25-03-2021

tHursday

Dhaka : March 25, 2021; Chaitra 11, 1427 BS; Shaban 10,1442 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.Da~2065, Vol.17; N o. 342; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

InternatIonal

Three dead in 5.4-

magnitude quake in

Xinjiang : state media

>Page 7

sports

Shakib begins his

preparation for IPL

in Bangladesh

>Page 9

art & culture

Bipasha's new

movie 'Jar Noyonay

Jar Lage Bhalo'

>Page 10

Nation to observe

'Genocide Day' today

DHAKA : The nation is set to observe

the 'Genocide Day' today in remembrance

of the brutality carried out by

Pakistani Army on the unarmed

Bangalees on the black night of March

25 in 1971 under the infamous

"Operation Searchlight".

The government and political, social

and cultural organizations have drawn

up various programmes to observe the

day with due respect, maintaining the

health guidelines in the wake of the

global pandemic coronavirus.

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate

messages on the eve of the 'Genocide

Day' paying rich tributes to the martyrs

of the 1971 genocide.

To mark the day, the country is set to

stage a one-minute blackout from 9 pm

to 9.01 pm on March 25 recalling the

horror of the March 25, 1971 black night

when the Pakistanis launched genocide

on Bangladesh soil, said a press release.

A discussion will be held on the

"Gonohotya Dibos" (Day of

Genocide)"at 10:00 am at National

Museum in the capital marking the day.

Discussions and memorial programmes

will be arranged at the all

educational institutions while rare photos

and documentaries on mass killing

will be exhibited on the premises of all

the city corporations including Dhaka.

Newspapers will publish special supplements

and television channels will

air special programmes highlighting

the significance of the day.

Bangladesh reports new

high of 3,567 Corona

cases; 25 more die

DHAKA : Covid-19 claimed 25 more

lives and infected 3,567 others in the

past 24 hours until Wednesday morning

amid an alarming spike in the case

over the last few weeks in Bangladesh,

reports UNB.

The coronavirus fatalities rose to

8,763 with the latest figure while the

new cases pushed the total infections to

580,808, according to a handout of the

Directorate General of Health Services

(DGHS).

With the fresh 3,537 cases,

Bangladesh has seen the worst daily

increase for the 2nd consecutive day

since July 15, 2020.

The free movement of people ignoring

the health protocols is believed to be

the reason behind the recent upsurge in

the cases. The infection rate slightly

dropped to 12.97 percent from 13.69

percent a day before. The mortality rate

now stands at 1.51 percent which

remained static at 1.52 percent for the

past four days, the said.

Zohr

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People from all walks of life seen in long queue at Mugda Medical College Hospital to test

corona. The photo is taken on Wednesday.

Photo : Star Mail

3,000 more hospital beds to be ready

for Covid patients:Minister

DHAKA : Three thousand more beds

will be added to hospitals across the

country in the wake of sharp rise in

coronavirus cases, said Health Minister

Zahid Maleque on Wednesday.

The minister revealed this while

responding to questions from reporters

following a meeting on MBBS admission

test at his ministry's conference

room, reports UNB.

"The number of Covid patients need

to be reduced fast. If the current rate of

virus infection continues, it won't be

possible to tackle the situation with the

existing arrangements," he said.

"We've turned some non-Covid hospitals

into Corona dedicated hospitals.

We've also issued instructions to

increase beds at Lalkuthi Hospital,

Mohanagar Hospital, Government

Employees Hospital and Kurmitola

Hospital," the minister said. Outside

Dhaka, the concerned authorities in

Tongi, Gazipur and Tangail have also

been asked to take necessary measures,

he said, adding, "If we can do these,

we'll be able to create 3000 new beds."

Asked if there is any decision on any

general holiday or lockdown in a situation

where the number of corona cases

is on the rise, he said no decision has

been taken yet. "This decision will come

from the top level. If any decision is

taken, we'll inform [you]."

In order to control the spread of

Covid-19 infections, the minister said,

there is no alternative to reducing public

gatherings and social events.

In this regard, he said the Health

Ministry has circulated guidelines and

recommendations to responsible ministries

and government offices to reduce

BNP instigates those against

Indian PM's visit: Hasan

DHAKA : Information and Broadcasting

Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday

said BNP is instigating those who are

against Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh.

"BNP has been pursuing the politics of

anti-India for long . . . And it is not supportive

for the development and progress

of Bangladesh," he said, addressing the

triennial conference of Sapahar upazila

Awami League of Naogaon district

through video conference from his official

residence in the capital.

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra

Majumder, Awami League (AL) organizing

secretary SM Kamal Hossain,

health affairs secretary Dr Rokeya

Begum and Shahiduzzaman Sarker,

MP, among others, addressed the conference

with Sapahar upazila AL president

Shamsul Alam Shah in the chair.

Hasan said BNP secretary general

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has raised a

question - 'why the Indian premier is

coming to Bangladesh?' In fact, the BNP

and Jamaat, especially BNP, have made

their position clear by raising the question

that they are instigating those who

are against Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka, he

added.

The minister said BNP could not back

from its anti-India politics. "We need

good relations with the nighbours for

the progress of the country.

"Development and progress are not

possible without good relations with the

country which is surrounding us from

three sides," said Hasan, also AL joint

general secretary. He said BNP has

raised the question as the party doesn't

want the development of Bangladesh.

"I would like to request BNP to comeback

to proper politics instead of raising

such questions. It is not favourable for

the development and progress of the

country," he said.

Hasan said the nation is going to celebrate

the golden jubilee of independence

when the country got the final recommendation

from the United Nations for

transition to a developing nation from the

least developed country (LDC) status.

He said Bangladesh is heading towards

becoming a developed state by 2041

under the leadership of Bangabandhu's

daughter Sheikh Hasina.

The minister urged the leaders and

activists of the AL to be more humble in

their behavior so that the common people

are not hurt.

Sadhan Chandra urged all to be united

to materialize the dream of Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman under the supervision of Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina.

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public gatherings. "Mobile courts will

impose fines on people if they don't follow

health guidelines," he said.

During the briefing, the minister reiterated

that people should not be relaxed

after vaccination as it does not ensure

full safety against Covid-19.

"Vaccine will boost the immunity, will

reduce the mortality risk, and we're yet

to start administering the second dose,"

he said.

Hasina to South Asian leaders

Work together for

common prosperity

Actions to be taken, if Rohingyas

involved in fire incident : Kamal

UKHIA, Cox's Bazar : Home Minister

Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday

warned that if involvement of Rohingyas

is found in the fire incident in Rohingya

camps, they would be brought to book.

He made the remarks during his visit

to the fire ravaged Rohingya camp at

Balukhali in Ukhiya, Cox's Baxar.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has

given you shelter. She(Prime Minister)

is with you and the government is doing

everything for your safe repatriation,"

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina on Wednesday urged the South

Asian leaders to work together to build

a prosperous South Asia, reports UNB.

"At this auspicious moment of celebrating

the birth centenary of the

Father of the Nation and the Golden

Jubilee of our Independence, I call

upon the political leaders and policymakers

of South Asia to work hand in

hand to build a peaceful and prosperous

South Asia," she said.

The Prime Minister said this while

addressing a programme arranged at

the city's National Parade Square,

marking the birth centenary of Father

of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman and the Golden

Jubilee of Bangladesh's Independence.

Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr. Lotay

Tshering was present at the event as the

guest of honour.

Sheikh Hasina said South Asia is a

home to about a quarter of the world

population. As much as there are challenges,

there are a lot of possibilities as

well in this region. The people of this

region possess unbelievable spirit,

innovation, and the ability to survive

against natural disasters.

"We can easily improve the fate of the

people of South Asia by utilising the

resources we've been endowed through

exhibiting mutual cooperation. If we

work together for the betterment of our

people, South Asia will surely be flourished

as one of the most prosperous

regions in the world," she said.

"In Bangladesh, we're working relentlessly

to establish the hunger- povertyfree

non-communal 'Golden Bangladesh'

of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she said.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh

has already received the final recommendation

to shift from a Least Developed

Country to developing country status.

She said Bangladesh will be a highermiddle

income country by 2031 and a

developed and prosperous one by 2041.

Kamal said. "Many of you have lost your

relatives in the unexpected fire. We are

here to express our condolences," he

added. The minister said many local

families were also affected by the fire.

They will also be given the support

and assistance so that they can overcome

the loss quickly, he added.

Later, the minister distributed various

relief items arranged by Rapid Action

Battalion (RAB) among the victims of

the gutted camp.

In Bogura, certificates were distributed among the ultra-poor women after

providing them training on tailoring.

Photo : Star Mail

Man killed over land

dispute in Lalmonirhat

LALMONIRHAT : A man was hacked to death

allegedly by his elder brother over a land

dispute at Kismat Duhli village in Kaliganj

upazila of Lalmonirhat district on Tuesday

night.

The deceased was identified as Akkas Ali, 42,

son of abdus Salam, reports UNB.

Arju Mohammad Sazzad Hossain, officer-incharge

of Kaliganj Police Station, said Akkas

and his elder brother Soleman Mia were at

loggerheads over the ownership of a piece of

land.

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On Tuesday night, an argument broke out

between the two over the land and it soon

turned violent. In a fit of rage, Soleman hit

Akkas with an axe on his head, leaving him

critically injured, the OC said.

Akkas was taken to Kaliganj Upazila Helath

Complex and subsequently shifted to Rangpur

Medical College and Hospital, where doctors

declared him dead on arrival.

The body has been sent to the hospital

morgue for an autopsy. "Efforts are on to nab

the accused, who is on run," the OC said.

Man gets life term

for killing father in

Natore

NATORE : A Natore court on Wednesday convicted a man and

sentenced him to life term imprisonment for killing his father in

2015, reports UNB.

The convict is Sentu Sarkar, son of Golzar Sarkar of

Bagatipara upazila in Natore district. The court also fined him

Tk 20,000, in default, to suffer one year more rigorous

imprisonment.

According to the prosecution, Golzar, father of the convict,

had an altercation with his wife over a trifling matter on

January 9, 2015. At one stage, Sentu hit Golzar with a sharp

weapon, leaving him dead on the spot. A case was filed later.

After examining the records and witnesses, Natore District

and Sessions Judge Abdur Rahman Sardar handed down the

verdict.

2 killed in Chattogram road crash

CHATTOGRAM : Two people were killed as a truck hit a lorry

in Barobkunda area of Sitakunda upazila on Dhaka-Chittagong

highway on Wednesday, reports UNB.

The deceased are- truck driver Md Mahbub,32, son of

Motaleb of Dougachhi area in Naogaon distirct and his helper

Md Habib,25, hailing from the same district.

Highway police said the goods-laden truck hit the stationary

lorry from behind in the morning, leaving the duo dead on the

spot. Sitakunda fire service senior station officer Nurul Alam

Dulal said they recovered two bodies and handed over those to

Baro Aulia police station.

70-year-old man held for

violating child in Jeshore

BENAPOLE : Police have arrested a 70-year old man for

violating a child at Dhantara village in Sarsha upazila of Jeshore

district, reports UNB.

Police arrested Abu Siddique Gazi from his house on Tuesday

night. Sharsha police station officer-in-charge Badrul Alam

Khan said the child was sexually abused when she was playing

near a fish enclosure owned by Abu Siddique on Tuesday

evening. When the girl's mother went there in search of her

daughter the rapist fled away. Victim's uncle filed a rape case

against Abu Siddique. During interrogation the rapist confessed

to his guilt, said the OC.

5 dead, 10 injured after bus

rolls into ditch in NE China

HARBIN : Five people have been confirmed dead and 10 others

injured after a passenger bus with 16 people on board rolled

over and fell into a road-side ditch in Hailun City, northeast

China's Heilongjiang Province, reports BSS

The accident happened at 7 a.m. Wednesday. The injured

have been sent to hospital. The bus driver has been detained by

the police. An investigation of the accident is underway.

Netanyahu claims

Israel vote win but

majority uncertain

JERUSALEM : Prime

Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu has claimed

victory following Israel's

fourth election in less than

two years but the deeply

divisive leader may again

struggle to form a governing

majority.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest

serving premier, had hoped

that Tuesday's vote would

finally allow him to unite a

right-wing coalition behind

him, after three inconclusive

elections since 2019.

He campaigned on a worldleading

coronavirus

vaccination effort that has

already inoculated roughly

half of Israel's roughly nine

million people, a pace envied

by much of the world.

Projections based on exit

polls from Israel's three

leading broadcasters, which

could change, all show

Netanyahu's right-wing

Likud winning the most seats

in Israel's 120-seat

parliament, the Knesset.

If the projections reflect the

final results expected later

this week, Likud could win 30

or 31 seats.

Adding Likud's hawkish,

religious allies, the pro-

Netanyahu camp could

control more than 50 seats.

But his only path to a viable

right-wing coalition appears

to rest on a deal with his

estranged former protege

Naftali Bennett, who has not

ruled out joining a bloc

opposed to the premier.

Netanyahu described

Tuesday's projected results as

a "huge win for the right" and

his Likud party.

"I will reach out to all

elected officials who share our

principles.

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THURSdAy, MARcH 25, 2021

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Poland hits daily coronavirus

case record

WARSAW : Poland on Wednesday reported

29,978 coronavirus infections in the past 24

hours - a record since the start of the pandemic

- as the government promised to toughen the

current partial lockdown, reports BSS.

There were also 575 Covid-related deaths,

the health ministry said.

"The toughest period is ahead of us," Prime

Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters

from a temporary hospital in comments

broadcast on Polish television.

Morawiecki said new restrictions over the

Easter period would be announced on

Thursday. The previous daily infection record

was 27,875 on November 7 last year. The

actual number of infections, including those

that were not officially recorded, is believed to

have been higher earlier in 2020 at the start of

the pandemic. Morawiecki said there was a 75

percent occupancy rate on Covid wards and

reserves from the military and fire brigade

were being called in to assist medical staff.

Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said the

situation was acute in Mazovia, a central

region that includes the capital Warsaw, and

the industrial region of Silesia in the south.

"Unfortunately, these signals today are

prompting us to think very seriously about

tightening sanctions. We are considering

whether to do it regionally or nationally,"

Niedzielski told the Wirtualna Polska network.

Poland earlier this month re-imposed a

series of restrictions to combat the wave of

infections.

A devastative fire broke out at Ganakpara of Rajshahi city yesterday.

Photo : Star Mail

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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

3

Dhaka, Thimphu can explore new

areas of cooperation: President

DHAKA : Dhaka and Thimphu can

explore new areas of cooperation

including, information and

communication technology,

agriculture, horticulture, tourism and

fisheries to enhance trade and

investment between the two friendly

countries.

President M Abdul Hamid yesterday

said this when the visiting Bhutanese

Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering paid

a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban.

"Bangladesh and Bhutan have

excellent cooperation in the areas of

trade and commerce, connectivity,

education, cultural exchange, peopleto-people

contact and tourism . . . The

two sides can explore new more areas

of cooperation in ICT, agriculture,

horticulture and fisheries," the

President told the visiting foreign

guests.

Later, President's Press Secretary Md

Joynal Abedin briefed the media after

the meeting. Recalling the support of

Bhutan during the Liberation War in

1971, President Hamid expressed his

gratitude to the Bhutanese government

and its people.

"Bhutan is a very faithful friend of

Bangladesh," the head of the state

mentioned, adding that Bangladesh

has an excellent bilateral relations with

Bhutan and the existing relation is

strengthening day by day.

Bangladesh President thanked the

Bhutanese premier for attending the

twin mega celebrations -Bangladesh

independence's golden jubilee and the

birth centenary of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Tshering arrived here yesterday

morning on a three-day official visit to

attend the two historic mega

celebrations. The President also gave

special thanks to the Bhutanese

government and its people for

arranging different programmes in his

country marking Bangladesh

independence's golden jubilee and

Bangabandhu's birth centenary

celebrations as the country lighted

thousand of lamps and also released

commemorative stamps on the

occasion.

Before starting the bilateral talks, the

Bhutanese premier also presented the

commemorative stamps to President

Hamid.

Dr Tshering thanked the Bangladesh

government for inviting him on the

auspicious occasion.

The Bhutanese premier lauded

Bangladesh's tremendous progress in

different sectors, especially in socioeconomic

sector and women

empowerment in Bangladesh, under

the charismatic leadership of Prime


Bangladesh Railways Minister Md

Nurul Islam Sujon and secretaries

concerned to the foreign ministry and

Bangabhaban, among others, were

present on the occasion.

