05-01-2022

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2022
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Razia Sultana Ety Councilor 9,10 & 11no. Ward (DNCC) distributed blankets provided by Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, DNCC mayor Atiqul Islam and with her own funding among 500 slum
dwellers at her office in Darussalam, Kallyanpur on Tuesday. During the time, her husband and
vice-president of Darussalam thana Awami League Md Shorab Hossain, Managing Editor of The
Bangladesh Today Tapash Ray Sarkar along with other leaders and activists of AL were present
at the occasion.
Photo: TBT
A Collaborative
Agreement between
DU and USFS signed
A Collaborative Agreement
between the University of
Dhaka (DU) and United
States Forest Service (USFS)
was signed yesterday at
Treasurer's Office of the
university to enhance the
capacity in natural resource
management in Bangladesh.
Treasurer of DU Prof.
Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed and
Project Leader of Compass
program of USFS Dr. Abu
Mostafa Kamal Uddin
signed the Agreement on
behalf of their respective
institution.
Dean of the Faculty of
Biological Sciences Prof. Dr.
Mihir Lal Saha, Chairperson
of the Department of Botany
Prof. Dr. Shamim Shamsi,
Prof. Dr. Mohammad
Zashim Uddin and Registrar
Probir Kumar Sarker were
present on this occasion.
According to the agreement,
Compass program of United
States Forest Service (USFS)
and Plant Taxonomy,
Ethnobotany-Herbal
Medicines and Conservation
Biology Laboratory of DU
Botany Department will
conduct joint research and
organize conferences,
seminars, webinars and
fellowship programs. Besides,
USFS will provide training on
new technologies, techniques,
methods and concepts for DU
young teachers, researchers
and students. The two
institutions will work jointly
to publish research findings,
articles and books.
4 new dengue
patients
hospitalised
in 24 hours
DHAKA : A total of 4 more
dengue cases were reported
across the country in the last
24 hours.
Of them, two new patients
were admitted to different
hospitals in Dhaka and two
outside the capital, a release
of the Health Crisis
Management and Control
Room of Directorate
General of Health Services
(DGHS) said, reports BSS.
A total of 47 dengue
patients are undergoing
treatment at different
hospitals and clinics across
the country.
Among them, 29 patients
are taking treatment in
Dhaka division and 18 are
hospitalised outside the
capital, the release added.
Some 48 patients have
been admitted to different
hospitals with dengue since
January this year.
Of them, one patient has
returned home after
recovery, the DGHS said.
The Institute of
Epidemiology Disease
Control and Research
(IEDCR) have not
confirmed any death this
year due to dengue fever, the
DGHS added.
Govt strengthens research to
boost hilsha production: Rezaul
KHULNA : Fisheries and Live Stock Minister
S M Rezaul Karim yesterday said the
government has strengthened the research
of hilsha, the national fish of the country, to
increase its production.
"Production of Hislsha is increasing every
year and the country earns huge money by
exporting the fish after meeting the domestic
demand," he said at a hilsha research ship
handover ceremony on Khulna Shipyard Ltd
premises as chief guest.
BFRI is researching for sustainable
development of country's hilsha resource,
the minister said, adding that country's
hilsha production is increasing every year as
after government is taking various steps,
enforcing including 22-day Hilsha netting
ban. The Hilsha research ship will play a vital
role to enhance Hilsha production, new
loitering and breeding area identification,
netting and storing, he said.
The minister lauded KSY's role in ship
building and said KSY built the hilsha
research ship with its own design. The BFRI
is now capable of enhancing hilsha research
in country's rivers, coasts.
Chaired by KSY managing director
Comodore Khondokar Akter Hossain ,
Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Mayor
Talukder Abdul Khaleque, secretary of
Fisheries Ministry Dr Md Yasin and director
general of BFRI Dr Yahia Mahmud, among
others, addressed the function.
Under the Hilsha Research Strengthening
Programme at Chandpur River, Bangladesh
Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI)
implemented the project.
Built by Khulna Shipyard Ltd, the hilsha
research ship was estimated by a committee
formation by Bangladesh University of
Engineering and Technology (BUET),
Bangladesh Navy, Directorate of Shipping,
Institute of Marine Science of Chittagong
University and Marine fisheries Academy.
The Hilsha research ship has modern
equipment and technology, portable mini
hatchery, netting system, hilsha research
laboratory, fish finder, echo sounder,
navigation, modern telecommunication and
fire control system.
