23-12-2021

thursday

DHAkA: December 23, 2021; Poush 8, 1428 BS; Jamadi-ul Awal 18,1443 Hijri

www.thebangladeshtoday.com; www.bangladeshtoday.net

Regd.No.DA~2065, Vol.19; N o. 232; 12 Pages~Tk.8.00

international

Harvard professor

found guilty of

hiding ties to China

>Page 7

sports

Juve take advantage of

Atalanta slip, Salernitana

in Covid cancellation

>Page 9

arts & culture

Lyricist Jasimuddin Akash

with new song Bangladesh

and Bangabandhu

>Page 10

Bangladesh win Saff u-19 Women's Championship beating india by a solitary goal in the final.

Photo : Star mail

Bangladesh emerge champions in

SAFF U-19 Women's Championship

DHAKA : A late goal by Anai Mogini

helped Bangladesh to win title of SAFF U-

19 Women's Championship beating India

by a solitary goal in the final held on

Wednesday at Birshrestha Shaheed Sepoy

Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in

the city's Kamalapur.

It was the Bangladesh-India exciting

final match the local crowd enjoyed after a

long time. The crowds came to stadium to

support the Bangladesh team and the girls

also did not disappoint them by retaining

the trophy of championship once again.

Bangladesh launched attack in the

beginning of the match by creating some

scoring chances, but they could not convert

any of them.

After the 45 minutes end with the score

in read goalless, both the teams tried heart

and soul to break the deadlock. At one

stage it was seemed the match was heading

for extra time, but Bangladesh's best

moment came in the 81st minute when

Anai Mogini finally broke the deadlock

JASHORE : 'Gramer Hat', an e-commerce

site in Jashore working on branding

local products across the country, has

become an idol for encouraging others to

start online business.

"Since I entered the e-commerce area as

a Union Digital Center (UDC) entrepreneur

in 2012, I had a dream of reaching

the local products especially produced in

the villages like date molasses of Jashore,

tea of Sylhet and mangoes of Rajshahi

across the country," said Md Arifuzzaman,

owner of 'Gramer Hat'.

Subsequently, he launched the e-commerce

platform https:// gramerhat.com/,

Zohr

05:17 AM

12:02 PM

03:42 PM

05:21 PM

06:42 PM

6:37 5:18

scoring the all-important goal for

Bangladesh in the 81st minute with a perfect

lofting angular shot from far post.

India however tried their best to stage a

fight back in the match but could not convert

any in the remaining proceeding.

After the match, Bangladesh team's

head coach Golam Robanni Choton in his

immediate reaction said he is very happy

of the team's result as it was the total hard

work of the girls. He said the girls played

good football in the group stage and

proved that they are the only contender of

the title.

Choton also thanked the Bangladesh

Football Federation's (BFF) president

Kazi Mohammad Salahuddin, BFF

women's wing chairman Mahfuza Akter

Kiron, BFF technical director and concern

officials for his team's victory.

Shaheda Akter Ripa of Bangladesh

emerged as the highest scorer (five goals)

of the championship. She was also given

the most valuable players award.

Country's first digital district Jashore

becomes hub of e-commerce

which is now operating its activities in 25

districts in the country.

"We appointed vendors in different districts.

Through those vendors, we supply

the popular products of a district to other

parts of the country," said Arifuzzaman.

Noting that the 'Gramer Hat' is now working

in line with the government's district

branding programme, he said, "We are getting

a very good response. Six staff and 50

UDC entrepreneurs are working with the

initiative. We are now planning to export the

products". With the help of the district

administration and the government's ICT

Division, many e-commerce entrepreneurs

launched startups in the district.

'Deshi Feriwala' (https:// www.

deshiferiwala.com/), another e-commerce

site here is working on branding the

Jashore district's products like Patali Gur

(molasses), honey, ghee, Nakshi Kantha

(embroidered quilt) by supplying those

across the country.

Eleven staff, 150 Gachi (men who collect

date juice from trees) and 80 women are

working with the initiative.

'Kenar Hat', (https://kenarhat.com/),

another e-commerce initiative in the district

is working as the online store of Patali

Gur (Molasses). Ten staff and 100 Gachi

(men who collect date juice from trees) are

working with the initiative and supplying

date molasses and Patali Gur (molasses)

across the country.

'Jashore Hat', (www.jashorehat.com), is a

successful initiative of the district administration

which was launched during the last

Eid-ul-Adha for trading sacrificial animals.

Through the platform, 1,788 animals were

bought and sold at about Taka 12.21 crore in

the 10 days from July 11 to 20, 2021.

State Minister for Youth and Sports

Mohammad Zahid Ahsan Russel,MP, was

the chief guest in the final and distributed

the prizes.

BFF and SAFF president Kazi

Mohammad Salahuddin and SAFF secretary

Anwarul Haque Helal, were among others,

present in the prize distribution ceremony.

Bangladesh, earlier in their opening

match, shared point with Nepal playing to

a goalless draw, thrashed Bhutan by 6-0

goals, managed a solitary goal victory over

India and dumped Sri Lanka by 12-0 goals

to secure their spot of final.

While Earlier India thrashed Sri Lanka

by 5-0 goals in their opening match

blanked Bhutan by 3-0 goals but lost to

host Bangladesh by a solitary goal while

Nepal in their first match, split point with

Bangladesh playing out to a goalless

draw, thrashed Sri Lanka by 6-0 goals,

drubbed Bhutan by 4-0 goals and edged

past Nepal by a solitary goal to secure

their place of final.

Passports can

be corrected

according to NID

Safiqul iSlam (Jami)

Passport can be corrected according to

National Identity Card (NID). Recently, the

Department of Security Services of the

Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a circular

in this regard. According to the circular,

if there is a discrepancy between the

NID and the passport of the applicant for

passport within Bangladesh, the passport

can be issued according to the information

provided in the NID (name, parent's name,

age, etc.) on the basis of proper proof. In

addition, the circular issued on April 28 by

the Department of Security has to be followed

in processing the passport re-issue

application by correcting the information of

the applicants for the passport.

The circular was issued to the Cabinet

Secretary, Chief Secretary to the Prime

Minister, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs, Secretary of the Ministry of

Expatriate Welfare and Overseas

Employment, Secretary of the Bangladesh

Election Commission Secretariat, Director

General of the Department of Immigration and

Passports, Director General of the Directorate

General of Defense Intelligence, Addl Inspector

General of Police Special Branch, e-Passport

and Project Director of Automatic Border

Control Management Project.

Ordinary people are facing difficulties in

amending passports. Meanwhile, thousands

of passport amendment applications are stuck

in the passport department. On 28th April this

year, the circular on 'Disposal of Passport Re-

Issue Applications at Home and Abroad with

Correction of Information' stated that National

Identity Card/JSC/JDC/ SSC/HSC/ Dakhil/

Technical/Open University and equivalent certificate

should be considered.

Amar Ekushey

Book Fair kicks

off Feb 1

DHAKA : Since the COVID-19 pandemic

situation is relatively tolerable as of now,

the month-long Amar Ekushey Book

Fair is going to begin on February 1 next

like traditional ways.

The Bangla Academy authorities have

by now a decision to continue the book

fair up to the stipulated time of February

28, the period till that, the fair is usually

held every year.

The authorities have already taken

elaborate programmes to make success

the fair coinciding with the theme

"Bangabandhu er Jonmo Shotoborsho

ebong Swadhinotar Suborno Joyonti

(Birth Centenary of Bangabandhu and

Golden Jubilee of the Independence)".

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is

expected to inaugurate the Amar

Ekushey Book Fair, said Director of

Bangla Academy and Member Secretary

of Ekushey Book Fair Committee Jalal

uddin Ahmed.

He expected that the book fair will be

held successfully.

He said all pragmatic steps were taken

to organise a giant programme on fair

premises marking the Birth Centenary of

Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee

of Bangladesh's Independence.

Graft case against ex-CJ Sinha

HC asks 2

acquitted persons

to surrender

DHAKA : The High Court on Wednesday

asked two people acquitted by a lower

court in a case filed against former chief

justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10

others over laundering Tk 4 crore to surrender

before it, reports UNB.

They are Mohammad Shahajahan and

Niranjan Chandra Saha.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur

Rahim and Justice Md. Mostafizur

Rahman passed the order after hearing a

petition. The court also wanted to know

why the acquittal of the two should not

be revoked.

The Anti-Corruption Commission

(ACC) on December 20 filed a petition

challenging the lower court's verdict

acquitting Shahajahan and Niranjan in

the graft case. On November 9, Judge of

the Dhaka Special (Court-4) Sheikh

Nazmul Alam Khan sentenced former

chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha to 11

years' imprisonment in the case.

The court also fined S K Sinha Tk 45

lakh, in default, to suffer six months

more rigorous imprisonment.

It also ordered the authorities concerned

to confiscate Tk 78 lakh from his

bank account. The court also sentenced

eight other accused to different jail terms

while acquitted two others-Shahjahan

and Niranjan-as allegations brought

against them were not proved.

Over 1 crore urban people

migrated to village due to

pandemic : Prof Barkat

DHAKA : More than one crore people

have migrated from urban to rural areas in

the country for loss of work and income

during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic and

50 per cent of them would not return, said

economist Dr Abul Barkat on Wednesday.

He said the number of new types of

poverty has increased and marginal, lower

middle income groups have been struggling

with this type of poverty while the income of

the upper-middle-income group has risen

despite the pandemic situation.

He was addressing a press conference

on the 21st Biennial Conference-2021 of

Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA)

at BEA office in Eskato Garden.

Prof Barkat, also president of BEA, said

the BEA survey and research found that

more than one crore people migrated

from urban to village areas losing their

survival capital of business or jobs, of

which 50 per cent would not go back to the

big cities again.

He said there are 6.82 crore workforce

in the country of whom 85 per cent are

working in informal sector or selfemployed

and they were hardest-hit by

adverse impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

He suggested Tk 2 to Tk 3 lakh are given

per head to the self-employed people for

starting their work or owning small business

again to make the economy vibrant.

Criticizing stimulus loan disbursement

to the large industries, Prof Barkat said

they are capable of surviving while mostly

affected small sectors were deprived from

stimulus for overlapping documents.

Many big companies have misused the

stimulus loan and the small sector entrepreneurs

are still rushing at banks for

loans to survive. Such behaviour has

widened discrimination in the society, he

said. He warned that different forms anarchy

will emerge in the country due to

widening discrimination and poverty.

The BEA conference is scheduled to be

held on December 24-25 at the Institution

of Engineers Bangladesh with the theme

"Impact of COVID-19 and human

Development.' Noted economist Prof

Rehman Sobhan, member of 1st planning

commission, will inaugurate the conference

as the chief guest.

'Mujib Gold Medal' will be awarded in

the conference to Prof Abul Barkat for his

extraordinary contribution to economic

science. General Secretary of BEA Dr.

Jamal uddin Ahmed and AZM Saleh, joint

convener of the conference committee

also spoke in the press conference.

Legal notice served on DU for barring

married students from halls

DHAKA : A legal notice has been served

on Dhaka University authorities asking

them to withdraw the restriction on pregnant

and married female students over

staying at residential halls.

The notice demanded that necessary

steps be taken to repeal the discriminatory

provision against female students within

three working days of receiving the notice,

otherwise the intervention of the High

Court would be sought in the matter.

Mohammad Shishir Monir, a lawyer

of the Supreme Court and a former student

of the law department of Dhaka

University, sent the legal notice to DU

vice-chancellor, registrar, proctor and

provosts of three women's dormitories,

including Shamsun Nahar Hall on

Wednesday.

In the notice, the Supreme Court

Lawyer said the right to stay in a university

dorm does not depend on whether the

student is pregnant and married or not.

Dhaka University still has such discriminatory

provisions against female students.

This decision is a clear violation of

Articles 27 and 28 of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Provost

Standing Committee of Dhaka University

was held yesterday evening to discuss the

rules of the female students' hall, saidVC

Md Akhtaruzzaman.

In the recent media reports, the lawyer

came to know that the residential seats of

some students of Dhaka University have

been cancelled due to their marriage.

According to the Rules of Distribution

of Seats and Other Disciplinary Rules

for Residential Students of Shamsun

Nahar Hall, if any student gets married,

she should inform the authorities

immediately, otherwise her seat will be

cancelled due to violation of rules. Only

in special cases, the married student will

be given the opportunity to stay in the

hall for the current session.

The rules of Shamsun Nahar Hall also

stated that pregnant students cannot

stay in the hall. The notice further said

that due to that provision, practically

married students will be deprived of the

opportunity of higher education by

availing the residential facilities of the

hall. There is a lot of dissatisfaction and

excitement among the students about

this issue.

Preparations

are underway in

the churches of

the capital on

the occasion of

Christmas, the

main festival of

the Christians.

The picture

is taken on

Wednesday

from Japmala

Rani Church

in Tejgaon.

Photo :

Star mail

THuRSDAY, DeCeMBeR 23, 2021

2

BNP activists

clash with

police in

Habiganj

MAMuN CHouDHuRy, HABI-

GANj CoRReSPoNDeNT

Salvage Workshop 2021 of Diving and Salvage Group of Bangladesh Navy was

held on Wednesday at Banauja Nirvik, Chattogram. Rear Admiral M

Mozammel Haque was present as the Chief Guest on the occasion. Photo : ISPR

BN’s diving, salvage workshop held in Chittagong

DHAKA : Salvage Workshop-2021 on Diving

and Salvage Group under Commodore

SWADS Command of Bangladesh Navy

(BN) was held today at Banauja Nirvik,

Chittagong.

Regional Commander of Chittagong Naval

Area Rear Admiral M Mozammel Haque was

present as the chief guest on the occasion,

said a press release.

The theme of the workshop was

'Cooperation and Mutual Coordination'

where members of the diving branch gain

more knowledge about diving and salvage in

case of any future disaster or rescue.

During the workshop, officers and sailors

of the diving branch of the Bangladesh Navy

exchanged views with various government

and non-government salvage organizations

of the country.

Apart from the Navy, representatives of

Chittagong Port Authority, Bangladesh

Inland Water Transport Authority, Naval

Police and various private salvage

organizations participated in the workshop.

Training, briefing and public hearings have been held on Biman Bangladesh's

commitment to provide services.

Photo : Courtesy

BNP leaders and activists

locked into a clash with

police over holding a rally in

the district town on

Wednesday, leaving an

unspecified number of

people, including four law

enforcers, injured.

one of the injured, Shah

Rajib Ahmed Ringan,

jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal

(jCD) district unit

organising secretary, was

sent to Dhaka in a critical

condition.

Witnesses said police

prevented BNP leaders and

activists from setting up a

stage for their scheduled

rally and blocked the road in

front of the house of central

BNP leader GK Gaus in

Shaistanagar area of the city

since morning.

As the leaders and activists

of the party and associate

bodies gathered in the

district town and tried to go

to the rally venue, police

obstructed them, triggering

a clash.

The BNP activists threw

brick chips towards police

forcing them to charge

batons, lobbed teargas shells

and fired several rounds of

bullets, to bring the situation

under control.

At one stage, police were

forced to retreat for some

time in the face of strong

resistance by a huge number

of BNP leaders and activists.

Later, a huge number of

law enforcers took position

around the rally venue and

chased the BNP flowers.

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THURSDAY, DECEMbER 23, 2021

3

The 55th founding anniversary of Dhaka University Rover Scout Group was celebrated on Tuesday. On

this occasion, flag hoisting, balloon flying, cake cutting, discussion meeting and cultural program were

organized at TSC.

Photo : Courtesy

Int'l confce on EEE begins at RUET

RAJSHAHI : A three-day International

Conference on Electrical and Electronic

Engineering (ICEEE)-2021 began in

Rajshahi University of Engineering and

Technology (RUET) yesterday

The Department of Electrical and

Electronic Engineering of RUET organised

the ICEEE for the third consecutive time in

order to take technological growth one step

forward as engineering and technology play

a pivotal role in the development of today's

world.

The conference provided a highly

interactive platform in which leading experts

and researchers in the field of electrical and

electronic engineering discussed recent

scientific advances and sought cooperation

from all over the world.

Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul

Hassan Chowdhury, MP, addressed the

opening ceremony as chief guest virtually,

while RUET Vice Chancellor Prof Rafiqul

Islam Sheikh spoke as chief patron with

ICEEE 2021 convening committee president

Prof Faruque Hossain in the chair.

IEEE USA Chapter Prof Saifur Rahman,

Bangladesh Chapter President Prof Moshiul

Haque, RUET EEE Faculty Dean Prof

Nazrul Islam Mondal and EEE Department

Head Prof Shamim Anwar also spoke.

Around 150 worldwide leading academic

scientists, researchers and research scholars

from the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan,

China, Malaysia, Korea, Cyprus and host

Bangladesh are taking part in the

conference.

Besides, 200 students and professionals

from home and abroad are participating in

the conference. A total of 51 keynote papers

and research papers are likely to be tabled in

the conference.

In his remarks, Mohibul Hassan

Chowdhury said the ICEEE focused on the

rapid strides and technological

advancements in EEE in recent years.

It opened a forum for technical excellence

and exchange of technology between

technocrats, research scholars and

representatives from academia and industry.