Southeast University (SEU) organized an online discussion session titled "Students'

Preparation for Higher Education: Role of Principals" on Monday. Prof. Dr. AFM Mafizul

Islam, Vice Chancellor of SEU chaired the session while Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury, MP,

Deputy Education Minister was the Chief Guest. Prof. Dr. ANM Meshquat Uddin, Adviser to

BOT, SEUT delivered the keynote speech. Mr. Mohammad Imtiaj, Director, BCPR, SEU delivered

the welcome speech. SEU Registrar, Deans, Chairmen, Directors, faculty members, officials

and Principals and teachers of colleges & technical institutes from all over the country

were present in the discussion program.

Photo : Courtesy

Hat-bazaars and shops were closed on Wednesday along the 230-kilometer

stretch of the Teesta River, demanding speedy implementation

of the Teesta Accord and master plan to save the Teesta from desertification.

The picture is taken from Gangachara Teesta Bridge in Rangpur

on Wednesday.

Photo: PBA

BNP blames govt for virus surge

DHAKA : BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday alleged that

the coronavirus transmission rate is increasing alarmingly in Bangladesh due to the

government's "failure" to take necessary measures to tackle it, reports UNB.

"Coronavirus has now been spreading fast, though the Prime Minister was awarded for

containing it. The virus cases are increasing again as the government has not done all the

necessary works to control it," he said.

The BNP leader came up with the remarks at a discussion programme arranged by pro-

BNP student leaders of Ducsu and All Party Students Unity (Apsu) of the 90s at the Jatiya

Press Club, marking March 24 a 'black day' as military ruler HM Ershad grabbed power in a

coup on that day in 1982. Fakhrul said the Covid-infected people are struggling for treatment

due to the crisis of ICU beds in hospitals. "Why has such a crisis has been created? What have

you (govt) done over the last one year?"

Titas gas

official jailed

in graft case

DHAKA : A Dhaka court on

Wednesday sentenced an

official of Titas Gas

Transmission and

Distribution Company

Limited to six-year

imprisonment in a graft case

filed by Anti-Corruption

Commission (ACC).

Judge Sheikh Hafizur

Rahman of Dhaka Special

Judge Court-9 passed the

order, convicting and

sentencing Abdul Motaled

to four-year rigorous

imprisonment and fined

him Taka 27.82 lakh under

section 27 (1) of the ACC Act

and two-year simple

imprisonment and fined

him Taka 50 thousand

under 27 (2) of the act.

The court in its order said

both the sentences would

run concurrently, meaning

the convict has to suffer

four-year imprisonment in

total.

According to the case

documents, the ACC filed

the case against Motaleb on

November 3, 2016, for

concealing information

about wealth of Taka 27.84

lakh and amassing illegal

wealth of Taka 39.12 lakh.

The anti-graft body on

October 8, 2017, filed the

formal charge in the case.

Medtronic Bangladesh Pvt Ltd., a global leader in medical technology, services, and solutions, has

donated kidney dialysis accessories to Gonoshasthaya Kendra for its kidney dialysis center

"Gonoshasthaya Dialysis Centre (GDC)." In the spirit of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence,

50 patients currently being diagnosed with kidney diseases are set to be benefitted with

the affordable healthcare services.

Photo : Courtesy

Trader shot

dead in Dhaka

DHAKA : A trader was shot

dead at Ainushbagh

Chandnagar in Dakkhin

Khan area of the capital on

Wednesday over previous

enmity, reports UNB.

Police arrested six people,

including the suspected

killer, and seized two

firearms soon after the

incident.

The deceased was

identified as Abdur

Rashid,35, son of Abdul

Mannan and a resident of

Ainushbagh Chandnagar

area. He had a business of

rod and cement.

Rashid had an altercation

with Aminul Islam Hannan

alias Japani Hannan in front

of Hannan's house in the

area around 11:30 am, said

Deputy Commissioner

(Uttara Division) of Dhaka

Metropolitan Police Md

Shahidullah.

At one stage, Hannan

went into his house and then

came out with a shotgun and

fired targeting Abdur

Rashid, he said .

Local people rescued

bullet-hit Rashid and took

him to a nearby hospital

where doctors declared him

dead.

Protesting the incident,

local people set fire to a

vehicle of Japani Hannan

parked in front of his house.

Md Shahidullah said a

shotgun and a pistol were

recovered searching

Hannan's home after the

incident.

It was not ascertained

immediately whether the

two firearms are licensed or

not. Replying to a question,

DC Shahidullah said though

they are yet to confirm about

Hannan's exact political

identity but he used to

introduce himself as a leader

of the ruling party.

The body was sent to

Suhrawardy Medical College

Hospital morgue for

autopsy.

Pope congratulates

Bangladesh on

Golden Jubilee

DHAKA : Pope Francis has

offered his heartfelt

greetings to Bangladesh

leadership and the people of

the country, reports UNB.

He conveyed greetings to

Bangladesh President Abdul

Hamid, Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina and the

people of Bangladesh on the

occasions of the birth

centenary of the Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

and the Golden Jubilee of

Bangladesh's Independence.

Recalling the legacies of

Bangabandhu in promoting

respect for different

traditions and communities

and a culture of dialogue; the

Pope wished for an

abundance of divine

blessings for "Golden

Bangladesh" and its citizens,

according to the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs.

Dhaka's air quality continues

to be 'unhealthy'.

DHAKA : Dhaka's air quality continues to be

'unhealthy'. On Wednesday, Dhaka

occupied the third position in the list of

world cities with the worst air quality. The

capital's air quality index (AQI) was recorded

at 198 around 11.35 am.

India's Delhi and Nepal's Kathmandu

occupied the first two positions in the list,

with AQI scores of 266 and 213, respectively,

reports UNB.

An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered

'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.

Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is

said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to

400 is considered 'hazardous', posing

serious health risks to residents.

AQI, an index for reporting daily air

quality, is used by government agencies to

inform people how clean or polluted the

air of a certain city is, and what associated

health effects might be a concern for them.

In Bangladesh, the overall AQI is based

on five criteria pollutants - Particulate

Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2,

and Ozone (O3). The Department of

Environment has also set national

ambient air quality standards for these

pollutants.

The densely populated capital of

Bangladesh has long been grappling with air

pollution issues. The air quality usually

improves during monsoon.

A report by the Department of

Environment (DoE) and the World Bank in

March 2019 pointed out that the three main

sources of air pollution in Dhaka "are brick

kilns, fumes from vehicles and dust from

construction sites".

Air pollution consistently ranks among

the top risk factors for death and disability

worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long

been recognised as increasing a person's

chances of developing heart disease,

chronic respiratory diseases, lung

infections and cancer, according to several

studies.

As per the World Health Organization

(WHO), air pollution kills an estimated

seven million people worldwide every year,

largely as a result of increased mortality from

stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute

respiratory infections.

Over 80 percent living in urban areas

which monitor air pollution are exposed to

air quality levels that exceed WHO guideline

limits, with low- and middle-income

countries most at risk.

Purchase body okays 6 proposals

including import of LNG, rice

DHAKA : The Cabinet Committee on Public

Purchase on Wednesday approved 6

procurement proposals including import of

3.36 million MMBtus (million British

thermal units) of liquefied compressed gas

(LNG) from US-based Excelarate Energy LP,

reports UNB.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal

presided over the Cabinet body meeting.

As per the proposal placed by Energy and

Mineral Resources Division, state-owned

Petrobangla will import the bulk LNG from

the US company at Tk 218.07 crore.

Each MMBtu of LNG will cost $6.53 in the

import.

The committee approved a proposal of the

Food Ministry to import 50,000 metric tons

of non-Bashmoti parboiled rice from P.K

Agri Link Private Limited, India, at a cost of

about Tk 177.11 crore.

A proposal of Dhaka Water Supply and

Sewerage Authority (DWASA) received the

nod of the committee to award a Tk 777.40

crore contract to CAMC Engineering Co.

Ltd., China for installation of 14 km

transmission line for supply of refined water

to Baridhara from Gandharbopur Water

Treatment plant.

The Dhaka WASA will award the contract

to the Chinese firm under package-2 of its

Dhaka Environmentally Sustainable Water

Supply (DESWS) project.

Three proposals of the Roads Transport

and High Division received nods of the

committee.

As per the proposals, a contract of Tk

112.67 crore will be awarded to Joint Venture

of (1) Md. Moyenuddin (Bashi) Limited (2)

Nabarun Traders Limited for works of

Package -PW-3 of improvement of

Bhola(Parantalukderhat)-Charfasion

(Charmanika) local roads to regional

highway.

The Roads and High Way Department will

award Tk 118.64 crore contract to Joint

Venture of 1. Md. Badrul Iqbal Ltd, 2.

Hassan Techno Builders Ltd., and 3. Oyster

Construction and Shipping Company Ltd.,

for the works under the package-PW-06 of

the same project.

ThursDAY, MArch 25, 2021

4

50 years of independence: Is the country on the right track?

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Strange unconcern about

surging corona threat

Afresh and what now appears to be a more

deadlier spike in the cases of Covid-19 cases is

noted. Experts including our top medical

advisers as well as even the PM's personal doctor have

all been screaming for all to hear that Bangladesh faces

very possibly the worst scenario in relation to upswing

in Corona cases sooner than later. But the response to

it all is worryingly very little or none at all.

It was publicized through the media that police was

getting ready to strictly enforce the laws against

observing violation of the observance of safety

measures against Corona such as compulsorily wearing

masks in public places or face fining and other penalties

in cases of not doing so. Super spreader events such as

fairs, waz mehfils, processions, funeral marches, etc.

were to be either banned or severely regulated. But in

reality all of these bangsultimately proved to be mere

whimpers. For police are seen merely distributing free

masks to people on roads and telling them in gentle

voice to wear them. No fining or paying of other

penalties for violation as if people in this country have

become so well inclined all on a sudden to do what is

best for them without someone warning them that

actual coercion would be applied for non compliance.

Thus, the stage is now being set for the most carefree

attitude of people when the corona threat is spreading

too fast and too dangerously. This unconcern and most

easy going attitude is very shocking to say the least.

The people need to be exhorted, advised and

discouraged not to give up on the new normal habits

they developed during the height of the pandemic last

year. It should be firmly printed in the mass psyche

that people must continue with the habit of wearing

masks, remaining indoors as much as possible,

washing hands frequently and observing social

distancing even after taking the vaccine. Government

must go for stricter enforcement activities to these

ends. Clearly, police and others have become

mysteriously unaware or lackadaisical about

enforcement activities after being seen relatively more

serous during certain times last year.

Our policy makers must become dead serious

'immediately' to formulate short term, mid term and

longer term policies against the Corona threat to be

applied without a pause and admitting no exceptions. It

is imperative to rethink opening of the vulnerable

sectors too abruptly or widely. The resorts, hotels and

motels of prime tourism venues of the country

reportedly are overflowing with people these days. Such

crowding can be a fertile source of social transmission

of the disease. We think it is high time to restrict once

again the visiting of people in such great number to the

tourist and recreation spots.

The tourism and recreation related business need to

be ordered not to admit any more than half of their

capacities and to observe preventive measures

stringently. Law enforcement authorities should be

required to monitor compliance with this order or not.

Such restrictions need to be imposed and monitored

immediately and unfailingly in all assemblages such as

mosques, religious events, fairs, etc. We believe that the

restriction must also be imposed on how many people

will be allowed every day in the Ekushey Book Fair and

similar places of public gathering. Maintaining of social

distancing and other preventive activities rigorously

must be made mandatory.

The celebration of the two Eids are nearing that

would involve huge number of people travelling to and

from various destinations before and after the Eid

holidays. The authorities ought to realize that such

events work like super spreaders. Our leadership from

the highest level need to take decisions well in advance

and implement them to discourage people in the

greatest number from travelling during the two

upcoming Eids.

Cooperation of the employers may be sought by the

government to motivate their employees not to go to

village homes. A bearable monetary incentive can be

paid to this end both by the government and private

employers. Such steps will need to be accompanied by

dissemination of publicities such as saving of money,

avoidance of physical hardships, etc. by not making

such travels for at least this year in the greater interest

of the nation.

Reportedly, a new variant of Covid-19 from UK has

been detected in Bangladesh. This variant is 70 per cent

more dangerous in causing deaths and increasing

social transmissions compared to the older variants

found both in Bangladesh and UK. Understandably,

many other countries stopped incoming and outgoing

flights to UK after detection of this new variant whereas

we are continuing these flights with enthusiasm, it

seems. Attention from the highest level to this matter

is extremely important. If we fail to suspend such flights

immediately, at least it should be absolutely ensured

that those who arrive from UK will be unfailingly

required to go through quarantine, testing, tracing and

other measures.

The 26th of

March this year

marks the 50th

anniversary of the

country's

independence.

Various colorful

events are being held

across the country to

commemorate this important milestone in

the history of the country. In this short span

of 50 years, the country and the nation have

witnessed many incidents and accidents,

ups and downs. Some of these events at

different points of its historic trajectory have

shaken the entire nation and maybe

changed its course. Sometimes the nation

has been broken into tears; sometimes it has

been aroused in anticipation of a splendid

future. Although 50 years is not a very long

range in a nation's life --- maybe just one

generation in terms of average life

expectancy, yet this half-century milestone

must be raising this question in front of a

nation that has a millennial tradition of selfrespect

and had to break the shackles of

subjugation to regain its independence: 'Is

the country on the right track?'

Bengalis is a fighting nation. They have

never happily accepted in history the

subjugation of an external force. After the

subjugation of the British in 1757, they have

desperately tried again and again to untie

the shackles of subjugation through a

number of movements including sepoy

revolt, fakir-sannyasi revolt, bamboo fort

movement of Titumir and Faraizi

movement of Haji Shariatullah. It was none

but the the Muslims of Bengal who provided

the main supply of the anti-British

movement, through which the Muslims

acquired for them the independent,

separate homeland called Pakistan in 1947.

The success achieved in Bengal in the

elections of 1937 and 1946 served as the key

driving force of the Pakistan movement of

the Muslim League on those days.

Unfortunately, in an independent Pakistan

that had been achieved through so many

sacrifices, they soon realized that the desired

independence of the Bengalis had not yet

been achieved.

What had been the aspirations of the

people of this land? Why did they have to get

independent twice? Why did they have to

turn away from the Pakistan earned by

themselves? The contempt to distinct ethnic

identity and culture of the Bengalis and

growing political-economic inequality

between East and West forced them to feel

neglected in the structure of Pakistan. The

manifestation of individual identity through

the language movement of 1952 took the

form of a demand for self-rule in the late 60s

through the 6-point movement of

Bangabandhu. The refusal of Bhutto and

Yahya Khan to accept the mandate given by

the people in the elections of 1970 served as

a firebrand. The demand for selfgovernment

turned into the demand for

independence. When Bangabandhu

shouted at the then racecourse ground on 7

March, 1971, 'This time the struggle is for

our freedom, this time the struggle is for

independence', the people of this land

understood, even in the face of an uncertain

future, that their struggle has reached a

decisive stage. The crackdown of the

Pakistani forces on the unarmed masses

India is taking apart the Internet

The world's largest democracy has an

Internet problem. More specifically,

it has a problem with censorship on

the Internet.

While all eyes have been trained on the

far-reaching powers of Silicon Valley

Internet giants, the government of Prime

Minister Narendra Modi is steadily

curbing basic Internet freedoms for

India's more than 1 billion citizens - and

delivering a salutary warning to the rest of

the world that the connections afforded by

digital technology are not to be taken for

granted.

The latest salvo in India's increasing

digital authoritarianism is the prospective

crackdown on cryptocurrencies such as

Bitcoin. A bill is soon to go before

Parliament proposing to make trading,

mining, issuing, transferring or

possessing cryptocurrency a criminal

offense. Analysts believe the bill will pass

into law, which means India would have

some of the strictest cryptocurrency laws

in the world.

Even China, which prohibits trade in

crypto-coins, has not criminalized owning

them. If and when the bill passes, Indian

citizens will have six months to liquidate

their holding or face punishment that

could include up to 10 years in jail.

The cryptocurrency bill is only one

element in a flurry of government activity

over the past year. With India attracting

more investment from foreign technology

companies, the government is moving

forward with a bill that forces companies

to share data with the country or else shut

up shop.

Dr MohAMMAD DiDAre AlAM Muhsin

instead of stepping on the path of

negotiation made independence inevitable.

After a final defeat in the 9-month war, the

Pak army ultimately realized that they were

fighting against the hopes and aspirations of

an entire nation, not just one or two political

parties or their cadres.