A Collaborative Agreement between the University of Dhaka (DU) and
United States Forest Service (USFS) was signed on Tuesday at
Treasurer's Office of the university to enhance the capacity in natural
resource management in Bangladesh. Treasurer of DU Prof. Mamtaz
Uddin Ahmed and Project Leader of Compass program of USFS Dr.
Abu Mostafa Kamal Uddin signed the Agreement on behalf of their
respective institution.
Photo : Courtesy
Media orientation prog on humanitarian
journalism held in Cox's Bazar
DHAKA : A media orientation programme
on 'humanitarian journalism' was held at
Cox's Bazar on Monday for local journalists
working for national and regional media
outlets.
Around 30 journalists representing TV
channels, radio stations, newspapers and
online news portals participated in the
orientation organized by Xposar
Communication for World Vision with the
financial assistance from USAID, at Hotel
Beach Way. Anis Alamgir, a senior journalist
and columnist, was the key speaker at the
programme which was inaugurated by
Abdul Moktader, Office in-Charge of
Bangladesh Rohingya Crisis Response
(BRCR) of World Vision.
Dr Makhan L. Dutta, Md Rajab Ali and Md
Abdul Barek of World Vision joined as
speakers while Sumon Francis Gomes and
Henry Roy of World Vision, among others,
were present. Journalist Shiabur Rahman
moderated the programme.
Anis Alamgir in his speech advised the
journalists to maintain ethics while reporting
on any issue, particularly humanitarian
crises. He said all the reporting on any
humanitarian crises should aim to
contribute to the mitigation of the crises.
Anis Alamgir also highlighted the safety of
journalists while reporting on wars or
humanitarian crises. "Nothing is more
important than life. So don't endanger your
life for any piece of news," he said.
Md Abdul Barek in his speech focused on
different Rohingya crisis response
programmes of World Vision.
4 mugging gang members
held in the city
DHAKA : Members of RAB have arrest 4
members of a mugging gang from the city's
Khilgaon area.
The arrestees are Md Rifat, 20, Md Dipu,
19, MD Santo Siddik, 22, and Md Pervaz.
They were arrested on Sunday at around
9.40 pm over a tip-off, read a RAB media
release. During the arrest operation four
switch-gear knives, five pieces of yaba and 25
gm marijuana was seized.
During the primary interrogation the gag
members confessed that they have been
actively mugging mobile phones, jewelry,
cash money etc from the people in the
Khilgaon, Rampura, Banashee area for a
long time.
BNP to hold talks
with political parties
DHAKA : As the party is
determined to boycott the
ongoing dialogue on the
reconstitution of the
Election Commission, BNP
has now decided to hold
talks with all political parties
to discuss the country's
overall political situation,
reports UNB.
A virtual meeting of the
party standing committee,
the highest policymaking
body, on Monday took the
decision, said a press
release signed by BNP
Secretary General Mirza
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on
Tuesday.
"The meeting discussed
the dialogue between the
political parties and the
President on the formation
of the Election Commission.
In the overall political
context, a decision has been
taken to exchange views
with all political parties."
However, the party did not
mention when the talks may
start.
Last week, the BNP
policymakers decided not to
take part in the talks with
President Abdul Hamid as it
thinks it will be a 'pointless'
exercise.
President Abdul Hamid
began talks with registered
political parties over the
formation of the new
Election Commission on
December 20.
The tenure of the current
EC, led by KM Nurul Huda,
is to expire on February 14
next year.
As per the constitution, a
new Commission must be
formed before the expiry of
the present EC.
Rallies to continue
The BNP policymakers
also decided to hold rallies in
the rest of the districts from
January 12 as part of their
movement for allowing their
party chairperson Khaleda
Zia to go abroad.
The meeting entrusted the
BNP Secretary General with
the task of working out
detailed programmes in this
regard.
Earlier, the party arranged
similar rallies in 32 districts
across the country from
December 22 to December
30 last.
Safety net programme
helps marginal women
get empowered
DHAKA : When her husband Yar Ahmed
died of a sudden heart attack in 2008,
Kohinoor Begum, a 49-year woman, felt that
a thunderbolt struck her head putting her in a
harsher reality as she had no way to meet the
expenses of her little son.
After the death of her husband, Kohinoor, a
dweller of a remote village under
Chauddagram Upazila of the Cumilla district,
confronted an arduous life struggle working
as a domestic help at a house. But, her
meager earning could not salvage her from
falling prey to abject poverty as she was facing
a lot of problems to run her family. Finding
no other alternative, Kohinoor was frantically
searching for a recovery path.
