09-10-2022

SunDay, OCtObeR 9, 2022

2

Rotary International District 3281 organized a celebration ceremony at a Hotel in Dhaka on Saturday to mark the centenary

of the current Rotary year.

Photo : Courtesy

17-year-old

construction worker

killed in Khagrachhari

building collapse

KHAGRACHARI : A worker

was killed and five others

were injured as an underconstruction

building of

Khagrachhari Hill District

Council (KHDC) collapsed on

Saturday.

The deceased was identified

as Sazzad, 17, one of the 16

workers working on the front

side of the building, said

Mongsuipru Chowdhury

Opu, KHDC chairman.

The under-construction

balcony of KHDC's annex

building collapsed suddenly

around 5 pm.

Members of the Fire

Service, Army, police and Red

Crescent immediately rushed

to the spot to conduct a rescue

operation.

"We are suspecting workers

are trapped under the debris.

Operation is going on to

rescue them," said

Mongsuipru Chowdhury Opu.

Journo organisations call rally

on Oct 22 to realise demands

DHAKA : Seven organisations of journalists

including Dhaka Union of Journalists

(DUJ) have called a rally on October 22 in

protest against terminations of journalists,

non payment of dues, flaws in wage-board

and attacks on journalists.

Memoranda will also be submitted to

concerned ministers on different issues,

said a DRU release.

The organisations expressed solidarity

with DUJ to wage a joint movement to

realise their demands in a meeting at Jatiya

Press Club (JPC) here.

DUJ President Sohel Haider Chowdhury

chaired the meeting moderated by Akhter

Hossain.

DRU President Nazrul Islam Mithu,

Broadcast Journalist Centre (BJC)

Chairman Rezanul Haque Raja, Dhaka Sub-

Editors Council President Mamun Farazi,

its General Secretary Abul Hasan Hridoy,

Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum

(BSRF) President Tapan Biswas, Television

Camera Journalist Association (TSA)

President Sheikh Mahabub Alam, its

General Secretary Shahidul Islam Jibon,

Bangladesh Photojournalist Association

acting President MA Nasim Shikder, acting

General Secretary Jibon Amir, DUJ Senior

Vice-President MA Kuddus, Vice-President

Manik Lal Ghosh, Joint General Secretary

Khairul Alam, Treasurer Ashraful Islam,

Organising Secretary A Jihadur Rahman

Jihad, Welfare Secretary Jubayer Rahman

Chowdhury, DUJ Executive Committee

Members Dulal Khan, Rehena Parvin and

Safiqul Karim Sabu attended the meeting.

In the meeting, journalist leaders said the

journalist community is in different crisis as

most of the media didn't implement wageboard,

incidents of termination are taking

place often and journalists come under

attacks.

They also mentioned that they came to

know that number of accreditation card

issuance to journalists might be decreased.

Concerned authorities have been apprised

of the matters but no effective steps are

visible, they said, adding that the

community cannot keep mum under the

circumstances.

There is no alternative to movement now,

they said. The journalist leaders urged all

fellows to join the programme.

Vietnam property

tycoon arrested

for alleged fraud

HANOI : A Vietnamese

property magnate who heads

up the Van Thinh Phat group

is in police custody facing

fraud allegations, authorities

said on Saturday.

Company chairwoman

Truong My Lan, 65, is married

to a wealthy Hong Kong

businessman and comes from

"one of Vietnam's richest

families", according to state

media.

Van Thinh Phat was

founded in 1992 and its

property portfolio includes

high-end hotels, restaurants

and luxury apartments.

Police detained the financier

on Friday and are investigating

allegations of "illegally issued

and traded company bonds" in

2018 and 2019, the public

security ministry said in a

statement Saturday.

Three other high-ranking

executives at the company

were also arrested over the

same accusations.

250 pilot whales die in remote

New Zealand stranding

WELLINGTON : About 250

pilot whales have died after

beaching on New Zealand's

remote Chatham Island

where the shark risk makes

attempts to refloat them too

dangerous, the government

said Saturday.

The pilot whales, members

of the dolphin family, were

reported to have been

stranded Friday on the

northwest of the island, New

Zealand's department of

conservation said.

"We do not actively refloat

whales on the Chatham

Islands due to the risk of

shark attack to both humans

and the whales themselves," it

said in a statement.

A trained team euthanised

surviving whales to prevent

further suffering, the

department said. Indigenous

peoples of New Zealand and

Chatham Island were present

to give support, it added.

"All the stranded pilot

whales are now deceased and

their bodies will be left to

decompose naturally on site,"

the conservation department

said.

Such strandings are "not

uncommon" in the Chatham

Islands, off the eastern coast

of New Zealand's South

Island, it said, noting that the

largest recorded event

involved an estimated 1,000

whales in 1918.

Just over two weeks ago,

almost 200 whales perished

on a beach in Australia's

remote western Tasmania.

State wildlife services

managed to refloat 44 of the

mammals.

Scientists still do not fully

understand why mass

strandings occur.

Some have suggested pods

go off track after feeding too

close to shore.

Pilot whales-which can

grow to more than six metres

(20 feet) long-are also highly

sociable, so they may follow

pod-mates who stray into

danger.

In New Zealand, around

300 animals beach

themselves annually,

according to official figures,

and it is not unusual for

groups of between 20 and 50

pilot whales to run aground.

But numbers can run into

the hundreds when a "super

pod" is involved. In 2017,

there was a mass stranding of

almost 700 pilot whales.

Seven killed in Ireland

petrol station blast: police

DUBLIN : Seven people have been killed in an explosion at a

petrol station in County Donegal in Ireland's northwest, police

said on Saturday.

The Garda Siochana police force said eight people had

hospitalised as "the search and recovery for further fatalities

continues" at the site in the village of Creeslough.

Rescue efforts by Ireland's emergency services went on

through the night at the scene where on Friday afternoon an

explosion had ripped through a petrol station forecourt and the

facade of a nearby appartment complex.

Ireland's police, fire, ambulance service and coast guard and

the air ambulance service from Northern Ireland as well as a

specialist team from the UK-run province were in attendance.

Letterkenny University Hospital, 24 kilometres (15 miles)

from the explosion was placed on an emergency footing as it

said in a statement it was dealing with "multiple injuries".

100th Anniversary

of Rotary Year

Rotary International District 3281

organized a celebration ceremony at a Hotel

in Dhaka on Saturday to mark the centenary

of the current Rotary year.

District Governor Eng. M A Wahab,

Former Governor Khairul Alam, Barrister

Mutasim Billah Farooqui, Governor (Elect)

Ashrafuzzaman Nannu, Governor

(Nominee) Ibrahim Khalil Al Zayad Pinak,

District Secretary General Arif Zebtik and

others also spoke in the program. Event

Chairman Rotarian Zahurul Islam

conducted the meeting.

In the meeting, District Governor

Engineer M, A Wahab said that this year,

the Rotary Clubs are continuing their

activities at the local level, inspired by the

slogan of the District Governor, 'Every Hour

Rotary Care'. At least 300 lakh rupees are

being spent on over 300 service activities

every month since last July, 2022. Governor

said that to encourage the service activities

of the clubs, the governor has already visited

around 200 clubs in the first 100 days. The

governor also said that this trend of more

than two club visits per day will continue.

The Rotarians were also informed in the

meeting that in the first 100 days, pledges of

USD 7 lakh to the Rotary Foundation have

been received. In addition, a global grant

worth about 5 lakh US dollars has been

GD-1634/22 (9x3)

approved, through which Rotary

International will conduct various projects

in Bangladesh along with local clubs.

Speakers in the evaluation meeting

emphasized that the visit of Rotary

International President Jennifer Jones and

former President Holger Nake to

Bangladesh in the first 40 days of this year

are two rare events. Earlier no Rotary

International President visited Bangladesh

at the beginning of the year. District

Governor Engineer M, A Wahab called upon

the meeting and said that Rotary needs to be

more adaptive and flexible to keep pace with

the changing global situation. He said that

this year, as a proof of environmental

protection, digitization of important

publications like district directory, OCV

document, GML and making the governor's

office paperless has been launched.

Reiterating Rotary's eternal commitment

to world peace, the Governor said,

Rotarians in Bangladesh are eager to help in

the Ukraine crisis, but Rotary Bangladesh

will continue to respect the restrictions on

sending financial assistance from

Bangladesh at this time due to the global

economic situation.

Half a thousand Rotarians from different

parts of Bangladesh attended this

evaluation meeting.

World Postal Day today

DHAKA : The country will celebrate the

World Postal Day today across the country

through various programs.

The Department of Posts would organize

discussion, essay writing competition and

Bangladesh Radio and Bangladesh Television

would broadcast discussions marking the

Day.

This year the theme of this day is 'Post for

Planet'.

Post and Telecommunication Minister

Mustafa Jabbar issued a message on the eve

of this Day.

"Our biggest challenge was to bring the

struggling postal service to a better position,

and we have already done a lot of that….The

post office has now become a reliable

institution for e-commerce," he said.

He said that there is no other institution in

the country except the post office with huge

infrastructure and manpower nationwide.

This organisation delivers daily essential

products to the customers in remote and

inaccessible areas, he added.

Highlighting the contribution of the postal

service in delivering medical equipment from

farmers' fruits and vegetables during the

Corona period, the minister said that the post

office was not closed even for a day under the

emergency service.

On October 9, 1874, the 'Universal Postal

Union' was formed at an international

conference held in Bern, Switzerland, with

the participation of representatives of 22

countries.

Later on, October 9, 1969, was declared as

the World Postal Day by passing a resolution

raised by this organization at the United

Nations.

Bangladesh became a member of Universal

Postal Union (UPU) and International

Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1973

under the leadership of Father of the Nation

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Since then the World Postal Day has been

celebrated every year in the country.

The minister wished the overall success of

the Day.

SunDAY, OCTOBeR 9, 2022

3

Rotarian SM Aziz, the Secretary General of international human rights organization "International

Coexistence Organization (ICO), visited Jungle Salimpur forest on Saturday.

Photo : TBT

APA implementation

BUP Ranks

5th among

46 Public

Universities

TBT DESK

Based on the

implementation of the

Annual Performance

Agreement (APA) for the

financial year 2021-22,

Bangladesh University of

Professionals (BUP)

ranked 5thamong 46

public universities and

scored 89.22. The total

process was evaluated by

the University Grants

Commission (UGC)

Bangladesh. A list of

public universities based

on the implementation of

APA in the fiscal year

2021-22 was published

from UGC on 02 October

2022 which was signed by

Dr. Ferdous Zaman,

Secretary

of

UGC.Mentionable that

BUP was ranked 17th in

the UGC assessment in

the financial year 2020-

2021.

It is to be noted that the

government of the

People's Republic of

Bangladesh has signed

APA with 46 public

universities through UGC

since the fiscal year 2016-

2017 in line with

developed countries. The

main purpose of APA is to

improve the performance

of

government

institutions by making

them more efficient,

dynamic, and effective.

BUP has continued to

sign MoU with various

international universities

to conduct joint research

and exchange curriculum

at the international level.

Besides, BUP is

committed

to

providingNeed-based

and Outcome-based

quality education to the

students.

UN lauds Bangladeshi

peacekeepers’ dutifulness

DHAKA : The United Nations' Military

Advisor General Birame Diop in a meeting

with a Bangladeshi delegation has highly

appreciated the skills and dutifulness of

Bangladeshi peacekeepers.

The Military Advisor has expressed deep

grief and condemnation over the death of

three Bangladeshi peacekeepers while on

duty in the UN peacekeeping mission- in

the Central African Republic.

Commandant of NDC Lieutenant

General Md. Akbar Hossain, who led the

delegation, requested to take more

peacekeepers from Bangladesh in the UN

peacekeeping operations in the meeting at

the UN Headquarters on Friday (October

7).

A team of 29 members of the National

Defence College (NDC) of Bangladesh

visited the UN Headquarters and the

Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the

United Nations on Friday.

The visit was held under "Overseas

Study Tour-2" as part of the National

Defence Course-2022.

The delegation includes senior officers

from the Bangladesh Armed Forces and

the Bangladesh Civil Service, along with

senior defence services officers from

Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and the United

Kingdom.

UN Deputy Military Advisor Major

General Maureen O' Brien briefed the

Dhaka’s air quality

turns ‘moderate’

DHAKA : Dhaka's air quality has turned 'moderate' again.

With an air quality index (AQI) score of 57 at 9.10am, the

metropolis on Saturday ranked 42nd in the list of world

cities with the worst air quality.

An AQI between 50 and 100 is considered 'moderate' with

an acceptable air quality. However, there may be a moderate

health concern for a very small number of people who are

unusually sensitive to air pollution.

Pakistan's Lahore and Karachi and China's Beijing

occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of

169, 166, and 161, respectively. An AQI between 101 and

200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive

groups. Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be

'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered

'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants-

Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and

Ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution

issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and

improves during the monsoon.

Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors

for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air

has long been recognised as increasing a person's chances of

developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases,

lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.

Police arrested two people in Bogura yesterday in connection with killing

retired army member.

Photo : TBT

delegation at the UN headquarters.

He highlighted various aspects of the UN

peacekeeping operations at the field level

and UN Headquarters.

Ambassador Muhammad Abdul

Muhith, the Permanent Representative of

Bangladesh to the United Nations,

welcomed the delegation in an informal

ceremony organised at the Bangabandhu

Auditorium of the mission.

The Permanent Representative focused

on the various activities of the mission as

well as the significant role played and

contribution made by Bangladesh in the

United Nations, on different issues such as

peacekeeping and peacebuilding, the

Rohingya crisis, the graduation from the

least developed country, climate change,

migration, implementation of the SDGs,

post-Covid global system and current

global situation.

Lt. Gen. Akbar thanked all the members

of the permanent mission, including the

Permanent Representative, for their

intense and fruitful participation in the

work of the United Nations, including

peacekeeping.

Brigadier General Md. Sadekuzzaman,

Defence Advisor of the Mission, in his

briefing, highlighted various aspects of

Bangladesh's participation and successes

in peacekeeping activities.

35 people

arrested,

liquor seized

DHAKA : The members of

Detective Branch (DB) of the

Dhaka Metropolitan Police

(DMP) in a special drive

arrested 35 people and

seized huge foreign made

liquor and beer from them in

the city's Uttara area.

The arrested were Abu

Saleh, Md Mohon, Mukul,

Md Sibbir Ahmed, Russell,

Abul Kasem Mintu, Nahid

Dariya, Shanto Islam, Alim

Uddin, Jalal Uddin, Sajjad

Hussain, Rahmat Ali,

Khaleq Saifullah, Imran, Md

Sahan Sheikh, Md Mofazzel,

Obaid Mazumder, Ibadat

Khan, Rais Uddin, Raihan,

Md Ruble, Rifat, Faisal,

Shariful Islam, Russell,

Zahid Hasan, Roshan Jamil

Russell, Humayun Kabir,

Tofajzel Hossain, Md Riyad

Hussain, Al Amin, Qayyum,

Nayan Das, Shaon Das and

Mahmudul Hasan.

Addressing a press

briefing at DMP media

centre, Additional

Commissioner of DMP and

DB Chief Md Harun-or-

Rashid said the DB team

recovered 6,005 cans of beer

and 458 bottles of foreign

liquor from them.

He said Deputy Police

Commissioner of DB Uttara

Division Md Akramul

Hosan on Thursday

conducted the special

operations against illegal

drug and it's trading in

Uttara Purba, Uttara

Paschim and Turag thana

areas.

Bangladesh

reports 299

more Covid

cases, zero

death

DHAKA : Bangladesh

reported zero death from

Covid-19 and 299 fresh

cases in 24 hours till

Saturday morning.

The country's total

fatalities remained

unchanged at 29,380 with

no deaths reported while the

new cases raised the

country's total caseload to

2,029, 314, according to the

Directorate General of

Health Services (DGHS).

The daily case test

positivity rate rose to 13.60

per cent from Friday's 10 per

cent as 2,199 samples were

tested.

The mortality rate

remained unchanged at 1.45

percent and recovery rate

rose slightly to 97. 04 per

cent.

In September, the country

reported 40 Covid-linked

deaths and 13,251 cases.

Bangladesh registered its

highest daily caseload of

16,230 on July 28 last year

and highest fatalities of 264

on August 10 the same year.

Shimul's autumnal

ode to poetry enthralls

audience in Dhaka

DHAKA : Renowned

reciter and Shimul

Mustapha mesmerised the

audience with his solo

poetry recital show

'Jontronar Megh Brishti

Jhor' in the National

Theatre Hall of Bangladesh

Shilpakala Academy (BSA)

on Friday evening.

The autumnal tribute to

poetry was joined by

people from all walks of

life, including Education

Minister Dr Dipu Moni as

the chief guest.

Vice-Chancellor of

National University

Professor Moshiur

Rahman and Sammilita

Sanskritik Jote president

Golam Kuddus were

among the special guests.

