02-04-2021

friday, dhaka, april 2, 2021, Chaitra 19, 1427 bs, shaban 18, 1442 hijri
Covid surge in bangladesh
Experts for tightening the
grip with nighttime curfew
DHAKA : As Bangladesh is experiencing
record-breaking Covid cases, experts
think 'health emergency', 'nighttime
curfew' and area-based lockdown can be
the right measures to slow down the
virus transmission.
They think the 18-point directive
issued by the government on Monday is
not enough as the coronavirus situation
is going from bad to worse with both
high infection and mortality rates in the
country.
The experts warned that Bangladesh
may experience an 'explosive' Covid situation
in the coming months, breaking
down the already overwhelmed medical
system, if unnecessary public movements
and mass gatherings cannot be
controlled with the strict enforcement of
laws.
They also suggested ramping up contact
tracing, mass testing, expanding
ICU capacity and ensuring necessary
treatment facilities and equipment in
every hospital, including upazila health
complexes, since the Directorate
General of Health Services (DGHS) has
identified 31 districts as risky for the
virus outbreak with a high infection rate.
Public health expert MH Chowdhury
(Lenin), chairman of the medicine
department at Health and Hope
Hospital, the government's directives
are inconsistent with the coronavirus
transmission pace.
"When it's necessary to stop all the
social and political gatherings right now,
it was said to be discouraged in the
directives. When a nighttime curfew
should be enforced from 6pm, people
are only asked not to come out of their
homes unnecessarily. The shopping
malls should be allowed to remain open
for at best six hours on a limited scale,
but the government said both sellers
and buyers in shopping malls must follow
the health rules," he said.
MH Chowdhury said all types of mass
gatherings should be controlled strictly,
but the government asked to hold public
exams maintaining health hygiene
rules, which is not possible.
"People are discouraged to go to
tourist and recreation spots, movie
houses and theatres, and all kinds of
fairs. But the Ekushey Book Fair is going
on in full swing," he pointed out.
Dr Lenin said the government has
instructed all to maintain health safety
rules in public transport, but people do
not do that for lack of monitoring.
"Strong enforcement of law is necessary
to force people to abide by those rules."
Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director
(disease control) of the DGHS, said,
"The directives are not time-befitting
and consistent with the current pandemic
situation.
Ctg Metropolitan Swecchashebok
League to get new committee soon
s M akash
The conference of Chattogram
Metropolitan Swecchashebok League is
going to be held in the port city after much
discussion and much expected by the
grassroots leaders. The first conference of
Metropolitan Swecchashebok League will
be held on April 11, 2021 at the Institution
of Engineers in the presence of the
leaders of Central Awami
League, Metropolitan AL and
Swechchhasebak League.
Organizers said preparations
were in full swing,
fearing that the ongoing
Corona epidemic would be
hampered by so many events.
They are looking at the central
decision in the government's ban
on health regulations.
It is learned that a new committee
will be formed at the first conference of
Chattogram Metropolitan Swecchashebok
League after 21 years in the presence of
central leaders. The committee was
formed through a conference of allied and
fraternal organizations in the long-expired
Chattogram metropolis, but the idea that a
new committee could be formed or
announced from the center if the conference
is postponed due to the ongoing
Corona epidemic has sparked controversy.
It was decided by the Central Awami
League that immediately after the
Chittagong City Corporation election, the
expired committees of Awami League,
Jubo League, Chhatra League, Sramik
League, Swecchashebok League and
Krishak League would be dissolved and a
new committee would be formed.
In its continuation, some of the party
leaders want a new committee to be
formed through the conference.
The 21-member convening
committee of Chattogram
Metropolitan Swechchhasebak
League was formed
in July 2001
KBM Shahjahan, senior
joint convener of
Chattogram Metropolitan
Swecchashebok League
and former BCL leader, told
The Bangladesh Today, "We have
formed grassroots committees after
being given the responsibility." Although
there was a strong attempt to convene a
conference of the city committee, it did not
happen due to various reasons. This time
there is no one in the new committee
including me and the rest of our conveners.
Asked about the same, Chattogram
Metropolitan Awami League general secretary
and former city mayor AJM Nasir
Uddin told The Bangladesh Today, "I am
aware of the 11th Swecchashebok League
conference.
Water vessel's
passenger fares
have been
rescheduled
tbt report
Only deck class and seating class passenger
fares have been rescheduled for passenger
launches. As per the government
notification, the deck class and seating
class fares of domestic passenger launches
have been increased by 60% to implement
the directive to transport 50% passengers
in public transport. Passenger
fares have been rescheduled for the period
specified in the official notification. The
rent will be effective from today.