He added that engineering and technology

play pivotal roles in the development of

today's world. Widespread research and

innovative practices are propelling the world

to a new plateau of development.

The conference provided an ample

opportunity to academicians, engineers,

professionals, researchers, specialists and

students from home and abroad for sharing

to curve the engineering challenges leading

to sustainable development.

Various modern issues like microwave and

radio frequency, electrical machine, optical

fiber communication, instrumentation and

measurement, electro-magnetic field, power

plant and high voltage engineering, smart

power grid, multimedia system and image

processing are expected to be discussed

elaborately in the three-day event.

A delegation led by the Director General of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Patricia Danzi

met State Minister for Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman yesterday.

Photo : Courtesy

Bangladesh reports 352

fresh cases, one death

from Covid-19

DHAKA : Bangladesh on Wednesday reported

352 Covid-19 cases while the coronavirus

claimed overnight one life.

"The country reported 1.87 percent Covid-19

positive cases as 18,779 samples were tested in

the past 24 hours," Directorate General of

Health Services (DGHS) said in its routine

daily statement.

In the past 24 hours, the combined figure of

coronavirus in Dhaka city and upazilas of the

district is 300 while one Covid-19 death was

reported during the period.

The official tally showed that the virus killed

28,052 people and infected 15,81,986 so far,

the statement added.

The recovery count rose to 15,46,352 after

another 281 patients were discharged from the

hospitals during the past one day.

From the beginning of the pandemic, 97.75

percent Covid-19 patients recovered among

the infected people while 1.77 percent died, the

DGHS statistics showed.

The DGHS said among the total 28,052

fatalities, 12,249 occurred in Dhaka division,

5,687 in Chattogram, 2,058 in Rajshahi, 3,617

in Khulna, 949 in Barishal, 1,273 in Sylhet,

1,372 in Rangpur and 847 in Mymensingh

divisions.

Two drug

dealers held

in city

DHAKA : Police in a drive

have arrested two drug

dealers along with 10

kilograms (Kgs) of ganja

from the city's Golchattar

area under airport thana.

The arrested are Md

Sohag and Md Saidur

Rahman alias Sayed.

Sub-Inspector (SI) of

Dhaka Metropolitan Police

(DMP) Airport Police

Mohammad Azizul Talukder

confirmed the matter to

BSS.

He said the drug traders

were arrested with the

contraband drugs from the

area on Tuesday afternoon

and police sent them to

court after the interrogation.

The market value of the

seized ganja is around Taka

4.5 lakh.

A case has been filed

against the arrested persons

with the Airport Police

Station under the Narcotics

Control Act, the police

official added.

300 injured in ‘police attack’

on BNP's Habiganj rally: Rizvi

DHAKA : BNP on Wednesday alleged

that police attacked its peaceful rally

in Habiganj and sprayed bullets

indiscriminately on its leaders and

activists, leaving around 300 injured.

BNP senior joint secretary general

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the allegation

at a press briefing at the party's

Nayapaltan central office.

"As the rally began in front of our

party office in Habiganj's

Shaistanagar at noon, police attacked

the rally without any provocation and

opened fire indiscriminately, injuring

over 300 leaders and activists," he

said.

As part of their countrywide

programme, Rizvi said Habiganj

district unit BNP arranged the rally

demanding party chairperson

Khaleda Zia's treatment abroad.

BNP standing committee member

Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain was

present at the rally as the chief guest,

while its chairperson's adviser Zainul

Abedin Farroque as special guest.

Rizvi said the injured include

Habiganj district Jatiyatabadi

Chhatra Dal (JCD) organising

secretary Rajib Ahmed Ringan, Jubo

Dal general secretary Jalal, BNP

leader Advocate Sharif, JCD leaders

Saidur Rahman, Arshad, Abdul

Aahad Tushar, Matshajibi Dal leader

Mobarak Hossain, Shipon Ahmed

Shahjahan and Zahir Ali.

"It's a barbaric, cowardice and nasty

attack by police on a peaceful rally in

Habiganj. This illegitimate regime has

carried out the attack to perpetuate its

power. We express our deep concern

and strongly condemn and protest the

police attack," he said.

The BNP leader said the

government is considering sticks and

bullets as its resort after being isolated

from people and the international

community.

"Awami Nazism has now taken an

extreme turn and it's trying to smell

the blood. It's practising violent

terrorism by usurping power through

indulging in enforced disappearance,

killing and extrajudicial killings," he

observed.

Rizvi alleged that the government

has turned police into a deadly

weapon of it for carrying out

terrorist activities. "Whenever they

see a procession or rally, recognised

in a democracy, they let loose police

to foil it."

Switzerland to invest

Tk 11b in Bangladesh

DHAKA : Switzerland will invest around

CHF 119 million or Tk 11 billion to

implement its programme in the country

over the next four years.

As Switzerland and Bangladesh are about

to celebrate 50 years of bilateral relations,

Switzerland officially launched its

Cooperation Programme for Bangladesh

2022-2025 at a ceremony held in the city.

Patricia Danzi, Director General of the

Swiss Agency for Development and

Cooperation (SDC), presented the

programme on the last day of her five-day

visit to Bangladesh. Planning Minister MA

Mannan attended the event as the chief

guest.

Other senior government officials,

international and development partners,

members of the civil society and media also

participated at the event.

The new cooperation programme is guided

by Swiss foreign policy priorities and the

country's international cooperation strategy.

It is aligned with the Agenda 2030 and

Bangladesh's development priorities,

including the Eight Five-Year Plan.

The overall goal of the Swiss Cooperation

Programme 2022-2025 is to support

Professor Hamidur Rahman, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science,Dr. Liza Sharmin,

Head, Department of English, Dr. Ehatasham Ul Hoque Eiten, Assistant Professor of English of

Daffodil International University along with other distinguished guests at the 'La Revolucion', a collection

of poems based on the theme 'Women' and recited poems from the publication organized by

English Literary Club (ELC) of Daffodil International University.

Photo : Courtesy

6 expatriate

Bangladeshis,

1 organisation

got 'Remittance

Award'

DHAKA : The Embassy of

Bangladesh in Rome, Italy

has given remittance awards

to six expatriate

Bangladeshis, including two

women, and a business

organisation on the occasion

of International Migrants

Day-2021 on Monday last.

The award was presented

at a ceremony held at the

embassy on Monday, a press

release said.

It was given to them who

became highest remittance

sender from Italy to

Bangladesh between July

2020 and June 2021.

Bangladesh Ambassador

to Italy Md Shameem Ahsan

distributed the awards

among the winners on the

occasion, the release added.

More Dhaka Metro

coaches arrive at

Mongla port

KHULNA : Another

shipment of eight coaches

and four locomotives of the

country's first-ever metro

rail service-Dhaka Metrohas

arrived at Mongla port

from Japan.

SPM Bangkok, the vessel,

carrying the eight coaches

and four engines anchored

at jetty number eight of the

port around 3.50pm on

Tuesday, Harbour Master

Sheikh Fakhar Uddin told

UNB. "The unloading

process will begin yesterday

afternoon."

Md Wahiduzzaman,

manager of Ancient

Steamship Ltd, which is the

local shipping agent of SPM

Bangkok, said another

shipment is scheduled to

arrive next month.

Another dies from Dengue, 70 new

patients hospitalised in 24 hrs

DHAKA : Bangladesh reported one more

death from dengue and hospitalisation of 70

new patients in 24 hours till Wednesday

morning, health authorities said, reports

UNB.

The latest death was reported from Dhaka

division.

With the latest death, fatalities from

Dengue rose to 104 in the country this year,

according to the Directorate General of

Health Services (DGHS).

It said 94 people died in Dhaka division

alone, four in Mymensingh, two each in

Chattogram, and Khulna and one each in

Rajshahi and Barishal divisions.

CDA starts demolishing

three risky buildings

in Chattogram

CHATTOGRAM :

Chattogram Development

Authority (CDA) on

Tuesday started

demolishing three risky

buildings including one

that tilted at Majhirghat in

Sadarghat area of the port

city on Monday night,

reports UNB.

CDA officials said a

building tilted during the

ongoing canal reexcavation

work to end

waterlogging in the port

city.

Local people staged

demonstrations in the

area on Tuesday

demanding compensation

from the CDA authorities.

Shahinul Islam, chief city

planning officer of CDA,

said "According to the

CDA guidelines, a

structure should be

established 15 feet off a

canal and during the

Bangladesh's sustainable LDC graduation,

promote a prosperous, just and resilient

society, and contribute to peaceful

coexistence.

During Danzi's first visit to Bangladesh,

she met with senior government officials,

development partners, beneficiaries and

other key stakeholders to discuss a wide

range of topics, including bilateral relations,

international cooperation, Bangladesh's

development priorities and the Rohingya

crisis.

She also visited Rohingya refugee camps in

Cox's Bazar and different humanitarian and

development projects funded by Switzerland

in Cox's Bazar and Gazipur districts.

Switzerland was among the first countries

to establish diplomatic relations with

Bangladesh after its independence.

Over the last five decades, bilateral

relations between the two countries have

grown broader and deeper, including on

economic and international cooperation,

humanitarian aid, as well as cultural and

political exchanges.

The two countries will celebrate the golden

jubilee of their bilateral relations in 2022.

approval of the building

the authorities concerned

warned the owners of it .

But the owners

constructed the buildings

adjacent to the canal

ignoring the warning."

A notice was served on the

owners before starting the

re-excavation work of the

canal, he said.

Besides, the CDA

authorities also asked

them to show legal

documents but they failed

to show it.

A building tilted towards a

nearby building on

Monday, triggering panic

among locals. Besides,

two building in the same

area were identified as

risky.

A rescue team from

Agrabad Fire Service

Station managed to

evacuate the residents of

the building.

Former BSEC

commissioner

Swapan

passes away

DHAKA : Swapan Kumar

Bala, a professor of Dhaka

University and former

commissioner of

Bangladesh Securities and

Exchange Commission

(BSEC), died in the capital

Wednesday morning,

reports UNB.

He breathed his last at the

National Institute of

Cardiovascular Diseases

after he was taken to the

hospital in the morning.

Bala was a professor of the

Accounting and Information

Systems Department of

Dhaka University. He joined

the Dhaka Stock Exchange

as its chief executive officer

in 2013. After completing

his tenure in the premier

bourse, Bala joined BSEC as

a commissioner.

He also served as the

treasurer of the Institute of

Cost and Management

Accountants of Bangladesh

(ICMAB).

Ten patients are undergoing treatment at

hospitals in Dhaka while the remaining 60

cases have been reported from outside the

division.

Some 114 patients who were diagnosed

with Dengue are receiving treatment in the

country as of Wednesday.

Of them, 68 are receiving treatment at

different hospitals in the capital while the

remaining 46 were listed outside Dhaka.

Since January, some 28,299 patients have

been admitted to different hospitals with

Dengue in the country. So far, 28,081 dengue

patients have left hospitals after recovery,

said the DGHS.

Python

released in

Kaptai

National Park

RANGAMATI : A 15 feet python

was released in Kaptai National

Park after being caught by local

people when it entered the locality

at Chandraghona in Kaptai

upazila in Rangamati early

Wednesday, reports UNB.

Taranmani Tanchangya, a

resident of the area, spotted the

python in the forest of the

Sericulture Research Center area

in Chandraghona Union and put

it in a sack tactfully and informed

the Forest Department.

Later, Tanjilur Rahman, Kaptai

Range Officer of Chittagong Hill

Tracts Southern Forest

Department, released the python

in Kaptai National Park under the

Forest Department.

He also said that the python

weighing 20-25 kg is doing well.

Kaptai Upazila Nirbahi Officer

Muntasir Jahan and Assistant

Forest Conservator (ACF) Ganga

Prasad Chakma of Chittagong Hill

Tracts Southern Forest

Department were present.

This python might have entered

the locality in search of food at

night, said Tanjilur Rahman.

THUrSDAY, DEcEMBEr 23, 2021

4

Gear up your investment in children

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Hard winter in

disaster planning

Bangladesh is known as a land of climatic

moderation . But the winter this year is

found to be relatively much colder and the

differences between the highest and lowest

temperature this winter appears to be little. In

these conditions common people--specially in

the rural areas of the northern districts and in all

other rural areas in varying degrees--are found to

be hard pressed in the shivering cold. Almost

every day, the media has been reporting on the

severity of winter this year. Usually, such hard

winters are not experienced by Bangladeshis and

this factor has caught distressed people

unguarded. The commonly experienced mild

winters of the country have habituated poor

people not to keep good stocks of warm clothes

and the present colder than normal winter has

pushed them into great difficulties as they have

hardly the means also to afford ample winter

clothes. There is a very pressing need to engage

in a countrywide official programme to

distribute warm clothes to the poor on

emergency basis. It is not a formidable task but a

rather manageable one for an official body to

count the number of homeless in the cities who

dwell on pavements and provide temporary

shelter and warm clothes to them. In the longer

run, winter related sufferings of common

people should be taken into consideration and

policies adopted to face up to them. As it is,

flood, drought and cyclones are considered as

natural disasters, but not hard winters. Thus,

disaster planning should also include plans to

cope with harsh winters.

For the time being, every bit of assistance to the

poor to help them cope with the situation should

be welcome. Thus, even private charities on a

large scale at the heart of which should be

distribution of warm clothes and cash hand outs

to the poor, would be counted as very useful.

However, over the long run, assistance to the

poor would be best channeled perhaps through

organized institutional charities. For instance, in

this case of meeting the winter related distresses

of the people, the first step would be taking a

countrywide count of the number in acute need

of such help. The government administration can

be very effective in taking this count. Secondly,

the types of assistance required should be

identified. Thirdly, government should make its

contribution towards meeting the needs of

assistance and call on private charities to donate

in cash and kind to a fund run by it. Fourthly, it

should distribute the charities efficiently without

corruption. Besides, the government can also ask

private charitable organizations to engage in

similar relief and rehabilitation efforts but

systematically going by the list of the distressed

ones on area or regional basis.

Under systematic programs, a big contribution

would be helping out common people on a large

scale--specially in the non urban areas --to

improve their homes or to make them protective

against winter. There are many people in rural

areas - where the winter is even normally felt

greater from the spaciousness and lack of

congestion-who dwell in thatched houses with

hardly any warmth. Cash assistance on long

term basis of easy repayment can be considered

for extending to them to build more protected

houses using partly tins and bricks. The locally

available coal from the Barapukuria mine can be

sold to the poor at nominal prices during winter

for heating to keep their homes warm.

The foggy conditions during winter in recent

years were experienced to be a big bother in

maintaining smooth transportation activities on

highways and rivers routes. Accidents have been

frequent from fog obstructing vision leading to

collision of vehicles and marine vessels hitting

submerged shoals. Any systematic activity that

recognizes winters as part of disaster

management programs, should seek to address

these problems in a planned manner. Fog and

consequent lack of sunlight destroy crops. The

farmers can be aided in this area with the

introduction of rural insurance activities

designed particularly to cover such risks.

Twelve UN countries, including

Bangladesh, observe World

Children's Day and Children's

Rights Weeks simultaneously. Investing

in the welfare of the child is their

fundamental right. That investment

comes from his family and the state. In

addition to financial investment,

affection, love, care, human values, etc.

need to be invested in for the child to

create a cradling environment. Early

childhood is the time when it is most

important to take care of the child's

upbringing and development. The first six

years after a baby is born is the crucial

period for his/her growth. Because this is

a time of change and that change is both

physical and mental. However, the first 3

years of the child's growth and

development is the most important.

During this time the baby's brain is

flexible and develops rapidly. The child's

good and bad experiences affect the

growth of the brain. Neglect or abuse at

this time complicates the child's

intelligence, behavior, and emotions.

Therefore, it can be said that it is

important to ensure nutrition,

stimulation, protection, and education for

the development of the child. Most

parents in Bangladesh still have limited

knowledge about proper care and

upbringing of their children. Young

children are deprived of proper services

while their parents are at work. While

parents are very concerned about a child's

educational success, most are unaware

that a lack of motivation and safety can

have a devastating effect on a child's

classroom activities. The challenges of

early childhood development in

Bangladesh are associated with violent

behavior, limited access to knowledge,

and lack of basic services. Children of

women working in garment factories,

children from slums, remote rural areas

and disadvantaged minorities, who have

limited access to basic services, are at

most risk. First of all I would like to

highlight some statistics and

contemporary realities to explain the

importance of investing for a

child.Statistics from UNICEF, Bangladesh

show that only 43.5 percent of children in

Bangladesh are formally ready for

primary education and attend school. Due

to this, most of the children are deprived

of the opportunity to acquire language

skills, mutual learning, pre-writing and

pre-reading skills before going to primary

school. Not only are they deprived of

ToNSEr ALI

MUzAN ALNEEL

education in institutions like pre-primary

school, they also do not have an

encouraging environment at home.

