21-10-2022
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FRIDAy, OCTOBeR 21, 2022
2
A new ambulance was added to the upazila health complex in Naogaon's Mahadevpur on Thursday. Under the chairmanship
of Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Khurshidul Islam, Member of Parliament for Naogaon-3 (Mahadevpur and
Badalgachi) Alhaj Md Salim Uddin Tarafdar cut the ribbon as the chief guest. Upazila Parishad Chairman Md. Ahsan Habib
Bhodan, Upazila Vice Chairman Anukal Chandra Saha Budu and Women Vice Chairman Rabeya Rahman Poli among others
were present as special guests.
Photo: M. Shakhawath Hossain
PM Hasina addressed India's security
concerns: Mahfuz Anam
DHAKA : Mahfuz Anam, editor of the
Daily Star newspaper, on Thursday said
Bangladesh has showed its
commitment towards security issues
and credited Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina for addressing India's security
concerns.
"I think this is an ongoing process and
Bangladesh has shown its
commitment," he said highly
appreciating Hasina's leadership on
that front.
Mahfuz Anam was speaking at a
seminar titled "Role of Media in
Bangladesh-India Relations:
Challenges and Opportunities" held at
Jatiya Press Club on Thursday.
Israeli troops kill
three Palestinians in
West Bank incidents
RAMALLAH : Two
Palestinians including a doctor
were killed Friday in an Israeli
raid in the flashpoint city of
Jenin in the occupied West
Bank, an army spokeswoman
said.
Hours later Israeli troops
killed a Palestinian youth
accused of firing shots at an
Israeli settlement in the West
Bank.
Dr Abdullah al-Ahmad
"succumbed to a bullet wound
that pierced his head, fired by
the occupation (Israeli)
soldiers", the ministry said in a
statement following the earlier
incident.
A ministry spokesman told
AFP that another Palestinian,
Mateen Debaya, was also killed
in the raid on the city's refugee
camp, with five others
wounded.
Militant group Hamas, which
controls the Gaza Strip, named
Debaya as a "fighter".
The ministry said Ahmad
was shot outside a government
hospital.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury
spoke at the seminar virtually
highlighting growing and close relations
between the two countries.
The seminar was organised by Jatiya
Press Club to mark its 68th founding
anniversary.
The Daily Star editor acknowledged
the progress made in terms of relations
between Bangladesh and India during
PM Hasina's tenure.
He, however, said overall water
sharing issue remains a big issue, noting
that Teesta water sharing treaty
remains pending for long.
He also laid emphasis on fair sharing
of water. He talked about cooperation
on the bilateral trade front and the
opportunities it holds.
Mahfuz said the relations should be
based on a win-win situation.
Apart from regime-based relations, he
said the people-based relations can be a
sustainable one.
President of Indian Journalists Union
(IJU) Geetartha Pathak, JPC President
Farida Yasmin, its General Secretary
Elias Khan, Dhaka Union of Journalists
(DUJ) Sohel Haider Chowdhury,
among others, spoke at the seminar.
The speakers expressed gratitude to
the people and the government of India
for the vital role they had played during
the War of Liberation in 1971.
Three of Rohingya family attempt suicide
near UNCHR office in Cox's Bazar
COX'S BAZAR : Three members of a Rohingya
refugee family attempted to end their lives in
front of the local UNCHR in Cox's Bazar on
Wednesday night over a family dispute and
alleged harassment by terror group ARSA.
The three have been identified as Abul
Osman, son of Ahsanul Hoque of shade No 40
in E block of Kutupalong Rohingya camp in
Ukhiya upazila of the district, his wife and
mother.
The youth alleged that he was being
harassed by his step-mother Sabera Khatun
"who has links with NGOs and ARSA".
"As a registered refugee, I deserve security
inside the camp. On the contrary, police have
been harassing me and taking the side of my
step-mother," he alleged.
"I am being deprived of obtaining all
facilities as a refugee, besides the ARSA has
constantly been threating to kill me," he said.
Abul said he went to the UNCHR office,
seeking justice and security, and threatened to
take his own life unless his demands were met.
Osman's mother Fatema Begum also made
the same allegations and demanded justice.
Ikhtiyar Uddin Bayezid, liaison officer of the
UNCH office in Cox's Bazar, said the Rohingya
youth tried to commit suicide after coming out
of the UNCH office following a meeting with
officials.
Later, he, along with his family members,
was sent back to the camp around 9pm, he
added.
Bronte biopic 'Emily' delves into
imagined author's darkness
LOS ANGELES : Was
reclusive 19th-century author
Emily Bronte inspired to write
"Wuthering Heights" after
experimenting with opium,
tattoos and a steamy affair
with the local clergyman?
Actress Emma Mackey
doesn't think so-but she
portrays Bronte doing all
those things and more in
"Emily," a new drama which
deliberately ignores the
trappings and conventions of
the traditional period biopic.
"No. I don't. But also, I don't
care!" the star, best known for
Netflix hit "Sex Education,"
told AFP.
"It's not a documentary-I
had to wrap my head around
just letting go of all the
biographical elements, and
really hold on to the fact that
this is just a story" that writerdirector
Frances O'Connor
"wanted me to tell," she said.
The question of how a shy
Victorian woman who spent
most of her short life on the
remote Yorkshire moors
penned a dark, passionate
Gothic novel that shocked its
contemporary readers has
long vexed academics and
fans.
"Emily," released Friday by
Warner Bros in the United
Kingdom, offers a non-literal
answer, allowing elements of
"Wuthering Heights" to "seep
in and feed that real world" of
its author, said Mackey.
Its heroine is led astray by
her rebellious, troubled
brother Branwell-a prototype
for her novel's brooding
Heathcliff-and romps with
her father's curate William
Weightman, who has
parallels to the book's
gentlemanly Edgar.
According to Mackey, in
reality Emily and her sisters
Charlotte and Anne probably
drew their complex creative
ideas from the extensive
library of books, including
Gothic literature, that they
had access to growing up.
But, she notes, there were
macabre elements in the
Bronte family's real world
too.
DMP Commissioner
Shafiqul to go on
retirement on
October 30
DHAKA : Dhaka Metropolitan
Police Commissioner (DMP)
Md Shafiqul Islam will go on
retirement on October 30,
reports UNB.
A gazette notification in this
regard was issued by the Home
Ministry's Public Security
Division on Wednesday.
He will be on postretirement
leave (PRL) from
October 30 this year to October
29 next year.
He will be entitled to
retirement and postretirement
leave benefits as per
government rules, it added.
The tenure of DMP
Commissioner Shafiqul Islam
was extended for another year
in 2021. On September 13,
2019 he took the responsibility
as 34th Commissioner of
DMP.
GD-1705/22 (4x4)
GD-1706/22 (5x4)
Gazipur filling station fire:
Death toll climbs to 4
GAZIPUR : The death toll from the Gazipur
filling station fire rose to four, with another
victim succumbing to his burn injuries at
Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH)
on Thursday morning.
The deceased was identified as filling station
worker Sirajul Islam, 28, reports UNB.
Sirajul, who sustained 40% burns, breathed
his last at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of
Burn and Plastic Surgery of DMCH at 7.30 am,
said inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of
DMCH police camp.
One more burn victim of the same fire-
Anwar, 30 -- is being treated at the same
hospital, and his condition is also critical, said
a doctor.
Earlier, on Tuesday, another worker, Al
Amin, 30, succumbed to his injuries at the
same hospital.
Besides, driver Parvez, 33, who sustained
86% burns succumbed to his injuries on
Monday. On Friday, another injured, named
Mithu Mia, 26, who suffered 100% burns, died
at the same hospital.
On October 13 evening, the fire was triggered
by an explosion that occurred in a cylinderladen
van while refuelling gas at Wahed Ali
Filling Station in Gazipur's Borobari area.
The seven people who sustained burn
injuries in the fire were all standing nearby.
They were first taken to Tahirunnesa
Memorial Medical College Hospital (TMMC)
and five of them had to be later shifted to
DMCH as their condition was critical.
Fleeing Xi's China, journalist
makes fresh start abroad
BEIJING : Investigative journalist Wang
Zhi'an once exposed corruption, land
seizures, and medical malpractice in
China, with millions of viewers and a
powerful platform: state broadcaster
CCTV.
Wang now lives alone in central Tokyo
after being blacklisted in his homeland.
His journey from on-air personality at the
heart of China's vast state media
apparatus to reporter in exile illustrates
how even government-backed critical
reporting has been curtailed under Xi
Jinping, China's most authoritarian
leader since Mao Zedong, reports UNB.
Unlike many muckrakers, Wang hasn't
given up. Deep in debt and armed with
little more than a laptop, a tripod, and a
camera borrowed from a friend, Wang is
back in business - this time on YouTube
and Twitter, both banned in China.
"Here I can tell the truth, and nobody
will restrict me anymore," Wang said,
sitting in his Tokyo studio, a living room
in his modest three-story walk-up.
Thousands of delegates are
congregating in Beijing this week to
reaffirm Xi as leader of the ruling
Communist Party for a third term, at the
country's most important political
meeting in a decade. Fearing arrest, Wang
said he won't return until Xi is out of
power.
"He demands absolute obedience,"
Wang said. "The media has become like
the army: a tool that pledges
unconditional allegiance to the party."
Under Xi, China's once feisty reporters
have fallen in line. The Communist Party's
propaganda arm has taken direct control
of agencies managing newspapers,
broadcasters, and radio stations. A
powerful new agency has silenced critical
voices on the internet, creating a vast
censorship apparatus powered by
thousands of censors.
Privately, many Chinese journalists say
Xi has quashed independent reporting.
Publicly, they stay silent. Xi's very name is
mouthed carefully, in scripted lines,
whispers or pseudonyms.
"The change these past 10 years has
been dramatic," said Zhan Jiang, a retired
professor of journalism at Beijing Foreign
Studies University.
Wang never imagined a life outside
China. A native of mountainous Shaanxi
province, Wang joined CCTV in 1998 after
obtaining a master's in history.
At the time, Chinese media was on the
cusp of what Wang calls a "golden age."
Investigative journalism flourished under
then-leader Jiang Zemin, who talked Tibet
and Taiwan with Western journalists, and
Zhu Rongji, a tough, reform-minded
premier who battled corruption.
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2022
3
The Chancellor of Birmingham University, UK and President of the Confederation of British
Industry Lord Karan Bilimoria delivered a Special Lecture on ' Business, Finance and Economy'
yesterday at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban auditorium of Dhaka University (DU). DU
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman presided over the program. Photo : Courtesy
Birmingham University Chancellor & CBI
President delivers special lecture at DU
The Chancellor of Birmingham
University, UK and President of the
Confederation of British Industry Lord
Karan Bilimoria delivered a Special
Lecture on ' Business, Finance and
Economy' on Thursday at Nabab
Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban
auditorium of Dhaka University (DU).
DU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md.
Akhtaruzzaman presided over the
program.
Lord Karan Bilimoria said,
Bangladesh has achieved
tremendous success at all fields
especially education, business and
economy under the dynamic and
pragmatic leadership of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina. Global
community is being inspired and
motivated by the overall development
of Bangladesh, he pointed out.
He said, Russia-Ukraine war is
affecting the world including
Bangladesh. Food crisis and energy
crisis are prevailing everywhere due to
Dhaka North wins
Bloomberg
Philanthropies
Award for creating
greener spaces
DHAKA : Dhaka North City
Corporation has been
announced as one of the ten
winners of C40 Cities
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Award 2022.
The awards were
announced at the C40
World Mayors Summit in
Buenos Aires, Argentina on
Thursday (October 19 local
time). DNCC Mayor Atiqul
Islam received the award,
given under the 'United in
building climate resilience'
catagory for expansion of
green spaces to create a
greener, more inclusive and
livable city in Dhaka North
City Corporation.
Awards were given out in
five categories that align with
this year's summit theme,
'United in Action'. The
categories are: United to
accelerate immediate action
in critical sectors, United to
clean the air we breathe,
United in building climate
resilience, United to innovate
and United in building a
climate movement. After
receiving the award, DNCC
Mayor Atiqul said, "In this
time of Covid-19, climate
change and conflict, we must
remain united and
remember that no one is safe
unless everyone is safe.
Human civilization may even
face extinction."
This year, 70 cities
competed for the prestigious
awards. The awards
celebrate pioneering climate
projects led by cities around
the world, recognising
mayors and encouraging
friendly competition
between cities keen to
demonstrate their successful
climate actions and raise
global ambition. Seven prior
editions of the awards
programme have taken place
to showcase some of the
world's most ambitious
climate projects and
amplified best practices.
this war. Loss of life and property is
being reported everyday from the war
field. This war must be stopped, he
added.
He called upon the Bangladeshi
students, teachers and researchers to
pursue their higher education from
UK which is the best destination of
international students. Learning
never stops. Collaboration on
education and research is a must. So,
a MoU between Dhaka University
and Birmingham University will soon
be signed regarding the
collaboration, he said.
DU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md.
Akhtaruzzaman thanked Lord Karan
Bilimoria for his motivational and
inspirational lecture. Students,
faculties and researchers will be
highly benefited by his valuable
speech. DU VC paid glowing tributes
to the memory of Lord Karan
Bilimoria's father Lt. General
Faridoon Blimoria who led the
Gorkha Rifles and played a heroic
role during the Liberation War of
Bangladesh in 1971. So, this Bilimoria
family has a strong attachment with
Bangladesh, DU VC pointed out, a
press release said.
The function was also addressed by
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration)
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Samad, Pro-Vice
Chancellor (Academic) Prof. Dr. A S M
Maksud Kamal and Treasurer Prof
Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed.
Noted academicians, researchers,
teachers and students participated at
the program.
Earlier, Chancellor of Birmingham
University Lord Karan Bilimoria met
with DU VC Prof. Dr. Md.
Akhtaruzzaman at the latter's office of
the university. The held fruitful
discussions regarding the possibilities
of signing a MoU soon between DU and
Birmingham University to undertake
joint collaborative academic and
research programs.
A seminar titled "The Changing Pattern of Social Behavior, Etiquette and
Youth Culture in Modern Era: Social Insights on Bangladesh" organized by
the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS) of
Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) was held at Bijoy
Auditorium of BUP. The main purpose of the seminar was to focus on the
key factors which effect family bonding, respect the aged people, the pattern
of social problems, change in youth behavior due to the influence of
negative culture developed with the advancement of science and technology.
In the seminar, Professor Dr. Mehtab Khanam, Honorary Professor,
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, University of
Dhaka presented the keynote paper.
Photo : Courtesy
Director General of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB)
Engineer Fazlur Rashid was present as chief gust at a view exchanging
workshop on two projects in Tangail and Barishal. Photo : Courtesy
Dengue death toll climbs
to 110 with 4 more deaths
DHAKA : Four more deaths from dengue
confirmed in 24 hours till Thursday morning
raised this year's fatalities from the mosquitoborne
disease in Bangladesh to 110.
During this period, 896 more patients
were hospitalised with the viral fever as
cases keep rising, according to the
Directorate General of Health Services
(DGHS).
Of the latest deaths, three were reported
from Dhaka and another from Mymensingh
division. The dengue death toll in Dhaka
division now stands at 66, in Mymensingh at
two while it remained static in Chattogram
division at 35, in Khulna at two and in
Barishal division at five.
Of the new patients, 537 were admitted to
different hospitals in Dhaka and 359 outside it.
A total of 3,174 dengue patients, including
2,159 in the capital, are now receiving
treatment at hospitals across the country.
The Directorate has recorded 28,698
dengue cases and 25,414 recoveries so far
this year.
Media can play
role in deepening
Bangladesh-India
ties: Speaker
DHAKA : Jatiya Sangsad
Speaker Shirin Sharmin
Chaudhury has said the media
can play their roles in
promoting activities that can
help further deepen the
bilateral relations between
Bangladesh and India.
She urged the journalists of
both Bangladesh and India to
play a constructive role in
improving Dhaka-Delhi ties,
reports UNB.
"The mass media of both
countries can play an
important role on how both
countries can benefit more.
Mass media has a role in
promoting the relationship
between the two countries",
said the Speaker.
She was speaking at the
inaugural session of a seminar
titled "Role of Bangladesh-
India Relations: Challenges
and Prospects" organised by
the Jatiya Press Club to mark
its 68th founding anniversary.
The Speaker urged the
media of both countries to
work together on how to
strengthen the relationship
between Bangladesh and India
in South Asia.
Senior journalists from
Bangladesh and India
attended the seminar and
expressed their gratitude to the
people and the government of
India for the vital role they had
played during the War of
Liberation in 1971. Speaker
Chaudhury said the two
countries have addressed
many challenges in the past
years, including land and
maritime boundaries
demarcation.
The two countries signed a
number of agreements and
MoUs on social, economic,
maritime and environmental
cooperation, she said. Mahfuz
Anam, editor of The Daily Star
newspaper, said Bangladesh
has showed its commitment
towards security issues and
credited Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina for addressing
India's security concerns.
Two IUBAT teachers listed among
the world's top 2% researcher
Two teachers of the International University
of Business Agriculture and Technology
(IUBAT) have been placed in the list of the top
2 percent of scientists in the world. They are
Dr Golam Rasul, professor and chair of the
Department of Economics and Dr. Suvash
Chandra Paul, Associate Professor of the
Department of Civil Engineering of
International University of Business
Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT). They
have been listed among the world's top 2%
scientists in 2022 published by Stanford
University and Elsevier, a press release said.
Dr Rasul joined IUBAT in 2022. Prior to his
new assignment, he was the chief economist
at the International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a premier
research organization in Asia. At ICIMOD, he
was involved in research in the areas of
economics, rural development, regional
cooperation, poverty alleviation, sustainable
development, and food, water and energy
management, according to a statement.
Dr. Suvash Chandra Paul is working as an
Associate Professor at the Department of Civil
Engineering, International University of
Business Agriculture and Technology
(IUBAT) from August 2019. He received his
MSc (2011) and PhD (2015) degrees in Civil
Engineering from Stellenbosch University,
South Africa. He has worked in Monash
University Malaysia for 2 years (July 2017 -
July 2019) as a Lecturer in Civil Engineering.
Prior to work in Monash, he was a research
fellow in Singapore Centre for 3D Printing
(SC3DP) at Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore for about 2 years
(September 2015 - July 2017). He has
published over 80 research papers in both
international journals and conferences. He is
currently the editorial board member for the
Elsevier Journal of Additive Manufacturing
Letters and Hindawi Journal of Advances in
Civil Engineering, and a reviewer for more
than 8 journals. His research area is on
advances in construction materials, waste
recycling, corrosion and durability of concrete,
nanoparticles and 3D concrete printing
technology.
