16-12-2021

thursday

DhAkA: December 16, 2021; Poush 1, 1428 BS; Jamadi-ul Awal 11,1443 hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 225; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

HC orders to halt

acid-based batteryrun

easy bikes for

harmful lead

DHAKA : The High Court on

Wednesday asked the authorities concerned

to take immediate steps to stop

movement of acid-based battery-run

easy bikes (three-wheelers) across the

country as they release harmful lead in

the air. The HC bench of Justice

Mamnoon Rahman and Justice

Khandaker Diliruzzaman passed the

order after hearing a petition.

Kazi Jashimul Islam, president of

Bagh Eco Motor Limited filed the writ

seeking its directives to stop the movement

of such easy bikes across the country

as the lead is harmful to humans.

Advocate Atik Touhidul Islam stood

for the petitioner while Deputy

Attorney General Amit Das Gupta represented

the state.

Advocate Atik said according to the

media reports, there are over 40 lakh

acid-based battery-run three-wheelers

and it's not environment-friendly as it

has a lead which is harmful to the

human body. Due to the presence of

lead, people are being infected with

many diseases, said the writ.

Zohr

05:14 AM

11:56 PM

03:37 PM

05:17 PM

06:35 PM

6:32 5:14

Bangladesh India’s dev

partner, Kovind

DHAKA : Terming Bangabandhu an ideal

of pluralism and democracy, visiting

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on

Wednesday said Bangladesh is a development

partner of his country, reports UNB.

"Our partnership is comprehensive and

vibrant," President Kovind said when

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met him at

his palace of residence at Hotel Sonargaon

here. PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim

briefed reporters after the meeting.

The Indian President said he is happy to be

in Bangladesh as it marks three great occasions-Bangabandhu

Birth Centenary, Golden

Jubilee of Bangladesh's Independence and 50

Years of Indo-Bangla Diplomatic Relations.

Talking about the pandemic, the Indian

President said Covid-19 is an "unseen

power" that destroyed everything.

He said Bangladesh was the first country

to receive Covid-19 vaccine from India

and thanked Bangladesh for sending medicines

to India to tackle the virus.

The Indian President hoped that

Bangladesh will emerge as a more prosperous

and developed country under the

leadership of Sheikh Hasina.

Appreciating Bangladesh's support to

US democracy is also under threat : Hasan

CHATTOGRAM : Information and

Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan

Mahmud yesterday said a country

whose democracy is under threat has

no right to give lessons of democracy to

another country.

"In that country, parliament was

attacked to sabotage the election

results, some people including police

officers were killed after parliament was

surrounded and agitated people sat in

the speaker's chair and took pictures

from there," he added.

The minister said that a democracy

conference was held in United States

(US) a few days ago and many countries,

including Pakistan, were invited

to the conference though the US

democracy is also under threat today.

India in different international forums,

Kovind said the Bangabandhu-Bapuji

joint digital exhibition was remarkable.

"And Bangabandhu Chair has been

established in Delhi University," he said,

adding that India is focusing on connectivity

between the two countries.

The Indian President thanked Sheikh

Hasina for sending a very good gift of

mangoes to Indian leaders.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh considers

India as a great friend and recalled the

crucial role played by the Indian government

and their people during

Bangladesh's War of Liberation in 1971 led

by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

She described 2021 as a landmark year

for Bangladesh as the country is celebrating

the Birth Centenary, Golden Jubilee of

Bangladesh's Independence and 50th

anniversary of the establishment of Indo-

Bangla diplomatic relations.

Hasina recalled the historic and successful

visit of Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi to Bangladesh in March

this year to join the celebrations of the

three events.

"Because the US Parliament was

attacked and some people were killed

there. Such incident never happened in

Bangladesh," he added.

Dr Hasan said these as chief guest

while addressing a discussion meeting on

the occasion of Golden Jubilee of

Independence and Great Victory Day

organized by Chattogram North District

Awami League (AL) this noon at

Bangabandhu hall of Chattogram Press

Club. Chatogram North district AL

President MA Salam presided over the

function while its Vice Presidents

Muktijoddha Professor Mohammad

Moinuddin, Abul Kalam Azad, Abul

Kashem Chishti and ATM Piyarul

Islam, among others, addressed the

function as special guests.

Blinken calls up

FM Momen

DHAKA : US Secretary of State Antony

Blinken made a phone call to Foreign

Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on

Wednesday evening and discussed issues

of mutual interests, reports UNB.

A source at the Foreign Ministry said

the two sides discussed bilateral issues

and areas of cooperation between the

two countries.

Though details could not be known,

the Foreign Minister is scheduled to brief

the media on Thursday afternoon, highlighting

the Indian President's state visit.

He is expected to share more on the

telephone conversation with Blinken.

Earlier, US Ambassador to

Bangladesh Earl R Miller was summoned

by Foreign Secretary Masud

Bin Momen on Saturday to convey

Dhaka's "discontent" over the designated

sanctions imposed by the US

Departments of Treasury and of

State on some of the present and former

officials of the Rapid Action

Battalion (RAB).

Prime

minister

Sheikh

hasina

met indian

President

Ram Nath

Kovind on

Wednesday

at hotel

Sonargaon.

Photo : PiD

Bengalis celebrate fifty

years of independence

Shafiqul iSlam (Jami)

Today is a historic day. The grandiose

victory day! The day glorifies the Bengali

nation in the pages of history and

debuted the Bengalis as a nation of

heroes. An independent territory called

Bangladesh curved out on the world map

on this day. Today is the ramification of

collective effort put by the language

movement of 1952, the six points of 1966,

the mass uprising of 1969, and the historic

speech of 7 March 1971, declaration

of independence of Bangabandhu in the

early morning of 26 March, and the

bloody liberation war that claimed the

lives of 3 million martyrs and 200,000

other war victims. The final victory was

achieved on 16 December 1971 with the

surrender of the Pakistani army.

Today is the 50th anniversary of the

victory and 51st victory day. Meanwhile,

various political parties including the

President and the Prime Minister have

given separate messages on the occasion

of Victory Day. On the occasion of the

birth centenary of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

and the golden jubilee of victory, a twoday

special program has been organized

in the South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad

Bhaban under the theme 'Mohabijoyer

Mohanayok' from today.

The National Implementation

Committee has organized the celebration

of Mujib Year. Today, on the 1st day, the

ceremony will start at 4:30 pm and at the

beginning, the swearing in ceremony of

Subarna Jayanti and Mujibbbarsha will be

conducted by the Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina. People from all walks of life will

take part in the swearing-in ceremony

holding the national flag with the promise

of building a prosperous Bangladesh.

GD-1855/21(8x4)

GD-1856/21(8x4)

ThuRsDAY, DeCeMBeR 16, 2021

2

bCG seizes huge quantity

of indian saris, 8 held

Members of bangladesh Coast Guard in a

drive seized a large quantity of indian saris

was seized and arrested 8 smugglers along

with 2 indian nationals on Tuesday, a press

release said.

This information was given by lt.

Commander khandaker Munif Taki, Media

officer of bangladesh Coast Guard

headquarters on Wednesday (december 15)

at noon.

he said that on the basis of secret

information, a special operation was

conducted by station sangu in the outer area

of Chattogram on Tuesday morning. during

the operation, Coast Guard members signaled

GD-1851/21 (6x3)

the boat to stop if the movement of an enginedriven

wooden boat seemed suspicious in

Chittagong's outer anchorage area.

When the boat, sensing the presence of the

Coast Guard, quickly turned around and

started fleeing, the Coast Guard members

were able to chase and catch the boat. The

boat was later searched and 7478 pieces of

saris, 880 pieces of lehenga were seized and 8

smugglers, including two indian nationals,

were arrested.

he further said that the seized illegal saris

and the arrested smugglers have been handed

over to patenga Model police station for

further legal action.

Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard in a drive seized a large quantity of

Indian saris was seized and arrested 8 smugglers along with 2 Indian

nationals.

Photo: Courtesy

Massive program for cultivating

winter vegetables in netrakona

neTrakona: The

department of agriculture

extension (dae) has taken

up a massive programme to

cultivate winter vegetables

in all ten upazila of the

district during the current

rabi season, reports bss.

The dae office sources

said under the program, a

target has been designed to

produce 1.65 lakh tonnes of

winter vegetables from

6,500 hectares of land in ten

upazilas of the district.

Growers have already

cultivated winter vegetables

on 6250 hectares of land and

they have continued

rendering field-level service

to cultivate vegetables on the

rest of the targeted land

within the next fortnight.

deputy director of dae

FM Mubarak ali said

farmers are showing their

keen interest for cultivating

winter vegetables like

cauliflowers, cabbage, bean,

cucumber, sweet gourd,

bottle gourd potol, brinjal,

tomato and amaranthus in

the district as the farm lands

of the district is suitable for

vegetable cultivation and

they can earn more cash

money easily by selling these

in the local markets.

"apart from these, the

cultivators are coming

forward to cultivate winter

vegetables as the

government inspired them

by ensuring proper supply of

improved quality seeds,

fertilizers and other

agricultural equipment at

fair prices at the door-steps

of the farmers through

different state -run agencies

including bCiC and badC",

he said.

Corona prevention

registration held in

dhamoirhat

reJuan alaM, dhaMoirhaT

CorrespondenT

Coronavirus prevention

free registration campaign

has been held in

dhamoirhat. The

campaign was held on

Wednesday at Jagddal

asibasi dhol & College in

the upazila.

during the time,

Jagaddal adivasi dhool

and College principal Md

elias alam, arCo upazila

officer Joy rani,

Community development

officer rasel hasan,

enamul haque and others

were present.

The campaign was

organized by palli sohojogi

bishoyak. sangstha

(arCo).

