12-04-2021

Monday, dhaka, April 12, 2021, Chaitra 29, 1427 BS, Shaban 28, 1442 hijri
Stabilise prices ahead of
Ramadan: Home Minister
DHAKA : Minister for Home Affairs
Asaduzzaman Khan, MP, on Sunday
called upon businesses to stabilisethe
prices of essential commodities during
the holy month of Ramadan as people's
incomes have been hit hard by Covid-19
in the country, reports UNB.
"The prices of daily essentials come
down in all Muslim countries in the
world during the month of Ramadan
but the prices go up in Bangladesh in
this time. So, we need assistance from
businesses," the minister said in a webinar
of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (DCCI) on "Law and
order situation and keeping prices of
essentials stable in the upcoming
Ramadan."
The minister said Bangladesh will go
for a hard lockdown to save lives from
April 14. "We will take necessary steps
for the sake of the countrymen. The
extortion is under control now. We
could not control it hundred percent but
we are tough against it," he added.
He urged all to maintain health advisories
and instructions from the government.
"We want the help of businessmen
to keep the prices stable not only in
the month of Ramadan but also all the
year round. Law enforcement agencies
are now largely capable and expert so
JMB acting chief Rezaul placed
on 7-day remand
DHAKA : A court on Sunday placed acting ameer of banned militant outfit Jama'atul
Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Rezaul Hague alias Reza alias Tanvir Mahmud alias
Shihab Ahnaf, 37, on seven-day remand in a case lodged under anti-terror act.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Moinul Islam passed the order as the investigating
agency Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit produced the
accused before the court and pleaded to place him on 10-day remand.
CTTC arrested Rezaul from the capital's Badda area on April 10 and filed the case
with Bhatara Police Station.
"Rezaul was involved in the 2005 series bomb attacks across the country and was
also arrested in that case that year. He came out of jail in 2017 and again got involved
in the militant activities and became JMB's acting ameer," CTTC's additional superintendent
of police Md Rahmat Ullah Chowdhury said. The senior CTTC official further
said Rezaul was leading the militant group by following the order of its top exiled
leader Salauddin Salehin and was also in charge of the gang's treasury and promotional
wings.
Hefazat leader Mamunul's '2nd wife'
goes missing; GD filed
DHAKA : A general diary has been lodged with Paltan Police Station over the
reported missing of the 'second wife' of Hefazat-e-Islam's Joint Secretary General
Mamunul Haque, reports UNB.
Abdur Rahman, son of Mamunul's '2ndwife' Jharna, lodged the GD with Paltan
Police Station on Saturday night, said officer-in-charge of the police station AB
Siddique. According to the GD, Abdur went to his mother's Dhanmondi house on
Saturday and did not find her.
When he inquired about his mother, someone told him that she went out of the
house on April 3 and since then she did not return home.
However, he found three diaries of his mother and he deposited those to the police
station.
ShAh Md. SAwRAR JAhAn,
KiShoRegAnJ CoRReSpondenT
Markets in a Kishoreganj suburb are full
of fake Bidi, a type of local cigarette. In
Pakundia, a syndicate of unethical businessmen
are marketing these Bidis
using fake bandrolls. The act of such forgery
caused the government to lose a
huge amount of revenue every day due.
Unless the customs department rolls up
their sleeves and gets into action the situation
may get out of control. Initiatives
are not being taken due to lack of prosecution,
the local administration says.
The fake Bidi business is thriving in
Pakundia upazila near Kishoreganj district
headquarters where the producers
attach forged bandroll through making
photocopies of the original one. It has
been reported that a certain class of
unscrupulous traders and brokers have
been selling bidis with fake photostat
bandrolls in various small and big shops
in 10 unions of Pakundia Upazila.
This illegal business is gradually
increasing due to the lack of supervision
by the local administration. According
to the investigation, Notun Bidi, Afiz
Bidis, Krishak Bbidis, Amin Bidis in different
markets of Pakundia have been
using their own bandroll by evading the
government's customs tax evasion.
While the production cost is expected
you are requested to take their help any
time," he also added.
Mayor of Dhaka South City
Corporation (DSCC) Barrister Sheikh
Fazle Noor Taposh said, "We have to be
united and work together to stabilise the
market. DSCC has already formed a
committee comprising nine councillors
for market monitoring. We regularly
conduct mobile courts. DSCC is a business
friendly service organization. We
will work for the greater interest of city
dwellers."
The mayor stressed on awareness for
Covid-19. "We sometimes see negligence
in terms of obeying health advisories.
Coordinated efforts will help us
to come out of this pandemic.
Extortions are now very low and our
fight against extortionists will continue,"
he added.
DCCI President Rizwan Rahman said
when the economy was in the way of
recovery, at that moment the second
wave of Covid 19 comes back. The
worldwide supply chain and production
are hampered and are responsible for
inflation.
"Price hike in the international market
and volatility in supply chain have
an impact on price hike in Bangladesh.