The event, organized by

Boikuntha Abritti

Academy, was orchestrated

by Shimul Mustapha who

captivated the audience

with his iconic recitals of

'Aat Bochhor Por' by

Jibanananda Das, poet

Hela Hafiz's hearttouching

masterpiece

'Koshto',

Sunil

Gangopadhyay's iconic

poem 'Keu Kotha Rakhe

Ni' and several other

poems written by popular

Bengali poets.

Lauding his recitation,

the Education Minister

said, "Events like these are

truly necessary to build a

well-developed nation, and

our culture will go hand in

hand with politics in our

future Bangladesh, which

will be harmonious and

non-communal."

Recognising the

important contribution to

the fields of Bengali

literature and culture, the

event awarded three

prominent personalities

with three special awards.

Thespian Asaduzzaman

Noor received the 'Lifetime

Achievement Award' at the

event, while Sammilita

Sanskritik Jote general

secretary Ahkam Ullah

received the 'Shobdo

Sarathi Padak' and Youth

Global Foundation

chairman Seema Hamid

was awarded the

'Boikuntha Sammanana

Padak'.

"When it comes to

culture, it is difficult to

walk alone. That is exactly

why we have invited all of

our distinguished and

intellectual guests to this

autumnal evening. We take

this opportunity and pride

to recognise the

contributions of these

three eminent cultural

personalities with these

awards," Shimul Mustapha

said.

Members of the

Boikuntha Abritti

Academy and Shimuler

Paathshala provided

overall support to the

event, presented by Youth

Global Foundation.

Dengue death toll rises to 67 with

three more deaths: DGHS

DHAKA : Three more dengue patients

died in 24 hours till Saturday morning,

raising this year's death toll from the

mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh

to 67.

During this period, 712 more patients

were hospitalised with the viral fever as

cases keep rising, according to the

Directorate General of Health Services

(DGHS).

Two of latest death was reported

from Dhaka division raising the death

toll in the division to 35 while another

was from Chattogram division raising

its death toll to 27.

The dengue death toll in Chattogram

division remained unchanged at five.

Of the new patients, 499 were

admitted to different hospitals in

Dhaka and 213 outside it.

A total of 2,416 dengue patients,

including 1,838 in the capital, are now

receiving treatment at hospitals across

the country.

This year, the directorate has

recorded 20,235 dengue cases and

17,752 recoveries so far.

The ongoing third phase of the project was completed on October 7 in Chattogram DC Hill by planting

hundreds of trees.

Photo : TBT

Durbar Tarunno focuses on creating

eco-gardeners of next generation

Durbar Tarunno, a social and voluntary

organization, launched a unique project

titled 'Amra Mali' by planting trees in

September. Since then they have run

several campaigns. The youth

organization is moving forward to

increase tree care by empowering a new

generation of "Gardeners" in different

phases. Moreover, in this project, the

public is also becoming aware of tree

care in various ways.

Following this, the ongoing third

phase of the project was completed on

October 7 in Chattogram DC Hill by

planting hundreds of trees. Under the

chairmanship of Muhammad Abu

Abid, the founder of Durbar Tarunno,

the chief advisor of Durbar Tarunno

and the inventor turned entrepreneur

of the corona prevention booth Helal

Akbar Chowdhury Babor, was present

as the chief guest.

Helal Akbar Chowdhury Babor said,

"We all have known the importance of

planting trees to protect the

environment. But we did not know

one thing. That is, how many more

plantations are needed to save the

earth's environment. Recently, this

question was answered by a group of

researchers led by Professor Thomas

Crowther of ETH Zurich University in

Switzerland. They highlighted the

special significance of the plantation.

Scientists have said that after the

rampant deforestation of the last few

centuries, there are still around 3

trillion or 3 lakh crore trees in the

world. But this number of trees is

quite less than the required.

Deforestation is still going on under

various pretexts."

He also added, according to these

researchers, apart from stopping

indiscriminate slashing of trees,

humankind needs to start planting trees

in large numbers now. For this reason,

they also gave a specific idea of how

many more plantations are needed

around the world. They have calculated

that the world needs to plant at least 1.2

trillion more trees to protect the

environment. 1.2 trillion means 1 lakh

20 thousand crores. These trees should

not only be planted, they need proper

care to sustain them in the

environment. We are committed to

ensure that care is taken by starting the

project 'Amra Mali'.

Muhammad Abu Abid, the founder of

Durbar Tarunno, commented about the

project, "Actually, the first thing we

want in tree plantation is sincerity. If

you say 'plant trees, save the

environment', isn't the responsibility of

planting trees put on the shoulders of

others..? It's not a sign of sincerity

anyway. If we really want to save the

world, we should say: 'Let's plant trees,

save the environment'. And the

environment through which it will live

is the tree. So we are gardeners in this

project to save trees." Chattogram

district and central leaders including

Jubo League leader Shibu Prasad

Chowdhury, Durbar Tarunno's general

secretary Muhammad Abu Adil,

organizational secretary Md. Jihadul

Islam, executive members Md. Abul

Hasan and Kamrul Islam were also

present at the event.

SUnDay, OCtObEr 9, 2022

4

Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam

e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com

Sunday, October 9, 2022

Address corruption and

other ills in road building

and maintenance

Roads are considered vital for the economy's

growth and development. While this factor

calls for maintaining a large networks of

roads, only the largeness will not deliver so well if

parts of the roads are found to be not so usable or

difficult for transporting from insufficient

maintenance works .

A big part of the expanded road networks in

Bangladesh unfortunately fall in this category of

improperly maintained roads. There is noted not

enough coordinated activities to keep most of the

roads in good working conditions all the time. A

crumbling road gets repaired after a long wait but the

benefit gets nullified as another turns into pitiable

condition around the same time.

According to one estimate the absence of regular

maintenance activity alone costs the country in the

neighbourhood of $1 million every day in terms of

the depreciated value of the roads from wearing and

tearing. No estimate is available for the compound

loss that occurs from slowed down movement of

vehicles, depreciation of vehicles from moving on

pot-holed surfaces, delays caused to businesses from

inability to reach goods in time, etc. But these

estimates, if taken for a period, say even a day, would

very likely show up a huge figure.

Thus, proper road building and maintenance need

to be ensured through proper plans and their

implementation for competitive and cost-efficient

operation of the economy. One proposal is there that

the government should attempt to set up a 'road

fund'.

Presently, government allocates an amount of

money for road maintenance which is not enough

compared to the need. Besides, this allocation cannot

be also spent in time with best effects because of the

present mode of spending through coordinated

activities of the Ministry of Communications, Roads

and Highways Department (RHD) and the Ministry of

Finance.

The road fund can get around several problems

namely one of the bureaucracies involved in

coordinating activities between three bodies, delays

thereof and inadequacy of funds. The suggestion is

there toalso beef up the recommended road fund by

raising greater resources from road users through

direct fees, tolls, licence fees, etc. Even foreign aid to

the sector may be routed to this fund. The fund

should be placed under the RHD for spending from

it directly.

In this way, both funds for maintenance shall rise

as well as the capacity to undertake immediate works

on detection of poor road surfaces or even

anticipatory advanced works on this ground. RHD

with an autonomous status and the road fund under

its control, should go for round the year regular

maintenance of the roads and highways than the

present system of as and when the need arises.

However, without cracking down on corruption,

targets of roads and highways maintenance round

the year will not be met fully. It is deeply regrettable

that corruption leads to colossal waste in the road

building and maintenance activities. The contractors

who get contracted through tender bids to take on

building and maintenance activities , are found

driven by nothing better than super normal profit

motive than anything decent.

Thus, the entire processes for such contracts

fromselection of contractors to supervision of works

by government engineers andthe clearance of bills,

everything seem to be guided by corruption. The

government's supervising engineers remain helpless

whilefacing such corruption and a few who dare to

oppose, may risk their lives.

Recently, the press highlighted how a government

appointed engineer was hospitalized in Chittagong

after his severe beating by gangs set on him by a

disgruntled contractor who failed to secure a contract

for road building as the engineer would not accept

his bribe to award him the contract. Another report

highlighted how an arterial road under construction

in a national highway is already crumbling down in

its so called completed section well before full

completion of the work.

The above are symbolic of the corrupt practices that

pervade road building and maintenance works in the

country. Till such corruptions are thoroughly weeded

out from the sector, there can be no hope for us to

have durable roads and highways on a lasting basis.

The amounts of resources that have been going down

the drain-- year after year-- from allowing such

corruptions to go on unpunished, seem astonishingly

shocking indeed. It is more than high time to stamp

out such corruption with iron hands.

Despite the naysayers, good journalism

remains essential to good societies

According to

the American

Press Institute,

asking who is a

journalist is the

wrong question,

because

journalism can

be produced by

anyone. At the

same time, it makes the distinction that

merely engaging in journalistic-like

activity - snapping a cell-phone picture at

the scene of a fire or creating a blog site for

news and comment - does not by itself

produce a journalistic product.

The journalist, it goes on to say, places

the public good above all else and uses

certain methods - the foundation of

which is a discipline of verification - to

gather and assess what he or she finds.

It is this commitment to the public good

that truly distinguishes journalists, and

makes them essential agents of social

progress. As such, the discouraging

conclusion of Oxford University's Reuters

Institute for the Study of Journalism, that

the public's trust and interest in news is

falling, with an alarming number of

The current crisis

in Ukraine is a

prime illustration

of the devastating

outcomes that

might emerge

from implementing

neoliberal policies.

When a government

adopts neoliberalism

as its economic

policy, it creates a favourable climate in

which multinational firms and foreign

financial institutions can establish

operations and gain influence in the

economy. In this post, I will use the present

crisis in Ukraine to argue that so-called

Western liberalism is often a delusion that

contributes to a rise in social disparity and

political discontent. Libertarianism's hidden

secrets and true philosophy are being

disclosed in the wake of numerous disasters

around the world, revealing its hallmarks of

hypocrisy, anarchy, and dreadful double

standards.

Protesters in Kyiv's Maidan Square and the

streets unleashed brutal killings and

violence in the name of the movement,

toppling a democratically elected

government in an undemocratic way with

the direct support of liberal Westerners,

including the United States, who backed

the protesters' cause against former

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

The Western world's hubris throughout the

Syrian crisis was shocking. The alliance

that demanded the removal of Bashar al-

Assad and tried so hard to bring down the

regime ultimately succeeded only in

making things more chaotic. Even with

Russia's last-ditch effort, Syria has

descended into chaos, joining Iraq and

Libya. More so than in other cases, the

West is eager to wave the Ukrainian flag

against Russia and help the Ukrainian

government achieve its goals. One possible

explanation is that the Western world

places greater strategic emphasis on

Ukraine than Syria. As a result of Western

involvement in Ukraine, trust between

Russia and the West has been severely

damaged, increasing the likelihood of a

resurgence of the Cold War.

The imposition of one's ideas and

philosophies on others while neglecting

the relevance of the significant differences

in national culture, civilisation, and

history is the primary cause of the failure

and calamity that the liberal concept of

universal values has caused. Ukraine is

today poised on the precipice of a bloody

civil war as a direct consequence of the

efforts of the United States and the

European Union to impose their version

of democracy on that country. Since the

dissolution of the Soviet Union, Western

academics and political leaders believe

that the Russian Federation has been

fighting an uphill battle to reassume its

hegemonic position over the nations that

were formerly a part of the Soviet Union.

This is inaccurate; Russia iskeener to

construct a multilateral world based on

fairness and a level playing field while also

being very mindful of its regional security.

This is even though Russia is very

conscious of its regional security.

people deciding to avoid news altogether,

must alarm us. That is why we must

embrace World News Day, which fell on

September 28, a global campaign to

highlight the value of fact-based

journalism and its power to change lives

and support freedom and democracy. It is

organised by The Canadian Journalism

Foundation (CJF) and WAN-IFRA's

World Editors Forum, and sponsored by

the Google News Initiative. It is above all

an opportunity to remind ourselves, as

well as society at large, of the important

role that journalism plays in preserving

those important ideals. Of why

journalism matters.

We have just been through a highly

disruptive global event in the course of

As a consequence of this, there have been

numerous conflicts in the region. The

liberal policies of the European Union are

directly to blame for the precarious

position in Ukraine. In November 2013, the

president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych,

made headlines when he said he would not

sign an association agreement with the

European Union to prioritise cultivating

friendly relations with Russia. This choice

was the impetus for the crisis that we are

currently facing. The move infuriated many

Ukrainians, who saw the transaction as

evidence that President Yanukovych

prioritised Russia's interests over those of

his nation. The subsequent widespread

demonstrations eventually resulted in the

ousting of Yanukovych in February 2014

and the installation of a new government

that is friendly to the interests of the West.

The entire event was a plot to topple the

government that the West supported,

planned in an undemocratic manner, and

was the outcome of high-level neoliberalism

in the West.

The annexation of Crimea by Russia in

March 2014 and the armed conflict in

eastern Ukraine combined with profound

divisions within Ukrainian society. This

was coupled with an ambiguous attitude of

the country's new leadership toward peace,

which was aligned with Western interests.

Because Russia participates in Ukraine,

many people are rethinking the future of

Europe and the role that the United States

plays in the globe. The current situation in

Ukraine exemplifies not only the

inadequacies of Western liberalism but

also the risks associated with residing in a

unipolar world. The United States of

America and its European allies have

responded to the crisis in Ukraine with a

mix of economic sanctions and diplomatic

measures. From the very beginning, many

people had significant doubts and

questions regarding the general efficacy of

the Western world. The effectiveness of

sanctions has been called into question,

and many fears diplomatic attempts will

also be unsuccessful because of a lack of

goodwill. In this post, I will make an effort

to underline that western liberalism has

been an utter failure in Ukraine and that

the current crisis demonstrates that such

liberalism cannot be imposed by force;

instead, such an approach is more likely to

fail. I intend to suggest that the current

international system should be replaced

with a new one.

Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the

liberalism of the West has spread like a

virus over the rest of the world. Instead of

bringing about peace and stability, the

ideology of liberalism is responsible for the

upheaval and anarchy that have occurred

EnayEtUllah Khan

the COVID-19 pandemic. Right from the

beginning, journalists recognised the

sheer unprecedented nature of the event,

at least in their own lifetimes, in terms of

its sheer impact and reach. The relentless

news cycle, an 'infodemic' of

misinformation, and its effects on the

personal lives of each and every one of us,

made it one of the most unique stories, at

the same time one of the biggest

It is this commitment to the public good that truly distinguishes

journalists, and makes them essential agents of social progress.

as such, the discouraging conclusion of Oxford University's

reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, that the public's

trust and interest in news is falling, with an alarming number of

people deciding to avoid news altogether, must alarm us.

challenges, we are ever likely to face.

The pandemic was characterised as a

potential "extinction event" for

journalism as hundreds of news outlets

closed and journalists were laid off

around the world, advertising budgets

were slashed, and many were forced to

rethink how to do their jobs amid

Why western liberalism is perilous

Dr P r Datta FCIM, FrSa

in countries undergoing significant

changes. Even as the United Kingdom

declared that it would be voting to leave the

European Union, European countries were

already feeling the acute effects of the crisis

in liberalism. Over the past three decades, I

have witnessed the recurrence of this crisis

in many countries around the world. Some

examples include the election of populist

governments in many European countries,

the Catalan rebellion in Spain, and the

rejection of liberalism in many countries,

including Russia, China, North Korea, and

Iran. Other examples include the victory of

Donald Trump in the US presidential

election in 2016, defeating liberal Hillary

Clinton. The spread of liberal ideology in

the West has led to the collapse of many

nations, including Iraq, Libya, and Yemen.

The result of this liberalism is the crisis that

the globe is currently experiencing. At this

juncture, it is crucial to illuminate the

philosophical aspects of this liberalism.

The political and economic theory known

as liberalism promotes and defends

individual rights, equality of opportunity,

individual autonomy, and freedom.

the imposition of one's ideas and philosophies

on others while neglecting the relevance of the

significant differences in national culture,

civilisation, and history is the primary cause of

the failure and calamity that the liberal concept

of universal values has caused.

Additionally, this philosophical idea is used

in many other contexts to argue against the

state. The fundamental tenet of liberal

thought is that each person in society

possesses the rationality and ability to

make decisions for him or herself and that

the government ought to be involved in the

lives of its citizens only to the extent

required. The United States of America has

been a particularly prominent nation in the

propagation of this ideology throughout

the world. Liberalism has been the Western

world's preeminent political and economic

philosophy for several centuries and has

penetrated society. Liberals believe that

this ideology ought to be implemented

uniformly across all cultures. Another

political ideology maintained by these

liberals is democracy, which may be

summed up as providing adequate and

efficient governance for the populace. Both

the English philosopher John Locke (1623-

1704) and the Scottish economist and

thinker Adam Smith(1723-1790) greatly

respected this liberal ideology. John Locke

believed that every human being was born

with their rights. Adam Smith, on the other

hand, believed that the only way for society

to flourish was for individuals to work

toward their personal development while

exercising their freedom to pursue their

interests. A structure like this oneuseproduction

method and marketplaces

open to competition is its foundation. In

places where the state does not exert

control and where the authority of the

government is restricted, Liberals believe

that all people, regardless of factors such as

restrictions on movement and limited

access to information or public officials.