Govt to procure

7,446 tonnes

aman paddy

in Gaibandha

Gaibandha: The

government would purchase

as many as 7,446 tonnes of

aman paddy through 11

purchasing centers from the

farmers directly under

'aman paddy procurement

drive' during the current

aman season, reports bss.

as part of the drive, some

1,795 tonnes of paddy would

be purchased from 1,795

farmers of sundarganj

upazila in the district. each

farmer is allowed to sell a

tonne of paddy to the

department this season and

the price of per kg paddy has

been fixed at Taka 27,

district controller of food

antara Mallick said.

upazila food controller

Md. habibur rahman said

as the number of

enthusiastic farmers has

become more than the

requirement, the upazila

Food Collection Monitoring

committee took decision to

select the names of the

farmers through open

lottery.

upazila nirbahi officer

(uno) Mohammad al-

Maruf said the government

took the initiative to

purchase paddy from the

farmers directly to help the

farmers get fair price against

their crop.

The uno also urged the

food officials concerned to

purchase paddy from the

farmers without any

irregularities.

8 to die for

killing army

man

TiTash ChakraborThey,

khulna CorrespondenT

a khulna court sentenced

eight people to death for

killing an army soldier in 2018

on Wednesday.

Judge nazrul islam

hawladar of khulna

divisional speedy Trial

Tribunal delivered the verdict

in the present of five accused.

The death row convicts are:

hakimul islam, Mizanur

rahman, Faruk hossain,

Matiar rahman alias Fain,

kashem, abbas, dalim and

Moktar. Matiar rahman alias

Fain, kashem, dalim and

Moktar remained absconding.

The court also fined them

Tk 50,000 each.

it is learned that hafiz

uddin of bankira

paschimpara area of

Jhenaidah is a farmer by

profession. his eldest son

saiful islam saif served as

lance Corporal of the army at

Ghatail army Medical

Training Center in Tangail

district. his other son Md.

Monirul islam is serving in

the navy.

according to the case

statement, the convicts

stabbed to death with sharp

knives indiscriminately. saiful

and his younger brother

Monirul islam was returning

home from badarganj bazaar

on the night of august 18,

2018, it added.

Coronavirus prevention free registration campaign has been held in Dhamoirhat. Photo: Rejaun Alam

GD-1854/21 (7x4)

GD-1853/21 (7x4)

†kL nvwmbvi g~jbxwZ

MÖvg kn‡ii DbœwZ

ThursDAY, December 16, 2021

3

People’s confidence is source of internal

strength of judiciary: Chief Justice

DHAKA

DHAKA : Chief Justice Syed

Mahmud Hossain yesterday

said people's confidence is the

source of internal strength of

judiciary and judges should

remain conscious about ever

changing legal and

technological issues along

with attaining high moral

value and character.

"People's confidence is the

source of internal strength of

the judiciary of an

independent country and to

achieve this confidence,

judges will have to remain

conscious about ever

changing legal and

technological issues along

with attaining high moral

value and character," he said

while speaking at a ceremony

organised on the occasion of

his farewell at the Chief

Justice's court, in the

Appellate Division of the

Supreme Court.

Justice Syed Mahmud

Hossain, who will retire on

December 30, sat in the

courtroom for hearing and

disposing of cases on his last

working day today, as the

court will go into a two-week

annual vacation tomorrow.

He said the responsibility

and uniqueness of the state's

three organs are clearly

mentioned in the

constitution. The cordial

relationship of these three

organs helps flourish

democracy and it is a beauty

of Bangladesh constitution,

he added.

About the huge backlogs of

cases, the chief justice said it

is undeniable that the

number of judges is

inadequate in proportion to

the number of pending cases

in courts. The number of

judges needs to be made

double in phases from lower

to top courts in order to

reduce the backlogs of cases,

he said.

Indian, Russian delegations meet Army Chief

: A 66-member military

delegation, including 30 heroic warriors of

the Indian Armed Forces who participated

in the great liberation war, today met with

Bangladesh Army Chief General SM

Shafiuddin Ahmed at Army Headquarters

here. Later, a three-member military

delegation led by the Russian Land Force

Commander paid a courtesy call on the

army chief, said a press release.

After exchanging greetings, the Chief of

Army Staff recalled the great war of

independence of Bangladesh and the

contribution of friendly countries India

and Russia in the aftermath of the war

and expressed his sincere gratitude.

Former Indian Army officers who took

part in the great liberation war of

Bangladesh reminisced passionately and

reiterated their gratitude for the reception

and honor. Both the delegations laid

wreaths at Shikha Anirban in Dhaka

Cantonment yesterday (Tuesday). The

Indian and Russian delegations arrived in

Dhaka on 13 and 14 December 2021

respectively for a state visit to participate

in various programs on the occasion of the

Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh

Independence Day, including the Great

Victory Day Parade 2021.

During the visit, the delegation will visit

the Sylhet Cantonment of the two armies

and the para-dropping site at Tangail

during the Great Liberation War, as well

as the Liberation War Museum and the

Bangabandhu Memorial Museum. At the

end of the tour, they will return to their

respective countries on 16 and 19

December 2021.

ThursdAy, decemBer 16, 2021

4

Bangladesh's circular economy and sustainability

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Observing 50th

Victory Day

Bangladesh is celebrating today its 50th Victory Day.

Bangladesh is celebrating its half a century of existence after

triumphing fully over Pakistani occupation forces on this

day in 1971. This period of fifty years has been an astoundingly

successful journey for Bangladesh. Very recently, Bangladeshis

were witnesses to the laying of the last pier over the Padma Bridge

which now crosses fully the mighty river Padma. The Metro Rail

project in Dhaka and the Pyra seaport in southwestern Bangladesh

are fast heading towards completion. There are other such

megadevelopmental projects in varying degrees of completion

throughout the country. It is not possible to describe them in the

confines of this column. Thus, I do not wish to write this column

only recalling the national jubilation centered on the defeat of the

Pakistani forces of occupation and our triumphant victory. These

have been often written about by me and so many others.

Ithink what merits writing on most on the occasion of this Victory

Day is the crucial aspect of whether we could match the

developmental expectations of this nation's founders who, among

other things, gave their everything in the freedom struggle so that

posterity in the future would become the citizens of a rich and well

developed country equitably sharing its wealth and opportunities.

Any sensible and well informed person who looks back and

attempts to measure Bangladesh's progress 'objectively' and with an

open mind, cannot fail to spot the tremendous successes attained by

this country in these last five decades.

Bangladesh started off with the odious label pinned on it by

renowned US Foreign Secretary, Henry Kissinger, who described it

as a 'bottomless basket' meaning that this country would be

destined perpetually to depend on foreign charity.But Bangladeshis

could discard this projection long ago. Today, it is a strong trading

partner of the USA in being among the top apparel exporter to that

country. In fact, Bangladesh is the second biggest exporter of

garments in world markets and seems to be headed to become the

number one fairly soon. The economic strength of Bangladesh is

reflected in the fact that never even for once in all these years it had

to request its development partners to reschedule repayment of its

loans to them. Bangladesh has one of the best records of timely debt

servicing among developing countries. Even amid the raging corona

epidemic when many countries are reeling under its pressure, the

Bangladesh economy appears to be strong and resilient. Depending

entirely on external assistance in the early seventies for

developmental activities and even for routine administrative ones,

today Bangladesh meets its entire needs of administrative

expenditures from within its own resources and at least half of the

resources as well for its developmental activities.

The most dependable international rating agencies such as

Goldman Sachs had no hesitation in identifying Bangladesh some

years ago as a growing economic powerhouse in the near future.

Heads of international development agencies have congratulated

the rise of Bangladesh as a middle income country sooner than the

targeted date.Bangladesh had a population of 75 million in 1971 but

out of this number only about 20 million people had an existence

above the poverty line. The population of Bangladesh has more than

doubled to over 160 million. But well over 50 per cent of this vast

increased population live in poverty free conditions today which

gives some idea about the Herculean success attained to banish

poverty on a sustainable basis.

Bangladesh has been doing a splendid job of feeding its greatly

expanded population since 1971 with its own higher agricultural

productivity. Its import of food grains is nominal suggesting its

sustainable great success in achieving higher agricultural

productivity. It has had other successes also in building an

industrial base for producing many essential consumer as well as

intermediate products and a wide range of capital equipment. It is

currently showing promise in new areas like shipbuilding,

pharmaceuticals, information technologies (IT) and outsourcing

business. Bangladeshis in greater number are seen who are able to

take on enterprise in diverse fields. Bangladeshis with varied

entrepreneurial abilities have emerged who are to be regarded as

assets in taking the country forward in different fields. Such

development of entreprenurial abilities was unimaginable in the

suppressive colonial times. This growing entreprenurial flair holds

out the best assurance that this country would continue to improve

its economic status while bestowing the benefits of its economic

growth and development among more and more people in the

future. Independence of the country that was achieved on the

Victory Day of December 16, 1971 set forces in motion which were

unthinkable in the pre independence era. The psychological relief of

the people has been simply very great. The class system or the

system of privileges is certainly weaker today compared to the past.

Many people in this country are still in poverty. But they do not

perceive themselves like the serfs of the middle ages destined to be

always at the beck and call of their masters . They have learnt to

hope, to feel that they are their own masters of their destiny with

rights and liberties and that they can hope to win against their

poverty conditions by the dint of their own hard work and little else

because there is no wicked system to keep them in bondage

perpetually.Very significant has been the mental and spiritual

liberation of people from the colonial days when they suffered from

the inferiority complex that was sought to be imprinted massively

in their minds by the colonial rulers. They were persuaded to think

and feel as inferiors to be ruled by superior races.

The coming of independence shattered such notions and for the

first time in centuries. Bengalis in their own land learnt to hold up

their heads high in an air of freedom and feel that they are next to

nobody in intellectual prowess and other abilities to change their lot

for the better in the individual and collective sense. This feeling of

emancipation can be a tremendous force for development in any

setting and this was possibly the greatest gift of independence for

the people.The future, it seems, is far from bleak for Bangladesh

although the impatient ones or the incurable skeptics in Bangladesh

society would have us all believe that this country is destined to

ultimately become a failed state from the burden of its accumulated

problems. Bangladesh has developed superior entrepreneurial,

business and managerial skills and classes who can be relied on to

excel in various forms of enterprising. They are raring to go at top

speed but are being held back from governmental failures in

supplying them with adequate energy and for infrastructural and

institutional weaknesses. Once government in Bangladesh starts

addressing these factors rapidly and effectively, Bangladesh then

would likely swiftly move on to a higher growth path ; its present a

little over 5 per cent annual growth could easily shoot up to 8 or 9

per cent or could go up even into the double digits. Thus, the real

challenge for Bangladesh is to continue to have good governance,

efficient governance and visionary governance to prepare for its full

take-off and to sustain the developmental momentum.