Besides, the issue of international market,
creating artificial crisis by hoarding,
lack of market monitoring, extortion in
the transportation sector, increased
transportation cost are some of the reasons
of price spiral especially in the
month of Ramadan," he added.
Mentioning SANEM survey, he said
poverty rate rose to 42% due to pandemic
which was 20.5% a year ago. In
this scenario, if prices of essential commodities
increased people will suffer a
lot in the month of Ramadan.
To keep prices under control Rizwan
suggested releasing essential goods
from the port considering it as a priority.
"Law enforcement agencies should
take stern action against the extortionists
in the transportation sector. We
have adequate laws, but we need to execute
the rules and laws."
The Vice President of Consumer
Association of Bangladesh S M Nazer
Hossain said the essential market is
unstable every year due to lack of market
monitoring. There is also blame
game between large and small businessmen.
He urged for a coordinated market
monitoring system and also called upon
the businessmen to accept lower profit
margin in the pandemic crisis.
Maisha Group
plans to procure
Russian made
vaccine
TBT RepoRT
It is midst of April and the pandemic has
taken a new turn. The Bangladesh government
has rolled out the nationwide
vaccination campaign to inoculate as
many citizens as possible. But the vaccine
now is available to the citizens who
are 40 years or older.
To keep up the supply of the vaccine
M/s Maisha Group plans to procure
Russian made vaccine called Sputnik V.
According to Dr. Jamal Uddin Ahmed, a
consultant of the company, the vaccine
has an efficacy rate at 91.6%. It also has
no adverse impact upon administration.
It can be suitable to store 2 degree to 8
degree Celsius and distributed to the
corners of the country.
"The vaccine is already approved in 18
countries worldwide including
Hungary, which is follows the rules and
regulation of European Medicines
Agency (EMA). On Friday, Germany
said it will approve the use of the
Sputnik V vaccine if it has the stipulated
efficacy rate. If DGHS permits then we
will be able to procure 5 million doses of
vaccine per month." Dr. Jamal added.
Kishoreganj Bidi sellers depriving
govt. of huge revenue
to be BDT 20 per packet including the
duty, some unscrupulous traders and
shop owners have been selling these
bidis without bandrolls at only BDT 8 to
10. The representatives of the concerned
companies said that they are struggling
to sell it at the rate of Tk 20 per packet
using the bandhrol tax imposed by the
legitimate producers and the government.
By adding fake bandrolls, some
unscrupulous businessmen are doing
this without any hesitation by evading
the revenue of the government.
When this correspondent went to the
spot, he obtained sensitive information
in different markets. Ajit Saha, Sunil
Saha, Ratan Saha, Apu Saha, Jiban Saha
and Kabir Mia sell Notun Bidis in the
Mirzapur market. Shibli Selim
Bachchumia, Ratan Mia, Selim Mia and
Sohail Mia of Jangalia Bazar are selling
Notun Bidis in Tarakandi, another market
of Pakundia. Shahin Asad Jilani in
Ishakharod area of Pakundia, Shamim
Rabimia, Golap Mia, Mostakim in
Dargabazar area, Delwar in Bhanabazar
area, Billal selling Krishak Bidi in
Shimulia Kaladia area and Uday Sarkar
selling Amin Bidi in Sukhia Bazar.
When asked about the reasons for
selling illegal Bidis by evading revenue
from the sellers, they conditionally
informed this correspondent that they
sell them for a high profit margin. They
don't know if the bandrolls are original
or fake, but the sellers have no idea
about the legality or illegality of them
because no one in the administration
has banned them.
Very few buyers and visitors at Amar ekushey Book fair ground witnessed on
Sunday. photo : TBT
Textile exporters for
keeping factories open
DHAKA : Country's textile and garment
manufacturers and exporters
on Sunday demanded the government
to keep factories open to help
them offset their losses during the
lockdown period to be enforced by the
government to tackle the surge of
Covid-19 in the country.
They also feared to incur a big loss
and shifting of work orders from
Bangladesh to other countries if they
cannot continue the production and
shipments of goods to their international
trading partners.
Leaders of Bangladesh Garment
Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh
Knitwear Manufacturers and
Exporters Association (BKMEA),
Bangladesh Textile Mills Association
(BTMA) and some top garment manufacturers
and exporters on Sunday
urged the government for keeping
open of the factories at a joint press
conference at a city hotel.
Leaders of Bangladesh Terry Towel
and Linen Manufacturers and
Exporters Association and
Bangladesh Garment and Bangladesh
Garments Accessories and Packaging
Manufacturers and Exporters
Association also took part in the joint
press conference.
Mohammad Abdus Salam, acting
president of BGMEA said the local
garment suppliers have been struggling
to recoup the business losses
that they incurred during the first
phase of the COVID-19.
5-storey building tilts
in Chattogram:
Residents evacuated
CHATTOGRAM : A five-storey building
tilted at Enayet Bazar in Chattogram city
on Saturday, forcing the authorities concerned
to evacuate the building, reports
UNB.