Yet the same event is adequate to show

that journalism, "at its best" - as Kathy

English, chair of The Canadian

Journalism Foundation is keen to add -

matters more than ever before.

Good journalists have shown that by

doing stories that provide reliable

information, alongside relevant context,

perspectives, and potential solutions,

they are also the best antidote for the said

infodemic. Access to information is a

human right - it is also the best cure for

disinformation, or even misinformation.

To that end, World News Day is an

initiative to uphold how lives are

improved when journalists, at their best,

and mindful of their responsibility, tell a

story. To showcase the importance of even

small newsrooms in fostering a sense of

community. And to renew our

commitment to work with the belief that

we have a special duty towards society,

and it must be fulfilled each and every day.

Enayetullah Khan is Editor-in-

Chief, United News of Bangladesh

(UNB) & Dhaka Courier.

ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic

standing, should be treated in the same

manner by the legal system. Civil liberties,

which are also frequently referred to as

fundamental rights and liberties, are

something that liberals ardently favour,

and they feel that everyone ought to have

access to civil liberties. In the view of

adherents of the economic liberalism

philosophical school of thought, free

markets and unrestricted trade are the

most efficient methods of economic

growth.

Ukraine's current state of affairs can be

directly attributed to this liberalism.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet

Union, NATO continued its expansion into

Eastern European countries, and Europe

was able to incorporate all of these

countries into its domain. Not only that,

NATO and the EU, including the United

States, have shifted their focus to the

country with which Russia shares a border:

Ukraine. Western nations, especially the

United States, which venerate liberal

democracy and the freedom to speak one's

mind, continue to exert pressure on

Ukraine in the hopes that it will join the

European Union. The consequences are

clear to everyone now. The push toward

libertarianism in Ukraine has significantly

increased the country's number of

difficulties. People in the eastern part of the

country, who largely support Russia, have

the impression that they are being coerced

into adopting a way of life that is not in line

with the fundamental values and principles

that guide their everyday lives. This has

resulted in the conflict that is currently

taking place in Ukraine, where people in

the East are fighting for the right to have

their own country, where they may live

according to their values and be free from

the oppression that comes from the West.

Many experts, at the beginning of the

1990s, voiced optimism about the chance of

establishing a new order in the region that

was more liberal. The establishment of

Ukraine prompted this optimism as a

sovereign nation. However, the catastrophe

unfolding in Ukraine thirty years after it

began demonstrates how frail that liberal

worldview was and how detached it was

from the general populace. Those who

disagree with the liberal worldview argue

that the policies of Western governments are

to blame for the escalation of the conflict in

Ukraine. They assert that the liberal notion

of self-determination was exploited to

excuse the overthrow of a government that

had been democratically elected, as well as

the following intervention of Russian

military forces. Even though liberalism has

not been very successful in actual practice

and, in certain circumstances, can be

damaging to countries, it is still the

dominant political ideology in many parts of

the world. In general, I have a firm

conviction that liberalism represents a

commendable goal. But if you insist on

imposing your philosophy on everyone and

everything, you ask for trouble.

The writer is Educator, author, and

researcher And Executive Chair,

Centre for Business & Economic

Research, UK

SUnDAy, oCTobEr 9, 2022

5

Alexa’s new voice over feature

AlEx hErn

Amazon plans to let people turn their dead loved ones'

voices into digital assistants, with the company

promising the ability to "make the memories last".

The company is developing technology that will allow

its Alexa digital assistant to mimic the voice of anyone

it hears from less than a minute of provided audio,

Rohit Prasad, its senior vice-president and head

scientist, said on Wednesday. He added that during the

coronavirus paramedic "so many of us have lost

someone we love".

While no timescale was given for the launch of the

feature, the underlying technology has existed for

several years. The company gave a demonstration

where the reanimated voice of an older woman was

used to read her grandson a bedtime story, after he

asked Alexa: "Can grandma finish reading me the

Wizard of Oz?"

Prasad said: "The way we made it happen is by

framing the problem as a voice conversion task and not

a speech generation path." Beyond the initial

demonstration, details were scarce. The technology was

announced at the company's re:Mars conference,

focusing on its "ambient computing" achievements in

the realms of machine learning, automation, robots

and space.

Amazon's aim for its voice assistant is "generalisable

Amazon previously demonstrated how the reanimated voice of an older woman was used to

read her grandson a bedtime story.

Photo: Samuel gibbs

intelligence", Prasad added, contrasting it with "allknowing,

all-capable, uber-artificial general

intelligence" of science fiction.

But other technology companies have been cautious

about making digital voice-doubles so easy to produce:

hours before Amazon announced its plans, Microsoft

published new artificial intelligence (AI) ethics rules

that would put strict limits on who could create

synthetic voices and how they could be used. "It is …

easy to imagine how it could be used to inappropriately

impersonate speakers and deceive listeners," said

Natasha Crampton, the company's chief responsible AI

officer.

Microsoft will require companies to apply for

permission to make artificial voices, and last month

began watermarking them with an inaudible signal that

would allow it to identify misuse.

The concept of using AI to revive the dead - or appear

to - is not a new one, even outside the realm of science

fiction. In 2020, Joshua Barbeau trained a version of

the GPT-3 chatbot on conversation logs with his late

fiancee Jessica, who had died eight years earlier. And in

2018, Eugenia Kuyda built a chatbot out of her partner

Roman Mazurenko's old text messages. "I didn't expect

it to be as impactful. Usually I find showing emotions

and thinking about grief really hard so I was mostly

trying to avoid it. Talking to Roman's avatar was facing

those demons," she said at the time.

Instagram to try out

stronger age checks

TEChnology DESk

Instagram will start testing

strong age verification for

the first time, requiring

users who try to change

their age from under-18 to

over-18 to either upload a

video selfie for automatic

age verification, or find

three adults to vouch for

them.

The changes, which are

initially rolling out in the

US, will apply only to users

who have already

indicated they are under

18, but try to edit their date

of birth to gain access to

age-restricted features.

Those users are

currently asked to upload

ID to prove their age, but

that approach carries

privacy and security risks,

which could make it

undesirable for some.

"Knowing people's age

allows us to provide

appropriate experiences to

different age groups,

specifically teens," the

company said.

"We require people to be

at least 13 years old to sign

up for Instagram. In some

countries, our minimum

age is higher. When we

know if someone is a teen

(13-17), we provide them

with age-appropriate

experiences like defaulting

them into private

accounts, preventing

unwanted contact from

Users are currently asked to upload ID to prove their age, but that approach carries privacy and

security risks.

Photo: Allard Schager

adults they don't know and

limiting the options

advertisers have to reach

them with ads."

In the first of the new

options, a user uploads a

video selfie, which is

shared with the age

verification startup Yoti.

The British company uses

the footage to estimate the

age of the uploader, then

deletes it from its servers.

John Abbott, its chief

business officer, told the

Guardian last year that the

system is already as good

as a person at estimating

someone's age, and that its

accuracy has been tested

against a range of

demographics to ensure it

does not miscategorise any

particular group.

The second option will

instead allow an

Instagram user to turn to

other adults to vouch for

their age. They will need to

find, within three days,

three mutual followers, all

of whom are over 18, and

none of whom is vouching

for anyone else at the same

time, to confirm their age.

"Understanding

someone's age online is a

complex, industry-wide

challenge," Instagram

said. "We want to work

with others in our

industry, and with

governments, to set clear

standards for age

verification online.

"Many people, such as

teens, don't always have

access to the forms of ID

that make age

verification clear and

simple. As an industry,

we have to explore novel

ways to approach the

dilemma of verifying

someone's age when they

don't have an ID."

Microsoft says it intends to keep 'people and their goals at the centre of

system design decisions'.

Photo: Christophe Morin

Microsoft limits access to

facial recognition tool

Technology Desk

Microsoft is overhauling its artificial

intelligence ethics policies and will no longer let

companies use its technology to do things such

as infer emotion, gender or age using facial

recognition technology, the company has said.

As part of its new "responsible AI standard",

Microsoft says it intends to keep "people and

their goals at the centre of system design

decisions". The high-level principles will lead to

real changes in practice, the company says,

with some features being tweaked and others

withdrawn from sale.

Microsoft's Azure Face service, for instance,

is a facial recognition tool that is used by

companies such as Uber as part of their identity

verification processes. Now, any company that

wants to use the service's facial recognition

features will need to actively apply for use,

including those that have already built it into

their products, to prove they are matching

Microsoft's AI ethics standards and that the

features benefit the end user and society.

Even those companies that are granted

access will no longer be able to use some of the

more controversial features of Azure Face,

Microsoft says, and the company will be

retiring facial analysis technology that purports

to infer emotional states and attributes such as

gender or age.

"We collaborated with internal and external

researchers to understand the limitations and

potential benefits of this technology and

navigate the tradeoffs," said Sarah Bird, a

product manager at Microsoft. "In the case of

emotion classification specifically, these efforts

raised important questions about privacy, the

lack of consensus on a definition of 'emotions',

and the inability to generalise the linkage

between facial expression and emotional state

across use cases."

Microsoft is not scrapping emotion

recognition entirely - the company will still use

it internally, for accessibility tools such as

Seeing AI, which attempt to verbally describe

the world for users with vision problems.

DAn MIlMo

A Delaware judge has postponed

the Twitter v Elon Musk trial in

order to give the Tesla chief

executive time to complete his

proposed $44bn takeover of the

social media platform.

The litigation was halted until 28

October to allow both parties to

close the transaction, after Musk

said he needed time to put together

the funds for the deal. Judge

Kathaleen McCormick said if the

deal did not close by her deadline

the parties were to contact her to

schedule a November trial.

"This action is stayed until 5pm

on October 28, 2022 to permit the

parties to close on the transaction,"

wrote McCormick.

Twitter and Musk were scheduled

to face off in a trial in Delaware on

17 October. However, Musk had

moved to head off the proceedings

on Monday by performing a U-turn

on his decision to walk away from

the takeover. Twitter had sued

Musk in Delaware, where the

company is incorporated, in an

effort to force him to complete a

deal he agreed to in April.

The decision by Judge

McCormick marked another day of

drama for the Twitter takeover

saga.

In a filing at the Delaware court

of chancery earlier on Thursday,

Musk's representatives had argued

the deal could close on or about 28

October without a trial. The

Elon Musk's

Twitter

litigation

alternative, the filing added, was a

deal-closing process that could take

months - even if the trial goes

ahead and Twitter wins.

Twitter said that as part of his

renewed offer, the Tesla CEO was

asking to reserve the right to

resurrect a lawsuit against the

company if the closing does not

happen.

Musk's lawyers argued, however,

that "Twitter will not take yes for

an answer." The Musk filing added:

"Astonishingly, they have insisted

on proceeding with this litigation,

recklessly putting the deal at risk

and gambling with their

stockholders' interests."

The filing said Musk's lenders

were "prepared to honor" their

obligations and accused Twitter of

"baseless speculation" about the

$12.5bn financing package falling

through.

However, the filing said finalising

the debt package "will take time"

and "cannot happen before the

October 17 trial". The filing also

refers to the "much less likely

possibility" of the debt not being

funded.

Twitter responded by demanding

its "day in court". In its response,

the company said the obstacle to

putting off the trial was that Musk

is still refusing to accept his

"contractual obligations".

Twitter said Musk's surprise

proposal to close the deal included

unacceptable clauses and was an

A Delaware judge has halted litigation between Elon Musk and Twitter. Photo: Anadolu Agency

"invitation to further mischief and

delay".

"Until defendants commit to

close as required, Twitter is

entitled to its day in court," said the

company.

Musk had been due to be

interviewed under oath by Twitter's

lawyers on Thursday as part of

preparations for the trial, but the

social media company had agreed

to defer the Tesla CEO's deposition.

Brian Quinn, a professor at

Boston College law school, said:

"The judge is giving him enough,

responding to what might appear

to be reasonable requests to delay

the trial, while keeping the threat of

a trial out there."

Shares in Twitter closed down

3.8% at $49.39.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2022

6

On the occasion of the Holy Eid-e-Miladunnabi, the concerned people have applied to the Guinness Book

of World Records authority to name the historic Juluse organized in Chittagong. Photo: File Photo

Guinness authority to observe

Juluse on Sunday

SM Akash, Chattogram Correspondent :

On the occasion of the Holy Eid-e-

Miladunnabi, the concerned people

have applied to the Guinness Book of

World Records authority to name the

historic Juluse organized in

Chattogram as the largest Juluse or

Islamic Procession in the world.

Anjuman-e Rahmaniya Ahmadiyya

Sunni Trust is a Tariqa-based

organization that organizes the

festival. The trust has appealed to the

Guinness authorities.

Anjuman Secretary General

Mohammad Anwar Hossain told The

Bangladesh Today, "I came to know

that the Ashek brothers of our

organization have applied and in view

of the application, the management

team of Guinness Book of World

Records will observe the Juluse on

Sunday."

According to the report of the

intelligence agency, the monitoring

team of the Guinness Book Authority is

coming to Chattogram on Saturday

and they will directly observe the

Jashone Juluse on Sunday. According

to the sources of the intelligence

agency, they have extensive

Lightning strike

kills man in

Zakiganj

SYLHET: A man was killed

and three others were

injured in a lightning strike

in Zakiganj upazila of the

district in the early hours of

yesterday, reports BSS.

The deceased was

identified as Kamrul Islam

Kala, 35, hailed from

Manikpur Dargabaharpur

village in the upazila.

Locals said the incident

occurred around 5am when

they were catching fish in

the rain at a 'Beel' close to

their village. At that time, a

lightning struck on him,

leaving Kamrul dead on the

spot.

Officer-in-Charge

of

Zakiganj Thana Mosharrof

Hossain confirmed the

news.

Man stabs

mother-in-law to

death in Faridpur

FARIDPUR : A 55-yearold

woman was stabbed to

death allegedly by her sonin-law

in Sabar village of

Faridpur district early on

Saturday, reports UNB.

The deceased was

identified as Rahima Begum

of the village. Habil Hossain,

officer-in-charge of

Nagarkanda Police Station,

said that Rahima stepped

out of her house to answer

the call of nature around

1am.

"It was then that Yunus

Molla, her son-in-law,

stabbed her with a knife,

leaving her critically

injured."

Later, she was taken to a

local hospital where doctors

declared Rahima dead on

arrival.The motive behind

the killing is yet to be

ascertained, the OC said.

"Efforts are on to nab the

accused, who is on the run."

preparations for this year's 50th Juluse

security system.

According to the sources of the

Central Council of Gausia Committee

Bangladesh, this procession under the

management of Anjuman Trust will

start from Alamgir Khanqah e Kaderia

Syedia Tayyibiya, adjacent to Jamia

Ahmadiyya Sunni Kamil Madrasa,

Chattogram, on Sunday, at 8 am. The

procession will be led by Allama Syed

Muhammad Taher Shah (MAJIA;)

from Pakistan, who is the sajjadanshin

of Alia Qaderia Shetalul at the court of

Siricourt Sharif. Allama Pari Syed

Muhammad Sabir Shah and Shahzada

Allama Syed Muhammad Qasem Shah

will also participate in it.

Organizers said that after the start of

procession, from Bibir Hat in the city

to Muradpur via Mirzarpool, Katalganj

via Alikhan Mosque Chawkbazar,

Carey Mor, Chattogram College via the

west side of the parade ground, Gani

Bakeri, Khastogir School (right turn),

Shaheed Saifuddin Khaled Road via

Askar Dighi, Kazi Deuri (left turn),

Almas (left turn), Wasa (right turn),

GEC, gate number two, again

Muradpur (right turn) via Bibirhat,

Badshah Saykot, Kurigram Correspondent:

Biker Club of Kurigram held a rally to raise

awareness and prevent child marriage. On

Saturday afternoon, the rally took off from the

Victory Pillar of the district town and circled

the main roads of the town. 40 motorcycles

and 20 bicycles participated in it. Youth

Community Alliance Network cooperated in

this public awareness program organized by

Kurigram Bikers Club.

Kurigram Mayor Kaziul Islam, ASP Ruhul

Amin, former president of Kurigram Press

Club and advisor of Bikers Club Advocate

Ahsan Habib Nilu and founder of Bikers Club

Hossain Maruf and others were present at the

inauguration of the bike rally. Biker Club

founder Hossain Maruf said that the main

Jamia Ahmadiyya Sunnia Kamil

Madrasah adjacent to Juluse field at

12:00 PM. Dua and Akheri Munajat

will be held after Zohor Namaz.