Due to the somewhat chaotic and

uncertain nature of today's

economic world, it is critical for

businesses to evolve, learn, and innovate

in order to survive. Organizations that do

not adapt to the changing environment

become victims of natural selection in the

marketplace. For today's dynamic

organisation, the ability to adapt is critical.

The same ideas are applied to the nationstate.

In order to remain competitive and

nimble in the race for progress and

growth, a country must be competitive

and adaptable. For the past two decades,

Bangladesh has experienced consistent

growth patterns, and has emerged as a

model for other developing countries,

having transitioned from a povertystricken

state into one in which per capita

income is significantly higher than that of

many neighbouring countries. In order to

remain much more competitive in the

global marketplace, the country should

seek better ways to stimulate economic

growth and prosperity, as well as reinvent

business models. Adapting the concept of

circular economy for better national

sustainability is one such way to foster

growth and innovation.

The circular economy is the most recent

attempt to forge a long-term connection

between economic activity and

environmental health. The restorative and

regenerative design of the circular

economy is linked to its essential

components, which aim to reduce waste

and energy by completing loops. This

necessitates a production recycling

strategy that identifies where leaks and

emissions occur, as well as how to reduce

or eliminate them. It is more than merely

reusing and recycling resources. It also

encourages energy sources that are good

for the environment, such as biogas, wind

power, and solar electricity. This is

comparable to how plants make food in

nature, where they employ nutrients from

decomposed biomass, water, and the

sun's energy to produce food. Rather than

relying on non-renewable fossil fuels, the

circular economy promotes the

development and use of environmentally

friendly energy, mimicking natural

producers.

The circular economy is a key paradigm

in industrial economics that aims for longterm

growth. A wide collection of

stakeholders is required to shift from a

take-make-use-dispose economy to a

production-consumption-waste

economy. The economic model's success

hinges on the ability of various players to

co-create value. The circular economy

notion can be immediately applied to the

larger context of long-term sustainability.

It's part of a larger plan that encompasses

aspects of the green economy, industrial

ecology, eco-design, and a functional

economy, among other things. The

circular economy is a new industry model.

It aims to provide environmental, social,

and financial value, resulting in efficiency

and, in some cases, even beyond

dr P r dATTA

To save our planet, we need to criminalize ecocide

As last month's 26th session of the

Climate Conference of the Parties

(COP26) slowly falls off the news

agenda, every single one of us must

continue to remember what has been

promised there, and do everything we can

to ensure those promises are delivered. We

must also continue to demand more. To

survive, we need to transform social,

economic and technical aspects of our way

of life. We can no longer afford to be

complacent. As Ugandan climate activist

Vanessa Nakate noted in her recent book A

Bigger Picture, species are going extinct at

a rate greater than the time of the

dinosaurs. And as Mia Mottley, Prime

Minister of Barbados, explained in her

opening speech at COP26, island nations

are now facing a death sentence.

One powerful solution to break this

bloody chain of damage is to get "ecocide"

recognized as a serious crime in

international law. The word ecocide

combines the Greek "oikos", meaning

house/home (and later understood to

mean habitat/environment), with "cide",

meaning to kill. It literally means "killing

one's home". In legal terms, ecocide is

defined as "unlawful or wanton acts

committed with knowledge that there is a

substantial likelihood of severe and either

widespread or long-term damage to the

environment being caused by those acts".

Criminalising ecocide would give

everyone on this planet the ability to hold

companies and governments to account for

starting or continuing with the extraction

of fossil fuels. An ecocide law could give us

a fighting chance to save our future. From

extended draughts in the dry corridor in

Central America, to rising sea levels in the

Ganges deltas, to climate-exacerbated

conflicts in the Sahel and exponentially

increasing flooding in Europe, there is no

ecological sustainability. They are among

the most likely to emphasise economic

prosperity, and the circular economy is

frequently alluded to as a means of

enhancing growth. Optimisation and

execution have theoretical and practical

constraints that can raise the bar for

successfully implementing a circular

economy in a geographical unit.

The climate crisis has progressed from

scientists' predictions to reality. Most

people believe that global warming and

climatic instability are just one facet of a

larger environmental collapse that

threatens to turn the earth unfriendly to

humans, as it already is to the 150 species

that become extinct every day. In light of

this, London, one of the first cities in the

world, has pledged to become a carbonfree

city by 2050, paving the path for the

development of a circular economy. For

London, the benefits of implementing a

circular economy approach in the built

environment will be tremendous. Based

on recent data published by the UK

government, the London Waste and

Recycling Board could earn between £3

billion and £5 billion in income and

employ 12,000 new workers by 2036.

The circular economy concept and

prospective paradigm shift have been

growing in popularity since the late 1970s.

The philosophical and historical

foundations of this notion are welldocumented.

Although the concept of

cycles in real-world systems has been

around for centuries and has been

embraced by a variety of philosophical

schools. The rise of computer-based nonlinear

systems research following WWII

conclusively revealed the world we live in

as complex, interrelated, and

unpredictable, more akin to metabolism

than a machine. Digital technology has

recently advanced to the point that it can

considerably extend virtualisation, dematerialisation,

transparency, and

feedback-driven intelligence, supporting

the shift to a circular economy.

Businesses, non-governmental

organisations, and politicians around the

world are embracing the circular economy

concept. The European Commission is

pushing for a circular economy action

plan to be adopted across Europe, stating

that a greener economy opens up new

opportunities for growth and job creation.

Many countries are putting together

ambitious circular economy plans, seeing

the concept as a potential boon. The

circular economy is now viewed as a

collection of reducing, reuse, and

NINA de AyAlA PArker

denying that we are at the height of a manmade

crisis.

Nine major cities could be under water

by 2030 if we do not drastically change

society now - imagine a world without

Amsterdam, Bangkok, Venice or New

Orleans. And right now, in most of the

world, no one is held responsible. It's time

to change the laws. It's time to protect our

home. Everyone should know the word

"ecocide", especially the biggest polluters

on our planet, the 20 companies - the

Chevrons, Exxons, BPs and Shells of this

world - who are responsible for a third of

all carbon emissions. If ecocide were to be

criminalised, we could not only punish

mass polluters for the damage they cause,

but also prevent the advent of new fossil

fuel companies and projects. Criminalising

ecocide will thus slow down our fossil fuel

consumption as we transition to green

energy. In a world where ecocide is a crime,

not species but exploitative profit-driven

fossil fuel companies will become extinct.

As Farhana Yamin, environmental lawyer

and participant in climate negotiations for

more than 30 years, explained in her

recent Manifesto for Justice for COP26 and

Beyond, "the atmosphere, ocean, soils and

forests don't get to negotiate. Smaller

countries and Indigenous people are

nature's custodians. Mother Earth may be

mentioned in the Paris Agreement, but she

recycling operations, with little emphasis

placed on the reality that it requires

structural reform. Economic success is the

primary goal of the circular economy,

followed by environmental quality.

However, its influence on social equality

and future generations is rarely

considered.

So far, it's been a topic of discussion in

the media. According to the experts,

citizens are important stakeholders in

every economic model and play a key part

in the system as consumers, customers,

users, and entrepreneurs. Individuals can

have a direct impact on the economy by

choosing, purchasing, using, and

discarding ideas, products, and services.

In reality, the circular economy is a

restorative or regenerative industrial

system. Because it looks to leave out

important aspects of the social dimension,

emphasise economic gains, and clarify the

environmental perspective. Policymakers

and private businesses may find the

concept more enticing than other

approaches. This component has the

potential to stymie the transition to a

more sustainable economic system by

The circular economy is a key paradigm in industrial economics

that aims for long-term growth. A wide collection of stakeholders

is required to shift from a take-make-use-dispose economy to a

production-consumption-waste economy. The economic model's

success hinges on the ability of various players to co-create value.

diverting resources and attention away

from more comprehensive and holistic

methods.

The circular economy has the potential

to greatly contribute to a future that is

more environmentally friendly. Using a

circular economy maximises both

economic and environmental benefits.

Sustainability necessitates a commitment

to fostering a compassionate, egalitarian,

and caring global community. To create a

fully sustainable circular economy,

consumption and production behaviours

must evolve in lockstep. A circular

economy aims to separate value creation

from trash production and resource use.

This involves designing and marketing

long-lasting products that can be reused,

repaired, and remanufactured. The

circular economy covers a number of

ideas that can help with sustainability,

Nevertheless, they must be regularly

scrutinised to see whether or not they can

be implemented in a sustainable manner.

Each year, Bangladesh produces 149.7

kilogrammes of garbage per person. Postharvest

waste from vegetables and fruits

accounts for 30 to 40% of total garbage.

According to some studies, food waste

accounts for 5.5 percent of total food

purchases. The circular economy can aid

in waste reduction and the use of virgin

raw materials. Bangladesh has been

removed from the list of least developed

lacks any legal standing." It is also true that

poorer countries, Indigenous peoples,

small-scale farmers, children and the poor

did not cause the climate crisis, do not get

much of a voice in climate negotiations, but

will suffer the consequences of climate

change.

Not only will criminalising ecocide be

part of the solution for saving humanity,

but it will give the most vulnerable in

society, and nature itself, a voice.

Any state which has ratified (officially

agreed to) the Rome Statute of the

International Criminal Court (ICC) may

propose an amendment. There are

Nine major cities could be under water by 2030 if we do

not drastically change society now - imagine a world without

Amsterdam, Bangkok, Venice or New Orleans. And

right now, in most of the world, no one is held responsible.

It's time to change the laws. It's time to protect our home.

currently 123 of these "states parties". For

the amendment to be considered, a

majority of those present and voting at the

next annual assembly of the ICC should

agree to do so.