State Minister for Shipping Khalid
Mahmud Chowdhury MP said this at a
briefing in the conference room of the
ministry today. Among others,
Secretary of the Ministry Mohammad
Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury and BIWTA
Chairman Commodore Golam Sadeq
were present on the occasion.
Earlier, the Ministry of Shipping had
today approved BIWTA's proposal to
reschedule passenger fares.
The existing fare for inland passenger
launch is BDT 1.70 per km for a distance
of 100 km; For a distance of more than
100 km i.e. for every 100 km thereafter,
the passenger fare is BDT 1.40 per km and
the minimum fare is BDT 18 per person.
Rising commodity
price afflicts suffering
among the poor
shafiqul islaM
Exactly one year ago, a low wage earner
were able to buy 1 kg of thick rice at 34
to 40 taka. The costs now rose to 44 to
52 taka per kilogram at present market
rate. Rice prices have risen by more than
29 percent in one year.
Similarly, the price of soybean oil has
gone up by 50 percent from Tk 95 to Tk
105 per liter. Bottled soybean oil now
costs MRP 135 to 140 per liter. Not only
rice and oil but also other daily commodities
are on the rising. Besides,
prices of fish, chicken and vegetables
also increased. As a result the poor peoples
are in crisis.
It is a evident that the low-income
people have come under pressure from
rising prices of a few daily commodities,
including rice, oil, flour, sugar, broiler
chicken, beef, powdered milk, and garlic.
In the last three months, the prices of
daily necessities have gone up. The
country has been in trouble due to the
spread of Covid-19 for the last 11 months
or so. Many have lost their jobs. Many
have lost their salaries. The new job
market is also volatile. On the other
hand, small traders could not make up
for the loss. All in all, low-income and
poor people are having a hard time.
Mostafa Kamal, a private employee,
came to the Karwan Bazaar in the capital
last Wednesday afternoon. He was
bargaining with the seller to buy chicken.
He said that the price of Sonalika
chicken has exceeded three hundred
and fifty taka per kg. Soybean oil costs
139 taka per liter. One kg of flour costs
35-39 taka. Lemon is 40 taka. The price
of most vegetables is 40-50 taka per kg.
As soon as it comes in the market, the
pocket is getting empty.
the corona virus is killing many people every day. even then there was no full awareness among the
people. still they are wandering around without Mask. the photo was taken from the sayedabad bus
terminal in the capital on thursday.
photo: pba
JnU pleas for a Pro
Vice-Chancellor
Nakibul ahsaN Nishad, JNu CorrespoNdeNt
Jagannath University (JnU) Act does
not rule for the university to have a Pro
Vice-Chancellor. Although the university
has passed 15 years since its establishment,
the university is still running
without a Pro Vice-Chancellor. As a
result, academic, administrative, financial
and various developmental activities
of the university have been hampered
since establishment.
Teachers and students have urged the
administration for a long time to amend
the law, but the university administration
has not responded.
They say that if there is a Pro Vice-
Chancellor, the administrative complexity
of the university will be removed and
there will be no slowdown in academic
activities. Besides, various problems of
the campus including session jam will
be decrease very easily.
The former Dean of the Faculty of Life
and Earth Sciences, Professor Kazi
Saifuddin said in this regard, the work of
Pro Vice-Chancellor in our university is
being done by the treasurer. But the work
of the treasurer and the Pro Vice-
Chancellor is different. Due to the absence
of Pro Vice-Chancellor, our administrative
work has also come to a standstill. Despite
repeated appeals to the university administration,
our former vice-chancellor did
not take any steps to amend the law.
He also said when I was the president
of the teachers' association, there was no
step to include the clause of the Pro Vice-
Chancellor in the university law. Then I
took the signature on a petition from the
chairman of each department and submitted
it to the register. But the administration
did not submit it to the concerned
authorities and they delayed it.
Professor Noor Alam Abdullah,
President of Jagannath University
Teachers' Association said, "We need a
Pro Vice-Chancellor in our university." I
agree with the teachers and students on
this issue. We have been trying since 2016
and have also given a letter of recommendation
to the Vice-Chancellor on this
issue. We are still trying to get a Pro Vice-
Chancellor appointed to the university.
University NIL DAL President Prof.
Md. Zakaria Mia said, "We have applied
to the university more than once to
amend the law on the issue of vice-chancellor."
But the university did not submit
these applications to the government.
University authorities also did not
show any activity on the matter.
Other public universities in the country
have two vice-chancellors each. There is
no provision in our law to appoint it.
