26-11-2021

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2021
3
Neonatal-child
healthcare project to
be greatly helpful:
Japanese envoy
DHAKA : Japanese
Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito
Naoki on Thursday said the
project taken to support
neonatal and child healthcare
in Dhaka district would greatly
contribute to the improvement
of neonatal and child
healthcare services, reports
UNB.
The Ambassador made the
remark while attending the
inaugural ceremony of "The
Project for Provision of
Medical Equipment to
Support Neonatal and Child
Healthcare in Dhaka
District." The project is being
implemented by Dhaka
Community Hospital Trust
(DCHT) with support from
the government of Japan
through Grant Assistance for
Grassroots Human Security
Projects (GGHSP).
Prof Quazi Quamruzzaman,
Chairman of the DCHT, CIS
and A-PAD; Md Golam
Mostofa, Executive Director
of Community Initiative
Society (CIS) and Dr Omar
Sharif Ibne Hasan, Director of
the DCHT, also attended the
ceremony. In January 2021,
the DCHT received US$
68,633, equivalent to nearly
Tk 54 lakh. With the money,
the DCHT procured child
ventilator and color Doppler
ultrasound machines, online
UPS for color Doppler
ultrasound machines,
continuous positive airway
pressure (CPAP) machines
and interruptible.
Remco Kemper of the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing
Countries of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (CBI) handed over the
documents of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed earlier between
the University of Dhaka and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Development
Cooperation of Netherlands to Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof.
Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman yesterday.
Photo : Courtesy
Document of a MoU between
DU and Netherlands handed
over to DU VC
Document of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) signed earlier
between the University of Dhaka (DU) and
the Ministry of Foreign Trade and
Development Cooperation of
Netherlandswashanded over to DU Vice-
Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman on
Thursday. Remco Kemper of the Centre for
the Promotion of Imports from Developing
Countries of the Netherlands Enterprise
Agency (CBI) formally handed over this
document at a function held at DU VC Office
Lounge.
Dean of DU Faculty of Fine Art Prof.
NisarHossain, Registrar Prabir Kumar
Sarker and Chairperson of DU Department
of Crafts Farhana Ferdausi were present on
this occasion.
The main objective of this MoU is
tostrengthen the competitive export
capacities of small and medium sized
enterprises (SMEs)of Bangladesh as well as
capacity building in home decoration and
home textile (HDHT)sector. Besides, the
Ministry of Foreign Trade and Development
Cooperation of Netherlands willprovide
support to design a Post-Graduate course on
HDHT and SMEs at the University of Dhaka.
They will also provide technical assistance
and expertise to make young teachers and
students trained and skilled in this regard.
DU VC Prof. Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman
urged both sides of the MoU to follow and
implement the objectives properly.
Bangladesh-S Korea to have more cultural
exchanges in future: KM Khalid
DHAKA : State Minister for Cultural
Affairs KM Khalid on Wednesday said
the cultural ties between Bangladesh
and South Korea will become stronger
as the government has planned for
more cultural exchanges between the
two nations, reports UNB.
"One of the biggest development
partners of Bangladesh, South Korea
and its culture has a very harmonious
connection with us and Bangladeshi
people love the South Korean culture.
In order to further strengthening the
cultural exchanges between the two
countries, we are planning a cultural
exchange programme," Khalid said.
He inaugurated the Korean Film and
Tourism Festival 2021 as the chief
guest at the Main Auditorium of the
Bangladesh National Museum,
Shahbagh in the capital.
Further lauding South Korea's role
behind several development initiatives
in the country, Khalid thanked South
Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee
Jang-Keun at the event.
"Over 75,000 Bangladeshi and
Korean people are currently working
together in the Korean EPZ in
Chattogram, while many Bangladeshi
students are currently studying in
Korea and vice-versa. They have
honoured our Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman through establishing
'Bangabandhu Corner' in several
universities in South Korea, as part of
the Mujib Year celebration. The
country has already preserved our
'Baro Sardar Bari,' one of the most
significant heritage sites in Sonargaon,
which was the first attempt to preserve
a cultural heritage site in Bangladesh."
Greeting the audiences in Bengali,
ambassador Lee Jang-Keun said,
"After waiting for so long, we are very
pleased to resume this long waited
festival and ready to satiate the appetite
for the Korean films and beyond. We
have been organising this festival for
about 10 years, which had to be
postponed in the past year due to the
Covid-19 pandemic but we are really
happy that it is again being organized
this year, and we thank the State
Minister KM Khalid and Bangladesh
National Museum for organizing the
event."
"Our K-Pop (Korean Pop) has already
been pretty popular around the world,
and in recent years, Korean culture
received worldwide acclaim for the
popular 2019 Korean film "Parasite"
which became the first non-English
language film to win the best picture
award in the 92-year history of the
Academy Awards in 2019. Also, the
recent Netflix series 'Squid Game' has
become the biggest success for the
streaming giant, and we are really
happy our enriched Korean culture
through festivals like this," he added.
