17-08-2022

weDNesDAy, AUgUsT 17, 2022

2

A tree plantation program has been organized by the Officers Association of Begum Rokeya

University, Rangpur (BRUR) on the occasion of National Mourning Day 2022.

Photo : TBT

AL to hold nation-wide demonstration

programme today

DHAKA : The ruling Awami League will

observe demonstration programme

across the country on Wednesday

protesting nationwide series bomb

attack held during the regime of BNP-

Jammat alliance government in 2005.

"The programme will be observed

protesting incitement of creating

terrorism and anarchy unleashed by

BNP and its allies through propaganda

and rumor," according to a party release.

Instructions have been given to all the

ruling party's district, city, upazila,

thana, municipalities and union level

leaders to participate in the programme,

said a statement released by Awami

League General Secretary Obaidul

Quader.

On August 17, 2005, the series bomb

blast was happened at more than 500

spots across the country during the

BNP-Jammat alliance government. The

ruling Awami League is continuously

being observed and protesting the

heinous series bomb attack since then.

The prime minister said the price of

essentials has shown increasing trend

across the globe due to the Russia-

Ukraine war, sanctions and counter

sanctions alongside the ongoing

Coronavirus situation.

"Everything has gone out of our

purchasing capacity after imposing

sanctions (due mainly to disruption in

supplying food), though we have the

ability of purchasing," she said.

Afghanistan marks 1 year since

Taliban seizure as woes mount

KABUL : The Taliban on Monday marked

a year since they seized the Afghan capital

in a rapid takeover that triggered a hasty

escape of the nation's Western-backed

leaders, sent the economy into a tailspin

and fundamentally transformed the

country, reports UNB.

Bearded Taliban fighters, some

hoisting rifles or the white banners of

their movement, staged victory parades

on foot, bicycles and motorcycles in the

streets of Kabul. One group marched past

the former U.S. Embassy, chanting "Long

live Islam" and "Death to America."

A year after the dramatic day, much has

changed in Afghanistan. The former

insurgents struggle to govern and remain

internationally isolated. The economic

downturn has driven millions more

Afghans into poverty and even hunger, as

the flow of foreign aid slowed to a trickle.

The U.N. humanitarian chief for

Afghanistan warned that unless donors

provide $2.6 billion very soon the country

faces "pure catastrophe" over the coming

winter with millions of lives at stake.

Ramiz Alakbarov told a virtual news

conference from Kabul that the U.N.'s

$4.4 billion humanitarian appeal for

Afghanistan this year has received only

about $1.8 billion, leaving a $2.6 billion

gap in funding for desperately needed

food and other aid.

He said over 90 million people in

Afghanistan are "food insecure," around

35 million are living in poverty, and 6.6

million are classified in the emergency

level just one step from famine.

Alakbarov said he just visited several

hospitals and saw "heartbreaking scenes"

of malnourished children who will not

survive the winter without additional

support.

While the Afghan people are known for

their resilience and ability to survive, he

said, unfortunately "negative coping

strategies" including the selling of organs

and the selling of children will be seen

again "if support is not provided."

Meanwhile, hard-liners appear to

hold sway in the Taliban-led

government, which imposed severe

restrictions on access to education and

jobs for girls and women, despite initial

promises to the contrary. A year on,

teenage girls are still barred from school

and women are required to cover

themselves head-to-toe in public, with

only the eyes showing.

Some are trying to find ways to keep

education from stalling for a generation

of young women and underground

schools in homes have sprung up.

Natalia Kanem, executive director of

the U.N.'s sexual and reproductive

health agency, said in a statement that

Afghan females must not be forgotten.

"As the world faces multiple,

overlapping crises, we must not forget

the women and girls of Afghanistan.

When women's and girls' basic rights

are denied, we are all diminished," she

said. A year ago, thousands of Afghans

had rushed to Kabul International

Airport to flee the Taliban amid the U.S.

military's chaotic withdrawal from Kabul

after 20 years of war - America's longest

conflict.

Tree plantation

program held

in BRUR

Azam Parvej, Rangpur

Correspondent:

A tree plantation program has

been organized by the Officers

Association of Begum Rokeya

University, Rangpur (BRUR)

on the occasion of National

Mourning Day 2022. On

Sunday afternoon, University

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr.

Md. Hasibur Rashid

inaugurated the tree plantation

program by planting palm

saplings as the chief guest in

Bangabandhu Mural Chattar.

Pro V.C of the University Prof.

Dr. Sarifa Salowa Dina planted

trees as a special guest.

The dean of the Faculty of

Arts, Prof. Dr. Abu Saleh

Mohammad Wadudur

Rahman, Registrar Engineer

Mohammad Alamgir

Chowdhury, Director of

Planning and Development

Department Md Osman Gani

Talukder, Proctor Golam

Rabbani, President of Officers

Association, T. GM Golam

Feroze and General Secretary

Mohammad Ali participated in

the plantation program.

Director of Student

Counseling and Guidance

Department (ongoing duty)

Md Nuruzzaman Khan,

Director of Outdoor Activities

Department (ongoing duty)

Sabbir Ahmed Chowdhury,

Cafeteria Director Umar

Farooq and BRUR Chhatra

League President Pomel Barua

were present in the occasion.

Prayers offered for

Bangabandhu at PMO

DHAKA : A milad and doa mahfil was held at

the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Tuesday

marking the 47th martyrdom anniversary of

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman and the National Mourning

Day.

A special munajat was offered seeking

eternal peace of the departed souls of

Bangabandhu and other martyrs of the August

15, 1975 carnage and continued peace,

progress and prosperity of the nation.

Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser

Dr Mashiur Rahman and Private Industry and

Investment Affairs Adviser Salman Fazlur

Rahman spoke on the occasion highlighting

the life and works of the Father of the Nation.

PM's Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus

presided over the function.

Principal Coordinator of the SDG Affairs

Zuena Aziz, PMO Senior Secretary Md

Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Executive Chairman

(Senior Secretary) of the Bangladesh

Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Shaikh

Yusuf Harun and Director General (DG) of the

Special Security Force (SSF) Major General

Md Majibur Rahman took part in the

discussion, among others.

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim and

Military Secretary Major General Kabir

Ahammad were present on the occasion.

Officials and employees of the PMO also

joined the milad and doa mahfil.

DMP arrests 51 for

selling, consuming

drugs in city

DHAKA :The members of the Detective

Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police

(DMP) in several anti-drug raids arrested a

total of 51 people on charges of selling and

consuming drugs during the last 24 hours till

6am on Tuesday.

The DB in association with local police

carried out the drives simultaneously at

different parts of the metropolis from 6am of

August 15, according to a DMP release. In

separate anti-drug raids, police seized huge

drugs from their possessions. During the antidrug

raids, police seized 10 puria (small

packets) of heroin, 417 pieces of contraband

yaba tablets, 47.971 kilograms of cannabis

(ganja), 30 drug injections and one bottle of

local liquor from their possessions, the release

added.

Police filed 33 separate cases against the

arrestees in these connections with respective

police stations under the Narcotics Control

Act.

GD-1373/22 (6x4)

GD-1375/22 (12x4)

The National Mourning Day and 47th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was observed at Banophool Adibashi greenheart College with due respect

and solemnity on Monday.

Photo : Courtesy

Banophool Adibashi Greenheart

College observed the National

Mourning Day

The National Mourning Day and 47th

martyrdom anniversary of Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman was observed at

Banophool Adibashi greenheart

College with due respect and solemnity

on Monday. On the occasion an

elaborated programmes have been

chalked out which were included:

hoisting of national flag at half-mast,

wearing black badges, placing wreaths

on the portrait of the Father of the

Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,

discussion meeting and prize giving.

A special memorial discussion was

held at Banophool Adibashi

Dengue death

toll rises to 17 as

another dies;

128 new patients

hospitalised

DHAKA : Another dengue

patient died and 128 others

were hospitalised in 24

hours till Tuesday morning,

reports UNB.

The latest death was

reported from Dhaka.

With this, the authorities

recorded 17 deaths from the

viral infection this year,

according to the Directorate

General of Health Services

(DGHS).

Among the deaths this

year, 10 were reported from

Cox's Bazar while seven

from Dhaka.

Of the new patients, 108

were hospitalised in Dhaka

while the 20 in other places,

it said.

As many as 424 dengue

patients including 361 in the

capital are now receiving

treatment at hospitals across

the country.

On June 21, the DGHS

reported the first death of

the season from the viral

disease. This year, the

DGHS has recorded 3,983

dengue cases and 3,542

recoveries so far.

Bike enthusiast

dies in Dhaka

road crash

DHAKA : A popular bike

enthusiast returning home

on his two wheeler died after

being hit by a speeding

vehicle underneath the

Banani foot bridge in the

capital on Monday night,

police said, reports UNB.

The deceased was

identified as Jamil Ahmed

Shubho, 25. He used to host

a Facebook group-Bike BDafter

finishing his higher

studies from Southeast

University, said his friend

Chinmoy.

The accident occurred

around 11.30pm. "The

vehicle hit Shubho's bike at

high speed, leaving him

dead on the spot," said Md

Nure Azam, officer-incharge

of Banani Police

Station. "The body was

recovered and sent for an

autopsy. A case has been

filed under Road Transport

Act, 2018, " said OC Azam.

Greenheart College Campus occasion

of the 47th martyrdom anniversary of

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family

members who were brutally killed on

August 15 in 1975. Founder and

Chairman of the College

governingbody Ven. Prajnananda

Mahathera was present in the

discussion programme as chief guest

while Principal of Banophool adibashi

greenheart college Sudip Kumar

Mandal presided over the discussion.

Rector of the college Professor

Banchita Chakma was present as a

special guest on the occasion. Vice-

Principal of Banophool adibashi green

heart college Mrs. Matia Khan spoke

about Father of the Nation

Bangabandh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

and 15 August 1975.

At the end of the program, Chief

guest Ven. Prajnananda Mahathera

handed over the book written by

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman as a prize to the students who

won the Bangabandhu portrait

drawing competition. Students,

Departmental heads, All teacher, A

large number of officers and stuffs are

attended the national mourning day

program.

A Memorandum of Understading (MoU) has been signed between Dhaka

University and Camoes Institute Portugal vitually on Tuesday. Photo : Courtesy

UPR Recommendations

ARTICLE 19 calls for developing

national mechanisms to ensure

accountability

DHAKA : ARTICLE 19, a human rights

organization based in the UK, has called for the

creation of concerted and effective national

mechanisms in Bangladesh to ensure the

accountability in implementing the

recommendations of the third cycle of the

Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United

Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The rights body promoting freedom of

expression and the protection of journalists

around the world has also called for specific

progress to be made public in the

implementation of the commitments made

by the Bangladesh government four years

back to improve the human rights situation.

The government of Bangladesh during its

third UPR at the 39th session of the UNHRC

in Geneva on 20 September 2018 accepted

178 recommendations from other UN

member-states, of which at least 25

recommendations were related to

strengthening the protection of freedom of

expression, said ARTICLE 19 on Tuesday.

The government will have to submit a

national report on implementation progress

and existing impediments in June and

participate in the review in November of the

next year, it said.

Faruq Faisel, regional director for

ARTICLE 19 South Asia, said during the

39th session of the UNHRC on UPR, a

high level of concern was raised about the

potential misuse and abuse of the

proposed Digital Security Act (DSA) 2018.

The government has informed the visiting

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Michelle Bachelet that the committee

submitted a report on the matter, he said,

adding that "ARTICLE 19 demands that this

report to be made public and the repressive

sections identified in the law to be repealed

immediately."

ASEAN envoys visit Dhanmondi-32,

pay tribute to Bangabandhu

DHAKA : The ASEAN Dhaka Committee's

(ADC) Heads of Mission and representatives

on Tuesday visited Bangabandhu Memorial

Museum at Dhanmondi-32 in the city and

paid tribute to Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

They placed a wreath at the portrait of

Bangabandhu and prayed for the departed

souls of Bangabandhu and his family

members who were brutally assassinated on

15 August 1975.

The ADC's Heads of Mission and

representatives stood in solemn silence as a

mark of profound respect to the memory of

Bangabandhu. The ASEAN envoys who

attended the event were Haji Haris Haji

Othman, High Commissioner of Brunei

Darussalam; Heru Hartanto Subolo,

Ambassador of Indonesia; Haznah Md

Hashim, High Commissioner of Malaysia;

Aung Kyaw Moe, Ambassador of Myanmar;

Makawadee Sumitmor, Ambassador of the

Kingdom of Thailand; Pham Viet Chien,

Ambassador of Vietnam; Sheela Pillai, Head

of Mission of the Singapore Consulate, and

Christian Hope V. Reyes, Charge d'Affaires

of the Philippines.

The ADC was established in 2014 and

comprises eight ASEAN Missions based in

Dhaka. The ADC chair is rotated every six

months and is currently being chaired by

Myanmar.

Bangladesh reports

zero Covid death,

93 new cases

DHAKA : Bangladesh

reported zero Covid death

and 93 new cases in 24

hours till Tuesday morning.

The country last reported

zero Covid-linked death on

August 13.

With the latest numbers,

Bangladesh's total fatalities

remained static at 29,314

while the caseload rose to

2,009,222, according to the

Directorate General of

Health Services (DGHS).

The daily case test

positivity rate rose to 4.41

percent from Monday's 4.09

per cent as 2,110 samples

were tested.

The mortality rate

remained unchanged at 1.46

per cent. The recovery rate

rose to 97.15 per cent from

Monday's 97.14 per cent.

In July, the country

reported 142 Covid-linked

deaths and 31,422 cases, the

highest monthly death toll

and caseload since March

this year.

Bangladesh registered its

highest daily caseload of

16,230 on July 28 last year

and daily fatalities of 264 on

August 10 in the same year.

Restaurant

owner held over

Old Dhaka fire

DHAKA : Police have

arrested the owner of

'Barishal Hotel and

Restaurant' in connection

with the deadly fire incident

that left 6 people dead in

Kamalbag area of Old

Dhaka's Chawkbazar on

Monday.

Rajiv Kumar Sarkar, subinspector

(SI) of

Chawkbazar Model Police

Station, said Mohammad

Fakhruddin was arrested

from Keraniganj early

Tuesday.

All the six dead were

employees of the restaurant

located on the ground floor

of the four-storey building

that caught fire Monday

noon.

A case was filed against

four people including the

restaurant owner and the

building owner at

Chawkbazar police station

on Monday night following a

complaint from Mohammad

Ali, the elder brother of

deceased Rubel.

Meanwhile, the bodies

have been kept at Mitford

Hospital morgue for an

autopsy. After autopsy the

bodies of the victims, who

have been identified, will be

handed over to their

relatives.

DNA samples will be

collected from relatives of

those deceased who have not

been identified, added the

officer.

Flood death

toll rises to 139

DHAKA : The death toll

from this season's floods in

the country rose to 139 with

another death in Rangpur in

24 hours till Tuesday

morning.

The total deaths were

recorded from May 17 to

August 15, according to the

Directorate General of

Health Services (DGHS),

reports UNB.

Of the deceased, 78 were

from Sylhet, 43 from

Mymensingh, 17 from

Rangpur and one from

Dhaka division.

One hundred and eight

people drowned in

floodwaters, 18 died by

lightning strikes, three from

snake bites, one from

diarrhoea, and nine others

due to other reasons.

Around 33,186 people

were hit by floods during the

same period.

Thirty-seven upazilas,

including 33 in Sylhet, three

in Rangpur and one in

Chattogram divisions were

affected by floods.

Sylhet, Sunamganj and

Moulvibazar were the worsthit

districts, with 13, 11 and

five upazilas affected by

floods respectively.

WEDNESDAY, AUgUST 17, 2022

3

PM orders to find out those responsible

for Uttara girder crash

DHAKA : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on

Tuesday directed the authorities concerned

to take action against those responsible for

the Uttara BRT girder accident following an

investigation.

She made the directive while chairing the

meeting of the Executive Committee of the

National Economic Council (Ecnec) through

a virtual platform from her official residence

Ganobhaban. Other ministers and officials

concerned were connected from the NEC

conference room.

Planning Minister MA Mannan briefed

reporters after the meeting.

Describing the accident as tragic, the PM

wondered how the project director,

contractors and other concerned did it

without ensuring the safety measures.

A thorough investigation will have to be

conducted and actions will have to be taken,

she added. The premier also asked the

authorities concerned to consider whether

the fuels can be imported from Russia, said

MA Mannan.