On celebrating the success of these two
teachers of IUBAT, a special felicitation
ceremony was organized at the IUBAT
auditorium on Wednesday, at the initiative of
Miyan Research Institute. The event was
attended by the Vice-Chancellor of the
University Prof Dr. Abdur Rab, Treasurer Prof
Selina Nargis and Registrar Prof Lutfar
Rahman. Also, various heads of departments,
directors, coordinators, teachers-students,
officials-employees of the university were
present.
He was honored as the best researcher in
2020 and 2021 under the Miyan Research
Institute of IUBAT. It is noted that the Miyan
Research Institute conducts research
approval, guidance and evaluation of IUBAT
teachers and researchers for research and
publication on various subjects. At present,
under the approval and guidance of Miyan
Research Institute, the teachers of the
university are conducting research activities
on various topics including agriculture,
engineering, and technology, business
administration, environment, climate,
sustainable development, and education.
Seminars are organized every year on the
results of this research and the researchers are
awarded.
Multi-sectoral district annual nutrition
action plan 2022-2023 workshop held
in Rangpur
Rangpur District Nutrition
Coordinating Committee in
collaboration with the Joint Action
for Nutrition Outcome (JANO)
Project organized the multi-sectoral
annual nutrition action meeting of
Rangpur District at the district
Parjatan Motel yesterday, a press
release said.
The meeting was presided over by
Deputy Director (DD) of Local
Government (LG) Jilufa Sultana, on
behalf of the Deputy Commissioner
and President of District Nutrition
Coordinating Committee, Rangpur.
Members of the District Nutrition
Coordination Committee, acting
Rangpur Civil Surgeon, Member
Secretary of the Rangpur District
Nutrition Coordinating Committee,
JANO project officials including
Nazneen Rahman were present in the
meeting at that time.
The multi-sectoral annual district
nutrition action plan 2022-2023 of
A special felicitation ceremony was organized at the IUBAT auditorium on
Wednesday as two teachers of the International University of Business
Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) have been placed in the list of the top
2 percent of scientists in the world. Photo : Courtesy
Rangpur district was presented at the
meeting where the 2022-2023 annual
nutrition action plans of 8 Upazilas, 8
Ministries, 10 Departments 76
Unions and 6 development partner
organizations of Rangpur were
mentioned. In the workshop, the
officers in charge of all the
departments at the district level
presented the nutrition related action
plan of their respective departments.
The total allocation for the action plan
is 1601419500 (one hundred and
sixty crores fourteen lakh nine
thousand five hundred taka.
Jilufa Sultana said that there is no
alternative to multi-sectoral district
nutrition action plan to solve the
nutrition issues in Bangladesh. DD-
LG also mentioned the support from
local government to implement
different activities under district
nutrition action plan. Nazneen
Rahman, Senior team leader of JANO
project said, JANO Project is always
ready to support to Government of
Bangladesh especially in Rangpur
and Nilphamari region on multisectoral
nutritional activities as well
as nutrition specific and nutrition
sensitive issues.
JANO project is funded by the
European Union and co-funded by
the Austrian Development
Cooperation and is being
implemented by CARE Bangladesh,
Plan International and ESDO. The
objective of the project is to
contribute in ending malnutrition of
Pregnant and Lactating Women
(PLW) together with addressing the
nutritional needs of children under
five years of age, and adolescent
girls. The project is closelyworking
with the Government of Bangladesh
(GoB) at the national, regional and
local levels, to support the effective
implementation of the National
Plan of Action for Nutrition 2
(NPAN 2).
Rangpur District Nutrition Coordinating Committee in collaboration with the Joint Action for
Nutrition Outcome (JANO) Project organized the multi-sectoral annual nutrition action meeting of
Rangpur District at the district Parjatan Motel yesterday.
Photo : Courtesy
Friday, OcTOBer 21, 2022
4
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
B
Friday, October 21, 2022
Make roads
to last
That the inhabitants of the capital city
Dhaka are bearing the brunt of the
pitiable conditions of the roads, lanes and
by-lanes is clearly evident everywhere. When
a resident steps out of his/her residence,
scores of cracks, potholes, ditches that have
developed on the roads, will likely greet
him/her in many places of this hapless city.
It seems that the entire city has turned into a
zone with dangers lurking everywhere. From
Jatrabari, the southern fringe of the city, to
Uttara, the northern fringe, from Basabo,
the eastern fringe, to Gabtoli, the western
fringe, everywhere the same precarious scenario
is prevailing. Unplanned digging of
roads repeatedly, and that too in the full
rainy season, by the authorities of various
utility services like WASA, Titas Gas, telephone
organizations and electricity distribution
organisations has aggravated the sufferings
of the city-dwellers.
Conditions of some of the roads in the city
have become so perilous that those have
become unfit for plying of vehicles. Due to
continuous rain, carpeting, bricks and stone
chips of many roads have been displaced
making those hazardous for movement of
vehicles. Traffic jam on these roads has
become a regular menace and commuters
have to remain stranded on these roads for
hours together.
This kills valuable time and taxes the
patience of many commuters. Emergency
patients on the way to hospitals and clinics
are the worst sufferers. Besides, due to kneedeep
water on many badly damaged roads
caused by rain many vehicles become inoperative,
exposing the commuters to a lot of
sufferings.
Every year the government allocates substantial
budget for repairing of the city's
roads. As routine work many roads are
repaired hastily. But after some weeks or
months only the conditions of the roads
revert to the previous positions. This kind of
repair does not improve the conditions of
the damaged roads at all on a durable basis.
Use of substandard materials in repairing
roads has become a chronic practice in our
country. A section of contractors and engineers
financially gain out of these projects
but the sufferings of the taxpayers do not
end. This is a sheer unacceptable drainage
of state money. What is done in the name of
repairing of roads is sheer cheating. This is
not aimed at public welfare.
The government should take up the road
repairing issue seriously. Prime Minister
(PM) Sheikh Hasina recently expressed
concern over the faulty repairing of roads.
She directed the relevant authorities to
repair roads with rods, cement and concrete
so that those can last for a long time. She
told the authorities that a road paved with
concrete has the prospects of longevity of
even 25 years whereas the ones now being
repaired with bitumen usually crumble within
a year. In some cases such roads crumble
within months of their repairs requiring
repairing afresh. Apart from unending people's
suffering, this practice only contributes
to sheer misspending of people's money to
line the pockets of a few.
Thus, if the PM's directive is executed,
the roads will be durable, city-dwellers will
enjoy its benefits and state money will not
be wasted. We are confident that the PM is
fully aware of the sufferings of the citizens
and she is eager to provide them with relief
and prevent squandering of public money.
She has also identified the heart of the problem
: deliberately keeping alive the scope for
repeated repairing of the roads so that the
unscrupulous ones can make money. We
hope that the PM will now ensure that her
directive would be heeded and the interest
groups blocking the same frustrated completely
in their scheming.
Dr. Munaz's digital vision in shaping BDU
angabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman Digital University (BDU), is
Bangladesh's first specialized
Government digital university. The
university's founding Vice-Chancellor is
Professor Dr. Munaz Ahmed Noor. He has
kept the sign of success in all cases. He will
remain forever in the success story of BDU.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamed of
building a country free from hunger and
poverty for the next generation through the
Great War of Liberation in 1971. He wanted
Bangladesh to be a role model for the whole
world. Today's digital Bangladesh is the
modern version of the golden Bengal of
Bangabandhu's dream. In 1973, Father of
the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman started the journey towards
technology by accepting membership in the
International Telecommunication Union
(ITU). Besides, he established the country's
first satellite ground station on June 14 of
1975 at Betbunia, Rangamati. His daughter,
current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is
working tirelessly day and night to build
"Digital Bangladesh", the modern form of
the golden Bengal of Bangabandhu's
dream. The architect of Digital Bangladesh
is under the overall supervision of Prime
Minister's Information and
Communication Technology Advisor
Sajeeb Wazed Joy.
The 21st-century world is witnessing the
rise of the fourth industrial revolution
(4IR). This 4IR is the industrial revolution
of technology, this revolution of skill. The
Bangladesh government has been taking
various plans and steps to strengthen
Bangladesh's position in the fourth
industrial revolution. In line with that, the
Prime Minister adopted a plan to establish
'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Digital University, Bangladesh' to play a
role in creating a developed and prosperous
Bangladesh through digitalization through
Vision 2021, a middle-income country by
2041. In 2016, Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina announced the establishment of
this university in Parliament. After the
Prime Minister's announcement, the
current Minister for Liberation War Affairs
- AKM Mozammel Haque MP played an
important role in the establishment of this
first digital university in the country at
Kaliakair, Gazipur. The help and role of the
minister in various matters related to the
university are undeniable.
The Prime Minister of the Government of
the People's Republic of Bangladesh Sheikh
Hasina handed over the responsibility of
the university to Professor Dr. Munaz
Ahmed Noor for the proper management of
this specialized university established to
implement the Digital Bangladesh vision.
As the founding Vice-Chancellor of the
university, information and technology
professor Dr. Munaz Ahmed Noor joined
on June 12, 2018. Before joining, he
successfully served as a Professor of the
Civil Engineering Department of the
Bangladesh University of Engineering and
Technology, former Vice-Chancellor of the
National University, and former Vice-
Chancellor of the Islamic University of
Technology (IUT). Since joining, he has
been sustaining digital Bangladesh in the
implementation of the 'Vision 2021' of the
Government of the People's Republic of
Bangladesh, in keeping up with the Fourth
Industrial Revolution, providing teaching,
research, and excellence in digital
knowledge at undergraduate and
postgraduate levels. It is aimed to turn the
young generation into skilled human
resources and entrepreneurs. He has
worked day and night to establish this
university. Today's BDU was not built in a
day. The story behind this is very long and
self-sacrificing. From the time he got the
responsibility till the end of his tenure, he
has worked tirelessly to establish BDU as
one of the best universities in South Asia.
After joining on June 12, he sought
permission from the then Vice-Chancellor
of the National University, Harun-or-
Rashid to set up temporary operations in
three rooms in National University City
Office, Dhanmondi. In November 2018, the
city office of the university was established
at Mohammadpur in the capital. On
November 12, 2018, the University Grants
Commission of Bangladesh approved the
establishment of two faculties and one
institute to conduct educational programs.
To contribute to the fourth industrial
revolution by facing the challenges of the
21st century and to implement Vision 2041,
the academic journey of the university
began on June 2019 by enrolling 100
students in two honors programs (Internet
of Things and ICT in Education) in the
academic year 2018-2019. A total of 300
students are currently studying at this
university with the admission of 100
students in the academic year 2019-2020
and another 100 students in the academic
year 2020-2021. It should be noted here
that these subjects are new in this
subcontinent and BDU is the only
university in Bangladesh where these
subjects are being taught.
From the beginning Professor Dr. Munaz
Ahmed Noor has performed honestly with
his hard work, talent and wisdom.
At the Bachelor's and Master's level,
subjects titled Information and
Communication Technology, Science,
Engineering and Technology and related to
other fields of technology such as digital
development, digital technology, robotics,
cloud computing, e-commerce,
information, and communication
technology management, cyber security,
and management are being taught here. In
less than four years, Professor Dr. Munaz
Ahmed Noor set up classrooms with smart
Baria aLaMUddin
ICT facilities, e-library facilities, a
computer, and language laboratory,
physics laboratory, IoT laboratory, data
management and analytics laboratory,
electronics laboratory, data center for
conducting academic activities of students
in the style of a world-class smart digital
university. Board, Learning Management
System (LMS), Massive Open Online
Course (MOOC), My BDU Mobile Apps,
Exam Management System (EMS)
Installation, Provision of Student Access
Cards, Institutional Web Hosting and
Domain, Provision of Google G-Suite for
Education, Development of the proctored
remote exam system software, Library
setup, blended learning support by
providing blended classroom solutions,
launching of live classrooms, BDREN
connectivity, Online admission portal, ERP
(Enterprise Resource Planning) software,
The 21st-century world is witnessing the rise of the
fourth industrial revolution (4ir). This 4ir is the
industrial revolution of technology, this revolution
of skill. The Bangladesh government has been taking
various plans and steps to strengthen Bangladesh's
position in the fourth industrial revolution.
Providing access to Microsoft M365-A-3
and BDU Video conferencing software
were developed under his supervision.
Apart from this, the admission process has
been automated due to students can sit
anywhere in the world and complete the
admission process on mobile. The
University has its own "My BDU" mobile
app to check various types of fee deposits
and payment statuses.
Financial incentives are provided to
students to purchase data packages to
ensure participation in online classes at
various times. The Vice Chancellor of the
University has arranged online classes even
in a disaster situation like Covid-19. Under
the leadership of Munaz Ahmed Noor,
"ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)"
software was launched to provide digital
services to students. Through this ERP
software, the complete environmentfriendly
activities of various departments of
the university will be conducted in a
paperless environment. All activities
including accounts and human resources
will be completed digitally.
Not only this, as a new university, to solve
the problem of student accommodation, 1
hostel for boys and 2 hostels for girls have
been arranged. There are canteen and
dining facilities to solve the food problem of
the students. There are buses for the
convenience of students. Various
competitions are regularly organized to
make students interested in new subjects
and acquire skills. For example, essay and
quiz competitions on the life and work of
the father of the nation, programming
contests, Googling contest, website
creation, seminars, book reviews, and other
types of competitions are regularly
arranged here.
All of us students feel that the Vice-
Chancellor has managed the University
beautifully for four years through fairness
and stability on the campus, academic
excellence, infrastructural development,
and cultural activities.
Ever since he was appointed as the Vice-
Chancellor, he emphasized developing
relations with various universities at the
international level.
From his student life to his working life,
he is working for the country by keeping
Mujib ideals in his soul. Munaz Ahmed
Noor, the first place holder in Cumilla
Board, received the President's Gold Medal
as the most meritorious student in his
academic life. After completing his studies
at the Bangladesh University of
Engineering (BUET), he obtained his PhD
degree from the University of Tokyo in
2000. In 2005, he participated in a short
Private Public Partnership (PPP) program
in the Netherlands. In 2007, he completed
his post-doctoral degree in earthquake
theory (seismology). In 2008, he
completed his training in seismic design of
nuclear power plants in Italy. He also
participated in a training program on
Disaster Risk Reduction by the World
Bank. He has received countless awards
and people's appreciation in his career.
During his tenure as the Pro Vice-
Chancellor of the National University, he
played an important role in the
digitalization of the university, the
elimination of session bottlenecks, and the
creation of college education development
programs. He also played an important role
in the teaching-learning department of the
university during his tenure as the Vice-
Chancellor of IUT. He was awarded an
honorary doctorate for his special
contribution to the education and
information technology sector of the
Commonwealth University, especially in
the digital Bangladesh vision of the
government of Bangladesh in recognition
of his work in the information and
communication technology sector. He also
received the '2016 Education Leadership
Award' in 2018 from the American
Leadership Board in recognition of his
significant contribution to the technology
sector. He has expertise in Concrete
Technology, Urban Safety, Climate Change,
Earthquake disasters, and the technology
sector. Munaz Ahmed Noor got a
prestigious position in the list of the world's
best scientists in the AD Scientific Index
2021 published on the world's best
researchers.
We the students hope to come again for
the second term of former Vice Chancellor
Sir. Because we believe that as a guardian
of Digital Bangladesh and a true soldier of
Mujib ideals, he will be able to quickly
establish the university as a world-class
full-fledged digital university through his
talent, wisdom, prudence, experience,
skills, and leadership.
The writers is Student, Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Digital
University, Bangladesh
A new era of paramilitary supremacy in Iraq
The actual occupant of the post,
Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, is a
nobody with zero parliamentary
support who is entirely beholden to those
who placed him in power. There are
excellent reasons why hundreds of
thousands of Iraqis brought Baghdad to a
halt in August over Al-Sudani's candidacy.
In 2010, when Al-Maliki was prime
minister, he appointed Al-Sudani minister
of human rights - at a time when there were
no human rights to administer. During this
black phase of Iraq's history, Al-Maliki coopted
militia forces such as Asa'ib Ahl Al-
Haq, the Mukhtar Army and the Imam Ali
Brigades to embark on bloody sectarian
purges and to assassinate journalists,
activists and political opponents. Al-Maliki
weaponized the judiciary against his
enemies and purged Sunni fighters who had
risked their lives combating terrorist
groups. As chairman of the commission for
de-Baathification, Al-Sudani assisted Al-
Maliki in purging hundreds of Sunnis and
political rivals from administrative roles.
The Iraqi Commission of Integrity
estimated that $500 billion was corruptly
siphoned off from the Iraqi budget during
Al-Maliki's tenure, much of which went
toward funding paramilitary violence.
Such were the industrial-scale crimes
against human rights and interfaith
coexistence on Al-Maliki and Al-Sudani's
watch that, in 2014, Iraq disintegrated
altogether and much of the country became
a playground for the twin plagues of Daesh
and Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi militias, which
took crimes against humanity to entirely
new levels of horror and cruelty.
As prime minister, Al-Sudani (a longstanding
member of Al-Maliki's Dawa
party) will be solely accountable to Al-Maliki
and his paramilitary Hashd allies who
Md. Mehedi hasan shishir
brought Iraq back to the brink of civil war in
their dogged efforts to secure his candidacy.
A large part of the blame for this disaster
for Iraqi democracy lies at the door of
Muqtada Al-Sadr, who until recently had
the single largest bloc in parliament. Had
Al-Sadr possessed a degree of patience and
political acumen, he could have overcome
the Hashd's blocking efforts and reached an
understanding with the Kurds, Sunnis and
independents to form a government.
Instead, he threw the mother of all political
tantrums, pulled his supporters out of
parliament and allowed the Hashd to
acquire most of the seats he vacated.
It initially seemed as if Al-Sadr possessed
a winning strategy, as he flooded the Green
Zone with his supporters in a bid to block
Al-Sudani's candidature and force early
elections. However, he then staged one of
the most humiliating climbdowns in
modern political history after Tehran
coerced Al-Sadr's theological superior,
Ayatollah Kadhim Al-Haeri, into
withdrawing his support. With both Al-
Sudani and Rashid such weak and
malleable figures, it is clear who is intended
to govern Iraq next We should not discount
the extreme levels of bad blood between Al-
Maliki and the Sadrists, which at times has
escalated into assassinations and
bloodletting among each other's foot
soldiers. In July, a recording was leaked in
which Al-Maliki, among other insults,
denounced Al-Sadr as "a hateful Zionist."
Temporarily reduced to enraged impotence,
Al-Sadr is probably biding his time so that
his next move inflicts maximum damage on
an Al-Maliki-brokered administration.
Blame for this debacle also lies with the
Kurdish and Sunni political factions. They
know very well that Al-Maliki and the
Hashd have hostile anti-democratic
ambitions for Iraq, but they have allowed
With the hashd hemorrhaging popular support over
the past year, Tehran worries about the future
electability of its iraqi puppets. hence, plotting is
certainly already afoot for how the next elections can be
undermined - either by preventing them occurring at all
or by seeking to dominate the aftermath.
themselves to be divided and bought off
cheaply at the cost of Iraq's sovereignty.