Zakir Hossain Raju, Head of the
Media and.Communication
Department at the Independent
University Bangladesh (IUB) also
spoke at the event. He described the
popular 2019 Korean film "Parasite"
before its premiere at the event, and
also narrated the struggle Bong Joonho,
the director of the film, went
through while directing this
masterpiece.
The inaugural ceremony also
featured a special K-pop performance
by some award-winning Bangladeshi
K-pop girls group named Rebel's
Groove, who showcased two dance
performances at the event.
Total 5 In-person films: "Parasite,"
"Mal-mo-e: The Secret Mission," "Kim
Ji-young, Born 1982," #Alive," and
"Red Shoes and The Seven Dwarfs,"
will be screened from November 24 to
26 at the Main Auditorium.
On the sideline of the film screening,
the Korean Tourism Festival is also
being paralleled at the National
Museum of Bangladesh, with an aim to
showcase the picturesque scenery of
South Korea to Bangladeshi visitors.
Covid kills 9 more in BD,
infects another 237
DHAKA : Bangladesh reported nine
more Covid-linked deaths along with
237 fresh cases in 24 hours till
Thursday morning, reports UNB.
With this, the daily-case positivity
rate declined to 1.25 per cent on
Thursday from Wednesday's 1.49 per
cent, said the Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS).
On Wednesday, the country reported
three Covid-related deaths for the
second consecutive day along with 312
fresh cases.
The Final Round and Prize Giving Ceremony of 'BUP AccFinity - 2021' was held on Thursday
at Bijoy Auditorium of BUP. The 'BUP AccFinity - 2021' was organized by the Department of
Business Administration in Accounting and Information Systems, Faculty of Business
Studies (FBS).
Photo : Courtsy
HC scraps 10
percent quota system
for including FFs in
gazette
DHAKA : The High Court
(HC) yesterday scrapped a
Jatio Muktijoddha Council
(Jamuka) provision
keeping 10 percent quota
system for including real
Freedom Fighters (FFs) in
the official gazette.
A High Court division
bench comprising Justice
KM Kamrul Kader and
Justice
Muhammad
Mahbub Ul Islam passed
the order after holding
hearing on separate writ
petitions filed in this
regard.
Jamuka on April 18,
2019, issued a circular,
saying for including
Freedom Fighters' in
official gazette; authorities
cannot include more than
10 percent of the existing
number of gazetted
Freedom Fighters under
each upazilla.
"The writ petitioners
were included at the 'Ka'
list of Freedom Fighters by
the upazilla verification
committee in 2017. But
because of this 10 percent
quota system, many of
them were left out of the
gazette, forcing them to
challenge the circular with
the High Court," Advocate
Toufik Inam Tipu, who
moved the petitions before
the court, told newsmen.
The lawyer said none can
regulate the number of real
Freedom Fighters through
any act. It is
unconstitutional also. The
number of real Freedom
Fighters can be more or
less than 10 percent of
those who have already
been gazetted. You cannot
leave any real Freedom
Fighter out of gazette and
cannot add a single fake
Freedom Fighter in that, he
added.
Adamjee EPZ
starts vaccination
programme for
workers
DHAKA : Adamjee EPZ
started the vaccination
programme among the
workers of 49 factories on
Wednesday.
The EPZ authority
vaccinated initially 5,000
workers in first day of this
seven-day long program,
said a press release .
A total of 54,446 workers
of AEPZ will be vaccinated
through this program next
on the basis of registration.
17 booths in 7 centers inside
the zone have been prepared
to this effect.
Md Ahsan Kabir, General
Manager of Adamjee EPZ,
and Dr Mohammed Imtiaz,
Civil Surgeon of
Narayanganj District, jointly
inaugurated the vaccination
program.
This initiative has been
taken to ensure vaccine of all
workers safely as well as to
maintain uninterrupted
production and export flow
in EPZ.
BEPZA contacted with
Prime Minister's Office to
bring 5 Lac workers of EPZs
under the inoculation
program. Later, BEPZA
keeps continuing its efforts
to bring all workers of EPZs
under the program with the
help of the concerned
district administration and
Civil Surgeon office.
Total 163686 numbers of
Workers of EPZs under
BEPZA have been
vaccinated already.
Vaccination for rest of the
workers is under process.
BEPZA is working to ensure
100 percent vaccination in
order to maintain
production oriented
working atmosphere of EPZ
by ensuring good health of
the workers.
Mentionable that Cumilla
EPZ started vaccination
program formally on
August18, 2021 as the first
EPZ. Later, the other EPZs
started the program which is
still ongoing.
31st founding anniversary
of KU celebrated
TITASH CHAKROBORTHEY, KHULNA CORRESPODNENT
Students, teachers and employees of Khulna
University (KU) yesterday celebrated the
university's 31st founding anniversary with
much enthusiasm and fanfare.
