08-03-2021

Monday

DhaKa : March 8, 2021; Falgun 23, 1427 BS; Rajab 23,1442 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.17; N o. 325; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

Biden, Dems prevail

as Senate OKs $1.9T

virus relief bill

Zohr

>Page 7

10 named for

Independence

Award 2021

DHAKA : The government has picked

nine individuals and one institution for

"Swadhinata Padak 2021"

(Independence Award), the highest

civilian award, for their outstanding

contributions to the country.

The Cabinet Division issued a notification

in this connection on Sunday,

reports UNB.

Four recipients of the award - AKM

Bazlur Rahman, Shaheed Ahsanullah

Master and Brig Gen (retd) Khurshid

Uddin Ahmed, and Akhtaruzzaman

Chowdhury Babu - have been named

posthumously for their contributions to

Independence and the Liberation War.

Dr Mrinmoy Guha Neogi will receive

the highest state award for his contributions

to science and technology,

Mohadeb Saha for literature; Ataur

Rahman and Gazi Mazharul Anwar for

culture, and Dr M Amjad Hossain for

social work.

Bangladesh Agricultural Research

Council will receive the award in

research and training category.

Bangladesh honours individuals and

institutions with the award every year

ahead of Independence Day since 1977.

Covid-19 in Bangladesh

Country's caseload

now 550,330;

death toll 8,462

DHAKA : Bangladesh's coronavirus

caseload rose to 550,330 on Sunday

after the health authorities confirmed

606 new cases in the last 24 hours,

reports UNB.

Eleven Covid-19 related deaths

were confirmed, pushing up the local

fatalities to 8,462.

The Directorate General of Health

Services (DGHS) said 1,037 people

recovered from the virus infections

during this period. Bangladesh

reported its first cases on March 8

and the first death on March 18.

Meanwhile, the daily infection rate

jumped to 4.3 percent from 4.13 percent

on Saturday.

But the mortality rate remained

unchanged at 1.54 percent for the

past few days, the DGHS said in a

handout. So far, 503,003 patients

(91.4 percent) have recovered from

Covid-19. Authorities have so far

tested 41,46,205 samples, including

14,092 in the past 24 hours.

Bangladesh launched its nationwide

Covid-19 vaccination drive on

February 7. By Saturday, 3,682,152

people received the first dose of the

Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The

second dose has to be taken between

8 and 12 weeks of the first one.

05:02 AM

12:13 PM

04:24 PM

06:07 PM

07:20 PM

6:15 6:04

sports

PSG, Lyon advance in

French Cup as third-tier

Red Star shock Lens

>Page 9

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday released a commemorative postage stamp, a first-day cover

and souvenir sheet, marking the historic March 7.

Photo : Star Mail

Mar 7 speech was apparently

actual declaration of

independence : PM

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina on Sunday said the historic 7th

March speech was apparently the

actual declaration of independence as

Bangabandhu uttered twice with

utmost assertion that this time the

struggle is for our freedom and this

time the struggle is for our independence.

"He (Bangabandhu) said twice that

"Ebarer Sangram Muktir Sangram.

Ebarer Sangram Swadhinatar

Sangram" (this time the struggle is for

our freedom. This time the struggle is

for our independence) giving utmost

assertion in his speech. That means he

had clearly said that it'd be the struggle

for independence and it'd be a war of

independence.

So, the 7th March speech can be said

as the actual declaration of independence

from this point of view," she said.

The Prime Minister said this while

addressing a virtual programme

arranged by the Cultural Affairs

Ministry to mark the Historic 7th

March.

She virtually joined the function,

held at Bangabandhu International

Conference Centre (BICC) in the city,

from her official residence

Ganobhbaban.

Noting that Bangabandhu had

known that he might not be alive during

the official proclamation of the

independence, the Prime Minister

said, "So, he gave the declaration of the

independence in his historic speech."

Sheikh Hasina said the historic 7th

March speech of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman was a very effective war strategy

as he had given all directives to the

nation to take preparation for a guerrilla

war.

"What effective his speech is from

the point of view of a war strategy! And

what realistic his every step is! That is

very important," she said.

Liberation War Affairs Minister

AKM Mozammel Haque and

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni also

spoke at the function presided over by

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM

Khalid.

Chief Coordinator of the Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman Birth Centenary

Celebration National Implementation

Committee Dr Kamal Abdul Naser

Chowdhury presented the keynote

paper while Cultural Affairs Secretary

M Badrul Arefin delivered the welcome

speech.

October 30, 2017, the historic 7th

March Speech of Bangabandhu was

included in the Memory of the

International World Register, a list of

world's important documentary heritage

maintained by UNESCO.

Hasan for building Bangladesh

as a humane state

DHAKA : Information Minister Dr

Hasan Mahmud yesterday said that

Bangladesh will have to be built as a

humane state side by side with its materialistic

deployment for fulfilling the

dreams of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Hasan, also joint general secretary of

Awami League (AL), was speaking at

Save the Future Foundation Delegates

Conference-2021 as the chief guest at

Institution of Diploma Engineers

(IDEB), Bangladesh auditorium at

Kakrail in the capital yesterday evening.

Praising the welfare oriented activities

and for the educational propgramme for

the deprived children of the Save the

Future Foundation, the minister said,

"We will have to build Bangladesh as a

humane state side by side with its materialistic

advancement for fulfilling the

dreams of Father of the Nation


Rahman". He added that there is no

alternative to build a 'Sonar Bangla' for

materializing the dreams of the Father

of the Nation.

Lawmakers Kazi Monirul Islam

Monu and Akhtaruzzaman Babu were

present as special guest on the occasion,

among others, with Save the Future

Foundation chairman Shafi Muddassar

Khan Jyoti in the chair.

Earlier in the afternoon, the minister

visited the Sutrapur Community Center

in the city for paying last respect to veteran

actor ATM Shamsuzzaman.

He stayed there for some time and

consoled the family members of ATM

Shamsuzzaman. The minister also

prayed for eternal peace of the departed

soul.

Int'l Women's

Day today

DHAKA : International Women's

Day will be observed today across the

country as elsewhere in the world

with a call for building a new world

with equal rights for women and

men. On the eve of the day, President

Md Abdul Hamid and Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate

messages, greeting all women

across the world.

In their messages, they termed the

day's theme 'Corona Kale Nari

Nettritto, Gorbey Notun Somotar

Bishwa' as time befitting in the current

perspective and wished success

of all programmes of the day.

In his message, President Md

Abdul Hamid said the present government

is implementing massive

programmes to prevent all kinds of

violence on women, including establishing

women rights, spreading education

for them and empowering

women, to establish gender parity.

The womenfolk are keeping their footprints

in all sectors, including politics,

trade and business and job, without any

restriction now, the president said.

Referring to different laws and policies,

including National Women

Development Policy 2011, for protecting

women rights, the head of the state

said that the government has worked

to eliminate all kinds of discriminatory

behaviors and practices to women,

prevent violence against them, bring

down the child marriage rate to zero,

ensure equal wages for men and

women in workplaces and facilitate the

women entrepreneurs with separate

banking and marketing systems.

In her message, Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League

government has been implementing

various programmes for a long time

attaching priority to women empowerment

and development.

art & culture

Sonakshi Sinha is a

tough, no-nonsense cop

in the first look

>Page 10

March 7 speech reveals

Bangabandhu's political

genius: academics

DHAKA : Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman's exact political genius was

revealed in his epoch-making March 7

speech in 1971 as he uttered everything

and gave directions for liberation war in an

intelligent way without giving scopes to

the Pakistani occupation forces to launch

instant assaults.

"Bangabandhu uttered everything and

gave directions for the liberation war in a

strategic way but didn't declare the independence

directly in his March 7 speech. If

he directly declared the independence on

that day, a massacre could have happened,"

National Professor Rafiqul Islam

told BSS in an interview. He said the

March 7 speech truly reflected his political

genius, wisdom and prudence as he had

given directives for all which were necessary

for liberating the country without

directly declaring the independence.

It was a very tough situation and crisisridden

context when Bangabandhu delivered

his historic speech as tanks were put

in place and military weapons were stockpiled

and kept

standby ahead of

the March 7 rally,

he said.

Rafiqul Islam,

also chairman of

the Father of the

N a t i o n

B a n g a b a n d h u

Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman's Birth

C e n t e n a r y

C e l e b r a t i o n

N a t i o n a l

Implementation

Committee, said a

Pakistani general in his reminiscing writeup

said, "We all remained readied (to carry

out attack) but Sheikh Mujib spoke everything

in a very strategic way. For that, we

could not do anything."

"This is Bangabandhu's prudence and

leadership. He called for the country's

independence and liberation war but he

made the call in a way that Pakistanis

could not carry out attack," he observed.

Supernumerary Professor of Dhaka

University (DU) History Department Dr

Syed Anwar Husain said the entire nation

remained doubtful and worried about

what was going to happen before the landmark

speech of Bangabandhu on March 7.

"In the groundbreaking March 7

speech, the Bangalee nation got the clear

guidelines for the coming days," he said.

He said though Bangabandhu talked

about the independence in a roundabout

way, he had clearly given directions

for independence.

Anwar Husain, also Bangabandhu

Chair at Bangladesh University of

Professionals (BUP), said Bangabandhu

delivered his shortest, greatest and

unwritten speech in 18:31 minutes comprising

1,108 words. The March 7 speech

has attained the position in one of the

timeless speeches in the world, he added.

BNP's golden jubilee celebration

is a political tactic : Quader

DHAKA : Awami League General

Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday

said the celebration of golden

jubilee of independence by the BNP

is nothing but a political strategy.

"The golden jubilee celebration

marking 50th years of independence

of the country by the BNP is

nothing but a political strategy of

the particular party," he said.

Quader, also road transport and

bridges minister, made this comment

while talking to journalists

after placing wreath at the portrait

of Father of the Nation


Rahman at Dhanmondi Road-32

yesterday morning marking the historic

7 march.

Quader said those who once had

imposed restriction on 7 March

speech have now come forward to

celebrate the golden jubilee of the

independence by taking refuge to

political tactics. "It is nothing but a

political strategy of the BNP," he

said.

The minister pledged to build a

'Sonar Bangla' by defeating evil

political forces.

Women

members at

different levels of

the police force

are performing

their duties efficiently.

Akhter, a

female police sergeant,

is examining

the documents

of the vehicle.

The photo

was taken from

Farmgate in the

capital on

Sunday.

Photo : TBT

'Cattle smuggler' killed

in clash with BGB men

in Sunamganj

SUNAMGANJ : One suspected

smuggler was shot

dead as Cattle smugglers

clashed with BGB men at

Bangaon border in

Sunamganj on Saturday,

reports UNB.

The deceased was identified

as Kamal Hossain, 35,

a cattle smuggler of

Islampur village in

Rangachar Union.

Sunamganj 26 BGB

Battalion Commander Lt.

Colonel Maksudul Alam

said, the clash broke out as

a BGB team detained them

while they were bringing

30 cows from the other

side of the border.

A smuggler who sustained

bullet injuries during

the clash died the way

to a hospital while a BGB

member suffered injureis,

he confirmed.

State Minister for Water Resources Zahid Faruk inaugurated the mural of

Bangabandhu's Oshomapto Attojiboni and Karagarer Rojnamcha "Mujib

Darshan". Bangladesh Water Development Board constructed the mural

at Hard Point in Sirajganj. Deputy Minister for Water Resources Enamul

Haque Shamim and Senior Secretary Kabir Bin Anwar, Director General

of Bangladesh Water Development Board AKM Waheed Uddin Chowdhury

were present on the occasion. Photo : Courtesy

Biden's $1.9 trillion

coronavirus rescue

plan clears crucial

Senate hurdle

WASHINGTON : The US

Senate on Saturday voted to

approve a $1.9 trillion relief

package that President Joe

Biden vows will revive the

country's pandemic-stricken

economy, capping hours of

debate, frenzied negotiations

and a marathon overnight voting

session.

Passed by 50 votes to 49 in a

party line vote, the sweeping

legislation now heads back to

the Democratic-majority

House of Representatives,

where it is expected to be

adopted barring a last-minute

setback.

Even without the progressive

priority of a minimum

wage increase to $15 an hour,

the stimulus bill marks a victory

for Biden's Democrats as

they put their stamp on the

recovery from a pandemic that

has killed over 500,000 in the

United States and hobbled its

economy.

"I promised the American

people help was on the way,"

said Biden in an address from

the White House, after the

plan was approved along strict

party lines.

"Today, I can say we've taken

one more giant step forward in

delivering on that promise," he

said. "It obviously wasn't easy.

It wasn't always pretty. But it

was so desperately needed."

Top Senate Democrat Chuck

Schumer vowed ahead of the

vote that "this bill will deliver

more help to more people than

anything the federal government

has done in decades."

MOnDAY, MARCH , 8 2021

2

Mideast's largest car-sharing app

set to expand in Saudi Arabia

Ekar, the Middle East's first and largest car-sharing

platform, is planning to more than double its

workforce in Saudi Arabia this year as it sees

demand for its services in the Kingdom continue

to grow.Founded in 2016 by Norwegian

entrepreneur Vilhelm Hedberg, Ekar started as

a 15-vehicle pilot program for Etihad Airways

and has now grown to around 2,000 cars across

the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with plans to

increase its fleet to 10,000 by the end of this year.

Customers can scan to find the nearest car to

their location and, once they book the vehicle,

GD- 397/21 (5x3)

Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Office of the Principal

Mymensingh Polytechnic Institute, Mymensingh

e-mail : Principal.mpi@gmail.com

e-GP. Re-Tender Notice

the app opens the door and the key to the engine

is located inside. The cars can be rented per

minute or on a subscription basis, reports Arab

News"Ekar has a strong regional presence with

offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh and a

staff of 104, with 32 based in Riyadh," Hedberg

told Arab News.

"As the company looks to continue growing

and expanding over the next few years, the

expectation is to have a staff count of over 200 by

December 2021, with over 70 of them expected

to be based in Saudi Arabia."

e-Tender Notice (OTM, NCT)

GD- 396/21 (5x4)

B- †UÛvi weÁwß

GD- 395/21 (14x4)

GD- 390/21 (6x4)

On Sunday, at the LGED headquarters, the Chief Engineer of LGED Md Abdur Rashid Khan paid

homage to the portrait of father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with flowers.

Officials and employees of all levels of LGED were present at the occasion. Photo : Courtesy

Historic 7th March celebrated in Japan

DHAKA :The Embassy of Bangladesh,

Tokyo on Sunday observed the

auspicious Golden Jubilee of the

historic 7th March Speech of


Rahman with due respect, solemnity,

and fervor, reports UNB.

The day's programme was

inaugurated by placing of floral wreath

at the portrait of the Father of the

Nation located at the embassy premises

in the early morning in which all the

embassy officials took part.

In the second part of the event,

Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan

Shahabuddin Ahmed hoisted the

national flag along with the rendition of

the national anthem in presence of

embassy officials.

This was followed by observance of

one minute silence in remembrance of

the Father of the Nation, his family

members and to the memories of the

martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the

journey of independence.

These two segments were conducted

in front of the Embassy premises and

telecasted live on Zoom.

Following the pandemic guidelines,

the program resumed indoors with

offering special prayer (munajat) for

the salvation of the souls of the Father

of the Nation, his family members and

for the prosperity of the country.

Prayer was also offered for the peace

and prosperity of the country along

with the wellbeing of the expatriate

Bangladesh Community.

March 7

PM releases

commemorative

stamp, first-day

cover, souvenir

sheet

DHAKA : Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina on Sunday

released a commemorative

postage stamp, a first-day

cover and souvenir sheet,

marking the historic

March 7, reports UNB.

She released them from

her official residence

Ganobhaban in the

afternoon. Posts and

Telecommunications

Minister Mustafa Jabbar

was present on the

occasion, among others.

The stamps, first-day

covers and souvenir sheet

would be sold from

Philatelic Bureau of Dhaka

GPO from Monday and

would be available at other

GPOs and head post

offices across the country

later.

On this day in 1971,

Bangabandhu through his

fiery and soulful address

made a clarion call to the

people to fight against the

Pakistani occupation

forces to achieve the longcherished

independence.

Before a rally of a million

of freedom-loving people

at the then Race Course

Maidan (now Suhrawardhy

Udyan) on March 7, 1971,

Bangabandhu in a virtual

announcement of

independence declared,

"The struggle this time is

for our freedom, the

struggle this time is for our

independence".

The message issued by President and

Prime Minister on "Historic 07 March

Speech" were read out.

Ambassador Ahmed paid homage to

the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and explained

the significance of the 7th March

speech of Bangabandhu.

He said 7th March is a glorious and

important day in the history of

Bangladesh, when the savior of the

Bengali nation and poet of politics,


Rahman declared his vision of

independence.

His call for freedom on this day was a

clear signal to his people that it was

time to be ready for independence and

it was this call based on which the

whole country joined the liberation war

and became victorious. Ambassador

Ahmed termed the 7th March speech

as the expression of extreme love of

Bangabandhu for the nation and mass

people. A significant number of

Bangladesh community members took

part in a lively discussion. The speakers

paid their tribute to Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman.