While the Kurdistan Democratic Party and
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan jostle over
trivial appointments, they risk losing Iraq
altogether. Former President Barham Salih
was widely seen as a trusted pair of hands.
His successor, Abdul Latif Rashid - an
independent Kurd whose main claim to
fame is having once been water resources
minister - will struggle to emerge from
Salih's shadow. With both Al-Sudani and
Rashid such weak and malleable figures, it is
clear who is intended to govern Iraq next.
However, Al-Sudani is already struggling to
put together a Cabinet, amid reports of
fierce rivalry between Hashd faction leaders
over who gets to benefit from key posts.
With the Hashd hemorrhaging popular
support over the past year, Tehran worries
about the future electability of its Iraqi
puppets. Hence, plotting is certainly already
afoot for how the next elections can be
undermined - either by preventing them
occurring at all or by seeking to dominate
the aftermath.
The worst fears for Iraq are being realized
and matters are set to deteriorate as militias
seek to reinforce their already unwieldy
presence at every level of this
administration in order to exact control and
extract every last corrupt dinar of public
money. Outgoing Prime Minister Mustafa
Al-Kadhimi had acted as a vital bulwark
against Hashd preeminence. Over the
coming weeks, watch these militias make a
bonfire of his legacy.
Yet, at this moment of apparent victory,
these Hashd militias are looking nervously
over their shoulders. To the east of Iraq, for
the past five weeks a nationwide uprising
has been gaining momentum. Tens of
thousands of brave Iranian girls and women
are burning their hijabs and calling for the
downfall of the hated ayatollahs and
Revolutionary Guard commanders who
control the Hashd.
The Iraqi Hashd and all Iran's other client
militias are living on borrowed time. Maybe not
this year, but sometime soon, enough
courageous Iranians will take to the streets to
erase their hated tyrant regime once and for all.
Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning
journalist and broadcaster in the
Middle East and the UK. She is editor of
the Media Services Syndicate and has
interviewed numerous heads of state.
FriDaY, OCtOber 21, 2022
5
China’s 20th party congress
DaN maCKLiN
I previously explored an
upside case for the Chinese
Communist Party (CCP)'s
20th National Congress, due to
begin on October 16. In that
scenario, Xi Jinping would win
a third term as general
secretary, but he would preside
over a Politburo Standing
Committee (PSC) weighted
toward pro-market reformers,
who could potentially drive a
shift in economic policy.
That projection was based
on recent age and term limits
for the CCP elite being largely
upheld. By contrast, a
downside case would see those
norms scrapped. As I explore
in this second piece, such an
outcome would be a major
regression for China's political
institutions. It could also
augment Xi's power to
extreme levels, thereby
increasing the likelihood of
policy missteps.
Rather than simply be
reappointed as general
secretary, Xi (currently aged
69) could abolish the post and
restore the superior office of
party chairman. Mostly
remembered for Mao Zedong,
the CCP chairmanship has
been dormant since 1982. Its
restoration would give Xi a
status rivalling Mao and
further elevate him above
other PSC members.
But to make Xi's
continuation into old age seem
less personalistic, Han Zheng
(68) and Li Zhanshu (72)
could also stay on the PSC. In
this scenario, the party would
deny the existence of a "seven
up, eight down" rule, whereby
those aged 68 or older should
retire from China's top
governing bodies.
In another break with
convention, two 67-year-old
PSC incumbents could retire
early; long-time party theorist
Wang Huning and outgoing
premier Li Keqiang may both
have grown too influential for
Xi's liking. But Zhao Leji (65)
and Wang Yang (67) likely
pose less of a concern, and
their maintaining PSC seats
would bring Xi valuable
continuity at a time of
significant policy challenges.
As a further sign of Xi's
outsized power, he might
prevent a PSC seat being given
to Hu Chunhua (59), the rising
star of the Tuanpai or Youth
League faction. Instead, Xi
would elevate more of his own
people, allies like Li Qiang (63)
and Huang Kunming (65).
Finally, to ensure his clique's
future dominance, Xi could
increase the number of PSC
seats from seven to nine (as it
was between 2002 and 2012).
This would provide spots for
Chen Min'er (62) and Ding
Xuexiang (60), whose relative
youth would offset the PSC's
oldtimers. But given the
abandonment of age limits, it
would be unclear if either of
Chinese President Xi Jinping waves during a press event. Photo: Ng Han guan
them might one day succeed
Xi.
Unlike the party's informal
age limits, the rules for
appointing China's premier
cannot be so easily
circumvented. This would
prevent Xi from fast-tracking
an ally like Li Qiang; he lacks
the required vice premier-level
experience that Wang Yang
and Han Zheng both possess.
Of those two, Xi likely prefers a
fairly neutral figure like Han
over another Tuanpai rival in
Wang.
But Wang and Zhao would
take over the next two highest
offices as chairmen of the
National People's Congress
(NPC) and the Chinese
People's Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC). Of the
remaining state roles to be
filled in March 2023, Li Qiang
could become executive vice
premier, and Li Zhanshu state
vice president (the first to sit
on the PSC since Xi between
2007 and 2012).
Among the party roles, Chen
seems a plausible choice to
take over Zhao's anticorruption
portfolio at the
Central Commission for
Discipline Inspection (CCDI).
Ding could succeed Wang at
the helm of the CCP
secretariat, which manages the
party's routine business. And
Huang would inherit Wang's
chair of the Central Steering
Committee for Spiritual
Civilization (CSCSC), which
oversees propaganda work.
Finally, to complete his
domination of China's highest
governing body, Xi might have
his key ally He Lifeng attend
PSC meetings in a non-voting
capacity. At a time of growing
economic stress, He could play
an important role as vice
premier for the economy,
succeeding Liu He on the
Politburo.
In this scenario, Xi Jinping's
allies would dominate the PSC,
with the Tuanpai reduced to
Wang Yang's solitary seat. This
setup would bring Xi
extraordinary levels of control
and amount to a worst-case
scenario for China's long-term
political stability. Retirement
norms are essentially the only
mechanism for regulating PSC
turnover, and their
abandonment risks a return to
Mao-era gerontocracy.
This institutional regression
would also have worrying
implications for policy
direction. Surrounded by a
coalition of weak and loyal
officials, Chairman Xi would
face minimal resistance to
persisting with "zero COVID"
or escalating corporate
crackdowns. He would
become trapped in an
authoritarian feedback loop,
increasingly unaware of the
damage wrought by his own
policies.
The consequences of this
return to one-man rule would
ultimately damage Xi's legacy
and weaken the party that he
has spent a decade
strengthening. Thankfully,
that prospect should make this
SeUNgmiN Lee
Despite the COVID-19
pandemic's economic
disruptions and U.N.
sanctions, North Korea has
found new, and illegal, ways
to support the regime:
cyberattacks garnering nearly
$400 million in
cryptocurrency last year and
nearly $1 billion in 2022 thus
far. While the United States
has evidently made attempts
to prevent these cyberattacks -
such as sanctioning virtual
currency mixer Tornado Cash
for supporting North Korean
hackers - additional measures
are needed to better prevent
future cyberattacks, including
increased cybersecurity
cooperation between the U.S.
and South Korea.
North Korea's cyberattacks
generally fall within three
common types. First,
espionage, disruptive attacks,
and destructive attacks, such
as the 2013 Operation Dark
Seoul and the parallel
espionage operation in which
North Korea paralyzed South
Korean broadcasting stations,
banks, government websites
and stole information.
Second, cyberterrorism and
revenge attacks, such as the
2014 Sony Hack in which
North Korean hackers
threatened Sony and its
employees with terrorist
attacks on movie theaters if
Sony released "The
Interview," a satire about
assassinating Kim Jong Un.
Third, cyber bank and
cryptocurrency exchange
robberies - such as the 2016
Bangladesh Bank Heist and
the 2017 FASTCash
Campaign - that maintain
North Korea's economy in the
face of international
sanctions.
In recent years, North
Korea state-backed hacking
group Kimsuky has targeted
financial institutions, stealing
more than $50 million
between 2020 and mid-2021
from three currency
exchanges. In March 2022,
North Korea hackers stole
more than $615 million in
ether and USD coin from the
Ronin Network by forging
withdrawals.
The future of South Korea-US
cyber cooperation
North Korea also appears to
have increased its cyber
espionage efforts since late
2020. In 2021, Kimsuky is
believed to have hacked into
South Korea's nuclear
research center, the Korean
Atomic Energy Research
Institute, stealing information
on nuclear power plants. In
February 2021, North Korea
tried to steal information
regarding COVID-19 vaccines
and treatments from Pfizer.
North Korea has increased
phishing and social
engineering attacks for
espionage purposes as well. In
Operation Dream Job, a
North Korean hacking group -
the Lazarus Group - created
fake LinkedIn profiles to
reach out to employees at
targeted companies, sent
"dream job" offers with
hidden malware, maintained
conversation with the targets,
and collected intelligence
regarding the companies'
activities and finances. The
attacks first seemed to target
government employees. Then,
the Lazarus Group targeted
companies that work closely
with the government such as
Israeli defense manufacturers
and Boeing. By April 2022,
the Lazarus Group was
sending fake job offers with
Trojan horse programs to the
chemical sector and
information technology firms
as well.
As North Korea is
increasingly using
sophisticated cyberattacks
and targeting the United
States, it is important for the
U.S. and South Korea - North
Korea's usual target - to
cooperate against these
attacks and to implement the
already existing high-level
commitments to mutual
defense.
One of the reasons that
deeper South Korea-U.S.
cyber cooperation doesn't yet
exist is because Seoul's first
venture into cybersecurity
cooperation with the
international community was
recent: its 2019 National
Cybersecurity Strategy and
National Cybersecurity Basic
Plan. One of the strategy's six
pillars is international
cooperation, and the Basic
Plan's 100 tasks include
international collaboration
and norm setting.
Since then, there does seem
to be growing commitment to
enhance bilateral cooperation
on countering North Korea's
cyber activities. The 2020
Joint Communique of the
52nd South Korea-U.S.
Security Consultative Meeting
committed to close
communication and
coordination in the cyber
domain, highlighted the need
for cyber command
exchanges, and increased
science and technology
cooperation in cyber defense.
In May 2021, the United
States and South Korea
pledged to further expand
cyber cooperation by
establishing a cyber working
group that will increase law
enforcement and homeland
security agencies' cooperation
on cybercrime and
ransomware attacks and by
creating a public-private
Domestic Violence and Cyber
Exploitation Working Group.
The 2022 South Korea-U.S.
Joint Statement included
broadening cooperation on
critical and emerging
technologies, deepening
regional and international
cyber policy, and confronting
North Korean cyber threats.
North Korea's reliance on cyberattacks is growing, but the South Korea-
U.S. alliance has yet to catch up.
Photo: Collected
KamiL matUSiewiCz
China-Poland relations amid the Ukraine war
leading to a more united
position vis-à-vis Beijing.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Second, one cannot ignore
has produced two
a shift of views about Beijing
considerably different
in the broader region when
reactions from Beijing and
Ukraine. The Polish president indicated the adverse impact China has allegedly projected its pro-Kremlin propaganda
analyzing the evolution of China-Poland relations. In August,
Warsaw. China has been reluctant to condemn Russia's of Russia's invasion on regional security and international and anti-NATO discourse in the Polish digital sphere, both
Estonia and Latvia withdrew from the 17+1 format, after
aggression, while Poland has been at the forefront of backing trade, including that with China. In addition, he suggested to through diplomatic channels and via China Radio
Lithuania's withdrawal last year; Czechia is considering
Kyiv. How has the war in Poland's immediate neighborhood the Chinese leader that Beijing could assume a more International. To complicate the issue further, Chinese
following suit. Poland and Romania, together with several
shifted its relations with China, Poland's largest trading constructive role in preventing Moscow from causing a media have cited Moscow's fake news for the purpose of
other CEE countries, have banned Huawei from their
partner in Asia?
global food crisis.
domestic propaganda, with some even suggesting that Polish
national 5G rollouts.
First of all, both countries are of strategic importance for If bilateral relations are are still marked by regular soldiers would be sent to defend Ukraine. Later, the Polish
In this sense, it would be necessary for Beijing to
each other. Poland signed a Memorandum of Understanding communication at the highest level, on the lower working Defense Ministry described this as a product of one of
ameliorate the deteriorating relationship with Poland,
on cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative level the reality raises questions about the state of the China- Russia's disinformation campaigns. Such events in
especially as the pro-Beijing Duda will have to leave office
framework with China in 2015. One year later, the two Poland "comprehensive strategic partnership."
cyberspace are not going unnoticed in Warsaw and may
once he finishes his second term. As Poland is a strategic CEE
nations elevated their bilateral ties to a "comprehensive Four months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Polish negatively impact the already strained relationship between
partner for Beijing, China may double its diplomatic efforts
strategic partnership," a symbol of diplomatic proximity that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki published an opinion Beijing and Poland.
by reassuring Warsaw about its position and by showing
China shares with important partners such as France and piece in which he warned against the threat of China taking For Poland, the Russia-Ukraine War has brought the
more assertiveness in mediating the war. For example,
Brazil.
advantage of the geopolitical passiveness of the Western presidency's and the government's views of China into closer
despite the ongoing war, China pledged to continue to make
Economically, Poland is China's largest trading partner world to seize global assets and outcompete Europe and the alignment. Duda used to adopt a less hawkish approach
Poland the gateway to Europe. Also, Beijing has proposed aid
among the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries United States. At the Poland-China Intergovernmental toward Beijing than his government, for he reportedly
for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
and its seventh largest trading partner among the EU Committee in June, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau aspires to a position at the United Nations after the elections
After the phone call between Duda and Xi in late July,
member states. Also, Poland is a critical hub for the BRI and called on "all nations that respect the principles of and hence would need to count on Beijing's support or, at
China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which it
the 17+1 Initiative. Currently, the logistic hub in Malszewice sovereignty and territorial integrity to condemn the Russian least, acquiescence. That partially explains why he has never
referred to Poland as its "prioritized cooperation partner in
located on the Polish-Belarusian border is responsible for invasion of Ukraine in the strongest terms," alluding to the condemned China for human rights violations, and
Europe." Moreover, commenting on Russia's aggression,
servicing 90 percent of railway cargo exports from China to fact that Beijing was not willing to condemn Putin's disagreed with his government's hawkish stance. Before the
Chinese Ambassador to Warsaw Sun Linjiang published an
the EU; the seaports in Gdansk and Gdynia serve as a aggression. Most recently, China again abstained from voting 17+1 Summit in February 2021, the Polish Foreign Ministry
op-ed in which he recognized the threats to global peace and
gateway for furthering Chinese products to Scandinavian in the U.N. Security Council on Russia's annexation of socalled
"people's republics" in occupied Ukrainian territory. In and not attend the virtual meeting with Xi Jinping
had advised Duda to downgrade the level of representation
called for building a "community and great family" based on
countries. Recent investments in logistic hubs in the region
three pillars: bilateral relations, cooperation with CEE
seek to promote this trade route.
May, the Polish Foreign Ministry even refused to meet with personally. The president dismissed the recommendation,
nations, and cooperation with the EU. On the sidelines of a
For Warsaw, conversely, China functions as a source of the Chinese delegation that was at the time on a diplomatic arguing that "no important event concerning Central and
United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York last
political leverage and an economic alternative that enables tour in CEE nations reevaluating the region's attitude toward Eastern Europe can take place without the presence of
month, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Polish
Poland to push back against the liberal intrusiveness of the the 17+1 Initiative.
Poland." Nevertheless, the war in Ukraine may significantly
counterpart Zbigniew Rau that "an expanded and protracted
EU. In economic terms, China was the second largest source Aside from the divergent positions of the two countries, align positions from the head of state and the government,
Ukraine crisis is not in the interests of all parties."
of Polish imports in 2020, accounting for roughly 14.6
Third, Poland's military reliance on NATO and
percent, and is its largest trading partner in Asia. In 2021, in
Washington makes its alliance with the United States
a symbolic move to improve bilateral relations the Polish
extremely important, and this has been deeply accentuated
Ministry of Finance issued renminbi-denominated bonds in
by the Kremlin's war against Ukraine. Poland's prominent
China. Prior to the outbreak of the Ukraine War, President
alignment with Washington, intensified by Russia's
Andrzej Duda participated in the Opening Ceremony of the
aggression, may have implications for bilateral ties with an
Beijing Winter Olympics amid the boycott of the event by
increasingly expansionist and assertive Beijing. China's
Western countries.
growing military assertiveness over Taiwan may ultimately
Not only has Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered
compel Poland to choose a side, though so far the Polish
international reactions toward the parties directly involved,
government has not yet commented on tensions in the
but it has also led to engagement or disengagement between
Taiwan Strait. Yet it is telling that, during his visit to Vilnius
third parties - in this case, China and Poland.
in September, Poland's Rau criticized Beijing's strong-arm
Duda's visit to Beijing for the Winter Olympics' Opening
measures against Lithuania and expressed disappointment
Ceremony marked a direct interaction at the highest level
over unresolved trade issues with China. An Interbetween
the two countries just before the Kremlin's invasion
Parliamentary Amity Association between Taiwan and
of Ukraine. According to Jakub Kumoch, Polish secretary of
Poland has been recently created, which serves as an
state and head of the International Policy Bureau, during his
important platform for exchange between the two
meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Duda explained
legislatures. Additionally, Taiwan has offered aid to help
the perspective of Central European countries, and warned
settle Ukrainian refugees in Poland, which may have driven
his Chinese host that a war between Russia and Ukraine
Beijing to offer assistance as well.
would disrupt transportation routes, which would not be in
Last but not least, although the Russia-Ukraine War may
Beijing's interest. This detail has been mostly left out of
have exposed areas of contention areas in Sino-Polish
mainstream media coverage, where discussion mainly
relations, there still exist two stabilizing factors. First, Beijing
centered on the possible shift of Poland's foreign policy
will continue to be seen by Warsaw as an alternative partner
orientation.
with which to push back against intrusive policies from
After Russia invaded Ukraine, Kumoch avowed in April
Brussels, especially against the backdrop of the European
that Warsaw would reaffirm its position to Beijing, and
Commission's suspension of over 35 billion euros of COVIDhoped
that China would step in and mediate the conflict.