"Low-income people are suffering a lot due

to inflation. We're trying our best," she was

quoted as saying. In the meeting, the Ecnec

cleared six development projects with the

total estimated cost of Tk 2,505 crore (only

additional costs of three revised projects

were counted here).

Of the cost, Tk 1,628.13 crore will be drawn

from the government's fund, while the rest

Tk 876.62 crore from the external sources.

Three fresh projects are: Improvement of

Sonapur-Kabirhat-Companiganj

(Basurhaat)-Dagonbhuiyan regional

highway with the cost of Tk 457.02 crore;

Construction of Chunkuri Bridge over the

River Chunkuri at 28th km of Gollamari-

Batiaghata-Dakop-Nolian Forest Road with

Tk 745.33 crore; and Irrigation Extension in

Barendra Area through Water Reservation

in Canals-Phase-II with Tk 249.40 crore.

Three revised projects are

:Establishment of Inland Container River

Port at Ashuganj (1st revised) with

additional cost of Tk 458 crore (now cost

stands at Tk 1,751 crore); Construction of

Road from Kalurghat Bridge to Chaktai

Khal along the bank of Karnaphuli River

(2nd revised) with additional cost of Tk

469.15 (now cost is Tk 2,779.39 crore); and

BSCIC Printing Industrial Estate (1st

revised) with extra cost of Tk 125.85 crore

(now cost is Tk 264.55 crore).

Sports, Culture and Welfare Council of Bangladesh Rural Electrification

Board (BREB) observed the 47th martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Tuesday. Voluntary blood donation program

was organized on the occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

Five more held over Shahjahanpur

double murder case

DHAKA : Detectives have arrested five more

suspects over the murder of an Awami

League leader and a female college student

in Shahjahanpur area of the capital on

March 24.

The arrestees are Md Shamim Hossain

alias Mollah Shamim,35, Md Taufiq Hasan

Babu,34, Md Sumon Hossain Sumon,35,

Ehtesham Uddin alias Chowdhuri Apu,37

and Shariful Islam alias Hridoy,27.

Police arrested them conducting separate

drives in the capital and Jashore's Benapole

area on Monday, said Faruk Hossain, deputy

commissioner (media and public relations)

of DMP.

Besides, the law enforcers seized 2 foreign

pistols, 8 rounds of bullets, 3 magazines and

a motorcycle from their possession.

Earlier on July 31, DB police arrested two

more suspects from the city's Motijheel area.

Police have so far arrested 27 people in this

connection, the DMP officer added.

On the night of March 24, AL politician

Zahidul Islam Tipu, who was on a microbus,

and Samia Afrin Priti, a 22-year-old college

student, who was returning home on a

rickshaw, were killed in firing in front of

Islami Bank Hospital at Shahjahanpur in the

city.

Tipu was a former general secretary of the

AL Motijheel committee and Priti was a

student of Begum Badrunnesa Government

College. Tipu's driver was also injured in the

firing.

They were all stuck in a traffic jam in the

area when a biker wearing a helmet and a

mask appeared from nowhere and fired at

them.

The following day, a case was filed against

unidentified people over the double murder.

On March 27, police arrested Akash, 34,

the prime accused in the double murder

case, from Bogura district.

On March 31, Dhaka Metropolitan Police

(DMP) detectives arrested Arfanullah

conducting a drive in the city's Kamalapur

area.

On June 9, Sumon Shikdar Musa, the

mastermind of Tipu murder, was brought

back home from Oman.

A delegation of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime

University, led by the Vice-Chancellor Rear Admiral M Khaled Iqbal

(retd) pays homage to the Father of the Nation by placing floral

wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in

front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhaka's Dhanmondi to

observe 47th martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu and National

Mourning Day-2022.

Photo : Courtesy

WEDnEsDAy, AuGusT 17, 2022

4

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Waking up to the crisis

in food and agricultural

products

There is a pressing need on the part of a

country like Bangladesh which depends

to some extent on imported food grains

and a great deal on imported cooking oil,

pulses, spices and dairy products, about both

the soaring prices and scarcity of these

commodities in international market places.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

of the United Nations has issued a warning

recently that the bill for global food imports will

top $1,000 billion this year for the second time

ever putting the world dangerously close to a

new food crisis. The scenario projected in the

FAO's twice-yearly Food Outlook released last

week warned that the world should be prepared

for even higher prices for these products in the

year 2011 if domestic food productions in

importing countries do not increase

substantially. A similar food crisis was

witnessed from under production worldwide in

2007-8 when the imported food bill soared to $

1,031 billion. But ten years before that crisis,

the global food bill for imports averaged less

than $ 500 billion a year.

Prices of agricultural commodities have

surged following top producers of wheat for

exports, Russia and Ukraine, declaring a ban on

their exports. In this backdrop, the two most

populous countries, China and India, have met

setbacks in their food production. For

Bangladesh, India next door from which it

could import food grains conveniently and at

most competitive prices, this source is also

drying up. Although the Indian government

declared a relaxation of their ban on food grain

export in relation to Bangladesh, it remains to

be seen how far the offer can materialize in the

tight situation faced by India itself. Thus, there

are all the reasons for policy planners in

Bangladesh to be extremely proactive in

securing the import requirements of these

agricultural products. Not only the maximum

efficiency and timeliness must be attained in

importing food grains and other kitchen items,

the same sort of agility and competence need to

be there in importing raw cotton for the

country's textile industries because cotton

availability has also slumped from under

production worldwide.

Under the current volatile international

market conditions, government in Bangladesh

should form urgent policies and implement

them neatly to keep the supply lines of these

imported products smooth and the prices as

stable as possible. Constant contacts with the

sellers and building up of market intelligence,

plus forward buying at stable prices under

longer term contracted arrangements, could be

the answer to protect the country considerably

from the shocks of fast rising imported prices of

agricultural commodities.

Internally, the greatest stress will have to be

put on increasing overall production of food

grains. It appears that climate played a part in

reducing the last harvest of Aman rice. The

preparations are underway to raise the next

Boro crop during the coming winter months.

Every effort will have to be pushed to the

maximum with timely supply of all sorts of

inputs, including irrigation water, to farmers at

reasonable prices. Truly incentive prices will

also need to be declared to motivate farmers so

that the surplus Boro rice can be successfully

purchased from them for stocking up

adequately in government operated silos. This

would reduce the need for import and build up

greater basic food security. It is also imperative

to adopt a plan and execute it with the greatest

efficiency to much increase the cultivation of

non cereal crops such as oilseeds, spices, pulses

and cotton within the country.

highlight

Constant contacts with the sellers and

building up of market intelligence, plus

forward buying at stable prices under longer

term contracted arrangements, could be the

answer to protect the country considerably

from the shocks of fast rising imported prices of

agricultural commodities. Internally, the

greatest stress will have to be put on increasing

overall production of food grains and cotton.

Their Mojibor--their unforgettable Sheikh Shaheb

On Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman's 47th death anniversary,

you remember the larger-than-life

man he was. He inhabits our consciousness

in all his largeness of form and substance,

and not just in the figurative sense. Tall for

a Bengali, he gave us to understand that in

him were all those traits which underline

the making of a political giant. His height

mattered. So did his convictions. Think

about it, think about all the other significant

political figures who, in the course of our

modern history, have influenced our

evolution into where we happen to be

today.

Bangabandhu falls within that category.

And yet, he breaks free of all those earlier

stars and forms, within and by himself, a

world apart. Of all the historical icons we

have had cause to observe in our political

ambience, only Bangabandhu stayed

steadfast in purpose. That element you call

compromise, or a shifting of the ground,

was not part of his nature.

And that made all the difference. It was

made clear to Bangabandhu towards the

end of the 1950s that Bangalis needed to

make their way out of Pakistan. And

remember that he came of a generation

which, in the 1940s, went all the way into

making sure that the Lahore Resolution of

1940 was implemented in the interest of the

muslims of India.

That Sheikh Mujibur Rahman could

Severing Hezbollah’s grip is Lebanon’s only salvation

Two years after Beirut's port

catastrophe - which was an apt

metaphor for the wider state of

Lebanon -the port's huge grain silos

continue to disintegrate and toxic fires

feed upon their decomposing contents,

terrorizing locals and prompting fears

about stinking clouds of carcinogenic

dust visiting new afflictions upon a

capital city that has been brutally

stripped of its soul.

Beyond the 218 deaths, thousands of

injuries, $15 billion in property damage

and 300,000 made homeless, the

number of those permanently affected by

this Crime of the Century exceeds belief.

Everybody lost somebody, while so many

were permanently disfigured.

Hezbollah's demand for an "impartial

and fair investigation" illustrates how

language has been stripped of all

meaning. These criminals flaunt their lies

as another means of humiliating us,

taunting us that we know of their guilt

but can do nothing. In recent protests,

bereaved families held aloft images of

Hezbollah's leader, declaring that they

know exactly who killed their loved ones.

Hezbollah and its cronies paralyzed the

work of the first two investigating judges

and will easily neutralize the work of

anyone else appointed to uncover the

truth. Any widely demanded

international investigation would

inevitably suffer the same fate as the

Hariri tribunal - which, after years of

tireless work, identified culprits, only for

Hezbollah and its associates to brazenly

dare the world to come and arrest them.

Such travesties exceed all attempts at

satire. Hezbollah believes it enjoys

impunity for its crimes. The succession of

murdered national figures such as

Mohamad Chatah, Samir Qasir and

Luqman Slim … multibillion-dollar drugs

syndicates … the killing of thousands of

innocent Syrian citizens … breathtaking

corruption … the list goes on.

Hezbollah's leaders meanwhile spout

warmongering rhetoric over the

contested Mediterranean gas fields,

Blockchain could enhance protection of police records

Blockchain technology could help

government agencies simplify

managing, accessing, using, and

securing sensitive data. Image: AFP

At a time when data theft and

cybercrime are a serious problem,

blockchain, the digital record-keeping

technology behind Bitcoin and other

cryptocurrency networks, is a potential

game changer in the wider world.

Blockchain can significantly improve

protection protocols by enabling fast and

cost-efficient alternatives to safeguard

sensitive police records.

Last month, hackers claimed to have

stolen the records of a billion Chinese

citizens from the Shanghai police, which

tech experts say, if true, would be one of

the biggest data breaches in history.

Similarly, in 2021, hackers claimed to

have stolen the data of thousands of

police officers in Indonesia.

Even the US, one of the world's most

technologically advanced nations, was hit

last year after the Metropolitan Police

Department of Washington, DC, became

break out of the communal mould, that he

was beginning to question the very basis of

the country in whose creation he, like

millions of other young men, had once

taken immense interest, was an early hint

of the greatness he was destined for. The

path to that greatness was clearly laid out in

1966, when he overrode every other

concern to inform the ruling classes of

Pakistan that it was time to reinvent the

state through his Six Point program for

regional autonomy.

Bangabandhu was a man of huge selfesteem

and an abundance of confidence. At

the height of the Agartala conspiracy case

trial in 1968, he coolly told a western

journalist that the Pakistani authorities

would not be able to keep him incarcerated

for more than six months. Note that he was

on trial for sedition, possibly headed

towards execution or a very long term in

prison. In any case, he was free in seven

months.

believing they win either way. If Israel

makes concessions, that will be thanks to

threats of the "resistance"; if not, they

were right all along and the Zionist

enemy and its Western backers can't be

trusted, justifying future confrontations.

Hezbollah warns that nobody will be

allowed to extract gas and oil if its

demands aren't met. Drones have been

overflying Israeli gas infrastructure, with

Hezbollah threatening that gas rigs are

within easy reach of its missiles.

"Islamic resistance" propaganda

channels never tire of enumerating how

many missiles, fighters and weapons

"Hizb Al-Shaitan" possesses, but they fail

to detail the extent of retaliatory damage

Israel would inflict upon Lebanon, or the

thousands of citizens previously killed by

Israeli aggression. Finance Minister

Avigdor Lieberman scandalously

threatened to "wipe out the entire

Dahiyeh area in Beirut" if Israel's gas

infrastructure were attacked. Such

threats are all too believable. Above and

beyond this, Lebanon's only salvation lies

in its populace assertively clawing back

their autonomy and sovereignty from

Tehran.

Meanwhile, the tragic violence of recent

days in Gaza is, of course, being exploited

by Hezbollah and Iran to further

exacerbate regional tensions. Hezbollah's

Naim Qassim warned that his

organisation "wouldn't stand idly by,"

while other Iran-backed militias

throughout the region have sought to up

the pressure at Iran's behest.

In 2006, GCC states rushed to invest

billions of dollars to instantaneously

the victim of a ransomware attack on its

servers.

Apart from exposing how vulnerable

police records are, incidents where these

hackers leak sensitive information not

only result in a material loss but also

cause a loss of public trust.

Indeed, maintaining and protecting

data about citizens, organizations, assets

and activities is a critical government

function, but executing it can get

complicated.

Blockchain technology could help

government agencies simplify managing,

accessing, using, and securing sensitive

data. An encoded digital ledger stored on

multiple computers in a public or private

network, blockchain combines data

records, or "blocks," into a chain that

prevents the altering or deletion of data

by a single actor.

These blocks are verified and managed

through automation and shared

governance protocols.

By protecting data on who owns,

accesses, or uses them, blockchain can

EnAyETullAh KhAn

BARIA AlAMuDDIn

AISHA KHAN

As he prepared to fly to Rawalpindi in

February 1969, to attend the round-table

conference called by President Ayub Khan,

he quipped: "Yesterday a traitor, today a

hero." In Rawalpindi, he spurned Ayub's

offer of the prime ministership of Pakistan.

Always a man who went by the norms of

political transparency, he emphatically told

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in January 1971 that the

Bangabandhu falls within that category. And yet, he breaks free of all

those earlier stars and forms, within and by himself, a world apart. Of all

the historical icons we have had cause to observe in our political ambience,

only Bangabandhu stayed steadfast in purpose. That element you call

compromise, or a shifting of the ground, was not part of his nature.

December 1970 elections had given his

party the right to govern Pakistan.

The People's Party had its place marked

out-it was to be on the opposition benches.

Bangabandhu's principled stand in

national politics was matched by his

diplomatic convictions abroad. He took

Saudi Arabia's King Faisal to task over the

latter's negative remarks on Pakistan's

break-up in 1971. He put Yakubu Gowon in

his place when the Nigerian lamented the

weakening of Muslim Pakistan through the

rise of a secular Bangladesh. He asked

Indira Gandhi, in blunt fashion, when she

rebuild Lebanon. Yet Lebanon's

leadership has spent the past few years

severing Lebanon from its Arab identity

and culture, and gleefully burning

Lebanon's bridges with Gulf states,

despite knowing that the ayatollahs in

Tehran wouldn't lift a finger to help,

beyond replenishing the armories of its

puppets.

The question of who really controls

Lebanon was highlighted in recent days

when a Syrian ship subject to US

In 2006, GCC states rushed to invest billions of dollars to instantaneously

rebuild lebanon. yet lebanon's leadership has spent the past few years severing

lebanon from its Arab identity and culture, and gleefully burning lebanon's

bridges with Gulf states, despite knowing that the ayatollahs in Tehran wouldn't

lift a finger to help, beyond replenishing the armories of its puppets.

sanctions and laden with stolen

Ukrainian grain was impounded in the

northern Lebanese port of Tripoli. Syrian

diplomats rushed to cajole, threaten and

bribe the judiciary and officials to allow

the ship to continue on its way to Syria to

feed Hezbollah's allies in the Assad

regime. As a result, a Ukrainian vessel

bringing life-saving supplies of wheat to

Lebanon, which was supposed to arrive

on Sunday, remains at anchor off the

coast of Turkey amid threats to change its

destination in protest at Lebanon

allowing itself to be used as a hub for

stolen Ukrainian grain. This is a perfect

analogy for how Lebanese citizens have

repeatedly been left to starve as a

consequence of the criminal activities of

Hezbollah and other leaders. In Beirut,

where fights regularly break out over

loaves of bread, people had been

desperately counting on the arrival of

these grain supplies.

National infrastructure and the very

fabric of society are disintegrating before

our eyes, as schools, hospitals and

essential institutions fall apart, suffering

chronic shortages of all essential

revolutionize the security of police

records. The information-technology (IT)

departments of government security

agencies can create rules and algorithms

predefining conditions of use by a third

party trying to access a set of information

sitting in a blockchain.

In 2015, hackers broke down enormous

amounts of encrypted data comprising

the personal details, Social Security

numbers, fingerprints, employment

history, and financial information of

about 20 million American citizens who

had been subject to a background check

by the US government. Blockchain

technology could have thwarted such a

breach, thanks to features that make

tampering with data impossible.