A video documentary was screened

on historic March 7 speech prepared by

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Besides an online discussion on

"Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman: His Life and Legacy" was coorganized

by the Embassy and the

Japan Bangladesh Society (JBS)

commemorating the 50th anniversary

of the historic 7th March speech.

Monzurul Huq, an advisor of JBS and

a renowned journalist of Foreign

Correspondents Club of Japan (FCCJ)

delivered a lecture on Bangabandhu's

life and work.

He shed light on Bangabandhu's

educational life, political engagement,

leadership qualities, struggles and love

for mass people and country.

He explained how Bangladesh was

born under the visionary leadership of

Bangabandhu in his lecture and the

legacy that the nation is proudly

celebrating.

Ambassador Ahmed said, at the

outset of the Birth Centenary of the

Father of the Nation and 50th

anniversary of our independence,

discussion on Bangabandhu's life and

legacy was time-worthy and significant.

He also said, "We believe, the speech

not only served as the ultimate source

of inspiration to the Bengali people in

their quest for freedom and

emancipation but will continue to be

relevant and resonate with all those

who are fighting oppression and

injustice anywhere in the world".

He thanked JBS and all participants

for participating in the event.

Amongst others, Osamu Hayakawa,

director of JBS and Masato Watanbe,

president of JBS also spoke in the

program. Numbers of Japanese people

and all the officials of the Embassy

participated in the online discussion.

MoFA releases video

marking Bangabandhu's

historic March 7 Speech

'DHAKA : Public Diplomacy wing of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday released

a video on historic 7th March Speech of Father

of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman. Bangabandhu delivered the historic

7th March Speech in 1971, which provided the

utmost inspiration to the Bengali people in

their quest for freedom and emancipation.

The landmark speech also energized the

entire nation and prepared the people for the

Liberation War in 1971.

The UN's educational, scientific and cultural

agency, UNESCO, included the speech in the

Memory of the World International Register, a

list of world's important documentary heritage,

in 2017.

At that time when the Pakistani military

rulers refused to transfer power to the Bengali

nationalist leader Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman, whose party Awami League

gained majority in the National Assembly of

Pakistan in the general election held in 1970,

the speech effectively declared the

independence of Bangladesh, according to

UNESCO. The speech constitutes a faithful

documentation of how the failure of postcolonial

nation-states to develop inclusive,

democratic society alienates their population

belonging to different ethnic, cultural,

linguistic or religious groups.

The speech was extempore and there was no

written script. However, the speech survived in

the audio as well as AV versions.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Embassy in Paris

and Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to

UNESCO have unveiled a book titled "The

Historic 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: A World

Documentary Heritage. The book has been

published in UN's all official languages -

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and

Spanish. The book, unveiled on Friday,

contains special messages of President Abdul

Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and

Education Minister Dipu Moni.

Defense Secretary Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal joins addressing a

discussion meeting which was organized on the occasion of the historic

March 7.

Photo : ISPR

IU restricts

outsiders'

movement

on campus

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY :

The authorities of Islamic

University have issued an

order prohibiting the

movement of outsiders on

the campus without

permission of the

authorities.

The decision was taken at

an emergency meeting of the

university on Saturday.

The university authorities

have taken the decision with

a view to strengthening the

internal security of the

university, a press release

signed by IU proctor

Professor M Jahangir

Hossain said on Saturday

night.

"IU is only open to its

students. Outsiders cannot

stay, roam around and carry

out any activities on the

campus without the

permission of the proctor or

relevant authorities," he

said.

If they do not comply with

the notice, the authorities

would take steps against

them.

They also asked all the

construction workers to

keep their identity cards,

issued by the university's

engineering office, with

them, Jahangir Hossain

added.

Amend Digital

Security Act:

GM Quader

DHAKA : Jatiya Party

Chairman GM Quader has

said that although the

Digital Security Act is

necessary to tackle

cybercrimes, certain

sections of the law are being

used to stifle opposition and

curb democratic rights,

reports UNB.

"It's an important law and

the Jatiya Party is not

against it," he said while

addressing a meeting at the

party chairman's Banani

office on Sunday afternoon.

Some sections of DSA are

being misused, he said. They

have curbed the freedom of

the press and freedom of

expression, Quader said.

He noted that some

sections are non-bailable

which go against human

rights.

The Jatiya Party chief said

amending the Digital

Security Act has become

urgent.

"I demand amendment to

sections that threaten free

thinking, individual freedom

and freedom of speech and

are being used to oppress

opposing views," he said.

E-poster

published

marking

Language

Martyrs Day

DHAKA : An E-poster has

been published in print,

electronic, online and social

media recently on the

occasion of Language

Martyrs Day (February 21)

and International Mother

Language Day-2021.

It was introduced at the

initiative of Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Birth Centenary Celebration

National Implementation

Committee, according to a

press release received.

Aiming to pay homage to

Father of the Nation and the

language martyrs, the E-

poster has been included

Bangabandhu's quotes that

are "Ami Bengalee, Bangla

Amar Desh, Bangla Amar

Vasha - Joy Bangla."

MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2021

3

Editors' Council calls for

immediate review of DSA

DHAKA : The Editors' Council on

Saturday demanded an immediate review

of the Digital Security Act (DSA) in line

with the law minister's statement.

"We demand that steps be taken

immediately to make the statement of the

law minister legally effective," the council

said.

During a recent interview with BBC,

Law Minister Anisul Haque said the DSA

would be reviewed. The minister also

said, "No arrest will be made under the

DSA without an investigation."

"The journalists and people expressing

free opinions are being regularly harassed

and tortured because of DSA," the council

said in a statement.

Although the physically ill cartoonist

Kishore got bail after 10 months of

incarceration and was released from jail

in the same case, he still has to continue

with the case, the council said.

"Journalist Kajol went missing and had

to stay behind bars for a long time just for

sharing an article on social media.

Although he was granted bail, the case

against a mentally, financially and the

physically-affected person is ongoing,"

the statement read.

The council pointed out that demands

had been made earlier to scrap certain

sections of the act even before it was

passed into law. "In September 2018, we

explained our positions about the

objectionable sections of the DSA and

demanded cancellation of those sections.

If our demands were considered, we

would not have to face the situation that

we are in now."

"We raised our concern about sections

8, 21, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, 43, and 53 of the

DSA," the council said.

The DSA is ambiguous and the language

of the law can easily be misinterpreted

and used against the journalists, the

council said.

The statement also noted the

proliferation of non-bailable offences in

the act, with 14 such offences listed out

of 20. This all has created an

atmosphere of fear in which the normal

practice of journalism has become

laden with risk.

"We demand the immediate release of

all those arrested and thrown behind

bars under the DSA and the withdrawal

of all cases," the statement said.

The council, however, said that a law is

needed to cover criminal activity in the

digital space, but that should not be

allowed to curtail freedom of expression,

saying, "Those who commit criminal acts

on digital platforms must be brought to

justice, but the law should not be applied

to suppress the media and free-spirited

writers."

Professor Dr. S M Mahabub Ul Haque Majumder, Vice Chancellor

(Acting) , Prof. Dr. Engr. A. K. M. Fazlul Hoque, Registrar, Syed

Mizanur Rahman, Director of Students' Affairs and Dr. Md.

Aktaruzzaman, Convener of iPES 2021 at the virtual Meet the Press on

'International Phygital Education Summit - iPES 2021' held on Sunday

organized by Daffodil International University. Photo : Courtesy

Dhaka condemns Drone

attacks targeting KSA, Abha

Int'l Airport by Houthi rebels

DHAKA : Bangladesh has strongly

condemned the drone attacks targeting the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(KSA) and Abha

International Airport, in southern Saudi

Arabia, by the Houthi rebels.

The first attack on February 10 hit a parked

commercial aircraft causing damage and the

second attack on February 17 however, was

intercepted and destroyed by the Joint

Coalition Forces before hitting targets,

reports UNB.

These unprovoked acts by the Houthi

NATORE : "Oshomapto Attojiboni"

(The Unfinished Memoirs'), the

autobiography of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,

was distributed among 3500 high school

students in the district yesterday to mark

Bangabandhu's historic 7th March

speech.

A function was held on the occasion at

Shankar Gobinda Chowdhury stadium

in the town yesterday morning. Md

Shafiqul Islam Shimul, MP, took part in

the function as the chief guest.

rebels undermine the peace and security in

the region, said the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs on Sunday.

Bangladesh called for immediate cessation

of such attacks and reiterates solidarity with

the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the

face of such aggression.

Bangladesh expressed its full support to

the Kingdom against any threat to its

security and territorial integrity and in their

efforts to bring about lasting peace and

stability in the region.

3500 students get Bangabandhu's

'Oshomapto Attojiboni' in Natore

Deputy Commissioner Md Shariaz

chaired the function, which was

attended, among others, by Police Super

Liton Kumar Shah, Deputy Inspector

General of Police, Rajshahi Range, Md

Abdul Baten, Zila Parishad Chairman

Shajedur Rahman Khan and District

Education Officer Romzan Ali Akand.

The students, who received the

autobiography, were selected from 188

high schools in Sadar and Naldanga

upazila. Teachers of those institution got

hand sanitizers at the function.


4

What does the future hold for Trump and Trumpism ?

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Monday, March 8, 2021

Bangabandhu's unforgettable

7th March speech

The speech that our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman delivered 50years ago at

Ramna Race Course before a crowd of well over two

million people was an amazing event in the context of

theoretical application of communication science. An

incredible manifestation of modern communication

concepts could be observed in this historic speech by the

greatest Bangali of all times - Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman. Bangabandhu completed this timeless speech in

19 minutes by uttering between 58 and 60 words per

minute.

If the contents of the speech are analysed, it is seen that it

was basically a message about the emergence of a new state

on the global map and a notification cum narrative on the

winding up of the eastern region of the then Pakistani state

as a natural progression. The 7th March speech was the

main mantra and theory for an independent Bangladesh.

This address was like a war-cry during the nine months of

our liberation war. Whether children or juvenile, young or

old, everybody became excited after listening to this speech.

This speech not only united the 7 crore Bangalis then - it

taught them the mantra of joining the liberation war.

It was a dialogue between the people of Bangladesh and

their undisputed leader on the eve of Bangladesh's birth.

This 7 March address of 1971 was not only the greatest

speech in Bengali language, it is one of the best of its type in

the entire world. This is because, this speech was

simultaneously the declaration of our independence and the

inspiration of our liberation war. This speech will always

continue to rekindle the Bangali nation with a spark of fire

showing the path of realizing their goals with indomitable

spirit. The fiery and ground-breaking address of Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 7

March 1971 is the best example of this genre. A speech that

could inspire an entire nation to join the liberation war was

a rare event in history. Analysis of the importance,

significance and timeliness of this speech, which contained

the directives and declaration of the liberation war in

Bangabandhu's own voice, has remained a gold-mine for

researchers.

The manner in which this address had invigorated and

indoctrinated the Bangalis with the mantra of liberty added

a new chapter in the annals of speeches. This historic

address is considered to be a compulsory text at home and

abroad by the experts of public speeches, researchers and

communication theorists. That is why, the international

periodical 'Newsweek' termed Bangabandhu as a 'Poet of

Politics' in the cover story of its 5 April 1971 issue. The

speech has been recognized as one of the world's most

famous speeches of its type for rousing people in the book

"We Shall Fight on the Beaches: The Speeches That Inspired

History", by Jacob F. Field.

One did not just meet Bangabandhu, they

circumnavigated around the aura the man exuded. Taller

and bigger than the average Bengali, possessing a supremely

confident visage and the manner in which he carried himself

contributeD towards making him a man among men.

Alongside towering international personalities like Fidel

Castro, Marshal Tito, Henry Kissinger, Andre Marlaux, Curt

Waldheim, Ne Win, Colonel Gaddafi, Motubo, Zulfikar Ali

Bhutto, Bangabandhu never looked out of place or

intimidated. In fact, with the ever present pipe in hand it

was often Bangabandhu who looked the more impressive.

The famous British journalist Sir Mark Tully had the

opportunity to meet and closely observe the Father of the

Nation from close quarters. He found him to possess great

charisma. ""I attended several public meetings addressed by

Sheikh Saheb. He had a wonderful voice that could

mesmerise the crowd. I could feel that from the reaction of

the people when Sheikh Saheb used to address public

meetings."

VedMarwah, former governor of Manipur and Jharkhand,

wrote this while recounting his memory with Bangabandhu

""I have met many charismatic personalities during my

service career, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi,

Rajiv Gandhi and many world leaders, but I must say that

among them he (Sheikh Mujib) was the most charismatic

personality I had met."

Recalling the time Bangabandhu met India Gandhi in

Delhi Airport, Marwah writes "Indian Prime Minister Indira

Gandhi by nature was a very reserved person. But this

occasion was an exception. I had not seen a bigger smile on

her face. She was smiling and prancing like a young girl. One

could see an immediate personal rapport had developed

between the two."

Bangabandhu's legendary courage was simply

extraordinary. Poet and journalist Muhammad Nurul Huda

writes "Bangabandhu is incomparable because he was

courageous, and it was his moral and physical courage

combined that was unprecedented in the annals of our

historic political struggle. Come to think of it, the man spent

almost the best part of his youth in prison for the liberation

of his people.

The way Bangabandhu conducted himself while

confronting the overbearing and scheming top Pakistani

military brass in Dhaka in March 1971 spoke volumes of his

courage and sense of honour. Persons who have seen the

transcriptions of those historic meetings bear testimony to

Bangabandhu's bravery and candidness.

Bangabandhu will continue to be remembered for his

majesty by successive generations. He will continue to be the

source of our inspiration in safeguarding our Bangladesh

and to take it forward in all respects.

Following US President Donald

Trump's dramatic departure from

the White House there was a great

deal of speculation not only about his

own political future but also the future of

a divided Republican Party.

Would Trump form a new political

party? Would he run again for president

in 2024? Would his defeat by Joe Biden

mark the end of the ideology of

Trumpism?

Most of the answers eventually came

straight from the horse's mouth after

almost two months of planning,

discussions and silence.

In his first major public appearance

since he joined the ranks of former

presidents, Trump gave a 90-minute

speech at the 2021 Conservative Political

Action Conference (CPAC) in which he

assured attendees that the journey he

and his supporters set out on more than

four years ago, which he described as

incredible, is far from being over,

implying that he intends to seek the 2024

Republican presidential nomination.

He also eased Republican concerns

that he might have plans to start a new

party, which would be a disaster for the

future of conservatism in the US and a

serious setback for the GOP in future

election cycles. A divided party results in

divided voters.

For many of those watching, regardless

of whether they supported his presidency

or not, the sight of the former president

as the CPAC superstar - and the absence

of fellow Republicans who stood against

Chinese firewalls and Myanmar’s transition

Asign with the image of detained

Myanmar civilian leader Aung San

Suu Kyi is carried at a demonstration

against the military coup in front of the

Chinese Embassy in Yangon on February

12, 2021. Photo: AFP / Sai Aung Main.

The military coup in Myanmar has

generated vigorous debates on China's role

in the domestic politics of the Southeast

Asian country.

There is speculation that the coup itself

was a consequence of State Counselor Aung

San Suu Kyi moving closer to China and

that the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw)

was deeply uncomfortable with such a

development.

For instance, there have been arguments

that Suu Kyi's charity has received

donations from Chinese state-owned

companies. However, the foundation has

also received "funds from within the

country and from friends of Burma

abroad."

Since the coup, the military has

reportedly detained executives of Suu Kyi's

foundation.

There are also reports that Suu Kyi had

agreed to take back Rohingya refugees from

Bangladesh as a result of Chinesefacilitated

negotiations. Officials from

Myanmar and Bangladesh met in January

to discuss ways to start the repatriations

this June, which was reportedly not met

with approval from the Tatmadaw

leadership.

However, if Suu Kyi was indeed favorably

inclined toward a Chinese-mediated

solution to the Rohingya crisis, moving

away from such an agreement would mean

a loss of face for China. This implies that the

Tatmadaw will have to make strenuous

The writer is a legal adviser for the

International Commission of Jurists.

In recent years, jurists and other

commentators have raised concerns about

the chief justice's powers of constituting

benches and allocating cases to judges in

several jurisdictions, including Pakistan.

In Pakistan, all Supreme Court judges are

equal when carrying out their judicial

functions. However, with respect to their

administrative role, the chief justice is the

'first among equals' and the 'master of the

roster'. He decides when a case is listed for

hearing and the judges who will adjudicate it.

His authority in this respect is provided for

in Order XI of the Supreme Court Rules,

1980. The court has clarified in judgements

that the chief justice has the "sole prerogative

to constitute any Bench with any number of

Judges to hear any particular case". Chief

justices of high courts have a similar role.

The prerogative of the chief justice to

constitute benches and allocate cases can be

traced back to colonial times. Article 214(3) of

the Government of India Act, 1935, provided

that "the Chief Justice of India shall

determine what judges are to constitute any

division of the court and what judges are to sit

for any purpose". Assigning cases shouldn't

weaken judicial independence.

him in his final days - was a clear

indication of just how much influence he

continues to have within the party and on

his base.