19 relief funds to Poland. Second, Polish agribusiness and
While he did not expect China to shift its anti-U.S. and profood
exporters are also concerned about the negative
Kremlin rhetoric, Kumoch took note of China's pragmatism
repercussions of the government taking a tougher stance
in handling international affairs and expected to see deeds
toward China, and would prefer to see a more amicable and
rather than words. In July, Xi initiated a one-hour phone call
pragmatic posture.
with Duda in which the pair discussed the unfolding crisis in Poland's President andrzej Duda and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Photo: Damir Sagolj
fRIDAy, oCtoBeR 21, 2022
6
Us-based service organization 'the optimists' has distributed taka 558,000 as scholarships among
50 students. Photo: AK Milon
The Optimists distributes scholarships
to 50 students
AK MIloN, sUNAMGANJ CoRResPoNDeNt:
In Sunamganj, US-based service
organization 'The Optimists' has
distributed taka 558,000 as
scholarships among 50 school, college,
medical college and university students
in nine upazilas of the district.
Scholarship distribution ceremony was
held in the conference room of the
district commissioner's office. The
Deputy Commissioner of Sunamganj
MD Jahangir Hossain spoke as the
chief guest.
Secondary and higher secondary
level students were given a scholarship
of 9,300 taka for one year and 21,600
taka to university and medical college
BCG arrest
notorious
Mintu gang
member
Osman Gani, an active
member of the notorious
dacoit gang Mintu of
Kutubdia, was arrested
along with arms and
ammunition by the Coast
Guard East Zone. On
Thursday morning, the
Media Officer of the Coast
Guard Headquarters
Lieutenant Commander
Khandaker Munif Taqi
gave this information.
He said, based on
intelligence information,
active members of the
notorious dacoit Mintu
group of Kutubdia are
preparing for robbery in
the outskirts of
Chattogram. Based on the
information received on
Thursday midnight, a
special operation was
conducted in Kutubdia
Beribadh area by an
expeditionary team from
Coast Guard East Zone
under the leadership of Lt.
Haroon-or-Rashid.
During the operation,
the robber Mohammad
Osman Gani (27) was
arrested with 02
indigenous firearms and
05 rounds of ammunition
from a secluded fenced
area adjacent to Habibulla
shop of Ward No. 05 of
Lemsikhali Union
Parishad under Kutubdia
police station at
approximately 0320
hours. At that time
approximately 06-07
members of the bandit
escaped.
He also said that the
bandits are known to be
involved in various crimes
including robbery of
domestic cargo and goods
ships, robbery of
fishermen's boats, hostage
and ransom. Also there are
multiple cases against the
dacoit in Kutubdia police
station.
Arrested notorious dacoit
Md. Osman Gani (27),
father: deceased Yakub Ali,
resident of Sader Dail
village, Maheshkhali police
station, Chattogram
district. Later, the arrested
dacoits, seized firearms
and ammunition were
handed over to Kutubdia
police station.
students. District Commissioner Md.
Jahangir Hossain has given another
one lakh taka in cash as educational
assistance to eight students of
University, Medical and Engineering
College on his behalf.
Director of the organization and
former principal of Sunamganj
Government College Prof. Parimal
Kanti Dey gave a welcome address on
the occasion under the chairmanship
of Sunamganj district director of the
organizing organization Golam
Kibria. The program was conducted
by the coordinator of the
organization, journalist-lawyer Md.
Khalil Rahman. Deputy
Commissioner Jahangir Hossain said
to the students of the speech of the
chief guest at the scholarship
distribution ceremony that they
should be enlightened people. They
should move forward with dreams
and optimism. They should never be
disappointed. They have to work
hard with their goal in mind. Only
then success will come. He thanked
the expatriates who are giving these
scholarships to the students. Apart
from this, the organization's
additional district director,
Sunamganj Chamber of Commerce
and Industry senior vice president
Md. AminulHaque, project director
and teacher Kaniz Sultana and others
were also present.
In sarishabari of Jamalpur, more than 300 students have taken oath by showing
red card against drugs, rape, eve-teasing and child marriage. Photo: M.A Rouf
Students take oath to avoid eve-teasing,
drugs, child marriage
M.A RoUf, sARIsHABARI CoRResPoNDeNt:
In Sarishabari of Jamalpur, more than 300
students have taken oath by showing red
card against drugs, rape, eve-teasing and
child marriage. The students took this oath
at the Rudra Boyra High School ground on
Thursday in the organization of Lal Sabuj
Unnayan Songha, a voluntary organization
run by Tiffin money.
During this time they showed red
card to drugs, militancy, child
marriage, rape and corruption and
showed green card to patriotism and
truthfulness.
Founder and central president of Lal Sabuj
Unnayan Songha Kawsar Alam Sohel, the
president of the organization's Tangail
branch, Ibrahim Sarkar Sajib, the assistant
principal of the school Md. Shafiul Alam and
others spoke under the chairmanship of the
principal teacher of the school, Saifur
Rahman Based.
Later, the central president of the
organization Kawsar Alam Sohail took an
oath to the students to study regularly to
make themselves worthy citizens and not to
get married before the age of 21 for boys and
18 for girls. The organization is conducting
anti-narcotics activities in four districts of
Mymensingh division on a voluntary basis
from Cumilla.
Bangladesh Coast Guard arrested an active member of the notorious
dacoit gang Mintu of Kutubdia on thursday.
Photo: Courtesy
2 held with 387
yaba tablets in
Rajshahi
RAJsHAHI: Members of
Rapid Action Battalion
(RAB) have arrested two
alleged drug peddlers with
387 pieces of contraband
yaba tablets in the district
last night, reports BSS.
The arrested were
identified as Monzil Ali, 40,
son of late Shah Jahan Ali,
and Abdul Wahab, 60, son
of late Ansar Pramanik.
Both are the residents of the
district.
RAB sources said, on
information, a team of the
elite force conducted a raid
at Shibpur Bazar area of
Puthiya Upazila and nabbed
them with the contraband
drugs around 9.30 pm.
A case was recorded with
Puthiya Police Station in this
connection and the arrested
persons along with the
seized goods were handed
over to the police this
morning.
20 fishermen
held for violating
Hilsha ban in
Chandpur
CHANDPUR:
A mobile
court arrested 20 fishermen
along with current nets,
fishing boats and Hilsha for
violating the government's
ongoing 22-day ban on
Hilsha fishing conducting
separate drives in different
points of Padma and
Meghna rivers here in the
last 12-hour, reports BSS.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of
Chandpur Naval Station
Md. Kamruzzaman said a
total of 20 fishermen were
arrested with 103 kgs of
mother Hilsha, eight fishing
boats and 1.22 lakh meters
of banned current nets
during the drives in the river
Padma and Meghna in the
district.
The mobile court
sentenced six fishermen to
10 days imprisonment each
and 10 fishermen were sent
to the jail with filing a case
and rests four juveniles were
released as they were minor,
he said.
The government has
imposed a 22-day ban
starting from October 7 on
catching, selling, storing and
transporting Hilsha, to
ensure safe spawning of the
Mother Hilsha, during its
peak breeding period.
The seized boats and nets
were destroyed and 50 kgs of
Hilsa has been stored in cold
storage and rest of the 53 kgs
of Hilsha has been
distributed to the local
orphans.
Man held with 183
bottles of Phensedyl
in Lalmonirhat
RANGPUR: Rapid Action
Battalion (RAB)-13 in a raid
arrested one person with
183 bottles of Phensedyl
from village Kakina in
Kaliganj upazila of
Lalmonirhat district on
Wednesday afternoon,
reports BSS.
"On a tip off, an
operational team of RAB-13
from its Rangpur
headquarters conducted the
raid and arrested the man
with the Phensedyl from the
spot," a press release said
today. The elite force also
seized cash money and a
mobile phone set from the
possession of the detainee.
The arrested person was
identified as Md. Shamim
Mian, 23, of village
Chandrapur under Kaliganj
upazila of Lalmonirhat
district.
During preliminary
interrogation, the detainee
admitted that he had been
involved in drug trading in
connivance with his other
cohorts for a long time.
"After filing a case against
the arrested person in this
connection, the elite force
handed them over to
Kaliganj police station," the
release added.
7 vehicle owners fined in Dighinala
soHANUR RAHAMAN, DIGHINAlA CoRResPoNDeNt:
The upazila administration fined the vehicle
owners under the Road Transport Act in
Dighinala of Khagrachari.
Dighinala Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO)
and Executive Magistrate Muhammad
Arafatul Alam conducted the mobile court
operation in Jamtoli area of the upazila on
Wednesday morning.
UNO Arafatul Alam said about the
operation of the mobile court, "7 people have
been fined a total of Tk 2,800 in 7 cases for
violating various sections of the Road
Transport Act-2018." Also, with the aim of
ensuring the safety of passengers on the
road, public awareness activities are
conducted along with the mobile courts.
He also said, 'Everyone must obey the
traffic laws. Only then accidents will not
happen on this busy road. Law enforcement
and public awareness programs on road
safety will continue with the aim of building
a tourist-friendly Dighinala.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, on his way
back from Sajek, the country's busiest
tourist destination, a tourist named
Mohammad Sagar Ahmed (32) is
believed to have died after a tourist jeep
overturned in Hauzpara area of
Dighinala-Sajek road. In the same
incident, 6 other tourists were seriously
injured. . The injured in the road
accident were sent to Khagrachari Sadar
Hospital for treatment. Tourists came
from different parts of Dhaka to visit
Sajek, said Sajek Union Parishad
Chairman Atulal Chakma.
7 cases were filed under Road safety Act in Khagrachari Dighinala to
ensure passenger safety.
Photo: sohanur Rahaman
Vegetable seeds for 7140 farmers allotted in Jamalpur
JAMAlPUR:
Agriculture Department has taken an
incentive programme on vegetable cultivations, involving Tk
7.15 lakh, for flood affected farmers in the district during this
Robi season, reports BSS.
Under the programme, 7140 small and marginal farmers
who lost crops in the recent flood will get the incentive on five
vegetables. According to Department of Agriculture
Extension (DAE) office sources each of the farmer will get
seeds for cultivation vegetable on 13 decimal of land. The
vegetable seeds are tomato, brinjal, red amaranth, Palong
shak and Bottle gourd.
Additional Deputy Director, DAE, Muhammad Harun-Or-
Rashid said after Upazila wise allocation of farmers, the
incentive will be disbursed as soon as possible.
Three ticket black marketers
jailed in Jamalpur
JAMAlPUR: A mobile court conducted by Rapid Action
Battalion (RAB) convicted three persons for selling railway
tickets in black market and sentenced them to different jail
terms in Jamalpur Railway Station area on Wednesday
evening, reports BSS. Jamalpur RAB-14 sources said the
mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Rahima Akhter
raided Jamalpur Railway station area and caught red handed
Md Shaon, 27, Md Halim, 35 and Md Suman, 25, residents
of the station area with 23 tickets of 13 intercity trains.
Later, the court sentenced Halim and Suman to three
months imprisonment each and Shaon to one month.
The court also fined each of them Taka 5,000 in default to
suffer 15 days more in jail.
An awareness workshop on strengthening 24/7 (round the clock) natural
delivery services was held in Austagram. Photo: MD Nazrul Islam
Awareness workshop held
in Austagram
MD NAzRUl IslAM, AUstAGRAM CoRResPoNDeNt:
An awareness workshop on strengthening
24/7 (round the clock) natural delivery
services was held at Union Health and
Family Welfare Center in Haor Upazila
Austagram of Kishoreganj. This workshop
was held in the upazila extended
administrative building auditorium under
the management of MCH-Services Unit,
Directorate of Family Planning on Thursday
morning.
Under the supervision of family planning
officer Shamsul Alam and under the
chairmanship of Upazila Nirbahi Officer
Harun-or-Rashid, Upazila Chairman
Shahidul Islam James was present as the
chief guest in the said workshop.
Deputy Director of Family Planning
Directorate S. M. Khairul Alam, Deputy
One held with
298 Yaba tablets
in Rangpur
RANGPUR: Rapid Action
Battalion (RAB)-13 in a
drive arrested a man with
298 pieces of Yaba tablets
from village Chalk Karim
Paschim Para in Pirganj
upazila of the district on
Wednesday, reports BSS.
"On a tip off, an operational
team of the Crime Prevention
Specialized Company (CPSC)
of RAB-13 conducted the
drive and arrested the man
with the contraband Yaba
tablets from the spot," a press
release said today.
The arrested person was
identified as Md. Golam
Rabbani, 37, of village
Baraipara (Laldighee
Fatehpur) in Pirganj upazila
of Rangpur district.
During interrogation, the
detainee admitted his
involvement in drug trading
in connivance with his other
cohorts.
Director (MCH) and Program Manager
Dr. Jahangir Alam Pradhan, Assistant
Director Dr. Hosna Begum, Upazila Vice
Chairman Manik Kumar Deb, MOCC
(P.P.) Kishoreganj Dr. Halima Akhter,
Upazila Health and Family Planning
Officer Dr. Omar Khosru, Medical
Officer (Clinic) Kishoreganj Dr.
Mostafizur Rahman were present as
special guest.
Adampur UP Chairman Abdul Mannaf,
Kalma UP Chairman Radhakrishna Das,
Deoghar UP Chairman Akter Hossain,
Upazila Education Officer Md Ashraful
Alam, Women Affairs Officer Norun Nabi,
Ashtagram Press Club President Devpad
Chakraborty, Upazila Press Club President
Nazrul Islam Sagar, Health Assistant Muha.
Resham Khan and others spoke in the open
discussion.
FRIdAy, OCTObER 21, 2022
7
Russian President Vladimir Putin doubled down Wednesday on his faltering invasion of Ukraine with a declaration of martial
law in four illegally annexed regions and preparations within Russia for draconian new restrictions and crackdowns. Photo : AP
Putin adds martial law in Ukraine
regions, limits in Russia
KYIV : Russian President Vladimir Putin
doubled down Wednesday on his
faltering invasion of Ukraine with a
declaration of martial law in four illegally
annexed regions and preparations
within Russia for draconian new
restrictions and crackdowns.
Putin's drastic efforts to tighten his
grip on Ukrainians and Russians follow
a series of embarrassing setbacks:
stinging battlefield defeats, sabotage and
troubles with his troop mobilization.
The martial law order belies the
Kremlin's attempts to portray life in the
annexed regions as returning to normal.
The reality is that a military
administration has replaced civilian
leaders in the southern city of Kherson
and a mass evacuation from the city is
underway as a Ukrainian
counteroffensive grinds on.
The battle for Kherson, a city of more
than 250,000 people with key industries
and a major port, is a pivotal moment for
Ukraine and Russia heading into winter,
when front lines could largely freeze for
months. It's the largest city Russia has
held during the war, which began Feb.
24.
A trickle of evacuations from the city
in recent days has become a flood.
Local officials said Wednesday that
5,000 had left out of an expected
60,000. Russian state television
showed residents crowding on the
banks of the Dnieper River, many with
small children, to cross by boats to the
east - and, from there, deeper into
Tigray peace talks in
South Africa on October
24: Ethiopia govt
ADDIS ABABA : The
Ethiopian government said
Thursday that peace talks on
the nearly two-year-old war in
Tigray would start in South
Africa next week.
International calls for a halt
to escalating violence in
northern Ethiopia have been
mounting since a failed bid by
the African Union earlier this
month to bring the warring
sides to the negotiating table.
"AUC (African Union
Commission) has informed
us that the Peace Talks is set
for 24 Oct, 2022 to be held in
South Africa. We have
reconfirmed
our
commitment to participate,"
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's
national security adviser
Redwan Hussein posted on
Twitter.
"However, we are dismayed
that some are bent on
preempting the peace talks &
spreading false allegations
against the defensive
measures."
A spokesman for the Tigray
People's Liberation Front
(TPLF) was not immediately
available for comment.
The government and TPLF
leaders had agreed to join
talks this month that would to
be mediated by AU envoy
Olusegun Obasanjo, South
Africa's former deputy
president Phumzile Mlambo-
Ngcuka and former Kenyan
president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Russian-controlled territory.
In announcing martial law effective
Thursday, Putin told his Security
Council, "We are working to solve very
difficult large-scale tasks to ensure
Russia's security and safe future."
Putin's army is under growing
pressure from a Ukrainian
counteroffensive that has clawed back
territory. The Russian leader is also
faltering after the sabotage of a
strategically important bridge linking
Russia with Crimea, assassinations of
Kremlin-installed officials in Kherson
and mistakes he himself has admitted
in his partial troop mobilization.
Putin's martial law declaration
authorized the creation of civil defense
forces; the potential imposition of
curfews; restrictions on travel and
public gatherings; tighter censorship;
and broader law enforcement powers
in Kherson and the other annexed
regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and
Zaporizhzhia.
In an ominous move, Putin opened
the door for restrictive measures to be
extended across Russia, too. That may
lead to a tougher crackdown on dissent
than the current dispersal of antiwar
protests and jailing of people making
statements or providing information
about the fighting that differs from the
official line.
The severity of new restrictions inside
Russia depends on proximity to
Ukraine.
Putin put areas nearest Ukraine on
medium alert, including annexed
Crimea, Krasnodar, Belgorod, Bryansk,
Kursk, Rostov. Local leaders are
authorized to organize territorial
defense, ensure public order and safety,
safeguard
transportation,
communication and energy facilities,
and use these resources to help meet
the Russian military's needs.
Leaders in these border areas can also
carry out resettlements of residents and
restrict freedom of movement. Leaders
in other areas have been granted similar
powers, depending on their alert level.
In the Kherson region, Ukrainian
forces have pushed back Russian
positions on the west bank of the
Dnieper River. By pulling civilians out
and fortifying positions in the region's
main city, which backs onto the river,
Russian forces appear to be hoping that
the wide, deep waters will serve as a
natural barrier against the Ukrainian
advance.
Russia has said the movement of
Ukrainians to Russia or Russiancontrolled
territory is voluntary, but in
many cases, they have no other routes
out, and no other choice.
Under martial law, authorities can
force evacuations. Ukraine's national
security chief, Oleksiy Danilov, said on
Twitter that Putin's declaration is
"preparation for the mass deportation
of the Ukrainian population to the
depressed regions of Russia to change
the ethnic composition of the occupied
territory."
Officials in Malawi have exhumed the bodies of 26 suspected Ethiopian
migrants from a mass grave 255 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital
city, Lilongwe.
Photo : AP
Bodies of 26 Ethiopians found
in mass grave in Malawi
BLANTYRE : Officials in Malawi have
exhumed the bodies of 26 suspected Ethiopian
migrants from a mass grave 255 kilometers
(155 miles) north of the capital city, Lilongwe.
Villagers found the bodies in a forest located
near the main road that connects Malawi and
Tanzania, which is known as a route traffickers
use to transport people to South Africa.
The early evidence suggested the men buried
in Mtangatanga Forest may have suffocated
while traveling in a van, police said.
Investigators are looking into the deaths as a
potential human trafficking case, reports UNB.