Features like keyless signature

infrastructure (KSI) create hash values,

which uniquely represent large amounts

of data as smaller numeric values. These

hash values can be used to identify

records without allowing any tinkering

with information. The values, stored in a

blockchain, can then be distributed

on taking her soldiers back home from

Bangladesh.

Bangabandhu was our own. The mores

and social norms we have grown up with

were all exemplified in him. His smile

radiated confidence and instilled courage in

us. His sense of humour remains

unmatched. He never forgot a face and

always remembered names. His laughter

reverberated across the room and beyond.

He was always filling the room with his

presence. When he met complete strangers,

he made them feel they had known him all

their life.

When he found himself in the company

of academics, he did not forget that these

were men who deserved his unqualified

respect. Alone among the great men we

have known, he drew respect from the

intellectual classes and the more humble

citizens alike. Across this land, men of

letters speak of Bangabandhu with

reverence. Peasants and rickshaw-pullers

have always known him as their very own

"Mojibor" or as their unforgettable

"Sheikh."

In the hallowed councils of the world,

Bangabandhu was a colossus striding

across the moments that constituted the

embroidered fabric of history.

Enayetullah Khan is Editor-in-Chief,

United News of Bangladesh (UNB) &

Dhaka Courier

prerequisites for basic functioning. The

most competent staff have fled overseas.

The World Bank accuses Lebanon's

leaders of engineering a "deliberate

depression" and engaging in corrupt and

illegal schemes to monopolize the

nation's resources.

Hezbollah and its allies lost the last

parliamentary election, but they believe

they possess the ruthlessness and

political muscle to act as if they won,

thinking citizens are too engrossed in

daily struggles for survival to care about

such matters. Yet it is precisely because

citizens have reached such dire straits

that they must seize the moment to

ensure that demands for justice and

accountability are heeded, while acting

against Hassan Nasrallah and Gebran

Bassil's efforts to block government

formation. With the epic tussle over who

will be the next president on the horizon,

there is everything to play for.

Iraq has been brought to a halt by

hundreds of thousands of mostly Shiite

protesters seeking to prevent Tehran

imposing a government. Only a similar

mass popular uprising can save Lebanon,

forcing a situation in which "business as

usual" becomes impossible for thieving

factions, and this "deliberate depression"

is brought to an abrupt halt.

Above and beyond this, Lebanon's only

salvation lies in its populace assertively

clawing back their autonomy and

sovereignty from Tehran.

Our greatest hope is in the Lebanese

people's inspirational bravery and

stoicism in the face of unimaginable

adversity. A rejuvenated and

transformed Lebanon is there for the

taking, if we collectively possess the

courage to seize the moment to reach out

and grasp it.

Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning

journalist and broadcaster in the Middle

East and the UK. She is editor of the Media

Services Syndicate and has interviewed

numerous heads of state.

across a private network of government

computers, thereby keeping the data safe.

The Swedish government seems to

have found the right solution to securing

its most sensitive, high-stakes data using

blockchain. The country is digitizing its

land registry, worth 11 trillion kronor

(US$1.1 trillion), through a mobile app

whereby a blockchain can record detailed

information on a sales transaction.

Other government agencies can learn

from such efforts to create a secure

infrastructure for tracking data access,

thereby making it harder for any

unauthorized entity to get hold of or

manipulate information.

Clearly, blockchain can go a long way in

restoring trust in the police and their

ability to protect citizens' data. Police and

other government agencies should keep

up with the times and recognize the

potential for blockchain technology to

revolutionize storing records.

Aisha Khan is a London-based political

and financial analyst.

WEdnESday, auGuSt 17, 2022

5

Experts share what's normal and what isn't when it comes to your menstrual cycle.

Photo: internet

What the color of your period blood means

Here’s everything we

Habiba KatSHa

know about the

Langya virus so far

A new virus called

Langrya has been

identified by scientists

after researchers recorded

multiple cases in China.

Langya henipavirus,

also know as LayV, was

first detected in the northeastern

provinces of

Shandong and Henan in

late 2018, though the

virus was only properly

identified by scientists

last week.

So far, Langrya doesn't

seem to be spreading as

rapidly as COVID-19 and

it has not been linked to

deaths. The virus has

affected 35 people to date,

though none of those

people have become

severely ill or died, data

from Taiwan's Centers for

Disease Control found.

What is the virus? The

infection is believed to

have been passed to

humans by shrews,

according to research.

The virus was tested in

wild animals and LayV

was identified in more

than a quarter of 262

shrews. The infection was

also found in 2% of

domestic goats and 5% of

dogs.

Where and how many

cases are there? The virus

was first identified in

China and so far 35

people are known to have

been infected. It's been

found in China's

Shandong and Henan

provinces and no humanto-human

transmission

has yet to be reported.

Last

week,

investigations into the

infections were first

defined

in

correspondence

published by scientists

from China, Singapore

and Australia in the New

England Journal of

Medicine (NEJM).

Is it serious and is it

spreading? Of the 35

people infected no one

has died or had a serious

illness. "There was no

close contact or common

exposure history among

the patients, which

suggests that the infection

in the human population

may be sporadic,"

researchers in a study

titled A Zoonotic

Henipavirus in Febrile

Patients in China said.

Tracking of the virus is

ongoing.

CaSEy ClarK

Did you know that the color of your

period blood, similar to the smell

of your pee, has different meanings

and can indicate potential health

problems?

You might have noticed that

period blood changes color over

the course of your period from a

bright to dark red ? and that's

normal, according to Dr. Jessica

Shepherd, an OB-GYN and

medical adviser at O Positiv.

However, your period blood may

also change color when there's

something going on down there.

Below you'll find the colors of

your period blood that aren't a

cause for concern, and those that

gynecologists say might warrant a

trip to the doctor's office.

For those with a period, a brightred

color is probably the most

recognizable. Whether you noticed

a bright-red bloodstain on your

bedsheets or through your

underwear, it's typically this color.

This is normal and nothing to

worry about in most cases during a

regular monthly cycle.

"Bright-red period blood is

associated with fresh blood that

has not been in the uterus or

vagina for a long time," said Dr.

Luis Murrain, a physician and cofounder

of Dreams Fertility.

Dr. Alyssa Dweck, a gynecologist,

medical expert for LELO and coauthor

of "The Complete A to Z for

your V," added that a bright-red

flow is typical during the active,

heavier days of the cycle. If you

experience red period blood

between cycles, that is something

you'll want to take up with your

doctor because it may indicate

other internal issues.

Bleeding in between cycles

(various shades of red) might

signify pre-cancer or cancer,

uterine anomalies such as a polyp,

vaginal growth or pregnancy,

Dweck said.

If it's been a while since you've

last changed your pad or tampon,

then you might notice the blood is

darker and this is normal.

"Dark brown or black typically

suggests older blood," Dweck said.

"The process of oxidation occurs

over time and turns blood a darker

color, a common finding at the tail

end of the cycle."

The general rule of thumb is the

older the blood, the darker the

color.

While black period blood is likely

a sign of older blood, it could also

be an indicator of a vaginal

blockage. These types of blockages

are usually accompanied by a

fever, smelly discharge and

swelling around the vagina.

For period blood that is light

pink, you might want to take a trip

to the doctor to run some labs.

"Very light pink, with a watery

texture could signify anemia or low

blood count or iron," Dweck said.

"This typically occurs with chronic

and excessive flow or in those with

iron-poor diets."

Light-pink color could also be the

result of period blood mixed with

cervical fluid, along with

significant weight loss.

Unlike shades of red, gray or

green period blood may be a red

flag. "Gray or greenish hues might

signify infection; this color might

be accompanied by an odor, itch or

irritation," Dweck said.

Gray period blood might indicate

bacterial vaginosis, for which you'll

want to visit your doctor for

appropriate diagnosis and

treatment.

You know your body better than

anyone else. If you've had a period

for a while, then you're probably

familiar with the colors and smells

that accompany your cycle.

"Learning your cycle and its

consistency, the color, the smell

and any other features of it will

help when looking for

inconsistencies," Shepherd said.

While changes in color are

important for acknowledging

potential issues, Murrain says to

keep an eye on "heavy bleeding,

requiring the need to change pads

or tampons more frequently than

two hours, lightheadedness or

dizziness associated with

menstrual cycle, excess fatigue and

weakness associated with the

menstrual cycle."

Additionally, be on the lookout

for "multiple large clots larger than

a quarter, severe cramping

associated with a menstrual cycle,

bleeding lasting longer than eight

days, bleeding in between your

menstrual cycles and abnormal

discharge with your bleeding,"

Murrain added.

If any of these arise, it's

important to schedule an

appointment with your

gynecologist to rule out any further

problems. Getting an annual pap

smear and checkup to make sure

everything is healthy in relation to

your cycle and reproductive health

is also critical.

For additional questions about

period blood and your cycle,

consult with your doctor to keep

them updated on your specific

issues and observations.

Scientists are tracking the virus after China reported 35 cases. Photo: Getty

JuliE KEndriCK

They don't call it "beauty

sleep" for nothing. Getting

a minimum of seven hours

nightly is good for your

health, which is above all

else. But sleeping in the

wrong position, or on the

wrong type of pillowcase,

can actually make you look

more tired.

Luckily, there are also a

few hacks to improve your

chances of looking your

best when you wake up.

We talked to medical and

beauty experts about the

"three p's" - position,

pillowcases and purpose -

which will help you get

your zzz's in the most

wrinkle-preventing way

possible.

"Sleeping on your back is

the best option when it

comes to reducing

wrinkles,"

said

dermatologist Michael

Jacobs, medical technology

director at Cortina and

clinical associate professor

of Dermatology at Weill

Cornell Medical College.

"When you sleep on your

side, the skin folds and

there is pressure on just

one side of the face, which

can allow wrinkles to form.

Sleeping on your back can

help combat those

unwanted lines."

Dermatologist Courtney

Rubin, co-founder of Fig.1,

agreed that back is best for

wrinkle prevention.

"Sleeping preferentially on

one side of your face, or on

your stomach, can lead to

pressure and shear forces

on the skin, along with

creasing of the skin," she

said. "Spending many

hours sleeping in a position

where your skin is

stretched and creased from

your sleeping position can

lead to wrinkle formation

over time. If this applies to

you, then finding a pillow

that offloads pressure from

your face - or changing

positions to sleep on your

back - can reduce the

likelihood of these

wrinkles."

"Sleeping this way

eliminates the possibility of

your face being pressed

into a surface all night,"

said dermatologist Arash

Akhavan. "It also

eliminates any potential

irritation from the surface

you are sleeping on."

If you're wondering how

you can change your

natural sleeping position,

there are ways. Here's a full

guide.

"Picture tossing a sheet

down on your bed,

crumpled in a pile," said

Joie Tavernise, medical

esthetician and founder of

JTAV Clinical Skincare.

"The next day that sheet

will be wrinkly, whereas if

you stretch it out flat, it will

remain wrinkle-free. Our

skin acts the same way."

Her advice? "Just as you

How your sleep position can cause wrinkles

trying sleeping on your back and consider giving silk a try.

wear a hat and sunscreen

during the day to protect

from harmful UV rays and

free radicals, at night there

are tools and products to

use to ensure that you

aren't doing damage

during what is supposed to

be a replenishing time."

If you've been reading

about the benefits of

having the right type of

pillowcase, there are some

experts who see the logic

behind the claims. "Silk

Photo: Collected

pillowcases are better for

your skin," Jacobs said.

"There's less friction

between your skin and the

pillow, which reduces the

negative effect that it can

have on your skin."

If you've been reading

about the benefits of

having the right type of

pillowcase, there are some

experts who see the logic

behind the claims. "Silk

pillowcases are better for

your skin," Jacobs said.

"There's less friction

between your skin and the

pillow, which reduces the

negative effect that it can

have on your skin."

Don't forget sleep masks,

too, he said. "Using a silk

sleeping eye mask can

significantly reduce the

formation of wrinkles by

protecting the most

delicate part of your skin

around your eyes."

So what's so great about

silk? "Because silk is softer

than cotton, it won't tug or

pull at the skin as you move

around during sleep,"

Tavernise explained. "Silk

also absorbs less moisture

than cotton or microfiber,

so it won't suck the

hydration or night

products from your skin

overnight." She had

another smart tip to keep

your face its freshest:

"Regardless of what type of

pillowcase you use, you

should be washing it

regularly to prevent the

spread of bacteria that can

lead to acne."

It's important to

prioritize sleep as a time to

undo some damage of the

day that's just passed.

"Most of the

environmental damage

that happens to skin is

during the daytime hours,

with exposure to pollution

and oxidizing agents, UV

light and other factors,

which all contribute, over

time, to loss of collagen,

fine lines, wrinkles and

dark spots," said Rubin. "I

think of nighttime as a

chance for skin recovery,

by using topicals like

retinol, which supports

collagen production, and

by getting sufficient rest to

combat daily wear-andtear."

"When you're sleeping,

your skin is working to

rejuvenate itself by

increasing blood flow and

rebuilding collagen,"

Akhavan said. "With an

insufficient amount of

sleep, the body produces

stress response hormones,

which play a major role in

skin inflammation, aging

and slower wound healing.

Lack of sleep is one of the

main contributors to aging

skin, and it also

exacerbates inflammatory

skin conditions such as

eczema, psoriasis and

dermatitis."

So remember: Get a

fresh, clean pillowcase

(possibly silk), lie flat on

your back and enjoy those

sweet, skin-renewing

dreams.

WedneSdAy, AuguSt 17, 2022

6

roVA foundation with the help of pKSF provided financial support to 13 students in Magura on

tuesday.

photo: rokibul hoque dipu

2 persons die

in Tangail

road accident

TANGAIL: Two elderly

people were killed and three

others injured as a CNG-run

auto-rickshaw hit a parking

truck in Ghatail upazila of

the district early yesterday,

reports BSS.

The deceased were

identified as Shahjahan, 65,

hailed from Kashtola village

and Nepal Chandra Saha, an

inhabitant of Hamidpur

Sahapara area in the upazila.

Sub-Inspector of Ghatail

Thana Monirul Islam said

the accident occurred at

around 4:30 am in the

Brahmanshashon area on

the Tangail-Mymensingh

Regional Road. CNG

passengers - Shajahan and

Nepal Chandra died on the

spot. The injured people

were admitted to Tangail

General Hospital.

Meanwhile, a bus plunged

into a ditch near Shakrail

Sholakura Bridge under

Kalihati Upazila this

morning, injuring 17 people.

BFRI organizes

discussion and

Doa Mahfil

S M Arzu, ChAttogrAM

City CorreSpondent:

On the occasion of the 47th

martyrdom anniversary and

National Mourning Day of

Father of the Nation, the

greatest Bengali of all time,

the great architect of

freedom and the great hero

of history, Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a

discussion meeting and doa

mahfil was held at the

auditorium of Bangladesh

Forest Research Institute

(BFRI) on Monday.

In front of the

administrative building of

BFRI, the national flag is

kept at half-mast in the first

hour of sunrise and under

the leadership of the director

of BFRI Dr. Rafiqul Haider,

"Mujib Chirantan" wreath

was placed on the portrait of

the Father of the Nation in

the administrative building

premises.

An open discussion was

organized on the occasion of

the 47th martyrdom

anniversary of Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

and National Mourning

Day-2022. A documentary

entitled "Bloody August 15"

was screened at the National

Mourning Day discussion

meeting chaired by Director

of Bangladesh Forest

Research Institute, Rafiqul

Haider.

Under the direction of

Forest Research Institute

Publicity Officer Yakub Ali,

Md. Shamsuzzaman

(Mechanic), Dr. Shamima

Nasreen (Field Investigator),

Laila Abeda Akhter (Research

Officer), Asim Kumar Pal

(Divisional Officer), Mahbubur

Rahman, (Departmental

Officer), Dr. Hasina Maryam

(departmental officer) and Dr.

Rafiqul Haider Director,

Bangladesh Forest Research

Institute spoke in the prayer

meeting and discussion

meeting.

Farmers busy with transplanting Aman

rice seedlings in Jashore region

JASHORE: Farmers are now passing busy

times with rowing Aman rice seedlings on

their crop lands in six south-western districts

of DAE Jashore region, reports BSS.

Department of Agriculture Extension

(DAE) officials are rendering their field-level

services on lands following health guidelines

amid the Covid-19 pandemic situation with a

view to meeting farmer's food demands as

well as to ensure food security of the country.