According to the 2013 Multiple Indicator

Cluster Survey, only 7.6 households in

Bangladesh have three or more books for

children under the age of five. And only

13.4 percent of three-to five-year-olds

receive early childhood education. Due to

the geographic allocation, the facilities are

very limited in many areas and the lack of

quality teachers and learning

environment is also a challenge. Above all,

Bangladesh lacks a learning environment

and materials for young children. Some of

the most populous countries in the world,

Bangladesh is beginning to see a glimmer

of hope a step through in the issues of high

rates of child marriage, scarcity of family

planning, abuse of women, backwardness

of women and children in decision

making. Analysts believe that the spread

of the coronavirus will threaten enmany

achievements in the country. Almost all of

the educators agree that the quality of

students in Covid-19 has declined. There

is a light of hope in the job market right

now that employers are saying they are

not getting skilled people. And young

people say they are not getting jobs. We

need to get out of this paradox. Technical

education is just for the poor. This

investment must be made for the future

development of the country-this idea

must also come out. Because this kind of

thinking increases the interest for the son

of the family. Investment must be seen as

a child's right. All concerned should come

forward to develop the children who are

getting married before the age of 18 as

future working citizens. Increase women's

participation in the formal sector as well

as acquire technical education skills. It is

important to ensure that the allocation for

the social security sector is not less than

the capacity of the government. We all

know that the resources of the

government are limited. Therefore, it is

equally important to increase the

contribution of NGOs and individual

entrepreneurs in investing in children. We

hope that everyone will agree that quality

and up-to-date education of public and

private educational institutions is

essential for early development and

education and above all to turn it into a

skilled workforce in the future.

The writer is a professor of English

at the Zahidur Rahman Mohila

Degree College in Bogura.

UAE balances Israel ties with Iran detente

The policies of three of the Middle

East's top players have been outlined

in a flurry of diplomacy, joint

statements and budget announcements

over the past two weeks. The United Arab

Emirates sent its national security adviser,

Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, to Iran while

also receiving Israeli Prime Minister Naftali

Bennett. Israel deployed its defense

minister, Benny Gantz, to Washington, as

Iran doubled its military budget. As the

UAE minimizes tensions with regional

capitals and endorses peace, Israel and Iran

engage in military buildups and seem to be

banging the drums of war.Bennett made a

historic visit, the first of its kind for an Israeli

prime minister, to the UAE, where he met

with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad bin

Zayed and held one-on-one meetings with

ministers. Bilateral trade between the UAE

and Israel stood at near US$800 million for

the first nine months of 2021. Direct Emirati

investment in Israel has also been on the

rise, as cooperation surges between the

region's third- and fourth-biggest

economies, with equal-sized GDPs at

around $400 billion each.

Such cooperation would guarantee

Why the Burhan-Hamdok deal will not stabilise Sudan

On December 19, people across Sudan

took to the streets to mark the

anniversary of the revolution that

toppled longtime President Omar al-Bashir

in 2019 and once again reaffirm their

rejection of the army's insistence to stay in

power. The demonstration was part of a

series of protest actions held regularly since

October 25, when the Transitional Military

Council (TMC) carried out a coup against

the civilian government. They have

persisted even after the military, headed by

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, struck a

deal with Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok

on November 21 to reinstate him and task

him with forming a new "technocratic

cabinet". This is because this arrangement

allows the military to continue interfering in

the affairs of the government.

The Sudanese people see in this deal the

same flaws that plagued the 2019

Constitutional Declaration, which was

signed between the Sudanese military and

the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC),

the umbrella coalition of civilian forces that

led the uprising against al-Bashir. The

problem with the 2019 agreement is that -

just like the present one - it allowed the

military leadership to actively undermine

the transition to civilian rule.

Unfortunately, important players within

the international community are making

the mistake of supporting this new al-

Burhan-Hamdok deal. What they need to

understand is that this agreement will derail

the Sudanese democratic transition just as

the 2019 one did. The Constitutional

Declaration was supposed to guide the

transition period to full civilian rule, in

which civilian forces would take full control

of the levers of the state from the military.

While it ushered in a government formed by

the civilian FFC, it also set up a Sovereign

Neglect or abuse at this time complicates the child's intelligence,

behavior, and emotions. Therefore, it can be said that it is important to

ensure nutrition, stimulation, protection, and education for the

development of the child. Most parents in Bangladesh still have

limited knowledge about proper care and upbringing of their children.

HUSSAIN ABDUL-HUSSAIN

substantial economic growth between

Israel, a nation focused on startups, and the

UAE, a country with highly developed

sectors in financing, marketing and other

monetization tools. Despite the dizzying

pace at which the UAE and Israel are

coming closer together, the UAE signaled

that peace with the Jewish state was

economic and cultural, rather than one

against Iran. Along these lines, Bennett did

not hold a one-on-one with any defense or

security official while in the UAE, including

with Sheikh Tahnoun, the official who had

just returned from Tehran.With nuclear

talks between the world and Iran seemingly

going nowhere, the UAE seems to be aware

that regional war is closer than ever. Yet Abu

Council, chaired by Burhan, which had

executive powers superseding in some cases

the government's. The declaration allowed

the TMC to maintain power over the armed

forces and to appoint the ministers of

defence and interior as well as five of the 11

members of the Sovereign Council. The

declaration also lacked the provisions to

enforce civilian oversight of the military. It

tasked the security sector with reforming

itself, which the military had no motivation

to do. The document had no enforceable

mechanism to ensure accountability for the

crimes committed by the security forces or

create safeguards against further

repression. It did not curb in any way the

ability of the military to intervene in civilian

politics or its problematic relations with

foreign patrons. This exposed the country to

foreign intervention and counterrevolutionary

efforts, especially from the

Gulf. A clear example of that is the way

negotiations were held with the various

rebel groups active in the rural areas of the

country. With foreign backing, especially

from the United Arab Emirates, top

Sudanese generals sidelined the civilian

forces in the government to start direct

negotiations with rebel forces. The resulting

deal, called the Juba Peace Agreement,

solidified the position of the generals and

ensured rebel loyalty. The power imbalance

Dhabi's message is clear: It intends to sit out

military entanglements in the region,

including between Iran and Israel. Emirati

neutrality does not mean it has no favorites,

but if it does have one, it was not giving it a

With nuclear talks between the world and Iran seemingly

going nowhere, the UAE seems to be aware that

regional war is closer than ever. Yet Abu Dhabi's message

is clear: It intends to sit out military entanglements

in the region, including between Iran and Israel.

hand. Israel, for its part, is drawing a line in

the sand: The Jewish state will not tolerate a

nuclear Iran and is willing to use military

force to stop Tehran from making a bomb.

Hence Gantz visited Washington and asked

for the acceleration of the delivery of two air

refueling tankers that Israel had earlier

purchased from the US. Such technology is

required when fighter jets fly long-distance

missions, exactly like when Israel decides to

strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Meanwhile,

Iran announced that for the year 2022 it

between the civilian forces and the military

also created tension between the FFC and

the Sudanese grassroots that participated in

the revolution. While the flaws of the

civilian-military arrangement were clear to

Sudanese protesters from the get-go,

politicians, many of whom with strong ties

to the regional powers, insisted on

downplaying these concerns.

The FFC leadership promoted the

Unfortunately, important players within the international

community are making the mistake of supporting this

new al-Burhan-Hamdok deal. What they need to

understand is that this agreement will derail the

Sudanese democratic transition just as the 2019 one did.

Constitutional Declaration as the only

realistic path to stopping the bloodshed in

Sudan. They claimed that the power of the

protests would force civilian oversight over

the military which they repeated in their

public speeches and interviews during the

negotiations and the months that followed

signing the declaration.

Over the following two years, the

government worked actively to undermine

grassroots organisations, unions, and

resistance committees (RCs), which were

formed during the revolution in city

neighbourhoods, towns and villages across

the country to organise and coordinate

protests. Over time, the RCs evolved into

localised centres of political activity and

dissent, which is why the government tried

to marginalise them and depoliticise their

work. There were also government attempts

to stifle protests with the argument that they

were destabilising the country, weakening

would double its military budget to $30

billion. Despite the increase, Iranian access

to the superior Western military technology

will remain limited, which suggests that

Tehran will likely increase money it

allocates to its regional militias with which it

threatens - and often blackmails - regional

powers, first and foremost Israel.

Former US president Donald Trump's

policy of "maximum pressure" could not

force Iran to come back to the negotiating

table, but Trump's policy certainly put

Iranian uranium enrichment on hold. Had

Trump been elected to a second term, it

would have been unlikely that Tehran

would have resumed enrichment at full

speed. But with President Joe Biden,

diplomacy has taken an ideological tilt, with

the foreign-policy team seemingly more

interested in the ambiguous concept of

decolonization than in maintaining regional

and world peace.

With the US under Biden withdrawn and

restricting its foreign policy to irrelevant

diplomacy, regional powers are jockeying to

fill the void.

Source: Asia times

civilian power and potentially inviting a

military takeover.Instead of heeding the

demands of the Sudanese people for civilian

rule, civilian leaders in the transitional

government chose to rely on the support of

the international community. They decided

to appeal to foreign powers and institutions

by adopting policies in line with their

interests. These included taking steps

towards economic liberalisation, such as

removing commodity subsidies, as part of

an IMF-backed reform programme.

Legislative changes promoting these

policies were accelerated ahead of the Paris

conference on Sudan hosted by French

President Emmanuel Macron in May this

year. The event was attended by heads of

state, investors and representatives of the

World Bank, the IMF and the Paris Club, a

group of officials from creditor countries,

and was supposedly intended to encourage

investment and alleviate Sudan's foreign

debt.These legislative changes led to the

removal of subsidies for basic goods, which

was a deeply unpopular move. Sudanese

economists had predicted the disastrous

consequences of these neoliberal policies for

the majority of the population, but

nevertheless, the government proceeded

with them, provoking even more social

upheaval. This gave the perfect opportunity

for the military to intervene. The TMC

presented the economic crisis as an example

of mismanagement that only a coup could

correct. In the weeks leading up to the coup,

some of the rebel signatories of the Juba

Peace Agreement led their supporters in

protests against the civilian government,

calling for a military takeover. They were

also the first to announce their support for

the TMC when it deposed Hamdok.

Source: Al Jazeera

THurSDAy, DECEmBEr 23, 2021

5

ABDEl Aziz nABAloum

Ugandan street vendor Saudah

Namutebi found out about cervical

cancer one day when she was listening to

the radio. "During a radio talk show a

doctor was urging women to go and

screen," says Namutebi. "I have never

gone because I don't have time. And I

don't know where to go and get

screened."

Fellow trader Madina Nakku, who sells

fruit on the roadside in Entebbe, says she

has no need to get checked for cervical

cancer. "I do not feel sick, no itching

down there or anything. Why should I go

for screening when I am feeling fine?"

Cervical cancer is preventable and

curable. Yet it remains the leading cause

of cancer death for women in many

developing countries, and researchers

say the burden of cervical cancer is an

important indicator of global health

inequality.

While some wealthy countries are

making progress towards eliminating the

disease, in line with global goals to

significantly reduce rates by 2030,

screening rates remain low in many

poorer countries, where access to

services is limited and social taboos can

deter women from seeking healthcare.

But, major breakthroughs in

diagnostics and a newly approved

vaccine could significantly reduce

cervical cancer rates in the global South.

Cervical cancer disproportionately

affects women in low- and middleincome

countries. It is estimated that 85

per cent of the 570,000 new cases and

311,000 cervical cancer deaths in 2018

occurred in developing countries.

Cervical cancer was the leading cause of

cancer-related death for women in Sub-

Saharan Africa, central America, south

central Asia, and Melanesia.

Last year, the World Health Assembly

endorsed the WHO's global strategy for

cervical cancer elimination. It calls for 70

per cent of women globally to be

screened regularly for cervical cancer

with a high-performance test - a rate that

less than 20 per cent of countries

currently meet.

The WHO says that the global strategy,

which recommends vaccinating 90 per

cent of girls under 15 against human

papillomavirus (HPV), which causes

nearly all cervical cancers - could prevent

a staggering 62 million cervical cancer

deaths in the next 100 years.

While it is known that the cervical

cancer burden is highest in the global

South, the true numbers may be

undercounted where women's health is

overlooked by governments, or where

data is poor. Data coming from the 22

countries that make up the WHO's

Eastern Mediterranean region - which

includes the Middle East and North

Africa, parts of central Asia, Djibouti and

Somalia - suggests low rates of cervical

Cancer thwarted by home tests

Adolescent girls ages 11 to 13 receive HPV Vaccination in Sao Paulo Brazil. This image has been

cropped.

Photo: WHo

cancer in those communities. But this

could be due to poor diagnosis and

reporting, with deaths attributed to

secondary cancers that develop after

cervical cancer.

Only one of the 22 countries in the

region has implemented a HPV vaccine

programme, says Nasim Pourghazian,

WHO Eastern Mediterranean technical

officer for noncommunicable disease

prevention, while only nine countries

offer cervical cancer screening services,

"of which most are opportunistic".

"One general problem with cancer

registries in the region is the lack of

communication between national cancer

registries and death registration systems,

which can also contribute to the low

death rate attributed to cervical cancer,"

Pourghazian says.

"When you compare the number of

deaths to the number of cases in the

region - the mortality to incidence ratio -

then our region has a significantly higher

rate than the global average."

A major challenge in Sub-Saharan

Africa - which carries the world's highest

burden of cervical cancer - is widespread

lack of understanding about the disease.

Bernard Sawadogo, from the African

Field Epidemiology Network, told

SciDev.Net that most women were

uninformed, with many believing that

cervical cancer cannot be cured.

Christine Nakimuli, who works at a

private clinic in Uganda's capital

Kampala, said: "I ask women who come

for any vaccine if they have had the HPV

shot. Those who know about it say it is

for young girls who are virgins. I

encourage them to test anyway despite

the age, and if they are negative to get

vaccinated."

Social and cultural norms play a major

role in the likelihood that a woman will

go to be screened, particularly when

health staff are male. Joyce Zalwango, a

palliative care nurse in Uganda, said:

"Most women are scared of who they will

find when they go for screening - they do

not want men to screen them."

Sawadogo says women who live in

rural areas often need authorisation from

their husbands in order to go for

screening. Emmanuel Bukalu, a

reproductive health specialist and a

consultant at the Uganda National

Expanded Program on Immunization,

says clinics always try to ensure a woman

is present.

"If it gets to the stage of screening, then

we maximise the use of females and even

if it is a man we want a female

counterpart to be present," says Bukalu.

However, he says that most women are

unaware of this rule.

Yet Zalwango says that, while female

staff should perform smears, most health

facilities are understaffed and a woman is

often unavailable, particularly in remote

areas. Tanzania's first female physician

Esther Mwaikambo tells SciDev.Net

podcast Africa Science Focus why breast

cancer remains rampant on the

continent.

Meanwhile, Ugandan hairdresser

Aisha Nakitende said reports that the

screening process was uncomfortable

put her off from getting checked. "I heard

from a friend how she was screened and

she said it was very painful," said

Nakitende. "Is there no other way they

can screen for it?"

At-home HPV tests are "poised to be a

game-changer", according to Karen

Canfell, director of cancer research at the

Cancer Council NSW, Australia's leading

cancer charity, and an adjunct professor

at the University of Sydney's medical

school.

Recent evidence has shown that selfcollected

vaginal swabs to check for the

presence of HPV can be similarly

accurate to clinician-collected swabs,

when a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

test was used, she said.

"The potential of self-collection is

immense," Canfell tells. "Women

worldwide are embracing the selfdetermination

that it enables." Selfsampling

could be used to reach women

in low- and middle-income countries

who have never been screened for HPV

or cervical cancer.

The WHO's cervical cancer screening

and treatment guidelines, released in

July, suggest samples can be selfcollected

or taken by a healthcare

provider, as both methods "may have

similar effects".

A study published in June in the

Medical Journal of Australia found that

some participants in Australia's initial

self-collection programme said they

would not have been screened had the

option to self-screen not been available.

A systematic review of the literature,

primarily in high-income countries,

found that HPV testing by self-sampling

was likely to improve screening uptake,

although the WHO says that some

healthcare providers perceived that selfsampling

could reduce their

opportunities to provide additional care.

"Self-collection underpins several

major initiatives to eliminate cervical

cancer in low- and middle-income

countries, such as the Western Pacific,

where there has been a lack of any

cervical screening or HPV vaccination

programs and limited access to cancer

treatment services," Canfell says.

Australia will expand the option of selfcollection

to all women from July 2022.

"Australia is already on track to be the

first country in the world to eliminate

cervical cancer, but with self-collection as

a universal option, we should get there

sooner and in a more equitable way,"

says Canfell.

"We know there are significant barriers

to cervical screening for many women

and people with a cervix, particularly

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

peoples, culturally and linguistically

diverse people, and gender and sexually

diverse people.

"Self-collection gives women more

choice and control in the screening

process, and should help to overcome

some of these barriers."

Successful HPV vaccine programmes

can lead to remarkable drops in cervical

cancer rates, studies are now finding.

Analysis published in The Lancet in

October found that cervical cancer rates

were 87 per cent lower for women in

England who were offered an HPV

vaccine between the ages of 12 and 13

than in previous generations.

Study co-author Peter Sasieni, from

King's College London, said the observed

impact of England's HPV vaccine

programme was "even greater than the

models predicted".

Gavi, a global vaccine alliance, says the

high cost of vaccines and the challenges

of reaching adolescent girls worldwide

have been barriers in low-income

countries.