At that time, Kohinoor saw a ray of new
hope through the government's social safety
net (SSN) programme. One of her relatives
took Kohinoor to the local union parishad
chairman with all documents to take benefit
of widow allowance. The chairman was kind
enough to help the vulnerable woman get the
benefit of the programme.
Through the benefits of the SSN
programme, Kohinoor has been ensuring
proper nutrition for her son. Always smile
overflowing on her face as she is also ensuring
education for her son. Kohinoor is one of
lakhs of beneficiaries of social safety net
programs in Bangladesh that have been
contributing to the reduction of poverty and
vulnerability by addressing a range of
population groups through different forms of
assistance. These include provision of income
security for the elderly, widows and personswith-disabilities,
generating temporary
employment for working age men and
women, and supporting the healthy
development of young mothers and children.
Credited with introducing the social safety
net for the first time in fiscal year 1996-97, the
Awami League government has been
implementing 145 programmes under the
social safety net initiative of different
ministries. The government has allocated
around Taka 1,07,614 crore in the social
security sector, which is 17.83 percent of total
budget and 3.11 percent of the gross domestic
product (GDP) in the 2021- 22 fiscal.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal
while placing the budget for 2021-22 fiscal
said Social Safety Nets (SSNs) have emerged
as an essential component in the fight against
poverty, and the government has been
working diligently to adopt and implement
bold, strong, people-centric and inclusive
policies in poverty reduction.
He said the government has planned to cut
the poverty rate to 12.3 percent and the
extreme poverty rate to 4.5 percent by 2023-
2024. The minister said Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
cherished a dream to build a prosperous and
strong Bangladesh with a human face, set an
example of establishing a welfare state, by
improving the living standards of the
country's poor, hapless, destitute and
Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan briefed reporters on his recent visits
to the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain, France and Russia in the conference
room of the ministry.
Photo: PBA
Fiverr Bangladesh organizes the biggest
meetup of the year with freelancers
The biggest meetup of the year
"Freelancers Biggest Meetup" with
freelancers took place on Recently. The
entire event was organized by Fiverr
Bangladesh Community. The title
sponsor was the Creative IT Institute,
"powered by" sponsor was Creative
Fabrica and Payoneer was the Platinum
Sponsor, a press release said.
CEO of VISER X Limited and Fiverr
Community Leader Faisal Mustafa,
CEO of Instructory and Fiverr
Community Leader Rifat M Huq, CEO
of Creative IT Institute Monir Hossain,
Community Manager of Creative
Fabrica Md. Riduwan Molla, Payoneer
Bangladesh Ambassador Emrazina
Islam, QT Academy Founder Ahosan
Uddin Noman, Bangladesh Freelancer
Development Society Chairman Dr.
Tanjiba Rahman, Learn With Hasin
Hayder's Founder Hasin Hayder,
DewApples Founder Kamruzzaman
Sishir, Zaman Talk's Author Golam
Kamruzzaman, ICITP Founder Sharif
Muhammad Shahjahan and
Bangladesh's top freelancers and IT
professionals were the keynote speakers
at the event. Faisal Mustafa, the group's
founding admin and Fiverr Community
Leader, said: "Freelancers are much
more likely to be entrepreneurs, which
will generate foreign remittance as well
as employment for many people. "
Rifat M Huq, Organizing Lead of the
whole event and Community Leader of
Fiverr, said, "After almost 2 years
1000+ freelancers are very
Glad to participate in such a big
meetup. Such events should be
organized regularly for freelancers."
Monir Hossain, the event's title
sponsor and founder of Creative IT,
said, "This has been a great event for
freelancers, where they have learned
about various tips and tricks of the IT
sector including freelancing. I think
such a freelance event will further
advance the freelancing sector."
Md. Riduwan Molla, the event's
Powered By Sponsor and community
manager of Creative Fabrica, said: "We
are overwhelmed because freelancers
have come to our meetups from every
corner of Bangladesh. We are
constantly working for freelancers from
Fiverr Bangladesh Group, and we will
work on how to provide more
opportunities for freelancers in the
future."
Fiverr Bangladesh is committed to
doing a good job for the freelancing
community. Currently their group
As part of the replacement of two contingents currently stationed in DR Congo by two new
contingents, 150 members of the Air Force left Dhaka for DR Congo on Tuesday on a special
Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight.
Photo : Courtesy