The DAE office sources said a target has

been designed here to produce over 14.92

lakh tonnes of Aman rice from 4.55 lakh

hectares of land in DAE Jashore region

during the current Aman season.

According to the DAE production target,

4,37,035 tonnes of Aman rice will be

produced from 1,38,947 hectares of land in

Jashore, 3,43,920 tonnes of Aman rice from

1,04,750 hectares of land in Jhenaidah,

2,05,503 tonnes of Aman rice will be

produced from 61,472 hectares of land in

Magura, 3,00,341 tonnes of Aman rice will

be produced from 88,895 hectares of land in

Kushtia, 1,20,923 tonnes of Aman rice will

be produced from 34,920 hectares of land in

Chuadanga and 84,384 tonnes of Aman rice

will be produced from 26,370 hectares of

land in Meherpur districts.

The government through the DAE and

other agriculture-related organizations and

institutions is extending necessary assistance

and latest technologies to farmers to make

the intensive Aman rice farming program a

success, the DAE sources said.

Additional Director of DAE for Jashore

region Agriculturist Dr. Md. Ekhlas Uddin

said at the directives of the government,

different state-run agencies including

Bangladesh Agriculture Development

Corporation Bangladesh Chemical

Industries Corporation (BADC) and

Bangladesh Chemical Industries

Corporation ( BCIC) have ensured proper

supply of adequate quantity of improved

quality Aman seeds, fertilizers and

agricultural equipment among the Aman

growers. The state-run banks including

Bangladesh Krishi Bank have also

distributed crop loans to the farmers for

helping them run their Aman cultivation

without financial problems, he said.

joukura Mozahar hossain Foundation (jMhF) organized free medical camp on

the occasion of national Mourning day in rajbari. photo: Md. Muniruzzaman

JMHF organizes free medical camp in Rajbari

Md. MuniruzzAMAn, rAjBAri CorreSpondent:

On the occasion of National Mourning Day,

a free medical camp was organized by

Joukura Mozahar Hossain Foundation

(JMHF) of Rajbari headquarters on

Monday. In that medical camp, especially

poor and female patients with eye problems

were given treatment and medicine.

Specialist female doctors Dr. Batul

Rahman and Dr. Amjad Hossain of Faridpur

Bangabandhu Medical College Hospital

treated the patients and the secretaries of

Mozahar Hossain Foundation, Samaj Sevak

Kausarul Ferdous and Zahid Hasan Shanto

provided overall support for this medical

camp.

Earlier, Dr. Batul Rahman addressed the

gathering of the patients who came to the

camp asking for full cooperation.

on the occasion of the 47th martyrdom anniversary and national

Mourning day of Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur rahman, a discussion meeting and doa mahfil was held at

the auditorium of Bangladesh Forest research institute (BFri) on

Monday.

photo: S M Arzu

13 destitute and

meritorious

students get

financial support

roKiBul hoque dipu,

MAgurA CorreSpondent:

13 destitute and meritorious

students were provided with

financial support to ensure

their smooth educational

life.

Each of the 13 students of

intermediate 1st year was

provided with tk 12000

while they will get 12000 tk

more after promotion to 2nd

year. Moreover the student

who will get into any public

university after passing HSC

examination will get 6000 tk

per month until completing

higher education. ROVA

foundation distributed the

check among the students

with the help of PKSF. In the

cheque distribution

ceremony Magura district

board administrator Pankaj

Kumar Kundu was the chief

guest with ROVA

foundation executive

director Kazi Kamruzzaman

as the chair.

Two motorcyclists

killed in Bogura road

accident

BOGURA: Two motorcyclists

were killed as their motorcycle

collided head on with a truck

in Matidali Biman Mor in the

town last night, reports BSS.

The deceased were

identified as Habib, 25,

hailed from Kalibala area in

Sadar Upazila and Rocky,

25, an inhabitant in

Karnapur area. Officer-in-

Charge of Sadar Thana

Selim Reza said the accident

occurred at about 11pm last

in the area. Habib was

declared dead at TMSS

Hospital while Rocky

breathed his last at Shaheed

Ziaur Rahman Medical

College Hospital.

Restaurant fined

Tk 10,000 in Bogura

BOGURA: A team of

Directorate of National

Consumer Rights Protection

(DNCRP) in a drive, here

today realized Taka 10,000

as fine for making food in

unhygienic environment in

Jalesharitola area of the

district town yesterday

afternoon, reports BSS.

Sources concerned said

the team led by assistant

director of Directorate of

National Consumer Rights

Protection (DNCRP) in

Bogura Iftekharul Alam

Rizvi conducted the drive at

Barbeque-Lavilla restaurant

in Jalesharitola area and

fined Taka 10,000, for

making food in unhygienic

environment.

JAA lays foundation stone for

houses for two poor families

Syed SAyed AhMed, SreeMAngAl CorreSpondent:

Jalalabad Association of America (JAA) Inc.

has laid the foundation stone for the

construction of a house between two needy,

poor families in Moulvibazar. This

foundation stone was laid at the house of

Md. Abdul Malik of Hajipur Hamid Nagar

village, Ward No. 7, Kalapur Union No. 5,

Sreemangal Upazila, on Tuesday morning.

Md Mizanur Rahman Pappu, elected

district representative of Jalalabad

Association of America Inc. laid the

foundation stone of the house with the help

of local UP member Md Fazor Ali.

Later in the afternoon, the foundation

stone of the second house was laid at the

residence of Md. Jablu Mia of Raishri village,

Ward No. 9, Ekatuna Union, No. 6,

Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila.

The foundation stone of the house was laid

by the Chairman of Ekatuna Union Parishad

Alhaj Md. Abu Sufian.

Md. Mizanur Rahman Pappu, elected

district representative of Jalalabad

Association of America Inc., senior vice

president of Sreemangal Press Club Md.

Kawshar Iqbal, Treasurer Syed Sayed

Ahmed, Ikramul Islam Imon, the owner of

Srimangal's prominent businessman Hotel

Skypark, 9th ward member Syed Rumel Ali,

7th ward member Fardous Ahmad and local

Murubbi Badrul Khan etc. were present as

guests under the moderation of UP member

Moinul Islam Imon.

jalalabad Association of America has laid the foundation stone for the

construction of a house between two needy, poor families in

Moulvibazar on tuesday.

photo: Syed Sayed Ahmed

BCG and DNC jointly arrest

6 drug dealers

Based on secret intelligence, a large

shipment of narcotics is said to be coming to

Bangladesh from Myanmar in the sea area

adjacent to St. Martin's Chheradweep under

Teknaf police station. Based on the

information received on 16 August 2022

Bangladesh Coast Guard Station Teknaf and

Department of Narcotics Control conducted

a special operation in the area.

During the operation, at approximately

0300 hours, 1 fishing boat was seen on the

border of Bangladesh. When the movement

of the boat looked suspicious, the Coast

Guard member signaled the boat to stop. But

the boat did not stop and tried to escape

quickly by changing direction.

At this time, the Coast Guard members

were able to chase and stop the boat. Later,

the boat was searched and 06 yaba

smugglers were arrested with 1,70,000

(one hundred and seventy thousand)

pieces of yaba from two plastic bags. Later,

the seized yaba, fishing boat and 06

arrested persons were handed over to

Teknaf Model Police Station for taking

appropriate legal action.

Bangladesh Coast guard Station teknaf and department of narcotics

Control conducted a special operation on tuesday and arrested 6 drug

dealers.

photo: Courtesy

A 10-bed mother and child welfare center has been inaugurated at rajapur village of Kalishuri union in Bauphal.

10-bed Mother and Child Welfare

Center opens in Bauphal

Atul pAul, BAuphAl CorreSpondent:

A 10-bed mother and child welfare center has been

inaugurated at Rajapur village of Kalishuri union in Bauphal.

The 10-bed mother and child welfare center was inaugurated

in the event by former chief whip upazila Awami League

president Valiant Freedom Fighter A.S.M. Feroz MP, under

the chairmanship of Upazila Mother, Child Health and

Family Planning Medical Officer, Zakir Hossain on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Chief Guest ASM Feroz said that Sheikh

Hasina's government has provided health services to the

photo: Atul paul

people. From now on, mothers and children of the area will

not have to go to the upazila sadar to get medical services.

They can get treatment at home. Mother and child welfare

center patients will get all facilities like other government

hospitals. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina always thinks about

the people of Bangladesh.

Upazila Parishad Vice Chairman Mosharef Hossain Khan,

Women Vice Chairman Maryam Begum Nishu, APS Anichur

Rahman, Doctor Abdur Rauf, Upazila Awami League Vice

President Adv. Mofizur Rahman and others were present at

the occasion.

weDNeSDAY, AUgUST 17, 2022

7

The first shipment of grain to leave Ukraine under a wartime deal appears to have ended up in Syria - even as Damascus

remains a close ally of Moscow, satellite images analyzed Tuesday by The Associated Press show.

Photo : Internet

China announces new drills as

US delegation visits Taiwan

TAIPEI : China announced more

military drills around Taiwan as the selfgoverning

island's president met with

members of a new U.S. congressional

delegation on Monday, threatening to

renew tensions between Beijing and

Washington after a similar recent visit by

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

angered China, reports UNB.

Pelosi was the highest-level member of

the U.S. government to visit Taiwan in

25 years, and her trip prompted nearly

two weeks of threatening military

exercises by China, which claims the

island as its own. In those drills, Beijing

fired missiles over the island and into the

Taiwan Strait and sent warplanes and

navy ships across the waterway's

midline, which has long been a buffer

between the sides that split amid civil

war in 1949.

China accuses the U.S. of encouraging

the island's independence through the

sale of weapons and engagement

between U.S. politicians and the island's

government. Washington says it does

not support independence, has no

formal diplomatic ties with the island

and maintains that the two sides should

settle their dispute peacefully - but it is

legally bound to ensure the island can

defend itself against any attack.

American and Taiwanese officials

have accused China of using Pelosi's visit

as a pretext for intimidating moves, and

a senior U.S. official said recently that

Washington would continue to deepen

its ties with Taiwan in the coming days

and weeks. The latest trip began Sunday

with little notice ahead of time - and

drew more ire from China. The

delegation was due to leave late Monday.

"China will take resolute and strong

measures to defend national sovereignty

and territorial integrity," Chinese

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang

Wenbin said at a daily briefing Monday,

after Beijing announced new drills in the

seas and skies surrounding Taiwan. "A

handful of U.S. politicians, in collusion

with the separatist forces of Taiwan

independence, are trying to challenge

the one-China principle, which is out of

their depth and doomed to failure."

The new exercises were intended to be

"resolute response and solemn deterrent

against collusion and provocation

between the U.S. and Taiwan," the

Defense Ministry said earlier.

It was not clear if the new drills had

already started since the ministry gave

no details about where and when they

would be conducted, in contrast to

previous rounds.

The U.S. lawmakers, led by

Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of

Massachusetts, met with President Tsai

Ing-wen, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu

and legislators, according to the

American Institute in Taiwan,

Washington's de facto embassy on the

island. At their meeting, Tsai said her

administration was working with allies

to ensure stability in the Taiwan Strait

and maintain the status quo - a reference

to the island's self-governance, separate

from Beijing.

"Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier

this year has shown the threat that

authoritarian nations pose to the global

order," Tsai said. Markey responded by

saying Washington and Taipei had a

"moral obligation to do everything we

can to prevent an unnecessary conflict

and Taiwan has demonstrated

incredible restraint and discretion

during challenging times."

The senator also highlighted

legislation intended to boost political

and economic ties with Taiwan,

especially in the critical semiconductor

industry. Taiwan is a crucial provider of

computer chips for the global economy,

including China's high-tech sectors, and

beyond the geopolitical risks of rising

tensions in the region, an extended crisis

in the Taiwan Strait could have major

implications for international supply

chains at a time when the world is

already facing disruptions and

uncertainty. Markey is one of the few

members of Congress still serving who

voted for the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act

that ensured continued relations with

the island following the switch of U.S.

diplomatic recognition from Taipei to

Beijing. The other members of the

delegation are Republican Rep. Aumua

Amata Coleman Radewagen, a delegate

from American Samoa, and Democrats

John Garamendi.

The U.N. special envoy for Myanmar traveled to the Southeast Asian nation Monday for the first time

since she was appointed to the post last October.

Photo : Internet

UN envoy travels to strife-torn

Myanmar for the first time

UNITED NATIONS : The U.N. special

envoy for Myanmar traveled to the

Southeast Asian nation Monday for the

first time since she was appointed to the

post last October.

The trip by Nellen Heyzer followed the

U.N. Security Council's latest call for an

immediate end to all forms of violence

and unimpeded humanitarian access in

the strife-torn country.

Heyzer "will focus on addressing the

deteriorating situation and immediate

concerns as well as other priority areas of

her mandate," U.N. spokesman Stephane

Dujarric said.

He gave no details on whether Heyzer

would meet with Myanmar's military

rulers or the country's imprisoned former

leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, a longtime

U.N. demand. Suu Kyi was convicted

earlier Monday on more corruption

charges, adding six years to her earlier 11-

year prison sentence.

Heyzer's visit "follows her extensive

consultations with actors from across the

political spectrum, civil society as well as

communities affected by the ongoing

conflict," Dujarric said.

Earlier this month, Cambodian Foreign

Minister Prak Sokhonn, special envoy to

Myanmar for the 10-member Association

of Southeast Asian Nations, said efforts by

Myanmar's neighbors to help restore

peace and normalcy to the strife-torn

nation were hindered by the country's

recent execution of four political activists.

He warned that further executions

would force the regional group to

reconsider how it engages with fellow

member Myanmar. In February 2021,

Myanmar's army ousted Suu Kyi's elected

government and then violently cracked

down on widespread protests against its

actions. After security forces unleashed

lethal force on peaceful demonstrators,

some opponents of military rule took up

arms.

Myanmar's military rulers agreed to a

five-point ASEAN plan in April 2021 to

restore peace and stability to the country,

which includes an immediate halt to

violence and a dialogue among all parties.

But the country's military has made little

effort to implement the plan, and

Myanmar has slipped into a situation that

some U.N. experts have characterized as a

civil war. Heyzer, a women's rights activist

from Singapore, headed UNIFEM, a U.N.

development organization that focuses on

promoting women's.

1 dead, 9 injured

in gas explosion

at Missouri home

WYATT : A gas explosion

Monday at a southeast

Missouri home killed one

person and injured nine

others, authorities said.

The explosion happened

around 7 a.m. in Wyatt, a

town of about 280 people

that's about 130 miles (210

kilometers) south of St.

Louis, Capt. Barry Morgan

with the Mississippi County

Sheriff's Office said. He said

authorities were trying to

determine whether a water

heater or stove were to

blame.

He identified the person

killed only as a man in his

mid-20s. Nine other people -

the youngest just 6 months

old - had serious or critical

burn injuries. Several were

flown to hospitals in St.

Louis and Memphis,

Tennessee.

"That is a ton of people in a

house," he said. "So that's

what we're trying to

determine why there were so

many people in there,

because when I arrived on

scene, it was just there was

victims lying everywhere,

badly burned."

The garage of a

neighboring home also

caught fire, but no one inside

that structure was hurt,

Morgan said.

The State Fire Marshal

and a state propane

commission were

investigating.

FIFA suspends

India's football

body over 'third

party influence'

NEW DELHI : In a big blow to

Indian football, international

apex body FIFA on Tuesday

suspended the country's

soccer association "due to

undue influence from third

parties".

This means that India will

not be able to host the bigticket

Women's Under-17's

World Cup, slated to begin in

the country on 11 October.

"The Bureau of the FIFA

Council has unanimously

decided to suspend the All

India Football Federation

(AIFF) with immediate effect

due to undue influence from

third parties, which

constitutes a serious violation

of the FIFA Statutes," the apex

soccer body said in a release.

"The suspension means that

the FIFA U-17 Women's

World Cup 2022, scheduled to

take place in India on 11-30

October 2022, cannot

currently be held in India as

planned," it added.

However, on an optimistic

note, FIFA said that the

suspension will be revoked

"once the AIFF

administration regains full

control of the AIFF's daily

affairs". "FIFA is in constant

constructive contact with the

Ministry of Youth Affairs and

Sports in India and is hopeful

that a positive outcome to the

case may still be achieved," it

added.

Satellite images show first ship

out of Ukraine in Syria

DUBAI : The first shipment of grain to leave

Ukraine under a wartime deal appears to

have ended up in Syria - even as Damascus

remains a close ally of Moscow, satellite

images analyzed Tuesday by The

Associated Press show.