The ICC Assembly works on a one-state,

one-vote basis. The voice of a small Pacific

Island is therefore just as powerful as that

of a large nation - and there are far more

small island states than there are "large"

nations. There has never been a more

suitable time for this discussion. States will

want to be seen to be taking this issue - and

therefore this amendment - seriously. To

transition from proposal to law, at least a

2/3 majority of states parties (currently

82/123) must be in favour of the

amendment. Once the law is adopted into

countries (LDC). Bangladesh is making

good progress at the rate at which it is

currently developing and growing. The

economy continues to grow at a rapid

pace. According to a recent United

Nations declaration, the country is

scheduled to officially become a

developing country in 2026, and the time

limit for preparing for the transition has

been extended to five years instead of

three years due to the impact of COVID-19

on the country's economy. For all of us,

this is truly wonderful news, since the

country has met all three of the

graduation requirements regarding

income per capita, the human assets

index, and the economic and

environmental vulnerability index.

Therefore, in order to remain competitive

in the fight for enhanced sustainability,

Bangladesh must actively promote the

concept of circular economy.

To reuse and extend the life of items,

new and innovative business models must

be adopted. The circular economy will

help to alleviate poverty and hunger, as

well as promote good health and

happiness. These are all connected to the

relevant sustainable Goals set by United

Nation. As part of our efforts to achieve

our national objectives as well as the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),

Bangladesh should develop a plan to

make the most of the circular economic

model. New business strategies are

required in order to maximise the reuse

and longevity of products. To be sure, we

should concentrate on turning local

garbage into resources rather than

enabling emerging and developed

countries to dump waste on our lands in

exchange for a small charge. It is possible

that our strategy will allow an unrestricted

flow of residual products into the

economy from abroad, which would be

the worst-case situation.

The circular economy serves as a

blueprint for even more business model

innovation, especially through providing

chances for businesses to close their

energy and material cycles. Using a

circular approach can assist a company in

achieving more sustainable results while

reducing its environmental impact. For a

circular economy to be really sustainable,

it is necessary for consumption and

production systems to progress in

tandem. In order to achieve sustainability

in the circular economy, it is necessary to

produce and promote products that are

long-lasting and can be repurposed,

repaired, and refurbished. Rather than

recovering the energy or materials

contained within them and continuously

producing different items, this preserves

the operating price of objects. Bangladesh

has the great potential to start the process

now and reinvest in its strategic policies

on economic growth and sustainability.

The Writer is Educator, author and researcher

Executive Chair, Centre for Business &

Economic Research, UK

the statute, the crime exists. States parties

can then ratify (officially submit their

agreement) and enforce the crime of

ecocide into their own national law.

COP26 is now over, but what

enforceability is there in place to prevent

corporations and states from breaking

commitments made? There is a gaping

black hole of accountability and

enforcement. A law on ecocide could fill

that hole. Ecocide law will be preventative,

and will also offer accountability. It will

allow environmental lawyers to cite

"ecocide" when holding a company or

government to account. If ecocide were to

be recognised in law, companies would

struggle to start new fossil fuel projects like

oil fields - because oil fields harm

surrounding ecosystems and result in

ecocide. We are against the clock.The

campaign to criminalise ecocide is not a

new one. "Stop Ecocide" was the brainchild

and life's work of the incredible late lawyer

and activist Polly Higgins. Today, lawyers,

campaigners, and activists are taking up

Polly's work to once and for all get

"ecocide" into the law books as a lifeline for

humanity and vulnerable ecosystems on

our precious blue planet.

Along with political, diplomatic and

economic initiatives, the law has a role to

play in transforming our relationship with

the natural world, shifting that relationship

from one of harm to one of harmony. We,

as a species, have been pillaging for too

long. Let's be the guardians, the problem

solvers and not only reverse what we have

started but find a better way of living with

our natural world that is not only

sustainable but regenerative. We must put

an end to ecocide, we must put an end to

killing ourselves.

Source: Al Jazeera

ThUrsDay, DECEmBEr 16, 2021

5

Damian CarrinGTon

Microbes in oceans and soils across

the globe are evolving to eat plastic,

according to a new study. The

research scanned more than 200

million genes found in DNA samples

taken from the environment and

found 30,000 different enzymes that

could degrade 10 different types of

plastic.

The study is the first large-scale

global assessment of the plasticdegrading

potential of bacteria and

found that one in four of the

organisms analysed carried a suitable

enzyme. The researchers found that

the number and type of enzymes they

discovered matched the amount and

type of plastic pollution in different

locations.

The results "provide evidence of a

measurable effect of plastic pollution

on the global microbial ecology", the

scientists said.

Millions of tonnes of plastic are

dumped in the environment every

year, and the pollution now pervades

the planet, from the summit of

Mount Everest to the deepest oceans.

Reducing the amount of plastic used

is vital, as is the proper collection and

treatment of waste.

But many plastics are currently

hard to degrade and recycle. Using

enzymes to rapidly break down

plastics into their building blocks

would enable new products to be

made from old ones, cutting the need

for virgin plastic production. The new

research provides many new

enzymes to be investigated and

Bugs across globe are evolving to eat plastic

adapted for industrial use.

"We found multiple lines of

evidence supporting the fact that the

global microbiome's plasticdegrading

potential correlates

strongly with measurements of

environmental plastic pollution - a

significant demonstration of how the

environment is responding to the

pressures we are placing on it," said

Prof Aleksej Zelezniak, at Chalmers

University of Technology in Sweden.

Jan Zrimec, also at Chalmers

University, said: "We did not expect

to find such a large number of

enzymes across so many different

microbes and environmental

habitats. This is a surprising

discovery that really illustrates the

scale of the issue."

The explosion of plastic production

in the past 70 years, from 2m tonnes

to 380m tonnes a year, has given

microbes time to evolve to deal with

plastic, the researchers said. The

study, published in the journal

Microbial Ecology, started by

compiling a dataset of 95 microbial

enzymes already known to degrade

plastic, often found in bacteria in

rubbish dumps and similar places rife

with plastic.

The team then looked for similar

enzymes in environmental DNA

samples taken by other researchers

from 236 different locations around

the world. Importantly, the

researchers ruled out potential false

positives by comparing the enzymes

initially identified with enzymes from

the human gut, which is not known to

have any plastic-degrading enzymes.

About 12,000 of the new enzymes

Plastic washed ashore on Berawa Beach, Bali, indonesia.

were found in ocean samples, taken

at 67 locations and at three different

depths. The results showed

consistently higher levels of

degrading enzymes at deeper levels,

matching the higher levels of plastic

pollution known to exist at lower

depths.

The soil samples were taken from

169 locations in 38 countries and 11

different habitats and contained

18,000 plastic-degrading enzymes.

Photograph: anadolu agency/Getty images

Soils are known to contain more

plastics with phthalate additives than

the oceans and the researchers found

more enzymes that attack these

chemicals in the land samples.

Nearly 60% of the new enzymes did

not fit into any known enzyme

classes, the scientists said, suggesting

these molecules degrade plastics in

ways that were previously unknown.

"The next step would be to test the

most promising enzyme candidates

in the lab to closely investigate their

properties and the rate of plastic

degradation they can achieve," said

Zelezniak. "From there you could

engineer microbial communities with

targeted degrading functions for

specific polymer types."

The first bug that eats plastic was

discovered in a Japanese waste dump

in 2016. Scientists then tweaked it in

2018 to try to learn more about how it

evolved, but inadvertently created an

enzyme that was even better at

breaking down plastic bottles.

Further tweaks in 2020 increased the

speed of degradation sixfold.

Another mutant enzyme was

created in 2020 by the company

Carbios that breaks down plastic

bottles for recycling in hours. German

scientists have also discovered a

bacterium that feeds on the toxic

plastic polyurethane, which is usually

dumped in landfills.

Last week, scientists revealed that

the levels of microplastics known to

be eaten by people via their food

cause damage to human cells in the

laboratory.

EU urged to ratchet up green energy

standards for buildings

JEnnifEr rankin

The EU executive is under

pressure to ratchet up

green energy standards for

buildings, as it prepares a

further batch of legislation

to tackle the climate

emergency.

The European

Commission is expected to

propose mandatory energy

efficiency upgrades for

buildings in the EU in

legislative proposals

published on Wednesday,

but MEPs and Green

NGOs fear they will not be

strict enough.

Everyone understands

that the worst-performing

houses and flats will be

required to be renovated to

energy-efficiency standard

F by 2030, then to E by

2033. The most energywasteful

public and nonresidential

buildings will

have to hit the F grade by

2027 and E by 2030.

EU energy efficiency

classification runs from A

to G, with G being the

worst in class. Buildings

account for 36% of the EU's

greenhouse gas emissions,

meaning millions of

homes, offices, shops,

schools and hospitals will

have to be renovated, if the

bloc is to meet a pledge of

net zero emissions by

2050.

The draft law on

buildings, accompanied by

plans for greener transport,

cutting methane and

revising EU energy rules,

form part of the EU's green

deal to transform its

economy in less than three

decades. Another tranche

of proposals, including on

renewable energy and

industrial pollution, were

released in July and are

going through the EU

legislative process.

Under the buildings plan,

all new constructions

would have to be net zeroemissions

by 2030. EU

member states would face

a legal obligation to draw

up a timeline to ensure

their buildings were net

zero emissions by 2050.

The biggest controversy

has centred on energy

efficiency targets for

existing buildings,

triggering frantic lastminute

rewrites. More

than 85% of EU buildings

were constructed before

2001 and the vast majority

are expected to be still

standing in 2050.

Frans Timmermans, the

commission vice-president

in charge of the EU green

deal, has called for a

"renovation wave" based

on stronger regulations on

the energy performance of

buildings. But an

ambitious early draft of the

EU's updated energy

performance in buildings

directive by his team ran

into opposition from a

Brussels watchdog.

Timmermans' officials

had proposed that all

residential buildings sold

or rented after 2027 should

achieve energy class E. But

the Regulatory Scrutiny

Group, a body of officials

and experts, overruled the

idea, saying the

commission risked

stepping on powers that

belonged to national

governments.

Since then a cross-party

group of MEPs has urged

the commission not to

blunt its ambition.

Mandatory targets are key

to bring buildings in line

with the EU's 2030 and

2050 climate targets, wrote

MEPs from the Greens,

centre-right European

People's party and centrist

Renew groups in a letter to

Timmermans and other

commission officials.