Gausia Committee Joint Editor

Advocate Mosaheb Uddin Bakhtiar

told The Bangladesh Today that in

1974 (1395 Hijri) according to the

instructions and outline of Allama

Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah (R.),

Juluse first debuted in Chattogram in

the country. The first Juluse started

from Khanqah A Kaderia Syediya

Tayyabia in Qurbaniganj Baluardighi

Par of Chattogram. The then Senior

Vice President of Anjuman Trust,

Alhaj Noor Mohammad Al Qaderi, led

the first celebration of the country

under the management of Anjuman

Rahmaniya Ahmadiyya Sunni Trust.

He also said, this time the gathering

of people will be more than other

years. We think this year the guests will

break all the records, our analysis

predicts that this year there will be at

least 70 lakh people will gather. 5/6

thousand members of Anjuman

Security Force will work in order.

There will be many volunteers of

Gausia Committee Bangladesh.

Biker Club of Kurigram held a rally to raise awareness and prevent child

marriage on Saturday.

Photo: Badshah Saykot

Biker club Kurigram holds child

marriage awareness rally

purpose of the rally is to support the

government in preventing child marriage.

Besides, those who are members of this biker

club will work to prevent child marriage from

their respective positions. They also said that

bikers club will work to prevent road accidents.

Kurigram Additional Superintendent of

Police Ruhul Amin said, the members of bikers

club told me that they will work to increase

public awareness to prevent child marriage as

well as increase awareness to prevent road

accidents. Congratulations to them on behalf

of the police administration.

Kurigram Municipal Mayor Kajiul Islam

said, this is a good initiative. He said that the

Bikers Club will fully cooperate with this

program to prevent child marriage.

An exchange meeting of Islamic organization Hezbut Tawheed was held

with journalists working at Sunamganj Online Press Club. The Sunamganj

district branch of the organization organized the exchange meeting on

Friday at the local Fanshi restaurant.

Photo: AK Milon

8000 fishermen

to get rice in

Jamalpur

JAMALPUR : Department

of Fisheries will disburse rice

among 8,000 fishermen

families with a view to

assisting them during the

ban period of Hilsa fishing in

the district this year, reports

BSS.

District Fisheries Office

sources said under the

vulnerable group feeding

(VGF) programme the rice

will be disbursed among the

fishermen to assist them

during the ban period of

Hilsha fishing. Fishermen in

Dewanganj, Islampur,

Madarganj and Sarishabari

upazilas will get the food

assistance.

Each of the fishermen

families will get 25 kilogram

rice. The office said the food

support is being given to the

poor fishermen families

during the ban of Hilsha

fishing in rivers from

October 7 to October 28, the

breeding period of Hilsha

fish.

District Fisheries Officer

SM Khalequzzaman said

process of distribution of

rice has been started. The

aim of the programme is to

increase Hilsha fish

production by preventing

fishermen from catching

mother Hilsha fish during

the breeding period, he

added.

Three students

killed in Jhenaidah

road accident

JHENAIDAH :

Three

college students were killed

when a motorcycle carrying

them hit the back of a lorry

loaded with electricity pillars

in Atharo Mile area under

Sadar upazila of the district

last night, reports BSS.

The deceased were

identified as Government

Veterinary College VP

Murad Hossain, 25,

Touhidul Islam, 23 and

Samaresh Biswas, 22.

The accident occurred in

the area at 11:30 pm as the

motorcycle carrying the trio

hit the lorry from behind

losing control over the wheel

leaving them dead on the

spot, police said.

The motorcyclists met the

accident while they were

returning to the college from

Jhenaidah city, said Officerin-Charge

(OC) of

Jhenaidah Sadar Police

Station Sheikh Mohammad

Sohel Rana.

The bodies were sent to

Sadar Hospital morgue for

autopsy, he added.

Three college students

killed in Jashore road

accident

JASHORE: Three

college students were

killed in a road accident in

Natunhat Bazar area on

the Jashore-Benapole

highway under Sadar

upazila of the district last

night, reports BSS.

The deceased were

identified as Asif, 19, son

of Saiful Islam, resident of

Arenda village, Arman

Hossen, 19, son of Nazir

Ali and Salman, 19, son of

Alomgir Hossen, resident

of Durgapur village in

Jashore Sadar upazila.

The all deceased are

second year students of

Natunhat Public College.

The accident occurred

when a Benapole-bound

Paribahan hit the

motorcycle coming from

the opposite direction in

the area around 9:30 pm,

leaving two motorcyclists

Asif and Arman dead on

the spot, said Md.

Moniruzzaman, officer-incharge

(OC-Investigation)

of Jashore Kotwali Model

thana.

Another motorcycle

rider Salman succumbed

to his injury in Jashore

250 bed general hospital,

he said.

The bodies were kept at

the hospital morgue. A

case was filed.

Villagers make a Bamboo Shanko

voluntarily in Baraigram

Sheikh Tofazzal Hossain, Natore

Correspondent: Dwarikushi and

Pratappur villages have constructed a

bamboo shanko in Baraigram, Natore. They

voluntarily constructed a 30 meter long and

one and a half meter wide Shanko with

bamboo and wood at the place of Rahim

Mure of Dwarikushi-Pratappur on the

Danga River.

Shanko has been built voluntarily with

bamboo, wood, money and labor. In

addition to Dwarikushi and Pratappur,

about 12 thousand people from some villages

of Baraigram and Jonail Union have been

opened for making this shanko. However,

the villagers demanded to build a permanent

bridge here.

It is known that inhabitants of some

villages including Dwarikushi and Pratappur

travel regularly on this route. On this route,

students go to various educational

institutions including Pratappur

Government Primary School, Dwarikushi

Government Primary School, Dwarikushi

Hafezia Madrasa, Dwarikushi-Pratappur

High School. Farmers go to Dwarikushi and

Jonail markets to buy and sell various

products. But as there is no bridge, they lives

in risk to cross the river during monsoon. In

this, they suffered extreme suffering in the

transportation of agricultural products and

other goods. After contacting various offices

including the public representative but

nothing worked, finally the people of the

village took the initiative to build a bamboo

bridge themselves to cross the river.

We see, hundreds of people gathered on

Dwarikushi and Pratappur villages have constructed a bamboo shanko in

Baraigram, Natore.

Photo: Sheikh Tofazzal Hossain

BCG seize 21000 pieces

of yaba and arrest 2 in

separate raids

21,000 pieces of yaba seized in separate Coast Guard raids in

Teknaf and St. Martin and 02 were arrested. On Saturday at

noon, media officer of the Coast Guard Headquarters

Lieutenant Commander Khandaker Munif Taqi gave this

information.

He said that on Saturday at approximately 0030 hours,

Bangladesh Coast Guard Station Teknaf led a special

operation in Teknaf Ghat area under the leadership of

Station Commander Lt. Commander Md. Ashiq Ahmed.

During the operation, 02 persons with 01 hotpot of blue color

were seen coming towards the market from Teknaf Ghat.

When the persons were signaled to stop for a general search,

the persons tried to run away without stopping and the Coast

Guard members were able to chase and arrest them.

Meanwhile, the hotpot in hand was searched and 14,000

(fourteen thousand) pieces of Yaba hidden in a fancy way

were seized.

On the other hand, at around 0115 hours, another special

operation was conducted in the area adjacent to Chhera

Island of Saint Martin under Teknaf police station. During

the operation, 02 persons were seen coming from inside the

Kaya forest of Chera Island. When the movements of the

men looked suspicious, the Coast Guard member gave a

signal to stop, but without stopping, the men ran and fled

into the forest of the isolated island. Later, the Coast Guard

personnel searched the forest area and recovered a polythene

bag from the roots of the Keya bush. Later the bag was

searched and 7,000 (seven thousand) pieces of Yaba were

seized. Yaba is believed to have been hidden for smuggling

purposes.

He further said that Yaba seized in both raids and the

arrested persons were handed over to Teknaf Model Police

Station for legal action.

21,000 pieces of yaba seized in separate Coast

Guard raids in Teknaf and St. Martin and 02

were arrested on Saturday. Photo: Courtesy

the river bank on Friday. There is a festival

going on around the making the Shanko.

Some of them are cutting bamboo, some are

smoothing the planks of palm trees. Others

went down into the water and made the

Shanko by hammering the planks of iron on

the bamboo poles. Elders sit and encourage

them. Cooking is going on for everyone on

the bank of the river.

Dulal Hossain of Pratappur village said

that children study in schools and colleges

across the river. Sometimes banana rafts,

sometimes old bamboo rafts had to be used

to cross the river. In this way, there is a risk

of accidents many times while crossing the

river.

Kamal Hossain of the same village said

that everyone in the village voluntarily

contributed according to their ability for the

construction of Shanko. Bamboo, wood, iron

and other materials have been purchased at

a cost of around 60 thousand taka with

everyone's cooperation. The youth of the

village worked hard for two days to build the

shanko voluntarily.

Maksed Pramanik of Dwarikushi village

said that despite applying to various

departments including LGED for a bridge,

no work was done. Therefore, the traffic

system is being maintained by making the

shanko. School teacher Rezaul Karim said

that the construction of the bamboo shanko

has facilitated the movement of the local

residents. However, we are drawing the

attention of concerned authorities including

LGED for the construction of a permanent

bridge.

Commercial summer bean

farming brings solvency to

Rajshahi farmers

RAJSHAHI: Commercial

farming of summer beans

has been making growers

cheerful as many of them

has been becoming

financially solvent through

its farming in the region,

including its vast barind

tract, for the last couple of

years, reports BSS.

Generally, the bean is a

winter vegetable but it is

being cultivated during

summer

season

commercially at present

making both the growers

and consumers happy.

Currently, beans have been

appearing in the local

markets regularly.

"I've been purchasing

beans from local kitchen

markets and vendors for

over the last one month,"

said Ambia Ferdousi

Khanom, a housewife of

Sultanabad area in the city.

Currently, the vegetable

is being sold at around

Taka 150 to 200 per

kilogram on an average in

retail markets during the

last couple of days.

"Bean is one of my

favorite vegetables and we

are getting it during

summer side by side with

winter," said Ferdousi.

Piarul Islam, a farmer of

Dharampur village under

Godagari Upazila, has

become successful in bean

farming that has made him

solvent.

"I had earned a profit of

around Taka 60,000 after

cultivating the vegetable

on ten katha of land last

year," he said with a

smiling face.

He has cultivated the

vegetable on one bigha of

land with setting up stages

made of bamboo stick this

season and has been

selling the crop for the last

couple of weeks at lucrative

price.

SUndAy, OCTOBeR 9, 2022

7

The overall number of global Covid cases has now crossed 626 million.

Crimea bridge blast could escalate

Russia's war in Ukraine

KHARKIV : A truck bomb Saturday

caused a fire and the collapse of a

section of a bridge linking Russiaannexed

Crimea with Russia, Russian

officials say, damaging a key supply

artery for Moscow's faltering war effort

in southern Ukraine.

The speaker of Crimea's Kremlinbacked

regional parliament

immediately accused Ukraine, though

the Kremlin didn't apportion blame.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly

threatened to strike the bridge and

some lauded the attack, but Kyiv

stopped short of claiming

responsibility.

The bombing came a day after

Russian President Vladimir Putin

turned 70, dealing him a humiliating

blow that could lead him to up the ante

in his war on Ukraine.

Russia's National Anti-Terrorism

Committee said that the truck bomb

caused seven railway cars carrying fuel

to catch fire, resulting in a "partial

collapse of two sections of the bridge."

The Crimean Peninsula holds

symbolic value for Russia and is key to

sustaining its military operations in the

south. If the bridge is made inoperable,

it would make it significantly more

challenging to ferry supplies to the

peninsula. While Russia seized the

11 die as bus

catches fire in

India's Nashik

NEW DELHI : As many as 11

people were killed and 38

others injured after a bus

caught fire following a

collision with a truck in the

western Indian state of

Maharashtra early on

Saturday morning.

The accident occurred on

Aurangabad road in the

state's Nashik district around

5.15am, police said.

"Most of those killed were

passengers of the bus, a

sleeper coach. The inured

have been shifted to the

hospital for treatment," Amol

Tambe, deputy commissioner

of Nashik Police, told the local

media.

Local TV channels reported

that some of the bus

passengers were charred to

death while others lost their

lives in the impact of the

collision.

State Chief Minister Eknath

Shinde announced a

compensation of Rs 5 lakh for

the families of each of the

victims.

A probe has been ordered

into the accident, the police

officer said.

Road accidents are

common in India, with one

taking place every four

minutes. These accidents are

often blamed on poor roads,

rash driving and scant regard

for traffic laws.

The Indian government's

implementation of stricter

traffic laws in recent years has

failed to rein in accidents,

which claim over 100,000

lives every year.

areas north of Crimea early during the

invasion and built a land corridor to it

along the Sea of Azov, Ukraine is

pressing a counteroffensive to reclaim

them.

The bridge has train and automobile

sections. Russia's National Anti-

Terrorism Committee specified that the

explosion and fire led to the collapse of

the two sections of one of the two links

of the automobile bridge, while another

link was intact.

Russia's Energy Ministry said Crimea

has enough fuel for 15 days, adding that

it was working on ways to replenish

stock.

Authorities suspended passenger

train traffic across the bridge until

further notice. Putin was informed

about the explosion and he ordered the

creation of a government panel to deal

with the emergency.

The 19-kilometer (12-mile) bridge

across the Kerch Strait linking the

Black Sea and the Sea of Azov opened

in 2018 and is the longest in Europe. It

has provided an essential link to the

Crimean Peninsula, which Russia

annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The $3.6 billion project is a tangible

symbol of Moscow's claims on Crimea.

It was Russia's only land link to the

peninsula until Russian forces seized

more Ukrainian territory on the

northern end of the Sea of Azov in

heavy fighting, particularly around the

city of Mariupol, building a land

corridor to Crimea earlier this year.

The speaker of Crimea's Kremlinbacked

regional parliament blamed

Ukraine for the explosion, but

downplayed the severity of the damage

and said it would be promptly repaired.

"Now they have something to be

proud of: over 23 years of their

management, they didn't manage to

build anything worthy of attention in

Crimea, but they've managed to

damage the surface of the Russian

bridge," Vladimir Konstantinov,

Chairman of the State Council of the

Republic, wrote on Telegram.

The parliamentary leader of

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's

party on Saturday stopped short of

claiming that Kyiv was responsible for

the incident but appeared to cast it as a

consequence of Moscow's takeover of

Crimea and attempts to integrate the

peninsula with the Russian mainland.

"Russian illegal construction is

starting to fall apart and catch fire. The

reason is simple: if you build

something explosive, then sooner or

later it will explode," David

Arakhamia.

As many as 11 people were killed and 38 others injured after a bus caught

fire following a collision with a truck in the western Indian state of

Maharashtra early on Saturday morning.

Photo : Internet

India's Mukesh Ambani 'setting

up family office in Singapore'

NEW DELHI : India's billionaire

businessman Mukesh Ambani is reportedly

setting up a family office in Singapore,

joining the rush of the world's ultra-rich

opening such entities in the Asian city-state

to manage their wealth.

Ambani, the owner of India's oil-totelecom

conglomerate Reliance Industries,

has even hired a manager to recruit other

staff for the family office in Singapore, media

reports said, quoting sources close to the

family.

This comes barely three months after

Ambani-the second-richest person in Asiakickstarted

a dynastic succession, handing

over the reins of Reliance's telecom arm Jio

to his eldest son Akash.

A family office is basically a private

investment entity designed to oversee the

wealth of rich individuals, aimed at growing

and transferring assets on to their future

generations.

Already, many of the world's ultra-rich

have opened their family offices in

Singapore-Google co-founder Sergey Brin

and British entrepreneur James Dyson to

name a few-taking advantage of its low-tax

regime.

Last year, Ambani bought a grand 300-

acre property in an ultra-upscale locality on

the outskirts of London.

Ambani had earlier indicated his plan to

split his USD 200 billion business empire

among his three children-Akash, Isha and

Anant.

Over the past two years, Reliance went on

an aggressive fundraising spree to make the

conglomerate debt-free, a step to trim its

dependence on the flagship oil sector to

diversify into telecom and e-commerce.

Photo : Internet

Global Covid

cases top 626

million

DHAKA : The overall

number of global Covid

cases has now crossed 626

million.

According to the latest

global data, the total case

count mounted to

626,084,363 while the death

toll from the virus reached

6,559,360 on Saturday

morning.

The US has recorded

98,523,168 cases so far while

1,087,655 people have died

from the virus in the

country, both highest counts

around the world.

India's daily Covid-19

caseload Friday fell below

the 2,000 mark, officials

said.

According to federal

health ministry data

released on Friday morning,

1,997 new cases of Covid

were reported in 24 hours,

taking the total tally to

44,606,460 in the country.

The cases reported on

Friday marked a decrease in

comparison with the daily

caseload of 2,529 on

Thursday.