Gavi is a public-private partnership

that aims to increase immunisation

access in poor countries. It says that 27

countries have been approved for HPV

vaccine support, with 18 beginning

programmes - including countries with

the highest cervical cancer rates such as

Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.

The Gavi HPV vaccine programme

aimed to reach 40 million girls by 2020,

however "surging global demand and

vaccine supply shortages" mean the

alliance has reduced this goal to about 14

million girls.

But now, it is hoped that a fourth HPV

vaccine prequalified by the World Health

Organization in October will increase

supply worldwide.

A WHO prequalification is a 'seal' that

attests that a vaccine meets safety and

efficacy standards. Countries that do not

have regulatory agencies use this

prequalification to ensure that vaccines

are safe.

"With a WHO prequalification, a

vaccine can enter the market more easily.

It can be included in funds that buy

vaccines in larger quantities to distribute

them among countries," says Renato

Kfouri, president of the Brazilian

Pediatric Society's Scientific Department

of Immunisations. "Foundations that

distribute vaccines around the world use

vaccines that were prequalified, which

favours its use in countries even if they

don't have full approval."

The new vaccine is Cecolin,

manufactured by China's Xiamen

Innovax, a subsidiary of Beijing Wantai

Biological Pharmacy. Cecolin was

licensed in China in 2019. It is a bivalent

vaccine, which means it is active against

two types of the human papillomavirus -

HPV types 16 and 18, which are the cause

of more than 70 per cent of cervical

cancers.

The three previously approved HPV

vaccines are the bivalent Cervarix, the

quadrivalent Gardasil - which is active

against four HPV types - and the ninevalent

Gardasil 9, which also prevents

genital warts.

All of the vaccines protect against HPV

types 16 and 18. "Rich countries have

abandoned [the bivalent vaccine],

because they can buy the quadrivalent

and are migrating to the nine-valent,"

says Kfouri. "But the bivalent vaccine is

still being widely used around the world,

in South-East Asian and African

countries, for instance.

"It is nice to have this bonus

[protection] in the quadrivalent vaccine,

but the main goal is to prevent cancer,

and the protection against 16 and 18 HPV

types is the same in both vaccines."

A key difference for developing

countries is expected to be cost-related.

Researchers from South-East Asia

reported in The Lancet that Cecolin was

priced at around US$50 per dose in

China, while Cervarix could cost around

$260 for three doses, Gardasil cost about

$360 for three doses and Gardasil 9 was

$586 for three doses.

News of the fourth WHO-approved

HPV vaccine has delighted health

advocates in Burkina Faso, where the

government had promised the

introduction of the Gardasil vaccine for

girls aged nine to 14.

The Gardasil vaccine is available at

pharmacies "at an exorbitant price", says

Djeneba Ouédraogo, president of

Yerelon, a research and support

organisation. "The dose[s] cost US$200.

However, two doses were needed. The

population could not afford this vaccine.

Uneven partnerships could stifle

ElDon oPiyo

The partnerships of organisations

charged with implementing the

United Nations Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) may

perpetuate the imbalance in

resources between high- and lowincome

countries, a study says.

The 2030 agenda for sustainable

development puts equal emphasis

on developed and developing

countries and demands coherent

collaboration across all countries.

But the study published in the

journal Scientific Reports, found

that 60 per cent of the 195 countries

involved in SDG partnerships were

high- or upper-middle-income

countries, with 24 per cent in lowermiddle-income

and low-income

countries having a paltry 16 per cent.

"Partners from low-income

countries participated in fewer

partnerships, as compared to

partners in all other income

A teacher asks students questions in class.

attainment of SDGs

categories," says Malgorzata

Blicharska, the study's lead coauthor

and an associate professor at

Uppsala University in Sweden.

"This does not reflect the idea,

promoted by Agenda 2030, of global

partnerships addressing global

challenges. It also suggests that lowincome

countries may not have

resources and capacity to get

involved in partnerships and, thus,

to implement SDGs," Blicharska

explains.

Researchers analysed data on

2,876 partnerships gathered by 18th

August 2019 involving organisations

from 195 countries worldwide

including all the countries of Sub-

Sahara Africa that report the

implementation of the SDGs on the

UN's SDG Partnerships Platform.

Partners from low-income

countries focused more on SDGs 1,

2, 3, 5 and 7 (on poverty, hunger,

health, gender equality and energy

respectively) than those involving

partners from higher income

countries, Blicharska says.

The research, she explains, was

motivated by the existence of a

North-South divide in access to data

and scientific capabilities, with

particularly low-income countries

having less investment in research

and development.

"This has consequences for how

policies of global importance are

being set and implemented. We

wanted to explore if partnerships to

implement the SDGs have been

helpful in bridging the North-South

divide," Blicharska adds.

She emphasises that low-income

countries often have no capacity to

drive relevant research and to

implement action on the ground,

leading to situations where northern

countries design and drive

implementation of policies that may

not be best adjusted to southern

Photo: Dominic Chavez

countries' needs.

"For example, in relation to

climate change, northern countries

that are responsible for 80 per cent

of global emissions insist on all

countries contributing to emissions

reductions and motivate southern

countries through directing funding

predominantly to mitigation, while

what southern countries need most

is to focus on adapting to the

changing climate," she explains.

Nurudeen Alhassan, research and

policy analyst with African Institute

for Development Policy in Kenya,

says that even though most North-

South partnerships on the SDGs

have a capacity strengthening

component for southern partners,

this is not enough as the ideas

driving such capacity strengthening

programmes are driven and

influenced largely by northern

partners.

"The needs and ideas of southern

partners with respect to capacity

strengthening is not well

represented even though they are

supposed to be the beneficiaries,"

Alhassan explains.

Alhassan tells SciDev.Net that a

balanced implementation of the

SDGs between high- and lowincome

countries is required to

achieve true sustainable

development. Without a balanced

implementation, the SDGs risk

missing the opportunity to bridge

the existing inequality between high

and low-income countries.

"What is required is a balancing of

the interest of high-income countries

with the capacity needs of lowincome

countries. Also, without a

balance in partnerships, the

resources and capacity required to

achieve the targets in SDG 1,2,3,4,5

and 7 which disproportionately

affect low-income countries may not

be adequate," he says. He adds that

the study provides evidence for

governments and institutions in

Africa, Asia and Latin America to

advocate for equitable partnerships

in the implementation of SDGs.

The way forward is for the United

Nations to establish a mechanism to

track partnerships and ensure that

existing partnerships and new

partnerships are designed in such a

way as to guarantee equity, he adds.

The long road to climate

justice

We have to map out the long and difficult road to climate justice. Photo: Collected

FionA Broom

The road to climate justice is

proving a long one. It is a

road that has been

obstructed by denial of the

science and of human rights.

And it continues to

experience roadblocks put

up by fossil fuel-reliant

businesses

and

governments.

But climate justice has

never been more urgent for

communities on the

frontline of the climate

crisis. Over the next year,

and in the lead up to 2030,

developing countries paying

for the irreversible impacts

of climate change will push

ever-harder for historic

polluters to take

responsibility for the

unfolding climate

catastrophe.

Small island nations say

that 1.1 degrees Celsius of

warming is already having

devastating impacts on their

lives and livelihoods, and

two degrees will be a "death

sentence" for their

communities.

At the COP26 climate

summit in Glasgow in

November global South

leaders, youth activists,

scientists and civil society

called for cooperation from

delegates to help redress the

balance.

In this Spotlight, we

map out the long and

difficult road to climate

justice. Our facts and

figures article sets the

scene by looking at where

the world is now,

following COP26. It

includes an analysis of

national climate

ambitions that suggest

temperatures will

continue to rise, even if all

national commitments to

cut emissions are met.

We then report on the task

ahead for COP27, and the

actions that scientists and

civil society will put into

motion in an effort to garner

desperately needed financial

support for their

communities.

The head of Mexico's

COP26 delegation, Camila

Isabel Zepeda Lizama, tells

SciDev.Net that establishing

transparency and

accountability bodies will be

central to capping

greenhouse gas emissions.

While agricultural

emissions largely remain

outside of climate strategies,

women farmers in Nigeria

say they are taking climate

adaptation into their own

hands. And indigenous

community leaders say that

properly established

monitoring and grievance

mechanisms will be critical to

protect their lands and

knowledge as carbon markets

get set to expand.

THURSDAY, DeceMBeR 23, 2021 6

Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Girls Government Pilot High School in Madaripur Shibchar has announced

the results of admission of class six through lottery.

Photo : TBT

Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Girls Government Pilot High

School in Shibchar starts admission through lottery

MD RAFIQUL ISLAM, SHIBCHAR

(MADARIPUR) CoRReSPoNDeNT:

Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Girls

Government Pilot High School in

Madaripur Shibchar has announced

the results of admission of class six

through lottery.

The admission process started on

Wednesday morning through lottery at

the ground of Sheikh Fazilatunnesa

Girls Government High School in the

upazila and the results were officially

announced around noon.

A mobile court in Gopalganj has been conductged at four brick kilns for illegally

burning wood and disobeying license instructions. Photo : SM Nazrul

KHULNA : Mayor of Khulna City Corporation

(KCC) Talukder Abdul Khaleque yesterday

stressed the need for publishing more local

news in regional newspapers as well as

pursuing objective journalism to establish a

just society.

"We always welcome constructive criticism

in the media. The journalists also should

publish development stories in both national

and regional newspapers and in others media,"

he said while addressing as the chief guest a

function to distribute Wadudur Rahman

Panna Sangabadikata Smritipadak at the

Humayun Kabir Balu auditorium in Khulna

Press Club. The mayor distributed cash and

crest to three best local journalists of regional

newspapers for their investigative reports

published in local newspapers. The awardees

are Aminul Islam of Somoyer Khabor, Hasan

Himaloy of daily Purbanchal and Alamgir

Hannan of Ajker Tathya.

earlier, a-five member jury board

Upazila Nirbahi officer Mohammad

Asaduzzaman was present as the chief

guest while Headmaster of the school

Mohammad Rafiqul Islam facilitated

the program.

Upazila Secondary education officer

Khandaker Mohammad Maksudur

Rahman was present as the special

guest on the occasion.

According to the school's office

sources, 281 admission application

forms were sold this year for the 2022

academic year. This time, 220 students

in three branches will be selected

KCC mayor for publishing more

local news in regional papers

recommended these three local journalists for

their best investigative journalism award.

Panna, former president of Khulna Press

Club and editor of the daily Janmobhumi, died

in coronavirus last year.

Three local journalists in the regional

newspapers got crest and Taka 10,000 each for

their best performances about investigative

journalism.

Following a deed signed between Khulna

Press Club and Wadudur Rahman Panna,

owner of Zohora Khatun Kinder Garten School,

in 2018, the award distribution begun last year.

Chaired by Khulna Press Club President S M

Zahid Hossain, the function was addressed by

Md Abul Kalam Azad, president of Zohora

Khatun Directory Board, as the special guest.

Assistant Prof of Mass Communication and

Journalism Department Md Shariful Islam, expresident

Mokbul Hossain Mintu and General

Secretary Hasan Ahmed Molla, among others,

also spoke on the occasion.

through lottery.

The headmaster of the school Rafiqul

Islam said, "As per the instructions of

the Ministry of education, the

admission process has started in our

school today through lottery. This

activity started in the presence of our

Upazila Nirbahi officer, Upazila

Secondary education officer and

parents. We started this activity with

complete neutrality." Hopefully, we will

be able to do this in the midst of 100%

neutrality. "

10 injured in

BNP infighting

in Chattogram

CHATToGRAM : Ten

people were injured in a

clash between two factions

of BNP during a meeting at

the party's office at Nasimon

Bhaban in the city on

Tuesday.

Nezam Uddin, officer-incharge

of Kotwali Police

Station, said local unit BNP

decided to hold a series of

meetings centering the

North District unit council

with upazila, municipality

and union-level leaders.

The meeting will be

arranged in presence of the

party's central leaders.

As per the party's decision,

two meetings were to take

place at the party's office at

Nasimon Bhaban on

Tuesday.

The leaders of Raozan

upazila unit BNP were

scheduled to participate in a

meeting on Tuesday

afternoon.

Around 2 pm, a scuffle

took place among the

supporter of Sarwar

Alamgir, a convener of

Fatikchhari unit BNP, and

Golam Akbar Khandaker,

convener of North district

unit BNP when Akbar asked

the supporters of Alamgir to

leave the place.

At one stage, both groups

attacked each other, leaving

ten people injured.

However, no complaint

was lodged in this

connection, said oC.

BGB seizes

1,000 yaba

tablets in

C’nawabganj

CHAPAINAWABGANJ :

Border Guard Bangladesh

(BGB) seized 1,000 pieces of

contraband yaba tablets

from Shibganj of

Chapainawabganj district

yesterday, reports BSS

BGB said acting on a tip

off, a patrol team of BGB

from Sonamasjid border

outpost conducted a raid at

Chulkanipara under

Shibganj upazila of the

district at 11:40 am and

found the yaba tablets worth

Taka 3,00,000 in an

abandoned condition.

200 students

get educational

materials in

Cumilla

CUMILLA : Around 200

poor, helpless and

meritorious students were

given educational materials

in Muradnagar upazila of

the district yesterday on the

occasion of the golden

jubilee of the country's

independence.

Bangra Dalpa Social

Welfare Library of

Muradnagar upazila

provided the educational

materials at free of cost for

the student.

President of Bangra Dalpa

Social Welfare Library Abu

Musa Bhuiyan handed over

the educational materials

among the poor, helpless

and meritorious students in

Muradnagar upazila held at

Dalpa Government Primary

School ground yesterday

morning as a chief guest.

Former Deputy Director of

the village defense Dr

Forkan Ahmed, Assistant

Librarian of District Public

Library Nafis Sadiq Shishir,

DGM of Rupali Bank

Quddus Miah, President of

Dalpa Social Welfare Library

Abu Musa Bhuiyan, General

Secretary of Dalpa Social

Welfare Library Abdul

Hannan Master, Treasurer

Abdul Wahed, among

others, were present on the

occasion.

School bags, notebooks,

pens, geometry boxes,

scales, nail cutters,

toothbrushes and

toothpastes were distributed

among the students.

Bangabandhu Railway

Bridge construction

progressing fast

SIRAJGANJ : The

construction works of the

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib

Railway Bridge over the

Jamuna River here are

progressing fast as its 34

percent work has already

been completed.

The 4.8km-long rail bridge

is being built at 300m

upstream of the

Bangabandhu Bridge to

enhance rail connectivity

between the capital and the

country's northwestern

regions and it is expected to

be the largest dedicated rail

bridge in the country.

Piling works of ten pillars

were completed and the

bridge is becoming visible

gradually, said engineer

Mashudur Rahman, director

of the project.

He said 34 percent works

of the country's mega

projects were completed.

Railway communication

had been introduced

between Dhaka and the

north and south-western

regions of the country first

after opening the

Bangabandhu Bridge in

1998.

engineer Rahman said

Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina laid the foundation

stone of the Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujib Railway

Bridge on November 29,

2020.

The dual-gauge, doubletrack

bridge will be

constructed on 50 pears as

the construction works are

going on at two ending

points of Sirajganj and

Tangail.

A 7.6km-long double-line

railway approach

embankment, a 30.73km

dual-gauge railway track and

16 viaducts will be built

under the railway bridge

project.

Apart from this, the

Bangabandhu Bridge east

and West stations and yards

will be renovated and

remodeled.

Rahman said the

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib

Railway Bridge will be

capable of running trains at a

speed of 120km per hour on

broad gauge line and 100km

per hour on meter gauge

track compared to the

present speed of 10kmph on

the Bangabandhu Bridge.

The dual-gauge doubletrack

railway bridge will save

at least 20 minutes commute

time as no train will have to

wait for line crossing.

only 38 trains can now

travel through the

Bangabandhu Bridge on a

daily basis. But after the

construction of the

Bangabandhu Railway

Bridge, it will allow as many

as 88 trains to operate every

day.

This will also give the

authorities the option to

increase the number of both

passenger and freight trains,

which is expected to develop

the country's rail services

and strengthen regional

connectivity.

President of Sirajganj

Chamber of Commerce and

Industries Abu Yousuf said

the Bangabandhu Railway

Bridge will develop train

services.

It will also help boost the

economy of the northern

region of the country, he

said.

The bridge is expected to

improve the country's

connectivity with such

neighboring countries like

India, Nepal, and Bhutan.

It has been alleged that the women activists of Mohammad Humayun

Kabir (Horse), an independent chairman candidate of Aona Union No.

4 of Sarishabari Upazila of Jamalpur, were tortured by the supporters

of the boat while going to seek votes. In protest of the incident, the agitated

locals staged a broom procession demanding the trial of the boat

candidate Bellal Hossain on Wednesday afternoon. Photo : MA Rouf

In Jhalokati district, vaccination program has been officially inaugurated for 47 thousand secondary

level students between the ages of 12 and 17 years. The program was officially inaugurated

by former minister and Awami League leader Amir Hossain Amu. Photo : Manik Roy

GD-1888/21 (7x4)

Harvard professor found guilty

of hiding ties to China

BOSTON : A Harvard

University professor

charged with hiding his ties

to a Chinese-run

recruitment program was

found guilty on all counts

Tuesday, reports UNB.

