24-02-2021

WEDNESDAY, fEBrUArY 24, 2021
3
Vice-chancellor of DU Professor Dr. Akhtaruzzaman addressing a press conference held at his office
on Tuesday.
Photo : Courtesy
Dr Zafrullah slams
BNP for failure to
wage any movement
DHAKA : Criticising BNP for
its failure to wage any
movement with public issues,
Gonoshasthya Kendra
founder Dr Zafrullah
Chowdhury on Tuesday said
senior leaders of the party have
apparently become 'deaf and
blind', reports UNB.
"Though there're many big
leaders in BNP, I think they've
become deaf and blind. The
government has been making
mistakes one after another, but
they can't do anything as they
can't see or hear anything," he
said.
Zafrullah, also a freedom
fighter, came up with the
remarks while speaking at a
discussion arranged by Jatiya
Party (Zafar), one of the
components of the BNP-led
20-party alliance, at the Jatiya
Press Club, marking 'Amar
Ekushey', the Language
Martyrs' Day and
International Mother
Language Day.
He said BNP has long been
talking about only one issue of
its chairperson Khaleda Zia's
release ignoring the public
issues. "Even, they can't speak
straightly about the release of
Khaleda Zia."
The freedom fighter said
Khaleda has the right to go
abroad for medical treatment
as she is ill. "The rights have to
be realised."
He said though all the
offices, courts, madrasas and
maktabs are now open,
general educational
institutions still remained
closed. "Because the
government's intelligence
agencies have reports that if
the universities and halls are
reopened, an anti-government
movement can be waged."
Zafrullah slammed the
leaders BNP and the 20-party
alliance for not taking position
in favour of the students
seeking the immediate
reopening of the universities
and dormitories. "What are
you (20-party leaders) doing?
Why aren't you taking a
position in favour of the
students?" Don't you wake you
up? People's rights will be
restored if students
'movement is intensified."
He alleged that the
backbone of the nation is being
broken by keeping the
educational institutions shut
as the students are making
teen gangs by watching Hindi
films.
Zafrullah said Awami
League is often making
mistakes since Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina has become
'lonely' as the senior party
leaders like Amir Hossain
Amu, Tofail Ahmed and Matia
Chowdhury are not there
beside her.
"As the Prime Minister has
remained confined (to
Gonobhaban), Awami League
is going to a wrong direction.
The boat of the Awami League
government is now in a so
delicate condition that it'll sink
with just a little push."
About the current
vaccination programme
against Covid-19, Dr Zafrullah
appreciated the government
for providing people vaccine
on its own initiative.
He urged the government
not to allow private companies
to import the Covid-19 vaccine
to ensure quality jabs for
people free of charge.
DU merges its decision with
the line of government
DU CORRESPONDENT
The Dhaka University (DU) authorities
have changed its decision with the line of
the government on reopening residential
halls from May 17 and the classrooms from
May 24.
Vice-chancellor of DU Professor Dr.
Akhtaruzzaman told reporters in a press
conference held at his office on Tuesday.
Classrooms will be open for teaching from
May 24 and the residential halls will be open
a week earlier, on May 17. We will start
taking exams after two weeks of reopening
halls with the coordination of faculty and
related department. The exam routine that
fixed on basis of previous decision is no
more, said Akhtaruzzaman.
The residential students must have to be
vaccinated if there any health issue can be
considered. The vaccination programme will
be conducted following the heath protocol of
the related Ministry, VC added.
We made the decision as the government
said teachers and students are likely to be
vaccinated by May 17. We learned that four
weeks after the first dose of vaccine antibody
starts working for that reason we urged the
government to vaccinate teachers, students,
staff and employees by April 17, said the
Vice-Chancellor of DU.
It is not possible to make a single decision on
a subject in pandemic time. Instead, we have
to move towards a coordinated decision
that's why we took the decision with the line
of government, he furthered.
Akhtaruzzaman said we are grateful to the
government as it took the Mass vaccination
for students. It's a great initiative; many
other governments of the world can't even
think of it.
Being asked about students 72 hours
ultimatum he said, I firmly believe that they
will behave responsibly in this regard.
8th FYP to expedite country's
development: Mannan
DHAKA : Planning Minister MA Mannan
yesterday said that the 8th Five Year Plan
will take forward the country's
development trend through the
implementation of different projects and
generation of more employment
opportunities, reports BSS.
"Through the 8th Five Year Plan, many
projects will be implemented. The
members of the Planning Commission will
play a vital role in this regard. The projects
under the plan will be reflected in the
living standard of the country's people and
will expedite further the country's
development," he said.