As the country finally became

independent in return for the sacrifices of

inumerous martyrs and the honor of

countless mothers and sisters and

Bangabandhu returned to the country with

skyrocketing popularity, the country now

had to face a new but difficult challenge. The

challenge was to restore peace and order

throughout the war-torn country and to

build this newly independent country up to

the desires and aspirations of the nation.

Many had weapons in their hands, which

needed to be brought under state control as

soon as possible. Due to the war, all kinds of

infrastructures including roads, bridges and

culverts were destroyed all over the country;

many people became homeless; many

farmers did not have the resources like oxen

or plows for farming. The miscreants were

looting the furnitures and equipment of

offices and factories in different parts of the

country. The Pakistanis left the country's

economy hollow. In the last days of the war,

the West Pakistanis transferred almost all of

their trade money to West. Consider an

example: Pakistan International Airlines

left exactly 117 rupees ($16) in its account in

the port city of Chittagong. In addition to the

economy, all sectors including food,

education, healthcare had to be repaired

and rebuilt. Besides, it was essential to build

friendly relations with the whole world by

promoting Bangladesh as a peace-loving

country. Bangabandhu had only a short

span of about three and a half years to face

this huge challenge before his tragic

assassination. History will judge how

successful he had been in facing this

challenge. However, there is no denying

that whatever success was achieved, it was

simply due to his huge personality.

The country has come a long way today.

Kissinger's bottomless basket now holds the

second highest foreign exchange reserves in

South Asia (after India) ($43,823 /

February, 2021). According to the IMF, the

country's per capita income in 2019 was

$1,906, with a GDP of $317 billion. The

main source of foreign exchange comes

from the remittances of 12 million

expatriates working in different countries

across the world and the export of

readymade garments industry. On the one

hand, while working people are working

hard at home and abroad to supply the

country's treasury, on the other hand, some

people spend their busy time looting the

financial institutions of the country or

cheating/ trapping the common people to

grab their last resources and smuggling the

Such legislation has been in the works

for years, but the international socialmedia

attention garnered by Indian

farmers protesting against three

agriculture laws has made passage more

likely. In February, New Delhi tried to get

posts related to the farmers' protest

removed from Twitter.

The new legislation is designed to give

the government more control over

WhatsApp, the encrypted messaging

platform that is the lifeblood of the Indian

Internet, by forcing its owner, Facebook,

to share critical information, such as who

the "first originator" of a message is. India

is not the first country to try this, but it is

the first to show willingness to turn words

into action.

Former president Donald Trump talked

a great deal about the US banning TikTok,

the popular Chinese-owned video

platform, but he never actually managed

to do it. India did, however, last June.

As tensions rose on the border with

China, India banned not only TikTok but

58 other Chinese applications, too. New

Delhi's demands regarding privacy and

JosePh DAnA

embezzled money to other countries.

According to a report by Global Financial

Integrity (GFI), a Washington-based

research institute, $7,585 crore was

smuggled from Bangladesh in the 10 years

from 2005 to 2014, amounting to Tk

606,868 crore in Bangladeshi currency.

This means the equivalent of two budget

allocations in Bangladesh. During this

period, Bangladesh had been the country

from which the highest money laundering

took place among the least developed (LDC)

countries. (???? ??????? ???????? | ?????

????, ?? ??, ????)

One of the major challenges of this

country had been to achieve self-sufficiency

in food production. There has been a

significant progress in this area in the last 50

years. In the post-independence period, the

production of food grains in Bangladesh

was only 11 million metric tons. In the fiscal

year 2019-20 it has increased to 45.3 million

metric tons. According to the United

Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO) report entitled 'The

State of Food Security and Nutrition in the

World', the production of staple food grains

in the country has increased three to five

times since independence. Bangladesh is

among the top 10 countries in the world in

The crackdown of the Pakistani forces on the unarmed

masses instead of stepping on the path of negotiation

made independence inevitable. After a final defeat in the

9-month war, the Pak army ultimately realized that they

were fighting against the hopes and aspirations of an entire

nation, not just one or two political parties or their cadres.

the production of 12 agricultural products.

However, despite self-sufficiency in food,

according to experts, some people in the

country are still suffering from food crisis

due to poverty and income inequality. On

the other hand, unscrupulous traders make

adulteration and mix various harmful

chemicals at different stages of food

production, preservation, processing and

marketing, making the availability of safe

and healthy food rare in many cases.

Undoubtedly, the country has made a lot

of progress in the field of education. In the

post-independence period, Bangabandhu

placed utmost importance on primary

education. Thirty seven thousand primary

schools were nationalized during his time in

office. Following in his footsteps, his worthy

daughter Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina is leading the country to his dreams

and ideals by nationalizing 26,000 primary

schools. The country now offers unpaid and

compulsory primary education up to 5th

grade. The literacy rate has risen to 74.7

percent. The country's progress in women's

education is astounding. According to the

Bangladesh Bureau of Educational

Information and Statistics (BANBEIS), in

1970-71 28.4 per cent of the total students in

the country were girls. In 2018, it has

increased to 50.54 percent --- about 51

percent of the total students in primary,

more than 54 percent in secondary and

48.38 percent in HSC level. Whereas in 1971

there was only 6 universities in the then East

Pakistan, now there are 57 public and 107

private universities in independent

security used much the same language as

the prospective legislation that is now

aimed at Western companies.

Meanwhile, foreign companies are still

investing in India's manufacturing sector.

Apple, for example, started making

smartphones in India in 2017 and the

company recently announced plans to

move more manufacturing for its iPhone

12 to India to consolidate its position in

the lucrative smartphone market there.

If iPhones are being manufactured in

The growth, behavior and power of technology

companies are the subject of wide-ranging

discussions in europe and the united

states. This is vital for the sustainable development

of technology with the right balance

between innovation and personal security.

India, it will give the government more

control over what it will allow in the

domestic smartphone market.

India is hardly alone in insisting on

certain conditions from technology

companies operating within its borders.

No one is disputing the right of sovereign

nations to enact laws deemed to be in their

national interest. However, the nature of

the laws and the impact they exert does

matter in free and democratic societies.

The growth, behavior and power of

technology companies are the subject of

wide-ranging discussions in Europe and

the United States. This is vital for the

Bangladesh. However, many academics feel

very concerned, in terms of academic

environment and priorities, at the level to

which the political involvement of teachers

and students has gained prominence in the

country's academies, especially in higher

education institutions, during the postindependence

period and the way in which

it has been found to turn out violent time

and again in some institutions.

Administrative positions are often gaining

more importance than teaching or research

and, as a result, despite having world-class

manpower for conducting and guiding

advanced research, the kind of culture

expected to have grown up in this regard in

higher education institutions did not

flourish to the desired level.

Our achievements in medical education

and health management are not bad either.

In 1971 we had only 6 medical colleges. Now

there are 36 government and 71 private

medical colleges. In addition, the Institute of

Postgraduate Medical Research (IPGMR),

established in 1965 has been transformed

into Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical

University for creating a specialist physician

workforce and conducting advanced

medical research to modern standards. In

the same continuity, 4 more medical

universities have started their activities

later. Apart from medical colleges and

universities having their own hospitals,

many government and private hospitals /

clinics have been set up at the district and

upazila level. In addition, quite a few

specialized hospitals are working in

different parts of the country, including the

capital city, for the treatment of specific

diseases.

At the grassroots level, about 14,000

community clinics have been set up across

the country with the idea of providing

primary health care at the doorsteps of the

people. Over the past few decades,

Bangladesh has achieved significant success

in reducing infant and maternal mortality

rates. According to the World Health

Organization, the under-five mortality rate

has come down in the country from 143.8

per thousand in 1990 to 30.8 in 2019 and

the maternal mortality rate from 574 per

lakh in 1990 to 173 in 2017.

Bangladesh's success in drug production

is enviable. Bangladesh is exporting

medicines to 160 countries of the world

after meeting 98 percent of its own demand.

However, the number of doctors in the

country is still insufficient in proportion to

the population - only 5.26 per 10,000

people.

A large section of the population fails to

receive the necessary treatment due to lack

of financial means. In the absence of proper

policy adoption and implementation,

trained pharmacy professionals having

degrees from the universities are not getting

a chance to make the desired contribution

to the health system of the country.

The foreign policy that Bangabandhu

ushered based on the principle 'friendship

to all, malice to none', has been followed

more or less by all the post-independence

governments till date. Bangabandhu,

conference held in Pakistan in 1974.

The writer is a professor of

Pharmacy Department,

Jahangirnagar University.

sustainable development of technology

with the right balance between innovation

and personal security.

That's one reason it is so important to

monitor the developments in India. As the

world's largest democracy and a key

emerging market, how India approaches

the open Internet and the rights of

individuals to use technology as they see

fit will have profound knock-on effects

around the world.

Moreover, recent events have

demonstrated that tech companies don't

necessarily operate with the consumer in

mind.

Apple has built one of the world's most

valuable brands on its commitment to

user privacy (and clean designs). Yet the

creation of strict Internet censorship laws,

the banning of applications like TikTok

and the imminent banning of

cryptocurrencies in India have not

discouraged Apple from moving key parts

of its manufacturing business there.

Digital-rights activists and open-

Internet advocates were horrified when

Trump threatened to ban TikTok and

restrict other areas of the American

Internet. Yet the response to India's

decision to follow through where Trump

failed has been relative silence. If New

Delhi continues to press ahead with the

new laws, the consequences are

potentially chilling and will go far beyond

India's borders.

Joseph Dana is the senior editor of

Exponential View, a weekly newsletter

about technology and its impact on society.

tHurSdAY, MArCH 25, 2021

5

What do the US and China want from Africa?

BoB WeKeSA

It is often unavoidable that

discussions involving

relations between Africa and

the United States or Africa

and China trigger questions

of implications for all three

regions. Since the

November 3, 2020 U.S.

elections, commentators

looking to understand the

implications of the new Joe

Biden-Kamala Harris

administration for Africa

have accordingly factored in

what the new

administration would mean

for Africa-China relations.

Notably, Chinese and U.S.

interests in Africa may not

always align well with

African interests toward

China or the United States.

But that is a discussion for

another day.

Under the Biden

administration, it is

expected that the United

States will design a new

policy framework for Africa.

That might mean China also

reviewing its own Africa

policy. What are some of the

issues and factors that will

influence the Biden and the

Xi Jinping administrations'

approaches to their

competition in Africa? The

broad pillars of

consideration can be

segmented into public

diplomacy and soft power,

as well as economic,

political, and security

interests.

As the United States and

China continue to vie for

close economic and political

ties with Africa, the image,

credibility, and influence of

each of the two powers has

come into sharp focus. A few

examples suffice.

Probably the biggest

What does the India-Pakistan ceasefire

mean for local Kashmiris?

QAdri inzAMAM

On the balcony of his rustic wooden

house, which faces a mountain dotted

with huts, bunkers, and mud houses, 65-

year-old Ghulam Qadir Chalkoo points

his frail finger toward the mountain top.

Then his finger trails down, as if drawing

a trajectory down the slope, cutting

through the ridges, crossing waters, and

ascending another mountain before it

stops just below a deserted bunker near

his home.

"There, right above this bunker, they

fired a burst of bullets at my wife. It

ripped apart her belly. She died there,"

Chalkoo reminisces, his eyes blankly

fixed at the spot.

This is Silikote, one of the last villages

located at the Line of Control (LoC), the

precarious line that runs through

Jammu and Kashmir, dividing it

between India and Pakistan. The two

countries share a 3,252-kilometer

border, 767 kilometers of which form the

LoC that runs through Jammu and

Kashmir.

The mountain Chalkoo that pointed at,

within walking distance of his home, is

the local site of the LoC, the de facto

border. For several decades, the armies

of India and Pakistan have been

engaging in routine and constant

violence along this dividing line: firing

bullets, mortar shells, and at times

missiles. In this day-to-day war, the

villages sandwiched between the two

armies have always paid a heavy price.

Chalkoo's wife was killed in August

2003 when she was feeding the cattle.

"Suddenly, there was a burst of fire.

When I rushed to look for my wife, she

was lying there, dead," he tells The

Diplomat. Chalkoo points toward a

bunker atop the mountain facing his

two-story house and says the bullets

were fired from "there," from the

Pakistani side of the LoC.

The very location of Silikote and the

adjoining villages has been made

hazardous. Every house, every structure,

and every movement is under scrutiny

by the Pakistani Rangers across the

border and by the Indian Army on this

side.

The cluster of villages that borders the

LoC is enclosed with a lengthy barbedwire

fence that runs from one

mountaintop down the stream and

ascends to the other mountaintop. A

gate guarded by the Indian Army

controls whoever enters and leaves these

villages.

At the entrance, a lone sentry opens

the gate and notes down every detail. He

rings his commanding officer to decide

whether we should be allowed to speak

to the villagers. After several calls and

back-and-forth, he asks us to be careful

with our movements. "It's calm as of

now, but you never know," the soldier

tells us.

We ask him if he can point out for us a

bunker of the Pakistan Army on the

mountain. "I can't point my finger, they

will suspect something. It's dangerous.

Just look at those withered trees. There

it is," he says, guiding our gazes in the

direction of the bunker.

That is how delicate and fragile the

calm is in these villages. For nearly three

weeks now, Silikote has not rattled with

gunfire, nor the tremors caused by the

mortar shells. "It rains bullets otherwise.

Living in these villages is like shrouding

yourself every day. But it's calm now. It's

such a relief," Chalkoo says.

Chalkoo's story is one of pain and

misery. On November 1, 2001, the

armies of India and Pakistan engaged in

an intense firefight along the LoC. The

two sides fired heavy ammunition,

targeting bunkers and check-posts.

When the firing started, Chalkoo's son

was heading to school. A mortar shell

landed in front of him, tearing off his

right leg.

While the situation is relatively calm

now and villagers are hoping against

hope, there is a tangible and certain fear

that the bullets and mortar shells might

rain down again at any time. The line

dividing arch-rivals India and Pakistan

has never known true peace.

Both India and Pakistan claim

Kashmir to be their territory and have

fought three wars over it. The two

countries each control two separate

parts of it, divided along the LoC.

The last time the two neighboring

countries made a peace pact and agreed

on a ceasefire along the borders was in

November 2003. It was a breakthrough

in the relations between India and

Pakistan: There was calm along the

border, people started building their

lives in these villages and, most of all, it

paved the way for the opening of the

Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-

Rawalkot routes, the opening for the first

time of bus and truck services linking the

divided halves of Kashmir. The ceasefire

lasted for a few years, but it has been

A view of Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Silikote village in uri.

Chinese President Xi jinping, right, walks with South African President Cyril ramaphosa. Photo: Lintao zhang

frequently violated by both sides since

2008.

In 2016, India-Pakistan relations took

a turn for the worse after India claimed

to have crossed the border clandestinely

and destroyed "terrorist launchpads in

Pakistan" following a deadly militant

attack on an Army camp in Uri, North

Kashmir, that killed 18 Indian soldiers.

Since then, the violence along the LoC

has intensified and turned more brutal.

In 2020 alone, as per the official

statement of the two governments, the

two armies violated the 2003 ceasefire

5,133 times, killing at least 50 civilians

and 24 security personnel, wounding

hundreds, and destroying several

homes.

More importantly, there has been an

uptick in the violence along the Indo-Pak

border since the Indian government

abolished Kashmir's special status and

downgraded it into a federallycontrolled

territory, a move Pakistan

strongly protested, saying any changes

to the disputed territory violate the U.N.

resolutions on Kashmir. Alone on the

Indian side, according to the Indian

government, 31 civilians and 39 security

personnel have been killed in crossborder

firing since the abrogation of

Kashmir's special status on August 5,

2019.

But now there is once again some

hope. Top army officials of the two

countries in February said in a joint

statement they would abide by the 2003

ceasefire agreement. "In the interest of

achieving mutually beneficial and

sustainable peace along the borders, the

two [Directors General of Military

Operations of India and Pakistan]

agreed to address each other's core

issues and concerns which have the

propensity to disturb the peace and lead

to violence," reads a joint statement

issued by India and Pakistan on

February 25.

Ever since the two countries agreed on

halting violence along the LoC, several

families in Silikote that had fled the

village to safer places are gradually

returning. The elderly Mohammad

Azam says he had fled to Uri, a town in

the frontier district, after the shelling

and firing in his village intensified a year

ago. "Now I have returned, thanks to

both the countries. Now we can breathe

peacefully here," Azam tells The

Diplomat.