With the reporting of fresh

cases, India's active caseload

currently stands at 30,362.

The country also logged

nine related deaths in 24

hours, pushing the overall

death toll to 528,754 since

the beginning of the

pandemic, the ministry said.

UN working to

extend Ukraine grain

export agreement

UNITED NATIONS : UN

Secretary-General Antonio

Guterres is working to extend

an agreement allowing grain

exports from Ukraine, which

has managed to lower food

prices around the world, his

spokesman said Friday.

Two agreements were

signed in July under UN

auspices: one allowed for 120

days of exports of Ukrainian

grain that had been held up

in ports by the Russian

invasion, and the other is

supposed to facilitate exports

of Russian grain and fertilizer

amid sanctions against

Russia for invading Ukraine.

Russia is complaining that,

even with this agreement, it

cannot sell its products

because of sanctions affecting

the finance and logistics

sectors.

"The Secretary-General is

spending a lot of time on the

phone, trying to unblock the

places in various

bureaucracies that are

stopping this facilitated trade

of Russian fertilizer and

Russian grains," said UN

spokesman Stephane

Dujarric.He said two senior

UN officials would travel to

Moscow in a week or so to

discuss these issues with

Russian officials.

Biden's 'Armageddon'

talk edges beyond

bounds of US intel

WASHINGTON : President Joe Biden's

warning that the world is at risk of a nuclear

"Armageddon" was designed to send an

unvarnished message that no one should

underestimate the extraordinary danger if

Russia deploys tactical nuclear weapons in

its war against Ukraine, administration

officials said Friday.

The president's grim assessment, delivered

during a Democratic fundraiser on Thursday

night, rippled around the globe and

appeared to edge beyond the boundaries of

current U.S. intelligence assessments. U.S.

security officials continue to say they have no

evidence that Vladimir Putin has imminent

plans for a nuclear strike.

Biden veered into talk about Ukraine at the

end of his standard fundraising remarks,

saying that Putin was "not joking when he

talks about the use of tactical nuclear

weapons or biological or chemical weapons."

"We have not faced the prospect of

Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban

Missile Crisis," he added. He suggested the

threat from Putin is real "because his

military is - you might say - significantly

underperforming."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-

Pierre on Friday did not directly respond to a

question about whether Biden had gone into

the event intending to invoke Armageddon,

as the White House sought to clarify the

president's off-the-cuff comments.

She told reporters: "Russia's talk of using

nuclear weapons is irresponsible and there's

no way to use them without unintended

consequences. It cannot happen." She added

that "if the Cuban missile crisis has taught us

anything, it is the value of reducing nuclear

risk and not brandishing it."

Biden's national security team for months

has warned that Russia could use weapons of

mass destruction in Ukraine as it has faced a

series of strategic setbacks on the battlefield.

But the president's remarks were the starkest

warnings yet by the U.S. government about

the nuclear stakes.

One U.S. official said Biden was also trying

to warn against underestimating the danger

any level of tactical nuclear weapons.

There's some concern in the

administration that Russia has determined it

can use its nuclear arsenal in a manner short

of a "full-blown" nuclear attack on Ukraine

and face only limited reaction from U.S. and

Western allies who are determined to keep

the Ukraine conflict from turning into a

broader war, according to the official, who

spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss

administration thinking

Putin has repeatedly alluded to using his

country's vast nuclear arsenal, including last

month when he announced plans to

conscript Russian men to serve in Ukraine.

"I want to remind you that our country also

has various means of destruction ... and

when the territorial integrity of our country

is threatened, to protect Russia and our

people, we will certainly use all the means at

our disposal," Putin said. "It's not a bluff."

In Europe, leaders sought to turn down the

volume after Biden's stark warning.

Asked about Biden's remarks, French

President Emmanuel Macron said it was

crucial to speak with care on the nuclear

threat.

President Joe Biden's warning that the world is at risk of a nuclear

"Armageddon" was designed to send an unvarnished message that no one

should underestimate the extraordinary danger if Russia deploys tactical

nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine, administration officials said

Friday.

Photo : Internet

Appeals court ruling

allows Arizona

abortions to restart

PHOENIX : Abortions can take place again

in Arizona, at least for now, after an appeals

court on Friday blocked enforcement of a

pre-statehood law that almost entirely

criminalized the procedure.

The three-judge panel of the Arizona Court

of Appeals agreed with Planned Parenthood

that a judge should not have lifted the

decades-old order that prevented the older

law from being imposed.

The brief order written by Presiding Judge

Peter J. Eckerstrom said Planned

Parenthood and its Arizona affiliate had

shown they are likely to prevail on an appeal

of a decision by the judge in Tucson to allow

enforcement of the old law, reports UNB.

Planned Parenthood had argued that the

lower court judge should have considered a

host of laws restricting abortions passed

since the original injunction was put in place

following the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973

decision in Roe v. Wade that said women

have a constitutional right to an abortion.

Those laws include a new one blocking

abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy that

took effect last month. The previous limit

was 24 weeks, the viability standard

established by now-overruled U.S. Supreme

Court cases.

"Arizona courts have a responsibility to

attempt to harmonize all of this state's

relevant statutes," Eckerstrom wrote,

mirroring arguments made by attorneys for

Planned Parenthood.

The U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe in

June, and Republican Arizona Attorney

General Mark Brnovich then asked that the

injunction blocking enforcement of the prestatehood

abortion be lifted. It had been

issued in 1973, shortly after Roe was decided.

Pima Court Superior Court Judge Kellie

Johnson agreed on Sept. 23 and lifted the

order two weeks ago.

"Today's decision provides a desperately

needed sense of security for both our

patients and providers," Alexis McGill

Johnson, president and CEO of Planned

Parenthood Federation of America, said in a

statement. "We can now breathe a sigh of

relief and serve patients. While the fight isn't

over, for now, Arizonans will once again be

able to make their own decisions about their

bodies, health care decisions, and futures."

Brnovich spokeswoman Brittni Thomason

said in a statement that "our office

understands this is an emotional issue, and

we will carefully review the court's ruling

before determining the next step."

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has said the

15-week law he signed in March takes

precedence. But his lawyers did not seek to

argue that position in court.

Language in the new 15-week ban said it

does not repeal the pre-statehood law, and

Brnovich and some Republican lawmakers

have insisted the old law takes precedence. It

contains an exception if the life of the mother

is at risk, but not for rape or incest.

Providers across the state stopped

abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court

decision, but many restarted procedures in

mid-summer. That came after a federal

judge blocked a separate "personhood" law

they worried would allow criminal charges

against doctors and nurses.

Why many still die crossing

the Mediterranean

ROME : The back-to-back shipwrecks of

migrant smuggling boats off Greece has once

again put the spotlight on the dangers of the

Mediterranean migration route, the risks

migrants and refugees are willing to take and

the political infighting that has thwarted a

safe European response to people fleeing

war, poverty and climate change.

Here's a look at the migration situation

across the Mediterranean Sea:

SuNDAy, OCTOBER 9, 2022

8

The 17th National Furniture Fair-2022 at the International Convention City Bashundhara in the capital witnessed a large number

of visitors on Friday.

Photo : Internet

South Asian entrepreneurs

summit held in Melbourne

DHAKA : A day-long business summit

was held in Melbourne on Saturday to

connect South Asian entrepreneurs

with Australian entrepreneurs to

promote innovation in digital

economy, exchange of knowledge and

partnership, organisers said in a

statement.

More than 300 successful

entrepreneurs attended the summit

held at the Crown Conference Hall in

Melbourne, it said.

It said the main aim of the summit

was to help emerging and existing

entrepreneurs by bringing together

both Australia-based and global

leaders, decision makers, global

industrialists from major sectors like

education, health and wellbeing,

digital technology, real estate and

property investment. "South Asia has

been experiencing a rapid digital

transformation thanks to highly

supportive government initiatives,

fast development of digital

infrastructure, rising consumer class

and presence of a strong startup

culture. But the potential of the digital

economy of this region with almost

25% of the global population is

enormous and has remained

untapped," said the statement sent to

UNB.

"So, we wanted to bring the

entrepreneurs under spotlight," said

organiser Hemi Hossain, a

Bangladesh-origin entrepreneur and

career coach.

The Australian Academy of

Coaching and Leadership in

IMF frees up $3.8

billion more in funds

for Argentina

WASHINGTON : The International

Monetary Fund's board on Friday

approved a new loan tranche of $3.8

billion to debt-plagued Argentina, the

crisis lender said in a statement.

The decision, approved by the IMF's

technical teams in September, was

taken at the end of the second review of

the Extended Fund Facility worth a total

of $44 billion over 30 months.

The latest tranche brings to $17.5

billion the total disbursed to Buenos

Aires to strengthen the country's

economic stability and promote

sustainable growth.

"In response to the market disruptions

of mid-2022, Argentina's new economic

team adopted decisive corrective

measures that are starting to restore

confidence and policy credibility," IMF

Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva

said in a statement.

Georgieva's praise appeared aimed at

Argentina's new economic minister

Sergio Massa, who pledged in early

August to honor the commitment with

the IMF to reduce the country's public

deficit to 2.5 percent this year.

But she nevertheless described the

economic situation as "fragile," and

noted that "prudent macroeconomic

policies and steadfast program

implementation" including expenditure

controls and tighter social spending

will still be needed.

"Achieving the fiscal primary deficit

targets of 2.5 percent of GDP in 2022

and 1.9 percent of GDP in 2023 is

critical to moderate import growth,

accumulate reserves, strengthen debt

sustainability, and further reduce

reliance on central bank financing of

the deficit," she said.

The agreement with the IMF, signed

last March, provides for a series of

measures aimed at controlling the

country's chronic inflation-which

soared to 50.9 percent last year and 71

percent, year on year, in July 2022 --

and reducing its public deficit towards

equilibrium in 2025.

President Alberto Fernandez's

government, under the IMF deal, must

boost its international reserves and

reduce the fiscal deficit from 3.0

percent of gross domestic product in

2021 to 2.5 percent this year, 1.9

percent in 2023 and 0.9 percent in

2024.

It is the 13th agreement between the

IMF and Argentina since the country

returned to democracy in 1983.

partnership with Digital

Entrepreneurs Hub Australia

organised the summit.

Australian politicians Matthew Guy

and Jason Wood attended as guests of

honour along with Zed Nasheet,

director at Zed Real Estate, former

professional tennis player Jelena

Dokic attended as guest speakers.

Published international authors

Hemi Hossain and Kaley Chu,

together with property investors like

Intaj Khan and Helen Tarrant and

international investors took part

different sessions.

Also, Ron Malhotra, an awardwinning

wealth and business

specialist and leading mentor to

entrepreneurs and executives, spoke

on the occasion, the statement said.

US tightens chip

export controls

to China

WASHINGTON : The

United States announced

new export controls Friday

aimed at restricting China's

ability to buy and

manufacture high-end chips

with military applications,

stepping up tensions

between the countries.

The moves complicate

Beijing's push to further its

own semiconductor industry

and develop advanced

military systems, and come

days ahead of a major party

congress in China at which

President Xi Jinping is

expected to secure a historic

third term.

The rules, announced by

the US Department of

Commerce, include export

restrictions on some chips

used in supercomputing,

and toughen requirements

on the sale of semiconductor

equipment.

The aim is to prevent

"sensitive technologies with

military applications" from

being acquired by China's

military, intelligence and

security services, said

Commerce Department

official Alan Estevez in a

statement.

Circular Economy in Bangladesh's Apparel Industry (CREATE)" project has been launched to investigate

the circular economy transition in global apparel value chains linked with Bangladesh's apparel

industry and develop effective policies.

Photo : Courtesy

Rivian recalls electric

vehicles over

steering problem

WASHINGTON : US

electric van and truck

manufacturer Rivian on

Friday ordered a voluntary

emergency recall of most of

its vehicles due to a

problem with the steering

system.

In a letter sent to the

company's customers and

obtained by AFP, chief

executive RJ Scaringe said

that "on a small percentage

of vehicles", certain

steering system elements

"may not have been

sufficiently torqued", a

condition that could lead to

potential risks in control of

the vehicle.

The manufacturer has so

far noted seven such

problems with Rivian

vehicles, with no known

injuries sustained.

World facing '5th

wave' of debt crisis:

World Bank chief

WASHINGTON : The world is facing a "fifth

wave of debt crisis," World Bank President

David Malpass warned Friday, calling for

more support for countries in distress.

The pandemic forced many countries to

take on more borrowing, and the World

Bank and International Monetary Fund

have warned that many are already facing or

at risk of debt distress amid soaring global

inflation and rising interest rates.

"I'm worried about the debt levels,

worried about the individual countries,"

Malpass told reporters.

"In 2022 alone, around $44 billion in debt

service payments from bilateral and private

debt service have become due" in some of

the poorest countries, bigger than the

foreign aid flows the countries could hope

for, he said.

"Right now we're in the midst of what I

think is a fifth wave of debt crisis."

Speaking days before policymakers gather

in Washington for the annual meetings of

the IMF and World Bank, Malpass called for

"radically more transparency" from

creditors and borrowers on the debt levels.

He has long called for China, a major

creditor to low-income nations, to be more

open about the lending and more active in

efforts to restructure debt, a process that

has struggled to gain traction.

His comments come at a difficult time

for the world economy, which is grappling

with surging inflation and rising interest

rates that threaten to ripple around the

globe and derail nascent recoveries.

Some observers have warned that

aggressive interest rate hikes by major

economies could trigger a global

recession, but policymakers say allowing

high inflation to take hold would be even

worse.

"It's very important, as we face these

financial crises around the developing

world, that we recognize the supreme

importance of the advanced economies in

terms of restoring growth and moving

towards a faster growth environment,"

Malpass said.

Developing countries also need more

capital flows, and although the World

Bank is expanding help for countries, it is

"simply not enough," he said.

According to the World Bank, there have

been four waves of debt accumulation in

the global economy since 1970, and have

generally sparked financial crises in many

emerging and developing economies.

Pink diamond sells for nearly

$58 million in Hong Kong

HONG KONG : A rare pink diamond has

sold in Hong Kong for nearly $58 million,

setting a record for price per carat paid at

auction for any diamond or gemstone,

according to Sotheby's.

The 11.15-carat Williamson Pink Star on

Friday fetched HK$453.2 million ($57.7

million), the second-highest price paid at

auction for any jewel, Sotheby's added.

The winning bid, by an undisclosed buyer

from Boca Raton, Florida, was more than

twice the estimated $21 million sale price.

The stone was the second-largest pink

diamond to be sold at auction. Pink

diamonds are the rarest of the precious gems

and the most in-demand on the global

market.The world record for a pink diamond

was set in 2017, when a stone known as the

CTF Pink Star was sold in Hong Kong for

$71.2 million.

Friday's sale "not only attests to the

resilient demand for top quality diamonds in

Asia, but a heightened awareness of the great

scarcity of pink diamonds", said Wenhao Yu,

chairman of jewellery and watches at

Sotheby's Asia.

The Williamson Pink Star was named after

two other pink diamonds: the record-setting

CTF Pink Star and the Williamson Stone, a

23.6-carat diamond given as a wedding

present to Queen Elizabeth II in 1947.

Tobias Kormind, managing director of UK

jewel retailer 77 Diamonds, said the

"astounding" sale proved high-quality

diamonds could still fetch major prices in a

shaky economy.

Abul Kashem Md. Shirin, Managing Director & CEO of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited, inaugurates its

new branch at Lamabazar in Sylhet on Thursday. Senior officials of the bank and local elite were

present.

Photo : Courtesy

Google looks to raise its

smartphone game with

latest Pixel 7

BROOKLYN : Google is looking to up its

smartphone game with the Pixel 7, the

latest entrant in a competitive corner of

personal electronics where it has

traditionally been a bit player.

The device was unveiled this week in

Brooklyn, where representatives from

the Mountain View, California giant

highlighted top-flight features that can

silence background noise on the phone.

First introduced in 2016, the Pixel was

a late-comer to the portable phone

trend, arriving nearly a decade after

Apple's iPhone and seven years after

Samsung's Galaxy model, the two

products that dominate today's market.

In 2020, global deliveries of the

Google phone were just 2.7 million, next

to more than 200 million for both the

Apple and Samsung options.

Those paltry sales figures are partly

due to the Google phone's limited

availability, with the Pixel 5 sold in less

than 10 countries as the tech giant has

focused its smartphone investment on

software rather than its own hardware.

While Google's phones are comparable

in terms of quality to the top sellers, the

product "has often lacked backing from

Google" in terms of marketing, said

Runar Bjorhovde, a research analyst at

market research firm Canalys.

Google has instead focused on

boosting its Android operating system,

which was launched in 2008 and

included more than 80 percent of the

smartphones sold in the first half of

2022, according to Canalys.

Maurice Klaehne of Counterpoint

Research said that "Google certainly has

the capability and resources to become a

major smartphone player, but that is not

Pixel's strategy," noting that growing

Android remains Google's main

objective.