The conference was a reflection of the

reality that the GOP is still the party of

Trump, given the fact that he gained 11

million more votes in 2020 than he did in

2016. This is a number that cannot be

ignored by any political party.

The GOP is still the party of Trump,

given the fact that he gained 11 million

more votes in 2020 than he did in 2016.

The past four years drew a new map for

the GOP that has left it divided into three

blocs.

Bloc A: Trump's allies and supporters

who share his ideology and goals and are

still defending and standing behind him.

They include Sen. Ted Cruz, who

emphasized the vital role and the lasting

influence of the former president within

the Republican Party.

"Let me tell you this right now: Donald

Trump ain't going anywhere," he said

during his own CPAC speech.

Other supporters include Sen. Tom

Cotton, Sen. Josh Hawley and Rep. Steve

SANJAY PULIPAKA AND MOHIT MUSADDI

efforts such as scaling up projects under the

China-Myanmar Economic Corridor or

prioritizing Chinese imports and

investments to appease Beijing.

While these arguments are speculative at

best, there are indeed growing concerns

pertaining to Chinese policies in Myanmar.

There have been prolonged tensions

between the Tatmadaw and the various

ethnic groups in Myanmar. Such friction

has often allowed Beijing to exercise

influence over Naypyidaw.

The 30,000-strong United Wa State

Army operating in northeastern Myanmar

has reportedly been receiving substantial

support from China. Reportedly, Chinesemade

weapons have also been supplied to

the Arakan Army.

Last June, the Thai military and police

"seized a large cache of Chinese-made

weapons" destined for Myanmar.

Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing

has also remarked that "terrorist

organizations active in Myanmar are

backed by strong forces" and that a "foreign

country is behind the Arakan Army."

China is an important player in

Myanmar's ethnic peace process. In the

past Beijing has covered costs for the

Ethnic Armed Organizations of the Federal

Political Negotiation and Consultative

REEMA OMER

Committee to attend the Myanmar Union

Peace Conference.

At the same time, China has also sought

to diminish the influence of Western

countries in Myanmar, in particular of the

United States. For instance, in 2016, the

Chinese ambassador to Myanmar urged his

American counterpart to refrain from

traveling to such states as Kachin and Shan

in order to "respect China's interests."

It appears that Beijing is using its position

of a pre-eminent player in the peace

process as leverage in its interactions with

The coup has elicited displeasure in the US, the European Union

and even some countries in the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations. This will allow China to gain more influence in Myanmar,

as it will be the sole country with the economic heft to support the

Tatmadaw and bail it out on international platforms.

the Tatmadaw as well as the ethnic groups.

There is also some unease over China's

economic activities in Myanmar. Even

though China is one of the country's largest

trade and investment partners, Chinese

investments have generated concerns

among the Myanmar people, as quite often,

these investments tend to have lopsided

benefits for the military families.

On the other hand, Chinese

businesspeople were involved in

developing the Shwe Kokko entertainment

city at estimated costs of US$15 billion on

the Myanmar-Thailand border in

collaboration with the local border force,

much to the discomfiture of the Tatmadaw.

Such Chinese activities in Myanmar are

facilitating the continuation of fragmented

Allocation of cases

Chief justices in India enjoy similar powers,

which in recent years have attracted

controversy. For example, in 2018, four of the

senior-most judges of the supreme court held

a press conference and expressed concern

about the manner in which the chief justice of

India was allocating cases to certain benches.

The discretionary power to constitute

benches and allocate cases without

necessarily applying any objective and

predetermined criteria is inconsistent with

international standards on the independence

and impartiality of the judiciary as well as

general principles of the rule of law.

While international standards do not

prescribe a universal system for allocation of

cases to individual judges, they clarify that

any system of assignment of cases should not

undermine the independence of courts and

judges who adjudicate those cases.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the

Independence of Judges and Lawyers has

argued for a mechanism of objective

allocation of cases that "protects judges from

interference from within the judiciary".

Otherwise, allocation "at the discretion of the

court chairperson may lead to a system

where more sensitive cases are allocated to

specific judges to the exclusion of others".

The Venice Commission has also

DALIA AL-AQIDI

Scalise. Rep. Matt Gaetz announced at

CPAC that he is a member of the "pro-

Trump, America First" wing of the

conservative movement. "We're not

really a wing, we're the whole body," he

added. Bloc B: The "never Trumpers,"

who view him as a major liability - he is

the first president since 1932 to lose the

White House, the Senate and the House

in a single term.

In his first major public appearance since he joined the ranks of former presidents,

Trump gave a 90-minute speech at the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference

(CPAC) in which he assured attendees that the journey he and his supporters set out

on more than four years ago, which he described as incredible, is far from being over,

implying that he intends to seek the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Among them are a small group of

prominent Republicans who have

spoken out publicly against Trump,

including former presidential nominee

Mitt Romney and congressional leaders

such as Liz Cheney and Mitch

McConnell. Even Nikki Haley, who was

appointed by Trump as the US

ambassador to the UN, has recently

voiced her objection to his style of

leadership, stressing that the

Republicans should not have followed

Trump. Nevertheless, this group is

relatively small and currently does not

have the required strength and support

to influence the GOP.

Bloc C: This large group includes most

of the Republican politicians who

recommended "the allocation of cases to

individual judges should be based to the

maximum extent possible on objective and

transparent criteria established in advance by

the law or by special regulations on the basis of

the law". Such mechanisms could take a

number of forms such as the drawing of lots;

automatic distribution according to alphabetic

order; or predetermined court management

plans that incorporate objective criteria

governing how cases are to be allocated.

Take, for example, Article 101(1)(2) of the

German constitution that says "no one shall

be deprived of his/her lawful Judge". The

right to a lawful judge was historically seen as

a means of preventing any external influence

on the judiciary, especially from the

executive. In recent times, however, it is also

seen as a safeguard against deprivation of the

lawful judge through measures within the

court administration.

Pursuant to the right to a lawful judge, a

'management group' comprising the

president of the court as chairperson and a

certain number of judges, decides how cases

are allocated. The management group has the

task of developing a 'management plan' for

the court for the financial year ahead. This

plan states the criteria according to which

cases are allocated to judges. The

supported Trump's presidency but would

rather see a more traditional

conservative leading their party in 2024.

Trump lost the 2020 election, but the

populist ideology that got him to the

White House in the first place will not be

fading any time soon and his populist

policies, which widened the conservative

base, will be the dominant theme of the

Republican Party for years to come.

In the absence of a strong challenger,

he is still very much in charge.

No one knows exactly what role Trump

will play in the future, as it becomes quite

clear that he does not want to be simply a

former president.

Will he be the Republicans' 2024 frontrunner

- or occupy a powerful position as

an extremely influential kingmaker?

Even if he does decide to go away,

Trumpism is not going anywhere.

Given the deep divisions within the

party, a Republican victory in a

presidential election will not be

achievable unless traditional

conservatives and Trump-supporting

populists form an alliance that can

combine the votes of the two groups.

Is that doable? I do not think so.

If Trumpism continues to be the GOP

norm, many moderate Republicans will

abandon the party - and a few might even

cross the aisle, which would make

regaining control of the House in 2022

an exceedingly difficult task for any

presidential candidate.

Source: Arab news

sovereignty in the country.

If the Tatmadaw was indeed keen to

respond to the Chinese presence in the

Myanmar economy and limit its ability to

influence the ethnic peace process, then the

coup was certainly not the path to take.

The coup has elicited displeasure in the

US, the European Union and even some

countries in the Association of Southeast

Asian Nations. This will allow China to gain

more influence in Myanmar, as it will be the

sole country with the economic heft to

support the Tatmadaw and bail it out on

international platforms.

China initially blocked a United

Nations Security Council statement

condemning the coup. Even when the

UNSC did issue a statement calling for

"the continued support of the

democratic transition in Myanmar,"

Beijing issued a separate statement

calling for "dialogue and reconciliation

in accordance with the will and interests

of the people of Myanmar."

While the Tatmadaw and its leaders

may not be excessively dependent on

the West's financial interactions, the

diversity of economic players in the

Myanmar economy is contingent on a

stable civilian government, which is no

longer the case. Therefore, in the near

future, Chinese interests will have an

even greater impact on Myanmar's

political developments.

Further, Chinese state media outlets have

defined the coup as a "cabinet reshuffle."

Not surprisingly, such policies have

prompted protests in front of the Chinese

Embassy in Yangon denouncing Beijing's

alleged support for the military.

Source: Asia times

Fed e ral Consti tu tional Court of

Ger many has held that the

man agement group's plans have to be

detailed enough to eliminate the possibility of

man ipulating the allocation of cases, and

that they should ex clude the possibility

that judges are chosen according to arbitrary

or subjective factors.

The persuasive power of judicial decisions

rests not only upon the quality of their

reasoning, it also depends on public

confidence in the judiciary. The higher the

degree of confidence in the impartiality of

judges, the greater the public willingness to

accept the courts' authority.

It is then essential that safeguards are

provided against arbitrary allocations of

cases in order to prevent even the slightest

suspicion of illegitimate influences on the

judiciary's functioning.

The current system of allocation of cases in

Pakistan has grave implications for the right

to a fair trial, judicial independence and the

rule of law. It is imperative that courts adopt

a clear, transparent, credible system of case

allocation in line with international

standards to uphold the independence of

judges deciding individual cases as well as the

judiciary as a whole.

monDAY, mARCh 8, 2021

5

SeulkI lee

In 2019, South Korea

imported 745,000 metric

tonnes of palm oil, up from

194,000 metric tonnes in

2005. It is one of the fastestgrowing

markets for the

commodity in the world,

driven by government policies

to boost palm oil as a lucrative

green industry and to secure

food and energy supplies from

overseas.

Most of this palm oil comes

from Indonesia and Malaysia

and until recently was used in

processed food, such as

instant noodles. But under the

country's "Green New Deal"

introduced earlier this year,

palm oil is being promoted as

a source of renewable energy,

as biofuel for transport and

power generation.

But palm oil's green

credentials are hotly debated.

While the US and Europe are

taking steps to restrict use

because of links to widespread

deforestation and high carbon

emissions, South Korean

public institutions have given

millions of dollars in subsidies

to companies developing

plantations in Indonesia in

the name of "green"

development.

Environmental activists and

lawyers in South Korea have

become increasingly vocal

about the industry's links with

human rights violations and

deforestation in Indonesia,

and are demanding the

government stop financing

destructive practices.

South Korea relies on

Palm oil plantations drive

destruction in Indonesia

overseas imports for 97% of

its energy and 75% of its food

resources. After the 2008

global food crisis, the

government set out to secure

both edible and industrial

palm oil, launching an

"Overseas Agro-resources

Development" programme in

2009. That public loan

scheme covered 70% of the

business costs of private

South Korean companies to

produce and distribute wheat,

soybean, corn and crude palm

oil.

The Overseas Agriculture &

Forest

Resources

Development

and

Cooperation Act, and the

Overseas Resources

Development Business Act

are used as legal grounds to

subsidise Korean palm oil

companies overseas. The

Korea Forest Service and

various finance institutions

classify oil palm development

as "bioenergy afforestation"

projects. This is a perverse use

of the word afforestation,

which generally means

planting trees for

environmental and climate

benefits, not clearing tropical

forest for monoculture

plantations.

"I find these acts very

imperialistic. The government

A growing grassroots movement aims to stop the government bankrolling

palm oil companies.

Photo: Collected

is helping companies to take

resources from other

countries because we are

resource-poor," said Chung

Shin-young, a lawyer with

Advocates for Public Interest

Law (APIL), who has been

investigating South Korea's

palm oil industry and leading

the campaign to stop public

finance of the industry.

Public and private

investment in the palm oil

industry has also been driven

by the use of palm oil as a

transport fuel since the mid

2000s. Since 2015, South

Korean companies importing

or exporting petroleum fuel

products have had to ensure

their oil products are at least

2.5% biodiesel. The

proportion was later

increased to 3%. As of 2017,

palm oil and its by-products

accounted for 88% of South

Korea's biodiesel imports.

South Korean palm oil

producers found themselves

in the international spotlight

in 2016 when environmental

advocacy group Mighty Earth,

in partnership with the

Korean Federation for

Environmental Movements

(KFEM), exposed massive

forest clearance in the palm

oil concessions of Korindo

and Posco International in

Indonesian-administered

Papua.

"The Korean model of palm

oil plantation deforestation

harkens back to the old, dark

days of the palm oil industry

when forests, wildlife and

indigenous lands were

obliterated for the purpose of

establishing giant expanses of

monoculture plantations, the

profits of which mainly go to

foreign owners," said Deborah

Lapidus, senior campaign

director at Mighty Earth.

The problem is these two

companies have been

operating their palm oil

business with public money

from the Korea Forestry

Service and the Export-

Import Bank of Korea (Korea

Exim Bank), said Chung. "If

you look at the detailed

statement of the government

loan to Posco International,

you will learn that they rarely

run a business on their own

money. But it's not only Posco

International.

LG

International, Daesang, and

JC Chemical before them got

a loan from the Korea

Forestry Service," said Chung.

Her team was one of the first

local groups to investigate

South Korean palm oil

companies' links to rights

violations and massive

deforestation in Indonesia

since 2016, together with the

Korean Federation of

Environmental Movements

(KFEM).

"The agency's very first

public loan to the palm oil

industry was to an oil palm

afforestation company,

Daesang Holdings, in 2008.

In total, 3.8 billion-won

(around US$3.2 million) was

financed for a bioenergy

afforestation project in

Indonesia," explained Shin

Gun-seop, an administrative

officer at Korea Forest

Service's Overseas Resources

Development Office.

Between 2010 and 2019,

Korea Forest Service provided

40.1 billion won (around

US$33 million) to plant oil

palms in around 24,000

hectares, mostly in Indonesia,

according to Shin. Daesang

Holdings, LG International

Corp., Kodeco, and JC

Chemical were some of the

recipients of these public

loans. The expansion of South

Korean palm oil companies

has put indigenous

communities' livelihoods at

risk, many of whom had been

displaced from their forest

land in the past.

"My concern is that the

presence of Korindo and

Posco International in Papua

will further widen gaps and

deepen injustices in Papua

where big business take

everything and the local

community is left with empty

hands. For most indigenous

Papuans, forests are their

supermarkets, banks,

hospitals and sacred places.

Massive forest conversion

means they lose their

livelihoods," said Angky

Samperante from the Papuan

rights group Yayasan Pusaka.

His team has been struggling

to protect the rights of

indigenous peoples and the

environment of Papua against

Korean palm oil companies

since 2010.

The Forest Stewardship

Council (FSC) has been

closely monitoring Korindo's

operations since complaints

against its destructive

practices and human rights

violations were first made by

Mighty Earth in 2017, but has

stopped short of stripping it of

its sustainability certification.

Korindo Group published a

statement on its website in

July 2019 saying it rejected

complaints that it was

involved in illegal forest fires

but agreed to work with FSC

to improve its standards.

The Korean palm oil

industry has been linked with

the suffering of indigenous

communities in Indonesia

from the start. Korindo Group

started the first "Korean"

palm oil business in Merauke,

Papua province, in 1995.

There the Marind and

Mandobo peoples had already

been forced from their

customary forest by the

central government's

development plan in the early

1970s. PT. Tunas Sawa Erma,

the palm oil company of

Korindo Group, acquired a

palm oil business permit in

1997 and by December 2001

had planted palms over 7,800

hectares of land. This set the

scene for the next set of largescale

Korean palm oil

ventures in Indonesia from

2007.

Intranet rescues education

in refugee camps

DeveloPment DeSk

While distance learning has

become the norm for many

students during the COVID-

19 lockdown, for Syrians

living in refugee camps, it is

not usually a practical

option. But a project set up

in one camp allows

internally displaced

schoolchildren to

communicate and pursue

their education using their

smartphones - without the

need for internet or

computers.

Mohammed Youssef

created an internal network

to enable pupils to connect

in the camp which lacks

fundamental infrastructure,

including electricity. The

name and location of the

camp have not been

disclosed for security

reasons.

"After exploring

alternative technologies, we

created a local internal

network through which we

succeeded in making direct

audio calls," said Youssef,

projects manager at

Chemonics International, an

international development

consulting firm.

Students can use the

network to connect to a chat

application, creating a

virtual classroom, without

needing to be connected to

the internet, he added.

He says that for many

people living in refugee

camps, lacking even basic

facilities, distance learning is

a luxury. Conflict in Syria

has already deprived more

than 2 million Syrian

primary schoolchildren of

the right to education,

according to UNICEF.

Youssef forged ahead with

the Injaz education project

despite obvious difficulties,

including a lack of necessary

equipment to establish the

network and a shortage of

computers. He designed the

system to work on mobile

phones which are available

to almost 80 per cent of the

camp's occupants.

Because of the lack of

equipment, the network

could initially only serve a

small number of students

within a confined region.

However, pupils overcame

this by attending classes in

shifts - some in the morning

and others in the evening.

Within a few months,

equipment became available

to enable the whole camp to

be connected at any time.