Photo: Haziq Qadri

ArindrAjit BASu

Uncertainty and speculation on Huawei's

future role in India continues, with

journalists and pundits attempting to

predict the government's decisions on

future engagement with the Chinese

telecommunications giant. Major

business relief for the firm came on March

6 when mobile carrier Bharti Airtel

awarded Huawei a telecom infrastructure

contract worth $41.12 million to expand

its National Long Distance Network

(NLD), which is presently run by Huawei.

However, just five days later, on March 11,

a media report quoted two anonymous

government officials claiming that the

center is likely to block mobile carriers in

the country from using telecom

equipment made by Huawei amidst

security fears.

Huawei, which was forced to lay off a

majority of its local staff in July 2020 due

to sidelining by the Indian government,

remains resolute in its bid to remain in the

Indian market. Speaking with the

Business Standard on January 16, Huawei

India CEO David Li made it clear that

"Whenever there's a chance, we make our

point that we have a good record and we

create value… Also, we are here as a big

contributor and are fully compliant." He

further stressed that while the road map of

the 5G auction is uncertain, they will

continue to engage with stakeholders.

Since the breakdown in Sino-Indian

relations following the Galwan Valley

border clashes in June 2020, Chinese

technological presence and investments

in India have been facing the heat. A slew

of restrictions on Chinese tech including

the banning of several Chinese apps and a

press note placing cumbersome

restrictions on foreign direct investment

in India (indirectly aimed at China) give

the impression that Huawei's inroads into

India may be faltering at the hands of

regulatory intervention, even though

India is yet to articulate a clear official

stance on the company's future.

All the while, there are many open

questions about how the Biden

administration in the United States will

maintain or alter the Trump

administration's decisions on Huawei and

on Chinese technology writ large, from

entity list export controls to broader

diplomatic engagement on the security

risks of Chinese technology and Beijing's

influence over the Chinese tech sector.

The two countries' decisions around

Huawei thus have implications not just for

the future of Sino-Indian relations or U.S.-

China relations, but for relations between

India and the United States as well.

Huawei first entered India as far back as

1999 when it set up a research and

development (R&D) center in Bangalore

focusing on telecom hardware. This

remains its largest overseas R&D center.

Since then, it has made inroads both into

the retail market segment, where it sells

consumer goods like smartphones, and

into the telecom segment selling

equipment and software to network

carriers. While Huawei could easily be

replaced in the consumer segment (for

example, Huawei only has a 2.5 percent

share of the mobile phone market across

India), shunting Huawei out of the

telecom segment throws up more

complexities.

Several major network carriers rely on

Huawei for 4G network equipment,

including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone

Idea, which together hold just under a 55

percent share in the wireless telecom

source of U.S. soft power on

the continent are the

American news and

entertainment industries,

which act as major

disseminators of U.S.

culture. Broadcasters such

as CNN and Voice of

America appear to be far

more influential than recent

Chinese entrants, such

China Global Television

Network and China Radio

international. This ties into

language: 24 African

countries use English as

their official language as

well as the lingua franca in

the general population.

French is also a popular

language in the United

States, providing links with

the 21 French-speaking

African countries. China

does not have this linguistic

advantage as Mandarin is

used at a miniscule level on

The Huawei factor in

US-India relations

market in India.

Despite oscillations around Huawei's

inclusion in the 5G sector, Bharti Airtel

went ahead with India's first 5G network

trial using Huawei equipment in 2018.

Vodafone Idea also announced a

partnership with Huawei, ZTE, Ericsson,

and Nokia for its 5G trials. Experts believe

that Huawei's inroads into the market

have been made through deft negotiations

- low prices and long-term repayment

schemes combined with a challenging

phase in the market for Airtel and

Vodafonet. Mukesh Ambani (India's

richest man), who owns telecom giant

Reliance Jio, has provided tough

competition to both these players. This is

the same man who proudly claimed in a

February 2020 meeting with former U.S.

President Donald Trump that Reliance

uses no Chinese equipment - a stance that

had been robustly endorsed by then-U.S.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Vodafone Idea posted a loss of around

$600 million for the October-December

2020 quarter, while Bharti Airtel was able

to post a consolidated net profit for the

quarter only due to a one-time gain after

the merger of a subsidiary Bharti Infratel

Ltd. with Indus Towers. Further, both

these giants have huge outstanding dues

to the government, which increases the

necessity for financial thrift. Analysts

believe that any ban on Chinese vendors,

including Huawei and ZTE, could push up

procurement costs by 15-20 percent as the

European alternatives, Ericsson and

Nokia, are more expensive and have

limited gear availability in India.

Huawei equipment is also considered

superior to that of its European

counterparts by industry players.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum

in 2019, Bharti Enterprise (Airtel)

Chairman Sunil Mittal was quick to

dismiss the notion that 5G should be

politicized, and further stated that

"[Huawei's] products in 3G and 4G are

significantly superior to Ericsson and

Nokia. I use all three of them."

It is no surprise, therefore, that the

Cellular Operators Association of India

(COAI) - which counts Airtel and

Vodafone as its members - have come out

in support of Huawei many times. In

December 2018, after the Telecom

Equipment and Services Export

Promotion Council argued for a ban on

the grounds of national security, COAI

sent a letter to the Department of

Telecommunication (DoT) arguing that

Huawei was "suitably equipped" to build

5G capabilities in the ecosystem and

comply with government requirements.

the continent. In some

instances, as in South Africa,

the introduction of

Mandarin in schools has

even been opposed.

Nonetheless, Mandarin as

an alternative foreign

language may grow in the

coming years as Confucius

Institutes - counted at 54 in

2019 - on the continent are

established and gain

traction.

China, however, makes up

for the comparatively lower

traction of its language by

being the largest provider of

government-sponsored

university scholarships for

Africans. This is an area of

public diplomacy and soft

power in which the United

States and other Western

countries such as the U.K.

and France were ahead of

China only a couple of years

ago.

In December 2020, there was another

letter to the DoT asking for country-oforigin

based restrictions and import duty

to be waived for equipment vendors,

indicating that the department wants

Chinese vendors, including Huawei and

ZTE, to be a part of India's 5G

deployments.

The Indian government has been much

less welcoming, though, across party lines.

In December 2010, India blocked the

import of Chinese telecom equipment

over suspicions that the equipment may

have spying technology embedded to

intercept sensitive conversations and

government communications. In 2014,

Huawei was investigated after a media

report alleged that Huawei had hacked

into state-run telecom carrier Bharat

Sanchar Nigam. The distrust of Huawei,

despite its long association with the

Indian market, stems from an adversarial

A man walks past a billboard advertising Chinese technology firm

Huawei.

Photo: Mark Schiefelbein

relationship with China, with acrimony

primarily over historical disagreements

on the demarcation of their land border.

Huawei has been perceived (the world

over) as a private entity operating at the

behest of the Chinese state, further

compounding the mistrust.

The geopolitical acrimony and Huawei's

troubles deepened after India-China

border clashes in 2017 and 2020. Despite

calls for a ban from members of the

security and policy establishment, in

December 2019, Huawei was seemingly

approved to participate in 5G trials in

India. Media reports indicated a possible

change in stance in July 2020 following

the Galwan Valley clashes, when DoT

officials hinted that Huawei and ZTE may

be excluded from 5G trials. Airtel and

Vodafone followed suit within a couple of

months - their "clean telco" bid signalling

intent to exclude Huawei from wireless

networks. Skepticism around their future

role in India at this time caused Huawei to

lay off about 60-70 percent of its local

staff, and slash Indian revenue targets by

50 percent.

In September 2020, the government's

written response to a parliamentary

question inquiring about Huawei and

ZTE's role in the Indian telecom market

did not indicate any proposal or policy to

ban or exclude these Chinese vendors.

Ambiguity around Huawei's future

continued till the end of 2020.

With the thaw in the border conflict in

the new year - brokered by sound

diplomatic engagement - Huawei may

have been feeling more bullish about its

presence in India. This bullishness was

surely propped up by the Airtel contract it


6

Scout building infrastructure development and

beautification work unveiled in Debiganj

RAhAT hASAN RONy, DeBIGANJ CORReSPONDeNT

Deputy Commissioner and District

Scout President Dr. Sabina yasmin

unveiled and laid the foundation

stone of the scout building

infrastructure development and

beautification work at Debiganj

Upazila on Wednesday noon.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Pratya

hasan presided over the programme

while Deputy Commissioner and

District Scout President Dr. Sabina

yasmin was present as the chief

guest. Upazila Chairman Abdul

Malek Chishti addressed as special

guest.

During the time, Upazila Vice

Chairmen Babul hossain Sarkar,

Ritu Akter, Upazila education Officer

Shamsul Alam, Upazila Secondary

education Officer Md Salimullah,

Upazila Scout General Secretary

Asaduzzaman, Debiganj Press Club

General Secretary Zakir hossain

Raju, Joint General Secretary Rahat

hasan Rony and others were present.

earlier, the Deputy Commissioner

laid the foundation stone of

Reproductive health Room of

Debiganj River Girls high School.

Civil surgeon Dr. Abdul Momem addressed a meeting in observance of World Tuberculosis Day

in Pabna on Wednesday.

Photo: TBT

World Tuberculosis Day

observed in Pabna

ABDUL hAMID khAN, PABNA CORReSPONDeNT

With the slogan ''Mujib borsher

ongikar, Joksha mukto Bangladesh

gorar" World Tuberculosis Day was

observed on Wednesday in Pabna with

a view to create awareness among the

people against the transmittable

disease. Pabna Civil Surgeon office with

the assistance of NATAB and BRAC

Pabna organized the program.

A colorful rally was brought out in the

town from the Civil Surgeon office

premises and it paraded the main street

of the town which ended at the same

place. After the rally a discussion

meeting was held at the conference

room of Civil Surgeon office. Civil

surgeon Dr. Abdul Momem presided

over the discussion. The discussion was

addressed among others by Pabna

Sadar Upzilla health and Family

Planning Officer Dr. Mustafizur

Rahman, Atghoria Upzilla health and

Family Planing officer Dr. Md. Rafiqul

hasan, Sujanagar Upzilla health and

Family Planing officer Dr. Md. habibur

Rahman, eminent journalist and

columnist Abdul hamid khan, nursing

supervisor of Pabna General hospital

Dr. Uma Roy and ePI district

superintendent Md. Robiul Alam. The

discussion was conducted by program

organizer of Pabna CS office Md.

Nazrul Islam.

Civil surgeon Dr. Abdul Momem said

in his speech that to prevention of

tuberculosis activities everyone should

work sincerely.

Journalist and Columnist Abdul

hamid khan highlighted the history of

tuberculosis which is a very old disease.

he further said that tuberculosis

patient should be identified by

searching thoroughly in the city and

villages.

Deputy Commissioner and District Scout President Dr. Sabina Yasmin as the chief guest addressed a

meeting marking the unveiling and foundation stone laying of the scout building infrastructure development

and beautification work at Debiganj Upazila on Wednesday.

Photo: Rahan Hasan Rony

Cleanliness in civil service is essential:

Mayor Mostafizur Rahman

MD BIPLOB, RANISANkAIL CORReSPONDeNT

Cleanliness campaign on was officially

inaugurated at the intersection of

Bandar Chowrasta in Ranisankail on

Wednesday at the initiative of

Ranisankail Municipality.

During the time, mayor Mostafizur

Rahman said, "It is the responsibility of

all of you to keep the municipality clean.

Therefore, he told all the shopkeepers to

keep the garbage in a specific place every

day. My staff will take it from there." he

further said that it is vital to keep the city

clean and tidy in the civic service.

The inaugural function was attended

by Comrade Alamgir hossain, former

MP Prof yashin Ali, former MP from the

reserved seat Selina Jahan Lita, Awami

League President Saidul haque, Upazila

Nirbahi Officer Sohail Sultan Zulkar

Nain kabir Steve, Officer-in-Charge

Abdul Latif Sheikh (Investigation) Jatiya

Party Secretary Jahangir Alam along

with Municipal Councilors, officials,

employees, local news workers and

leaders and workers of various political

parties.

Solar lights have been distributed among the students by the international non-governmental organization

Good Neighbors Bangladesh Moulvibazar CDP on Wednesday.

Photo: Pintu Debnath

Good Neighbors Bangladesh distributes

solar lights among students in kamalganj

PINTU DeBNATh, kAMALGANJ CORReSPONDeNT

Solar lights have been distributed among

the students by the international nongovernmental

organization Good

Neighbors Bangladesh Moulvibazar

CDP. kamalganj Upazila Secondary

education Officer Shamsunnahar

Parveen was present as the chief guest at

the function presided over by Project

Manager Romeo Ratan Gomez and

moderated by Program Officer Prabir

Nakrek at the office of Good Neighbors

Bangladesh at Naya Pattan in kamalganj

Upazila Adampur Union on Wednesday.

During the time, Adampur UP

Chairman Monindra kumar Singh,

journalist MA hamid, Pintu Debnath,

Naeem Ali, Ak Bangla school

headmaster Surchandra Singh and other

officials and employees of Good

Neighbors Bangladesh Moulvibazar

CDP were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Romeo

Ratan Gomez, Project Manager, said

that Good Neighbors Bangladesh is

working to improve the education and

health of children and fulfill their

dreams. Because today's children are the

future of tomorrow. They need to be

empowered and evaluated. he added

that 3,000 students from 19 primary

schools, secondary schools and

madrasas in Adampur Union would be

provided. even if the electricity goes off,

he will be able to study by lighting solar

lights in the dark. These lights come

directly from the courier company

Samson. Is charged from the solar.

Which lasts up to 6 hours.

On the first day, Good Neighbors

Bangladesh Moulvibazar CDP's A k

Bangla School was officially distributed

to 100 students and the rules of lighting

were shown.

At the initiative of Dhaka Metropolitan North-South Bangladesh Awami Jubo League, a joyous rally

brought at Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital recently as the Government of India awarded Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman "Gandhi Peace Prize".

Photo: TBT

Cleanliness campaign on was officially inaugurated at the intersection of Bandar Chowrasta in

Ranisankail on Wednesday at the initiative of Ranisankail Municipality.

Photo: Md Biplob

All set to celebrate Golden Jubilee

of Independence in Rangpur

RANGPUR: The district

administration has completed all

necessary preparations to celebrate the

Golden Jubilee of the country's

Independence and National Day-2021 in

a befitting manner in the city on March

26 next, reports BSS.

Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of

Independence and National Day- 2021

bears a special significance this year

alongside celebration of the Birth

Centenary of Father of the Nation


Rahman.

Officials in the district administrations

said the auspicious occasion of the nation

will be celebrated through various

colourful programmes abiding by the

health directives in the wake of the

coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Officials in the district administrations

said the colourful celebrations will begin

with heralding 31 gun salutes at

'Swadhinota Smritistambha Arjan' at

zero hours on March 26.

With the sunrise, floral wreaths will be

placed at 'Swadhinota Smritistambha

Arjan', Central Shaheed Minar and

'Shaheed Muktijoddha Smritistambha' in

the city.

The Divisional Commissioner, Mayor

of Rangpur, Deputy Inspector General for

Rangpur Range Police, Rangpur

Metropolitan Police Commissioner,

Deputy Commissioner, Police Super and

District Council Chairman will first place

wreaths there.

Later, leaders of Awami League (AL),

its associate bodies and other political

parties, freedom fighters, heads of

government departments and

educational institutions, business bodies,

civil society members, professionals and

commoners will place wreaths.

The programmes include hoisting of

the national flag atop all government,

semi-government, private and public

buildings, educational institutions and

other establishments with the sunrise.

Divisional Commissioner Abdul

Wahhab Bhuiyan with high officials will

ceremonially hoist the national flag amid

rendering of the National Anthem at

Rangpur Stadium at 8 am on the day.

Later, he will take salute of the March

Pasts of freedom fighters, police, Ansar

and VDP, BNCC, fire service and civil

defense personnel, jail guards, scouts,

girls in scouts, students and children and

witness colourful displays there.

Drawing competitions for children on

the War of Liberation, charity football

matches, sports competitions, screening

of documentary films of the War of

Liberation, blood donation camp and

cultural functions will be organised.


7

A 5.4-magnitude earthquake that struck in China's western Xinjiang region before dawn

Wednesday left three people dead, damaged roofs and forced the evacuation of hundreds, state

media reported.