"Arrangements are underway, through
the Ministry of Health, to bring a
pathologist to do the postmortem so that
we have an official version of the cause of
death," Rodney Simwaka, the
commissioner of the Mzimba District in the
Northern Region of Malawi, said. Simwaka
told The Associated Press he heard
Wednesday morning that villagers had
found dead bodies near a timber factory.
Evidence collected at the scene indicated
the men were Ethiopian nationals between
the ages of 25 and 40, Malawi police
spokesperson Peter Kalaya said.
In July, police impounded a 30-tonne
(33-ton) tanker truck carrying 42
Ethiopians into Malawi along the route
from the border with Tanzania..
Authorities said at the time that some of the
passengers looked frail and in urgent need
of medication and nourishing food. One of
the migrants, the only one who spoke
English, told police the group had been in
transit for at least four months to get to
Malawi.
Russian jet fired missile
near British plane in
'malfunction': minister
LONDON : UK defence
minister Ben Wallace said
Thursday that a Russian
fighter jet last month
released a missile close to a
British military plane
carrying out a patrol over the
Black Sea, reports BSS.
Wallace told parliament
that the "potentially
dangerous" incident on
September 29 involved an
unarmed RAF RC-135 Rivet
Joint plane, a type of aircraft
used for reconnaissance,
flying in international
airspace.
The Black Sea borders
southern Ukraine and areas
annexed by Russia such as
Crimea.
The British plane was
"interacted with" by two
Russian Sukhoi SU-27
fighter jets "one of which
released a missile in the
vicinity" but "beyond visual
range," Wallace added.
While it was "not unusual
for aircraft to be shadowed",
the minister said he had
flagged "concerns" over the
firing of the missile in a letter
to Moscow counterpart
Sergei Shoigu and Russia's
military chief of staff Valery
Gerasimov.
He stressed the plane was
unarmed and following a
pre-notified flight path,
adding that he felt it was
"prudent" to suspend these
patrols until a response was
received.
The Russian side, in their
response, blamed a
"technical malfunction",
while acknowledging the
incident took place in
international airspace, the
minister said.
India stops journalist
from flying to receive
Pulitzer Prize
NEW DELHI : A Pulitzer Prizewinning
Kashmiri
photojournalist said
Wednesday that Indian
immigration authorities
prevented her from flying to the
United States to receive the
award even though she had a
valid visa and ticket.
Sanna Irshad Mattoo was
scheduled to fly to New York on
Monday to receive the Pulitzer
Prize but was blocked by
officials at New Delhi's airport,
she said. Mattoo said she was
stopped without reason and
her ticket was canceled.
Mattoo was working on
assignment for Reuters, which
won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for
Feature Photography for
coverage of the COVID-19
crisis in India.
She said she was traveling
with two colleagues who were
cleared to travel while she was
stopped. Mattoo said the
immigration official handed
her boarding pass back but did
not respond when she asked
repeatedly what the problem
was. She was then taken to the
airline counter to collect her
luggage.
Sri Lankan lawmakers
debate bill to trim
presidential powers
COLOMBO : Sri Lankan lawmakers began
debating a proposed constitutional
amendment on Thursday that would trim
the powers of the president, a key demand
of protesters who are seeking political
reforms and solutions to the country's dire
economic crisis.
The Indian Ocean country is effectively
bankrupt. Severe shortages of essential
imports such as fuel and medicine set off
massive demonstrations that led to the
resignations of the president, prime
minister and key Cabinet ministers several
months ago.
The protesters, including many students
and activists, have been demanding reforms
to ensure transparency and accountability.
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe
told Parliament that the proposed
amendment would transfer some
presidential powers, including the
appointment of officials, to a constitutional
council comprising lawmakers and
respected non-politicians. The council
would recommend candidates for
appointment to the president.
Rajapakshe said the proposal would help
ensure the independence of the judiciary
and public service.
Under the proposed amendment,
presidents could only appoint senior judges,
attorney generals, central bank governors,
police, election commissioners, and bribery
and corruption investigators on the
recommendation of the council. The prime
minister would recommend Cabinet
appointments, and the president would not
be allowed to hold any Cabinet positions
except defense.
The bill will be debated on Thursday and
Friday and a vote will be held on Friday. It
must be approved by two-thirds of the 225-
member Parliament to become law.
Current President Ranil Wickremesinghe,
who succeeded ousted President Gotabaya
Rajapaksa in July, has promised to limit the
powers of the presidency and strengthen
Parliament.
If passed into law, the bill would
reinstate many democratic reforms
made in 2015. Rajapaksa reversed those
reforms and concentrated power in the
presidency after being elected in 2019.
The protesters blame Rajapaksa and
his powerful family for years of
mismanagement and corruption. Many
remain skeptical of Wickremesinghe and
accuse him of trying to protect the
former leader and his relatives.
Wickremesinghe was elected by
Parliament to complete Rajapaksa's
term, which ends in 2024.
An army soldier soldier stands guard outside the parliament building in
Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, July 16, 2022. Sri Lankan lawmakers began
debating a proposed constitutional amendment on Thursday that would trim
the powers of the president, a key demand of protesters who are seeking
political reforms and solutions to the country's dire economic crisis. The bill
will be debated on Thursday, Oct. 20, and Friday and a vote will be held on
Friday. It must be approved by two-thirds of the 225-member Parliament to
become law.
File Photo (AP)
Ukraine's utilities threatened
by Russia in war's new phase
KYIV : When a missile struck a power station
less than a mile from his apartment on the
outskirts of Kyiv, Oleksander Maystrenko
didn't panic, run to a bomb shelter or consider
evacuating, even though he lives close to what
suddenly has become the Russian military's
main target in the war: anything related to
Ukraine's vital infrastructure.
His neighbors also haven't budged, despite
the fact that Tuesday's attack - marked by a loud
explosion - killed three people, severely
damaged two facilities inside the plant's
compound and temporarily knocked out power
to about 50,000 households, according to Kyiv
Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
"We aren't afraid because we aren't just
prepared logistically; we are morally prepared,"
Maystrenko said outside his apartment
building, where he and two neighbors sat on a
bench and smoked only hours after the attack.
This is what the latest phase of Russia's nearly
8-month-old war in Ukraine looks like.
Moscow has openly declared its intention to
increasingly strike power stations, waterworks
and other key infrastructure. One Ukrainian
energy official said Wednesday that 40% of the
country's electric power system had been
severely damaged, and President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy said that Russian forces have
destroyed 30% of Ukraine's power stations
since Oct. 10.
But Maystrenko and his neighbors say they
are prepared.
If the Russians knock out the power, there are
stocks of flashlights and candles, he said. If
there's no gas for stoves, he has a plan to build a
rudimentary stove in front of the building's
entrance and use firewood that has been
collected to heat it. Water has been bottled and
jars of pickled vegetables and canned goods
have been safely stored.
Everyone knows to have plenty of blankets
and warm clothes for the winter, he added.
"It's never been a secret that this power plant
is a target, but we've been preparing since this
war started," Maystrenko said. The
preparations have created a sense of
community as well as a united front among
neighbors, who once knew each other only in
passing and are face a common enemy, he said.
The attacks have come at a critical time, with
winter approaching. Klitschko said that
Thursday marks the start of the heating season
for Kyiv, which like most urban centers in
Ukraine and even Russia uses a Soviet-era
central system controlled by the city that
provides heat for apartment buildings and
businesses.
Following a meeting between Zelenskyy,
government ministers, members of energy
enterprises and some local officials, presidential
adviser Kyrylo Tymoshenko said there would
be power supply restrictions across Ukraine
from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. beginning Thursday,
along with the use of street lights being limited
in some cities..
"Please take this seriously," Tymoshenko said
on his Telegram channel. "This applies to
residents of ALL regions of the country. ... These
are forced steps. Therefore, we all work together
on our front!"
One area where power and water were
reported knocked out by shelling was
Enerhodar, the southern city is next to the
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, one of the
war's most worrisome flashpoints. Missiles also
severely damaged an energy facility near
Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih in southcentral
Ukraine, cutting power to villages,
towns and to one city district, the regional
governor said.
Using energy supplies as a weapon isn't a new
tactic for the Kremlin, particularly when it
comes to Ukraine.
"Energy was always quite a holy cow for the
Russians, and they claim that by controlling
energy they can control the country," said
Hanna Shelest, the director of security
programs at Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian
Prism, based in Kyiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who
declared martial law in four illegally annexed
regions of Ukraine, has used his ability to turn
off the gas that passes through the country's
extensive, Soviet-era pipeline as leverage. His
tactic has been used not just against the
government in Kyiv, but also against energydependent
nations in Europe, who built
pipelines via the Baltic Sea for Russian gas.
Under its new strategy, the Russian military
hopes to destroy enough of Ukraine's
infrastructure to make life so intolerable that
residents will blame their own government,
Shelest said.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2022
8
Showroom of Brothers Furniture Limited has inaugurated in Narsingdi recently. Chairman of
Brothers Furniture Limited Md Habibur Rahman Sarker inaugurated the showroom. Associate of
Narsingdi showroom Md Tofael Hossain, Head of Marketing and Sales Mohammad Monirul Islam
Bakhshi and other officials of the organization were present at that time.
Photo : Courtesy
CPD for renewable energy
to tackle ongoing crisis
DHAKA : Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
on Thursday underscored the need for using
renewable energy and gas exploration to
tackle the ongoing fossil-fuel-based power
and energy crisis.
The CPD observed this at a press
conference titled "Slowdown in global
economy and challenges for Bangladesh:
How to tackle?" held in its office in the city,
said a press release.
The civil society think tank urged the
government to put emphasis on gas
exploration in order to reduce the overdependence
on imported fossil fuel and
better utilise the existing solar-based power
infrastructure.
CPD Executive Director Dr Fahmida
Khatun briefed the reporters at the press
conference while CPD Research Director Dr
Khondaker Golam Moazzem and CPD
Senior Recourse Fellow Towfiqul Islam
Khan, among others, were present on the
occasion. Fahmida Khatun said that energy
and power sector confronts multiple
challenges- both short and medium term in
nature.
"Fortunately, there are chances to reduce
the power crisis through some additional
power from India. Those plants which are
under construction (3384 MW) are highly
unlikely to come in generation due to
shortages of energy supply. Hence, the
power generation and supply crisis is likely
to continue unless sufficient fuel is supplied.
Even though the power crisis may be eased
in the medium term, the long-term tension
will continue as the added generation
capacity is mainly import based, putting a
huge burden of capacity payment on the
shoulder of Bangladesh Power Development
Board (BPDB)," she added. She said
measures taken by the government to ease
energy crisis is more suitable for the shortterm.
"Those are not sufficient to address the
medium to long term concerns. Measures
taken by the government need proper
monitoring and reviewing. Also, in some
cases the measures are not consistent," she
added.
She also suggested the government to look
for long-term loans from the IMF, WB and
IDB. In view of the growing economic crisis,
Fahmida Khatun said, the government
should form a committee comprising the
representatives of the Prime Minister's
Office, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of
Planning, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of
Power, Energy and Mineral Resources,
Ministry of Food, Ministry of Agriculture, the
Bangladesh Bank and National Board of
Revenue (NBR).
Britons skipping meals in
cost of living crisis: poll
LONDON : Millions of Britons are skipping
meals in current the cost-of-living crisis, a
consumer group warned Thursday, having
already forecast that many risk fuel poverty
after the UK curbed its energy price freeze.
The news came after data showed UK
inflation jumped back above 10 percent in
September on rampant food prices, as
economic troubles pile up for beleaguered
Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Half of UK households are cutting back on
the number of meals, consumer group
Which? said citing a survey of 3,000 people.
A similar proportion are finding it harder
to eat healthily compared with before the
crisis, while almost 80 percent are finding it
difficult financially. "The devastating impact
of the cost-of-living crisis is, worryingly,
leading to millions of people skipping meals
or struggling to put healthy meals on the
table," said Sue Davies, head of food policy at
Which?. Separately, the consumer group
stated Wednesday that the UK government's
decision this week to curb its energy price
freeze would leave millions unable to
adequately heat their homes.
In a series of humiliating budget U-turns,
new finance minister Jeremy Hunt
announced Monday that he would pull the
plug on the flagship energy price freeze in
April instead of late 2024.
"The government's decision to end universal
energy support in April risks throwing millions
of households across the country-not just the
most financially vulnerable-into fuel poverty,"
warned Rocio Concha, head of policy and
advocacy at Which?.
"The government must clarify how they
will support those struggling to make ends
meet beyond the spring and ensure that as
energy prices remain incredibly high,
consumers are not left out in the cold."
The price freeze was aimed at protecting
consumers from sky-high domestic fuel
costs, which have rocketed on key energy
producer Russia's war on Ukraine.
Britain has meanwhile been blighted by
strikes this year, as workers protest over
wages that has failed to keep pace with
runaway inflation.
The retail prices index-an inflation
measure which includes mortgage interest
payments and is used by trade unions and
employers when negotiating wage increases
- leapt to 12.6 percent in September from
12.3 percent in August, data showed
Wednesday. Frances O'Grady, general
secretary of umbrella grouping the Trades
Union Congress (TUC), demanded this week
that Truss step down.
Europe markets
open mixed after
US, Asia losses
PARIS : European stock
markets were mixed at the
open on Thursday following
losses in Asia and Wall
Street over concerns about
inflation and rising interest
rates.
London's FTSE 100 was
down 0.3 percent to
6,904.82 points as Britain's
embattled Prime Minister
Liz Truss was rocked by
fresh chaos following her
disastrous budget plan, with
her hardline interior
minister quitting her post.
The Frankfurt DAX shed
0.5 percent to 12,674.63
points while the Paris CAC
40 bucked the trend as it
rose 0.3 percent at 6,059.62
points.
Wall Street fell on
Wednesday as the yield on
the 10-year US Treasury
note, a proxy for Federal
Reserve interest rates,
jumped above four percent.
The Fed, meanwhile,
warned that economic
prospects are becoming
"more pessimistic" in the
United States on growing
worries of weaker demand,
citing heightened inflation
and rising interest rates.
Tesla quarterly
profit jumps, but
revenues miss
estimates
NEW YORK : Tesla reported
Wednesday another quarter
of sparkling earnings
growth, but shares fell amid
questions over the resilience
of electric vehicle demand,
CEO Elon Musk's embattled
Twitter transaction and
other issues, reports BSS.
The electric vehicle (EV)
maker scored a more than
doubling of profits in the
third-quarter to $3.3 billion
on increased auto deliveries
But shares retreated in
after-hours trading after the
company reported revenues
of $21.5 billion, a 56 percent
increase over the year-ago
period, but about $500
million below analyst
forecasts. The company
flagged battery supply chain
bottlenecks as a constraint
on EV growth and noted that
logistics volatility was an
"improving" challenge.
"Knock on wood, it looks
like we'll have an epic endof-year,"
Musk said during
an earnings call.
"The factories are running
at full speed and we're
delivering every call we
make." The results follow
Tesla's disclosure earlier this
month that deliveries and
production grew solidly in
the third quarter after diving
in the prior period due to a
coronavirus-related factory
closure at the company's
Shanghai plant.
The automaker has
avoided setting specific
annual delivery targets, but
analysts have benchmarked
a target of about 1.4 million
for all of 2022.
Standard Chartered wins "Best Trade
Finance Bank" and "Best CSR Bank"
Standard Chartered Bangladesh
recently claimed the titles of "Best
Trade Finance Bank" in Bangladesh
and "Best CSR Bank" in Bangladesh at
the Global Brand Awards 2022, a press
release said.
Standard Chartered Bangladesh was
awarded "Best Trade Finance Bank" for
pioneering sustainable and future-fit
trade practices, promoting inclusive
trade, championing digital solutions,
and for empowering clients to make the
most of the current local and
international trade opportunities. The
Bank was recognised as "Best CSR
Bank" for consistently prioritising and
centring our nation's evolving social,
developmental, environmental, and
economic needs. The Bank is
consistently
implementing
sustainability-oriented initiatives,
tackling societal challenges, helping
communities to cope and thrive,
supporting capacity building efforts,
and driving economic inclusion and
empowerment. Naser Ezaz Bijoy, Chief
Executive Officer, Standard Charted
Bangladesh, said, "As trade becomes
more sustainable and inclusive, our
communities' benefit; and as our
communities develop, our nation
shines brighter on the world stage. We
are very happy to be recognised for our
efforts in facilitating and accelerating
trade, and also standing by our
communities in Bangladesh through
thick and thin.I am gratefulto our
clients, regulators, sustainability
partners, and other stakeholders for
their trust and support over the years."
With over 117 years of uninterrupted
presence in the nation, Standard
Chartered Bangladesh is the only
multinational universal Bank in
Bangladesh. As the nation's
longstanding partner in progress,
Standard Chartered is providing
banking services to people and
companies to help foster greater
success, wealth, job creation, and
growth. The Bank's commitment to
promoting economic and social
development in Bangladesh is centred
around principles of sustainability and
equity. Standard Chartered's
commitment to support Bangladesh's
continued journey of prosperity saw the
bank secure over 30 major
international awards in 2021.
Global Brands Magazine is a
magazine providing opinions and news
related to various brands and
businesses across various industries.
The magazine provides readers with
current news, recent developments,
reviews, opinions, and relevant polls.
The Global Brand Awards is hosted by
Global Brands Magazine annually.
The 348thmeeting of the Board of Directors of Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited (SJIBL) held on 19th
October 2022 at Corporate Head Office of the Bank by maintaining proper hygiene and social distance.On
the other hand, a few number of Directors of the Bank participated in this meeting through digital platform
(with a Video Conference). The meeting was presided over by the Chairman of the Board of Directors
Mr. Mohammed Younus. The Board approved a number of investment proposal and reviewed various
issue related to policy of the Bank.
Photo : Courtesy
Nagad joins hands with Shishuswargoto
distribute sanitary napkins among students
Nagad joins hands with
Shishuswargoto distribute sanitary
napkins among studentsMobile
financial service of the Postal
Department Nagad and voluntary
organisation Shishuswargo
Foundation have distributed health
protection materials or sanitary
napkins among school students in
Tetuliaupazila of Panchagarh, a press
release said.
As quality sanitary napkins are not
affordable to women in povertystricken
areas, Nagad and
Shishuswargo distributed the materials
free of cost among about 700 students
at a ceremony at Kazi Shahabuddin
School and College recently.
Discussants there said many ordinary
people cannot accept as normal the
monthly menstruation of women,
which is though an essential part of
their life cycle. However, they added,
there has been certain improvement in
the level of awareness in society about
menstruation.
At the ceremony, slogans were
chanted saying NO to child marriage
and suicide and red cards were shown
symbolically to both the menaces.
Physician of the local health complex
Monno Akter briefed the students
about heath protection. Health
specialists offered various suggestions
to adult girls while distributing sanitary
napkins free of cost.