Charles Lieber, 62, the

former chair of Harvard's

department of chemistry

and chemical biology, had

pleaded not guilty to two

counts of filing false tax

returns, two counts of

making false statements,

and two counts of failing to

file reports for a foreign bank

account in China.

The jury deliberated for

about two hours and 45

minutes before announcing

the verdict following five

days of testimony in Boston

federal court.

Lieber's defense attorney

Marc Mukasey had argued

that prosecutors lacked

proof of the charges. He

maintained

that

investigators didn't keep any

record of their interviews

with Lieber prior to his

arrest.

He argued that

prosecutors would be unable

to prove that Lieber acted

"knowingly, intentionally, or

willfully, or that he made any

material false statement."

Mukasey also stressed

Lieber wasn't charged with

illegally transferring any

technology or proprietary

information to China.

Prosecutors argued that

Lieber, who was arrested in

January, knowingly hid his

involvement in China's

Thousand Talents Plan - a

program designed to recruit

people with knowledge of

foreign technology and

intellectual property to

China - to protect his career

and reputation.

Lieber denied his

involvement during

inquiries from U.S.

authorities, including the

National Institutes of

Health, which had provided

him with millions of dollars

in research funding,

prosecutors said.

Lieber also concealed his

income from the Chinese

program, including $50,000

a month from the Wuhan

India reports 6,317 new COVID-19

cases, total rises to 34,758,481

NEW DELHI :India's COVID-19 tally rose to 34,758,481 on

Wednesday, as 6,317 new cases were registered during the

past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health

ministry's latest data, reports UNB.

Besides, 318 deaths from the pandemic have been reported

since Tuesday morning, taking the total death toll to 478,325.

There are still 78,190 active COVID-19 cases in the country

despite a fall of 907 active cases during the past 24 hours.

"India's active caseload is the lowest in the past 575 days,"

said an official statement by the federal health ministry.

A total of 34,201,966 people have been successfully cured

and discharged from hospitals, of whom 6,906 were

discharged during the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the country's Omicron tally has reached 213.

Delhi and Maharashtra have reported 57 and 54 cases,

respectively. Till now, 90 patients have been discharged after

recovery, as per the Health Ministry .

Harvard University professor Charles Lieber is charged with hiding his

ties to a Chinese-run recruitment program.

Photo: AP

University of Technology, up

to $158,000 in living

expenses and more than

$1.5 million in grants,

according to prosecutors.

In exchange, they say,

Lieber agreed to publish

articles, organize

international conferences

and apply for patents on

behalf of the Chinese

university.

The case is among the

highest profile to come from

the U.S. Department of

Justice's so-called "China

Initiative."

The effort launched in

2018 to curb economic

espionage from China has

faced criticism that it harms

academic research and

amounts to racial profiling

of Chinese researchers.

Reference No. 1224 Date : 22/12/2021

GD-1886/21 (8x3)

Hundreds of faculty

members at Stanford, Yale,

Berkeley, Princeton, Temple

and other prominent

colleges have signed onto

letters to U.S. Attorney

General Merrick Garland

calling on him to end the

initiative.

The academics say the

effort compromises the

nation's competitiveness in

research and technology and

has had a chilling effect on

recruiting foreign scholars.

The letters also complain the

investigations have

disproportionally targeted

researchers of Chinese

origin.

Lieber has been on paid

administrative leave from

Harvard since being

arrested in January 2020.

Madagascar

shipwreck

death toll

rises to 64

ANTANANARIVO : The

death toll from a shipwreck

off Madagascar's

northeastern coast has risen

to at least 64 after 25 more

bodies were discovered,

maritime authorities said

Wednesday, reports BSS.

A wooden vessel, believed

to be a cargo ship carrying

passengers illegally, sank in

the Indian Ocean on

Monday with 130 people on

board. Five children were

among the dead.

Fifty passengers have

since been rescued and

around 15 remain missing.

The search for survivors

continues.

"Twenty-five bodies were

found this morning near

Sainte-Marie islands,

probably due to sea

currents, which brings the

death total to 64,"

gendarmerie general

Zafisambatra Ravoavy told

AFP.

Maritime authorities said

initial investigations

suggested the vessel's engine

had a "technical problem",

leaving the boat vulnerable

to tidal forces and causing it

to run aground on a reef.

A Malagasy government

minister who travelled to the

disaster scene swam 12

hours to shore on Tuesday

after his helicopter crashed

off the island nation's

northeastern coast.

The death toll from a shipwreck off Madagascar's northeastern coast

has risen to at least 64 after 25 more bodies were discovered, maritime

authorities said Wednesday.

Photo: AP

California to require

booster shots for

healthcare workers

SACRAMENTO : California will require health care workers to

get a booster shot of the coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Gavin

Newsom announced Tuesday, pledging to make sure hospitals

are prepared as a new version of the disease begins to spread

throughout the state, reports UNB.

California already requires health care workers to be

vaccinated against the coronavirus, a directive that took effect in

September and has since led to the firing or suspension of

thousands of people. Now it will join New Mexico as at least the

second state to require booster shots for health care workers.

Newsom made the announcement on his personal Twitter

account. His office declined to give more details, including how

many workers would be affected and whether frequent testing

would be allowed as an alterative. Newsom has scheduled a

news conference in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday.

"California will require healthcare workers to get their

booster," Newsom said. "With Omicron on the rise, we're taking

immediate actions to protect Californians and ensure our

hospitals are prepared."

California has so far fared far better than many other states

that are dealing with a coronavirus surge, with areas in the

Midwest and Northeast seeing the biggest jump in cases and

hospitalizations amid frigid temperatures that have kept people

indoors.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists

California as a place with "high" transmission of the virus, along

with nearly everywhere else in the country. But in the last week

California averaged 114 new cases per 100,000 people, less than

half the national rate.

Meanwhile, coronavirus related hospitalizations have been

rising slowly in California, up 15% in the last 11 days to 3,852.

That's less than half as many as during the late summer peak

and one-fifth of a year ago, before vaccines were widely

available.

But while hospitals overall have fewer patients than last

winter, many have fewer workers to treat the patients they do

have. The staffing shortage comes as businesses are having

trouble finding workers, including hospitals. A recent study by

the University of California-San Francisco estimated the state's

nursing shortage could persist until 2026.

"The staffing shortages we are experiencing are worse than

ever," Kiyomi Burchill, group vice president for policy for the

California Hospital Association, said in an interview Tuesday

before Newsom made his announcement about booster shots.

California is poised for a surge in new infections amid holiday

parties and family gatherings forced indoors by a series of winter

storms.

THURsDAY, DeCeMBeR 23, 2021

7

Lebanon paralysis jeopardizes

int’l support: UN chief

BEIRUT : The international community will

not show up for Lebanon if political paralysis

continues to hamper the implementation of

desperately needed reforms, UN Secretary-

General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday,

reports BSS.

"The international community will

probably not-independently of support that

has already been provided-respond the way

it needs to respond if they see the country is

paralysed," Guterres told a press conference

at the end of a three-day visit to the crisis-hit

country.

"We need the support of the international

community to be much larger than it is today

and the Lebanese people deserve it but there

is homework that needs to be done in

Lebanon," he said, referring to reforms.

Lebanon is grappling with an

unprecedented economic crisis branded by

the World Bank as one the planet's worst in

modern times.

More than 80 percent of the population

lives in poverty and the local currency has

lost more than 90 percent of its value on the

black market.

However, international donors have only

funded 11 percent of the $383 million UN

response plan for the country, Guterres said.

He urged Lebanese leaders to take steps to

revive confidence, including by restarting

talks with the International Monetary Fund.

"It is so important to restart negotiations

Palestinian President Mahmoud

Abbas in Ramallah, West Bank on

20 May 2020

Photo: Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency

with (the) IMF and to reestablish a credible

plan for economic recovery... to mobilise the

support of (the) international community

but that requires political will," he said.

Political squabbling has repeatedly

hampered financial recovery efforts,

including talks with the IMF which were

launched last year but soon hit a wall.

A new government, formed in September

with the aim of carving a path out of the

crisis, has failed to meet since October due to

divisions over the fate of a probe into last

year's monster port blast.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2021

8

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited inaugurated Kakoli Sub-Branch under Banani Branch, Dhaka on 20

December 2021. Muhammad Qaisar Ali, Additional Managing Director of the bank inaugurated the

Sub-Branch as chief guest. Mizanur Rahman, Head of Dhaka North Zone of the Bank presided over

the program. Md. Mofizur Rahman, Councilor of Dhaka North City Corporation and Md. Nabi

Hossain, former President of Kakoli-Mohakhali babshayee Samity addressed as special guest. Md.

Aman Ullah, Head of Banani Branch delivered welcome speech while Mohd. Md. Hafizur Rahman, Incharge

of the Sub-Branch thanked the audience. Businesspersons, Professionals and Social Elites

were present on the occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

natural gas prices hit fresh record peaks

lOnDOn : european and uK gas prices

rocketed Tuesday to all-time highs on strong

winter demand and simmering geopolitical

tensions between key supplier russia and

consumer nations.

europe's reference Dutch TTF gas price hit

162.775 euros per megawatt hour in late

morning deals, up more than ten percent from

Monday, while uK prices leapt to 408.30 pence

per therm.

Both markets beat previous records from

October, also struck on demand worries for the

northern hemisphere winter months. They are

currently about seven times greater than at the

start of 2021. runaway spot gas prices,

alongside other buoyant commodities

including crude oil, have fuelled mounting

concern about spiking inflation worldwide.

european gas "continued its inexorable rise...

to another record," wrote Deutsche Bank

analysts in a client note.

"It comes as temperatures have continued to

decline heading into the european winter, and

we also got the news that (russian energy

giant) Gazprom had not booked any extra

capacity in January for gas flowing through

ukraine.

"That's an important story heading through

the winter with implications for european

growth, and one that will have investors closely

following the weather forecasts to work out

what might happen."

europe's gas stocks had already been

depleted by a prolonged winter last year.

Added to the picture, calmer prevailing

weather conditions have this year sharply

reduced the supply of wind power.

Some analysts blame the market spike on

ongoing controversy surrounding russia's

planned nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

German economic Affairs Minister robert

Habeck warned Saturday of "severe

consequences" for the nord Stream 2 gas

pipeline from russia to Germany if Moscow

attacked ukraine.

The Baltic Sea pipeline is set to double

supplies of cheap natural gas from russia to

Germany, which the european union's top

economy says is needed to help it transition

from coal and nuclear energy.

But the 10-billion-euro ($12 billion) project

has for years been dogged by delays and drawn

fierce criticism from both Germany's eastern

eu allies like Poland and the united States.

Critics say nord Stream 2 will increase

europe's dependence on russian gas and

ukraine has described it as a "geopolitical

weapon".

One third of europe's total gas supplies come

from russia.

In order to make environment friendly green Country, Shahjalal Islami

Bank Limited rendering numerous activities. In this consequence Bank's

Basail Branch organized a Tree Plantation program at Basail Pilot Girls

High school field premises, Basail Tangail recently. The Upazila Madhamik

Education Officer of Basail Md. Babul Hasan, the Head Teacher of Basail

Pilot Girls High school Md. Abul Kashem Miah and the Branch Manager of

Basail of the Bank Muhammad Shahidul Islam were also present in the tree

plantation program.

Photo : Courtesy

Turkish lira makes rare gains

on 'indirect' rate hike

ISTAnBul: Turkey's

troubled lira on Monday

pared back some of its

historic losses after President

recep Tayyip erdogan

announced new currency

support measures that

analysts interpreted as an

indirect interest rate hike,

reports BSS.

erdogan has pushed the

central bank to sharply lower

borrowing costs despite the

annual rate of inflation

soaring to more than 20

percent.

The powerful Turkish

leader appeared to double

down on that approach over

the weekend by affirming that

his Islamic faith prevented

him from supporting rate

hikes.

"As a Muslim, I will

continue doing what our

religion tells us," he said in

televised remarks.

Islamic teachings forbid

Muslims from receiving or

charging interest on loaned or

borrowed money.

High interest rates are a

drag on activity and slow

down economic growth.

Central banks raise their

policy rates out of necessity

when inflation gets out of

hand.

Yet analysts said erdogan

bowed to market pressure

and raised interest rates by

stealth when he announced a

complex series of measures

Monday aimed at boosting

the lira.

They include a new debt

instrument that compensates

the value of Turks' bank

deposits that they lose due to

the lira's depreciation.

erdogan did not explain how

this instrument would work.

But former Turkish

treasury adviser Mahfi

egilmez called it an "indirect

interest rate hike". "If the

exchange rate increases by 40

percent, and the interest rate

increases by 14 percent, 26

percentage points will be paid

in compensation," the

economist wrote on Twitter.

Fellow Turkish economist

refet Gurkaynak called it an

"epic interest rate hike".

The lira reversed a 10

percent loss Monday into a 10

percent gain after erdogan's

announcement.

The Turkish currency has

still lost a third of its value

against the dollar since the

start of november.

erdogan last month

launched a self-declared

"economic war of

independence" aimed at

breaking Turkey's reliance on

foreign investment and the

fluctuating cost of imports

such as oil and natural gas.

But the policy has met

increasing resistance from

influential business leaders

who had largely rallied

around erdogan during his

19-year rule.

Arif Quadri

appointed

as MD of

uCB

Arif Quadri, prominent and

professional Banker with

years of rewarding

multidimensional

experience in banking and

other fields of Management

has been appointed as the

Managing Director of

united Commercial Bank

limited (uCB). Prior to that,

he was serving the Bank as

Additional Managing

Director.

Quadri with a vast

experience in different sectors

of banking over 37 years

started his career as

"Probationary Officer" in the

then Arab Bangladesh Bank

limited in 1984. He has

worked in branches and Head

Office divisions in different

banking roles like Head of

Human resources

Management Division,

supervisory roles as

CAMlCO, Chief risk Officer,

Head of Internal Control &

Compliance Division, Chief

Operating Officer etc in AB

Bank limited, Al Baraka Bank

limited, One Bank limited,

Meghna Bank limited and

Premier Bank limited. He

served as a director on the

board of IIDFC (non Banking

Financial Institution) in

Bangladesh.

149th ATM

booth of

Sonali Bank

inaugurated

ABDul HAMID KHAn, PABnA

COrreSOnDenT

149th ATM booth of Sonali

Bank limited has been

inaugurated at the DC officer

premises of Pabna yesterday.

Pabna Deputy Commissioner

Biswas russell Hossain

inaugurated the ATM booth

in a joyous atmosphere on

Wednesday in the month of

Victory and Golden Jubilee of

Independence. Deputy

General Manager of Sonali

Bank limited, Principal

Office, Pabna Muhammad

Monowarul Islam presided

over the inaugural program

while Chief executive Officer

of the Zilla Parishad Kazi

Atiur rahman and rajshahibased

Sonali Bank limited,

General Manager of General

Manager's office Mir Hasan

Mohammad Hasan were

present as special guests.

Among others, the

inaugural function was

attended by the Assistant

General Manager of Sonali

Bank limited Pabna Principal

Office Khandaker Abidur

rahman, Assistant General

Manager of Sonali Bank

Pabna Branch Md. Shafiqul

Islam and distinguished

Journalist Columnist Abdul

Hamid Khan.

IPDC is

Participating

at rehab

Fair 2021

IPDC Finance is taking part

at the rehab Fair 2021 being

held at Bangabandhu

International Conference

Center at Dhaka. IPDC will

be present at stall number FI

14 and FI 16.Some attractive

home loan offers under

IPDC Home loan are

available for the visitors, a

press release said. The

official Facebook page of

IPDC has more details on

the offers and the IPDC stall

during the event. The rehab

Fair will continue till 27

December 2021.

Webinar on 'Phytosanitary' to

boost agri-production held

DHAKA : A webinar on

'Phytosanitary' was held on

Monday to raise awareness on

the development of

Bangladesh's agrocommodity

trade system in

the world export market.

It was held through zoom

platform where speakers

talked about capacity building

in developing agricultural

trade in Bangladesh in

accordance with the policy

standards of the World Trade

Organization, a press release

said. It was said in the

webinar that the government

of Bangladesh is committed to

enhance its ability to

participate in global

agricultural trade by

protecting the domestic

agricultural sector from the

clutches of foreign pests.

With the announcement

of launching Digital Branch

in the nearest future, the

new premises of

Information

&

Communication Technology

Division of Padma Bank has

officially started its journey.

The ICT Division has

modernized itself to further

expand the quality of

customer service and started

their operations on a large

scale in Mirpur, a press

release said.

The division has its own

office to further enhance the

quality of all digital services

including call center, card

division, internet banking,

Padma Wallet, i-Banking.

Md ehsan Khasru, Padma

Bank's Managing Director

and CeO officially

inaugurated the office in

Mirpur on Wednesday.

Speaking as the chief guest

at the inaugural function, he

said that the Division of ICT

(IT) is now responsible for

securing banking and

financial transactions worth

hundreds of crores in the

hands of the customers.

They have worked hard, that

uK launches £1.0b support

for Omicron-hit businesses

lOnDOn : Britain on

Tuesday launched a £1.0

billion support package for

Covid-hit businesses, as

staff absences from rising

cases began to bite in the

run-up to Christmas.

