23-02-2021

tuesday

DhAkA : February 23, 2021; Falgun 10, 1427 BS; Rajab 10,1442 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.17; N o. 312; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

InternatIonal

Myanmar protest call

for general strike

draws junta threat

>Page 7

sports

Beyond the Big Three:

Djokovic sets sights on

Williams, Court

>Page 9

art & culture

Darshana in

Dhallywood movie

'Antaratma'

>Page 10

Will deliver benefits

of independence to all

doors : PM Hasina

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina on Monday said the struggle for

freedom had started through the

Language Movement while it completed

its journey with the attainment of

independence when the nation won its

victory, reports UNB.

"The blood of our martyrs did not go in

vain and it'll never be, and that is the

proven truth. We gained our independence

in exchange for the blood of millions

of martyrs," she said while virtually

addressing a discussion meeting marking

the Martyrs Day and International

Mother Language Day from her official

residence Ganobhaban. Awami League

organised the programme at its

Bangabandhu Avenue central office.

Making independence meaningful

PM Hasina, also the chief of the ruling

party, vowed to make the hard-won

liberation meaningful.

"We'll deliver the results of the independence

to all doors, this is our promise,"

she said. She mentioned that the

essence of development of the government

is to provide basic rights, food,

cloths, homes, treatment and education,

for all people starting from rural areas.

Money laundering

ACC opens probe

against RMG

owners

DHAKA : The Anti-Corruption

Commission (ACC) on Monday launched

an inquiry into an allegation of laundering

around Tk 64,000 crore each year by some

garment factory owners, reports UNB.

The commission has received an allegation

that some garment factory owners

are engaged in money laundering

and misuse of the duty-free import

facility. ACC Spokesperson Pranab

Kumar Bhattarchjee told UNB that

they have opened an investigation and

would inform details later.

ACC Secretary Dr Md Anwar Hossain

Howlader said that a team had been

formed for the investigation. He also

hinted at the involvement of government

officials in helping these businesspersons

in siphoning off the money.

The National Board of Revenue

(NBR) submitted some documents on

over-invoicing upon the ACC's request

as the Commission sought a number of

documents from NBR on RMG factories

which are allegedly engaged in

money laundering and misuse of the

duty-free import facility.

The documents were required for an

investigation into allegations of money

laundering carried out in the guise of

import and export, the commission said

in a letter to NBR on January 19 this year.

Zohr

05:12 AM

12:16 PM

04:20 PM

06:04 PM

07:16 PM

6:25 5:59

All universities to

reopen on May 24,

halls May 17: Minister

DHAKA : Classes in all the public and

private universities will resume on May

24, said Education Minister Dipu Moni

on Monday, reports UNB.

Addressing a virtual press briefing,

the minister said the residential halls of

the universities will be reopened on

May 17.

The students, teachers and staffers

will be vaccinated against Covid-19

before the reopening of the universities,

Dipu Moni said adding that decision

on reopening of schools and colleges

has not been taken yet.

However, the online classes will continue

but no examination will be held

before the reopening of the universities,

the minister added.

Dipu Moni instructed the authorities

concerned to take necessary measures

so that Covid-19 health guidelines

could be maintained after the resumption

of classes.

The government shut all the schools

and educational institutions on March

17 last year after the country confirmed

its first Covid-19 cases on March 8.

The closure was extended several

times, most recently until February 28

this year, to protect the students from

the virus infections.

Online classes are going on at different

educational institutions.

The decision of reopening public universities

came amid demonstrations by

students of different public universities,

including Jahangirnagar

University and Rajshhai University,

demanding the reopening of dormitories.

Besides, the Covid-19 situation has

been improving in Bangladesh steadily

in recent weeks. Meanwhile, a countrywide

vaccination drive was launched

on Feb 7.

On May 12, 2020, the World Health

Organization (WHO) advised governments

that before reopening, the rates

of positivity in testing should remain at

5% or lower for at least 14 days.

Tense situation prevails

in Companiganj

Manik Bhuiyan, noakhali Correspondent

The local administration has issued

section 144 in Noakhali Basurhat

municipal area around the

announcement of reciprocal programs

of the two parties of Awami

League Mirza Quader and Badal at

the same place.

The situation is tense in

Companiganjincluding Basurhat

municipal area. Law and order forces

have made necessary preparations to

deal with the possible situation surrounding

the reciprocal program of

the two sides. Police were deployed at

various places including Basurhat

Bazar on Sunday night after the

issuance of section 144. Additional

police have already been sent from

the district headquarters.

An order signed by Companiganj

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Ziaul

Haque Mir said that the order under

section 144 would be effective in all

parts of the municipality from 8 am

to 6 pm on Monday. At this time all

kinds of meetings and gatherings

have been banned.

Meanwhile, most of the shops in

Basurhat have been closed since

morning. The traders said that they

have closed the shops in the interest

of safety of life and property.

While visiting various spots it has

been seen that various entrances have

been blocked with tree trunks and

bricks in Basurhat municipal area.

Mayor Abdul Quader Mirza called

a mourning meeting at Rupali

Chattar of Basurhat Municipal

Council on Monday at 2.30 pm to

demand justice for the murder of

journalist Burhan Uddin Mukkabbir.

Earlier, former upazila chairman

Mizanur Rahman Badal had

announced to hold a rally at the same

place at 3 pm. Badal announced the

program at a press conference on

Saturday afternoon in protest of

Abdul Quader Mirza's lies against

Awami League general secretary and

Road Transport and Bridges

Minister ObaidulQuader and other

party central leaders.

In this regard, District

Superintendent of Police Md Alamgir

Hossain said, no one will be allowed

to violate section 144. Law enforcement

will be forced to show strictness

if any attempt is made to disobey

government orders.

Cabinet clears

Bangladesh

Patent Bill

DHAKA : The Cabinet on Monday

approved the draft of "Bangladesh

Patent Bill, 2021", aiming to make the

century-old patent law a more timebefitting

one.

The approval came from the weekly

Cabinet meeting held at the

Bangladesh Secretariat. Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the

meeting, joining it virtually from her

official residence Ganobhaban,

reports UNB.

A registrar office will be there to

issue and cancel patent against any

single inventor or joint inventors of

any technological innovation under

the proposed law, said Cabinet

Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam

while briefing reporters after the

meeting.

"The owners will be given the patent

of any innovation for 20 years receiving

application, and then it'll be a public

(property)," he said adding the

Industries Ministry placed the draft of

the bill at the Cabinet meeting.

The cases particularly general rights

and compensation-related issues

under the draft law will be treated as

civil affairs and be tried by civil courts.

But cheating and similar offences will

be dealt with under the penal code, he

said.

"If anyone fails to carry out the

orders under different articles of the

proposed law, the compensation

would be Tk 5 lakh-Tk 10 lakh, said

the Cabinet Secretary.

The Cabinet also approved in principle

the draft of Bangladesh

Industry-Design Bill, 2021 in a bid to

protect the intellectual property rights

of industrial design.

police were

deployed at

various places

including

Basurhat

Bazar on

sunday

night after the

issuance of

section 144.

photo :

Manik Bhuiyan

preparation

going on to

hold ekushey

book fair.

the picture

was taken

from

suhrawardi

uddyan on

Monday.

photo : tBt

Assess situation before reopening

educational institutions: PM

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina on Monday directed the

Education Ministry to review the situation

before reopening educational institutions

as those remained shut for the

last one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic,

reports UNB.

She gave the directive while presiding

over the Cabinet meeting held at the

Bangladesh Secretariat. She joined it

virtually from her official residence

Ganobhaban.

"Now the educational

institutions

are open in

European countries

other than

England. From

this point of view,

the Prime

Minister instructed

the Education

Ministry to discuss

and think

whether we can

reopen the educational

institutions,"

said

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul

Islam.

He said the ministry was asked to sit

in a meeting with all concerned to

review the environment to reach a decision

on it. It will review the situation

first whether the institutions can be

reopened and then look for ways when

and how that can be done, he added.

"We'll sit in a meeting with all, including

consultants, experts and lawenforcement

agencies by next 5-6 days

to take a decision on it," said the

Cabinet Secretary.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister

also asked the authorities concerned to

ensure the vaccination of teachers and

employees of the educational institutions,

Anwarul Islam said.

The government shut the educational

institutions on March 17, 2020 after the

first Covid-19 cases were detected in the

country on March 8 last year. The closure

was extended several times, most

recently until next February 28.

Bangladesh encourages other

countries to take Rohingyas

DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul

Momen on Monday urged the other

countries and human rights bodies to

come forward to share the burden of

Rohingyas, saying that Bangladesh has

done enough, reports UNB.

He said an estimate shows around

84,000 people live in per square kilometre

at Kutupalong Rohingya camp in

Cox's Bazar.

"Do you see it anywhere in the world?

Let other countries take (Rohingyas). We

can't take more," he told reporters at his

office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Earlier, UNHCR, the UN Refugee

Agency, appealed for the immediate rescue

of a group of Rohingya refugees in

distress on the Andaman Sea.

UNHCR received reports of an

unconfirmed number of Rohingya

refugees aboard a vessel in distress as of

Saturday.

The refugees left Cox's Bazar and

Teknaf, Bangladesh, approximately 10

days ago, said Indrika Ratwatte, Director

of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia

and the Pacific on Monday.

Many are in a highly vulnerable condition

and apparently suffering from

extreme dehydration. "We understand

that a number of refugees have already

lost their lives, and that fatalities have

risen over the past 24 hours," said

Ratwatte.

Ratwatte said refugees have told them

that the vessel ran out of food and water

several days ago, and that many of the

passengers are ill.

"The vessel has reportedly been adrift

since its engine broke down more than a

week ago. We haven't been able to confirm

the number of refugees or their precise

location at this time."

In the absence of precise information

as to the refugees' location, Ratwatte said

they have alerted the authorities of the

relevant maritime states of these reports

and appealed for their swift assistance,

should the vessel be found in their area of

responsibility for search and rescue.

"Immediate action is needed to save lives

and prevent further tragedy."

TuESDAY, fEBruArY 23, 2021

2

Renault says pandemic

pushed it into record

loss in 2020

PARIS : French automaker

Renault said Friday it

booked a record loss in 2020

as the coronavirus pandemic

hit its performance and

looked set to weigh on the

outlook this year as well,

reports BSS.

Renault said in a statement

that it recorded a net

loss of 8.05 billion euros

($9.7 billion) last year, compared

with a bottom-line

profit of 19 million euros in

2019.

"After a first half impacted

by Covid-19, the group has

significantly turned around

its performance in the second

half," the carmaker said.

"2021 is set to be difficult

given the unknowns regarding

the health crisis as well

as electronic components

supply shortages."

Asian markets struggle

as inflation worries

offset recovery hopes

HONG KONG : Markets

were mixed Monday as

investors struggled to maintain

an initial rally, with

falling infection rates and

more good news on the vaccine

front playing off against

worries about high valuations

and inflation, reports BSS.

While the United States is

approaching 500,000

deaths, there is growing optimism

that there is light at the

end of the tunnel in the

Covid-19 crisis as governments

embark on immunisation

programmes that will

allow economies to reopen.

Expectations that

President Joe Biden's vast

stimulus will be passed next

month are also keeping spirits

up, as a raft of data last

week on factory and services

activity indicated the financial

hit to the United States

and Europe might not be as

bad as feared.

News that the

Pfizer/BioNTech jab

appeared to prevent nine in

10 people from getting the

disease in Israel - which is the

most advanced in its rollout -

provided a positive background.

Israeli officials also

said the shot was 99 percent

effective at preventing deaths

from the disease.

Meanwhile, hopes for a

wider distribution were given

a lift after Pfizer said its drug

could be stored in normal

medical freezers instead of

the ultra-cold conditions initially

thought necessary.

Tokyo, Hong Kong,

Singapore, Taipei and

Jakarta rose but Shanghai,

Sydney, Seoul, Wellington

and Manila were all in the

red.

Experimental sunflower garden at Hathazari upazila research center.

Photo : Star Mail

Biden's pick to lead the

budget in political peril

WASHINGTON : Democratic Senator Joe

Manchin announced Friday he will oppose the

confirmation of Neera Tanden, Joe Biden's

pick to lead the budget at the White House,

potentially sinking her chances in a setback for

the US president , reports BSS.

Tanden, the first woman of Indian descent

to be appointed to head the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB), has been

the target of bipartisan criticism since Biden

nominated her in November.

While she has earned the enmity of

Republicans through her biting Twitter feed,

Tanden has also come under fire from the progressive

wing of the Democratic Party.

"I believe her overtly partisan statements

will have a toxic and detrimental impact on

the important working relationship between

members of Congress and the next director of

the Office of Management and Budget," wrote

Manchin, a moderate Democrat.

"For this reason, I cannot support her nomination."

The OMB is a powerful department responsible

for developing the president's budget and

evaluating the projects and expenditures of his

department secretaries.

The Democrats have a slim majority in the

Senate, which has the power to confirm or

reject presidential nominations: with 50 seats

against 50 Republicans, they can count on the

vote of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has

the power to break the tie.

But with Joe Manchin's opposition, Tanden

will most likely need at least one Republican

for confirmation - an unlikely prospect.

Biden showed himself determined on

Friday to stay the course. "No," he replied to

reporters who asked him if he was giving up

his nomination.

"Neera Tanden is an accomplished policy

expert who would be an excellent Budget

Director," White House spokeswoman Jen

Psaki said Friday, saying she continues to

work for her confirmation with "both parties."

A first test will take place next week with a

procedural vote scheduled for Wednesday in

the Senate Budget Committee.

Tanden, 50, chief executive of the Center for

American Progress, a liberal Washington

think-tank, has been an outspoken critic of

former president Donald Trump.

Some supporters of Bernie Sanders accuse

Tanden of helping former first lady Hillary

Clinton thwart the Vermont senator's 2016

bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

During her career, she has focused on

implementing policies designed to support

working families, foster economic growth and

reduce endemic inequalities, Biden's team

said on announcing her appointment.

As the price of green grass has been increased, the demand of hay is now

high. The picture was taken from Bogura on Monday. Photo : Star Mail

Bus-truck

collision leaves

2 dead in

Chattogram

CHATTOGRAM : Two people

were killed and six others

injured in a head-oncollision

between a bus and

a truck on Chattogram-

Cox's Bazar highway at

Chunti Forest Gate in

Lohagarah upazila of

Chattogram district on

Monday morning, reports

UNB.

The deceased were identified

as Rina Akter, 18, wife

of Lokman of East Beula

Shikdar Para in Chokoria

upazila and Senu Ara

Begum, 29, daughter of

Altaf Ahmed of Ramu

upazila in Cox's Bazar district.

The accident occurred

around 8:30 am when the

Chattogram bound 'Marsa

Paribahan' bus collided

head on with a stone-laden

truck, leaving two passengers

of the bus dead, said

inspector Abdur Rauf of

Dohazari Highway Police

Station.

The truck fell into a road

side ditch after the collision.

The injured were taken to

the upazila health complex.

On information, police

recovered the bodies and

sent those to a local hospital

morgue.

Police also seized the two

vehicles.

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e-Tender Notice: 47/2020-21

GD-303/21 (6x4)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021

3

UNESCO DG lauds commitments made

by Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, Jordan

MoU signed between Korean EPZ and Startup Bangladesh Limited for the development and promotion

of Bangladesh Hi-Tech park.

Photo : Courtesy

Four to die

for murder

in Khulna

KHULNA : A Khulna court

on Monday sentenced four

people to death in a case

filed over the killing of a man

in Dumuria upazila of the

district in 2007.

The condemned convicts

are Shuvonkor Roy, 24,

Sudhabrindo Bala, 30, Amit

Biswash, 28 and Dipankar

Roy, 25, residents of

Dumuria, reports UNB.

Khulna Special Judges

Court Judge Md Zia Haidar

pronounced the verdict

when the convicts were present

on the dock.

The court also fined them

Tk 10,000 each, in default,

to suffer three months more

imprisonment.

Eight other accused in the

case got acquital as the court

found no evidence of their

involvement in the murder.

According to the case

statement, victim Asmaul

Morol alias Jibon, 28, went

missing on October 19, 2007

and his hacked body was

found in Wabda area the following

day.

Victim's brother filed a

case accusing 12 people in

this regard.

Police submitted charge

sheet in the case on August

6, 2008.

Covid-19 in Bangladesh:

7 more deaths, 366 new

cases reported

DHAKA : Covid-19 claimed

seven more lives and infected

another 366 people in

Bangladesh in the last 24

hours till Monday morning,

showing a slight rise in infection

rate than that of Sunday.

With the latest figures, the

death toll from Covid-19 in the

country rose to 8,356 and the

caseload to 543,717, according

to the Directorate General of

Health Services (DGHS) ,

reports UNB.

In a handout, the DGHS

said the daily coronavirus

infection rate in Bangladesh

increased to 3.30 percent

from Sunday's 2.33 percent,

while the overall infection rate

stood at 13.73 percent, a little

bit lower than yesterday's

13.76.

However, the mortality rate

remained almost steady at

1.54 percent for the past few

days, said the handout, adding

that 492,059 patients (90.50

pc) have recovered from the

virus infection so far.

Bangladesh-US ties: Momen-

Blinken talks on Feb 24

DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul

Momen is scheduled to leave here for

Washington on Monday night (tonight) on a

quick visit to have "broad-based" discussions

with the USA.

The Foreign Minister will have a series of

meetings, including one with US Secretary of

State Antony J Blinken, reports UNB.

"I'm leaving for the USA tonight (Monday

night). The meeting with the US Secretary of

State will be held on February 24

(Bangladesh time)," he said.

Dr Momen said there is no specific issue

but they will have broad-based discussions

as the new administration is in place in the

USA. "We want to develop much solid relations

with the USA."

With an upward trend in both way export

and import, the total trade volume with the

USA jumped to US $ 4.1 billion in 2009 from

US $1.5 billion in 1996, reflecting a 59.4 %

increase in the total trade volume.

Since then, the figure shows an increasing

trend of trade with the USA with an amount

of $ 6.4 billion in 2014 to $ 9 billion in 2019.

However, the trade figure with the USA

was US $ 3,405.4 million until mid-2020

despite the Corona pandemic.

In 2018-19, Bangladesh export to the USA

was US$ 6.8 billion, including major

exportable items, such as, woven apparel,

knit apparel, miscellaneous textile products,

cap, headgear, footwear, tobacco, snacks

food, furniture, ceramic, toys, plastic items

and artificial flowers.

Earlier, the Foreign Minister said, there

were indications that the new US administration

under President Joe Biden would

look into the issue of genocide in the

Rakhaine State and will hopefully proactively

take action for their safe return to

Myanmar.

Indian Air Force Chief

in city to bolster ties

DHAKA : Indian Air Chief Marshal

Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria arrived

here on Monday on a three-day visit at the

invitation of Air Chief Marshal

Masihuzzaman Serniabat, the Chief of Air

Staff, Bangladesh Air Force, reports UNB.

The Indian Air Force Chief is accompanied

by a two-member delegation, said the

Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

The visit of the Indian Air Force Chief

will further strengthen the close and fraternal

ties existing between the Armed

Forces of the two countries, said the High

Commission.

The Indian Air Force Chief is scheduled

to meet the Air Force and Army Chief of

Bangladesh and meet other senior officers

from the Bangladesh Air Force.