Police, city corporation officials and
fire service men rushed to the spot and
evacuated the residents of the building,
said Nezam Uddin, officer-in-charge of
Kotwali Police Station.
The five-storey building, owned by
one Kartik Ghosh, was built at
Goalapara 35 years back.
Kartik Ghosh along with his family
and his five brothers used to live in the
building.
Local people said the work of
installing two more pillars was going on
Saturday without taking any prior permission
from Chattogram Development
Authority (CDA). In the evening, a crack
developed on the wall of the building
and suddenly tilted around 10:30 pm.
On information, fire service men,
police and city corporation officials
rushed to the spot and evacuated the
building around 11 pm.
Police also asked the residents of an
adjacent eight-storey building to evacuate
it immediately apprehending danger.
Meanwhile, the authorities concerned
have blocked the entrance of the
building with bamboo and logs as no
one can enter it.
For instance, in the last fiscal year
(FY20), Bangladesh lost garment
export worth more than $6billion
from the previous fiscal year (FY19).
"In the fiscal 2018-19, Bangladesh
exported garment items worth $34.12
billion, but the amount fell to
$27.94billion in the fiscal 2019-20,"
Salam said.
Moreover, work orders worth
$3.18billion was either cancelled or
held up by the international retailers
and brands due to the fallouts of the
pandemic.
Later, 90 percent work orders were
reinstated with discount and delayed
payment, Salam said.
Similar kind of situation may arise if
the production is lost and timely shipments
of goods cannot be done.
Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, former
BGMEA president said adequate
safety measures have already been
taken at the factory levels to protect
the workers from the COVID-19 infection
and it was proved in different
studies.
Faruque Hassan, BGMEA president-elect
sought cooperation for
keeping open of the factories as there
is a fear of work order losses.
Hassan also said that the factory
owners will have to face trouble in
paying the salaries and festival
allowances for the workers if they cannot
run and ship the goods timely.
Singer Mita Haque
passes away
TBT RepoRT
Ekushey Padak winning Rabindra
Sangeet singer Mita Haque passed away at
a hospital in Dhaka on Sunday, after losing
her battle with Covid-19. She was 59.
The singer breathed her last at 6:20 am.
According to her family sources, Haque
tested positive for Covid-19 on March 25
and was admitted to Bangladesh
Specialized Hospital on March 31.
However, she tested negative a few days
later and returned home from the hospital.
On Saturday night, her blood pressure
fell down and she was rushed to the hospital
again where doctors informed that she
had suffered a heart attack.
She was then kept on ventilation before
eventually losing her battle with illness.
Haque was also suffering from kidney
disease and used to undergo dialysis on a
regular basis. She will be buried at the
family graveyard at her ancestral home in
Manohariya of Keraniganj, according to
her family sources.
Can Dhaka improve
its air quality
DHAKA : Many of those who live in
Dhaka these days say that they will look
at other cities to move out if there is any
opportunity as they find the capital city
unlivable due to its worsening air pollution.
"Living in Dhaka has become a personal
battle because its air has become
too unhealthy for living," says Mujibul
Haque, a retired engineer, reports
UNB.
The residents of Dhaka breathed with
the worst and unsafe air from January
to March this year as they did during
the same period in 2017.
During this 90-day period (January-
March 2021), the air quality was
recorded as 'hazardous' for 12 days,
'very unhealthy' for 58 days, 'unhealthy'
for 19 days and 'unhealthy for sensitive
groups' for one day in Dhaka, one of the
most polluted cities in the world.
This awful scenario was found after
the analysis of the Air Quality Index
(AQI) data of the first three months of
2017-2021. In 2021, the average daily
AQI score was 261 in January, 231 in
February and 211 in March, which hit
the record high in the last five years.
The average AQI scores were 247, 193
and 170 in January-March 2017 respectively,
according to the analysis made
by Prof Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman
Majumder, Founder and Director of
Centre for Atmospheric Pollution
Studies (CAPS) run by Stamford
University Bangladesh.
During the five years, the air quality
was relatively better in 2020 as the
average AQI scores were 235 in
January, 220 in February and 175 in
March in the year.
Besides, the average AQI scores were
240, 226 and 191 in the first three
months of 2019, while 256, 224 and 183
in January-March of 2018.
In January 2021, the air quality in
Dhaka was hazardous (score 300+) for
seven days, while very unhealthy (score
200-300) for 23 days and unhealthy
(151-200) for one day.
Dhaka's air quality was hazardous for
three days, very unhealthy for 20 days
and unhealthy during the remaining
five days in February.
In March last, the air quality was hazardous
for two days, very unhealthy for
15 days and unhealthy for 13 days and
unhealthy for sensitive groups (score
101-150) for one day.
In the last three months, the highest
average AQI score was 365 on January
20 and the lowest 144 on March 11,
2021.
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.
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