The planning minister said this while
speaking at a meeting on the '8th Five-
Year Plan (July 2020-June 2025)' at the
NEC conference room in the city.
Through the plan, Mannan said, the
whole system of the country will forward
more which will be helpful in achieving
the country's development goals, Vision-
2041.
The planning minister urged all to feel
the Padma Multipurpose Bridge from
heart. "I sometimes look with surprise -
there will be a bridge, and a span will sit
on the river. For this, 16 crore people are
standing there to watch. Even, the
children often rent cars to go there. I also
saw it myself. They tried to feel with
hands. This is a very important matter.
There may be some emotion. Those who
do not realize will lag behind," he added.
He said the country will witness more
mega projects during this new Five-Year
Plan period while the implementation of
the existing mega projects would get a
'pick-up' and many of those would witness
completion during this 8th Plan period.
He said this expansionary Plan would be
helpful in attaining growth, further
alleviating poverty, further strengthening
the rural economy, addressing income
inequality, expanding and further
deepening the coverage of the social safety
nets.
Among others, Planning Commission
secretary, IMED secretary and members
of the Planning Commission were present
on the occasion.
The National Economic Council (NEC)
approved the 8th Five Year Plan (2021-
2025) of the country on December 29,
2020 in order to attain 8 percent GDP
growth on average per year and also to
achieve various economic and social
targets during the five-year period as
envisioned under the country's 2nd
Perspective Plan (2021-2041).
Missing army person's
body recovered from
Sangu River
CHATTOGRAM : The body of an army
person who went missing while taking bath
in the Sangu River was recovered on
Tuesday afternoon, reports UNB.
The deceased was identified as Asif
Hossain Nishan, 21, a resident of Halisahar
in Chattogram.
Anowara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sheikh
Jobayer Ahmed said a team of new army
members came to Anawara upazlia for a
winter training programme.
Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy
Assistant Director Farid Ahmed said Nishan
went missing while taking bath in the Sangu
River on Monday afternoon. The body has
been handed over to Bangladesh Army, he
added.
Led by Mahbub Alam Badsha, Tati League president of 50 no Ward of Jatrabari
thana of the capital city paid tribute to language hero by placing wreath at Central
Shaheed Minar on Sunday.
Photo : Courtesy
Japan with Bangladesh to enhance regional
stability, boost connectivity: Official
DHAKA : Japan will have a stronger
cooperation with Bangladesh,
especially for enhancing regional
stability and connectivity in the region,
as the development of Bangladesh
contributes to the stability of Indo-
Pacific region, says a senior official at
the Japanese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, reports UNB.
"Bangladesh is achieving a higher
rate of economic growth. We'll further
promote comprehensive partnership
with Bangladesh," Senior Regional
Coordinator at Southwest Asia Division
of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MoFA) Hitomi Sato told UNB
in an interview.
Bangladesh and Japan are currently
focusing more on infrastructure
development and business partnership
under "BIG-B" initiative.
The two countries have deepened
friendship and partnership in a
number of areas, including Matarbari
deep seaport, Dhaka Metro and
Terminal 3 of the international airport
in Dhaka.
The Japanese, the MoFA official said,
both the leaders (Prime Ministers)
affirmed that the development of
Bangladesh through regional
connectivity would contribute to the
overall stability of the Indo-Pacific
Region.
Under the Bay of Bengal Industrial
Growth Belt (BIG-B) initiative, she
said, Japan and Bangladesh would
continue collaborating towards
development in the Southern
Chattogram area, including the highly
efficient coal-fired power station, as
well as bolstering cooperation which
could contribute to long-term
decarbonisation through supporting
the application of renewable energy.
Sato said Japan will continue its
support and cooperation with
Bangladesh in accelerating the
economic growth which brings benefits
for all the people of Bangladesh and
beyond.
Responding to a question, she said
investment and trade also need to be
promoted further for the faster
economic growth of Bangladesh.
"In order to invite more Japanese
private companies to operate in
Bangladesh, the issue of improving the
business environment will remain
important," said the senior Japanese
official adding that Japan will continue
supporting Bangladesh's efforts to that
end. Sato said Japan will continue to
support Bangladesh to overcome social
vulnerabilities in various fields,
including health and education,
disaster management so that
Bangladesh can achieve the status of a
middle-income country by 2021,
sustainable development goals by 2030
and the status of a developed country
by 2041. Responding to a question,
Sato said the concept of free and open
Indo Pacific aims to promote peace,
stability and prosperity in the region.