Finance minister rishi

Sunak said some 200,000

firms would be eligible for

one-off grants to offset

losses from what is

normally the busiest time of

year.

Pubs and restaurants

have seen Christmas parties

and bookings cancelled

because of the spread of the

Omicron variant of the

virus, hitting December

trade by as much as 60

percent.

Sunak said the

government recognised that

businesses in the hospitality

and leisure sectors were

facing "huge uncertainty at

a crucial time".

The government is

banking on an ambitious

campaign to get all adults in

england to have a booster

jab of a Covid vaccine by the

end of December to try to

stop the spread of the

mutation.

The director of the

Wellcome charitable

foundation, Jeremy Farrar,

told BBC radio

transmission was "eyewateringly

high", as daily

is why their own office has

been set up so that they can

serve the customers with

ease. In future we will

launch a digital branch

under their supervision.

During inaugural, ehsan

Khasru gave required

guidelines to the officers and

employees of the

Information

&

infection rates nudged

towards 100,000.

But unlike governments

in some of Britain's nearest

neighbours on the

european mainland, Prime

Minister Boris Johnson has

ruled out immediate curbs

in the run-up to Christmas.

Tighter public health

measures could yet be

introduced after this

weekend, according to

media reports.

Across the country, all

sectors of British industry

have been hit as staff

contract the virus and are

forced to self-isolate at

home.

As the Christmas getaway

begins, train companies

apologised for employee

absences and warned they

could affect scheduled

services and even lead to

cancellations.

edinburgh Castle and the

national History Museum

in london-two of the

country's most visited

attractions-were forced to

close their doors because of

staff illnesses.

That came after several

theatres in london's West

end entertainment district

cancelled performances to

protect performers and the

public.

Meanwhile, the hotel and

restaurant industry has

Communication Technology

Department. Muzahidul

Islam Head of Internal

Control & Compliance

Division, VP and Deputy

Head of ICTD Mosharraf

Hossain Khan, head of the

General Service Division

Harun-ur-rashid and other

senior officials of the

organization were also

seen closures because of a

lack of staff.

And in the public sector,

the government has called

for retired teachers to help

out, as the virus forces staff

out of the classroom.

In london, unions have

warned that firefighters face

"unprecedented"

manpower shortages,

although its response to

emergencies has not yet

been affected.

Johnson has come under

pressure from business

owners and industry bodies

to reintroduce support

packages for Covid-hit

sectors, who were already

struggling after curbs in the

last year.

He is, however, facing

intense pressure from

within his own ruling

Conservative party not to

bring in tougher restrictions

on public freedoms.

last week, nearly 100 of

his own MPs voted against

the roll-out of vaccine

passports to allow access to

some venues, including

sports grounds.

Twelve months ago,

Johnson was forced to

impose restrictions on

indoor mixing and social

distancing as the Alpha

variant of the virus spread

rapidly, putting hospitals

under pressure.But it has

ICTD new premises of Padma

Bank inaugurated

present in the occasion.

The fourth generation

Padma Bank limited,

which is owned by the

government-owned Sonali,

Janata, Agrani, rupali

Bank and ICB, has been

providing modern banking

services to its customers

through 58 branches

across the country.

149th ATM booth of Sonali Bank Limited has been inaugurated at the DC officer premises of Pabna

yesterday.

Photo : Courtesy

thurSDAY, DeCeMber 23, 2021

9

Juve take advantage of Atalanta slip,

Salernitana in Covid cancellation

SportS DeSk

Juventus took advantage of Atalanta's

goalless draw at Genoa with a 2-0 win

over Cagliari which inched them closer

to Serie A's Champions League places,

as Salernitana's trip to Udinese became

the season's first coronavirus-related

casualty, reports BSS.

Moise Kean's header five minutes

before the break and Federico

Bernardeschi's precision finish after a

break-away late on at the Allianz

Stadium moved Juve to within four

points of fourth place in Italy's top

flight, currently occupied by Atalanta.

A fourth win in five matches means

Massimiliano Allegri's side end 2021 on

a high but it was another in a long line

of underwhelming performances from

the Old Lady of Italian football, who sit

fifth nine points behind league leaders

Inter Milan ahead of their home clash

with Torino on Wednesday.

After the winter break they face a true

test of their ambitions for the season,

with matches against Napoli, Roma, AC

Milan and Atalanta all coming by mid-

February.

"If we get to the end of February with

the same gap between us and the first

four places as now I'll be happy," Allegri

said to DAZN.

"You can't win all your matches with

your direct rivals so from then on they'll

have to play each other while we have a

simpler calendar. Juve were missing

Paulo Dybala and Federico Chiesa in

attack and rarely clicked going forward,

while a troubled away side can wonder

what might have been with better

finishing. Twice in the second half

Cagliari, who are in the midst of a fullblown

crisis after failing to muster a

league win since mid-October, failed to

put away gilt-edged chances following

sloppy defending from the hosts.

Under-fire Cagliari coach Walter

Mazzarri could hardly believe his eyes

when, picked out completely alone on

the hour mark by Raoul Bellanova's

perfect low cross, Dalbert somehow

shanked wide with the goal at his

mercy. And eight minutes later Joao

Pedro, just about the only bright sport

for the Sardinian side this season with

his nine Serie A goals, headed straight

at Wojciech Szczesny from point-blank

range. Bernardeschi's first goal in Serie

A since July 2020 late on condemned

second-from-bottom Cagliari to their

third defeat on the bounce, although

one that was less humiliating than the

previous two 4-0 thumpings. - Covid

strikes Salernitana -

They are a point behind Genoa, who

didn't have a single shot on target as

they held a curiously off-form Atalanta

team now winless in three and sweating

the fitness of striker Duvan Zapata after

the Colombian limped off in the first

half at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

The biggest news of the day came

earlier at Udinese, as the match with

Salernitana officially went ahead

despite health authorities in Salerno

requesting the away side not leave for

northeastern Italy.

The match was eventually

abandoned 45 minutes after the official

kick-off time of 1830 local time (1730

GMT), with the Udinese players

remaining in the Dacia Arena's

dressing rooms knowing their

opposition was not going to show up.

Before the game Udinese's Pierpaolo

Marino expressed annoyance at

Salernitana not showing up due to two

cases in the squad when just over a year

ago his club had sent a team to Lazio

despite having seven players and

former coach Luca Gotti out with Covid

infections. However Salernitana

sporting director Angelo Fabiani was

unmoved, saying the club had

organised a charter flight for those who

had tested negative but were contacted

by health authorities, who banned the

whole team from travelling as they had

to isolate as contact cases.

"If we're banned by the authorities

from travelling, what are we supposed

to do?" Fabiani asked.

Salernitana now await the ruling

from the football authorities regarding

the result and whether the match will

be rescheduled.

However the head of the Italian FA

said on Tuesday that they will be kicked

out of Serie A if a buyer for the club is

not found by December 31, as they are

owned by Lazio chief Claudio Lotito

and ownership of multiple clubs in the

same division is not allowed.

Juventus took advantage of Atalanta's goalless draw at Genoa with a 2-0 win over Cagliari.

England's Archer to miss

West Indies series after

latest setback

SportS DeSk

Already sidelined England fast bowler Jofra

Archer is set to miss the tour of the West

Indies after undergoing a second elbow

operation, it was announced Tuesday.

The Barbados-born quick has been out of

international action since March and his

absence from England duty will now extend to

over a year after it was decided the recurring

stress fracture in his right elbow required

another operation.

Archer, 26, had the surgery on Saturday and

he has now been ruled out by the England and

Wales Cricket Board of the three-Test tour of

his native West Indies in March -- a series

officials had hoped would mark his comeback

to international cricket.

But it now appears the 2019 World Cup

winner will not be back in action until the

2022 English season at the earliest. "Jofra

Archer underwent a second operation on his

injured right elbow on Saturday 11 December

in London," said an ECB statement issued

Tuesday. "The procedure addressed the longstanding

stress fracture of his right elbow. "A

return to cricket will be determined in time,

but Jofra will not be available for any of

England's remaining winter series." This

announcement will lead to fresh debate over

whether Archer, the son of an English father,

can bowl again at express pace should he

return to professional cricket. He burst onto

the international stage by leading England's

attack during their 2019 World Cup triumph

on home soil and the Sussex quick also starred

in the subsequent drawn Ashes series against

Australia. Archer had been earmarked to star

in the ongoing Ashes campaign in Australia

but was ruled out months before the series.

england fast bowler Jofra Archer is set to miss the tour of the West Indies

after undergoing a second elbow operation.

photo: Ap

photo: Ap

Manchester United

reopen training ground

after Covid outbreak

SportS DeSk

Manchester United on

Tuesday reopened their

Carrington training ground

following a coronavirus

outbreak that forced the

postponement of two

Premier League matches,

reports BSS. United closed

Carrington for an initial 24

hours eight days ago and

their matches at Brentford

and at home against

Brighton were subsequently

called off. "Manchester

United's players have started

a return to training at

Carrington on a staggered

basis," the club said in a

statement.

"The complex was closed

for first-team operations last

week due to a Covid-19

outbreak at the club but

opened again (on Tuesday)

morning."Hence, this will

now give interim manager

Ralf Rangnick and his squad

time to prepare for our next

fixture -- the Premier League

meeting with Newcastle

United at St James' Park on

Monday, December 27."

The Premier League

announced on Monday that

it would continue with its

schedule despite widespread

coronavirus outbreaks,

which forced the

postponement of six of the

weekend's 10 fixtures.

The English top flight

reported 90 new

coronavirus cases among

players and staff last week --

a big leap from 42 in the

previous week. United are

currently sixth in the

Premier League table having

played two games fewer

than most of the teams

above them.

AC Milan and Internazionale moved a step closer to building their own stadium as they announced

on tuesday the design for the new San Siro.

photo: Ap

AC Milan, Inter Milan

reveal Duomo-inspired

San Siro stadium plans

SportS DeSk

AC Milan and Internazionale moved a step

closer to building their own stadium as they

announced on Tuesday the design for the

new San Siro.

"The Cathedral'' project by Populous was

chosen over Manica-Cmr Sportium's "The

Rings of Milano'' design.

"The new San Siro will be the most

beautiful stadium in the world for its strong

identity and recognizability," AC Milan

president Paolo Scaroni said. "An attractive

arena, accessible and sustainable for the city

of Milan that will facilitate the growth of the

clubs and their global competitiveness.''

The project, which will be finalized next

year, is called "The Cathedral'' because it

was inspired by Milan's cathedral -- the

Duomo di Milano -- as well as the Galleria

Vittorio Emanuele. No timeline has been

given but Scaroni told The Associated Press

recently that he expected it to be finished by

2024 or 2025.

The stadium will be part of a new district

dedicated to sport and leisure that will

include extensive green space. Populous

designed Tottenham Stadium as well as

Wembley Stadium in London and Yankee

Stadium in New York.

"The Cathedral is set to become one of the

most iconic stadiums in the world ... and

will become the heart of a new

neighborhood," said Christopher Lee, the

company's managing director for the

region.

"It will celebrate the cultural heritage of

Milan and it will be enjoyed by the Milanese

population for many generations to come. A

stadium of Milan and for Milan.''

USA and Ireland ready to lock

horns despite COVID-19 struggles

SportS DeSk

USA are ready to host Ireland for the first

T20I of the two-match series in Fort

Lauderdale, just on the outskirts of Miami.

The series will mark a major landmark in

USA's cricketing journey as they host and

play a full member cricketing nation for the

first time in their history. The series,

however, will get underway despite a major

COVID-19 scare that has led to last gasp

squad changes for both units, reports BSS.

USA will be without one of their biggest

power hitters in Jaskaran Malhotra and vicecaptain

Aaron Jones, while pace ace Rusty

Theron misses out owing to a back injury.

The selectors called in a slew of USA U-19

players as reinforcements in the form of Ali

Sheikh, Ritwik Behera and Yasir

Mohammad.

The squad will be further bolstered by

hard-hitting left-handed opener Ryan Scott

and Sushant Modani. Ireland will enter the

series without the services of left-arm

spinner George Dockrell and all-rounder

Gareth Delany and Craig Young who have

been placed under quarantine.

Ireland will start life without their T20

talisman Kevin O'Brien who was overlooked

for the series as a direct result of a poor

showing in the T20 WC group stages where

a shock defeat to Namibia cost them a place

in the Super 12s.

Ireland, however, would look to his batting

partner Paul Stirling to carry his stellar T20I

form into the series. Stirling has now

amassed 446 runs at an average of 37 since

the start of the year.

USA captain Monank Patel will have his

task cut out leading an inexperienced side

against a full member nation.

USA would pin high hopes on experienced

pros like Steven Taylor, Xavier Marshall and

their own T20 globetrotter paceman Ali

Khan to show the way to the younger lot. The

addition of the big-hitting Ryan Scott into

the USA's T20 mix will add extra muscle to a

debilitated batting order. Scott, who was

nowhere to be found in the US cricketing

scene before blasting two hundred in this

year's minor league cricket season, has

already given a good account of his explosive

abilities with the bat which the USA would

dearly want him to capitalize on.

NBA tells teams Christmas game times

may shift if COVID-19 forces changes

SportS DeSk

The 10 NBA teams with games scheduled on

Christmas were told by the league Tuesday

that shifting some game times is a possibility

for the planned five-game slate if virus-related

issues force changes to the lineup, reports

AP.The league told the teams the priority is

filling the ABC windows for Saturday's games,

which means the slots at 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and

8 p.m. Eastern. For now, those games, in

order, would have Boston at Milwaukee,

Golden State at Phoenix and Brooklyn at the

Los Angeles Lakers. The other games on the

Christmas schedule are Atlanta at New York at

noon Eastern, and Dallas at Utah at 10:30

p.m. Eastern. Both of those games are

scheduled to be shown on ESPN.

The league called the notion of shifting

game times -- which might happen if a game is

postponed -- a contingency plan in the memo

distributed to the teams involved and

obtained by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Decisions on whether shifting times is needed

could come as late as Friday.

Any decisions made on Saturday to

postpone a Christmas game would not impact

the remainder of the day's schedule, the

league said. The NBA has postponed seven

games so far this season, but none from

Wednesday onward yet. About 75 players

have been dealing with virus-related issues

this week alone in the NBA, with more than

100 having done so at least once this

season.

Some of the teams scheduled to play on

Saturday have numerous players and coaches

in the league's health and safety protocols

right now; the Nets currently have 10 players

on that list, which is the highest known figure

for any team.

The 10 teams scheduled to play on

Christmas had more than 30 players in the

protocols on Tuesday afternoon, though those

numbers can change quickly. Other top NBA

players were being added to the protocols list

Tuesday, including Toronto's Fred VanVleet

and Atlanta teammates Danilo Gallinari and

Clint Capela -- joining a Hawks list that

already included Trae Young. The league is

allowing teams to sign replacements to

hardship contracts when a player tests

positive for the virus, with hopes such moves

can minimize the need for postponements.

Barcelona nabs

draw at 10-man

Sevilla in rainy

LaLiga thriller

SportS DeSk

Ronald Araujo cancelled out

Papu Gomez's opener as

Barcelona and Sevilla shared

the points in LaLiga on

Tuesday in a result that did

neither team's aspirations any

favours, reports AP.

Both goals came from

corners in an entertaining

first half as the rain poured

down at the Ramon Sanchez-

Pizjuan Stadium.

Jules Kounde was sent off

for Sevilla after the break but,

despite playing against 10

men for half an hour, Barca

were unable to snatch the

winner that would have seen

them climb into the top four

for the first time since August.

Instead, Xavi Hernandez's

side move up to seventh, two

points off a Champions

League spot, while Sevilla

missed the chance to move

within three points of Real

Madrid. They remain second,

five points behind the leaders.

"We've dropped two

points," Xavi said in his postgame

news conference. "We

deserved to win, even when it

was 11 against 11, but I've seen

a Barcelona with character

and that's what I want. The

team is growing.

Rauf to play for Yorkshire as

part of exchange programme

with Lahore Qalandars

SportS DeSk

Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf

will turn up for Yorkshire as

their overseas player for a

period of the 2022 season.

The announcement comes

as part of a newly-minted

exchange programme with

Pakistan Super League

franchise Lahore Qalandars,

in order to enable "more

accessible pathways to

cricket for aspiring players

from all backgrounds across

Yorkshire," reports AP.

The county also wants to

"learn from and emulate

Lahore Qalandars' Players

Development Program

(PDP)" which looks to scout

and upskill players from

across Pakistan. Hairs Rauf,

who was picked at a trial in

Gujranwala and has gone to

represent both Qalandars

and Pakistan, is their biggest

success story.

Qalandars have a similar

partnership with Big Bash

League franchise Melbourne

Stars, a franchise that Rauf

plays for and which also saw

a young Syed Faridoun

debut this time around.

"I am thrilled to welcome

the exceptionally talented

Haris Rauf to our club,"

Darren Gough, interim

Managing Director of

Yorkshire Cricket, said. "I

am also excited by the

opportunity to learn from

the inspirational Players

Development Program. I

have spoken in the past

about my passion for

developing accessible

pathways to cricket - for

many people from a

background like mine.