Members of the Injaz team

then taught children how to

use the new system through

a series of online videos, and

adapted school curricula to

suit the technology and

distance learning. Teachers

also underwent training on

distance learning and online

interaction with students.

A teacher at the camp who

wished to remain

anonymous said: "The local

intranet has relinked

students to their teachers,

allowed students to access

information anywhere…

while making the process

more vital and interactive."

He highlights some

challenges, however, such as

some parents lacking

experience in dealing with

the intranet, and oldfashioned

cell phones that

cannot support the system.

The "intranet" is supplied

with solar panels to provide

a continuous electricity

supply and it relies on open

source technologies and

programmes. This put the

total construction cost at

somewhere between $US

2,000 and 3,000, with

almost no running costs.

The technology allowed

more than 1,000 Syrian

students of all ages to access

education services

throughout the COVID-19

lockdown which began in

March 2020 and has only

recently ended, with the

possibility of being

reinstated.

Education researcher

Masa el-Mufti believes the

success and efficiency of

distance learning depends

on adequate infrastructure,

trained teachers and good

communication between

teachers, students and

parents.

"So far, experiences that

are not based on internet

connection have proved

reliable, especially because

internet is inaccessible and

expensive for people in

refugee camps," said El-

Mufti, founder and director

of Sonbola, an education

and development

organisation focused on

Syrian refugee communities.

Distance learning faces

major challenges in the Arab

region, she added, especially

in making it accessible for

marginalised and less

privileged populations,

including refugees.

However, she believes the

efficiency, low cost and

sustainability of this kind of

"intranet" makes it ideal to

use in education, "not only

for displaced and refugees,

but all communities with

weak infrastructure and

inaccessibility to the

internet".

The innovation was

granted a global

development award last

year, winning "the best in

presentation" at the annual

conference of the Society for

International Development.

"Now, after proving the

validity of the idea in the

camp, we are planning to

expand intranet solutions to

provide distance learning

within 15 more camps," said

Youssef, adding that a

practical guide on how to

create the system is being

prepared for future crises.

Mohammed Rizkallah,

who teaches at the graduate

school of education, the

American University in

Cairo, said: "School closures

after COVID-19 shifted the

whole education process

into distance learning, and

this reality persists." He

believes that distance

learning could be here to

stay, even after the

pandemic.

Syria is home to around 2.6 million internally displaced children. Photo: Chemonics International

A girl gets her eyes checked at the eye clinic.

louISe CoghlIn

Vision, quality of life, the economy and

development are all so interconnected

that eye health should be reframed as a

mainstream part of the sustainable

development agenda, says a major

report on eye care. The report by 73

leading experts from 25 countries warns

that without additional investment in

global eye health, 1.8 billion people may

be living with vision impairment by

2050. Right now, there are deep

inequalities both between and within

countries, it says.

Matthew Burton, who led the Lancet

Global Health Commission, said: "About

90 per cent - nine out of ten - of the 1.1

billion people globally who are living

with vision impairment live in low- and

middle-income countries. If you look at

absolute numbers, they're mostly in

South Asia, East Asia and South-East

Asia."

"If a child can't read the blackboard,

they're going to be held back in their

learning and their ability to engage in

school, and that has an enormous effect

on their life trajectory in terms of their

ability to progress in education and in

employment and beyond,"

Matthew Burton, director,

International Centre for Eye Health

Western Sub-Saharan Africa is also

disproportionately affected, the

Commission found, with rates of

blindness up to nine times higher than in

North America in 2020.

A shortfall in eye health workers was

identified as a major barrier to care in

developing countries, with one

ophthalmologist per one million of the

population in parts of Sub-Saharan

Africa, compared to an average of 76 per

million in high-income countries.

"When you look within low- and

middle-income countries, there are also

huge variations in the burden of disease

in different sections of the populations,"

added Burton, director of the

International Centre for Eye Health at

the London School of Hygiene &

Tropical Medicine. "Strikingly, for

example, in both Sri Lanka and Nigeria,

nearly half of all blindness from cataract

is concentrated in a very particular

Eye care must be integrated

into global health policy

group: women, who live in rural areas,

who are widowed."

Evidence from the Commission shows

that impaired vision disproportionately

affects women, rural populations and

ethnic minority groups. For every 100

men living with blindness or moderate

to severe vision loss worldwide, there are

an estimated 108 and 112 women

affected, respectively.

Hannah Faal, of the University of

Calabar, Nigeria, another of the

Commission's authors, believes that

identifying these "pockets of inequity" by

disaggregating data is crucial. "We've got

to disaggregate data by person, by

location and by circumstance, and that's

got to be built into the ongoing

information collection systems of all

countries," she said.

The Commission found that

enhancing eye health could help to

achieve a range of the UN's Sustainable

Development Goals, by contributing to

improvements in gender equality,

education, employment prospects, work

productivity, household income and

economic productivity. "What the

Commission seeks to do is to slightly

reframe the discourse of eye health as

being not just a health issue, but actually

something that speaks to many areas of

sustainable development, many areas of

life in general," said Burton.

"Eye health clearly is a health and

wellbeing issue, and we have mapped

evidence on how it can affect quite

different areas of health," he said, citing

the example of how dementia can be

compounded by impaired vision, as well

as links between severe vision

impairment and risk of mortality.

"Beyond that, you can imagine the

importance of eye health quite clearly in

many other aspects of life," added

Burton. "If a child can't read the

blackboard, they're going to be held back

in their learning and their ability to

Photo: Pixabay

engage in school, and that has an

enormous effect on their life trajectory in

terms of their ability to progress in

education and in employment and

beyond."

The report makes a range of

recommendations for governments,

including improving access to eye care

using telemedicine, mobile health, and

artificial intelligence. It highlights Kenya

where teachers are using smartphones

to diagnose and refer pupils with vision

loss.

The study builds on the 2019 World

Report on Vision* by the World Health

Organization (WHO) last year, adding

further analysis on the economic

benefits of good eye health. Tackling

preventable sight loss could bring global

economic benefits of US$411 billion a

year, authors estimate.

The Commission urges governments

to include eye health in broader

healthcare planning and financing. "One

of the problems we've had with eye

health over the decades has been it's

often sat outside the mainstream of the

health system," said Burton. "The big

nudge from the WHO in 2019, which the

Commission is taking forward, is the

argument that eye care really needs to be

a part of universal health coverage. We

think if that becomes a reality, many

things will begin to improve, as activities

are focused on reaching the people who

are least well served."

Alarcos Cieza, unit head of sensory

functions, disability and rehabilitation at

the WHO, said: "If we address eye

diseases and vision impairment, then all

of the broader impacts with links to the

sustainable development goals happen

in a more automatic way - in education,

in labour, in reducing road traffic

accidents and so on. … so children in

school and people working can achieve

their full potential, and our ageing

population can age well."


6

Nandail Upazila administration of Mymensingh organized various programs on Sunday to mark the

historic 7th of March. MP Anwarul Abedin Khan Tuhin, Upazila Parishad Chairman Hasan Mahmud

Jewel, Upazila Executive Officer MD. Ershad Uddin, Nandail Model Thana Officer in Charge MD.

Mizanur Rahman Akand and other officials of the administration prays after laying a wreath at the

portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Photo: Arabinda Paul

IU restricts

outsiders'

movement

on campus

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY :

The authorities of Islamic

University have issued an

order prohibiting the

movement of outsiders on

the campus without

permission of the

authorities, reports UNB.

The decision was taken at

an emergency meeting of the

university on Saturday.

The university authorities

have taken the decision with

a view to strengthening the

internal security of the

university, a press release

signed by IU proctor

Professor M Jahangir

Hossain said on Saturday

night.

"IU is only open to its

students. Outsiders cannot

stay, roam around and carry

out any activities on the

campus without the

permission of the proctor or

relevant authorities," he

said.

Farmers happy over

bumper potato production

in Panchagarh

PANCHAGARH : Farmers in the district are

happy over bumper potato production this

year as they have started harvesting the

popular food item with much enthusiasm,

reports BSS.

Potato harvesting is going on in full swing

in all five upazilas of the district.

Department of Agricultural extension

(DAE) office sources said potato was

cultivated on 22 hectares of land in the

district this year.

Last year, the peasants got fair price by

selling potato as many farmers have changed

their lot by cultivating potato.

So, this year, the farmers also have

cultivated potato with the hope of getting

profit.

Farmers are now preserving potatoes in

the cold-storage with the hope of getting fair

price. Per sack containing 85 kg potato is

being sold at Taka 800 to 900.

Farmers are selling potato from their land

as traders come from different parts of the

country and purchases potato and sent it to

different districts.

DAE deputy director here Mizanur

Rahman told BSS potato cultivation is

increasing as the land of Panchagarh is

good for its cultivation because its

ground is comparatively high than other

districts.

High land is good for potato cultivation, he

said.

This year, the climate condition was

conducive for potato farming as severe cold

and dense fog harmful for potato was

comparatively low, he said.

The DAE gave high quality potato seeds to

200 farmers for demonstration plot.

The DAE field level officers also gave

necessary advice to the farmers for

protection from disease to potato plants

which is hoped to be the main reason for

bumper production, the deputy director

added.

On the other hand, the different

commercial banks including Rajshahi Krishi

Unnayan Bank and some NGOs disbursed

the short term easy loan among the potato

growers for boosting its production.

3 killed in

Cox's Bazar

road crash

COX'S BAZAR : Three people

were killed and seven others

injured when a truck

ploughed through a footpath

at Kalatoli Dolphin Chattar in

Cox's Bazar district town on

Saturday night, reports UNB.

The deceased were

identified as Momena

Begum, 70, of Kalatoli South

village, Mohamamd

Shahadat Hossain and

Advocate Osman Goni, son

of Moktar Ahmed of

Chakaria upazila.

The cement-laden truck

ploughed through a footpath

around 11:30 am, leaving 10

people injured, said Manirul

Gias, officer-in-charge of

Sadar Police Station.

The injured were taken to

Sadar Hosptial where three

people succumbed to their

injuries. Two shops, two

CNG run auto-rickshaws

and one human hauler got

twisted during the incident.

Road accidents in

Bangladesh continue to

claim hundreds of lives

every year.

At least 484 people were

killed and 673 injured in 427

road accidents in January

this year. According to Road

Safety Foundation (RSF)

accident rates jumped by

25.58 percent and fatalities

by 8.76 percent in January

this year compared to the

same period last year.

'Pavel preserves factual

history in pictures of

Bangabandhu'

RANGPUR : Internationally celebrated

photojournalist Pavel Rahman has

preserved rare pictures of Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman presenting factual national history

before new generations.

The opinion came at a function jointly

organised by different sociocultural

organisations to accord reception to Pavel

Rahman, who got Ekushey Padak 2021, at

Central Shaheed Minar premises on the

Public Library ground in the city on Saturday

night.

Coordinator of the Reception Committee

and noted cultural personality Dr. Mofizul

Islam Maantu presided over the function

arranged abiding by the health directives in

the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national anthem was performed at the

beginning of the event moderated by

Professor Mohammad Shah Alam.

After observing a minute of silence in

memory of the language movement martyrs,

'Gano Sangeet', poem recitation and dance

were performed.

On behalf of the organisers, Pavel Rahman

was given a reception crest and certificate.

Besides, flowers, crests and gifts were

given to Pavel Rahman on behalf of District

Muktijoddha Sangsad Santan Command,

Mayor of Rangpur Mostafizar Rahman

Mostafa, 'Bhaoyaiya Angan', Jatiya Kabi

Parishad, different political, social and

cultural organisations.

Language movement veterans

Mohammad Afzal and Ashraf Uddin Barada,

former Awami League (AL) lawmaker

Advocate Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia, city AL

President Shafiur Rahman Shafi, freedom

fighter Akbor Hossain, among others,

addressed.

Pavel Rahman spoke on his

photojournalism, Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and

his family, the 90th mass movement and

various other national historical aspects.

"Today, I am proud of being welcomed in

my own area. I am grateful to all concerned

for this precious moment in my life," Pavel

said.

"In my life of photojournalism, I have tried

to bring out stories of people's emotions,

feelings, life and nature. Getting the

opportunity to work at home and abroad, I

have tried to bring the real picture in

harmony with nature," he said.

Speakers said that during and after the

War of Liberation, including the antiautocratic

movement, Pavel, a masterpiece

son of Rangpur, did photojournalism with

enormous courage and professionalism.

They said Pavel is the winning hero with

the camera in hand. How many days, how

many nights, how many critical times, how

many uncertainties he has shown to the

country and the world by taking pictures

without caring about anything.

Dr. Mofizul Islam Maantu said Pavel has

proven his enormous talent in selecting the

topics and correct angles for taking photo

shots of Bangabandhu to preserve the true

national history successfully.

Historic 7th March celebrated in Shibpur

SM KHORSHED ALAM, SHIBPUR CORROSPONDENT

The historic 7th of March has been celebrated with due

dignity at Shibpur in Narsingdi. On this occasion, a wreathlaying

on the portrait of Bangabandhu and discussion

meeting was held which was organized by the upazila

administration.

Local MP Mohammad Zahirul Haque Bhuiyan Mohan,

Upazila Chairman and Upazila Awami League President

Mohammad Harunur Rashid Khan, Upazila Nirbahi Officer

(UNO) Mohammad Kabirul Islam Khan, Assistant

Commissioner (Land) Shyamal Chandra Basak, Shibpur

Model Police Station OC Mollah Azizur Rahman, Upazila

Awami League General Secretary Mohammad Samsul Alam

Bhuiyan Rakhil, Joint Secretary Asaduzzaman Asad, Upazila

Women Vice Chairman Tapsi Rabeya, Upazila Health and

Family Planning Officer Dr. Md. Saiful Islam and others laid

a wreath at the mural of Bangabandhu at the Upazila

Parishad premises at 11 am.

Upazila Chairman Md. Harunur Rashid Khan, OC Mollah

Azizur Rahman, General Secretary of Upazila Awami League

Md. Samsul Alam Bhuiyan Rakhil, Upazila Women Vice

Chairman Taposhi Rabeya were present as special guests.

The meeting was chaired by Upazila Awami League

Organizing Secretary Biplob Chakraborty and was attended

by Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Shyamal

Chandra Basak, Upazila Awami League Co-President Angur

Mridha, Joint Secretary Asaduzzaman Asad, Municipal

Awami League President Khokon Bhuiyan and General

Secretary Faruk Khan.

The historic 7th of March has been celebrated with due dignity at Shibpur in Narsingdi. On this occasion,

cutting cake, wreath-laying on the portrait of Bangabandhu and discussion meeting was held

which was organized by the upazila administration

Photo: SM Khorshed Alam

Honorable Upazila Health and Population Officer in Phulbari upazila of Kurigram District Dr. Abu

Hena Mostafa Kamal laid a wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu as part of the celebration of the

historic day on March 7, 2021.

Photo: TBT

Historic 7th March

Day marked in befitting

manner in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI : Local units of

Bangladesh Awami League and

district administration observed the

'Historic March 7 Day', 'a Red-letter

day in the history of the Bangalees'

long arduous freedom struggle, in a

befitting manner today with a fresh

vow to materialize the dream of

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Various institutions and socio-cultural

organisations and professional bodies

also observed the day through elaborate

programmes to mark the day.

The day's programmes began with the

hoisting of national flags atop public,

private and autonomous buildings and

placing wreaths at the portraits of

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

and four other national leaders in the

morning.

Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation and

City unit Awami League President AHM

Khairuzzaman Liton and its General

Secretary Dablu Sarker joined the

programmes. Other local leaders

including Shaheen Akter Rainy, Meer

Iqbal and Shafiqur Rahman were present

on the occasion.

Marking the day, most of the city offices

of the party played the historic 7th March

speech of Bangabandhu throughout the

day alongside holding discussions.

AL city unit held a discussion at its

office this noon highlighting the

significance of the historic speech with its

President AHM Khairuzzaman Liton in

the chair. Front ranking leaders of the

unit also spoke at the discussion.

District administration placed wreaths

at the portrait of Bangabandhu at

Shilpakala Academy premises in

observance of the day. They also held a

discussion meeting titled "7th March:

Swadhinotar Jeonkathi" the shilpakala

academy auditorium.

Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Dr

Humayun Kabir addressed the meeting as

chief guest, while Commissioner of

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Abu Kalam

Siddique, Additional Deputy Inspector

General of Police Joydev Kumar Bhadra

and Superintendent of Police Masud

Hossain spoke as special guests with

Deputy Commissioner Abdul Jalil in the

chair.

The discussants said the tantalising

speech of Bangabandhu literally had a

sparkling effect on the entire

population in East Pakistan, now

Bangladesh, and they became united

under his capable and farsighted

leadership to bravely fight for liberating

the motherland from Pakistani rule.

Rajshahi University, Rajshahi

University of Engineering and

Technology, Rajshahi College and

Rajshahi Medical College also observed

the historic day highlighting its

significance elaborately.