The arrival of the cargo ship Razoni in

Syria comes after the government in Kyiv

praised the ship's initial departure from the

port of Odesa as a sign that Ukraine could

safely ship out its barley, corn, sunflower oil

and wheat to a hungry world where global

food prices have spiked in part due to the

war.

But its arrival in Syria's port of Tartus

shows how complicated and murky

international trade and shipping can be.

Syria has already received Ukrainian grain

taken from Russian-occupied territory

amid Moscow's war on Kyiv.

Images from Planet Labs PBC analyzed

by the AP showed the Sierra Leone-flagged

GD-1376/22 (5x3)

Razoni at port just before 11 a.m. Monday.

The vessel was just next to the port's grain

silos, key to supplying wheat to the nation.

Data from the Razoni's Automatic

Identification System tracker shows it had

been turned off since Friday, when it was

just off the coast of Cyprus, according to

ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com.

Ships are supposed to keep their AIS

trackers on, but vessels wanting to hide

their movements often turn theirs off.

Those heading to Syrian ports routinely do

so.

The Razoni could be identified in the

satellite image by its color, length and

width, as well as the four large white cranes

on its deck. Samir Madani, co-founder of

the oil-shipment website

TankerTrackers.com and an expert on

following ships via satellite images,

similarly identified the vessel from the

image.

UN envoy seeks expanded

Yemen truce to spur

ceasefire talks

UNITED NATIONS : The top U.N. envoy for

Yemen said Monday he is intensifying efforts

to achieve an expanded truce between the

warring parties that would hopefully lead to

the start of talks on a ceasefire and

preparations for resuming a Yemeni-led

political process.

Hans Grundberg told the U.N. Security

Council that the agreement by the

internationally recognized government and

Houthi rebels Aug. 2 to a two-month extension

of the truce continues the longest pause in

fighting since Yemen's civil war began in 2014.

The truce began April 2.

He said the parties' commitment to continue

negotiations to reach an expanded truce

agreement by Oct. 2 also provides an

opportunity to further improve the daily lives

of Yemenis facing one of the world's worst

humanitarian crises.

Failure to extend the truce "would lead to

renewed cycles of escalation and violence," he

warned in the video briefing. "Yemen urgently

needs to avoid this scenario, and I call on the

parties to make the choice to build the

necessary confidence to avoid a return to war

and to begin to build a lasting peace."

Yemen's civil war erupted in 2014, when the

Houthis descended from their northern

enclave and took over the capital, forcing the

government to flee to the south and then to

Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition - then

backed by the United Sates - entered the war

in early 2015 to try to restore the government

to power. Since then, the conflict has turned

into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and

Iran, which backs the Houthis.

Four-and-a-half months into the truce,

Grundberg said, it continues to "broadly hold

in military terms" with no major military

operations or changes to frontlines and no

confirmed airstrikes in Yemen or cross-border

attacks from Yemen.

The significant decline in casualties since

the start of the truce is continuing, with the

lowest casualty count in the first week of

August since the beginning of the truce and

the war, he said.

But Ghada Mudawi, the acting director of

operations and advocacy in the U.N.

humanitarian office, told the council that

"according to open-source reports, more than

150 civilians have been killed since the truce

began in April."

She cited shelling into a residential district

in Taiz, Yemen's third largest city, that killed

one child and injured 10 other children July

23. Grundberg said he recently spent time on

both sides of the frontline in Taiz, and opening

the roads there and in other provinces

"continue to be at the forefront of my efforts."

He said several proposals with different sets of

roads and sequencing options have been

presented to the parties.

The top U.N. envoy for Yemen said Monday he is intensifying efforts to

achieve an expanded truce between the warring parties that would hopefully

lead to the start of talks on a ceasefire and preparations for resuming

a Yemeni-led political process.

Photo : Internet

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022

8

Bank Asia Ltd observed "National Mourning Day" on Monday with daylong activities. The activity

started early in the morning with half-mast hoisting of national flag and singing of national anthem

at the premises of Bank Asia Tower, Karwan Bazar, Dhaka. Then tree plantation activity was performed

at the same premises. A virtual discussion meeting was held to recall the great life, work and

unforgettable memories of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The

meeting was chaired by the President & Managing Director (CC) Adil Chowdhury where Additional

Managing Director Shafiuzzaman, Deputy Managing Directors Md. Sazzad Hossain, Mohammad

Ziaul Hasan Molla, S.M. Iqbal Hossain, Alamgir Hossain, Head of different divisions and branches

were present. Around 1,000 employees joined the meeting virtually. At noon, A Doa Mahfil and food

distribution program were taken place in an Orphanage and Madrasa for visually impaired children

at Matuail, Jatrabari of the capital city.

Photo : Courtesy

Mining giant BHP

records decade-high

profit, buoyed by coal

SYDNEY : Australian

mining firm BHP revealed

Tuesday that its profits

jumped nearly 40 percent in

the past year despite falling

iron ore prices, bolstered by

unprecedented demand for

coal and copper.

The company recorded

US$23.8 billion in

underlying attributable

profit after a busy year in

which it completed a merger

with petroleum giant

Woodside.

BHP's stellar resultswhich

will see shareholders

paid a full-year dividend of

US$3.25 per share-outpaced

analysts' expectations as

many others in the mining

sector face tough times.

Rival miner Rio Tinto

recently reported that its

profits fell sharply in the past

year and halved its dividend.

BHP's coal business drove

its strong results, with both

metallurgical and energy

coal prices hitting record

levels after Russia's invasion

of Ukraine.

Copper was also a boon to

the company's fortunes,

despite some recent price

drops.

"These strong results were

due to safe and reliable

operations, project delivery

and capital discipline, which

allowed us to capture the

value of strong commodity

prices," BHP chief executive

Mike Henry said.

However, BHP warned

conditions may soon cool:

"Growth momentum has

slowed across many key

regions, and caution

remains due to geopolitical

uncertainty as well as

COVID-19."

It pointed to advanced

economies in particular,

where many central banks

are trying to rein in

inflation.

"We expect to see a

slowdown in advanced

economies as monetary

policy tightens, as well as

ongoing geopolitical

uncertainty and

inflationary pressures,"

Henry said.

BHP also revealed in its

results that the impact of

Covid-19 on its operations

was US$1.5 billion, largely

due to constraints on

labour and supply.

A. B. M. Mokammel Hoque Chowdhury, Managing Director& CEO of Union

Bank Limited placed a floral wreath on the eve of 47th Death Anniversary

and National Mourning Day on yesterday at the portrait of the Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahmanin Bank's Head Office,

72, Bahela Tower, Gulshan-1, Dhaka and organizedTree plantation & distributed

food in the different Orphanage & Madrasha. Additional

Managing Director ofthe bank Md. Habibur Rahman,Deputy Managing

Director Md. Nazrul Islam and Divisional Heads& Executives of the Head

Officewere present at the program. A Doa-Mahfil was also organized on

the occasion.

Photo : Courtesy

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited organized discussion and doa program

to observe the National Mourning Day and the 47th martyrdom

anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman at virtual platform on 15 August 2022, Monday. Professor

Md. Nazmul Hassan, Ph.D, Chairman of the bank addressed the program

as chief guest. Presided over by Mohammed Monirul Moula,

Managing Director and CEO of the bank, the program was addressed

by Professor Dr. Md. Salim Uddin, FCA, FCMA, Chairman, Executive

Committee, Mohammad Solaiman, FCA, Chairman, Audit

Committee, Major General (Rtd.) Engr. Abdul Matin, Chairman, Risk

Management Committee of bank as special guest. Md. Joynal Abedin

and Professor Dr. Qazi Shahidul Alam, Directors of bank addressed

the program. Professor Dr. Mohammad Gias Uddin Talukder,

Chairman, IBBL Shari`ah Supervisory Committee conducted Doa-

Munazat. Professor Dr. Md. Sirajul Karim, Professor Md. Kamal

Uddin, Ph.D, Syed Abu Asad, Quamrul Hasan, Professor Dr.

Mohammad Saleh Jahur, Professor Dr. Md. Fashiul Alam, Khurshid-

Ul-Alam and Mohammed Nasir Uddin, FCMA, Directors of the bank

attended the program. Muhamad Qaisar Ali, Md. Omar Faruk Khan &

J Q M Habibullah, FCS, Additional Managing Directors also

addressed the program. Top executives of Head Office, Zonal Heads,

Branch incumbents and Officials of the Bank also attended the program.

Besides, 16 Zonal Offices and 384 Branches of the Bank also

organized discussion and Doa Program separately on the occasion of

National Mourning Day on August 14, 2022. Photo : Courtesy

Colocity brings Microsoft Azure stack hub hybrid cloud to Bangladesh

DHAKA : Colocity, service partner of Dell Technologies

and Microsoft cloud, has brought Microsoft Azure stack

hub hybrid cloud to Bangladesh to help local businesses

increase productivity by protecting data at an affordable

cost, a press release said.

Emaad Ispahani, managing director of Colocity,

said many companies in the country are not ready

to move from traditional institutional

infrastructure to the public cloud. Organisation

owners want complete control of their data. "Also,

according to the law of the country, some

information, including financial information, has to

be kept within the country. So, cloud capabilities

can create great opportunities for businesses in the

country," he added.

"Microsoft's Azure Stack Hub can be trusted. And

Colocity is the first tier-3 quality commercial data centre

in Bangladesh."

Oil prices extend

losses in Asia,

equities rise

HONG KONG : Oil prices

extended losses Tuesday

after weak US and Chinese

data reinforced recession

expectations, though

equities won support from

hopes the figures will allow

central banks to temper

their pace of interest rate

hikes.

Stock traders tracked a

Wall Street advance led by

tech firms thanks to an

increase in bets that the

Federal Reserve will not lift

borrowing costs by 75 basis

points for a third straight

meeting next month.

Both main crude contracts

dropped in early Asian

business, having lost around

three percent the day before,

as demand expectations are

lowered in light of a string of

soft economic indicators in

major economies.

Signs that Iran is moving

towards a nuclear deal

added to the downward

pressure on prices, with an

agreement seen allowing the

country to restart sales into

the world market.

Analysts said Tehran

could provide 2.5 million

barrels a day, giving a muchneeded

shot in the arm to

supplies, which have been

hammered by sanctions on

Russia in response to its

invasion of Ukraine.

Libya has also boosted

production, helping prices

drop to six-month lows and

wiping out the gains seen

after the Ukraine war

started. But analysts warned

that there might still be

some way to go on an Iran

agreement owing to

upcoming US elections.

Cyber firm Darktrace

shares surge on

possible takeover

LONDON : Shares in British

cyber security firm

Darktrace soared almost a

fifth Tuesday, reflecting a

possible takeover worth

several billion pounds by a

US private equity firm.

Darktrace stock rallied

nearly 18 percent, valuing

the group at more than o3.4

billion ($4.1 billion), after

announcing it was "in the

early stages of discussions

with Thoma Bravo" to take it

private under a cash offer.

AJ Bell financial analyst

Danni Hewson noted that

"Darktrace is in one of the

hottest areas of the tech

world, with demand for

cyber security increasing

amid concern over Russian

cyber warfare linked to the

conflict in Ukraine".

But Darktrace has faced a

rocky time since floating on

the London stock market in

April last year.

"The wild swings in the

share price, while linked to

instability in the tech space

and wider markets, do

suggest that UK investors

have struggled to get to grips

with this complex tech

story," said Hewson. "The

controversy surrounding its

co-founder Mike Lynch

hasn't helped Darktrace, as

he continues to fight

extradition to the US on

fraud charges," she added.

Arif Quadri, Managing Director & CEO of United Commercial Bank

Limited handing over the Integrity Award to A. S. M. Saruar Jahan, Junior

Officer, Chinispur Branch, UCB on Tuesday at UCB Corporate Office along

with the presence of Additional Managing Director of UCB & Chairman of

Ethics Committee Syed Faridul Islam; Additional Managing Director of

UCB Nabil Mustafizur Rahman; Additional Managing Director of UCB

Abul Alam Ferdous; Deputy Managing Director of UCB& Focal Point of

Ethics Committee N. Mustafa Tarek; Deputy Managing Director of UCB&

member of Ethics Committee Mr. Md. Abdullah Al Mamoon; FVP of UCB&

Joint Focal Point of Ethics Committee Shireen Sultana and FAVP of UCB&

member of Ethics Committee Yaomun Nahar.

Photo : Courtesy

As a part of observing the 47th martyrdom anniversary of the Father of the

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman & National Mourning Day,

Standard Bank Limited organized a luncheon for over 1000 underprivileged

children of Sir Salimullah Muslim Orphanage, Chhotamoni Nibas&

Child Day Care Centre, Nurul Uloom Nahuis Sunnah Madrasa &

Orphanage, Jamia Saidia Arabia Madrasa, Emdadia Arabia Madrasa in

Dhaka and Bhavanipur Girls Orphanage & Madrasa, Gazipur on 15 August

2022,. A doamahfil was held before startingthe luncheon and prayers were

offeredfor the forgiveness of departed souls of Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman,his family members & other martyrs of August 15, 1975

and prayers were offered for enlivening the ideals of Bangabandhuin our

heart at all stages of our national life.High officials of Standard Bank and

teachers & employees of the madrasa & orphanages were present at the

moment.

Photo : Courtesy

Walton signs agreement with Microsoft

Microsoft and Walton will jointly provide

software and hardware service in

Bangladesh. The country's first 'Made in

Bangladesh' tagged computer manufacturer

Walton Digi-Tech Industries Limited has

signed an memorandum of understanding

(MoU) in this regard with American techgiant

Microsoft, a press release said.

Under the agreement, Microsoft will

provide software along with hardware

serivces at affordable prices through Walton

Digi-Tech in Bangladesh. The American tech

giant will also contribute in the country's

education sector through Walton.

Customers can enjoy the the services of

Microsoft through Walton laptop and

desktop.

The MoU was signed recently at Walton

Corporate office in city. Sook Hoon Cheah,

General Manager of Microsoft's Southeast

Asia New Markets was present as chief guest

at the signing ceremony.

The agreement signing ceremony was

attended among others by Walton Digi-Tech

Industries Limited's Chairman S.M. Rezaul

Alam, Deputy Managing Director Engineer

Liakat Ali, Corporate Sales Director of

Microsoft's Southeast Asia New Markets

Zahid Alkadhi, Chief Partner Officer Anh

Pham, Walton Digi-Tech's Chief Business

Officer Towhidur Rahman Rad, Chief

Financial Officer Mohammad Abdus Salam.

Guests at the Microsoft-Walton MoU signing ceremony at Walton Corporate Office.

Mutual Trust Bank Limited (MTB)and Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) have recently

organized a series of interactive and informative sessions under an integrated event titled 'IUBians

meet the Bank' for the students of IUB at the Multipurpose Hall on the university campus. The Bank

showcased its Student Banking services and products such as Graduate Account, Cards, Edu Finance

and Student File Services. At the event, the IUB students got the opportunity to discuss various areas

of their concern such as studying abroad, career preparation, managing finance. Besides, industry

experts from the student agencies, PFEC Global and Mentors', gave them tips on how to plan and

prepare studying abroad. Masud Mushfiq Zaman, Head of Group HR, MTB,and Sharmeen Islam,

Assistant Director of Career Guidance & Placement Office, IUB, shared their experiences and views

on a separate career talk. From MTB, Syed Mahbubur Rahman, Managing Director & CEO, Md.

Shafquat Hossain, Head of Retail Banking, Tahsin Taher, Head of Retail Segments & Strategy and

Azam Khan, Head of Communications Department along with other officials were present during

the event.

Photo : Courtesy

WeDneSDAY, AUGUSt 17, 2022

9

Andy Murray of Great Britain plays a backhand during his match against Stan Wawrinka of

Switzerland during the Western & Southern open at the Lindner Family tennis Center in

Mason, ohio.

photo: Ap

Murray downs Wawrinka in

Cincinnati battle of veterans

SportS DeSk

Andy Murray won his first

hardcourt match of the

summer on Monday,

defeating Stan Wawrinka 7-

6 (7/3), 5-7, 7-5 in the

opening round of the

ATP/WTA Cincinnati

Masters, reports UNB.

The 35-year-old Scot was

facing his 37-year-old Swiss

rival for the 22nd time with

both treble Grand Slam

champions still coming back

to full form after long-term

injuries over the past few

seasons.