He will also be visiting major BAF air

bases across Bangladesh during his stay in

Bangladesh.

The Indian Air Force Chief would also be

paying tributes to the members of the

Bangladesh Armed Forces, who made the

supreme sacrifices during the Liberation

War of 1971 by laying wreath at the altar of

Shikha Anirban in Dhaka Cantonment.

The Indian delegation would also pay

their homage to the Father of Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by

visiting Bangabandhu Memorial Museum

at Dhanmondi.

It is a matter of pride for the Indian

Armed Forces and the Air Chief as ACM

RKS Bhadauria is an alumnus of 18th Air

Staff Course at Defence Services

Command and Staff College (DSCSC),

Mirpur, Dhaka, said the High

Commission.

During this visit, the Indian Air Chief

will also be inducted into the 'Mirpur Hall

of Fame' at DSCSC.

SC upholds life imprisonment

for 2 in child Rakib murder case

DHAKA : The Appellate Division of the

Supreme Court (SC) yesterday upheld a

High Court order that had commuted

death sentences of two convicts to life

imprisonment in a case lodged over sensational

murder of child Rakib in Khulna in

2015.

A three-member apex court bench headed

by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain

passed the order, dismissing appeals filed

by the two convicts Md Omar Sharif and

Mintu, Deputy Attorney General Biswajit

Debnath told newsmen.

According to case records, Omar Sharif

and Mintu killed Rakib, 12, by pumping air

into his body through rectum on August 3,

2015. Sharif was angry with Rakib as the

latter had quitted job in his garage.

Khulna Metropolitan Sessions Judge

Court on November 8, 2015, sentenced

Sharif and Mintu to death in the case

lodged by Rakib's father.

The High Court however, on April 4,

2017, commuted death sentences of the

two convicts to life imprisonment after

holding hearings on the death reference

and jail appeals. The court had also fined

the two convicts Taka 50 thousand each.

A team of teachers, officials and students of Daffodil International University lead by Professor Dr.Mostafa Kamal,

Dean, Academic Affairs, Prof. M Shamsul Alam, Dean, Engineering Faculty and Ishaq Miji, Deputy Registrar placing

floral wreaths at the Central Shahid Minar of the university paying homage to the martyrs of Shahid Dibash and

International Mother Language Day on 21st February 2021.

Photo : Courtesy

DHAKA : UNESCO Director-General

Audrey Azoulay has said UNESCO will

celebrate a decade of "indigenous

languages" from 2022 through 2032

and appreciated the commitments to

this effect made by Bangladesh, Brazil,

Egypt and Jordan, reports UNB.

She said UNESCO has launched an

initiative to translate more than 6,000

books in over 100 languages to enrich

its world digital library which already

offers free access to thousands of books,

manuscripts, pictures and documents

from across the world.

The UNESCO DG was addressing a

webinar marking the observance of the

International Mother Language Day

with the theme "Fostering

Multilingualism in Education and

Society" organized by Bangladesh

Embassy in Washington, D.C. on

Sunday.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA

M Shahidul Islam made welcome

remarks, saying 21st February is an

important milestone in Bangladesh's

national history.

He said this year the day has assumed

more significance, as Bangladesh

celebrates the Birth Centenary of the

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 50th

Anniversary of her glorious

independence.

The Ambassador said UNESCO's

proclamation recognizing February 21

as International Mother Language Day

has added a new dimension of culturallinguistic

diversity as well as

multilingualism to this historic day in a

spirit of 'unity in diversity'.

The UNESCO DG said preservation

and protection of linguistic diversity is

essential for human dignity.

Quoting English philosopher Roger

Beacon, she said knowledge of

languages is the doorstep to wisdom.

At the webinar, Philip Rodenbough,

Foreign Service officer at the US State

Department recited a poem in Bangla

titled 'Mother Tongue" written by Abul

Hasan.

Director-General of International

Mother Language Institute,

Bangladesh Prof Dr Jinnat Imtiaz Ali

delivered a keynote address.

He said the institute is working to

preserve and develop 41 languages and

dialects found in Bangladesh.

Ambassador Marcia Bernicat,

Senior Official for Economic Growth,

Energy, and the Environment and

Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of

Oceans and International

Environmental and Scientific Affairs

at the State Department, Shafiul

Alam, former Cabinet Secretary and

Alternate Executive Director, World

Bank Group, and former U.S.

Ambassador to Bangladesh Harry K

Thomas participated in the panel and

open discussion.

The speakers in their remarks

stressed the need for fostering

multilingualism and multiculturalism

for better understanding and

friendship among the world

population, peace and sustainable

development.

Ambassador Bernicat said Bangla is

not only a powerful language but also

got world recognition as Poet

Rabindranath Tagore achieved Nobel

Prize for writing his collection of

poems in Bengali.

Ambassador Harry K Thomas in his

familiar style spoke some words

"Kemon Acchen?", "Ami Bangla Ke

Bhalobashi."

Recalling his participation in a

program on 21st February during his

tenure in Dhaka, he said he still feels

the heartbeat of Bengali people for

their love for their mother tongue.

"My heart is always with you," he

said.

The Ambassador praised Bangla

language, culture, and heritage as

well as recent accomplishments

including the launch of Bangabandhu

communication satellite.

The hour-long Webinar was

moderated by Minister and Deputy

Chief of the Mission at Bangladesh

Embassy Ferdousi Shahriar.

Moula, the former chairman of Madaripur Upazila Parishad, who was a heroic freedom fighter, fell

ill and was admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Medical University Hospital. Photo : Courtesy

150 gold bars

seized at Shaha

Amanat Airport

CHATTOGRAM : Customs

officials on Monday seized

150 gold bars, weighing 17.5

kg, from a flight at Shah

Amanat International

Airport in Chattogram,

reports UNB.

Khairul Kabir, assistant

manager of the airport, said

a flight of Biman Bangladesh

Airlines landed at the airport

from Abu Dhabi in the

morning.

Tipped off, a team of customs

officials conducted a

drive in the flight and recovered

the gold bars in an

abandoned condition.

78 people get

infected with

COVID-19 in Ctg

CHATTOGRAM : A total of 78

more people were tested positive

for COVID-19 on Monday

raising the infected patients to

34,466 in Chattogram district.

With the new infection, the

daily infection rate stands at

5.88 percent in the district.

With the recovery of 45 more

patients on Sunday, the number

of cured patients from

Coronavirus infection has

reached 31,751 in Chattogram

district, said Dr Sheikh Fazle

Rabbi, civil Surgeon of

Chattogram, reports BSS.

The percentage of recovery

rate stands at 92.13 percent in

the district. A total of 1,982

infected patients are now

undergoing treatment at designated

hospitals here, he

added.

Among the newly detected

patients, 62 are from

Chattogram city and 16 from

different upazilas of the district,

hospital sources said.

Jabbar releases commemorative

stamps on Agartala conspiracy case

DHAKA : Recalling the jail free day of

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in

the Agartala Conspiracy Case, the Postal

Department has issued commemorative

stamps marking the day.

A commemorative stamp worth Taka 10,

an opening envelope worth Taka 10, a data

card worth Taka 5 and a special seal were

issued in this regard.

Post and Telecommunication Minister

Mustafa Jabbar unveiled the commemorative

stamp and opening envelope at his

office and released the data card.

The minister used a seal in this regard,

said an official release here.

Referring to the Agartala conspiracy case

is a surprising and glorious event in the history,

the minister said the case had paved

the way of mass upsurge in 1969.

Recalling Bangabandhu's Jail free day on

February 22, he said the day is a historic

event behind achieving the independence

of the country through creating mass

upsurge.

Jabbar said that the general public

became rebellious against the Agartala

Conspiracy Case. In the face of a strong

mass movement, Ayub Khan's government

was forced to withdraw the case on

February 22, 1969.

The then Pakistan government had filed

the case accusing 35 people including

Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman on January 3 in 1968. The case

mentioned that the alleged conspiracy

started in Agartala, the capital of the Indian

state of Tripura.

Commemorative stamps, opening

envelops and data cards can be collected

from the philatelic Bureau of Dhaka GPO

now and later from other GPOs and major

post offices across the country.

Govt disburses TK372

cr incentives among

57 lakh farmers

DHAKA : To offset food production loss

emerging from global corona virus

pandemic alongside the devastating

flood occurring last year, the government

so far has distributed incentives of Taka

372 crore among 57 lakh farmers across

the country in the current fiscal year.

"The Agriculture Ministry has so far

distributed Taka 372 crore among 57

lakh farmers in 2020-21 fiscal year for

increasing crop production as floods and

global corona outbreak have created

negative impact on country's food

production," an official release said.

The incentives have been disbursed

from agriculture rehabilitation allocation

under regular budget of the agriculture

ministry. "Various farm ingredients and

necessary assistance including seed,

seedlings and fertilizer remain part of the

incentives," the release added.

Of the total Taka 372 crore, Taka 112

crore has been disbursed as incentives

for making up crop production loss due

to the COVID-19 and the floods.

Incentives of Taka 90 crore have been

distributed for increasing production of

maskalai, mung, sunflower, mustard and

Maize.

Besides, Taka 136 crore has been

distributed as seed assistance for raising

production and cultivation of the Boro

paddy, Taka 25 crore for increasing

onion production and Taka 9 crore has

been given for hybrid boro rice

cultivation in 61 districts.

TUEsdAY, FEbRUARY 23, 2021

4

Global mining community is off to the races. Why it matters to the GCC

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Water supply : Vital

to plan ahead

Already, the major cities of the country are under a serious

mismatch between the demand for water and its supply.

Increasingly, all over the country and in Dhaka city in

particular, water levels have fallen alarmingly in the absence of

adequate discharge. This is causing land subsidence that cannot

go on without increasing alarmingly the risks during earthquake

to which the country is prone.

Thus, the search for fresh water sources as alternatives must

start in right earnest without wasting any precious time. Any

lethargy in the matter will only confront the country with a serious

imbalance between demand and supply of the sort that is seen

today in the power sector.

According to credible media reports, the demand for fresh

water in Dhaka city is about 2.25 billion litres per day and against

it some 1.9 billion can be actually supplied. The demand for water

in the city is projected to rise to almost double at 5 billion litres per

day from the consequences of rapid migration of people to it by

2025. But even if the existing plans for increasing water supply by

the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) are all carried out

neatly by that time, the shortfall in supply would still be some 500

million litres.

Thus, the planning and implementation process for augmenting

fresh water supplies call for urgent reevaluation. It is high time to

think of realistic planning-immediately-with an eye for the near

future. The plans need to be drawn up swiftly and funds need to be

mobilized as fast to start work on them for the country to avoid an

awful crisis related to fresh water shortages even in the near future.

The scope for intensifying underground lifting of water, as noted,

is very limited. Rather, all efforts need to be made to reduce such

underground lifting of water recklessly. The rivers are the only

available sources of surface waters. But the rivers in their severely

polluted conditions are found presently unfit to supply fresh water

to cities even after treatment of such waters.

Thus, other alternatives must be considered and acted upon

quickly. The water desalination plants designed to separate salt

from sea water and then supplying the same for all kinds of uses as

substitutes for fresh water, comes to mind in this connection. Such

plants are already operating in many countries of the world and

meeting large parts of their water requirements.

More and more countries round the world are opting for such

desalination plants as a sustainable solution to their needs of water

supply. For example, 18 desalination plants exist along the Red Sea

coast of Saudi Arabia and these have helped in the greening of the

once desert country and in increasing its agricultural output from

irrigation. There are desalination plants in Iraq, Australia, in the

Gulf countries and in the USA. This paper reported some time ago

that two desalination plants are operating near the Indian city of

Chennai and meeting substantially its water needs.

Rainwater harvesting, a low-cost system that collect and store

rainwater for year-round use, offers a cost-effective and practical

solution to ease our water crisis. Rainwater harvesting-in one form

or another-has been in practice for thousands of years. According

to Paul Woods of Texas A & M University, extensive water

harvesting systems in the Negev Deserts of Israel more than 2,000

years ago have been documented.

Additionally, Roman villas and cities were planned in such a way

to take advantage of rainwater for drinking and air-conditioning. If

rain water harvesting is undertaken in a serious manner in

Bangladesh , it could help conserve groundwater and recharge the

water table. About 150 billion litres of rainwater could be harvested

during the monsoon season alone. Water can be stored for four to

five months without bacterial contamination - an important fact

given that 110,000 children in Bangladesh die of waterborne

illnesses every year.

Amount of rainfall varies both spatially and temporally. While

the maximum amount of average annual rainfall occurs in the

north-eastern districts (55 cm) of Sylhet and Moulivibazar, the

minimum amount falls in the western/southwestern districts (15

cm) of Meherpur, Kushtia, Chuadanga, Chapai Nawabganj,

Noagaon, and Rajshahi. Also, rainfall is mainly restricted during

the months of April to September. Consequently, rainwater

harvesting will be relatively easier during certain months of the

year in the certain parts of Bangladesh. Groundwater

contamination by arsenic is more severe in the western/southwestern

districts, where rainwater harvesting would be more

appropriate to solve the polluted drinking water problems.

Rooftops in buildings can be designed to collect rainwater.

Rainwater in rural areas - away from atmospheric and industrial

pollution - is fairly clean except for some dissolved gases it may pick

up while travelling through the atmosphere.

Rainwater offers advantages in water quality for both irrigation

and domestic use. Rainwater is naturally soft and is a relatively

reliable source of water for households. Rainwater collected and

used on site can supplement or replace other sources of household

water. Rainwater can be used as drinking water if proper treatment

is done before using. rainwater harvesting will not be able to

replace all other sources of drinking water, but it will certainly be

able to ease the pressure on surface water and contaminated

groundwater usage as the primary source of drinking water.

The development of a rainwater harvesting plan that is

economically and technically feasible for the majority of the people

in Bangladesh must be given high consideration as a part of the

integrated water resources management plan.

Thus, it is only appropriate for Bangladesh to tread in this

path without wasting time along with other measures of water

management such as harvesting rain waters. Both the

establishment of large desalination plants and their operation

are not cheap. But the costs are not so prohibitive either that a

country like Bangladesh cannot afford them. Besides, the costs

of such plants and their operational technologies, are also

noted to be falling. In this situation, the policy planners in

Bangladesh need to focus their attention and energies on

getting such plants started here at the earliest to cater to the

country's water security on a lasting basis.

The world's leading mining

companies reported their earnings

earlier this week. They have been

ripping it up: BHP had its best results in

seven years; Rio Tinto returned $9 billion

to its shareholders, a record in its 148-year

history; Fortescue increased its dividend

by a whopping 93 percent; and Glencore's

dividend payout is $1.6 billion.

So why did these industry leaders do so

well despite the pandemic? What do they

have in common? And why does this

matter to GCC countries, especially Saudi

Arabia?

Firstly, the more exposure each company

had to iron ore and China, the better the

results. Ninety percent of Rio Tinto's

earnings came from iron ore. Iron ore

prices doubled between April 2020 and

January 2021 reaching $170/ton on

January 11, mainly thanks to Chinese

economic growth and the country's

stimulus being geared toward

infrastructure.

China has once again been the

locomotive behind price increases for

commodities. Indeed, JP Morgan hailed a

new commodities supercycle, possibly

prematurely. The last commodities

supercycle lasted from 2000-2008. It was

fueled by cheap debt; a low US dollar; and

China's insatiable thirst for raw materials.

Things now are both similar and different.

Interest rates are lower than ever, the

dollar index has lost some 33 percent over

the course of 12 months, and China is the

only major economy that grew in 2020. It

Unprecedented might be judged the

most used adjective of 2020. The

end of the year brought one more

occasion to use the word, when the leaders

of 14 countries put forward a new ocean

action agenda underpinned by

sustainably managing 100 per cent of

national waters. Asia-Pacific nations were

well represented on the High Level Panel.

This signals new or strengthened

national policies that balance sustainable

use of the ocean with the protection and

restoration of the marine and coastal

ecosystems. If fully implemented,

December's pledge could kick-start an

unprecedented shift towards ocean

management.

There are five important measures that

governments can take.

Stop enabling overfishing: Overfishing

remains one of the greatest threats to

ocean health. It is fuelled by policy that

enables overcapacity and overfishing

combined with subsidies that distort the

market. The consequences are clearly

outlined in every report on declining fish

stocks, and the World Bank has assessed

that sustainable fisheries management

generates more valuable catches with

lower levels of fishing effort. But

entrenched interests make it difficult for

any nation to be the first to right-size its

fleet.

Overfishing remains one of the greatest

threats to ocean health.

Governments should support

ecosystem-based fisheries management.

It is an important solution that supports

nutrition and health needs. There's a real

Race to restore

possibility to seize a competitive

advantage by rechannelling harmful

subsidies, such as fuel subsidies, into lowfootprint

aquaculture, especially plantbased.

Account for ocean assets: The total value

of the ocean is estimated at $24 trillion,

yet, it suffers from severe

underinvestment. In the last 10 years,

only $13 billion has been invested in

sustainable projects through philanthropy

and official development assistance, and

even less by the corporate sector. The

goods and services the ocean provides our

region are massively undervalued. For

example, the benefits of coastal

ecosystems such as coral reefs, coastal

wetlands and mangrove forests that act as

natural buffers to storms are rarely

quantified and accounted for in coastal

protection.

We recommend creation of national

ocean accounts to properly inform

policymaking and resource management

decisions. These ocean accounts should

include not only what the ocean produces

(like GDP), but also ocean income to

INgRId VAN WEEs

account for benefits to people, and

changes in ocean wealth, including

ecosystems like coral reefs or fish

populations.

Integrate policy frameworks:

Policy makers must reject fragmented

sector-based - and territorial - approaches

that have failed and instead move towards

fit-for-purpose governance, including

policy and legislation. There are

promising frameworks under

development, such as the National Oceans

Policy legislation being developed for Fiji

that integrates climate change, oceans and

plastics.

There is also the growing recognition of

the importance of local-level integrated

policy frameworks being implemented

across the region.

Integrated policy frameworks can

extend to developing strategic plans to

guide economic growth in an

environmentally sound way and provide

regulatory environments that build

investor confidence and reduce delays in

sustainable ocean projects.

Use the full suite of policy instruments:

ALExANdRA dE CRAMER

In addition to necessary bans, rules and

environmental standards, nations can

employ market-based policy instruments.

For example, mangrove forests are a

natural solution for both mitigating

climate change, due to their ability to

sequester carbon, and adapting to its

impacts on the coast, providing flood

mitigation benefits worth billions at a

global scale. Private-sector incentives,

such as blue bonds or reduced insurance

premiums for investments in naturebased

solutions like coral reef protection

and restoration, are also promising.

To tackle the plastics crisis, and

insidious nutrient pollution expanding

ocean 'dead zones' starved of oxygen and

life, we need to discourage wasteful and

polluting business models and instead

incentivise green businesses.

Become an ocean-first region: Our

planet's one ocean connects us all.

Inadequate policy and insufficient efforts

to safeguard the ocean's natural capital

that underpins our region's economy and

well-being and delivers trillions of dollars

to the global economy have fallen short.

The commitments of these 14 ocean

leaders should be heard as the starter's

pistol for every other world leader. The

race is on to de liver the most

ambitious, future-focused sustainable

blue economy strategic plan. ADB and

WWF share a belief that Asia-Pacific can

set the pace in this 'race to restore'.