"We have Pro Vice-Chancellors in
many of our contemporary established
universities, we don't have them here,"
he added. Our university has more than
600 teachers. There are 106 professors
and 26 first grade professors. If the concerned
authorities want, they can
amend the law and appoint a Pro Vice-
Chancellor from our university.
When asked In this regard, the running
vice-chancellor of the university
Professor Kamaluddin Ahmed declined
to comment.
Sunflower cultivation in Khulna
Foreign envoys
to visit Bhasan
Char on April 3
DHAKA : Envoys representing Australia,
Canada, the European Union, France,
Germany, the Netherlands, the United
Kingdom, and the United States of
America will visit Bhasan Char on April
3 to see the facilities in place for
Rohingyas, reports UNB.
The Ambassadors and the High
Commissioners of the diplomatic missions
were invited to participate in a government-led
visit to Bhasan Char. This
visit by resident diplomatic envoys follows
the UN team's first visit to Bhasan
Char that took place from 17 - 20 March.
During this first visit to Bhasan Char
by some of the heads of mission whose
countries are contributing to the
Rohingya response, participants will
have an opportunity to see some of the
facilities and services on the island.
They will have a chance to meet with
relocated Rohingyas, authorities, and
others living and working there.
COVID-19 protocols will be followed in
accordance with the regulations and guidelines
of the Government of Bangladesh, said
a joint media release on Thursday.
Envoys look forward to continuing the
dialogue with the Government of
Bangladesh on its Bhasan Char project,
as well as with the UN and other relevant
partners following the visit.
Further conversations are needed,
especially between the Government of
Bangladesh and UN to discuss the policy
and technical issues in detail, it said.
The government has planned to relocate
1 lakh Rohingyas to Bhasan Char to decongest
the overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar
that have temporarily been accommodating
nearly a million of Rohingyas with
many more thousands born each year.
Salinity no longer a barrier
severe water crisis has occurred in different parts of the capital. Women, children and the elderly from shanir
akhra, donia and Jatrabari areas were also seen standing in long lines to collect water. photo : star Mail
KHULNA : Salinization of soil is a serious problem in the
coastal areas of Bangladesh as it has adverse effects on crop
production. Despite the challenge, farmers in Khulna's coastal
areas have shown success in cultivating sunflower in fallow
saline land, reports UNB.
New possibilities have been created to meet the demand for
high quality sunflower oil. Farmers are also expecting bumper
yields at low cost.
Research is underway on sunflower cultivation
in the Robi season in the Salinity Management
and Research Center of Batiaghata upazila
of Khulna under Gopalganj-Khulna-
Bagerhat-Satkhira-Pirojpur Agriculture
Development Project (SRDI Organ).
Sunflower seeds have been sown in
wet soil here by 'dibbling method' after
harvesting Aman paddy in mid-
November. Then the roots of the
seedlings were tied and fertilizer was
applied. Three varieties have been used in
the study- Local, Bari Suryamukhi-2 and
Haisan-33. Of these, the yield of Haisan-33
variety has been good.
According to the chief scientific officer of the
Center for Salinity Management and Research, sunflower
is salinity-tolerant crop. As a result, there is huge potential
for sunflower cultivation in coastal areas.
Vast tracts of land remain unused in the south, after harvesting
aman paddy. It is difficult to grow any other crop easily as there
is salinity in the soil and water.By cultivating sunflower through
dibbling method, the fallow land will come under cultivation.
As it is an excellent oil crop, it will meet the demand of sunflower
oil which is very beneficial for human health. This technology
needs to be spread across the southern region to
encourage farmers to cultivate sunflower, he added.
According to the Khulna District Agriculture Extension
Department, 36 mts of sunflower was produced on 19 hectares
of land in the district in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
In 2016-2017 , 9 metric tons of sunflower was
produced by cultivating 5 hectares of land in
the district while 2 metric tons was produced
on 1 hectare of land in the district
in 2018-19 FY. 32 metric tons of Kharif-
1 variety of sunflower was produced
on 14 hectares of land 2019-20 FY.
This year, sunflower have been cultivated
on more than 14 hectares of
land, they said.
Batiaghata Upazila Agriculture
Officer Rabiul Islam Janan said sunflower
is a salinity-tolerant crop. Its seeds
contain 40-45 percent linoleic acid. Also,
since this oil does not contain harmful erosic
acid, it is beneficial for heart patients.
As most of the land in the coastal area remains fallow
after planting paddy in the aman season, this crop will reduce the
amount of uncultivated land as well as meet the demand for sunflower
oil. Farmers' interest in cultivating this crop at low cost has
increased, he said adding seeing good yield, other farmers in the
area have also shown interest in sunflower cultivation.
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