"[The] 'worst performing

buildings' are often

inhabited by the energy

poor and the renovation of

those buildings clearly pays

off in terms of costs, energy

consumption, and health.

Delaying action to 2030,

and only covering part of

our homes or limiting to

the F and G classes is just

not enough."

The buildings plan has to

be approved by EU

ministers and the

European parliament.

Adeline Rochet, a senior

policy adviser at the E3G

thinktank in Brussels, said

minimum energy

performance standards

were a cornerstone of the

commission's strategy. "A

good energy performance

certificate regime is

necessary but it won't be

sufficient. If it's not backed

by mandatory energy

standards it won't be

enough."

One European

parliament source said

Buildings account for 36% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions.

there was not enough detail

in the latest plans about

how millions of buildings

were going to hit the best

energy efficiency standards

in less than three decades.

"We only know that

magically in 2050 all of

them should be in energy

class 'A', but the timeline

for this is not spelt out and

that is the big problem."

The source added that

there were too many

exemptions for historic

buildings.

"The

exemptions are formulated

in such a broad way that

maybe all the buildings in

Italy will be exempt."

Ciarán Cuffe, an Irish

Green MEP, said it was

essential that minimum

energy performance

standards (Meps) were

included in the revision of

the energy performance in

buildings directive. " have

the potential to improve

our worst-performing

homes, to alleviate energy

poverty, and significantly

reduce the emissions from

the EU's building stock."

"Meps will help to

increase the energy

efficiency of buildings and

therefore they reduce

energy bills for citizens,

which especially benefits

those at risk of energy

poverty. In order to make

sure that vulnerable

households are protected,

we should have targeted

funds that would act as

adequate social safeguards

to help ensure the

affordability of housing at a

national and local level."

Photo: Philippe Lopez

Elon Musk named Time's

person of the year

marTin farrEr

Time magazine's decision

to make Tesla billionaire

Elon Musk its person of the

year for 2021 has been

criticised because of his

attitude to tax, opposition

to unions and playing down

the dangers of Covid.

Musk, who is also the

founder and chief executive

of space exploration

company SpaceX, recently

passed Amazon founder

Jeff Bezos as the world's

wealthiest person as the

rising price of Tesla shares

pushed his net worth to

around $300bn (£227bn).

Describing him as a

"clown, genius, edgelord,

visionary, industrialist,

showman", Time cited the

breadth of Musk's

endeavours, from his

founding of SpaceX in

2002, to his hand in the

creation of the alternative

energy company SolarCity

in addition to Tesla, the

most valuable car company

in the world.

The magazine

emphasised that its annual

acknowledgement was not

an award, but rather,

"recognition of the person

who had the most influence

on the events of the year,

for good or for ill". The

award has previously been

bestowed to popes, Ebola

healthcare workers and

Greta Thunberg but also

Hitler and Stalin, who

received it twice. In 1982, it

went to "The Computer".

But the accolade drew

sharp criticism in the US,

where Musk is a

controversial figure

because of his attitude to

tax, opposing a "billionaires

tax" floated by some. He,

along with other prominent

super-wealthy people, paid

only small tax rates relative

to the significant increase

in his total wealth between

2014 and 2018 according to

a Propublica investigation

this year, with Musk paying

a "real" rate of 3.27%.

While legal, the rates

expose the failures of

America's tax laws to levy

increases in wealth derived

from assets in the way

wages - the prime source of

income for most Americans

- are taxed.

Senator Elizabeth

Warren tweeted that the

Time decision highlighted

the need for the tax code to

be reformed "so the person

of the year will actually pay

taxes and stop freeloading

off everyone else".

Robert Reich, who served

as labour secretary in the

Clinton administration,

said the announcement

was a good time to remind

people that he "illegally

threatened to take away

stock options if employees

unionised", an apparent

reference to a 2019

National Labour Relations

Board finding regarding a

tweet in which Musk wrote:

"Why pay union dues &

give up stock options for

nothing?"

Musk also earned

controversy in 2020 by

playing down the dangers

of Covid in a series of

tweets and initially kept his

northern California factory

open despite a local

"shelter-in-place" order,

before later halting

production. The author

Kurt Eichenwald said it was

the "worst choice ever".

Time magazine also

noted the sway Musk holds

over an army of loyal

followers (and investors)

on social media, where he

skewers the powerful and

also regulators attempting

to keep in check an

executive that is far from

traditional.

Using his 66 million

followers on Twitter, he

offers outlandish advice to

the world and drives even

his own followers and

investors mad by roiling

markets. He was sued by

stock market regulators for

tweeting in 2018 about

taking Tesla private, and

they alleged in

correspondence to Tesla

this year that two further

tweets were not preapproved

by the company's

lawyers, as required by a

court settlement in the

earlier case.

Though it became

profitable only in recent

years, Tesla is by far the

world's most valuable car

company, at one point this

The choice was contested on Twitter, by users who suggested other figures might be more worthy of

recognition this year.

Photo: Collected

year crossing the $1tn

market capitalisation

threshold. Traditional

heavyweights such as Ford

and General Motors

combined are worth less

than $200bn.

Musk said last month

that SpaceX would attempt

to launch its futuristic,

bullet-shaped Starship to

orbit in January. Nasa has

contracted SpaceX to use

Starship to deliver

astronauts to the lunar

surface as early as 2025.

Musk said he plans to use

the reusable ships to

eventually land people on

Mars.

Time highlighted Musk's

recent admission on

Twitter that half his tweets

were "made on a porcelain

throne". In its profile of the

provocative boss, Time

went on to chronicle one of

those toilet tweet storms in

detail before concluding:

"This is the man who

aspires to save our planet

and get us a new one to

inhabit."

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

8

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited organized an orientation program for newly recruited probationary officers

at Islami Bank Tower on Wednesday. Mohammed Monirul Moula, Managing Director and CEO of the

Bank was present in the program as chief guest. Md. Omar Faruk Khan, Additional Managing Director

addressed the program as special guest. Muhammad Qaisar Ali, Additional Managing Director was present

in the training session. Presided over by S.M. Rabiul Hassan, Principal, Islami Bank Training &

Research Academy (IBTRA), Md. Mostafizur Rahman Siddiquee, Depurty Managing Director addressed

the welcome speech. Md. Maznuzzaman and Syed Tazul Islam, Senior Vice Presidents were also

addressed the program.

Photo : Courtesy

Rana and Tipu elected as President

and Seceretary General of BPRA

Bazlul Haque Rana (exdirector,

Public Relations of

PDB) has been elected as

President of Bangladesh

Public Relations Association

(BPRA) while Moniruzzaman

Tipu, Head of Marketing &

Brand Communication of

SIBL, has been elected as

Secretary General of the

association for next two years,

a press release said.

Chief

Election

Commissioner Abdur Rashid

declared the names of the

elected members of the

biannual (2022-2023)

working committee of BPRA

at the end of Annual General

Meeting on 11 December

2021.

The elected members of the

newly formed committee are:

Vice President - 1, Abul

Kashem Shikder (ex-director,

public relations of BOU).

Vice President - 2, Shah

Alam Chowdhury (director of

RAJUK).

Vice President - 3, Nazma

Binte Alamgir (GM, public

relations of BEPZA).

Joint General Secretary - 1,

Tarikul Islam Khan Robin

(DGM public relations of

Petrobangla).

Joint General Secretary - 2,

Uday Hakim (Executive

Director of Walton).

Finance Secretary, Sheikh

Khayruzzaman (AGM Jibon

Bima Corporation).

Organizing Secretary, Sohel

Ahsan Nipu (Deputy

Registrar, PR of Bangladesh

University).

Office Secretary, Anwar

Hossain (in-charge PR &

Brand Management of NCC

Bank Ltd).

Foreign Affairs Secretary, A

H M Bazlul Rahman (CEO of

BNCRC).

Communication & Publicity

Secretary, Shujon Mahmud

(CEO of Vaishob Media).

Education & Research

Secretary, Monirul Islam

Rintu (PR & Admission

Director of Canadian

University of Bangladesh).

Culture & Sports Secretary,

Pasha Mostofa Kamal (Senior

Information Officer of PID).

Publication Secretary, Gazi

Ahmed Ullah (Director PR of

Amin Mohamamd Group).

Other elected members of

the working are Badrul

Haider Chowdhury (Director

BOU of Chattogram Region),

Mir Mohammad Morshed

(GM, PR & Marketing of

BTCL), Dr. A K M Shamsul

Arefin (Director, PR &

Publication of UGC), Syed A

Momen (PRO of NBR), Amir

Hossain Jony (PRO of

National Life Insurance),

Kamrul Islam (GM,PR of US

Bangla Airlines), Md. Haider

Ali (PROof LGRD Ministry),

Nazrul Islam ( VP & Head of

PR of IBBL), Din Mohammad

(Deputy Director, PR of BAU),

Abu Sadat (Deputy Director,

PR of United University),

Hasan Mahmud (PRO of

Bangladesh Shilpakala

Academy), Rezaul Karim

Shammi (Assistant Director

of ISPR), Wahid Murad

(AGM, Media & PR of Runner

Group), Rukhsana Mily

(Manager,PR & Corporate

Communication, bKash).

First Security Islami Bank Ltd. inaugurated 2Agent Banking Outlets at

Mogra Bazar,Akhaura, Brahmanbaria and Shah Mazidia Bazar, Satkania,

Chattogramon 15 December 2021.Syed Waseque Md Ali, Managing Director

of the Bank inaugurated those Agent Banking Outlets through Video

Conference. Among others, Md. Mustafa Khair, Additional Managing

Director, Md. Zahurul Haque and Md. Masudur Rahman Shah, Deputy

Managing Director(s) along with other high officials were present on the

occasion. A Doa Mahfil was organized in this regard. Photo : Courtesy

Up to 50pc discount on Minister

Products in 50 years of victory

On the occasion of the 50th victory day of

Bangladesh, some of the special products of

Minister Group have discounts up to 50

percent. This offer of Minister will activate only

on the Victory Day (December 16). Customers

will be able to enjoy this offer from all outlets in

the country.