10 more test positive

for Covid-19 in

Rajshahi division

RAJSHAHI : A total of 10

more people have tested

positive for Covid-19 in three

districts under Rajshahi

division in the last 24 hours

till Saturday evening,

climbing the number of

infections to 25,717.

However, the new daily

infection figure is a slight fall

compared to the previous

couple of days, said the

health department sources.

Of the infected patients,

24,341 have, so far, been

cured from the lethal virus

with 18 new recoveries

found during the time, they

said.

A total of 2,998 infected

patients are now undergoing

treatment at designated

hospitals here, they added.

Besides, all the positive

cases for COVID-19 have, so

far, been brought under

necessary treatment while

6,580 were kept in isolation

units of different hospitals

for institutional supervision.

Of them, 5,952 have by now

been released.

On the other hand, 26

more people have been sent

to home and institutional

quarantine afresh while 18

were released in all eight

districts of the division over

the last 24 hours till 8 am

today.

MOnDAY, MArCh 8, 2021

7

Europe staggers as infectious

variants power virus surge

An exhausted Senate narrowly approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill Saturday as President

Joe Biden and his Democratic allies notched a victory they called crucial for hoisting the country out

of the pandemic and economic doldrums.

Photo : AP

Biden, Dems prevail

as Senate OKs $1.9T

virus relief bill

WASHINGTON : An

exhausted Senate narrowly

approved a $1.9 trillion

COVID-19 relief bill

Saturday as President Joe

Biden and his Democratic

allies notched a victory they

called crucial for hoisting the

country out of the pandemic

and economic doldrums,

reports UNB.

After laboring all night on

a mountain of amendments -

nearly all from Republicans

and rejected - bleary-eyed

senators approved the

sprawling package on a 50-

49 party-line vote. That sets

up final congressional

approval by the House next

week so lawmakers can

whisk it to Biden for his

signature.

The huge measure - its cost

is nearly one-tenth the size of

the entire U.S. economy - is

Biden's biggest early priority.

It stands as his formula for

addressing the deadly virus

and a limping economy, twin

crises that have afflicted the

country for a year.

"This nation has suffered

too much for much too long,"

Biden told reporters at the

White House after the vote.

"And everything in this

package is designed to

relieve the suffering and to

meet the most urgent needs

of the nation, and put us in a

better position to prevail."

Saturday's vote was also a

crucial political moment for

Biden and Democrats, who

need nothing short of party

unanimity in a 50-50 Senate

they run with Vice President

Kamala Harris' tiebreaking

vote. They hold a slim 10-

vote House edge.

Not one Republican

backed the bill in the Senate

or when it initially passed the

House, underscoring the

barbed

partisan

environment that's

characterized the early days

of Biden's presidency.

A small but pivotal band of

moderate Democrats

leveraged changes in the

legislation that incensed

progressives, hardly helping

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-

Calif., guide the measure

through the House. But

rejection of their first,

signature bill was not an

option for Democrats, who

face two years of running

Congress with virtually no

room for error.

In a significant sign, the

chair of the Congressional

Progressive Caucus,

representing around 100

House liberals, called the

Senate's weakening of some

provisions "bad policy and

bad politics" but "relatively

minor concessions." Rep.

Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.,

said the bill retained its "core

bold, progressive elements."

"They feel like we do, we

have to get this done," Senate

Majority Leader Chuck

Schumer, D-N.Y., said of the

House. He added, "It's not

going to be everything

everyone wants. No bill is."

In a written statement,

Pelosi invited Republicans

"to join us in recognition of

the devastating reality of this

vicious virus and economic

crisis and of the need for

decisive action."

The bill provides direct

payments of up to $1,400 for

most Americans and

extended emergency

unemployment benefits.

There are vast piles of

spending for COVID-19

vaccines and testing, states

and cities, schools and ailing

industries, along with tax

breaks to help lower-earning

people, families with

children and consumers

buying health insurance.

Republicans call the

measure a wasteful spending

spree for Democrats' liberal

allies that ignores recent

indications that the

pandemic and economy was

turning the corner.

"The Senate has never

spent $2 trillion in a more

haphazard way," said Senate

Minority Leader Mitch

McConnell, R-Ky. He said

Democrats' "top priority

wasn't pandemic relief. It

was their Washington wish

list."

The Senate commenced a

dreaded "vote-a-rama" - a

continuous series of votes on

amendments - shortly before

midnight Friday, and by its

end around noon dispensed

with about three dozen. The

Senate had been in session

since 9 a.m. EST Friday.

Dozens rally

before ex-officer

put on trial in

Floyd's death

ST. PAUL : Dozens of

people gathered in front of

the Minnesota governor's

mansion on Saturday to

demand accountability for

police officers, days before a

former Minneapolis officer

is scheduled to go on trial in

the death of George Floyd,

reports UNB.

Many of the roughly 150

people who demonstrated in

Minnesota were family

members of others who died

during police encounters.

Similar protests were being

organized in cities around

the country in advance of the

trial of Derek Chauvin.

Floyd, a Black man, died

May 25 after Chauvin, who

is white, pressed his knee

against Floyd's neck while

Floyd was held face-down

on the ground in handcuffs,

saying he couldn't breathe.

Body-camera video time

stamps provided by

prosecutors show Chauvin

held his position for about

nine minutes, even after

Floyd stopped moving.

Floyd was later pronounced

dead at a hospital.

Chauvin is charged with

second-degree murder and

manslaughter and jury

selection in his trial begins

Monday.

Saturday's protest in

Minnesota was organized by

Families Supporting

Families Against Police

Violence, a coalition of

families who lost loved ones

in police confrontations. The

Star Tribune reports that

speakers said that in light of

Floyd's death, they want

other fatal police encounters

reopened and examined.

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai

Lama gets vaccine shot

DHARMSALA : The

Dalai Lama, the 85-yearold

Tibetan spiritual

leader, was administered

the first shot of the

coronavirus vaccine on

Saturday at a hospital in

the north Indian hill town

of Dharmsala.

After receiving the

injection, he urged people

to come forward, be brave

and get vaccinated.

"In order to prevent

some serious problems,

this injection is very, very

helpful," he said.

Dr. G.D. Gupta of Zonal

Hospital, where the shot

was administered, told

reporters that the Dalai

Lama was observed for 30

minutes afterward. "He

offered to come to the

hospital like a common

man to get himself

vaccinated," he said,

reports UNB.

Ten other people who

live in the Dalai Lama's

residence were also

vaccinated, Gupta said. All

eleven received the

Covishield vaccine, which

was developed by Oxford

University and U.K.-based

The Dalai Lama, the 85-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, was administered

the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine on Saturday at a hospital in

the north Indian hill town of Dharmsala.

Photo : AP

drugmaker AstraZeneca,

and manufactured by the

Serum Institute of India.

The Dalai Lama made

Dharmsala

his

headquarters in 1959,

fleeing Tibet after a failed

uprising against Chinese

rule. China doesn't

recognize the Tibetan

government-in-exile and

accuses the Dalai Lama of

seeking to separate Tibet

from China.

The Dalai Lama denies

being a separatist and says

he merely advocates for

substantial autonomy and

protection of the region's

native Buddhist culture.

India has confirmed

more than 11 million cases

of the coronavirus and over

157,000 deaths. The

country, which has the

second-highest caseload in

the world behind the U.S.,

rolled out its vaccination

drive in January, starting

with health care and frontline

workers. Earlier this

month, it expanded its

inoculation drive to older

people and those with

medical conditions that put

them at risk.

MILAN : The virus swept through a

nursery school and an adjacent

elementary school in the Milan suburb of

Bollate with amazing speed. In a matter

of just days, 45 children and 14 staff

members had tested positive, reports

UNB.

Genetic analysis confirmed what

officials already suspected: The highly

contagious coronavirus variant first

identified in England was racing through

the community, a densely packed city of

nearly 40,000 with a chemical plant and

a Pirelli bicycle tire factory a 15-minute

drive from the heart of Milan.

"This demonstrates that the virus has a

sort of intelligence. ... We can put up all

the barriers in the world and imagine that

they work, but in the end, it adapts and

penetrates them," lamented Bollate

Mayor Francesco Vassallo.

Bollate was the first city in Lombardy,

the northern region that has been the

epicenter in each of Italy's three surges, to

be sealed off from neighbors because of

virus variants that the World Health

Organization says are powering another

uptick in infections across Europe. The

variants also include versions first

identified in South Africa and Brazil.

Europe recorded 1 million new COVID-

19 cases last week, an increase of 9% from

the previous week and a reversal that

ended a six-week decline in new

infections, WHO said Thursday.

"The spread of the variants is driving

the increase, but not only," said Dr. Hans

Kluge, WHO regional director for

Europe, citing "also the opening of

society, when it is not done in a safe and a

controlled manner."

The variant first found in the U.K. is

spreading significantly in 27 European

countries monitored by WHO and is

dominant in at least 10 countries: Britain,

Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Germany,

France, the Netherlands, Israel, Spain

and Portugal.

It is up to 50% more transmissible than

the virus that surged last spring and again

in the fall, making it more adept at

thwarting measures that were previously

effective, WHO experts warned.

Scientists have concluded that it is also

more deadly.

"That is why health systems are

struggling more now," Kluge said. "It

really is at a tipping point. We have to

hold the fort and be very vigilant."

In Lombardy, which bore the brunt of

Italy's spring surge, intensive care wards

are again filling up, with more than twothirds

of new positive tests being the UK

variant, health officials said.

After putting two provinces and some

50 towns on a modified lockdown,

Lombardy's regional governor

announced tightened restrictions Friday

and closed classrooms for all ages. Cases

in Milan schools alone surged 33% in a

week, the provincial health system's chief

said.

Dozens of people gathered in front of the Minnesota governor's mansion on Saturday to demand

accountability for police officers, days before a former Minneapolis officer is scheduled to go on trial

in the death of George Floyd.

Photo : AP

Train derails

killing 1, injuring

40 in southern

Pakistan

PAKISTAN : Eight cars of

a Lahore bound train

derailed in southern

Pakistan early Sunday,

killing at least one passenger

and injuring 40 others,

officials said, reports UNB.

The accident took place

between the Rohri and Sangi

stations in southern Sindh

province and caused a

temporary suspension of

railway traffic in both

directions, said Kamran

Lashari, a railway official.

It wasn't immediately

clear what caused the

derailment. Train accidents

are common in Pakistan,

where successive

governments have paid little

attention to improving the

poorly maintained signal

system and aging tracks.

Lashari said eight cars of

the 18-car train that

departed from Karachi for

the eastern city of Lahore

derailed and six fell into a

shallow ditch.

Rescue

official

Muhammad Arshad said

darkness and the remote

location of the derailment

hampered rescue efforts. He

said the body of the woman

who died and 40 injured

passengers were taken to

hospitals in nearby towns. It

wasn't immediately clear

how many passengers were

on the train.

Escalating violence

ups pressure for

Myanmar sanctions

BANGKOK : The escalation of violence in

Myanmar as authorities crack down on

protests against the Feb. 1 coup is raising

pressure for more sanctions against the junta,

even as countries struggle over how to best

sway military leaders inured to global

condemnation, reports UNB.

The challenge is made doubly difficult by

fears of harming ordinary citizens who were

already suffering from an economic slump

worsened by the pandemic but are braving

risks of arrest and injury to voice outrage over

the military takeover. Still, activists and

experts say there are ways to ramp up pressure

on the regime, especially by cutting off sources

of funding and access to the tools of repression.

The U.N. special envoy on Friday urged the

Security Council to act to quell junta violence

that this week killed about 50 demonstrators

and injured scores more.

"There is an urgency for collective action,"

Christine Schraner Burgener told the meeting.

"How much more can we allow the Myanmar

military to get away with?"

Coordinated U.N. action is difficult,

however, since permanent Security Council

members China and Russia would almost

certainly veto it. Myanmar's neighbors, its

biggest trading partners and sources of

investment, are likewise reluctant to resort to

sanctions.

Some piecemeal actions have already been

taken. The U.S., Britain and Canada have

tightened various restrictions on Myanmar's

army, their family members and other top

leaders of the junta. The U.S. blocked an

attempt by the military to access more than $1

billion in Myanmar central bank funds being

held in the U.S., the State Department

The situation is dire in the Czech

Republic, which this week registered a

record-breaking total of nearly 8,500

patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Poland is opening temporary hospitals

and imposing a partial lockdown as the

U.K. variant has grown from 10% of all

infections in February to 25% now.

Two patients from hard-hit Slovakia

were expected to arrive Saturday for

treatment in Germany, where authorities

said they had offered to take in 10

patients. Kluge cited Britain's experience

as cause for optimism, noting that

widespread restrictions and the

introduction of the vaccine have helped

tamp down the variants there and in

Israel. The vaccine rollout in the

European Union, by comparison, is

lagging badly, mostly because of supply

problems.

In Britain, the emergence of the more

transmissible strain sent cases soaring in

December and triggered a national

lockdown in January. Cases have since

plummeted, from about 60,000 a day in

early January to about 7,000 a day now.

Still, a study shows the rate of decline

slowing, and the British government says

it will tread cautiously with plans to ease

the lockdown. That process begins

Monday with the reopening of schools.

Infection rates are highest in people ages

13 to 17, and officials will watch closely to

see whether the return to class brings a

spike in infections.

confirmed Friday.

But most economic interests of the military

remain "largely unchallenged," Thomas

Andrews, the U.N. special rapporteur on the

rights situation in Myanmar, said in a report

issued last week. Some governments have

halted aid and the World Bank said it

suspended funding and was reviewing its

programs.

Its unclear whether the sanctions imposed

so far, although symbolically important, will

have much impact. Schraner Burgener told

U.N. correspondents that the army shrugged

off a warning of possible "huge strong

measures" against the coup with the reply that,

"'We are used to sanctions and we survived

those sanctions in the past.'"

Andrews and other experts and human

rights activists are calling for a ban on dealings

with the many Myanmar companies

associated with the military and an embargo

on arms and technology, products and services

that can be used by the authorities for

surveillance and violence.

The activist group Justice for Myanmar

issued a list of dozens of foreign companies

that it says have supplied such potential tools

of repression to the government, which is now

entirely under military control.

It cited budget documents for the Ministry of

Home Affairs and Ministry of Transport and

Communications that show purchases of

forensic data, tracking, password recovery,

drones and other equipment from the U.S.,

Israel, EU, Japan and other countries. Such

technologies can have benign or even

beneficial uses, such as fighting human

trafficking. But they also are being used to

track down protesters, both online and offline.

MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2021 8

Malta farming delightes many

people in Rajshahi barind

Uttara EPZ is playing a pivotal role to the socio-economic development of Northern Region by

attracting investment, increasing export and generating employment. Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul

Muneem, Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Senior Secretary of Internal Resource

Division made this comment during his visit in Uttara EPZ (UEPZ) on Saturday. Member

(Investment Promotion) of BEPZA Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan briefed the NBR Chairman on

overall activities and recent achievements of BEPZA. General Manager of Uttara EPZ Naheed

Munshi said, 24 operational and 5 under implementation factories of UEPZ have attracted US$ 210

million investment where employment opportunities was created for 35 thousand Bangladeshi

workers. Later, the NBR Chairman visited 6 diversified products manufacturing factories of UEPZ.

Among others, Member (Tax Policy) Md. Alamgir Hossain, Member (Vat Policy) Md. Masud Sadiq of

NBR, Deputy Commissioner of Nilphamari, Customs Commissioner of Rangpur, General Manager

(Investment Promotion) of BEPZA were present during this time.

Photo : Courtesy

RAJSHAHI : Malta farming has gained

popularity in the region including its vast

Barind tract because many of the

grassroots growers have become

delighted through the cash crop farming

commercially.

The farmers are seen expanding

acreage of the citrus fruit in many of the

dried lands consisting of Rajshahi,

Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts

gradually after the best uses of modern

technologies and other existing natural

resources, reports BSS.

Obaidullah Shah, a farmer of Tentulia

village in Porsha Upazila of Naogaon, has

established a Malta orchard through

transplanting 1,560 saplings on seven

bighas of land in 2018 first. He harvested

fruit valued at around Taka 2.5 lakh the

following year and attained around Taka

six lakh last year.

He's expecting one and half mounds of

fruit from each of the trees in the current

year. "I have established one more

orchard on six bigha of land this year,"

said Obaidullah. He gets suggestions

from the local agriculture extension and

research offices regularly.

Shah said commercial cultivation of the

citrus fruits has begun in many areas

making the farmers happy and

enthusiastic side by side with vibrating

the local economic activities.

The farmers who cultivate malta are

now more interested in cultivating the

fruit instead of many other fruits and

vegetables. This year, this fruit is

expected to be produced well.

Cultivation of the fruit will bring a

revolution in the local economy as

hundreds of people from ultra-poor

families have attained self-reliance by

cultivating malta.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Mahfuz

Alam said there was only one orchard in

the upazila around five years back but the

figure escalated to around 200 at present.

Popularity of the malta has been

created in the local markets as it's testy. It

has been proved that the soil texture of

this area is suitable for citrus fruit

farming, he added.