But "Selling more Pixel devices might

mean taking away share from other

Android players, and this would go

against Pixel's goal," he said.

Bjorhovde noted that, with the latest

version of the phone, Google has pivoted

somewhat, releasing a product that is

compatible with wearables, earbuds and

other devices produced by the company.

German factory

orders fall sharply

on energy woes

FRANKFURT : German

industrial orders fell more

sharply than expected in

August, official data showed

Thursday, as soaring energy

costs caused by the war in

Ukraine take a toll on Europe's

economic powerhouse.

New orders-which usually

provide a foretaste of

industrial output- plunged by

2.4 percent on the previous

month, federal statistics

agency Destatis said in figures

adjusted for seasonal swings.

Analysts surveyed by

financial data firm FactSet had

predicted a smaller

contraction of 0.5 percent.

"Against the backdrop of the

war and high gas prices, the

industrial economy is showing

clear signs of braking," the

economy ministry said in a

statement, calling the outlook

for the rest of the year

"subdued".

There was some good news,

however, as Destatis

significantly revised its July

figure for industrial orders,

from a 1.1-percent drop to a

1.9-percent increase.

SUNDAY, oCtoBer 9, 2022

9

england's Lauren Hemp celebrates scoring their first goal during the international football

friendly against the US at Wembley Stadium.

photo: Ap

England women beat US 2-1 in

statement victory at Wembley

SportS DeSk

Ten weeks after conquering Europe,

England women proclaimed

themselves ready for even more after

beating the world champion US 2-1 in a

friendly at Wembley Stadium on

Friday, reports UNB.

Lauren Hemp and Georgia Stanway

scored to help England beat the US for

the first time since 2017 and less than

10 months before the Women's World

Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Stanway's penalty in the 33rd minute

put the hosts in front for good before

76,893 fans. Victory extended

England's unbeaten run to 23 games

under coach Sarina Wiegman.

"It was a great result," Hemp told

broadcaster ITV. "There's a lot of

preparation now for the World Cup. It's

important that we stay grounded."

England, who won the European

championship in late July, took the

lead in the 10th when Beth Mead sent a

low cross into the box. US defender

Alana Cook tried to make a sliding

block but the ball wiggled through to

Hemp, who finished from close range.

The Americans equalized just before

the half-hour mark. Millie Bright tried

to pass out of the back to a tightly

covered Stanway, and Lindsey Horan

poked the ball forward to Sophia Smith,

who turned and fired low to the left

corner past a diving Mary Earps.

Stanway made amends from the spot,

though, shooting the ball into the right

corner as goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher

went the wrong way.

Minutes later, the visitors thought

they tied the game again but Trinity

Rodman's strike was ruled out for

offside.

England and the US wore teal

armbands in solidarity with sexual

abuse victims and together held a

banner that read "Protect the Players"

just before kickoff. A report this week

into the scandals that erupted in the

National Women's Soccer League last

season found emotional abuse and

sexual misconduct were systemic in the

league.

There was also a moment of silence

for the victims of the deadly crush of

fans at a soccer match in Indonesia.

Green Bay Packers quarterback

Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Allen

Lazard were among the stars in

attendance. The Packers play the New

York Giants on Sunday in an NFL game

at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. "Ted

Lasso" actor Jason Sudeikis was also on

hand.

US wing Crystal Dunn went on as a

second-half substitute - less than five

months after giving birth to her son. It

was her 124th international appearance

and first in nearly 13 months.

The draw for the World Cup will be in

Auckland on Oct. 22.

Nagelsmann looking for 'control’

against unpredictable Dortmund

SportS DeSk

Bayern Munich manager Julian

Nagelsmann said on Friday his team

needs to show "a more controlled

game" to beat opponents Borussia

Dortmund on Saturday, reports UNB.

Munich travel to Dortmund having

won the last nine clashes between the

two clubs, but Nagelsmann said

Dortmund under manager Edin Terzic

have shed the unpredictability of recent

years. "There's a lot of reporting about

Dortmund showing 'fluctuating

performances' within recent games. I

don't think it's that dramatic,"

Nagelsmann said.

"I think they're having a good season

and will be a top opponent tomorrow."

Bayern and Dortmund go into the

clash level on 15 points in third and

fourth respectively. It is the first time in

13 years that one of the teams is not in

top spot when they met the other.

In addition to Munich's recent

dominance in the fixture, 'Der

Klassiker' has also been a rich source of

goals.

Only once in the past 12 matches

between the sides has fewer than four

goals been scored, which is perhaps a

testament to the quality of the sides'

strikers in recent years - Robert

Lewandowski and Erling Haaland -

both of which have now departed.

While Bayern Munich have a leaguehigh

23 goals, Dortmund's total of 11

goals is among the lowest in the league,

showing they are struggling more than

their Bavarian rivals with the departure

of their top goalscorer. Nagelsmann

however said the hole left by the big

Norwegian makes Dortmund less

predictable. "I'm not sure yet who will

play up front," Nagelsmann said.

"They create a lot of 'give and go'

situations with a lot of good footballers

who sprint behind the lines and receive

good passes. "They are a very good

team... especially when they defend

deeply - it always creates a strong

danger when they counter."

Bayern's Leon Goretzka, who

formerly played for Dortmund's arch

rivals Schalke, said the result meant

nationwide bragging rights in German

football for the winner. "This is the

game that Germany looks forward too

all year" Goretzka, who played 116

games for Schalke, said on Friday.

"Now, we (Bayern) are the chasers for

once. But like with this derby in the

past, the standings don't really matter.

"It's about prestige and it's about

supremacy in German football."

Nagelsmann agreed, saying "when it

comes to the table, it's an important

game - but as a symbol, it's also an

important game." Two fixtures of

recent clashes - Bayern's Thomas

Mueller and Dortmund captain Marco

Reus - have been ruled out of the clash,

with illness and injury respectively.

Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann celebrates with Serge Gnabry and teammates after their

Champions League match against Viktoria plzen at the Allianz Arena, Munich.

photo: Ap

Three steal thunder from star players to share

lead at LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok

SportS DeSk

Richard Bland, Branden Grace

and Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra

upstaged their more illustrious

opponents on Friday to shoot 7-

under 65s and share the lead

after the first round of the LIV

Golf Invitational Bangkok,

reports UNB.

Marc Leishman and Ian Poulter

were a stroke behind while Kim

Sihwan, Brooks Koepka and

Morgan Jediah were among those

two behind in the 54-hole event.

The tournament is being played

on the new Stonehill Golf Club

north of downtown Bangkok.

The course was created by

American designer Kyle Phillips

and opened this year.

Dustin Johnson, who leads the

money list with just over $12.5

million in five events, shot 70.

British Open champion

Cameron Smith, who won the

last LIV event in Chicago in mid-

September, shot 72. It is the first

time LIV Golf is being played

outside the US since its

inaugural event in early June

near London.

Before the start of play, players

learned that they still won't

accrue ranking points on the LIV

series. The Official World Golf

Ranking said in a statement

Thursday that it had denied the

MENA Tour's request to

immediately add the Saudibacked

series to its schedule.

The OWGR said the MENA

Tour did not give it sufficient

Djokovic sets

up Medvedev

clash in Astana

semifinals

SportS DeSk

Novak Djokovic dominated

Russian Karen Khachanov

6-4, 6-3 to reach the Astana

ATP semifinals on Friday

where he will face Daniil

Medvedev, reports UNB.

"I didn't play as well from

the baseline as I did in the

first two matches, but still it

was enough," said Djokovic.

"I managed to produce

some good tennis when it

was the most needed in both

sets."

Facing the US Open

semifinalist, the Serb

dropped serve for the first

time this week but still has

not lost a set since returning

to the ATP Tour after a

three-month break

following his Wimbledon

title.

He made his comeback at

the Laver Cup team event in

London before winning the

Tel Aviv tournament last

weekend for his 89th career

crown.

In the semifinals, Djokovic

will face world No. 4

Medvedev, the man who

ended his bid for a calendar

Grand Slam in 2021 by

winning the US Open.

"I always expect highs

from myself," said 21-time

Grand Slam title winner

Djokovic.

"Hopefully I can elevate

still the level of my game for

tomorrow because it's going

to be needed."

Medvedev made the lastfour

by seeing off Roberto

Bautista Agut of Spain 6-1,

6-1 to record his 40th win of

2022.

Second seed Medvedev

trails Djokovic 6-4 in career

meetings.

"I am really happy to play

against Novak," Medvedev

said.

"I thought about it before

the match and we have only

played one tournament

together this year, which was

Roland Garros. This is the

second one and we meet

again and I am really

happy."

In Saturday's other

semifinals, Andrey Rublev,

the fifth seed from Russia,

will tackle Greek third seed

Stefanos Tsitsipas.

On Friday, Rublev

defeated Adrian Mannarino

6-1, 6-2 while Tsitsipas saw

off Hubert Hurkacz 7-6

(10/8), 6-3.

notice and there would not be

time to finish the review ahead of

the Bangkok tournament and next

week's event in Saudi Arabia.

LIV Golf created an alliance with

the MENA Tour, which hasn't run

a tournament of its own since

March 2020 because of the

COVID-19 pandemic. The MENA

Tour stands for Middle East and

North Africa and is a

developmental tour that has been

getting the bare minimum of

world ranking points since 2016.

It has 54-hole events with a 36-

hole cut, offering a $75,000 purse.

"I don't think it really was much

of a response. I just hate when

you sit on the fence. Just pick a

side," Koepka said Friday. "If it's

yes or no, just pick one. So I'm

not a big fan of that."

Bryson DeChambeau, who shot

69 Friday, said the decision by

the rankings group was only

"delaying the inevitable.

"We've hit every mark in their

criteria, so for us not to get points

is kind of crazy with having the

top - at least I believe we have the

top players in the world,"

DeChambeau said. "We certainly

believe that there's enough that

are in the top 50, and we deserve

to be getting world ranking

points. When they keep holding it

back, they're going to just keep

playing a waiting game."

MENA Tour says golf rankings

'inaccurate' without LIV events

Failure to award world-ranking

points at the LIV Golf event in

Thailand starting on Friday

renders the rankings

"inaccurate," the MENA Tour

said on Friday.

The top 50 players in the

rankings qualify automatically

for all four major tournaments.

LIV Golf is not currently

recognized by OWGR, meaning

LIV players tumble down the

rankings.

The MENA Tour hit back at the

OWGR's decision.

"Not including our event in this

week's OWGR render the results

and subsequent player

movements inaccurate," David

Spencer, commissioner of the

MENA Tour, said in a statement.

Spencer added that "we will

continue to work tirelessly to resolve

this situation with the OWGR."

LIV, which offers record $25

million purses, has already staged

five events in its inaugural year.

But no ranking points have

been awarded to its players,

including Smith, former world

No. 1 Johnson and six-time

major winner Phil Mickelson.

LIV golfers have been banned

from the PGA Tour, ruling out

American players from qualifying

for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

European stars who have left for

LIV, including stalwarts Lee

Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio

Garcia, have all plummeted down

the world rankings and seem

unlikely to make Luke Donald's

team for the biennial contest,

which takes place near Rome.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during his quarterfinal match

against russia's karen khachanov at the Astana open, photo: Ap

Tower runner Soh Wai Ching’s

stairway to stardom

SportS DeSk

Unstoppable Malaysian tower runner Soh Wai Ching

successfully defended his Empire State Building Run-Up title

in New York on Thursday, reports UNB.

After the race, the 28-year-old skyscraper celebrity

declared he wanted to further challenge the human limit in

stair racing.

"I want see how fast I can run up the stairs and set the

benchmark for tower running.

"Just like the Empire State Building that symbolises

ambition and dominance, my victories so far have been a

result of optimism and resilience," he told FMT after the race.

Wai Ching, the first Asian to win the Empire State Building

Run-Up last year, remains the world No 1 after his latest

triumph. He wants to win the New York stair race 10 more

times to better the feat of Suzy Walsham, the female tower

runner from Australia who won it 10 times.

He is also bent on breaking the 19-year-old course record

of nine minutes and 33 seconds by Australian Paul Crake.

"I want to be the one to break the record. I have a lot more

to give and intend to keep the Jalur Gemilang flying high,"

the sports science graduate said.

On Thursday, he was two seconds faster than last year,

clocking 10 minutes and 44 seconds in the lung-busting race

that covers a vertical distance of 1,050 feet (320m) over 86

floors and involves a climb up 1,576 steps.

The runner-up in the elite men's division in the 44th

edition of the annual event was Ryoji Watanabe of Japan

(10:57) followed by Italian Fabio Ruga (11:19).

It was Wai Ching's third victory in a week after top finishes

at the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles on Sept 30 and Seattle's

Space Needle tower on Oct 2.

Today, he will scurry up the One Tampa City Center in

Florida, hoping his wish of four straight wins for his 28th

birthday on Sept 28 will be fulfilled.

Malaysia Towerrunning Association president Ravinder

Singh said the sport was gradually becoming established in

Malaysia, largely due to the efforts of Wai Ching and other

promising stair climbers.

He said the fact that corporate sponsorship was increasing

was a sign that tower running was being seen as a serious

sport in its own right.

He added that tower running should be a sport in the Kuala

Lumpur Sea Games in 2027 and that the Merdeka 118 tower,

the world's second tallest building, will be an ideal venue.

France's Mbappe

tops football

earnings list at

$128 mn: Forbes

SportS DeSk

French superstar striker

Kylian Mbappe will earn a

record $128 million in annual

earnings to top the list of the

world's highest-paid football

players, according to a Friday

Forbes magazine report.

The magazine noted

Mbappe crossed the $100

million milestone at age 23

while such legends as Lionel

Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

were in their 30s and at the

peak of their careers when

crossing that money mark for

the first time.

Mbappe signed a three-year

contract extension in May to

remain with dominant Ligue 1

side Paris-Saint Germain.

Forbes reported the deal

will bring Mbappe about $110

million for his salary and

season share of a signing

bonus plus an estimated $18

million in annual

endorsement income from

such companies as Nike, Dior,

Hublot and Oakley.

Mbappe was on the cover of

the EA Sports FIFA video

game, founded the production

company Zebra Valley and is

an investor in fantasy NFT

platform Sorare.

"He's a global icon already,"

Sorare co-founder Nicolas

Julia told Forbes. "He wants

to aid the world and show,

also, that huge things can be

built out of France." PSG

teammate Messi, 35, ranks

second at $120 million with

Manchester United's

Ronaldo, 37, third on $100

million.

sUNdAY, OcTOBER 9, 2022

10

Jaya’s 'Peyarar

Shubash’ to hit

theaters in

January

TBT REPORT

Renowned Bangladeshi actress Jaya

Ahsan starrer 'Peyarar Shubash' is set

to be released in January 2023.

Acclaimed filmmaker Nurul Alam

Atique, the film's director, confirmed

the news.

Atique said, "The film's storyline

talks about a festering wound of our

married life that we usually do not talk

about. That's all I want to disclose

about the film's plot right now. This

film was a passion project of mine and

we started shooting it more than six

years ago. Most of the postproduction

is complete and we are at

the final stage of colour correction.

After that, we will submit it for censor

clearance."

"We are hopeful that we can release

it in the local theatres in January next

year," added the filmmaker.

Jaya Ahsan said, "All I can say right

now is that it is a very bold film. The

subject that Atique chose for the film

is usually not touched upon."

'Peyarar Shubash' stars Jaya Ahsan,

Tariq Anam Khan, Noor Imran Mithu

and Ahmed Rubel in central roles.

The film is being produced by Alpha-i.

‘Quantumania’ is breaking Ant-Man’s

Puja finally

breaks her

silence

TBT REPORT

Shakib Khan is currently at the peak

of discussion in the entertainment

arena. The Dhallywood King Khan is

being heavily criticized as soon as the

issue of heroine Bubly and their two

and a half year old son came to light.

In the meantime, it is rumored on

social media that Shakib Khan is in a

relationship with actress Puja Cherry.

However, as Pooja did not comment

on this, the mystery was swirling.

Finally, the actress broke her silence

and talk about her relationship with

Shakib Khan to a private television.

Puja Cherry said, "I have met Bubly

for two days and I said hi to her. It

seems that she is very good, very

positive. And I have a very good

relationship with Apu. I think they are

both good. I don't see any reason for

making any bad comments relating to

me."

Puja says, I thought that since it is

fake news, after 1-2 hours people will

understand that it is a fake. That's

why I didn't say anything about it, I

was silent. Now I see the matter is

getting dirtier due to silence. The

rumor spread so much that I had to

clear it later.

Puja also said, first know the truth

and then judge which is good or

which is bad. It should not be said

without judging. Many people have

said many things about my personal

life. I can do many things in my

personal life. I certainly wouldn't do

that in a professional life. But now

many people are talking a lot, I will

say that, actually try to let them to

know the truth.