THURsDAY, DeceMBeR 23, 2021

10

Nominations for 20th CJFB

Performance Awards revealed

TBT RepoRT

Nominations for the CJFB

Performance Awards 2020 were

revealed on Sunday with nods for

60 performers under twenty

categories spanning movies,

television, music and digital

platform.

Winners will be announced

on Friday at the 20th CJFB

Performance Awards at the

Hall of Fame of Bangabandhu

International Conference

Centre (BICC) in the capital.

Cultural Journalists Forum

of Bangladesh (CJFB) released

the list of nominees on Sunday.

There are 20 categories for

nominations ranging from

Best Actor to Best Rising Actor,

including two special awards

and the Lifetime Achievement

Award.

In the Film Category,

director Chayanika

Chowdhury's debut film

'Bishwoshundori' has bagged four

spots on the list with nominations

for Best Film, Best Director, Best

Actor and Best Actress.

'Bishwoshundori' competes with

Shakib Khan starrer films 'Bir'

directed by Kazi Hayat and

'Shahenshah' directed by Shamim

Ahmed Roni, for the Best Film

award.

Dhallywood superstar Shakib

Khan was nominated for

'Shahenshah', Siam Ahmed for

'Bishwoshundori' and Nirab

Hossain for 'Hridoy Jurey' for Best

Actor award under the Film

Category.

Naseeruddin to star

in Bangladeshi film

'Project Ommi'

TBT RepoRT

Veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah has

been roped in for an upcoming Bangladeshi film

titled 'Project Ommi' directed by Amit Ashraf.

The chief assistant director of the film, Sheikh

Azizul Rahman Mitul has confirmed the news.

"We have contacted Naseeruddin Shah through

zoom call and he agreed to work with us. He is

playing a negative role in the film. He will be seen

as a cult leader. Now we are auditioning for the

other characters in the film. We are expecting to

start the shooting of the film in the middle of the

next year," said Mitul.

"The film will be 95 per cent English language,

Pori Moni, Shabnam Bubly and

Nusraat Faria have been

nominated for the Best Actress

award for the films

'Bishwoshundori', 'Bir' and

'Shahenshah' respectively.

The Best Television Actor

nominations went to Tahsan Khan

for 'Mukh O Mukhosher Golpo',

Ziaul Faruq Apurba for 'Mr and Ms

Chapabaz' and Afran Nisho for

'Gojodontini'.

The nominees for Best Television

Actress are Mehazabien

Chowdhury for 'Photo Frame',

Tanjin Tisha for 'Hothat Dekha'

and Tasnia Farin for 'Je Sohore

Taka Ore'.

Critics' Choice Award

nominations for Best Actor went to

Chanchal Chowdhury for 'Chuti',

Nusrat Imrose Tisha for 'Mukh O

Mukhosher Golpo' and Mosharraf

Karim for 'Je Sohore Taka Ore'.

Shamim Hasan Sarker, Mushfiq

R Farhan and Ziaul Hoque Polash

have been nominated for Best

Rising TV Actor for the drama

serials 'Family Crisis', 'Crash' and

'Bachelor Point' respectively.

The nominees for Best Rising TV

Actress are- Keya Payel for 'Hoyto

Tomari Jonno', Sanjana Sarker

Riya for 'Bachelor Point' and Sarika

Saba for 'Family Crisis'.

'Bachelor Point' directed by Kajal

Arefin Ome and produced

from Dhrubo TV, 'Family

Crisis' directed by

Mohammad Mostofa Kamal

Raz from Cinemawala and

'Noashal' directed by Mir

Sabbir and produced from

Bengal Media Corporation

Ltd compete for the Best

Drama Serial award.

'Takla' produced from

Motion Rock, 'Bhul Ei

Shohorer Moddhobittoderi

Chilo' from CMV and 'Apa'

from Black & White have

been selected for Best Single-

Episode Drama award.

Kajal Arefin Ome, Mohammad

Mostofa Kamal Raz and Mir Sabbir

have secured nominations for Best

Television Director for the drama

serials 'Bachelor Point', 'Family

Crisis' and 'Noashal' respectively.

Towhid Afridi, Raba Khan and

Salman Muqtadir have scored

nominations for Best YouTuber

award under the Best Digital

Platform Category.

The award winners of Film,

Music and TV categories are

determined by the CJFB

membership and survey.

The star-studded award show

will be held at 6:30pm on Friday at

the BICC.

though some of the characters will speak Bengali.

We are expecting to release the film internationally

first. Afterwards, we will go for local theatres," he

added.

The plot of 'Project Ommi' takes place around the

year 2050. In the near future, online criminals use

surrogate robots to kidnap and harm children in

Bangladesh. A hacker named Ravi tracks these

criminals but they are always one step ahead. He is

aided by an Interpol agent named Caris who is far

away but appears as a VR projection, ordering him

to initiate a new tactic which Ravi reluctantly

accepts. Even though he is an expert programmer,

Ravi hates computers because it was the technology

for which he lost his younger brother. Then Ravi

made an AI robot named Ommi like his lost

younger brother who will fight against those

cybercriminals.

Himel Tariq, the Bangladeshi producer of the

upcoming science-fiction thriller, said that there is

an opportunity for an open casting for ' Project

Ommi'. If anyone wants to act in the movie, they

have to contact the production company or the

chief assistant director, Sheikh Azizul Rahman.

The film is jointly produced by Kazi Productions

House in Bangladesh and For Films in the UK.

British producer Jenny Walker has also joined in

the project. Jenny has produced a number of

productions, including documentaries, for the BBC

and Channel Four.

Amit Ashraf is mostly famed for directing the

2013 film 'Udhao' and the 2016 superhero web

series 'Kali'.

Naseeruddin Shah is widely acknowledged as one

of the most prolific actors in the history of Indian

cinema. He has won numerous awards in his

career, including three National Film Awards, three

Filmfare Awards and the Volpi Cup for Best Actor

at the Venice Film Festival. The government of

India honoured him with the Padma Shri and the

Padma Bhushan awards for his contributions to

films. Naseeruddin has acted in many notable films

including 'Sparsh', 'Paar', 'Masoom', 'Akrosh', 'A

Wednesday', 'Ishqiya' and 'Iqbal'.

Lyricist Jasimuddin Akash with new

song Bangladesh and Bangabandhu

pRADeep KUMAR DeBNATH

Expatriate lyricist, film producer, B29

Multimedia Chairman Md. Jasimuddin

Akash has full of unique talent and

creativity. Even after a long exile, he

deeply appreciated Bangladesh, his

homeland, loves the soil and people of

this country. With deep love and passion

he has written songs, and dramas. He is

also producing films. A song about

Bangabandhu and Bangladesh written

by this talented young lyricist is now

viral all over the country. The song

'Bangladesh', released by BD29

Multimedia with six of the best and most

Marvel's Hawkeye reveals Clint Barton's

reasons for sparing Black Widow's life

when they first met, but his reasoning

also makes Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) a

hypocrite. While he and fellow archer

Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) are

working a case together involving

Barton's dark past as Ronin, Hawkeye

explains why the "shot he didn't take"

was his best, revealing why he chose to

save the life of Natasha Romanoff when

she was a target he had been ordered to

eliminate. However, his decision to look

beyond Natasha's past seems to be

something he can't do for himself.

In 'Hawkeye episode 4', Kate brings

some much-needed Christmas cheer

while she and Clint Barton have some

downtime in their case. Offering

decorations, movies, and plenty of

popular singers of the time, is now

very popular. The song was composed

by Salma, SK Sanu, Mohna, Beauty,

Mahtim Shakib and Parag Biswas. In

the month of victory, this talented

lyricist has eloquently portrayed

Bangabandhu, the best Bengali of the

land, people and millennium of this

country, the great hero of Bengali

nation through this song.

He has given a unique height to

Bangladesh. The artists also praised the

song. Close-up One Star Salma, a

popular vocalist of the time, said, "I feel

self-interested in being able to sing

about Father of the Nation

Hawkeye's 'Black Widow' reveals

makes Clint a hypocrite

drinks as a consolation for Clint being

away from his family during the

holidays, they also bond as partners

during the improvised festivities.

However, things get more serious than

intended when Kate asks Clint about the

greatest shot he ever took. After some

pressure, Clint elaborates that his

greatest shot was the one he didn't take,

the arrow meant for Natasha

Romanoff's Black Widow when they

first met in Budapest. Having been

ordered to kill Romanoff due to her

status as a deadly Russian assassin, Clint

tells Kate that he had a feeling Natasha

wanted out. Sure enough, he was right

and they would go on to be partners in

S.H.I.E.L.D. and eventually 'Avengers'.

Source: Variety

Bangabandhu and my beloved

Bangladesh. Jasimuddin Akash is a high

quality lyricist.' Mahtim Shakib said,

Bangabandhu is our existence. Both

Bangladesh and Bangabandhu are

inseparable. I feel lucky to be able to

involve myself in this song of Md.

Jasimuddin Akash. In this context, Md.

Jasimuddin Akash, a young lyricist and

son of Belab Upazila, a symbol of

creativity, said that the ink of the pen will

run out, but Bangabandhu's

contribution cannot be written off. I

have many plans. I want to do a lot of

work with my beloved Bangladesh if I

get your love.

Sahida Rahman Setu

receives Global Fame

Award

TBT RepoRT

Shahida Rahman Setu is a successful woman

entrepreneur from Bangladesh. This time at

the Global Fame Awards 2021 in Kolkata,

India, Bangladesh has won the award in the

category of Emerging Successful Women

Entrepreneurs. She was recently awarded for

her outstanding role as a woman

entrepreneur.

Bollywood star Bipasha Basu was the

special guest at the awards ceremony. The V-

Connect Star hosted an awards ceremony

and cultural event at a five-star hotel in

Kolkata. Shahida Rahman Setu said, it is a

matter of great pride for me. As a woman

from the border town of Benapole in

Bangladesh, I am really happy to receive such

an award on foreign soil. I would also like to

thank the organizers of the event.

H o R o s c o p e

ARIes

(March 21 - April 20) : A business

opportunity in a distant state or even

foreign country could be in the works.

It could require a lot of travel or perhaps even

relocation. You may have mixed feelings about it,

but you're unlikely to turn it down. This could be

a real break! Your health over the next year

should be robust and glowing, and you'll have the

energy to take on any project you want.

TAURUs

(April 21 - May 21) : A chance to increase

your income could come your way. This

could involve extra work or

investments. Investments involving

land or other real estate could be especially profitable

now. There could also be contracts or legal papers

involved that bring money your way, so be prepared.

The end of this year should see you more financially

secure than you were at the beginning.

GeMINI

(May 22 - June 21) : A partnership

that may have been moving steadily

forward might seem stalled in its

tracks. This could involve either

business or romance. This isn't a good time to try

to pressure your partner toward progress. You'll

only meet stubborn resistance, which will slow

things down even more. Be patient and let things

progress in their own time.

cANceR

(June 22 - July 23) : You should be at

your peak of health. Physically, you

feel strong and energetic. You're in

the physical and mental space to accomplish

wonders, so don't be surprised if today you do just

that. This could bring you the promise of a

brighter future in the creative, professional, and

financial domains.

Leo

(July 24 - Aug. 23): The result of a

creative innovation you've been

working on should make itself apparent

today. You'll be pleasantly surprised!

Your ingenuity should pay off big, and your

accomplishments won't go unnoticed. You're likely

to enjoy positive feedback, recognition, and bright

prospects for the future development of your ideas.

In the evening, go out and have a good time.

VIRGo

(Aug. 24 - Sept. 23): The opportunity to

run a business out of your home could

arise today, perhaps involving a

metaphysical subject. Don't be surprised

if it takes off right away. Friends or past business

associates may want to be involved. This is worthy of

serious consideration. Benefits through the efforts of

others are strongly indicated now. Be prepared for a

great future, and start enjoying it now!

LIBRA

(Sept. 24 - Oct. 23): A neighbor might

be having a hard time and need

some extra support now. A new

business could open up in your

neighborhood that in some way opens doors for

you. It could be a new employment opportunity

or it could mean a more efficient way of operating

in your current profession. Don't be surprised if

you spend a lot of time driving around today.

scoRpIo

(Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) : As career and

money matters continue to advance for

you, more ideas and opportunities for

expanding your horizons could come

to you. You may have a hard time deciding which

ones are most practical now. It may help to make a

list and then judge which ones you want to use.

Expect a lot of action and many changes,

particularly regarding business possibilities.

sAGITTARIUs

(Nov. 23 - Dec. 21): Your energy and

enthusiasm are at an all-time high.

Your life, business, and money

matters are going very well, and

there are no signs that this will change any time

soon. Romance should also be going very well.

This should be doing wonders for your selfimage.

Whatever you've been doing, keep it up!

You've got a lot to look forward to.

cApRIcoRN

(Dec. 22 - Jan. 20): Tension between

you and a business partner could have

you doubting your professional future

in the current situation. Don't waste too

much time worrying about it. You may not be aware

of it now, but career and money matters are going

well and are likely to continue like this for a while. Of

course, that depends on you and what you're willing

to do to keep it going.

AQUARIUs

(Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) : A long-term

dream toward which you've been

working for a long time, could finally

show signs of coming true. You're

feeling especially energetic and enthusiastic now, so

you might feel motivated to give it one last push to

finally make your dream reality. You'll probably go

out with friends or members of a group you belong

to and celebrate tonight.

pIsces

(Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) : Congratulations

to you! Career progress is in the

wind! If you've wanted to create a

dream career, you'll be able to do

so today. If you've been hoping to start your

own business, don't wait another moment.

The next year should be a successful and

profitable one for you, although not without

its surprises.

ThuRSDAY, DecemBeR 23, 2021

11

Australia PM meets with state

leaders as virus cases surge

SYDNEY :New COVID-19 cases in

Australia's most populous state surged to

a pandemic record Wednesday, as Prime

Minister Scott Morrison met with state

leaders to discuss preventative measures,

reports UNB.

Morrison emerged from the national

cabinet meeting again rejecting

lockdowns and mask mandates imposed

by the federal government. He said

policies on mask wearing were best left to

state governments and to Australians

who should follow "commonsense

behavioral measures."

New South Wales state on Wednesday

recorded 3,763 new cases, up 706 from

Tuesday, though the number of omicron

cases was not known because genomic

sequencing is not routinely carried out

there.

State and territory leaders were

we`ÿ r/Rb-432(2)/22/12/21

GD-1884/21 (6x3)

expected to press Morrison to reduce the

gap between second vaccine doses and

booster shots. Morrison said any

decision on reducing the gap from five to

four months would be made by the

Australian Technical Advisory Group on

Immunization.

Australia has been battling the

omicron variant of COVID-19 for about

four weeks and cases have been steadily

rising in populous New South Wales and

Victoria states. Victoria reported 1,503

cases on Wednesday, of which about 60

were reportedly omicron.

Morrison said Australia is taking the

highly transmissible omicron strain "very

seriously," adding that "what we're

dealing with is a much greater volume of

cases."

"The cases themselves don't

necessarily present the challenge, as

GD-1883/21 (3x3)

we've always said. What really matters is

how many people are experiencing

serious illness and how many people are

having to draw on the considerable

resources of ICUs and our hospital

system," he added.

Morrison said state and territory

leaders told him that despite the increase

in cases they have not yet seen any

significant impact on the hospital

system.

The federal government from

Wednesday will pay doctors and

pharmacists an additional $10 to

administer booster shots, Morrison said.

He said that mask wearing indoors is

"highly recommended whether it is

mandated or not" and that compliance

with "commonsense rules" would ensure

Australians celebrate Christmas with

fewer disruptions.

UK buys millions

of Covid pills, cuts

isolation period

LONDON : The UK

government announced

Wednesday it is buying

millions of doses of new Covid

treatment pills as the

Omicron variant takes hold,

while cutting the isolation

period for positive cases,

reports BSS.

The government said it has

signed deals to buy 4.25

million courses of two new

antiviral drugs: Pfizer's

ritonavir and US rival

Merck/MSD's molnupiravir,

which will be available early

next year.

This comes on top of

government announcements

in October of the procurement

of several hundreds of

thousands of doses, and was

hailed as a "mammoth deal"

by Health Secretary Sajid

Javid.

Molnupiravir, sold as

Lagevrio, is being used in a

national trial run by the

University of Oxford that

people can join if they have

virus symptoms. The

government said it is also

being made available to those

who are at high risk of severe

illness, such as people with

cancer.

The UK was the first

country in the world to

approve the pill in November

this year. Pfizer's pill,

marketed as Paxlovid, has yet

to be authorised anywhere in

the world.

Pfizer said Tuesday that

clinical trials showed it

reduced hospital admissions

and deaths among at-risk

people by almost 90 percent,

when taken a few days after

symptoms began.

The government said it will

be rolled out in the same way

as molnupiravir "as quickly as

possible" if the UK regulator

approves it.

The UK has seen a surge in

infections since Omicron

became the dominant variant,

with 90,629 cases reported

Tuesday.

Dubai Expo

sushi restaurant

closes after staff

catch Covid

DUBAI :A restaurant at the

Expo 2020 has closed

temporarily after 10

employees tested positive for

coronavirus, and as the UAE

Wednesday recorded its

highest number of infections

in three months, reports BSS.

The United Arab Emirates,

with the world's highest

vaccination rates, has seen a

surge in cases in recent

weeks amid increased fears

over the spread of the

omicron variant.