Three youths- Mukta Ali, Tofazzal

Hossain and Sultan Ahmed- have jointly

developed a malta orchard through

planting 300 saplings on three bigha of

land at Arani Khorda Baosha area under

Bagha Upazila in Rajshahi in 2017.

After nursing the field for around two

years they sold fruit worth around Taka

67,000 in 2019.They are very much

hopeful about selling malta of Taka four

lakh this year. They are now successful in

their venture.

Aminul Islam along with four of his covillagers

has established an orchard on 45

bigha of land commercially on

partnership approach at Bottoly area

under Godagari Upazila in Rajshahi.

Currently, they are doing their business

successfully, said Islam, adding malta is

being sold at Taka 100 to 120 per

kilogram in local markets.

He said the consumers get fresh Malta

as these are sold directly from the orchard

to the market. Local Malta is delicious

and tastes better than the imported

varieties.

A.K.M. Shaheed Reza, renown industrialist, benevolent social activist and Sponsor Director of Mercantile

Bank Limited elected as the president of Feni Diabetic Samity. Azgar Ali, Additional District Magistrate

and Election Commissioner of Feni Diabetic Samity 2021, announced the name of 23-Person working

committee including General Secretary Shusen Chandra Shil on Saturday. 25th & 26th AGM of Feni

Diabetic Samity have been held at the morning session of the day. Md. Wahiduzzaman, Deputy

Commissioner of Feni and President of Feni Diabetic Samity Advisory Committee was the chief guest of

the occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

Managing Director of UCB Mohammed Shawkat Jamil inaugurating UCB Cox's Bazar Imperial Lounge as

Chief Guest along with Deputy Managing Director of UCB Habibur Rahman; Deputy managing Director &

Company Secretary A. T. M. Tahmiduzzaman; Deputy managing Director Mohammed Khorshed Alam;

Executive Vice President & Head of Brand Marketing and Corporate Affairs Division Javed Iqbal and

other senior officials.

Photo : Courtesy

Walton introduces new model AC with

offline voice command feature

Country's electronics giant

Walton has introduced

another new series of split

type air conditioner named

'Oceanus,' featured with

offline voice command

function, UV (Ultra Violet)

care, frost clean and so many

advanced facility, says a press

release.

Users can control the fresh

model AC with voice

command function without

using remote control. This

AC is also designed with huge

energy saving inverter

technology.

Walton Hi-Tech Industries

Limited (WHIL) Director SM

Mahbubul Alam unveiled the

new series AC at a

programme titled 'AC Service

Experts Meet 2021' held at

the WHIL Headquarter at

Chandra in Gazipur on

Thursday (March 4, 2021).

Over thousands of AC

servicing experts attended

the programme while WHIL

Deputy Managing Directors

Alamgir Alam Sarker and

Humayun Kabir, Walton

AC's Chief Executive Officer

Tanvir Rahman, Chief

Technical Officer Walter

Kim, Executive Directors SM

Zahid Hasan, Uday Hakim,

Yusuf Ali, Amin Khan and

Yeasir Al Imran, Senior

Deputy Exeuctive Director

Shahjada Salim, Chief

Service Offier Muzahidul

Islam, AC Chief Operating

Officer Sondip Biswas, AC

Research and Deveopment

Department Head Ariful

Islam, Senior Deputy

operative Director Mohsin

Ali Mollah, among others,

were also present.

Engineer Ariful Islam said,

users could control the

functions while the power is

connected after the

installation of Offline voice

commands AC. The AC will

be in standby mode when

power is connected. At this

time, saying 'Hello Walton'

will turn on the AC 'Active

Mode'. Then say 'AC start'

and it will start. At this time,

the user will be able to

operate the AC with

instructions. To set a specific

temperature, you have to say

the desired temperature with

the command 'cool mode'.

For example, if you say

'twenty degree', the AC

More than one thousands servicing experts of air conditioner from all over

the country attends the 'AC Service Experts Meet 2021.' Photo : Courtesy

temperature will be set at 20

degrees. To turn off the AC,

you have to say 'AC off'.

Note that if you do not give

any command for 10

seconds, the AC will go into

standby mode. In this case,

you have to turn on 'Active

Mode' again by saying 'Hello

Walton'. Another command

can be given 3 seconds after

giving one command.

Its UV (Ultra Violet) Care

technology will destroy

bacteria and viruses spread

in the indoor air. Frost Clean

technology will automatically

melt the ice inside the AC and

take it out. As a result, the use

and maintenance of this AC

will be hassle free.

Walton AC's CEO Tanvir

Rahman said that they

started producing AC in their

own factory in Bangladesh in

2010.

Walton has a strong R&D

(research and development)

division consisting of

engineers from home and

abroad, he said.

The RnD engineers are

bringing sophisticated

technologies as well as

advanced features AC at

regular intervals, saying it he

added, in continuation of

this, Walton has brought

voice command AC for the

buyers.

Walton has 96 models of 12

series of AC. Apart from 1

ton, 1.5 ton and 2 ton BTU

(British Thermal Unit) split

AC, Walton has 4 and 5 ton

cassette and ceiling type AC

for medium installations like

school-college, mosque,

madrasa, hospital, hotel. For

larger installations, Walton

has variable refrigerant flow

or VRF and chiller AC.

Walton has recently

launched a new supersaver

model of AC under a new

series of AC named 'Inverna'

with European standard,

which is the most energy

efficient air conditioning

device in the country.

Bangladesh University of

Engineering (BUET)

examination has tested and

certieid that if one ton of

Inverna (Supersaver) AC is

run in eco mode, the

electricity bill comes to only

Tk 2.88 per hour.

Southeast Bank Agent Banking Services with a brand name of "Shagotom" has formally launched its operation

on historic day 7th March for the unbanked people across the country specially at the rural and

semi-urban area. Its main objective is to uphold the trend of financial inclusion and spread the banking

services at every corner of the country. M. Kamal Hossain, Managing Director of Southeast Bank Limited

formally launches the operation of Southeast Bank Agent Banking "Shagotom" at Dhaka, Chottogram,

Khulna, Jessore and Rangpur. Zakir Ahmed Khan, Advisor, Southeast Bank Limited, Air Commodore

(Retd) Md Abu Bakar, FCA, Managing Director, Southeast Bank Capital Services Limited and Md. Serajul

islam, FCMA, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ERA Infotech Ltd. and Other Senior officials of the Bank

were also present at the inauguration ceremony.

Photo : Courtesy

Standard Bank's AMD nominated as member of

Advisory Board of International IFN Roadshow

Standard Bank's Additional

Managing Director Md.

TouhidulAlam Khan, FCMA has been

nominated as member of advisory

board of international 'IFN Roadshow

Bangladesh-2021' to be held on April

05. This IFN Roadshow will provide

incisive coverage of the Islamic

financial services industry of

Bangladesh. The panelists of the event

consist of international Islamic

scholars including Scott Levy, CEO,

Bedford Row Capital, United

Kingdom and will be dedicated to

discussion focusing on the

development of Islamic banking and

finance in Bangladesh. This roadshow

will also cover the areas such as capital

raising, investment, financial

technology, Islamic finance landscape

in Bangladesh, what does the

domestic Islamic finance ecosystem

still require from regulators and

market, how can regulatory, Shari'ah

governance & legal frameworks be

developed and implemented to

support Islamic finance, current

liquidity management tools for

Islamic banks, structuring of green

Sukuk and syndication financing

under Shari'ah etc, a press release

said.

REDmoney group nominates senior

industry leaders as the members of

advisory board for making this sort of

event successful, who are expert in

Islamic banking &Shari'ah and will

provide guidance on potential event

topics, overall agenda, selection of

new and interesting panelists as well

as other important areas.

TouhidulAlam Khan will contribute to

REDmoney group on these issues

through value addition as a member

of advisory board. He is also an

international correspondent of

Islamic Finance News (IFN),

Malaysia, world's leading Islamic

Finance news provider. He has many

publications on Islamic finance &

banking in international journals and

regular author of country reports of

Islamic banking in Bangladesh since

2011. Mentionable that he also

moderated sessions and was a panelist

of the first International IFN

Roadshow in Bangladesh in 2012.

"Considering demand for Islamic

banking in Bangladesh is on the rise as

a result from the country's robust

economic growth, rising population

and expanding middle-class, this

second IFN Bangladesh event is going

to be held", mentioned in their

statement of REDmoney who has

specific focus on the global Islamic

finance industry launched in 2004

based on their offices Dubai, London

and Kuala Lumpur.

MOnDAY, MARCh 8, 2021

9

PSG, Lyon advance in French Cup

as third-tier Red Star shock Lens

Katie Ledecky closes out the TYR Pro Swim Series in San Antonio, Texas, with a victory in the

women's 800m freestyle.

Photo: AP

Ledecky nabs fourth win at Texas Pro Swim

SPORTS DESK

Five-time Olympic gold medallist Katie

Ledecky closed out the Pro Swim Series

in San Antonio with a dominant victory

in the 800m freestyle on Saturday, her

fourth win in as many days, reports

BSS.

"I wanted to finish the meet on a good

note, a positive note, and that's the best

I felt all week," said Ledecky, who

cruised to victory in 8min 13.64sec.

"I'm happy to get back in training next

week coming off that."

Leah Smith was a distant second in

8:25.67 and Haley Anderson third in

8:29.15.

The meeting in Texas was Ledecky's

first full-scale long-course competition

in a year, and a key step on her path to

the US Olympic swimming trials in

June and the rescheduled Tokyo

Games.

She opened with a victory in the

1,500m free on Wednesday, and also

won the 400m and 200m freestyles,

events she'll be aiming for in Tokyo in

July.

Simone Manuel, Ledecky's training

partner in Stanford, California, won the

50m freestyle in 24.70sec, the best time

in the world in 2021.

The Rio 100m freestyle gold

Bangabandhu

Dhaka Marathon

held in Panchagarh

SPORTS DESK

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib

Dhaka Marathon was held at

Boda upazila of the district

on Saturday on the occasion

of the Mujib year, the birth

centenary of the Father of

the Nation, reports BSS.

Boda

upazila

administration arranged the

marathon while Upazila

chairman Faruq Alam Tobi

formally inaugurated it as

the chief guest. The five

kilometer long marathon

started from Chandanbari

union parishad ground and

ended Boda pouroshova

area.

About 200 competitors

including Upazila chairman

Tobi, Boda Upazila Nirbahi

Officer (UNO) Solayman

Ali, Pouro Mayor

Ohahiduzzaman Suja took

part in the competition.

Sadik Siam became first in

the marathon.

Shaheen Shah Afridi

set to get engaged

with Shahid Afridi's

daughter

SPORTS DESK

Former Pakistan all-rounder

Shahid Afridi's eldest

daughter Aqsa will be

getting engaged to current

national team fast bowler

Shaheen Shah Afridi,

according to reports, reports

UNB.

Shaheen Afridi's father

Ayaz Khan has reportedly

confirmed to Pakistan

media that Shahid Afridi's

family has agreed to the

proposal as both families

have had "long-standing

ties" with each other. He also

said that the engagement

will take place "soon".

medallist added the 50m free title to

the 100m free victory she claimed

earlier in the week.

"This meet's been a little rough for

me, so it's nice just to get the win," said

Manuel, who was also competing in her

first proper long course meeting since

the coronavirus pandemic brought

global sport to a virtual standstill last

March.

Although she didn't hit her target

times, Manuel said she felt there were

positives to take away, including just

getting back into the swing of

competing amid ongoing precautions

such as mask wearing and social

distancing.

"I'm glad to be back racing," said

the Texas native, who was also

looking forward to spending some

time with her parents for the first

time in more than a year, even though

it meant she would have to isolate

pending Covid-19 test results upon

her return to California. - Backstroke

thriller -

Olivia Smoliga won the women's

100m backstroke in 59.49, outtouching

world record-holder Regan

Smith by one one-hundredth of a

second.

Former world record-holder

Kathleen Baker was third, eighthundredths

of a second behind the

winner. "This is the most stacked field

you can race against, so you've really

got to push it," Smoliga said. "It's

really important in a season like this

to push it, because that's probably

what it's going to be at the end of the

season."

World record-holder Ryan Murphy

won the men's 100m back in 53.56 with

Coleman Stewart second in 54.48 and

Poland's Kacper Stokowski third in

55.30.

Michael Andrew cruised to victory in

the men's 200m individual medley in

1:58.05. Runner-up Abrahm DeVine

was the only other swimmer two break

two minutes, clocking 1:59.65.

Andrew Seliskar was third in 2:00.59

and 2017 world champion Chase Kalisz

was fourth in 2:00.79.

Ryan Lochte, who owns the world

record of 1:54.00 set back in 2011, was

fifth in 2:01.71.

In other events on the final day of the

meeting, Madisyn Cox won the

women's 200m medley in 2:10.84 with

Baker coming back after the backstroke

to finish second in 2:11.96.

Italy's Santo Condorelli won the

men's 50m free in 22.49sec, and

Egypt's Marwan el Kamash won the

men's 800m free in 7:58.33.

Messi makes 272 times more than

world's highest-paid female footballer

SPORTS DESK

The earnings of the highest-paid female

football players are not comparable to their

counterparts', not at all, reports UNB.

During recent years and decades,

Feminism has been playing a key role in

regaining women's rights, but still, the wage

of a female footballer is not fair-considering

the different factors affecting the quantity of

income such as fame, radiance, and talent of

a player.

The financial aspect of women's football in

Europe and America is not promising, let

alone in Asia with that diversity, cultural

differences, and gender boundaries.

According to a survey done by a France

Football magazine, the pay gap between

males and females is so vast. Such a shame

for this modern world. New data revealing

the world's highest-paid football players

have thrown into sharp contrast the

difference in earnings between stars at the

top of the men's and women's games.

Soccer magazine France Football's annual

ranking of the best-paid players in the sport

showed that FC Barcelona and Argentina

captain Lionel Messi was men's football's

highest earner, taking home $141 million in

salary and sponsorships last year.

According to Insider, Carli Lloyd, the

USWNT star and the highest earner in

women's football, made just $518,000 in

2019, a year in which she and her US

teammates won the Women's World Cup,

becoming global stars. A simple calculation

by Insider found that Messi's earnings were

more than 272 times larger than Lloyd's. Put

another way, Lloyd earned just 0.3% of what

Messi did in 2019.

This pay gap is beyond anyone's

expectations.

The next highest earners in women's

football were USWNT captain Megan

Rapinoe, who made $447,000, and

Norwegian Ada Hegerberg crowned

Women's Ballon d'Or winner in 2018, who

made $431,000.

Messi made 315 times and 327 times more

than the pair in 2019 respectively.

It should be noted that Messi played

significantly more football in 2019 than

Lloyd, playing 64 games for club and country

in the 2019 calendar year, compared to 24

played by Lloyd.

In March 2019, the U.S. women's national

time filed a lawsuit against governing body

United States Soccer Federation for gender

discrimination and unequal pay.

According to the Guardian, the lawsuit

alleges that the men receive pay bonuses as

much as £13,303 ($17,625). They report that

this is almost twice as much as the women

receive - for having won zero World Cups

and even failing to qualify for the 2018

edition in Russia.

The Premier League's male players earn an

average of £2.7m ($3.5m) a year - paling in

comparison to what the Women's Super

League players earn.

Messi makes 272 times more than world's highest-paid female

footballer.

Photo: AP

SPORTS DESK

Kylian Mbappe grabbed a pair of goals

as holders Paris Saint-Germain eased

into the French Cup last 16 on Saturday

with a 3-0 victory at Brest, while Ligue

1 title rivals Lyon defeated seconddivision

Sochaux 5-2, reports BSS.

Red Star, five-time winners of the

competition now languishing in the

French third tier, struck twice in the

last seven minutes to eliminate topflight

Lens 3-2.

In Brest, Mbappe returned from a

one-match ban and fired PSG ahead on

nine minutes, running from just inside

the halfway line and drilling a leftfooted

shot into the top corner from the

edge of the area.

Julian Draxler set up Pablo Sarabia

for a second goal before half-time, the

Spaniard sweeping home for the

second game in a row having hit the

winner against Bordeaux in midweek.

Angel Di Maria came off the bench

for his first appearance in a month

following a thigh injury, a timely boost

alongside the return of Marco Verratti

ahead of next week's second leg against

Barcelona in the Champions League

last 16.

Verratti created PSG's third,

somewhat inadvertently, as he prodded

across goal and straight into the chest

of Mbappe, wrong-footing Brest

goalkeeper Sebastien Cibois.

Seventeen-year-old Rayan Cherki

scored twice for Lyon as they overcame

a spirited effort from Ligue 2 side

Sochaux, winners of the competition in

2007.

Algerian defender Djamel Benlamri

headed Lyon ahead at home before

Maxwel Cornet volleyed in a second to

put the hosts in control.

Chris Bedia pulled a goal back for

Sochaux only for Cherki to restore

Lyon's two-goal cushion before halftime

with a crisp low finish.