Together, we will support a prosperous,

inclusive, resilient and sustainable Asia-

Pacific.

It’s time to talk about that time of the month

Nepali woman Pabitra Giri prepares

to sleep in a Chhaupadi hut during

her menstruation period in

Surkhet District, 520km west of

Kathmandu.Photo: AFP

Nepali woman Pabitra Giri prepares to

sleep in a chhaupadi hut during her

menstruation period in Surkhet district, 520

kilometers west of Kathmandu. Photo: AFP

In January, a popular Turkish actress and

social-media celebrity named Ceyda

Düvenci found herself vilified as a "bad

mother." Her crime? Posting on Instagram

about a significant event: her daughter's first

menstrual period.

Opinion among Düvenci's 2.7 million

followers was deeply divided. Some said she

was "disgusting," especially as her daughter

suffers from cerebral palsy. Others,

however, praised Düvenci for making a

stand against a taboo that continues to

ensure the gender gap remains as wide as

ever around the world.

The average woman will have 400 to 500

periods in her lifetime. Yet what is a natural

bodily function is still treated in many parts

of the world as a source of shame. Worse, it

inhibits the advancement of girls and

women and any hope of achieving equality

in society.

In India, almost a quarter of girls drop out

of school after their first period. In parts of

Nepal, menstruating women are banished to

outlying huts and not allowed to attend

will take more that that, though, for a

commodities supercycle to materialize.

China's GDP grew 2.3 percent in 2020,

which is a far cry from its double-digit

growth pattern at the beginning of the

century. Furthermore, much will depend

on whether the IMF forecasts of global

GDP growth at 5.5 percent in 2021 and 4.2

percent in 2022 come true. And much of

that, in turn, will depend on how countries

manage to control the spread of COVID-19.

The rollout of vaccines sparks optimism,

but that is tempered by the emergence of

fast-spreading mutant strains.

Like most other mining companies,

Ma'aden would greatly benefit from a

global economic recovery, especially as far

as its aluminum business is concerned.

Unlike most mining companies, however,

Ma'aden's exposure to gold provides it with

a natural countercyclical hedge.

The infrastructure and stimulus

programs in OECD countries will be a

further indicator. The Biden

administration's $2 trillion infrastructure

program, if it is passed, would doubtless be

Integrate policy frameworks: Policy makers must reject

fragmented sector-based - and territorial - approaches

that have failed and instead move towards fit-for-purpose

governance, including policy and legislation. There are

promising frameworks under development, such as the

National Oceans Policy legislation being developed for Fiji

that integrates climate change, oceans and plastics.

social or religious gatherings.

The cultural stigma surrounding

menstruation is evident in the language

used to refer to it, from "the curse" to the

more abhorrent slang terms such as

"Dracula's teabag" or "shark week," to name

but two.

In Düvenci's Turkey, a woman having her

period is commonly referred to as kirlenmek

(getting dirty) or hastalanmak (being sick).

The embarrassment persists even in the

digital age - the red-droplet emoji denoting a

period appeared in 2019.

The gender divide is evident in the

different ways boys and girls are treated at

significant points in their lives. In Turkey,

boys have sunnet dugunu - circumcision

parties where they are dressed up like little

princes with capes and scepters. Girls, on

the other hand, traditionally get a slap across

the face from their mothers when they have

their first period - a rude welcome to

womanhood.

And so the pattern is set for adulthood. In

Turkey, Viagra, the drug that treats erectile

dysfunction, carries an 8% sales tax, while

feminine hygiene products are taxed at 18%.

Even those who make their money from

women's monthly bleeding treat it as, to say

the least, an embarrassment. Tampax used

to offer tips on its blog on how teenage girls

might hide their tampons. Stuffing them in

your sock was one suggestion. Another was

girls having a secret spot where they could

CORNELIA MEYER

a huge boost for commodities.

Energy transition and its linkage to the

stimulus programs will be a boost for

copper and zinc. Unsurprisingly, the

former reached a nine-year high earlier

this week.

Mining companies have good reason to

be optimistic and they used the good times

wisely by paying down debt and raising

Like most other mining companies, Ma'aden would greatly

benefit from a global economic recovery, especially as far as

its aluminum business is concerned. Unlike most mining

companies, however, Ma'aden's exposure to gold provides it

with a natural countercyclical hedge.

their CAPEX guidance.

They have also adjusted to the new

realities in finance, in which ESG

principles are quickly becoming a key

consideration in both the equity and debt

markets.

BHP is getting out of the thermal coal

business and Glencore, which still holds

coal assets, has announced that it will

adhere to Scope 3 emissions accounting

(including the CO2 emissions of its clients

in its own targets). Rio Tinto followed suit.

Most of the big mining companies have

also stated their aim to reach net zero by

2050, if not before.

All of this matters to GCC countries,

which are looking to wean themselves off

meet to lend or borrow tampons.

In 2015, the Toronto-based poet and artist

Rupi Kaur shared a photo of herself on

Instagram lying on a bed, fully clothed but

with a bloodstain clearly showing on her

trousers and on the bedsheet. The socialmedia

platform removed the image twice,

claiming it violated its community

guidelines. Anything goes on Instagram but

not, apparently, a natural process

experienced by billions of women and girls

every month.

When Kaur reposted a third time,

criticizing Instagram, she garnered more

than 111,000 likes. In the same year,

musician Kira Gandhi made headlines when

she ran the London marathon on the first

day of her period without wearing a tampon

or pad, to raise awareness of period

shaming.

In a Republican Party debate during his

US presidential campaign in 2016, an

irritated Donald Trump seemed to attribute

moderator Megyn Kelly's tough questioning

to her time of the month, saying, "There was

blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming

out of her wherever."

His comments prompted the social-media

movement #periodsarenotaninsult, in

which women sent Trump messages about

their periods. "In between periods, I run

board meetings, How do I manage?"

tweeted one woman. Apple caught on to the

trend and added period tracking to its

their overdependence on oil, resulting in

major infrastructure spending and the

establishment of new manufacturing

businesses, all of which requires

commodities. The new renewables projects

or Lucid Motors' planned EVmanufacturing

plant near Jeddah will also

require vast amounts of copper and zinc.

The mining companies' success is of

particular interest to KSA, which formed

its own mining company, Ma'aden, in

1997. This majority-state-owned company

is one of the great success stories in the

Kingdom. It is one of the world's 10 largest

mining companies by market

capitalization and among the fastest

growing globally. Like its international

counterparts, its earnings beat

expectations last year by vastly reducing its

deficit and it paid down debt. Its CEO,

Mosaed Al-Ohali, has said he envisages a

further debt reduction of between 5-10

percent this year.

Like most other mining companies,

Ma'aden would greatly benefit from a

global economic recovery, especially as far

as its aluminum business is concerned.

Unlike most mining companies, however,

Ma'aden's exposure to gold provides it with

a natural countercyclical hedge.

Right now, the future looks good for the

mining community, but just how bright it

will be - and for how long the good times

will last - depends on how the global

economy emerges from the pandemic.

Source: Arab news

iPhone health app. The gender bias arising

from period shaming also hits women

financially. Campaigners around the world

have long called for the removal of tax on

tampons and sanitary pads. In 2015, Canada

abolished tax on sanitary products and the

UK followed last month.

In Germany, menstrual products were

inexplicably classed as "luxury goods" and

taxed at the highest rate, 19%. As of January

2020, they were taxed at 7%, like bread,

books, cut flowers and other "daily

necessities."

Those are all welcome moves in the right

direction but the fact remains that it is more

expensive to be a woman than a man, and

reducing or removing the so-called "pink

tax" is not enough to eradicate period

poverty.

Millions of girls in rural China cannot

afford sanitary products, and the Covid-19

pandemic has only made the situation

worse. Female frontline health workers were

told that sanitary items would not be

provided as they were not considered

essential. A local non-governmental

organization stepped in with donations of

pads and underwear. Last November,

Chinese university students launched the

"Stand by Her" campaign, aimed at ending

period shaming and set up "sanitary-pad

support boxes" in 250 campuses.

Source: Asia times

The largest reasons for having children is love and hope.

The link of having kids with global warming

EVa WisEMaN

When i had my daughter i felt like the

first person to have a baby; now i've had

my son, i feel like i might be the last. an

academic study into how young people

factor climate change into their

reproductive choices makes for dark

reading, with 96% "very or extremely"

concerned about their potential children

in a climate-changed world. For some the

concern is so severe they've decided not

to have children at all. "i can't in good

conscience bring a child into this world

and force them to try to survive what may

be apocalyptic conditions," one 27-yearold

woman said.

More shocking even, were the 6% of

parents who confessed to feeling remorse

about having children. one 42-year-old

father painted a Goya-like picture of his

children's adult life, "a hot-house hell, with

wars over limited resources, collapsing

civilisation, failing agriculture, rising seas,

melting glaciers, starvation, droughts,

floods, mudslides and widespread

devastation". after reading this, i put the

kettle on and had a small cup of tea and

waited until my hands stopped shaking.

bloody hell. literally, bloody hell. Man, i

feel for that dad, singing his children to

sleep before curling up on the landing and

rocking, slowly. as well as pressing upon

one of my archipelago of dready bruises,

his quote made me consider the

intellectual compromises required in

order to have a baby.

There are the physical details - a person

growing inside you - which, at the

beginning especially, are so unlikely they

feel more akin to a metaphor or fable than

science. There is the naming of the child,

a task better suited to a god, who at least

would not be burdened with class

prejudice or negative associations with

snotty classmates. There is the folding of

tiny empty vests, the fantasies of their

talents. and then, the stories one must

tell themselves to stave off the terrors that

come free with every child. Terrors

including but not limited to: the child

rolling off the sofa, going hungry, being

bullied or, at the far end of the

continuum, being drowned aged 38 in a

Photo: Alamy

town-sized mudslide. This

catastrophising leads to such things as

the purchase of knee-pads or, in the case

of this 42-year-old dad, terrible, terrible

regret.

Which is not to say it's irrational. all

signs, yes, lead to horrible devastation,

and indeed, it is a good idea for a child to

wear protective clothing when careening

on their scooter down a bumpy hill. but

these doom-tinged prophesies are not

unique to those with climate anxiety -

they are baked into parenthood. ask any

group of childless young people today if

they want kids and many of the

reasonable ones will say no, partly

because it is no longer taboo to be honest

about wanting to keep your

independence, and live a beautiful life of

freedom with the responsibility of only

your own arse to wipe, and partly because

until one has a child, such a thing remains

abstract and completely bananas. it is a

trick question, grounded in the privilege

of choice. There are thousands of reasons

not to have kids - the fact that the world is

ending is simply one of them.

How to exercise after dark

RaChEl diXoN

shorter days mean many of

us have no choice but to

exercise before dawn or

after dusk. but is it safe to

run or cycle in the dark?

What extra kit do you need?

and, most importantly,

how do you pull yourself

out of your warm bed or off

your comfortable sofa? We

asked nocturnal athletes

and experts for their tips.

layers are vital: leggings

or tights, base layers, a

running or cycling jacket

and waterproofs. but, says

sam Jones, who works for

Cycling uK and is a keen

night-time mountain biker:

"People often forget to layer

their hands and feet. You

can wear inner gloves and

merino socks under thicker

gloves and waterproof

socks - try sealskinz or

Endura." at night, you need

reflective clothing rather

than fluorescent/hi-vis.

Fluorescent clothing works

by converting uV sunlight

into light we can see, so it

isn't effective at night,

whereas reflective clothes

use artificial light, such as

car headlights and

streetlights. but Ceri Rees,

who founded the Wild

Night Run series of nighttime

trail races in the southwest

of England, says you

don't have to invest in a

whole new outfit. "You

could focus on accessories:

reflective wristbands,

bumbag and hat."

indeed, a study by the

Queensland university of

Technology, published in

the journal Transportation

Research in January, found

that reflective strips worn

on movable joints (wrists,

ankles, knees and elbows)

can significantly reduce the

risk of a collision with a

vehicle at night. The study,

based on 50 cyclists and

runners in leeds and

brisbane, found that

drivers were better able to

identify those with moving

reflective strips as people,

rather than any other bright

object, and discern how far

away they were.

When cycling on roads

between sunset and

sunrise, it is a legal

requirement in the uK to

have a white front light, red

rear light and reflectors at

the back of your bike and on

your pedals. Jones

recommends reading

road.cc's buyers' guide to

the best bike lights.

off-road, runners will

need a head torch, and

mountain bikers will need

handlebar and helmet

lights. Jasmin Paris, a fell

runner who won the 268-

mile spine Race along the

Pennine Way in 83hrs

12mins 23 secs in 2019,

expressing milk for her

baby along the way, says a

head torch is the most

important piece of kit. "i

use a rechargeable one and

charge it up after every

run." Rees recommends a

reactive torch, which

automatically adjusts the

brightness based on how

dark it is, conserving

If you're intrinsically motivated, you'll find a reason to run.

Photo: Getty Images

energy.

Try to think of exercising

in the dark as a unique

experience, rather than a

necessary evil. You are

entering "a totally different

world", says Jones, one

populated by owls, badgers,

hedgehogs and foxes. Paris

says: "Your whole world

gets narrowed down to a

pool of light in front of you.

it is a form of meditation,

and has lots of the same

benefits."

ultimately, as Rees says:

"You can choose to

hibernate, or you can

choose to defy the winter.

There's something very

emboldening about

running all year round - you

don't dread the seasons any

more." a common worry

about exercising after dark

is personal safety. one

option is a runner's alarm

that straps around your

wrist and is activated by

pulling a chain or clicking a

button. Paris says she

carried one on runs when

she lived in Minnesota for a

year, although she never

had to use it. she now lives

in a village outside

Edinburgh and feels much

safer running in the hills. "i

don't worry about a serial

killer coming to stab me in

the middle of nowhere!"

other safety tips include

sticking to well-lit, wellpopulated

areas; varying

your route; running

without headphones; and

using a safety app such as

bsafe.

some say a few nerves are

all part of the experience.

"Running through a forest

at night is very

invigorating," says Rees.

"The hair on the back of

your neck stands up, and

you deal with your personal

ghosts and demons." Jones

adds: "Mountain biking

alone at night can feel a bit

eerie - you can spook

yourself and hear weird

noises - but it can also be

therapeutic."

if you don't feel

comfortable exercising - or

exorcising - alone, however,

Paris suggests going with a

dog ("although mine would

be useless if someone tried

to attack me") - or a friend.

in non-Covid times, you

can also find a local running

or cycling group to train

with, and enter a night race

or ride. The MapMyRun

app has a live tracking

feature so you can share

your location with a friend

for added peace of mind.

You may think the risk of

injury would be higher in

the dark, but Rees says

there are far fewer injuries

on his night run series than

the daytime races.

"Running at night engages

all the senses, and the

musculoskeletal feedback is

more intuitive," he says.

"You feel the ground more,

and your body reacts

instinctively."

TuesDAY, febRuARY 23, 2021

5

how ai can help overcoming dyslexia

TabiTha GoldsTaub

i'm 10 years old. Minutes into

a maths lesson and my palms

have already begun to sweat.

i've positioned myself in the

back row, but the teacher

walks up and down the aisles

of the classroom, peering over

our shoulders. i don't

understand the rules. The

teacher's voice becomes a

blur, and i stare at the

numbers on the board, willing

them to make sense. i wasn't a

shy child, if anything i was

bold and kind of brash, but i

couldn't ask for help. i didn't

have the language to explain

what the numbers were doing

to my brain.

soon i'd have a name for

what i was experiencing -

dyslexia - and i'd begin to find

ways to accommodate my

learning style. as with

everything, there are scales

here. dyslexia presents and

impacts people in different

ways, and i was lucky to be at

a great school. but i had to

learn to overcome my fear of

numbers and words. i had to

do battle with my confidence.

it's only now i realise that this

was the cause of me honing

my greatest skill: learning to

learn. discovering more about

different learning styles was a

gamechanger - and where my

love of artificial intelligence

technology was born.

Flash forward and now i'm

a tech entrepreneur and cofounder

of CognitionX, a

market intelligence platform

for ai. Two years ago i was

appointed by government

ministers Matt hancock and

Greg Clark, to assemble a

team of experts in ai to form a

council responsible for

supporting the government

and its office for artificial

intelligence. i've been

fortunate enough to have a

front-row seat as the world is

transformed by new

technology but on a personal

level i'm drawn to ai because

i want more support too. My

dyslexia means i need more

help, like spotting simple

mistakes in my writing.

i rely on apps such as

swiftKey and Grammarly as

one might an old friend.

swiftKey in particular is a

huge help in my day-to-day

life. it's an app for your

smartphone keyboard that

uses ai to make much better

recommendations than the

inbuilt spelling and grammar

check. Even better is its new

feature that turns my voice to

text so i don't have to type or

leave a voice note when i'm

struggling to find exactly the

right way to say something.

Grammarly is my go-to for my

laptop. it combines rules,

patterns, and ai deep learning

techniques to help you

Time for a digital declutter

haNNah JaNE PaRKiNsoN

When i was a kid, The

World's strongest Man was

televised each year during the

fallow period between

Christmas day and New

Year. The thing i remember

most was the sheer release on

the faces of men built like tree

trunks when they stopped

pulling a train, say, or

rearranging atlas stones that

had made ribbons of their

forearms.

That's the relief i feel when

clearing all the tabs in my

internet browser. Clicking the

crosses like a long line of

kisses finally indulged. There

are many reasons why one

has tabs open in double

figures. in my defence, they

are often related to work or

research. The sense of

lightness that comes over me

when closing them is down to

a task completed. it is a bit

like setting one's pen down at

the end of an exam; the way

the air feels that bit fresher

coming out of the hall than

going in.

Then there are the cajoling

tabs bursting with

opportunities

to

procrastinate. The icons of

social media accounts

winking alluringly or the

random YouTube clip pulled

up and watched four times

improve your writing.

The drawback is that if

something goes wrong with

either of these apps, i feel as

i'm back in the classroom

again, freefalling, my brain

foggy, letters and numbers

jumbled up. i worry i'm over

reliant on these technologies,

but i'm also thankful for their

existence. because they use

machine learning, which

operates by learning how i use

the apps each time, we grow

together. it's a conundrum

but one i'm conscious of and

take into account every day.

and this is why it's

important to note that not

only am i looking for ai

support, i'm looking for

human support. The need for

a conversation at the back of

the class hasn't been replaced

by technology - it's been

augmented by it. Technology

and people need to work in

tandem.

i think it was my dyslexia

and my need to see things

from a different angle that

enabled me to be open to the

rewards of ai. but this doesn't

mean that there aren't risks. i

grapple with the potential

pitfalls of ai, particularly its

bias against people

underrepresented in tech

across society. We are

hurtling towards ai, machine

learning and robotics at

breakneck speed and people

are being left behind. This

means a risk of job loss in an

already struggling climate.

one and a half million

people in England are at high

risk of losing their jobs to

automation in the coming

years, and a 2019 office for

National statistics report

revealed that 70% of them are

women. Covid will no doubt

increase these risks - the shift

to online working has only

made it easier for companies

to increase automation. This

is why i want to urge women

to get ahead of the game. Now

more than ever is a good time

for no apparent reason. i

cannot tell you the number of

tabs i have open on 10,000-

word long reads that i will

eventually, ostensibly, "get

round to". Closing these

unread would be to

acknowledge defeat, and so

they just stay there, like a

guest at a party whom you

would like to leave but are too

anxious to throw out.