Photo : AP

Three dead in 5.4-magnitude quake

in Xinjiang: state media

BEIJING : A 5.4-magnitude

earthquake that struck in China's

western Xinjiang region before dawn

Wednesday left three people dead,

damaged roofs and forced the

evacuation of hundreds, state media

reported.

The earthquake hit Baicheng county

in the northwestern Aksu prefecture at

5.14 am, according to the China

Earthquake Networks Center.

Footage showed buildings swaying in

the dark, leaving some houses with

Second French

minister hospitalised

with Covid-19

PARIS : France's culture

minister Roselyne Bachelot

has been hospitalised after

testing positive for Covid-19

over the weekend, a source

close to the minister told

AFP on Wednesday.

The worsening symptoms

for Bachelot, 74, comes after

the announcement Monday

that her cabinet colleague

Elisabeth Borne, the 59-

year-old labour minister,

had also been hospitalised

with the coronavirus,

reports BSS.

"Her condition is stable

and is not worrying," the

source said, adding that

Bachelot's doctor ordered

"increased surveillance at

hospital for a few days."

Paris and its suburbs are

seeing a surge in Covid cases

that prompted the

government last week to

close non-essential

businesses in a third

lockdown since the

pandemic began, though

with less strict stay-at-home

orders.

Merkel calls crisis

meeting Wednesday

over virus measures:

party chief

BERLIN : Chancellor Angela

Merkel has summoned the

leaders of Germany's 16

states to an unexpected

crisis meeting on

Wednesday amid a backlash

over pandemic measures,

the chief of her CDU party

said.

"The chancellor has

invited the (regional leaders)

at short notice for 11 o'clock

today and I think that we

will talk very critically there

about what happened two

days ago," Armin Laschet

told a regional parliament

meeting in the state of North

Rhine-Westphalia.

Merkel and the regional

leaders have faced fierce

criticism after agreeing to

prolong shutdown measures

and tighten them over

Easter during marathon

talks on Monday.

their roofs caved in afterward.

"The earthquake caused three deaths

and 65 houses were damaged," state

broadcaster CCTV reported, adding

that there were 10 aftershocks of which

the largest magnitude was 3.4.

After houses and livestock sheds

collapsed, leaders of an affected

village set up a temporary

resettlement site.

China is regularly hit by earthquakes,

especially in its mountainous western

and southwestern regions.

In February 2003, a powerful 6.8-

magnitude quake killed 268 people in

Xinjiang and caused significant

damage.

Following Wednesday's earthquake,

train services between regional capital

Urumqi and areas such as Hotan and

Aksu were delayed, the official Xinhua

news agency reported.

A powerful 7.9-magnitude quake in

southwest China's Sichuan province in

2008 left 87,000 people dead or

missing.

N. Korea fired two missiles in

first test under Biden: US, South

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2021 (BSS/AFP) -

North Korea fired two short-range missiles just

days after a visit to the region by the top US

defense and diplomatic officials, but President

Joe Biden said they were not a serious

provocation.

It was nuclear-armed North Korea's first

launch since his inauguration -

Pyongyang has been biding its time since the

new administration took office, not even

officially acknowledging its existence until last

week. Washington is reviewing its approach to

Pyongyang after a tumultuous relationship

between president Donald Trump and North

Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which went from

trading insults and threats of war to a

diplomatic bromance and several meetings,

but made no substantive progress towards

denuclearization.

North Korea on Sunday fired two shortrange,

non-ballistic missiles, US

administration officials said Tuesday, but

downplayed them as "common" military

testing and said they did not violate UN

Security Council resolutions.

South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said they

appeared to be cruise missiles and were fired

over the Yellow Sea, known as the West Sea in

Korea - The launches followed joint exercises

by the US and South Korean militaries earlier

this month and came just days after US

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense

Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Tokyo and Seoul

to discuss alliance and security issues in the

region, with the North seen as a central threat.

But it was an unusually restrained response

by Pyongyang, which has so far not announced

them in state media.

Asked by reporters about the tests, Biden

said: "According to the Defense department,

it's business as usual. There's no new wrinkle in

what they did." A senior US administration

official told reporters the launches were "on the

low end" of the spectrum of North Korean

actions, and nothing like the nuclear weapon

tests or intercontinental ballistic missile

launches with which Pyongyang has previously

provoked Washington. "It is common practice

for North Korea to test various systems," an

official added. "We do not respond to every

kind of test."

While Blinken and Austin were in Seoul on

March 18, North Korean first vice foreign

minister Choe Son Hui accused the United

States of a "lunatic theory of 'threat from North

Korea' and groundless rhetoric about

'complete denuclearization.'"

President Joe Biden's two-month-old

administration hopes to reignite negotiations

with the Kim regime on its nuclear arsenal

after Trump's headline-grabbing efforts

stalled.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has summoned the leaders of Germany's 16

states to an unexpected crisis meeting on Wednesday amid a backlash over

pandemic measures, the chief of her CDU party said.

Photo : AP

Deadlock once

again after Israeli

elections

JERUSALEM : Israelis

awoke on Wednesday to find

that, after their fourth

general election in less than

two years, there was still no

clear indication of who

would form the next

government.

Veteran Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu's rightwing

Likud party won the

most votes, boosting his

chances of building a

coalition with a majority in

the 120-seat Knesset.

But a rival "Anyone but

Netanyahu" camp of parties

was running neck-and-neck,

spelling more uncertainty

ahead as the official vote

count continues and parties

engage in intense horsetrading.

Netanyahu, 71, Israel's

longest serving premier after

12 years in power, had hoped

that Tuesday's election

would finally allow him to

unite a stable right-wing

coalition behind him, after

three inconclusive elections

since 2019.

He campaigned on a

world-leading coronavirus

vaccination effort that has

inoculated roughly half of

Israel's nine million people, a

pace envied by much of the

world.

Netanyahu, known as Bibi,

also ran on his credentials as a

hawkish guarantor of Israeli

security who scored the

diplomatic coup of establishing

relations with several Arab

states late last year.

But, once more,

Netanyahu was denied a

clear-cut victory, even

through his Likud scored

more than 24 percent of the

vote and handily beat its

closest rival, the centrist Yesh

Atid, at about 14 percent.

NASA's Ingenuity

helicopter prepares for

first flight on Mars

WASHINGTON : NASA's Ingenuity Mars

helicopter will attempt its first powered,

controlled flight on Mars no earlier than

April 8, which will be the first of an aircraft

on another planet, NASA said Tuesday.

The 1.8-kg rotorcraft is attached to the

belly of NASA's Perseverance rover, which

touched down on Mars on Feb. 18, in search

of signs of ancient life.

The rover currently is in transit to the

"airfield" where Ingenuity will attempt to fly.

Once deployed, Ingenuity will have 30

Martian days, or 31 Earth days, to conduct its

test flight campaign, according to NASA.

Flying in a controlled manner on Mars is

far more difficult than flying on Earth, said

NASA. The red planet has significant gravity,

about one-third that of the Earth's, but its

atmosphere is just 1 percent as dense as the

Earth's at the surface.

During Martian daytime, the planet's

surface receives only about half the amount

of solar energy that reaches the Earth during

its daytime, and nighttime temperatures can

drop as low as minus 90 degrees Celsius,

which can freeze and crack unprotected

electrical components.

To fly in the Mars environment, the

Ingenuity helicopter has to be lightweight.

To survive the frigid Martian nights, it must

have enough energy to power internal

heaters, according to NASA.

"Every step we have taken since this

journey began six years ago has been

uncharted territory in the history of aircraft,"

said Bob Balaram, chief engineer for NASA's

Mars helicopter.

"While getting deployed to the surface will

be a big challenge, surviving that first night

on Mars alone, without the rover protecting

it and keeping it powered, will be an even

bigger one," he said.

Ingenuity, the first helicopter ever to fly on

another world, could pave the way for

extensive exploration of the Martian skies,

said NASA.

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter will attempt its first powered, controlled

flight on Mars no earlier than April 8, which will be the first of an

aircraft on another planet, NASA said Tuesday.

Photo : AP

UK to announce biggest asylum

overhaul 'in decades'

LONDON : The British government on

Wednesday launched plans for what it

said would be the biggest overhaul of

asylum rules in decades, saying the

current system was "overwhelmed".

Interior minister Priti Patel said "The

New Plan for Immigration" would be

based "on genuine need of refuge, not

on the ability to pay people smugglers",

but drew fire from refugee groups.

The plan is focused on identifying

genuine asylum seekers, deterring

illegal entry and changing the rules to

make it easier to deport those "with no

right" to be in the country.

"We're looking at a range of options

as to how we can reform the entire

asylum system, and importantly for

people that are fleeing persecution

from terrible parts of the world," she

told the BBC.

"We've got to break this people

smuggling model, we've got to put in

safe and legal rules, and we've actually

got to be able to help genuine asylum

seekers, not just flee persecution, but be

resettled in the United Kingdom.

"Currently our system is

overwhelmed."

Tightening

immigration rules and securing

Britain's borders were key promises of

those that argued for leaving the

European Union in the run-up to the

2016 Brexit referendum.

Whether people enter Britain legally

or illegally will have an impact on how

their asylum claim progresses under

the proposals.

"If people arrive illegally, they will no

longer have the same entitlements as

those who arrive legally, and it will be

harder for them to stay," said Patel.

"If, like over 60 percent of illegal

arrivals, they have travelled through a

safe country like France to get here,

they will not have immediate entry into

the asylum system - which is what

happens today," she added.

Mike Adamson, chief executive of the

British Red Cross, called the plans

"inhumane".

"We should not judge how worthy

someone is of asylum by how they

arrived here," he said.

"The proposals effectively create an

unfair two-tiered system, whereby

someone's case and the support they

receive is judged on how they entered

the country and not on their need for

protection. This is inhumane."

The government will also seek to

reform the judicial process to speed up

the removal process, said the Home

Office, and make it "much harder for

people to be granted refugee status

based on unsubstantiated claims".

More stringent age assessment tests

will also take place "to stop adult

migrants pretending to be children".

Roughly 8,500 people arrived in

Britain having made the perilous

crossing of the Channel in small boats

last year.

The opposition Labour party's

interior spokesman, Nick Thomas-

Symonds, said he feared the plans

would do "next to nothing to stop

people making dangerous crossings,

and risk withdrawing support from

desperate people, such as victims of

human trafficking".

AstraZeneca backs its Covid-19

shot as nations battle new surges

WASHINGTON : AstraZeneca

has said it is standing by its

coronavirus vaccine after a

US agency raised concerns

about trial results that

showed the shot to be

highly effective in

preventing Covid-19.

As immunization

programs gather pace

around the world, another

vaccine ran into trouble on

Wednesday when Hong

Kong and Macau

suspended the Pfizer-

BioNTech jab over what

authorities said were

packaging problems.

The uncertainties are a

blow to scientists' hopes for

a quick rollout of what they

say is the best hope of

ending a pandemic that has

killed more than 2.7 million

people. AstraZeneca had

published results from its

US trials on Monday,

showing the vaccine to be

79 percent effective in

preventing Covid-19, but

the US National Institute

for Allergies and Infectious

Diseases raised concerns

that the results were

outdated.

The firm backed its shot

on Tuesday, saying a review

found the interim results it

had announced were

"consistent", and that it

would release new analysis

and data "within 48 hours".

The AstraZeneca shot had

been hailed as a potential

game-changer in the fight

against the pandemic, as it

is cheaper and easier to

store and transport than

many of its rivals.

But public confidence in

the drug has tumbled after

more than a dozen

countries temporarily

suspended its rollout

because of isolated cases of

blood clots - even though

the World Health

Organization and

regulators have found no

link with the shot.

AstraZeneca has also

struggled for months with

production and supply

chains, delivering only 30

percent of the doses it

promised the European

Union for the first quarter

and sparking fury in

Brussels. The European

Commission on Wednesday

will revise trade rules to

strengthen its hand when it

comes to preventing

exports of vaccines

produced in the bloc.

The already stumbling

vaccination programmes in

Hong Kong and Macau also

ran into trouble on

Wednesday, as authorities

temporarily stopped giving

Pfizer-BioNTech shots over

concerns about the

packaging of vials.

Health officials did not

explain what exactly was

wrong with them, but

insisted there were no

safety issues. 'It was like a

war' - Despite these issues,

rich nations have

accelerated their drives but

fears are growing about

supplies for the rest of the

world.

"I am deeply concerned

that many low-income

countries have not yet

received a single #COVID19

vaccine dose," United

Nations Secretary-General

Antonio Guterres tweeted

Wednesday.

"Vaccines must be a

global public good. The

world must unite to make

this a reality." The

pandemic has taken a turn

for the worse in many

nations, with known

infections worldwide

approaching 124 million.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 8

An eminent banker, Md. Farududdin Ahmad, was elected as the Chairman of Bank Asia Shariah

Supervisory Committee (BASSC) and Mawlana Shah Mohammad Waliullah, was nominated as the

Member Secretary of the Committee. The decision was taken in a meeting of BASSC held recently in

the Bank's board room. Rumee A Hossain, Chairman of Executive Committee, Mufti Shahed

Rahmani, Mufti Abdul Mannan, Mawlana Muhammad Mufazzal Hossain Khan, Dr. Muhammad

Ismail Hossain, Members of the BASSC, Md. Arfan Ali, President & Managing Director of the Bank

and AKM Mizanur Rahman, SVP & Head of Islamic Banking (Current Charge) were present in the

meeting. Mr. S M Anisuzzaman, Company Secretary of the Bank, Md. Aminul Islam Mintu, Head of

ICCD, Md. Sayedul Islam, Head of Audit and Muhammad Munirul Huq, Head of Shariah unit were

also present.

Photo : Courtesy

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited inaugurated its Gausul Azam Avenue Sub-branch under Uttara

Branch, Dhaka on Wednesday. Habibullah, FCS, Deputy Managing Director & Company Secretary of

the Bank inaugurated the Sub-branch as chief guest. Presided over by Md. Altaf Hussain, Head of

Dhaka Central Zone, the program was addressed by Mohammad Sharifur Rahman, Dhaka North

City Councilor as special guest. Abul Laise Mohd. Khaled, Head of Uttara Branch addressed welcome

speech while Md. Maniruzzaman, In-charge of the Sub-branch thanked the audience.

Businesspersons, professionals and dignitaries were present on the occasion. Photo : Courtesy

Commerce Bank observes the 101stAnniversary

of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited organized a discussion

and doamahfil on the occasion of 101 anniversary of Father

of the NationBangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at

virtual platform on Wednesday. The program was presided

over by the Managing Director & CEO Mr. Omar Farooque.

Dr. Engr. Rashid Ahmed Chowdhury, Chairman of the Board

of Directors of the Bank, was present in the programme as

chief guest & Zafar Alam, Additional Managing Director of

the Bank was present as Special Guest. Kazi Md. Rezaul

Karim, Deputy Managing Director of the bank was also

present at the discussion and prayer mahfil. Among Others

Senior Executives of Head Office & Branch Managers of

Different Branches were also attend the program. Memories

of the heroic history of creating a sense of freedom among the

people under the leadership of Bangabandhu were

reminiscent on the occasion. Later, all employees and

officials of the Bank offered special prayers for the eternal

peaceof his soul.

Banks provide

$4 tn to oil

since climate

deal: NGOs

PARIS : The world's leading

banks have provided the

fossil fuel industry with $3.8

trillion in financing in the

five years following the

signing of the Paris climate

accord, a group of nongovernmental

organisations

said Tuesday.

While financing dropped

last year as oil output

plunged thanks to the

coronavirus pandemic, the

report found that it was still

higher than in 2016, the year

after the signing of the Paris

Agreement where nations

agreed to cut back CO2

emissions to limit the rise in

global temperatures.

"The overall fossil fuel

financing trend of the last

five years is still heading

definitively in the wrong

direction," said the report by

NGOs including Rainforest

Action Network, BankTrack,

Oil Change International

and Sierra Club.

The report called for

"banks to establish policies

that lock in the fossil fuel

financing declines of 2020,

lest they snap back to

business-as-usual in 2021."

It found that US banks

remained the top bankers to

fossil fuel companies last

year, with JPMorgan Chase

coming in first, followed by

Citi and Bank of America.

If their financing for the

fossil fuel industry dropped,

French banks, in particular

BNP Paribas, actually

increased their support.

Italy's UniCredit earned

top marks for policies to

restrict financing for fossil

fuels, although the report

noted it earned only half the

points possible.

China to slash

port, aviation

fees to lower

business burden

BEIJING : China plans to

cancel port construction fees

and further cut civil aviation

development fund levies to

lower enterprises' burden

and improve business

environment, according to

the Ministry of Finance.