Puja said Shakib Khan is a very

good actor, he is a superstar. All in

all he is a full package. I will not say

anything about him. He is the hero

of the industry, I am also a heroine.

I can work with him. All in all, if it

feels good and if the audience wants

it, then I will definitely work with

him.

own MCU tradition

'Ant-Man And The Wasp:

Quantumania' is one of the MCU's

most anticipated movies, but it is

breaking a key trend when it comes to

Ant-Man films. Peyton Reed will

return to direct Quantumania, which

will see Paul Rudd's Scott Lang/Ant-

Man appear for the first time since

Avengers: Endgame and a brief

Marvel's What If...? appearance.

Rudd will be joined again by

Evangeline Lilly as Hope van

Dyne/Wasp and Michael Douglas as

Hank Pym in another adventure that

will see the shrinking superheroes

explore more of the Quantum Realm.

Paul Rudd's Ant-Man has become

an important part of the MCU since

his introduction in 2015. Ant-Man's

unique powers come from Hank

Pym's technology which allows Lang

to manipulate his size when he battles

villains and teams up with the

Avengers. Having been off screen

since 2019, he will return in Ant-Man

And The Wasp: Quantumania in

February 2023 as part of the MCU's

Phase 5, but the movie's scheduled

release makes a change from previous

Ant-Man films.

Up until now, the Ant-Man

movies have come at the end of

MCU phases, but Ant-Man And

The Wasp: Quantumania will buck

the trend by kicking off Phase 5.

Ant-Man was the final film of

Phase 2, and Ant-Man And The

Wasp came towards the end of

Phase 3, but arguably both should

have started the following phases.

Phase 2 of the MCU, for example,

should have ended with Avengers:

Age Of Ultron given the chapter

was centered on the original MCU

Avengers, but instead, Ant-Man

was the last movie. Rather than

bringing Phase 2 to an end, Ant-

Man introduced new characters

and crucial new concepts, such as

the Quantum Realm, which had

important repercussions down the

line, like Avengers: Endgame's

time heist, so arguably it would

have been a better fit to start Phase

3. Given that Ant-Man's movies

have a tendency to set up key MCU

storylines, it's a good decision to

have Ant-Man And The Wasp:

Quantumania open Phase 5.

Source: Collider

Kabir Suman

to perform

in Dhaka

TBT REPORT

Renowned Indian singer Kabir

Suman will be performing live in

Dhaka after 13 years. The event titled

'Kabir Suman Live in Dhaka' will take

place on October 15, 18 and 21 at the

main auditorium of the Bangladesh

National Museum, said a press release.

The programme will mark the 30th

year of release of Suman's popular solo

album titled 'Tomake Chai.'

The noted singer will be performing

his modern Bengali songs and Bangla

Kheyal at the three-day musical event.

Viewers can also enjoy a live telecast

of the concert from the event's

Facebook page. Tickets will be

available for purchase at specific

outlets on Friday and Saturday. The

name of the outlets will be announced

in a separate post on the event's

Facebook page. There will be three

categories of tickets for each show,

based on seating position and viewing

angle.

Kabir Suman will be performing

modern Bengali songs on October 15 at

2:00pm. The entry fees range from

Tk1,100, Tk1,600 and Tk2,100 for that

day. The entrance fees for Suman's

Bangla Kheyal programme on October

18 at 3:00pm are Tk700, Tk1,100 and

Tk1,400 respectively.

On the last day, Suman will perform

from 4:30pm on October 21. Ticket

prices for this day have been fixed at

Tk1,200, Tk1,700 and Tk2,200.

Those who will not be able to enjoy it

live in person can buy tickets to enjoy

live stream of the event in a closed

group. Although, it will be only for the

paid audience.

Nora Fatehi to

perform at FIFA

World Cup 2022

Joining the ranks of Jennifer Lopez

and Shakira, in a first, Nora Fatehi will

now performs at the upcoming FIFA

World Cup 2022. While that itself is a

huge feat, it is also a proud moment of

representation since it makes her the

first and only actor to represent India

and particularly South East Asia on the

FIFA World Stage.

According to the Indian publication,

the 30-year-old actor will be seen singing

and performing the FIFA anthem this

year. Produced by RedOne, one of the

most influential record producers in

history, who also worked on FIFA

anthems like Shakira's 'Waka Waka' and

'La La La,' the song is much anticipated.

Not only the music video of the

anthem, but Fatehi will also perform live

at the closing ceremony of the FIFA

World Cup. In addition to that, she will

also surprise her fans with a song in

Hindi. Fans in India are already

celebrating the fact that she bagged

India's first representation at the World

Cup. Her much-awaited performance

will be in Dubai.

While more details regarding this

juncture are kept under wraps, all we

know is that Fatehi is all set to put on a

spectacular show that remarks her true

prowess as a performing artist.

On the work front, Fatehi is currently a

judge on the Indian dance reality TV

show 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10,' alongside

Karan Johar and Madhuri Dixit.

Born and raised in Canada, Nora is of

Moroccan descent and a popular actress,

model, dancer, singer, and producer in

the Indian film industry. She has

appeared in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam

and Tamil language films. She made her

film debut in the Bollywood film 'Roar:

Tigers of the Sundarbans.'

She gained popularity in Telugu

cinema by doing item numbers in films

like 'Temper,' 'Baahubali:

The Beginning' and 'Kick 2' and has

also starred in two Malayalam films,

'Double Barrel' and 'Kayamkulam

Kochunni.'

She first gained audience attention

back in 2015 when she was a contestant

on the Indian reality television show

'Bigg Boss 9' and was evicted on Day 84.

Source: PinkVilla

H O R O s c O P E

ARIEs

You'll do some serious soul searching

today. Which goals have you achieved

and which ones have gone

unattained? Be honest as you reflect

on past months. Could you have done things

differently? Would you like to do things differently

in the future? You'd be well advised to write down

your successes and regrets. Use the list to keep you

on track. It's bound to be a great help to you.

TAURUs

Expect your romantic relationship to be

better than ever today, Taurus. You're

communicating well and in touch with

one another's feelings. How wonderful

to be able to maintain an inspiring, rewarding bond

with someone who loves you. There is much to be

grateful for. This could be a good time to take your

relationship to the next level. Your partner won't

mind discussing this.

GEMINI

This could be a banner day, Gemini.

Your spiritual and career goals come

together so both are enhanced, and

neither is compromised. It's a neat

trick. You can expect the opportunity to practice

what you preach to come to you through a friend or

colleague. Don't discount any ideas presented to you,

as one will contain the key to meshing two of the

most important parts of your life.

cANcER

Be your most charming self tonight,

Cancer. You're likely to talk with

someone who can help your career.

Your intuition is strong, so you may

know who this person is the minute you begin your

conversation. If the chemistry is good, too, so much

the better! Whether this person impacts your life in

a romantic or business capacity, you'll remember

this night as when your life changed for the better!

LEO

You have an introspective nature, Leo.

For the last few weeks, you've been

reflecting on and assessing what does

and doesn't work in your life. It's likely

that you're ready for some kind of major change.

Either your relationship is in a rut or you need a

complete career overhaul. Follow your instincts as

you plan how to develop and grow from here. You

are your own best guide.

VIRGO

You're ready for something new and

different, Virgo. What better time than

during the current transits to put into

practice what has only been a dream?

You may decide to work for yourself or ditch one

relationship in favor of another. You want the

changes you implement to be brash and farreaching!

If not, you may have to wait a long time to

feel this energetic and optimistic again.

LIBRA

You'll do some serious soul searching

today. Which goals have you achieved

and which ones have gone unattained?

Be honest as you reflect on past

months. Could you have done things differently?

Would you like to do things differently in the future?

You'd be well advised to write down your successes

and regrets. Use the list to keep you on track. It's

bound to be a great help to you.

scORPIO

Today you'll realize that a clean slate

brings with it the chance for a new

beginning. You feel excited and

optimistic about the future. Your

goals are clear, and your mind is sharp. How can

you not succeed? Take care not to let your fantasies

run away with you. Keep your eyes on your

attainable goals rather than waste time and energy

chasing pipe dreams.

sAGITTARIUs

You may be ready for some major

career changes, Sagittarius. You could

be fed up with the stress and long

hours of the corporate environment.

Surely in this age of technology there's a way to

spend more time at home without sacrificing the

quality of your work. Think about it for a few days. If

you propose a feasible alternative to your boss, the

positive response may surprise you.

cAPRIcORN

Your intuition is working overtime

today, Capricorn, making you sensitive

to others' deepest emotions. It may be

that the celestial atmosphere has

everyone feeling open and honest, eager to grow

into his or her most authentic self. Certainly, that's

how you feel. Take some time out of your busy

schedule to reflect on your regrets and successes. Be

as true to yourself as possible.

AQUARIUs

No pressure, Aquarius, but as things

are now, you might want to evaluate

your career. Is it working out well?

What are your latest achievements?

What goals haven't been reached? If the answers

aren't satisfactory, it's time to make some dramatic

changes. If your work doesn't make your heart sing,

it's time to find some that does. Life isn't a dress

rehearsal. Get going!

PIscEs

The time is right for all things

financial, Pisces. If you've been

thinking of signing a contract to

accept a job or purchase a piece of

property, go ahead. Strategize ways in which you

can be even more financially successful in the

future. You have a lot of skills, but you don't

always apply them as carefully as you could.

Correct this and you'll be unstoppable!

SunDAy, OCTOBeR 9, 2022

11

The importance of literary practice is immense for ensuring the overall progress of the country.

In this case, it is necessary to encourage the present and future generations to practice literature,

to present the real history of literature and culture in front of them. Advocate Md. Abu

Zahir, Member of Parliament of Habiganj-3 Constituency and President of District Awami

League, said these things in the speech of the chief guest at the second Muktanchal Literary

Festival and 'Limitations and Possibilities in Literary Practice' at Habiganj Shilpakala Academy

on Saturday afternoon.

Photo: Md. Mamun Chowdhury Kawsar

President greets Buddhists on Prabarona

Purnima, Kathin Chibar Dan

DHAKA : President M Abdul Hamid on

Saturday greeted the Buddhists on the

occasion of their second largest

religious festival the sacred "Prabarona

Purnima to be celebrated today

Abdul Hamid also conveyed

greetings to the members of the

Buddhist community on the occasion

of three- month long Kathin Chibar

Dan' (Yellow Robe Offering Ceremony)

on the day after the Purnima .

In his message, the President said

Gautom Buddha, throughout his life,

preached the eternal message of

equality, friendship, compassion, peace

and humanity in building a peaceful

world.

"Buddha's non-violent words and

love of life are still widely admired

around the world. His ideal of sacrifice

is full of humanity," the head of the

state added.

The essence of Buddhism can play an

important role in establishing world

peace, Abdul Hamid said.

Terming Chibar as an outfit worn by

Buddhist monks, he said, adding that

the 'Kathin Chibar Dan' is called the

best donation (Dan-Sreshtho).

With the participation of Buddhists,

this 'Kathin Chibar Dan' festival will

help build unity, solidarity and

harmony among all, he hoped.

He added that the 'Kathin Chibar

Dan', celebrated through sacrifice,

restraint, discipline and firm

meditation plays an important role in

turning the devotees into true followers

of Buddhism.

He said that from thousands of years,

Buddhist tradition is blended with the

soil and people of Bangladesh.

The President described Bangladesh

as a country of communal harmony

and urged the people of all

communities to play their respective

roles to expedite the pace of national

development and progress.

The President wished all

programmes of Prabarona Purnima

and Kathin Chibar Dan a success.

35th death anniversary

of Comrade Farhad

today

DHAKA : The 35th death

anniversary of Comrade

Mohammad Farhad, former

general secretary of

Communist Party of

Bangladesh (CPB) and a

former member of the

parliament, will be observed

today

The leftist political leader

died of heart attack on October

9 in 1987 in Moscow at the age

of 49 while undergoing

treatment in the capital city of

the then Soviet Union.

Marking the day, CPB and

different organizations have

taken various programmes,

including placing floral

wreaths at his grave at Banani

graveyard at 8:00am.

A commemorative meeting

will be held at Maitri

Auditorium of Mukti Bhaban

at 4 pm in the city's Purana

Paltan area.

Born in 1938, Comrade

Farhad had played a vital role

in the Language Movement of

1952, the Education

Movement of 1962, the Mass

Upsurge of 1969, the War of

Liberation and the anti

autocratic movement.

During his 35-year-long

political life, he served jail

terms during the Pakistani

regime and rules of General

Zia and General Ershad.

He was the chief organizer of

the special guerrilla force

comprised in coordination

with communist party, NAP

and Chhatra Union.

Putin's path: from pledges of

stability to nuclear threats

RUSSIA : As he turns 70 on Friday, Russian

President Vladimir Putin finds himself in the

eye of a storm of his own making: His army is

suffering humiliating defeats in Ukraine.

Hundreds of thousands of Russians are fleeing

his mobilization order, and his top lieutenants

are publicly insulting military leaders.

With his room for maneuvering narrowing,

Putin has repeatedly signaled that he could

resort to nuclear weapons to protect the

Russian gains in Ukraine - a harrowing threat

that shatters the claims of stability he has

repeated throughout his 22-year rule. "This is

really a hard moment for him, but he can't

accuse anyone else. He did it himself," said

Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the

Carnegie Endowment. "And he is going

straight ahead to big, big problems."

By unleashing the disastrous war in Ukraine,

Europe's largest military conflict since World

War II, Putin has broken an unwritten social

contract in which Russians tacitly agreed to

forgo post-Soviet political freedoms in

exchange for relative prosperity and internal

stability.

Mikhail Zygar, a journalist who has had

extensive contacts among the Kremlin elite

and published a bestselling book about Putin

and his entourage, noted that the invasion

came as a complete surprise not only for the

public but for Putin's closest associates.

"All of them are in shock," Zygar said. "None

of them wanted to see the developments

unfold in such a way just because they are

going to lose everything. Now they are all

stained by blood, and they all understand they

have nowhere to run."

Stanislav Belkovsky, a longtime political

consultant with extensive contacts among the

ruling class, described the invasion as a

mechanism of "self-destruction for Putin, his

regime and the Russian Federation."

With the Russian army retreating under the

blows of Ukrainian forces armed with Western

weapons, Putin raised the stakes by annexing

four Ukrainian regions and declaring a partial

mobilization of up to 300,000 reservists to

buttress the crumbling front line.

The poorly organized call-up has triggered

broad chaos. The military is struggling to

provide supplies for new recruits, many of

whom were told to buy medical kits and other

basics themselves and were left to sleep on the

floor while waiting to be sent to the front.

Social networks have been abuzz with

discussions about how to dodge recruitment,

and hundreds of thousands of men fled the

mobilization, swarming Russia's borders with

ex-Soviet neighbors.

The mobilization, Kolesnikov noted, has

eroded Putin's core support base and set the

stage for potential political upheavals. "After

the partial mobilization, it's impossible to

explain to anyone that he stabilized the system.

He disrupted the foundation of stability," he

said.

The military setbacks also drew public

insults from some of Putin's top lieutenants

directed toward military leaders. The

Kremlin has done nothing to halt the

criticism, a signal that Putin could use it to set

the stage for a major shakeup of the top brass

and blame them for the defeats.

"The infighting between powerful clans in

Putin's entourage could destabilize the

system and significantly weaken Putin's

control over the situation in the country,"

Belkovsky said.

The widening turmoil marks a dramatic

contrast with the image of stability Putin has

cultivated since taking helm in 2000. He has

repeatedly described the turbulent rule of his

predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, as a time of decay

when national riches were pilfered by

Kremlin-connected tycoons and the West

while millions were plunged into poverty.

U.S. captives 'prayed

for death' on brutal

ride from Ukraine

TUSCALOOSA : Even after

three months of captivity that

included execution threats,

physical torture, solitary

confinement and food

deprivation, it was the ride to

freedom that nearly broke

Alex Drueke, a U.S. military

veteran released last week

with nine other prisoners

who went to help Ukraine

fight off Russian invaders.

His hands were bound. His

head was covered by a plastic

bag, and the packing tape

holding it in place was

secured so tightly it it caused

welts on his forehead. Drueke

said he and fellow American

prisoner Andy Huynh

reached their limit in this

state during the transit,

which occurred in a series of

vehicles from eastern

Ukraine to an airport in

Russia that was surrounded

by armed guards.

"For all we went through

and all the times we thought

we might die, we accepted

that we might die, we were

ready to die when it came,

that ride was the only time

that each of us independently

prayed for death just to get it

over with," Drueke told The

Associated Press in an

interview Friday.

"The mental and emotional

torture of those last 24 hours

in captivity, that was the

worst," he said.

Drueke, 40, is healing: The

swelling is going down on his

head and he's trying to regain

some of the 30 pounds (13.6

kilograms) he figures he lost

eating a poor diet. But awful

memories remain, and he's

unsure what comes next

aside from trying to focus

attention on fellow prisoners

who remain in Russian

hands.