The offer was announced on the occasion of

the 50th anniversary of victory through a press

release issued by the Brand Communication

Department of Minister Group on Tuesday

(14th December). Minister group has always

been working for the people of Bangladesh.

They have given this offer as part of this.

Minister Group also introduced some new

models of televisions and refrigerators. This

interesting offer will also continue on these new

products.

By congratulating everyone on the occasion

of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's

independence, Minister Group's Head of

Brand and Communication KMG Kibria said,

"Bangladesh is celebrating the golden jubilee of

independence. This is a great achievement for

us. In this case, the buyers will get a maximum

of 50% discount on certain products of

Minister. And this offer will available only in

the day of Great Victory.

Meanwhile, Minister Group is also offering

special benefits in purchasing various

electronics products including LED TVs,

fridges, ACs, avoiding public gatherings due to

the pandemic. Customers can avail Minister's

products by ordering them online. By doing

this they can also enjoy easy installments along

with the cash on delivery. There are also

discounts on cash payments, including

guaranteed toiletries. If you order at

https://ministerbd.net or by calling

09606700700, the products of Minister will be

delivered to your home. This facility can also be

availed from any showroom in the country.

‘South Korea's

employment

keeps rising

for 9 months

in November

SEOUL : South Korea's

employment kept rising for

the ninth consecutive month,

with the jobless rate going

down, statistical office data

showed Wednesday.

The number of those

employed totaled 27,795,000

in November, up 553,000

from a year ago, according to

Statistics Korea.

The reading continued to

grow for nine months, with an

increase of 314,000 in March,

652,000 in April, 619,000 in

May, 582,000 in June,

542,000 in July, 518,000 in

August, 671,000 in

September and 652,000 in

October.

The number of those

unemployed declined

233,000 over the year to

734,000 in November. The

unemployment rate fell 0.8

percentage points to 2.6

percent last month.

The number of

economically inactive

population, who had no

willingness to seek a job and

remained unemployed,

shrank 23,000 from a year

earlier to 16,653,000 in

November. It kept a

downward trend for nine

months since March.

US Fed poised

to face down

inflation dragon

WASHINGTON : After more

than a decade of tame

inflation, a wave of prices

increases has washed through

the US economy, affecting

cars, housing and food and

shaking policymakers intent

on selling a reassuring

message of recovery.

President Joe Biden has

made it a priority to fight the

inflation hitting American

families, but it is Federal

Reserve Chair Jerome Powell

who leads the one body that

could take direct action to slay

the inflation dragon.

After admitting recently

that he and his colleagues

miscalculated how far prices

would rebound in the wake of

the pandemic crisis, Powell

has pledged to fight back.

At the end of its two-day

meeting on Wednesday, the

Fed's policy-setting

committee is expected to

announce it will phase-out its

stimulus measures more

quickly-allowing it to raise

lending rates by mid-2022 or

sooner. But while a rate hike is

an effective inflation-fighting

weapon, it is also a blunt tool

that could short-circuit the

recovery, which remains beset

by supply chain snags and

new variants of Covid-19.

Consumer prices surged 6.8

percent in November, the

biggest jump in nearly four

decades, and while

economists think the overall

rate has likely peaked, costs

for many goods and services

are expected to remain high

for some time.

MGM sells

operations of

Vegas casino

Mirage for

$1.1b

NEW YORK : US group

MGM Resorts announced

Mondayit had sold the

operations for the famous

Mirage hotel and casino in

LasVegas to Hard Rock

International for $1.08

billion, reports BSS.

MGM bought the Mirage,

which opened in 1989, in

2000.

Located on the iconic Vegas

strip, the main artery of

nightlife andgambling in Sin

City, the hotel is known for the

artificial volcano at

itsentrance, which "erupts"

repeatedly every night.

Under the terms of the

agreement, MGM Resorts will

retain the rights tothe name

and brand "The Mirage."

Hard Rock International-the

parentcompany of the

restaurant chain Hard Rock

Cafe-is granted a threeyearfree

license to run the

hotel while finding a new

name.

The deal, which is subject to

regulatory approval, is

expected to close inthe second

half of 2022. Once various

fees have been deducted, it

shouldbring in $815 million

for MGM.

Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd (BPBL) has been awarded with the recognition of 'Most Compliant

Company in VAT Operations' for FY 2020-2021. Sazzad Rahim Chowdhury, Director & CFO, Berger Paints

Bangladesh Limited & Md. Abdus Sabur Khan, Head of VAT of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited,

received the award on behalf of the company at an award-giving ceremony organized by the 'Large

Taxpayers Unit - Value Added Tax' (LTU-VAT) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) as a part of the

VAT Week (December 10 to 15) celebration. Berger has been awarded with this accolade for meticulously

adhering to VAT acts and rules.

Photo : Courtesy

Vision starts exporting

electric Kettle in Nepal

Country's popular

electronics manufacturer

'Vision' has started

exporting its electric kettle

in Nepal. The first

consignment of electric

Kettle has been sent from

the Vision electronic factory

at Palash in Narsingdi on

Friday, a press release said.

Kazi Rashidul Islam,

Chief Operating Officer at

Vision said, "We are getting

good order from Nepal.

Meanwhile we have sent

maiden consignment of

8244 electric kettles from

our factory and around one

lakh pieces of Kettle will be

sentin the next few months.

We hope, it will continue

Half a million quarantined

as China export hub

faces outbreak

BEIJING : China's

economically important

Zhejiangprovince wrestled on

Tuesday with a Covid

outbreak that has left half

amillion people quarantined

and some districts under

business shutdown, reports

BSS.

Zhejiang, a major industrial

and export hub on the

country's east coast,reported

44 of China's 51 domestically

transmitted coronavirus cases

onTuesday, bringing the total

since late last week to nearly

200.

Although Chinese case

counts are miniscule

compared to other

majoreconomies, officials in

Zhejiang have employed the

country's signature

masstesting blitz and targeted

lockdowns with concern high

over fresh outbreaksas Beijing

gears up to host the Winter

Olympics in February.

More than 540,000 people

have been put in quarantine

in Zhejiang,officials have said.

The problems in the

province come as Chinese

and many others

electronics items will be

exported there including

television, electric iron,

blender and rice cooker."

He also added,"Vision is

able to create a big place to

the customers mind

through giving highest

services and manufacturing

international standard

products using modern

technology. Now the annual

growth of Vision products is

more than 40 percent and it

is increasing day by day. We

are also focusing to export

our products in different

countries."

Kamruzzaman Kamal,

Director (Marketing) of

media reported on Monday

thatthe country's first case of

the fast-spreading Omicron

variant had beenidentified in

the northern port city of

Tianjin.

In recent days, districts in

Ningbo-the province's main

port-and thenearby city of

Shaoxing said they also were

suspending

some

businessoperations.

Ningbo's Zhenhai district, a

large petrochemical base, said

allenterprises not related to

virus control or deemed

crucial to the publicwould be

shut down and that

petrochemical producers

would have to reduceoutput.

A district in Shaoxing had

ordered business to halt last

Thursday.

Several publicly listed

companies in Hangzhou, the

province's capital andlargest

city, have also released

statements saying they had

suspendedproduction.

Data from flight tracker

VariFlight on Tuesday

showed that hundreds

offlights out of Hangzhou had

PRAN-RFL Group, said

"Bangladeshi electronics

products have good

prospects in global market

if it is manufactured

maintaining quality. We

put our best efforts to

manufacture quality

products and already

exported some products

including television,

refrigerator, fan and electric

iron."

He further added, "We

are now exporting in India,

Nepal, South Africa, Ghana

and Fiji and have taken

initiative to export at some

other countries including

Bhutan."

been cancelled.

Zhejiang is one of China's

leading provinces in terms of

GDP and exports.

"The shutdown of Zhejiang

factories will impact on the

supply chains ofvarious

sectors, especially fibre and

textiles," Zhaopeng Xing,

senior Chinastrategist at ANZ

Research, told AFP.

He expects the flare-up

could take up to 40 days to

subside, withmanufacturers

possibly resuming work only

after the Lunar New Year

holiday inFebruary.

"The impact will be similar

to what happened in

September and October,when

power rationing was

implemented," Xing said.

The world's second-largest

economy battled weeks of

widespread power cuts

blamed on strict emissions

targets and record coal pricesbeforestabilising

the situation

last month.

Xing said he expected

Zhejiang's Covid woes could

have a "mild impact" on

Chinese GDP.

China's retail

sales growth

eases, factory

output picks up

BEIJING : China's retail sales

growth was lower than

expected in November with

consumers cautious as

domestic coronavirus cases

resurfaced, official data

showed Wednesday, but

industrial output picked up

after power shortages eased.

A rebound in the world's

second-biggest economy has

been losing steam this year,

with indicators remaining

muted last month, after the

country made a swift recovery

from the coronavirus helped

by strict border controls and

targeted lockdowns.

But economists noted that a

recent domestic flare-up,

where virus infections hit 21

provinces and regions, likely

led to more cautious

consumer behaviour as

containment measures kicked

in.

Retail sales rose 3.9 percent

on-year, the National Bureau

of Statistics (NBS) said

Wednesday, below

expectations and markedly

slower than October's 4.9

percent rate.

"The international

environment has become

more complex and severe,

and there are still many

constraints on domestic

economy recovery," NBS said

in a statement.

thurSDAY, DeCeMBer 16, 2021

9

Manchester City powered four points clear at the top of the premier League as kevin De Bruyne inspired a 7-0 rout of Leeds.

photo: Ap

Man City rout Leeds with magnificent

seven as virus fears mount

SportS DeSk

Manchester City powered four

points clear at the top of the Premier

League as Kevin De Bruyne inspired

a 7-0 rout of Leeds just hours after

clubs were given strict new measures

to curb the threat of the coronavirus

on Tuesday, reports BSS.

De Bruyne delivered an imperious

display including two goals on his

first league start since November 6

after the Belgian star recovered from

a bout of Covid-19.

Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Riyad

Mahrez, John Stones and Nathan

Ake were also on target as Pep

Guardiola's side ran riot at the

Etihad Stadium.

City's seventh successive league

victory put pressure on second

placed Liverpool and third placed

Chelsea, who face Newcastle and

Everton respectively on Thursday.