"As part of social responsibility,
Nagadhas engaged in various welfare
activities. We wish the new generation
will take over leadership of the country
and build a healthy and beautiful
society. As part of our wish, we
distributed the healthcare materials,"
said Sheikh Aminur Rahman, Chief
Business Officer of Nagad.
Founder and director of
Shishuswargo Kabir Akand observed
that the girls of poverty-ridden families
in the frontier areas hide their health
problems relating to menstruation due
to a lack of awareness. "They suffer
from serious diseases due only to lack
of awareness," he said adding that
campaigns are being carried out to
make people aware of healthcare and
the demerits of child marriage. He
mentioned that napkin vending
machines would be distributed at the
schools of district and upazila levels in
the future.
On Thursday, The 4th edition of International Exhibition on ship building, ship repairs, shipping,
maritime engineering, offshore engineering & technology, ship-breaking equipment and ports &
logistics titled "Bangladesh International Marine and Offshore Expo 2022 (BIMOX)"incorporated
with "Ship Recycling", "Offshore Oil & Gas Support", "Shipping, Logistic &Port", "Ship Building",
"Fishing Vessels, Fishery" "Process Automation" and "Bangladesh International Marine Conference
2022" is inaugurated at International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB), Dhaka. The exhibition
is organized by Savor International Limited with international alliance with Fireworks Trade Media
Group, Singapore. This international exhibition was inaugurated by Nurul Majid Mahmud
Humayun MP, Minister, Ministry of Industries, Government of People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Besides, Commodore Mohammad Maksud Alam, (E), BSP, NUP, BCGM, BCGMS, ndc, psc, BN and
Managing Director, Chittagong Dry Dock Limited; Commodore Md. Nizamul Haque, (TAS), OSP,
NGP, psc, BN and Director General, Department of Shipping; Commodore Md Shamsul Aziz, (L),
NGP, psc, BN and Managing Director, Khulna Shipyard Ltd.; Commodore Abdullah-Al-Maksus,
(TAS), NUP, ndc, psc, BN and Managing Director, Dockyard and Engineering Works (DEW) was
present as a special guest in this ceremony. Md. Faizul Alam, Managing Director, Savor
International Limited andMr. Kenny Young, Group CEO, Fireworks Trade Media Group, Singapore,
was presents at the inauguration ceremony.
Photo : Courtesy
FriDAY, oCtoBer 21, 2022
9
real Madrid's karim Benzema, 2nd left, scores his side's second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer
match against elche at the Martinez Valero Stadium in elche, Spain.
photo: Ap
Ballon d'Or winner Benzema scores
as Real Madrid whip Elche 3-0
SportS DeSk
Karim Benzema and referee Jesus Gil
Manzano looked at each other and
started to laugh, reports UNB.
The Ballon d'Or winner couldn't bear
seeing another one of his goals being
disallowed. He had already found the
net twice, but neither had counted
because of offside.
That third one did, though, and
Madrid defeated Elche 3-0 on
Wednesday to increase their Spanish
league lead after defeating Barcelona in
the first "clasico" of the season on
Sunday.
Madrid opened a six-point lead over
their Catalan rival, who will host
seventh-place Villarreal on Thursday. It
was the ninth win in 10 matches for the
defending champions. Madrid remain
the only unbeaten team in the league.
Earlier, the start of the match
between Real Sociedad and Mallorca
was delayed for about 15 minutes after
a Sociedad fan fell ill in the stands and
later died.
Benzema, who on Monday won the
Ballon d'Or award for best player of the
year, had his goals disallowed for
offside in the sixth and 61st minutes.
England's Topley,
SL's Chameera
and Gunathilaka
out of T20 WC
with injury
SportS DeSk
England bowler Reece Topley
has been ruled out of the
Twenty20 World Cup with an
ankle injury just days before
their tournament opener
against Afghanistan, reports
UNB.
The paceman rolled his left
ankle during a fielding drill
ahead of England's warm-up
win over Pakistan in Brisbane
last Monday.
Scans confirmed significant
ligament damage and the
giant left-arm seamer was
withdrawn from the squad,
with fellow left-armer Tymal
Mills promoted from his
previous status as travelling
reserve.
A statement from the
International Cricket Council
Wednesday confirmed that
Mills had been drafted into
the squad.
Topley has overcome
multiple stress fractures in his
back in recent years to
become a key player in
England's white-ball sides.
The 28-year old is currently
ranked as the second-best
seamer in T20 internationals,
in a list dominated by
spinners.
England have other left-arm
options in Sam Curran and
David Willey while Chris
Woakes, Mark Wood, Chris
Jordan and all-rounder Ben
Stokes are their other seam
bowlers.
Jos Buttler's 50-over world
champions start their
campaign against Afghanistan
in Perth this Saturday.
The ICC also approved
three other player
replacements due to injuries.
He also caused a David Alaba goal to be
called off for being offside in the 26th.
All calls came after video review.
Benzema's goal from inside the area
in the 75th after a back-heel assist by
Rodrygo counted, though, and the
French striker could laugh about it after
Manzano finally confirmed the goal.
"It's the first time they call off three
goals for my team," the 21-year-old
Rodrygo said. "It was a weird game, but
in the end we are happy that we scored
three other times and got the win."
Federico Valverde had opened the
scoring from just outside the area with
a shot with the outside of his left foot in
the 11th.
Substitute Marco Asensio sealed the
victory after another assist by Rodrygo
in the 89th.
Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin,
replacing the injured Thibaut Courtois,
made a superb reflex save off a header
by Carlos Clerc to avoid the equalizer in
the 70th.
Elche, the only team yet to win in the
Spanish league this season, had drawn
two in a row, including at Valencia over
the weekend.
SOCIEDAD KEEP ROLLING
Mikel Merino scored in the sixth
minute as Real Sociedad defeated
Mallorca 1-0 at home for their eighth
straight win in all competitions.
The start of the game was delayed
after a Sociedad fan fell ill. Emergency
personnel were called in to help him in
the stands and took him to a hospital,
where he was pronounced dead.
The club and players dedicated the
victory to the fan and his family.
The win moved the Basque Country
club to third place in the Spanish
league, two points ahead of Atletico
Madrid, who were held to a 1-1 home
draw against Rayo Vallecano on
Tuesday. It was the fifth consecutive
league victory for Sociedad.
Mallorca, winless in four league
games, dropped to 15th place.
BETIS HELD
Real Betis dropped to fifth place after
being held by Cadiz to a scoreless draw
on the road.
Second-to-last-place Cadiz, still
winless at home, have drawn four
straight matches. They had their
chances to pick up the victory on
Wednesday but couldn't get past Betis
goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.
Arsenal thrash Women's Champions League
holders Lyon, Barca drill 9 past Benfica
SportS DeSk
Women's Champions
League holders Lyon
collapsed to a 5-1 home
thumping at the hands of
Arsenal on Wednesday as
Beth Mead starred for the
English club, while
Barcelona put nine goals
past Benfica, reports UNB.
Jonas Eidevall's Arsenal
made a dream start against
Lyon, as Mead teed up
Caitlin Foord to give them a
13th-minute lead.
Frida Leonhardsen-
Maanum doubled the
advantage midway through
the first half, before Melvine
Malard pulled one back for
the French side who won a
record-extending eighth
European Cup by
dethroning Barcelona last
season.
But Mead, who finished
second in the Ballon d'Or
voting earlier this week,
scored a brilliant free-kick
in the 39th minute.
Foord and England's
European Championshipwinning
hero Mead both
scored again in the second
period, as Lyon were left
humiliated.
No team had previously
conceded five goals in a
game as the defending
champions, while it was the
first time Lyon had even
shipped four goals in the
competition.
"We have a team that can
do better," said Lyon
forward Eugenie Le
Sommer.
"It's hard to take five
goals, even if we made
mistakes that cost us a lot.
We are Lyon and we must
do better."
Arsenal's shock victory,
achieved despite leaving
star striker Vivianne
Miedema to the bench,
leaves them top of the early
Group C standings.
"Tonight we were very
effective. The players
worked hard to apply the
gameplan in attack and
defense," said Arsenal coach
Eidevall. "It's a special
night."
Juventus made a winning
start in the group's other
match with a comfortable 2-
0 success at FC Zurich.
In Group D, last year's
runners-up Barcelona laid
down a marker with a 9-0
dismantling of Benfica.
Patricia Guijarro opened
the scoring in the very first
minute and Barca never
looked back, with Nigeria
forward Asizat Oshoala and
Champions League
debutant Geyse both
grabbing doubles.
The 2021 winners will
travel to Sweden to play
Rosengard next time out.
Bayern Munich edged out
the Scandinavians 2-1 in the
other Group D game.
Arsenal's Beth Mead celebrates scoring their fifth goal against title holders Lyon during
their Women's Champions League Group C match on Wednesday.
photo: Ap
Brazil jersey hostage to politics
a month from World Cup
SportS DeSk
Every four years, there is an explosion of
green and yellow in Julio Cesar Freitas's
neighborhood as locals cover the streets in
the colors of the Brazilian flag, reports UNB.
But this year, Freitas felt compelled to
add an explanation alongside the sea of
decorations outside his family's
construction supply shop: "It's not politics,
it's the World Cup."
Football-mad Brazil is famously
passionate about the World Cup, which it
has won more than any other country - five
times. But this year, the signs of football
fever have taken on a different meaning.
Battling to win reelection in an Oct. 30
runoff against veteran leftist Luiz Inacio
Lula da Silva, far-right President Jair
Bolsonaro has adopted the flag and the
national football team's jersey as symbols of
his own.
Bolsonaro regularly sports the colors of
the flag, his rallies are drenched in yellow
and green, and he urged supporters to wear
the national team Selecao's iconic jersey to
vote in the first-round election on Oct. 2, in
which he finished a closer-than-predicted
five percentage points behind Lula.
With Brazilians bitterly divided by the
elections, yellow and green have become
politicized - sometimes dampening
outward displays of World Cup fever in
Brazil, whose team head to Qatar as
favorites ahead of the November 20 kickoff.
The unease is visible in Freitas's
neighborhood, Caicara, in the southeastern
city of Belo Horizonte.
The city organizes a decoration contest
Gauff, Garcia
into WTA
Finals after
Sabalenka
defeat
SportS DeSk
Coco Gauff and Caroline
Garcia qualified for the
eight-player WTA Finals
after Aryna Sabalenka lost to
Liudmila Samsonova in the
Guadalajara Open second
round on Wednesday,
reports UNB.
Russian Samsonova, who
has won 20 of her last 22
matches, smacked 21 winners
and broke the powerful
Belarussian four times en
route to a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 upset
win over the world number
four.
The WTA Finals featuring
the world's top eight players
starts in Fort Worth on Oct
31.
Iga Swiatek, Ons Jabeur
and Jessica Pegula had
already locked up the first
three spots before
Guadalajara so with the
addition of American Gauff
and France's Garcia, three
openings remain.
Fifth seed Gauff was not at
her best but was still good
enough to see off Italy's
Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7-6(1),
6-3.
The American teenager
double faulted five times and
converted just four of 13
break opportunities but was
the better player on the
biggest points, rolling
through the first set tiebreak
and carrying that momentum
into the second set.
"I'm just super excited,"
said Gauff, 18, who will be the
youngest player to compete at
the WTA Finals since 2005.
"I wasn't really thinking
about it before the match, but
I'm excited to join Jess
(Pegula)," she said. The pair
have also both qualified for
the WTA Finals doubles
tournament.
Wimbledon champion
Elena Rybakina's hopes of
making the Finals ended after
Pegula saved three match
points to emerge with a 2-6,
6-3, 7-6(8) victory despite 14
aces from the Kazakhstani.
Rybakina would have
qualified for the Finals if the
WTA had issued ranking
points at this year's grass
court major.
Danielle Collins and
Jelena Ostapenko, who both
have an outside shot of
making the WTA Finals,
won their second round
matches yesterday, while
other hopefuls including
Madison Keys, Belinda
Bencic and top seed Paula
Badosa play later.
Aryna Sabalenka lost to Liudmila Samsonova in the Guadalajara open
second round on Wednesday.
photo: Ap
Williamson scores 25 in return
as Pelicans drub Nets 130-108
SportS DeSk
for every World Cup.
Freitas, whose family has been taking
part since 1994, says there were negative
reactions this year in the politically divided
community after they hung their
decorations two weeks ago - rows upon
rows of mini triangular flags strung across
the street.
Two days later, they added the abovementioned
sign.
"Unfortunately, the World Cup coincided
with the elections this year. I had to put up
the sign so people would know the
decorations aren't about supporting any
candidate," says Freitas, 26. "I could see
people were upset," he says. But after
adding the sign, "people who had been
angry with us about it started praising us
instead."
Elsewhere, many restaurants and bars
have postponed putting up their usual
World Cup-themed decorations.
"Everyone is on edge. As a business
owner, I don't want any trouble," Sao Paulo
bar owner Decio Lemos told newspaper O
Globo.
"We bought Brazil jerseys for the staff to
wear, but we're not going to start using
them yet."
The Brazilian flag and Selecao jersey first
became widespread conservative symbols
in 2015, during protests against leftist expresident
Dilma Rousseff, Lula's handpicked
successor.
The trend has only increased under
Bolsonaro, despite efforts by the Brazilian
Football Confederation (CBF) to keep the
jersey apolitical.
Zion Williamson returned from a one-year
absence with 25 points and nine rebounds,
powering the New Orleans Pelicans to a seasonopening
130-108 rout of the Brooklyn Nets on
Wednesday night, reports UNB.
The No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft looked fully
recovered and explosive after being sidelined
with a broken right foot.
Ben Simmons also returned to action after a
missed season but had the misfortune of having
to cover Williamson for much of the brief time he
was in the game. He fouled out early in the fourth
quarter with four points, five rebounds and five
assists, taking three shots.
Brandon Ingram scored 28 points and CJ
McCollum had 21 for the Pelicans, who finished
strong last season and opened impressively in
this one. Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 13
rebounds.
Kevin Durant scored 32 points but was largely
a one-man show, with no other Nets player in
double figures until the final two minutes of the
third quarter. Patty Mills had 16 points and Kyrie
Irving managed 15 on 6-for-19 shooting, going 0
for 6 from 3-point range.
DeMar DeRozan scored 28 of his 37 points in
the second half, Ayo Dosunmu added 17 and
short-handed Chicago beat Miami.
Nikola Vucevic had 15 points and 17 rebounds
for the Bulls, and Goran Dragic added 12 off the
Chicago bench.
Jimmy Butler scored 24 points and Tyler Herro
added 23 for Miami, which got 22 from Max
Strus and 12 from Bam Adebayo.
The Bulls played without All-Star guard Zach
LaVine, citing left knee injury management. That
Before the first-round election, Nike,
which sponsors the Selecao, barred online
shoppers from ordering customized Brazil
jerseys with candidates' names on the back.
"People are dragging (the jersey) into
politics. It's making us lose the identity of
the shirt and the flag," Brazil and
Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison said
recently. Many Brazilians have taken to
keeping their yellow jerseys in the closet, for
fear of being harassed or attacked.
To Bolsonaro backers, however, it is a
proud symbol of his motto, "Our flag will
never be red" - the color of Lula's Workers'
Party.
Lula, for his part, has vowed to "rescue"
the flag and jersey from "that fascist"
Bolsonaro - a rallying cry supported by the
likes of pop superstar Anitta. But glowing
memories of Pele, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho
aside, Brazilians' interest in the Selecao has
been declining for years.
Fifty-one percent say they are not
interested in the World Cup, according to
an August survey.
Ticket sales and TV audiences for the
team's matches have been declining.
Experts say the politicization of the jersey
plays a part, but also the team's humiliating
7-1 elimination by Germany on home soil in
the 2014 World Cup and the fact so many
young talents leave for Europe, lessening
the connection with fans back home.
But sports historian Joao Malaia predicts
the negativity and divisions will dissipate
when the tournament starts.
"Once it's kickoff time, most people will
forget all about it," he says.
knee had him in and out of the lineup last season
and required surgery in May. LaVine played in
three of Chicago's preseason games and
experienced discomfort in recent days - which
Bulls coach Billy Donovan said is to be expected,
given that LaVine was limited for much of the
summer.
Dejounte Murray had 20 points and five steals
to lead Atlanta past Houston.
Murray, acquired from San Antonio in the
Hawks' biggest move of the offseason, also dished
out 11 assists. Trae Young had 23 points and 13
assists, teaming with Murray to give a glimpse of
how a pair of star point guards can co-exist.
The Rockets were led by Kevin Porter Jr, with
21 points, two days after he signed an $82.5
million, four-year contract extension to help lead
Houston's major rebuilding project.
John Collins led the Hawks with 24 points and
De'Andre Hunter chipped in with 22 points.
Ja Morant had 34 points and nine assists, and
Memphis beat New York in overtime.
Santi Aldama had 18 points and 11 rebounds
for Memphis, and Desmond Bane finished with
16 points.
Julius Randle led the Knicks with 24 points and
11 rebounds, while reserve Cam Reddish added
22 points, making 9 of 15 shots from the field.
Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 16 points and
eight rebounds. Jalen Brunson, signed as a free
agent, had 15 points and nine assists in his debut
for New York.
The Grizzlies took a 115-112 lead on Tyus Jones'
3-pointer with 47.7 seconds left. Evan Fournier
had a chance to send the game into a second
overtime, but his shot from the left corner was off
the mark.
FRIdAY, OcTOBER 21 2022
10
Tauquir, Zahid shares screen for web series ‘Ke?’
TBT REPORT
Celebrated two actors of the small screen
Tauquir Ahmed and Zahid Hasan
shared the screen together again after a
long time for a web series titled 'Ke?'
The shooting of the web series is going
on at Aponghor Shooting House in the
capital's Uttara area. Tauqir Ahmed and
Zahid Hasan are playing two pivotal
characters in this web series, which is
being directed by Goutam Koiree. He
has also written story of the web series.
Basically web series, 'Ke?' is a fiveepisode
drama series scheduled to be
released on the OTT platform, Bioscope.
The series follows the story of two close
friends, played by Zahid Hasan and
Tauquir Ahmed.
The character played by Zahid is a
ghostwriter for Tauquir's role. Zahid
writes scripts and that are published
under Tauquir's name. One day,
Tauquir's character is honoured with an
award for one of the scripts and it
greatly upsets Zahid Hasan's role.
This is for the first time Tauquir
Ahmed will be starring in an OTT series.
While talking in this regard, the actor
said, "I have received quite a lot of offers
but sadly I could never make time due to
other commitments. Viewers pay a lot of
attention to OTT platforms, so I was
naturally interested to make my debut.
So far, I have had a very satisfactory
acting experience in this series. I am
certain you will see me return to this
platform if I am offered a good script."
On the other hand, Zahid Hasan
shared his feelings by this way, "I
received quite a few offers last Eid but
none of them really grabbed my
attention. I chose to work on this project
because of its story. I have a very good
feeling about this. Hopefully fans will
enjoy it."