"The war has not ended,"

he said, speaking at the home

he shares with his mother

and other relatives in

Tuscaloosa.

China lashes out at latest U.S.

export controls on chips

BEIJING : China on Saturday criticized the

latest U.S. decision to tighten export controls

that would make it harder for China to

obtain and manufacture advanced

computing chips, calling it a violation of

international economic and trade rules that

will "isolate and backfire" on the U.S.

"Out of the need to maintain its sci-tech

hegemony, the U.S. abuses export control

measures to maliciously block and suppress

Chinese companies," said Foreign Ministry

spokeswoman Mao Ning.

"It will not only damage the legitimate

rights and interests of Chinese companies,

but also affect American companies'

interests," she said.

Mao also said that the U.S. "weaponization

and politicization" of science and technology

as well as economic and trade issues will not

stop China's progress.

She was speaking after the U.S. on Friday

updated export controls that included

adding certain advanced, high-performance

computing chips and semiconductor

manufacturing equipment to its list, as well

as new license requirements for items that

would be used in a supercomputer or for

semiconductor development in China.

The U.S. said that the export controls were

added as part of ongoing efforts to protect

U.S. national security and foreign policy

interests.

U.S.-China relations have deteriorated in

recent years over technology and security

issues. The U.S. has implemented a raft of

measures and restrictions designed to

prevent China from obtaining chip

technology, while China has earmarked

billions for investment into the production of

semiconductors.

The tensions have impacted

semiconductor companies in the U.S. and

globally which either export chips or

manufacture chips in China. Semiconductor

companies such as Nvidia and AMD has

seen a 40% decline in stock price over the

past year.

"We understand the goal of ensuring

national security and urge the U.S.

government to implement the rules in a

targeted way-and in collaboration with

international partners-to help level the

playing field and mitigate unintended harm

to U.S. innovation," the Semiconductor

Industry Association, which represents U.S.

semiconductor industry, said in a statement.

Mourners pray at Thai temple

filled by children's keepsakes

UTHAI SAWAN : Grief-stricken families

prayed Saturday morning at a Buddhist temple

filled with children's keepsakes, flowers and

photos of the smiling toddlers who were slain

as they napped on blankets at a day care center

in northeastern Thailand.

Coffins containing the 36 killed, 24 of them

children and most of them preschoolers, were

released Friday and placed inside Wat Rat

Samakee and two other temples in the town

nestled among rice paddies in one of

Thailand's poorest regions.

Several mourners stayed at Wat Rat

Samakee overnight in the tradition of keeping

company for those who died young.

"All the relatives are here to make merit on

behalf of those who died," said Pensiri Thana,

an aunt of one of the victims, referring to an

important Buddhist practice. She was among

those staying the night at the temple. "It is a

tradition that we keep company with our

young ones. It is our belief that we should be

with them so they are not lonely."

The massacre left no one untouched in the

small town, but community officials found

helping others was helping assuage their own

grief, at least momentarily.

"At first, all of us felt so terrible and couldn't

accept this. All the officials feel sad with the

people here. But we have to look after

everyone, all these 30 victims. We are running

around and taking care of the people, giving

them moral support," Somneuk Thongthalai, a

local district official, said. A mourning

ceremony will continue for three days before

the royal-sponsored funerals, which will

culminate in the cremation of the bodies

according to Buddhist tradition.

No clear motive may ever be known for

Thailand's deadliest mass killing after the

perpetrator left the day care center Thursday

and killed his wife.

A young man named Rakib (27) has been arrested by the police with 500 liters of brewed

wine in Banshkhali of Chattogram. At that time, 7 to 8 other people who were with them

escaped.

Photo: Shibbir Ahmed Rana

GD-1635/22 (7x4)

Sunday, Dhaka : October 9, 2022; Ashwin 24, 1429 BS; Rabi-ul-Awal 12 , 1444 Hijri

3 BCL members

die in Jhenidah

road crash

JHENIDAH : Three activists of the

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) died

after their bike crashed into a truck

parked along Jhenidah-Chuadanga

Road in the Atharo Mile area of

Jhenidah Friday night.

The deceased were identified as

Murad Biswas, vice president of

Jhenidah Government Veterinary

College's BCL unit, and son of Badsha

Mia, and Touhid and Samaresh of the

college.

Sheikh Mohammad Sohel Rana, officer-in-charge

of Sadar Police Station,

said the accident occurred around

10pm when the trio was speeding after

being chased by members of a rival

group. Later, the three were taken to

Sadar Hospital where doctors declared

them dead on arrival.

Sajib, general secretary of Jhenidah

Government Veterinary College's BCL

unit, was also injured in an attack by

his rivals during a meeting between the

two groups at Zohan Dream Valley

Park in the Kumrabari area of Sadar

upazila that night, said the OC.

The rival group also chased Murad,

Touhid and Samaresh while they were

leaving the place on the bike.

Trade via

Sonamasjid land

port resumes

CHAPAINAWABGANJ : After eight

days of suspension owing to Durga

puja, trade resumed via the Sonamasjid

land port of Chapainawabganj on

Saturday.

Abdur Rashid, general secretary of

Sonamasjid Land Port C and F Agents'

Association, said that trade via the port

was suspended from September 30 to

October 7 following Durga Puja vacation

and weekly government holidays.

"Export and import of goods via the

port has restarted. Vehicles coming

from India with goods have started

entering the port since this morning,"

said Rashid.

State Minister for

Foreign Affairs

Shahriar Alam

met US Deputy

Secretary Of State

Wendy Sherman

in Washington DC

on Friday.

Photo : PID

US wants peaceful polls, better

HR record in Bangladesh

DHAKA : US Deputy Secretary of State

Wendy Sherman has reaffirmed the

importance of upholding human rights

and holding "free, fair, and peaceful"

national elections in Bangladesh.

The statement by Sherman came as

she met with State Minister for

Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and

discussed issues of mutual interest in

the US on Friday, according to a message

received from the US State

Department.

"I met with Bangladeshi State Minister

Md Shahriar Alam and discussed the

wide-ranging US-Bangladesh partnership.

We also talked about human rights,

the importance of free and fair elections,

and Russia's illegal attempt to seize land

from Ukraine," Sherman tweeted on

Saturday

The Deputy Secretary expressed condolences

for the three Bangladeshi UN

peacekeepers, who were killed on

October 4 in the Central African

Republic, said US Department of State

Spokesperson Ned Price.

Sherman and Alam discussed the US-

Bangladesh partnership as two countries

commemorate the 50th anniversary

of the establishment of diplomatic

relations.

Referring to the US sanctions imposed

on the RAB and its senior officials, the

State Minister urged the US government

to withdraw the sanctions as soon as possible,

according to a media statement

received from the Embassy of Bangladesh

in Washington,

Deputy Secretary Sherman reiterated

on continued collaboration with

Bangladesh on its fight against terrorism

and violent extremism, it said.

Noting the progress made in the

labour sector in Bangladesh, Deputy

Secretary Sherman stressed upon

strengthening cooperation between

the two countries to increase bilateral

trade.

The war in Ukraine, the issues of food

and energy security and the next parliamentary

election in Bangladesh were

also discussed at the meeting, it said.

The State Minister urged the US

government to expedite the deportation

of Bangabanhu's killer Rashed

Chowdhury to Bangladesh mentioning

that the issue was of utmost

importance to the people of

Bangladesh and Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina herself.

State Minister Alam also emphasised

the conclusion of an extradition treaty

between Bangladesh and the USA as

early as possible.

The State Minister thanked the US

government for extending tremendous

support to Bangladesh by delivering

nearly 88 million COVID-19 vaccine

doses to fight the pandemic.

He also expressed his sincere appreciation

for the US humanitarian support

to the Rohingya in Bangladesh and the

US efforts to ensure repatriation of

Rohingya to Myanmar.

He also sought the US support at the

WTO on the LDC-related matters so

that countries like Bangladesh could

attain a smooth and sustainable LDC

graduation.

The State Minister expressed his government's

willingness to work more

closely with the US on climate change

and migration.

He drew the US attention for an

action-oriented discussion on the issue

of loss and damage in the upcoming

COP-27.

Sherman, meanwhile, lauded the

contribution of Bangladeshi peacekeepers

in global peacekeeping.

She was also appreciative of

Bangladesh's high COVID-19 vaccination

rate and measures undertaken by

the government to fight and contain the

pandemic.

The Deputy Secretary appreciated

Bangladesh's leadership role in climate

change and encouraged Bangladesh to

join the Global Methane Pledge prior to

COP27.

Later on Friday, Rear Admiral

Eileen Laubacher, Special Assistant

to the US President and incoming

Senior Director for South Asia at the

White House National Security

Council, paid a courtesy call on the

State Minister at the Bangladesh

Embassy in Washington.

Buddhists to

celebrate Prabarana

Purnima today

DHAKA : The Buddhists will celebrate

their second largest religious festival

Prabarana Purnima in the city as elsewhere

across the country with due

solemnity and traditional enthusiasm.

The festival is also known as Ashwini

Purnima that marks conclusion of the

three-month-long seclusion of the monks

inside their monasteries for self edification

and atonement of their defilement.

The Purnima follows a month-long

preaching of sermons by the Buddhist

monks for the welfare of every beings and

the whole humankind through a monthlong

yellow robes offering ceremony that

begins on the day after the Purnima.

According to the legend, Buddha

once clipped some strands of hair from

his head and said that if he was qualified

to attain supreme wisdom and

enlightenment, the hairs would not fall

down but go up instead, in the long

run which they did.

To mark this event, the Buddhists will

release candle-lit air balloons made of

coloured paper (fanush) and set free to

flow towards the autumnal sky in the

evening which is the chief attraction of the

festival.

Marking the festival and on the occasion

of month long Kathin Chibar Dan (Yellow

Robe Offering Ceremony), President M

Abdul Hamid today greeted the

Buddhists.

President Abdul Hamid, in a message,

conveyed greetings to the members of the

Buddhist community and said Gautom

Buddha, throughout his life, preached the

eternal message of equality, friendship,

compassion, peace and humanity in building

a peaceful world.

Innovative, smart solutions

must for plastic waste

management: Tazul Islam

DHAKA : Stakeholders will have to develop

innovative and smart solutions for

managing plastic waste in Bangladesh,

LGRD Minister Md Tazul Islam said

Saturday.

"Waste collection is now not considered

to be sustainable as it is still not viewed as

a business proposition," he added while

speaking at the seminar "Enabling policy

for sustainable plastic waste management"

in Dhaka.

An effective solution would be the circular

system, which ensures the consumption

of plastic does not increase and moves

towards a sustainable waste management

model, Tazul said.

"We must also empower the value chain

actors and provide holistic support to the

informal sector, comprising the microentrepreneurs,

scrap dealers and waste

pickers. This informal yet important sector

must be facilitated and a proper structure

should be developed for our own

sake," he added.

"The government's Vision 2041 has

incorporated plastic waste management

in its sustainable urbanisation goals,"

Senior Secretary of the Prime Minister's

Office Md Tofazzal Hossain Miah said at

the programme jointly organised by the

Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of

Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and

Unilever Bangladesh.

Unilever Bangladesh CEO and

Managing Director Zaved Akhtar and

FBCCI President Md Jasim Uddin also

spoke.

Constitution, electoral system

do not work as per any

Individual's whim : Quader

DHAKA : Awami League General

Secretary and Road Transport and

Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday

said constitution and electoral

system do not function as per whim of

individuals as the electoral system has

been set up following the practices of

different democratic countries.

"Constitution and electoral system

has been established following the

practices of different democratic

countries. So, the constitution and

electoral system do not work as per

the whim of individuals," he said in a

statement protesting BNP Secretary

General Mirza Fakhrul Islam

Alamgir's misleading and politically

motivated remarks.

The ruling party general secretary

said autocrats Ziaur Rahman and HM

Ershad amended the constitution to

give constitutional legitimacy to the

power seized by them for personal

interests. Those amendments of the

constitution were declared illegal by

the country's highest court, now there

is no scope to go back to that systems,

he added.

"Now those who are giving anticonstitutional

statements want to see

"Through Rizvi's statement on

Sultana Kamal, BNP's intolerant

character is exposed"

DHAKA : A total of 150 university teachers

and other professionals have

protested BNP's Senior Joint Secretary

General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi's statement

regarding noted human rights activist

Sultana Kamal and historian Muntassir

Mamoon.

"Rizvi's comments regarding Sultana

Kamal and Mamoon are baseless and

offensive. We demand he take his statements

back. We also urge the government

to take legal steps against the BNP

leader for propagating falsehood," said a

press release. The statement added that

Rizvi has attacked Kamal and Mamoon

because they do not believe in BNP's

version of the truth.

"Through Rizvi's statements, nothing

but his ignorance and his party's intolerant

character have been exposed. We

want to point out the incidents of gross

human rights violations during BNP's

2001-2006 rule.

It was under BNP rule that incidents

like simultaneous bomb explosions in

63 districts and the stabbing of writer

Humayun Azad had happened. Rizvi

should remember the past record of his

party when talking about someone else's

stance regarding human rights," the

statement added.

The statement also highlighted the

violence and political upheavals that

happened during the last time BNP was

in power.

an undemocratic and unelected government

system," Quader added.

Criticizing BNP leaders for their

attempts to mislead people, Quader

said BNP leaders are making such

unconstitutional, undemocratic and

false remarks because they want to

see unelected and undemocratic government

in power.

He said Awami League led by

Bangabandhu's daughter and Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina is always in

favour of an inclusive election and it

expects a competitive electoral system.

Mentioning that Sheikh Hasina

always welcomes participation of all

political parties in elections, Obaidul

Quader said Awami League wants

participation of all political parties to

testify their popularity, along with

building habit to accept elections

results.

BNP does not participate in elections

sensing its defeat and if is joins

polls, it do so to make the election

questionable, he said, adding that if

BNP secretary general's mentality is

like that then the democracy would

never be sustainable.

"During BNP's rule, writers, diplomats

and political opponents were mercilessly

killed and wounded. People who

had opposed the independence struggle

of Bangladesh were made ministers.

BNP even forged a political coalition

with a fundamentalist, extremist party

like Jamaat-e-Islami. We wonder how

Rizvi can point finger at a tested human

rights defender like Sultana Kamal

while representing a party like BNP," the

statement further said.

On October 5, Rizvi at a program said

that Sultana Kamal and Mamoon are

not working for the rights of the people,

rather they are implementing agendas

of a certain quarter.

"You have disregarded the sovereignty

of this nation. You've become slaves

and are just obeying the orders of a certain

political party.

To be specific, you're ensuring the

rights of the ruling Awami League

through your efforts," said Rizvi.

On October 2, Sultana Kamal was

quoted by India Today, saying that BNP

has damaged its reputation with inaccurate

information on the human rights

situation in Bangladesh.

She had also demanded prompt

actions against the party, in retaliation

to which Rizvi made the comments.

Among the signatories on the statement

are vice chancellors of universities and

prominent educationists of the country.

Japan's 'Kumon' method to be launched in

300 Bangladeshi 'Schools of Future' next year

DHAKA : State Minister for ICT

Zunaid Ahmed Palak yesterday

said they will launch the

Japanese education method

'Kumon' in 300 'Schools of

Future' under the ICT division by

next year and all Sheikh Russel

Digital Labs by 2025 across the

country.

He said this while addressing

an award giving ceremony - as

chief guest - for winners of 'Brac

Kumon' competition at Brac

CDM in Savar.

State Minister for Cultural

Affairs KM Khalid and Japanese

Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito

Naoki were present as special

guests at the function where Brac

Executive Director Asif Saleh,

among others, also attended.

Expressing his determination

to build a better world for children,

Palak inspired the competition's

winners through songs.

Junior Cultural Affairs Minister

Khalid said Japanese mathematician

Toru Takoshi, father of the

Kumon method, designed it to

develop his son's math skills in

1958 as he was weak in the subject.

Listing several advantages of

the method, he said some four

million students of 60 countries

across the world have been studying

mathematics and English

using the Kumon method.

Thanking Brac, the world's

largest non-government organization

(NGO), for their efforts to

spread the method in the country,

he said the NGO has been

playing an important role to

develop the country's socio-economic

condition.

Ambassador Naoki in his

speech said the method will be

considered as a model in the days

to come in building a skilled

manpower in Bangladesh.

Brac officials informed that

they have already started the

Kumon education method for

underprivileged children in

Haluaghat area of the port city of

Chattogram.

At the function, a total of 330

winners under different categories

of four BRAC schools were

awarded the prizes.

Football tournament, boat race and other local games and sports are being held to sustain

the rural tradition and make people happy. And thousands of women, men, old

people, teenagers brave to see this competition. On Saturday afternoon, the

Matibhanga youth community organized a day-long event at Matibhanga Degree

College ground in Nazirpur upazila of Pirojpur.

Photo : Star Mail

09-10-2022

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