The champions' biggest win this

season equalled Liverpool's 1982

topflight record of 33 victories in a

calendar year.

"We're proud of the way we're

playing. When you get these results

it is because individually they are

brilliant," Guardiola said.

"Kevin, in these type of games

when it is open up and down, is

devastating as he can do what he

wants. He's so important for us."

It was the joint biggest league

defeat in Leeds' history and shellshocked

boss Marcelo Bielsa said:

"We've never had a performance like

this. There is no justification. I have

to take responsibility."

City took the lead in the eighth

minute when Foden's shot was

deflected in via Stuart Dallas's

miscued attempt to clear off the line.

It was City's 500th Premier League

goal in 207 matches under

Guardiola, setting a new record that

surpassed the previous fastest mark

Barcelona suffer Maradona

Cup upset as Boca prevail on

penalties in tribute match

SportS DeSk

Boca Juniors beat Barcelona on penalties to

claim the inaugural Diego Maradona Cup in

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after a 1-1 draw in

normal time, reports AP.

Goalkeeper Agustin Rossi saved Matheus

Pereira's penalty before Guillem Jaime

blazed over to hand Boca, who scored all four

of their spot-kicks, the victory.

Ferran Jutgla had given Barca the lead

early in the

second half,

but Exequiel

Zeballos

levelled with

15 minutes to

go to take the

game to a

shootout.

The match,

which took

place at

Mrsool Park in

Riyadh, was

arranged to

honour the

late aradona,

who passed

away on Nov.

25 last year.

Maradona,

considered

one of the best

players to ever play the game, played for both

Barca and Boca in a professional career

which ran from 1976 to 1997.

He played twice for Boca, between 1981

and 1982 and again between 1995 and 1997.

He joined Barca from Boca in 1982,

spending two seasons with the Spanish club

before signing for Napoli.

Barca coach Xavi Hernandez took

advantage of the game against the Argentine

team to hand a debut to Dani Alves, who

returned to the club at the age of 38 last

month.

The Brazil international is not able to play

competitively until January when the

registration window opens re-opens in

Spain, but he could play in Tuesday's

exhibition.

Alves was one of 11 changes to the Barca

side which drew with Osasuna on Sunday as

Xavi opted to keep most of his squad fresh

ahead of

Saturday's LaLiga

Boca Juniors beat Barcelona in a match held

in Saudi Arabia to honor the late Diego

Maradona. photo: Ap

by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.

Grealish had managed just two goals

for City since his British record o100

million ($132 million) transfer from

Aston Villa.

In the 13th minute, the 26-yearold

headed in Mahrez's cross to score

for the first time since September.

De Bruyne marked his return with

his first goal since October,

converting Rodri's defence-splitting

pass in the 32nd minute.

Mahrez added City's fourth in the

49th minute when his strike

deflected in off Junior Firpo.

De Bruyne made it five in the 62nd

minute with a thunderous 20-yard

drive into the roof of the net.

Stones blasted home in the 74th

minute and Ake headed City's

seventh four minutes later.

Whether City's determined title

defence survives without a brush

with Covid remains to be seen as the

new Omicron strain wrecks havoc.

game against

Elche at Camp

Nou.

A cagey first

half, in which

Alves was the best

player, opened up

after the break,

with Jutgla, a

summer signing

from Espanyol,

opening the

scoring in the 50th

minute.

Philippe

Coutinho handled

an Alves cross but

it was missed by

the referee,

allowing Jutgla to

spin and fire in his

first goal for Barca. Ilias Akhomach and

Jutgla missed chances to double Barca's

lead, while Neto did well to keep out

Sebastian Villa before substitute Zeballos's

turned home Frank Fabra's cross to take the

game to penalties.

Marcos Rojo, Carlos Izquierdoz, Cristian

Pavon and Aaron Molinas all scored for

Sebastian Battaglia's side, with Matheus and

Guillem missing for Barca.

The Premier League announced

on Monday there had been 42

positive Covid cases among topflight

players and staff last week --

the most recorded in any seven-day

period since testing began during the

2019-20 season.

Manchester United's match at

Brentford on Tuesday and

Tottenham's trip to Brighton last

Sunday were both postponed due to

virus outbreaks.

United and Tottenham had several

unnamed players test positive, while

Brighton, Leicester, Norwich and

Aston Villa were also hit by the virus

over the last week.

Now all top-flight players and staff

will have to take a lateral flow test

every time they enter their club's

training ground as part of the

protocols.

Twice-weekly PCR testing will also

be introduced after a meeting of the

20 clubs on Tuesday.

Former Ireland boss Schmidt

appointed All Blacks selector

SportS DeSk

Joe Schmidt was named as

an All Blacks selector

Tuesday, but will not take up

the role until after his former

team Ireland tour New

Zealand next year, reports

BSS. The New Zealander will

replace Grant Fox on the All

Blacks selection panel from

August 2022, a month after

Ireland's three-Test tour.

Schmidt said "to a degree"

the timing was because he

did not want to be working

against Ireland, a team he

coached to three Six Nations

championships and two

wins over the All Blacks.

"I'm sure they appreciate

the fact that I'm not that

keen to get started until early

August," he said. "It'll give

me a chance to sit back...

we'll have a lot of Irish

visitors."Schmidt said the

selection role suited him

"because I'm a bit of an

analyst geek as far as looking

at players and how they play

the game".

The 56-year-old left his

role as World Rugby's

director of rugby and highperformance

earlier this

year due to coronavirusrelated

travel restrictions

and a desire to spend more

time with his family.

He said his son, who has

epilepsy, has settled back

into New Zealand well,

allowing him to increase his

rugby commitments.

In addition to the selection

role, Schmidt will also work

as a part-time assistant

coach with Super Rugby's

Auckland Blues next year.

Shevchenko gets first Genoa win to

meet Milan in Italian Cup last 16

SportS DeSk

Andriy Shevchenko got his first win as Genoa coach on

Tuesday with a 1-0 success over Salernitana booking an

Italian Cup last 16 clash against his former club AC Milan,

reports BSS. Ghana international Caleb Ekuban's 76thminute

header lifted the north- western port side to their

first home win this season. Former AC Milan and Chelsea

player Shevchenko took over in early November, replacing

Davide Ballardini after a miserable start to the campaign.

It was the Ukraine forward's first club management role

after coaching his national side for five years.

Shevchenko's Genoa desperately needed a result with their

only success in the league back mid-September against

fellow strugglers Cagliari. "I'm really very happy, the

squad suffered a lot today and it was important for us to

get back winning," said Shevchenko whose side play

Milan in January.

The 45-year-old scored 175 goals in 324 matches in two

spells with Milan, twice emerging as Serie A's top scorer and

winning a league title and the 2003 Champions League.

Warner fit, Richardson replaces

Hazlewood for 2nd Ashes Test

SportS DeSk

Dynamic opener David Warner will play

through the pain in the second Ashes Test

against England, Australia captain Pat

Cummins said Wednesday, as Jyhe

Richardson got the nod to replace Josh

Hazlewood, reports BSS. Warner scored 94

in the first innings at the opening Test in

Brisbane but didn't field or bat in Australia's

second innings as he nursed bruised ribs

after being pummelled by the England

attack.The 35-year-old padded up in the

Adelaide Oval nets on Tuesday evening and

made several audible cries of pain, but

Cummins said he would play in the daynight

Test starting Thursday.

"He'll be right, he had a bat yesterday and

batted with a bit of discomfort, but knowing

Davey he's not going to miss this one,"

Cummins said. "He'll be fine once the

adrenaline kicks in. "It's one thing batting in

the nets and another when you walk out and

have a packed crowd. He's played close to 90

Tests and I'm sure a lot of them have been

Virat Kohli to play in the ODI

series against South Africa

SportS DeSk

The Board of Control for

Cricket in India (BCCI) has

clarified that Virat Kohli will

play the One-Day

Internationals against South

Africa next month. Multiple

sources in the board,

including a couple of officebearers,

have told Cricbuzz

that they have no knowledge

of any request from the India

Test captain to be excused for

the ODIs. The three-match

series starts on January 19,

reports AP.

"There is no truth in reports

of Virat skipping the ODIs,"

said a top BCCI member,

while informed sources have

reiterated

Kohli's

commitment saying, "He is a

totally committed cricketer

and there is no doubt about

his participation."

The reports assumed

connotations in the wake of

the recent change of

captaincy in the ODIs and

speculation that Kohli was

unhappy for being removed

from the leadership role in

the 50-over format. Rohit

GD-1857/21 (8x3)

Sharma, who was earlier

appointed skipper of the

Twenty20 side, was

confirmed as the captain for

the ODIs too.

There is no information if

any member of the BCCI or

selection committee has got

in touch with Kohli but it can

played in discomfort." The only change to the

side that crushed England by nine wickets at

the Gabba last week sees Richardson in for

Hazlewood, who was ruled out earlier this

week with a side strain.

Richardson had been in contention with

Michael Neser and will add to his two Tests,

spearheading the attack alongside

Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.

"There's just the one change, Jhye will come

in for Josh," said Cummins. "We just think

Jhye is firing and really excited to see him

out there. "Josh is a big void to fill but we feel

really confident that Jhye is going to step

straight in," he added.

Hazlewood is a big loss, boasting a pinkball

record of 32 wickets at just 19.90 and

taking an incredible 5-8 when India were all

out for just 36 at Adelaide in their second

innings a year ago.

Australia: Marcus Harris, David Warner,

Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis

Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat

Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan

Lyon, Jhye Richardson.

be confirmed that BCCI

president Sourav Ganguly

was in Mumbai for last two

days. Kohli is expected to

clarify on Wednesday

(December 15), when the

BCCI has scheduled the

customary pre-tour media

conference.

