22-11-2021

MONDAY, NOveMBeR 22, 2021
11
Chevron Bangladesh's illegal
building catches fire
TBT Report
A fire broke out in the Gulshan
Centre Point building on 20th
November 2021 at around 9 pm. As
a result, for not having firefighting
equipment and sprinkler system, it
couldn't fight automatically like
other compliance highrise
buildings. Later, after fighting for
almost an hour, 2 fire fighting units
were able to douse the blaze. No
casualties were reported.
It is to be noted that the USbased
international oil company
Chevron Bangladesh, which is
engaged in oil and gas exploration
and development in Bangladesh,
has recently moved into an illegal
controversial building, which was
invalid by the Supreme Court
according to a reliable source.
This news came into several
National Newspapers few months
back complaining that Chevron
Bangladesh moving to Gulshan
Centre Point which is an illegal
building. Many allegations are
there for years after years on this
building and came to the headlines
many times during the last couple
wewmAvBwm-236 Zvs-21.11.21
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GD-1713/21 (7x3)
of years. Furthermore, the Capital
Development Authority (RAJUK),
Department of Environment, Civil
Aviation, Fire Service and other
authorities have not given
permission for this building.
In this regard, the Capital
Development Authority (RAJUK)
said that this building is
unapproved and also there is no
approval to use it for any business
or commercial purposes. The land,
however, is earmarked in the
master plan of RAJUK to use only
as public facilities. While
investigating with technical
engineers, it was also noticed that
this building openly neglected Fire
rules which are very visible in car
parking and other public areas of
this building. To construct a highrise
building it's must to have
sprinkler, smoke & heat detectors,
alarms and other required
firefighting system in car parking
and all other public areas. But
there were no visible elements
found in these areas of this
building.
It was also reported that even
after knowing all these allegations
against this building few officials of
Chevron Bangladesh have taken
their desperate moves to relocate
their office in this building, by
putting the life of their people and
employees into danger. As it was
also reported in several
newspapers that Gulshan Centre
Point is not equipped with proper
Fire Fighting System and neglected
to follow Fire Fighting rules, but
still the officials of Chevron didn't
bother for the value of life.
IMF renews
$50 bn credit
line for Mexico
WASHINGTON: The IMF
announced Friday it has
renewed a two-year credit
line for Mexico for $50
billion, reports BSS.
The Mexican economy
remains exposed to risks,
including from the impact of
Covid-19, and the flexible
credit line (FCL) will provide
insurance against those risks
and bolster market
confidence,
the
International Monetary
Fund said in a statement.
The government considers
the credit line
"precautionary" and has
gradually reduced the
amount since 2017, when it
totaled nearly $90 billion,
the IMF said.
"The Mexican economy is
rebounding from its deepest
recession in decades,
spurred by strong US growth
and rising vaccination
rates," said Geoffrey
Okamoto, the IMF's first
deputy managing director.
"The authorities have
successfully maintained
external, financial, and fiscal
stability, despite the
p a n d e m i c - r e l a t e d
challenges."
Stocks, oil, euro
slide on Austria's
partial lockdown
NEW YORK: European
stocks fell Friday along with
the euro as Austria
announced a new partial
lockdown to try to curb
surging Covid cases, which
also triggered heavy losses
for oil prices, reports BSS.
The latest Covid-19 rules
in Austria and more limited
steps in Germany added
pressure to US markets,
although the Nasdaq
finished at an all-time high
on strength in tech shares.
The restrictions in Austria
will begin Monday and
vaccination against Covid-19
in the eurozone country will
become mandatory from
February, Chancellor
Alexander Schallenberg
said.
Fawad Razaqzada, market
analyst at ThinkMarkets,
warned of a "short-term
correction as investors wake
up to the risks facing the
eurozone economy," despite
the prospect of a weaker
euro boosting exports.
"It is not necessarily about
Austria," he said, pointing to
"concerns that similar
lockdown measures might
be introduced to other parts
of Europe."
Bourses in London, Paris
and Frankfurt all fell, with
travel sector firms especially
hard hit as British Airways
shed six percent or around
œ400m off the carrier's
market capitalization.
Bangabandhu
Memorial Arch
inaugurated in
Narayanganj
Mohammad Saimun Islam,
Narayanganj Correspondent
The
eye-catching
Bangabandhu Memorial Arch
has been inaugurated at the
entrance of Narayanganj
Deputy Commissioner's
Office on Sunday under the
supervision of the Deputy
Commissioner, valiant
freedom fighter and District
Commander Mohammad Ali
and valiant freedom fighter
Abdul Aziz officially
inaugurated the beautiful
archway.
While inaugurating the
newly constructed
Bangabandhu Arch in
collaboration with
Masuduzzaman, the head of
Narayanganj Multinational
Company Model Group,
Deputy Commissioner
Mostain Billah said that
various activities of
Bangabandhu from the
language movement of 1952
to the Great Liberation War
have been highlighted
through the arch. Through
this our new young generation
will get an idea about the
liberation war and the life style
of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu. This arch has
been presented as one of the
most important part of the DC
theme park under
construction adjacent to the
main gate in front of the
Deputy Commissioner's
Office.
During the time, District
Superintendent of Police
Zaidul Alam PPM (Bar),
Deputy Director (Local
Government), Additional
Deputy Commissioners,
District Administration
Officers, other district level
officials and Managing
Director of Model Group were
present along with hundreds
of heroic freedom fighters.
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Memorial Arch has been inaugurated at the entrance of Narayanganj Deputy
Commissioner's Office on Sunday.
Photo: Mohammad Saimun Islam
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Education Engineering Department (EED)
Nilphamari