Bedia's second of the game again

gave Sochaux hope but Jason Denayer

nodded in from a corner and Cherki

completed the victory three minutes

from time. 'Everything is possible' -

Red Star dumped out Lens, fifth in

BPL Football

Nixon helps Ctg

Abahani beat

Muktijoddha

SPORTS DESK

Brazilian striker Nixon

Brizolara on Saturday

helped Chittagong

Abahani finish the first

phase of the 13-team

Bangladesh Premier

League (BPL) Football on

a winning note, beating

Muktijoddha Sangsad,

reports BSS.

After a barren first half

at the Bangabandhu

National Stadium, Nixon

scored the match-winning

goal for Ctg Abahani in the

77th minute (1-0).

Despite the day's win,

the port city team

remained at the seventh

slot in the league table,

securing 19 points.

Muktijoddha slipped to

11th place with nine points

from 12 matches, suffering

seven defeats.

The first phase matches

will conclude on Sunday

with Sheikh Jamal and

Mohammedan SC match.

The game will kick off at

4pm at the Bangabandhu

National Stadium.

Three times champions

Sheikh Jamal, now in the

third spot in the league

table, just need a victory in

Sunday's match to

advance to the second slot,

toppling Dhaka Abahani.

Federation Cup

champions Bashundhara

Kings, also a former league

champions,

has

comfortably dominated

the ongoing league

securing 34 points from 12

matches.

Six times champions

Dhaka Abahani and

former champions Sheikh

Jamal has followed the

leader distantly with 25

and 23 points from 12 and

11 matches.

Ligue 1, at the historic Bauer stadium in

Saint Ouen in the northern Paris

suburbs.

"In the French Cup, everything is

possible," said Alan Dzabana who hit

his side's 90th-minute winner.

Pape Meissa Ba gave Red Star a 21stminute

lead. Winger Benjamin Gomel,

who came through the Lens youth

system, crossed from the right and Ba

controlled the ball and fired home.

Lens took a while to adjust to the

artificial surface but levelled when

Facundo Medina headed in Ismael

Boura's corner at the near post in the

29th minute.

Cheick Doucoure gave the visitors the

lead with a powerful shot into the roof

of the net in the 49th minute. Red Star

drew encouragement from a group of

around 30 supporters who gathered on

a concourse outside the stadium, even

though the match was being played

behind closed doors, as well as the

many fans leaning out of windows

behind the Lens goal.

They changed their front three after

77 minutes and hit back.

"At 2-1, they settled into a comfort

zone and our substitutes made the

difference," said Dzabana, one of the

replacements.

Diego Michel, another sub, pounced

on a rebound in the 83rd minute after

Lens goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez had

parried a free-kick.

In the 90th minute, Dzabana met a

cross at the near post with a left-foot

shot that caught Farinez flat-footed.

Founded in 1897 by Jules Rimet, the

man who created the World Cup, Red

Star won the French Cup for the first

time 100 years ago in 1921 with their

most recent Cup triumph coming in

1942.

In another upset Saturday, fourthtier

Le Puy beat Ligue 1 strugglers

Kylian Mbappe grabbed a pair of goals as holders Paris Saint-Germain eased

into the French Cup last 16 on Saturday with a 3-0 victory at Brest, while Ligue

1 title rivals Lyon defeated second-division Sochaux 5-2. Photo: AP

Lorient 1-0.

Lenny Joseph outpaced the visiting

defence to finish off a 61st minute

counter-attack and give Le Puy, who

play in National 2, victory over Lorient,

who are 17th in the top division.

Metz won 4-0 at second-division

Valenciennes, while Montpellier shook

off fifth-tier Ales 2-1.

Pretorius takes field after returning

negative in 2nd Covid-19 test

SPORTS DESK

Ireland Wolves's batsman Ruhan Pretorius,

who had tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday,

took the field on Sunday in Chattogram against

Bangladesh Emerging team after he was found

negative in another test, reports UNB.

He had tested positive on Friday during the

first game of the five-match one-day series. But

in another test, the batsman returned negative

and was allowed to take the field. He showed

no symptoms when he tested positive in the

last attempt before the first match of the series,

which eventually was called off after 30 overs.

The test took place ahead of the first match,

and both the teams took the field before the

result came in. The result appeared during the

game which showed that Pretorius is positive.

Right after that, the umpires and match referee

called off the game.

MoNDAY, MArcH 8, 2021

10

Chhayanaut observes

Vidyasagar bicentennial

Country's leading cultural

institute Chhayanaut organized

a special virtual event on

Saturday commemorating the

200th birth anniversary of

legendary Indian educator and

social reformer Ishwar Chandra

Vidyasagar, reports UNB.

The online event titled "Firey

Ashi Bar Bar", broadcast on the

institute's Facebook and

YouTube pages at 8 pm,

featured special renditions of

songs, readings, and lectures

from noted intellectuals

including Professor Golam

Murshid, prolific critic and

researcher, as the main

discussant.

Dr Sarwar Ali, executive

president of Chhayanaut

presented the opening

monologue of the event,

explaining this special initiative.

Abdus Sabur Khan

Chowdhury read an article of

Rabindranath Tagore which

the Noble-laureate poet wrote

on meeting Vidyasagar, while

Jahirul Haque Khan and Dalia

Ahmed, general members of

Chhayanaut, read excerpts

from Rabindranath Tagore's

essay on the social reformer

called 'Vidyasagarcharita' at

the event.

The main discussant and

keynote speaker of the event,

professor Golam Murshid,

explained the prolific journey of

Vidyasagar by shedding the

spotlight on his iconic

personality and his

monumental role in the Bengali

societal system, literature and

culture.

Students from Nalanda

including Suhrid Samyadwip,

Zaiba Tahzeeb, Sheikh Fabiha

Haque, Samah Towfika

Tapashee, Zogobrotee Dey

Diganta, Surjo Anibar and

Paromita Dhoritree Kotha read

excerpts from Vidyasagar's

books including 'Betal

Panchabinsati' and 'Neetibodh'.

Noted singers Sumon

Majumdar and Mita Haque

presented songs from

Jyotirindranath Tagore and

Ramnidhi Gupta at the event.

Born as Ishwar Chandra

Bandyopadhyay on September

26, 1820 at the Birsingha village

of Paschim Medinipur district,

West Bengal - Ishwar Chandra

Vidyasagar is considered the

"father of Bengali prose".

For his excellent performance

in Sanskrit studies and

philosophy, he received the title

"Vidyasagar" ('Ocean of

Knowledge' in Sanskrit) from

the Sanskrit College, Calcutta,

from where he received his alma

mater.

In 2004, Vidyasagar was

ranked number 9 in BBC's poll

of the Greatest Bengali of all

time.

Sonakshi Sinha is a

tough, no-nonsense

cop in the first look

Sonakshi Sinha's first-look from a yet untitled

Amazon Prime Video series is out. The actor

plays the role of a cop in the movie. The

streamer's official social media handles shared

the look on the eve of International Women's

Day.

The image shows Sonakshi looking at the

camera while standing on a railway track with

her arms crossed.

There is no release date or further details

about the project yet. Sonakshi will debut in the

digital space with this series. More and more A-

listers are making a move to streaming after the

success of series like Sacred Games.

The caption of the photo read, "There's no

limit to what women can accomplish. Our

collective belief in this has only been reinforced

time and again. And on the eve of

#WomensDay, we're taking things up a notch!

Can't wait for #Sonakshisinha to show us yet

again how girls get it done. Coming soon!"

According to a tweet from trade analyst Taran

Adarsh, Reema Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi are

helming the project. Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan

Akhtar, Kagti and Zoya Akhtar are producing.

While Ruchika is best known for her work on

Netflix's anthology movie Lust Stories, Reema

Kagti is known for writing the script for Gully

Boy and directing sports drama Gold and

thriller Talaash.

Sidhwani and Akhtar have previously

produced shows like Inside Edge and Mirzapur

through their Excel Entertainment.

Sonakshi was last seen in a special appearance

in 2020's Ghoomketu. Her last starring role was

in Dabangg 3 in 2019, in which she reprise the

role of Rajjo Pandey.

Source: Indian Express

Alternative Rock Band Shunno and Heavy

Metal Band Cryptic Fate who performed in

Joy Bangla Concert in previous years are

paying tribute to the event online since the

concert is put to a halt this year due to the

Coronavirus pandemic, reports UNB.

"We will release a song virtually aligned

with Joy Bangla Concert. We will also

present a visual highlighting the best

moments of our performances in the

previous years starting from 2015," said

Emil of the Band Shunno. Emil Joy Bangla

Concert, based on the theme of the Father of

the Nation's historic March 7 speech, is the

first of its kind in the country as no other

Tapan returns back

TBT reporT

Tapan Chowdhury, a

Bangladeshi musician. He is a

former member of the musical

group Souls and is known for his

modern (Adhunik) songs. He

won Best Male Singer in 1st

Meril-Prothom Alo Awards in

1988.

The popular musician Tapan

Chowdhury suddenly came to

Dhaka on Friday after almost a

year. After arriving in Dhaka, he

is resting at his home in

Eskaton, the capital.

Tapan Chowdhury said,

"Because of Corona, I did not

have the opportunity to come to

the country from Canada for a

year. My wife and children live

there, that's why I live in Canada

Kim Kardashian on Friday called out those

who bully and body- shame others, recalling

her embarrassment when she was attacked

for gaining 60 pounds during her first

pregnancy.

In an Instagram stories posting,

Kardashian detailed how she had been

compared to a killer whale during the later

stages of her pregnancy in 2013, and how

her figure was contrasted unfavorably to

Prince William's wife Kate, who was also

pregnant at the time.

"I cried every single day over what was

happening to my body, mainly from the

pressures of being constantly compared to

what society considered a healthy person

should look like - as well as being compared

to Shamu the Whale by the media," she

wrote, referring to the mammal that used to

perform at SeaWorld.

"I was shamed on a weekly basis with

cover stories that made my insecurities so

painful I couldn't leave the house for months

after. It really broke me," said Kardashian,

who rose to fame through her family's

reality TV show "Keeping Up with the

Kardashians".

The cosmetics businesswoman and social

event blended history with music so adeptly

and for so many years.

"Thanks to Centre for Research &

Information (CRI), this concert is

connecting youths with the country's

glorious past. Their selection of bands and

the choice of environment won every heart,"

he said. Another band Cryptic Fate also took

to their official Facebook page, writing,

"Here's an acoustic, raw rendition of Cholo

Bangladesh to celebrate the Joy Bangla

concerts on 7th March and 50 years of

Bangladesh!"

They performed the song in addition to

expressing their emotion rolling with the

at a certain time of the year. But

even though I wanted to come to

the country earlier, it was too

late to come because of Corona."

Regarding stage shows, TV

shows, new songs, Tapan

Chowdhury said, "I just came to

the country. Nobody knows that

I am coming to the country. But

I want to perform on stage, sing

on TV. Maybe, however, the

main reason for coming to the

country is the 50th anniversary

of independence on March 26.

At that moment, I wanted to

stay in my beloved homeland. I

prayed to God that I could stay

in the country at that moment,

come home with that dream and

hope. I want to enjoy the golden

jubilee of independence."

Tapan Chowdhury became an

overnight star as an artist after

the song 'Mon Shudhu Mon

Chhuyeche' on behalf of the

band 'Souls' in 1979.

In 1985, Tapan Chowdhury's

first solo album 'Tapan

Chowdhury' came on the

media star said she was reminded of those

months while watching a recent

Bands pay tribute to

Joy Bangla Concert

concert that bridged history with music.

This year the concert is put to a halt as the

Coronavirus pandemic hasn't yet been fully

eradicated. But, it will grow "bigger and

louder" the next year, said Radwan Mujib

Siddiq, a trustee of CRI, a non-profit

research organisation.

To compensate for the halt of the event,

there will be some virtual programs, said the

organizers. A short audiovisual highlighting

the best moments of the concert in last years

will be screened on the Facebook page of

Young Bangla. It will also be relayed from

the Facebook pages of different media

outlets on the evening of March 7.

Besides, two interactive discussions with

representatives from the bands, which

performed regularly in the concert, and

from the organizers was aired on Channel

24 at 8:30 pm and Gaan Bangla at 8:00 pm

on Sunday.

Rolled out in 2015, Joy Bangla Concert

has been a household name in the country's

music industry and a part of the youth pop

culture, blending the patriotic melodies

composed during the Liberation War of

Bangladesh with the western-influenced

modern songs.

market under the banner of

Sargam. All the songs of this

album to the tune of Ayub

Bachchu captivate the listeners.

However, the most popular

album of Tapan Chowdhury is

'Anushochana'.

Kim Kardashian says body-shamers

'really broke me' during pregnancy

documentary about Britney Spears, tracing

the meteoric rise of the pop star and the

media coverage of her mental health

breakdown in 2007.

Kardashian, 40, said the documentary

made her empathize with Spears. She said

the media "can be very traumatizing and it

can really break even the strongest person.

"No-one deserves to be treated with such

cruelty or judgment for entertainment,"

Kardashian told her 208 million Instagram

followers.

Kardashain gave birth to her daughter

North in June 2013. She went on to have a

son, Saint, in 2015 and later had two

children by a surrogate because of health

complications. Kardashian last month filed

for divorce from the rapper Kanye West, her

husband of almost seven years.

Source: Reuters

H o r o s c o p e

ArIes

(March 21 - April 20) : Chances to

pursue opportunities to bring whatever

creative work you do best to the public

could come up today, Aries. This might

involve performances, exhibitions, trade shows, or

festivals - anything that involves a lot of attention from

the public. You will be in the limelight and outshine

almost everyone! This is likely to be a lot of fun. It

should definitely boost your ego.

TAUrUs

(April 21 - May 21) : The chance to

take a trip by air with friends or members

of a group could come your way today,

Taurus. This might involve an exhibition

of some kind, as well as a chance to advance your

knowledge in some way. Both the dissemination and

the gathering of information are definitely involved. If

you can, make the arrangements today. Whatever the

journey, it could make a big difference in your life.

GeMINI

(May 22 - June 21) : You could complete

some personal projects that involve a lot of

paperwork today, Gemini. This could increase

your income considerably. Past success that has

become known in your field could lead to opportunities for

future success. This may be job related, but it may also involve

your own projects. All signs indicate that success, good fortune,

and advancement are in the wind for you.

cANcer

(June 22 - July 23) : Opportunities for

new partnerships concerning a personal

project of yours could come to you from

far away, Cancer. Contracts, agreements,

and other legal matters work in your favor, but making

sense of them could require concentration. Read the

fine print to learn as much as you can. Whatever

happens, your life should definitely change in a subtle

but positive way. Embrace the change!

Leo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Mundane and

perhaps boring tasks could take up

much of your morning, Leo, but you

will need to get them out of the way

so you can move on to more exciting projects.

More paperwork might be required in order to

get these things started, but you will get it done

quickly and efficiently. Keep on plugging along.

You're on the right track!

VIrGo

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): A get-together with a

current or potential romantic partner could

lead to some stimulating discussions of

concepts that interest you both, Virgo. You

could make plans for future enterprises that bring you closer

together. This is a good day to advance any relationships

that involve mutual intellectual interests. Expect to spend

much of your time in bookstores with your friend!

LIBrA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): Today you might toy

with the idea of doing some renovation

on your home, perhaps for your

enjoyment, but primarily to increase its

value, Libra. Decorating, landscaping, or both might be

on the agenda. A number of possibilities could present

themselves, and you will probably spend much time

giving each some serious consideration. In the end, you

will probably choose the most beautiful!

scorpIo

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : Creative energy,

especially involving writing or speaking,

could overflow today. Ideas could come

thick and fast, Scorpio, and you might

want to phone some friends and discuss your

thoughts. This is probably going to bring even more

information your way for your mind to process! Write

down what interests you most, and take a walk to clear

your head. Tomorrow it should all be clearer to you.

sAGITTArIUs

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): If you own your home,

the value of your equity may have gone up in

the recent past, Sagittarius. Income through

land or property is strongly indicated. This is

likely to change your life in a subtle but positive way. This is

a great time to buy or sell a home. If you're in the process of

doing it now, this is the perfect time to get some of the

paperwork prepared.

cAprIcorN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): A lot of letters, calls, or

emails could come your way from all

over, Capricorn, bringing lots of good

news and useful information. Some of it

could involve new and innovative opportunities that

are of great interest to you. Expect a lot of discussion

that could really get your mind going. Write down

what seems most promising for you and leave the

rest for others.

AQUArIUs

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : An opportunity to

earn extra money in a creative way may

come today from an unexpected and

perhaps even previously unknown source,

Aquarius. This could come as a surprise, but you're likely

to want to take advantage of it. You could also be the lucky

recipient of a financial windfall. Someone who owes you

money might suddenly pay you back. This should

definitely be a good day for money!

pIsces

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Your physical and

mental energies overflow today, Pisces. You

may want to tackle every possible project that

could bring advancement along whatever

lines you want. Artistic endeavors, group activities, and social

events are strong possibilities, so get busy! This should also be

an exhilarating day when you accomplish a lot. Enjoy yourself

thoroughly while doing it. Go for the gold, and have fun!