The port construction fees

should be cancelled starting

Jan. 1, 2021, according to an

online statement released by

the ministry.

Meanwhile, civil aviation

development fund

contributions from airlines

will be further cut by 20

percent starting April 1,

2021, on top of a 50-percent

reduction that has been

implemented earlier, it said..

To celebrate The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman's centennial birth anniversary and 50 years of independence

of Bangladesh, Premier Bank has decorated its Head Office, Iqbal

Center with red and green lights and iconic image of Bangabandhu

himself for 11 days from March 16 to March 26. The variety of colors

and light decorations have created a celebratory environment in

Banani at the Iqbal Center and the nearby areas. The spectacular light

decorations have garnered the attention and awe of all who have come

across it. Every day, especially from evening onwards people are coming

to visit as well as take selfies with the colorful light decorations. In

the occasion of The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman's 100th birth anniversary, The Chairman of The Premier Bank

Limited, Freedom Fighter Dr H.B.M Iqbal launched Bangabandhu

Corner on the 14th floor of the banks head office Iqbal Center last year.

The Bangabandhu Corner is made up of a large collection of books,

photos, documents and videos relating to Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahmans life, work and ideals.

Photo : Courtesy

Lion Najmul Huq Chaudhury MJF

has been elected as Chairman of Audit

Committee of Standard Bank Ltd.

Past District Governor of lions Clubs

International, Dist. 315- B4, Bangladesh &

Independent Director of Standard Bank

Limited, Lion Najmul Huq Chaudhury MJF

has been elected as the

Chairman of Audit

Committee of Standard Bank

Ltd. in its 338thBoard

Meeting. A successful

Company Executiveand

Humanitarian Chaudhury

was born in a very

respectable Muslim

Zaminder family, Nazir's

Family in North-Kattali,

Chattogram. He completed

his B.com degree from St.

Xaviers College of Calcutta

and completed M. Com. &

LLB under Calcutta University.

A successful Company Executive

Chaudhury is the Resident Director of

"M/S.S.K.M. Jute Mills Ltd." and former

Managing Director & CEO of Joint Venture

Companies "M/S. Van Ommeren Tank

Terminal (BD) Ltd."&"International Oil

Mills Ltd."

During the last fifty years,

Philanthropist Chaudhury

has been actively engaged in

the activities of Lions Clubs

International of District 315-

B4, Bangladesh and now he is

the Honorary Chairman of

Chattogram Lions

Foundation & Lions

Charitable Eye Hospital and

General Secretary of

AnjumanMuftdul Islam,

Chattogram, In recognition

of humanitarian activities, he

received number of Awards from Lions

Clubs International and many Social

Organizations.

CPTU's DIMAPP Project most innovative; WB

DHAKA : The Digitizing Implementation Monitoring and Public Procurement (DIMAPP)

Project, being implemented by the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU), has been

accorded the World Bank's Directors Award for Most Innovative, Collaborative and Impactful

Governance Global Practice Operations. The Task Team Leader of DIMAPPP, Ishtiak

Siddique, on behalf of the World Bank communicated to CPTU about the award yesterday,

according to a press release of CPTU.

The award was announced in the Governance GP's Global Forum which took-place last

week. The Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) of IMED, Ministry of Planning, has

been implementing DIMAPPP since July 1, 2017 with support from the World Bank.

Dutch-Bangla Bank has inaugurated a Fast Track (FT) at the premises of Bangladesh University of

Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka. Professor Satya Prasad Majumder, Vice Chancellor of

BUET formally inaugurated the Fast Track on March 24th, 2021 while Prof.Dr. Abdul Jabbar Khan,

Pro Vice Chancellor of BUET and Abul Kashem Md. Shirin, Managing Director & CEO of Dutch-

Bangla Bank, Departmental Heads & Senior Staffs of BUET and Senior Executives from DBBLwere

present in the inaugural ceremony. Using this Fast Track, the Teachers, Students, Employees of

BUET and all other customers of Dutch-Bangla Bank can withdraw cash, deposit money and get services

like assistance for opening of bank account & Rocket account, assistance for obtaining Cheque

Book, ATM card, card replacement, reporting of lost card.

Photo : Courtesy

ABM Mokammel Hoque Chowdhury, Managing Director of Union Bank Limited inaugurated the

Chatkhil Sub-Branch, Chatkhil, Noakhali as the chief guest through video conference from Head

Office, Dhakawith the maintain health rules. Additional Managing Director ofthe Bank Md. Habibur

Rahman, Deputy Managing Director Hasan Iqbal, SEVP Shah Md. Mahtubuddin Al-Mamun,

President of Bangladesh Medical Association, Noakhali District Dr.M.A. Noman and Managing

Director of Islamia Diabetes Hospital Md. Rahmat Ullahwere present as special guests. Besides, high

officials of head office of the bank, local elite of Noakhali were present at the ceremony.

A Doa-Mahfil was also organized on the occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

Shakib Al Hasan started his training in a bid to return to the cricket yesterday.

Ingram rampant

as depleted Lakers

lose third straight

SportS DeSk

Brandon Ingram scored 36

points as the New Orleans

Saints took full advantage of

LeBron James' injury

absence to pummel the Los

Angeles Lakers 128-111 on

Tuesday. Ingram, who was

drafted by the Lakers in 2016

but traded away by the club

in 2019, sent his former team

sliding to defeat in a onesided

game at New Orleans'

Smoothie King Center.

The Lakers were rocked on

Saturday by an injury to

James which has left the

four-time NBA champion

facing several weeks on the

sidelines.

With Anthony Davis and

Marc Gasol already out

injured, the depleted Lakers

have now lost three

consecutive games to fall to

fourth place in the Western

Conference standings at 28-

16. The Pelicans meanwhile

remain in the hunt for a

playoff berth after a win that

sees them improve to 19-24.

photo: BCB

Shakib begins his preparation

for IPL in Bangladesh

SportS DeSk

Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan started

histraining in a bid to return to the cricket

yesterday amid the various discussionsthat

have been doing the rounds following his

outburst towards some of theBangladesh

Cricket Board (BCB) directors, reports BSS.

Shakib who was out of the cricket following

a groin injury, picked upduring Bangladesh's

Test series against West Indies, began this

training,eying the upcoming Indian Premier

League (IPL) in which he is roped in by

theKolkata Knight Riders.

The IPL is set to start on April 9 with

Shakib's team KKR playing theirfirst game

against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 11.

Shakib came to the Sher-e-Bangla

National Cricket Stadium at morning anddid

a two-hour long practice that included

batting and bowling in the net,apart from

some gym session.

The day is also special for him as he is

celebrating his 34th birthday. Butrather than

celebrating the birthday party, it looked

practice gets utmostpriority for him.

He was not the part of IPL last season due

to his ICC-imposed ban.

Therefore it is obvious he wants to make

this IPL memorable one.

Moreover he wants to take preparation for

the upcoming World T20, whichwill be also

held in India, through this IPL as he wrote in

his applicationto the BCB.

Since the IPL coincides with Bangladesh's Test

series against Sri Lanka, henaturally would miss

the Test series if he plays IPL. He is granted NOC

toplay IPL but the situation got worsened when

Cricket Operations chief AkramKhan said Shakib

doesn't want to play Test cricket. After his

statementShakib was criticized vehemently by

the fans and cricket pundits.

Shakib claimed that he never said he won't

play Test cricket rather hewants to play IPL for

taking a better preparation for the World T20.

In a facebook live show, Shakib claimed

Akram Khan probably didn't read hisletter

properly and made a comment publicly that

tarnished his image. He alsocriticized some

of the directors for not doing their activities

properly.

In the wake of situation, Akram Khan said,

Shakib's NOC for IPL will bereconsidered if

he wants to play Test series in Sri Lanka.

As the situation gradually became heated,

Shakib returned to country fromUSA at the

early hour of Tuesday. He was expected to

meet BCB presidentNazmul Hassan Papon

but that didn't happen till now.

Southgate spoiled for choice as 'home'

Euro 2020 awaits for England

SportS DeSk

Three World Cup qualifiers against

San Marino, Albania and Poland over

the next week provide England

manager Gareth Southgate with his

final chance to experiment before he

names his squad for the delayed Euro

2020, reports BSS.

The Three Lions will enjoy home

advantage for most of the Euro as they

aim to end a 55-year wait to win a

major international tournament.

Wembley host all three of their

group games against Croatia, Scotland

and the Czech Republic, as well as

both semi-finals and the final.

Fans could even be back in stadiums

by June and July to cheer Southgate's

men on thanks to the speed of the

UK's coronavirus vaccination roll out.

The pressure is on the England boss

to build on a surprise run to the World

Cup semi-finals in 2018, especially

given the rich resources he now has to

choose from.

AFP Sport looks at the big decisions

that await Southgate in the coming

months. One of the few areas where

England are not blessed with a world

class talent is in goal.

Jordan Pickford has retained his

status as number one despite a

number of costly errors for Everton.

However, Pickford is absent this

week due to a rib injury, handing

Burnley's Nick Pope his long-awaited

chance to prove himself in competitive

games at international level.

Pope has proven himself to be a

reliable Premier League shot-stopper,

but his distribution has counted

against him.

Dean Henderson could therefore

emerge as Pickford's challenger. The

24-year-old has started Manchester

United's last seven games, but may

lose his place when David De Gea

returns from paternity leave after the

international break.

Southgate will be judged not only on

what personnel he picks, but what

system. The former Middlesbrough

boss largely used three at the back in

Euro 2020 qualifying, but there have

been calls for him to find space for

more of his attacking talent.

A return to form from United's Luke

Shaw and Manchester City's John Stones

helps solve two problem positions should

Southgate revert to a back four.

Shaw will challenge Chelsea's Ben

Chilwell at left-back, while Stones is

expected to start alongside Harry

Maguire at centre-back.

The depth of talent at right-back

means Trent Alexander-Arnold has

been dropped for his dip in form for

Liverpool after an outstanding season

in 2019/20.

the three Lions will enjoy home advantage for most of the euro as they aim to end a 55-year wait to

win a major international tournament.

photo: Ap

Scotland to stand

against racism before

Austria qualifier

SportS DeSk

Scotland's players will stand

against racism rather than

take the knee ahead of their

World Cup qualifier against

Austria, reports BSS.

Several Scottish

Premiership teams

including champions

Rangers and their Glasgow

rivals Celtic opted not to take

the knee before their games

last weekend.Rangers,

Celtic, Dundee United and

Motherwell all stood before

kick-off after deciding that

was a more appropriate way

to call for action and change.

Scotland will do the same

in Thursday's opening

World Cup qualifier at

Hampden Park.

Celtic and Rangers players

stood united in solidarity

with Glen Kamara after the

Rangers midfielder reported

"vile racist abuse" during a

Europa League clash.

UEFA is investigating the

matter after Slavia Prague

player Ondrej Kudela denied

the accusation.

Crystal Palace forward

Wilfried Zaha recently

became the first English

Premier League player to

stand instead of kneeling.

The gesture was originally

started last year to express

support for the Black Lives

Matter movement following

the death of George Floyd at

the hands of a white police

officer in the United States.

"I think recent events and

past events tell you that you

have to keep changing

people's mindsets and

reminding them," Scotland

manager Steve Clarke said

on Monday.

"The knee, when it was

first taken, was a really

powerful symbol. It has

maybe become a little bit

diluted.

West Brom

defender Gibbs

signs for

Inter Miami

SportS DeSk

West Bromwich Albion

defender Kieran Gibbs is

heading to Major League

Soccer after signing a twoyear

deal with David

Beckham's Inter Miami,

the Florida club

announced Tuesday,

reports BSS.

The 31-year-old left

back, who spent most of

his career with Arsenal

before joining the Baggies

in 2017, will join Miami

when his current playing

contract with West Brom

expires on July 1.

His Inter Miami deal

runs through the 2023

MLS season.

"Kieran is an exciting

player. His technique,

experience and work rate

will be valuable on the left

flank," said Chris

Henderson, Inter Miami's

chief soccer officer and

sporting director.

"He has had a standout

career at the highest levels

so far, and we believe he

can continue bringing this

same level of quality to

Inter Miami and MLS this

summer."

Gibbs won three FA

Cups with Arsenal and

earned 10 England caps

between 2010 and 2015.

"I'm extremely excited to

be starting the next

chapter of my career with

Inter Miami this summer,"

Gibbs said. "I look forward

to embracing a new

culture and a new

challenge in South

Florida."

Inter Miami endured a

difficult pandemicdisrupted

debut season in

MLS last year before

parting company with

head coach Diego Alonso

in January.

Alonso has been

replaced by Beckham's

former Manchester United

and England team-mate

Phil Neville.

SportS DeSk

France have their eyes on

adding the European

Championship title to their

World Cup crown this year,

but first they begin their

defence of the trophy they

won in Russia three years ago

as qualifying for the 2022

tournament in Qatar gets

underway on Wednesday,

reports BSS.

Coach Didier Deschamps

has stuck with the core of the

squad that lifted the trophy in

Moscow in 2018 for a

demanding triple-header of

matches as the visit of

Ukraine on Wednesday is

followed by a long trip to play

Kazakhstan on Sunday and

then a stop-off in Bosnia and

Herzegovina on March 31.

Finland will be France's

other opponents in Group D,

and Les Bleus have to top the

section to make sure of their

place in Qatar at the end of

next year.

They could do with a good

start, even if Deschamps is not

delighted with the demands

facing his players this week.

"I am not going to hide that

in terms of organisation,

having three matches with

two away from home makes

things more complicated. We

all have to put up with it," said

the man who has been in

charge of France for almost

nine years.

Only 14 members of his 26-

man squad for the start of

qualifying went to the last

World Cup.

However, the only regulars

from the Russian campaign

missing are Barcelona

defender Samuel Umtiti,

whose career has been stalled

by injuries, and midfielder

Blaise Matuidi, who has gone

off the radar since moving to

MLS.

tHurSDAy, MArCH 25, 2021

9

Familiar look to Deschamps'

France for start of

World Cup defence

Some of those who have

emerged or returned to the

reckoning only serve to

underline the strength in

depth available to

Deschamps.

Everton's Lucas Digne and

Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy

are excellent options at leftback,

Clement Lenglet of

Barcelona is a new contender

in central defence and Bayern

Munich's Kingsley Coman

adds quality in attack.

Juventus midfielder Adrien

Rabiot's international career

looked over when he refused

to go on the standby list for

the Russian World Cup but he

returned to feature heavily in

last year's Nations League

campaign.

The elephant in the room

remains Karim Benzema, who

has 10 goals in his last nine

games for Real Madrid but is

still sidelined by France after

his alleged role in a plot to

blackmail Mathieu Valbuena

in 2015.

"I don't understand it, you

don't understand it, there are

many people who don't

understand it," said Real

coach Zinedine Zidane last

week.

Deschamps, though, will

not pick Benzema and instead

has faith in KylianMbappe,

Antoine Griezmann and the

ever-reliable Olivier Giroud.

With 44 goals for his

country, Giroud is closing on

the record of 51 held by

Thierry Henry.

"When you look statistically

at what those three represent,

that is what allowed France to

become world champions,"

Deschamps said this week.

France will also play in the

Nations League finals this

year, but the delayed Euro

2020 is what matters most.

France have their eyes on adding the european Championship title to their

World Cup crown this year.

photo: Ap

GD–523/21 (3x2)

"These matches will serve as

a yardstick for us going into

the Euro," said goalkeeper

and captain Hugo Lloris.

France beat Ukraine 7-1 in

a friendly last October but

their opponents were

weakened by Covid-19

infections then and the tie at

the Stade de France also

evokes memories of the

2014 World Cup qualifiers.

THUrsDAY, MArcH 25, 2021

10

Ajoy Chakrabarty pays tribute

to Bangabandhu with 'Raag'

TBT reporT

On the occasion of the birth

centenary of the founding father

of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman, renowned vocalist

Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty has

composed a new Raag named

'Moitree' as a tribute to the

Bangabandhu.

The new Raag is dedicated to


Rahman with elements of

'maitree' or India Bangladesh

friendship. It is a newly

composed Raag incorporating

the classical rules for the

composition of Raag.

Three compositions will be

presented which are written in

Sanskrit, Hindi and Bengali

languages.

The Sanskrit one is composed

by Dr. Arindam Chakraborti,

Professor at the Hawaii

University in USA.