BCCI has clarified that Virat kohli will play the

one-Day Internationals against South Africa

next month.

photo: Ap

Ô†kL nvwmbvi D‡`¨vM, N‡i N‡i we`ÿ rÕ

evsjv‡`k we`ÿ r Dbœqb †evW©

Bangladesh Power Development Board

we`ÿ r/Rb-410(2)/15/12/2021

Office of the Executive Engineer

Sales and Distribution Division-1,

BPDB, Comilla

Tl. No. 081-64736

808 12/12/2021

ThurSDAY, December 16, 2021

10

THuRSDAY, DeceMBeR 16, 2021

11

Mass graveyards of martyrs are not taken care of for 50 years in Magura. Photo: Rokibul Hoque Dipu

Mass graveyards of martyrs goes

uncared for 50 years

RoKIBuL Hoque DIPu, MAGuRA CoRRe-

SPoNDeNt

Mass graveyards of martyrs are not taken

care of for 50 years in Magura. Freedom

fighters as well as the family members of

martyrs are demanding preservative

measures for the mass grave yards in the

district. But the demand has not been

implemented so far.

District Muktijoddha Sangsad

sources informed Magura played a vital

role in liberation war. though our

victory day is December16 , Magura

became free from the occupation of Pak

army on December 7. this district

holds at least 16 mass graveyards of

martyrs. the 4 most remarkable

graveyards stand in Dinata club on the

bank of river Kali Gang while Dhaka

road on the bank of river Nabaganga ,

PtI ( primary training institute) and

bank of river Chitra in village Hazrahati

under Shalikha upazila of Magura .

When contacted freedom fighter

Kamrul Hasan of Syed Atar Ali road in

Magura town, he informed that we

think mass graveyards of our martyrs is

our glorious heritage. But in want of

proper care some mass graveyards in

the district have turned untraced due to

river erosion while many others are

fighting for survival. We are

demanding to take step over

preservation of the grave yards. But our

demand is going unheeded for years .

When contacted Magura deputy

commissioner Dr Ashraful Alam told ,

budget has been allotted to work for the

preservation of the mass graveyards .

But we are failing to start the work as

there is controversy over tracing the

mass graveyards . However we are

optimistic to start the work within very

short time.

AL holds victory rally in Dumki

MD NAeeM HoSSAIN, DuMKI CoRReSPoNDeNt

upazila Awami League has staged a

huge victory rally on the occasion of

golden jubilee of independence in

Dumki of Patuakhali. the rally started

from upazila Awami League office at

Dumki thana Bridge at 11:30 am on

Wednesday and ended at Cinema hall

area.

Leaders and activists of various

unions including Awami League,

Chhatra League, Jubo League,

Swechchhasebak League and Sramik

League joined the rally with separate

processions. Harun-or- Rashid

Hawlader, former general secretary of

Central Krishak League and chairman

of Dumki upazila Parishad addressed

as the chief guest in the gathering when

Dumki upazila Awami League

President Abul Kalam Azad presided

over and upazila AL general secretary

Sahjahan akon Selim Conducted the

function.Among others, Vice President

of upazila Awami League Golam

Mortuza, Mizanur Rahman Sikder,

Aminul Islam Salam, Maulana Alamgir

Hossain, organizing Secretary Abul

Hossain and leaders of upazila Awami

League and its affiliated organizations

were present.

Journalist S Mizanul Islam receives Asian

Human Rights Peace Award-2021

BANARIPARA CoRReSPoNDeNt

on the occasion of

International Human Rights

Day on Saturday 11th

December, at the initiative of

Asia Human Rights

Foundation and in

collaboration with 71 Media

Vision, in the auditorium of

the central Kachi-Kancha

Bhaban, discussion meeting,

meritorious receptions and

distribution of blankets to

street children were

organized.

Journalist Md. Manjur

Hossain Isa presided over the

meeting. Daily Ittefaq, Daily

Bangladesh today and

Baneripara correspondent of

Daily Aajker Paribarton S.

Mizanul Islam was awarded

for his special contribution in

journalism at the distribution

ceremony of Asia Human

Rights Peace Award-2021

conducted by RK Ripon,

Secretary General of Asia

Human Rights Foundation.

Mizanul Islam was awarded

the medal by Chief Guest

Supreme Court Justice Bir

Muktijoddha Hasmat Ali,

Former Director General of

the Department of Animal

Resources was a special guest

Mosaddek Hossain,

Chairman of International

expatriate Human Rights

Foundation

HM

Moniruzzaman, Principal of

Narsingdi Model College

Mohammad Kamrul Islam,

Advocate of Supreme Court

Jahanara Begum Rozi and

others.

Journalist S Mizanul Islam was awarded Asian Human Rights Peace

Award-2021 recently.

Photo: TBT

Indian president pays

homage to Bangabandhu

DHAKA : Visiting Indian

President Ram Nath Kovind

yesterday paid rich tributes to

Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman by placing

wreaths at Bangabandhu's

portrait installed at

Dhanmondi Road No. 32 in

the capital.

Sheikh Rehana, the younger

daughter of Bangabandhu,

received the Indian president

on his arrival at the

Bangabandhu Museum this

afternoon.

Job Opportunity

GD-1858/21 (8x4)

GD-1852/21 (9x4)

Thursday, Dhaka: December 16, 2021; Poush 1, 1428 BS; Jamadi-ul Awal 11, 1443 Hijri

Bangabandhu’s vision

still resonates to build a

better world: UNOG DG

DHAKA : Director General of the United

Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)

Tatiana Valovaya has said the heritage of

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his vision

for pursuing peace, justice, development,

and cooperation still resonates with their

common efforts to build a better world,

reports UNB.

Valovaya made the remarks at an event

organised by the Permanent Mission of

Bangladesh in Geneva in collaboration

with the UNOG to commemorate the

birth centenary of Bangabandhu and 100

years of multilateralism in Geneva.

Speaking as the chief guest on Tuesday,

Valovaya referred to Bangabandhu's historic

speech in the United Nations

General Assembly in 1974.

She said that the latter's ideas to build

a better future through the united and

concerted effort of the people remain relevant

in the context of present day's need

for a more inclusive and effective multilateralism.

She acclaimed

Bangabandhu's Unfinished Memoirs as

an inspiration for a peaceful world.

Permanent Representative of

Bangladesh M. Mustafizur Rahman

highlighted the engagement, commitment

and contribution of Bangladesh for

promoting multilateralism.

He also underscored that

Bangabandhu's ideology and footsteps

are inspiring and guiding the country to

work for strengthening multilateralism

for global peace and prosperity.

About the Unfinished Memoirs,

Ambassador Rahman said that the book

provides an opportunity to trace the evolution

of Bangabandhu's thought process

for nation building from his own

accounts.

The event was also addressed by the

Permanent Representative of India in

Geneva Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey

and virtually by veteran freedom fighter

Col. (Retd.) Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir, Bir

Pratik from Bangladesh.

Ambassador Pandey reflected that

there is much for everyone to learn from

the exemplary life of Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, particularly,

from the Unfinished Memoirs.

Kuet Prof. Selim’s

body exhumed

for autopsy

KHULNA : The body of Khulna

University of Engineering and

Technology (Kuet) Prof Selim Hossain

was exhumed on Wednesday for an

autopsy to ascertain the exact cause of

his death, police said, reports UNB.

The body was exhumed around 9:30

pm in the presence of the Executive

Magistrate Ahmed Sadat from

Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia district.

Officer-in-charge of Khanjahan Ali

Police Station Prabir Kumar Biswas,

Shahriar Hasan, Quamruzzaman, officer-in-charge

of Kumarkhali Police

Station and representatives of the

health department were present there

during the exhumation of the body.

Quamruzzaman Talukdar, officer-incharge

of Kumarkhali Police Station,

said the body of Prof. Selim was taken

to Kushtia General Hospital and he will

be buried again after an autopsy.

Earlier on December 5 an application

was made to the Khulna deputy commissioner

to exhume the body for

autopsy. The DC on December 13 gave

the go-ahead. OC Prabir said a complaint

was lodged at the police station

on December 4 in connection with the

death of the teacher.

On December 3, the university was

declared closed till December 13 over

the death of Prof Selim allegedly due to

mental torture and harassment by

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL)

members.

US sanctions on RAB

may have far-reaching

impact : BNP

DHAKA : BNP on Wednesday feared

that the US sanctions on Rapid Action

Battalion (RAB) and its seven current

and former top officials may have a

negative impact on the deployment of

peacekeepers from Bangladesh in UN

peacekeeping missions, reports UNB.

"As Bangladesh has been identified

as a big human rights violator by a

superpower through the sanctions, it

may influence the deployment in the

UN peacekeeping missions in the

future. It may also have a negative

impact on our defence forces and law

enforcers," said party secretary general

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Speaking at a press conference at

BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office, he

also said the sanctions on one of the

major law enforcement agencies of the

country that exports RMG and other

products, manpower and security service

will have far-reaching impacts.

"It'll also send out a wrong message to

the world about our country and citizens

which may disrupt foreign investment,

economic assistance, and day-to-day

cooperation. In particular, the image of

Bangladesh will be dented severely to the

international organisations, including the

United Nations, the World Bank, the

International Monetary Fund (IMF), and

to the peace-loving countries," the BNP

leader opined.

He said there is no scope to deny that

the US sanctions on allegations of 'grave

human rights violations are strong messages

from the global community to the

current "anti-mass" and "anti-humanitarian"

regime that the culture of impunity

cannot continue in a democratic country.

Covid booster doses to start within 7-10 days : Minister

DHAKA : Health Minister Zahid Maleque

on Wednesday said the drive to administer

Covid-19 booster doses will in next

seven to ten days, reports UNB.

"Currently, we have 4.5 crore doses of

vaccine in stock, and the drive to inoculate

booster doses can be started within seven

to ten days," he said at a programme while

receiving 80 lakh doses of AstraZeneca

vaccine donated by Japan and UK

through the global COVAX facility.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh

Naoki Ito and British High Commissioner

to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson

handed over the donations to the health

minister at State Guest House Padma.

Maleque said "Japan is a close friend of

Bangladesh since the Liberation War while the

British government stands by Bangladesh in

any crisis of the country. So, the vaccine doses

received from the two countries will strengthen

us to fight Covid-19."

So far, three cases of Omicron variant of

coronavirus have been detected in the

country and all of them have been put

under quarantine, he said adding "They

are doing well and undergoing treatment."

He also urged the people to abide by the

health guidelines and get Covid jabs.

On Sunday, the National Technical

Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19

recommended booster shots to the citizens

above 60 and frontliners.

16-12-2021

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?