When i first moved to the

offices of this newspaper, i

was quite shocked to find

each individual had a single

monitor. Where i had

previously worked, each of us

to become the person in your

company who has learned to

master the newest software.

Even for those who are

proudly the "least" techie, it is

time to change tune. i'm not

suggesting that everyone

should retrain to become data

scientists or ai experts. it's

more about having an

understanding of how to work

with products that have ai

built in.

i only ever advocate for ai

systems in the workplace if

they have a human in the

loop approach. hiTl is a way

to build ai systems that

makes sure there is always a

person with a key role

somewhere in the decisionmaking

process. This

guarantees that whatever the

outcome happens to be, it's

arrived at through a

combination of steps taken by

a machine and the person,

together. it's this sort of

system i want to encourage

women to become the best at

navigating.

Throughout history a set of

qualities traditionally

associated with women -

compassion, care, empathy

and nurturing - have been

dismissed or sidelined by the

market. Today, care work is

either among the lowest paid

of jobs, or it's done for free

(mainly by women) in the

home. but these qualities,

which have always been vital,

are about to become ever

more necessary and much

harder to undermine.

Many aspects of jobs are

going to be assigned to

machines, but they can never

do everything that humans

can. a machine may be able to

predict and detect diseases

invisible to the human eye,

but the one thing it can't do is

connect on a human level and

offer genuine care.

human empathy is

something machines can't

offer and so, together with an

ai system, a doctor could

had a two-monitor setup that

meant our tabs could be

spread across two wide

screens. i see now that this

wasn't helpful, but

encouraged the habit.

because tabs, like gases,

expand to fill their container.

i will even open new windows

to accommodate more of

them. sometimes i have

more than one browser open

and my desktop ends up

looking like a game of

solitaire.

We should take the same

approach with tabs as when

sorting a closet or bookshelf:

5

present an accurate diagnosis

in a caring way. This can only

happen, however, if the doctor

in question decides to

embrace and fully understand

how to get the best out of the

ai system, which will take

training and an appetite to

learn.

Women have also

developed another skill that

will become vital in the

coming years: staying on their

toes. For centuries women

have faced all kinds of

discrimination and prejudice.

Women have had to know

how to be vigilant and

resilient, to anticipate change

and to read subtle cues and

analyse the world for risks. in

the world of ai, this means

staying one step ahead of the

machine.

The way i see it, this new

wave of technology could be a

tsunami that knocks you

down, or it could be the wave

that we ride together to a

brighter future. The moment i

Discovering more about different learning styles was a game-changer.

Photo: Mollie Rose

began to truly understand

this, i knew i had to share

what i'd learned about its

possible risks as well as its

rewards - and why it is that

women were more likely to

suffer the negative effects.

it's really crucial for women

to challenge the tendency to

sometimes see tech as

"boring", "scary" or "for

someone else". i'm not a

scientist, engineer, developer

or techie. it takes me a long

time to understand

technological ideas because

they're mostly founded in

complex mathematics. it was

a really liberating moment

when i realised that i didn't

need to understand the

precise inner workings of ai

machines in order to

understand the ramifications

of this technology.

all you need is to get a good

grasp on how to adapt and

thrive in this new world and

what you can do to support

others to do the same.

if a tab has been dormant for

a certain length of time, it

should go. it's only a

moment's work, and doesn't

involve the crushing

revelation that 90% of your

cashmere has been eaten by

moths and everything else

left untouched. Close your

tabs. all of them. one fell

swoop. No looking back. if

you need something, you will

already have it bookmarked,

or you will remember it well

enough to revisit. un-tab

yourself. Go on. it's pretty

much the only life advice i am

qualified to give.

If a tab has been dormant for a certain length of time, it should go. Photo: Getty

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021

6

Barishal Divisional Commissioner Amitabh Sarkar, Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat

Sadiq Abdullah along with Barishal Deputy Commissioner Jasim Uddin Haider and other officials

paid homage in observance of the 'Shaheed Dibash and the International Mother Language

Day-2021' at the central Shaheed Minar in Barishal city on Sunday. Photo: Zihad Rana

Amar ekushey observed in Barishal

ZIHAD RANA, BARISHAL BUReAU CHIeF:

The 'Shaheed Dibash and the

International Mother Language Day-

2021' was observed in Barishal on

Sunday amid paying due respect to the

language movement martyrs.

The first dawn of ekushey started at

12:01 am on February 21 with the laying

of wreaths at the central Shaheed Minar

in Barishal city. During the time,

Barishal Divisional Commissioner

Amitabh Sarkar, Barishal City

Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq

Abdullah, Barishal Range DIG Md.

Shafiqul Islam BPM (Bar) PPM,

Commissioner Md. Shahabuddin Khan

BPM, Additional Divisional

Commissioner (Revenue) Barishal Md.

Abdur Razzak and Deputy

Commissioner of Barishal Jasim Uddin

Haider were present at the occasion.

Later, according to the rules, various

political, social, cultural, voluntary

organizations, educational institutions,

as well as thousands of ordinary people

paid homage to the Shaheed Minar

premises. A wreath was laid at the

Shaheed Minar on behalf of the Barishal

District Administration family led by

Deputy Commissioner of Barisal Jasim

Uddin Haider. All the officers and

employees of the district administration

including the senior officers of Barishal

district were present at the time.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner

Jasim Uddin Haider said, "ekushey

February is not a one-day achievement,

so every day in the life of the Bengali

nation should be ekushey February."

Besides paying homage to the language

martyrs, free use of Bengali language

should be ensured. Therefore, I believe

that ekushey February will become a

glorious day for the people of

Bangladesh.

In protest of attack on Bauphal Upazila Awami League leaders, thousands of leaders and

activists of the AL and allied organizations set fire to tires on the Bauphal -Barisal highway

on Monday.

Photo: Atul Paul

Rafin wins painting

and handwriting

competition in

Baliakandi

MeHeDI HASAN, BALIAKANDI

CORReSPONDeNT:

A discussion meeting,

cultural and award

distribution program has

been held in Baliakandi of

Rajbari on the occasion of

Shaheed Dibash and the

International Mother

Language Day-2021'. The

function was organized by

the upazila administration at

the Upazila Parishad

Auditorium on Sunday

afternoon.

Second grade student of

Baliakandi Model

Government Primary

School, Md. Rafin (8) won

painting and beautiful

handwriting competition in

'Ka' department. Upazila

Nirbahi Officer Ambia

Sultana presided over the

discussion meeting at the

Upazila Parishad

auditorium on the occasion

of the day. Rajbari-2 MP

Md. Zillul Hakim spoke as

the chief guest.

Among others, Upazila

Parishad Chairman

Freedom Fighter, Md Abul

Kalam Azad, Upazila Health

and Family Planning Officer

Dr. Md. Shafin Jabbar,

Assistant Commissioner

(Land) SM Abu Darda,

Baliakandi Thana Officer-in-

Charge (OC) Tarikuzzaman

and others were also present

at the occasion.

Attacks on AL leaders:

Demonstration staged at Bauphal

ATUL PAUL, BAUPHAL CORReSPONDeNT:

In protest of attack on Bauphal Upazila

Awami League Joint General Secretary,

Bauphal Municipal Awami League President

and Nazirpur UP Chairman Ibrahim Faruk,

brother of Shaheed Selim and President of

Upazila Swecchashebok League President and

Zila Parishad Member of Bauphal Press Club

Harun Aur Rashid and other leaders, several

thousand leaders and activists of the Awami

League and allied organizations blocked the

roads in the municipal town of Bauphal on

Monday by setting fire to tires and throwing

tree trunks.

It is learned that on Sunday evening,

February 21, at around 7 pm, the President of

the Municipal Awami League and the

President of Swecchashebok League were

drinking tea at a tea shop adjacent to the

Bauphal Public Ground. Meanwhile, leaders

and activists supported by Bauphal

Municipality Mayor Ziaul Haque Jewel

marched towards the upazila. Suddenly, from

the procession, they attacked the leaders and

activists who were drinking tea with iron rods

and GI pipes. Ibrahim Faruk and Harun Aur

Rashid were seriously injured in the attack.

RAJSHAHI: Rajshahi Development

Authority (RDA) has started implementing the

construction work of Bangabandhu Square in

city aimed at upholding the spirit of

Bangabandhu and increasing city's beauty,

reports BSS.

"We are implementing the project 'Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman Square' at Talaimari crossing with an

estimated cost of around Taka 59.28 crore",

said Abdullah al Tarique, executive engineer of

RDA, while talking to BSS here today.

Rajshahi Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton

visited the project site and enquired about its

progress yesterday afternoon.

Tarique said the square will be constructed in

an area of one acre of land under the project.

The basement will have car parking,

amphitheatre, art gallery and Bangabandhu

8/10 more leaders and activists were injured

while trying to stop the attack. When Ibrahim

Faruk's left eye and head injuries became

serious, he was rushed to Barishal Sher-e-

Bangla Medical College Hospital and later to

Dhaka. Others were treated at the Bauphal

Upazila Health Complex. Harun Aur Rashid

filed a case against 34 people at Bauphal police

station on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, more than five thousand leaders

and activists of the Awami League and allied

organizations set fire to tires on the Bauphal -

Barisal highway in front of the madrasa

adjacent to the Bauphal police station after a

procession in Baufal municipal town from

10am to 12pm on Monday. And threw down

tree trunks and blocked roads. During this time

traffic and shops were closed.

Later, Mostafizur Rahman, the officer-incharge

of Bauphal police station, appeared at a

protest rally of Awami League at Hilsa Chattar

and requested everyone to lift the blockade

with patience. Meanwhile, Upazila Awami

League general secretary Abdul Motaleb

Hawlader also requested to lift the blockade.

Later, a fire service vehicle came and lifted the

roadblock.

RDA constructing Bangabandhu

Square in Rajshahi

sculpture surrounded by waterfall.

There will be a modern sound system,

lighting, permanent art gallery with digital

screen and museum on the ground floor.

Besides, the first floor will have a

sophisticated restaurant, luxurious landscape

and open sitting and amusement arrangement.

Apart from this, the square will have three

lifts, generator, solar panel and sub-station for

power supply.

As part of implementing the project, a 251-

meter road will be developed, said Tarique.

In addition, there will be interior decoration

and landscaping works in the square. A mural

will be installed in an area of 529.74 square

meters. "We have acquired 0.5 acre of land and

compensated to the people under the project,"

said Tarique, adding that a 955-meter long

RCC drain will be constructed.

OZOPADICO observes Shaheed Dibosh

TITASH CHAKRABORTHeY,

KHULNA CORReSPONDeNT:

West Zone Power

Distribution Company Ltd.

(OZOPADICO) started the

day's program by hoisting

the national flag at sunrise in

all the office buildings under

the Union on the occasion of

the great martyr and

International Mother

Language Day-2021 with

due dignity. Md. Shafiq

Uddin, Managing Director

of OZOPADICO laid a

wreath at the Central

Shaheed Minar of Shaheed

Hadith Park on a limited

scale in compliance with the

rules and regulations.

A virtual discussion

meeting on Bangabandhu

and the language movement

was held at 11 a.m. in the

conference room of

OZOPADICO

to

commemorate the martyrs

on the language movement

virtually. Md. Mostafizur

Rahman, Chief engineer,

energy, Systems Control

and Services presided over

the virtual (online) meeting.

engineer Md. Shafiq Uddin,

Managing Director,

OZOPADICO was present as

Three day training

for journalists

begins in

Mymensingh

MYMeNSINGH: A three

day training for journalists

began yesterday at

Mymensingh Press Club

Auditorium here, reports

BSS.

Press Institute Bangladesh

(PIB) organised the training

programme in cooperation

with Mymensingh Press

Club.

Vice President of

Mymensingh Press Club and

correspondent of

Bangladesh Sangbad

Sangstha (BSS) AZM Imam

uddin Mukta formally

inaugurated the progamme.

Secretary of Mymensingh

Press Club Babul Hossen,

Resource person ZulfikerAli

Manik, Coordinator

(training) PIB Bareq Hossen

and Press Club Journalist

Training Coordinator Meer

Golam Mustafa were

present.

A total of 70 journalists in

two groups are taking part in

the training.

Of them, 35 Journalists

are receiving training on

Investigative reporting in

Mymensingh Sadar and 35

journalists on Foundation

Training in four upazilas -

Phulbaria, Bhaluka,

Tarakandha and Haluaghat

- of the district.

the Chief Guest and

executive Director

(Finance) Ratan Kumar

Debnath FCMA and

executive Director

(engineering) Md. Abu

Hasan were present as

Special Guests. Officials,

including all OZOPADICO's

department heads, attended

the virtual (online) meeting.

The chief guest at the

beginning in his speech said

that this day in 1952 who

gave his life to us gave us the

freedom to speak in the

mother tongue Bengali.

Salam, Barkat, Rafiq, Jabbar

and other unnamed

language martyrs are

remembered with deep

respect. He also paid

homage to the greatest

Bengali of all time,

Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman, the father

of the nation.

The final match of badminton competition was held at the Jashore LGED

campus recently under the auspices of the Local Government Engineering

Department (LGED) at with 16 teams of officials and employees from all

levels of LGED in Jashore district.

Photo: Shahid Joy

Shaheed Dibosh

observed in

Narsingdi

NARSINGDI: The people here

paid glowing tributes to the

language martyrs on the occasion

of International Mother language

Day and Shaheed Dibosh on

Sunday recalling their

outstanding contribution to

establishing Bangla as the state

language, reports BSS.

People from all-walks of life on

barefoot placed wreaths at local

Shaheed Minar adjacent at

Moslehuddin Bhuiyan Stadium in

the town as the clock struck

12.01am with maintaining health

guidelines in the wake of

coronavirus pandemic.

They paid homage to the 1952

Language Movement Martyrs

who laid down their lives for

recognizing Bangla as one of the

state languages.

At 7.00 am, a large morning

procession led by Deputy

Commissioner of Narsingdi Syeda

Farhana Kawnine paraded from

Deputy Commissioner office

premises to Shaheed Minar.

In the evening, a discussion

West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd. (OZOPADICO) laid wreath at the

Central Shaheed Minar in Khulna on Sunday. Photo: Titash Chakraborthey

Prize distribution of LGeD

Jashore Inter-Divisional

Badminton Competition held

SHAHID JOY, JASHORe CORReSPONDeNT:

The final match of badminton competition

was held at the Jashore LGeD campus recently

under the auspices of the Local Government

engineering Department (LGeD) with 16

teams of officials and employees from all levels

of LGeD in Jashore district.

Jessore Region Superintendent engineer

Md. Abdul Based presided over the function.

The badminton competition started on

January 21 and the final match was held on

February 16. General Facilitator Aminul Islam

officiated the match as a referee and Assistant

meeting organised by district

administration was held at local

Shilpakala Academy to let the

children know the history of the

Amar ekushey.

Deputy Commissioner syeda

Farhana Kawnine was present in

the discussion as the chief guest

Among others, Superintendent

of Police (SP) Kazi Ashraful azim,

Civil Surgeon Dr Nural Islam,

former Principals of Narsingdi

Government College Prof

Mohammd Ali, and Golam

Mostafa Miah, former

Muktijuddah Commander

Motaleb Phatan and President of

Narsindgi Press club Makon Das

addressed.

Additional

Deputy

Commissioner (revenue)Shahina

Parvin presided over the function.

Shishu Academy arranged art

and cultural competitions,

recitation of poem while Shilpa

kala Academy also organised

cultural competition.

engineer Md. Mirajul Islam was in charge of

the score board. The overall aspect of the game

was managed by LGeD Jessore executive

engineer Mirza Md. Iftekhar Ali.

The winning team in the final competition

was Sharsha Upazila engineer MM Mamun

Hasan and Working Assistant (JOC) of the

same department Pradeep Kumar. President

Md. Abdul Based, Subash Kumar Saha,

executive engineer Office of the Supervising

engineer, LGeD, Jashore and Mirza Md.

Iftekhar Ali executive engineer, LGeD,

Jashore handed the trophy to the winner.

95.84pc COVID-19

patients recover in

Rangpur division

RANGPUR: Some 95.84 percent of coronavirus

(COVID-19) infected patients have recovered in the

division where infection rate continues declining

and healing rate rising in recent months, reports

BSS.

"A total of 15,163 coronavirus patients out of total

15,821 infected people healed with the average

recovery rate of 95.84 percent till Sunday," Focal

Person of COVID-19 and Assistant Director

(Health) for Rangpur division Dr. ZA Siddiqui told

BSS yesterday.

The 15,163 recovered patients include 3,670 of

Rangpur, 762 of Panchagarh, 1,299 of Nilphamari,

952 of Lalmonirhat, 980 of Kurigram, 1,469 of

Thakurgaon, 4,597 of Dinajpur and 1,434 of

Gaibandha districts, he said.

Meanwhile, only two new COVID-19 positive

cases were reported after testing 123 collected

samples with the daily infection rate of 1.63 percent

on Sunday raising the total number of patients to

15,821 in the division.

The district-wise break up of the total 15,821

patients stands at 4,038 in Rangpur, 792 in

Panchagarh, 1,328 in Nilphamari, 964 in

Lalmonirhat, 1,019 in Kurigram, 1,511 in

Thakurgaon, 4,709 in Dinajpur and 1,460 in

Gaibandha districts.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,06,856 collected samples

of Rangpur division were tested till Sunday, and of

them, 15,821 were found COVID-19 positive with

an average infection rate of 14.81 percent.

Talking to BSS, Divisional Director (Health) Dr.

Md. Ahad Ali said the number of fatalities remained

steady at 307 in the division with no more death

reported on Sunday.

tUeSDAY, FebrUArY 23, 2021

7

Pandemic used as 'pretext'

to crush dissent: UN chief

GENEVA : UN chief Antonio Guterres on

Monday criticised countries that are using

the pandemic to justify cracking down on

dissent, reining in the media and suppressing

criticism.

Speaking at the opening of the United

Nations Human Rights Council's main

annual session, Antonio Guterres charged

that authorities in a number of nations were

using restrictions meant to halt the spread of

Covid-19 to weaken their political opposition.

"Using the pandemic as a pretext, authorities

in some countries have deployed heavyhanded

security responses and emergency

measures to crush dissent, criminalise basic

freedoms, silence independent reporting and

curtail the activities of non-governmental

organisations," he said, without naming the

countries.

"Human rights defenders, journalists,

lawyers, political activists, and even medical

professionals are being detained, prosecuted

and subjected to intimidation and surveillance

for criticising government pandemic

responses - or the lack thereof," he added.

In some countries, he warned, "pandemicrelated

restrictions are being used to subvert

electoral processes, weaken opposition voices

and suppress criticism."

Speaking in a pre-recorded video message

to the largely virtual meeting of the Genevabased

body, the UN chief also decried widespread

misinformation around the world

about the coronavirus and the pandemic.

In a number of cases, he said, "access to

life-saving Covid-19 information has been

concealed, while deadly misinformation has

been amplified, including by those in

power."

Guterres dedicated much of his annual

speech before the UN's top rights body to the

wide-ranging effects of the pandemic, which

"hit the world without mercy."

"Covid-19 has deepened pre-existing

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday criticised countries that are using

the pandemic to justify cracking down on dissent, reining in the media and

suppressing criticism.