The Hindi lyric is composed by

Dr. Susmita Basu Majumder and

developed by Dr. Ravi Burman,

and the Bengali song is written

by the disciple of Pt. Ajay

Chakrabarty and young maestro

Anal Chatterjee. All the three

songs are composed by Pandit

Ajoy Chakrabarty.

The compositions contain

references to the 50 years of

liberation of Bangladesh and

the birth centenary of


Rahman.

The unique nature of the

friendship between India and

Bangladesh is also mentioned in

the lyrics of the composition.

Bipasha's new movie 'Jar

Noyonay Jar Lage Bhalo'

Remembering Shahnaz

Rahmatullah

Tuesday marked the second

death anniversary of legendary

Bengali singer Shahnaz

Rahmatullah, often referred to

as the "Queen of modern Bangla

music", reports UNB.

The singer died of a cardiac

failure at her Baridhara

residence in the capital on

March 23, 2019, midnight, at

the age of 67.

Born in Dhaka to M Fazlul

Haque and Aasia Haque on

January 2, 1952, the year of the

historic Bengali Language

Movement, Shahnaz sang a

number of iconic Bengali

modern songs and cemented

her everlasting legacy as one of

the greatest Bengali singers of

all time.

With her mother's wise

tutelage, Shahnaz's professional

experience as a thriving music

artiste began at the age of 11, as

TBT reporT

To celebrate the Golden Jubilee

of our great Independence

Bongo, Bangladesh's first and

largest Bangla content video

streaming platform, will launch

the worldwide digital premiere of

the web film 'Noybeddya' on

March 26.

Based on 1971 Liberation War

for Bangla speaking audiences

a playback singer of the movie

Notun Shur (1963).

She appeared on television for

the first time in 1964 and

marked her Golden Jubilee as a

regular music artiste in 2014.

Many of her legendary songs

are considered as the

remarkable patriotic songs in

history, most of which she sang

after the Liberation War.

Ek Nodi Rokto Periye, which

she sang for eminent filmmaker

Khan Ataur Rahman's majestic

film Abar Tora Manush Ho

(1973), ranked 9th position on

BBC's survey of 20 greatest

Bangla songs of all times.

Written and composed by

Khan Ataur Rahman, the song

recalls the contribution of the

freedom fighters during the

glorious Liberation War,

recalling how they snatched and

earned the victory over a

around the world, the story of

'Noybeddya' centres around the

rescue of a woman who was

trapped by Pakistani soldiers

during the War of Liberation,

and the life struggle of her child

in the post-war society.

From the story written by

Shyamal Chandra and the

screenplay written by Mannan

Hera, 'Noybeddya' is jointly

directed by Shabdik Shahin and

blooded journey of nine

months. Three of her other

evergreen Bengali patriotic

songs-Ekbar Jete De Na Amar

Chotto Sonar Gaye, Ek Tara Tui

Desher Kotha and collaboration

in the song Joy Bangla, Banglar

Joy-were also ranked 15th, 19th

and 13th position on the BBC

survey, marking her the only

female singer with the highest

number of all-time best Bengali

songs.

Shehanur Rahman Asif.

Popular actress Nusrat Imrose

Tisha has played the role of

Birangana in the film, while the

other characters are projected by

noted actors including Tariq

Anam Khan, Hasan Imam,

Deepak Karmakar, Saika

Ahmed, Shahajan Samrat and

Raunak Hasan, in a special role.

"Bangladesh is about to

celebrate the Golden Jubilee of

our great Independence Day. A

festive atmosphere is already

prevailing in Bangladesh, but

since it is Bangladesh's Golden

Jubilee, a little more dimension

has been added to the festival,"

Her other popular songs

include Amar Desher Matir

Gondhe, Sagorer Teer Theke, Je

Chhilo Drishtir Shimanay, and

Phuler Kane Bhramar Ese. In

her illustrious career spanning

over six decades, she also sang a

number of ghazals.

Shahnaz Rahmatullah's elder

brother Anwar Pervez was one

of the leading music directors in

the country, and the director

behind her iconic songs.

'Noybeddya' to

release 26 March

Bongo said in a press release on

Tuesday. Regarding the world

digital premiere of 'Noybeddya',

Mushfiqur Rahman, Chief

Content Officer of Bongo said,

"We are excited to bring a web

film about the Liberation War

such as 'Noybeddya' to the

Bangla content-loving audience.

Hopefully, this web film will

exceed the expectations of the

audience."

Viewers will be able to enjoy

Fruit Fun Biscuit presents

'Noybeddya' from Bongo's

Android/iOS apps and website

(www.bongobd.com) from

March 26 and onwards.

Disney delays 'Black

Widow' debut

chairman of Disney Media &

Entertainment Distribution,

said in a statement.

The company delayed a

handful of other films, including

Marvel film "Shang Chi and the

Legend of the Ten Rings," which

two biggest moviegoing markets

in the United States, and an

increase in vaccinations across

the country.

But Disney's changes are likely

to dent box office sales during

the summer as some moviegoers

TBT reporT

Bipasha Kabir, a Bangladeshi

film actress started her career in

modeling after becoming Lux

supper star in 2009. She started

her film debut Bhalobasar Rong

(2012) film produce by Jaaz

Multimedia, a famous film

production company at

Bangladesh.

Everyone has returned to

work after the outbreak of

corona. Actress Bipasha Kabir

has also returned. She is

already working on several

films of Shapla Media, one of

the country's leading

production companies. The

new news is that this time

Bipasha is acting in another

film of this company. Director

Kalam Kaiser is directing the

film titled 'Jar Noyonay Jar

Lage Bhalo'.

In this new film, Bipasha is

teaming up with model and actor

Sanju John. There is a lot of

solidarity between these two. So

the director thinks it will be a

beautiful work with these two.

Bipasha said about this new

film, I would like to thank Shapla

Media first. Those who believe in

me have cast me in their movies.

I would like to thank Kalam

Kaiser, the director of this new

film, for trusting me. Hopefully

the audience will not be

disappointed. Because the film is

being made with a story of a

different religion.

The shooting of this new film

has already started in Uttara of

the capital. Meanwhile, Bipasha

has finished shooting for Shapla

Media's 'Poranay Poran

Bandhiya' and 'Jedi Maay'.

Walt Disney Co on Tuesday

delayed the worldwide release of

Marvel Studios film "Black

Widow" by two months until

July and said it would offer the

movie simultaneously in

theaters and for a fee on the

Disney+ streaming service.

Theater operators had been

hoping that "Black Widow,"

starring Scarlett Johansson as

the Russian-born spy-turnedsuperhero,

would kick off a

summer blockbuster season in

early May and draw crowds back

to theaters after extended

closures due to the coronavirus

pandemic. Shares of AMC

Entertainment, the world's

largest cinema operator,

slumped 16% after the

announcement.

Disney also said it would offer

live-action movie "Cruella" for a

fee to Disney+ customers on the

same day it hits cinemas, which

is scheduled for May 28, and

that Pixar animated movie

"Luca" would skip most theaters

and debut to all Disney+

subscribers on June 18.

The Pixar film will play in

theaters only in international

markets that do not yet have

access to Disney+. The service is

available in much of the world

but has just begun rolling out in

Asia. "Cruella" and "Black

Widow" will cost Disney+

customers an additional $30

each to stream at home.

"Today's announcement

reflects our focus on providing

consumer choice and serving the

evolving preferences of

audiences," Kareem Daniel,

is now set to reach theaters on

Sept. 3 instead of July 9.

Movie theater executives had

been encouraged by recent

cinema reopenings in Los

Angeles and New York City, the

opt to watch "Black Widow" or

"Cruella" at home, and in most

cases will not have a chance to

see the latest Pixar film in

theaters.

Source: Reuters

H o r o s c o p e

ArIes

(March 21 - April 20) : There's an

emotional intensity inside you today that's

squirming to find a way out, Aries. Sudden

outbursts are likely, so take care to hold

your temper in check. Surround yourself with good

friends who can support your erratic feelings. Don't be

clingy. Seek friends who are thoughtful listeners, not

permanent crutches. They may be feeling the same strong

tension and don't need an extra burden.

TAUrUs

(April 21 - May 21) : Today may have

some crazy emotional ups and downs,

Taurus. There seems to be an intense

cloud seeping into every part of your day.

Don't try to fool people. They will see right through

you. Bursts of positive energy will pop out of nowhere

to remind you of your more important purpose. Try

not to get so bogged down in the heaviness of the day

that you fail to spot opportunities that arise.

GeMINI

(May 22 - June 21) : This day will be filled

with many exciting surprises for you, Gemini.

Approach it with gratitude and you will be

amazed at the number of things that just

naturally seem to flow your way. Your generous heart will be

rewarded in unexpected ways. Old friends are likely to show

up. Open yourself up to conversations. Act spontaneously

and with a great deal of passion.

cANcer

(June 22 - July 23) : There's a larger

trend operating in your life, Cancer. It's

asking you to break the rules and enter a

new realm - a new mindset or way of

living. Today that trend comes into focus, as emotional

outbursts call attention to the changes. Your heart may

want to go one way while your brain wants to go

another. Take deep breaths and infuse a wave of calm

into the situation before you proceed.

Leo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): Pour yourself a

comforting cup of tea today, Leo. Take

a hot shower or a long bath. In short,

pamper yourself. You may be picking

up on the extra tension of the people around you.

Be conscious of this and make a mental note to

strip away the garbage that others dump on you.

You're a sensitive individual. Pat yourself on the

back and look out for sudden moves from others.

VIrGo

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): It may be that people

are a bit upset by some of your recent actions or

words, Virgo. The offhand remark you made a

couple weeks ago is catching up to you. What

you may consider friendly, lighthearted sparring may actual do

a bit of damage to someone's sensitive emotions, especially

today. Think before you speak. Others might not have as tough

a skin as they seem to have.

LIBrA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): This is an exciting

day for you, Libra. You can accomplish

quite a bit. Your intuition is especially

acute and your sensitivity is strong.

Computers might irritate you today. It's possible to

get all worked up if your laptop crashes. Save your

work often. Keep in mind that it's just a machine.

Don't let it get the better of you.

scorpIo

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : You might be a bit

jittery, even without caffeine,

Scorpio. Sudden actions may cause

people to freak out, since people will

be on edge in general today anyway. Save the

surprises for another time. If you need to tell your

boss that you're going on vacation for a little

while, now isn't the time. There's a rough edge to

the astral energy. Relax to soothe your soul.

sAGITTArIUs

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Things may be

coming at you from all angles today,

Sagittarius. Sooner or later you will be

forced to take action. It may seem like

the walls of the room are slowly caving in. The

pressure is building and the air is getting stagnant.

Go out for a run. Exercise will help you release some

of that pressure you feel.

cAprIcorN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): You may be excited

about an idea today, Capricorn, but

unfortunately no one else may be. You

spring up with enthusiasm only to

smack into a brick wall. One side of you may be

communicative and witty while the other is

confused. The two sides aren't really connecting well,

so perhaps you should just lay low. Hold on to your

ideas, and save their presentation for a later day.

AQUArIUs

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : Much of today will

be a continuation of yesterday, but

with perhaps a bit more intensity for

you, Aquarius. There's an added buzz

in the air, like static on a radio. This background

noise may not provide the best environment to

work in, but you should be able to navigate with no

problem. Tune out the chatter and move on.

pIsces

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Today is one of those

days when you might feel like four people

have a hold of each of your limbs, Pisces. The

people are tugging and you're getting

stretched in every direction. Someone wants you to go there,

someone wants you to come here. Take some time out for

yourself and clearly state your needs to others. Make it known

what the best situation for you would be.

Thursday, march 25, 2021

11

Colorado shooting victims: Store

staffers, cop, photographer

BOULDER, Colo. Mar 24 (AP/UNB) -

Three were gunned down while putting in a

day's work at a Colorado supermarket.

Another was a police officer who raced in to

try to rescue them and others from the

attack that left 10 dead.

A picture of the victims of Monday's

shooting began to emerge a day later, when

the suspect in the killings was booked into

jail on murder charges after being treated at

a hospital.

Those who lost their lives at the King

Soopers store in Boulder ranged from 20

years old to 65. They included a magazine

photographer, a Medicare agent with a

passion for theater and others going about

their days at a busy shopping plaza.

They were identified as Denny Stong, 20;

Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona

Bartkowiak, 49; police Officer Eric Talley,

Massive container

ship blocks

Suez Canal

CAIRO : A giant container ship

has blocked the Suez Canal in

Egypt, tracking websites

showed Wednesday, bringing

marine traffic to a shuddering

halt along one of the world's

busiest trade routes.

A photo posted Tuesday

showed the Taiwan-owned

MV Ever Given, a 400-metre-

(1,300-foot-)long and 59-

metre wide vessel, lodged

sideways and impeding all

traffic across the waterway as

excavation trucks struggled to

dig it out.

Shipping website Vessel

Finder said the ship was

bound for Rotterdam in the

Netherlands, and it is

unclear why the supertanker

has stopped moving.

GD-515/21 (5 x 3)

GD-520/21 (5 x 4)

51; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51;

Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; and

Jodi Waters, 65.

Leiker, Olds and Stong worked at the

supermarket, said former co-worker

Jordan Sailas, who never got the chance to

bring his baby son into the store to meet

them. He joined the police force in Boulder

in 2010 with a background that included a

master's degree in computer

communications, his father said.

"At age 40, he decided he wanted to serve

his community," Homer "Shay" Talley, 74,

told The Associated Press from his ranch in

central Texas. "He left his desk job. He just

wanted to serve, and that's what he did. He

just enjoyed the police family."

Eric Talley was the first to arrive after a

call about shots being fired and someone

carrying a rifle, Boulder Police Chief Maris

LONDON : AstraZeneca's repeated

missteps in reporting vaccine data

coupled with a blood clot scare

could do lasting damage to the

credibility of a shot that is the

linchpin in the global strategy to

stop the coronavirus pandemic,

potentially even undermining

vaccine confidence more broadly,

experts say, reports UNB.

The latest stumble for the

vaccine came Tuesday, when

American officials issued an

unusual statement expressing

concern that AstraZeneca had

included "outdated information"

when it reported encouraging

results from a U.S. trial a day

earlier. That may have provided

"an incomplete view of the efficacy

data," according to the statement.

AstraZeneca responded that the

results, which showed its shot was

about 79% effective, included

information through Feb. 17 but

appeared to be consistent with more

up-to-date data. It promised an

update within 48 hours.

An independent panel that

oversees the study scolded the

company in a letter Monday for

cherry-picking data, according to a

senior administration official. The

panel wrote to AstraZeneca and U.S.

health leaders that it was concerned

the company chose to use data that

was outdated and potentially

misleading instead of the most

recent findings, according to the

official, who discussed the contents

Herold said.

Talley was "by all accounts, one of the

outstanding officers" in the department,

Boulder County District Attorney Michael

Dougherty said.

Talley's father said his son - who had

seven children, ages 7 to 20 - was a devoted

father who "knew the Lord."

"When everyone else in the parking lot

was running away, he ran toward it," Shay

Talley said.

"We know where he is," he added. "He

loved his family more the anything. He

wasn't afraid of dying. He was afraid of

putting them through it."

Talley graduated from high school in

Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1988. The

school superintendent there expressed

condolences and praised "the example

Officer Talley leaves us all."

Missteps could mar long-term

credibility of AstraZeneca shot

on the condition of anonymity given

the sensitivity of the matter.

"This will likely cause more

vaccine hesitancy," said Dr. Paul

Hunter, a professor of medicine at

the University of East Anglia.

Even if the damage is limited to

AstraZeneca itself, it would have

far-reaching effects since the shot is

cheaper and easier to store than

many of its rivals' and thus is

expected to be widely used in the

developing world. International

health agencies have repeatedly

said the vaccine is safe and

effective, but it's not the first time

the company has run into

problems with public trust.

Partial results from its first major

trial - which Britain used to

authorize the vaccine - were clouded

by a manufacturing mistake that

researchers didn't immediately

acknowledge. Insufficient data

about how well the vaccine protected

older people led some countries to

initially restrict its use to younger

populations before reversing course.

LIMA : Despite facing a

potential 30-year prison

sentence for corruption,

Keiko Fujimori is determined

to follow in her father's

footsteps and claim Peru's

presidency at the third

attempt.

The 45-year-old, who failed

already in 2011 and 2016, says

she wants to "save Peruvians

from death and hunger" if

successful this time around in

the April 11 general election.