Murray lost in the first

round at Washington and

last week in Montreal while

Wawrinka's last win came

on grass two months ago at

Queen's Club, London; he

has not won on cement since

the Australian Open last

year.

Murray needed four

match points to advance at a

tournament he has won

twice, in 2008 and 2011. The

veteran was competing here

for the 17th time.

"We're not young

anymore," Murray said.

"Both of us gave our best

right until the end.

"Matches like this are a lot

tougher than when we were

in our mid-20s.

"Both of us love this sport,

we've had our issues with

injuries the last few years.

"The sport has been a huge

part of my life, I started

playing when I was four."

Compatriot Cameron

Norrie joined Murray in the

second round with his 7-6

(7/5), 4-6, 6-4 defeat of

Dane Holger Rune.

The Scot began to well up

as he described his love for

the game.

"When I was out injured

and not sure if I would be

able to come back, I

remembered the reasons

why you play the game,"

Murray said.

"It's taken a lot of effort

and struggles to get back

(after two hip surgeries) and

play at this level again.

"I want to make the most

of it while I'm still able to."

Murray claimed the

opening set in the tiebreaker

as he faced his longtime

rival.

The Scot went down a

break in the second set but

got it back before finding

himself at a set apiece after

being broken in the final

game.

The third set featured

another pair of early service

breaks; but Murray brought

an end to hostilities with a

break for 6-5 followed by a

labored concluding hold of

serve.

In the closing stages,

Murray loudly chastised

himself as his grip on the set

threatened to slip away

against the Swiss whose best

showing here was a

semifinal a decade ago.

The contest was

punctuated repeatedly by

visits from the trainer for

both men.

Other winners on opening

day included 2016

champion Marin Cilic, who

defeated Spain's Jaume

Munar 6-3, 6-3, and

American John Isner, the

2013 finalist against Rafael

Nadal, who advanced past

France's Benjamin Bonzi 7-6

(13/11), 3-6, 7-6 (7/4).

In the WTA draw,

Wimbledon champion

Elena Rybakina defeated

Egyptian Mayar Sherif 6-3,

6-2.

The world number 25 set

up a second-round clash

with eighth seed Garbine

Muguruza, title-winner here

in 2017.

The 23-year-old Kazakh

lifted her game in the second

set to end with five aces and

13 winners against Sharif.

"I was slow at the

beginning but I got my

rhythm and served well,"

Rybakina said. "But my

serve always helps me."

The newest Grand Slam

champion said she is trying

to look ahead in her career

as she adjusts to her status.

"Wimbledon gave me

confidence but now I'm

focusing on my other

tournaments and trying not

to think of the past," she

said.

American Amanda

Anisimova beat ninth seed

Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 6-4.

Promoter Eddie Hearn hoping Anthony Joshua emerges

world champion in Saudi for a second time

Sports Desk

When Anthony Joshua

steps into the ring to face

Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah

on Saturday, Aug. 20, it will

almost feel like he is fighting

in front of a home crowd,

reports UNB.

The British boxer, a twotime

unified heavyweight

world champion, will have a

chance to regain the title he

lost to his Ukrainian

opponent last September

when the two rivals meet in a

rematch at Rage on the Red

Sea.

The 32-year-old has made

Jeddah his training base

over the last month, and

promoter Eddie Hearn

hopes Joshua will leave

Saudi Arabia a world

champion yet again.

"This is our second fight in

Saudi Arabia. The first one,

ironically, was another

rematch that Joshua had to

try and win," said Hearn of

Joshua's previous victory in

2019 against Andy Ruiz. "So,

we've got good vibes about

going back to the Kingdom.

The aim for Saudi was

always to try and do the

undisputed Heavyweight

World Championship. The

biggest prize in the sport is

the Heavyweight World

Championship. So, when we

did Joshua-Ruiz, the

pandemic really slowed that

development down. And

when this fight came

around, it was challenging

principally, and everybody

got in touch.

"We had a tremendous

experience there last time.

Joshua is very comfortable

there, so much so that he's

been out there for weeks

already. Normally, you'd

come out a week before the

fight, if you're traveling, and

he's been there for four

weeks. He loves it there. He's

feeling confident. And it's a

huge fight for boxing."

Hearn said that the

relative sanctuary of Jeddah

has provided Joshua with an

ideal preparation period

away from the glare of media

he would expect in his home

country.

"Obviously, a lot of people

know him in Saudi, but in

England, he can't breathe

without someone taking a

photo, someone bothering

him," said the British

promoter. "He gives his time

to everybody, and it can be

quite draining. So, he loves

the fact that he can be in

Saudi. He loves it there, he

feels comfortable there. And

he can just chill with his

friends in the hotel, he can

go out, he can get coffee. His

Anthony Joshua v oleksandr Usyk 1, tottenham Hotspur Stadium,

London, Britain.

photo: Ap

preparation's been great.

He's got a new trainer for

this fight in Robert Garcia.

It's a very tough fight. Usyk

is pound for pound probably

No. 1 in the sport.

"But Joshua is in a great

place. He feels very

comfortable in Saudi. And

he's ready."

Boxing at the highest level

may still be new to Saudi

Arabia, but it is making big

strides toward rivaling

established hubs such as

London and Las Vegas in

terms of holding big-name

bouts.

"I have incredible

resources. Financially as

well, they're putting a lot

behind the events," Hearn

said. "So, you're going to get

a first-class event in terms of

arena, press conferences,

hotels - everything is done to

the highest possible

standard, and we feel very

comfortable. I couldn't quite

believe when I went back to

Jeddah, six or seven weeks

ago, the difference in the

place that I saw four years

ago.

"When you see a different

place, you see so many

changes, the vibrancy, the

energy around the event.

Joshua and Usyk were

shooting the promo in the

square, and people were

excited. Prince Khalid [bin

Abdulaziz Al-Saud], my

good friend who really

drives boxing in Saudi

Arabia, has a vision for the

sport and a love for the

sport. And I know how much

he cares for the sport. And

that matters to me."

Nunez red card costs Liverpool more

ground in draw with Palace

SportS DeSk

Liverpool fought back with 10 men to

prevent a first Premier League defeat in

front of fans at Anfield since 2017 as

Darwin Nunez was sent off during a 1-1

draw with Crystal Palace on Monday,

reports UNB.

Luis Diaz's sensational strike

salvaged a point for the Reds after

Wilfried Zaha opened the scoring for

Palace in the first half.

Just two games into the season,

Liverpool trail leaders Manchester City

by four points with their new 75-

million-euro (£63 million, $77 million)

striker largely to blame.

Nunez had scored in his first two

appearances against City in the

Community Shield and in rescuing a

point as a substitute in a 2-2 draw away

at Fulham last weekend. But the

Uruguayan's headbutt on Joachim

Andersen just before the hour mark left

his side with an uphill challenge in the

match and increasing ground to make

up already in the title race.

"He knows that now himself," said

Jurgen Klopp when asked if Nunez had

let his teammates down. "Of course it

was a red card. He was provoked but

that is not how he should behave."

Liverpool partly dug themselves out

of a hole thanks to Diaz's brilliant

equaliser and Klopp said he was

bursting with pride at how the 10 men

reacted after a difficult week caused by

an early-season injury crisis.

Roberto Firmino, Thiago Alcantara,

Diogo Jota, Joel Matip and Ibrahima

Konate were all sidelined, while Joe

Gomez was only fit enough for an

appearance off the bench. Nat Phillips

was forced to make his first Premier

League appearance since the final day

of the 2020/21 season at centre-back,

while Klopp had no options to refresh

his attack late in the game.

"The real feeling I have at the

moment is pride," added Klopp. "With

the week's preparation we had it was

unbelievable. It was like a witch was in

the building, every time someone else

had a problem."

Klopp had lambasted his side for a

slow start that cost them two points at

newly-promoted Fulham on the

opening weekend of the season.

This time Liverpool came flying out

the traps, but failed to turn their early

dominance into goals.

James Milner, Nunez and Mohamed

Salah were all guilty of failing to hit the

target with big chances, while Harvey

Elliott's goalbound shot was blocked by

Andersen.

Palace had barely been in the

opposition's half for the first half-hour,

but Patrick Vieira's gameplan worked

to perfection for the opening goal.

Eberechi Eze wriggled free from the

Liverpool press to play the perfect ball

in behind for Zaha to break the offside

trap and curl beyond Alisson Becker

into the far corner.

Liverpool should still have been level

before half-time as Nunez mishit a

glorious chance and the ball floated

back off the post.

His nightmare home debut was

complete on 57 minutes when he

lashed out at Andersen with a headbutt

that will also see him miss upcoming

games against Manchester United,

Bournemouth and Newcastle.

Atletico Madrid's Spanish midfielder Alvaro Morata controls the ball during the Spanish league football

match between Getafe CF and Club Atletico de Madrid at the Alfonso perez Coliseum stadium in

Getafe.

photo: Ap

Morata scores

twice as Atlético

debuts with win

at Getafe

SportS DeSk

The decision to keep Álvaro

Morata is already paying

off for Atlético Madrid,

reports UNB.

Morata scored twice on

Monday as Atlético began

its Spanish league

campaign with a 3-0 win at

Getafe. Antoine Griezmann

also scored coming off the

bench, with João Félix

setting up all three goals for

the visitors.

There had been doubts

about whether Atlético

would keep Morata after

his two-year loan with

Juventus ended. Some

teams, including Juventus

and Manchester United,

reportedly had shown

interest.

But Morata impressed in

the preseason - which

included a hat trick against

Juventus - and Atlético

ultimately decided it was

worth keeping the 29-yearold

striker.

"I don't need to send any

messages," Morata said. "I

have to keep working for

myself and for my team. It

was important to start with

a victory. I think it's going

to be a great year."

It didn't take long on

Monday for Morata to

show Atlético was right. He

scored with a well-placed

low shot from the top of the

area after a nice one-touch

pass by João Félix in the

15th minute, then picked

up another superb assist

from the Portugal

youngster to hit the top of

the net from inside the area

in the 59th.

"He is doing well, he

works hard," Atlético coach

Diego Simeone said.

"Everyone at the club hopes

he will stay with us."

Bangladesh confirms first medal

in 2022 Islamic Solidarity Games

SportS DeSk

Bangladesh's first medal in the 2022 Islamic

Solidarity Games was confirmed Monday as

the women archers set up a final date with

hosts Turkey in Konya, reports UNB.

Roksana Akter, Shyamoli Ray and

Pushpita Jaman totaled 2034 points to finish

second in the compound team event and will

now face their Turkish counterparts in the

gold-medal decider Wednesday.

Roksana had also fared well in the

compound 50m singles event, at one point

leading the chart till the 60th shot before

eventually emerging fifth with a total score of

682 following 72 shots.

SportS DeSk

Bangladesh in the upcoming Asia Cup

Twenty20 2022 will look for opening options

in experienced campaigners Shakib al Hasan

and Mushfiqur Rahim, informed team

director Khaled Mahmud to the media

Monday, reports UNB .

Bangladesh Cricket Board last Saturday

declared a 17-member squad for the six-team

tournament set to begin in the United Arab

Emirates on August 27.

Bangladesh named only two regular

opening batters in Anamul Haque and

Parvez Hossain in the absence of regular

opener Liton Das, who is sidelined from the

tournament due to injury.

Shakib in his long international career has

opened only once for Bangladesh - in the

T20 World Cup 2021 against the West

Indies.

The left-handed batter however, could

score only nine runs in the game.

"Our regular openers are Anamul and

Parvez but there are many in the squad who

have played as openers in domestic cricket. It

can be Mushfiq or Shakib. We also have

options in [Mehedi Hasan] Miraz and

Mahedi [Hasan]. We have a lot of options.

We are now thinking who to use against

Shyamoli garnered 680 points and

followed closely behind at sixth while

Pushpita scored 672 points to finish eighth.

Both Roksana and Shyamoli received a bye

to the quarter-finals while Pushpita will

contest the pre-quarterfinal.

In the recurve men's 70m singles, Hakim

Ahmed Rubel scored 645 points to emerge

10th while the country's premier archer

Ruman Shana totaled 644 to finish 11th.

Sagor Islam ended 16th with 629 points

and will now play the pre-quarterfinal while

Hakim and Runa both received a bye to the

last eight.

In the recurve men's team category,

Bangladesh finished fifth with 1,918 points.

Shakib, Mushfiq among options

to open in Asia Cup

Afghanistan bowling attack," said Mahmud.

Bangladesh will begin their Asia Cup

campaign against the Afghans on August 30

at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

In their second Group B match,

Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka on September

1 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Top two teams from each group will

proceed to the second phase of the

tournament - Super Four round.

Wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiq on the other

hand opened for Bangladesh twice - in 2009

against Zimbabwe in ODI and in 2019 in

T20I against Afghanistan.

It is understood that the national thinktank

is determined to start with regular

openers in Anamul and Parvez and try other

options if need be.

In the last Asia Cup in 2018, Bangladesh

struggled with the openers sans Tamim

Iqbal due to hand injury sustained during

their first game of the tournament, against

Sri Lanka.

The team management and the then 50-

over captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza used

Liton and Miraz in the final, against India.

The opening duo put on a 100-run stand

but Bangladesh eventually lost by three

wickets; the partnership from Liton and

Miraz though got praised.

WEdNEsdAY, AUGUsT 17, 2022

10

Tania in mega serial ‘Nirdosh’

TBT REPORT

Tania Brishty, who made her

journey in the media industry

through a reality show, is now busy

trying to establish herself as an

actress by acting in many good

dramas. She has also proved her

mettle as a talented actress of this

generation. Recently, Tania has

acted in a mega drama serial titled

'Nirdosh' directed by Miftah Anan.

The drama is currently airing on

Global TV. Tania is portraying the

role of Maya in the serial. She is also

getting huge positive response for

her excellent performance as Maya.

About the serial, Tania said,

"Nirdosh is my new serial. I'm

playing the role of Maya. The play is

written by Rashid Iqbal and Lubaba

Binte Hayatullah. It can be said that

I'm quite satisfied with my

character. The drama has been

getting good response since started

airing. After a long time I'm working

on a series of such wonderful stories.

Tarin Apu, Apon Ahsan Bhai, Arsh

and many others are in the drama.

To be honest, you can learn a lot by

working with senior artistes."

Tania Brishty's recent popular

dramas include Miftah Anan's

'Jonom Jonom' opposite Niloy

Alamgir, Zakyul Islam Ripon's

'Pinikei Jhinik', Rakesh Basu's

'Kobja; opposite Mosharraf Karim,

Musafir Roni's 'Powerful Couple'

and Mishuk Mithu's 'Mr Kipta'.

Besides, the film 'Ghasful' directed

by Akram Khan starring Tania has

been well received by the audience.

She is interested in acting more in

movies.

'One-Punch Man’ live-action movie

will be helmed by ‘Fast 9’ director

Justin Lin, known for his

work with the Fast and

Furious franchise, is set to

direct the live-action

movie adaptation of the

beloved manga and anime

series One-Punch Man.

Lin had been preparing to

direct Fast X, which would

have been his sixth film in

the billion-dollar series,

but he left the project after

production began due to

creative differences. Now,

the action director is

heading in a much

different direction.

One-Punch Man is a

manga created in 2009 by

ONE, a Japanese artist, as

a webcomic, and it was

published physically in

2012. It quickly became

popular in Japan and

spread around the world.

The English edition was

published in 2015, and the

first and second volumes

made the New York Times

Manga Bestsellers list, as

well as garnering an Eisner

and a Harvey Award

nomination. One-Punch

Man follows Saitama, a

superhero so strong he can

defeat any enemy with just

one punch. He seeks a

worthy opponent as it has

gotten boring to defeat

unchallenging foes in his

fight against evil. The

manga has been turned

into an acclaimed anime

series already, and a video

game, and now Saitama is

getting his own live-action

movie.

Lin, a noted action

director, has been tapped

to direct One-Punch Man

for Sony Pictures,

according to Deadline.

Also on board the liveaction

adaptation are

Venom writers Scott

Rosenberg and Jeff

Pinkner. The intention is

to begin production before

the end of the year.

Since Lin has a lot of

experience directing action

films, his involvement in

One-Punch Man should

make fans of the manga

very hopeful. Despite

mixed critical responses to

several of his films, they

have grossed hundreds of

millions of dollars. With

memorable fight

sequences throughout,

Lin's movies are

entertaining and actionpacked.

Lin knows what to

do with franchises, taking

over directing for the third

installment of the Star

Trek reboot series, Star

Trek Beyond, as well as his

work in guiding the

massive Fast and Furious

franchise for five films.