Photo : AP

US coronavirus death toll

approaches milestone

of 500,000

divides, vulnerabilities and inequalities, as

well as opened up new fractures, including

fault-lines in human rights," he said.

He pointed to the hundreds of millions of

families who have seen their lives "turned

upside down" due to job losses and soaring

debt.

At the same time, he said, "the disease has

taken a disproportionate toll on women,

minorities, persons with disabilities, older

persons, refugees, migrants and indigenous

peoples."

As a result, he warned, "progress on gender

equality has been set back years (and)

extreme poverty is rising for the first time in

decades."

In addition to inequalities within countries,

the UN chief slammed inequalities

between nations when it comes to accessing

the Covid-19 vaccines coming to market as a

"moral outrage".

A full 75 percent of all vaccine doses have

been administered in just 10 countries, he

pointed out, while more than 130 countries

have yet to receive a single dose.

"Vaccine equity is ultimately about human

rights," Guterres said. "Vaccine nationalism

denies it."

Beyond the pandemic, Guterres also highlighted

the need for more action globally

against systemic racism and ideas of white

supremacy.

"The rot of racism eats away at institutions,

social structures and everyday life, sometimes

invisibly and insidiously," he said.

He welcomed the "new awakening in the

global fight for racial justice."

"We must also step up the fight against

resurgent neo-Nazism, white supremacy and

racially- and ethnically-motivated terrorism,"

Guterres said.

"The danger of these hate-driven movements

is growing by the day," he said, warning

that they were "more than domestic terror

threats."

WASHINGTON : The U.S. stood Sunday

at the brink of a once-unthinkable tally:

500,000 people lost to the coronavirus,

reports UNB.

A year into the pandemic, the running

total of lives lost was about 498,000 -

roughly the population of Kansas City,

Missouri, and just shy of the size of

Atlanta. The figure compiled by Johns

Hopkins University surpasses the number

of people who died in 2019 of chronic

lower respiratory diseases, stroke,

Alzheimer's, flu and pneumonia combined.

"It's nothing like we have ever been

through in the last 102 years, since the

1918 influenza pandemic," the nation's

top infectious disease expert, Dr.

Anthony Fauci, said on CNN's "State of

the Union."

The U.S. virus death toll reached

400,000 on Jan. 19 in the waning hours

in office for President Donald Trump,

whose handling of the crisis was judged

by public health experts to be a singular

failure.

The first known deaths from the virus

in the U.S. happened in early February

2020, both of them in Santa Clara

County, California. It took four months

to reach the first 100,000 dead. The toll

hit 200,000 deaths in September and

300,000 in December. Then it took just

over a month to go from 300,000 to

400,000 and about two months to climb

from 400,000 to the brink of 500,000.

Joyce Willis of Las Vegas is among the

countless Americans who lost family

members during the pandemic. Her husband,

Anthony Willis, died Dec. 28, followed

by her mother-in-law in early

January. There were anxious calls from

the ICU when her husband was hospitalized.

She was unable to see him before

he died because she, too, had the virus

and could not visit.

"They are gone. Your loved one is gone,

but you are still alive," Willis said. "It's

like you still have to get up every morning.

You have to take care of your kids

and make a living. There is no way

around it. You just have to move on."

Then came a nightmare scenario of

caring for her father-in-law while dealing

with grief, arranging funerals, paying

bills, helping her children navigate

online school and figuring out how to go

back to work as an occupational therapist.

Her father-in-law, a Vietnam vet, also

contracted the virus. He also suffered

from respiratory issues and died on Feb.

8. The family isn't sure if COVID-19 contributed

to his death.

"Some days I feel OK and other days I

feel like I'm strong and I can do this," she

said. "And then other days it just hits me.

My whole world is turned upside-down."

The global death toll was approaching

2.5 million, according to Johns Hopkins.

While the count is based on figures

supplied by government agencies

around the world, the real death toll is

believed to be significantly higher, in

part because of inadequate testing and

cases inaccurately attributed to other

causes early on.

Despite efforts to administer coronavirus

vaccines, a widely cited model by

the University of Washington projects

the U.S. death toll will surpass 589,000

by June 1.

"People will be talking about this

decades and decades and decades from

now," Fauci said on NBC's "Meet The

Press."

Volunteers in

New Zealand try

to rescue 40

stranded whales

WELLINGTON :

Volunteers in New

Zealand were trying to

save 40 stranded whales

Monday evening by

refloating them on the

high tide. Nine more

whales had already died.

The pod of 49 longfinned

pilot whales

beached themselves on

Farewell Spit, a remote

beach on the South

Island, the Department

of Conservation reported,

reports UNB.

The whales were first

noticed by a tour operator

on Monday morning,

the department said.

About 65 conservation

rangers and volunteers

worked throughout the

day to help the whales by

keeping them cool and

wet until the water was

deep enough to refloat

them. The nonprofit

whale rescue group

Project Jonah was helping

coordinate efforts.

Farewell Spit, a sliver of

sand that arches like a

hook into the Tasman

Sea, has been the site of

previous mass strandings.

Sometimes

described as a whale trap,

the spit's long coastline

and gently sloping beaches

seem to make it difficult

for whales to navigate

away from once they

get close.

There are different theories

as to why whales

strand themselves, from

chasing prey too far

inshore to trying to protect

a sick member of the

group or escaping a predator.

Four years ago, more

than 650 pilot whales

beached themselves on

Farewell Spit in two separate

mass strandings.

More than 350 of the

creatures died while

about 300 were saved.

Pilot whales are relatively

small but can grow

to over 6 meters (20

feet).

Americans

could still need

to wear masks

in 2022: Fauci

WASHINGTON :

Americans may still need

to wear masks in 2022 to

protect against the coronavirus,

said Anthony

Fauci, the nation's top

infectious disease expert,

on Sunday.

Fauci said even as the

United States may reach

"a significant degree of

normality" by the end of

this year, Americans will

still need to wear masks

next year, reports BSS.

His comments came as

the COVID-19 death toll

in the United States is

approaching 500,000.

Fauci stressed the

importance of mitigation

measures to fight the

coronavirus that causes

COVID-19 and its emerging

variants.

The country is ramping

up its vaccine rollout,

which has been hindered

by power outages amid

the ongoing winter

storms in much of the

country.

Fauci hoped high

school students, far fewer

of whom have gone back

to classrooms compared

with younger children,

would be eligible for vaccination

in the fall.

Vaccinations for

younger children, however,

"likely will not be

before the beginning of

the first quarter of 2022,"

Fauci said.

A call for a Monday general strike by demonstrators in Myanmar protesting the military's

seizure of power has been met by the ruling junta with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal

force, raising the possibility of major clashes.

Photo : Internet

Myanmar protest call for general

strike draws junta threat

YANGON : A call for a Monday general

strike by demonstrators in Myanmar

protesting the military's seizure of

power has been met by the ruling junta

with a thinly veiled threat to use lethal

force, raising the possibility of major

clashes, reports UNB.

The call for a general strike was made

Sunday by the Civil Disobedience

Movement, a loosely organized group

leading resistance to the army's Feb. 1

takeover. It asked people to gather

together for the Five Twos - referring to

the digits in Monday's date - to make a

"Spring Revolution."

State television broadcaster MRTV

late Sunday carried a public announcement

from the junta, formally called

the State Administration Council,

warning against the general strike.

"It is found that the protesters have

raised their incitement towards riot

and anarchy mob on the day of 22

February. Protesters are now inciting

the people, especially emotional

teenagers and youths, to a confrontation

path where they will suffer the loss

of life," it said in an English language

text shown onscreen. The spoken

announcement in Burmese said the

same thing.

Another part of the statement blamed

protesters whose numbers allegedly

included criminal gangs for violence at

demonstrations, with the result that

"the security force members had to fire

back." Three protesters have been shot

dead so far.

The protest movement has embraced

nonviolence and only occasionally gotten

into shoving matches with police

and thrown bottles at them when provoked.

In Yangon, the country's biggest city,

trucks cruised the streets Sunday night

blaring announcements that people

should not attend protests Monday and

must honor a ban on gatherings of five

or more people. The ban was issued

shortly after the coup but not enforced

in Yangon, which for the past two

weeks has been the scene of large daily

demonstrations.

Many social media postings ahead of

the scheduled nightly 1 a.m. cutoff of

internet access service said security

forces had set up roadblocks at strategic

points in the city, including bridges and

on streets leading to foreign embassies.

Information on Twitter accounts that

have proven reliable in the past said

internet blocking, usually lasting until 9

a.m., would be extended to noon in

Yangon.

The ominous signs of potential conflict

drew attention outside Myanmar,

with the U.S. reiterating that it stood

with the people of Myanmar.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken

said on Twitter the U.S. would take firm

action "against those who perpetrate

violence against the people of Burma as

they demand the restoration of their

democratically elected government."

"We call on the military to stop violence,

release all those unjustly

detained, cease attacks on journalists

and activists, and respect the will of the

people," spokesman Ned Price said on

Twitter.

Earlier Sunday, crowds in Myanmar's

capital attended a funeral for the young

woman who was the first person confirmed

to have been killed in the

protests, while demonstrators also

mourned two other protesters who

were shot dead on Saturday.

UN nuclear chief says Iran to

grant 'less access' to program

TEHRAN : Iran will begin to offer

United Nations inspectors "less access"

to its nuclear program as part of its

pressure campaign on the West,

though investigators will still be able to

monitor Tehran's work, the U.N. atomic

watchdog's chief said Sunday,

reports UNB.

Rafael Grossi's comments came

after an emergency trip to Iran in

which he said the International

Atomic Energy Agency reached a

"technical understanding" with

Tehran to continue to allow monitoring

of its nuclear program for up to

three months. But his remarks to

journalists underlined a narrowing

window for the U.S. and others to

reach terms with Iran, which is

already enriching and stockpiling

uranium at levels far beyond those

allowed by its 2015 nuclear deal with

world powers.

"The hope of the IAEA has been to

stabilize a situation which was very

unstable," Grossi said at the airport

after his arrival back in Vienna, where

the agency is based. "I think this technical

understanding does it so that

other political consultations at other

levels can take place and most importantly

we can avoid a situation in which

we would have been, in practical

terms, flying blind." Grossi, the IAEA's

director general, offered few specifics

of the agreement he had reached with

Iranian leaders.

He said the number of inspectors on

the ground would remain the same but

that "what changes is the type of activity"

the agency was able to carry out,

without elaborating further. He

stressed monitoring would continue

"in a satisfactory manner."

Iranian Foreign Minister

Mohammad Javad Zarif, who under

President Hassan Rouhani helped

reach the atomic accord, said the IAEA

would be prevented from accessing

footage from their cameras at nuclear

sites. That came during a state TV

interview Sunday even before his

meeting with Grossi.

"This is not a deadline for the world.

This is not an ultimatum," Zarif told

the government-run, English-language

broadcaster Press TV. "This is an

internal domestic issue between the

parliament and the government."

"We have a democracy. We are supposed

to implement the laws of the

country. And the parliament adopted

legislation - whether we like it or not."

Americans may still need to wear masks in 2022 to protect against the coronavirus, said Anthony

Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, on Sunday.

Photo : AP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021 8

With the financial help of Social Islami Bank Ltd, UCEP Bangladesh is providing skills development

training to 100 underprivileged youth. Under this project, 25 participants of the first batch completed

the course in refrigeration and air-conditioning. UCEP Jatrabari Center arranged the Certificate

Awarding Ceremony recently. Abu Naser Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Director of SIBL, attended

the program as chief guest. Badrul Alam Khan, Director of Gazi Group, M A Baker, Chief Operating

Officer of Meghna Group, Md. Shamim Imam, DGM of Ananta Huaxiang Ltd, Kazi Azizul Islam,

Director of Nassa Group, and Md. Didarul Alam Chowdhury, Director of UCEP Bangladesh, were

present as special guests. The chief guest highly praised the role of UCEP in building skilled human

resources.

Photo: Courtesy

Biden to boost pandemic

lending to smallest

businesses

WASHINGTON: President

Joe Biden is targeting federal

pandemic assistance to the

nation's smallest businesses

and taking steps to further

equity in what is known as the

Paycheck Protection Program.

The administration is

establishing a two-week

window, starting on

Wednesday, in which only

businesses with fewer than 20

employees - the

overwhelming majority of

small businesses - can apply

for the forgivable loans.

Biden's team is also carving

out $1 billion to direct toward

sole proprietors, such as home

contractors and beauticians,

the majority of which are

owned by women and people

of color.

Other efforts will remove a

prohibition on lending to a

company with at least 20%

ownership by a person

arrested or convicted for a

nonfraud felony in the prior

year, as well as allowing those

behind on their federal

student loans to seek relief

through the program. The

administration is also

clarifying that noncitizen legal

residents can apply to the

program.

The PPP, first rolled out in

the earliest days of the

coronavirus pandemic and

renewed in December, was

meant to help keep Americans

employed during the

economic downturn. It allows

small and mid-size businesses

suffering a loss of revenue to

access federal loans, which are

forgivable if 60% of the loan is

spent on payroll and the

balance on other qualified

expenses.

The Biden effort is aimed at

correcting disparities in how

the program was

administered by the Trump

administration.

Data from the Paycheck

Protection Program released

Dec. 1 and analyzed by The

Associated Press show that

many minority owners

desperate for a relief loan

didn't receive one until the

PPP's last few weeks while

many more white business

owners were able to get loans

earlier in the program.

The program, which began

April 3 and ended Aug. 8 and

handed out 5.2 million loans

worth $525 billion, helped

many businesses stay on their

feet when government

measures to control the

coronavirus forced many to

shut down or operate at a

diminished capacity.

The latest PPP, which began

on Jan. 11 and runs through

the end of March, has already

paid out $133.5 billion in

loans - about half of the $284

billion allocated by Congress -

with an average loan under

$74,000.

A further renewal of the

program is not included in

Biden's $1.9 trillion "

American Rescue Plan,"

which he hopes Congress will

pass in the coming weeks.

China urges US to lift trade

restrictions, stop interference

Saudi defense

firm SAMI targets

$5bn annual

revenue by 2030

DUBAI: State-owned Saudi

Arabian Military Industries

(SAMI) aims to generate

annual revenue of $5 billion

by 2030, its chief executive

said on Monday, part of a

drive to build more defense

equipment inside the

kingdom. Saudi Arabia set up

SAMI in 2017 to cut its

reliance on imported weapons

and military systems.

The government aims to

spend 50% of its military

budget by 2030 on equipment

made at home.

Chief Executive Walid

Abukhaled told Reuters at

Abu Dhabi's Idex defense

exhibition that SAMI aimed to

be among the world's top 25

defense firms by 2030. "Being

in the top 25 companies by

2030, you're looking at $5

billion a year" in revenue, he

said. Abukhaled, who did not

give a figure for current

revenues, took over as CEO in

April.

He gave a more

conservative target than his

predecessor who said in 2019

he wanted SAMI to be one of

the world's top 10 defense

companies by 2030.

Abukhaled said there had

been no major shift in

strategy.



BEIJING: China's top diplomat called

Monday for new US President Joe Biden's

administration to lift restrictions on trade

and people-to-people contacts while

ceasing what Beijing considers

unwarranted interference in the areas of

Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi's comments

at a Foreign Ministry forum on US-China

relations come as Beijing presses the new

administration in Washington to drop

many of the confrontational measures

adopted by former President Donald

Trump.

Trump hiked tariffs on Chinese imports

in 2017 and imposed bans and other

restrictions on Chinese tech companies

and academic exchanges as he sought to

address concerns about an imbalance in

trade and accusations of Chinese theft of

American technology.

Trump also upgraded military and

diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the selfgoverning

island democracy claimed by

China as its own territory, while

sanctioning Chinese officials blamed for

abuses against Muslim minorities in

Xinjiang and a crackdown on freedoms in

Hong Kong.

"We know that the new US

administration is reviewing and assessing

its foreign policy," Wang told diplomats,

scholars and journalists at the Lanting

Forum. "We hope that the US policy

makers will keep pace with the times, see

clearly the trend of the world, abandon

biases, give up unwarranted suspicions

and move to bring the China policy back

to reason to ensure a healthy, steady

development of China-US relations."

While Biden has pledged reengagement

and a more civil tone in US diplomacy, its

unclear whether he will make any

fundamental changes in Washington's

policies toward Beijing. China faces more

opposition than ever in Washington due

to its trade record, territorial disputes with

neighbors, and accusations of technology

theft and spying. Taiwan enjoys strong

bipartisan support, as do criticisms of

China's human rights record, especially on

Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet.

In his first address before a global

audience Friday, Biden said the US and its

allies must "prepare together for a longterm

strategic competition with China."

"Competition with China is going to be

stiff. That's what I expect, and that's what

I welcome, because I believe in the global

system Europe and the United States,

together with our allies in the Indo-

Pacific, worked so hard to build over the

last 70 years," the president said in

remarks delivered virtually to the annual

Munich Security Conference.

As is standard in Chinese foreign policy,

Wang put the onus for improving

relations squarely on the shoulders of the

US and offered no direct proposals for

major breakthroughs, even while

encouraging increased dialogue.

Wang said China had "no intention to

challenge or replace the United States"

and was ready to peacefully coexist and

seek common development.

Wang urged the US to "stop smearing"

the reputation of China's ruling

Communist Party and to "stop conniving

at or even supporting the erroneous words

and actions of separatist forces for Taiwan

independence and stop undermining

China's sovereignty and security on

internal affairs concerning Hong Kong,

Xinjiang and Tibet."

He said the US should reactivate all

levels of dialogue that he said the US had

effectively halted under the Trump

administration, and boost cooperation on

major bilateral and international issues.

The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change

and the global economic recovery are the

three biggest issues on which the sides can

cooperate, he said.

On trade, Wang said China would

defend the rights of US companies while

hoping the US would "adjust its policies as

soon as possible, among others, remove

unreasonable tariffs on Chinese goods, lift

its unilateral sanctions on Chinese

companies and research and educational

institutes and abandon irrational

suppression of China's technological

progress." The US should also lift

restrictions on media, educational and

people-to-people exchanges to reverse

sharp declines in numbers of Chinese

studying in the US and visits by Chinese

for tourism or business, Wang said.

"I hope that the two sides will work

together to steer the giant ship of China-

US relations back to the course of sound

development toward a bright future with

boundless prospects," he said.

While the tone taken toward the US by

high-ranking diplomats such as Wang,

senior foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi

and President Xi Jinping himself appears

more positive than under Trump, China's

Foreign Ministry spokespeople have

remained combative.

At a briefing on Friday, spokesperson

Hua Chunying contrasted the freak winter

weather striking Texas with the robust

social and economic interactions seen in

China over the just-passed Lunar New

Year holiday, without offering any show of

sympathy.

"All this has given us a deeper

understanding of what human rights truly

mean and how to better protect them. We

are more convinced that we are on the

right path and have every confidence in

the future," Hua said. Saudi defense firm

SAMI targets $5bn annual revenue by

2030

Riyadh urges caution

while Moscow appears

to favor supply hike

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and

Russia were once again

heading into an OPEC+

meeting on opposite sides of a

crucial debate about the oil

market, according to Asharq

Bloomberg.

Riyadh is publicly urging

fellow members to be

"extremely cautious," despite

prices rebounding to a oneyear

high. In private, the

Kingdom has signaled it

would prefer that the group

broadly holds output steady,

delegates said.