Japan's ministry of

economy, trade and industry

told AFP on Wednesday that

10 workers at the Sushiro

restaurant linked to the

Japanese pavilion had tested

positive for Covid-19.

The restaurant was

undergoing "deep-cleaning

and sanitisation" after a

number of staff were found

to be infected, the Japanese

pavilion had said in a

statement on Tuesday.

"The cases were identified

as part of the regular testing

of the Expo workforce,

participants and volunteers,

the frequency of which has

recently increased in

response to the ever

changing global health

situation," it said.

†kL nvwmbvi wb‡`©k

Rjevqy mwnòz evsjv‡`k

GD-1881/21 (5x4)

A human chain program was organized on Wednesday demanding establishment

of Rajshahi divisional branch of Bangladesh Krira Shikkha

Protishtan (BKSP) in Bogura.

Photo : Azahar Ali

Democrats ‘not giving up’ on Biden bill, talks with Manchin

WASHINGTON :President Joe Biden appears

determined to return to the negotiating table

with Sen. Joe Manchin, the holdout Democrat

who effectively tanked the party's signature $2

trillion domestic policy initiative with his own

jarring year-end announcement, reports UNB.

Biden, responding to reporters' questions

Tuesday at the White House, joked that he

holds no grudges against the conservative West

Virginia senator whose rejection of the social

services and climate change bill stunned

Washington just days ago.

Instead, the president spoke passionately

about the families that would benefit from the

Democrats' ambitious, if now highly uncertain,

plan to pour billions of dollars into child care,

health care and other services.

"Sen. Manchin and I are going to get

something done," Biden said.

The president's off-the-cuff remarks

constitute his first public statement as

Democrats struggle to pick up the pieces from

Manchin's announcement over the weekend

that he would not support the bill, as is.

Manchin essentially crushed Biden's sweeping

policy measure in the 50-50 Senate, siding with

all Republicans who oppose the bill.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also

struck a determined tone later Tuesday, telling

Senate Democrats on 90-minute video call to

expect a vote in January on the package as they

push toward a deal.

GD-1885/21 (5x4)

GD-1887/21 (7x4)

Thursday, dhaka: december 23, 2021; poush 8, 1428 bs; Jamadi-ul awal 18, 1443 hijri

Bangladesh stands out for great strides

in financial inclusion in 50 years

a red carpet was rolled out as prime Minister sheikh hasina arrived in Male on Wednesday afternoon on

a six-day official visit at the invitation of Maldivian president ibrahim Mohamed solih. photo : pid

Red carpet rolled out as

Hasina arrives in Male

A red carpet was rolled out as Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Male on

Wednesday afternoon on a six-day official

visit at the invitation of Maldivian

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

A smartly turned out contingent of the

Maldivian forces presented a static guard

of honour to the Prime Minister on her

maiden bilateral visit to the island country.

Later, she was escorted to the place of residence.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will

be formally received by Maldivian President

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Thursday (On

Dec 23), while a guard of honor and other

ceremonial will be accorded to the

Bangladesh's head of the govt.

A special VVIP flight of Biman

Bangladesh Airlines carrying Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina and her

entourage, which had departed Hazrat

Shahjalal International Airport around

12pm (local time), arrived here at 3pm

(local time).

On her arrival at the airport, the Prime

Minister was received by Maldivian State

Minister for Foreign Affairs Abdul

Ghafoor Mohamed, Foreign Secretary of

Maldives Shiruzimath Sameer,

Bangladesh High Commissioner to

Maldives Rear Admiral Mohammad

Nazmul Hassan and Maldivian High

Commissioner to Bangladesh Munu

Mahawar, said PM's press secretary

Ihsanul Karim.

This is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's

first-ever bilateral official visit to the

Maldives. Foreign Minister AK Abdul

Momen, Health Minister Zahid Maleque

and Expatriate Welfare and Overseas

Employment Minister Imran Ahmed

Chowdhury are accompanying the

Prime Minister.

According to the Foreign Ministry, four

instruments, including two Memoranda

of Understanding (MoUs) on health, education,

transfer of prisoners and on avoidance

of dual taxation, are likely to be

signed during the visit.

The four proposed instruments are

Agreement on Avoidance of Double

Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion

with respect to Taxes on Income;

Agreement on the Transfer of Prisoners;

MoU in the areas of Healthcare and

Medical Sciences between Bangladesh

and Maldives (renewal); MoU between

Bangladesh and Maldives on Cooperation

in the Area of youth and Sports

Development.

Besides, the MoU on Recruitment of

Qualified Health Professionals between

Bangladesh and the Maldives will be

renewed.

During the visit, Bangladesh will gift 13

military vehicles to the Maldives as a token

of friendship between the two south Asian

nations, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The Prime Minister will have a bilateral

meeting with the Maldivian President to

discuss various issues.

After the meeting, the officials concerned

of the two countries will sign the

instruments in the presence of the

Bangladesh Prime Minister and the

Maldivian President.

A joint statement will be issued between

the two countries while the two leaders

will jointly appear in front of the media.

The Prime Minister will address the

People's Majlis, the Maldives National

Parliament, on the afternoon of December

23. In the evening, Hasina is scheduled to

attend a state banquet to be hosted by the

Maldivian President and the First Lady in

her honor.

From December 24 to 26, the Prime

Minister will virtually join community

receptions to be given by Bangladeshis

expatriates in Male.

During the visit, Maldivian Vice

President Faisal Naseem, Speaker of the

People's Majlis, Maldivian national parliament.

Mohammed Nasheed, and Chief

Justice Uz Ahmed Muthasim Adnan, are

expected to meet Sheikh Hasina at the

meeting room of Hotel Jen, Male.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to

return to Dhaka on December 27.

HC stays govt order

on withdrawal

of allowance to

Birangana Majeda

DHAKA : The High Court on

Wednesday stayed a government order

on the withdrawal of freedom fighter's

allowance that Birangana Majeda had

been getting for four years until 2020,

reports UNB.

The HC also issued a rule asking the

government to explain as to why the

authorities concerned should not be

directed to restore the allowance of

Majeda, who uses one name, she is entitled

to get as a freedom fighter.

A vacation bench of Justice Mamnoon

Rahman and Justice Khandaker

Diliruzzaman issued the rule after hearing

a petition filed by Majeda, wife of

Taslim Uddin of Ranishankoil upazila in

Thakurgaon district.

Barrister Sabrina Jerin pleaded for

Majeda in the court. The government

recognized Birangana Majeda of

Rautnagar village in Ranishankoil upazila

as a freedom fighter and a gazette was

published in this regard on July 21, 2016.

Since the publication of the gazette,

Majeda started getting her allowance as

a freedom fighter.

But 0n October 20, 2020, the government

published another gazette in

which another woman also named

Majeda, wife of Daraj Uddin recognising

her as a freedom fighter.

This came after the second woman

claimed that she was the real freedom

fighter and challenged the status of

Majeda, wife of Taslim Uddin.

After that, the freedom fighter

allowance of Majeda, wife of Taslim

Uddin had been revoked.

Later, she sent a legal notice to the

ministry of liberation war affairs and

National Freedom Fighter Council seeking

restoration of her freedom fighter

allowance. She filed the writ as the

authorities failed to respond to the legal

notice.

2021, the year a stricken film

industry rose like the phoenix

Anti-drug campaign

barely stopped illegal

drug trade in Khulna

TiTas ChakraborTy, khulna CorrespondenT

Rampant trade of illegal drugs is going

on in Khulna city even during the antidrug

campaign. Alcohol, Marijuana,

Yaba and Phensedyl are being recovered

every day. Heroin is also on the

rescue list. Drug addicts are prone to

yaba instead of heroin. Drug dealers are

being arrested. Behind-the-scenes drug

dealers are on the verge of arrest due to

lack of proper evidence. After being

released on bail, many are again

involved in the same crime. This information

has been known from the

sources of the officials of the Narcotics

Control Department.

According to sources, the commanders

of the anti-drug campaign operation

recently conducted a search operation

in different parts of Khulna city

and village. 632.250 liters of distilled

liquor, 22 liters of domestic liquor and

five bottles of foreign liquor were recovered.

BDT 5,480 taka was seized from

drug dealing. A foreign revolver was

recovered from a drug dealer. There

have been 146 cases in these incidents.

16 mobile courts have been operated.

The number of accused arrested and

convicted in the mobile court is 215.

Sources said that chargesheets were

filed against the accused in about 200

cases. The accused have been convicted

in 47 cases. 25 people were released. At

present, about 3,500 drug cases are

being tried in the Metropolitan and

District and Sessions Judge's Courts,

7,100 in the Magistrate's Court and

more than 300 in other courts.

People of different ages including

misguided youth and teenagers are getting

addicted to drugs. A large number

of street children and vagabonds in different

parts of the city are using solution

and dendrite as an addictive drug.

The number of yaba users has risen

alarmingly in the last few years due to

severe addiction.

A large portion of yaba traffickers are

women. They carry yaba hidden in various

secret places of the body. The

DHAKA : Financial inclusion in Bangladesh

has witnessed 'miraculous' progress in 50

years, particularly since the advent of

mobile financial services (MFS), till now

that nearly 90 percent of the population is

estimated to be covered by the formal banking

system, MFS, and microfinance institutions

(MFIs), according to the man who

made financial inclusion a centrepiece of

central bank policy, reports UNB.

Most experts agree that Bangladesh

Bank's policy support and realistic measures

for enhancing common people's

access to the financial sector have helped

the country to reach such a position.

The central bank's thrust in this regard

began during the reign of Dr. Atiur Rahman,

who served as governor from 2009-15. In the

six years since he left, the central bank has

carried forward his vision.

As a policy, financial inclusion is recognized

to have significant potential for

improving the well-being for all, and especially

for participants who belong to the poor

and marginalised groups.

According to the World Bank's 2017

Findex report, which looked at financial

inclusion, the percentage of adults with

financial accounts in Bangladesh rose from

31 percent in 2014 to 50 percent in 2017. Till

the introduction of MFS in 2012, that number

stood at around 20 percent for a long

time. A financial account is broadly defined

by the index as an account at a bank or

another type of financial institution.

Now, Atiur Rahman believes 60 percent of

adults are covered by the formal banking system,

which increases to 90 percent if account

opening and financial involvement through

MFS and MFIs are included.

According to Bangladesh Bank data, the

country witnessed a huge jump in deposit

administration has also caught the

smuggling of small packets of yaba in

the stomach.

On the other hand, the painkillers of

some companies containing the yaba

ingredient amphetamine were officially

banned in 2020. But a class of

unscrupulous pharmacists are selling

those drugs to drug addicts at several

times the price. Meanwhile, a team

from the Narcotics Control Department

raided a pharmacy in the Shantidham

area of the city and arrested a man

named Mofizur Rahman, 45, a dealer in

the Capentadol group, along with 140

banned drugs called Centradol.

Khulna Metropolitan Police-KMP,

RAB-6, District Police and Drug

Control Department are conducting

raids in eight police stations of the city

and nine upazilas of the district every

day. There have been reports of drug

money being smuggled, and even

weapons being recovered from drug

traffickers. Pharmacists have been

arrested for possession of illicit drugs

containing Yaba tablets. Retail drug

dealers and their accomplices have

been arrested and convicted, but

Godfathers are less likely to fall under

the law.

A senior lawyer in the Khulna District

and Sessions Judge's Court said the

accused, from whose possession the

drugs were recovered, were convicted

on the basis of evidence. Behind-thescenes

drug suppliers are often not covered

by the law due to lack of proper

evidence.

Md. Abul Hossain, Additional

Director, Khulna Divisional Narcotics

Control Department, said that despite

the shortage of manpower and vehicles,

regular operations against drug

traffickers are continuing with the help

of other law enforcement agencies.

The supply of arms to the Department

of Unarmed Drugs Control is being

processed by the Ministry of Home

Affairs.

accounts with banks during the 2019-20 fiscal.

As of June 2020, the number of deposit

accounts in the banking sector stood at 13.24

crore as of June this year, which was a 33.6

percent jump from a year earlier. The number

of dormant accounts is estimated at

around 10 percent.

"The total deposits of the banking sector

crossed Tk12 trillion (12,000 crore) in

2020, from Tk 678 crore in 1973, mobile

finance deposits stood around Tk10,000

crore and the deposits with the MFI system

crossed Tk 1 trillion (1000 crore) recently,"

Dr Atiur said.

Comparing the central bank's target of disbursing

Tk 26,000 crore in loans to the agriculture

and rural sector in the current fiscal

to only Tk 100 crore set aside for the sector in

1973, Dr Atiur said it is very clear that

Bangladesh "achieved miraculous success in

financial inclusion and access to finance."

Access to safe, effective

vaccines to be ensured

in Bangladesh: Japan

DHAKA : Japan has said "equitable and

comprehensive" access to safe and effective

vaccines will be ensured in

Bangladesh, reports UNB.

"I would like to reiterate that Japan will

stand by Bangladesh in the fight against

Covid-19 and will work together to contain

Covid-19," said Japanese Ambassador to

Bangladesh Ito Naoki.

On Tuesday, Bangladesh received

704,010 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured

in Japan. This was delivered in

addition to the 788,200 doses of vaccine that

arrived on December 14, totalling approximately

1.5 million doses, said the Japanese

Embassy in Dhaka on Wednesday.

In July and August, the government of

Japan provided over 3 million doses of

AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh

through the COVAX Facility to meet the

urgent needs of the Bangladeshi people

who had been long waiting for the

AstraZeneca vaccine.

Tank-lorry owners

to go on indefinite

strike Jan 3

KHULNA : Bangladesh Tank-lorry

Owners Association has called an indefinite

strike from January 3 across the

country to demand that the government

allows them to raise transportation fare

following recent hike in diesel, reports

UNB. General Secretary of Bangladesh

Tank-lorry Owners Association, Sheikh

Farhad Hossain announced the programme

on Tuesday.

"The bus fare increased following the

price hike of diesel but no steps have

been taken yet to raise the fare of tanklorry.

So, we have decided to enforce an

indefinite strike from January 3," he said.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority

(BRTA) has increased the fares for intracity

and inter-district buses by over 26

per cent and 27 per cent respectively as

demanded by the bus owners.

The decision came at a meeting

between the BRTA and the bus owners

on November 7. The government on

November 3 raised the prices of diesel

and kerosine at the retail level. As per the

new price, the fuel is now selling at Tk 80

per litre instead of Tk 65.

It said the prices of other petroleum

products will remain unchanged.

DHAKA : After suffering the wrath of the

ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 for

the majority of the past two years, the film

industry in Bangladesh finally made its longawaited

glorious comeback this year with a

handful of quality films and queues for tickets

outside the cinema halls, reports UNB.

The "almost dying industry," according

to many tired and retired moviegoers

and industry-experts, observed the

return of the cinephiles at the multiplexes

and cinema halls across the country,

celebrating a few major releases - which

set the year on a restarting mode, seeking

an even better future.

According to the data collected from

the producers, distributors and cinema

hall authorities across the country, there

are less than 60 active cinema halls currently

showcasing films in Bangladesh.

The number is astonishingly poor, considering

the fact that Bangladesh had

approximately 250 active cinema halls

before the pandemic, and more than a

thousand running halls back in the 90's.

It is an undeniable fact that the cinema

industry around the world suffered the

havoc of the pandemic; however, the situation

in Bangladesh had been worsening for

such a long time even before the pandemic.

The industry drastically drowned during the

pandemic lockdown without the presence of

in-house audiences, the bloodstream in the

vessels of the entertainment industry

through the cinema halls.

That being said, there was a lack of quality

content over the years which did not

thrive the moviegoers to the theatres, and

thankfully that situation got slightly

improved this year with the arrival of a

good number of quality movies.

Undoubtedly, the trailblazing film for

this year has been the much talked

about and several accolades conquering

film 'Rehana Maryam Noor'. The second

directorial venture of talented filmmaker

Abdullah Mohammad Saad

earned the glory of becoming the first

Bangladeshi film showcased in the prestigious

Un Certain Regard category at

the 74th Cannes International Film

Festival this year.

After being screened at the Sal Dubusi

Theater in the Cane Pale Do Festival

building on July 7, the film finally hit the

silver screens across the country on

November 12, and till now the Azmeri

Haque Badhon starrer film is enthralling

the local and international cinephiles and

bagging awards all over the world, namely

the "Best Actress" award for Badhon at

the 14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards

(APSA) for her stellar performance, while

director Saad received the "Jury Grand

Prize". The film has also bagged the "New

Talent Award" at the HongKong Asian

Film Festival 2021, "Best Actress" award

for Badhon at the Mosaic International

South Asian Film Festival 2021 and

more, while also being nominated for the

official nomination from Bangladesh for

the Oscar 2022.

Another film which has similarly created

the buzz around the world was young

filmmaker Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's

maiden film 'Nonajoler Kabbo' (The Salt

in our Waters), released for the moviegoers

in Bangladesh on November 26.

in belkuchi of sirajganj district, local farmers are busy in cultivating almonds at Char area in the

hope of making a profit. Farmers in the char areas of the Jamuna are dreaming of looking at the

almond fields in the hope of making a profit by compensating for the loss of aman. photo: pba

23-12-2021

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