She said they are focusing on
ensuring the international order based
on rule of law and promoting freedom
of navigation and free trade.
"This concept targets neither any
specific country nor any agenda against
any framework. In this context, Japan
intends to cooperate with countries in
the region and beyond," said the
Japanese MoFA official.
She said Japan does not see the BIG-
B initiative conflicting with any other
global initiatives.
Referring to the telephone
conversations of the two Prime
Ministers, Sato said both leaders
welcomed the fact that the exchange of
notes had been signed earlier under
which an ODA Loan Agreement
provided in response to the ongoing
coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis in
Bangladesh.
Bangladesh expressed its gratitude
for the support from Japan and the two
countries agreed to firmly cooperate
towards containing the spread of the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Reinstatement of 30% quota
FFs' descendants block Shahbagh
DHAKA : Bangladesh Muktijoddha Santan Sangsad, an
organisation of freedom fighters' descendants, are
demonstrating at Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka to press
home their 7-point demand, including revival of 30 percent
quota in government jobs. Traffic movement in and around
the area has come to a complete halt due to their sit-in
programme.
Hundreds of members of the organisation from across the
country, carrying posters and placards, gathered in front of
the National Museum around 10:00am.
Later, they moved to the Shahbagh intersection and started
the sit-in programme around 12:00pm. Additional police
have been deployed in the area to avert any untoward
incident. The demonstrators chanted slogans like "No place
for Razakars in this Bangla of Freedom Fighters", "Weapons
Prof. Dr. S M Mahabub Ul Haque Majumder, Acting Vice Chancellor of Daffodil International
University handing over the Champion Trophy to winning team members of Martyred Jobbar
Ekadosh organized by Daffodil International University Sports Club. Photo : Courtesy
WHO calls for prioritising vaccine
contracts with COVAX
DHAKA : The head of the World Health
Organization (WHO) has called on
Covid jab manufacturers to prioritise
contracts with the UN-led equitable
vaccines initiative, COVAX, saying "it's
not a matter of charity, it's a matter of
epidemiology", reports UNB.
Director-General Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus was speaking at WHO's
regular bi-weekly briefing for
journalists on the UN health agency's
latest efforts to curtail the pandemic,
reports UN News.
He began by praising Friday's pledge
from leaders of G7, to intensify
cooperation and increase their overall
contribution to the international effort
under the ACT Accelerator
programme, to around $7.5 billion.
COVAX is working to ensure
equitable distribution of vaccines,
diagnostics and therapeutics to end the
crippling march of coronavirus, Tedros
said, expressing his thanks to the EU
nations for committing an extra $4.3
billion last week.
"These funds and donations move
us one step closer to meeting our
target to start vaccination of health
workers and older people in all
countries, within the first 100 days of
the year," said Tedros.
But all countries needed to step up,
he said, adding that money was far
from the only challenge: "If there are no
vaccines to buy, money is irrelevant.
Currently, some high-income countries
are entering into contracts with vaccine
manufacturers that undermine the
deals that COVAX has in place, and
reduce the number of doses COVAX
can buy.
"Even if we have the funds, we can
only deliver vaccines to poorer
countries if high-income countries
cooperate in respecting the deals
of '71 roar once again" and "We want 30 percent quota".
Their other demands include giving VIP status to freedom
fighters and their descendants everywhere, including
hospitals, government offices, enacting a law to protect the
freedom fighters' families, and exclusion of names of antiliberation
people from the government list of freedom
fighters.
Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sontan Sangsad vice chairman
Mizanur Rahman said, "We won't leave the place until our
seven demands are fulfilled."
Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sontan Sangsad founding
president Soleman Miya, vice chairman Sojib Serker,
Mijanur Rahman, Yeasin Akand, Toslim reza, organising
secretary Nazmul Huda, Titumir, among others, joined the
protest programme.
COVAX has done and the new deals it is
doing. This is not a matter of charity,
it's a matter of epidemiology."
The WHO chief said that there was
still a funding gap of nearly $23 billion
to "fully finance" the entire ACT
Accelerator vaccine initiative.
To make sure the most at risk in lowand
middle-income countries get their
shots first, "we need more funding, we
need countries to share doses
immediately, we need manufacturers
to prioritise contracts with COVAX,
and we also need a significant increase
in the production of vaccines", Tedros
said.
"More vaccines are being developed,
approved and produced. There will be
enough for everyone," he noted. "But
for now, and for the rest of this year,
vaccines will be a limited resource. We
must use them as strategically as we
can."