Source: Collider

Minu’s song ‘Bangakanya’ released

TBT REPORT

Talented singer Alam Ara Minu,

fascinated the audience with many

songs. Among these, her patriotic song

'Je Matir Buke Ghumiye Ache Lokkho

Mukti Sena,' written by Nasima Khan

and composed by Selim Ashraf, will

keep her alive in the hearts of music

lovers for ages with utmost respect.

Alam Ara Minu has released a brand

new song titled 'Bangakanya'

dedicated to current Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina. Minu's tribute to the

PM is a kind gesture to her as Sheikh

Hasina experienced the pain of losing

her parents and her entire family on

August 15 in 1975. Bearing that pain

and suffering in her chest, she is still

fighting various difficulties to fulfil her

father's dream. She is trying to build

the 'golden Bangladesh' as her father

aspired. Dedicating to the PM, Alam

Ara Minu lends her voice and also

composed the track, while Hosne Ara

Jolly wrote the lyrics of the song.

'Bangakanya' was released on the

occasion of National Mourning Day on

TBT REPORT

The second installment of

Dhallywood superstar Arifin Shuvoo

starrer much-awaited film 'Mission

Extreme' sequel 'Black War' to have

its theatrical release on October this

year.

The entire team of 'Black War' and

both the directors of the film Sunny

Sanwar and Faisal Ahmed working

towards for its release on October.

After the first installment released on

December 3 last year it was scheduled

to release on the occasion of Eid-ul-

Azha, however that didn't happen.

Regarding this context when asked

one of the producers and director of

the film Sunny Sanwar said, "After

thinking about everything, we didn't

release the film 'Black War' last Eid.

But we have revealed its first official

poster for the audience as a gift for

Eid-ul-Azha".

Last month on June 29 they

unveiled the first official poster of the

film which has already created buzz in

the audience with a hint of a great

action in it. The poster featured Arifin

Alam Ara Minu's official YouTube

Channel.

Alam Ara Minu said, "I sang a song

written by Hosne Ara Jolly a few days

ago. I liked the song so much that I

requested her to write two songs titled

'Bangabandhu' and 'Bangakanya'. I

wanted to release the song

'Bangabandhu' on the birth centenary

Shuvoo, Sadia Nabila and Sumit

Sengupta aiming their guns at the

enemy to destroy the evil forces! The

poster has been created in a black

atmosphere in line with the name

'Black War'.

Faisal Ahmed has co-directed both

of the Father of the nation, but it was

not possible at that time.Now, I

released the song 'Bangakanya'. I

composed the song with all the

perseverance I have had in my whole

life. I am an ordinary artist. So I tried

to pay my respect to our PM through

music. Hopefully, the audience will

like the new song."

Shuvoo’s 'Black War’ hit theaters in October

the films along with Sunny Sanwar

under the production of Cop

Creation. The two directors have said

that the story of the first part will end

in the second installment 'Black War'.

Arifin Shuvoo is the central character

in both part of the film 'Mission

Extreme'. Apart from him other

important roles are played by Taskin

Rahman, Jannatul Ferdous Oishee,

Sadia Nabila, Sumit Sengupta, Raisul

Islam Asad, Fazlur Rahman Babu,

Misha Saudagar, Shatabdi Wadud,

Manoj Promanik, Iresh Zaker,

Majnun Mizanf, Sod Khan Apu, Dipu

Imam, Ehsanur Rahman, Imran

Shaudagar and others.

The story of 'Mission Extreme' is

inspired by some of the breathtaking

operations of the Counter-Terrorism

and Transnational Crime (CTTC), a

specialised branch of Bangladesh

Police formed to tackle terrorism and

transnational crime. The story and

screenplay were written by

Superintendent of Police Sunny

Sanwar. The film is presented by Kool

in association with Mime Multimedia

and Dhaka Detective Club.

Priyanka pays an emotional tribute to her ‘Quantico’ Co-Star Anne

The tragic demise of Anne Heche has

left many in deep sorrow. After

learning about Anne Heche's death,

several celebrities including Bollywood

star Priyanka Chopra paid heartfelt

tribute to the late actress on social

media.

Taking to Instagram, Priyanka wrote,

"My heart goes out to Anne Heche's

children, family, friends, and everyone

who grieves." She added, "It was an

honour to have known you and worked

by your side. You were a lovely person

and an incredible actress. You will

always have a special place in my

heart."

Ellen DeGeneres, who dated Anne

Heche in the past too condoled the sad

demise. She wrote, "This is a sad day.

I'm sending Anne's children, family

and friends all of my love."

Anne Heche, 53, had been comatose

in hospital with a severe brain injury

since the fiery collision on August 5.

And one week later, on August 12, she

breathed her last.

Sharing the unfortunate news, a

representative for Anne Heche told

People, "Today we lost a bright light, a

kind and most joyful soul, a loving

mother, and a loyal friend."

"Anne will be deeply missed but she

lives on through her beautiful sons, her

iconic body of work, and her passionate

advocacy.

Her bravery for always standing in

her truth, spreading her message of

love and acceptance, will continue to

have a lasting impact," the rep grieved.

Source: Indian Express

H O R O s c O P E

ARIEs

Today your intellectual and

expressive abilities should receive a

boost from the planets. It's an

excellent time to organize your thoughts about

presenting a project to a possible collaborator,

engage in trade, or write. In terms of your

private life, it's also a good time to examine the

latest events, certain aspects of which are still

partially misunderstood.

TAURUs

Overall, the forecast for today is fairly

good. The aspects seem to favor figuring

out the meaning of all that's transpired

over the past several weeks. It's an

opportunity for you to take a leisurely look at the

distance you've covered moving toward your goals.

Since it's an auspicious day for social activities, why not

get together with friends and discuss the latest events

with them?

GEMINI

Have you felt somewhat lost for the past

few days? The fog may lift today and

enable you to situate yourself at last.

You're probably eager to settle a

question that has nagged at you and interfered with

your judgment. However, you should be patient,

especially if it has to do with emotional matters. Try

to understand, but don't take immediate action.

You'll be more objective beginning tomorrow.

cANcER

You may have been feeling somewhat

disillusioned. Perhaps you lost sight of

your goals or misplaced your faith in

yourself. You'll feel some relief

beginning today. This is an opportunity to end what

has been a somewhat apathetic and moody phase

and begin a new one that's based on work and

meditation. As you can imagine, this new phase will

be much more fulfilling!

LEO

You might be tempted to settle certain

matters by radical means. The

visionary part of you means you're

painfully aware of the world's wrongs.

You see no reason not to take action to correct them.

But the forces in play are so powerful that you can't

expect to institute a new order in one day. If you

have an emotional question to resolve, it would be

better to wait a few days before making a decision.

VIRGO

Today will be fairly calm in terms of

outside events, but your inner world is

likely to be in a rush of activity. Today you

wish you could find the solution to your

heartaches as well as your career predicaments. You'd

like to achieve some supreme understanding of the

events that took place over the past month. First you

must force your brain to slow down. Haste makes

waste, as you know!

LIBRA

You have a lot of thinking to do about

your professional goals, Libra. You'll go

over the elements to see if there isn't

some way to approach things differently.

Are there new paths you could try or ways to improve

things? Your mind will go a thousand miles a minute

today. Those who spend time with you may be totally

exhausted by the end of the day because of all the

questions you ask!

scORPIO

You just can't do everything at once,

Scorpio. How do you expect to reduce

your stress and recuperate while at

the same time continue to be a

superstar performer in every area of your life?

Don't pressure yourself to perform today. If you do,

you're likely to deplete your reserves even further.

Take it easy, rest, and relax! You've earned this

little break.

sAGITTARIUs

This is a good moment to adapt your logic

and reason to reality, Sagittarius. If you

don't, you're going to run into some

intellectual problems. Everyone knows that you find new

ideas plentiful, but unless you have plans to be a novelist,

link your thinking to reality. The "pie in the sky" thinking

that you engage in isn't particularly useful to the rest of

us living here in the real world.

cAPRIcORN

It's going to be a little difficult talking

to you today, Capricorn. You, who can

be easily influenced by others, will be

listening to and criticizing everything

that people say. Nothing emotional or vague is

going to get into your head. It's as if you've installed

an extremely fine filter that lets in only what you

allow. You're going to appear to be a real expert.

Don't show off too much!

AQUARIUs

Have you been reviewing your family

history lately, Aquarius? Of special

interest is your cultural background.

What educational, social, and religious

environment were you born into? What are its

values? In the end, do you feel a strong affinity with

them now or are those views different from the ones

you hold? These are interesting avenues of thought

for you today.

PIscEs

It's time to elevate your sense of self,

Pisces. You're just as good as anyone

else, so why don't you believe it? The

problem is that you're very sensitive

about having an ego. Even though you know

everyone does, you punish yourself for its existence!

This is a noble idea, but it doesn't do you any good.

You'll never be perfect and neither will anyone else.

What are you worrying about?

wEDNESDAy, AuGuST 17, 2022

11

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's 47th martyrdom anniversary and

National Mourning Day has been observed with due dignity. On this occasion, on Monday, Chief

Engineer of LGED Sheikh Mohammad Mohsin paid tribute to the portrait of the Father of the Nation

at Dhanmondi number 32 in the capital.

Photo : Courtesy

Iran denies involvement but justifies

Salman Rushdie attack

DUBAI : An Iranian official Monday

denied Tehran was involved in the

stabbing of author Salman Rushdie,

though he sought to justify the attack in

the Islamic Republic's first public

comments on the bloodshed, reports

UNB.

The remarks by Nasser Kanaani, the

spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry,

came three days after Rushdie was

wounded in New York state. The writer

has been taken off a ventilator and is

"on the road to recovery," according to

his agent.

Rushdie, 75, has faced death threats

for more than 30 years over his novel

"The Satanic Verses," whose depiction

of the Prophet Muhammad was seen by

some Muslims as blasphemous.

In 1989, Iran's supreme leader,

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a

fatwa, or Islamic edict, demanding the

author's death, and while Iran has not

focused on Rushdie in recent years, the

decree still stands.

PUMAAK offers free eye

treatment in Kaunia

Md Ashraful Habib, Kaunia Correspondent:

On the occasion of the 47th martyrdom

anniversary of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and

National Mourning Day 2022, free eye

treatment services have been provided in

Kaunia Upazila of Rangpur.

This treatment program was conducted in

the hall room of Kaunia Dwimukhi Balika High

School of upazila under the organization of

'Public University and Medical Alumni

Association of Kaunia'(PUMAAK) and with the

overall cooperation of Syedpur Community Eye

Hospital.

The day-long medical service camp was

inaugurated by District Awami League

Liberation War Affairs Secretary Company

Commander Sardar Abdul Hakim. In addition

to the treatment of various complex diseases,

the eye patients of different professions of the

GD-1377/22 (5x3)

Also, a semiofficial Iranian

foundation had posted a bounty of over

$3 million for the killing of the author.

It has not commented on the attack.

"Regarding the attack against Salman

Rushdie in America, we don't consider

anyone deserving reproach, blame or

even condemnation, except for

(Rushdie) himself and his supporters,"

Kanaani said.

"In this regard, no one can blame the

Islamic Republic of Iran," he added.

"We believe that the insults made and

the support he received was an insult

against followers of all religions."

Iran has denied carrying out other

operations abroad against dissidents in

the years since the country's 1979

Islamic Revolution, though prosecutors

and Western governments have

attributed such attacks to Tehran.

Rushdie was attacked Friday as he

was about to give a lecture in western

New York. He suffered a damaged liver

and severed nerves in an arm and an

upazila receive this service through the

distribution of free medicines and glasses.

PUMAAK also arranges free operation for

cataract patients.

Dr. SM Kamal, Dr. Ferdous Hasan Jani,

Deputy Registrar of Berobi, Tariqul Islam, a

group of young doctors dedicated to the welfare

of humanity, led by Dr. Kamrul Hasan Sohail,

the country's eminent doctor of Syedpur

Community Eye Hospital, Deputy Director of

Agriculture Extension Department Agronomist

Abu Sayem, Engineer Niar Mosabber Hossain

along with President of PUMAK Shah

Mobashwerul Islam Raju, General Secretary

Humayon Kabir Tara, Publicity Secretary

Ahsan Habib Tuhin and other members were

present as collaborators. Humayun Kabir Tara,

general secretary of PUMAK, said that in the

future, they are planning to do such a campaign

on a larger scale for the welfare of people.

eye, according to his agent, Andrew

Wylie. Rushdie is likely to lose the eye,

Wylie said. His alleged assailant, Hadi

Matar, pleaded not guilty to attempted

murder and assault.

Matar, 24, was born in the U.S. to

parents who emigrated from Yaroun in

southern Lebanon near the Israeli

border, according to the village's

mayor.

Matar had lived in recent years in

New Jersey with his mother, who told

London's Daily Mail that her son

became moody and more religious after

a month-long trip to Lebanon in 2018.

"I was expecting him to come back

motivated, to complete school, to get

his degree and a job. But instead he

locked himself in the basement. He had

changed a lot, he didn't say anything to

me or his sisters for months," Silvana

Fardos said.

Village records in Yaroun show Matar

holds Lebanese citizenship and is a

Shiite, an official there said.

Ukrainian military

says it repelled more

than dozen attacks

KYIV : The Ukrainian military

said Monday that it had

repelled more than a dozen

Russian attacks in the

country's east and north,

including attempts to

advance on key cities in the

eastern industrial heartland

known as the Donbas, reports

UNB.

In its regular Facebook

update, the military's general

staff said Russian troops had

attempted to push towards

Kramatorsk, one of two major

cities in the eastern Donetsk

province that remain under

Ukrainian control, but "they

failed completely and

chaotically retreated to their

previous positions."

In the same post, the

military said Russian forces

had staged an unsuccessful

assault on Bakhmut, a

strategic town in the Donetsk

region whose capture would

pave the way for Russia to

take Kramatorsk and the de

facto

Ukrainian

administrative capital,

Sloviansk.

The Donetsk region is one

of two provinces that make up

the Donbas, where the

fighting has largely been

focused in recent months,

since Kremlin forces retreated

from around the capital, Kyiv.

Russian officials

announced the full capture of

the Luhansk region, the

second of the two, early last

month, though its Ukrainian

governor has repeatedly

claimed that Kyiv's forces are

holding out in a small area

near the regional boundary.

In the same update, the

military claimed that Russia

had tried and failed to break

through Ukrainian defense

lines in the northern Kharkiv

region, home to Ukraine's

second-largest city, but were

"met harshly and thrown

back."

Delta Brac Housing Finance

Corp. Ltd gets new name

DBH Finance PLC

The largest housing finance

company of the country,

Delta Brac Housing Finance

Corp. Ltd. has recently

changed its name to DBH

Finance PLC, a press release

said.

In April, 2022 the

shareholders gave their

consent to change the name

of the company in a special

meeting. Recently

Bangladesh Bank gave their

approval for this by issuing a

circular.

In this regard, Managing

Director and CEO of the

company Nasimul Baten

informed that because of the

Brand equity of DBH, the

new name will give more

recognition among the

existing and prospective

clients. Also, the new name

will be more aligned to the

future business plans of the

company.

Since Inception, DBH is

continually working towards

increasing home ownerships

in the country. Currently it

has 13 branches in

Dhaka,Chattogram, Sylhet,

Cumilla, Gazipur,

Narayanganj, Khulna,

Rajshahi and it has

disbursed in excess of Tk

13,500 crore to more than

52,000 families. DBH is the

only financial institution of

the country to obtain highest

credit rating AAA for 17

consecutive years.

GD-1374/22 (8x4)

India's daily COVID-19

caseload slips to 8,813

NEW DELHI : India's daily COVID-19

caseload slipped to 8,813 on Tuesday,

officials said.

According to federal health ministry data

released on Tuesday morning, 8,813 new

cases of COVID-19 were reported during the

past 24 hours, taking the total tally to

44,277,194 in the country.

The cases reported on Tuesday mark a

sharp decline in comparison to the daily

caseload of 14,917 reported on Monday,

reports UNB.

With the reporting of fresh cases, India's

active caseload currently stands at 111,252.

The country also logged 29 related deaths

during the past 24 hours, pushing the overall

death toll to 527,098 since the beginning of

the pandemic, the ministry said.

With the increase in cases, the daily

positivity rate stands at 4.15 percent and the

weekly positivity rate was recorded 4.79

percent, the ministry data showed.