Moscow, on the other hand,

is indicating that it still wants

to proceed with a supply

increase.

Saudi Arabia is pledging to

make a cut of 1 million barrels

per day (bpd) in February and

March, but some see signs

that could change as the

negotiations get underway.

"The Kingdom could

potentially use its barrels as

leverage for getting a deal,"

said Bill Farren-Price, a

director at research firm

Enverus and veteran observer

of the cartel.

Ten months after slashing

crude production when the

coronavirus disease (COVID-

19) pandemic crushed global

demand, the Organization of

the Petroleum Exporting

Countries and its allies are still

withholding 7 million bpd

from the market, about 7

percent of global supply.

Two crucial decisions will be

taken at the OPEC+ meeting

on March 4.

Restructuring the IMF

programme Khaleeq Kiani

Pakistan and the

International Monetary Fund

(IMF) staff have been able to

put the Extended Fund

Facility (EFF) of $6 billion

back on track after almost a

year of virtual freeze.

According to a statement

issued by the IMF, the two

sides have reached an

agreement on a package of

measures to complete second

to fifth reviews of the

authorities' reform

programme supported by the

EFF. The package strikes an

appropriate balance between

supporting the economy,

ensuring debt sustainability

and advancing structural

reforms, it said. The executive

board of the Fund is expected

to approve before March 31

the staff-level agreement to

allow the disbursement of a

tranche of about $500

million, bringing the total

disbursements close to

$1.94bn under the EFF signed

in July 2019 - almost a year

after the PTI came to power in

August 2018. The initially

prolonged indecision had a

lasting impact on the national

economy that was later in a

sense dovetailed by the

February 2020 Covid-19

outbreak.

After accounting for $1.4bn

emergency disbursements

under the Rapid Financing

Instrument (RFI) in April

2020, Pakistan has received a

total of about $3.34bn from

the IMF since July 2019. This

is just $260m lower than

$3.6bn it might have secured

by now under the programme

schedule and the successful

implementation of its

structural benchmarks.

However, the RFI remains

outside the programme. The

understanding is to extend the

programme framework closer

to the completion of the PTI's

five-year term in August 2023

Therefore, in a typical

scenario, Pakistan's total

programme disbursements

should have been around

$3.6bn, including about a

$785m instalment on the

completion of the fifth

quarterly review in March and

previous three quarterly

releases of about $460m each.

Instead, programme

disbursements would reach

$1.94bn with four reviews

(March 2020 - March 2021)

clubbed together. That

practically leaves about $4bn

of the purchased IMF quota,

which could not be covered in

three remaining biannual

reviews under the previous

schedule.

As such, Dr Abdul Hafeez

Shaikh's traditional "staying

engaged" strategy with the

IMF helped maintain the

programme umbrella for

other lenders to remain

committed with existing

resource pipelines and future

programmes. More than its

own resources for the

balance-of-payments support,

the Fund programme is

important to provide

confidence to the markets,

bilateral and multilateral

lenders and rating agencies.

The understanding is now

to extend the programme

framework closer to the

completion of the PTI's fiveyear

term in August 2023

instead of the originally

planned September 2022.

Both sides are keeping secret

the finer details of the prior

actions, structural

benchmarks, schedules of

performance reviews and

disbursements under the

agreement until the board

meeting. The revised

programme structure may be

useful to keep the government

fiscally responsible until the

last leg of its rule and avoid

the traditional pre-poll

populist spending mode.

That would allow the

authorities to meet prior

actions, including the

placement of the SBP

amendment act before

parliament, a legal instrument

for the pruning of income tax

exemptions, finalisation of the

circular debt management

plan and progress on the

energy sector's regulatory

laws.

FBCCI President Sheikh Fazle Fahim on behalf of The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of

Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) paid the homage to the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement by

placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar at early hours of 'Amar Ekushey' on Sunday marking

'Amar Ekushey', the Language Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day. Sheikh Fazle

Fahim stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the

language heroes. FBCCI Vice-President. Md Nizam Uddin Rajesh, Director Sujib Ranjan Dash and

Md. Munir Hossain were present at that time.

Photo: Courtesy

Gold off 7-month

low on dollar

weakness, but

yields weigh

The dollar eased against

rivals, making gold cheaper

for other currency holders

Gold prices inched higher

on Monday after hitting a

more than seven-month low

in the previous session, as

support from a weaker dollar

eclipsed pressure from firmer

Treasury yields.

Spot gold rose 0.1 percent to

$1,783.56 per ounce by 0304

GMT, having touched its

lowest since July 2 at

$1,759.29 on Friday.

US gold futures gained 0.4

percent to $1,784.40.

"The dollar coming off is

helping to negate the rise in

Treasury yields," said Howie

Lee, an economist at OCBC

Bank.

"Gold is in a weird place...

while there's clearly a need for

inflation hedging, firming risk

sentiment has pressured

gold."

The dollar eased against

rivals, making gold cheaper

for other currency holders,

but benchmark US Treasury

yields hit a near one-year

high, increasing the

opportunity cost of holding

non-yielding bullion.

Recovery bets drive

dollar to fresh lows

The US dollar was sold to multi-year lows

against sterling and the Australian and New

Zealand currencies on Monday, as investors

cheered vaccine progress and wagered on the

pandemic recovery bringing a global trade

boom and an export windfall.

The British pound hit $1.4043, its highest

since April 2018, as Prime Minister Boris

Johnson charts a path out of lockdowns on the

back of rapid vaccinations.

The Aussie rose as much as 0.5 percent to an

almost three-year high of $0.7908 and the

kiwi hit $0.7338, also its best since early 2018,

helped by S&P's upgrade of New Zealand's

sovereign credit ratings by a notch.

The euro was steady at $1.2119, while the

yen was the only major to cede ground to the

greenback as rising US Treasury yields drew

investment flows from Japan.

Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields rose to

1.3940 percent, their highest since Feb. 2020

and the dollar was up 0.2 percent to buy

105.73 yen. With local yields anchored by the

Bank of Japan, the yen remains particularly

sensitive to the US bond market, and has

dropped 2 percent this year while US ten-year

yields have climbed nearly 50 basis points.

Sovereign yields elsewhere in Asia have

gained in tandem, or in the case of Australia

and New Zealand far in excess of US rates,

leaving little or no relative benefit for the dollar,

as investors begin to price in a pickup in

global inflation.

"There's a tide of higher rates across the

board, and whether the US does an extra five

basis points than Germany is neither here nor

there," said Jason Wong, senior market strategist

at BNZ in Wellington.

"The bigger picture is (the United States)

has got massive debt issuance for stimulus

and to find a buyer for that debt you either

need higher rates or a lower currency or both,

and at the moment we're getting both."

The US dollar index was steady at 90.355.

Hot commodity

Besides the US budget deficit, a growing

trade deficit has also weighed on the dollar, as

have the large gains that rising commodity

prices have delivered to exporters' currencies.

Copper has gained roughly 8 percent for the

year and hit a nine-year peak on Monday, oil

has gained more than 22 percent for the year

to date, iron ore about 10 percent and dairy

prices nearly 7 percent.

The Aussie dollar, which rose nearly 40 percent

from last March's trough through to the

end of 2020 has added another 2 percent this

year, while the kiwi and Canadian dollar have

added 1% or more and analysts said the rallies

might have further to run. "We are recommending

a long AUD/USD trade idea," said

analysts at MUFG Bank in a note to clients.

"The Aussie is continuing to benefit from the

outperformance from building optimism over

the global growth/reflation outlook which is

helping to improve Australia's terms of trade."

The bank also recommends a long sterling

position as diminished Brexit uncertainty and

solid progress in vaccinating the British population

herald a strong economic recovery.

tUeSDAY, FebrUArY 23, 2021

9

the photo shows New Zealand players celebrating the fall of Josh philippe on Monday.

SportS DeSk:

New Zealand utterly humiliated

Australia's BBL XI in the opening

T20I on the 10th anniversary of the

Christchurch earthquake, hammering

the tourists by 53 runs at Hagley Oval,

the biggest ever margin of victory for

them over their rivals across the

Tasman in the shortest format of the

international game, reports AP.

Devon Conway was calmness and

poise personified to maintain his

outstanding start to representing New

Zealand, compiling an unbeaten 99 to

lift his side to 184 for 5 after the

Australians had made the swifter start

to claim three wickets inside the first

four overs. Australia's early success

gave way to rather more pedestrian

bowling and fielding during the back

half of the innings.

Chasing at least 20 runs more than

they should have been, Aaron Finch's

team were never a chance after being

left completely bereft by the swinging

new ball in the hands of Tim Southee

and Trent Boult. Together, they

reduced the Australians to 19 for 4,

leaving the wrist spinner Ish Sodhi

with a mop-up operation that handed

him his best figures in T20Is. The

crowd of 9093 cannot have expected

quite as much of a mis-match, as the

gulf between the BBL and true

international quality was underlined.

Fewer than 24 hours after emerging

from two weeks of quarantine with

limited training, the Australia pace

attack might have been expected to

start uncertainly and then build into

their work. Instead, Daniel Sams and

Jhye Richardson - in his first T20I

since early 2019 - produced strong

opening spells to put the hosts in early

trouble. With Adam Zampa handed

the second over of the innings to keep

New Zealand from getting consistent

pace on the ball, Sams coaxed Martin

Guptill into slicing behind point in the

opening over of the series.

When Richardson angled and

swung a yorker right into the base of

Tim Seifert's off stump, and then Kane

photo: Ap

New Zealand beat Australia by

53 runs in first T20

Williamson was pouched behind the

stumps when trying to pull a ball from

Sam that was tight to his body, the

tourists appeared to have put together

the sort of Powerplay that would

decide the contest. T20I history

suggested that Australia almost never

lose when claiming three wickets in

the opening six overs, on this occasion

the product of tight bowling that did

well to jam the New Zealand top order

bats with very little room to free their

arms.

Out of a tally of 34 for 3 from the

opening six overs, Conway had

already looked a class apart in

fashioning 16 from 12 balls with a

boundary and a six. What followed as

the early threat of the new ball wore

off and the Australians' early

discipline was replaced by something

not a million miles from complacency

was the strongest indication yet that

Conway would, like so many of his

other relocated former South African

countrymen, likely make a significant

mark on the international game.

Tiger isn't sure he

back will be ready

for a Masters return

SportS DeSk:

Tiger Woods made his first

public comments since

undergoing his fifth back

surgery, with the 15-time

major champion uncertain if

he will be able to play at the

Masters, reports BSS.

Asked if he plans to play in

April at the Masters, which

he won in 2019, Woods said,

"God, I hope so."

But the 45-year-old

winner of 82 US PGA titles,

level with Sam Snead for the

all-time record, said it will

depend on how well he

recovers.

"I'm feeling fine. I'm a little

stiff," Woods said during

Sunday's CBS telecast of the

US PGA Genesis

Invitational, where Woods

serves as tournament host.

"I have one more MRI

scheduled so we'll see if the

annulus is scarred over

finally and then I can start

doing more activities,"

Woods said.

"Still in the gym, still doing

the mundane stuff that you

have to do for rehab, the

little things where I can start

gravitating toward

something more."

Solskjaer not giving up hope

of catching Man City

SportS DeSk:

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not giving up

hope that Manchester United can challenge

Manchester City for the Premier League

title, despite the scintillating form of the

league leaders, reports BSS.

City have soared 10 points clear of their

local rivals thanks to an 18-game winning

streak in all competitions.

United's own inconsistent form has

helped open up the gap, but the Red Devils

beat Newcastle 3-1 on Sunday to win for

just the second time in six league games.

"We've got to be there just in case," said

Solskjaer. "Every time we get three points

we've done our job and that's what we've

got to do and see what other teams do."

Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford

were again on target on a night United

needed their star men to paper over the

cracks of another unconvincing

performance.

Solskjaer made five changes to the side

that impressively thrashed Real Sociedad

4-0 in the Europa League on Thursday and

was lucky not to be punished for a

disjointed start from the hosts.

"We had to find a way to win it in the

second-half. The first-half wasn't up to the

standard that we wanted," added Solskjaer.

"Maybe because of Newcastle, maybe

because of what we did in the week. We

asked them to go again after a highintensity

game and it took us to half time to

get our legs and energy."

A run of two wins in 14 games has left

Newcastle just three points clear of the drop

zone, but Steve Bruce remains confident his

side will survive.

"Fulham have had a good week and won a

couple of games, which at the bottom end of

the table is big, but there are a few of us:

Brighton, Burnley and maybe Crystal

Palace looking over their shoulders," said

Bruce.

"My message to the supporters is that I'm

convinced we'll be ok."

Poor goalkeeping cost Bruce's men the

opening goal on the half hour mark as

Rashford wriggled free inside the area, but

his shot should have been kept out by Karl

Darlow.

United's sloppy defending from setpieces

was punished six minutes later,

though, when Saint-Maximin swept the ball

into the top corner after Harry Maguire

only half-cleared a cross into the box.

After a blistering start to his United

career last season, Dan James has struggled

for game time, but the Welshman has now

scored in his last three appearances as he

blasted past Darlow from close range just

before the hour mark.

More good footwork from Rashford then

drew Joe Willock into an ill-advised

challenge inside the box and the on-loan

Arsenal midfielder conceded a penalty.

Beyond the Big Three:Djokovic

sets sights on Williams, Court

SportS DeSk:

Not content with challenging Roger

Federer and Rafael Nadal for the

men's Grand Slams record, Novak

Djokovic has Serena Williams and

Margaret Court in his sights after

claiming an astonishing ninth

Australian Open title, reports BSS.

The world number one's bold

statement followed Sunday's final,

when he ended a turbulent

tournament marked by a muscle

injury and media attacks by humbling

an in-form Daniil Medvedev.

Djokovic's 18th major crown placed

him within striking distance of the

men's record of 20, jointly held by

Nadal, who lost in the quarter-finals,

and Federer, who was absent through

injury.

But the Serb also raised the prospect

of a bigger goal: reaching the 23 held

by Williams, and even the 24 won by

Court straddling the amateur and

Open era.

"Getting closer to maybe Roger's,

Rafa's record, Serena, Margaret," said

Djokovic, when asked about his goals

and schedule for this year.

"Everyone has their own journey

and their own way of making history.

They've made history already. They

made a tremendous mark in our sport.

"I think about winning more Slams

and breaking records, of course. And

most of my attention and my energy

from this day forward, until I retire

from tennis, is going to be directed in

majors, trying to win more major

trophies."

Djokovic, 33, said he would play a

slimmed-down schedule focusing on

the majors, rather than the rankings,

now he's guaranteed to surpass

Federer's record of 310 weeks as world

number one on March 8.

His triumph follows a difficult

tournament, after he suffered a

muscle tear in the third round and was

criticised for requesting better

conditions for players during

Serbia's Novak Djokovic won his ninth Australian open title on Sunday.

quarantine.

"It hurts," he said of the criticism.

"I'm a human being. I have emotions."

The Serb's 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 win over the

25-year-old Medvedev, who was on a

20-match winning streak, was also a

sobering moment for the younger

players hoping to dislodge the 'Big

Three'.

"The three knights of tennis,"

Djokovic smiled.

"Roger and Rafa inspire me," he

added. "I think as long as they go, I'll

go. In a way it's like a race who plays

tennis more and who wins more.

"It's a competition between us in all

areas. But I think that's the very

reason why we are who we are,

because we do drive each other, we

motivate each other, we push each

other to the limit."

Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic

said the Big Three were producing

"better and better tennis" and also

noted that Court's record was on the

horizon.

photo: Ap

ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not giving up hope that Manchester United can challenge Manchester City for the

premier League title.

photo: Ap

Khawaja, Stanlake

give Queensland

to winning start

SportS DeSk:

Billy Stanlake's fourwicket

haul was followed

by a fine knock worth 93

runs from skipper Usman

Khawaja which helped

Queensland begin their

domestic One-Day Cup

campaign with a fourwicket

win against

Tasmania on Monday

(February 22). Having

restricted Tasmania to 237

at the Bellerive Oval in

Hobart, Queensland

reached the target with 2.2

overs to spare, reports BSS.

A 53-run opening stand

set the chase up nicely for

Queensland but they found

themselves in a bit of a spot

when Sam Heazlett and

Marnus Labuschagne fell

after useful starts. Matt

Renshaw too got into

double digits before

becoming the next wicket

to fall as Queensland

slipped to 107 for 3, with

the Tasmanian pacers

chipping away at regular

intervals.

Khawaja

led

Queensland's recovery

with his measured knock,

finding support from Joe

Burns in an 87-run fourth

wicket stand. Nathan Ellis

then struck twice,

dismissing both Burns and

Khawaja, as Tasmania

attempted a late fightback.

But Jimmy Peirson and

Jack Wildermuth helped

their side closer to the

target, with the former

remaining unbeaten when

Mark Steketee scored the

winning run.

Rohit wants experts,

viewers to ‘talk about

cricket, not pitches’

SportS DeSk:

Pitch has been quite the

buzzword ever since the

first track in Chennai played

"like a road" according to

Ishant Sharma, and the

second track like a "beach"

according to Michael

Vaughan. Everybody from

Shane Warne to Mark

Waugh had an opinion on it.

There was even a suggestion

from Simon Hughes to dock

World Test Championship

points from India's tally,

intensifying the debate even

further, reports AP.

Test cricket in India is not

alien to these discussions

and no wonder the press

conferences, too, have taken

kindly to it. Rohit Sharma,

fresh off a marquee 161 in

Chennai, was back to front

the press on Sunday

(February 21) but similar

questions followed him to

Ahmedabad.

Rohit said he's yet to

understand just "why

there's so much discussion

around pitches" and had a

simple message for cricket

viewers and experts: talk

about cricket, not pitches.

"Our team looks forward

to playing in circumstances

when everything is against

you. When we travel outside

India, we never complain

about the pitches. We are

happy to play on whatever's

on offer and move on.

Everyone else should do the

same, especially our

experts. Talk about cricket,

not pitches," Rohit said.

"We don't overthink about

the pitches; we only play

cricket. Pitch is same for

both the teams, so I don't

understand why there's so

much discussion around it,

about how it should and

shouldn't be. Pitches in

India have been prepared

like this for years. I don't

think anything has changed

or anything should change.

Every team takes advantage

of their home conditions.

"That's what the homeand-away

advantage in

cricket is. Otherwise cricket

should do away with homeand-away

advantage and

ask the ICC to make rules

about how pitches should

be, and that they should be

the same in India and

outside India. When we go

out, people make our lives

difficult, so I don't think

there should be much

discussion around the

pitches. Discuss the game,

discuss the player, how he's

batting and bowling. There

shouldn't be discussion

around pitches because

both teams play on it and

whoever does it better

wins."

Rohit's arguments aren't

too different from Axar

Patel who had spoken in

Chennai about the need to

"change the mindset" when

it comes to pitches that take

turn from the first hour.

Ravichandran Ashwin also

spoke about how players

need to work hard for runs

just like they do on a

seaming pitch and set the

"same kind of benchmarks"

when it comes to playing

spin on a challenging,

spinning surface.

Speaking further on the

topic, Rohit said: "I don't

think about pitches. The

pitch is what it is; it's not

going to change the more

you think about it. So it is

better to think about how to

play, think about your

technique. If it's a turning

pitch, think about whether

you need to sweep or step

out. If it's a seaming pitch,

think about whether you

need to stand outside the

crease, defend more or leave

balls.