Tauquir Ahmed also expressed his
admiration for the story. He said, "It's
been a while since I last worked in front
of the camera. It feels good."
Actress Sanjida Preeti is also acting in
an important role in this series, said the
director. It is noted that Tauquir Ahmed
has been living in the USA for the last
two years.
Trevor Noah addresses potential
Black Panther 2 return
Trevor Noah responds to the question of
whether his AI Griot could reappear in
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with
the same skill as other MCU vets.
Trevor Noah gives a coy response to
the question of whether he returns for
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Releasing in theaters next month,
Wakanda Forever is the sequel to 2018's
hit MCU film Black Panther. Noah had a
small but important role in the first
movie, lending his voice to the role of
Griot. Griot was an AI system that Shuri
(Letitia Wright) created for use in her
lab.
Wakanda Forever will be vastly
reshaped from the original Black
Panther film, as T'Challa actor
Chadwick Boseman tragically passed
away in 2020, and actor Daniel Kaluuya
will not be returning as his character of
W'Kabi, due to scheduling conflicts. As
such, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
will take time to dig further into its
existing characters, including powerful
female leads played by Wright, Angela
Bassett, Lupita Nyong'o, and Danai
Gurira. The MCU sequel will also
expand the universe through new
characters. These new introductions
include the antagonistic Namor the
Sub-Mariner, played by Tenoch Huerta,
and Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, played
by Dominique Thorne. Ironheart is a
relatively new addition to Marvel as a
whole, as she first appeared in the
comics in 2016 as a young woman who
transforms into a superhero by
engineering her own version of Iron
Man's armor.
The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
cast is an impressive one, and Noah
teases his potential inclusion in a recent
interview on The Tonight Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon. Noah first recounts his
intense loathing for film spoilers.
Despite that, Fallon still prods Noah for
one spoiler about Black Panther:
Wakanda Forever. Check out Noah's
response:
"Trevor Noah: I hate spoilers. So I
wouldn't spoil it even for my friends to
let them know that I'm doing a thing. I
genuinely don't. I don't watch trailers,
for instance. I hate trailers. I like getting
into the movie not knowing what's going
to happen, what's coming, not
anticipating a single thing. …Have you
noticed they'll put a thing in the trailer
that's not in the movie? And you'll wait
for the whole movie and you're like
'heh…where's the thing?'. . . I enjoy the
experience of going to the movie, sitting
with my popcorn, not knowing what's
going to happen and then just enjoying
it. I want to go for the ride, let's see what
happens.
Jimmy Fallon: I know you probably
won't tell me now, but are you in the
new Black Panther? Of course you're
not going to tell me, you just explained
to me that you don't like spoilers.
Trevor Noah: I'm just saying, you
should watch it.
Source: Collider
Rezwana Choudhury Bannya receives
Lifetime Achievement Award
TBT REPORT
Prominent singer Rezwana Choudhury
Bannya has received the Lifetime
Achievement Award at Oikko-Channel i
Music Awards 2022. The award
ceremony was held at Sheikh Russel
Cantonment on the western side of the
Padma Bridge on Tuesday night.
Chief of Army Staff General SM
Shafiuddin Ahmed, Channel i Managing
Director Faridur Reza Sagar, Channel i
Director and Head of News Shykh Seraj
and Oikko Foundation President Shahin
Akhtar Reni handed over the award to
the noted artiste at the event.
After receiving the award Bannya said,
"I cannot express the feelings. Every
artiste wants to get honour and
recognition of their works. I'm grateful to
the organisers, my parents, gurus and
audience for this award. Please keep me
in your prayers."
Besides Rezwana Choudhury Bannya,
24 artistes and one orgranisation
received the awards in 14 categories.
Complete list of Oikko-Channel i Music
Awards 2022: Lifetime Achievement
Award: Rezwana Choudhury Bannya,
Modern song-Best singer: Fahmida Nabi,
Best Composer: Kishore, Best Lyricist:
Asif Iqbal, Best Tagore Singer: Shama
Rahman, Best Nazrul Singer: Priyanka
Gope, Best Band: Renaissance, Best
Sound Engendering: Amzad Hossain
Bappy, Best Deut Singer: Habib Wahid
and Shithi Shaha, Best Folk Fusion
Singer: Sabbir Nasir, Best Folk Singer:
Baul Shukumar, Film song-Best singer:
Imran Mahmudul, Best Composer:
Emon Chowdhury and Best Lyricist: Mir
Sabbir, Best Music Video: Piplu R Khan,
Best Newbie Singer: Nujhat Jahan
Pushpita, Best Classical Singer: Ruba,
Tung Tang and Ashik, Subject Oriented
Song- Best Singer Jhilik, Best Composer:
Shafiq Tuhin and Best Lyricist: Zulfikar
Russel, Best Production House: TM
Records.
Popular singers of the country,
including Runa Laila, Sabina Yasmin,
Rezwana Choudhury Bannya,
Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Abida
Sultana, Nakib Khan, Kumar Bishwajit,
Samina Chowdhury, Fahmida Nabi,
Momtaz Begum, Manam Ahmed
performed at the event.
Present generation singers Habib
Wahid, Sinthi Saha, Konal, Imran, Jhilik,
Kishore, Sabbir Ahmed, Rashed also
enthralled the audience.
Besides, popular actors Nusraat Faria,
Siam Ahmed, Dighi, Sabila Noor,
Shariful Raz and others participated in
various performances.
Turongomi Repertory Dance Theatre to join
Indonesia International Culture Festival 2022
Turongomi Repertory Dance Theatre will join the prestigious
"Indonesia International Culture Festival 2022" in Indonesia from
October 22-30, reports UNB.
The festival is one of the largest gatherings of dance
professionals in the world, organised by the government of
Indonesia, said a media release Wednesday.
Pooja Sengupta, the artistic director of Turongomi, will
represent Bangladesh at the festival. She will also conduct a
workshop and talk about the Bangladeshi Aroti dance. She will
also take part in the popular Bandung Art Festival 2022 in Jawa.
Recently, Pooja represented Bangladesh at the Sustainable
Development Goals UNESCO Resili-Art Festival in Manila, the
Philippines in April 2022.
Later this year in July, Turongomi took part in the Daegu
Colorful Festival, one of the largest dance parades in the world.
Since its inception in 2014, Turongomi has been working with the
motto of establishing the signature style of Bangladeshi dance in
the international arena and achieving professionalism in the dance
scenario of Bangladesh.
Turongomi School of dance, a sister concern of Turongomi
Repertory Dance Theatre, became a member of the International
Dance Council of UNESCO along with Pooja herself, in 2019.
Pooja received the Noorul Quader Entrepreneur award in 2018
for establishing Turongomi.
Urvashi Rautela getting hair cut in support of Iranian women
Urvashi Rautela, who
recently shared pictures of
herself getting her hair cut in
support of Iranian women,
feels that as a public figure, it is
her responsibility to voice her
opinion on important issues.
The actor previously
compared herself to the late
Mahsa Amini in a post.
Amini died in police custody
in September after being
arrested for allegedly violating
Iran's strict dress code. Her
death triggered widespread
anti-government protests in
Iran and across the world.
Calling these protests
"extremely moving", Rautela
says, "People need to stop
oppressing women and start
respecting and recognizing
them. Feminism will regain its
strength once women come
together and consider one
woman's issue as an issue of
the entire womankind."
Rautela is not the first
person to express solidarity
with Iranian protesters.
Previously, actors Priyanka
Chopra Jonas, Elnaaz
Norouzi, and Mandana Karimi
also raised their voices in
support. However, each one of
them was thrashed by a
section of people on social
media.
Ask Rautela, if she is
prepared for the backlash that
comes with being opinionated,
she says, "I know I am going to
receive some backlash but as
long as I am able to spread the
severity of this to all those
young girls, I will be okay. As
we all know that social media
is very powerful, I feel it must
be used for the betterment of
society."
To the women, who are still
silent on the issue, Rautela
says, "I know it takes courage
to speak."
Source: Hindustan Times
H O R O s c O P E
ARIEs
Your head should be quite clear today,
Aries, and your witty comments will
be met with appreciation and
laughter. Your smile will delight
everyone you encounter. Don't be afraid to let your
feelings out to those who need to hear them. Focus
your energy on the ones you love. Your heart is
warm and generous, so share it with other people
today.
TAURUs
Don't worry about probing too deeply
today, Taurus. Trust people more than
you normally would. You will find that
things go much more smoothly if you
approach them from a neutral or positive and not
accusatory position. Listen to the people you care about
the most. They're trying to convey important
information. You might not want to hear it now, but in
the long run, it's in everyone's best interests that you do.
GEMINI
You might consider taking a short trip
today, Gemini. Perhaps you need to get
out of the house and go across town.
Whatever it is, introduce your brain to a
new reality. It's time to expand and explore. You itch
to see new places and experience new things, either
physically or mentally. Perhaps a religious sanctuary
or quiet place in grove of trees is what you need in
order to quench this inner thirst.
cANcER
Your mind might be stimulated today,
Cancer, so stay alert and open to new
information. If you feel tired, take a
short nap. It's better to operate at top
speed and full capacity than go through your day
only half present. Don't rely on external stimulants
like caffeine to pick you up. These things will
deceive your body and do damage to your nervous
system.
LEO
Communication is flowing smoothly
today, Leo, so take advantage of this
and get the word out. It's important
for you to make connections with
other people now. Run with your instincts and
feel free to enter into debates. Your words and
tone of voice are very convincing. You could sell
anything to anyone today.
VIRGO
Don't let fear of failure or fear of
success hold you back, Virgo. Even
though you may feel a natural
tendency to want to shrink into the
background and take the easiest route, you might
be sacrificing your true purpose when you do.
Become the leader instead of following the leader.
Rid yourself of all fear and take control of your
destiny.
LIBRA
Powerful thoughts are running
through your brain. You will find that
this information can be transforming,
Libra. The key is to learn from others
and incorporate opposing viewpoints into your state
of mind. Don't automatically disregard the opinion
of another just because it contradicts your own
beliefs. Teamwork is the name of the game on a day
like today.
scORPIO
Information coming your way today
might be unreliable, Scorpio. It could be
hard for you to take a solid hold on the
messages you get. Keep in mind that
there are important answers waiting to be heard. These
answers will come to you when you least expect them.
Keep your mind open to new possibilities and the path
will open up and become clear. Don't compromise your
consciousness with abusive substances.
sAGITTARIUs
Be careful about being manipulated by
another person today, Sagittarius. It's
possible that someone is putting words
in your mouth in order to get you to act
a certain way. Don't fall into this trap. Be your own
person and think for yourself. Your mind is
susceptible and vulnerable now. Use your eyes and
ears as a filter and don't let people unload their
garbage on you.
cAPRIcORN
Information you receive today may get
you stirred up, Capricorn. Remember
that it takes two to start an argument.
You play an equal part in any
disagreement. If you want to promote peace and
harmony, your words and body language must
show this. If peace and harmony aren't your
ultimate goal, you may need to look inside yourself
to explore the reasons why.
AQUARIUs
There's a great deal of power to your
words today, Aquarius, so be careful
how you use them. You may end up
manipulating another's choices if you
aren't careful with your conduct. Make sure you give
others the freedom and empowerment to decide
things for themselves. Be open and honest about all
the facts that might influence their decisions in any
way.
PIscEs
Answers may not be crystal clear
today, Pisces. They probably won't be
laid out in a neat and organized
manner. Get out in the open air and join friends
for a long bike ride. Fly a kite or feel the wind blow
through your hair on top of a mountain peak. The
answer is flowing through the air around you.
Stop looking down at the ground for the
information you seek.
frIDay, OCtOBer 21, 2022
11
Joypurhat: Bodies of 2
missing youths recovered
from Chhoto Jamuna river
JOYPURHAT : The bodies
of two youths were
recovered from the Chhoto
Jamuna river of Joypurhat
on Thursday morning, some
20 hours after they went
missing, reports UNB.
The deceased were
identified as Sanjit Bashfor,
23, and Tonmoy Rajak, 17,
both residents of the Rail
Station Road area of
Joypurhat town. Shanjit was
a student of Open University
while Tonmoy studied in
Kashiabari High School of
the town.
Fire service divers fished
out the bodies from the
river, 100 metres away from
the Chak Shyam Ghat area,
around 10am during a
rescue drive, said Joypurhat
Civil Defence and Fire
Service Warehouse
inspector Mohiuddin.
On Wednesday, the duo
went missing in the river in
the Chak Shyam Ghat area
during the immersion of the
idol of Goddess Kali.
On information, divers
from the fire service and civil
defence rushed to the spot
and started a rescue
operation, said inspector
Mohiuddin.
Dhaka's air
quality is
'unhealthy'
DHAKA : Dhaka's air quality
continued to be in the
'unhealthy' zone on
Thursday morning.
With an air quality index
(AQI) score of 162 at 9am,
the metropolis ranked
eighth in the list of world
cities with the worst air
quality, reports UNB.
The USA's Seattle,
Pakistan's Lahore and
India's Delhi occupied the
first three spots, with AQI
scores of 251, 235 and 173,
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.
AQI, an index for
reporting daily air quality, is
used by government
agencies to inform people
how clean or polluted the air
of a certain city is, and what
associated health effects
might be a concern for them.
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.
Officials: Musk seeks
US funds for Ukraine
satellite network
WASHINGTON : The
Defense Department has
gotten a request from SpaceX
and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to
take over funding for his
satellite network that has
provided crucial battlefield
communications for
Ukrainian military forces
since almost the beginning of
its war with Russia, U.S.
officials said Friday.
The officials, who spoke on
condition of anonymity to
discuss a sensitive matter not
yet made public, said the issue
has been discussed in
meetings and senior leaders
are weighing the matter.
There have been no decisions.
In a statement later Friday,
Pentagon spokeswoman
Sabrina Singh said, "We can
confirm the Department
received correspondence
from SpaceX about the
funding of Starlink, their
satellite communications
product in Ukraine. We
remain in communication
with SpaceX about this and
other topics."
Health Minister Zahid Maleque addressing a function at the Shishu Hospital in the city. Photo : PID
Hacker holds Australian health
insurer's data for ransom
CANBERRA : A cybercriminal was
holding for ransom an Australian health
insurer's customer data including
diagnoses and treatments, in the
nation's second major privacy breach in
a month, officials said on Thursday,
reports UNB.
Trade in Medibank shares has been
halted on the Australian Securities
Exchange since Wednesday when
police were alerted that the company
had been contacted by what it described
as a "criminal" who wanted to negotiate
over the stolen personal data of
customers.
Medibank, which has 3.7 million
customers, said on Thursday the
criminal had provided a sample of 100
customer policies from a purported haul
of 200 gigabytes of stolen data.
Details included customer names,
addresses, birth dates, national health
care identification numbers and phone
numbers.
Cybersecurity Minister Clare O'Neil
said most concerning was that records
of medical diagnoses and procedures
had also been stolen.
"Financial crime is a terrible thing.
But ultimately, a credit card can be
replaced," O'Neil told reporters.
"The threat that is being made here to
make the private, personal health
information of Australians made
available to the public is a dog act," she
added.
The Medibank breach, which O'Neil
described as a "ransomware attack,"
came a month after a cyberattack stole
from telecommunications company
Optus the personal data of 9.8 million
customers.
The Optus breach, which
compromised the personal data of more
than one-third of Australia's population,
prompted the government to propose
urgent reforms to privacy laws that
would increase penalties for companies
that fail to protect customers' data and
limit the quantity of data that can be
retained.
O'Neil said cybercrime was a growing
Afghan couple accuse US Marine
of abducting their baby
NEW YORK : The young Afghan couple
raced to the airport in Kabul, clutching their
baby girl close amid the chaotic withdrawal
of American troops last year.
The baby had been rescued two years
earlier from the rubble of a U.S. Special
Forces raid that killed her parents and five
siblings. After months in a U.S. military
hospital, she had gone to live with her
cousin and his wife, this newlywed couple.
Now, the family was bound for the United
States for further medical treatment, with
the aid of U.S. Marine Corps attorney
Joshua Mast.
When the exhausted Afghans arrived at
the airport in Washington D.C. in late
August 2021, Mast pulled them out of the
international arrivals line and led them to
an inspecting officer, according to a lawsuit
they filed last month. They were surprised
when Mast presented an Afghan passport
for the child, the couple said. But it was the
last name printed on the document that
stopped them cold: Mast.
They didn't know it, but they would soon
lose their baby.
This is a story about how one U.S. Marine
became fiercely determined to bring home
an Afghan war orphan, and praised it as an
act of Christian faith to save her. Letters,
emails and documents submitted in federal
filings show that he used his status in the
U.S. Armed Forces, appealed to highranking
Trump administration officials and
turned to small-town courts to adopt the
baby, unbeknownst to the Afghan couple
raising her 7,000 miles away.
The little girl, now 3 ½ years old, is at the
center of a high-stakes tangle of at least four
court cases. The Afghan couple, desperate to
get her back, has sued Joshua and his wife
Stephanie Mast. But the Masts insist they
are her legal parents and "acted admirably"
to protect her. They've asked a federal judge
to dismiss the lawsuit.
The ordeal has drawn in the U.S.
departments of Defense, Justice and State,
which have argued that the attempt to spirit
away a citizen of another country could
significantly harm military and foreign
relations. It has also meant that a child who
survived a violent raid, was hospitalized for
months and escaped the fall of Afghanistan
has had to split her short life between two
families, both of which now claim her.
Five days after the Afghans arrived in the
U.S., they say Mast - custody papers in hand
- took her away.
The Afghan woman collapsed onto the
floor and pleaded with the Marine to give
her baby back. Her husband said Mast had
called him "brother" for months; so he
begged him to act like one, with
compassion. Instead, the Afghan family
claims in court papers, Mast shoved the
man and stomped his foot.
US, Canada send armored vehicles
to bolster Haiti's police
SAN JUAN : The U.S. and Canada sent
armored vehicles and other supplies to Haiti
on Saturday to help police fight a powerful
gang amid a pending request from the Haitian
government for the immediate deployment of
foreign troops.
A U.S. State Department statement said the
equipment was bought by Haiti's government,
but it did not provide further details on the
supplies flown on military aircraft to the capital
of Port-au-Prince. A spokesman for the U.S.
military's Southern Command said he could
not provide further details on the supplies sent,
though he added it was a joint operation
involving the U.S. Air Force and Royal
Canadian Air Force.
"This equipment will assist (Haiti's National
Police) in their fight against criminal actors
who are fomenting violence and disrupting the
flow of critically-needed humanitarian
assistance, hindering efforts to halt the spread
of cholera," the State Department said.