The ministry said so far 43,638,844 people

have been successfully cured and discharged

from hospitals, of whom 15,040 were

discharged during the past 24 hours.

According to the federal health ministry,

the cumulative COVID-19 vaccination

coverage in the country has exceeded 2

billion doses and until Tuesday morning

2,083,124,694 doses were administered.

So far over 880 million COVID-19 tests

have been conducted across the country.

A cumulative total of 880,692,503 samples

have been tested up to August 15, the health

ministry said Tuesday. Out of these 212,129

tests were conducted on Monday alone.

Health experts say COVID-19 is a cyclical

disease and will come in waves.

On Monday, head of Serum Institute of

India Adar Poonawalla told a local news

channel that the institute was working on an

Omicron-specific vaccine with Novavax.

According to Poonawalla, the vaccine will be

specific to the BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron

and can be expected within six months.

Amid an increase of daily new cases, the

local governments in New Delhi and

neighboring state of Punjab have made

wearing face masks in public places

mandatory and asked officials to enforce the

order by imposing fines on violators.

In the wake of the detection of new

variants, the Indian government is focusing

on improving booster dose coverage as the

uptake for the third dose has been low.

8 migrants dead as boat

sinks off Tunisia's coast

TUNIS : Eight migrants died and two remain

missing after a boat carrying 30 migrants sank

on Tuesday off the Kerkennah Islands near the

southeast coast of Tunisia, the Tunis Afrique

Presse (TAP) reported Wednesday, reports

UNB.

On Wednesday, security personnel retrieved

two bodies off the coast of Kerkennah, adding

the total fatalities to eight, said the report.

So far 20 individuals have been rescued and

search is still underway for the missing,

according to the report. Located in the central

Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the most

popular transit points for illegal migration to

Europe.

Although Tunisian authorities have adopted

rigorous measures to tackle the problem, the

number of illegal immigration attempts from

Tunisia to Italy has increased.

RAB-14 has arrested an accused of the much-discussed and sensational serial bombings case in 2005

after for 17 years. The accused named Md Al Masum (42) was arrested from Chandra area Gazipur

district on Monday night.

Photo : Ali Ahsan Raj

Wednesday, Dhaka : August 17, 2022; Bhadra 2, 1429 BS; Muharram 18 , 1444 Hijri

After Bangabandhu killing, Indian

radio commented 'Jesus died'

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam on Tuesday visiting Jashim Uddin road in

Uttara where five people were killed as a girder of BRT project fell on a private car. Photo : Star Mail

No project to be allowed

to continue unless public

safety is ensured: Atiqul

DHAKA : Dhaka North City Corporation

(DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam on Tuesday

said if the authorities concerned don't take

steps to ensure public safety then those

will be not allowed to continue the construction

work of any project in Dhaka

city.

"There should be adequate safety measures

in any construction work and public

safety should be ensured first. It's not only

about the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) project,

we won't allow any project without

ensuring public safety," he said.

The DNCC Mayor said this while visiting

Jashim Uddin road in Uttara where

five people were killed as a girder of BRT

project fell on a private car.

He also expressed deep shock over the

tragedy. He said, "Heavy girder should

have been lifted after blocking the busy

road by the BRT authorities. Accidents

may happen while working using crane

and the authorities concerned should

WASHINGTON DC : Prime Minister's

Energy Adviser Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi

Chowdhury, Bir Bikram, has sought sincere

cooperation of the US government to

deport Rashed Chowdhury, a fugitive convicted

killer of Bangabandhu, to

Bangladesh immediately to face Justice.

"It would be a game-changer between

Bangladesh-US bilateral relations by

deporting the fugitive convicted killer of

Bangabandhu Rashed Chowdhury who is

now staying in the US," he said this while

addressing a seminar as the chief guest on

Monday afternoon.

Bangladesh Embassy in Washington

DC organised the seminar as part of the

observance of the National Mourning Day

and the 47th martyrdom anniversary of

Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman with Bangladesh

Ambassador to the United States (US) M

Shahidul Islam in the chair.

The seminar titled "Deportation of the

killer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman: A long pending issue in

Bangladesh-US relations".

Professor of North Carolina Central

University Dr ABM Nasir presented the

keynote paper on the seminar.

Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, a gallantry

award-recipient valiant Freedom

Fighter said that the continued stay of

Bangabandhu's killer (Rashed

Chowdhury) in the US was unfortunate.

Bangladesh Ambassador in the US,

in his remarks, gave an overview on

the Awami League government's

efforts to secure deportation of

Bangabandhu's self-confessed killer

Rashed Chowdhury.

He said that the main objective of the

seminar was to create greater awareness

among the US citizens and Bangladeshi-

have kept another crane standby for rescue

operation and an ambulance. But

BRT failed to ensure these," Atiqul said.

"The BRT authorities should have

informed traffic police and sought their

help to use alternative road while lifting

girder but I have come to know that they

did not contact traffic police and all happened

due to negligence of BRT," he

added. Atiqul also announced to hold a

meeting over BRT Project Compliance

issue on August 18.

Earlier, on Monday, five members of a

family, including two children, were

crushed to death after a girder of the BRT

project in Uttara fell on their private car

from a crane. A newly-wed couple also

travelling with them, fortunately escaped

death. The Ministry of Road Transport

and Bridges formed asix-member committee

to investigate the tragedy.

Meanwhile, a police case has been filed

in connection with the tragedy.

Killer Rashed's deportation

could be a game-changer in

BD-US ties: Tawfiq-e-Elahi

American diaspora of the urgent need for

extradition of the heinous killer of

Bangabandhu to further solidify

Bangladesh-US relations.

Professor Dr ABM Nasir, in his keynoter

paper, said killer Rashed Chowdhury

has committed crimes against humanity

by brutally killing three children, two pregnant

females and other unarmed civilians.

He demanded to the US government to

immediately detain and deport Rashed

Chowdhury to Bangladesh.

Deputy Chief of Mission Ferdousi

Shahriar moderated the seminar while

Eminent Actor Syed Hasan Imam, Noted

Choreographer and Dancer Laila Hasan,

renowned Newscaster Sarkar Kabir

Uddin, Valiant Freedom Fighter Harun

Chowdhury, Counsellor of the Embassy

Arifa Rahman Ruma and General

Secretary of Washington Metro Awami

League Shafiqul Azam Azad spoke at the

seminar, among others.

The Prime Minister's Energy Adviser

earlier inaugurated a 17-day long photo

exhibition on the life and works of the

Father of the Nation at Bangabandhu

Auditorium here.

Earlier, the Embassy chalked out elaborate

programs to pay deepest homage to

Bangabandhu, the greatest Bengali of all

time who was brutally assassinated along

with most of his family members on the

fateful night of August 15 in 1975.

The day's programs began in the morning

with the ceremonial hoisting of the

national flag at half-mast by Ambassador

Shahidul Islam. The national anthem was

played at this time.

Later, the Ambassador accompanied by

the Embassy officers, placed a floral

wreath at the bust of the Father of the

Nation at the Bangabandhu Corner.

Houses in JS area

for speaker, deputy

speaker are legal: SC

DHAKA : The Appellate Division of the

Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday declared

the construction of houses for speaker and

deputy speaker in Jatiya Sangsad (JS) area

legal. The apex court came up with the judgment,

allowing a state appeal against the

2004 High Court verdict that had declared

the construction of the houses as illegal.

"Appeal is allowed," the three-member

apex court bench headed by Chief Justice

Hasan Foez Siddique said. "Because of

today's judgment, the houses built for speaker

and deputy speaker are recognized as

legal," Additional Attorney General Sheikh

Mohammad Morshed told newsmen.

The construction of the houses started

in 2002. Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon

filed a writ petition against the construction

for allegedly violating the main plan of

architect Louis I Kahn. The High Court in

2004 declared the construction as illegal.

The state after that filed its appeal, challenging

the High Court verdict.

ASP withdrawn after

cops charge baton on

Barguna BCL activists

BARISHAL : Additional Superintendent of

Police (ASP) Muharram Ali, who allegedly

charged baton on the activists of Bangladesh

Chhatra League (BCL) during an infighting in

Barguna, has been withdrawn from his duties.

ASP Muharram Ali was attached to Barishal

Range DIG office, said Barishal range Deputy

Inspector General (DIG) SM Aktaruzzaman

on Tuesday. "This decision has been taken for

fair investigation," he added.

The DIG said the allegation against

police in the incident will be investigated.

On Monday, at least 20 people were

injured in the infighting between two factions

of the BCL Barguna unit during a

National Mourning Day discussion.

The groups got into a scuffle following a

heated argument during the discussion.

At one stage, they started hurling brick

chips at each other and vandalised a police

vehicle, SM Tariqul Islam, additional

superintendent of Barguna police, said.

"Later police had to use batons to bring the

situation under control."

BB sets cost ceiling

for short-term trade

finance in forex

DHAKA : Bangladesh Bank (BB) has set the

all-in-cost ceiling for short-term trade

finance in foreign exchange. A BB circular

stated that all-in-cost will include the entire

cost of a financial transaction, business

operation, taxes and fees such as closing

costs, origination fees, or commissions.

The foreign exchange policy department

of BB issued a circular in this regard

and sent to the Authorized Dealers (ADs)

of foreign exchange in Bangladesh on

Tuesday for immediate execution.

The circular said that given the global market

trends, it has been decided to set an all-in-cost

ceiling per annum with a mark-up of 3 per cent

over benchmark rate applicable to the relevant

currency against short-term trade finance.

As usual, banks will continue to arrange

finance with LIBOR as the benchmark rate

till its usability is ceased, the notification said.

The LIBOR (London Interbank Offer Rate)

is a benchmark interest rate at which global

banks lend to one another in the int’l interbank

market for short-term loans.

DHAKA : The assassination of

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,

the architect of independent Bangladesh,

along with most of his family members on

the fateful night of August 15, 1975

shocked the world and devastated the

nation's psyche, reports BSS.

The All India Radio Akashvani in a

news review on August 16, 1975 aired a

commentary saying "Jesus died. Now

millions of people remember him by

wearing cross. Perhaps, once Mujib as

well will be like that." Chowdhury Shahid

Kader in a write-up styled "Bangabandhu

assassination in Indian media" published

in the 15th volume of a book titled

"Bangladesh Charcha" edited by writer

and historian Professor Muntasir

Mamoon mentioned meticulously over

different news published in Indian media

after the 15 August carnage.

DHAKA : Awami League General

Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said

the leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist

Party (BNP) do not understand the generosity

of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"The BNP leaders do not understand the

generosity that Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina has shown over the holding of

BNP rallies and meetings," he told a discussion.

The AL organised the discussion at

Bangabandhu International Conference

Centre here, marking the 47th death

anniversary of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

and the National Mourning Day.

Quader, also the road transport and

bridges minister, said Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina has instructed all the AL

men not to create obstacles to holding the

rallies of BNP.

"Leader (Sheikh Hasina), we understand

the meaning of your generosity, but

DHAKA : The Executive Committee of the

National Economic Council (ECNEC) yesterday

approved a total of six projects involving

Taka 2,504.75 crore. The approval came from

the ECNEC meeting with its Chairperson and

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The Premier joined the meeting virtually

from her official Ganabhaban residence

while ministers, state ministers, planning

commission members and secretaries

concerned attended the meeting from the

NEC Conference Room in the city's Shere-Bangla

Nagar area. Briefing reporters

after the meeting, Planning Minister MA

Mannan said a total of six projects were

approved yesterday involving an overall

estimated cost of Taka 2,504.75 crore.

Of the approved six projects, three are new

while the rest three projects are revised ones,

According to the article, on August 17,

Indian newspaper Economic Times headlined

"India shocked at Mujib's death".

Sunday Standard on the same day

made its headline saying "Mujib,

Bangladesh PM killed in Army Coup,

Khandoker new President, and country

under Martial Law".

However, there was a little error in

headline as Bangabandhu was president

when he was assassinated. The newspaper

also published an editorial with headline

"Mujib: Liberator of 75m Bengali".

Its starting was "Sheikh Mujibur

Rahman, who was overthrown in a military

coup, is the father of the four-year old

nation and known to his 75 million people

as Banga Bandhu" (friend of Bengalis).

Esteemed Indian newspaper Statesman

made its main headline- India keeping

watch on Events in Bangladesh Grief over

BNP leaders don't understand

PM's generosity: Quader

they (BNP leaders) don't understand

that," he added.

The AL general secretary said: "They

say you (the Premier) are doing this under

the pressure of foreigners. A slogan is

chanted from London and it is reflected in

Paltan. What slogan? Take back

Bangladesh…. Bangladesh became world

champion in graft five times in a row.

Where will they go by taking back?"

Overcoming the uneven path of crisis,

Bangladesh is maintaining stability under

the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh

Hasina and the country is still progressing,

he said.

"We still have the foreign exchange

reserve of US$ 40 to 42 billion…in

Bangladesh, now the rickshaw pullers also

talk about the reserve. Sri Lanka has run

out of its reserves. Pakistan's reserves are

at the bottom. Because of this, they (BNP

leaders) also see nightmares about

Bangladesh," he said.

he said, adding: "Of the total project cost, Taka

1,628.13 crore will come from the govt while

Taka 876.62 crore as project assistance."

He said the approved projects include two projects

under the Road Transport and Highways

Division, one project under Shipping Ministry,

one under the Housing and Public Works

Ministry, one under the Industries Ministry and

another one under the Agriculture Ministry.

State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul

Alam, Planning Commission members and

secretaries concerned were also present at

the briefing. Mannan informed that Roads

and Highways Department under the Road

Transport and Highways Division will

implement the "Proper Upgradation of

S o n a p u r - K a b i r h a t - C o m p a n i g a n j

(Basurhat)-Dagonbhuiya Regional Highway

(R-148)" Project with a cost of Taka 457.02

Mujib's Tragic Death. It published biography

covering almost half of a page on the

assassination of Bangabandhu. Its

beginning was with a nice sentence-

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the inspiration

behind the declaration of

Independence by the country of 75 million

Bengalis.

On August 17, Times of India published

16 separate news items on description of

Bangabandhu assassination, latest

Bangladesh situation and reaction of the

world leaders.

One of the news headlines was "Bangla

still cut off". In another news item, it mentioned

that "Bangladesh becomes Islamic

Republic".

Reactions of the United States and the

then Soviet Union were published with

headline "US watching events, Soviet media

report Coup without comment".

Work of commission over

Bangabandhu killing will largely

be research oriented : Anisul

DHAKA : Law, Justice and Parliamentary

Affairs Minister Anisul Huq on Tuesday

said the work of a commission, to unearth

behind the scene plotters of August 15,

1975 carnage, would mostly be research

oriented, reports BSS.

"A framework has already been readied

for forming the commission. But the formation

of the commission is being delayed firstly

by Covid-19 outbreak, then ongoing

Russia-Ukraine conflict. What will be the

number of members of the commission, its

aim and work are defined in the framework,"

he said. The minister said this while addressing

as the chief guest at a discussion organised

by Sampriti Bangladesh, a citizens' platform

promoting secularism, at National

Press Club this afternoon.

Anisul said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

is inextricably involved with the formation

of the commission and her opinion will be

final here. "It is impossible to publish the

framework without consulting the matter

with her. Prime Minister may ask us for correction,

refinement and amplification.

ECNEC approves 6 projects involving Tk 2,504.75cr

crore by June 2025.

He informed that the Roads and

Highways Department will also implement

another project titled "Construction

of Chunkuri Bridge over Chunkuri River at

28th km of Gallamari-Batiaghata-Dakop-

Nalyan Forest Road (Z-7606)" with a cost

of Taka 745.33 crore by June 2027.

The other projects approved in the meeting

are "Establishment of Ashuganj Inland

Container River Port" project (1st revision) with

Taka 458 crore, "Construction of road along

Karnaphuli River from Kalurghat Bridge to

Chaktai Canal" project (2nd revision) with Taka

469.15 crore," BSCIC Printing Industrial City"

project (1st revision) with Taka 125.85 crore

and "Irrigation Extension Project through

Conservation of Canal Water in Barendra Area-

2nd Phase" Project with Taka 249.40 crore.

A march by the Left Democratic Alliance demanding withdrawal of increased prices of fuel oil and urea fertilizers

and annulment of public transport fare hike was blocked by the police. On Tuesday, the activists left the

capital's Paltan intersection towards the Prime Minister's office with a procession. When the protest procession

reached Shahbagh, it was stopped by the police.

Photo : TBT

17-08-2022

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