"As a batsman, I try to

adapt myself and prepare

my mind for the pitch.

That's why people are here.

A lot of cricketers want to

play cricket (at the highest

level) but people who are

here playing for India are

picked because they

understand the conditions

better. So mindset, skillset

is important in challenging

conditions. Chances are that

you'll fail but it doesn't

matter as long as you learn

from that," Rohit added.

TUesDAY, feBrUArY 23, 2021

10

TBT reporT

Gazi Mazharul Anwar, a

Bangladeshi film director,

producer, lyricist, screenwriter

and music director.

This prominent lyricist, music

director, film director and

producer celebrated his 78th

birth anniversary yesterday. The

versatile talent Gazi Mazharul

Anwar was born at Daudkandi

in Cumilla on February 22 in

1943.

Mazharul Anwar began his

career as a lyricist in 1960s. He

wrote many songs for Zahir

Raihan's films, including

'Kacher Dewal', 'Behula' and

'Dui Bhai'. In 1968, Zahir asked

him to pen seven songs for a film

in two days. Gazi amazed Zahir

by finishing in two hours.

During this time, Gazi wrote

screenplays for multiple films,

including Urdu songs for Urdulanguage

films.

He also worked as a lyricist in

the 'Swadhin Bangla Betar

Kendra'. 'Ektara Tui Desher

Kotha', 'Ekbar Jete Dena', 'Joy

Bangla Banglar Joy', 'Amay Jodi

Prosno Koro Kolokakolir Desh'

and 'Ek Nodi Rokto Periye' are

his popular patriotic songs.

Gazi Mazharul Anwar-written

other notable songs, including,

'Monero Ronge Rangabo',

'Ganeri Khatay Sworolipi Likhe',

'Dukkho Korona', 'Ei Prithir

Pore', 'O Amar Rosiya

Bondhure', 'Eki Sonar Aloy',

Gazi Mazharul Anwar

celebrates 78th birthday

'Osru Diye Lekha', 'Ami

Rajanigandha Phuler Moto',

'Jeona Saathi', 'Sobai To

Bhalobasa Chai', 'E Jibone Tumi

Ogo Ele', 'Ei Duniya Ekhon To

Aar', 'Akasher Hate Achhe

Ekrash Nil', 'Tumi Amar Praner

Cheye Priyo', and 'Kichu Kichu

Manusher Jibone'.

He worked with almost every

singer and music director of

Dhallywood.

Gazi Mazharul Anwar was

awarded Ekushey Padak in

2002 for his contribution to the

country's cultural arena.

He also earned the

Bangladesh National Film

Award for Best Lyricist a record

six times for the films 'Tit for Tat'

(1992), 'Ajante' (1996),

'Churiwala' (2001), 'Lal Dariya'

(2002), 'Kokhono Megh

Kokhono Brishti' (2003) and

'Meyeti Ekhon Kothay Jabe'

(2016).

Gazi Mazharul Anwar has

composed over twenty thousand

songs during his illustrious

career. Three of his songs have

made it to BBC's list of twenty

best Bangla songs of all time.

Darshana in Dhallywood

movie 'Antaratma'

TBT reporT

Darshana Banik is an Indian model and

actress. She works for the Bengali and Telugu

film industry. She started her career as a

model and brand ambassador for different

brands like Colors, Vodafone, and Boroline.

Darshana will act in the upcoming movie

'Antaratma' made for Eid. Directed by Wazed

Ali Sumon, the film will star opposite

Dhallywood superstar Shakib Khan. The

shooting of the film is going to start in March.

She will come to Bangladesh next month to

take part in the shooting.

Darshana Banik told the media, "I was

finalized for the film two days ago. I am so

excited to have the opportunity to work on

such a beautiful story. As well as the

opportunity to work with Shakib Khan, I

think it will be a wonderful experience

overall. I will come to Bangladesh in March to

take part in the shooting of the film. '

"I have worked in the movie 'Operation

Sundarbans' directed by Dipankar Dipon

before. Everyone here is very sincere. I also

had a lot of fun working. It feels great to be

working in a Bangladeshi film again. If there

are good stories in offer, I want to work here

regularly. I will come here whenever I get a

chance."

Outside of cinema, Darshana also became a

model for a music video in Bangladesh.

Darshana was the model in the song video

titled 'Tor Naamer Ichchera' opposite

musician Imran Mahmudul.

Incidentally, her career started with

modeling, but now Darshana Banik has

settled down for films. Later on she started

working in films as well as modelling,

eventually working on one film after another.

Apart from Kolkata, she has also acted in

Bollywood and Telugu films. Her Telugu

movie is awaiting release. Meanwhile, her

movie 'Hullor' was released last year. Apart

from Darshana, Soham, Srabanti and Om

have also acted in this movie.

TBT reporT

I lost my

inspiration

says, Tinni

Srabosti Dutta Tinni, a popular

Bangladeshi television actress

and model. She was selected

Miss Bangladesh in 2004.

Tinni participated in the

Anondodhara Photogenic

2002 Pageant and stood fifth

runner up. Then she started

her ramp modeling career. In

2004 she started her acting

career in the drama serial 69,

created by Mostofa Sarwar

Farooki.

Tinni, once a popular model,

actress and heroine, now doing

well with her only daughter

Warisha in Toronto, Canada.

Despite being away, she has

regular contacts with people in

the country's media. She has

lost her beloved grand mother

Basanti Rani Dutt, the woman

Queen Elizabeth and other

senior British royals will

appear in a TV programme

to discuss the importance of the

Commonwealth on the same day

that Oprah Winfrey's interview of

her grandson Prince Harry and his

wife Meghan is aired.

For almost 50 years, the royal

family have attended an annual

Commonwealth Day service at

London's Westminster Abbey in

March, but it has been cancelled

this year because of the Covid-19

pandemic.

Instead, the 94-year-old

monarch, who heads the

association of 54 nations, will

deliver a televised message as

part of a programme entitled "A

Celebration for Commonwealth

Day", which will be broadcast on

the BBC on March 7, the Abbey

said.

There will also be

contributions from heir-to-thethrone

Prince Charles and from

the next in line, Prince William,

with his wife Kate.

That means it will air hours

before Harry and Meghan's

who inspired her most to

become a model, actress or

heroine.

Basanti Rani Dutt was 95

years old. She died on February

13. Tinni has suffered a lot after

losing her grandmother who

used to inspire her most in her

media life.

"My grandmother was my life,

my soul," she said by cell phone

from Toronto, "The pain of

losing her is not expressed in

words. Grandma was 95 years

old. Even then she was quite

healthy and strong. Grandma

was one of the members of the

executive committee of

Netrokona District Women's

Council. She was also a teacher

in Netrokona district social

service department. She was the

biggest inspiration of my

dream. Her sudden departure

has broken me emotionally.

Because my grandmother was a

piece of my soul. I have suffered

a lot in life. But I have never had

the pain of leaving my

grandmother. I wish everyone a

blessing for the peace of my

grandmother's soul."

In 2014, Tinni last acted in

the drama 'Neel Kuasha'

Actors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali

Khan welcomed their second child, a boy, on

Sunday morning. The couple has a 4-yearold

son, Taimur. Kareena delivered the baby

at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, on

Sunday at 9 am, Randhir Kapoor confirmed

to indianexpress.com. He said that both

mom and baby are doing fine. Later in the

day, Saif released a statement to thank their

well-wishers. "We have been blessed with a

baby boy. Mom and baby are safe and

healthy. Thank you to our well wishers for

their love and support," the statement read.

Congratulations for the couple started

pouring in immediately with sister Karisma

sharing an adorable throwback photo of the

two of them with dad Randhir. "That's my

sis when she was a new born and now she's

much anticipated tell-all, their

first in-depth interview since

they moved to the United States,

will be broadcast on CBS.

Winfrey's scoop comes at a

time when the couple have been

making international headlines

with the announcement that

they are expecting a second

child and news that they are

quitting their royal roles for

good.

"We are so pleased that this

rich and vibrant BBC

programme with the Royal

Family and the Abbey at its

directed by Chayanika

Chowdhury and 'Ekti Neel

Kuashar Mrittu' by Parvez

Amin. Nobel and Tarin acted

with her in it. The popular Lux

star has also acted in movies

with Shakib Khan. Tinni

starred opposite Shakib in

Sohanur Rahman Sohan

directed movie 'She Amar Mon

Kereche'.

Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan

welcome a baby boy

a mama once again !! And I'm a masi again

so excited ???????????? #goodwishes

#congratulations?? #onlylove," the actor

wrote. Saif's sister Saba Ali Khan, who had

earlier shared the 'Quadfather' meme for

him, also welcomed the good news. Saif is

father to Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Ali

Khan from his first marriage to actor

Amrita Singh.

Kareena's cousin Riddhima Kapoor Sahni

also took to social media and wrote,

"Congratulations Bebo and Saif, it's a boy!"

Her mother and Kareena's aunt Neetu Kapoor

wrote, "Congratulations Kareena and Saif. One

more addition to the cuties." She shared a

photo featuring Kareena, Ranbir Kapoor,

Riddhima and her husband Bharat Sahni.

Source: The Indian Express

UK royals in TV head-to-head

with Prince Harry and Meghan

heart will celebrate our global

connections at a time when we

are all so physically isolated,"

said David Hoyle, the Dean of

Westminster.

Harry and Meghan attended

the Commonwealth Day service

in person last year. It was their

final official royal engagement

before they moved to Los

Angeles and stepped away from

official duties, a decision that

sent shockwaves through the

monarchy.

Last week, Buckingham

Palace announced that the

couple would not be returning

and that their treasured royal

patronages would revert to the

queen and be distributed among

other family members.

Source: Reuters

H o r o s c o p e

ArIes

(March 21 - April 20) : Watch out for

the green-eyed monster today, Aries. It

can rear up before you can say

"jealousy." Most situations that cause

these feelings are born out of insecurity. If you aren't

secure in your job, relationship, or family, and feel

threatened by someone, it's time to take a look at the

cause. Why you don't feel as solid as you could?

What's causing the insecurity? Look for the answers.

TAUrUs

(April 21 - May 21) : You may feel

insecure about your appearance today,

Taurus. This can be a vicious cycle to

get into. The result is almost always

negative. Rather than pick yourself apart, consider

finding ways to accept your looks. Whether it's your

weight or age or anything else, if you can't accept

yourself, you will always find something wrong no

matter how many changes you make.

GeMINI

(May 22 - June 21) : Jealousy might rear

its head today, Gemini. The key to it all is to

understand where and why you feel

insecure. If you're jealous of a mate, what's

going on in the relationship? Is trust an issue? If this

comes up at work, is it because you don't feel recognized

for your contributions? Examine the cause of jealousy.

It's almost always a symptom of a deeper problem.

cANcer

(June 22 - July 23) : Arts and crafts

may interest you today, Cancer. Even

if you lean more toward sports, an

artistic streak will likely run pretty

strong in you. The process of creating can be

richly satisfying, both in the process and in the

satisfaction of a finished product. Allow yourself

the opportunity to explore this, as the day's energy

will lend much to your abilities.

Leo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Getting along

with others may prove challenging

today, Leo. The influence from the

planetary aspects can have you

preferring to withdraw and isolate. You might feel

impatient and annoyed. If so, and being alone is an

option, go for it. If it isn't, you will need to curb the

tendency to be argumentative or confrontational.

Exercise patience and avoid conflict.

VIrGo

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): Don't be surprised if

you're a little weepy today, Virgo. The

influence from planets can enhance your

sensitivity to almost everything, including

your own feelings. Take heart. It's bound to be shortlived.

Cry if you need to, since it can be cleansing. Try

not to wallow too much. Chances are good that things

will look better tomorrow. Take care of yourself today.

LIBrA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Fanaticism or

obsessive thinking may be something you

need to look at today, Libra. Common

areas for such behaviors are in the pursuit

of money, power, success, and romance. There's a fine

line between ambition and obsession. If you find that

you think of nothing else but one fixation, it may be time

to talk with someone about it. He or she may see what

you don't want to see.

scorpIo

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : Don't act

impulsively today, Scorpio. It could be

easy to confuse this with spontaneity.

One has more thought put into it than

the other. With this day's influence, be certain to

look before you leap. Think everything through,

from decisions to projects to contracts. Read the

fine print more than once. When it comes to

relationships, be careful not to trust too quickly.

sAGITTArIUs

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Is it time to take a more

drastic approach to a problem, Sagittarius? If

you've made several attempts to resolve your

trouble but to no avail, you might consider it.

As long as "drastic" doesn't mean "destructive," you may

find success trying something far more forward and

insistent. Be careful, however. Think things through

carefully first. Run any ideas you have past a trusted friend.

cAprIcorN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): Tap into your creativity

to unblock the emotional flow today,

Capricorn. This can be a powerful tool.

Creativity is a big part of who you are,

almost as big as communication. Your emotions link

to these two aspects and constantly interact beneath

the surface. If one gets blocked, release it by focusing

on the other. Express yourself through creativity and

consider talking to someone close.

AQUArIUs

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : You may need to deal

with someone's disapproval today,

Aquarius. This will likely come from

someone you see as either a superior or

authority figure, perhaps a parent. While it's important

to listen to this person, if what they say involves your

job, personal life, or how you choose to live, it's no one's

concern but yours. No matter how you do things,

someone will disapprove somewhere.

pIsces

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Time alone is

essential for everyone, Pisces, but make

sure you recognize when you're isolated to

the point where it's unhealthy. If you

realize you're alone because you're avoiding something,

you might consider your alternatives. Things will only

fester under these conditions. Face whatever it is that's

upsetting you so you can begin to work things out.

A memorial meeting was held on the occasion of the 17th death anniversary of Abul Islamat Hazirbagh Abul Islam Memorial Foundation on Monday. Photo: Rezwan Bappy

Political leaders should

Philippines approves Chinese jab

but health workers to miss out

MANILA : The Philippines' drug

regulator gave emergency approval

Monday to the Chinese-made

Sinovac coronavirus vaccine, with

the first doses set to arrive this

week - but health workers will not

get the jab due to its comparatively

low efficacy, reports BSS

CoronaVac is the third vaccine

approved for emergency use in the

country, but so far none have been

delivered and President Rodrigo

Duterte's government is under fire

over the delayed rollout.

Beijing has agreed to donate

600,000 doses, which will arrive in

the next three to five days, officials

said - despite misgivings over its

safety and effectiveness.

"It is decided… that the benefit of

using the vaccine outweighs the

known and potential risks," said

Eric Domingo, head of the Food and

Drug Administration.

The CoronaVac can be given to

"clinically healthy" adults aged 18

to 59, but was not recommended for

frontline health workers or the elderly,

he said.

Presidential spokesman Harry

Roque said workers considered

essential to the economy and soldiers

were likely to receive the first

Gunmen kill four

female aid workers in

northwest Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan :

Four women aid workers

were gunned down Monday

in a restive part of northwestern

Pakistan, police

said, as a fresh wave of

extremist violence rattles the

Afghan borderlands.

The aid workers were

ambushed by two gunmen

as they were driving through

a village in North Waziristan

district, according to local

police chief Shafiullah

Gandapur, who said just one

passenger survived the

assault, reports BSS.

"No one has claimed

responsibility for the attack

so far but it was surely an act

of terrorism," he told AFP.

Gandapur said the aid

workers were affiliated with

a programme run by a local

institute to develop household

skills for women.

The incident and death toll

was confirmed by Rasul

Khan, another local police

official.

The so-called tribal areas

along the Afghan border

remain notorious for the

availability of cheap guns,

drugs and smuggled goods.

The region was once home

to a wide array of jihadist

groups and was a focal point

in the global war on terror.

Attacks have decreased in

recent years following a

series of military offensives

against homegrown and

foreign militants.

In 2014, the army

launched a massive operation

to wipe out militant

bases in North Waziristan

aimed at ending a near

decade-long insurgency

that cost thousands of lives.

But militant groups are

still able to carry out sporadic,

isolated assaults.

jabs. Although trials in Turkey

found CoronaVac to be 91.25 percent

effective, other, more robust

trials in Brazil only demonstrated

an efficacy rate of around 50 percent.

Roque defended the push to use

the Sinovac vaccine, saying "it's better

than not having protection at

all."

Many world leaders have been

among the first in their countries to

receive jabs to boost public confidence.

But Duterte preferred to wait for a

different Chinese vaccine made by

state-owned Sinopharm, Roque

said, citing the president's old age.

The Sinopharm vaccine was

secretly given to members of

Duterte's security team last year

even though it had not been

approved for use.

The government is in talks with

seven vaccine makers, including

Sinovac, in the hope of securing

enough doses to inoculate 70 million

people - about 60 percent of

the population - this year.

But the lack of transparency and

delays in delivery of the first doses

have fuelled criticism of the government

over its handling of the health

crisis. More than 560,000 cases of

coronavirus have been recorded

in the country, including over

12,000 deaths. Social distancing

rules and travel restrictions have

crippled the economy.

Carlito Galvez, a retired general

overseeing vaccine procurement,

recently admitted the government

had not yet signed any

supply agreements, only nonbinding

"term sheets" for potential

deals.

More than 100,000 doses of the

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were

supposed to be delivered mid-

February through the Covax

global vaccination programme.

But Galvez said the delivery

had been held up over indemnification

agreements that would

protect the vaccine makers from

legal claims over any side effects.

"I appeal for a little more

patience to my fellow Filipinos,"

Health Secretary Francisco

Duque said Monday.

Even when vaccines do arrive,

it is not clear how many people

will want them.

A recent survey by pollster

Pulse Asia showed nearly half of

Filipinos would opt out.



BEIJING : China's top diplomat called

Monday for new U.S. President Joe Biden's

administration to lift restrictions on trade

and people-to-people contacts while ceasing

what Beijing considers unwarranted interference

in the areas of Taiwan, Hong Kong,

Xinjiang and Tibet.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi's comments at a

Foreign Ministry forum on U.S.-China relations

come as Beijing presses the new

administration in Washington to drop many

of the confrontational measures adopted by

former President Donald Trump, reports

UNB.

Trump hiked tariffs on Chinese imports in

2017 and imposed bans and other restrictions

on Chinese tech companies and academic

exchanges as he sought to address

concerns about an imbalance in trade and

accusations of Chinese theft of American

technology.

Trump also upgraded military and diplomatic

ties with Taiwan, the self-governing

island democracy claimed by China as its

own territory, while sanctioning Chinese

officials blamed for abuses against Muslim

minorities in Xinjiang and a crackdown on

freedoms in Hong Kong.

"We know that the new U.S. administration

is reviewing and assessing its foreign

policy," Wang told diplomats, scholars and

journalists at the Lanting Forum. "We hope

that the U.S. policy makers will keep pace

with the times, see clearly the trend of the

world, abandon biases, give up unwarranted

suspicions and move to bring the China policy

back to reason to ensure a healthy, steady

development of China-U.S. relations."

While Biden has pledged reengagement

and a more civil tone in U.S. diplomacy, its

unclear whether he will make any fundamental

changes in Washington's policies

toward Beijing. China faces more opposition

than ever in Washington due to its

trade record, territorial disputes with

neighbors, and accusations of technology

theft and spying. Taiwan enjoys strong

bipartisan support, as do criticisms of

China's human rights record, especially on

Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet.