But she'll have to stay out of

prison to do that, and two

weeks ago prosecutors said

they would seek a 30-year jail

Leaders of the donor organization at the end of the exchange of views on the prevention of violence against

women and child marriage in Banaripara.

Photo : TBT

BWDB takes steps

to save crops during

flash floods

The northeastern part of the

country is likely to face flash

floods during April-May.

During the time Flood

Forecasting and Warning

Center of Bangladesh Water

Development Board

(BWDB) takes preparation

and promotes warning for

the flash floods.

Like every year this year too

Flood Forecasting and

Warning Center has been

open for daily basis from

21st March till 15th May and

from 28th March regular

warnings and updates will

be provided at

(www.ffwc.gov.bd)and

(geo.iwmbd.com:4003)

websites, a press release

said.

The major outputs of this

forecastingsystem are station

wise forecast hydrograph,

observed

bulletin,

quantitative bulletin, forecast

bulletin and summarybulletin

(Bangla and English version)

produced on daily basis.

Fujimori plans to

'save Peruvians' if

elected president

term for Fujimori, who is

accused of accepting $1.2

million in illicit funding for

her previous presidential

bids.

She has already spent 16

months in pre-trial detention

and since her release by a

judge in May 2020 her thirst

for power has not abated.

"My intention is to save

Peruvians from the death and

hunger that is happening in

our country," Fujimori told

AFP from her home in an

upmarket neighborhood east

of the capital Lima.

She feels the country's

current pandemic-inflicted

travails are similar to the

situation her disgraced father

Alberto Fujimori faced when

he took power in 1990.

Peru has suffered more

than 50,000 deaths from

Covid-19 and registered over

1.4 million infections amongst

the population of 32 million.

"The health and economic

tragedy reminds me of the

years of terrorism and

economic crisis. It's a very

dramatic situation and

Fujimorism has shown it has

the ability to take our country

forward in such difficult

moments," said Keiko

Fujimori.

During a decade in power,

Alberto Fujimori was credited

with solving Peru's twin

problems of hyperinflation

and the terrorism wrought by

the far-left Shining Path

rebels.

But the 82-year-old has

since been sentenced to 25-

years in prison for crimes

against humanity during his

presidency and is also being

investigated over the forced

sterilization of hundreds of

thousands of poor, mostly

indigenous women during his

final four years in power.

Field evaluation monitoring of 'Women Abuse

and Child Marriage Prevention Project' held

S MIZANUL ISLAM, BANARIPARACORRESPONDENT

On Tuesday 23 March, the donor organization

USAID exchanged views and monitored the

field level activities of the project 'Prevention of

Violence against Women and Child Marriage'

implemented by the non-governmental

organization AVAS in Banaripara.

Christopher Coffman, USAID Evolution

Specialist, discussed various aspects of the

project with Deepika Rani Sen, Women's

Affairs Officer, Banaripara. Positive, negative

and challenging issues are discussed in the

implementation of the activities of government

and non-government organizations on the

prevention of violence against women and

DSCC/PRD/129/20-21

GD-516/21 (5 x 3)

S(21) (82)

GD-519/21 (6 x 3)

child marriage. Talks have been fruitful, said

Deepika Rani Sen, Women's Affairs Officer.

Shantanu Majumder, Professor, Department

of Political Science, Dhaka University, Munshi

Mahbubur Rahman, Assistant Evolution

Specialist, USAID, S Mizanul Islam, Senior

Journalist and

Executive Director, Future Education &

Human Development Society (FEHDS) and

journalist Abdul Awal were present. Later, the

assessment team visited the Narerkathi

slaughterhouse in Banaripara, the Guava

Garden and the Sher-e-Bangla Museum in

Chakhar.

Thursday, Dhaka, March 25 2021, Chaitra 11, 1427 BS, Shaban 10, 1442 Hijri

No decision yet to lend private sector

from forex reserves:Finance Minister

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Bhutanese counterpart Dr. Lotay Tshering at National Parade

Ground on Wednesday.

Photo : Star Mail

Modi due Friday as main attraction

of 10-Day celebration

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

the main attraction of the ongoing twin

mega celebrations, will arrive here on

Friday as the two countries plan for taking

the time-tested historical relations to

a new height with focus on all areas of

cooperation, reports UNB.

Briefing reporters at the Foreign

Service Academy on Wednesday,

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen

said the biggest attraction is "Mujib

Borsho" and 50 years of Bangladesh's

Independence and the visit will mainly

focus on the joint celebrations.

He said they are still in negotiations

and a number of MoUs have been

finalised on major issues. "I can't tell the

exact number at this moment."

Responding to a question on Teesta

issue, the Foreign Minister said the two

countries agreed on signing the Teesta

Water sharing deal in 2011 but it could

not be signed, delivered and implemented.

"You know the reason."

He said they always remain hopeful

that the Teesta deal will be signed one

day.

During the virtual Summit in

December last year, Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina highlighted the need for

early signing of interim agreement for

sharing the Teesta waters, as agreed

upon by both the governments in 2011.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra

Modi reiterated India's sincere commitment

and continued efforts of the government

of India to that end.

DHAKA : Finance Minister AHM

Mustafa Kamal yesterday said the

achievements of Bangladesh in different

economic and social indicators is much

higher over the last five decades as the

nation is going to celebrate its golden

jubilee of independence this year.

"Our achievement in each economic

and social indicator is much higher," he

said, expressing gratitude to the

Almighty.

The finance minister said this while

replying to a volley of questions from

reporters after chairing two separate

meetings of the Cabinet Committee on

Economic Affairs and the Cabinet

Committee on Government Purchase

(CCGP).

Referring to the final recommendations

from the UN CDP for the graduation

of Bangladesh from the LDC status,

Kamal said Bangladesh has graduated

from the LDCs and none would now be

able to label Bangladesh as a "poor" or

"extreme poor" country as well as would

not be able to make any negative

remarks over the nation.

He said Bangladesh was marching

forward at an unprecedented pace over

the last 10 years until the COVID-19

unleashed its attack last year.

The finance minister said over a span

of 30 years from 1960 to 1990, four

Asian Tigers emerged attaining a

growth of 6 to 8 percent on average.

Foreign Minister Dr Momen said they

are working to make the relations

stronger saying any issue can be

resolved if the relations remain good.

He said Bangladesh and India share

54 common rivers and they are now discussing

on six major rivers apart from

Teesta.

Bangladesh and India stressed the

need for early conclusion of Framework

of Interim Agreement on sharing of

waters of six joint rivers, namely, Manu,

Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and

Dudhkumar.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to

arrive on Friday morning by a special

flight on a two-day official visit. Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive her

Indian counterpart upon his arrival in

Dhaka.

The Indian Prime Minister will receive

19 gun salutes and will be given the

guard of honour.

He will visit National Martyrs

Memorial at Savar and Bangabandhu

Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi in

the city to pay tributes to Liberation War

martyrs and Father of the Nation


Rahman.

Modi will place wreaths and plant

sapling at the National Martyrs

Memorial and will sign visitors' book

there.

He will also place wreaths on the portrait

of Bangabandhu at Bangabandhu

Memorial Museum and sign the visitors'

Achievements in economic, social

indicators much higher : Kamal

"We were also marching forward in

such pace gaining 6 to more than 8 percent

growth (before the

pandemic)……it's our firm believe that if

we could have got five more years, then

we could have emerged as the 5th Asian

Tiger," he added.

The finance minister said the

economies around the globe were

affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,

adding, "Our economy was not affected

to that extent we had apprehended earlier.

We'll recover and get back to the

previous situation again. We'll become

the 5th Asian Tiger, Insha Allah."

When asked whether the government

would continue the provision for

whitening undisclosed money in the

next budget, Kamal said now it is not

possible to comment on this as all

would have to wait for the day when the

national budget for the next fiscal year

(FY22) would be placed in the Jatiya

Sangsad.

Replying to another question whether

the government would allow disbursing

fund to the private sector from the foreign

currency reserves, he said it is yet to

be decided as no policy has been framed

so far in this regard.

"There will be a policy and the government

will move forward with the policy

perspective… the government sector

will definitely get fund from the

reserves." he added.

book there.

The Indian Prime Minister will attend

the National Parade Ground programme

on Friday afternoon. President

Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina, among others, will join.

He will jointly inaugurate

Bangabandhu-Bapu Museum and

attend state banquet preceded by a cultural

programme hosted by Prime


Modi will have one-to-one meeting

with his Bangladesh counterpart and

will hold bilateral talks at the Prime

Minister's Office. He will also meet

President Abdul Hamid at

Bangabhaban.

The Indian Prime Minister is scheduled

to visit Orakandi temple and

Jeshoreshawri temple by helicopter,

according to his tentative programme

schedule. The Indian Prime Minister is

scheduled to leave Dhaka on Saturday

evening.

Khadi, the heritage fabric of India, is

all set to catch eyeballs during Prime

Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit

to Bangladesh on March 26 and 27.

Khadi and Village Industries

Commission (KVIC) has supplied 100

custom-designed "Mujib Coats" that will

be the attire of dignitaries during the

visit of the Prime Minister of India.

"Mujib Coat" is famed as the signature

garment worn by Father of the Nation


Rahman.

Close shops by 8

pm, Taposh urges

shop owners

DHAKA : Dhaka South City

Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh

Fazle Noor Taposh urged the shopkeepers

and owners of business establishments

to close those by 8 pm to prevent

transmission of Covid-19.

The DSCC Mayor came up with the

request while talking to reporters after

visiting the Gopibagh Boys Club Field in

the city on Wednesday, reports UNB.

Some 3,554 people were diagnosed

with Covid-19 in Bangladesh in 24

hours till Tuesday morning, the highest

number of infections registered by the

country in a single day.

Bangladesh also recorded 18 more

Covid-related deaths during the period,

raising the death toll to 8,738.

With the fresh cases, Bangladesh has

seen the worst daily increase since July

15, 2020, pushing up the total infections

to 525,994. The infection rate jumped to

13.69 percent from 11.19 percent a day

before.

Bangladesh is seeing an alarming rise

in coronavirus infections in the past few

weeks after a downtrend in both the

death toll and new cases.

On January 19, Bangladesh reported

its virus infection rate at just 5 percent

and at one stage it fell below 3 percent.

The cases have started soaring again

since February 9.

Bangladesh reported its first Covid-19

cases on March 8, 2020, and the first

death on March 18 the same year.

DHAKA : Finance Minister AHM

Mustafa Kamal has said that no decision

has been taken yet to lend the private

sector from the country's foreign

currency reserves, reports UNB.

"So far we haven't taken any decision

to provide loans to the private sector

from the forex reserve", he told

reporters while briefing on the proceedings

of the Cabinet Committee on

Public Purchase on Wednesday.

He, however, said the government

decided to lend from the forex reserve

only to the public sector entities.

"But no policy guideline is yet to be formulated

in this regard. The government

entities will get the fund once a policy is

formulated and the issue is incorporated

in the policy,"he said.

The finance minister's remarks came

against the backdrop of a recent decision

taken by the government to

DHAKA : Road Transport and Bridges

Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday

said the government is planning to

construct an underground railway

network with a view to easing traffic

congestion in the capital city.

"Almost half of city's 80 lakh people

will be able to move smoothly with

this underground railway network as

it would reduce city's traffic gridlock

significantly," he said.

The minister revealed the plan while

speaking at a seminar on feasibility

study of Dhaka subway construction

at a city hotel yesterday morning virtually

joining from his official residence.

Japanese PADECO, BCL Associates,

KSC and BETS have been appointed as

the consultant organisations with the

supervision of Spanish Typsa for conducting

feasibility study of the subway

network, said Quader, also general secretary

of the ruling Awami League.

Initially, four routes have been

included under primary design, he

finance the Payra port development

project from the foreign exchange

reserves, now remaining under custody

of the Bangladesh Bank.

The number of private companies,

especially those in the power sector, has

been pursuing the government to allow

the Bangladesh Bank to lend them from

the forex reserves.

Defending the government's decision,

Mustafa Kamal said it is like

transferring a public fund from government's

one hand to another hand. "It's

good finance public sector project from

the government fund as it will be less

costly", he claimed.

Referring to a decision of the Cabinet

Committee on Economic Affairs

Committee, the Finance Minister said

the committee approved a proposal of

the Ministry of Shipping that capital

and maintenance dredging at

Govt planning to construct subway

to ease traffic congestion: Quader

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair-2021, the

country's beloved Boi Mela - which commenced

almost 46 days after its scheduled

time due to the Covid pandemic, is

yet to draw a large number of book buyers

even six days in, reports UNB.

Sales personnel said visitors are roaming

across the fairgrounds and browsing

titles and showing curiosity about new

arrivals but there were very few buyers.

Publishers and sales executives said

the hot and humid weather with occasional

thunderstorms in March-April is

unsuitable for book lovers, especially

children and the elderly, to visit the fair.

Dipannita, sales executive of

Tamralipi Publications, said the fair is

yet to gain momentum. "Bookworms

are not coming that much due to the hot

said.

The four routes are 29-kilometre-long

Jhilmil to Tongi, 23 kilometre-long

Shahkabir Mazar road to Sadarghat, nearly

20-kilometre-long Keraniganj to

Sanapur and 48-kilometre long Jahangir

Nagar University to Narayanganj.

Regarding the opening of the Padma

Bridge, the minister said the multipurpose

bridge will be opened for the

vehicular movement by June 2022.

Almost 92.50 per cent construction

works of the main bridge have been

completed while the overall progress

is over 84 percent, he added.

About the construction progress of

2.50km long Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman tunnel, which is

being constructed under the river

Karnophuly in Chattogram, the ruling

party leader said construction

progress of the tunnel is 65 percent.

Spanish Ambassador Francisco de

Asís Benítez Salas and Secretary

(Bridge division) M Belayet Hossen,

among others, attended the seminar.

Few visitors and buyers witnessed at Ekushey book fair ground.

weather," she said, blamed lack of promotional

campaigns behind the low

turnout of buyers.

Kausar Ahmed, a senior sales executive

of the stall, said: "Although we are

not selling books as per our expectation,

we are still hopeful as people are coming

amid the Covid-19 infection surge."

Md Robin, a sales executive of Genius

Publications, said: "Although today is

the sixth day of book fair, we are yet to

see the expected number of booklovers.

Those who are visiting today are only

roaming around the fair premises, not

buying books."

Osman Gani, publisher of Agamee

Prakashani, told UNB: "As the book fair

is being held in March instead of

February, we will not be able to sell as

Ranadabad Channel of the Payra port

project will be implemented by the government

fund through awarding contract

to a bidder through direct procurement

method (DPM).

Earlier, there was a proposal to

implement the project under public

private partnership.

The committee also approved a proposal

of the Bangladesh Agriculture

Development Corporation (BADC)

under Agriculture Ministry to purchase

800 metric tons of JR-524 standard

jute seeds from National Seed

Corporation (NSC) of India through

direct procurement method.

The Finance Minister said

Bangladesh has consistently been

doing well in achieving economic

growth. Bangladesh would have been

5th Asian Tiger if the Covid-19 situation

had not arisen, he said.

Medical admission test to

be held maintaining health

guidelines : Minister

DHAKA : Health Minister Zahid

Maleque on Wednesday said the medical

admission test will be taken in compliance

with the health guidelines,

reports UNB.

"Examinees will sit at a distance of 3

feet. Everyone has to wear a mask and

there will be sanitizers," he said while

talking to reporters after a meeting on

medical admission test at the Health

Ministry's conference room.

He said around 1.22 lakh examinees

will sit for this year's exam which will be

held on April 2.

He also added that the examination

will be held at 55 centres which will be

increased if needed.

The Minister said," Coaching centers

will remain closed and no photocopy

machine will be allowed in the vicinity

of the exam centers. "

"We have set up a monitoring cell. If

there is any problem, the cell can be

contacted. There will also be magistrates

at the examination centers and

they will look after the overall issues,"

the minister added.

Photo : Star Mail

Book fair gradually gains momentum

many books as expected. However, we

will try our best with what we got."

Visiting the area, this correspondent

sees people are oblivious to social distancing

despite the pandemic being at

its peak. Law enforcers only allowed visitors

to wear masks and carry hand sanitizers

through the entry points but

many were seen not wearing masks or

maintaining proper hygiene.

Member Secretary of the fair organizing

committee Md Jalal Ahmed said

that volunteers were working at the fair

premises raising public awareness about

coronavirus safety measures. He urged

visitors to maintain strict hygiene guidelines

issued by the health authorities.

A total of 118 new books arrived at the

fair on Tuesday.

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

25-03-2021

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