Vice-Chancellor (VC) of KU Professor Dr
Mahmud Hossain inaugurated day's
programmes as the chief guest by releasing
balloons and pigeons at Shaheed Hadi
Chattar in the morning maintaining health
guidelines.
Afterward, a colourful procession was
brought out on the campus.
KU buildings including administrative,
senate, cafeteria, dormitories, roads and
main gate were decorated with colourful
illumination, marking the anniversary.
Expressing gratitude and facilitations to
contributors who played important role for
establishing Khulna University, the KU VC
said, the KU was not a regional university, it's
a university of Bangladesh.
"Our expectation is now to touch sky, we
want to reach the KU in a respectable height
globally in education, research and
innovative creation," he said.
Students, teachers and employees are
trying to make KU internationally slandered,
the VC said, adding that the KU to go ahead
of its goal following current fourth industrial
revolution. Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Hosne
Ara, deans, disciplines head, director of
student affairs, provosts, among others,
attended the programme.
Later, the VC inaugurated mural of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
dormitory, planted a coconut sapling in front
of Khanjahan Ali dormitory. The sapling
collected from a coconut tree which was
planted by Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
from Govt Women College.
A doa mahfil was held at the central
mosque after Asr prayers on the campus
while Hindu community organized prayers
at KU temple. Honorary crest were handed
over to students and organizations who
obtained outstanding preference in different
Disciplines.
KU started its academic activities formally
on November 25, 1991 with four Disciplines
under two Schools with only 80 students and
30 teachers with Prof Dr. Golam Rahman as
the founder Vice-Chancellor (VC), said Atiar
Rahman, Acting director of public affairs and
publication department of KU.
Now it has over 7,000 students and 500
teachers in 29 Disciplines under eight
Schools and two Institutes, he added.
Vice-Chancellor of Khulna University Professor Dr Mahmud Hossain
inaugurated the program Khulna University Day observation. Photo : TBT
Final Round and Prize Giving Ceremony
of 'BUP AccFinity - 2021' Held
The Final Round and Prize Giving
Ceremony of 'BUP AccFinity - 2021' was
held on Thursday at Bijoy Auditorium of
BUP. The 'BUP AccFinity - 2021' was
organized by the Department of Business
Administration in Accounting and
Information Systems, Faculty of Business
Studies (FBS). The purpose of the
programme was to build a platform of
crunching numbers of accounting
enthusiasts of our nation.
In the competition, 11 reputed universities
of Bangladesh participated, and the top 6
teams qualified for final round. Team
Wolves of Motijheel from Bangladesh
University of Professionals become
champion, Team 'Elder Wand' from North
South University and Team Advent
fromBangladesh University of Professionals
become1st and 2nd runner up respectively, a
press release said
Vice Chancellor Major General Md
Moshfequr Rahman, SGP, SUP, ndc, psc was
present as the Chief Guest of the final round
and distributed prizes among the winners.
Brigadier General Md Moazzem Hossain,
BGBM (BAR), PhD, Dean of Faculty of
Business Studies (FBS) and Professor Dr.
Mahfuzul Hoque, Department of Accounting
and Information Systems, University of
Dhaka were present as the Special Guests.
BUP High Officials, Teachers, Students and
Invited Guests were also present in the
programme.
Dhaka's air quality still 'unhealthy'
DHAKA : The densely populated capital of
Bangladesh continues to wait for cleaner air,
despite slipping a couple of notches in the list
of world cities with the worst air quality,
reports UNB.
Dhaka has, in fact, been ranked the fourthmost
polluted city in the world. The capital's
air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 188
around 10.15am on Thursday. The air was
classified as 'unhealthy'. An AQI between 101
and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly
for sensitive groups.
India's Delhi, Mongolia's Ulaanbaatar and
Pakistan's Lahore occupied the first three slots
in the list of cities with the worst air quality
with AQI scores of 376, 243 and 233,
respectively.
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 AQI is based on five
criteria pollutants-Particulate Matter (PM10
and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air
pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns
unhealthy during winter and 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".
With the advent of winter, the city's air
quality starts deteriorating sharply due to the
massive discharge of pollutant particles from
construction works, rundown roads, brick
kilns and other sources.
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.
3 retired teachers become
UGC professor
DHAKA :Three retired teachers as well as
researchers have been selected as "UGC
Professors" by the University Grants
Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh.
They are: Retired Professor of Chemistry at
Jahangirnagar University Dr Shariff Enamul
Kabir, retired professor of cardiology at
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical
University Sajal Krishna Banerjee and retired
Professor of the Department of Agriculture at
Bangladesh Agricultural University Sultan
Uddin Bhuiyan.
They were elected for the next two years at a
recently held meeting of the UGC Professor
Selection Committee chaired by UGC
Chairman Prof Kazi Shahidullah , said an
office order of UGC.
According to the UGC professorship policy,
this post is awarded to retired eminent
researchers and UGC professors will get the
same benefits as a selection grade professor gets.