As is usual in Chinese foreign policy,

Wang put the onus for improving relations

squarely on the shoulders of the U.S. and

offered no direct proposals for major breakthroughs,

even while encouraging

increased dialogue.

New Zealand remembers 185 who

died in quake 10 years ago

WELLINGTON : New Zealand lowered its

flags on Monday and made special note of

those who couldn't travel as it marked the

10th anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake

that killed 185 people, reports UNB.

Hundreds of people attended an outdoor

service in Christchurch, which continues to

rebuild from the magnitude 6.3 quake that

destroyed much of the downtown.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was

important to remember that 87 of the victims

were foreigners and many of their families

couldn't be there because of coronavirus

travel restrictions.

"Our flags fly at half-mast for them today

too," she said.

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel talked

about the 28 Japanese citizens who died, the

largest number of victims from any country

outside of New Zealand.

"I especially wanted to mention all the

Japanese family members who I last year

met in Japan and who so wanted to be here,"

she said. "We are forever connected by this

tragedy and we do not forget you even when

we are apart. You are with us in spirit."

Another person who spoke at the service

was Maan Alkaisi, a university professor who

has spent years trying to get authorities to

press criminal charges against those who

designed the CTV building which collapsed

during the quake, killing 115 people including

his wife, Maysoon Abbas.

A review after the quake found the building's

design was flawed and it should never

have been approved.

follow Abul Islam's

example: Shahidul Islam

RezwanBappy, Jhikargachha

Correspondent: Various programs

have been held on the

occasion of the 17th death

anniversary of Abul Islam,

one of the organizers of the

Great Liberation War, a former

member of the

Provincial Council, a member

of the Constituent Assembly,

the first Member of

Parliament after independence

and the Chairman of

Bangabandhu Sabas. As part

of the program, grave visit,

doamahfil and memorial

meeting have been held.

Jashore District Awami

League President Shahidul

Islam Milon addressed the

function as the chief guest. At

that time, he said, Abul Islam

was a real soldier of

Bangabandhu's ideology. The

political leaders of the present

time should follow his

example. He has been working

in the interest of the country

inspired by patriotism all

his life. He has never compromised

with money and policy

all his life. Loving the country

and the party, he has been

with the politics of Awami

League till death.

The memorial meeting was

held at Hazirbagh Abul Islam

Memorial Foundation premises

organized by Bankra

Regional Awami League

(Bankra, Hajirbagh,

Nirbaskhola and Shankarpur

Unions). Hazirbagh Union

Awami League President Dr.

M o s t a f a

Asaduzzamanchaired the

occasion while Alamgir

Hossain, Publicity Secretary

of Nirbaskhola Union Awami

League moderated the occasion.

Moreover district, upazila

and union level freedom

fighters, field commanders,

freedom fighters, leaders of

Awami League and its affiliates

were also present at the

occasion.

FAA orders United to

inspect Boeing 777s

after emergency

UNITED STATES : Federal

aviation regulators have

ordered United Airlines to

step up inspections of all

Boeing 777s equipped with

the type of engine that suffered

a catastrophic failure

over Denver on Saturday,

reports UNB.

United said it is temporarily

removing those aircraft

from service, as meanwhile

Boeing recommended

grounding aircraft with that

model engine until the

Federal Aviation

Administration sets an

inspection regime. Pratt and

Whitney, maker of the

engine, said it was sending a

team to work with investigators

while coordinating with

airlines and regulators.

The announcements come

a day after United Airlines

Flight 328 had to make an

emergency landing at

Denver International

Airport after its right engine

blew apart just after takeoff.

Pieces of the casing of the

engine, a Pratt and Whitney

PW4000, rained down on

suburban neighborhoods.

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11

UK's PM eyes end to lockdown as

vaccines reach one-third of adults

LONDON : Prime Minister Boris Johnson

is set Monday to start unwinding England's

third and potentially final coronavirus

lockdown, as a quickening UK-wide inoculation

drive relieves pressure on overstretched

hospitals.

In a statement to parliament, Johnson

will confirm the reopening of all English

schools on March 8 in the first big step

towards restoring normal life, nearly a year

after he imposed the first stay-at-home

order, reports BSS.

The Conservative prime minister, who

was accused of acting too late and relaxing

curbs too early last year, says he will lay out

a "cautious but irreversible" plan to ensure

no more lockdowns.

"Today I'll be setting out a roadmap to

bring us out of lockdown cautiously," he

said in a Downing Street release, ahead of

his House of Commons appearance and a

televised news conference later Monday.

"Our priority has always been getting

children back into school which we know is

crucial for their education as well as their

mental and physical well-being, and we

will also be prioritising ways for people to

reunite with loved ones safely."

Britain is one of the countries hardest-hit

by the Covid-19 pandemic, with more than

120,000 deaths.

It was the first nation to begin a mass

vaccination campaign, in December, but

surging case numbers forced a return to

lockdown and shuttered schools in early

January after an easing of curbs over

Christmas.

More than 17 million people have now

received at least a first vaccine dose - onethird

of the adult UK population.

Over the weekend, the government said

it would seek to offer a dose to everyone

aged over 50 by mid-April, and to every

other adult by the end of July, accelerating

the latter timetable from September previously.

Case numbers are falling again and early

evidence suggests the vaccinations are

reducing serious illness, after some intensive-care

units were overrun last month

and queues of ambulances formed outside

hospitals, unable to transfer their patients.

Johnson said the planned relaxations

would be uniform across England, after

regionalised tiers were put in place last

949

year, but stressed that further progress

would hinge on factors such as any new

Covid variants.

That, and proof that the National Health

Service is not facing any more "unsustainable

pressure", offer Johnson some flexibility

against pressure from Conservative

backbenchers who are pressing for a castiron

timeline to normality by the summer.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi confirmed

early Monday that pupils would go

back to schools en masse on March 8

rather than in a staggered return, insisting

widespread testing would make it safe.

"We are being deliberately careful and of

course allowing teachers the notice to be

able to prepare," he told BBC radio.

"It's ambitious bit it's also careful and it's

data-driven."

However, teaching unions say all students

returning on the same day is "reckless",

but the March 8 target appears to be

backed by the main opposition Labour

party.

Also from March 8, the government

plans to allow elderly residents of care

homes to receive indoor visits from one

designated relative or friend, and is expected

to permit limited social mixing by the

public outdoors.

But the full reopening of retail and pubs,

and attendance at sporting events such as

Premier League football, will be delayed

until later.

"All of us understandably want to go back

to normal, but it is right to be cautious,"

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said, noting

that nearly 20,000 people remain in

hospital with Covid.

The devolved governments of Scotland

and Wales, which administer their own

health policy, are letting some younger

pupils return to school this week.

In Northern Ireland, the administration

is resuming younger classes on March 8

but has extended its overall lockdown to

April 1.

John Edmunds, an epidemiologist and

government advisor from the London

School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,

told the BBC: "The vast majority of us are

still not immune.

"Easing up too quickly will increase pressure,

cases will increase again. We're not

through this yet."

tuesday, Dhaka, February 23, 2021, Falgun 10, 1427 Bs, rajab 10, 1442 Hijri

Singapore, Romania

to recruit 12,000

Bangladeshis: FM

DHAKA : Foreign Minister Dr AK

Abdul Momen on Monday said

Singapore will recruit 10,000

Bangladeshis while Romania 2000

more soon, reports UNB.

"These are new avenues which are good

news for us," he told reporters at his office

at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr

Momen said Bangladesh opened its

Mission in Romania recently and recruited

around 2000 Bangladesh in various

phases and they will recruit 2000 more.

"Romania will recruit Bangladeshis for the

'Halal' meat processing units," he said

adding that Romania exports 'Halal' meat

to other countries.

The Foreign Minister said the government

became worried seeing the impact

of Covid-19 on Bangladeshi workers

abroad but things are turning positive

amid their efforts. "We've been working

in various ways for creating employment

for Bangladeshis."

He said Bangladesh Mission in

Singapore is working beyond its capacity

by issuing 500 visas everyday as

Bangladesh Mission issues the work

permit for Bangladeshi workers in

Singapore. On female workers, the

Foreign Minister said the government

believes in equality between men and

women. "So, it's difficult to accept the

demand to stop sending female workers

abroad by laws."

Dr Momen said it is not female workers'

fault but all must work together for

their protection at the work places.

He said female workers send 90 percent

of their income to home which is

not seen in case of men.

The Foreign Minister said the recent

harsh steps by the Saudi government to

prevent harassment of women will help

decrease crimes against them.

More than 100 DU students

break into Sahidullah Hall

DHAKA UNIVERSITY : Dhaka University

(DU) students on Monday stormed Dr

Muhammad Shahidullah Hall, which had

been shut down because of the pandemic,

reports UNB.

More than 100 students entered the hall

premises amid protests by public university

students across the country to reopen

dormitories. The protesting students

broke the lock on the door of Shahidullah

Hall and entered it around 12pm. The onduty

security guards did not stop them

from entering the hall. And Provost

Professor Syed Humayun Akhter was not

present at that time.

However, Humayun Akhter said:

"Students only came to the hall to collect

their personal belongings from their

rooms, not to start living here. The university

will decide on hall opening." DU Vice-

Chancellor Dr Md Aktaruzzaman said,

"We are in a meeting over the issue and

looking into it."

However, the students have long

demanded the reopening of the halls, saying,

"The university is running all activities

but keeping the dormitories shut."

Preferring anonymity, a protesting student

said they staged the demonstration to

give the authorities a message that students

can get into their dormitory whenever

they want.

Also, the protesting students gave a 72-

hour ultimatum, demanding the reopening

of dormitories by March 1. They threatened

to go for tougher movement, else. DU

Proctor Professor AKM Golam Rabbani

said, "We will sit with the students to find

out a solution."

Earlier, at 11:30am, some students of the

university gathered in front of Curzon Hall

premises and headed towards Shahidullah

Hall. They demanded the reopening of

dormitories and campus immediately.

through video conference, prime Minister sheikh Hasina presided over the cabinet meeting on Monday.

DU to consider with

the line of govt

DU CorresponDent

The Dhaka University (DU) authorities

will reconsider Its decision as the government

declared to reopen residential halls

from May 24. DU VC Professor Dr.Md.

Akhtaruzzaman told reporters in his

office yesterday.

Vice chancellor said, we will come to a

decision in the following Academic

Council meeting that will be held tomorrow.

The decision will be taken considering

the government's decision.

It is not possible to make a single decision

on a subject in pandemic time.

Instead, we have to move towards a coordinated

decision, said the Vice-

Chancellor of DU.

The VC said, our students are responsible.

I firmly believe that they will behave

responsibly in this regard.

In a press conference Minister for

Education Dr. Dipu Moni said classrooms

will be open for teaching in all

Universities from May 24 and the residential

halls will be opened a week earlier,

on May 16.

Earlier, the students of DU have given

an ultimatum to the authorities to take

the decision of reopening halls the next

72 hours. A memorandum in this regard

handed over to the Vice-Chancellor of the

University yesterday. And they rejected

the government's decision. After a while

they withdrew their ultimatum.

More than 300 students staged a

protest at the foot of the anti-terrorism

Raju sculpture demanding the reopens.

Illegal

settlements

were evicted

at Kamalapur

area of the

capital city

on tuesday.

photo : tBt

UAE lauds PM Hasina's

leadership in managing

COVID-19 challenges

DHAKA : United Arab Emirates (UAE)

State Minister for Foreign Affairs and

International Cooperation Ahmed Ali Al

Sayegh on Monday lauded the wise and

visionary leadership of Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina for achieving spectacular

economic and social progress as well as

managing the challenges of Covid-19,

reports UNB.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md

Shahriar Alam held a bilateral meeting

with his UAE counterpart at the latter's

office in Abu Dhabi and discussed various

issues of mutual interest.

Alam is now visiting the UAE to attend

IDEX and NAVDEX-2021 as the representative

of Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina.

The whole gamut of bilateral relations

that includes inter-alia, issues related to

participation of UAE leaders in the

Mujib Year celebration, joint celebration

of 50th anniversary of both the countries,

continued support for Rohingya

repatriation, holding of next Foreign

Office Consultations, cooperation in the

field of trade and investment, food security,

employment opportunities for

Bangladeshi nationals in the UAE etc

were discussed.

They also discussed regional and

international issues of mutual interests

and cooperation in multilateral forums,

said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, Bangladesh

Ambassador to UAE Md Abu Zafor and

Director General (West Asia) FM

Borhan Uddin were present.

Earlier, the State Minister attended

the commemoration of International

Mother Language and Shahid Dibash at

the Chancery of Bangladesh Embassy in

Abu Dhabi and paid respect to martyrs

of the language movement by placing

floral wreath at the makeshift Shaheed

Minar set up in the Chancery.

He also visited the facilities of the new

Chancery and exchanged views with the

officials of the Embassy in a separate

meeting.

Sreda, BCSIR to work together

for developing hydrogen fuel

DHAKA : As there is good potential for

development of hydrogen fuel, Sustainable

and Renewable Energy Development

Authority (Sreda) and Bangladesh Council

of Science and Industrial Research

(BCSIR) have said they will work on the

issue through a joint collaboration.

Sreda chairman Mohammad

Alauddin disclosed the plan while presiding

over a workshop on "Prospect

and Challenges of Hydrogen Fuel in

Bangladesh" at Sreda Auditorium in the

city on Monday, reports UNB.

Senior Secretary of the Science and

Technology Ministry Anwar Hossain and

Power Division secretary Habibur Rahman,

who were present at the workshop, supported

the Sreda idea and assured all-out support

to implement the plan.

At present, BCSIR has been implementing

a project "Establishment of Hydrogen

Energy Laboratory" in Chattogram for

conducting research and development

work. Making a presentation on the issue,

project director and senior principal engineer

of BCSIR Abdus Salam said there is a

huge prospect of hydrogen fuel production

in Bangladesh which mainly comes from

biomass.

But researches are going on to produce

hydrogen fuel from water as well at a lower

cost, he added.

He said hydrogen fuel will emerge as a

new item in renewable energy as it will

meet most of the energy needs in power

generation, industrial operation, transport

sector, specially motor vehicles and train

operation in the coming days as developed

countries are developing new technologies

in this regard.

photo : star Mail

MP Papul's

parliamentary

seat declared

vacant

DHAKA : The parliamentary constituency

(Laxmipur-2) of Mohammad

Shahid Islam alias Kazi Papul has been

declared vacant after the independent

parliamentarian was sentenced by a

Kuwaiti court for criminal offense

involving moral turpitude.

The Parliament Secretariat on

Monday issued a gazette notification

declaring that the Laxmipur-2 constituency

(Parliamentary Seat-275) fell

vacant on January 28, 2021, the date of

the court's sentence, reports UNB.

According to the gazette, Papul is ineligible

to remain an MP under the Article

66 (2) (Gha) of the Constitution as he

was sentenced by Kuwaiti criminal

court to four-year rigorous imprisonment

on January 28.

His seat has remained vacant since

the date of the court's sentence according

to the Article 67 (1) (Gha) of the

Constitution, said the gazette signed by

Senior Secretary of the Parliament

Secretariat Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan.

MP Papul is currently in Kuwait jail

after he was arrested there in June last

on charges of human trafficking, residency

visa trading and money laundering.

Sarwar Mahmood

new Bangladesh

ambassador to Spain

DHAKA : The government has appointed

Mohammad Sarwar Mahmood, the

incumbent director general of the South

Asia Wing of the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, as the next Bangladesh ambassador

to Spain, reports UNB.

Mahmood is a career diplomat from

the 17th batch of Bangladesh Civil

Service (BCS) Foreign Affairs cadre.

He served in different positions in

Bangladesh missions in Brussels,

Singapore, New York and Hong Kong.

At the headquarters, Mahmood

worked for multiple wings in different

capacities. The career diplomat

obtained his MBA from the Institute of

Business Administration of the

University of Dhaka. Mahmood did his

graduation and post-graduation in economics

from the same university.

Noise pollution: A threat to Kunjaban's winged visitors?

NAOGAON : Over the past decade, the hamlet of

Kunjaban in Naogaon's Mahadebpur upazila has

emerged as a popular winter holiday destination

for bird watchers in Bangladesh.

Barely a kilometre away from Sadar upazila,

this hotspot of migratory birds is on the banks of

the Atrai river. Thanks to a good breeding habitat

and availability of plenty of food, several species

of birds from Siberia, China and the Himalayan

region arrive here in large numbers every winter.

Their numbers are, in fact, increasing with each

passing year, say birders.

Bird lovers and local residents-who also enjoy

the presence of these winged visitors every winter-say

the village has full potential to be developed

as a global tourist spot, but claim that noise

pollution poses a serious threat to these avians.

Even though some species may have adapted to

noise pollution, many birds are affected by it, they

say, urging the authorities concerned to take

immediate steps to curb the menace.

"I have come here for the first time to see the

migratory birds. The whole area is abuzz with the

chirping of the winged visitors," Khorshed Alam

Raju, a resident of Bangabaria in Sadar upazila,

told UNB. "But I think it's high time that the government

took effective measures to control noise

pollution in the area."

In fact, the migratory birds arrive with the onset

of winter every year and stay here for 4-5 months,

taking advantage of the shallow waters of the

Atrai river. During the daytime, they throng the

river and spend the night in the bills of

Mohammadpur, Ramchndrapur and

Madhuban.

Jakia Jesmine, a housewife from Sahebpara in

Rajshahi district, said, "I have never seen such a

large gathering of migratory birds at one place."

Local non-government organisations say they

have started campaigns in the village and its nearby

areas to make people aware about the importance

of the winged guests and also urge them to

refrain from making loud noises.

Munsur Sarkar, the director of Diverse Bird

Production Research Council, said, "We have also

erected bamboo fences in the river for ensuring

the safety of these birds. Several species, including

whistling ducks, lesser whistling ducks and

cormorants known as Pancouri are seen here

every winter."

"Besides, we are trying our best to convince

people not to use traditional nets for catching fish

in the river as it could hamper the movement of

the visiting avians," he added.

AKM Zaman, the upazila fisheries officer, said,

"The authorities concerned have taken steps to

ensure free movement of the winter visitors."

Mizanur Rahman, Upazila Nirbahi Officer

(UNO), added, "The local administration has also

imposed a ban on hunting of birds and legal

action will be taken against anyone found violating

the order."

Bangladesh has a number of wetlands, though

only a few are designated as Ramsar sites (wetlands

of international importance). Every winter,

birds from Siberia, Mongolia and the Tibetan

plateau come to Bangladesh to enjoy the country's

temperate climate and to feed on fish available

in plenty in the shallow rivers and canals.

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Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam, Executive Editor : Sheikh Efaz Ahmed, Managing, Editor: Tapash Ray Sarker, News Editor : Saiful Islam, printed at Sonali Printing Press, 2/1/A, Arambagh 167, Inner Circular Road, Eden Complex, Motijheel, Dhaka.

Editorial and News Office: Bangladesh Timber Building (3rd Floor) 270/B, Tejgaon I/A Dhaka-1208. Tel : +8802-8878026, Cell : 01736786915; Fax: + 880244611604, Email: Editor : editor@thebangladeshtoday.com, Advertisement: ads@thebangladeshtoday.com, News: newsbangla@thebangladeshtoday.com, contact@thebangladeshtoday.com, website: www.thebangladeshtoday.com

23-02-2021

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