bleaker as
disparity increases.
This situation could have easily been
averted. As pointed out by the report, "the
increase in the 10 richest billionaires' wealth
since the crisis began is more than enough to
prevent anyone on Earth from falling into
poverty because of the virus, and to pay for a
Covid-19 vaccine for everyone".
Unfortunately, this won't happen in the
existing world order which favours the
wealthy.
There is no likelihood of people living in
poverty returning even to its pre-crisis level
for over a decade. This is an extremely
depressing situation that has serious
political and social implications. Inequality
means that more people are sick, fewer are
educated and fewer live happy and dignified
lives. Great disparities in income poison our
politics and drive extremism and racism. It
leaves many more people living in fear and
hopelessness.
It will be the developing countries that are
most affected by the looming catastrophe.
An increase in inequality is almost certain.
The report points out: "According to the
World Bank, 501m more people will still be
living on less than $5.50 a day in 2030 if
governments allow inequality to increase by
just two percentage points annually, and the
total number of people living in poverty
would be higher than it was before the virus
hit."
Source: Dawn
France, Germany and the UK are in talks
with the US to coordinate their positions on
modalities for the resumption and scope of the
talks. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
has also voiced support, saying: "The matter is
progressively moving toward a situation where
we can have an agreement that is essential for
peace and stability in the Gulf and the world …
I believe that everyone, all those who entered
the JCPOA and other interested parties, must
work together to reduce uncertainties, to face
difficulties and obstacles."
Iran has voiced opposition to both
widening the scope of the talks and including
other regional actors. This opposition
contradicts its own pronouncements about
the need for dialogue with its neighbors.
President Hassan Rouhani has publicly
expressed and sent missives suggesting that
Iran and the GCC countries turn a new page
and start talking about their differences.
It is not yet clear where Russia and China
stand on the agenda of the future talks or
regional participation. Iranian Foreign
Minister Javad Zarif last week visited Russia,
but there was no mention of this issue in the
public statements made during his trip.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told
a Jan. 26 joint press conference with Zarif:
"Particularly we discussed cooperation on
construction of new power units of the
Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran," as
well as trade, economic, energy, agriculture,
transport and industrial fields.
Source: Arab news
Rahane though has been influenced more
by the player Dada made a debut with even
though in Australia, it was Cheteshwar
Pujara who stood like 'The Wall'.
Rahul Dravid may not have been at Gabba
when it was breached but half the team
wouldn't have been there either if not for
him.
From Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar,
Prithvi Shaw, Shubham Gill, Shardul
Thakur, Hanuma Vihari to even Siraj at
some point, this band of boys have all come
up through Dravid's system- the U-19 and
India 'A' programmes that he has nurtured
for the last six years before also becoming
the Director of the National Cricket
Academy. A man doggedly laying the
foundation when foundations all around are
shaky.
The greying side- burns only add to the
stature of a man who could have also joined
the commentary box, the rite of passage for
many former cricketers. Yet, when it was
presumed that he was silently going into the
sunset, the former player was actually
helping another generation dream of a new
dawn.
But that doesn't mean we don't have our
own warriors, only their fight is subtle. As
Gopichand, Dravid and now Rahane have
shown, history will be kind to a class act
more than it will be to a T-20 cameo.
Source: Gulf news