MoNDAY, MArCH , 8 2021

11

Paraguay reshuffles

cabinet after violent

Covid-19 protests

ASUNCION : Paraguay's

President Mario Abdo Benitez

announced a cabinet reshuffle

Saturday after violent street

protests over the government's

handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He announced new people

would be appointed to the ministries

of health, education,

women's issues, and civil affairs.

"I am sure that the men and

women named will do their

utmost to confront this

moment of crisis that the country

is enduring," the president

said. Thousands of protestors

clashed with police late Friday,

ransacking shops and setting

cars on fire. A total of 21 people

were injured, hospital officials

said.Paraguayans are angry

over a shortage of personal protective

gear and other equipment

to confront the health crisis

and a collapse in the healthcare

system. The health minister

already resigned Friday.

Myanmar protesters rally after overnight

raids on opposition figures

YANGON : Thousands of Myanmar anti-coup

demonstrators hit the streets Sunday as the

junta regime continued its crackdown, amid

overnight raids in parts of Yangon which targeted

officials from Aung San Suu Kyi's political

party.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the

February 1 coup which ousted civilian leader

Suu Kyi from power and triggered a mass uprising

opposing the military junta regime.

Wednesday was the deadliest day so far, with

the United Nations saying at least 38 people

were gunned down as security forces fired into

crowds, shooting some protesters in the head.

The UN rights office also said it has verified at

least 54 deaths since the coup - though the actual

number could be far higher - and more than

1,700 people have been detained.

The only reports of serious injuries Sunday

were a 19-year-old man shot in the jaw and a

woman hit by rubber bullets in Bagan, the

UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its

ancient Buddhist temples."One woman was

shot with a rubber bullet in her left leg," a rescue

team member told AFP, requesting anonymity.

Security forces opened fire near the ancient city

at around 9am local time (02.30 GMT).

e-Tender Notice

"There was one (19-year-old) man who was

shot through the jaw and neck in Bagan," Ko Ko,

a member of the Bagan rescue team, told AFP. A

state-run newspaper Sunday warned people not

to join the rallies.

"The public should be careful not to get

involved in the protests to prevent the future of

their children being ruined," the Global New

Light of Myanmar said. - 'Willing to die' -

Yangon-based activist Maung Saungkha said

there were coordinated protests across multiple

cities and areas on Sunday as part of a two-day

general strike."We are willing to die for our

country," he told AFP. "This current situation is

worse (than the past regime). So do we stay

under this condition or do we fight? This time we

must fight to win. We believe that fighting

together with the young generation will get us

the victory."

On Saturday, state-run media announced that

if civil servants continued to boycott work, "they

will be fired" with immediate effect from

Monday. But demonstrators insist they will continue

to defy authorities - with protest activity

Sunday in at least seven townships across

Yangon and in five other cities and regional

towns, according to Facebook live feeds.

Pope Francis prays for 'victims

of war' in north Iraq

MOSUL : Pope Francis prayed Sunday for "victims of war" in

northern Iraq, where the Islamic State group ravaged one of

the world's oldest Christian communities until the jihadists'

defeat three years ago.

With the partially collapsed walls of the centuries-old Al-

Tahera (Immaculate Conception) Church behind him, Pope

Francis pleaded for Christians in Iraq and the Middle East to

stay in their homelands.

The 84-year-old pontiff said the "tragic" exodus of Christians

from Iraq and the wider region "does incalculable harm not

just to the individuals and communities concerned, but also to

the society they leave behind".

The IS onslaught forced hundreds of thousands of Christians

in northern Iraq's Nineveh province to flee. The country's

Christian population has shrunk to fewer than 400,000 from

around 1.5 million before the US-led invasion of 2003.

The faithful had gathered on Sunday in the courtyard of the

Al-Tahera Church, whose roof collapsed during fighting

against IS in 2017. It is one of the oldest of at least 14 churches

in Nineveh province that were destroyed by the jihadists.

The heaviest deployment of security personnel yet has been

mobilised to protect Francis in northern Iraq on what is perhaps

the riskiest day of his historic trip to a country where state

forces are still hunting IS sleeper cells.

But the Pope appeared not to be fazed, as he was driven

around Mosul's historic Old City - largely razed during the

grinding fight to dislodge the jihadists - in a golf cart.

The visit to the north embodies a cause close to the Pope's

heart: Iraq's traumatised Christian community.

Watching from afar as IS swept across Nineveh in 2014, Pope

Francis said at the time he was ready to come and meet the displaced

and other victims of war in a show of solidarity.

He finally fulfilled his promise on Sunday, holding a prayer

service in Qaraqosh, whose ancient church - named Al-Tahera,

like the one in Mosul -was torched by the jihadists, who largely

also destroyed the town itself.

Following the proper hygiene rules in Kovid-19 situation, a discussion meeting on behalf of the Department

of Family Planning was held on the occasion of the historic 7th March. Moreover visit of Bangabandhu corner

and unveiling of Bangabandhu's historic 7th March speech board were also held. Health Minister Zahid

Maleque was present as the Chief Guest on the occasion while Ali Noor, Secretary, Medical Education &

Family Welfare Division of the Ministry was present as special guest.

Photo : Courtesy

GD- 394/21 (5x 3)

GD- 398/21 (3x2)

Iqvmv- R: Z: 93/2021

GD- 391/21 (5x4)

477

e-Tender Notice (LTM)

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MÖvg kn‡ii DbœwZ

Space-starved Singapore

builds floating solar

farms in climate fight

SINGAPORE : Thousands of

panels glinting in the sun

stretch into the sea off

Singapore, part of the landscarce

city-state's push to

build floating solar farms to

cut greenhouse gas emissions.

It may be one of the

world's smallest countries,

but the prosperous financial

hub is among the biggest per

capita carbon dioxide emitters

in Asia.

And while authorities have

been pushing to change that,

renewable energy is a challenge

in a country with no

rivers for hydro-electricity

and where the wind is not

strong enough to power turbines.

So the tropical country

turned to solar power - however,

with little land space in

a place half the size of Los

Angeles, it has resorted to

setting up energy plants off

its coasts and on reservoirs.

GD- 392/21 (10x3)

Monday, Dhaka, March 8, 2021, Falgun 23, 1427 BS, Rajab 23, 1442 Hijri

Two city corporations, a ministry

fighting to liberate Dhaka from

mosquito menace

DHAKA : "I have to sit under a mosquito

net every evening to save myself

from mosquitoes," said Ismail

Hossain, a private employee living in

old town, reports UNB.

Coils are not enough for mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes have to be controlled using

various electric machines which is costly.

It is important for the city corporation

to take effective measures to control

mosquitoes, he urged.

City dwellers under two city corporation

areas, North and South, in Dhaka

have become helpless at the infestation

of mosquitoes. In comparison to other

years, mosquito infestations have

increased significantly this time, said

several citizens UNB spoke to living

under both municipalities.

Kamal Hossain, a government

employee, lives in Paltan (Dhaka

South). He told UNB that in the past

there used to be mosquito infestations at

night only. Nowadays infestations have

increased both day and night. However,

more mosquitoes attack at night than

during the day.

Mosquitoes have increased a lot in the

south of Dhaka. When asked what steps

he has taken to get rid of it, DSCC Mayor

Barrister Sheikh Taposh told UNB, "I

hope Culex mosquitoes will come under

control in the next two weeks."

"We urge the people of Dhaka to be

patient," he added. We have changed

the strategy. The activities we are taking

now, our morning activities are going on

for 4 hours, we have increased our afternoon

activities too. So, we are hopeful

that the Culex mosquito will come under

control in the next two weeks. However,

we will change our strategy for dengue

and start activities again from April.

When asked why new techniques and

pesticides were not taken earlier, he

said, "I want to clarify one thing for you

- those of us who are experts can give a

lot of great advice after something happens.

But we don't get advice on what to

do before the incident, what action to

take. We were told that since there was

an outbreak of dengue, this activity

would have to continue until December.

But that advice was wrong. With the

onset of winter, we should have taken

action against Culex mosquitoes.

Because, stagnant water was starting to

appear in many places."

"If we had got the canals two months

ago, maybe we could have speeded up

the removal of waste," Tapash said.

"Then gradually the effects of Culex

mosquitoes would decrease and we

would get results if we changed the pesticides.

Since last January, we have

started waste removal and canal cleaning

activities from the canals, through

which we have already removed about

20 km of canals from the canals. During

this time, we have removed about 2 lakh

metric tons of waste-silt."

Saiful Islam, a businessman living in

Bashundhara under Dhaka North City

Corporation, said at night the intensity

of attacks by mosquitoes is so severe that

both hands have to be used in killing

them. "Bashundhara City Corporation is

not taking any action to kill mosquitoes.

On Sunday, RAB has destroyed poppy trees cultivated on 11 bighas of land

in Bankhur area of Joypurhat Sadar upazila.

Photo : Star Mail

The wait for RUCSU election

continues

RAJSHAHI UNIVERSITY : Rajshahi

University Central Students' Union

(RUCSU) has remained dormant for

around 31 years, despite demands by

student organisations and 'promises of

election' by the authorities concerned,

reports UNB.

Rajshahi University authorities

announced to hold the polls after the

Dhaka University Central Students'

Union (DUCSU) had its long overdue

election in 2019. RU authorities held

talks on the polls for around a year but

there seems to be no progress.

Students accuse the RU authorities of

making excuses and remaining silent

about fixing a date for election. They allege

that the authorities are wasting time and

unwilling to revive the student body.

The maiden election to RUCSU was

held for 1956-57 term after the university

was established. The then name of the

union was Rajshahi University Students

Union (RUSU). After a brief hiatus during

Ayub Khan's regime, the students'

union was revived in 1962 with the

name RUCSU. Fourteen elections have

been held till date, with the last one for

the 1989-90 term.

According to the RUCSU discussion

committee, talks officially started on

February 7, 2019, with Bangladesh

Chhatra Federation's (BCF) RU unit.

Later, discussions with hall provosts

started on July 4 that year followed by

talks with students of various residential

halls. Bangladesh Chhatra League's

(BCL) RU unit General Secretary Faisal

Ahmed Runu said they demanded holding

RUCSU polls and had joined talks

with RU authorities.

He said the election can be held after

the university reopens. "It'll help students

place logical demands. We want

RUCSU election as early as possible,"

Runu told UNB.

RUCSU Andolon Manch Convener

Abdul Mojid Antor said they have been

demanding election to the student body

even before the latest DUCSU polls.

"The university administration held

talks with all student organisations and

pressured us not to protest during the

discussion. But even after the discussion

ended, there has been no initiative," he

said, adding that they would intensify

their movement after the campus

reopens. He said it would be possible to

hold RUCSU election after opening the

campus. "The administration is the only

one responsible for not holding RUCSU

polls," he said.

Bangladesh Chhatra Federation

(BCF) RU unit General Secretary

Mohabbot Hossain Milon concurred.

"The university administration isn't

interested in holding RUCSU poll.

Students were optimistic about RUCSU

poll after the discussion had started. We

talked to the convener of the discussion

committee and proctor but he didn't

show any interest," he told UNB.

An artist named Kamrul Islam is painting on the wall to highlight different aspects including freedom,

social and political personalities.

Photo : Star Mail

Country's image

comes first : CJ

on DSA

DHAKA : Chief Justice Syed

Mahmud Hossain yesterday said the

country's image is the first priority,

cautioning that bail prayers would

not be considered if the country's

image is tarnished by one's write-ups.

He came up with the caution during

the hearing of a bail petition in a

case filed under the Digital Security

Act.

About the indecent and vulgar writings

posted on social media, the chief

justice said: "How do the educated

people write those? People do satire

in the United States too, but they do

not write such vulgar words, which

are used here."

"All should remember that the

country's image is the first. If the

country's image is tarnished by one's

write-ups, his or her bail prayers will

not be considered," he warned.

An Appellate Division bench, Chief

Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain,

upheld the judgment of the High

Court that granted bail to Golam

Sarwar of Sylhet, who was arrested in

a case filed under the Digital Security

Act, on the humanitarian ground.

Deputy Attorney General Biswajit

Debnath represented for the state

during the hearing, while lawyer Md

Asaduzzaman stood for the dependant.

Ensure 6 months'

full paid maternity

leave for RMG

workers : IBC

DHAKA : The IndustriALL

Bangladesh Council (IBC) on Sunday

demanded six months' fully paid

maternity leave for workers at readymade

garment (RMG) factories.

A number of demands were raised

at a discussion marking the

International Women's Day on 'ILO

convention-190 ratification' at Dhaka

Reporters Unity (DRU).

Other demands include - ensuring

safe working environment; ratifying

ILO Convention 190; ensuring 40

percent representation of women at

every level of trade union; and stopping

sexual harassment of female

workers.

Besides, ensuring social security

including providing fund and gratuity

for women workers, not allowing

any female worker to work after

10pm as per government directives;

setting up childcare centre at every

factory and providing balanced food

and treatment for children, ensuring

equal rights; arranging scholarships

for meritorious students of working

women; formation of democratic

trade unions in accordance with ILO

Conventions 87 and 98 including

ensuring freedom of association in all

factories.

According to the written statement,

women working in RMG factories get

four months' maternity leave, while

women working at government institutions

get six months.

Protest against Mushtaq's

death: 6 activists get bail

DHAKA : A Dhaka court on

Sunday granted bail to six of the

seven leftist student leaders and

activists arrested for protesting

against the death of writer

Mushtaq Ahmed.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate

Rajesh Chowdhury granted the

bail order around 1pm.

The six students are - Md

Tamjid Haider, Nozib Amir

Chowdhury Joy, Md Akib Ahmed,

Arafat Saad, Nazifa Jannat and

Joyoti Chakravarty. No bail petition

was filed for the seventh

accused ASM Tanjimur Rahman,

reports UNB.

On February 27, police filed a

case against seven people who

were arrested from Shahbagh on

February 26 for obstructing police

from carrying out their duties.

On February 26, at least 35 people

were injured in a clash

between police and activists of the

left-leaning organisations who

gathered in Dhaka University area

for a torchlight procession.

Their demands include abolition

of the Digital Security Act and

investigation into the death of

Mushtaq.

Mushtaq's death in custody

Mushtaq reportedly suffered a

heart attack inside his cell at

Kashimpur prison on the evening

of Feb 25.

He was taken to Shahid

Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College

Hospital where doctors pronounced

him dead, Senior Jail

Superintendent Md Gias Uddin

said.

On March 4 this year, Home

Minister Asaduzzaman Khan

Kamal told the media that

Mushtaq's death was natural.

An unnatural death case was

filed at Gazipur Metropolitan

Police's Sadar Police Station in

connection with Mushtaq's death.

The 53-year-old writer, who

published the book "Kumir

Chaasher Diary" under the pen

name Michael Kumir Thakur, was

picked up by RAB from his

Lalmatia home on May 2, 2020,

for allegedly criticising the handling

of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On August 20 last year, he was

shifted to Kashimpur prison.

Calls for Mushtaq's release were

widespread and sustained

throughout his time in prison.

Soon after his arrest, more than

300 dignitaries in Bangladesh

issued a joint statement demanding

his release, including cartoonist

Ahmed Kishore.

However, his bail applications

were turned down on at least four

occasions.

Women leadership

crucial in dealing

with effects of

pandemic: Speaker

DHAKA : Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin

Chaudhury on Sunday said that

women leadership is crucial in dealing

with the adverse effect of Covid-19 in

Bangladesh.

She said half of the population is

women. Their contribution in terms of

social and economic aspects is undeniable.

Involvement of women in the

mainstream is essential for the establishment

of an egalitarian society,

inclusive and sustainable development,

she said.

In addition to managing the family,

women are constantly proving their

worth in the workplace. The Speaker

called upon all to work for the

advancement of women leadership in

various sectors by formulating innovative

policies.

She came up with these remarks

while speaking as the chief guest at a

discussion titled 'Women in

Leadership: What Does It Take'

organised by UN Bangladesh at

Bangabandhu Int’l Conference Center

in the capital.

March 7 crucially

significant for the

Bengali nation : Taposh

DHAKA : Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor

Taposh, Mayor of Dhaka South City

Corporation paid homage to Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman by placing wreath at

the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum

at Dhanmondi-32 yesterday morning.

"The Historic March 7 is important

and momentous for the Bengali nation.

On this day in 1971, the undisputed

leader of the Bengali nation,

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

turned an unarmed nation to an armed

one for waging for independence, with

his historical speech," he said this while

paying homage to Bangabandhu, said a

press release. "As a result of

Bangabandhu's earth shattering epic ,

delivered on March 7, we achieved our

desired independence through the great

war of liberation," he added.

"The nation is celebrating golden

jubilee of the historic speech as well as

country's independence together… I pay

my respects to Bangabandhu, all freedom

fighters and national leaders who

made their supreme sacrifice or our

freedom through liberation struggle,"

Taposh said,

In reply to a query of a reporter about

BNP's celebration of the historic 7

March Taposh said, "Despite delay, they

have come to realize that the historic

days are inextricably linked with the

nation and its freedom." "They (BNP)

tried for a long to erase the history of the

liberation war but could not succeed

and again they have come to understand

even if it is late' the mayor said.

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

08-03-2021

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