The Pan American Health Organization said
there are more than 560 suspected cases of
cholera, some 300 hospitalizations and at least
35 deaths, with experts warning the numbers
are likely much higher than what i's being
reported. The equipment arrived more than a
month after one of Haiti's most powerful gangs
surrounded a fuel terminal and demanded the
resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Demonstrators also have blocked roads in
major cities to protest a sharp rise in fuel prices
after Henry announced in early September
that his administration could no longer afford
to subsidize fuel.
problem around the world and that
Australia needed to be better prepared.
"We are going to be under relentless
cyberattack essentially from here on in,
and what it means is that we need to do
a lot better as a country to make sure
that we are doing everything we can
within organizations to protect
customer data and also for citizens to be
doing everything that they can," O'Neil
told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"Combined with Optus, this is a huge
wake-up call for the country and
certainly gives the government a really
clear mandate to do some things that
frankly probably should have been done
five years ago, but I think are still very
crucially important," she added,
referring to privacy law reforms that the
government hopes to pass through
Parliament this year.
Medibank chief executive David
Koczkar said his company was working
with specialized cybersecurity firms as
well as police and government experts
in response to the breach.
Family rejects official Iran findings
on Amini death: lawyer
TEHRAN : Lawyers for Mahsa Amini's
family have rejected an official Iranian
medical report that found her death was not
caused by beatings, they said in comments
published on Thursday, reports BSS.
Amini, 22, died on September 16, three
days after falling into a coma following her
arrest in Tehran by the morality police for
allegedly breaching the Islamic republic's
strict dress code for women.
Three days after her death, Amini's father
Amjad, told Iran's Fars news agency that she
had been in "perfect health".
In its report published on October 7, Iran's
Forensic Organization said her death "was
not caused by blows to the head and vital
organs and limbs of the body".
"The lawyers rejected the forensic doctor's
report in their statement of defence," one of
the lawyers acting for the parents, Saleh
Nikbakht, told Etemad newspaper.
The parents called for "the re-examination
of the cause of death by another commission
Customs intelligence officials have arrested five persons with 24 gold bars from the Immigration
Check Post (ICP) area at Hili Land Port in Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur.
Photo : BSS
Ukraine: Rockets
strike mayor's office
in separatist Donetsk
KYIV, UKRAINE : The
mayor's office in a key
eastern Ukrainian city
controlled by pro-Kremlin
separatists was struck by
rockets Sunday morning,
Russian state agencies
reported. There were no
immediate reports of
casualties.
According to RIA Novosti,
the municipal building in
Donetsk was seriously
damaged by the attack,
which local separatist
authorities blamed on
Ukraine.
Photos circulating on
social media showed
plumes of smoke swirling
around the building, rows
of blown-out windows and
a partially collapsed ceiling.
RIA Novosti and local
media also reported that
three cars parked nearby
had burnt out as a result of
the strike.
Iqvmv-R:Z: 474/2022
GD-1707/22 (5x3)
in the presence of doctors" who are
confidants to the Amini family.
"Without clarifying the investigation
process and the role of the person or persons
involved in the arrest and transfer of Mahsa
to the morality police headquarters, it is not
possible to defend the rights of the parents,
and... to resolve the ambiguities about the
cause of death," Nikbakht added.
Last month, Amini's family filed a
complaint against the police who arrested
her and called on the authorities to release all
photos and videos taken during her
detention.
According to Nikbakht, the chief
prosecutor had promised "that a medical
team appointed by the family would be
informed of the course of the investigation".
The family called on the judiciary to "invite
five neurosurgeons and neurologists, a
cardiologist and a psychiatrist to choose
from a list of 10 doctors nominated by Mahsa
Amini's parents," according to Nikbakht.
Iran's celebrities face reprisals
for supporting protests
BAGHDAD : Singers, actors, sports stars -
the list goes on. Iranian celebrities have been
startlingly public in their support for the
massive anti-government protests shaking
their country. And the ruling establishment
is lashing back.
Celebrities have found themselves targeted
for arrest, have had passports confiscated
and faced other harassment.
Among the most notable cases is that of
singer Shervin Hajipour, whose song "For ..."
has become an anthem for the protest
movement, which erupted Sept. 17 over the
death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police
custody after she was arrested for not
abiding by the Islamic Republic's strict dress
code.
The song begins with a soft melody, then
Hajipour's resonant voice starts, "For
dancing in the streets," "for the fear we feel
when we kiss ..." - listing reasons young
Iranians have posted on Twitter for why they
are taking to the streets against the ruling
theocracy.
It ends with the widely chanted slogan that
has become synonymous with the protests:
"For women, life, freedom."
Released on his Instagram page, the song
quickly went viral. Hajipour paid the price:
The 25-year-old was arrested and held for
several days before being released on bail on
Oct. 4.
Since the protests took off - and expanded
from anger at Amini's death to a complete
challenge to the 43-year-old rule by
conservative Islamic clerics - a string of
celebrities have faced reprisals, from singers
and soccer players to news anchors.
At least seven public figures have been
detained inside the country, most of whom
were released on bail and could face charges,
according to Iranian news outlets. Others
were questioned and released.
But their popularity has also made it
difficult to crack down too hard on them - in
contrast to protest activists whom security
forces have arrested in large numbers. Iran
has a vibrant scene of singers and actors, as
well as sports stars, who are closely followed
by the public.
Holly Dagres, an Iranian-American nonresident
fellow at the Atlantic Council, said
the attempts to intimidate public figures
were no surprise.
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Friday, dhaka : october 21, 2022; Kartik 5, 1429 Bs; rabi-ul-Awal 24 , 1444 Hijri
AL is not obstructing
BNP rally, says
Obaidul Quader
DHAKA : Awami League General
Secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday
said the government did not make any
attempts to thwart the BNP's anti-government
rally, rather extended administrative
support.
"Neither the government nor the
Awami League has ever created any
obstacles to holding the rally by BNP,
and (we) will never do so," he told
reporters at Shetu Bhaban in Dhaka,
reports UNB.
Quader said Awami League or the
government did not create any trouble
during its recent rally in Chattogram.
"The transport strike was not there,
so why wasn't the rally venue full of
people in Chattogram?"
Quader said that neither the government
nor the Awami League is intimidating
the upcoming rally in Khulna.
Transport workers and owners in the
southwestern region said they would
suspend bus services in Khulna ahead
of the BNP rally on Saturday as they are
afraid of violence, Quader added.
"What can the government or Awami
League do (in that case)?"
In response to the statement by BNP
Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam
Alamgir that Awami League had created
1/11, Quader said: "Who was in
power before 1/11?"
He said that BNP had created a controversy
by increasing the age of judges
to make their party's international
affairs secretary and former chief justice
KM Hasan as head of the caretaker
government.
Quader said that BNP wanted to
destroy the entire election system by
making 1.23 crore fake voters.
999: Police
get call from
'thief' for help!
BARISHAL : Usually people seek help
from National Emergency Service 999 in
order to get aid in an emergency state but
what has happened in Barishal is quite
opposite and unusual. A thief has called
police seeking help, reports UNB.
Police on Thursday said they received a
call from a thief to save himself from possible
mob beating as he was stranded
inside a shop in Barishal town after committing
theft.
Yeasin Khan, 41, entered a shop in AR
Khan Bazar area of Sadar upazila and got
stuck inside the shop on Wednesday
morning after sensing presence of people
in the market, said Asaduzzaman, officerin-charge
(OC) of Metropolitan Bandar
police station.
The man called 999 for help fearing that
he might be beaten up by the locals if
caught, the OC added.
When police asked him why he is not
coming out of the shop, Yeasin told them
that it took him a long time to pack the
stolen goods and when he completed it is
already morning and people started gathering
in the market.
"In this condition, if Yeasin came out, he
would be beaten up by the mob," said OC
Asaduzzaman.
Shop owner Jhantu said he didn't sense
that a thief entered his shop and packed
goods in his bag.
Later, police arrested Yeasin from the
spot after rescuing him from the shop, said
the OC.
A road accident
kills one
and injures
others seven at
siddhirganj of
narayanganj.
the incident
took place in
front of sajeda
Hospital in
shimrail area
of dhaka-
Chittagong
highway on
thursday
afternoon.
photo : star Mail
COVID-19 linked to increase in
US pregnancy- related deaths
WASHINGTON : COVID-19 drove a dramatic
increase in the number of women
who died from pregnancy or childbirth
complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis
that has disproportionately claimed Black
and Hispanic women as victims, according
to a government report released
Wednesday.
The report lays out grim trends across
the country for expectant mothers and
their newborn babies.
It finds that pregnancy-related deaths
have spiked nearly 80% since 2018, with
COVID-19 being a factor in a quarter of the
1,178 deaths reported last year. The percentage
of preterm and low birthweight
babies also went up last year, after holding
steady for years. And more pregnant or
postpartum women are reporting symptoms
of depression.
"We were already in the middle of a crisis
with maternal mortality in our country,"
said Karen Tabb Dina, a maternal
health researcher at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "This really
shows that COVID-19 has exacerbated
that crisis to rates that we, as a country, are
not able to handle."
The nonpartisan U.S. Government
Accountability Office, which authored the
report, analyzed pregnancy-related deaths
after Congress mandated that it review
maternal health outcomes in the 2020
coronavirus relief bill.
The maternal death rate in the U.S. is
higher than many other developed nations
and had been on the rise in the years leading
up to the pandemic, but COVID-19 has
only worsened conditions here for pregnant
women.
Women who contract the virus while
pregnant face elevated health risks.
Staffing shortages and COVID-19 restrictions
created more hurdles for expecting
mothers to get in-person health care; And
pandemic stress has intensified depression,
a common condition during pregnancy.
Mental health issues likely contributed
to the increase in pregnancy-related
deaths, Tabb Dina said. Many women who
experience depression and anxiety during
or after their pregnancy struggle to get the
care they need.
"Mental health is the greatest complication
in pregnancy that we don't understand,"
she said.
The biggest spike in deaths came during
July through December of last year, as the
COVID-19 delta variant infected millions,
noted Carolyn Yocom, a director at the
Government Accountability Office.
"It's really clear from the data that the
time in which the delta variant spread
seemed to correspond to a huge increase in
deaths," Yocom said.
PBI officer files case against
former SP and 4 others
MAzHArul IslAM rAnA, CHAttogrAM CIty Correspondent
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI)
Chattogram Metro Police Superintendent
Naima Sultana filed a case against former
Police Superintendent Babul
Ilyas Hossain
Akhter. Apart from this, this police officer
has also filed a case against 4 people
including the journalist Ilyas Hossain
who is hiding abroad.
Babul Akhtar along with his brother
Habibur Rahman Labu and his father
Abdul Wadud Mia have been made
accused in the case filed under the
Digital Security Act and Penal Code.
Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI)
Chattogram Metro Police Superintendent
Naima Sultana filed the case under
Digital Security Act and Special Powers
Act at Khulshi police station of the city
last Monday night. Santosh Kumar
Chakma, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of
Khulshi police station, confirmed the
matter of the case.
Babul Akhter
It has been said in the complaint that
Babul Akhtar and other accused are
conspiring to divert the investigation of
Mahmuda Khanam Mitu's murder case.
As a part of this, they are promoting a
documentary video on Facebook and
YouTube titled 'Wife killed, husband
jailed, murderer gets responsibility of
investigation' through Ilyas Hossain
with false and baseless information.
Through the statement in the video,
there is an attempt to damage the image
of the state and India's friendly relations
with Bangladesh.
Dengue infections
may drop next
month: DGHS
DHAKA : Dengue cases are likely to
start dropping from early November,
said Directorate General of Health
Services (DGHS) Director (disease control)
Professor Dr Nazmul Islam on
Thursday.
The year dengue infections have
increased due to climate change and lack
of awareness among people, he told the
reporters at an event organized by
National Malaria Eradication and Aedes
Transmitted Diseases (ATDS) Control
Programme at a city hotel.
"Deaths from dengue are on the rise
due to lack of timely treatment and
negligence," he said.
He also said the hospital authorities
have taken all necessary measures to
provide treatment to the increasing
dengue patients. "Deaths from dengue
can be reduced significantly if patients
consult with doctors in time."
With seven more deaths from dengue
confirmed on Wednesday, the official
death toll from the disease rose to 106
in this year - the second-highest on
record after the 179 deaths recorded in
2019. The total number of cases this
year stood at 27,802.
ACC okays chargesheet
against 5 ex-NSU
trustees, 4 others
DHAKA : The Anti-Corruption Commission
(ACC) on Thursday approved a chargesheet
against nine people including five former
members of the board of trustees of North-
South University (NSU) for laundering
around Tk 304 crore.
ACC Secretary Mahbub Hossain said the
investigation officer of the case and director
of ACC's investigation and inquiry cell
will submit the chargesheet before the
court. The accused are - NSU trustee board
chairman Azim Uddin Ahmed, members-
Benajir Ahmed, MA Kashem, Rehana
Rahman, Mohammed Shajahan, Ashaloy
Housing and Developers Amin managing
director Md Hilaly, its chairman Omar
Faruk and directors- Anwara Begum and
Syed AK Haque.
On May 5, the ACC filed the case against
the NSU trustees and others on charges of
embezzling money in the name of buying
land for the campus and money laundering.
According to the Private University
Act, 2010, the board of trustees is the
highest governing body of a private university
like North South University.
According to the Memorandum of
Association and Articles (Rules and
Regulations) of the University, the university
is a charitable, welfare oriented,
non-commercial and non-profit educational
institution.
The case stated that over 9,088 decimal
land was bought in the name of campus
development of NSU through the consent of
some members of the board of trustees
bypassing the approval of the university syndicate,
the University Grants Commission,
and the Ministry of Education.
They later withdrew cash from the buyer
through cheques in their own names and
kept FDR in their own names. Later, they
themselves embezzled the FDR money.
They unjustly benefited themselves by
committing illegal activities, criminal misconduct
through misuse of power and
embezzling university and government
funds, according to the case statement.
DHAKA : Bangladesh will get high power
reactors for Rooppur Nuclear Power
Plant (RNPP) for optimum generation of
electricity, said Rosatom Director
General Alexey Likhachev on Thursday.
Fresh nuclear fuel for the country's
first-ever nuclear power project will
come in October next year, he said.
Likhachev said this during a call on
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official
residence Ganabhaban, according to
PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.
Rosatom is the Russian contractor for
the implementation of the US$12.65 billion
nuclear power project.
The meeting took place a day after the
prime minister inaugurated the installation
of the final reactor at the second unit
of the 2400 MW plant being built at
Rooppur in northern Pabna district. The
RNPP will have two units each having the
electricity generation capacity of 1200
MW.
The Rosatom chief informed the PM
that they want to celebrate the bringing
of the fresh nuclear fuel in Bangladesh
with the participation of International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director
general and relevant officials.
He said that Russia is also interested in
conducting research on nuclear science
and technology in Bangladesh. He mentioned
that they are training the
DHAKA : Accusing the government of trying
to suppress the movement of opposition
parties, BNP Secretary General Mirza
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday questioned
what the government can achieve
by preventing BNP from holding big rallies,
reports UNB.
"You all know how much injustice and
repression are going on. The government
has been working terribly…to suppress
our movement. They talk about democracy
by obstructing the opposition's rallies.
They stopped the transport service using
the bus owners so that we can't hold massive
rallies," he said.
Speaking at a programme of unveiling a
booklet, he also criticised the government's
'undemocratic' attitude of blocking
democratic protests. "They'll be able to say
BNP's rally is not big. But can they erase
the pent-up anger from people's hearts?
They won't be able to do that. Every person
now hates you as you're hanging onto
power based on lies."
Earlier on Wednesday, Khulna busminibus
owners association and motor workers'
union decided to keep bus services suspended
on October 21 and 22 due to the BNP's
divisional rally on Saturday (October 22).
As part of its divisional rallies, BNP is
expected to organise the rally on Sonali
Bank premises in Khulna city in protest
against the price hikes in fuel and daily
essentials and the killing of five BNP leaders
and activists in the recent movement
and demanding unconditional release of
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
The party has already arranged two
massive rallies in Chattogram and
Mymensingh. BNP leaders alleged that
many BNP leaders and activists were
attacked, arrested and implicated in 'false'
rosatom director
general (dg)
Alexey likhachev
paid a courtesy
call on prime
Minister sheikh
Hasina at her
official residence
ganabhaban
yesterday.
photo : pId
Rooppur Nuclear Power
Plant to get high power
reactors:Rosatom DG
Bangladeshi manpower for the RNPP.
Besides, he said, Russia is proving
assistance in building infrastructure for
nuclear governance in Bangladesh.
Likhachev briefed the prime minister
about the development and progress of
the work on the RNPP.
The prime minister thanked Russia,
particularly the Rosatom DG, for extending
support and continuing the construction
work in full swing even during the
Covid-19 pandemic.
She also appreciated Russia for their
support in the power and energy sector
since Bangladesh's independence in
1971.
Sheikh Hasina told the Rosatom chief
that Russia may give emphasis on manpower
development of RNPP so that
Bangladeshi personnel could become
capable in operating and maintaining the
plant independently.
She also laid emphasis on security
aspects of the nuclear power plant.
Ambassador-at-large Mohammad
Ziauddin, Prime Minister's Principal
Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus, Senior
Secretary of the Ministry of Science and
Technology Ziaul Hasan, Bangladesh
Ambassador to Russia Kamrul Ahsan
and Russian Ambassador in Dhaka
Alexander Mantytskiy were present during
the meeting.
Govt must go:Fakhrul
cases in Chattogram and Mymensingh
over holding the rally.
Zia Parishad, a pro-BNP platform, has
published the 'booklet' in memory of four
leaders of the party's associate bodies who
were killed in police firing in the party's
recent anti-government movement.
Mirza Fakhrul unveiled the cover of the
booklet titled "Bangladesh Running
toward Deathtrap" at a programme at the
chairperson's Gulshan office.
BNP arranged rallies and demonstrations
at the district and upazila level since
August last protesting the hikes in the
prices of fuel and essential commodities.
During these programmes,
Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim
and Chhatra Dal leader Nur-e-Alam were
gunned down in Bhola, while Jubo Dal
leaders Raja Ahmed Shaon Shahidul
Islam Shaon were shot dead in
Narayanganj and Munshiganj respectively
reportedly by police.
On Behalf of Zia Parishad, Mirza
Fakhrul handed over financial assistance
to the family members of slain Abdur
Rahim, Nure-Alam, Raja Ahmed Shaon
and Shahidul Islam Shaon.
He also paid respect to the memories of
those killed in the ongoing movement and
urged the party leaders and workers to be
vocal against the government's misrule by
turning the sacrifices of the slain party
leaders into strength.
He said it is high time to wake up the
country's people to oust the Awami
League government through a mass
uprising. The BNP leader urged the Zia
Parishad to intensify its efforts to
mobilise public support and encourage
people to take to the streets against the
current regime.